30 weeks workout report

Last week's exercise report:

Monday- 3 miles, 10:09/mile.  I felt a little uncomfortable until mile 2.  Planks & stretching.
Tuesday- Elliptical 30 minutes, weights- legs & arms.
Wednesday- 5 mile run
Thursday- 3 mile walk with Rachel The Dog
Friday- 5.64 mile run, 10:05/pace around Lake Calhoun, felt good!
Saturday- 5 mile run, felt great!
Sunday- 3 mile run, 10:05/mile with Rose.  Long walk with Sara and Rachel the dog in the afternoon.

Total miles: Around 25 miles!  The most I have run in weeks!  Funny how that works....

24 weeks pregnant= 16 week training plan!?!

After a hiatus from blogging about fitness, running, and wellness goals, I am tempted to get back on course (pun intended) as I have been feeling lonely and pregnant out here in the blog-sphere of fit mom blogs.  Where are the pregnant ladies who are trying their darnedest to stay fit while their middles grow?  If you are out there, let it be known!  Additionally, I need to power myself through the fog that is February in Minnesota + pregnancy, and writing about positive choices helps me to stay upbeat and motivated.  

To backtrack a bit, my first trimester closely matched that of my first pregnancy.  I felt great until about week 8 and then terrible until about week 13.  During the five weeks of nausea and exhaustion, I cut myself slack and set a goal to simply move my body in some way, shape, or form almost every day.  Around Thanksgiving, I began feeling energized again and slowly worked back up to seven miles of running.  On Thanksgiving morning, my mom and I participated in the local turkey trot around Lake Harriet.  Mom ran the 5k, and I finished the 10k in just under an hour, with faster splits in the second 5k.  The weather was totally gross with sleet and wind, but I finished with a big smile on my face.

As the sidewalks became icy, I switched to treadmill running.  Unfortunately, the more miles I logged on the treadmill, the more my lower right back pain flared up.  Martin Luther King's day brought piercing pain from just ordinary movement.  It was a major reality check.  I had been ignoring the pain and now I couldn't even get out of the car.  Thanks to a friend's recommendation and good timing, I found a chiropractor specializing in maternity care.  I had my first appointment on MLK day, and I am now hooked.  The adjustments she made worked wonders, and I began to feel like my old self a few days later.

That said, I have been hesitant to get back into running.  I can help but think that the treadmill running had a big role in the pain.  My body has never responded well to consistent treadmill running, especially when I compare treadmill running to trails and roads.  I also want to give my hips and lower back some time to heal after the adjustments.  

So, it is time to rethink fitness during pregnancy.  One thing that I've learned is that it does not make sense to set long term goals- beyond the goal of listening to my body every day and responding accordingly.  If I really listened to my body, I think it would tell me to be active in some capacity on a daily basis.  The mode of movement and the degree of rigor, however, would vary.  Since my wake up call in January, I have been trying to listen to my body more closely.  It is a challenge because the competitor in me wants to perform and my winter blues need the endorphins badly.  

In some respects, fitness during pregnancy is a mind game.  Some days, I take the micro approach- What is going to feel good right now?  One hour of exercise=12 hours of a better attitude.  Other days, I think macro: What can I do today that will help me get back into shape faster post-pregnancy?  How can I stay healthy now so that I can run this summer?  

Last week, I hit the pool three times and I felt great after each workout.  This week, after two missed workouts and overeating on Monday and Tuesday, I managed to get myself back to the gym with the promise that I could use the elliptical (something about getting in a bathing suit turned me off!).  I think I am ready to get back in the pool tomorrow morning though.  Today, I did 45 minutes on the elliptical, listening to Caroline Smith and reading runner's world.  I worked up a little sweat and definitely felt better than I would've if I hadn't worked out.  We'll see what tomorrow brings!

Oh, and one more thing, I was joking with the blog title.  I am obviously not going to make a true training plan for the next 16 weeks, but I do think it is a clever way of thinking about pregnancy and birth from this point on.  I am not going to get any fitter or any faster, but I think I can develop some skills and life/body insight as I approach the race (otherwise known as labor and birth!).  I will use this blog to chronicle this 16 week race journey.

Marathon Training: A couple long runs

I signed up for Twin Cities Marathon!  This will be my 5th marathon and my 3rd Twin Cities.  I needed a challenge- a physical and mental one- to focus my training and give new perspective to paying attention to my health and well-being.

I am following the "Own It" plan from one of my favorite sites- Another Mother Runner.  This morning marks my fourth long run of the training plan, an easy 13 miler.

Last weekend's long run was a glorious 15 miles with the middle five around marathon pace (I am shooting for a 4 hour (or less, eek!) marathon so that sets me around a 9 minute mile).  Since I was spending a few days visiting my parents and grandma in Cleveland, my dad offered to ride his bike next to me.

Long runs are true invitations for quality time with someone so I was fortunate that my dad was willing to cruise at snail's pace along this hilly boulevard.  He carried my snacks and water too!  What a guy!  He kept the conversation going as I muddled through the last five miles.  My average pace was 9:28 with some 9:00 miles (or less) in the middle.

Today's 13 felt so easy in comparison (an easy 10:28 pace- my running buddy, Rose, was tough on me and forced me to GO EASY!  I have a hard time with this once I get about two or three miles in.  I knew I needed to keep it slow though as last week I really felt tired around mile 12).  We did an out and back from my house to the Cathedral at the end of Summit.  We entertained ourselves by choosing our dream houses (although neither of us could imagine living in an entire house on Summit- they are huge!  What would you put in all the rooms?  No idea!?) and talking about some of our favorite subjects- new recipes and public transportation.  

I feel like every other week my long feel so easy.  I suppose that's the point of this plan- wear myself down and build back up.  Over the next three weeks, I am increasing my long run to the plan's first 20 miler on July 19th.  I will be out of town during the next two weekends, but I am looking forward to some new terrain for the long runs!  Maybe some pals will run/ride with me for some of it...we'll see!

Weekly Recap: 2/17-2/23

Monday, 2/17: 6 miles on treadmill w/4 miles @ 8:00 min pace
Tuesday: 2/18: 5 miles easy, abs
Wednesday, 2/19: off, abs
Thursday, 2/20: off, abs
Friday, 2/21: long run on treadmill, 12 miles! abs
Saturday, 2/22: run in the cold but sunny outdoors with Rose, 7 miles, abs.
Sunday, 2/23: masters swim team, 3350 yards

Total mileage: 30 miles

Weekly Recap: 2/10-2/16

Monday 2/10: 6 mile run (felt awful but finished...), abs
Tuesday 2/11: off, abs.
Wednesday 2/12: 7.5 miles outside!  abs.
Thursday 2/13: 6 miles w/4x400 (treadmill), abs.
Friday 2/14: 4 miles easy, outside!, abs.
Saturday 2/15: 6 miles w/ 3x400, 3x800, 3x200 (between 8:00-7:00 pace)
Sunday 2/16: 4 miles easy

Total mileage: 33.5miles

Skipped long run and swim team this week due to a visit from my family.  That said, I ran almost every day even if it was just a nice refresher run.

Weekly Training Recap: 2/3-2/9

Monday 2/3- 6.25 miles w/6x800 @ 8:00-7:30 pace, abs.
Tuesday 2/4- 1.5 miles easy (I planned to go longer but Misha wasn't into childcare that evening!), abs.
Wednesday 2/5- off, abs
Thursday 2/6- off, abs
Friday 2/7- 6.5 miles easy with Rachel The Dog, Rose and Lida, abs.
Saturday 2/8- 10 miles on treadmill
Sunday 2/9- 3150 yards, swim team

total mileage (running): appx. 24

Reflections:
This week had some good moments- Monday's treadmill workout, getting outside on Friday, and then of course, swim practice on Sunday morning.  I made some excellent meals this week too if I do say so myself (and I do!) including a kale salad with beets, sweet potatoes, and apples, a parsnip "rice" with flavored with coconut and ginger, a chicken bean bowl, and a beef chili loaded with vegetables for Saturday night with friends.  I also have been drinking at least a mug of mate everyday- a nice substitute for coffee and full of antioxidants.

The week's low point was the lack of running Tuesday through Thursday.  I intended to get out there but my plan was foiled due to Misha's devices, the freezing temperatures, and my lack of willpower to get to the gym once Mike got home from work.  It's tough sometimes!  Hopefully, this week I will be able to increase my mileage a bit- I need to start thinking ahead to the longer trail runs ahead of me!

Weekly Training Recap: 1/27-2/2

Monday, 1/27: 5 miles with some hills (treadmill), abs
Tuesday 1/28: 8 miles w/ intervals: 2x1600 (3 min. recov), 3x600 (2 min recov), 3x300 (1-2 min recov), (treadmill), abs.
Wednesday 1/29: off, abs.
Thursday 1/30: 5 miles easy in the snow with Rebecca.  Lovely. Abs.
Friday 1/31: off, abs
Saturday 2/1: 10 mile long run, outside! with Callie and Rachel the dog!  Amazing! abs
Sunday 2/2: swim team, total yards: 3250

Total mileage: 28 miles

Weekly Training Recap 1/20-1/26

Monday, 1/20: 5 miles easy (though big fall on the ice!)
Tuesday, 1/21: off, abs
Wednesday, 1/22: off, abs
Thursday, 1/23: 8 miles with intervals (see Thursday's blog post), abs
Friday, 1/24: 4 miles easy in the snow, abs
Saturday, 1/25: 12 mile long run, (switching between treadmills and indoor track)
Sunday, 1/26: 6 miles total* with each 2 miles progressively faster (9:00-7:30 min/miles), abs

Total mileage: 35 miles

*No masters swim team for second week in a row due to indoor triathlon!  Can't wait till next Sunday!  I might even try a practice during the week.  I miss it!

Something about running...

School was cancelled again due to bitter cold temperatures.  So what did I do?  Head to the gym, of course!  I couldn't wait to get in an interval workout after a two day running hiatus.  I have been getting interval workout ideas from a running group that meets every Thursday morning.  I am never able to join them due to my morning work schedule/routine, but I like to do their workouts so I requested to keep me on the email list!

Here was today's workout:

1 mile w/u
4 x (4 min, 3 min, 2 min) w/1 min. recovery jogs between each interval.  I ran each set a little faster- starting at 8 min/mile pace and ending at 7:30 min/mile.
1 mile c/d

Total mileage: 8 miles

I finished up with some quick stretching and my standard 8 min. abs.

I felt awesome!

Now, the special thing about this workout is that I completed it while talking with a colleague of mine on the treadmill next me.  As a p.Hd student, she is busy too so we have found that workout meetings ensure collaboration for us!  Further, we both love to brainstorm and chat while running so meetings on the run is the perfect combination.  I am all about this.  If anyone wants to have a meeting with me, get your running shoes out.  I am serious.  And, if it is on treadmills, we don't even have to be the same pace!  Everyone wins!

Weekly Training Recap

1/12 Sunday- Swim team: 2950 yards total w/IM set and 5x200 free (3 min pace, I think)
1/13 Monday- rest, abs
1/14 Tuesday- 7 miles with 6x800 (treadmill), abs
1/15 Wednesday- rest, abs
1/16 Thursday- 6 miles with 3 miles @ 8-7:30 pace (treadmill), abs
1/17 Friday- 7 miles w/6x1 min. fast (treadmill), abs
1/18 Saturday- easy walk in the snow
1/19 Sunday- long easy run, 10 miles

Total running: mileage: 30 miles

Training: Week In Review

1/5 Sunday: 2900 swim!  Masters swim team, included 2x500 (9:40, 8:40), 2x400 (IM mix)

1/6 Monday: off

1/7 Tuesday: 5 miles: hills!  6x1:00 min @ 4-10% incline w/2 min recov

1/8 Wednesday: 5 miles: 1 mile w/u, 3 miles @ 7:30-8 min pace, 1 c/d

1/9 Thursday: 1 mile warm up on treadmill, circuit class @ gym

1/10 Friday: 5 miles, easy run (outside! with Rachel and BRB)

1/11 Saturday: 10 long, leisurely miles along river road

Total running mileage: 26 miles

Planning 2014 Race Calendar

This year, I plan to concentrate on trail races including my first ultra (50k, or 31.0686 miles) and diversifying my training.

Here's what I've got so far in terms of possible races:

April:
4/12: Trail Mix 25k @ Lake Rebecca  (training)

May
5/17: Superior Hiking Trail 25k (training)

July:
7/5: Afton 50k (My first 30 miles for my 30th birthday!)

August:
8/17: YWCA Women's Sprint Triathlon

September:
9/20: Surly Trail Loppet (Trail half marathon)

October:
10/11: Big Woods Run  (Trail half marathon)
10/25: Surf The Murph (25k/50k/50 mile)

Training Goals- January 2014

1. Map out 2014 racing calendar
2. Swim 1x week- preferably Masters Swim Team practice on Sunday mornings
3. Set up stationary bike in basement
4. Three key running workouts per week: 1 intervals or hills, 1 tempo, and 1 long run
5. Experiment with other forms of cross training: yoga videos, 30 day shred, rowing machine at gym, yoga class.
6. Weight maintenance & work on nutrition (in terms of timing, limiting sugar consumption, balancing protein, carbs, and fat in every meal).

TC 10 mile Race Report: October 6, 2013

Waiting for the start.  All the photos in this post are credit of my running buddy, Rose.

Pre-race smiles in the middle of the pack.

Morning sunlight pouring down Summit Ave.

Another late race report following another satisfying race!  To my good fortune, I was selected to run in the TC 10 mile, the little sister race to the Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon.  Runners are chosen through a lottery system for the TC 10 mile so I always feel pretty lucky when my number gets pulled!
This year, I started the race with a speedy running buddy of mine (and talented photographer as you can see from this photos!).  After a summer of hardcore hiking and training, Rose was ready to PR.  I didn't know what to expect although I hoped to beat my time from Women Run The Cities 10 mile race without overdoing it.  (I still had a half marathon trail race and the Monster Dash Half marathon ahead of me!)
Some of the most memorable moments of this race were before we even arrived at the start line.  The TC 10 mile starts at a very early 7 am in order to clear the line and set up for the marathon's 8 am start.  This is pretty early for a road race, and too early to expect a ride from my dear husband (especially with a six month old to tote along!).  So, Rose (who is an avid biker and major fan of public transportation) encouraged me to rent a "Nice Ride" and bike with her to the Metrodome (which I mistakenly call the "metronome" almost exclusively).  Even though I had never rode a "Nice Ride" before, I thought, "Well, why not!?  It's a good warm up!"
So, with the sky still full of stars, I headed to the nearest nice ride station.  Trouble was...the station wasn't where I remembered.  After a little run up and down Lake Street, I finally found a station, hopped on a bike, and headed to the greenway to meet my buddy.  I could see her light flashing in the distance so I started singing the flying monkey song from Wizard of Oz as I headed towards her.  It felt very surreal!
We arrived at the start line with plenty of time to spare (and just enough time to make it through port-a-pot line...the setting of a second funny pre-race moment...a huge suburban attempted to get out of a parking structure blocked by runners waiting for the port-a-pot...and those runners weren't moving for fear of losing their place in line!  I don't think the driver was prepared for such a hold up!)

At last, the horn sounded, and Rose and I cruised through the first few miles together.  At around mile three, we spotted her husband on the top of the Franklin Bridge.  We waved and yelled at him but he missed us.  Luckily, we ran up the ramp to the bridge itself and caught his attention thanks to Rose's impressive amplification of his last name.  He waved at us and then headed (according to Rose) back to bed.  After crossing Franklin Bridge, I checked in with myself and decided I better pick up the pace if I wanted to PR.  I knew I had more speed in me than I was exerting so I might as well give it a try.  I wished Rose luck and powered on.

The next few miles, I listened to music, tried to catch fit women, and focused on the next mile marker.  Strong.  Steady.  Relaxed.  I told myself.  I breathed, and moved between phases of feeling tired and heavy legged to phases of relaxed strength.  That's the thing with running distance races- I find that the tired phases don't necessarily last the whole race; I just need to hold tight and the tiredness cycles into a steady run again.  Refusing to look at my Garmin, I ran by effort, a strategy that's worked well for me in the past.

As I passed the Cathedral and headed downhill to the Capitol, I saw Mike and Misha waving from the sidelines!  I crossed the finish line and immediately checked my watch- a new 10 mile PR! Mike, Misha and I found each other and headed to the capitol steps to meet Rose.  Not long after, she strolled our direction with a big smile on her face- a PR too!  We were happy campers!

Pretty much every weekday morning.

As a teacher, I am a creature of habit.

 5:30 alarm, sleep
5:40 alarm, sleep
5:50 wake up
Head downstairs, get coffee and oatmeal started.
Do 8 minutes of abs while waiting for coffee and oatmeal.
Eat breakfast, read emails, check weather, and toodle around feedly and pinterest
6:30 Feed Misha or prep milk, brush teeth, floss, comb hair and get dressed.  Pick out a scarf to wear.
7:15 Bike to work, enjoy the fall colors
7:45 Meet with students about essays, respond to work emails, get ready for classes
8:30-11:30 Teach!
11:30-12:00 Wrap up materials, get ready for tomorrow's classes.
12:00 Bike home, enjoy leaves again!
12:30 Home sweet home!  Cuddle and feed Misha.
1:00 Eat lunch outside on our picnic table and make plans for the afternoon.

Unlike my mornings at work, weekday afternoons have yet to fall into a routine.  Although sometimes I yearn for this, I am okay with no routine with one caveat.  I need to spend some time moving, and preferably, outside.  For me, working up a sweat can make a world of difference in terms of how the rest of the day shapes up.  

Race Report: Women Run The Cities 10 Mile

I am going to keep this race report brief as it is already overdue and I am running another 10 mile race this Sunday!

I signed up for Women Run The Cities for four reasons.
1. One of my favorite local trail races, the surley loppet half marathon, was already full.
2. I love all female events.
3. The start and finish line is only two miles from my house (perfect distance for an easy warm up).
4. Breaking up a training cycle with local distance races keeps me motivated.

I didn't have a concrete race plan, but I approached the race as a training run.  This means no PR-ing (unless I feel downright incredible and a PR pace feels like floating on air which is highly unlikely).  That said, I wanted to feel tired at the end of the race to mimic the fatigue I should feel during the last stretches of a goal race.  To accomplish this, I left home extra earlier and jogged over to the start line, a nice and easy two mile warm up.  I always love running and biking through the neighborhoods early in the morning.  There is something so peaceful about households waking up, turning on the coffee, and taking in the brisk autumn air as they go out to collect the paper.

Oh right...I said this report was going to brief.  Oh dear.

I wore my garmin but I decided to run by feel and resisted looking at my pace.  I took the first few miles nice and easy (by the time the race started, I had cooled down from my "warm up" so I had to warm up all over again...ah, the benefits of old age).  I passed a few pace groups but I resisted checking out the pace.  I just wanted to listen to my body.  Coming up to the turn around beneath the overpass (around mile 4), I saw a running friend of mine on the other side.  I decided I would catch up to her and stick with her for a while so I wouldn't be pressured into pushing my pace.  This was a good goal since I would have to tackle a long gradual hill in order to reach her.  It gave me something to think about!  I caught up to my friend and paced her through mile 8.5.  It was wonderful to catch up because she is something like a running mom mentor.  She is just turned 50 and she is in great shape!  We talked runner mom philosophy and then parted ways so I could kick it in a bit during the last mile and half.

I felt pretty strong as I was cruising toward the finish.  There were a couple other women striding in so I tried to stick with them.  It helped to remind myself that I ran a speedy 5k at the end of triathlon only a month or so before so I had a kick in me.

Race results: 18/108 in my division.

Not a PR- but that's a good thing.  :)

Weekend Run Highlights

Saturday
I planned to run somewhere around 12 miles for Saturday's long run, but due to the steamy temps and my tired legs, I ended somewhere in the 11 mile range including a few walking intervals.  Saturday's saving grace was a running buddy who kept me entertained with explanations of cultural theory and a goal setting session for our thirties.  We wondered...how to be glamorous thirty year-olds on a budget?

We passed a family placing a red wagon and cute blue chair out on the curb.  We confirmed that the goods were free and convinced the family to put the goods in their backyard so we could grab them post-run.  If only folks were leaving little black dresses and kate spade bags curbside...














Sunday
Sunday was an easy five mile run to stretch out my legs after Saturday's slog.  I like to go out with Misha on Sunday am's since we often aren't together anymore in the mornings.  Misha likes to be my coach, smile at me, and look around as we cruise around River Road.

This Sunday, we passed this neighbor kid who offered free lemonade much to the dismay of a second for-profit lemonade stand across the street. I first encountered this do-gooder during my warm up.  He encouraged me to stop, "Just a friendly cup of free lemonade...just a neighborly cup!" he advertised.  I promised I would stop on the way home if he was still there.

Sure enough, buddy boy was at his corner (now with watermelon too!).  I told him I was ready to take him up on the offer.  He was pretty pumped.  We talked business.  Apparently, the market was low.  He was thinking of setting up shop on river road when "that big race happens."  "You mean the Twin Cities Marathon?"  I told him he would have a lot of takers then.  We talked education.  He recommended his school.  "How do you like it?" I asked.  "It's good.  It has a pool," he said.  "Cool."  I told him that Misha wasn't ready for school yet but he is a good running coach.  The kid cheerfully enthused, "He's the team mascot!"

Misha and I on Franklin Bridge on a cloudy Sunday run. 

Training Ponderings...

***For those of you who read this blog primarily for Misha updates, I apologize for my training-related posts but these will keep coming as running and training are important parts of my life!  Don't worry- Misha posts will continue too as he is a complete love nut.  

Hanging with mom...

With the YWCA sprint triathlon under my belt, I am looking ahead to the fall running season as well as pondering future training and racing goals now that I am a mother!

This fall, I have signed up for three races: Women Run The Cities 10 mile, the TC 10 mile (little sister race of the Twin Cities Medtronic Marathon) and my priority race- the Ortho Monster Dash Half Marathon.  Despite the fact that I love trail running and racing, I intentionally signed up for three road races because they are closer to home and easier to train for with a baby in the mix!

However, as I put together my fall training plan, I find myself weighing different options and struggling to set attainable but challenging goals.  I know I want to do my long runs on Saturdays along with two weekdays dedicated to intervals, hills, thresholds, or another workout of this caliber.  However, when I consider the rest of my plan, the regular sprinkle of easy, shorter runs are convenient, but they don't necessarily help to make me faster or fitter.  So, I am wondering...should I take a risk and try something new that would require some dedication?  Or, should I relax and prioritize convenience as I settle into the working mom mode?  Advice, anyone?

Some of the other training options I've been considering for this fall/winter:
-Joining the masters swim team at Macalester
-Running with a local YWCA track group on Thursday mornings (free!)
-Organizing an all-women/teachers running group at my school
-Lifting weights (this would be really nice to do with a partner!  Anyone interested?)

Reflecting on the big picture, I must ask myself- what do I hope to get out of training?  What would I like to accomplish- this fall, this year, and in the future?  It's important that these goals are attainable but I also believe that a true goal requires dedication, work, and risk to make it worthwhile.  And most of all, I must be passionate about it!

Tentative Goals for 2013-2014:
Complete an olympic distance triathlon
Run the Superior Trail 25k (or 50k???) in May

YWCA Women's Triathlon Race Report- 8/18/13

Preface: I wanted to write this race report while it was all still fresh, but with a four month old and my return to work, this post quickly dropped its priority status.  Luckily, I jotted down some key memories immediately after the race to stimulate my writing later.  Those anecdotes are included here!

***

Almost two weeks ago, I crossed the YWCA Women's Sprint Triathlon finish line for third year in a row.  As I raised my hands in the air, the announcer cheered me on, "Molly of Minneapolis- This is her first triathlon post baby Misha!  She just had a baby and triathlon!"

This shot truly captures the thrill of the finish line.  

Last year, Misha completed the race with me and my mom in the "buddy heat."  Only a few weeks pregnant, I kept my mom company as she worked her way through her first 500 yard open water swim, 15 mile bike ride, and 5k run.  This year, we signed up as a "mother-daughter team" with each of us competing in our own age group.

Posing for a post race mother-daughter team photo...with grandson/son Misha Man!  Still in his pajamas...

After a summer of moderate training to regain fitness postpartum, I approached this tri with a range of goals.  First, I hoped my overall time matched or approached my 2011 finishing time. Second, I wanted to beat my times in each of the events including the transitions.  And third, I hoped to place in the top ten of the women of my age group.  These seem like big goals even in hindsight, but I also told myself that if it wasn't my day, no big deal.  I would just go with the flow and blame a slow race on a recovering post-baby body.  For some, this kind of self talk might have provided an excuse for wimping out on race day.  But during my years of training, I've discovered that giving myself permission to "go with the flow" works well as a pre-race calming mechanism. Then, most of the time, my competitiveness kicks in when I need it to.  This is part of the mental game.

The morning of the tri, my whole family woke up in darkness- Mike, Misha, mom, dad, and me.  Misha didn't really know what was going on and fell back asleep in the midst of the excitement.  The rest of us ate bagels with peanut butter and bananas and I chugged a cup of coffee before hitting the road.

Misha waiting for his mom to cross the finish line.

Before I get into the race details, I must acknowledge my SUPPORT CREW!  I could not have done the tri without my husband and my dad!  They were such troopers!  Not only did I see (and hear) them on the course three times, but they positioned Misha so he could see his mama cruise by.  They were willing to deal with the hassle of a giant orange stroller and bottles of milk so they cheer me on with Misha Man.  I don't think many husbands and dads (grandpas!) are so accommodating.  I am one lucky triathlete.

So, the race.  As I gathered myself in the hour before my start, I selected specific inspiration for each leg.  During the swim, I decided to picture my dad watching for me from the shore.  The same guy who  taught me to swim and yelled my name every time I took a breath during my swim team days.  I also thought about river otters as they are, decidedly, one of my spirit animals.  (What's the other one, you ask?  Perhaps a reveal for the future, my friend.)

Swim: From a physical standpoint, I positioned myself to the right and front of my heat.  I wanted to get out there fast so that I could avoid the swimmers who start fast but quickly peter out.  I also wanted to be as close to the booeys as possible so to avoid adding distance to my swim.  The first 100 yards were ridiculous- lots of flaying arms and legs.  By the first turn, however, I was free from the pack and able to relax into a suitable pace.  Looking around, there didn't seem to be many pink caps around (age group marker)- a good sign!  By the second turn, I noticed that someone was drafting me- in a pink cap, no less!  I tried my best to free myself but I have no open water training so I wasn't successful.  The two of us ran out of the water and into the transition area.

I am in the blue one piece bathing suit in the middle of the photo...adjusting my goggles.  I am pretty sure that the girl who beat me is in the black and turquoise tri suit in the far right of the photo.

Transition 1: My drafter came in handy because it was clear she had a mental map of the fastest route to our bikes (they are organized by age heat).  I followed her lead.  Transition 1 took me forever because I wasted more than a minute putting on tri shorts and t-shirt over my one piece bathing suit. A tri suit or outfit is essential for my next race.

Bike: During the bike, I thought about Misha.  I often think about him when I am training.  Sometimes, I picture him as a teenager, training for his own sports and encouraging me to keep up with him.  The first mile was a bit of a mind game as I changed gears (rah rah) from swimming to biking.  Once I got some gatorade and half a luna bar in my system, I felt reenergized and concentrated on passing people.  I watched out for women in my age group (our ages were written on the back of our calves) and aimed to keep a fast but manageable pace.  There was one age grouper that caught me around 7 miles and we switched back and forth until I out-biked her in the last mile.  As I headed towards the transition area, I saw my mom heading out on her bike!  She yelled my name in passing and I sent her good vibes!

Transition 2: Something ridiculous like 27 seconds.  I was out of there!

Run: As for the run leg, I turned to two of my favorite mantras: "smooth and strong," and "I am here now" (from Another Mother Runner blog).  I didn't have my garmin watch on so I didn't know what pace I was going.  The thing about the bike to run transition is that it is hard to tell how fast I'm going because my legs just feel so weird.  However, as I headed out of the transition area and onto the run course, I heard my dad say, "She's so fast."  This gave me confidence.  If I looked fast, I must be starting at a solid pace.  During the first mile, I reminded myself "I am here now."  Forget about the swim and the bike, and just be present in the moment, in this case a 3.1 mile run- a distance that I usually view as a warm up.  I shook off the bike by the end of the first mile.  With two miles left, I repeated "smooth and strong" in my head and looked to pass people.  There were some girls who looked about my age less than a quarter mile ahead.  When I approached, I realized that they were from an earlier heat (thus, not my age group) but it felt good to pass the youngsters anyway.  Folks cheered me on as I headed towards the finish line.  There weren't many racers around me but I still wasn't certain about my pace, time, or place.  I was pretty tired as I headed into the finishing zone but I heard Mike and my dad once more.  They told me to pick it up!  So I did!  (Even though I didn't want to!)


I was pretty excited when I saw these results:

It was hard for me to believe that I actually got second place in my age group, but there it was!  I beat all of my times from two years ago except for the swim.  Perhaps most exciting was my run time- 7:14 pace!  My best 5k in college was 21:00 minutes and that was without swimming or biking before the race! This just goes to show that sometimes not knowing my pace can be a blessing.  If I knew I was running a 7 minute pace in the first mile, I might have backed down.  I will definitely do more runs/races by feel instead of by pace in the future.

Next year, I will be in a different and more competitive age group.  One of the great things about triathlons is that women usually get better as they get older.  As I reflect on my race and training, there are so many things that I could do differently to help improve my time, but I will save this reflection for a future post.  For now, I want to celebrate this victory and take in this moment!!!!

With the first and third place winners AND OLYMPIAN MARATHONER- Carrie Tollefson!  

Running Update

Since receiving my midwife's blessing to run again, I am taking a balanced approach to regaining fitness.  I am pretty sure that I could sweat out a five miler, but I've decided to ease back into the kind of training that I did pre-pregnancy to prevent injury and potential frustration at not meeting unrealistic expectations.

With that in mind, I am combining walking and running- slowly increasing the running segments and warming up and cooling down with lots of walking.  I've been doing this about every other day.  On my non-run days, I have been following a post-natal strength plan that Olympic runner (and mom!) Carrie Tollefson put together for runner's world.  

So far, I feel energized and strong.  I am proud of myself for adding strength exercises into my routine since, historically, I am bad at weight lifting consistently.  But, Carrie Tollefson told me that I should strengthen my running muscles before I actually start running so I am listening to her. 

As for Misha, he is totally content in the running stroller (as demonstrated in this post-run photo).  I make sure to run only on smooth paths so he bounce around too much.  It's funny; I have noticed he sleeps a lot more when I am running as opposed to walking.  He must love running as much as I do!