Ten for Texas Race Report

Ten for Texas is probably my favorite Fall race...I get to run and hang out with my Woodlands Fit peeps, it's a flat course with great support and they have a great post-race party!  And, this year they are giving out finisher's medals...what more could a girl want from a race???

 

The race starts at 7:30 am, so I woke up around 5:30 to give myself time for breakfast (scrambled egg whites and granola with almond milk).  Once I was all dressed, it was time to head to the race.  Once I arrived, I ran into our neighbors and their kiddos.  After chatting for a few minutes, I headed over to where my fellow Maverick Fantasy Fitness peeps were hanging out and we took a quick picture.  It was great, because there are a couple of people on my team who I had never met and finally had a chance to introduce myself and say hello.

 

Fellow Mavs!!!

Next, I headed over to the Woodland's Fit meeting place and had a chance for a photo op with some of the runners in the group I am coaching.  Next, a couple of us headed over to the porta-potties for one last pit stop before the race.  While walking around, I ran into peeps here and there...it was great to see so many familiar faces.  Again, that's why I love this race!

 

Woodlands Fit 1/2 Marathon Red Group in da house!!!!

When heading the the start, I ran into two of my running BFFs, Katie and Erica.  Before I knew it, the national anthem was being sung and it was time to go! 

Running BFFS - Erica, Katie and me

I moved over between the 10 and 11 minute pace groups and ran into another runner from my group who was running with her husband.  They were kind enough to let me start with them, and I actually ended up running with them the entire way. 

I honestly had no clue what to expect with this race.  Because of the fitness challenge I'm doing, I have been doing two-a-days all week...as a result (I think), my hip has been feeling a bit achy.  I took some ibuprofen before the race just as a precaution.  Much to my surprise, the hip felt great the entire time!  We started at about a 10:45 pace and stayed between there and 11 minutes until mile 6.  At that point, we just kept getting a little faster as we went along.  It was a warm, humid day, so in all honesty, if I didn't have someone to run with, I may have wussed out by walking and whining about the heat. But, having someone to run with was awesome!  We chatted about various races and random topics, which made the miles pass quickly.

Along the way, it was great to see friends who were not running out on the course cheering!  Nothing like seeing a friend to put a little pep in your step!  While the miles ticked off pretty quick, I have to admit that by mile 8, I was soooo ready for the race to be over.  The sun was peeking out from behind the clouds here and there, which made it pretty hot.  I began to question my sanity for wanting to do this running thing to begin with.  I also questioned my sanity in signing up for the LaPorte 1/2 Marathon next month and Houston 1/2 Marathon in January.  Did I really just run NYCM a year ago????   Then, at mile 9, those thoughts were washed away with the realization that I was almost done.  We had a bridge to run over and we would be almost there!  Once we made it into the shopping center where the finish is just a turn and a sprint away, we had picked up the pace a little more and were running it in - I think this is where I hit my max pace of 7:36...yeah, and thank God I didn't have to hold it there for very long.  This also might explain why for a moment I thought I was going to puke at the finish, lol!

At the finish, we were awarded our coveted medals!  I ran into more peeps and took a few minutes to chat it up a bit.

Awesome Woodlands Fit director and fellow Maverick, Rachel!

The BLING...gotta love it!!!

After chatting a bit, another runner peep and I headed over to the food!  Of course, our first stop was the um, grown up beverage tent, to get a refreshing beverage.

One of the best parts of this race...a beverage for the non-beer drinkers!!!

Next, we headed to the food tent where we had lots of options - breakfast tacos, My Fit Foods, fruit, BROWNIES, waffles, etc.  Did I mention there were BROWNIES???

 

All in all, I am super happy with this race and my running. No, I did not PR...I missed that by 2 1/2 minutes.  But, I did waaaaayyyy better than I thought I would after the great hip blip of 2012!  I only missed my PR by 2 1/2 minutes!  I really thought I would be between a 10:45 and 11 minute pace.

 

The best part was seeing all the running friends I've made along my running journey!  It was fun to cheer for each other, congratulate each other and just hang out!

Yes, this is why I continue running.  I am blessed!

Last week's workouts

I forgot to post this...starting October out with a BANG!

Monday, 10/1
Run - 4 miles
P90X Plyometrics - 1 hour

Tuesday, 10/2
TRX - 1 hour

Wednesday, 10/3
Run - 4.2 miles

Thursday, 10/4
Brazil Butt Lift - 45 minutes

Friday, 10/5
Rest

Saturday, 10/6
Run - 10 miles total

Sunday, 10/7
Bike - 1 hour

The highlight of this week's workouts was my run on Saturday.  I met up with another Woodlands Fit peep for a 3.5 mile run before our official group run.  The 3.5 miles actually ended up being 3.8...oops.  Then, we ran 5 miles with the group.  I felt fantastic at the end of the run...lots left in the tank.  And, my pace was a bit faster than it has been in previous weeks.  After our group run, I headed to the kid's run with TWRC Junior's program and ended up running the entire mile with the Munchkin. 

Side note:  Why is it that when it's just the Hubby with the kids, they run the mile on their own with no complaints?  But, when I'm there, the Munchkin gets clingy and doesn't want to run.  When he finally does run, I have to hold his hand and run with him the entire time?  I am trying to remember that there will be a day when he won't want to be seen in public with me, much less want to hold my hand.  In other words, I am trying to just enjoy it. :-)

When I made it home, I realized I was just shy of running 10 miles, so I went out and ran around the block enough to make it 10.  Yes, I am a dork like that!  This weekend, I have the Ten for Texas!  It's a 10-mile race not far from home.  This is one of my favorite races of the season, because 1) it is close to home, 2) a lot of my running peeps will be running it too, 3) the course is FLAT, 4) they have an AWESOME post race party and 5) this year they are giving medals!  I know that, because of the hip blip, I will not be running my best....but, I also know it will not be my slowest Ten for Texas.  I can't wait!!!

Hope you're having a great week!  Any plans for the upcoming weekend???  Races???

More pictures and a weekend re-cap

Ah, the weekend!  Yes, I am one of those people who lives for the weekend.  Weekdays are a constant blur of rushing from one place to another - rush to get my morning workout it, rush to get the kids dressed and to school, rush to work, rush from meeting to meeting all day, only to rush home to either get homework done or head to another activity, rush to eat dinner, rush to make lunches and get ready for the next day.  Finally, it's bedtime and then we wake up and do it over and over again.  Sigh.  I keep thinking that one day things will be different, but let's be honest, this is life!  Anyone else feel this way?

 

Saturday, I started the day with my long run - 2.8 miles with another runner, followed by 5 miles with Woodlands Fit, followed by a mile with the kids at their running club, followed by a run around the block to make it an even 10-miles.  I was pretty darn pleased with my pace during the main part of my run - 10:40 pace overall...a lot slower than where I was before the hip issues, but faster than my post-hip blip runs! 





 

Clockwise from top left - kids ready for Crazy Sock Day, the Munchkin decided it was more fun to balance along the curb than to actually run, me and the kiddos finishing up the mile together (yes, I am so awesome I can run with my eyes closed!) and after the run (feel the love! I am keeping this pic to show them the next time they are fighting!)

After a shower and some lunch, I headed to the grocery store for the shopping.  Exciting life, right?  Next, it was time for our dog's 6th and final "Beginner Education" class.  While I admit, the dog is smart and catches on quickly, he has a loooooooooooooooooonnnnnnnnnnnnngggggggggggg way to go before he becomes the obedient dog that we'd like.  So yes, we did sign up for another round of classes!  Wish us luck?

He looks so well-behaved with his graduation cap, doesn't he?  It only took about 30 tries to get him to calm down enough to get this picture.

Also, I am participating in a fitness challenge coordinated by Maverick Athletic Company.  This is the same company that teaches the TRX class I've been attending.  It's sort of like Fantasy Football - teams of 6 are competing against each other and field goals are earned by burning calories, completing various fitness challenges, etc.  So, all week I've been working out and sending pictures of my calorie burn to our team coach.  It's been a fun way to stay motivated!  One thing that I have learned through this is that my Garmin 305 will not tell you calories burned during strength training sessions.  Grrrrr!!!!  This means that I have to "guesstimate" my calories using an on-line tool.  For a type A personality like me, it drives me crazy to not know the exact number of calories I've burned.  Because of this, I just ordered a Polar heart rate monitor.  I can't wait for it to arrive!!!!



The Garmin calorie count after a run, the on-line tool that shows calorie burn

How was your weekend?  Do you live for the weekends or do you love life during the work week, too?



The Week(s) in Pictures

I think I am back to blogging on a regular basis again!

 

At my old job, I used to utilize my lunch break to blog, but since changing jobs, I have been hesitant use the Internet for personal use.  To make things more complicated, our home desktop computer has been very tempermental! And, the laptop that I bought over 5 years ago for grad school finally died once and for all.  Luckily, I've resolved these issues by buying a new Dell laptop...complete with a pink cover!  So now, I think I have my routine with the new job down and a new computer, so I am good to go!

 

It's been awhile since I've had my "week in pictures" post, so I thought I would get all caught up!  So here it goes...



First, the kids started the "Juniors" program through The Woodlands Running Club.  Between September and March, the kids will run 25.2 miles.  Then, in March, the kids will run the kid's 1 mile race that is held in conjunction with The Woodlands Marathon and Half Marathon...this will complete their 26.2 mile journey.  Not only will the kids receive a medal for the kid's run, they will receive an official medal from the full marathon!

The first two rows of pictures are from the 1st day of the program.  The bottom two pictures were taken last weekend when it was pouring down rain!  The kids braved the conditions - the Kiddo ran 2 miles and the Munchkin ran 1 mile! 

I am sure you all know that the space shuttle made Endeavour made its final journey a few weeks ago.  As you also know, I am a HUGE space nerd.  Ironic that this space nerd seems to be the only person who DID NOT get to see a flyover of the shuttle.  The picture on the left below is one the Hubby took at work.  After work, I rushed home and we loaded up the kids and headed to Ellington Field to see the shuttle up close.

 

And so did the rest of the city of Houston!

And everyone in all the surrounding communities!

 

The picture on the right is a picture of our attempt to see the shuttle.  We made it to our highway exit in less than 45 minutes.  Then, we sat in the car another 45 minutes and only drove about a 1/2 mile.  Sigh.  Honestly, the only reason we even drove a 1/2 mile was because several cars decided not to wait and left the line of traffic.  The Munchkin had to go to the bathroom (to be honest, I did too) and both kids were complaining that they were bored.  After another 15 minutes, we decided to leave.  The Kiddo cried, because she wanted to see the shuttle (to be honest, I wanted to cry too).  We headed to the nearest Chili's and had a nice family dinner before driving home.  Yes, I did have a grown-up beverage as a consolation prize. :-)

 



 

We've had a couple of awesome cool fronts come through, so we've been spending more time outdoors trying to enjoy it!  The Halloween costumes have been purchased, the swimsuits have been put away...bring on Fall!!

 



Clockwise from top left:  The Munchkin trying out his Hawkeye costume, the kids enjoying time in the Munchkin's cool wheels (center), one last trip to the pool, the Kiddo getting ready to practice the violin, the Munchkin feeding a goat at a nearby petting zoo, the Munchkin on a zip line, and the Kiddo ready for "National Walk to School Day"

And what would Fall be without Oktoberfest?  The hubs and I went to an Oktoberfest celebration last weekend at a friend's house. That friend also happens to have his very own microbrewery in his garage, so there was lots of sampling going on through the night. 

Oktoberfest...complete with these very cool aprons!

Fall is my favorite time of the year here in Houston.  It's when all that running in the extreme heat and humidity finally pays off!  It's also a great time for local festivals - Greek Fest,  Old Town Spring Wine Fest, Bayou City Art Fest, etc.  Not to mention Wings over Houston and Halloween!  Good times!

What do you have going on in the Fall?  Have the cooler temps hit your area yet?  Any Fall races?

Toughest 10K Kemah – Race Report

This race is part of a 3-race series called "The Bridge Series". The 10k is called "The Toughest", because you are required to run over the Kemah bridge not once, not twice, but FOUR times. Yeah, I don't know what I was thinking either!


This is the Kemah bridge!  Ack!!!  (source)

One of the Hub's co-workers, who is also a friend and neighbor, was also registered for the race and offered to drive us all. The race is about an hour away from our house, so we decided to leave around 5:30 am. There had been lots of e-mails from the race director about arriving early to find a parking space, so we wanted to give ourselves ample time. Turns out that we had no issues parking and had plenty of time to hang out before the race. As always, I had to visit the porta-potties – luckily, the porta potties were plentiful and the lines moved quickly. By the time I was done, my friend (who we will call M) had arrived.

Me and the Hubs waiting for the race to start

A little background info…
M is the crazy woman who got me started in this running nonsense to begin with. When we met back in 2000, she was training for the Houston Marathon (her 1st). I was the annoying non-runner who asked all those dumb questions - "How far is the Houston Marathon?" and "How far is the marathon in Boston?". To be honest, I had no idea Houston even had a marathon. And, I thought M was crazy for wanting to run that far…God knows, I had absolutely no desire to run a marathon. My, how things change!

So anyway, we chatted for a bit and made our way to the starting line. The Hubs and his friend made their way closer to the front. M and I knew our place in the pecking order – toward the back! M has taken a hiatus from running for the past 8 years while starting a family. This is her intro back into the world of running. With my recovery from the great hip injury of 2012, I knew I had no business trying to PR on a course with FOUR passes over a bridge, so I knew we were going to just have fun with this event.

The view of the marina...the picture doesn't do it justice!

And we did! We set our watches for 5/1 intervals and began the race. Okay, so there was a bit of extra walking on a couple of the up portions. Again – the goal was to have fun. Keep in mind that I hadn't had a chance to hang out with M in MONTHS, so the race was a great opportunity for us to catch up. We talked about our kids, our possible upcoming moves, nutrition, etc. The views of the Kemah Boardwalk and Marina were awesome, so that helped as well. This was definitely not my best 10K time by any means, but we accomplished our mission – we conquered that stupid bridge and we had fun doing it!

Me with M after the race with our bling!!!

And, one of the perks of doing this race is the bling….

This race knows how to give good bling!

There was a great post-race party complete with breakfast tacos, ice cream and muscle milk. (Sorry guys, no beer..boo!) I grabbed a strawberry popsicle and we headed home. We are all looking forward to the next race in the series – the Toughest 10K Galveston next month, where we have to conquer this bad boy….

Sorry for the bad, borrowed pic...but, you get the idea.  It's not as steep, but it's loooooooong!!!

Tis the season!  What races do you have coming up? 

The Week's Workouts

I thought that since I am running again and actually training for something, I should get back to posting my workouts.  Here we go....

Sunday, 9/9 - Bike Ride, 1 hour
Since I am not riding the Tour de Cure, I have cut my bike rides waaaaayyyyy down.  From 2 1/2 - 3 hours, to 1 - 1 1/2 hours. I don't have any triathlons coming up either, but I love riding and it's a great form of cross training!

Monday, 9/10 - Run, 3 miles and TRX
First day at the new job and I thought this would be a great way to get rid of the 1st day jitters.  I headed out at my usual stupid-thirty and wooohooo, an awesome cool front had come through and it was an awesome 62 degrees!  Can we say awesome????

Tuesday, 9/11 - Brazilian Butt Lift
I did the "Bum Bum" workout...lots of lunges, squats, etc.  I definitely felt it!

Wednesday, 9/12 - Run, 3.5 miles
This was supposed to be 4 miles, but I pushed the snooze button one too many times.  3.5 miles - just me, the moon, stars and a few of my other crazy early morning running neighbors.

Thursday, 9/13 - TRX
A seriously butt-kicking workout...my arms felt like jello when I was driving home!

Friday, 9/14 - Rest
'Nuff said!

Saturday, 9/15 - Toughest 10K Kemah
Race report coming soon!

Thank You Mother Nature!

I had to run an easy 3-miler on Monday and was pleasantly surprised by this...

Loving this!

And there was almost no humidity.  Soooo much better than the 80 degrees with a "feels like"temp of 90 at 4:30 am!  I wish I could say the temps helped my pace...it didn't.  But, I think it helped with my endurance, because I wanted to keep going!  Of course, I realize this is just a tease...we will be back to our normal temps before long.  :-(  But, you better believe that I will be enjoying this while I can!

How is the weather where you're at?  Are you already getting Fall temps, or is it still steamy?

Never Forget

What I've been up to...





TRX

I finally started TRX!  This week should have been my 4th week of TRX, but I'll save the story about why it wasn't my 4th week for the next subject. 

 

I was a bit nervous about trying TRX.  I mean, I've tried a lot of new workouts over the years...but most of them have been performed in the privacy of my own home.  This is actually a class. Led by Camp Maverick. And it's not in my living room.  See those little yellow people in the picture below?  We actually do that stuff, y'all.  And, it's harder than it looks! 



source

 

TRX was created by a Navy Seal, so you know it's tough.  It uses straps suspended from the ceiling, so that you can use your body weight to do exercises that develop strength and core stability.  The picture below was taken on my very first day...I am the one looking at the instructor, Allison, with a confused expression on my face.  Allison is awesome and is always thinking of new ways to torture challenge us.  It's not unusual to leave class drenched in sweat with arms and legs that feel like jello.  And yes, I do feel the burn the next day!

 

borrowed from the Camp Maverick FB page

 

Pain in the neck - part II

Some of you might remember my neck/upper back issue from last year.  Well, it came back.  Seriously, is this what turning 40 has done to me?  If this is what getting older is all about, it sucks!  There was no TRX class on Monday due to the Labor Day holiday, so I was surprised when I woke up on Tuesday of last week with a pain in my neck.  Nothing horrible, just one of those things my Grandma would call a "crick" that just meant you must have slept wrong.  Well, it was still there on Wednesday and against my better judgement, I went to my TRX class anyway.

 

Things were going great the first 30 minutes or so - I was having a pretty great workout (thank you Allison), but then all of a sudden my lower neck/upper back cramped up!  I couldn't turn my head!  We tried a few different things to loosen it up, but nothing seemed to help.  Luckily, my chiropractor's office is in the same building and he was still there.  As much as I hated to disturb him after office hours, I went ahead and asked him to take a look.  He did some adjusting, showed me some exercises and even taped me up.  It helped a ton, but I was still in a lot of pain.  I had a hard time getting to sleep that night, because I just could not find a position that didn't hurt.  Fortunately, things are better now - still a bit wonky, but better.  I did ride my bike for a little over a hour on Sunday...in aero.  Dumb idea...the neck bothered me for a few days afterwards and I skipped TRX on Wednesday.

 

Booty workouts

Yes, I am referring to the Brazilian Butt Lift.  I am still getting this workout in 2-3 times per week before work.  It's fun and I can always use some help in the "bum bum" area.

 

Yes, this man always looks this excited about working the "bum bum"

 

 Biking

I have decided not to do the Tour de Cure for reasons I will discuss in a moment.  However, I am still riding my bike.  Hey, I love the bike and it's great cross training!  I am hoping to keep a weekly bike ride on my schedule until it's too cold to ride.  Then, I'll swap it for spin class.

 

Getting educated

The reason I am not riding the Tour de Cure is because I am attending the ACSM workshop that same weekend instead.  Typically, you attend this workshop with the intent of becoming a personal trainer.  Honestly, I'm not sure if I'll go that route, but I really want to learn more about the anatomy of strength training and how to use strengthening to be a better runner. 

 

 

source

 

Work

You all know my job can sometimes get crazy, and there are long periods of time that I have had to work late into the night.  While I enjoy the Company, the people and the work, an opportunity arose that is closer to home that might also allow for a better work-life balance.  I start the new job next week.  While it's always scary to venture into the unknown, I am looking forward to the new challenges!

 

Yes, I will miss the views, but I will not miss the commute!

 

Family

You all know much I love spending time with the Hubby and kids, so naturally I have to talk about them...and post way too many pictures! :-)

After our family vacation, it was time to come back to reality - i.e. school!  The 1st day of school went well and the Kiddo loves her classmates and teacher. 

The 3rd annual day before school mani/pedi

1st day of school...gotta love the sequin beret!

The Dog
I have a confession - having a puppy is hard.  And, I am really not adjusting well.  I mean, would you adjust well to a creature that ate your couch and your stockings (there is evidence of this in the backyard), made mud pits in what was once a pretty nice backyard, made mud pits on your back patio, tracked mud all over your house, stole food off your counters, made you fall on the floor at Petsmart (more on this later) and countless other bad deeds?

I didn't think so.

So, we started the beginner puppy training at Petsmart last weekend in an effort to have a more well behaved dog.  I decided to bring the Kiddo with me.  So, in we walk through the automatic doors.  All of a sudden, the dog goes crazy.  He's never been to Petsmart and apparently it's sensory overload for a dog.  The next thing I know, the Kiddo is sprawled on the floor in front of me.  Then, the dog pulls me in another direction and I suddenly realize that the leash is wrapped around my legs.  Then, the dog pulls me forward and I have nowhere to go except on the floor.  On top of the Kiddo. Yeah, stop laughing.

I tried to play it cool and just laugh it off.  I said something like, "Haha, silly dog!  Now you see why we're here for training, hehe!" as I picked myself and the Kiddo off the floor.  What I was saying in my head was more like, "D*M mother effing dog!!!  You are going to the shelter on Monday!!!"

 Don't let the innocent face fool you...I took this picture right after I caught him stealing cookies off the cooling rack! 

 Bad dog!

 

 

Labor Day Weekend

We try to make the most out of our weekends.  Yes, there is laundry to do and a house to clean, but we try to get outside when it's not 170 degrees with 160% humidity.  Labor day weekend was no exception.  The hubby had a long bike ride, so the kids and I went to the park early enough to miss the hottest part of the day.

 

Taking a break from not feeding the ducks (really, we didn't feed them, we swear!)

We also spent a couple of hours at the neighborhood pool.  And, I took the Kiddo to the Titanic exhibit at the Houston Museum of Natural Science.  Yes, we do leave the 'burbs for some culture every so often.  The Kiddo read two books about the Titanic, so she was really excited about going to the exhibit.  I am a little concerned that all this education about the Titanic will come back to bite me in the butt in March, when we go on our family cruise...I may have trouble convincing her that there are no icebergs in the Caribbean in March!

The Kiddo in front of the HMNS

 

And, before the weekend was over, we took a walk to the neighborhood lake and playground.  The kids whined played and we got eaten alive by mosquitoes revelled in what was left of summer.  Ahhhh, summer time.  What the hell and I saying?  Bring on October and the cool fronts, this family has had enough of the 100+ degree temps!!! 

 

Thank God summer is over...hurry up fall!!!!



Speedwork - Yay or Nay?

I mentioned before that I am a coach this year with Woodlands Fit.  I have quite a few new runners in my group, which I love!  They are excited, enthusiatic and eager to learn everything they can about running. 

This week, we're finally introducing speed training to our schedule and I have been reading all about the advantages and disadvantages of speed training.  On one hand, speed work can help improve overall speed and endurance by combining short, high intensity bursts of speed, with slow, recovery phases, repeated multiple times during one exercise session.  This can result in an increase in cardiovascular efficiency (i.e. the ability to deliver oxygen to those working muscles), as well as increased tolerance to the build-up of lactic acid.  On the other hand, it has been shown that faster paced training runs can also increase your risk of injury. 

What are your thoughts on this?  Are the gains from consistent speed training greater than the risk of injury?

After reading all kinds of articles on the web, I have made the following suggestions to the runners in my group:

• With speed training, it's necessary have a solid running base - based on what I've read, this "base" is at least 2-3 months of running 3 times per week. 
• Running on a track or other soft surfaces (like grass) may be more forgiving and help prevent injuries.  
• Be sure to warm up before speed training with a slower, more casual pace run and then cool down with the same afterwards. 
• Finally, if experiencing any persistent aches or pains, it may be wise to skip speed training altogether.  Let's face it, the runners will still finish their race without it...I'd rather that they make it to the starting line and not be sidelined by an injury.

As I also mentioned, due to my hip injury, I have been very conservative with my running lately.  For many years, I just ran...no speedwork, no hills..just running to run.  Then, I decided I wanted to get faster and stronger.  For the past few years, I've pretty much used the "to run fast, you have to run fast" school of thought.  I have done intervals as part of my training, but for the most part, I've just pushed harder and run faster.  (This may or may not be due to me pushing the snooze button too many times, resulting in me needing to run faster to get my miles in before work.....just sayin'.)  But, I was also sidelined from January until May with a hip injury...perhaps from not being so smart about my "run faster" philosophy?  Who knows. 

All that I know is that I want the runners in my group to enjoy running as much as I do and make it to their "A race" properly prepared and injury free!

What is your speed training philosophy?  Do you do it when training for races?  Do you just run faster?  Do you think it's unecessary?  Do you not really care and just run?

TriGirl Sprint Triathlon Race Report

I decided to give the TriGirl Sprint triathlon a try for a few reasons:

1. It’s an all women race, so there’s a nice, welcoming vibe there.
2. It’s a smaller race. Unlike the race the hubby did last weekend, with 1,500 people and tons of tri groups represented (meaning it’s pretty competitive), TriGirl limits the participants to 500. It doesn’t feel quite as competitive, as this race tends to have a lot of first timers.
3. It’s somewhat shorter than some of the other sprint distance races, which was perfect for my post-hip injury return to triathlon. Only a 300 yd swim, 11 mile bike and 3-mile run…it seemed very do-able to train for without overdoing it and re-injuring myself!
4. They give good swag!  The race organizers are awesome and they run a well-organized race.  The swag is just the icing on the cake. 

Just a sample of the swag given at packet pick-up - the shirt, socks and key chain.  They also gave a tote bag, hammer gel, etc.


PRE-RACE
The Hubs suggested that we ask my parents to watch the kids, so that he could ride to the race with me and be my personal cheerleader. So, as always, I got all my gear together the day before and woke up in plenty of time to eat breakfast and head to the start. As we were driving along, the Hubs asked if I had my water bottle…”um, no” was my answer. Doh! Luckily, we were able to stop at a convenience store on the way where I could grab a sports bottle of G2.

Once we arrived, I set up my transition area. I was pretty close to the run in from the swim, as well as the bike in and out, so that was good. We headed over to the water, where I managed to get in not one, but two short warm-up swims. Something I’ve noticed in the few times I’ve been at the pool before this race, is that it takes me awhile to feel warmed up and get my rhythm. After my 1st warm up swim, I just wasn’t feeling it, so I went back in one more time and after that I felt pretty comfortable.



The water - perfectly calm...just how I like it!  And a gorgeous sunrise!



The Hubs and I hung out, watching bits and pieces of the Men’s Olympic Marathon on his iPhone. It was perfect, because it gave me something to distract me from the race. Meb is my favorite of the three Americans racing, so I was super happy that he was hanging out toward the front of the pack. Before the race started, the Hubs informed me that Ryan Hall had DNFed. Bummer.



Waiting for the race to start



THE SWIM
Finally, it was time to head to the start. Luckily, I ran into fellow tri-blogger, Jill, while waiting for our wave to start. It was great to have someone to talk to for a bit. Before we knew it, it was our turn to get in the water. The downside to having a race with a lot of first timers? I kept swimming into people who had stopped to tread water, stopped to grab a pool noodle (yes, the life guard had these), etc. The swim felt extremely crowded and every time I never really managed to get a good rhythm going. But, it’s a short swim, so it wasn’t that big of a deal. I am happy to report that I did not have any of the open water anxiety that I have been plagued with in the past, so that is a good thing.



Almost time to start..yes I'm being a goofball and waving



THE BIKE
I headed out of the water, relieved that the swim was done! T1 didn’t take long and I headed out on the bike. It always seems to take me around 2 miles to get my heart rate under control on the bike. The bike course on this race is very pretty – lots of trees and nature. The downside is that there are a ton of turns! I would get my speed up to 19 – 20 mph only to look ahead and see that I’d have to slow down to turn again. At the turn around, I was pleased to see that my average pace was 18.7 mph.  Apparently, I slowed down a little in the 2nd half...maybe all those turns?



This is my "hallelujah that's over" smile...yes, I feel this way even for 300 yds!

THE RUN
I finished the bike and headed out for the run. Once I had gotten out of T2, I saw the Hubby and realized that I had not taken the Hammer Gel that I was going to take midway through my bike. Doh! But, it was only 3 miles and I figured I would be okay. To be honest, I had no idea what to expect on the run. I had only done one brick, and my runs lately have been slow and a combination of running and walking. At CB&I last year, my run pace was around a 9:28 minute mile (good for me!). I suspected my average pace now would be between 10:30 and 11:00 minutes per mile. I was pleasantly surprised to look at my watch and see that my average pace was holding steady at 10:05…and that was with me walking through the two water stops. The run is an out and back. Going out, you are in the sun for almost the 1st full mile. But then, you are rewarded with not only some shade, but a softer running surface. The final mile is the worst, because you are not only getting tired, but back in the direct sunlight again. Sigh. But, I was determined to keep running no matter what. I tried to speed up a bit as I approached those final few meters, but I’m not sure I succeeded, lol!



Heading out of T1...telling the Hubs that I forgot my gel!

The finish - a welcome sight!

Heading to the finish - yahoo!

Finally, I was done! The volunteers gave out our medals , a cold wet towel and a cold bottle of water. It was heavenly!  It was great to have the Hubs there waiting.

Me and mymedal...and my "real" coke reward, yummy!  I only had half, but it was delicious!

The medal up close

IN REVIEW
My final results:

Swim - 7:47.3
T1 - 1:24.1
Bike - 35:31.0 (18.6 mph)
T2 - 0:53.5
Run - 30"09.5 (10:03/M)
Total Time - 1:15:45.5 (11th of 55 in AG)

Overall, I think I did the best I possibly could, especially considering my training has not really been up to where it normally would be. Looking back, I could have not walked through the water stops. Or maybe I could have placed myself in a different spot at the swim start. Other than that, there’s really nothing I could change that would have allowed me to perform any better at this point in time. On one hand, I am happy that I don’t seem to have lost that much fitness in my hip-related hiatus. At the same time, I can definitely see areas for me to improve.

Will I do more tri’s this season? Maybe. I have two 10k races, a 10-mile race and 2 half-marathons between now and January. That really feels like a lot. Plus, the Hubs is training for a 70.3 in early November – trying to balance both of our training schedules, work, and family time is going to become more difficult as his workouts begin to get longer. (Not to mention all his IMTX training after that!) I may be doing good just to get in my 4:30 am training runs, much less biking and swimming. Plus, I want to continue to focus on the weight loss and strengthening.  But, I’m not going to say for sure that I’m not doing more tri’s this season…who knows!



Howdy!

Howdy from San Antonio! I have been on vacation, glorious vacation, all week! But, I did want to give you a glimpse of what I've been up to. I'm using the blogger mobile app, so I am sorry if this post doesn't look quite right.

First, we spent Sunday cheering for the Hubs at his triathlon. He did an awesome job! And, it was his birthday, so of course we had to celebrate with lunch afterwards!
 On Monday, the kids wanted to see where I work..not exactly what I want to do on my day off, but we made it an adventure complete with a trip to the tallest building in downtown Houston, a ride on the light rail and a visit to the Museum of Natural Science!

Next we headed to San Marcos to visit the in-laws and now we are in San Antonio relaxing and getting ready to visit Shamu at Sea World. Ahhh, vacation...it's going by way too quickly!!



Oh, and I have been working out! Sunday we had rain, which foiled my brick workout. Boo! On Monday, I went to the 5:45 am spin class. On Tuesday, I did the Brazilian Butt workout and swam. On Wednesday, the hubs and I ran in San Marcos - where every run is a hill workout...whether you want one or not! We'll see if we continue to fit in workouts on Vacay.... :-)



Our attempt at a family picture...a finger in front of the lens and the kiddos being silly!



Ready for some Dinosaurs!

At the Hall of Palentology...The Kiddo was scared of the skeletons, but the Munchkin love them!

Enjoying the "Lazy River" and pool at our hotel in San Antonio

The Lazy River...so relaxing!

Making smores by the campfire...not on my eating plan, but I had one anyway!

Frosty adult beverage..also not on my eating plan!

Random Facts Friday – the Olympic Version

1. I am addicted to the Olympics! And, I am secretly excited that the Kiddo shares my enthusiasm. Every morning when she wakes up, instead of watching Disney Channel or Nick, she wants to watch the Olympics. It doesn’t matter which sport is on, she wants to watch it. This is forcing me to watch sports I wouldn’t typically watch and I have to admit, I am liking it! I am learning all about field hockey, badminton, judo and water polo. Of course, I can’t wait to see the marathon and triathlon!

Go Team USA!!!  (source)

2. I wanted to go to the Olympics…but don’t all kids at some point? At age 12, I remember watching Mary Lou Retton bring home the gold. At that point, I had only been taking tumbling at my weekly dance classes, but I suddenly wanted to be an Olympic gymnast!  It was a rude awakening to find that at age 12, I was too old (and too tall) to fufill that dream. But, it didn’t stop me from taking gymnastics lessons and getting several years of enjoyment from the bars, beam and floor exercise. I hated the vault. I also remember watching Wide World of Sports on Saturdays as a kid and seeing the Tour de France. I thought, “Wouldn’t it be cool to be the 1st woman to do that?”

Mary Lou!!!!  Those leotards were da bomb!  (source)

3. I was in love with Mitch Gaylord when I was 12. He won my heart when he won a gold medal at the 1984 Olympics. And then he made the movie, American Anthem…I was smitten for sure!

The 1984 US Men's Gymnastics team  brought home the gold!

4. I also love the winter Olympics. Like a lot of people, figure skating is my favorite. And yes, I even sported that famous Dorothy Hamill cut as a kid. To this day, the “Battle of the Carmens” between Katarina Witt and Debi Thomas in the 1988 winter games is still the most memorable to me. Even after Christi Yamguchi won the gold in 1992, Tara Lapinski in 1988, and Sarah Hughes in 1992, the Carmens stand out. And who can forget the drama of Tonya Harding and Nancy Kerrigan, ack! By the way, Debi Thomas is now an Orthopedic Surgeon.

Debbie Thomas (source)

5. The commercials during the Olympics are THE BEST! Seriously, they make me cry. Have you seen the Proctor and Gamble ones? Holy cow. I also love this one from Nike:




Are you watching the Olympics? What are your favorite sports to watch?

I'm Alive!!!

Hello, I am still here.


I apologize for being a bad blogger. My laptop at home crapped out and I find it hard to make myself go upstairs and use our desktop at home. I was sometimes blogging during my lunch breaks, but I’ve been using those to work out! I am trying to get back to regular posting again, I promise.

So what’s going on with me?

A funk. Not a workout funk, but just a funk in general. Career is kind of blah right now…that’s all I’ll say about that. The Hubs and I are contemplating moving to a different neighborhood due to a new expressway about to be built a few hundred feet from our front door (boo!). The nutrition and weight loss are still going well – I am about 1.5 lbs from my goal weight and feeling much leaner and less “puffy”. The Hubs and kids are doing great! The best part? We are all on vacation next week – yippee!

How about the workouts?

I have really ramped up the workouts. I am running 2x during the week, and then again on Saturday with my running group. I ran 6 miles with minimal walking (only 1 minute at each mile) last weekend and felt pretty good. I can tell my endurance is nowhere close to where it was last year, because I felt as if I had just run 15 miles. But, my hip felt pretty good and I feel like I am building my base back up.

I have also been attending a boot camp style workout during lunch at the gym twice a week. I am very fortunate to have free access to a gym at work! These lunchtime gym sessions are one thing that make the workday a little more bearable. Anyway, the instructor is awesome – she incorporates weights, lunges, squats, push-up and running into a full body workout. I love it!

I decided to change things up a bit with my workouts. Back when I received the results of my 1st MRI, the doc made a comment about needing to strengthen my glutes. Well, I bought a workout DVD set that promises to do just that – the Brazil Butt Lift from Beachbody.

If you’ve been reading this blog for any length of time, you know I love Beachbody. I’ve done Slim-in-Six, P90X and Insanity. I love them all! I figured I’d give this workout a try, especially since they have a 30-day money back guarantee. Let me just say, after the 1st workout, I was sore for 2 days. In a good way. As in my booty, inner and outer thighs, quads and hammies all HURT! It’s awesome! There is a bit of cheesiness to the whole thing – the instructor, Leandro Carvhalho, explains everything well, but often says things like “stick out your butt, don’t be shy… be proud of what you’ve got!” and is quite happy about this workout (you can tell by the silly grin on his face). The girls in the background have those plastic smiles the entire time, while I grimace and grunt as I do the same workout. And the “butt” is often referred to as your “bum bum” (pronounced boom boom). Other than that, this is a killer workout that works not only the glutes, but the inner and outer thighs, the hamstrings, the quads, abs and lower back. I am only on week #3 of the plan, so I haven’t seen any dramatic results just yet. I’ll keep you posted.

The other workouts I’ve been doing are biking and swimming. This is the 3rd week I’ve been able to get to the pool at least 2 times. And, I have been biking on Sundays. I know I need more bike time, but I have trouble fitting it in. I am scheduled to ride the “Tour de Cure” in late September…it’s only 44 miles, but I haven’t been on a ride longer than about 35 miles since my comeback from the hip injury!

Triathlons?

I decided to go ahead and sign up for the TriGirl Sprint triathlon on Sunday, August 12. I am trying to tell myself that I am okay with being slower than last year..that I have just gotten back into training after 5 months of dealing with an injury. But I’ll admit, deep down I am not that happy about it. I just keep telling myself that if I get back into this carefully and be smart about it, I could be stronger next year. Honestly, I can’t seem to find my mojo to get excited about triathlon this year. I think part of it is because I am slower and I feel like I’ve been out of it for so long! I am hoping this race will help me find that passion again. I chose this one because it is a smaller, shorter, all women’s race. It has a somewhat laid back, communal feel to it, which is exactly what I need at the moment. Oh, and the medal is pretty awesome, too.

Future races?

Well, it took me a long time, but I finally decided that I would do some shorter races this year. Again, I am trying to get my mind right with the whole “you are recovering, don’t push it and accept that you’re slower and have fun” thing. I decided to branch out and do what’s called the “Texas Bridge Series”. It consists of two 10Ks, both labeled the “toughest 10K”, because they go over some pretty big bridges. Yeah, I will be walking. But, it’s worth it, because each race awards a medal to the finishers! (BLING!!!) The finale of the series is a ½ marathon. If you complete all three of the races, you receive a 4th medal. (MORE BLING!!!)

I am also signing up for the Ten for Texas. The main reason I am doing this one is because it is just minutes away from my house and several folks from my running group will be doing it. And, they have a great post-race party. There are no medals in this one, though.

I would love to do the RunGirl ½ Marathon. Unfortunately, it is either the weekend before or the weekend after the bridge series ½ marathon. Again, if I am trying to be smart with my recovery, and ½ marathons 2 weekends in a row might not be a great idea.

Anything Else?

We are hoping to get the kids involved in The Woodland Running Club’s junior program. The program meets 2x per week and the kids run a mile, by March the kids will be ready to run the kid’s 2k that occurs in conjunction with The Woodlands Marathon and ½ Marathon. After completing that race, the kids will have run exactly 26.2 miles. They receive a 2K medal, as well as a 26.2 medal from The Woodlands Marathon. Cool, huh? It will take some coordinating of our own training schedules to get the kids to the meetings, but I think they will have a lot of fun and make some new friends.

What races are you gearing up for?  Have you tried the Brazil Butt Lift?