I'mmmmm baaaackkk!

Well hello there! Thought I was still on summer vacation? I definitely took an extended break from blogging. Mostly due to being busy, or lazy, depending on your definition...
As I look back to summer I cannot begin to think of one great moment. I had to look back at all my pictures from the summer and realized there were tons of great moments! Fishing, friends, family, fishing, not a lot of training, and summer school... Yeah, taught summer school for another year. I keep doing that! Kind of like coaching. I think I am going to take a break but then the time comes and I realize I don't want to take a break... I really need to break that cycle! A break would be so nice! I would not know what to do with myself that is for sure!
Anyway, XC running just ended, it is getting cold out, and that means it is time to focus on getting fit. By the way, 35 sucks! I swear I have been gaining 5lbs yearly my whole life! I know that isn't true, but the whole metabolism thing is really true! Took me long enough to figure out- and WHAM! Soooo, bad news, have to cut back on the pizza, processed cheese, fries, etc... what a bummer! I am a junk food junkie! I looooove to eat out! I can see the connection to the fat and my level of hapiness!!! There are about 10 weeks till Christmas vacation so I think my goal now needs to be losing some lbs!!! I am on week 2 of the a.m. gym time, let's see if I can be consistent and keep running- a goal I really really really need to obtain! Just think, if I could lose the lbs. and keep running, maybe I could drop some time next season :) we will see! I have been having this same conversation in my head since 30!

enjoying the sun...

well, about 3 weeks out of school and we have been enjoying the sun! I think we have been home about 3 days total! Not a ton of training going on but I guess that is ok... We all need a break, right? Summer school starts this week so I think that will help me get on a routine again.

Let's see, so far lot's of beer, fishing, sun, and family. Can't wait to see what the next few months have to hold!! Happy summer vacation :)

One down!

Well, first triathlon down and a few more to go before the next snow fall.... Gold nugget was Sunday and I live to tell another tale!
Let's see, all the anxiety began at Regions Track & Field the Friday and Saturday- weekend of the triathlon. I sure love watching those kids run! Man are they fast!! I am so proud of them, lots going to state... Our distance team is really solid which means I am so looking forward to our xc running team in the fall.
After Regions a friend informed me of the craziness behind the new GNT course and suggested i learn to remove my feet from my shoes before dismounting the bike. I knew right then things were going to get interesting. I don't pride myself on quick decision making and was a bit worried of the outcome which may occur trying to pull feet from shoes and moving on a bike at the same time :) I spent two hours Saturday evening practicing this new technique and felt pretty good about it. Got the run down on the rest of the "relay" transitions and was good to go for the next day!
Sunday a.m. - oh wait- did i mention- DO NOT EAT Uncle Joe's Lasagna the night before a triathlon! Man o man, my tummy was killing me! So, Sunday a.m. no breakfast :) full from dinner.... Got to Chugiak, snuck over to the elementary and across the field to CHS - set up my bike and trainer next to the track- and port a potty :) Beautiful Sunrise! Peaceful warm up! Got to the pool before the race, chatted with a couple friends, watched the first wave start, and we were off!
The swim was interesting, i started my watch before the race began and somehow my final GNT time was still slower??? Oh well- 6 seconds- no big deal. Anyway, ran across the deck- every lifeguards dream! Jumped in feet first, head submerged and got a "push" from the bottom of the pool. Nice and relaxed- now i see a bit too relaxed- finished the dip (a whopping 300yd) and headed for the door. My favorite song was playing"1-2-3-4-uno-doce-tres" that is a great sign right! Got my bike shoes on, the sperm helmet on, and took off! WOw I love my bike! Great corners and missed the crevices! I lived through it and was excited to pass a few FAST runners that i knew would be passing me up later. Had to put some distance on them so I was out of there! I was trying for 12 min out and got pretty close. The trouble came when the feet had to come out of the shoes! Long story short- got one out- the far one was stuck and had to dismount sooooo a few F-bombs later and apologies to the officials, popped my shoe off the clip, took it off and began the 400m run with bike and shoe in hand. FYI- running barefoot on asphalt in a swim suit is NOT glamorous!!!!! I cried owe owe owe all the way down the stretch! Put all that crap away and got my running shoes on.
Did i say running? I mean jogging :) haha! Lead for legs! I don't know if it was the standing around at regions in the sun or what but i do not believe i had any flexion in my legs at all!! I was a speed walker! Then, I almost got taken out by Lori and Shannon!!! The race was on for those two = they were returning with about 200m to go! Got focused, got passed, kept going, finished...
Overall, great day. I have to thank Sara for helping me keep a positive attitude for this race. I have been having troubles with that the past two years. I realized the anxiety I was putting to beat other people was just negative energy. And learning from Regions Track this year- negative energy gets you NOWHERE! So- I smiled all day- well except for the bike thing.
If i had one wish- i wish i would have realized how close i was to an hour- i think i would have pushed for 59.
What did i learn? Even the transitions are part of the race and having a perfect race means to be perfect in all aspects of the triathlon....

a beautiful day

well, it is beautiful and the snow is gone! I have been waiting until it is safe to write that! My face is tan- minus the sunglass tan line, and my hands are tan as well! Is that an Alaskan tan vs. a farmer's tan?
Took my bike for a beautiful ride from Indian to Girdwood yesterday. That was the first time I have ridden that trail! It was a blast and BEAUTIFUL! Oh, i said that already... Anyway, had fun cruising and wore my TT helmet to test it out before the race next weekend. I got some pretty strange looks- especially from the little kids out there! A nice head wind on the way back and some riding in the water made it interesting. It was so nice not to worry about cars! I will say though there was some drama with a lady and kid stopping in the middle and wiping out a friend. I felt pretty bad about that. I know I still mess up and ski the wrong direction, etc. but I look at biking as driving- would you stop in the middle of the road??? Oh well! Live and learn. I am just waiting for one of those dogs off the leash to run right in front of me at 20+mph...
Enough negative! GNT is this weekend and I think I mentioned it is a bit crazy of a course this year... I have mixed emotions about the whole thing. Putting pressure on myself to do well and then the other part of me that backs off and says "just go with the flow". The swim is a snake swim- hopefully that goes smoothly, but its only a 300 which means it really comes down to the bike and run. I am hoping my practices on the new bike have prepared me- shifting is a bit different but I feel like I have the hang of it! I just need to move my A$$ on the run! I keep thinking of it as a tune up race but the remember the ER tri date was moved so I am not sure what I will be tuning up for! At the end of the day - my hopes are that it is sunny, that I move quickly through transitions, and I am happy with my efforts! Wish me luck :) Ciao for now!

Bad news :(

well, the bad news is in. The Eagle River Triathlon has been moved to August 23rd! I am so bummed! It is by far my favorite event and I always feel like the Gold Nugget tri helps me get things in gear for ER!!! I guess I need to re-evaluate and strategize a new plan for the season...
I guess my first concern is whether or not I can actually make myself train until the end of August! We will see...
Training has been going pretty good. Had a few days off from intervals on the track so I am worried about not working hard enough. Other than that, trying to remember to push myself at my workouts instead of just getting through them.
Not much else exciting here. Hoping that Mt.Redoubt doesn't keep this mess up all summer or it will put a kibosh on visiting family, fishing, and training! That sounds like a recipe for a trip out of state! But then again, you might not get back :)
Happy Sunny month of April! I can't wait to get my bike on the road- MELT!!!!!

Did I jinx Lance?

wow- I guess it's been a while! Spring is flying by and another track season is upon us... Now we just need the snow to melt and Mt.Redoubt to keep from dumping ash on us!

Training is going well. Just wiped out in the a.m. so sometimes I try to skip swimming.... The bike is going well- but I definitely need a new seat!!! OUCH! Sitting on the tri bike is totally different than my old bike.

I am enjoying the challenging track workouts as well and feel like my form has improved immensely! I cannot believe I ran a whole marathon with my old lean back style of running! Now I can finally feel that it is almost uncomfortable to run at the cruise control speed I used to. I sure hope I am getting faster! Now I just have to get those other run days in...

I am a little bummed at the changes with the triathlon season this year. The GNT course was moved to the ER course which is fine but the swim is a 300 :( and it sounds like they are making it some kind of snake swim? Last night I got an email stating that the ER tri date was cancelled because the pool will be closed! Um, I'm sorry but aren't these triathlons making money for the pools? And weren't they just talking about closing pools just last year? Seriously, how many years have they been doing these races at these facilities??? Did someone truly forget that there was going to be a triathlon at some point in the year?

So what if Redoubt blows? I guess this year will have to be chalked up to a training one!!!

On the bright side of it all- at least I am training. On top of that, maybe I will actually train all the way to State :) Oh, a plus--- there is going to be a triathlon in my hometown this year!!! YEAH!!!!!

count down to spring break!

Not that I am going anywhere but I cannot wait for a week to have a flexible schedule!

Last week ended on a great note~ I completed the rest of my goal training for the week so now it just needs to become routine. So far in the last two days I have been going along as planned. Every time I want to sleep in I keep reminding myself to just get it done. Next think I know I am finished with the workout and ready to begin my day!

Now I just have to remember all of this throughout the year! I hate that when summer starts my training goes on the back burner. This should be routine, not forced! I just do so much of my training solo that there really isn't anyone to hold me accountable those three months of summer vacation. I have gotten a bit better over the last couple of years but I am still not working as long as I would like! My goal is that there be a smooth transition from off season training to base training- I don't want to be a total mess when I start up each fall!!

Well, it is time to get my day going! Keep on moving :)

tired, tired, tired.....

Well, I am slow to write! Apparently my blog is a work in progress as well! :)

All is good here, just so very tired. I started getting things into gear for triathlon in the last 3 weeks and am finally getting a routine again. But as soon as I wake up in the morning - I hear that voice "I'm so tired"... This is the first week I have kept that voice at a distance and just kept moving along. As of right now I am fearing the couch- I have to run still at 5 tonight and know I will pass out when I walk into my house!!!

So, with that, I got a running coach for this season and am doing the rest solo. I miss my triathlon team but know that this is what will be best for me and my personal life. I tell you, it is hard to get up to ride alone at 5a.m.!!!

Oh, I met a lady who is training to run 350 miles of the Iditarod trail next month! OMG! Now I know I cannot be worried about being tired :)

So far this week:
2hrs biking
2 hrs swimming
2.5 hrs running
2 hrs lifting
30 min cross train

and 3 more days of training for the week.... wish me luck! :) Ciao!

It's all about the bike!!!

Yeah! My bike is fit and I am ready to roll!!! I have a date with her at 5a.m. tomorrow. I cannot wait!!!!! This will make 5a.m. seem like a reward :) haha!

day 1 triathlon training...

Well, we are back to a routine after these crazy weeks of weather and I am hoping to get my life in order again!
Did my first bike of the season at 5a.m. this morning. Felt pretty good, I can see how running over the winter has helped! I never get used to that sore neck from the first ride though!
I am trying to get my nutrition on track again as well- this part not so easy. I sure do like my pizza, fries, burgers, etc. While talking with another teacher at work today he told me that he doesn't need anything to motivate him to eat well- he just does. I am so jealous! I need a race or a trip somewhere that I have to be in a swim suit... I think I am like every other person in that I decide to eat better- but get mixed up it the word "better". It always depends on who you talk to. Better could mean less junk, or low carbs, or more calories, etc. Honestly, I cannot decide which category I should fall in and then sabotage myself by giving in. Should I eat more protein? Is oatmeal by itself a good breakfast? Does my protein shake have too much sugar in it? UGHHHHH! Someone save me from myself!
I guess what it all comes down to is- cut out the crap, don't eat out, watch the portions, eat breakfast, and don't eat dinner too late. I bet if I can follow that without giving in I can meet my goals.
I have told myself if I can just get on my tri program, follow those nutrition goals, and start weight training it will only take a few weeks and I will feel good again. Sounds easy but I am counting each minute, calorie, and LB..... :)
Everything in moderation--- right :) hahaha

Lessons learned... Completing my first marathon

Well, it has been a while! I am back from my second Christmas vacation - or - I am back from my marathon in Arizona- whichever you prefer.... Back to school and back to reality- with grass - in January???? hmmmmm
ok, I have been so lazy! Not writing, not keeping up... Well, I am going to try to become dedicated yet again!
So, the weather in Arizona- fabulous. The shopping- fabulous! The marathon- still thinking about that one as I limp from A- to - B :)
I will say I learned quite a bit. What I hate is that I am learning all of this so late in life! Why couldn't I have decided to do this earlier, when running didn't hurt so much or take so much effort?
Ok, enough of that. On with the details- I will have to edit some of course :)
Got to Phoenix, escaping the 100 mph winds! It was a beautiful sunny day and we got a convertible! Pulled out the shorts and tshirt and did a bit of shopping... The positive- Carey decided we should leave Thurs eve instead of Fri evening. What a difference that made!!! We immediately went to the expo after check in. Got our bib #s and got to actually see a lot of the stuff you don't seen in Ak. Stuff you usually have to order... Anyway, that was great. My favorite quote of the weekend "does this pace make my butt look smaller" had to laugh at that. I settled for the headband that said "will run for beer"- that seemed reasonable!

Anyway, hit macaroni grill and filled up on some pasta. Got a couple great nights of sleep and then it was D-day. We woke up and I called for room service- my typical toast breakfast... They "weren't set up for that" sooooo that was the beginning of the marathon day. I had a granola bar instead. Lesson #1 learned "start eating oatmeal for breakfast/running"


Had all my stuff laying out, bib number set up. Got dressed and hit the road for the race. Of course the bathroom issue came up - big problem for me! Carey and I waited in line forever! 5 min before the race and I got into a porta potty! Lesson #2- bring your own TP!!!!

Hustled to the starting line and decided to run with the 4 hr group- good idea! It was a hectic start and an interesting one! I felt awesome but noticed my form was much different than it is in the snow! I was also missing about 5lbs of clothing so I thought that was great! Cruised with the 4 hr grp for quite a while - also paying close attention to my splits per advice of JC. They did a pretty good job of staying steady... Then it hit me- gotta go to the bathroom again!!! UGH! Got in line and waited about 2-3 min. finally I left- forget that! Found another one a few miles later- waited another 2 min. or so but finally took care of that problem!

Lost my 4 hr grp but picked up between them and the 4'15 grp. Felt my quads BURNING at 8 miles. hmmmm-- I was scared to death! "this isn't good! I have a long way to go before this should be happening!" Decided once the acid reflux feeling began it would be a good idea to eat some gu. That helped. Along with the water bottle I toted with me in hand per JC- again... I can see how using that method at the beginning of the race was a good one because the water stations were nuts at first.

Kept on moving and tried to stay relaxed although holding the water bottle helped me notice how high my shoulders get. I will be going to the chiropractor for sure this week!

Nothing significant occurred during the race. It was flat and warm. I think it was about 49 when we started and Jason told me it was 70 at 11 a.m. I still had another hour to go from there...

Other lessons- I used glide for chafing, but Vaseline is awesome! They were handing it out on the course, I needed that for the back of my arm... Missed the pretzels (which would have helped a bit I think), missed a lot of things Carey noticed on the run! But I saw lots of dogs cheering us on- that helped! So jealous that guys can just run next to a tree to pee!!! UGH! Porta potties in 70degrees is just GROSS!

Overall, I am pretty happy with my first 1/2 splits. I wish the last half looked more like the first half but one thing at a time!!!

Oh, I did forget!!! THE BEST PART OF THE RACE???? I was jogging around the bend, believing I was at mile 22 and guess what- it was mile 23!!!! I decided I better eat after that mess up so I gu'd before I lost my mind! But what a gift that was :)

Whew- I know I missed something but I will think of it later. As for running- still have a long way to go but at least now I have somewhere to start my triathlon season with! I also realized I am never afraid to work hard on the bike or the pool but I make so many excuses for working hard at running and that really needs to stop!!! Was my initial goal realistic? No. Am I upset about that- No! Did I have a great time? Yes!

Women pick themselves apart but afterward my friend Carey made a great point- she asked "do you know what your body just did for you?" That was a huge wow for me! And as Mike put it "you ran twice as long as the winners- and that's tough!" Thank you to everyone who supported me to this point. And my hats off to you for all your amazing accomplishment's in running! PS- Tom- what does that finishers medal from Boston look like anyway?????