Behind and Somewhat (Mostly) Injured

It's been about 8 months since a post, it's about time to write yes?

Quite a lot has happened in 8 months, most importantly I'm getting married! In December my then boyfriend proposed to me over a surprise weekend in Las Vegas. We're tying the knot later this year and needless to say, it's been a busy 8 months. Since the Corn Maze 5k in OCTOBER I've accomplished the following:

• Continued yoga practice at CorePower Yoga
• Tailgate 5k with Leigh Ann, Gail and her friends (so fun)
• Hot Chocolate 5k with Lori
• New license plate!
• Running biomechanics clinic with Janet Leet of SUB5
• Engaged in Vegas!
• Lululemon Warehouse Sale in January 2012 with Sarah (#unsupervisedshopping)
• Continued #unsupervisedshopping
• The Color Run 5k (Go look at my videos!) although we walked to stay colorful
• SELF Workout in the Park with Dolvette of the Biggest Loser!
• Signed up for:
• Glo Run 5k (this Saturday night!)
• Twin Lakes Sprint Triathlon - June 24
• Glenview Sprint Triathlon - July 29
• Danskin Women's Triathlon - August 26
• Hell Run - September 1

So between wedding plans, starting a new business with my fiance, continuing my full-time job (which I love), and sticking with my endurance and yoga practice, it's been busy.

Reward for running

My calf/ankle injury is still here and isn't going away. I was fitted for new shoes in December, and while running in the winter it didn't bother me, but it came back with a vengence in March. It's STILL here and one round of physical therapy hasn't helped. Went to Athletico yesterday and they said I should meet with a running specialist.

Ask me how many times I've been in the pool this year? Twice. How many open water swims? Zero. How many times on the bike? 4-5. How many outdoor rides this year? Zero. So between this and my running pain, next week's triathlon should be interesting, as it was last year. Although, I just reread it and my words gave me a new perspective on this awful pain. I race because I love it, and if I'm slow I'm out there enjoying my hobby. I can't find a picture of it, but my new license plate reads TRI IT. Double meaning too; meaning I encourage people to always try things with me, and of course, triathlons.

IL residents have a nack for vanity license plates, and ever since I could figure it out I've always wanted one. This year we made it happen! I'm a sucker for it but it's very true to me.

Thanks for reading. Up next: Glo Run 5k and next weekend's triathlon.

I'm No Ironman but I Still Tri

Alumni Tailtage 5k

Flattering, I know. But the bus speaks the truth.

F'in freezing but full! The amount of chocolate
and sugar actually made me a bit sick.

;k;l

Sweating to a New Beat (and a Corn Maze)

Not but a few minutes ago did I finally publish my Chicago Triathlon race report. "Pam, wasn't that months ago?" Yeah yeah yeah.

I brushed off that race and have moved onto new things this off-season. Since my fifth triathlon season has wrapped up I've gotten involved with two new-ish and awesome hobbies, both coincidentally from Groupon: group running and hot yoga. Back in May I purchased a one-year membership the Chicago Area Runners Association (CARA - the largest running organization in the area) and in August I purchased a one-month unlimited membership to CorePower Yoga. I've taken my passion for fitness to a whole new level.

I'd like to take a moment and interrupt this portion of the blog to bring you this week's seasonal race: The Corn Maze 5k! It was so corny!!!! I jogged with a good friend Lori and we took our time and I actually documented it the whole way from my phone. Here we are!





Okay, back to business.

Group training isn't new to me but there weren't any organized running clubs or groups near home that were convenient. So, I decided that I was going to make my own fun. I emailed CARA and asked if there was anything in my immediate area. They responded and said there wasn't anything official or organized but if I wanted to host a weekly fun run they'd allow me to do so. They'd promote it and somewhat co-manage it. Shortly after I received another friendly email saying that there was another young woman in my town who also asked the same thing who also wanted to join a weekly fun run. It was great timing actually! We met up before the first fun run and actually have quite a lot in common. I was happy to have a new friend and listen to her marathon experiences while I spilled the beans on triathlons. We began our first weekly fun run not far from home and with some great weather. There were about 8 women total and we ran about 3 miles. It's truly amazing the people you meet when running brings you together. Since then I've twisted my ankle a few times, pushed my pace a bit and conquered a few longer distances (4 miles is "longer" for me). I'm not sure how much longer we'll be able to meet since it's stupid dark by 6-6:30pm but at least we all got out there and have supported each other.

There's a pace that I've had to maintain when running in a group and I've really enjoyed it. Before I know it I'm maintaining a pace that I couldn't do by myself and I'm proud of what I've accomplished. I don't run often anymore but the minimum once per week with the CARA ladies keeps me going.

On October 1 I turned in my Groupon for the one-month unlimited class at CorePower Yoga. Prior to that I took advantage of a free week and wasn't so sure how I was going to feel about hot yoga. (Here's a hint: it was hard, sweaty and challenging.) I've always enjoyed yoga just haven't found the right studio to join. Since then I've been totally hooked. The classes I attend are minimum 100 degrees with 40% humidity. (Here's another hint: I'm sweating when I'm lying on the mat.) Since joining and attending 3-5 classes per week I don't know if I could do anything BUT hot yoga. If I'm not dripping wet when I leave then the class wasn't a success. I can tell that I've worked hard and I've accomplished so much. With hot yoga comes added strength and flexibility and I can see this during my strength workouts in the evenings. My 6am yoga classes energize me and I actually look forward to getting up at 5:20am. Combine that with strength training some evenings I'm slowly losing inches and adding strength.

Bottom line, since the triathlon season has wrapped up I've kept myself ever so busy trying new things and exploring strengths I didn't know I had. I'm very happy I've come across these things even though the monthly membership to the yoga studio will probably cost me a small fortune.

And with my final note I will temporarily transition from my regular motto to...

Namaste.

I Got Banged... Bangs Lake

Got your attention, no? Good gosh, folks. This is about triathlons.

L to R: Ellen, Lisa, Me

I started the racing weekend off at the Fleet Feet Elvis is Alive 5k and that was a hoot! Great weather, awesome company, and fantastic outfits. I convinced Ellen to run with me, and recruited Lisa to join us! She was a total badass and paced us the whole time. Ellen said, "I'd love to beat 35 minutes!" Much to our surprise, we finished at 33:42. Thank you, Lisa. Just what I needed. That's a recent PR for me. Whoa.


Friday night I slept quite a bit, clocking about 9-10 hours. I hopped over to Running Away Multisport to pick up my packet. Packet pickup was super; RAM Racing has the best swag bags. The sprint race swag included: triathlon bag, towel, water bottle, hat, drawstring bag and an American Apparel zip up. (Again, I am still undecided: do I race for the achievement or for the swag?)

Coach Anne (right) and Me

I didn't get as much sleep Saturday night as I had planned, but I was mentally prepared and ready for a new course. The alarm went off at 3:50am, I was on the road by 4:15am, and at the race site just before 5:00am. I was very pleased with the transition area set up, and was fortunate to have decent space to set up my transition area. I love women only races; the attitude is much happier. (Take a hint, boys.) I was a few spots over from Coach Anne and kept running into familiar faces. (I love race morning!) I ran to the water to check the temperature and decided to ditch the wetsuit.* I caught the shuttle bus to the swim start. Funny enough, the water temperature was warmer than the outside air temperature. It was quite bizarre feeling cool after getting wet in a triathlon situation. (Although this race could have been a bit more pleasant with the wetsuit because of all the friggin seaweed. Ick Factor: 10)

My wave was first. Yahoo! The sun provided a nice blinding sensation and I couldn't find the buoys (of which there weren't enough). Every time I felt that I was back on course I really wasn't. The ridiculous seaweed at the end really threw me off and in turn got me very worked up. This was somewhat of a domino effect after that leading up to the bike. My first transition was a total tea party. 4 minutes. This included a pretty decent run from the swim. But still, I was molasses.

The bike course was to be expected, rolling hills and open roads. I was happy because most athletes hadn't started their bike yet so it was just the other women and me.

T2 was a bit speedier and included a pre-run right calf stretch in hopes of achieving a strong run. Well, Plan A worked!

The run course was also hilly, what the heck? This is ILLINOIS. Last I checked Illinois is in the Midwest and should be flat. I went out there with the mentality of trying to be strong and push through, just like I did at the 5k a few days prior.** Not only did I ditch my wetsuit but I left my music behind too. I saw a lot of my friends out on the run course, and found some kind words from my friend Kara too. She said I looked strong and fast, and that was all the music I needed to hear. It was true; I had my fastest 5k during a triathlon in recent years. I finished strong, hydrated and relatively pain free to my friends Katherine and Coach Anne cheering me on.*** Another proud moment for our group of athletes is Coach Anne's victory as the winner of the inaugural She Bangs Sprint Triathlon.

All in all, it was a fantastic day and the weather mostly cooperated. The sun was a nice and warming, and the post-race food of pancakes and French toast were yummy. It's over 24 hours since finishing and I'm still living off the high (or is it the soreness?) giving me the excitement to carry me through my last and final triathlon of the season.

 I am also happy to share that this was my 15th outdoor triathlon. I'd say 15 is a good number to get Bang(s Lake)ed.


I'm No Ironman, But I Still Tri.


When I got home I realized I had brought a part of race back with me. Here's the conversation:

• Me: I have reached a new milestone in my #triathlon racing: seaweed in my bra. @RAMRACING#winning
• RAMRacing: @prnewman haha milestone? Hope that means you enjoyed yourself :)

* Any race that doesn't require a wetsuit is a big win in my book.
** My goal in life is to one day vomit post-run, but I don't actually want to get to that point. Vomit is gross.
*** I probably should get faster so I can cheer them on, yes?

Blue Cheese Stuffed Olives and Twix

This week is shaping up to be interesting. I've lost some interest in training, probably due to the fact that I was very physically exhausted last week. This happens every year, right around this time of my training. Okay, fine. I can move on. I also had a crummy workout last night, could barely get through the swim, and was super tight during the run. Blah. A drill we worked on last night was working on our positive and negative thoughts. We would swim towards a location thinking negative thoughts, and on the return we'd only focus on positive thoughts. While it was a great drill, it gave me an excuse to start crabbiness. It was a perfect storm, and I was just downright crabby last night. It's ridiculous, even my new Lululemon purchase arrived today and I'm somewhat apathetic to it. (rolls eyes.)

Trying to shake it off and get excited for my two adventures this week: the Fleet Feet Elvis is Alive 5k tomorrow and the She Bangs Sprint Triathlon on Sunday. I have no idea how I'm going to perform tomorrow night for the 5k, but if I hydrate enough tonight and tomorrow and avoid crappy eating it could turn out well. I'll be running with a few friends so I'm hoping they'll distract me.

The sprint triathlon on Sunday is part of the multisport festival, with the inaugural women's sprint triathlon. I know I'll be amongst great company, just hoping I can shake this stupid attitude before then. I know it's all a part of the little resentment I get around week 10 of my official triathlon training.

Bottom line, I need the next few days to refocus, shape up, and get my head back in the game. Even writing it makes me feel better. If you have a(n) insightful quote/Twix bar/stiff cocktail to spare please send it my way, I'll take it. But please if the stiff cocktail comes with a garnish, a blue cheese stuffed olive will do just fine. A Twix bar in a cocktail is just bizarre.

 

Thanks for reading. (Now, where's my hidden stash of chocolate?)


I'm No Ironman, but I Still Tri.

P.S. I feel substantially better. Thanks to the "preview" button for lifting my spirits.