6 and counting...where it all started.

You know how every year at family gatherings, your grandma or crazy uncle will tell the SAME story she or he tells every year. And every year, you laugh and reminisce as if it's the first time you've heard the story, even though in reality it seems you've heard it a million times before. It never gets old. That's how I feel about the story of "how I started running". If I've told it once, I've told it a million times. But that time of year is approaching (no, not Thanksgiving, but the Myrtle Beach Marathon), and since this blog wasn't' created yet by this time last year, I believe it's time to make it a million and one. Here's my story

My introduction to road racing was completely backwards.

Fall 2004-my older sister Holly asked if my younger sister Cathy and I would run the Myrtle Beach half marathon with her that February (2005). I lived in Myrtle, and it could be a fun sister weekend. Cathy and I agreed, and before we knew it, Holly had registered us both for the race. Well, even though 5 month seemed FOREVER at the time, it passed in the blink of an eye. And before I knew it, race weekend had approached. My training had consisted of about two days of 3 mile runs on my apartment complex's gym treadmill, in a sheer panic of "what the heck am I getting myself into".

Man I hated running.

But race day morning, I pulled out my Nike's, which I had worn around for at least a good two years (hey, they still looked nice!) and toed the start line next to my sisters. Now, Cathy, the youngest sister and equally as unprepared as I was, had a theory that she could not stop running. If she stopped, she would never start again, and so she took off. We never saw her again. Holly and I, on the other hand, took the "run/walk" approach, which really worked well for me. I felt great.

Holly and I jibber jabbered away like we always do (as anyone who has been in a room with all of the Gannoe women will tell you, we like to talk. A lot.) Somewhere around mile 4 Holly pulled a surprise on me. That surprise was called Strawberry GU. Now as you recall, I was NOT a runner, and had no flipping idea what I was doing out there. Nutrition? What do you mean? Holly told me to open it up and eat it. Easy enough, right?

I bet you every single one of you can remember your first GU or gel. The consistency and the taste is NOTHING like you expect. Hopefully some of you went into the experience expecting it to taste less than ideal, but not me. Nope, I didn't even have that going for me. I took one big mouthful and almost tossed my cookies. Next thing I knew I had a long string of GU hanging off my chin while I nearly cried "WHAT DID YOU JUST MAKE ME EAT EWWWW" to my sister, who proceeded to laugh her a$$ off at me.

We ran/walked along having a great time. Somewhere around mile 10, I really needed a port-a-potty stop. I saw one about 300 yards ahead so I told Holly I was going to sprint ahead, but when she got there, she would wait for me. I ran, used the porta-potty (ah welcome to the world of racing!) jumped out and looked for Holly. NO where to be seen. I waited. And waited. And waited. Nothing.

So I did what anyone looking for a lost pal would do...I started to backtrack on the course searching for her. I got about 15 "you are going the wrong way!" shouts from well meaning spectators (did they really think I didn't realize that?) before a helpful volunteer stopped me. "Hey, are you looking for Holly?" (I knew these customized shirts Holly made us would come in handy!) I told the man yes, and he told me "Oh yeah she passed by here a long time ago".

UGGH. I took off RUNNING. I mean, really running, faster than I had in probably 5 years since I left high school. Fueled a little by frustration, and more so by the feeling of "oh crap, I have no idea what I'm doing out here and I'm stranded all alone at mile 10 of a half marathon, someone save me!!". I ran and ran, hurt my foot landing funny in a pot hole, but kept running, until just before mile 12 I spotted Holly. At that point, I was in such a state of exhaustion and frustration that I told her I couldn't slow down. I had taken up Cathy's mentality of "if I stop now I'll never start again".

And so I ran. Those last 1.1 miles hurt. BAD. But I finished my very first half marathon, and thus, created my very first horrible finishing line photo. Please enjoy for your entertainment:

2005 Myrtle Beach Half Marathon Finisher!

Look at that face! I look like a fish out of water gasping for breath. I crossed the finish line, barely, and was given my very first finishers medal (if only I knew then what an addiction that little piece of metal and ribbon would be). 2:41:01 I found my little sister, standing completely nonchalantly on the side of the finishers chute, wearing her medal and holding a Gatorade for me. By the looks of it I would have guessed she finished hours a head of me and not just 3 minutes earlier. We waited for Holly, who finished 3 minutes after I did.

We hobbled (well, I hobbled) over to get some post race food, and all I can remember is the overwhelming urge to take my shoes off ASAP. eventually we made it home, where I encountered the stairs to my third floor apartment, that now looked something comparable to mount Everest.

I couldn't walk very well for a week after that. My boss, whose wife had properly trained for the half marathon that year, made fun of me and shook his head in that "you are an idiot" way for the entirety of the week.

But I finished my first half marathon. I certainly did not get hooked on running that day, that week, or even that month. But a tradition had started, one that would eventually fuel a passion I never knew I had. A tradition more fun to the Gannoe girls (well, at least 2/3 of us) than a yearly weekend in Vegas or on a cruise ship.

Holly and I have participated in the half marathon every year since. Some years we have added in the 5k on Friday or the bike rides on Sunday, and some years Cathy has jumped back in to join the fun (although I don't really think she finds this stuff as "fun" as we do, but she is certainly a good sport!). I can promise you I won't live in Myrtle Beach forever. But I have a feeling that no matter where we are in the country, Holly and I will find our way back to Myrtle Beach every February for our race!

2006-about 2 months pregnant with Rowen (surprise!) Holly had hurt her knee, and I was feeling less than stellar, so we walked....with our custom made "I'm knocked up" and "I'm broken" shirts. We got a few comments for those ones, haha

2007-Holly and I ran the 5k and the half marathon together. We had a blast as usual

2008 - surprise! (Again!) Pregnant. About 5 or 6 weeks to be exact, as in I just barely found out before the race. But I ran my 3rd fastest half marathon (just barely over 2 hours). It was a great temporary finish to my running, because at the end of that weekend I was run over by the morning sickness train, and didn't participate in anything athletic, unless you consider running to the bathroom to toss my cookies a sporting event.

2009 - Post baby Kain. Well if you didn't read that story....you can read it here. As you can tell by my face it was, uhh, less than ideal, haha

So here we are, approaching the 2010 Myrtle Beach half marathon. Year #6 for us. My training was sidelined for the month of January with a foot injury, so hopes of a P.R. are certainly gone. Hopes of a really fun time are not. I get more and more excited for this race every year. I feel like a kid on Christmas Eve waiting for Santa!

Is anyone else running the Myrtle Beach full or half marathon this weekend? Say hi if you see me in my hot, neon pink shoes! (Really, they are bright!)

Happy running (and racing!) friends!

The struggle

Every now and then I get side-swiped by the "reality" truck. I'll be cruising along with my crazy chaotic life, and then out of nowhere, the reality truck will swerve out in front of me and try to throw me off course. I stumble a little, but I get back up, and keep moving forward.

Today was a rough day. I woke up with two incredibly cranky kids who didn't sleep well the night before, and for some reason or another clung to me like little koala bears on tree branches. I caved and skipped my first two classes, which is something I avoid at all costs. School is expensive after all, so I want to get the most out of it (wow I sound so grown up!). But my babies needed me today, and as always, I will drop whatever is necessary for them.

I did eventually remove the koala toddlers (they were easily swayed with an extravagant lunch made by Daddy) and headed in for work and my once a week biomechanics lab. Got to school only to find that the lab report I spent hours on the day before wouldn't print out at the computer lab . My file, emailed to myself and backed up on a junk drive, was "corrupt". I have no earthly idea what that means in the computer world, but I'll tell you what it means in my world: I had to show up to class WITHOUT my lab report. Furthermore, I had to give the lame ass reason that "the printer didn't work" making me look like a) a slacker and b) a procrastinator for waiting until the last minute. So maybe the later was the truth, but I still hated it.

Motherhood: 1 Heather: 0

This evening my school hosted an informational session about the upcoming triathlon. The USAT coach hosting the meeting was very informative. At one point, as could be expected, the topic of Ironman distance races came up, along with the incredible amount of training they require. Without any hesitation, the coach looked at the classroom full of young college kids and said "but if any of you want to do an Ironman, now is the time in your life to do it" along with something about having a lot of free time, blah blah blah.

Bam, there goes the reality truck, in the LAST place I was expecting it. Knocked me right down.

I may be an idiot for having this obsession with finishing an Ironman when I've never done a triathlon period, but I'm not an idiot when it comes to realizing how much of a HUGE time commitment training for one is. But in the back of my head, I've always had the the idea that it's not impossible. Nothing is impossible. It seems there is always a story of a new mom out there training away and finishing an Ironman with a smile on her face and her cute little toddlers crossing the finish line by her side. There is no reason I can't be one of them.

But lately, I've been struggling with guilt. Guilt of two types really. Some days I feel guilty for the time I take away from my family. Rich is incredibly supportive of me in every way. Not only does he watch the boys all day so I can chase my dreams at school, but he sacrifices the free time we do have together so I can go do hours of training for a measly sprint triathlon. And when I get back from one of those two events, he's off to work. Most nights I'm fast asleep before he gets home. My family makes huge sacrifices for me, and I never want to take that for granted. I never want to take my babies, and the fact that they will only be such cute little babies for a short period of time, for granted.

Then, there is the guilt I feel over NOT feeling guilty. How's that for a head scratcher? Seriously, most of the time I do not feel guilty for taking the time to pursue this hobby. It's good for my health, mentally and physically, and both of those aspects not only benefit me but my they benefit my family as well. A happy mom equals a happy family, right? My boys are young. Yes, they notice when I'm not there, but not nearly like they would if they were older, and I was missing a soccer game to go to class, or a science fair because I have a training run. I'd rather this chaos now rather than later. And after all, it is this healthy lifestyle that allows me to go to school and work all day, run for an hour or two, and STILL have the energy to chase my kids in circles, build lego spaceships and Thomas the Tank engine train tracks, and giggle over hide and seek games. Who can feel guilty about that? But , it is written somewhere in the mom handbook that if you dont' feel guilty for doing something for yourself, then you are doing something wrong. I think I ripped that page out and burned it, but it still lingers in the back of my head.

The realistic mom in me tells me to wait this Ironman dream out. Kain, my baby, will go off to college when I'm still at the ripe young age of 44. I'll have an empty house and PLENTY of time to sit on the bike trainer all damn day if I choose. Until then, I have babies to raise and an income to bring in, not to mention a college degree to finally finish earning. But the true Heather, the one with the crazy competitive personality, the one who has always thrown the realistic ideas out the window, can't stop thinking about it. Yeah, I want to do this first sprint triathlon just to do a triathlon. But I'd be lying if I didn't say it's really only the first step in a much bigger picture for me. I like to make 5 year plans, and in my 5 year plan, I see a 140.6 finish line.

The realistic mom in me realizes that 99% of you are going to tell me that I have plenty of time, that I will get there one day, and that I need to focus on the here and now. And I get that, and appreciate your comments in advanced. But what I'm really looking for are the other 1% of you...the IronMOMS and DADS, to tell me how you do it. Tell me if you struggle with these thoughts too. Tell me how you do it.

Alas, the reality truck didn't cause any permanent damage. A little feeling of temporary defeat, maybe, but in all honesty I wouldn't change my situation for anything. My kids are the greatest blessing I have ever been given, and I will make sure they always know that. And for now, I'll keep moving forward, but I have a feeling there is only one cure for this fever. And it isn't more cowbell...

The Sunday Review

Welcome to the Sunday Review, the post where I share some more kick butt gear that I think you need to know about!

So let me start off by saying, my camera died. I thought it was merely the battery, but no, the whole camera, kaput. Needless to say, with the number of times the little munchkins have gotten their grubby little fingers on it, I'm not surprised. Alas, it is over 2 years old, which in my history of digital camera ownership is nearly a record. Point being, you'll have to forgive me for the stock photos here.

BornFit-Apparel to fit your active mom life

BornFit is a line of women's workout wear, created by two fit Colorado moms, and inspired by the Rocky Mountain peaks they love to hike. Not only does this company offer wonderful women's active wear for the running mommy-to-be (Like my pal Bethany who just found out she's got another little bun in the oven! Congrats B!!!) but it turns out they have a great line of workout wear for the rest of us non knocked up pregnant women!


The lovely ladies at BornFit sent me a "Sunlight Tee" to try out. Mine is a really beautiful shade of teal, but again, my camera didn't show up for work this week, so please refer to the model on your left in the pink shirt instead. As I always do when new gear shows up in my mailbox, I put the shirt on the second I pulled it out of the envelope (good thing I wait till I get inside to open my mail.)

The first thing I noticed about this shirt was it's relaxed, longer cut. Now, I've busted my rear end to keep my post two babies in two years body in (somewhat) shape, and I like to show it off, usually with a little more form fitting clothing. Yet the Sunlight tee, despite being roomier and forgiving in the bottom, was still incredibly flattering. Bonus points for the Bornfit people, keeping the running mama's looking stunning!!

The bottom part of the shirt, as you can probably see in the picture, is mesh. Not 1980's see through mesh, but a breathable mesh, making the feel of the shirt really light. And the moisture wicking fabric does it's job, just as it should. There is a small bornfit logo out of reflective material, to add a little safety to your run.

What I appreciate the most, is the basic designs and color schemes of this line. Nothing too flashy, no crazy designs or patterns. While we all like to be a little crazy sometimes (heck, check out my neon pink sneakers, I certainly love a chaotic outfit every now and then), the born fit line offers basic high quality products that will work for every woman. Honestly, I'm kicking myself for not discovering them back in my pregnant days! I'll just have to apologize to myself by ordering a Wilder Skirt and asking myself for forgiveness (retail therapy usually does the trick).

So pregnant mamas looking for something cute, comfortable, and non frumpy to fit that ever expanding belly, non pregnant mamas looking for some workout wear to flatter your mama figure, or even non mommy's looking for some great quality workout wear (for running, yoga, cycling, golf, and more!), be sure to check out http://www.bornfit.com/



Next up: Black Diamond Sprinter Headlamp


The wonderful people at Backbone Media sent me this headlamp over two months ago, and I had yet to give it a try. Other than running through the complete dark (despite promised lit roads) at Beach2Battleship, I've never done any night running. I figured the headlamp would give me a headache, would bounce around like crazy in turn driving ME crazy, and last but not least, the bouncing beam of light in front of me would, you guessed it, drive me crazy.

Thursday day flew by in the blink of an eye, and I still hadn't gotten in my run for the day. So I figured it was now or never, let's give this night running business a whirl. I LOVED it. There is something so relaxing, yet empowering about running at night. No wonder the rest of you all rave about it!

Now, as I already mentioned, this is all new to me, so I have nothing to base the Sprinter headlamp against, but I will tell you this: I forgot it was even on my head. It was super comfortable and didn't even budge, and gave off a nice, steady, wide area of light, as opposed to what I imagined would be like a flashlight beam coming off of my forehead. What's more, it has a flashing red light on the back as to alert drivers and crazy wildlife of your presence. It certainly made me feel safer.

Oh, and a bonus, this headlamp is rechargeable. Yes, no batteries to replace! I have two toddlers with a gaggle of toys that require about a million double A batteries, so to not have to worry about one more thing sucking up batteries with every use is a relief.

Here's what the people at Black Diamond have to say about it, for you techies:

The urban-inspired Sprinter opens up the dark for those whose running isn’t restricted to daytime hours. This rechargeable streets-to-trails runner’s headlamp features excellent fore-aft balance and a super low profile, which minimizes bouncing and shifting with your stride. A red rear strobe offers safety around cars while a strong, ovalized beam keeps your vision focused on the path ahead.
•DoublePower LED with 68 lumens (max setting) projects a strong, ovalized beam optimized for running
•Red taillight strobe for visibility in urban areas with on/off switch
•Powered by a lithium polymer rechargeable battery (6-hour charge time)
•Settings include full strength, dimming and strobe
•Regulated for constant illumination on max brightness setting
•Sealed waterproof to 1 m (3.3 ft)
LED Type : DoublePower
Lumens : 68
Max Distances : 50 m
Max Burn Time : 64 H
Weight Without Batteries : 100 g, 3.5 oz
IPX Rating : 7

Needless to say, I will never use the excuse "but it's getting dark out" again. Thank you Black Diamond, for reforming this "daytime only" runner!

and if you call in the next 19 seconds..

I've discovered a new weight loss secret. It was right under my nose this whole time. And because I've grown to love all of you, I'm going to share it with you today. Not for $89.99 or even two easy installments of $39.99. No, I'm going to give it to you for free...but only if you read the next paragraph in the next 60 seconds. (Or, you know, whenever you get around to it, the offer still stands)

Want to know how to get your body ready to rock a swimsuit this summer? Well forget summer, put your swimsuit on NOW, and get in the pool. Quit worrying about how your butt looks, swim a bunch of laps like you mean it, and then thank me come July.

(I'm practicing my kick butt personal trainer attitude, how's it working for you? Have I scared you to drop and give me twenty? No?)

Seriously though. I slacked off on my running last week, didn't even get to cycling, I just swam. And in just a week and a half of swimming, those extra 5 lbs of home cooked Christmas deliciousness (that I held onto for the month of January) disappeared. All of this while coming home STARVING and ransacking my kitchen for a feast. No wonder Michel Phelps eats like 12,000 calories a day and still has abs of steel. I love it! Really, I never would have guessed such a low impact sport would kick my bootie into shape so quickly. And believe me, it's kicking me, I'm exhausted!

However, I will not make it far (no further than the pool deck or lake shore) in the world of triathlon if I don't get out there and practice the bike and run. So last night I donned my headlamp and my heart rate monitor, and set out for my first ever heart rate zone based run, based on the zones determined from this week's VO2 max test.

In one 50 minute run last night, I realized why I have had 3 sucky marathons in a row. Because I don't know how to properly build up my endurance. Last night, zone 4 was the only zone Garmin and I got along , because during zone 2 & 3 it beeped at me and kept telling me to slow down. I'm not good at telling my body to pace itself. I go all or nothing most of the time, and then crash and burn. This is why 5k's seem to be my race of choice, and I've yet to come out of a full marathon with a smile on my face. So last night, I obeyed Coach Garmin and followed Coach Jeff''s plan, and tried my very best to stay in the prescribed zone, not worrying about how fast (or really, slow) I was running. And despite all of that, I had a fantastic run.

But you should have heard the Garmin yell at me and my heart rate when I came around the corner and faced off with a pack of wild, rabid raccoons. OK....maaaaybe they were little raccoons, and looked absolutely terrified to see this crazy woman with a bright light on her forehead running at them, but they certainly caused me to jump into a quick zone 6 (or something)! All of this mid day suburbia running has really softened me, ha.

And so the adventure continues...

Happy running my friends!

Drool Max test

a.k.a. adventures with VO2 max testing. I'm a little sad there aren't any pictures of myself to go a long with this post. You'll just have to use your imagination, haha.

A quick really, really basic review for those of you unfamiliar with a VO2 max test- there are various types of tests you can do (bike, treadmill, different protocols), but the concept is to determine the maximum amount of oxygen your body can consume while at work, and at what point your body goes from aerobic glycolysis (using oxygen) to anaerobic glycolysis (not using oxygen, and thus making that awesome stuff known as lactate that makes our calves and quads and whatever else scream at us with burning fiery pain, haha) The idea is that you can use this information to a) know how awesome you are at consuming oxygen so you can compare your numbers to Lance Armstrong, and b) use corresponding heart rates to determine proper training zones (if you are into the whole heart rate training methods).

Boy I hope I got that right, one of my professors reads this blog!

So for those of you who have been following for a little while now will remember, last semester I was given the opportunity to demonstrate a VO2 max test in my exercise physiology class. Of course, when my professor asked for a volunteer, I practically JUMPED up and down before anyone else could utter a breath...although I'm *pretty* sure you could have heard crickets chirping if not for my enthusiasm. Not a ton of people get giddy over the idea of the pushing yourself till you feel like puking on a treadmill in front of all of your peers. I am not obviously not one of those people! It was a great opportunity, and I was SO excited to take advantage of it. Long story short, after just a few minutes the test had to be called off because my heart rate just would not register on any of the monitors. The polar heart rate monitor strap was too big, and wouldn't stay put. I almost cried in class, I was so disappointed!

Fast forward to this semester. Coach Jeff wanted to gather my training heart rate zones, and I told him that I had access to doing a VO2 max test instead of doing a more basic, somewhat estimated calculations. And my awesome boss/lab coordinator/professor ordered a size small heart rate monitor strap. I asked to be tested, we set it up, and I was good to go for attempt #2 at my VO2 max test.

So anyway, for those of you unfamiliar with the test...you have to wear this big head piece that holds the mouth piece and tubes in place. Ours looks exactly like what this guy to your right is wearing. You shove a snorkel like mouth piece in your mouth that blocks any air from escaping, and then your nose is plugged. All of this breathing in and out of an open mouth that you can not close results in a lot of drool.

I knew you were wondering where the title of this post came in.

But have no fear! See the tiny little tube sticking down near his left pec? That is a spit trap. Part of my job at the lab includes cleaning other people's spit out of the spit trap. Yes spit trap is it's technical term (ok maybe not). Funny thing though...it seems my spit never made it to the spit trap.

I knew the test would be hard. I never imagine I would need a bib! After a few attempts at wiping my chin while running, I gave up and let the spit fly. Drool everywhere, down my chin, down my neck. All in the name of science and training right?

But back to the actual testing...I survived. Running with all of that stuff strapped to you really isn't as awkward as it looks, or first feels. You get used to it really quickly. And in my case, all of that plastic acted sort of like those blinders they put on horses to prevent them from getting spooked. It made me just zone out instead of focusing on the fact that I was about to be exhausted. And it was exhausting, and for a second I thought my lungs packed their bags and left me, but it wasn't nearly as horrible as some people make it out to be. Then again, I live for this sort of gut wrenching, breath stealing, endorphin producing stuff.

Looking back, I probably could have pushed just a *little* bit longer. The second I signaled that I was done, the words of a fellow endurance athlete friend rang through my mind. "when you feel like you can't go any further...hang on for 30 more seconds". Ah well. Next time!

For now, I have my numbers, which is what I had hoped for all along. ACSM ranks me as just barely excellent for my age/gender, but leaves me plenty of room for improvement. Watch out Lance Armstrong, I'm coming for you and your 85 mL/kg/min. Ok maybe not, but there's always room for improvement. Let's see if my genetics will allow for Superior status!

Happy running friends! Train hard, train happy, and get those VO2 max numbers up!

I'm gonna come at you like a spider monkey

I give myself a grade of C for week one of triathlon training. That's a breakdown of an A in the pool, C in the running department, and F- on the bike (because I never got on it).

I started with the best of intentions, like I always do. But my body had other ideas and I ended the week on the couch with a fever and general allover "ick" feeling, watching episode after episode of Kipper the Dog to keep the toddler rambunctiousness at bay.

I'm a firm believer in listening to your body when it tells you to rest, especially when it's "rest now" signals include swollen lymph nodes accompanied by alternating chills and hot flashes. So rest I did, but it did not take away from the giant slacker guilt I felt when emailing coach at the end of my very first week of training telling him I needed a "first week do-over". I skipped my tempo run and only bike ride scheduled for the week. Whine, whine, excuse excuse. I hate excuses.

Late yesterday afternoon, after doing laundry load #5 in the new washing machine (there's an adventure I forgot to tell you about...let's just say it involves a large taco bell cup and me emptying the washing machine like I was bailing out a dingy...good stuff!) I felt a surge of energy. Perhaps it was the new washing machine fumes, but I felt like a new person. As soon as Rich got home, I hopped in the car and took off to the gym. There was hope yet, I could end this first week of training on a good note with my scheduled 1 hour run.

Now one hour on the treadmill makes me shudder as much as the next person, but after doing a face plant on my back deck the other night, I wasn't taking any chances. Yes, ice, at the beach, in South Carolina. I don't remember that being on the travel brochures. So treadmill it was, and I was excited to test out my latest addition to the shoe family....
oooh ahhhh sooo preettty! Nike Free 5.0 V4's. I've been coveting a pair for a while now, so I was thrilled when the fed ex man finally dropped them off at my doorstep. Now I'm certainly a glutton for punishment for putting these puppies on and attempting an hour long run in them on their first day out of the box. I promised myself I'd stop if I felt even a twinge of pain. I never did. As expected, the minimal shoe caused me to step lighter, and it was nice to not have the normal "clunk clunk" of heavier shoes on the treadmill.

I've been emailing back and forth with a wonderfully helpful employee of Newton running regarding my foot pain. Long story short, from all sources it appears the foot pain I suffered from the past month was a direct result of my feet being "out of shape". Years and years of running in highly cushioned shoes has coddled my foot into not having to do any work when we are out for a run. Jumping into the Newtons, which are a much more minimal shoe with less cushion/heel lift, put that foot to work, and fast. Too fast (my fault). When Newton recommends that you start out "slow" with these shoes, I didn't realize exactly how slow they meant. 30 miles in two weeks wasn't slow enough.

So long story short, it was the Newtons that caused my pain, but they were no more at fault than the dumbbell that makes your shoulders hurt after you lift for the first time in a year, haha. I will not give up on them, and I am keeping them in the shoe rotation with the hopes of eventually steering away completely from the big, cushy shoes. While you probably won't see me running down the street in vibrams any time soon, I am very interested in the concept of barefoot running, and I'm continuing to do my research.

But back to the treadmill run. After I finally got dibs on one of the 2 out of 4 functioning treadmills at the gym (seriously, division one school, you need more than 2 functioning treadmills. Can I put a note on my next tuition check "must be used to buy treadmills"?) I ran an effortless hour. VO2 max test is tomorrow (yay!) but I ran at an "estimated" zone 2...about a 9:30 mile. In other words, the "I can go all day" pace. Well, all day if I wasn't on the treadmill...around the hour mark that thing makes me dizzy (reading the closed caption version of Lady Gaga and Sir Elton John's performance at the grammys probably added to the dizzying effects).

I went home on the highest running high I've had in a while. At 11:30 pm, while I was still jacked up on endorphins, I realized why I prefer to run in the mornings. Today, I'm tired. Which is why this post is the most scatter brained random thing I've probably ever written.

But the good news? My foot doesn't hurt. Not one bit.

Here's to an A+ week 2 of triathlon training.

Happy running my friends!

goggle face

Last week I found my way over to the beginnertriathlete.com discussion boards, where I quickly realized, I have no idea what these people are talking about. Like, what is a crankset and who are these "Shimano" people who seem to have monopolized the bicycle world? Seriously, it was like someone dropping me off in the middle China without a Chinese-English dictionary. Other than knowing how to say "hi", thanks to Ni Hao Kai Lan and my 3 year old, I've got nothing. I'm lost.

I am very grateful to have an amazing support system of athletes in my life that I can turn to with questions like this. But when it comes to training, well that's a horse of a different color. Thinking about how I was going to throw myself head first into my first triathlon training program, incorporate it with a marathon training program, and fit it all in between school, kids, work, and life in general was enough to make my head spin. So I took what I thought would be the best measure in preventing burnout and/or total resentment for this sport because I have no idea what I'm doing. I hired a coach.

Coach Jeff didn't even blink at my lofty goals (well, I didn't actually see him read my initial email, but I'd like to imagine he didn't laugh at me) and put me right to work on a customized plan. I have finished 4 workouts in 3 days and let me tell you, not only is it motivating to have someone holding you accountable, but it's a huge weight off my shoulders at this point in my life for someone to do the "thinking" part for me. Just tell me what to do and I'll do it. I'm loving it. Especially since, I'll say it again, I have no idea what I'm doing. Better than a gym membership, no doubt about it!!

In just two pool sessions I'm already starting to feel more confident and comfortable in the water. It's amazing how I can run for hours at a time with a smile on my face, but can only swim one 25 yard length of the pool at a time. Principle of specificity, anyone? Wow, it's been humbling. But I've spent the last few days googling and you-tubing everything I can about learning to swim. Let me tell you, those youtube videos are awesome. Some dude named Jimmy taught me how to roll my body and twist my hips all to the tune of Run DMC's "it's tricky". I swear it worked!

I also learned that people wear swim caps not just to be super aerodynamic swimming machines...but it can protect your hair from chlorine damage and keep it dry. So I can swim, and then run to class real fast without dripping a pool of chlorine water on the notebook of the person behind me. (Hey, time is limited, you train whenever and wherever you can fit it in!)

However, one interesting tidbit I learned today, not through the wisdom of the world wide web, but through good old fashioned trial and error, was that swim goggles, when worn too tightly, will try and suck your eyeballs out. What's more, they will leave evidence of this with something comparable to a giant, swim goggle face hickey...leaving you looking something like a raccoon, only substitute the black for bright pink. Here, let me draw you a picture with my awesome paintbrush skills:

And I had to go to class like that. My super sensitive skin assured that this condition lasted a good hour or more post swim. I could feel everyone staring, but no one saying a word. Probably because they had no freaking idea what I had done to myself. I giggled on the inside. My triathlon adventures have begun :)

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And now for the moment you've been waiting for...(OK maybe not, but I've been pretty stoked for it!) the drawing for the Team Fight Virtual Raffle!

675 virtual raffle tickets were sold. $1125.00 raised for the Ulman Cancer Fund for Young Adults. Wow you guys! I can't even begin to express my gratitude!! You all are amazing, and this raffle was a success above and beyond my wildest dreams! THANK YOU!!

I was just as nervous and giddy to see who won as you all were. To be honest I wish I could send each and every one of you a prize (especially you guys, you'd look great in pink!). But there could only be two...so I let http://www.random.org/ do the choosing.

drum roll please:

the grand prize winner is ...Beth H @ Running with Boys !!!!!!!!

and the runner up, winner of the bib keeper and other various goodies...
Stephanie C @ Running in Hawaii !!!!!!!!

Congratulations ladies! I will be emailing you shortly to confirm your address and will get your goodies off to you this week! (and the promised thank you goody bags for those who donated $50 and above will go out as well!)

If you didn't' win this time, don't worry, there is more where that came from! Another kick booty raffle will begin next month, and everyone who donated this go-round will get bonus entries for the next raffle.

Thanks AGAIN for all of your continued support everyone!

Happy running my friends!