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September 30, 2007

Great Race Indeed

This morning the Great Race took place in Pittsburgh. O and I were both going to run it but when I was sidelined with my hamstring, O was on his own. Apparently he didn't need me.

O has been training hard (probably harder than he ever has) with his cross country team with lots of interval work on the track and distance runs that are perhaps a bit faster than he is used to. And then he usually does my long run with me on Sunday. Perfect breeding ground for a PR. Add to that a point to point primarily downhill race and you're really set up quite nice. It was a beautiful morning, cool and calm and while O has previously never broken 40 minutes for 10K I was predicting a 38:23. (don't ask me how I come up with these things - just trust me).

So we headed down to the race this morning with roles reversed - O as racer, me as equipment manager. The logistics of this race are somewhat challenging given it's point to point course so I dropped O off near the start and drove down to as close as I could get to the finish. I got a great position to cheer and then stood there and waited. It was then that it occured to me that waiting and cheering and watching a triathlon must be torturous. Over 2 hours of waiting...or how about 5 hours for a half IM?! I was bored waiting the 30 minutes I had to wait for a 10K!

Regardless, it wasn't too long before the winner came flying around the corner in just over 30 minutes. And then the top women in 34 minutes and change. Then...wait...I think I see O and the clock is still in the 36s?! Holy cow! I'm yelling and going crazy and watch as he crosses the line in 37:23 (later to find that his chip time was 37:16!)!! HUGE PR and quite an impressive time! He was thrilled, I was thrilled, it was all quite thrilling! He ran smart and strong the whole way and basically even splited even though the 2nd half of the race is tougher (with a subtle but LONG uphill stretch that seems to go on forever around mile 4 and 5).

But then it hit me. I was no longer the 10K record holder in the house. What. The. Heck?! I have never run 10K that fast - O now has the standard. Yikes. I told O that next year, no triathlons, no swimming or cycling. I was going to train soley for the 10K so I could get my name back on the placard! I still have the marathon record although O is thinking of trying to get a Boston Qualifier next fall which would require another record effort (he needs a 3:10). I have no doubt he can do it. I'm just glad O can't swim... :)

So that was our exciting morning. When we got home I knew I had a long pool run ahead of me. Yuck. Especially since it was such a nice day outside. But oh well, there are worse things in life. So off to the pool I went for 1:40 of aqua-jogging. I think that's a PR for me (we are all getting PRs today!) because although I've done plenty of long runs in the pool I haven't done any since college and I think my longest long run in college was about 90 minutes. To tell you the truth it wasn't too bad and it went by relatively quickly. I think my tolerance for long, boring workouts has increased greatly since I started triathlon. Try following a black line back and forth in the pool for 5000 yds or could I interest you in a 3:30 ride on the trainer? Yeah - my attention span has improved exponentially. :)

So that was our day! We are now watching the Steelers try to somehow get a win down 7 with 1:49 left. Come on guys - Penn State already lost this weekend - we have to get a win somehow!

Posted by beth at 6:50 PM | Comments (4)

September 29, 2007

We Need a QB

Ah the sadness - Penn State loses again. Definitely not the season we were looking for. O insists he's merely "disappointed" but I have reason to believe he's showing classic depressive symptoms. Oh well. Always next year and of course the Steelers are still 3-0!

In training news I had a pretty big day today (for me). I started things off with a 3500 yd swim where I actually showed a little promise while pulling. I then headed home for some breakfast before a 3 hour ride with a 30 minute transition run. The 3 hour ride was nice - started off quite chilly but by hour #2 I was pretty warm. It was a beautiful fall day with clear, sunny skies and no humidity. Truly doesn't get better than this.

I rode up through an area of Pittsburgh called Fox Chapel. Fox Chapel is the land of million dollar homes and gated estates and lots of lots of golf courses. Nice riding. If you're going to get hit, why not by a Lexus? :) But I had forgotten how hilly it was back there! Long hills too. Like..."have I really been riding up this hill for 10 minutes now?" type of hills. It was nice though and something different from my usual routine.

I had decided at some point this week that I would like to try running today even though I knew my leg wasn't going to feel 100%. And indeed it didn't. Hamstring was sore as expected but I wanted to do some running and 30 easy minutes is the most injury friendly run on my schedule so I went for it.

And that was my morning/afternoon! Started in the pool around 8 am and finished my run around 2 pm. This could definitely be a full time job. :)

Hope everyone is having a wonderful fall weekend!

Posted by beth at 5:34 PM | Comments (0)

September 28, 2007

Hamstring Check-In

So my hamstring is...well...maybe status quo? I'm not really sure. Here's the thing - it's a tricky injury. Doesn't hurt when I'm walking. Doesn't hurt running up or down steps. Doesn't hurt cycling or doing hamstring curls (for goodness sakes!). But try balancing on one leg to get a pair of shorts on and MAJOR OUCH! Yeah - weird.

But I think it's feeling marginally better. It's hard to tell because I've been avoiding the activities (aka running) that make it hurt in an effort to help it heal. Definitely doesn't hurt on the bike (thank God). I can usually feel it the first 2000 yds of a swim workout but it's a vague sort of ache that eventually goes away. Water running doesn't seem to bother it either except for the occasional twinge.

Several days ago I remembered that I had this injury before. It was in the winter of 2005 when I was training for the Boston Marathon. I went back and read old blog entries from that time and realized it was the exact same thing. Hard to pinpoint and hard to explain what the pain felt like. I was glad to read about it again in that I remembered how (when I finally went to see the doctor and ART guy) it was basically a weak hamstring that was causing all the problems. I'm assuming I have the same problem (same leg of course) and so restarting those strengthening exercises that I probably should have been doing all along would be a good idea. I was sort of sad to see though that last time it took the injury almost 2.5 months to heal. Geez. I don't have 2.5 months.

Having said that though, I realize that every injury is different (even if it's the same) and there is no telling what might happen. What I have convinced myself of though is that the pain isn't so bad that I couldn't get through 13.1 miles on it. And that means I will be in Clearwater on November 10th. Even if I don't run prior to, I feel like I could make due with water running until then (and of course my swimming/cycling workout are coming along fine).

I am going to try a little running tomorrow just to see where we are at. I have a swim in the morning followed by a long ride and then a transition run. My hamstring feels the best right after I get off the bike so when better to try a run? If it hurts I will stop but I just want to get a feel for if it's worse, better or the same.

What I'm not going to do is run the 10K I had planned on Sunday. Duh. Sort of disappointing because I was looking forward to it but I'm not heartbroken about it. Road races are a dime a dozen. Half IM championship races are not. Instead I will get a chance to be O's equipment manager on Sunday because he is running! I am really looking forward to seeing how well he runs because he is in some seriously good shape. The other day he had to pace some kids on his CC team through a 2 mile on the track at 11:15 and he did it no problem. 5:37 pace is nothing to sneeze at.

So that's the update! The update for today's workouts include a 3500 yd swim in the morning that was hard and fast. I was pleased with how it went. Then to the weight room for a lift and then home for a 1 hour easy ride on the trainer. I also went to the chiropractor today and he did a number on me! He seems to be in awe of the fact that every time I come in my pelvis is not where he put it in the previous appointment. That darn thing moves around a bit too much! Probably why I have had my fair share of injuries through the years...

Posted by beth at 4:59 PM | Comments (0)

September 27, 2007

More Pool & Bike Time

Consider this fair warning - this blog entry is going to be about as interesting as it's title. Yawn.

This morning I went to the pool and ran in the water for 65 minutes with 2x(5,4,3,2,1 min hard w/1/2 of the previous interval's rest) so as not to die of boredom. Actually, I'll have to say my pool running thus far hasn't been that bad. Fast forward to this Sunday when I have to do my long run in the pool and I might be changing my tune. :)

This afternoon I came home from work and was lured into taking a nap by Roxy. She's a sneaky little dog. Anyway, that's my story and I'm sticking to it. When I woke up around 5 pm it was wet and raining and somewhat storm-like so I dragged Scotty and the trainer upstairs. 1:45 moderate ride while watching Law and Order. I don't know what I would do without that show!

Alas, tomorrow is a new day. I have off of work and that's a glorious thing!

Good night all!

Posted by beth at 9:25 PM | Comments (1)

September 26, 2007

Chlorine Overload

I've been to the pool 3 times since I last wrote, about...oh...24 hours ago. I don't know how swimmers do it. As a runner I ran twice a day just about every day for several years of my life. But running doesn't make you smell like a chemical plant. True, it can definitely make you smell BAD, but chemical plant? No. Ugh. ;)

This morning I got in a 4500 yd swim that included 6x600 as the main set, 2 of those 600s as pull. Ouch for my wimpy little arms! Hooray for hopefully getting stronger though!

After work I hit up the pool again for a water run before going to the weight room to lift. One thing about water running - it's definitely easier on the legs but it's harder on the arms than actual running since you have some resistance from the water. After 4500 yds this morning, pool running last night and this afternoon, lifting was a touch tough today. :)

In other news I have a recommendation for all who read. Don't ever drink battery acid. It's just not a good idea. Ask my patient who did and I think he'd tell you (if he was actually coherent) that it's just not good for the intestines. Interestingly enough, it basically dissolved most of his GI tract. Ouch. What I cannot stop wondering about though is -- where does one get battery acid? I mean obviously from a battery BUT doesn't it take some work to get the acid out? I mean if you're trying to end it all wouldn't you go for something easier like Draino? (by the way - also had a patient that drank Draino and it resulted in the same thing)

Posted by beth at 9:03 PM | Comments (0)

September 25, 2007

The Big and Small Pictures

When injured I find it most helpful to look at the big picture every once in a while, but mostly to focus on the small picture. You don't hear too much about the small picture. But the small picture can be a very good thing.

Take for example racing. The big picture is a full 1/2 IM with 1.2 miles of swimming, 56 miles of cycling and 13.1 miles of running. 5 hours of racing. 5 hours of pain. This is when the big picture is not pretty. This is when you want to focus on the small picture. First the swim. Get from bouy to bouy. Four strokes, take a breathe, 2 strokes, take a breathe. Then the bike. I think in 5 mile increments only. 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, wow - we are over half way! Then the run. First you are thinking of 2 or 3 mile increments. Then 1 mile increments and then towards the end it's "run hard until you catch that next person and then take a breather" or "get to the next aid station for a drink". Racing for me MUST be broken down into the small picture.

Injuries are much the same way. I have to break them down week by week, day by day. Because if I start thinking of the larger picture and all the "what ifs", well then I'm in trouble. One day at a time. Who knows - maybe tomorrow will be the day it suddenly all feels better? And if not tomorrow there is always the next day. November and my big race seems MUCH farther away if I do it this way. And that makes me happy. :)

Also important when dealing with injuries is to look at the big picture every once in a while. As in gaining a little perspective. I'm not dying, I don't have cancer, I still have a job, my family hasn't all been swept away by a large flood. It's just a little hamstring issue and as Jen wisely reminded me - this too shall pass. My job helps me to find perspective a lot of the time. Today my patient list included 3 horrific car accidents, 1 caught-in-the-cross-fire gun shot victim, 2 cancers w/metastisis and 1 heart surgery gone very, very wrong. Is my race on November 10th very important to me? YES! But is it life and death. No, definitely not.

And so it goes. It was decided that I would still do my swim/bike workouts as scheduled and substitute all my running workouts with pool running for now. See how that goes. See how we are progressing and then make some decisions from there. In addition, the chiropractor has been working on me as his massage therapist that almost made me cry yesterday afternoon during my appointment. She has this little ball thing that she presses into areas that are tight and it really hurts. But after the appointment my hamstring felt better than ever.

This morning I did a 3000 yd swim. Swimming bugs the hamstring a little. It's the kick that does it. But then this afternoon I had a tough workout on the bike including a 20 min TT where the 2nd half was to be faster than the 1st half. I did it on the trainer and although I thought my heart was going to beat right up out of my throat, I felt really good about the workout. My ave MPH were much better than last time I did this same workout in July. I'll take it. Hamstring feels good on the bike.

Finally tonight I have a pool run that I'm about to leave for. O is nice enough to join me since he just got home from his cross country meet. Just what he wanted to do right?! :) I'm definitely going to have to institute some sort of bathing suit rotation because I really hate putting on a wet bathing suit... :)

Lastly - thank you SO MUCH - everyone for your kind words and encouragement re: my hammy. I was down about it no doubt but as always you guys lifted me right back up. I truly appreciate it. As always. You guys rock.

Posted by beth at 6:04 PM | Comments (1)

September 23, 2007

The Five Steps of Injury

1) Denial (of course): This is the "oh no my foot does not hurt" stage where you hope you are just imaging that those aches are now becoming pains and that you are feeling them much more often than you'd like. This is where you are positive you are going to wake up the next morning and everything is going to be all better. No change in workouts.

2) Psedo-Acceptance: You wake up the next morning and your foot still hurts. Okay, you think, I may have a problem on my hands. Still no change in workouts.

3) Anger/Frustration: This is the "why does this always happen to me", "this sucks eggs", "I hate running, cycling, swimming, triathlon, racing, life, fill in the blank..." stage. This is the pity party, feel bad for yourself stage. Step #3 is never pretty but I truly believe you need to have it to move onto step #4.

4) True Acceptance: Now you are truly accepting that you have a problem on your hands and you need to address it ASAP. Workout schedules change. Coaches are alerted. Doctors appointments are made. And thoughts of missed training and worse yet, missed races, are pushed to the back of your mind. Only positive thoughts at this point.

5) Healing: This stage is very variable. It can take a long time or or a short time. It depends largely on how quickly you moved through the first 4 steps.

So there you have it. At this point in time I went through step #3 today and moved onto step #4 for my bum hamstring. This isn't going away over night. I'm going to have to do something and hope that magic will happen and in 6 weeks time I will be running into the Gulf of Mexico and swimming my little heart out, only to get out and ride my heart out and last but not least run my heart out on TWO good hamstrings. I'm awaiting my coach's input and decisions as to what to do with my training but I'm thinking it might involve keeping my swimming/cycling as is and replace running with pool running. I've already accepted the fact that I will smell like chlorine until 2008 if that's the case. :)

So here's to a quick stage 5!

Posted by beth at 6:15 PM | Comments (7)

Bum String

Well, unfortunately my hamstring was not nearly excited about running as it was about cycling yesterday. I got through my 1:20 run this morning but the string was sore. It didn't get much worse (a good sign I suppose) throughout the run but it also didn't warm up and get better. And after the run it was pretty sore (a bad sign). Humpf.

So we know this - cycling is okay, swimming makes it a little sore, running makes it a lot sore. I just emailed my coach to figure out the plan of action. While I orginially thought I could just "get through" until Clearwater in November I don't think that will work so well now. The string is definitely going to require some significant rescheduling of workouts, etc...

On a positive note, my foot doesn't really hurt too much!

Why can't all the body parts just get along?

Posted by beth at 1:04 PM | Comments (1)

September 22, 2007

73.5 Miles Later

Today I had a 4 hour ride on my schedule but was given directions to make it 3 if the hamstring was acting up. I wasn't sure how it was going to feel but after about 30 minutes I knew it was going to be okay so I got in the I'm-going-to-be-on-this-bike-for-4-hours mindset. It's a very important mindset to be in. At least for me.

Anyway, for a change of pace I rode my road bike. I haven't given it much love all year as I almost exclusively ride the tri bike. I'll have to say, it was a good idea. I was missing my aerobars on those long straights when the wind was picking up but the road bike is much nicer for climbing and just more comfortable overall. I think it helped the hamstring a little too.

It was a hot one out there. I'm usually not too good about drinking on my long rides but by 3:30 into the ride I had drained all three of my bottles. I was considering stopping at the convenience store to get some Gatorade but by then I just wanted to get home. I definitely had that I've-been-riding-my-bike-for-70+miles look once I got home. Can you say *salty*?! :)

Regardless, I haven't done much since I've been home. Shower, stretch, eat lunch, take nap, wake up to realize the Penn State game is just starting, watch Penn State which brings us to the current time. O is screaming downstairs about something. Better go check it out....

Hope everyone is having a great weekend!

Posted by beth at 5:32 PM | Comments (0)

September 21, 2007

Swim and Lift

Title sort of says it all. I went swimming this morning - short, fast stuff with very little rest (or no rest if you are having trouble making the tight interval :). Then lifting this afternoon. Hamstring a little sore. We shall see how it feels on the bike tomorrow.

This evening after dinner O and I headed to the mall to buy a shower gift for O's cousin who is getting married in December. We decided upon an omlette pan from their gift registry. Who doesn't like omlettes? Regardless, I decided that I would like to get married again (I would still choose O of course) but instead of registering at places like Target and Macy's we would register at places like the bike shop or Dick's Sporting Goods. New baseball glove for O. New race wheels for me. Who needs dishes and towels anyway?

Posted by beth at 9:00 PM | Comments (1)

September 20, 2007

Avoiding the Point of No Return

So I'm getting to that point in the year where everything hurts. Yep everything. I'm sore, I'm tried. My foot hurts. My hamstring hurts. My back hurts. My brain hurts. Ouch.

Part of it, of course, is that I'm training hard for my next race. This is how it works. You really stress your body, you rest some, your body gets stronger, you stress your body again, you rest some, you get even stronger, etc... Also, of course, is the fact that it's getting late in the year. I've been racing since April and training hard even longer than that. I've stepped up my training and racing considerably versus last season. If in July of 2006 you had told me to do a 12 hour training week I would have passed out. Now an 18 hour training week is routine. It's all part of the process of course.

And I've been totally amazed at the fact that I've not had any injuries all year (minus that little run in with one white pickup truck) or been sick all season! I think I had about 4 or 5 colds last summer alone! That's a true testament to the training and coaching I've had all year - how well planned it is and how reasonable it is. Hard yes, but also very, very smart.

Of course I've had aches and pains all year. My feet always ache. My IT bands are always tight. My left hamstring is always a little painful when I start each run. I would assume that anyone who trains and races hard experiences this at all times. But it's about this time when all the little aches and pains are starting to add up. My left foot is hurting more than usual and that pesky hamstring never really warms up that much the whole run.

I've been getting through my workouts just fine. Motivation wise and fatigue wise I have never felt better actually. And my workouts are going well! But the little niggles are starting to worry me. Especially the hamstring. The point of no return is to be avoided AT ALL COSTS!

Yesterday I did my 4000 yd swim in the morning and then my 30 min pool run and lifting session in the afternoon. But I was worried about my hard fartlek this morning. I made an appointement with the chiropractor for today. But then I emailed my coach and told him my concerns. I've just made this mistake too many times before and after all this hard work I will make it to that starting line in Clearwater, Florida!

Coach emailed me back and told me to take today totally off. Go to the chiro. Stretch. Ice. Heal. I just got off the phone with him where he reassured me I'll be fine, we just need to be careful about things now. He tells me that when you get very fit and are training hard, you are always running on a very fine line. Now the goal is to stay on the right side of the line!

So my chiro appointment is at 2 pm today. I'm going to do some icing and stretching. I already took care of the resting part by getting 11 hours of sleep last night! (I have today off work... :) And I'm going to work with my coach on how best to handle each day. That's the plan. Now lets hope it works!

Posted by beth at 11:02 AM | Comments (2)

September 18, 2007

Thank God for Sport

Do you ever wonder how people who don't exercise/train deal with anger and frustration, anxiety or worry? I always wonder that. Because through the years running (and now swimming and cycling) has always served as a cure all. Worried about something? Go for a run. Anxious about something? Go to the pool, focus on repeat 100s for a while, and when you're done, your problems seem a little lighter. Angry? Frustrated? Ride your bike as hard as you possibly can and vent like you've never vented before.

Case in point. Today - very, very bad day at work. I like my job, I really do. But I will admit that I don't like all the people I work with. O calls them "personality conflicts" (or as we've come to know them - PCs). I'm generally a pretty high strung person but through the years have mellowed considerably. I like to think I get along with just about every single person. And if I really can't get along with someone I'm good at using the avoidance tactic. But some people (as in those you work in direct contact with) you just cannot avoid.

Regardless today I hit a boiling point with my co-worker and confronted her on an issue that I just couldn't let pass. It turned ugly. And I let it bother me all day long. I was angry with myself for how I acted. I was so very angry and frustrated with the way she has been handling things. It just wasn't pretty. And then I got angry with myself for letting it bother me so much! UGH! I felt like crud on my drive home and didn't want to do anything but lay on the couch and feel sorry for myself.

So what did I do? I got home, got on my bike and I just rode that thing harder than I have in a very, very long time. (luckily I did indeed have an interval session planned ;). By the end of the last hard interval I was seriously seeing black spots. My legs felt like putty. It took a LONG time to catch my breathe. I had held my HR at over 185 for several 9 minute intervals. Yikes!

But you know what? I felt so much better. About everything. I let my frustration and anger go with each pedal stroke and realized that life isn't always fair. People don't always play nice. You aren't always going to get along with everyone. And that's okay.

Thank God for sport. It has helped me through a lot in life. It has saved me more than once. It has helped me to move on from the less important things to the more important matters. Sounds kind of hokey but it really does help you see more clearly.

And so I'll go to work tomorrow with a new perspective and a fresh mindset. I'll do my best to not let other's actions adversely affect me. But just in case I slip and fall...I have a hard run on Thursday to set me straight... :)

Day summary:
5:15 am - 55 min run
5:15 pm - 61 min on trainer w/2x(3x1 min w/15 sec rest, 1x9 min w/2 min rest)
7:20 pm - 2500 yd swim including 5x300 steady

Posted by beth at 8:43 PM | Comments (0)

September 16, 2007

Return of the Roxy Dog

We don't run much with Roxy in the summer because she just doesn't like it. If the weather is any warmer than 60 she poops out after about 10 minutes. We've learned that the hard way. So pretty much all summer she watches as we leave for our runs and even though she begs to go, we know better. But the cooler weather has arrived. Thus the Return of the Roxy Dog.

I was a little wary of taking her on our long run this morning. It was definitely cool enough (low 40s!) but the run was 2 hours and that's a bit much if you haven't been running much. O was kind enough to offer to turn around early if she was starting to tire out. He's generous like that... :)

We didn't need to worry. She probably could have gone for 4 hours. She sure did seem disappointed when we stopped. That dog is crazy. 14.5 miles and she doesn't even blink an eye! And she was good the whole run (that is excluding the first 1/2 mile where she rips O's arm off about 5 times before she settles into a nice pace :). I hope the weather stays cool because she just loves to run on the trail.

So that was this morning - a 2 hour run. Also I was on my bike for a 1 hour trainer ride (easy spinning). And then this afternoon O went to Duquesne for a college fair so I tagged along and went to the Pitt pool for my swim. It's always nice to swim in a different pool for a change of scenary. Plus I always swim faster at Pitt. I think it's because (1) the water is a lot cooler than my YMCA and (2) they have nice digital clocks on the wall so you can keep track of your pace much easier and pick up the pace if you are starting to slack.

And thus ends my first 18-19 hour week in a LONG time. I have a few more coming my way too... :)

Week summary:
Monday - off
Tuesday - 1:15 run in am, 1:10 interval bike session and 2500 yd swim in pm, pushups/situps
Wednesday - 4000 yd swim in am, weights in pm
Thursday - 7.5 miles in am (track session), 2:10 ride in pm, core/feet exercises
Friday - 3000 yd hard swim session in am, weight in pm
Saturday - 3:30 bike/30 min run brick in am
Sunday - 2 hour run, 1 hour trainer ride in am, 3000 yd swim in pm

Posted by beth at 5:01 PM | Comments (3)

September 15, 2007

I Heart Fall

Oh boy, oh boy. Good football on tv. Good cross country meets to follow. Best weather all year long. I really do heart fall.

My ride this morning was great. It was about 50-55 degrees and although that's a little chilly on the bike, the sun was shining and I was one happy camper. One small complaint. It was WINDY out there and I was getting blown around a lot and I was definitely moving rather slowly at times. But I told myself that Florida could definitely be windy so I might as well get used to it. And with every headwind there is (usually) a tailwind or at the very least a crosswind. :) Regardless I was happy for about 3 hours. I've learned that 3 hours is about my limit on the bike before I just want off. All of a sudden after 3 hours, everything hurts (mostly any body part coming into any, however minute, contact with the saddle), every bump in the roads seems huge, every second ticks by slower, every traffic light is red, etc...

But I figure I just need to slowly push that limit back. Before this summer my limit was more like 2 hours. One day I'm hoping my limit will be 5 or 6 hours. Until then, no full IM for me! :)

So I did a 3:30 ride total (actually 3:35) and then hopped off my bike, threw on the running shoes and did a 30 minute transition run. Riding in 50 degree weather requires a long sleeve for me but running in 50 degree weather is just devine - short sleeves and shorts and pure happiness. And what's even better is that my HR responds so well when the weather is cooler and less humid so I can push a little harder.

After all that I was tuckered out. And it was almost 1 pm. Longish bricks have a way of taking up most of the day. O was still at this cross country meet though so I ate, showered, stretched, did some odds and ends and then once he was home we took a nice afternoon nap. I'm not sure what I heart more - fall or the afternoon nap. That's a close one.

Tomorrow is a 2 hour run and I'm pumped. The low tonight is in the high 30s. I might have to bring out the winter woolies! :)

Posted by beth at 5:02 PM | Comments (0)

September 14, 2007

Top Ten List

The following is a list I compiled throughout the day of the Top Ten Ways To Know One Is Training Hard For A Triathlon With No Taper In Sight:

10) Your list of body parts that ache now outnumbers the list of body parts that do not ache.

9) Instead of saying things like "my left achilles hurts or my left knee hurts or my left hip hurts" you say "my left side is not doing too good", thereby expediating the process.

8) Quite simply, your hunger cannot be contained.

7) When you show up at the YMCA for the 2nd time in a day the lady at the front desk asks if you are back or if you just never left.

6) You want to physically hurt the driver in front of you on your commute in for their erratic driving which has forced you to push your clutch in hard and fast several times. See reference about left side of body not doing good.

5) Your pace lags on rounds prompting not one but two comments from attending physician as to why you are so slow today.

4) You want to wring aforementioned physician's neck when he decides it's a good idea to skip the elevator ride and walk the steps instead from floor 4 to floor 8.

3) You get about halfway to the YMCA for your morning swim before you realize you never put your contacts in. The scary thing is, until that point you hadn't noticed how blurry things looked.

2) You cannot wait to attend the Olive Garden's endless pasta bowl night because for the first time in a very long time you are really going to get your money's worth!

1) You wake up in the morning and are certain that a truck must have run over you during the night. You then remember the morning not so long ago when you actually did wake up after being hit by a truck and you suddenly think your current state could be MUCH worse and you are very happy and life goes on...

Have a great weekend everyone!

Posted by beth at 4:09 PM | Comments (0)

September 13, 2007

Good Life

I had today off work so I got to sleep in a little. Still, when my alarm went off at 6:15 and I ventured downstairs for a drink I realized it was both (1) still dark and (2) COLD! It was 45 degrees outside. Chilly! Perfect for jumping back into bed with Roxy until it was light and the sun was out to warm things up. I resisted the urge though for one reason and one reason only - I wanted to get my track workout done before the middle/high school gym classes started venturing over to the track. There is something about running in front of 14-18 year olds that is so NOT enticing. :)

So out I went and WHAT A BEAUTIFUL MORNING?!?! It was chilly but that chill felt SO GOOD. I think I had a huge smile on my face the whole warmup over to the track.

AM track workout: 15 min warmup, 2 laps of hard on the straights/easy on the curves, 400 jog easy, 4x400 w/~40 sec rest (84, 83, 82, 82), 2x800 w/~1:25 rest (2:57, 2:53), 4x400 w/~40 sec rest (83, 81, 82, 79), 15 min cooldown.

My legs are definitely feeling the re-introduction of speed work back into the schedule as well as just heavier volume in general but I felt pretty good for this workout. Although not fast, those paces are definitely challenging for me now simply because...well, I never run that fast anymore! And guess what - I won't be running under 6 minute pace for my 1/2 marathon in Clearwater! But I love track workouts and pushing myself and the challenge of picking a pace that is hard but maintainable for the entire workout. And my foot behaved itself relatively well. Good deal.

While I was running the last set of 400s, when the hurt was starting to set in, I started to think of how much I really love running or cycling or swimming, triathlons and racing in general. And that no matter what I do in life, NOTHING makes me feel more alive than doing hard 400s on the track, or a 20 min TT on the bike or hard 100s on a tight interval in the pool. Nothing even comes close.

The other day while I was driving to work Hines Ward, the Steelers wide receiver known for his signature smile, called into the local radio station. Among other topics the radio people asked him which CD he bought first, 50 Cent or Kanye West. I don't even remember his answer but he went on to talk about Kanye West's song Good Life. Hines said he really likes the song because he feels like he lives the Good Life. He loves his job, he loves playing for the city of Pittsburgh, he has a great family, he is healthy. He went on and on and then said that the reason he is always smiling is because he is living the Good Life.

So while I'm sprinting around the track this morning I'm thinking that I'm just like Hines - living the Good Life. I am so lucky to have wonderful friends and family, my health, a job I like (usually :), a husband that I love sharing life with, a God that loves me no matter what, and this - a sport that challenges me daily to do what I didn't think I was capable of doing; a sport that makes me a better person; a sport that can bring me to the very depths of fatigue but at the same exact time make me feel so alive. Maybe I'm being narrow minded by saying this, but I truly believe life long sport is the only way to live your life. I can't imagine going a day without it.

So wow - not sure what got me going there...

Regardless, after my track workout I headed home for a morning/afternoon of odds and ends until around 2 pm when I headed out for my 2 hour ride. The ride was fine - lots of traffic but I managed to get home in one piece. :)

Tomorrow is a hard swim in the AM and lifting in the pm. I like tomorrow's swim workout - 150s and some pull also.

Have a great night everyone!

Posted by beth at 6:52 PM | Comments (2)

More Germany Pictures

My parents were nice enough to send a CD with all the pics from my mom's camera so here are a few more.

Getting the Team USA photo taken prior to the opening ceremonies.

Just a view of the architecture of Hamburg. Much of the city was along water, either the lake (Alster) or the Elbe River (or there were also little canals of water everywhere too!

The night before the race over at bike check-in/body marking, my (new) friend Carol and (old) friend Heather (who used to live in Pittsburgh) and I. Heather had the fastest swim split of ALL the age group women - going 20 minutes low! I was trying to get some of that swim power to rub off on me... :)

Jocelyn and I at the finish. Jocelyn, who was a swimmer at Princeton, was the top American in our age group and 1 spot ahead of me in 10th place.

Posted by beth at 1:08 PM | Comments (1)

September 12, 2007

Swimming Long

This morning I woke up a little on the sore and tired side. Nothing really that unusual of course but it sort of made me not want to go swimming. Really nothing (but going back to sleep of course) sounds like a good idea at 4:45 in the morning. But such is life.

Once in the water at the YMCA I was fine and did my 4000 yd workout without complaint. I only groaned once when I saw that the main set included 4x600. :) Regardless, the workout was fine. Nothing spectacular but I survived and am stronger for it.

Anyway, at work there is a new physician that joined the nutrition support team that I am on and today he became my new best friend by suggesting that we all go out to Qdoba for lunch after finishing rounds. Um yeah. Was this dude reading my mind because I have pretty much been thinking "burrito, burrito, burrito" every since I got back from Germany?!?! And boy did that burrito taste good. I will admit I had a bit of trouble concentrating during rounds because (a) I was really hungry and (b) all I could think of was...yes...you got it..."burrito, burrito, burrito!" :) I love me a good burrito.

At some point during the day I decided that the run that I had on my schedule for the afternoon might not be a good idea. You see my foot really isn't getting worse at all (despite running ~13 miles Sunday and ~9 miles Tuesday on it) but it's also not getting better. And I really just don't want to mess around with it. My running days are Tuesday (moderate run of 60-75 min), Wednesday (easy run of 30 min), Thursday (speed session), Saturday (transition run) and Sunday (long run). Of these days it's obvious that Wednesday would be the first to go if indeed something needed to go. And I also figured that my foot might appreciate only running every other day which could essentially be accomplished by taking Wednesday off. So all this makes sense but I still called my coach to see what he thought. Of course he told me to take Wednesdays off and that I could run in the water instead. Excellent idea. Of course by the time all this got ironed out I had missed the open pool hours but next Wednesday I will be more organized and ready to go.

So with my icing, Advil, running every other day and the new insoles I bought designed for cushioning your forefoot (at the suggestion of my coach) I am hoping to keep foot meltdown at bay. I think I will be okay if I stay vigilant!

Oh - by the way - I did get myself to the YMCA for my lifting session.

And that was my day. Tomorrow morning I have a track session on tap and the low tonight is in the 40s. Simply chilling! Get out the long sleeve shirts baby! :)

Posted by beth at 9:33 PM | Comments (1)

September 11, 2007

Now This Is How I Like It!

Amazing weather this afternoon - blue sky, low humidity, sunny, about 70 degrees. This is 'da bomb weather. This is what I live for. This, my friends, is fall.

But before all this nice afternoon weather came a humid, rainy, grey morning. Gotta take the bad with the good I suppose. I noticed on the 10 day forecast that the high for Saturday is 55 degrees. WHAT?! My long run on Sunday morning is going to be nice and chilly. I may even consider wearing a shirt...

Anyway, this morning I ran 1:15 before work. Humid, icky and sticky. But still a nice run. After work I headed to the oval where I used to race the crits for a bike workout. After warming up I did 2x10 min TT effort w/5 min easy spinning rest and then 3x2 min accelerations w/15 sec rest. I had a very good workout. Felt good and with the weather being absolutely amazing I was just so happy to be outside and alive!

Alas, I still have an easy swim yet today. The fall pool hours don't allow for me to swim until 7:30 though. Sort of messes up my Tuesdays. Dumb swim team... :) I will survive though. It won't be long before I'll be swimming in the morning anyway because I'll want to run in the cool afternoons... :)

Have a great night everyone!

Posted by beth at 6:09 PM | Comments (1)

September 9, 2007

Training, Football, Feet, Duathlons and More

First of all, it's been a very good football weekend at the Shutt residence. All the right teams won (namely Penn State and the Steelers although we might as well include West Virginia in there as well). The only thing that could have made the weekend better was if Pitt lost. Oh well, I think Michigan might have made up for that. One thing is for sure, The Big House is one very sad place to be right now.

In other news, I did some training today, namely a 1:50 long run this morning, a 3000 yd swim workout this afternoon and then a 1 hour easy spin on the trainer. It's been raining much of this weekend and very humid too. I'm hoping this week will feel like fall - cooler weather and dry. At the very least dry. Our grass is about 10 feet tall because it hasn't stopped raining long enough to cut it.

My foot is hanging in there. It's a strange thing. Try as I might I can't make it hurt by pulling, prodding or poking at it. I can't even explain where it hurts. And it doesn't really hurt when I run. But try walking barefoot across the hard kitchen floor and BAD juju. Running on it really hasn't made it much worse. I won't say it's really getting much better though. For now I'm keeping a close watch, icing, taking Advil and I have a MD appointment at the end of the month (that I will hopefully be able to cancel because my foot will be 110% by then...right? :)

Finally, I've been thinking about duathlon for the past couple days. Mostly because of a comment on my blog from TR who suggested I consider duathlon a little more closely. Perhaps TR is tired of hearing me complain about swimming? ;) More seriously though I'm not sure why I have never considered duathlon. The one duathlon I've done was supposed to be a triathlon but the swim was cancelled due to weather. And although I should have been thrilled of my good fortune at that race, I was quite disappointed. I guess that goes to show that as much as I complain about swimming I see it as a real challenge. The exciting thing about triathlon is that everyone has strengths and weaknesses and when you mesh it all together, it makes for an exciting race. Perhaps that's part of it's appeal.

Anyway, I think I'm getting off topic here. Another reason I haven't really gotten into duathlons is because...well...where the heck do they do duathlons? Definitely aren't any in my area. I'm guessing Ohio has some. I'm also guessing it would be easier to find some in the early season when it's too cold to swim. Which might be a fine time for me to try one for real. I don't want to get to liking them too much though because duathlon doesn't have a Kona. And we all know, Kona is really what it's all about. :)

But thanks for the suggestion TR. It surely did make me think some...

Hope everyone has a great week!

Posted by beth at 8:46 PM | Comments (1)

September 8, 2007

Grime-Ball

Holy cow was I dirty when I finished up my ride this morning. Three hours of riding in the rain and I think I picked up just about every particle of grime and dirt the roads had to offer. If I didn't have it on me, it's now on my bike. Scotty will definitely be needing a bath this afternoon! (I've already had mine thankfully... :) After my 3 hour ride I did a 30 minute transition run and then called it a day. Felt pretty good and my HR was cooperating throughout but I could have definitely done without the humidity, rain and of course the grime...

In other news O just got back from the first big high school cross country invitational of the year. The team he helps coach did very well finishing 2nd behind a nationally ranked (and perennial powerhouse) team. Good deal. O filled me in on all the running scoop - who is looking good and who isn't, who is coaching who and all that jazz. And the whole time he's talking I'm thinking "man - he totally has taken over MY scene". I guess it used to be my scene and now it's his. Oh well, I suppose I have a new scene.

Regardless, he then proceeds to tell me about a volunteer assistant coach at my old high school that he met. Upon further questioning I realize that the man who he is speaking of is a former Division I All-American (multiple times over). I tell this to O. He replies "oh really, he looked too small to be a good runner." I inform O (in case he missed the memo) that most runners are very small. He then says "yeah, I guess you are right - I think I've just been around triathletes too much."

Now what exactly does that mean I wonder? Are triathletes huge? And then it occurs to me - most triathletes ARE bigger than runners. I was relatively big compared to my college running teammates but now I feel pretty small compared to a lot of my triathlete friends/competitors. It's an interesting switch to make.

Anyway, I think I've babbled on long enough! It's time to get some stuff done so we can watch Penn State majorly kick some Notre Dame booty!

Posted by beth at 2:31 PM | Comments (0)

September 7, 2007

Germany Pictures

O finally had more than 2 seconds to sit down and help me size some pictures correctly so I could put them up on my blog! I don't have that many though. Most of the pics are on my mom's camera of which I don't have access to (yet). Will post more as they become available!

I learned that the word "triathlon" is the same no matter the language. Good thing. Ever try to read German before? They have some crazy long words...

A view of part of downtown Hamburg. The water you see was nearing the end of the swim and the big steeple in the back was right where the finish line was.

The Alster (aka freezing body of water that we swam in) right before the U23 Women started.

There is a McDonald's close by no matter where you go!

And herein lies the precise reason why I would never be able to live in Germany. Do you see how small these Diet Coke (or Coca Cola Zero) bottles are?! I would never be able to survive! And the whole time I was there I never once saw Diet Pepsi (which is much preferred over Coke). Making matters worse the Coca Cola Zero tasted very suspect. Needless to say I guzzled about 5 cans of DP once I arrived home... :)

Posted by beth at 9:22 PM | Comments (2)

Real Swimmers Beware

Okay, if you are a "real" swimmer you aren't allowed to read this blog entry. Please come back at another time when I'm describing a running workout. At the very least, if you do proceed in reading absolutely NO out right laughing and I would appreciate if you didn't snicker either.

Because you see today I had a major swimming break-through. Are you ready? (real swimmers turn away!) I ACTUALLY SWAM A 100 UNDER 1:10! I couldn't believe my own eyes. But it was plain as day - a nice, big 1:09 right there on my watch. And my watch just does not lie! In fact I had a few fast ones today - several around 1:10-1:12 before I did my last one in that blessed 1:09. Now granted I essentially had full rest but still! Michael Phelps move over! (and no, I don't even want to hear how far Michael Phelps can swim in 1:09 - probably about 400 meters or something... :)

Anyway, as I continue the next part of my workout (some pull after the fast 100s) I started to do a little calculating upon which I realized that 1:10 pace is just about what the pro women hold for their entire 1500 meter OPEN WATER swim. Dear Lord. There aren't enough wetsuits in the world to help me swim that fast... :) But it's one step at a time right? I have to be able to swim 1:09 once before I can do it twice or three times or back to back... :)

So that was my excitement for the day. The swim workout was 3000 yds this morning and right now I'm about to head out the door for a lifting session.

Hope everyone has a great night and a great weekend!

Posted by beth at 4:33 PM | Comments (3)

September 6, 2007

Back to the Grind

So it was back to work today and to the general hum-drum of life. At some point this morning I realized that while I was in Germany summer ended here in PA.

Don't get me wrong, it's still hot as ever (Mother Nature missed the memo) but everyone is back to school, O is back to 12 hour work days (between teaching, coaching and a longggg commute), college football is on tv and all talk in Pittsburgh is now centered on the Steelers. Fall indeed has arrived.

And so it goes. Always sad to see summer go but I would be lying if I told you fall wasn't my favorite season. I think it will always be my favorite, as long as we live here in PA where the humidity disappears, the temps are a comfortable 50-60 degrees and the leaves become brilliant colors.

After college when I no longer had a cross country season to look forward to, I always thought that "cross country feeling" would dampen with time. But it hasn't yet, now 8 years later. Maybe it's because O coaches cross country and the thought of it is still fresh on my mind. Whatever the reason, I can still conjure up those feelings of being all nerves before the first big invitational of the season. Truth be told, I hope fall is always like that for me because it's a very pleasant memory.

Regardless I'm a triathlete now and a happy one at that! My only problem of the time being is that my foot hurts. Dumb foot. Started hurting yesterday at some point and then after my fartlek this morning it was *really* mad at me. I've been icing and taking some Advil and I have a podiatrist picked out in order to make an appointment tomorrow. I think it's perhaps just aggravated and sore (it's on my forefoot - not my usual PF problems) but I want to nip any potential problems early on because I have an important race in November!

The workouts today were the aforementioned fartlek (4x3 min hard w/1 min rest, 2x6 min hard w/2 min rest and 6x1 min hard w/30 sec rest) which felt awesome. I really like fartleks and my foot didn't hurt while I was running so I was happy as a clam. Tonight I came home and rode 1:45 moderate on my trainer while watching Law and Order. No foot pain on the bike at all.

And now the laundry is calling...

Posted by beth at 8:39 PM | Comments (0)

September 5, 2007

ITU Age Group World Championships

I think I'll just dive right in...

Race Morning

After 4 days of rain and cold I was SOOO happy to wake up Sunday morning and NOT see rain. I won't say it was sunny but overcast and gray and mid 50s was way better than the pouring down rain that the earlier racers had to endure. Things were starting off well.

My mom and I got to the race site pretty early - I was one of the later waves to go off at 9:30 - so once I got my transition set up we found a bench and watched the city wake up and come alive with thousands of triathletes! We also watched some of the earlier waves of swimmers so I could get a handle on what the swim was going to offer.

After a 15 minute warmup jog and some light stretching it was on with the wetsuit and my final goodbyes to my mom and then into the "pre-start" area. Here we go...

The Swim

The waves were 10 minutes apart so after the wave before me went off they let the next wave get in the water for warmups. I jumped into the lake and nearly had a heart attack. Wow was it cold - so, so, so cold. Even colder than the Thursday practice swim in my opinion. As in take your breathe away, whole body numbness cold. And did I mention how dirty the water was? Black, diesel-smelling, nasty water. Worse than the Allegheny River. And cold. Oh wait...I think I might have already said that... :)

But this is how triathlon is. Nobody ever said it was an easy sport.

Before I knew it, the horn blew and I set off on my first World Championship race.

I won't mince words here - my swim was dismal. I didn't feel great, the swim seemed to last forever, I didn't site well and when I got out of the water I saw 26:xx on my watch. Dear Lord, I thought, was I the absolute last person out of the water in my wave? I would have believed it. But as I ran into transition I saw that there were still plenty of bikes in my wave area. I kept telling myself "you're okay, don't worry, just get on your bike and go, you're okay, don't worry, just get on your bike..."

Of course afterwards I realized that the swim was slow for EVERYONE. It was either long or perhaps the cold slowed us down, but either way - maybe 2-3 minutes on the slow side. Still. I am just not a good swimmer and the bigger the race, the more apparent that becomes. More on that later.

The Bike

I hate the fact that I'm a weak swimmer but it sure does feel good to start passing people like crazy on the bike. ;) (one benefit of swimming slow) The transition was the longest I've ever seen in my life multiplied by 10. It was over a half mile and since my bike was on the very far end I had a very long way to run with my bike to get to the mount line. Plenty of time to loosen up the legs! :) Once I got on my bike I was determined to hammer. Upset with myself for swimming so dang slow I was on a mission.

And I had a great bike because of it. The course was relatively flat but had some technical sections (lots of turns) and it was also very windy in spots. As in hold very tightly onto your aerobars because otherwise you are going down.

My legs felt good. I was cruising and passing people left and right (some in my AG but of course there were also others out there from earlier waves). And then someone passes me and it's someone in my own AG! :) This gets me furthered fired up. It's a gal from Australia and I tell myself over and over DO NOT LET HER GO! She is very clearly on a mission too (poor girl is even a worse swimmer than me...) and I decide that she is my ticket to having a strong bike. Make the decision now, go with her! Of course this is a little tricky in non-draft racing. You have to keep them in sight and not let them go but you can't stay too close because then you're cheating. But she was exactly what I needed. We battled back and forth and pulled each other (no drafting of course!) through the field. It was awesome. And it resulted in my best bike of the year and probably of all my triathlon racing period.

The Run

The crowds were amazing and let me tell you how it feels to hear people screaming "GO USA!" in your face! Coming out of T2 I felt like I was sprinting. I was so amped up from my good bike and from all the cheering! My favorite cheer is how the Australians yell "Aussie, Aussie, Aussie" that sounds more like "Ozzie, Ozzie, Ozzie" in their accents while they wave their big kangaroos around!

As the run course made a turn down around the lake I started to settle in a little. This was, afterall, a 10K, not a mile race. ;) I immediately noted that my usual nausea was probably not going to be a problem today. And that made me so, so, so happy. Don't get me wrong, my stomach did not feel great. And in fact I didn't take any fluid or nutrition in on the bike. But it was merely "unsettled" and I didn't feel the need to throw up. How awesome. I'm blaming it on the nice, cool weather.

I instantly started to focus in on picking people to work up to and pass and then when I would catch them, I'd pick another person. This was by far the best focus and concentration I've ever had in certainly any triathlon I've ever done, perhaps maybe even in any race ever! I was so on a mission.

And so it went. I kept picking off people (again, a benefit of being a good runner - you are always passing at the end instead of getting passed). I was running around 6:30 pace and feeling pretty good. And then another Australian (different one) in my AG passed me around 6K. I had the same resolve to not let her go. DO NOT LET HER GO! Make the decision now - stick with her and now you don't even have to worry about drafting. :)

She pulled me along through the field but around 8K started to get a little ground on me. And then we entered back into the city with about 1.5K to go and the fans and crowds overwhelmed me again. "GO USA!" and those obnoxious noise makers and cow bells and with about 800 to go there was a Team USA coach/official yelling at me to just get 2 more and with that I looked up and saw my Australian friend right there. I made it my goal to get her, do whatever it takes to get her. And so I sprinted as hard as I could and right before the line I got her.

Of course now I know it doesn't much matter the difference between getting 11th (as I did) or 12th but at the time I didn't know what place I was in. And truthfully making those decisions - first to stay with the Aussie on the bike and then making the committment to get the other Aussie on the run - are what made my race for me. It certainly wasn't an overall fast time and the swim was pitiful but it's the best I've competed in a long time. And because of that, I am very, very happy with my race.

I was 11th in my age group, 2nd American in my age group, 33rd overall and 6th American overall. Total time of 2:21:02 as 26:52 swim (dear Lord...), 4:32 T1 (told you it was long), 1:06:42 bike, 2:50 T2 and 40:05 run (20:15/19:50 5K splits). At the very least it was a much improved performance from US nationals! :)

Overall Experience

The whole trip was truly an amazing experience. And I'm so very glad I got the chance to do it. It's not an easy thing to travel to a foreign country, deal with 9 hour flights and lugging your dang bike around everywhere, trying to figure out currency and language barriers and by god what am I going to eat in this country?! Then there is the 6 hour time difference and trying to figure out where you are going to ride your bike without getting killed by one of the many BMWs flying around on the roads... It's certainly a challenge to remain focused and get ready to have the best race of your season!

But it was worth all that hassle and more. I met so many wonderful people. I saw and experienced a culture very different from the only one I've ever known. And I got the chance to watch the best triathletes in the world in the pro, under 23 and junior races. But best of all I got to represent my country and see how I stacked up against triathletes around the globe.

What's Next?

Coming home and studying the results (absolutely LOVE pouring through all the results and comparing splits, etc...) I kept coming to the same conclusion - if *only* I could actually swim I might be able to make an impact in this sport! Even O told me his theory that I needed to either (a) get faster in the water or (b) move up in distance to half IM/full IM where the swim is much less significant and my short comings can be made up easier on the bike/run.

I was feeling especially salty about the whole swim thing yesterday when I sent my coach a long, whiny email about how slow I am. I lamented how I work hard in the pool and in the weight room but still don't get faster, blah, blah, blah. To which he simply replied "patience". Oh great - just what I wanted to hear. ;)

But I know it's the truth. Patience. It's obvious that I don't have the upper body strength of a good swimmer or the experience in the water of pushing myself hard or the stroke efficiency that will allow me to swim faster with less effort. But just as my running came round through high school and college, so will my swimming.

And so now today I'm feeling more encouraged. Competing in Germany offered me the opportunity to see how very far I have to go. I've already discussed the swimming situation. I think running is my strength but guess what - there were age groupers who ran 3 minutes faster than me. And there were people who outsplit me on the bike by 2 minutes. But competing in Germany also gave me confidence that I can do it and the determination to train correctly so I will do it. In fact I'm more excited than ever to keep pursuing my goals and my dreams in this sport. The only person that can put limits on myself is me.

I'm not sure what I'll do - stick with shorter races or move up to focus on longer ones, make a huge push to turn pro or stick around in the amateur ranks for a few years, heck, maybe I'll just become a duathlete! (just kidding of course...) But what I am sure about is that I love this sport and all that encompasses it and that I have an amazing support system to help me achieve all that I want to. What more could you ask for?

I'm absolutely stoked about my next race - the Half IM World Champs in Florida! At the very least I can say with a good deal of certainty that the Gulf of Mexico won't be 60 degrees when we jump in early on November 10th - and that makes me very happy! I'm excited to have a good chunk of time to train hard and prepare myself as best as possible for it. After 2 easy recovery days (short run/bike/swim) on Monday and Tuesday, I started training up again today with a 4K swim this morning (main set of 30x100) and an easy 30 minute run. Later today I'll hit the weight room. And so it goes, the next journey to begin...

PS - Pictures are coming! :)

Posted by beth at 12:37 PM | Comments (6)

September 4, 2007

Brain Explosion!

So it's me again - don't be too disappointed. I think I may hire O out again for blog writing duties in the near future. :)

I have so many things I have swimming around in my head that I want to write about the trip and the race and EVERYTHING - so many so I feel as if my brain might explode! But it's already late and I'm sleepy; very sleepy. I will definitely write more tomorrow! And I'll have pics!

But I did want to thank everyone for their very nice comments both before and after the race! I think about a lot of different things when I'm racing, usually never the same. But one thing I always do think of, especially when the going is starting to get tough, is of all the support that I am so lucky to receive and how much I do not want to disappoint. You guys are the best and I appreciate it so very much.

Also appreciated very much is my mom who was a true trooper in Germany these past couple days! Her duties included everything from bike assembly to lugger of many big bags to standing around in 50 degree weather and pouring down rain watching me do a practice swim in a cold, nasty lake and then carrying my dripping wetsuit afterwards. It's not easy to find moms like that. Some vacation right?! But I couldn't have survived without her.

And now I must soon go to bed. Race details to follow!

Posted by beth at 9:39 PM | Comments (2)

September 2, 2007

Results from Hamburg

Hello again. This is O.

I've got some preliminary results from Beth's race this morning. The official results are not up yet, but Beth's chip times are up. I also just spoke with Beth, so I'll try to sprinkle in a few items with the results. Here they are:

Swim - 26:52

Very cold and dirty. Everyone's times were slow. There was a USA girl in Beth's age group who swam at Princeton and swam around 23 minutes (usually around 20).

T1 - 4:32

You had to run a really long way to get to the transition area from the water.

Bike - 1:06:42

Beth said she felt great--no nausea!!!! Beside her bike time under "place" is #17. We think that means she had the 17th fastest bike time among females?

T2: 2:50

Again, BIG transition area

Run: 40:05

She felt great again and outkicked an Aussie at the finish. By her run time was the place #24.

Also listed on this timing sheet is:

Place - 11 (age group? If so, she's really pumped about that!)
Place Sex - 33 (Overall female?)
Place overall - 582 (overall with men?)

I'm on my way to church and then Maryland to see my sister. Feel free to add in comments to if official results come up.

Have a great day!

O

Posted by beth at 8:23 AM | Comments (4)

September 1, 2007

Quick hits from Beth on Race Day eve

Hello all. It's O again. Here's some highlights from some of the emails that Beth has sent me:

...but i don't think i told you about my freezing cold swim in the Alster River!!! it was about 50 degrees air temp, raining and generally miserable when we went over. i quickly got my wetsuit on and just jumped in, no other way to do it. OH MY!!!! So cold it takes your breath away!!! and you think that the allegheny river in Pittsburgh is dirty?!?! no way man - this water was BLACK!!! oh so gross. the water temp is in the low 60s.

the parade of nations last night was kind of a dud! it was cold and raining so not as well attended as usual i think. also, germany chose not to make it a parade so much as a presentation. it was kind of cool and there were fireworks but with the weather it was a little cold and miserable too. oh well! there were some funny antics between countries though. those crazy aussies tried to get this big blow up kangaroo in our US team picture!!

so we went to watch the under 23 womens championships this afternoon (FRIDAY). awesome!!! it was the first draft legal race ive seen in person. so cool. they do multiple loops on both the bike and run so the spectators can see the racers frequently. it was so exciting because a girl from the US led out of the water and then broke away from the main pack on the bike. she had about a minute lead off the bike but a girl from sweden slowly started whittling the lead away on the run. she probably had fresher legs because she was in a big bike pack drafting while the us girl was working all alone up front! i guess that was the risk the us girl took....to try to get away and hold on...but by the 2nd of 3 laps on the run the girl from sweden got her! the us girl held on for 2nd and this crazy girl from hungry ran like a maniac all the way to the bronze. i swear she got off the bike in about 15th place...not even in the top bike pack. she was flying (35:11). both the winner and the us girl in 2nd got handed flags as they came down the finish chute and celebrated big and it was just really neat to watch. and what awful conditions they had! it was cold and raining for the majority of the race. im surprised there werent many bike crashes because the roads were wet and they were riding on cobblestones, etc...

And, Sunday morning's the big race day. For those of you die hards, she will start around 3:30 AM eastern time and finish before 6AM. Beth said the results should be posted at the ITU Website.

As for me, I'm getting fired up for the first PSU football game of the year today. They play Florida International. The running joke this week is people are asking if Florida International is a college or airport!!! PSU should have an easy time with them, but I will be curious to see how Anthony Morelli (the QB) starts out his senior year. The offensive and defensive lines had to be somewhat rebuilt, but the rest of the team looks pretty solid. We'll see how it goes this fall and if they can find a way to win a Big Ten Championship.

With Beth away, I'm taking Roxy the dog down to my parents and all of us are heading down to Frederick, Maryland to visit my sister and her husband. While we're there, we are going to watch a Frederick Keys minor league baseball game. They're taking on the Winston-Salem Warthogs. I'm a big fan of minor league baseball and I can't wait. I think the reason I like minor league baseball is because the Pirates have been bad for so long that I have to keep looking to the future to give me hope for the organization.

For the minor leagues, here's some of the teams that Beth and I have seen (what unique names):
Altoona Curve
Buffalo Bison
Toledo Mudhens
Salem Avalanche
Lynchburg Hillcats
Akron Aeros
Harrisburg Senators
Hickory Crawdads
Bowie Baysox
Erie Seawolves

It's fun to watch these guys hustle and work hard and follow their progress to see if they can make it to the major leagues.

Well, wish Beth good luck and I'm sure she'll call me on Sunday. I'll try to get some info up Sunday, but I'll be travelling to Frederick. Be sure to check the ITU Hamburg website. Beth will be home Monday afternoon and I'm sure she'll have tons to blog about Monday night and Tuesday.

Happy Labor Day Weekend! Go Beth, Go! Go PSU!

Posted by beth at 9:16 AM | Comments (1)