Space Coast Half Marathon 2014: Challenger; November 30

Pre-race

The day after Thanksgiving, we hit the road at about 4am and drove straight down to Cocoa Beach, FL. Thank goodness that we took turns driving. We made it around 5:30pm, which was fabulous time!

On Saturday, we did packet pickup right at 9am. The race moved packet pickup from Kennedy Space Center to the Radisson at the Port at their conference center. It definitely worked better than the KSC setup, but it was still a bit crowded in the conference center. We got to meet up with a DC area friend, Valerie.

After packet pickup, we headed to Disney for the day. We still had a couple of days on the annual passes from last year, so we figured we might as well. We decided to park at EPCOT and then went straight to DHS/MGM. I had managed to snag Toy Story Mania fast passes a week before our trip. Yay!

After doing Great Movie Ride, walking around in the Animation area, watching Indiana Jones, we were sitting on a bench and I had this feeling that I needed to check email. So, I did and we got some interesting news about the cruise we were taking after the race.

We tried to "ignore" the news the best we could, rode Toy Story Mania, and then headed over to the Osbourne Festival of Lights. We only got to see about 10 minutes of the show. I could sit for hours and watch the lights! Since we had dinner reservations in EPCOT, we headed back over there to Japan. After a wonderful dinner, we (sadly) went to the car & back to Cocoa Beach. We had an EARLY wake up call the next day!

Race day
We knew that the bus filled up early last year and so we were determined to be there early again this year. The 4:15 bus was filled by 4:05 this year... and we didn't make it on it. We convinced some of the spectators to get on the 5am bus instead. I really wish they'd tell the marathoners to wait until the 5am bus so that the half marathoners (like us) weren't freaking out about not making the 5am bus and start line. We managed to get on the bus (along with a few others) & I sat on Jon's lap.

We got to the starting area & shivered for a little bit. I think next year we may check a bag just to have pre-race warm clothes.

(I'm finishing this up in April 2015, so here's the shortened version)

The start of the race was good - crowded, but good. We started our 1:1 run/walks almost immediately. Around mile 2, we both had to use the restroom. I wish we hadn't needed to because we spent almost 20 minutes in line. Ah well. From there, we continued to do 1:1 throughout the race. Because of our stop, we came in at just about 3 hrs. Not horrible for no training. Maybe one of these years we'll actually train for this race!

Post Race
We headed back to the hotel to shower & finish packing. Once done with that, we checked out, got lunch, and headed over to the Port Canaveral cruise terminals. We knew the cruise wouldn't be the one we were hoping for. The lines to get into the building were horrible. We ended up standing in line for about 3 hours. A guy in front of us passed out (that was fun). Thank goodness we ate lunch! Overall, the cruise was good. The ports we ended up stopping at held no interest for us at all, so we didn't bother getting off the boat. Turned out to be super relaxing that way!

Getting back in the swing

I feel like I do more "getting back in the swing of things" posts than anything else these days. So, here's the plan for this week.

Mon: TRX workout
Tues: Bike ride
Wed: 5k end of year race
Thurs: Bike ride
Fri: TRX workout
Sat: Run

Along with this comes us getting back into Paleo eating and a Whole 30 looming. This W30 will actually be a Whole X. There's a week or so that will be non-W30 because of some travel coming up, but it is what it is. The reason I say it'll be Whole X is because 1) I have some weight that needs to come off and 2) I feel like crap. So, it's time to get back into this and make it a true lifestyle and be done with the SAD.

Other interesting things this week:
1) I've started using some essential oils (from a non-MLM company). I'll be looking forward to seeing if they actually help.
2) I'm now a Training Peaks Ambassador: http://sot.ag/3yjy3 to join us!
3) I'm now a Fellow Flowers Ambassador. I'm really looking forward to what 2015 has in store with Fellow Flowers.
4) I'll also be on Team Tough Chik for 2015. Love those ladies!

Long time, no blog

It's been a while since I've blogged! Well, I've been doing TRX workouts & still loving them! We also did Space Coast Half Marathon again this year. I'll do a race report soon. 

I meant to start training for Shamrock this week, but then got sick. Stupid head cold. Seems to get the best of me every time. So, once I'm feeling better, I'll be starting in with that. 

2015's main goal for fitness will be working on my 5k time. Honestly, I need to get super excited about training again, so I think something like a time goal will help. 

Starting Jan 7, I'm going to start doing Whole 30 again. This time without a set end date. I know I feel better when I'm eating better, so I'll just get back into it.

I've also been working on my Health Coach Certification. I've been struggling to get through the reading, so I took one of the practice tests recently. I would've passed it, except it didn't keep a couple of the answers (so it looked like I didn't answer those questions somehow) and then it marked one of them wrong that I had actually gotten right. I did notice a lot of the questions were about people with diabetes though, so I'm guessing there's a good bit of the information in the book on that. Guess I'll keep pushing through the reading. I need to schedule my test by March 1, 2015 (just need to have it scheduled by then, not necessarily taken), so I need to get on it!

TRX

Last week marked the beginning of our TRX workouts. I'm LOVING it! It's so completely different than anything I've done in the past 8 years.

Today I did a core workout followed by an arms & shoulders workout. Things like biceps curls & triceps presses that were easier with normal weights are so much more challenging. It's absolutely amazing how much a suspension trainer can really push you to your limits.

My ultimate goal is to be able to do an awesome pike on the TRX. They're super hard (for me). Can't wait to see how long it takes me to be able to do at least one solidly!

New Beginnings & New Goals

After 8 yrs with my TNT training group (not Team in Training, but TNT Fitness), I've decided to branch out and do my "own thing". Jon will also be leaving TNT, after 3 years with them. We're going to start training with the TRX. We're both really looking forward to it!

At first, we'll be following a couple of their programs to get us started & really learning how to use the TRX properly. If I can find a class to become certified on them, I may do that at some point. It'll be a great change from what we've been doing.

Part of my 2015 goals is to get back to my 2011 weight & health. Another goal is to get faster. I've got 2 half marathons scheduled for next year, but that's the only "long distance" racing I'll be doing. Everything else will be 5/10k. I *might* throw in a 10 miler, but maybe not. We'll see how I'm feeling about it. I REALLY want to break 27 minutes on my 5k. I have a lot of work to do on that, so for now, it'll just be a good bit of speed work & shorter focused running.

In addition to the running, I'll still be biking. I'll probably do a couple of sprint tris, so I'll throw in some swimming from time to time as well.

Soon, I'll be writing a list of my goals (instead of just a spewing of the mind).

In other news, we went to the Marine Corps Marathon today to watch my lil bro run. He's done an amazing job over the last 5 years of improving his time. Today, he ran a 2:51 marathon. Speedy lil dude!

Walt Disney World's Tower of Terror 10 miler - October 4, 2014

After our 2 hr nap (I think I slept for an hour, Jon slept for 2), we got up & got ready for the race. It was early, around 5pm. We knew we needed to eat dinner before the race, so we gave ourselves plenty of time.

Around 5:45, we headed over to Artist's Palette for dinner. I had a GF turkey sandwich and chips. I picked up extra chips, knowing I'd likely need the salt later. By the time we finished eating (a relaxed dinner), going potty, and got everything from the car, we still had about 15 minutes before the busses started running. I was highly impressed that Disney had several busses already lined up, waiting to go, at SSR.

Once the bus was full, we headed to DHS. It was still VERY early, so we found a spot on the ground near bag check and sat for a while. While waiting, I was able to meet up with some Disney bride friends.

Disneymooners are the best!

After that, I met up with my clients who were running their very first race!

Adam, Annie, & I

I also hung out with my hubby & girlfriend.

Jon & I

Nadia & I

At some point, we wandered over to the corral area and all went our separate ways. Well, I went to find my corral. Several of the others were in the same corral, so they all got to hang out together some more.

Some time around 9:35 or so, they started moving us towards the start. It seemed like it was at least a half mile walk to the start. I have no idea how long it really was. I was in corral D & close enough to see/hear everything going on on the stage again. It was nice to see it all in both races for the day!

The fireworks went off & corral A was off! Then B & C followed. When it was time for D to go, we didn't get fireworks. Ah well.

Start line

Getting ready to go!

The first mile was a bit tough. The ramp that was about 1/2 mile in (I think?) was a bit rough. It wasn't that it was a straight up type of ramp, it was that it was a pretty big angle. I pulled my Achielles back in 2009 running on uneven surfaces, so I wasn't trying to aggravate that. Up to the top of the ramp I went, where the ground was more level.

We ran towards Animal Kingdom. It's always fun to watch the fast people run past on an out & back. After the 2nd water stop, I decided to go ahead & stop to use the bathroom. Apparently, I had an issue during these 2 races! I hardly ever stop & I stopped during both races that day. Anyhow... That mile took me FOREVER. The good thing about the line was that I got to admire the huge spider Disney put up on the overpass.

Back on the road, I started the trek back towards Wide World of Sports. On one of the overpasses, I saw Nadia & Annie, so I yelled to them after they yelled at me. I love seeing people I know on the race course!

I got to WWoS & started down the trail section of the race. The only thing I wasn't thrilled about with WWoS was that if there was a type of surface we could've run on, we did. There was packed dirt, asphalt, grass/turf, baseball diamond-style dirt, track, and concrete. It definitely kept my mind occupied, but I was a bit tired of switching surfaces after those couple of miles. There was a HUGE cheering section in the baseball stadium. It was just the lift I needed.

Somewhere around mile 6, I started to pick up pace a bit. It was like my body finally decided to let me run at pace; only took 9 miles of running for the day!

On the turn into DHS, I remember thinking we were pretty close. When I looked at my watch, I realized there was another mile left! Wow! It was during this mile that I experienced the only time I've ever wanted to throw up while running that wasn't Gu induced. They had a "party tunnel" at the costume area of the Backlot Tour. The disco lights were a little too much for those of us who get motion sick from those kinds of things.

Once through the tunnel, it wasn't too much longer before the finish line. Honestly, I was a little underwhelmed by the finish line.

Directly after the finish line there's a LONG walk back to bag check, I'd say it was close to a mile. I almost turned my Garmin back on to track it! Normally we don't check bags, but we were thinking about staying for the after party for a bit, so we checked a change of dry clothes. We also figured it'd be a good place for every one to meet up.

Nadia & Annie had fallen behind pace & were picked up somewhere around mile 4. The bus brought them back & they had already gotten to bag check before I was there, so I grabbed my bag & found them. I continued to track Jon & Adam (and a few others). I was SO HAPPY and PROUD when Adam finished. I knew Jon would likely struggle through (he was getting through a head cold), but wasn't too sure about Adam.

Jon & I after he finished. Not the best picture of either of us, but it had been a LONG day!

Once Jon & Adam joined us, we all sat around for a bit chillin out & getting rehydrated/fed. I think that at some point, everyone in the group said "screw it" to the after party and decided to head back to the room. It was about 2am when we left the park.

We got back to the room at 2:30am. By the time we showered, stretched, rolled out, etc, it was 3 and time for bed! It had been a very long day.

One of the absolute BEST decisions we made all day was to drive from our building to the building closest to the bus drop off at SSR. It allowed us to not have to walk the 15 min walk back to our building at 2:30 in the morning. We were all very happy with that after the race!

Overall, it was a great race. I used my Garmin for this race since my Bia doesn't like getting a signal in race corrals. I didn't stop for pictures, but enjoyed seeing the characters on the way. I ran the fastest 4 miles of the day at the end of the 10 miler. I consider that a win! I'd do the race again, I think, if it's ever offered again. We're taking a break from Disney races for a bit. The registration cost is more than most races + the travel costs basically equal my entire race budget for next year.

Now, to get focused on the last 2 races of the year!

Walt Disney World's Happy Haunted Trail 5k - October 4, 2014

The alarm went off around 5am. We had decided not to take the race transportation to the 5k since we had the car & it'd allow us to sleep a little longer if we didn't take it. So, I got ready, had some breakfast (Gluten Free Oatmeal), and we headed out.

We got lost on the way to WWoS, again. We arrived with plenty of time to go though. Once we were parked, we walked up to where the expo is. It started sprinkling and I needed to use the restroom, so we wandered into one of the buildings. After a pit stop, we grabbed some pavement & sat for a while.

I was texting with my friend, J, waiting for her to get there. I thought it had stopped raining, but it wasn't. Oops! By the time J got there, it had slowed to a sprinkle & was tapering off. We walked down to the field & towards the corrals.

Jon & Nadia wished me luck & found a place to cheer. J & I went to the corral area - where they were already loading corral A into start position. I hopped into the corral as they we walking by and wished J luck and a good race.

The guys on the stage were great for this race. I've never been close enough at a Disney race that I could actually see the stage, so that was worth it alone. We got a glimpse of the Headless Horseman (who usually only starts the Boo to You parade, in the dark), so that was really cool!

While all of that was going on, I was trying to get my Bia to connect to GPS. It found the GoStick no problem, but never did pick up the GPS. This is not the first time I've had this problem in a run-only race while I was in a corral. I started the race pretty annoyed that I now had to use the watch pretty much as a stop watch. I really wanted the map for this run!

During the run, I didn't take any pictures and I took this one S-L-O-W! I stopped at the port-a-potties at the first water stop, chatted with the biking medics for a hot second (thanking them for their volunteer time), and slowed to see the characters (without stopping or taking pictures). I wanted to conserve energy for that night's race and also not trip over anything - though there was only one root that I saw on the course. Also, just by the nature of not running on the road, my time was a bit slower. I ended up doing the race in 40:16. Not too bad for an un-timed race that was purely for fun.

This was a really fun race & the character to mile ratio was very high! After the race, I got my medal, went through the finish area, and got my snack box. I was actually pretty hungry, so I ate what I could (that was gluten free).

Nadia went back into the expo to get her feet taped up for the 10 miler later that night and we chilled where we were.

After resting for a bit, I got a text from J saying where she was on the course. Her corral was pretty clogged up when I passed them making the turn into/out of the woods, so I had expected it would be a bit.

Jon & I went to find a place to cheer and bring J in. I'm so glad we got to see her! After the race, she went to the medical tent to visit with the medical director, who is a friend of hers. J brought the medical director out & it was nice to meet her. I told her that it was great to meet her, but that I hope I never saw her at a race. She giggled about that.

We socialized for a few minutes and then all headed back to the hotels/home to get showers and do our thing for the day. Nadia, Jon, & I ended up in DHS for a couple of hours and then back to the hotel to try to nap & then get ready for the 10 miler.

Up next: 2 races in one day - what was I thinking?!

WDW Tower of Terror Expo - October 3, 2014

We got down to WDW on Oct 2 - plenty of time leading up to race day. The race expo opened up on Friday, so we headed over there as soon as it opened. Since we were meeting a couple of people, we waited for them before we went in to get our bibs.

Me with the 5k banner

Nadia & I with the 10 miler banner

I had to get my bib for both races (and somehow ended up in corral A for the 5k - still mind blown!), so it took a few minutes to get that done. The 5k lines were pretty short, but the 10 miler lines were somewhat larger.

This was the last runDisney race that people were allowed to pick up race bibs for other people. I saw at least 3 people who had the waiver of the other person, but not the "other" piece of paper. I think it was a release form or something similar to allow someone else to pick up their bib. That alone was causing some issues because those people were holding up lines trying to get more information about what they were missing.

Anyhow, after picking up our bibs, we meandered over to the actual expo - you know - the part where they sell way too much stuff. We picked up our shirts, bought a few things, and eventually left. About an hour after we were originally thinking we would. Oops.

Race shirts & "hidden" bibs for both races

I discovered both SparkleSkirts & RunningSkirts on this trip. I have to say, after wearing a few (new) skirts around the parks over the days after the races, I like them both for very different reasons.

I really like that SparkleSkirts has the pockets on the shorts, under the skirts. The one thing I was having "issue" with is that the pocket on top of the skirt seems like it should go in the back, but the tag for the skirt is on the opposite side of the skirt, making it seem like that's the back. I love the idea that the zipper goes in front (and that's what all of their pictures show, so I'm assuming that's right).

I like the RunningSkirts fit a little better (though SS has an awesome "hiker" fit that's perfect!) for every day wear. Can you tell I don't usually run in running skirts?! These did really well in the parks & were super cute.

After the expo, I changed from shorts to one of my new skirts & we headed to the parks for a couple of hours. We had dinner at Boatwrights at Port Orleans. It was really good! I'm glad we finally ate here. Up next, the 5k!

Team Tough Chik Registration is Open!

While I'm slacking on my Tower of Terror race reports, I thought I'd pop in and mention that Team Tough Chik registration for the 2015 team is open! I've really come to love this group of women. So many different background, sports, and amazing women who really do support each other. Looking forward to next year!

Dulles Day 5k on the Runway

Official Results
Overall time - 33:47
Pace per mile - 10:54

Overall place -  xx out of 1407 (not really sure since PR does male/female results)
Division place -  110 out of 248
Gender place -  301 out of 774

For not training at all, this race went ok. It was a little warmer & more humid than I would've liked. 

The morning of the race, we parked at the Udvar-Hazy Museum. Parking was better than last year's. We did packet pickup the morning of the race again this year. They ran out of bags for bag check, so we just put our numbers on tape & put that on our shirts. 

Jon & I before the race

The race started on time, sending us 5kers down the runway. They had a helicopter overhead taking pictures and video. That got kind of annoying after a while. The run was flat & pretty uneventful. I love a race that's pretty uneventful!

I passed a friend of ours on the course & then got to see the other people we were looking for as they all finished. It was a good time! Definitely a race I'd do again.

Setting Goals and Finding Motivation

Apparently the upcoming races on my calendar aren't enough motivation for me to get moving the way I should be.

Several things have been lacking lately:
1) True commitment to my nutrition plan
2) True commitment to my workout plan
3) My hydration has been better
4) My flexibility

Here's what I'm going to do to change this:
1) I'm starting my ACE Health Coach certification
2) I'm going to rededicate myself to the TrainerRoad program I was doing
3) I'm going to rededicate myself to eating Paleo and potentially start another round of Whole30
4) I'm going to start drinking more water again
5) I'm going to add yoga into my daily routine

Things to get me motivated (read this as my GOALS):
1) We are attending a wedding in 2 weeks & I refuse to buy a new dress to wear
2) We're going to Disney soon & my shorts need to fit better!
3) We're going on a cruise in a few months & I want to feel good going into the cruise
4) I have a shirt from my 70.3 that I NEED to fit back into. It just doesn't look as good on the hanger as it does on me.

Always over...

Never under, unless it's a race.

I found myself repeating that as I drew close to the end of my run this morning.

How does my Bia know my motivational song?! :)

Gotta love a good sweat line!

Getting back into it

I'm in the process of getting back into things. Both exercise & food wise. Today, I got on my bike & did TrainerRoad Rattlesnake and then did YogAmazing "Yoga for Cyclists". I felt great after! I feel like I need to do an FTP test on the bike. I feel stronger since the last time I did the test.

Someone on one of my Facebook groups posted this picture and it was PERFECT for today.

I've also decided that bento box style lunches will likely be the way to go to keep Jon & I on the wagon for food. I love the idea of them & they lend themselves to a ton of variety without being overly complicated. The following is from www.familypaleomealplans.com.

Need motivation

Lately, I've needed motivation. I'm just not finding it. My weight is the highest it's ever been. I know it's because I'm not doing my cardio workouts and haven't been 100% with my nutrition.

Dedication & willpower are what I'm missing right now. Just need to get it back!

Yesterday's insanity

Yesterday, I decided to play catch up with my workouts. Doing so meant a 2 hr workout. First up, a 30 minute run. I did 1 min run/1 min walk intervals for the first 4 minutes and then 5 min run/1 min walk intervals from 5 - 31:11. (I was being obsessive about the 2.5 miles.)

30 minutes down!

After the run - in Team Tough Chik Colors!

After the run, I was in for a 1.5 hr bike ride. Ouchie! Mostly because of my butt! I got a couple of calf cramps because of the run prior to the ride, but nothing I couldn't power through.

YAY! Done!

I'm supposed to do this same ride again today, but I've been on my bike twice already this week & need a break. So, I'll move it to later this week instead. Jon & I are going to go riding some time this weekend. Should be fun!

Looking forward

I've been slacking off lately. I know it & can REALLY feel it right now.

Last week was body fat measurements with my trainer. Up another 0.5% or so. Doesn't sound like much, but it needs to stop going up! So, dialing back in the nutrition is a must. While Whole30 worked for me as a detox/cleansing/starting over, I don't seem to have the motivation to do another W30 right now. That and I don't feel like it's a viable option for a lifetime nutritional plan. So, what to do?

The goal

I decided last night that I'm going to go Paleo for any time that I'm cooking at home and "just" gluten free for whenever I'm away from home. I need the flexibility of that. I'm sure that sometimes "just" gluten free at home will have to do too. But the goal is mostly Paleo & a little gluten free. I've also been slacking a little on the gluten free stuff away from home, which is probably why I feel like crap lately.

As far as workouts, I NEED to start running again. I've been having a rough time getting up early enough to get it done in the mornings before work. After Jon gets home from work isn't happening, so I just need to make myself do it. I also need to get back on my bike. I was doing well & have just kind of slipped off the wagon.

So, today starts a new day & as I go forward, it'll be what it'll be. I'm learning to give myself permission to mess up & move on!

Catching up

Ok, I'm about a week behind in my blogging. Last Friday, I did TR Volunteer again. It was nice to keep the legs moving. On Saturday, we were supposed to run 4 miles. That never happened. Instead, we spent 3 hrs moving things around in the garage. It was a busy 3 hrs. Sorting through things, donation pile, trash pile, all that good stuff.

This week, I've done my weight lifting twice (Mon & Wed). I did TR Whorl on Monday. I was supposed to do it again on Wednesday. I was also supposed to run Tuesday & today. (Though, today's not a total loss yet!) So, what happened? We've been puppy sitting. I have no problems leaving my dog in the kitchen while I do a long workout. Not sure how the other dog would do in his crate while I'm downstairs cranking the workouts out, so I haven't done them. Tired reason, but it's the truth. The runs, we just haven't done. Jon needed to go to work early, blah blah blah.

So, that's where that all stands. I rescheduled the bike rides for next week. Easy enough. Just means riding all 5 days. Yikes!

In other news, we're getting our eating/portion sizes back under control. I've been cooking more (which also means more dishes!) and that's really helping. Jon's also back on the FitBit wagon, so that's helping too. It means he's actively trying to "be good" as well. Yay for healthier living!

Run & Yoga

This morning, we got out of bed even though neither of us really wanted to. We managed to get our 30 minute run/walk in. We're still doing a 1/1 interval. Today's weather was MUCH better than Tuesday's. Didn't feel like we were trying to breathe water.

No Bia, I do not have any beer. Especially at 6:20am!

After the run, I took a hurried shower, went to train a client, then came home & did a Yogamazing podcast: Yoga for Runners. I so needed that. My hips, especially my right one, have been so tight lately. I'm going to try to get in some yoga and/or TriggerPoint on days I run.

In nutrition news... I'm completely off the bandwagon. Here's to slowly climbing back on. Getting the workouts in gear has helped my mentality about the nutrition side a bit. I've been having a rough week though, so that's NOT helping. Baby steps, I guess!

Days 7-9

Slackin off already! Not really actually, just not blogging. I'm changing the "challenge" to myself to be active every day. Not necessarily run at least a mile every day. Why's this? Because well, I'm trying to get my strength on the bike going too. Can't do that if I'm only running.

Day 7: (Monday) TNT weight lifting for 45 minutes or so, 30 minute TrainerRoad Volunteer workout.

Day 8: (Tuesday) 30 min run/walk. 1min intervals. It sucked. Massage later. It rocked.

I think I will, thanks Bia!

Day 9: (Wednesday) TNT weight lifting for 45 minutes or so, 30 minute TrainerRoad Slide workout.

The weekend

Friday - Didn't run; headed to the campground for Saturday's race. Did a good bit of walking.

Saturday - Colonial Beach Sprint Tri. Race report to follow.

Sunday - Rest day. I feel really good for having done a tri yesterday with very minimal training.

Looking forward, I've got to get back on track! We're recommitting ourselves to better food, less snacking, and getting some training done!

I signed Jon & I up for the Maine Lighthouse Ride in September. Can't wait!

Day 3

Didn't run today, but took a couple of extra long walks with my pup. For a total of about 3.6 miles.

Trying to get him used to being in the car. He's just so adorable!

Day 2

A little slower than yesterday, but that's ok. Temps were a little more manageable, I think my body's going to go through some WTF?! moments.

Mile a Day

Week 1 of Whole 30 didn't go as well as I planned. Maybe week 2 (a restart, really) will go better? Guess I should get a meal plan together.

Yummy CSA inspired meal

Today I decided to try to give myself some motivation, since races aren't really motivation enough these days. There are a ton of "challenge" type things floating out there. I chose to try to do a mile run a day. I'm not setting a number of days on it, just do a mile (at least, more if the training plan calls for it) of running a day. It's short enough to not injure myself, long enough that I have to actually get out of the house & do it.

Getting ready to head out for Day 1

And done!

I also finally got my road bike up on the bike trainer. The only reason it takes so long to do it is because I get lazy about switching out the regular tire for the trainer tire. I did that today (and got greasy hands!) and then realized that the magnet on the trainer tire is missing, so I can't connect to TrainerRoad. I went ahead and ordered the replacement today and it should be here Thursday.

"Roadie" on her stand with the 'mill behind her. She needs a name, still.  

Any suggestions on a name for "Roadie"?

Moving Forward

I'm over this cough. No really! I'm pretty much over it! The meds worked, though it was longer than 3-4 days. I'm still coughing a little, but nothing like it was. I'm finally feeling well enough that I got into my group trainer yesterday for a workout! YAY! Nothing like being gone for about a month. Ouch, I hurt today! It's ok. I'll move around a bit today and stretch it all out.

I have a sprint tri coming up, so maybe I can cram a bit of training in? We'll see. I don't really care about the results of this one, just need to do it & cross the finish line. This race season has been such a drag with 2 DNS.

Jon & I are starting another Whole 30 today. We keep putting it off & finally decided that July 1 was a good time to start!

Tues
B - sweet potatoes & chicken sausage (H)/eggs, bacon, fruit (J)
L - CSA stir fry
D - taco salad (no shells/chips)

Wed
B - sweet potatoes & chicken sausage (H)/eggs, bacon, fruit (J)
L - lunch meat wraps with kale salad
D - burgers with coleslaw

Thurs
B - sweet potato, apple, pancetta hash
L - perfect chicken salad with salad
D - ?? need to figure out what's in the CSA this week!

I'll figure out Friday & Saturday based on what's in the CSA basket this week.

Tower of Terror training has to start this week too. Lots going on!

What's Next?

So, I went to the dr today. I love my current general care practitioner. She's younger and a DO (Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine). Basically, DOs are allowed to practice medicine & surgery just like a regular MD. She's also a runner and she would rather treat things as naturally as possible. I'm all about that!

Anyhow... this cough. Oh this cough. It just will not go away. My dr listened to my lungs & told me I'm "not moving air well". Which is not all that surprising considering the fact that I've been at this for almost 4 weeks. So, I'm on an inhaler now & Mucinex DM. Hopefully that helps clear it up pretty quickly. I'm over it for sure!

So, what's next?

Well, my dr told me that I'm allowed to work out. When I mentioned I was supposed to do a 70.3 last weekend, she said "workout, not be crazy." So, I guess that's the gauge.

The next race on my calendar is Colonial Beach Sprint Tri. If this thing clears up relatively quickly, that race shouldn't be a problem at all. The next question would be whether or not I'm going to sign up another tri this season. I'm not 100% sure where I'd put it in my race calendar, especially if I have to travel for it. Honestly, it probably won't happen. Short tri season, I guess. It's been a weird year for me, so I'll just be thankful for what I CAN do and be happy with it.

After CBST, I've got run-only races on the calendar. Guess that means I'd better get to running! First up (for sure) is the Tower of Terror 5k & 10 miler. That'll be a busy day!

I also need to get back "on" with my nutrition. It's been all over the place lately. I think we're going to go back to being mostly Paleo. Just need to get back there. I really need to think of it as fuel for life. That's my struggle these days!

Zooma Half Marathon and Rev3 Williamsburg 70.3 That Weren't Meant to Be

Have you ever had a race that it just wasn't smart to do for whatever reason? I've had a double whammy.

It sucks.

I hate it.

A lot.

We went on vacation in May to Disney. Had a great time... and then I got sick. Nothing huge, a minor cold. I lost my voice. Again, nothing huge. Then I started coughing. Well, it hasn't stopped. For 3 weeks. It's not productive, just annoying.

Zooma Annapolis Half Marathon, May 31
I hoped that I'd be feeling better. I picked up my packet like I was going to race. I even considered downgrading to the 10k instead. I woke up on the 31st and felt horrible. No amount of cough syrup was really helping enough to make me want to be outside and running for up to 3 hrs. So, I stayed in bed. It was the right call, but it blew monkey chunks.

I needed the Fellow Flowers items. It's just too bad I haven't had a chance to wear any of them yet.

Packet. There was also a pair of VERY pink socks in the packet.

Rev3 Williamsburg 70.3, June 15
Again, I hoped I'd be feeling better. In fact, last week I WAS feeling better. Then Thursday, it got bad. Sigh. I emailed to see if there was any way I could possibly defer to next year; knowing the answer was probably going to be no. It was. I went to packet pickup & got everything as if I was going to race, but knew I wasn't going to. In fact, I didn't even bring my stuff to race. The cough was bad in the morning & evening. On Saturday night, J was very concerned about how bad my cough was. Thankfully it calmed down a bit.

T2. Wish I was actually going to be in it the following day!

Love the Rev3 vehicles!

I'm headed to the dr on Thursday to see what's going on with the cough since it's not getting better. Hopefully I can get it figured out before the next race!

Cheer Report - 2014 Boston Marathon

This past weekend was amazing. My brother qualified in Oct 2012 for Boston 2014. The events of Boston 2013 gave him more resolve to not miss 2014. We've been to all but one of my brother's marathons, so there was no way I was missing this race.

Months ago, we booked our hotel & flights. We booked 2 hotels & decided we'd check the race map before deciding which to keep. We ultimately decided on a Courtyard Marriott in Brookline (partially because it was prepaid... oops!). What we didn't realize was that the hotel was on a side street right next to the race course; perfect for spectating! We have family in MA & my wonderful aunt and uncle said they'd come to hang out with my husband and I while waiting for my brother.

We flew up on Saturday mid-morning to Boston. It was a great, uneventful flight. I'd say it was the most "fit" flight I've ever been on. Probably half the plane was going to run the marathon. It was awesome. Once in Boston, we got our bags, headed to the hotel, checked in, dropped everything off, and then headed right back out to the expo.

I love race expos. Especially BIG race expos. Adam got his bib & then came back to get us. We picked up his shirt & then went down into the rest of the expo. I ended up buying a pair of 110% knickers. I can't wait to use them. (I probably should've after today's run, but I didn't have the ice things in the freezer.) Adam bought a few peanut butter GUs. We wandered around a bit more and then headed back to the hotel.

We hit up the "Find Me Gluten Free" app for a recommendation for dinner. We decided on Otto Pizza. It was probably the best gluten free pizza I've had. Yum! We ordered way too much food & took some pizza back to the hotel with us. (We never did eat it... oops!)

Adam & Jon said theirs was like a grown-up Hawaiian pizza (pulled pork & mango)

Gluten Free pizza - pretty much tasted like a loaded baked potato. So good!

Sunday morning (Easter!), we headed to The Paris Creperie Cafe. Oh thank goodness we don't live anywhere near here. We'd probably have breakfast, lunch, and snacks there every day. The Nutella drinks are so good!

YUM!

After breakfast, we headed into Boston & got on the hop on/hop off trolley tour. We got off at a couple of stops to walk around, but mostly just rode around. We had an early dinner at Maggianos (not a local place, but pasta for Adam & GF for me!). Eventually we ended up back at the hotel for an early evening in.

I'm pretty sure we all had a pretty restless night. We were all too excited for Monday. Adam got up around 5:45 & started to get ready. By 6:15am, he was out the door. We didn't stay in bed too much longer. Jon & I went out to check out the race situation before breakfast. We confirmed that we would have to be on the other side of the road in order to get to the T to get to Adam after the race.

We had a quick breakfast & I started texting with my aunt & uncle about when they'd get to us. I was getting so excited to see them. We rarely see each other & it's not always in good situations (family "stuff" and all). They got to us just after 8:30am, which turned out to be perfect. After hanging out for a little bit, we headed down to the race course. Jon & Aunt Kim went to get Starbucks while Tim & I hung out.

Around 9, we started to see the National Guard participants come through. The first guy looked like he was having a great time! The next few, not so much. Then, around 9:30, we saw the men's lead wheelchair come through. What an amazing experience.

After a while, it was the women's lead wheelchair. Such inspirations! Bill Rogers & the race director also came through.

When the lead women came through, Jeptoo looked amazing! She was so focused. We later found out that she was really kicking up the pace. It explains why the 3 ladies behind her looked like they were working hard to keep within striking distance.

Not too much later, the elite men started to come through. We had been keeping up with it online & knew that Meb was in the lead. It was so awesome to watch them. I'm still in awe of how quickly they run, even at mile 23/24 of a marathon.

After the elite women & men, the age groupers started coming in. In full force! I was shocked to see so many people running in the 5-7 minute per mile pace! This is Boston after all. We're so used to the field being spread out at mile 23 and having no problems finding my brother. What a difference! Jon was looking for Adam through the camera lens (hoping to spot him before we did) and was having issues keeping up with the crowds. My aunt saw him before we did, just as he was getting ready to pass us. Adam actually turned around to come give us hugs & say hi. It was so great to see him. He looked strong & we promised we'd see him at athlete village. Jon didn't get any pictures of Adam. (Bad brother-in-law!)

We made our way to the "T" and headed to Boston Common. The 4 of us made it at about the same time as Adam did! Guess public transportation isn't necessarily faster than running (especially if you run a 6:50 mile).

I'm beyond proud of my lil brother. He amazes me every day with his dedication to the sport!

2 of my favorites! My Aunt Kim & little brother, Adam.

Jon, Adam, and Uncle Tim

Me, Adam, and Aunt Kim

Adam looked great for having just run a marathon! We decided to grab lunch at Rock Bottom, where Adam had 2 of the 26.2 Sam Adams along with his lunch. It was hysterical. Run drunk!

After lunch, we headed back to mile 23/24 and the hotel. We couldn't get across the road to get back to the hotel, so we stayed and cheered. This turned out to be a good thing because we were able to see my friends Jill & Tim come by!

Not too much longer & we were able to get across to the hotel. Well, most of us...

The MP asked Tim if we were laughing at him (Tim) for getting caught over on the other side without us. He got stuck on the "wrong side" of the barriers a couple of times during the day, so we were laughing. He pretended to cuff him at one point, which was hysterical.

I'm so thankful for my Aunt Kim & (Uncle) Tim and them being willing to make the trip from their home to Boston to 1) spend the day with Jon & I and 2) see Adam run Boston for his first run. Such an important run in his running career (whether or not he'll tell you that). I'm beyond proud of Adam - still. If he goes back next year, we'll likely go again. I can't imagine not being there!

PS - Not related to my brother, but I love this!  Free Hugs video