Pursuit: The Act of Striving

Maybe I'll start blogging again...

2012-01-10T15:42:00.002-06:00

I may start blogging again...but if so, it'll likely be a different flavor than I did a few years back. In other words, the occasional triathlon post, but maybe more on leadership, on life, on purpose. We'll see!

Ironman Series: Part 4 of 4; The RUN and I AM AN IRONMAN!

2009-12-01T21:00:00.003-06:00

T2- 1:49

Comments:
Dismounted and the volunteer took my bike and as I ran towards my bag I got my helmet off and the volunteers handed me my bag and then I *nearly* went into the guys change tent--uh oh--thankfully a volunteer (a BT'er I think--I would see him often as I passed the Transition area on the run) got me pointed correctly by using my name. I couldn’t believe I was actually able to RUN to T2, usually even on HIMs my legs feel the ride—maybe adrenaline numbs the pain, cause my legs felt fantastic. I was definitely ready to be off that bike though. Anyhow, got into the tent, and another awesome volunteer lady grabbed my bag got my shoes out, and I threw socks and shoes on and asked her to grab my Garmin, she got it to me, fuel belt on, hat on, and off I went! Another awesome volunteer!!

What would you do differently?:
NOTHING...wow, I had planned for a 5-6 minute transition...1:49, and that included a near detour into the men's tent and taking arm warmers off, totally thrilled with this!! Couldn't believe how fast I did it--but didn't even know that till I was done!

Run
Time: 03:56:48 26.200001 miles 09m 02s min/mile
Age Group: 6/74
Overall: 338/2516
Performance: Good
Lap Info: Didn't get my Garmin started until around 1/3rd of the mile in, so none of the data is accurate--but it kept me on the pace and gave me mile marks, even though they weren't on, that helped me keep pace.
FIRST RUN SEGMENT 3.5 mi. 8:49/mile
SECOND RUN SEGMENT 8.6 mi. 8:58/mile
THIRD RUN SEGMENT 8.3 mi. 9:33/mile
RUN FINISH 5.9 mi. 8:23/mile
Course:
3 loop kind of figure 8 around Tempe, includes a couple of hills--Curry hill and going up an overpass. Not huge, but noticeable

Comments:
So, as I got going my Garmin wasn't tracked on yet so I tried to keep my legs normal--haha, that's funny considering I just averaged a 95-100mph cadence for 112 miles and you think my legs are going to at an "easy" pace—they wanted to keep that cadence. Once my Garmin locked on and I saw 7:30 I yelled at myself and settled into an 8:40-9:00 pace. I also saw my Mom and Bro near the train trestle and that was great! They were so enthusiastic and easy to see in their orange BT IMFL (hey, I bought them, might as well use them!) Support Crew shirts. I ran for a bit with a guy named Warren from Kona. We did nearly the entire first lap together, and he was a super guy. I don't know when I lost him, at an aid station I think, but thanks Warren. I used sponges at each aid station, and man, those people were awesome. I can't say enough about the volunteers. They rocked!! Anyhow, that first loop I felt AWESOME! I even told my brother and Mom to tell everyone I felt STRONG! I mean it was great and I was feeling awesome and not pushing it, and it kept nagging in the back of my head "when are the wheels going to fall off--don't go fast" so I did slow it down on the 2nd loop, I was feeling good, but didn't want to go too fast cause I didn't want to meet that proverbial “wall.” I have only met that wall in one race, Buffalo Springs Half-Iron in June ’08—my first Half-Iron, so it’s something I don’t know well, and that’s fine, I don’t want to know it well. The 2nd loop was a little harder in some spots, and THEN (remember, one each discipline!) one thing about my fast T2 was I didn't grab a couple of the GUs that I was supposed to and thus was out of my GUs by mile 14. So, now it's on to Plan B...thankfully, of all of the Gatorade products, I like the orange stuff. That's what they were serving, so I started hitting that at each station, and grabbed bananas twice. Finished the 2nd loop and knew I was on the last leg, I knew that the next time I got down there I'd be heading to the finish line. I never picked up special needs as I didn't want to stop. I hate stopping. There was no walking, just slowing down to grab some water, grab a sponge, grab some Gatorade and move out!! I had to weave around a few folks when they stopped right in front of me. It was on this loop that I saw Dave finally, and he asked if I was on 2nd or 3rd and I said 3rd and he said something encouraging, what I don't know! I had seen him a few times on the bike too--he's much better at looking out for his battle buddies on the race course than I am, thanks Sapper. On the course, there were several times I thanked God for giving me the ability to do this and just prayed to "run and not grow weary" just like one of my favorite verses. I still kept it a sane pace until I think I saw the 22 mile marker and then I picked it up. I had also previously told myself that I could take coke at mile 22, and I did at the 22/23/24 mile aid stations...I think it had an effect cause I wasn't slowing down, I was just picking it up. Man, when I saw the 24 mile sign I think that is when the HUGE smile became permanently plastered on my face. I didn't want to surge too soon, but at that 24 mile mark I thought "it's only an APFT run, that's it!!" I picked it up, and then when I got within that last mile and heard the finish line, and announcing and ran through the big fan area again and heard people say push it out and you might go sub-11 (I knew that wouldn't happen) but I did pick it up, and when I made that turn towards the finish line it was SO AWESOME!! Someone had a margarita's at the finish line sign, people were cheering, and I noticed I was running with another lady, a guy passed us in that chute and I let him go, but I picked it up more, not to sprint, but to give myself some space between her and I--I slapped some hands along the right hand side, have NO idea what song was playing, and had my arms up in victory as I heard "Brittany from Killin' (he literally said Killin' vs. Killeen) Texas you are an Ironman!!" WOW!!! Apparently to those watching it looked I came in with a group, but man alive I felt like I had that WHOLE finish line to myself!! It was glorious! I have seen pictures and I had the huge smile and big wide eyes that my Dad and brother Jeremy get when they are acting silly, I was in pure ecstasy as I had seen it said 11:01 or something--seriously, 11:01 on my first IM and the wheels NEVER fell off on the run??!?! I kept waiting--don't get me wrong, my feet hurt, my legs started getting really sore, but I was going to run that whole marathon and I personally hate anything slower than a 9m/m pace (I blame the Army in my cadet days...they made that the "slow" person pace, and that was me at the time) and somehow my mind latched into it all and kept me going. The finish line was awesome!

What would you do differently?:

Maybe not go so fast initially and pace faster at the end, take all my GU's with me. Practice with Gatorade and see if I can do that and not carry a fuel belt. Otherwise, NOTHING. I wanted to run a 4-4:15 marathon and CANNOT BELIEVE I did a sub-4 marathon. This was only my second ever marathon, and only 22 minutes slower than my stand alone time. I was never tempted to walk as I knew that would've knocked me down. I wish maybe I'd talked to a few other athletes, but I did cheer several on, and anytime I saw a service member, we exchanged pleasantries--a "Oorah" or "Hooah" or "Go Army!" It was great. I can't think of anything I could've done. I kept expecting to hit a low, but never did. The time went by faster than I could imagine and I just am amazed at what strong training and mental toughness can do. I had done some mental training with the Army Center for Enhanced Performance, and one of the things was when my legs hurt to think of ice melting the hurt away, and that worked. Also, a couple of the times where it got tough in effort, I reached up and touched my visor--on one side it said "SPC Steffey, KIA 25 Oct 09" as a tribute to my Soldier and on the other side it said "USMA 2002 KIA" to honor my West Point Classmates who were killed in OIF and OEF. That motivated me. I often thought of my Dad who couldn’t be there watching online, other family watching, BT'ers tracking, Blythe, Joe, Liz, and other friends tracking and those who inspired me to get to where I am, and how I knew Blythe and Joe had been debating on whether I had blown my legs out or not and I think I even heard Blythe cheering in Rhode Island as I got near the end. Blythe—you have inspired me more than you know! I kept thinking of the tips Stephen had given me about racing. It ends up, in the tracking realm, that my brother Ben was posting in Facebook all day as if he were me--they were pretty hilarious posts and I think kept it interesting for everyone all day and made for a good laugh for me post-race!! I wanted him to update it with my iPhone, but his method was great. Thanks Ben! The run didn't feel like a marathon...it felt like one of those 20 mile runs on the hilly routes at Ft. Hood on an early Sunday after a long ride on Saturday. I suppose I could've kicked it a little earlier and gone sub 11, but seriously, I don't care! I am an Ironman and SO SHOCKED at the time, there is no crying or second guessing here! My run moved me up in AG and overall rankings a ton! What a blast!!

Post race

Warm down:
A great catcher came up to me and I wasn't falling over or anything, she got me blanket, and water, and my finisher gear (t-shirt and hat) and I got my medal. I went and hugged Mom and Benny over the side wall, then got my unit Guidon so I could take my finisher picture with it. The catcher was so sweet, staying with me, and I didn't realize it...she helped me out, thanks catcher! I then headed over with Mom to get some clothes on and signed up for a massage. Got the massage and just felt good to lay there. I did try some pizza and a banana but I didn't want it. I wasn't hungry AT ALL. After the massage Ben went to get my bike and bags, and Mom and I went to the bleachers to cheer in Dave and Tanya) in, and they both came in looking great. Tanya picked it up on the run and I’m so happy for her! She looked great. I wanted to stay more, but the body said not so much so. So, we decided to head home. I really wanted to be famished, but I wasn't. I was sore, that's for sure, but not dying. However, once the car got moving, I guess the stomach said, yep, that's enough--didn't lose too much, but my stomach finally rebelled. No worries--it waited till post-finish line, and that's fine by me. Got home and took a hot bath and then tried to sleep, but was too sore to sleep much, oh well...every ache was confirmation that I was, in fact, an Ironman!

What limited your ability to perform faster:
Umm, maybe just that I’ve only been doing this stuff for 2 years? I still think I need to hit a better race weight, I did well the last month and came into the race better than I had been previously this year, but the next time I race IM I would like to be at around 120-125 and I think that in itself will make me faster. For the first time putting all three of this distance together and not knowing how it might go, I don't know that I had any physical limitations. I pushed myself hard and didn't feel like I had anything more left at the end. Those last few miles I told myself to leave it all out there, and I did. I exceeded all of my personal expectations and defied my past. I am thrilled.

Event comments:
This race was awesome and I have nothing to complain about AT ALL. Well organized, super volunteers, smooth roads (what a blessing compared to TX chip seal), timely events, and just completely well organized. I am very pleased with the entire WTC organization. No complaints at all. I appreciate every volunteer out there. I have to put out some major thank you's: first and foremost, to God for giving me the drive, determination, and body to get through this. I'm truly amazed at what the body can go through. Second, to Stephen for coaching me throughout the year. I'm excited to see what he does in the future not just as an athlete but a coach. Third, to my parents for their support of my craziness and for coming out--well, Dad couldn't after the switch cause of work. My siblings haven't written me off as crazy and act proud, so I appreciate that, and of course Ben's hilarious face book posts on my status update throughout race day. Next goes out to my friends. To Blythe, Joe, Liz, you roped me into this, and I’m so grateful. We must stop having these kool aid drinking parties. I hope we get to race an IM together someday…thanks for taking me into the T3 crew for some of those early season rides. To my BT friends--you have no idea how much I appreciate you and how much you motivate me. If it wasn't for BT, I doubt I'd have ever gotten switched over and might've missed this entire IM experience. I am grateful to have met so many of you and to call so many of you friends. I'd list you all, but there are simply too many. it...To Tanya, who rode HUNDREDS of miles with me, who complained with me, who kicked me in the butt when I needed I couldn't have become an Ironman without you...thanks for being my friend, and congrats on being an Ironman! To my friends and classmates who have encouraged me on Facebook and seen me become a different person in the realms of athletic capabilities, thanks of supporting me and thanks for your service—whether you’re still in or not, you have given so much. I’m honored to have you as friends, and I know we all miss those classmates who are no longer with us. I hope I honored them in this race. Looking forward to the future, and I'm definitely not one and done!!

Ironman Series: Part 3 of 4; THE BIKE!

2009-11-30T20:58:00.005-06:00

Bike
Time: 05:45:14 112 miles 19.47 mile/hr
Age Group: 12/74
Overall: 805/2516
Performance: Good
First loop avg- 19.74 (37 miles) Second loop avg- 18.86 (37 miles) Third loop avg- 19.81 (38 miles) Comments:
Wow, so this the Ironman bike! As I headed out it was great to be on nice smooth road and I was going 20-21mph and it felt easy, I was little concerned cause I didn't want to go out to fast. Then...remember, there is always a "then" for each discipline...I drink out of my aero-bottle and the water tastes HORRIBLE. I had purchased and put in a new sponge in my Podium Quest, I made sure not to get the detergent one, and I have re-checked it, it was not a detergent one according to the package--but it was according to that bottle. That water was NOT drinkable. Crap. So, at the first aide station I grab a bottle and drink from it and then keep it precariously (since it's not made to fit in a bike cage) in my empty back left bike cage. Unfortunately I now have an aero bottle with water in it that I can't drink, and I can't take the time to dump out. Oh well. Then I hit the Beeline and WIND. What the heck? Stupid lying weather people...there wasn't supposed to be wind in this direction, it was supposed to be the other way. But, they were about 10-15mph winds from the north. So, I decide right there on loop one that I will NOT kill my legs fighting up the incline that is the Beeline--long and gradual with a couple little steeper parts--so I shift into my small chainring and just keep a solid and high cadence. Now, I hardly EVER go into the small chain ring unless it's just a hill I know I have to go into it. But I kept it there and agreed with myself right then and there that if my bike split wasn't my ideal goal of 5:45, well, that's fine, the important thing is to still have legs when I get off the bike. I finally reach with the first turn around, and my quads are feeling the work I had to do to get through the wind. Then I turned around and it was a HEAVEN! The tailwind was fantastic and I was going downhill and I think I averaged 24-28mph nearly all the way to the turn around at Mills Ave and did my first lap at about 1:52--that was my ideal goal, sweet! I hear my Mom and Ben cheering for me and my training partner's (Tanya) friends and family cheering me on as well as some fun "Go Army!" Off I go onto loop 2. I notice, however, that there is more wind on this stretch heading out towards the Beeline. And it is here where K1 and K2 (names held to protect the guilty) the two women drafters come into play. K1 was first--and she came up and camped out right in front of me, grrr...I hate this, if you're going to pass me and go faster, do it, but don't pass me and then slow down. So, I would drop back doing the right thing, then finally get tired of it and pass her again. Then she'd do the camp out thing. Thankfully she stopped at a porta potty and I was hopeful that was the end of that. I was hitting my nutrition right on. I had waited until 10 minutes into the bike to take anything, but that's when I had started my Infinit. My nutrition was a 10/30/50 minutes each hour, with the top of the hour one being a GU, and twice I ate a little bit of a PayDay bar. Anyhow, I'm on the second loop and then whoosh--here comes a drafting pack to include K1 and K2, they come up right on me and past me some, but sort of do the camp out thing, well, I'm NOT GOING TO GET IN THE DRAFT PACK! So, I drop back some, and they take off, then some of them are dropped and I pass them, to include K1 and and K2. This happened on and off the entire 2nd and 3rd loops. I probably had packs come up on me like that 4-5 times. I despise cheaters. yes, there was wind, but SUCK IT UP! I trained in the wind, I'm racing my own race in the wind. Anyhow, I did the right thing. That 2nd loop I went faster up the Beeline than previously, but had to go to small chain ring earlier, and I couldn't bomb as fast down the Beeline to the Mills turn-around because the wind had shifted and was more of a crosswind. I was tempted to check my average speed as my display just shows time, distance, current speed, HR, and cadence. Oh, HRM, so I had mine on, but the dumb thing picked up too many HRMs and I was frozen at 107 the entire bike...so didn't get any data there, oh well. I don't really use HR on the bike as much as I pay attention to RPE, cadence and speed. I was keeping AWESOME cadence on the inclines and would shift if I dropped below 90RPMs. Anyhow, I make it back down to Mills and turn around on my last loop!! Yay! I'm excited to be on this loop cause next time I come down I am DONE. This time heading up the Beeline I was able to get about half-way before any small chain ring was needed. I never needed Special Needs, and I didn't need off my bike. It was at 81 or 82 miles in that Sally finally passed me! I also had a couple of other BT’ers roll up on me at one point too--it was nice to have some friendly folks out there saying hello!! I told Sally I was wondering when she was going to pass me cause she is fast!! I had hoped to keep her in my eyesight, and I did, until one of those packs got between us. For that last loop I did a lot of stretching and actually felt like I took this lap the easiest, yet I did it the fastest! Craziness!! I was thrilled to come rolling into the turn around and get to go into the bike chute instead of turning around. I didn't hear my name announced, but I did hear "representing the US Army as an Officer..." and that was cool. I slowed down in the bike chute, got out of my shoes, and I noticed lots of people lining the bike chute, but they were quiet. Now, having cheered at IMCdA and noticing the same phenomenon at the bike chute, and as a good cheerer, I was yelling and get people going I shouted "come on folks, let's get some noise, this is Ironman!!" The crowd went loud and it was AWESOME!! YEAH!! I may not have slowed down as quickly as volunteers wanted, but it was great, I got dismounted and my legs felt super--which I totally didn't expect. I never did have to stop and pee or pee on the bike, which concerned me a little bit, but I knew I took in enough water. I just think I sweat it all out. The 2nd loop was the most difficult and I kept waiting for the turn-around, but besides that, what a super day of riding!
What would you do differently?:
During the whole bike I had thoughts of my friends and family watching and tracking online, both my BT friends and others on Facebook, and I knew my friends Blythe and Joe were having the conversation of "I hope she didn't blow her legs out, I hope she didn't blow her legs out." Not because they don’t have faith in me, but because it’s a legitimate thought! Blythe and Joe and Liz have been super inspirations and support for me, so it actually motivated me to think about what they were thinking while tracking. I admit, I thought the same thing about blowing out my legs throughout the ride, but also felt like I had done a good job of paying attention to RPE and cadence. I had also made the conscience decision to use my small chain ring for a HUGE part of the ride in comparision to my usual methods of riding. I stayed on nutrition, though I burped up some bile a couple of times, and that was gross---may have been an effect of the water I took in on the swim (not too much, but some) and the nasty soapy water I drank initially. But, I knew I was good on getting in what I needed to on the bike--though I was tired of it by the time I was done. Going into that small chain ring was probably the SMARTEST decision I would make all day long. I have done 10 or 11 one hundred mile plus rides, but have always had some stopping moments in there. I never ever stopped on the bike. I never had to pee, which concerned me some, but then again, it didn't, I was sucking down water plenty, I just think I sweat it out. I never have to pee on the bike in a race, and I guess the same thing happened during Ironman. I was willing to try on the bike, but never had to do so. My "best case" ride scenario was a 5:45--I did 5:45:14...I'll take it!! Would I like to get faster here, could I be better on hills (not that IMAZ is really hilly, but it’s not totally flat), yes, but I'm TOTALLY thrilled with being able to do this during IM ESPECIALLY considering I DID NOT blow my legs out--but that's for the run segment of this Race Report!

Ironman Series: Part 2 of 4--The Swim

2009-11-28T17:32:00.002-06:00

Swim
Time: 01:12:21 3862.4299 meters 01m 52s / 100meters
Age Group: 23/74
Overall: 732/2516
Performance: Good
Suit: Zoot Fuzion with Quintana Roo Speed Sleeves
Course: Semi-Rectangular, one loop
Start type: Deep Water
Water temp: 63F / 17C Comments:
So we were herded to the docks to hop in, and at about 6:45AM I ditched my socks on my feet and hopped on into the water. I easily swam out to the start line and positioned myself about 3/4 of the way over from the wall side and about 3-4 rows back. I floated, treaded some water, soaked it in, cheered off the pro’s, and hooped and hollered when Mike Riley was getting everyone motivated and then the National Anthem was played, and as I looked at that flag, and as Mike Riley mentioned doing it honor of those who serve our country I thought of my Soldiers, my friends, and I actually got a little choked up here. Ahh, can't cry now!! Thankfully, no crying, and the next thing I know there goes the gun and we're off!! It was meelee for the first 200-300m but not as bad as I thought it would be as far as crazy contact. I mean, it was there, but not insane, and then I was swimming normal. Sure, some folks got to close and hit my legs one too many times, but I'm not a docile person, and I wasn't going to play in this water, I was going to swim and no one was going to stop me. I got it if you hit my legs once or twice, but keep doing it and I'm going to react. So, I made it through fine. I did have a hard time seeing the buoys so I just kept swimming what I thought was a straight line towards the far bridge. I think I went fairly straight as I actually ended up inside the buoy line because it went with the curve of the lake. I just stayed right inside that buoy line, and was feeling awesome. I couldn't believe how good I felt. I kept thinking "strong, smooth, quick, and long, strong, smooth, quick, and long" exactly like the imagery script I had put together with Dan at the Army Center for Enhanced Performance. I also told myself, just like I did in the script (it was put to music, sound effects, and walked through the whole IM day), that I had blinders on, that I wasn't going to pay attention to the rest of the swimmers and swim my swim. I caught a few feet and just kept swimming, kept focused on good strokes, and finally good sighting, and of course when I got to the turn around it was all crazy crowded, but this was fun. WOW, I was doing an Ironman swim, I was now HALFWAY DONE with my Ironman swim and I was feeling SUPER! Seriously, at this point, usually much before, the thoughts of "am I done yet, am I done yet" are going through my mind, but this time I'm actually having a blast!! I love the people everywhere, I loved seeing the people on the bridges as we swam over the first time, it was just awesome!! I also had moments of thinking "swim like Blythe, swim like Liz" (they are fish!). So, now I was swimming back and feeling great, stayed right on the buoy line, no problems!! Then...there is always a then in each discipline during an IM, right, then my right calf cramps up right as I get to the first bridge on the way back. Seriously? Ugh...this is not good, usually such things last and bug me the whole day, but I'm going to be an Ironman, so I stop kicking with that leg and simply kick with the left leg, and pull. At the same time I'm praying, "Dear God, please work out the cramp, please work out the cramp." Sure enough, by the time I got under the second bridge it wasn't hurting any more and I just kept swimming, made the turn towards shore and I am THRILLED! I am about done with the Ironman swim and now I will get to bike!! I make it to the ladders, and I go for the far left one as it was free, I swim to the orange stripe and the awesome volunteer helps me out! That's it, I finished the swim! My BEST case guess scenario was a 1:10, my most likely scenario was a 1:15-1:20. When I looked at my watch and saw 1:12 I was SUPER HAPPY!! I never actually have fun in the swim, but this swim was a blast—couldn’t have picked a better day to have a great swim!
What would you do differently?:
More open water swimming in my wetsuit. I know this is the discipline where I need to get better, and it's going to require someone looking at my stroke and helping me get better, but to sustain this pace for the entire IM swim and feel SUPER SUPER at the end (usually I feel a little winded) makes me happy. Do I want to improve here in the future, yes. Do I need to swim more, yes. But as far as this day, and this race, there is nothing I'd do differently. I wore my sleeveless wetsuit as the long sleeve one I had is too hard on my shoulders. In anticipation of the cold, I had bought the Quintanna Roo Speed Sleeves—basically long wetsuit sleeves, but they don’t impede my range of motion in my shoulders…SUPER investment.

IRONMAN--The series!

2009-11-27T18:42:00.005-06:00

WOOHOO! I AM AN IRONMAN! Ironman Arizona on 22 November was an INCREDIBLE experience, and I had an absolute blast and will do more. My race report is, well, fairly lengthy, so I'm going to put it up in a series of 4 over the next few days, starting with pre-race, swim, bike, and run. I do truly appreciate the support for many of you in blog land as I've made this journey this year. I've learned things from your blogs, and am always amazed at the encouragement the triathlon community shares with each other! So, the series begins...this race report is taken from a similiar format that I posted on BeginnerTriathlete.com.

2009-11-22
Tempe, Arizona, United States, Ironman North America
70F / 21C Sunny
Triathlon - Full Ironman
Total Time = 11h 01m 49s
Overall Rank = 447/2516
Age Group = F25-29
Age Group Rank = 9/74

Pre-race routine:
*DISCLAIMER* This is going to be a VERY VERY LONG race report.* So, back in 2007, while in Iraq, my dear friend Blythe tells me that she was going to race an Ironman. She had registered for one that year, but the whole deployment thing pushed that back. She then persisted on telling me that I should become a triathlete. I told her she was CRAZY. I had started endurance running there and planned on a marathon, but I told her that doing an Ironman is just crazy. Well, it didn't take much longer for me to decide that maybe this triathlon thing would be kind of cool. Come April '08 I had done a sprint and a 1/4 tri and was planning on two HIMs that year. Blythe's husband, then fiance', Joe, and another good friend, Liz, raced IMAZ April 08. I was at Blythe's house and we were talking about it, and I mentioned that I wanted to do an Ironman by the time I was 30 or the same year, so why not 2010. Joe, still on his high from finishing his first at IMAZ, told me "you will do one next year." I again told him, he's crazy, not next year. Next thing you know, I am in Florida with my friend Kathy cheering on my friend Sue and Aimee and more, and signing up for IMFL myself. Yep, I just kept chugging the kool aid that Blythe and Joe and Liz were feeding me. I was all signed up for IMFL and trying to determine the coach issue. I had a few options, but honestly, it wasn't in the financial cards for me. Then, Stephen (a BT friend) offered to give it a shot coaching me, and I took him up on it. In DEC, I started some training, and was registered for the Boston Marathon in April '09. A little tumble on my bike resulted in a stress fracture to the head of my right fibula, and no Boston. But, I kept training without running--IMFL was the goal for the year. I did a HIM Aquabike (cause of the stress fracture), and then once I was recovered, I did several Olympics and the Redman HIM all in preparation. I also got to cheer on friends at Ironman Couer d’ Alene, Idaho where Blythe became an Ironman, and Joe and Liz repeated their Ironman accomplishments, along with several awesome Austin T3 Tri Club triathletes. I had a blast cheering and that was just the inspiration I needed to continue training through the crazy Texas summer. I got in a lot of long training rides with my awesome friend Tanya who was training for Ironman Arizona. She and I put in HUNDREDS of miles together. I was getting in a lot of cycling miles and having a blast at long cycling. It was all about IMFL. I was doing my last race of the year pre-IM at the Longhorn 70.3 on 25 Oct 09. Because it was only 2 weeks before IMFL, I was doing it as a relay with my friends Mike and Steve. After I finished up a decent swim I got a horrible phone call. One of my Soldiers, SPC Brandon Steffey, a Military Working Dog handler that I had deployed to Afghanistan in June '09, and his dog Maci, were both Killed In Action by an IED in Afghanistan. I immediately left the race course and headed back to Ft. Hood to work through all of the things I needed to as a Commander. Life was very busy and crazy and sad during those days, and it started becoming clearly evident that going to IMFL was not something I should do. Attending my Soldier's funeral in Michigan, as well as then being asked to speak at his funeral, was my top priority. I could *maybe* have whirlwinded it down to IMFL, but I was in no state of mind or emotional fitness to do that. I expressed as much to two awesome people—Sue and Aimee--and I sent various emails to WTC sponsors, and without going into details, let's just WTC is very military friendly as are some of the sponsors, and I was able to switch over to IMAZ '09. I had alread intended to come out to IMAZ to cheer, so I already had a place to stay, and now I'd get to go to my grandparent's and aunt's houses for Thanksgiving. Well, literally as I was getting off the plane from returning from my Soldier's funeral, on 5 Nov 09, the Ft. Hood shooting was taking place. I couldn't even get onto post initially. I am the commander of a Military Police Law Enforcement Detachment...my troops played a VERY large role as first responders to the scene. I cannot imagine the anxiety and craziness I would've felt if I had been in FL and not at Ft. Hood. My Soldiers did PHENOMENAL, and we got through a very crazy week of extra law enforcement duty, Presidential visit, and then the Ft. Hood Memorial Service for SPC Steffey. I didn't even have a chance to whine about not being at IMFL, and that was fine, cause I was okay with it. I had priorities, and I was able to fulfill them, and due to some awesome people, I was totally comfortable with IMAZ becoming my race. I had to shift out of taper and back into training for a little bit, but it was no big deal. FINALLY, on 16 November my Mom and I headed out from Killeen to New Mexico and Arizona for my Ironman. FINALLY.

I got to Arizona on the afternoon of 19 Nov after visiting family in New Mexico, and we picked my brother up at the airport. We then went straight to registration as I wanted to try to get in on Thursday vs. the lines on Friday. Sure enough, I was one of the last people through, and no line at about 4PM that Thursday. Getting the wristband, my packet, taking pictures with the M-Dot, and more made it seem so much more real. "Holy cow, I'm going to do an Ironman" kept running through my head. We then made it to the house that I, Judy, and Dave (triathlete friends of mine from the BeginnerTriathlete.com Triathlon Forum/Website—from now on called “BT”) were sharing that weekend and settled into the house. My Mom, my brother, Dave, and I hit Pei-Wei for dinner that night and called it day. 20 November- That morning Judy and I headed to the race expo to get in a practice swim. Word was the water was cold, like 63/64 degrees cold. Besides racing, I hadn't done much OWS and definitely not in cold water, so I was a little nervous. Once I got onto the steps heading down into the water I was afraid I was going to freeze when my feet got wet--but it wasn't too bad, so I just hopped in and went! Yay, the water was NOT going to be an issue for me!! Excellent. Had a great little 30 minute swim, did some Expo stuff, and then Judy, Dave, and I drove the bike course to get an idea of what we were going to be up against. When we got to the house the three of us took our bikes for a little spin to make sure it all worked well. I then packed my transition and special needs bags while watching Shrek.

That night, my Mom, Ben (brother), Judy, and I headed to the Athlete's dinner. The food was "eh" but that was expected, but it was nice to get the feel of Ironman and to hear different people talk, even though the Tempe Mayor is a true odd-ball, and best of all, I got to finally meet Sally—another BT friend of mine. We had both been following each others training and encouraging each other year long, so it was fun to meet in person—this may sound crazy to some of you, but BT is a great place and I have so many dear friends that I’ve met at races and continue friendship there from across the country. Anyhow, it was then off to bed. 21 November- I didn't want to do too much, but I did do a 15 minute spin on Juan (my bike), and a 10 minute easy run. Then it was off to the race site for bike and transition bag check in, plus I gave Mom and Ben the lay of the land so they could figure out where to cheer. They also made some fun cheering signs for me at the Janus Inspiration Tent. When I came home I thought of going to the BT get-together with Dave and Carise, but at the same time I just wanted to sit around with my legs up. That is pretty much what I did the rest of the day. I tried to get to sleep early, and while I was in bed early, it took quite a while to get to sleep between being excited, nervous, and my brother lacking some general "be quiet, there are soon-to-be Ironmen in the house sleeping" understanding. I finally got there though, and thankfully I set two alarms, cause I never heard my watch, but my phone alarm went off at 3:35AM. I got up, ate my two PBJ waffle sandwiches, a boiled egg, a cup of coffee, and grabbed my bottle of GU2O and a banana for a bit later. I got all dressed, grabbed my special needs bags, ate my banana and sipped on the GU2O (would end up drinking about 1/2 of the bottle). At 4:50AM we were out the door headed to Ironman! We finally got in the parking garage, and during this time it was no longer "Holy Cow I'm going to do an Ironman", it was "Holy cow, I'm DOING an Ironman TODAY." But at the same time, I wasn't anxious, and overly nervous. I hit one of the park restrooms (which was still clean and flushed) taking care of my final necessary business (very important to triathletes!) and went and got body marked, checked in my special needs bags while praying I wouldn't need to see them, and then headed to the transition area where I aired up my tires, put my water in my aerobottle, and my nutrition bottles on the bike. Saw Sally and said hi--we both did the Janus Charity Challenge (raising money for charity—I raised over $3500 for the Wounded Warrior Project, thank you to EVERYONE who contributed!!), and thus had low bib #'s near each other. It was then wetsuit time, and I did that over near the edge of transition near my Mom and Brother, and instead of checking the dry clothes bag, just gave it and my pump to them. I was doing pretty well till I got ready to tell Mom good-bye and after a quick prayer, she started getting teary and I told her she can't do that or it'll make me teary!! Haha! So, off I went, I felt like I had to pee--but there was no way I was waiting in that line. Besides, Tempe Town Lake is cold, I will need to warm myself up, let's wait till the swim start. I meandered into the area where the athletes were gathering, and waited for Mike Riley to call us forward thru the swim exit and chip starter. They started wanting us to get in at 6:40AM...well, I don't want to be in the water that soon, but it is about a 200yd swim to the start line, so after eating a GU I finally, after waiting around a bit, I went on ahead and jumped in and made my way to the start line. Again, it wasn't as cold as I had braced for it to be. This is IT, let's do an Ironman.

Event warmup:
Swimming from the docks to the start line and then peeing in my wetsuit, yep, that warmed me up. It's an Ironman, I don't think much more warm up is required.

Missing in Action- Let me update

2009-11-17T13:29:00.003-06:00

Dear Friends, I know some of you may have wondered where I wandered off to, especially after my promise to update the blog during taper for IMFL. I could write a huge story about it all, but I'm going to keep it as brief as possible. I had started to taper down for FL. On 25 Oct, I was at the Longhorn 70.3 doing the swim leg of our "Team Army Strong" relay (we ended up taking 3rd out of the 36 co-ed teams) when, after my swim was over, I got the worst call a commander can ever get. One of my military working dog teams that I had deployed to Afghanistan (part of the MP unit I command are military working dogs, and they deploy individually to Iraq and Afghanistan) had been killed in action by an IED--both the Soldier and the dog. I immediately left the race site and raced back to Ft. Hood to start dealing with this shocking and sad event. I won't go too much into the details, but it was quite a blow to the unit and we prepared to support the family as much as possible. As we began preparing the details for his Memorial Service, we were awaiting the time and date of his funeral. It ended up that his funeral was going to be the 4 November, the Wednesday before the Saturday Ironman Florida. The choice was simple, I would be at my Soldier's funeral. After making the choice I was also asked to speak at it. There was only one SPC Brandon Steffey, but plenty of Ironman races. So, I decided I would not attend. It would be a whirlwind to try and make it down there in time, if I could even do that, and I was in no mental state to attempt that. Triathlon may be a huge aspect of my lifestyle, but being a leader, a commander, and officer is my life.

The funeral was incredible, if one can call a funeral incredible. The entire town of Sault Ste. Marie showed up, and I do not think that is an exaggeration. The amount of support that they gave to honor my fallen hero was awe inspiring, truly a send off for the hero that Brandon was. Thousands lined the streets, thousands more paid respects, and the high school gym was literally packed with thousands more who came to honor him. I am honored to have had the chance to be part of his life, and honored to be able to publicly give my tribute to him as his Commander and fellow Soldier.

I traveled back to Ft. Hood on 5 November. I landed at the airport at just around 1:45PM. Of course, you have all watched the news and are quite aware of what happened at that time on Ft. Hood. I am an MP, and the Soldiers I command do law enforcement. You know where they were when cowardly gunman wreaked havoc on our Ft. Hood community. I was locked out of the post as they had locked it down, but thankfully was able to get passage onto post to help coordinate my MPs actions. I didn't have to do too much. My guys were doing EXACTLY what needed to be done. While the event is horrendous and has shocked and angered all of us at Ft. Hood, the response by my MPs, the Dept. of the Army Civilian Police we work with, the local and state law enforcement that arrived to help, and all of the Soldiers that immediately responded to the incident is nothing short of phenomenal. I could not be more proud of the actions my Soldiers did that day. I have no doubt that they saved lives, and I do know for a fact that their actions led the timely security of the scene and the post. I had K9 teams integrating into the various SRT/SWAT teams, I had other MPs rendering first aid, securing the scene, interviewing witnesses, labeling evidence, etc. All of the major leadership from the unit were out of the net when this happened because we had been at the funeral, but our Soldiers didn't miss a beat. They too are heroes. It's humbling to work in the presence of heroes.

Needless to say, my decision to not do Florida was a good one because if I had whirl wind traveled to Panama City Beach instead of back to Fort Hood, and then been there when the incident went down, instead of with my troops, there is no way I could've functioned. My mind and heart would not be in it. On top of the fact that we had Brandon's Ft. Hood Memorial Service planned for 12 November, the President had decided to come to Ft. Hood on the 10th which results in additional increase in law enforcement requirements that my Soldiers fill. No, being in Florida would not have been fun, it would not have been right, and it simply wasn't going to happen this year.

However, through some incredible friends and great people, I was blessed to have the opportunity to race at Ironman Arizona on 22 November. So, I was able to work with my Soldiers throughout the immediate and follow-up response to the shooting as well as the President's visit (I didn't do much, they did all the heavy lifting), as well as ensure the proper planning and execution of what turned out to be a wonderful and professional Memorial Service for Brandon at Ft. Hood. I did have to stop the taper and throw some early morning runs and LONG trainer rides (5.5 hours for one--I needed to be on quick recall) into the mix, but that's okay. I was able to take care of my priorities and do my duty, and still have the opportunity to race Ironman. I was sad to not do Florida, but in the end, relieved that I didn't attempt it, and so thankful to those who helped me get an Ironman Arizona slot.

SO, 22 November is the DAY! I am now on leave and it is IRONMAN WEEK! I will BE an Ironman. Not only have I raised nearly $3000 for the Wounded Warrior Project (you can still donate! Click this link: https://www.kintera.org/faf/donorreg/donorpledge.asp?ievent=296591&supID=249395962) and I will be racing in memory of SPC Brandon Steffey, my West Point Classmates who have been killed in action, and of course with thoughts of the entire Ft. Hood community in my heart. I have the opportunity, the physical fitness, and the drive to do something that so many will never have the chance or opportunity to do again. I will be wearing my Army tri-uniform and racing Army Strong. I'm either bib #101 or 2266 (if I have a choice, #101--I'm oddly listed twice, but IM said we'll figure it out at registration) so track me at Ironman.com on Sunday! Race report will follow!

Getting close!

2009-10-18T21:37:00.003-05:00

Hey look, it's only been 16 days this time since I blogged anything! When I hit solid taper, I intend to blog a little bit more. Three things have kept me busy: my job (command), Ironman training (of course), and grad school applications. The later takes more than I thought it would! Good grief! Oh well, should be done soon and then it'll be the "sit and wait" to find out where I go. There will be more of that to come though, so enough talk on it!
October started off with a bang as I headed off to Washington D.C. for the 25th Annual Army 10-Miler. I was fortunate enough to be on the Ft. Hood Women's team. What a great group of ladies! We headed out on the 2nd, and despite a minor plane delay, got there with no issues. It was not nearly as chilly as we had anticipated, but that was fine by us as any heat would only be an advantage to this Texas team. We picked up our packets and managed to avoid a big crowd. I was fortunate enough to be able to spend some quality time with two good friends of mine over the next couple of days, and that was quite enjoyable. One convinced me to purchase the Vibram Five Finger KSOs pictured to the right. Right now I'm just wearing them because

they are comfortable. After Ironman I intend to do some actual running in them, so more in the future. I'm sure there will be some adventures to follow! Back to D.C., so race day came and the weather was absolutely beautiful. We were a short 1.5 miles from the race start so we jogged over that morning and dropped all of our gear at the Ft. Hood AUSA tent. Myself and 3 of the other ladies headed to the race start and seeded ourselves in our corrals. Guess we could have started closer up, but no problem. It really could not have been better weather. Perfect temps in the 60's, no wind, and totally sunny. The race started and I did my best to hang to with one of the ladies until she took off around mile 3. The first few miles were super fast. I was keeping a good 6:50-7 min/mile pace and that's what I wanted to do. I wanted to give this team 100%. They had been training together, and I missed all of that because I had Ironman training. So, I wanted to prove that it was worth it to have me on the roster. Anyhow, I was keeping fairly solid up through mile 6 and as we headed back past the Capitol and Smithsonian. It was probably the last two miles that got me a little bit. Not major hills or anything, but a couple of bridges/overpasses that, when working hard and going fast, definitely can impact pace. At mile 8 I caught back up to one of my teammates and actually passed her (she was actually on the Master's Mixed Team) and hoped she'd latch onto me. I then opened it up with all I had left on the last 1/2 mile. I finished with a 1:11:54 (7:11 pace) and compared to the 1:17 and 1:27 I ran in Iraq in '06 and '07, I'd call that a PR. Our team time would be taken from the first 4 of the 6 of us on our team crossed the line, and I was #4, so I earned my spot. We went 1:08 something, 1:09 something, 1:11:50, and 1:11:54. It ended up being enough for us to take 2nd overall in the Active Duty Women's category. The Men took 2nd as well, and our Mixed Master's team BLEW the field away and easily took 1st place. In the past, the Ft. Hood men have podiumed twice, but that's it. So, it was nice to be a little part of Ft. Hood running history there. Unfortunately, I didn't get to stay around the rest of the week with the team at the AUSA conference because I needed to get back to the job. The 10-miler was a fun race, and one I'd like to do again. I know I can run it faster if I'm trained for the 1/2 marathon distance or so with some more speedwork. The endurance aspect of me allowed me to put some more miles in the bank later in the day, after the race, but I think I can do a 70 minute ten-miler. We shall see in the future. This race, in Iraq in '06, is what got me hooked into endurance sports, so it was fun to do the real thing with great people.

That 10-miler did, however, whoop my legs! Going that hard for that distance beat my legs up a bit more than my longer runs did. But, I got right back to it and that weekend I had a whooper of a workout. During the week I sort of met the "I'm tired of training, let's just get to race day already" moment. So, when Saturday morning got there and I found it 52 degrees and cloudy, I wasn't motivated for 125 miles. Yes, 125 miles. But, off I went. I rode out to meet up with Tanya, and already, at 21 miles I wasn't having fun. The whole ride was sort of a beat down with hills, wind, and cold (for me--we dropped over 30 degrees in 2 days). Rode with Tanya for awhile and then made it back and finished up the 125 miles, not so much in the best time, but at least it was done. I had a 3 mile run off of it and that actually felt PHENOMENAL! I was so ready to be off the bike. Glad that Ironman isn't any longer than 112!! So, some mental battles that day. The next day I had a 20 mile run, and had it not been for one of the gals from the 10-miler team running with me, I might've had a really bad day. It was cold still, rainy, and I was tired! I had done around 6.5+ hours of exercise the previous day and now had a 20 mile rain in crappy weather!! Thankfully, company made all the difference, and even with sloggy feet I did a good 20 miles at about an 8:45 pace. I thought it would be much worse.

Now, it did take me a bit to recover from that big weekend, and so this week I didn't quite hit everything on the schedule. But, at this point in training it's as important to listen to my body and NOT do something if it doesn't feel right than it is to try to push through. Thankfully, I recovered enough by the weekend that on Saturday Tanya and I rode the Outlaw Trail 100 miler in Round Rock, TX. The weather was pretty nice, a little chilly, but not as bad as the previous week and this time there was sun (which is why I'm a little "pink" today). Unfortunately, most of the 100 mile route was on some of the worst road I've ever ridden. The most horrible chip seal (and I'm fairly used to it at this point) and just road in horrible disrepair. I was also unprepared for hilly how this ride was. Tanya and I are pretty sure that it's the hilliest 100 miler we have done. It wasn't my fastest century, finishing in about 5:30 or so, but it was a good workout. I was again, afraid I might've worked over my legs for today's long run of 18 miles. I knew 3 of the girls from the Hood team were joining me for it, and then when I showed up there were even more people! It was awesome. The weather was gorgeous, and I held a good 8:35min/mile pace on a very hilly route! Thanks ladies!! It was truly a great run, and I'm feeling pretty confident right now about race day.

Taper is nearly here. I still have a little bit of decent volume this week, to include a mid-week 16 mile run. This weekend I'll be doing the swim leg of a relay for the Longhorn 70.3 That will be good practice for sure. Then, I'll be at two weeks till race time and the taper will get here!! YAY! I'm so excited to race at this point. I know I am ready (well, with some rest) and just really interested to see how I put the whole day together!!

NEARLY THERE!!

September in Review

2009-10-02T06:44:00.004-05:00

I'm not going to even throw out the apology this time. Obviously, life is crazy busy, and September was no exception. I actually had a couple of weeks of leave/vacation in September, but they were spent traveling to Oklahoma, racing the Oklahoma Redman 1/2 Iron Tri, traveling back to Texas, studying for the GRE, and taking the GRE. I did catch up on SOME sleep, but that's about the only thing that I caught up on in September.

Training is going well and racing went excellent. In recap:

Austin Olympic Triathlon on 7 September:

Total Time: 2hours 31 min 10 seconds

Not a PR, I did better on this course last year, but this year the swim was a little long and warm (whereas last year it was wetsuit legal). It was enough to nab 1st in my Age Group out of 62 women, so I will take it!

Swim: 29:44 (1:59/100m pace) (was kind of disappointed here)

Transition 1: 2:54 (not bad for how HUGE this transition is!)

Bike: 1:08:42 (21.7 mph) THIS WAS SO MUCH FUN!

Transition 2: 1:40 (again, pretty good considering how far I had to run with my bike and the size of transition)

Run: 48:18 (7:47min/mile pace) I was very happy. I thought I might've killed my legs on the bike, but I think I gambled just enough. Ran faster last year, but biked faster this year.

So, I was fairly pleased with my performance at the Austin Tri, and of course, taking a podium spot is good any day! The weather was pretty nice for this race. My full race report can be found here: AUSTIN TRI RACE REPORT

Just twelve days after Austin, I was in Oklahoma for the Redman Half-Iron Triathlon which also doubled as the USAT Half-Max Championships. It was quite an epic day, as in rain the whole time, nearly, and dismounting the bike to run around a non-passable spot in the road! But, it was a GREAT race for me DESPITE the conditions.

Total Time: 5:05:33

NEW personal record! (PR) by over 4 minutes, and this was in tough conditions. I finally had a SOLID swim. My bike was good given the rain, at about a 20.6 mph avg, but I think it good weather I'd have been at 21mph. I averaged 8:04 for the 1/2 Marathon and that was AWESOME compared to my 8:22's at Longhorn.

Swim: 33:23 (1:44min/1oom) YAY! GOOD SWIM!

Transition 1: 1:35 (2nd fastest in AG)

Bike: 2:43:18 (20.58 mph)

Transition 2: 1:36 (2nd fastest in AG)

Run: 1:45:40 (8:04 mile/min)

I took 5th in my Age Group and everyone that beat me went sub-5 hours. That is a goal for next year, and one I know I can reach with further training, some weight loss, and an actual taper! :) Apparently it also qualifies me for Worlds next year in Germany as a member of the USAT Team USA. Not sure if I'll do that, but it's nice to have the option!! My full race report can be found here: REDMAN HALF-IRON RACE REPORT.

Last weekend (9/26), Tanya and I headed to Waco for the Waco Wild West Century ride. I did the 100 miles and ran 7 off of it, and felt pretty good minus how hot it got towards the run (mid-90's). I did a pretty tough, somewhat hilly, and horrible chip seal century ride in 5:10, and kept an 8:50 pace for the 7 miles. The temps were killing me on the run, so I know I can do better than that. Then, not even 24 hours later, on Sunday, I did a 20 mile run and kept an 8:38 min/mile pace and was TOTALLY THRILLED! VERY big confidence builder as this was all just ONE WEEK after Redman! Yay!

September's totals aren't quite as big as August as there were some recovery days and mini-taper days for the races, but overall:

Bike: 26h 48m 09s - 520.12 Mi
Run: 20h 28m 07s - 145.43 Mi
Swim: 12h 18m 19s - 36831.2 M

After the big racing, and between last weekends big training, I took the GRE again and did "okay" and what I would say is "enough." I will be submitting several Grad School applications here soon as the deadlines are coming! I am excited about moving to a grad school location next summer and starting next fall!!

So, in a very mini-nut shell everything is going great. I am feeling strong and confident about Ironman Florida and only have a couple of BIG workouts left before I go into a maintenance/taper phase. Only about 5 weeks until race day, and I'm not anxious about it! BRING IT ON, IT'S TIME TO RACE! I am excited to get to put all this training to good use, and honestly, am getting a little tired of the training! I won't know what to do when I have my evenings and weekends back! Haha!

I'm heading to the Army 10-Miler in DC this weekend. So, we'll see how that goes! Hope everyone is well. Maybe I'll update more this month, and I should be able to as, in a couple of weeks I'll be in taper and have some more time. The journey to the Ironman Florida start line is going well and is getting close!

It's allowed, right?

2009-09-01T20:59:00.002-05:00

I'm a poor blogger...but it's only cause I'm a busy Commander and Triathlete. Both keep me busy. Let me sum up the last two weeks:
Lots of work.
Lots of swim-bike-run.
Some good long swims, long bikes, and long runs.
Some not so good swims and some tough runs.
Lots of early mornings for both work and workouts.
Hotter 'N Hell was an adventure in total, but lots of fun. I logged it at 101 miles and did it right at 5:05 to include slow downs for other folks stopping at aid stations, the slogged start, etc.
Feeling fairly confident, I think.

Totals for August '09
Bike: 37h 30m 52s - 700.84 Mi (biggest bike month ever)
Run: 20h 49m 08s - 148.07 Mi
Swim: 11h 10m 02s - 31180.56 M

I surpassed my 2008 bike mileage this month and have gone past 4000 miles for the year. My run will surpass '08 totals before Ironman. My swim will pass '08 totals tomorrow.

9 weeks and some change till Ironman Florida. In the meantime, I will eat, sleep, train, work, eat, work, train, eat, and hopefully sleep again. Sleep could be in there more. :)

I will survive!

2009-08-16T21:34:00.004-05:00

What a week, in every aspect! Work seemed to be a hurricane of activity up to Friday. On Friday we had a very nice Memorial Service for two of our Military Working Dogs that passed away this year. Sad yes, but they did both had 2-3 deployments under their belts and had served the Army and their handlers well. We then awarded one of our Military Working Dog handlers an award for his service to the unit before he PCS' (moves), and another Soldier got a coin from the Directorate of Emergency Service's Sergeant Major for her excellent work in putting together the Memorial Ceremony. We then moved directly to a nice retirement ceremony for a high quality NCO who joined the Army before I was born, served, had a break in service and came back when the Gulf War started. He saw the Cold War, the Gulf War, Somalia, special ops in Latin America, a tour in Korea, and a combat tour to Iraq where he earned a Bronze Star and was awarded a Purple Heart when he was injured by an IED. A truly spectacular career of selfless service. Following that ceremony we all went to lunch together. The culminating event of the week, however, was a "professional development film," in other words, I took my senior leaders to go see "GI Joe: The Rise of Cobra." Seriously! We needed a little breather, and it was a lot of fun. I wasn't disappointed by the film. They did a good job of tapping into the comic and the action figures. Yes, I grew up with GI Joe and was a HUGE fan. I caught a lot of the lines that they used to use, and in general it was just fun. It's not meant to be a real military flick, it's meant to be based upon the characters from the cartoon and the action figures. Of course, I wish I had longer legs and could be Scarlett, but at least I have the hair going for me!! I look forward to the next one, because it's OBVIOUS there will be a #2!

So, after a very full, and generally productive work and workout week I came to my biggest weekend of training ever. Saturday called for a 110 mile ride followed by a 5 mile run, and Sunday called for a 16 mile run. I wasn't sure how it would all go and was a little intimidated by it all. But, come early Saturday morning I was out and going and knocked out 110.2 miles in about 6:01 and then did a decent 5 mile run in 42:40--much faster than I thought I would, and yet I felt like I was shuffling. I was thinking Ironman pace for both the bike and the run. I think I'll probably have a faster pace on the bike in FL because it'll be flat. I had a decently hilly, though not killer, route and the wind was BRUTAL from start to finish. The run speed, I dunno, I'd love to keep 9min/miles and do a 4 hour Ironman marathon, but we'll see. I thought that 5 mile run would hurt, but it didn't. The heat was brutal, but I was squeezing cold water on my head and the helped. Much longer though and the heat would've beat me down. After the long brick (bike/run) workout, I took a nice ice bath and relaxed. Unfortunately, I didn't sleep well. I think I may need a new mattress. But, I was up and out the door by 6AM for the 16 mile run that I thought would be horribly slow and hurt. But, it wasn't. Sure, I could feel Saturday's workouts, but it wasn't nearly wasn't as difficult as I had imagined. I was ready to be done when I was done, but I wasn't dying. It wasn't the fastest long run ever, but at an 8:46/mile pace I cannot complain. My heart rate stayed lower than I expected it to do so. Could I do another 10 miles at that pace, maybe not exactly at that pace, but not too much further off. This was a great weekend of confidence building. It's still a good ways off till race day, so I'm excited to see what the next 2.5 months of training make of me. This week I actually surpassed my entire 2008 bike mileage...and there are still 3.5 months left in the year! I was supposed to swim more this week--but I got rained/lightening canceled 1.5 times (once fully, once half-way through), but otherwise, here is what this week looked like in the numbers:

S: 5100.00 Meters;; 1h 53m
B: 169.81 Mi 9h 11m 03s
R: 45.00 Mi; 6h 23m 22s

Aging up...

2009-08-06T22:47:00.003-05:00

I finally caught up to my USAT age today. EndorFun Sports (Lonestar/Longhorn 70.3/Timberman/Mooseman, etc. Race Production Team) emailed me this today:

Tearing up Texas...at least Tri'ing to do so!

2009-08-02T20:40:00.003-05:00

I'm a bad, bad blogger!! But, rather than lament the fact that I've been a bad blogger, I will just jump right into it! What has kept me busy these past three weeks, by the numbers and events, here you go:

Week of 13-19 July
S: 6700.00 M (2h 18m )
B: 165.57 Mi (8h 34m 23s)
R: 25.92 Mi (3h 43m 03s)

19 July was the Katy Flatland's Century. It was a great ride, albeit there were some signing issues that meant I took a little detour. Thankfully, of all places for me to be "misdirected" it was in my hometown stomping grounds. I still finished up the ride well and even added on nearly 2 additional miles. My average pace was about an even 20mphs! I couldn't believe it!! I LOVE THE FLATS! Some people don't like the constant "pedaling" that the flats require, but it doesn't bother me in the least. Good thing I'm signed up for Ironman Florida. Some highlights of the trip to Katy included staying with my awesome friends, the Stewarts. They are some of the most generous and loving people you could ever meet. They have known me since I was knee high, and other than my actual family, they have provided me the most constant support and love throughout the years. Thanks Stewarts!! I also too Tanya over to Phoenicia's--a Mediterranean eatery where you can get schwarmas that taste just like I ate when I was a kid living in the United Arab Emirates! They were DELICIOUS! We then headed over to their market and picked up some tasty, fresh pita bread. Oh how I wish I lived near there!!

Week of 20-26 July

S: 9050.00 M (3h 05m 46s)
B: 70.47 Mi (3h 40m 54s)
R: 21.94 Mi (3h 05m 03s) This was a recovery week. So, what's the funny thing about a recovery week during Ironman training? The answer to that is that the recovery week ends with racing an Olympic distance triathlon! I did the TriWaco Olympic Triathlon 26 July. My full race report can be found on BeginnerTriathlete at this link: RACE REPORT
RESULTS
Total Time = 2h 36m 46s
Overall Rank = 26/204
Age Group = F25-29
Age Group Rank = 1/7
Swim: 32:03 (WAS LONG! Definitely not just 1500m...all the swim times were SUPER slow for a true 1500m course)
T1: 2:16 (included a 200m up hill run to a long transition, this was a great time!)
Bike: 1:10:54 (was actually 25.37 miles vs. 40k)
T2: 1:16 (long transition area, I rocked this)
Run: 50:14 (challenging, good run! had some killer hills, thankfully they were shaded)

Of course, I was happy with the Age Group win, and I was the 3rd woman overall, so happy there as well! I was also thrilled because my brother Jeremy came and brought with him my cute poodle, Davey. I guess cheering wore them out, because when I was taking my gear to the car, a local report snapped this great picture:

Week of 27 July - 2 August
S: 7669.28 M (2h 54m)
B: 137.18 Mi (7h 26m 32s)
R: 38.73 Mi (5h 36m 41s)

Wow, looking at the time and totals, this was a monster week! That would explain why I felt I just couldn't get enough sleep!! Work was busy, but so was training. I got some good pool time in, a good long run on Saturday (15 miles) and a 90 mile bike ride on Sunday! I made a tiny mistake of forgetting sun lotion for a swim on Saturday because I'm used to going to the indoor pool. It's not too horrible, but you can definitely see the outline of my swim suit on back!! This week was tough, but it was also confidence building. Even when I was feeling rough on the long run, my body was doing what it was supposed to do, and better than I thought my body would do! I expected my legs to be DEAD on my Sunday long ride. But nope, they weren't. They lacked some zip, but they were still doing well, and I averaged a good 18+ on those 90 miles. It's taking a lot out of me, but I'm learning a lot about myself through all of this about my personal discipline, about how my body works, about the need for friends to help push you through (thanks Tanya!), about time management, and so much more.

It's less than 100 days now until Ironman Florida. At this rate, I have no doubt I'll be prepared. There will be tough days, there will be good days, and there will be a workout out two that just doesn't happen! Haha! But, in all of this I'm learning valuable lessons that truly do meld over to the other parts of my life. God and I get lots of talking time on long runs and rides, though I'm sure there are times where He gets tired of my pleas to just "make it end" or "take away the heat."

Growing Stronger or the Start of a Coup?

2009-07-13T19:57:00.003-05:00

Ahhh, rest day. That's what today (Monday) was for me, and boy did I need it. I did get a couple of miles of running in, but they were easy and with my Soldiers during unit PT. It's a good thing it was just easy, because my body needed the rest and didn't feel like doing much else. This past weekend was probably my biggest training weekend EVER. I had a decent swim on Friday night, and then was up bright and early on Saturday for my first, all road miles 100 mile bike ride. I met Tanya at Ft. Hood around 6AM and we got started as soon as there was enough light to head out. We did the same 50 mile loop from the Tour d' Hood about 2 months ago. Coincidentally, all of the hills that were there two months ago were STILL THERE. Amazing isn't it. They still kicked my butt as well!! I told Tanya she won the polka dot jersey for the day (in the Tour 'de France that indicates the rider considered the "King of the Mountain") as she easily beat me up each hill. It was a tough 50 miles, but thankfully not incredibly hot. In fact, one of the biggest elements of nature that we had to deal with during those first 50 miles were COWS. Ft. Hood allows ranchers to allow cows to roam, and there were several times we had to stop to let them pass and several times we prayed one of the larger, more bull looking types wouldn't chase us! Thankfully, we were safe and didn't have any negative bovine experiences except for having to slow for them. After those first 50 miles we refilled our water bottles and then headed out towards Belton Lake. We had some wind and more heat by then, but it was somewhat of a tailwind on the way out and my legs actually felt pretty incredible and I was pushing some very good speed (21+mph) on the way out. Of course, that simply meant on the way back that we would hit more wind, and we did, but without the massive hills we were still feeling well. We got back to the car for another refill and Tanya headed out on her run while I headed back out to knock out 21 more miles of riding. I ended up getting 22+ more in and finished with 101.32 miles in 5 hours 43 mins for a 17.7 mph average. It took 3 hours to do the first 50 miles, and only 2:43 to do the last 50 miles! That's what hills will do!! I named my ride the "Hood Hot and Hilly Hundred." That evening I headed to Austin where I had to say goodbye (for now) to one of my dearest friends and recent Ironman, Blythe, as she heads out to a couple of Navy schools and then to the West Coast for her new assignment. Blythe is the reason I got into this crazy sport. Some days I'm not so sure whether I should thank her or rebuke her! (haha, just kidding--all thanks). She is a phenomenal Naval Officer and incredible friend. I will miss having her just an hour away. Thankfully, it's not the first time we've done the friendship from afar piece as the Army and Navy make sure we become trained on how to do that. However, going to Austin that night for the good-bye party meant I didn't get to bed early and therefore did not wake up early on Sunday. The church service on Sunday was going to be all kid focused, so I was a bad person and skipped to sleep in and run. I didn't start running until about 9AM, and that is not the best idea in Texas summers!! To make it worse, yours truly, decided she was tired of the same routes in the neighborhood and so she headed out onto the long run route, the long HILLY run. I'm a bright one, I know. So, off I went--feeling pretty decent, though definitely somewhat fatigued. I knocked out the first 7 miles on the hilly route and then stopped by the house to grab new bottles of water and spray myself down with the water hose. The last 7 miles were definitely more difficult, not in terrain, but simply because it is hot. I attempted to rationalize finishing the run short of the scheduled 14 miles, but thankfully I pushed through it and finished the run with an 8:53 min/mile average. Given the huge ride the day before, the late night bed time, the heat, and the hills, I'm pretty happy with the run. I had a 2200 meter swim later that evening, but it was nothing that beat me up too much--I don't think I had too much left in me to be beat! So, that was my weekend--nearly 8.5 hours of training, all as part of the Ironman journey.

One would think that after a weekend like this that sleep on Sunday night would be easy. I wanted to sleep, I needed to sleep, but I think my body has decided to stage a coup. I tossed and turned all night long, and definitely have some soreness today. When I initially started the run with Soldiers this morning, I was not sure my legs were going to work properly. However, they eventually got there...slowly, but functioning! The strength is growing, and that's important. The mental toughness is growing, and that's really important. Of course, Tanya and I are becoming better friends as we beat through Ironman training together--friends are REALLY necessary in this sport! Thanks Tanya!

Next weekend I'm riding another 100 miles, but this one is the Katy FLATLANDS Century. Is it insane that I'm HUGELY excited to ride 100 miles simply because they will be FLAT miles?!?! :)

This week's totals:
Swim: 8300.00 M 2h 55m 45s
Bike: 166.95 Mi 9h 16m 23s
Run: 33.65 Mi 4h 53m 05s

Week in Review

2009-07-05T21:06:00.001-05:00

I think two words can sum up my life right now: Command and Ironman. I'm fond of both, so that's okay, but they both, rightly so, demand my time. Both had me busy this past week.
Command is a lot of the regular work, but enjoyable. I'm trying to put a lot of time and effort into planning appropriate training for my Soldiers and unit. They were all quite busy this week preparing to work MP duties for the post's Freedom Fest--a big 4th of July fair and event. My Traffic MPs were working TCPs (Traffic Control Posts) and incident tracking, my Bike Patrol were cruising the event with an ever watchful eye, and my Military Working Dog teams were doing sweeps of the area and put on an incredible demonstration. Because they had to work the 4th of July, we had a unit cookout on Thursday. I was very happy to have several family members show up as well!! I have been blessed to have some great Soldiers to work with. My 1SG is top notch, and I recently got a new Executive Officer who is earning his pay check with the number of projects I'm throwing his way! Good times!! It was a 4-day work week as well, and so I enjoyed that as well, especially since next week is a 4-day work week too!
Ironman: Well, I'm in the depths of training, that's for sure! I'm quickly learning that part of the training is adjusting to operating in a physically fatigued state, and by operate I don't just mean make it through the day, I mean make it through the day and get solid workouts in as well. So far, so good. I must admit, I use a lot of mental images to keep me going--I see my friends crossing the finish line at IMFL '08 and IMCdA '09, and I imagine myself out on portions of the course. When I'm having a tough time in the workout, I imagine myself strong in the race because I'm doing the training now that result in strength in the race. When I'm having a hard time getting myself out of bed to get the training done, that's when I imagine myself having a tough time in the actual race and regretting that I didn't do the training. Between the smiling faces of my Ironman friends in my minds eye and the good/bad situations I imagine myself in, I have managed to get everything done. Some swim times and run times haven't been as fast as I'd like, but that's okay. That is part of it. I have to endure fatigue as part of my training because the conquering 140.6 miles in one day is GOING to make me fatigued and I have to know how I can work through that and keep on pushing.
This week's totals are:
Swim: 7900 meters 2h 42m 23s
Bike: 148.24 miles 8h 06m 02s
Run: 28.47 Miles 4h 01m 54s
Strength: 55 minutes
Nearly 15 hours worth of tri training, and 55 minutes of some strength work. Capstones of the week were a 3300m swim workout; 82 mile bike ride, and 12 mile run (not all on the same day!!).

I did get a chance for a little socializing as one of my cycling friends had several of us over to his house for dinner. I then spent another hour or so shooting the breeze with a fellow commander and triathlete. Of course, one of my best friends is Tanya, my Ironman training buddy. I'm quite sure I wouldn't make it through some of the long rides if she wasn't out there training as well. In fact, I'm pretty sure I'll be headed to Ironman Arizona two weeks after my race in order to cheer her to the finish line. All is well, and tomorrow is a day-off from work, an easy swim and a MASSAGE! So, a great start to the week!

Catching up and Year of the Skunk

2009-06-27T17:38:00.004-05:00

Obviously life is busy cause I'm not making it onto the blog very much!! Life can be summed up to two things right now: Command (my job) and Ironman training! That's okay though, I'm have a blast with both. I did, however, get a very nice respite and incredible inspiration last weekend when I made my way to Idaho for the first time! I headed up to cheer on some awesome friends (new and multiple Ironman athletes!) as they tackled Ironman Coeur 'de Alene in Coeur 'de Alene, Idaho. The weather was much cooler than Texas, and it was nice...though race day would probably be the coolest and included some chilly rain. My friends (from both the Austin T3 triathlon team and the BT.com crew) did excellent!! So let me extend a HUGE CONGRATULATIONS to all the Ironman CdA finishers!! Well done! The race had some choppy waves, some big hills, some chilly weather, and misty cold rain! However, at the end of the day they emerged with the title "Ironman." I had a blast hauling around gear and helping out as I could, and then standing the whole day cheering on every athlete out there. It took me 3 or so days post-race to get my voice back to normal! I was hoping that seeing my friends take on 140.6 miles of swim/bike/run would give me some inspiration to keep on with my training and it has worked for this week at least!

Training has been going well. Thus far the month looks like this:
June's totals:
Bike: 22h 36m 36s - 379.69 Mi
Run: 12h 50m 13s - 90.68 Mi
Swim: 11h 02m 51s - 32550 M

The bike mileage for the month will be less than last month because of my trip to Idaho, but my running this month has been the first full month of running since February (due to the stress fracture). It's coming along really well and with no pain, so I'm happy. I had an AWESOME (and cool), scenic 11 mile run in Idaho. Here in Texas, most of my runs are in the dark so I can avoid some heat. My average wake up time is 0440 in order to run or swim before heading in for unit PT (physical training).

I did get my first 100miler in, though, I'm not really counting it. Two weeks ago (13 June) I went to Gatesville for the FireAnt 100k. I knocked out the 62 miles of that ride, and then went back out. I got to 85 miles, but was now by myself (all the other riders gone) and in an unknown area with some not so friendly drivers and some killer heat. So, I quickly packed the bike up, headed home, and finished out the remaining miles on my trainer. The mileage got done, but I look forward to a continuous 100 miles. The week prior to Gatesville, Tanya (<--training for Ironman Arizona in Nov '09) and I participated in the Atlas 4000 Ride. It's a kick off even for several UT students that ride from Austin to Anchorage, Alaska. It was 70 miles and we were flying!! We averaged right at 19mph and we felt phenomenal at the end as we followed it up with a hot, but successful 4 mile run. We were rewarded with Texas BBQ and Blue Bell ice cream! Who can complain about that? Today (27 June), Tanya and I knocked out 70 miles in the Temple/Belton, Texas area. It is definitely getting toasty...but again, both of us felt GREAT following the ride. I never thought 70 miles would feel easy, but it did. That bodes VERY VERY well for future training. Just at 19 weeks left of training before race day, but I'm no longer nervous/scared about the race. I respect the distance, but I now feel like my base is there. I am thrilled to see my running coming back (I had a tempo run this week where I averaged sub 7:30 min/miles for 4 miles!! yay!) and the cycling keeps getting easier and easier. Still not sure where the swim is as far as speed for the open water aspect, but the endurance is growing there as well. I WILL do the training and I WILL BE READY come 7 November!!

YEAR OF THE SKUNK
If you read this blog, you know that on a ride I did in May I had a close encounter with a skunk. I have had one of my military working dog teams get sprayed. We saw a skunk run across the field at unit PT one morning. The number of dead skunks on the road has been huge this year. It's typical to have them, but the numbers seemed to have been more this year. Well, the skunk encounters continue you this week!! On Thursday morning I went out for a 6 mile run--1 mile warm up, 4 mile tempo run, 1 mile cool down. I think I started around 0445, and I stay in my neighborhood. The streets are wide, there are lamp posts, and it's not very hilly at all. At about 3.25 miles into the run, I'm cruising down a street that doesn't have any houses built on it yet. I see some animal down the street crossing it quickly. I think nothing of it because I have often seen some jack rabbits around (some big enough I've mistaken them for dogs!). I continue down the street, turn in the cul-de-sac, and hear a rustle in the grass to the left. I look over and there, not 5 feet from me is a good size SKUNK! I went from running at about a 7:30 min/mile pace to a 6:00 min/mile pace IMMEDIATELY and for about the next 1/4 of a mile! There was no way in the world I wanted to risk a skunk spray! My heart rate monitor showed an immediate spike of about 7 beats per minute! Thankfully, I didn't see it again, and I got out of the general area, and went several streets over. About 10 minutes later, running down another street I hit what I can only call a "belt" of skunk smell...something or someone got sprayed. Thankfully, I was not that individual! It was still pretty thick and nasty though, so I beat feet out of there! Hopefully that is my last running encounter with a skunk.

BUT, it doesn't end! Today, Tanya and I were riding and heading out on a route we've done many times, and sure enough up in the road at one point is a skunk taking it's little time on a street. There was no way I wanted to ride past it for fear it'd wait just till the right second to release it's foul odor. So, we turned back and went another way. When we came back later the stinker (literally) was thankfully gone. Rabbits, squirrels, and chipmunks all run away from people. Not skunks, no they know that you know you're in for a bad day if you get close. I'd rather ride by (not too close mind you) a big, live snake than a skunk. I can avoid the snake...I can't predict that spray! Too many skunks breeding here in Texas!

It's Summer!!

2009-06-07T21:18:00.003-05:00

There is no doubt about it, summer has fully arrived to Central Texas! The heat is here in full force and we hit somewhere between 97-99 today! I really should update this on a weekly basis, and I'll attempt to do that this summer--but no promises! Last weekend I did the Tour d' Temple in Temple, Texas. It was a 62 mile route, and I linked up with the head of the Team Army Cycling club...he's a very strong cyclists and does triathlons, so he had his sweet Felt tri bike that day and said he'd ride with me. About 3-4 miles into the ride he tells me that we're going to pass this group and to hang onto his bike tire....this starts a pace line, and the next thing you know, we're going 23-24 mph for about 17 miles!! I fell back a little after a turn, but was still fully in it and it was awesome! I had never really done that before. One of the guys towards the back saw us and took this picture. You can't see me really, but I'm #2 up there. I finished up the 62 and then I headed back out to get in some more, and I finished the day with 79 miles at nearly a 19.5 mph average! Granted, some wonderful drafting helped with that average, but even when I headed out on my own for those last 17 miles I was pushing 19-20! It was a beautiful day to cycle, and unusually nice right off the bat that morning, though it surely heated up towards the end. On Sunday afternoon I headed to Lake Belton with my friend Tanya who is training for Ironman Arizona 2 weeks after Ironman Florida. This works well as we can do a good amount of our long training together. So, we hit the lake, but it seems everyone else did too, so we'll definitely have to find a less busy time to swim, otherwise we have do 200m loops, and that's not as helpful as just swimming long.

Yesterday (6 June), Tanya and I headed down to Cedar Park, TX, just NW of Austin to participate in the Atlas 4000 ride. It's the kick-off of a group of mainly UT students who ride from "Austin to Anchorage" as they raise money for Cancer Research at MD Anderson Children's Cancer Hospital. The ride started in Cedar Park and went north to Lampassas, TX which is just west of where I live in Central Texas. Thankfully, we had our support friend, Tiffany, who graciously picked us up in the early morning and dropped us at the start point and met us at the end point. The routes took us through mainly Texas County Roads with very little traffic. We had some great downhills that were long and gradual, and then some tough uphills, but most were steep and short. The wind was more in our favor than against us, and while I was feeling a little "whooped" during the first 1/2 of the ride, I got my second wind around mile 40. We ended up at nearly 72 miles and a 19mph average (no drafting help this time around!). 70 miles has become a very comfortable distance for me! The ride ended at a Vineyard and they had BBQ, Massages, Ice Tea, Blue Bell, Beer, a Band, and more! The BBQ was delicous and topping it off with Blue Bell was nice!! Not to mention, Tanya and I both got a massage. I had a big pull set during one my swims earlier this week, and my shoulders/back were a little sore (not pain, just sore)--well, during the massage I found they were more sore than I though and WOW, there were moments where I thought I might cry. I need to get in for a full massage soon!!

So, training is going well. I did go out for 9 mile run today, and I made the mistake of going out at 5:30PM...it was still upper 90's and I might as well have been BBQ today! I'm going to just have to suck it up and not sleep in on Sundays (which equates to approx 7:30AM...can't sleep longer, and have church at 9AM).

The rest of life is going well. My first of two brothers, a senior at West Point, is here at Ft. Hood doing some summer training, so he's staying with me. It'd been enjoyable to spend some good time with him. It's also exciting to see him excited about the "real" Army. I think he's going to be an excellent officer. I've been busy commanding my unit as well, but a good busy. The first few months of command included a steep learning curve and weren't quite as "enjoyable" as I had imagined and been told that it was supposed to be by others. But, once I got more ingrained into it, fixed some things that needed fixing, I found myself truly enjoying the job. I work with some great Soldiers and NCOs, and my junior officers are increasing in number and I relish the opportunities I get to mentor and grow them. I had some incredible officers do that for me when I was a LT, so I'm glad to do it in return.

This next week is a "short" work week. Monday we have unit organizational day, or fun day at Lake Belton. We'll have a unit run for PT in the morning, and then everyone will show up at the lake in the morning for some fun volleyball, basketball, dodgeball, and cookout. Normal operations for Tuesday/Wednesday, and Thursday is always early out at 1500 for Family Time, and then Friday is a training holiday! Works for me! I hope everyone has a great week!

For my deployed friends out there--miss you lots and pray you are safe. Looking forward to you coming home!

CapTex Tri Race Report

2009-05-30T21:17:00.006-05:00

Total Time = 2h 34m 21s

Overall Rank = 257/1342

Age Group = F25-29

Age Group Rank = 10/101

Pre-race routine: On Sunday, my friend Tia and I traveled down to the race expo, picked up our packets, ran into another friend, checked in our bikes (covering them with plastic bags to keep the forecasted rain off), and then linked up with our friends Anne and Tanya. We got checked into our hotel (yay for Priceline name your own price), and then headed to Whole Foods for dinner--great place to get something not too heavy, but with options for all! We headed back that evening, made sure our bags were good and actually turned the lights off in the room around 9PM...but I was in and out of sleep and in and out of the bathroom--I was well hydrated. We woke up at 0500, I ate breakfast, and then we body marked ourselves cause they told us too. I added something a little special for Memorial Day. Then we headed over to get to parking around 0545. Transition was supposed to open at 0600, but was obviously already open. I pumped up my tires, laid out my gear, and started putting on sun block and a guy was trying to hurry us up at 0635?? Really...come on now. Anyhow, got a little rushed out--which cause a minor problem later in the day. Made it down for the National Anthem and the intro of the Wounded Warriors who were racing as part of the Wounded Warrior Project--which is close to me because it's the charity I'm raising money for with Ironman. Then the waves started going off.
Event warmup: None. I wanted to run a little bit, but we got kicked out of transition..so, um, nothing...couldn't get in the water early either.
Swim:
Started off strong, but let me tell you there were some aggressive girls in there, one that would be a pain in my side--literally--several kept trying to swim right into me, push me over, etc, but I had none of it, I mean seriously. I got a little bit of drafting, but once we got to the end of the first leg for the first right turn, there was a gap between me, the front of the pack, and the folks behind me. I was feeling decently strong, but once we turned to head East, even with my shaded goggles, the sun was GLARING--I had to sight much more than usual just because I wasn't quite sure WHAT i was sighting off of, and I had to keep a look at the pack in front of me. I then started catching some of the two waves before us, and that's always a little difficult. I wasn't feeling worn out, but I simply prefer to get done with this part...I tried to remember to kick, but I wasn't doing it as much as I should've, and I think my time shows it. Anyhow, once I made the last turn I was with a group again--I think I caught up to them, and with the group was swimsuit girl that again tried to swim into my side--argh, was driving me nuts. A little bit of a bottleneck at the out ramp and I had wiggle by a few folks.
What would I do differently?

Swim faster--which I think means kick more, I neglected my stroke a little in the middle, and when I regained it is when I caught some of the pack that had broken away from me earlier. I'd love to draft, but seriously, I always seem to be in this middle pocket where I don't have anyone to draft. I think I can do this at a 1:45...would like to do that at Waco in July and Austin in Sept. We'll see.
T1
HOLY COW. WORST T1 EVER. It doesn't help that it was at least 250m from the swim exit, out and around and up to my transition spot while running through dirt that became mud on my feet. I ALWAYS run out of the swim, and I had no problem doing it, got my wetsuit to my waist, took off my cap and goggles and the cap ended up falling off to the right..I suppose I could've let it go, but I stopped to pick it up. 1st time waster moment. Then I get to my rack and have a horrible time getting the dumb wetsuit off. 2nd time waster moment. My feet are COVERED in mud, had to get some of that off before I put my shoes on--dusted a little off on my towel, but not much. 3rd time waster moment. Got my shoes, glasses, helmet on, grabbed my bike, and dang it if the person next to me had pushed their bag into my bike and it got stuck on my pedal. 4th time waster moment. I get that undone and start the at least 250m (maybe longer) run from my rack spot to the mount line--as I'm about half-way there my right quad cramps up--crap, what is this. I've had side stitches and calf cramps but NEVER a quad cramp, I had to slow down. 5th time waster moment. Then I realize since I got rushed out of transition I didn't move my chain ring from little/little, so I wasn't at the starting getar I wanted. 6th time waster moment--but not too bad. Crappy, crappy T1 26/101 ranking
What would you do differently? Work on wetsuit removal, let the cap go, not have a quad cramp. The wetsuit was really bad. This transition, for both bike and run, is one thing I dislike about CapTex and the Austin Tri--they are so HUGE that you are inevitably going to have long transitions (though mine here should've been faster) just so you can get from A-B...i'm much better at transitions than this.
Bike:
Starting off was a little tough as my right quad was tight from the cramp. I took the first pass of the hills up past the Capital a little slower than I would the rest of the race, once I turned around and hit the downhills I was back into a groove and started pushing from there. The course was crowded, but not too bad. When I hit the flats/slight downhills headed out towards Lake Austin BLVD I was pushing 23-26. I was passing several folks. On the 3rd loop, after refilling the aero bottle, I started to put the bottle back and someone came up to pass (I was right) WAY closer than they needed too...and I dropped the bottle. Darn it...oh well, it was empty. I was pushing pretty hard and there weren't too many sprinters that hit the course till my last loop, and that last loop I really put the hammer down with what I had left knowing that I did have to run, so a little in reserve. My turns were "okay" but they were crowded and you simply had to slow to be safe. I don't particularly care for all the turns on this course...but overall, I feel like I did it pretty well.
What would you do differently? I would of liked to have started off a little stronger, but the quad cramp really slowed me down that first loop. I'd like to see a 22 avg. on an Olympic course one of these days. Still a good ride.
T2:
I'm kind of disappointed with this time, except for I remembered that it was, again, at least a 150m from the dismount line to my rack, and then another good 150-200m to the run course start. I got to my rack no problem and bike racked, got the shoes on--all the dirt came off in the bike shoes on, grabbed my hat, bottle, and race belt and took off. There is a HUGE (for my short legs) step that you have to go up to get to the run entrance. Not too bad of a time..can get better. 5/101 ranking
What would you do differently? Not sure, thought I did this well--but the time was long--get a rack closer to the center aisle? I got there pretty early for racking, but it seemed like most of the 98 girls in my AG did the same.
Run:
Okay, I have been running for roughly 2.5 to 3 weeks prior to this after having to take 6+ weeks off of running due to a stress fracture on the head of my right fibula. The furthest I had gone in my training for this, at one time, was 4 miles. I wasn't sure what to expect. I did know I wanted to negative split it...I wanted to keep steady for the first loop and then speed it up on the second loop. I did just that. I miss my sub 8's (except that last mile), but I am very happy that I was able to do this with no pain at all.
What would you do differently? Not get a stress fracture two months beforehand...lose some weight. I plan to do both before my next olympic (TriWaco 7/26) and I want to get back sub 2:30 (PR is 2:28)...I have a new goal to do a 45 min 10k in an Olympic. Can't complain too much here--goes to show how much bike fitness can help keep the run fitness.

What limited your ability to perform faster:

-Need better focus in the swim on my form, must remember to kick stronger.

-Must get better at removal of wetsuit on my own...or just do races with wetsuit strippers (I'm going with get better on my own)

-Quad cramp in T1
-Stress fracture recovery = minimal run time prior to race

Event comments: This is a good race--it is a BIG race. I liked the run course, not fond of the 4 loops on the bike, but not too bad. The swim is a good swim, except for swimming into the sun sucked, but no biggie. The thing I dislike about races on Auditorium Shores are the HUGE transitions and the LONG transition runs. Oh well--otherwise, it was good schwag, "okay" expo, and a beautiful day to race. This brings out a good, solid, competitive crowd, and they handled it all well. I'll be back, and I'll be faster! :)

I am happy to snag top 10 (just barely!) coming off of injury. There are definitely some things to work on, but I'll get there. One of the best things about the race was racing with some great friends!

Memorial Day

2009-05-24T09:57:00.003-05:00

Memorial Day is a time to remember...a time to remember that freedom isn't free and that the cost is very real. It's not necessarily a time to mourn, but rather a time to reflect on the character, bravery, and courage of those who gave all. I don't know that I fully understood the meaning behind Memorial Day until after I graduated into a war-time Army. From some of the Soldiers I have served with, to my classmates, and other graduates I've known or events that were very real to me, this day means more than it did prior to 2002.
Today I remember: SSG Shank, CPL Roberson, SPC Kephart, CPL Hale, SGT McCoy, Todd, Mike, Jim, Kevin, Tim, Drew, Torre, Bryan, Laura, Andy, Leif, and Tim....you will never be forgotten.

Today, as we remember those who gave all, I do want to ask, if you can, to remember those other Service Members who suffered traumatic injuries due to war. The Wounded Warrior Project supports, on a daily basis, those wounded Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, and Marines who are learning to cope with life through their injuries. Whether it's jobs, continued service in the military, dealing with PTSD, etc., the Wounded Warrior Project seeks to empower our countries wounded heroes. I'm seeking to raise as much money as possible for the WWP through the Janus Charity Challenge for Ironman. This is NOT about me!! I am not seeking out a "prize" for myself, but truly want to raise money to help out those that gave more than I have. Every single dollar counts and helps. I won't solicit here often, cause I don't want to nag...but I feel that today is an appropriate day to ask, if you can, to please give.
Just click the following link: WOUNDED WARRIOR PROJECT.
If you want to learn more about what the WWP does, to include the major bike rides they do in many states, go here: http://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/

The 100 miles that wasn't...

2009-05-18T20:29:00.003-05:00

Another week has passed, and another week has started. The awesome thing is this is RACE WEEK (sort of --if you count Memorial Day as part of a "long weekend" and not next week) and one week from today I FINALLY get to do a full triathlon this season. But, I won't jump too far ahead. Last week was a VERY long and busy week at work. I had some great training as well, and I'm sure that lent to some of the fatigue I felt by the end of the week, but that's okay. Running is going well, though I have definitely lost some fitness...it's okay, I will build it back up. The training highlights of the week was definitely a long swim I got in on Thursday, some more running, and a good weekend of training. I was SUPPOSED to do my first 100 mile bike ride on Saturday. Friday night I packed up my gear, got my ride nutrition together, and headed to bed early so I could wake up early and head to Austin. Of course, the waking up early on a Saturday, like 0420 early, only lends to some people's claims that I must be crazy, but that's okay. I pulled myself out of bed, grabbed some breakfast and made my mug of coffee and hit the road to link up with my incredible friend Blythe, her husband Joe, and a band of merry triathletes from the Austin T3 triathlon team for their long weekend bike ride. Most of the T3'ers are doing Ironman Coeur 'd Alene (Idaho) in about a month. I've gone on some of their long rides with them, and Saturday was to be my first 100 mile or "century" ride. We started off right at 0715 and it was beautiful out. We expected storms, but they weren't supposed to start until around 2PM, so we hoped to miss them. We made our way to the first rest stop at 25 miles and we were doing simply excellent and feeling great! It wasn't too windy, it wasn't too hot, it wasn't sunny, it was great! We then made it to the second rest stop, and then, enroute to the 3rd rest stop of the day the skies became very dark--we still held out hope the rain would delay, but then we started to get hit with droplets, that then became hard droplets, that became hail, and suddenly it was as if we went through the a "wall" from somewhat warm temps to 15-20 degrees cooler. The skies opened up on us (there were about 5 of us in our element of the group) and it began to pour. Thankfully, we were no longer on the shelterless country roads, and we had hit some of suburbia "Austin." We came up on a dry cleaner's that had covered overhang and we tucked ourselves and our bikes up underneath. The T3'ers then began the phone chain to get vehicles to pick us up. A Starbucks happened to be just around the corner from the dry cleaners, so 5 wet triathletes popped in and most of us grabbed something to drink. As we sat there sipping on our hot tea and coffee the rain became a monsoon! We stayed there a bit as the phone chain continued to work. It seems the faster group ahead of us by a couple of miles also pulled into some cover...some cover in the form of a brand new bar. It was only about 1130 at this point, and to some true Austinite form that's where they were. A good amount of the crew ended up there, some had a few drinks, and others, like myself, just chit chatted. It really was a nice establishment and not some dicey place. I doubt they have ever had so many stinky, sweaty, and rain soaked people in spandex gracing their establishment! What was incredible is that everyone had been having a wonderful ride, and we all felt great, to the point that many of us said we hardly felt like we had done a workout. I love it that my bike base is solid enough right now that 63 miles was, in essence, "easy." That bodes well for Ironman training. Eventually I made it back to Blythe and Joe's and I got myself cleaned up and headed home. The week caught up to me at that point, and I just crashed a little bit!

The rain meant that I ended up spending 2 hours of my Sunday cleaning my bike, but that was needed. I also got in a 4 mile run and headed out to the lake to get some open water swim work in with two friends, Tia and Tanya. Tia will be doing her first triathlon this next week at CapTex as well. Tanya and I did our best to assist Tia in prepping for the open water swim. We swam next to her, giving a little contact, we swam in front of her, and we showed her what it's like to have someone swim over you like happens in triathlon. She did very well and I'm so excited about the race next weekend.

In other news, but really more important than anything I wrote above, I got a new 1st Sergeant this past week. On Friday we had, what the Army calls, a "Change of Responsibility" where the the senior enlisted Soldier of my unit changes out. It was a very good ceremony. I learned a lot from my first 1st Sergeant, and I'm sure I'll learn a lot from my new one. Change can be very good as Army leaders bring different experiences and leadership philosophies to the table. Life is good and continues to remain exciting and full!

Armadillo Hill Country Classic but NO Armadillos!

2009-05-11T21:23:00.006-05:00

On Saturday morning I rode the Armadillo Hill Country Classic in Liberty Hill, TX. They have several route options, but I did the 80 miler (which was really a 78+ a little miler). The day started off quite well, overcast, not as hot as it was on Friday, and the wind was not gusty!! I rode with my friend Tanya for the first 25 miles or so, and then our routes broke off. At around mile 30 I found myself riding with another lady who was cycling strong. We got to talking and while she lives in Austin now, she is originally from Germany. Having served over there, we talked about Germany and several other things, and finished out the last 48 miles together, stopping at only one rest stop. However, there was a low water crossing area that had some water in it, and it was at the bottom of a hill. We saw a guy go down in it before we got to it, and thankfully he was okay. But, to be sure we didn't suffer the same fate, we stopped and walked across. I nearly slipped on the slick algae that lined the crossing! Not too long after that we had to slow down for horses crossing the road, and THEN we had to wait for a skunk (tail raised and everything!) to cross the road out of spray range as well!! Plenty of road runners darted across the roads, squirrels and possums served as dead obstacles throughout the course, a rattlesnake was in the road--but thankfully no longer in the land of the living when I saw it--and of course some Texas buzzards were taking advantage of the road kill. What did I NOT see while riding the Armadillo Hill Country Classic--that's right, an Armadillo (dead or alive!). Sort of ironic! Anyhow, it was a great ride, and I felt FANTASTIC when I finished. The wind was really not noticeable at all until the last 10 miles. I hydrated well, hit my nutrition well, and on a hilly course I averaged just over 18mph! I was thrilled! Not only that, but I made a new cycling friend, and she even ran the first mile of my 3 mile post-ride brick run!! It was HOT and humid by the time I started running, but I felt pretty solid--NO LEG PAIN at all!! Yes, that's right, I'm back to running. I'm keeping it short and easy, but I'm definitely getting back to it all and thrilled about it. I am excited about racing the CapTex Olympic Triathlon on Memorial Day!

Last weekend's ride at the Tour d' Hood was captured on film by reporters from the Ft. Hood Sentinel, and for some reason (I was wearing my Team Army Cycling jersey) I was the only one identified in this photo--I'm the blurry one in the back in yellow! I do enjoy wearing the Army yellow, and it's nice on rides, like the Armadillo, as I often get a lot of "Go Army!" Thankfully no one has said the evil "Go Navy, Beat Army" yet!!

Life is staying busy, but there are some excellent things happening at work. If I haven't mentioned it before, your American Soldiers are highly talented. Last week my Military Working Dog section went through some intense training and certification and it was incredible to observe Soldiers, many just 24 years old or so, work under intense circumstances, in partnership with their assigned K9. I'm so honored to have the job that I do!

Have an awesome week. I am doing my first Century (100 mile ride) this next weekend!! Should be fun!

Back at it

2009-05-04T19:56:00.002-05:00

Vacation time ended nearly two weeks ago, and I have been hitting the road hard since then--okay, not running, but figuratively. I truly enjoyed my time and rest in NY. It was great to see my parents in their new place, and to see my brother in college. I lost some fitness in April (not just running), but I did jump right back into it all, both my day job and working out. Thus far, in 2009 I have done the following (doesn't include strength work, aqua jogging, etc.)
2009 totals
Bike: 112h 27m 42s - 2082.3 Mi
Run: 60h 03m 31s - 427.59 Mi
Swim: 38h 51m 37s - 110831.2 M

Of course, I have really run in the past 6 weeks. Though, this past weekend I gave 2 miles a shot and it went well. I have been released to start giving it a try, I just have to pay attention to any pain and NOT run through it. So, I will be back at it. I have been on some good group/charity rides lately and am enjoying the bike. Not so sure about the swim--I can do it, but it's simply not my favorite. The verdict is out on my new wetsuit though--I'm not sure if I like the full sleeves. Oh well. The goal right now is to keep building good swim and cycle base, and get the run back. Hopefully, I'll be good to go at the CapTex Olympic.

Work has been busy, not bad busy, but busy. I had to do a military parade/pass-in-review for the first time since I graduated from college. It went well though, and the military working dogs that went with us did a good job, though they weren't too fond of the cannon salutes that happened! I also have deployed out several of my dog teams. They are really stellar Soldiers and I enjoy working with them a lot. Sure, there are some frustrating moments, but it is always a small percentage of the whole that cause those. We've had lots of promotions and awards, and some re-enlistments as well lately. I always enjoy seeing Soldiers rewarded for their hard work--and some of the ones lately had to get past some hurdles, but did it well.

So, with work being as busy as it has been, training time, and simply the fact that I need time to do normal chores and play with my dogs, I have started outsourcing! Along with the house cleaners that come through every other week, I'm having the yard done the same way. I looked at my finances, and it was affordable. It has been worth it thus far!

Nothing truly exciting is happening, but I'll try (emphasis on try) to update here more. Priorities...

Stand down...

2009-04-17T19:30:00.002-05:00

Okay, so the run yesterday was a victory, but I was told to stand down on it today. I got a phone call with the results of my bone scan, and I do in fact have/had a stress fracture on the upper part of my right fibula. What caused it, we're not sure, but the bike fall was probably the catalyst. Anyhow, my provider said coming back usually takes 6 weeks, and I'm at about 4 weeks since the incident occurred, so hopefully in a couple of weeks I'll be back going, but must not run till I'm given the green light. He said that pain level is a huge indication of healing, so the fact that yesterday's short little jaunt had no pain is a GOOD indication of healing. So, when I get home from my trip to NY it's back to swimming, biking, and aqua jogging. Must make sure I heal up properly so I can do Ironman training and racing with NO problem! Back to healing...

I RAN!

2009-04-16T20:01:00.002-05:00

So, here just 4 days from the Boston Marathon for which I'm registered but not running (deferred to 2010--if they accept my sent in reason of injury), I am thrilled to have run slightly over 1 mile at about a 9:10 pace!! 26.2 wouldn't be possible, but just some slight soreness after doing 10 minutes on the treadmill. I was really nervous to try running, cause the last time I gave that a shot (2.5 weeks ago) it was horrible pain at about, oh 1.5 minutes. So this is GREAT news. I had my bone scan the other day, and while no official results till next week (I'm on vacation so not there), what I saw and talked to the tech about definitely showed a spot near the head of the fibula as having had some sort of stress/trauma from which it is now healing--stress fracture, bone bruise, something like that. There is very little tenderness there now, and whatever it was probably occurred from the bike fall as the fibula is non-weight bearing and it's odd to get an injury as high as I did (down near the ankle is more common). Calf-strain is the other side of the injury, but thanks to a Physical Therapist and fellow athlete at Ft. Hood taking care of me, and a wonderful sports massage therapists who gave me all sorts of specific stretches and strengthening exercises for the peronials (outside of my calves) and the two calf muscles (gastroc. and soleus) I think I'm on the mend and I'm thrilled!! Of course, I'll keep taking it slow coming back cause I want to heal, not re-injure. Since I've started running long, I never thought 10 minutes of running would bring so much joy!
Time to stretch now! Thanks for your prayers!

Happy Easter, Aquabike, Healing Up!

2009-04-12T20:50:00.006-05:00

HAPPY EASTER! He is risen indeed!

Let me thank all of you that left such great notes on my last post about my blog entry. I haven't posted much because I've been crazy busy and trying to figure out this injury. It's now been 3 weeks since I ran, BUT I don't think it'll be too much longer until I can start it up again. There was some worry that I may have had a stress fracture and calf-strain. I am scheduled for a bone scan this next Tuesday (scheduled 3 weeks ago--that's Army medicine for you!) to rule it out, but it's just to be safe. I've been going in to the Physical Therapist (who is a triathlete and marathoner himself) and they've done some electrical stimulus to help with the pain (which is mostly gone now) and the other day he got me into see the volunteer massage therapists (one-day a week) and she did WONDERFUL things without much pressure and pretty much was able to determine that I need to strengthen the outside of my right calf and stretch the inside more. Without my saying so, she determined that I under-pronate/supinate (roll outward on my foot vs. inward)--which is exactly where my wear pattern on my shoes are. I am seeing her again tomorrow afternoon at her local massage clinic. It is GREAT to have found a local, trained sports massage therapists. There are places to get massages, but actual sports massages for helping heal up, not so much here in the land of Killeen. I'm betting I'm back to running in a week or so! Yay!

The Lonestar Aquabike went well. My swim was not stellar or as fast as I can do, that's for sure. But, I was using my new long-sleeve wetsuit (got a killer deal on it, and knew I'd want it for Ironman Florida), and I haven't had too many swims in it, so my shoulders got a little tired in the middle. Plus, my head wasn't into the game for the swim yet...I think I let my injury suck a little of my usual race enthusiasm away. However, one of the best parts of the Aquabike was that I got a BLUE swim cap vs. the ugly fluorescent pink one I was going to have to have for the normal Half-Ironman. Swim time: 39min 23secs Still good enough for 6/23 women in the Aquabike.

After I got out of the water I did what I thought was slow jog up the transition chute, got my wetsuit stripped by the wonderful wetsuit strippers, grabbed a bit of Gatorade to get the saltiness out of my mouth, then to my bike rack: shoes on, helmet on, sunglasses on, and I was off. Transition 1 time: 2:22 Actually the fastest time in the women's aquabike and would've been top 5 in my normal age group, and I thought I was going slowly!!

When I got out on the bike I hit some headwind, and my quads and hips were sore, it was really odd. I was having a hard time getting into the groove for the first 15-20 miles. The winds weren't horrid, and I'm used to them now plus it was flat. I was having a hard time getting above 20mph, and I wanted to for this bike. I hit the 20 mile mark at the hour mark and something sparked then, part of it had to do with the 79 year old guy that passed me (didn't last), but then I was FINALLY in the groove and went 21-24mph from them on out and it was fun. I think I probably should've been able to do around 22mph avg. since I didn't have to run, but those first few miles didn't let me. However, I'm still very happy with my 21.3mph avg with a final bike time of 2:38!
It was good for 2nd/23 in the women's aquabike giving me a total time of 3:19:49 and putting me 2nd place overall (of 23) for the women's aquabike and 10th overall for all aquabikers (men and women, 41).

I then cheered on a lot of my friends that were running. It was odd not to run, but definitely smart. I walked away with a nice award, my friend Anne won a drawing for free Mavic race wheels, and it was overall a great race. I definitely recommend the Lone Star Triathlon Festival to anyone! It's a top notch race. They have a Sprint, 1/4 Iron, and 1/2 Iron. They do the sprint on Saturday and the other two on Sunday. They have some deals of doing the sprint and then one of the other races. I think I may do the Sprint and the 1/4 Iron next year (easier to train for that while training for Boston 2010 vs. training for a 1/2 and Boston---I've learned that!!).

Lastly, thanks again to all of you who have already donated to the Wounded Warrior Project through my page for the Janus Charity Challenge. If you haven't yet, don't worry, there is plenty of time, so whenever and whatever you can support will make a difference!! Thanks everyone!
CLICK HERE TO DONATE

Down but NOT out

2009-03-29T22:38:00.002-05:00

Well, it appears I am going to have to make a wise decision. I am struggling with a lower leg injury--it was most likely brought on by tight calves and some damage by the crash (that I thought was minimal). My right lower leg, especially the calf, and bottom right area near the ankle, is strained/sprained, something like that. Anyhow, I cannot run, I mean even slow run. I tried running today and only made it a 1/4 of a mile (after a week of NO running) before pain was back and I limped home. From everything I've read, and some medical friends (sports doc and nurse practitioner) it sounds like it's something that will take a good 4-6 weeks of stopping the offending activity (running). Biking and swimming, being non-impact, doesn't seem to bother it...so that is good, and I will take up some aqua jogging to try to keep the loss of run fitness at a minimum.

HOWEVER, it also means I have to change some race plans. I am scheduled for the Lonestar Half-Iron this next weekend (5 April). Thankfully, they have an AquaBike option (1.2 mile swim/56 mile bike)--same as the Half-Iron, just no run. I can do that! I can probably do it REALLY well. I have never "hammered" 56 miles, but you bet I will next Sunday! I won't have to hold back for the run!!

AND...while I hate to do it, I'm going to defer my Boston Marathon entry to 2010. I got my card packet in the mail this week and was excited, but thankfully I can defer and I know it's the right thing to do. If I can't hardly do a 1/4 of a mile right now, it's not wise to try 26.2 miles in 3 weeks. The big goal for the year is Ironman Florida--that is still FAR enough away for me to heal up and be fully trained up, especially if I focus on swimming and cycling fitness and work the aqua jog into it. Boston will still be there next year. One of my best friends will be just an hour away in Rhode Island and has already said I can stay with her.

While I am not happy to not do the full Half-Iron or Marathon, cause without the injury, I would've done well---I am also not going to let this minor disappointment in life rule me. God has given me so much, and so many others--like those supported by the Wounded Warrior Project--have to deal with such worse circumstances, that I think I can have some patience for these next few weeks. Hopefully, I will heal up and start my true "triathlon" season at the CapTex Tri over Memorial Day. Until then, it's a swim/cycle focus, and I'm going to learn to aqua jog. Adapt and overcome--the Army has taught me that, and I learned in High School, when I truly had a bad injury (ruptured ACL) that God can teach me wonderful things in times where my body has to heal. He is in charge, after all!

My body says I'm getting older...

2009-03-26T20:37:00.004-05:00

Wow, life moves by so fast the older you get. Not that I'm ancient, but between time flying by, short term memory loss (or simply too many things on the brain), and realizing that my body requires proper stretching and recovery maintenance I am feeling a little bit older these days!

These past couple of weeks have been jam packed, but before I get to that, I must put out my first THANK YOUs to those who have already donated to the Wounded Warrior Project through Ironman's Janus Charity Challenge. My goal is $2500, and thanks to some of you wonderfully generous people, I am already at $780!!! THANK YOU! Still lots of time to fund raise, so you have plenty of time if you are interested in donating (I have until 2PM the day before/of--I have to check--race day!).

So, what training craziness have I seen. Well, I had an 18 mile run on the 15th that was one of the most epic that I have had! It was a cold day for here--tights and jacket and beanie--but I was feeling well and headed out into the cold and wind. I had decided to try Infinit (a liquid nutrition mix to get me the calories I need--I use it on the
bike) on the run. Let's just say my body didn't really care for it, and by about 6-7 miles into the run, I knew I couldn't ingest any more of it--and that was after only a few small swigs. I did have a back up in the form of GUs (energy gels). I took one at the 8 mile mark, but it didn't mix so well with the Infinit, and that was the last nutrition I could take on that run. I had hardly had anything, maybe 250 calories, and I had 10 more miles to go...I didn't do what, in the triathlon/cycling/running world, they call "bonk," but I came close!! I was already 9 miles out so I had to finish up the distance. The last two miles were SLOW, and I'm convinced if I had to go much further I might've started having tunnel vision or something bad! Lesson learned--play with nutrition on SHORTER runs!

After that debacle, I had a decent training week, but had to cut a run out cause my left hip flexor was a little bit sore, and I didn't want to cause an injury. I seemed to work it out with some stretching and some self-massage. We had a four day weekend this past weekend because the Commanding General said so (and I'm not going to argue!). On Thursday night a college classmate and her family were passing through town, so they stayed at my place. I am blessed with a nice home and enjoy hosting people, and it was great to see her. I started Friday with a nice run, and then had breakfast with my friends that were at the house.
Then, I headed to a local lake for my first "open water swim" (OWS) of the year in my new, full sleeve, triathlon wetsuit (Zoot Zenith that I got for an AMAZING deal). It was a sunny day, and the water was chilly, but not too bad. I did about 1700m and my left calf cramped up on me.
Grrrr. I hate that so much, and in fact, my right had done that to me earlier in the week as well. When that happens, my calves seem to stay tight and feel bruised for several days. The swim, overall was good, but I did have the cramp and getting used to the new suit and poor application of Body Glide to the neck left me with a little chaffed neck spot. I then went and joined a couple of friends down the road for a 28 mile bike ride. It was, again, a beautiful day--some wind yes, but not as bad as usual. We were 14 miles into the ride when, as I was going up a hill (not too steep) my front tire caught some loose gravel and CRASH I went down on my right side. I wasn't moving fast, so it wasn't too bad--but I did scrap up my forearm and had some minor road rash on my right hip. The bike was fine (which is important), and I continued on the ride without much issues. I actually think the scrap looked worse a couple of days after the crash!

So, now I've got swim bite on my neck, and road rash on my arm and leg. On Saturday I made my way to Liberty Hill to ride an organized bike ride with some of my friends--it was long ride day. We did 88 miles in the hill country and it was TOUGH but GOOD!! The second loop (two 44 mile loops) the wind kicked up a lot, but we still did well in knocking it all out. I was tired, but feeling well. Sunday came along, I went to church, headed home and got ready for my 20 mile run. I was sore, but not too bad...the worst was that both of my calves were still pretty tight. (This is where the "I'm getting older I must stretch more" lesson comes into play). It was REALLY windy and the first 5 miles were a doozy, but I was feeling alright, just slower due to soreness and winds that were literally pushing me off the road. But, around 7.75 miles that tight right calf started getting tighter, and more sore, and miles 8-10 were little a walk/shuffle home. My calf hurt. I wanted to cry. I iced, and iced, and I was so worried, the push off motion is what was hurting the most. On my own research, I thought it was a calf strain. An ART chiropractor in Austin and the Physical Therapist here at Ft. Hood agreed--but neither felt it was a very serious case. I've laid off running since then, have been doing self massage, got a massage with the entire focus on the lower body, and have been icing a lot. I can bike and swim, so I'm doing those, and will see about maybe testing the run this weekend. So yes, this past week I got beat up from head to toe by swim/bike/run: Swim=neck chaffe; bike = road rash; run = calf strain! Haha!

Yes, the lesson learned is, I need to stretch more and take care of those tight muscles or they may not be to the level I want them. I should be good for the Lonestar Half-Iron, and then it'll be Boston. I would like to race Lonestar, but simply "run" Boston, soak it in, and have fun.

In other news, I finally decided that, while I could pick up clutter around the house, I just couldn't keep it clean, do my job, go to church, play with my dogs, train, have a semi-social life, and sleep in there. So, I hired a cleaning service. This Tuesday I came home to a very clean house. It is still clean, and every couple of weeks it will be clean...and I won't have to do it. I finally realized that I make enough to afford it, and with my schedule, it's worth it. So, it's a luxury I am allowing myself at this time.

To end the post in an absolutely wonderful way, take a look at my nephew--is he not the cutest baby!?!? I'm a proud Aunt! ;)

Wounded Warrior Project

2009-03-15T22:09:00.003-05:00

Most of you know I am training for Ironman Florida on 7 November 2009. I am doing it for a purpose beyond just the elation I hope to feel when I cross the finish line. So, take a minute and read the following, it is something I put out to my family and friends on email.

I have embarked on the journey to become an Ironman. I will race on 7 November 2009 at Panama City Beach, Florida. The race is a 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike, and 26.2 mile run. Athletes have 17 hours to complete the course. Approximately 2000 triathletes will toe the start line on that day. However, for a race this big, and this demanding, training starts early. I’m not in specific Ironman training yet, but I am building a base. Part of that base is training for and running the Boston Marathon on 20 April! I am very excited about that as well, but I also look at it as another opportunity to get myself in shape for Ironman! It is definitely more than a race, it is a journey.

However, in pursuit of this journey, I decided that I wanted to do it for more than myself. I picked up the endurance sports bug while I was in Iraq. During that time, I ran and worked out to keep myself sane. Unfortunately, too many of our service men and women in harms went through more than some of us, and were wounded in the process. Their recovery and adaptation to the new challenges they face in life is not an easy task. That’s why the Wounded Warrior Project exists. The Wounded Warrior Project’s mission is to honor and empower wounded warriors with the following purposes:
· To raise awareness and enlist the public’s aid for the needs of severely injured service men and women.
· To help severely injured service members aid and assist each other.
· To provide unique, direct programs and services to meet the needs of severely injured service members.
Ironman has partnered with the Janus Corporation to sponsor the Janus Charity Challenge, an opportunity for athletes to raise money for their designated charity. I have signed up to raise money for the Wounded Warrior Project. My goal is to raise at least $2500. If you are interested in helping me out, please visit my donation webpage at http://januscharitychallenge.kintera.org/fl09/brittanymeeks?faf=1&e=2281148109. If you are not comfortable with online donations, I can accept checks made out to the Wounded Warrior Project and I have a contact with them to whom I will submit the offline donations to them. The Wounded Warrior Projected is a non-profit agency and you will get a tax deduction for the donation. If you’d like to know more about the Wounded Warrior Project, please visit their website at http://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/.

Please contact me with any questions. I will be updating this page with and adding a link to the donation page soon as well!! Thanks in advance for your support!

Update to come

2009-03-14T11:33:00.001-05:00

I know I'm behind on posting. I do have things to post. I will post this weekend. I promise!

My Nemesis or Can we say tired?

2009-03-01T19:34:00.007-06:00

My nemesis is:
W.I.N.D
I expect wind in Central Texas. It happens. It happened last year. This year it is happening on a COLOSSAL scale and, unfortunately, almost EVERY weekend. It's become so consistent and bad enough that it is starting to take a toll on my mental state. It's not just 10mph winds, that is typical and I can do that. We're talking regular wind advisories of 25-30mph sustained and gusts at 30+mph. Training is tough enough, and you need to train in some tough conditions because race day may have them....but doing it everytime becomes wearing, takes more time, causes you to work harder, and even causes things like windburn. It's just nuts, and I'm tired of it. But, it is what it is I guess. Yesterday's long run was in easily in 30-35mph winds. Today we rode the first 40 miles of an 80mph ride in 20mph winds (and cold, it was 35 when we started at 7:15 AM!). HOWEVER, the tail wind from that was nice. I did this ride with some of the triathletes from the Austin T3 Tri-Team. NO WAY I could've done it on my own. A big thanks to Celine, Blythe, and Jim for braving it out there with me in that craziness. Guess we can throw the sayings of "What doesn't kill us makes us stronger" and "builds character!" My face is wind burned, and I am tired. I will keep tackling this nemesis...but I don't like it.

Wow, what a week!! My goodness, between a lot of work events and training, I am TIRED but boy did I get a lot done. I won't go into the work stuff that much, as it kind of just gets to stay there. However, this week was, I think, the biggest week of training I have ever had. I'm in a weird spot where I'm training for both the Lonestar Half-Iron on 5 April and the Boston Marathon on 20 April. Maybe not the wisest of choices, but I wanted an early season triathlon to test my base, and I qualified for Boston my first time out on a marathon course, I had to give it a shot. So, that's the path I chose, and this week was a test of that training. Yes, I'm nuts. Yes, my life is pretty much: sleep, work, train, eat and then repeat. Don't look at me to repeat this year! :)

Monday: 6 mi run (51m 13sec)
Tuesday: 3.23 mile fartlek run (25m 30 sec) 1 hr bike (*indoor trainer) (18.3 miles)
Wednesday: 2600 meter swim (57m); 3.13 mile run (*unit; 28m 18sec); 1hr bike (*indoor trainer) (18.53 miles)
Thursday: 7 mile run (56m 29sec); 2hr bike (37.30; outside); 4.06 mile ruck march (1h 6m)
Friday: 2600m swim (55m) 8 mi run (1h 10m 5 sec)
Saturday: 16 mile run (2h 18m 53 sec); 2300 swim (46 min) WIND!!
Sunday: 80 mile bike (5 hours) WIND!!

Yeah, I'm a little tired. Monday's recovery day and I'm thrilled. If only I could sleep in....

Balancing Act

2009-02-23T20:36:00.001-06:00

So another week has passed and I have failed to post anything at all in my blog. I truly must rectify this or I shall never have loyal readers!
Not that I would expect anyone to be a loyal reader of my musings. I think I post more myself than anyone else, and mostly as a way to keep my family informed of the more crazy things I do in life. Though, I am grateful for those of you that do stop in here to peek in on the red-head.

This past week was an interesting one...in a sense I don't have a physical "home" anymore. Well, a place I call "home." After nearly 20 years my parents sold their house in Katy, TX (W. Houston) and then hopped on a plane to Buffalo, NY. I told you that this blog had crazy things in it! Who moves from warm TX to freezing Buffalo?? Well, when it's a good job to be had, my parents do! My Mom made a great observation when she said that if they could adapt to 120 degrees and the Arab culture of the UAE (where we lived from '82-'89) they could adapt to cold temperatures/snow and Yankees! They arrived in Buffalo on Saturday. So, now the question is, where do I call home? You're probably wondering why I don't call where I am now home? I guess being military it's a little odd because we move around so much In fact, the end of March will mark the longest I've been in any one location at one time since I graduated and was commissioned in 2002, and that recording breaking time is 16 months. The previous winner for that record was Baghdad, Iraq for 15 months! That being said, in the past 11 years I have lived in NY, MO, Germany, Iraq, and TX. I claim the state of Texas, and always will, but where I live in TX now may have my house, but I don't claim the city! That "home" in Katy was always home. At the same time, the home in Katy was also just a house. I was there with my folks last week when the movers were packing them out, and the only time it felt a little weird was when I was driving off, and I think that was more that they would be so much further away (for now--if they stay in NY till 2012, then I'll be close to them again). So, I have no sentimental place for which to call my home. Yet, the old saying of "home is where the heart is" does ring true...so my TX house with my dogs, my parents in Buffalo, my sister and nephew in California, my brother at West Point, and my other brother at Univ. of Arkansas, those place hold my heart...so I guess I'm from all over, but with the Lone Star State as my hub!

I did have a couple of rest/easy days this past week following the 1/2 Marathon and then it was jumping right back into training. The Lonestar Half-Ironman is only 41 days away and Boston is only 56 days away!! Part of me wonders how ready I will be for both of those events, and another side of me wonders why I'm not freaking out about either one (yet!)!! I think it's because, ultimately, Ironman Florida is the prize. While I would definitely like to "shine" at every race I do, I also must understand that if I am going to race in an Ironman year that I must keep that as the focus and use everything as preparation for that. I should be pretty solid at Lonestar for the bike and the run, but I will admit that the time I've spent in the pool lately hasn't been enough or that stellar. A wetsuit and the salt water swim will help because my kick is so terrible and my pull so good, that the buoyancy both the suit and salt provide will assist my form and speed.

This past weekend my workouts were fairly solid. I had a 70 mile ride planned for Saturday...well, actually the schedule called for 40, but I had some friends from the Austin T3 crew that were riding 70 and I wanted to ride with them. I got there and we had an awesome first 30 miles (despite my attempt to play NASA at two points when I launched a water bottle off the back of my bike)...then it rained on us and we got wet and cold...and then one of the T3 coaches had a bike crash and hurt his shoulder (I haven't heard how he is, but I hope he is okay)...and then God flipped the wind switch and I think miles 33-40 were some of the most miserable miles of my life. I have never worked so hard on the bike and gone SO SLOW. Previously we were averaging 19-20mph on the bike easy. Blythe was kicking my butt and I was having to put out some good effort to stay with her, and it was great! She was truly making me a better cyclists. But, when that wind turned on (30-40mph winds), it took everything I had just to a.) stay anchored to the ground and b.) to go around 10/11 mph! We finished the first 43 miles and they entire crew decided that the next 28 mile planned loop wasn't worth it. These T3'ers are pretty hard core athletes and are training for Ironman CdA in June, so when they opted not to go out, I knew my decision to not do the second loop with them was not wimping out!! We did make it into a "brick" (bike/run) and I just ran with Blythe at a nice easy pace. My feet were cold and felt like bricks for the first couple of miles. We ended up running for about 40 minutes or so. Overall, a good workout, but it's amazing how something like insane winds at the end of the ride can make the whole ride feel like it was so hard! But, the best part was training with PEOPLE. REAL PEOPLE. It was just nice to train with others. I'll admit it, I'm insanely jealous of the social aspect of triathlon that my friends in Austin get and that I don't get here in Killeen. The silver lining is, if I get my wish and end up at UT for grad school, I know a tri team I plan on joining! Sunday I had a 10 mile run and 1 hour swim on tap. I went to church in the morning, and instead of opting to go to eat with the Sunday School class (which I seldom do anyways as I just don't eat out much) I headed home to go run.
The weather was GORGEOUS. I mean it was in the 50's/60's with some wind (but nothing like Saturda) and SUNNY. I wore shorts and a long sleeve shirt. I could've worn a short sleeve, but I knew when I was running in the wind and sweaty that sleeves would be comfortable. I guess I should've put sun lotion on as well as I have a light red tint and my first running short lines of the year! I wasn't pushing too hard on pace and was keeping a good eye on my heart rate, and I was feeling so good that 10 turned to 14...yeah, that usually doesn't happen. Usually workouts get shortened, not lengthened! Then, about an hour later I was in the pool and knocking out a good 3000m swim (with some sets). I think the swim did wonders for keeping me to the lowest amount of soreness I've had in a LONG time after a long run. It's usually not bad, but it is noticeable. Today, it isn't really! Yay!

I do wish I had more time to sleep. My sleep isn't nearly what it should be, but there isn't too much I can do about it. I do not have a choice but to be at work at 0630, it's part of my job. Sometimes, I must be there earlier if we have certain mandatory things to accomplish (fun things, like urinalysis, health and welfares), and sometimes I am up late for important things (like greeting some of my Military Working Dog handlers after they redeploy from Iraq). So, I just have to roll with it, get what I can get, try to eat well, hydrate well, and pace myself during workouts with the appropriate effort. That is easier said than done though! Some days I'm successful, some days I am not. I do not want to burn out, that is for sure...thankfully, I have some good friends that keep an eye on me and help talk me down when I'm pushing my days to fast and hard. I just try my best to roll with the punches, know that my job as a commander is important and I am grateful to have the privilege to serve in the position. It would be harder if I didn't know that I had a respite just a little over a year away. Grad school will be challenging, but I think I may actually enjoy having my studies and my furry canine kids, Davey and Annie, be my primary responsibilities. It will be odd, yes, but I do am so looking forward to it!

Austin Half-Marathon Race Report

2009-02-17T08:21:00.003-06:00

This is a tough 1/2 Marathon! I don't remember the hills being this difficult when I did the Mary last year, but then again, I run the 1/2 at a much faster clip than I run the full, so I think I felt it that much more. I seeded myself between the 3:10-3:15 pace groups for the marathon as the course is the shared for the first 10 miles. When the gun went off to start the race it was VERY crowded and I had to weave in and out of A LOT of people that mis-seeded themselves. I'm not talking slightly slower, I'm talking they started off by WALKING or at a 12+ min pace. Why would you seed your self in the front of marathon/half-marathon if you are not fast? It's not like your time starts at the gun, it starts at the chip for all the non-money contenders. The first mile was all about getting into position, and I was staying between the 3:10/3:15 marathon pace groups and that was fine. I have had a weird mystery pain lately, and thankfully today it wasn't flaring up, and that was good, and I made sure to watch that I didn't go out to fast because I knew those first 3 miles were a gradual uphill. I was a little chilly waiting around to start and so I had throw away gloves on that I tossed at the aid station at mile 2. I loved miles 4-6 because there was so much long downhill and great fast flats. Took a GU at 5 miles. Mile 6-7 was a little tougher, and 7-9 I started feeling it a bit as we were into the rolling hill phase. We were also more into the wind here, and I attempted to draft off some tall big guys, and did some, but then their pace dropped below what I wanted to maintain. The turn up Lake Austin BLVD is always one to get me. I got some minor side stitches around mile 8, but thankfully they didn't last too long. Then, at mile 10 we split from the marathoners and I keep telling myself that it's only a 5K left and I can keep pushing it. Took GU #2 here. The rolling hills are getting to me some though. Then, we're at about 11.75 and traveling on Enfield East back towards downtown and we hit that same dang hill the sucked the life out of me at the Turkey Trot 5 miler. Thankfully, it didn't kill me as badly this time. I just kept steady, but didn't push too hard so as not to stress out the HR and lengthen the recovery up top, then, once I got to the top, I opened back up and it felt so good to have a slight downhill. With a mile left, I started pushing the pace again. Then, as you're heading into that last mile and you make the turn onto San Jacinto you meet another fun little uphill...but, once I hit the top of that I had about 800m left. A nice part of the course was that the last 1000m they had signs counting down: 1000m, 800m, 600m, 400m, 200m, 100m, 50m. There was a girl about 10m in front of me and I was determined to beat her in that last 800m, and I think I probably overtook here in that last 200-300m. As usual, pain goes away for me in that last 100-200m of the straight finish chute and I sprinted in as hard as I could. I hear my name announced and from Killeen, TX, and I'm done. Official time was 1:37:32.

It was a fun race and after I got my clothes bag (so much better organized than the San Antonio Rock and Roll), and found my friend Tia we went to grab some coffee--I needed my morning caffeine, and it was a little chilly out. The line wasn't too long at Starbucks, and the lady gave me a funny look when I ordered a regular coffee--yep, plain old brew is what I wanted. I'm too cheap to pay for the other stuff! I need that money for racing and training toys! Anyhow, we sat there and waited to hear from a friend that was on the course cheering on another friend who was doing her first marathon (as a prep for Ironman AZ in Nov). She called us as our friend passed mile 21, and a little after that Tia and I headed out to take some pictures and go cheer our friend on in that last finish stretch. We did that, and then we all headed to Pappasitos for some lunch where we shared some chicken fajitas.

It was quite the enjoyable race again, though I had forgotten about some of those hills. Though, the worst one, the Enfield hill at mile 11.75 is NOT one that is part of the marathon course. A big bonus of this race was that they offered a military discount of 50% and they had a military discount. I truly appreciate that! There were some fast ladies out there in the women's military 1/2 Marathon!! I ended up 4th in the women's military 1/2 Marathon...missed out on 3rd by less than a minute, but 1st and 2nd were at 1:24 and 1:29 respectively! That is some FAST running! I was 12th/228 in the military 1/2 marathon overall (men and women) and that makes me happy! I was 14th in my age group for the whole field (F25-29). It was not a personal record for me today, but it was my second fastest time, and there is no denying that the course is challenging. It definitely isn't as fast of a course as the San Antonio one. I enjoy Austin, and I enjoy this race. Not too many "frills" with the race, but volunteers are great, course is well marked and supported, and again, the military discount ROCKS! :) I want to do the full marathon again next year, but 100% as a "fun" and "no pressure race." My friend training for IMAZ wants to do the same, so if you see two gals goofing around and taking pictures next year, it's probably us!

2009 has started well! I'm excited to see what the rest of the year holds! (Especially 7 Nov 09!!)

Race Season '09 Kick Off

2009-02-14T18:30:00.002-06:00

It has been a crazy couple of weeks (thus lack of posts and checking others blogs). Nothing too much of interest for here, but work definitely kept me hopping. Thankfully, this week was a taper week, and I had less I needed to do workout wise, because life was definitely getting in the way. THANKFULLY, tomorrow is the start of my 2009 race season. Tomorrow I tackle the:

This year I'm only doing the 1/2 Marathon since I'm doing both the Lonestar Half-Ironman and Boston Marathon in April. I almost feel a little sad that I'm not doing the full considering it was such an awesome race for me last year. However, it's all about staying healthy and building up for the bigger races, and ultimately for Ironman. I have some friends that are also running tomorrow, and one of them is doing it as her first marathon as well, so it should be a fun day. The weather looks like it should hold out nicely, but probably slightly warmer than last year. I'm still trying to figure out what I'm going to be wearing...I should get on that! :) I don't think I'll set a personal best tomorrow--the course isn't nearly as flat as San Antonio was in November, but you never know what race day will bring. It took me until packet pick-up yesterday to get excited about the race. I think it's because work has been so busy. I do like the 1/2 Marathon distance a lot. It's a very manageable distance to train for, to recovery, and you can really push yourself pretty well over 13.1 miles. So, it shall be fun. It will be an early wake up here as I'm traveling from here to Austin, so about around an hours drive early in the morning. That's okay, it means I'll be well awake come race time. SO, time to kick off the 2009 adrenaline rush!!!

Super Bowl

2009-01-31T19:29:00.003-06:00

Tomorrow is the Super Bowl, and I am not a fan of either team. Last year I rooted AGAINST the Patriots due to various reasons...it wasn't that I liked the Giants, but some friends and I had someone TOTALLY turn us off to any team from Boston. This year, there is nothing driving me for either team, so I have decided that I shall root for the Cardinals. I'm a TX gal, and AZ is much more closely related to us than the frozen north of Pittsburgh. So, GO CARDINALS! Plus, they are the underdogs. Granted, I think I sometimes watch more for the commercials than the game itself, and I know I am not alone. Tonight I watched a "best of" Super Bowl Commercials, and I saw one that I must have missed while deployed to the desert...it literally had me laughing OUT LOUD. So, for your entertainment:

Grad School

2009-01-29T20:38:00.002-06:00

Well, I can let the cat out of the bag. I get to go to GRADUATE SCHOOL!! Those of you that know me well know that I nearly said "adios" to the Army after some burn-out and other issues following my 2nd Iraq deployment. THANKFULLY, God re-directed my path and I ended up having the opportunity to command some very fine Military Police. I am SO glad to have stayed, and it was burden off my back when I made that decision. We all have crazy decision times in our lives, and this was mine. I am a planner. I like to know AS FAR OUT as possible what I am doing. It doesn't bother me in the least that I had to sign up a year in advance for Ironman! So, in that line of thinking, I was doing, as we say in the Army, some "leaning forward in the foxhole" and planning what I would like to do post command (my current job). My "dream" job, and truly one of the opportunities that drove me stay in the Army, was to return to my alma mater, West Point, and teach. The majority of the faculty at West Point are active duty officers. This fall I completed and submitted applications to a couple of departments for consideration to join their faculty. The boards that review the applications met this month and made their decisions. I was accepted as a primary nominee for one department, and an alternate for another department. Needless to say, I have accepted the primary nomination and will return to the Department of Social Sciences to teach American Government (politics, public policy, and strategic studies). Cadets and Faculty simply refer to the department as "Sosh." I was an American Politics major when I was there, so I am ecstatic to have this opportunity to go back and be on the other side of the desks and the assignments!

Before I head back to teach, I must first earn my Master's degree. So, after I finish command in the Spring of 2010, I will attend graduate school for two years (Fall 2010-Spring 2012). My JOB will be STUDENT. My responsibilities will be to study, write, and prepare myself to be an instructor in the Sosh Department. I will then move back to West Point, NY and teach from Fall 2012 thru Spring 2015. Have I mentioned I'm ECSTATIC!! Not only will I get to study, in depth, subjects that I enjoy and will stretch my mind, but I will also, and more importantly so, get to play a role in molding, mentoring, and shaping future leaders. I am excited about re-entering the academic world, though, I will confess I'm slightly nervous and intimidated. I read my senior year thesis again the other day and realize I was smart 7 years ago...I have to regain that!! :) I also remember all of my instructors as EXTREMELY intelligent. Thankfully, I don't have to fit that bill perfectly till 2012. I have a lot of learning left to do! Attending a civilian university for two years will be an experience I haven't had. I may not know what to do when I don't have to wear a uniform everyday! (I think I'll figure it out!)

Soon I will begin the grad school quest as I will have to apply to several. I do need to re-take the GRE so I can get a more competitive score and ensure my acceptance to the program I want. My 1st choice in schools is the Univ. of Texas in Austin...we will see!!

In the meantime, I still have a very important and privileged job, and I take that seriously! So, I won't be jumping the gun or getting short termers thoughts with only a year out. The chances to command are less and less after where I am, so I intend to enjoy this time and make as positive of an impact as is possible!

There you go! That's my big news!

Writer's Block and 2008 mileage

2009-01-19T20:25:00.005-06:00

I have been pondering all weekend (because I had a long weekend) what I wanted to blog about but I have had some writer's block. There are some exciting things to come regards to my grad school opportunities, but until it's all finalized, I want hold some of it close. But, in a sneak peek, the good news is that I WILL be going to graduate school full time starting the fall of 2010. :) More to come as far as that goes, but suffice it to say, it's all good and I'm very happy about it.

I did make some homemade pizza yesterday as a friend of mine and her two daughters were coming over. I decided that pizza was a fairly good option for kids. The crust is pretty good and VERY easy to make, again, I credit my Mom with it:

RAPID RISE PIZZA CRUSTS
Makes 2 crusts

2 Cups Whole Wheat Flour
1 Cup white wheat flour
1 ½ tsp sea salt
1 package Rapid Rise yeast
1 Cup water
2 Tbs. grape seed oil (I didn't have grape seed and used olive)

Place 2 Cups flour, salt and yeast in large mixing bowl. Blend. Heat water and oil until hot to touch (125F-130F); stir into dry mixture. Add only enough extra flour to make stiff dough. Knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 mins. Cover, let rest 10 mins. Divide dough in half. Roll and stretch each into a 13” circle. Place on pizza stone that has been greased or sprinkled with cornmeal. Bake at 450F for 8 min. Spread with choice of toppings and bake 10-12 mins more, or wrap and freeze for up to 6 weeks.

Of course, you may put whatever you want on top, but this is a nice, easy, and fairly healthy way to make your own pizza at home and avoid some of the not so good pizza additions you may find at other places.

I did realize that I didn't post my "miles traveled" in training here yet. If you've followed for awhile, you'll remember in mid-2008 I posted how far I had "traveled" with the swim, bike, and the run. So here is 2008 for you:

2008 totals
Bike: 211h 50m 09s - 3811.61 Mi
Run: 161h 36m 30s - 1163.25 Mi
Swim: 96h 12m 56s - 238686.8 M
Strength: 39h 18m

So I rode my bike from here in TX to visit my brother in NY, then visited lots of family and friends along the east coast, then some friends in FL, and a trip to Panama City Beach for some "on site training" for Ironman Florida '09, then I went to Nashville just because TN is pretty and Nashville is fun.

I had a friend from Rapid City, SD come down for the Longhorn 70.3 in October, so when calculating my run mileage I found that I ran about from where I live to where she lives.

For swimming, I decided I'd just head south and I ended up right on the edge of San Antonio!

So, now we'll see "where" and "how far" 2009 will take me!

Training, Pups, TX Weather Wimps, and Age

2009-01-12T17:56:00.001-06:00

I am a horribly delinquent blogger. My apologies and HAPPY NEW YEAR. Wow, 2009 is already here and half of January is about passed. What they say about time going faster as you get older is surely true.

2009 is going to be a busy year, and I should update my race schedule. I don’t think I’ll be racing nearly as much as I did last year because this year’s goals are more than “become a triathlete,” they are “become an Ironman.” The training and mental toughness I need to build before 7 November is a lot, but doable. Right now I am gearing up for the Austin ½ Marathon in February, but it’s really more of a “motivator” in the middle of training before I knock out the Lonestar ½ Ironman in Galveston on April 5th and then head to Boston for the 113th running of the Boston Marathon. Thus, my training right now more along the lines of building up to marathon distance on the run, improving cycling fitness for Lonestar, but really for Ironman, and getting some good swims in as well. I need to get my focus back into the swims. I did well with them last year and improved a lot, but lately I haven’t had the best motivation during my swims or to even get the swims done. There are days where I am thrilled and excited about Ironman. Then there are days where I am utterly petrified at what I have signed myself up to do. Sometimes, it’s less the race day itself that scares me, and more the training I MUST do between now and then in order to be successful. I have had some really good training days, and then some not so good ones. Thankfully, I’m just under 300 days till I get to toe the start line…By God’s grace, I will get there healthy, happy, trained and fit to tackle 140.6.

My little pups have been loads of fun lately. Not only do they play with each other well, but they are just so sweet to me. Both of them could be laying different couches or chairs, but if I go sit at one spot, they get up and come to where I am. They definitely make me feel loved and I am so glad I have them in my life. It’s truly amazing how much two furry and excited dogs can “love” and make a house feel full and not empty.

The weather here in TX is best described as a roller coaster. This week actually looks like it will be cold all week and get colder. Okay, cold is relative to the location. I did say Texas…know that our cold equates to lows in the upper 20’s and 30’s and highs between 40-60. I think my years of living in the United Arab Emirates and Houston as a kid have conditioned me to adapt to the heat much more easily than the cold. I don’t mind the cold, but it is more fun when snow happens. In NY for college and in Germany for my first assignment, I never minded the cold when there was the snow to accompany it. BUT, the bitter cold days with whipping wind were something I had little experience with. Now, if you want to talk weather shock, turn your attention to my parents. They have been in Houston for the past 20 years, the UAE for the 6.5 years prior to that, and New Mexico (not the mountains, not the northern part of the state) and West Texas before that. Where is Dad now with Mom soon to follow---BUFFALO, NEW YORK! I talked to my Dad the other day and asked what he was up to that day. His response, with no hesitation, “trying to stay warm!” Thankfully, their thoughtful, eldest, red-headed daughter that has spent some winters in NY and Germany got them some really great ice scrapers and brush tools for Christmas. Dad says it’s the best gift he got. Ahhhh, I know!

A funny story for you to close this post out, and maybe I will find myself a more regular blogger in these coming weeks. Last week, around 6PM my doorbell rang, which in turn means my dogs went nuts (typical), and I went to keep them from escaping (mainly Annie—she wants to take off, where, I don’t think she knows, she just wants to GO) when I opened the door. I open the door and it is a Salesman (I should get a no solicitation sign…). What is the first thing this guy asks me (who probably, at best, was 23/24)…wait for it…no really, it’s hilarious….he asks me if my MOM AND DAD ARE HOME??? Seriously, are my Mom and Dad home??? I think I gave him the look of death I used to give my co-workers in Iraq when I was in my “angry red head” moments OR I gave him a completely bewildered “did you really just say that” look because he actually took a step back and then stammered something about “or are you the homeowner.” I know I then gave him “the look” and said yes, I am, and I’m not interested in what you’re selling. Which he still proceeds, quite rudely so, to try and demand to show me his “miracle, clean all solution” to which I insist I’m not interested and close the door. Now, I do laugh at this, and I wasn’t mad—probably more dumbfounded and giving him a hard time—but at nearly 28.5 years old do I really look so young that you would ask me if my parents were home?? I can only hope when I’m 40 they ask me the same thing.

Christmas 2008 and looking towards 2009

2008-12-30T17:03:00.005-06:00

Christmas 2008 has come and gone. I was able to enjoy time with my family, especially my sweet little nephew. He had grown so much in just the two weeks since I had last seen him! He was much more responsive to his surroundings, and that included some cute little smiles. He did cry much more than before, but I’m sure that’s just because he needs a little bit more. He is healthy and putting on weight, and I just am quite fond of the little guy. Once again, my furry kids did well with him, and here is proof:

Other than that, it was a fairly low key Christmas. The family did look pretty snazzy on Christmas Eve:

We had some good food, and I made a pumpkin pie, to include crust, completely without adding any fat or eggs!! Here is the recipe. I think it is something I shall make again, though not sure when. It was TASTY.

Pumpkin Pie
Make this the day before serving. It's needs a day to set.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Have ready, one 9" pie crust (see below recipe)

1 15oz. solid-pack canned pumpkin
1 c. milk (I use Soy Milk, worked great, non-dairy)
3/4 c. brown sugar or Sucanat (sucanat is natural, unrefined sugar--good stuff!)
1/4 c. cornstarch
1 T. molasses or blackstrap molasses
1.5 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. EACH ground ginger, nutmeg and salt
1/4 tsp. ground allspice or cloves
Pour the filling into the pastry and bake 60 minutes. Cool on a rack, then refrigerate overnight before serving.

Fat-Free Oatmeal Cookie Crust

1/2 cup old fashioned oats

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 cup sucanat (or packed brown sugar)

2 tablespoons natural sugar (organic or sucanat or brown sugar, whatever you didn't use above)1/4 cup apple sauce

Preheat oven to 375 F.

Lightly oil a 9-inch pie pan. (I used Pam)

Put the oats into a food processor or blender and process until finely ground. Add the remaining dry ingredients and blend well. Transfer to a bowl and add the vanilla and apple sauce. Stir well until completely combined.Put the mixture into the pie pan, and starting at the center, flatten and press it with moistened fingers until it evenly covers the bottom and extends up the sides of the pan as far as possible. Bake for 8-10 minutes, and then let cool before pouring the pie filling.

I did see two movies over the break: Australia and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. I will say that I got my money’s worth out of each movie. With previews, they both were about 3 hours long! However, I thoroughly enjoyed both of them as well. They were slightly long, but I never felt like it was horribly boring or ridiculous. Australia is a fun drama movie with added comedy, and I’m a fan of “period” movies and think Nicole Kidman does well in those roles. Hugh Jackman is, well, VERY good looking in the movie. My brother said he thought Jackman was “too big” as far as the muscles go, but I completely disagree! J Benjamin Button was an interesting concept and fun film to watch and imagine “what if” it actually happened. I’d recommend watching both of them, but beware that they are LONG and plan accordingly!

I am ready for 2009 to get here. There are some big things happening in 2009: my parents moving to the cold, Yankee north; I get to experience training for and racing the Boston Marathon and Ironman Florida; I will hopefully have an idea of what my future holds as far as grad school goes, which means I will probably be diligently studying to improve my GMAT or GRE scores (dependent upon which options open my way); lastly, but not least, 2009 will see the bulk of my “command time” where I can truly make a difference now that I’ve established processes and built the systems that I need for success. I have, what I think, are some good ideas to improve the training effectiveness and readiness of my Soldiers…now I have to translate those into reality, and that of course is where the challenge exists!

Happenings!

2008-12-21T07:45:00.006-06:00

I have been SO delinquent in posting, and I apologize!! Life has simply been crazy busy. Seems like in December we try to cram as much work in as possible in the first 3 weeks so we can do as little as possible the last two weeks. I guess I'm okay with that!

I made it to Houston yesterday, after a detour to Austin to pick up my Dad who had plane difficulties, due to snow, trying to get from Buffalo, NY to Houston. Ended up that he could get home faster by flying into Austin and having me pick him up on my way to Houston for Christmas anyhow. It only added a little bit more to my drive, and I had someone to talk to, so it worked out well.

How insane is TX weather, let me illustrate by showing what yesterday (Sat, 20 DEC) and today (21 DEC) forecasts for where I live were: If that doesn't illustrate the roller coaster effect that is typical here in the winter, I don't know what does!!

It is good to be home with my whole family here. My little nephew is growing so much already. I don't think I've shown him off yet. Here are pictures from when he visited me, he was 2 1/2 weeks old then. The first one is his furry cousin Davey checking him out. They're good buds of course. ZAM's (his initials and what I call him) Mom is worried about Davey's kisses and keeps crying about it, but those kisses won't hurt him... :)

Then of course this is me, the happy Aunt, with the little cutie. We've already discussed several things, and in 18-20 years he's gonna run a marathon with me, and in the meantime we'll get him started with the basics of swim, bike, and run...so he'll be a triathlete yet!! Haha!!

I will post more as I'm on vacation this week (gratefully so!!) and enjoying some Christmas cheer with my family! Merry Christmas to everyone!

GO ARMY! BEAT NAVY!

2008-12-05T18:07:00.005-06:00

"Upon the fields of friendly strife are sown the seeds that, upon other fields, on other days will bear the fruits of victory." GEN Douglas McArthur

GO ARMY! BEAT NAVY!

Kickoff at 12PM EST

Even Davey says, "GO ARMY! SINK NAVY!"

Check out some fun Spirit Videos for this year's Army Navy:

Happy Thanksgiving!

2008-11-27T17:12:00.003-06:00

Happy Thanksgiving family, friends, and fellow bloggers! :) Have a blessed day!

Thankful for: Babies, PT, and Fun

2008-11-22T22:05:00.005-06:00

Just in time for Thanksgiving I bring you a few things I am thankful for this year:

1. I'm thankful for babies because as of 19 November I am a first time AUNT!! My sister has a perfectly healthy 6.5lb, 19.25 in baby boy. Both my sister and the baby are doing awesome. My Mom is with her, and Dad is on the way. I cannot wait to see the little guy in a week or so when they come through here!! Do you think this Christmas is too early to buy him goggles and running shoes?? ;) I am ready to hold and kiss my little nephew!

2. I am thankful that physical fitness is an important aspect of Army life. This week at work was a full one. I had every commander's favorite, the Quarterly Training Brief (QTB), but thanks to a lot of hard work from everyone involved, we hit a home-run. Now, the big task is making sure those training events we've planned actually come to fruition! I'm pursuing fielding and funding a unit team for the Texas Independence Relay as a way to encourage and have fun with fitness. Weekly, on Thursday mornings, we do "combat PT" (PT=physical training)--we wear our fatigues and do various events that mimic similar movements we'd have to do in much more intense situations...but it's also combined with some of your typical exercises. This Thursday we had our big water cans, a stretcher, and sandbags. Those three items, especially when mixed with lunges, result in some soreness, but all good. I'm pushing good PT with my unit because healthy, fit, and strong Soldiers are confident and prepared for duty. It's a growth project for all, that is for sure!

3. I'm thankful for opportunities to have fun all the time! Today was the Ft. Hood Thanksgiving Turkey Trot 5K. I participated and probably felt some of the most leg fatigue I've felt in a race yet! I was doing okay and in the lead till about mile 2 and then I got passed and couldn't regain the lead. It was about then that those lunges and last weeks 1/2 Marathon made their presence known!! I still ran a decent 21:24, but I definitely know that with fresh legs I can get this near or below 21. I'm not that fond of 5k's really. In my opinion, they are too short--not that I should be able to run them well, I just don't enjoy them. I enjoy being able to get into the groove of a run and hold it for a while instead of just go all out hard like you have to for a 5k. I still placed first in the 18-28AG and 2nd OA female. The BEST part about the Ft. Hood Race Series is that they've gone from about 85 people participating in February to 250+ out there today!! They have been doing a great job of putting on events and improving from event to event. They have a Jingle Bell 5K on 20 December, and I'm not sure if I run it, but if I don't, I'll support as part of the bike crew. Members of the Team Army Cycling Club help "sweep" the course and make sure runners are good to go. I may do that this next time. These races are free too, so of course that's a huge plus! :)

4. What else am I thankful for this year? It would take to long to discuss each, so here is a little snapshot: A GREAT family, finally finding a church, great friends (CW, BB, TT, SO, KG), furry friends like Davey and Annie, mentors and leaders that build me up and encourage me, a good job, a fun hobby, good books, fresh fruit, fresh veggies, cooking, connecting with friends: email, blogs, Facebook, haha! This is just a TINY list...but you get the point.

So, with Thanksgiving just around the corner, take some stock in what you're thankful for this year. Just the fact that you have internet access, can read this, and probably are an American indicate that you have countless blessings for which to give THANKS!

Rocked, thankfully no roll!

2008-11-17T20:15:00.003-06:00

SAN ANTONIO ROCK AND ROLL 1/2 MARATHON (11-16-08)

Last weekend at the San Antonio Rock and Roll 1/2 Marathon was a blast! I got to travel down to San Antonio with a good friend who was going to race her first 1/2 Marathon and meet up with a college friend who was running the 1/2 Marathon as well just a few weeks after tackling a 50 mile race!! We made it down on Saturday and perused the expo, ate lunch on the Riverwalk, and then just relaxed before the race. Sunday morning meant an early wake up and drop off at the start line area. We beat the major crowds, so that was good...but it was COLD for this Texan...easily upper 30's/low 40's. We waited as long as we thought was prudent to take off the warm top layers and get to our race gear...then we huddled for warmth before the start! Finally, we made it to our separate corrals. I had put my predicted race finish time as, what I thought, was an aggressive 1:37. Thus, I was seeded nicely in corral #2 out of around 32!?! So, that was nice and meant I hardly had to wait to long after the race started to make it across the start line (individual time doesn't start till you--with your timing chip attached--make it across the start line timing mat) and it meant I didn't have to deal with an extremely crowded course to get through. I wanted to make sure I didn't go out too quickly, but keep a good pace. Miles 1-5 went super fast. I reached the 5K mark I was feeling pretty solid and the pacing was good. Mile 5 had the only noticeable "hills" (inclines) that I had to work past. In the first 5 miles I passed several women with the "Military" tags on their backs. Didn't know if they were 1/2 or Full Marathoners, just picked them off. I had my speed belt with two bottles of NUUN. I took my first GU Roctane at 4.5 and my second one at 8.5. Mile 6 was a lot of downhill, and I took advantage of it, and all the downhills. Flat and fast for the most part. Lots of spectators at various locations. I was feeling really great and often had to slow a little cause I knew holding 6:50's wasn't going to get me to the finish without some significant slow down in the last few miles. But, I was feeling great. Never needed anything from the aide stations with what I had. I wore a short sleeve shirt with arm warmers and my BT shorts and throw away gloves and my Newton racing flats. I threw my gloves at around 3 miles. When I hit the 10 mile mark at 1:11/12 something, I knew I could finish strong. All race I knew it was going to be a PR, I just didn't know how much. From 8 forward I kept telling myself, keep the pace, keep the cadence, good form, good turnover. And I just kept going. Mile 12 was actually a little tough and I could feel some of the juice going, but then I saw another military gal ahead of me, and I was going to pass her. In the last 1/4 of a mile, I did. There was a hill going up to the last turn for the last 200m and I was afraid she'd catch me on it, but she didn't and when I saw the finish I pushed it in pretty hard and I was done! Ended up being just 24 seconds from taking the 1st overall place in the women's military division...but 2nd/305 is pretty amazing for a girl who hated to run just a few years ago.

The post-run organization was insane, but I guess it's the inaugural race bugs to work out. We were pretty happy: Friend on the left beat her goal of 2hrs for her first (sub 1:52 in fact--she picked up the sign as "I conquered this", my other friend finished despite having a bum knee from her 50 miler, and I can't believe I can run that fast! It was a fun, fast course!

Then, before taking off I took a picture with the HEB Buddy. HEB is a Texas grocery store that is quite popular, and is HQ'd in San Antonio. One of my brothers worked there in high school and really loved the experience and would like to work at much higher levels within HEB someday. He misses them all the time, so I took a picture with the HEB Buddy just for him! :)

I wonder how fast I could do a marathon now? :) But, more importantly, it is very evident that my cycling fitness needs improvement so that I can hold a post-bike run at a pace much closer to my open run time than what I've done thus far. I have the speed, I need the endurance.

But, that's the end of the "big" races for 2008. I may do a couple of 5Ks and a 5 miler, but now I'm back to some base building and preparation for my '09 adventures! Thanks for all the encouragement and support. I know I post what may seem like "bragging rights" here...but it's more of a rejoicing what has been, and it couldn't be done without the blessings God gives me physically (for without Him I am nothing) and the love and support of my family and friends!

RANT on FAT!

2008-11-12T19:29:00.003-06:00

I put some of this in my BeginnerTriathlete blog and it got A LOT of agreement...granted, that is a site full of triathletes. So, I got HUGELY irritated at two issues I saw on TV, one yesterday, and one this morning. Yesterday I was getting on my bike trainer to ride cause it was raining outside. I turned on the TV to find something to watch while I pedaled away. Well, what was on as soon as I turned it on, the Rachel Ray show with Whoopi Goldberg as the guest. They were discussing the concept of a "Fat Tax" where workers must pay more their health coverage if they are obese. They hardly spent any time on it, and I'm not going to discuss the fat tax here, BUT, I found some of the comments of the two HUGELY ignorant, inaccurate. Watch it for yourself HERE, but the highlights that caught me to just lose it were these comments:

"Sometimes if people are eating the wrong food it's cause they don't have the money to buy the right ones." Whoopi Goldberg

"People don't understand that obesity is sometimes the only option for people...they can't afford broccoli and fresh fruits and vegetables. Government should be spending time to make good food more affordable for all of us." Rachel Ray

Interestingly enough, I was headed to the grocery store that afternoon, and I checked out the costs of some of the veggies and fruits, to include fresh, frozen, dried, and canned. I looked at the prices of canned beans, dried pasta, rices, and chicken (skinless). I then checked out the things like frozen pizza, potato chips, cupcakes, ice cream, store bought cookies, pre-made "meals" (frozen boxes and bags) and fruit snacks. GUESS WHAT FOLKS, you get MORE for your money when you buy the HEALTHY STUFF...truly you do. You forgo the twinkies, and you can get a whole 2lbs of bananas. You leave the frozen pizza and whip up some chicken, beans, and rice or some whole grain pasta and veggies, and you get more. The idea that "obesity" is the "only option" is so bogus, disgusting, and a cop out that I would love to debate Rachel Ray in person on it. The American Obesity Epidemic is caused because Americans are addicted to refined foods and fast food. They are more willing to wait in a 1/2 hour long fast food line than take the 10 minutes needed to cut up some veggies, put 'em on a tray and broil them for all of 10 minutes till they are ready to eat. The pure liquid, sugar calories that adults and kids pour into their bodies in the form of soft drinks and "gourmet" coffee are making them fat and more addicted to refined sugar. The trans fat and high calorie meals that the fast-food industry eagerly hands over for more cash than what it would cost for one to make something healthy themselves is clogging America's arteries, causing heart attacks, causing Type II adult-onset diabetes in adults and children alike, and leaves people winded doing just the simple chores of life. LAZINESS and lack of SELF-DISCIPLINE, not lack of money, is, in my opinion, the root of the American obesity problem. Americans have choices...and, as the Crusader in Indiana Jones and the Search for the Holy Grail said to the bad guy who picked the ornate and flashy grail from which to drink, "You chose...poorly" and death followed. Luckily for him, his death was quick. It won't be for those that do not choose to eat healthy and exercise.

Second part of the rant. This morning I saw this article featured on FOX News about how studies have shown that obese 10-year olds have the arteries of a 45-year old and how they are showing signs of pre-mature aging. It was such a sad article....and in its closing the author writes "The time has come to seriously deal with the issue of childhood obesity and physical inactivity on a governmental and parental level." I agree...at least at the parental level (not a big fan of growing governmental regulation in everything). It must be addressed. What got me MAD was that the lady discussing it with the Fox News reporter, and not mentioned in the article, was that the answer was prescription DRUGS...she even said that we're seeing that "diet and exercise" are not enough. Did she quote a study for that?? NO. Come on, let's look at history...before we knew about all of the evils of this that or the other (and so much of it didn't even exist), kids weren't stuck just in front of the TV and video games. Competitive sports were encouraged, even if a kid lost--no "self-esteem" or "PC" issues (maybe it explains why the new generation of kids are more "depressed" as they get older--they never lost, then they meet the real world and found out that losing is part of it). Kids played kick the can, "Cowboys and Indians," and pickup basketball, and football. Now they do the same thing, don't they? Sure...just with a Wii...
I think, of all the aspects of the obesity epidemic, the children is the most sad and infuriating. I see children all the time that are 10 or under and weight more than I do. They waddle when they walk, and most of the time they're sucking down a coke or Mom and Dad are handing them a burger. Did you know that a McDonald's Happy Meal will not mold or be eaten by bugs if left for, oh, 2-3 years? It looks exactly the same--just hard...nothing touches it...how do I know. My Mom has one she uses as an example for health fairs she does and in promotion for a healthy way to get your full day's worth of NATURAL vitamins (Juice Plus+, <--click for more info). That Happy Meal she has still "looks" happy--hasn't changed AT ALL, minus hard. And she lives in Houston, if it's going to mold, it will mold there, if it's going to get bugs, it'll get bugs there. My brother left some food in his closet in High School and was invaded by THOUSANDS if not MILLIONS of fruit flies or ants...but did they touch the open McDonald's bag...not a chance. And people eat that? They feed it to their kids? If nature won't touch it, chances are, we probably shouldn't. Parents are fully responsible for setting their kids up for success in the food realm. Drugs are NOT the answer for normal kids...only for real diseases that were NOT brought on by the obesity in the first place. A healthy diet and regular exercise will do the trick! Play sports, serve up vegetables in a tasty, but fun way (and covered in cheese doesn't equal "fun" it equals "FAT"). It is terrible that predictions say that many parents will outlive their children because their children are just plain obese. Give the kids a chance, teach them what right looks like, and if later on in life they chose to be a couch potato and eat themselves to death, you did what you could to prevent it...but for right now, set the right example...they may not like you know, but their "self esteem" is going to be better when they can run around and be the star, not waddle around. "Instant" gratification in thinking that we can truly HAVE our cake and EAT it too by maintaining a poor diet, little exercise, and then just pop a pill or have cosmetic surgery done and be fine...not only is this erroneous, it doesn't go at the heart of the issue--one must choose to be healthy.

Health comes in the form of WHOLE food, veggies, fruits, whole grains, and lean meat. It means not touching fried food, ignoring the donut at church, drinking water instead of sodas, and taking some time to buy fresh and cook fresh. I'm single, I'm busy, but I eat healthy, homemade meals for virtually every meal of my day. When my peers are headed to the closest Mexican food restaurant, I'm having a healthy sandwich or wrap, an apple, and some carrots with about 32ozs of water. Takes some planning, but I save MUCH more time by not going out, not to mention money. A healthy life comes by healthy choices and self-discipline...but it also means a long life with fewer boundaries and limits! I WANT to be that 75 year old, spunky old woman running across the finish line at a triathlon or a marathon...I won't be the fastest, but I will be healthy enough to do it and finish smiling. Take that journey with me. Eat healthy, have the sweets in moderation, and structure good solid aerobic and muscular strength exercises within your schedule. If I can train for triathlons, and soon an Ironman, with the job I have--most of you can go for a few mile walk or knock out some push-ups and sit-ups. It's a choice. In the end, it's your choices that matter--not the government regulating you from yourself. . Just remember, choose wisely...sometimes the right "grail" is the most plain and humble, but with it comes long life! (corny analogy, but I like it!) Choose to live healthy and long, or choose to eat yourself to death.

Knicknacks

2008-11-10T20:17:00.003-06:00

This is going to be an "all over the place" long blog post since I've been horrible at posting lately.
1. Ironman Florida: I got to Florida on Thursday morning. I flew into Pensacola, got a car, and drove to Panama City Beach. It was a nice and scenic drive--so much more green than where I am. I got to condo complex where I was staying with a friend of mine who was racing. She had been at a press conference with the pros because she had raised some significant money for Janus Charity Challenge for cancer research. We linked up, grabbed some lunch, went down to the Ironman Expo...I could feel the excitement of it all. That evening we went to a get together/dinner with several of the BT.com folks, and that was enjoyable. The sunset was just awesome and beautiful. It was much cooler than I had expected Florida to be, though. Friday morning we got up and headed down to the Gatorade practice swim and I swam about 1000 meters of the swim course. The water was SO CLEAR compared to the BROWN and GREEN waters of Texas lakes! It was fairly choppy compared to the previous day and how race day would end up. But, I was glad it was choppy as that gave me a good taste of what it can be like out there. Was not disconcerted at all, and it was one less unknown for next year out of the way. I went to a little tri talk with another friend of mine and gleaned some decent information. My friend who was racing got registered for next year and later we got her bike and transition bags checked in and we met up with some friends again. I went to the volunteer meeting that evening and it was unorganized at best. But, I knew when I needed to be the next day, and that's what mattered. Then it was off to bed before race day. On race Saturday I got up with Sue (my friend) to help her take her gear down to transition and get bodymarked. The condo was close enough that we walked back afterwards so she could get her wetsuit on, and then it was back down to the swim start. Once she headed into the corral for the racers I found a spot to watch and saw the pros head out, observed the National Anthem, and then the racers were OFF for their first loop of the two-loop swim. It was awesome to watch the mass start, and the entire time you could see this big massive "school" of swimmers heading out and around the buoys. The excitement in the air was incredible and I cheered for friends of mine as I saw them come out of the first lap and then I made my way to the bike out location so I could cheer on everyone starting the bike. I stayed there till the last racers made it off on the bike. Myself and two of my other friends then linked up to make it out to the out and back part of the course where, with cowbells in hand, we cheered on a great majority of the racers. Throughout all of this I was imagining myself doing it next year! By the time we made it back Sue had already started the run, she was doing great!! I caught some of my other friends coming in off the bike and starting the run as well, it was awesome to cheer for them. We then had a little bit of a break before we would cheer for runners coming into the last lap of the marathon. Sue was doing awesome and then it was time for our volunteer shifts. I got my volunteer wrist band and t-shirt and got directed to the finish line tape where every racer came through. Four of us manned the spot so we had two finish line tapes available to try and have one for every runner. It was amazing to see the smiles, the tears, the elation, the managed pain, and the utter joy as competitors raced across the finish line. Some ran, some walked, some limped, some came with a kid in tow, some where husband and wife racers, and it was awesome. I got to hold the tape for many of my friends, and that was fun!! In fact, the last one to come through at 13:59 for me was my friend Sue! Couldn't have planned it better!! She was elated and had a great time, cutting 2 hours off the first time she did it. A group of us that were her cheering section helped her back. It was a great great day! Too much to capture, but so inspiring and exciting for next year! Great job racers!! The next day was up and early to get registered, and I did it without any second thought!! In fact, today was when I could finalize my registration and it is DONE!

2. Elections. I'm an American Politics major, I can't avoid discussing this issue, though I don't feel like spending entirely too much time on it. Here are my thoughts: I personally am not a fan of the President-Elect. I didn't vote for him and I disagree with his positions. I was an educated voter, not an emotional voter. In the same light, despite my pretty significant disagreements, I will acknowledge the historical significance of it. Race has never been an influence on my voting preferences. It should not be the motivator for any voting preference, against or for a candidate. So, now America is going to get something new. I will not wish failure upon the new administration. That goes against the core of who I am as a patriotic American. The administration fails, we fail. I wish and pray for a prosperous and successful America. To wish failure to make a point that someone was a wrong choice does not benefit. Now, that doesn't mean that when I see what I feel are wrong policy choices that do not benefit America that I won't say something and criticize. But, hate can't be part of it. It irritates me to all get out that some would wish evil and perpetuate hate because their choice didn't win. That is not the way to do it. As a Christian I will pray for the President; I will hold my leaders at all levels accountable and continue to do my civic duty and communicate with both the executive and legislative branches as are my rights as a citizen. Forward momentum is necessary. Forward thinking, forward preparation, and the pursuit of preserving the values and foundation that make us free Americans, that's what I want to do. So, regardless of where you fall on the political spectrum, don't think you're done with your civic duty. It's only just begun. Continue to raise your voice, continue to demand accountability of our leaders, and continue to educate yourself on the issues that are vital to the nations forward progress, national security, and continued preservation of American freedom.

3. Vet's Day weekend: Phew has it been a busy one!! Friday and Saturday I was in Houston for the Army/Rice football game. Unfortunately Army lost, but they kept it interesting and it was only a one touchdown lost. Sunday was church and dinner with a friend at McCormick and Schmicks in Austin--the restaurant has a generous free meal for veterans, so that was enjoyable. Today has been some recovery from the busy days, but I did get some housecleaning and workouts in the mix!

I will try to be better at posting, but just seem to be quite busy. Next weekend is the San Antonio 1/2 Marathon and I'm looking forward to that being a fun race and time with some good friends!

WOW and I jumped off the cliff...

2008-11-02T09:39:00.003-06:00

It'd take quite a bit to capture the whole experience from yesterday--and I will later, but suffice it say Ironman atmosphere here at Ironman Florida was AWESOME. What a day...beautiful weather, great racers. I saw/cheered the first lap of the swim, then all the folks going out on the bike, then out on the bike course at an out and back stretch so we could see folks twice, and then back to the run course at the turn-around for a bit (I love the names on bibs...I cheered for tons of folks by first name), and then worked the finish line from 6-9PM holding the tape. More than 1300 racers came through during that time, and it was up and down and up and down...my knee is a little sore from it. IT WAS AN AWESOME job...I got to see the emotion and expression of joy from so many racers, wow. I'm hoarse from cheering! It was tough trying to get the tapes up in-between racers when there was a mass of them coming through. Most everyone got a tape to run through, but in the masses, we would've tripped people if we had done that. All of the friends I was really watching for came in during my shift and that was great!

This morning I was down at registration for 2009. Wasn't supposed to open until 9AM, but being the Type-A that I am, I was there at 7AM. BUT, they had opened early and it maybe took me 30 mins to get through. Yes, I have done it. I have taken the plunge and I am REGISTERED for Ironman Florida 2009 on 7 November. Come cheer for me! :) Now...must start training! 1 year and 4 days to get ready for 140.6 miles of swim, bike, and run! (Yes, family, I know I've lost my marbles...but reserve the date and come experience WHY I have!)

Heading to FL!!

2008-10-29T21:58:00.002-05:00

I AM OFF TO FLORIDA! Why?? To cheer on awesome athletes in pursuit of the finish line after 140.6 miles of swimming, biking, and running and hours upon hours of training and dedication!! I am volunteering at Ironman Florida 2008 on 1 November! I am staying with friends, volunteering on race day, and taking the plunge off the Ironman cliff with rest of the crazy triathlete lemmings (okay, not lemmings...but we do all drink from the same kool aid pot and it shows!) and signing up for IRONMAN FLORIDA 2009, 7 November 2009. The journey to 140.6 and the title of Ironman begins!!

Best of wishes to all the racers! I will be cheering for YOU!

Where does the time go??

2008-10-23T21:06:00.002-05:00

I cannot believe is nearly the end of October. This month is FLYING by for multiple reasons. Work has been unreal as far as the volume, but I'm happy in the job and am glad to be doing something real and working with some good Soldiers. We have some ground to cover as far as building up some basic endurance beyond 1-2 miles and up to a good 4. We will get there though. Thankfully I have NOT been having to spend large amounts of time training, but I do miss it and am going to be getting back into the groove. There is an organized ride this Saturday I'm going to do, a nice 67 miles I think...I am looking forward to it. Hopefully I'm not too cold though, we got a cool front through that means low 70's in the day and even mid-40's at night!! WOW, cold for us Texans! Haha!

I am ready for the election nuttiness to be over. I wish I cared for either, but I'm just extremely frustrated with it all and am ready for us to have better options in 4-years. I dislike the concept of voting for the "lesser of two evils" but considering I highly despise the views of one candidate, I'll be voting for the other. It's going to be an interesting 4-years either way though.

One week from today I'll be in Panama City Beach, FL. I have never been to that part of Florida. I am GREATLY anticipating it!! I will be volunteering at Ironman Florida on 1 November. On 2 November I will be standing in line and signing my name (and some $$'s) away as I become a registered participant for Ironman Florida 2009. It's going to be a crazy journey training for an Ironman, but I am incredibly excited about that journey. Everyone I know that has done one has learned so much about themselves as they've pushed themselves past anything they could imagine. You will hear a lot about it here, that's for sure.

Nothing incredible in today's post, I just hadn't written anything in a while and thought that I should.

Perspective

2008-10-16T20:08:00.003-05:00

1 Timothy 4:8 "For physical training is of some value, but Godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come."

My little brother (but big brother, solid muscle type) reminded me of this the other day after Longhorn, and I appreciated it a lot. Both of us have become very active in the past few years, and would probably both say that our sports are "addictive" in a good way. It is easy to get completely consumed by them and forget that it is a momentary thing and not the most important thing. We must do things beyond it, and if possible, integrate it into what we do so that we do our sports with a purpose. What we do in life and how we approach life, from family, to job, to hobbies, to speech, to decisions, basically everything should have a purpose and reflect who we are as individuals. We should be genuine. I want to be genuine...I am not perfect, far from it. Pride is always an issue I've dealt with, especially when God blesses you with success beyond what you could imagine. One thing I'm passionate about is leadership, and in that, I don't mean the dictatorial level of leadership, but rather servant leadership...leadership in a way that leaves a legacy, builds others, challenges others, and encourages them to do the same. Yes, I train, I do triathlon, I run, but I do it not for my glory, but because I have been given a gift: work ethic, athletic ability (more grown than totally natural), and the opportunity to interact with a variety of people. When I swim, bike, and run I do it, in a sense, as a way to worship--to say this is what I've been given, I will use it, and encourage others to do it because it does make the body better, it does open up doors for a variety of opportunities. This may sound funky to some of you, but that is the beauty of being an American. I won't ever force it on someone, but I will live it and do my best, with His help, to live it as is supposed to be, to crush the hypocritical stereotype that plagues Christians. I won't be perfect, but I'll own up to my mess ups and change and grow up with it.

I train because I've been given a gift...it is not the end all to be all, but it is a blessing.
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PS- On a wholly UNRELATED note...this is my 101st blog post! :)

Life is...

2008-10-13T17:26:00.002-05:00

Life is moving quickly, as always. This past week FLEW by...and thankfully ended with a wonderful 4-day weekend. I took a much needed recovery week this past week. I did nothing on Monday; Tuesday was some general strength exercises at unit PT--nothing crazy; Wed was a slow 3 mile run; Thursday I walked the dogs; Friday I rode my bike for 45 minutes; Saturday I rode for 1.5 hours at a good clip; Sunday I ran for an hour...none of it pushed me hard except for the Saturday ride, but that was good and I didn't have any soreness from it. I'm putting together my plan for maintaining up till the San Antonio 1/2 Marathon...then in DEC I'm going to start working with a coach to get through the 2009 season. Lots I could say on that, but I'll leave it for another time.

Now that it is the "off season" I am focusing on nutrition. BT has a nutrition log, so I'm logging calories. I can get faster by trimming down, and I'm going to do my best to be diligent with that. It's difficult to lose fat during heavy training cause you have to eat to keep up your energy...so now is the time to do this. So, there is one off-season goal.

I am also reading some more. Of big importance, back in Aug/Sept I finally found a church to call my church home and it does have a singles group that seems to get it...so I finally have some people to hang out with here locally that don't think throwing back the bottle is the best way to spend a weekend.

So, nothing exciting to report really. Had a good, relaxing weekend. Thankfully, it's a 4-day work week. Right now I'm just VERY excited about going to volunteer at Ironman Florida at the end of the month and get a little taste of what next year will hold...

Longhorn 70.3 Recap

2008-10-07T20:10:00.006-05:00

There is so much I could write about the race this past weekend. My race report is on BT too, so I'll translate most of it here and add as I need to do so. But, let me first say, thanks to everyone for your support and encouragement! I am so glad I found this sport, and more importantly, the people that I've met in the sport! The Race Report format is from the BT race report.

Total Time = 5h 09m 26s
Overall Rank = 234/1929
Age Group = F25-29
Age Group Rank = 8/90

Pre-race routine:
Friday after work I came home to find my friend Jen from South Dakota that was coming down for the race. We ate dinner, packed up the Explorer, and took the dogs to my friends. We headed to Austin, got to our hotel and hit the sack. Went to the Jack and Adam's free pancake breakfast (awesome job J&A's and Austin T3) and met up with several BT'ers and my best friend Blythe. Then Jen, Blythe, and I had coffee--there we were--1 Navy grad gal, 1 Air Force grad gal, and 1 West Point grad gal!! Then it was off to get our bikes ready, packet pick up, lunch with Steve and Marcy at Macaroni Grill, and bike drop off. Got a little swim and run in at the park, and then it was back to get clean and go to a great BT dinner at Romeos. Went to bed at a decent time and actually slept pretty well. Woke up at 0345, ate a banana, got dressed, ate my PB&J waffle sandwich and drank a 20oz bottle of NUUN. Loaded up my stuff in the car and then met up with Jen to grab her stuff. We headed to the race site and got there right as the first buses were pulling up. We were on the second bus to the race site. Got there, got bodymarked, got transition set up. Went to the porta potty a couple of times, saw some of my BT friends, one gave me a hug of encouragement that I really appreciated. Got re-bodymarked cause my sun lotion took off the other body markings. As I did, the bodymarker lady told me, as she marked my arms "Dang, you've got guns"--of course I do--I'm an Army gal! ;) Went to the bathroom a couple more times--all necessary. Back and forth to transition. Talked with lots of folks, like Blythe, saw several other BT'ers...heard the girl that got 1st in our AG at the end of the day talk about how she got her '08 Clearwater slot at BSLT (I actually asked her if that was her cause I thought it was)...saw more friends. Walked to the swim with Jen and put on the wetsuit. It was JUST wetsuit legal. Some think it was warmer, eh, works for me!

Event warmup: Several trips to the porta potty maybe? My warm up for swimming is typically some pretty speedy time for me, so I just saved it for the race. Ate a GU Roctane 20 minutes before start. Saw two West Point cadets and told them hi and good luck. I was amazingly not very anxious. I was getting into "race zone mode" but not anxious. It felt great to taper, and I was ready to go at it...let the games begin!!

Swimming :00:29:02 1931.21 meters 01m 30s / 100meters
Age Group Rank: 24/90
Overall Rank: 557/1929
Performance: Good
Suit: WetZoot Fuzion Sleeveless
Course: Inverted triangle counter clockwise.
Start type:Wade Plus Waves
Water temp: 78F / 25C
Current: Low
First 200M Performance: Good
Remainder: Good
Breathing: Good
Drafting: Average
Navigation:Good
Rounding Buoy: Good

For the swim I put myself out front on the right hand side. Right before we started I linked up with a BT friend (Jenny) and that was perfect as she and I would see each other a lot over the rest of the day and that would help me out! I got up front as I figured I'd rather have people swim over me and break up their stroke than me have to swim over them and break up my stroke. We were wave 6, and it was probably the most contact I've had in a swim yet. It stayed pretty tight up to the first buoy, and so while I wasn't on a set pair of feet, I drafted in the pack to the first buoy--my sighting was GREAT and I rounded the buoy well onto the long leg of the swim. The wind was blowing from behind us (a tailwind) and gave us a "current" as we went. For a long time I looked for feet to draft off of, but there weren't any. I passed lots of people from previous waves and just focused on doing my stroke well, sighting well, breathing well and keeping my form. I stayed nice and straight and picked up some feet about 300m from the last turn buoy. I held onto those a bit. I knew I was doing well because my watch was set to beep every 15 minutes and I had only heard it beep once...nice! THEN, it got way crowded again and I had to swim over some guys from the blue wave (sorry boys) and then everyone was standing up way early, and I just swam through them and out of the water I went. I went running up the chute, but not as hard as usual as I knew it was a long way up the hill and didn't want HR too high (still was). The swim was short--probably 200m or so, but even if I had that time, it would've been a FAST swim for me and beat my goal swim time. So, very happy with this swim. Didn't gulp in much water, didn't get pummeled, and only had to swim over a few folks.

What would you do differently?: Nothing except maybe catch feet better and just get faster in the water. I think I sucked in a little hydrilia. My OWS, sighting, navigation, all of it has improved SO MUCH this year I cannot even begin to tell you! This was a GREAT swim for me. My legs actually felt a little heavy in the middle, but that went away. I didn't overheat--a little warm, but nothing that affected my swim.

T1: 2:37

Okay, got out, across the chip timing mat and started running up the hill, immediately, before goggle cap removal, got my suit down to my waist, got the cap and goggles off, and then actually rolled my wetsuit half-way down my butt...then I made the mistake of thinking I overshot my transition area, stopping, then seeing numbers and moving to find my spot. Actually got the wetsuit off quickly, did a really quick wipe off of the bottom my feet. I didn't worry about some grime on my feet--at the Austin Tri I had grime on them and it didn't phase me. Got my helmet and glasses on and off I was at a full run towards the mount line. OH, we did have to wear our race # on the bike...so like I did at the Austin Tri, I wore my race belt with # rolled up under my tri shorts under the wetsuit, that way, I didn't have to worry about it in transition. As I ran to the mount line with the bike, I just reached back and pulled it out.

What would you do differently?: Get something to more clearly mark my spot. I haven't missed it often, but this was a HUGE transition area (2300 racers). Of the top 10 girls in my AG, I had the 3rd fastest T1, so I'm happy about that considering the mishap--take that away and I might've had the fastest. I've become pretty adept at my transitions this year!

Biking 02:42:57 56 miles 20.62 mile/hr
Age Group Rank: 5/90
Overall Rank: 335/1929
Performance: Good
HR Data: 157 AHR; 184 Max HR
Wind: Some with some gusts. I think I've just gotten used to it and don't notice it too much.
Course: 1 loop, multiple turns, variety of road surface, rolling hills.
Road Condition: Dry, rough and cracked in some spots, smooth as can be at others
AVG Cadence: 93
Turns: Good
Cornering: Good
Gear changes: Good
Hills: Good
Race pace: Hard
Drinks: Just right

Not the greatest bike mount, but not the worst, got started feeling pretty good, but heart rate was way high and figured it would be, but the beginning is a lot of rolling up and down and I got my HR down some. I then hear a friendly hi/encouraging word and there is Jenny, right with me. It was pretty packed for at least the first 15-18 miles. We didn't want to draft, and I could tell that everyone was trying to stagger, but it was more like the tour de Austin there at the beginning and we were joking about it. But seriously, that group no one was sucking someone else's wheel just to get a draft. Sure, we were too close, but there was nothing you could do about it. That is when Jenny and I started leap frogging and I think I even mentioned "I bet we do this all day." I did pass a lot of women at the beginning--I'm typically beat out of the water, but my bike fitness has improved IMMENSELY this year. Anyhow, I hit 21 miles right at the 1 hour mark and didn't feel like I was pushing it too hard, in fact, I felt comfortable. There was some tailwind in that first 20 miles. I started the bike with 1 GU Roctane and took in Infinit every 15 minutes thereafter. I was glad to see the road cracks well marked. The first time I rode it I just wasn't used to those things, but this was time 3 and it wasn't bothering me. PLUS, you could tell that the race directors had gotten a lot of it filled in some. It was around 21 miles that I was dropped by Jenny and the others she was with. But, I kept my cadence, and kept on going. At each water station I grabbed a bottle and refilled my aero bottle then chunked the bottle. I only carried the one aero bottle and Infinit the whole time--no need to carry extra weight on the bike. I did great with the bottle hand ups and each time pointed to the person that I wanted to hand me the bottle and yelled what I wanted. I was still feeling good, though around 35 or so there were some steeper short rolling hills and some headwind, and I got a little pooped--seems to happen in the middle of all of my rides--but then I got it back. I hit mile 40 still going over 20 mph! I was so stoked!! I was passing guys left and right. Though, one of the Team Iron Mex guys about knocked me over in a turn, that was slightly scary. My nutrition was working great and I never felt hungry, and then I think it was around mile 45 or so that I caught back up to Jenny and the leap frog started again. The last 15 miles was when I felt the wind more in that it moved my bike a little, but the road surface was smooth asphalt at that time, and it didn't affect me much. I've grown accustomed to Central TX wind. I just stayed aero and kept on going with a good cadence, and occasionally I went into the 100RPMs in the wind, keeping good speed, but also keeping the legs from working too hard. I was still feeling good, and Jenny led up the hill to the intersection. We were pretty close and as we neared "Quadzilla" she asked if I was ready--I'm not sure what I said, but I shifted my gears just right and made my way up that blasted hill and actually passed her. I took that hill on with vigor! I took that right on that downhill/flat toward the last right turn to the finish--at the middle of that stretch I got my feet out of my shoes, and then did the last little uphill to the dismount with my feet on top. I took in another Roctane about 5 miles before the end.

What would you do differently?: Nothing I would've done differently. This was an awesome bike. Leap frogging with Jenny really helped me with the time, and I knew if I was near her I must be doing well cause she's is solid. I took in good nutrition, I did take Excedrin half-way through--keeps my lower back from hurting after the bike. I probably should get a different cassette for hillier courses. The one on my race wheels is an 11-25 I think...it's great for flats, but I should probably have a 12-27 on it. I had a BLAST on this bike course. Nice and fast--there was wind, but I have trained with it this year and learned to mentally overcome it. That was a huge help to me!

T2: 1:14

GO ME! FASTEST T2 time in my AG!! I didn't really do a flying dismount, my short legs make this really hard for me, BUT, I did get off in a very smooth and controlled fashion and ran my bike straight in (long run), quick rack, helmet off, Newtons slipped on (no socks), grabbed my visor and fuel belt and off I went.

What would you do differently?: Nothing. I did this great, in fact, I did it the best in my AG. I'm happy. Big transition--I love being able to run without socks. Wouldn't do that for an IM, but HIM or less, no socks--I get blisters under the toenails with or without, so might as well just go without!

Running 01:53:34 13.1 miles 08m 40s min/mile
Age Group Rank: 7/90
Overall Rank: 290/1929
Performance: Average
Heart Rate: 170 AHR 183 MHR
Course: Two loop up and down rolling course with about 4+ miles on dirt trails.
Keeping cool: Good
Drinking: Good

Started off too quick, but caught myself and got my HR into Z2/Z3. Jenny passed me not too long after and she was just flying!! Saw several of the pro men and women heading in--Michellie Jones, Bree Wee, and Pip Taylor was finishing about the time I was starting my run. I just felt pretty solid for the first 1/2 and then after the first time up Quadzilla (big hill, same one as the last big hill we biked up) I started feeling it...but I knew I had no need to stop, so I just kept on going. Loved passing the BT Tent and there were several others on the course cheering for me. I grabbed sponges at every chance I could and soaked my head with cold water. It was much hillier than I had anticipated actually, so I tried to let the downhills take me, keep my breathing good, and took a Roctane every 3 miles. I sang several things to myself, I kept repeating the verse "I will run and not grow weary" and kept reminding myself how much better I felt compared to Buffalo Springs and how much I knew I was going to RUN this entire course. Saw Blythe and lots of BT'ers on the run: Tommy, Bonny, Marcy and more. Knew other BT'ers were cheering for me outside the fences that were watching, and if I didn't acknowledge you, I'm sorry, I heard you and it was AWESOME, but I was in a zone. Liz and Joe cheered for me too, thanks y'all!! I thanked lots of volunteers, slapped hands with the volunteers in the super hero costumes at Quadzilla, and drank my GU2O and NUUN as needed. I occasionally grabbed some water to drink, and often dumped it on my head. I stuck to my nutrition of a GU every 3 miles, though did the last one at 11 before my last trip up Quadzilla. Grabbed a sip of Gatorade at 12...besides that, all my own nutrition and no extra stuff. Never felt sloshy or too thirsty. I kept looking at my overall time on my watch and when I was still in the 4 hours with just 2 miles left I KNEW I was going to CRUSH my 5:18 best possible goal. I was so excited and just knew I was going to keep on running all the way through and figured I'd be somewhere between 5-10 in my AG. I came across the line with my arms raised in victory, cause it was! My clock read 5:09!!! I COULDN'T BELIEVE IT!! WOW! What a PR day for me--5:52 at Buffalo Springs at the end of June and 5:09 now! I RAN THE WHOLE WAY!! This was so much better than Lubbock was in June. I was hurting some, yes, and I definitely slowed the second loop. This was much hillier than expected. I think it was almost constant up and down. I would love to see what I could do on a flat course. The aid stations were great, but I didn't want to try new things out there and didn't need to do so. In Lubbock I wanted to try whatever I could to survive, for this one, I knew I was good. I had some lower moments where I was tired, but I also had moments where I got a 2nd/3rd/4th wind. Supporters were AWESOME! THANK YOU!

What would you do differently?: The run was MUCH better and stronger than Buffalo Springs. I just lost some gas on loop 2. I need to get where I can stay constant the whole time...my HR was much better loop 1 as well. The heat wasn't killing me at all, but definitely felt it more that second loop--as well as the hills were starting to get to me some. Quadzilla the second time was much tougher than the first time. I need to be stronger off the bike--I didn't blow my legs up on the bike, I just need to get stronger in the run off the bike. I think I can get this to an 8 minute pace with good training--that might get me a Clearwater slot somewhere if I can.

Post race
Warm down: I almost tumbled onto the volunteer chip taker offer--got my towel, water, and banana and got my finisher picture taken...as soon as I got through there, Jenny congratulated me, and I congratulated her (she did a 5:02!) and we chit chatted some. She was a constant that whole race and really motivated me! I saw Jessica and she congratulated me (I had given her a high five earlier that day I think). I then wandered around a bit, grabbed my plate of food and stumbled over to the BT tent with so much happiness and adrenaline. The BT supporters got me settled into a chair and I ate, and talked to everyone there--we cheered on folks. I went back and forth...I had some "hopes" maybe I could get a roll down Clearwater slot if others took off early. Not this time around, but it was fun to watch the awards, and maybe someday. Actually, if I had been in the 30-34 AG I would've podiumed in 3rd place! Chatted with lots of friends at the BT tent (so many awesome triathletes and people--fun to spend time with them) and then made the LONG trip back to the parking lot with SD Jen and Julia (4the in AG--she and I have gone head to head in the Austin tri's lately)...it was great to talk with her, and found out she's going to do Boston in April as well.

What limited your ability to perform faster: More training...more experience...more base. It was my first tri season, and I couldn't be happier to finish as I did. I have done well at building lean muscle this year, and trimmed down some, but I can get faster if I get lighter. I'm not saying I'm fat--so no one read into that--but I do know that my ideal race weight is less than what it is now. So, that's something to work on as well. Probably should've done more hill repeats in prep for this race as well, would've helped with the course.

Event comments: Last year I was in Iraq, had never done a tri, and only had done 2 ten-miler races and one 1/2 Marathon...I was new to the BT.com site and I loved reading the TX forums and everyones excitement about Longhorn before and after the race. I read ALL the race reports, and I wanted to sign up AS SOON as it opened. I would end my first tri-season with the Longhorn HIM. This race didn't disappoint. This race and the activities, food, hype, volunteer support, spectator support, schwag, all of it was heads and tails above what I saw at BSLT 70.3. I felt like an important athlete out there. I loved the spectators on the course, the costumes, the signs, the individually #'s racks and just the personal touches of it all. Kudos to Keith Jordan and Endorfun Sports. Doubt I'll do the full HIM next year due to it's proximity to when IMFL will be, but if my coach lets me do the Aqua Bike or something like that, I will. I WILL be back at this race in the future years. Thank you to EVERYONE that was out there cheering on, both racers and volunteers and spectators. It was great to meet so many BT'ers are the pre-race dinner and the tent.

I can hardly comprehend how far I have come in a year from dreaming about Longhorn to finishing it in stellar fashion! I saw an All Army woman triathlete out there (she was something like 5th woman overall--fast and strong) and I'll be honest, that's something I want to shoot for sometime in the future. I have some hard training ahead of me, but I have some great motivation for it. Wish I could grow longer legs, haha! I am definitely getting an Army tri-suit for next year--need to represent!

Longhorn 70.3

2008-10-06T08:10:00.003-05:00

More to follow as far as race report, but here is the laydown:

Needless to say, I'm a VERY HAPPY HALF-IRONMAN! The swim was short--I'm not that fast, somewhere around 200m...but I still would've had a swim PR and crush my race goals. More to come, but yay for LONGHORN!!

Well, guess I'll throw it out there....

2008-10-02T21:32:00.002-05:00

Well, I suppose I should throw out some goals for the weekend shouldn't it...I may be grabbing a little too big here, but I'm just not good at predicting these bigger races. Shorter, it's easier, cause you can practice the events back to back and know. Some keys for me to reach big goals:
- Get at least SOME drafting in during the swim.
- Take advantage of downhills and flats and do well in nutrition on the bike
- Do not start too quickly on the run, keep good form, keep mind in check, don't get sloshy belly

The closer I am to 5hrs 30 mins, the happier I'll be, anything else is the cool whip and cherry on top of an ice cream sundae!

Best case scenario:
Swim: 35:24 (1:50/100m pace)
T1: 2:00 (I think it'll be a big Transition)
Bike: 2:52:18 (19.5 mph)
T2: 1:00 Run: 1:48:04 (8:15 pace)
Total Time: 5:18:47

Probably scenario:
Swim: 36:22 (1:53/100m pace)
T1: 2:00 (I think it'll be a big Transition)
Bike: 3:01:37 (18.5 mph)
T2: 1:00 Run: 1:51:21 (8:30 pace)
Total Time: 5:32:20

Poor Performance Scenario:
Swim: 38:37 (2:00/100m pace)
T1: 2:00 (I think it'll be a big Transition)
Bike: 3:06:40 (18 mph)
T2: 1:00
Run: 1:57:54 (9:00 pace)
Total Time: 5:46:11

APFT and Taper

2008-10-01T21:04:00.002-05:00

Apparently Half-Ironman training is conducive to an EXCELLENT APFT (Army Physical Fitness Test). I'm sure it helps that it's taper week prior to the "A" race for the year. Yep, it all pieced together, and now my Soldiers know their new commander isn't just yapping about PT being important and that drastic improvement IS possible--I've shown it. So, what did today look like--some of it blew me away too:
2 mins of pushups: 72
2 mins of situps: 122 (<--insane, I don't even know how this happened...I haven't been doing them often AT ALL)
2 mile run: 13:08...to think, I used to think I could NEVER get to a max score in the 15's...now I'm thinking about how I hit the 12's for my next one...if we hadn't had 3 turn arounds on the run today (.5 mile and back route) I think I might've shaved those 8 seconds off...
Needless to say, I'm pretty pleased.

Command has had me BUSY which is good because I haven't been able to think/focus on the taper tantrums that have happened in the past before big races. Next few days are REALLY easy. NEARLY THERE!!! BRING IT ON!

Another week...

2008-09-27T12:24:00.002-05:00

Wow, where does the time go!?! I can't believe it's been a week since my last post. I have been busy with my new job, no doubt, but it has been good and invigorating. Thankfully the timing could be better as this past week began my taper for Longhorn 70.3 next weekend. I didn't get in all my planned workouts, but got some great strength and cardio in with my unit. I got my bike all nicely tuned up and was out on this morning and it felt very nice and smooth. I did manage to get to the pool before unit PT a couple of times this week, and that seems to work just fine. This next week of course the workouts are not intense or very long, and it also fits with my unit PT as we have our PT test this next week. I'll take the 2 mins of pushups/2 mins of situps/2 mile run test on Wed...then I'll cheer on/observe the rest of my guys taking it on Thursday and Friday. Once work is over on Friday it's LONGHORN WEEKEND!

I'm not nervous yet, I'm not having taper tantrums, and I'm pretty confident about my training. Sure, there were probably some things I could've done better, some more time spent in the pool, or doing this or doing that, but whatever. I have trained pretty hard, raced pretty hard, and really am looking forward to the race. I've rode the bike course, fully, twice. My swimming has definitely seen some time improvements this year. My running mileage has been significantly increased in comparison to what I had before Buffalo Springs 70.3. I am ready for this race. I am getting a massage today to loosen me up. I'm going to eat healthy and hydrate this next week, and focus on some good sleep. I am going to do well this next weekend. I am not worried about placement, I'm not worried about podium, I am racing for me. I am racing to be solid in all three disciplines and leave it all out on the course. Next Sunday it's all about me beating me and having fun. This race will cap off and end my 2008, and first, triathlon season. I have high hopes that it'll be a race I walk away feeling like I did what I needed too and am ready to tackle bigger goals in 2009!

Happy weekend all!
GO ARMY! BEAT THE AGGIES!

What. A. Week. A. GREAT. Week.

2008-09-21T19:57:00.005-05:00

Wow, so much to catch up on about this past week. I can hardly remember much before Thursday....though I know that a good hunk of the week was change of command preparation. I don't talk about work on here too much because I think it can be imprudent to talk Army issues in a public forum, plus this is my blog for life apart from the Army. HOWEVER, this week was important and big, so I'll give some insight into it. Bottom line, as of Friday I'm now the commander of a Military Police unit for the next 18 months. Taking command is an important step in a military officer's career, and it means a lot of work for me. But it is good work. After just a few days of command I'm already THRILLED to be back working with Soldiers. It will be an exciting and challenging 18 months, but I look forward to learning and leading.

(Receiving the Guidon from the BDE CDR, indicating my taking command)

(Passing the Guidon to the 1SG- my first act as the CDR)

My parents and dear family friend Liz (she's known me since I was knee high!) came out from Houston on Thursday for the Friday's ceremony. So, Thursday night I enjoyed talking with them and I made shish-ka-bobs for dinner (veggie and shrimp). The night was so very nice outside we actually ate on the back patio on my new patio furniture. It was so enjoyable. Friday started early as I went in for a ceremony practice, and then it was the ceremony, the reception--so many great friends showed up, thank you for your support--and some business I had to take care of that day. I was tired by the end of it all and we headed to the new Cheddars restaurant in town. I headed to bed, and Saturday morning headed to the Ft. Hood Sprint Tri. It was the first tri that Ft. Hood has put on, and I was skeptical about how it would play out, but they did an AWESOME job. Some of the Soldiers in my command are part of the MP Bike Patrol, and they were out supporting the course too. Mom, Dad, Liz, and my furry dog children Davey and Annie came out to watch, cheer, and bark (just the furry ones barked!). I had fun, though my hamstrings and quads were TIGHT for the swim and 1st half of the bike. But, it turned into a great race, and I placed first woman overall with a 1:06:39 (approx 400m swim--supposed to be 300m, but was WAY longer than that, 12 mile bike, and 3 mile run--run was 3.34 miles according to my Garmin), so my times were:
Swim (400m): 7:28 (1:52/100m pace)
T1: 44 secs (small transition)
Bike: (12 miles) 34:21 (21mph)
T2: 33 secs
Run: (3.34 miles) 23:33 (7:03 pace)
I got a nice plaque and certificate for a pair of New Balance running shoes at the PX. I don't wear NB, but my brother does, so I'm gonna hook him up. It was a well put on race, and I only see it growing in the future! Great job Ft. Hood! I went out to just have fun, wasn't feeling great energy wise at the start of the race, but really enjoyed what the put on out there! Apparently I'll be in the post paper and the a spot on local PBS that covers Hood events...video of me in a tri-suit on TV--oh my!!

(Starting the bike)

(Starting the run--had to keep a good clip, #2 wasn't far behind me!)

(Post race-With my parents and furry kids--well, only Davey is in the picture)

Mom, Dad, and Liz took off that afternoon and I relaxed, finally...hadn't slept great during the excitement of the week, and finally did Saturday night. Sunday I was up and at them as I went to meet a friend to ride the Longhorn 70.3 bike course again and then take Juan (my bike) into the bike shop in Austin for a FULL tune up in preparation for Longhorn. I'll pick him up on Thursday afternoon. Today's ride was good--had some break rubbing issues that made me feel like I was hauling a 500lb weight behind me....it was KILLING ME. Thankfully it wasn't me. Once that was fixed, I was feeling great. Very VERY excited about the big race in TWO weeks!

So, my first full week in command starts tomorrow! I'm ready for the adventure! It is an honor for sure!

Phew...

2008-09-13T18:14:00.002-05:00

Well, Ike definitely left it's damage, that is true. Lots of clean-up to be done. However, my family safely weathered the storm, and for that I'm truly thankful to God. We thought we'd end up getting more weather here in Killeen. There were some strong winds this morning and a little bit of rain, but that's it. I was actually hoping we'd catch more rain, we need it. It's just hot and humid out there now. The possibility of the bad weather, and the strong wind, did force me to do my last big training ride (3.5 hours--70 miles), in prep for Longhorn 70.3, on the trainer. It was rough. I did watch a movie, and then parts of another and some hurricane coverage. What a sweat fest though. But that's the last big ride! I was supposed to brick it and run after, but it was rainy and windy, and I just didn't. Tomorrow I bike and run as well, and then taper starts. I still have some big swims, but that's okay--swims are easier to recover from because they are not impact or as high of a heart rate pusher.

20 days till Longhorn!! Some cooler weather for that race would be nice. Sign-up's are nearly full for Longhorn, and as of today there are 105 women in my Age Group! OH MY! This will be by far the biggest race/competition I've done yet within my age group. It'd be great to break the top 10, but so much will depend upon who shows up to race and how the race days go. I do not expect to podium this one--there are some fast fast women showing up. I just want to feel solid the whole day and put up some good times in comparison to Buffalo Springs--that was totally a test race, this one is the real deal! But, I've definitely done considerably more training, and that will pay off (I hope!). No goal posting yet, still working on that. I have a couple of weeks!

IKE :(

2008-09-12T21:53:00.002-05:00

Ike is huge and moving ashore and Galveston is already flooded. Yeah, I'll get lots of rain and some strong winds--but nothing like Houston and the LA Gulf Coast. Lots of family and friends in that area. I could complain about 3.5 hours on my trainer for my ride, but my worries and prayers go to all of you in Houston. :( Be safe please. Praying for you.

Do Not Forget

2008-09-10T21:10:00.006-05:00

Seven years, do not forget.

It is incredible how much time has passed since 11 September 2001. It is incredible how much has transpired in the life of our country in that time. There is much I remember of that day as it was close to home. I was a senior at the United States Military Academy. I had started my last year on my journey to a commission as an Army Officer. I was in my Constitutional Law class with then CPT Patrick Murphy (now a PA Congressman) when the first plane hit. None of us knew, but class let out moments later. Everyone in the hallways were talking about “something” that had happened to the World Trade Center. I remember saying something to my friend Emily, and then heading to my next class, The Politics of Defense Policy (sadly ironic in retrospect). We all were hearing a buzz, and we immediately turned on the TV. Then, in horror, we watched as the 2nd plane hit the 2nd tower. We heard the reports of another plane hitting the Pentagon, and possible rumors of other attacks. We were silent. Some sobbed. Our professor, a retired Army COL and veteran of the Vietnam War watched with us. We were all in utter shock at the horror...and we knew OUR lives and future had just drastically changed. Eventually, he just let us go. I think someone said “this changes everything.” I was cadet battalion commander. I knew we would have reactions, I knew things were going to change at West Point. In fact, they already had. MPs were checking everyone’s IDs. I immediately checked in with the Major I worked with and my cadet regimental commander. We had tasks we had to do, to include determine which cadets might possibly have family members caught in the disaster. We also had to find out what restrictions were going to happen. Everything was changing. Amazingly, we still had lunch formation and lunch in the mess hall. Many were worried, and with good reason, one of those planes had just used the Hudson River to navigate to New York—it had flown right over us. For the next few days, maybe couple of weeks, no one left post. We held a Taps Vigil, something typically reserved for the death of a fellow cadet, to honor those we lost. Rumors of early graduation so we could go to war flew throughout the cadet grapevine. Rumors of classmates wanting to resign and go enlisted so they “didn’t miss the war” abounded as well. We sat spell bound to the news. We wanted more than anything to go to NYC and help. Surely there was something we could do, but apparently at the time the best thing we could do was continue our preparation to become officers. We did take up a sock drive because we were told that those working at Ground Zero needed more socks as they were wearing through them. We sent thousands of socks. Just a week prior we had conducted one of the most successful blood drives ever, so we really couldn’t hold another. We knew that some of our classmates had lost family and friends, especially those that hailed from NYC and New Jersey or had family in the Pentagon. Most of all, we knew that our world had changed. Those that did this WOULD answer to America. Off post, flags flew from every house and from every car. In the midst of terror and grief American Patriotism rose. On Columbus Day weekend we went into Afghanistan. Officers we knew, recent graduates, would be part of that push. My class wanted to graduate RIGHT THEN, but we didn’t. We finished up the year, all the while knowing that the Kosovo Peace Keeping mission was no longer the “major task” we would face. No, my class graduated into war. By the time the majority of us had completed our Officer’s Basic Course and arrived at our new units the battlefield of Iraq was real. Some of my friends crossed that berm in March 2003. Some of them never came home. Nearly all of us have been to war since, many more than once. Some have just been to Iraq, some to Afghanistan, and some to both.

Would I change my choices? Would I take a different path knowing what I know? No. I have wondered whether to stay, but never regretted where I have been or what I have had to do. I was interviewed, as a cadet, just a month or so post-9/11 and made the comment that “we are whole lot prouder to wear the uniform.” Little did I know how true that would be for me. I have had to lead some of the best Soldiers. We have and are doing our job, politics aside. We, the Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, and Marines, have not forgotten 9/11. Those flags that flew from every house and every car are literally on our shoulder every day we put on our uniform. The enemy is real and is out there. It is our hope and mission that we can foil any plans he has to strike again. But, we must not forget. To forget is to invite evil back into our country. Patriotism should spur us daily because we have freedoms that many in the world cannot even imagine. We have the freedom to argue with each other. We have the freedom to worship as we wish. That freedom isn’t free. I’m not asking for thanks for me, I do this because I’ve been called to do it, but I have felt the cost. I have lost friends. I have seen the horrors caused by NOT having the freedom that America enjoys. This is my generation's Pearl Harbor...we must remember. Even when it hurts, we must remember.

Do not forget. Do not forget. Do not forget.

Fly your flag. Sing the National Anthem. Love your country. Thank a veteran, old or young. Thank a veteran's family--it's a tough job these days. Volunteer to help those who have lost someone guarding your freedom. Be proud to be an American, but do not take it for granted.

Do not forget. Do not forget. Do not forget.

God Bless America.

Muffins, Boston, and Ironman

2008-09-09T21:11:00.006-05:00

You know my life is busy when I'm only posting once a week. Between balancing the multiple tasks that go with preparing to take company command (19 Sept!!) and some heavy training, life has just been busy! I had a pretty big training weekend between Fri-Sun. Today I got in a good open water swim at Lake Belton and a quick run. This past week my Newtons came in...now, I didn't pay full price for them, it was a good deal through the Army Tri Club. I have used them on two runs, and I like them thus far. This is my LAST big build week before my workouts start to decrease before the Longhorn Half-Ironman. I had the opportunity to ride the Longhorn bike course on Saturday and I like the course, there are just some fairly new road cracks that the drought and heat has caused. So, those are somewhat a concern. But, I think if I have a good day I can pull of a 3hr. bike, which would be AWESOME. More predictions to come for that.

This past week I also made two BIG decisions.
#1- I registered for the 113th Boston Marathon on 20 April 2009. I don't have my "official" acceptance yet, but no worries, my 3:34:00 at the AT&T Austin Marathon assures me a spot. So, you can easily guess what I'll be training for during this winter. I won't stop swimming and biking, as I think cross-training is important, but those two will be for maintaining fitness in those sports, but I will be working on my marathon speed! Now to find a place to stay in Boston...
#2- I bought my tickets to go spectate/volunteer/cheer on racers at Ironman Florida 2008 on 1 Nov 08. Not only are there lots of great racers for me to cheer on, but I also intend to stand in line on 2 Nov 08 to get my "golden ticket" to take on the course in 2009. Next year I will become an Ironman! I am so excited about it!!

Obviously, my focus of 2009 will be Boston in the Spring and Ironman Florida in the Fall. This year may have had lots of mileage, but next year is more focused and it'll be a journey like none other I've done outside of the military. It will stretch my boundaries, challenge me physically and mentally, require strict time management, and a level of determination and personal discipline! Am I nervous about it all, yes. BUT, that nervousness of the challenge is what entices me and calls me to do it. I will learn from it. It will make me a better person, a better athlete, and a better Army Officer. It will be a journey from start to finish. Ironman is not just race day, it's the months of training, sweat, and tears that culminates in a long-day of adrenaline highs and lows over 140.6 miles, but ends with the coveted title of IRONMAN. In 2009 it will be my personal journey. Stay tuned!

Lastly, muffins--see I didn't forget! I have been experimenting with muffins lately, and here is one I tried that I like. I tweaked one from a yogurt container and it is pretty yummy!
2 Cups Whole Wheat Flour
2 Cups Old Fashioned Rolled Oats
1 Cup sukonot (unrefined sugar) OR organic brown sugar
1.5 TBSP of baking powder
1 TBSP cinnamon
1 cup raisins (plumped--soak in water for an hour)
2 Cups Light and Fit Vanilla or Strawberry yogurt (I used Strawberry this time)
2 eggs
4 TBSP pumpkin (or you could use pureed sweet potatoes or applesauce--this is in place of oil)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Use Baking Pam to grease muffin tins (don't use paper cups--when you don't use oil in a recipe, paper cups just stick to muffins). Stir together dry ingredients; in another bowl whisk together yogurt, egg, pumpkin, and raisins. Mix the liquid mixture into the dry ingredients until just combined. Back in the middle of the oven rack for 23-25 minutes. Approx 150 cals per muffin. They are yummy, moist, and healthy!!

Austin Tri Report

2008-09-02T20:28:00.007-05:00

It was a great Labor Day weekend--went much too quickly, but that's typical. Friday I got in a good 14.5 mile run with some massive hills and headed to Austin with some friends for a little bit to help one get good running shoes, Saturday was a 2 hour/37 mile bike ride and I went and saw the Dark Knight with a friend at the movies (and bought a new Kitchen Aide Blender at the new Bed, Bath, and Beyond in town!), Sunday was church, drop off the bike at transition/packet pick up and early to bed, and Monday was the Austin Triathlon (Olympic distance).

This weekend I posted the following as my goals in my BT workout log:
Swim: 29 min or less would be GREAT...No more than 30 (1:55-2:00 pace)

T1: It's a LONG transition--I'm betting 2:30-3:00 just due to distances in/and out

Bike: 1:11 to 1:15 (20-21 mph would be awesome)

T2: 1:00-1:15 just due to distances, faster is great

Run: 47-49 mins...sub 8:00 min/miles is ideal

So, um, it could be anywhere between 2:40 max and 2:30 best. Anything 2:30 or less and I'd be ecstatic!! I really am just looking to run really solid after pushing a solid bike. So, we shall see how it goes out there!

As always, my full race report is posted on BT and you can see it by clicking RACE REPORT.

But, I'm SO HAPPY with it, I cut and pasted most of it and am posting some here too--bear with me, it's long, I like to capture details, my "race diary" if you will (typed quickly, ignore spelling and grammar--had to capture the essence of the day!:

(Transition in Downtown Austin, 0530 Race Day)

Triathlon - Olympic

Total Time = 2h 28m 49s

Overall Rank = 118/781

Age Group = F25-29

Age Group Rank = 2/35

Pre-race routine:We had to do bike check in on Sunday, so I linked up with two friends and we loaded our bikes up and headed to Austin. We picked up our packets, browsed the expo, and then went and racked our bikes. My rack was on the far west side of transition--not bad for run out, but FAR from bike out and in. I then left my bike (Juan), for the first time, on his own....his first slumber party. I did leave instructions he was not to stay up TOO late playing with the other bikes...he had important work the next day. We then drove back. I got the gear together and was in bed before 9, and asleep before 10. The alarm went off at an EARLY 0300, but I felt good and did sleep. Ate a mini-Cliff bar. Got the pups situated, grabbed my stuff and headed to meet the girls. We met up on time and drove to Austin. I ate my PB&J waffle sandwich, a plum, a 0 cal energy drink, and had some water. We got to transition as it opened (we're all Type-A's...it's not an option). I had a good porta-potty visit, got body-marked, and set up my transition area. It was then chit chatting with friends prior to the start...along with a couple of other potty trips.

Event warmup:Umm, I didn't do much. They don't allow pre-race swim warmups, so I guess my warm-up was putting the wetsuit on. I debated using the wetsuit and was CLOSE to not using it cause I thought it might be too warm. But, a more experienced tri-friend said she was wearing it, I decided I needed all the help I could get in the swim, so wear it I would. One GU about 20 minutes before start.

Swim Comments (26:35, 1:46m/100m): GREAT swim for me, in fact, best ever. BSLT was "faster" but I had a long running start as part of it. This one was overall better. I started out in the front line, I'd rather have people swim past me than have to swim past people. There was some initial contact, but not too bad and it didn't take long to spread out. The first leg was long, I caught a couple of feet, but they were fast and I lost them, but then towards the first turn I picked up some more. The water was smooth, my strokes were smooth, I sighted really well, and I had a good first two turns. I then was able to consistently DRAFT! YAY ME! She would slow down a bit much for me, so then I would move to her left and catch a side draft but keep speed, then she'd speed up and I could hop on again. I successfully avoided the slower guys waves that we were passing, and as I made the last turn in I just felt strong. Got to the exit, and the volunteers were great in helping us out, and we needed it. My friend Blythe was volunteering there and cheering for me. As is my method, I immediately began the long run to transtion and got my wet suit down to the hips and goggles/cap off.

What would you do differently?:Nothing. I sighted great, I drafted successfully as I could. I was 5th out of the water for my AG...I would've regretted not wearing the wetsuit. The buoyancy helps me. I literally pull faster than I kick...I did kick, but the wetsuit helped. I was conscience of my form more than ever before, and just confident with sighting. GREAT swim for me, GREAT pace! Thank you for wet-suit legal! And, I didn't even get CLOSE to overheating. I did notice, the wetsuit is A LOT tighter over my calves than last time I wore it... :)

T1 Comments (3:09):This was the LONGEST distance for a transition EVER. It was at least 150-200m up stairs and to the transition spot. I overshot my transition initially, got back to it, took the suit off, which the transition area was in sand, so mud everywhere. But, I got it off, got my bike shoes on, some dirt in them, but no worries (need cleaning now...) and helmet, glasses. It was then time for the 1/4 mile, and I'm not exaggerating, run to the mount line. Even the open wave, the closest to the mount line, had a fastest T1 of 1:52...I was on the OTHER side, and had to run with my bike that far. LONG transition.

What would you do differently?: Need work on wetsuit removal. Wasn't bad, wasn't good. Not miss my row initially (just went one up)...first time that has happened. Nothing to use as a land mark.

Bike Comments (1:10:48, 21.06 mph): I just really had fun on this course. I wanted to push the downhills and flats, properly gear the uphills to spin them, and watch to keep a 91-97 cadence. The first loop the course didn't have too many racers on it. The open/elite wave was already on their 2nd/3rd loops and getting passed by them made for some nice views. ;) I passed several guys, a couple of girls, but wasn't really paying attention. I pushed the first loop pretty hard. The second loop I played the hills a little bit better, pushed the downhills well. The third loop I did about the same. Once the course got crowded the scariest places was the great S.Congress downhill and the turn arounds cause there were just too many people on the course, and too many who did not understand the concept of staying to the right unless passing. So, as I could legally, I ended up staying left a lot on some of those spots as I was passing the sprinters. It wasn't hot at all, the grit in the shoes didn't bother me, I took in 1.5 bottles of fluid and two GUs--one half-way through, and then one at 22 miles before I got to dismount to propel me on the run. Once I came down the turn to go to the dismount line I got my feet of my shoes and did probably the last 300m with my feet on top of shoes.

What would you do differently?:Nothing...couldn't be happier with my ride here. Best gear shifting, good drinking/nutrition, good passing...just so much fun to go FAST!

T2 Comments (1:17):Pretty good transition...got to my rack without issues this time, got the bike on it, helmet off, my feet were WAY sandy due to running in the sand from dismount to my rack, so quickly wiped them on the towel I had sticking out just for that. Slipped my feet into my well body-glided shoes, grabbed my garmin, hat, and water bottle and took off. I had started the swim with my race belt already on, number rolled up underneath my tri-shorts, so one less thing to do. I will do this again!

What would you do differently?: Nothing much, this was good considering the distance. This is the only place I gained any time on #1 in my age group...I had one of the faster times out there compared to everyone.

Run Comments (47:00, 7:34min/mile): I started off and was seeing 7:10 pace, so I slowed it down, got my HR at about 170 (bottom of Z3) and my pace around 7:35 and just went from there. The first loop took a bit for me to get in the groove. I carried my own bottle (hate stopping to drink) of Nuun, and sipped as needed. I tossed water on my head at every drink station, took advantage of the spray hose lady at Jack and Adams, the sponges when they handed them out, and the kids with the water guns spraying people. This kept me cool and kept me trucking. Had some friends cheering me on at a couple of spots, and that encouraged me. I passed at least 2 girls that were ahead of me and in my age group in the first loop. I had no idea how many were ahead as the course was mixed sprint/oly racers at this point. I kept looking for the girl that won #1 cause I knew she was ahead of me (bike gone when I got to my bike, bike back when I got to my bike) but hadn't seen her, finally, after I started loop 2, I saw her and knew she was a good near mile ahead of me, so I just encouraged her to "go get it", she was trucking! I pushed it on, felt great on the 2nd loop, picked up speed on the last downhill, and the last 200m I got my "sprint in" kick that I don't know where it comes from, and I did sprint it all the way in hard. I knew, within the last two miles I might make sub 2:30 and that was what I was pushing to do! Looked at my watch after I was done, saw 2:28 and was ECSTATIC!

What would you do differently?: Maybe push harder a little earlier, I still had some kick...but at the same time, it took me the first loop to feel comfortable, I kept a steady pace throughout really, but actually felt "comfortable" the 2nd loop. I was afraid I may have pushed too hard on the bike, but looks like I did okay. #1 ran about 20secs/mile faster...so I guess just run faster! :)

Post race
Warm down:Grabbed water, cool towel, went to watch for friends to come in and chatted with other racers. Grabbed some fruit, and a little sample Cliff MOJO bar (I can't do the post-race pizza...ugh). Got changed, waited for awards ceremony.

What limited your ability to perform faster: One-day taper...I am training for the Longhorn 70.3 so I've been training through races. I am SO looking forward to tapering fully for a race to see what I can do. BUT I am thrilled to have done what I did here today. Very very very happy.

Event comments:Well organized, great volunteers, great organization, great post race food/drinks available, U2 cover band, friendliness, etc. My only complaints were the FOREVER long run with the bike to the mount line (dimsount in wasn't as bad), and how crowded the course became. Otherwise, awesome race and I'd love to do it again!

(On the Podium getting my 2nd Place, Congrats Julia on 1st!)

(With my trophy--but it's a clear guitar thing on base...hard to see!)

BRING ON LONGHORN 70.3! ONE MONTH! The only bad thing is the girl that beat will be there too...but the good thing is that she is an awesome athlete, great competition, and very friendly. Kudos to her for a great race!

Why do I hate laundry? Does laundry burn me out?

2008-08-28T11:45:00.003-05:00

It's true, I hate laundry. I don't mind washing it, but for some reason I despise folding it and putting it away. Maybe it stems from the fact that, as a kid, folding laundry was a chore I was capable of doing. Whether it was matching/folding socks as a 4 year old, or folding the sheets with my sister as we got a little older, I have always disliked it. No, my parents didn't beat us to fold the laundry, we got paid an allowance, but none-the-less I still hate folding and putting up laundry. It's easy to wash it...and it's not difficult to do the rest, so I cannot figure out why I procrastinate so much on this chore. Granted, these days my laundry consists primarily of spandex, lycra, my ACUs (Army Combat Uniform), and green socks. Somehow, and I'm sure it's to my Mother's chagrin (though I do try to make sure it's not evident when she visits), I will often have a basket of folded laundry sitting in my floor for a week. I have no idea why this is such an issue with me, but alas, it is.

This is a race weekend for me. We do have a four-day weekend, so my race is actually on Monday, Labor Day. I'm doing the Austin Tri (Olympic Distance-1500m Swim, 24.85/40k mi bike, 6.2 mile/10k run). I'll look at some of my data and throw some "prediction" times out there this weekend. I expect to be able to do well. This will be my first "official" Olympic distance as my April race was a 1/4 Iron race, my July Olympic was short in the swim and the bike, so this will get me an actual "Olympic distance" time. I was only 2 weeks off of finishing the Buffalo Springs 70.3 when I did the July pseudo-Olympic, and I did fairly well. I'd like to see myself do better, at least in the bike and run, than I did at that one. Should I do that, I hope to finish quite well. However, I'm not really "tapering" for this race as I'm training through it in preparation for the Longhorn 70.3, just 37 days away. I will take it easier on Sat/Sun, but still planning on getting some good running miles in on Friday, and some biking miles on Sat. Sunday will primarily be an off day, packet pick up, bike check in (first time I'll have to check my bike in the day prior to the race--makes me nervous taking Juan to spend the night by himself and not in my control), and early to bed.

I am looking forward to racing this weekend, as well as following the progress of some friends as they tackle Ironman Kentucky on Sunday. Everytime I race or watch the Ironman races I am inspired and motivated. Such motivation couldn't come at a more opportune time. I wouldn't say I am burned out, but I definitely had some lack of motivation moments this past week that I had to work through. This weekend, and then the Ft. Hood Sprint race, should keep me going until Longhorn!

I do want to give out big cheers for Gary, Becky, David, Kenny, Karen, Sydney, and more as they go out to conquer their 140.6 miles swimming in the Ohio River, and biking and running throughout Louisville, KY and the surrounding countryside! Kick some butt, have some fun, and soon you will be an Ironman!

What a week...

2008-08-23T14:31:00.002-05:00

Phew, it's been a busy week. I am not blogging much these days....must be getting lazy! There were some great highlights this week though. My little guy, Davey, celebrated his 3rd birthday on the 19th! Now, someone told him that 3 dog years = 21 people years. I'm not sure on the accuracy of this, but he was pretty convinced, and in one of his moments of "rebellion" he challenged me. All day long he kept nagging me that since he was "21" he should be allowed to have a drink. Just one he says. I am opposed to this, and I let him know it. But noooo, does he listen to his Mom, not this time. Look what I "stumbled upon" later that evening (I wasn't the one stumbling...)(DAVEY! Where did you get that....)

(Tsk, tsk, tsk)

(He was starting to feel the affects I think, and actually stuck his tongue out at me when I got upset with him. Can you believe it?!?!)

The rest of the week I've had some really good workout days and some not so good ones. I have loved the Olympics, but I have let it eat into my sleep time, and I felt it on some of my workout mornings. I did, however, get to bed in plenty of time last night to have a really great workout this morning. I went on my longest ride ever, and I did it solo. Starting out at 0715 I went out for 4 hours and hit 76.01 miles in that time frame. It was a fairly hilly route with some a couple of 20% grades--I think I saw a 6mph on my Garmin when I was going up those! It was a great ride though. It was hot and humid, but that doesn't bother too much riding. I did need about a 1/2 bottle more of water though. I "bricked" it and ran 30 minutes afterwards as well (3.57 miles)--I was feeling great starting out, and actually could have physically run more but I could tell I was starting to literally overheat. That can happen in August in Texas at 1200 in the afternoon...Needless to say, when I got in a tub of cold water it felt WONDERFUL. Since then I have just wanted eat! Haha! No overdoing it though!

I think once the Olympics are fully over I'm going to do a "Brittany's Favorites" Olympic Recap! I was trying to remember why it seemed SO LONG since I had seen a summer Olympics...that's when I realized that when it was in Athens, Greece in 2004 I was in Baghdad, Iraq and really wasn't watching TV...no wonder it seemed like I hadn't seen once since the Sydney games in 2000, because in fact, I had not!

Last Weekend and Healthy Fear (of me)

2008-08-19T19:33:00.000-05:00

Wow, it’s been to long since I’ve posted! I guess I have just been busy! Last weekend was fun. On Saturday I rode the Cove House Classic. I had planned on doing the 63 mile route, but my legs felt like they didn’t show up to play, and it was the most hilly course I have ridden thus far. I ended up going nearly 53 and at a 19.1 mph pace, so I can’t complain—that was a great pace for me especially with the hills, but I just was done. It was cooler than it has been, but also more humid. So, instead of some of the sweat evaporating, it just stayed there and I was totally drenched, but not sunburned. I’ll take the trade off. On Sunday I headed to Austin and participated in the Austin Triathlete’s 2.4 mile Open Water Swim. The temps were decent outside, the water was fairly warm though (definitely not a wet suit day), and it was windy and the water choppy. I felt excellent for the first 1.2 mile loop and was able to draft for a bit off of a guy…unfortunately I probably didn’t pick the best person to draft off of in that I probably slowed myself down to much to stay in his draft. Oh well, I did learn much more about drafting, and this whole swim was for learning and confidence. It probably wasn’t until the last 600m that I started getting the thoughts of “I want to be done, are we there yet, are there yet?” So, considering that I’m training for a Half-Ironman with a 1.2 mile swim, my plan to make that seem short has already worked! My stroke’s form really degraded during the last 600ms though, so that’s not good. I finished in 1h 24 min, or about a 2:11 pace, I did the first 1.2 miles in less than 2:00 pace or faster, and then slowed that second loop. I looked at all the times for everyone out there that swam the 800m, the 1.2 miles, and the 2.4 miles and it was a much slower average than the last times they have done it. So, I can tell that the chop really made a difference with. I now have a benchmark from which to improve (which I will) at that distance for next year, and feel strong I felt great when I was done though, and am more confident everyday about the Longhorn 70.3 in October. After the swim several of us went out to eat there in Austin and it was truly enjoyable! What a fun weekend.

This week I began change of command inventories so I can take over one-month from today. That will keep me busy, and thus far has been a fairly painless process. It’s a lot of equipment to go through, but if I’m going to sign for it, I am going to see it and make it sure we have it! A funny workout/PT (PT=physical training, not physical therapy) happened at yesterday’s layouts. I made the comment that I was glad the rain held out for us (the equipment layout was outside). One of my soon-to-be troops mentioned he wanted it to rain during PT the next day so it’d be canceled. I looked at him and said, “Uh oh, apparently you haven’t heard the news that your incoming commander is fairly fond of PT.” I then got several looks of “what do you mean.” I then proceeded to tell them that my favorite off-duty activities are triathlon and marathon training and that this next year I plan to compete in Boston Marathon and an Ironman and that this year I had a few races left, to include the Half-Ironman and another Marathon. They asked me if I was doing the a triathlon that the post is putting on in September, and I said yes, it’d be good cause it’s short and fast because it’s a 300m swim, 12 mile bike, and 3 mile run. The reply to that was “Ma’am, you think that’s short?” I then told them how long the Half-Ironman is (I didn’t even mention, at this point, the length or intent to do the Ironman next year…that’d be too much at once!) and got the “uh oh, the incoming CDR is crazy!” A little bit of healthy fear is good. I think they’ll be surprised when they see what the this 5’3” frame can do when it comes to running and other Army PT!

Wordle..fun!

2008-08-14T20:41:00.003-05:00

I stole this idea from my friend Melissa...it's a wordle. To quote Melissa. "I made a wordle. It was fun." She was correct! You can make one too (very easy if you're a blogger too--it takes the text from your blog), just click here on WORDLE.

Here is mine, I like that it looks like a foot!

Olympic fever!

2008-08-13T21:51:00.004-05:00

I LOVE THE OLYMPICS! GO TEAM USA! So yes, I've been watching them...and probably staying up too late to catch the action. I am in awe at so many of these athletes, especially the incredible feats of many of the swimmers--not only Michael Phelps, but seriously, that guy is a swimming superman! What an incredible Olympiad thus far. HOWEVER, I can't stay up late every night--my own training is still on-going and probably fueled and inspired by the Olympics. I will say, however, that when I watch men and women swimming 100m in 45-50 seconds or so, and I avg a 1:50 on a good day...yeah, I felt like I was slogging through the water the other day!! Haha! But, that's okay, I'm working on becoming a good competitive age grouper. Age grouper = balancing work life, personal life, and training. I don't get to just eat, sleep, and train. That's okay. Sure, I had dreams of Olympics as a kid (nothing realistic, and I knew it...but dreams nonetheless) and maybe when I'm old I can do the "Senior Olympics"--haha, but I'll cheer on Team USA in the meantime!

It is a big training week for me. I did have to shuffle some workouts since Big Bird and Grover closed the pool for two days--yes, Sesame Street. The Sesame Street show is on at Ft. Hood and the put it at the main gym where the pool is and they shut the whole thing down. Now, I don't think Big Bird and Cookie Monster will be spending time in the pool, so why close it?? If there are big yellow feathers in there when I swim next, I guess I'll have to admit I was wrong. So, what does this week look like:

Monday: 1.5 hour bike ride (26.85 miles); 40 mins of strength/core
Tuesday: 1 hour swim (2800m); 20 min of core
Wednesday: 40 min run (4.76 miles- speedwork); 1:16 bike (intervals- 23.82 miles)
Thursday: 13.1 mile run
Friday: 1 hour swim (2800m); 40-45 mins strength/core
Sat: 63 mile bike ride (Cove House Classic in Copperas Cove)
Sun: 2.4 mile OWS in Austin; 1 hour run (possible move/cancel...the 13.1 is an add, so I may sub it, we'll see)

So, this month will be one of my biggest "total months"--probably my biggest cycling month and swimming month, but not run (marathon training took that earlier this year I'm sure). I am feeling very confident right now about my progression and training for the Longhorn Half-Ironman in October. My run volume and strength is improving, my bike has improved a lot, and while I'm not a lot faster swimming, I am some, and I my endurance has absolutely improved--so I can hold my swim pace for longer. This weekend's open water swim in Austin will be a test for sure. But it will also make the 1.2 miles I have to do for Longhorn, and the 1500m I have to do for the Austin Olympic Tri just that much easier. Our minds can be a huge factor in racing, and for me, if I "conquer" a distance--anything shorter becomes "easier" for me. Plus, this 2.4 miler will give me a great idea of what to expect for Ironman training next year!

Off to bed I go--I can't stay up to watch the guy gymnasts...must run in the morning, so must sleep now!

Let me introduce.../Great training

2008-08-10T20:23:00.003-05:00

I'd like to introduce you to my new little girl--a sweet 1.5 year old yorkie poo I have named "Annie Oakley"...she is at home with me now and has already chased her brother Davey (and vice versa) all over the house!

I look forward to fun time with both of these and hope these two critters have fun with each other!

This weekend was a great training weekend. Due to the MP Ball on Thursday night, we had Friday off, and that was nice. I got in a great 12 mile run before it got to hot. I kept it in my Z2 Heart Rate range and still managed an 8:05 m/min pace and that was awesome...it felt so good. Then on Sat. morning I got up and joined a friend for a bike ride (we linked in with a group for a bit) and I ended up doing 70.7 miles--my longest ride ever, and at a decent pace. I did a brick (bike then run), so after the bike I did 30 min of running, and I felt SO GOOD. I knocked out 3.87 miles, giving me a good 7:45 m/min pace. WOW, I couldn't believe it. My confidence and endurance is growing with each good weekend's worth of training. This morning I knocked out an hour recovery run, and while I didn't push it, I felt really good--no major soreness at all from the previous two-days training. I met my folks and two brothers and a friend of one of my brothers at a Lake half-way between where I live and they live in order to pick up Annie. What a fun weekend! Annie is definitely a sweetie and training is great! :)

I AM A SUPERHERO!

2008-08-08T21:18:00.005-05:00

Okay, I had some time today and goofed around with a link someone posted on BT (thus my BT screenname at the bottom). Yes, you too can be a superhero, just click on this link to Marvel Comics and creat your own! :)

Race Age and Annie

2008-08-06T20:34:00.002-05:00

I am my race age today. :) No more silliness of them aging me up on my leg just cause of how old I'm supposed to be in December! Only one more birthday before I start repeating the same one over and over again! Haha! I did get a very nice Juice Plus cycling jersey from my parents, and went out with some friends for lunch.

Some more friends are coming over on Saturday for a little get together dinner, so that should be fun. Tomorrow is night is the MP Ball here, so we'll get all dressed up in our "Blues" and it should be a pretty fun time. I'll try to take some good pictures to post. Friday became a training holiday because of the ball, so I really only have 1/2 a day of work left this week! Yay!

There is some big news for me, I am getting dog #2---as long as she gets along well with Davey (he needs a buddy, hope she's the answer). Right now she is with my folks. She is a 1.5 year old, 9lb yorkie-poo. I will get her on Sunday when I meet my folks and brothers for a nice family picnic half-way between my place and their's. Right now the yorkie-poo's name is Jasmine, but I just don't care for that name much. So, after some thinking and brain storming, I have decided that she shall be Annie Oakley...okay, I'll call her Annie, and she'll have my last name, but she needed a middle name too. I have no children, my dog (soon to be "dogs") are my kids--so when they do mischievous things (yes, Davey's cuteness saves him often) they need a full name for me to yell out! :) When I have good pictures, and after she takes a trip to the groomers, I shall introduce you to her in a much better fashion!

I'm a winner!

2008-08-03T20:27:00.004-05:00

Yay!! Today I took 1st Place in my Age Group in a triathlon for the first time--1st out of 62 racers and most of those were from the competitive Austin/San Antonio crew! So, needless to say, I'm pretty thrilled. The details of my race report are on BT, click here if you'd like to read the nitty gritty: Race Report. I'll give you the nutshell version-

It was a 500m swim, 13.8 mile bike, 3 mile run.

62 in age group, 799 total finishers, I was 1/62 for AG and 67/799 overall.
Swim: 9:27 (1:53/100m pace)--that fit my goal of a 1:50-1:55 pace; 10th in AG
T1: 1:30 (major improvement for me, top 3 in AG)

Bike: 39:41 (20.9 mph avg)--my goal was 20mph+, TOTALLY ACCOMPLISHED, 1st in AG. This was a passing fest for me. I passed countless riders and was passed by NO ONE. And I LOVE my new wheels!
Run: 22:22 (7:27 min/mile)-- my goal was 7:15-7:30, so accomplished. I can run this faster...need to slim down back to where I was marathon. Still very happy. (4th in AG)

So, podiumed for my AG, 7th woman overall, and 5 of those women were the "elites" in the open wave, and the other was about 10-15 secs ahead of me and in the 20-24 AG.

This was a "C" race for me, and I was going to go all out hard, cause that's what you do in a sprint, and I was coming off a 40 mile bike ride on Saturday (but I'm very comfortable with that distance now). So, couldn't be happier--learned more about racing, which happens every time. Also got a medal for 1st and a sweet organic coffee set: 2 mugs and 3 lbs of coffee! Jack and Adam's put on a great race, and I'm excited about the Austin Olympic Tri that they put on come Labor Day! So, that completes my 3 tri's (HIM, Olympic, Sprint) in approx a month time frame...no more tri's till Labor day, but LOTS of training--big volume month for me!

Vacation comes to an end...

2008-08-01T21:27:00.004-05:00

Well, the vacation time is over...okay, not really till Monday, but I'm not getting charged vacation days now. It's been a nice, but somewhat quick month. Why couldn't time go that quickly when I was deployed? Oh well. I did get a great deal accomplished, maybe not all that I had wanted to do, but the major things did get done. I finally feel like my house is "together." My yard could be greener, but I can weed-eat now. My dining room table and chairs are in their place. My bedroom, guest bathroom, and exercise room are happy colors. My patio is nicely set up with patio furniture. I have flowers that have managed to keep alive for nearly a month! I took the GMAT and did very well on part of it, and discovered what I need to study for next time. I got my driver's license renewed and my dog groomed. I got in some good training sessions, and I slacked on a few--but it was vacation, that's allowed. I raced and completed my first Half-Ironman at Buffalo Springs. I placed 2nd in my age group at the Disco Olympic Tri, and I placed first in my age group in the Freedom Fest 5K. Hopefully I bring home some more hardware on Sunday from my sprint race. I spent some good time with some good friends, to include my parents visiting. I bought race wheels that are super-sweet looking and I'm excited about racing. I rarely had to wake up at 4AM...though I do well at morning workouts. All in all, it was a low-key, but good time off. This month includes some decent volume in training as the Longhorn Half-Ironman is just over two months away and the San Antonio Rock and Roll Marathon is 3 1/2 months away. I will start it off with Jack's Generic Triathlon this Sunday. I will also do the Cove House Classic 63 miler in Copperas Cove, and then the next day do my first 2.4 mile open water swim at Mansfield Damn in Austin. I will also begin the process of preparing to take command in September, so change of command inventories are in my future. I also need to finalize my command philosophy and work on some other necessary pre-command preparation. So, it will be a full month. I'll be back in a routine, which won't be bad. In an odd way, I do enjoy my 5AM swims and runs in the dark with my blinky light strobing. Monday brings it all back!

BUT--before then I will go on a group bike ride tomorrow, then head to Austin for packet pick up and to stay with my wonderful Austin friends, and then race in the Jack's Generic Sprint Tri (500m swim, 13.8 mile bike, 3.1 mi run)! Best of wishes to everyone else racing this weekend!

Canadian Tri Hero and Thoughts on Tri-Gear

2008-07-30T17:29:00.004-05:00

Today's post is for my fellow tri-readers out there, tomorrow I'll post something for everyone that is in the "works."

Tri-Hero: Big kudos out to Canadian amateur triathlete Casey Pierce who saved the lives of a couple whose boat capsized in a lake in Canada. She was on a bike ride with a family, heard the couple cry out, dove into very cold water, swam about a kilometer to them, and then TOWED them back in their canoe as she swam with a rope around her waist! Read more about it HERE.

Gear: Triathlon definitely is a "gear" sport...you don't need much to get started in a sprint: a bike that can make it 12-15 miles, a swim suit and goggles, and running shoes. That's really ALL you need for a sprint triathlon. Really, one could argue it's ALL you need for any triathlon. However, it seems as one gets addicted to the sport (which seems to be the way it goes), the tri-specific gear becomes "important." I fully admit that it has for me...remember those pictures of the sweet wheels on my bike (which, BTW, I rode the wheels for 10 miles on my 10 mile route this morning and I rode it the fastest I have ever ridden that route, and it WAS windy, and I was fatigued...maybe it was the wheels, maybe it was all in my head, but I'll take 2 mph!), or have you laughed at my aero helmet in the picture up there, or do you ever wonder why any of us run around in lycra with strategically placed pockets to stash our "nutrition"...yep, it's cause we like the gear, and proper use of it can make you a faster athlete IF used properly. I'm no expert, and I'm continuing to learn. Just like we have "PX Rangers" in the Army (those that buy "all" the gear at the local post exchange and look like a futuristic Soldier, when really they don't have a clue about soldiering), there are definitely those that have "all" the gear but no idea how to use it properly. I must say, I smiled when I got back from the swim at my last tri and extremely tricked out Cervelo P3C with Zipp808's, powertap, etc. was still there....it was even better when I got to the bike-run transition and the bike WASN'T there (because I beat her--she never passed me on the run either). That being said, I still have a lot to learn. One of the BT guys that recently did an awesome 10:48 at IM Lake Placid started a blog and is putting out his two-cents about tri-gear on his new page, so go visit Fred and his post about the "Best Investment for the Triathlete."

How far have you gone this year?

2008-07-29T14:51:00.005-05:00

I hate math, but I like numbers...data from my workouts that is: be it pace, my heart rate, how far I went, etc. Thanks to the awesome logs at BeginnerTriathlete.com I have all records of every ride, every run, and every swim. The site puts together nice monthly and yearly totals, and you can compare it all in a variety of fashions. Oh, and FYI, such logs are free--check it out. Today there was a thread started in the Tri-Talk forum that I remember seeing last year and looked forward to playing this year. In a nutshell it was "How far have you gone this year" with the idea of, if you took all the miles that from swimming, biking, and running, where could you visit in the US (or wherever you are). Googlemaps makes this easy to figure out, and in the end it's a "fun" way to quantify the extent of my training. Come the end of the year I'll do this again and we'll see "how far" 2008 takes me!

My bike mileage takes me on a trip from Killeen, TX to Tampa, FL and up to Washington D.C. (approx. 2031 miles)

My run mileage takes me west from Killeen to Las Cruces, NM (622 miles)My swimming mileage takes me through Austin to the little town of Kyle, TX. (86 miles)

P.S. Thank you for all the kind comments on the furniture and the walls!! I think I finally feel "settled" in the house. BTW- painting seems to be a big "post race" deal for me: I've done it (with my folks help) after both the Austin Marathon and Buffalo Springs 70.3! Painting = good recovery maybe?!?!

Finally...Dinner Anyone?

2008-07-27T14:07:00.003-05:00

Finally, after 6+ months since I ordered it, my complete dining room table and chairs is where it should be: in my house!! These are Amish, hand-made pieces from Ohio. Anyone want to come over for dinner??? (also, there is a great leaf for the table that self-stores inside the top of the table--so plenty of room for entertaining!)

Training for Kona--In Iraq?!?!

2008-07-26T17:35:00.003-05:00

Many of you know that my endurance sports journey began in the desert of Iraq when I was there from Aug '06-Nov '07. It started with running the Baghdad Army 10-Miler in Oct '06. Training for that was such an awesome way to deal with stress that I just kept running. Next thing I knew I was training for a marathon, running a 1/2 Marathon in Baghdad, and knocking 10 minutes off my first 10-miler time when the 2007 race came along. It was also in Baghdad that one of my dearest friends convinced to me give triathlons a shot when I got back (little did she realize the monster she would create!). The longest run I ever did was 18 miles, and the longest stationary bike ride I ever did was 2.5 hours. Between work, training, and sleeping I didn't too much else. Having done one Half-Ironman now, training for another, and planning to to train (stateside) for an Ironman next fall, I cannot even IMAGINE training for an Ironman while in Iraq, much less training for Ironman World Championships in Kona. But Marine Major Bill Conner is doing just that at Camp Fallujah as he won his slot in this year's lottery picks. I've been to Camp Fallujah, and the area to train there PALES in comparsion to the opportunities I had at my camp in Baghdad. Kudos and best wishes to you Major Conner!! I'll be rooting for you come the big race on 11 Oct! Click here to read the full story about Major Conner!

Juan Loves Me

2008-07-25T12:07:00.002-05:00

Juan loves me very much (Juan is my bike). Why does he love me? Because now he gets to sport these when we race together! I shall give them a spin later today!

HED JET C2 60 in the front and HED JET C2 90 for the rear wheel! Flat/aero spokes...Juan is hot!

So delinquent

2008-07-23T21:41:00.002-05:00

I have been oh so delinquent on updating this...I do apologize! I did get some big projects done--my exercise room is now a happy yellow!! It is definitely easier to paint with 2 people--one for edges, and one for big area with a roller. (here's two views for you)

I also hung up my new curtains in the office--thanks goes out to Mom for taking the one curtain and making it into two! (and yes Melissa--it is my "army" room! haha!)

Tonight I finally hosted people in my home--it's been awhile, but I had some friends over for fajitas and it was really enjoyable. The only thing that would've made it better was if my dining table chairs were already here. Alas, they won't be here till Sunday. But we did eat at the new table, and it was great. Once the chairs are here, I'll take a picture and post them. Otherwise, I did a lot of cleaning and organizing (for me--apparently Mom thinks I need to be more organized--but somehow I missed that gene--I'm organized enough).

I am trying really hard to stick exactly to my training plan without moving workouts, or saying things like "I'll make up those last 15 minutes at this time, etc." Nope, I need to stick to it...the only thing I want to allow myself to do is make the weekend workouts possible, which may require some moving, but volume needs to stay at the plan or above the plan. I really want to do well at Longhorn 70.3, and by well I mean a considerable improvement over Buffalo Springs. I think my ride will be much faster, and I expect my run to be faster as well. I was lacking run volume, and while I haven't registered for it yet, I am planning on the San Antonio Rock and Roll Marathon on Nov 16--just about 6 weeks post Longhorn. That requires me to increase my run volume for Longhorn training, but I know that for me, my body gets faster as I train to go longer. Doing some 14-16 milers prior to Longhorn will only help me conquer that half-marathon post 56-mile bike ride better. But, it is getting there, and I'm happy about it. I am enjoying upping the run volume again and look forward to some nice long weekend runs.

There is probably more I'm missing to put here, but I need to wake up super early for my swim so I can trek to Austin and pick up my RACE WHEELS tomorrow! Rest assured, I shall post pictures!

Between Life's Bookends

2008-07-19T21:02:00.005-05:00

There have been a few things in various recent events that have brought back some re-occurring thoughts of mine. Important thoughts that I should never ignore, but always examine and evaluate myself. A lot of people that I know are dealing with tragedies within their families: loss of family, news of cancer, more deployments. At the same time life is blooming. Some of it is new life and and many families I know have precious new additions to their families, while others are finding out whether the little one they are carrying inside is a boy a girl. Yet others are finding life through death--the selfless act of organ donation. Life is absolutely incredible, fragile, precious, and unpredictable. Both the heaviness of death and the celebration of life should be a reminder to us all of how we choose to live between life's bookends. From each example of life we see, for each hardship we persevere through, through each joyful moment in which we rejoice with others we learn. We are accountable for what we learn. If we learn we should love more, and yet do not, we fail. If we learn that we tend to avoid risks because of a fear of failure, and yet continue to hold back and not step out, we fail. If we learn that we should encourage and support others, and yet continue to focus on ourselves, we fail. But see, life is short. When our life here on this earth comes a close it's not whether five or a hundred people show up to honor your passing, it's about what they learned during your living and remember in your going that matters. What is your legacy? It's less the stories that others remember about you, and more the things that your life taught them. Prayerfully, I hope my life, both during and after, is an example of constant learning and growing. I'm not perfect, boy that is the truth, but what I don't want to do is make the same mistakes in life over and over again because if I do, it means I'm not learning from life. I'm not learning from those great people (and sometimes the not so great) around me. There is a lot that I'd like my legacy to be someday, and it's not all there yet. Life SHOULD be a constant growth process, and not just to make us better (that is a selfish motive) but to make those around us better. Sometimes it is the things that we do that inspire others, or things that we say to encourage others, but the bottom line is--it's our choice of what we leave. Will it be nothing? Will it be positive? Will it impact generations? Will it change lives? I want to leave a legacy.

Nichole Nordeman, a Christian songwriter and singer wrote a song that is exactly about it and is one of my favorites.
The basic lyrics are as follows, or click here to watch/listen to her YouTube of it.
I don't mind if you've got something nice to say about me
And I enjoy an accolade like the rest
You could take my picture and hang it in a gallery
Of all who's who and so-n-so's that used to be the best
At such'n'such ... it wouldn't matter much

I won't lie, it feels alright to see your name in lights
We all need an 'Atta boy' or 'Atta girl'
But in the end I'd like to hang my hat on more besides
The temporary trappings of this world

I want to leave a legacy
How will they remember me?
Did I choose to love?
Did I point to You enough
To make a mark on things?
I want to leave an offering
A child of mercy and grace who blessed Your name unapologetically
And leave that kind of legacy

I don't have to look too far or too long awhile
To make a lengthy list of all that I enjoy
It's an accumulating trinket and a treasure pile
Where moth and rust, thieves and such will soon enough destroy

Not well traveled, not well read, not well-to-do or well bred
Just want to hear instead, "Well Done" good and faithful one...

Some productivity maybe?

2008-07-16T22:32:00.009-05:00

I am SOOOO enjoying my off time from work. Granted, I'm not going on any huge vacation, but just relaxing, doing some of the tri's, training, and knocking out projects suits me just fine. Davey (they hyperactive poodle) is glad I'm not going to work either! I did accomplish some necessary tasks today: cleaned my bike well, especially the drive train, chain, and cassette, with my new knowledge thanks to a bike maintenance 101 course I took, made yummy and healthy bread, made granola, did some filing, some working out, and some general cleaning (that never ends...really, I need cleaning elves...someone please send me my cleaning elves!). More productivity is necessary tomorrow as well some "fun yardwork" and I think I'll do some reading and writing. I need to find out some details of this weekend too. I am doing a good long ride with a friend in Temple on Saturday morning, and am supposed to cheer on a friend at an XTERRA Tri (swim-mountain bike-trail run) in Austin on Sunday morning. However, her arm is slightly injured, so we may relay it and I might be doing the swim leg. I am NOT a mountain biker. The Muddy Buddy race proved that to me. It was a fun race, but I prefer going FAST on the road with the only "rough" road being the nasty Texas chip seal.

I know I probably chat about the "tri" thing more than some of you readers care and you probably view me as slightly obsessed. However, living where I do, with nothing more than work to focus on, this hobby gives me an outlet, an opportunity to meet people, and fills what would otherwise be wasted time or time filled with much of nothing. It's truly a little difficult to explain to someone that is not into endurance sports like triathlon and running. It is my hobby and it is part of my lifestyle. I do it because I want to be fit, I fully enjoy meeting and training with other athletes, I enjoy racing, and I needed something outside of the big, green Army machine that can take some of my effort. It actually HELPS me balance life because I do not dwell on the stresses that work can produce, and I have something to do when I am not at work. As an upper-20's single, I'd much rather put my time and effort into this than playing video games or mulling over life and dwelling on the job. Am I dedicated, yes, am I obsessed, no. This is just my outlet. It takes time, and it is exciting for me. That is why I share it. I have other things I'll put out too, and plan to do more of that in future. I am fond of writing and need to collect some of my thoughts and throw them on here.

Here are some pictures from the Disco Tri this past weekend. One of the BT'ers was out there with a great camera and took some of the fun action shots. The "official" photos are not out yet.

My transition area Having fun on the run! I tend to have a good final kick

More final kick--I really don't know where I get the final kick energy!

Taking it into the finish line!

This next one, the bike, is my favorite by FAR!

Getting my 2nd Place Hardware and loading it back up to head home.

I stayed with this crew over the weekend--we all placed in our AG's and William, on the far right, was not only 1st in his AG, but also 6th overall. He is FAST! Friends are great!

Disco Weekend and Great People!

2008-07-14T09:33:00.005-05:00

WOW---GREAT WEEKEND!! I have obviously become quite used to driving as the 3+ hour drive and back to N. Dallas wasn't too bad. Davey behaved himself better than usual in the car (maybe the treats helped?). Sat. night I stayed with friends there in N. Dallas--several of us racing stayed there. Sat. afternoon we all picked up our race packets, which was somewhat odd in that the pick-up place was a Krogers, and you got the first part of your packet in the wine department, and then had to go across the store to the meat department to get the rest of the packet, odd.

One of the absolute best highlights of the weekend was not the race (though that was great and I'll get to it), it was the PEOPLE! After packet pick up, our merry group met up with several of DFW triathletes from BeginnerTriathlete.com (BT) for an early pre-race dinner. At first we didn't know how many people would show up, but it ended up being quite a crowd and was a lot of fun. If you do triathlons or are interested in doing triathlons, logging your workouts, etc. you really should check it out. Second to the friend that convinced me to give triathlons a shot, this site has been great in my journey to learn about triathlons, log my workouts, get plans for specific distances, learn from and encourage other triathletes at different levels (from age group champions to newbie right off the couch). Great people with great encouragement frequent this site. I got to spend some time, both on and off the race course, with lots of those folks this weekend and it is definitely encouraging and fun to meet BT'ers at races. Not only did I meet many fellow BT'ers, I also met fellow blogger Kathleen (well, she found me--which is good cause I space out right before a race and go into "race mode") as we got ready to head out on the swim. It was her first Olympic distance race and first beach start for an outdoor water swim, and she did excellent--even scoring a medal!

So, before I go into the race details, let me just say that one of the absolute bests parts of triathlon are truly the PEOPLE. While you may get one or two "snobby" racers out there, the vast majority are just really incredible and full of encouragement. People of all ages, shapes, sizes, and skill level constantly encourage each other on the course, regardless of whether they know you or not. The folks on BT and the bloggers here in blog land are always encouraging, and I think it is because regardless of levels in athletic differences, we all feel some of the same pain, we all have to persevere over the same course, and we all know that you can't just decide one day to get up and do a triathlon. From some of the pros that have been out there to the newbies, even with so many of us being aggressive Type-A personalities, seeing others succeed and improve and struggling through the same things, even if at different levels is pretty incredible. Triathlon is an individual sport when it comes to individual execution, but it is truly an incredible community of athletes. I have been highly impressed at every event I have been to thus far at the high level of sportsmanship that exists. I have made friends some good friends here in the Central TX area due to triathlons, I have found workout accountability and sanity and friendship through BT, and I have enjoyed learning from and reading the incredible journey so many triathlon bloggers here take. I truly thank God for giving me the physical ability to enjoy this sport, and the many blessings He has given me in crossing my path with other triathletes out there. I was in desperate need of a hobby or something outside of the Army/work in which to focus my time and energy, and I have found so much more in the endurance sports/triathlon world: new lifestyle that makes me more fit and confident, great people, and more than enough places to spend my money (<--haha)! So, to my fellow triathletes--THANK YOU. To those of you who are now intrigued at the sport (anyone can do it, it just takes some learning and training!) check out BT or your find a local tri-club and jump into the swim, bike, and run! You won't regret it!

Oh, so the race. I will do a detailed race report on BT again and post a link to that, but in a synopsis, total time= 2:24:25
Swim (1500 yds not meters)- 26:43, 1:57/100m time (meter split is what I record, BT converts it for me). This is within my expected range of 1:50-2:00, so I'm okay with it. I drifted TOO FAR left on the leg out to the first buoy, kept an okay line to the second buoy (but still drifted left) and did pretty decent coming into the beach. First real running beach start (Buffalo Springs was just odd and different) and the contact was interesting, but not distracting. I just have to stop drifting left so much. The swim cap stayed on though, so that's a huge plus. I swam till my fingers touched sand, got up, and ran past lots of folks that walked the long 200m or so to transition. Out of 283 total racers, I was 127th out of the water time-wise. In my Age Group (AG) I was actually 4th of 13....so, again, I'm not slow but not way fast in the swim. It is my least favorite of the three-sports, and it was more choppy out there than I've dealt with in the past. Not bad overall.
Transition 1- 2:09min, at first I was irritated at this time...I wanted sub-2 minutes, then I remembered that we had a 200m uphill run from the beach to transition, make that shorter and I would have easily had sub-2 mins. This was a great fast transition, the only booboo was a tiny container of body glide I accidentally had let slip into the toe of my left bike shoe, so I had take that shoe off, dump that thing out, and put it back on. Besides that, I did well here--ran all the way to transition from the beach and got everything on and out fairly quickly.
Bike (23 miles)- 1:06:23, 20.79 mph avg. THIS BIKE WAS AWESOME! It was a rolling hill course, but nothing really worse than what I train on, so I was ready for this. I truly tried to hammer it nearly the whole time. I did keep my cadence good, but I just felt like I was flying. It was overcast, and it did rain some, but nothing like Buffalo Springs. I passed LOTS of people- men and women- on the bike. I took advantage of every downhill and worked hard to get that free speed. I stayed aero virtually the entire time besides turn arounds, to include the hills, and never had to shift out of my big ring. I played leap frog with the Women's Master Winner (51 years young and kicking butt) for the first 2/3rds of the bike and then finally dropped her. In the last 4 miles I got passed by the only woman to pass me on the bike (she was 36, so not my age group). We leap frogged a little bit, but she pulled out front the last mile. I would catch her on the run. So, excellent bike, so PLEASED with this!
Transition 2- 0:41, yep 41secs. I got out of my shoes before the dismount line, jumped off the bike (sort of--this needs work), ran in, racked my bike, threw on my shoes (without socks--yay for body glide in shoes) grabbed my hat, water bottle, and race belt and ran out on the run. I put the hat and race belt on while on the move. This is a GREAT improvement for me, and my transition times actually put me ahead of the girl in my age group behind me.
Run (6.2 miles/10k)-48:31, 7:50 min/mile pace. Good run. It was rolling hills, but about fair in both directions. I stayed right on the heels of the lady that passed me on the bike, and I ended up passing her just after the 5K turn-around point, and I passed two other women then as well. I almost overtook another one near the finish line, but was just shy of beating her. I was not passed by any women on this run. I did have a great finishing kick, and felt great aftewards, so I think I could've pushed it a little harder on the run...but still, I'm happy with this!

Final Results: 2nd in Age Group (F25-29, 13 total women...1st beat me by 15 mins and was 2nd woman overall...so not even close!), 84th overall out of 283 men/women, 12th out of 80 women racers. I am happy! Great race, highly recommend it. The awards was a little long and unorganized, but everything else was well done. I think I would try this one again.

Staying Alive!

2008-07-11T20:55:00.003-05:00

I finally, nearly a week later, got my care totally fixed, for now I'm sure. But my brakes are good, the ABS light is off, the passenger side window has a new motor and works again. It costs, but I save specifically for these costs, and in the now 6.5 years I've owned it I haven't had to do too much in regards to major maintenance. It's finally fixed though, so that was today. Also got some more fruit cause I was about out. This evening I made a very delicious pasta dish (my Fri pre-Sunday race carb dinner...yes, I said that right, I have my primary carb dinner on two nights prior to the race so it's available for me when I race). I scored BIG at HEB today with Portabella mushrooms. Getting there in the morning I not only had smaller lines, but you get all the marked down items. They had 3 packages of 2-great big, yummy portabella mushrooms for 99 cents!! I bought all three packages. So, I made the pasta with some tomato sauce and tomato pace, some fresh basil from basil plant, a little cilantro (I put this in everything these days), and then I broiled a red pepper, a portabella, and a zuchinni squash with Italian seasoning. It was yummy! I also go a brick (1.5 hr ride/11 min run) in this afternoon...boy is it hot outside.

So, this weekend I am doing the DISCO TRIATHLON! It is an Olympic distance race (1500m swim, 23 mile bike, 10K run), though the site shows the swim as 1500yds and not meters, so we'll see.

Goals for this weekend, oh I really don't know. I think after my first full season of tri's I'll be able to estimate this more, but here goes:

Swim: 1:50-1:55min/100 min avg.
T1: 2:00 or less
Bike: 18-20mph avg. ( I can hammer this harder than the Half-Iron cause the distance is shorter)
T2: 2:00 or less
Run: 7:30-7:45 pace would be ideal, I'm betting a 7:45-8:00 pace is more likely
So there we go.

Lots of Texas athletes from BeginnerTriathlete.com will be at the race, so that will be great too. I got a decent blister on the side of my right foot earlier this week running without socks in shoes that were too tight (dumb me). But, it's doing alright now, and if I can wrap it just right and have it survive the swim, then I think I can go sans sock for the run as well. We'll see. Have a great weekend everyone, and happy racing to everyone out there at Disco and the Couple's Tri in Austin (and everywhere else of course!).

Eh and Wheels

2008-07-10T09:04:00.002-05:00

So GMAT= Eh. I can write well (no scores on that yet, but I'm not worried), verbal section puts me up in a high percentile, but I need to study my math more. I knew all these things once...just a long time ago. It's been over 6 years now since I was in a classroom, and I finished my last math class 8 years ago, so I'm a little rusty. I will study more and take it again in late Aug or Sept. I still got a score above the minimum needed to put my application in for the Army program I'm trying for, but to more competitive for the actual MBA program I want, I need to score higher. If I can keep the verbal where it is and up the math just a bit, I'll be golden. So, the result = "eh." :)

The happy news is that in a week, I will own these- HED Jet C2 60 front/90 rear! Too bad I won't have them for the race this weekend, but I will for all my future ones! Now to continue to work on the engine so these race wheels are REALLY FAST! :)