tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-44704470345315560982024-03-13T00:01:09.773-07:00Vegan BootyNotes from a Vegan AthleteAlihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03315485809614264884noreply@blogger.comBlogger43125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4470447034531556098.post-75898523827993693532011-09-26T07:38:00.001-07:002011-09-26T10:34:29.354-07:00ChesapeakeMan Ultra Distance TriathlonLet me just start this race report by saying I'M A MOTHER F'ING IRONMAN! Okay, now that I've got that out of my system...<br /><span><br /><b>Friday</b></span><br /><br />Rusty picked me up at about 1 PM in DC, and we started the drive to Cambridge, MD, which is an hour or two away. We hit heavy rain, construction, accidents--you name it, and it slowed us down. We didn't get to Cambridge until 4 PM, so we went straight to the hotel to check in and then straight to a restaurant to eat a big meal.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPZXRNFQ8Eh4kat58Vrh5SGJoXVVRgzFmsVSDciITrRDDkF8T3xDLBfUHpSrNHKzhe1SURsn9R53Dc0Ot4O72rIDjDaSdsIQw1ZjAZL8stadKRkCa1_zGnXtZSOZHc0P6VmaqThs8YvD4Q/s1600/DSC_0002.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPZXRNFQ8Eh4kat58Vrh5SGJoXVVRgzFmsVSDciITrRDDkF8T3xDLBfUHpSrNHKzhe1SURsn9R53Dc0Ot4O72rIDjDaSdsIQw1ZjAZL8stadKRkCa1_zGnXtZSOZHc0P6VmaqThs8YvD4Q/s400/DSC_0002.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5656679590125803394" /></a><br /><br />I had a ginormous calzone with veggies and no cheese at the pizza place next door to our hotel. Delish! I couldn't eat the whole thing, but I gave it my best effort! A lot of the research I did on pre-ironman eating suggested eating your biggest meal around 4 PM the day before the race so that it has adequate time to digest before the race. The strategy worked well for me--I didn't have any stomach issues that night or in the morning.<br /><br />After dinner, we headed to the race hotel to check in and attend the course briefing. Check in was fast and efficient. The expo was super-small, though! They had just a couple vendors. All race-day necessities were there--CO2 cartridges, tubes, gels, chews, powders, body lubes, etc.--but there were a lot fewer extras like clothes, keychains, and coffee mugs like they have at Ironman-brand events.<br /><br />I only bought one thing at the expo, and I only bought it because they kind of left us no other option.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6F4cnt5-ej4ieToFrEQWwLekXgmgCCEgcA78S2tIp9JmE9rYEi46kqIJ2etEhteKDbSZnJpI0p8ArVKuH0K8i8VjefWqUxaLvx0kIsJEBRdqMwW7W2972AyWfCM4_RMhDhi7PvPMusP06/s1600/RackJacket2.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6F4cnt5-ej4ieToFrEQWwLekXgmgCCEgcA78S2tIp9JmE9rYEi46kqIJ2etEhteKDbSZnJpI0p8ArVKuH0K8i8VjefWqUxaLvx0kIsJEBRdqMwW7W2972AyWfCM4_RMhDhi7PvPMusP06/s400/RackJacket2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5656682247588281922" /></a><br /><br />A Rack Jacket is a cover for the top of your bike made out of ripstop nylon. It has drawstrings and velcro on the bottom side of it to keep it tight around the top of your bike. It protects your bars and seat from water damage, and it also keeps water out of your head tube and off of your cycle computer. It was forecast to rain all night, and we weren't allowed to use plastic bags to cover our bikes because they inevitably blow away and litter the area. Rack Jacket it was!<br /><br />After checking in and purchasing my Rack Jacket, Rusty and I went to the course briefing. It was very helpful and very laid back, and we were able to ask a lot of questions. If you don't usually go to course briefings, I highly recommend going. I learned a lot of useful tips, and it really helped to settle my nerves!<br /><br />We left the course briefing and went to the swim start, which was also the site of the swim-to-bike transition (T1).<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmlEF6CeG8G5wIYPS1Une0M4TvjaFB9Q-X-3_Se6KlXIG4Cr2iH3TkpyBbbm62Vvw0gFedr3LUjB_KpuztFdhrNldz5I2roUQECE4RxS68DgJOEWGEsFt8IUTYRT_Ku0OM8yiuubAK-fha/s1600/DSC_0006.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmlEF6CeG8G5wIYPS1Une0M4TvjaFB9Q-X-3_Se6KlXIG4Cr2iH3TkpyBbbm62Vvw0gFedr3LUjB_KpuztFdhrNldz5I2roUQECE4RxS68DgJOEWGEsFt8IUTYRT_Ku0OM8yiuubAK-fha/s400/DSC_0006.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5656686244431087922" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieQNxmcUOqzpr3RfvFSxxMHQhpyhdFRTOnmKaMifM6ihBlJphTwVc4OBazAy3P4akphaewsvWBOMpBD_TLguK_FVpaZ9d9csW281u5fAlrYl3_5cGAHyDKbnbbDb5l9-7OoU7YF67yIL69/s1600/DSC_0005.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieQNxmcUOqzpr3RfvFSxxMHQhpyhdFRTOnmKaMifM6ihBlJphTwVc4OBazAy3P4akphaewsvWBOMpBD_TLguK_FVpaZ9d9csW281u5fAlrYl3_5cGAHyDKbnbbDb5l9-7OoU7YF67yIL69/s400/DSC_0005.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5656686609458474066" /></a><br /><br />Seriously, you can't take a scientist anywhere. He's already looking for bugs in the water.<br /><br />We took my bike to the mandatory bike and helmet inspection and got the green light to get ahead and rack it. I put on the Rack Jacket, racked the bike, and then headed back to the hotel to pack my transition bags and get some sleep! I drank a bottle of water, repacked all of my bags, and it was lights out at 9 PM. That's not to say I went to sleep at 9 PM, but I certainly tried! A lot of my research also suggested getting a good night's sleep <span style="font-style:italic;">two nights</span> before the race because you probably won't sleep well the night before. Very true. Definitely worked for me.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Saturday!</span><br /><br />Alarm went off at 4 AM, and I was up and ready to go! I immediately scarfed a whole-wheat English muffin with peanut butter and a banana. Although a lot of websites suggested consuming only liquids on race day, I didn't think I could make it without a little solid food in the morning. I had had good luck with English muffins, PB, and bananas in the past, so I knew I'd be okay. Just a quick shower, and then we were out the door!<br /><br />We stopped at the bike-to-run transition (T2) at the high school to drop off my T2 bag, and then we headed to swim start.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4PwrKGAtfhLZQKrbdO0iBD_ZV0FgLgPAqi6QeziJPUfby7ZK620o1oULvNJv2yLTzjuRiuuLZw-tvL0IVcMAWIWEWRyVSdbPY7rZ9XiuakkDU7v13eAjU7-gr4pZ8tEkv2u22D29gIlwL/s1600/DSC_0008.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4PwrKGAtfhLZQKrbdO0iBD_ZV0FgLgPAqi6QeziJPUfby7ZK620o1oULvNJv2yLTzjuRiuuLZw-tvL0IVcMAWIWEWRyVSdbPY7rZ9XiuakkDU7v13eAjU7-gr4pZ8tEkv2u22D29gIlwL/s400/DSC_0008.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5656689435897866530" /></a><br /><br />It was about o'dark thirty when we got to swim start. Specifically, it was 5:30 AM. I was glad to have gotten there so early, though. There was no line for body marking or for the port-a-pots, which was super-nice. The line for the port-a-pots was so long later that it ended up delaying the race by 2 minutes. No joke! I was glad to get in and out without waiting in line at all.<br /><br />I took the Rack Jacket off my bike, made some last minute adjustments, pumped up the tires, and put my fuel bottles in the cages.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbj8lxMPNfojrAUry93onLJKHmg_jPuf4-QEh5x8EATSPNqZKIwNmr9XTaOhmBV2WGCZZ1AsNDzaVrHO5JLyYtoC6jTDHwowAvVNvJRMEg7ztSjICsJ1hdwwCcbfidv4oHCd2dg2XbA4uV/s1600/DSC_0011.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbj8lxMPNfojrAUry93onLJKHmg_jPuf4-QEh5x8EATSPNqZKIwNmr9XTaOhmBV2WGCZZ1AsNDzaVrHO5JLyYtoC6jTDHwowAvVNvJRMEg7ztSjICsJ1hdwwCcbfidv4oHCd2dg2XbA4uV/s400/DSC_0011.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5656690613683899490" /></a><br /><br />I coated myself in BodyGlide, wiggled into my wetsuit, dropped the BodyGlide into my T1 bag, and handed the bag off to a volunteer.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0DGC4nJEbfj0Tc6sQlXW0I3XK8MtbqoRV5Xb7OHprK_XJ51kccL-Mfz114W1_Rh8LMqn1Cia1sxZxaOZ-l58Mv6PHMgGV4hWuMBGoi2rnbDn7cPHtV7C8mlUy8iF6JRNhIUPhg_nr6vit/s1600/DSC_0021.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0DGC4nJEbfj0Tc6sQlXW0I3XK8MtbqoRV5Xb7OHprK_XJ51kccL-Mfz114W1_Rh8LMqn1Cia1sxZxaOZ-l58Mv6PHMgGV4hWuMBGoi2rnbDn7cPHtV7C8mlUy8iF6JRNhIUPhg_nr6vit/s400/DSC_0021.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5656691339751424226" /></a><br /><br />The bags were on racks in numerical order so that a volunteer could hand us our bag after we ran out of the swim exit. After they hand you your bag, you head to a changing tent where you kit up for the bike. You put your wetsuit and swim gear back into the bag, and then the volunteers deliver it to the finish for you to pick up with your bike. We had the option of laying stuff out next to our bike as well, but I opted to put everything in my bag. <br /><br />In my T1 bag: small towel (a golf towel is the perfect size), bike shoes, bike socks, race belt, Garmin, sunglasses, helmet, bug spray, BodyGlide, and chapstick. I had my bike clothes on under my wetsuit, and I was pretty sure it would be hot enough to leave the arm warmers at home. All in all, I was happy with what I packed.<br /><br />"Bug spray?", you ask. Yes, bug spray. Some serious, high-DEET Jungle Juice. Part of the bike ride was through the Blackwater Wildlife Refuge, which is, in fact, a swamp, and the race director said that if you blow a tire out there, you have about 30 seconds before you get devoured by mosquitoes. That's not a fun way to be before a marathon!<br /><br />Rusty and I chatted and people-watched while we waited for the race to start.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcV_jDlF5c-_9PfKW7VbGzYAMo5NOg9lMwqzudLFJgIAfVdKvQmKNb9ru8FGabJUJLj7qLBfVlp2YPTgK2Jyqdm5nypWmV8QjlN50HBFzNeKQB8YlgjWzG3aNuAcYeeDHt0R4i39WrwJ4R/s1600/DSC_0014.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcV_jDlF5c-_9PfKW7VbGzYAMo5NOg9lMwqzudLFJgIAfVdKvQmKNb9ru8FGabJUJLj7qLBfVlp2YPTgK2Jyqdm5nypWmV8QjlN50HBFzNeKQB8YlgjWzG3aNuAcYeeDHt0R4i39WrwJ4R/s400/DSC_0014.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5656694918609258994" /></a><br /><br />Around 6:55 AM we sang the national anthem, and then it was time for all triathletes to get in the water!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDBRgIMoMUBU1uOGFgSmLkqcU22MuRObMptx67h4wphdKnhON5lShIk-STkq-ljsriDJ0ALKgAZ45oeFi9MJN1KmLW7d60X6hauC1pHC4hw5yP7dJPtU_vDyKeH6kYOsX-KZFzE_1yOGy6/s1600/DSC_0024.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDBRgIMoMUBU1uOGFgSmLkqcU22MuRObMptx67h4wphdKnhON5lShIk-STkq-ljsriDJ0ALKgAZ45oeFi9MJN1KmLW7d60X6hauC1pHC4hw5yP7dJPtU_vDyKeH6kYOsX-KZFzE_1yOGy6/s400/DSC_0024.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5656695321104159810" /></a><br /><br />I kissed Rusty goodbye and floated out to the buoys.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwRt-LJRNcdk5ZddmqsOhpMcGaMpSe7Y-tF3ex0dS5DVHBAQEUSn9NO19wqDaJA4YyOO_0rGk76mQbDDOoQO6vaYDAnqOcY9ByGLk6bPX7JEYMtzRZpSfvWsHn-tlyFnaqFGMIVIIxWMTn/s1600/DSC_0025.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 236px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwRt-LJRNcdk5ZddmqsOhpMcGaMpSe7Y-tF3ex0dS5DVHBAQEUSn9NO19wqDaJA4YyOO_0rGk76mQbDDOoQO6vaYDAnqOcY9ByGLk6bPX7JEYMtzRZpSfvWsHn-tlyFnaqFGMIVIIxWMTn/s400/DSC_0025.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5656695622672103874" /></a><br /><br />The starting line was between the two white buoys. The water was shallow enough that we could stand while we waited, and the bottom was course sand. The horn blew at 7:02 AM, and we were off!<br /><br />The course was two loops around a misshapen rectangle with two very long sides and two very short sides. The water was brackish, dark, and dirty, and there was almost zero visibility. It was hard to see my own hands in the water while I was swimming! All sighting definitely had to be done above the surface. Going out on the first long side, the water was pretty calm. It was a little choppy, but that's to be expected when you're swimming with about 500 of your closest friends! I made the turn at the end of the first long side and then at the end of top side, and I was feeling pretty good. Coming back on the other long side, though, it got tough. The waves starting hitting us on our left sides, which made navigation pretty tricky. It also makes you feel kind of seasick! I had to keep telling myself that you don't finish any faster by panicking; you finish faster by moving your goshdarn arms and swimming through that mess. After I rounded the corner after the second long side I was back in the shallow area, and we all kind of waded to the next buoy, catching our breath and waving to our spectators. The waves were bad going back out on the first long side again, but after I rounded the turn at the end of the first long side for the second time, the water calmed down a lot, and I cruised to the swim finish.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGq95GEnm-dNZtdw-WBC8wAR6gxSGbFX67Ewp5QaDB3Fq-tY6XICB1bbbMRZDITwzHoY_K7jODVmRU2eDWHuRNuvstvr5RiP_XCrhg9QTOGqYTLk7U7L06bG7f-_hqUwJXRlZAUhD_xZza/s1600/DSC_0048_2.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 294px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGq95GEnm-dNZtdw-WBC8wAR6gxSGbFX67Ewp5QaDB3Fq-tY6XICB1bbbMRZDITwzHoY_K7jODVmRU2eDWHuRNuvstvr5RiP_XCrhg9QTOGqYTLk7U7L06bG7f-_hqUwJXRlZAUhD_xZza/s400/DSC_0048_2.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5656698750935781426" /></a><br /><br />That's me. In the front. With the arm.<br /><br />It took me about 1:30 to finish the swim, and I was so happy to get out of the water! We exited up a boat ramp, which was SUPER-slippery, and volunteers called out our numbers so that other volunteers could hand us our T1 bags.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYcu-lhdplA-GXRXu7TipSFJma2EoaFXR0WzbH-ZlZ1N0UeRsVa3GctFJVNzzUEwEYR3Q8e067fWs9taV5l1Sn8T2mKu0okgl1QOvj35yooPzhplZ4n75d504NOQDV9ZYcQXjoY0iTtf-8/s1600/DSC_0055.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 232px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYcu-lhdplA-GXRXu7TipSFJma2EoaFXR0WzbH-ZlZ1N0UeRsVa3GctFJVNzzUEwEYR3Q8e067fWs9taV5l1Sn8T2mKu0okgl1QOvj35yooPzhplZ4n75d504NOQDV9ZYcQXjoY0iTtf-8/s400/DSC_0055.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5656699347878525458" /></a><br /><br />I had grand plans to relax in transitions and take my time, being I had no real time goal for the race except to finish, but that just didn't happen. I was not all together mentally when I got to T1, and I just went through the motions that I had gone through in my head over and over and over in the past few weeks. Wetsuit off, goggles off, cap off, socks and shoes on, race belt on, Garmin on, helmet and sunglasses on, a little BodyGlide, a little chapstick, a little Jungle Juice, and out the door to my bike. I was out in about 6 minutes.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBiAS4FhOr96Z0XLaf6ZwIddmJusgSGVuB5ldq8vnMG0RbgIMEuAIzjWoHxxYFPwdUZSa5Jk9es2CoFTEPidXH4lqWz-uyGHUivI1Al6htAOQ9Fctopu9K8MhvIlYsh_EfzoMOACxgJ12_/s1600/DSC_0061.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 196px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBiAS4FhOr96Z0XLaf6ZwIddmJusgSGVuB5ldq8vnMG0RbgIMEuAIzjWoHxxYFPwdUZSa5Jk9es2CoFTEPidXH4lqWz-uyGHUivI1Al6htAOQ9Fctopu9K8MhvIlYsh_EfzoMOACxgJ12_/s400/DSC_0061.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5656700561144339682" /></a><br /><br />All smiles when I jumped on the bike!<br /><br />The first part of the bike course was an out-and-back. Like the rest of the course, it was flat, fast, and oh-so-tempting to just fly on. So, I did. Oops. I knew I'd go out too fast on the bike, and I totally did, despite my best efforts to slow the hell down. Around the 25-mile point, I was averaging about 17 mph and felt pretty amazing! I held it up for awhile, but around the 50-mile point, I started losing steam.<br /><br />At one point in the refuge, the road was underwater for a few tenths of mile, and that was not only hard to bike though (it was almost a foot deep in some places!) but it also soaked my shoes and socks, which made biking uncomfortable. Additionally, after the water, there were a few miles of really poor quality roads, and then about 10 miles or so that were straight into 11 mph winds. By the time I hit the high school and the special needs tent at the 65-mile point, I was a little demoralized, and my average speed had dropped to about 16.4. I didn't pack a special needs bag, so I just moved a fuel bottle from my under-the-seat cage to my down-tube cage (I was fueling with watered-down Hammer gel, mixed in bottles, 100 calories every 20 minutes), kissed Rusty goodbye, and headed out for another (shorter) loop.<br /><br />My goal on the next loop was just to keep my legs spinning in smooth, even circles. Not push!push!push!push!, but smooooooooth, round, even circles. I had done training rides up to 6 hours, and, just like clockwork, after 6 hours, my body started rejecting the bike. The last hour and some change were brutal! My neck seized up, and I could barely turn my head. My butt was killing me, and even my knees were complaining! It was hard to stay positive, but I remembered that Rusty would be there at the end, and I'd be able to change my clothes and spend some time on my feet once I got to T2. I just had to finish the bike! Through the water again, over the bad roads again, into the wind again, and then I was done. 112 miles. Holy crap.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFdK_uwG5n9KgJ3WnTkiZpzX0mo3VPwEtLKd8afub5-h6WDIIX08Egg1b55ilZILTmJeuceJ90sLEYY-MPjtigs1nHCHHsElumivacFpwqB2v6mr3UPe3CBLoIqX1JaFkQsgmYLxdkDcOy/s1600/DSC_0068_2.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 198px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFdK_uwG5n9KgJ3WnTkiZpzX0mo3VPwEtLKd8afub5-h6WDIIX08Egg1b55ilZILTmJeuceJ90sLEYY-MPjtigs1nHCHHsElumivacFpwqB2v6mr3UPe3CBLoIqX1JaFkQsgmYLxdkDcOy/s400/DSC_0068_2.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5656706174293137602" /></a><br /><br />Again, I meant to take my time in T2, but I just went through the motions again. In my T2 bag: small towel, run socks (Injinjis), run shoes, run shorts, sports bra, t-shirt, visor, BodyGlide, chapstick. The only thing I wished I had had in T2 was another bottle of Jungle Juice to spray myself down with. I had sweated off most of the Jungle Juice that I applied in T1, and the mosquitoes were brutal on the run!<br /><br />Oh, the run...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWJG5QDnQgc5EE4oq6BXHQw8y8FtOts0wBwmoShDN_1wKjI-6A0qf-HAHPoQrdSTC4cDbpVsSDKJEz-Pw_bVsRfDpKVm1bBSGN5HatB-XibLFbAIl0m1FD4v8czmS9IgxPnBDUA6pDmaOL/s1600/DSC_0090.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 270px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWJG5QDnQgc5EE4oq6BXHQw8y8FtOts0wBwmoShDN_1wKjI-6A0qf-HAHPoQrdSTC4cDbpVsSDKJEz-Pw_bVsRfDpKVm1bBSGN5HatB-XibLFbAIl0m1FD4v8czmS9IgxPnBDUA6pDmaOL/s400/DSC_0090.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5656710741630614114" /></a><br /><br />There was no way that I should have been running. It's just not human and just not natural, but I was doing it. I was running! It wasn't fast, certainly, and I stopped to walk every once in awhile, but I ran most of the marathon. Triumph of the human spirit? Lack of remaining sanity? Indomitable pride? I think it was all three. I ran better and further during the last leg of my ironman than I have in most of training runs. It's mind-blowing and life-changing, seeing what your body can do when you push it.<br /><br />That's not to say it was easy--it was brutal at times. The course was three eight-ish-mile out-and-backs. The first out-and-back wasn't too terrible, but when I got to the finish area to turn around and saw Rusty, I realized I had two more laps to go, and that was kind of disheartening. The second lap was okay--I jogged with a guy named Brian for most of it, and that help pass the time--but it started to get dark on the way back in, and the mosquitoes got brutal. The mosquitoes were approximately the size of small birds, and they kept getting stuck to the quarter-inch-thick layer of BodyGlide, sweat, marsh water, bug spray, and more sweat on my arms and legs. They weren't all biting me, but still annoying nonetheless. And, when I say dark, I mean DARK. Black. No lights, middle of the swamp. I could barely see the road I was running on, and they gave us glow-stick necklaces so that cars wouldn't hit us. Yikes.<br /><br />Once I started the last lap, though, I knew that I was going to finish. Even if I slowly walked the whole final loop, I would finish well before the 17-hour cutoff time. If I jogged at least have of it, I would make it under 16 hours. Knowing that, it was easy to keep moving. There was no pressure. Throughout the run I took in a gel every 2 miles and a cup of water at each aid station--there was an aid station about every mile--and I kept that up through all three loops.<br /><br />The race clock said 15:41 when I ran over the timing mat.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR6l3Iox4q5UsupQ2GYy-6oVaBR3xs8eocdgZoTIoIbDXvBqT9s1t0oOBZetRM5QWyxUsffXfShBH86tj3PN_lH92BCYehuwjZJXIZgNmcDQtLdQuc4FAc7ftuPmohdjSgt0AoaIiGFGgF/s1600/DSC_0097_2.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 312px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR6l3Iox4q5UsupQ2GYy-6oVaBR3xs8eocdgZoTIoIbDXvBqT9s1t0oOBZetRM5QWyxUsffXfShBH86tj3PN_lH92BCYehuwjZJXIZgNmcDQtLdQuc4FAc7ftuPmohdjSgt0AoaIiGFGgF/s400/DSC_0097_2.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5656716453643701650" /></a><br /><br />I can't believe I'm an ironman! Holy crap! I got my ginormous medal and sat down for a minute while everyone fluttered around getting me things and talking to me slowly like I might be retarded. "Hiiiii. Con gra tu la tions! Here, I'm going to put this cold towel on your neck... What do you neeeeeed?" Fair enough. I might be retarded. I just did an ironman.<br /><br />Rusty came and congratulated me, and we walked to the high school's gym where they were giving free massages. The massage was amazing! I'm pretty sure that's the only reason I'm walking today! Bless the masseuses giving free massages. They had to touch some nasty bodies. When I walked up to the table the masseuse asked me, "Do you want to take off your shoes?" I asked him, "Do YOU want me to take off my shoes?" He laughed and said he had smelled so many nasty feet today that he was sure mine wouldn't be shocking.<br /><br />The locker rooms in the gym were open for people who wanted to take showers, but I just wanted to go home. Rusty and I started heading back to DC. We got a couple miles away, and then I decided I was hungry, so we stopped at a Denny's. Turns out I wasn't hungry, but the highlight of my night was the waitress doing an imitation of one of the other triathletes who had come to eat there earlier. When she saw me, she said, "Oh! You must have done that race today!" I asked her if other athletes had been in, and she said, "There was a guy in here earlier with funny socks that came up to his knees, and he had a bandage here [she pointed to her neck], an ice pack taped here [she pointed to right knee], and he was walking like this [she leaned back with her hands on her lower back like she was pregnant and walked slowly, kind of swinging her hips and barely bending her knees]." It was spot on.<br /><br />Hope everyone's having a happy race season! I have a 10K this weekend, so I'll be reporting again soon. :)Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03315485809614264884noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4470447034531556098.post-28231530803636561532011-05-14T11:45:00.000-07:002011-05-14T13:18:28.047-07:00Oh, Hi!As I say at the beginning of all posts recently, I apologize for my absence! Law school definitely interfered with life for a minute there. However, I can now happily say that that problem won't happen again! I got hooded yesterday!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzxJI7Unvz5o6mlZQElIVpDEP8GNU_r_zGJzbf_UE4k_AotOmI_ei2D2vKnIwdO3WKE44GnPstS1nARQI2dwqayXbHM2VwijsbwLATI54kGWBpWx_6hvRmW0Yb2hLts74-kmQSmhNSFiRH/s1600/HOODED.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 314px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzxJI7Unvz5o6mlZQElIVpDEP8GNU_r_zGJzbf_UE4k_AotOmI_ei2D2vKnIwdO3WKE44GnPstS1nARQI2dwqayXbHM2VwijsbwLATI54kGWBpWx_6hvRmW0Yb2hLts74-kmQSmhNSFiRH/s400/HOODED.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5606646178133372082" /></a><br /><br />It was awesome! I now have two months of intense studying before I sit for the bar in late July, and then I'll be a real attorney! <span style="font-style:italic;">(But please don't ask me about your legal problems! I can't give you advice over the internet!)</span><br /><br />Anyway, since my last post (seven months ago!), so much has happened. I won't bombard you with everything now, but there's been a lot of racing, a lot of training, and a lot of traveling. I'll get you caught up soon!<br /><br />At the moment, I'm just finishing up my first week of Ironman training. Yep, Ironman! I know it's insane, being I just started running a year and a half ago, but I know I can do it if I stick to the training. I'm a pretty fierce chick! I was looking for a fall race, and I found an iron-distance triathlon in Maryland in September called ChesapeakeMan.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.tricolumbia.org/events/?eid=5"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3zRUUn30ryENXIYHSSL6dOzy0Q8GnXhKwGEU3hp2vuDgI5cQzuYlci4AzW3G35-Y6BmZXTrBA6lwIC8tgvXUFo-Qz4kULEQO0RBmlSMHV4DxYzqes7agiuKkj_dsofjXsUJGivIQ-fk0R/s1600/ChesapeakeMan.png"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 158px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3zRUUn30ryENXIYHSSL6dOzy0Q8GnXhKwGEU3hp2vuDgI5cQzuYlci4AzW3G35-Y6BmZXTrBA6lwIC8tgvXUFo-Qz4kULEQO0RBmlSMHV4DxYzqes7agiuKkj_dsofjXsUJGivIQ-fk0R/s400/ChesapeakeMan.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5606651980385097298" /></a></a><br /><br />I'll actually be living in DC in September (Yes, I'm moving! Another story to tell...), so it's quite convenient. I started a 20-week training plan from <a href="http://www.beginnertriathlete.com">BeginnerTriathlete.com</a> on Monday, and I'm loving it so far. It's hard work--don't get me wrong--but I love training. Since Monday, I haven't really been able to do anything except sleep, eat, drink water, and rack up mileage. Seriously, if I sit down for more than five minutes and am not eating or drinking water, I fall asleep, no matter where I am. It's crazy! I hope it gets easier in subsequent weeks!<br /><br />So far, training has gone like this:<br /><br />Monday: run and swim<br />Tuesday: bike and run<br />Wednesday: swim<br />Thursday: long run<br />Friday: bike and swim<br />Saturday: REST!<br /><br />Tomorrow I have a long ride, and then Monday starts Week 2, which follows nearly the same pattern. The workouts are specific as to time and/or distance, but I can get into that later.<br /><br />Honestly, I had almost completely forgotten how much I love triathlon training. I spent all of last summer training for a fall triathlon too, <a href="http://veganbooty.blogspot.com/2010/09/ironman-703-augusta.html">Ironman 70.3 Augusta</a>, and never in my life did I feel healthier. I was eating right, training a couple hours a day, practicing yoga regularly, and I felt like I just glowed all the time.<br /><br />Even when I was dirty!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyOq52aJcdViZ5np6rmS2p7j1gsjjbwN-Oow8BY_kQlVEdwmvq4IlgXtFjFb-5yWU7juEKs8nGUhYmGF8zo9j_PFUXfjzXDhZeRY5EmMRvbpr8lMbzqIRhSaHApkUZlJQhXUvbajeF2WeZ/s1600/done.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyOq52aJcdViZ5np6rmS2p7j1gsjjbwN-Oow8BY_kQlVEdwmvq4IlgXtFjFb-5yWU7juEKs8nGUhYmGF8zo9j_PFUXfjzXDhZeRY5EmMRvbpr8lMbzqIRhSaHApkUZlJQhXUvbajeF2WeZ/s400/done.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5606657242239016482" /></a><br /><br />Although I've been consistently training for endurance running events since Ironman 70.3 Augusta, I've slowly let myself go. I ate junk for a couple days after my race because I felt like I deserved it, and then I never really stopped. I pretty much quit biking and swimming. I practiced yoga maybe once a week, but I was mostly just going through the motions. Despite the fact that I trained for and ran two marathons and a 50K ultra-marathon between then and now, I quickly became out of shape. Fast forward to a couple weeks ago, and I was forced to confront the fact that I had put on almost fifteen pounds and could barely walk up a flight of stairs. It was <span style="font-style:italic;">definitely</span> time to start triathlon training again!<br /><br />I'm not going to post a picture of me now, which would essentially be a picture of what I consider to be "Overweight Me." I could, but I don't want to give anyone the wrong idea. I'm overweight for what I consider to be a good racing weight, and the subject of healthy weight is definitely one where your mileage may vary. Healthy for me isn't about what my body looks like but what it can do, and, right now, it can't do anything!<br /><br />I'm hoping to drop between fifteen and twenty pounds before ChesapeakeMan in September, and I don't imagine it will be too difficult. I lost two pounds in the first week! The workouts are only getting harder, and I'm just going to keep eating better. I'm eating about 80% raw at the moment, and I'm absolutely loving it. I know I don't talk about food much on this blog, despite it's title referencing my choice of diet, but I certainly will if anyone has any questions about what it's like to train for an Ironman as a mostly-raw vegan. Just ask!<br /><br />The last thing I'll address today in order to get you mostly caught up is a new and important character in the story of my life. My darling, Rusty.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8oM8okJdu_RhniiWyMwysrp0UJQIw-wlQqKwIVtMKwZBOhFmkd3TQDTEhQLRxjrDiGCQkZJ1wVnPwFcg6A64_ItpHx2T-6swwALrPpUTZS5V40pUB3nr1rjPcu4x0X9DVQVL9DGTJnUBu/s1600/DSC_0011.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8oM8okJdu_RhniiWyMwysrp0UJQIw-wlQqKwIVtMKwZBOhFmkd3TQDTEhQLRxjrDiGCQkZJ1wVnPwFcg6A64_ItpHx2T-6swwALrPpUTZS5V40pUB3nr1rjPcu4x0X9DVQVL9DGTJnUBu/s400/DSC_0011.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5606665144381588802" /></a><br /><br />Rusty and I have been dating since last fall, and I have a feeling you'll be hearing a lot about him in the future. He currently lives in Baltimore for work, so he and I regularly travel between here and there so that we can spend as much time together as possible. Also, I totally got him addicted to running, so you'll get to hear about his races, too, from the perspective of a spectator!<br /><br />That's all for today. I have to go clean my apartment--my landlady already wants to start showing it to people, even though I'm not moving out until July!Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03315485809614264884noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4470447034531556098.post-46494969446093476452010-10-17T14:10:00.000-07:002010-11-17T06:53:42.058-08:00My first 26.2!So, I ran The North Face Endurance Challenge marathon-distance trail race on Saturday. My first marathon was an AMAZING experience! AMAZING.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkHeFZu6LmthdKfa-blWFAPet7InDWAQxrJr_0w9i1fQ0jWnJxS8SOu3sJ213VlrIrx4H_lZ0Uc0QbZR5cu41l15Ac-T5kjw4sdPkQbpiI8AU5B0sNS8EO4avHfsDFpamt0nPdhoA3hsha/s1600/IMG_0267.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkHeFZu6LmthdKfa-blWFAPet7InDWAQxrJr_0w9i1fQ0jWnJxS8SOu3sJ213VlrIrx4H_lZ0Uc0QbZR5cu41l15Ac-T5kjw4sdPkQbpiI8AU5B0sNS8EO4avHfsDFpamt0nPdhoA3hsha/s400/IMG_0267.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5529127398058496946" /></a><br /><br />However, so many things went wrong! So many things, though, that I had to laugh at the end of the day. Alternate titles for this post could be:<br /><br />(a) Why You Should Invest in Trail Shoes for a Trail Marathon<br />(b) Why I Can't Seem To Do Anything the Easy Way<br /><br />Let's start with (b) Why I Can't Seem to Do Anything the Easy Way. Running 26.2 miles is no easy feat for most people. In fact, it's estimated that only 1% of Americans finish a marathon in their lifetime. It's a long race, both in terms of distance and time. It's a race for which one trains really hard, and, most of the time, one trains by running on streets, which is the surface on which most marathons are run. <br /><br />So, what on earth possessed me to think, "Hey, I <em>think</em> I can run 26.2 miles--how about I try to do it for the first time on single-track hiking trails?" I don't know. I just don't know. I did a half-Ironman for my first triathlon and a trail race for my first marathon. I just can't seem to do anything the easy way!<br /><br />I guess I initially thought that there wouldn't be too much of a difference between running on a trail and running on the road except for the surface composition. WRONG! This marathon wasn't on a running trail; it was on a hiking trail! That means it was almost all ascents and descents (4796' total elevation change), and there were parts that were just NOT runnable--you know, like parts where you're climbing over boulders.<br /><br />Check out the elevation chart from the runner's guide:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOMR4je_bsdHL4WJCBScUBqs0igDcxGo_XtUdlULzOWZpf2SgPtdKksWubeYkG8na6DFrFC5ir9BcPru2Y9okk_W26Oisdltyn1ZbB8s_NmmWLLdgSoYVXoa4uIkAvQktdMnMkVp03uW90/s1600/elevation.PNG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 246px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOMR4je_bsdHL4WJCBScUBqs0igDcxGo_XtUdlULzOWZpf2SgPtdKksWubeYkG8na6DFrFC5ir9BcPru2Y9okk_W26Oisdltyn1ZbB8s_NmmWLLdgSoYVXoa4uIkAvQktdMnMkVp03uW90/s400/elevation.PNG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5529132337361259010" /></a><br /><br />Needless to say, this was no easy race! Let me start at the beginning.<br /><br />First, I had a minor disaster with my <a href="http://www.zipcar.com">Zipcar</a>, which I took to the race. Zipcar is a (usually) awesome car-sharing service. I reserved the Zipcar for the whole day, but when I went to pick it up at it's location, it wasn't there! I was already late at this point and starting to panic. I very angrily called the Zipcar people, and they put me in another car immediately, but the other car was parked about a mile down the road. Grumble, grumble. I walked to the other location and started heading to the race. Thankfully I made it on time!<br /><br />I had just enough time to pick up my packet, stretch, jog a bit, and prep all my gear.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw9Af2DMKK7sxXgVNhOVvzqyTcMWMYpXwWYYWXvfOc_rqlrJSi3QdT8Ko2mRpYNYuHDTZzT_k_cwgAcpknRJ1nivF5y31m3RihFpuekFovSiQgFh70APH51SfzBOb9O-TwA3oObrbg9o3N/s1600/IMG_0261.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw9Af2DMKK7sxXgVNhOVvzqyTcMWMYpXwWYYWXvfOc_rqlrJSi3QdT8Ko2mRpYNYuHDTZzT_k_cwgAcpknRJ1nivF5y31m3RihFpuekFovSiQgFh70APH51SfzBOb9O-TwA3oObrbg9o3N/s400/IMG_0261.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5529134211425798178" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghYyAORbk9pGcd-n1cRPmb6fxHGC0IBSwVNwsySh5OHBnxlGCBO6BlMjXp6Yq1PtQpq7C-Ej8mvSN9toB10ddUrkXMeDdNUba3trN4-myUMsMr6oeGwTbYZz73pRdxg22vAhpmnSD4Eo_p/s1600/IMG_0262.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghYyAORbk9pGcd-n1cRPmb6fxHGC0IBSwVNwsySh5OHBnxlGCBO6BlMjXp6Yq1PtQpq7C-Ej8mvSN9toB10ddUrkXMeDdNUba3trN4-myUMsMr6oeGwTbYZz73pRdxg22vAhpmnSD4Eo_p/s400/IMG_0262.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5529134999836758834" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvAs5Oqv9FwxexrdEJcnC_OCmcsve4iu1641gNUHHGVWJNX7qQW5W8nBDwMNc4pQSY2-yKy6EL55d_ahnX1UZRt0NcGVvEDiayLbPhLAuSnhjFhFip-_bjhmBJWmHjXav4Ws9vpIyS9FiJ/s1600/IMG_0264.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvAs5Oqv9FwxexrdEJcnC_OCmcsve4iu1641gNUHHGVWJNX7qQW5W8nBDwMNc4pQSY2-yKy6EL55d_ahnX1UZRt0NcGVvEDiayLbPhLAuSnhjFhFip-_bjhmBJWmHjXav4Ws9vpIyS9FiJ/s400/IMG_0264.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5529135494608202450" /></a><br /><br />By the way, I don't have any pictures to document what I'm about to say, but I need you to believe me. If you are wondering what sport has, by far, the HOTTEST male athletes, it's trail running. No other sport even comes close. Rugged, ripped, tattooed, and rough around the edges. Wow.<br /><br />Anyway, a few minutes before 9:00 AM, we had a pre-race pep talk from <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dean_Karnazes">Dean Karnazes</a>, which was really cool! I mean, it was cool that he was there. The pep talk freaked me out! It started like this:<br /><br />Dean Karnazes: For how many of you is this your first trail race?<br />(I and some others raise our hands.)<br />Dean Karnazes: For how many of you is this your first marathon-distance race?<br />(I and some others raise our hands.)<br />Dean Karnazes: <em>[Laughs hysterically.]</em> You guys are insane!<br /><br />That was my first cue that this was going to be a rough one. I didn't pay attention to much after that. I just started silently panicking.<br /><br />The race started promptly at 9:00 AM. I stuck to the back, knowing that I would be one of the slowest. It took awhile for everyone to settle into the single track in the proper order, so I actually had to stop and wait a minute at the trailhead.<br /><br />Let me take this opportunity to discuss (a) Why You Should Invest in Trail Shoes for a Trail Marathon. Trail shoes have thicker soles and much more traction than road shoes, making it easier to stay stable on all kinds of terrain. They also usually have reinforces toe boxes so that you don't damage your toes when you repeatedly kick things sticking out of the ground.<br /><br />I <em>really </em>should have got some!<br /><br />First, I stubbed my toes on roots and rocks approximately 25,000,000 times. My toes hurt SO BAD by the end of the race! Worse than that though, the lack of traction on my Nike LunarGlides caused me to take a nasty spill around mile 3.5 while I was running on a rocky stretch, disguised by a layer of pine straw. My right knee took the brunt of the fall. I walked off the pain for a minute and then got up and kept running. It wasn't really bothering me at all after a bit, but I knew it looked nasty.<br /><br />When I hit the first aid station at mile 5.6, they sent me to the medical tent to get it cleaned. I hadn't noticed, but it was pretty much gushing blood. Oops! They cleaned it and tried to bandage it, but it was too big for their bandaids. No big deal. The only issue I had with all of this cleaning/bandaging nonense was that I was losing time! Unfortunately, a lot of the med checks were not optional, as I would learn.<br /><br />This is what my knee looks like now.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCZYXQHowHkjMmMnCwBMNb5oVmGtOl89o0H1_DDL8uQqkXDK9bJiE9UrGyP1gDJMqSOlmGakSTvmQJet1dvDd7GKxDsk4a4UHu6fzDrNuKTi7wAWO2mzp1qfKJr2mwwOynYYzKl4WbAsPM/s1600/IMG_0270.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCZYXQHowHkjMmMnCwBMNb5oVmGtOl89o0H1_DDL8uQqkXDK9bJiE9UrGyP1gDJMqSOlmGakSTvmQJet1dvDd7GKxDsk4a4UHu6fzDrNuKTi7wAWO2mzp1qfKJr2mwwOynYYzKl4WbAsPM/s400/IMG_0270.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5529142875201663154" /></a><br /><br />It's cleaning up pretty well.<br /><br />After leaving the first aid station, I hit an awesome runner's high and ran well and strong for a couple miles. The trail became wider and packed, and the hills were shorter and shallower than they had been previously. I started loving it! I thought, "Wow. Trail running is the best ever! I want to do this everyday!" And then, in my endophin-induced daze, I tripped and fell around mile 8.7. Damnit.<br /><br />When I hit the second aid station at mile 10.5, I had a bloody elbow and hand, and they sent me to the med tent again. I just couldn't win! They kept asking me simple questions and feeding me Gu Brew while they cleaned me. I told them that I wasn't falling because I was dehydrated and woozy--I'm just a clutz without trail shoes! They weren't listening. Boo. More time taken away from me.<br /><br />Here are my elbow and hand now.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRD4o_1IOY2_-9q0Ce4HrX3SAooBv7xxeOelbFZPEBuTZDLWcdnJgZlfcqXJ7JffhCtlgv-6qw5Zy2DJSqewQKjLqci5ypHKWvUoj1HpEcNTeCnMWbSqBmW5B88qnPyRdPbmfFWyfXDZDu/s1600/IMG_0268.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRD4o_1IOY2_-9q0Ce4HrX3SAooBv7xxeOelbFZPEBuTZDLWcdnJgZlfcqXJ7JffhCtlgv-6qw5Zy2DJSqewQKjLqci5ypHKWvUoj1HpEcNTeCnMWbSqBmW5B88qnPyRdPbmfFWyfXDZDu/s400/IMG_0268.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5529146304802272546" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1LLQ9lHCx8Vq-pVoicJDD_EQ5hEMQxqlRiJf-QKWYfnqAoZqj33t_fDla2SQneqB_caeOhLb40DAgy59ATOemgmFQZiyrYUEm7iohvKKJyU11kKTPfUqIWom_NR_g7CPLNGeqfoGGQsct/s1600/IMG_0269.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1LLQ9lHCx8Vq-pVoicJDD_EQ5hEMQxqlRiJf-QKWYfnqAoZqj33t_fDla2SQneqB_caeOhLb40DAgy59ATOemgmFQZiyrYUEm7iohvKKJyU11kKTPfUqIWom_NR_g7CPLNGeqfoGGQsct/s400/IMG_0269.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5529146758587448354" /></a><br /><br />They don't look bad at all, do they? I'm still mad about getting stuck at that med tent.<br /><br />Leaving the aid station after mile 10.5, I felt great again! I started dragging about mile 12. I hit another high around mile 13. I started dragging again around mile 15. So it continued for the rest of the race. My walk-run ratio started getting higher and higher, and by mile 20 I was just about tapped out. I would have brief bursts of energy and start running again, but it wouldn't last more than a few tenths of a mile.<br /><br />It was tough mentally. I wanted so much to run--and I did when I would hit the brief stretches of flat trail--but having enough energy to run is not the same as having enough energy to scramble up hills, hop over roots, and dance around rocks. I had trained to RUN 26.2 miles, and I knew I could do it. However, I just wasn't able to run 26.2 miles of trail, and that was hard to take, especially at mile 20, knowing I had 6.2 more to go. I wanted to cry. I wanted to quit. But more than that, I wanted to <em>finish</em>.<br /><br />It was brutal, but I did it!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEreqvUS7jBp32Sm-WaLUoMWrV8FXpVX8vqVOMjcQyNAhMNhWLks-325EFIQ2XOMS_RG8I0tAZWb5whsTMrhJhksIfuQZbIjQfLvTL7YX2nT9ArP_d8mk5ssFXCMjYvfip03n6bMB0YnE6/s1600/65732_10150291458490007_598665006_14937553_1817529_n.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEreqvUS7jBp32Sm-WaLUoMWrV8FXpVX8vqVOMjcQyNAhMNhWLks-325EFIQ2XOMS_RG8I0tAZWb5whsTMrhJhksIfuQZbIjQfLvTL7YX2nT9ArP_d8mk5ssFXCMjYvfip03n6bMB0YnE6/s400/65732_10150291458490007_598665006_14937553_1817529_n.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5529149693784197458" /></a><br /><br />Crossing the finish line was all I wanted, and I got it! I'M A MARATHONER! <br /><br />I still can't believe it. I ran my first <em>mile </em>back in February. I ran my first 5K race in April. 5K in April, then 42K in October! Running is a serious addiction.<br /><br />I'm already registered for a regular road marathon here in Atlanta in March, and I know that it's going to be a totally different experience. I can't wait!Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03315485809614264884noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4470447034531556098.post-61327858733814408142010-09-27T08:19:00.000-07:002010-09-27T12:08:13.888-07:00Ironman 70.3 AugustaYesterday was the BEST. DAY. EVER. I'm not even joking! My favorite day of my life. Was it perfect? No. There were parts of each event (and each transition) that were absolutely horrible. But, all in all, I wouldn't take back any minute of it.<br /><br /><strong>Pre-Race Day</strong><br /><br />It all started Saturday. My friend Jess and I left Atlanta around 10 AM to drive to Augusta. Jess is definitely the best spectathlete ever! We got there later than expected due to some horrific roadwork disaster that is going down on I-20 East, but we still had time to do everything. We arrived around 2 PM and immediately got to work.<br /><br />There's so much you have to do before an Ironman 70.3! First, I had to check in at the Athlete's Village at the host hotel. The line was so long! They give you your packet, wristband, bibs, stickers, t-shirt, gear bags, and goodies. Then, there's a 30-minute course briefing to go over the rules and regs for the race.<br /><br />Next, on to bike check-in.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAY-6rMHi5hBlNetM1U0xugkSFLZAYCJu2RJ0kWPB9v0M5we6JrWPc1AYJpG8_JdWC0FSDHEI-TAdBqPh41RUEB5-DmRug_aBfvYaBGd3PhVfrOufHK1lAFfSwNVo0YlSk9P3w39ZgjGMc/s1600/IMG_0192.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAY-6rMHi5hBlNetM1U0xugkSFLZAYCJu2RJ0kWPB9v0M5we6JrWPc1AYJpG8_JdWC0FSDHEI-TAdBqPh41RUEB5-DmRug_aBfvYaBGd3PhVfrOufHK1lAFfSwNVo0YlSk9P3w39ZgjGMc/s400/IMG_0192.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5521627630051449474" /></a><br /><br />There was a mandatory bike check-in on Saturday evening, so I had to take my baby over there and leave her overnight! It was kind of traumatic to abandon her like that, but I knew I'd see her in the morning.<br /><br />Let me take this opportunity to mention for the first time that I was INCREDIBLY daunted before the race. Standing in transition, I realized that I had, by far, one of the cheapest bikes there. I don't have aerobars, and I don't have bottle launchers (those water bottle holders that go behind your seat). I don't even have bike shoes and fancy pedals! Browsing the bikes in my row, I realized that I was a bit out of my league, equipment wise.<br /><br />I had to remind myself of one of the things I learned at the <a href="http://veganbooty.blogspot.com/2010/07/bike-race-that-wasnt.html">Georgia Games cycling race</a>: Better equipment DOES NOT equal a better athlete. I still panicked a bit and looked to Jess and my friend Rusty for encouragement. They talked me down from a couple panic attacks!<br /><br />After checking in my bike, we checked into the hotel. We were exhausted from hiking around Augusta all day, so we ordered Chinese food and hit the hay early. Like, 8:30 PM early! I think Jess was actually asleep around 7:30 or 8:00!<br /><br /><strong>Race Day</strong><br /><br />The alarm went off at 4:30 AM, and I hopped out of bed, ready to go! I was so prepared for this day! I had a step-by-step list of everything I had to do in the morning, so I had no reason to panic at this point. I had all of my things packed in separate bags for pre-swim, T1, T2, and post-run. I had a feeding schedule starting from wake-up call to finishing the run. Preparation is EVERYTHING. I live by the proverb, "Failing to plan is planning to fail."<br /><br />First stop: Transition. I had to pump up my tires and drop off my T1 and T2 bags. I laid everything out carefully on a towel.<br /><br />For T1 (swim-to-bike transition):<br />--large towel to lay out under bike wheel<br />--small towel to wipe feet with<br />--energy gel to slam before getting on the bike<br />--small water bottle to wash down the gel<br />--helmet<br />--wicking headband<br />--sunglasses<br />--Garmin<br />--gloves<br />--calf sleeves<br />--socks<br />--shoes<br />--shirt<br />--race belt with bib affixed<br />--fuel belt with gels<br /><br />For T2 (bike-to-run transition):<br />--energy gel to slam before hitting the road<br />--small water bottle to wash down the gel<br />--visor<br /><br />I also got my body marked at transition in the morning. They mark your bicep with your bib number and your calf with your age. It's really fun to see everyone's ages when you're racing! That is, until you get passed by a 63-year-old, which happened to me on the run course! Ha! It was still cool, though.<br /><br />Check out my body marking.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKLIm-sQnP5VYNJsU6OldMkJazCws5Anj36a8SrYLx9NxnyNyuL9U2TGG2likXUKSnxggWowlvSQKpkVv1xHUnkB_pgRjee-xmA6inNSqeLaS-Hlotk1mudkRtcs2OgUIrTZQ6eO4ABF46/s1600/IMG_0196.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKLIm-sQnP5VYNJsU6OldMkJazCws5Anj36a8SrYLx9NxnyNyuL9U2TGG2likXUKSnxggWowlvSQKpkVv1xHUnkB_pgRjee-xmA6inNSqeLaS-Hlotk1mudkRtcs2OgUIrTZQ6eO4ABF46/s400/IMG_0196.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5521634792265629234" /></a><br /><br />Next, it was on to the swim start, which was NOT at transition. For a lot of races, the swim course is an out-and-back or a triangle, but this swim course was a straight shot down the Savannah River, so the swim start was 1.2 miles down the road from transition. We walked down there to get my timing chip and check out the area.<br /><br />After I picked up my chip, it started raining. Boo. It wasn't raining hard, but we still didn't want to stand around waiting at the swim start in the rain, so we walked another half-mile down the road to the host hotel to hang out for a bit.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK1-b9decDZqtCipw7C9qjYPDO43DbKZYxO5fcXucWQA2VGXpV_0tCS823V8j9-72NKgA61Op42MSppZMgdVQrSpAkCkK0G8xgFAP7ZHTjWnfH36r2qzeMJ2KM0kGT8iSDHxanDY-rVeXg/s1600/IMG_0194.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK1-b9decDZqtCipw7C9qjYPDO43DbKZYxO5fcXucWQA2VGXpV_0tCS823V8j9-72NKgA61Op42MSppZMgdVQrSpAkCkK0G8xgFAP7ZHTjWnfH36r2qzeMJ2KM0kGT8iSDHxanDY-rVeXg/s400/IMG_0194.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5521638360690524898" /></a><br /><br />Jess napped for a few minutes, so I moved to the next thing on my to-do list: Plan to distract myself during the run. I knew the run leg was going to be rough. I knew I'd be tired and sore, and running 13.1 miles without music is hard enough as it is! In normal situations, I can let my mind wander for hours and hours without getting bored, but this situation was going to require some planning.<br /><br />I made a list a self-discussion topics and other mental games to play. Then, I wrote them on my forearm.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPC_xRzh8OyIMHuN_B2UK8e7Ct9G0zQ9L21RgECVi1Fkub9uFJzYTHzhnJmvNJSKiPEA4vGhvTeKiE0KI2SiW9WwQGR7OpCzBwA2XE44IEp4L0kG3gCzSSDlbvaC2DAkXat3e_z3ci2gpD/s1600/IMG_0195.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPC_xRzh8OyIMHuN_B2UK8e7Ct9G0zQ9L21RgECVi1Fkub9uFJzYTHzhnJmvNJSKiPEA4vGhvTeKiE0KI2SiW9WwQGR7OpCzBwA2XE44IEp4L0kG3gCzSSDlbvaC2DAkXat3e_z3ci2gpD/s400/IMG_0195.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5521639804892904050" /></a><br /><br />I covered all of the topics except potential hairstyles (insuffciently distracting) and my plan for the zombie apocalypse (required too much concentration.) The other athletes I showed it to thought I was INSANE, but it helped me a lot!<br /><br />After some stretching, it was time to suit up! I covered my legs in BodyGlide so I could pull on the wetsuit without too much issue. It's still not an easy feat! It was still raining when it was time to suit up, so I did it outside the front door of the hotel.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz6L2YP_VcIPWzTnzWZxSKSH07xzljdRnPpPDb9ElV0Ok7y_EEc3TX43uyi-xBrne6me-e0hY7-C5hMO0b5Bx0aWw1GgbWei-mer3onobqp0SGcnzVVocixdkfkXOSXuJDRK9ZjL6XsoY0/s1600/IMG_0199.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz6L2YP_VcIPWzTnzWZxSKSH07xzljdRnPpPDb9ElV0Ok7y_EEc3TX43uyi-xBrne6me-e0hY7-C5hMO0b5Bx0aWw1GgbWei-mer3onobqp0SGcnzVVocixdkfkXOSXuJDRK9ZjL6XsoY0/s400/IMG_0199.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5521643817878329986" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMkc6iL92l2Gzy530WAjoo1GjyFssDVqU1Tx976yTMc4nEygsDH1D_DsEEwDY5gJdh4w_-k55bAPFFl4UC52-rJEhr7trEE7beKCwf4MOYPZHB3mr71DKi7zjiYfzGAMKoRIXAo5ZoqYZ5/s1600/IMG_0201.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMkc6iL92l2Gzy530WAjoo1GjyFssDVqU1Tx976yTMc4nEygsDH1D_DsEEwDY5gJdh4w_-k55bAPFFl4UC52-rJEhr7trEE7beKCwf4MOYPZHB3mr71DKi7zjiYfzGAMKoRIXAo5ZoqYZ5/s400/IMG_0201.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5521644889677029698" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWfW2i4sUutK3XTj6bccocNMFmiDXTwwW2hjlauUJjEdvcW66eEDlyoCP1n0fCJpBOoxYErfTEf98vRJHfWRVwCV6d9r5tHI7lL8mKQxaqwyfjwb1VzmcTuf5eG8Qu4L1fhV2OvtS6NwfZ/s1600/IMG_0204.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWfW2i4sUutK3XTj6bccocNMFmiDXTwwW2hjlauUJjEdvcW66eEDlyoCP1n0fCJpBOoxYErfTEf98vRJHfWRVwCV6d9r5tHI7lL8mKQxaqwyfjwb1VzmcTuf5eG8Qu4L1fhV2OvtS6NwfZ/s400/IMG_0204.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5521646371972048962" /></a><br /><br />I decided that was good enough at that moment! We walked down to swim start, and I finished gearing up for the swim.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFcE5ugKj5rjgRrJYdS7y-LyIaFFjz_gXS2nQ7CjrMQRkR1VYAddRdxp-mMS7wjUVuABwlQ4G8POhv8fIgHFpBXUsuQVsdZlV5p-5ZW45s77fqF6yxffy0E3obUCuQmP76DIUKqWTBQLxn/s1600/IMG_0208.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFcE5ugKj5rjgRrJYdS7y-LyIaFFjz_gXS2nQ7CjrMQRkR1VYAddRdxp-mMS7wjUVuABwlQ4G8POhv8fIgHFpBXUsuQVsdZlV5p-5ZW45s77fqF6yxffy0E3obUCuQmP76DIUKqWTBQLxn/s400/IMG_0208.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5521647254075766866" /></a><br /><br />There was more waiting...<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWC75wLyuRCfvKXvC1QmTga4QNPfEunhpJVk6S1Nm-8voku0yE5qQoI5wi7XRbx0vh52wE_qsqd7omSx2Uep4BR0B45Wnt_sC6yJaLr2Mcmt87E6fILM8siIH9V-WkUP8IKiTIX00JKo9H/s1600/IMG_0210.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWC75wLyuRCfvKXvC1QmTga4QNPfEunhpJVk6S1Nm-8voku0yE5qQoI5wi7XRbx0vh52wE_qsqd7omSx2Uep4BR0B45Wnt_sC6yJaLr2Mcmt87E6fILM8siIH9V-WkUP8IKiTIX00JKo9H/s400/IMG_0210.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5521647681791462978" /></a><br /><br />FINALLY! It was time to start! One last pic.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcVVBpjBVtONNOW6FSp2GWymxgVJ5EbW3CkfGk0pQY1FPsBA_OvOrRR9wValQefBG6_aKAJ_D6pD62Z7xvUYwj9nNYEd2eHRLp1AYxK_xdZHe9bYB_nGNNI4CQRLJKPIgVBwXMqrDdyhx0/s1600/IMG_0212.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcVVBpjBVtONNOW6FSp2GWymxgVJ5EbW3CkfGk0pQY1FPsBA_OvOrRR9wValQefBG6_aKAJ_D6pD62Z7xvUYwj9nNYEd2eHRLp1AYxK_xdZHe9bYB_nGNNI4CQRLJKPIgVBwXMqrDdyhx0/s400/IMG_0212.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5521648402028936674" /></a><br /><br />I ran down to swim start, and I immediately started to get super-nervous! Not because anyone had better equipment than me, though. In fact, we were all essentially in the same wetsuit. I was nervous because I was about to start an epic quest, and I had no idea if I could do it! I did know, however, that quitting was not an option. I may have hyperventilated. Just a little.<br /><br />They called my age group. We all hopped in the water and floated to the starting buoys. They sounded the horns, and we were off!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitL6XtVJte_QO3RdNCyU38XWovXmaeAmsOc6zS5Fl6yvlYgRseznLT9HCGnVFPSILMSm0k1rgR1jdSJOUQB935TrSu_vjkr-Qc2a5rnO7csqq3WMGLccyJdqlFiCx073yDjfUD5BIKugxt/s1600/IMG_0214.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitL6XtVJte_QO3RdNCyU38XWovXmaeAmsOc6zS5Fl6yvlYgRseznLT9HCGnVFPSILMSm0k1rgR1jdSJOUQB935TrSu_vjkr-Qc2a5rnO7csqq3WMGLccyJdqlFiCx073yDjfUD5BIKugxt/s400/IMG_0214.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5521650300743835170" /></a><br /><br />Like I said, the course was a straight shot down the Savannah River.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLzvdNWR4daRwjC1hfHXakeO94va_rrdGwwSDw9cQ6FFZSCeBr3MXpAbLP3DbC3oWMpRuMC-1ZJlS2WdFXfxhAg0Y2BDSXzHREc1rOyD_ELaP1-Ag86TLZV2GKQ411xwJ7cLoUHZstjzwj/s1600/IMG_0215.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLzvdNWR4daRwjC1hfHXakeO94va_rrdGwwSDw9cQ6FFZSCeBr3MXpAbLP3DbC3oWMpRuMC-1ZJlS2WdFXfxhAg0Y2BDSXzHREc1rOyD_ELaP1-Ag86TLZV2GKQ411xwJ7cLoUHZstjzwj/s400/IMG_0215.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5521650804629795154" /></a><br /><br />So, it was still raining during the swim, but it wasn't raining hard enough for it to really be an issue. It wasn't complicating my breathing patterns, or anything like that. It was just mildly annoying. More annoying than that was the fact that I couldn't seem to swim in a straight line! I kept popping my head up and finding myself headed for shore or headed for the buoy line! There were a couple times that I had to slow down, stop getting angry at myself, re-center myself mentally, and then push ahead strong.<br /><br />When I first caught sight of the finishing gates, I looked around and realized that I was NOT surrounded by other dark green swim caps! I was in a sea of pink and yellow caps. I had no idea what that meant until later, but I now know that the pinks were the fastest swimmers from the wave 4 minutes after me, and the yellow caps were the slowest swimmers from the wave 8 minutes ahead of me!<br /><br />Jess was waiting for me when I ran up the chute to transition! My official swim time was 29:58 for the 1.2 miles.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4Jn4jsX_Mnc5eWNl-XMbgRaz6HFQG3_dbVUWOkO_6XHQSDXCmbYcXzPyLJk9Gl_LOVGWDNNPnnS9eoIP6hCvwFp-N22i12d1S9i5sX3ExATIMbSrqeR5fkBnPMwn6ZMDml3Q25RpKVdLu/s1600/IMG_0219.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4Jn4jsX_Mnc5eWNl-XMbgRaz6HFQG3_dbVUWOkO_6XHQSDXCmbYcXzPyLJk9Gl_LOVGWDNNPnnS9eoIP6hCvwFp-N22i12d1S9i5sX3ExATIMbSrqeR5fkBnPMwn6ZMDml3Q25RpKVdLu/s400/IMG_0219.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5521653936364312226" /></a><br /><br />It took my 9:52 to get out of T1! It was a long run into the transition area from the water, and it took me a minute to navigate the area to get to my bike. The wetsuit strippers were great, though! There was a line of volunteers inside transition to help us out of our wetsuits, and they were priceless. They grabbed your zipper and ripped it down, and then you sat down, and they ripped the suit off your legs. Took 10 seconds! I geared up with my T1 stuff and tried to get out the gate as soon as possible.<br /><br />There I go!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg71xzQtzPIPVFMGMdpGRAHafXDG9z-3HjbDCLBQzMm7N6wec6DTcx9BNPwKajMG-ds0DMJZH3iqDtPmQ3anowVkJpxhOrag6nHL2QpBmmiPhJFF4e7ktYD6aQjxQZbrzrLO5pyVltdev-d/s1600/IMG_0222.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg71xzQtzPIPVFMGMdpGRAHafXDG9z-3HjbDCLBQzMm7N6wec6DTcx9BNPwKajMG-ds0DMJZH3iqDtPmQ3anowVkJpxhOrag6nHL2QpBmmiPhJFF4e7ktYD6aQjxQZbrzrLO5pyVltdev-d/s400/IMG_0222.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5521655803372421218" /></a><br /><br />Oh, the bike ride. It was epic! I felt so amazing! In training, I'm lucky if I can get home with my Garmin showing an average of 14 mph. I know it's not because I ride that slow but because I ride in the city where I stop a lot, change directions a lot, dodge obstacles a lot, etc. I guess I thought that all of the stopping and starting only accounted for maybe 1 or 2 mph, though, so I told Jess that I'd finish the bike course in 4 hours, give or take 15 minutes maybe, thinking that I'd average about 15 mph. On this ride though, I averaged 17.1 mph! I finished in 3:16:57! Jess missed me at transition because I got in so early, but that's totally okay with me. I was so proud!<br /><br />On the bike course, I felt like I was flying. Also, I felt like the course was flat as a pancake! Athletes from other areas were complaining about how hilly it was, but, compared to the hills in Atlanta, these were nothing. I took it a little slow in the beginning, just to feel out the situation, but I felt so powerful after the first hour that I felt comfortable turning it up a notch. At about the half-way point I was averaging 16.7 mph, and I cruised into transition averaging 17.1 mph overall.<br /><br />The downside of the bike course: It RAINED the whole time. Not sprinkled. It's RAINED. At one point, it was raining so hard that if I had been driving a car, I would have pulled over to wait it out. It was kind of miserable at first! After awhile though, I just got used to it. The rain stopped for a few minutes around mile 35, and the only reason I noticed is that it suddenly became quiet. It was sort of creepy. It took me a minute to realize that it was quiet because I no longer heard raindrops hitting my helmet! But, then the rain started again, and everything went back to normal.<br /><br />I was in T2 for 4:02 before I hit the road for the run. All I had to do was drop my helmet, headband, sunglasses, gloves, and fuel belt, and put on my visor. I slammed a gel and some water and headed straight out.<br /><br />I felt pretty awesome through the first half of the run course! I ran the first 6 miles, averaging about 10:30 per mile. Unfortunately, I then began feeling the blisters. I was running in socks and shoes that were absolutely drenched! Blisters were forming on every square inch of my feet. I started a walk-run pattern that I kept up until the end. It was BRUTAL, but I finished!<br /><br />Jess was there to see me run down the finisher's chute!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP9uTul0Xx8lgi7awlZzrunMLa_eW-0IyPI3cbTVR3FQNsRsok8TQGlzio8tipLl8DVTzyrG9aFTHJTyr2WlFaRidoK5y2qPBqJ8AbX2LdQdv2zWq-1z9YJQrz18B28LZvD6a_KeZIPY9P/s1600/IMG_0225.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP9uTul0Xx8lgi7awlZzrunMLa_eW-0IyPI3cbTVR3FQNsRsok8TQGlzio8tipLl8DVTzyrG9aFTHJTyr2WlFaRidoK5y2qPBqJ8AbX2LdQdv2zWq-1z9YJQrz18B28LZvD6a_KeZIPY9P/s400/IMG_0225.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5521668703459696770" /></a><br /><br />I was SO glad to be done!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq-eRIJkzmQ6YyWfbfF9TdXVRYZUD1GqCfhX13In1Sefl2o3GaEXzo3IldhPDyybdvWh0gJlMtOP4c9N9-CWrnHRqztwr072mv8JioyTcWdcFcx-v2z9cudYcS9ZcVG9grEdJepogbKXHQ/s1600/IMG_0226.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq-eRIJkzmQ6YyWfbfF9TdXVRYZUD1GqCfhX13In1Sefl2o3GaEXzo3IldhPDyybdvWh0gJlMtOP4c9N9-CWrnHRqztwr072mv8JioyTcWdcFcx-v2z9cudYcS9ZcVG9grEdJepogbKXHQ/s400/IMG_0226.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5521669463970645570" /></a><br /><br />I finished in 6:37:36, which I'm pretty stoked about! I was worried that I wouldn't finish at all! I'm so proud of myself, it's unreal. Even as I lay in bed today, inable of operating either of my legs, I'm still so so so so so happy that I did it!Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03315485809614264884noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4470447034531556098.post-82842113669538329422010-08-27T12:56:00.000-07:002010-08-27T14:09:46.914-07:00Onward and upward<a href="http://www.ironmanaugusta.com/">Ironman 70.3 Augusta</a> is just 30 days away!!! Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh.<br /><br />I've been tracking down some last minute additions to the team.<br /><br />Like... <strong>a wetsuit</strong>.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIKP1U5D1EKJm2p-LtJWsHcl6iknNKJxYa_1nCKLcJA2Zovy_F3HtWd6171Iei2OBgLdVlZQL9BAkXkFvoxEPk5c-Ln_gFnpjjW3PHmU0C4U6WEupSDh-K2JK6Ijw_HmJpjBAo5zqm0LuS/s1600/Blue%2520Seventy%2520Reaction%2520Long%2520John%2520Triathlon%2520Wetsuit.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIKP1U5D1EKJm2p-LtJWsHcl6iknNKJxYa_1nCKLcJA2Zovy_F3HtWd6171Iei2OBgLdVlZQL9BAkXkFvoxEPk5c-Ln_gFnpjjW3PHmU0C4U6WEupSDh-K2JK6Ijw_HmJpjBAo5zqm0LuS/s400/Blue%2520Seventy%2520Reaction%2520Long%2520John%2520Triathlon%2520Wetsuit.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5510199023964695842" /></a><br /><br />Originally, I didn't think I'd need one. I didn't think that the Savannah River would be that cold in September, but it turns out that it is! I checked out the current temps of the river in the Augusta area, and they're already cold enough to make a race <strong>wetsuit-legal</strong>.<br /><br />In case you didn't know, <strong>Ironman races are very strict </strong>about when you can wear a wetsuit.<br /><br />From http://ironman.com/faq/rulesfaq#ixzz0xq8nRsv1:<br /><ul><em>After Sept. 1, 2010, the following changes to our current wetsuit rule will apply:<br /> <br />•Wetsuits cannot measure more than 5 millimeters thick. A standard variance will be allowed to account for seams and jersey material (non-buoyant).<br /> <br />•Wetsuits may be worn in water temperatures up to and including 24.5 degrees Celsius/76.1 degrees Fahrenheit. <br /> <br />•Athletes who choose to wear a wetsuit in water temperatures between 24.5 degrees Celsius/76.1 degrees Fahrenheit and 28.8 degrees Celsius/ 83.8 degrees Fahrenheit will not be eligible for awards, including World Championship slots. <br /> <br />•Wetsuits will be prohibited in water temperature greater than 28.8 degrees Celsius/ 83.8 degrees Fahrenheit.<br /> <br />•Full wetsuits are allowed (legs and arms covered)</em></ul>The water temperaturse now in the river are only peaking around 70 degrees Fahrenheit, so it's definitely going to be wetsuit-legal, and probably edging toward wetsuit-necessary for me! I hate being cold in the water.<br /><br />I looked at buying one at first, but there weren't any even <em>close</em> to my price range. So, I decided to <strong>rent</strong>.<br /><br />Enter, <a href="http://www.wetsuitrental.com/">www.wetsuitrental.com</a>!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.wetsuitrental.com"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 57px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYl-_HyF3e3LRN4RTWiG_QNyB1ZIhHvznFj2cXbQRXbapqWyS6Uri1JNnHW5KBY9YqmqrTlB-MqgTj2JkMVGwsOuA4wP8I7kyFgmCJ2_A5mof00Bm_uOjnD_JanB5-wLXHuCwWfcx2s8jf/s400/Wetsuit-Rental-Logo.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5510185404692243154" /></a><br /><br />Love these guys already! You tell them your height and weight, and they'll choose the ideal brand and size wetsuit for you and then ship it to you 10 days before your event. Think they might need more measurements than just height and weight? Nope! They get it right 97% of the time with just your height and weight measurements. There is, however, an "additional comments" section where you can plead the case for your weird curves if you feel the need! I used that space to inform them of my non-existent chest and big ol' vegan booty.<br /><br />I'm slightly nervous about getting the sucker on and off, but I'm going to practice non-stop after I get it.<br /><br />Another addition to the team... <strong>Jessica</strong>.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLGgpL2gw5MB2EvMJwicRFCbIcoRMM0-W6aKURjwRmJ9l_lutIg4ouBVQSKEIzXckvfyKsXOdDrHixnnxu6QexxhOKCKtpiGc_WBPLCUyAeV8C_fyNy1oLlZLJa9xA4c9nc94HfeTHPTUJ/s1600/jess+and+patrick+waiting.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLGgpL2gw5MB2EvMJwicRFCbIcoRMM0-W6aKURjwRmJ9l_lutIg4ouBVQSKEIzXckvfyKsXOdDrHixnnxu6QexxhOKCKtpiGc_WBPLCUyAeV8C_fyNy1oLlZLJa9xA4c9nc94HfeTHPTUJ/s400/jess+and+patrick+waiting.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5510196749459679906" /></a><br /><br />Jess isn't racing, but I'll tell you more about her role later.<br /><br />Happy training, everyone!Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03315485809614264884noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4470447034531556098.post-32221295034969104492010-08-11T08:20:00.000-07:002010-08-11T09:41:05.008-07:00One day at a timeIt's been a minute since I've posted, eh? There are a few culprits that have stood between me and this blog. First, <strong>I moved </strong>from my darling 3-bedroom house, which I shared with two roommates, to an even more darling 1-bedroom apartment, which is all mine. After many years of living alone, I thought last year that maybe some roommates would be good for me, but it turns out that I'm just not that kind of girl. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtACw8AZyV5LYYSkHV3XXtAtMPwK8u35XixFOndPGfTxly8QmzHeXqlHa4ao7n9TAlms8VkvtPCVtnutxZCd3KHObi_N7dvw-6f_vLBfGQFZb96p679IznhlQCvwNAoWr5Sz3qoAnEckqr/s1600/31657_1427978666722_1450484420_31094109_7651884_n.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtACw8AZyV5LYYSkHV3XXtAtMPwK8u35XixFOndPGfTxly8QmzHeXqlHa4ao7n9TAlms8VkvtPCVtnutxZCd3KHObi_N7dvw-6f_vLBfGQFZb96p679IznhlQCvwNAoWr5Sz3qoAnEckqr/s400/31657_1427978666722_1450484420_31094109_7651884_n.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5504190004903202434" /></a><br /><br />I like my alone time. A LOT. For me to be happy, I need a lot of quiet, and I need a lot of control. I like order, and to have the order you want, you have to control your environment. My old house was great, and my roommates were amazing women; but, <strong>my new apartment is PERFECT</strong>. I'm unpacking so slowly because I'm savoring the experience of putting every single one of my things into its own special place, from which it will only be moved by me. I spend hours just staring at a box--thinking, in perfect and complete silence, about where I want to put the items inside it. It's been amazing.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0zrd_X7XLL3hyNcguWaU4UqEsTRDcWlj2C4IKip8XYgKWh3AYEEqy8lscew4wu15YusChHF19kujFrVLYwwUXEA2w0q4InHBX5Nxg-yIeRL3F3DFKtbowf_PRuv1Gcj2d6FO9mvOvlkik/s1600/IMG_0154.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0zrd_X7XLL3hyNcguWaU4UqEsTRDcWlj2C4IKip8XYgKWh3AYEEqy8lscew4wu15YusChHF19kujFrVLYwwUXEA2w0q4InHBX5Nxg-yIeRL3F3DFKtbowf_PRuv1Gcj2d6FO9mvOvlkik/s400/IMG_0154.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5504192882357245090" /></a><br /><br />Also, I've been sad. I found out on August 3rd that I have a <strong>stress fracture in my left tibia</strong>, and I was so heartbroken. I cried. I tried to be strong. I cried again. I really wanted to hold it together, but every morning when I got out of bed and took my first steps, I remembered the pain that I had forgotten while I slept. That first experience of pain would send me right back into bed where I could pretend it wasn't happening.<br /><br />The most depressing part about it? I'm smarter than this "wallow in self-misery" nonsense. I <em>know </em>that this isn't the end of my training. I <em>know </em>this means I have to work harder and be stronger than I was before. I <em>know </em>that if I stick to an aggressive cross-training schedule then I won't miss a beat, and I'll still be able to run my marathon in October. I <em>know </em>that this is a blessing in disguise because it gives me an opportunity to focus on my swimming and biking and thus be in better shape for the triathlons in my future.<br /><br />It's just so hard to think positively when it hurts to walk, you know?<br /><br />I'm going to get through this, though, and I'm going to get through it by focusing on what I can do now and what I will do in the future. <strong><em>Can</em>'s and <em>will</em>'s, baby. <em>Can</em>'s and <em>will</em>'s</strong>. <br /><br />I <em>can </em>do this. I <em>can </em>be strong. I <em>can </em>cross-train every day. I <em>can </em>focus on my swimming and biking. I <em>will </em>get stronger. I <em>will </em>be better. I <em>will </em>run my marathon in October.<br /><br /><strong>I'm a girl who needs to have goals</strong>. More importantly, I'm a girl who needs to have detailed training plans, mapping out the best way to achieve those goals (please note my obsessive need for control, discussed in paragraph 2). I've spent the last few days formulating a cross-training plan that will not only keep me strong while I'm off my feet during the next 4-5 weeks, but will also prepare me for--drumroll please--<strong>Ironman 70.3 Augusta</strong>! <br /><br /><a href="http://www.ironmanaugusta.com/"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 68px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbPXAAZtXJrzt7X8eDCk6hyphenhyphen6yCWbOfkvI_VhG4vB_4c0UMJBzY0GkiJy9vILpClTk3uX75ZZEfxTQUaLzP1NALLQYXOBAU_CRXlA1ONcHrHFoft_YTa8JgsGMHdCqMYcFB0SE6HL3sDtaK/s400/AGHHeader1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5504188394317815154" /></a><br /><br /><strong>I know that I may not be able to do this</strong>. Stress fractures are finicky, and I know that I may not be able to run by the half-Ironman, which is September 26. However, I'm going to try my damndest. The biking is the only thing holding me back right now--56 miles is a lot for me--but this injury should give me a chance to get comfortable with that distance.<br /><br />I've just got to take it all <strong>one day at a time</strong>.Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03315485809614264884noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4470447034531556098.post-53566129209024798542010-07-12T16:59:00.000-07:002010-07-12T17:21:17.985-07:00Big news!I have some <strong>big news</strong>!<br /><br />I've <em><strong>sadly </strong></em>decided not to continue with my current Team in Training campaign for the Nike Women's Marathon in San Francisco. <em>Please don't hate me</em>. I'm so so so so so dedicated to the cause, and I'm still going to fundraise for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society as the team captain of Team Mom for the LLS's Light the Night campaign this year (4th year! Woohoo!). But, I just can't dedicate myself to raising the $3,900 for the Nike Women's between now and October. Life has gotten a little rough in the last few months, and I'm trying to remove as many stressors as possible at the moment. Unfortunately, I can't give up law school, which is the stressor I <em>really </em>want to eliminate!<br /><br />Check out my fam at Light the Night two years ago. Darn, we're cute!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFmFAPpVG1Oq026YVqhqB6cSGPk_tzUAi2yIJLgT1NCha0EZRjZ06xZXn7cch5wDW9siTp40S32CRp2pIhQY-d7TuYg0YZ-sHRT2LdEL967ltLilI3UXVqUUOUbSVOkzX2Vwefz0OWzG26/s1600/untitled.bmp"><img style="WIDTH: 400px; HEIGHT: 270px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493177952964071922" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFmFAPpVG1Oq026YVqhqB6cSGPk_tzUAi2yIJLgT1NCha0EZRjZ06xZXn7cch5wDW9siTp40S32CRp2pIhQY-d7TuYg0YZ-sHRT2LdEL967ltLilI3UXVqUUOUbSVOkzX2Vwefz0OWzG26/s400/untitled.bmp" /></a><br /><br />This absolutely does not mean that I'm going to stop training! In fact, there's a trail marathon here in Georgia (the North Face Endurance Challenge) on the same day as the Nike Women's, and I've already gone ahead and registered. I might even do a road marathon a month before that (The Air Force Marathon in Dayton, Ohio). I'll keep you posted on my developing racing plans!Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03315485809614264884noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4470447034531556098.post-9599637301261990402010-07-11T16:56:00.000-07:002010-07-12T04:39:41.311-07:00The bike race that wasn'tOn Saturday, my roommate Jessica, our friend Paul and I headed up to north Georgia for the <a href="http://www.georgiagames.org/"><strong>Georgia Games</strong></a>.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhja7YAuoVPp6aG9UV3UuhugAGoTOeVIC3rvp-1HYK3djY6372bT071pBBgCtOpwqdPwBemrPrnScb-yLXbzHnzM69dC_5_IdnBlzK_L6BK791ytmIqCW003PKqHwZ3t2ikmlVTlcRYIuT7/s1600/index_3.gif"><img style="WIDTH: 400px; HEIGHT: 97px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492802526827744514" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhja7YAuoVPp6aG9UV3UuhugAGoTOeVIC3rvp-1HYK3djY6372bT071pBBgCtOpwqdPwBemrPrnScb-yLXbzHnzM69dC_5_IdnBlzK_L6BK791ytmIqCW003PKqHwZ3t2ikmlVTlcRYIuT7/s400/index_3.gif" /></a><br /><br />As you can see in the banner above, it's sort of Georgia's version of the Olympics. Jess, Paul and I were there for the <strong>Road Cycling Championships</strong>. Jess and I were riding in Women's Category 4, which was a 38-mile course, and Paul was in Men's Category 4, which was a 53-mile course. <br /><br />Paul has a truck, so he picked up our bikes at 6:00 AM, and Jess and I rode up there separately in Jess's car so we wouldn't all have to squish into the cab.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii2hfw8rRhEqp71ndSu3pJDd1pDqZG6OAZgokao-Tsk9vzsbKEAMpCVT9fbUzicSsw9AuHuPzyFbqpRFlBXP2EDD_vKid2qqf6OCieCiD90PXPRZ4t3QnC-qfv6C8-s7xuqikwpu0WAwSM/s1600/DSCN0276.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii2hfw8rRhEqp71ndSu3pJDd1pDqZG6OAZgokao-Tsk9vzsbKEAMpCVT9fbUzicSsw9AuHuPzyFbqpRFlBXP2EDD_vKid2qqf6OCieCiD90PXPRZ4t3QnC-qfv6C8-s7xuqikwpu0WAwSM/s400/DSCN0276.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492803832286860354" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGoYujlAgAHpMk1GkpS1imGuzStRGqF5rUnKT5arpxg5NiuAa_c847qnmbK-NciJGv7MdeQGfGKE75_5_oBOfGIj8mKC0ivifChOytBTjMwYVs9H31nG6BbQEH_1RkiBsyAkygU8ShrHg3/s1600/DSCN0277.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGoYujlAgAHpMk1GkpS1imGuzStRGqF5rUnKT5arpxg5NiuAa_c847qnmbK-NciJGv7MdeQGfGKE75_5_oBOfGIj8mKC0ivifChOytBTjMwYVs9H31nG6BbQEH_1RkiBsyAkygU8ShrHg3/s400/DSCN0277.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492803681827100354" /></a><br /><br />We had <strong>NO IDEA what we were getting into</strong>! When we got there, we realized that we were all way out of our league--Jess and I moreso than Paul. We walked into a parking lot full of expensive bikes, pro racers, and frantic coaches. <br /><br />We were tragically unmatched. Paul at least had appropriate apparel and shoes; Jess and I were wearing our running shoes and brought CamelBaks! We stuck out like sore thumbs as soon as we exited our vehicles. Even better yet, Jess doesn't have a road bike; she has a hybrid! <strong>We practically got laughed off the course before it even started</strong>.<br /><br />Here we are getting ready to roll:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSXQdZWkpPgbTSxPj3XSdmCmDdRK3iGQzkkcMzCXA4CGi8z5pqQn2cIYhYHldaflYAdDiaJXqAjFtQqHgL2Ji7vXMDOay-rmc4lMmv-AxWRoY5_jAGT1HqCquGqw7xs2fbAgFFWRkGjzXM/s1600/DSCN0283.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSXQdZWkpPgbTSxPj3XSdmCmDdRK3iGQzkkcMzCXA4CGi8z5pqQn2cIYhYHldaflYAdDiaJXqAjFtQqHgL2Ji7vXMDOay-rmc4lMmv-AxWRoY5_jAGT1HqCquGqw7xs2fbAgFFWRkGjzXM/s400/DSCN0283.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492806377192100850" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr-MuRoOms6iqZI_c29MnLDwJxkwFRr8NaTCp0Vya3_BCLkv6Kwx2ajWjQZDPqwdEBdEDKVf5odkkaJhHqV-n4iSb4831xsSXpzwiKhdpYeUpgisDFiIQBSsUghfqvduNlPQKowtpQgJCr/s1600/DSCN0282.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr-MuRoOms6iqZI_c29MnLDwJxkwFRr8NaTCp0Vya3_BCLkv6Kwx2ajWjQZDPqwdEBdEDKVf5odkkaJhHqV-n4iSb4831xsSXpzwiKhdpYeUpgisDFiIQBSsUghfqvduNlPQKowtpQgJCr/s400/DSCN0282.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492806507332930610" /></a><br /><br />Most of the bikers competing were professionals. We were nearly the only bikers who weren't on teams, and we were probably the only bikers who hadn't been training constantly for months.<br /><br />Result? <strong>Jess and I were dropped from the race in MILE 2</strong>. Yep, you read that right. Mile 2. Jess didn't clear the first hill with the main field, and when I told the support vehicles that I was going to slow down and wait for her to catch up, they went ahead and passed me.<br /><br /><strong>Did we let it stop us? HELL NO.</strong> Jess and I finished the full 38 miles, not stopping once, and we finished strong. What do I mean when I say we "finished strong"? I mean that we finished the best that we could, and we were hella proud. We raced against ourselves, and, in the end, we still won that thing. 38 miles is a distance record for both Jess and I, and we ended up averaging a few miles-per-hour faster than we usually ride.<br /><br /><strong>We showed up, and we did it.</strong> That's more than most people can say! <em>(Thanks to Kristin for reminding us of that!)</em><br /><br />Top-5 Lessons I Learned:<br /><ul><li><strong>You cannot be daunted by people just because they have better equipment.</strong> Anyone with money can buy a fancy bike; it doesn't mean they can use it. Could I have kept up with the main field of pro racers, with their fancy bikes, wheelsets, and shoes? Certainly not for the whole 38 miles, but I could have given them a run, even in my running shoes and toe clips. <strong>I have strength, and I have heart. Take that, schmucks who made fun of me!</strong></li><br /><li><strong>You absolutely cannot let people tell you what you can and cannot do.</strong> Only you know how much you're capable of, and you're probably capable of twice that much if you really want it. A friend of ours told Jess she wouldn't be able to do 38 miles at all on her hybrid bike. Not only did she do it, but she kicked ass, too.</li><br /><li><strong>You have to push yourself a little to know what you're made of.</strong> How will you know how far you can go if you don't try to find that limit? I knew it was probably silly to sign up for a cycling race for a distance I had never done in training. How did I know that I'd be able to race 38 miles? I totally didn't! But I really needed to know if I could, and I knew I'd never find out until I pushed myself out of my comfort zone.</li><br /><li><strong>You've got to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em...</strong> You've also got to know what legitimate reasons for folding are. When I didn't see Jess come over the top of the first climb right behind me, I had a choice. I could hold back and wait for her, or I could catch up with the main field and trust that she'd catch up soon. I knew where my priorities were, though. Jess and I hadn't shown up to race the main field and sprint for first at the end--we'd shown up to finish the race. Riding with Jess was much more important.</li><br /><li><strong>You have to own your victories.</strong> Yes, you may think that Jess's and my performance at the Georgia Games was embarrassing. Sure, we were dropped in mile 2. Sure, we were repeatedly made fun of by other racers and some of the volunteers and staff. But, <strong>Jess and I got up Saturday morning, drove to north Georgia, and finished a 38-mile cycling race. You can't take that away from us.</strong></li></ul><br />My unofficial 6th lesson is: Stick to running! Ha! At least for now.<br /><br />Have you ever shown up to a race and found yourself tragically unmatched with the competition? What did you do?Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03315485809614264884noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4470447034531556098.post-42770442988036063552010-07-07T14:10:00.000-07:002010-07-07T16:36:49.923-07:00The news up till nowPlease don't hate me for being so negligent about blogging! <strong>I'm terribly sorry!</strong><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDa9mz_Krsk-v4cBJVEHDqWBQKmwGex1mFJK2juMYqRwv39Ez6U2I05MMydrvJJ7DmX6CvM-3T_EkGTApPAiD9hoFLR0x5ndPlMhbdTkPkI6RNYeQsd-aTEJDUhaiuYxnEBdB-hR4e45Wm/s1600/forgive.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 382px; HEIGHT: 258px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5491279925890170066" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDa9mz_Krsk-v4cBJVEHDqWBQKmwGex1mFJK2juMYqRwv39Ez6U2I05MMydrvJJ7DmX6CvM-3T_EkGTApPAiD9hoFLR0x5ndPlMhbdTkPkI6RNYeQsd-aTEJDUhaiuYxnEBdB-hR4e45Wm/s400/forgive.jpg" /></a><br /><br />Let me tell you what's been going on up till now:<br /><ul><li><strong>Everyday</strong>, I've continued my training, which is usually:</li><ul><li>Monday: weight training & swimming (1.2 miles)</li><li>Tuesday: run (3 miles)</li><li>Wednesday: shorter bike ride (20ish miles)</li><li>Thursday: run (3 miles)</li><li>Friday: longer bike ride (30ish miles)</li><li>Saturday: rest/yoga/walk</li><li>Sunday: long run</li></ul><li><strong>July 1st</strong>: last summer exam!</li><li><strong>July 3rd</strong>: 14-mile run!</li><li><strong>July 4th</strong>: Peachtree Road Race 10K!</li><li><strong>July 6th</strong>: last day of work at the library!</li></ul><p>It's been crazy recently!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0LeQZ5jDfW3A8J12PTfUZ0R_Dt9g7Ow3SZWYWIefY6VfRJHtCWO14cC_Bf3RCnm1AeC0-QEWYCTuwdTqW-Nlb7NdGMw1ngMg07zhqBUqNgpKOADGE_Nn4wiikMNcJR54SumF5NV8sAL2y/s1600/end.PNG"><img style="WIDTH: 262px; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5491280857392550722" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0LeQZ5jDfW3A8J12PTfUZ0R_Dt9g7Ow3SZWYWIefY6VfRJHtCWO14cC_Bf3RCnm1AeC0-QEWYCTuwdTqW-Nlb7NdGMw1ngMg07zhqBUqNgpKOADGE_Nn4wiikMNcJR54SumF5NV8sAL2y/s400/end.PNG" /></a><br /><br />So, yes. I ran 14 miles on Saturday and then promptly ran another 6.2 at the <a href="http://www.atlantatrackclub.org/peachtree.htm">Peachtree Road Race</a> on Sunday. <strong>Am I insane? Why, yes!</strong> Yes, I am!<br /><br />You see, I had to fit in a 14-miler this past weekend for my marathon training. First, I thought about getting up early and running 8 of the miles before the race started on Sunday, but I would have had to start running at 3:30 AM, which I just don't do. It's still far too dark at 3:30 AM for me to feel safe. Also, I wanted to be able to race the Peachtree (at least a little), so I didn't want to wear myself out with 8 miles beforehand. Then, I thought about putting in the extra 8 after the race. That plan just wasn't ideal either though because (a) it would be way too hot after the race, and (b) I wanted to relax at the post-race party afterwards! Lastly, I thought about splitting the 14 and doing 8 on Saturday and 6 on Sunday, but I wouldn't get the experience of the full 14.<br /><br />Conclusion: Run 14 on Saturday and 6 on Sunday. I had to do it.<br /><br />The 14-miler was good. It wasn't my best showing, and I wasn't begging for more after my Garmin beeped at 14, but I finished. I had a minor accomplishment along the way: <strong>I destroyed a hill that I thought would destroy me</strong>. We're talking a .5-mile-long, >1%-grade climb.<br /><br />Can you see that mess?<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSRMzFJh7apJoq2wu_DD6MY4HKL8jZ0O5o1eCCHcKF6pJdSgK-gFGJsl108cK6zyOtlCc_puuayb0nxcHM5QhIKJq1i2l1RBHOl0HDAc4A_sn_SU03pkEPv6DIHlLLNi3580x5TkcdynK8/s1600/elevation-14.PNG"><img style="WIDTH: 400px; HEIGHT: 153px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5491291236429832722" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSRMzFJh7apJoq2wu_DD6MY4HKL8jZ0O5o1eCCHcKF6pJdSgK-gFGJsl108cK6zyOtlCc_puuayb0nxcHM5QhIKJq1i2l1RBHOl0HDAc4A_sn_SU03pkEPv6DIHlLLNi3580x5TkcdynK8/s400/elevation-14.PNG" /></a><br /><br />Do talk to yourself (out loud or otherwise) while you're running? I <em>totally</em> talk to myself! All the time. I have a variety of <strong>mantras</strong> I chant to myself. Among my <strong>favorites for hills</strong> are:</p><ul><li>You don't have to win, you just have to finish</li><li>Slow is smooth, smooth is fast</li><li>Pain is temporary, quitting is forever</li><li>I'm a warrior. I'm a WARRIOR!</li></ul><p>I knew I'd hit the monster around the 10-mile mark, so I started psyching myself up around mile 9. I didn't know if any of my usual mantras were going to be enough to power me up the beast, so I started the pep talk early, hoping a <strong>new mantra</strong> would come to me. It did.<br /><br />My pep talk started with me reminding myself about the "real" purpose of many competitions: Separating the men from the boys. Yes, it's sexist, but it worked. I had the following conversation with myself for about 5 minutes: "This hill is going to separate the men from the boys. Are you a man, or are you a boy? Are you going to be scared, or are you going to dominate? Are you a child? Are you no stronger than a child? No! I'm a man! <strong>I'M A MAN</strong>!" The whole way up the hill, I chanted to myself, "I'm a man! I'm a man! I'm a man!" Yes, the other runners and bikers moved to the other side of the path and probably thought I had lost my marbles, but it worked.<br /><br />What do y'all say to yourselves to keep you going? Do you say it out loud, or just in your head?<br /><br /><strong>Post-run</strong>, I iced and tried to take it easy. I was sore as all get-out, and I wanted to run some semblance of a decent race at the Peachtree. I ate all the carbs in the house! It was fantastic.<br /><br /><strong>Sunday morning</strong>, I took the train up to the starting line, bright and early. I was greeted by a bevy of race photographers! Ack!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOIssDYwy2PyatylWNz79vlyxjktd0JD5g67Wjw7-ofoy1S2TvpTUfX9nHEGDSHhp78ZW7cC5mdLzeVvhNdiv92fWmzeCtSHvJX3bUCKG9AJw6xbLmgfGXDW_OiOQf20XBkhVfsSYsTrLk/s1600/before.PNG"><img style="WIDTH: 264px; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5491296762164771298" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOIssDYwy2PyatylWNz79vlyxjktd0JD5g67Wjw7-ofoy1S2TvpTUfX9nHEGDSHhp78ZW7cC5mdLzeVvhNdiv92fWmzeCtSHvJX3bUCKG9AJw6xbLmgfGXDW_OiOQf20XBkhVfsSYsTrLk/s400/before.PNG" /></a><br /><br />Surely someone could have told me that I had constructed the most poorly-matching, altogether-hideous running outfit ever? If you're wondering, "Did she get dressed in the dark?", the answer is yes. Of course, I did pack the day before...<br /><br />Anyway, the Peachtree Road Race is the <strong>largest 10K in the country,</strong> and<strong> </strong>I ended up racing it with 55,000 of my closest buddies!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTVXulECpXcEFk_GKgImL3RZJmjzkwsvcimeiYKO-A-hRyMiHTFx_vUvkQkK98cnA95Shi1-KPzi3ogayPVgsTF98lMbZAv2d7eBD03mHQQ6NaOX6H7U-n6O1bALvpFMzUvBYyVpI-j2v8/s1600/slideshow_1001599863_peach_0705_ba05.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 400px; HEIGHT: 266px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5491301444773863458" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTVXulECpXcEFk_GKgImL3RZJmjzkwsvcimeiYKO-A-hRyMiHTFx_vUvkQkK98cnA95Shi1-KPzi3ogayPVgsTF98lMbZAv2d7eBD03mHQQ6NaOX6H7U-n6O1bALvpFMzUvBYyVpI-j2v8/s400/slideshow_1001599863_peach_0705_ba05.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWNvxx7MMWBFv3p8T0bKg90bI9mWGeP5qaHlz9BKuKR2Zymo9iFnp9TALLwO8XLMoXTGt4z-NGPoTiqcuXjH4pHPTJhvgVeVMoWGspO1HTi67r7NEF6hQJZwmXiItkokaC6XYnJUt1JDXr/s1600/slideshow_1001599858_peach_0705_ba04.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 267px; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5491302107305035282" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWNvxx7MMWBFv3p8T0bKg90bI9mWGeP5qaHlz9BKuKR2Zymo9iFnp9TALLwO8XLMoXTGt4z-NGPoTiqcuXjH4pHPTJhvgVeVMoWGspO1HTi67r7NEF6hQJZwmXiItkokaC6XYnJUt1JDXr/s400/slideshow_1001599858_peach_0705_ba04.jpg" /></a><br />(photos from <a href="http://projects.ajc.com/gallery/view/sports/peachtree-road-race/ajc-prr-2010/">ajc.com</a>)<br /><br />It was the 41st running of the race, and it's become quite an Atlanta tradition! The whole 6.2 miles were lined with live music, spectators, and vendors. There were kids with water guns shooting us, and even the fire department was out there with their hoses! Everyone is cheering the whole time--it really helps ya keep going!<br /><br />The <strong>first three miles weren't bad</strong> at all. They were mostly downhill, and I felt really good, despite waking up to sore legs from my Saturday run.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkUStuG1cq8qgh4aoiAvWjVQNLAJDBRA5bLcFlPbVLAaK6q5tC9vlX3aJWUJtGI25-2XGLwtKnkmL4lW2IN7qOTcvrAMKdc66xw2t1oh47YFOJT4eQAhxA2-oHM4NJSRx0VrGiyiR8P_DV/s1600/during.PNG"><img style="WIDTH: 262px; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5491303385042749218" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkUStuG1cq8qgh4aoiAvWjVQNLAJDBRA5bLcFlPbVLAaK6q5tC9vlX3aJWUJtGI25-2XGLwtKnkmL4lW2IN7qOTcvrAMKdc66xw2t1oh47YFOJT4eQAhxA2-oHM4NJSRx0VrGiyiR8P_DV/s400/during.PNG" /></a><br /><br />After those three downhill miles, it was pretty much three uphill miles. <strong>Ouch</strong>. I ran through almost all of it--only walking through the water stops--but I only ran so much because <strong>walking hurt more than running</strong>! Weird how that happens, eh? I tried to walk once on the hill Atlantans call "Cardiac Hill," but my calves started screaming, so I starting running again within a few seconds. By the end of the 10K, I was so ready to be done!<br /><br />I crossed the line at 1:06:47. Also not my best showing, but I did it on sore legs! <strong>I'm an F-ing machine!</strong> I picked up my t-shirt and some grub, and then I wandered around looking for Jeff.<br /><br />A lot of people run the Peachtree just for <strong>the t-shirt</strong>. There's a huge competition for the t-shirt design every year. This year, a chick from my alma mater (<a href="http://www.westga.edu/">University of West Georgia</a>) won! I think it's a pretty cool-looking shirt.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6LkqaDZhvUyafUmXxmepuEzs_juBSTW_1dv0noU_x_EXR-RoOEolU-DBOg18XDqt-rXdDXSWVIKOL-LDriaNK5u9KM3LtrH5OinEyiJAyAtC0Nf3ypT2y_AS2S7RIg6-1TFKIa_1aRTgw/s1600/slideshow_1001599844_peach_0705m-cd.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 400px; HEIGHT: 274px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5491304635048444018" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6LkqaDZhvUyafUmXxmepuEzs_juBSTW_1dv0noU_x_EXR-RoOEolU-DBOg18XDqt-rXdDXSWVIKOL-LDriaNK5u9KM3LtrH5OinEyiJAyAtC0Nf3ypT2y_AS2S7RIg6-1TFKIa_1aRTgw/s400/slideshow_1001599844_peach_0705m-cd.jpg" /></a><br /><br />The t-shirts are coveted by Atlantans. They get you <strong>discounts and free things</strong> all over the city, and you can <em>only</em> get one by running and finishing. I used mine to get a free beer at Milltown Arms and a $4 burrito at Willy's. I wish I could have leveraged it for more, but...well...I wasn't walking so well. It sucked. I couldn't even go to the fireworks show I wanted to see! That's what I get for putting in 20 miles in 2 days, but I'd say it was worth it!<br /><br />Coming up, I'm competing in the <a href="http://www.georgiagames.org/"><strong>Georgia Games</strong></a>!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3CcqQxA76fziAiWAvCCDAE8opGc6CclTjAhCX7xWH9-dgoDMSI83CkjTqYmRRfOzZyxBq0Paz4jXUPajis6cH5FG2uKTKQrYaTsjyznhhla2Zrn93zVsu9uOYwxKRVitWB40dchHo11go/s1600/index_3.gif"><img style="WIDTH: 400px; HEIGHT: 97px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5491310437928375554" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3CcqQxA76fziAiWAvCCDAE8opGc6CclTjAhCX7xWH9-dgoDMSI83CkjTqYmRRfOzZyxBq0Paz4jXUPajis6cH5FG2uKTKQrYaTsjyznhhla2Zrn93zVsu9uOYwxKRVitWB40dchHo11go/s400/index_3.gif" /></a><br /><br />I'm doing a <strong>32-mile road cycling race</strong> on Saturday with my friend Paul. It's going to be my first cycling race! I'm so excited!<br /></p>Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03315485809614264884noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4470447034531556098.post-56340110006224655262010-06-24T16:35:00.000-07:002010-06-24T17:19:07.567-07:00These are a few of my favorite things<em>...Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens,<br />bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens...</em><br /><br />I'd like to tell you all about a few of <strong>my favorite things</strong>! I haven't been running long, but in the short time I've been hitting the road and trail I've found some things that I can't live without. Let me share!<br /><br /><strong>FIRST: Cherry juice</strong><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDSLdgatnyvV22M19mfm7FwiwOKlsB5VmwDsxP46tddOHycl7wyf8xUXCnF3lxWv3jIGge5ncpD6khSDQ4nY0sKaZy3Kz7e3-hfAHSZ9syGppMGK2ra3efl6n6WQSxmSBX5dcmmTtdjGJ_/s1600/FruitFastTartCherryQuart_001.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDSLdgatnyvV22M19mfm7FwiwOKlsB5VmwDsxP46tddOHycl7wyf8xUXCnF3lxWv3jIGge5ncpD6khSDQ4nY0sKaZy3Kz7e3-hfAHSZ9syGppMGK2ra3efl6n6WQSxmSBX5dcmmTtdjGJ_/s400/FruitFastTartCherryQuart_001.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5486489347012989058" /></a><br /><br />I buy this kind of cherry juice concentrate. You just mix two tablespoons of it into some other beverage like water, juice, or even (my personal favorite) coconut water.<br /><br />Why cherry juice? <strong>It's packed full of antioxidants.</strong>. That means it works to repair our bodies, especially those little muscle tears caused by running. I'm not a doctor and don't know exactly how it works, but I can tell you that it makes me recover much faster than I normally would from long runs.<br /><br />When I get back from long runs, I mix a couple tablespoons into twelve ounces of coconut water and guzzle heartily. I swear, it'll fix all that ails ya.<br /><br />(Check out <a href="http://www.seekwellness.com/gout/cherry_juice2.htm">here</a>, <a href="http://hubpages.com/hub/Black-Cherry-Juice-Benefits-Benefits-on-Gout-and-Concentrate-">here</a>, and <a href="http://www.buzzle.com/articles/cherry-juice-for-arthritis-benefits-of-cherry-juice.html">here</a> for info about the health benefits of cherry juice.)<br /><br /><strong>SECOND: My Zensah compression sleeves</strong><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSvcJMcCMbunc-dUtzXwfLdP7eecEWdlzy6vhxAIT3MAAupu-qJvGty_6huf10_xHTHxY08QR4NoviV_3xu0Xnto7okRP068385lWbw5q9s149H40avpBLEqhdOonaX5Q_1w_J1eRzuBvf/s1600/zensah_review_image.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 212px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSvcJMcCMbunc-dUtzXwfLdP7eecEWdlzy6vhxAIT3MAAupu-qJvGty_6huf10_xHTHxY08QR4NoviV_3xu0Xnto7okRP068385lWbw5q9s149H40avpBLEqhdOonaX5Q_1w_J1eRzuBvf/s400/zensah_review_image.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5486493232972917122" /></a><br /><br />Clearly, those pictured above are not mine--I have charmingly bright white ones--but they're exactly the same, and they're <em>awesome</em>.<br /><br />From the website:<br /><br /><ul><em>The Calf/Shin Recovery Sleeves are made with gradient compression which provides wide ribbing in the front for shin support and tight ribbing in the back for calf support.<br /><br />The sleeves are made with Zensah Fabric which has silver helping to regulate skin temperature and fight bacteria. The sleeves can be worn during training or for recovery to increase oxygen blood flow to the muscles of the lower leg. The more oxygen the muscles receive the faster they recover, allowing athletes to push the envelope in their training. The Zensah Calf/Shin sleeve is ideal for runners, cyclists and triathletes and anyone else who is on their feet. It can be worn during training, recovery or for traveling.<br /><br />The Zensah Calf/Shin sleeves are unique in that they provide Pin-Point Compression to the front and back of the leg. The dual action support was developed by a professional athletic trainer.</em> </ul><br /><strong>They do everything that they say they do</strong>. On days that I run without them or fail to wear them for awhile post-run, I recover seriously slower than when I'm wearing them. I can feel them supporting my calves and shins as I run, too. I wear them on every run and after every run.<br /><br /><strong>THIRD: My Gracie's Gear tank</strong><br /><br />You've seen me wearing this in some of my running photos.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw0yMpI8mp52OGXljzHMPYuLV0vCGmN4b43T6CFjcZ4-hTmGbhyphenhyphennpLnd8wK3KWEhhwHlh-Yx-39Tzbzrxu-lUI1AorcXKBvtAkQL35lhBAzhJtfxVzYOvdpP_Tts_1K2BspFNkokyoUUwJ/s1600/Gracies_gear_tank.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 174px; height: 250px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw0yMpI8mp52OGXljzHMPYuLV0vCGmN4b43T6CFjcZ4-hTmGbhyphenhyphennpLnd8wK3KWEhhwHlh-Yx-39Tzbzrxu-lUI1AorcXKBvtAkQL35lhBAzhJtfxVzYOvdpP_Tts_1K2BspFNkokyoUUwJ/s400/Gracies_gear_tank.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5486497122041888834" /></a><br /><br /><strong>Ladies, go get yourself one</strong>. It's supportive and functional. The girls stay in place, and there's a front pocket big enough for your phone or iPod. There's also a loop on the side of the tank strap to thread your headphones cord through. It's magical--such a little strip of fabric being <em>so darned nice</em>! Also, it's long enough to hit your waist and doesn't ride up when you run.<br /><br />Get one <a href="http://www.graciesgearandtraining.com/html/index.php">here</a>.<br /><br /><strong>What can you not live without? What are some of your favorite things?</strong>Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03315485809614264884noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4470447034531556098.post-959927851942653802010-06-23T15:40:00.000-07:002010-06-23T17:22:28.347-07:00Muddy Buddy! And my first 13.1Last Saturday was <a href="http://muddy-buddy.competitor.com/"><strong>Muddy Buddy</strong></a>! As I'm sure you know, <strong>I love me a good mud race</strong>. My first one was the Warrior Dash on May 22nd (<a href="http://veganbooty.blogspot.com/2010/05/warrior-dash.html">click here for the race recap</a>), and I was instantly hooked! There's just something awesome about being covered head to toe in mud in public. Love it.<br /><br />Here are the all the <strong>crazy kids </strong>who came with me this time:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDMtKbwGrDGPznbia54G31cLY5YXP_OZC4M4eYHg1NzYcqnPX3Wwm02ysizccylj9Y4RzOxFdmLzRIviSnkKkPWVKpSxTJQ7P9Cv_qKa4q3WTrZSqHwLHqUfjlr6qsPk1whsw9BfVLDmJJ/s1600/first+group+pic.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDMtKbwGrDGPznbia54G31cLY5YXP_OZC4M4eYHg1NzYcqnPX3Wwm02ysizccylj9Y4RzOxFdmLzRIviSnkKkPWVKpSxTJQ7P9Cv_qKa4q3WTrZSqHwLHqUfjlr6qsPk1whsw9BfVLDmJJ/s400/first+group+pic.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5486103927529148674" /></a><br /><br />From left to right: Paul, Emily, Jessica, me, Rusty, and Patrick. <br /><br />We decided to race in the coed division, so the <strong>teams </strong>were Paul & Emily, Jessica & Patrick, and Rusty & me.<br /><br />We got there nice and early so that we'd have plenty of time to <strong>prep our gear</strong>.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYNA1v8SdqBpkfbDtUXPX0VAT-oumcszoINPA_ctNa2bwmOJoiEyI8Eim-HJ1hUSKrMstVXeKchYsFLS85bQA3mMpeoqOa8ibUyPmLLGwmDOsx0hTcuERe0dki6N1XJuj3bgj8-OOIva8Z/s1600/Before.bmp"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYNA1v8SdqBpkfbDtUXPX0VAT-oumcszoINPA_ctNa2bwmOJoiEyI8Eim-HJ1hUSKrMstVXeKchYsFLS85bQA3mMpeoqOa8ibUyPmLLGwmDOsx0hTcuERe0dki6N1XJuj3bgj8-OOIva8Z/s400/Before.bmp" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5486105046593028338" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-fexRz0n9mQiErfRQ3ow1dO6ZnrmNwHXwgDO7qeOqA0CiRtq2Hz0S5pIUSMHkb7f6WV9RamLnBzRxZQJWIUS6elirzriYxkrL1tgvjaRssQA4bAT4OS17yM2vE4xsPQNLzRjMTr8ayxSQ/s1600/helmet.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-fexRz0n9mQiErfRQ3ow1dO6ZnrmNwHXwgDO7qeOqA0CiRtq2Hz0S5pIUSMHkb7f6WV9RamLnBzRxZQJWIUS6elirzriYxkrL1tgvjaRssQA4bAT4OS17yM2vE4xsPQNLzRjMTr8ayxSQ/s400/helmet.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5486105198428082354" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY10ZtGHeVQJnB_L057Lceq7Zk3mSSSOELSIUwK_NkrdgXJMF39HZT0smWOh2-kpx2xD77pnd8Ve8OLB-lPCOEITlOglmqaSNRK6YwjwA3_d1kj_UKHDDX1rTFgjp3u8REvqGwu85Pqy3S/s1600/jess+and+emily.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY10ZtGHeVQJnB_L057Lceq7Zk3mSSSOELSIUwK_NkrdgXJMF39HZT0smWOh2-kpx2xD77pnd8Ve8OLB-lPCOEITlOglmqaSNRK6YwjwA3_d1kj_UKHDDX1rTFgjp3u8REvqGwu85Pqy3S/s400/jess+and+emily.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5486105359045828850" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3UTAqTg_1kGgWYQMvS2IqaDe0N1cY_4_nAhTQu3gZuOJ9mj-xnfNkSw18JngTm7yUMve5DyRkGPXiyPZGwOQ4u2WsqWf8Lno6FX00m7wSCWeT8BosyWLr2QHxvkPzSHuktJb1_esYudks/s1600/paul+and+emily.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3UTAqTg_1kGgWYQMvS2IqaDe0N1cY_4_nAhTQu3gZuOJ9mj-xnfNkSw18JngTm7yUMve5DyRkGPXiyPZGwOQ4u2WsqWf8Lno6FX00m7wSCWeT8BosyWLr2QHxvkPzSHuktJb1_esYudks/s400/paul+and+emily.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5486105515566059602" /></a><br /><br />We started in the fourth wave, so we had a <strong>nice, long wait in line</strong>, too.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV-sBiTNVuMGpEJDC6-Tu9HHhM8Kky1PCyUMv0LqeOTJMCLXj2U9EC4Kfqn3i9Kx-obwQGrwhUsaQaoFBgYc8XJTBMELn8eslMAXmmenjgGb1_l8IvVVkssri3cigAKf2NRJgMG4GfHPp1/s1600/lineup.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV-sBiTNVuMGpEJDC6-Tu9HHhM8Kky1PCyUMv0LqeOTJMCLXj2U9EC4Kfqn3i9Kx-obwQGrwhUsaQaoFBgYc8XJTBMELn8eslMAXmmenjgGb1_l8IvVVkssri3cigAKf2NRJgMG4GfHPp1/s400/lineup.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5486106919661389778" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTZvOK9UID5daCb3cYlvPxGloBCuy_oplv09pz5zVQs84LtnWY8dZluCv6oGwBBWNwZrKBYoX4nG6iKP02acNikPaiD7oXoXLdSOLhj0ag2TjOxHwTpBD81DDmxoiThr653jVL0lOhMoa1/s1600/getting+ready.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTZvOK9UID5daCb3cYlvPxGloBCuy_oplv09pz5zVQs84LtnWY8dZluCv6oGwBBWNwZrKBYoX4nG6iKP02acNikPaiD7oXoXLdSOLhj0ag2TjOxHwTpBD81DDmxoiThr653jVL0lOhMoa1/s400/getting+ready.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5486105728448707602" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg76EFb-W9o7MKDNHFjnkqpFxQbESJFa0-z9eGzESp-8dXlU8KwSu_deg_o_CRowOPbWcbDFy4ACTM1giC9FxgCEZ0rNpMcZT90k8rmJ-JP9hzbfjc_EZER4rDNO0LpSfB8JRH7JL85AiFy/s1600/waiting.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg76EFb-W9o7MKDNHFjnkqpFxQbESJFa0-z9eGzESp-8dXlU8KwSu_deg_o_CRowOPbWcbDFy4ACTM1giC9FxgCEZ0rNpMcZT90k8rmJ-JP9hzbfjc_EZER4rDNO0LpSfB8JRH7JL85AiFy/s400/waiting.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5486105846275800930" /></a><br /><br />The <strong>concept of Muddy Buddy </strong>is that you and a buddy race as a team with one bike between you. One person starts on the bike, and the other person starts running. At the end of each one-mile leg, the biker drops the bike, goes through an obstacle, and runs the next leg; the runner runs the leg, does the obstacle, and picks up the bike for the next leg. You alternate for 5 legs.<br /><br />The bikers got a head start on the runners so there wouldn't be a big mess with runners and bikers trying to share the path. The whole race was on a <strong>trail with a lot of single-track</strong>, so it was important to divide up the group ahead of time!<br /><br />Here go the <strong>bikers</strong>:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhCa72fhSaEmsTntLTNauBNsFUXwS5JzcW-X-CJWF3DubMi7dZz6xuwKm7OCAQQXF30cgugkCkZg-YdDB0ZN-PvCbVE_W4Erv94s2sIVt94n5jkvN417BEO7cO0gk3gHtHRSI8sFRa0vZ_/s1600/there+go+the+boys.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhCa72fhSaEmsTntLTNauBNsFUXwS5JzcW-X-CJWF3DubMi7dZz6xuwKm7OCAQQXF30cgugkCkZg-YdDB0ZN-PvCbVE_W4Erv94s2sIVt94n5jkvN417BEO7cO0gk3gHtHRSI8sFRa0vZ_/s400/there+go+the+boys.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5486106515679714434" /></a><br /><br />Here go the <strong>runners</strong>:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTafDYLOBDYanS4frsjpZCpYoTcLbt1qSFgvSHpY2tb31JQQwR9AqNjYK4-bB_33gkVTT8z54w4Jsgvy0kMP7HF4a2fQFOqKORjujLdcfye8sD3vSkIcOmH_lfM6oegA4mDfFBqkOg9D2S/s1600/there+go+the+girls.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTafDYLOBDYanS4frsjpZCpYoTcLbt1qSFgvSHpY2tb31JQQwR9AqNjYK4-bB_33gkVTT8z54w4Jsgvy0kMP7HF4a2fQFOqKORjujLdcfye8sD3vSkIcOmH_lfM6oegA4mDfFBqkOg9D2S/s400/there+go+the+girls.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5486106658302768626" /></a><br /><br />We decided to have <strong>the boys start on the bikes and the girls start on their feet</strong>. Jess, Emily, and I stayed together for the first leg, but Jess and Emily dropped back when we hit the first obstacle and picked up the bikes for our first biking leg. They were pretty worn out from the running leg and wanted to take it slow. They kept up with me at a 9:00-minute pace, and they aren't really runners!<br /><br />The <strong>obstacles </strong>went like this:<br /><br /><ul><li>After 1st leg: Cross a balance beam</li><li>After 2nd leg: Crawl under a fishing net</li><li>After 3rd leg: Climb a rock wall</li><li>After 4th leg: Climb a fishing net and slide down an inflatable slide</li><li>Before the finish line: Mud pit!</ul><br />I <strong>felt pretty awesome </strong>through the first two legs! Rusty was waiting for me when I hit the bike drop at the end of the second leg, but he did have a two-minute head start at the beginning--I didn't feel too bad! The third leg (my second running leg) was a bit rough. <strong>It was HOT outside</strong>! We're talking 90's with 100% humidity. I had sweat dripping from every inch of my skin. The course was steep and hilly to boot, so it was that much harder! I ran most of the leg, but I walked up most of the steep hills. The rest of the race went by in a similar fashion--<strong>mostly running/biking with some walking up the steep hills</strong>.<br /><br />Luckily Jeff's mid-race perch was at a flat spot so I was actually on the bike!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivWxnFUnK09BgJt7SmR4pxRiemiGInmyw0xl6dJmOBRJO7CwBjs2VVoJJbAMqR3GegUXjF8hVpZC_U8PMYuT7qD_FkGxOprzFEnUNF0WdyhXzS53COrGK3MVzWngRmJ3MlWXTS8l3Q_vvH/s1600/I+round+the+corner.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivWxnFUnK09BgJt7SmR4pxRiemiGInmyw0xl6dJmOBRJO7CwBjs2VVoJJbAMqR3GegUXjF8hVpZC_U8PMYuT7qD_FkGxOprzFEnUNF0WdyhXzS53COrGK3MVzWngRmJ3MlWXTS8l3Q_vvH/s400/I+round+the+corner.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5486112168593457666" /></a><br /><br />The last leg (my third running leg) was actually 1.2 miles, and it seemed to go on and on and on. Before I knew it though, I <strong>heard the roar of the finish area</strong> and <strong>saw the signs for the mud pit</strong>! Rusty was waiting for me in front of the mud pit and we crawled through together.<br /><br />Rusty and I crossed the <strong>finish line </strong>first and met up with Jeff in the finish area.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAKT8vS35sQeiQlGrR4atyQWp1wGk0Q214xsLMgTOtbxzowv8vXUBuUWnK0LFBNdOqvtXcJdZEQhy_PrjTr145XoqO239SdhzYhqx_SiqUwcIqf7sIgk5xsi4WjuU6x0g5YfydsPC4EvL4/s1600/Rusty+and+I+at+the+finish.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAKT8vS35sQeiQlGrR4atyQWp1wGk0Q214xsLMgTOtbxzowv8vXUBuUWnK0LFBNdOqvtXcJdZEQhy_PrjTr145XoqO239SdhzYhqx_SiqUwcIqf7sIgk5xsi4WjuU6x0g5YfydsPC4EvL4/s400/Rusty+and+I+at+the+finish.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5486114647479632338" /></a><br /><br /><strong>DONE</strong>!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtWo1XsjJlWpSyGgapPjbziGFJ-QQ6oUuFyykffH2Kg7wzLGUwQcaGbGYXuRlbuqsZhQl0KQWkcC3fTO02N-BkjddhhQS606Jv-Bw3aaZR5pci9xAz8LG5Sgcsi_R3-tvzuL4GDKsiHH1E/s1600/done.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtWo1XsjJlWpSyGgapPjbziGFJ-QQ6oUuFyykffH2Kg7wzLGUwQcaGbGYXuRlbuqsZhQl0KQWkcC3fTO02N-BkjddhhQS606Jv-Bw3aaZR5pci9xAz8LG5Sgcsi_R3-tvzuL4GDKsiHH1E/s400/done.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5486114769781065074" /></a><br /><br />Emily and Paul crossed next...<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0SKpN4W18FPQ4Rn3UByVEiteeRMqzCgbOKvSLI3tu-k6d1fOzMpf-cFe0i2lcTFh3N0ytuCCWzfa1SPyB_6-BipTMhV40YXvynBDLvChjRPKdyoF4DJvOci_rIFbxiTeK_3uY7dd3p6r5/s1600/paul+and+emily+finish.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0SKpN4W18FPQ4Rn3UByVEiteeRMqzCgbOKvSLI3tu-k6d1fOzMpf-cFe0i2lcTFh3N0ytuCCWzfa1SPyB_6-BipTMhV40YXvynBDLvChjRPKdyoF4DJvOci_rIFbxiTeK_3uY7dd3p6r5/s400/paul+and+emily+finish.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5486114932568156242" /></a><br /><br />...then Jess and Patrick!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioX1C2cNZ1sHl__prGL-TgQnpiJBcH4hImtTF9wdDZitaIGCXJF5wQ2u2CSIK_MWZr_YNJQjlbmQ3n-SVa-lRykCbQJjAL6P5qtVzSPkjTIB2tXqs8Fb_VDenDXTmNZbxjPTk6PjtjdvZy/s1600/jess+and+patrick+finish.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioX1C2cNZ1sHl__prGL-TgQnpiJBcH4hImtTF9wdDZitaIGCXJF5wQ2u2CSIK_MWZr_YNJQjlbmQ3n-SVa-lRykCbQJjAL6P5qtVzSPkjTIB2tXqs8Fb_VDenDXTmNZbxjPTk6PjtjdvZy/s400/jess+and+patrick+finish.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5486115109338539746" /></a><br /><br /><strong>Muddy Buddies</strong>!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0ICNXh5r2XXVLjWOdKovBkrDOjpFMN898OjX746_2qXYbE5KHX53QSj-RLw-S9xgtrja0gHVgmzSzHGloidh3wt3CV4GwQ1vmp1MoIpQzBQ2I1VXzcHerRZQ_NtJR5X4oQquPZKAN0uVZ/s1600/final+group+pic.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0ICNXh5r2XXVLjWOdKovBkrDOjpFMN898OjX746_2qXYbE5KHX53QSj-RLw-S9xgtrja0gHVgmzSzHGloidh3wt3CV4GwQ1vmp1MoIpQzBQ2I1VXzcHerRZQ_NtJR5X4oQquPZKAN0uVZ/s400/final+group+pic.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5486115265489898914" /></a><br /><br />Muddy Buddy sucess! Rusty and I ended up finishing in <strong>54:29, 32nd out of 63 teams </strong>in our division (coed teams whose ages add up to between 56 and 65). Rusty has finished in 54 minutes and some change for the last three years! I'm glad I was able to keep up!<br /><br />I took my shoes off in the car--I was <strong>DIRTY</strong>!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWbrVYcggpYu52uVH7yQfbHID9aIMjBw9E3LaUnt-Z335L4Mkn2Bilc4iJMDrjkpUJkLtyffM1j8HXV7DN4y-JMdzPjK8ovsQ739T9eIQ5yK3fEOo77bs66Egcxk21vJ0hF-7iIyLoFM_U/s1600/DSCN0251.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWbrVYcggpYu52uVH7yQfbHID9aIMjBw9E3LaUnt-Z335L4Mkn2Bilc4iJMDrjkpUJkLtyffM1j8HXV7DN4y-JMdzPjK8ovsQ739T9eIQ5yK3fEOo77bs66Egcxk21vJ0hF-7iIyLoFM_U/s400/DSCN0251.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5486118560434945682" /></a><br /><br />After the race, I <strong>came home, iced, and ate ate ate</strong>! I knew I had a long run Sunday, and I wanted to make sure I was appropriately fueled and rested. I was <strong>scheduled to run 12 miles</strong>, and I was a little nervous about it because of <a href="http://veganbooty.blogspot.com/2010/05/no-pain-no-gain.html">what happened post-Warrior Dash</a>. I don't have a lot of experience with back-to-back runs because my training schedule only has me running Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays.<br /><br />I woke up Sunday morning, bright and early at 4:30 AM, and fueled with 1/2 a whole-wheat bagel and some Gatorade. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHJ5FzYeR20suw4Gs0K8YyZjQQliIi6xdBc49sEgz0OTnoOBhJBxts40vzUvuF2EpyL27AMp5gkZtbGwTrSniHSMBBFXx3HLD99vYofTH9xWHQ-lANjsT0aMIYZz5PKZkW3qV-7KcTf1NZ/s1600/DSCN0263.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHJ5FzYeR20suw4Gs0K8YyZjQQliIi6xdBc49sEgz0OTnoOBhJBxts40vzUvuF2EpyL27AMp5gkZtbGwTrSniHSMBBFXx3HLD99vYofTH9xWHQ-lANjsT0aMIYZz5PKZkW3qV-7KcTf1NZ/s400/DSCN0263.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5486122332490472738" /></a><br /><br />I left the house at 5:30 AM. <strong>Despite my goofy smile in the photo above, once I started running I felt like absolute CRAP</strong>. My shins were killing me! They threatened to give out with every step. Usually, I wear my <strong>Zensah compression sleeves </strong>on every run, but I didn't wear them at Muddy Buddy because I didn't want to get them dirty in the mud pit.<br /><br />Zensah <3.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3faJoH4CnHRMa90rnvXgjM3G-ut80BzBwGdtfEyI5gRq14Yt5S2a0LRZy6FfC1gPj3WBIbjJarxgF7lRg410EMKu4YyLbWIuVvGRUN2V8JtomkpMIdN3-XkUFPWI4jUQk_j9hzikAfyWW/s1600/DSCN0265.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3faJoH4CnHRMa90rnvXgjM3G-ut80BzBwGdtfEyI5gRq14Yt5S2a0LRZy6FfC1gPj3WBIbjJarxgF7lRg410EMKu4YyLbWIuVvGRUN2V8JtomkpMIdN3-XkUFPWI4jUQk_j9hzikAfyWW/s400/DSCN0265.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5486119420446585234" /></a><br /><br />I told myself I'd <strong>reevalute the situation at mile 5</strong>. If I still felt like crap and my shins were still threatening failure, I'd turn home (at mile 5, I'd only be .4 miles from home).<br /><br />Luckily, at mile 5, I <strong>felt flippin' fantastic</strong>! My shin/calf aches had worked themselves out, and I was feeling pretty powerful. I had told myself before I even started that if I was feeling good I was going to <strong>push for the whole 13.1</strong>. A half mary!<br /><br />I needed to prove to myself that I could do it. I needed to know what I was made of. <strong><em>I'm sure you know what I'm talking about</em></strong>.<br /><br /><strong>I did it, too</strong>! GO ME! I didn't have anything left in the tank and was certainly ready to stop at 13.1, but I did it! That's all that matters to me.<br /><br />This bodes well for the weekend after next, when I'll have to run 14 miles on Saturday and then run my first 10K on Sunday!<br /><br />It's the <a href="http://www.atlantatrackclub.org/peachtree.htm"><strong>PEACHTREE ROAD RACE</strong></a>, baby! Once of the biggest races in the country!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.atlantatrackclub.org/peachtree.htm"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 76px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP4aepxf-xtn-g91A0XZOAEaN-b8zig-Iy1RREquooSV3MGlgeKhI4s_yi6sEPHtRm1CBQw9jXCu1crhsg8tBizbCV9-Yyc-XYj0CoAhH5erOFUdZTxRm5muX5bAjwc5JZEsTKzSuSEGcb/s400/2010_Peachtree_Header.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5486124029341079554" /></a><br /><br />More blogging soon. Miss you guys!Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03315485809614264884noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4470447034531556098.post-62995509870074436172010-06-13T07:39:00.000-07:002010-06-13T09:11:27.894-07:00Magnolia Run!So, yesterday I ran the 4-mile <a href="http://www.rungeorgia.com/magnoliarace.html"><strong>Magnolia Run</strong></a>. It was awesome!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizo4wQico2omoJBzT8Rb_Kq5FaQcRoYQFCmT2fhGd78mXIyHB5k6xoue8Migtagq6cQrqgyAVhlu_TWSGbz5TTjpLG6ZYUoF6t2iv7jv40ijiqX0C2faFbPweQ07rxwsqclpKZ_qP9h6AG/s1600/_MG_6830.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizo4wQico2omoJBzT8Rb_Kq5FaQcRoYQFCmT2fhGd78mXIyHB5k6xoue8Migtagq6cQrqgyAVhlu_TWSGbz5TTjpLG6ZYUoF6t2iv7jv40ijiqX0C2faFbPweQ07rxwsqclpKZ_qP9h6AG/s400/_MG_6830.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5482277257694138354" /></a><br /><br /><strong>I love racing SO MUCH.</strong><br /><br />Here are my <strong>Top-5 Reasons That Racing Rules</strong>:<br /><br /><ul><li>It's the only way I can run at my <strong>top pace</strong>. No matter what I do, I just can't seem to reach race pace in my training runs. I need the pressure and competition from the others around me to push me harder. I always amaze myself at races and walk away proud as hell.</li><li>I love <strong>meeting other runners</strong>. Part of the reason I keep this blog is because I don't have any runner-buddies in real life! At races, I get to talk shop with other people who share my passion and insanity for running.</li><li>I'm a sucker for <strong>donating to charities</strong>. I don't have a lot of money to give, being a poor law student, but races give me an excuse to fork out the cash and support charities and causes I love.</li><li>I love <strong>swag</strong>. I'll admit it. Part of the reason I love racing is to get the free stuff they offer afterwards. I love the exposure to new products and gear.</li><li>It's such a <strong>rush</strong>! I'd do it everyday just for high alone. Finishing races is a adrenaline and endorphin rush like none other.</li></ul><br />Now, on to the race! I had to wake up at the crack of dawn to get there. It's not that it was too far away--just 20 miles or so--but I like to get to races super-early because I'm always paranoid that I'm going to get lost or that I won't be able to find it. Jeff didn't want to get up at 5:30 to come with me (naturally!), so he gave me the keys to his car and told me to have fun. I had planned on taking the train there, but taking Jeff's car took about 30 minutes off of my transit time. You may remember from <a href="http://veganbooty.blogspot.com/2010/04/top-5-lists.html">this post </a>that I don't own a car or regularly drive.<br /><br />I ate a <strong>bagel with peanut butter </strong>in the car and guzzled <strong>Gatorade</strong>, as per usual. The ride up there was a few minutes longer than I had expected, but I still got to the race site in plenty of time. I took some pictures with my new Blackberry to amuse myself for awhile.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLID4R3Rq4rgeWI77a-TId_rzNY_o7rvqWw5FEhRUrXdc7kf7Ei4rMOHHmph17FcGr4sTf5n0b81t_Ll05HE8etcuOnZRNPmugT8UEn0c_zkTZaTT0sLNo6Uw3L8XHl_EG1NLd_Aw9pKyP/s1600/IMG00022-20100612-0715+(20).jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLID4R3Rq4rgeWI77a-TId_rzNY_o7rvqWw5FEhRUrXdc7kf7Ei4rMOHHmph17FcGr4sTf5n0b81t_Ll05HE8etcuOnZRNPmugT8UEn0c_zkTZaTT0sLNo6Uw3L8XHl_EG1NLd_Aw9pKyP/s400/IMG00022-20100612-0715+(20).jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5482277428325004194" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNC96Jtl9oinaz4RJsGHY4VOp_1isbzHE3U2pSmh3bloZAQw77qXjm_xdJz1yy0U0a6aZr02xpJ6LYl_V249TTUgWUI3yWHg6Okj14Fo7Eeqz_y2h5OU8KMlhSy6VP9YoWe6mVwPZgvwmo/s1600/IMG00012-20100612-0708+(10).jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNC96Jtl9oinaz4RJsGHY4VOp_1isbzHE3U2pSmh3bloZAQw77qXjm_xdJz1yy0U0a6aZr02xpJ6LYl_V249TTUgWUI3yWHg6Okj14Fo7Eeqz_y2h5OU8KMlhSy6VP9YoWe6mVwPZgvwmo/s400/IMG00012-20100612-0708+(10).jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5482278002974669154" /></a><br /><br />It was pretty overcast, and the cloud cover was a god-send during the race! <br /><br />While waiting at the starting line for the race to start, I <strong>chatted with a guy</strong> standing next to me who had run two marathons last month. He noticed my Garmin and asked what pace I was shooting for. I laughed and said that <strong>I just hoped I could average 10-minute miles </strong>and that speed wasn't my thing. He said that he felt the same because of just running the marathons. Then, we all started running.<br /><br />Remember when I ran <a href="http://veganbooty.blogspot.com/2010/04/so-i-learned-few-things-about-me-and.html">my first race in April</a>, and I said that one of things I did wrong was run too fast in the first mile? I totally did that again! When I passed the first mile marker, the staffer calling out times yelled 8.8 as I passed! What on earth was I doing to myself?<br /><br />I started to run out of a steam a bit when I reached the aid station at mile 1.5. I walked a bit after the aid station, <strong> talking myself into running again </strong>and <strong>reminding myself that I had permission to slow down.</strong><br /><br />I had to convince myself that <strong>no one was judging me.</strong> That's hard to do. I'm incredibly susceptible to peer pressure, and I was now in a pace group that was a bit out of my league.<br /><br />I walked a bit more, and then got back to running, trying to ignore what was going on around me. <strong>At the second mile marker I hit my stride</strong>, and I maintained a pleasant 10-minute mile pace through the rest of the race. That's still much faster than I run in training, but it felt good on the course.<br /><br />Starting at the second mile marker, <strong>some amazing things happened </strong>that reminded me why I love this sport:<br /><br /><ul><li><strong>First, once I hit my comfortable pace, I was so happy!</strong> By that, I mean I was instantly in a good mood. I remembered to smile at everyone, and I thanked all the policeman who were holding traffic as we passed through. I chitchatted with the runners around me, and I sang to myself. I was just happy!</li><li><strong>Second, a guy passed me at the third mile marker and thanked me for pacing the group for the last mile</strong>, which covered a couple pretty lengthy climbs. My heart swelled so big! He said that some of them were struggling with the hills, and it was inspiring to have someone in front of them who going up them strong. I turned around and three runners gave me thumbs-up. I almost cried.</li><li><strong>Third, after the guy thanked me, I sprinted up to thank the guy who I had been (inadvertently) pacing me, and he asked me if I wanted to chat and finish the race together!</strong> More heart-swelling! We talked about my calk compression sleeves, the necessity of anti-chafing cream, and other nonsense, and then we crossed together at 38:50!</li></ul><br />I grabbed a banana, a bagel, and some water, and I wandered around the finish area a bit.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfB9Vfce80Pn_t3x5W1k27wpsibWBJoTe8LBHmtIsfuKS_tI-HA45VjbHV1Ow9AXFwU-D2eV33aIPE6e0t3yMxdUlXey6nL1gebvVIPI4BqCt9wpPEWtWjtbbg885r7_2VBQQW-DLWNFQG/s1600/IMG00035-20100612-0842+(32).jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfB9Vfce80Pn_t3x5W1k27wpsibWBJoTe8LBHmtIsfuKS_tI-HA45VjbHV1Ow9AXFwU-D2eV33aIPE6e0t3yMxdUlXey6nL1gebvVIPI4BqCt9wpPEWtWjtbbg885r7_2VBQQW-DLWNFQG/s400/IMG00035-20100612-0842+(32).jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5482286866137765666" /></a><br /><br />This was the first time I actually felt like <strong>a legitimate runner, like I belonged in this group.</strong> People walked up to me left and right to talk about Team in Training (I was wearing one of the shirts) and about my Zensah compression sleeves (I was wearing those, too--I swear by them!). When I went to a local running store's tent, they wanted my advice on different products and gave me all kinds of free stuff that they weren't giving others. I felt like a rock star!<br /><br />All in all, it was an amazing event. I felt so good that I woke up and ran again this morning!<br /><br />After the Magnolia Run, Jeff and I walked down the street from his place to the <a href="http://www.wheelbarrowfestival.com/">Reynoldstown Wheelbarrow Festival</a>. Definitely one of my favorite neighborhood festivals! It was small, but it had so much heart. I really love Reynoldstown. I have an addiction to developing communities.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRKuQQ9CPa-xQVwfMyXV9wm4pa-LJZSWU16AO7IrouM6Va7K7BxExHrHSXFHJcANxI7UGk-RB5g9NDRJPvFwZ_jh1ocIo3XoCySZUFyZpq0MBQtZ4Qi_Mnt0KyZbFnWrtoglesRFBYnW2y/s1600/_MG_6823.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRKuQQ9CPa-xQVwfMyXV9wm4pa-LJZSWU16AO7IrouM6Va7K7BxExHrHSXFHJcANxI7UGk-RB5g9NDRJPvFwZ_jh1ocIo3XoCySZUFyZpq0MBQtZ4Qi_Mnt0KyZbFnWrtoglesRFBYnW2y/s400/_MG_6823.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5482288959923154194" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEnGl4r7eCtLSivC47psEvhDIoqN9BRgVNGQYgHNkoZ-09EpJ9Nj5ybHVKPvzUZUBU-t53PRbHTykX7aDqpGi5eF66Wchc_P_lIrZVyRefFcLUmeS2TtziWfrbKtmboUUxqTWX7ISMuz1X/s1600/_MG_6828.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEnGl4r7eCtLSivC47psEvhDIoqN9BRgVNGQYgHNkoZ-09EpJ9Nj5ybHVKPvzUZUBU-t53PRbHTykX7aDqpGi5eF66Wchc_P_lIrZVyRefFcLUmeS2TtziWfrbKtmboUUxqTWX7ISMuz1X/s400/_MG_6828.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5482289081750130194" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWFGv8T_xSb2doHpQwajF0hheEYH2fy6JFg4cwOo4xVqH0yKe94Pg4oVRpPrsnnUdQWRF8K4hxovIeW9mXGKa8UunHmqrbAF5lYcdW0bnUt3Fq81byt_kTXOZox_85buwrqZnr5mY36mp_/s1600/_MG_6829.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWFGv8T_xSb2doHpQwajF0hheEYH2fy6JFg4cwOo4xVqH0yKe94Pg4oVRpPrsnnUdQWRF8K4hxovIeW9mXGKa8UunHmqrbAF5lYcdW0bnUt3Fq81byt_kTXOZox_85buwrqZnr5mY36mp_/s400/_MG_6829.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5482289221940247826" /></a><br /><br />We were serenaded by local celebrity <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pants_on_the_Ground">General Larry Platt of "Pants on the Ground" fame</a>.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsRVVYaXFM0_oJFhki4koj4mXuweyIc335m2NMrlKvhmZtAtleWb1UiTlHNXKQYbMcAPq9je2_6q-ISDvFuyVXrtWu8qDMYldKMmWaL_7UIT0I0pr1MmfPqMeYm8gsP-DfGM9zauJPaoEy/s1600/_MG_6834.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsRVVYaXFM0_oJFhki4koj4mXuweyIc335m2NMrlKvhmZtAtleWb1UiTlHNXKQYbMcAPq9je2_6q-ISDvFuyVXrtWu8qDMYldKMmWaL_7UIT0I0pr1MmfPqMeYm8gsP-DfGM9zauJPaoEy/s400/_MG_6834.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5482289854119828722" /></a><br /><br />And, I got the best post-run snack ever: Mango Italian ice. YUM.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjre_or_z4pw45cRZepyrILri_ORPvf1ITXKcMS_rdCIJcRLJ0mF2SNuZnaIlv85eT_1BLknGFO6IJXta04G6KAuTAj1k6wotEWJG1JRvy6jX8sOBzzGkWrkTNX-kWECC9txsOmFfl8noEJ/s1600/_MG_6837.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjre_or_z4pw45cRZepyrILri_ORPvf1ITXKcMS_rdCIJcRLJ0mF2SNuZnaIlv85eT_1BLknGFO6IJXta04G6KAuTAj1k6wotEWJG1JRvy6jX8sOBzzGkWrkTNX-kWECC9txsOmFfl8noEJ/s400/_MG_6837.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5482290071277513586" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCJrk8CgGEE6qYi0Ehb-EJC7vWULKeVvhd_lVmdPzoJXZE7CEFXGnQDJxifPUG693Muwc9vt3UX4hjOwFD1xZcz9qA7Ov4GWpIdqCV6be6roqzOOE5Rq-nBtcdembKKvAM8PTFKMZv0DzU/s1600/_MG_6838.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCJrk8CgGEE6qYi0Ehb-EJC7vWULKeVvhd_lVmdPzoJXZE7CEFXGnQDJxifPUG693Muwc9vt3UX4hjOwFD1xZcz9qA7Ov4GWpIdqCV6be6roqzOOE5Rq-nBtcdembKKvAM8PTFKMZv0DzU/s400/_MG_6838.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5482290166593073170" /></a><br /><br />Hope all of you are having awesome weekends, too!Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03315485809614264884noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4470447034531556098.post-28076862296660740402010-06-10T16:19:00.000-07:002010-06-10T17:48:48.670-07:00Long time, no talkHello, readers! <strong>My apologies</strong> for my absence as of late! My schedule is just not conducive to blogging these days. Hopefully it'll ease up in August after I move (yay!)!<br /><br />Maybe I do neglect the blog, but there's definitely something I don't ever neglect... Yep. It's training! Things have been crazy, and they're just getting crazier. I like sticking to plans though. It's like an addiction. Check out my recent schedule.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB9HVOU4J-OGJ2CePmKux4ZR702y0ZBx2nzSGfSO2tEFpJCu3-0kO8qsMWXUBpmJLrUiOQLGADJfogkIdnjYxM_2gbfdLKsbjPFpfV7Z9umGW3rmfNzTWlAFFtTmq9PaL-kr7IAt8wlZPv/s1600/Schedule.PNG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 31px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB9HVOU4J-OGJ2CePmKux4ZR702y0ZBx2nzSGfSO2tEFpJCu3-0kO8qsMWXUBpmJLrUiOQLGADJfogkIdnjYxM_2gbfdLKsbjPFpfV7Z9umGW3rmfNzTWlAFFtTmq9PaL-kr7IAt8wlZPv/s400/Schedule.PNG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5481298569110482642" /></a><br /><br />I've had <strong>a couple amazing runs </strong>recently! I've also had <strong>a couple not-so-amazing runs</strong>, but that just happens from time to time. As a new runner, it's still <em>really </em>hard for me to decide whether to suck it up and push or whether to ease my pace and relax, but I usually sort it out in my head before I'm totally out of steam.<br /><br />FYI: When I say that it's <em>really </em>hard for me to decide whether to push harder or whether to slow down, I mean it's <strong>REALLY </strong>hard. I hate admitting weakness; I'm one of <em>those </em>people!<br /><br /><strong>This morning</strong>, for example, I was scheduled to do a <strong>smooth 3-miler</strong>, but after biking 15 miles with my roommate last night, <strong>my legs were just not working with me</strong>. I had to walk a couple blocks around mile 1.5 and again around 2.5. As it was happening, I was so embarrassed. I never walk on my short runs. I hung my head for most of the day until I could talk to some other runners about the experience, and they were able to ease my mind a bit.<br /><br />"Sometimes it happens, and it happens to everyone." <br />"People can't be ready to run strong 24/7/52/365/whatever." <br /><strong>"We're human."</strong> <br />"We have good days and bad days." <br /><br />It doesn't mean that your training is down the toilet or that you're some sort of failure. It just means that that day is not your best and that tomorrow will be better. Keep on truckin'.<br /><br /><strong>Running humbles me. Daily.</strong><br /><br />So... Let's talk about upcoming events! I have a couple races coming up, as you might have seen on the schedule above.<br /><br />First, there's the <strong>Magnolia Run</strong> this Saturday.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1FqwHSMlSYxrD4QW7OPksy_eq8UbJD5yyxZXbU0orF2M8YNyON2egCsbe-5Fgh41KFbQWIgYd1XRqgY7J5SFECgSm6TYtZQcCk3Z1S9dzanFLbyEVREdA4whHtb0lVhJnPlhBnyAHK4uW/s1600/magnolialogo2010.gif"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 215px; height: 310px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1FqwHSMlSYxrD4QW7OPksy_eq8UbJD5yyxZXbU0orF2M8YNyON2egCsbe-5Fgh41KFbQWIgYd1XRqgY7J5SFECgSm6TYtZQcCk3Z1S9dzanFLbyEVREdA4whHtb0lVhJnPlhBnyAHK4uW/s400/magnolialogo2010.gif" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5481302496757395714" /></a><br /><br />It's a 4-mile run a few miles north of the city. Should be pretty flat and fast--I think it'll be a nice change of pace.<br /><br />Then, next Saturday, there's <strong>Muddy Buddy</strong>!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8lPbEDrgdumEEECcvu46teRoppBGfSuMQ2AJY2ferAWIkIwTbiMCcqccN2dJH3AXp9ygPcm4u3vOJrj3KoO9MNmH2Bwmd3aAIIZb10ELDtrr1eWd7aouyeA01OgpsgBXL2Ve6KoOKZ8wW/s1600/muddybuddy.gif"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 250px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8lPbEDrgdumEEECcvu46teRoppBGfSuMQ2AJY2ferAWIkIwTbiMCcqccN2dJH3AXp9ygPcm4u3vOJrj3KoO9MNmH2Bwmd3aAIIZb10ELDtrr1eWd7aouyeA01OgpsgBXL2Ve6KoOKZ8wW/s400/muddybuddy.gif" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5481303668101374594" /></a><br /><br />Oh yes, my darlings! I'm doing <strong>another mud race</strong>! This one is a bit different than the Warrior Dash because you do the whole thing with a buddy. You and your buddy have one bike between the two of you that you share throughout the race. There are 6 1-mile legs, all separated with obstacles. For each leg, one buddy runs while the other one bikes, and then you switch running and biking at each obstacle. You don't have to do all of the obstacles together, but you have to do the last one together, which is crawling through mud! Woohoo!<br /><br />I'm doing the race with my friend <strong>Rusty</strong>, who recently moved to Baltimore but is coming back to do Muddy Buddy. <br /><br />My roommate <strong>Jessica </strong>is doing it, too. She's buddying with our friend <strong>Patrick</strong>. Our friends <strong>Paul </strong>and <strong>Emily </strong>are going to be buddies, as well! It's going to be SO. MUCH. FUN.<br /><br />Here are some pictures of the buddies. This is Paul, Rusty, and Patrick:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx1RRn5vsgioh1UcTU4RTvZUcUvf7fEHBV8TSYP-1sj_-cFLmv3ONuRTB5vTJDWtXiXyX8xReO3H5eKovVE_ingkicJ8amtRBLlrUTgrmHG-DylC7tKyHxoSJk0axTjZ08H5QzWs4FcfW5/s1600/some+contestants.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx1RRn5vsgioh1UcTU4RTvZUcUvf7fEHBV8TSYP-1sj_-cFLmv3ONuRTB5vTJDWtXiXyX8xReO3H5eKovVE_ingkicJ8amtRBLlrUTgrmHG-DylC7tKyHxoSJk0axTjZ08H5QzWs4FcfW5/s400/some+contestants.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5481306989833301394" /></a><br /><br />This is Paul, Emily, and Jessica:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2-FA95yW9eDYGG3C_hBmhyphenhyphenQKfIdtLdi21BpRQ446Loki6dD6_zGRnGzrH8p-pP5v1kVwavUY5wbxrv_-if_gqhN2LpkT1bcsUkAz98HXEQZ4aaSay4O71ErSV8aTFkFqVy_hZtRpMkmQq/s1600/more.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2-FA95yW9eDYGG3C_hBmhyphenhyphenQKfIdtLdi21BpRQ446Loki6dD6_zGRnGzrH8p-pP5v1kVwavUY5wbxrv_-if_gqhN2LpkT1bcsUkAz98HXEQZ4aaSay4O71ErSV8aTFkFqVy_hZtRpMkmQq/s400/more.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5481308007319028482" /></a><br /><br />There's going to be some serious craziness on the course!Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03315485809614264884noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4470447034531556098.post-19092616311446918092010-05-30T06:49:00.000-07:002010-05-30T07:25:05.974-07:00No pain, no gain?So, after the Warrior Dash last Saturday (see my race recap <a href="http://veganbooty.blogspot.com/2010/05/warrior-dash.html">here</a>), I had a <strong>9-mile training run</strong> the next morning. Let me tell you, it was no piece of cake! My last long run (8 miles) two weeks ago was amazing--I hit an amazing runner's high around mile 6, and I smiled the whole way home. Not so for my 9-miler! <strong>Almost every step was a struggle.</strong><br /><br />My 8-miler two weeks ago went like this:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV_CrnhuJIuLS073Z_ZbmUK0dgV5UXAsr9jnfyxTYmzC52EpNlIgkLi3HF7X9rXv7BeKy8ZF8V_C549_qrMjb-C9WJfUlbZn9jhNhih5JaKCYs1jkgg8qyrTZyy_8Wj50QiixYMZFT1Gms/s1600/DSCN0054.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV_CrnhuJIuLS073Z_ZbmUK0dgV5UXAsr9jnfyxTYmzC52EpNlIgkLi3HF7X9rXv7BeKy8ZF8V_C549_qrMjb-C9WJfUlbZn9jhNhih5JaKCYs1jkgg8qyrTZyy_8Wj50QiixYMZFT1Gms/s400/DSCN0054.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5477061340431652562" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6IcUZLsUD6o-p4BFjYpteNHWABpeOT40DYzKPS3jAR8Y2WpL50hcDxo09VYBC-SLj02QQQCTVdIqOn6cTL-MmIwf6T-JcQTZ5CdCEVW5SdM-fNjl0n2uHg-oLU2nlvoAUOeADepPuV8Ph/s1600/DSCN0055.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6IcUZLsUD6o-p4BFjYpteNHWABpeOT40DYzKPS3jAR8Y2WpL50hcDxo09VYBC-SLj02QQQCTVdIqOn6cTL-MmIwf6T-JcQTZ5CdCEVW5SdM-fNjl0n2uHg-oLU2nlvoAUOeADepPuV8Ph/s400/DSCN0055.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5477061478779341714" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEZegNZGpkrDvCOQ16YB9lj0axPfwRKN3ufHMl7K6KcXj7FLulWonhZyJyVJSQlefY8509bLciZgF7e8mYIu84R5zV218CKrHw21HnRnJgaszp4-6hC386sN1H02dtRF0fX-Gd-_9glkdT/s1600/DSCN0059.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEZegNZGpkrDvCOQ16YB9lj0axPfwRKN3ufHMl7K6KcXj7FLulWonhZyJyVJSQlefY8509bLciZgF7e8mYIu84R5zV218CKrHw21HnRnJgaszp4-6hC386sN1H02dtRF0fX-Gd-_9glkdT/s400/DSCN0059.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5477061611310878466" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDHkocZARvtQMiSdX4nTcELtH2uoC3MoI5R2Hm34dMQtfhPCYtU9vJLdX_d_mWuE6YjuzWLVg83Qhj6vRS1WBAgh1CIFHeCBPhgqQI1KZIW-kvqOusd3Tv40OdFYsR50tSwTq6i1rXyKHV/s1600/DSCN0068.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDHkocZARvtQMiSdX4nTcELtH2uoC3MoI5R2Hm34dMQtfhPCYtU9vJLdX_d_mWuE6YjuzWLVg83Qhj6vRS1WBAgh1CIFHeCBPhgqQI1KZIW-kvqOusd3Tv40OdFYsR50tSwTq6i1rXyKHV/s400/DSCN0068.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5477061782430856450" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb3_Kt_LEel0S6wGWrgqcQOA5822cAlG_IffcY6EZ1OGVPgbJTjAzflbWmSNTDKxV0lPhDFFxvK5duexNG6Dk3HWZ4jkauiLANtS9L2bW-yYOfTsXP_Z_A_ECddUves63hY3q4pA1Gl4ZF/s1600/DSCN0062.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb3_Kt_LEel0S6wGWrgqcQOA5822cAlG_IffcY6EZ1OGVPgbJTjAzflbWmSNTDKxV0lPhDFFxvK5duexNG6Dk3HWZ4jkauiLANtS9L2bW-yYOfTsXP_Z_A_ECddUves63hY3q4pA1Gl4ZF/s400/DSCN0062.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5477061945698800274" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI0DNQYMS7cpVXcYOmZ_bLvNJURJSUCGZex8BjyqxOUy-nz5dXlCMrHBQDw7ZuxytxZIlKSV17bt33b7CAmQHs6eShJ7WYuX9tB-2q1QatNeg2Gkvq0chyphenhyphen-J9IX1jan6_VvJzgOtyZDo8a/s1600/DSCN0071.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI0DNQYMS7cpVXcYOmZ_bLvNJURJSUCGZex8BjyqxOUy-nz5dXlCMrHBQDw7ZuxytxZIlKSV17bt33b7CAmQHs6eShJ7WYuX9tB-2q1QatNeg2Gkvq0chyphenhyphen-J9IX1jan6_VvJzgOtyZDo8a/s400/DSCN0071.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5477062096779003458" /></a><br /><br />My 9-miler last Sunday did NOT go like that!<br /><br />I won't even show you pictures. It was bad. I didn't eat right before I left; I didn't even eat right the day before; and, I was definitely not smiling at the end.<br /><br />Words to the wise:<br /><br /><ul><li><strong>Eat before long runs</strong>. Try to get it in at least an hour before you go.</li><li>Get a little <strong>caffeine and hydration </strong>in BEFORE you leave. I took my CamelBak on the 9-miler with H2O and Gatorade, but I needed it more <em>before</em>, not <em>during</em>.</li><li><strong>Eat right the day before</strong>. Make sure you're carbed-up, and stay away from the beer! My post-Warrior Dash celebratory beers did me no favors.</li><li><strong>Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate.</strong> Enough said.</li></ul><br />More words to the wise: <strong>Let yourself recover after long runs!</strong> I got home from my 9-miler, iced for about 20 minutes, and then left to go to the Georgia Renaissance Festival with some friends. We then commenced drinking beer and walking around all day in the 90-degree heat. BAD IDEA.<br /><br />Don't get me wrong; the Ren Fest was amazing! We had a blast!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3dhB0-Gir4tKUKg-07kz6P1t4B63AWPacM7ZFnRmL-fevlwz5O5P2Okkp6QVuohOM4igCwDxIebMI3FdQvWqYlyVkRoi-WGAuTKC3u3v3k3gnPFLJiE3B8OaL-6RAd4CxaxemumndDxaQ/s1600/IMG_0005.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3dhB0-Gir4tKUKg-07kz6P1t4B63AWPacM7ZFnRmL-fevlwz5O5P2Okkp6QVuohOM4igCwDxIebMI3FdQvWqYlyVkRoi-WGAuTKC3u3v3k3gnPFLJiE3B8OaL-6RAd4CxaxemumndDxaQ/s400/IMG_0005.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5477064636436616466" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2hr_mUaOjKI-A6bxTzEf-wlIkXlJHuCq5D17dUAOTdhWkfzOyUqSvELgg6jnHh8HONHJBJvbRhbowEUF4qiXq3sUsVOvwn0qtmGCz7h3YuLvGdTA_t1_TF2REOJawbwlXw7A6q4G_A58M/s1600/IMG_0004.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2hr_mUaOjKI-A6bxTzEf-wlIkXlJHuCq5D17dUAOTdhWkfzOyUqSvELgg6jnHh8HONHJBJvbRhbowEUF4qiXq3sUsVOvwn0qtmGCz7h3YuLvGdTA_t1_TF2REOJawbwlXw7A6q4G_A58M/s400/IMG_0004.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5477064835449414354" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6ndmSOfi4-8AbmeixFDU401yEt5ettminZEeAs0qrtmLpx1KmG-aOiWsj-htm9CTENwjnJwjv5bxU_rXEK6-Hwx1UvmfZjyojnmuiQ5dMNMQZ9dHxBf2hgOMpFdiViStfmd_Dw8Odp3dA/s1600/IMG_0014.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6ndmSOfi4-8AbmeixFDU401yEt5ettminZEeAs0qrtmLpx1KmG-aOiWsj-htm9CTENwjnJwjv5bxU_rXEK6-Hwx1UvmfZjyojnmuiQ5dMNMQZ9dHxBf2hgOMpFdiViStfmd_Dw8Odp3dA/s400/IMG_0014.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5477065053846970818" /></a><br /><br />But, I literally could not walk up and down stairs on Monday. LET YOURSELF RECOVER. Stick with with the tried and true <strong>RICE: Rest, ice, compression, elevation.</strong> You can't go wrong with a little of that in your life.<br /><br />In other news, I got a <strong>new road bike</strong>! She's beautiful. I had been wanting a new bike for a long time since mine is so old and heavy. This beauty is so light and fast!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju5625CqdBW58GcrNW-40Zndl1dC8pFdJ15JWuBmNSCRYJ90QnqWuNaB6VsSvPgydFpY2DbK8YEJBZrbfOXkymRL7UyfIX4F9jQEfDw7GEdJyow9WAQwIX-3_cPdWyp-eUJQxat8LA1AcT/s1600/IMG_0031.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju5625CqdBW58GcrNW-40Zndl1dC8pFdJ15JWuBmNSCRYJ90QnqWuNaB6VsSvPgydFpY2DbK8YEJBZrbfOXkymRL7UyfIX4F9jQEfDw7GEdJyow9WAQwIX-3_cPdWyp-eUJQxat8LA1AcT/s400/IMG_0031.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5477067259964545186" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3YCEtCy0eaCYOV4g2_XOdZiHihXTHtZtAvYXQDfW0eEAhJma9bydKf5PJ2iCu_BdmCvPWjwc6GPYQuP18eL-s6aH1F3ZhL4RR9XamW9IYBwgGFi8QtdW4FklHqpqCeEMjiPU3CHy5IpAq/s1600/IMG_0032.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3YCEtCy0eaCYOV4g2_XOdZiHihXTHtZtAvYXQDfW0eEAhJma9bydKf5PJ2iCu_BdmCvPWjwc6GPYQuP18eL-s6aH1F3ZhL4RR9XamW9IYBwgGFi8QtdW4FklHqpqCeEMjiPU3CHy5IpAq/s400/IMG_0032.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5477067685373582578" /></a><br /><br />Oh, I love her so much! Can't wait for my triathalon and my century next year! She's going to do wonderfully.Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03315485809614264884noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4470447034531556098.post-9723640459287037372010-05-24T06:29:00.001-07:002010-05-24T07:19:21.667-07:00Warrior Dash!So, I did the <a href="http://www.warriordash.com"><strong>Warrior Dash</strong></a> on Saturday. It was <strong>EPIC</strong>!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDNpalQ77_ichNriGTaoxal33x4WTKVSBKjks-ou0TrCjx9rSF5Ruabh7fgj61WT91lWHTm6sTB2SiGv08IijbI4Bf47vcI-ps-FVpXRS9Ok8ciNZBXjByVsHJOt7PBEAmUeQBvcWRqZMj/s1600/28193_10150193574520007_598665006_12260310_8245366_n.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDNpalQ77_ichNriGTaoxal33x4WTKVSBKjks-ou0TrCjx9rSF5Ruabh7fgj61WT91lWHTm6sTB2SiGv08IijbI4Bf47vcI-ps-FVpXRS9Ok8ciNZBXjByVsHJOt7PBEAmUeQBvcWRqZMj/s400/28193_10150193574520007_598665006_12260310_8245366_n.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5474822956787251858" /></a><br /><br />The Warrior Dash is a <strong>3.22-mile race with 11 obstacles</strong>, and it was awesomely intense!<br /><br />The race was in <strong>Mountain City, Georgia</strong>, which is about 2 hours away from Atlanta. My wave didn't start until 5:30 PM, but Jeff and I left about 2 PM so we could get there a bit early and enjoy the scenery.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYpBLWn6ZdCOeAABOlOa_rXjrjt8tIH_9EyvJnYhTtkN5NZJVZorqcRd-temNAR86ZZg9v7lwVhb32lJE5PmH0ycTyow13hplt564H45jSY2UokVUlESisJZ4TfAXEJNYM25XL3CO-PdVL/s1600/DSCN0223.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYpBLWn6ZdCOeAABOlOa_rXjrjt8tIH_9EyvJnYhTtkN5NZJVZorqcRd-temNAR86ZZg9v7lwVhb32lJE5PmH0ycTyow13hplt564H45jSY2UokVUlESisJZ4TfAXEJNYM25XL3CO-PdVL/s400/DSCN0223.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5474828573898034434" /></a><br /><br />I ate a <strong>whole-wheat bagel with peanut butter and a banana </strong>in the car to carb-up a bit. I also guzzled <strong>gatorade</strong>, being I knew it would be burning hot out there!<br /><br />We had to park at a high school a ways away from the event because the event was at a park in the city with little available space for cars. A lovely shuttle picked us up and took us to the event. It was VERY well-organized, which is a quality I love in any kind of event! We picked up packets and chilled for a bit, checking out the other crazies that would show up for such an event.<br /><br />Number 1 crazy:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCANEBBr_CA4we244XcpRQaBBiM2ctP0MH2XAj_neDXd-r8ydIb0fYStLDaeQNzcAhodpPm0O38hVGLlTDr6p5tsBz8_9MrCbseyfUxmrK0ma4HztIeO8XIBaAAymC4szPOzAtwugLOa2t/s1600/29107_1436758046201_1450484420_31113715_7129259_n.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCANEBBr_CA4we244XcpRQaBBiM2ctP0MH2XAj_neDXd-r8ydIb0fYStLDaeQNzcAhodpPm0O38hVGLlTDr6p5tsBz8_9MrCbseyfUxmrK0ma4HztIeO8XIBaAAymC4szPOzAtwugLOa2t/s400/29107_1436758046201_1450484420_31113715_7129259_n.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5474829470915024866" /></a><br /><br />Some of the other crazies:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwTQusL7YjcvHmiQHPbjjLQsAkWsmY4sDRpXMM7LS_eHg_Sn25lIMj2iO8_jhnG67Ec4gKo7-k-VliTz8jTfnpf5WxPxXf9S0Ya48HXnIZWnE670YBcAo6SoJA1StmNR0qGX7UnLUQOBCC/s1600/29107_1436757846196_1450484420_31113712_4861007_n.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwTQusL7YjcvHmiQHPbjjLQsAkWsmY4sDRpXMM7LS_eHg_Sn25lIMj2iO8_jhnG67Ec4gKo7-k-VliTz8jTfnpf5WxPxXf9S0Ya48HXnIZWnE670YBcAo6SoJA1StmNR0qGX7UnLUQOBCC/s400/29107_1436757846196_1450484420_31113712_4861007_n.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5474829595600791714" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5R07t7G-MQeWwjpOHjcQAx-8eIbmpjWN7jaNP1PrdEQtks6hm5esZWyopVgcRA7TP0LBRkOIL_B9oCq5AjIulteANCwl6m9ggXMx4XJFKr3w9b8iWkFu0sd-ezhnBtmlJSYOBzOKKUh_C/s1600/29107_1436757966199_1450484420_31113713_511482_n.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5R07t7G-MQeWwjpOHjcQAx-8eIbmpjWN7jaNP1PrdEQtks6hm5esZWyopVgcRA7TP0LBRkOIL_B9oCq5AjIulteANCwl6m9ggXMx4XJFKr3w9b8iWkFu0sd-ezhnBtmlJSYOBzOKKUh_C/s400/29107_1436757966199_1450484420_31113713_511482_n.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5474829703614589474" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpFcNCp8oeitM-jb7vRNvqkSCMWSDkfmhsovMz8yoqgaS7Sc5b2BIkmK32pQT4a5GRp-PDKy0Jkl3od0C54zXdWrMpPGiEraUPgREpNb2E2TYVXAG-VlAfXTpVNp-NL5uW2wlU22b9UdeR/s1600/29107_1436758206205_1450484420_31113717_3250887_n.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpFcNCp8oeitM-jb7vRNvqkSCMWSDkfmhsovMz8yoqgaS7Sc5b2BIkmK32pQT4a5GRp-PDKy0Jkl3od0C54zXdWrMpPGiEraUPgREpNb2E2TYVXAG-VlAfXTpVNp-NL5uW2wlU22b9UdeR/s400/29107_1436758206205_1450484420_31113717_3250887_n.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5474829806698947682" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidcTgjsH_trH2Fq4DqHofJz9etpRMDm_MKjAj3ihOMsT5rF_6gyy9pgUnlAXOq0Ibux2F1_wS1sb7l7RqaWg-T-rk8-Jg8Xj8X10-rdWBmAUPwifR-X6hbY5EeL19fcZ_XDqOFlLUTuAo2/s1600/'.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidcTgjsH_trH2Fq4DqHofJz9etpRMDm_MKjAj3ihOMsT5rF_6gyy9pgUnlAXOq0Ibux2F1_wS1sb7l7RqaWg-T-rk8-Jg8Xj8X10-rdWBmAUPwifR-X6hbY5EeL19fcZ_XDqOFlLUTuAo2/s400/'.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5474838763398416866" /></a><br /><br />Finally, it was time to <strong>line up</strong>!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx-TT1-Pq5lMPf-JoOtamYS26agvWuUEavuWAcXqE791OPEfA6Q8hCWfdJt8ri3bg-ZL44RYQN3g8eEDswfP1rE_bTDuX1Q5DODCkLmT1iOtg5UXtoLQ4id7OCJpnfe8OPsrLlxgBnLJtD/s1600/29107_1436758246206_1450484420_31113718_1714273_n.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx-TT1-Pq5lMPf-JoOtamYS26agvWuUEavuWAcXqE791OPEfA6Q8hCWfdJt8ri3bg-ZL44RYQN3g8eEDswfP1rE_bTDuX1Q5DODCkLmT1iOtg5UXtoLQ4id7OCJpnfe8OPsrLlxgBnLJtD/s400/29107_1436758246206_1450484420_31113718_1714273_n.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5474830124944310434" /></a><br /><br />The race went something like this, though I think I'm mixing up some of the obstacles in the middle...<br /><br /><ul><li>Main part of the run, maybe 2 miles, around the lake and up and down some hills</li><li>Wade or swim through muddy lake (shoes now completely wet and full of mud)</li><li>Run a bit</li><li>Run through laid-down tires (military-style)</li><li>Climb up wooden wall using rope</li><li>Climb up and over fisherman's net</li><li>Run over or through junked cars and trucks</li><li>Run through (muddy) forest in mountains with no real trail</li><li>Crawl through tubes</li><li>Climb over 3 short wooden walls (no rope)</li><li>Slide down muddy ravine on one's backside into 3 feet of mud and then crawl through said mud underneath real barbed wire strung about 1 foot over the mud</li><li>Another wade/swim through the lake, this time with wood logs to climb/roll over</li><li>Run a bit all dirty and muddy</li><li>Jump over flaming chunks of wood</li><li>FINISH VICTORIOUS!</li></ul><br />Honestly, I didn't feel the greatest at the beginning of the race. I'm still not 100% recovered from my Haiti adventure, and while my endurance is still pretty good, my strength is lagging a bit. Running around the lake in the beginning was good, and I felt pretty strong then, but once we started climbing the moutain, I started losing steam. <br /><br />I kept running until about the middle of the race; the trail run was STEEP and muddy though, so I walked a bit of it. I got a second wind after the trail run, and I finished strong through the mud, lake, and fire obstacles.<br /><br /><strong>The fire was AWESOME!</strong><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi51M3syMnHvZw-76e0BDiEigWunm4OczBR-nHy9-pNpRgdqnxdtY3TSW80kRZE_z-Xub6zMYbtWblMDqnJeSfX8BZR8mIHluNW5V71cDdMB1nz1E-a1-wJsvrEes6Hf-1kxsQwgQTFa4u/s1600/29107_1436758646216_1450484420_31113725_6289943_n.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi51M3syMnHvZw-76e0BDiEigWunm4OczBR-nHy9-pNpRgdqnxdtY3TSW80kRZE_z-Xub6zMYbtWblMDqnJeSfX8BZR8mIHluNW5V71cDdMB1nz1E-a1-wJsvrEes6Hf-1kxsQwgQTFa4u/s400/29107_1436758646216_1450484420_31113725_6289943_n.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5474832142465505586" /></a><br /><br />After the fire I knew the end was close, so I gathered what strenth I had left and ran across the line! I got my water and medal and headed over to see Jeff.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhval7eO6Hl67ZT1FW8SzAEcerhrj2usPJDF5fmObWKcncZhIdMcDpQIvdBCu-Yz3TQ9WJs7G6-eNjUBiaT5GH4V9oCvU-5e3T45MGFKt5tCnM7CLGz5gRMib8BWV91kd-0ISXMtNnmHf3n/s1600/29107_1436758726218_1450484420_31113727_120660_n.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhval7eO6Hl67ZT1FW8SzAEcerhrj2usPJDF5fmObWKcncZhIdMcDpQIvdBCu-Yz3TQ9WJs7G6-eNjUBiaT5GH4V9oCvU-5e3T45MGFKt5tCnM7CLGz5gRMib8BWV91kd-0ISXMtNnmHf3n/s400/29107_1436758726218_1450484420_31113727_120660_n.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5474832723771988562" /></a><br /><br />I put on my <strong>free warrior helmet</strong>, got my <strong>free beer</strong>, and wandered around the finishing area a bit. <br /><br />Jeff kept asking me if I wanted to wash off (you could jump into a different part of the lake to rinse), but I didn't want to! How many times in your adult life do you get to be covered head to toe in mud??? I loved every minute of it!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMFot9avBePk3lTvV5u_1yQHQE6qVgOzKoxjNcld9wbf9NzLCk7idHcxC1xJJcmuZzvikHTPhzjjsvhN7V_6GCgywT_HAbf3phLFmE7TqshUg5Iwlw_EeE4ruZwFjqd-Nd5aqfBLhfbo28/s1600/29107_1436758806220_1450484420_31113729_8146144_n.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMFot9avBePk3lTvV5u_1yQHQE6qVgOzKoxjNcld9wbf9NzLCk7idHcxC1xJJcmuZzvikHTPhzjjsvhN7V_6GCgywT_HAbf3phLFmE7TqshUg5Iwlw_EeE4ruZwFjqd-Nd5aqfBLhfbo28/s400/29107_1436758806220_1450484420_31113729_8146144_n.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5474834564622723250" /></a><br /><br />I'm a warrior, son!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjfwByVRnSvEFB0RTCT47kjE00MA0p80VmlEW5dMOT1vsWAgHpA85S-tqIAxZ3M6uP4BWbPgcoC_cijFUDFbaR7TgaNi6l3E_0KjLhMK4IarqZAHjWaw_WT_9nAvEanmTtZsBGMkZ2_OcL/s1600/29107_1436758886222_1450484420_31113730_6124154_n.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjfwByVRnSvEFB0RTCT47kjE00MA0p80VmlEW5dMOT1vsWAgHpA85S-tqIAxZ3M6uP4BWbPgcoC_cijFUDFbaR7TgaNi6l3E_0KjLhMK4IarqZAHjWaw_WT_9nAvEanmTtZsBGMkZ2_OcL/s400/29107_1436758886222_1450484420_31113730_6124154_n.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5474834853071340754" /></a><br /><br />I did the race in my <strong>3rd-tier running shoes</strong>, which also went to Haiti with me. At this point, they were totally destroyed! I donated them to <a href="http://www.greensneakers.org/"><strong>Green Sneakers</strong></a> after the race.<br /><br />Queen of the Green Sneakers!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSrnbivyCy8F09fmBWFjISzTcqHGns-BQysVBMQEOtHIr9YdfHGAWgxtMU1v1pWsGNbjDOZscWnOQ2aUqteGz5iHpxCIWeghDTsQfwfVRKMJVuZESoYgZHIri43KAYCS2RDRaCXQVvk_rd/s1600/29107_1436758766219_1450484420_31113728_5768992_n.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSrnbivyCy8F09fmBWFjISzTcqHGns-BQysVBMQEOtHIr9YdfHGAWgxtMU1v1pWsGNbjDOZscWnOQ2aUqteGz5iHpxCIWeghDTsQfwfVRKMJVuZESoYgZHIri43KAYCS2RDRaCXQVvk_rd/s400/29107_1436758766219_1450484420_31113728_5768992_n.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5474835644769888034" /></a><br /><br />I'm TOTALLY doing it again next year!<br /><br />Next up on Vegan Booty: Why you should not do a 9-mile run less than 12 hours after finishing the Warrior Dash.Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03315485809614264884noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4470447034531556098.post-81095522887902825652010-05-21T15:21:00.000-07:002010-05-21T16:04:34.056-07:00HaitiHi, all! Sorry it's been so long since my last blog! I arrived home from Haiti Sunday night, and life's been sort of a battle since then. I'm happy to report that today I'm in better health and spirits than I have been, and I think I'm going to be ready to face my race tomorrow! Tomorrow is the <a href="http://www.warriordash.com/register2010_southeast.php">Warrior Dash Southeast</a>, and I'm going to DOMINATE!<br /><br />Let me tell y'all a bit about my time in Haiti, first.<br /><br />I was pretty excited to head out there.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpInyVpIvGpiMjSYDcDXisIV7mSwNgNqZ0F6oGQsQr-IN23kefoMyM-anMW_g0SVoG0RURhYD_41q7KB4NytvMg16oLljTYHmzRS0aTVlcZiKVhfK7qEA81W4XFJ1WCqC_7FiKfvCVg-jI/s1600/Haiti+003.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpInyVpIvGpiMjSYDcDXisIV7mSwNgNqZ0F6oGQsQr-IN23kefoMyM-anMW_g0SVoG0RURhYD_41q7KB4NytvMg16oLljTYHmzRS0aTVlcZiKVhfK7qEA81W4XFJ1WCqC_7FiKfvCVg-jI/s400/Haiti+003.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5473852994245057138" /></a><br /><br />I'm no stranger to volunteer work in third-world countries, so I wasn't too daunted by the idea of sleeping on wooden pallets, showering by pouring buckets of water over my head, or using the bathroom in toilets that don't flush. Par for the course.<br /><br />This is what the <a href="http://hodr.org">Hands On Disaster Response</a> camp in Leogane, Haiti, looked like.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQpZ2ET8pVNt9QDjFZZcQIdtoJANKTyagf1PZpcGJAr-iFZjf5foVqRTYY6OqHY5a5l8tEYKf4IZifRdyjtNKQrxEeJeAqMvPb4FkQ-tYAlUQIH6Q33HNHUTg5NC2DqwcD_SxEBmY288Fl/s1600/Haiti+004.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQpZ2ET8pVNt9QDjFZZcQIdtoJANKTyagf1PZpcGJAr-iFZjf5foVqRTYY6OqHY5a5l8tEYKf4IZifRdyjtNKQrxEeJeAqMvPb4FkQ-tYAlUQIH6Q33HNHUTg5NC2DqwcD_SxEBmY288Fl/s400/Haiti+004.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5473853680735138738" /></a><br /><br />Here's where I slept.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhzUiHn0jZZIC_lRBBXII3CKozRDlWtEMUH7K4HxsnaN6yYmboGPJwSh7cVDLBalWQCe-1q66b_VID08kNglQc66pho7kcT6_8fLS-noU_18q6gTTqbO4J5_KkGhGu_Cp4ta58o7BLxQw1/s1600/Haiti+007.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhzUiHn0jZZIC_lRBBXII3CKozRDlWtEMUH7K4HxsnaN6yYmboGPJwSh7cVDLBalWQCe-1q66b_VID08kNglQc66pho7kcT6_8fLS-noU_18q6gTTqbO4J5_KkGhGu_Cp4ta58o7BLxQw1/s400/Haiti+007.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5473853865304284514" /></a><br /><br />What was I doing there? Excruciating physical labor! I had no idea how difficult it would be! We sledged, shoveled, and wheelbarrowed concrete rubble from families' home sites to the National Highway so that the UN could haul it to another location.<br /><br />Here's us working on the rubble.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8HdVuTm_YwonkyE74Kph_s29CGcbTnHEhYSpNseivn05lbavJ0Ry9POWBxicn-PpewJK6bFhFFHH_Srip3LyZnNquarF4uaeLADdDNn0todRH6eA4WVRo9J2XEHNimlpjL5zI-UBAd3iL/s1600/Haiti+030.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8HdVuTm_YwonkyE74Kph_s29CGcbTnHEhYSpNseivn05lbavJ0Ry9POWBxicn-PpewJK6bFhFFHH_Srip3LyZnNquarF4uaeLADdDNn0todRH6eA4WVRo9J2XEHNimlpjL5zI-UBAd3iL/s400/Haiti+030.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5473854760794917474" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOhxiUeZKAj360e-rq4dTq9RPtmOny_MTSc-XDpL0UzaUsJWmWKbuSxYB5dqEvGA0zCxkFDZaOtaRaheNqccvAi-qSykL2xUrsCpdTJKTrdJpp6ciYyvv0uXJvwEScMkrWk9x_vHW6Pwm-/s1600/Haiti+031.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOhxiUeZKAj360e-rq4dTq9RPtmOny_MTSc-XDpL0UzaUsJWmWKbuSxYB5dqEvGA0zCxkFDZaOtaRaheNqccvAi-qSykL2xUrsCpdTJKTrdJpp6ciYyvv0uXJvwEScMkrWk9x_vHW6Pwm-/s400/Haiti+031.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5473854893516752194" /></a><br /><br />Here's the Korean branch of the UN hauling it away.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1QqTlDHqkTVziIt_f_UY1eWJHhmLgJWUElffHjfRNCUkl7BhrOE9rIlRos5MdH75vaeGlDqnQhLDXvQWP-J36C9xkuVzn9T8GNBJ_ki2xr4E7fKRhDSQ2p2iaMpDSsWm17hYUSFtsR9It/s1600/Haiti+013.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1QqTlDHqkTVziIt_f_UY1eWJHhmLgJWUElffHjfRNCUkl7BhrOE9rIlRos5MdH75vaeGlDqnQhLDXvQWP-J36C9xkuVzn9T8GNBJ_ki2xr4E7fKRhDSQ2p2iaMpDSsWm17hYUSFtsR9It/s400/Haiti+013.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5473855123278295202" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcQgCOEkT44HMl-O2z2y_oZvU8FmNg_uU17Er6FCrIGg6yUgzdFVWjOVEw-isSwAt96M6Or12v342ljxlfqfpAfDVI9CxX578dScvNozpaoTJVYIkYq-98km7YvzxP4GZWWrkfjnCwHw1C/s1600/Haiti+014.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcQgCOEkT44HMl-O2z2y_oZvU8FmNg_uU17Er6FCrIGg6yUgzdFVWjOVEw-isSwAt96M6Or12v342ljxlfqfpAfDVI9CxX578dScvNozpaoTJVYIkYq-98km7YvzxP4GZWWrkfjnCwHw1C/s400/Haiti+014.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5473855254668349410" /></a><br /><br />The families' homes were usually connected to the main roads only with narrow alleys and unpaved walkways, so the rubble had to be hauled with wheelbarrows; no heavy machinery could access it.<br /><br />I worked on an INSANE team of INSANE volunteers who actually raced with the wheelbarrows of concrete rubble! These were NOT light!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMvt3k6ykL3DG7KHM4MmFNdiroB4QxoSfAgyEaxp_wfFS65wICalo_ZW0VxjxOT3DxroZ4bbDS23nCfF4DGbr72gUIXFa9WRIkG1iOVew69BeD9XZ8FArSycLCyTjYxwaru69OjiHCo8ER/s1600/Haiti+015.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMvt3k6ykL3DG7KHM4MmFNdiroB4QxoSfAgyEaxp_wfFS65wICalo_ZW0VxjxOT3DxroZ4bbDS23nCfF4DGbr72gUIXFa9WRIkG1iOVew69BeD9XZ8FArSycLCyTjYxwaru69OjiHCo8ER/s400/Haiti+015.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5473855669402099010" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXe4kWS4hTnWQiMSw6BVtEgVlBItQ32vUjEUfNq7O7YUhQX7H3Yhiz3mLLOZ5GWLVE8i5Vy-dFQOPhP_LVy24td0yDmCF97jCksmRMyT8zq2df8f2ASv7ndivnJGyNiRh73N06Px8g3443/s1600/Haiti+017.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXe4kWS4hTnWQiMSw6BVtEgVlBItQ32vUjEUfNq7O7YUhQX7H3Yhiz3mLLOZ5GWLVE8i5Vy-dFQOPhP_LVy24td0yDmCF97jCksmRMyT8zq2df8f2ASv7ndivnJGyNiRh73N06Px8g3443/s400/Haiti+017.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5473855812795962482" /></a><br /><br />HODR had cleared 72 family sites between March and my last day there, May 16. Clearing a site means that the family can pitch their tent on their own land instead of in the street, and it means they can sign up with Habitat for Humanity and start building a new house. It's amazing work.<br /><br />As you may imagine, everything that the family owned was usually in the house when it collapsed. While working on the Artiste family's site, we pulled out many of their personal possessions. Most were damaged beyond recognition, but they still loved it when we were able to show them something that they recognized. Their favorite was when we pulled out the frame of their TV. We all took turns posing with it.<br /><br />Here's Caitlynn and me in the TV.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6PDKso08ZfN27wCm_EYZohl1vJuB4o5C1H_cwHf9Tas_ld-74pzQ54siLrWurRdrqEGvyk1lHnXaDvxGoELoAic5SUzpb2TtfpgMyNx9HnSi-0HrN89YvvlLMFl-9Yt7TwSky_yefdwnX/s1600/Haiti+047.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6PDKso08ZfN27wCm_EYZohl1vJuB4o5C1H_cwHf9Tas_ld-74pzQ54siLrWurRdrqEGvyk1lHnXaDvxGoELoAic5SUzpb2TtfpgMyNx9HnSi-0HrN89YvvlLMFl-9Yt7TwSky_yefdwnX/s400/Haiti+047.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5473862126061895666" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN-iq9WV8c8gNO5w9r9K3-dsaddnp3iV06E79YQ2GcLgYBqrzP38ELlB4pNRHNThmK4fzbsmYbvHr4Ma_UVHGUQv6mkpRZ0KMn23spBPiC2dVAH1m_OTBB1rqZvLyYbo6BwvdK4QB-4_KU/s1600/Haiti+048.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN-iq9WV8c8gNO5w9r9K3-dsaddnp3iV06E79YQ2GcLgYBqrzP38ELlB4pNRHNThmK4fzbsmYbvHr4Ma_UVHGUQv6mkpRZ0KMn23spBPiC2dVAH1m_OTBB1rqZvLyYbo6BwvdK4QB-4_KU/s400/Haiti+048.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5473862261459071874" /></a><br /><br />When I say the work we did was excruciating, I mean it. I can't document in photos how much physical pain I felt while I was there. There was not one morning where I was able to sit up upon waking; my back muscles stiffened every night while I slept. The first couple nights, I was unable to hold beverages at dinner because my arms shook too badly. I hoped every day that I would be able to hold up through the 7 hours of daily work. Thankfully, I did.<br /><br />I felt midly okay by the last morning, but after sitting on airplanes and in airports for the majority of the day and not working my leg muscles at all, I actually had to be assisted off of the plane in Atlanta because both of my quads and knees quit working. There is nothing more embarrassing. I cried almost all of the way home in the car because sitting down put too much pressure on my hamstrings. I was truly worried that I wasn't going to be able to run for weeks.<br /><br />However, my physical pain was nothing compared to the emotional pain of seeing Haiti like this. There are almost no inhabitable buildings in Leogane right now. Because each building site contains either a pile of rubble or an uninhabitable building, families are forced to pitch their tents in the street. They have to bathe and use the bathroom in public places because most of the buildings have not just been deemed unhabitable, but unsafe to enter all together. There isn't enough food; there isn't enough water; and there isn't enough medical care.<br /><br />Haiti needs SO MUCH HELP.<br /><br />I was only in Port-au-Prince briefly, while driving to and from the airport to Leogane, and I'm glad because I don't think I could handle it. Many of the buildings that are still standing have "Please save us" or "We need help" spray-painted on their walls. Many Haitians have been reduced to begging just to feed their families. Haiti was never a prosperous place, but it was never like this.<br /><br />If you can help, PLEASE DO. I think I'm going to go back at the beginning of August to work with HODR again. There's just so much more that needs to be done.<br /><br />I have so many stories to tell, but I'll save some for later! Hope all of you had an amazing week, and I can't wait to tell you about the Warrior Dash on Monday!Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03315485809614264884noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4470447034531556098.post-47092005772815399562010-05-08T07:51:00.000-07:002010-05-08T09:06:30.299-07:00Gearing up for ridingSo, I have <strong>3 exams down, and 1 to go</strong>! Law school can be such a pain. I mean, I like it most of the time, and practicing law is going to be much better than what I was doing before (I was a records clerk at an energy company in a previous life), but the schooling part is <strong>mega-stressful </strong>at the moment!<br /><br />I took a <strong>break from studying </strong>yesterday. I had a 24-hour take-home final that I did from Thursday morning to Friday morning (yes, it took me almost the entire 24 hours to complete), so I needed a break from my desk!<br /><br />I <strong>rode out to Stone Mountain </strong>and back, which is just over 26 miles round-trip for me. Stone Mountain is a granite outcrop near Atlanta, and there's a bike path that runs from my house to its surrounding park.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgidY0iY1l3Og0jfDJ6JQWj_RGAWi8O-ujY4jPZXboZ_GCFBi0qHvkVVGqLUfpM25Q_dD4g72tsEM5v2vWKPe8xV99kOdXDccgmCyYALgPDSslrvGqA3xngVBYczpW7X_k7ymGisGP8gQ5t/s1600/DSCN0032%5B1%5D.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgidY0iY1l3Og0jfDJ6JQWj_RGAWi8O-ujY4jPZXboZ_GCFBi0qHvkVVGqLUfpM25Q_dD4g72tsEM5v2vWKPe8xV99kOdXDccgmCyYALgPDSslrvGqA3xngVBYczpW7X_k7ymGisGP8gQ5t/s400/DSCN0032%5B1%5D.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5468913685947494322" /></a><br /><br />First, I had to <strong>gear up</strong>! I feel like I have a lot of biking gear, but all of it serves a purpose.<br /><br />First, my <strong>Camelbak</strong>. I fill it with <strong>mostly water, a little ice, and about a cup of Gatorade</strong>. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJCLtBsxJNYJjvjRxtWoIDCbTaz1sdXXyY-cIByn0cL4J4QZacIQ7NxQsPkfFnxDeay-nOavPEO0hs4pHM4cB2hsCxstvMSajOR1UaHLwz5VKCr86UTXJGBW9GOWNriAc5I5uUipnyasHW/s1600/DSCN0012.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJCLtBsxJNYJjvjRxtWoIDCbTaz1sdXXyY-cIByn0cL4J4QZacIQ7NxQsPkfFnxDeay-nOavPEO0hs4pHM4cB2hsCxstvMSajOR1UaHLwz5VKCr86UTXJGBW9GOWNriAc5I5uUipnyasHW/s400/DSCN0012.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5468914625080779794" /></a><br /><br />Gatorade freaks me out because of the fake colors and flavors, but I haven't found a feasible cheap alternative yet. When you're biking in 90 degree heat, you need some help with hydration!<br /><br />Next, of course, my beloved <strong>Garmin 305</strong>.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLaFuXcolfJPpEJ_hvK6fCz51hZ48SkfgWxVtCW72tv0HaH_iHyOovFd4VuelpRGgNHTbnvrQhBVt1VmgGKxHvYdL6jK1ekIBVssjqY5NbxBgWGTFWyRRKq8k_zCd26LrCy4FL98AaSgMu/s1600/DSCN0014.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLaFuXcolfJPpEJ_hvK6fCz51hZ48SkfgWxVtCW72tv0HaH_iHyOovFd4VuelpRGgNHTbnvrQhBVt1VmgGKxHvYdL6jK1ekIBVssjqY5NbxBgWGTFWyRRKq8k_zCd26LrCy4FL98AaSgMu/s400/DSCN0014.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5468915014097098130" /></a><br /><br />It's important for me to keep an eye on my distance and speed because I'm not a very experienced biker (I started just a month or so ago!), and I don't want to burn myself out by pushing too hard or too fast. Getting stuck somewhere between my house and Stone Mountain is NOT an option; those aren't the friendliest of neighborhoods.<br /><br />Next, <strong>ginormous sunglasses and a bondi band</strong>.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjFiIdvCT5JLm9NbNQaK0h3pFfC-zRpyXJLOCik-snwLtziWM9YGnVkLxZ50m6hXdzEZU8Q-hFgowwsrSOTzVq2bcUaDMxf5BSTxCOAB8448zb19MRkhk0VEHO6Z_jaEn0-U26fZm6ry8b/s1600/DSCN0021.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjFiIdvCT5JLm9NbNQaK0h3pFfC-zRpyXJLOCik-snwLtziWM9YGnVkLxZ50m6hXdzEZU8Q-hFgowwsrSOTzVq2bcUaDMxf5BSTxCOAB8448zb19MRkhk0VEHO6Z_jaEn0-U26fZm6ry8b/s400/DSCN0021.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5468915767993568002" /></a><br /><br />Yes, yes, the sunglasses might look ridiculous, but they stay on my face the best of all the ones I've tried. They don't slip when my nose is wet with sweat, and the ear parts stay firmly around my ears. I don't mind looking ridiculous! I've tried biking without sunglasses before, but I think it's just not a good plan. Being blinded constantly is quite dangerous!<br /><br />The bondi band is a wicking headband. Never heard of bondi bands? Check out the website <a href="http://www.bondiband.com">here</a>. They keep the sweat from dripping down my face. I just stick the <strong>helmet </strong>over it, like so:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-1GwxDsQzQ1b-ma2x__hhxQvtVD-07PPDz8IvggfxjxEByJWMHyOMhIsTtjL6PzQSRQ_ZF-ilExQq_7lr3SbnazJNXpMH4FlyEQ-0pJ-taM95yvDtgotAwvIaUMzIYv1GwGPpCHmiygxN/s1600/DSCN0024.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-1GwxDsQzQ1b-ma2x__hhxQvtVD-07PPDz8IvggfxjxEByJWMHyOMhIsTtjL6PzQSRQ_ZF-ilExQq_7lr3SbnazJNXpMH4FlyEQ-0pJ-taM95yvDtgotAwvIaUMzIYv1GwGPpCHmiygxN/s400/DSCN0024.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5468916697634533330" /></a><br /><br />All ready to go!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZzdcyvXt5O8fYuCXKMRE_NCpMRPSjGppnCsj50b5ms55xvoSWzWzfmUHynl8zZuW-xNmy1v0u7OCzJ3TZA2OFi0sgWHesTQUGOvEzNs8nA3IZyBEdYct9TPIbYLV6oXh9Ln9_ugrvNaXK/s1600/DSCN0026.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZzdcyvXt5O8fYuCXKMRE_NCpMRPSjGppnCsj50b5ms55xvoSWzWzfmUHynl8zZuW-xNmy1v0u7OCzJ3TZA2OFi0sgWHesTQUGOvEzNs8nA3IZyBEdYct9TPIbYLV6oXh9Ln9_ugrvNaXK/s400/DSCN0026.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5468917312585268914" /></a><br /><br /><strong>Gear I don't have, but want: gloves, clipless pedals and shoes</strong>. To any of you bikers out there, do you think gloves and clipless pedals are totally necessary, or just good to have? Should I invest in them now, or is it okay to put it off for awhile?<br /><br />I did most of the trail on Wednesday, too, but didn't get all the way to the end because the sun was setting. Yesterday, though, I left early enough to make it all the way to the park and back.<br /><br /><strong>Yesterday's ride was MUCH easier than Wednesday's!</strong> I'm not exactly sure why, but I was much more powerful going up hills, and I kept up a much faster speed on the flat parts. I have some <strong>theories</strong>...<br /><br /><ul><li>First, it could be because I had <strong>Gatorade </strong>mixed in with my water in my Camelbak. You may not think this makes much of a difference, but I think I could actually <em>feel</em> the extra calories coming into my body! I think that helped with my muscle power, especially at the end.</li><li>Second, it could be because I started using my <strong>lower handlebars </strong>when going up hills. I don't know if y'all use yours on a regular basis, but I just started using mine, and I love them! I feel like it forces me to use a different pedaling motion and thus a different set of muscles in my legs. If I put my hands down and my head down, I can power up hills like I never could with my hands on the top bars.</li><li>Third, I know more about how to use my <strong>gears </strong>to my advantage. I'm still learning how to ride a bike properly, and that means learning how to choose the best gears for different situations. It's a learning process, and I know more with each ride I go on.</li><li>Fourth, I <strong>knew the route better</strong>. Each time I ride the path, I know a little bit more about how to best attack it. I know when I need to shift my gears, when I need to be prepared to stop, when I need to drop to the lower bars, etc. It makes the ride much smoother. Many people might think that doing the same route over and over again is boring and tedious, but when you haven't mastered it yet, there's always something new to learn.</li><li>Fifth, I <strong>properly carbed-up </strong>before leaving. On Wednesday, I hadn't really eaten enough during the day to fuel my body through a 26-mile ride. For me, that costs me about 1,600 calories! Yesterday, I ate properly in anticipation of that sort of calorie burn, and my muscles thanked me. Luckily bike riding isn't like running in that you have to pre-fuel with only foods that sit well in your stomach. However, you do need most of your fuel to be carby so that your body can burn it. My solution? Take-out Chinese food! Bring on the rice!</li></ul><br />Anyway, it was definitely more enjoyable!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWvKbUNyTNbepgXib2dsVPb_kSa7KbOmRJXncdasdRma6mmVqYcUJk8nmWF3Go3Z4VK9C64W1kAKwFKnvKG70yCGKI4TW8aIYDKd-Div0yk8AXnTM97L4kjYp1_9lUgq6kvzk4Lf9IJSbV/s1600/DSCN0033%5B1%5D.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWvKbUNyTNbepgXib2dsVPb_kSa7KbOmRJXncdasdRma6mmVqYcUJk8nmWF3Go3Z4VK9C64W1kAKwFKnvKG70yCGKI4TW8aIYDKd-Div0yk8AXnTM97L4kjYp1_9lUgq6kvzk4Lf9IJSbV/s400/DSCN0033%5B1%5D.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5468922455445895074" /></a><br /><br />So, in case I haven't mentioned it yet, I'm going to be doing volunteer work in <strong>Haiti</strong> from May 12th to May 16th. I wish I could stay down there longer, but my summer classes start promptly on May 17th, so I just had a couple days free. I think it's going to be an awesome experience, and I'm super excited about going!<br /><br />I hope that I'll be able to post again before I leave, but if I don't, I'll see you on the 16th when I get back!Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03315485809614264884noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4470447034531556098.post-76861297018426705022010-05-03T10:39:00.000-07:002010-05-03T10:55:31.837-07:00The last few weeksACK! LAKjfa;lskd;laskjerlkjlKSjdlakflka!!!!!<br /><br />It's finals time. [sigh]. Normal (and sane) posting will resume shortly. Until then, I leave you with a few pictures of how I've been spending the last few weeks...<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6fP8S3xQmrzIkqKyISAzoSiU88ICGTbsxhMe-ZI7TxUSa-9tGuA-QdED4eKpNajH73Mfzmjj8cQGmlowosbvT45soFQAunF4ODaHurHeZ1RsoGR_6YudLBx4nzPYuxlufl58wst0ipcW7/s1600/IMG_2105.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6fP8S3xQmrzIkqKyISAzoSiU88ICGTbsxhMe-ZI7TxUSa-9tGuA-QdED4eKpNajH73Mfzmjj8cQGmlowosbvT45soFQAunF4ODaHurHeZ1RsoGR_6YudLBx4nzPYuxlufl58wst0ipcW7/s400/IMG_2105.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5467100701687480130" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEkVdUl-ACtu7BDMePIpiwd9uqsjr8VY-9Y5cLcKMZ4HW2XrdWd0zCOhIHKApOpUKtomxhtRK6kr_kcqjmmBbsTGyI4nQAwi_pGfxbnT1w1RAOSHQVH9_mK6y6EP6Zt7Kbk_frldgrWz-A/s1600/IMG_2083.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEkVdUl-ACtu7BDMePIpiwd9uqsjr8VY-9Y5cLcKMZ4HW2XrdWd0zCOhIHKApOpUKtomxhtRK6kr_kcqjmmBbsTGyI4nQAwi_pGfxbnT1w1RAOSHQVH9_mK6y6EP6Zt7Kbk_frldgrWz-A/s400/IMG_2083.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5467100874026336962" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6fP8S3xQmrzIkqKyISAzoSiU88ICGTbsxhMe-ZI7TxUSa-9tGuA-QdED4eKpNajH73Mfzmjj8cQGmlowosbvT45soFQAunF4ODaHurHeZ1RsoGR_6YudLBx4nzPYuxlufl58wst0ipcW7/s1600/IMG_2105.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6fP8S3xQmrzIkqKyISAzoSiU88ICGTbsxhMe-ZI7TxUSa-9tGuA-QdED4eKpNajH73Mfzmjj8cQGmlowosbvT45soFQAunF4ODaHurHeZ1RsoGR_6YudLBx4nzPYuxlufl58wst0ipcW7/s400/IMG_2105.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5467100701687480130" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDNKt3NRh56ZF5kLOSnVIJLD2DwDFOE1BMYm_JiCfW_5wpOJNJjEz6RbApht3rXzF5i1fS9OCAhv15oLjhMC0NRjvr0zNsasxf7O_1P2QsLwZA_36Y5tg07TshtW8cBrmg1fDcFon4vW7W/s1600/IMG_1797.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDNKt3NRh56ZF5kLOSnVIJLD2DwDFOE1BMYm_JiCfW_5wpOJNJjEz6RbApht3rXzF5i1fS9OCAhv15oLjhMC0NRjvr0zNsasxf7O_1P2QsLwZA_36Y5tg07TshtW8cBrmg1fDcFon4vW7W/s400/IMG_1797.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5467103557621391698" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6fP8S3xQmrzIkqKyISAzoSiU88ICGTbsxhMe-ZI7TxUSa-9tGuA-QdED4eKpNajH73Mfzmjj8cQGmlowosbvT45soFQAunF4ODaHurHeZ1RsoGR_6YudLBx4nzPYuxlufl58wst0ipcW7/s1600/IMG_2105.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6fP8S3xQmrzIkqKyISAzoSiU88ICGTbsxhMe-ZI7TxUSa-9tGuA-QdED4eKpNajH73Mfzmjj8cQGmlowosbvT45soFQAunF4ODaHurHeZ1RsoGR_6YudLBx4nzPYuxlufl58wst0ipcW7/s400/IMG_2105.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5467100701687480130" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnc_2t7zWTvkMYasKtlfViwsRpDN9ieCEqCMetKn4PqdICr2F4lFkgJ2qiKl0gBJxBkhJ1R7OzwSWFM5hkARG0dwWu1HsXhPppnwlFuCiqOv9yv8lzpWy6EdEKUV_NvAJDRYXAUeuXP9hW/s1600/IMG_2096.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnc_2t7zWTvkMYasKtlfViwsRpDN9ieCEqCMetKn4PqdICr2F4lFkgJ2qiKl0gBJxBkhJ1R7OzwSWFM5hkARG0dwWu1HsXhPppnwlFuCiqOv9yv8lzpWy6EdEKUV_NvAJDRYXAUeuXP9hW/s400/IMG_2096.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5467101520920355394" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXfn0j9-0LCxCzMuyBG8dYtCRtcJQlLKMeC4AuCwYfl4WJvUGsyQdJrnx_UoahGuNuOMiSl-iz7GYXyl9unUQAaMtN7eS5XEGYpcjKY8lviRmcl6TV3TyhnXJ0VBozecMDoo_oPAWx6tjc/s1600/IMG_2107.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXfn0j9-0LCxCzMuyBG8dYtCRtcJQlLKMeC4AuCwYfl4WJvUGsyQdJrnx_UoahGuNuOMiSl-iz7GYXyl9unUQAaMtN7eS5XEGYpcjKY8lviRmcl6TV3TyhnXJ0VBozecMDoo_oPAWx6tjc/s400/IMG_2107.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5467102986961475730" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6fP8S3xQmrzIkqKyISAzoSiU88ICGTbsxhMe-ZI7TxUSa-9tGuA-QdED4eKpNajH73Mfzmjj8cQGmlowosbvT45soFQAunF4ODaHurHeZ1RsoGR_6YudLBx4nzPYuxlufl58wst0ipcW7/s1600/IMG_2105.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6fP8S3xQmrzIkqKyISAzoSiU88ICGTbsxhMe-ZI7TxUSa-9tGuA-QdED4eKpNajH73Mfzmjj8cQGmlowosbvT45soFQAunF4ODaHurHeZ1RsoGR_6YudLBx4nzPYuxlufl58wst0ipcW7/s400/IMG_2105.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5467100701687480130" /></a><br /><br />The end! I cannot wait for this semester to be over!Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03315485809614264884noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4470447034531556098.post-53360916051533306072010-04-28T12:28:00.000-07:002010-04-28T16:54:00.507-07:00Top-5 listsI hope you've all seen <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0146882/"><strong>High Fidelity</strong></a>. It is, seriously, one of the greatest movies ever.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg9bAEhFhEdMBdOHROhjqxgZl7C524f-lxAfZvfeDZjystibMd7n389f_Gv016cKeXRjVo_LwVltHQTYZnDBRvkVln7IhQOB6f931QWe_wkveJCCgCJ_NRnvRT_gLiEVo_3d3k3wCVZOJt/s1600/high+fidelity.bmp"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 291px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg9bAEhFhEdMBdOHROhjqxgZl7C524f-lxAfZvfeDZjystibMd7n389f_Gv016cKeXRjVo_LwVltHQTYZnDBRvkVln7IhQOB6f931QWe_wkveJCCgCJ_NRnvRT_gLiEVo_3d3k3wCVZOJt/s400/high+fidelity.bmp" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5465274476505960226" /></a><br /><br />I used to watch it constantly when I was in college. I watched it so often that I actually broke the tape on my old VHS, and although I have neither the VHS nor the DVD anymore, I can still quote nearly the whole movie by heart. I actually wrote a paper on the meta-fictional aspects of Rob's mix-tape creation process because I'm a total nerd.<br /><br />Anyway, if you're familiar with the movie, you know that Rob Gordon has a slight obsession with <strong>top-5 lists</strong>.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS1FXEYog6JGhz3rm-PokA36PzWbwamV40La9xAarozow6gNqUHl7-tdXyUa7pi1n1B19wRELHlYUMITkqbTrDV3RmtgayXst3ZTyT0eqis0aSYQEe25qj-HKioh3tM5QL9Q4enRVGaGLy/s1600/highfidelity.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 392px; height: 252px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS1FXEYog6JGhz3rm-PokA36PzWbwamV40La9xAarozow6gNqUHl7-tdXyUa7pi1n1B19wRELHlYUMITkqbTrDV3RmtgayXst3ZTyT0eqis0aSYQEe25qj-HKioh3tM5QL9Q4enRVGaGLy/s400/highfidelity.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5465275911982158978" /></a><br /><br /><strong>Confession</strong>: I do, too.<br /><br />Now, if I really wanted to do this right, I would now give you my top 5 top-5 lists, but that would just be crazy. I'll just give you a couple, starting with one I've been pondering since <a href="http://veganbooty.blogspot.com/2010/04/music-free.html">my post yesterday</a>...<br /><br /><strong>My Top 5 Reasons to Run WITHOUT Music</strong><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyjMp_g-BNjXmvlGNOzUqf_O4ANCJE6I9I03j41o913rbT3UT8FxjYmtCtb-Vk4M4cjKwv8Mvz3RQn4hZmqc7SIMLN8HQlFm3xibaEmUMhnVqK-fiBnBIcmc9HcoX8PDM2u6D593EghXgy/s1600/IMG_2074.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyjMp_g-BNjXmvlGNOzUqf_O4ANCJE6I9I03j41o913rbT3UT8FxjYmtCtb-Vk4M4cjKwv8Mvz3RQn4hZmqc7SIMLN8HQlFm3xibaEmUMhnVqK-fiBnBIcmc9HcoX8PDM2u6D593EghXgy/s400/IMG_2074.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5465281659533689170" /></a><br /><br /><ul><li><strong>It eliminates influence on your pace</strong>. I find that I run to the beat of the music I'm listening to, not to my natural pace. Now, if you can find a playlist set to a beat that matches your natural pace, more power to ya! I, unfortunately, don't have one of those.</li><li><strong>It eliminates distraction from your breathing</strong>. I think I breathe funny when I listen to music while running. Maybe I don't, but I don't actually have a clue! I can feel myself breathing, sure, and I can hear it sometimes when I focus. But, when I run without music, my breathing is often the ONLY thing I hear, and I like that. Breathing is so key.</li><li><strong>It's safer</strong>. I live in an urban environment and have to run on the sidewalks lining busy streets, sometimes in the streets themselves, and it's good to be able to hear the action going on around me. I don't like stepping on dogs or smacking into strollers coming around corners (it's totally happened), and I certainly wouldn't like getting hit by a car! Keeping your ears open is important.</li><li><strong>I feel more connected with my environment</strong>. Alright, here's my hippie reason. Music takes me out of my environment and into my brain. I find running much more enjoyable when I'm in the moment, and that means smelling the trees, checking out the squirrels, waving to the neighbors, etc. I remember to do those things more often when I don't have earbuds in.</li><li><strong>I don't have to be scared of the rain</strong>. So, maybe this one's not applicable year-round, but it certainly is applicable in Georgia in April! The sky can cloud over and open up on you in a few minutes flat with little to no warning. My Garmin is waterproof, but my iPod, sadly, is not. This is actually the reason I started running iPod free in the first place!</li></ul><br />Next...<br /><br /><strong>My Top 5 Reasons That Spring Rocks</strong><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtAHWNC-DWYFGOLgmiO4wzog3ONcUENAnFt4K6qQCsutywkiwDcEnwWdqt8SYod_4t7nAxLOYMI9h0CCOqwSUXHpqQdx_JEPWN8htivABwKQylOc_Z0tqWiliTRcR_hXJNRBSx3at2cgIh/s1600/IMG_1992.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtAHWNC-DWYFGOLgmiO4wzog3ONcUENAnFt4K6qQCsutywkiwDcEnwWdqt8SYod_4t7nAxLOYMI9h0CCOqwSUXHpqQdx_JEPWN8htivABwKQylOc_Z0tqWiliTRcR_hXJNRBSx3at2cgIh/s400/IMG_1992.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5465294527667717778" /></a><br /><br /><ul><li><strong>I love flowers</strong>! I really do. I love the smell, and I love the colors. When spring hits in Georgia, the whole state blooms. I love it.</li><li><strong>I love spring clothes</strong>! Sweaters are fun, but I'm a jeans-and-a-tee-shirt kind of girl. If I can wear flip-flops, that's just a bonus!</li><li><strong>I can exercise outside</strong>. I <em>love </em>being outside. It's not that I hate gyms, but I feel like real exercise (like running on the road and riding an actual bike) is much more organic and arguably better for the body. I don't mind that I'm going to sweat--it's worth it!</li><li><strong>I much prefer drinking on patios than drinking in bars</strong>. I don't drink often, but when I do, I like to sit outside! When patio-drinking weather comes around, I'm one happy camper.</li><li><strong>It stays light outside later</strong>. I love that Jeff and I can go biking after work now! It stays light late enough for us to squeeze in a good, long ride before the sun sets. Love love love it.</li></ul><br />Lastly...<br /><br /><strong>The Top 5 Things You Probably Don't Know about Me</strong><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAa17w3Ta24kZ6WNWURj_-v85mbUcOMnaZ52EvrBFwz5jbv14rWdJKsrPCga0iQuIaoCmdWvuJBHyHzqLLUeD5eaQAE1Kh4jzodQhCV1UsIPhbohnXsqsu03VnWU5VC30lxSiG5FnrqPJ7/s1600/August+2016.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAa17w3Ta24kZ6WNWURj_-v85mbUcOMnaZ52EvrBFwz5jbv14rWdJKsrPCga0iQuIaoCmdWvuJBHyHzqLLUeD5eaQAE1Kh4jzodQhCV1UsIPhbohnXsqsu03VnWU5VC30lxSiG5FnrqPJ7/s400/August+2016.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5465298488335685362" /></a><br /><br /><ul><li><strong>I spent two years living in Asia</strong>. I lived in South Korea teaching Enlish for a year, then I lived in Thailand for six months before moving back to South Korea for another six months. I spent a lot of the time that I lived in Thailand backpacking around Southeast Asia.</li><li><strong>I've been a vegetarian since I was 11 years old</strong>. How did I decide to go veg when I was just a kid? I didn't like what my mom made for dinner! True story. I later identified with the morals and ethics of the movement, but in the beginning, I just wanted to cook my own food.</li><li><strong>I don't drive</strong>. I just don't feel like driving is a responsible decision for someone like me who lives in a city. I have a scooter, a bike, and two feet! I also have easy access to mass transportation. I'm sure I'll drive someday, but not until it's necessary.</li><li><strong>I started college when I was 16</strong>. I'm not a genius, though! I promise. I was just in a really big hurry. I was bored with high school and decided I was ready to move on.</li><li><strong>I <em>really</em> like trashy TV</strong>! Yep. I like reality dating shows, celebrity gossip shows, cooking competition shows, you name it! I'm fascinated by them. I've totally watched an entire marathon (or five) of America's Next Top Model, and I'm currently <em>obsessed</em> with The Biggest Loser.</li></ul><br />Your turn! Tell me your top 5 movies of all time. I need to add some movies to Jeff's NetFlix queue! :-) I hope you're all having lovely weeks!Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03315485809614264884noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4470447034531556098.post-3101779580112505612010-04-27T12:07:00.000-07:002010-04-27T12:49:35.524-07:00Music-free?<strong>School is kicking my tush </strong>this semester! Wowsers! I've been writing this paper on the lunacy of the Supreme Court in the 1880's for days and days, and I'm nowhere close to finishing. Sadness. The paper has been the reason for my absence from the blogosphere as of late. I'm on page 17 of 30 at the moment. Yikes.<br /><br />Don't worry, though--I've still found time for training! Last Sunday was <strong>my first real long run</strong>! It was just a six-miler, but it was farther than I've ever run before! I felt awesome when I finished, like I could do <strong><em>anything</em></strong>.<br /><br />And, I ran it <strong>without my beloved iPod</strong>!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB5hrzmf6DWQXcnG0IDTQea2z2RVOSs6az1-fialvp9oYGHh-77QXJMhjzrgcHp6_4f1hqBpmjKTToW5TvF-9NmUHqCtVMGV2LVUP02GzlJ1L8NFy8JpOFyYES8aIFH7eLhV-FimXZZelv/s1600/IMG_2079.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB5hrzmf6DWQXcnG0IDTQea2z2RVOSs6az1-fialvp9oYGHh-77QXJMhjzrgcHp6_4f1hqBpmjKTToW5TvF-9NmUHqCtVMGV2LVUP02GzlJ1L8NFy8JpOFyYES8aIFH7eLhV-FimXZZelv/s400/IMG_2079.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5464898010810452098" /></a><br /><br />I've been running music-free a lot lately. I try to do at least one of my runs each week without my music-making friend. I like the sort of <strong>communion with nature </strong>that I get from running without music. It makes it easier to focus on what's going on around me, and it helps me focus on what's going on inside me, too. It's pretty <strong>zen</strong>. I dig it.<br /><br />I think I'm going to look up some podcasts or books on tape for my longer runs, though. I do get bored from time to time! Any recommendations?<br /><br />By the way, LOVE the loop on my tank's shoulder strap to thread my headphones through. LOVE. That's some genius technology.<br /><br />Another thing I love? My new <strong>Garmin Forerunner 305</strong>!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVgG_FZbogGBQ9Rf9J9xUVQEyh_6Vu5cZ7gw3NIUXWEvPWQm6RyQPJ6AkJq76jhQYLVsJOCuVukhJ7-nWfM3-JFhKBkfwD9VD0NGrStVi8_p3qvDZtEKOQ0jIBW-EJbIs5LAoVPK-C9EIm/s1600/IMG_2081.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVgG_FZbogGBQ9Rf9J9xUVQEyh_6Vu5cZ7gw3NIUXWEvPWQm6RyQPJ6AkJq76jhQYLVsJOCuVukhJ7-nWfM3-JFhKBkfwD9VD0NGrStVi8_p3qvDZtEKOQ0jIBW-EJbIs5LAoVPK-C9EIm/s400/IMG_2081.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5464900183978161250" /></a><br /><br />I run so much faster now that I can see my pace spelled out on my wrist. Who knew something so small could help so much? I love knowing exactly how far I've ran, too.<br /><br />Anyway, must get back to paper writing.Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03315485809614264884noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4470447034531556098.post-71742670844030655482010-04-24T07:57:00.001-07:002010-04-26T13:31:22.481-07:00Getting triathalon-readierI'm <strong>getting better at biking</strong>, and it makes me so happy! Granted, I still ride slower than molasses, but I'm upping my distance a bit with each ride, which is cool.<br /><br />Yesterday evening, the darlin' and I set out and rode <strong>15 miles</strong>. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5hMFym9w9sMX-nnP2cBTM3Yb4yyzci8yZxZ-4MS3DbMpLqQYHEoAmogv07wWSKbbk9Qbh5lCYPPnNMpJEOY1kgSNjxmXuC1kiVqaQxQnib2lDCjI5375_BzlLpNbEpvwCMSi7TF-_lSsu/s1600/IMG_2073.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5hMFym9w9sMX-nnP2cBTM3Yb4yyzci8yZxZ-4MS3DbMpLqQYHEoAmogv07wWSKbbk9Qbh5lCYPPnNMpJEOY1kgSNjxmXuC1kiVqaQxQnib2lDCjI5375_BzlLpNbEpvwCMSi7TF-_lSsu/s400/IMG_2073.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5463723450301770354" /></a><br /><br />That's farther than the distance I'll be riding in my <strong>first triathalon in August</strong>! <br /><br />Completing a triathalon was the <strong>first fitness goal </strong>I set for myself. The triathalon I'm doing is on August 14, about a week before my 27th birthday!<br /><br /><a href="http://gamultisports.com/georgia-veterans-sprint-triathlon/"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 183px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyWO03v_NXtkziI30DCnyARjxeAuGpQtafIrPJT4REgjPDBF1Bd0OB_FtzXtkhKOX8H7oB2nICvcaIdmzCcjdeOzp4i-xy2UDHmu0kaulGzY7hIq107lJXfNOJaoIFqIz5SCoV4oMnyUE2/s400/GAVetslogo.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5463719103606192514" /></a><br /><br />It's a short sprint triathalon, with just a 400m swim, a 13.6-mile bike ride, and a 5K run. I'm nervous about it, even though I know I shouldn't be. I'm going to incorporate an <strong>8-week triathalon training program </strong>into my marathon training <strong>starting June 28th</strong>. Until then, I'm just going to continue building up my strength and speed in the different events.<br /><br />You can see my triathalon training plan <a href="http://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=0AjVDIu0dclaDdGt4U253Zy1HR2JzWlZqdFlLNFREYkE&hl=en"><strong>here</strong></a>.<br /><br />I started with a <a href="http://www.halhigdon.com/trifit/trifast.htm">Hal Higdon triathalon training plan </a>and worked it around my marathon training. It's going to be complicated, but I don't think it's going to be impossible. Actually, I think it's going to be amazing!<br /><br />There aren't words for how <strong>proud of myself </strong>I'm am now. I never thought I'd even get this far! I thought it would take me a year to get fit enough just to finish a triathalon, and, here it is, <em>a few months later</em>, and I can already complete all of the events separately! <br /><br />It's an amazing feeling.<br /><br />I'm not just going to complete the triathalon; <strong>I'm going to DOMINATE</strong>.<br /><br />I'll leave you a picture of another favorite veggie shirt. :-)<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv3AyZSHmlVrwYgK_tcrZtFtxBx_0Ydpo4LAZKQkWOjOwDjuhMMspbIWbYMvRm_MkR4wlBVvX94t9QWjH1L6jIroLK7QCabhuXN0YsosxDfUVUhJMuCqFIDwiIRmL2B_0P3Vrwv98qMMCV/s1600/IMG_2068.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv3AyZSHmlVrwYgK_tcrZtFtxBx_0Ydpo4LAZKQkWOjOwDjuhMMspbIWbYMvRm_MkR4wlBVvX94t9QWjH1L6jIroLK7QCabhuXN0YsosxDfUVUhJMuCqFIDwiIRmL2B_0P3Vrwv98qMMCV/s400/IMG_2068.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5463728388098571250" /></a>Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03315485809614264884noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4470447034531556098.post-24912470797305670462010-04-22T13:34:00.000-07:002010-04-23T09:22:36.599-07:00Cross-training for motivation<strong>Cross-training</strong> is good for the body, but, for me, <strong>it's good for the brain</strong>, too. <br /><br />Cross-training helps me motivate myself to finish my workouts because <strong>each sport has something to offer the others</strong>. I struggle with different mental obstacles in each sport, and I find power to overcome those obstacles by focusing on how easy those obstacles are in the other sports. Confused? Let me explain.<br /><br />Take <strong>swimming</strong>, for example.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_dc0AZILHzl6Z6WAd6LCxSg33_ofsXrQeAm-tiRCwqBVa5dBeGOzrZNf1xnZsrmPesazOKGp6KsYP9reWTWzZw6BBxG4tElbGJOdWH0OBttrCUNkQNUXAaIoI9hml47pJ0tNdATJYQmeP/s1600/swimming.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 272px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_dc0AZILHzl6Z6WAd6LCxSg33_ofsXrQeAm-tiRCwqBVa5dBeGOzrZNf1xnZsrmPesazOKGp6KsYP9reWTWzZw6BBxG4tElbGJOdWH0OBttrCUNkQNUXAaIoI9hml47pJ0tNdATJYQmeP/s400/swimming.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5463367842046711186" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.aub.edu.lb/sao/sports/athletics/Athletics_Teams/PublishingImages/Athletics_Teams/swimming.jpg">(Source.)</a><br /><br />With swimming, I struggle with <strong>remaining distance</strong>. I can swim for ages, and <a href="http://veganbooty.blogspot.com/2010/04/zen-of-swimming.html">as I've discussed before</a>, I don't find it boring or tedious, but often when I hit my half-way point I become overwhelmed with the thought of how far I have left to go. Swimming doesn't have the landmarks that running and biking have--it doesn't have hills to crest, turns to make, or sights to pass. Because of this lack of reference points, it's hard for me to comprehend the distance in the same way I can in other sports.<br /><br /><strong>How do I get past it?</strong> I remember my half-way point in my regular runs. I know that when I hit a mile and a half in my tempo run, I'm just cresting the hill at McLendon and Candler Park, and then I have a short hill to run down before turning onto Oakdale. I can visualize it, and I know that after I pass that point, it feels like I'm almost done. It's almost literally all downhill from there! <br /><br />Thinking about how easy the last half of my run is gives the mental ability to finish my swim.<br /><br />Now, let's talk about <strong>running</strong>.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHVNQUvEiIc3YZG_eo_L_y0p32uUA0jKOzs3qGk6U1_g6BGyzrz6WkvATufOWVnwv-CHkf_Ja9TmPF_bmibv5kyp56u4gBmoQASg44p1rTs7sLmPgWmLNlPWgZDLP2iNXchxGFRb_UkSfS/s1600/IMG_2036.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHVNQUvEiIc3YZG_eo_L_y0p32uUA0jKOzs3qGk6U1_g6BGyzrz6WkvATufOWVnwv-CHkf_Ja9TmPF_bmibv5kyp56u4gBmoQASg44p1rTs7sLmPgWmLNlPWgZDLP2iNXchxGFRb_UkSfS/s400/IMG_2036.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5463070655747636898" /></a><br /><br />With running, I struggle with <strong>hills</strong>. I read a lot of running blogs where the authors talk about how flat it is in their area and how they have to make a point to train on hills before they go to races in other areas--not true for me! My neighborhood in Atlanta is hills hills hills. Most of them are okay, but some are definitely daunting! Just looking at them from the bottom stresses me out.<br /><br /><strong>How do I get up them?</strong> I think about going up those hills on my bike. Now, I'm not the best biker, but the hills are definitely easier biking than running! If I put my bike in my easiest gear (smallest cog in the front, largest cog in the back), I can get over the hills without problem. I'm going super-slow, but I'm still going! That's what I think about when I'm running--I think about just <em>going</em>. One foot in front of the other. Left, right, left, right, left, right, and I'm up! I remember that I don't have to go fast to get up the hill; I just have to keep moving.<br /><br />Thinking about how easy it is to crest hills on my bike makes it easier for me to crest them running.<br /><br />Lastly, there's <strong>biking</strong>.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijMVEvNEozHplpaCncR9KCDpGPhyphenhyphennL7z-VI1NcR8bP0IgXNRKFGYNPqWZLZVPptcoCFuig-Qky6zhxLZ5F7YmEQgYmK1KN4sLfFZBBUGYiQl0cHspGwgXRc88GB328vOh8fANtvN6aRqBv/s1600/cycling430x300.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 278px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijMVEvNEozHplpaCncR9KCDpGPhyphenhyphennL7z-VI1NcR8bP0IgXNRKFGYNPqWZLZVPptcoCFuig-Qky6zhxLZ5F7YmEQgYmK1KN4sLfFZBBUGYiQl0cHspGwgXRc88GB328vOh8fANtvN6aRqBv/s400/cycling430x300.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5463368939709288338" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.virginmedia.com/images/cycling430x300.jpg">(Source.)</a><br /><br />My issue with biking is <strong>lack of power</strong>. My hamstrings and booty are pretty darn strong, but my quads leave a lot to be desired! Sometimes mid-ride I start to get stressed out about how weak my legs are and how hard it is to push faster and harder.<br /><br /><strong>How do I push harder?</strong> I remember how powerful I feel when I'm swimming. I wish I could explain in words how powerful swimming makes me feel! I think it's because there's no gear involved--it's just me propelling myself without assistance. Also, I can feel all of my muscles move and push, which is awesome. Remembering how strong I am in the pool reminds me how strong I can be on my bike, too. I may not be as strong as I want to be, but I'm still pretty darn strong!<br /><br />So, thinking about how powerful I am in the pool powers me through my ride.<br /><br /><em>Do other sports help you in your mental training?</em> I'd love to know what keeps you going!Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03315485809614264884noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4470447034531556098.post-91499521681699661452010-04-20T13:21:00.001-07:002010-04-20T14:15:02.689-07:00Race recap, part 2So, <strong>I learned a few things </strong>about me and racing on Sunday. Well, I learned a lot of things, but I'll just tell you about a few of them! Being my first race, I was starting from scratch, but I thankfully got a few things right!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0jLesUE_-NV1Amj7SlT_uhg9BIL6YG5ngVVeKBG-uH0hAx7CiazfIMKPPr4c9Bgm14BJM2DItaeZQPdkJbxPhg5YPGrVttO-FxRxmtpklPCXImN7KTIdfycSlZZ6y11merG4yZRvmfTlF/s1600/IMG_2025.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0jLesUE_-NV1Amj7SlT_uhg9BIL6YG5ngVVeKBG-uH0hAx7CiazfIMKPPr4c9Bgm14BJM2DItaeZQPdkJbxPhg5YPGrVttO-FxRxmtpklPCXImN7KTIdfycSlZZ6y11merG4yZRvmfTlF/s400/IMG_2025.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462318295361842930" /></a><br /><br /><strong>Things I got right</strong>:<br /><br /><ul><li><strong>I dressed in layers</strong>. I didn't know what the temperature would be at start time, but I knew it was going to be right on the cusp of long-sleeve temperature and no-sleeve temperature for me. I wore both and was able to make the decision at start time.</li><li><strong>I got a little caffeine buzz</strong>. I finished my double-dose of green tea about thirty minutes before the race started, and I felt it gave me just the right amount of jolt by start time.</li><li><strong>I got some good sleep the night before</strong>. The night before the race, Jeff and I went out for dinner with some friends, picked up some soy ice kream on the way home, and watched that week's episode of <em>Vampire Diaries </em>off the DVR. I got to sleep by about 10 and woke up at 6. I felt well-rested and ready to go.</li><li><strong>I picked someone who was running slightly faster than I thought I could, and I kept up with him</strong>. I needed something to keep me at the pace at which I found myself (see the third bullet point below), so I picked a dude who was keeping a pace faster than I had ever run before, but a pace that I thought I could handle. It kept me going when I wanted to slow down. There's <em>definitely</em> a competitive urge in my heart!</ul><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBGfg7lDKPg8qJ7gQJok0PSyZZCq3iPo52czRowqqTSK4NuJTtMhxi0qY5WmMREHtKYlw9CHp1_4wewhu1L-p1rLf-rn0VQ9d8OaO1NJPFTLmidAj0pV0-GrFkhsDtyz7DwEODo28veuZz/s1600/IMG_2021.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBGfg7lDKPg8qJ7gQJok0PSyZZCq3iPo52czRowqqTSK4NuJTtMhxi0qY5WmMREHtKYlw9CHp1_4wewhu1L-p1rLf-rn0VQ9d8OaO1NJPFTLmidAj0pV0-GrFkhsDtyz7DwEODo28veuZz/s400/IMG_2021.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462321439971052178" /></a><br /><br /><strong>Things I did not get right</strong>:<br /><br /><ul><li><strong>I ate beforehand, even though I usually don't. Ouch!</strong> I woke up about 2 hours before start time, so I thought maybe I should get something in my belly. I ate some raw oats mixed with peanut butter and raisins, which is one of my favorite breakfasts. Wow, it hurt later! I'm not used to eating before running, and I could definitely feel it. Next time, I'll wake up earlier or try eating something with less protein and fat.</li><li><strong>I didn't drink enough water the day before</strong>. I tried to drink a lot of water on race day, but I don't feel like I was fully hydrated from the day before. I need to drink more water. All the time. Everyday.</li><li><strong>I got all excited and tried to pass everyone in the first mile</strong>. When the gun went off, I realized that I was surrounded by grannies and people with strollers. Ack! I spent the first half-mile dodging the slowpokes and finding an open spot, but, when I found one, I didn't want to stay there! Passing people is addictive, and it was the first time I had really experienced it! I wanted to pass more people. Before I knew it, I was running at a much faster pace than I planned on being at, and it hurt to maintain it. Worst part? I had nothing left to give at the end, so I couldn't kick it into a higher gear for the last half-mile, which I had planned on doing. Bummer.</li></ul><br />Anyway, now I know! My next race isn't until May 22nd, but I'm super-excited about it. It's called the <a href="http://www.warriordash.com/"><strong>Warrior Dash</strong></a>, and it's a <strong>3.22-mile course with 11 obstacles</strong>. <br /><br /><a href="http://www.warriordash.com"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 176px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheQPjWSmgdXNmlghPmd8E2_xq3rqOVzFRRpPkoOxhpb2R8rMKGQKSEaObsCw3ZODTIq4bIXRcdS8O0YxuXArLMqOCP8axeIfu03fzWl_5rZ7i4VwNIv5cErl6yokae9jXRXifpNr6qQ8HA/s400/footer_pic1.gif" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462329030553013250" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.warriordash.com/register2010_southeast.php">Click here</a> to see the course and obstacle map for the Georgia course.<br /><br />It's not a very serious race--<strong>it involves warrior helmets, silly constumes, a moustache contest, and free beer at the end</strong>--but it's going to be awesome! I'm doing it with my little brother Ian, some of his fraternity brothers, a couple friends from law school, and a ton of friends from my old corporate job. <strong>I'M GOING TO BE A WARRIOR</strong>!<br /><br />Alright. Back to work. I'm in the midst of a 30-page research paper on the idiocy of the Supreme Court under Chief Justices Waite's and Fuller's watches.<br /><br />What races do y'all have coming up?Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03315485809614264884noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4470447034531556098.post-91721940615781968702010-04-18T07:03:00.000-07:002010-04-18T08:00:11.873-07:00FIRST race recap EVER!I just finished my <strong>first race</strong>! It was the <strong>Radiant Systems Sprint for Cancer 5K</strong>. I brought along my darlin' Jeff, who's an <em>excellent</em> photographer, and he helped document the event!<br /><br />It started out pretty cold! We got to Atlantic Station in Atlanta at 7:00 AM to check in, and it was about 53 degrees with some wind. I originally planned on running in a long-sleeve shirt!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisqGfsirfzLx8Iw0qYMmk-40h3QaDV86GhFiJVtq7HgyfV7AplgTPieCSmg0x1YtFBmhZ58MJf3BiJn8BAs7ntjbj1cz8rwv4xK5TaNKDK8PFxNGjV3MlwzaEZFsh0qSG9cB2pV2laVApd/s1600/IMG_1984.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisqGfsirfzLx8Iw0qYMmk-40h3QaDV86GhFiJVtq7HgyfV7AplgTPieCSmg0x1YtFBmhZ58MJf3BiJn8BAs7ntjbj1cz8rwv4xK5TaNKDK8PFxNGjV3MlwzaEZFsh0qSG9cB2pV2laVApd/s400/IMG_1984.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5461480108457053794" /></a><br /><br />I had goosebumps on my legs.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNS25SlYCSi67uWZbkpS2l2cX7AGlRRvk_0jENsqfMcwZxcQ70DNAXlXqJvghom8nU5LndhzFn-jXPOKSGuBuKnm09dbzF1X_rpum2Yv_YOCU_HOcD7hkuoUN0OSNPYmU09PSNNDRqLSql/s1600/IMG_1990.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNS25SlYCSi67uWZbkpS2l2cX7AGlRRvk_0jENsqfMcwZxcQ70DNAXlXqJvghom8nU5LndhzFn-jXPOKSGuBuKnm09dbzF1X_rpum2Yv_YOCU_HOcD7hkuoUN0OSNPYmU09PSNNDRqLSql/s400/IMG_1990.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5461489208903136994" /></a><br /><br />We had a long time to wait before the race started. Jeff took some photos of the racers and race area.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglHodPas-iIMi05-EwkygytJPcE5fOdJHDdSSKSWj0t0d_vFaG5N7bQBp00NM-TtvRU05Aq3tBT0BuN-8nPcPqwZvkrr1yRkvnmXxPSh2GDd3BpfD142gRj_qKrNlTaCxYflmpdBrX5znw/s1600/IMG_1998.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglHodPas-iIMi05-EwkygytJPcE5fOdJHDdSSKSWj0t0d_vFaG5N7bQBp00NM-TtvRU05Aq3tBT0BuN-8nPcPqwZvkrr1yRkvnmXxPSh2GDd3BpfD142gRj_qKrNlTaCxYflmpdBrX5znw/s400/IMG_1998.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5461481674313530018" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheYzInetrVdxk4uaigFgsAelwIicktmhqkBgPlHehkkwh8vRgaQW_bvww6ba0Z1YxE7NyFMUTrh6E6zfPiSDNDYEfe23UjFmer01Z9MPoMG78THgLVuni-OqsEgLi0iLnZNvqbqgsU_Oqy/s1600/IMG_1999.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheYzInetrVdxk4uaigFgsAelwIicktmhqkBgPlHehkkwh8vRgaQW_bvww6ba0Z1YxE7NyFMUTrh6E6zfPiSDNDYEfe23UjFmer01Z9MPoMG78THgLVuni-OqsEgLi0iLnZNvqbqgsU_Oqy/s400/IMG_1999.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5461481901641657938" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0WVrFdqJeS6lfZghKw4mjMulmM7bDOBFGGaO4PRtaUp5KGSIOAHVJbtO79oEgHxn6JAQ83swVpW-vV1LDz3ajGg-8frUbEu4nAVY5SZZ4rIcfnlq6cwOWGSGzo7IElYbNQ6dkIYi_5nr-/s1600/IMG_2014.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0WVrFdqJeS6lfZghKw4mjMulmM7bDOBFGGaO4PRtaUp5KGSIOAHVJbtO79oEgHxn6JAQ83swVpW-vV1LDz3ajGg-8frUbEu4nAVY5SZZ4rIcfnlq6cwOWGSGzo7IElYbNQ6dkIYi_5nr-/s400/IMG_2014.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5461482386846725186" /></a><br /><br />I spent the time trying to <strong>focus</strong>.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVTxJHWFEVXf0TfUxQCG04P95ljujflS-2E7uJzQgduHuaicxCJDY-7_RHGgINtLTLPpTTHAvayy2Gh9wwJkJgQtwSFTuNK5mhAoL_CmR8BWLlbAFPFVHVeWvaENtJpYWvGIl3esIjnfwB/s1600/IMG_2009.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVTxJHWFEVXf0TfUxQCG04P95ljujflS-2E7uJzQgduHuaicxCJDY-7_RHGgINtLTLPpTTHAvayy2Gh9wwJkJgQtwSFTuNK5mhAoL_CmR8BWLlbAFPFVHVeWvaENtJpYWvGIl3esIjnfwB/s400/IMG_2009.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5461482876307784498" /></a><br /><br />Luckily it warmed up enough by my race time for me to shed the long-sleeve shirt and run in a tank. Not only was it more comfortable for me, but Jeff loves taking pictures of my fish tattoo. :-)<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLunIfBrAOwxqHxqtrErKRPm0CfAKOYm22AgZSnYDlUwiPx6L8J9XqWMA63zjjYFB0WGnlTbgQjHJ7ruhyphenhyphen_ltb2T_sz8_KqvmfKcDS8tB7l6CDJTyvzVeWYIr8EIJNopKhs0j03MWnDaIc/s1600/IMG_2027.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLunIfBrAOwxqHxqtrErKRPm0CfAKOYm22AgZSnYDlUwiPx6L8J9XqWMA63zjjYFB0WGnlTbgQjHJ7ruhyphenhyphen_ltb2T_sz8_KqvmfKcDS8tB7l6CDJTyvzVeWYIr8EIJNopKhs0j03MWnDaIc/s400/IMG_2027.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5461483463738683906" /></a><br /><br />We're off!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA406wrW2ayBAHEmI7RPSxc2IKwHDqcum_XB1zaloOHE6J4M-EUgx53XT2MjVEAljteT8id5-xASw9s2_TVDGfCT9czM4nfJpYtYTD_40fFc71n78yk4yVDSrDH9vLOz6U9Vb4j6qk1dlg/s1600/IMG_2037.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA406wrW2ayBAHEmI7RPSxc2IKwHDqcum_XB1zaloOHE6J4M-EUgx53XT2MjVEAljteT8id5-xASw9s2_TVDGfCT9czM4nfJpYtYTD_40fFc71n78yk4yVDSrDH9vLOz6U9Vb4j6qk1dlg/s400/IMG_2037.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5461484135813155362" /></a><br /><br />The race went through a neighborhood in Atlanta called Atlantic Station. It has some nice shiny buildings and just a couple mild hills.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFYcWzyVr5t1rjBff7XbHWdG6V1vU3mcM1NeDsbrgCS91KxY644ls75UlgYQQEwlz1Fap89KC2h1c56I-txve8Q2RgLpnJYGGjTlrpD-JEBE0zQMsnAyIMKjFUfZm9trOES4RsOgUuT-Ej/s1600/IMG_2045.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFYcWzyVr5t1rjBff7XbHWdG6V1vU3mcM1NeDsbrgCS91KxY644ls75UlgYQQEwlz1Fap89KC2h1c56I-txve8Q2RgLpnJYGGjTlrpD-JEBE0zQMsnAyIMKjFUfZm9trOES4RsOgUuT-Ej/s400/IMG_2045.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5461492064579811266" /></a><br /><br />Check me out, yo! <strong>I'm a runner</strong>!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZxF2QATvnXrDyiF0k46SsTB9uEuCqXxIsQ-TGzlV6hy2AJKKTExToARE7pB0mSPyeaOUNIjb9_ChJejr-NFkV4ts64VhWOuD6YVLysACdEXpYQ3W4Ro4dRCgUnraDBIprPy8Eg13WL32c/s1600/IMG_2042.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZxF2QATvnXrDyiF0k46SsTB9uEuCqXxIsQ-TGzlV6hy2AJKKTExToARE7pB0mSPyeaOUNIjb9_ChJejr-NFkV4ts64VhWOuD6YVLysACdEXpYQ3W4Ro4dRCgUnraDBIprPy8Eg13WL32c/s400/IMG_2042.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5461484566356990290" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy7856-c_46j0EMUkmeAi82qv4k0yrxwqrGnkDMZbX0QyNcGEPL29GG3PxolTTfr278ORfvbktg38nuHAOPEhdIozNhVqu75swJCq1fkpuPaBirbVosQ7LYVcElNUxQWiCNS0ZTsTRvHLm/s1600/IMG_2043+edit.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy7856-c_46j0EMUkmeAi82qv4k0yrxwqrGnkDMZbX0QyNcGEPL29GG3PxolTTfr278ORfvbktg38nuHAOPEhdIozNhVqu75swJCq1fkpuPaBirbVosQ7LYVcElNUxQWiCNS0ZTsTRvHLm/s400/IMG_2043+edit.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5461484665216940082" /></a><br /><br />I finished in <strong>29:11</strong>. Now, y'all probably think that's slower than molasses, but that's soooooo much faster than I usually run! I was hella proud of myself!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgglNwJBKJ7x7MZQooVUSNKu-3HQZG8H3kl-k0ZmZJXsxSKMeikMl0gUZOzuOT7PFnHTGPfIDC2CXM9DL-ULTb3LoxqrfAjdK-iNmyS8mWswlOEgK4RlWQC-sA90o56Ux5kiFm8B7nUNHqg/s1600/IMG_2047.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgglNwJBKJ7x7MZQooVUSNKu-3HQZG8H3kl-k0ZmZJXsxSKMeikMl0gUZOzuOT7PFnHTGPfIDC2CXM9DL-ULTb3LoxqrfAjdK-iNmyS8mWswlOEgK4RlWQC-sA90o56Ux5kiFm8B7nUNHqg/s400/IMG_2047.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5461485577069688082" /></a><br /><br />I got this rockin' shirt, too. Not much to look at, but it has <strong>my mom's name </strong>on the back of it in the "In Honor Of" section. <strong>She's my everything</strong>.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFSo-JTQAXlN30PW5Zk8ckgXsmCG_cIkEJqV1VghfR5E4BfSnWMHM4d9l3ezHNwD7YT2K7FZ2TpwUPV1x7VEoOUVRL83F7ecGffBeocZdNX4KsFSggo4Fdz_aftxB7RY2eldJ8GUXv9VuQ/s1600/IMG_2051.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFSo-JTQAXlN30PW5Zk8ckgXsmCG_cIkEJqV1VghfR5E4BfSnWMHM4d9l3ezHNwD7YT2K7FZ2TpwUPV1x7VEoOUVRL83F7ecGffBeocZdNX4KsFSggo4Fdz_aftxB7RY2eldJ8GUXv9VuQ/s400/IMG_2051.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5461486177319345474" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5B2daitetf6bvnkyk5RfMohu9nUheKmBTAS692fiTgsfcx5jx7CA0dvO4pOZQVi19AQac6wzmivyxN9HGDXxzWNgnwCJol8xJ4rOvwDJzID5alPIXW5BVdmtSKsLxb6eg3yGjVbQh99Jk/s1600/IMG_2055.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5B2daitetf6bvnkyk5RfMohu9nUheKmBTAS692fiTgsfcx5jx7CA0dvO4pOZQVi19AQac6wzmivyxN9HGDXxzWNgnwCJol8xJ4rOvwDJzID5alPIXW5BVdmtSKsLxb6eg3yGjVbQh99Jk/s400/IMG_2055.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5461486321643970130" /></a><br /><br />Her name is in the second column, fourth down. Kim Makins.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF1Rv-Bp_cf9wfox0dhwO_Bus48b3sRHgGpTLzCnteiSVPnqjMTQWGvZaZD-dmT6PrnzjwFPLrPVuq7tyiLGSDQnpfo5vHbPbscLpFjrgQ100BLWySMyLyD0cEs2h-XsEPRQii5ywMZvjx/s1600/IMG_2053.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF1Rv-Bp_cf9wfox0dhwO_Bus48b3sRHgGpTLzCnteiSVPnqjMTQWGvZaZD-dmT6PrnzjwFPLrPVuq7tyiLGSDQnpfo5vHbPbscLpFjrgQ100BLWySMyLyD0cEs2h-XsEPRQii5ywMZvjx/s400/IMG_2053.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5461486478403004050" /></a><br /><br /><strong>Things I learned </strong>from this race that I will elaborate on later:<br /><br /><ul><li>Don't eat before running if you're not used to it! Ouch!</li><li>Drink a ton of water <em>the day before </em>as well as the day of.</li><li>Don't get all crazy and try to pass everyone in the first mile!</li><li>Pick someone to keep up with who's just a little faster than you.</li></ul><br />Okay, that's all for now, folks. I need to eat some lunch and take a nap!<br /><br />One last thing before I go. This post would not be complete without a picture of my darlin' photographer. :-)<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPIuQgawzUNZUwb0uollngxxl4x9nZXDv38-OTWSGpdi3XThIibjV8FOsOMBq6Dw7gPsbLJsg5EzdeEweTefMrnAWUwsmMFozwFqvjccLxQrk3BX7joLxQErujqli4o889EdfZGd_19Oqg/s1600/IMG_2033.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPIuQgawzUNZUwb0uollngxxl4x9nZXDv38-OTWSGpdi3XThIibjV8FOsOMBq6Dw7gPsbLJsg5EzdeEweTefMrnAWUwsmMFozwFqvjccLxQrk3BX7joLxQErujqli4o889EdfZGd_19Oqg/s400/IMG_2033.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5461490904797370642" /></a>Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03315485809614264884noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4470447034531556098.post-8393592256925274312010-04-15T06:01:00.000-07:002010-04-20T14:19:03.659-07:00The Zen of SwimmingI had a nice <strong>1-mile swim</strong> yesterday (1600m) at my school's pool. I'll admit it--sometimes I'm afraid of the school's pool. There are often students in it who don't know how to swim or don't understand the concept of lanes. Eek! But, if I get there early enough, the pool is incredibly peaceful.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx7Xradlpbmxi4IVyOJAPKlUvIH2PGu1oljUKyfPb0hsI0q4RFAhTKCBvYt2I6pTWeVR18WgwYxNAwlY20EP38o37qWUKNJ2ZBy3EQAXlwHRsrCZypMPSA9NZ5YpngHKQE0hUHyvt3CJOl/s1600/IMG_2045.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx7Xradlpbmxi4IVyOJAPKlUvIH2PGu1oljUKyfPb0hsI0q4RFAhTKCBvYt2I6pTWeVR18WgwYxNAwlY20EP38o37qWUKNJ2ZBy3EQAXlwHRsrCZypMPSA9NZ5YpngHKQE0hUHyvt3CJOl/s400/IMG_2045.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5460349524434777602" /></a><br /><br />One of my roommates used to come with me to swim, but she stopped a few months ago, citing too much schoolwork as the reason. She recently confessed to me that the real reason is <strong>she finds swimming boring</strong>!<br /><br />I couldn't believe it! I was relaying this information to a colleague in my Arts & Entertainment Law class last night, and she confessed that she too finds swimming boring! <br /><br />She said the back-and-forth-and-back-and-forth of it is mind-numbing, and you can't hear anything except your own breathing and the splash of the water. <br /><br />Funnily enough, those are the things I love the most. <strong>I love the zen of swimming</strong>.<br /><br />If you too find swimming boring, here are my <strong>tips to make swimming an enjoyable, relaxing activity</strong>:<br /><br /><ul><li><strong>Have Goals</strong>. Some might argue that having goals takes away the relaxing aspect of swimming, but it enhances it for me. Doing anything aimlessly stresses me out more than it relaxes me. I'm not suggesting you should have strict distance and time goals that you refuse to budge from, but I am suggesting that you decide the distance you're going to swim beforehand and have an idea of the time in which you'd like to finish it. Swim with a purpose.</li><li><strong>Alternate between Focii</strong>. I find the times that I'm most bored (or ready to quit) are when I've been counting strokes in my head for the last 20 minutes and am starting to notice that my strokes are sagging and getting fatigued. When I switch then to focusing on my kicking or on my core, I gain a little power back. Sometimes I'm not actually as fatigued as I think I am; I'm just focusing on each minute detail so much that I'm worrying about everything.</li><li><strong>Breathe with a Rhythm</strong>. If you're a seasoned swimmer, you probably already do this. I, personally, inhale on every third stroke and exhale in short bursts on the other two strokes; it keeps a rhythm for me. It not only keeps a rhythm for my breath but also for my heart, my strokes, my legs, and my mind. I find I have a much more peaceful experience when my body hits a rhythm because it starts swimming on autopilot and I can allow my mind to wander a bit.</li><li><strong>Feel Powerful</strong>. Swimming really gives you a chance to feel all of your muscles working at the same time--think about that instead of making your grocery list or worrying about work. I find that I finish swims feeling much more rejuvenated when I spent the swim thinking about swimming instead of thinking about work and other stressors. Don't just think about your form, either; think about how powerful you are! Give yourself a pep talk and remind yourself that you're strong and capable.</li></ul><br /><em>What do you do to fight off boredom in the pool?</em> I'd love to hear your ideas!<br /><br />Well, I'm just about done with my morning <strong>green tea</strong>, so I think it's <strong>time for a run</strong>! Check out my awesome coffee cup this morning:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvKP29cUlA6rFJqeehfVXdXxxVUAhisp92hkVYmmLoQELqkhDcOJ52N5E9gvX2ckEJWirQYwkIB7cc8VN5SG4gTVmFbToJV__3d9iuGHaWA52owhg9bsoJHNtNyyXwE0QCyv4K6uFfQT73/s1600/IMG_2046.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvKP29cUlA6rFJqeehfVXdXxxVUAhisp92hkVYmmLoQELqkhDcOJ52N5E9gvX2ckEJWirQYwkIB7cc8VN5SG4gTVmFbToJV__3d9iuGHaWA52owhg9bsoJHNtNyyXwE0QCyv4K6uFfQT73/s400/IMG_2046.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5460360238606320882" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2TGxnnomq0PcfMi_17SV2h7fnupbepyjzYDtRMYeH3141noYnLsx0FJaoKClNzWdPpO3VReNp9bj02Y_N0BQOcHqc_N2Q-yOXpsSz1-pa95gFaa1GLbKQylpZcQiVryBhP4MORP8WlX78/s1600/IMG_2047.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2TGxnnomq0PcfMi_17SV2h7fnupbepyjzYDtRMYeH3141noYnLsx0FJaoKClNzWdPpO3VReNp9bj02Y_N0BQOcHqc_N2Q-yOXpsSz1-pa95gFaa1GLbKQylpZcQiVryBhP4MORP8WlX78/s400/IMG_2047.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5460360420226229698" /></a><br /><br />This is my last run before my race on Sunday. I'm running in the <a href="http://www.sprintforcancer.com/atlanta/index.htm"><strong>Radiant Systems Sprint for Cancer 5K</strong></a> in honor of my mom. <strong>It's my first race</strong>! I'm so excited! I'm not quite up to racing pace yet, but I hope the adrenaline on race day will give me an extra push.<br /><br />Hope you all have an awesome Thursday!Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03315485809614264884noreply@blogger.com2