Have You Seen My Marbles?

Stupidity at the Nail Salon

2012-01-08T20:19:00.000-05:00

The story I'm about to relate took place in the recent past (OK, early this afternoon) and I'm pretty sure it has had a permanent impact on the way I think myself.

I went to get my nails done at a new salon so I didn't know the staff. Like pretty much every nail salon down here, this one was run by Asians, who are very good at it, by the way. I walked into the salon, looked around, and spotted an Asian lady sitting at the table at the very front of the salon, looking idle. We locked eyes and she looked at me intently, as they usually do, as if asking without words "What are you here for?" After a couple of seconds, I proceeded with my request: "Hello! Manicure, pedicure, and eyebrows, please." The lady smiled sweetly and replied "Oh, you have to talk to one of them (pointing to one of the people working on someone else's feet), I don't work here."

I turned all shades of pale and my jaw dropped to the floor. Holy shit! At that very moment, all I wanted was for the earth to open up beneath my feet and swallow me. I immediately apologized in every way I could. I would have given that woman my left kidney right then and there if she'd asked. "I am SOOOO sorry! Oh my god, I feel like a total ass!" "I'm SOOOOO sorry! I think I'm just going to leave now." The woman must have seen the I-want-to-die-right-now look on my face because she continued to smile and tell me that it was OK and not to worry about it. No, it wasn't OK, I had just racially stereotyped someone and I felt like a certified dick, moron, and everything in between. I have never felt so bad in my entire life. I'm also pretty sure that I made even more an ass of myself with my nonstop stream of apologies. I could see the look on her face "lady, just let it go!"

WOW. I fancied myself a pretty open minded, not racist, person but now I'm not so sure. It was an honest mistake, or so the poor woman told me, but still, I ASSumed that an Asian woman in an Asian nail salon was a nail worker and I opened my mouth. Fuck my life.

Of course, then the actual Asian (she's Vietnamese) salon lady had the last laugh when she mercilessly, and sadistically, waxed and plucked my eyebrows while I flopped around on the waxing table like a fish having a febrile seizure. Serves me right.

Life For Rent

2011-12-22T20:05:00.000-05:00

Maybe one day I'll write a post about what's going on in my personal life right now but for now, this is how I feel. "Life For Rent" by Dido.

I haven't ever really found a place that I call home
I never stick around quite long enough to make it
I apologize once again I'm not in love
But it's not as if I mind that your heart ain't exactly breaking
It's just a thought, only a thought

But if my life is for rent and I don't learn to buy
Well I deserve nothing more than I get
'cause nothing I have is truly mine

I've always thought that I would love to live by the sea
To travel the world alone and live more simply
I have no idea what's happened to that dream
'cause there's really nothing left here to stop me
It's just a thought, only a thought

But if my life is for rent and I don't learn to buy
Well I deserve nothing more than I get
'cause nothing I have is truly mine

While my heart is a shield and I won't let it down
While I am so afraid to fail so I won't even try
Well how can I say I'm alive

But if my life is for rent and I don't learn to buy
Well I deserve nothing more than I get
'cause nothing I have is truly mine

Streak

2011-12-21T14:32:00.000-05:00

So, I streaked for 20 days and I couldn't keep going. Not only did it get harder and harder to motivate myself to get out there every day but I was starting to get shin pain. The shin pain was a big red flag because I had never had any pain before. I figured I'd better stop before I got hurt. It wasn't a failure though, 20 days was a good streak.

Warrior Dash South Florida, 2011

2011-12-06T20:56:00.004-05:00

Obstacle runs seem to have taken the country, and the world for that matter, by storm, and I'm not immune to their allure. As a matter of fact, I'm kind of hooked on them. I few months ago I did the Merrell Down and Dirty and I caught the bug. The Down and Dirty was actually very easy, not at all challenging and that I did not like. It's fine, I suppose, just not what I was looking for in a military style obstacle run. I knew I wanted more so when I found out the Warrior Dash was coming to South Florida, I registered right then and there. To be honest, it was the fire that first attracted me to these runs and the Down and Dirty didn't have a fire obstacle. Rope climbing is fine, running through tires is fine, the mud pit is fun, but there is something inherently badass about running through fire. Maybe it's the proverb, "playing with fire," that gives this obstacle it's allure for me. Who knows. Let's just say that I like playing with fire, the uncertainty of whether I'll get burned gives me a rush...interpret that as you will.

So, the Warrior Dash was held at Quiet Waters Park in Deerfield Beach, about an hour and ten minutes north of where I live. I picked the first non competitive wave, 9:30AM, because I didn't want to do this in the middle of the day with the sun beating down on me. It was actually quite nice, overcast with the sun peeking through every now and then. When I first looked at the course online, I was pretty exited about all the obstacles. Turns out, they lied on the website. The obstacles on the course were not the same as the obstacles the website said there were supposed to be. For example, there was no Tipsy Tightrope and no Storming Normandy. Instead, we had to wimpy ass water obstacles, one of which you could walk around and not get wet. The second water obstacle was right before the Warrior Roast (fire). Cunning, as the water would prevent you catching fire accidentally while jumping over the fire. The obstacles, as far as I can remember, went like this:

Rubber Ricochet: At this point in the race, the first obstacle, the crowd was still pretty thick but people were able to walk fast though the hanging tires. Some asshole grabbed a tire, pulled it as he walked, and then let it go. It almost hit me in the face, I then proceeded to "accidentally" elbow him in the gut when I ran past him.

Road Rage: Here there were tires on the ground and you were supposed to run through them and then jump on a car, run over the car, back down onto tires, then another car, then more tires. However, there was no running. Everyone had to walk as there were so many people.

Deadman's Drop: I think this was the name of next obstacle but I'm not sure. We had to climb to the top of a hurdle using planks. The hurdle was much taller than my straddling height so I had to push myself up with my forearm and throw a leg over the hurdle and straddle it that way. I thought that there would be planks on the other side to climb down but not.....ROPES! Yup. Ropes. So, I grabbed the rope and slid down. Ouch! I got rope burns. Note: wear gloves next time!

From here on I can't remember the order of the obstacles, until the last four, so I'm just going to describe them out of order.

Cargo Climb: Basically a really tall tent made of cargo nets so we had to climb it on all fours and then get down on the other side. Not as tough on the hands as sliding down the rope but gloves would have been nice.

First water crossing. I'm pretty sure this was an afterthought. You could either go in the water, knee deep, or just walk on the edge and not get wet. The water was cold, or so I heard, so I chose to stay dry. The water was enough to make you wet but not really enough to be fun or challenging. I would have loved the Tipsy Tightrope.

Vertical Limit: Climb to the top of a wall using stepping blocks, much like rock climbing walls. This was easy. I thought the way down would be the same but no.....I got the to top, looked down the other side and guess what I saw...fireman poles! Yup, poles like the ones at the fire stations. FUN! Really. I was freaking out cause I could not get the Bridget Jones scene out of my head. So I just stood there at the top, and waited until someone else went down. I did what they did and next thing I knew I was on the ground again, intact and with my dignity intact too.

Chaotic Crossover: Cargo nets again but this time they were horizontal and about ten feet off the ground. I figured the best strategy was to get down on my hands and feet and cross it that way. Some people chose to walk over and invariably ended up falling and getting a crotchful of rope along with some lovely rope burns on their legs. I just hoped I wouldn't fart in anyone's face and no one would fart in mine!

Great Warrior Wall: Solid vertical wall with very shallow slats nailed on and ropes hanging. You could either use one of the ropes to pull yourself up while your feet were on the slats or you could you just pull yourself up with your hands while pushing with your legs. I chose the latter because rope hurts. I can't remember for sure how getting down was but I think it was the same way.

One of the obstacles that were not on the website was the tunnels to crawl through. They were plastic and hard, like actual pipes. There was also a water hose in each, making them slick. Instead of crawling I chose to belly slide to the other side. I had to push myself with my hands a few times but it was easy. On the other side though they had strung low netting on the entrance and we had to crawl though it. That was the end of the clean hair.

Giant Cliffhanger: Solid wall at an incline with ropes to get up. This was the fourth to last obstacle and I was losing steam. I walked up to the wall, grabbed a rope and proceeded to hoist myself up. This one was hard. I kept swinging from side to side and someone asked me jokingly if I was already drunk. When I finally managed to get up, I just had to sit and laugh hard because I really looked like I was drunk. I got down the slats and kept going. I came to realize these Warrior Dash people really like ropes...kinky.

The next obstacle was the little water crossing. I was sure I was going to walk out with leeches hanging off my legs. I walked out with muddy legs instead.

Warrior Roast: Finally, the obstacle I had been waiting for! By this point the crowd had been thin for a long time, people just fell back or ran fast so the obstacles were basically empty. I'm glad because I wanted a good fire picture of just me. I let the girl I had been running with for a while go ahead so she could have good pictures and then I took off running. I excited and apprehensive at the same time. Rush! I just ran and jumped, landed, took another step and jumped again over the second fire. It was exhilarating. I could feel the heat under me, my heart was beating a million times per second and I had a huge smile on my face. It was my favorite obstacle and the quickest to complete. It really was amazing.

Muddy Mayhem: The last obstacle was the mud pit. This pit was big and deep. It also had barbed wire about a foot off the surface so you had to go low. I had been dainty at the Down and Dirty and didn't really get that muddy (relative speaking) but I was so high on adrenaline and having so much fun that I decided I needed to end it on a high. I didn't dive, it was not allowed, but as soon as I got in, I got on my belly and did a belly crawl. As the pictures show, I was muddy everywhere except parts of my face. It felt so good. Cleaning up, however, wasn't so good.

It took me 50 minute and some seconds but I wasn't pushing myself, I was having fun and enjoying the experience. I do wish their cleaning facilities had been better, they sucked. The Down and Dirty had an area with a few dozen high pressure hoses that you could use to hose yourself down and they had two changing tents, one for men and one for women. This one didn't have that. They had TWO people spraying people with soap and then one big water tank with a pressure hose and a guy hosing people down and no changing tents at all. Utterly inadequate. Also, they did not have free food for the racers! We had to buy the food if we wanted to eat. C'mon, a burger isn't that expensive to provide and these races are not cheap! Every racer over 21 did get one free beer but I couldn't have cared less. This is where the Warrior Dash falls short.

I absolutely loved this race and I liked the challenge. I was so sore for the next two days that it wasn't even funny. My entire body hurt. The only things that weren't mad at me where my ego and my pride; those two felt pretty damned good!

I am hooked on obstacle races and I will do as many as I can, they are exhilarating, empowering and downright fun, even if it's a painful kinda fun. I can't wait until the Super Spartan Race in February, which I hear makes the Warrior Dash look like child's play!

We're Going Streaking!

2011-11-25T21:51:00.001-05:00

No, not THAT kind of streaking! Runner's World is running (ha!) its Inaugural Holiday Running Streak and I'm joining in. I hope that I can keep it up as I need motivation. It actually started yesterday but I was sick as a dog so today is my day 1. I ran just over a mile as I didn't want to push it before being fully recovered.

Let's streak!

Fort Lauderdale 13.1

2011-11-23T15:15:00.002-05:00

So, the story goes like this: On November 13th I ran the Fort Lauderdale 13.1 race. This was my goal half marathon for the rest of the year but I failed to train as I had planned. Actually, running in the summer sucks ass and I slacked off significantly. I was supposed to have been averaging 30-35 miles per week and I never even came close. So, yes, I was under-trained. That said, I was determined to do the race since a) I had paid for it and b) I had bullied (OK, not really) someone at work to train for it and run it so I had to be there. Thankfully, he slacked off even more than I did and thus was WAY more under-trained, especially considering it was his first half marathon but also his first race ever.

The night before the race I stayed at a hotel in Fort Lauderdale, about half a mile away from the start line. I did that because I live over an hour away and I'm tired of having to wake up at 3 in the morning just make it to the start. Of course, just because I was that close to the start line doesn't mean I got any more sleep. I slept horribly, as is usual for me the night before a race. I kept waking up, checking the time, etc. At one point I dreamed that I had woken up at 7am and had missed the race. Then, in the dream, I realized that I was dreaming and kept trying to wake up but couldn't. I kept telling myself "this is just a dream, wake up, wake up!" I finally woke up, checked the time and it was only 4am. FML. At 5am my work friend texted me and at that point I gave up and got out of bed. So much for decent sleep.

I finally made it to the start line, met up with the friends, dropped my gear back, etc. then made a beeline for the porta potties. The line was HUGE and there were only 10 minutes until the start. No time to stand in line. I made my way into the crowd and stood by my friend Damaris, along with my work friend, and waited. The start of the race is my favorite time, everyone is happy and pumped, no one has had the chance to get grouchy due to a bad run, bad weather, whatever. It was actually a fairly cool-for-South Florida day. The gun went off and off we went. My friend stayed with me for like a quarter mile and then realized I was running too painfully slow for him so I told him to take off and he did.

My ambitious goal was 2:15 but I'd be happy with either a PR, meaning 2:20 or better or under 2:30. The first few miles were fine but still HAD to go to the bathroom. Finally around mile 4 I pulled out and went into the porta potties. That took about 4 minutes so at that point I was sure I wasn't going to make my 2:15 goal. I was OK with that though, my dignity (IE not crapping myself) is worth more than a few pathetic minutes off my finish time. I kept running for a couple more miles and then we turned into A1A and into the wind. Holy molly! The wind was 15pmh or so with wind gusts of 25-30mph. That makes it VERY hard to run!

I kept thinking that if I cold make it to the turn around point the rest would be cake thanks to the tailwind but nooo..... When the turn around point came, the wind just went again. There was no tailwind. From what I've heard, most of us were thinking about this tailwind but we got punked. Thank you, Mother Nature! I did walk some, to be honest, but I was exhausted. That wind took it out of me. Somewhere before the turn around I crossed my friend who was already running in the opposite direction and he had a huge smile on his face while I was trying not to die. WTF?? We high-fived and kept on going. I'm glad I was actually running when I saw him or he would have given me hell!

When I FINALLY crossed the finish line, I was sooo relieved. I just wanted water and to sit down. My legs felt like jelly. I didn't make my goal of 2:15 or my goal of PRing but I did finish in under 2:30. My chip time was 2:25:10. I think that if I hadn't gone to the porta potties, I would have, at least, come very close to my PR. I'm cool with that. I was just happy to be done. Of course, Damaris and my friend finished way ahead of me so they were waiting at the finish line and I felt slower than molasses on a cold day. We had a beer and went our separate ways. Back at the hotel, I had a HUGE complimentary breakfast of bacon and cheese omelet, bacon, pancakes, hash browns and orange juice. What a better way to end a race morning?

The pictures are pretty horrible, which is why I didn't bother to buy any. Not to mention that $30 for a pictures of this type is highway robbery.

Official results:

Distance	HALF MAR
Clock Time	02:26:15
Chip Time	02:25:10
Overall Place	1518 / 2147
Gender Place	641 / 1057
Division Place	115 / 171
Age Grade	45.4%
Pace	11:04.3
Split10K	1:09:34

Garmin info:

Waterford 5k Race Report. New PR!

2011-11-13T15:13:00.002-05:00

I am registered for a ton of half marathons for the 2011-2012 running reason but not many 5ks. As a matter of fact, I think I was only registered for two and they were in September. I just ran that Halloween Half Marathon two weeks ago and had the 13.1 Fort Lauderdale today (report to come) so it didn't seem likely that I'd be able to squeeze in a 5k between them. However, there is a 5k that happens during the week and at night so it was perfect. I decided to register with only a week to go and I"m so glad I did. It was the Waterford 5k and I figured I'd use it as speedwork for the 13.1 three days later.

Going in I knew that the weather was favorable for a PR, or at least the most favorable it had been in months and would be for months. My last PR was set on a very cold (for South Florida) day and on a very long, not sanctioned, course. So, I went in with the idea of running the shit out of this course and beating my best time...then I saw just how crowded the race was. It was insane! I couldn't even line up behind the starting line because I had been warming up for too long and there was no room for me. I had to stand to the side and wait as people funneled in after the start to merge with the masses. The first mile or so was pretty much shoulder to shoulder but I was still running hard (for me) and it was my fastest mile of that race. I was doing pretty well at that point and I thought that if I could keep it up I'd end up with a huge PR, but alas, I couldn't.

After the first mile I slowed down a bit or I wouldn't be able to finish. The whole time I was just concentrating on running and nothing else. More than running faster than my fastest time, I wanted not to walk. My will is weak and I have walked at least a few seconds at pretty much every race I've done bar my second 10k. I REALLY wanted not to walk this time around and much to my pleasure, I did not. I just ran, slowing down a bit if I needed to, just telling myself that I could do it. I didn't even take water because I knew that if I did, I'd stop to drink it.

By mile 2.5, I was ready to be done. I could see the finish line (I HATE that!) and it was taunting me. Of course, we had to run past the finish line and then back around another quarter mile. I didn't even feel that I could really push harder on the last stretch as I felt I didn't have much in the tank. It was pretty windy too, and it has been weeks now, so that didn't help either. The last stretch, coming into the finish, I had to keep chanting in my head "Pain is temporary, finish times posted on the Internet are forever!", cliche as it may be. I knew that the goal of a PR would be a close call but I thought I could still make it. I did. I ran 20 seconds faster than my PR from earlier this year. I'm happy with that for two reasons: 1) a PR is a PR and 2) I PRed in weather that was considerably warmer than when the first PR was set. I am most happy with the fact that I actually ran the whole way. When I crossed the finish line, I had to walk straight to the sidewalk to sit down because I was faint and I thought I was going to toss my cookies.

I ended up with a chip time of 29:28. I came 11th out of 79 women in my age group 325th out of 1095 overall finishers. Not bad!

Here's the Garmin info:

Miami Beach Halloween Half Marathon

2011-11-11T09:23:00.000-05:00

his past Halloween I ran the Miami Beach Halloween Half Marathon. My goal race is the Fort Lauderdale 13.1 in a couple of days so I knew I'd treat the Halloween Half as a long training run. I managed to do that but honestly, I don't think I could have run it fast if I had wanted to. The weather had been nice leading up to the race, then on race day it was disgustingly humid. I ran with my friend Damaris and the first 10 miles or so were fine as it was overcast. Then the sun came out from behind the clouds and things got ugly. I won't go into much detail because It's been two weeks now and I've forgotten but by mile 11 or 12, I just wanted to sit down and cry. I did finish though, even if it was my slowest half marathon yet and possibly my slowest long run too. I did have fun for most of it and I did run long, which I suppose is all that matters!

It was Halloween so costumes were in order!

Here is the Garmin info:

Happy Veterans' Day!

2011-11-11T09:07:00.000-05:00

I know I've been MIA, to use a military term, but this semester has kept me very busy. That and I'm lazy. Anyhow, I just wanted to acknowledge Veterans' Day and thank all the friends I made while I was in the military as well as all the men and women in uniform who have served the country since the War of Independence. I am not American born but I am in my heart and I feel very lucky to have been able to serve my adoptive country for five years, but most importantly, during a time of war...even if I did not agree with the motives behind the war. Hate the game, not the players. If you know a veteran, buy him or her a drink!

Here are a few pictures of me from my Navy days. If you're my FB friend, you've seen them already. I'm too lazy to find others and scan them. Maybe later.

On board the USNS Comfort during the Baltic Challenge 2002.

Again, on the USNS Comfort during the initial stages of

Operation Enduring Freedom, 2003. This was during underway replenishing

and I believe the ship behind me is the USNS Pecos.

This is a horrible picture of me but it's the only one I have handy.

Taken at the US Naval Hospital Naples, Italy.

What a difference a year makes!

2011-09-24T15:45:00.000-04:00

I've been racing for over a year now and I finally got around to repeating a race from the previous year. Make sense? The race was the UPS 5k in Coral Gables which was my second (and worst) race ever last year and I did it again last weekend. The time was horrible last year and it was much better this time around, even if it wasn't great. That's not the point of this post though. What I really want to emphasize is the difference that a year makes, not in training, speed, etc, but in appearance. Here are some pictures for comparison:

What a difference a year makes! The funny thing is that I thought I looked good back then! It's all relative I suppose, I did look good compared to what I looked like the year before that. I'm pretty pleased with myself.

Mack Cycle Duathlon Trilogy, III

2011-08-21T20:23:00.000-04:00

Yes, I know I skipped blogging about the second race in the series but it wasn't anything exciting. The only thing that made this race exciting was the fact that I did it on the new bike...with a new aero helmet!

With the new bike and helmet, I took 2 minutes 22 seconds off the bike split time right off the bat. Not bad for a sprint race! My total time was about 3 minutes faster than last month. I was only slightly faster on the second run this time than last but not by much. I really dislike that run course but I think it's mental rather than physical. I step on the course and my brain shuts down, I just can't do it. There is one more race in the series, the bonus round, and I still don't think I'll conquer it this year.

The helmet is a 2011 Lazer Tardiz in the Special Edition Hawaii print "Wave". I love it. I love the bike split pictures for this race, I look like a rock star! LOL. I'm even wearing tri-specific clothes so I look all pro and stuff. Definitely a poser.

This is what the helmet looks like from the side:

A friend took this picture right after I crossed the finish line and sat down. I was totally exhausted!

and finally with some riding friends:

I am a slow reader. I'm screwed.

2011-08-06T10:51:00.000-04:00

I am taking four classes in the Fall semester because I want to graduate next summer instead of next fall. The classes are: "U.S. Food History", "Roman Provinces", "Victorian England" and "Religions of Classical Mythology." The list of books, listed by class, is as follows (FML):

1. "The Jungle." Upton Sinclair
2. "Chicken: The Dangerous Transformation of America's Favorite Food"
3. "School Lunch Politics"
4. "Eating History: 30 Turning Points in the Making of American Cuisine"
5. "Roman Civilization: The Republic and the Augustan Age"
6. "Roman Civilization: The Empire"
7. "Experiencing Rome"
8. "Penguin Historical Atlas of Ancient Rome"
9. "The Roman Empire"
10. "Autobiography of John Stuart Mill"
11. "Gladstone: Progress in Politics"
12. "Ornamentalism: How the British Saw their Empire" (which I've read before)
13. "The Conditions of the Working Class in England in 1844"
14. "Eminent Victorians"
15. "Classical Mythology"

Isn't She Lovely?

2011-07-23T17:41:00.000-04:00

Two say that two bikes are enough is like saying that two pairs of shoe are enough....preposterous! Like there are flip flops for the beach, pumps for work, strappy high heels for a night out, there are bikes for different instances. So, the two bikes I already had, a cheap hybrid I haven't ridden since November, and the road bike just weren't enough. Sure, I can use the road bike for multisport racing (duathlon for now) but it's not the same. I NEEDED a triathlon/duathlon specific bike. Duh! That and I guess this is part of my just-after-quarter-life-crises. However, I'd like to think of as a birthday present....which is what is was. I don't know when I'll actually race on it since I'll have to get used to the position and get comfortable steering from the aerobars and not having the brakes easily accessible when on the aerobars.

Pink is not really my color but I"m willing to look past that.

Ladies and gentlemen....2011 Quintana Roo Dulce in Small! No, my family does not own the brand. I wish. For those who care, the pedals are Speedplay Zero. Learning to clip in and out efficiently will be a task, they are so different from the Time iClic pedals on my road bike.

The silver stem will be replaced with a black stem, the shop was out.

The post will be cut once we know the bike fits well.

I need a haircut very, very badly.

21st Annual Independence Day Duathlon

2011-07-10T08:31:00.001-04:00

This past Monday, on July 4th, I participated in the Broward Series' Independence Day Duathlon. I registered for this race because there were about 7 women in my age group registered, which is more of a challenge than the 2 of us registered for the Mack Cycle Trilogy series. That said, when I looked at the results after the race, I saw that only 4 of us actually made it and the rest were no shows. Bummer.

They day started out very early for me as the race site is just over an hour away from my house and I needed to leave plenty of time at the race site to get my packet, get body-marked, set up transition, warm up, etc. I got up at 4:15AM and was out the door around 4:45AM. The drive up there isn't actually bad, it's a straight shot up the turnpike. It was still dark when I got there and it was raining. I was concerned because, while I don't mind running in the rain and I actually like it, riding in the rain is pretty scary considering the amount of turns on the bike course. Luckily it stopped raining just before the race kicked off but the roads were still wet.

I went into the race thinking that the first run was half a mile long but as we waited for the duathlon to start, we were told that the first run was actually 3/4 of a mile. No biggie, in the greater scheme of things as the second run was not 3.1 miles but 3. The gun went off and when I started running I had to consciously keep myself from going out too fast like last time. I picked up a pace I could hold for 3/4 of a mile and stayed with it. It was HOT and it was HUMID but at least it was overcast. The pace I was running was fairly slow so I wasn't even in the middle of the pack. That's OK though, I wanted a better race than last time, not necessarily to place, although that would have been nice.

Transition went smoothly and I got on my bike. The bike was scary around the turns because of the wet roads and I actually saw a woman take a pretty big spill. Despite that, this was my fastest bike leg so far. I felt good on the bike and gave it a lot (more than any other split) but I tried to no kill myself completely as the hardest split was yet to come...the second run. This second run always kicks my ass even though I'm a runner first. I chalk it up too giving the bike too much.

I got off the bike and my legs didn't feel too funny. I started the second run but I still had no idea where I was as far as placing in my age group. There really is no way to know. I just ran and this was definitely my strongest 2nd run yet. I felt good, not great, but good, and was able to run most of it at a fairly decent (for me) pace. I finished the 3 miles in about 33 minutes. This is a HUGE improvement from the previous two duathlons so I was happy. For reference, my stand-alone 5k PR is 29:xx, but that's from January.

Looking at the pictures of me on the run course...I was hurting! There's only one semi-decent picture. As I crossed the finish line, I thought I'd get cute and yell something, which made for HORRIBLE finish line pictures so I'm not buying any pictures. Lesson learned.

Finisher's Medal

When I checked the results, I saw that I had placed 4th...out of the 4 that showed up. Bummer. However, I am still very happy with this race because it is my best, fastest, strongest duathlon yet and that's what matters (and I even walked the transitions, which made me slower). Placing is dependent on who shows up to race and how much better than you they are. What really counts is your improvement and your race against yourself in your previous races. I did very well in that respect despite the heat, rain and humidity so I'm happy. I was tickled pink with how much better I felt in the second run of this race than in the previous races. That and I didn't barf this time!

I did get a medal for 4th place (they give awards 5 deep) but I didn't stick around for the ceremony so it will be mailed to me. It's a nice medal so it will be cool to have.

Here are the stats, if anyone is interested:

Overall Details
Time01:16:47.94
Category Place4 of 4
Overall Place94 of 123
Gender Place28 of 47
Category Percentile+0
Overall Percentile+24
Gender Percentile+41
Swim/Run0:06:44
T11:29
Bike0:33:55
T21:30
Run0:33:10

Swim/Run Split Details
Time0:06:44
Pace0:08:58 min/mile
Category Place4 of 4
Overall Place95 of 123
Gender Place27 of 47
Category Percentile+0
Overall Percentile+23
Gender Percentile+43
T1 Details
Time1:29
Category Place3 of 4
Overall Place89 of 123
Gender Place26 of 47
Category Percentile+33
Overall Percentile+28
Gender Percentile+46
Bike Split Details
Time0:33:55
Speed17.69 mph
Category Place3 of 4
Overall Place87 of 123
Gender Place24 of 47
Category Percentile+33
Overall Percentile+30
Gender Percentile+50
T2 Details
Time1:30
Category Place3 of 4
Overall Place92 of 123
Gender Place30 of 47
Category Percentile+33
Overall Percentile+25
Gender Percentile+37
Run Split Details
Time0:33:10
Pace11:03 min/mile
Category Place4 of 4
Overall Place93 of 123
Gender Place28 of 47
Category Percentile+0
Overall Percentile+25
Gender Percentile+41

The next duathlon is the Trilogy 2.

Happy Runniversary To Meeeeee!

2011-06-29T20:31:00.000-04:00

Today is my runniversary! Yes, I realize how incredibly running-dorky that makes me sound.

It's been raining all day but I HAD to run today given the date so I just went out there in the rain. It felt good and cool (relative to other days). My thighs were screaming at me though thanks to day 1 of the 30 Day Shred this morning. Ouch!

Here's to many more runniversaries!

down 2 earth Trail Run 5k Race

2011-06-29T16:57:00.000-04:00

Short version: I did my first trail race on Sunday. Came in 10th out of 46 women at 56:57, less than 10 minutes behind the female winner. Missed the turn for the 5k finish, lost some time, puked, got hooked on trail running and can't wait for the next race.

Long version:
I did my very first trail race, and trail run for that matter, this past Sunday. I saw this company, down 2 earth, a while back online and I thought "Oh, I'd love to do one of those trail races!" but never gave it much thought. Earlier this month I finally signed up because my friend Damaris was doing it. She had registered for the half marathon though, not the 5k. I was too apprehensive to register for a half marathon on a surface I had never really ran on before. Even the morning of the race she was dropping hints that I should change to the half marathon but I didn't. Boy, am I glad I didn't!

I got to the site and I hadn't stepped out of my car when I was already being devoured by insects. They weren't mosquitoes, just tiny little who knows what suckers. Thankfully I had brought bug spray anticipating this, after all, it was a run in the woods in the summer in Florida. I pretty much bathed in the stuff and the insects left me alone the rest of the time. It was a very small race, as these things go, with no chip timing, only gun time and they call your number as you cross the finish line while someone writes it down along with your time. Old school.

There were three distances, HM, 10k and 5k and each distance has its own heat/wave start. The first one was the HM and off Damaris went. The 5k was last. I started relatively slow, doing not much over 10 minute miles. I honestly had absolutely no idea what I was up against so I had to take it slow or risk burning out too soon. Almost as soon as we ran into the woods, the proverbial shit hit the fan. This was not a dinky, hard-packed gravel trail with ample room and no roots. Oh, no! This was a narrow trail with room for only one abreast for most of it. There was a clear path but clear only in the sense that it was marked and had no grass/underbrush. There were roots everywhere, uneven surface requiring to either jump up or down them, mud, and we even had to cross a creek by walking over two logs turned on the sides. One slip of a foot and won into the nasty creek water you went. Fun, really!

I'm the (literally!) hot one in green. I look like I was dunked in water. It was sweat and bug spray.

There were other pictures of me taken but for whatever reason the photographer didn't upload them.

I did the post processing.

I was at the front of the pack for the 5k for a while but eventually we caught up to the slower 10k and HM runners, and mixed up with them. This made it impossibly to know where you stood as far as placing but that was OK, I wasn't in it to race, only to have fun and see how it went. I ran mostly but there were parts where you just had to walk and other parts when you'd get stuck behind a line of slower runners or walkers and you simply couldn't pass them. I took those opportunities to walk too :P. It was really exhausting!

There were no mile markers, which, as a road runner, I"m used to, so my only way of know how far I had run was by looking at my watch. GPS watchers are not 100% accurate in the open areas and they are probably even less accurate in the woods but it was a good approximation. It just felt like the course went on forever. When I watch said I had 2.5 miles, I felt was the was finally too far away. With about .25 to go before reaching the 5k point, I picked up the pace as much as I could given the terrain was the most uneven of the course. I ran and ran thinking "The finish line will become visible any time now!" But it didn't it turned out that, as is common with trail races (or so I hear), the course was long and I ran 6k, not 5k.

Picking up the pace to soon before finishing really took it all out of me. At one point I had to stop and lean against a tree because I thought I was going to pass out. Then I came to a clearing where they had water. Once I had water, I started running again but ran past the 5k turning point and into the second loop, towards the 10k and the HM. I turned around when I realized this but could not, for the life of me, figure out where the heck to go for the 5k finish! I asked one of the volunteer and she said "Just down the hill!" yeah, but where the heck is the freaking hill? It wasn't very well marked and some of us were running around like chickens with our heads cut off. I FINALLY figured out where to go but I had already lost about 4 minutes in this shenanigan. The finish line finally appeared and I kept thinking "I hope I make, damn it I'm going die!" Then I ran right past the finish line as I heard my number and time being called (56:57) and right into the woods on the other side and proceeded to puke my guts out...through my nose. After I wiped my face and drank some water, I looked at the schedule to see when the next trail race was; I can't wait to do that again! Minus the puking hopefully. I'm glad I did not switch to the half marathon because there was no way I could have finished even 10k.

Despite everything, that was the most fun I have ever had racing. Really, really fun. Challenging, very challenging, but very fun and I honestly can't wait to do it again. Now that I know the course and know what to expect, I can plan better and pace myself better (and hopefully do better). Turns out I did pretty well for my first trail race. The winner female (no age groups, only gender) came in at 47:04 and I came in 10th out of 46 in 56:57. Would have been much faster had I not missed the stupid turn for the 5k finish. I'm pretty pleased with my time, my calves were only mildly sore the day after and I'm absolutely hooked on trail running. Too bad trails are pretty much nonexistent down here.

July 31st is the next race....and I'll be there!

This company also does off-road triathlons and duathlons. I thought about doing one but mountain biking scares me.

Mack Cycle Trilogy 1 Report

2011-06-24T20:51:00.003-04:00

I wasn't going to blog about this last race because, well, it sucked, but I guess not all races can be good and you can learn even from the sucky races.

The race was the first round of the Mack Cycle Triathlon/Duathlon Trilogy in Key Biscayne. First of all, these races are in the middle of the summer and the weather sucks. The day of the race was hot and humid but at least it was overcast so there was no sun beating down on us. The duathlon wave was supposed to start at 7:15am but for whatever reason it got delayed and we didn't start until 7:25am or so. Fine, what difference does 10 minutes make? Not much.

There were only 90 duathletes so it was a pretty small start and first run. I lined up at the front because I'm optimistic like that and started out WAY, WAAAAY too fast. I just took off with the front of the pack runners and went for it. As soon as I started I knew it was going to be a bitch because it was so stuffy I could hardly breathe. I kept going and less than a quarter mile into the run (it was a 1 mile split) I thought I was going to collapse, then I looked at my watch and saw I was going at a 6 minute mile pace. No freaking wonder I thought I was going to die! As per the watch, I peaked at 5:02 minute miles. I slowed way down and finished the first split in 9:23, which is much, much slower than my pace for the previous duathlon, which was actually 8:45 minute mile pace. Of course, that other race had more agreeable weather and I did not start as fast. Run 1 Garmin information.

Transition went OK, I really haven't worked on speeding it up mostly because all I really have to do is change my shoes and put my helmet on or take it off. I got on my bike and felt good. Even after going up the Rickenbacker bridge twice, I still felt good. Going down that bridge is the best feeling in the world; just tuck in as compact as you can, hold on to the handles and coast. I peaked at 31mph going down the second time. Again, I was feeling good, I was doing a pretty decent-for-me speed and was still holding back a bit because I know there was a 5k to be run afterwards. Thirty minutes into the bike split, with only 3 miles to go....bam! I got a flat. I don't recall running over anything, all I remember is hearing the hissing sound from by rear tire losing the air. This was really annoying because the Sunday before I had gone to Key Biscayne to train and get what...I got a flat! I've only had 4 flats while riding, and 50% of them have been in Key Biscayne, where I've only ridden 3 times. Key Biscayne is curse for me, I tell you.

I pulled over to change the tube. Changing the tube was actually fairly quick for someone who hasn't had a whole lot of practice. However, putting the freaking wheel back on was a freaking mission! I was about to pick up the stupid bike fling it into the bushes. After 15 minutes I FINALLY got the freaking thing back together. At that point, I was really, really, REALLY tempted to get a SAG ride back to transition, pack up and call it a day. I had lost so much time that I didn't really think it was worth it. I decided that I really did not want a DNF (did not finish) next to my name so I just set out again on the bike with the intention to just take it really easy, just to finish. Bike Garmin information.

At this point, the tire changing operation had zapped all the energy and the motivation out of me. I rode easy back to transition, which was great because it gave me a change to practice taking my shoes off while still on the bike. I racked my bike, changed to my running shoes and started the last run split, 3.1 miles, easy. I'm so very glad I brought my handheld water bottle because there was ONE water station in the 3.1 mile course and it was hot as a Hades. I did actually attempt to run it easy at first but I was D.E.A.D so I ran/walked the whole course. This course, which is different from the previous years, was all trail and very narrow. A small section was paved, a small section was grass and a small section was wet sand. Good times. All in all, this was my slowest 5k ever, unsurprisingly. I did start running where spectators could see and through the chute, gotta keep up appearances! :P Run 2 Garmin information.

I felt like I had been dunked in hot soup. I was sweating so much that

my number, on my left arm, was starting to bleed.

Dirty shirt thanks to tube changing operation

Of course, there were only 3 of us in my Age Group so I still managed to win a medal. It wasn't even close though. The girl that won the Age Group came in just a few seconds over one hour, the girl that took second came in at 1 hour and 16 minutes and I came in at 1 hour and 43 minutes I think. I never stood a chance for 1st place but I'd like to think that, had I not had bike issues, I'd have come second, who knows. Also, I've talked to a few duathletes/triathletes right after the race and since then and it seems that most would call it quits if they got a flat during a sprint race. Shoot, I wish I'd known that then!

I wasn't going to stay for the awards, after all, I did come last. However, they started as I

was packing up so I thought, "what the heck?" Next time I'm bringing my kid

for the cuteness factor!

Finisher medal. Dog tag!

3rd place/bronze medal.

The next race in the series is July 17th, just 3 days before my birthday. I can't imagine the weather is going to be any better but I'll hopefully not get a flat tire.

On an not so unrelated note, because of all the duahtlons and the ability to use the watch in the rain, I upgraded my Garmin 405cx to the 310xt. L.O.V.E I.T. I got it two days before the race and tested it out in the multisport mode to see how it works; like a dream, that's how it works! For the race itself I programed a multisport event and included transitions so all I have to do is press the lap button to move from one split to the next. So, press start to start the first run/swim, then lap to end that and go into transition 1, then lap again to end transition and start the next split and so on then stop to end the event. Just a single button! I had to go through several screens, not buttons, on the 405cx to change from one sport to the other and, because it is not a multisport watch, it did not include transition times. The watch is pretty big but it's not cumbersome; the 405cx is marginally more comfortable on my small(ish) wrists but the 310xt is not by any means uncomfortable. I've been using it in training and I love that for the run-bike or bike-run bricks I can just push a button and change sports. I'm very pleased with it so far.

Garmin 310xt

How To Talk To Non-Runners

2011-06-17T21:41:00.000-04:00

Oh, so true! I'm glad I work in a small office where the boss is not only a runner but a triathlete so all this goes unsaid.

One more thing

2011-06-09T22:08:00.000-04:00

I totally forgot about the mud run! On May 1st, I did the Down and Dirty mud run. It was a blast but I'm too lazy to write about it so I'll link you to my friend's blog, where she wrote a report with pictures.

Down and Dirty!

Tap. Tap. Is this thing on?

2011-06-09T21:53:00.003-04:00

I did not fall off the face of the earth! I'm here!

The ~~fall~~ spring semester is over and the Summer A session is almost over too. I did GREAT in the spring, all As and made the Dean's List. That's what I'm talking about. I'm taking two classes over Summer A, "Queens and Empresses of Early Modern Europe" and "The History of Ideas" and so far they are both going well. I will be taking two more classes over Summer B. Summer A and Summer B are 6 weeks each so it's really intense, I barely have time to do anything else. If all goes well, I hope to graduate next summer.....then on to grad school.

As for running and cycling, short story: since the Egg Hunt Duathlon, I've not very much when it comes to races (heck, even when it comes to just running!). The MS 150 ride went well, except I got really bad chemical burns on my thighs from who knows what. All is well now but it was ugly, as you can see....

Here are some more pictures from that weekend:

After conquering Card Sound Bridge going into Key Largo

What said bridge looked like from the top

After 75 miles, I was dead. So dead in fact that I seriously considered not riding the next day and just getting a ride home. I felt physically ill and my thighs were killing me. I am glad I actually gave the second day a chance though because after 3 or 4 miles on the bike I was golden.

Morning of the second day. I looked like hell and felt even worse.

At the lunch rest stop. Love the portapotties in the back. I've become very well acquainted with them since I took up racing. I can tell you all about the different models and brands!

Finally home

I also ran a 5k on Sunday and it was horrible. Without a doubt, one of the worst races I've ever done. It was called "Twilight 5k" but let me tell you, twilight it was not. The races started at 7pm on one of the hottest days we've had lately. The sun was still shining bright and strong. I felt good for the first 3/4 of a mile or so and then it just hit me like a ton of bricks. It was miserable and I ended up walking a lot of the course, finishing in an embarrassing 33:47. I knew it would not be a personal best race but I didn't think it would suck so much. Serves me right for registering for evening races.

As if that wasn't insane enough.....I've done it. I registered for FOUR duathlons over the summer. What was I thinking???? It's the Mack Cycle Trilogy series which is actually 4 race including the bonus round. The first race is on the 19th of this month and then it's one every month until September. Get the straight jacket now.

I'm going to end the post on a similarly deranged way... here you go...sexy!

(Speaking of deranged; I seem to have inspired someone. Go figure!)

2011 Egg Hunt Duathlon

2011-04-30T12:10:00.000-04:00

Last weekend, after not having done any block workouts in preparation, I completed my first duathlon. I had to get up VERY early to be in Pembroke Pines at 6:00AM or so (the drive is about 45 minutes). I got there with plenty of time to pick up the packet, get body marked, set up my transition area, etc. Then I met up with my boss, who was also there but doing the triathlon. His bike is nice. I have bike envy. Must...get...a...tri....bike....

My transition setup

First Run

The race kicked off at 7am but the duathlon wave started at 7:15am. There weren't many duathletes, 108 or so, so the field wasn't crowded. Good thing because the run is on a very narrow path. As soon as I took off, I knew I was in trouble. Life has been busy lately and I haven't been running much. The week of the race I didn't run at all. I got tired right away and I didn't think I'd make it. However, I manged to run the first run well, 1.5 miles, and turns out I was tired because I was running faster than I ever have. I completed the first run in just over 13 minutes, which is about 8:49 minutes per mile. No wonder I thought I was going to die. That is slow for many but freaking fast for me. I finished 3rd in my age group for that leg.

Then I went into transition and sat down while changing my shoes from running shoes to cycling shoes. I sat down because the run had almost killed me and I wasn't in it to race, just to complete. The bike leg wasn't very hard but I did give it everything I had. So much so that my tank was nearly empty by the time I got to the second run. THAT run was HARD. The bike leg had completely taken it out of me so I walked a lot in that second "run". It took me 4 minutes longer to finish the second run than it did the first, and the distance was the same. However, my bike leg was the fastest in my age group! I finished first there. In the second run, even with all the walking, I finished 4th in my age group (out of 8). Of course, I didn't find any of this out until after I got home.

Second Run

After I crossed the finish line, I down a bottle of water in about 4 seconds....then proceeded to run to the bathroom and puke. That's how you know you gave it all! My boss showed me how I could get my times before I left so we walked up to the race director's booth. I was given a little print out with my times, which I thought were good, especially the first run. I was very happy about that run's time. Then we went to see the list of winners/placers just for kicks. I told my boss "hey, it's not like I'll have placed!" MUCH to my surprise, I'd actually placed 3rd in my age group! He placed 4th in his although his times were MUCH faster than mine. I stuck around for award ceremony only to find out that the race director had actually forgotten to bring all the medals and only the 1st and 2nd place in each category would get them there, the rest would be mailed. So I'm still waiting for my medal to arrive. Not bad for my first duathlon! And by the way...as far as USA Triathlon is concerned, I am in the 30-34 age group. The age they use is the age the athlete will be on December 31st of the year of the race. Guess what....I'll be 30 very soon. WAHHHHH...

Lessons learned....TAKE WATER ON THE BIKE EVEN IF IT MEANS ADDED WEIGHT. I was SOOOO thirsty and I REALLY wished I'd have thought of taking water. Also, don't give the bike everything because there's still a run left after that! Overall, I'm pretty happy with the results. Here's the complete timing info (T1 is run to bike transition, T2 is bike to run transition):

Overall Details
Time01:14:58.34
Category Place3 of 8
Overall Place68 of 108
Gender Place26 of 54
Category Percentile+71
Overall Percentile+37
Gender Percentile+53
Swim/Run0:13:14
T11:42
Bike0:40:23
T21:54
Run0:17:45

Swim/Run Split Details
Time0:13:14
Pace0:08:49 min/mile
Category Place4 of 8
Overall Place70 of 108
Gender Place28 of 54
Category Percentile+57
Overall Percentile+36
Gender Percentile+49
T1 Details
Time1:42
Category Place4 of 8
Overall Place87 of 108
Gender Place41 of 54
Category Percentile+57
Overall Percentile+20
Gender Percentile+25
Bike Split Details
Time0:40:23
Speed16.34 mph
Category Place1 of 8
Overall Place56 of 108
Gender Place19 of 54
Category Percentile+100
Overall Percentile+49
Gender Percentile+66
T2 Details
Time1:54
Category Place6 of 8
Overall Place94 of 108
Gender Place45 of 54
Category Percentile+29
Overall Percentile+13
Gender Percentile+17
Run Split Details
Time0:17:45
Pace11:50 min/mile
Category Place4 of 8
Overall Place82 of 108
Gender Place38 of 54
Category Percentile+57
Overall Percentile+24
Gender Percentile+30

I knew I was crazy

2011-03-17T20:08:00.000-04:00

I have been many things in my life. I've even been a fanatic of many things. However, something I never thought I'd be was a Half Fanatic. That's right, I'm officially a Half Fanatic. Half marathon fanatic, that is. It's not that I'm fanatical about them, it's just that because I ran two half marathons within 14 days, I qualified for the Half Fanatics, the sister group of the Marathon Maniacs. I'm a lowly Neptune, just one single moon but I have aspirations to much more! I have a little something something in the works that will qualify me for a higher "rank" but I will wait until I've made a decision to talk about it.

Why We Keep Racing

2011-03-13T11:06:00.000-04:00

A couple of weeks ago I was reading the March issue of Triathlete magazine (don't ask me why) and the very last page had an article of sorts called "My Camelot" by Bob Babbitt and it was about why he loved racing. There were a couple of points that I could relate to, for example (emphasis his):

"It doesn't matter if you're not very good. Actually, being slow is important. Otherwise, how would the fast guys and gals know how awesome they are? They have to be way in front of somebody to feel good about themselves and impress the world. That's where people like me come in. You're welcome, fast guys."

and:

"People cheer for you no matter how crappy you're doing. And they'll always smile and say something awesome like, 'You're almost there,' even though you never are."

But this one in particular struck a cord with me and I suppose it's why most people who do any kind of racing feel, otherwise, why would they race at all? It also explains why I signed up for two half marathons right after I finished a sucky one that made me say I'd never race (hills) again. Though,. come think of it, during every race I wonder why the heck I do it and then say to myself 'I'm never doing THIS again!"

"If there is a Camelot in my life, it's a finish line...any finish line. The sponsors are happy, the race directors are happy, the volunteers are happy, the announcers are happy and, of course, the athletes are ecstatic. Everyone is cheering and there is a feeling of accomplishment that hangs in the air no matter how long or tough the race. Then you get to savor the rest of the day and that great finish line-induced adrenaline high. Of course, we all know that amazing feeling won't last forever. Which is why you need to hurry home and figure out where you'll be racing next weekend."

+ 1 to that!

13.1 Miami Beach 2011 Report

2011-03-13T10:26:00.002-04:00

It's been a week since I "ran" the 13.1 Miami Beach and I'm only just getting around to posting about it. I put ran in quotation marks because I didn't actually run the whole way. I knew the course would be hilly due to the causeways, I knew that it would be humid and I knew it would be hot. However, I failed to connect the dots.

The race started fine, a bit crowded but that's normal. The course goes from Ocean Drive and 11th or so south towards South Pointe Park and then west towards the mainland, over the MacArthur Causeway. I actually ran up the first bridge and down but by mile 4, halfway through the second bridge around Watson Island, I was already walking. I was running with my friend Damaris who thought she could pace me to finish in 2:16 (Ha!) but that wasn't going to happen. Even though she could probably kept running and quite frankly, I could have kept running as well if I had been determined to, we decided that it was too miserable to push it and we'd have more fun if we didn't worry about time.

From then on we walked and ran in intervals but the further we got the more we walked. It was all good though, we actually had a lot of fun. There were a lot of people walking and just to put the conditions into perspective, there were people puking off the side of the bridges, people sitting down on the side of the course, etc. I had never seen anyone being taken away by ambulance and I saw at least two that day. Everyone I have talked to that ran that race did much worse than they expected. As a matter of fact, the overall winner ran the race several minutes slower than what was expected. Over all, it was bad.

We didn't quit altogether though and even walking, we managed to finish in a time that I suppose many would consider good for them. We finished in just over 2:40. Of course, we couldn't be THOSE girls walking through the finish line so we actually ran that bit ;) Of course, my worst run ever time wise happened on the one day I had an audience at the finish line. My in laws, who are visiting from the UK, were there with my husband and my son. The only reason I didn't quit was because I didn't want to disappoint more than I already had.

I distinctively remember telling Damaris at some point over the MacArthur Causeway that I was NEVER going to run another half marathon that went over the causeways, which basically rules out pretty much all the half marathons around here. She told me I had to run the Halloween Half with her and I told her she was nuts. I kept saying "I'm so done with this, I'm never running hills again".

This is probably my favorite picture from this race.

I suppose it wasn't terrible when, right after, I came home and registered not for one but for TWO half marathons, one of which is...drum roll....the Halloween Half. FML. I did tell her I wasn't going to race it, I was going to do it for fun.

Here is the Garmin data:

A1A Half Marathon Official Pictures

2011-02-26T22:18:00.000-05:00

Here they are, I paid a small fortune for them. From now on, my husband will have to follow me around on a bike taking pictures. Click on them to see the larger file.

I really like this one even though I'm in the background. It looks like we are actually racing.

As usual, stopping the Garmin (which I then restarted by mistake).

What's up with the end of my braid? It's the humidity...and I need a haircut.

Here's the official video. About 13 seconds into the video I appear from behind the girl with the armband in the previous picture and then cross the finish line 18 seconds into the video.

A1A Half Marathon, Fort Lauderdale February 20th 2011

2011-02-21T22:03:00.002-05:00

A1A, Beachfront Avenue! Girls were hot, wearing Brooks and Mizuno... I had to (it's a spoof of Vanilla Ice's Ice Ice Baby, just in case you are not a dork like me).

I had been waiting to post about the race in hopes that the official photos would be posted but apparently it takes up to 4 days and I need to write while it's still fresh in my mind.

I suppose this picture is a spoiler!

The day started early. As a matter of fact, I got zero sleep the night before the race so it was a REALLY long day. I just lay in bed awake, tossing and turning. Part of it was nerves and part of it was the fact that I've been having trouble sleeping lately. I had set the alarm for 3am since I had to be out of the house by no later than 4 and I always take forever. Yesterday was no exception, I left JUST before 4 despite the fact that I had gathered everything, gotten it ready and laid it out the night before. I'm a woman, what can I say.

I got on my way hoping there would be no traffic near the race course because the race was supposed to start at 6am and it takes one hour with normal traffic to get there. I'd hate to think how long it would take in seriously heavy traffic. Thankfully, the route I took had no traffic at all. I drove to the finish line where I had purchased a VIP parking spot the day before. It wasn't much more than I'd have to pay at the meter anyway and the idea of not having to frantically look for a parking spot in the many local garages was really appealing. Anyhow, I parked with no problem whatsoever, braided my hair, got otherwise ready for the last time and went on the shuttle to the start line. There I met up with a local running friend, Damaris and we barely had time to use the potty before the race kicked off at 6am sharp.

I was freaking out, I won't lie! It wasn't hot yet but it was very humid and I knew it would be hot. The gun went off and off we went. It took me about 4 minutes to get to the start line and then I started running. Well, more like jogging, it was really crowded for the first couple of miles and then it slowly started to clear up as crowed spread along the course.

I was feeling pretty good during the first few miles. I was running slower than my expected pace but I figured I'd be able to kick it up in the latter half of the race (yeah, that worked out). Mile 3 had the only "hill" of the course, a smallish bridge. It wasn't fun going up the bridge but it wasn't terrible difficult, however, I was glad it was here and not at the end of the course.

At around mile 4 we took a turn to enter the park and at this point the runners leaving the park ran in the opposite direction. I thought that they were just a few minutes ahead of me but it would turn out they were actually VERY ahead of me as the park part of the course was actually fairly long. It had been dark until then, then the sun came up. The nice thing about running in the park was that the trees shaded the course and provided some much needed cooling. At some point around here I ran next to a lady who was just all smiles. I jokingly told her that she was way too smiley and she replied "I'm just happy to be running!". That put a smile on MY face, which I needed.

As I left the park and turned left onto A1A, it was obvious that from then on there would no shade and no cooling. I was still feeling alright and I was still hopeful I'd be able to kick up towards the end. Then reality kicked in. I just ran and ran and there were hordes of people running in the opposite direction, towards the finish. I kept wondering "How far ahead of me can they really be??" (far, is it turned out) and "Why the hell am I doing this???" and more importantly "Why the freak did I registered for another one of these in TWO weeks??" . The dang turn around point just seemed to never come. It finally came at around mile 9.5 and I seriously considered calling it quits then. At that point, I had already taken a couple walk breaks because I was getting really bad side stitches. I was well hydrated but the sun was really taking a toll on me. I'm soft, what can I say. Anyhow, I kept going, slowing down when I had to and took a couple more walk breaks of a few seconds when I got the side stitches again. Taking the first walk break is a double edged sword; once you resign yourself to taking it, the next few ones just come too easily.

Somewhere between mile 10 and 11 there was a beer station and many people were actually taking the cups. I didn't because I don't like beer but it sure made me chuckle. This part of the course completely unsheltered, parallel to the beach and the sun was completely out and with a vengeance. I figured I had made it this far and by golly I was going to finish come what may.

I hit mile 12 and I was off into uncharted territory. My training runs only went up to 12 miles so this was completely new to me. I actually started getting choked up almost to the point of being unable to breathe. Not because I was huffing and puffing but because I was holding back the tears. Tears of happiness, exhaustion and I don't know what else. I had 1.2 miles to go, I was REALLY going to do this. I tried to pick up my pace but I could not, I just didn't have it in me. Every time I decided to just go for it I ran out of steam. The last stretch of mile 13 and onwards was in the finish line area and I could see the chute. I hit mile 13 surrounded by race spectators, people having breakfast at the cafes, people just hanging out on the beach cheering the runners on.

At that point I knew that I could, if nothing else, take a shot a little sprint and so I did. I passed some people on the way and FINALLY crossed the finish mat. I thought I was going to burst into tears but I managed to regain my composure. I stopped my watch as I crossed the line but I thought I had only hit the lap button and hit the stop/start button again. This made the timer keep going and I didn't realize it until minutes later. My official time was 2:21:48. I'm happy with that time, as a matter of fact, I'm happy that I finished at all. In IDEAL conditions I should have run it in just over 2:10 but these were FAR from ideal conditions. By the time I finished running, before 8:30AM, the temperature was already well into the 70's and the humidity was still high.

I got my medal, drank some water, ate a banana and a bagel, had my picture taken at the sand sculpture and headed home completely satisfied with my performance and pretty damned proud of myself. I wasn't so much proud for having run a half marathon, I was proud but not quitting when I had wanted to so many times. I was proud that I stuck it out even though being sagged to the finish would have been way easier. But hey, then I wouldn't be a half marathoner!

My quads are sore today although not excruciatingly so. Aside from that, I feel pretty good!

Here's the bling!

The Garmin data if anyone is interested. I got confused by the full marathon mile markers once or twice and hit the lap button when I shouldn't have, hence the crazy laps.

T Minus 11 Hours

2011-02-19T19:19:00.001-05:00

The last(ish) minute nerves are starting to kick in. I picked up the race packet today which includes the race bib, t-shirt, timing tag, etc. I had never been to a marathon/half marathon expo before so I didn't know what to expect. It was actually fairly sizable and there were a lot of freebies. We came home with a bag full of stuff and only two things in it were paid for; a magnet and a massage stick. Everything else, from small cereal bars to yogurt to juices, etc., was free.

Now I'm trying to figure out how to get things ready for tomorrow, whether I want to check a bag with dry clothes for the finish line or not bother. I bought a VIP parking pass for basically the same price that I would have paid for regular parking, and it's at the finish line. I'd be very close to my car when I'm done so I could just keep my dry clothes there and get changed. On the other hand, I don't know if there will be changing facilities in the parking lot so I may have to go back to the finish line to change anyway. Decisions, decision! I still don't know which shoes I'm going to wear either. All I know is that I am going to have to be out the door no later than 4am because it takes about an hour to drive there and who knows what the traffic will be like. I have butterflies in my stomach.

Oh, while I was a the expo I "somehow" managed to register for the Miami Beach 13.1 race two weeks from now (March 6th). I may have truly lost my last marble now. I hope I will have recovered from tomorrow!

T Minus 7

2011-02-13T09:36:00.002-05:00

There is exactly a week until the much anticipated half marathon and I'm starting to freak out. Doubts have started creeping in and I can't help it. I mostly wonder if I'm ready, if I'll be able to finish, if I'll be able to run the entire distance, if I'll be able to do it in a decent (for me) time, if I'll hate it, if I'll get hurt, if, if, if. I hear this is normal but it doesn't really help. I think it's normal to have so many doubts when you are about to do something big for the first time. It's not like joining the military, getting married or having kids but it's definitely of the most worrisome events of my adult life. I may be exaggerating a bit but maybe not. I've been training for a long time and I have a lot invested in this race, not monetarily speaking. I'm actually terrified I'll bomb it and have to actually tell people! More importantly, I'm terrified that I'll bomb it and it will put me off running for good.

So, in order to sorta relax a bit, I have some goals for the race. First and foremost, I want to have fun. The other goals are as follows, in this particular order:

1. Finish the distance.
2. Finish the distance in under 2:30 (very conservative).
3. If I can't finish it in that time, not to beat myself up over it.
4. Try not to pig out after the race on the excuse that I just ran a half marathon ;)

I fairly certain I can run the 13.1 miles at my easy pace but I don't know if I can run 13.1 miles at race pace. According to my last 10k time, in theory, I should be able to finish the half marathon in just over 2:13. Mind you, I ran that 10k in fairly cool weather and that weather is not likely for the half marathon.

So, unless I get hurt and have to withdraw, I will cross that finish line and get my finisher's medal even if I have to crawl.

As a side note, I actually registered for the ING Miami Half Marathon NEXT YEAR. I did it on the blitz for much less than the normal fee. I was terrified of making the commitment because of all the doubts about the A1A half marathon next week but I did it. I hope to actually do it.

I also registered for my first duathlon and my first mud run! The duathlon is on April 23rd and the mud run, the Merrell Down and Dirty is on May 1st. I'm really looking forward to both.

Turns out, I'm a genius!

2011-02-09T20:25:00.000-05:00

This is a very interesting article. While I'm not saying I'm the female Einstein, I've always thought of myself as a fairly intelligent person and, for the most part, this has been reflected in my school performance. However, I've always had a hard time sticking to learning things that seem complicated to me because I always believe that I just can't do it. This article explains a lot and kinda makes me feel better. I guess I need to work on developing a male outlook to learning.

Taken from Psychology Today Online.

The Trouble With Bright Girls

By Heidi Grant Halvorson, Ph.D.

Created Jan 27 2011 - 9:21am

   Successful women know only too well that in any male-dominated profession, we often find ourselves at a distinct disadvantage.   We are routinely underestimated, underutilized, and even underpaid. Studies show that women need to perform at extraordinarily high levels, just to appear moderately competent compared to our male coworkers.

   But in my experience, smart and talented women rarely realize that one of the toughest hurdles they'll have to overcome to be successful lies within. We judge our own abilities not only more harshly, but fundamentally differently, than men do.   Understanding why we do it is the first step to righting a terrible wrong. And to do that, we need to take a step back in time.

   Chances are good that if you are a successful professional today, you were a pretty bright fifth grade girl. My graduate advisor, psychologist Carol Dweck (author of Mindset) conducted a series of studies in the 1980s, looking at how bright girls and boys in the fifth grade handled new, difficult and confusing material.

   She found that bright girls, when given something to learn that was particularly foreign or complex, were quick to give up - and the higher the girls' IQ, the more likely they were to throw in the towel. In fact, the straight-A girls showed the most helpless responses. Bright boys, on the other hand, saw the difficult material as a challenge, and found it energizing. They were more likely to redouble their efforts, rather than giving up.

   Why does this happen? What makes smart girls more vulnerable, and less confident, when they should be the most confident kids in the room? At the 5th grade level, girls routinely outperform boys in every subject, including math and science. So there were no differences between these boys and girls in ability, nor in past history of success.   The only difference was how bright boys and girls interpreted difficulty - what it meant to them when material seemed hard to learn. Bright girls were much quicker to doubt their ability, to lose confidence, and to become less effective learners as a result.

   Researchers have uncovered the reason for this difference in how difficulty is interpreted, and it is simply this: more often than not, bright girls believe that their abilities are innate and unchangeable, while bright boys believe that they can develop ability through effort and practice.

   How do girls and boys develop these different views? Most likely, it has to do with the kinds of feedback we get from parents and teachers as young children. Girls, who develop self-control earlier and are better able to follow instructions, are often praised for their "goodness." When we do well in school, we are told that we are "so smart," "so clever, " or " such a good student." This kind of praise implies that traits like smartness, cleverness, and goodness are qualities you either have or you don't.

   Boys, on the other hand, are a handful. Just trying to get boys to sit still and pay attention is a real challenge for any parent or teacher. As a result, boys are given a lot more feedback that emphasizes effort (e.g., "If you would just pay attention you could learn this," "If you would just try a little harder you could get it right.") The net result: when learning something new is truly difficult, girls take it as sign that they aren't "good" and "smart", and boys take it as a sign to pay attention and try harder.

   We continue to carry these beliefs, often unconsciously, around with us throughout our lives. And because bright girls are particularly likely to see their abilities as innate and unchangeable, they grow up to be women who are far too hard on themselves - women who will prematurely conclude that they don't have what it takes to succeed in a particular arena, and give up way too soon.

   Even if every external disadvantage to a woman's rising to the top of an organization is removed - every inequality of opportunity, every chauvinistic stereotype, all the challenges we face balancing work and family - we would still have to deal with the fact that through our mistaken beliefs about our abilities, we may be our own worst enemy.

   How often have you found yourself avoiding challenges and playing it safe, sticking to goals you knew would be easy for you to reach? Are there things you decided long ago that you could never be good at? Skills you believed you would never possess? If the list is a long one, you were probably one of the Bright Girls - and your belief that you are "stuck" being exactly as you are has done more to determine the course of your life than you probably ever imagined. Which would be fine, if your abilities were innate and unchangeable. Only they're not.

   No matter the ability - whether it's intelligence, creativity, self-control, charm, or athleticism - studies show them to be profoundly malleable. When it comes to mastering any skill, your experience, effort, and persistence matter a lot.    So if you were a Bright Girl, it's time to toss out your (mistaken) belief about how ability works, embrace the fact that you can always improve, and reclaim the confidence to tackle any challenge that you lost so long ago.

What I've Been Up To

2011-02-07T17:10:00.002-05:00

It's been nearly a month since I posted last and it's been a month since the new semester started. Coincidence? Not. This, my friends, is what I've been up to:

That pile does not even include articles, handouts, online resources, movies, etc that I have also been reading and watching. It is also "only" one semester of three classes' worth. The bottom eight books are required readings for the classes and the rest are for research. Why would an engineering major need to read so many history books? Well, they don't. Huh? That's right, I never actually talked about the change in majors.

Last semester was the hardest semester so far for me. It was also my first (and ONLY) semester as a science major. I went from a highest honors graduate, alumna of a national honor society, excellent student (if I may toot my own horn) to a lousy student who couldn't concentrate during lectures, couldn't retain any information, couldn't bring herself to pick up a book and study, etc. I hated all my classes, I hated the subject, hated not being able to absorb any of the material due to sheer lack of interest and hated not doing well or even mediocre. Of course, you can't do well if you can't even sit in lecture for five minutes without your mind wandering off who knows where. So, in a nutshell, as much as I like to read science and about science, turns out science is not a good career choice for me.

This wasn't one of my best times, to be sure. The disappointment and failures in my academic life trickled down into my personal life and I was miserable. I even considered not going back this semester. However, I have too much time involved in this to just quit altogether. So, after much, much, much debate and soul searching, to put it in a cheesy way, I decided to simply change majors. I had gone into being an engineering major for the wrong reasons. I went into it because it would actually make me a decent living. The caveat, however, is that I'd actually have to get the degree to make said living. If I didn't like it as a student, how would I like it in practice? If I was going to make it through the rest of the time left to complete my degree, I had to choose something I liked, something I'd enjoy studying. I needed to go into it for the right reasons and if that meant I'd have to do something totally unrelated after graduation, at least I wouldn't have been miserable as a student.

The result was the decision to go into something I have always enjoyed, the one subject I always said I'd get a degree in if money wasn't a problem. I changed my major to history. We are only 4 weeks into the semester but I can honestly say that, so far, I have no regrets whatsoever. I ENJOY going to class, I enjoy the lectures, I enjoy doing the reading, I enjoy doing the research, etc. Simply put, I enjoy studying something I enjoy. While I am a bit overwhelmed about the sheer amount of reading, I actually find myself excited about doing the research for the papers. As you can see from the picture, the reading is not light, it's actually quite substantial but I am actually doing it. You can be sure that if it was engineering or science major related, I'd be nearly ready to jump off a bridge. Looking back at my college history, the classes I always did worse in (although not bad, just not as good as the others) were the sciences. My best classes were always the humanities and social sciences. Why did I not think of that before? I really thought I'd be able to get through an engineering degree and I would have been able to had I had any real interest in it. So, while I may not leave college a biomedical engineer, I sure as heck will leave well read!

Lesson learned: In college, study what you love. Don't think about as preparing you for a living, think about it as preparing you for a life. Then hope you don't end up flipping burgers.

Zimmerman MS Bike Ride, 150 miles closer to the cure

2011-01-11T20:31:00.000-05:00

Click on the animation to make a donation!

The group I ride with, Team Storm Riders, does the Bike MS ride every year. It's the South Florida ride, Miami to The Keys. In the time they have been doing the ride as a team, they have raised over half a million dollars for the National MS Society. The ride is a 150 mile ride over two days. Each day you ride 75 miles then camp for the night and ride 75 miles back. Riders can do shorter distances or even just a single day ride. This year's ride is coming on in May and I wasn't sure whether I'd register or not.

First, riding 75 miles, let alone two days in a row, scares the heck out of me. Then there's the fundraising issue. To ride, you must raise a minimum of $400 and I suck at fundraising. I attempted to raise funds for a Komen 3 Day Walk for the Cure a few years ago and failed to meet the minimum (it was $2500). However, what I did raise was still donated so it was all good. In a moment of temporary insanity, and I seem to have a lot of those, I actually registered for the Zimmerman MS Bike Ride for this year. I did it last month and I hadn't made any efforts to raise the funds because I have enough time. Then I told a few running friends and, much to my surprise, some of them have made donations and I'm almost half way to raising the $400.

So, if you have a little spare cash, please, make a donation and support me and the National MS Society. All donations, no matter how small, will be greatly appreciated and not just by me. I'm actually looking forward to the ride and I'm certain it will be an experience I will never forget. Now I have to start toughening up my hiney for that long ride!

TropiTrot, or the race in which I DID place

2011-01-09T17:38:00.001-05:00

I wasn't sure what I was going to do during the race. I wanted to break 30 minutes but I wasn't going to go to hell and back for it.

A running friend and I started out together and ran together for about half a mile. At that point she started picking up the pace slowly and eventually left me in the dust, quite literally, it was unpaved. I lost sight of her and could only see her heading back after hairpin turns. We positioned ourselves well I would say. The mob started out big but eventually it evened out. I recall passing quite a few people and only being passed a couple of times. One of those times was by a man who I eventually passed when he started walking. I ran most of the race with no one behind me for a good distance, I was pretty much the last person in the front of the pack. That's pretty funny to me because I'm slower than molasses on a cold day and I'm usually in the middle of the pack.

The course was long by about 1/10 of a mile. Don't lecture me on how my Garmin is not accurate, etc, First of all, there were no tangents to run. The course was very narrow, it was so narrow at times that it was impossible to pass anyone without shoving them out of the way. Everyone's Garmin (at least everyone we talked to) measured the same distance, 3.20 - 3.23. This was not a certified course. It was definitely long. Not only long but it had an insane amount of turns and curves including some hairpin turns. There were also several different surfaces from grass to concrete to trails and everything in between. That was definitely interesting. The 1st over-all winner came in at 20:XX so that's an indication of the "difficulty" of this course as first over-all winners usually come in at least a couple of minutes before 20 minutes.

I started out too fast and then faded. I really should have started slower but I was feeling good. Ah well. I was beaten by a few seconds by a little kid. The shame! It was all gun time and it took me 8 seconds to cross the start line so my official time is 8 seconds slower than my Garmin time. After all was said and done, I placed 2nd in AG (yes, there were more than two of us!). Clearly, this race was just full of slow mo'fos like myself :P The girl that placed 3rd in my AG was over 5 minutes behind me. My official time was 29:48 and my Garmin time was 29:41.

So not only did I finally break 30 minutes (even on a long course) but I got my first piece of Age Group hardware! Hopefully this is one of many!

2010 Year in Review

2010-12-31T21:47:00.001-05:00

Another turning point a fork..... OK, that's cheesy.

It is rather fascinating how 2010 was so awful for many people I know and so good for others. I'd say that 2010 was my year. Sure, I've had bigger accomplishments in other years but no year before 2010 had been so jam packed with big and small accomplishments for me. For starters, I graduated with highest honors and as a member of the honor society with my Associate degree, then moved on to a Bachelor degree (but that's another story). Goodness knows history won't repeat itself with this one.

In 2010, I finally managed to make the lifestyle change I had been attempting for years. I broke the weight loss plateau and the weight is still coming off. But most importantly, I managed to get of the couch, so to speak, and get active. I made a decision in a moment of temporary insanity, which may not have been so temporary after all, and I went for it. I wasn't sure if it was going to stick and I KNOW my husband was doubtful but I took the first step anyway. I hit the ground running, literally. Day after day, week after week, mile after mile, I stuck it out. It wasn't nearly as difficult as I thought it would be and it is actually pleasurable. I stared Couch to 5k on June 29th and I haven't looked back.

Running wasn't enough since I couldn't do it every day as a beginner, I needed to find something else. In came cycling. I got a cheap hybrid bike at Sports Authority and within a week I KNEW I had to get a road bike because I loved every single minute I spent on that bike. In case you are wondering, road bikes are not uncomfortable like most people think, at least not if they are fitted correctly. Again, I haven't looked back. Introducing cycling to my cardio routine was actually what made my weight loss progress skyrocket and I have been steadily losing weight every week since despite the fact that I no longer count calories and I'm far more relaxed about what I eat than before. I suppose that I have also learned the art of intuitive eating.

Here are my stats for the year since I started running and cycling.

Cycling since September 27th:

Running since I bought the Garmin on September 19th:

Total Numbers from Garmin:

I ran approximately 55 miles prior to buying the Garmin. That was mostly during Couch to 5k so they weren't all running miles, some walking was involved. So total running mileage will be approximately 265. I hope to surpass that next year by over 1500 miles. I don't have a goal per se but if everything goes well and I gradually increase my mileage to 40 miles per week, my expected 2011 mileage will be approximately 1850.

Needless to say, I'm pretty sure running and cycling are here to stay. Bar injuries, I have no plans of slowing down. I do hope to remain injury free; the only sports related injury I have sustained so far was a case of medial epicondylitis (Golfer's Elbow) due to the ill fitting first road bike I bought. I have fully recovered and I"m pain free. The bike I currently have fits me to a T and I have no pain or discomfort whatsoever, sore butt after 2 hours of riding aside.

I hope 2011 treats me well.

Now the fireworks (despite not been midnight yet) woke my kid up and he's in full tantrum mode. I guess that's his way of ending the year, probably the same way he started it.

The Secret Life of Runners, or me anyway.

2010-12-22T12:56:00.001-05:00

It seems like this blog has just become a running blog of sorts. I didn't intend for it be that way but, to be honest, I live a pretty boring life by most people's standards. I do the same things every day, every week, every month. The only excitement in life is waiting for the UPS man to arrive and that's only on really good days LOL. Now that school is out til next month, I barely leave the house for reasons other than running, cycling or picking up my son from daycare when he goes. My mom tells me all the time that I (we) am wasting my youth and she wonders if I don't get bored of being home all day, every day. It sounds pathetic, I know, but I really don't mind it most of the time. I enjoy the solitude but I realize that is something that is difficult for many to understand. If I didn't gain a million pounds, I'd spend the days baking.

I've never really been a social person and neither is my husband. It's not that my socially awkward, I function just fine in social situations, it's just that I don't like doing things people my age, and child-free mostly, like to do. I don't like going to clubs or bars, I don't go to parties (mostly because we don't really know anyone), I don't really like a lot of noise, etc. I would love to go out more often, mostly just date nights with my husband but we live so far from my family that's really an operation to get them watch the kiddo. Even then, it can't just be for a few hours at night, it has to be, at the very least, overnight. Most times we've done this we have ended up still not going anywhere because we are either tired or just can't think of anything to do other than eat dinner somewhere and that's not novelty, we do it often.

To add insult to injury, we are going on, I don't know, a month maybe of not getting more than a few hours of sleep at a time. In the past month, our son has slept the entire night maybe 4 times. We are at the end of our rope and don't know what else to do about the situation. It's taking a toll on everyone, including him. He's almost two and a half years old, we should be way past this by now. He's never been a good night sleeper though so, in reality, we've been dealing with this for 2.5 years. I love him to pieces but I'm looking forward to the day he goes off to college because at this rate, that's when we'll start actually sleeping. That's not much hope considering he's not even two and a half yet ;)

So, the most exciting things in my life at the moment happen to be the races I take part in, which is why they are just about the only content in the blog as of late. Besides, no one reads this so it's just for my own sake, more than anything else, that I still even keep it up every now and then.

Holiday Run, or the race in which I almost placed

2010-12-13T16:48:00.005-05:00

On Saturday morning, I woke up bright and early and headed out to my second 10k, the Holiday Run. It was fairly chilly (for South Florida) which was a nice change from the disaster that was the Turkey Trot a couple of weeks before. I was number 3038 and I was worried that there were going to be so many people at the race but alas, it was just a number system and there were not thousands of runners like at the Turkey Trot. The race was pretty close to my house so we got there with plenty of time to spare. I was very pleased to see there were a lot of porta potties (and no lines!), pace markers, announcement for strollers and walkers to the back, etc. I did a little warm up to get literally warm, I was freezing and then headed out to the start line and waited. The 5k took off at 7:30am and the 10k took off 10 minutes later.

It took me only a handful of seconds to get to the start line, unlike at the Turkey Trot, and then off I went. I didn't really have a goal, I just wanted to finish and see if I did better on a flat course than at my previous 10k, the Key Largo Bridge Run. As I ran, I started warming up and then the temperature just got comfortable. It wasn't hot but it wasn't cold. It was just perfect. I tried really hard not to look at my Garmin but I'm a sucker, I looked....a lot. Surprisingly enough, there were not a lot of walkers, even on the 5k. I think I only passed a handful of walkers and they were walking single file all the way to the right of the course. There were also few strollers and they started at the back. That was nice.

I was running along and a girl in a black jogging suit caught up to me and we ran along side, ignoring each other, for a good while. Next thing I know there's a huge gap in front of me and a huge gap behind me. This girl and I were pretty much running alone, then I lost her. I closed the gap but I think it was because those in front of me were fading, I was running at the same pace. When I hit the 5k mark, I looked at my watch and realized I was run that part 2 minutes faster than my previous best 5k time, I ran in in 28 minutes and some. Sweet! At that point I thought I could actually break one hour for this thing and that's when I really set my goal. I was feeling great at that point so I was confident, perhaps foolishly so, that I would break the hour.

I picked the pace up but only very slightly as I still had 5k more to go. At this point I started passing people left and right, lots of them had passed me before but were clearly running faster than they could sustain. I just ran and ran. When I had about a mile and a half to go, I was feeling myself start to fade but I was still running alone. I passed some other people, mostly older runners. At this point it didn't even cross my mind that I had any chance to place. As a matter of fact, it never crossed my mind, not even as I crossed the finish line.

I slowed down a bit during mile 5, I was tired. I kept looking at my Garmin and thinking "Man, I can still break an hour but it will be close". As I turned the corner into venue and could see the building housing the finish line, I picked it up and ran, hoping to break the hour but not very hopeful at this point since I was cutting it VERY close. I turned the corner into the finish line and saw the clock said 1:00:02 or something like that. My first thought was "Dang, so close!", then I remembered that was gun time and not my actual time. I looked at my Garmin, it read 59:48 and I knew I'd make it. Next thing I know this woman in the black jogging suit ran right past me and crossed the finish line 2 seconds ahead of me. I crossed at 59:53 flat, only 7 seconds shy of the hour. It was close but I made it.

Said woman in black jogging suit. I wasn't nearly in as much pain as the picture suggests.

As soon as I started walking, I started dry heaving. I thought I was going to barf all over the finish chute. I walked away as fast as I could and looked for a trash can but there were people around all of them. Then I went to a flower bed but alas, I didn't puke. Excellent. This is when my husband found me and I could barely muster the words "I broke a freaking hour!" This is a huge accomplishment for me considering I'm a new runner and this was a personal best by almost 5 minutes.

I caught my breath but needed to sit so we found a chair. I drank a bottle of water and had half a banana then walked to the results wall to see the official number. I wasn't up yet but the first two women in my age group to finish were already listed. Their times indicated that I'd actually be in 3rd place. Holy crap! Could it really be? I mean, I'm freaking slow, it never crossed my mind that I'd come close to the front of the pack (for my age group) let alone place! I told my husband and he was excited but told me not to get my hopes up. We waited for the results to be updated and my heart sank to the bottom of my stomach and I saw I'd actually ended up in 4th place. Guess what, the woman in the black jogging suit beat me by 13 seconds! Even if she hadn't passed my and crossed the finish line 2 seconds ahead of me, she would have still beaten me by 11 seconds. She crossed the start line 11 seconds after I did.

I was gutted. She must not have thought she won either (I mean, our times aren't exactly winners' times) because she didn't stick around for the awards, she's not on the age group podium pictures. I didn't actually know it was her until I looked up her bib number in the race photos (yes, I'm stalkerish like that, I wanted to see who beat me!) and then saw it was her in the pictures my husband took. Anyhow, good for her. I can't complain, I hit a PR for the 5k AND the 10k so it was a good day for me. That said, 4th place is the suckiest place.

This was a great race and I definitely plan to run it again next year.

What The F... is Wrong with You?

2010-12-07T12:24:00.000-05:00

I am not training for an Ironman nor will I ever, I can't swim (amongst other things) but I found this absolutely hilarious.

Zombies Really Do Exist

2010-12-04T08:19:00.000-05:00

I am living proof. I may not be bloody, pale or after brains, but I sure do look like zombie. That's what 4 nights of no sleep does to you. I don't know what is going on but Liev is going through what I hope is just a phase. He has always slept in his bed, in his room, from the day he came home from the hospital. He's never been a great sleeper but we've never had to bring in into our bed or anything. Well, that was just until a few days ago.

In the past few days, he's been either battling going to bed or waking up in the middle of the night screaming bloody murder. The first night he woke up at 4am and would not go back to sleep at all so I had to come downstairs with him. The second night he woke up just after midnight and we battled with him for two hours until Matt finally gave up and came downstairs with him at 2am. The third night we finally broke down and brought him into our bed when he started wailing. That didn't work out so Matt moved into the spare bedroom with him and they slept on that bed. Then we had a good night but last night, as in a few hours ago, he woke up at 2:30am and would not go back to bed at all. We tried putting him in our bed again but he was wide awake, bouncing off the walls. I came downstairs with him and we've been up since. It's 7:50am right now.

The crying and drama only happens when he is alone in his room. If we are in there with him, or if he is in our room, there is no problem at all. He lays down and doesn't cry. Just when you think he's asleep and you make your move to either leave his room or take him back to his bed, he lifts his head and goes at it again. He pretends to be asleep he realizes he will be alone. We have tried everything, night light, no night light, shushing, feeding, diaper changing, water, etc but no luck. The only thing I can think of is that he is afraid of being alone or something along those lines. He doesn't talk much so he can't actually tell us what he wants or what the issue is, we can only speculate.

If he is indeed afraid, this is a new thing. I have no idea where he may have picked it up. We have never instilled fear of any kind in him. We have never read him any books with monsters or anything of the sort and i certainly hope the daycare providers haven't either. I know that he's at the age where his imagination starts running wild but you can't make an image out of thin air, you need to have something to base it on. If he is afraid, he must have been introduced to fear of whatever it is somewhere. Make sense?

I'm exhausted. I'm thankful that the semester is over and I have one exam left of I'd be really screwed. I don't know how to fix this but I do know that we cannot make a habit of bringing into our bed or of being up for the day at ungodly hours. That's not good for anyone. I'm not sure how I'm going to function today!

If You've Never Failed, You've Never Lived

2010-11-27T14:46:00.003-05:00

I saw this video somewhere and I needed to post it here. Life is full of failures, ask me how I know, but it's those failures that teach us the most. The lesson we choose to learn, however, is entirely up to us.

Run Miami's Turkey Trot 2010

2010-11-25T15:32:00.003-05:00

The day started off on the wrong note. I woke up at 6:29am and realized my alarm didn't go off. It was set for 6:10am but my phone was just frozen, it was not doing anything at all and I was certain it had bitten the dust. We rushed and were out the door by 6:45am I think. That is record time. The Monkey had his breakfast in the car. Thankfully there wasn't much traffic....until we got off the expressway and tried to get in the park. The line to get in was epic. We were already running late and I was thinking about just getting out of the car and walking in. To add insult to injury, I was in dire need to use the toilet. I was seriously worried that if I didn't get a chance do so before the race, I'd pretty much crap myself on the course. Pardon the explicitness but this is an all too common issue with runners, the trots. It's not pretty but it happens even to the best of runners (hello Paula Radcliffe!!!).

HORRIBLE picture of me (my face), I don't know what I was doing but man, look at those legs!

The legs are the only reason I included this picture :P

I finally got out of the car and jogged to the porta-potties while Matt drove in. Thankfully, there wasn't a long line and I was able to take care of business before heading out to the start line. At this point, yes, by the porta-potties, I met up with Damaris, a local running nut I met on Runner's World Online. Porta-potty randevouz, glamorous. Anyhow, I did my business, the crisis was averted and I made my way to the starting line, or more like the starting mob. WOW, there were a lot of people! I couldn't even see the starting line for a while. I made my way as far up as I could to line up with the 10 minute mile group and waited a few minutes for the gun. Honestly, I don't know why they bothered with pace markers, no one followed them.

The gun went off, I didn't hear it, and people started walking. It took me a while to get to the starting line (thankfully it was timed at the start and the end, not just the end) and off I went. It was hot, humid and the sun was just blazing. To my recollection, the run went something like this:

Mile 1: Wow, there's so many people here! Push-shove-weave through walkers. Man, it's hot and I'm already thirsty. I've been running forever, what do you mean it's only been .77 of a mile??? WOW, I'm running sub 10 minute mile, I may actually break 30 minutes today.

Mile 2: Hhhmmm.....I'm not sure I'm alive, I think I may actually be dead. Push-shove-weave through walkers. Where are all these walkers coming from?? What the heck? Run through water station. Crazy woman in front of me came to a dead stop for water and I rammed into the back of her and nearly ate the road. She looks at me like it's MY fault. Am I there yet? No? I want to stop. So I stopped and walked for 5 seconds. Whatever, it's way too hot. Still running sub 10 minutes!

Mile 3: OK, I can't give up but another 1.1 miles seems impossible. Just....one....more...mile. Get more water, cup too full, dang it. I should have brought my own water. Man it's hot! and crowded. and humid. Am I going to remember all this for the race report? I wonder if I can see Damaris going the 10k route to cheer her on. No Damaris. OK, only half a mile to go. I don't think I'm going to make it. This fvcking sucks, why do I do it again? I don't know. OK, I can see the track now and the finish line. Wait, that's a FAKE finish line! Damn these people!

.1 mile sooo...far....to....the....finish.....I can do it, I think. OK, so I won't break 30 minutes but I'll definitely PR (personal record). OK, almost there. Hey, there's Matt! I better wipe this look of pain off my face and smile. Maybe I'll just pull a stupid face. OK, here I go...crossing the line...YES! Holy crap I'm absolutely shattered...sit down.

So yeah, what a stream of consciousness. I was listening to music the whole time but obviously it wasn't helping to keep me distracted.

Hello, bat wings! Yuck. Legs, again. That's the best thing about my body.

Hey, at least I don't hate it all.

Oh yeah, I was really there and finished, see?

My feelings on the race are mixed. Obviously, I'm happy with my time, I set a new personal record and broke the last one by 1:20, that's a lot for a month between the races. In addition, I did this under horrible conditions so it's even more impressive (to me at least). I felt the course was too crowded, they should have capped the event at a much smaller number. There were 4000 runners all starting at the same time. Walkers and strollers all over the place, they didn't bother to stand at the back of the line. I spent the entire race weaving in and out of walkers and strollers. My Garmin shows I ran 3.17 miles and that's because of all the weaving. Also, the race started too late. 7:30am is too late to start a race in Miami especially now that by 7am the sun is already fully out. It was so hot and miserable that I pretty much wished I wasn't running at all. It didn't help that I went all out because I was shooting for a sub 30 minute 5k. I'm convinced that if the course hadn't been so crowded I would have achieved this even in the heat and humidity. I finished in 30:45.30 (30 minutes, 45.30 seconds). That was my Garmin and my official chip time as well. Gun time indicates it took me 3:59 to get to the start line. I finished 29 out of 155 in my age group and 713 over all. Not too shabby.

Ah well, I lived to race another day.

Damaris and me. Smart girl, she changed into dry, non-stinking clothes!

What the heck is this, mommy?

I know I'm biased but this is the cutest runner I've ever seen.

I'd normally go home at this point but we were waiting for the kid's race and for Damaris to finish her 10k. Liev was starting to get cranky but we hung around anyway. Finally met up with Damaris again and got some pictures, then went off to the kid's race. I didn't think Liev would run since he was feeling pretty crappy but we gave it a shot anyway. He ran for a little bit but then wanted to be carried. You know, I often want to be carried to the finish line too. It was a short run, 50 yards, so I carried him the last 30 yards and through the finish line. I was very funny watching a bunch of 2 year olds run. They all got medals and Liev loved his. I have to start him young so by the time he's my age he will have already set world records and not just be starting out :)

I think he likes it!

Blah Week

2010-11-21T20:24:00.001-05:00

The first week of the half marathon training didn't go so hot. I was just run down the whole week. I had to push the runs one day back at the beginning of the week because of rain and then yesterday I just had a sucky ride in the morning, couldn't keep up and then I had a two mile run scheduled. I took a nap but I just wasn't feeling physically up to it. I figured I'd listen to my body and skip the run. It was only two miles after all.

I ran my weekly long run today and it went great. I was full of energy for the entire 7 miles. It was humid but temperature wise it was OK. I didn't even feel the need to drink my water, although I did sip a few times. It was a great ending to a sucky exercise week. That said, I have logged the most miles (combined) so far this week and the most calories burned. I think I was feeling run down because I haven't been eating very well this week and it's back to being hot. I also haven't been replacing my electrolytes, especially on bike rides. I hate sports drinks so I have been drinking only water and eating a Gu while riding. I have now bought some electrolyte replacement powders, we'll see how that goes. If that doesn't work either then I'll try half water and half sports drink.

Looking forward to the week ahead, I am running a turkey trot on Turkey Day!

Busted! Hundreds of Students Caught Cheating on Midterm Exam

2010-11-18T14:21:00.000-05:00

This makes me sad. How stupid do you have to be to believe you can get away with this shit?

From The Telegraph.

By Alastair Good 7:36PM GMT 17 Nov 2010

Professor Richard Quinn was so disgusted by evidence that many of his students had cheated in their midterm exam that he gave them a lecture that he hoped would teach them a life-long lesson.

In the lecture, Prof Quinn told the class he had enough evidence from statistical analysis and other investigatory techniques to identify most cheats, but instead of handing the list over to the university authorities for disciplining, he proposed a deal.

He said: “I don’t want to have to explain to your parents why you didn’t graduate, so I went to the Dean and I made a deal. The deal is you can either wait it out and hope that we don’t identify you, or you can identify yourself to your lab instructor and you can complete the rest of the course and the grade you get in the course is the grade you earned in the course.”

Prof Quinn also added a requirement for those who came forward complete a four hour course in ethics. In return there would be no permanent record of the cheating.
So far more than 200 students have admitted to cheating.

Prof Quinn has described the reaction and support he has received from the University, community and from around the world as "overwhelming", but added he was "looking forward to moving past this incident and focusing on the rest of the semester.”

Blog Hop!

2010-11-16T08:24:00.000-05:00

I'm number 50!

Another Training Kick Off

2010-11-15T17:19:00.000-05:00

It still boggles my mind that a mere 5 months ago not only did I NOT run, but the thought of running, period, was a laughable concept for me. It wasn't that I didn't think I could run, it was just that I didn't think of running at all. Then one day, out of nowhere, something just lit up in my head and right then and there I decided I was going to do it, I was going to run. At that point, I still had doubts that running would stick. I couldn't run a mile, let alone 5k and the thought of running 10k was just beyond my comprehension. Slowly but surely I started to realize that hey, I could really pull this off! And I did. No running turned to 5k, 5k turned to 10k and I'm about to embark in what will quite possibly be my biggest challenge thus far, bootcamp aside.

Personalized half marathon training schedule. Times subject to change. Click to see larger!

Today is the official start of my half marathon training, even if it starts with a rest day. Right now I feel about running 13.1 miles much the same way I felt about running 5k when I started C25K and about running 10k when I started the 10k program. I can't wrap my mind around it. I can picture myself at the finish line but I don't know how I got there. It's just, again, unfathomable. I'm a bit apprehensive and I think it's because my body has caught to the fact that I can run much, much faster than my brain has. I'm still in awe that I can run 5k and my brain is still lagging.

So, for the next 14 weeks I will be running my little heart out 4 times a week (instead of the 3 I had been doing) and my weekly mileage will peak at 28 miles the week before the A1A Half Marathon. Twenty eight miles is pretty low in the greater scheme of things but it's obviously an enormous milestone for me. I have chosen to run a half marathon not because I felt that I HAD to but because I need structure. Left to my own devices, I'd never run more than what I had been running during 10k training simply because I would lack direction. Having a goal and a plan to get there is what keeps me going. I need a training schedule to tick off and keep me accountable. It is not just about race day, it's about the journey there.

Last but not least, I would like to thank my husband for being so incredibly supportive. Thank you for everything you do so I can make my crazy dreams happen even when you think I have truly lost all my marbles once and for all. Thank you for taking over all the parenting responsibilities 6 mornings or evenings a week so I can run or ride and for getting up at o'freak early to go to races with me. Thank you. I should have saved this speech for when I (don't) win that half marathon ;)

Key Largo Bridge Run 2010

2010-11-13T14:58:00.008-05:00

I finally ran my first 10k, the race I've been training for for 10 weeks. The whole week I was freaking out over the fact that it's a BRIDGE and I'd die running up it since I've never run hills before. I hardly slept last night and today as we arrived in Key Largo, the nerves really hit big time. I was almost shaking. It was bad. I decided I was not going to sweat it and that I'd run if I could and I'd walk if I had. No pressure, I just wanted to finish the distance since it was my first 10k race.

We had to take a shuttle to the start of the race since the parking was about 4 miles away. We made it with enough time for me to stand in line for the port-a-potty and then walk to the 10k group. There were three separate groups since there were three distances, half marathon, 10 and 5k. The half marathon left 10 minutes before the 10k and the 5k a few minutes after the 10k. So, I took my place in line and off I went when the gun went off. My chip time is one second faster than the gun time so I guess I jumped the gun LOL; more likely, the gun time was delayed one second.

That's me in pink under the K

The run was pretty uneventful. Going up the bridge the first time was not really hard at all. The views from up there was amazing. At about mile 2 (I think) the first 10k runner on his way back ran past me. I was feeling pretty sorry for my crappy time at that point (which really, was good for me) but hey, that dude is fast and he's been at every race I have participated in bar the Komen race. About half a mile further down, I ran past a woman wearing an A1A half marathon 2010 shirt. I asked her if she was running it next year and we chatted for a bit. Turns out, she was running the half marathon today. So yes, I caught up to a half marathon runner at mile 2 when they had left 10 minutes before I even started running. I wasn't feeling so slow all of a sudden. She told me she was thinking about turning around at the 10k turnaround point because she didn't think she could make it. I had to keep going though so I wished her luck and moved on.

As I said, going up the bridge the first time wasn't hard, it was gradual. Going back over the bridge in the other direction, however, was hard. I'm surprised I didn't walk up. I was going slow, over a minute per mile slower than on the flats. The incline is steeper in that direction. I made it to the top though and everything that goes up must come down. Sweet, sweet descent. I made up for the slow uphill then.

Almost at the finish!

I finished in 1:04:44 (one hour, four minutes and forty four seconds) which is way faster than I thought I would do it in. I placed 17/20 in my age group and 72/116 over all. I thought I'd do 1:06:xx if I was lucky but I didn't get my hopes up. Well, I was pleasantly surprised, especially with the "hill" running. Now, I like running long distances in training just fine but I am not sure I like distance racing (5k's are OK). That's a bummer considering I'm registered for the A1A half marathon in February. I hope it changes my mind.

So, today I learned two things. First, slow (or fast for that matter) is relative. I'm slow compared to most and fast compared to many. Don't be bummed about your speed, be happy you are out there running at all. Second, if you run uphill, it's hard, but you eventually get to run downhill and that's just plain fun and fast. Now, I need to get a ride to the top of hill and run down! ;)

Ask Me What I Just Did

2010-11-07T20:58:00.000-05:00

Don't ask me, I'll tell you anyway. I just ran EIGHT miles. This is the longest run in the 10k training program I'm about to finish and the longest I've run in my entire life. The race is next Saturday. Honestly, I can't believe I just ran 8 miles when a mere 2 months ago I struggled to run just 1 mile outside and didn't run at all before the end of June. I'm still in disbelief. The weather today was awesome for running and I'm sure it helped A LOT. I ran pretty effortlessly and while I could have pushed and gone faster, I didn't want to burn myself out before I could finish. It was my first time running 8 miles so I needed to pace myself. Even so, I ran about 2 to 3 minutes (per mile) faster than what I should have according to my first 5k pace. I've come a long way since that 5k.

Just before heading out for the 8 miler.

I had to stop running briefly twice because I was chased by two enormous, vicious dogs. One of them had escaped, I assume, from its house. It was German Shepherd and I'm sure it was taller than me if it had stood on its hind legs. Thankfully a good samaritan (the man living next door to the house with the dog) shushed the dog away and I was able to continue running. The second incident was on the other side of the community. A man was walking his pit bull (which are illegal in this county) with out a freaking leash. I didn't see the dog until I had already turned into the street and again, it chased me. All the man could say was "I'm sorry" as I stood there, petrified, crossing all my fingers and toes that the dog wouldn't bite me. In both instances I thought it was probably best if I stopped rather than try to outrun the dogs.

As for the run itself, it was great. The first mile is always hard, mentally, but I just found my stride after a while and got into it. It was mentally challenging at times but I think that's because I run around my community and during long runs, I just lap around the place over and over again. It gets old. I need a change of scenery.

On a similar note, I took my measurements a couple of days ago. I have lost a total of 6.5 inches or so since the end of July and my legs, at least, are looking more toned. I'm ecstatic. Jillian Michaels would be proud :::gigglesnort:::

Right after getting home from the 8 miler.

THE Bike Version 2.0

2010-11-06T21:26:00.001-04:00

I have been without a road bike for a couple of weeks but that is no more. I shopped around a lot, I went to pretty much every single bike shop in Miami and I was able to test ride a grand total of THREE bikes. Why? Because apparently people my height don't test ride bikes. OK, that's not true but it does have to do with my height. I am 5'1.5" (every half inch counts!) which is pretty short, especially as bikes go. Most unisex bikes are not made small enough for me and most shops don't bother to stock and/or build bikes my size, period. All this makes for a very frustrating bike shopping experience. Everyone can and wants to order me a bike but no one has one I can ride. I don't remember if I mentioned this before but the bike I had to return, the Cannondale, actually gave me medial epicondylitis, otherwise known as golfer's elbow, a type of tendinitis, on both elbows. Ouch. I'm MUCH better after two weeks off the bike but I'm not 100% recovered, I couldn't even straighten my arms out.

Anyhow, the bike shopping was getting frustrating because it's like buying a car you haven't been able see, let one test ride, except that YOU are the engine in this vehicle and if it's not the ride bike the engine simply won't function well. I ended up take a leap of faith and ordered a bike. It's not carbon and it's not quite the same as the Cannondale but it was priced in range and it's not entry level. It has nice components and it's a good looking bike. Most importantly, IT IS THE RIGHT SIZE! The shop ordered it on Tuesday and it arrived yesterday. I went today to pick it up and get fitted. I have only ridden it on the trainer so far (while being fitted) but I know that at least I'm not kneeing myself in the face when I'm in the drops. The real test of course is a proper ride. Some changes may have to be made but at least the frame is the right size. It's a 47cm (Trek does not make 48cm) 2011 Lexa SLX, a women's specific line of bikes, with the following specs (not that anyone other than myself cares!)

Frameset
Sizes	43, 47, 50, 52, 54, 56, 58cm
Frame	Alpha Black Aluminum
Fork	Bontrager Race, carbon legs, SpeedTrap compatible
Wheels
Wheels	Bontrager SSR (43cm: 650c)
Tires	Bontrager R1, 700x23c (43cm: 650x23c)
Drivetrain
Shifters	Shimano 105 STI, 10 speed
Front Derailleur	Shimano 105
Rear Derailleur	Shimano 105
Crank	Shimano R600, 50/34 (double)
Cassette	Shimano 105 11-28, 10 speed
Pedals	n/a
Components
Saddle	Bontrager Affinity 1 WSD, steel rails
Seat Post	Bontrager Carbon, 20mm offset
Handlebars	Bontrager Race VR-S, 31.8mm
Stem	Bontrager Race Lite, 7 degree, 31.8mm
Headset	1-1/8" integrated, semi-cartridge bearings
Brakeset	Tektro R540 brakes w/Shimano 105 STI adjustable-reach levers
Components	Shimano 105
Accessories
Extras	Fender mounts

Slow Sunday Ride

2010-10-31T12:15:00.001-04:00

I didn't think I'd do a group ride today since I am riding my hybrid but the opportunity came up and I took it. The ride was a 17 mile ride with the a cycling club I part of. It was MUCH slower than I would have liked but it served its purpose, I suppose.

I have been paying attention to my running performance and how I feel pre and post riding and I've come to some conclusions. If I run the day after a hard/long ride, my running performance suffers. I feel very tired and just overall not there. The day after a long or hard run, my knees are usually shot. However, if I cycle (no matter how hard or easy) on the day after such runs, my knees recover and the pain goes away entirely. I suppose the cycling then becomes a recovery exercise of sorts. I guess that's why running and cycling complement each other so well. I will have to work that into my training schedule.

A1A, Beach Front Avenue

2010-10-29T16:03:00.000-04:00

What will you be doing the morning of February 20th, 2011? I know what I'll be doing! I'll be doing this:

In a moment of temporary insanity, I registered for the A1A Half Marathon. Actually, I registered by fax so I could take advantage of military and former military discount. Instead of paying the $75 fee I only pay $25! I get to suffer through 13.1 miles for the price of 3.1!

Training will commence right after the 10k in two weeks. Joy!

Spirit of the Marathon

2010-10-29T14:41:00.000-04:00

I just watched Spirit of the Marathon. It's a documentary that follows a few people from beginning of training for the Chicago Marathon to after the marathon. The people range from absolute beginners to elite world record holders. It's a very inspiring documentary and definitely a tear jerker, at least for runners. I'm a cry baby though and I did cry towards the end. It also made me want to put on my running shoes and go.

I have been thinking about running my first marathon in 2012.

I'm Too Sexy for an Even Tan

2010-10-29T13:05:00.000-04:00

I guess sunscreen doesn't work with repeated exposure :P Thankfully, I never wear anything that short outside of cycling/running so it's not too visible in street clothes. My arms look the same except there is more of a color gradient.

Notice the bruise on my right knee. It's one of three from last week's spill on the bike.

Bye Bye Bike

2010-10-24T13:38:00.000-04:00

So, I am officially road bike-less. I don't know where to go from here. Right now I just can't pony up an extra $500 to $1000 for a mid range bike like the Cannondale. At the same time, there is no point in getting an entry level bike that I will hate because it will never measure up to a mid range bike. It's a tough call. I could save up and buy a mid range bike but that means no riding possibly for months.

What's a girl to do? Where are the sugar daddies when you need them? I'm so bummed over this, so bummed.

Too Good to be True

2010-10-23T20:13:00.001-04:00

Do you have any idea what it feels like to drive a Corvette for a while and then have it taken away from and having to drive a Ford Focus because you can't afford another Corvette-level car since you didn't pay full price for the Corvette to begin with? Well, me neither but what I'm feeling right now is the closest thing to that.

I mentioned before that the bike I recently got, the Cannodale, was high performance racing bike that I got for half of the original retail price due to being a 2008 and a very small frame. Well, I had suspicions for a while that the bike was too small for me but my fears were confirmed today. Every time I pedaled my thighs hit my abdomen and I couldn't even go in the drops because I'd basically knee myself in the face. I rode today with Team Storm Riders and a couple of people noticed that the bike was, indeed, too small for me. The Cannondale was putting a huge amount of tension on my arms and I was starting to develop tennis elbow. I got a chance to try someone else's larger bike and it made a world of difference. There was no tension on my arms whatsoever. The frame was a 48cm and I thought it would be too big but it wasn't.

So, I went back to the store and returned the bike. The problem is that I will never be able to find anything spec'ed like that bike in my price range, that bike was a fluke. Everything I can afford feels rudimentary in comparison. After I have ridden a such a bike, how can I happily ride an entry level bike? I'm absolutely gutted that it was too good to be true. Honestly, I feel like I just don't want a downgrade and I'd rather not ride at all until I can afford a similarly spec'ed bike. That's nonsense though but really, I will always know better and curse the day I set my standards so high. I don't know if I'll be able to come to terms with riding an entry level bike.

As for today's ride, it was my first proper organized group ride, pace line and all. It was nice (even on a too small bike), it beats riding alone. We rode from Pinecrest Gardens to a few miles past Blackpoint Marina and back. The round trip was 32 miles. The turning point was very close to my house but I didn't know it then. If I had known, I might have just ridden home. The second half of the ride was hard, the wind was brutal. I think right now 32 miles is my max, at least with that bike.

Homestead Miami Speedway Century

2010-10-17T17:41:00.000-04:00

Somehow I got talked by a fellow Cutler Bay Cycling Club member into taking part in today's cycling event. The event was the 2010 Homestead-Miami Speedway Century. A century is a 100 mile bike ride/race. I did not ride 100 miles, however. There were 3 other distances to choose from, metric century (100km), 40 miles and 25 miles. I rode 25 miles (which weren't 25 miles at all!).

I debated the entire week whether to ride the hybrid or the road bike. I knew I could ride 25 miles on the hybrid but it would take me a long time. I wasn't sure I could ride 25 miles on the road bike but if I could, it would be quicker than on the hybrid. I ended up bracing myself and taking the road bike. I'm glad I did. It was great, fast (for an absolute beginner) and not actually uncomfortable.

Loved the compression sleeves. They are Sugoi.

The ride started with one lap around the Homestead-Miami Speedway and then took us around the Homestead and Redland countryside. The two rest stops for the 25 mile group were at Robert is Here (I SHOULD have gotten a milkshake!) and RF Orchids. Right after coming out of RF Orchids, I took a wrong turn because I misread the signs and headed about 1.25 miles in the wrong direction dragging two other cyclists with me (they followed me). You can see this at the very top of the route on the Garmin map. This added about 2.5 miles to the route which was already 26.5 miles and not 25. I'm glad I realized there was something wrong before I got too far. Once back on route, the rest of the markings were clear.

I look like I mean business!

It was actually a very nice ride and I'm glad I did it. I had a great time and got to meet great people. I think perhaps next year I will aim for the century! The best thing about this event is that it is literally less than 5 minutes from my house!

Silly smile. My husband would be proud if he'd saw me.

PS. I did not take my camera so these pictures are courtesy of fellow Cutler Bay Cycling Club riders.

Komen Race for the Cure

2010-10-16T13:48:00.000-04:00

Remember that 5k I registered for when I first started C25k? The one that was supposed to be my first 5k? Yes, that one. Well, it was today. I even made a tutu to wear!

There were over 20,000 registered runners/walkers. It was INSANE. When the gun went off I was still walking towards the starting line going in the opposite direction. I squeezed in and crossed the starting line over two minutes after the gun went off. This race was not officially timed, my time came from my Garmin. I wasn't planning on running it, or at least not racing it. I planned on walking and taking it easy. Yeah well, that didn't work out. I ran...hard. There was a killer bridge that slowed me down a bit. The course went up the bridge twice and the second time I walked about a quarter of the way up since I had already made great time and I was TIRED. I still managed to run my fastest 5k yet by almost 5 minutes.

I was definitely popular with the crowd. Everyone had something to say about the tutu. I heard everything from "That is SO cute!" to "I can't believe I got passed by a tutu!" to people wanting to get a picture taken with me. I had a great time.

My finish time (not gun time) was 32:05. That is 4 minutes and 44 seconds faster than my first 5k less than one and a half months ago. Not too shabby. Training for the 10k, which means running much longer distances than before, has definitely made me faster.

Conversacube

2010-10-12T16:18:00.001-04:00

Where was this when Matt and I started dating?

Travel Conversacube from Lauren McCarthy on Vimeo.

THE Bike

2010-10-08T16:28:00.004-04:00

All hail the new ride:

2008 Cannondale Six13 Feminine 3 Double .

Remember THE bike? This is it. I went to put a down payment on it the day before yesterday to put it on layaway. I was told that because there were only two left I could not put it on layaway. After much debating and convincing, it came home with me that day.

Here are all the specs for the bike. Even though it's a 2008 model, the bike is brand new. That is why I only paid 44% of the original retail price. Other models in the store from this year cost more and were not nearly as good a bike as this. As they put it, this bike is the Corvette and the other bike I tried the Focus. The choice was clear. It is the 40cm one (smallest) with 650c wheels. With the reflectors and pedals (which don't come with the bike), it weighs 19.5 pounds. The hybrid I've been riding weighs 27 pounds.

Anyhow, I got fitted yesterday but I was wearing the wrong shoes so I'm positive I have to go back and get refitted. I went out for a ride yesterday afternoon and it is very clear that this bike is no hybrid! It pretty much glides on the road but the riding position is nowhere near as comfortable as the riding position on the hybrid. That was, however, to be expected. I rode for about 30 minutes. The first 15 minutes of the ride were great. I got up to almost 19mph at one point. Then I turned around and I hit a brick wall. You can see it on the speed chart, after 15 minutes, it just went way down.

Well, it was the wind but felt like a brick wall. The ride back to the car was hellish. I was pedaling and felt like I was going backwards. I only managed to pootle along at 10mph and even then, it was HARD. Oy. I was against the wind the entire time and I thought I was going to die. The thought of calling my husband, who was working 40 minutes away, to come pick me up and drive me the rest of the way to my car (ONLY THREE miles) did cross my mind. One of the hardest part was actually holding my head up. I have a sore neck today, I need to work on that. I was also having pain on my left knee, that's what makes me think I need to go back for another fitting.

I finally made it back to the parking lot (I went to a local National Park visitor center as my starting/end point) and decided to ride up to some picnic tables to take a break before getting in the car. When I was at the tables I lost my balance and rode right into a table with a couple having lunch. It was freaking hilarious. They had their back to the road so they didn't see me coming. The woman jumped about 3 feet in the air. This must have been quite a sight all around, especially if someone had been watching me on the ride back. I'm so clumsy. I should add that I didn't actually run into them, just the table. No one, and no bike, was hurt.

This story wasn't funny as it was happening but when I was telling my husband, I just couldn't stop laughing. I was cracking myself up. Really, you had to be there. Note to self, do not go on any group rides until you can ride more than 8 miles without wanting to die and be put out of your misery.

The ability to ride 21.5 miles on a hybrid bike =/= the ability to ride even 8 on a road bike. I am stubborn though so I will keep at it. Not to mention that if I don't, I may find myself being served with divorced papers, the bike wasn't cheap.

Nice Saturday Bike Ride

2010-10-02T16:21:00.000-04:00

Ever since I got into running, I've been thinking about cycling as well. Mostly because it's great cross training and because it's low impact, which running is not. I test rode a few bikes. One of them in particular was love at first ride. It was a nice, light Cannondale carbon fiber bike made specifically for women and because it's an old model (new bike, old model), it was on sale for half of the original retail price. I got a bike this past Sunday. It was not THE bike. I decided to start with a cheap hybrid from Sports Authority to see how it goes and then maybe upgrade to THE bike....if it's still available.

Turns out, I have loved every minute I've spent cycling, even though it's a cheap, heavy, slow bike. The first day I rode, I rode just under 7 miles. I rode 21.5 miles today with little effort. For the first 16 miles, I met up with two other members of a local cycling club. It was a ride for beginners and we went slow. I got serious bike envy. We rode past (or rather, were passed by) a lot of "real" cyclists in their kickass road bikes at crazy speeds. Dang it, I want one. It was really fun, even though I had to leave the house at 6:30am to be at the meeting place by 7am. We rode from Coral Reef Park to Blackpoint Marina and rested there for a few minutes before riding back. My Garmin FR 405cx crapped out for about a mile during mile 12, this is evident in the map, I did not ride through the houses. This is the route we took:

Right after I got home we attached the (cheap) bike trailer we bought last night to my bike and I took The Monkey out on a ride. I thought he was going to hate the helmet but he didn't mind it. He actually enjoyed the ride. I didn't hear a peep from him the whole time except to count and blow me kisses. I rode for 5.5 miles out and back and it was as hard as the whole 16 miles I rode earlier. Pulling a trailer is not cake! The funny thing is that when I ride alone, no one even looks at me but today I got ALL kinds of looks from people. Mostly disbelief at the fact that I was actually pulling a little human being in the trailer! One woman actually said "Oh my god, she's pulling a kid!". What? Me? No! I'm just pulling an empty trailer! Duh.

Run Like A Mother

2010-09-26T22:21:00.000-04:00

I'm officially on Run Like A Mother!!!!! Scroll all the way down.

On that note, I ran 4 miles today. That is the most miles I've run outside since I started running in June. When I stopped running, instead of coming "this" close to laying down on the side of road (I always want to do that), I just danced! Imagine that! Crazy, sweating lady dancing in the middle of the road. Must have been quite a sight. Thankfully, there was no one around to see it so it didn't happen. I danced because I felt good and my "power" song had come on in a very serendipitous kinda way. I had more energy after the run than I did before. Strange thing.

Poor Sickie Monkey!

2010-09-19T10:10:00.001-04:00

I should be studying, I have three exams in the next two days and one of them, at least, I KNOW is going to kick my ass. However, I just can't concentrate. I'm reading and I'm not retaining a single thing. It does not help that Liev is sick. I dropped him off at my mom's on Friday night and she was supposed to keep him until later today. However, that didn't work out. We had to go pick him up yesterday evening because he got a fever and my mom is terrified of fevers in children, I don't know why. He has not had a fever since but he is coughing a bit and didn't look too happy earlier today. He seems better now and hopefully tonight will be better than last night because neither one of us got much sleep. The joys of being a parent!

I'm finding this semester to be MUCH harder than all of the previous ones. It's probably because this is a different school with more difficult curriculum or maybe because the class sizes are so big. Either way, I just don't feel I'm retaining much information, especially in my Biology class. The professor lectures and I'm just lost, all the time. When I'm not in class, I'm doing school work or thinking about school work. It's just taken over my life and, quite frankly, I hate it. I don't have time to do things that I enjoy or even time to spend with my family. On Mondays, for example, I see my son early in the morning and then not again until Tuesday morning (at least not awake). It will only get worse as my classes get more and more difficult (hello Differential Equations and several Organic Chemistry classes!). I honestly don't know that I have the capacity to do it. I often joke about changing my major to Women's Studies or Religious Studies but deep down, I don't know that I'm joking at all. Changing majors to something less challenging HAS crossed my mind but there is really nothing else that grabs my attention.

Why can't we do this Matrix style? Plug me in and teach me everything about Biomedical Engineering in 10 minutes, please!

United Way 5K in Coral Gables

2010-09-18T11:47:00.004-04:00

Matt set the alarm for 5:15am this morning to give us plenty of time to get ready and get out to Coral Gables for the race today, which was supposed to start at 7am. In the morning I heard "Oh, sh!t! June, the alarm didn't go off, it's 5:59!" Nice. We had one hour until the race started and was still in my jammies. The place where the race took place is about 30 minutes away and I still had not picked up my race packet with the bib. Not the best way to start the day. I got dressed in record time in we were out the door within 10 minutes.

Left wrist: Garmin FR405cx. Right wrist: RoadID Elite.

Under my shirt holding my iPhone: iFitness belt.

I got my new Garmin Forerunner 405cx last night and I still had to set it up since it had been charging overnight. I had to do that in the car. More on the Garmin later. I was actually not nervous this time around. However, I really needed to use the toilet, which I didn't get a chance to do at home. I figured when I picked up my bib, I'd go to the porta-potties. Well, the race was less than 5 minutes off and the porta-porty line was enormous. Crap! Thankfully, not literally and I was hoping it stayed that way. I took my place at the start line along with I don't know, 300 others, and when the gun went off, off I went.

It was hard from the beginning. I was uncomfortable because of the potty issue, it was humid and I wasn't very well hydrated. It didn't get any easier as it went. I started off faster than I should have but I adjusted my pace when I realized it. The Garmin gave me a mile by mile pace as I went along with distance, etc. Kickass little piece of equipment. The course was around the Coral Gables country club. If you not familiar with the area, Coral Gables is a posh neighborhood in southwest Miami. The houses there are right out Architectural Digest. During this runI had time to admire the nice neighborhood I don't live in but hope to one day HA!.

Anyhow, it was hard all the way. I finished at 37:53, over a minute slower than the previous race. I was hoping for less time but oh well. I think I did better the first time because I started fast but I didn't really slow down considerably until after the 1st mile, which means I gained some time. Maybe I will try that again next time and see how it goes. I don't think I'll ever be the negative split kinda runner (or jogger even!). On the bright side, this is still faster than sitting on the couch!

By the time I crossed the finish line, I thought I was going to die and then it started raining. Still no potty. Off to the car we rushed and on home. But not before puking, of course.

I might as well have been passed out here, cause that's how I felt.

I decided to try out running skirts so I bought one yesterday. It was comfortable except the short part (there's compression shorts under the skirt) was too short and my thighs rubbed. I did not chafe, I had applied copious amounts of Body Glide, but I still don't like the feeling of the rubbing. That said, I liked running in a skirt from the aesthetic point of view. The shirt also rocked. When I got home and took it off I realized I had worn it inside out LOL.

Race Registration: $25
Running shoes: $99
Running tank: $25
Maximum impact sports bra: $42
Running skirt: $45
Sucking your gut in when running past a hot cop: Free
Still feeling like a girl when drenched in sweat and smelling worse than a high school male locker room: Priceless.

My husband actually stuck around the this time so he got some pictures. They are not great, it was still fairly dark without flash, but I dare say they are better than the official pictures (which are not up yet and thus I haven't seen).

This is what happens to those orange wedges! Just

for comic relief.

On to the Garmin. It kicks ass. It's the huge honk of computer on my left arm. When I uploaded the workout, this is the info I got (click on it). The time and distance is slightly off from the official because I forgot to stop the watch as I crossed the finish line. I'm in love. The short line going back towards the course is me making a beeline towards the portapotties in a failed attempt to use them (NASTY!)

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The Hardest Part is the Last Few Pounds

2010-09-10T23:17:00.001-04:00

Why is it that the last 10 pounds, or my my case 13, are always the hardest?

I started Weight Watchers (again) in August of 2009. By the time that November came around, I had already lost all the weight I've lost so far. I started at GULP....168lbs and I'm currently at 133. Since then, I have lost and gained the same 5 pounds over and over again. Some weeks I don't try, other weeks I try and succeed, others I try and fail. I just can't seem to shake the last few pounds. Every time I think I'm going to FINALLY break 130, BAM, back I go.

I know that I am to blame but if I could easily lose 35, why can't I lose the last 10 or so??? Maybe I've reached a point where my body is comfortable with itself? Maybe "I" have reached a point where "I" am complacent with my weight? I don't know. I'd love to make it to my goal of 120 but I'm losing hope. With all this running and working out I've doing for the past few months you'd think I'd have lost weight but alas, I haven't. It's just making me hungry ALL THE TIME. I'm always ravenous. As a matter of fact, I could eat a cow right now.

Maybe I'm destined to be forever pudgy (at 5'1.5", 133lbs IS pudgy.)

Officially on 10k Training Schedule

2010-09-07T21:48:00.002-04:00

What is it about turning a specific age, usually 30, that gets people bent out of shape? It's pretty common to hear people say "I want to do x before turning 30" or something along those lines. Why is it? Sometimes it's gradual, other times BAM, it's hits you that you are almost 30 and need to do whatever before then. I'll be 30 next year and I thought I had escaped this malady but alas, I was wrong. I went to get a pedicure and eyebrow wax today. As I was getting in my car, out of the blue and for no reason at all the following stream of consciousness overtook my mind "WOW, I can't believe I'll be 30 next year. There have been so many things I've planned to do in my life but just haven't panned out. I need to do something momentous before turning 30, I have to do something memorable and I have very little time." So there, it's my turn, I suppose, to formulate a plan do something big before my Big Three O but more on that another time, I'm still assessing the situation.

I am now officially training for the Key Largo Bridge Run 10k in November. I didn't think I need it before starting to run outside because I had been running 4.5 miles on treadmill but I was wrong. Road running is much more difficult, at least for me. I am not doing Bridge to 10k, I'm doing a program generated by SmartCoach based on my 5k race time. It starts out nice and slow with 2 mile runs, which is great considering that is the most I've been able to run outside without stopping. Today was the first training run and the hardest part was keeping a slow enough pace. I'm supposed to be doing these easy runs at a 14:31 minute mile pace but it's hard. I keep speeding up without even thinking about it and then have to slow down. I'm using RunKeeper on my iPhone to track speed and distance so I don't know how accurate the instant pace reading is but, at the end of the run, it calculated my average pace to be about 14:00 minute mile. I did this same run yesterday and my pace then was 12:38 minute mile but today felt more difficult thanks to the wind and higher humidity. Yesterday was also the first day I was able to run 2 miles (on the road) without stopping.

I "designed" the training program to finish on the day of the 10k race so if all goes well, I should be able to finish it at the very least. I'm not going for speed but I would like to finish before 1:15 hours. However, this program says my pace should be a bit slower and would put my finish time at just over 1:16. We'll see how it goes.

On a side note, I liked my first 5k so much that I registered to run another the weekend after next. This one is in Coral Gables, one of my favorite areas in Miami. I can't wait!

Publix Family Fitness Weekend Miami Beach 5k. I LIVED!

2010-09-06T08:34:00.002-04:00

I have done 99% of my running since June indoors on the treadmill because it was just too hot outside. In preparation for this past Saturday's 5k, I tried a couple of outside runs, just to acclimatize myself. They didn't go horribly but they didn't go well either. I couldn't even make it one mile without walking for a few seconds. Running outside is harder, no doubt. The hard part is keeping a sustainable pace. On the treadmill I run at about 13:20 minute mile but outside, with no machine telling me how fast to go, I was running quite a bit faster, which I didn't know until I got home and mapped the run. Turns out that one of the runs I averaged 12:08 minute mile and the other 12:15, over 1 minute faster than I'm used to, and I just couldn't keep it up. I didn't even run 2 miles either time, I was beat, the heat and the humidity were pretty bad. This made me worried about the race. If I couldn't run 2 miles, (or 1 mile without walking), how was I going to run 3.1 miles?

Ready to go!

On race day, I was scared. On the drive there I had a huge knot in the pit of my stomach. I was scared shitless. I had paid my entry fee and I wasn't going to forfeit it, plus I couldn't let myself fail without even trying, so I soldiered on. The weather was good for running. It was was overcast, breezy and it actually rained for the first half of the race so it was cooling. When people started lining up, I pushed my way to the front, not sure why, then all of a sudden, as people started running, a swarm of lycra and tech shirts just ran past me and I felt like I was dead last. For the first half mile or so I kept looking back, just to make sure I wasn't last. Thankfully, I was not even close. I knew I wasn't going to win but I didn't want to be dead last either.

By the time I made it to the water station at mile 1, I was drenched in rain water and according to my watch, only just over 11 minutes had passed. That was fast for me. It felt surprisingly good. You just don't feel the humidity when it's actually raining. Pretty much the entire time I kept thinking to myself "Why the f&%$ am I doing this?" By the time I was 1.5 miles into the run, the crazy fast runners were already passing me on the way back. Even a woman wearing very little and pushing a stroller was already coming back. I was trying really hard to keep a pace I could maintain, to run my own race and not everyone else's.

The hardest part was the last 0.2 miles or so because I could see the finish line. I could also see it getting further and further away. This stretch was on sand (this was also the beginning of the race), some of it was compacted and but some was not. I kept running and the damned chute kept getting further away. Finally, when I was close enough to it that I felt I could sprint without burning myself before making it, I did it. I ran fast, as fast as my little heart and worn out legs could bear at that point. As I crossed that finish line, all the "What the f%$£ am I doing?" feelings had gone away and I was just so freaking proud of myself that I had actually done it and so freaking happy that I HAD done it that it was now over. I crossed the finish line at 36:49 minutes and I thought my heart was going to stop when I stopped sprinting. That put me an average of 11:52 minute mile. That is the fastest I've run since I started running in June. I'm happy with that time and I am not even beating myself up for walking 3 times for about 5 seconds each. I did MUCH better than I expected.

Sprinting towards the finish line. Official photo.

Pretty much all the official pictures of me sucked. You don't realize how horrible you look and the faces you pull while running until you see pictures. My own personal photographer, my husband, did a silly as well. He thought I was going to take 45 minutes or so to run so he decided to go on a beach walk. He was not at the finish line when I crossed it so not only did he not take pictures but he missed the climax of my very first race. I was heartbroken but I will let him off this once because he was trying to keep the kiddo entertained.

Me on the left. About the cross the finish line.

I crossed with a group so there are no pictures of me alone.
Official photo.

I'm ready for the next race (though I'm freaking out about the 10k in November) and I might register for another 5k soon!!!!

Financing Higher Education

2010-09-03T16:49:00.000-04:00

This makes me glad that I chose not to take on thousands of dollars in private student loans to attend the University of Miami. I mean, I haven't escaped this issue unscathed, I just payed the government in a different manner. This sounds like a nightmare!

Infographic by College Scholarships.org

Two More Races Booked!

2010-08-29T22:51:00.001-04:00

Now that I finished C25k (there I go again), the Race for the Cure 5k seems so far away. I'm on fire NOW and I don't want to let it fizzle. I'm a goal oriented person. I can't (usually) just do something for its own sake, I need to have a goal to keep me focused. So, I went ahead and registered for the 5k event of the Publix Family Fitness Weekend taking place in exactly one week (September 4th) in South Beach. Crazy? Probably but that's me.

The race is at 6:30pm. It's still hot out but at that time it should have cooled down a little bit. By cool I mean 80°F instead of 95°F. I need to do two or three outside runs this week to get acclimatized but I should be able to finish it, even if I have to walk. I'm not going for the win, just for the finish. I've recruited my family to come cheer me on, let's see if they come through for me.

I had been thinking about the Key Largo Bridge Run 10k for a while and yesterday morning my husband and I drove the course just to check out the elevation. The bridge is fairly steep (the dude says it's not but damn, it looks it) but I'm sure I can manage it with some hill training. The rest of the race is flat and then DOWN the bridge (yay!) The race isn't until November 13th so I have time to get ready.

I'm so excited! I've been doing some indoor cycling training as well because I had my mind set on doing a duathlon some time next year. Late spring or fall/winter, don't know yet. I've been doing indoors on an exercise bike because I don't actually have a bicycle. We've been looking at some but I want to go straight to a road bike and I have to wait a bit to get it, hopefully not more than a couple of months. I have settled on one specific bike and hopefully it will be there still when I'm ready to buy. I took it for a test ride and it was love at first ride.

So, here's to hoping next Saturday isn't hellish hot and that I can run all the way!

The Impossible is Often the Untried.

2010-08-27T16:54:00.002-04:00

So.....roughly 9 weeks ago, give or take a few days, I decided I was going to get off the couch, get my ass in gear and start running. I'm sure all of my readers, if I have any, are sick of hearing about C25k this, C25k that, etc. Well, you'll hear no more about C25k from me. It's over, done, finito. I GRADUATED TODAY! WOOT. Well, it's probably not true that won't hear about it, what you won't hear are weekly updates on my progress.

I actually ran W9D2 yesterday and I couldn't wait until tomorrow to run day 3 because I'd have nowhere to run (dang AC broken). I thought I'd be tired but that wasn't the case. As a matter of fact, I went out with a bang; I ran not for 30 minutes, not for 40 minutes but for an entire hour and I could have kept going! Holy crap! I didn't plan on it when I started running this morning, it just sorta happened. For whatever reason, the C25k app has acted up for the last couple of runs. Whenever I turned the phone's screen off the app would pause but it didn't do that before. It was paused for 5 minutes so it was counting 5 minutes less than I had actually ran. I thought I'd try to run until the app ran out of time, just to see if I could. The app ran out of time after I had been running for 35 minutes and I was feeling good so I decided to just go ahead and keep running just to see how long I could run.

At that point I was running for me, not for the program. I just wanted to see how far I could run. Around the 30 minute mark I "found" my stride and the running was easy, really easy, after that. I just kept breathing, kept going, sweating like a pig but not struggling, mentally nor physically. I made it to 40 minutes and I was still going strong. I thought to myself "Hey, maybe I can try for an hour!" Then I cracked up. Next thing I knew I had run for one entire hour and was one mile short of 10k. The truth is, I could have kept going, I was running at a steady pace, very comfortable in my stride, it was easy. It was almost like somehow that 30 minute mark had switched some sort of circuit in my body to the on position and it was no longer work. The first 30 minutes were mentally hard but then it just sorta felt...... peaceful. However, I had to get ready for class, eat lunch, etc so I had to stop. I was pretty pleased with myself.

If you had told me 9 weeks ago that I'd be running at all, let alone for an entire hour without stopping, I would have laughed in your face and told you to get off the crack. There was not a moment in my life before very recently that I even entertained the idea that I could run for an hour straight. It just never registered in my little running-hating brain as possible or even as something worth trying. Ever, not even in my Navy days. What a difference actually WANTING to do something makes! I am in the best shape of my life, fitness wise, and I can only hope it gets better.

Where do I go from here? I don't know, but one thing that I do know for certain is that I will never again say that I hate running or that I can't run. I LIKE running (sacrilege!) and I CAN run. Thank you, whoever designed Couch to 5k!

PS. I'd also love to thank the folks at The Runner's High for hooking me up with an amazing pair of running shoes. They did a gait analysis while I ran on a treadmill and found me some kick ass shoes that compensate for my crazy over-pronation. Here's to no injuries!

Off To A Bad Start

2010-08-23T11:34:00.000-04:00

What a rotten way to start the new school year at a new school!

I woke up, on my own, bright (well, dark really), and early at 6:00AM. I figured I'd might as well get up since I was wide awake. I got ready for school and was out the door by 6:30AM. My first class of the day wasn't until 9:00AM but I wanted to get my work out done before that. I got the university's gym around 7:15AM, parking it not really near so I had to walk. I did my run but couldn't do anything else because I wouldn't have enough time to shower and all that before class.

So, I rushed the workout, I rushed the shower and got ready in 1 minute (personal best!) and lef the gym. I had to go to the car to get my backpack and put the gym bag away. I had about 10 minutes before I had to be in class. I basically ran across campus with a 40 pound backpack on my back. I was already sweaty again by the time I got to the classroom. As I got to the door, I saw a sign that read "Bio 1 and Bio 2 lab students, the labs don't start this week, they start next week". I was flipping pissed! My first thought was 'Thanks for the notice asshole!" The schedules say the classes start this week and I was not the only student there. Would it really have been that difficult to send a mass email saying the labs didn't start until next week? No, it wouldn't have been. The deal is, that my next class wasn't until 12:30PM!

With so much time to spare, I thought I'd move my car nearer to the buildings were my classes are. So, I walked 10 minutes back to the car and drove around to the other parking garages. I drove up and down, left and right, in and out of garages, parking lots, bogs and no dice. I drove around for an ONE HOUR AND TEN EFFING MINUTES trying to find a damned parking spot. I was THIS close to just getting the feck out of here and going home. This is absolutely ridiculous! An hour and ten damned minutes! I was starting because all I had had was as cereal bar when I left the house. I ended up going into the dining hall and paying way too much for crappy, fatty food.

Mind you, the shittiness that this school is did not being with this day, at least not for me. I have had several incidents over the summer, none of which I have blogged about because I don't want to be a Negative Nancy. Thank goodness I brought a laptop with me or I'd be going out of my mind waiting until 12:30PM for my class.

As far as parking, I have learned my lesson, park early and do not, for the love of all that is French, move it. This means I have to walk across campus a few times a day. Maybe I"ll get a bike for this. I mean, it's not a small campus. I'm not at Miami Dade College anymore.

They day can only get better from here, right? Riiiight???????

I Can't Believe My BABY Is TWO!

2010-08-22T11:47:00.001-04:00

Times flies. Just yesterday, or so it seems, I was hugely pregnant and walking, bouncing on an exercise ball, etc just to get labor started (didn't work). But that was two years ago, which is pretty hard to believe. At the same time, the last two years have felt like an eternity. It's a paradox if I ever saw one. This past Wednesday my baby, yes BABY, turned two years old. It's really hard to believe but it's true. I look at him and wonder where my little baby went. He is a big boy now, won't let me feed him, wants to do everything on his own etc. He also has a temper, just like mine. He is developing his own little personality and makes sure we know this. I don't know who he takes after ;)

So, Happy Second Birthday to my little Monkey. Slow down little boy!

Here are some pictures. For more see my Flickr!

Another C25k Week Down

2010-08-14T13:47:00.001-04:00

This blog has become a C25k blog lately. To be honest, there is not a whole lot going on in my life so I don't have much to talk about. I've been working out a lot; running, weight training, some cycling and even some Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred. I have a bad case of gadget lust which keeps getting worse and more expensive. Luckily I don't have money to buy any of these gadgets so we are safe.

I finished Week 7 of Couch to 5k yesterday. I can't believe I only have two weeks left of the program. It seems almost like a dream. The truth is, I actually look forward to the runs. Yes, they are difficult and they test me but I enjoy them all the same. They are difficult mostly mentally. I get bored out of my mind and I keep looking at the watch constantly. When I think an eternity has passed and I look again, only one minute has gone by. I went to Bally last night and watched E! News while running. Bless those treadmill TVs, they make the run go by quicker. I guess I shouldn't get used to that though since I won't be going back and joining. It is still too hot and humid to run outside.

The AC at the community gym is STILL broken. I ran there earlier this week and I thought I was going to die. School doesn't start until a week (and thus my ability to use the university gym) from now so I still have to figure out where I'm going to run this coming week. I probably will have to suck it up and run in the gym with no AC. I've been running after Matt gets home from work because Liev hasn't been going to daycare.

C25k Week 6 Done!

2010-08-06T21:13:00.001-04:00

Today I finished Week 6 of Couch to 5k! No more intervals, it's all running from now on. I actually ran for 25 straight minutes. I didn't have the same "HOLY CRAP!" effect as running for 20 minutes straight last week had. I really couldn't believe I was running for that long for the first time in my effing life.

Today's workout was interesting though. The AC at the community's gym is broken and there was no way I'd run there with no AC, no airflow and HIGH humidity. Running outside was also out of the question so I took a friend's suggestion and went to a local gym for a trial membership. The gym was hhmm....meh...but it served its purpose for today. It's a women only gym and, as scary as this sounds, I was the fittest person in there. I know, I crack myself up every time I say that in my head. I was running my little heart out and I could feel, and see (the walls are covered in mirrors), all eyes on me. I was the only nut actually doing vigorous exercise and sweating like a pig. That's cool though, it kept me motivated NOT to make a fool of myself.

After the run, I decided to bike a bit to make up the difference in calories to round up to the nearest hundred. I cycled 2 miles in about 8 minutes. I was going to do it for longer but the seat kept becoming unlocked and falling down, bring me down with it. Yeah, nice gym! After all that, I did my normal upper body weight training. I burned over 460 calories and thus gained an extra 4.5 Weight Watchers points for the week!

The calorie count is thanks to my new heart rate monitor with chest strap. It it's so great and I don't even feel the strap! It's a cheapo model from Walmart but it will do the job (I hope) until I can get this baby, the Garmin Forerunner 305. I REALLY want it, especially for when I start running outside and don't have a treadmill to tell me how fast I'm running or how far I've run. I'm gonna have to save my pennies.

I only have three more weeks of Couch to 5k and I THINK I'm going to go straight into Bridge to 10k after I'm done. There is a local 10k in Key Largo in November and I really want to run it. The same event has a 5k too so I'll do that if I can't work up to 10k just yet.

Someone asked the other day if I've seen any difference in body since I started C25k. Yes, I have. My legs feel leaner, if that makes sense, and are definitely stronger. My husband also asked if I intend to keep running after I graduate from the program. Yes, I do. I didn't come all this way only to go back to being a couch potato! As a matter of fact, I think that at some point in the future, perhaps early next year, I might train for (and complete) a duathlon (I can't swim so a triathlon is out). I've got the bug, and I like it.

Disclaimer: I don't know why I always feel the need to add a disclaimer when I say things like I'm going to do a 10k or a duathlon but If don't actually do either, don't hold it against me! I'm only human and out of shape!

The Lovely Bones Review (contains spoilers)

2010-07-28T20:35:00.002-04:00

The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

The book was promising in the beginning but I felt it was bait and switch. I had no real problems with it until the end but it was so anticlimactic. All along we were lead to believe that she was hanging around waiting for her body to be found and her killer to be punished but the real reason was just....meh. All those years, she was hanging around until her family got over her? Really?

I also didn't like that Harvey was never apprehended. He died but that is not what he deserved. I felt....robbed. Robbed of a good "bad guy gets put in jail" scene. Robbed of a good ending to an otherwise good book. The possession and sex with Ray thing was very much not needed and bit disturbing.

So, in a nutshell, bad ending to an OK book. It gets you invested at the very beginning and then downhill and hits rock bottom.

View all my reviews

C25k W5D1 = "I am going to die" Feelings

2010-07-27T11:31:00.004-04:00

"I find myself outside. You can't say I haven't tried; perhaps I tried too hard" Robbie Williams

That was my life this morning. In an effort to start getting used to run in races, you know, outside, I started the Week 5 of Couch to 5k by ditching the treadmill and running on the street. It was the first time I ran outside since January of 2006, my last Navy Physical Readiness Test. I started early, at about 7:15am, but it was still not early enough. It was not very hot yet but running outside was hard, especially that last 5 minute run. It was nice to have a breeze, which the gym lacks, and a change of scenery, which the gym also lacks, but I am certain it was much harder than the treadmill.

For starters, Florida is a VERY flat state but you never know how many little hills your neighborhood has until you run there. I'm a wuss, I get it, but my poor little heart was pumping ITS poor little heart out. The hardest part during the work out was not being able to drink as much water as I do when I'm on the treadmill. I usually drink anywhere from 10 to 15 oz during the workout but I was not carrying water so that was not an option. I did leave a glass of water on the steps of my front porch and it so happened that every time I went past there I was on a walking interval so I drank a bit. It helped but I really needed more.

As I said, those last five minutes were grueling. I really thought I wasn't going to make it. Right after I finished the run, and I DID finish, I literally threw up. Thankfully I had not had anything to eat prior to the run so it was just water. I had heard about people puking after a workout but it had never happened to me. I don't know what to make of it. It wasn't very hot so I don't think it was the heat. The last run was hard but I didn't feel queasy at all until I stopped. Really, it was odd. I walked back home during cool-down and just had to lie down because I thought I was going die. To add insult to injury, I also had a case of the runner's trot. Google it.

So, I don't know whether to follow MC Hammer's advice to "either work hard or you might as well quit" and tough it out outside until I'm acclimatized or just go back to the treadmill. I mean, in the long run I WILL have to run outside, races are not, unfortunately, done on treadmills. What's a girl to do???

The next run will be increased to 8 minutes and then on Saturday, W5D3 I will have to attempt the first 20 minute run. I'm freaking out and really starting to doubt myself.

PS. In case you are wondering about the song references, they both played during this work out LOL. I found the lyrics fitting considering the circumstances. That and I'm a dork.

Happy Birthday To ME!

2010-07-20T22:04:00.000-04:00

That's right, it's my birthday. I want a do-over!

McFatty Monday

2010-07-19T12:47:00.000-04:00

It's Monday again! I have been doing the C25k runs on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday and last week I stared doing the weight training part of Body For Life on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. I don't particularly enjoy going to the gym every day so I decided to try something. This week I'm testing whether doing the C25k program AND the weight training on the same day works for me. I did it today and while I was dead tired at the end, I'm glad I got it out of the way. Now my legs have a chance to recover until Wednesday.

This week is week 4 of C25k and I was actually pretty scared about how it would go. The runs went from 3 minutes to 5 minutes and I wasn't sure I was going to make it. They were hard, I won't lie, but they were not nearly as horrible as I thought they would be. For the first time in my life I had sweat literally dripping off my body. The worst part, I think, is that I get bored on the treadmill and there is no air movement in the gym. Those 5 minutes lasted an eternity so I'm REALLY scared for next week and all the weeks after that. Ideally, I'd run really early outside, to be done by 7:30am but that means I'd have to wake up before my son does and I'm just not up to it. By the time I actually leave the house to go to the community gym it's 8:30am or so and WAY too hot to run outside.

We'll see how this week goes.

C25k and First 5k Race

2010-07-18T13:02:00.002-04:00

I finished Week 3 of Couch to 5k yesterday. Week 3 was definitely more difficult than the previous two weeks but not unmanageable. To be honest though, I'm surprised I have been able to get this far. You know, because I'm a self proclaimed running-hater and couch potato. I went into the program with every intention of finishing it but I was trying not to let myself get too attached, if you will, because I based on my history, I'd quit at the first sign of difficulty. So, I can't believe I'm 1/3 of the way there. I actually look forward to running days. That said, next week comes the 5 minute runs and I'm scared! Really, I am. However, I've been able to manage so far so I'm sure (I hope) that I will be able to get through this coming week and the rest of the program.

I'd better because I just registered for my first 5k! I had been thinking about doing it for a few days and I finally went ahead a little while ago. I'm doing the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure on October 16th. I think fund-raising is not required but I went ahead and left their default recommended amount on the form. If you would like to make any donations to the foundation, you can do so through this link and support me!

Call me crazy, cause I do call myself crazy, but I've been looking into half marathons. I'm a sucker for punishment and clearly too much of a dreamer.

Happy (belated) Birthday To My Awesome Husband!!!!!!

2010-07-12T16:46:00.001-04:00

Yesterday my husband celebrated his birthday. We spent the day at the Mango Festival at Fairchild Tropical Gardens. In the evening, after a very unhealthy dinner, we had an even unhealthier but so so good dessert ... ice cream cake! I didn't make it, it's from Coldstone Creamery an it is (there's still some left) red velvet cake with cake batter ice cream and sprinkles and whipped frosting.

All Liev wanted to do was poke the frosting, scoop up some with his finger and eat it. He then discovered the mini Kit Kats and went to town. That was the first time he had candy. It was so cute watching him stuff the Kit Kat in this mouth but at the same time, the mom in me was freaking out over the kid eating a candy bar. Needless to say, this is a treat and not an every day occurrence.

So, to my husband, whom I know is reading, I hope you have a good birthday! We were not in a cool vacation spot like Devon nor did we have a swanky, child-free meal but at least the beer was good and the pizza discounted!

McFatty Monday

2010-07-12T15:23:00.002-04:00

I decided to join the McFatty Monday crowd since I seem to be posting about weight loss, running, and what not so often.

Even after the surgery, I am nowhere near where I want to be. Not only do I want to lose more weight (15 pounds or so), but I also want to one up and just get in shape. With that in mind, I decided to give the weight training, and maybe cardio, portion of Body for Life a try. I'd be doing the weight training on my C25K off days and the cardio, if I do it, on my C25k days, right after the workout and before cooldown.

Today was the first day of BFL weights. I did the upper body workout and I'm positive that come tomorrow, I will not be able to lift a finger. FML.

Some scary numbers:

Current weight: 135lbs (give or take depending on the swelling)
Height: 5'1.5". However, half inches are rarely found in any fitness measurements for height so I use 5'2"
Goal Weight: 120lbs
Starting Weight: 168lbs
Loss to Date: 33lbs (give or take depending on the swelling)

I hope to be swimsuit decent by next summer!

So, join us on the weight loss wagon and see where it takes you!

Splash 'n Cry, I Mean, Play.

2010-07-09T10:23:00.003-04:00

Yesterday, in a moment of temporary insanity, I decided it would be a good idea to take Liev to the local(ish) Splash n Play. I figured we'd get there and he'd love it. Well, not so. The place was jammed with an elementary school/summer camp field trip. The kids were running around like mental asylum escapees and, as usual, didn't really watch out for younger kids and toddlers. That was my first warning that I should just turn around and go home. I had driven all that way though so I had to at least try.

I managed to get him changed into a swim diaper and his swimming trunks. Putting the swim top on him is hell because the neck opening is tiny. He fights it vehemently. I have to buy a better one. Anyhow, once I finally got him ready, I let him loose. He stood right next to me and didn't take a single step. I had to guide him around, getting him sorta acclimatized to the environment. He ended up playing by this fire hydrant the entire time. By playing, of course, I mean putting his feet under the stream and trying to drink from the spray. This is the kid who hates showers, why did I think he'd like a Splash n Play?

It didn't take long from him to grow tired of that and, in typical Liev fashion, only wanted to play with the stroller. He managed to climb into the stroller with soaking wet shorts. I pulled him down and then the first tantrum started. I tried to distract him with other things but no dice. That was enough for me so I started getting him ready to go home. Second tantrum. After what felt like a wrestling match, I manged to get him out of the wet clothes and into dry ones, then put him in the stroller. Third tantrum. He's in a buckle phase and does not want to be strapped into anything because he wants to click the buckles closed instead. He does snap them closed but cannot open them again, which leads to yet more tantrums.

While all this was going down, I was sweating buckets. It was hot and the humidity of the Splash n Play was almost unbearable. I'm glad I had enough sense not to wear my compression garment because I probably would have passed out.

2010-07-09T09:20:00.001-04:00

The Other Side of Motherhood. No Puppies or Rainbows Here.

2010-07-07T20:07:00.001-04:00

In an almost serendipitous way, my husband sent me a link to a very enlightening article just as I was typing a post about how motherhood really isn't the stuff of fairy tales everyone makes it out to be. I was going on about how it isn't puppies and rainbows most of the time, if at all. How exhausting, mentally as well as physically, it is to raise a stubborn, defiant toddler and how I didn't think my life would be like this with a kid.

Most importantly, I was pondering writing about how I do not like being a mother. Don't get me wrong, I love my son to death and I would kill and die for him but, truth be told, I do not like parenthood. I don't believe, for one second, anyone who tells me they'd rather be changing dirty diapers, wiping up messes they didn't make or trying to discipline a toddler (or at least stop him from causing you bodily injury), etc than be spending time doing the things they really like to do. I'm willing to bet just about anything that there are millions of mothers out there who feel this way but are too ashamed to say it because they feel it makes them bad mothers. Society has created a set of rules, standards, and beliefs about what it SHOULD be like to be a mother, what a woman's life SHOULD be like after children, how a woman SHOULD feel towards her children from the minute they are born, etc and anyone who does not fall within those standards is immediately labeled as a bad mother, a freak, a horrible person, etc. This is part of why post-partum depression, something I suffered (and I mean suffered), has such a stigma attached to it.

I don't think wanting to have a life outside of motherhood, NOT wanting your life to be defined by your choice in reproduction matters, and NOT wanting to become So and So's mother (after all, you DO have a name) makes anyone a horrible mother. Not feeding your children, hurting them, abusing them, allowing others to abuse them, etc DOES make you a bad mother. Things are not black and white. Mothering is not my strongest suit but I do not think of myself as a bad mother and I don't think anyone who knows me does either. Would I rather be getting a pedicure instead of chasing a 22 month old to change his diaper? You bet. Would I rather go on a lunch date with my girlfriends (if I had any) instead of on a playdate? Yup. Would I rather go on an exotic romantic vacation instead of a toddler friendly, chaotic one? Yup, that too. Does that make me a selfish, bad mother? No, it makes me human.

Anyhow, I'm glad I read this article. It made me feel immensely less shitty about not loving being a mother despite loving my son. My favorite quote from the article is that "[children] are a huge source of joy, but they turn every other source of joy to shit." I laughed out loud when I read that.

"All Joy and No Fun. Why Parents Hate Parenting"

My First Blog Hop!!!!!

2010-07-07T19:21:00.002-04:00

C25k Week 1 in the Bag!

2010-07-03T14:27:00.000-04:00

I completed the first week of Week 1 of the Couch to 5k program today and I feel great. I know it's early to tell but the fact that I have stuck with it so far is a good sign. I might actually complete this thing! I have to say that despite my hang ups, I actually feel great after a run. I'm full of energy and pumped up on endorphins. I hope that feeling does not go away.

My Night With Anthony Bourdain ... The Pleasure and The Pain

2010-07-01T22:53:00.002-04:00

I mentioned a book signing on the previous post but didn't say anything about it. Well, if you are reading this blog you probably already saw me plaster this all over the other places I frequent. I went to an Anthony Bourdain book signing last night for his new book, Medium Raw. It was great. The worst part was the shoes! It would not have been so bad had I not been running late and had to run 3 blocks in South Beach in 5 inch heels. By the time I walked back to my car a few hours later, I was hobbling. I was actually walking so slow and hobbling so much that I am convinced people who saw me thought I was drunk.

It was so embarrassing! I actually stopped at a small store on my way to the car and SERIOUSLY considered buying a pair of flip flops but I was too proud and decided I could make it two more blocks. Not only did I end up with a wounded pride (hobbling is NOT sexy) but I also ended up with wounded feet. I have lovely blister, or battle wound as I like to call them, on the TOP of my foot today. This did not stop me from doing day 2 of the Couch to 5k program.

After the signing I had a nice Mexican dinner with a friend. I had a great time and even though I did not actually get to talk to him, there were 699 other people waiting, it was worth it.

Photo courtesy of Leanna.

The Ugly Truth

2010-07-01T09:37:00.006-04:00

Yesterday while getting a small, rarely used, camera ready to take a book signing (more on that later), I came across some pictures that were taken on a cruise we went to last year. The pictures were from exactly one year ago to the day. I looked at them and my first reaction was to hold my breath. I could not believe that I looked like that. My next thought was "Why and how did I ever let myself get like that?" At the time, I didn't think I looked that bad. I was in denial.

At that point, I had been on medication for my post partum depression for about 4 or 5 months and those tend to make you gain weight but believe me, I did not get that way in 4 months. I had actually put on 20 pounds since I had my son a mere 10 months before. I was at my heaviest, ever. I suspect I was a couple of pounds away from 170 pounds. I was 168 when I started Weight Watchers in August. I am only 5'1.5" so 168 is enormous. I look at those pictures and I'm disgusted with myself. It's a miracle to me that my husband, who met me when I weighed a mere 123 pounds, put up with me, stayed with me and still LIKED me when I ballooned to reach obese status. I am baffled but thankful.

Unfortunately, I was not one of those lucky "fat" (for lack of a better word) but happy people. I know some of those and I envy them. No, I was fat and miserable. It was, and still is, a vicious cycle. I was fat because I ate but I ate because I felt shitty about being fat. It is a hard cycle to break and I'm so very glad that I was able to break it and hopefully for good. I could not have done it without the help and support of husband who didn't sugarcoat my issues but didn't make me feel like shit about it either. He told me straight to my face that yes, I was fat but that I was still me and I was still the woman he fell in love with. A husband who told me that my weight didn't define me as a person but wholeheartedly supported me in losing it and even did Weight Watchers with me, shedding some of his own weight. Thank you, I know you are reading.

So, without further ado, here are the pictures. They are exactly a year and over 30 pounds apart (and a tummy tuck). I still have some weight to lose, about 15 pounds or so, and it shows, especially in my upper arms but it's like day and night.

Just for reference, this is what I looked like when I met my husband.

C25K W1D1

2010-06-29T11:19:00.002-04:00

Some time just over 4 years and 3 months ago (on February 26th 2006 to be exact), I swore that I would never again work out. Well, I swore that I would never again run as long as I lived. I really doubt corpses run so I swore off running for good, for ever and ever. Why the specific date, you ask? Well, that was the day I was (honorably) discharged from the US Navy. I had been in the Navy for a month short of 5 years at that point and I had been in remedial (read mandatory) PT (physical training) for over 3 of those years. I could do my sit ups just fine; I could even do my push ups just fine. It was the run that killed me. I failed 2 of the semiannual PRTs (physical readiness test) because I couldn't run.

To say I "couldn't" run is a bit misleading but that's my story and I'm sticking to it. I hated running, it was physically painful because I have arthritis on my knees and it's really bad on my left knee. Those failures landed me in mandatory PT and I couldn't get off the program until I passed two PRTs in a row. I kept failing these PRTs despite the remedial PT. I actually passed my second to last PRT so I was halfway to getting off the program. I failed the next one so I was on remedial PT until my enlistment was up.

Needless to say, none of that instilled any sort of love for running in me. As a matter of fact, I hated it even more. I hated it because it had landed me in remedial PT, because it was painful, because I simply couldn't master it, and most importantly, I hated it because I was FORCED to do it. Nothing quite like being forced to do something to make you hate the very thought of it. So, the day I walked out of the naval base in Norfolk, VA I swore that I would never again run and I kept that promise to this day.

"This day" is key because this day, today, I did the unthinkable. I actually.... gasp.... ran. Why? I'm certain I have truly lost my marbles now.

Since having the surgery (actually, since before), I've been seriously thinking about an exercise routine that I can keep up. I need to get in shape and there is no point in having spent all this money getting rid of my tummy and losing nearly 30 pounds before that if I'm going to just put it all back on again. More importantly, I realize that as much as I hate exertion, it is healthy to exercise and it will be beneficial in the long run. I considered doing Body For Life but I'm still not able to work my abs so I will leave that for later. I also considered doing Jillian Michaels' 30 Day Shred. I tried the first day of level 1 and I made it through 6 minutes before I collapsed on the carpet.

So, that left me with C25K. That's part of the cryptic title and it stands for Couch To 5k. It is a program designed to help couch potatoes, like me, go from not running to running a 5k in nine weeks. I am certainly a couch potato so I figured I'd give it a shot. I was concerned about my knees and the horrid Miami summer weather but I'm indoors in a treadmill so that takes care of that. I also worried about my hatred for running but this time it's different, I'm not being forced to do it, I'm doing it because I want to. I am doing it for ME, not to please some institution nor to be humiliated by running in public 3 times a week for my inability to run. That, I think, makes all the difference in the world.

I started today. I really didn't know what to expect but I had visions of me falling off the treadmill, passed out, and being discovered hours later by the cleaning crew. When I got to the gym (at the clubhouse) I called my husband and told him in no uncertain terms that if he didn't hear from me in an hour he should call 911 to the clubhouse. I was half joking but also half serious. Not as serious as the heart attack I was sure I'd suffer though.

I got the gym and only one of the three treadmills was working and there was someone on it. I thought that was, for sure, a sign I should go back home and blow this thing off. I didn't do it, I didn't leave. I waited until it was my turn. The wait, the anticipation, was the worst part. Once I actually got the treadmill, after some buff guy helped me turn it on, I got to it. The first day of week 1 (W1D1), actually, the whole first week, you warm up for 5 minutes and then alternate 2 minutes of walking with 1 minute of jogging for 20 minutes. It was actually not bad at all! I made it all the way through and although my heart rate was certainly up and it was a work out, I wasn't huffing and puffing like I thought I would be. I did not have a heart attack and fall off the treadmill. I did not, in fact, fall off the treadmill at all. I lived. I actually lived, I didn't die. I was still alive and kicking after the workout even though the only workout I've had in over four years is carrying my son up the stairs. I guess I wasn't in as bad a shape as I thought.

I actually accomplished taking that first step, getting over my fear, my hatred, my (yes) laziness and you know what? It felt good.

Disclaimer: I am still high on endorphins so I make no promises I'm actually going to stick with this program but at least taking that first step is much more than I would have ever thought I'd do. If I quit, blame my knees and don't hold it against me :P

Now I Get It. This Is Me Eating My Words.

2010-06-25T12:49:00.000-04:00

You always hear people say that cosmetic surgery is addictive and that once you got little nip here and a tuck there, you'd always want more and, often, get more. I always thought that was a crock of sh!t, that it wasn't addictive. Now I get it.

I went swimsuit shopping this morning (I should have never done that) because I wanted to take The Monkey to the pool and I didn't have one, not even a huge one. I tried on a tankini cause my swollen tummy is not ready for bikinis and my brain will never be. I put the bottom on and had a good look in the mirror. Good Flying Spaghetti Monster... MY THIGHS! MY THIGHS! They almost burnt my retinas right off. Weight loss has left my thighs flabby and well, they don't look the way they used to when I was 20. The first thing that popped into my head, right after "I need shorts!", was "Hhhm....I wonder how much thigh lift would be?"

Right then and there I realized the mistake I had made in assuming that the old cliche about the addiction to cosmetic surgery was unfounded. Now, I won't actually get thigh surgery (as much as I'd like to) but I thought about it and that's enough.

What ever next? Maybe a boob lift? How about the bat wings? I need a sugar daddy.

It Really is Summer

2010-06-24T22:26:00.002-04:00

Liev was super cranky yesterday (what else is new?) so by the afternoon, I decided to go ahead and put him in the little sprinkler pool/water pad my dad gave him last year for his birthday. Luckily Matt was around so he cleaned it and set it up. Liev liked it but I'm not sure who liked it more, Liev or Daddy.

Liev actually stood in the pool as Matt was draining it until all there was left of the pool and the water was the little space he was standing in LOL.

Happy Father's Day!

2010-06-20T12:36:00.001-04:00

We went out to breakfast this morning. Our original plan was to to The Original Pancake House but we nixed that idea was it was already 10am and it was a bit far. We then decided to go to Cracker Barrel but once we got there, we didn't even get out of the car. It was heaving. We just settled for IHOP at that point. The food was badly cooked, the service was terrible and Liev was cranky. Not a great way to spend Father's Day morning.

Just before we left Matt took a few pictures of Liev and me. Unfortunately, we don't have any pictures of Matt and me or the three of us today. Usually one of us is behind the camera so we rarely get the 3 of us. That is something we really need to work on. Anyhow, here are a few pictures.

I took this one of Liev and Matt with my phone.

Happy Father's Day to my dear husband and great father to my Monkey. I love you!

Happy Father's Day to my dad too!

Mommy is Sick

2010-06-11T09:17:00.002-04:00

After 10 months of having Liev in daycare full time while I went to school, I became a stay at home mom again this week. Well, most of the week since we are keeping him in daycare for two days a week just to keep the habit for him. I was terrified that it would be hellish but I have to say that it was easier than staying home with him as a baby. He wasn't nearly as whiny or clingy as I thought he would be, which was a nice surprise. Monday morning, for whatever reason, I decided it would be a good idea to go to the zoo before his nap time. Boy was that a bad move! It was SOOOO hot. I was miserable. You know it's hot and unpleasant when your normally very active toddler is lethargic and keeps pointing back to the stroller cause he wants to sit every time you take him out. He was only happy when we were in air conditioned areas. I don't blame him. That was money wasted and I'll never go back in the summer. Lesson learned.

He went to daycare on Wednesday and then today. Yesterday we went on a playdate with a mommy group I have been accepted into and he had a blast. Then we came home and I fell sick as a dog. The day started OK, I had a sore throat but nothing more really. By noon my whole body ached and I had a fever. I napped while Liev napped but that didn't help. I don't get sick often but the slightest fever just knocks me down. I had almost 102 °F and was in a crazy amount of body pain. Matt had to come home early because I could hardly move, let alone take care of Liev.

I was hoping today would be better but no luck. I still have a fever and my body aches even more, to the point that even lying down is not comfortable. I feel like someone beat me up with a baseball bat or like I got run over by a semi. I haven't been this sick in a very long time and I don't like it one bit. Thank goodness today was daycare day or I would have been stuffed.

I had so many plans for today and for this weekend but they are shot. My mom is supposed to be taking Liev for the weekend so I thought Matt and I would go on a much needed date or what have you but I think that's going to happen. Now I just hope my mom takes Liev so I don't have to worry about looking after him this sick and I hope that he does not come down with the same thing because that will just be hellish for everyone.

Almost One Month Post Surgery

2010-06-05T12:59:00.001-04:00

I can't believe that in two days it will have been a month since I had my surgery. Time flies; though the first two weeks seemed to drag on forever.

My surgery incision has been covered with glue and tape since I came home. I had not seen the scar and I was not allowed to remove the tape and thus expose the incision until now. I finally took the tape off last night. It didn't hurt at all and I found that I'm actually numb just below my belly button. I was very impressed with the neatness of the incision. I had seen some pretty ugly scars with wrinkles and ripples and what not but mine is just so incredibly smooth and neat. I am very happy about that. I'm also happy with the results so far. I'm still swollen (I hope) and not flat but it's like day and night when compared to what I looked like before. My surgeon said that it takes 3 to 4 months for the final results to emerge so I suppose it will only get better.

I debated whether I should post these pictures here since I'm in my underwear but I figured the only difference between underwear and bikinis is the fabric and I wouldn't freak out about posting pictures of me in a bikini. So, here are the pictures. I took my compression garment off just to take them, that's why I'm all indented and stuff.

The two parallel red lines are just irritation from the tape folds. The gunk around the whole thing is glue residue. That shiz is hard to get off!

My left side is more swollen than my right side. This is something I will bring up at my next appointment on Wednesday.

Discovering the Joy of Clothes Shopping

2010-06-01T16:04:00.003-04:00

I went snoop shopping today. In case you don't know what that means, it's a term used by sewists (I hate the term "sewer") and it refers to going to stores and scoping out the merchandise and try it on to see what is "in" and what works for you. Since I have an entirely different body shape now, some snoop shopping was in order. I went to a local upper-mid range mall that I love (because it has a Saks that carries lovely shoes) and has stores like Ann Taylor, White House Black Market, Banana Republic, etc.

I tried a few things on and I have to say that I liked almost everything and I'm happy to actually enjoy shopping for clothes. I can't wait till all this swelling goes down and I have a truly flat tummy but I'm OK until then. Here are a few (a lot) pictures taken with my phone. Matt says I need to smile more in these pictures but I'm usually trying to maintain good posture while looking at the phone and trying to get a decent angle for the photo so smiling is not high on the priority list!

This is a knit top and a skirt. I thought it looked better in person. The neckline is way too deep, I was battling the bra to stop it showing but I do like the look and I like the sleeves.

I love this jacket. This is a small and it was a bit snug around the boobs and upper arms. I tried the medium and it fit better. I love it, I don't know why. It's light, linen or linen-like fabric, I didn't look. I may have to buy it.

This shorts are regular size, not petite. The petite ones looked better but you get the idea. The top was too long but I wasn't buying so no biggie. It has a really cute detail on the neckline.

Tucked in. Not that I'd ever wear them like this.

Blurry picture. This particular combination does not work but I do like the skirt. I wish they had it in petite. That said, I have a pattern for a skirt just like it.

I really liked this dress. I didn't get it because it was $120 and damn it, I can make it! Or I can at least try.

The issue with clothes now is not my tummy, it's my bust. Because now my bust is proportionally large, I have to buy items that can accommodate it and thus sacrifice better fit elsewhere. I'm OK with that though, accentuated boobs are far sexier than accentuated gut.

Now that I know what kind of thing to try, I will get busy sewing. I don't want to make or buy many trousers or skirts right now because once the swelling goes down they wont fit but if they are elasticized, like the first skirt, it's OK. I think I will make some dresses that are not fitted and that will be comfortable for the summer. I have to wear the compression garment until August so I need cool clothes.

Inquiring Minds Want To Know

2010-06-01T10:00:00.003-04:00

Since I got the tummy tuck pretty much every one wants to know if I plan on having more kids. I guess people figure that since we have only one we'll still have more which makes the tummy tuck now a pretty dumb decision. Even my usual sales assistant at Joann's (yes, I go there that often) asked me if I was going to have more children and upon hearing my answer she proceeded to lecture me. Part of me thinks this isn't anyone's business but then again, I suppose I would be curious to know as well if I was in their shoes. Well, let me put you all out of your misery once and for all.

The answer to that question is a big, fat NO. Not only no but not a chance in hell; no way no how; not now, not ever. Capisci? We are one and done. To be fair, "I" am one and done. My husband would love to have another kid (he must be a glutton for punishment) but that's not going to happen. We are OK with one however. I am baffled by people's reaction when I tell them we are done with one child. I get all sorts of horrified looks and all kinds of crazy comebacks. My "favorite" is "You HAVE to have another child! What if this one dies???" My reaction used to be disbelief and it showed in my face..... WTF??? However, I've gotten this line SOOO many times that now I sorta expect it. Now, that is just one screwed up thing to say. It's not so much about my child dying but about the infuriating implication that having a second child will somehow undermine the pain of losing this one; that it will somehow make it less devastating . What those people are basically saying is that I need a back up. Having a back up is a terrible reason for having a child. I wish people really gave this some thought before they opened their pie holes.

My next "favorite" line goes something like this "You can't leave him an only child! He needs a sibling. You HAVE to give him a sibling!" This translates into "You need to gift your child a sibling even if you don't want more kids". First of all, the idea of "gifting" my kid a sibling is repulsive and a horrible reason to have another kid. Children should come into this world because they are wanted for themselves, not as a present to their siblings. Besides, only "childs" are not the Antichrist, they are not outcasts or rejects and being an only child is not a horrible condition one has to avoid. Most only children, just like most children with siblings, grow up to be normal, functional adults.

There are many reasons why I don't have any more children and I really won't go into them beacuse I feel THAT part is really no one's business but our own. If it ever occurred to you to ask me this, there's your answer. It IS OK to have just one child people!