Put a fork in me.

this weekend we were scheduled to do a 25 mile ride and 16 mile run.
sounds like fun, huh?
but wait a minute, I'm signed up the Charlottesbille Internation Triathlon on Sunday! this one has a reputation for it's killer hills on the bike and on the trail run! Uh oh!
Luckily (?) coach B shortens the saturday workout to only a 12/10 brick.
I make my way out to WC on saturday to get this accomplished. TG KO and I do two good laps around keeping it steady. then we meet up with TG Lynn for the run. We have diffeent distances to do - 8 for Kate, 10 for me, and 16 for Lynn. so we run the first 8 together talking and having a good time. It was warm out there, but thanks to Kate's cold water face squirts it kept us cool! (And we dodged Ann and Margo's attempts at taking us out while they were riding).
Of course afterwards my legs are like lead.
hmm...triathlon tomorrow?
IronGreg and I headed up to check out the race site, which is was quite familiar with. We drove the bike course to get an idea of what kinds of hills we had ahead of us. with Blake's Blue Ridge rides, I wasn't too intimidated. But I knew right away thatmy goal times would no longer happen thanks to the morning's long brick. I was most nervous about the trail run. I had only done one ever! and i heard this was a hard one! But i didn't want to get a preview of what I had ahead of me there. I might not show up in the morning! But luckily I received a call from trail runner extrodonaire, Twila. That woman can run on trails for days without stopping. And still be smiling and fresh. She's a butterfly!
so we had a good night's eats and sleeps at the Boar's Head. things are laid out. Wake up call has been ordered. time for bed.

Phone rings.
There is no snozze button on the phone.
Time to get up.
normal race morning. we eat. get dressed and pack the car. Being this is only a "workout" for both of us there were little nerves - oddly.
I set up in transition. get body marked. Timeing chip. All the normal pre-race needs.
nothing exciting. Although I did find out that no one but Kate and I did the saturday workout! What were we thinking?!
except - there were lots of TG's out there including Coach G making a guest appearance - even if only for the swim!

Swim:
The swim felt good. I didn't push it out of my comfort zone and just focused on my stroke and sighting. As I began to round the first lap I couldn't figure out which buoy I was swimming towards! I had to pause a few times and finally some guys from the wave behind me started passing me and I could follow their caps as I got back in line. I was feelign good, not tired or anything as I began to exit the water. hmmm, maybe I could have pushed it a little more? But then I began to run up the hill to transition and realized my legs felt like the mud I just ran through.
T1:
I actually had to sit down and put my socks and shows on b/c my legs were like lead.
Bike:
As soon as we leave transition it's a long uphill. My legs didn't want to work. This is where mentally I started losing my game face. People were passing me like I was standing still. I was recounting my swim in my head thinking I should have pushed it a little more and coming to terms with being last in my AG in the swim and probably at the end of the day, too. About 10 minutes into the bike a few people in my AG passed me on the bike. My legs couldn't spin to catch them, so I thought to myself - at least I wasn't the last out of the water like I was thinking. about 15 minutes into the bike I decided today was jsu tnot my day and I should just turn in my chip. I was done. My legs were fried from Saturday's workout. (I was cursing Coach Blake at this time. I mean how could this make me stronger?!). I passed the first turn of volunteers - they were so cheerful and supportive - how cold I ask them how do I turn in m chip? I had never done that before, what is the process to DNF? I'll ask the next set of volunteers. As I come up to them they, too, are so cheerful and supposrtive, I just can't ask them! Next thing I know I am half way through the bike. Why stop now? I'm half way there. just go with it. As I am comign back into the park a few more people pass me including one of my friends - who started 2 waves behind me! what! am i slacking that much! guess I better kick it up! We come back into the park and I eat up the downhill. Curl into aero and crank int ot hat hard gear. Wheeeeeeeeee. Hop off the bike and slip into my nice white sneakers and head off to the trails.
T2:
I quickly grab n go! I felt fast in T2. at lest I felt fast sometime during the day! haha
Run:
It ws nice surroundings, but I was so busy looking at the ground I couldn't really take it all in. I was really felling that long workout now! So I jsut kept reminding myself that this was jsut a workout and not a rae like most people out here. I kept telling my self to have the feet of a deer and float like a butterfly - twila's advice. The trail was narrow and peopel were passing me so much "on my left", that my right thigh is scratched up from tress/bushes/etc - but that only makes me look tough, right? I find that runnin guphill hurts my calves so I allow myself to walk up them. I get into my groove when IronGreg's friend passes me walking up a hill. Oh hell no! so I pick it up and bam - down I go. Total bummer! Luckily I caught myself and didn't relaly eat it. the guy behind me yells out "nice save". and I start laughing to myself about the ass shot he just got as I stick it up in the air in spandex trying to catch my fall. awesome. no wonder he was struggling back there! Next thing I know I am done with lap one and heading back in for another lap of trail goodness. now I am feeling good and now I am FINALLY the one passing lots of people! I uess all those people that took off too fast in the beginning are paying for it now. See - slow and steady wins the race (at lest that's i tell myself, but I have yet to come close to winning a race). The last mile has lots of up hills and I have come to terms with not hitting any of my goals. Out of the woods and kick it up for the finish line.
Mission Accomplished.
So I may not have hit any of my goal times, but I did get two rock solid workouts in - and finish them!
and what I am mostly proud of myself for is overcoming the mental block of wanting to quit and PUSHing through.
and I wasn;t the only person having a rough day. but it's all a part of training.
Timberman here I come!

Afterwards IronGreg and I had the brunch buffet and I was sur to eats lots of bacon - it's protein, right? and the blueberry cobbler...um I had to replenish my sugar?
Then we spent the day touring Monpelier - the home of James Madison - our country's 4th president and one of the founding fathers of the constitution.

Then for the evening festivities...refer to Margo's Shark Week extravaganza.

and now - poor IronGreg is sick :(
good thing I am having lots of chicks drinking wine and jewelry shopping at his house tonight so he is scared to come home!

PS - today I am taking a rest day. forget swimming! (sorry Coach JP!)

The Sound of (Cycling) Music

as we went out for "Torturous Tuesdays" ride, a deeer zoomed out across the road in front of us.
Pretty common.
But for some reason this time I started singing...
Do - a deer a female deer
Ra - a drop of golden sun
Mi - a name I call myself
Fa - a long long way to ruuuun
So - a needle pulling thread
La - a note to follow So
Ti - a drink with jam and bread
and that brings us back to Do

fortunately, for my team mates sanity, I sang most of this in my head.

IMUSA

Date: July 26, 2009

Place: Lake Placid, NY

Looks like next July I will be cheering on the competitors at Ironman USA.

A handful of my training partners and IronGreg have registered to take on this challenge!

Weekend

~ Friday night I was able to take advantage of the RTC open water swim in the nice clean James River. I hadn't beenin open water or done a long swim since White Lake. Man I need more of them. It was good - and better since followed by Chipotle.

~ Saturday I rode 60 miles. I did the first loop with some training buddies and then the 2nd loop by myself. It was hot and my water bottles were going fast. Luckily we rode by my sister's farm, so ont he 2nd loop I called her to let her know I was coming by for more fluids. Hoever, this requires walking for about 15 minutes up their gravel drive - in bike shoes. I gave baby David a kiss. He pooed. haha. That afternoon at packet pick-up I realized that when I left the ride int eh morning I left my front wheel behind. I was working packet pick-up, so luckily JRo trucked up to where I rode to see if it was still there and thankfully it was.

David begins triathlon training at just 6 weeks old.

~ Sunday was the 3 sports Sprint triahtlon produced by the RTC. I was in charge of the trainsition area. Let me just say - is it that hard to wait until the last biker is off the course to take your bike out of transition? There are some rude/inconsiderate people out there. I won't mention that 2 of my frends were yelled! at by some guy (I think it was the same guy) for a. having to have his bib to receive his post-race food (chipotle). and b. that his placement was nit high enough to receive an award. please note: these items were all covered on the website and in race meetings. But besides buttheads, it was a grat time. It was HOTTTTTTT. But los of people are now triathlon finishers! and PR's were had regardless of the heat.

~ Post-race massage and boating. Check gas gauge prior to leaving dock. Or check beer stash to make sure you do not run out of beer while stranded waiting for gas. But when all else fails. start a noodle canon war. Ready? Aim. FIRE!

Riding in THE Tour

Last night I had an easy hour to spin on the bike.

My knee was hurting.

It was hot outside.

motivation waasn't pouringout of me.

So...

the trainer was set up in the living room

in front of the TV

viewing le Tour de France.

It was so fun spinning away like I was in a peloton with these fools and wearing the yellow jersey of course.

Look at me go...I'm drafting now! Weeeeeeee!

(I am not going to mention how tight IronGreg had the trainer for my easy spin...grrr

I think I was sweating more the guys in France. - haha)

When Life Hands You Lemons

Note: this post has nothing to do with triathlons or training.
I recieved a phone call from a girlfriend yesterday and she told me of a story.
It's a story that is not funny, but you can't help but laugh.
Seriously, kids, you can't make this shit up.

So thre was this girl -we'll call her Sue.
Sue was dogsitting for a couple - we'll name them Tom and Alice.
Tom and Alice explain to Sue that their dog, a 70+lb lab mix, is old and not so healthy. the vet is on standby and will pick the dog up if he gets sick.
The first night there the do starts making odd noises, so Sue calls the vet. Unfortunately the vet is closed for the weekend.
Shortly thereafter, the dog dies.
sue is stumped on what to do. The vet that would pick the dog up is closed so now she is stuck at home with a heavy dog that doesn't walk. And she doesn't have a car either.
so Sue gets the idea to put the dog in a suitcase (youhave to give her creativity points) and take the city bus to the emergency vet to take care of the dog.
As she is boarding the bus a man helps her lug this heavy bag onto the bus. He inquires why her bag is so heavy. Frantic about the truth, she explains to him that she has herlife in there - including lap top and school books since she is going back to school (creative thinking once again).
As the bus gets to the stop for the emergency vet, Sue realizes the man that she told this story to is getting up get off the same stop. she worries that he is going to see her walk into the vet and realize she lied. Luckily he goes the other direction - shew.
So as she gets ready to wak in the vet she gets a tap on the shoulder
She turns around and the guy punches her in the face and runs off with the suitcase!

Talk about a bad day.

Cycling Etiquette

We all have new goals and challenges for ourselves.
And in conquering these challenges we are spending more time riding on the road. It's nice outside, so we shoul dbe off the trainers and enjoying the outdoors and all that surrounds us.

However, one thing that has come up recently is our group's Cycling Etiquette.
Sure you put a bunch of girls together nd we want to chit chat - I mean we are sitting onthe bike for 3+ hours. In doing so, we are all in need of a refresher course in things to keep in mind.
I used the power of google to compile a lit of all things cycling etiquette (move over miss manners!)
1. Obey all traffic signs and signals. This includes traffic lights and stop signs. If in doubt what the laws are be conservative
2. Communicate with your fellow riders, using proper cycling terms, such as "On your left," "Car back," etc.
• Car back ... move to single file on the right hand side of the road or shoulder. Give way to the car... they are bigger than you and they will win.
• On your left ... allow the person coming up behind you to pass safely within the lane; not crossing over into the other lane. If necessary move to the right. (I like to say the person's name I am going to pass, if i know it, so i can be sure to catch their attention and not frighten them as I pass. this can be tricky on downhoils, though - as it's hard to hear anything over the wind so speak up then)
3. Stay to the right, except to pass. Pass on the left side only. Do not pass on the right. (this is one that needs attention)
4. Do not cross center line regardless of passing zone.
5. Use proper signals when turning. Make left turns from the center of the road or left turn lane. Cross railroad tracks at right angles.
6. Ride in control of your bike at all times (i.e. being able to stop within a reasonable distance.)
7. Ride defensively, in consideration of your fellow riders.
8. Don't use Aero bars in a group
9. Point out and call out any road hazards ahead. These include potholes, drain grates, stray animals, opening car doors, sticks or stones, parked cars, etc. (just simply point to them)
10. Do not overlap wheels. A slight direction change or gust of wind could easily cause you to touch wheels and fall.
11. Pedal down hill when you are at the front of the bunch. Cyclists dislike having to ride under brakes!
12. When climbing hills, avoid following a wheel too closely. Many riders often lose their momentum when rising out of the saddle on a hill which can cause a sudden deceleration. This can often catch a rider who is following too closely, resulting in a fall from a wheel touch.

I am sure I will find more as I continue to research. But let's keep these in mind. Trying out some of the local group rides would probably help, too. I know RABA offers a variety of rides and Team Nature'sPath is always willing to help, too. I have been to their workshops and are very informative.

Trails

This morning I headed out to trail run with two of my friends, TG40 and Bethany. It was my first time trying this out. It was not easy. Hills, rock, and spider webs - oh my! But of course we are glutton for punishment and decided this should become a weekly adventure. Crazy? Clearly!

The Running Skirt

My team was recently asked to participate in a video for Runner's World on the running skirt. After filming I was aksed to "star" in the video. We all had such a blast making it - we laughed the whole time. And a big congrats to camerawoman Kate Hoof - who recently had an article on her accomplishments in Runner's World just last month!

Enjoy!

Tagged by KO

10 years ago I was....
1998 - I waws a sophomore in college partying in up and changing majors from dance with a concentrationin performance and choreography to Interior Design - a wise decision.

5 years ago I was.....
2003 - I moved to Richmond and was making new friends and learning about my new home - that I thought I would only live in for 2 years and then go on about my merry way and somehoe I am still here and am okay with that!

1 year ago I was.....
2007 - joined the world of triahtlons. my life will never be the same. I met amazing girls and did 3 sprints, 1 olympic, 1 half, and 1 marathon - a bunch of firsts for me!
and I also started dating the most wonderfullest boyfriend ever, IronGreg. he is such a lucky guy! (can you believe it's been a year already!)

5 things on my to-do list today:
- work
- run (done!)
- lift weights (done!)
- bike
- pack

5 snacks I enjoy:
- cheez its
- cheese - all kinds, all forms.
- hummus
- ice cream
- leftovers

If I was a billionaire I would:
- buy a house.
- buy a vacation home
- donate
- retire.

6 people I would want to have lunch with tomorrow:
- IronGreg, he is a fun date afterall
- my dad
- God
- Oprah
- ALL my friends! (how fun would that be!!)

5 places I have lived:
- Charlotte
- Raleigh
- Atlanta
- Richmond

5 jobs I have had:
- Patricia McLean Interiors, Inc.
- TM Collaborative, Inc.
- Cornerstone Architects
- Perretz and Young Architects
- Glave and Holmes Associates

SNELLS,
Tag, you're it!