I diss-heart hills!

Today was like a flash back to high school for this Adorable Wife. Today, I did two-a-days. For most of you, a usual occurrence maybe, but I am not a morning person and when I set an alarm it is usually for 7 so I can do my 10 min trainers! However, due to the fact that Stacie doesn't want to drown at our Tri this weekend (weird I know) she was fully reved up to hit the pool at a ridiculous 5:30 am and I was to be her swim buddy. So, swimsuit on and Clif bar devoured, I was ready and waiting for the ensuing humiliation at the pool by 5:15. I would love to say it went so much better than expected and I am feeling good about this weekend, but that would be a lie and well my pants aren't on fire. It went about like I thought; I had to share a lane with someone who knew what they were doing, I struggled, it was busy, and it took us almost 20 min to do all 400 meters. Yikes. Lets hope that cold open water sparks inspiration and spurs on some speed.  If you really want to see what we look like at 6 in the morning after an embarrassing swim you can check out Stacie's blog, I just don't have the guts (or the photo) to post the pic.

With my hip/butt/back really hurting post swim, I iced and adviled and awaited part two of Stacie and I's work out. While waiting a present showed up. My Bondi Bands! Wooohoo. Everybody's wearing them, and I want to be cool too. But more on them in a few. As I was choosing what fabulous outfit to wear into the blustery weather, Stacie texts me to say she is wimping out (ok not really, her husband had to work late, so she is rescheduling for tomorrow.) Guess who the next lucky contestant was to ride with me? Coach and the boys!  I had mapped out a 12 mile ride for Stace and I but had no idea what some of the roads were like. I just know that I hate doubling back and riding on the same roads, I much prefer loops.  So we suited up, and this time mine included said Bondi Band...

Hmm...too matchy, matchy? I do kind of look like a cancer patient/pirate.

and headed out. Almost 12 miles later, I was very glad to be done. Turns out the roads I hadn't been on were VERY hilly. My legs were already dead and I was already tired, so pushing the entire time did not go well. That's not to say I never pushed. I totally pushed my bike up the huge hill at the start to get to the highway, but I knew I would have to do that. And really I rode hard most of the time, I just took longer to recover other times. Best of all check out my top speed.

I didn't brake at all. I was in my hardest gear peddling and everything, and hoping I wasn't going to die.  Weird to say, but normally I like courses that are somewhat hilly cause I know I need the work and I don't want to look a fool in a race. Review wise my band seemed to work very well under my helmet. Kept sweat from my eyes, and made me look a little girlier (I think.) I will have to try running with one and see how it stays put but I am sure it will be fine. I ordered five of them and am feeling generous, hint hint.  Cough...giveaway...cough...coming up...cough. Stay glued.

I know it is blurry, but it is both of us, sweaty, yipee!

One Big Goal...Accomplished!

This rain soaked photo marks a historic day in my running career. On this day, in this outfit, through this weather, I ran 3.1 miles without walking...for...the...first...time! YAY! I should have been able to get here a LONG time ago, but injuries and illnesses have really been setting me back and I am just completing this goal. However, it still feels great! I don't know if it was the rain, the tri coming up, or the 17 hilly miles biked yesterday (k, probably not that one) but I really wanted to check this goal off my list and I was feeling it. Even when my hip started killing around the last mile and I had to slightly hobble run, I didn't stop. I had to complete it TONIGHT. Coach was a little pissed when he found out about my hip, but I immediately hopped in the comforts of an ice bath and stretched it out and will take it easy the rest of the week like a good patient. But I don't care about the pain right now, or his evil glares. This just feels too good. Now I know I can do it and THAT feels amazing. Anyways, from all the babies and miles I am a bit tuckered and Stacie will be here at 5:15 AM to whisk me away to lap heaven in hopes we can both do 400 meters in under 30min! Bet those lifeguards aren't ready for a show like this. I bid you adieu with a lovely, sweaty, precipitationy (yep made it up), yet elated photo of moi! Enjoy! Hope you all had a great Labor Day Weekend!

Notice the super cute headband courtesy of Laurie's great giveaway!

0 Miles in 3 days...but I have a Good Excuse!

Ellie Lynn

No, I didn't have a baby, but I have been helping my little sister have one for the last three nights. Two false alarms and one frantic 1:15 am call later and she finally came at 5:13 am on Saturday. So, no sleep for the me, apparently the world's best breathing coach. Yay, for Melia and her little girl. Totally worth it! 

Sorry, not trying to step on Coach's race report. It just took me until after noon to get up, so read his awesome recap below. I smell hardware...and a tight outfit! 

Bonney Lake Labor of Love Triathlon Race Report!

Hills Anyone?

My latest installment of triathlon racing has taught me many things: 1. Staying at someone else's house to save travel time the night before a race doesn't always work. 2. Babies will always take priority over a race. 3. Hills suck! 4. Triathlons are awesome.

1. Since I'm not a big fan of the morning in general, and the race started at 8 AM and I had to be there before 7 AM to get registered and set up transition, I decided I would stay at my brothers house so the drive would be 1 hour instead of 1 1/2 hours... Turns out I like to hang out with my brother, so we ended staying up until about midnight hanging out. Normally not such a bad thing, and the least of my problems the day before a race, but a contributor non-the-less. It also turns out that my other brother and his family had planned to spend the night at my brother's house also, so we were relegated to the couch/airbed.

2. For those of you who don't know, Adorable Wife's sister is great with child and is ready to pop at any moment. This is actually why I decided to stay at my brother's house. Adorable Wife's sister had started having contractions and decided it was time to head on over to the hospital and see if she could squeeze that kid out of her. So Tressa went with her to let her know when to breathe and I was left alone (the boys were spending the night at their grandparents house). So I figured I would stay at my brother's since I was lonely flying solo. Turns out the baby's timetable was slightly different from that of Tressa's sister, so she was sent home by the doctors. Tressa came to join me at my brother's house, making it just a little more crowded cosy.

Fast forward to 1:30 in the morning... Adorable wife receives a frantic phone call from a heavily breathing, obviously in labor, woman. I grabbed the phone, informed the woman she had the wrong number, and hung up. So I drove Adorable Wife to the hospital so she could be with her little sister while she was doing baby presses. Once again, I was lonely flying solo for my tri. I did get a call at 5:20 informing me that little Ellie had made it safely here and all was well. However Adorable Wife was still at the hospital taking excellent care of her baby sis, and I needed to leave.

3. On to the actual race... I got to Bonney Lake in plenty of time to pick up my packet, set up transition, and sit around for an hour before my race. It wasn't too bad because it gave me plenty of time to set up everything perfectly and stretch and all that good stuff. The race was set to go off at 8:45, right after the Olympic distance finished with their swim. The swim was just an out and back in Lake Tapps, so I figured it would be easy for me to not get lost on the swim... WRONG!

At first the swim felt really good, I was cruising along at a good clip, noticing that I was even passing a few people that had decided that 500 meters was a little farther than they thought. I was about 50-75 meters from the buoy (or so I thought) and I looked up to check my bearings. It turned out I was about 15 meters from the steam of the rest of the pack and was going into oncoming traffic. Right as I noticed this, one of the leaders just about swam right into me and we did like a full body glide across each other (a little unsettling). I spent the next minute or so trying not to die dodging the fast people while I made my way out of oncoming traffic and into the stream of slower people like me. I finally got to the buoy and tried to swim around it, but I guess the wind picked up when I got to it and it started moving away from me. I never thought it would be that difficult to swim around a buoy. After that debacle, the rest of the swim was fairly uneventful, and I did make it safely back to shore.

Swim time: 11:43 T1: 3:23

It must be because I am not the best swimmer in the world, but when I came out of the water, my head was spinning and I found it pretty difficult to make it over to transition and put on all my gear (hence the incredibly slow transition time). However I did make it, GU'ed up and headed out on my bike ride. I thought the bike went very well, I did feel a little tight from the swim, but nothing that kept me from being able to ride. I was able to make up some good ground on the bike. I don't know if it was because I did well on the bike or because I did so poorly on the swim, but I passed quite a few other racers on the fairly hilly course. Little did I know that the hills on the bike course were but an appetizer to the feast of hills that would be on the run course.

Bike Time: 39:09 T2: 1:08

I tried to stretch out my calves in T2 because I had problems with my calves cramping in my previous races. Apparently I did not stretch them well enough because as soon as I started my run it started to cramp. I stopped to stretch two times during the first 400 meters and was wondering if I was going to be able to finish the race. The cramp actually went away going up the first hill (go figure), and thankfully didn't really bother me for the rest of the race. I was left with the tired feeling in my legs from working hard on the bike. Then came the hills. I have never run on any course that had so many hills. It was just a roller coaster of hill after hill. And they were not gradual hill either. (A testament to the brutality of the hills- there was only one sub 20 min time (19:39) in the whole race). These suckers were steep, up and down. It took everything I had to keep from walking. I was able to find a buddy about halfway through the race and me and my 49 year old buddy were able to push each other over the last mile and a half. We picked out another 40 something that was about 50 meters ahead of us and made it a goal to catch him before the end. This was good because it helped us push the pace a little more. I did end up catching him, but he passed me back on the last 20 feet of the race to finish a second ahead of me. Overall, I was happy that I was able to finish the run and didn't die.

Run Time: 24.40 Overall Time: 1:20:04

4. The best part of the whole thing is that I actually placed in my AG! I got a shiny 3rd place medal. I was beside myself with glee. I think the other placers were laughing at me in their heads. I don't care, I placed! I can't wait to do my next Tri.

Me posing with my fancy 3rd place medal

Place: 35/172 AG 3/6

Challenge Extended...

Who doesn't love tying up their sneaks for a great cause. Um, no one. So I have a GREAT race for a GREAT cause! What more could you want? Oh, some fabulous prizes? Check! The chance to smoke coach? Check!

Laura over at My Reason to Run is having a virtual race to support the cause to fight and inform about the rare disease that affects her daughter Haley, Joubert Syndrome. The race is pretty simple. Based on their 10x10 campaign, she is having a virtual 10k (now with an added 5k, yay, but sad no prizes for us) to be ran between 10-01 and 10-10. All she is asking for is a $10 donation to the foundation IF you can. And really compared to what we normally are shelling out for race fees, $10 bucks is nothin. Of course, she outlines this all much better and in more detail at her site, so bop on over and take a look just clickity click the magic button...

Mostly, she would love to spread the word about this disease and campaign. So there is also a prize for whomever brings in the most recruits. This is where you come in. If you decide to man up and take the challenge, please mention that Tressa and Jesse or Coach and Wife sent you. Like I said these prizes are killer! Now if you yourself are feeling ambitious, also spread the word to fellow bloggers or hold your own little race like coach and I are doing. That's right. I am wrangling local townsfolk (ok mostly family) into doing this at the 5k distance since that is all they can handle, and then we are holding our own race. At night. Complete with glow in the dark necklaces (sorry no hat!), cheesy prizes (maybe the hat), and a celebratory dinner at the local Mexican place. Sounds fun right. Well anyone in the area is invited of course. We are doing it on 10-2 around 5 or 6. If you were planning on doing the 10k you can A. run the course twice or B. come and hang out all day and do the Onalaska Apple Festival's 10k that morning with Coach and Stacie (subtle reminder Stace to SIGN UP!) Ok, too far to drive wimps (now I am talking to you Diana!), then set something like this up in your area. Yes, I really want to win the prize, but I also really want her to reach her goal and get as many people involved as possible.

Moral of the Story. Check it out. Sign up. Told her we sent you. Run a 10k (easy peasy for most of you). Help a great cause. Eat salsa.

I can count can you?

My 100 Day Challenge is now over a week old. Technically it started on the 23rd, so that means 8 days down, umm no good at math, 92 more to go! Well, let’s see how I am doing. You can check out my original goals here in case your memory is like Dory’s (Wow I watch too many Disney movies!)

• I have lost 2 pounds since last weeks weigh in putting me at a still bootylicious 134 pounds. I’m really hoping not to look all rolly in my tri stuff.
• Tony Horton and I have gotten lots of face time, like I wanted (what was I thinking, that is a creepy face?) and I have done abs and total body every day this week as scheduled even though I have felt very under the weather. Luckily, I am getting more familiar with the routines and can do some, well mostly yoga, on my own.
• My playing with Peyton goal is going so-so. Some days it’s me, others it’s him. When I am sick I have hard time running in circles for 15 min (usually his activity of choice) and when he is having a bad day, I can’t get him to want to do anything with me for 15 min. I am still learning, and part of that means that some days, what he really wants is for me to just sit with him and tickle his back. I think that counts too, even though we are watching Cars for the zillionth time! It’s all about no pressure, what Peyton wants, Mommy-Son time.
• Neither of my races is here yet, so no official report there. I have been trying to get my training in, but Coach has been restricting me some so I don’t injure myself further.

Overall I think it’s going pretty good. Coach was a bit ticked I didn’t inform him about it. Now he feels all left out and is sulky. Men. Can’t just take the three hours to read blogs on their own I guess. He claims he can never get computer time, but I have no idea WHAT he is talking about.

It's a Great Day to be Me...and One of You!

Yes, I have the winner of the contest, and yes I am going to put it at the bottom of this post, or am I? Maybe I am going to hid it within the post just so you will have to read the entire thing because I am just that type of person. But since there is so much great news to be brought to you today, I'm gonna be bringing it to you all bullet style.

• Umm. Can we say 57 followers! Hello AWESOME news. Welcome to all our newbies who have chosen to "suit up" with us. It feels so awesome everytime we get a new one. Seriously, we celebrate with a geeky high-five whenever a new picture pops up! Feel free to introduce yourself if you haven't already because we would love to get to know you!
• I myself have won my first TWO contests. And they were ones I so needed to win. The first was from Laurie @ The (Mis)Adventures of a Jogging Stroller Mom. It was her 3 yr bloggy anniversary and it was a ton of loot including socks, a water bottle, headbands (all of which I still don't own!) The second was from Keri the Blue Eyed Runner and it was a foam roller! Everyone has been saying I need a foam roller for my hips and butt and then one just falls from the heavens into my laps. I feel like such a lucky girl!
• Told you I was going to hide it. So the Winner of our $40 CSN giveaway as chosen by random.org was................ #26  Forward Foot Strides said...I would buy one of the pet beds, which I've had my eye on for ages! So congratulations Katherine at Forward Foot Strides you've won. Just email me your info and I will get it to the CSN folks right away. If you didn't win keep your eyes open for more giveaways because these are fun and we just like spoiling you guys! Plus I know you guys like reading us for pure enjoyment too!
• My son has stopped puking. Nuff said.
• It isn't raining, yet, so hopefully that means I can get on the bike a bit tonight in addition to my run since the rain kept us indoors last night. Did I mention I love Orlando Bloom? (Watching the first Pirates will remind you of that!)

• And finally, Ben and Jerry's was on super sale at the grocery store. Bad for diet. Great for training motivation. And for watching Orlando Bloom. He would die for her! Swoon!

Hope you are all having a Great Day too!