On September 10, 2006, I became an Ironman. On October 2, 2007, I became a Mommy. Now I'm trying to combine those things...and a few others. Let the adventure begin.
Congratulations to our new triathletes, Samm, Maureen, Maddie, and Megan!
I am so proud of all four of these ladies. They had a rough day to race but didn't let it get them down! Every time I saw them they had BIG smiles on their faces, and they absolutely ROCKED the Huntington Sprint Triathlon on Sunday!
Maureen, Samm, and Megan pre-race
As part of my commitment to Team Evotri, I organize training for area high school girls to prepare for a sprint triathlon. This is my third year, and I wasn't sure if I'd even be able to do this with the baby's arrival in February. However, my friends Anne and Danielle were super awesome about letting me work with their cross country girls. We did weekly bricks and also did an open water swim to prepare for the race. The girls worked really hard all summer, and it was so fun to see their progress!
Fast forward to this weekend...some pretty big storms blew through on Saturday, so I was a little worried about how the lake would look. Sure enough, it had some pretty big chop. I knew that the stronger swimmers would be a little slower, but fine. However, this race attracts a great deal of newbies, and I could imagine how nervous they would be when they saw the water. These four girls were so much fun to work with this summer. Maureen is an accomplished swimmer and runner, and has a great attitude. Her biggest fear during the race? "Fish...I'm afraid of seeing fish!" I told her that the fish would all be scared away from the earlier waves, and not to worry!
Maureen and Samm getting ready!
Samm is also a strong runner, but was very nervous with the swim. She was afraid she'd be "the last blue cap." I promised her that wouldn't be the case, and sure enough, it wasn't! Samm, I swear I saw several blue caps after you. :) Not that it mattered, anyway--I told her she'd catch them all on the run!
Megan was on vacation last week, and wasn't even sure if she was going to race until about the day before. Boy am I glad she did--holy smokes, that girl is fast! She had a fantastic race, and even took 3rd in her age group! Way to go, Megan!
Maureen, Megan, and Samm show off their body marking
And Maddie deserves some major kudos for her efforts! She's not even in HIGH SCHOOL yet! She just has been doing the summer training with the high school girls because she's super motivated and has a lot of talent. She did a fantastic job in the triathlon, too! Nice job, Maddie! I know you'll have lots of great seasons ahead of you.
Maureen, Samm, Maddie and Megan...and some random guy giving a thumbs up.
The girls stood nervously on the beach. Secretly, I was a little nervous for them, too. This was not the calm-as-glass lake they got last year. This was going to be pretty tough.
But luckily, these chicks were FIERCE.
Once they were off, I ran up to volunteer at the aid station. Since I couldn't race due to my shin, Rick, the RD, has a policy that you can take a rain check for up to a year. Pretty awesome, huh? Not only that, but if you volunteer at one of his races, you get a voucher good for any other race he runs! You just can't beat that. So I manned the water station. I figured it would be a great place to help out, but also to see everyone come in! I got to see TriEric, his wife Aimee, and lots of other tri friends. Eric and Aimee both had great days and placed in their age group. Way to kill it, guys! I was pretty bummed to sit this out, but volunteering and cheering was definitely the next best thing to actually racing.
TriEric on his way to a 2nd place AG finish! He also helped out with our Open Water Swim 2 weeks ago. Thanks, Eric!
All four girls were out of the water, and I breathed a sigh of relief! I was a little worried about the chop...it was bad enough that they had to delay the last wave about 15 minutes. Seeing all four girls enter T1 with big smiles was the best!
Ominous black clouds in the sky...check.
While on their bikes, the HEAVENS opened up. It absolutely poured. By this time, I moved to T2 and directed runners exiting transition. Again, I knew it would be a place that needed a volunteer, and selfishly I wanted to see all the girls come in and make sure they were okay! I worried about them a bit out in that rain, but was so happy to see them all come in and take off on the run.
Samm and Maureen leaving T2!
All four girls had solid runs and finished the race strong, with lots of smiles! I am so proud of them. Great job, girls! I am already bouncing around ideas to make this program even bigger and better in Year 4. Just wait to see what I have up my sleeves...I have big plans, I tell you! BIG plans.
I do want to take a moment and direct some good thoughts, vibes, and prayers towards a good tri friend, Laura Jones. I cheered my head off for Laura as she ran into T1 with a big smile on her face. I figured she'd be well on her way to another age group finish. Instead, she was hit by a car while at mile 3 of the bike. She remembers nothing except waking up in the hospital. Her bike was totaled. Here's what she posted on facebook last night: "Keep the energy flowing in: Fractured: right wrist, c6 vertebra, possibly torn left acl, bike in bits and pieces, concussion, staples in the head, driver sited. I'm going to be ok, just not today. Peace."
Laura, you're a great competitor and friend. I am so grateful that you will be okay, and so sorry you're in such pain right now. I know you'll be back out there soon. Hugs to you. And to everyone else, please, please be careful out there.
I was definitely a little worried about that. I'm probably going to downgrade my olympic tri in 2 weeks to a sprint, but other than that, I should be good to go. X-rays were fine and the doc thinks it's just a bit of inflammation probably brought on by a couple of big training weekends.
So, I don't have to lose my mind or be institutionalized from 8 weeks of not running! Yay!
So, there's been this "twinge." Since about WIBA. Maybe a few days before.
And it seems to be getting a little worse.
I'm a little worried. Well, actually, that's an understatement. Because I have access to Google. And as anyone who is a paranoid worrywart, knows...
YOU MUST BACK AWAY FROM GOOGLE.
OR LOSE YOUR MIND.
Because from what my symptoms are in my shin, I might have something that rhymes with "schmtress frampture."
(I'm too afraid to type it)
Because the cure for that? Is no running. NONE. For 8 weeks, minimum.
Needless to say, this might make me lose my freaking mind.
I'm hoping that this is just a little bit in my head and a little bit of a sore muscle or something. But just to be safe, I decided not to race Sunday. I'll just volunteer and cheer on my girls...and that's it. I have a doctor's appointment on Monday just for some peace of mind. And I made sure the doctor was a runner. In fact, her credentials list her as an "avid athlete and marathoner." So, at the very least, she'll get it. And hopefully get me.
Gonna do some icing, swimming, and a little easy spinning in the meantime. And hold my breath.
*UPDATED WITH PICS, AND HISTORICAL FACTS, 7/18. You know you love it. ______________________________________ WOO HOOOOOOOOOOO I just got back from the Rev3 ride out near Cedar Point this morning!
And I am currently attempting to rehydrate and eat stuff. But I'll get to that in a bit.
Here are my random thoughts in no particular order as I attempt to rehash this ride before I forget all of it. And I am doing this before I even take a shower, people. That's how much I care. And smell.
:)
Anyways, met up with over 100 riders this morning as my rockin' Tri Club and it's stupendously amazing President, DaisyDuc, organized this supported ride on the course. It was phenomenal to see all the support and all the riders! They actually swam before and ran afterwards, but I just headed out for the ride since we have somewhere to be soon.
(maybe I should take a shower? nahhhhh....)
On a sidebar note, I take full credit for getting Daisy into triathlon. When she's a pro, you can THANK ME.
It was fun to see a bunch of tri peeps that I haven't been able to see since I was out of the loop for a while!
We started at the Sawmill Creek Resort, which did an awesome job of hosting us. It's about 10 miles into the ride, so I didn't do the full course. But I still feel like I got a good taste of what the course is like.
Yes, I just made that up. But I felt like this was a great course--lots of country rollers, little lake towns, signs for bait and tackle, and peach groves. I feel like I could really kill it on a course like this. I was killing it, actually, until about mile 40, but that's my own fault and stupidity. I'll get to that.
Random Thoughts Before I Forget:
Rev3 already has a great video up of my buddy George and another CTC member, Tim, talking about the race! They have some great footage of the rollers, too. You can see it here. Also, Heather Gollnick has a nice little video promo of the area and the race--check it out here! There are a few small climbs--short and sweet--but nothing too bad at all. The rollers are great to break up the ride, and I really could get going on some stretches! The big factor here for this race could be heat (it can get pretty warm in September around here) and wind, but as long as you know that going into it, there shouldn't be a problem.
Pictures courtesy of the Super Awesome TriEric! That's his shoulder there, I think...he was holding the camera up as he rode!
That's me in the red, talking to my buddy Mike in the blue, followed by Daisy's super cool hubby Joey in the dark blue
This is actually one of the hills--see, not bad at all! Everyone out there had a blast--we had a TON of riders on the course!
First Awesome History Geek Welcome Sign: Huron, OH. The sign read, "Site of the highest production of steamboats in the U.S. during the 1830s."
Be proud, Huron. Be very proud.
Instead of going over snakes on the road like I did at IMNOLA, I went over lots of cornstalks. Ha ha!
Second Awesome History Geek Welcome Sign: Milan, OH. The sign read, "Birthplace of Thomas A. Edison." I bet you didn't know that, did you? You're welcome. Now you can sleep at night.
I continually had the song, "All Summer Long," by Kid Rock in my head in the beginning. It always makes me think of the summer trips to the Lake Erie Islands and all the ridiculousness we got into in my twenties out there. If you change the lyrics to "1999" instead of "1989," and "northern Ohio" instead of "northern Michigan" (which is usually how I sing it really loud in my car--don't judge me), it pretty much fits.
I saw lots of signs for cornhole bags for $20! TWENTY dollars for corn filled beanbags?! I think I have found my calling! And if you don't know what cornhole is, you are seriously missing out. I think I'll have to bring up our boards for after the race. We'll have a nice little tournament going.
All in all, I think this is a nice course that would make for an EXCELLENT first Ironman or half ironman. In fact, I'm kind of wondering why I couldn't have this as my first Ironman course! No disrespect, Wisconsin. But you're REALLY REALLY HARD and stuff. I was zipping along easily in the 20s for quite a bit of this course. Route 113 was AWESOME. Lots of little rollers and a great stretch of road to really dig in and take off. The race director, Eric, was there to see us off AND ride with us! It was very clear that Rev3 is super excited about this race, too.
My BIG mistake (HUUUUGE. Sersly.) was to pass up water at mile 28 where there was a gas station. See, I am the world's biggest sweater as well as A FREAKING SALT MINE. I have to be really really careful with my hydration--it could (and has) make or break my race. I had already gone through 3 bottles of nuun and water, and thought I could make it to mile 34 where the aid station was.
Except it was almost at 45.
Stupid stupid stupid me! I was pretty mad at myself after that, because going without fluids for almost 40 minutes when it's sunny and 91 degrees is just something my body doesn't really bounce back from. I slogged through the last 15 miles and brought my overall average WAY down. Lesson learned--I won't do that again! HUGE thanks to the CTC folks who manned the station in little Berlin Heights, which looks like a cute little Mainstreet U.S.A. right out of a Norman Rockwell painting.
But before then, I really was feeling great and like this course was suited well for me--someone who isn't the greatest climber in the world but thinks all flat is just plain boring. I feel better about the race in September. I know I need to keep goals in perspective--at 7 months postpartum with Bug, I did a half marathon, and now I'm trying a half ironman. This will be tough, and it might be too early for me to really see a PR. But I know now that I'll get through it, and not suck.
So I've got that going for me. Which is nice. Anyway, I am very excited to share my old stomping ground of Cedar Point with my teammates and with everyone who will travel up this way for the race. But you won't catch me on those crazy roller coaster things. NO WAY. I am such a baby when it comes to that stuff. I'll only go on the Gemini and Mean Streak...and even that's pushing it. All wimpiness aside, I think this whole event is going to be top-notch, and am SUPER stoked for the race!
My data, thanks to my awesome new Joule--thanks, Cyclops! You guys rock!
Miles: 61.08 Temperature: 91 F KJ 1602 Average Watts: 129 (don't laugh too hard...I bonked, remember?:) Max Watts: 452 Normalized Power: 144 Feet Gained: 1821 Feet Lost: 1780 Ride Time: 3:24.48 Average mph: 17.9 (Stupid bonk! At one point I was over 19 though with no trouble at all!) Average HR: I dunno because I left my band at home AGAIN. DOH!
I think I can do really, really well on this course. Not sure if I can do that this year. But I'm thinking this is a definite possibility for an Ironman someday.
And did I mention that my awesome brother is totally bringing his boat up post-race? Boat drinks!
SO excited to showcase Northeastern Ohio--this will be a fantastic race!
Got some great riding on the hills, had some great fun running on the course and major race flashbacks, and once again, wondered...
HOW did I ever finish that Ironman?
Sometimes I still don't even believe it. But then I remember, and I smile.
The best part about Ironman and my journey to it was all the friends I made, and WIBA really represents that. It was so awesome to see some of these friends...or, people who I like to refer to as part of the Class of 2006.
I didn't take any pictures, because, seriously...with Steve, do you really need to take your own pictures?! So as soon as he shares them with me, I'll share them with you.
But nothing, and I mean NOTHING, was better than getting home and getting a huge hug from Bug followed by snuggles with Bean and smelling baby-shampooed hair.
Tomorrow is a rest day, and I do believe I have earned it, my friends!
But up next for next weekend? I am heading to the Rev3 bike course to give you a PREVIEW! I'm hoping to take lots of pics and give you my take on the course.
For now--bed. Followed by lots of smelly, smelly laundry.
JUST GO ALREADY. Because if you say anything in your one-hour live televised "special" tonight besides you're staying here--where you built your career, where you grew up from poverty and became a superstar, well then, it will truly be the biggest unecessary jerk move sucker punch in the face ever. EVER. EVEREVEREVER.
And one more thing--this is for all the "analysts" out there: the success or failure of my city will never, ever depend upon the whims of a 25 year old basketball player.
So, my goal today was to come in under 28 minutes.
And I ran a 24:56!
I am sooooooooooooooooooooexcited. This proves, yet again, that my mind is my biggest limiter.
It was hot hot hot so I faded a bit, but my first 1.5 miles were UNDER an 8 minute pace!
:)
I guess I should eat some crow now over my last post. I really didn't think I had that in me yet. But apparently I do, and I did, and, well....I am so happy that I feel like I just freaking WON the race. Remind me of this next May when I'm lining up in Cleveland. My mind is the only thing consistently holding me back.
If I can bust this out, 16 pounds over my starting weight and 23 pounds over the weight I plan to be next May...well, that is pretty damn awesome. (If I do say so myself.)
Tomorrow I turn 33--hard to believe it--and I have to say that this was the best birthday present I could have gotten!
More later--right now I need to go play in the sprinkler with Bug.
I had a FABULOUS ride this morning with my friend Laura. She's been my riding buddy the past month or so and it rocks. Funny thing is she was my swim coach on the rec team when she was in high school and I was in middle school--and we both ended up living back here again. Who knew?
The only trouble with my rides is, man...I'm slow. I have to really push hard to hold a decent pace. ESPECIALLY up the hills. That's gonna make riding the IM Wisconsin course next Saturday really interesting.
Speaking of which, can I tell you how FREAKING EXCITED I AM to head to WIBA this year?! The only thing is, it's gonna be really really hard to leave these guys...
But I'm really trying to remember that I have a 16 pound backpack still. I'm super proud that I've lost as much weight as I have at this point in the game, but mentally, I am so ready to just BE WHAT I USUALLY AM when riding and running. And, folks, lemme tell ya. It ain't happening.
Yet.
So tomorrow Coach Emily wanted me to do a 5k to "see where I'm at." And I am not very excited. I keep thinking of all the reasons why I shouldn't do it. But I can't really come up with any: it's a great cause, they have a carnival for the little kids to play, it's right by my house, etc. etc. The only excuse I can think of is that it's a little pricey. But then there's that whole "good cause" thing.
Sigh.
The real reason is that I know there's no way on EARTH I'll come anywhere NEAR cracking 23 minutes in this 5K. Just not. I'm not being negative here, I'm being realistic. For some reason, I can go forever and ever and ever at a 9:30/mile pace, but going under 9 makes me want to DIEDIEDIE. And I just know what I usually run a 5K in and, well, I don't want to give that up.
SMACK
That's me trying to hit myself across the face. FOUR MONTHS POSTPARTUM, FREAK. I must CHILL. It will come. I know this, I swear. But you triathletes out there know how we are...you get it, right? Especially the triathletes who have had babies and then expect to just DO IT immediately.
I know I got faster after Bug. I am trying to remember that I didn't really race until Bug was 6-7 months old. I'm doing stuff now that I didn't do until he was more like 8 months old (distance-wise). So it's only fair that the speed will come last.
I actually got home, put my sweet ride in the basement, and saw my 8 pound handweights. I picked them up and tried to run a few steps with them.
Dude. They're heavy.
That's 16 pounds.
So, here's the deal. I'm going to do this 5K tomorrow. I am going to surprise myself, I'm sure. I'd like to average under 9s but if I don't, it's not the end of the world. Because I will be the 1st place overall female in the "I-am-four-months-postpartum-and-carrying-a-set-of-eight-pound-handweights" division.
Boo-yah.
On a positive note, there is one place where a little extra weight actually helps you...distance swimming! Who needs a wetsuit? I've got hella buoyancy right in my booty! WOOT!
I surprised myself in the pool big time and even pulled off a 1:28/100 meter on Thursday. (That's good for me) :) Now, if the running and riding can just catch up, I'll be back in business.
Anyone want a set of 8 pound handweights? Please? Pretty please?
I stop, and see his little face, quizzically watching me.
"What are you doing, Mama?"
"I'm swimming, Bug!"
He smiles. "Mommy swims."
I think of all the times I swam in this pool with him, carrying him...the only thing I could do that summer, since he was so big and my body was busy growing him. I wondered who he was, what he was like, and what he was thinking in there as I did my extremely awkward flip turns.
What are you doing, Mama?
Four years ago, I trained for an Ironman. It was, aside from labor and delivery, the biggest physical test I've ever endured. And for that I've been lucky. Unfortunately, I've seen many of my loved ones put themselves through things much harder than an Ironman lately.
I remember that journey and all it taught me. And I think about who I am now. Still an Ironman--always, an Ironman. But even more than that, too.
He watches. He isn't interested in the slide or the fountains right now. He stands, and he watches and watches.
"You need this, Mama?"
He hands me my kickboard.
"Okay, Bug...yeah, I could use that now." I smile. I hate kick sessions. I hate them because I'm not any good at them, but he wants to see me try, so I will.
After I kick a few laps, I tell my mom, "Just 20 minutes more or so," and she tries her best to pry him away from standing at the foot of my lap lane. Somewhere in that 400, she succeeded. I kept on swimming, focusing on my stroke and my breath and everything you need to when you swim.
Sometimes people ask me if I'll do another Ironman. Sometimes I ask myself. He is my Ironman right now; he is my epic journey. Someday soon, I know without a doubt that my Ironman will be a race again. But for now, I love taking him and his baby sister on this road--this ever-changing, intimidating, frustrating, exhilarating, amazing road that is called Ironman.
I get out and head over to him as he sits on my chair with my towel. He's eating a cheese sandwich and some blueberries. He sees me walk over with my kickboard, my cap, and my goggles, and his eyes light up.
"Mama!"
I run over to him and give him a big hug, feeling the high of a strong 2600 meters in the pool combined with the hug of a small little man. "Hi, Bug!"
"Mama swims. Mama swims fast."
I smile. (He doesn't need to know it's really not that fast.)
And I understand that he's still with me on every lap. Just in a much different way.
Been having some trouble sleeping again--this happened after Bug and I have been on the lookout for it lately. This time at least I know what I'm up against, and it's not quite as surprising. Kinda like the massive hair loss postpartum that no one tells you about that HAPPENS AND FREAKS YOU OUT. Seriously. I had no idea! CLUMPS! It's MADNESS! I am still not sure how I have any hairs left in my head.
But I digress.
So last Saturday, after a week with three nights of less than 4 hours of sleep per night (more like 2-3), I tried to go on a ride with my riding buddy Laura. It was pretty hot out.
And I was AWFUL.
Just awful. We're talking embarrassingly awful. Like, I'm not sure if Laura would ever want to ride with me again kind of awful. I know I was riding on a bike that was a bit too big for me, but still. I was flat-out embarrassing and bonked like nobody's business.
I got home and cried.
How on earth would I ever be able to ride fast again? I was defeated.
After a bit of readjusting, talking to Coach Emily, some yoga and just mulling things over, I decided that I needed to really really put my money where my mouth was and start freaking focusing on the MOMENT ALREADY. Enough of worrying about WIBA, Rev3, and my BQ attempt next May. This is RIDICULOUS. The only way to get better is to get better every day, one day at a time.
So that's what I've been trying to do.
The sleep has been better (alas, the hair loss is not...just call me baldy), and I've had some great workouts this week. I feel like my swimming is starting to click a bit and I'm finding my "sea legs (er, arms)." My running is still slow but I'm able to finish strong, which is good for me mentally. And today I had an AWESOME ride. One of those rides that just reminds you that you still got game.
Coach Emily had me doing a few 10 minute pushes so I really tried to hammer these. Now, my wattage is still pretty pathetic, but I'm trying to remember that it will come, and part of that will come as the rest of the weight comes off. But for the pushes I was able to hold 22-24 mph with semi-decent (for me) wattage--and I swear it wasn't downhill! I was pretty happy with that.
I'm still feeling the extra weight I'm carrying around but only really on the hills. I am pretty confident that I should be able to drop the last pounds by Rev3. I have 18 more to go. Now, I know that sounds like a lot at 4 months postpartum. But here's the deal: when you gain 62, that's pretty good. I'm trying to remember that for whatever reason, this body freaking blows UP when I get pregnant. 44 pounds lost is 70% of that weight. So, it's similar to someone who only gains 30 having 9 pounds to go. Right?
(I like the way that sounds, at least.)
I have a post brewing in my head and if I ever get a second, I'll write it. But for now, I'm off to play on the new/old swingset we just inherited and have a date with my hubby tonight.
Feeling good, blogfriends. Feeling good. And WIBA is in less than 2 weeks...even better!
SO proud of these girls! They are on their way to becoming triathletes. Way to go!
They braved the nasty drizzle-ly weather we had this morning and did their very first brick! They were NONE too happy about the fact that I made them wear helmets...they made that abundantly clear. ;) But I told them real triathletes wear helmets and to ROCK the helmet hair look.
We rode about 25 minutes and then ran 13 off the bike. I rode in the street while they stayed on the sidewalk. I tried to push them just a bit at the end and several of them came into our "transition zone" breathing pretty hard, which was great to see! We talked a little bit about proper bike fit--quite a few of them are so scrunched on their bikes so I told them to raise their seats up a bit. Hopefully that will make it easier for them next week! We had all kinds of bikes--mountain bikes, old borrowed ten-speeds, green bikes with wicker baskets on them...you name it! But they did it and did SUCH an awesome job.
Afterward we stretched and played a little "triathlon trivia" where I asked questions about transition, our race distances, Ironman, etc. and gave away some super cool Headsweats Evotri visors. BIG thanks to Headsweats for providing these visors for the girls!
I am so excited to be a member of Evotri and to be able to run this program with the help of my friends, Laura, Anne, and Danielle. Now, I need to get typing here and take advantage of naptime to get out my first newsletter. GREAT WORK, GIRLS!
Friday was the first spin with the girls for the Evotri Battle of the Schools.We met up at the Ride and Workout for a spin. These girls are mostly runners with a dash of swimmers thrown in, and none of them claim to be cyclists at all. I thought this would be a great way to start them off before our brick on Tuesday morning.
It went really, REALLY well! The studio was PACKED! I was so excited to see such a great turnout and a HUGE thanks to the CC coaches Laura, Danielle, and Anne for encouraging all their girls to be there. I talked with Danielle and Anne's girls afterwards and it sounds like many of them are really interested in the triathlon. It's hard because work, CC workouts, and vacations knock a few kids out who really want to do it, but hopefully I'll still have a good crew of girls this year!
Madison--my rock star freshman who did the tri last year--is moving to California in July so she can't race. :( I'm super bummed. She is such a sweet kid. But she still told the whole team how much fun it was and that they should definitely do the race! She's still going to work out with us until she leaves. A few of the other girls did the race last year and it was clear that swimming and biking were much harder for them...one girl said, "Please, PLEASE help me with the swimming! I thought I was going to die!" She admitted to not training at all for the swim, though. I assured all of them that we'll do some open water swims so that they will be ready to go! And also that if they train, they won't feel like they're going to die. :)
I am SO SO SO excited to lead the girls on their first brick on Tuesday morning! I am going to swim in the wee hours of the morning, grab a bite to eat, and then ride up to meet the girls for a half hour ride and 15 minute runoff. We're going to start nice and slow...I just want to get their feet wet here. Their CC coaches are actually requiring them to swim for cross training once a week, which is great! Now I need to get out the calendar and pick out a few evenings for some open water fun.
This week I'll be writing up my first newsletter for the girls--I'll post it here so you can see what we're doing! Man, I love this stuff. :)
Had my own 2 hour ride this morning--crazy headwinds heading out but a nice tailwind coming back! Needless to say, my power to weight ratio is probably 0 to 1 million right now...which is no good at all. I am still OK, but can definitely tell that hauling around 20 extra pounds is not going to be good for my bike split. Come on, metabolism! Please catch up to my work ethic, okay?!
Followed up my 2 hour ride with 2 hours of splashing, throwing balls, and playing with a watering can in the city pool with Bug, Matt, and Bean. And tonight we are even able to grab dinner, thanks to my parents and their super generous babysitting offer!
All in all, pretty much a perfect start to summer vacation. :)
I was initially a little worried if I would be able to tackle my project of training high school kids for tris this summer. First off, there's the whole baby factor...both of my kids are really still "babies" to me (won't they always be, though?! ha ha). Second off, I need to get myself in 70.3 shape by September...and lose the rest of this baby weight. Initially, I thought I should put this on the back burner for this summer...maybe it was just too much.
But then I remembered how much FUN it is. Work, yes...but insane amount of fun, too--to take these kids who have never done a triathlon before, who aren't sure if they ever could, and then to help them REALLY do it? Well, that's just awesome.
The girls all lined up and ready to go on race morning
Since this year I need to be all about efficiency, I contacted the two area high school cross country coaches that I know well to see if I could fit into their team's summer workout schedule somehow. This way, the girls wouldn't see the triathlon as an "extra workout" on top of their already demanding schedules, but an integral part of their training and something that will help them become a stronger runner and stay injury-free. They were really receptive to that, and I think it will help our numbers grow even more! You know, because I can use the line, "Hey, you're already doing this stuff...why not just sign up for the triathlon?"
So I start this Friday! I am super excited. Friday mornings I'm going to spin with one team of girls and then do a short run-off for a brick. Tuesday mornings I'll be meeting with the other team for a brick workout. To keep it simple this year, I'm just going to work with these two groups. I would like to do more and add kids who AREN'T on any kind of team (remember our rock star Erin, from two years ago?) but for this summer, I think I need to keep it simple. Next year, when life settles down a tad, I can work on expanding again.
Brittney and Ashley are both graduating Friday--so excited for them!--but I'm hoping they'll be around to mentor and do some workouts with us. Madison will be back again, and I'm sure her positive attitude will encourage more of her teammates to join!
Brittney, Ashley, and Madison getting ready to ROCK the Huntington Sprint Tri, 2009
On tap for the rest of the summer will be at least 2 open-water swims, a weekly newsletter, a transition practice, weekly bricks, a pre-race pasta dinner, and LOTS of fun. And hey, no morning sickness for me this year! Even better!
So join me in following the third year of summer triathlon adventures for some soon-to-be triathletes!
Scene: a 50 minute run...20 minutes easy warmup, 15 minutes a little hard, 15 minute cooldown.
Mind: (during 20 minute warmup) Hmmm. Heavy legs. What's up with that?
Body: Yep. Heavy legs. Again.
Mind: Ugh.
---------------
(fast forward to the 15 minute push)
Mind: This is hard.
Body: Don't you just wanna stop?
Mind: Ugh.
----------------
(now at the 15 minute cooldown)
body and mind both sneak a peek at the Garmin to see what the "harder" pace was...8:55.
Mind: 8freaking55? Ugh.
Body: Yeah. Felt pretty hard, huh?
Mind: And right about now is how I wonder how I'm ever going to run fast again.
Body: I know. You're slow, huh?
Mind: Yeah. But how? How am I going to do what I want to do in November? And next May? If 8FREAKINGFIFTYFIVE feels hard?
Body: Well.
Mind: Well, what?
Body: Well, you know you've always been the problem around here. Right?
Mind: Huh?
Body: You know. You know that YOU have been the problem. NOT ME. I have always shown up and done what I'm supposed to do. I got stronger. You got a little bit stronger...but not enough. Are you done yet? Because I'm tired of pulling all the load here. Do your job. NOW.
Mind: _______________________
Body: Yeah, that's what I thought. Stop thinking about November right now. In November you won't be hauling around a backpack with 20 pounds of bricks in it, which is essentially what you're doing right now. Think about what you've done in the past 14 weeks--and the past 40 before that--and GET OVER YOURSELF.
So I think that I have officially made my final decision regarding running skirts.
Now, some of you look so darn cute in them and they fit all perfectly and it works for you, so that's awesome. Please don't take this as a knock on you. It's just that every time I try to run in one, I feel like a freaking idiot, yet everyone else seems to look all cute and stuff, and I think I finally realized why.
In my past life, I was a cheerleader for 5 years. I had to wear this SUPER short polyester blue and white skirt at least once a week. Enter the fact that I was not 100 pounds but pretty much 5'8 ever since, like, kindergarten, and wearing that thing got really old, really fast. In fact, even the girls who were 90 pounds soaking wet felt self-conscious at times, because it was so short. One of my buddies said it best: "If that thing wasn't a cheerleading skirt, you'd be totally violating the dress code." Often we wore plaid boxer shorts underneath which made it slightly better. Plaid flannel, of course, because it was the '90s. I know. Real hawt.
Anyway, fast forward to 2010. I love how cute people look in those skirts so I get a couple and try to wear them. And every time I run in them I feel like the biggest tool. I just can't seem to take myself seriously and run hard on the track or do a tempo run in a skirt. And I think I figured out why.
All I can think about when I'm running down the street in that thing is, "Self, you look like a jackass running around in a freaking cheerleading skirt."
So, I have officially decided they will be for chillaxing after a race, throwing on after a swim, or pretty much anything but actual running. This girl will be sticking to shorts. And I'll continue to be a little jealous of those that can pull off the skirt look well. I'm so not one of those people.
So I survived my first (and only) full week of work. It was really, really good. Not to say that I didn't cry Monday morning--there might have been some tears combined with ridiculous statements like, "Make sure to tell (the babysitter) that she likes to be held on your left shoulder," but once again, the world continued to spin on its axis and life went on. I walked into my classroom Monday morning to find a handmade sign on an old piece of cardboard that said, "Welcome Back Mrs. Ziemnik!" with my students signatures all over it. So that helped.
It also helps that it's only for 2 1/2 weeks. But I love what I do, and I know that I am not supposed to walk away now. Back with Bug I wasn't quite sure, but now I know for sure.
The mornings are a little nuts, though. Trying to get two kids fed, with some semblance of hygiene, and dressed appropriately (Bug wanted to wear his dinosaur costume from Halloween the other day, and I was this close to just letting him), make sure their lunches are ready, and then somehow get MYSELF in a work-appropriate outfit with all hygiene needs met is quite challenging. I seriously, seriously don't know how people with more than two kids do it. With two kids, you can at least use man-to-man defense. With more than that, you gotta switch to zone.
So, in an effort to clarify to my future self (in August, when I go back "for real") how best to do all this stuff, I'm going to make a little list here. Maybe it will help someone else out there, but maybe not. Every job is different, every kid is different, and every mommy is different. So if you find some good tips in here, awesome. If you laugh at my shortcuts or futility as you juggle WAY more than I do every day, hey, that's awesome, too. But Self of August 2010, here's a few things to remember when you have your inevitable freak-out-OMG-HOWAMIGOINGTODOTHISALL moment:
1. Cheat. Cheat like crazy. This is the same advice that my cooperating teacher gave me when I was student teaching, and it is great advice. Beg, borrow, and steal all you can. Do not, I repeat, DO NOT reinvent the wheel or drive yourself nuts in the name of working-mommy-martyrdom. You'll want to bang your head against the wall. HARD.
How does one cheat? Well, for me, it involved hiring someone to help clean (BEST thing I ever did--as my OCD cleanliness is covered without me spending hours on the weekend during precious naptime trying to do it all) and sometimes going to those meal-assembly places even though I enjoy cooking and actually am quite good at it. It's all about the shortcuts. The way I see it, I am paying for my time (and in some cases, my sanity). I don't do mani-pedis. I don't get my hair DID. I've never really paid full-price for any article of clothing I own. THIS is my splurge. And I love it.
I also work through lunch. I have a 54-minute lunch, which usually consists of 5-10 minutes checking email and maybe some light stretching (since I never sit down), 10 minutes for lunch, and the rest grading papers. More done at school = less to take home. And more time with the little ones. I don't really miss the lunchroom, anyway. It's not that exciting.
2. The mornings are YOURS. You might think you want to work out later, but you don't. Really. In the wee hours of the morning, no one needs you. It's just YOUR time. You can fill it with a treadmill run watching a combination of Jon Stewart and The Hills if you want--mornings don't judge. Then you get to spend all evening relaxing with your Bug and Bean and Matt, and it's all good.
3. You can succeed working out inside. It's not ideal, by any stretch of the imagination. Would I rather do a hard 8 mile tempo run outside? With friends? Of course. But to coordinate that during either a naptime or an early morning with friends who are exactly my pace and goals and can adapt to my schedule is virtually impossible. Save the friend runs for leisurely trail runs for now, so you don't feel like puking and can actually talk. Kick your own ass in your basement if you need to. Alone. You'll survive, and your race results won't suffer. There's a time and a place for everything--just as friendships go through phases, so does your relationship with running/riding/swimming. The long bricks followed by an hour of lingering over coffee might be gone for now, but because you WANT them to. You'd rather be snuggling with the kids watching Sesame Street--for now. That relationship you used to have will come back someday--when you want it to. Before New Orleans 70.3 last year, I barely got outside (except to run) at ALL. You know what? I still did okay. It's possible.
4. Mommy Guilt is powerful. And Mommy Guilt is STUPID. REJECT the MOMMY GUILT. This has been the hardest thing for me to understand. Because it is this crazy, instinctual thing programmed within me. Just as I never really got the "Mama Bear" instinct that would make me rip someone's head off if they harmed my kid BEFORE I had a kid, I never understood Mommy Guilt until October, 2007, either. It's pretty horrible at times. But you have to remember that happy mommy = happy babies. Unhappy Mommy--one who feels they have lost themselves and part of their identity to raise their children--well, that definitely is not a happy situation. Sometimes you have to leave a toddler screaming at home for 38 minutes so you can go hammer out a nice hard run. From my experience, about 90 seconds after you leave, said toddler stops freaking out, and you come home all refreshed (although sweaty) and ready to deal with any future meltdowns should they occur.
5. Do the best you can, everyday. It's good enough. I promise.
I may add to this list as I go, but for now, Self of August, there is your manifesto.
Bug smells the flowers he gave me for Mother's Day
So I head back to school tomorrow morning. For 2 1/2 weeks. Let's just say we DEFINITELY timed things up better this time!
I'm feeling really calm and ready to go back. The first time was really, really rough--I was still pretty sleep-deprived, it was my first year teaching a very challenging class, and I wasn't sure if I should be a working mommy. Now, I feel a sense of peace knowing without a doubt that I should be a working mommy. It took me a bit to figure it out, but now I know, and it feels pretty good. I don't have to go through that struggle of "is this right?" again. Not to say it will be easy tomorrow--I am sure there might be a few tears in the morning on my drive in. But knowing it's right makes it a little easier.
Bean and I enjoying a Mommy and Me Yoga Class
I'm excited to see my students again, even though it's only for a few days before we are all off again. And I'm really excited to start training with the Evotri Kids again this summer. I wasn't sure if I could pull off two babies, my training, and training the kids, but I had a few revelations about how to make it a bit more streamlined and efficient, and I am pumped UP. I'll be meeting with some of the girls next Wednesday, and hopefully touching base with the other school that week, too. It will be so much fun to train with the girls this summer--and thankfully this time I won't be dealing with morning sickness and trying not to puke! BONUS!
In training news, I am still a good 23 pounds up from where I started...but 40 down. Not too bad for 12 weeks out, but still quite a ways to go. However, Tubby can still run! I had a great 7 mile tempo run yesterday and it felt freaking awesome. I managed to hold 2 miles at around 8:20, which is not my normal tempo pace but relatively speaking is pretty darn fast right now for me. :) I'm looking forward to getting back in the pool here soon, and picking up my new bike at the shop in the next few days!
Spinning and strength have helped me a lot and my clothes are FINALLY starting to fit...at least enough for me to piece together 9 days worth of work-appropriate outfits. I was a little afraid I'd have to wear yoga pants to work...but luckily my flab is starting to melt off a bit and I can (sorta) squeeze into a few things again!
Between training the girls, spending time with my two kiddos, and training myself...this summer's gonna seriously rock.
The ones who were pregnant with me. Or were pregnant before. The real and the virtual. To all of you who were first, an athlete, and then became a mommy.
Thank you.
For being there to vent to, to cry with, to share fears and thoughts and dreams with. For those who are working outside the home and for those who are working inside your home to raise your babies the best way you can, and for those who are caught somewhere in between. To all of you, for getting up early or working out late, so that you can kiss the tears away and make the sandwiches and pay the bills without missing a second away from those eyes.
For those who answered my late-night calls or silly facebook messages when I just needed to irrationally cry about losing complete control over my body, because you know. You know, as an athlete, how hard that is to do. But we did it, and whether we knew it or not at the time, we did it for the most amazing reason ever.
Some of you are so fast you win marathons when you don't even know you're pregnant. Some of you, like me, are just there mostly to compete against yourself. Some of you I've never met in person, but I feel like you're a dear friend because I can relate to where you are so much since we went through this together. Some of you have kids that are a little older, and I hope I can balance being an athlete and a mother and an all-around amazing person half as wonderfully as you have. You know who you are.
Each and every one of you I have learned something from.
This time around was even more special than the first, because this time I really understood that I could still be an athlete while also being a mother. And I got to share that with you. We ran together, we swam together, we talked about stuff only pregnant women really need to talk about together, so I'll spare the internet the details. We were nervous together. We grew together.
And we'll continue to grow together, too. I hope we still share our fears and hopes and dreams and know that no matter what decisions we make, sometimes this is really, really hard. I think that old quote really sums it up well: that becoming a mother is like making the decision to forever have your heart walking outside your body. It's amazing and petrifying and gratifying all at once.
And that's why we still need each other.
Today, we're pushing strollers as we run. And just like it was before the strollers, every run is just so much better when a friend is there.
Because doing flip turns at 38 weeks pregnant with your friends is freaking awesome.
Because the promise of pancakes always makes you hit the runner's high, even if you are waddling. Because your friendships mean so much to me.
So there's been a wrench thrown in my masters swim plans.
Apparently, there's a new manager at this club that did the outdoor masters near me in the wee hours of the morning last summer. The one I heard such good things about. And now, this new manager said NO to the masters team using their pool.
I say, A POX UPON YOU, OH MANAGER.
Because that was going to be SO perfect! I could get in a 90 minute hard swim before anyone was up in my house.
BOOOOOOOOOOhisss.
So now, I decided that instead of plunking down the $40 fee for masters plus a drop in fee to swim this month, I'd just plunk that down on a one-month unlimited pass to here.
Because my pool opens May 31, and I feel sorta crazy guilty about spending any extra money on a pool when I can use one very very soon. The drawback is that I won't have lane mates to push me and stuff, but I think my buddy Martha is in for some early morning swims so we'll just have to push each other! :)
And spinning/strength is going to burn WAY more calories for me, which will help melt away these last pounds. They are starting to come off (yay!), but I know it will be a while before they're all off. I did the YogaRide on Sunday morning, which was awesome, and last night I did the Ride75 and was able to hang for all 75 minutes! Woot! As Coach Emily says, cycling will be great to get my engine back in order and help me avoid injuries that I might get if I run too much right now.
Plus, the strength and core classes will be good for me. And the times are more flexible than the masters swim--the bummer about the masters is it's just a rotten time. It's bed/bath/fussy time, and it's just hard for me to justify leaving.
So I think this will work out. But hold me accountable in the pool, will ya? I need to not slack off like I usually do.
And HOLY SMOKES am I excited for a little package to arrive in the mail on Thursday...let's just say I'll be heading back up to Spin soon to reunite my old parts with my new frame! Pictures to follow. And just in time for Mother's Day!
Yes, in honor of the show I seem to watch all too often, Sesame Street...we have TWO NUMBERS OF THE DAY.
As in, I just ran SIX miles and one of them was in the EIGHTS! Yahoooooooooooooooo
Thanks to Bean for sleeping through the night the past two nights! My what a difference some sleep makes.
And really, all I was thinking towards the end of the run was, "The extreme chafing I'm going to have from having to still wear two sports bras and forgetting my body glide is SO worth it."
The master of bringing up the rear in Lane 2, that is.
So I decided to head up to the local Masters swim for the first time in the pool. Shouldn't you swim a little first on your own, TST, so you don't get your rear end handed to you by all the fishies at masters? Why yes. Logic says that would be a good idea. However, I am cheap. And I have a free week pass to swim with the masters club, versus the eight dolla drop in fee at my old gym.
So masters it is. Who needs logic?
Now, I had a bad experience at the one time I went to masters back in '07. I showed up and met the WRONG guy. You know the type--the guy that is just so full of awesomeness and smugness that you can't possibly share the same water with him. Yeah, That Guy.
So I'm all trying to be friendly and stuff, which was a feat in and of itself, because at the time I was 10 weeks pregnant and felt like POO. So I just walked up and introduced myself to the first person I saw, which happened to be That Guy, and he kept sizing me up.
What do you swim? What are your times? What do you DO?
I told him I was a former swimmer turned triathlete and stuff. He asked what races I do, and I had just finished Ironman Wisconsin, so I told him that was my last race.
He said, with a smug little sneer on his face, "Did you finish over or under 10 hours?"
My reply was, "Well, since the winning female was 10:01, I'm PRETTY sure I finished over 10 hours."
Butt munch.
Anyway, that rubbed me the wrong way and that, combined with lovely morning-sickness heaving with every flip turn, pretty much kept me away from masters from then on.
But I decided to give it a go this past Monday. Why now, you may ask? Well, the answer is quite simple.
Hi, my name is Trisaratops and I am a pool slacker.
I am a decent swimmer who really has no reason not to turn in better swim times, except for the fact that I am a bona fide pool SLACKA. As in, when I swim by myself, I just putz around and don't really push myself very hard. And since no one can seem to figure out a way to install a 25 yard pool in the comfort of my own basement, I just don't swim enough to be very good.
(I don't ask for much, people. In my basement. That's all I really want.)
This might explain why my bike and run times dropped dramatically after I had Bug, but my pool times stayed the same or, in some cases, even got slower. BOO.
I'm happy to report that A) That Guy wasn't there, or at least stayed far away from me and B) I had a BLAST! It was hard, though. I definitely got my rear end handed to me on a platter. And I SO brought up the tail of lane 2. But you know what? It wasn't the slowest lane, I'm 9 weeks postpartum, and it was my first time in the pool. So I'm going to let it slide. And I definitely went a lot harder and longer than if I was by myself. I missed a few send offs here and there and had a foot cramp up, but still managed to hit somewhere around 2400 yards. Not too shabby!
My lane mates were super cool, too. They kept checking to make sure I was okay and told jokes on our rest breaks and stuff. And I think just having some people in my lane helped me push myself harder than I'd do on my own.
So I'm hoping to make this a weekly workout, and maybe if Bean sleeps well Friday nights I can even hit Saturday morning. In the summer, they swim outside in the wee hours of the morning, which I LOVE because everyone's asleep and no one "needs" me--hence, no mommy guilt. But for the next month or so it will require some juggling.
But I think this little relationship I have with masters is on the mend. :)
I was really lucky to grow up where I did. I know that most of my teachers were good educators. Some were more memorable than others, though...and it's funny that my most memorable teachers were in the subjects that I had the hardest time with: math and science. Not that I wasn't good at them...on paper, I was. But it just took me WAY longer to "get it." And I was lucky enough to have teachers in those subjects who were understanding...who would meet me every morning at 7:15am to go over Pre-Calculus...and who would walk me through stoichiometry even though they had already explained it to me thirty-three THOUSAND times.
I've written before about my SM Physics class. "SM" stood for "Science Major." Or, as we liked to call it, "SO MUCH." As in, SO MUCH FREAKING CHEMISTRY. I had no business taking any SM class in high school. There was no way in hell I was going to be a science major, and by age 15 I knew that already. I knew it would be harder and I knew that if I worked at it, I could do it, and I was raised to never settle for something easy when you know you can do the harder one. So SM Chemistry it was.
Mr. Ule was one of those teachers who you could just tell loved coming to work every day. Even at 15, you know the ones who are just there for the paycheck, who are just buying the time until retirement, or who are there because there wasn't really anything else they found and they thought, well, I might as well teach. But he wasn't one of those. This guy loved his job, and he loved his students. And it made a class that was very difficult for me really, really enjoyable. I had to work--hard, by the way. I had to really earn that grade big time. And it definitely messed up my GPA a bit as it wasn't a weighted class or anything, but I just felt like it would be a better thing for me to do. I could do it--I had the ability, so to settle for anything lower seemed like cheating.
Some of my best memories were in that class.
To me, the best educators aren't necessarily the ones who are all buddy-buddy with their students, or who are mind-numbingly easy, or, on the flip side, pride themselves in being so hard and difficult and untouchable. I always felt like my best teachers were the ones who walked that fine line between caring so much for me and for the class and for the subject, but absolutely refusing to back down when it was time to challenge me.
(Even if that meant frustrating me once in a while.)
Because that's how guys like Mr. Ule did it. He guided, he cared so much, but he rose that bar just high enough that I really, really had to jump up high to get it. Even if it meant coming in early. Staying late. Reviewing over and over again.
I've long since moved on. There was and never will be any "science major" for me. I entered the same career as him--one full of challenges every day. I try now to be the best teacher I can, and walk that line that I believe makes you a great one--one that stands above all the rest. I know I have a long way to go. I hope someday I'm half as good of a teacher as Mr. Ule was to me: a student who had no business being in his "Science Major" class, but ended up loving it and growing from it.
And I can't help that think that teachers like him are partially the reason why I love endurance sports so much. Let me be clear: I'm no natural athlete. I have to really work hard at this. And as much as it frustrates me from time to time, I know that's why I love it. I credit him for developing me into a person who loves a challenge...who thrives on challenge. A life without challenges to me is just not a life, period.
It's ironic that on a day we were getting such great news about our family's battle with cancer, Mr. Ule was losing his. His family was getting ready to say goodbye. And when I heard the news today, I cried--not just because of his passing, but because I never really got to tell him how much this non-science major got from his class...and from him.
Eight months ago, we had ER trips and horrible, horrible news. We were all staring down Stage 4 Uterine Cancer, right in the face. Advanced. Aggressive, stage 4. You can google that to see what it said. Over and over and over.
Terminal. Terminal. Terminal.
Well I have one thing to say: screw you, terminal. You're wrong.
Matt's mom had her CAT scan and MRI this week, and we got the news at the appointment yesterday. The halfway point news was good, but there have been a few complications since then. We were hoping for more good news, but prepared for whatever the scan results said.
And they said nothing short of a miracle.
GONE. 100% GONE.
There is NO cancer left. NONE.
We are absolutely overjoyed. Prayers work. Good thoughts work. Experimental drugs work. It all worked.
She'll be with us for a long, long time. And we couldn't be happier.
Thanks to all my friends and family for their love and support for all of us, and for Linda, over the stressful ordeal the past 8 months has brought us all. We know that the future may hold more battles, but if we can win this one, well...quite frankly, we can win anything.
But not without a few bumps in the road. Like Saturday, when I had an absolute irrational meltdown for Matt about not being able to fit into my jeans perfectly yet. I can get them up and buttoned, but HOLY HADES do I look DISGUSTING with my muffin top. Everything else is fine, just the lovely post-partum muffin top that anyone who's been there understands. And it set me off BIG TIME.
Good thing Matt is a patient guy. He just let me have a good cry and then go for a run. Sometimes that's the best remedy, after all. I mean, for crying out loud. I gained 62 pounds. I'm down quite a bit now, but I need to be realistic here. I'll get there. It's been 8 weeks. CHILL, SELF. That's an order. This shirt rocks the universe. Preggy swim pal Bridget's husband surprised JenC and I with them after he told us we should get some shirts made when we were running the Reindeer Run back when I was 30 weeks preggers. And the boy delivered. Thanks, Steve! I can't wait to wear my "race t-shirt" as soon as it's a little warmer...and I'm a little smaller. Check the new shoes, too--Brooks finally changed the color! WOOT! That's what I call a comeback outfit. Speaking of which, had a fantastic run with Bean in the BOB this morning. I found a nice smooth trail and we did 4 miles. Check that pace, yo'. I was in disbelief, but felt great. The Boston Marathon is today, and I thought about how I hope to be there in 2 years...and even though this pace and distance is a far way off, I have to remember that a) I'm 8 weeks postpartum and b) I'm carrying not only a stroller, but a good 28 pounds more than I usually do. So after I had a moment and thought about that, I felt about as good as if I had just run a sub-22 minute 5K.
She was special in more ways than one. Sandy was, in many ways, a miracle. She wasn't even supposed to make it to age twelve, and she made it all the way into her 50s.
The past few years Sandy hasn't been the Sandy I knew growing up. The one who loved to laugh and joke...the one who loved her diet cokes and country music and Cincinnati Reds.
So I choose to remember her that way--before her strokes. I will remember her joking around, smiling and laughing, at the dinner table with my Aunt Betsy and Uncle Jack whenever we visited them.
I know this is a blessing, but it sure doesn't make it any easier. I love you, Sandy.
So two kids can be pretty tiring, from what I'm experiencing. But pretty amazing, too. Like today. Bug and Bean and I went to storytime at Barnes and Noble...it was a windy and almost-rainy morning, and it was Curious George (who we all love) day. I figured Bean would sleep the whole time, but since she pretty much slept through the entire night (thanks, baby girl!), she was up the whole time. She started fussing a bit during the story, and Jackson quietly came over by me so he could rub her back.
It was pretty much the sweetest thing I've ever seen. And every day that goes by, something else like that happens. Just when I think they can't top it, they melt my heart again and again.
Today was my first run outside. I was pretty much rarin' to go by the time Matt got home. Three miles never hurt so good.
Garmins that you turn on after a year are kind of like purses you find buried in the closet after a year. It's like a little time capsule of who you were. Receipts. Lip gloss. Concert ticket. Airplane ticket. Random diaper. I turned on the Garmin and it was the last run I did before I got pregnant, I guess. It said: "4 miles: Average pace 8:44."
Ha ha. My, what a difference a year makes.
I must say, I'm pretty sure the Garmin flashed "WHO THE HECK ARE YOU AND WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH MY OWNER" across the screen a few times, but I got it done. Never has a 10:20/mile felt so much like a 7:20 mile. But three miles of just me, the iPod, and the road was amazing.
Got home, gave Jackson a high five, and picked up my baby girl. And that's what I have to call a perfect day.
Seriously. This team is such an amazing group of people and I am so happy that I'm a part of it. It's great to share this sport with people in all different "life phases," who just love to give back to the sport of triathlon. I can't say enough about the wonderful opportunities its given me, and also for the friendships I've made. I know we are all so excited that we are able to add a new member to our team this year, and I can't wait to meet whoever it will be!
I just booked my flight to Madison for WIBA this year and am SO excited. I get to see my teammies and some really cool people and IronFriends from back in the day. Plus, I get to hammer those hills and fly down Garfoot again. It doesn't get much better than that, folks. Wait--I lied. Actually, it does. I decided that 20 hours of driving roundtrip in a weekend was INSANE in the membrane, so I'm flying. Well, the flight's actually to Chicago (way cheaper) and then I'll be carpooling with my Nutter friend Jacks and her fiance, which will be crazy fun. And, the real bonus is I don't have to miss all that time with my kids--win-win!
Also this year, our team race is Rev3 in Cedar Point. I can't wait to be the hostest with the mostest of Northeast Ohio. It's going to be AWESOME. Stuff like this is getting me through this awkward "I-still-can't-even-fit-into-my-fat-pants-without-some-serious-rubber-bands-and-sucking-in-for-8-hours" phase I'm currently rocking. Yes, I had a slight meltdown trying to find something to wear for Easter. Sucked it up and just wore maternity pants. Whatever. I'm getting over it, slowly but surely. Partially because as of today, I am hereby cleared to work out--yahooooooooooyippeeeeekay-yay!
(Which is really good, because I've been working out for the past week anyway. Shhhhhh. Don't tell.)
And I think I rode the adrenaline high from purchasing my Southwest ticket today on the treadmill...I'm up to three whole miles, suckas. THREE whole miles. Boo-yah.
So I hope I get to see your video soon--can't wait to meet my new teammate in my stomping ground here this September! I'll bring you some Stadium Mustard for our post-race party. Trust me. You won't be sorry.
Oh sweet nectar of the baseball gods, you Bertman Ball Park Mustard. Get in mah BELLY.
I'm angry because the scale hasn't moved in a week.
It moves 30 in 4 weeks, and then it doesn't move at week 5 and suddenly I am an EPIC FAILURE AT LIFE.
I know. This is ridiculous. As soon as I was able to run and work out after Jackson, it came off. But the past two days I have stared cursing at an inanimate object (the scale) and getting mad.
Mind you, I just gave birth less than six weeks ago. Perhaps I should CHILL THE FREAK OUT.
Bean is still fighting fighting fighting on the bottle, which really just stresses me out to no end. I hate hate hate that she hates it, because a) she hates it and I hate to listen to her scream and b) I am afraid I'll never get my freedom back nor leave the house for an extended period of time EVER AGAIN.
I know. Silly. She'll come around, eventually. She's not about to starve herself...the girl has about 18 chins and the pudgiest little legs ever--clearly she's doing just fine.
I have decided the best remedy for this is to go up to school to say hi to my kids, pick up some new running shoes at my favorite running shop, and buy my plane ticket to Chicago where I will then hitch a ride with Jacks and Soon-To-Be Mr. Jacks and head to WIBA in JULY! You should, too. It's going to be awesome.
In July, these last 30 will be history and she'll be taking a bottle like a pro, and I'm pretty sure I'll look back on this and laugh. Right?
Don't worry. It was ridiculously slow. And on a treadmill. And a total of six minutes. I mostly wanted to be sure I remembered how.
But it was a GLORIOUS six minutes. Six minutes that made me feel like myself again. Despite the chub I've still got. Running slow is still running, and still awesome.
The really, REALLY weird thing was the absolute VOODOO that my iPod cast upon me. Because I kid you not--during those two little 3-minute segments that I ran (surrounded by walking), do you know what songs came on? And I have, like, 8,000 songs in this thing.
Runnin' Down a Dream (Tom Petty) and Boston (Augustana).
For realz.
I can't make this stuff up, folks.
In other news, I got a whole SIX! HOURS! of uninterrupted sleep last night, because Bean took a bottle for Matt (although it took some arguing and a bit of time) and I feel like a person again. Yay!
Ominous black clouds in the sky...check.
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