President Obama is my trainer

...or something like that.

Last night I wanted to log a few miles just to get my legs moving and get the blood circulating around. Luckily there was a treadmill available in my Manhattan hotel and after a few minutes of listening to tunes and thinking about bailing...the Prez came on the tv to talk about Libya. Who knew that talking about world events could capture my attention so well that I could knock out 4.5 miles on a treadmill without much complaint.

Thank you Mr. President! Now...back to your regularly scheduled program.

I'm on the road to nowhere

That about sums up my part of the Multi-sport World Conference and Expo held at Georgetown Prep this year. See http://www.multisportworld.com/Washington_DC.htm

Team Snapple came out in force to field three teams competing in a series of running, swimming and biking timed events. Bonus that so many other Snapplers came out to represent too! I'm really surprised that DC Tri was so poorly represented.

After the prior day's half marathon, I was hoping my legs would not give out as I participated in the 10k bike time trial --- my only ecent of the day.

I was a little intimidated by the field of Snapple cyclists I was racing against and doubly concerned about using a Comp-u-trainer for the first time. Me and fancy equipment don't seem to always get along well.

The event was actually very cool and at the same time wicked hard. I finished in the back of the pack with a time of 20:56:57 minutes.

I learned three very valuable lessons --- 1) I really need to set up my computer gizmo on my bike so that I actually can assess my effort in real time (duh!), 2) I need to be more competitive generally and 3) I need to power through the last part of each race vs. getting distracted that I am almost done. There was no reason I should have stopped spinning hard during the last .2 of the ride.

As always, file it under "live and learn."

Just another Saturday Long Run

Another 13.1 miles is done courtesy of the Suntrust National Half Marathon. I didn't have high expectations for the race and the goal was just to motor through. Mission accomplished. Two hours and twenty-two minutes later I was smiling to myself as I crossed the finish line. I was again reminded that I am healthy and alive. Not bad for a Saturday morning.

The first half of the race was spectacular and much faster than I anticipated. As luck would have it, I hooked up with one of the marathon coaches who was aiming for a 10:30/pace for his marathon. As we chatted away we were regularly clocking much faster paces --- a 9 and a couple 10's.

By mile 6 I decided I (or my calves decided for me) that I needed to pull back and as a result my running buddy and I parted ways. I think this may have been a mistake because without someone spurring me along, I started to fade.

As I rounded the turn and headed down North Capital I had vivid memories of my injury at last year's race at this point. As a result, I slowed down and took it easy.

Around mile 10/11 I stopped to stretch my left calf which has been bugging me this season. It wasn't until later that I realized my time on North Capital and stopping to stretch really took much longer than I imagined. Oops!

The good news is that I finished and saw so many runny buddies do the same.

Damn Dentists

Over the last few days I've been struggling with dental pain. It hasn't been consistent, but seems to rear it's painful head around 4:00 pm each day and gets progressively worse throughout the evening. Though I went back for an adjustment that at the time it helped...for whatever reason it still hurts. As a result, looks like I'm heading back to the dentist.

Since the dentists doesn't do house calls I decided a little aqua therapy might help keep my mind off the pain. Thankfully the hour at the pool distracted me, but now that I'm on the metro I am again in pain. So freaking annoying and not the place I wanna be with the half marathon happening this weekend.

Here's to praying that the dentist finds and fixes the problem tomorrow.

Back on track

Veggie egg white scramble...with a side of fresh fruit. Trying to stay positive, but I'm definitely going to be looking for an early lunch today.

Long Weekends

What a great time to plan a 3-day weekend. Since I haven't taken much vacation over the last 10 months (my vacation accrues May to May) due to work demands, I need to burn some days before May...and last Friday was the perfect day off. Temps were in the upper 60's/low 70's. Lovely.

This was going to be a weekend crammed with activities --- social, family and training.
The only bummer was that the dental work I had done on Thursday morning really was bothering me. It aches and feels really sore. There's only so many pills you can pop. I'm going to have to go back to the dentist this week to make sure everything is ok. If you can't tell...I'm dreading it...but this pain is pretty bad...and I can't take it anymore

FRIDAY
Friday was all about being outside, family and errands.

I started off with a 20 mile bike ride at Hains Point. That's where the pix was taken. Man, I really love riding in circles. :) Bonus that I ran into a fellow Snappler.

I next headed out to run some errands, including going to look at a Felt B16 tri bike at Revolution Cycles in Rockville. What a beauty. Was surprisingly comfortable to ride in the different set up. I think I rode it around so long they actually started to worry I wasn't going to come back. I also checked out a new Trek --- it was way more expensive and surprisingly not as comfortable as the Felt. Lots to think about --- like do I need this and should I look at the Cervelo P2 b/c it's the comparable ride. Luckily there's no real rush.

I finished up the day at Mom's.

SATURDAY
Today was the beginning of the taper run before next week's Suntrust Half Marathon. We were scheduled to run 8 miles. After the prior day's bike ride I cut my run down to just under 7 miles.

After the run I headed over to a friend's baby shower. It's always nice to see friends you haven't seen in awhile and especially for such a wonderful occasion. My friend looked fabulous and so incredibly happy. I'm looking forward to meeting her new daughter when she arrives in late April.

By the time the party was over I was officially moving into "I haven't had a nap and therefore I'm getting grumpy" mode. Watch out! Luckily I was able to grab a 2 hour nap before meeting folks for dinner and a movie.

SUNDAY
After leisurely making my way to Wilson in the morning, I somehow was motivated to knock out my laps. I again was reminded that I am way too lazy to train w/o someone pushing me and have to pair up with a real workout plan...that I actually follow. If I use my old workouts from college as a comparison --- I really am a super slacker. I'm missing the good stress those workouts gave me. Man...I miss my old training partner and how we used to annihilate our sets. Red faced and heart pumping was the theme. :(

After swimming I headed out for brunch with some running folks. What a lovely day to sit outside, catch some rays, chow down on breakfast foods and enjoy some good company.

When I got home my Cannondale was calling my name so I went out for ride through the trails by my house.

What a nice way to end the weekend.
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The results are in...

and my 5k was clearly a mess.

31:05.01 ---- that's a 10:18 minute pace.

Man...that is pretty horrific. Placed right in the middle --- 252 out of 400 and something runners.

I actually blame nrot wearing my Garmin. I have a horrible sense for my pace and the Garmin is the only way I can keep, or attempt to keep, myself on track.

Oh well, there's always next time.

Ocean City Shenanigans

The first 5k of the season is in the books and I felt pretty good. Jen-Jen and I headed down to the beach for the first annual St. Patty's Day 5k sponsored by Shenanigans. Our other partner in crime was home sick and missed the race.

The bad news is that same-day packet pick-up was a bit of a shit-show that resulted in the race starting 45 minutes late. On a breezy morning...that's total bullshit. Given temps in the 50's and brilliant sunshine I opted for tri shorts and a long-sleeve t-shirt which resulted in jumping in place to keep warm. Once we got rolling my outfit was perfect.

I probably should have lined up closer to the front since I spent the first quarter mile dodging and weaving around all the walkers.

We started at Shenanigans (3rd Street) on the Boardwalk, headed to the end of the boards, circled around the amusement park, headed back up the boardwalk, passed the starting line, run up the boards and then circled back to the finish.

I forgot to wear my Garmin and as a result had no idea what my splits were. Was bummed not to be able to assess my progress, but more of an issue because I clearly went out too fast during the first mile and a half. I pulled back a bit and found a comfortable slot to hang in --- with the goal to surge during the last quarter mile. All went according to plan and I'm guessing that my final time is near what I did at my last 5k on New Years Eve. A little bummed that it wasn't better, but always good to know it likely wasn't substantially worse.

My surge at the end was significant and I am again reminded that I need to be more confident and not hold back. I'll work on that next time.

We're celebrating St. Patty's Day early here at the beach with an Irish inspired brunch and more cupcakes. Nice way to top off an early morning run.

Waddle on!
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Hello Cupcake

Questionable pre-race snacks given I am scheduled to run a 5k tomorrow. I can confirmed that I shared these treats. The lemon one in the upper right corner was lovely.

Excuse me while I enjoy a sugar high, subsequent upset stomach and guilt over these devilish treats.

Daily Double

Today I had the luxury of knocking out a bike and swim workout. I call it a luxury because I've had trouble managing my time and commitments in such a way that allows for enough time to tackle a double workout...and by "managing" I mean not falling asleep in public places because I am freakin' exhausted from training or so focused on training that I end up having limited social interactions.

The Bike
I followed Coach Jim's suggested workout. I'll admit I wasn't exactly sure how hard "hard" was supposed to be and how fast "Time Trial" pace should be...but I winged it.

The bike studio at work has become my new home. Check it out. I even have a view.

The Swim
I popped over to Wilson Aquatics to take advantage of their 50 meter pool of fabulousness. Though the lanes were relatively empty (score!), II did encounter one of my biggest pet-peeves --- poor lane etiquette. Know your speed and respect others by not swimming in the fast lane if you're barely able to bob around and don't swim in the water-walking lane if your working on your Olympic trial time. It's really not hard people.

Since so many slow folks were in the medium lanes and the fast lanes were dominated by medium swimmers --- I for the first time ever swam a good portion of my workout in The FAST LANE. Cool!

That was short lived when the monster former collegiate boys showed up. I knew my place and shifted over. Others did not which was crazy. I don't know about you, but if there's a group doing strong IM sets...it's time to move. Granted I believe these boys were there merely to show off, but nevertheless I enjoyed the remainder of my workout from the medium lane.

The unexpected bonus of moving over was that there was a guy in my medium lane who clearly wanted to chase...and I like a good chase. He pushed me throughout my workout and as a result I got a much better workout than if I was "just doing my laps."

As always, a good swim requires a nice soak in the whirlpool. A just reward for a daily double. Now...what's for dinner????

The Buddy System

I'm far from needy and am happy to do things solo, but the "running alone thing" is getting a little old. To top it off, I slack off when left to my own devices.

That's why I was psyched when two injured reserve marathoners came out on Tuesday and ran a conservative pace with me. Yay!

Such a delight to have some folks to chat with and ensure that I don't slack off.

The good news is that other than a persistent tight left calf (ouch!) the run went very well and I wasn't tired.

Here's to hoping that better weather and daylight savings time will bring more folks out to Tuesday Night Run.

Best Laid Plans

According to Coach Jim tonight was all about swimming. After work I headed over to Wilson Aquatics to get in my workout.

Though I had grand plans to strictly adhere to Coach Jim's workout, I really wasn't feeling the 3x300 set at the end of the workout that I was supposed to do in order to establish my new 100 meter pace time.

I ended up doing more 50 builds, some kick sets and some distance work instead.

My excuse is that I haven't been chlorinated in SO long that I was not in any shape to knock out a set like that. I'm not going to beat myself up. The good news is that I got out there and put in some time. Got those arms and legs moving and reminded myself why I miss this. Bonus that I finished the night with some whirlpool time.

On the "how random note" --- while waiting for the metro I ran into Rebecca S. You may recall that she's the nutritionist who spoke to the Snapple folks last week. She is awesome --- so normal and understands the struggles of getting it right. I really enjoyed catching up with her and knowing that there's no such thing as perfect and even the best of us regularly struggle to "be good."

Always Be Prepared

That's a motto that everyone from a Boy Scout to you're average person knows. It's also what the nutritionist drilled into us last week --- "if you can't fuel it...you can't do it.". Of course, days later I found myself doing exactly the opposite.

Saturday morning I was scheduled to run 13 miles as part of my half marathon training program. I wasn't too worried. I was sure I would be fine and get it done.

Unfortunately (don't you hate that word?), I was also supposed to be at the beach this weekend --- which meant another solo run. As luck would have it, that was the least of my worries.

I've been busy at work and busy trying my best to get back on track with my triathlon training program. As a result, I squeezed in some spinning on Friday late in the day before rushing home and heading to the beach. The result was (1) I felt great and logged some time on the bike, (2) I wasn't ready to head out of town and (3) I was running around the house throwing stuff in my overnight bag...hoping I had everything. This is never a good sign.

The result was that I forgot to bring my hydration belt and any Glu's. Shit. You ain't finding any of that stuff at the beach before 10am on Saturday.

I did my best to mitigate these issues by changing my route to be more urban so I could stop as needed for snacks, water or help. Though this was the right thing to do since I had to stop a couple times to buy water it totally sucked. I ended up running south along Coastal Hwy to the end of the boardwalk and back.

Running on the narrow sidewalks with other runners and random bikers (get in the road!) and also navigating all the turning cars is not fun. All this makes for limited opportunities to turn your brain off and just run. :(

I motored along at a pretty slow pace and at the halfway point felt pretty good. Soon into my return I started crashing. The morning started off in the 40's and once the sun popped out of the clouds it was quickly in the low 50's...and I was really sweating and getting hot. Since I was conveniently on the boardwalk now, I stopped for another bottled water and added a big salty pretzel to nibble on.

Unfortunately I think my fueling efforts were just a tad late. I starting cramping up and ended up having to walk a bit. I was able to start running again, but by mile 11 I was officially done.

As I was stretching along the side of the road waiting for The Husband to pick my pathetic-self up I was reminded that I need to take this all a bit more seriously --- and always be prepared.
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Food is GOOD

Tonight Team Snapple sponsored a nutrition clinic with the always fabulous Rebecca Scritchfield --- aka dietitian extraordinaire. See http://rebeccascritchfield.wordpress.com/about/.

I participated in a session last year with Rebecca and learned quite a bit. This year's session was a nice reminder that correctly fueling your body (both before and after a workout) is another key component to healthy living and optimal performance.

I am definitely a product of trying "the best new thing" and thinking I know best. The result ultimately many times leads to crashing and burning.

The good thing about training is that you are forced to not diet and instead eat. Granted --- I'm still a snacker and enjoy treats probably a bit too much, but have learned that trying to limit and deprive myself leads to disastrous results. I'm here to attest that starving is not good. Training while hungry is also a disaster.

I laughed as Rebecca described all the things not to do because I've done many of them:

• Reduced caloric intake to drop weight and ended up crashing or feeling weak or gittery.

• Not properly hydrating before and during a half marathon and as a result cramped up so severely near the finish line that I had to stop to regroup.

• Going out for a late dinner and drinking the night before a half marathon --- that's what happens when you go to the Miami Half Marathon. You think you are invincible.

According to Rebecca --- the good news is that food is good. Scales are bad. Portions and the right combinations are king.

To help celebrate our new knowledge we headed over to a pub for beer and bar food. Classic. No need to start today what you can put off until tomorrow.

Here's to proper fueling in 2011!