Mother on the Run

Words of Wisdom: Alberto Salazar

2012-05-20T08:48:00.000-04:00

I had as many doubts as anyone else. Standing on the starting line, we're all cowards.
-- Alberto Salazar

That nervousness is doubt...turn it into excitement!

Give-Away Winners: Announced

2012-05-19T13:47:00.000-04:00

The "Running with the Mind of Meditation" books go to....drum roll please....

Congratulations! Please email me your mailing address at crazymotherontherun@gmail.com, and I'll have this out to you soon!

The Weight of the Nation

2012-05-18T13:42:00.001-04:00

Fast food, processed food, lack of exercise, lack of funding for physical fitness classes for kids, fear of your child playing outside without parental supervision, government funding of cheaply processed foods...there are a multitude of reasons why the US has an obesity epidemic. But, we can stop it...we can start in our homes. We can ensure that our children are insulated from these external factors that negatively influence poor nutrition. We can also watch this documentary series:

http://theweightofthenation.hbo.com/films

HBO (along with the CDC and a ton of other organizations) put together a 4-part miniseries documentary on the state of the nation, quite literally the weight of the nation. Watch simply one show episode every night, and see if this doesn't move you into making better decisions!

Fortunately, you do not need to have HBO to access this miniseries...so no excuses!

I highly recommend the series, as just maybe you will find information in here that you can use as a tool to encourage better decision making for yourself and your family.

FitBit: A Week Later

2012-05-15T13:28:00.000-04:00

So, I've been using FitBit for almost a week. I've found the device very easy to use. The interface is great if you are looking at one week or one month at a time. The daily view is very difficult to interpret, but then again, we shouldn't be focused on hour to hour changes...the interface is great if you are watching your progress over weeks or months!

The communication between MyFitnessPal and Fitbit could be quicker, but for the most part, it works. I think the key is to use MyFitnessPal solely for recording calories. Do not enter a goal or a food plan into MyFitness Pal, and then completely disregard any exercise/net/remaining calories. If you disregard these, then you base all of your data/plans on FitBit, which works fine.

Then again, you need to realize that the online data will always be behind the device that is attached to you. This is fine if you are sitting at your computer at home, where the wireless connector resides...but if you spend hours in front of a work computer, don't even bother checking FitBit, unless you are reviewing historical information. It does do a decent job at estimating calorice burn rate, but it could easily be a couple hundred calories off by the afternoon of a work day.

So, have I learned anything this last week? First and foremost, I now know why I'm always so disappointed with a lack of results when going on a diet. I'm amazed at how sedentary my life is! The graph below (from FitBit's site) clearly illustrates my burn versus eaten. My burn is easily increased when I exercise, but if I don't I'm shocked at how low it is!

A few realities have already set in:

During a typical work day, assuming I do NOT do cardio, I burn a mere 1900 calories.
During a somewhat busy weekend day, assuming I do NOT do cardio, I burn around 2300 calories.

There are no stairs in Florida. Its so hot that we rarely spend much time outside unless its between Novemebr and April. I have a desk job....which means I just don't walk much during the day. All of these play into those low numbers above.

I suppose I've always understood the concept of in/out calorie-wise, but I presumed that based on my weight, my natural metabolism would burn much more than 1900 during a week day! Just going out to lunch and having dinner typically puts me over that...so in essence, if I indulged over the weekend as well, I would put weight on every single week. This was definitely an eye-opener. I was always so discouraged when I wouldn't lose a pound when I went under 1600 calories. Well, assuming I only burned 1900/day, I would have to do this for 12 days before losing a single pound...and with the changes in water weight that occur throughout a body, this may not even be seen on a scale for a good three weeks. Wow....maybe I was delusional to think that I burned more than 2000 calories/day.

So, the Fitbit has thrown it into my face that I need to be more active....not just for "exercise" sessions, but for every day activities. I need to take the stairs whenever possible. I need to walk around work more. I need to do things that don't require me to sit for extended periods of time. This is very obvious to me now.

On the other hand, I have worn it while sleeping, and the site assigns a percentage to your sleep efficiency...I had one bad night of sleep, but for the most part, I consistently scored above 95%. So, at least I know I'm getting a decent amount of sleep and a decent quality of sleep.

I think I always had a good sense of my calorie intake, but its this other side of the equation that I was just assuming that the quick-and-dirty formulas were working for me. And maybe without this kitchen fire which has forced me to eat out for the last 4 months would never required this type of understanding, but I'm glad I did it!

Our kitchen will not be done for a good 3 weeks, so I definitely plan on wearing this at least until then. Will update you after another week!

FitBit Ultra...initial thoughts

2012-05-09T20:29:00.001-04:00

I just got this from amazon last night....I've always wanted to check these little things out, so I succumbed. So far though, I'm intrigued!

What came in the package? The Fitbit Ultra, a "pager" style holder (not really needed), a synching/charging cable/base, and a soft wristband that holds the fitbit while you sleep. There is absolutely no paper in the package...you are simply directed to go to Fitbit. You then download the synching application and create an online account. Simple.

The application download took forever to install, so I just let it run when I went to bed. Finished setting up my account in a mere 2 minutes in the morning.

Now, one thing I like about this is that is somewhat syncs with MyFitnessPal. You log all of your activities at Fitbit, and all your food at MyFitnessPal. They do not sync instantaneously, but if you are looking for trends or prior-day successes, this is well done. You should not log activity in MyFitnessPal, nor log food in Fitbit, as its possible that you will double-count calorie intake/burn.

So, I really started using this just before 7am. Based on my weight, activity level, etc, the online tool estimates your calorie burn and then when you sync your device, its trued up.

Initial surprises:

It was easy to attach to the side of my bra right under my upper arm...there is no chance of it slipping and it really is quite small. I could feel it, but it didn't bother me. I'll do this if I have form-fitting waist clothing, but its easy enough to put this around the waistband if the clothing is better suited for this.
I'm shocked at how little I exert energy while at work. I know that its a desk job, but I seriously walked less than 1500 steps before leaving work. I burned a mere 1200 calories before 5pm. This was an eye opener already.
Knowing how little I burned at work made it more necessary for me to exercise tonight...hard NOT to do this!
The Fitbit can be viewed at any time to get current day's stats....so its more up to date/accurate than the website/mobile application.
Its 8pm, and my busiest time (eg most energy used) is definitely in the evening. My Fitbit currently states 8:20pm, 8909 steps, 4.83 miles, 2042 calories burned, 2 flights of stairs climbed. This was AFTER 30 minutes on the elliptical, so I already know that if I do not actively exercise during the week, I'm a FOOL thinking that I can maintain my weight during a normal work week.

I'm curious to see how this day compares to my average work day versus an average weekend day over the next few weeks. What really is "norm" for me?

No Tri for Me

2012-05-09T14:17:00.001-04:00

So, I've decided not to do the tri this weekend. Turns out our house will be in shambles with the remodel starting. I'm truly excited for this, but they will be there late saturday and then starting right up again on Monday. While I would love the experience of an introduction to a tri, which is exactly what Danskin offers, I need to be there for the kitchen remodel. We've simply gone too long without anything, and I deserve it to be perfect and traveling out of town while this is occuring is simply not in my long-term best interest right now.

But, even though I'm not participating, I hope that the comments/training plan that I've outlined has been of interest to others. If nothing else, maybe you can see yourself doing a tri now. Its not quite as initimidating as I once thought...so maybe next time I'll give it a go!

What, What You Say to Me!

2012-05-09T11:08:00.000-04:00

Today, I introduce a guest blogger. Bob Schwartz has authored the book "I Run, Therefore I Am – NUTS!” which I know is a subject that we all can relate to! He has a new book coming out this year, but until thats out, you can certainly enjoy his humor at his new blog called Running Laughs. He really does hope that more people than just his wife know that it exists, so check it out! And now...onto Bob...and an excerpt from his new book below.

*********************

One of the differences between running and many other sports is its individualistic nature. How successfully you perform depends on you alone, and how hard you’re willing to go outside of your comfort zone is self-regulated. Our internal voice tells us when to push it harder, and sometimes an undermining voice arises and tells us to go back to sleep when the alarm clock goes off or to cut a run short. My internal voice often employs reverse psychology by appealing to my nuts running gene and asking, “What would a sane person do?”

But now we have other voices coming at us through what we wear on our wrist. Years ago running watches didn’t have much more than a stopwatch function. Want to know how far you went? Get in your car, retrace your route, and track it the old-fashioned odometer way. A little more difficult to measure those narrow single-track trail runs. Eventually, GPS technology emerged and we not only had our distance staring us in the face from our running watch, but our pace as well. But why stop there? We can now get the number of calories burned, elevation chart for our route, and the temperature. We can get our heart rate, mile splits, cadence, and step count. A vibration alarm signals when we’ve gone off pace. Heck, eventually our watches will probably be able to tell us how many more strides before we should re-hydrate or pop an energy gel packet.

I certainly welcome all the magic that running watches can provide. However, there’s one addition I can do without. Most of us don’t have a reality show with a personal trainer shouting words of encouragement. Nor do we have, on a daily basis, race spectators shouting phrases like “You’re looking good.” But now we can. Sort of. Running watches have come along containing messages that attempt to put us on a pedestal after our runs. The wizards of watch technology offer words of praise like “Atta boy,” or “Job well done,” or “Way to go.” I recognize that some runners enjoy those accolades from their wrist. Personally, I’m leaning toward the opinion that if I need compliments from a chronometer or tributes from my timepiece, well, I may have other issues.

Does any other aspect of my life provide unsolicited words of praise? Heck, no. What’s next? My computer saying, “Nice sentence, Bob! Way to string those humorous metaphors. You da man, Shakespeare!” Or does my car tell me, “That was a heck of a parallel parking job! Nobody does that better than you.” I can’t imagine my stove top saying, “Nice omelet flip there, Chef Incredible! And the coffee this morning smelled divine.”

The last things I’m looking for after a particularly bad run are flattering yet fallacious words, which are about as welcome at that point as learning a course was mismeasured after you’d set a PR. It’s like the queen and her mirror in Snow White:
“My watch, my watch, on my hand. Who’s the fastest in the land?”
“You, my runner, are fastest of them all.”
I wouldn’t bet on it.

What I need are the words of legendary coach Bill Bowerman when my alarm clock goes off as a chilly rain pounds on my roof and I contemplate going back to sleep. I could use a bright flashing neon sign plastered across my bedroom ceiling with Bill’s words “There’s no such thing as bad weather, just soft people.” And feel free to toss in for good measure “So get your lazy hiney out of bed there you weak little man. Now!” I also could use, in the latter stages of a race, my watch to feed me a double dose of Winston Churchill, such as “Never, never, never give up” and “If you’re going through hell, keep going.” I don’t need pearls of drivel like “Wow, you’ve just gone 20 miles. Amazing! You’re the greatest. The wall may be coming soon. Feel free to jog it in from here or, better yet, just take the sweep bus to the finish.”

Running watches also come with an artificial runner that lays down the gauntlet to challenge us to a race. That’s more like it: a healthy dose of virtual competition. Add in some trash talking and all the better! Let my watch berate me with “Is that all you got, Wonder Boy?” or “Feel free to pick up the pace anytime now.”

What I could also use before a race is to glance down at my watch to see words of wisdom from Steve Prefontaine. Such as “I run to see who has the most guts, who can punish himself into exhausting pace, and then at the end, punish himself even more. Somebody may beat me, but they are going to have to bleed to do it.” That’ll get my heart pumping. I don’t need flattering bouquets like “I just love the way your singlet matches your shorts.”

Feel free to give me a watch that will tell me after a run, “That wasn’t good enough, twinkle toes. Better be ready to push it tomorrow!” It was Prefontaine who also said, “You cannot propel yourself forward by patting yourself on the back.” Or by having your watch do the patting for that matter. Or your computer, car, or stove top.

RRCA Certified Coach....Yeah Baby Yeah!

2012-05-08T19:49:00.000-04:00

I can now proudly display this logo on my site! As you may recall, I took the 2-day, 16-hour course back in March. Later that month, I took the certification exam and scored well over 90%. In April, I earned by First Aid certification. And this month, I earned my in-class CPR certification. Yep, thats right. All requirements are now complete, with just a few days to spare.

Looking back, I know that I earned this certification just for me. I love learning facts and understanding concepts, and this is no different when it comes to running. I have a strong NEED to understand why I'm doing what I'm supposed to be doing. Just having someone tell me what I need to do simply isn't sufficient. Then again, I find a lot of confidence from learning the process, and I do hope to share it with others some day.

Sure, I have no interest/time to become a devoted coach to others. But, I love being available to answer questions, you know? I love being able to cheer people on and motivate them to do more than they ever thought they could. Therefore, this certification falls completely in line with this part of my personality.

I hope to share some of this knowledge that I have gained. Some may be new to you. Some may be something you've always read and did. Some may motivate you. Either way, I hope I can inspire you.

Words of Wisdom: Mark Will-Weber

2012-05-06T22:05:00.000-04:00

Running is real and relatively simple…but it ain't easy.
--Mark Will-Weber

So true. Its such a simple thing that everybody thinks they can do it, so when they decide to become a runner, they often only make it to the end of their block (if that!). There is a lot more to it than just putting one foot in front of the other. The mental game to running is quite under-rated!

Sprint Triathlon Training Plan - Week 8

2012-05-06T13:23:00.005-04:00

Taper week! Now, overall effort reduces by 50% ....give your body a chance to recover from any overuse that you have not realized yet, and again this is not the time to risk any injury...your body should be taking it easy now.

Give Away: Running with the Mind of Meditation Book!

2012-05-01T13:34:00.000-04:00

A new book out....definitely worth a read. I never realized before how similar meditation and running are! They both go through similar phases in obtaining a goal. They both go through a similar mindset when reaching the once-considered-unreachable goal. Whether you are running marathons or have just started walking for health, this is a good reference book. There are so many similarities to both this ultra physical activity and the ultra solitude/quiet that is associated with meditation. And, the face that we ALL know that running is more of a mental sport than a physical sport surely has been experienced by anyone that has run farther than a 5k! It takes focus to develop and retain that endurance.

a Rafflecopter giveaway As I've said before, the idea of meditation, while insanely simple to comprehend, has always been a bit hard for me to embrace. While simple in concept, there are a lot of obstacles in the way to attaining the meditative state and as a result, the entire process has intimidated me. But this book breaks it down into such simple and concrete steps....and even if you do not "meditate" you will come to realize that running in and of itself is a form of meditation (or at least completely the opposite that they actually have a lot in common!). You are so in touch with your body, every motion that you focus is on the physical...and in doing so, you free your mind of any deep thoughts. You are focusing on your every movement. As Sakyong puts it "Movement is good for the body; stillness is good for the mind." To do one well, you need the other. That whole ying-yang approach to a sport is so essential. Think of the way we design a training plan...we have those rest days for a reason other than to rest your bones/muscles. With the rest days, our strength actually improves! This is a metabolic fact....muscle strength occurs during the rebuild phase, eg rest days.

Breathing and movement are essential for a well-balanced and healthy life (both physical and mental). Check it out...or better yet, enter to win your own copy by completing the form above! Good luck!

Allied Medal Displays...for the kiddies too!

2012-05-01T12:34:00.001-04:00

There are a ton of things we buy our kids. My boy loves his legos, and there is never a lack of legos on his lego table, aka dining room table. My girl...she loves writing stories and drawing pictures to go along with those stories. Even given these preferences, there is never a lack of things that they 'want' and the wish list is endless!

Even then, the idea of buying something for my 5 and 6-year old now that will last them into adulthood is rare. What other single purchase is appropriate at this age as well as 20 years from now? What other item will be appreciated and still be in pristine condition now and then? What item is durable enough to withstand their constant touching? These kids have already earned medals from participating on a soccer team as well as a variety of kids races. Currently, they are hung on their bedposts. That may be fine for some, but I rather like the idea of displaying them properly...by giving them a special place, pride of those medals soon follow. It should be a symbol of pride to them every day that they look at them.....throughout their childhood. I want to encourage that. After all, thats why I wanted one for mine...to encourage me to move forward in athletics!

So, no, a medal display is not just for us adults that want to hold our fabulous bling. I took a lot of care in specifying which display is appropriate for them...it had to be timeless and not sport-specific (who knows what they will be playing in the future!) but also it had to be inspiring! Some may chose a bible verse, some may chose a simple word such as "BELIEVE" and some may chose their name. I wanted something inspirational for my kiddies "Always Earned...Never Given")...something that would be appropriate now and in their future to propel them forward, whether it be a sport or an academic decathalon! Even legos are not as good as this gift.

Oh and yes, my son's 5th birthday was this past week...and he absolutely glowed when he saw it! He held it up to Mommy's and just beamed with excitement having one so similar to mine!

Allied Medal Displays for the best bling holders around! Use discount/promotion code CMOTR for a 10% discount (should at least cover your S&H).

My Fitness Pal

2012-04-30T15:39:00.001-04:00

So, I mentioned that I was going to be strict with myself. I was always a die-hard mydailyplate fan, but this time around, I'm counting my calories with MyFitnessPal.com. Why? Well, first and foremost its free (even the smart phone app) AND I don't typically need to search for items when listing them on their interface.

I just grabbed a 1/4 cup fo peanuts and did I have to search to log them? No!!! I just scanned the barcode. This is great! Perfect for those people addicted to their smart phones, like me. You can easily add everything from your phone, but if you need to see the whole picture, just log onto their website and check our your summary detail. For example, on the mobile version, I can see total calorie count and remaining calories....but I cannot readily see total protein for the day. But, I pop on over to the regular web version and everything is in front of me.

So, again, why is this so great? So many times I will search for a food item to log. By scanning this, I'm saving my time and experiencing less frustration because I no longer have to weigh two similar entries in the database that appear almost identical. Time savings, accuracy and easier entry....what more could you ask for!

So far, this one is two thumbs up!

Why race?

2012-04-30T11:12:00.002-04:00

Someone asked me if I could explain why I race in 100 words or less. Of course, I'm more verbose than that, but I did manage to do it in under 200 words!

I’m always filled with anxiety when prepping for a race. Am I up to the challenge? Will I feel insecure while being surrounded by hardbodies? Will I hit a wall? And yet, once I arrive there, that anxiety washes away. I see people just like me. I feel a kindred spirit with these other athletes. I realize that I will be slower than some, and faster than others. I am running my own race, against myself, against my past times and the current conditions. I’m there in the moment ready to go. I take a final deep breath and when that shotgun is heard I focus only on the task at hand, and run. Whether it’s a good time or a bad time, I will run. I will finish the race. I will be proud that I overcame that anxiety. I will be proud to be a finisher and get that bling….after all, that bling was earned!

100 Days of No Kitchen

2012-04-29T21:42:00.000-04:00

This has got to have been the most insane/busy/crazy/chaotic 4 months of my life. I managed to lose quite a bit of weight last year, and I was keeping it off in the beginning of this calendar year while I was running so much, but then eventually this whole "eating out every single meal of the day/week/month" has caught up with me and its gotta stop. We've been kitchenless for now an entire 100 days and a good chunk of that has been in my "no running" period. So, why the impetus now?

I still don't have a kitchen.

I feel like a porker.

I don't like the look of my body now.

I don't like this lack of stamina that the ITBS injury resurrected.

I'm tired every evening, much more than when I was running.

My clothes are getting tighter on me!

I still do not have a kitchen....and I still need to eat out for every meal.

This...quite simply...sucks.

Now, I know i need to turn this around quick before I gain ALL the weight back. I can handle getting rid of the 10 pounds that I have gained...but it cannot become more than 10! I have to promise myself that. In reality, I haven't stepped foot onto a scale since this whole kitchen fire fiasco began, so I'm estimating the 10...for fear its more and I would simply cry in shame at seeing a bigger number. But, I digress....it feels like its 10 pounds, so thats what I need to focus on.

I had my run where I realized that I need to do some work....it was a hard realization, but honestly it wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be! So, now the rebuild begins. I'll be focusing on mileage/frequency more so than diet. Even if you order healthy options, you still put on more calories than you would eating the same exact meal at home. Whether its because of the quality of the ingredients or the hidden portion sizes or the fact that you are not actively MAKING dinner and instead sitting on your ass while someone else works for you....well, lets just say I can't control most of the food intake until i get my kitchen back. So, the goals are activity-focused:

Monday night, I will run a 5k. I will not go for time (as I know I'm slow still), but I will go for distance.
Tuesday night we have plans, so I don't think I'll be able to get out for a run that evening, but if there is no alcohol involved, I will definitely try, even if its a measly 2 miles.
Wednesday night, Joe has baseball. If it gets cancelled, I will go for a 5k. If it doesn't, I will go on the elliptical for two 15-minute sessions...or just take this as a rest day.
Thursday, I will run a 5k in the morning.
Friday, I will run a 5k in the morning, or take it as a rest day.
Saturday, I will run 4 miles in the morning.
Sunday, my first "long" run will be a total of 4.5 miles.

Yep, thats the plan for the first week back. Hopefully I can accomplish more than 75% of it, but its doable if I don't get distracted too much...tons of short runs to ensure my stamina is built sufficiently. Fortunately, I'm not starting over completely. My bones have a solid year of strength building and while the last 5-6 weeks has not helped, my bone strength is pretty much where I left them off. Therefore, I CAN run every day...so if you are new to running, please do NOT try this same protocol! I have no idea how much muscle strength I have lost, but at least my cardio strength should get considerably better by this weekend at least.

I just need to ensure that I do not compare myself to where I was a few months back. Its pretty close to summer down here, and I need to go slower, so speed should not be an issue. I want to get to a comfortable 6-mile long run within 2 weeks. Then, a 9-mile long run within 2 months.

Sprint Triathlon Training Plan - Week 7

2012-04-29T13:23:00.004-04:00

Last week of serious training...make it work!

Overcoming Fear: Returning to Running after an Injury

2012-04-26T10:33:00.000-04:00

Truth be told, I really didn't think I had an ITBS. It was possible that it was something else, but every indication led me to ITBS. Its an ugly acronym even! But, it needed some serious attention. I know some runners who ignore it and try to overcome it with just light running and end up in excruciating pain for 6 months. No way did I want to let that happen to me, and while I did miss the Iron Girl as a result, I know that the ITBS injury is now behind me. 5 weeks of no running...thats a lot to get back!

I was apprehensive about going out for a real run last night. The elliptical is simply not the same. I haven't wanted to push myself and really, I've let this injury get the best of me....mentally, that is. I was more than apprehensive about a real run...I was afraid of absolutely sucking wind! I recall back in early December, I took off 3 weeks due to a knee issue....it took me a solid 3 weeks to just get back to the point of where I was. Knowing that I injured myself on 3/18 (and I tried to do a real run about 1 week afterwards)....well, I knew I was not going to be happy.

I procrastinated. I did get into my running clothes around 6:30, but I definitely had to let my stomach settle after a light dinner at Atlanta Bread Company. Then, I had to put together my son's lego ninjago birthday present from earlier in the week. Then, I realized that I hadn't charged my watch in forever. Then, I walked into my daughter's room and realized that it was a sheer mad mess and had to clean it. Then, I had nothing else to distract me. It was 8:30...dark (maybe I wanted it to be dark also since I expected the worst and didn't want anyone to see me!)....and there were no more opportunities for procrastination. So, I donned my watch, my shoes and went out the door.

Now, I had low expectations. I planned on hopefully running 2 miles.

I felt fat. I felt slow. But, I did 2.1 miles without stopping, with an average pace of 10:48. That in and of itself surprised me. I also realized that its been so long that I forgot how to use my watch (yes, .4 mile into it my watch said .1). I also realize that I have a long way to go to get back to running 10 miles every weekend.

So, new goals for me. Its my resolution to myself....nobody else. I'm going to kick this running thing again. I've been sidetracked before, so I just need to focus and reinforce the positive (which is the reason for so many uplifting quotes as of late!). After all, I have a tri to race in a few weeks! And, I have a half marathon to kick ass at in the Fall! Alas, I need to focus on some short-term goals....

Run at least 2 miles every day for the next 2 weeks. Slowly build to 2.5 miles and then to 3 miles and then to 3.5 miles. Will hold at 3.5 miles for a bit until I'm confident that I can increase distance. But at least the daily running should help with both my confidence and my weight (remember, I said I felt fat).

Thats the plan. I'm glad I ran tonight. I'm glad that I overcame the dread and lament and fear and loathing of that pavement. But, its a new day...and I need to prove something to myself now. Watch out!

Sprint Triathlon Training Plan - Week 6

2012-04-22T13:22:00.003-04:00

Similar to last year....keep checking to see how the race gear works with you!

Words of Wisdom: Pre

2012-04-16T19:34:00.001-04:00

“Success isn't how far you got, but the distance you traveled from where you started.”
- Pre

Its easy to be a great runner when you have Olympian parents. Its easy to be a great football player when your brother is also a pro football player. There is something to be said for genetics. After all, the Boston Marathon is clearly an example of Darwin's theory. If you want to have fast children, marry a Boston qualifier!

So, I will never be an Olympian. I have farther to go. I will never be a super-svelte gazelle gliding under 25 minutes for a 5k. My parents were not athletes. Our family pushed academics and music, not physical activity. I also weighed over 190 pounds a year ago. Two children (and a genetic predisposition to weight doomed me for a few years). And, while I am finally down to a size 8, I still don't look like a gazelle. But, I'm pretty darn good and strong for someone who has been running for less than a year!

I've come a long way....I view my efforts, thus far, as successful! I know I still have far to go....but I'm confident that those will be equally so.

Sprint Triathlon Training Plan - Week 5

2012-04-15T13:22:00.028-04:00

Half way! Skills are now assumed to be set, so we start working on endurance (eg sharpening skills). As you can see, there are a lot more "bricks" this week in order to prepare me for the transitions.

Its also time to start thinking about required gear! A few essentials come to mind:

sunscreen
warm clothes
snacks pre-race as well as fuel during
"butt" butter (butt'er) or body glide
clothes to wear during event

But, its also time to start testing race-day equipment! For the bike portion:

Bike (with bike frame number)
Helmet (with helmet number)
shoes
hydration
basic bike tools in saddle bag
Pump attached to bike

For the running portion:

running shoes with yankz (elastic shoelaces)
socks
visor/sunglasses (although I will probably go without as I rarely run with these now)
clothing options

Words of Wisdom: Bart Yasso

2012-04-11T21:03:00.000-04:00

"I often hear someone say I'm not a real runner. We are all runners, some just run faster than others. I never met a fake runner."
-Bart Yasso

We all need to remember this. While I may not be speedy and also need to take time off because I get injured every now and then due to this whole newness of running....I am a runner. I'm not faking it. I do it. Therefore, I am.

Upcoming Give-Away Alert

2012-04-05T21:34:00.001-04:00

I have in my hands two hardcover copies of a new book about running and meditation (the book hasn't even been released yet, so I feel a bit giddy about having two advance copies sent to me by the publishing group). I must say that the idea of meditation, while insanely simple to comprehend, has always been a bit hard for me to embrace. While simple in concept, there are a lot of obstacles in the way to attaining the meditative state and as a result, the entire process has intimidated me. So, I will begin reading this week...and the other will be mailed to the giveaway reader!

Sakyong writes this book while training for Boston. He breaks down the process of meditation and relates it to running, starting with base building. But, to step back, what does meditation have to do with running? A lot! There are so many similarities to both this ultra physical activity and the ultra solitude/quiet that is associated with meditation. And, the face that we ALL know that running is more of a mental sport than a physical sport surely has been experienced by anyone that has run farther than a 5k! It takes focus to develop and retain that endurance.

So, consider how your running is a journey of your mind...if you could capture its strength and funnel its energy, what kind of runner could you become?

Beach Palooza

2012-04-04T15:28:00.000-04:00

Last year's event was a lot of fun (so I was told today by a friend who is in the St Pete/Clearwater Sports Commission). He said that he was going to participate this year, so I decided to follow along and don a pineapple hat as well. What is there to lose...besides my dignity?

What is there to gain? Well, it does look like a lot! Last year, Beach Dash had 6 events in the country. This year? 4 are already planned, with more coming soon. Chicago, Galveston, Long Beach and St Pete are on the agenda thus far. So, November 3rd, I will be heading towards St Pete Beach to participate in my first ever Beach Dash!

Rounding your way through this 5k obstacle course starts with Noodle Forest...Seriously, doesn't this look like fun? I just hope that the kids can play in it after the race is over and before they take it down!

Then comes the Wacky Walls

...and then Beach Barricades, Holey High Tide, Lighthouse Leap, Lofty Ladders, Sandy Seesaw, Ballistic Jungle and finally the Arctic Plunge. I'm glad this last hurdle is near the finish line so Joe can have a warm blanket ready for me!

After the race, there is the requisite party and its open to all race participants and spectators and includes beach games, food and drinks live music.

Sounds interesting? To join, click here. There are currently two waves available, and the earlier you register, the less the cost! Now, I wasn't too keen on the outrageous processing fee....but hey, its a small price to pay for unique bling! Current cost for me was $40, but is expected to increase to $65 at race day. And, for that price? The obstacle course, a pineapple bling and a gnarly pineapple hat to wear with pride!

Dankin Triathlon Series - Wave Starts

2012-04-03T10:11:00.000-04:00

The only time I've done a true waved start was for the Disney Princess race, but we were in Corral A for that...so we didn't experience any of the "waiting" of the "wave" ....but apparently, triathlons are typically in waves, probably simply due to reducing congestion in the water for safety's sake.

Just to prepare me, I'm presuming that the Orlando event will be similar to this Palm Springs event:

Good to know...color-coded wave starts which correspond to categories.

Danskin Triathlon Series - Previous Years Results

2012-04-02T11:46:00.000-04:00

I can't help but want to see how people did in the prior year. I google, as I do with almost everything that I'm curious about...and I find prior years results posted on active.com. I am happy to see that just in my division (females 40-44) there is quite a bit of variety in results! I take comfort in already thinking that I can do this in less than 3:30 hours.

So, I query a bit more... In my division for the "sprint" (not the "super sprint"), the results are all over the place:

1st leg (swimming) takes anywhere from 14:16-47:34 minutes.
T1 (the first transition) takes anywhere from 2:00-14:07 minutes.
The second leg (biking) takes anywhere from 36:47-1:16:15
T2 (the second transition) takes anywhere from 0:43-4:03
3rd leg (running) takes anywhere from 22:37-1:08:35

Overall clock time ranged from 1:23:58 to 3:30:33.

Now, if I go for the "Sprint", can I hope to be average? If I go for the "Super Sprint" will my standings be sufficiently better, knowing that I am probably not pushing myself?