Thanks

thanks Lana for the Gift Card. I finally got my skirt order and I am going to be so cool at our next race

In Ink

Last night I signed up for the McMinnville City Triathlon. Team Magic is offering a $10 discount for each race you sign up of before the end of the year, so that one is in ink. On the other hand, the Team Nashville 10 mile run that I wanted to do in February is on the same day as our last basketball game that my team will cheer for. That one is erased from the plan.

I got up at 6:15. I got on the scale. It moved, in the right direction. I can already feel the sand between my toes.

It was cold but not dark. I got to run my 6 mile route instead of just loops around my neighborhood. I still ran slowly, 57:36 9:36 pace.

I spent the morning taking down the Christmas tree and the lights outside.

Then at about 1:30, I got on my trainer and tried one of the other workouts on my new DVD. It was just as boring and I quit after 35 minutes. I am going to have to get more of the spinervals series. I really like the Have Mercy workout I have.

Now it is off to Wal-Mart. I have showered and dressed but that is it, so you know I am going to run into everyone I know.

Trade Off

This morning when the alarm went off at 4:45, I just could not get out of bed. I reset the clock for 6:15, and then spent that hour and a half feeling guilty. I was not off to a good start on my quest to lose 20 pounds.

After work I thought about putting my bike on the trainer and trying one of the other 2 workouts on my new DVD, but Tracy called and twisted my arm to go to the movies. We took the kids to see Charlotte’s Web. And you know when you go to the movies, you have to have popcorn.

When we got home, I changed and went for a run before I could change my mind. It was cold and dark. So basically I just traded a cold, dark morning run for a cold, dark evening run.

I ran 6 miles in 56:32, 9:25 pace. I got a side stitch around mile two. That is the first time I have gotten a side stitch, must be from too much popcorn.

Game On

This morning I got up at 5:00. It was cold and dark. I ran an uneventful slow 6 miles in 56:24 (9:24 pace).

Today Dawn and I decided that we need motivation. So we have promised ourselves a girls’ trip to someone warm with a beach once we each lose 20 pounds. Dawn, I am going to be pestering you daily. You better get that treadmill dusted off and put down that beer.

When I got home from work today (yes, I had to go back), I tried out my new cycling DVD. It was 1:15 of endurance training. I am not nearly as impressed with this one as my No Mercy DVD but I was still soaked when I was done so I had to have burned a calorie or two. Now I just need to stay away from the pumpkin pie!

A Missed Run and A Slow Run

Yesterday morning we got awaken at 6:00 by my son yelling “Santa Came!!!!”. We all got up and checked out all the goodies Santa brought. Then we ripped open all the other packages under the tree.
I was going to run but it started raining really hard. I held off on my shower and getting dressed hoping that the rain would stop. Then it was time to get everything cooked, and then eat. I never got a run in. Heck, I never got out of my jammies.

It was a great Christmas.

This morning I got up at 6:15. It was cold and misty out. I ran a VERY SLOW 6 miles. The wind picked up on the second half of the run. I felt like it has been months since I ran not just 48 hours. The 6 miles took 59:43, 9:57 pace. My average heart rate was 150, wasn’t really pushing myself. Oh well, at least I burned a few calories. Good thing too, since I had pumpkin pie for breakfast.

Merry Christmas

The reindeer food has been put out in the yard and cookies for Santa are on a plate. The kids are hoping that despite their fighting Santa will stop by our house. I am not so sure that he will.

Hope everyone has a Wonderful Christmas!!!

I got up this morning, after hitting snooze once, and ran 6 miles. It was dark so I stuck to the short loops. Boring!!! It was cold and I ran slow, 57:39 (9:36 pace). Now I can justify eating all that food tomorrow.

Phil, I wanted to tell you thanks for your advice. The reason I don’t have many 5K’s on my schedule is because there is only one 5K done locally, Old Timer’s Day. So to run a 5K I have to drive to Nashville, it is really hard for me to justify driving an hour each way just to run 3.1 miles.

Class and More Recovery Running

Friday the plan was to get up and run 6 miles then go to Joyce’s cardio/toning class. The dog woke me up at 6:28, two minutes before my alarm was set to go off. When I let the dog out, I saw it was raining. I am not “in training” right now so I don’t have to run in the rain. I got back in bed. I did make it to the cardio/toning class. It was a good class but I was surprise how much easier the cardio segments were for me. It has been about 18 months (and two marathons) since I have done this class.
This morning I got up at 8:00 (slept in after Ronnie’s Christmas party last night). It was nice to run in the sunshine. I ran the 6 mile route in 57:11, 9:31 pace. I just can’t seem to make myself run any faster these days. I am going to milk this “recovery” for all it is worth.
I have my alarm set for 5:30 tomorrow and plan to get up and run 6 miles before church tomorrow.

Merry Christmas!!

Planning

Due to extreme coughing, I did not work out today.

So I am in bed with my laptop and calendar planning 2007.

If it doesn’t get too cold I am thinking about a 10 miler on February 3rd and a half marathon on February 17th. This year it snowed for the half. If it is snowing, I will be at home in bed.

In March there is the Tom king half marathon on the 17th.

April is the Country Music half marathon. I don’t think I am running it. The kids might do the kids race on Friday and Ronnie the half on Saturday. It is just too much trouble getting child care.

May 5th is the “I Run for the Party” 5k and the 20th is the Memphis in May Olympic distance tri.

In June there is the Mach Tenn Sprint Distance Tri on the 2nd, the R/C Cola Moon Pie 10 miler on the 16th,, and the McMinnville Sprint Tri on the 23rd.

July offers the Waterfront Oly Tri that I don’t know if I will make and the Cedars sprint Distance that was my first ever Tri in 05 so I HAVE to make it.

August 4th is a Du and the 19th an oly. If they don’t change old timers Day there will be a 5k at the end of August.

September is up in the air. There is the music City Oly on the 16th. In 06 that was the same weekend as the MS FedEx Rock ‘n Roll Ride from Graceland to Tunica and back. I loved the Music city race but think I want to try the MS ride in 07. To make things even more complex, the Atomic man half iron is the 16th. If I am going to attempt a half iron in 07, it is going to be the closest.

I guess I will attempt to break 4 hours in Memphis at the St. Jude marathon in December, unless I can find a more appealing marathon.

I know other things will pop up and some of these just won’t happen but I have them on the calendar for now.

It is Back

My kids decided to give me back my cough for my birthday. I am hacking away again. Thanks guys.

Yesterday I did nothing that could even be called cross training. Ate more cake, then took the kids out to eat, and the movies. (Ronnie was having poker at our house so we had to be gone).

This morning I got up at 4:45 for my 6 mile run. This is the first run in a long time that I just wanted to quit. I passed my house at around two and a half miles. If it had been three I would have stopped. I trudged on. It was very slow. I don’t have my Garmin handy but I think it was 59 minutes and change.

When I got home I took some MucinexD for this cough and climbed back in bed.

I called my boss and told him I would be late. My daughter has the cough too and I wanted her to get as much sleep as possible.

I made it to work at 9:30 and sitting in my chair was a tin of Christie Cookies.

Bob, I checked that tracking number and the box of will power has been delivered, just not to me. Someone else is enjoying a much healthier Christmas season while I ate 5 cookies this morning!!!!!!

Good Intentions

I started the day off with great intentions. I got up at 4:45. It was dark so I had to stick to the small loops. But I ran, 6 miles in 56:17, 9:22 pace.
For breakfast, I had a whole wheat bagel, toasted but plain.
For lunch, my boss took us all out for Christmas. I ordered a salad with grilled chicken and skipped the rolls (that’s HUGE for me).
We got back to the office and they had chocolate cake for me for my birthday (which they insist is tomorrow, even though I celebrated it back in May*). Everyone was too full from lunch so we just put it in the fridge.
Hey this will power thing isn’t so hard.
Then... the cad tech’s mom showed up with another batch of Oreo balls. I ate 3. This same cad tech also gave me a bottle of wine for Christmas, which I have uncorked and am enjoying right now.
Bob can you overnight that box of will power, I am desperate!!!

*I have searched high and low for the post where I explained why I celebrated my birthday back in May but I can NOT find it.
I did the GJCC Triathlon May 29th and per the “age up” rule; they wrote a 38 on my leg. I figured since they considered me 38 I might as well have my birthday. It was great, I got to sit by the pool and enjoy a few cold beverages. No one else bought into this summer birthday thing, just me and the USAT. So now here it Dec and everyone thinks it is my birthday but I refuse to celebrate. Come May and the first triathlon of the season, they will write a 39 on my leg and then I will celebrate again.

All I Need for Christmas…

is some will power. I just can’t seem to say no to all the chocolate and junk food everywhere. My diet has been horrible lately. At least I have squeezed in a few runs.

Friday morning I got up at 4:45 and ran 3 loops around my neighborhood and 2 around Amberwood. It was cold and boring. 6 miles in 58:08, 9:41 pace.

Then the kids had to go to school for a whole 30 minutes. They each had a gift exchange in their classrooms and then gave their teachers their gifts. I took the kids to Cracker Barrel for breakfast after that. Bacon, eggs, and grits. The calories are just adding up.

Friday night was my son’s birthday party. Pizza, chips, cake, and lazer tag, oh my!

Saturday we had cheerleading pictures at 9:15 and a game at 10:00. My dad called while were cheering and said he was coming down for a visit. That meant rest day for me.

We had a great visit with my dad. It was about 70 degrees out so we got to play outside. I wish December could stay this warm. My dad gave the kids some money for Christmas. It was burning a hole in their pockets so we had to go to Wal-mart where they each picked out a toy.

Then we went to the Mexican restaurant where I had margaritas and chip. Another bad diet choice.

I got up at 6:15 this morning to run before Ronnie left for the golf course. Since it was light, I got to run my 6 mile route instead of just circles in my neighborhood. It took 55:22, 9:13 pace.

This week I am going to work harder on my diet. I am not off to a very good start since I have had left over birthday cake for breakfast and lunch.

Eight Quick Ones

That would be years not miles. Today is my son’s birthday.
He got out of bed and woke my husband up to tell him “It’s my birthday!”. Then came running into the bathroom where I was drying my hair to yell “It’s today”. When I asked him if he felt older, he said that he felt taller.



So Happy Birthday to my Big Guy!!!



On the running front, it didn’t happen this morning. The stupid dog woke me up at 4:20 to go out. Putting her out, I realized that it was cold. I didn’t want to run in the cold this morning. December is suppose to be my recovery month, my relax and decide where I am going month. Therefore, I reset the alarm clock and got back in bed.

Running in Circles

This morning I got up at 4:40 so that I could be at the Rec Center when they opened at 5. Have I mentioned how much I HATE running inside??? I did 3 miles on the little 1/12 of a mile track. I ran the 3 miles in 27:41:58. There is this one guy who insists on walking very slowly in the outside lane. It becomes a real hassle when he gets next to other walkers and they are stretched 3 or 4 wide across the track. I am sticking to outside running.
After my 3 miles I went downstairs to toning class. (Toning class is an hour long class where we do light hand weights with high reps. Sometimes we also use medicine balls and bands. The goal is overall toning). It was a good class and we did lots of abs too. There were some new people in class this morning so she took it a little easier on us, don’t want to scare off the fresh meat right away.

Explanation

Sorry Bob, this is a trainer
and it sure beats riding out in the cold. Plus I don't have to hire a babysitter. It will have itself paid for in no time.

No Mercy

I had every intention of getting on my trainer Sunday, but just never made the time. So Sunday turned into a rest day.
Yesterday I got up at 4:45 and ran 6 miles in 58:13, 9:42 pace. It was cold and dark. I saw another shooting star when I first started running and the first thing that popped into my head was “let me make it through this run”. What a waste of a wish.
I slept in this morning. So I got on my trainer this afternoon and did the full 2 hours of my ‘No Mercy” DVD. It was tough. I was soaked by the time I was done. I sure hope this trainer helps make me a better cyclist.

Congrats to David on a PR at the Rocket City Marathon Saturday and to Lana for her PR at the Vegas Marathon Sunday. You both rock!

Lana, I am giving you 2 weeks to rest and recovery, and then I am going to start pushing Gulf Coast. :) You know you want to go!!!!!

Still in Recovery

Yesterday I put together my trainer (my anniversary present from my wonderful husband). Our anniversary is actually today (12 years) and the trainer was suppose to be for Christmas, but what was he going to say once I already had it set up and in use when he got home last night?!? I also opened another present, an indoor cycling training DVD. I did an hour of it. It was tough. I loved every minute of it. The DVD is actual 120 minutes but I only had time for one hour before I had to get cleaned up again for Bunko. I will not be doing any more rides in the cold, it is not worth it!

Today we had to cheer for basketball at 9:00. Last week was actually their first game but I missed it due to the race. The girls did so good and where so cute, I am so proud.

When we got home, I ran my normal 6 mile route in 55:42, 9:17 pace. I was amazed how great I felt.

Recovery Run

Yesterday Dawn’s friend JT called me to see how I was feeling and see when the next marathon would be. He is hooked!! I love it. I told him I don’t have a marathon planned, just some halfs. He tried to talk me into Little Rock or New Orleans. Sorry JT, you will have to do those without me.

This morning I got up at 5:00. It was in the mid 20’s. Brrrrr!!! I bundled up and headed out for a slow, short run. I did 4 miles in 40:24, 10:07 pace. I felt GREAT!!! No pains, no aches just slow running. :)

I am going to get my trainer out of the box tonight or tomorrow. It has gotten colder all day, we even got some flurries. No way am I riding outside!!!!

Good luck to David at the Huntsville Marathon Saturday, Lance at the White Rock Marathon on Sunday, and to Lana at the Vegas marathon on Sunday. Lana is going for sub-4. I know she is going to do it and can’t wait for her results. Wish I was going to Vegas with you girl!!!

Also, Congrats to Jen on her BQ at the California Marathon Sunday and to Marathon Marita for her finish despite calf cramping. You girls rock!!!! (Sorry it has taken me so long to post congratulation.)

Moving On

Last night I spent a LOT of time on the computer looking for a half iron that is later in the year that I could still drive to. I found nothing. Well, I found two but both of them said they were extremely challenging. Isn’t a half iron challenging enough???
Anyway, looks like if I go that route it will have to be the Gulf Coast Tri May 12th. I still have some time to decide.
In the mean time I am going to focus on my diet. I was doing so good but have found myself eating more and more junk. I think to myself “I am going to run 20 miles tomorrow, it is ok it I eat these tootsies rolls.” Or “I just ran 15 miles, I deserve to eat this bag of cookies”. Time to end that line of thinking.

This morning I got up at 5:20 and got the Rec Center before the pool was open. The lifeguard let me in at about 5:45. I sat on the edge for a minute and then just made the plunge. Oops, forgot my goggles. Had to get out and get them. Brrrr.
Back in the water. I swam 1750 yards in 38 something. I just keep getting slower and slower, soon I am just going to sink to the bottom.
I wasn’t really pushing myself this morning; it was all about just doing something.

All the soreness from the marathon is gone. I can walk up and down stairs like a normal person. I am over my pity party and moving on to 2007.

Lost

I am feeling a little lost right now. I know it is the post marathon blues made even bluer by a missed goal.
I am eager to get back out there and train. I thought about a swim tomorrow but don’t want to listen to my husband preach so I will give it another day and maybe swim on Wednesday.
I have been looking at races today; I can’t run so might as well plan. I just can’t decide on what I want to do in 2007. Do I want to go long (half iron) or do I want to work on my speed and set a goal for the Olympic distance? Right now I am not feeling fast or enduring.
Speaking of which, what was up with my heart rate Saturday?? Lana and I had already discussed how high it was and then Lance commented on it. I didn’t feel like I was working that hard. Matter of fact at the end I threw in the towel. Once I saw 4 hours out of reach I gave up. Why kill myself for 4:01? All or nothing for me.
Ok back to 2007 goals…
Team magic is offering a discount for each race that you sign up for by Dec 31st. I don’t even want to know what I spent in 2006 on entry fees so any discount I can get I need to take advantage of, but it is not a savings if you don’t do the race. So I really need to determine my goals.
I don’t even know if a half iron is within reach. The one I am looking at is the Gulf Coast Triathlon May 12th. Can I get ready and finish it with a respectable time?
Also, this past season I raced a LOT. I really enjoyed it. I LOVED having an “event” almost every weekend, but did that hurt me? Should I just pick a few events and really focus on those? That being said, I also did really well. I placed in my age group in just about all the short distance events. I came no where close in the longer events.
Lost! What’s next? Where do I want to go???

Thanks, Splits and Pics

First off I want to say how great of a race the Memphis St. Jude marathon was. It was very well organized and there were tons of wonderful volunteers out there. They had water and Gatorade at EVERY mile and Gu at miles 7 and 15.
Despite the cold, there were tons of people out cheering on the runners.
The police did a great job keeping the runners safe. I even had one jump in front of a moving car to keep the little old lady from running me over. The Memphis drivers were not the most patient people I have ever seen.

Next, I want to say how great my friends and family are.
Dawn, there is so much to say about her. She is NOT a runner yet she signed up for and ran the Grizzly 5k. She took Friday off of work to go downtown with me and get our packets. She went shopping for some cold gear tights for me, that proved to be the perfect running pants. She opened her home to me. She ran sick. She waited around in the cold for HOURS to watch me finish.
Chris has never run more then a 4 mile race, yet he volunteered to run with me those critical final miles when I knew I would need the most push. Just knowing that he would be at mile 22 kept me moving and on pace.
Angie and Mark found babysitters for all 3 of their kids and came all the way downtown to watch me finish and bring me beer! Then they got Angie’s sister to keep the kids that night so that they could come out to diner with me.
Ellen and Paul met me for breakfast this morning.
Lana has pushed me to train harder. She has run long runs with me and made me run intervals faster then I thought I ever could. She also understood my disappointment. While everyone else was telling me I should be happy with a 21 minute improvement, she knew how I felt.
My husband puts up with me getting up before 5 every morning to train. He supports me in every way. He even had the house clean when I got home.
My kids ran up to me as soon as I walked into the door to tell me how much they missed me and how much they love me. They were totally impressed with my medal.
Everyone who has left me advice, encouragement, or comments on my blog.

Now some data and pics from marathon weekend.
Splits from my Garmin:



Dawn’s son, Dawn, me and JT pre-race




Me post race with my medal and refreshment



Angie and Mark

Memphis St. Jude Marathon Race Report

This morning Dawn’s son started hollering down the hall at 5:00, “Is it time to get up?” To say he was exited doesn’t even come close to how he was feeling.
We all got up at 5:30 and got ready to go. JT, a friend of Dawn’s, who was running his first marathon, showed up right on time at 6:15. We headed out in the COLD (29 degrees). By the time we got to downtown it was up to 31. We parked in the parking garage right next to AutoZone Park and walked over. We found the bathrooms then a warm room to stand in. Dawn’s 5k started at 7:45 a few block away so she checked her bag and walked to her start. Her son, JT and I stayed in the warmth a little while longer. Finally we decided we better get to the start. I got my bag checked and we walked the 2 or 3 blocks to the start.
We got there too early and I froze waiting for the race to start. Finally the start gun fired and the first runners were off. It was a wave start so it took 3 minutes+ for it to be my turn.
I saw an old boss at the first water stop at mile one and then another old boss at a turn at mile 4. My fingers were finally thawed and getting warm so I took off my gloves.
I felt fine and was right on pace for a 4-hour finish.
Chris was right where he said he was going to be at mile 22 and he jumped out with me. That was a perfect because I wasn’t feeling so great anymore. I was still right on pace.
I fell apart at mile 24. I had to walk and was losing ground.
By the 25-mile marker I knew I wasn’t going to make my 4-hour goal.
Chris ran/walked with me until mile marker 26. He told me “No more walking, you have it now.” I make the turn and headed into AutoZone Park. I had to kick to give and was just happy to see the finish. I crossed the line in 4:04:23. I was VERY disappointed.
I got my foil blanket, medal (which is very nice), and a bottle of water. I had the chip removed and then saw Dawn and her son. I couldn’t hold in the disappointment and cried, “I didn’t make it.”
Chris found us in the stands and then my friends Mark and Angie called and found us too. Angie had beer in her backpack. Man I love that girl.
We drank some beers and celebrated everyone else’s victories. Dawn ran the entire 5K in 39 minutes. You are awesome girl. Thanks for being there for me. Love you too. Dawn’s 11-year-old son, who has never run more then 5 miles, finished the half marathon in 2:26. What and accomplishment!!!
After a few beers we headed over to Peabody Place for the party. We drank a few more beers and waited on JT to call. He had finished in about 5:10 and went to the locker rooms to shower. When he got there we finished up our appetizers and headed home. I took and ice bath and tried to nap but was just too cold. I gave up and took a hot shower.
Now we are going to meet friends for Mexican.

Please don’t tell me how 21 minutes is a great improvement. I have heard it and I am really trying to be happy but right now I just want to wallow in my disappointment.

Thanks to everyone for your encourage, advice, and well wishes.

Ready to Run

Well, I am in Memphis. Picked up my race packet, a new shirt, and some blue sports beans. Ate some pasta and am getting ready for bed.

Weather forecast isn't looking too bad for tomorrow. It is still going to be colder then it has been but at least we should be dry!

The Final Countdown

I am SO done with riding outside until spring/summer. I met Tracy at the Rec Center at noon yesterday. It was 65 degrees. It was cloudy and had rained a little. It really looked like a good day to ride. We were ok for the first 10 miles or so but when we turned onto Fredonia Road, the head wind was unbelievable. We ended up riding 20 miles and once again I couldn’t get off the bike fast enough!!
My trainer came today, now I just have to convince Ronnie that it should be my anniversary present. The good thing is that his new golf cart cover came today also and I know he won’t want to wait until Christmas for it. I am thinking anniversary presents for each of us!

This morning was my LAST run. The schedule called for 3 miles at planned marathon pace. I got up at 5:15 and was out the door at 5:30. It was 62 degrees and clear (lots of stars) when I started. I had a hard time getting in the groove this morning. I was either running way too fast or too slow. I ended up running the 3 miles in 26:27.

I had thought about getting up tomorrow before work to swim but I think that I need the sleep more. I will take the next two days as rest days. Then it is marathon time!!!! I am getting really excited. The weather forecast for Saturday has improved.

The One That Started It All

While the kids were decorating the tree tonight, I got to look at each ornament as they hung it. My favorites are the one the kids made but I also love our “Santa Riding” collection. MANY years ago, I worked for an engineering firm that at the Christmas party had an ornament swap. That year we got Santa riding on a chicken. A tradition was born. Every year since then we have purchased Santa riding on some animal. What will Santa ride this year????>

Last Speed Workout

This morning I got up at 6:00 for my LAST speed workout. The plan called for

10-20 minute warm-up
6 x 400 (400m RI)
10 minute cool-down

Once again being the lazy person that I am, I just used my programmed Garmin to run in the neighborhood vs. driving to the track. It was cold again this morning. I ran 1.85 mile warm-up in 18:42. I stopped at my mailbox and grabbed a drink of water and then did a 400m RI in 3:57. The first 400 I ran in 1:45. I almost threw up after I finished it so decided that it was too fast. I walked the 400 RI for 4:15. The reminder 400s went like this
400 1:48
RI 3:43
400 1:47
RI 3:47
400 1:48
RI 3:35
400 1:50
RI 3:42
4001:48
RI 2:56
Cool-down 0.89 miles in 8:51
Average heart rate of 145 bpm.

I don’t know what I was thinking waiting until 6:00 to run because I got home just in time to rush the kids out the door to school. I then came home to shower. After cleaning up, I went back to the school to help decorate for the 2nd grade parent lunch.

Weather forecast in Memphis for Saturday is not looking good. After enjoying 70 degree temps there last weekend, it is upsetting to have to think about running in freezing temps this weekend. Dawn refused to stop at a sporting goods store Friday while we were shopping because she was too tired and hungry, so now I don’t have my cold gear that I wanted to buy. She has offered to go and get us both some cold gear (she is running the 5k and going to be waiting around on me for a LONG time). Is it safe to wear it new for the first time for 26.2 miles?????

My buddy Chris is going to be waiting on me on North Parkway to run my final miles with me and push me to the finish. Diane also said she is going to come down and cheer me on, but she wasn’t sure at what mile marker she would be. Dawn and her son are running the 5K so will be near the finish. Anyone else coming down??? I NEED anyone and everyone willing to help me out. What about other bloggers, anyone going to be in Memphis?

Black Friday and Last Long Run

Friday was my “rest day”. I got up at 2:30 am with Dawn and her son. We headed out to Best Buy. When we drove through the parking lot we saw people camped out in tents in line. Dawn suggested that we go to the Best Buy in Southaven. So off she drove. We got to Southaven only to find out there wasn’t a Best Buy. Instead we saw a Circuit City with about 50 people in line. I jumped out of the car and asked someone it I could see their ad. There on the cover was what we were after. I ran back on told Dawn to come on. We got in line and waited. It was about 3:15 by then. At around 4 the employees came out and started handing out sale flyers and vouchers. We got all the flyers but were wondering where all the vouchers were. Turns out they only had 22 laptops and something like 18 desktops. The vouchers all got handed out to people in front of us. Dawn went begging. She got a voucher for a $199 desktop. Then someone offered to trade her the desktop voucher for the laptop voucher. She made the trade and she was happy. I decided to give begging a try. I walked to the front of the line and started calling out “Anyone have a laptop voucher they are not using?”. It didn’t take long before someone said “Oh, yea here you can have this one” Yes, I was happy now. I got back in line with Dawn and her son and we waited for the store to open at 5:00. Someone else offered Dawn another desktop voucher and she took it. Once the doors were open we went right in and got in the checkout line. Dawn’s son ran and grabbed the 1 gig memory cards that were on sale for $2.99 while Dawn and I got the computers we were after. It took an hour to get check out but it is so worth it. I am sitting on my bed right now with my new $299 laptop. I got the FREE wireless router connected and now I don’t have to fight my daughter for computer time. The laptop also came with a bag, some internet software and a printer all for free. And because I spent $250+ I also got a free digital camera. After Circuit City we hit Target and Kohl’s for some more great deals. I LOVE shopping the day after Thanksgiving; it is crazy but so much fun.
Like I said Friday was my rest day so that made Saturday my LAST long run day. We were at my mother-in-laws. I got up at about 8:00 and headed out. It is fairly hilly by her house and the goal for the run was 8-10 miles at marathon pace. I didn’t know if I could do 9:00 miles on those hills but I sure was going to give it a shot. Since I don’t know my way around out there I just did an out and back. I ran 5.08 miles out (the extra 0.08 was in case Garmin decided my run back was shorter then the run out) then turned around and headed back.

The hills were tough but I was feeling strong and holding pace. Final time: 1:29:01, 8:54 pace. Splits look like this: 8:41, 8:56, 8:56, 8:47, 8:47, 8:53, 9:09, 9:03, 9:02, and 8:50. I have less then a week now until my marathon. Ekkk! But I have had several good runs here at the end so I am feeling ready.

Happy Thanksgiving

Hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving. I have so much to be thankful for my family, friends, and health topping the list. I could go on and on but this is a training blog so I will get on with that…

I got up to run at 8:00 this morning. It is beautiful out, sunny and about 40. Today’s schedule called for a tempo run, 2 easy, 3 at ST, and 1 easy. I ran my normal 6 mile route and felt great. The two easy I ran in 9:43 and 9:25. I picked up the pace and ran the 3 tempo miles in 8:18, 8:17, 8:07. Then I slowed it back down and headed home for the final mile, which took 9:49.

Off to shower.

More Toning and Riding to Nowhere

This morning it was right back to the Rec Center for Cindy’s 5:30am toning class. After class I went upstairs and rode the stationary bike for 30 minutes, 7.8 miles. I don’t know if stationary miles are equal to road miles but I do know I was soaking wet when I was done.
Now I gotta get busy with the work I brought home.

Slow Swim-Slow Run

Yesterday I went to the pool and had another slow swim, 1750 yards in 38:12. That pace just isn’t going to fly for tri season.
Today I did my speed work out at 5:00am. Man was it cold!! My cold gear tights were still dirty so I just wore a pair of regular tights. By the time I was done my rear end was frozen.
Anyway the plan was 10-20 min warm up, 5 x 1K (400m RI), 10 minute cool down. Guess there is no taper on speed day. Here’s how it went:
Warm up 1.86 miles in 18:83, 10:10 pace
400 RI 4:53
1K 5:00
400 RI 4:50
1K 5:02
400 RI 5:02
1K 5:01
400 RI 4:47
1K 5:09
400 RI 4:47
1K 5:10
400 RI 4:03
Cool Down 1.06 miles in 11:26, 10:48 pace
Average heart rate 136
I am not overly pleased with the numbers. I had hoped that since it was Tuesday speed would be easier but I guess 5am is 5am. The cold did nothing to make the run easier. My face and rear were both so cold they hurt.
After work I picked the kids up from ESP only to find out there is no ESP tomorrow. WTF, tomorrow is NOT a holiday. What are working people suppose to do?? I called my boss and asked if I could come back to work and pick up something to do at home. What my job lacks in pay it has in flexibility. So tomorrow I get to work at home.
Tonight I went to the 6:00pm toning class and the 7:00 flexibility class. Cindy was feeling tight from her weight lifting competition that she kicked serious butt at, so she really made us work tonight. Both classes were great.

Just Running

Today was the first time since mid-August that I just set out on a run. No schedule telling me a pace, no schedule telling me a distance. I just ran to run. It was cold and it took me the first two miles to get in a groove and stop thinking about quitting. I ran 6 miles in 57:04.

Where's the Love???

Today was sunny and about 60 so I set out for a bike ride at about 2:30. The goal was to ride 20 miles in 1:15 or less. I haven’t spent much time in the saddle lately and the rides I have done have been longer, slower rides. I needed a faster ride.
I tried to focus on cadence but I was struggling. I just couldn’t seem to get my speed up and keep it up. I felt like I was riding into the wind but I looked around and it didn’t look windy. I was miserable. Why do I ride? I am not enjoying this. I am cold. The wind hurts my ears. I hate those stupid dogs that insist on chasing me. Why do people want to run me over? And lots more negative thoughts. I made a few turns and then all of a sudden I discovered I had been riding into a strong wind and now it was at my back. I was keeping a great pace, the wind hurt a lot less. This wasn’t so bad after all.
A few more turns and I was riding into the wind again. I decided I am asking for a trainer for Christmas. I can’t do this all winter. Call me a wimp but I hate riding in the cold. I had to finish the ride into the wind and was so glad to be home. 20 miles in 1:15:12. Darn it, missed goal!!

Now, I need some help…I know nothing about trainers. What do I need? Any suggestions?

Non-training story. Yesterday I was trying to watch a movie in my room and the kids were watching TV in the den. A commercial came on for a hair beader that my 6 year old daughter has been trying to tell me about that she wants for Christmas. Since I had told them to leave me alone, she used the TiVo to pause live TV (I don’t even know how to do this), got my son to write down the web address, and then she went to the computer and went to the website for the hair beader. She came in and told me “I found that hair beader I was telling you about, it is on the computer”. I went out to the den and sure enough, there on the computer was the beader. Last night I told my husband the story. He didn’t know that we could pause the TV. He had her show him how to do it. If you have remote problems, ask the 6 year old!

Search Results

Imagine the disappointment the person who did a google search for “training for a sub 2:20 olympic distance triathlon” got when they hit my blog!!

Only 2 Weeks To Go

Yesterday was my scheduled rest day. I did make one huge mistake. I wore 3” heals for cheerleading practice yesterday. Granted these are kindergarten and first graders that I am coaching so they aren’t really doing anything too fancy but my legs were sore after an hour of jumping around in those boots.

Today’s long run was 13 miles at planned marathon pace.
I got the kids to school and started my run at 8:00. We have had two days of steady rain but today the sun was back out. It was about 40 degrees, a little cool but at least it was sunny.
I felt great the entire run. I still have some crap in my chest and would cough it up every now and then. But otherwise a great run. Here are the splits:
9:03, 8:57, 9:00, 9:03, 9:03, 8:45, 8:43, 8:53, 8:58, 9:00, 8:53, 8:54, and 8:48
That’s 13 miles in 1:55:58, 8:55 pace!!!

Good luck to everyone running this weekend. I know TriSaraTops is going for a half marathon PR, E-Speed is tackling a 50 mile run, Rae and Brent are running a VERY hilly marathon, and …I know I am forgetting people. But good luck, I am looking forward to all the reports.

Cold + Rain + Dark = Running Inside

Yesterday was a cross training day. I got up at 5:30 and went to the Rec Center for a swim. 1750 yards in 37:40. I have a lot of work to be done on my swimming after this marathon.
Then last night I went to Cindy’s toning class. She was a weight lifting competition this Friday so she could not lift. Therefore she just walked around yelling at us. It was a great class despite the fact she was trying to kill us. After toning I stayed for her flexibility class. I love this class and I really needed the stretch. I felt great when I was done.
When I left the Rec Center it was raining. I checked the forecast when I got home and it showed rain this morning. Yuck!! My plan called for 5 miles at MT. I haven’t run inside since Feb or March so I decided to suck it up and run the track at the Rec Center.
I got there right at 5 this morning and got started. I had calculated my target pace for a twelfth of a mile. I ran each of the 60 laps right around target and finished my 5 miles in 43:13, 8:38 pace.

Endless 800's

I spent the weekend trying to shake this cough and I never had time to squeeze in a workout. Two more days of rest. I did do a better job of eating right so the weekend wasn’t a total wash.
Last night I programmed my Garmin with my last 3 speed workouts!!! When I got up at 4:30 this morning it was COLD. I bundled up and headed out for my run. Since I had programmed 3 workouts I forgot how many 800’s were on the schedule today. No problem, my Garmin would tell me what to do.
I ran a 1.87 mile warm up in 18:34, 9:56 pace.
I took a 1:30 rest interval then started the 800’s.
As I was running I thought to myself, last week was 10 x 400, so I bet this week it is 5 x 800.
I did the first 5 in 4:08, 4:04, 4:15, 4:12, and 4:08. I walked the 1:30 rest intervals. After the fifth 800, I walked and prepared to run just in case I was supposed to do 6. Sure enough, Garmin said run another 800. So off I ran. 3:58. Again, I walked the rest interval and was told by garmin to run another 800. Maybe I miss counted. Ran that one in 4:04. Walked again and then was told to run ANOTHER 800. 4:10. I prayed this was the last one. My legs felt like lead and I didn’t even know if I could make it through a cool down. Finally, after the rest interval, Garmin said cool down time. I ran 1.05 miles in 10:55, 10:23 pace.
When I got home I checked the schedule and sure enough there it was in black and white 8 x 800 (1:30 RI). And I thought it was taper time.

A New Running Partner

Last night my husband asked me how far I was going to run this morning and when I told him 20 miles he just looked at me and asked “And when was the last time you ran?” I said Saturday. He just gave me a knowing look. I could tell he expected me to fail.
The girl at work suggested yesterday that I try MucinexD for my cough. Turns out Teacherwoman also suggested it but I just got that comment. Anyway, I stopped by the drug store and picked up a box and took 2 tablets. The stuff really does work but I don’t recommend taking it before attempting a 20 mile run.
I went out at 8:30 to get started on my run only to discover that the battery in my Garmin was low. Luckily I bought my husband a Garmin for his birthday and I had noticed that it was plugged in and fully charged. I grabbed his Garmin and headed back out.
It was a beautiful day, sunny and mid 60’s. I was feeling great. Today’s goal was planned marathon pace plus 30 seconds. So based on my 4 hour goal that makes my target pace 9:39. Since I ran with Ronnie’s Garmin, I don’t have mile splits; he doesn’t have his programmed to lap on mile like I do.
After 4 miles, the battery died in my MPS player. Great no music for 16 more miles. Then at about 4.5 miles I noticed I had a new running partner. A little beagle had joined me. I tried to get him to go home but he just kept running right along with me. I figured he would run a little ways down the road then run out of stream but this little guy stayed with me for the next 11 miles. We had made it back around to the general area where I had picked him up and he dropped off there. He kept me very entertained and detracted. I had to keep him from getting run over several times; he wasn’t the smartest dog I have ever met.
Just about the time I lost my running partner I also started suffering from taking an antihistamine right before running. I swear I could feel my tongue swelling. I was very low on fluids and knew I needed some water. At 18 miles I was passing my house. I toyed with the idea of calling it quits. I knew that all my blogger friends would support me. After all, I had been sick all week. But I knew this was it, my last 20 miler for this training program. Only 3 weeks until my marathon, taper is coming. I HAD to finish. I grabbed a water out of the fridge in the garage and drank all 10 ounces while walking down my driveway. Then I shuffled out the last 2 miles.
Those last 4 miles were HELL and really killed my overall pace (the water stop sure didn’t help the pace either), but I still managed to squeak in just under target. 20 miles in 3:12:18, 9:37 pace.

A Hard Choice

Last night I was still coughing pretty bad and when I was getting out my running clothes my husband said, “You aren’t seriously going to run in the morning are you???”
I had decided I would see how the night went. My coughing is always worse at night.
The forecast was for rain in the morning so I knew I would be running inside. Didn’t think running outside, sick, in the rain, at 5am was a good idea.
I coughed all night so when the alarm went off at 4:30 I just reset it for 6:00 and went back to sleep.
Turns out just getting ready for work exhausted me, so I don’t think my run would have gone well at all.
I guess I will just rest again today and tomorrow and do my 20 miler on Friday. I hate missing this many runs and the guilt is killing me.

Help - Advice Needed!!!!

I am thinking I am going to be ok to run tomorrow. So now I need to know which workout is more important speed or tempo. This week called for:

10x400 (400 RI) with warm up and cool down
8 miles at marathon pace
20 miles at marathon pace + 20 seconds

I can’t get all 3 in so which are more important to reaching my 4 hour marathon goal???
I am planning the 20 miler for Friday but which one should I do tomorrow?

Ugggg...Sick

Well, I thought if I just ignored it, it would go away. Not so.
Yesterday I attempted a bike ride. It was a beautiful day, perfect for a great ride. I was miserable. The wind blowing in my ears was painful and I could not breathe. I was reminded of those days when I first got my bike and HATED it. I couldn’t wait to be done.
When I finally did get home I went steady down hill.
I went to bed early and did not bother to set my alarm for speed work this morning.
This morning I was still feeling bad so I called in sick to work.
I have spent the morning on the couch and am going to go take a nap now.
Hope this thing clears up soon. I have my last 20 miler scheduled for Friday.

Goodlettsville Half Marathon Race Report

Two nights of coughing made it really hard to get up this morning when the alarm went off 4:30. Thankfully I had to pick Lana up, otherwise I fear I would have rolled over and tried to go back to sleep.
We had a hard time finding the place but we finally made it there. We rushed to get signed up and collect our shirts and stuff. Last year we got really nice long sleeve tech shirts and lots of stuff in our bag. This year a short sleeve tech shirt and an empty bag. Disappointing!!!
We headed to the start line and jumped in the crowd in what looked to be about the middle. A few brief words and we were off.
I stayed with Lana for about a mile. I just couldn’t hold her pace today. I did have her in sight ahead of me for most of the race but there was no catching her.
My goal today was to break 2 hours. Last years time was 1:59 and change.
I was doing a fairly good job of holding a 9:00 pace but was getting passed by tons of people. I would be sure that I was in last place then there would be someone else coming by me. I tried not to let it effect me but it is hard having that many people blow by you.
We got to the first major hill at about 3.5 miles. I got to the top and thought “that wasn’t as bad as I remember”. The second major hill came at about 8 miles. I was thinking maybe this course isn’t as bad as I remember; maybe I am in better shape. Ha. Hill number two was TOUGH. I continued running, if you call the slow shuffle I was doing running, just praying for the top. I made it and knew I had some time to recover before the last big climb.
Then I had to stop and tie my shoe. Next time I will double knot them.
I got to the last major hill and made it up just fine. The finish line was getting close.
I saw Lana and she cheered me on. The guy just ahead of me looks back and says “Oh no you don’t” and he kicked it in. I really tried to catch him but I just couldn’t.
I got my medal and Lana and I headed over to see what kind of food they had.
Another disappointment. They had chili and some hard bread sticks.
We both needed to get home so we left right away. I was glad I had brought my cough drops and had 3 of them on the way home.
Here are my splits
8:38, 8:44, 8:59, 9:10 (hill #1), 8:50, 8:59, 8:59, 9:28 (hill #2), 9:07, 9:03, 8:50, 8:52, 9:10 (hill #3), and 1:28.
Offical time 1:58:18 8th in age group and 127 overall (I wasn't last)

Getting Ready for Goodlettsville

Yesterday was my scheduled rest day and even though I was not doing my long run today I went ahead and rested. The main reason for resting was that I was just too lazy to get out of bed any early then I had to yesterday.
So this morning I got up at 5:30 and went to the pool. I swam 1750 yard in 37ish minutes. I felt fine while swimming but seem to be in a rut. After the marathon in Dec, I am going to have to work on my swimming more.
Tomorrow is the Goodlettsville half. Lana, Tracy, and I ran it last year for their inaugural event. We made the website, so Lana and I felt it our duty to return this year. There are 3 hills that really kicked my butt last year; I hope I am better prepared this year.

10 Miles BEFORE Work

Today the plan called for 10 miles at planned marathon pace. In order to get 10 miles in before work, I had to get up at 4:20.
As I said before, I was very nervous about this run. I haven’t had much luck on very many of my interval or tempo runs using a program where pace is suppose to be very important. So, I REALLY wanted to prove to myself that I could hold marathon pace for 10 miles.
Phil’s advice yesterday was to start slow. So at 4:30am, I started my run nice and easy. I ran the first 3 miles in 9:19, 9:14, and 9:16. I was feeling good but starting to worry that I would NOT be able to make up those lost minutes and average my marathon pace. The next two miles I ran in 8:53 and 8:44. Now my average pace was closer to my goal pace, so I fell back to 9:10 for the next mile. I was still feeling good and ran the next three miles in 8:58, 9:10 and 8:59. The last mile was a final loop around my neighborhood. I tried to push myself but my pace was all over the place. I would run fast for a little bit only to find myself slowing down. I ended up with an 8:39 final mile. So that is a total of 10 miles in 1:30:23, average pace 9:03. I did it and with time to spare!!! Whew that is a load off. It still doesn’t mean that I can manage a 4 hour marathon but it is a step in the right direction.

Happy Halloween

This morning was the pumpkin painting contest at school.
I got the kids dropped off and took pictures of all the kids in their classroom with their pumpkins. I rushed home to meet Tracy for a quick ride. We did the Matt’s Hollow/Pomroy 20.95 mile loop. I am too lazy to go look at my computer for the time right now but I know we did not go fast. It was a beautiful morning but there was a fairly strong wind. There were times when the cross wind would gust so hard I was afraid of being blown over or into Tracy. The wind also made it hard to hear traffic behind us.
After the ride, I rushed to get cleaned up to meet my daughter at school for the 1st grade parent lunch.
Tonight is Trick-or-Treating. I LOVE trick-or-treating but I don’t need all that candy in the house to really test my will power!!

Tomorrow is 10 miles at planned marathon pace. I am really nervous. I hope I can pull it off. Saturday is the Goodlettsville half marathon and I am substituting it for my 15 mile run this week. Then I will be just 4 weeks from marathon day!! Yikes it is getting close!

Weekend Off & Monday Speed (or lack of)

Saturday was the final soccer game and football game. Yippee!!!!!!

As soon as the football game ended, we piled into the van and headed to Chattanooga.

We went to the Aquarium. First we did the Ocean Adventure then the River Adventure.
After we looked at all the fish, we checked into the Chattanooga Choo Choo. All the train car rooms were booked so we had to settle for a standard room. Once we unloaded the van, we had a wonderful dinner at Sticky Fingers, watched the UT game, and hit the hay.

Sunday morning we got up and went to Crackle Barrel for breakfast then to Rock City
and the Corn Maze. We had great weather and even though I can’t count it as cross training, we did spend most of the day walking. The corn maze took us almost 2 hours!!!



So after two days off, I got up this morning at 4:45 for my speed work. The plan called for 10-20 minute warm up, 3 x 1600 (400 m RI), 10 minute cool-down. Again, I just did it around my neighborhood.
Warm up 1.87 miles in 19:26 (10:25 pace)
1600 8:21
400 RI 5:26
1600 8:08
400 RI 5:18
1600 8:14
400 RI 4:25
Cool down 1.17 miles in 12:23 (10:35 pace)

Does it Always Rain This Much in October?

This morning I woke up to rain. I took the kids to school and found out not only was it raining it was also windy. I weighed my options:
1. run in the rain
2. run on the 1/12 mile track inside at the Rec Center, that’s 240 laps
3. run on the treadmill at the Rec Center
4. some combination of 2 and 3
5. sit on the couch and eat bon-bons
I got on my-cast.com 52 degrees, 10 mph winds, heavy rains with no end in sight. Option 5 was looking good! But I changed into shorts and decided this run would be done indoors. I looked out the window one more time and the rain had slowed to a drizzle. I changed back into my tights and headed outside. I really HATE running inside.
The first 3 miles continued to be a slow drizzle, then it picked up to a steady rain. The rain wasn’t so bad; it was the wind that made the run miserable. I did my 6 mile loop 3 times then the 2 mile loop of my neighborhood.
The first 6 miles went ok
9:30, 9:30, 9:40, 9:42, 9:25, and 9:25
I grabbed a Hammer Gel from my mailbox as I ran past. The next 6 went great
9:24, 9:16, 9:26, 9:19, 9:32, and 9:28
I grabbed another Hammer Gel and continued. By this point my shoes and socks were soaked and starting to hurt my feet. My clothes felt like they weighed 10 pounds. The wind was picking up even more and almost blew my cap off my head several times. The next 6 miles didn’t go so good even though I kept telling myself that it was the last loop.
9:44, 9:44, 9:44, 10:04, 10:15 and 10:12.
I stopped at my mail box to refill one of my Gatorade bottles. Then I was off on my last loop of my neighborhood. The bottom fell out and the wind blew even harder. I tucked my head and just pushed forward. I knew I was going slowly but the wind just wouldn’t cut me any slack. The last two miles, including the refueling stop, were done in 11:01 and 11:05.
I took and ice bath and hot shower. Then I got dressed and went to the school for the kids Halloween parties and parade.
The target for today’s run was marathon pace + (30-45 seconds). My average pace was 9:46. I should be happy but for some reason I am letting those last 8 miles really get to me, especially the last two.

Lucky Star

I got up this morning at 4:45 ready to run. I ate some blue sports beans (yummy), got dressed (in lots of layers), and headed out into the cold (34 degrees). I had promised myself, after taking yesterday off, that I was going to hit goal today.
With all the switching around, my plan for today was 6 miles (1 easy and 5 at MT). During the first mile I saw a shooting star and made a wish. “I wish that I could hit target pace today.”
I ran the easy mile in 9:52
Time to pick it up. The tempo miles looked like this:
8:35, 8:21, 8:25, 8:13, and 8:02.
Hooray for me, I FINALLY hit pace!!
I had to push myself really hard and kept saying “don’t leave anything in the tank” over and over in my head so that I won’t slow down just for the sake of going slower. I felt great the whole run and it really makes me feel better to have hit target. I needed the boost to my confidence.
After the run, I got cleaned up and took the kids to school. I went with my daughter’s class on a field trip to the pumpkin patch.I was assigned my kids plus another little girl. She was wild! I lost her 3 times while she was in the hay maze. We did have a great time but I am exhausted.
Last night was the last soccer practice, tonight is the last football practice, and Saturday is the last games!!! Then I get a small break before basketball cheerleading starts up.

Slacker

This morning when the alarm went off, I just could NOT get out of bed. I reset the clock for 6:20 and went back to sleep. So much for hard core.
I am hoping with this extra rest day that I will be able to hit target on tomorrow’s tempo run. I really need the confidence boost.
I am switching things around AGAIN this week. The schedule has a 10 mile at marathon pace for tomorrow, a 15 miler for Friday, and a 20 miler next week. But the Goodlettsville half marathon is next week so I am going to do next weeks 6 mile tempo tomorrow and the 20 miles on Friday, then next week I will do the scheduled speed work, the 10 miler and the half marathon as my 3 key runs.
Man, this marathon is getting close!!!!

Just the Facts

This is going to be short and to the point. I still have 1000 things to do before I can go to bed.
Yesterday I rested/recovered after the century ride Saturday.
This morning I got up at 4:45 for speed work. It was a COLD 34 degrees.
The plan called for 3 x (2x1200) (2 min RI) (4 min RI between sets)
Being lazy again, I just programmed my Garmin and ran in the neighborhood instead of driving over to the track.
Numbers look like this
Warm up 1.86 miles in 19:21
Set 1 5:58 and 6:09
Set 2 6:22 and 6:18
Set 3 6:16 and 6:28
Cool down 1.05 miles in 11:35
Nothing impressive or even at target but I am getting use to that feeling now.

Franklin County Fall Finale 100

I picked Kim up at 6:00 and we drove to Winchester. It was 32 degrees and frost was covering everything. The forecast was still calling for 68 by noon. So how do you dress????
We got signed up and Woody, the bike shop owner, told us we could drop clothes at the rest stops. That was all it took for me, I piled it on.
We started the ride a little after 7:00. It didn’t take long for me and Kim, the only females riding the 100, to fall to the back. Joe had decided to ride the 100 vs. the 62 because I told him he could ride with us and we were taking it slow. He stayed with us and so did his friend Rick.
It was cold and foggy. But after a few good hills I was getting warm.
The first rest stop was at about 12 miles and I was ready to shed clothes. I took off my fleece shirt, headband, and gator. They informed us we were the last of the 12 100 mile riders.
The first MAJOR hill came at about 25 miles and I pushed. The next rest stop was at the top. I ate two of the best brownies and drank some Gatorade. On we went.
We continued to ride the hills. I surprised myself and gutted it up the next major one. Joe was at the top cheering me on. He then told me I couldn’t push anymore hills because that was by far the worse and if I could make it up that one then I should be able to make it up the rest. I laughed and said “watch me”.
Turns out Joe was wrong!! There were still may more hills in store for us.
The next rest stop was in Lynchburg. The 62 mile rider caught up with us at this rest stop.
Kim wasn’t sure if her legs could hold out for the 100 and was thinking about taking the 62 mile split but when the time came she took the left turn with us.
I gutted out the next hill and had Jell-O legs at the top and was sucking major wind. I was rewarded with another steep hill not far down the rode. I pushed again.
At 85 miles we get to a sign that says “damn overlook” with an arrow pointing the same direction as our route arrow. I looked at Kim and say “sounds like another climb to me” And it was. I made it without pushing but just barely. At the top was the rest stop. We got there just in time. They were packing it up. They had called Woody to say that we hadn’t made it there yet and he told them to just leave some water bottles in a pile of ice along the side of the rode and go ahead home.
The guys at the rest stop told us we had a major downhill followed by a steep up hill then we were mostly flat until the finish. Just 15 miles to go, we can handle it.
The downhill was steep and so was the uphill. Again I made it without pushing. I was home free now.
The last 5 miles took FOREVER. But I was riding for beer now.
We finished!!!!
We loaded up and drove to the square for our “free lunch”. The bike shop was closed and our clothes that we had shed along the way were in a tub outside. We got our stuff and walked next door to the café that was having the lunch only to find out they were CLOSED. WTF. I would have done the 100 today no matter what but I think they should have told us that there would only be support for x amount of time and that the café sponsoring the lunch was closing at x:xx. Not to mention the emergency number they put on our arm bands was for the bike shop that closed at 1:00.
The ride was beautiful and challenging as promised. They did a great job marking it. I have now gone long. Another item checked off my list for 2006

Hard Core?

The alarm went off at 4:45 this morning and I hit snooze. I hate snooze and rarely use it but I was just so darn tired this morning I just couldn’t get up yet. I finally got up, got dressed and noticed that we lacked water pressure while brushing my teeth. I got outside to discover it was cold and misty. Ugg, should I run or go back to bed. Run!! When I did become so hardcore? I went back inside and changed from shorts and my new shoes into my cool gear pants and older shoes. Back outside I started my run. Tempo run was on tap for today. The plan called for 1 mile warm up, 4 miles at MT, and 1 mile cool down. I told myself before I started that the faster I ran the sooner I could get out of this cool, wet weather. As I ran I noticed that some of the ditches were really full and flowing pretty fast. Hmm low water pressure and water flowing in the ditches…must be a busted water main nearby. I finished the 1 mile warm up in 9:37. I picked up the pace and thought about Phil’s comment about my pace being faster while the dog was chasing me Wednesday so I headed over to Amberwood. It was starting to be more of a sprinkle then a mist. None of the dogs were out so it was just up to me and my desire to get out of the rain to hold my pace. My 4 tempo miles were done in 8:34, 8:44, 8:44 and 8:23. Then the cool down 1.21 miles in 12:42. I went the extra .21 because that is how far I was from home and didn’t feel like walking in the rain.
I got home and got to enjoy a hot shower in a small trickle of water.
When I got to the school, I was told that they had no water and therefore school was closed. Great. I called work and told them I was coming by to see if there was anything I could do at home. By the time I got there my boss had rounded me up some stuff to take home.
The forecast for tomorrow is still looking good and I just hope these weathermen know what they are talking about. I have no desire to ride 102.4 miles in this weather.
Well, better get started on that work I brought home.

Back in the Pool

Thanks for all the comments about my son. He seems to have fully recovered and returned to school today. Now lets just hope the rest of the family can avoid catching it.

I had shifted my work schedule around this week for the long run yesterday and a field trip with my daughter’s class today. I have such a great flexible job. But due to the rain forecasted for today, the field trip to the pumpkin patch was rescheduled for next week. Therefore, I decided to go ahead and work today, but not until a got a swim in. I dropped the kids off at school then went to the Rec Center. It has been a while since I have been in the pool, so long in fact, that I forgot to take my earrings out. About 2 years ago I lost both my diamond earrings in the Rec Center pool. I was able to find one but could not find the other. A life guard offered to look for it on his break. Much to my surprise he was able to find it. I have not swam in my earrings since. But today after swimming 9 lengths I realized that I had forgotten. When I reached the wall at 10 lengths, I jumped out to remove them. I got back in to finish. I swam 1750 yards in 37:52.
Tonight’s soccer practice was cancelled, I think due to loss of hope. The last cheerleading practice was at the Rec Center tonight. So Tracy and I lifted some upper body weights while they practiced. We didn’t work too hard, it was as much killing time as it was workout but maybe we burned a calorie or two.

A New Level of Insanity

Today is my husband’s birthday. He hardly ever reads my blog but thought I would give him the shout out anyway. Happy Birthday, Ronnie!!!

Kim has decided to do the Franklin County Fall Finale 100 on Saturday so now I don’t have to ride alone. She did ask if it was safe to ride with me. :)

Yesterday I planned on doing some light weights or yoga but that got canceled when I got a call from the school a little before 10 telling me that my son had throw up twice, was white as a sheet, and asking for me. I quickly finished up the storm sewer calculation my boss needed for a submittal and headed to the school. I found my son curled up in a chair in the office with paper towels on his head and a trash can at his side. He had the shakes and was not looking good. I got him home and he watched TV and slept the rest of the day. At about 5:00 he told me he was hungry and wanted a peanut butter sandwich. I had been trying to get him to take some Advil so I hid it in the sandwich. I think he got one down but I got caught on the second and then he threw up two more times. I put him to bed at 7 and told Ronnie that I would be getting up at 3:30 to get my 20 mile run in before he had to go to work. After getting my daughter cleaned up and to bed, I got in bed to read. Ronnie left at 8:45 for poker and Bryce woke up again covered in sweat. I got him settled back down and asleep then tried to go to bed myself. Bryce woke up one more time after that. I heard Ronnie come in at 12:15, but I dropped right back to sleep. The alarm went off at 3:30 and I dreamed I got up. I got dresses then started picking up around the house. The alarm went off again and this time I really got up. I started running at exactly 4:00 am!!! It wasn’t raining just misty, cloudy, and dark. I ended up pretty wet by the end of the run but not soaked.
I knew that with the lack of sleep I was just logging miles and was not trying to hit the goal pace. Since it was so dark I ended up just doing loop after loop of my neighborhood and Amberwood. I did more loops of my neighborhood because there was this little poodle looking dog out in Amberwood that barked at me when I passed the first time. The second time he started barking as soon as I entered the subdivision, 0.2 miles from his house. Then he ran next to me for a tenth of a mile. He continued to bark after me for another tenth. That is about 4 minutes of barking at 4:20 in the morning, bet the neighbors just LOVE that little guy!
By 6:20 it was getting lighter out so I ventured down the road to Creekside. I ran 3 loops in there, then back to Amberwood, and finally 2 more loops of my subdivision.
I got home in time to pack a lunch for my daughter, comb her hair, and drop her off at school. I picked up Bryce’s school work and hurried home so Ronnie could get to work.
According to my Garmin I burned 3111 calories this morning. But even better news is that I lost 7 pounds. That is a lot of water weight!!! Too bad it won’t stay off.
I took my ice bath and hot shower, ate a banana, and am looking forward to a day of lounging around with my son. Who, by the way, could not understand why he was not going to school today.

Like I said I was just logging miles today but here are the numbers anyway.
20 miles at 4:00 am in 3:28:10, 10:25 pace.
Average heart rate 155, max heart rate 167
9:45, 9:47, 9:58, 10:03, 10:07, 9:55, 10:08, 10:00, 9:43, 10:09, 10:26, 10:19, 10:29, 10:35, 10:33, 11:05, 11:11, 11:23, 11:11, 11:24

Am I a Bear???

I have been acting like a bear getting ready to go into hibernation. I have been eating non-stop, even when I am not hungry, and packing on the pounds. And I am so tired, I just want to crawl into bed and sleep until it is spring.

But alas I don’t get to sleep the winter away, heck I don’t even get to sleep all night. This morning my lovely daughter woke me up at 4:00 to get her a drink of water. Of course then I had to pee while I was up. I finally got back in bed and tried to force myself asleep but couldn’t. The alarm went off at 4:45 and it was time for speed work.

The schedule had longer distance with walking rest intervals, so I had just programmed my Garmin with the workout.

I checked the temperature before heading out the door (51) and knew I had on too many clothes. I ended up shedding the fleece vest after the warm up.

warm up- 1.87 miles in 21:25
1 mile in 8:30
400m rest interval for 4:45
2 miles in 18:46
800m rest interval 9:15
800m in 4:20
400m rest interval 4:25
800m 4:02
400m rest interval 4:36
cool down of 1.09 miles in 13:04
So a grand total of 8.21 miles in 1:33:12, that’s an 11:21 pace.

I had a really hard time pushing myself this morning especially on the longer distances. I would totally get distracted and fall back to a slow pace. The weather was crappy too. It spit rain on me a few times and the wind was blowing pretty hard. It has turned out to be a crappy day. The positive from that is football practice was canceled. So while Casey was at gymnastics, Bryce and I went to Wal-mart. We got some food and I actually cooked tonight. I think this was our first meal at home in 2 months. Which leads back to my first point, I have been eating junk and a lot of it. My workouts are suffering and it is time to make a change. Garbage in, garbage out.

A Visit from Old Man Winter

Yesterday, the schedule called for cross training or rest. Since I have such a crazy week coming up and Ronnie was gone to an all day golf tournament, I went with the rest. The kids had an 11:30 soccer game that was another slaughter. After the game we went to MOAB so that I could get new bike shoes. My new shoes are TWO sizes bigger then my old ones. Granted they are a different brand but still two sizes!!! When we got home I sat out in the driveway and put my new cleats on my new shoes. My son come outside and declared himself “Old Man Winter”.


So I was not surprised this morning when I got up at 6:30 to find the ground covered with frost again. A quick check on weather.com informed me that it was 32 degrees. I decided to add a fleece shirt to my layering for my ride. I got dressed and headed out on my bike in my new helmet and shoes.


I rode to Amy’s house and because I wasn’t sure how long it would take me I was about ten minutes early. Amy came out in shorts and I gave her a once over and said “It is COLD, you are going to want pants”. She didn’t have any and said she is very hot natured anyway. I just nodded a whatever you say nod and off we went. Amy had a great route that was beautiful. I wished several times that I had brought along my camera. My favorite sight was the fog coming off the lake with a boat trolling across the smooth water. I don’t know who the crazy fools were that were out in a boat in that weather but I couldn’t say much as I rode by on my bike.

I did end up getting hot but did not regret putting on that extra layer, it sure helped in the shady parts and early on.

I rode a total of 35 miles in 2:42:41. Amy is still struggling with the fear of downhill but I can’t believe how good she is doing in the short time she has had her bike. I told her today that I won’t be surprised if she is ready to take on Music City Tri with me next year.

I LOVE my new shoes, my feet didn’t fall asleep. Amazing what happens when you get shoes that fit!! My new helmet is also very cool, but since it is the same helmet I had only a different color there isn’t much to say about it.

As more “crossing training”, I pushed mowed the fenced in part of the yard. I hope that it is for the LAST time this year. I then rode the riding lawn mower for the rest of the yard, guess there is no cross training there, just a lot of time. Next I shoveled 9 or 10 wheel barrel loads of gravel from the pile that has been sitting in the yard since they put the pool in last Oct. I hauled it to the ditch and dumped it. I didn’t make a very big dent in the pile but my back was killing me so I quit.

I am rearranging things this week. Monday will be the normal speed work day, Tuesday rest maybe yoga, Wednesday 20 miles solo, Thursday swim, Friday Tempo, and Saturday my first ever century ride. I will be going on my ride solo too and am a little nervous about it. Hope I can finish.

33 Degrees??? It’s October!

This morning, after discovering that it was 33 degrees out, I decided on my cold gear pants, bra, tank, and long sleeve shirt. I took the kids to school and was COLD. I came home and had to fight the urge to add more clothes. I did allow myself to add gloves. I got my fuel belt and MP3 player and headed out at 8:15.

Lucky for me the sun was out and it didn’t take long for me to warm up. By a mile and a half I was already shedding the gloves. Great now I get to carry them for sixteen and a half miles!!

At two and a half miles I got greeted by a chocolate lab puppy. He jumped up on my left calf and I spent the next 50 yards stopping to yell at home trying to get him to go home. I know from experience that it is not fun for runner or dog to get tripped.

At 6 miles I ate a hammer gel. I was starting to get tired.

At 10 miles I figured if I ran Danbury, then I would hit just perfect heading back across the highway and running those neighborhoods again.

12 miles I ate another gel and was really feeling the miles.

13.1 miles I was at 2:07 and knew this was 2 minutes FASTER then I ran my first half marathon two and a half years ago. Still 4.9 miles to go.

At 15.5 miles I realized I was going to have to do a third lap of Amberwood or 3 laps of my neighborhood. I didn’t trust myself being so close to home so I went through Amberwood again. I was dragging.

I finally made it to the home stretch. As I ran past my house I still had 0.2 miles to go. I ran as hard as I could to the stop sign, turned and headed home. Funny, it was 0.12 miles to the stop sign but only 0.7 on the way back so I had to run up my driveway too. Finally 18 miles!!

I stopped the Garmin and could hardly get one foot in front of the other. Total time 2:57:27. That is a 9:52 pace. Goal pace was PMP + 30 seconds. In order to get a 4 hour marathon I have to run a 9:10 pace. So that makes today another missed pace!! Comment: I was actually shooting for a 9:40 pace PMP + 30 seconds.

I took and ice bath, ate a grilled cheese sandwich, and took a power nap before having to claim the kids at school.

Here are the splits:
9:20, 9:30, 9:33, 9:43, 9:46, 9:37, 9:53, 9:42, 9:38, 9:42, 9:40, 10:04, 10:07, 10:01, 10:16, 10:11, 10:30, 10:16
Avg HR: 158 Max HR: 168

Joseph: Want to make a road trip? How about the first weekend in Dec. I hear Memphis is the place to be. I might stand a chance of that 4 hour marathon if I could get you to slow down and pull me to the finish line!

marathon maritza: I am running the Memphis St. Jude Marathon Dec 2nd. Day before yours. It’s getting close!!!

Another Bad Tempo Run

I am starting to think at a 4 hour marathon is just dreaming, at least for this December anyway.

This morning I woke up 7 minutes BEFORE my alarm went off because I had to pee. I refused to get out of bed and tried to force myself asleep for those last few precious minutes. The alarm went off at 4:45 and I drug my butt out of bed. Six and a half hours of sleep just isn’t enough for me.

I got dressed and headed outside for my tempo run. The plan called for 2 miles easy, 3 at ST and 1 easy. When I got outside it was raining. Ugg! I thought about going to the Rec Center but didn’t feel like driving, plus I had on long pants and long sleeves (which turned out to be too much even outside). It was actually barely sprinkling so I said heck with it and started the run.

I knew last night in toning class when she had us doing all those squats I was going to pay for it today. I noticed right off that my legs felt like lead. The two miles easy were done in 10:23 and 10:25, how is that for easy????

Then it was time to pick up the pace. My three tempo miles were done in 9:02, 9:07, and 9:15. The only thing tempo about that is that they were faster then the warm up. :)

The last easy mile was done in 11:08. By the end I was wondering how slow my legs could move before I would stop forward motion.

It was an ugly, painful run this morning but it is over. Tomorrow I rest then it is 18 miles on Friday. Looks like the 18 miler is going to be done solo, boo!

By the way, my crash wounds are healing up nicely, thanks for asking. I think I could even swim now, if only I had the time.

Cross Training

This morning Tracy had a hair appointment so I was riding solo. As I was airing up my tires, my phone rings. Tracy’s appointment was cancelled! Yea for me. I told Tracy I would meet her at the Rec Center in about 15 minutes and I hopped on my bike. We rode the Normandy loop and she dropped off as we passed her road. I continued on just like Sunday and ended up with 32 miles in 2:05:32.
Then this afternoon while Casey was at cheerleading practice, I went to toning class. Joyce taught and she was TOUGH. I am sure I will be cussing her in the morning when I am attempting my tempo run! Still no yoga this week, maybe next week.

Oh So Close

This morning the plan called for
10-20 minute warm up
2 x (6 x 400m) (1:30 RI)
(2:30 RI between sets)
10 minute cool down
Target pace on the 400s was 1:47

I went to Westwood track at 5:00 this morning. I had sent Lana a text message last night and I was really hoping she would show up. I knew by the time I finished my warm up that I was on my own and would just have to push myself.
Warm up 2 miles 19:25
First set
1:45, 1:43, 1:44, 1:46, 1:46, 1:44
Second set
1:48, 1:48, 1:45, 1:44, 1:48, 1:45
Cool down 1 mile 10:03
Funny how the first two 400 after the extra rest period were 2 of the 3 slowest. Go figure.

Perfect Day for a Long Ride

I never managed to get a workout in yesterday, so I will call it another “rest day”.

Today I rode the 4.75 miles from my house to the Rec Center to meet Tracy and Gary for a long ride. We started out on the Normandy loop. When we turned off the highway Tracy and I got startled by a very large snake crossing the road. We screamed like girls! Just as we got past the snake, Gary said “I have an idea for a different route”. His idea involved a 180 and passing the snake again. Lucky for us the snake had chosen to move so we didn’t see it again.
I am not really sure where we went but it was beautiful. There were lots of rolling hills and the weather was PERFECT. We stopped at a store somewhere along the way to buy more water and a candy bar. I had a payday. Both Gary and Tracy warned me we had a monster hill coming up and then we would get back to the normal loop with the big hill at Fire Lake. They were right, the hill was killer. At one point I was in the easiest gear on my bike and could go no faster the 5.5 mph. I sure was wishing for that third chain ring and was glad to make it to the top. We finally got back to where I knew where I was. Today’s max speed going down Fire Lake hill was 42 mph. Weeeeeeeeeeee!!! We looped back through town and Tracy and Gary split off to go home and I continued down the highway to Wayside to go home. All in all I rode 46 miles with a ride time of 3:00:12. I stopped my computer at the Rec Center while waiting for Gary and Tracy and at the store for fueling.

I think my bike shoes are too small. I need to find a conversion chart to figure out what size I should be wearing. My left foot fell asleep and really started hurting at the end of the ride.

I am still a little nervous riding beside people and put my brakes on going down some hills that I usually would not. But I am getting my confidence back quickly.

I hope Lana posts soon. She gave herself a great 30th birthday present. I am so happy for her!!

Cross Training

First off, I have to say Happy 30th Birthday to my good friend and training partner, Lana!!! Hope you have a wonderful day.

Since Ronnie is gone I could not ride this morning and the wound on my elbow is still too bad to swim so I got up and went to the 8:00 toning class this morning. Joyce was out and Josh said he wasn’t teaching for just me and the other girl that was there. I BEGGED. He finally gave in and did a great class.

Toning class is one hour of light weights/high reps. Goal is overall toning.

13 Miles IS a Long Run

First off, here are my heart rates for my 800s yesterday. 165, 166, 165,168, 167, and 168. I will try to get that hill workout in soon so that I can see just how bad I suck!

Now for today. Thursday is my scheduled rest day but Ronnie is going out of town for golf tomorrow and Saturday so it was long run this afternoon or never. Tracy had called me this afternoon and wanted to run with me for part of my run. She wanted to run during cheerleading practice and I wanted her to run the last 6 miles with me instead of the first 6. So I told her I would start a little before 5 and for her to call me as she was heading to the Rec Center so that I could head back that way. On my way home from work at 3:00 it was 87 degrees but looked like rain. By 4:30 it was sprinkling and the temps were falling. I headed to the Rec Center and on my run. Three and a half miles into my run it started to rain. I ran in the pouring rain for the next three and half miles. Tracy called. She was not running in the rain. I told her it was stopping, that I NEEDED her but she refused and told me I should be running inside. I headed to the Rec Center anyway. She was not outside so I kept going. I had run 7.5 miles by that point. It was no longer raining and I was cursing Tracy. I ran to Old Stone Fort Park and back. I still had 2 miles to go. They were the longest two miles. I ran the greenway and back through town. I even had to do “victory laps” in the parking lot just to get to 13. I will say that I did not take the easy way out tonight and I included a lot of hills in this run. But I did not hit target pace overall. How long can I use the “I had an accident” excuse???
The splits look like this:
9:25, 9:18, 9:26, 9:17, 9:15, 9:18, 9:17, 9:25, 9:40, 9:54, 9:36, 10:04, 10:14
Avg heart rate: 167
Bring on the rain!!!!

800s

Last night cheerleading practice was at the Rec Center instead of the park. So while Casey cheered I went to toning class. It was nice to get back.
This morning was 6x800s (1:30 RI). The track is still officially closed but since I have the inside connection (and the combination to the lock) I was able to get on the track. I started out with a nice slow 2 mile warm up in 19:44. My target pace for the 800s is 3:39. Ha, that was just dreaming. My actual times were 3:46, 3:51, 3:54, 3:54, 3:58, and 3:58. Then a 1 mile cool down in 9:29.

Note:
I forgot to mention, Ronnie is a LAIR!!!

Back in the Saddle

Whoo, am I glad that is over. The alarm went off at 6:00 and I looked out the window, from bed, and deemed it still too dark to ride so I hit snooze. When the alarm went off again, I knew I was just making excuses so I got up. I took my time getting dressed and almost just said heck with it. I finally made it out the door at 6:30. I will admit I was nervous getting back on my bike but I had to do it sometime. I decided that since it had only been 9 hours since my tempo run that I would just do the Matt’s Hollow route. I rode the 16.75 miles in 1:06:15. Nothing to brag about but I got back in the saddle and felt good.

Recovery Tempo

Fall break, Ronnie’s golf trip, and the bike crash are all playing havoc with my training schedule this week. I knew that I was NOT getting up at 5:00am this morning for 6x 800s. I thought I would see how I was feeling after work and hauling the kids to gymnastics and football. At 7:30 this evening I was still not up for 800s but FIRST allows you to do the three key workouts in any order. So I thought I would try the tempo run instead. On tap, 1 mile easy, 6 miles at LT (8:38), 1 mile easy.
Getting dressed proved to be as much of a challenge, if not more, then the actual run. I had gotten cold at football practice so I over dressed for the run. Long sleeves were defiantly overkill. David, do you have clothing chart ready yet?
I decided before I left the house that I was not going to beat myself up over the pace. For the first tenth of a mile I really questioned if I was ready for this run, but then I found my groove. Warm up mile 9:55. The 6 tempo miles were done in 8:37, 8:43, 8:49, 8:45, 9:03, and 8:52. The cool down was a slow and painful 10:50. I didn’t hit pace but it felt good to run.
When I got home, Ronnie redressed my shoulder and elbow. I get my eyebrows waxed every 8 weeks, but that is NOTHING compared to have wounds “debreeded”. It took a lot of fancy talking on Ronnie’s part to let him redress them. He assures me that the first time is the worst. We will see how truthful he is in a few days.

Road Rash

One of the benefits of putting your husband through Physical Therapy school is free wound care.
Ronnie has gotten both my elbow and shoulder cleaned up and redressed.
Lana came by and she has got a good case of road rash herself.

Delta 100k Ride

I was feeling so good last night after the long run that I decided to go ahead and do the Delta 100K ride this morning. Ronnie was willing to get the kids to soccer for pictures at 11:40 and I hoped to be done in time for their 12:30 game.
I got up at 6:45 this morning and checked the forecast. It was suppose to be 55 degrees at 8:00, sunny with little wind. In other words, a beautiful day.
I got to Delta Rehab at about 7:15 and signed up for the ride. I was debating on how much to wear and was watching Leslie bundle up. When Lana got there, we decided that I would be perfect in my short sleeve jersey and new cycling jacket that just arrived yesterday.
At 8:00 they made some announcements and let the long course riders head out. I knew the course was suppose to be hilly and it wasn’t long before we hit the first downhill followed by a climb. My legs were feeling great; that ice bath and nap were really paying off.
6.82 miles into the ride Lana and I crashed. I really am not positive what happened. We were riding along and then we were too close and we got tangled up. I was on the left side and was just trying to get away but her brake had gotten stuck on my handlebars. It was happening in slow motion and I knew we were going over but I didn’t know what to do about it. We skidded along the road and I felt my head bounce on the asphalt twice. The riders with us all stopped and they had to take the wheels off our bikes to get them apart. At that point I was really thinking I was just going to get up and finish the ride. When I tried to stand I got dizzy and things went dark. I laid in the road and they called the SAG wagon to come get me. I tried to get everyone else to go ahead and finish the ride but they all wanted to stay with me a make sure I was ok. Lana refused to even talk about finishing and rode back to Delta Rehab with me. Someone pointed out that I was going to need a new helmet. I was thinking, “No, you don’t REALLY have to buy a new helmet after a crash.” Then they pointed out to me that my helmet was in fact cracked. Oh well, I was wanting to get a new silver helmet and now I have an excuse. I got a small hole in the sleeve of my new jacket that I think I can patch with an iron on and the shorts of my bike skirt got a small hole. Me?? My elbow looks the worse and is cut pretty deep. My hip doesn’t look bad but it hurts the worse. I don’t even want to think of the bruise I will have in the next day or two. My shoulder, hand, and ankle also got roughed up. I really don’t feel that bad and am more disappointed that we didn’t get to finish the ride and everyone days got screwed up.
I talked to Lana and she is starting to feel the aftermath. I think her knee got pretty tore up. She also got holes in her new jacket and bike pants.
I am going to take my bike into the shop next week and just have it looked at and have the handlebars rewrapped, they got tore up in the crash.
I am thankful that both Lana and I were able to walk away from the crash without broken bones. I always have worn my helmet and KNOW that if I didn’t have it on today; I would NOT have walked away from that crash.
There is one last century ride this year on October 21st and now I am determined to do it. Ray and Tisha have offered to ride the Delta Ride route with me and Lana, and I hope to take them up on that too but I really want to do an official century RIDE!