GA half marathon

Last Sunday was the Georgia Marathon and half marathon. I ran the half. It is my one event I am doing thsi year that is not on my official taining calendar while training for Ironman Arizona. I ran this one because it is a local event and I had a lot of friends running it as well. I trained right through this race. This race was not about a PR. This race was about being with friends and having a fun day.

It came on the last day of our rest week. Perfect timing.

The day before, my team went to the Silver Comet trail for a flat 30 -35 mile bike ride. It was a gorgeous day. I rode almost 35, getting a terrific pace for stretches at a time. Our coach recommended that, if we were running the half the next day, to skip the brick run after, and just chill. I listened. About 12-15 of us from IronTeam were running the half the next day. That's a pretty good group from one team.

Race day came. I woke up and thought "I wanna sleep in. What am I doing?". But, I met my friend Andy and we went to MARTA to ride the train down to the start.

We get to the TNT tent and I see friends start to arrive. All of a sudden I was very glad I was there. So many hugs, so many hellos: IronTeam friends, marathon team friends...it seemed like they were all there. Friends I had trained with for marathons, and friends whom I have just met by being a part of a group.

Soon we were off to the starting line. I went between a couple of groups, and ended up starting the race with Matt Winn and Kimberly Williams. Last time I started a half with Kimberly I PR'ed. She stayed with me until about mile 8 at Kiawah in 2009, and then she took off.

Soon we were off. I had a pain in the side of my back (left). It was focused. A week ago I had had a cramp there, so I wasn't worried. But, it made for an uncomfortable run. I had no limited range of movment, no pain when I tried to move around. Eventually it loosened up, to tighten up again about mile 10. I knew it wasn't anything but a literal pain in the side. Besides that I was having a fantastic time, and focused on the fun side.

About mile 3 I started to feel the previous days 35 mile ride. My legs felt a little like jell-o. My thoughts "Crap - it's too early to feel like this. It feels like bonking. This will be a long race." Matt, Kimberly and I got in to a comfortable stride and went. I had my Garmin on, but didn't listen to it and didn't try to pace myself. I was there for fun. We had a good time and a great run.

About mile 8 they picked up the pace a little and I dropped off a little, so we separated. De ja vu, right? I kept going along: cheering and smiling at people as I went along and having fun.

At about mile 10 I looked at my watch, did some fast math and realized I was on a possible PR pace. Wow? My side was sore and my legs like jell-o. I kept thinking "I have no idea what race day will bring, this is good to learn to push through what surprises my body may bring." So I kept pushing.

At the last water stop at Tech I was thinking my friend Pepe may be there as she has done that water stop in the past. Lo and behold she was one of the first people I saw holding out cups. I hollered her name and waved. She held out water. Then she realized who I was and the smile and look on her face! That was just what I needed to finish the race out. I kept going.

Soon Ryan Watton passed me. He was hauling (compared to me)...and was close to a PR. I told him to go for it and cheered him on.

As I rounded the corner I started my short but intense sprint. I truly did come across the finish line in a full out sprint. That felt terrific: stabbing in my side, legs of bonked led, but I pulled it out.

I came in at less than two hours. I wasn't sure if I had PR'ed but I felt good. I wasn't going to race this event, and to know I had the strength to finish strong when my legs were not feeling it made me realize how far I have come. I did not feel as good or as strong as the race over a year and few months ago in Kiawah when I PR'ed, but I did about as well. It was a good measure for me to know how far I have come.

I walked back to the TNT tent and saw friends - some were there, others wandered in. My friend Tricia came in and she was beaming and crying. She had just PR'ed. She never ran until two years ago when we were on Marine Corps team together. She has been 6 years cancer free, and an inspiration every step of the way. We hugged and I told her congratulations with the understanding and excitement of a runner to another runner.

I got home and looked, and I had PR'ed. By about a minute and a half. It surprised me. It humbled me. I am slowly learning what I can do when I try. That I am the one who sets the boundaries, and I am the one who can work to push them. I am having a terrific time realizing how lucky I am to be able to run at any pace, and having fun learning the thrills of learning to push my boundaries be it distance, speed, or going through interval drills. It's all fun right now.

This race wasn't supposed to mean much. But it did. I realized how much I love running, how lucky I am to have so many people I call friends and that we share a love, and I realized that I am strong. I know that I am strong, but this was a measure for me: a tangible measure. My previous PR was on a flat course. GA is hilly and a challenge. My previous PR came when I was on a decent rest. This one I trained straight through - although I had a rest week the previous week. However, I had just biked 35 miles the day before, and I felt those bike miles the next day. I was proud.

It also showed me that not running as much means It took me a little while to recover from my efforts - my legs were sore. This was new. I have never been sore after a half. As a coach and friend on the course said as Kimberly, Matt and I ran by - we eat those for breakfast! Oh well - I am training for three disciplines now. I was embarrassed at this really. I hate to admit it even here. The good news is it didn't take long to feel normal again.

The picture is Kimberly and me before the race.

Rest and the Tundra Time Trial

This past week was a rest week. That doesn't mean I sat on the couch. It meant our workouts were reduced in effort and time, and we got a day off (today in fact). The beginning of this week was a lot like the first week of tapering: I felt tired and blah. This is typical for tapering, and I didn't expect the rest week to feel much different. Around about Thursday I turned a corner...and didn't feel like I needed to nap for 15 minutes in the middle of the day!

Hopefully, come tomorrow, I am ready to jump back in to training full speed. We start off with a dozy of a swim workout.

Yesterday was my first bike time trial. The IronTeam participated to run a lactic acid threshold test. Basically to see how far we can go pushing ourselves.

I got there early enough, but had forgotten all my purse/wallet and had no ID or money. Luckily they didn't ask for ID and my coach lent me the $10. She actually saw me drive by (it was crowded) and made room for me to park. Thank goodness! I was pretty grateful for that. I could have parked far away fine, but I didn't want to have to drive back through everything to get to a parking spot. I looked at Mary and said - "I am not as organized as people think I am. Thank you."

My lack or organizational skills was pointed out to me not only with leaving my wallet at home, but because I had gotten out the door and down the road before I realized I had forgotten the directions. So, I had to turn around. I got ther elater then I wanted, and had a shorter warm up then I wanted, but I got it all in. No complaints.

I finished with mixed results. I had a pretty good time and did push myself. But, I was in too low of a gear, so I didn't push myself as much as I could have. My quads did not burn at the end as they should have. I could have changed gears at the turnaround, but didn't think of it (a teammate and friend said he had done that...which was when I realized I could have done it). Sigh - lesson learned for next time. However, with the high cadence I had I still got my heart rate way up there, so I still accomplished the goal of the test.

With the time trial each person starts alone. There is a 30 second interval between riders. The picture below of me was taken by a teammate. It's me at the start. I felt like I was going to fall off the ramp on my way down...but I made it!

My team did great. There are many times you love being part of a big team, and this was one of them. I was calm until I went up to the start. I was glad to have teammates around me to keep me calm - talking and gabbing. I think it was how others kept themselves calm too! Once I started my heart rate skyrocketed. And it remained high for the entire ride.

So, our first set of workouts are done. We are moving on to the next block.

I have a good start with my fundraising - over $1000. But I have a long way to go to get to $10,000. Lots of fundraisers coming up including a Mardi Gras party and Oozeball tournament (volleyball in the mud). Details will be coming up.

Weather

Believe it or not I am still here. Although our work outs are not intense, they are taking time. Tonight I am swimming at Dynamo. The water is warm, but the building is a bubble. Think no insulation. Not very motivating to strip down and jump in the water. But I have!

Running and biking in the cold seem much easier. Two weeks ago we were still recovering from snow and ice, so we met in Alpharetta for a group spin and brick. What I liked about it: I got to know that I am doing it right in the intervals I was setting for myself all along! Yea! Plus I got to meet a few more of my teammates.

And finally last Saturday we got to ride...on open road...as a team. It was cold, but great. As long as you dress appropriately you are OK. Carlos was thrilled as he finally got to join us. He was ready! Ready to ride or rob a bank...most of us were.

I love the team.

Birthday Card

My parents sent me two cards this year from my birthday. Well - my dad found one in New Zealand and mailed it off. It wasn't a birthday card per say, but it meant a lot when I received it. It is, as is often rare with cards, a keeper. It is sentimental and personal, which is not often openly expressed within my family. More on that later. First, the second card.

My mom send a second birthday card with a penguin on front.

in it she stated that the look on the penguin reminded her "of the look of triumph as I completed [my] challenges and runs."










If you compare it to my facebook profile picture

Yeah - I can see the comparison. I have no problem being compared to a penguin! They are pretty cute and capable animals.


Dad's card made me think. Mom's card made me think. I put the two together, and came up with something I wanted to say. Loudly.

I know that my parents do not always understand me. But the fact that, even though they do not really understand why I love endurance sports, they see and know that participating in them makes me very happy. And that also in turn, makes them happy and proud.

And that made me think about something I know, and have always known, but rarely verbalize. I know that my parents' love for me and my brother and my sister is unquestionable, undeniable, and never ending.

I know that they truly want all three of us to be happy in life in the manner that is best for us. So, even if they do not love endurance sports, they know it makes me happy. And they support me. They know that I have found a terrific group of people that have brought a lot of joy, understanding and appreciation of life with Team in Training, and they support me and LLS because of it.

My parents never really gave much instruction I would say. They pretty much let us make our own decisions, and we had to accept the results of the decision.

But they were always there to help. They would help us such that we could focus on the tasks at hand.

And so I am grateful. And here today I say thank you to my parents. Thank you for the birthday cards (this year and so many others). And thank you for all the love you have selflessly given to me. Thank you for the support in the so many countless ways you have shown it over my 35 years: early mornings, long drives, staying home so I could go out with the car, worrying, celebrating and letting me move on and so many more that I can not list. Thank you.

A few last thoughts for 2010

I have been quiet on the blog lately. Chalk that up to changing jobs and no longer having a computer with me at all times. I have to use our home computer, and it just isn't as convenient. But - that's just the beginning of the changes at the end of this year.

Last Monday I started a new job. So far it is slow - but it takes awhile to learn the basics of a large organization. However, I can say that so far I love the people I have been fortunate to work with - even though I am working from home and do not have much face time. I can sense, though, that the job will pick up fast. So, this was a good week to start as most places take a bit of a breather the week between New Year's and Christmas.

Working from home has its challenges. I am very grateful to have IronTeam starting next week as I can already tell if I didn't have something to force me out of the home I could easily rarely leave the house for long periods of time. That would be very bad!

Another challenge is that my office is the dinner table. This is adjacent to the living room and the TV. Not a problem except when Carlos comes home from work he likes to watch ESPN and soccer for a bit before heading to the gym. I think we can handle it. But...it is now an extra incentive to get our current home sold and find a place that is a bit bigger. That and needing a place to store books (Carlos), bikes (both of us) and tri-gear (me). I try to keep my stuff to a minimum but tri gear has a life of its own.

I got to spend Christmas in Guatemala. To say it was amazing is selling it short. It was not just the fireworks let off all over the city at midnight, it was also celebrating with a part of Carlos' family. Christmas Eve we were with his brothers at their home. It was quiet but very good: we played board games (we may not speak the same language, but we can play board games), ate tamales (different from Mexican tamales), opened gifts and watched the fireworks.

Christmas Day we spent with a part of Carlos' extended family. That was a treat. It was the first time I have ever really been a part of a large family gathering where there are three generations and people of many age groups/ranges who all have a history together. My family is small, and we do not really do large family gatherings. I know those of you who do have large family gatherings may not see my point of view, but it was something to me.

It was something to watch the children play. Santa and Mama Clause came for a visit too. I will tell you right now - I love getting to go to Guatemala.

2010 was a wonderful year for me. I grew in ways I never envisioned, and formed deeper friendships than I thought possible for me. I also made many more acqaintances which thrills me. These are the seeds of a future. The basic roadwork to not isolating myself. Yes, cyber friendships are also "safe" in that most often you can reply and chat on your own time (i.e. you are not asking someone to stop doing something else to listen to you - something I loathe to do). But...it's a start. And, as the saying goes, the longest journey starts with a single step.

2011 is off to a bang up start. I feel like I started the year behind. All I can do is take deep breaths and do the best I can. Let's hope I keep up on-line a little better then I ended 2010.

More Positives

Recently I have been amongst family, and have also had really good running support from my husband. He deserves all the kudos shared to him for all his support and encouragement in my endurance sport activities. He also loves me selflessly. And I, luckily and wisely, love him.

However, a part of me feels inadequate to Carlos. Shocked? Surprised? I am not. He is very smart and loves physics. He is very analytical and can figure things out pretty well. He has few of the ‘soft’ qualities I am learning to consider a strength in me. I have basically grown up valuing being analytical and ‘smart’. There has not been a lot of emphasis in my circle of family and friends about feelings, memories, and the such. ‘Soft’ doesn’t solve math equations and find solutions to overwhelming global problems. ‘Soft’ doesn’t pay the bills.

Besides feeling inadequate, I am reminded, repeatedly, at how lucky I am to have Carlos; to have “found a man willing to put up with [me].” This from my family.

Don’t put me wrong. I love my family. And I know they love me. They encourage me in my activities. However, as a family we also tend to point out the negative and not encourage the strengths (positives) in individuals. It’s a fact – just like the earth is round (OK –oblate spheroid – I know!).

And so…I am pointing out my positives. I can not wait and should not expect others to point out to me what is good in me. I should know this. What do I bring to the relationship with my husband? How is he lucky to have me? What is valuable about me?

This is not a series of bravado statements meant to put my husband in a poor light or to pull me up at his expense. This is me pointing out my strengths and building my confidence so I can more readily accept affection and love from Carlos, as well as affection and friendship from others. And so…here I go. Today I start with the most intimate relationship I have. Tomorrow I go on to what I can bring to friendships.

My dad is a banker. From him I have learned to be fiscally conservative. I have probably gotten Carlos to save more than he sees necessary. I can, and will, say I am too conservative and Carlos got me to loosen up too!

I may have a low confidence, but I see Carlos’ strengths often – and let him know it. I see a lot of career potential for him. He needs only to go for it. He would have stayed in the classroom until he retired if I had not encouraged him to shoot for more. I asked him often if he wanted to stay in the classroom, and he said he was ready to move on.

I have encouraged him, probably by role model, to get him to take better care of himself: eat more healthfully and go to the gym/get exercise. He loves biking and golf. Now, everywhere we go (where there are people who knew him 5+ years ago) they ask if he has lost weight. Yup – just look at his driver’s license picture! He feels better too.

Just as Carlos has supported and encouraged me with running, I have supported and encouraged him with golf and to take pride in his improvements. I have gotten him lessons (which he loves), and pretty much encourage him to go. I have heard many accounts of a day on the greens – beautiful shots, drivers (golf clubs) not cooperating, et cetera. I don’t mind. It is better than watching sports all day!

I think I have gotten Carlos to ask for more from life. I don’t mean things (there, again, we see things differently), I mean experiences: travel, friends, hobbies, job, et cetera.

I am not jealous. He works with women all the time – he’s in education. He works with smart, problem solving women. He also travels a lot. I am good with that. Why be jealous? It’s wasted energy.

What Carlos sees is what Carlos gets (in me) – I do not play games and expect him to pick up on signals to guess another meaning from what I say. Given that he is analytical and scientific this is a very good thing.

Everything here I can add a caveat - that Carlos has helped me in those areas (yes – my strengths) as well. We are a couple. Neither one of us is perfect. I am thankful for him.

I just need to know that am not someone to be tolerated but actually have something to offer others. I can not let others take my confidence down. I am strong willed. I do like certain things a certain way (or see them that way), but I am not inflexible or insensible to the fact that there are other ideas out there, and possibly better ways to do things.

Strengths

So, my last post was about my weaknesses, and a determination to take lessons and create strengths. What are my natural strengths, though? Well, first, being who I am, my tendency is to take a strength and prove that it is still a weakness. But not today. Today – my strengths.

I am a soft engineer. What does that mean? I love the analytical, but remember soft details. Why remember a formula when I can remember where to find it in a book? I can’t look up that a friend likes a certain food or has a passion for a specific hobby. I remember where I had lunch with someone I worked with over 10 years ago (Burger King – he had had a heart attack, and was on a good diet, but every once in awhile he splurged (called it a fatburger!) and he did that day. Nothing major – just enjoying enough. With Joel I went to Wendy’s where I first learned about feta cheese and how much he loved it!). I remember the how I felt when my parents told me my Grandma Wehrle and Grandma Fiske died, and the weather at my Granddaddy Fiske’s (snowed in Richmond, VA and my uncle shoveled snow at the church that morning).

I am loyal and dedicated. It takes a lot for me to not do something that I said I would do. I hate breaking appointments or agreed meetings. I most likely will come through.

I am determined. If I decide I want to do something chances are, I will do it, as long as it respects those around me and myself!

If you ask me for help, if it is within my abilities I will find a way to help. It could be to help organize an event, serve at a party, go for a run (or walk or wander) or just listen.

I love to volunteer.

I love a challenge - whether it is personal or professional. There is something excited about taking something that's in parts and an idea, and make an end product.

This is not a complete list, but a good start. A good place to build from.