Let the Soreness and Bank Account Drain Begin

As you can probably tell from my lead in, I have begun officially training again! I have hit a few bumps in the road this week, like my HR monitor dying, 2 feet of snow keeping me in the house one day and my pool closing for maintenance but I forged onward and did what I know how to do best. I spent some money!

With the Garmin out of commission, I knew I had two choices, send it in for repair of just buy a new one. Well after the year I had last year, I figured why not just buy a new one. I found a place online where I could pick up the Garmin 405 for only $200, so I went for it. I figured it was time for an upgrade and also maybe a little less weight on the wrist would speed me up this year. (You like how I totally just justified my spending? That is how it all happens in my head!)It arrived this morning and I am currently charging it and waiting for my first usage. Which in the end I am sure will be frustrating because I am almost positive I have been running waaaaay faster than my Z1 pace, so that means it is back to the daily walk/run/crawl training scenario!

So far, in terms of training, I am not feeling too spent, although I think the weekend workouts may take their toll on me! But I will check back in tomorrow after my first HR workout and let's see how this story changes. In the mean time, I am going to go play with my new toy!

Merry Christmas to All and to All A Goodnight!

I honestly can't believe it is Christmas already! I also can't believe this is my last week of freedom before my training starts. It was actually supposed to start this week, but with the holiday, it was a bit hard, so we moved it out to next week! And I will take the extra week any day and next week it is back to the drawing board.

So from then on I can get back to blogging about real training as opposed to my version of it! But not before I enjoy a few days of overeating! I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday! And have an extra cookie or two for Hailey. She got caught in the icing before she was able to get to the cookies!

Best Vacation Ever

So I have been totally MIA for the past week but with good reason. Last Saturday we packed up and headed to Sedona, Arizona for the week. The plan was the hike as much as possible and relax and boy did this vacation deliver. Sedona was unbelievably gorgeous and we arrived right in time for some winter temperature highs. The first 4 days were 80 degrees and sunny and we spent our time, hiking different trails in Sedona and then taking a day trip to the Grand Canyon and hiking the South Kaibab trail on the Southern Rim. And let me tell you that was the most amazing hike I have ever done in my life. We hiked about 2.5 miles down into the canyon and then had to hike our way back out. It was crazy!

We also took in some tourist attractions while in Sedona. We went on a Pink Jeep tour of the canyons in Sedona, which consisted of a ton of off roading and laughing while we bounced around in the back of the jeep. We also decided to be brave and take a helicopter ride. Now this was a first for me, but we figured, if we were here, we should try it. And now I have officially decided that I will now only travel via helicopter everywhere I go. It was such a smooth flight and I seriously felt like I was in a video game.

Because my coached training still hadn't started, I didn't have any prescribed workouts so I did my own. Every day I could I ran about 5 miles on the treadmill. And the altitude killed me! I would get off the treadmill completely beat after 5 miles, red faced and out of breath. But I figured it would make the kick off of my training this week a little bit easier.

The best part of the vacation happened on Thursday night. I got completely blindsided by Nick when I came out of the bathroom to get ready for bed and he had a beautiful diamond ring in his hand. I stood there completely shocked with my mouth open until he got down on one knee and then it all registered. I was getting engaged!After that I don't think I slept for more than 2 hours at a time because I just had to wake up and look at my ring every few minutes!

So 2011 is going to bring a lot of good things! I plan to race as hard as I can, and plan my September wedding in the process of all of it! Now I just have to go and rearrange my racing schedule, so I can fit my wedding into the plan!

And Breathe....

So we finally received the news about my dad this week and it is good! The cancer has not spread. So he will just have to go in and have it removed and then begin the monitoring. And man, it feels like a 10,000 pound weight has been lifted off my shoulders. I heard the news and could have screamed with relief! Now it is not to say that we are totally in the clear, but at least we know it is not as bad as it could have been.

So having received the best and only Christmas gift I wanted, I am now set and ready for the new year! Ready to move on with life and get back to the good things!

Speaking of which I begin my coached training again on 12/20. It should be quite interesting considering I have been doing my own thing for a few months now. So it might be a little shock to the system. The good thing is that I have gotten on an early morning schedule, so hopefully I will be able to stick with the 6am workouts and have my evenings free. I think my first race back will be the Manhattan Half marathon on Jan 22nd. I did it last year and although cold, it fun. So I think I will make that my goal! Let's see how that goes.

For now I need to just focus on getting healthly. I am heading to the dr in a few minutes to conquer my cold and then I am going to take a week to relax and mentally prepare for the 2011 season. But I did want to check in and share my good news!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Snow.....Really?

Ok, ok, I know it is December, but the weather hasn't been that bad, then all of a sudden it is freezing and then snow flurries! Come on! Can't we ease into the bad weather? I have been in my house all day working with the heat pumped up to 74 degrees, I feel like I live in an igloo, or it might be because I am not feel all that good.

On Friday, I taught my 2 spin classes then headed over to my friends house to celebrate Hanukkah by making latkes and eating way too many of them! Then on Saturday, some good friends and their baby came to stay over for the rest of the weekend. Now I love babies, and this one is absolutely adorable, but man, they are my kryptonite! This morning, I woke up to teach and I was beat! I felt weak and tired, despite my 3 hour nap on Sunday and 9pm bed time. With vacation nearing I better beat this one soon!

This week should be an interesting one. I have my fingers crossed that dad gets a good report from the doctor tomorrow. To beat the anxiety before it gets to my head tomorrow, I plan on going to the gym early in the morning, getting on the treadmill and not getting off until I can't run another step. Then I have a long day of work ahead of me.

As for the rest of today it is work then another spin class. I figure I won't be able to move my legs by Wednesday, if I do this right! Then it is time it finish up the 2011 race schedule. Any suggestions?

I Just Keep on Keepin on

So I think it is safe to say that I have put my body through the wringer this week. By tonight I will have taught 5 spinning classes, 1 sculpting class and still gotten in a workout each day. But hey, this is how I deal with messes in my life, and the benefit is that by the time I get home, all I want to do is sleep, so less time to think.

Today my dad goes for his bone marrow scan and we will find out exactly what the prognosis is next week. So lots of positive thoughts and prayers this weekend and maybe on Monday we will get some good news.

As for this weekend, we will have a lot of things to keep us entertained. We have some good friends coming into town with their 10 month old and I am sure we will have our hands full. And I plan on enjoying some body pump and body flow to keep my energy in check. Other than that I will just keep on keepin on.

Just Trying to Be Normal.....Not that Easy

Sorry I have been MIA for a bit. I have been laying low and dealing with life. I think I just need for this year to be over. It has been one of those years you want to forget and the hits just keep on coming.

I had a wonderful Thanksgiving with my family and friends. Nick and I host every year and it is so much fun getting all of the food ready. We have it down to a science. We were even able to sneak in an hour at the gym before putting the turkey in the oven.

Then I headed to New Hope, PA with Nick. We stayed at an adorable Bed and Breakfast and spent the weekend hiking and sightseeing. We tend to go out there every two years and find a new place to stay and it seems regardless of where we stay, it is still always a bit creepy. There is something strange about walking into a house and borrowing a room for the weekend. But The Fox and Hound Inn was definitely worth it.

After a relaxing weekend we headed home for yet another sucker punch from life. I found out that another family member has cancer. So this year we have had, 2 people with cancer, me in the hospital and then all the other everyday issues that families have. And man this was it, it was the last straw, and I lost it. Now I am really ready for this year to end. But hey, as my dad put it, "We never question all of the good things that happen in our lives, and ask why they happened. So why question the bad. Just deal with the days as the come" and now that is what I am trying to do.

So my initial reaction to this news was to lay low. I took on some extra classes at the gym and I have been taking out my frustrations on the treadmill and teaching spin. I just feel bad for the students! :-) And now I am just dealing.

But I don't want to end this on a sad note, so I will also share with you, what I have been doing as I finish up my stretch of working from home. So now I present to you, Mullet Dog:

Ahhh Monday.....So We Meet Again

What a weekend is all I have to say! The weekend started off with a Friday night spin class for 1 person, since she has been coming to my classes for the past 5 years, I figured I would just bite the bullet and teach. Followed by a fantastic dinner of fresh whole wheat pasta with pan seared scallops in garlic and oil. And let me tell you, it was delicious! I still can't really taste or smell anything, but I can tell when there are certain strong tastes or scents to things. For instance I can tell when there is garlic in my food, but it doesn't taste the way garlic used to taste or the way it tastes for normal people. Strange right?

And moving on! On Saturday we got up nice and early and headed over to Breakneck Ridge for our 5.5 mile hike. I had my new hiking boots on and man, did they make a difference. It made the whole rock scramble super easy! We decided that now that we have mastered Breakneck, it is time to move onto another challenge. So we are heading to hike part of the Appalachian Trail in the next few weekends and see how that goes. It is nice to have something other than swimming, biking and running to do in the off season.

After our day of hiking we heading over to our friends house for the annual Coed-Fest Beer Pong Tournament. And the good news is, this time we didn't lose totally! We didn't make it to the second round, but we did win a few games. This then lead to more good news, we didn't have to stay until the end! So after our loss we hung out for a bit then headed home to get some rest.

Sunday I got up nice and early and decided that today would be my day off. Then I sat around for a few hours and got bored and decided to go try a BodyFlow class. This is a class which is a cross between yoga and pilates. I am not normally into the yoga workout but I figure it can't hurt to work on my flexibility a bit. So I went for an hour and worked on it. Then it was football time, and the Bills finally won a game! I forgot what that felt like for a while! While out watching the game we made a nice bit vat of mushroom chili which we will try tonight after spin class.

This week calls for detoxing and relaxing. It is going to be a busy work week, so I am going to try to at least limit my stress during off hours! Let's see how that turns out.

Crappy Monday!!!

What a day! It has been sleeting here in New Jersey for the past 4 hours, and I am cold! But for some reason, I just want to go work out! I taught spin this morning, took a nap and got to work, and now I am just antsy! I ran 6 miles yesterday, just to see how it would feel and also maybe to see if I could do it and I loved it! There is a part of me that is thinking maybe I should just focus on running this year, but then I realize that is the scared part of me, the part I have to ignore. A part of me that I didn't think existed but I guess it is just my brain trying to play it safe.

So now I am looking forward to my second spin class tonight. I am thinking I might head over a little early to get in a quick run (obsessed much?). My friend that I am training and I are heading into our 4 week of our "Get in shape mission" and it is our 4th week of weight lifting. Let's see how I feel by the end of this week!

Then tonight we continue planning for Sedona. Happy Monday everyone, have a great week!

Let's Not Think About What Could Have Been

This weekend could have been my weekend, the end of my relationship with the New York Marathon. Instead I have to endure another year of this love/hate relationship until I can have my revenge. Instead of running 26.2 I ran 5. And although that doesn't sound like much to anyone, that has been my longest run in 3 months! My, how times and goals can change!!

Tomorrow we are going to take on Breakneck Ridge again, now that we have a better idea of how it works, and we won't have our little lost dog friend with us, we might be able to navigate a little better. I also have acquired some new hiking boots for my weekend hiking trips and my upcoming week in New Mexico and Arizona, and I am excited to try them out. And I am hoping since I have added lifting back into my regiment that I may not be as sore this time around!

Then Sunday we will venture into the city so I can be a spectator. There is just something about the New York Marathon that is inspiring and energizing. So instead of participating in it this year, I am going to use it to help get me back into racing mode.

I will be back to coached training next month, and I am hoping to start racing, well at least the running portion of racing, in January. This weekend, watching some phenomenal athletes might be just what the doctor ordered. And on that note, I am off to nap, which is just what my body has ordered! Enjoy the weekend!

Back to Life, Back to Reality

So the past two weeks have been good ones. I am back to working out everyday, of course no where near where I was before, but I am getting back to it. I am actually working with a friend who has asked me to train her a bit. So for the next month until I go back to coached training, we are gym buddies. Needless to say with all of these crazy workouts the past two weeks, I have been spending a lot of time in the bathtub with my Epsom salts!

This week consisted of spinning, some treadmill drills, swimming and Body Pump. For those of you who aren't familiar with Body Pump it is a one hour weight lifting class where you work each muscle group to the point of fatigue, then you move onto the next one. Basically to be a little more specific, when you are doing bicep curls, when you are on the last one, it should literally be the last one you are physically capable of doing. So that's fun!

This weekend I think I am going to give my body a break and just do a quick swim and some yoga before the dressing up begins. We have some fun Halloween plans for this weekend, none of which include being the slutty version of anything, a concept I still don't understand. If you use Halloween as a way to express your inner slut, why not just dress a little racier than normal on an everyday basis instead of going full slut one day a year. It just seems a little more respectable to me. Ahh, but to each their own!

This weekend will be filled with pumpkin carving, dressing up and adult beverages. Followed by probably another loss by my sad Buffalo Bills. There will be pictures to come on Monday. Have a Happy Halloween everyone!

Swimming.... Back to Day 1

Yup and that about sums it up! Ok so it wasn't that bad, but it was a bit painful. I am interested in seeing how I feel tomorrow morning, when I try it again! So this morning I headed to the gym and decided I would spend 30 minutes in the pool. I think that is the shortest swim I have done all year but I figured, why push it on my first day back. About 200 meters in my arms got heavy, and by heavy I mean they each felt like they weighed about 4000 lbs! And that is when I patted myself on the back, but not with my 4000 lb arm, since I could no longer pick it up, and said, "30 minutes is a fantastic goal". Since I am not training with a coach currently I made up my own set:

200 free
100 kick
200 pull
100 kick

I repeated that 3 times and then took the stairs as my exit out of the pool in fear that my arms might not work well enough to use the ladder.

I then headed home for a full day of conference calls. At around lunchtime, I headed to the gym to get a run in. I am trying to do two workouts a day to get myself back into training mode. After swimming today, I was kind of pumped, since I really was reminded how much I love to swim and what it does for my sanity. So I decided that on my run I would pick up the pace and extend the run portion by about 5 minutes to see how I would do.

And I felt great! What a wonderful change! So I am looking to trying it all out again tomorrow. Til then....

Holy Crap I am Sore!

So as I mentioned in my last post, this weekend we decided to take on a more strenuous hike to see how my body will react, and man do I HURT! So we headed up to Breakneck Ridge early Saturday morning to try out the 5.5 mile hike that was recommended to us. When we got close, we picked up a a trail map, parked the car and then fun began. We had heard already that the first 1.5 miles were the hardest and were basically straight up hill with 1 small descent. And this description was no joke! It was literally 1.5 miles of rock climbing with some rocks so big, Nick had to hoist me up over them because I was too short. We got halfway to the top and stopped to have a powerbar and take some pictures, we thought the worst of it had to be over and then we saw the second half of the climb. I am telling you by the time we got all the way to the top of the big climb, my legs were shaking and already getting sore.

It was once we hit this section that things got even more interesting. We stopped for a second to take in the view and something comes running at us out of the woods. The first thing I think is, "WOLF!", and I was close, but a little off. All of a sudden this little husky is sitting at our feet, looking up at us like we knew him. We realized that this dog was somehow lost in the woods. He had a collar with phone numbers on it, so we called the numbers, but couldn't reach anyone. So we did what any dog lover would do. We used my scarf as a leash and the three of us continued on our hike.

From then on the hike was pretty easy, well compared to the first part at least. We hiked for about 4 more hours and by the time we got back, we were beat! We walked our way back to the car and as soon as we go there, Koda, our hiking buddy dropped down to the ground next to the car and went to sleep. We found out later that Koda had just done the 5.5 mile loop twice! The poor dog was pooped!

Once in the car we made the decision to just bring the dog home with us. There was no way that I was going to let him go to a pound and wait for his owners. Thankfully within 5 minutes of driving the owner called me and we had a nice reunion a few minutes later. Although, not gonna lie, I was starting to like the little guy!

The rest of the weekend was full of couch time and watching football. I woke up on Sunday and everything hurt! Literally everything! Today I went in and taught my early class for the first time in 2 months and thankfully that has helped to loosen me up a bit.

Tomorrow will be my first day back in the pool. I am wondering how long it takes to lose your swim fitness and I think I will find out exactly how long tomorrow! I hope it isn't as bad as running but we shall see. My goal is to also get in one run outside this week. It is getting cold, but I need to test my balance and ability to run outside.

Other than that, it is life back to somewhat normal! MRI results to follow tomorrow along with some pics from the hike tonight.

Times Have Changed

So I have been working on my comeback and man is it hard! I have been running for 10 minute intervals to test out my balance and stamina. Once I mastered that, I decided to try a regular run so on Sunday I hit the gym for a quick 40 minute run. And let me tell you, it was hard! It is kind of like I just started running for the first time. But I did it and I tried it again yesterday and another success!

I have also been hiking on the weekends. Last weekend we took a trip out to a Reservation and spent about an hour and a half hiking through the woods. We kept it to a short trip to see how I would do and it was great. Then we headed out to Riamede Farm to pick some apples and a pumpkin. 28 pounds of apples, yes you read that correctly, and 25 pounds of pumpkin later, we headed home completely exhausted and fufilled from our day out. This weekend we are going to try the Breakneck Ridge Loop which will be a new challenge and should make for a another full Saturday.

Today I am going to try my run again and begin planning my 2011 race schedule. I already know that the NY Marathon is on the list since I had to pull out of it this year. But next year I want to have a clear idea of what I want to accomplish right from the start.

The goal is to be back to training on November 1 and back to work in the next week or so. Let's see how this goes!!

So Close!

And by so close, I mean about 2 more weeks, but I did get a good report from the neurologist. I have one more MRI scheduled and then we will know exactly what is going on. She is encouraged by the fact that I can smell and taste something, even though my senses are jumbled and nothing tastes or smells like it is supposed to or sometimes not like anything at all, it seems to mean something that I can smell a little. Basically it means that something has started to work in my brain, it is just a little confused right now. Will it ever fix itself? Who knows?

More good news is that I will get to go back to my office soon. But first I have to test out the commute to make sure it isn't too overwhelming for me. I figure in a few weeks I will be right back on track. So we shall see.

So all in all, a great start to my day! Now I need to develop my training attack plan. One day at a time here people, so more on that tomorrow. Happy Tuesday!

It's All About the Comeback...

So I think October is going to be my month. I really do! I have another neurologist appointment tomorrow and I hope I then get the go ahead to begin heading back into my office for work. Not gonna lie, I miss the city and I miss my office! I probably won't go back full time, but I am going to work up to it for sure. And I am also beginning to feel like it is time to get back to training. For what? I am not sure, but I am going to pick some goal event to work towards.

I have been trying to get in at least 45 minutes of some kind of cardio each day. And I can say that some days, I just don't do it. Not because I physically can't but because I just don't want to. And this is a new thing for me. But I am letting myself enjoy it while I can! So that means it is time to begin the rehab and to get back on the bike and start my runs again. And all I have to say about that is "Bring it!!" I am excited to come back stronger and more focused. And now it is all about the comeback.

I'm Getting Back on Track...

So after possibly the longest time off in the past 10 years, I have started working out again! I can't believe I really haven't worked out in over 45 days, that is insane to me. But I can't lie, I kind of like it! But last week, I gave in and faced my fears and hit the gym. Now mind you, I have only gone twice but I have managed 40 minutes on the eliptical both times. I still have a slight fear of running, but I think this week I will face the challenge and try it out. I mean I have to at some point. And if I fall, well then I fall! Nothing much I can do there.

I also obviously took some time off from my blog. I needed some time to think and just a break in general. I have been totally immersed in work and putting in 14-15 hour days at least 4 days a week, but hey, at least I am earning my vacation days back that I spent in the hospital last month. So maybe I can get a real vacation in this year!

But now I am back on track! So here goes nothing!

Good News.....Finally!

So last Friday I headed to the neurologist with my best friend as my taxi driver. I kept trying to keep things in perspective and not let myself get all pumped up because I wanted to hear what I wanted to hear. So I went into the office with a level head. Well once I sat down the doctor she let me know that she was "shocked" with my last cat scan. She couldn't believe how fast my head was healing! Ok, now I started to get excited, I can admit it. She told me, the blood had all reabsorbed into my brain, the air was gone and one of the fractures looked like it had healed. Now I still have the really big one, but I am on my way to recovery.

After I heard that, I was psyched, so I went after it and asked her about training. Well, that is where the fun hit the breaks. I am allowed to walk, which I have been doing daily. And I can begin trying to test my balance on a treadmill and then once I feel secure I can add in 2-3 minute intervals of running. I am also cleared for the pool, but nothing too crazy there either. As for the bike. Well, let me show you. This is my bike:





So I think it is safe to say, I won't be on the bike for a while!

So once exercise was out of the way, I moved onto the next set of questions, I needed to know when I was going to get my sense of taste and smell back and when the double vision would end and my hearing would come back 100%. Well I would have to say this was the worst of the news, although not terribly bad. I was told that these were all residual effects of the accident and that I would have to wait a few months and see what happens. So, no need to worry as of yet, but if it doesn't go back to normal soon, I may have another whole team of doctors added to my current group.

But, I couldn't complain, I had been given the go ahead to move about as I wish, although still not by car and also still somewhat supervised. But hey, at least I can now shower without help and whenever I want!

So once we got the good news Nick and I decided to head to the beach. I was also given the go ahead on having a glass of wine when I wanted it. Well one would think after not having anything for a month, you would jump on the chance, but for some reason it just didn't seem too enticing, so I passed for the weekend. And on Sunday I finally had a glass and as everyone was waiting with bated breath for my reaction, I disappointed! I can't taste anything! So there seems to be no point to drinking right now.

But we did have a great weekend. I will add some pics below. I thought about a lot and now I have a ton of decisions to make in the next few months. I don't want to say what they are about right now, but I will keep you posted on what the outcomes are. Other than that, life is good and I am just enjoying my days in my own way now!

Enjoy some beach time below!

Slow and Steady....

Well let's be realistic here people we all know it doesn't win the race, but it makes for some progress. So here I am, still home. Working, but from home. And let me tell you, it is hard. It is hard in so many ways, but slow and steady, right? Being a person who is incredibly active, being forced to be a couch potato has been hard. But the one thing that makes me remind myself to quit my bitching is the fact that at least I am here. At least I get the chance to sit on the couch and roam around the house whenever I want to.

One of the hardest things to deal with with my current state and my accident is the constant reminder from all of the doctors and specialist that I see weekly, that I could have died. After being in a hospital for 2 weeks and being reminded of that fact by every new doctor I was assigned I think I need to stop hearing that. I know I could have died! I have faced this thought many times in the past month, and it is not a pleasant few minutes that follows every time I think about it. But instead of being told that I would rather look at it as, I now have a chance to be better and more gracious. I have never been more grateful for the people in my life as I have been in the past few weeks. My eyes are open and I see it and I don't think I am going to forget it anytime soon. And I am not being exaggerative, I am literally reminded everyday. For instance, yesterday my boyfriend's parents sent me a beautiful potted orchid with a note letting me know that they were thinking about me. When the doorbell rang and I heard the words delivery I had no idea who it was for, when the delivery guy gave me the plant all I kept saying is "What a beautiful plant." When I got inside and read the card, I couldn't help it, I just started crying. I just feel so cared for, so loved and thinking about life without that makes me want to be the best person that I can be since I have it. So I get it, I could have died, but I am alive and I am going to focus on the great things I can do.

And now for the second hardest part. Not being able to work out! It is actually driving me nuts! Finally two nights ago Nick got the great idea for us to go for a walk. We grabbed the dog and headed out the door. Now since I have been dealing with issues with my vision Nick held the dog leash and away we went. All Nick kept saying is "try not to focus your eyes on anything and maybe you won't notice the double vision" and you know what? He was right! So there we went for a 45 minute walk around town and it felt fantastic! And here's a good laugh, I was sore the next day! But I didn't let that stop me! Nick had to work late, so my best friend took me out instead. So there you go. In 3 weeks all I have done is walked a totally of 1:15! Whew! What a work out!

As for the state of my brain, ears and vision. I went in for probably my 15th Cat scan this month on Monday and hopefully I will know more about what I can and can't do on Friday when I see my neurologist. This morning I went to my ENT to talk to him about the blood in my ear drum (yup that is yet another problem, not sure if I mentioned that one) from the fracture and it looks like most or all of it has left my ear drum. I was given and hearing and balance test, and I passed both and for now things are looking ok in that realm. I will most likely not hear 100% out of my left ear for about a month but things should heal well there. And here is my slow and steady moment of the day...I was given the go ahead on swimming!!! Now not the usually 100s of death swimming I was doing before, but I can get in a pool and try to work out!

So there you have it! I finally have 1 of the three sports I love back! I can swim! Now I can't get my HR too high because we don't want too much blood rushing to my head because of the cracks, but I can do something. That combined with my nightly walks and having to sit on the couch the rest of the day, may be doable!

Now as I read back on this post, I realized some might think I am complaining. And I am not! As I said I am grateful for all of the steps I am making towards recovery, even if I am a restless individual, I will take sitting on the couch everyday as long as it means I can still be around the people that I love.

There Are Some Great People Out There..And I Happen to Know A Lot of Them

So to follow up on my last post. During my 2 week stay at the Jersey Shore Trauma Center I did learn a few things. First that my family rocks! With everything else that they are going through, including another family member that is dealing with the after effects of surgery due to colon cancer and the need to help both her and my grandmother with their everyday lives, my Mom and Dad managed to make the 1.5 hour drive almost every night to see me. And let me tell you, I was not exactly fun to hang out with. Between the crazy headaches and not being mobile or even coherent half the time they still sat with me and entertained me for hours a day.

When my mom and dad weren't there, Nick, my boyfriend and my best friend Maida, would fill the rest of my time alone. Nick cancelled his business trip and spent 3-4 hours with me daily at the hospital at night. Maida, would then come down during the day to keep me company and to bring me the things that only girls would think of. On my 2nd day in bed Maida showed up with two stuffed animals for me to cuddle with. I have since been sleeping with my Pooh Bear and Eeyore, nightly. Even since returning home. Maida also was thoughtful enough to bring me some spray shampoo and face cleaner, after we realized that I was not going to get a shower any time in the near future.

But here are the visits that were the most interesting and most pleasant. Within 1 day of my crash, the race director from the event I crashed in managed to track me down, along with the director from the race that I was signed up for the following week in a nearby town. On my 2nd day in the trauma center the race director for the next race showed up bed side and told me that he had passed me twice after my crash and that he had to see me. A close friend of mine had then emailed him after my crash and let him know what happened and that I would not be racing the next weekend. Upon hearing from my friend and putting two and two together he realized, that the person he passed in the race was me and so here he was, at my bedside. He let me know that he would refund my race $ and that I had an outstanding invitation to race next year with him, free of charge.

Once out of the trauma center and after a few phone check calls to check in, the race director from the crash also showed up bedside. He came to check in on me and to bring me a bag full of goodies for when I was back to training again. He also let me know that I have an open invite to race in his races next year as well, especially the one that I had fallen in.

At this point, after all of these visitors, I couldn't believe how many people had taken the time to reach out and check in on me. I felt so loved and blessed that I knew so many wonderful people. Then came the biggest surprise. I was laying in bed and in walks a young guy, maybe around 30 years old, athletic looking, but I don't know who he is. He walks up to my bed and says "Do you remember me?" I took a good look at him and let him know that I had no idea who he was. So he then explained, "I saw you when you fell and no one stopped to help you. So I stopped and sat with you until the ambulance came. I had no idea who you were, but I just wanted someone to be there for you." He then explained that when he found me, I was unconscious, but at some point had opened my eyes. I had blood coming out of my mouth (I bit the inside of my lip when I fell) and coming out of my ear. (not sure what that was from, but it might have been a drip from my mouth) When he found me he called the race director, his coach, from the police officers phone to try and figure out who I was, since I didn't have id, and then after I was picked up by the EMT's he went back and packed up my belongings for me.

After he told me all of this, I couldn't believe it. My first question, of course was, "How did you end up doing in the race?" to which he laughed and said, "After I helped you I decided to not finish". He then walked over to my bedside table and gave me roses! I was blown away, I couldn't believe it. It was like I had an angel watching me that day! This guy was amazing and I have never been so thankful that someone was there for me. It confirms for me, that there are great people out there in the world. And if karma exists, this guys got a lot coming to him!

On top of the visitors listed above, many of my friends came to see me or sent me lovely gifts of flowers and cookies. I have never been so filled with love from all of the people around me. Since I have been home, all of the love and attention has continued and I can say now, that I have some of the best friends that one can have in life and I am grateful for all things in life. Being home and not being able to do anything other than sit on the couch is hard, but it has been made easier by those who love me and for them I am very thankful.

So to all of you that read my blog thank you, and for those who don't, I will be sure to give extra hugs to them when I see them next.

I hope everyone had a great weekend of racing, my time on the couch was painful, but fun as well!

Here is How it All Went Down

Ok so in an effort to clear some things up from the last post, here is what I remember at least. I got up around 4:30am on the 1st to drive down to the race, when I got there the weather was actually fantastic for what I figured would be a pretty fast race. It was then that I realized, this was my first sprint tri of the season. And then I got excited. I set up transition and headed to the beach to check out the water. The temp was great and there were NO waves. I joked around about the swim with the lifeguards as they set up the buoys and then I was ready to go.

The current was ok but not too strong so we set up somewhat near the first buoy to begin the swim. I promised myself again that I would go all out and not mess around and off I went. I believe I finished the swim and run up the beach and into T1 in about 8 minutes or so. Then into T1 I went and out I came in under 2 minutes. So here is what I can remember. I remember thinking that there were a lot of people out on the bike course. This was a tru and du, so there were both bikers and runners on the course. I also remember that no one was announcing their passing on the bike. I was passed by two men on the right, very close and no one said anything as they did it. I politely told them to announce their passing and then kept going.

So it all went down (including myself) at around 3:30 in the bike. I remember something frightening me and so I looked back over my right shoulder, then I turned back forward and that is when it happened. My front wheel turned to the left, I looked down at my speed and I was traveling at 19.8 mph and I said to myself "Oh shit, I am so going to be the girl who falls during the race". And fall I did!

I came to as we were in the ambulance and the emt's began cutting off my uniform. I told them not to, that I was ok, but they just started to cut away to see where else I was hurt. So here is the interesting part, the answer to that is no where! I had not a mark anywhere on my body! No road rash, nothing! The face of my Garmin had broken off on impact and that was it.

At this point, I must have passed out again. I regained consciousness again as they were moving me into the hospital, at which point I told them that I would prefer not to flash everyone and everything in sight and that I would appreciate if they would cover me, which thankfully they did!

I proceeded to spend the next day in ER, 4 days in the ICU trauma center and then another 7 days in the Trauma unit of the Jersey Shore Hospital in Belmar. And can I tell you, these people were fantastic. I have never felt in better hands when hurt and all you want is your mommy. The diagnosis was two skull fractures, bleeding and oxygen on the brain along with some minor brusing on my neck and left hand.

After all of that time in the hospital I was finally released and now I am spending all of my time at home. And that is just a post for another time. Tomorrow I want to share some phenomenal stories about my stay at the hospital and all of people who came by to speak with me and share their hearts and stories.

For now, this is all I can share due to my current state, because I can't take too much computer light in my eyes. But I will return again tomorrow to keep filling everyone in.

My Race Didn't Go as Planned....

So the 8/1 sprint tri didn't go as planned. About 7 min into the bike something happened. I say something only because I have no idea exactly what did happen. I woke up in an ambulance as they were cutting my uniform off my body. I just got released from 2 weeks in intensive care due to some skull fractures, blood and oxygen on the brain. And here I am. I didn't want anyone to think I forgot about them, but I can't do much more than this today. I will fill you in on the hell that has been my last two weeks as I get better with the computer this week. Lots of love and thanks to those who prayed and looked out for me the past two weeks.

My Bendy Parts Won't Bend

All I have to say is oooofa! So I did it, I got up and worked out again this morning. So that makes a full week and no playing catch up all week. It honestly feels good to not be as behind as I normally am. What doesn't feel good are the after effects of the sculpting class I took. I got out of bed this morning stiff as a board. But not the normal stiff. My legs work, I can sit on the toilet normally and go up and down stairs. It is my arms that are killing me. My biceps and triceps hurt so much it is crazy. But I guess it goes to show that I haven't worked them hard in a while. I honestly can't wait to go home tonight and lay on the couch and not use my arms.

And here is the best thing that I have heard in a long while...tomorrow I can sleep in! Yup you heard that right kids! Tomorrow I do not have to get up at the ass crack of dawn and eat a powerbar and get on the bike. I can sleep in! And by sleep in, I am sure I will be up at 7am. But I am going to give it the good old college try and see if I can make it until 10! Crazy, I know!

Sunday, well Sunday is another story. I will be up and out of the house by 4:45am. I have to be down in Belmar, New Jersey with enough time to set up my transition area and visit the port-o-johns the usual million times before the 7am race start. The plan for Sunday, as I mentioned earlier in the week is to go all out and to not be afraid that I might fall apart. If I push too hard on the bike and fall apart on the run, then I fall apart. I just need to learn my limits and the only way to do it is to try to push them. So that is the plan.

Everyone have a great weekend and I will be back with hopefully some positive results on Monday.

Sleeping My Way Through the Day

So I did it, I got up for the fourth day in a row and worked out. I will say that when the alarm went off at 5:20am I was less than happy to get up and hardly awake for that matter. It took a lot to shove myself out of bed. So before I get into today, I just wanted to mention that I did one of my ZR Runs (formerly known as walks) last night before I met some friends out and what a pleasant surprise. I ran in Zone R at a 10:54 pace. And I ran the entire time. Yes, you heard it right! I ran the entire time! Ok enough patting myself on the back, on to today.

So I got up and headed to the gym where I teach to take that lifting class I mentioned yesterday (part of the ever evolving "get in shape" plan), and it is weird, I feel like sometimes when instructors know there is another instructor in their class they go totally wild. So I have subbed for this instructor before, but I have never actually met her. Of course, I walk in and introduce myself and start talking to a few women who take my spinning class. The the torture begins. Man it was intense! But I have to say that I did really enjoy it (although her regulars seemed like they were dying so I have to think she may have amped it up a bit). So now I have to create a nice habit out of it! How many weeks does it take for something to stick?

After class I headed home with the sinking feeling that I might not be able to use my arms for the rest of the week. Thankfully by around 10am I was feeling a bit better. I headed out at lunchtime for a quick 45 minute Z1 run, only to get to the gym to find out the AC was broken. Considering the downpour outside, I decided to suck it up and sweat it out. Needless to say my HR was all over the place, so I am not really sure how I did, but I did it and it's over with.

Tonight I just have to squeak out a quick 1:30 ZR/Z1 ride and then I have one more day to complete my first full week of early mornings. Fingers crossed that I can do it!

3 Day Streak

I am on a 3 day streak of getting up early to work out. I just have to get out of bed for 2 more days at 5:30am to make it to my day to sleep in! Very exciting indeed! Tomorrow I am going to go back to strength training. I feel like that is the one thing my work out and my flabby arms are lacking. So I am going to work my way back into it. But as I am sure all of you who are training know, it is so hard to another yet another thing to your workout schedule. I mean, I would love to get back into pilates or try to get into yoga, but when would I do it? So I will just have to settle for a quick 45 min strength training class once a week and then try to get in one more day of weights. Maybe at lunch? Who knows! Buy it has to happen! Maybe that will finally kick start some freakin weight loss here!

So since I am racing this weekend, I don't have a long ride and run on Saturday, which if I could do a back flip, I would. But I do have a race and then a quick run and ride on Sunday. I am considering doing the run and ride on Saturday just to get it out of the way. I figure they are short, so I don't think they will effect my race on Sunday. So then after I am done on Sunday, I can head home, go to brunch (my favorite meal!) and then relax. So the plan is, sleep in then get that hour out of the way on Saturday so I can be lazy after the race on Sunday.

Oh and one last thing...Any thoughts on Spinerval dvds? I am interested in purchasing some, but which ones should I purchase? Thoughts? Any input would be very helpful.

3 Weekends of Racing Coming Up!

So for the next three weekends I am going to do a bit a racing. I have 2 sprints then an Olympic and I must say I am ready for it! I feel like since I have been doing more longer races this year, that I haven't done as many races as I did last year. So now I am going to amp it up for the next couple of weeks in preparation for the last HIM of the season in September.

This weekend I will be racing a Sprint in Belmar, NJ. I haven't done a true sprint yet this season and the plan is to race all out. The problem with me is that once I get on the bike, I get cautious. I tend to always worry that if I push too hard on the bike that I may lose it on the run. And then on the run I am worried that I am going to crash if I push too hard too early. But I need to shake that and just try and go after it this weekend. I mean compared to my other races these distances are nothing. So I need to force myself to keep that in mind the entire race.

So the game plan is to take it easy this week and get myself ready for this weekend. It's time to get that racing confidence back!

The Winds of Change

I am feeling good and I am feeling committed (this week!). I have set some goals and now I have to work my ass off to reach them and I have the last half of the season to do it.

This week has been jam packed with workouts. And I have to say I had one of my best runs in a long time yesterday. I ran 45 min in Z1 at a 9:40 pace. And it turns out I Was in the lower half of Z1 so I really could have kicked it up a bit and bettered my pace. Now to some that may not seem that great, but for me it is wonderful! With all of the heat the past few weeks even some of my Zone 1 runs have had to include walking. And there was none of that yesterday! So I am looking forward to taking a stab at it again tonight.

I also figured out the remainder of my schedule and it looks like I will be racing for most of August. Gotta get in as many as I can before I start complaining about it being cold out and prepping for the marathon. Ahh the marathon....yet another goal I have set that I have to reach. But that is a conversation for a different time!

Happy training!

What A Weekend!!

So the reason for my absenteeism is that I finally got to take some days off! Well kind of. We took a long weekend (Friday thru Monday) up in Rochester. It was time spent with the bf's family, but still not time spent at work. We got up there at around midnight on Thursday night and headed straight to bed. Friday, I actually had the day off from training so we set out to do some shopping and then went to a cooking class in Canandaigua at the New York Wine and Culinary Center.

We took class called New York Steakhouse and we learned a ton about choosing and cooking meat, then we put all that knowledge to work. Here is what was on the menu, Marinated Flank Steak with Horseradish Sauce, Pan Roasted Rib Roast with Crispy Mushrooms, Bacon Wrapped Filet Mignon with Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Classic Grill New York Strip Steak and The Perfect Burger. Each cooking area had 4 stations and each station cooked one meal with sides, then after everything was complete we sat down and sampled everything. Now I can say this was hardly ok in terms of the Core diet, but I am just going to count this as my cheat meal(s) for the week. We continued to eat and drink until we could do no more then headed home to drop into a nice food coma accompanied by the "meat sweats".

Saturday we got up early and it was time to tackle my 1:55 Z1 run. Since I was in unfamiliar territory, I decided to hop on the trainer. I pedaled and sweated out saturated meat fat for the entire 2 hours while catching up on all the magazines I have neglected for the past 3 weeks, then I set out for a quick 25 out and back Z1 T run. Once I got back it was time to eat again!

The afternoon was filled with graduation parties and picnics and again we hit the hay early for another fun filled day ahead. Sunday brought with it, family brunch a quick 4 mile jog and then family dinner. For dinner we decided that we would control the menu (we being me)and I opted for a dinner a bit lower in calories than the rest of the weekend. We munched on white bean dip, vegetable tart and a nice fresh green salad followed up by a delicious fruit tart.

Monday we attempted to head out on a quick 30 mile ride, but we were quickly sent back home due to the rain. So we decided to hit the road and head back home. By the time we got back I was in no mood to work out so I opted to clean and relax instead. So the rest of the week will be a fantastic game of catch up! That seems to be the on going theme with me as of late. Now it is off to lunch and a quick run!

Today is My Friday

And I couldn't be happier. After a nice night of relaxing trainer rides and sushi, I managed to peel myself out of bed at a decently early time and get in another 1:15 Z1ride on the trainer this morning. And it actually wasn't to painful. I think having a bad run at the last race may have helped me in the movitivation category of training a bit. Now I have something to prove, right? RIGHT! Ok enough of the pep talk.

As I mentioned today is my Friday and I am very excited. Friday and Monday will be my first days off since accepting my new job and let me tell you I am in need. I love my job, don't get me wrong, but it's summer, we all need some time to just relax. And what better time to schedule my relaxation than on a recovery week. Tonight, after work I will head out on a quick 35 min run and then the weekend begins.

Luckly I don't have much going on in terms of work outs. Well at least compared to last week! So I will be fresh and ready to start over on Monday. Well I hope everyone has a great weekend and I will check in again if I have anything noteworthy to talk about. If not, see you on Monday! Happy training!

It's Time to Get Back On The Horse...Well Maybe the Pony for This Week

So my lazy days are done, I have to get back to training today. Since all I have done is a tiny bit of spinning in the last 2 days, now I have to get back on my bike, chafed ass and all. Tonight I am going to get in a nice 50 min recovery ride. While doing that I need to work on my mental game. I have think I have the remainder of my tri season planned out and now I just need to get my mind back into shape.

It seems that everyone is in a bit of a funk lately, so I don't feel that bad for not wanting to do anything. But I will force my way right back into it all. I am thinking about also adding in some weight lifting classes into my schedule. You know, since I have so much free time! I am thinking twice a week should work. We shall see.

Other than that I am enjoying the last few hours of laziness and then it back into the swing of things.

Race Report - Amica 70.3, Providence, Rhode Island

Friday night we packed up the car with the dog crate, the bike and all of the other gear necessary to spend the weekend away from home. It was the dog's first real road trip and all I could worry about at that point was her puking in the car like she normally does. Needless to say, she didn't!

Once we got up to Seekonk, MA and found our hotel we settled in for some TV watching and passed out shortly after. The alarm went off at 7:30am on Saturday and it was time for some carb loading and race prep. We remembered from last time to get up early because we had a late start to our Saturday in 2009 and we ended up wasting the entire day driving all over RI.

We headed over to the local Friendly's to pick up the super breakfast and after stuffing myself we headed to the expo right when it opened. Once there, we picked up all the necessary items, along with a few unnecessary things as well, which ended up coming in handy in the end, and headed over the T2 to drop off my bag. Now if you aren't familiar with this race, I can explain. The majority of the race happens from Narragansett, RI to Providence. Once you are in Providence, you hit T2 and then run the half marathon. So it is a point to point course.

After dropping off my T2 items we headed back to the hotel to eat more and grab the bike and the dog to head to the beach to set up T1. Once again we got there right when it opened unloaded and then realized, we had the whole day to relax. We headed back to the hotel again, and watched some TV, then headed out to see Despicable Me (in 3D), which was amazing and then off to eat some pasta and chicken.

While out at dinner I got my HR numbers to follow from my coach and we talked a bit about strategy and the things I needed to remember to do. Like for instance, to make sure I peed while on the bike. Now this is an issue for me, while sitting hunched over, I just can't seem to do it, but he reminded me that no matter what it took I had to. He recommended what with the recent heat that I spend the bike in mid Z2 and then take the average of that and add 10 beats for my run pace, also allowing an extra 5 beats for climbing hills.

After dinner we headed back to the hotel and I was out like a light by 9pm. At that point I wasn't feeling nervous. I physically had felt off all day, but my nerves were ok. Actually more ok than they have ever been.

We left for the race on Sunday morning at 4:20 and when we got the beach there was a traffic jam of about 50 cars trying to get into the park. Athletes decided to just get out and walk and meet their drivers somewhere near T1. When I got to T1 to finish set up all I could think about was going to the bathroom and I had to go BAD! So I managed to set everything up and pump my tires in under ten minutes and then it was off to pee and suit up.

Then it was down to the water to get with my wave. As we started to gather I realized that our wave was kind of large. I then found out that they were grouping 30-39 together because they didn't feel as though our waves separately were large enough. Not for nothing, we looked large. Once they called us up, and the gun went off it was time to focus. We charged and began to swim and that was when the race started to fall apart for me.

I was in the thick of a bunch of people when all of a sudden I felt a blow to the side of my head. I lifted my head out of the water and saw stars. I felt like I had no idea where I was and I drank a few mouthfuls of salt water. When I snapped back into it I saw the girl who hit me and she was literally swimming with fists. I mean I get it, this is competitive and all, but swimming with fists and then nailing someone in the head, it's not that competitive.

Needless to say I couldn't quite get my bearings after that and it took me over half the swim to get into a rhythm. I got out of the water in 38:40 and off to T1 for a quick run up the beach and grabbed my bike in 3:07.

Then it was time to bike. I knew the bike route since I did it last year, so off I went. The beginning is relatively flat and I was maintaining a decent speed for the first 20 miles. And not to mention, it is quite scenic. After about 20 miles the climbing began and there went my average. As I began to climb I started to feel a bit fatigued but I kept on pushing. The problem was that at this time, it was hot, and I knew I wasn't going to PR. So what did I do? Well the obvious thing, I started to mentally go after myself. That is the worst! Anyone who knows racing, knows there is such a huge mental aspect that is part of it. And in order to succeed you need to stay positive, but for some reason I just couldn't do it. I began to doubt myself and my ability to finish the race.

Thankfully at around 40 miles, I gave myself a swift kick in the ass and told myself to just shut up and keep moving. The main issue with the bike, besides the internal mental battle was that I could not pee, no matter how hard I tried, I just couldn't. I knew I had to, but it wasn't happening. But I also knew that as soon as I got off the bike and stood up I would have to. I pulled into T2 and racked my bike and that is when I remembered I had to pee and now I had to pee badly. I had already ran past all of the port-o-johns so I had to make a decision. Just pee in my pants or run back to the port-o-johns and waste time. So pee in my pants it was! The thought of wasting anymore time and adding on to my final time was just too much, so I said f*ck it and pee I did! I came in from the bike at 3:29:51 and a T2 of 2:43. Again, not happy but with the way I was feeling I could deal.

Run time! The game plan was to run the 13.1 at 10 beats higher than my average bike. So around 180, giving myself some extra for the hills. And by hills I mean mountains (or at least that is what they looked like to me)! I started off feeling great, knowing that this was the leg of the race that I knew best but as soon as the climbing began the high spirits exited the body. Every time I would try to climb I would suddenly feel the urge to vomit. So I decided that in order to survive the run without projectile vomiting everyone that I would just walk the hills.

By the time I hit the end of the first loop, it was all a matter of surviving. I am sure everyone has been there at some point, but this was the first time I ever felt like this while racing. I was literally counting down the miles, forcing myself to keep one foot in front of the other. Here is where the unnecessary purchases came in handy. I always make a deal with myself that if I buy something race related with the race name on it, I can't wear it unless I finish the race. And I had just bought a really nice sweatshirt the day before at the expo, so I knew in order to get any use out of it, I had to keep running.

To be honest, once I hit mile 9 I started to feel normal and no longer needed to walk. I came in from the run at 2:10:18, which was only 2 minutes slower than last year. I ran over the finish line and found the dog and boyfriend and man I was spent. I sat the grass and cried a little out of frustration. My final time was 6:24:38, 20 minutes slower than last year and the first race I haven't improved on. At the time it was a tough pill to swallow, but 2 days later I am over it and ready to move on to the next race!

The last two days have been all about relaxing and strategizing. I am definitely ready to try put this one behind me and try again. I am only going to learn from races like these.

Pre Race Jitters

So with Providence 70.3 two days away, my pre race jitters are at an all time high, while my confidence has swooped to quite a low. I really can’t remember, but I think I was a bit calmer last year at this time, but this year I keep worrying that I am not prepared. In reality I did a race that was a little shorter in length in May and I did fine, so I should really not be worried, but that is easier said than done. But enough on the negative let’s get to the positive!

Today I got up for my swim and was literally half asleep. Have you ever had that happen. I mean I don’t remember eating my breakfast before I left, but I know I did. But once I was in the pool I was feeling pretty good. Then I came home and started packing. I love to do this when no one is around in my house because it require a ton of talking to myself. I set up T1 and T2 in my living room and I walk myself through the race out loud. It goes a little something like, “I get out of the water, I take off my wetsuit, put on my socks, cleats…etc” and as I walk through the steps I point to what I need to put on. Odd? Maybe. Calming? Definitely!

So that is about all for me. I will hit the expo in the morning and then try and catch a movie in the afternoon and the on Sunday, it’s on! Wish me luck!!

Countdown to Providence 70.3

Ok so it is a pretty short countdown considering the race is on Sunday! Here's to hoping I don't melt and because part of Brown University's campus streets. Heh! Ok, kidding aside, I really hope the heat dies down a bit.

In preparation for this weekends race I decided to do Saturday's ride and run a bit later to see if I could withstand the heat. Let me tell you, there were a few climbs where I thought I might die and one where I just wanted to get off the bike and take a quick cat nap to regain some energy, but I did it and got a nice sun burn while I was at it. The only thing is due to the heat by Z1/Z2 ride was more like a Z2/Z3/Z4/Z-almost pass out ride. There was no way with that heat that I would have any chance to be in Z1, so I just pushed on through!

After the ride, I stopped at home and threw on my running shorts and a visor and managed to somehow convince my boyfriend to come run with me for 30 minutes in 95 degree weather. As I left my apartment, I heard from the pool, "Wait now you are going running too?" to which I just shook my head and thought "I know, I know, you don't get it. Most people can't wrap their head around it. Sometimes I also fall into that category." and then off we went.

Now the run was supposed to be an easy 30 minute Z1 run. Well within the first few minutes something felt weird. On the bike I had drank 3.5 water bottles of watered down gatorade and I thought I was hydrated, well once I got out on the run, I realized that I didn't really feel like I was. I was slow and heavy and couldn't focus and my heart rate was up in Z3. So we proceed to do a nice 30 min walk/jog/walk pattern and oddly enough even though I felt like I was crawling, I did maintain a 10:10 pace. Which is slow for me in Z1, but still a lot faster than I thought it was.

The rest of weekend went like this: work out, bbq, pool, workout, cocktails, bbq, in bed early. And I have to say it was a great weekend. Then I headed into quite a busy 4 day work week.

I have had two days of non-stop conference calls followed by some late night work outs. I feel like lately with the 102 degree weather, you can only get a decent run in after 9pm so that has been my life. I got up nice and early this morning for a 30 min steady swim, where the first 800 dragged on as if I had never swam before and I had to make sure to pick it up on the 2nd.

Tonight I have a ride and T run and I decided in order to keep myself motivated that I would leave my clothes at the gym. Kinda like dropping an anchor somewhere, so I have to go back and pick it up in order to move onto my work out tomorrow.

Then I begin a bit of a taper and get ready for Providence. I am not quite sure how I feel about the race yet, so I will save those thoughts for tomorrow. Now I am off to eat some cottage cheese and fruit.

Not for Nothin' But I Think God is Reading My Blog

Take a look at yesterdays post, I said the humidity needs to go. And this morning I wake up and take the dog out for her morning business and viola its beautiful out. And by beautiful I mean it was like 60 degrees, zero humidity. And it didn't even rain! So someone is listening to me!

Anywho, today has been a very productive day. I got up at 5:30am for a quick 58 min swim. Here's how it went down:

3 x 800
1x 500
all of TT + 10 with 30 second rest between sets

I can say that I was somewhat dreading it. But I psyched myself up, i.e. drank about a gallon of coffee and got to it. I can admit by the last 100-200 I am sure my form was more like a drowning person's but I did it. Then I took a quick steam and headed for home.

Once home, I had to make up my bike from yesterday so I hopped on the bike for a 1:50BST. I was comprised of the following:

30min Z1/ZR
3 x 10min (55-65rpm) with 4 min easy in between each
3 x (1 min at 105 rpm, 1 min at 95)
20 min ZR

I have to admit it would have been nicer to be outside on the bike, but I knew I had a limited amount of time to get everything done so there was no time to dilly dally. After the bike I headed out for a Z1/Z2 T Run with the first mile in Z2. I completed the first mile in 8:16, while huffing and puffing all over Hoboken. Then I finished up in Z1 and headed home.

When I got home I was there just in time for my furniture delivery. We are having visitors here from out of town this weekend and so we realized we would need to offer them a place to sleep and that we have been in our house for about 2 years and we still are not done decorating. So we bought a new day bed. And here it is:



Now all I need is a bookcase and some decorations and we are good to go. Then that will just leave a dresser and a kitchen table and some small decorations for the living room and everything will be done. Ahhh...I can just imagine what it will be like!

As for the rest of the day, I have work on the agenda along with making a vegetable tart for dinner. It will be my first time working with philo dough. Let's see how that turns out!

Enjoy your humidty free day!!!

Holy Humidity Batman!

Honestly, I just can't deal. Leaving the house after showering and starting to sweat once one foot is out the door, just doesn't work for me. Not one bit! I would rather never leave the house. All we need is one big storm and then having the walk to work will be doable again. But nooooooooo, they just keep saying it is going to rain and it keeps getting more muggy! Ok, now that I got that out of my systems, I can get on with my life.

This weekend was just tons of fun. Friday night I went out to meet up with a friend of mine who shares the same bday as me. She is a year younger so she was celebrating entering the world of thirty-somethings. I went and hung out at her party for a bit but headed home early so I wouldn't be too tired for mine the next day.

On Saturday morning, I got up and did the usual workout then spent a decent amount of time working on various mexican themed dips for the party. Then I put on the bikini and headed out to the pool for a little R&R before the party began. After the USA got dropped from the World Cup, people began to show and the party was underway in no time.

It was a fantastic time had by all and the night ended with some late night pizza and a nap on the couch. I have to say I have some absolutely wonderful friends!

Sunday was a lazy day. I worked out and hung out at the pool again, then rumor on the street was that Shop Rite had lobsters at 5.99 a pound and who are we to pass that up! So off to Shop Rite we went. Sunday ended with our own seafood fest. And with full bellies we went to bed early.

Monday, well why even bother right? You know the drill, it went like this Spin, Work, Swim, Spin and then for the grand finale an unbelievable dinner of ahi tuna steaks, asparagus and grilled peaches. Unbelievable!

Today is the 4th consecutive day of horrible humidity. I got up about ten minutes before I had to leave for work, showered and ran out the door. Tonight I have a 1:50 ride followed by a 20 min run. That is if I don't drop from heat stroke.

I will let you know what the results are tomorrow! Stay cool!

Birthday Weekend

So the weekend of fun is upon us. Yesterday I turned the big 3-1. Yup, 31, one of those in between ages that really means nothing. But I turned it, so this weekend we will celebrate. Tomorrow I have a 3:45 Z1/Z2 ride followed by a T run and then I plan on sitting around the pool until people arrive. The bf has planned a fiesta themed party that will most likely begin with the World Cup game and end lord knows when. We are stocking the house with Margaritas, Rita's ice for spiking and chips and salsa. All in all it should be a pretty filling party!

Tonight I am going to head out after work and treat myself to some birthday clothing. I figure why not buy myself something nice to wear at the party and maybe a few other things just for fun! So me and my best friend are going to shop and enjoy some post shopping cocktails in celebration of my week. And then it will be off to bed somewhat early so I can get out on the road before the early morning rush of bikers comes out.

Well everyone have a wonderful weekend.

A Morning Underwater

Yesterday was a pretty uneventful day. It was one of my days to work from home so I spent the day sitting on the floor at my coffee table just typing away. I did take a quick break to give the dog a bath since she hasn't had one in a while and we are having company this weekend, so that was nice. Hey, the dog's gotta look good too!

I finished off my day with dinner and the last few episodes of Weeds on dvd. And now I have to wait a whole season before I can find out what happens since I don't have Showtime. But that is a story for another time.

I headed to bed early in anticipation of an early wake up for my Wednesday swim. I had 56 minutes of steady swim on to do list.

When we got the pool this morning I shared a lane with a regular that I know and began my swim. The guy in the lane next to me was methodical. Apparently he had already been at it for about 40 minutes and he just didn't stop. So I am thinking maybe it was with his help that I got into my rhythm. I had no idea when I hit the 56minute mark, I was lost somewhere in my brain and my body had gone into auto pilot. I just kept going. Finally I stopped to see what time it was and I had gone over the hour mark by a bit so I decided I would get out of the pool and head for a steam.

Those kind of swim workouts are my favorite. I really think I could have spent the rest of my morning underwater. I would have just kept going until I ran out of steam. It is these kind of days where I realize how far I have come in my training. Fine, the pounds are melting off the way I would like them to, but I am getting stronger, without a doubt. Two years ago, this morning would not have happened. I would have been 20 laps in, and need a break. Today, after who knows how many laps, I had to make myself take a break.

So here's to starting the day on a positive note!

Long Branch Tri- Race Report

What a fun weekend! Friday night I packed my tri bag and had some pizza then headed to bed. At 4:30am the alarm went off and it was time to pack the car, pick up a friend and head down to Long Branch. It was a beautiful morning and it looked like it was going to shape up to be a decent day in terms of heat. Well that is, if we had started on time. But for some reason this event never starts on time. And as everyone knows, when you start late, a ton of things get thrown off. But thankfully I had a little extra food in my car, so I was able to get a few more calories in to try to even out the 1 hour delay. (I know, right?)

So after setting everything up, it was down to the water. Since it was a first tri for a few of my friends I think I spent more time worrying about them than thinking about the race, which turned out to be pretty good method for calming me down. So in went the guys for the longer course and 3 minutes later we followed. The water was about 67 degrees, which isn't too bad, but it still felt cold. And get this, there were 2 whale sightings that morning! And that is what they decided to tell us during the 20 second countdown. Comforting? Well whale's don't tend to eat people, so I just tucked that tidbit into the back of my mind and started to charge the waves, knowing that if I saw one I would freak out, but also hoping that the water would be cloudy enough I wouldn't know if I did see one.

About 2 minutes into the swim, I started to notice the current was a bit weird and a lot of people from the men's heat were floating on their back and having trouble getting past some of the waves. I wasn't feeling the best I have ever felt, but I just kept pushing. Before I knew it was around the last buoy and headed towards shore. Once out of the water I could hear my friends screaming my name while they waited for their start on the short course, and while trying to not pass out I couldn't help but smile. The worst part of the swim was the run up the beach and into transition. I would say my swim was probably about 1:30 less than the time they have for us, considering the run at the end. End result 600 yards in 9:04, 12th female out of the water and a possible throw up situation when I entered T1.

Once in T1 I honestly thought I was taking forever. I felt really out of it and was having some trouble catching my breath. But now that I see my time I wasn't that bad. In and out of T1 in 1:26.

The bike was nice and flat and except for a few portions the wind agreed with us. I managed to average 18.7 mph for for what they said was 18 miles and what my cateye said was a bit over 19. It was great. Knowing that I was in 12th I knew that I wouldn't see many women on the road. That is at least in front of me and the goal was to not have any pass me either. On the first loop I rode with a few guys and we played leap frog for a while. Then at the beginning of the second loop I decided to get ahead of them and end this game we were playing. At that point I passed one woman, flew through the last few miles and entered T2. So what was somewhere between an 18 and 19.5 mile ride came to 1:04:48.

Into T2 and I threw my stuff down and switched out of my cleats. Now here is the weird part, I thought T2 was way better than T1. It turns out I was wrong. T2 1:32. Huh? Whatever! Let's start running!

And here is where the starting an hour late comes and kicks you right in the ass. We did a five mile with 2 out and backs but in opposite directions, so we met in the middle to finish. Each out and back had one leg where the wind was in your face and one where it wasn't strong enough to push, you but the sun was strong enough to make you feel like you were melting. I started out around 8:00 min/miles and decided I would do what I could, and then if I felt bad, let myself taper for mile 3 then force myself to go "strong" for 4 and 5. I ended up making a friend around mile 3 and that made it a bit easier to deal with the heat. And when I crossed the finish line I was quite happy. 5 Miles in 42:24. I will take it!

Now the best part is this is a series of races, so there is no podium or anything along those lines. And it would figure that this would be that kind of race. My end all was:

83 out of 189
11th female
3rd in my AG

In the end, all of my friends but one finished and we all felt great. We spent the rest of the afternoon, sleeping on the beach, eating and enjoying some cocktails. I got up early again on Sunday, more so out of habit than necessity and I felt great. We spent that day with my pops and headed to bed early again on Sunday night.

This week should be fun. I turn the big 31 on Thursday and the bf is throwing me a Mexican Fiesta on Saturday with our close group of friends. I am exciting and looking forward to what 31 may bring!

It's Game Time!

Today I have the day off from working out and I can't lie, I am really happy about it. So I slept in. Now I am working on 11 hours of sleep! I love when I sleep that much. And the good thing is, I will need it. I realized I haven't said anything about this, buttomorrow is the Long Branch Tri Series Kick Off. Nothing too crazy really. I had registered for the longer course of 600 yard swim, 18 mile bike and 5 mile run, but it looks as though they put me in the sprint course. So I am trying to get that fixed by the morning. The fun part about this race is that it is going to be a first tri for 3 of my friends and my bf is coming to play paparazzi. So it should be a fun day. And after the race we are going to go out on a friends boat and get some fishing in.

The rest of the weekend should be pretty uneventful. We need to do a massive house cleaning at some point to get ready for the big bday celebration next weekend, yup I am getting older, but other than that it will just be off to the rents house for Father's Day. I am hoping to bring the pooch this time. She could use some time to run! We shall see!

All in all, not much to report today. I will be back in the next few days with a race report. All you dads have a Happy Father's Day!

A Night on The Couch

So last night I spent the night on the couch. I know sounds scandalous doesn't it? Not really though. After hanging out and watching some tv after dinner, I made myself a protein shake, walked the dog and we all headed to bed like a nice happy family. I was sitting in bed watching the Kardashians (no judging!) and then it was lights out. All of a sudden I felt something on my arm, then again something on my face, then on my other arm. At this point I jump out of bed screaming "There is something in the bed! There is something in the bed!" And yes, there was something in the bed....ANTS!

Now before you go a judgin' and think I am some dirty person that would have a dirty enough room to attract ants, let me explain. I live on the ground floor on my condo complex and in mid May, the property managers laid down some new mulch. Within about 3 days, our apartment and the two above were infested with ants. So we all bought some Raid and went to town. Since then we have had about 3 more large outbreaks. We then realized the ants are living in the mulch outside of our bedroom and in the tree. So we got more ant killer. And last night before bed we sprayed it again. So We think maybe there were still some ants in the air conditioner and they had no choice but to come in. So after that and about and hour of spraying and freaking out I decided to hit the couch. And so we had a nice sleep over in the living room.

So all of these shenanigans made it super easy to get up and swim today! I was tired but I did it anyway. I got in a 1:20 swim and called it a work out. Tonight I am heading out for a dinner date with a friend. Some wine and oysters and I will forget all about the ants, at least until I get home!

Just Keep Going, One Foot Right In Front of The Other

Well that has been the theme for today that is for sure. I got out of bed at around 7am to get ready for the 1:20 Z1/Z2 run that I had to make up from Sunday. The one that I missed so I could eat way outside of my diet and lounge on my couch? Yup that one! So got up, ate a chocolate powerbar, had a cup of coffee and set on my way. It was 52 Minutes in Z1 and the rest in Z2. So I decided to do an out and back. I would run out the water in Hoboken, out to Port Liberty in Weehawken and back. And here we go! Into the wind? What? So here is the bizarre part on the way out I hovered at the top of Z1 into the wind, not hot at all, but at the top and mostly 2 beats into Zone 2. Then I reach my turn around, run 3 more minutes but now in Zone R (HUH?) and then try to get into Zone 2. Now with the wind at my back and the sun in my face, I can't reach Zone 2 if I tried! It must have been the fact that I had the wind to my advantage, but seriously it was hardly windy and who knew it made that much of a difference? I did manage to reach Zone 2 but with how beat I was from my spin classes I thought it might kill me!

By the time I was finished, I was dead tired and my legs were trashed. So I got home by 9am only to enter the busiest day at my job yet. I knew that I at least had a bike ride to get in before the end of the day and possibly another run. So I did the smart thing and rearranged my schedule a bit. I worked straight through the day only to stop to make a salad and some bbq chicken and then it all started again!

Back on the bike for a tempo ride at 6:00. It was a 1:30 Z1/Z2 ride and since I had my reader on the trainer with me I can say that it was bearable. But I can't lie, I finished up, logged my times and cracked open a beer. After the day I had I am lucky I didn't open all of the beers in the fridge. And now for the perfect ending to a crazy day, I plan to grill some tuna steaks and mushrooms, with a side of fresh avocado and sit on the porch and enjoy the last bit of day light.

Now one foot in front of the other to the patio.

A New Riding Buddy..I Guess?

So Saturday came with the threat of storms, so I sighed and got on the trainer. I had a 3:25 Z1/Z2 ride and I was not excited about being indoors for it. But I put some Arrested Development DVDs in and started pedaling. I was about 1 episode in, that I just said "Fuck it!" and I got off the trainer grabbed my helmet and a powerbar and decided to risk it. I figured, if it started to really storm I could had three options:

1)Call a cab and hope that they sent one with room for the bike
2)Call my boyfriend and hope he could find me
3)Hang out in the rain until it cleared up a bit and hope I didn't get struck by lightening.

In my mind, all of those options were better than sitting in my guest room watching TV. And beside I figured I could use a little fresh air and alone time. Little did I know....

I was about 20 minutes into my ride thinking, this is fantastic, out here alone, pushing myself when I want, deciding my own pace and enjoying myself. I was about to pull up to a red light when all of a sudden someone in a blue Italia jersey flew passed me and said "Come on little momma, keep pedaling!" At that point I was confused, because the light was red and I didn't want to get hit by a car, but off this character went. So the light turned green and this "little momma" got back to pedaling. It was then that I realized that Italia had slowed his pace a bit and kept looking over his shoulder. Finally he caught my eye and waved me up to him.

So there I went up to this stranger to see what he wanted. (Did my parents not teach me anything!) And next thing I know we are riding buddies. Now this would have been fine, except it was more like the worst game of cat and mouse. All I did for the next 3 hours is chase this guy. We did about 6 killer climbs and every time I fell behind, I heard "Come on little momma, pedal!!!" and so I did! And that is how it went for the remainder of my relaxing ride with myself!

It turned out he was from the tri club from Hoboken and quite an interesting person to ride with. I felt trashed when I got back but I knew it was a good workout. It was just such a strange situation. What is the etiquette with that anyway? Can you just drop back from the person and then they get the hint? Or do you have to explicitly say, "I don't want to ride with you." Not sure what the best practices are for deferring a bike partner! But I can say I am glad that I didn't.

The remainder of the weekend was filled with eating and relaxing, we finished off Saturday with the US/England soccer match. (Snooze fest!) And then on Sunday we headed into the city for the New York BBQ Festival and sampled some phenomenal bbq, from pulled pork, to ribs and brisket. It was delicious. Then we headed home to hold the couch down for the rest of the night.

Today is the usual spin, swim, spin, and I must say I was quite proud of my full class this morning and a good friend who came to class for the first time ever today!

Other than that it is just another Monday here in my world.

Riding for Fun

This morning, I got up at 5am, got into my biking gear and met my friend, who is just starting to bike and we went on a bike ride. Yup a bike ride, like for fun. What is that you say? Oh it is what people do leisurely, not sweating, eating cubes and gus and drinking Gatorade. Just pedaling, looking around and talking. And you know what? It was fun! See my friend just got a hibrid bike last October and she hasn't gone many places on it, so we decided to ride up to the park where I usually ride and then ride back along the Hudson. We left at 5:30 with no traffic on the main roads and got to the park with some challenging climbs in the mix. Then we spent a little time in the park and then headed back.

On our way back I realized that there was a lot more traffic, so we decided to go really scenic and ride along the water. We checked out condos and boats and made it back to Hoboken in about 2 hours. And then she said the best thing ever. When I went to say goodbye she said "Thanks so much for taking me. I feel great now, like I can conquer the world!" And right then and there I thought...so the addiction begins, she will have a road bike in no time! So maybe I will have a new riding partner in the next few months. But in the mean time, I should probably go out and ride for fun a bit, it might make training more enjoyable.

So since I didn't get the hard ride in during the day I had to put the bike on the trainer and get busy. I got back, refilled my Gatorade, ate a powerbar and then it I faced my 1:30 tempo ride. It went a little like this:

20 min ZR/Z1 (I chose zone 1 because I was feeling good)
2 x (20 min Z2, 5 min Z1)
20 min ZR/Z1 (My heart chose Z1)

When I got done I felt great. I saved my hill bounding for tomorrow at work. For some reason I like to hill bound at lunch on Fridays. Maybe because it splits up the day.

As for tonight, the bf is back home after a week away and we are heading out for some cocktails. But not too many because I have an early morning swim on the horizon.

Talk to you manana!!

The Three S's

No, not those three! My three, Spin, Swim and Spin! That is my Monday in a nut shell! This weekend was fantastic, I am sorry I didn't update, but I decided to stay away from technology all together! So it was nice and relaxing and full of great friends. I did run into a bit of a training snafu though. So on Saturday I woke up and it was hot, but not normal hot, heavy humid hot. It felt like I was being smothered by the air. Awful! So I didn't really think a 3 hour outdoor ride would be in my best interest! So for the first time in a long time I turned off the alarm, got back into my blanket cocoon and drifted right back off to sleep. GLORIOUS!

I got up around 9am (I know, it probably sounded like I was on my way to sleep until like 2pm from the last sentence, but hey 9am is late for me!) and made some fresh fruit salad and coffee, then hopped on the bike. I did my 45 minutes of Tabata drills with 8 x (20 sec BSE and 10 sec rest) smack dab in the middle and then headed out for a surprisingly short T run of 39 min. And damn was it hot. I got back, after having to run at a snails pace to keep myself in Z1, drenched. Drenched with a purple face! My face normally doesn't even turn red usually when I run if that gives you an idea of where I was at!

I got back, grabbed my gatorade and went out to lay next to the pool and soak my legs. And not gonna lie, throw in a few costume changes, a few meals and some visits from friends, and that was my weekend in a nutshell!

So other than that work out, I decided, with the help of a friend, to plant all of the flowers we had bought for our apt complex. With two people it took about 2 hours, but it was well worth it, we spruced the place up a bunch! Then it was more food and more sleep.

When I got up on Sunday, I noticed a weird spasm in my lower left side of my back. Now I never say things like "I am getting old" but I think it might be happening! EEEK! After two hours of bending and planting I was in pain the next day. So I made an executive decision and decided that getting on the bike was not happening. Instead, I took the dog out for one of two 40 minute walks and headed back to the pool to rest and read. After a few hours of peace and quiet I went into the house veg and wait for that horrific storm we were supposed to get. Not so much! We got about 5 minutes of rain and then some more sunshine. So we headed out for another walk with the pooch, grabbed some water ice and a doggy ice cream cup (Yup Rita's has a little cup of custard with a dog bone in it for your four legged water ice buddy!) for the dog (she loved it!) and headed back home to call it a night.

So back to the SSS combo. I have two S's down, and I have one to go! I haven't taught spin in two weeks due to my business trip and Memorial Day, so I actually don't mind that I have to do it tonight. Then I have some chicken sausage and sauteed spinach and mushrooms on the menu for tonight and another early night.

But for now it is a few more hours of work.....