Over the past few weeks, you've read about my trials and frustrations at The Year of Awesome getting derailed. The house has simply worn us out and we've missed out on a lot of things that we didn't in the past. While fitness has always been in our mind, we've both just struggled with being able to get it on track. It's not that we didn't want to - it's simply just not a high priority. Getting our house in order has been priority number one.
So when we found out the race medal for the Dino Half Marathon was a T-Rex, we both grumbled at the thought of doing this race again. After all, last year's race didn't go all that well for either of us. Both going in undertrained, horribly organized, late scrambled eggs at the hotel. It just was simply something we didn't want to do again. But the T-Rex medal pulled us in. So we registered together and wondered how we were going to pull this off. You all know our training has been miserable and we fully accepted that this race was going to SUCK! I told T at one point if I hit 2:40:00 I would be happy. More on that later.
We got a later start than we wanted thanks to me arriving a bit late from a day trip I picked up. Leaving Denver for the drive, the temps were in the low 50's and the rain was falling. If you haven't been following along with our weather in the Rockies, we're dealing with a ridiculous amount of water falling. Seriously, California is begging for water, and we'd be glad to send it to them. It was a dreary, depressing way to start the trip. As we slugged our way into the mountains, it cleared up slightly, but was still cloudy for most of the trip.
Arriving in Vernal, we drove to the hotel that had packet pick-up. Believe it or not, it was less organized than last year. Both T and I were just shaking our heads, practically laughing at the idiocy of us attempting to do a 1/2 marathon this early in the season with nearly no training. We checked into our hotel and went to a bar for dinner. Normally, we do breakfast before a race, but we've thrown that out as of late. In fact, I had a beer. My mind at this point went into "DILLIGAF" mode.
Pre-Race
I don't even remember the alarm clock going off. I didn't want to get up, that's for sure. T kicked my butt out of bed into my race clothes, and she contemplated what to wear. We made it down to breakfast at like 6:04 and mercifully, there were eggs and bacon available for consumption. I grabbed a plate and just took it with me to the school where the buses would be taking us to the start.
We pulled into the parking lot and unlike last year, there was a bus waiting. We sprinted onto it and sat down. When we were underway, I realized that I left my normal race shirt in the car and wouldn't have an additional layer. Being that it was ridiculously cold, I lamented not having it. Mercifully, T brought a space blanket that we would share while waiting for the race to start.
When the bus stopped at the start, we saw a couple fire pits that were roaring. Up in the hills, we saw what looked like frost, but realized later was snow. T jumped into the porta-potty line while I attempted to get warm by a fire. Realizing that the race organizers were attempting to keep the fires going with wet 2x4's and kerosene, I bailed quickly and huddled with T under the space blanket. We huddled for warmth and waited for our turn in line.
After I got the porta-potta out of the way, I saw that some race organizers were making hot chocolate. I grabbed a cup for warmth. Not to drink, just to hold. It helped. I estimated the temp in the low 40's, and saw that there were clouds moving into the canyon. It began to spit precipitation about 10 minutes before the race.
We finally lined up and got ready for the start. The air horn this year was more pronounced and we were underway.
The Race
Last year, we killed the opening mile with an 8:55 per mile. We were determined this year to be smarter with pacing. Both T and I went much slower in the opening mile, keeping it at a conversational pace. We hit the sign and my Garmin showed 10:14. I was happy and for the first point in the race, smiling.
In mile 2, we very very slightly picked it up, but neither of us feeling it. We were keeping it conversational and actually enjoying the run. The bit of precip that was falling earlier by this point had stopped. And unlike last year, I was feeling the race being downhill. 9:53 in mile 2.
In mile 3, we did more of the same. Feeling great, I began to wonder what was happening to me. 9:48
Mile 4 I began feeling the first need to pee, but I was fine. We kept going. 9:55
Mile 5 we walked for the first time, on the first big uphill of the race. We nearly made it up the hill, but fell just short. We weren't bummed though; in fact, both T and I were in great spirits. This was a slower mile than any of the previous but ironically felt the fastest of them all. 10:34
In mile 6, I finally stopped to pee. I apologized to T, but she didn't have a problem with it at all. We got going again, still in great spirits. 10:09
Mile 7 I began to feel the effects of the race and lack of training. My hips began hurting and my calves too. Mentally though, I was feeling very strong. Simply put, I was stunned at what I was putting out. I figured by this point, I'd be crumbling. Not at all. 9:58
Mile 8 T expressed her concern about her hips as well. We began to walk a bit more, falling apart a touch. 10:38.
Mile 9 was a dig-deep mile. The race was becoming a grind and T expressed how hungry she was. She came up with a term for it, but I forget what it is. 10:40.
In the 10th mile, we stopped at the aid station for orange slices. Manna from heaven, I swear. We were both hurting a bit, but instead of other races, where I voice my frustrations and turn negative, on this day, I was not. I was elated at what I was running, even if I was slowing down. 11:57
In mile 11, I began to wonder what was possible. I knew a PR was out of the question, and I wasn't going to beat my 2nd best 1/2 marathon time (2:15:48), but I thought if I ran well and smart, I would beat the time from last year. I could even crack 2:20:00, which would be huge redemption from my lousy Vegas run. 11:19
In mile 12, T began to pull ahead of me consistently, being slightly stronger than I. I didn't mind though; I wanted her to run her race at this point. She patiently ran with me though. I'll be honest though; at this point neither of us was smiling. We were both digging deep mentally. 11:36
The final 1.1 miles was hell. T by this point was ahead of me and there was no way I was catching her. Again though, I didn't mind. I looked behind me and saw the 2:20 pacers. I knew that if I walked, I wasn't going to crack the 2:20 mark. So I settled into a pace that I knew I could hold, held it, and vowed to not make a break for the finish until it was right.
Turning the last corner, I picked it up slightly, keeping the 2:20 pacers in front of me. I passed 4 people in the chute, stepped on the mat, and pumped my fist, knowing I achieved something pretty spectacular.
Total race time - 2:18:30
Post-Race
T and I were both elated at what we did. We got back to the car and I began shivering. I think the emotion of what I had just done + the lack of food + the actual temperature got to me. T forced me to the food line, where all there was was watermelon and orange slices and bananas. I forced them down and they tasted awesome. We got some pictures and headed back to the hotel.
Thoughts
I would be lying to you if I told you I thought this was possible. Like I said, I figured I'd pull a 2:40 and be happy. I think there were two big things that made the difference this time around: one is that mentally, I wasn't stressing about doing well in this race. I just took it for what it was. Two is that I'm stronger than I think. The first 3 months and two weeks of April were very good fitness wise. Even though I wasn't running a lot due to injury and whatnot, my fitness grew quite a bit and it paid off.
The best part is I'm suddenly motivated again. I'm motivated. I want to work out. I want to balance everything. It's time, and I know I can do it. It's time to get back to what I was doing.
The fitness adventures of two Ironman triathletes
Monday, May 11, 2015
Sunday, May 3, 2015
#REALwomenmove
As a side note ... April's round up will be coming soon. It won't be pretty ...
If you've been following along with me for a while, y'all know that I love me the Skirt Sports. Earlier today, they launched the #REALwomenmove movement.
From the Web site ...
"We're on a mission to empower unmotivated or intimidated women and young girls. Let's show them what it looks like to make health and fitness a priority, despite the daily obstacles that get thrown in our paths. It's that simple ..."
"Who is a REAL woman? She is proud of who she is. She is confident. She does not judge, but rather encourages other women. She is comfortable in her own body. She accepts and loves herself as she is. She prioritizes health and fitness."
As a Skirt Ambassador (and blogger), I was asked to write a bit about what this means to me. Given what April has been for me in terms of fitness and training (hint: not pretty), I almost feel like I'm not qualified.
I'm really more taking it a different form, as in #realwomenMOVE, since I'm in the midst of moving. Brandon and I bought our first house and we've been running up and down flights of stairs and lifting boxes and furniture and stripping wallpaper and painting and dear sweet jeebus it makes you SORE.
And I realized ... I've been sore, but I've still been able to get through everything. The two of us can handle our furniture by ourselves and run up all those flights of stairs BECAUSE we make fitness a priority 99% of the time.
Real women move.
The "freshmen fuck-ups" on my hockey team freshman year in college. Realistically, none of us should probably have made the team that year, but we all had a desire to play a little puck and it was a successful season. Out of our huge freshman class, almost all of us stayed on the team all four years, improving along the way.
Real women move.
It doesn't have to be running. I see so many women running because they feel like they have to, and I can tell they're miserable. Try yoga. Or pilates. Or crossfit. Or rowing. Or skiing. Or barre. Or jump roping. Or walking. Or stand-up paddleboarding. Or surfing. Or hula-hooping. Or ice skating. Or Wii fit. Or regular random dance parties in your house. I PROMISE you that you'll find something you like.
There is no right way to move, just so long as you DO.
Real women move. I choose hockey, triathlon, random dance parties, walking, lifting weights, yoga. What will you choose? I'll tag my photos and experiences with #REALwomenmove and #SkirtSports - you do the same. As a bonus, for every 5000 hashtags, Skirt Sports will donate a Get Started Scholarship to a woman who exemplifies the real woman traits above and/or is actively trying to break her own barriers in running/fitness.
If you've been following along with me for a while, y'all know that I love me the Skirt Sports. Earlier today, they launched the #REALwomenmove movement.
From the Web site ...
"We're on a mission to empower unmotivated or intimidated women and young girls. Let's show them what it looks like to make health and fitness a priority, despite the daily obstacles that get thrown in our paths. It's that simple ..."
"Who is a REAL woman? She is proud of who she is. She is confident. She does not judge, but rather encourages other women. She is comfortable in her own body. She accepts and loves herself as she is. She prioritizes health and fitness."
As a Skirt Ambassador (and blogger), I was asked to write a bit about what this means to me. Given what April has been for me in terms of fitness and training (hint: not pretty), I almost feel like I'm not qualified.
I'm really more taking it a different form, as in #realwomenMOVE, since I'm in the midst of moving. Brandon and I bought our first house and we've been running up and down flights of stairs and lifting boxes and furniture and stripping wallpaper and painting and dear sweet jeebus it makes you SORE.
And I realized ... I've been sore, but I've still been able to get through everything. The two of us can handle our furniture by ourselves and run up all those flights of stairs BECAUSE we make fitness a priority 99% of the time.
Real women move.
The "freshmen fuck-ups" on my hockey team freshman year in college. Realistically, none of us should probably have made the team that year, but we all had a desire to play a little puck and it was a successful season. Out of our huge freshman class, almost all of us stayed on the team all four years, improving along the way.
Real women move.
It doesn't have to be running. I see so many women running because they feel like they have to, and I can tell they're miserable. Try yoga. Or pilates. Or crossfit. Or rowing. Or skiing. Or barre. Or jump roping. Or walking. Or stand-up paddleboarding. Or surfing. Or hula-hooping. Or ice skating. Or Wii fit. Or regular random dance parties in your house. I PROMISE you that you'll find something you like.
There is no right way to move, just so long as you DO.
Real women move. I choose hockey, triathlon, random dance parties, walking, lifting weights, yoga. What will you choose? I'll tag my photos and experiences with #REALwomenmove and #SkirtSports - you do the same. As a bonus, for every 5000 hashtags, Skirt Sports will donate a Get Started Scholarship to a woman who exemplifies the real woman traits above and/or is actively trying to break her own barriers in running/fitness.
Monday, April 27, 2015
Venting about life
I'm piggybacking off what T wrote about earlier today. I had planned on writing about the things on my mind anyway, but her writing about it gives me motivation to do so.
The Year of Awesome has been slightly derailed. Early in April, it looked like both T and I were getting things together. Our eating had gotten on track, we were excited for our upcoming Tucson training camp, and we had made our offer on the house and were all set to close on April 14th. Life was good. Fitness was good.
Then plans got derailed. Fast.
Right before the Tucson training camp, the level of stress skyrocketed. I'm not going to go into details why, but let's just say it happened (if you're actually curious, send me a personal email or FB message if we're friends there). We salvaged what we could out of Tucson and I would say both our stress levels plummeted. With getting to meet Hillary Biscay, hanging out with our friends Debbie and Seton (owners of Trisports.com) and visiting my aunt and uncle in Scottsdale (and some additional relatives to boot!) it was a trip that had the opportunity to clear our heads.
On the drive back, the stress reached epic proportions. To understand why, I need to start at the beginning.
Since late March, I had been diligent in getting our documents together for the house. Our mortgage broker, Michele, was fantastic. A wonderful person to deal with. However, unfortunately, Michele had gotten completely swamped and had to give our closing to an assistant. This assistant was, to put it mildly, incompetent. She would ask for documents, I would send them, she would ask for more, I would send them. Finally, it reached a head in Tucson, when she called and asked for one more. I emailed it to her with the promise that it was the last thing she would need and we would have our number on Monday.
Monday was the drive back.
Somewhere outside of Albuquerque (about 90 minutes), I get a call from Katie (the assistant) telling me that she needed ONE more document. I at this point was pissed, and told her that I was on the road. She said it was imperative that I get her the document. I said fine, stepped on the gas, and we made plans to hit a Starbucks so I could email her. I began venting to T (probably swearing a lot) and made peace with the fact we weren't going to get our house thanks to Katie. T was as frustrated as I was, but calmly made the decision to call Michele and ask what was going on. Michele was utterly stunned that Katie had not finished our stuff, and promised us she'd look into it. She asked me to send the document to her, which I did at an Albuquerque Starbucks. Calmer and at ease, we got back on the road.
Somewhere near Las Vegas NM, Michele called us, completely deflated and apologetic. She said that the underwriter would need a copy of a check I deposited for $80.00. You are reading that right. $80.00. I again freaked out, accepting that this house thing wasn't meant to be. I tried thinking of what our options were. I called my bank to see if they could scan a copy of the check. They were not helpful in the slightest, and I have strong incentive to leave them. I called my buddy who wrote me the check. He immediately sent it via text, which I forwarded to Michele. She was cool with that, but the underwriter was not. He needed the actual check copied. The last option was to bust ass to the bank that I deposited the check into and hope for a miracle. T was driving and we both agreed no stops at this point. We were both hungry and needed to pee, but desperation.
Nearly breaking down the door of the bank, I voided my bladder, then spoke with the teller. I explained to her my dire situation and she smiled and went in the back. She found a stack of checks and pulled out the one for $80.00 that I had deposited. I wanted to hug her! She made a copy of it, and 30 minutes later, Michele had a copy. Finally satisfied, she got us our preliminary numbers. Afterwords, she expressed her frustration at her assistant and assured us that it wasn't our fault.
The next day, we closed and got the keys to the house. We were ecstatic...until we realized how much work we had to put in. Wallpaper stripping, ripping down a mirror, and more. Oh, and you know, moving all our crap.
So you can guess why working out has suffered in the past two weeks.
Both T and I agree that the tipping point was Katie making that phone call and making us panic. That was the tipping point of the stress, and it really hasn't been alleviated since. We've tried and done some working out, but it's forced and not really quality. So we made a compromise: the rest of April? Let it be what it will be. May? We pick it back up, and we pick it back up hard. The house will fall into place.
Because the Year of Awesome must continue.
The Year of Awesome has been slightly derailed. Early in April, it looked like both T and I were getting things together. Our eating had gotten on track, we were excited for our upcoming Tucson training camp, and we had made our offer on the house and were all set to close on April 14th. Life was good. Fitness was good.
Then plans got derailed. Fast.
Right before the Tucson training camp, the level of stress skyrocketed. I'm not going to go into details why, but let's just say it happened (if you're actually curious, send me a personal email or FB message if we're friends there). We salvaged what we could out of Tucson and I would say both our stress levels plummeted. With getting to meet Hillary Biscay, hanging out with our friends Debbie and Seton (owners of Trisports.com) and visiting my aunt and uncle in Scottsdale (and some additional relatives to boot!) it was a trip that had the opportunity to clear our heads.
On the drive back, the stress reached epic proportions. To understand why, I need to start at the beginning.
Since late March, I had been diligent in getting our documents together for the house. Our mortgage broker, Michele, was fantastic. A wonderful person to deal with. However, unfortunately, Michele had gotten completely swamped and had to give our closing to an assistant. This assistant was, to put it mildly, incompetent. She would ask for documents, I would send them, she would ask for more, I would send them. Finally, it reached a head in Tucson, when she called and asked for one more. I emailed it to her with the promise that it was the last thing she would need and we would have our number on Monday.
Monday was the drive back.
Somewhere outside of Albuquerque (about 90 minutes), I get a call from Katie (the assistant) telling me that she needed ONE more document. I at this point was pissed, and told her that I was on the road. She said it was imperative that I get her the document. I said fine, stepped on the gas, and we made plans to hit a Starbucks so I could email her. I began venting to T (probably swearing a lot) and made peace with the fact we weren't going to get our house thanks to Katie. T was as frustrated as I was, but calmly made the decision to call Michele and ask what was going on. Michele was utterly stunned that Katie had not finished our stuff, and promised us she'd look into it. She asked me to send the document to her, which I did at an Albuquerque Starbucks. Calmer and at ease, we got back on the road.
Somewhere near Las Vegas NM, Michele called us, completely deflated and apologetic. She said that the underwriter would need a copy of a check I deposited for $80.00. You are reading that right. $80.00. I again freaked out, accepting that this house thing wasn't meant to be. I tried thinking of what our options were. I called my bank to see if they could scan a copy of the check. They were not helpful in the slightest, and I have strong incentive to leave them. I called my buddy who wrote me the check. He immediately sent it via text, which I forwarded to Michele. She was cool with that, but the underwriter was not. He needed the actual check copied. The last option was to bust ass to the bank that I deposited the check into and hope for a miracle. T was driving and we both agreed no stops at this point. We were both hungry and needed to pee, but desperation.
Nearly breaking down the door of the bank, I voided my bladder, then spoke with the teller. I explained to her my dire situation and she smiled and went in the back. She found a stack of checks and pulled out the one for $80.00 that I had deposited. I wanted to hug her! She made a copy of it, and 30 minutes later, Michele had a copy. Finally satisfied, she got us our preliminary numbers. Afterwords, she expressed her frustration at her assistant and assured us that it wasn't our fault.
The next day, we closed and got the keys to the house. We were ecstatic...until we realized how much work we had to put in. Wallpaper stripping, ripping down a mirror, and more. Oh, and you know, moving all our crap.
So you can guess why working out has suffered in the past two weeks.
Both T and I agree that the tipping point was Katie making that phone call and making us panic. That was the tipping point of the stress, and it really hasn't been alleviated since. We've tried and done some working out, but it's forced and not really quality. So we made a compromise: the rest of April? Let it be what it will be. May? We pick it back up, and we pick it back up hard. The house will fall into place.
Because the Year of Awesome must continue.
Ebbs and Flows
They say April is the cruelest month and in terms of our fitness and training, it has never been more true.
NCAA Hockey playoffs were a bit brutal for us, as both of our teams made it to the Frozen Four.
There was a trip to Tucson, originally for a training camp, but ended up being less about the training and more about the stress relief.
(Buying a house sucks.)
We got the TriSports tour from Seton (didn't take pictures) and had lunch with Debbie (thanks guys!).
We met Hillary Biscay and Maik Twielsek (who are both SUPER nice) and I bought a Smashfest Queen kit (okay, so it's not quite matching).
We went trail running.
We attempted climbing Mt. Lemmon (too early season for these lungs).
Skratch Labs Rescue Hydration mix was AWESOME on this ride.
We both saw our teams lose in the Frozen Four, him to mine and mine in the national title game.
We rode Old Spanish Trail and ran the Rillito River.
On our drive back home, the stress came rushing back thanks to house crap.
We closed on a house.
Training post-Tucson has been sporadic at best, as we have had to do so many things inside the new house. Packing, wallpaper stripping, painting, unpacking ...
I did the Skirt Sports 261 Fearless virtual run.
Ms. Switzer, founder of the movement.
2.61 miles on the nose.
I hadn't taken a day off through the year until April, and now it seems like almost every other day is an off day.
I realize the house is probably the priority right now ... and I'm making it as such just to get through April. May, things ramp up again, house be damned.
NCAA Hockey playoffs were a bit brutal for us, as both of our teams made it to the Frozen Four.
There was a trip to Tucson, originally for a training camp, but ended up being less about the training and more about the stress relief.
(Buying a house sucks.)
We got the TriSports tour from Seton (didn't take pictures) and had lunch with Debbie (thanks guys!).
We met Hillary Biscay and Maik Twielsek (who are both SUPER nice) and I bought a Smashfest Queen kit (okay, so it's not quite matching).
We went trail running.
We attempted climbing Mt. Lemmon (too early season for these lungs).
Skratch Labs Rescue Hydration mix was AWESOME on this ride.
We both saw our teams lose in the Frozen Four, him to mine and mine in the national title game.
We rode Old Spanish Trail and ran the Rillito River.
On our drive back home, the stress came rushing back thanks to house crap.
We closed on a house.
Training post-Tucson has been sporadic at best, as we have had to do so many things inside the new house. Packing, wallpaper stripping, painting, unpacking ...
I did the Skirt Sports 261 Fearless virtual run.
Ms. Switzer, founder of the movement.
2.61 miles on the nose.
I hadn't taken a day off through the year until April, and now it seems like almost every other day is an off day.
I realize the house is probably the priority right now ... and I'm making it as such just to get through April. May, things ramp up again, house be damned.
Monday, April 6, 2015
March Round-Up
I was going to do this last Wednesday on my day off, but I tend to avoid social media/posting anything on April 1st because, well, you know. It's still getting done.
March had ups and downs like any other month ... including a hell of a lot of stress which Brandon alluded to in his last post. Stupid house buying. That being said ... onward!
Swimming: 13,200m (8.2 mi)
% to goal: 14%
Cycling: 195.47 mi
% to goal: 9.8%
Running: 24.29 mi
% to goal: 10.5%
Lifting: seven sessions (2:07)
Other: ten walks (5:05), four yoga sessions (1:08)
Our nutritional goal of getting in more greens fell by the wayside as the stress of everything caught up with us ... our diets in general went to hell. We had been doing really well coming into this month (coming off the no fried food February) ... but stress makes us eat. I'm counting a small victory in the fact that we can now acknowledge that we're in a rut, acknowledge that we're eating poorly (despite still choosing to do so anyhow because sometimes, dammit, comfort food IS A THING THAT WORKS), because knowledge? Is power.
That being said, there is still growth happening, so we're both thankful for that.
In other March round up news ... you may notice a new stamp on the right sidebar - yep, that's right - I am now also a Skirt Sports ambassador! I've loved Skirt for years and one of the ladies that worked there said I needed to be an ambassador, so when their window opened up, I hopped right on it. There's a discount code for you to get 20% off Skirt love for you (or a special someone in your life). If you hate running skirts? No problem! They make shorts now as well as the cutest capris. Get on it!
We're also in the midst of our own March Madness - college hockey playoffs. March 28th, our teams both played for the right to go to the Frozen Four, so clearly we had to represent on our ride that day:
They both won, so now BU plays UND in the Frozen Four. Luckily (or unluckily), they play each other in the semis, so whoever wins that game gets to play for the title. GO BU!
March had ups and downs like any other month ... including a hell of a lot of stress which Brandon alluded to in his last post. Stupid house buying. That being said ... onward!
Swimming: 13,200m (8.2 mi)
% to goal: 14%
Cycling: 195.47 mi
% to goal: 9.8%
Running: 24.29 mi
% to goal: 10.5%
Lifting: seven sessions (2:07)
Other: ten walks (5:05), four yoga sessions (1:08)
Our nutritional goal of getting in more greens fell by the wayside as the stress of everything caught up with us ... our diets in general went to hell. We had been doing really well coming into this month (coming off the no fried food February) ... but stress makes us eat. I'm counting a small victory in the fact that we can now acknowledge that we're in a rut, acknowledge that we're eating poorly (despite still choosing to do so anyhow because sometimes, dammit, comfort food IS A THING THAT WORKS), because knowledge? Is power.
That being said, there is still growth happening, so we're both thankful for that.
In other March round up news ... you may notice a new stamp on the right sidebar - yep, that's right - I am now also a Skirt Sports ambassador! I've loved Skirt for years and one of the ladies that worked there said I needed to be an ambassador, so when their window opened up, I hopped right on it. There's a discount code for you to get 20% off Skirt love for you (or a special someone in your life). If you hate running skirts? No problem! They make shorts now as well as the cutest capris. Get on it!
We're also in the midst of our own March Madness - college hockey playoffs. March 28th, our teams both played for the right to go to the Frozen Four, so clearly we had to represent on our ride that day:
They both won, so now BU plays UND in the Frozen Four. Luckily (or unluckily), they play each other in the semis, so whoever wins that game gets to play for the title. GO BU!
Friday, April 3, 2015
Checking In
Hey all! I know it's been quiet around here, but there's multiple reasons for it. It doesn't mean fitness has gone by the wayside though. No, in fact, we're both seeing an increase in both swimming and cycling, putting in some good miles in March.
The other day, I went out for a 30 mile ride, the longest of the season thus far. I'm keeping it in Big/18 and feeling little effort, which is awesome. Proves the trainer is working. Now I gotta work on the endurance. I started falling apart around mile 25 on the ride. Granted, it's uphill to home and I did a bit of urban riding to see T at her new Starbucks, but still, I can tell the endurance has to get there.
As a lot of you know, I use this blog not just as a fitness blog, but a personal blog as well, so be prepared for a bit of what's going on in the Team Baby Dino life here.
The main thing we've been focusing on as a couple outside of training is buying a house. The house buying process has been a long, tiring, stressful process, and that's having a kick-ass realtor and mortgage broker who made the process as stress-free as possible, so I can't imagine what it's like dealing with people who clearly don't give a damn about you. But our realtor, Susie Wargin, has been a saint in this whole process, demonstrating patience and serving in capacities that no realtor should have to do, including psychologist from time to time!
Seriously, after getting the ball rolling in October, we evaluated over 100 houses online, saw in person probably 25-30 houses, made offers on two and subsequently had both offers turned down (one was an old guy who "had to pay for his sins", and the other was tired of the process and accepted an offer she had previously), and had no idea what the hell we wanted. After breaking down in a house we saw and weren't ultimately interested in, T and I sat down and made it abundantly clear what we wanted in a house. I said easy access to bike trails is a must, and she wanted a master suite with a badass master bath.
So we went to look at house that online, we were both kind of meh on. It was almost a throwaway and neither of us were particularly enthused about seeing it, but once inside, we both fell in love with it. We decided to make an offer, and it was accepted. We close on the house April 14th, so stay tuned with that.
With everything that's been going on, it's hard to focus on fitness and hard to make it a priority, but somehow, we are managing with that too. For me, I'm loving being back in the water, feeling my shoulders pop and expand with swimming. I've built my endurance back up to the point where a mile is no big deal again. By the end of this month, I'm hoping to be swimming 3K again.
There's the update on my end. I'll be blogging more this month - stay tuned for some exciting updates!
The other day, I went out for a 30 mile ride, the longest of the season thus far. I'm keeping it in Big/18 and feeling little effort, which is awesome. Proves the trainer is working. Now I gotta work on the endurance. I started falling apart around mile 25 on the ride. Granted, it's uphill to home and I did a bit of urban riding to see T at her new Starbucks, but still, I can tell the endurance has to get there.
As a lot of you know, I use this blog not just as a fitness blog, but a personal blog as well, so be prepared for a bit of what's going on in the Team Baby Dino life here.
The main thing we've been focusing on as a couple outside of training is buying a house. The house buying process has been a long, tiring, stressful process, and that's having a kick-ass realtor and mortgage broker who made the process as stress-free as possible, so I can't imagine what it's like dealing with people who clearly don't give a damn about you. But our realtor, Susie Wargin, has been a saint in this whole process, demonstrating patience and serving in capacities that no realtor should have to do, including psychologist from time to time!
Seriously, after getting the ball rolling in October, we evaluated over 100 houses online, saw in person probably 25-30 houses, made offers on two and subsequently had both offers turned down (one was an old guy who "had to pay for his sins", and the other was tired of the process and accepted an offer she had previously), and had no idea what the hell we wanted. After breaking down in a house we saw and weren't ultimately interested in, T and I sat down and made it abundantly clear what we wanted in a house. I said easy access to bike trails is a must, and she wanted a master suite with a badass master bath.
So we went to look at house that online, we were both kind of meh on. It was almost a throwaway and neither of us were particularly enthused about seeing it, but once inside, we both fell in love with it. We decided to make an offer, and it was accepted. We close on the house April 14th, so stay tuned with that.
With everything that's been going on, it's hard to focus on fitness and hard to make it a priority, but somehow, we are managing with that too. For me, I'm loving being back in the water, feeling my shoulders pop and expand with swimming. I've built my endurance back up to the point where a mile is no big deal again. By the end of this month, I'm hoping to be swimming 3K again.
There's the update on my end. I'll be blogging more this month - stay tuned for some exciting updates!
Tuesday, March 24, 2015
Checking In
It feels like I haven't blogged in forever ... and it's fairly true. I know I wrote earlier this year that I was focusing on priorities, something that hasn't changed. March has been the first month this year that I really feel that I am, and I notice the growth.
That being said, as a brand ambassador/team member for a few places this year ... I know that part of the reason I was chosen is because I have a blog, so I should probably update the damn thing.
In late February, I volunteered at the last race in the Chilly Cheeks Duathlon series.
I wore my TriSports visor (and actually a Skratch hat, too - it was too cold to just wear the visor!).
The main reason I volunteered is because I enjoy it and like giving back to the sport ... but a side perk with Racing Underground is if you volunteer for their events, you get a free race entry. Therefore, that Littlefoot Triathlon on the sidebar? Free. I am all about that. Plus I got to spend a frozen cold morning working packet pickup and then providing food (hot chocolate and cup o' noodles) to the racers as they finished. The food tent is the place to be, let me tell you!
Then, this past Sunday, we went to cheer on our good friend Norm at a half-marathon:
>
Mr. Speedy (one of the 455 fastest people racing the Boston Marathon this year) came in second on a very hilly course. We then went out to breakfast with him and our friend Nic, whom we haven't seen in FOREVER.
After breakfast, it was time to ride. Brandon and I went up to Boulder, parked at Skirt Sports, and then went for about a 20 mile loop. We were hoping to ride longer, but work called him in, so the hour we did would have to do.
Stopped at a light. I actually think we were in Longmont at this point ...
Husband's on the phone? Clearly it's photo time! Also representing Skratch Labs here ...
I think the trainer miles (and all the miles this year so far in general) are starting to pay off, as Brandon couldn't keep up with me and I'm pretty sure I may have had my fastest average speed on an outdoor ride ever - 18.99 mph. I'm so glad that the work is paying off.
Now, off the computer and back to said work ...
That being said, as a brand ambassador/team member for a few places this year ... I know that part of the reason I was chosen is because I have a blog, so I should probably update the damn thing.
In late February, I volunteered at the last race in the Chilly Cheeks Duathlon series.
I wore my TriSports visor (and actually a Skratch hat, too - it was too cold to just wear the visor!).
The main reason I volunteered is because I enjoy it and like giving back to the sport ... but a side perk with Racing Underground is if you volunteer for their events, you get a free race entry. Therefore, that Littlefoot Triathlon on the sidebar? Free. I am all about that. Plus I got to spend a frozen cold morning working packet pickup and then providing food (hot chocolate and cup o' noodles) to the racers as they finished. The food tent is the place to be, let me tell you!
Then, this past Sunday, we went to cheer on our good friend Norm at a half-marathon:
>Mr. Speedy (one of the 455 fastest people racing the Boston Marathon this year) came in second on a very hilly course. We then went out to breakfast with him and our friend Nic, whom we haven't seen in FOREVER.
After breakfast, it was time to ride. Brandon and I went up to Boulder, parked at Skirt Sports, and then went for about a 20 mile loop. We were hoping to ride longer, but work called him in, so the hour we did would have to do.
Stopped at a light. I actually think we were in Longmont at this point ...
Husband's on the phone? Clearly it's photo time! Also representing Skratch Labs here ...
I think the trainer miles (and all the miles this year so far in general) are starting to pay off, as Brandon couldn't keep up with me and I'm pretty sure I may have had my fastest average speed on an outdoor ride ever - 18.99 mph. I'm so glad that the work is paying off.
Now, off the computer and back to said work ...
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