Me and The Boys

Goals, Goals, and More Goals

Over the course of the past three days, I ran 10 miles, biked 32 miles, and swam 2,400 meters. Nothing like an upcoming triathlon to get you motivated to do more cross-training!

I love the balance I'm feeling from getting in more biking and swimming - I'm falling in love with both sports all over again, and all of my workouts feel so much better, and I'm just enjoying them so much more. Adding in yoga again tomorrow night, too, and trying my first TRX class at the gym next week.

Variety is the spice of life, right?  Whatever it is, it's working for me, so I'm sticking with it! 

Next up on the agenda for cross-training is to make it to a group bike ride (something I've never, ever done), and start working on some swimming drills. I have no problem with endurance, but I want to get faster, and improving my form by doing drills is the only way to do that. I want this to be the year I get out of the water at the tri and feel happy with how my swim went.

I am starting to think a little more about my next big road race, too - the Jamestown Half that's part of the UHC Triple Crown. I'm definitely going to be racing this one, but the weather will be a huge factor, and if it's a typical warm, humid July day, I'm going to have to adjust my goals.

But I knew that when I signed up, and I'm really saving my all-out effort for the Amica half in October. Jamestown will be a stepping stone of sorts - a reminder to me of what it's like to race at that distance, and a chance to practice pacing myself and not going out too fast - something I still need to get better at.

My goal for Amica is to come as close to 1:40 as I can. 1:40 would be about a 7:37 pace. For 13.1 miles (my PR is 1:43, which was a 7:55 pace). Just writing that out makes me a little nervous. And I know I might not quite get to 1:40 this year. But I'm going to give it my best shot!

And the only way to get there is to put in the training, so I'll be back at the track tomorrow morning. I'm actually going to have some company this time, too, which will be nice. Always good to have someone to commiserate with when you're suffering through a tough workout.

Sub-21 5K and 1:40 half-marathon. Two pretty lofty goals, but I like aiming high. I like knowing that challenge is out there, and I like executing a plan to help me meet the challenge.

To that end, I'm taking suggestions on the following two items -

- Top three swim drills

- Best half-marathon workouts (track work and/or tempo runs)

What A Difference A Week (And A Year) Makes

Last week at this time I was experiencing a severe case of the post-race blues. The excitement of Gansett was fading, my running was going horribly, my legs still felt achy and sore, I was incredibly unmotivated, and couldn't seem to shake any of it.

Then I ran a really fun 5K, discovered that my legs in fact had not forgotten how to run fast, remembered how much fun running is, and found myself finally shaking off the negativity.

And this week has been more of the same.

I was back in the pool again, and swam 2,000m in 50 minutes. I'm still a painfully slow swimmer, but that distance in that amount of time is actually pretty good for me, so it made me happy, and made me feel much better about my upcoming triathlon. (Still debating whether or not I want to look into getting some swim coaching this year. I think I could have a shot at an age-group award in the tri if I could improve my swim time, but I don't know if it means that much to me, or if I should just do my best with what I've got and enjoy the race. Will ponder that some more....)

And yesterday, I had one of the best runs (aside from the 5K) that I've had in weeks. I started at an 8:40 pace, and it felt too easy, so I went down to 8:30, and that still felt easy. I finally settled right around an 8-minute pace, and it felt nearly effortless. FINALLY!!!!

It's more than just the great workouts, though. I think one of the things that's helped my mood so tremendously this week is that it finally occurred to me that I have no HUGE races looming. 

I have plenty of goals for the summer and early fall, and some of them are pretty lofty (e.g., sub-21-minute 5K - I get kind of nauseous just thinking about running that fast for 3.1 miles, but I know if I start back up with speedwork, I can get there), but none of my goals are going to require me to obsessively pore over training plans, or go on 3-hour training runs every weekend, or spend 4 months of my life thinking about THE RACE.

Because really, my journey to Gansett began just about a year ago, when I ran the Cox Rhode Races half marathon (which I'll be running again this weekend). I was using that race as a test last year, to see if I felt I was at a point where qualifying for Gansett and/or Boston was a realistic goal.

As it turns out, it was. So I immediately started the process of figuring out how I was going to actually accomplish that goal, then spent the next 4 months doing the work, and stressing about it the entire time.

Then when I knew I had qualified in Hartford and I was going to run Gansett, the process began all over again.

And I started out saying that I was not going to put too much pressure on myself to PR at Gansett, and that I just wanted to enjoy the experience, but before I knew it, I was consulting pace charts and track workouts and gearing up for another quarter of a year with a big event on the horizon.

Don't get me wrong - I really do enjoy the whole process of training for and preparing for a big race. I'm a planner by nature, and there's something very satisfying about seeing all those workouts laid out in black and white, and checking each one off as you complete it. And the anticipation can be really stressful, but it's also amazingly exciting, knowing you're working up to this huge goal, and knowing how awesome it's going to feel when you finally complete it. 

But doing it two times in a row, with very little time off in between, proved to be a bit much. Spending nearly an entire year either thinking about or training for a hugely important race was really draining. I'm proud of getting through it, but I don't care to do it again any time soon.

Which is why I find myself feeling like an enormous weight has been lifted off my shoulders - because it has been! And as a result, my heart and my legs feel so much lighter : )

I'm looking forward to focusing on smaller goals this summer, and shorter races, and more fun running. And more biking. And more swimming. And more time spent with my family (although I know there will be mornings where I'm refereeing fights for hours on end, and wishing I had a 20-miler on my training schedule).

And by the time the summer ends, I predict that I'll be cracking open my running books again, peeking at marathon training plans, and getting ready to get my registration in for Boston.

This will be like my own little summer vacation, and I'm going to thoroughly enjoy it - and when it's over, I know I'll be ready to get back to work!

Naval Station Newport Tri - Worst. Swim. Ever.

When I saw that the Blessing and the Naval Station sprint were going to be held two days apart this year, I knew it wasn't going to be easy, but I knew I was going to do both.

As race weekend approached, I was feeling amazingly confident about my biking and running. I knew I'd do well in the Blessing, and I knew that even though it was only two days later, I'd still be able to pull off a pretty good performance in the bike and run portions of the tri. The swim, not so much.

I did some swimming this spring and summer, and got in some decent workouts, but my swimming was just nowhere near the level it was at last year - largely because last year, I was injured and wasn't able to run much, so I spent a lot more time in the pool. And I also did several open-water swims before the race - something I did not do at all this year.

I could come up with lots of excuses for why I didn't swim enough, and why I didn't do any open-water swims, but it doesn't really matter at this point. What matters is that I learned my lesson. If I want to improve my swim, I need to spend more time in the pool (duh!) - but more importantly, I HAVE to do some open-water swimming before next year's race. More on that later.

My alarm was set for 4:30 Sunday morning, but after sleeping very soundly Friday night (thanks to being completely wiped out from running a 10-mile race!), I had a horrible night's sleep Saturday. I tossed and turned quite a bit, and woke up at 3:45am, completely unable to go back to sleep.

I knew there was no point in trying to sleep more, so I got up and got the coffee going, and toasted my bagel, and tried to relax and enjoy the quiet. I had packed up all my stuff Saturday afternoon, so there wasn't a whole lot I had to do, but I did check my list one more time and make sure I had everything.

I'm not really sure what I did in those two hours, besides eat and check my list - I was so nervous, I could hardly see straight. Triathlon mornings always freak me out way more than road race mornings. My nerves are so much worse when I know I'm faced with a swim, bike, and run. So much more intimidating.

But I somehow filled those two hours, and when 6am rolled around, I headed out. I arrived at the race right around 6:30, exactly as planned. I got my packet, got marked, and went back to the car to get all my stuff. It only took me about 5 minutes to get everything set up in transition. I was wearing a sports bra and my new tri shorts for the whole race, so there was really no clothing to deal with, aside from socks and shoes. I got those situated on my towel, rested my helmet and sunglasses and Garmin on my aerobars, and looked for some friends who were doing the race as their first tri.

I talked with them a bit, and also found a few other people to chat with as we waited around for the swim start. Before I knew it, we were walking over to the beach. The time passed very quickly!

I was feeling a little better now that we were close to actually getting started. The anticipation is the worst. Once I'm in motion, the nerves start to settle down a bit. And standing on the beach, I really wasn't that nervous at all. I knew I'd be slow on the swim, but I wasn't freaked out about getting in the water.

I was in the third wave, so it was only about a 9-minute wait. Not too bad. The waves were small, as they always are for this race, so there was no real chaos as the horn sounded and we entered the water. I did get jostled a bit, but nothing to really throw me off.

I kept my head up for a few strokes, just to try to get a sense of where I was, and how crowded the water was, and then got my head down and started swimming. What happened after that is hard to describe. I can't say that I panicked, and I can't say that I was scared. I know this course, I know the water is super murky and once you get 20 yards from shore, you can't see anything. I knew that, and I was fully expecting it.

But it unnerved me somehow. And it threw me off. And no matter what I did, I felt completely unable to get into any kind of rhythm with my swimming. It wasn't for lack of trying. I tried really hard. I'd stop and take breaks when necessary, just doing breaststroke for a bit, and then I'd take a deep breath and try to get back into it, but it just was. not. working.

It was SO frustrating. I knew I could do this swim, but my head and my body were just not cooperating. I finally got to the first buoy (it's a rectangular course), and the second buoy seemed so, so far away. It was totally depressing. And during that longest stretch of the course, I lost it mentally. I didn't freak out, but I came as close as I've ever come to giving up during a race. I just wanted out of that stupid water.

Finally the long stretch was over (keep in mind that this is a 1/3-mile swim, so the long stretch wasn't even that long, but it felt like a mile!), and as I rounded the second buoy and began to head into shore, I finally, finally was able to just swim. I still took one or two breaks, but the majority of that final stretch went fine. I'm glad I was able to end the swim on a good note, but overall it was just so crappy, I wanted to forget it had ever happened.

I was way more mentally than physically exhausted, and I dragged myself out of the water and walked a bit just to catch my breath, then began a quick jog back to transition, trying to shake off the ickiness of the swim and get my head in a better place as I got on the bike.

I was pretty quick in transition - this race doesn't provide transition times, so I don't know exactly how fast I was, but I'm not overly concerned with that anyway - and was happy to be back on terra firma and walking my bike out to the road.

The only thing I don't really like about this race is the beginning of the bike and run. They have the first part of each route sectioned off with traffic cones, and you have to navigate your way through this sometimes very narrow 'chute' as you're getting started. It's less of an issue on the run - on the bike, it's pretty tricky, especially as you're starting out and trying to get up to speed.

I got past that, though, and was quickly flying down the road. The bike course is great. Out and back, with a bunch of nice rollers. Nothing steep, and nothing that really even slowed me down too much - but enough to keep it interesting.

And all of the confidence that was sucked out of me on the swim came back tenfold on the bike. I was passing people left and right, and I felt GREAT! The hills challenged me a bit, but even climbing, I was still passing people.

The turnaround point is a very, very tight corner, and I came very close to taking it a teensy bit too fast, but I stayed in control, and was happy to be headed back. The second half went just as well as the first. Still feeling good, still flying : )

I haven't put my bike computer on the new bike yet, and I hadn't turned on my Garmin (I wanted to just enjoy the ride), so I don't know how fast I was going, but I'm fairly certain I was averaging 20 or 21mph.

As much fun as the ride was, I was still happy to get off the bike and get to what I do best - the run.

I was a little worried about how my legs would feel, seeing as how I had just run 10 miles really hard not even 48 hours prior, and had not done a single brick workout in training.

Much to my surprise, my legs felt great. I wouldn't go so far as to say they felt fresh, but I didn't have that heavy-legged feeling you can get going from the bike to the run. And when I looked at my Garmin, I was kind of shocked to see a sub-8:00 pace, since I figured I'd have to gradually work my way up to a quick pace - I never imagined I'd get under 8-minute miles so quickly!

As with the bike, we had to run through a narrow chute of traffic cones, then directly up a short, but steep hill. It sucked, but it was over quickly. As we continued on the run, I began to remember all the hills. I think I had blocked it out of my memory, but as we climbed, and climbed again - and again - and again - the memories came flooding back.

And of course the sun was higher in the sky now, so it was definitely getting hotter. I was still feeling alright, though, and just chugging along, holding a pace just under 8:00. Still slightly astonished that I was running at that pace, considering everything my body had been through, but I wasn't going to slow down now!

The run course also includes a lot of little out-and-backs, which I find kind of annoying, but they did afford me the chance to see my friends who were also running, and it was fun to wave and cheer each other on.

Right before the run ends is a nasty big hill. I knew it was coming, and I knew I could do it, and I knew that once I got done with that, it was literally all downhill to the finish.

Once I could see the finish line, I picked it up and sprinted in, crossing the line in 1:15:36.

No PR.

I was and still am disappointed. I don't like to fail at any goal that I set for myself. But I need to keep in mind that four PRs in one month is a pretty lofty goal, and the fact that I got three out of four is something to be incredibly proud of.

And the fact that, even though I completely bombed on the swim, I was still able to come within one minute of my PR for this race, is something else to be proud of. As is the fact that I managed a 7:45 pace on the run - after running the Blessing Friday night, and then swimming 1/3 of a mile, and biking 10.5 miles.

So while I'm disappointed, I'm also proud. And humbled.

I thought that since I had done this race three times already, the open water factor wouldn't be an issue. But I've learned the hard way that there is NO substitute for practicing in the open water. None. I will not make that same mistake again.

The tinge of disappointment I felt was certainly not enough to spoil my day, though, and I was happy to hang around watching my friends finish (their first triathlon - woohoo!!!!), and thoroughly enjoyed the pancake breakfast.

Now, a few days later, I am completely, 100% burned out. July was a very fun and very exciting month for me, and I enjoyed every single one of my races, but I am so ready to take a break from racing and just focus on my marathon training.

I've felt some post-race blues, too, and it's been fortunate that Gabe and Dante have been at camp this week, because it's allowed me to just plop down on the couch in the afternoon while Carmine naps.

My body is desperate for some recovery time, and I'm more than happy to oblige. It's not like me at all to just sit around and do nothing, but for the first time in a long, long time, it feels good, which I think is the clearest sign of all that that's exactly what I need to be doing.

I'm still working out, but I'm taking it easy. My marathon training plan called for a track workout yesterday. Not just any track workout, either - 2 x 1200, and 4 x 800. I almost laughed out loud when I read that. After the weekend I had, there was no way that was going to happen. Instead, I did a very, very easy few miles, and spent a ton of time stretching.

Tomorrow's tempo run may become an easy run, too. I'm going to listen to my body and cut myself some slack. There are still plenty more track workouts and tempo runs to do in the next 12 weeks.....

So, the final stats from the tri - 

Swim 1/3 mile - 14:03 - 200 out of 273 : (

Bike 10.5 miles - 35:53 - 72 out of 273  (this includes my transition time)

Run 3.5 miles - 25:41 - 7:45 pace - 76 out of 273

Total time - 1:15:36

7 out of 20 in my age group

21 out of 110 females overall

97 out of 275 overall

Considering the swim was so horrible, I think I still pulled off a pretty decent race overall. Running will always be my first love, but I love my once-a-year tri tradition : )

Victory!

For the past few years, I've been pretty serious about my racing and running, but this year is different. This year I'm really serious - as evidenced by my goal to GQ/BQ, my weekly track workouts, my recent purchase of a wetsuit and other tri gear, and a whole new level of discipline.

Along with that, I also decided that this year would be the year I finally learned how to change a flat tire. I made some attempts at practicing last year, but never successfully did it by myself, and felt extremely discouraged about it. But with the new bike, I was newly inspired. And it just so happens that changing tires became a necessity, because I had to get the Armadillo tires off the old bike before we sold it.

Side note on the Armadillos - they are in fact puncture-resistant, but they also make your ride very, very sluggish, and I will not be using them anymore. Scott wants to hold on to them in case he decides to put them on his bike, but I'm looking to get faster, not slower, so I'd rather run the risk of getting a flat.

Anyway, I sat down last week to get to work, and it took me quite a while to get the first tire off, but as I learned, the Armadillos are much harder to get off than a standard tire. I got the tire off, though, and removed the tube, and got ready to get everything back on - the really hard part. 

The first part of the tire went on fairly quickly, but I was struggling with the last little bit. I tried everything I could think of to get those last few inches over the rim, and nothing was working. Then, finally, I remembered watching the guys at the bike shop the last time they had changed a flat for me, and recalled how they used the palms of their hands more than their fingers, and tried shifting my hand position a bit, and those last few inches slipped right over the rim. Success!

The next real test, though, was removing and changing the rear tire. I knew this would be trickier, but I knew I had to do it, so I got started. Shifted into the lowest cog and ring, got the deraileur moved out of the way, and slipped the wheel out. I had no idea how I was going to get it back on, but I'd cross that bridge when I came to it.

Changing the tire and tube went a lot faster this time, and I was feeling much more confident. I reinflated, and got ready to put the wheel back on. It was a little tricky, and took me a few tries, but I did it!!!! 

I hopped on for a quick spin around the cul-de-sac to make sure everything was shifting ok, and it was, and I was pretty elated. Something that felt so impossible to me last year was now completely within my grasp.

This may seem like a small thing to those who are very proficient at changing a flat, but for me, it's a really big deal. I may not be able to change a tire quickly, but I am completely capable, and will no longer worry about getting stranded and having to wait for rescue if I get a flat tire halfway through a 30-mile bike ride. And I do plan to practice some more, so that I get a little faster at it.

It's really nice to feel self-sufficient : )

And it's nice to not feel intimidated by the mechanics of my bicycle. I also successfully swapped out the pedals and aerobars, and removed the bike computer. Still have to reinstall the bike computer on the new bike, and I may need Scott's help with that, but we'll get it done.

So that was my big victory of the week, and it's a pretty exciting one. It definitely changes the way I feel about biking.

The new bike changes the way I feel about biking, too. I set out for a 20-mile ride yesterday morning, but I was having so much fun, I added on another 10 miles!  I averaged 18.3mph for the ride, and it actually would have been more like 19mph if the second half of the ride wasn't so hilly. I am really feeling like I can hit a 20mph average on the tri, which will be incredible.

As I said in a Facebook post last week, biking is fun again : )

This morning, though, time to shift gears (no pun intended) back to running. Hazard Castle 7-mile race kicks off in 2 hours. I just finished my bagel and coffee, and have about an hour to get ready.

I have big plans for this race. Hoping for 8-minute miles, or maybe even a little less. It's not a terribly hot morning, so the heat shouldn't be a big factor. The 30-mile bike ride yesterday may not have been the best idea, but my legs feel ok, and I don't think it'll be too much of an issue.

And last year's time was 59:02, and I am fairly confident that I can shave at least a minute or two off of that, so although the goal is 56 minutes, I'd be happy with 57 or 58, too.

Off to the races!!!

Getting The Season Off To A Good Start - YMCA Indoor Tri

As soon as I heard our YMCA was going to be having an indoor triathlon, I knew I'd sign up. Such a perfect way to get me warmed up for the spring and summer racing season, and I've always wanted to do an indoor event like that. I had actually looked for one the year I wanted to do my first triathlon, but wasn't able to find one nearby. But even though I've now got a few sprints under my belt, I still thought an indoor event would be a fun and different kind of challenge.

One thing it definitely was was a lot simpler!  No bike helmet or Garmin required. And although the spin bikes we rode on can be used with clip-in bike shoes, I opted to just wear my running sneakers. So my list of things to bring was very short. But it did include one bonus item that I can't ever bring to my August sprint - my iPod! 

I was signed up for the 2pm heat, so I got there just before 1:30, and saw the first wave of swimmers just hitting the water. I was quickly signed in, and ready to go, and was standing on the pool deck chatting with a friend (who was doing this as her first tri ever - and she did awesome!!!!), when I realized that my goggles were nearly broken!  The plastic right in the middle was almost completely separated. They might very well have made it through the swim, but I didn't want to take any chances. Thank god I had an extra pair in my backpack. It was a really old pair, but they were intact, so I quickly got them adjusted and put them on.

Since the swim portion was only 15 minutes, it wasn't long before it was our turn to get in. I picked a lane and swam a quick 50 meters, just to test the goggles out. There were a few instructions, and a few more minutes of waiting, then the whistle blew and we were off!

Not much to write about the swim, since it was in the pool, and swimming in the pool is pretty uneventful. There were two people in each lane, though, and the guy who was in my lane with me kept kicking me, so it did kind of feel like a 'real' triathlon : )  

I felt good, though, and just swam my usual pace. I wasn't racing anyone - just took a peek at the clock once in a while as I paused at the wall in between lengths. I had hoped to get in about 25 lengths, and although I counted 26, the woman who was counting for me counted 24, and I wasn't about to make a big stink over it, so I just took my clipboard (on which all of our totals would be recorded) and headed into the locker room to change.

We had ten minutes for T1. Yes, TEN luxurious minutes!  I got changed, made my way to the spin bikes, and got my bike adjusted with about 2 minutes to spare. The bike was the only part I was dreading. I loathe any kind of stationary bike. No matter what I do (reading, TV, spin class, music), I just cannot stand pedaling and pedaling and going nowhere.

I hoped being able to have my iPod would help a little, and it did, but it still felt like a very long 20 minutes. My quads were not very happy for the first few minutes, either - probably because I haven't been on a bike of any sort since October of last year!  But once I had warmed up a bit, they felt better, and I pedaled away, just wanting to get it over with.

I ended up riding 9.3 km, which seeemed fine to me. I wasn't expecting to do fabulous on the bike, due to my total lack of bike riding. I was just glad that part was done.

There were 5 minutes for T2, and since all I had to do was walk down the hallway to the fitness room and get on a treadmill, that was also a luxurious amount of time. The treadmills had all been in sleep mode before we got on, and we weren't allowed to turn them on until the whistle blew, and when you turn a treadmill on after it's been in sleep mode, it takes a minute to get going. So the whistle blew, someone shouted "Go!" and you heard a bunch of little beeps, and then everyone just stood there. Kind of like it is at the starting line of a huge race : ) 

Once my belt started moving, I couldn't press the increase speed button fast enough. I knew this is where I'd do my best, and I wanted to give it my all. I got right up to an 8:00 pace, and stayed there for half a mile. I wanted to give my legs a chance to ease into it, and I'm glad I did. But the 8:00 pace felt too easy, so I was quickly increasing it to 7:47. I stuck with that for a while, and it felt like work, but I knew I could push it a little more, so I went up to 7:40.

I'm not sure exactly how far I went in between those increases, but it was a pretty gradual process, so I was feeling really good. As the time kept ticking by, I made one final increase, to a 7:30 pace, and that's where I kept it for a while. I was pretty thrilled to be running at that pace after having already swum for 15 minutes and biked for 20 minutes (and not having done a single brick workout or any real race preparations).

As the end of the 25 minutes drew closer, I pushed the increase button a few more times, finally getting up to a 6:58 pace for the last few minutes!  I may have been on a treadmill, but I was definitely racing! 

When the whistle blew, I had completed 3.35 miles, and I was tired, but I felt good.

There wasn't a lot to do afterward - I congratulated my friend, who was now officially a triathlete - so happy for her!  And I went to talk to another friend who was in the last heat, and was just getting ready to get on the bike. Then I grabbed my bag and headed home to eat. I was starving!

The results were posted over the weekend, and even though this was just a tiny little race, I was pretty excited to see my name listed as the Top Female Runner!  And in actuality, I was the top runner overall, beating out the top male runner by over a quarter mile. Woohoo! 

My swim and bike times, as always, could use some improvement, but I did well overall, coming in 6th out of 24 participants. Not bad, considering I hadn't really trained at all.

A fun little event, and I'm hoping they do it again this winter. It would be nice to have something like that in the dead of winter, when there's no outdoor races to keep you motivated. It definitely forced me to get my butt back in the pool and do some swimming!

So, the final stats -

15 minute swim - 24 lengths - 600m

20 minute bike - 9.3 km

25 minute run - 3.35 miles (7:32 pace)

Top runner, and 6th overall.

As I posted on Facebook today - I'm now two-for-two:  two weekends, two races, two wins. And with a 5K coming up this Saturday, I'm wondering if I can make it a three-fer? 

Running and Racing, 2010

2010 is over, and it was an interesting one for running. January and February involved no running at all, since I was busy giving birth to a baby and recovering from that birth. And since I had stopped running at 30 weeks pregnant, it ended up being a full 4 months off from running.

Four months is a long time to not be able to run. So it's kind of an understatement to say that my first postpartum run on March 2nd was incredible. Slow, with lots of huffing and puffing, but incredible just the same.

I was anxious to race again, too, of course, and signed up for a 5K in April. It was a race I had never done before, but it was great, and I was thrilled to finish it in just under 27 minutes. Since I had only been back to running for a few weeks, I would have been happy to finish in under 30 minutes. Under 27 was so much more than I had ever imagined I could do.

Next up was a goal that I had set while still hugely pregnant, in December. I had registered for, and planned on completing, the Cox Providence Half-Marathon. Running a half-marathon just three months after having a baby is kind of a tall order, but I knew I could do it. I knew it would be a slow race for me, and I was ok with that. I just wanted to complete the distance and cross that finish line. And I did! I felt a tremendous amount of pride and accomplishment finishing that race, and was looking forward to keeping the momentum going heading into a very full summer race season. 

Unfortunately, that wasn't going to happen. The dreaded shin injury that plagued me during the training for my first marathon two years ago reared its ugly head again. I knew I had only myself to blame, as I had ramped up my mileage fairly quickly for the half, and although I was disappointed and angry, I wasn't surprised. I backed off running for a few weeks, and worked on some of the old PT exercises that I remembered from two years ago, and hoped that I had caught it early enough that it wouldn't get bad enough to knock me out of commission for the summer.

I was able to keep myself healthy enough to race the inaugural Friends of Hazard Castle 7-mile race at the end of June. Despite the injury, my running had been going fabulously, and I was running faster than I thought I'd be able to run just a few months after having a baby, and I was hopeful that I'd be able to run the 7 miles in under an hour. It was a hot and humid night, and it was a tough effort, but I reached my goal, finishing in 59:02 - 58 seconds to spare!

After that, though, things really went downhill. I started going to PT, and drastically reduced my mileage, but my shin just kept getting worse. I was desparately hoping to still run The Blessing in July, and even picked up my race number the weekend before, thinking I'd be able to pull it off. But that morning I made the very difficult decision to skip it. I knew it would only make a bad situation even worse, and I also knew that if I went out and ran 10 miles that night, I'd probably be unable to complete my sprint triathlon the following weekend, and I did not want to miss that race.

So July was a race-free month, and it was honestly really, really tough for me to miss that race. It's one of the biggest races around here, and so many people I knew were running, and I love the 10-mile distance. But it just wasn't meant to be this year, and I tried to console myself by looking forward to the following weekend's main event.

This was the 3rd year for the Newport Naval Station triathlon, and my 3rd year being a part of it. I did the race last year, while 17 weeks pregnant, so I was not about to miss this year's. I knew the run wouldn't be my shining moment, since my running had been so inconsistent during July, but I had been biking and swimming like a maniac, so figured I was due for a PR in at least one of those disciplines. And that proved to be true, as I finished the swim in just over 11 minutes - 5 minutes faster than the previous two years! My bike time was very respectable, and despite the lack of any real training, I still managed a decent run, and finished the race in 1:14:23, which I was thrilled with. I love this race, and plan to do it every year, so I'm really glad I didn't have to skip it this year.

But I also knew that, after this race, I was done for a while. I was hurting, and I knew that no amount of PT was going to help if I continued to run. So I planned on 6 weeks off, and kept myself busy at the gym with tons of weight lifting and other cardio work. The 6 weeks went surprisingly quickly, but I was SO ready to go out for a run when they were over!

Unfortunately, though, 6 weeks was not enough. The pain was still there, and I ended up taking another 4 weeks off. Races came and went, and I lamented a bit, but my overall attitude was still pretty positive.

I started back running on the weekend that I had planned to be running my second marathon. Instead of running 26.2 miles, I ran barely a mile, but after 10 weeks of not running at all, that mile felt amazing. And even better, it was pain-free!

I continued running the next few weeks, diligently following a 'return to running after injury' plan, starting with walk/run intervals, and gradually working back up to 30-minute runs. It was somewhat torturous, but again, it was so much better than not running at all, so I stuck with it.

I did have some pain returning, though, so I got myself back to PT, but chose to see someone different this time, and I am SO glad I did! The new program of PT that I'm currently on includes two things my  last round of PT did not - cold laser therapy and deep tissue massage. And those two things are, I think, what is truly making a difference and finally really healing this injury.

In the meantime, I have been able to get back to racing, starting with the Mews Tavern 5K in November. A very fun race, but a very hilly race, and I didn't think I was going to be able to race it terribly fast, but it had been a long time since I had raced, so I intended to give it my all. And as it turns out, my all was good enough for a new course PR! I felt so good the whole race, and just thoroughly enjoyed the entire experience. It was so good to be back out there racing again - I loved every minute of it!

As always, I finished up my year with the Jingle Bell 5K on the beach in Narragansett. I love this race - it's so fun to run on the beach, and this year was especially nice, since it was low tide, and not too cold. I had a great race, too, finishing 2nd in my age group.

So now I'm looking forward to 2011, and I'm a little nervous, but also very hopeful. I feel very optimistic about how well the PT is going, and I'm also in the process of getting custom orthotics. I went and got fitted for them earlier this week, and they should be in soon, so I'll be running in them before the end of the month. I'm hoping that the cold laser, the massage, and the orthotics are going to be the magic trifecta that enables me to put this injury behind me once and for all, because I have big plans for 2011.

Right now, though, my short-term goal is to stay disciplined and only run twice a week, and not increase my mileage until I'm completely asymptompatic. I'm doing ok with that so far. I'd like to run more than twice a week, of course, but twice a week is better than nothing, so I'm hanging in there.

And the times that I am able to run, it feels almost effortless, and I'm easily running 8-minute miles on regular training runs.

Injury issues aside, I feel healthier and stronger than ever, so I know that once I get this straightened out, I'll be headed for great things this year : ) 

Woohoo - I Kicked Some Butt! Naval Station Newport Sprint Tri

Back in this post, I set my goals for this morning's tri, and am very pleased that although I missed my "Oh-my-god-I-can't-believe-I-did-it" goal by a minute, I did a great job of achieving my "woohoo-I-kicked-some-butt" goal.

Things did not get off to a very auspicious start, though, when I woke up with the alarm at 4:30am. I had hoped that Carmine would stay asleep when I got out of bed, but that would have made things too easy. Instead, he woke up and whined, so I had to carry him around while I got my coffee and bagel ready. Once I had everything ready, I sat down to nurse him and eat my breakfast. 

It would have been impossible to hold him while I was getting dressed, so he laid on the bed and whined some more while I got ready. I had gotten my bag mostly packed last night, and my bike was already in the car, so there wasn't much more to do. However, I still had a very whiny, tired baby on my hands, and I wanted to get him back to sleep before I left, and the quickest way to do that is to nurse him, so I sat down again to do just that.

It worked - he fell asleep - but it also made me very late. I had hoped to get to the race at 6:15, but ended up leaving around 6:05. I was a little agitated about it, but I knew I still had plenty of time, so tried to enjoy the drive, since it is a nice one, and I started to get really excited as I was blasting my running music and driving over the Newport bridge.

Then I made a mistake and took the wrong Gate onto the base, and ended up taking a very scenic tour of the base before I finally found my way to the correct Gate and was able to follow the signs to the race parking.

By this time, it was nearly 7am, and I was feeling pretty frazzled, as the race started at 7:30, which left me very little time to check in and set up my stuff. I got it done, though, with just about 15 minutes to spare - enough time to finally meet Taryn, a fellow blogger who recently moved to RI!  I think she's the first running/tri blogger that I follow who I've ever had the opportunity to meet in person, and it was very cool : )

As with the previous years I've done this race, I opted not to wear a wetsuit. The water is so warm this time of year, and the swim is so short, I feel like a wetsuit would be more trouble than it's worth. And I'm glad I stuck with that decision, because the water felt great, and I was totally fine with just my bathing suit. I was in the third wave of swimmers, and for the first time ever, I honestly couldn't wait to get in the water!

Just the few very short open-water swims I've done this summer have made me realize that I no longer feel panicky or nervous in the water. I swam a couple hundred yards yesterday when we were at the beach, and I was actually enjoying it! So I was really looking forward to the swim this year, and I knew I'd be able to complete it significantly faster than the first year. (I'm not comparing my times this year to my times last year, since I was 17 weeks pregnant last year!)

There were 4 minutes between waves, and after the second wave went out, I got into the water and found a spot to the far left, and submerged myself to get used to the temperature. It was just slightly chilly, but felt great.

Soon enough, the horn sounded and we were off. I felt myself going a little too fast, but quickly realized it, and slowed myself down, and instantly felt much more comfortable. And for the first time ever, I was in the open water and swimming - not flailing, not taking breaks every 45 seconds - head down, swimming, sighting every few strokes, and making real progress!

Before I knew it, I was rounding the first buoy, and heading into the long stretch of the rectangular course. I did stop twice during this stretch to do some breaststroke and catch my breath a bit, but I was still keeping up a pretty good rhythm. Shortly after I started down this stretch, I heard the horn sound for the 4th wave, and I knew that I was doing ok, and had managed to swim quite a ways in that 4 minutes.

Finally got around the second buoy, and headed straight back into shore. This part of the course was so shallow, and as I got near the finish, my hands were almost scraping the bottom, but I kept swimming for as long as I could, because I knew I'd end up getting out of the water faster that way.

I was tired when I got out, but thrilled! Not a single person from the wave behind me had caught me, and I had come very close to catching a few swimmers from the previous wave - a huge difference from my first year! 

I ran back to transition, got all my stuff on as quickly as I could, and headed out on the bike. The first mile or two my quads were begging for mercy, especially on the hills, but once I got warmed up, I felt fine. The bike course was the same as last year, so I knew it well, and was prepared for the hills. Most of them aren't steep, but some of them do take some effort, but I was holding a good pace and felt good.

I passed a woman in a red shirt twice, and she passed me twice, and after she passed me the second time, she stayed just a little ahead of me for the remainder of the ride, and provided good motivation for me to keep my pace up. I wasn't aiming to pass her - I just wanted to keep her in my sights - and I was able to.

I was glad to round the final corner and get back into transition, and again did my best to get my bike stuff off and my running stuff on as fast as I could. The run course was different from last year's, but still started out with a pretty decent-sized hill. Ugh. I got up it, though, and for the first mile, felt like I was going at a pretty good clip. My Garmin proved that to be true - mile 1 was 8:10. 

I didn't want to burn out, though, so I did back off a little during mile 2, which I ran in 8:19. I was getting pretty exhausted at this point, too, and the course was very hilly and had a lot of out-and-back stretches down side roads, and a lot of twists and turns, and it was feeling like the longest 5K I've ever run.

Then I came to the last uphill stretch, and I knew it was all downhill to the finish, and I was so happy to catch a glimpse of that finish line! I had just enough left in me to sprint at the end, and mile 3 came in at 8:05. 

During the run, I wondered a few times if I was being too conservative, but as I finished up, I knew that I had left it ALL on the course. I was D.O.N.E.! 

I chatted with Shawn, who did the swim and bike portion of the race as part of a relay team, and then met up with Taryn again as she came in just a few minutes after me, and then went to get my free chocolate chip pancakes - awesome post-race breakfast! 

All in all, it was a fabulous experience, and I really don't think there's anything I'd do differently (except do everything faster!).

I am so thrilled with the progress I've made with my swimming, and really happy with what I feel was a very solid performance on the bike and run. I wish I could have run a little faster - that's a slow 5K pace for me - but since I haven't been able to run that much lately, I think I did a pretty good job.

I'm sure that I can improve on my transition times (they don't give you splits of those times, but I know I'm not super speedy), but that'll come with practice.

The final numbers:

Swim 1/3 mile - 11:23 (five minutes faster than the previous 2 years!!!!!!!!!) 

Bike 10 miles - 36:51 (transition time is included here)

Run 3.1 miles - 26:02

8 out of 15 in my age group

97 out of 214 overall

Already looking forward to next year!

Of Triathlons And Track

After several weeks of hot, humid, disgusting weather, we were finally blessed this morning with cool, dry air! It was such a treat to have all the windows open, and not have to listen to the droning of the A/C running all day long.

It made it much nicer to do things outside, too - including running, which I did this morning. Went 3.5 miles, at a pretty average pace (8:25), and the shin felt ok. It still hurts a bit at the beginning of the run, and again at the end, but it does feel like it's getting better. I'll probably not run again until the race Sunday, to make sure that it feels good for the big event.

I am so crazy excited for this race - almost as excited as I was the first year I did it, when it was my first triathlon ever. I think it's more exciting this time because I'm not as terrified. I know full well that I can do it - I did it last year at 17 weeks pregnant, so I KNOW I can do it!  And since it's my third year doing this particular race, it's going to feel very familiar to me, which is nice.

I definitely still have pre-race jitters, but they're the good kind - the fun kind.

Unlike last year, I do have some definite time goals in mind for this year. The swim is still my slowest discipline, but I'm hoping that I can complete it a bit faster than I have the past two years. I swam in the ocean this weekend, and felt so much less nervous and awkward than I usually do when swimming in open water. It still felt a lot harder than swimming in the pool, but for the first time ever, I felt like I was able to really get into a good rhythm and just put my head down and swim! So I'm hopeful that feeling more confident in the open water will translate to a slightly faster swim time. I'm going to be conservative, though, and plan on a good 14 minutes to swim the 1/3 mile.  Still slow, but it would be a full 2 minutes faster than my previous times.

Since I don't wear a wetsuit, T1 should be a pretty quick one - I'll just have to throw a shirt and shorts on over my bathing suit, slip on my socks, bike shoes and helmet, and head out. I'm figuring I can get it all done in less than 2 minutes. 

I know I can finish the 10-mile bike in just about 30 minutes. I know the course like the back of my hand, and it's a fast one. Some gentle rollers, but nothing that will slow me down much, and I've been averaging an 18.5mph pace on my 30-mile rides, so I better be able to finish 10 miles in 30 minutes!

T2 should be even quicker - just have to rack my bike, swap my helmet for my running hat, my bike shoes for my sneakers, and take off! Hoping for just over a minute here.

For the run, I'm hoping I can maintain about an 8:20 pace and finish in approximately 26 minutes. The big unknown here is how hilly the course is going to be. They've changed it from last year's course, so I have no idea if it's any more or less hilly than it's been the past two years. But even if there are some decent hills, I think I should still be able to come in pretty close to 26 minutes.

If I can do all that, I could finish in about 1 hour and 13 minutes!  We'll call that my ultimate, oh-my-god-I-can't-believe-I-did-it!  goal.  Anything 1:15 or under will be my woohoo-I-kicked-some-butt goal, and anything under 1:20 is my pretty-awesome-for-having-a-baby-6-months-ago goal.

Just a quick update on the boys, and then bedtime for me -

Tonight was the second-to-last week of Youth Track, and the boys are just loving it, as always. Gabe continues to seriously compete, and came in first in his heat of both the 100 and 200. Last week he came in first in the 200, despite the fact that his shorts were falling down and he had to keep slowing down to pull them up. This kid LOVES to win, and yes, he definitely gets that from me! 

Dante is too busy waving and yelling hi to everyone to worry about winning : )   I have so many pictures of him waving, it's hysterical. I think it's so funny how their personalities come out so strongly at this event. I think it's great that Gabe is doing so well (running at the same pace as the 7- and 8-year-olds!), but I also think it's wonderful that Dante has so much fun just jogging along and waving and smiling at everyone. They're both enjoying it, and that's what makes me happy. I can't wait to see Carmine out there next year!!!!

Speaking of Carmine, the kid is an eating machine!  He wolfs down his fruit and rice cereal, and a few people have commented on how he looks like he's gained some weight the past week or two, and I think the solid foods have a lot to do with it!  As of right now we're only feeding him twice a day, but I think we might have to bump it up to three meals a day pretty soon.

I'm also going to have to look into making my own baby food. I'll buy some stuff jarred, but there are so many things that I know would be so easy to make myself. I may wait until the fall to start doing that, though - I'll have much more time for it once the boys are back in school.

I'll wrap things up with a funny from Gabe - on the way home from track tonight, he said to me "I know a good place where you can put gold - it's a big square thing with a dial."  I asked him if he meant a safe, and he said "Yes, that's it!"  I'm not sure why he thinks I need to know this information, but if we ever end up with a pile of gold, I'll know what to do with it.

Change Of Plans

I thought I would be writing up a race report right about now, but I'm not. 

After extensive hemming and hawing (it was like I had a little devil on one shoulder and an angel on the other), I decided Friday afternoon that I was not going to run the Blessing of the Fleet 10-mile race Friday night. It was not an easy decision to make. This was a big race for me, and one I had been looking forward to for a long, long time. It's a fabulous course, with great crowd support, and it's as much a huge social event as it is a road race, and I was looking forward to seeing old friends and meeting new ones (a fellow blogger, Taryn, who recently moved from Arizona to RI, was running, and I was going to meet up with her before the race). 

But, after much agonizing and going back and forth a million times, I decided to skip it. It was disappointing and upsetting, but I knew it was the right decision. My shin has been feeing so much better, which, on one hand, made it so very tempting to go out and run the race. But on the other hand, it's been feeling SO MUCH BETTER, so why on earth would I push it by going out and running 10 miles, and almost certainly undoing all the progress I've made in PT the past few weeks? 

It was a tough decision, and I was upset, but I made my peace with it and kept reminding myself that skipping the Blessing meant that I'd be healthy and ready to do the triathlon next weekend. I definitely didn't want to jeopardize that race. I do so many road races over the course of the year, but only one triathlon, so I didn't want to miss it. And with all the swimming and biking I've been doing, I'm so, so ready for that tri. I had another fabulous bike ride this morning, and feeling really excited to get out there next Sunday. I know I'm almost guaranteed a PR, since I was 17 weeks pregnant when I did the race last year, but I'm hoping I can get a huge PR, and that all this cross-training is going to pay off in a big way! 

In any case, though, I feel like more of an athlete for not running the race than I would have if I had toughed it out and done it, and ended up limping into PT Monday morning, having to explain why I was suddenly back to square one with this injury. 

In other, non-racing-related news, we've had a fabulous week for Scott's vacation! We had several beach days, all of which were awesome! The boys are loving their boogie boards, and are getting really good at surfing the waves with them, and spend much of the day in the water. It's so fun to watch them out there. And we've also had several dinners out - Aunt Carrie's, Trio, Casey's - all our local favorites - and a morning out to breakfast, too! 

It's been a great week, and the boys have loved having Daddy around, as have I, and it'll be sad when he has to go back to work tomorrow. 

After we got to the beach this morning, Gabe immediately started asking Scott to dig a hole with him, and Scott told him he just had to wait a few minutes, while we got everything set up. That answer wasn't acceptable to Gabe, and he just kept pestering and pestering, and at one point he got really frustrated and yelled "But Daddy, you're my DAD! You need to be the best Dad EVER!"  

And one day last week, he said to Scott "Daddy, do me a favor, and see what you can do about not dying." 

Kids really do say the darndest things. 

Has It Really Been A Week?

This is by far the busiest summer we've had in a long time - guess that makes sense, since there are now 5 of us! And since I've got all three boys home all day long, computer time is very limited.

All is well, though. We had a good second week of summer vacation, except for the fact that we got hit with a major heatwave, and it was too hot to do much of anything outdoors. Thank god we put the window A/C unit in the kitchen - the house would be brutally hot without it. 

We didn't do a whole lot last week aside from trips to the gym and a few errands, and hiding out in the A/C. As a result, Gabe and Dante fought like cats and dogs for most of the week, and I have to admit, I was kind of glad that this week was camp week for both of them. 

Our weekend was great, though - all three boys and I drove down to CT Friday to celebrate Juli and Ray's wedding, and had a blast! The wedding itself was very casual and informal, and then we had a fun cocktail hour at a nearby restaurant, and after that, went back to Mom and Dad's, where the kids swam in the pool for nearly 2 hours and didn't get to bed until after 10pm! It was a fun, busy day for everyone, and I have to say, Carmine was a trooper - he got hardly any sleep all day, and was still so happy and easygoing about everything. He's so good at just going along with everything - probably because he doesn't really have any choice in the matter! 

Today was Gabe and Dante's first day of summer camp. They were so excited this morning, they were practically bouncing off the walls. Carmine and I had a nice day to ourselves, and the quiet was kind of nice, but it was great to pick the boys up and hear all about their day. It sounds like they both had a great time, and are looking forward to going back tomorrow.

We didn't have long to relax after camp today, though, since we had to get ready to head off to Youth Track. It wasn't quite as hot this week as it was last week, but it was still pretty warm and humid, but the boys did great. They had a fabulous time, as always, and Gabe came in first in his heat of the 100 and second in his heat of the 200. I watched him as he was running, and after the halfway point of the race, he started keeping an eye on the competition, to see if he was going to get passed - he was really racing, and he was in it to win! 

Speaking of racing, I've got a big one coming up, but I haven't run in almost a week. I'm currently getting PT for my shin issues, and it's helping a lot, but I wanted to back off for a week or so to let things heal a little better. 

And I've come to a realization over the past couple of weeks that it is highly unlikely that I'll be able to run a full marathon this October. I think, realistically, I can run the Blessing in two weeks, and the triathlon the following week, and then I'm going to drastically cut back on my running to give my shin a chance to heal once and for all, and rest up so that I can be ready for some shorter fall races. 

I'm disappointed, but when I felt the first inklings of pain in this leg a while ago, I kind of knew where it was headed, since I've been down this road before. And I'll be the first to admit that I pushed it a little further than I should have this time. But I don't regret it - I've had some fantastic races, and this is only a bump in the road, and the marathons will always be out there. There are some days it bothers me more than others, but luckily this isn't one of them. 

And luckily I'm really enjoying biking and swimming, which I've been doing a lot more of. One day last week I swam 1850 meters - the first time I've ever gone past the mile mark. I was just feeling so good, I decided to just keep swimming, and if I hadn't had to finish up at a certain time (to pick up the boys), I would have kept going beyond that! 

Loving the bike lately, too - I head out around 6am, usually for a 30-mile ride, and the roads are so quiet, and I just zoom down to the ocean and back, and my speeds are averaging around 18mph! 

So, having more time to focus on cross-training is actually working out fine, and I think will pay off in a big way when I hit the water at the triathlon in a few weeks. 

I am also officially back to my pre-pregnancy weight - it only took 5 1/2 months, which I'm really, really happy about, since it took me WAY longer than that to lose the weight after the other boys. I still would love to lose a few more pounds, but I feel pretty happy with where I am right now, and I want to eat a few ice cream cones and cheeseburgers this summer without stressing about the calories, so I'm not going to focus too much on weight loss for the next few weeks, but will just work to maintain the weight I'm at. I'm done with Weight Watchers, too - my online membership ran out last month, and I didn't renew. It helped when I needed it, but I feel like I'm on the right track now - definitely a good feeling. 

Carmine is doing great - he started solids last week, and is eating a little bit of rice cereal and fruit or yogurt once in the morning and once at night. He loves it!  The first few times he didn't really eat a whole lot, but loved the whole process, and I think was very excited to be sitting at the table eating with the rest of us. And now he's getting the hang of it, and consuming a lot more. I forgot how messy and time-consuming it is to feed a baby - he's so cute, though, it makes it fun : )

Going to try to get on here more than once a week to update, but can't make any promises - this parenting three children thing is a lot of work!