Stupid Broken Foot - Week 13

Last week I had my 12-week follow-up visit with my Orthopedic. 

Strangely enough, you can still see the break on the x-ray.  Apparently, this is completely normal.  The Doc said that there tends to be a lag between what the x-ray shows and how the foot actually feels.  And, my foot is feeling better and better (thank God). 

The good news - the Doc said that I can go back to a regular shoe. Up until now, my options were the orthopedic shoe (which I wear to work) or my running shoes (which I wear everywhere else).  Hooray for real shoes!  On both feet!  Now this does not mean I get to wear heels yet (or evil flip flops), but it's a start.  I can live with flats for awhile longer.

Look Ma!  Two shoes!

More good news - I can start including "long walks" in my exercise routine in addition to the swimming and spin bike workouts I've already been doing.  But, I need to work up the mileage gradually.  And, if I don't have pain after a few weeks of walking, the Doc said I can add a little jogging.  Woohoo!  I guess I should have asked for clarification on the Doc's definition of "long walks", because the next day (Tuesday) I went out for a 1-mile walk.  I felt great afterwards, so the next day I went out for a 1.5 mile walk.  That felt great, too!  I did take a rest the next day and then went for a 2-mile walk on Friday.  On Saturday, the Kiddo and I went out shopping and I was on my foot all day.  Needless to say, I think I overdid it, because the foot has been hurting and achy since. 

Humph.

So, this week it's swim, spin and more swim, spin.  If the foot feels better by Monday, I may attempt a 1-mile walk again.  Or less.  Who would have thought a mile or two would be too much?  Ugh. 

The Doc said that he really thinks I can be running again by December.  After this week, I'm not so sure.  But, I am trying to be patient.  I've read several articles online that said it can take as long as 22 weeks for a bone to heal 100% and I do want my foot to be completely healed before I start IMTX training in January. Unfortunately, it looks like I am going to be starting over with the running.  I may give deep water aqua-jogging a try over the next few weeks though, just to build up some endurance.



Remember this lovely aquajogging gear from the hip blip of 2012?  Lacy, I really do need to get this back to you!!!

I don't think I've mentioned this before, but I really do like my Doc!  He is trying very hard to compromise with me by allowing me to do something without doing too much.  He said the easiest thing would be to tell me to stay off my foot for 12-weeks, but realizes that this would drive me crazy.  At the same time, he could tell me to attempt my normal workouts....but he realizes that my "normal" workouts (i.e. prepping for a 70.3) are not what the general population would consider normal.  (Silly triathletes)

This morning I was giving a lot of thought to the Houston 1/2 Marathon.  Technically, if (big if) I can start running in December (really running), I might get my mileage up to 5 or 6 miles by January 18 (which also happens to be my birthday!).  Technically, I could walk/run the half marathon.  I know my finish time would suck (and live on forever at Athlinks.com), but I am pretty sure I could get'er done. However, I also know that it might not be the smartest thing I've attempted and might even cause a re-injury.  With my eye on the prize (IMTX in May), I know that I should defer.  Ugh, guess it's just something else I should ask the Doc at my next visit....decisions, decisions!  And to think, I thought I'd be running by now....sigh!  Patience. 

Week 10 of the Broken Foot

So I've hit the 10 week mark of this dumb broken foot.  I've found that the elliptical makes it feel sore, so I've stopped.  I figured I'd give the foot a week or two off from the elliptical and then maybe try it again.  Swimming and spin are still working for me, although I did try my bike mounted on the trainer.  In bike shoes.  It went okay, but a little achy compared to just spinning in my running shoes on the spin bike.

Set up and ready to go....

Look Ma, two shoes!!!

So, onward I go!  More spin bike and more swim.  I swam 3,000 yds this morning, so I am almost where I was at this time last year before Oilman!  Let's face it, in Ironman I will more than likely be walking a lot of the run, right?  So, I figure if I just keep on spinning and swimming, there is hope!  (Finger's crossed)

Foot Update

So in 2012, I had the Great Hip Blip.  I haven't decided what to call 2014 and the foot injury, but I will come up with something.

I had my 8 week visit with my orthopedic last week.  The good news is that the foot is healing and is exactly where it should be.  I can add some elliptical to my workout routine and see how it goes.  I asked the doc about riding my bike out on the roads. He was a bit hesitant, but said that I could ride...if there as little to no traffic.  And.  There were no hills.  And.  It wasn't windy.  Basically, he didn't want me to have to worry about putting my foot down hard unexpectedly or have to peddle with a lot of resistance.  My response?  Nevermind, I'll keep spinning.  For now.

The bad news, other than the fact that the foot is still broken, is that I still can't run.  And, I get to continue wearing my sexy shoe and running shoes only.  At this rate, I won't be back in my hills until 2015...so much for sexy strappy shoes at those holiday parties!  But, when I go back in mid-October, he will re-evaluate and maybe, just maybe I can start some run/walk workouts.

All in all, this hasn't been horrible.  Unlike the hip, I know that my bone will heal and I will be running within the next month or two.  And, I am able to do sooo much more that I could with the hip issues.

So what have I been doing?  Hmmmm....let's see:

• Brazil Butt Lift from Beach Body  - I can't do the lunges in the 1st segment of the Tone workout, but I can do the last two which consist of lots and lots of leg lifts.
• P90X - Obviously, I'm not doing Plyo or the other cardio workouts.  But, I have been alternating between the Chest and Back, Shoulders and Arms and Chest, Shoulders and Triceps DVDs.  Oh, and of course I've added some Ab Ripper X in there for good measure.
• Swimming - This has been my go-to workout since about 1 month post injury.  I've gradually worked up the distance and can comfortably swim 2,500 for the first time since Oilman training last year.  I'll keep building up the distance and will hopefully be ready for IMTX training in January.  I was swimming only with the pull buoy (no kicking) until last week.  I feel pretty comfortable with a little kicking now, but need to keep adding more as the foot continues to heal.
• Spin Bike - I've been a little lazy here, only because I am finding it hard to get to the gym for more than an hour at a time.  I did spin for about 1 hour 15 minutes last week, but I could (and should) be doing more.  I guess the best solution would be to dust of the trainer and bike at home, but I really, really hate my trainer!
• Elliptical - I've only had one opportunity to get on the elliptical since my appointment.  I rode the spin bike for an hour and then used the elliptical for 20 minutes.  I probably should have only done 10 minutes, you know, to ease myself into it.  Unfortunately, the foot was a bit sore afterwards.  But only a little.  I'm going back to the gym tonight for more!

My new friend - the elliptical

My doctor explained that it would be much easier to just tell me to do nothing until the foot was completely healed.  He also said that he could tell me to go run, but that my foot would not heal and I would end up being in a great deal of pain,  However, he knows want to stay active and he's trying to work with me and give me some things I can do, which I really appreciate!  So, I'll follow doctor's orders and take one day at a time.

Some days, my foot feels great and I am tempted to do a little more than I should.  But, I have to remember the ultimate goal - IMTX 2015.  I want the foot to be ready to go in January, so I'll do what I have to do...even though it sucks!

On the upside, I can spend more time with these silly guys....

Enjoying having lunch with my silly kids!

Summertime…

Is it just me, or did the summer just fly by?  It’s so hard to believe that summer is over! 
 
I decided that this year, I was going to do my best to make it really feel like summer at home.  Traffic is lighter, so I decided to let the kids sleep in a little later than usual.  And, I attempted to take a day off each moth to do something fun with the kids.  Plus, we tried our best to do some fun summer activities - spending time at the pool, going to baseball games, etc.  We managed to see the Corpus Christi Hooks play the San Antonio Missions, plus we went out to Constellation Field to see the Skeeters play.

Hanging out at the neighborhood pool....

The kids enjoying a Hooks game!  Who am I kidding, they're enjoying the popcorn more!

In June, I took a day off from work to see Big! The Musical at an outdoor theatre. We had lunch downtown, explored Houston’s tunnels, ate cupcakes and just had fun. 



Checking out the skyline, providing child labor at my office, checking out the artwork downtown

At Hermann Park, after the show

The July outing didn’t happen, but I did manage to take 3 days off in August for some summer family fun.  We headed to the neighborhood pool, saw a movie (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles), stayed a night at a local resort (think water slides, lazy river, s’mores, dive-in movies….) and checked out the Downtown Aquarium for the first time ever.  Not exactly a Disney Cruise like last year, but still a much needed break from the daily grind.

On the Ferris Wheel at the Aquarium...don't worry, the Munchkin is just being silly.  He's actually having fun.  Really.

 

Rough life, right?  Having fun on the lazy river at the resort.

 

So now what?

Well, I am still patiently waiting for my broken foot to heal. The good news is that I can walk (or hobble) more now without pain.  If I overdo it, my foot does ache, but it’s nothing like the pain I had the couple of weeks following the break. That.was.brutal.

I had my 4 week check-up and things seem to be progressing.  To be honest, I thought my x-ray looked pretty much like the original one.  But, the doc said it is healing and is exactly where he expected it to be at 4 weeks. 

Here's the lovely pic of my 5th metatarsal with the break....

 

As for the workouts, I had already been swimming for about a week, but the doc said I could now add the stationary bike, spin bike or trainer to my routine.  However, I had to promise not to make the tension too high…in other words, no simulating hills.  Yeah, I got it.

My friend Jill and I headed to the gym last weekend and rode side-by-side stationary bikes for an hour….Jill is recovering from a nasty fall off her bike.  It’s funny, because swimming is not my favorite activity at all, but while swimming that first 25 yards, I swear I had a HUGE grin on my face.  I was just so stinking happy not to be working out in my living room (no offense to Tony Horton or the guy on the Brazil Butt Lift DVD).  I felt the same way about the stationary bike…I was sweating!  My heart rate was up!  It was AWESOME.  Since then, I've been visiting the spin room a couple of times per week.  Not exactly exciting, but whatever.

Dark room, no a/c...riding nowhere fast.

 

I guess I’m learning to appreciate the little things. J

So, from here I can start attempting to transition to wearing my running shoe.  The doc was very adamant about this being a very gradual transition.  I was supposed to wear my shoe for 1 -2 hours each day for awhile and then wear it longer if there was no pain.  Last weekend, I wore my running shoes for about 6 hours and was okay…so we’ll see what happens.  I have my 8 week appointment next week, so keep your fingers crossed.  If I’m lucky, I might be able to graduate to the elliptical!

(Did I mention that I hate and despise the elliptical?)  (Maybe by then I will be so desperate to do something other than swim and bike, I will love the elliptical?)

So that’s where I’m at.  I’ve worked my swims back to 1 mile and some change, I can sit on the spin bike for a little over an hour…I’m getting there.  And, I am trying to do strength training a couple of times each week, too.

Still, I’d rather be running!

Progress....

Finally!  I feel like my foot is getting a teeny bit better.  I've was able to walk a little more this week and without too much pain.  Yippee!  I even braved a couple of stores this weekend with the kiddos for back to school shopping...something I wouldn't normally do during the Texas tax-free weekend.  But for the past two weekends, I just could not get out and do much walking.   I was beginning to feel very behind schedule on the back to school shopping!

I also braved the pool for the first time since breaking my foot.  The Kiddo and I went early on Sunday morning in order to beat the crowds and pretty much had the whole place to ourselves.  I was a little hesitant to get into the pool.  I sat on a lounge chair, removed my orthopedic shoe and then very carefully moved to the side of the pool.  I managed to slowly lower myself into the pool and land on the good foot.

Turns out that this is my happy place right now!

I used my pool bouy, so that I wouldn't feel compelled to kick and off I went.  I managed to get in 1,000 yards without much more than a bit of achiness in the foot.  Of course there was a bit of chatting with the Kiddo and watching her swim (and do handstands) between the laps.  But overall, I am so happy to be doing something other than crunches and weights in my living room!  Honestly, and I never thought I'd say this about swimming, it felt great!!!!  In fact, I may or may not have had a smile on my face as I was swimming that first 25 yards.

The kiddo gave me a high five after the first lap, which was priceless.  She swam 500 between her handstands and "surfing" on the kickboard.

My little fish and big supporter

Getting out of the pool was a bit trickier than getting in.  I pulled myself up onto the side of the pool and just sat there for a second wondering, "what now?"  I was thankful that we had the pool to ourselves, because I kind of scooted closer to the lounge chair, grabbed my towel and shoe, dried off my foot and put the shoe on.  Then, I was able to stand up.  It was interesting to say the least!  I guess I could have hopped up the stairs in the pool, but then I would have had to hobble my way over to our towels.  I'll have to plan this part a little better next time.

So, there's been some progress.  It's not biking or running, but I'll take it!

The B Word

Not the one you’re thinking of…

Thinking back, the year has been an interesting one.  Off to a great start with the Goofy Challenge in January.  And not just the Goofy Challenge, but the Goofy Challenge with the Hubs by my side the entire way!

 

Fun at Disney!

 

And then, I completed my first trail race.  Sure, I could have done the 10K as my first ever trail race.  But no, as usual I had to jump in with both feet and register for the half marathon.  It was a blast!  I loved it.  Well, except for the bad fall at the end that resulted in a mighty fine looking shiner.  But still, no regrets. 

 

Doesn't look too bad...but a few days later, I had a lovely black eye! 

 

 Most of you don’t know, I’ve picked 2014 as my year to get all those pesky dental issues taken care of.  Soooo….a couple of root canals, some old fillings replaced and an extraction (and prep for an implant) later and well, I’m still in pain.  I’ve been taking ibuprofen on a semi-regular basis since late May.  Definitely some regrets here.  Don’t worry, I am seeing a DIFFERENT dentist very soon.

And next – the dreaded “B” word.

Broken.

As in bone.

My foot.  My 5^th metatarsal to be exact. 

In case you were asking yourself, "Where's the 5th metarsal?"

How, you ask?

Stupid story. Three weeks ago, I thought I was going to have boring evening at home – the Hubs was out and the kids were at the Grandparent’s house.  At the last minute, I texted two friends to see if there was any chance at all they could meet up.  It was highly unlikely, since they also have kiddos and busy schedules, but I figured why not.  And much to my surprise, they were both available…score!!! 

So, we were out having dinner and while walking toward the back of the restaurant, I managed to trip and fall.  I’m quite sure I looked very graceful.  Honestly, it didn’t seem that bad.  I was more embarrassed than in pain.  Dinner was great, conversation with friends was great...overall, a great time and no idea that I had really injured my foot.  However, the next morning I knew I had more than a bit of a bruise.  The Hubs and I went to the Woodlands Fit annual pace placement run (I watched) and I had to hobble to the start of the run.  On the way home, we decided that I would go to the nearby urgent care and have my foot checked out.

Here is the result…

Lovely purple toes....

My very fashionable orthopedic shoe!

So what does a triathlete do when they break a bone? 

Ask how quickly they can start swimming, biking and running, of course.  The doc at the urgent care was hesitant to give me a timeline, so I was off to see an Orthopedic who specializes in the foot and ankle on Monday.

His prognosis?

Yep, still broken.  I can swim as soon as I feel comfortable…my foot has been sore so far, so I’ve been scared to even attempt to swim.  And, I am scared to death of slipping on the slippery tiles surrounding the pool at the gym.  I will get there eventually, but until then I will do some strength training.

I can bike in a few weeks (I hope).  Only on a stationary bike or trainer, but it’s better than nothing.  I am hoping that in another week or two, I will be brave enough to get the bike shoe on my foot and ride.  It seems really unlikely at the moment, but I’m trying to be optimistic.

And running? Well, running is the wildcard.  At first, I was told that at around 6 weeks I could start walking for exercise and very slowly try adding in the running.  Later, I was told 3 months. No questions.  And, that was IF my foot was healing properly.  Sigh.

What does this mean?

It means that you have a very sad, depressed TXRunnerMom at times. 

It means no races for the rest of 2014.  No Cypress Triathlon this past weekend.  No Towne Lake on Labor Day.  No 10 for Texas in October.  No OILMAN 70.3 in November!  That last one was the toughest to swallow.  I was really, really hoping to be able to do this one again in preparation for Ironman Texas.  Besides, November seemed so far away.  I’m not sure what this means for the Aramco Houston ½ Marathon in January just yet.  We’ll see…

What else does this mean?

Well, for someone who doesn’t train for marathons and triathlons, it sucks.  It’s an inconvenience – walking the dog is impossible, going to the grocery store is difficult, going up and down the stairs is a challenge. 

For someone who does (constantly) train for marathons and triathlons, it sucks even more.  It means not doing that 56-mile bike ride, going stir crazy from watching too much HGTV and DIY TV while sitting on the couch with your foot propped up (something most of our kind is not used to doing).  It means that instead of going into IMTX training feeling strong and fit, you hope that you can at least not lose too much of your swim and bike endurance and hope to have a little bit of a base built up on the run before IMTX training starts in January.

 

I am trying to look on the bright side…

I was afraid of getting burned out by January, especially after all the training that Oilman would have required.  Guess I don’t have to worry about that.

So far, I’ve been able to sit my arse of the couch in front of the TV.  Believe it or not, this is something I have occasionally wished I had time to do.  Of  course after about an hour of this, I begin to go stir crazy…I am not good at sitting and doing nothing.

Taking a break from all the HGTV to watch some Harry Potter

 

I do get to spend more time with my Hubby and kiddos.  I am bummed that some of our summer activities will need to be postponed…there will be no going to Wet n’ Wild (I can imagine hitting my foot going down a waterslide), no going to Space Center Houston (way too much walking), limited time at the pool, etc.  But, we can still do some fun things together – movies, making tents in the living room, etc.

And think of all the money I am saving on race entries, coaching and nutrition!

So that’s my update.  I figure that if I can at least get some swimming and biking in over the next few months, I will only have the running to worry about.  If I truly can run in late September/early October, I can start building my base between then and January.  I have to believe that it will all work out.

Holy Sh*t!

It occurred to me that I never came here to share my news....

Know what this means????

 

 

How about now?

It means I'm in.  I'm doing IMTX 2015!!!!

The enormity of this whole thing has not hit me yet.  I tend to be one of those people who just doesn't think about it.

Much.

I still have either Oilman 70.3 or Austin 70.3 in the Fall (with a few sprints between now and then), then the Houston 1/2 Marathon in January.  And then, the real fun begins - IMTX training!  Until then, I will just focus on my next race.

:0)

The Funk

Sorry for the long hiatus, it seems that I’ve lost my blogging mojo. You see, I like this blog to be positive and uplifting, but over the past year or so, I just haven’t been feeling all positive and uplifting.

I’ve been in a bit of a funk.  I’ve had a few family issues, I’ve changed jobs, and while I’ve had some big accomplishments (my first 70.3 and the Goofy Challenge), I’m not where I want to be physically.  I’ve let social media get to me…you know, seeing everyone’s “perfect” lives online, when you’re life seems pale in comparison.  I’m envious of the “Hooray for summer!  We finally get to sleep in, no more packing lunches….” Yada, yada. 

For my family, summer doesn’t really change anything – I still have to get up at 4:00 AM to workout, the kids still have to be out of bed by 6 AM to be dressed and out the door by 6:40, the Hubs and I will still be packing lunches daily.  The upside?  No homework or projects…well, that’s something, right?  I’ve just grown so tired of the daily hamster in a wheel, rat race – the early mornings, the commutes, the rush to fit it all in.  I’m not sure how to shake it off, but I am working on it.

I heard the perfect quote the other day about social media, something I definitely need to keep in mind, “You’re comparing someone’s highlight reel to your behind the scenes.” So true!

 

 

So tell me, do you struggle with “the funk”?  How do you get out of it?

I had an excellent day with the kids yesterday.  We spent time together at the neighborhood pool and went to the movies.  My youngest, the Munchkin, declared while swimming, “I think we need to come to the pool every time it’s sunny on a Sunday!”  Dude, I totally agree!  Let’s do it.  On the way home from the movies, the kids and I had a very deep, compelling discussion about…The Avengers and the ties between all the movies like Thor, Hulk, Captain America, etc.  Very deep, indeed.  Suddenly, I felt a little better.  I felt the spark…the little spark that has been missing for quite some time.  Of course facing Monday morning and the re-start of the rat race diminished that spark a little, sigh.  But it’s reassuring to know that it’s still there.

 

 

Let's face it, being a parent is hard enough.  Add in a full-time job, a commute, kid's activities, mommy/daddy activities and it's that much harder.  But the spark still exists.  Whew, I was starting to get worried.

CB&I Sprint Triathlon - Race Report

Wow, it’s hard to believe that I actually completed a 70.3 just 6 months ago.  I’ve continued to run (obviously, since the Hubs and I were training for Goofy), I’ve biked some, but I hadn’t been swimming at all.  I felt so out of practice for tri’s…the bricks, the transitions.  With CB&I on my radar and the Hubs no longer working out of town, I was able to get back to the regular tri-training that I was accustomed to starting in late March / early April.  Finally! 

Pre-Race

For CB&I, I checked my bike in the evening before the race.  I had finally ordered an OutRival team kit and was so excited to pick it up earlier in the week, only to discover that the sizing is really, really small.  There was no way in hell I was going to squeeze myself into it and actually race in it.  So, the day before the race, I borrowed a friend’s kit from a couple of years ago.  It was a completely different brand and thankfully, it fit well.  I know you’re not supposed to wear something you’ve never worn before on race day, but CB&I is pretty short and I decided I’d take my chances. 

That morning, I ate my regular breakfast and headed to the race.  About five minutes into my drive, I’d realized I forgot my phone.  Ack!  I parked and hiked over to the race start and set up my transition area.  From there, I said hi to a few friends and attempted to find a few others in the dark (without my phone, lol).  Before I knew it, it was time to head to the start.  I was a bit worried, because the Hubs hadn’t arrived with the kids yet.  Then I remembered…Saturday morning - the kids could be hard to get out of bed so early.  They had a talent for taking forever to get dressed.  They probably wanted to stop and get donuts.  They had to make the trek from the parking lot to the race.  Yeah, they’d eventually be there….and they were.  They arrived about the time the men’s waves were starting.

 

Pre-race with Woodlands Fit peep, Kate.  This was her first tri and she rocked it!

Getting a good luck smooch from the Hubs

With the fam...so good to have my own personal cheer section!

The Swim - 12:40 (500 m)

Finally, it was time for my wave to start (45 minutes into the race).  I decided to wear my wetsuit..the air temp was in the high 50’s (maybe 60?  I dunno, but it was chilly) and the water was somewhere between 72 and 74 degrees.  Not bad, but what the heck. 

Honestly, it took me awhile to really find my groove during the swim.  I inadvertantly started in the middle of a pack of women and couldn’t find my place or pace.  I stopped for a second and realized that not many people were swimming on the inside, closest to the buoys…so that was where I stayed.  Finally, I got going and found a bit of my mojo.  The swim went by pretty fast.  The sad thing about this distance, is that I finally managed to really get into my groove at about 300m…by then, the swim is almost over!  Before I knew it, I was at the shore and climbing out of the water.

Waiting for the race to start...

T1 - 2:24
I started unzipping the wetsuit and took of my goggles and swim cap as I ran.  For some reason, I felt a bit discombobulated (is that a word?) in T1.  I almost walked past my row and when I got to my bike, I managed to get my wetsuit off pretty quickly, but I just seemed to take way too long getting into my bike shoes and getting my helmet on.  I ran with my bike to the mount line, then had trouble getting my right foot onto the pedal.  I swear that I wasted HOURS getting on my bike and going.  Okay, maybe not HOURS, but I did waste precious seconds!

BIKE - 34:14 (10.59 miles / 18.35 mph)

FINALLY…I was on my bike and pedaling.  It always takes me a couple of miles to find my rhythm and get my heart rate under control.  The bike route was shortened from 15 miles to just over 10 miles due to local construction.  The ride went by pretty quickly…the route is a great, flat out and back.  My only complaint was that with the new route, there were two no passing zones.  I wasn’t 100% sure where they started, so as the road narrowed a bit I decided to be cautious and not pass.  Little did I know, just down the road, there would be a woman waving a flag telling us when the no passing zone started.  Dang!  I could have passed back there!  Naturally, I was stuck behind someone going about 14 mph.  When we could finally pass, I did.  Then, on the way back – same thing, no passing zone behind someone going 14 mph.  Ack!  But, once we were out of the no passing zone, I was able to make up for some of the lost time.  The breeze must have been working in my favor, because I was reaching 22 and 23 mph in some spots.  Luckily, the dismount went more smoothly than the mount and I was back in transition in no time.

T2 - 1:34

Nothing unusual here.  Just exchanged the bike shoes for my running shoes, grabbed my Garmin from the bike, my visor and race belt and headed out.

RUN - 27:03 (~2.89 miles / 9:21 pace)
The race directors are kinda mean when it comes to the run.  You exit transition, make a right hand turn and immediately start running up a bridge.  So, here you are, trying to get your pace and heart rate under control coming off the bike and you have to start a little climb!  I was happy to have the bridge behind me and then turn onto a dirt path.  I felt like my pace was good, my breathing was good…all in all, the run felt good.  It wasn’t as fast as I had hoped, but faster than the last time I did this race, so I am happy for that!  This course is also an out and back, so you have to finish the race by running over the bridge again.  (Mean!)  There may or may not have been a few seconds going up that bridge that I wanted to throw up.  The run was supposed to be a 5k, but it seemed to be a little short.

See?  I look way to happy here...of course, this is at the beginning of the run.

Me and the hubs!

 

The Take-Aways

Like any race, there are definitely things that went well and things I could have done better.  I try not to dwell on this too much, but instead, try to remember them for the next race.  Here’s what I took away from CB&I: 

Swim:  I am extremely happy that I held the panic back.  As you know, my swims are not usually calm and relaxed.  I used some tactics in Oilman that helped at CB&I, too.  The swim was calm, so I am happy!  However, I think I need to just deal with the fact that in a tri, people are going to be all around you.  I should not need to stop to figure out what to do.  I need to swim and strategize instead.

Bike:  I know I could have been faster on the bike.  First, I need to mount and go much faster than I did.  This is easy to practice at home and I intend to do just that.  Second, knowing where the no pass zones were would have helped a lot.  Third, for a 10 mile ride, I think I could have pushed harder.

Run:  I am super happy that my pace was faster than last time.  But,  I was too comfortable (well, after getting over that bridge).  I *think* I could have pushed a little more and gotten closer to a 9-minute pace.  That’s what sprint distances are kind of about, right?  Sprinting?  Pushing more than you would on say, an oly or 70.3?

Transitions:  Seriously, this should be the easiest part of the race.  T1 needs to be faster.

So that’s CB&I.  I plan to do it again next year! 
 

Spring Break!

So, the kids were on Spring Break last week.  They spent the first couple of days at daycare, which is always fun because of the activities and field trips they get to take.  However, I took the last half of the week off and we took some field trips of our own!

Huntsville State Park
 Actually, we started our Spring Break with a family reunion at Huntsville State Park. That's right folks, the same location of my first trail race and the place where I earned my black eye!  The weather was a bit drizzly and cold at first, but luckily it cleared up enough for us to take the kids on a walk through the nature trails.  It was fun listening to the kids talk about what creatures might be living in the woods, where they live, etc.  Of course, after about a mile the adventurous talk soon turned to whining about aching legs and being tired, lol!  This park is quickly becoming one of my favorite places! It's only about 35 - 40 minutes from our house, so we may be getting a season pass and coming out here more often.

The kiddos...not really wanting to get their picture taken!

Checking out the trail map before we set out on our adventure...

Blue Bell Creamery
Being a native Texan and only a little more than a hour away from Brenham, you'd think I'd been to Blue Bell numerous times...but no, I'd never been.  We woke up super early in hopes of beating the spring break crowds and make the trek to Brenham. My Mom joined us for the day (thanks for helping me corral the kids, Mom!) and even though we hated waking up so early on our day off, it was totally worth it!  There were not many people (yet) and we were able to take the first tour of the day.

Brrr...not very spring-like weather!

Inside where it's warm, waiting for the tour to start!

 



The tour was great!  We were able to learn a little about the history of Blue Bell and see how the ice cream and other frozen treats were made (never, ever say Popsicle!).  We saw the cookies being added to the Cookies & Cream, we saw the strawberries being poured into Strawberries & Homemade Vanilla, we saw ice cream sandwiches being made and much more.  And, at the end of the 45 minute tour, you get a scoop of Blue Bell ice cream.  It was the perfect brunch!

Enjoying some strawberry (Munchkin) and dutch chocolate (Kiddo)!

The Munchkin showing us how ice cream really should be eaten!

Washington on the Brazos
After enjoying our ice cream, we drove to Washington on the Brazos state park.  Not to be confused with "Washington on the Potomac", Washington on the Brazos was the site of the Convention of 1836 and where the Texas Declaration of Independence was signed...you know, back when Texas separated from Mexico and became its own country.  Since it was getting close to lunch time, we decided to tour one of the park's three attractions - The Barrington Living History Farm.  The farm is great way to see how pioneers lived back in the mid-1800s.  There was a main house, a kitchen, smokehouse, slave quarters, barn, gardens and amazing people who work there.  On the farm, you're encouraged to participate in the work of the farm.  The kids tried to wash clothes, pick carrots and saw how thread was made on a spinning wheel.  After hearing about all the chores that the children were required to do back then, the kids realized that they had it pretty easy!

Fresh Carrots!

Checking out the slave quarters...awesome history lesson!

We ended the day with a late lunch in Brenham and then checking out a few cool stores.  The kids loved the candy at Yumm!  I have to admit, I did too!

 

 

The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo



I'll be the first to admit, that I am not really a country music person.  t, I will also admit that the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo is an amazing event and one of the coolest things to do while on Spring Break! 

This is the 3rd or 4th year we've made a point of going to the rodeo over spring break, so a spring break just isn't complete without it.  However, I should probably clarify - we don't really go to the rodeo with the kids (yet), but we take full advantage of the livestock show and carnival. Every year, we arrive super early and see the livestock first, then have lunch (hello carnival food!) and finally play games and ride rides. This year was a bit different, because the Munchkin decided that he would try out Mutton Bustin'!  He'd been telling us all week that he would do it, but earlier that morning it sounded as if he wasn't quite sure about it.  In fact, I was a little hesitant about signing him up (and paying for it), because I wasn't quite sure he'd really do it.  To our surprise (mine, the Kiddo and Grandpa), he did it!  And, he did great!  He didn't win the grand prize (a big, shiny belt buckle), but we were still super proud of him.

Before:  Looking confident, but still a little unsure in a "What did I just sign up for?" way

After:  Proud and giving me the thumbs up that, other than the dirt in his mouth, it all went well
 

After congratulating our little cowboy, we grabbed some grub, played some games and rode a few rides.  The weather was perfect and it was just an all around awesome time.

Riding rides...in this case, the Ferris wheel

Awesome view of the carnival...it's HUGE!

The Kiddo enjoying one of the many treats...she's checking out the Kona Ice here

After the rides, we finally made it to the livestock show. We saw the baby animals, learned about milking cows, saw baby chicks hatching and so much more. It's a great learning experience for the kids (and us grown-ups, too).

Checking out the livestock show...lots of fun for us city folk!

Before we left, I decided that I would get something that was deep-fried.  I couldn't make up my mind - deep fried oreos?  cheesecake?  pop-tarts?  snickers?  Finally, I decided on none of those and ended up with a funnel cake.  I hadn't had a funnel cake in years!  And no, I would not typically eat anything deep fried, but once a year at the rodeo?  Heck yeah!

Yes, I went there...Yummy fried goodness!

Since we were gone pretty much all day on Wednesday and Thursday, we decided to do something a little more low-key on Friday.  We went to the movies to see the Lego Movie (yep, I was taking one for the team...you owe me, honey!). 

Clowning around before the movie

Now this, I want to see!

Ready for some 3-D action!

Afterwards, we went to the mall and let the Kiddo chop off about 6 inches of hair.  She's been tired of the tangles and wanted it short again.  As much as I hated to see the hair go, I have to admit that I do love her new 'do!

The Kiddo sporting her new 'do!  Bye, bye tangles!

Overall, we have a great week!  It was probably one of the most enjoyable Spring Breaks we've had...well okay, other than our Disney Cruise last spring.  We loved the mini-road trip, the rodeo and just hanging out.

When is your Spring Break?  What do you have planned?