Once again I have made the New Years Resolution to update my blog instead of merely blog stalking.
2012 brought lots of excitement:
This PR was also after being out til 4am in NYC 2 nights before the race with great friends...oopsy! But who can resist this NYC view:
I also experienced my first yoga rave in 2012....AMAZING!!!!!!! Who can argue with yoga, a dark room, techno music, flashing lights, and glow sticks- super fun and cant wait for the second annual one this SUNDAY!
Then it was on to Pittsburgh on my 31st birthday to celebrate with what should have been a full marathon...stupid IT band...so I ended up changing to half marathon at expo...for the price of ANOTHER 25 dollars to run half as far...great decision on my part though because the weather was ridiculously hot and my friends that ran the full all wished they had done the half in that heat!
Next was a nurse's week 5k that I talked my co-workers into running- great times!! I hate 5k's but this one was fun through the park with co-workers. A week after the half marathon and my legs were not ready for race legs- but good times! 22:31
Don't they all look so happy that I dragged them out there?? It's amazing how running changes your outlook on life- for me it so positive and makes me bounce off the walls with happiness!
Since I had my first Half IronMan in July- I decided in May that I better get on my bike- Here is a pic of my first outdoor ride of the season...I think we did 30 miles and I was cursing for half of it. My training partner Alex loves hearing me curse!
Then we decided we better start training on Seneca Lake, where the Half IronMan course was held:
And I went back for more the next weekend or so:
Absolutely Gorgeous course- I honestly have to say I can't wait to get back out there and ride this Spring:
Next one of my favorite races: the Boilermaker- one of the world's most famous 15k's that the kenyans come to!!!!
Then came race day!!! The Musselman Half Ironman. I was so excited and nervous....the swim went absolutely fine...but almost had diarrhea because it was soooooo warm that day that the officials made the call last minute that it was not wet suit legal!!! I had trained in open water mostly in my wet suit! So off I went in my lululemon yoga top ( had to look cute ) and my tri shorts. Now let me tell you even with the lulu top tucked in my shorts there is significantly more drag when you are trying to swim over a mile in open water! But it all worked out.
THEN, the rain came- and when I say rain I mean the worst thunderstorm/rainstorm of the summer- BLACK sky, rain so hard I could not see more than 3 feet ahead of my bike, bike shoes filled with water so I felt like I was swimming! Oh and lightening - Awesome. At that point I just wanted to make it through the race alive. By mile 50 the rain stopped. Biking is my weak link so I just kept cruising at my nice comfy speed, being passed by half the racers.
On to the run-MY event. I knew I would make up time here. 13.1 miles- yup, I can easily do this. My legs were tired and it was super humid post rain- but managed to finish the half in 2:06. ( It also helped that my friends Julie and Evan were at mile 3 and 10 cheering for me!)
My first Half IronMan time: 6:25:22. I will take it. Nice little conservative pace worked well for me!
Time to celebrate!!!! good thing we brought wine and Alex's girlfriend drove us home from the race!
Since the half ironman went so well.......I decided when I was volunteering at Lake Placid IronMan that I was definitely signing up! We worked the last water station on the course at Lake Placid- what an eye opener- I saw athletes struggling at mile 138 like I had never seen in my life. I saw an athlete laying in the middle of the road half unconscious, most likely very hyponatremic. And I saw amazing amount of strength. COUNT ME IN!
So the next day after being up til 1 am , we got up at 430am to stand in line and sign up!
WE ARE IN- JULY 28 2013!:
One of my most favorite runs of the year was in late July when I visited my friend Jesse in San Diego:
Then it was time to train for Wineglass marathon- great marathon in upstate NY.
But first I did a nice little 5k with my co-worker who hadn't ever run before:
September 30th brought Wineglass Marathon- where I had it in my silly little head that I was going to qualify for Boston and made the rookie mistake of going out WAY WAY too fast and had stabbing IT Band pain at mile 10 - 26.2. Awful race for me.
Here I am at mile 23- good thing you can't see my face- filled with pain and frustration:
And was so happy at the finish to celebrate with my friend Alicia who ran her FIRST marathon:
But good times and great learning experience for me!
Next up: Turkey Trot.
It was so warm in upstate NY for November and I was thrilled to be running in shorts!!! I also convinced the boy I am dating to join in the fun!!! (He is now signed up for his first half marathon!
Throughout the fall I was also coaching for Team in Training (Leukemia and Lymphoma Society) and we just came back from the event the girls trained for: Disney Marathon
They did great! I personally would never want to run Disney for my own ( I was coaching) as I found it super annoying to get up at 2:30 am and get plowed over by people who suddenly stop because they want a picture of Mickey Mouse- BUT it is a GREAT event for first time marathoners.
Unfortunately, the heat was so high that Orlando was breaking records- but both my girls finished!
I stupidly ran the half marathon on saturday- and then put in 15ish miles on Sunday coaching the full marathon and now my right medial knee hurts. So I was off to the doc this AM, xrays look fine, MRI in a few days just to be sure but doc is pretty sure just inflamed badly from overuse this weekend. He said not in the right spot for meniscus. Once again making smart choices. Ah well- at least I am learning these lessons pre-IronMan. I told him my training starts FEB 10th so I am not playing around- and he ordered the MRI!
I promise to be better about updates!!!
~LNK
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