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October 29, 2008

Check It Out!

If you'd like to hear me yammer on about heart rate training, check this out! It's the podcast interview with Roman Mica that I mentioned last week. I yammer for just a bit and then a Polar employee talks more intelligently about HR based training afterwards. O says I sounded like Darth Vadar because of the way I was breathing into the phone during the interview. I say fooey on him! :)

In other news, it's snowing in Pittsburgh! What. The. Heck?! Cold too. Not ready for this. Must find a new home where the sun shines all the time and the temperature never falls below 50. :)

And in still other news, I have a plan for my off season! I am excited about this. I don't mind off season one bit IF I have a plan for it. Otherwise I feel like a hopeless lost soul. But coach emailed me today with the plan. Start training for Oceanside December 1. Until then I can do as I feel, nothing structured but it's not as if I have to sit on my butt for 4 weeks straight, watching tv and shoving chips in my mouth either! Probably a little swimming, a little running and, if I ever put my bike back together, a little riding. :) But coach also said, if I can't handle the "do as you please" after a few weeks (aka I'm climbing up the walls), I'm allowed to email him and he'll make up a little maintenance plan for me until Dec 1 with minimal training. After a few years together, he knows me oh so well. :) Either way, as of right now, I'm enjoying coming home from work and not doing a thing!

Anyway, one thing I am doing is this. Mostly because O agreed to do it with me and I wanted to see if I could do more pushups then him. :) We did our initial tests last night. I always forget how hard pushups are!

Have a great night everyone and keep warm!

Posted by beth at 4:51 PM | Comments (2)

October 28, 2008

Best of the US!

What an awesome experience. Sunday night, after the race, a bunch of us got together to eat dinner at a Mexican resturant in downtown Tempe. And as we all sat there, outside, on a warm, beautiful night, eating great food and having so much fun, talking about the race or just about life, I thought "what a great way to end a race" and then "what a great way to end a season." We had all just been racing each other tooth and nail and now here we all were joking and laughing and creating great friendships! What a sport! And what a blessing. I am really thankful to Jerry and Trudy McNeil for creating the Best of the US and putting so much hard work into making it such a success.

Beautiful Tempe the day before the race. Great place for a triathlon! And site of IM Arizona among other races.

So...onto the actual race!

The swim. Two words - short and brutal! At least it wasn't long and brutal! :)

Start of the swim.

Despite my skeptism, the water really was cold enough to be wetsuit legal (68 degrees race morning!). The BOUS was the first wave to go off so we all got in the water about 10 minutes before the start and warmed up and then lined up. And then OFF we went! And then mass craziness. Then lots of kicking. Then the first buoy where I thought I was going to die. Then before I knew it I was desperately grabbing at the railing to the steps to get out of the water!

This swim was a lot like NYC for me. Because we started with the men and just for the fact that it's a championship type race where there are a lot of people of similiar ability and so the swim never spead out, unless of course you are one of those super swimmers up front doing your own thing.

But I can't complain because I literally felt like I just started and there we were making the last turn! That never happens for me in the swim, trust me. :) And when I got out of the water and saw on my watch that it was just a hair over 12 minutes, I realized that the reason it felt so short was because IT WAS short. :) We were all guessing it was closer to 800 meters.

This was towards the end of the swim where we are a little more spread out.

Now onto the bike. I always look forward to the bike and this was going to be a great, fast and flat course. Or so I thought! :)

I got off to a great start and O was telling me I was in the top 15. Top 15 already? Wow!! I figured I would be someone in the 30s coming out of the water so I was excited at my prospects of biking myself into the top 10 and then holding onto that position on the run. At BOUS the top 10 get awards and that was my main goal. Get on that podium!

I passed some girls immediately and then I started to catch and ride around some of women that I knew would be key players in the podium race. And if I didn't recognize them by face it helped that our bike numbers had our home states on them for easy identification! :)

Regardless, just a quick word about the bike course - it was flat and fast as could be although there were multiple (and the course was 2 loops so multiply everything by 2) quick little out and backs where you would turn, go down a road for a block or two and then do a 180 degree hairpin turn to come back down the road.

Well it became obvious very quickly that pack formation and drafting (about 99.9% of which was unintentional and unavoidable) was going to be an issue because in addition to the flatness and the 180 degree turns that bunched everyone up, the course was very narrow throughout the whole race making it hard to get around anyone. Like Clearwater but with many more turns. AHHH!!

Anyway, I truly feel like we were all doing our best to avoid each other and just trying to make the best of the situation while still racing hard.

But then, confusion about WHERE we were going on the course started to set in. Because you see, there were so many cones and so many out and backs it all started to look the same. Now I pride myself on knowing the course well. We always drive the bike course and I study the maps and I felt like I knew where I was going relatively well. BUT, when someone places doubt in your head (like "are you sure we are going the right way?") you start to think "maybe I don't know where I'm going?" Anyway, we had a few of these situations where someone started to go the wrong way, a few hesitated, we corrected ourselves, etc...

Well it was one such occasion where my little crash occurred. We rode out over one of the many bridges and at the end we made a hairpin U-turn to come right back over the bridge. As we were riding back down the other side of the bridge I can vaguely hear someone yelling "turn around, turn around, we were supposed to go straight!" I sit up (AGAIN!) and turn around and notice about 5 or 6 people slowing and starting to turn around and everyone was yelling and there was confusion. Here we go again... So I start to slow and turn my bike ever so slightly when I hear someone behind me yelling "NO, NO, NO!" and then the slow motion of "oh, my gosh - we are going to crash!!!!" It was Kirsten from TN.

I had enough time to move my bike just enough so she hit my back wheel from the side (instead of me) but not enough time to steady myself for the impact. I just sort of toppled over though (because I already had one foot clipped out) whereas she went down pretty hard. I FELT SO BAD. She was sort of in shock just sitting there and I just kept saying "are you okay, are you okay." Oh my. Not the kind of thing you want to happen in the middle of a race!

We both scrabled to our feet and clipped in and rode off. And I just kept thinking "that did not just happen!" But it did, and as I learned, sometimes things happen in races that you just have to put behind you!

Kirsten rode off hard and so did I but the trouble is, I was just working so hard and people kept passing me! All those girls that I had worked so hard to catch on the bike where just riding away. I kept thinking "come on, get back into this" but no amount of coaxing and positive talk was working. Until it finally occured to me, about 2 miles later, that when Kirsten and I tangled, and my back wheel was hit, my brake probably moved and was rubbing on my wheel. Once it occured to me, I started praying that really was the problem!

So I looked around, pulled over (right where O was standing by the way!), clipped out and sure enough, my back brake was DEFINITELY rubbing my wheel. Problem solved!

I was so happy to have it fixed and finally riding back to the speed I thought I should be going! And with my head now back in the game it was time to make up some of my lost time.

Around this time we started the 2nd loop and this time I knew where I was going. Now though, we were starting to encounter all the people from the half ironman that were on their first loop. I stayed very focused though and just rode as hard as I could. The 2nd loop had much less drama. I got off my bike still convinced that I could finish in the top 10.

Off on the run and I can hear Jerry McNeil on the microphone saying "Beth Shutt, one of the best runners in the field...". I had to laugh. I never consider myself one of the best runners because I never have the fastest run split. I know it's my background but still, I'm not one of those people that routinely runs 37-38 minute 10K splits! Still though, today I had to believe I was one of the best runners if I wanted to achieve my goals! I was so determined to be in that top 10!

I saw O about 1/2 mile into the run and he told me I was in 13th place. I could see 12th place right in front of me but then there was a group of girls in front of 12th that I knew I HAD to catch. Unfortunately I could see who was in the pack (or guess who was in there) and I knew they were all good runners!

I caught the girl immediately in front of me and then set about the long, arduous task of trying to get that next group. They started to split up a little themselves and as I got closer I could see Cindi B was in there. So my mantra became "catch Cindi B, you can do this, catch Cindi B, you can do this, catch Cindi B, you can do this..." I was lucky enough to meet Cindi in Dallas and I knew she was a great runner and I knew if I could just focus my energy on pulling her in, she would help me achieve that top 10 result that I so desperately wanted.

Around 3 to 4 miles in (don't know for sure because they didn't have mile markers) I finally passed 10th place so that I was now in 10th place myself! I still didn't catch Cindi but we had passed a few others and I was holding onto that last spot! I also passed O around this time (he was literally ALL over the course and cheering for everyone so multiple people asked me "how does he get to so many different spots?" :) and he confirmed that I was in 10th.

Trouble is, I knew Sue H was somewhere behind me and it wouldn't be long before she caught me, moving be back to 11th. Now this wasn't negative thinking, it was just realistic thinking! Because Sue H IS the best runner in the field. She IS the one who routinely runs 36-38 minute 10Ks. And I knew she would be coming at some point. Sue, by the way, also ran for Penn State (we were never teammates though as we ran at separate times) so we had a few laughs about our old coach after the race. :)

Regardless, right around the time I got into 10th place, sure enough, Sue came sprinting right by. Dang.

So back to the "catch Cindi B, you can do this, catch Cindi B, you can do this, catch Cindi B, you can do this..." because Cindi was still in front of me.

I never did catch Cindi. And after the race she told me she was determined not to let me catch her! But, I did finally catch 10th place. And then, with less than a half mile to go, with O yelling at me that this was my last race and COME ON, you CAN CATCH ONE MORE, I also caught another girl to move into 9th place. I was hurting so badly. I didn't know how much longer I could hold on. But thankfully that finish line came into view and I was DONE!

Towards the end of the run as you can tell by my stellar knee lift. :)

800 meter swim, 31-32 mile bike and 6.55 mile run and I was DONE. (race distances were a tad bit off the advertised 1000 meter swim, 27 mi bike :).

And I was so happy. It was a tough race against tough competition but that's how we like it isn't it? Makes it much more satisfying to know you gave as much as you possibly could.

We all stood around for a while and chatted and I saw my teammate Kristel and no less than THREE people told me I look like Elizabeth when I run. I took it as a huge compliment. :)

And then I found O and his parents and aunt who had come to watch and we celebrated! And I found my PA teammate Rick at JUST about the time when I heard Rick and I had finished 3rd in the team competition!! THANK YOU RICK! (he finished 4th in the men's race so I was the dud on the team! :) And then I saw Vinnie's wife and she told me Vinnie had won! Vinnie is from Morgantown, WV and we had met way back at the first race of the season, St. Anthony's, as we were on the same flight from Pittsburgh to Tampa and we both shared our distaste for swimming... :) What a great day.

Before the awards O and I did a little cooldown jog (where I threw up 3 times because my stomach was NOT HAPPY at how hard I was running at the end and then at how much water I guzzled at the finish line... :) and I have to admit, I started to wonder "what if we hadn't had all those mishaps on the bike...what if Kirsten and I hadn't crashed...what if my brake wasn't rubbing..." But I quickly dismissed those thoughts. Because it's all part of racing. And that's just how it goes. I was so lucky to have been able to keep going. To finish the race. That neither Kirsten nor I was truly hurt. She finished 5th! And was a true class act. I apologized to her after the race and she told me "don't worry one bit - sometimes things happen - that's what racing is." I learned a lot of Kirsten this weekend.

I ended up getting 8th place because Shannon, one of the girls ahead of me, was given a 3 minute penalty on the bike that moved her down to 10th and several of us up one spot.

Trudy presenting me my beautiful award - it's a picture frame and they will be sending us "action" photos from the race to put in it!

Team PA with our 3rd place awards. What we lack in height we make up for in heart! (I'm 5'4" so I'm guessing Rick is 5'5"? :)

So that's my story! From start to finish it was such an awesome experience. It was great to have O and his parents and aunt out there to cheer me on (and thanks to my mother in law for all the great pics!). And great to be a part of such a great race. I'm always so sad when a season is over but I couldn't have been more blessed to have this experience be my last race! And to end on a high note!

Big thanks to everyone for all their good luck wishes and notes of congratulations! You guys really are the best!

Posted by beth at 7:39 AM | Comments (17)

October 25, 2008

Here We Go!

Gotta do PA proud! I do, afterall, have the flag now.

The group. How fun!!

Tempe is beautiful. The course is awesome. The people are great. Now it's just time to race fast and hard!

Posted by beth at 10:26 PM | Comments (3)

October 24, 2008

Toasty Tempe Part II

Today I decided to go on an 11:30 am walk outside to see just how hot it really is here in Tempe, AZ. Plus, I was hungry and I knew (thanks to O's maps) that there was a Subway about a 1/4 mile up the road from my hotel.

So I walked outside and thought - wow, this isn't so bad! It doesn't feel like 90 degrees. Or at least the 90 degrees that I felt at the NYC tri this past July when I literally thought I was going to melt into a giant puddle. Not the 90 degrees where you sweat right through a shirt within 5 minutes. Not the 90 degrees that makes you want to cry.

But just give it some time. It does eventually feel hot because the sun is just so...penetrating. Wow is that sun strong. And I looked up into the sky and realized there was not a cloud to be seen! That doesn't happen in Pittsburgh. Indeed, the only reason I wear sunglasses to ride in at home is so things don't fly into my eyes. Really. Pittsburgh just doesn't get that much sun. I love Pittsburgh and I don't want to sound like I'm complaining but I think Pittsburghers forget what the REAL sun is really like!

That is until they come to a place like Tempe, Arizona where the sun is brighter than bright! But step into the shade here and...ahh...pure heaven. Warm but not too much so and bright and simply beautiful. It would be hard to blame a bad mood on the weather around these parts!

So I got my Subway and found a nice shady bench (which I think was actually a bus stop bench but no buses came so I didn't have to explain why I was having a picnic at the bus stop) and ate my lunch.

And right then, right there, on that bench eating my turkey sub, I couldn't have felt happier. I just felt so incredibly blessed to be in such a beautiful place on such a warm, sunny day, about to compete in such an awesome race!

We are so lucky aren't we? To get to compete in a sport we love. A sport with so much opportunity, so many great people and so many amazing races. Here I was, thousands of miles away from home, visiting a beautiful place, enjoying a great day and all because I have been blessed with a body that is capable of swimming, biking and running. Who is this lucky I ask?! :) It certainly makes all the early morning swims, long, cold rides and gut wrenching intervals on the track more than worth it. I never thought this is what I would be doing with/in my life. But I couldn't be happier to be doing it. Or feel more blessed.

So that was my most recent adventure. :) In other news, this morning I had a phone interview with this guy! What's up with that? My coach offered me the opportunity for the interview and I jumped right on it. And it was fun! Although I'm quite certain I sounded rather incoherent and made no sense whatsoever. :) Either way, it was in regards to heart rate training and in conjunction with a representative from Polar. Polar sponsors the MarkAllenOnline team that I'm on so we are lucky enough to get some great HR monitors/bike computers, etc... Anyway, it was great to talk with Roman after reading this blog for so long (and what a nice person!). I will post a link to the podcast when he puts it up on his website some time next week!

And in still other news, you may now notice that if you want to leave a comment on my blog it will not post immediately. Although I held off for a long time on screening my comments before they posted, I can no longer do it! The blogging program that I use does have some filters but some undesirables still slip through the cracks. I would certainly never filter critisism or anything like that - hey, have at me if you'd like! :) But when people post comments with lies and other malicious things that hurt my family and I and just simply are not true, I will not tolerate it. So if you were wondering, that's why I added the extra step of comment screening!

And now, back to the bike building project that I started, oh, about 5 hours ago. What can I say, I'm easily distracted... And then, off to the aiport to pick up O (yippeee!)! And then the real excitement begins tomorrow...packet pickup, race meetings, checking out the course, etc... Fun times!

Posted by beth at 3:27 PM | Comments (6)

October 23, 2008

Toasty Tempe

Actually, it's not that hot here, mostly because I arrived when the sun was already down and the heat gone for the day. I hear mid-day when the sun is shining and bright it's nice and toasty...to the tune of 90+ degrees! I guess I'll get to see that tomorrow!

So I arrived in Tempe along with my suitcase and bike in one piece! Actually, can't confirm that my bike it still in one piece because I haven't opened up the case yet. I figure I'll leave that task for tomorrow morning. My flight went smoothly although I wasn't quite expecting such a long flight. I guess I don't usually go THIS far for races so I don't have 4.5+ hour flights! But it went relatively quickly and only in the last 30 minutes when the baby behind me started to wail did I get a little antsy...as in...GET ME OFF THIS PLANE NOW! Either way, Southwest is the way to fly I tell you. I think they are the only airline left that doesn't charge extra for bags, drinks, snacks and doesn't kill you on the bike fee. And I got a window seat. :)

As of right now I'm just desperately trying to stay awake until 9 pm MST so that I can get on a somewhat normal schedule. If I had to guess though, I'd say I'll be getting up around 4 am tomorrow morning! But better to go west than east, that's for sure. I learned that last year when I went to Germany!

Tempe is so nice! I can't wait to see the race course. My in laws picked me up at the airport and said they had tried to drive the bike course today. They said it was very nice with smooth roads. And I saw Tempe Town Lake. And I'm very excited!

But also tired. Only 45 more minutes and I can go to sleep...

Good night all! Hope everyone has a great Friday!

Posted by beth at 11:05 PM | Comments (0)

October 22, 2008

One Last Time

Yes, I'm procrastinating again. Why? Well because I have to pack today for my upcoming trip to Arizona of course! And packing is bad. Very, very bad. But I promised myself I would at least have my suitcase packed by the time O got home. I even considered trying to have my BIKE packed by the time he got home but that was just a fleeting thought. Let's be realistic here! Besides, I don't want to bloody myself trying to get my pedals off. The pedal wrench and I don't get along very well. Although I have to admit I did a very good job in Dallas getting my pedals off all by myself (okay, with the help of the diagram O drew for me so I could remember which way to turn the wrench...). ANYWAY, the point is, I will pack at least one bag before O walks through the door. I hope... :)

I can't believe Best of the US is finally here! I've been excited for this race since I didn't qualify in 2007. And now, here we are, 15 months later! I'm really excited to be going to Arizona. Excited to represent my state (and, I must say, I think PA just might do some damage in the state competition)! Excited to meet a bunch of great athletes! Excited to be warm! And mostly, excited to be racing again. Which, to me, is the true reward for all the hard training I do. I love to race. I really, really love to race. (although if you've ever seen me before a race you may or may not think I LOOK like I love to race as I tend to get a little nervous :)

And let's face it, racing is such a privilege. So I'm always incredibly thankful when I get yet another chance to "toe the line"!

So to Tempe we go! I am flying out tomorrow. O is flying out on Friday and my in-laws are already there! O's aunt lives in Phoenix so my mother and father in law planned a visit to see her right around the time when I would be racing. Worked out well. :)

Oh and did I mention the distances of this race? Not a standard Olympic distance race, but rather a "quarterman" where the race distances are roughly a quarter of the IM distances. So...do the math...yep...SHORT SWIM and LONG BIKE! Did they create this race just for me? :) 1000 meter swim, 27-28 mi bike, 6.5 mi run. I was in heaven when I saw that! But I'm no fool. I know what this race is all about and I know the field contains extremely fast swimmers AND extremely fast cyclists AND extremely fast runners! So race distance doesn't really matter. It will be fast and competitive no matter what.

So here's hoping I can end this great season that I've had with a bang. I've come a long way this year, learned a lot and enjoyed it every step of the way. But I have just a bit further to go...that is IF I get my bags packed first...

Next time...Arizona! :)

Posted by beth at 1:07 PM | Comments (10)

October 20, 2008

I Heart Running

I'm definitely a triathlete now. No doubt about that. I don't think I'll ever go back to "just" running because, well, my body just can't take it. Been there. Done that. Many injuries to prove it.

But darn it if I don't just LOVE to run. So although I'm a triathlete, I think my heart will always be happiest when I'm out running, on a crisp fall morning, like I was this morning. It helps that I'm in good shape right now so running feels somewhat effortless (trust me, I've been on the other end of that stick). And it helps that I've run hundreds upon hundreds of miles in my lifetime and my body...well, my body just knows. It knows what to do. And the cool air feels so refreshing. And the darkness of the morning, when everyone is still sleeping is so peaceful. Reminds me of my morning runs in college which I absolutely relished. The quiet is so amazing. The simplicity so breathtaking.

So while I love the sound of the water rushing over my ears in the pool.

And I love how fast I can go on my bike and how far I get.

Running will always be #1 to me. Afterall, running and I have been through a lot together. Running and I are like old friends who will always be close. And for that, I'm very thankful.

Posted by beth at 8:41 PM | Comments (6)

October 19, 2008

Furnace Woes

As O and I were leaving the house this morning to take Roxy on her walk and I was wearing a winter coat, hat, gloves, flannel pants (which may or may not have been part of my pjs) and a big hooded sweatshirt, I told O that it was hard to believe that by the end of this week I will be racing in 90 degree temps. Tempe cannot get here fast enough! My flight leaves Thursday! :)

So yes, western PA is getting colder, just like the rest of the country. Lows already in the 20s! Which of course means bad timing for our furnace to poop out on us. Bummer on that.

We tried turning the furnace on yesterday when we realized the temperature in the house was getting close to dipping under 60 degrees. But when O flipped the switch...nothing. We gave it some time because afterall, we live in an old house and the furnace is just about as old! But after quite a while, still...nothing. Bummer.

Didn't think too much of it until this morning when we woke up and the temperature was hovering in the mid 50s in the house. Not cool in my opinion - I hate being cold! So O fooled around with it some and...nothing. But wait...yes, it did turn on after a while! Yay! Maybe it was just rusty, we reasoned. It had, afterall, gotten the whole summer off.

But when we came back from church...nothing. We had a few more teases throughout the day where it would work for a brief period but then...yep, you guessed it...nothing. So finally, we accepted the fact that it's broken and we needed someone to come look at it.

Except not on the weekend because do you know how much they charge extra to come out on a weekend? Not pretty, that's all I'll say. One guy did tell us though that not too many places still carry the parts for our old furnace so we might be looking at needing a whole new system. Humpf. I declared that I didn't like that man too much! :)

So, more phone calls tomorrow and hopefully it can be taken care of soon. For cheap. Did I mention that I'm leaving for Tempe, AZ (where the highs are still in the 90s) on Thursday? And that Thursday can't come fast enough? :)

Oh well - what can you do? Do we have the money to buy a whole new furnace? Hecks no! But such is life and if I've learned one thing, it's that life has a way of working itself out. And in the mean time, we shouldn't get too worked up about things. It was just this morning that our pastor was telling us that indeed, we aren't the ones in control and we're silly to even think we can come close... :)

So that's the tale of our furnace woes. Now how about some training talk? I did some riding today when it was nice and sunny and about 50 degrees outside. I'm starting to remember that the fall is a windy time of year. At least the past couple days have been! And then O and I both went to the pool. Him to try and loosen up the legs a little after his big PR in the half marathon yesterday! And me, to swim hard. His option looked more fun, but mine wasn't too bad either.

Hope everyone has a great (warm!) week!

Posted by beth at 7:39 PM | Comments (6)

October 18, 2008

Half Marathon Madness

Well, here I go again, tempted to steal O's thunder and tell you all about HIS great race today on MY blog! I won't do it this time though, like I did last time. But suffice it to say he ran really well and I was really proud of him! His cousin also ran the race and so it was a fun morning. COLD morning, but fun. Perfect, fall day for a race too. I took pictures so you should be able to see them on O's blog once he writes his race report. Great job O - you are quite the runner AND I definitely see that 3 hour barrier in the marathon going DOWN next year.

Before all the action this morning I did my own little run - in a hat and gloves! But don't you worry, I still wore shorts. Can't be bringing out the tights just yet! Great run though and, thanks to the taper, that's all I have on the schedule for today!

Have a beautiful fall day everyone!

Posted by beth at 1:29 PM | Comments (1)

October 17, 2008

Blustery

Today I did my last long ride ("long" being relative because it wasn't actually very long) in what I would consider blustery conditions. Not too warm (in the mid 40s) and windy. Leaves flying around everywhere. Cloudy. One of those fall days that tells you summer really is gone for good.

Now I know my definition of blustery will change throughout the year - in February blustery will mean SNOW flying around everywhere, windchills in the negatives and COLD, COLD, COLD. At which point I would give anything to have a day in the 40s. :)

But still, blustery aside (and frozen feet aside!) I had a great ride. The leaves are so beautiful this time of year. And fall will probably always be my favorite. Even though I know what's coming next.

So I rode through the country side, past all the big old red barns and the beautiful trees that are letting their leaves go for the fall. And even though I was cold, it was a splendid ride.

Even more splendid though was my run this morning! Because while anything less than 50 degrees is getting a little chilly for the cyclist in me, 40-50 degree weather is AWESOME for the runner in me! I didn't want my run to end this morning! I think anyone who grew up as a runner, where fall meant cross country season and running through the big leaf piles with your teammates, will always favor this time of year over any other!

Also went swimming this morning where I almost had to circle swim with some 70 year olds! Don't get me wrong, I am not a lane snob at all! I will swim with anyone, circle swim, split the lane, whatever! But there were 2 lanes to choose from and both lanes had 2 people in them. When an elderly gentleman showed up wanting to get in also the lady sharing the lane with me was insistent that he circle swim with us. Even though I was swimming ~1:20 pace and they both were swimming ~3 min pace. You can imagine the turmoil. Now in the next lane over there were 2 other elderly people swimming ~3 min pace so does it not make sense for this new person to join that lane instead? Still, I would never say anything because I don't own the lane! So I was preparing myself for some open water practice and learning how to swim around obstacles. :) When the lifeguards (who take care of me so well) came to my rescue and explained to the lady in my lane why circle swimming with me might not be such a smart idea. I don't think she was pleased, and I felt bad, but in the end it all worked out and nobody lost any teeth. :)

Now it's time to make dinner. Pasta night! Because O has a big race tomorrow! He is running a half marathon on the trail that we always do our long runs on. I'm excited for him. I smell another big PR coming on. Okay, he's never run a half marathon before so he has to PR but I can only surmise how much he's going to take MY PR down by. I am slowly losing all household records. He is planning a marathon next year. I have a feeling I won't be household marathon record holder either. It's a good thing he doesn't know how to swim well or my triathlon records would all be lost too. Mental note, don't teach the boy how to swim properly... :)

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Posted by beth at 4:51 PM | Comments (3)

October 16, 2008

Mindful Eating

Well, I'm all riled up today about nutrition so watch out! This morning at work one of the surgeons told me that "nutrition is the least of this patient's concerns" when I inquired about when exactly they planned on feeding the man with 5 bullets in his belly. "Well yes, I know he is fighting for his life", I returned, "but how do you expect him to fight with no nutrition?!" It has already been 7 days of nothing but IV fluids. Get a feeding tube in this man stat! Upon which I got some snotty response from the surgeon that I couldn't really hear. I think he said something mean about dietitians (at which point I felt like telling him that his scrub pants where wayyyy to short and really, if you are 6'2" you need to buy the extra long scrub pants because quite frankly it's hard to take you seriously in those flood pants sir!). But he did promise to put in a feeding tube the next time he took the patient to the OR. He was probably just trying to placate me but at least I got my point across. Without proper nutrition "ain't nothing gonna work right!"

Which is true for us too right? Nutrition being important that is. Even more so for the athlete that is asking much more of their body than the average joe, and expecting their body to perform big day in and day out.

And when something is really important to us, what do we do? We THINK about it a lot. We give it the consideration that it deserves. Which leads me to the second piece of the healthy lifestyle eating puzzle - mindful eating. I've already talked about the first - sustainability.

Mindful eating. Ahh...music to my ears. And what do I mean by mindful eating you ask? Well, simply put, mindful eating is planning out your meals, your snacks, WHAT YOU ARE GOING TO PUT INTO YOUR BODY day in and day out. With the goal of making sure you make the best possible decisions.

I liken mindful eating to a good, solid training plan. You have a big race coming up so what do you do? You plan out your training months in advance to make sure you get enough base work, enough strength, enough speed and that your taper is spot on. And the result is a stellar race, perhaps a PR.

So mindful eating then is planning your meals each day so that you make sure you get enough protein, enough fruits and enough veggies, enough whole grains and enough healthy fats. And it's not just WHAT you are going to eat but WHEN you are going to eat it.

Example - every week when O and I go grocery shopping we plan out our dinners for the week. We make sure we have some red meat, some chicken, some pasta in there, something fun (pizza night!) and of course the fruits and veggies too. This helps us to make sure that we have everything in the house that we need so there are no excuses for poor decisions. The food is there, we just have to make it.

THEN, every night, I plan out my meals for the next day, depending on what my schedule is and when I'll be doing my training. I'll make sure I eat before each training session and something directly after for proper recovery. I'll make sure I have at least 5 fruits and veggies (total), enough protein and whole grains and that it's all spaced out throughout the day evenly. I'll have it down meal by meal and snack by snack.

Now I know what you are thinking. PURE craziness! You are thinking that is too regimented and BORING. And too controlling. But let me tell you folks - this is how good nutrition happens. It won't just happen on it's own. You have to MAKE it happen!

And I look at the alternative. Without planning I struggle to get all the good stuff in. I end up eating pasta for lunch and dinner with no protein source to be found. I end up driving around doing errands for an hour after my swim without eating anything because I didn't think ahead enough to put a PowerBar in my bag for recovery. I end up eating no fruits and one measley serving of vegetable. In short, I end up with a very poor showing for the day.

This is not to say that you can't change something throughout the day - substitute this for that or perhaps have your salad at lunch instead of dinner. Flexibility is key! But if you have at least a basic plan, you are much better off than having no plan at all.

Now I can hear the whining already - "but I travel a lot for work and I don't know where I will be eating." To which I reply - BOO HOO! It may take some more thought and planning but it can be done! You know where you are traveling to, so find which restuarants you might be able to dine in. Find their menus. Find the healthiest options. Find the grocery stores in the area and figure out what you can buy that will supplement all the eating out. And take snacks and healthy options with you! If it's important enough to you, you will find a way.

Besides the day to day planning of meals, mindful eating also encompasses THINKING about what you put in your mouth. We've all been guilty of mindLESSly popping chip after chip after chip down the hatch while watching tv and before we know it, the whole bag is gone. NOT GOOD! Or mindlessly snacking on M&Ms as we make dinner. Not that chips or M&Ms are bad and shouldn't be eaten. Quite the contrary! The problem here is that you are not taking the time to think about what you are doing. You aren't enjoying those chips or M&Ms as you should and you aren't processing how they should fit into your daily meal plan. You are just shoveling them in. Mindlessly. So time to get mindful! Need a snack while you are watching tv? THINK about it first. What would be best to have? If chips is the only answer you can come up with, well than chips it is! But, put an appropriate serving size of those chips in a bowl and THEN eat them...so you aren't left with an empty bag and a very full stomach without even noticing.

So there you have it. Mindful eating. Give it a try. I think you'll like it!

Posted by beth at 5:33 PM | Comments (6)

October 15, 2008

Dallas Pictures

Well, late is better than never I guess! My mom was nice enough to send these pics from the US Open in Dallas 2 weekends ago (seems like the race was more like months ago!) so I thought I would share...

Here's Reinaldo, my Brazilian Olympian swimming friend, and I during our Saturday pre-race swim. He's just a bit taller than me. (you may note I'm standing on higher ground too)

The big screen awaiting us at the finish line in downtown Dallas. The finish was at the American Airlines Arena, where the Dallas Mavericks play.

Trying to negotiate Scotty into T2.

At the start of the run.

My new friends! Great athletes and people and the best part of the trip!

In other news, training has been going well! My last race of the season is approaching quickly which seems so odd to me because it really feels like I was just getting ready for the FIRST race of the season! Time flys. Always does. Anyway, this last race is an "A" race which means BIG taper which means I'm already on the downslide!

Today doesn't feel like much of a taper because I have hard bike intervals AND hard run intervals and a moderate swim. But Monday was just masters practice (went well!) and yesterday was off. So yes, the taper is on.

Speaking of those hard run intervals though...better get started soon before the football team takes over the track!

Have a great night everyone!

Posted by beth at 2:26 PM | Comments (3)

October 14, 2008

Can You Sustain?

Today I went to a training class for my new job. The job where I teach other people how to eat right. I am a registered dietitian so I have spent years in school learning how to eat right and learning how to teach people to eat right. But my current job has nothing to do with any of that. It has more to do with damage control. Like we have this really damaged person (trauma) and now how are we going to feed them? Anyway, I'm really looking forward to this new position because I think it will be an exciting challenge for me.

Anyway, the training course went well today despite the fact that it took me close to 30 minutes to find a parking spot downtown, they didn't actually have me registered for the course so there was mass confusion once I did arrive, and on the way home I got lost in the North Side. Not sure if any of you know Pittsburgh or the area I speak of but trust me when I say, the North Side is not where you want to be lost.

The training today was mostly about how to fill out paperwork and forms and insurance mumbo-jumbo but we also received big binders of nutrition education materials that we are free to use as we see fit. So of course I was very interested in leafing through the binders (while I probably should have been paying attention as to how to fill out form 756F.98G - now I'll likely never get paid because I have no clue how to document what I did).

But as I was looking through the materials I just wanted to shout with joy. Scream from the mountaintops. YES, YES, YES! THIS is what I'm talking about! The overall basis for the program was exactly, 100% how I feel about nutrition, weight loss, eating well and learning how to have a good relationship with food. The smile on my face was spreading wider and wider. And although this program was developed for the general population, I couldn't help but think how useful it would be for athletes.

Sometimes I cringe when I hear or read what some athletes think "good" nutrition is. Their eating behaviors, their weight loss strategies, their definition of balanced meals. I do appreciate and understand the fact that there are many different ways to achieve the same result. And just like in training plans, everyone has to find "their" best method of success. But I thought I would submit to you my thoughts on what healthy eating really is. Because, at the risk of sounding snotty, I have to admit, I think a lot of athletes get it all wrong.

1) If I could only use one word to sum up all my thoughts on how to achieve good, solid eating behaviors and how best to get to a goal weight it would be - SUSTAINABILITY.

What is sustainability as it relates to diet? Here are some examples:

*An athlete wants to improve performance by "cleaning up their eating" so they decide they are not going to eat any "junk" food for a month before a big race. They deprive themselves of all the foods they love to eat, cookies and cake and candy and chips and pop (soda for all your weird people out there). Now what do you suppose happens here? Yes, it's just like a broken record. Around day #3 of this little charade they are so overwhelmed with thoughts of wanting a cookie they finally breakdown. And they have one. And then another and then a few more and then, heck, they've screwed up the whole day so why not just go to town and have some cake and candy and a bag of chips too? Or maybe they did actually make it a week or two being "good". No junk for 14 days! So why not reward themselves with a piece of pie? Oh man did that taste good, let's have another! I don't have to continue on for you to see that this pattern of deprivation only results in binging and the yo-yo back and forth eating that is in no way healthy or conducive to maintaining a healthy weight. Not to mention the physical and psychological stress that it creates. Shall I even mention the guilt? And what about the effects on performance?

*Next example - an athlete is in the midst of triathlon season and wants to lose a few pounds before their next race. So while training 15 hours a week they put themselves on a 1500 kcal diet to rid that excess baggage quickly! That is, afterall, what they read about in the latest magazine. And that's what their friend Jane is doing too (failing to realize that Jane is not swimming, cycling and running 3 hours/day). But we do know that if calories in is less than calories out we will lose weight so let's get this done! Which of course is going to result in a very similar situation as what we have in the first example. The first few days of starvation may go well and a pound or two may be dropped! But then the body's will to live kicks in and will power is OVER powered by the need for sustenance. And that's when that athlete falls right off the bandwagon. Likely binges. Feels extremely guilty for their "failure" and drowns out their sorrows with a bowl of ice cream. End result? Weighing more than when they started and having a week of bad training because they didn't fuel their body properly.

These examples are obviously pictures of people who don't understand the concept of sustainability and balance. And people who are holding onto the idea of a good "diet" instead of a healthy lifestyle.

Good eating patterns and high performance nutrition is all about sustainability - what are you going to be able to sustain day in and day out. Not just for a week leading up to a race. Not just for a month in the off season. Not just for the summer to look good in your new racing outfit. But what kind of eating behaviors can you stick with through the winter and summer, before and AFTER races (so, so many people eat so awfully after a race or big workout when that might be the MOST important time to eat well for recovery!), through the holidays. It's a tough question to ask yourself but when you find the answer, I think your fight with food can end. And I think your training and racing can really improve.

Sustainability for me personally means eating something sweet every day. I almost always have a cookie (or two), maybe some chocolate or maybe one of those big Rice Krispy Treats in the cafeteria at work. Sustainability also means eating a snack every night after dinner because I feel deprived without it. Sustainability means finding a way to NOT to feel deprived so that you can repeat that eating behavior over and over. Sustainability in weight loss means a reduction of 200-300 kcals per day, not 1000 kcals or swearing off ice cream forever.

Am I making any sense here?

Add to sustainability the ideas of balance and MINDFUL eating and you have my idea of a healthy lifestyle! But I think I'm going to have to save those topics for another day. I know, you must be on the edges of your seat...

Posted by beth at 3:21 PM | Comments (6)

October 12, 2008

Ahh...The Ironman

On our run this morning O asked me if watching Kona yesterday made me want to do an ironman. Hmm...after 10 years of being together, he may have figured me out some.

As much as I hate to admit it, following Kona yesterday DID make me want to sign up for an IM. Which is odd because I'm pretty anti-long course triathlon. You may or may not remember that I divorced the 70.3 distance this summer. It only follows that the 140.6 distance is REALLY not on my radar then. The long stuff just doesn't appeal to me for several reasons:

1) I don't like riding my bike for 6 hours.

2) I LOVE to race and while there are some exceptions, I think IM sort of forces you to focus on training and pushes other races to the side.

3) I don't like riding my bike for 6 hours.

4) In many ways I don't feel like I'm disciplined enough for long distance racing. Disciplined in the sense of race day nutrition and race day pacing. I like short course racing because nutrition isn't as much of an issue (or an issue at all) and there is no such thing as pacing - you just go as hard as you can.

5) I don't like riding my bike for 6 hours.

6) Did I mention that I don't like riding my bike for 6 hours?

But the lure of Kona is hard to deny. I sometimes get really annoyed that Kona becomes such an all encompassing race in our sport. I know that sounds like SOUR grapes. And trust me, I have the utmost respect for the race itself and for anyone that completes it! But I've seen people go completely insane in trying to qualify for the race and be totally disappointed in their triathlon season/experience for not having gotten there. It's only one race. A big race yes, but still, the sport has other races and there are other goals to achieve.

Nevertheless, how could I not be inspired by yesterday's display? From the pros to the AGers it was such an amazing thing to watch. I mean the conditions...the winds and the heat and humidity. Just unbelievable. So many of my teammates just did awesome - 4 podium finishes I believe and many, many other great performances. And my friend Kim, doing her first IM ever finishes in under 11 hours capped off with a 3:33 marathon. If that doesn't give you goosebumps I don't know what will!

So I woke up wanting to sign up for IM Florida or Arizona for next year.

But then I came to my senses.

Because while I am absolutely thrilled for all those finishers yesterday and so inspired by watching them cross the line - the complete joy you could see on their faces, I have to remember what it took for each one of them to get there. Kim is my perfect example. She had an awesome race but not for hours upon hours upon hours of training. Weeks of 5, 6 and 7 hour long rides, 3 hour long runs, 1000s of yards in the pool. You watch people come across the line or you watch the Kona coverage on tv and it all looks so amazing but it's so easy to forget what it took for them to get there and to get to that finish line.

So as I was riding this evening I decided that I won't be signing up for any IMs for next year. I still have some goals to achieve in the shorter races. But don't count me out of Kona. I may lose my sanity just yet...

Posted by beth at 8:18 PM | Comments (9)

October 11, 2008

Kona!

Well it's a good thing I've already got my workouts in for the day because since the Kona coverage started I've been pretty useless. Likely not much else is giong to get accomplished today!

I can remember doing this same thing last year when Kona was on, but not being nearly as interested. It was exciting to see what was going on with the pro race and I knew a few AGers racing...but overall I wasn't too into it. But now I feel like I have so many people to cheer for! Bloggers and friends that I've made throughout the year, teammates and others that I've raced against... My computer can't keep up with my incessant hitting of the "refresh" button! :)

Regardless, I did get in a good swim this morning and then my last brick of the season - 2:15 bike/30 min run. Oh what a glorious ride I had! It's just so beautiful here this time of year with the leaves just starting to change and the brilliant new display of colors. And the sky was so blue and sunny I could hardly stand it! I started with arm warmers but an hour into the ride didn't need them anymore. If only I could bottle this weather up and save some for February!

So now back to ironman.com...looks like Chrissie is going to make it interesting with a flat on the bike!

Posted by beth at 4:52 PM | Comments (1)

October 9, 2008

Must Blog Quickly...

...because Grey's is almost on! (I should be embarrassed to admit how addicted I am to that show but in reality, I don't even care if everyone knows!)

Anyway, today I had a glorious ride. Wow, was it nice! 70 and sunny and I felt good and I rode fast and nobody yelled anything mean at me out their window! Now that is amazing! The only bad part was, I was sort of running out of day light. I didn't get home from work until a little after 5 pm and it's pretty much DARK by 7...so...I was hauling it to get home! And as the sun hid behind the houses as it set, I started to get pretty cold. And was a bit of a popsicle upon arriving home. But O had already made dinner! And I warmed up quickly. I am one lucky girl.

Also today, masters practice. Best average 100s. Ouch. My best average turned out to be 1:10 - I swam a few 1:11s and a few 1:09s but mostly 1:10s. Despite giving it all my effort to swim a darn 1:08! :) Still, a good, strong workout that I was pleased with.

And tomorrow is Friday already.

How did that happen?

I can't wait for Kona on Saturday!! :)

Good night everyone!

Posted by beth at 8:52 PM | Comments (1)

October 8, 2008

Dreary, Dreary

Even the word "dreary" seems a bit dreary doesn't it? :)

Today has been a wet, coldish (not really cold in the grand scheme of things but certainly not summer-like either!) fall Pittsburgh day. It's 6 pm and it looks like it's 10 pm out there! But I can't complain because I had the day off work and the golden rule is, NEVER complain when you have a day off work. That's just the way it works. :)

This morning I woke up and headed to the track for some mile repeats. Actually, more acurately, I woke up and somehow spent 90 minutes doing essentially nothing and THEN I headed to the track for some mile repeats. It's amazing how much time I can waste when I don't have to be to work at a certain time. I blame Facebook. :)

Anyway, I never know how I'm going to feel coming off a race so I wasn't sure how the mile repeats would go. I felt fine the past 2 days on my easy recovery workouts, but running hard miles on the track is a whole different story!

The workout went well though and despite not hitting exactly the times I had wanted, I was still pleased. My goal times were a bit aggressive, especially having come off a race.

Once back at home I did some odds and ends and then went to the pool for my swim, which also went well. The pool water tasted like perfume though. I think this is from the older ladies that wear makeup in the pool and don't get their hair wet. They look perfectly manicured and apparently they smell good too. But I would like to tell them that while their perfume is a wonderful scent, it doesn't taste very good. So please, take a shower before you get into the water! :)

Also today, some laundry and ironing, a chiropractor appointment and massage (ahhh....), and some general organizational to dos. Did I mention some Facebook time? That website might be the death of me. :)

Seriously though, it's the dreary kind of day where all you really want to do is lay around and watch tv, so I'm pleased to have accomplished what I've done so far! And I haven't turned the tv on once! :)

I hope everyone has a wonderful evening and that the sun is shining where you are! Now I must pack my bag for masters tomorrow morning. YIPPEEEEE!!!!!

Posted by beth at 6:02 PM | Comments (3)

October 7, 2008

US Open Race Report

It's about time I got to a race report!

Where to start? Well first of all, it was an awesome weekend. I had a blast meeting so many great people, watching some of the best pros in the world up close and racing with some of the best amateurs in the country! Doesn't get much better than that!

I will say it was all a bit intimidating though. Starting with the dinner on Friday night (remember - trendy casual?), it sort of occurred to me that everyone in my race was really fast. Don't get me wrong, it was incredibly exciting to meet and see people that are always on top of the results in races all around the country! But then when you realize you will soon be lining up next to them - uh oh! :)

Saturday went very smoothly. As smoothly as a day before a big race can go. My mom and I went out to the lake so I could so some running, swimming and biking. It was windy. The water was warm. And I met a very nice Brazilian by the name of Reinaldo. I didn't want to get into the lake to swim by myself until I learned that Reinaldo was out there swimming too. That made my decision much easier. :) Then of course there was the race meeting, expo, packet pickup and bike check in. It's probably good that they keep you busy before the race so you don't have too much time to think!

Race morning came early and quickly as always. My mom drove me to T2 to drop off my running stuff and then dropped me off out at the lake. I had 2 hours to set up my T1, warm up, stretch, get body marked, get my chip and then wait and wait and wait some more. :)

Finally it was our turn! And off we went.

The swim started off well. I felt good about how close I was keeping the front pack and that I could see them at all! And then we made the turn (the swim was a long, skinny rectangle) to come back towards shore and the SUN - oh, the sun. Blinding, blinding sun. I went from swimming strong and focusing on my stroke to being so worried about staying on course I think I forgot that I still had to swim! It wasn't exactly the swim I had hoped for but what can you do? Chalk it up to one more experience that can't be gained at masters practice or in the pool at all. I finally realized the only thing I could do was follow the splashes in front of me (we were pretty spread out at this point) and hope they were going the right way! Several people mentioned they thought that the swim was 1-2 minutes slower than usual for them and I can see why - when it's that hard to site, it seems like you would slow some!

The nice thing about not being able to see anything at all is that the swim finish came up faster than I thought it would. I swam and swam and swam (not seeing anything but brightness burned into my brain) and then POOF! All of a sudden the finish was there!

So off onto the bike it was!

The bike course starts off a little squirrelly. In a park on some narrow roads with very sharp turns and some big ups and downs. Then you ride out onto the highway with a CRAZY headwind. Then you want to cry. THEN you turn and the tailwind carries you to downtown Dallas. Not to say there were some serious potholes along the way to make you wonder if the vibrating in your head will ever stop! :) But the bike is my time to shine so I did my best to do just that.

I immediatly set about trying to catch some of the gals in front of me. I wanted to pass 5. Who knows where I came up with that number but it was my mantra "get 5, just get 5, just get 5!" But of course when you are racing really fast women who are just as fast on the bike as you, if not faster, catching 5 is a tall order! I did catch a few - 4 to be exact, and for a LONGGGGG time I could see that 5th person I wanted to catch but I just could not get to her! It would seem like she was closer and then she wasn't. But my effort to get to her kept me focused and on track.

I did pass Matt Reed on the bike. What can I say - he just couldn't hang with me! :) (he obviously was having mechanical issues or just not having a good day and was riding very slowly on the left as it was probably faster than waiting for someone to pick him up)

Onto T2 and I was all about catching 2. Again, these numbers are totally random but I have to do something like that or else the negative thoughts crowd in and over take me.

So I kept my eyes up and saw Cindi in front of me. She was probably the one I had been trying to catch for so long on the bike! As I neared her I told myself to go by hard or else she would latch on.

But about 2 minutes later I could hear someone on my shoulder. That someone was Marni Walth and she passed right by! I told myself not to let go but that's easier said than done. :)

So my "catch 2" had to turn into "catch 2 and don't be caught yourself!" :)

The next several miles things stayed status quo. Meanwhile, the pro women were running back (the run course was out and back on a paved trail) and they were running fast! And then I started to see the women in my race on their way back. First, Brooke Davison and then...a while before anyone else. :)

It was go time. If I was going to make a run to try and catch anyone, now was the time!

I made the turnaround but try as I might I didn't seem to be making any ground up on Marni. Until finally, with about 1.5 miles to go, she seemed to be coming back to me a little. YES - I was catching her! As I got closer it was obvious she was struggling with a side stitch. I felt bad because those things are awful but still, it wasn't an opportunity I was going to give up! So I passed her as hard as I could.

But she did exactly what I've always been taught to do as a runner - she latched right on and ran off my shoulder. DANG!

I tried so many times to shake free from her. As we got near the finish I knew it was going to be awfully hard to get my legs to sprint! But she hung tough and when it came to the sprint, she won! Still though - when I looked back at all my mile splits, I was mostly running 6:30-6:40 pace except for that last mile, which I ran in 6:10. I can't complain about that!

So there it is! I was 8th. My time was 2:14:33. And I was pleased.

It wasn't the best race I've ever had. But it certainly wasn't the worst. I think any time you can go out and compete hard and overcome the demons that tell you to give in, you can count it a success. And that's exactly what I'm calling this race!

All three disciplines were strong for me - not spectacular like "wow, I just ran a 37 min 10K" or "wow, I just PRed the swim by 2 minutes" but I also swam, biked and ran just about as good as I have done all season. AND I did it against some of the best in the country when I was really quite nervous and intimidated by it all. These are the types of races and opportunities that I know will help me get better.

And I have to keep it in perspective too. Last year I didn't break 2:20. Now this year, 2:14 seems like sort of an "average" performance to me. Must not get too greedy! And I must remember that this year's race will help me that much more next year. When I will be a little more greedy and aim higher than a top 10 finish. 5 stood on the podium and got awards - why not try to be one of them next year?

Besides all the racing mumbo jumbo though, I truly enjoyed myself. It was so great to meet Cathy, Kelly, Brooke, Lindsey (x2)!, Amanda, Cindi, Marni and all the other great women that I lined up with! They all inspire me! Everyone was so nice and so down to earth. And getting to know these women better was the highlight for me.

Other highlights?

1) Getting to spend so much time with my mom who I don't see very often. Thanks mom for being such a great equipment manager!

2) Seeing so many pros and learning from them! Sunday night, after the race, my mom and I went to dinner at a Mexican restaurant in the hotel and who should walk in but the Bennetts (both), Stuart Hayes, Jasmine Oenick, Tim O'Donnell and about 3-4 other pros...all of whom sat at the table right next to us! And then Laura Bennett asked me how my race was? Is this for real? And I talked to Andy Potts too. As in a conversation wherein he asked me questions and really seemed genuinely interested in my responses. One of the reasons why I love this sport - the people who do it (regardless of how fast or slow) are really great people.

3) Feeling incredibly blessed to have had the opportunity that I did. Before we flew home on Monday I did a little recovery run (in the pouring rain) and just couldn't wipe the smile off my face. Very blessed indeed.

So that was my weekend. I didn't want to come back on Monday! But now it's back to reality. Back to training, doing laundry, taking the dog to the vet, cleaning the house and going to work. :)

Pictures to follow once my mom sends them to me (she took them all on her camera). But pictures of the race in general can be found on Cathy's husband's website (he is an awesome photographer and very nice too!). And I did make sure to take at least one picture with my camera... I present to you, the trendy casual... :)

Congrats to all those who raced this weekend and a BIG, HUGE good luck to those racing in that little race in Kona called Ironman... :)

Posted by beth at 1:48 PM | Comments (15)

October 3, 2008

Alive and Well...

...in Dallas!

The alarm went off really early this morning but as soon as it did I jumped up and was WIDE awake! Amazing how much easier it is to get up when you are excited for the day's activities vs getting up for...say...going to work. Not nearly as exciting. :)

Regardless, the travel went smooth. My bike box arrived (after some panic I realized there is a different area to pick up "oversized bags") and I was off to the hotel. I found it no problem. We are off to a good start!

Next up was lunch, even though it was only 10 am here. I was about ready to eat my arm. I even considered eating at one of the 10,000 restaurants here in the hotel but then I saw the prices for a sandwich and decided driving to Subway wasn't such a bad idea afterall!

So yes, I was the weirdo in Subway eating a turkey sandwich at 10:15 am! Oh well, it was 11:15 am MY time... :)

I came back to the hotel to unpack and get organized and to put my bike back together. I promised myself I wouldn't get on the internet until I put my bike together. And I did it! Sort of. Bottle cages, pedals and seat aren't quite on yet...but close enough. I had blogs to read afterall! :)

So now I'm about to leave to pick my mom up at the airport. And then we will drive along the course to see if we can get an idea of what it's like.

My first impression of Dallas? FLAT. And big and spread out. Flying in, my face was glued to the window (I got lucky with a window seat!) and you could just see forever...just flat, flat, flat land for miles and miles and miles!

And it's not as hot as I thought it would be.

Okay...back to the bike. I suppose it would be hard to ride without pedals. Or a seat...

Have a great day everyone!

Posted by beth at 1:41 PM | Comments (3)

October 2, 2008

To Dallas We Go!

Packing? Shall we discuss it? I told myself I when I got up this morning I wouldn't complain about it one bit. I'm too excited to be on my way to Texas for the first time! So I haven't complained. Not even in my head! But that doesn't exactly mean I've finished the task yet either. :)

I did do all my training for the day. I actually rode my bike inside because it was 45 degrees, windy and raining when I wanted to ride. Now, several hours later, it's not much warmer! I don't remember fall being this cold. On my run this morning I wore a long sleeve shirt the whole time and couldn't believe how chilly I was! But I think it's just a matter of getting used to the cooler temps once again. In several months 45 degrees will feel like a heat wave!

Nevertheless, tomorrow morning I will be off to Texas where the highs are in the 80s and the lows are in the 60s. I can hold off the cool fall temps at least one more weekend...

And I really am excited, for the race and for the weekend and to see my mom! I decided at some point that these last two races of mine, Dallas this Sunday and then the Best of the US in late October were going to be MY Kona. At this time of year, Kona is the hot topic - that's for sure! You sort of get the feel that it might be the only race all year long and that everything else is secondary. I'm sure many are shaking their heads and thinking "yep, that's right!" But to me, Kona will be Dallas and Tempe. With much less fanfare I'm sure, but still, the championship races that I worked hard to qualify for!

So it's off to Dallas we go!

But first, to the basement and the bike box... :)

Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend and many safe travels to all those on their way to Hawaii and elsewhere! Good luck to all those racing!

Many stories and pictures (I'm sure) to come once in the Lone Star State. I hope I see a longhorn!

Posted by beth at 4:57 PM | Comments (4)