Saturday Schmaturday

I have missed yet another Saturday brick! I promise I will start to show my face at more of these. To be honest, I missed some at first out of intimidation. I was the new person that knew nothing and here are people training for coerhe de what! I can't even spell it! And I went to a class and couldn't get my trainer right and was just embarassed. Ho hum.

Then I missed for camp...then this past weekend I was on my "deathbed". And this weekend I will be at Snowshoe for the Jose Cuervo games of winter. This is an actual event put on annually by the mountain - not a game of debauchery I made up. There are races and silly games all for....shots of cuervo. I am nto one for drinking and skiing - I have enough problems on moguls sober! This year I will not come home in any sort of cast.

After this weekend - I think I will actually be in town for at least a few weekends in a row! I really want to improve and participate on Saturdays....time to get down to biz.

Tag! I'm it!

Alas my slow running has caught up with me once again. I was tagged on my blog by Journey to Ironman with the following game of Tri Blogger Tag. I'm going to tag some of the people in my favorite blogs list: Triathonmom, TriJinx, TriDi, I’m TRI-ing, Florida-Bound and Nancy Toby.If you've been tagged, answer these six questions, then tag six more folks.

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

My answers:
1. Describe a memory from your first triathlon ever .
I haven't done one yet :( key word - yet!

2. Describe a memory from your most recent triathlon.
I went and saw Jay in the ACAC tri in October. He did great! 4th overall - 1st in his age group. That was my first time to a race at all!! next time - signs required.

3. What's the most embarrassing thing that has ever happened to you in a tri?
I am terrified of falling off my bike

4. What's the most thrilling thing that's happened to you in a tri?
Looking forward to crossign that finihs line.

Is it really only Tuesday?!

I am having one of those weeks where time seems to be flying by and yet standing still at the same time. I got back from camp Sunday night and finally thawed off - shew it was a bit chilly out there!! I woke up Monday morning, however, and swallowing was a task in itself. I hate colds and being sick. I am stubborn and whiney when sick - not a good patient! But I made it through the day at work and headed off for the Monday Maramarc Madness. Blake thought it would be entertaining to go around and increase the tension on our trainers and then have us do hills! It was a good strength work out. I know I need to increase my endurance so I guess I am hitting 2 things at once with workouts like that. I was a bit nervous to walk down the stairs after class but surprisngly was okay - not much jello. After a night of running into furniture, light switches, you name it - I woke up feeling just awful (and with 3 nice new bruises). As soon as I get to work my boss asks me to leave. *sigh* I hung out for about 2 hours before he was like I will finish whatever you are doing go home and rest. Okay Okay already. Going home. After sleeping for a few hours I wake up just in time for my soap...what is going on?! at this same time I realize I am breaking a fever. Well that a good sign and mean I can work out, right?! So i jsut got back from doing my 3 mile hill workout (and of course the daily 100 sit ups that Janet Jackson swears by) and I am feeling alright. I realiuzed while I was there how nice and quiet the gym is during the day. Wish I could take advantage of that more often.Now I have my whole evening to myself with no chores of gym visits. What do I do with myslef?! I think I need to be pampered - The throat is a bit warm and I sound like a man. But I'm good. Ready for my nonfat green tea latte on Saturday morning. (man that was a big ramble, huh?!)

Brrrr! But Baby it's cold outside (sung)

I am going to miss this Saturday's brick because I will be at camp. No worries, I brought my warmest running gear in hopes that my cold body will awake early on Saturday morning and I can hit the gravel paths for a little jog. I will be looking forward to getting on the nice warm treadmill on Sunday night. So, Ladies, I expect you to: a. work out extra hard in my honor/absence and b. get a post-brick nonfat green tea latte and send the warm thoughts i nmy direction!

Don't you worry, though. This weekend of camping is not all for fun. Although it is oodles of fun. I mean if it were fun do you think I would go in January!!! (at least there won't be any snakes in the cabins this time). I will be at Comfort Zone Camp - a bereavement camp for children 7-17 that have experienced a significant loss whether it be a parent, sibling, or caregiver. I know that sounds just awful, but it's an amazing experience and I try to volunteer about 4-5 weekends a year. Being that I experienced a loss growing up it is nice to be able to give the kids someone to relate to. Camp is a weekend filled with silly games, camp food (and all effects there of...keep the tums packed)laughter...and tears. So many of the kids come to camp frightened and feeling alone and leave as a cheerful kid ready to get back to laughing and feeling a sense of happiness - sometimes a feeling they have not felt since their loss.

This weekend I am paired with an 8 year old girl who lost her mother in a homicide when she was 7. After talking to her on the phone last night and reading her bio I know I have my "work" cut out for me this weekend. It makes me so thankful for my friend and family. I have to remember that the staff of CZC has faith in me and feels that I am able to make a difference in this girls life. Okay enough sappiness. The good thing about having one of the younger kids (which i usually have a 6-7 yr old) is that we are usually assigned to one of the cabins with....indoor plumbing!!! no hiking through the woods to get to the shower!! woo hoo!

So as you all push your way through the brick on Saturday rememeber to send "yummy" warm thoughts my way!
check it out: www.comfortzonecamp.org

TRi-ing together!

The T in Triathlon Training most definitely stands for team. and notice that it is the first letter of both words - emphasis. Although the actual race is an individual race the training and the motivation is team effort.

For those of you that don't know Lora, she is one of my college buddies! Now living in Florida and is training for her first triathlon, too! The funny part is that both of us got the idea and started training at the same time and just realized it! So I am lucky enough to have my "team" of TRIgirls here and an extra team member in Florida!

Go Angels! (if that is still our mascot haha) ha! i just thought - since angels have wings...we can totally fly through these races! Heck yeah!

Tri-ing, too!

What an honor to be invited to post on here! ;-)

I, too, am inching toward my first triathlon. INCHING! This process is literally painful. My slack rear had not been running regularly for months, so Jan. 2, I decided to see how fast I could run one mile. The time almost made me cry. Nine minutes and thirty seconds. I know, I know. You might be thinking that's not too shabby. Well, I used to run miles in under seven minutes. And thus, driven by sheer competitiveness with myself, I decided to tri.

March 25 is my first super sprint tri in St. Pete. I have yet to purchase a bike, but have been dilligently going to cycling classes at the gym so I can get used to the feel of being on a bike, changing gears, etc. I am eagerly awaiting the pool at the gym to open so I can dive and begin the swimming part of my training. I, too, have been doing my brick workouts on Saturday. My first one was a week ago last Saturday, and I agree with Miss Melissa.... JELLO! My roommate, Elizabeth, thought I was going to fall down my condo steps. I lost all quadracept functionality!

I am proud to report that since the first brick, things have gotten MUCH better. My first 5k is Februray 17, and my goal is to run it in 24:30. I have come to love chicken and rice, and luckily if I don't feel like fixing it, there is a sweet new restaurant around the corner called Chicken Kitchen. They are a Florida chain right now, but they are owned by the same group who runs Moe's. Over 10 of their entrees are certified healthy by the American Heart Association. I never deviate from the bowl full of flame broiled chicken, white rice, and a healthy amount of teryaki glaze. It's a bowl full of runner-fueled joy! Keep an eye out for them in Richmond!

So goes my training. Running four times a week, cycling three, and brick workouts on Saturdays (and I throw in a kickboxing class for a little stress relief). I'll try to post in here once a week. We can do this, and do it well!!!!!

A new meaning of Jello

Saturday was the weekly brick workout. This week we ran a timed mile then (2) 1/2 mile splits - all this was new to me. But, I admit I am proud of my results. I had my fastest mile time ever!! yay!!! (althought i would like to still improve more) I had one of my fellow TRIgirls to run with and she as a great support and I thank her for the extra push to go a bit faster. I enjoyed running with the group.
Mile: 9:05
1st split: 4:24
2nd split: 4:33

After we ran - we had a 90 minute ride. This wasn't so bad - mainly just a steady ride with a few "hills".

Then...time to walk down the stairs to leave. Jello. Yup, Jello. That is the perfect word to describe the way my legs were feeling. So go to the grocery store and when you pass the Jello - you can think of a morning at Maramarc.

I look forward to my next Saturday brick - January 28th (missing a week to be volunteer at camp)

Where do I begin?!

So I am a little late in starting this journal of my journey....here's a recap...

Where do I begin? This is the question I had asked myself over and over. I started running when I began the quitting smoking process (over a year now!!!) I started with the Monument 10k 2005 and kept on going. This year I finished my first half marathon in Virginia Beach. I knew I wanted to get more involved in being active, but how?! I watch my brother do marathons and 70.3's and well..I want to do them, too! I am not sure how to get involved, though. I was doing as many 5k's and 10k's I could.

I was planning on starting with the Virginia Beach Duathlon in April 2006 - an incident at Snowshoe last year left my arm in a cast...no cycling for me. So I was thinking I would attempt for it again in 2007...pending no injuries. Then I participated in the Innsbrook 5k benefiting Comfort Zone Camp. In my race packet was a brochure about an organization...TRIgirl Training. I check out the website and am interested...but I don't act. I stash the thought into my archives. In the meantime I had met Jay, who is also a triathlete! I tell him about the little brochure I received and he is familiar with the TRIgirl program so I go back to the thought. I talk to Grandison, the Queen TRIgirl, and I am sold. I join the Pink Power and become a Pink Lady!

The TRIgirl program doesn't start until March and here it is November and I am ready to get started. Thigns get better - there is a winter training at Maramarc Fitness: weight training and cycling. I'm in - get in shape girl! (I loved those toys!)

Step One: Getting the bike...
How much are these things?! How do I change gears?! and for God's sake - Where's the kickstand?!
This was an interesting adventure not only in the search of a bike but the first challenge to begin my training. Jay and I went on many trips to Conte's, Rowlett's, and Performance which had me frustrated. I had purchased tubes, helmet, shoes, tire stuff...but no bike (we'll talk about the shorts later) I was test riding lots of bikes and just not sure what I was "feeling" for. The last trip to Conte's I re-test rode a Specialized Allez - I rode down the street with Jay beside me cruisin' in the bike he chose to "test" - a beach cruiser. As I laughed at him down the street and my eyes tearing from the cold breeze - I was sold! The Silver Bullet was born.

Unfortunately this same night - I was forced to do it; I was no longer allowed to use the "next time" excuse. I had to try on those awful looking tight shorts...and even bought 2 pairs. and no - they are not more comfortable than they look but yes, they are better to cycle in than running shorts (my solution to tight clothing)

Step Two: Class begins...
What do I wear?! What do I bring?! What am I getting myself into?!
The night before class Jay sets Silver Bullet up on his trainer and explains things to me...like changing gears. I spin for only about 20 minutes so I don't tire my newly used muscles out.
Monday night I go to class. There are girls working out around the gym. I am lost. Mark, the training guru, clearly sees my look of shock and explains the ropes to me. I learn to go around and do the exercises from the clipboard. Overwhelmed. Then time for cycling. Set up my bike in a trainer and I'm off.

The next day I do not think my body works. Man I am feeling wimpy. I get the hang of things then realize that I am the weak one in class...and I am one of the younger people - I should young and fit. um no. As the first month passes I increase my weight and comfort on the bike. I learn that my new friends and fellow trainers are training not for the Powersprint like me, but for the Eagleman (70.3) and the Florida Ironman. Ok - they can lift more weight than me.

So here I am. 5 weeks into my training and I am addicted. I am eager to move forward and to eventually see that finish line!

Next Step: Swimming.
You mean I can't wear my bikini with the fake diamonds?!