I'm cold, but I'm training.
Here is some good advise for these lovely Winter months: http://tinyurl.com/4sqj7q2
Today is just a yoga and stretching day. I need it. I am tired and a little sore from my week's efforts. Have a run on Saturday to get done and it is going to be bitter out. I am tough! I can do it!
Friday, January 21, 2011
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Happy New Year!
I welcome 2011. I embrace the new year with an open mind and an open heart. May we all reach the goals we have set for ourselves this year, but also enjoy life and the process to get to those goals.
Peace
Peace
Monday, December 20, 2010
Merry Christmas, Joyeux Noel, Frohe Weinachten, Feliz Navidad
A multi-lingual wish from my mutt of a family to yours. My parents are coming into town this week and today is my last day of work for the week. If you celebrate Christmas of any variety - I wish you and yours well. Enjoy your families.
Peace
Peace
Monday, December 13, 2010
Team Fight and My Race Plans through May 2011
I've been doing some organizing and planning on my end for what I will accomplish in 2011. I have a schedule of races planned through May right now. Also, I have joined Team Fight which is a part of the Ulman Cancer Fund for Young Adults. I met several people from Team Fight last October when I did the relay for the Half Full Triathlon. One of my relay mates was a member of Team Fight and another friend of mine, they all spoke so highly of the organization and team spirit that I decided I wanted to join up for 2011. I like being a part of something bigger than me and giving back to help others. I will be doing some fundraising as a part of Team Fight. My goal is $1200! You can help me reach that goal, by donating ANY amount.
First up on my schedule is the Livestrong Austin Half Marathon in Austin, Texas. I wanted to get a half marathon in early in the year, despite the chances of crappy weather in my area that could hinder training. I knew that if I actually paid and put an event on the calendar I would actually get my butt out the door or on the treadmill. Of course having my coach to answer too also helps (he & I start up again in January). I will be meeting up with several twitter running friends and a friend from high school in Austin - multiple good reasons to go!
Next on my schedule is the Cherry Blossom 10 miler on April 3! This will be my first year doing the Cherry Blossom. It is a Washington DC classic! Entry is done by lottery and I found out last night that I got in! Yippee!!
My first triathlon of 2011 and for now I am calling it my "A" race is the Columbia Triathlon. It is Olympic Distance. This will be my first year for this race. It is a lake swim, and a lots of hills bike and a pretty nice run course. I am looking forward to this race. This is an official Team Fight event as well, which makes the event even better!
After May I am not sure yet what I will do. I've got some cycling events that I want to do and I am pretty sure I will throw in another triathlon or two and some more running events - nothing more than half marathon distance though in 2011 - unless another lottery bid I have in the ring comes through. Highly doubtful, but you never know.
First up on my schedule is the Livestrong Austin Half Marathon in Austin, Texas. I wanted to get a half marathon in early in the year, despite the chances of crappy weather in my area that could hinder training. I knew that if I actually paid and put an event on the calendar I would actually get my butt out the door or on the treadmill. Of course having my coach to answer too also helps (he & I start up again in January). I will be meeting up with several twitter running friends and a friend from high school in Austin - multiple good reasons to go!
Next on my schedule is the Cherry Blossom 10 miler on April 3! This will be my first year doing the Cherry Blossom. It is a Washington DC classic! Entry is done by lottery and I found out last night that I got in! Yippee!!
My first triathlon of 2011 and for now I am calling it my "A" race is the Columbia Triathlon. It is Olympic Distance. This will be my first year for this race. It is a lake swim, and a lots of hills bike and a pretty nice run course. I am looking forward to this race. This is an official Team Fight event as well, which makes the event even better!
After May I am not sure yet what I will do. I've got some cycling events that I want to do and I am pretty sure I will throw in another triathlon or two and some more running events - nothing more than half marathon distance though in 2011 - unless another lottery bid I have in the ring comes through. Highly doubtful, but you never know.
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Twiddling my thumbs.....
Not much happening over here. Thanksgiving was nice. Good to see family and spend time with them. I tired not to overeat. I am not sure I was successful. Damn that pumpkin pie!
I ran the Turkey Chase on Thanksgiving morning. I just did it as a fun run. Not worrying about pace or time. I didn't even wear my garmin. I still ended up with a new course PR by 5 minutes. 1:08:42. I will take it for just getting out for a morning jog and for the fact that I have not run but twice since MCM prior to Thursday. It is nice to see that my running has improved over the last year.
I can't believe that tomorrow it will be December 1. Where did November go? 2010 has been a year of ups and downs for me. Parts of it I will gladly let fade into the past. And since I am a live in the present and look forward kind of girl, I am looking forward to what I will accomplish in 2011.
Still trying to figure out what kind of races are going to be a part of my 2011. So many choices! I also have to temper my choices with a vacation I am planning for my daughter and I in the Summer. And there is the nagging worry over job issues....bleh....currently fully billable and busy, but in the contracting world, in a shaky economy, one does tend to worry just a tad... I find it hard to make long range plans with financial implications when that is niggling in my brain. Also, I have to plan a move for next September that will need to be in place prior to school starting at the end of August, so that my lovely daughter can start high school where we will be moving. At this point this is just a local move, but this will take planning on my part and has implications on training and racing schedules. Hopefully, I can get some good key races onto the schedule that are just not local events, as I like to get out of town too! I do think that 70.3 is going to have to wait until 2012.
I ran the Turkey Chase on Thanksgiving morning. I just did it as a fun run. Not worrying about pace or time. I didn't even wear my garmin. I still ended up with a new course PR by 5 minutes. 1:08:42. I will take it for just getting out for a morning jog and for the fact that I have not run but twice since MCM prior to Thursday. It is nice to see that my running has improved over the last year.
I can't believe that tomorrow it will be December 1. Where did November go? 2010 has been a year of ups and downs for me. Parts of it I will gladly let fade into the past. And since I am a live in the present and look forward kind of girl, I am looking forward to what I will accomplish in 2011.
Still trying to figure out what kind of races are going to be a part of my 2011. So many choices! I also have to temper my choices with a vacation I am planning for my daughter and I in the Summer. And there is the nagging worry over job issues....bleh....currently fully billable and busy, but in the contracting world, in a shaky economy, one does tend to worry just a tad... I find it hard to make long range plans with financial implications when that is niggling in my brain. Also, I have to plan a move for next September that will need to be in place prior to school starting at the end of August, so that my lovely daughter can start high school where we will be moving. At this point this is just a local move, but this will take planning on my part and has implications on training and racing schedules. Hopefully, I can get some good key races onto the schedule that are just not local events, as I like to get out of town too! I do think that 70.3 is going to have to wait until 2012.
Monday, November 15, 2010
Swimming! Cycling!
I went to my masters swim practice yesterday morning. I haven't been in the pool in a while and the last time I swam was my last tri September 26. I had intentions of swimming, but it just didn't happen. IT FELT GREAT! I didn't last the full 2 hours, but 2650 meters after not being the water for while is fine by me. My arms were feeling a bit noodle-like when I decided to stop. Since I am in my "active rest" period, no need to kill myself. ;-p
In other activities, I managed 30 minutes on the bike trainer. I was watching TV and listening to music. BORING. I'd rather do the compu-trainer at the bike shop or be outside, but when those can't happen... I hadn't been on my bike since Sept 26th either. YIKES. My sitbones were a tad bit sore on Sunday. LOL. I've missed riding. I wish I could've gotten outside, but I was needing to be close to home on Saturday, thus the trainer. I hope we continue to have some dry weekends coming up so I can get out there!
I am also entertaining myself by getting back to the 100 pushup challenge, the 200 squat challenge and 200 situp(crunches really). I had started the pushups and squats back in the summer, but never finished. So I am back at it again, adding in the situps. In February, I will be gathering with a group of women triathletes and cyclists as we see if we can complete the challenge(s). We'll even have prizes. We have over 100 women that have signed up.
Keep on Moving!
In other activities, I managed 30 minutes on the bike trainer. I was watching TV and listening to music. BORING. I'd rather do the compu-trainer at the bike shop or be outside, but when those can't happen... I hadn't been on my bike since Sept 26th either. YIKES. My sitbones were a tad bit sore on Sunday. LOL. I've missed riding. I wish I could've gotten outside, but I was needing to be close to home on Saturday, thus the trainer. I hope we continue to have some dry weekends coming up so I can get out there!
I am also entertaining myself by getting back to the 100 pushup challenge, the 200 squat challenge and 200 situp(crunches really). I had started the pushups and squats back in the summer, but never finished. So I am back at it again, adding in the situps. In February, I will be gathering with a group of women triathletes and cyclists as we see if we can complete the challenge(s). We'll even have prizes. We have over 100 women that have signed up.
Keep on Moving!
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Lost Runner Found
I have in the past said I don't like running. I don't know why. Sometime it hurts, I guess, but then sometimes cycling hurts and swimming hurts, but I am not quick to blurt out I hate cycling or I hate swimming as I have with running. I think I had just lost the runner in me for a while. Over the summer months of training for the Marine Corps Marathon, I think I found the runner again. I told my coach once, you're building a runner out of me. Perhaps that was a little wrong, perhaps we were just renovating or doing a little rehab? Okay it is a massive rebuild... ;-p
As I trained, I found that I was running beyond 10 miles, feeling good and enjoying it. Stellar! Of course, there were those runs that were just crap; where I stopped before hitting the planned miles for the day or just really slogged through them at a slower than my normal slow pace. We all have those days, but overall I think I found the lost runner in me. See she was here all the time:
I found this picture while digging in a tote full of knitting needles this past weekend. Why ancient photos of my past were in this tote, I don't know, but there she was that runner! WoW! I've been looking for her. I look like I am hauling ass across that field. LOL. This was taken when I was in the 7th or 8th grade. Dig my striped tube socks to the knees. I ran cross-county and track 7th grade through 10th grade while living in rural Illinois. This girl used to talk about wanting to do a marathon. This girl used to run sub-7 minute miles on the 2 and 3 mile cross-country courses. When I saw the photo and thought back to that time, remembering that girl's dreams I said out loud to the photo - "We did it!" In regards to completing the Marine Corps Marathon. I am still pretty stoked about that accomplishment. There has been a long, winding, and sometimes difficult road between the me in the photo and me now, but the runner has been found.
Now, if I could just channel the speed from my youth I would be set!
Happy Swimming, Cycling and/or Running to all of you!
Happy Swimming, Cycling and/or Running to all of you!Still trying to figure out my 2011 triathlon and running plan. I want it all! Half-iron, another marathon, and lots of fun!
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