tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31492444185910938512024-02-22T14:08:51.731-06:00Jenny's Ironman Quest: Let's make 3rd time a charm!Time to hop back in the saddle!Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04119065745250721509noreply@blogger.comBlogger202125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3149244418591093851.post-58274211222013722792016-08-29T21:12:00.000-05:002016-08-29T21:17:57.178-05:00Ryan Lochte made me do it!<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">So this post will not be about Ryan Lochte at all. I just thought it would be funny to title it as such so that when someone does a Google search for said athlete, they'll be directed to my blog. I actually think they will be better off reading about what I'm doing vs what he's doing but that's just me. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Since I last wrote, I ran my 26th half marathon! So there has been much back & forth on my part regarding which number race this was exactly. The reason for this confusion is quite simple now that I've reviewed my handy dandy tracking sheet. I track my past and upcoming races in one spot so I can easily calculate my average times (not anal at all). I had planned on doing several races this year that I ultimately did not race due to my work schedule. I forgot to remove those from my tracker and so was off on my run count. I've since corrected this issue and 26 is indeed the magic number. So what does that mean? Well, that means I have 3,001 days to run 24 more half marathons. I have to admit, I had a minor panic attack a few weeks ago when someone (who shall remain nameless because I'm SURE they were only kidding) asked if I was sure I could make my deadline. I had to sit down and check my trusty spreadsheet to make sure I really could do it. Yes, the answer is yes! I need to hit 50 by the time I turn 50 but really, I'm trying to time it so my 50th race will be on my 15th Houston Half anniversary as that was my very first half marathon. And as luck would have it, that anniversary will come shortly after I turn 47 so that means I'm probably going to need to average 4.8 races a year to do that. Yeahhhhhhh. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Back to my 26th race though. For those of you that love destination races, Seawheeze Half Marathon was nothing short of amazing! Vancouver has quickly jumped to the top of my list of places I want to move too - and Keith agrees!! I seriously can't wait to go back! The race course was absolutely beautiful with great cheer zones. Spectator support isn't as big as Houston but the beauty of the city more than makes up for it. My only real gripe was that they ran out of water at the finish line on a day that was about 85 with 80% humidity. Oh, and that you had to walk up a big ass hill to get to the food. Nope! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">So what else is new? Oilman training! I've tried to ease back into things and running a half with very little training was one way to go about that. While I tend to laugh at things like this, I have to admit that the past week or so, I've been kicking myself. I've been having this nagging knee pain that I've blamed on running 13.1 on half ass training. The funny thing is, I have absolutely ZERO pain when I run. Weird things like laying down and then lifting my leg hurts my knee. And it typically gets aggravated after I've been to Orangetheory and have done lots of lunges and squats. I had knee surgery on my right knee back in 2004 and was told then the issue I had with my lateral ligaments was also present in my left knee and that I'd eventually need surgery on that one as well. Keith has encouraged me to go to the doctor but I'm not going to. Here is my thought process. If I go to the doctor, there is a chance they could tell me my nagging fear is true and I need knee surgery and I'll miss IMTX. But given my knee does not hurt when I swim, bike or run, I figure there is not need to worry about it. :) You may think this logic is flawed and I admit, it's not the most sound. That's why I've instead agreed to give it a little time to heal and avoid doing lunges and squats for a bit to see if it feels better. If it does, then it was just a pesky over-use injury and if it doesn't, I'll go in and just pray to all that's holy that it's something not requiring surgery. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">With that, I'm going to shut this awesome, non-Ryan Lochte post down for the night but will leave you with some recent pictures. Happy training!</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Coal Harbour, Vancouver</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Race morning!</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Who doesn't love mermaids (or mermen) on the race course?</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Post race I'm all smiles despite being super thirsty!</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>A dazed smile after a weekend workout sesh!</i></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04119065745250721509noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3149244418591093851.post-12682663792569854892016-08-03T21:46:00.000-05:002016-08-03T21:46:54.087-05:00Too Wong Foo...Thanks for everything Hardy Toll Road!<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It's official! I've forked over more money than anyone in my family believes should be spent on a race and have signed up for IMTX 2017 - my 3rd Ironman. The big day will be Saturday, April 22nd and I've already given my family the heads up to mark the date down. And we even have a bike course - the Hardy Toll Road. Time to get a toll tag for my QR! </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Lunch for the week is all made.</i></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Well, as I mentioned in May, I'm all signed up for Oilman Half Ironman and my training for that officially started this week. I'm easing back into the training saddle and so far, can't complain. I also started back on my meal plan this week. For months I've been saying I needed to get back on the wagon as I've definitely packed on some unwanted pounds. While I'm not as heavy as I was when I first went on this plan back in 2012, I'm heavier than I want to be and certainly carrying more weight than I want to drag around a long race course. I'm finding there are certain things I missed about meal plan life. In no particular order, they are: (1) no brainer when it comes to what I'm going to eat in a day, (2) absolutely no work other than maybe popping something in the microwave, (3) Bragg's Liquid Amino - enough said and (4) feeling good after only a few days - no bloating and no tummy aches! On the flip side, there are a few things I DEFINITELY don't miss. In no particular order, they are: (1) having to run the dishwasher every other day due to the obscene amount of tupperware I'm going through, (2) getting a stomach ache any time I get my allowable cheat meal, (3) no wine during the week - insert sad face here, (4) having to eat every 3 hours so therefore, having to be mindful of where I'll be when it's grazing time, (5) no Starbucks except for the weekend and that's only if I get my long workout in, (6) did I mention no wine during the week, (7) tilapia. every. day. -- week 1 only though, (8) debating whether or not anyone would notice if I moved my computer to the ladies bathroom given the amount of times per day I have to pee and (9) "pudding". Keith & I are traveling part of next week so I won't be able to cook all my week 2 meals so I'll just have to be really good about watching what I order when we're out. No biggie. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Keith will be doing a lot of my training with me which I'm super excited about. We'll be getting on our bikes this weekend and easing back into riding on the road. It's going to be awesome awesome awesome! He's even going to hit the pool with me on Friday. What, what?!??! That's right, he's finally going to make good on his threat to show me up in the pool. At first I thought maybe, just maybe he was fast. But then he told me he needs to learn to breathe so I'm thinking I'm ok. More on that. :)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Of course, training for an Ironman with the complication of having an incredibly demanding job is something many balance. We decided my long work weeks and terrible commute weren't challenging enough so we got a puppy. This was totally by chance or if you were to ask Keith, #giftfromgod. Any of you reading this are probably FB friends with me so know the story but for those of you who were unlucky enough to stumble upon this blog when you did a Google search for "Ironman Texas" or "completely awesome blogs", I'll give you the Cliff's Notes version. A week ago today, I found a dog on our front porch. Filthy, tired, scared and flea infested no less. My youngest step-daughter rushed over (mainly b/c she wanted naming rights) and helped me clean the beast and then went to Wal Mart with me to get her some essentials. The vet visit confirmed what we suspected, no chip. From saying, "if she's a Great Pyrenees, we are not keeping her" to seeing her sweet face and then saying, "we have to keep her", it was meant to be. So yes, the vet believes she is a full Great Pyrenees who is about 4 months old. They have also told us she will very likely weigh more than 100lbs. (Side note: we purchased an at home DNA kit and are hoping to learn she's a Pyr/Yorkie mix and will only get to be 40lbs -- she's 29.9lbs today so that's probably a pipe dream). </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So that's what I know. It feels good to slowly get back into the swim, bike, run of things. Happy training, y'all!</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Breakfast & snacks for the week. So yummy. Not!</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>And....dinner for the week. At least there's color!</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Sugar-free, almond milk latte for the win!</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Our new dog, Ellie Stormy Chalfant.</i></td></tr>
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<br />Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04119065745250721509noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3149244418591093851.post-23029106584466418862016-05-23T23:15:00.001-05:002016-05-23T23:17:46.209-05:00This is how it all begins. This is always how it all begins.<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I'm officially signed up for Oilman Half Ironman in November! I'm fairly predictable as most of you know. Days after deciding I would to IMTX again, I figured it was time to start thinking about the races building up to it. This can be challenging when you don't even have a date for said race. I told myself I would be patient. I told myself there was no rush. Wait another month and go from there. About 15 minutes after that riveting conversation with myself, I signed up for Oilman. On the off chance IMTX 2017 isn't meant to be, I figured I at least wouldn't feel like this was a wasted race entry. I needed something to kick me in the ass and get me focused on training again. Funny how a 70.3 will do that to you! </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">November 2012 - My last start (and finish at Oilman)</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">About 5 minutes after signing up for Oilman, I started wondering what my lead in races for that should be. And so it begins. Predictable, huh? I'm happy to report that I haven't signed up for anything else yet but not from a lack of trying. I'm having trouble deciding if I want to do a couple sprints or a sprint and then oly. Or maybe just an oly. I'm going to noodle on it a few more hours. :)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Still no news about IMTX. At least nothing I've heard. I really hope this bike course gets sorted out before I change my mind. Or before my work schedule changes my mind for me. It won't but I know I'm going to second guess myself. A lot. I'm at the tail end of my busy season right now and still not quite in the right frame of my mind. As I sit here and type this post right now, I could've sworn it was Thursday versus the sad, pathetic Monday it actually is. Adulting kind of sucks.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">With that, I should probably attempt to sleep. Good night, y'all!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04119065745250721509noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3149244418591093851.post-30118573120974568442016-05-15T18:45:00.000-05:002016-05-15T18:45:23.162-05:00Don't you love it when you make a decision but then still aren't sure what will happen?<br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I did not intend for the title of this post to be so long. In fact, several things I intended haven't come to be. After talking with my hubby, I had come to the 90% decision that I would be signing up for Ironman Texas 2017. I knew that 2013 would not be my last IM and as many of you recall, signed up for IMAZ. But then I got a promotion at work and then engaged and I very quickly realized racing wasn't going to be possible. Every few months I would think about racing but decided that the occasional 5k and 13.1 were going to be fine for awhile. Then IMTX 2015 came around and I obsessively watched the live feed. The itch was back. Fast forward to now.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Over the past few weeks, thoughts of IM were dancing through my head a lot more. The day we cleaned the garage I knew I was in trouble. Seeing all my bike gear and Ironman stuff laying around had me reminiscing. This past week I was thinking about it daily so Thursday night, I asked Keith what he thought about me signing up in 2017. He was on board immediately. I was giddy. I had decided I wanted to do a "reveal" and post a picture a day until Sunday. I would try to be clever as to not give it away completely. And then on Sunday morning, I would drive up to Ironman Village and happily hand over my money at on-site registration. Keith would take a picture of me and I'd post that as my confirmation along with the pictures I used as hints in one collage. Well, it's Sunday night and I'm not signed up but am sharing my decision anyway.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Those of you who haven't been following IMTX news don't know the challenges race organizers faced with respect to the bike course. Basically, 75 days prior to the race, the planned bike course was not approved and a new one needed to be found. A new course was identified but then the rain hit and part of the course was washed away or deemed not rideable. So the bike course would be shortened to 94 miles but the race would go on. I don't know why there was no onsite registration today as that is <i>typically </i>standard with IM races but let's face it, nothing was typical about IMTX this year. A few folks have speculated that they are not taking our money as they want to make sure the new bike course is finalized and hopefully, will know more in 60 days. Others have speculated that IM is not going to return to The Woodlands despite the contract that has them here through 2020. I found my self glued to FaceBook today as I tried to figure out what was going on. THIS is the part of training for this event I nearly forgot about - the constant trolling on social media to see what is going on. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">All I can tell you now is what I know for sure. I REALLY want to race IMTX next year but if that's not possible, I will be finding another IM to sign up for. This might be my last (well, at least my last for a long, long time) so I really want it to be in my own backyard where my family can come out and cheer me on. I can't believe I'm doing this again!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">So now I know I will be back to blogging although not too much until training officially starts. I'll be looking at the race calendar and start thinking about what races I'll do leading up to my 3rd Ironman. there are other things to decide but I'll not bore you with that now. I mean, I need to have something else to blog about.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">So that's what I know and now you know too. Back to obsessively looking for IMTX scoop!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Happy training (yayayayayayayayay)!</span></div>
Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04119065745250721509noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3149244418591093851.post-4744647372823185612016-01-29T21:01:00.004-06:002016-01-29T22:00:00.341-06:00In Memorium<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I am the type of person who does a lot better dealing with emotions if I write. And so, I'm writing. Today is the day Keith & I had to euthanize our beloved dog, Sophie.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">This tiny little being came into our lives January 2006. She started out as Keith's dog as he was looking for a furry companion. Sophie immediately stole the heart of all she met - especially me. Keith and I hadn't been dating terribly long and we were on & off in the early days but if he was traveling or working late, I got to take care of Sophie. A few years later, he started traveling to Fort Worth regularly for work and Sophie did not care for his apartment so she started staying with me more regularly. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjuBN9VoLWqAOCXHIDCVF2UZ_tccnekpJlXeylkHrSLA9A6GJ-IwbPq0dvZbJiniB4DRUInO4bP0fcEbh8X6V-x_rK5uPNBcH9921xWa53aDPZDH_qo_pakKKR_YcKGr0q_a8UwFg_8Ec/s1600/11201024_10153214541171826_3110161436658835535_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjuBN9VoLWqAOCXHIDCVF2UZ_tccnekpJlXeylkHrSLA9A6GJ-IwbPq0dvZbJiniB4DRUInO4bP0fcEbh8X6V-x_rK5uPNBcH9921xWa53aDPZDH_qo_pakKKR_YcKGr0q_a8UwFg_8Ec/s320/11201024_10153214541171826_3110161436658835535_o.jpg" width="240" /></a><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Sophie was a spunky girl who didn't care for most people but loved her family, especially her daddy. So many times I would mention "daddy" and her ears would perk up and she would tilt her head to one side. When he would return from out of town, she would go nuts and greet him with the best slobber kisses ever. And I was no slouch in her eyes either. Sophie loved her mommy so much and I might have been her favorite cuddle buddy. She and I developed a routine in our new home. When I was home from work and done exercising or just piddling around the house, I would sit in our red chair and she would join me. She always wanted to be on my lap, under a blanket. It was best I didn't move as to avoid disturbing the Princess. On weekends, Keith would often ask if he was "chopped liver" as the dogs would join me on the chair as soon as I sat there. I loved it. This is something I am going to miss terribly. I half-joked with Keith that we might need to get rid of the chair as I just don't know I'll enjoy it as much without our sweet girl. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdfM7_UuczRbhV3G82-5ccj_doFsuHJeZdMQaj5ZXJiD2WWG69iBlafyCXJdKFHKfyW2pkxmhLa5rcDum4iOA0f1aFqxSoOM1nahEm0fTDxMU9_p5JQTzM4Fbu6j7ctJEBNAvaJrctxUo/s1600/11075144_10153115676841826_6301992951483465994_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdfM7_UuczRbhV3G82-5ccj_doFsuHJeZdMQaj5ZXJiD2WWG69iBlafyCXJdKFHKfyW2pkxmhLa5rcDum4iOA0f1aFqxSoOM1nahEm0fTDxMU9_p5JQTzM4Fbu6j7ctJEBNAvaJrctxUo/s320/11075144_10153115676841826_6301992951483465994_o.jpg" width="239" /></a><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Sophie was relatively young when she became ill. First she had an issue with her eye that never really improved but thankfully, never worsened. Not long after that, Sophie got really sick. We thought she had just been enjoying one too many good meals and was putting on weight when in reality, fluids were building up in her abdomen and under her skin. We felt like horrible dog parents. How could we mistake this for weight gain? When we had taken Sophie in for extreme lethargy and lack of appetite, we were referred to the Small Animal Hospital at Texas A&M. Sophie was soon diagnosed with lymphangieasia and Protein-Losing Enteropathy. In short, Sophie was losing proteins through her intestines and had other digestive related issues. While there is no cure for this, it can be managed with a strict, low fat diet and meds. A lot of meds. Finding the right combination of meds took time but soon, Sophie was returning to normal - a new normal. Over the years, she would have relapses for various reasons. We would go to A&M and they would tinker with her meds, often times adding a new one. Towards the end, she was on more than 9 meds, many of which I couldn't pronounce correctly. She would be put on a new med usually after a current med started causing issues. For example, one of the meds caused her blood to clot. Another one damaged her liver and over time, would destroy it. If it wasn't one thing, it was another. She had a pulmonary embolism at one point. Honestly, I've lost track of everything she had. Her file at A&M was so large, they had to start a new one. We often joked that the renovations they've been doing there have been funded by Sophie's visits. We were visiting College Station every 4-6 weeks. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHMlv1vVS3jIFumGa4f6Fj4kiEMQZUV4My8yyyyuCXFcdd2P1oC-Kb80f0FTFfshPRHBWPpGL_UGqmzOkfCr4GlBE0Hf8vjt1Cu93DE3JTVBcIxWX0a40I2F-O3yyfw1ovoz8jKVx5i8I/s1600/11411151_10153314857786826_798355314352900017_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHMlv1vVS3jIFumGa4f6Fj4kiEMQZUV4My8yyyyuCXFcdd2P1oC-Kb80f0FTFfshPRHBWPpGL_UGqmzOkfCr4GlBE0Hf8vjt1Cu93DE3JTVBcIxWX0a40I2F-O3yyfw1ovoz8jKVx5i8I/s320/11411151_10153314857786826_798355314352900017_o.jpg" width="240" /></a><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The past several months, Sophie has lived a good life. No, she's lived a great life. There were days she played like she did when she was much younger. She wasn't retaining fluids and maintained her girlish figure. Her "treats" were carrots and she loved them, but that didn't stop her from begging at every.single.meal. Sophie loved her cuddles, belly rubs and cuddles with mom & dad. She had a best friend/sister in our Yorkie, Leia. They behaved like typical sisters - Sophie, the older sister, tolerated Leia. And Leia worshiped Sophie. When Sophie didn't feel well, Leia was never far away. She would sniff her and lick her and annoy the crap out of her. It was so sweet to watch. The past few weeks though, Sophie wasn't quite herself. Looking back now, we can see it was a gradual decline - so gradual I think we missed some signs. Last week Sophie seemed lazier than usual. She was sleeping a lot. Like a lot, a lot. We joked that she was definitely her daddy's dog. Sophie was losing her balance here & there, usually when she got really excited. She would spread her paws out and then fall over. It scared the crap out of us. She would try to jump on the chair but would kind of stumble and have to try again. Then I noticed she was not putting her hind right paw down. I checked it and moved it but she didn't squeal or anything. By Sunday, she was definitely not herself at all. She wasn't eating much and didn't come running for things she typically would. I told Keith that if she wasn't better by Wednesday, I'd take her in. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Monday morning I went to the dentist and when I got home, something just wasn't right. She hadn't eaten and wouldn't go outside to potty. I had to carry her out and put her on the grass. She could walk and did walk when she was out there. I called the vet and took her in. They did bloodwork and her protein levels were very, very low. Dang it. She was clearly having a relapse. She was also very dehydrated. They kept her overnight, giving her fluids and steroids. They called me the next day though as Sophie was far more alert, feisty AND wanting her food. Whew, crisis averted. Stick to her meds and get her protein back in line. We're good. I drove through Starbucks with her and she was flirting with the cashier (trying to get a puppy latte). We went home and she ate nearly all her food and then cuddled with me. All was right in our world. We went to bed and in the middle of the night Sophie had horrible diarrhea. I cleaned everything up and we went back to bed. I chalked it up to her only having fluids the day before and not being 100%. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG-06gf05vnYL6uFYZTuOJQgY1qdK7CbupBYs88Ywlfqu1oFYvHRQ1oHLy4LQ33J3gWSe0HqHauDS4Zv9cjL_9YswsHyCVhCmvhx9gl_W_uLhIMzWt7wI971Q7mmy99jhm_agu5XL9Jj0/s1600/316686_10150397760436826_1023665321_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG-06gf05vnYL6uFYZTuOJQgY1qdK7CbupBYs88Ywlfqu1oFYvHRQ1oHLy4LQ33J3gWSe0HqHauDS4Zv9cjL_9YswsHyCVhCmvhx9gl_W_uLhIMzWt7wI971Q7mmy99jhm_agu5XL9Jj0/s320/316686_10150397760436826_1023665321_n.jpg" width="240" /></a><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I debated going to work on Wednesday but had meetings and had already worked from home Monday so felt I should go in. I will regret this decision for a long time. I put Leia in her crate when I left as Sophie hadn't eaten much breakfast and I didn't want our little piggy to eat all of Sophie's food. I also didn't want her getting into any messes Sophie might create if her tummy was still upset. I left work a little early and was home by 4:45pm. As soon as I opened the door, I knew something wasn't right. When the garage door opens and the alarm is turned off, Sophie ALWAYS is at the back door to greet us. Always. I called for Sophie but nothing. I ran around the house like a lunatic but couldn't find her. I went into our bedroom and on the other side of the bed, Sophie was collapsing over and over. Every time she tried to stand, she collapsed. Her hind legs were not functioning. I grabbed her, let Leia out of the crate and went outside with the phone and called the vet. I was frantic. Sophie wasn't very alert and was clearly scared. The vet said to come in right away but told me they may have to send us to an ER given the time of day and depending on what it could be. They did share with me that it could be a ruptured disc or a blood clot. I got to the vet and they told me that whatever was going on, it wasn't good. Sophie not only had no use of her hind legs, she couldn't feel anything. I watched them poke and pinch her with a hemostat and she didn't flinch. This was serious and I needed to get her to A&M ASAP. I drove there and contacted a few folks to let them know what was happening. I was a wreck. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">A&M ultimately determined Sophie had a blood clot that was restricting/blocking blood flow to her hind legs. They also let me know that it could be treated medically (we're talking viles of meds that were $400 each) vs surgically and that Sophie would have a 50:50 prognosis. They just needed to talk to Internal Medicine to make sure they were ok with the treatment plan - basically needed to make sure that all the meds she was on would work together. Sadly, Internal Med didn't sign off and Sophie's prognosis was no longer 50:50. All they said was, "her prognosis is much lower". Could the clot break up on it's own? Yes. Could they give us something else to help? Yes but at this point, blood flow had been restricted for at least 7 hours and possibly 14 hours. That meant damage to her legs would be permanent and she would not walk again. They didn't even know if she could eliminate on her own. At 2am, Sophie & I left A&M (me in tears). She was sedated and I was exhausted. Keith was in San Francisco and I called him and we cried. I pulled over at one point because I thought she wasn't breathing. We knew the time had come and just hoped Sophie would make it until Keith could get home. I told Keith he had to be the one to call our vet to schedule the appointment because I could not do it. No. Hell no. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I stayed home from work on Thursday and laid in bed with Sophie most of the day. And I cried. I cried more than I thought humanly possible. I did not know it was possible to produce that amount of snot and tears. I second guessed our decision non-stop. I gave her steroids and her blood thinning meds because I thought maybe, just maybe, she would surprise us all and get up and walk. Grasping. At. Straws. Keith got home at 1am and we cried. This morning, I woke up and within about 45 seconds, I was crying. I told Keith I needed him to call the vet and make sure they would tell us if we were making a mistake by putting a potentially healthy dog down. Yes, I was still in denial. Keith is a saint and made the call and had the conversation. Sophie would have no quality of life. We were making the right decision for Sophie. That's when Keith lost it and when I finally found some peace in our decision. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Sophie had an amazing day today. She cuddled with mommy most of the morning. Her cousin, Avery, called to say goodbye. She had bacon for breakfast and then napped with dad. We basked in the sun and then she watched mommy get ready - something she did every morning. Yes, I finally decided to bathe today as I didn't want her to have the smelly mom at the clinic. Daddy then grilled her a delicious filet for lunch. She knew she was in heaven. Then she went on her very first Ferrari ride. We cuddled some more and then left for Starbucks to get her a puppy latte. We spoiled her and gave her all the things she always wanted but never could have because of her restrictive diet. We documented the day and created a shared album that we shared with the girls. Everyone got to share in the love we showed her today. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Sophie passed peacefully in my arms with her daddy and sister next to her. Surprisingly, I held it together until the vet said, "she's gone". </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">While she was only 7lbs, she is leaving a major hole in our lives. She was an amazing buddy to both of us. She made us laugh all the time. She was so smart. And sneaky. She loved us unconditionally and we loved her back. The house is too quiet without her. I am going to miss her "yelling" at me every morning to feed her. I'm going to miss her sitting on the rug in our bathroom every morning as I got ready. I'm going to miss falling asleep with her on the chair. I'm going to miss her getting excited when we asked her if she wanted a "treat" or go for a ride. I probably won't miss her horrid farts. Lol. I know it will take time, but soon, we'll be able to talk about all the fun times and smile. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Rest in peace, Sophie. We will love you forever!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">12/10/05 - 1/29/16</span></div>
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Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04119065745250721509noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3149244418591093851.post-22752448750884945242015-10-26T23:13:00.000-05:002015-10-26T23:13:19.507-05:00Racing Reboot: Take 3!<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-size: 11px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">While I’ve had every intention of getting back to blogging, life has just been keeping me busy. On top of that, this blog was really intended to follow my Ironman training and other racing. So if I’m not really racing or training for anything, why blog? I mean, I don’t want to waste the time of my 3 loyal readers. ☺</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I was able to successfully avoid racing most of the year despite having signed up for several events. Lots of changes at work constantly threw a wrench into my plans. As you guys know, I like schedules and when I get thrown out of my routine, I just can't thrive. After months of feeling like I had started & stopped and started & stopped, it was finally time to race again. The Chicago Marathon. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>I may have been slower than NYC but I earned this medal!!</i></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">For months I knew I would not have the same type of result I enjoyed at the NYC Marathon in 2013. I wasn't putting in the same level of training and I was not at fighting weight. While I haven't put back on all the weight I lost before, I've put enough back on to be pissed off. But I'll get to that. Keith, Kevin & I went to Chicago and did lots of sight seeing, eating and walking. I'll spare you the play by play of the 26.2 miles except to say that Chicago puts on one impressive race. Well supported, great spectators, amazing volunteers and a great course. There were a few miles between 1 & 26 that really sucked but for the most part, I enjoyed every minute of this race. I did tell Keith I'd love to do it again once I can get back to training consistently. I'd love to get the time I know I can get. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Me & my man post race. I may not look the cutest but I sure to love how happy I was!</i></td></tr>
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<span style="text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Now, for some strange reason, I thought it was a great idea to sign up for a triathlon the week after Chicago. ONE WEEK. This is after having not done a tri since October 2013. Yes, that's right - my break from triathlon turned into a TWO YEAR HIATUS. The day before the race, I absolutely wanted to skip it. I got up Saturday morning and ran errands with Keith and dicked around most of the day before doing my pre-race prep. I actually think it was 3pm before I rode my bike and ran for a bit. I didn't bother to swim. I figured that if I couldn't survive 300 m, I didn't deserve to survive. I stayed the night with my sister so I didn't have to get to the race site and the butt crack of dawn. I headed to transition to get body marked with that wonderful 41 even though I'm not 41 yet. My wave was the last wave so I had plenty of time to get ready. The last time I was at this rate, I had a magnificent PR and finished in 1:06 - a time I know I'm unlikely to hit again. My swim was only 15 seconds shorter than last time (not sure if I should be happy or annoyed). I was #1 out of T1 with the fastest time of my group. Small victories baby! I thought I had a very solid bike ride but only averaged around 17mph. My run was exactly what I thought it would be - slow. No doubt my body was fatigued from the marathon one short week earlier but I did it AND I had an absolute blast. There is no doubt in my mind that I want to get back to triathlon. I just need to be super realistic about my training and my expectations. And I know me, while I had fun at this race, the time I got is not one that will satisfy me again. </span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Am I really doing this?</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Me with my awesome support crew. So happy to have family out there with me!!</i></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So what's next? Well, I'm doing the Tomball Dash again a few days before my bday and am looking forward to a fast (for my current state) run. I'm also signed up for the BCS Half again with two of my sister and brother-in-law. This is strictly a C race for me as I'm doing it with them and I'm not going to be *that* girl who ditches her family. I'm already officially signed up for FIVE half marathons next year and will be signed up for SIX once BCS 2016 opens up for registration. I'm still on my quest to run 50x50 (50 halves by the time I'm 50). Assuming I stay healthy, I am in very good shape to meet that goal. Also, I'm going to try for my sub-2 hour half. And if I'm honest, I know that I need all the stars to align - fast course, perfect temps, no injuries and a lighter load to carry. Yep, I'm going to have to buckle down and get back to fighting weight if I'm going to have a shot in hell. I did a great job dropping weight in 2012 and I kept it all off up until the point Keith proposed and I got a new job at work. After that, I was not racing, not training consistently and frankly, enjoying married life. Well, it's time to get disciplined again. This is my first week back on the "meal plan". I'm actually excited to be doing this again as I know I will see results and I know it will be worth it. I'm just going to miss not carrying about how much wine I drink with my hubby on the weekends. That should tell you how badly I want to go 1:59:59 at least once. :) </span><br />
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<span style="text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So there you have it. I've finally blogged again and I'm finally back to racing. It may not be pretty but it's something!!!</span></span></div>
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Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04119065745250721509noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3149244418591093851.post-69150442040729241782015-04-27T21:25:00.003-05:002015-04-27T21:25:46.882-05:00A new beginning?<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It has been months since I last posted. Years since I completed a triathlon (ok, not years years but you know what I mean). </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So much has happened the past few months but now it's time to get back into a good routine. It's time to brush off the race belt and start thinking about what's next. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This post is short and sweet but be warned - more to come!</span>Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04119065745250721509noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3149244418591093851.post-55180419941366842452014-12-07T21:23:00.003-06:002014-12-07T21:23:47.556-06:00Yikes!<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I hate having a photo-less blog update but oh well. I have been a blogging slacker lately. Between work and life, I've found it tough to find time to log in but I'm going to do my best starting NOW!</span><div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I ran the GE Run Through the Woods Thanksgiving morning and had a very respectable 5th place finish with a time of 26:15 (3 mile run). While I've ran faster than an 8:45 pace before, I was very pleased with my performance. I have another race a week from today - BCS Half Marathon and I'm hoping to have another solid race there. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I'm not going to even try to catch you up with everything so I'm going to end this post now and just do my best to post again sometime over the next few days. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Happy training!!!!</span></div>
Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04119065745250721509noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3149244418591093851.post-46018391887896650082014-10-13T21:30:00.001-05:002014-10-13T21:30:14.182-05:001st race of October down - 1 more to go!<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">10 for Texas is done and I was able to squeeze out about a 6 minute PR! Now, that might sound like a lot but let me just say once again that this is a race where I have had less than expected results for a number of years (well, every year I've done it). Every time I've done this race, it's been humid and I've pretty much bonked. I go out too fast, don't hydrate enough or don't take in nutrition (or I do all 3). This year I tried my very best to go out slow. Well, my first 2 miles were the fastest of the race but were at least slower than what I've done in the past. So yay? I actually walked anywhere from 30-60 seconds at each aid station and made sure to take in fluids. When it was time for water, I would take 2 cups - 1 for my head and 1 for my mouth. I sipped on Gatorade at alternating aid stations. The rain started at mile 6 or so and that's when I thought I felt blisters. My feet didn't hurt but something felt weird. I later found out that the insert in my Saucony running shoes was coming out. WTF? I hate to admit that I really didn't push this race too much. I know part of me just wanted to focus on not bonking again so I might have held back when I should've tested the gas tank a bit. It's comical to me that a good number of my half marathons have been at paces faster than what I've ever run 10 for Texas. Part of that is due to time of year of course. I've yet to run a cold 10 for Texas!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">All in all, the experience was great and I was happy to walk away with a PR. I had a very, very solid bike ride on Sunday and today had two recovery workouts - a 2500m swim and a 30 min ride. I feel great today and am ready for my workouts the rest of the week. Austin 70.3 is literally right around the corner. This will be my first (and last) tri of 2014. I am finally having my first race in my new age group even though I don't turn 40 for another month. Keith will of course join me in Austin for the race. Emily, Daniel & Elena are going to make it out too so that will be so much fun! Doug, Regan & Luke all live in Kyle so maybe they'll stop by for the run. We'll see! Keith has a friend from EY who is also racing. Keith said he's SUPER fit. I checked and he's in the wave after me so I told Keith he'll probably be one of the dudes who swims right over me. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">That's all I've got really. I wanted to be sure and blog before another month passed. Oh wait, there is something else to share. Keith & I were talking yesterday about what races I'd like to do next year. Given my new role is still pretty demanding, I'm not going to try to do any long races for awhile - no Ironman distance for this girl in 2015. I've never had a stellar showing at an Oly and Keith has always thought that distance would be my niche (I actually love half Iron distance the most). I'll probably sign up for an Oly or two and try to beat my best time which frankly, shouldn't be too hard. I've also decided to enter the lottery for the Chicago Marathon!!! I'm dying to run NYC again but we got to talking and thought it would be neat to check out another major marathon before I try my luck at NYC again. Chicago is kind of a no brainer. The course has a reputation for being fast. There was one year the temperatures were unseasonably warm (like 88) and the race was forced to shut down as they ran out of fluids and folks were dropping left & right. I happen to have a little bit of experience with hot, miserable races. #IMTX.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ok, now that's really all I have. Happy training!!!</span>Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04119065745250721509noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3149244418591093851.post-55176974121214064492014-10-07T21:28:00.002-05:002014-10-07T21:28:38.966-05:00Well hello there! It's race week so I figured I should blog. :)<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Greeting from Magnolia, Texas! My evening workout is done and I'm resting with my pups and it occurred to me that it's race week so I should probably do this blog a solid and actually post something. </span><div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">To quickly bring you up to speed, Emily & Daniel welcomed their absolutely perfect bundle of joy on September 16th! Elena Paige Verhaalen made her debut after more than 25 hours of labor - poor Emily! Mom, baby & daddy are all doing great. Keith, Hannah & I were able to FINALLY visit them this past weekend and it was so awesome getting to meet her. Elena is a perfect baby and couldn't be any cuter. It's so nice that they are only 3 hrs away because that means Papa & Nana can visit whenever they want. Ok, maybe not whenever but we can visit pretty often! </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyDXVeVVJtkQQI_plidNUDOW5vCnxp14bzpt7gVibsnLFPpMxpTH0sgMoq-Q8dcZGqTknptTGGNtfcQ6irORA1RlJtkAhyphenhyphenoTK17yW3qUIa3zj3PpiTJuUWpE57GoQDv6-gVsK10VD7Rng/s1600/10013379_10202819414582626_938679852125911684_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyDXVeVVJtkQQI_plidNUDOW5vCnxp14bzpt7gVibsnLFPpMxpTH0sgMoq-Q8dcZGqTknptTGGNtfcQ6irORA1RlJtkAhyphenhyphenoTK17yW3qUIa3zj3PpiTJuUWpE57GoQDv6-gVsK10VD7Rng/s1600/10013379_10202819414582626_938679852125911684_o.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Nana, Papa & Miss Elena Paige</i></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My sweet sister Annie remains on bed rest and this week, will be 32 weeks prego. Annie has been in the hospital since 23 weeks and has been SUCH a trooper. Honestly, I wouldn't have lasted 3 days. Annie is hanging in there and baby girl is growing like she needs to be. There's some talk about when the doc will bring baby #2 but I think it's still up in the air a bit. Annie will need to have a c-section due to her condition so she will have some recovery time but I know she can handle it. So proud of my sister!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ok, so race week! It's funny because when I think of my nemesis race, I always think of Galveston (which I did concur last year thank you very much). I forgot that I have a second nemesis race - 10 for Texas. I'm not sure how many times I've done this race but what I am sure of is that every time I've done it, I have never run as well as I have leading up to the race. And I always have a good race after 10 for Texas. I think because of that, I'm not even setting expectations for Saturday. Every year, the weather the weekend BEFORE the race is always amazing and very "fall like". Then race day hits and it's 90% humidity and 80+ degrees. Every year, I go out at a pace that is fast but feels good. And every year, the wheels come off somewhere around 5-6 miles. It's funny because I typically run better during half marathons than I do at this stupid race. All that being said, my game plan for Saturday is simple. Go out easy NO MATTER WHAT and then put the pedal to the metal on the back side of the course. No more sprinting up Woodlands Pkwy only to drag ass on Lake Woodlands. Nope, I'm going to be smart up Woodlands Pkwy and then run like I stole something on the back side. At least that's the plan. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So there you have it. My week will consist of "easy" workouts and plenty of rest so that my body is ready to go come Saturday. Here's to conquering another nemesis!!!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Happy training y'all!</span></div>
Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04119065745250721509noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3149244418591093851.post-40882109235490938412014-08-27T20:26:00.002-05:002014-08-27T20:26:14.704-05:00Lake Houston 5k - Race Report<div style="font-size: 11px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Holy cow! Did I say race report??? Say it ain't so!</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Racing in August in Southeast Texas is not always fun. Despite the heat & humidity, I managed to have a little fun this past weekend at the Lake Houston 5k.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My expectations were appropriately managed going into this race. I am not training how I used to and knew I wouldn’t be lighting too much on fire. With it being August, I also knew full well I would not have a PR and I would certainly not touch my January 5k time and be under 25 minutes. I was TOTALLY ok with that. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Keith joined me at this race even though I told him he didn’t have to. I wasn’t able to pick up my packet the day before because I had to work so we needed to arrive early to grab my packet. We had about an hour to spare before it was time for the 5k start so we walked around and did a little people watching and then I warmed up for the race. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">There’s not too much to report given this was such a short race. The 10k group went out 30 minutes before us so by the time we started, the speedy runners were on their way back. I immediately thought about how happy I was NOT to be running the 10k. I decided I was going to be smart and not get too crazy so I went out fast but not too fast. There is no doubt I was holding back and not putting the pedal to the metal. I started the race already sweaty thanks to my warm up so I wasn’t surprised that I was a Sweaty Betty before mile 1. I wasn’t breathing too hard and everything felt good so I tried to just hold the pace I was at. This was an out & back course so pretty soon, I saw the front 5k runners and knew I would get to turn around soon too. Thank goodness! As I hit the u-turn, I glanced at my watch and knew I was doing just fine. I wanted to be under 30 minutes and that wasn’t looking to be a problem. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I hit the mile 2 marker and decided to walk through it and get some water. I dumped some on my head and then drank the other. I probably walked longer than I should’ve or needed too but I had started to hear some ringing in my ears and thought maybe I should just dial it back. I started up again b/c come on, there’s only a mile left and I needed to not be a baby. Before I knew it, I was hitting the bridge over Lake Houston and could see the finish line. Man, I would like to be under 28 minutes so I picked it up but knew I didn’t have enough time left to shave off much time. I finished nice and hard and felt good about my time. I knew it wasn’t going to be good enough for a podium place but decided to wait around anyway. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">28:18 was good for 7</span><span style="font-size: 7.3px; letter-spacing: 0px;"><sup>th</sup></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"> in a field of 71 which put me in the top 9.9% of my age group. I was very happy about that and couldn’t complain one bit! Out of all females, I was 27 out of 350ish which was good for top 7.8%. Wowza!!!! The goal of this race was to kind of give me a kick in the pants and get my competitive juices flowing again. It felt wonderful to be out there and I really enjoyed pushing myself if only a little bit. Mission accomplished!</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So from here, I’ve got Austin 70.3 8 weeks from this coming Saturday with 10 for Texas before then. Time to buckle down and get moving!</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Happy training!</span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pre race smiles for the future Mr. & Mrs. :)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9YqmSkiksKR61CmH0NXLVzvFj1cGRRoVU2SZ5RElzXVfs-DBR4DD6Eo7BDG0GB1fV165cKLa1i-kGFCbIkLIVEopzdLc1GanU_T2Ekp9UOoajvfHP09GgasORUjTTj2rdX1wDkcFsMxs/s1600/photo+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9YqmSkiksKR61CmH0NXLVzvFj1cGRRoVU2SZ5RElzXVfs-DBR4DD6Eo7BDG0GB1fV165cKLa1i-kGFCbIkLIVEopzdLc1GanU_T2Ekp9UOoajvfHP09GgasORUjTTj2rdX1wDkcFsMxs/s1600/photo+2.JPG" height="320" width="235" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just trucking' along!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNU4AfHNrFGV0y3QXvGTQ-gxjuYLtrI-Xi-MY9hJgUhvBMaXApYQ_f8-8C20RdjL9YiJsNeNeTQmbSWELbN14n6yltwhs-brpI2fdTx4hUECxl-kyJI9zldYW67NKTd6KfRcbWvnLZl3k/s1600/photo+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNU4AfHNrFGV0y3QXvGTQ-gxjuYLtrI-Xi-MY9hJgUhvBMaXApYQ_f8-8C20RdjL9YiJsNeNeTQmbSWELbN14n6yltwhs-brpI2fdTx4hUECxl-kyJI9zldYW67NKTd6KfRcbWvnLZl3k/s1600/photo+3.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All smiles on the way home!</td></tr>
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Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04119065745250721509noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3149244418591093851.post-16919510940552527942014-08-11T16:49:00.000-05:002014-08-11T16:49:21.283-05:00Adding to my race calendar!<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Even though IMAZ is off the calendar, I'm not exactly resting on my laurels. Wedding planning is actually kind of exhausting. We thought about hiring a wedding planner to help with some logistics given our wedding will be out of town. Well, the quote I got was nearly $5,000. I'm cheap and don't value my sanity all that much so I said no thanks! My sisters, sister-in-law and Emily have all agreed to help me and I will take them up on it. Each and every one of them. :)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Before I get into the updates to my race calendar, lets talk about the other stuff in life that isn't wedding related. Keith & I were in San Marcos last Friday for Emily's grad school graduation. Yay!! I think it's safe to say Emily was the only VERY prego graduate that day and looked super cute. We had a really fun dinner the night before with some of her friends and then after graduation, Emily's mom treated us all to lunch at Los Cucos. It was a great celebration and we're so excited for Emily! Next up: the debut of Miss Elena Paige Verhaalen!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Hannah was in Germany for a church conference. Thousands of teens from around the world went to Muenster and she had an amazing time. We got to see her last night and she told us all about her adventures and the way she and her friends were touched by God's presence. She had a super amazing trip!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We saw Caitlin for just a short time at graduation and she's sporting a cute & sassy new haircut. We were really hoping that at lunch, she & Daniel would get into a queso eating contest but no such luck. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Keith & I got to FaceTime with Addie & Morgan yesterday. Oh my gosh...they are absolutely adorable. Addie was in a great mood and Morgan was sweet as she could be. While we don't have any plans to go to San Diego before the year is over at the moment, Papa & Nana are probably going to need to book a flight (you hear that Heather & Michael?)!!!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">On a sadder note, Annie is back in the hospital. She hits 24 weeks later this week and has started bleeding again. With her condition, placenta previa, this is going to be what she continues to experience the remainder of the pregnancy. We keep hoping and praying that she can make it as long as possible. She's now been on bed rest for 7 weeks and is hanging in there. We love you Annie and baby!!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ok, so now we can chat about racing! I cancelled my hotel reservations in Mesa today so decided I need to cheer myself up by spending money on some races. I'm going to do a 5k in a few weeks (I didn't ask my coach first so I hope Ana is ok with that). ;) I thought I needed to do SOMETHING just to get my competitive juices flowing again. I also signed up for a 5k in early February and 10 for Texas in October. I've got a few other races I may try to do but need to see how wedding related "stuff" shakes out first. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">After I get through Austin 70.3, I think I'm going to spend a lot of next year focusing on running and then mixing in a few sprints here & there to keep me active and happy. My half marathon count will be over 20 races in no time so I thought I would see if I couldn't hit 25 next year. :) Dream big or go home. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">With that, I hope you all have a great week. Look at me back at blogging a little more regularly!!! </span>Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04119065745250721509noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3149244418591093851.post-65830047843264734822014-08-03T22:37:00.001-05:002014-08-03T22:37:16.221-05:00Delaying the inevitable.....<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I can't believe I haven't blogged since February. Oh my goodness!!! I know I drafted a few blog posts but clearly I never got around to actually posting any of them.</span><div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So I got a promotion back in February. After that, my work life literally blew the heck up. I worked 75 hrs/week for months. If I wasn't sleeping, commuting or working, I was trying to squeeze in whatever type of workout I could. And to be honest with you, there wasn't much left to squeeze in. I was still early in my training and was keeping my awesome coach looped in so I wan't too worried....yet.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Every time I thought work would get better, it got worse. On top of my crazy work schedule, Keith & I bought a house and then had to start the process of packing and moving two households. We had been talking about where we would live when it was time to retire so I'm still not exactly sure how it was that we decided to just go ahead and buy now but we did. And I'm glad we did because I love this home we're making together!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As if I wasn't stressed enough, I learned my sister Annie was pregnant again. She just had my beautiful niece Olivia back in December and is due once again in December. Without sharing too much of Annie's business, she is having a very difficult pregnancy and has been on bedrest since she hit 17 weeks. She's just over 22 weeks now and she remains on bedrest. We also know that there is likely no way she will make it full term with this new little angel. So we wait, hope & pray that she makes it as far as she can but at least to 24 weeks. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">On a brighter note, Keith proposed on July 4th and we'll be getting married early 2015. Since this is a training blog, I'm going to spare you all the details but I mention this because obviously this has an impact on my free time. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Before we got engaged, I was really struggling with my ability to do Ironman Arizona in November. I had traded messages and talked to my coach and we agreed we could give it a little time before I had to make the call as to whether or not I could spend the time I needed to train for this race. I would have a few good training days and think I was getting back on track and then something would happen. Even though I'm not working 75 hrs/week anymore, I'm still working over 50hrs/week most weeks. To put it in perspective, I worked more over time March - June than some people at my company work in a full year. Seriously. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Last week I finally made the toughest decision I've had to make in a long, long time.....to transfer my race registration for IMAZ to Austin 70.3. I didn't want to do this. I wanted (and still want) to do this race more than anything. And especially on my 40th birthday. But this year is not my year. I've told so many people that had I known what this year would look like when I signed up, I never would've signed up. Never. I didn't have a crystal ball though so I signed up knowing I would have the time I needed to train for and kill this race. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So yes, the decision is made and is final. Instead of killing myself and stressing out over IMAZ, I will be able to focus my attention on training for Austin 70.3 and hopefully train to PR. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I'm going to have to change the name of this blog. I may even have to spend some time posting about my wedding planning. Or just stick to blogging about training. We'll see!!</span></div>
Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04119065745250721509noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3149244418591093851.post-46280338395401805532014-02-27T19:35:00.002-06:002014-02-27T19:35:37.779-06:00Race week sorta snuck up on me….again.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAYYrQqkOpzJW0y9EsQw5BW2TCs6htEPLAFWz3p8wl9SYR0hl2befBHQNjFfyXcjGtPvSqEAHvpPYCHQ4sGHQOp4H8PE2b8eV2yNqV6DZGUo22PnLaCXxupgKPIYGGNFE8sustkrTNJME/s1600/Image+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAYYrQqkOpzJW0y9EsQw5BW2TCs6htEPLAFWz3p8wl9SYR0hl2befBHQNjFfyXcjGtPvSqEAHvpPYCHQ4sGHQOp4H8PE2b8eV2yNqV6DZGUo22PnLaCXxupgKPIYGGNFE8sustkrTNJME/s1600/Image+3.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>2013 The Woodlands Half Marathon - PR!<br /><br /><br /><br /></i></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It's that time….race week time. I've been looking forward to The Woodlands Half Marathon for awhile and while that hasn't changed, my expectations for race day have.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I had high hopes for this race. Coming off the NYC Marathon and then having fun at the Houston Half, I thought I would be able to refocus my efforts and train like a beast so I could finally achieve my sub 2hr half marathon. Life sort of got in the way. And I'm ok with that!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Back in December I applied for a new role at work….a promotion. I had hoped to hear something right away but the process seemed to take forever and it was late January before I finally was offered the position. My transfer date was 2/1 and that's when I started transitioning to my new role. I've got significant more responsibility and I am responsible for a team of 13 (and we're hiring 2 more). I got my workouts in but they were not quality workouts. And some of my long runs had to be cut short because I simply didn't have the hours in the day to do everything. I was surprised by my attitude about the whole situation. In the past, I would've stressed myself out and been so upset that I wasn't setting myself up for the best race. Today I look at it as an opportunity to go out and enjoy something I truly love doing….running and being outside! I know I can run 13.1 miles with no problem. I've had solid runs the past few days and even did a speed workout that consisted of 6x400 all at a 7:30min/mile pace or faster. It's not impossible for me to have a good race. Is it possible to have a big PR? Yes but maybe not likely. I also have to remind myself that technically, I'm taking a much needed break right now and should be focusing on building strength as I get ready to start IMAZ training. Go with the flow, baby.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So with that, I'll be out there this weekend and I am sure to have a big smile on my face. I'm going to do my very best and am probably going to make it hurt a little bit. But at the end of the day, I'm not going to be disappointed if my time doesn't start with a 1! There will always be another half marathon. :)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Happy training!!!!</span>Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04119065745250721509noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3149244418591093851.post-27745394769508696302014-01-26T14:25:00.001-06:002014-01-26T14:25:03.054-06:002014 is off to a great start!<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Yes, today was a race day but I'll get back to those exciting details in a minute.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My family is awesome. I mean seriously, how many people will get up at the butt crack of dawn to go to a 5k? I stayed with Stefanie last night and she & Avery were up at 5:30am with me to head over to the UH Sugar Land campus for my 5k. Avery doesn't typically like to get up early but we found her in her room, ready to go! Angel baby! On top of that, Keith work up extremely early for the 2nd weekend in a row so he could drive down from The Woodlands to watch. As if that's not awesome enough, my mom was there to watch too. The 5k started just before 6:40am…yes, you heard that right. After the half & full marathoners started, the 5k took off. Let me tell you what impressed me about today though. While the race start was 6:30am, there was a 4:30am start for marathoners who expected to be on the race course for longer than 6 hours. FOUR THIRTY IN THE MORNING. I can't tell you how impressed I am with those who started this early….and I'll tell you, there were a lot of them b/c they were out there when I arrived at the race site. To get up that early in the morning means they really wanted to finish that marathon. I was so impressed. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">After the race, we had beignets and hot cocoa/coffee and then Keith & I went to Rosenberg to deliver the cradle he made for Olivia. Oh my gosh, she's going to love sleeping in that thing. Keith is so talented and it makes me so happy that he takes the time to make these special keepsakes for my family. They love them so much and I love him!!! Yay Keith!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ok, the race recap. My previous 5k PR was run in 2009 (I think) and was 27:44…a time I was very proud of. To finally run a 5k under 30 minutes was a BIG deal to me. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It would appear that my first mile was somewhere around a 7:50min/mile pace. W.T.F. I knew when the race started I wanted to make this one hurt but I didn't expect that type of pace. Heading out, I saw my family half way between the start and the turnaround. I wish I could've smiled and waved but I was a woman on a mission and I needed to stay focused. I also thought if I waved I may actually fall down. Run, breathe, repeat. Mile 2 I slowed a bit which I think partially had to do with a slight incline and then also a little to do with the turn around. Either way, I knew I was at a pace that would guarantee a PR. Just run. Mile 3 I dropped my pace by about 15 seconds from my Mile 2 pace and knew I had enough to finish strong. I saw my family again and was SO happy but still so focused on making my goal. I knew that there was a chance for a podium spot if the times were consistent with 2013. That being said, you never know who is going to show up in a given year so I reminded myself that a PR would be a very good reward with a podium spot being icing on the cake!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I could see the finish line and was hurting. Pumping my arms for extra speed wasn't working due to the fact they were sore from my barre class the day before. Oopsie. I glanced at my Garmin and was at a 7:29min/mile pace. Ok, just a little longer now. I rounded the final turn and hit the gas. My breathing was labored, my abs hurt and my arms were on fire. Not so surprising, my legs felt strong (thank you NYC Marathon training). I crossed the finish and saw 24:55 on my watch but knew that wasn't official. Nope, I would have to wait for those results. Either way, I knew I was probably below 25 minutes and was FREAKING EXCITED. I called Ana to leave her a message. Even though she's not coaching me right now, she's still my coach and I knew she would want to hear my update. I was dying when I called her. I think I even said, "f, I'm tired" and then hung up. LOL. I didn't vomit post race but I did taste blood when I coughed. Hmmm, not sure what that was but I think it meant I went balls to the wall. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I caught up with the family and then waited (not so) patiently for them to post the results. Official time was 24:57….a nearly 3 minute PR. That time was good to get me 2nd place in the 30-39 age group!!!! For a split second, I was sad not to get 1st BUT I was so happy with my performance. I've done virtually no speed work and I signed up for this race less than a week ago. I'd say I did just fine! I do want to point out that had I raced in the 40+ group (like I would've if this were a tri), I would've had 1st. Just saying. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So yeah, my 2nd race of the 2014 season was awesome and it felt so good! I'm racing again in 2 weeks…my first duathlon. I actually plan on having a little fun with that. I haven't been out on my bike in awhile so I thought this would be a good kick in the pants. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Happy training y'all!!!!!</span><br />
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<br />Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04119065745250721509noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3149244418591093851.post-8145093444792715722014-01-22T19:33:00.000-06:002014-01-22T19:33:35.030-06:00Another Houston Half in the books!!!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Monday I completed my 7th Houston Half Marathon and I have to say, aside from my first race, this was my favorite. I wasn't chasing a PR so I really got to enjoy the day. And what a beautiful day it was! The sun was out and it wasn't as chilly as it's been recently. It was gorgeous! </span> </span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;">This race was especially special b/c I got to run with Keith's daughter, Caitlin. This was her first half marathon so the plan was to run together. I was so excited for her and never had a doubt she would finish this race. She got to experience the feelings I think we all face at some point during a race. Excitement, exhaustion, being "over" running, etc. There was nothing cooler than turning on to Allen Parkway and getting that glimpse of downtown, knowing we were headed to the finish. All the spectators who yelled for her made the day even more memorable. I especially like the dude who called her Cat-lin. Meow. Keith was our best spectator once again and made his way to three points on the course to cheer for us. I always look forward to seeing him out there. It was a great day to run. I'm so proud of Caitlin for tackling a goal like this and doing something she never thought she would. How cool is that?!?!?</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;">Being out there has definitely reignited the bug to race. So of course, I signed up for my very first duathlon, Du the Polar Bear. I haven't been out on the roads on my bike much at all so this will force me to get off the trainer and/or spin bike and get outside. This race is a short, sweet one which makes it even better. A 2 mile run, 15 mile bike and 2 mile run. I'm super excited and hope to do well! And if that wasn't enough, I signed up for a 5k that is this Sunday so I can run after my PR!!! There is something seriously wrong w/ me.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;">The Woodlands Half is on the horizon for me as well and weather permitting, I will be chasing my PR and my goal of getting in under 2hrs. You guys know this is a goal I've wanted for a long time and I'm so close. I just need all the stars to align, execute a great race and not go out too hard. Seems reasonable. Oh yeah, I also need Mother Nature to be kind to me and give me PR weather. Pretty please. With sugar on top.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;">So that's all I've got this fine Wednesday. Happy Training!!!!</span></span></span>Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04119065745250721509noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3149244418591093851.post-80882680763201760132014-01-08T20:15:00.001-06:002014-01-08T20:15:58.482-06:00First post of the year (sorry it's boring)!<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">(this entry was previously recorded)</span></span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">My first official post of 2014 and we're only 6 days into the year! Woo hoo. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;">November 2012 was my last visit with Chase who helped me achieve my weight loss goals. I'm happy to report I maintained that weight loss for a solid year!! I made the decision to start back on the meal plan he had me on effective today!! While I did eat like crap for much of the holiday break, the reason for getting back on the wagon now is because I want to try to get a little lighter as I gear up for Ironman training (which starts in April for me). I've been very happy with the weight I maintained all through 2013 but I do want to see if dropping a little extra can help me with my race goals for the next 11 months. I figured now was the time to get started so I could see if the new weight I want is good for me and if my performance stays where it's been. Sometimes you get a little weaker/slower when you lose weight and I don't want that. </span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;">Other than that, I've got nothing new to report just yet. The Houston Half is a week from Sunday. I have not been training hard at all and as I mentioned before, this race will be strictly for fun. I can't wait!!!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;">Happy 2014!!!!</span> </span></span>Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04119065745250721509noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3149244418591093851.post-35621237200473843342013-12-31T09:59:00.001-06:002013-12-31T10:00:22.835-06:00So long 2013!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Today is the last day of 2013 and boy was it a great year! I ended up racing 13 times (I was signed up for 14 but ended up canceling my trip to Fort Worth so didn't get to race there) in 2013. Whew! No wonder I'm tired.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I had a year full of awesome races. Well, 10 for Texas wasn't so awesome but it taught me a lot so I'm going to choose to look at it as a positive experience. I couldn't have been more pleased with how I performed this year. I felt stronger than ever mentally and physically AND I was having lots of fun. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I've been thinking about my goals for next year and as always, I immediately start thinking about time goals. I want to break 2hrs in the half marathon (current PR is 2:02 so I'm so close). I want to break 6hrs in a half Ironman. I want to finish an Ironman in less than 15 hours (way less). It's great to have time goals but at the same time, you can get so caught up with a completely arbitrary time or number. So instead, I'm going to work very hard on focusing on execution rather than a time. I'm going to focus on training smarter than ever before. I'm going to build on everything I did in 2013 and see if 2014 can't be just a little better! I'm so excited. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So what's on the calendar so far? Not much! I'll be doing the Houston Half Marathon in January. This will not be a PR race for me as I've really dialed back training since the marathon. I'm going to focus on enjoying the race though. I'm super excited to be running it for the 7th time! In March I'll be racing The Woodlands Half Marathon and assuming the weather cooperates, I will likely be chasing a PR there. Other than those two races and IMAZ, my calendar is clear. There are a few races in my head I'd like to do but I want to make sure everything makes sense for IMAZ. Remember, I'm training smarter in 2014. ;)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In other news, the end of 2013 brought me a new sister (Regan) and a new niece! Miss Olivia Rose Hernandez came about a month early and is as cute as she can be!!! We already love her to pieces. Keith & I just got back from an awesome trip to San Diego where we got to visit with the Buttenob family. Addison & Morgan are the cutest little girls and are so fun to play with. Mike & Heather are awesome parents and it's so cool to see them in this phase of their life. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Before heading to San Diego, we got to spend quality time with the rest of the Chalfant gang as well as my family. I'm already looking forward to Christmas 2014!! </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Doug & Regan's Wedding</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Family fun at GenuWine</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Hannah & Keith at Kirby's</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Miss Olivia Rose going home</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Christmas Eve fun</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The Buttenob family at Del Mar</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Papa & Nana Jenny with the girls</i></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04119065745250721509noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3149244418591093851.post-87044145723692377502013-11-29T11:37:00.001-06:002013-11-29T11:37:11.546-06:00Race #13 of 2013 = Success!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Here in the 11th month of 2013, I've just completed my 13th race of the year. 13 in '13. I didn't even plan that! Thanksgiving morning, I joined Caitlin & Hannah for the GE Run Thru the Woods here in The Woodlands. This was their first 5 mile race (they're training for the Houston Half Marathon). Once again, Keith was our awesome sherpa as he was asked to carry gear for not one, but three ladies. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Race morning we were greeted with temps below 40 degrees. This is COLD for Texas folks. The night before the race I decided to have some wine & pizza with Keith and just figured I would see what happened. I felt fine race morning....not hungover but not super speedy. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We headed to the race site at 7am following a stop at Starbucks for Keith. The race packed said to arrive by like 6:45am but I made that mistake a few years ago when Emily ran this race and we ended up standing around very cold for way too long. Nope, this year we would be rebels and show up after the recommended time. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We had no issue finding a sweet parking spot right off Lake Robbins and then walked the very short distance to Market Street. We were bundled up and wanted to wait until the last second to ditch our clothes. We watched the 1 mile race start....all the kiddos. Oh my gosh. They were too cute! Maybe I will sign my niece and nephew up next year. :)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Before we knew it, the call for the 5 milers to line up came. We toyed with putting ourselves on the front line but decided it was best no to get run over. Lol. Keith headed over near the 1 mile marker so he could get pictures of us heading out. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The plan for the three of us was the same....run hard but not quite sprinting. Push and see what happens. I was confident we were all going to be happy with the outcome of our races. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I've done this race twice before and forgot how much I liked it. It's funny because I used to think it was hilly but after doing the New York City Marathon, this seemed flat as a pancake...which it pretty much is with the exception of an overpass. I remember feeling like I was going slow between mile 1 & 2 and glanced at my trusty Garmin to see I was hitting an 8:15 min/mile pace. Huh? I didn't feel like I was running that fast. Just another reason you can't always go by feel. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">At mile 4 I slowed a tiny bit but nothing to be concerned by. After having the first 3 miles be so fast, there was no doubt I would have a PR. The only question now was how big of one. Oh how I love those kinds of questions. Going into the race, I knew best case scenario would be me finishing in under 43 minutes. But now I found myself wondering how close to 41 minutes could I get. I pushed the gas a tiny bit more after grabbing water at the last aid station and made the left turn on to Six Pines. I could see Keith once I passed Market Street and just tried to push a little more. My final time was 41:58 which was good for an 8:24min/mile average. YES!!!!!!! I was absolutely thrilled with this time. Coming off a marathon and having been only running for fitness since just before my Birthday, I wasn't sure I could run like that. Maybe pizza and wine should be my new pre race meal? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I made my way through the crowd to Keith after running into my friend Lynn. It was time to cheer Caitlin & Hannah in. Before we knew it, Caitlin was making her way to the turn for the finish and was right on pace with where we thought she would be. A few minutes later, Hannah was making her turn! Caitlin & Hannah posted very respectable 5 mile times and it was so fun to see how proud they were. The additional bonus for Hannah was getting a nice little medal as we didn't think this run gave them out. Now we could all enjoy our Turkey dinner knowing we got our workout for the day done & done!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I don't have any more races on the schedule for the rest of the year but am definitely toying with fining a 5k as I would really like to PR that distance. My best time is 27:44 (I think) and I would LOVE to post something in the 25 minute neighborhood (well really, I'd love 24 and change but i don't want to be greedy). </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">2013 has turned out to be a truly awesome year for me. I've had one solid race after another and I've finally got some confidence that I really lacked before. I know I'm not the fastest at anything and that's totally fine by me. I just love the fact that I've improved so much and I'm not afraid to hurt a little bit. I'm going to need to remember this on 11/16/14. :)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04119065745250721509noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3149244418591093851.post-29681461129892543842013-11-29T11:13:00.000-06:002013-11-29T11:13:32.379-06:00There's been a change of plans......
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Here are a few blog posts I've jotted down since November 18th.....</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Leading up to the NYC Marathon, I had been thinking hard
about the 2014 race calendar. I was very
tempted to sign up for IMTX again but at the same time, thought a break might
be good. Once I finished the marathon
though, I knew I wanted a break. I knew
I needed a break. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I just kept thinking
about the progress I’ve made this year and I thought about how I wasn’t quite
ready to take a break.</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But then I
thought about all the stuff I miss because of training and reminded myself that
a short break wasn’t bad.</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I emailed Ana
and let her know that my plan was to do IMTX 2015.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Then something happened.
I started looking at other Ironman races. I had always thought if I did an Ironman
outside of Texas, it would be Florida or Arizona. And then it happened. I saw the date for
IMAZ…my 40<sup>th</sup> birthday. To me,
this was a sign that I had to do it. But
I’ve already told Keith, my sister and my coach I would take a break. I asked Keith what he thought and he of
course gave me his blessing. I asked if
it was ok to tell Ana and he agreed. He
knew that once I told her, there was no turning back which is why I wanted his
permission. Well, needless to say, Ana was thrilled. And that’s how I went from taking a break in
2014 to signing up for Ironman #3 all in the course of 6 days. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It’s barely been 4 days since signing up for IMAZ and I’m
already annoying myself. But in a good
way. I’ve been searching for places to
stay while there and have already lost the place I really wanted to someone who
is staying “far longer” according to the VRBO homeowner. Whatever.
I’ve also been debating driving vs flying so I can bring the dogs. Yeah, I’m serious. I don’t want to leave them. I also don’t want to ship my bike. I’ve got some time to decide of course. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I caught myself visualizing this race yesterday. Umm, seriously? Ok, it’s a little too early for that
nonsense. I even caught myself looking
at race results for the 40-44 a/g, my new a/g as of 1/1/14 and was starting to
crunch numbers. Ok, stop it! There will be plenty of time for obsessing
later. For now, I need to enjoy the few
races I’m signed up for and enjoy some down time. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So next week I’m going the GE
Run Thru The Woods up here in The Woodlands.
It’s a fun 5 mile race followed by a pancake breakfast. Caitlin & Hannah will be joining me as
they’re scheduled for a 5 miler that day as part of their training for the
Houston Half Marathon. This will be the
longest race for both of them and I’m SUPER excited to be there with them. It looks like the weather will be on our side
and we’ll have cool temps. I haven’t
done this race in a few years and was just looking at my previous PR for this
distance and am of course toying with the idea of trying to beat it. I haven’t really been doing much speed work
the past few weeks but I have been running.
My previous best time was 47:22 so I feel like a PR should be pretty
easy given I’ve been running better than I ever have. We’ll see.
I also want to have fun the next few months before IMAZ training kicks
in. Maybe I’ll just play it by ear (yeah
right). <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So part of doing IMAZ means I have the opportunity to do a
half ironman right in the heat of the Texas summer. Yay!
My plan is to sign up for Prarieman Half Ironman which should be in
early September. I was warned by my
coach this is a tough race where a PR is not likely. No problem…I can handle that! I looked up the 2013 race results and O M G! I
have never seen run splits so slow for folks who were on the podium. So does this scare me? Shockingly, no. This is how I know I’m a changed
athlete. A few years ago, I would’ve
been terrified of a race like this in the summer. But now, I’m looking forward to it. I told my coach that it sounded miserable in
the most amazing way. She has created an
absolute monster. What kind of psycho is
giddy and eager to sign up for a race where it will be easily over 90 degrees
and maybe even in to the 100’s with the humidity factored in? What kind of psycho thinks a 4 loop bike
course that had 20mph winds in the past sounds fun? And what kind of psycho is
excited because this will be the race she finally vomits at? Yeah, that would be me. My coach LOVES it too. Like LOVES the fact that she has created this
creature. I actually believe that if I
sent her a picture of me post-race with vomit on my tri kit, she would put it
on her refrigerator like a proud sibling (my coach is my age so I will not dare
compare her to a proud mama…lol). <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">When I think back to where I was in 2005 after my first race
or even my first race with Ana as my coach, I shake my head and laugh. I have come such a long, long way. It’s crazy to me to think about how much I
struggled in the past. I’m not saying I
don’t struggle anymore because I definitely do. I’ve just finally learned to
embrace the suck. Something I am confident
I’ll be doing a lot at Praireman!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04119065745250721509noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3149244418591093851.post-6882599961820241352013-11-09T12:01:00.000-06:002013-11-09T12:04:52.287-06:00NYC Marathon - Part 2<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAto-mzTR5NpaPooYPS44BXZPwgjn1VmDDYxy0tWCBVGbtt4OQ0fxh-MJf5YHLKuUjYuUiQHAqDbwvUZVBiMP74HhApvZCnTHgsjV1HkSezlFf7RARUvhEwP2iLvl_cdjOSI5v3LsOGNk/s1600/1391686_10200844540892018_373434889_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAto-mzTR5NpaPooYPS44BXZPwgjn1VmDDYxy0tWCBVGbtt4OQ0fxh-MJf5YHLKuUjYuUiQHAqDbwvUZVBiMP74HhApvZCnTHgsjV1HkSezlFf7RARUvhEwP2iLvl_cdjOSI5v3LsOGNk/s320/1391686_10200844540892018_373434889_n.jpg" width="238" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Yes!! I did it!!!</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Daylight savings was the weekend of the race and luckily, we
were getting to “fall backward” and gained an hour of sleep. I woke up just before 6am and got up and got
ready for the day. I knew the temps
would get to the mid 50’s while I was running so settled on shorts instead of
running crops. I had 4 layers on top
(not counting my sports bra) as I knew it would be chilly on Staten Island
where we would stage before the race. My
bus was leaving the Midtown Manhattan Library at 7:15am but for some
inexplicable reason, I had us out the door by 6:20am. Kevin stayed in bed while Keith walked the
short distance to the bus. I was nice
and stopped at Starbucks so he could get a much needed coffee though….something
I often deprive him of on race mornings.
We rolled up to the library around 6:40am and there was a line already
but it was moving very quickly. So
quickly that I was getting on way earlier than expected. Keith gave me a hug & kiss and wished me
luck and then I headed on the bus all by my lonesome. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I get emotional before big races and I knew this one had
potential for epic waterworks given how much I’ve wanted to do this race. I put
my earphones in and listened to Eminem and Katy Perry several times (my go to
songs of course). As we approached the
Verrazano-Narrows bridge, I took out the earphones and just was in awe. The bridge is a lot longer looking in person
than in pictures. And then I looked
across the water to see the Manhattan skyline WAY too far off in the
distance. Holy crap! I’m going to run over there. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As we approached Fort Wadsworth where the staging area was,
I noticed the long lines to get in. This
was due to the extra security as a result of the Boston Marathon bombings. I didn’t mind though. It gave me that much more time to take in the
whole experience. After getting in, I
made my way to the Blue village where I would wait for the next 3.5 hours (give
or take). I went straight to the porta
potty line where a nice man gave me an extra Dunkin Donuts hat he picked
up. He could tell I was cold and didn’t
mind parting ways as he picked up 4! I
pulled the cap down over my ears and felt instantly warmer. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">After getting through the line, I found a
tiny spot that was somewhat protected from the wind. I had meant to pack an old
towel or blanket to bring with me but forgot.
While waiting, I met a man who recently visited The Woodlands as his
daughter lives here with her family (she works at The Container Store so he
told me to go in and ask for Chelsea). I
also met a lady wearing an Ironman visor (like me). We got to chatting and I learned she did
Ironman Lake Placid so we traded stories.
She was also from my hometown of Buffalo, New York! I looked at my watch and it was now
9:40am. The corral for my wave would
open at 10:15am. Damn, time flew by! I told her goodbye, wished her luck and then
went to the potty one more time. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">At 10:15 I made my way to the blue corral and specifically,
my little area. I was looking for the
4:30 pace group as I had planned to run with them but couldn’t find them
anywhere. Oh well, I guess I’ll just do
this on my own. The corral closed at
10:40am and that’s when I shed my first layer…goodbye ugly Victoria Secret
sweats! At 10:50 I shed my old black
fleece. I decided to keep on my tank and
two other shirt though. I got my camera
phone out and started snapping pictures.
OMG, I was about to start. The
cannon sounded and so did “New York, New York”.
I had fully anticipated it taking 10 or more minutes to get across the
start line but it didn’t. With the
addition of a 4<sup>th</sup> wave, it was far less crowded than I
expected. Don’t get me wrong, there were
a shit-ton of people up there but it wasn’t terrible. I was on the top deck of the bridge (right
where I hoped to be) and couldn’t believe how windy it was…I almost lost my
hat! I ditched my new Try Andy’s Tri
tshirt after about a mile and also ditched the cute Dunkin’ Donuts hat. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">After getting off the bridge, you see the 2 mile marker and
hit Brooklyn. O M G. The crowds were unbelieveable. This race was already everything I could have
hoped for. I checked my watch more
frequently than I normally do only because I wanted to make sure I didn’t get
caught up in the excitement and go out to hard.
10 for Texas was not a good race for me and I was determined to not let
history repeat itself. Before I knew it,
we hit the 5k mark and I was exactly where I needed to be. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnl_rUuHgd5KWNOxlLv03ReiXGV-vmGLfOVtsj6BGaR9t7tLAsU0nyZPtrPAQnv66pApSX6nc4xohlMa85BAe1oyGAIelLOkFDcH4tZBiI83dF5uQrGRJxvFitNUnB32581H6M0BM9HTw/s1600/IMG_6180.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnl_rUuHgd5KWNOxlLv03ReiXGV-vmGLfOVtsj6BGaR9t7tLAsU0nyZPtrPAQnv66pApSX6nc4xohlMa85BAe1oyGAIelLOkFDcH4tZBiI83dF5uQrGRJxvFitNUnB32581H6M0BM9HTw/s320/IMG_6180.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Gee, I wonder how I missed the boys in Brooklyn?</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I was taking in everything.
I am confident I wasted a lot of energy scanning the crowds
constantly. But how could I not? I mean, it was crazy. The miles clicked away and as I crossed the
10k mat, I glanced at my pace bracelet and saw I was doing very well. Nice!
As I approached mile 8, I started paying attention for Kevin & Keith
as this was a spot they were trying to make it to. This area of the course must be popular for
spectators as it was packed. I knew
there was no hope of me seeing them. As it turns out, they were standing near a church I remember very well. I also remember that area I never looked to
the opposite side of the street where they were standing. They waited there until they got the
notification I had crossed the 15k mat and then headed out. Bummer!!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Time was speeding by.
I was approaching the half way point and as I crossed that mat, saw I
was at 2:11. Had this been “just” a half
marathon, I would’ve posted my 5<sup>th</sup> best ½ marathon time. Woo hoo!
This day was going well. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As we approached the Queensboro Bridge, I had a little chat
with myself. I knew this would be a tough spot in the race but I also knew I
could handle it. The bridge was steeper
and longer than I remembered reading about and felt myself getting fatigued
just as I was approaching the end of it.
I heard a sound toward the end of the bridge and it kept getting louder
and louder. I had read about this…it was
the sound of the spectators lining the streets of Manhattan who were waiting
for us. Oh my gosh, this was amazing! For the 30<sup>th</sup> time of the day, I
felt tears in my eyes. This race
continued to energize me. What an
awesome day! One of my favorite signs
around mile 16 was something like, “if you call 10 miles easy, then welcome to
the easy part”. I had to laugh because
that’s exactly what went through my head.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The Wills Avenue Bridge ended up being the one that really
kicked my ass. I think that by this
point, I couldn’t deny the fact that my quads had been pushed to their limits
by the first 3 bridges. I knew I would
need to walk for a little bit but was careful to not let myself walk for more
than one minute. Walking actually hurt
more than running and I could feel everything tightening up. I decided to pop a
couple of salt tabs even though it was before my planned “eating” time. I knew I was slowing down a bit but not
terribly. Not enough to worry. Yet. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As we got into Harlem, I heard one of my favorite guilty
pleasures, “Space Jam”. I fought the
urge to dance as I didn’t want to be THAT girl.
J I was happy because thanks to my Ironman
background, the “wall” never really came for me. I mean don’t get me wrong, I
got tired and I was hurting but I knew I was ok. I knew I was doing fine. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The Madison Avenue Bridge put a smile on my face only
because I knew it was bridge number 5 and so, the final bridge of the
race. Thank you! I was getting closer. Wait a minute, I’m getting closer! This means I’m almost done. No!!!
It’s crazy, I totally didn’t want to be done. But then at the same time, I did want to be
done. I just didn’t want this experience
to end. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">There was one last steady climb before entering Central Park
and it was a beast. I knew this was coming and knew it would hurt because I read
about it. I willed myself past this
point and just like that, I saw the entrance to Central Park. Oh. My.
God. I am almost done. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrYn03c3pmhwnIoMLEY-943qMebH2_AzxSdVIWRbke0Ea7VxMloEZJUENx8yCCZHjK4dcJFBwdmiAvGy9reXmecwbhQcbsLxkREGZjnSV4eCoR47m-3rzXlNYUK4ViyVd47cBn7NOjhHE/s1600/IMG_2358.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrYn03c3pmhwnIoMLEY-943qMebH2_AzxSdVIWRbke0Ea7VxMloEZJUENx8yCCZHjK4dcJFBwdmiAvGy9reXmecwbhQcbsLxkREGZjnSV4eCoR47m-3rzXlNYUK4ViyVd47cBn7NOjhHE/s320/IMG_2358.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Ahh, ,Central Park...the final 5k of the race!</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As I turned into the park, I felt fantastic. Cardio wise, I was in great shape. My quads were starting to go on strike
though. I think I have pretty strong
legs but they were put to the test that day.
Right around mile 25 I spotted Kevin & Keith!!! Yay!!!!!
I was soooo happy to see them before I finished. I could tell by Keith’s face that he knew I
was having a good race and he could tell by my face that I was happy with my
race. The other treat for me here was
that I was expecting to see the 24 mile marker when I saw 25. I don’t know if I fell asleep or what but
somehow, I thought I was one mile behind.
So you can imagine how excited I was to see 25!!! 1.2 miles to go. That’s it!!!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimPz3JVkhgJaWTaGFzx8IeZxPD3Sj0KSJhpFNXhvbTmgESvidOXAYdWIaVgoYviRG_p9kig-HIdkaPZ5UXyqYDfW_GkUxPI93LXEyhyRWuHXQg1s8nkviqu0thhSmx5Rl2Pt-KfxevgtM/s1600/IMG_2359.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimPz3JVkhgJaWTaGFzx8IeZxPD3Sj0KSJhpFNXhvbTmgESvidOXAYdWIaVgoYviRG_p9kig-HIdkaPZ5UXyqYDfW_GkUxPI93LXEyhyRWuHXQg1s8nkviqu0thhSmx5Rl2Pt-KfxevgtM/s320/IMG_2359.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>I remember passing the boys, thinking how glad I was to finally see them. </i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">At mile 26 I was choking up.
The crowd was so loud! They were
so happy. Everyone was giving out high
5’s. I felt like a rock star! 800 meters
to go. Ok, while I don’t want it to end,
I’m ready for it to end. I want my
medal. Where the heck is the finish
line. The next sign…400 meters to
go. WHERE IS THE FINISH LINE? I was trying to push myself some more. I made a slight turn and there it was. I threw my arms up and smiled, laughed,
cheered and fought back more tears. I
crossed the finish line and squealed. I
DID IT!!!! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I opted for the early exit by not checking baggage at the
start so had to make my way to the area that was giving out the mylar blankets
and then the ponchos for those of us who didn’t have clothes to pick up. Well, I got my medal first. I called Keith to let him know where I was
and then my coach to let her know how I did.
She was SO happy for me. She knew
I was going to be happy with my time.
Obivously my main goal was to finish but I knew that I wanted to be
between 4:30 and 4:45. 4:38:18 was my final time and I couldn’t have been
happier. There would not be any picking
apart for this race. I didn’t care if
there was anything I could’ve/should’ve/would’ve done differently. This was my first stand-alone marathon. It was my first NYC marathon. I enjoyed the hell out of every single
step. For me, this was the highlight of
my races this year. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It took me quite some time to find Keith & Kevin due to
street closures but I finally found them in Dunkin’ Donuts where Kevin had hot
chocolate waiting for me. I also had a
couple of awesome post race presents from my super sweet boyfriend! I was on cloud 9. Maybe even cloud 10 if there is such a
thing. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The icing on the cake for me? I beat Pamela Anderson, former Baywatch
babe. Take that! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">For those of you thinking about running NYC, do it. If you can qualify for it, more power to
you. I will enter the lottery again
someday. I can’t say it enough, this
race was EVERYTHING I hope it would be.
It lived up to the hype. The
volunteers, the spectators, everyone and everything about it was first
class. If you told me I could only
participate in one race a year the rest of my life, this would be it. It was amazing. I’m sitting here typing this and my eyes are
filliing with tears again because I’m just that excited. I can’t imagine a race being better than this
one. If there is, tell me and I’ll sign
up!<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A million thank you's go to everyone who supported me. Honestly, everyone I talked to was so excited for me to do this race. Like sincerely excited. Keith is my #1 supporter and having him there meant the world to me. Getting to spend several days with my brother Kevin was also an added bonus. We had a blast on our trip. We laughed a lot! And of course, my coach Ana deserves so many thanks. We've gotten to know each well over the past few years and she knows how to push me and I am learning how to take her abuse. Just kidding! She's an amazing coach and an amazing athlete too! She has helped me build my confidence up and has really helped me believe in myself and believe I can make times I NEVER thought I could hit. I love my coach!!!!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I know this was long and not very well written but thank you
for reading the whole thing! I can’t possibly
do this race justice on this blog. You
HAVE to run it for yourself. And maybe
I’ll even run it with you. </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04119065745250721509noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3149244418591093851.post-19382460491596595682013-11-09T11:44:00.002-06:002013-11-09T11:45:39.408-06:00NYC Marathon - Part 1<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZF16-AKDtsOeNnTq81WDllrnmPdEkjd0ZN9gMU9VX-zMxn0mOBjvE59xiuK84ZQ0gNxADsPYvVLuCF8XuHPXRBfIwgGNVxBT5XnOBw4y3VMHos7n9_hKacluxx_1ZSHT4gCZa4Yr2YMA/s1600/IMG_2284.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZF16-AKDtsOeNnTq81WDllrnmPdEkjd0ZN9gMU9VX-zMxn0mOBjvE59xiuK84ZQ0gNxADsPYvVLuCF8XuHPXRBfIwgGNVxBT5XnOBw4y3VMHos7n9_hKacluxx_1ZSHT4gCZa4Yr2YMA/s320/IMG_2284.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>LaGuardia bound. Let's board already!!!!</i></td></tr>
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<br />
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Where do I even start to blog about a race like the NYC
Marathon? For the sake of my sanity and
trying to remember every small detail, I’m going to break this into two
updates. You would think this race was a
big deal or something. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC4Rq0yF5BCWnFn7F-AyE9wpFQiSTuu6bIl7rVfwxHgCoHxKOCk4tlcgK_hFu6XO4noILIubCsc2RItx31UUL9rWpLPJ1zLLdbSKhlK0Ry0axuwvGGDYRcfPxQPhOzSHRjr7AfB3gKS3s/s1600/IMG_2286.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC4Rq0yF5BCWnFn7F-AyE9wpFQiSTuu6bIl7rVfwxHgCoHxKOCk4tlcgK_hFu6XO4noILIubCsc2RItx31UUL9rWpLPJ1zLLdbSKhlK0Ry0axuwvGGDYRcfPxQPhOzSHRjr7AfB3gKS3s/s320/IMG_2286.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>We're here!!!!</i></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Keith, Kevin and I landed in NYC on Friday right around
lunch. We went directly to the hotel and
checked in. Kevin decided to catch some zzz’s while Keith & I walked to the
convention center for packet pickup.
Well, we tried to take the free shuttle but it never came so we
walked. When we got to packet pickup, I
was so pumped. People were everywhere
and everyone seemed to be speaking a different language. Unlike packet pickup at Ironman races where
I’m in awe of how in shape everyone is, I didn’t feel out of place at all. I felt like I belonged! The line to get the race number was short and
the volunteers were awesome. After
checking my bib and getting my participant shirt that states I’m a “marathoner”
on the back, we headed into the expo.
Yes,we bought some pre-race gear but didn’t go too over the top. A few
cute shirts and a pace bracelet and I was good to go. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We took the shuttle back to the hotel and then Keith took a
nap while Kevin and I walked to Times Square.
Kev had never been to NYC and to see his face when we hit Times Square
was awesome. Sensory overload! We weren’t there too long and headed back to
the hotel after a pit stop at a liquor store where Kev picked up the always
trusty bottle of Crown. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Dinner Friday night was at Serendipity 3, a restaurant I
have wanted to go to ever since watching Serendipity. Much to our surprise, we
learned they don’t serve alcohol there.
This wouldn’t have been so terrible if the place wasn’t so much like a
tearoom. I caught a lot of crap for this
dinner selection, trust me. The meal
itself was ok, not great. I was there
for the dessert though and trust me when I tell you that it didn’t
disappoint. Keith and I shared the
Frozen Hot Chocolate and it was everything I had hoped. For those of you who have this restaurant on
your list to check out, I would recommend only going for dessert vs dinner. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I started Saturday with my pre-race run at around
6:30am. The streets were relatively
empty by NY standards. There were a lot
of runners doing what I was doing and that was super cool to see. I saw a huge group from Brazil taking a
picture in Times Square and then another big group from Australia running
together. Very, very cool.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivk-Prv09JqSJWNEwJMggVmyGCxt8Ej2AgfO3IW0d1aahnEwHyEFs7-FWCZtiH6rk9XgvYc_aCx9W6o_u1eNZ31bjkoOrWNOnUPq1O3uo3M-uOHXte8httk2dr98qL3b2fZUI9A42TYY8/s1600/IMG_6170.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivk-Prv09JqSJWNEwJMggVmyGCxt8Ej2AgfO3IW0d1aahnEwHyEFs7-FWCZtiH6rk9XgvYc_aCx9W6o_u1eNZ31bjkoOrWNOnUPq1O3uo3M-uOHXte8httk2dr98qL3b2fZUI9A42TYY8/s320/IMG_6170.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>This space was actually bigger than our hotel room. Kidding!</i></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Following my run, the 3 Musketeers made their way to the
Intrepid Museum. This is a must see if
you’re going to NYC! The museum was
awesome. We got to go on a submarine
(the Growler) and then of course check out the Intrepid. We also got to see the Space Shuttle
Enterprise. Props to Kevin for putting
this on our itinerary. It was a blast! After the museum I took the boys to Shake
Shack as Kevin had this as a “must eat at” place for this visit. The line was out the door of course (lunch
time on a Saturday in Times Square) but we waited anyway. We took the food back
to our hotel since we couldn’t find a place to sit. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_Cw17bo2Vz7Ewxc3ACvO6-q_tL3RTKKyrnH8O4uMyOC-ltg-RXDTDleJvZhHicG5jaq8YSVefSxKZ9qU5XyV1MjsWS92zb-CCrHhpe-ujrh9V0TBLxCaTPcSbI9zcCay4knzHNkUbI6c/s1600/IMG_6177.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_Cw17bo2Vz7Ewxc3ACvO6-q_tL3RTKKyrnH8O4uMyOC-ltg-RXDTDleJvZhHicG5jaq8YSVefSxKZ9qU5XyV1MjsWS92zb-CCrHhpe-ujrh9V0TBLxCaTPcSbI9zcCay4knzHNkUbI6c/s320/IMG_6177.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Now THAT'S a meatball!!!!</i></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Dinner that night was in Little
Italy at Il Cortile with several friends and the boys. I had penne with sauce and a giant
meatball…the perfect pre race meal in my book!
We had to eat early given the race was the next day. At this point, I was getting super anxious for
my race. Thinking about my plan,
wondering if there was anything I was forgetting and hoping for a smart race. I
did let myself enjoy a glass or two of wine to help me relax my nerves. Don’t worry, I skipped on dessert! After
dinner, we hopped on the subway back to the hotel where it was lights out for
this girl!</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--EndFragment-->Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04119065745250721509noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3149244418591093851.post-71561683949403398012013-10-29T21:05:00.003-05:002013-10-29T21:05:41.678-05:00O. M. G. (and by the way, tapering sucks)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT8uHi-gd8zVA7GS5CdLJdSr9t5m5fq9cDeru9Rf5wVdLvws6yqSnWcsndpYKCv8Lzzktu5Tm8Ur0l7bY7Frc-aLnfHN8MAIuHTd4naAAc2K_IfX8xWhqGLUmgaEWFTUjW1YIKF6_DLZU/s1600/images.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT8uHi-gd8zVA7GS5CdLJdSr9t5m5fq9cDeru9Rf5wVdLvws6yqSnWcsndpYKCv8Lzzktu5Tm8Ur0l7bY7Frc-aLnfHN8MAIuHTd4naAAc2K_IfX8xWhqGLUmgaEWFTUjW1YIKF6_DLZU/s1600/images.jpeg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I can't believe that the race I've waited to run for 4 years is almost here!! I leave for New York in just a couple of days and I'm so excited!!!!! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Let me start this post off by saying that this taper has sucked. I've been moody, irritable, hungry, full, annoyed, anxious and a whole lot of other things. My coach of course was happy to hear this because in the past, I've felt good during the taper and she has told me that you shouldn't feel good during the taper. Keith always has a good chuckle about me & my coach and this week pointed out that it was a good thing I was a masochist because my coach is a major sadist. When I texted my coach to share this with her, she let me know that was the best compliment. LOL. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I started laying out my clothes last night and have been fine tuning what I'm packing this evening. I'm also being super anal and pretending I'm already on East Coast time so waking up here an hour earlier every day so when I get there, I'll just feel normal. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I am ready for Sunday. So ready! Of course there is a goal time I want to hit but I'm just going to focus on execution. I've visualized the race over and over and over and over and over (you get the picture) again. I'm going to go out with a pace group so I will make sure not to repeat my mistake at 10 for Texas and go out to fast. I'm going to save it. I'm going to hold back even if it kills me. And then if I've done everything right, I'm going to hit the gas at the end and finish strong. More importantly, I'm going to take in every single inch of this course. I absolutely can't wait to run through all five boroughs. Every time I think about going over the Verranzo-Narrows bridge, my eyes well up with tears. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Keep me in your thoughts on Sunday. Here's hoping for cool temps, no rain and the wind always at my back!!!</span>Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04119065745250721509noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3149244418591093851.post-16647773146074938882013-10-29T20:47:00.000-05:002013-10-29T20:50:56.543-05:00Last tri of the season was a success!<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">(This blog post was previously recorded. LOL). </span></span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Just like that, tri season is over (sniff, sniff). This has probably been my best tri season ever and I'm sad to see it end! Thankfully, I have the NYC marathon in 11 days to keep me focused! Try Andy's Tri is a race I've been doing on and off since 2005. The last time I raced it as an individual and not part of a relay team was 2009 and I finished in 1:18 and change. This year, I was just over 1:06. A huge improvement!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;">Race morning was chilly (ok, cold). It was wetsuit legal but I opted to go without since the swim is only 300 meters. The day before the race I got the ok from my coach to hammer so I knew I was going to push from the very beginning. I went out hard on the swim and with about 100 meters to go, I was slowing down but was still pretty much middle of the pack. As I stepped out of the water, I looked at my Garmin and saw 7:12....only 12 seconds slower than my best swim there. I was very pleased. In T1 I was trying to be fast but had some trouble with my glasses. As soon as I put them on, they were fogged up. I decided to not jack w/ them and stuffed them down my tri top. Before I knew it, I was at the mount line and headed out on the bike.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;">Pre-race I was hoping to go over 20mph but ended up at 19.8. I'm not complaining or anything...just really want to get that 20+! As soon as I cleared the start line, I settled in aero and just rode. Hard. When I started catching dudes, I giggled as they started 10 minutes ahead of me. Yes, this made me smile and wish I had on my "you got chicked" shirt. My overall goal going into the race was to be under 1:10 and I knew I was in very good shape. After the second u-turn on the bike course, I went as hard as I could. I looked at my watch and saw I was coming up on 30 minutes for the total race time and was very close to the bike dismount. I knew that I would be close to 20mph. I finished the bike in 30:14, just missing that magic 20mph mark. I was in & out of T2 quickly (I love sprints) and took off as soon as I hit the timing mat. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;">When the run started, my legs felt heavy and I didn't feel like I was going fast. This is normal and I've done enough of these to know I just needed to run. The cold temps didn't help and I could feel a cramp coming on in my right calf but decided to completely ignore it. After a mile, it was gone and everything was loosening up nicely. I couldn't tell what my pace was as I didn't have my watch set to see it. No big deal. I could see the total race time was under an hour and knew I was going to make at least 1:10. As I started the 2nd loop, I picked up the pace a tiny bit. I started looking for girls with my age on their calf. If I saw one, I did whatever I could to pass her. I kept telling myself it could be the difference between 11th and 10th place and I REALLY wanted to be in the top 10. Right when I felt completely warmed up and really good, I got to the point where you turn for the finish line. I hit the gas hard. I knew it was around 1:05 and couldn't believe it! </span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;">Once the results started scrolling, we made our way to the van where I saw I was #8 in my a/g. I was SO happy!!!! Not only that, my run was 25:58, good for 8:39min/mile. WTF? I didn't think I was that fast! I couldn't have been happier. A great, great race the day after running 16 miles. Yes please!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;">So I ended the tri season on a very high note. Next year I'll be in the 40-44 a/g and am still having trouble believing it. I had a lot of big PRs this year and know that next year they won't be as big and that's ok. It will be nice to take some time off and relax before getting back into it. I've got lots of goals I've been thinking about and just need to figure out what my priorities will be next year. I really do want to focus on my swim for a bit (without losing the progress I've made on the bike & run). It's always in the back of my mind that IMTX 2015 is on the distant horizon so I want 2014 to be spent building my base for that race. </span></span></span>Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04119065745250721509noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3149244418591093851.post-61266809494028008282013-10-13T19:47:00.001-05:002013-10-13T19:47:05.144-05:00Execute? Preparation? Huh?<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So 10 for Texas was yesterday and while I was expecting to have a really solid race, it was anything but. Humidity was very high (over 95%) and while the temp was around 75, we all know you'll sweat way more w/ that kind of humidity. I wish I could blame the outcome on the humidity alone but the truth is, I screwed up. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The comedy of errors began the night before. I laid out my race belt and that was it. I was telling Keith how nice it is to "just" run vs doing a tri b/c there is no prep the night before. Umm, wrong. This is still 10 miles. I didn't lay out salt tabs, gels, fluids or anything. I figured I'd be just fine. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The morning of the race I got up w/ plenty of time but didn't eat breakfast. On top of that, I didn't grab a water bottle or sports drink to sip on before the start of the race. My tummy was a little upset that morning and I blamed it on having cheese the night before. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I got to the race and relaxed before the start. I lined up with the 9 min mile group which was mistake one. I know I should be starting at a slower pace than that but I really wanted to be faster and I know I can run 9 min miles. I mean I've done it at longer distances before. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My first few miles were right around 8:30 min/miles. I looked at my Garmin and told myself that might be a little fast but I immediately assured myself that I felt great and it didn't feel that fast. So I kept going. Around mile 4 I slowed a bit but was still in the low 9's. I heard a girl next to me say she was slowing down on that stretch and it must've been a slight uphill. I had grabbed water at the 2 mile & 4 mile tables but nothing more at that point. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">By the time mile 5 hit, I knew something felt wrong but figured it would be fine. I would slow down and all would be well. I kept wondering where the F the 6 mile mark was and so, the fluids table. I was now dying. My clothes were soaked through and I desperately needed water on my head and sports drink in my body. When I finally made it to the table, I grabbed 3 waters and 2 gatorades. One water went on my head and two in my mouth. I drank 1.5 of the gatorade and then started to run at a much slower pace. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It wasn't very long before my ears started ringing and I started to get that feeling in your mouth right before you vomit. My coach did want me to vomit but at the end of the race b/c I pushed it at the finish, not this early because I went out too hard. It seemed like out of nowhere, my upper body and legs were saying, "we're done" in unison. I thought I could still salvage the race but by the time I hit mile 7, it was painfully clear to me I was done. The cramping in the calves was dull but steady. My back felt it was having spasms, my head was pounding and my ears were still ringing. It felt like forever before the next aid station and when I finally saw it, it was all I could do to make it there. I took 2 waters and 2 gatorades and then just did some run/walk mess that barely should qualify for forward motion. Ok, maybe it wasn't that bad but it felt that bad. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I seriously considered getting one of the medics on the course and calling it quits but I reminded myself that I could finish this even if I had to walk and just to suck it up. At this point, I knew I had blown up and I knew why. The last 2 miles that's all I thought about. All the stupid, stupid mistakes I made. These weren't rookie mistakes, these were mistakes made by someone who was over confident and blew off everything I knew. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">There were more fluids at mile 9 and I was able to run most of the last mile, albeit at pace 2 min per mile slower than my first mile. I wanted to vomit. I rounded the corner into Market Street and could barely muster a smile for the folks I knew. Somehow Bill Dwyer got me smiling (picture in this blog). Trust me, I look a lot better than I felt at that moment. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I crossed the finish, completely disgusted. Yes, the conditions were brutal but I had a crappy race because I ignored everything I knew I should do. My crappy finish was completely my fault. I saw Keith and was fighting back tears. I was so frustrated with myself. We got back to his truck and I called Ana and almost lost it. My coach is awesome and my races are her races. I felt terrible that I let her down. There was a bag from Lululemon on the floor board waiting for me (Keith killed some time in there while he waited for me). What a sweetheart. He either thought it would be reward for a PR or something to cheer me up if my race went south. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Trust me, the only reason I'm smiling is b/c I'm about to finish and didn't vomit on myself.</i></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I made a list of things I learned from the race and sent them to Ana. Now it's time to let go of this race and move on. Trust me, I will never go into a race like this unprepared ever again. Physically I was prepared but I ignored all the little things that make the difference between a good day and a completely shit day. I'm glad to have this reminder 3 weeks before the marathon. There's no need to worry. I've put the miles in, I've held faster paces on longer training runs very consistently. I've been running very consistently. This was a blip on the radar due to me not executing. That's something within my control and something I'll fix. If I have a bad race b/c of something outside my control, that's cool. But I will not settle for a bad race ever again b/c I'm being stupid. Hell no. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So with that, time to leave 10 for Texas behind and start focusing everything back on NY! I have a 16 miler this weekend as well as Try Andy's Tri, my last tri as someone in their 30's (yes, I age up next year). Time to visualize me executing my plan to a "T" for NY. I'm SOOO excited!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Hope y'all had a great weekend. Happy training!!!!</span>Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04119065745250721509noreply@blogger.com1