I'm Sorry, what did you say?

Monday 03/09
*AH-CHOO*
sniffle sniffle sniffle
I realize I slept with my window open. Allergies.

Tuesday 03/10
"my ear sure does hurt from all this sinus pressure.
I hope my Claritin-D kicks in soon. "

Wednesday 03/11
"wah wah wah. I would like some cheese with my whine"
*insert mass amount of snot*

Thursday 03/12
"Maybe if I sit here with my head sideways, gravity will release the pressure so I can hear again.
*insert honking sound of nose blowing*
I tell IronGreg that this has made me retain water.
He lets me know, that no I am not retaining water, but I am probably retaining snot!
Thanks, babe.

thursday night
Patient First straight from work.
ear infection. (I blame Baby David een though they are not contaqgious, but the cute doctor did say the underlying virus is)
sinus infection

Friday 03/13
Time for Comfort Zone Camp. mmm a weekend of being outside in the lovely rain and cold with no hearing and a snot faucet for a nose.
I pick up 2 boxes of Vicks scented tissues

One week later now I have crackling started in my right ear.
Hopefully the antibiotics will soon clear it away so I can hear and breathe, and stop disgusting those around me with the nose blowing (I think it sounds like the sweet sounds of an orchestra, but no one agrees with me for some reason)
So here's to wishing for the ability to hear and breathe normal again soon!!

Rain Rain Go Away
And take my ear and sinus infections with you!

St. Bridget's 5k

This morning was the St. Bridget's 5k.
Sometimes I get frustrated with neighborhood 5k's b/c of the chaos, but this one is a little different. Not only is it where I go to church, but it is also where my god friend's daughter goes to Kindergarten.

My friend Katharine and I jogged the 1.5 mi down to the church for a little warm-up. We met up with some friends and then it was time to get to the start line.

Ummmm where is the start line? And the mass chaos began. But today I was liek "eh. whatever". The sound the horn and we are off.
The start of the race was like letting a bunch of wild animals out of their cages. One little boy fell and skinned his knees, right at the start. I paused and saw someone comign to his rescue so I continued on. Poor little guy.

First mile feels good - downhill, oh yeah baby! The goal changed from running a solid pace, to not running over a kid. It was great seeing so many kids out there so excited to be active and participate in the event. You could over hear some of them talking about pacing and not going out too strong and asking if it was okay to walk, etc. Very sweet.
we have an out and back and I as I am coning back around I see parents instructing their kids to just go forward and avoid the out and back. For real?! Don't teach your children to cheat. If you don't want your child to do it because of their fitness level and not get injured I can undersand but one woman was clearly just lazy and that made my skin curl.
Then came the 2nd mile marker. I look at my watch
16:52
Holy Mother of God.
That's an 8:26 pace.
Heck yeah.
Wait for it.
Wait for it.
That would be losing it.
The last mile took me 10 minutes.
Yes, 10 minutes.
I finished in 27 minutes and change for roughly an 8:57 +/- pace.
Um, oops.
My shin was btohering me up the hill - rememebr me saying that we started downhill. yeah that means we finished uphill. Uphill and shins don't get along. I cold feel them tightening and so I walked up the hill. I have one angel on my shoulder telling me to suck it up. I had the other angel on my shoulder telling me it's not worth inflamming my leg for a neighborhood 5k. I know the second angel is the one to listen to, but it is swallowing a little pride to walk up a hill in a 5k. Damn that pride.
Damn my shins.
But I finished. And had good friends there with me.
So all in all - it was a good day.
Now off to do some speed work on the bike (who's a glutton for punishment?)
Then...target day, baby! woo-hoo!
Happy 70 degree weather weekend!

PS - Go Ironman Will!

Spring Fever

With the 9-12" of snow we received on Sunday/Monday, I take it as Mother Nature's final act, so to speak, of winter.
If seasons were a play, this snow would be the finale filled with song and dance.

Therefore, spring is right around the corner.

I am ready to ride my bike outside in the heat feeling the breeze I make through...my hair? Okay maybe not my hair, but through the vent holes in my helmet!

I am ready to run down the street and not avoiding ice and snow along the sidewalk like it's a trail.

I am ready to furnish my new balconies with patio furniure and host cook outs with fruity drinks. and lay out with a maragarita in hand. (hmmm is there a theme?)

I am ready to grow my little herb garden on the balcony off my kitchen.

I am ready to get a TAN!

Allow me to quote the character Mary Lennox from the movie A Secret Garden, "When will it be spring?"

Practice Pays Off

This morning I was forced to do a time 50 meter at the end of class.
After 5 million meters of kicking.
After 1 million meters of butterfly (which i actually don't mind even though half the pool water ends up in my sinuses)
umm, I'm tired.
Ok, ok.
Result - 0:44.

So I wonder - what have my previous timed 50's been?
Well last January they were in the mid 50's.

I guess getting my tired ass out of bed at the crack of dawn once a week for the last 6 months is paying off.

Now if only it didn't take me about 20 minutes to do a flip turn - slow motion for ya. slow motion for ya.

Spinderella Cut it up one time

I may or may not currently be singing Salt N Pepa in my head.

It's 7:30am on Monday and I am not getting ready for work.
Why, you may be asking.
Because I live in Richmond.
And it's SNOWING!

I have all my blinds open to look at it and just pulled out the ski clothes so I can go make a snow angel without getting wet. Hopefully IronGreg will get brave and get on the raods - he's from NJ this is nothing to him, right?!

Off to Princess out - have to keep her on a leash and maybe in a bright orange vest, too! She could get lost.

Well I'll be beack with pictures and to maybe blog about training. The little bit that I am doing.

Happy Snow Day!

Track

Well, I did it. I ran again.
And boy did it SUCK! My legs felt like lead, I was getting side stitches - and on 1200's!
It could have been becuase I have only been pool running for the last 2 weeks.
Or it could have been becuase I drank about 7 bottles of wine saturday night.
Unfortunately, I think it was the latter.
During the 1200's I couldn't break 2:00/400m.
My 400's were in the 1:40's which isn't bad, but they felt awful.
But at least I am out there again.

Foot

I woke up yesterday morning.
and had NO foot pain!

I have taken the last 2 weeks off from running (so we'll see how shamrock and monument go!), but I guess that's what I needed.
I bought new shoes, so tonight I go back to running.
Here goes nothing!

Sleeping

I have always been one to go to bed early and wake up early.
My dad always said, "The early bird gets the worm".

The past 2 nights I have not been able to stay awake long enough to see the endings to my favorite reality shows. Greg broke the news to me that Jillian was sent home on The Bachelor. WHAT?! I need to see this online. I really thought she was going all the way. I guess Melissa is - b/c there is now way Molly is.
And now - I have no idea how the weigh-ins wenbt on BL.
Good thing they now air these shows online!

Aging Up

Saturday marked the official day that I age up in to the 30-34 AG.

Friday I get to work around lunch after a photo shoot at a resturant I designed. I walk in and the girls on my team have cupcakes from my fave cupcake boutique, Two Sweet. And in G&HA tradition, they made me a most fabulous card.

After work I get home to find that Princess has already been walked and fed and there are flowers on the counter. I wonder who broke in...

Off to dinner for my Valentine's dinner date with IronGreg and his friend T - T's grilfriend was also turning 30 on the 14th! So the boys take us to dinner and we fill our bellies. food come sets in and all we can think about is going to bed! but the boys convince us that we should go meet up with their work friends. We get to the resturant and...SURPRISE!!

The boys have been planning a surprise party for us for months! so sweet.

Then I wake up on my birthday...with heartburn. Welcome to the 30's club!

After a 2 hour pool run with Laure and swimming a few laps I head to go pick up the birthday shirt from the alteration place. However, I leave empty handed. They lost my shirt!!!!!!!

Deep breaths. Take a nap.

Get my hair and brows did.

Head off to meet the girls for manis. But not just any ole manicure - party in the parking lot with cupcakes and B&J Margaritas! Now that's what i'm talking about!

I'm rady to go to the family dinner. IronGreg picks me up with gifts and more flowers!!! That's 3x in one week - I could get used to this! A new iPod and.....a SNUGGIE!!!Niiiice.

Family dinner was fun. B.D. is crawling all over the place.

Head off to the party and boy that was fun.

What happens at the birthday party, stays at the birthday party.

Needless to say, although I was surprisingly not hngover I spent Sunday napping and being lazy with my family.

Welcome to the 30's!!!

Valentine's Card

Foot Report: Part 3

Today the foot is feeling alright.
It just feels tender and sore.
I decided that I definitely just pulled something.
When can I start running again?

Foot Report: Part 2

I decided there is no way that I have a stress fracture.
I haven't even been running as much as I am supposed to.
I am working on improving my form.
And I drink my milk!!!

I decided that I pulled something.

Maybe next week I can kick, swim breast stroke, push off the wall with both feet, and even wear heels again.

Foot Report: Part 1

It's too early to tell if it is anything too serious (ie the dreaded stress fracture)
So for 1 week no running.
Then next week - bone scan.

Say a little prayer for my foot

I ran 12 on Sunday and started feeling this pulling feeling on the outside of my right foot.
(I need a new right leg – first the knee, then the shin and now the foot!)
Anyways, yesterday it felt bruised and tender. Last night at track practice I could feel it, but figured I need new shoes.
After track I went to the grocery store and noticed I was limping around and then I started getting shooting pains through the foot that would make my whole body cringe.
I took 2 Advil last night and iced it since it feels bruised.
Today it is still bothering me.
I can’t imagine it being overuse since my mileage is down from just a few months ago and I am only running outside twice a week now.
Ho hum. Will I ever work out with no pains?

Bob Babbitt

This weekend was the USAT-MA Annual meeting as well as the RTC banquet.

The guest speaker this year was Bob Babbitt - the voice behind Ironman.

Bob spoke as the symposium as well as the banquet, so I was lucky enough to hear him twice.

He has so many FAVulous stories I could listen to him for hours. I would probably end up with six-pack abs from laughing!

But my favorite story was this...

(back story, Bob's first Ironman finish was at the 3rd ever Ironman. Before there were even water stops. he knows every story behind the race known as Ironman)

At the 25th anniversary of Ironman he was watching all the finishers go by and one after another was complaining that they had a bad day b/c they were minutes or hours after their self-imposed goal time. He was with Michael Collins (I think that's his name...he also got involved in the first Ironmans at the age of 16) who said, "Bob these people don't know what a bad day is. A bad day is when you are still running as the sun is coming up and the paper boy goes by you with newspapers that have the results posted for a race you are still in"

Bob also told stories of the amazing people he has met through his charity - the Challenged Athletes Foundation.

Then comes Sunday morning and time for my 12 mile run. Last year during shamrock training I really worked hard. this year I have the same goals, but have found myself not working so hard. I missed my 10 miler. And I missed last week. So the last time I ran outside was 2 weeks ago and that was only 8 miles. Luckily Miso (one of the three amigas) felt the same way. This year we are not at what she called, "our fighting game". so we knock out the 12 miles. But it wasn't easy. I paid for my slackness and it was a wake up call that I only have a month before the race and if I don't get my ass in gear I might be able to finish it, but it will not be fun. And well, it's all about fun, right! so I remind myself that this is the year of missy. and it's okay to say no to volunteering at everything. I think about how it may take me longer, but after listening to Bob - at least the paper boy won't be passing me and at least I have my own legs.

Today I will enjoy the last Monday of my 20's.

I Can Fly!

The past few months I have learned various drills to learn the stroke of butterfly.
This morning we put those drills together.
The result - me swimming full stroke butterfly for the first time ever!
And it felt great!
Thanks, Coach K!

Birthday Wishes

Happy 30th Birthday to my wonderful IronGreg.

today he is officially up an age group.

Tonight he has quite the birthday celebration in store for him - and he doens't knwo wanything about it - heeheehee.

Although friends have suggested black lace and dim lighting, I will save that for late night - and save you from hearing about it!

Happy 41st Birthday to my training buddy, KO

As she trains for her 2nd Ironman - IMUSA - she trains hards and raises 2 of the most well behaved children.

Happy 24th Birthday to Tyler.

My good friend's fiance, who just returned from teaching in Mumbai. and she is working the wine bar at my neighborhood hot spot tonight, so I mgiht be detouring there later for a visit!

Kitty Litter

Richmond doesn't get snow.
It gets ice.
Ice is slippery.
so last week whe we got a little sheet of ice, I found myself sliding around as I walked up to my 3rd floor condo (I use the back stairs). So I quickly went back down them, thankfully not on my butt, and went straight to the grocery store for some rock salt.
the men at the store convince me that kitty litter is better than rock salt for this.
Boy are they wrong.
It is a disastrous mess.
Clumps of kitty litter EVERYWHERE!
It trickled through the deck onto the floors below (but no one lives there). and i am on my knees every other day with lysol wipes cleaning kitty litter residue off the floor!
The rule is to take your shoes off at the door and to immediately wipe off the dogs toesies.
Disaster I tell you. Disaster.
It is starting to dry out and this morning I even swept some - but that whole going to work thing)
we are expected to get rain/snow/ice tonight.
Disaster will continue to grow.

Lesson learned: Cats make me sneeze. And Kitty Litter makes a mess. I'm such a dog lover!
(although I do have some friends with cute kitties - some like to snuggle in my purse, too!)

Observations

While plugging away on the elliptical I made some observations.
1. Most men that wear spandex shorts to the gym are related to the triathlon community.
2. Why do people use the stairmaster and then put all their weight on their arms and not on their legs? Does that not defeat the purpose?
3. I really should put my book club book on my shuffle and listen to that while staring into space.
4. Why do people wear sweatshirts (and sweatpants) while doing cardio? Yet they fan them selves from being so hot. Idea...how about taking off the sweatshirt there, genius!
5. Why do some people feel that they should have the few standing fans pointed directly at them diretly in front of their cardio machine? The fan has a feature called "oscillating" - they should try it sometime.
6. It makes me smile to see people who are overweight workout.

My night

Joelle does not deserve to be on the BL campus.
Jerry and Dan should both stay.

In other news...
I had a hard track workout last night.
My calves are sore.
I had a hard spin tonight.
My legs are tired.
Tonight I broke out the new compression recovery tights.