Stuck in the middle

I stayed home from work today. I have a major chest cold and it feels as though as 300 lb gorilla is sitting on me. While I can breathe, I have read that running with a chest cold is a no-no so here I sit. Stuck in the middle of being able to run and not being able to run. I got some Mucinex, ate lots of chicken noodle soup, and am drinking lots of fluids. To say that I am bored would be an understatement.

Thus far today I have checked my emails 999 times, read about a thousand blogs (that's a good thing though), written a post (it's pretty lame, so, sorry about that), rented the movie Jane Eyre, and re-painted my fingernails. The most exciting part of my day thus far was my trip to CVS to pick up more soup and a magazine.

I hate staying home sick, as most of us do, but I feared that by going to work I was just going to wipe myself out more. Yesterday at about 4 PM I felt like death and came home and got in bed by 8:30. Ok, fine, so that's not much earlier than normal but I did sleep until 8 AM this morning. That's got to say my body is fighting something right?

Obviously I am annoyed because I feel like since tri training stopped, my running has taken some set backs. First with the shin issues and now with this dumb chest cold. I know I'll only be out maybe a day or two tops, but like the rest of you, I hate not working out. I thought about swimming today because I couldn't find anything about not swimming with a chest cold but then thought about infecting an entire neighborhood of kids at the YMCA and how crappy and selfish that would be of me. Thus, here I sit. Watching too many episodes of No Reservations and debating trying to run in the morning or seeing how I feel tomorrow evening.

All things considered, at least I'm stuck in the middle with you folks.

(Enjoy the tune HERE, since apparently both youtube and blogger are also sick.)

Massage benefits

I have decided that me and massages are going to be besties. Lately, I've really seen and felt the benefits of the deep tissue massage. And so of course, I started googling around to see what the experts say about massage. Not surprisingly, massage has a TON of benefits, in addition to just feeling damn good.

According to most sources, massage can reduce pain, prevent injury, promote relaxation and focus, and provide post-event recovery. I have definitely seen the benefits when my legs just feel flat out tired and sore. I wanted to do some google research of my own to see what science and medicine actually say about massage.

Now, most of the massage therapy research is tricky to conduct and there isn't a whole lot on it. What I did find though is that if you go to http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ you can look up all sorts of stuff! Yay for google stalking! Unfortunately, I didn't see anything specific to runners but there was lots of stuff on cancer patients and massage and those with lower back pain and massage.

Ok, so what DID I find by way of actual research then? Well, I found that a study on rabbits, yes rabbits, published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise showed that "massaged muscles recovered significantly more function and strength after the four-day trial. Also, the muscles that were not massaged had more damaged muscle fibers and more white blood cells, which can indicate inflammation. The massaged muscles weighed less than the rested muscles, suggesting the massages prevented swelling." (This article is at THIS link if you want to read the whole thing.)

Pretty good stuff right? I have decided to try to get in massages as often as I can. I know they can be costly but I actually found a place that's cost effective AND does a great job. And no, it's not that one place I went to before. What I thought all massage places were on the up and up?

If you haven't ever gotten a massage, I say go for it. It's totally worth it and I promise it'll make your legs feel all better. Until your next marathon at least...

Ear worms

Ah Monday. Back to the grind. And hopefully back to not being such a slacker-ass-slacker. I seem to have shaken some of it off and got in my long run on Saturday. The run was gonna be a 12 miler (take that leftover vacation dieting!) but due to the humidity and supreme bonking that happened around mile 7, I cut it short to a 10 miler. My overall pace was still about a 9:00 minute mile even with a couple of walk breaks. Me thinks I went out to fast. Oops.

In other news I did a whole lot of nuthin'. I saw a couple of movies: Unstoppable (AKA Stoppable) and Don't Be Afraid of the Dark (AKA fairy things are creepy!). I did some shopping (what the hell retailers, it is almost September and YOU think Floridians need LONG sleeves already!?!).

Since I have been uber busy at work it was nice to relax and take it easy this weekend. As a total side note I've found that I sing the same songs in my head when I'm running and was wondering if you all did the same. Because I think it'd be fun to share those songs, here's my list of random songs that play in my head during a run:

1. Movin' On Up (Theme song from The Jeffersons) - While running up any type of incline.

2. It Keeps You Running - Love me some Doobie Brothers.

3. I Feel Good - James Brown always appears when my endorphins kick in.



(Seems fitting that I'll be in Augusta, GA at the end of September since it's the birthplace of The Godfather of Soul.)

4. Everybody Hurts - Yeah, this REM classic arrives when I am struggling during a long run.

5. Forever Young - The 80's one gets going in my brain at the last mile but the word "young" is replaced with "mile" (yes, I know it doesn't rhyme but I can't help it. I'm nuts.).

6. Random booty song with the lyrics "Oh baby you can do it, just put your back into it." - Um, yeah my 90's booty music phase never quite ended and I've found booty music can be most inspirational. I am sure this song is referring to running and swimming. (This one also pops up while swimming for some weird reason.)

Those are the regulars that I can think of right now. You all have random running or work out ear worms?

Happy Monday.

Slacker

Um, yeah. I've been a total slacker this week. I've slacked on the blog (SEE: missing Thankful Thursday post) and I've slacked on the running and swimming and let's not even talk about the biking. Dolly is looking dusty.

Work has been so bananas that I haven't taken a lunch break in the past two days and on Wednesday AM when my alarm went off I almost laughed out loud at the thought of getting up. And instead of working out after work I got a hair cut and ate Burger King.

I am sure it has to do with the post vacation lazies and the crazy work load this week but in addition to my lack of getting my workouts in, I also keep eating junk. I had Burger King in the middle of the week for cyring out loud. I usually save the fast food cravings for days that I've actually worked out.

Thus far I ran on Tuesday AM and Thursday AM. I'll hopefully get to swim this evening, barring any rain and I'll at least get my long run in tomorrow. I know that I need to be getting in more mileage and keep up my base before Miami training kicks in. I also know that I need to put the reigns on the craptacular eating binge I've been on.

But.

I'm giving myself this week to be a sloth and next week I'll be back to the grind. I know that I am hard on myself but come race days being my own toughest critic will be worth it.

I'm sorry I missed some of your blogs and am hoping to catch up on them this weekend. Happy Friday peeps. If you are racing - light it up!

(Almost) Wordless Wednesday

A corn cookbook. Yuck. I don't like corn.

Look at that Asheville sky. Beautiful.

I hope he has his license. Love the slide to unlock sticker.

Back to reality

I'm back in Florida and feeling slightly bloated from my Asheville eat-fest. My sister and I went to Asheville as a girl's trip and had a total blast. A person could very easily fall in love with Western North Carolina because it's absolutely beautiful. To me, Asheville is like the Austin of the East. Lots of outdoorsy stuff to do, but with a lot of amazing bars and restaurants and local color. I'll definitely put Asheville on my list of cities I want to return to.

Thank the lord I got in an eight mile run while there, because I ate, ate, and ate some more. The run itself was wonderful due to the cooler temps and gorgeous trails. The only downside was the upside. Heh. I ran some accidental hills. They were no joke, but I was having so much fun I just kept running them and smiling.

Here's a few photos from my trip.

Because you all know how I love to photograph my food, here we have fried green tomatoes over grits from the Tupelo Honey Cafe. If you are ever in Asheville (which you should be at some point), you absolutely MUST go here. In addition to delectable Southern food they sell honey that they bring to your table with big, fluffy biscuits. Yes, I bought some. I'm currently obsessing over what I can put it on and make with it.

In downtown Asheville they have lots of art and random sculpture and folks who are the random sculpture. The first one is me trying to iron out my butt wrinkles. And the second one is two ladies who actually ARE the art. Pretty cool right?


Whitewater rafting is way too much fun. I must admit I was nervous before we got rafting, but honestly, it wasn't scary at all and I'd highly recommend using French Broad Rafting Expedition. The guides were so friendly and funny and I really like that they use biodiesel in their trucks. They were also super knowledgable about the history of the area and I felt very safe. I don't think this is the scariest rafting you can do but there are a lot of rocks around so staying in the boat is important. You can see below that me and Big Sis took the front row cause we're so hardcore. (And also cause those two older couples wouldn't.)


We also went to the Biltmore, had a wine tasting, and did lots of walking and shopping. And that's about it for my trip. Yes, I took about nine hundred photos but I won't bore you with all of them, just know that Asheville is a trip that is affordable and completely worth it.

Now, back to reality. Gotta start ramping up the mileage for next month's 1/2 mary and get back to the daily grind. Happy Monday peeps. How were your weekends?

Thankful Thursday

I have this here post on "auto-publish" so right about now I'm doing this:

While you are doing this:


Heh. That's right. I'm officially on vacation. I couldn't leave you people all grumpy at your desks without a Thankful Thursday right?

It's really no surprise that this Thursday I am thankful for VACATION. On this vacation I shall be especially thankful for: cooler temperatures, wine and chocolate pairings, The Biltmore, spa massages, hotel living, whitewater rafting, wine, time with my sister, yummy food, and more wine.

I may weigh twenty extra pounds when I get back but I think I can get in at least one run while I'm out of town. I'll only be gone until Sunday so I can't do too much damage, I don't think.

I hope you all have great weekends. If you are racing - best of luck! If you are resting - get off your butt! And if you are injured - I send you healing vibes. And maybe some wine.

What are you thankful for today?

I'm stylish!

I haven't been given one of these awards in a while and so I was feeling pretty pumped to see that I was awarded a very cool one by none other then the lovely Denise at Run DMT. I randomly met Denise when I was running my 2nd marathon. She was so adorable and lively and was actually vlogging on the run. Turned out we had a mutual friend at the time and I had no idea that I'd become a blogger one day too.

Anywho, the fabulous mommy blogger awarded me this:



Ooooh la la! I'm stylish.

In accepting this prestigious award I must share 7 things about myself with you all. I know, I know you already know entirely TOO much about me but I figured what the heck? I've already shared enough to get myself a few stalkers, some angry glares, and possibly a few "you-poor-things." And we all know that the last of those is Southern for "you're an idiot."

Without further ado, 7 things (YAY FOR A LIST!):

1. I thought the words to the Kenny Loggins song from Top Gun were "Hide-away to the danger zone!" Of course they are actually, "Highway to the danger zone!" I'm not sure where he was hiding in an F15, but whatever, highway just doesn't have the same ring.

2. My favorite bad movie that I must watch anytime it's on is Anaconda. It's so bad, it's hilarious. Oh my gawd, John Voight equals worst. accent. ever.

3. I really want to go on Jeopardy or Wheel of Fortune. I'm not sure that I'd win at either but I do a damn fine job playing along at home, if I do say so myself.

4. I flipped my mom a bird when I was three because I didn't want to help clean up watermelon seeds I had spit out by the pool. I didn't truly know what it meant but I knew it was bad. And yes, I was in big trouble after that and no, my mom hasn't gone completely gray-haired from raising me.

5. Me, Red, and our friend Riki were discussing toys we had growing up and it made me remember the Pogoball. Man, I love that thing. I would school anyone on that thing. Word.

6. While I love getting hair cuts and mani-pedi's I wish they didn't take so damn long. This is a problem I have with relaxing in general. I'm the worst at the relaxation time in yoga.

7. I just rediscovered my love of the carrot. I like them raw and plain. Yum!

And with that I would like to turn this award over to the following peeps (YAY ANOTHER LIST!):

Shemmy Shemmy, Shake Shake

Runner in Progress

I Tri To Be Me

Tomorrow is my Friday and I'm SUPER stoked. Vacation time is almost here!

Vacation all I ever wanted

Happy Monday doods! I had a pretty swell weekend which leads me into an even better week ahead. I've got a vacation planned this week with Big Sis and I CANNOT wait. We're heading to Asheville, NC. Thus far we have plans to get massages, tour the Biltmore Estate, and go whitewater rafting. If I hear Dueling Banjos though - I'm outta there faster than you can say "squeal like a pig." We're also going to eat some deliciously fatty foods. Please feel free to give me Asheville tips and spots I must see.

I got my run on Saturday and felt good during the run. I ran 7 miles because I didn't want to just jump right back into a ten miler. No shin issues until later that night when it felt achy at dinner. I've been icing again and I even went out during the tax free school shopping holiday on Sunday to get new shoes. The tax free holiday in Florida is a nightmare of epic proportions and Dick's Sporting Goods was utter chaos with kids and parents everywhere.

I'm wondering if the last pair I just bought aren't the right fit for me. They are the brand and make that I usually wear but they are the "new" model. And we all know how that can go. Ugh. I feel fine today and will give it another test run tomorrow. If things still aren't right it's back to resting it.

On a positive note I did a 33 mile ride yesterday with Dolly and didn't feel like I really wanted off of the bike until about mile 30. I think I'm getting stronger and I made it a point to stay hydrated and ate more than I normally would. I truly think it made a difference. I tested some of the new Gatorade Prime mini bars and while not the tastiest things out there they were small enough to fit in my jersey and they pack a lot in such a small bite.

I also bought a really cute cycling jersey this weekend at a local bike shop and am starting to feel more like me on the bike. (I can't find a photo of it online though, lame.) My cycling clothes are starting to be cute and functional. It's similar to when I first started running. I only bought basic stuff at first and then I began getting more into my outfits. Maybe it's a confidence builder?

Speaking of fashion please head over to my friend Brooke's blog. She new on the blog block and has some amazing fashion photos. She's also a runner. Go give her some love HERE.

That's all I got folks. I know, it's been all over the place on this here blog but I've got nothing but random news today. Thans for reading and let me know how your weekends were. I'll be blog stalking you all later.

Peace and bike grease.

Missing the run

I got my x-ray results FINALLY. And they are good. I'm clear for take off. Yes I know that x-ray's don't often detect those nasty things-that-shall-not-be-named but it does give me some piece of mind. I'm also relieved because after having taken a full week off everything feels right as rain. Which, when you think of it, really makes no sense. (I just looked it up and apparently it rains a lot in Jolly Old England so rain is right there. I'm sure you all needed to know that. Just call me Cliff Clavin. Moving on.

As I begin to train, again, for the August 1/2 IM relay in September, I'll have to take it slow. I really want to just run my face off but I truly want to be careful and not get injured. I've decided to attempt a run tomorrow and ride my bike on Sunday. Dolly, me love you long time.

I think I was a teensy paranoid due to the running injuries I've seen around me lately and of course Old Wonky. Member him? That bastard.

In addition, I'm such a total control freak that I needed answers immediately. This explains my zero to 4 million approach in to going to the doctor.

Doctor: Hi how are--
Me: I NEED AN X-RAY STAT! MY LEG IS GONNA FALL OFF!

Ha ha. And since I'm being all disclosing and such I must admit that I was trying be all Joe Cool on the outside about it being a full blown injury-that-shall-not-be-named, I was really crying and whining like a baby inside. And maybe a little to close friends. And Lloyd. And random house plants.

It's quite strange the whole not being able to run thing and how much we runners lose our shit about it. I tried to explain it to someone and they referenced the show My Strange Addiction*. W-T-F? It's not like that at all. Jeez. We runners just like our run and that's that. No bike ride or swim or elliptical is going to quite fit the bill. Thus, my insanely mad dash to the doctor.

This led me to question why we runners REALLY need and crave our run and the only thing I could come up with, at least for me, is that the run doesn't require me to think too much. In that I mean while I'm running I can shut my brain off and just be. As you may have noticed in reading my posts I tend to analyze the crap out of stuff and I really enjoy turning off my brain during a run. I also enjoy talking with my running buds and looking at pretty colors. Heh.

I can't do this on the bike or while I'm swimming. One, I'll kill myself on the bike and two, I'll drown. The biking and swimming are not body movements that we would do naturally and we have to think about what we're doing, thus the brain can't rest while the body works. Again, this is just my goofy speculation but there has to be other reasons.

What do you think? Why do we runners feel miserable when we can't run?

I hope you all have great weekends and whether you are racing, running, or hanging in there through an injury - celebrate what you can do and enjoy the moments you have.

Thankful Thursday

There are some days that I just wake up and want some. All day long I think about it. There are days that I fight wanting it because I can't have it right then and there. I know most, if not all of you think about it too. And women think about it far more than we like to admit. And yes it can be very bad, but it can also be so...so...good.

You can have it with someone special or by yourself. It's good that way too. Heck, sometimes it's better by yourself. You can just sit back and really enjoy it.

It can be fun when it's hot or cold and I even like it in a car on a road trip. Or after a long, hard run.**

Mmmm...and that's why I'm thankful for it today.



Don't you just love chocolate?*

What did you think I meant sickos?

What are you thankful for today?

*I'm down with Kitkats, Reese's, and Three Musketeers but I won't pass up a Hershey's square in a pinch. I'm not an all the time choco-fiend, but on days like yesterday when I felt like my head would explode I got myself to the CVS and almost went blind.....

**Speaking of running I got an x-ray on my shin but haven't heard anything back yet. Hopefully no news is good news and it's feeling A-OK today. Woot!

High Anxiety

You all know that I have bike issues. It seems that the less I ride, the less I want to ride and the more my anxiety increases when I do eventually decide to ride. As I said, I have issues. I know it may seem silly to those of you who do a million miles before breakfast but I am certain that I have a slight phobia to cycling.

Since I am the over thinkingest thinker to ever think I decided to do a little research and delve into what it is exactly I'm so afraid of. As I google searched, I found that this phobia is called "cyclophobia." And no, I'm not joking here. It's a real thing and I think I have it. Sort of. Ugh. Let me explain.

Sunday, I had a planned ride with Strawberry E. I had talked about it and thought about it all day. I really need to ride. I need to get a ride in. I should really ride my bike. I haven't ridden all week. If I ever want to get better on the bike, I had better get my butt in the saddle. These were the thoughts that pervaded my brain all damn day.

I hadn't ridden since last Saturday's race and was dreading it with every hour that passed. I even called Strawberry E to back out at the last minute but alas, she didn't answer her phone. I had no choice but to show up and ride with her. We planned to meet where the BRA runners would be starting and stopping and I kept thinking about them being there. I saw myself toppling over and the feeling of embarrassment washed over me.

We got going on our ride and once we got started I felt OK but still had the creeping thoughts of falling. I kept going over and over in my mind how to get off the bike when we decided to end our ride in front of all of those runners (some of whom were also cyclists). I went back and forth on how long of a ride to do and finally decided to cut it short due to the heat. And partly because I just wanted to end the mental anguish and get the stopping over with.

Our ride ended just about the time that the runners got back. Strawberry E pulled into the parking lot and stopped with ease. I, on the other hand, had to focus so much and was so afraid of falling that my legs were shaking. When I finally unclipped my right foot and set it down my left leg was shaking so badly that I almost pulled msyelf down trying to unclip that foot. I tried to play it off and hoped that no one had noticed.

This is what happens to me almost every time I ride. It takes a huge amount of mental effort for me to get out to ride and it's only lessened when I know I'm riding alone. But even then, it's an inner struggle the entire ride. I'm preoccupied by thought about cars forcing me to stop or animals scurrying in front of me that I can barely enjoy myself. I have found that the more often I ride the easier it gets but once I take too many consecutive days off - wham! I'm back in anxiety land.

I have completed five triathlons and a couple of rides over 30 miles. Surely a person with cyclophobia couldn't have done this stuff right? Wrong. Remember the one I almost didn't finish? Yeah, that was because of the bike. Mostly, I get through the bike portion of the tri by just gutting it out. I think about the bike more than I think about the run and the swim put together. When I looked up the fear of bikes I found that most of it stems from either childhood falls or plain old fear of cars and traffic and injury and so on.

Yes, I had an accident as a kid where I ran into a moving car. No, I was not hurt, but I was very shaken up and embarrassed. In addition, I feel very uncoordinated every time I stop. And of course, the first time I got on with the clipless pedals I fell right over. In front of a group of very seasoned riders. And again, I was very embarrassed. Anyone who knows me, knows that I HATE being embarrassed. Not to say I embarrass easily, cause lord knows I'm too much of a goofball for that. But it would seem the my fear stems more from fear of embarrassment then it does of being afraid of getting hurt, although that's thrown in as well.

A smart man told me he thinks my bike issues are all in my head. I have argued with him that it's an ability thing, that my legs just aren't strong enough, that I'm built differently...but now that I look at this psycho-babbling post, I'm starting to think he's right. And after reading this post there does seem only one solution right?

Ride the bike. And ride it often. And stop thinking about who sees me fall. Who cares? I do. A little. Ok, fine. I'll work on that too. Paging Dr. Freud!

Honestly, I wrote this for myself because I needed to get it out. I've been feeling like it's a dirty secret and I shouldn't be ashamed of it. I don't care if anyone thinks I'm being a baby or being silly. I know it sounds odd but I really do have anxiety before I get on the bike and I can only hope that by putting this out there someone will stumble upon it and not feel ashamed that they get sweaty palms and the poopy cramps before they get on the bike too. Hey, us crazy people gotta stick together.

Monday Mash-Up

In today's Monday Mash-Up we find our heroine, B.o.B., re-evaluating her upcoming race goals and reviewing her long weekend of awesomeness. Let's join her now.....

For those of you on the facebook page, which you can find HERE, you already know that I'm having some shin pain and cut my long run short on Saturday. While I am not overly concerned, I am overly cautious. Could I have kept running? Does a fat baby poop? Yes. But, do I want to make it worse and risk being really injured? Does this guy like cheap beer? No. So I cut the run short and have been R.I.C.E.-ing. It feels like a bruise on the top of my shin bone and since I am Dr. B.o.B. WebMd, I think it's just a shin splint, but not something to mess around with.

I have set a pretty unrealistic aggressive goal for the 1/2 marathon I'm running as part of the Ironman 70.3 Augusta relay in September but I'm thinking about scaling it back some because my A race for this running season is going to be the Miami Marathon. I'd hate to take myself out of the marathon because of injury and just have a fun race in Augusta. For now, I'm on high alert and Dolly (my bicycle) couldn't be happier as she knows she'll get some much needed quality time.

I am happy to report that KC and I met up on Friday and headed to The Ocean for a lovely OWS. I don't know why I like to capitalize The Ocean, but it just feels right so I do, k? I digress.

It was, in fact, lovely at The Ocean. Well, all but the swim part. Have you ever felt like you were swimming on a treadmill? That's kind of how this swim went. We were like those dumb-basses who swim upstream to get their spawning action on only to be eaten by bears. Heh. Ok, so we didn't get eaten by bears but I only made it a half mile before I called it quits. Since KC is a major bad ass, not to be confused with dumb-bass, and has a small race coming up she went the whole mile. Overachiever.

For our post swim lunch we headed to this AMAZING Italian market/deli in St. Petersburg called Mazzaro's. If you are ever in the area it's a must do. You can even take a photo like this:

Yep, I made her be the dude. But seriously, how amazing are those pink pants?

After Saturday's short run and fatty buffet dinner small-salad-hold-the-dressing for dinner, I had no choice but to hit the pool hard on Sunday and take Dolly for a ride after that. I was feeling really great during my swim and realized it was because unlike most Sundays, I had slept in and rode AFTER the swim. I'll have to remember that so I can alternate those work outs more often. Although the Sunday post swim ride was H-O-T.

And that my friends is how B.o.B. spent her weekend. On a final random and yet still fun note, my most recent interview is up over at the Arctic Ease blog. I interviewed this really cool guy from Crossfit in Austin, TX. I admit I was skeptical about Crossfit because everyone I know who presently does it looks like they could kick my butt with their pinkie finger but after speaking with this guy, I may need to look up a class and get my truck pulling on. Anyone ever done the Crossfit?

One final thing, SHOUT OUT to those who did the Boulder 70.3 yesterday. I heard it was HOT as a mutha. Congrats to the team of Tri-Living...Together. They finished under some brutal conditions. Well done you two!

Happy Monday peeps.

Thankful Thursday

I'm thankful for Red, she always listens to me and gives me her honest opinion and has shown me a new perspective on how to deal with an injury with grace and humor.

I'm thankful for my family who I know I can depend on in any and every situation.

I'm thankful for my running family because they just "get" me.

I'm thankful for To Kill a Mockingbird, I Am Legend, Misery, The Vampire Lestat, Half Asleep in Frog Pajamas, Li of Pi, LOTR, Cold Mountain, Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire, and so, so, so many other books.

I'm thankful for Lloyd and want him to live a very long life so I can continue to snuggle with him and laugh when he puts on my sports bras.

I'm thankful for getting the chance to be a pacer at the Women's Half Marathon in St. Pete, I only hope to do a job worthy of the title "Pacer."

I'm thankful for co-workers who tell me about good deals on running apparel, even though they themselves aren't runners, but were thinking about me.

I'm thankful for cuddling on the couch watching Jeopardy.

I'm thankful for my sister because without saying a word, we know what each other is thinking.

I'm thankful for Coach EK because he truly takes an interest in my running and doesn't seem to mind when I ask for a training plan at the last minute.

I'm thankful for happy crying and sad laughter.

I'm thankful for all the wonderful experiences this life has awarded me.

I'm thankful for each and every race I've ever been apart of.

I'm thankful for having so many reasons to be thankful.

What are you thankful for today?

Top Gun Sprint Tri Race Report

Dudes. This was probably one of the most fun races I have done. Ever. No seriously, I had a total blast and followed it up with a great day. It was one of those days I didn't want to end. Sadly, this post is gonna be long as shit because of that. Fair warning.

The night before the race (Friday) I left a key under the mat for Spike and Red. I was so excited they were coming to visit but I knew I needed to get some sleep as they'd be getting in after my bed time. Yeah, so that could have been any time after 7 PM. Heh.

Anyway, I woke up at O'dark thirty and headed to the race start. Once we arrived we met up with Aloha Kris, Navy Steve, Little J, Cay-See, Miss Mandy, Tiny Tish, Glen, and lo and behold, Chris-Brian who was racing! He had signed up secretly and had been training. He had his game face on.
Before you knew it we were all heading to the water and Red snapped some great photos!

Me and Red with our pre-race grins.


Me and Jessica from the Cuban Running Crisis. It was her first tri and she did GREAT! She swears she'll have a new blog up soon.....

Before I begin the breakdown, the back story here (and the reason this post took so long) is that when they finally posted the results the times are all jacked up. They left a note saying "The timing device operating on one side of the transition exit failed hence there many missing transition times==we combined the time from the swim finish to the bike finish for the bike segment and the bike finish to the finish line for run time" and that they may be able to fix it but I don't have time for all that. (I've only checked back 956 times.)

At first, I was cheesed off at this, but you know technology just doesn't work sometimes. It stinks that I can't get a real accurate time for my splits but I'll work with what I've got.

THE SWIM (440 Yards)

That's my new favorite spot to line up. Front row, inside.

Before I knew it we were off and swimming. I felt good. No, I felt great. I was cruising and only got slowed up when I ran into the pack of yellow-capped dudes from the wave in front of mine. I was frustrated because I was having a hard time getting around them and didn't want to swim too far off course, so I just kept it moving.

As I got out of the water I looked at my watch and saw 7:52. Hot damn! I ran/jogged toward transition and what did I see? My amazing friends wearing the KOM shirts! For those of you on Facebook, you'll know that I've been obsessed with the polka jersey worn by the King of the Mountain during the Tour de France. It's really all I was talking about and I kept saying I wanted one.

It was so awesome. Red put hers on later and it was like a dress on her, tiny thing that she is.

Final Swim time: 8:12 (6th in AG)

THE BIKE (10 miles)
What can I say here? I biked. I didn't love it and tried my best. Some super fast people blew my doors off while I in turn passed a few on beach cruisers and mountain bikes. I tried my best to keep the pace up and not bust my butt as I unclipped slowly at transition. I'm still awkward. Heh.

Final Bike time (with T1 ): 35:28 (26th in AG)

THE RUN (5K)

Yay! The Run! Have I mentioned that I'm always so happy to see the run? Well, I am. Of course it's always hot as balls but I feel much less goofy running than I do on the bike. I was also SO happy that it was a 5K left to go and then I was DONE!

Spike, Red, and the rest of the cheer squad was yelling their fool heads off and I was cracking up when Spike jumped in with me for a bit and ran alongside me in their polka dots totally like those crazies in Le Tour. It ruled.

(You can see their polka dots and sort of see my ankle as I'm right in front of the guy in the black shorts.)


This is my final sprint to the finish. I was hot but coming in strong and really had such a fun race day!

Final Run Time (with T2): 27:15 (no ranking listed, ugh.)

Overall Finish Time: 1:10:55 (13th out of 67 AG)
Post finish smile!

I'm super happy that I exceeded my goal time of 1:15 AND had a twelve minute PR. You really can't beat that! Plus I had so much support from friends and got to see two first time triathletes kick butt! CONGRATS GUYS!

I was so sad to see Spike and Red leave. I seriously LOVE these two people and can't imagine my life without them. THANK YOU both so much for coming out and filling me in your jam packed weekend. I finished out my Saturday with some home-made chicken and dumplings and went to sleep smiling.

Shout out to Punk Rock Tri Guy! Best transition bag ever!


Me with my very own KOM shirt and GO BoB sign made by Red. Oh and of course, Lloyd with his typical photo bomb.

Happy Tuesday!