Ryan Lochte made me do it!

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.  

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.  

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!  

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.  

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!

Coal Harbour, Vancouver

Race morning!

Who doesn't love mermaids (or mermen) on the race course?

Post race I'm all smiles despite being super thirsty!

A dazed smile after a weekend workout sesh!

Too Wong Foo...Thanks for everything Hardy Toll Road!

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! 

Lunch for the week is all made.

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.  

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.  :)

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).  

So that's what I know. It feels good to slowly get back into the swim, bike, run of things.  Happy training, y'all!

Breakfast & snacks for the week.  So yummy.  Not!

And....dinner for the week.  At least there's color!

Sugar-free, almond milk latte for the win!

Our new dog, Ellie Stormy Chalfant.

This is how it all begins. This is always how it all begins.

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!  

November 2012 - My last start (and finish at Oilman)

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.  :)

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.

With that, I should probably attempt to sleep.  Good night, y'all!

Don't you love it when you make a decision but then still aren't sure what will happen?

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.

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.

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 typically 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.  

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!

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.

So that's what I know and now you know too.  Back to obsessively looking for IMTX scoop!

Happy training (yayayayayayayayay)!

In Memorium

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.

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. 

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.  

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.  

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.  

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%.  

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.  

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.  

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. 

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.  

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".  

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.  

Rest in peace, Sophie.  We will love you forever!

12/10/05 - 1/29/16

Racing Reboot: Take 3!

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.  ☺

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. 

I may have been slower than NYC but I earned this medal!!

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.  

Me & my man post race.  I may not look the cutest but I sure to love how happy I was!

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.  

Am I really doing this?

Me with my awesome support crew.  So happy to have family out there with me!!

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.  :) 

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!!!

A new beginning?

It has been months since I last posted.  Years since I completed a triathlon (ok, not years years but you know what I mean).


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. 


This post is short and sweet but be warned - more to come!

Yikes!

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!

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.  

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. 

Happy training!!!!

1st race of October down - 1 more to go!

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!

Past the turn around and headed back to Market Street.

Post ride - yeah, we averaged 18mph.  Boom!

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.  

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.

Ok, now that's really all I have.  Happy training!!!

Well hello there! It's race week so I figured I should blog. :)

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. 

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!  

Nana, Papa & Miss Elena Paige

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!

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. 

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!!!

Happy training y'all!

Lake Houston 5k - Race Report

Holy cow!  Did I say race report???  Say it ain't so!

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.

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. 

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.  

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.  

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. 

28:18 was good for 7^th 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!

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!

Happy training!

Pre race smiles for the future Mr. & Mrs.  :)

Just trucking' along!

All smiles on the way home!

Adding to my race calendar!

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.  :)

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!

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!

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. 

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?)!!!

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!!

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. 

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. 

With that, I hope you all have a great week. Look at me back at blogging a little more regularly!!!  

Delaying the inevitable.....

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.

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.

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!

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.  

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.  

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.  

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.  

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.  

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!!

Race week sorta snuck up on me….again.

2013 The Woodlands Half Marathon - PR!

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.

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!

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.

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.  :)

Happy training!!!!

2014 is off to a great start!

Yes, today was a race day but I'll get back to those exciting details in a minute.

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.  

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!

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.  

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!

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.  

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.  

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.  

Happy training y'all!!!!!