Back at it

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...

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!

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!

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

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...

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

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

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?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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!

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!

"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!

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