The Journey...

Weight Loss Bank Account and Setting Myself Up For Success.

2012-02-10T15:15:00.002-05:00

I think that I finally, after all of these years, figured out how to stay on track with weight loss. There is no magic pill, there is not secret formula. What there is, is resource management. Just like time and money, calories are to be budgeted in order for me to be successful. This requires the dreaded calorie tracking.

You can tell those who budget their calories well and those who do not.

Oh but so and so just has a high metabolism, so she can eat whatever she wants. She doesn't budget her calories! Well maybe on a technical point she is not purposefully budgeting, but in reality she just has a bigger bank account of calories to spend (consume).

In reality this is just akin to someone with trillions of dollars in their account. Just because they do not have to watch every penny on a level most people do does not mean that they are not on a budget - what this means is that they have a larger account to work with, they have more resources to spend. A person with a high metabolism has a higher caloric "bank" account balance.

I have been using MyFitnessPal.com and the app on my phone to track my food intakes and my exercise. Finally I have a target each day and I know if I go over or under and then I can see how that effects me. In addition to this I am a member of a group on Facebook that is all about getting our acts together, and a member of another one which is a Solstice to Solstice challenge. I have found that the challenge, together with support from my friends who are also trying to get control of their weights, combined with the tools of MFP and my Ironman training has helped me see the road to success.

I have learned a lot about the choices that I make for my meals and this tool, My Fitness Pal, has allowed me to really plan ahead, setting myself up for the best possible opportunity for success.

Has it worked?

I got back from Germany on Saturday, weighed myself and then weighed myself today after using MFP all week. I am down 6 lbs since Germany, a net 2.6 lbs since I left for Germany (yeah I gained some weight while there, or it could have been salt weight from my meals that weekend) Either way - a net drop of nearly 3#s is good considering.

I have felt well fuelled for my workouts, and I have been able to see what types of foods had the best result for my hunger levels. For me it all comes down to protein to keep me satisfied and not on all out binge mode. Another thing for me is that I have spent a lot of time planning and prepping. The necessary evils of being busy!

So when I say that I have spent a lot of time, what does that mean? Well... my weekdays start on Saturday.

The weekend is my time for some long workouts as well as home type work, relaxation, date nights with Mike, and prepping and planing the coming week's meals for both us and our Pug Moose, since we cook him his meals too.

Sundays I prep for Monday and Tuesday breakfasts, as well as cook my lunch and dinner for Monday and my lunch for Tuesday. By Sunday evening, I have packed my lunch and dinner for Monday, made my dinner for Tuesday or at least prepped for it, and have my breakfasts for Monday and Tuesday ready to cook, right down to my omelet mix in the fridge ready to pour and the omelet pan on the stove top ready to heat.

Mondays I am gone from 7am - 11pm. I eat 3 meals and all snacks either at work or in my car. I work, then go to the Lab for 1.5 hours of bike work, possibly a 10 minute run, and then an hour of swim drills with the team at Fraser H.S.. I come home and sleep.

Tuesdays I have my breakfast ready to pour and cook , and then throw my fruits and veggie snacks into my cooler with my pre-prepared lunch and head to work. I come home and run and then prep and cook the meals for Wednesday and Thursday.

Wednesdays I am gone from 7am - 9pm. I go to work and then the Lab for 1.5 hours of bike work, followed by stretching. This day I eat my 3 meals and all snacks again at work or in my car, so I have to be diligent about planning. I come home and go to bed.

Thursdays I cook my breakfast which was already ready for me to go, and then I throw my veggies and fruits in my cooler along with my pre-packed lunch. I am home after work (swimming and running day), and do my prep work for the rest of the week, making lunches and planning what we will need to buy the weekend when it starts all over again.

So while this may seem obsessive to some, I see it as a necessity. I would quite honestly eat everything in site and be living at the drive-thrus if I did not plan this far in advance and take the time, no, MAKE the time to get it all ready for the schedule I keep.

I have taken to heart that I need to be active in my weight loss and not just hope that the weight comes off because I am training for a large event and have a weeding in 6 months time. This mentality has not worked out so well for me over the past, oh I don't know, let's say lifetime. What I do know is that I need to set myself up for success each and every day, otherwise I am setting myself up for failure.

So what are some things that you do to keep on track of it all? What are some thing that you wished you did?

What steps are you taking today to set yourself up for success tomorrow?

The Journey has been on a ... well... Journey!

2012-01-29T12:39:00.001-05:00

I have been MIA from blogging for a while mainly due to a few trips: Florida, Florida, Mexico, and now Germany. Wow. Is it really only January still?

I have traveled more than 20,000 miles in 20 days and as such my body, free time, and training have taken a hit of sorts. I am sick sitting here in my hotel room at the Residenz in Babenhousen, Germany on a cold, very damp winter afternoon. Sick, but happy to live a life where I am able to travel the world and be apart of it. Travelling for work has re-sparked in me the desire to travel in my personal life. I am making a list of the places that I would like to see and I am going to start working on seeing them. Starting with the US. I have no excuse for seeing more of China than I have of my own country.

So going back to the start.

*starts car*

Welcome to Florida!

Mike and I drove to Florida in mi-December, staying through News Year Day. This vacation served us two purposes, first obviously as a vaction. Secondly it was to make the plans for our upcoming Jupiter Beach, Florida wedding. *giggles* Oh yes, our wedding! August 25th, 2012 - which even though is 7 months away is coming up fast! Ahhhhhhhhhhhh, Jupiter Beach. Life is amazing and I get to marry my best friend and the great balancer in my life. *awwww so sappy*

Moose loves running on the beach!

*coughs* Anyhow. We took our Pug, Moose, to the beach at Jupiter to see how he would do. Jupiter Beach (north of the Pier at least) is one of the few dog friendly beaches left on the coast of Southern Florida. We made sure to bring lots of "doggie bags" with us in case Moose decided to use the beach as his personal sand box, and of course he did. The second he hit the sand there he went!

We would bring him to the edge of the water and run into the surf with him but then he would freak out and run back to the beach, attempting to run away from the ocean as fast as he could. Good to know that he would never run into the ocean should he ever be allowed off-leash. Good thing to know as well is that he likes to run. Fast. And far away from us when off of the leash.

Jupiter Beach, FL

Mike and I spend a lot of time in Jupiter where ultimately we want to live. We found a wonderful cafe during Hurricane Irene, ironically enough called the Hurricane Cafe, and it is a place that we go to every time we are in the area. This time, we took Moose and he did well even with the food smells and all the people. He likes to people watch, moreso for the attention I am sure.

The community of Jupiter is very active in cycling (great riding up and down the A1A**), triathlons, running, stand up paddling, surfing, deep sea fishing, just about anything you can think of ocean related. It is the perfect place for us to live, and it is the perfect place for us to start our lives as man and wife together as well. It is just so "us".

After New Years Eve, we drove north back to Michigan, through the Smokies, only for me to fly right back down a few days later. This time I was headed for the Magic Kingdom... Disney World! What another vacation? Yeah, only this time it was to run a Goofy little race, 39.3 miles total, Goofy's Race and a Half Challenge.

** You know that Ice Ice Baby is now running through your head. Do not try to deny it!

*makes airplane noises*

Welcome to Florida! (Again)

Myself and about 8 of my running friends flew down to run in the various races. We dressed up as a group for both races - for the Donald Duck Half we dressed up as the various Princesses, fairies, Peter Pan and the King.

Most of us before the Half Marathon (Holger, dressed as the King, as well as Arg's father, and Rich and Sharon are missing)

I ran with Anne and Jim as Peter Pan, Tink and Wink her wild cousin (Wink would be me of course!) stopping to take pictures at every mile (except mile 1 which we missed). I will use any excuse to run in a tutu and take pictures, so if I have to run 39.3 miles in order to have a good enough reason then count me IN!

"Wink" after the Donald Duck half Marathon 2012

After the race we hot tubbed and then headed down to Celebration, Florida (a community built by Walt Disney) for dinner. Upon awaking the next morning I had the revelation that I was so not ready for the marathon. I knew this flying down for the race.

I had just finished my MBA the week before I headed down to Florida in December, so I was ready to run another 13.1 miles and call it quits. I was a stoic person the morning of the marathon. I had a great experience at Detroit Marathon this past October. HUGE PR (77 minutes!). I had focused on wrapping up my MBA and let training or just running in general slip to the back burner for too long. I knew that I could finish the 26.2 but at what cost to my body? My goal is not this race, my goal is Ironman Florida and while it is still 10 months away at this point, was running a marathon unprepared worth the risk of injury or burn out?

Yep. DUH.

So I put on my gear and got ready with the group - 101 Dalmations (complete with Cruella) were ready to be set lose upon the Kingdom!

Those of us who stayed in the house - the rest (Arg and Sharon) were staying on-site to Disney and Corrina and Rich were in the Cheer squad not running this day.

I had a rough morning prior to the race start as well (sorry to Jim who bore the brunt of my stoic, silent, not in a taking or joking mood self. Yikes, I am really not a social person when my mind is in game mode). I was cold. I was tired. I was sore. And do you know what? So was every other person there, especially those of us doing the Goofy. We had a 13 mile test-run the day prior so this was all new territory.

Let me preface this by saying that I have felt what I call affectionately the "death march" in my fair share of races. Marathons, halfs, 5ks, whatever the distance it can happen. The death march scares me because it is where the event turns mental. I told Jim and Anne while we were waiting to head to the start that I was afraid of the death march, because it was not IF it would come, it was WHEN. I told them that while I am starting the race together with them, I am fighting my mind and the clock is going to be very close. I am prepared to stop at the half marathon checkpoint if I need to, but I did not have time to stop and take pictures every mile. It was not the time taking the pictures, it was the time stopping, waiting, taking, then getting back in. I knew that my body was not ready to run 26.2 straight through, but I had to get to the half to know that I would finish. At mile 8, I left them for good so that I could clear my head of trying to race against the finish clock. Every time we had stopped for a picture I was feeling more and more pressure and I needed to stop the pressure build and find release in running MY Goofy. I had a strong 3.1 miles until the checkpoint, got to there and then kept on going without a second thought. Well OK... without a third thought. ;-)

The castle! We got to run around it and through it in both races.

At mile 13 I realized that I could start run/walking again as my confidence rose and my pace had increased allowing me some time in the bank, so I ran/walked 1 mile at a time to mile 20 where I looked at the clock and saw that I would make it barring a nap alongside the course. The last 10k was the mental death march I was scared of. The sun was out and beating down hard now. 80* or so at this point which was a 20+* increase since the start. There was very little shade however there was a lot of water at each of the stops with ice cold drinks and sponges with water to help cool our bodies off. At the 5 hour mark it was evident that my body was not trained to be out on my feet for much over that.

Along the way, probably around mile 23 or so, which for those not in the know is where I quit my first marathon back in 2003, I found a woman who was quitting the race. Aha! There we have it folks... I found my mission. I would not willingly allow someone else to feel what I felt all those years ago. There is a time and place to quit a race and today, that day, was not either of them. There is no crying at Disney World!

She was in worse shape than I was as she could not run at all by this point. I just had her stick with me and told her that if she stuck with me, then she would get to the finish line. As we were going along, the weight on my shoulders shifted and I realized that I was becoming stronger. I could have started running again but I decided against it since my new found friend needed me. Obviously I needed her as well. She had told me that right before we had met, she went into the bathroom to call her brother to tell him that she was quitting. He had actually ended up calling her at the same time to tell her that he had asked the entire church (he is a minister) to pray for her for God to send her the ability to finish happy, this her 9th time doing the race.

When she was leaving the restroom she walked right into me and the rest is happy history. Note to everyone reading this - never EVER tell me that you are going to quit. Mile 23 is my mile now, as have still not let go of the pain of giving up on myself. Every time I pass mile 23 in a run I slap the sign or stomp on the ground. "I have beat you once again my foe! This time the battle goes to me!"

Thank the Lord! I finished! :-) 39.3 miles in the books. Now that IS Goofy!

After the race, we went downtown to celebrate with dinner wearing our medals and finishing shirts. I am quite sun-kissed in this picture and very tired. I am also so very grateful that I had my friends with me to make this experience awesome, even if it was mentally trying at times.

Yes! Yes I did!

$300 for 3 medals, 3 tech shirts, and the eternal pride of overcoming not just the wall, but myself. So totally worth it!

The next day we flew home, I got to unpack, sleep in my own bed for the first time in a week, cuddle up to Mike and the Moose, and then get ready to fly to Mexico 24 hours later.

*makes airplane flying noises*

Bienvenido a Guadalajara!

La Diablita Cantina - great food!


The New Bridge in Guadalajara put in place for the Pan Am Games of 2011, which the town held host to.

Now it is blue!

Yeah. Not much to say. I travel here frequently so I have taken most of the pictures on the many trips prior. My passport looks like I go to Mexico every week. Which reminds me, I need to work on booking my next trip there in a month or so...

*makes airplane noises*

Welcome to Michigan!

And then I was home for almost 2 whole weeks! I power tested in the Lab at Fraser which was an experience in and of itself!

*makes airplane noises* Cha-Ching! I just made Silver Elite status with Delta!

Willkommen in Deutschland!

So here we are. Back to cold, damp, winter Michigan style, only not in Michigan.

Yesterday I landed in Frankfurt, drove to my hotel in Babenhausen, and then traveled via the Bahn back to Frankfurt downtown and walked around the city.

Frankfurt skyline from the river Main

Frankfurt Downtown

Today was Babenhousen via foot. The US Army has a base here and in 2007, after 60 years, they handed it back over to the German Government. Here are some old homes in the area around the base.

My phone is not transferring my recent photos right now, so as soon as I can get to work I shall update with my Babenhausen and Frankfurt pictures. We are going to an offsite meeting the next two days, then back to Babenhousen Tuesday night for the rest of the week. I plan on getting back to Frankfurt this week if possible, and to get out and see other sites if time allows.

Ich bieten gute Nacht zu jeder. Sicher sein. Halten Sie sich warm!

(Goodnight, stay safe and stay warm)

~ Fräulein Jenniferlyn

Forget Resolutions. I have resolve. What I need are goals!

2012-01-02T17:39:00.001-05:00

It is that time of year once again. The time to swear off smoking, drinking, food, whatever your vice and to resolve to make a change in the new year.

While this is admirable, I have decided to take a different position this year. I do not need resolutions as much as I need goals. I guess, looking over my list I see some of both.

RESOLUTIONS
I resolve to take situations with a grain of salt. This means to stop being so emotional or rather sensitive to certain situations.

I resolve to be a supporter of my friends and to always lift them up, never to year them down. There is too much poison in the world and we need more genuine care and less bitchiness towards others.

GOALS
This year I have a pretty packed schedule. Nearly the entire month of January I will be either in Florida our in another country.

I have a half marathon in the spring to look forward to, then multisport season stars with some durations, long distance bike tours, a few half iron distanced triathlons and culminating with Ironman Florida.

As if that was not enough, I am getting married in the middle of all of the crazy with the wedding being out of state to boot!

With that much going on, I feel that goals would be better to capture what I hope to accomplish this year.

Lose 30-40#.
Through eating clean, getting more sleep, training, and taking care of myself in general.

Life Balance.
I want to take up stand up paddle boarding this year in addition to continuing to add rock wall climbing and yoga into my training as cross training activities to spend more time with Mike. We are taking monthly cooking classes together to support our goals for this year. <3 This is part of my Christmas gift from Mike in fact!

Another life balance activity I am going to adhere to is to spend more time with friends! I have been horrible of this in the past. :(

In order to accomplish all of this, I need to get up and get my butt to work by getting in my training early in the morning whenever possible! I will be working out in the lab at Fraser this year, so that will help me refrain from procrastination.

Work out my mind.
I made a goal last year to read more and thanks to my Kindle, I was able to accomplish this goal in good fashion. This year I would like to read 12 books (last year I read 12 in the first three months!)

Additionally I want to capture the milestones of this year in pictures. I have always been intrigued by project 365 & project 52 but never had the time to dedicate to this. I am making up my own project this year, and am calling it Project Journey. I will not be setting the guidelines as one picture a day or one a week or even one a month. I want to capture the milestones as they occur regardless of how frequent.

Should be interesting! So what are some of your goals for 2012?

Wednesday's Wonderings

2011-12-07T22:07:00.001-05:00

Created by: Health Science

Wednesday Wonderings

2011-11-30T20:41:00.001-05:00

Watching "I Used to be Fat" is great motivation for me. Watching these teens go from being obese to being slimmer, healthier versions of themselves makes me smile. It also reminds me of the choices that I have made in my life and how I got to where I am today by those choices.

I remember the days when I could not even fathom running a block, let alone training for an Ironman. Now I cannot imagine my life without this. It is absolutely amazing what happens when you surround yourself with the right people; positive and supportive people in both family and friends.

One day I will no longer be able to do this. Today? Today is not that day.

Today if you are feeling down because of the choices you have made, remember that you have another choice: how you recover from them and move forward.

Onward and upward my friends!

Eating to Live vs. Living to Eat: Part I - A Primer

2011-11-19T23:20:00.000-05:00

There are so many "diets" out there these days. Omnivore. Vegetarian. Vegan. Clean. Paleolithic. Obviously I am not speaking about fad diets, but rather our preferred diet as a lifestyle. Which brings me to the topic of eating for life, versus living to eat.

When we live to eat we are ignoring the makeup of the foods we consume and are focused on the sensory experience. The taste, the feel, the smell, even the sound. Eating encompasses so many senses no wonder it is something that we enjoy. Aside from NEEDING to eat in order to live, we tend to focus on food as some object to have to consume. We do not tend to think of it as fuel for our bodies.

I am learning that the first step in correcting eating habits is to start to think of food in terms of fuel and nutrients. This does not mean that I cannot still enjoy food. It just means that I am starting to think about what is in the food I eat, where it comes from, and how my body is going to use it.

What is this food giving me aside from a full sensory experience? Aside from comfort? Aside from pleasure? Can my body use the nutrients within to thrive, or is it merely going to survive?

Our bodies need both macro- and micro-nutrients in order to perform at peak levels, in order to thrive, and I am not speaking about sports performance. The micro-nutrients are found within in the foods we eat and supplement with. What we generically call food, science calls a combination of the macro-nutrients: fat, carbohydrate, and protein.

And yes, contrary to certain fad diets we do indeed require all three in balance for optimal health. The reason for this is due to how foods break down into our bodies, and how our bodies utilize these components which are the building blocks of a solid body.

Fundamentally speaking if all three nutrients are abundant in the diet, carbohydrates and fats will be used primarily for energy while proteins provide the raw materials for making hormones, muscle, and other essential biological equipment. If one of the three is missing or lacking, or one is in overabundance, this process is altered and it shows in our physique.

Back in the early days of mankind, we were hunter-gatherers. We had very limited resources for food options and had to work hard to fill our bellies. Today, calories are mostly cheap and plentiful, perhaps too much so. Long gone are the days of having to earn our food. We do not have to run after a hamburger and pizza is delivered right to our doors. Understanding what the basic macro-nutrients have to offer can help us make better choices when it comes to our own diets.

From the moment a bite of food enters the mouth, each bit of nutrition within starts to be broken down for use by the body. Convenient, eh? One thing that I have learned is that our bodies are nothing if not efficient and highly adaptable. This is a blessing and a curse.

I find myself asking the question that if it is so easy, then why are we still a nation of obese people? Scratch that. If it is so easy then why am I still fat? Assuming that I am at the peak of my physical outputs and focusing on the nutritional topic, there must be some common problems that active people face in reducing their body fat.

Well, guess what? There is. That commonality lies within the fact that for some reason we seem to not quite understand what food really is.

Think about that. I did. It scared me.

We have to eat every day to survive, yet we do not understand what we are putting into our mouths. That is sad. And frightening.

I found a great article on this very topic over on Beginner Triathlete by Ken Mierke. He explained it better than I ever could, so here is what he has to say on the topic of these macro-nutrients.

Examples of the macro-nutrients

Calories consumed in the form of protein may be used to repair tissues (such as muscle), be used as fuel, or be stored as fat (significant protein will be stored as fat only in extreme cases of over-consumption). This is unlikely. People are not overweight from over-consumption of protein. Athletes trying to decrease bodyfat should eat a lot of protein. I recommend about 0.6 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight.

Under-consumption of protein, on the other hand, may lead to muscle atrophy, which results in decreased metabolic rate, which results in fat storage. Eating enough protein, spread throughout the day, maintains muscle mass and keeps metabolic rate high. This is one key to long-term weight management.

Calories consumed in the form of carbohydrates may be kept in the blood where they can be used as a fuel source, they can be stored in the muscles as glycogen, or be stored as fat. Two of three results of eating carbohydrate are good. The important point is that which of these results occurs is largely under our control. How our bodies use carbohydrates is affected by when we consume them, which types of carbohydrates we choose, as well as what other foods are eaten together with the carbohydrates.

Carbohydrates are necessary for burning fat. Avoiding carbohydrates is absolutely not the answer to anyone’s weight management problems.Nobody ever got any leaner by depleting carbohydrate storage. Incorporating carbohydrates into a nutrition plan in such a way that they are used as fuel instead of stored as fat is the answer.

Calories consumed in the form of fat may be kept in the blood until they are burned or stored as fat. Most fat calories consumed will end up in fat storage. Unlike protein and carbohydrate consumption, increasing fat consumption has very little effect on metabolic rate. Basically, eating too much fat makes you fat (as well as other health destroying consequences).

So, if we eat an extra 100 calories of protein at breakfast, and none of it is stored as fat, this is a good thing. That protein helps prevent carbohydrate consumed with it from being stored as fat (yay) , triggers feelings of satiety (yay), increases resting metabolic rate (yay!), and maintains muscle mass (yay!!).

The first step in shifting the food paradigm is to understand what food is. Hopefully this primer was a first step and inspired the desire to learn more. I am researching the calorie in - calorie out paradigm and will post up my findings and thoughts under Eating to live vs. Living To Eat: Part II - Caloric inequalities.

The Challenge... Week 3 Wrap Up

This post also comes on the eve of the wrap up for week 3 in the challenge. If you are in the challenge feel free to post up your progress or email it to me. If you are interested in joining the challenge let me know! Every day take time to educate and give back to yourself. What takes time to develop will only give back to you in the future. Consider the development of these healthy habits today an investment in your future.

Knowledge gained and action taken are deposits into the bank account of life.

When the mind creates so much noise that it makes us go deaf to our own needs; time for some introspection..

2011-11-17T14:49:00.000-05:00

"To be idle is a short road to death and to be diligent is a way of life; foolish people are idle, wise people are diligent."

This quote from the Hindu Prince Guatama Siddharta, the founder of Buddhism, is interesting to me. I believe that being idle, my definition being the act of not challenging ourselves to learn or participate in life, will eventually dull the mind and our experiences in life. I also believe that there is a big difference in mindless idle time and purposeful idle time. I think that this is why I have a hard time doing nothing for long periods of time. I get the 4 A's: agitated, antsy, annoyed, aggravated. I cannot sit still for too long without feeling like I am being wasteful of the precious moments given to us to spend each day. Occasional gluttony is fine with me - enjoying a lazy morning in bed without care for when I get up is fine with me. However I cannot live my life every single day squandering the moments away. I just cannot do it. While I love laying out on the beach listening to the waves break, I will read, collect shells, go for a swim and walk the shoreline during my time there. I cannot just lie there all afternoon. I want to experience relaxation and rest, and I do, but to me that does not mean that I have to be unconscious for it.

Dull minds limp bodies make, for nations filled with uncertainty and unfocused energy.

I consider the importance of both the physical and the mental in what I call health inertia. My thoughts being that if you start activity it leads to further activity. However, once we stop being active it becomes harder to become active. Putting the ball in motion: the first push is always the hardest however to keep it rolling you need to gently push it along gently.

I speak a lot about the physical portion of health on this blog, however I do not spend enough time on the more mental aspects of health. Healthy activity does not always have to be hard on the body or even involve the body moving.

In the past few years I have come to realize that running has been as much as a mental activity as a physical one for me. I notice this immediately when I stop running. When I run consistently I allow my mind a break from school, from work, from home. It is "me" time. It is time to catch up with friends. It is time that my mind has to run more freely than most hours of the day. I find that I sleep better, that I have more energy mentally as well as physically, and I am overall happier. While this can easily be attributed to the physical action of running, I think that it is in part due to the mental release.

On my solo runs I start to examine the red light of whatever fires my mind is mulling over, working on the ways to put them out. One by one *poof* gone. By the end of my runs I am left with no burning lights, only a calm mind. I joke that I found "zen" at my half Ironman last year, but I was only half joking. It was during that race that I experienced a truly uplifting day - no matter what was going on my mind was not on the outcome, only the journey. It became so clear to me why I do this, and it was all internal. I felt so full of light and happiness that the day unfolded in front of me. I just embraced the day from the moment I woke up to the moment I went to bed.

Since I have taken a month of from any real running my mind has not had a clear signal to switch from fire mode to relaxation mode. I often will go to bed with a racing mind and wake up exhausted. My dreams are a confusing mash-up of the days events, anticipatory visions of tomorrow's events, and problems at work and school. I had to find a way to stop this but one which would not be another time sucker for me. Balancing home, school, work, and training for a marathon and half Ironman takes up just about all of the time one could possibly have in a day excluding sleep. Thank goodness we are a child-free home. I am not a fan of burning the candle at both ends as that is the quickest route to burn out. I have found the answer for me in meditation. Short sessions of guided meditation.

Over the past year I have collected many podcasts on meditation. I started to listen to one meditation podcast in particular, the meditation podcast, and have found that the short sessions work well for me and my needs. Since I get too agitated if I am to sit still for more than 20 minutes, these shorter guided sessions have been just long enough to be effective and just short enough that I can fully give myself to the practice. The simple act of mediation, while not simple at all, has opened up a new door for me and my health. Just like the resultant from running, I have found more energy, am honestly happier, and have a better sense of connectivity to my body's needs.

Part of my challenge is to re-learn the cues my body is sending me but that I cannot hear or that I am ignoring. This introspection has allowed me the opportunity to get back into harmony with my body. I know that it is a process, and meditation in only a part of the equation. We need to listen to our bodies. Hunger cues, sleep cues, happiness cues. The mind is sneaky and can be our worst enemy when we need to dig deep. It has the power to trick us into being idle and complacent if we allow it to, by lending our focus to how hard something will be or how much it will hurt - good or bad.

Our bodies,on the other hand, will tell us exactly what they need. Our bodies do not lie. Exercise, micro-nutrients, sleep. We drown out these signals by everyday activities. Eating when the clock or social paradigms dictate. Sleeping when we can fit it in. Working out only if we have the time. Allowing our minds to talk us out of what we know we should do. Sneak sneaky sneaky. The mind can create so much noise that it makes us go deaf to our own needs.

In the attempt to relearn my internal cues I now eat until I am almost full and have been trying to slow down my eating process so it can register when I am nearing the full point so I can stop ahead of it and not be stuffed. I am also trying to learn how much sleep my body needs by allowing it to tell me. I have turned off my daily alarm clock and now allow my body to go to sleep and wake up when it needs to. I am fortunate that I have been able to wake up with plenty of time to get to work in the mornings and have found that I am getting a consistent amount of sleep each night, between 7 and 9 hours.

This is a work in progress, but I am happy to see that this meditation is adding to my experience along the journey. This will be one practice that I continue on with long after my days of triathlons are over.

Week 3 Challenge: If you have set a challenge for yourself, try stepping outside of the physical aspects this week and try tuning into your body. How does it feel after you put it to work? Does it tell you that it needs more or does it say it needs rest? If your mind drowning out your bodies cues of sleep and hunger? Or are you listening to what your body has to say to you?

Being Healthy is A Revolution

2011-11-14T16:31:00.001-05:00

In my research of holistic living, I came across a website that has grabbed my attention: Revolutionaryact.com. This website has many resources on many facets of health: health & wellness, healthy eating, nontoxic living, fit living, and balanced living.

I think that we all can use some help in life balance, or living a fit, healthy lifestyle, and this website includes links to websites, books, and other resources in the different categories.

This lead me to think about some of the documentaries that I have watched in recent years, Food Inc. King Corn, No Impact Man, and books that I have read Vegan Freak, Good Bye My Subaru, Fast Food Nation, and Skinny Bitch. Sustainability. Going back to a simpler time. Reducing stress, getting adequate sleep, having compassion and knowledge of where our food comes from. Health, my friends, is not a given.

I believe that being healthy is the culmination of making good choices every day. Granted illness and genetic issues happen, but why not tilt the hand of health in your favor? Especially when you never know what is coming down the road. Again, health is not a given, nor does one "stumble" into health.

I printed out the booklet from the website as well as the 11x17" poster to put up in my workout room. I am posting a few of the items from the list that I thought were quite positive. The full 101 list is available with explanation on the website.

Exerpts from 101 Revolutionary Ways to Be Healthy
-revolutionaryact.com

#4 - Celebrate what is good - Amen. I believe in looking for the good in things. It is in the bad that we can experience and appreciate the good. Sure we can sit here and wish that we had more endurance, wish that we were thinner, wish that we were larger, wish that we were stronger, wish for whatever... but how often do we take the time to celebrate what we already have?

#5 - Repossess your health - I take this as meaning to not blame others for our health nor give credit for others for our health. We must make health a priority - sleep, micro-nutrients, exercise. WE chose what goes into our bodies. The contents of every fork or spoon that touches our lips is by choice. OUR choice.

#8 - Minimize symptom suppression - Two things that speak to me on this one - a.) stop taking so much medicine to mask how my body is feeling, as well as not to downplay what is going on and label it as stress or fatigue when it may be something else.

#11 - Be part of the solution - Yes! Overweight? Figure out what it will take for YOUR body to lose weight. FYI, the old calories in / calories out paradigm is not necessarily the answer. Research. Experiment. Challenge yourself every day.

#20 - Aim for 85% - meaning there is no perfection! Aiming for 100% perfection in diet and exercise and living is going to set you up for failure. Aim to make 85% of the right choices each day, and forgive yourself for the 15%. Drop it and move on!

#32 - Savor what you eat - I need to work on this. Slow down. Put down that fork. Enjoy the food.

#36 - Read labels - Understand what it is that you are putting into your body. Can't pronounce it? Don't eat it. BTW, if it needs an ingredients label, it is processed and not first choice. Those items which are closest to the earth should be closest to the mouth. Again, I need to work on this as well. Due to a busy lifestyle I tend to go for the quick fix meals. Being vegetarian also lends itself to overly processed foods. This is why I have chose to eat predominantly vegetarian, but to allow locally raised lean protein sources back into my diet on occasion.

#37 - Ignore labels - Fat Free! Zero Calories! Yeah.. FAKE! Move on.

#45 - Beware artificial hungers - Depression, boredom, thirst. I need to re-acquaint myself with my real hunger cues.

#65 - Sleep well - 'Nuff said.

#90 - Vote your values - Voting = making choices. Every choice, every dollar spent, every calorie consumed = a vote either for or against success.

#97 - Focus on actions, not outcomes - it is the process, the development of life long healthy habits that will result in a healthy fit person. Again, it is not the extra 20# upon a persons frame which dictates that they are overweight. It is their lifestyle and choices that dictates that they will remain overweight. Takes your eyes off of the scale and focus on what choices you make each and every moment of every day.

#100 - Show up - Be present in life. Life is not a spectator event.

#101 - Pass it on. Learn something and pass it on to those who can benefit from the knowledge. Consider this passed.

Above all else - think. Take ownership and take back your life!

Challenge Motivation Week 2, Part 2

2011-11-11T11:26:00.001-05:00

Late-week check-in time on the challenge! If you haven't done anything yet this week - this weekend is the perfect time to go for a walk, get in some treadmill stationary bike or elliptical time, or even get your food preparations done for next week. We cannot live life looking through a rear-view mirror, so we must keep making forward progress. This is the jump-start on developing healthy new habits, or reinforcing those which you already have.

Let's use this weekend as the jumping off point for a very successful week 3, getting ready to feed both our bodies and our souls! This weekend I am planning on making some homemade soups. I have included the recipe for my potato-fennel soup below for those interested..

I am also planning on swimming Saturday morning with FAST and then Sunday evening with my friends Anne and Jaye. I also hope to get in a ride on my bike and a 10-12 mile run although my knee is hurting after last night's run. I may have to go shorter and see what my knee is telling me.

In addition to all of that, I hope to get some cleaning done, prep for the following week, some headway on my very last graduate research paper and my school work for the week done. Ahhh... all in the life of Jenn! 5 weeks until the finish line!

Tale from Ironman, Part 2

Susie

When Annelise and I were heading out for the run that was not meant to be, we were seeing a lot of athletes coming in and riding their bikes around before checking them in. We noticed that there were many road bikes and even a hybrid bike or two. Interesting. One of the athletes on a road bike was named Susie and she was from Canada, although living in Holland. We discussed her race plans, why she was doing the race, and how she felt about it. This was her first Ironman and told us that she would rather have an ocean swim than a hilly bike. We saw her and her husband multiple times throughout the day, and come race day I saw her in the swim chute where I was a peeler and then again as she crossed the finish line. It was so great experiencing her race day through her eyes as it was unfolding. She stopped in the swim chute and gave me a big hug with a huge smile on her face and then again when I saw her finish I yelled to her and she ran over and gave me another big hug, telling me that she just DID THAT!

I like to take away the lesson that this is a privileged not a given, and if we work hard enough for our goals or rather even when we work hard for our goals, we need to truly enjoy the experience, the journey not just the finish line. She never said thank goodness I am done, or I am glad that is over. She simply marveled in what she accomplished that day - wide eyed and smiling all the way.

If we are working towards a goal, we need to keep in mind what this goal means to us. If it is for vanity reasons only, we are less likely to accomplish the goal because it has little real meaning to us.

When setting your goals be they short or long term based, we need to attach real meaning to them otherwise we are setting ourselves up for a failure or at best a shallow success.

Roasted Potato-Fennel Soup


Roasted Potato-Fennel Soup

Ingredients (feel free to add or admit as you see fit)

2 medium fennel bulbs or 1 large
5-6 small golden potatoes or any other type you have around
2-3 whole shallots with skins removed OR 1/2 C vidalia/sweet onion coursely chopped
2-3 garlic cloves, whole, skin removed (optional - more or less as you would like)
Salt, pepper, misc. seasoning powders and olive oil to coat
Dried dill to taste (Optional)
Vegetable broth or chicken broth to make soup into desired consistency

Note: You can add parsnips, carrots, turnips, sweet potatoes, or rutabaga to this if you chose. The sky is the limit!

I cut up the potatoes into smaller pieces for even roasting, and cut the fennel bulbs into quarters or the ulb into eighths. I toss the potatoes, fennel bulbs, garlic cloves, onions or shallots and any additional vegetables in with olive oil and seasonings including some dill to coat and then lay out on a cake pan to roast. For me, I typically use a 1/2 sheet cake pan. I sprinkle additional dill over the vegetables and then roast in the oven @ 400* for 30-35 minutes or until they veggies are done.

Once roasted, I dump the contents of the cake pan into a large mixing bowl, and mash with a submersion blender creating a mashed potato blend. I then add in my broth of choice and continue to mis with the submersion blender until the soup is to my preferred consistency. I add in additional dill and then serve.

If you are using a blender, you must let the roasted veggies cool down before you can add the broth, then you must re-heat the mixture before seerving, although this soup is good cold as well.

Breaking the Cycle

2011-11-10T15:30:00.001-05:00

This week has been hard for me. Honestly this year has been hard for me. Aside from crazy work days, doing a very fast paced MBA program, and training for a marathon and half Ironman this year, Mike and I lost our dear Punkin (cat) and our dear Simon (cat) all in the span of 6 months. For Punkin, it was the day before our 6th year anniversary and it was a total surprise to us. Immediately, I turned to my binge food of choice: chocolate. Oh, but not just any chocolate. No no no. Not just any old chocolate will do in these situations.

This called for the decadent, luxurious, caramel, dark chocolate, sea salt and macadamia nut clusters that you can purchase at Costco. *shakes fist in the air at Costco* Oh why must you have such a thing in such a quantity for us to buy and gorge ourselves on?!?!

Fast forward to Florida in August when I had an epiphany that my relationship with food was really out of whack. I worked out so freaking hard (so I think) but I weigh way more than I should given my caloric burn levels. Obviously it lies in the intake and less on my output which really could not increase any more at these training levels.   I come home from the trip, re-start up clean eating and drop 11 lbs. Every meal was a fight between the angel and the devil. The eternal fight between necessity and excess. Clean, lean, whole foods versus the processed, sugar laden foods which are my weakness. While by eating processed sugar-laden foods I can survive; with whole clean foods I can thrive.

Then I quit. I went right back to old habits. I was on the right track, started to see some major gains (or rather losses) and I quit.   Why do I do that? GAH! It is so frustrating! Oh, I know why. It is the same reason why I pull back on everything once I see progress. Maybe it is all because progress means going out on a limb, leaving my comfort zone and getting uncomfortable. I do not like being uncomfortable. No matter how uncomfortable in my own skin I am, it is better to my inner lazy bum of a self than being uncomfortable in exercise or lifestyle choices.

So, I eat. I eat to celebrate, I eat to mourn. I eat to comfort my self. I eat to fuel my workouts. I eat to fuel my body to live. Notice how the real reason to eat is noted last? My relationship with food is still after all of these years so messed up. This is something I will take a while to work on, but it needs to change.

When I put Simon down Tuesday night, Mike and I went to eat afterwards. we were both very upset. However, I did something that surprised me. I did not go crazy and turn to food. In fact, I made some very smart decisions without even thinking twice. The words just rolled off of my tongue.   Tomato based soup, a clean meal full of lean protein and steamed veggies, and then Mike and I shared a dessert. I was satisfied, pleasantly full and not craving anything at all. Well, except to see my beloved Simon again. The rest of the night was rough. The next day I went to lunch with my friend Stacy and the same thing happened. I ordered a bowl of cabbage soup and then a sandwich with no accompaniments, also no dessert. I did not go crazy and say that I deserve a huge meal full of fat and calories and chocolate just because I am sad.

It would have been one thing if I made the conscious choice and ignored my inner devil saying "Go for it Jenn! You are mourning! You need comfort food!' The truth is, there was no devil. My mind never even thought of comfort food.

Ah, the face of emotional eating.

Do I think that I have broken the cycle? No. I think that I am developing a good habit which will make staying on the clean, holistic path much easier as my stress levels rise. I said before that my 60 day challenge was to start and complete INSANITY. I am changing that goal. I realized that what I need to do now while I am in "off-season" from triathlon training is to focus on three things: sleep, whole foods, running. Swimming, cycling and cross training such as INSANITY will still happen, however my focus needs to be on these three things.

Sleep

Getting my body used to sleeping regular hours will set myself up for a good habit when training starts back up and is in full swing. I need to remember that rest and recovery is just as important as exercise. Sleep is key in many functions. Six to eight hours per day is the average amount of sleep a person needs. That is about one-third of a lifetime! As a population, we sleep about 1 to 1.5 hours less than we did 100 years ago. Additionally, substantial medical evidence suggests somefascinating links between sleep and weight. Researchers say that how much yousleep and quite possibility the quality of your sleep may silently orchestratea symphony of hormonal activity tied to your appetite (WebMD, 2011). On a hormonal level, when we don't get enough sleep, itdrives leptin levels down, which means that we don't feel as satisfied after weeat. Lack of sleep also causes ghrelin levels to rise, which means ourappetite is stimulated, so we want more food.

Whole Foods

One of the best things to have come from my trip to PCB with Annelise was the focus on whole foods, and a holistic approach to living. I learned so much from her and I appreciate her taking the time to educate me on some topics. The best things that I took away from her was the importance of feeding the body on a micro-nutrient level. The means less focus on the burgers and fries, and more focus on the vitamins and nutrients I am putting into my body.

Sometimes in life, we don't see the forest for the trees. And the field ofnutrition is no exception. We can get so focused on the health benefits of acertain vitamin or phytochemical that we miss an important point: that differentcomponents in a single food can work together to benefit our health, and so cancomponents in different foods that are eaten together. In addition to focusing on the foods and nutrients that I am putting into my body, I need to re-learn my hunger cues. I often grab something to eat without checking if I am thirsty or even determining if I am hungry or bored. My portions have grown out of control and when eating a normal, real, portion I often feel surprised that I am not stuffed. I am putting an emphasis on the clean foods that I am eating, stocked up on veggies that soup making produce that I know that I love and will eat happily, and have even purchased some new things that I have told myself in the past that I do not like, to give them another try. Namely apples and pears.

Part of this process will entail tracking my calories in and out to really understand how I am doing. No more guessing. Guessing for me does not work.

Running

Standing in line waiting to register this past weekend, Annelise and I had the pleasure of standing in line with two 70-75 year old multi-time Ironman finishers. We took the time to get to know them and to pick their brains about the process. Both of the men had gotten into triathlon and Ironman in just the past few years. While that alone is inspirational, I found my conversation with one of the men particularly enlightening. I asked him, of all the sports what is the one that it is "all about". Without hesitation he responded the run.

I was surprised by this only because everyone else in my circle has always said that it is about the bike. I guess that when you are a strong runner it can be about the bike. However, this gentleman was like me. His strong suit was the bike and for him he needed to work on his running in order to feel strong in the Ironman race. I know for me that I will have plenty of time to swim bike and run in the next year. However, in the back of my mind I know that my weakest sport is the run.

I can make it through the swim, and that is my goal; to make it through under 2:20, preferably in by 2 hours. I could do under 2 hours in a lake swim, possibly substantially under or even closer to 1:45, however in the ocean I am nervous about the current and waves. Oh, and sea creatures. Oddly enough, not sharks. OK, sharks too. But I have a while until this will become a focus.

For the bike, I want to get into the zone and hold on. I hear that the winds can be brutal, so I want to get strong on the bike and be able to hold on to the effort Bonnie tells me to while maintaining a good speed. I need to learn to execute the bike, not "eat the paste' and stay in the box until it is time to react. The bike is not that time. And neither is the off season. Now is not the time to worry about all of that. Not quite yet.

The time to react in the race will be somewhere between miles 18 and 20 on the run. The difference I see here for me personally is the condition that I will be in at that point. Will I be on a death march? Or will be I be cruising along cheering and clapping and high-5ing every volunteer and bystander I see? I really hope the later more so than the former. In the past I have had horrible runs off of long bikes. My half Iron races are more like slow painful walk fests, namely due to poor BRIC training and high heat. Or as I say - poor training period. I will most likely not have high heat to contend with come November 3, 2012, however I will have myself to contend with. In training, I tend to ditch the running first because I was a runner before triathlete and I feel as if I have a gimme on that, even though my performance shows otherwise. Funny how my brain can rationalize and justify just about anything I want it to. It really is a blessing and a curse.

So in this off-season, or as I like to call it the season of getting my head right, I am focusing on the mechanics and strength of running. Not to get faster, only to get stronger.

I feel that once the habits are formed, that as long as I keep the focus on my routines and rituals each day, when the stress levels and fatigue levels increase I will be ready to tackle them with both ferocity and perseverance. My mother was right; I am a trampoline girl. I can bounce back off of a situation and keep on going, even if it is in a different direction. I believe that this trait will be more of a blessing for me as the days count down.

Challenge... Week 2

2011-11-08T12:05:00.002-05:00

Hello everyone! I have received some communication from challenge members with their week 1 progress or their personal challenge requirements. Good job to everyone!

If you are finding this challenge late, there is still time to make use of the last 7 weeks of 2011! Maybe you want to start December 1st and make it a 30 day challenge. Whatever you chose, just chose to make the most of the last bit of 2011.

I just returned from a trip to Panama City Beach, FL where most everyone knows that I volunteered at the Ironman race. I stood in line with my friend Annelise and we registered for 2012. It is done. We are committed. NO MORE EXCUSES.

I mention this because it was exactly what I needed to experience in order to provide me with the right encouragement and motivation for my own personal journey to the victory lap. The race itself is in a class of its own. Words cannot capture the emotions rolling around PCB all weekend. I will share a few stories here throughout the week as this week's motivation. This is not about Ironman, triathlon, or any race. These are stories of perseverance, dedication, and never giving up even when doubt looms.

TALES FROM IRONMAN 2011- Part 1

The reward is not in the destination, but in the journey...

And some people's journeys are shorter than they think. The swim cut-off is 2 hours, 20 minutes from the start of the age-group race at 7:00am. Some swimmers pulled themselves out due to various reasons, jelly fish (one lady was stung), swim distress, any sort of reason. Of the athletes who completed 2.4 miles, only one did not make the cut-off.

As the swimmer made her way to shore, the volunteers, family members and all the people remaining at the swim start stood and cheered for her as if she just won the race. Dave, the announcer, made comment that sometimes the journey we take is shorter than we think it will be. We must remember that this is about the journey and not the destination. Her race day ended at 9:22 am on this particular day, however she is able to try again.

Do not allow a set back to derail you from reaching your goals. Few people 'hit it out of the ballpark" their first try. Success is in perseverance. Success is in never giving up and being tenacious in your progress attempts. Success is realizing that there is no perfection. If you fail, that is good. Why? Because it meant that you made the effort. You put yourself out there. Take the lesson that failure means progress, and to never ever give up on yourself or your dreams.

The Challenge Has Started!

2011-11-01T10:35:00.001-04:00

Have you?

What did you do today or yesterday for your health? What are the habits you are working towards forming?

This week's focus is consistency in working towards the goal. Sure, there may be faltering the first few days as this challenge is new, but do not take any faltering as failing.

For me - I had to start my challenge one day late due to school work taking me into the wee hours of the night Sunday and again Monday night. Today my alarm did not go off in time for my morning workout, so I will have to start it up tonight. The key is to move on and pick up right where I am today.

The wee hours of Thursday will bring Annelise and myself traveling to Florida to start our journey to the 140.6 mile victory lap. Along the way we plan on stopping off at the rest stops and getting in a quick run. I am counting Thursday as a workout day! Friday I am hoping to get in a nice swim and am packing my wetsuit and swim gear just in case the ocean is a viable option. We are volunteering on Saturday, myself the 6am and 9pm shifts and Annelise the 9pm shift, so in the middle we plan on walking around and taking in the full IM experience. Sunday we are signing up for the 2012 season, and I hope to sneak in a long run; possibly a10k or 10 miler, along the beach. While I will not be doing my INSANITY workouts during this weekend most likely, I am still being active, and I am counting this activity towards my goal. This means that when I return from the trip, I will start back up with the DVDs where I left off. I am going to do this program from start to finish by any means possible. This creativity is allowing me to be consistent.

I have found that when I am consistent, even getting out and doing a portion of a workout if I cannot get in a full workout helps me better than not even attempting it to begin with. If I have 5 miles on tap for a mid-week run but only have time for 3, I will do 3. 3 is better than 0. 1 is better than 0. Alternately, I will do a two-a-day if that option is open. I do this by doing 50% of the scheduled run in the morning or at lunch, and then 75% of the scheduled run distance after work. This equates to 2.5 miles + 3.5 miles = 6 miles. I takes both of these runs at an easier pace than I would have the scheduled 5 miler. It is a great way to boost miles safely, as well as increasing caloric burn through the day.

One thing I will advise against is doubling up on workouts if one is missed. Doubling up on workouts is much different than doing a two-a-day in order to complete a workout. If something is missed, just walk away and get back to it tomorrow. There is no benefit in cramming in missed workouts. It leads to additional stress and the elimination of the body's ability to rest and recover from other workouts. It is a one way ticket to Burnoutville.

All of this goes to show that we must be creative sometimes in order to meet our goals. But it is from this creativity that fresh new habits are formed. The biggest thing for this week in starting the challenge is STARTING. It does not have to be big. It does not have to be bold. It just has to be. Focus on being consistent and making an attempt at something each day.

There is still time to join in the challenge! Some members are doing a 30 day challenge, others a 45 day challenge, and others the full 60. Whatever works for you! Send me an email at jwarstler@gmail.com and let me know what your personal challenge is and when you are starting. All challenges will end on December 29th.

Rock on my friends! Rock on!

~Jenniferlyn/RedZone/RunnerGirl

19 people and counting.

2011-10-29T16:30:00.001-04:00

I sent out an email to everyone that has contact me so far about joining in on the challenge. I am really happy that almost 20 people responded so quickly.

I think that it goes to show that we know what we have to do, it is sometimes just having the push and support system around us to make the work turn into a lifestyle. Balancing school, work, children, home obligations, sports, etc. is time consuming and we tend to lose sight of ourselves and our needs during the time we give to others. This is not selfishness in a bad way, rather it is a needed selfishness that we must take advantage of.

If we give all to others and other activities, then we have nothing left for ourselves. What does that say about the quality we are giving out? If we are too tired to take time to take care of ourselves due to being stretched too thin at home or work, we are out of balance. What happens when a plane is out of balance? You experience turbulence and the plane may crash.

There is still time to join the challenge and make use of the last bit of 2011. Again, send me an email at jwarstler@gmail.com or post a comment below if you are interested and include your name and your personal challenge to yourself.

Consider This a throw Down! Introducing The Journey's 2011 Insanity Challenge.

2011-10-28T17:16:00.001-04:00

One of my favorite sayings is from Jonathan Roche, and he says that if you started one year ago on your journey to a better you, you would already be on your way. My other favorite saying, also by Jonathan, is that you cannot drive a car by looking through the rear-view mirror.

Maybe you set a goal for yourself that you did not meet. Maybe you had intentions of losing some weight and being beach ready by July 4th weekend. Maybe you just wanted to start a healthy habit but never quite got to the point where it felt natural so you quit. Whatever has happened this year, let it go. It is not over, you have not lost.

We still have two months left in 2011. That is two whole months worth of time to work towards our goals. So what is July 4th has come and gone? Until 12/31, we should not close the cover on our possibilities.

With that, I am throwing down a challenge. To who? To myself. I am calling myself OUT and challenging myself to start and finish something. To use the next 8 weeks to do something to better myself, to prime my pump for 2012, and to get me through the 'blah" seasons while I wrap up my MBA program.

My personal challenge is to start Beachbody's INSANITY workout and follow it through to its sweaty, HR increasing, plyometric jumping end. I have Jenn's Cave of Pain (CoP) all set for the challenge and I am ready to get down and do it. I will start a new tab on here to chart my progress and to stay accountable. So that is my personal INSANITY Goal for 2011.

You can do this! I can do this! We can do this together!

What I am also doing, is throwing the challenge out to all of you. I am calling each and every one of you out. It is my blog, I am allowed to do that. Whether it be Beachbody's P90X program, their INSANITY Program. Hip Hop Abs, Turbo Fire, whatever you have lying around why not dust it off and give it another go?

Every single day we have the opportunity to move. It is by our actions that we determine the direction in which we travel.

What if you have yet to try their products? Then this challenge is super special because you get to determine what you want to do! Maybe it is to just be active every single day for 60 days. Maybe your challenge is to workout in the morning or maybe your challenge it to workout at night. Maybe you want to develop a running habit or eat clean for 60 days.

Whatever it is: COMMIT TO IT. START IT. DO IT. FINISH IT.

This is not about the end result of inches or pounds lost, or cardio improvement percentages but rather the process of forming a habit. I would recommend that you do not challenge yourself to lose 'x'lbs by New Years, but rather to start a habit and stick with it until challenge's end and then evaluate how it fits into your life. When we focus on a number on a scale or some other metric of what we deem as perfection, we are setting ourselves up to fail. How frustrating is that? Very. And demotivating. And demoralizing. And and and. It is just not fair, but we do not have to accept that.

We fail in achievement not because we fail to want the result, but rather because we are not focusing on the process by which we need to live in order to obtain the results. It is not the extra 20lbs on your frame that is making you overweight; it is the habits you have which are enabling you to keep it and those which are refraining you from keeping it off.

I am owning this as a fault of mine. I have habits which are completely out of whack with my goals. I cannot keep spinning my tires expecting to move forward when my habits have me going in reverse.

So who is in? I am posting a link to this challenge on Facebook, and will open up a special Challenge Tab. I encourage you to send me an email at my home account and I will put your name down and keep you motivated through the 60 days of your personal challenge. I am working on some prizes for the finishers of this challenge, including some Beachbody swag or products, so stay tuned!

The challenge starts MONDAY, October 31, 2011. Are you in?

UPDATE: The tab is now live. 2nd tab on this blog called "the challenge".

Superwoman, "vegetarian genius" and Christina Aguilera's bra size. Search for it and you will find me.

2011-10-27T16:15:00.002-04:00

It is funny what key word searches people perform that land them on this blog. Apparently two separate people Googled "christina aguilera small boobs" and were directed to this site. Logical.

Key Word Search Results October 2011

5:37 and change. AKA The marathon recap!

2011-10-26T23:43:00.001-04:00

Deeetroit Mar-a-thon!

Oh hellz yeah I rocked Detroit! I ended up 7 minutes over my time goal of 5:30, not too shabby. At all. The last two miles were ridiculous, but that is OK with me. I finished happy, I finished strong, I finished. And now, I get to do it all over again in January.

So, the recap.

Myself and my friend Annelise seeded ourselves behind the 5:00 pacer. I wanted a 5:30 or better and was afraid of potty stops, so I figured seeding myself ahead of the 5:30 group would allow some time to be banked. It worked out for the most part, but next time I want to run a pace I will just start with them.

The first 10 miles or so flew right by. The bridge, Riverside park, the tunnel, Cobo, Campus Martius, it all just blended together into one large jog around Detroit with Annelise. After we passed the break off point for the marathoners, the running crown thinned out. I was expecting that.

Truth.

Up until Belle Isle I felt really good. At mile 19 I decided to stretch and gear myself up for then next 7 miles. I started to get emotional and cry a little and I told Annelise that I will NEVER quit a marathon again. The stretching actually brought on pain, so I was starting to feel nervous about the last bit of the race. We decided to walk to a point ahead and that is when we saw the 5:30 pacer pass us. Um, no. I asked Annelise, "do you think that we can hang on to him?" And then I just started to run after him. Once we caught him I told him that I needed him and that I was going to attach myself to him and not let go. I held onto that man until mile 24.

Gary got me through the wall, Gary got me through my personal wall at mile 23 - the mile I will never forget - and he got me all the way to the point my calf muscle just would not cooperate. I started to walk and watched 5:30 slip away. Typically this would have been at mile 10 or 13, so the fact that this was happening at mile 24 was great. At mile 25 I called in the calvary. I dialed Anne and she was wondering where I was. I was crying and that made her bust into tears. I told her that I was going to finish. I was at mile 25 and had to walk as my calf had completely seized up. I needed someone badly to assure me that I was going to finish this race.

Anne, myself, Jim rounding the corner to the finish line

Anne and Jim ran out to meet me at mile 26, and then ran me all the way in to the finish. 5:37 and change. An amazing 20 miles ran with an amazing woman, Annelise, and 0.2 miles ran with my running club.

Anne and I running in to the finish!

I conquered the race. I did something that just 7 years ago I told myself that I was completely incapable of doing. I needed this. I so absolutely needed this experience, and not just the 26.2 miles in Detroit that Sunday morning. I needed to meet the people I have met in the past few years to clear my head of the bad things and lift me up. To better allow myself to become the woman I was meant to be. These people, the Annelises and the Annes and the Vickies and the Jims... it is these people that I love and that I know love me back. I am such a better person for knowing them.

I have never worked so hard for a piece of medal on a ribbon before. But this was not the end of a journey. This was not the final destination. This was the jumping off point.

In 1 week myself and Annelise are driving to Panama City beach, FL to volunteer at Ironman Florida. In just over a weeks time, the day I have dreamed of for two years is becoming a reality. We are signing up for 2012. That day I became a bonafide marathon. Soon, I become an Ironman.

http://journeytoimfl.blogspot.com

It is happening. It is on. And I CAN DO THIS!

Taper Day 1... now what do I do?

2011-10-03T21:32:00.002-04:00

Oh my gosh. I made it through training uninjured, well prepared and excited for taper.

I MADE IT!

I have done as much homework and now I am ready for the test. Detroit Marathon in 2 weeks!

So since I have never trained for a marathon (correction, I have never trained adequately for a marathon) to deserve a taper week, I have no idea what to do with one, let alone two. I have seven runs left until Detroit: 3-5-3-8-3-4-3-MARATHON! <3

I was curious today. Outside of following the taper plan, what does one do or rather not do during their taper time? And so to the interwebs I went! Here is what I found from a great article at MarathonTraining.com; complete advise for physical, mental, and nutritional prepardness for the raceday.

Here we go, the final countdown to race day.

*deep breath*

We are Our Biggest Obstacle.

2011-09-01T18:29:00.000-04:00

I have come to realize that when you are ready to accomplish your dreams, when you are ready to put in the work and work hard for the dream, that things align to allow for you to accomplish what you are working so hard for.

Personally, in my life, I have seen this happen to me twice. First when I was starting out in triathlon but really did not have a clue or the equipment and to top it all off, my bike got stolen. I was able to buy a new bike, a nice bike, at discount at my LBS, and because I wrote a review on beginnertriathlete.com about it, I won a wetsuit FREE! Then, because I wrote about my endeavors of fitness and triathlon on this very blog, Pearl Izumi sent me free running shoes to test, and O-Water sent me a case of sport water to try out. Everything aligned and I had no more excuses... I was going to be a triathlete. When all I saw were obstacles in my way, others saw potential. I had nearly given up on my dream, but the universe saw it differently.

I never looked back.

The second time the universe has opened up and everything aligned is happening right now. Maybe it is not some magical door opening allowing for success, but rather that I am now seeing it more clearly. Seeing what was always there, if I was to have shifted my focus from failure to possibility.

I think that we as people believe that the world throws obstacles in our way to tear us down and stop us in our tracks. I used to think this way too, until I realized something pretty basic. Well, two things actually. Firstly I have put all the obstacles in my way and no one else has. Me all the way. I would take every inconvenience and turn it in to a progress stopping excuse to skip the workout, eat like a 5 year old, or doubt myself and my abilities.

By this, I mean that I was not willing to work for my dreams. I wanted the outcome, the dream, but I was not really ready to work for it. If I was, I would not have taken every tired evening, hungry belly, or grumpy mood as a "get out of workout" free card.

This is the inner saboteur at work. Making something that is pretty easy to overcome (just go do it!) but it turns into an insta-reason to bail on doing the right thing. I bet you that 9 times out of 10, if you start something that you are hesitant about, be it a run, a gym session, a bike ride or swim, that a few minutes into it you feel better and are able to complete the workout. I think that this is where something is better than nothing comes into play. If you are not up for the prescribed workout, at least go and do what you can. You may surprise yourself! It is when we push through these mental days that we realize that we are so much stronger than we give ourselves credit for.

We are our biggest obstacle.

Secondly, I have realized that these obstacles are just tests, similar to the weeder classes in college (Physics II anyone?) They separate the dreamers from the doers. If we overcome them, then we had the desire to work hard for our dreams and would not allow some minor detour to derail us. Once we realize what our dreams are and we are not only ready to put in the work but we do, the path clears or rather we can see the path much clearer.

Obstacles are now little bumps that we may no longer even notice. This is because instead of being focused on the things IN OUR WAY, that are taking away from our dreams, we are focused on the things IN OUR HEART that are driving us to accomplish our dreams.

We re-frame our sights to be around the goal, the total journey, not just the things put in our way to stop us. How many obstacles have you put in your own way? How many excuses have you made, today?

This trip to Florida has allowed me some much needed time off from my normal life. I have re-dedicated myself to my goals of fitness, strength, endurance and balance and all of a sudden things are aligning in the exact right way for me to succeed. Is this a re-alignment or just me finally seeing the path? Either way, it is all good!

I am not superwoman.

2011-08-07T17:20:00.003-04:00

Although I totally play her in my dreams.

I came to this realization this weekend while on my 5o mile bike ride. I am just over 1 month out from my half ironman. I have so much more work on the bike to do since I was without one for nearly 3 months due to manufacturer issues. Yes issues. Three separate issues in fact.

I figured, well I will just double my efforts on the bike in the next month. And then I realized that my time for training was coming to an end due to vacation and school and I was not going to enjoy the race experience this year with a major graduate paper hanging over my head. My half iron race, as it turned out, was in the middle of finals week and this term I have a really crazy busy class.

I realized that between work, school, marathon training, half ironman training, and home I only have so much time. Notice how I did not put sleep in there. I wrote an email to Revolution3 Triathlon requesting a credit on my entry so I can register for 2012, and withdraw from 2011.

I am upset only in that I was really excited for this race, but I have too much going on and the race will always be there. My schooling ends in December only if I work my butt off until then. So - the triathlon had to go. Overall I am happy with my decision as it really was the correct one.

So I have a 5k race this week Thursday, a sprint triathlon next week Wednesday, a half marathon in October, and the marathon in October to pull me through the rest of the year. I still have a lot on my plate, but now it is more manageable. :-)

Mid-week Check-in

2011-07-19T22:37:00.005-04:00

This past week was actually pretty good. I got in 3 solid 1 hour - 2 hour bikes, 4 runs varying from 1 to 9 miles, two of which were 8 and 9 milers, and a nearly 1 mile swim in open water. This week I have done not too much so far, but it is a mid-week race week so I am focusing more on rest and school.

Tomorrow's race is a sprint tri. I am not racing it, more so just using it for transition practice. I am going to take the swim as it is, bike easy keeping HR low, and then run smart no walking. This will be hard given the 100* weather (index, not actual), but it is doable.

I have officially resigned from run/walking in training. My goal for Detroit is to run it all the way through, but we shall see. I do not like the run walk motion that much. I am struggling with this as my running partner is a run walker and I don't want her to feel like I am leaving her.

At this point, I am feeling really good for Rev3 HalfRev, and am feeling good about Detroit. I have never been this consistent in training, and the rewards are showing mentally.

Consistency is King! Now I just need to get back into the water more consistent. I need to do 3 swims a week, 3 bikes a week and 3-4 runs a week. So far I am hitting the bike, almost the run and no where near the swim. This week I have a 2 to 2.4 mile swim on tap for Thursday as active recovery from tomorrow's workout. :-) That would be the longest that I have ever swam continually in open water, or even in pool workout doing sets.

My Thursday swims will all be at the least 1.6 miles now.

Looking ahead to Rev3, I need to really get comfy on the tri bike for 3 hours time, and then run solidly off of it. If I can run the half marathon all the way through, even at a 13 minute mile (for sake of goal setting) I can still finish in under 7 hours. That would be over a 30 minute PR over last year. I really wanted to hit 6:30 this year, but to do that I need to kick my running and my biking into high gear and get some speed work done. Wind will be a factor on the bike for sure, so my goal of 18 MPH may be a reality of 16 or 17. Time to focus on run strength off of the bike for sure!

A Return to Blogging.

2011-07-11T19:17:00.002-04:00

Two posts in 5 minutes? Wow. Someone stop me.

So I am returning to regular blogging. I find that this is a good release for me to catalog my journey in life. My journey has changed over the past 5 years. What started out as the Journey to a half marathon (hence the URL), turned into the journey to becoming a happy runner, then the journey morphed into that of becoming a triathlete, then to the journey of becoming a half Ironman, and now - now the journey is taking me to ultra distanced proportions. The ultra marathon (50k, 50 miles) and the ultra distanced triathlon (140.6 miles).

Since I have a blog titled "The Journey", I really should be capturing it better. I blog daily in my training journal, but find that putting it out here helps me on days that I want to reminisce. It is really interesting to read this little piece of the Internet from my first post. I was very VERY insecure, even after having run two marathons and quite a few half marathons. I felt like all that I was every capable of was 13.1 miles. I dreaded the marathon.

My how things change.

I remember thinking and publicly discussing how people I used to have in my life would judge me because my fitness fell (of course, all in my head). I remember saying about how I was going to embark on the triathlon, but would never EVER consider doing an Ironman. No way no how.

Sure.

One thing that I have learned on this journey is to never say never. Your dreams one day may just be a memory the next, but at some point you wanted one thing so badly... that you started a blog.

Here is my return to blogging. Here is to seeing what wonderful stop is on the journey ahead!

Happy trails!

Been way too long! Many updates! Holy cow! Oh, and Hi! :-)

2011-07-11T18:59:00.002-04:00

I am a horrible HORRIBLE blogger. But that is life when you are working double time to finish your MBA in 1 year, training for a half Ironman and a Marathon, and working full time. Cest la vie!

So an update on the running front - I have been very consistent for me - however still not hitting even 80% of my training for Detroit. I find that when I run with my running group or my running partner Anne I run all the time. Take them away, or me away from them and not so much. I find myself saying, oh I only I have an 8 mile on tap tomorrow - nice and easy! Last year I would have cringed at 8 miles, and that was with running all of my half marathons and a half Ironman.

This year I found love in running, love in triathlon. Freedom in the sport. Freedom to just go out, play and have fun. What has been the return on this playful investment? I won some hardware at my races (2nd and 3rd places) in a field of more than 2 or 3 racers (hahahaha), and I have really gotten stronger. I feel like a real triathlete now. One that has to trust herself and enjoy this process, not one that has to struggle to fine her way any longer. I feel complete zen.

I also was a 3 hour pacer at the Let's Move half marathon and myself, Anne and Jen paced a dead on 3 hour half marathon - 3:00:23. And from that point on I have been able to pace myself just fine.

My running pace is now down into the 10's. On log runs I run on the 11's or 12's. I run walk some of the longer runs, but I can run a 10k if not longer all the way through. My new goal for Detroit Marathon is to run/walk the first 13.1 miles and then run the last 13.1 miles. I am hoping for a time between 5:00 and 5:30, but I will be happy with whatever the clock says as long as I finish strong and happy.

My endurance has sky rocketed! I have been doing mile+ open water swims, 3 and 4 hour bike rides and long runs every week now. I am having so much fun with this. I never want it to end. And that is how I know that I have grown. I have reached another milestone in my life.

I have found my lifestyle. I am not longer a triathlon hobbyist. I am a triathlete. I swim I bike I run. I do all in succession on occasion. It was by finding my path in the sport by not being super speedy but having a good time out there, that I know that I am ready for the Ironman in 2012. There is not even a question on my ability or my desire. I am enjoying this process too much.

I have a few marathons, an ultra, a Goofy weekend, and an Ironman to look forward to in the near future. That translates into a lot of time outside with awesome people, and getting amazing foot massages from Mike after a long hard run.

Life is good my friends! LIFE IS GOOD!

This is not about a list or a bucket.

2011-04-24T20:27:00.005-04:00

I feel like a complete hypocrite. I said one thing and then promptly did another. OK, maybe not so promptly, this is me we are talking about after all, however In any case I made a plan for the year and then abandoned it before Spring had sprung.

Which as a side note, Mother Nature is really late to the party this year. For real Mama N - get a watch!

What is this all about? Well, I had said not so long ago that I wanted complete flirtation without commitment this year. Running, triathlon, whatever. Short short and short.

Add a couple of weeks of running happiness, swimming zen, and ordering my new triathlon bike to the timeline, and that brings us to today. Far from a fling straight to engagement situation.

I am now in training for Detroit Marathon, 2011. Short? Nope. Fast? Nope. This will mark my official return to marathon.

I am also signed up for a few other races beyond Detroit, as well as beyond the marathon distance - 39.3, 26.2, 50k and possibly a 50 miler in August. However, and this is a big however, that 50 miler may not be a good choice this year as I have another big race on tap 2012.

More on that in a bit.

This year I am also doing 5 sprint Triathlons (maybe an Oly if I can find one to squeeze in), and 2 sprint duathlons. I decided to make up for a skimpy 2010 roster by doing a few additional races. And I just purchased the new Trek SpeedConcept 7.0 WSD (OMG!) so I am itching to get some time in the saddle.

And that I certainly will.

My goal for 2011 is to get to Detroit strong, healthy, and happy. I found and embraced zen at Welland last year and have not let go. No matter how fast or slow I run it, it will be a huge PR for me. The PR is going to be there, it will be up to me to make it a PB.

See - a PR is a personal record. the best time in which you finish a particular distance. My 5K PR is 30 and change, my Half Marathon PR is 2:34 and change, however these are not my PB's, my personal bests.

To me a PR is the A-personality need to track metric of the sport. It is universal. everyone can identify quickly your PR and websites which track results such as Athlinks will tell you you r best worst and average times for each distance you have ever raced in all sports.

Great!

Oh, except that the attainment of a PR is not necessarily your personal best. For me a personal best time is one in which I was feeling strong and happy and really enjoyed the run.

So, my PB for the half marathon? 3 hours and change. Why? Because I was skipping and running and having a BLAST with some amazing running friends, wearing tutus and tiaras and crazy striped knee socks.

Yes - far from a PR but by far a PB.

And this is what it has turned out to be. The girl who almost cried the first time she ran 4 miles straight through, to the girl who runs half marathons for fun without training or a second thought - and most likely in some form of costume with knee-highs and tulle involved.

See, everything I do has nothing to do with bucket lists. I do no tbeleive in bucket lists, what I do believe in is that anyone can do whatever it is they want to do in life. Just set the goal and put in the WORK.

This is the rebirth of a runner, and the birth of a confident triathlete who has found and refuses to let go of zen racing.

I have reopened my second blog, the one I started in 2010 when Mike gave me the green flag for Ironman Florida. I wasn't quite ready then to put in the work and make it happen. I am ready now.

When I decided to do Ironman, I decided to go to the forums and have all of the Ironmen out there tell me the one piece of advice they wish that someone would have told them when they set out on their journeys. I am keeping track of all of the advice that I am receiving, as well as all of the training and lessons learned I will be compiling along the way. Since this is something so specific and will be just one day out of thousands in my lifetime, I decided to keep it in a separate blog.

This blog, the one you are reading right now, is the big picture of my transformation from overweight smoker to happy, healthy Jenniferlyn and will stay unspecific to a particular event. Should you want to see how the journey is coming along - feel free to visit the other page!

Have a great weekend - HAPPY EASTER - and I shall be more attentive to the blogs now that I have some sort of goals beyond not setting any.

So today walk away reminding yourself to never say never!

- RedZone, Jenniferlyn

SLACKER... on posting

2011-04-20T20:42:00.001-04:00

So much so much. New post comming soon.

UPDATES and lots of 'em!

Five Fingers on my Ten Toes - Part 1 of 3 Review

2011-02-28T07:56:00.006-05:00

I bought a pair of Vibram Five Fingers this past week and have been getting my body used to wearing something so minimal.

I am a fatty runner, and a total heel striker. I guess similar to swimming, in running we need to feel like we are working so I run hard and I strike hard so I know that I am "digging in deep". The issue is that you really shouldn't do that.

Maybe years of PF and shin splints should have told me that maybe, just maybe, I was running incorrectly. Or... maybe I am just stubborn.

After searching around for the perfect shoe, I found it in Asics Gel Nimbus 16's. I love these puppies, however have really been wanting to try barefoot running, especially after I had to get special orthodics due to some bio mechanical issues.

I decided that now is a good time to try barefoot running, at least on a small scale, to strengthen my legs and feet and to see if there is truth to the studies out there claiming that barefoot running is a good way to end PF, and to strengthen the body to reduce overall pain (back pain, knee pain, etc.l) all caused by running.

This is review Part 1 of 3. I want to keep a running review of the shoes as my running in them changes. This means that I am committing to wearing them at least in training through a 5k. This inital review is discussing the overall wearing of the shoe as I have only a limited experience in running in them (this morning being my first).

I have heard that you need to slowly adjust to wearing the VFF's when you first get them to get your body acclimated to being without so much support. The VFF's ahve no support, so coming from my super cushy Asics, I know that I will need to be careful.

I wore the VFFs the first night I got them, just to get the feel for them. The next day I wore them while volunteering for a race, then all day long at Autorama. All in all a total of 9 hours in the Vibrams that day alone. Sunday I took a day off from them and my calves were telling me that that was the right choice.

Even though I walk barefoot a lot, it is not the same as being in the VFFs. I can tell that already. My calves feel the work most of all. I am going to wear the shoes only once every other day if not every third day to start, and then slowly working up to normal shoe wear. I ran in them today and felt great, no foot issues, no leg issues, so that is promising.

My next review will be after I have acclimated my body, my third will be after a 5k race in them.

INITIAL REVIEW
Fit: 9 out of 10
Comfort: 9 out of 10 initial rating
Wear: UNKNOWN

Week (-1) in the books.

2011-02-28T07:33:00.003-05:00

I was thinking about calling last week 'Week # (-1)' because I feel like it was pretty stagnant. However the more I think of it, the more I am against it.

It was what it was. It is what it is. It shall be what it shall be.

Last week I ordered INSANITY and it arrived Friday. Today is day 1 for me and when I get home from work I will be popping in the DVD and doing the fit test. I scratched P90X for now, as I get a lot of the strength workouts through CrossFit, etc, I want more options for cardio and the theory behind INSANITY is that you do max interval training. Plus it is all cardio that you can do in a hotel room, absolutely now equipment needed, so I am going to put it on my iPod for when I go to Germany.

I weighed myself and took measurements, but it all stayed the same except that I gained 2#. I know why and I know how to fix it. I was too inactive the last half of the week. This just goes to show how important it will be for me to commit to morning or lunchtime workouts.

So, what did the week look like in numbers?

Weight: +2#
Nutrition: 4 out of 10
Exercise: 4 out of 10
Measurements: Zero delta
1 hour biking
2 hours swimming
2 hours volunteering at a race
4 hours cleaning basement and laying flooring

I see room for improvement, but with me not training for anything I am having a hard time getting up early on weekends to go workout. Because of this I see that I will have to enact training once again. This time I will be training for a goal, not necessarily for a particular race. My goal is a sub 30 5K. I will have to review races and see which will be my goal race. In the next few months I will switch over to triathlon training with my goal races being Motor City Sprint and T-Rex triathlons.

While I was pretty bad at the nutritional aspect this week, I did get a bike fit, volunteered at a race, went to Autorama and walked around for a few hours, worked very hard in the basement, studied, work a full time job all while being a full time student this week.

Goals for Week #2:

Get nutrition to an 8 out of 10 and exercise to a 9 out of 10.
Continue on tracking my food,
INSANITY the prescribed 6 days,
Swim 3 times outside of the forthcoming swim meet
Swim meet this Sunday
Run 3 days
Bike at least 2 times - once in spin and 1 time on the trainer as a Zone 2 ride.

We are not looking for perfection. We are looking for progress.

2011-02-24T06:56:00.006-05:00

Imagine you are at a race that you have been excited for, anxiously waiting for even, for quite some time. This race is THE race. The A-race of your life. You seeked it out, registered, and got all set for it. Come race day there you are toeing the line ready to go.

*BANG!* The gun pops and you are off! You are running as fast as your legs can carry you. You are kicking asphalt! Go you, go! The problem is that while you are going hard and fast and making like the wind, you have to keep this pace up... forever.

That is hardly sustainable.

So why do we do this with goals? Resolutions? We obviously want to achieve them, otherwise we wouldn't approach them with such gusto and dedication - the sprint. So why do we burn ourselves out instead of breaking things down and tackling them day by day - the marathon?

I think that it is in our human nature. We want to achieve something, so we focus on the end result, the finish line. But what about all the steps during the race we must take? What about all the preperation we must do in order to even toe that starting line to begin with? All of these steps are cumulative, and the summation of them will equal either success, or failure.

If we are working towards goals, I think that we need to break them down into smaller, day to day goals. You cannot eat an elephant in one bite, so why do we try to lose 50 pounds in one month?

We need to focus on making wins every day. This does not mean nailing every single workout, every single meal. What this means is focusing on one habit to change, one area of improvement to work on each day. Win today and then do it again tomorrow. The weightloss, the fitness, it will come. Remember - this is a cumulative process. It all adds up.

In addition to exercise, the other part of weightloss is food consumption. Unlike some diets will have you believe, for truse sustainability (to get you through the marathon not the sprint) you need both. I love math, and most everything can be broken down into some formula. Lucky for us, the formula for weighloss is pretty easy to remember!

Calories In - Calories Out = Net Caolric gain/loss

We need to create a deficit in our bodies in order to lose weight. The key thing here is that the deficit dows not mean to starve yourself or spend hours each day in the gym burning them off. No, that will end in a bad situation.

We need to take into consideration resting metobolic rate in addition to caloric consumption, calories burned due to physical activities (outside of existing). We also need to think about where we want to be. You need to have a goal.

Some advise out there says that we should eat today the amount of calories that we will need given our current RMR and lifestyle (sednetary, moderately active, active) to sustain our goal weight.

What this means is look at the number of calories that we would need to maintain the weight we want to be at. Aim for this to be our goal and we will naturally hit our target weight.

The concern I see here is that if we have a substantial weightloss goal, the caloric needs of the goal weight may be so drastically different from our caloric needs for current weight, that our body goes into starvation protection mode.

In my research, I found this great resource where it gives us caloric goals for each level of weight loss. So, we consume xxxxx calories until you hit a specific weight, then you consume the next level of calories (less) until you hit a specific weight, and so on and so on untilo goal weight is achieved.

This to me seems to be the best approach, because it gently reduces our caloric intake because as we weight less, we need less calories to survive.

Part of knowing what our numbers are - the calories in and the caolries out - we need to track them. Ugh, I know. That is tedious and rediculous and I am just not the type of person who wants to track all of that information.

Well, that is all fine and dandy, but we are serious about getting into shape, we have to know where we are on the nutrition side. I think that if we track religiously now, it will become habit. So I am making my goal 30 days of caloric tracking, as it takes about that long for something to become habit.

I am using dailymile.com and beginnertriathlete.com to track my workouts, and I am using myfitnesspal application on my phone to track my nutrition. There are a lot of great sites and applications made specifically for the purpose of making tracking very easy for us. We should use them!

What I did was try a few different sites and applications until I found the ones that worked for me. Trial and error. In a world so full of options, we need to exand our minds and allow for some fo those options to not work, however we should not give up all together.

One step at a time!
RedZone

Week 1 - Getting into the groove.

2011-02-21T14:16:00.005-05:00

The goal for the next few weeks is to get into a groove. The first step is always the most uncertain. Every day we are faced with choices. Each choice has an effect on our success.

Each day, for me, I have the choice to sleep in or wake up and stay up when I take Moose out for his 5am potty. I know that for me, with school and work, often if I do not get a workout in first thing in the morning or at lunch, it will not happen. It is not that I don't have the intent to work out, it is that for me I keep stress bottled up in my neck/shoulders area and often by the end of the day I am tired physically and mentally. Working out in the morning or at lunch really sets the mood for me each day.

In the spring and summer when I commute to work by bike, I realize that my days are much brighter and I feel so much better.

So does that mean that morning workouts work for everyone? Not at all. For some, a late night workout or a lunch time workout is the best option. Whatever that option is, don't we owe it to ourselves to make even just 30 minutes a day ours?

This week is all about finding out what is going to work and what will not. So with that...

~Day 1 ~

This morning I worked out for a bit before getting a start on the day. I have another

Today I took my measurements and weighed in. At least I have lost weight in the past week, so that is a positive note on which to start.

I have about 40 lbs to lose. 4-0. 20# twice over.

Hello Jennifer? Yeah, Hi! This is reality calling. Moooooooooooooooo!

Holy mole, how did that happen? Oh yeah, right.... I know exactly how it happened. Food, lazy tendencies, and more food. I eat when I am stressed. I eat when I am down. I eat when I am happy. I celebrate and commiserate with food. And then at some point I sneak in a workout but only if I am really up to it.

So 40# of baggage to work though. OK, well that is doable. 40 is better than 100, right? So the fun has begun! :-)

RedZone

There is no fast track to fitness.

2011-02-19T11:17:00.002-05:00

I nearly set myself up for failure last week. I almost signed up for my 3rd year of long course triathlon (70.3 miles, or "half ironman") training. Ha! That just goes to show you that staying on plan is hard even when the plan is to not have a plan.

Thank you Mike and Jo for guiding my head back safely from the clouds.

I have enough on my plate with school and work, and a full race season with shorter, hopefully much faster, races. I will have more time to outreach to people wanting to get into the sport. There are a handful of people in my running club who are going to do their first triathlon this year. That is so exciting to me because it shows that not only is the sport picking up more and more people, but people are realizing that cross functional and cross sport training can be very beneficial to your overall health.

I said this before, and I shall say it again. Triathlon saved my life.

What many people do not know is that anyone can do a triathlon. So accomplishing a triathlon in and of itself is nothing too amazing. What is amazing is when people make life changes, find their motivation and inspire other people to make healthier choices in life. That I applaud! I applaud setting a triathlon as a goal and working towards that goal. Now THAT is an accomplishment, because now days people just do not seem to want to work for anything.

There is no magic pill to weight loss. There is no shortcut to fitness. Them be the breaks. Sorry.

It is a cycle and for some reason, only a few people get that. Triathlon/running is as much about finding a happy place in fitness and health, as it is about the camaraderie that comes from participating. You will never find a larger group of cheerleaders as you do in the triathlon and running circuits. We may race against each other, but we always celebrate each other’s victories, and share in each other’s defeats. The only bad day, if you have your heart in the right place, is the day where someone gets hurt.

I have met some amazing people along the way. I have also met some real jackasses. Two people who clearly fall into the former category (as in amazing people) are my friends and former RACING GREYHOUNDS teammates Jeremy Hagerman and Craig Weaver.

Together they have started this amazing triathlon team called "Team Motiv-8" (you can find them here: http://team-motiv8.com/), and their principles are solid: to motivate and to inspire. Major shout out to them and I am on board 10000000% to help them succeed in any way possible!

It is time to act as an ambassador to the sport and to health and fitness. I am walking proof that anyone can go from overweight slug to athlete. You just have to realize that not all athletes are rock solid in form and top of the pack in races. We come In all shapes and sizes. We come from all places in life. Everyone has an equal opportunity to reach the ultimate finish line… a lifetime of health and happiness.

So with that I decided to add a different purpose to my 2011 year. I am taking the slow and steady approach and will be chronicling my journey from mediocre to fit. I will take my baseline weight, my baseline measurements, and will perform a fit-test to have baseline numbers.

Through my exercise and vegetarian diet, I expect to be able to transform myself. However, the proof will be in December when I leave for Florida.

Each week I will do a quick summary, each month a fit test. I expect struggle, but then again this is not a flash in the pan, this is my lifestyle. It must be sustainable and realistic. I travel a lot for work. I work a lot. I have 6-day-a-week classes to finish my Masters work. I have a puppy, and am working on my house and health with my man Mike. I am a member of a cycling & triathlon race team, a swim club, and a running club.

And just like you - I have a life.

So follow along with me and see how it can be done. How you can turn your life around with small steps. How everything we do adds up exponentially.

I will not be posting my food intakes.
I will not be posting up my workouts.
This is not going to be an exercise and fitness log as I already have that at dailymile.com and beginnertriathlete.com.

This is my Journey blog.

So as such what will I be posting?
I will be posting out total minutes or hours in my weekly summary.
I will be posting up any information I come across, or an occasional recipe or workout that I felt was pretty exceptional in either skill or ease of mastering for those of us not blessed with 4 hours a day to work out.

This is the lifestyle of balance and fitness that I have striven for, for so many years. 2011 is the year of doing it!

Peace, love, and running.
RedZone

Forget the Ring, I Want A Fling!

2011-01-18T20:18:00.006-05:00

Lately, I have been feeling more like a flirt and less like an athlete. A mile here or there is still a mile in the books of health, however this year I am not looking for a huge commitment. Nope, I am not looking for a "ring". I am looking for a "fling"!

Road: Hey there, long time no see!
Me: Oh my goodness, look at you! You look so flat and new! Have you had work done?
Road; *giggles* Oh my, no! Well, I have been taking better care of myself. I am trying to give up salt and being so hot to cold all the time. And what about you? Do I see some new muscles there?
Me: *blushes* Why yes, you do!
Road: You know, we really should catch up! I miss you!
Me: Oh yeah.. sure! I um, I have some things though with a bike, then this thing with the pool later, and of course lunch with CrossFit and then the rock climbing with... um yeah. Totally we will make it happen. We WILL make it happen! Gotta run... err.. gotta go! School work is calling, you know how that goes! *muwah* toodles dear!

This is the first time that I have had absolutely nothing to train for. No big "A" race looming in the horizon, or a big plan to direct me how to get there. Now that I have no race commitments, I get to flirt with every and anything that interests me.

Those of you who know me know that this is a huge deal for me. 2011 is proving to be the year of restraint. I have some cool goals for the future, but they will just have to wait. Did I mention that I am not one for waiting? Yeah. This is going to be a year!

Those who know me know that I ~~used to be~~ am a "follow-the-plan-to-the-letter-then-freak-out-when-things-go-awry-in-life-because-they-always-do-than-goodness-that-I-always-have -a-back-up-if-not-tertiary-plan-awaiting-for-implementation-in-the-wings" type of gal. It must be the girl scout in me. Or the fact that I am very Type A.

*cough*

Going back for my Masters this year is putting all aspirations of endurance racing on hold. This is actually fine by me as I have never had a year that I allowed myself to just go out there and knock out some smaller distances with purpose. Somewhere in my head I am not doing anything unless I am doing it for hours at a time. With all of that endurance focus, I never had a chance to allow myself to enjoy other things. Rock climbing, rowing, CrossFit. These are all new to me and things that I am incorporating into my fitness regime.

I guess I can look at 2011 as the year that I am training for my Masters graduation ceremony. My plan? Complete my last 5 classes (woot!) and walk down that isle mid-December, move my tassel over to the other side and maybe even throw a cap in the air for fun.

Post-graduation my endurance life can resume but it will have a different purpose.

I do this because I love this, and I want to help other people do this as well. Well, not necessarily THIS, but the figurative "this" - the thing that they never thought that they could do.

I want to help someone get to the finish line of something.
I want to help someone to the start of something.
I want to help people get over their fears of failure and realize that A-N-Y-T-H-I-N-G is possible if they put their minds to it.

Good days, bad days. As long as some part of the day was spent trying to make forward motion it counts.

I guess similar to how some people live off of trying to prove something to others, I live off of empowering others to do what they love. I am passionate about the things I love.

The one thing I walked away from at Welland was the feeling of zen in racing. I have held onto this feeling and realize that that is why I do this. When you propel yourself 70.3 miles with nothing but a smile on your face the size of Texas, you know that you have found happiness.

While some days that smile way turn a bit upside down, I am grateful for every moment I am blessed with living. ;o)

So here is to the year of no plans other than having fun, going short and fast, and enjoying every moment of the journey to a well rounded me.

Peace, love and running,

RedZone
2011 MBA graduate in training

Speaking of Goals

2010-09-12T21:26:00.004-04:00

It is way too easy to let a month slip right on by.

Ugh. Apparently I strive for consistency in everything.

I went on vacation, found out that I have a little bio-mechanical issue that I am working on correcting, and started back up with running in true Jenn fashion: from 0 to the CRIM 10 miler in 1 day.

I know, but hey it is my style.

Upon returning from Florida, and after not have ran in about 2 months (since Welland) I ran a near-PR at the CRIM 10 miler on August 28th. That is not saying much, so please do not read too much into that. Basically my base fitness is that much better than 6 years ago, and my running from 6 years ago was not that great to begin with.

The following weekend I ran the Milford Labor Day 10k (HILLY!) and felt wonderful afterwards.

I am running on Thursdays with my running clube, Your Pace or Mine, and they have helped me find my happiness in running again. I feel that this club is the perfect fit for me and it opened my eyes to a huge array of runners with all different styles, personalities and goals, but with one big thing in common. They all rock.

I feel like I have known these people for ever. And some I have known for a while (Jo, Paul) while others I have just met. I work with one of the members and another one, Jenn, I met while training with TNT for the Bayshore marathon 7 years ago. Talk about full circle.

Today I ran a training 10 miler at Stoney (a literal full circle as this is where I would train when I was first cutting my running teeth) at a clip not that much slower than my race two weekends ago.

And here is how I am doing it: Galloway.

I used to be a complete non-believer in the Galloway Run-Walk-Run method. I was under the belief system that you were a runner if you ran. If you ran walk you were a walker who ran a bit. And more importantly, if you would jsut slow down you could run the whole way without walking and stopping and interrupting my run! SHEESH!

However... after hitting a low this year after the high of Welland, I took too much time off from training. That in itself would not be an issue, but I still had races to finish once I got out of the funk.

The good news is that I am now officially out of the funk. (YAY!)

So, upon realizing that I had a bio-mech issue which needed addressing and that I had races that I was already registered for and loved to run them, I decided to follow Galloway the rest of the year while I rebuild both endurance and my body.

The other reason I decided to give Galloway a try was because as a very recreational runner, I need to make this a lifestyle that I can live in for the rest of my life. If I overtrain or go crazy with running and triathlon - where is the joy in life?

My priorities are set: family/friends, work, school, and then my hobbies. I think that I got away from that in past years. I put running and triathlon ahead of all else. Time to recover.

Galloway allows that. I still find it hard taking walking breaks so early in a run or race because I am embarassed, but by the end of the race when I am passing people I realize that there is a reason that I am doing this and there is a reason it works.

The walk breaks allow two things: sustained endurance/speed and mental happiness.

In past years I would go the distance and if I had to start walking (which outside of 1 half marathon a handful of 5ks and 1 triathlon I have always had to walk at some point) I would feel defeated. I would feel as if I had failed as a runner. I felt weak. I felt fake. I wasn't a runner! I had to walk a few minutes in there. Phooey.

However, when you PLAN on taking walking breaks from the time the start gun goes off - suddenly the mental game has changed. You go from defeat to success. You go from failure to executing a plan. The walk breaks also offer a nice leg break so you can go longer and sustain a pace the entire time.

While I am slower than last year (which is all on me not the run walking), I am faster than most other years. That is with walking with purpose. So, for the rest of this year and for my marathon I will be following Galloway (outside of say a 5k or 10k if I feel particularly peppy).

I have tried Galloway for a while now (it got me through Welland) anf I have been able to complete longer distances happy and without the crappy feeling afterwards. This has helped me want to be consistent in my running and it has lead to me falling back in love with running.

Again.

I have to work on some stride and form issues as well, so the run-walk-run method allows me to evalute my gate and form and to break things down into sections on my run.

I feel a sub 2:30 half is going to happen this upcoming spring. I also feel that I can run a PR marathon happily and feeling wonderful afterwards.

Running is one thing, running and then feeling good enough to celebrate afterward is a completely different thing.

Honestly, these two things are truth: I want to run until the day that I die and I am not going to be winning any races any day soon. I am not defined by races and finishing times, I am however a better person physically and emotionally because of my running and triathlon. By loving the lifestyle I lead, I will be more consistent and consistency is very important in anything we do for the long haul.

For now, with Galloway I feel that I can achieve the ultimate - life balance.

We shall see how this goes, but so far so good!

Peace, Love, and Running my friends!

UPCOMING RACES:
Brooksie Way Half
Detroit Half
D-Town Run
Run Through Hell on Halloween
Turkey Trot 10k
Bayshore Marathon (2011!)

POSSIBLE RACES:
Romeo to Richmond Half
Woodstock Half

If Dreams Precede The Goal, What Happens After The Goal is reached?

2010-08-05T14:59:00.001-04:00

"Reach high, for stars lie hidden in your soul. Dream deep, for every dream precedes the goal."
-Pamela Vaull Starr

I am so glad that I decided to do a 31 days running streak. It was tough the first few nights but now I feel empowered. No more obligation, now I am making strides towards a goal.

I think that a lot of my lack of motivation lately has been due to accomplishing a huge goal. No one ever talks about the let down after meeting or exceeding a goal. I really never thought that it would be possible to feel lost or let don after the Half Ironman, but that is exactly how I felt for the month following.

I found out that this is normal., but it is not normal for me. Maybe being is the strange situation that I was training at this volume for 2 years in a row before accomplishing my goal had something to do with it. I am pretty sure it had.

Now that I am not training at that volume, I feel lost. My only remaining goals for this season are some running races, but I feel like the 30 days I took off from training hurt more than it helped to get me re-focused.

This running streak, however, has been the trick. I am using the remaining months of 2010 as a rebuilding time. I am training to finish strong and happy, regardless of clock time.

With that though, my immediate goal is to run daily. I figure that the only risks are injury, and the benefits are consistency in training, getting back my self confidence, and getting back my base mileage.

Maybe I have not lost as much as I think I have in those 30 days. How does 30 days erase 2 years in reality?

I guess that we shall see. Time to get back to dreaming deep and putting new goals before me.

Tonight I am forgoing the run at PTC with my running club and instead will do a run around home.

I need to go shopping for a dress to wear for my super secret birthday dinner as well as to Mike's 20th Class Reunion this weekend.

Life is good folks! Sometimes going back to square 1 is not a bad thing. Sometimes going back means moving forward.

Day 4 of 31, I proclaim STREAK!

2010-08-04T22:24:00.004-04:00

He is the quick "run" down of tonight:

New Asics Gel Kayano 16's - 1 pair (YAY!)
Taco Bells - 2
Bakeries - 5
Law Offices - 3
Insurance Companies - 4
Car Parts Stores - 3 (2 of which for foreign cars)
Pizzerias - 3
Mid-East Restaurants - 2
Mid-East Restaurants named "Kabob" - 2 (Kabob and Mr. Kabob)
Burger joints -2
Photographers - 2
Consignment stores - 3
Frosty Freezes - 1

Miles covered - 2. (All of these were in 1 mile, it was an out and back!)

Did you catch the 5 bakeries? Yeah. WHOA.

Berkley - We Care... about redundancy.

The Stats:
Days ran: 4/31
Miles ran - 7.25
5 bakeries passed

Top that Royal Oak!

Day 3/31 =)

2010-08-03T22:20:00.003-04:00

At 10pm I went out and ran 1.5 miles on Coolidge. Yeppers I did it!

The past 3 runs have shown me a few things.

First off, never quit running.
Secondly, I need new shoes!

Perfect timing as tomorrow night is my running club's shopping and dinner night. On the plan are some new shoes (hopefully) and a new spring in my step!

Here are the stats thus far:
Running streak: 3/31
Miles ran: 5.25

Day 2/31

2010-08-02T22:45:00.003-04:00

Tonight I did not get home until 7:30pm. I made a nice homemade dinner of quinoa spaghetti, clean tomato sauce and baked turkey breast meatballs, plus a frozen banana dipped in dark chocolate for dessert. After eating dinner, I read some articles in my clean Eating magazine, and then laced up the shoes and headed out the door. That is correct, I managed to beat both the odds and my tiredness and went outside for a 1.75 mile run. Just a nice and easy run to keep the streak... errrr.... rather to make a streak!

Day 2 is in the books.

Streak: 2/31
Miles ran: 4.75

Tomorrow I would like to knock out 5 miles. We shall see what the weather holds, but I think that I am ready to give it a try.

Quotable Monday

2010-08-02T13:19:00.001-04:00

In a year from now, you will wish you had started today.

Question of the day:
What are you putting off or delaying in achieving? Which first step are you afraid of taking?

And so it begins...

2010-08-01T22:30:00.003-04:00

"My will shall shape my future. Whether I fail or succeed shall be no man's doing but my own. I am the force; I can clear any obstacle before me or I can be lost in the maze. My choice; my responsibility; win or lose, only I hold the key to my destiny."– Elaine Maxwell

Today marks the start of my attempt at my first ever streak. Running streak that is. I am not doing this as huge running workout every day, but would like to do at least a nice and easy 1 mile every single day. I have three running races the rest of this year - a 10 miler and 2 half marathons - and they are coming up very quickly.

I historically lack consistency, and that lack of consistency leads to a loss of motivation or a fear of the next run because of my inconsistency. I never know what to expect so a stop moving forward. No more.

And so it begins...

Run streak: 1/31 days

Miles ran: 3

70.3 Because 70.4 Would Just Be Insane.

2010-07-01T16:11:00.001-04:00

It is official.

20 weeks of training, dedication, and mental growth have passed and as of Sunday, June 27th I am a Half Iron Woman!

The race was Welland Half Iron, part of the HSBC MultiSport Cananda Triathlon Series. This was the first running of the Half iron event at Welland and I must say that it went fabulous.

The pre-race information over the weeks leading up to the race were amazing. Every single detail of the course, the races, event news, whatever - it was covered.

The use of Facebook and email blasts as well as podcasts on the race meant very few nerves for this girl.

~PRE RACE~
I am still in awe. No restless nights. No stomach cramps. No nerves and knots and stress. I was complete zen going into Welland. Even the night before hand I slept well and managed to hit the snooze button.

WHAT?!

Yep. I did. I was that relaxed.

I had the feeling of a well studied student going into a final exam. I did the work that was laid before me over the course of the term and I knew that I knew all that I could. Why fret over the unknowns, especially since there was no doubt in my mind that I would finish.

And finish I did!

~THE SWIM <*|||>< ~
2k, 1.2 miles - 43:12

After some wetsuit freak outs since Motor City, I realized what the issue has been. My wetsuit has not been all the way on. Ever.

I managed to pull i tup all the way and a funny thing happened. No more freakouts. I felt wonderful. The swim went wonderful.

I kept my pacing and just focused on the things that JD and Carol told me about form - hand over barrel (elbows high), mind my head and chest placement, hand entry in water and maintaining pace.

My goal was 45 minutes as my training swims were all on target for around 48. I will take 43 as a 1.2 mile swim PR AND an overall swim pace PR of 2:08/100m, which translates into a sub 2:00/100yard pace!!

Boo to the yah!

~TRANSITION 1~
Run - 3:24.
Yes. There was a seperate run before T1, and the race director counted it as a seperate time to allow for a swim time and a T1 time for those participating in the race series.

T1 - 3:23. Potty break and wetsuit removal. I have gotten really slow on transitions. Mainly because I am taking my time assuring that I have everything that I need.

~THE BIKE~
90K, 56 miles - 3:16:16

My goal was to keep a steady pace for the first 60-75K and then hammer if it felt right on the last 30-15K.

On the way out I averaged 17MPH, 17.2MPH was my average on the way back. How is THAT for consistency?

My goal was a 3:30 finish or better and I definitely broke that! PR for the 56 mile distance in a race. No pace PR but I am proud that I held back and stuck to my execution plan.

I exited the bike and felt fresh in the legs. My feet were sore on the bottoms from the short runin bike shoes into T2, but hey - it comes with the race!

~TRANSITION 2~
3:04
Easy peasy making sure that all stuffs is with me for the run.

~THE RUN~
21K, 13.1 miles - 3:25:40

Not my worst run ever. So, yay for that.

My legs felt amazing the whole time. I was ready to kill this race. The humidty, however, had other plans for me.

A run switched to a planned run/walk, then to a modified run/walk, then a walk/walk with some jogging when heat permitted.

It was a two out and back course (13.5k one side, 7.5k the other side) and it was beautiful. I really really enjoyed this run even though I walked 90% of it.

The humidity got me. I am fine with that.

~THE OUTCOME~
113K, 70.3 miles - 7:35:35

My goal range was 7:05 on a total hit it outta the park day to 7:55 on a totally everythign sucked day.

My 7:35:35 finish put me right in the middle and I was extremely happy with that given the run performance. At the last turn around on the run I happened to look down at my watch as I watched it turn from 6:59:59 to 7:00:00. This was at the 17.5K mark, meaning that I only had less than 2.5 miles left to go.

I was walking a half marathon in a Half Iron race, and with less than 2.5 miles to go and I was at my ultimate best time goal. That means that if the humidty had not been crazy high, that I would have been able of breaking my 7:05 goal and by a long shot at that! =)

I have to admit, this was the best race I have ever done mentally. I executed it to the best of my abilities and I must say that I trained pretty well for my abilities. This was an amazing experience and while not life changing, it has showed me the importance of not doubting yourself. Ever.

Motor City: An Adventure in Aquatic Duathlons

2010-06-14T16:02:00.001-04:00

I love the Motor City Triathlon in theory. I did not like how on this, the 5th installment of the race, it turned into an aquatic duathlon. This had nothing to do with weather or poor course planning. 3D actually got this one right for the most part.

What makes the Motor City Triathlon different (at least for these parts) is that it has two transition areas. T1 is the swim to bike and is right off of the beach. T2 is the bike to run and is back up at the casino.

You drop off the running gear and then ride your bike/swimming gear down the 1 mile to the beach. You then set up your bike transition and get ready to swim.

After the swim (or aqua jog ha!) you run up a long path to the bike racks, pack all of your swim stuff into a bag and then hand it off to a volunteer, put on all o fyour bike stuff then head out for the ride.

After the ride you then rack your bike in the 2nd transition area and then switch to the running gear and head out to the run.

This is unique but after completing the race I found it quite enjoyable. It makes you think more in the preperation, but the transitions are less cluttered.

In an aid to help the swimmers not have to battle water currents in the Detroit River, 3D moved the course closer to land which meant that the swim course was pretty much 90% walkable.

At some bouys the water (if I had stood up) would have been between my waist and chest.

Being a person with some water phobias, I get the need to be able to stand up in the water in case things get to be too much. It happens. I get the freak out and the fear of the deep, dark unknown.

What I do not get is why you would just walk an entire swim.

Seriously.

The Olympic distanced triathletes went out first leaving those of us in the Sprint to watch and cheer while we wait the 30 or so minutes before our race would start.

In that time I saw many people walking the swim course. I would have expected to see maybe 1 person who was having a rough day, but not as many as I saw Saturday.

I figured that since Kenny the RD had repeatedly yelled over the loudspeaker and PA system that swimming was in fact much quicker (since this was the swim course) than walking that those of us in the sprint would heed his advice and make like fish.

Wrong.

I had my first ever water freak out at Motor City triathlon yesterday, mainly due to the people walking. I kept gasping for air and could not swim due to the rush of people walking over me!

I ended up finding some free space after the 2nd of 3 bouys and was able to find my groove. Better late than never even if I was halfway done with the swim. I ended up with my fastest 500 yard swim ever even with the freak out.

I had a slow transition time, mainly due to trying to find the charms off of the necklace I had broke during my freak out, and due to just taking my time putting everything into my swim transition bag.

I headed out for the ride and was pleasently surprised that my HR was pretty low. I got into a groove and saw that I was cruising along at 20+ MPH. I decided to just hold this as I hear this course while flat is very windy and you may have a tail wind and then get hit with a strong headwind on the back side of the island.

On the backside I noticed that my speed dropped to 19.5-20 MPH. That made me happy because apparently there was no wind out there. Sweet!

I dropped into my bars and just rode.

12.4 miles later, I averaged 20.5 MPH which was good enough for a HUGE bike PR for, the 5th fasted bike split in my AG, and the 30th fastest bike split out of all sprint females (161 total).

I was wondering what the run would hold being that I pushed more on the bike than I normally do, and I was pleasantly surprised. I started off slow and kept speeding u until the end at 3.4 miles. I averaged 11:18/mile which while slow was my 2nd or 3rd fastest pace in a triathlon, and was the 2nd longest run in a triathlon I have done.

1:32:32 total time, Sprint triathlon PR, swim and bike pace PRs.

Hmmm.. apparently my training for Welland is paying off. I missed podium in the Athena group by seconds and 1st place by 4 minutes. It was my run that did me in!

On the back side of the race, I feel strong and happy and now fully excited for Welland. The question of if I can do it is gone, and now I am in a place of getting really excited and enjoying this whole process.

You only have one first. I want this one to be the most positive as well. =)

With that being said - I am now in TAPER!!!!

Summertime, and the living's easy.

2010-06-11T13:54:00.001-04:00

Lots of things are flying through my head the past few days.

The biggest thing is that I have decided to not do the Rev3 Half Iron in September. Due to work load and life balance issues, trying to manage an additional 10 weeks of HIM training is not going to work out. In effect I have been at this endurance triathlon training volume for 2 years now. This is not my job and due to changes in both my life and my work demands, I really need to be more realistic.

With that being said, I have a lot on my plate for this current Half Ironman, the one in just 16 days.
I need to tackle the following things in the next few weeks to really feel that I am good to go.
â€¢ My rear tire needs to be replaced.
â€¢ I need to get a new tube or two and some back up C02 cartridges.
â€¢ I need to pick up some Vittoria Pit Stop as a primary go to in case of a flat .
â€¢ I need to make sure that I have all of my nutrition ready and prepped and packed.
â€¢ I need to get in one last long ride figuring out where all of the nutrition will be stored.
â€¢ I need to make sure that I have TONS of body glide!
â€¢ I need to get in two long runs (one 12 miler, one 9-10 miler as part of taper) to solidify the confidence.
â€¢ I need to do 2-3 more OWSs prior to Welland. Not big, just comfy in my wetsuit.

I already have on order as of a moment ago the tire, Vittoria Pit Stop, and nutrition supplements (GU Chomps, Carb Booms, etc. I need to fine tune how I plan to carry my nutrition. I am carrying some crackers and some fruit, so I need to make sure that the method I use will keep it well and easy to get to without interrupting my riding.

Wow. In 16 days time I will be a 70.3 finisher. How exciting!

I am very excited to get back to normal life. These high volumes are awesome and I love working out this much, but I am ready to back off a bit and focus on running for a while, and working on the technical aspects of cycling and swimming. 2011 will be the year of speed in tris and endurance in running!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I also have an update on weight. I am now 6lbs below my August 13th goal (yay!) so I have readjusted my goal to be down an additional 10lbs by August 13th. That will put me at race weight from early 2009, and then I would like to drop another 25lbs. No time limit, I just need to drop another 35lbs total in order to really get to where my body is healthy. I figure 1-2 lbs a week is healthy and sustainable (hopefully!) with a variety of workouts (running, cycling, climbing, swimming, tennis, MTBing, walking, rollerblading, whatever) and healthy choices. In 6 months I should be at my goal if I sustained a 1 lb a week loss. We shall see!

I fit in, as of last week, both my goal jeans and my goal dress! With room to spare, mind you!

I am back in the game for the past 2, 3 weeks and I can really tell. Yes, I worry that once I stop the endurance workouts that I will gain weight, but I plan on building muscle and staying focused on my portion sizes and calories and I should get there.

I hope for you all a great weekend! I am getting ready for Motor City Sunday and a long run with my running group, Your Pace or Mine, on Saturday am (EARLY!).

Grinding My Gears. Thoughts from a wanna be bike commuter.

2010-05-28T15:23:00.001-04:00

To steal a phrase from the wise orator Peter Griffin, this really grinds my gears.

Resource management, or lack thereof. Time, money, nature, people, whatever.

It dawned on me after I posted to my Facebook account months ago that I was going to start adding bike commutes to work that we just do not live in a society that is set up for mobility of the people who reside here.

I get that. We live in Metro Detroit where cars abound and people drive like we are in Mexico City. Car manufacturers and suppliers have literally built this city. Given this, safety is very important. You have to ride (bike or car) with your head on a swivel, and always ALWAYS be on the defense. No matter what rules are there to protect us on both sides of the bike/car match, most motorists just plain do not know how to drive near cyclists and a lot of cyclists do not know how to ride along with cars.

That is why my friend Cassie and I have been taking the sidewalks from our homes to work. It is pretty straight forward with only a few intersections where we have to take a stance of being overly cautious.

We are lucky. We live only 15 miles away from work, yet people who we know that live much closer than us could not safely get to work via bike and sometimes barely can get here via car.

Oakland County has done some wonderful things in the past 10 years with respect to providing off-road paths for transportation and recreation. The Rails-to-Trail systems are wonderful avenues from getting from point A to point B safely. Running, walking, bike riding, strolling, etc. is really becoming a part of the community.

Without the Rails-to-Trails, bike paths or even sidewalks, people often do not have a safe way to traverse a busy and overpopulated area.

For example, the Clinton River portion of the Rails-to-Trails system is prime example of both. It is now possible, with a little jag in the road at Square Lake, to run, bike, walk, or stroll from Paint Creek Trail in Rochester area all the way into West Bloomfield via the Rails-to-Trails network.
On Square Lake Road (where the little jog is, and by little jog I actually mean long unsafe haul) there is a petition (http://ping.fm/YDUk6) to complete the bike path to Opdyke for this very reason. The residents are petitioning to have the County complete the bike path so more people can access the other paths without needing to drive there.

Even a short distance without access to other trails, paths, and sidewalks makes a community car dependant. It is fine to have to ride your car to work, but in your own neighborhood you should be able to get around on foot or bike should you want to.

I am blessed to live in a community with sidewalks which connect me to all of the stores I could ever possibly need to get to within a reasonable 5 miles. If I did not have these sidewalks and bike paths, I would be forced to use my car to get everywhere. And I am ashamed to admit that often I will drive to a store when I could feasibly run, walk, or ride there. True it would force me to purchase less product more frequently, but that would lend to more sustainability and less waste on my side.

Given the demands on my life, I cannot feasibly give up driving my car, nor can I feasibly give up driving my car to go grocery or supply shopping. What I can do, however, is say 1 day a week bike to work, and then 1 or 2 days a week ride my bike to stores to pick up whatever I may need for that nightâ€™s dinner, or supplies for a project that I am working on. These little changes in my life are what I can manage, and while not a huge impact will be made to the world, in my world it will mean a lot.

I also find it amusing that the things which are celebrated in other parts of the country, public transport and walkability factors, are looked down upon here.

This will be an interesting feat. I am finding that some areas are really set up to have pedestrian traffic, while others are just not going to work. Trial and error, and always a big adventure.
The bottom line is that we need safe places to run, bike, and walk to make our neighborhoods less car dependant. When we make mobility off of the roads a priority, and I am talking just get it on the list, I think that we will see more people getting out there and being active.

Build the infrastructure and the people will use it.

So what are your thoughts? Would you use it?

The Final Countdown...

2010-05-27T16:22:00.001-04:00

What is that, you ask? Has RunnerGirl lost her mind (again) and fell victim to her cheesy and completely out of place Europe obsession?

Is it 1986 again?

Have Swedish rock bands become relevant again?

No.

I am entering the final countdown to Welland, my first long course (Half Ironman distance, 70.3 miles) triathlon. Here is where the sweat, blood, and tears all come together. Training is nearly done and time to have faith that the training was enough to prepare my body to cover 70.3 miles with strength, happiness, and excitement.

Am I worried? Nope.
Am I excited? Yep.
Am I nervous? Of course.

This past week I decided to review my logs from the my training for Muncie. Now Muncie ended up being a race that I felt pretty good at for what I was able to do leading up to it last year. It was my epic fail of a long course triathlon, but an epic win in personal growth.

Sometimes you need to hit rock bottom. You need failure. I did hit rock bottom, and that happened when I failed myself by giving up on me.

MUNCIE
February 2009 - Start of training and I managed nearly 6 workouts every single week. I started strong! Started being the operative word.

March 2009 - I did a workout nearly every single day for the first 18 days of the month, missing only one on the 4th. Then....

I pick back up training on the 14th of April.

April 2009 - 5 workouts, 3 workouts, 3 workouts... nothing major, and all base miles. 12-18 mile bike rides, 3-4 mile runs. *cough* Awesome for a sprint triathlon... but for 70.3 miles? Heh.

May 2009 - A little more consistent here in May. Again, mid-distanced rides (managed one 40 miler on the bike) and short runs. OK swims. Here is where I melt down.

Melissa Kelber and Kimm Bender know exactly what I mean. I MELTED DOWN.

Doubt crept in. I wanted to do the race, but I wasn't sure that I wanted to do the training, and my heart surely was not in the right place. I was battling personal issues at home and of course work kept me busy. May sucked. Worst month ever. Or so I thought.

June 2009 - As so often for the definitive points in our lives, when we think that we have hit the bottom and things just cannot get any worse, things cannot go any more wrong, the bottom turns out to be merely a ledge sitting high above the truth.

July 2009 - The truth, for the record, sucks. But then you harden up and push through. I eeked out the last few rides, a run or two for SnG, and some swims. I did my best at Muncie and had a blast. Took home 2nd place in my AG. My swim coach got 1st so I am OK with that. =)

What about this year, the year that I have felt was a repeat of 2009 in so many ways?

WELLAND
February 2010 - Training starts. I rocked day 1. And then I nailed days 4, 5, and 6. Then apparently I fell asleep. Oh wait no, then I went on a lot of travel and was gone for the last half of this month, and the first of the next. No training for travelling RunnerGirl!

March 2010 - Felt like I lost so much of my base that I scramble for a training plan that I could stick with and that made me happy. After a month of tweaking and brainstorming with Carol, I find it and stick to it. About 50-/50 on training this month, even running and swimming some in China. Nothing long, but lots of base.

April 2010- Something happened. I fell in love with running and long training for the first time ever. I really started to see the world differently. My job was not a hinderance on my life. While it is a difficult job to schedule around, it pays the bills and aloows me to see so much in life that otherwise I would never have though possible.

I start running more consistently, and never less than 5 miles or so. Suddenly, I was chomping at the bit to train. Forget the race, I was enjoying the journey.

May 2010 - The journey continues and I have put some major miles on my bike and my legs. I put in my first ever 11+ hour training week. And funny thing, it felt easy. Not like "walk in the park" easy, but not the absolute meat grinder I was expecting.

The training is fun, so what on earth can the race be but fun?

I have put a long ride n my bike every weekend this month. A 57.5 miler, a 60 miler, a 50 miler, and more to come. I have a 60 miler or so on tap for each weekend from now until Welland.

My running is staying consistent and I am getting both mentally and physically stronger. Slower than normal, but stronger. I am even doing a marathon this winter. Who is this girl???

I have done a few open water swims this month (way earlier than ever before) and I get right back in with little issue.

Now it is down to 4 weeks. Two weeks of training, and two weeks of tapering.

The journey has, as it always ends up being, nothing short of a life lesson.

While training for endurance triathlons is fun, it is not realistic with my work schedule in my current position. Sooo...

I am playing around with goals for 2011. It involves a "Goofy" little race in Florida to start, maybe a go at the hills, rocks, brush, confusion, river crossings, fleshwounds and Motrin race (sounds like a 50k in "Hell" to me), and of course 5 sprint triathlons!

For now I am happy to go long, train hard, and taper... and do it all over again in September at Cedar Point.

Where Has May Gone???

2010-05-26T11:04:00.001-04:00

Amazing how time flies when you are having fun. =)

After my freezing ride on the 9th I have had wonderful training weather pretty consistently. Now it is getting hotter, but that is OK with me. It means that Summer is nearly here!

The past two weeks have been 10 hour training weeks for me, which is a complete new level. I have really been enjoying the training and I have grown to enjoy my time out there as quality "me" time. Although, I do still enjoy training with a group.

This past weekend held the longest workout I have ever done and I felt great the whole day.

I swam ~1 mile, rode 50.5 miles and ran a 5k in crazy heat. My legs felt good and strong and I was never fatigued, even with a 7am start to my day. It was nice to have a good volume of training behind me and still have the rest of the day to enjoy home.

This week is going to be the lowest in volume I have had in a long time, only due to other obligations which have taken away most of my weekday trainings.

I should be able to get in 2 longer runs (5 mile+ and a 12 mile+), 2 days of biking (a 30 mile day and a 60 mile day), and a nice long OWS this week. I know that it is not optimal, but at least I can hit all of my long workouts.

Next week I really need to buckle down and hit the pool at lunch on the days that I can make it, Mondays and then Wednesdays or Thursdays. This will be in addition to the OWS time I aim for.

I am feeling confident in Welland and am looking forward to seeing how this all comes together. Mike has been so much more supportive this time around, and I feel like I have finally found a good balance in my life.

On the home front, now that is another story. We are getting a fence put in here in the next few weeks and also have some Central AC work that needs to be done (it is HOT!), and some roofing/gutter repairs.

Between work, home and training I have been one busy gal!

While I love training for the endurance races, I am actually glad that this will be the last year for the craziness for a while.

I am finallizing the racing plan for 2010 and this is what I am bouncing around with now:

June 13th, Motor City Olympic Triathlon
June 27th, Welland Half Iron Triathlon
July 7th, Motor City Mile OWS
August 28th, CRIM 10 miler
September 12th, Rev3 Cedar Point Half Iron Triathlon
October 17th, Detroit FreePress Half Marathon
December 5th, Rock 'n' Roll Las Vegas Marathon

I will have a trip to China in the fall, and possibly a trip to Romania in early August, so I cannot really plan on many more races than this. If I will be around, then I would love to do Brooksie Way Half Marathon and Woodstock Half Marathon again.

I am thinking of doing the Goofy Challenge in 2011 just to do it. Hmmmm.... we shall see we shall see!

Well kids, off to run tonight and then a long weekend filled with gardening, home fun, and some swimming biking and running sprinkled in.

Have fun and be safe! HAPPY MEMORIAL WEEKEND!

HOLY FREEZING TOES, BATMAN!

2010-05-10T10:58:00.001-04:00

This weekend was great!

Friday night I took my mom, dad, and Mike out for Mother's Day in Flint. It was nice to sit around and talk about other times in our lives. Such as the time that a man tried to purchase me in Tijuana when I was 6, or the time that my mom had spinners on her 59 Ford, or the time that my Uncle broke the axle on his car when he was 16 and my Grandfather had to drive north to pick up him, my father, and the car.

I learned that families are amazing units and I am blessed that my family grew up together. My family has had an amazingly interesting life, in a very typical way. I love that about the Warstler/Chrysler clan.

My parents grew up together, have known each other their entire lives. This quality is rare, but makes for great stories!

Saturday morning I got up early to go swim with FAST at the Schoolcraft pool. It was hot and my arms ached. The pool being hot I have no control over, but the arms aching was 100% my fault.

After swimming I grabbed breakfast with the old crew and then headed to ILRA for the 2010 Bike Demo Days where I froze my tushy off from 10:30 - 2pm. I had a blast! It was rainy, windy and freezing cold, but so much fun.

I ended up not having enough time to get in my long run, so I decided rather than to try to squeeze it in elsewhere I will just chalk last week up to being a run recovery week. Meh.

Sunday I got up early (Again! Twice in one weekend! Who is this girl?!?) and went down to Hines for a 4 hour, 60 mile bike ride. And here is why people say that I am crazy. After this ride, I agree with you.

~It was in the low 30's when I arrived.

~I have no cold weather riding clothes.

~Neccessity begets innovation.

~Through some trial and error I ended up with a solution to everything, except my frozen toes.

~Frozen toes, FYI, suck.

~I wore my biking gloves and 1 pair of socks on my hands.

~I did not have frozen fingers. This made me happy.

~I wore a tri top under two technical turtle necks, under my jersey. I was on the cool side of comfortable even with all of this on.

~I wore running tights under my racing tri shorts. Not once did my tushy or anything else hurt. I foung the perfect pair of racing shorts!

~I finished the ride in one piece, exactly 60 miles in just over 4 hours.

~I did 3 loops total, starting with my car at the Newburgh Point Rest Area on Hines Drive.

~Loop #1 was from Newburgh Point (NP) out to the Inkster overpass and back for 15 point something miles.

~ Loops #2 and #3 were from NP to Ford Road and back, with my ODO reading exactly 60 miles when I rolled into the parking lot for the last time.

~I had to play mental games a lot in the last loop.

~This ride was as much mental training as it was physical training.

~ At one point I honestly considered packing up and going home to complete the ride in my basement on a trainer.

~At another point I considered calling Mike and having him pick me up and take me back to my car so I could leave. That consideration was quite fleeting, but it did happen. Full disclosure is my policy.

~I knew that if I did this, I would not hop on the trainer and I would be so mad at myself for quitting for no reason at all. Boredom is an evil mind-trick playing thing.

~My legs felt good and strong the entire ride and afterwards. Not a pain or even inkling of soreness.

~My endurance was on par - the ride was actually easy from a time in the saddle and leg motion standpoint. I kept my HR in zone 2 pretty much the entire ride. This is all about time in the saddle and getting the back used to endurance rides.

~The thing that made it not so easy was the back pain that started at the end of loop #2, and ended with me in tears with 1.5 miles left in the ride. Once I got off of the bike, the pain immediately went away. Today I sit here fine, and last night you would not have know that I had done any activity this weekend. Fitness is an amazing thing. Back pain, however, is not.

My friend and fellow Wellander Carol popped into my head every time I wanted to turn around and go back to my car early due to back pain or annoyance with the wind.

"Why let the only reason that I am not doing my workout be that I don't want to finish this?"

No words ever spoken to me resonate so often or with such importance. That quite honestly single-handedly got me through the back pain and annoying wind bouts to my car in 60 miles.

Thank you Carol! Even though you were not on the ride with me... you were with me mentally and gave me the tools that I needed to get me to the finish.

The promising thing as far as the back pain goes is is that every ride the pain starts to show later and later, so I think that my back is getting better used to it.

After the ride I went home and started making dinner for Monther's Day with Mike's parents who came over.

I had so much fun this weekend with family, Mike, and training. It is times like these when I feel a good balance in life. It warms my heart and makes me feel happy.

<3 Have a wonderful week!

Deposits and Withdrawals.

2010-05-07T15:47:00.001-04:00

I made quite a few deposits into the bank of Welland this past week, and a few withdrawals from my bank in preparation of Welland. I am still very much in the black with that equation so we will call it all good.

Well, there goes that Pad I was ooogling

The things which I purchased are going to help me reach my goals a lot quicker than an iPad ever would.

In preparation of Welland, I have mentally stepped up my training. Unfortunately, I had to miss 2 workouts this week due to other things but I made the ones that I did make really count. I feel stronger after the workouts. I am pushing myself, but not too hard so I am enjoying this entire process from start to finish.

Let's review the numbers, shall we?

Since 4/27 they came out like such:

DEPOSITS
RUN -6.22 miles
BIKE -115.5 miles
SWIM - 2 miles, driving. *cough* Drove to the gym yesterday at lunch to swim a nice and easy 1600... Only to find that I was 45 minutes early for lap swim. D'oh!

WITHDRAWALS
1 Isis Azalea sports bra
1 De Soto Forza Tri suit in red/black to match my team kit
1 pair of Zensah calf compression sleeves to aid in recovery
1 bag of my custom blend Infinit nutrition

On the Clymb.com there was a 3 day Isis / Carve sale and saw this sports bra made specifically for larger cupped women. I figure it was worth a shot to try it out. I can always use more sports bras and am looking for a regular sports bra, not a tank top style one to wear this year.

The De Soto tri suit would seem to be an odd choice given that I will be wearing either a team jersey or team tri-top at races, but really I get uncomfortable with waistbands so I figured that wearing a tri suit under the jersey/top would allow me more options depending on what I feel like wearing come race day, plus - if the tri top rides up like it has been, all you will see is solid black, not my tummy! I am used to wearing full tank style sports bras under my tri tops anyhow, so heat and comfort will not be issues.

I started to wear compression socks during my flights to and from China in an effort to stave off any ill effects from flying such long hours, and while I was in China found myself putting them on after long walks and runs. My legs felt so energized in the socks that I decided to get the Zensah calf sleeves for my running. I really wanted pink... but decided to stick with black. =) Maybe my next pair will be pink.

I started using Infinit nutrition last year after discussing nutrition with my friend Jaret a really amazing athlete. I never really experienced major GI issues from my nutrition however I always had reached this saturation point where I just did not want to drink any more and then dehydration and cramping would kick in. I would often feel like my drinks were sloshing all around in my stomach. Annoying.

Jaret turned our friend Melissa and myself on to Inifinit nutrition, a completely customizable drink option. Literally the possibilities are endless.

I ordered a batch per my requirements last year and it solved all of the cramping, sloshing and saturation issues. I drink it and it just disappears. There is no fullness. There is no tidal wave going back and forth in the tummy on runs. It just works.

LOVE IT!

This time, I added some more carbohydrates and calories to my mix while keeping the amino acids and electrolytes where they were from the heat mix that I used in 2009.

This next week I plan on making more deposits. Something in the realm of 6,000 meters swimming, 155 miles biking and 26.6 miles running from tomorrow to 5/16.

Holy heck that is a lot of mileage and time in the saddle and water and time on the feet.

I love it.

I am also going to figure out my sweat rate so I can have a better gauge as to the hydration plan I need to follow. Right now I am doing a very generic 8 oz / 30 minutes riding, but would like to make sure that I am not over or under consuming. My legs, while tired on the ride, are feeling strong afterwards and my back is whipping into shape as well.

Training works. Consistency works. The plans work when you work the plans and when you really truly do the workouts not just complete the time or distance.

Just showing up for a workout but not really engaging in it is akin to showing up for class and doodling the whole time.

If you show up for class and actively engage in learning, then you will walk away at the end with so much more than you would have otherwise. The same holds true for training.

So this week - try engaging in your workouts and making each one count for something. This does not mean to go all out and power through them. I mean perform the workout as it is written to the best of your ability on that day. Each workout has a purpose. Speed, endurance, power, whatever it may.

Happy swimming, biking, running... with intent!!

The Rear-View Mirror.

2010-04-27T11:40:00.002-04:00

--------------------------------------
The Rear-View Mirror
--------------------------------------

I am sure that you are wondering why I am posting about a rear-view mirror.

It is an oddly simple thing. A small thing in all reality. But one which people tend to look through way too often.

I am not talking about putting on makeup, fixing hair, staring down the tailgater behind you, or even looking to see what is fast approaching.

In fact, I am not even speaking of the rear-view mirror in a car. I am speaking of the rear-view mirror in a life.

Imagine how hard your journey to work would be every morning if you drove it looking through the rear-view mirror. Assuming that you are driving in a forward gear and not reverse, this task would be impossible.

If you wouldn't navigate your day doing this, then why navigate your life doing this?

Isn't it just as dangerous?

Why yes, we should honor the past for what it is, take the lesson to be learned and move on.

But you cannot try to live through the rear facing view.

I am learning this lesson this year and in fact have taken this to heart. I threw out my rear-view mirror. And it feels wonderful.

So what if I have missed a month of training? Honestly, so what? Does that mean that I cannot progress forward and navigate my way through the rest of training to complete my race happy come the day? No. It does not mean this at all.

I started to let each missed workout prevent me from completing the next workout, compounding the fear into something that made me wonder if I would ever get back on track.

Well I did.

I got back on track.

I revamped my plan, got back into the groove and was reborn a runner with a triathlon addiction.

I, for the first time in my life, love running.

Once I started to look ahead of me: the training days, the better weather, my dedication, and the calming down of my work travels until races end, I was fully able to resume.

So one 14 mile bike ride lead to two 5 mile runs, which lead to a 31 mile bike ride and then a 10 mile run.

I was so geeked to get back out the door and workout that I don't even consider myself training anymore. I am enjoying this whole process.

I no longer dread putting in the time on my legs and in the water, because I truly enjoy that time.

By removing the rear-view mirror, I was able to look solely ahead of me. And man, for as far as I have come in life I have that much farther to go.

And it excites me.

So this week, try this little experiment. Throw away the fear and regret and just

Let.

It.

Go.

Trust me. You will be better off without the past lingering around.

With this new found lightness, focus on what you do have... what you have ahead of you.

What type of person would we all be if we stopped thinking about the have nots, and focused on the haves?

--------------------------------------
THE WEEK AHEAD:
--------------------------------------
Monday - Swim (DNS... time constraints)
Tuesday - TRT with Jo. 6 miles
Wednesday - Swim at lunch, Ride on hines after work.
Thursday - ILRA 2 loops , short brick
Friday - Swim at lunch, rest evening
Saturday - Willow Duathlon - 5k, 20k, 5k
Sunday - MGST 62 miler easy with Mike, Carol, and everyone who gambles on the weather!

Oh, and I am planning on toeing the line at a pretty big race this year! More on that.... later!

Peace, love, and RUNNING!
Runnergirl, RedZone, Jenniferlyn

Chasing Rainbows

2010-04-22T11:02:00.002-04:00

I missed updating the bloggy this weekend, so I figured that today is a good day as any to catch up. I really am going to try to get back to updating this blog regularly, not daily but hopefully no less than weekly.

This week has been good, my friends. Last weekend brought a pleasant boost in morale for me, and this week brought sexy back. And by sexy, I mean consitency.

I rode 14 miles easy on Monday, ran 5 milers both on Tuesday and Wednesday, and now I am planning on a long ride of about 50 miles at Island Lake Recreational Area tonight.

I have all of my hydration set up and ready to go, pre-ride and ride nutrition packed. I am going to try out the shot blocks on the ride tonight and then on next week's long ride I will take a flask of Hammer gel and see which works better for me on the bike.

I am starting a pattern of workouts and it feels right.

• Mondays are bricks or just rides on Hines drive. Group workout.
• Tuesday is my newly formed "Tuesday Run Therapy" with my friend Jo
• Wednesdays are another run night for me, just getting time on the legs in this base period. Later it may end up being an OWS/Run.
• Thursdays are a 24 to 36 mile ride typically (tonight is a 50) with a group. Later in the season Thursdays will be an OWS/Bike workout.
• Fridays are the day of rest.
• Saturdays are OWS/Bikes
• Sundays are long runs.

The ride Monday was slow, but I was not going for speed rather just some time in the saddle.

Tuesday and Wednesday brought two fun runs, one with a partner and some good discussions, and one alone in a light, sun-filled rain amidst rainbows.

I am not going for pace right now in my training I am just getting in base miles on my legs and back. The biggest issue I had at Muncie last year was back pain on the bike.

So I am using the base period for exactly that, building base and findig in joy in the miles I am putting on my legs.

My goal for right now is to get to 20-25 miles a week on my legs running, and keep a strong long ride going so I can get my back used to being in aero and ride position for 3 -4 hours at a time.

See something missing here? Where is the swim? A year ago you could not keep me out of the pool, this year I have not been able to really get into it.

For one, I tend to do pool swims during the day at lunch, and OWS at night. It is too cold right now for any OWS, and my days have been jammed with meetings from the moment I walk in until somedays midnight. My pool swimming time is either 5:30am, noon, or 8pm.

I work out at night so doing an am swim is difficult for me if I want any sort of sleep. Since I already work out at night, I cannot justify workout out from 5pm - 10pm. I need to get into the pool starting next week and swim 2x during the week. That is my goal. In fact, I just put it into my calendar for Monday and Thursday next week.

Yay!

Ok well off to the rest of my day. I think that I am going to get used to chasing rainbows. It is pretty fun!

The Countdown Continues.

2010-04-11T10:44:00.007-04:00

ADJUSTMENTS
MIA again. At least I am consistent with my inconsistency. That must count for something.

I am now 2 months outside of Welland. I have altered my race schedule to accommodate the past 2 months of work travel, and therefore the lack of training time.

4/10 - Martian 10k
4/11 GREYHOUNDS Time Trial on Hines Drive (road bike)
5/1 - Willow Duathlon
5/2 - MGST 62 mile ride
5/31 - TOPs Tour 75 mile ride
6/6 - Dexter to Ann Arbor Half Marathon
6/13 - Motor City Olympic Tri
6/27 - Welland Half Ironman

I have a solid training plan thanks to my partner in crime, Carol. I pretty much just took the trinewbies 18 weeks plan she is following, started it at week 8 as that is where we are right now, and incorporated my known workouts/events:

Monday night Bike/Run Hines Drive Bricks (Starting up 4/12 at 6PM at Newburgh Point - come on out!)
Thursday night OWS/Bike ILRA workouts
Saturday AM FAST Swims
Misc. RACING GREYHOUNDS team events
Biking Tours (for long rides)

With the need to get to the Dexter Ann Arbor (DX2AA) Half Marathon by June 6th I increased the running distances (although in all fairness, not by much). When I took the step back and looked it over - it looks good. No. It looks really good.

Yesterday started back on track with the Martian Meteor 10kas my long training run. I had not realized this, but the last time that I ran a 10k race was 4 years ago. I wonder why I have ignored the 10k for so long? That race, the last one I ran before yesterday? That was my PR at 1:10:xx. I ran the Martian race at RPE 2-3 (an easy low HR run) and finished in my 2nd fastest time ever in 1:14:xx. I stopped to take off some clothing and walked through the water stations in addition to just sort of jogging along and I ran my 2nd fastest 10k ever.

My fitness is not so bad. When I first started running (and was running alot more frequently than today) I was always aiming for a 1:15 but rarely attained it. Plus, I weigh at least 20 lbs more now than I did at my PR race in '06.

This was the confidence boost that I needed. My base building adventures have really helped carry me through the tough times this year. I had so much left in the tank at the end of the 10k that I felt confident that I could have ran the half marathon. I am right where I need to be fitness wise in my training.

So no more looking back at what I have missed, only looking forward at what is to come.

Today is the team Time Trial. This is my first bike only race (me vs. the clock) and I know that if I had not joined the GREYHOUNDS this year, I would not have ever done a bike only road race. My goal for 2010 is to work on my bike speed and skills and to try more new things to keep it lively in the health 'hood.

LESSONS FROM THE ROAD
I must stop here and make mention that I have grown so much mentally in this sport. That is where most of us forget to train. We get the swims, bikes, and runs done. We practice nutrition and clothing, and choreograph race day from setting up our transitions to marking every step we will take from the gun to the finish line. It is a routine we follow and attempt to follow it as flawlessly as possible.

Do we ever really think about the mental places we will be taken to during the race?

My failures (even if only failures to me) have always been due to my head. I maybe have the physical capacity to do something, but I cannot wrap my head around it and I start that negative self-talk and boom - downhill we go.

Lessons learned from all of my time on the road is that I need to be prepared and force myself to push through in these darker times. we all need to really. So, with that I have added to my training this year the mental aspects.

For instance, this past Monday I had a 45 minute run planned. I was feeling really good about it all day since I had some decent runs in Shanghai, and 45 minutes is a pretty short run comparatively. I head out along my favorite spot to run after work and right away my legs are not happy.

I realize that my nutrition that day, while really healthy, was sparse and I had not consumed the calories I had needed to prior to the run. Oh well, what can you do but to push through or quit? I pushed through,

Mile 1 comes (slowly) and I am thinking that I feel absolutely horrible. "Let's walk this baby back in and go home" I tell myself. I keep on going. "No," I respond to my inner dark voice, "the schedule is calling for 45 minutes and if this were the last 45 minutes of my race would I quit? No, I would make it to the end, somehow. Anyway possible I must finish." And that was all it took.

Once I realized that come hell or high water I will finish, a weight was lifted and I felt no pitty for myself. So what if my body wasn't performing to the level I know it is capable of.

"NOW is not the time to worry about the 'should be', NOW is the time to think about the 'is', and what is happening is that I need to walk and that is OK as I am making that forward progress." These are the words I had to keep repeating to myself to remind myself to now sweat the here and now, but to work in the here and now.

I started walking and then at the 2.5 mile mark it happened. Complete wardrobe failure. I made some modifications and walked/jogged it in to finish at 45 minutes just as planned.

Of course at any time I could have stopped, however at that point the bigger part of that training session was not the run. Clearly the run disappeared at mile 1/2. At that point what I was training myself to do was to see light in adversity. To design a plan on the fly when I need to get out of a sticky situation and finish.

I consider that a success. Now I know that I can still finish even when things get tough. Let's get the crap out of the way now so I will not be surprised if the crap happens at Welland.

Have a great week!

Opportunity vs. Obstacle. Lesson 1 in Reframing Your Situation.

2010-03-16T16:21:00.001-04:00

I have been MIA for a bit in both my blogging and my training.

This is not due to lack of motivation but rather due to traveling for 3 weeks straight and then an emergency trip to the DDS for a root canal which has left more pain in my head than before.

I am only 1 month into my HIM training, and I am already 1 month behind! COME ON NOW!

This is just no way to go about life. No way at all my friends.

I am now set to leave Saturday for a two week trip to Shanghai and Hangzhou China.

All of this was brought to a head very recently when I looked at my workload as a huge hindrance in my training for all of the races I want to do, therefore I started to view work as an obstacle in my life.

You read that right. The very thing that pays my bills and allows for me to do the things I love to do in life was being viewed by this little lady as an obstacle. heh.

It took a pretty direct discussion with a friend to show me that what I have in front of me is an amazing opportunity.

I feel so ashamed that I had turned so centrist, but I feel very pleased that I was able to see the situation for what it was and was able to react quickly and salvage both my training and my happiness!

Yes it is MY life; however... my life includes a lot more people than just me.

So with this re-framing of my 2010 work travels (multiple China trips, possibly Romania, back to Guadalajara, Mexico and who else knows where) to be opportunities to see the world and places I normally would never have the opportunity to visit, I have also performed a reframing of my triathlon goals.

THE BIG CHANGES:
Gone is IM Florida in 2011.
Only 1 HIM in 2010: Welland here I come, baby!

My current life situation just does not allow for me to put the right amount of effort into training for a 140.6 mile race. As much as I want to do an Ironman, I need to know that 2011 is not the year for it. I have a lifetime to accomplish that.

As for 2010, my last endurance triathlon for a while will be the Welland Half Ironman on June 27th. After that I will focus on sprints and branching out and spending more time in the outdoors doing non-triathlon specific things.

Mountain biking, rock-wall climbing, hiking, a century ride or two, more running, some solo open water swims, heck maybe even a 5k swim!

Triathlon in and of itself is not the end all be all definition of me. I swim, I bike, and I run and happen to do these in succession on occasion. I can also walk, climb, garden, and paddle. Oh, and I am quite good at enjoying the sun.

Let me reiterate that I am not quitting or giving up anything. I am still a triathlete. I am simply reframing and in my new and improved frame of view set within the limitations and demands of my current job position and my current life demands I need to focus on fast and fun instead of long and, well, time consuming.

I am a new homeowner and would love to spend some time at home working with Mike on making it the best place possible.

Once I am in the situation of having to pick between home, work and play I will be in a horrible no-win situation. And I am not so keen on setting myself up for failure or stress. I do not need any more of that. I work in the automotive industry, thankyouverymuch.

So, I am gearing up and re-tooling my training to incorporate crazy travel, and then after Welland Half ironman I plan on focusing on lots of shorter speed focused training and really just making 2011 the year of kicking butt in sprints.

You better watch out Athenas! I am gunning for you!

Ironman will come. I know this. I will tackle it when I am able to give it the mental focus it will demand.

Until then, here is to life balance, travelling the world, spending more quality time with Mike and friends, spending more time outdoors in the garden on the lake and in the parks, and celebrating finding my path... for now.

<3

Now off to get in a beautiful sun-soaked long run around the 'Hills.

})i({RG

The Princeton House, Putting The "Fun" Back In Fundamental.

2010-02-27T08:50:00.008-05:00

Mike and I are putting together the list of all that we want to do this spring and summer at the Princeton House. On the top of the list is to repaint a few rooms and put our personal touches on them. Right now three rooms have paint swatches up in them so we can see the paint in different lights before making the decision.

This spring once the weather turns a little warmer so we can do some substantial work outside, we plan on adding a few rain barrels with weep hoses around our property to help in watering our parameter garden, as well as expanding the garden into our yard more and planning out some front yard landscaping and improvements on the already installed landscape lighting we have.

If the video above doesn't stream, here is the link on how to make your own rain barrel.

One of the selling points of this house (to us) was the fact that we have a garden on 3 of the 4 sides of our property. Mike and I love gardening and the sense of pride it gives you serving food that you grew.

We already have a compost going pretty strong with much thanks to our friends and neighbors Jake and Cassie, and we are now in the process of getting the recycling totes from our city so we can do recycling at the curb.

With the rain barrels and eventually the addition of some solar heating panels, as well as the proper sealing of our crawl space and interior pipes I think that we can make some big strides in being more self sufficient and helping out with heating/water bills.

This is a fun process, seeing where we can improve upon systems in place.

One thing is for sure. When you have a house that was built in the 1950's, you have opportunities to update the efficiency of the house. While we all know that putting your personal touch on the appearance of a house is pretty fun, however the foundational things such as proper insulation and sealing to assure that our house is as efficient as possible are just as fun!

It requires a new type of creativity. How to accomplish an output while making sure that the system is ecologically and financially responsible.

The sense of accomplishment we feel at the end of the day when we have installed something new or made a decision on what purpose we want a space to be used for, it makes home ownership more than just having a pretty home. It feels like we are making our house a home on a whole new level of functionality, sustainability, and responsibility.

You're Doing It Wrong. Something About The Biggest Journey Being The One Inside.

2010-02-11T21:57:00.009-05:00

Ha ha ha! This made my day. Sometimes it is neat to see how little things which seem completely inane, are really just the thing you need to flip a switch. While the above picture was not one of those things... the one below was.

I am stuck. In a rut. And I cannot. Get. Out. Or so I thought.

I have been having flashbacks to 2000 and looking forward in those memories to where I thought that I would be at 31. Never did I think that I would be here. I thought by now I would be so FAR from here!

But really... how does one measure the distance one has traveled in life? Seriously? In miles moved? In marriages accumulated? In children born? In jobs secured? In jobs lost? In battles won? How?

Yeah. I have not that answer either. And do you know what? That is not a bad thing. Who says that the mark of success is measurable at all? And who set the metrics by which it should be measured?

Exactly.

The most successful people I know question their own progress daily.

Besides, what did my 21 year old mind know anyhow? Nothing.... well everything if you were to have asked her!

For a while this year I have felt as if I had stopped making progress in my life back in 2000, because here I am 10 years later in a very similar place... right down to doing the exact same job albeit at a different company.

The big difference, which I did not realize until that switch went off in my little head, is that I am not in the same place. While it is familiar and the surroundings seem the same, I am the thing that has changed.

And that is actually an awesome thing. To look at my life through 21 year old eyes I had assumed that the world would change around me and I would just be me in new places.

Centristic? No.. not at all. I was 21 afterall, of course the world was going to revolve around me!

Little did I know back then that the world is pretty neat where it is... sometimes the biggest journeys occur within ourselves. While the world is constantly evolving around us, we are constantly evolving within ourselves.

At 21 I had no idea what lay ahead of me. At 31 I have even less of an idea what is ahead. This time around, I am not assuming anything. Evolution takes time and I have got all the time which the good Lord is granting me.

I signed up for Half Ironman #2 for 2010 today to kick myself out of the funk I was in. I even reserved my room at the Breakers. I am getting ready to kick some ass. Sorry mom.

The gloves are off. There is no more fear here. Life is good and in focus, and I am moving forward inside at a rate I never thought possible.

A Training Manifesto: Something About Going Big With Intention and Purpose.

2010-02-10T11:09:00.002-05:00

Yesterday before I left work for home, I stepped into the Engineering Manager's office to chat a moment. He is a runner and is in training for the US AF Marathon. He runs with the Hanson group sometimes and was telling me that in the few times he has ran with them, he saw real improvement. He was amazed at some of the miles he was getting in before dinner. 11 miles on a work night no issues. He said taht it did wonders for his confidence as a runner.

Then I read a quick blurb in an EN newsletter where someone mentioned that they are doing their training at threshold paces 8-9 months out from their A race. Holy crap.

Anyhow, this all got me thinking about training in general. Volume, build, base, threshold, periodization, nutrition, rest... there are just so many components to getting the body in shape for a finish, a happy finish, a podium finish or a did not finish.

What you put in you get out.

What do I wish to get out of all of this training? That is the question I am pondering right now. Do I want to eek through weeks of training and expect a... a what exactly?

Do I expect to barely finish... crawling over the finish line gasping for air, some water, and a medic?

Do I expect to finish with a smile on my face with nothing left in the tank, but the strength to get both feet well across the line and a few feet beyond before I collapse in happiness?

Do I expect to finish with plenty in the tank maybe treating the race as any other day noodling around in each disipline just racing the clock before time runs out on my day?

I have never dealt well with noodling. I have never dealt well with performance training either. I guess I always just lived in the safe zone. OK, in MY safe zone. (I need to realize that to some what I do here in my life is crazy, but remember dear friends... there is no ceiling on crazy and one man's ceiling is another mans floor. Where I once thought that I would never go is now my starting point!)

Now this is not due to capabilities, but rather due to my belief (in the past tense - let's be clear on that) that I was not worthy and talented enough to train as an athlete because I was not an athlete. I am (was) a couch potato with an endurance sport addiction. I want to go long and hard, but keep seeing myself as lazy and lacking the neccessary skills to do well, so why do at all.

Why train so hard for a back of the pack finish?

Well, self, maybe if I trained harder I would not have a back of the pack finish.

D'uh.

For the record, when your self esteem is pretty low and you are always finding new and creative ways to put yourself down, this is not so clear. The more circular logic turns linear and you just see yourself at point A - looking out to point B far in the distance, not realizing that B is closer to A than you think.

It is not a relationship of how far B is from A, but more so a relationship of how hard you are willing to work to get to B in the shape you wish. B is right there in front of you, you just have to take the steps in getting there. Sometimes you turn back, sometimes you get lost, but if the net effort is forward - well then. You have progress.

Lord knows that I have put my body through the ringer over my short life. From extreme weight gain to extreme weight loss... from running a half marathon on literally ZERO training ( and I mean not one mile ran in the 4 months prior to the race) to training very hard and not having a race to run at the end of it all.

So here is the deal. I am still trying to figure out what my goals are going to be for Welland.

I want to train with purpose, other than to just finish. I am not looking to cross the line gasping for air. I am looking to cross the line with the biggest smile on my face, feeling strong and happy with the performace of the day, for that day's conditions.

For as much as I enjoy training... I also enjoy achieving something specific.

Before this plan was enacted, I felt like a missle without a target. Ready to go off at any moment... but not knowing exactly where to go to.

Now that I have a race (or two!) and a plan (in cycles even!) and coaches to help get me there (swimming at least), I now need to know where I am going. I have the tools... the car if you will, which are all of the things I have listed prior. I have the map... the plan of which I shall follow to the best of my ability and look forward to every moment of it.

I feel that I am ready to go for it. I want to put my all into this plan and see where I can go from there. Why not? I have big goals in the next few years... time to make my inputs match my desired outputs.

I am tired of living in the what if's... forget that. I am here for the why nots. What do I have to loose?

Well?

NOTHING.

If I am going to go for Iron... should I not train like an Ironman? You cannot half-ass an Ironman, so why half-ass the training?

No more merely eeking out this existance! Time to go big, go hard, and make each and every workout count no matter if it is base, build, prep or rest.

That is my manifesto on training.

Go big with the best intentions in your heart and the most purpose in everything you do... or don't bother going at all.

Siempre parece imposible hasta que se hace.

2010-02-08T17:00:00.002-05:00

Here we go.

Today starts the first cycle of Half Ironman training for 2010. Or as my friend Dave would call it: pre-Ironman training. Evil Mr. Potter. I totally drank the kool-aid! (Note: It tastes good. Go for it... take a sip!)

As all good training programs go, mine starts with a rest day. Obviously this is to ease you into the regimented pseudo-craziness which is sure to follow.

Alternately, it could be to give you a chance to wrap your head around what you are about to embark on.

I prefer the later to the former.

I am looking over the plan which I have chosen to follow (Matt F.'s Level 5 plan). It is indeed the very same plan I started last year. Note how I say "started" and not the more expected "followed". This is the very same plan which I had a complete meltdown trying to follow.

Somehow the two-a-days from day one were challenging but at some point they became unmanageable. Could have been the mental place I was in last year, or it could have been the fact that I had about zero confidence in myself.

Challenging training plan + low self-confidence + zero mental or emotional stability = FAIL

Fail as to completion of the plan and scheduled race, but success in being able to move past all that crazy stuff and realize that had I had just a single iota of confidence in myself as a runner or triathlete, I would have toed the line race morning to become a Half Ironman finisher... not an Aquabike finisher.

Amazing how one little ingredient means the difference between cookies and hockey pucks. I prefer cookies, but end up with hockey pucks all too often.

So now as I sit here at work (shhhhh) looking over the training plan it seems.... manageable.

I do not fear not making every single training session. I did very well in my Aquabike given the amount (lack thereof) of training I had under my belt. I expect to see some MIA diays on my schedule. I am not happy about this or going into the plan looking for non-compliance.

I am just being realistic. Two weeks of US travel followed by 2 weeks of China travel, followed by a race or two and then more international (Mexico) travel. Not necessarily the prime canvas for painting the perfect picture of training plan compliance.

What this does provide is a background for an opportunity to practice my new mantra... consistency is king and choose base over build when having to make a choice.

2010 will be the year of travel and choices in training, however I know that if I follow my plan 90% of the time, opting for base building running and swimming when I am forced to deviate due to travel or other life obligations and focus on making every weekend count in endurance and long brick work, then I am looking at the following.

Challenging training plan + fluidity + confidence = SUCCESS!

And that my friends means cookies, not hockey pucks.

Siempre parece imposible hasta que se hace, mi amigos.

Run Martians or Trails, That Is The Question.

2010-01-24T20:03:00.005-05:00

Hello friends!

I have some pretty neat news to share, or rather an update on timing of a big trip.

I will be in China traveling for half of a month. I am very excited for the opportunity to travel to a land which I have never thought I would ever travel to. I mean, who goes to China? Me. I am going to both Shanghai and Hong Kong, with another stop within the PRC just outside of Shanghai which city's name alludes me at this moment.

I am both excited and nervous as I have never traveled over seas before. Not even to the UK. So far my international work has been limited to three years working in Ontario, Canada, and the past four years visiting Ciudad Juarez and Guadalajara, Mexico. (Note to you the reader, do not ever go to Ciudad Juarez. Never. You have been warned and that is all.)

Hong Kong at night

Another picture of Hong Kong at night

My travel has been pushed back to the end of March, returning just one week prior to the Martian half marathon on April 10th, 2010. I will be in the US for less than 8 days.

I have no idea what level my jet-laggedness will be at (and yes, I just made up that word so feel free to reuse it as needed.) I have been advised by no less than 5 people to NOT run outside while in Hong Kong, and while in Shanghai to remember that I have no right of way and many of the people I spoke with actually have either been hit by vehicles or have had some pretty close calls.

And you thought Detroit was tough... heh.

OK well no biggie. I mean, I can do treadmill runs IF I am lucky enough to find a treadmill, or I can run the stairs at my hotel or I can just not run for 2 weeks and then suck wind at Martian... being all tired and broken down... possibly. Or, I can sneak in some runs if and only if safe to do so if I keep my head on a swivel and never bring the iPod along with me. If I will be walking the city to see the sights, why not jog some of it, right?

Let's be honest here. I have pulled out more miraculous things with much less training. Like my entire 2004-2006 running seasons. I am not in the race to win it although I do want sub 2:30 which is still pretty slow by anyone's standards even my own. I think I can finish the race with little issue if I just listen to my body and take it one mile at a time.

I can do a long run when I return from China, that may help me work out some of the jet-lag. I am thinking at this point I will just have to do a last minute sign up for the race if it remains an option.

As it stands my two options are as follows:

Martian half marathon slightly under-trained and potential for certain jet-laggedness (boo-yah twice in one posting!),

What the terrain on Mars would be if we were to actually run there. Not so bad, pretty flat really. Much like Hines Drive. Odd.

or

The Trail half marathon, definitely under-trained for trails (hellllooo Poto!) but can get in some more trail runs and I will have two additional weeks of training and rest before the race.

The Potawatomi Trail.. not so flat and very... well very trail like.

Maybe I should just do a long run at KMP one week, and the next do it at Potto or Maybury that way I am at least ready for either race. Hmmm.... Interesting conundrum.

And by interesting I mean *ACK*!

So we shall see.

I am posing a question to my bloggy blog readers and followers out there... if you travel internationally by way of over the big pond, please tell me your thoughts on jet-lag and advise on running a half marathon 1 week after a trip abroad.

Peace, love, and running...

100 miles down!

2010-01-19T07:16:00.004-05:00

So far I have ridden 100 trainer miles this year. In 16 days time - 5 bike sessions total (30,30,28,8,4).

Yes. My quads are screaming at me today, if only because I did an actual "quality" bike workout yesterday. For the first time I did a Spinervals workout -oh. em. gee. It was a Time Saver workout of 30 minutes but holy cow, one legged drills and speed intervals are not easy - especially after two days of between 28 and 30 mile drainer rides.

Now time to shower, get ready for work, and set goals for this week.

This week I need to hit the pool at least twice. I just need to do it. Nothing big, but maybe 1000 meters a go just to get back into the swing of things. I have not swam once all year, and I honestly cannot remember when I swam last. I just know that it was not good.

I also want to try to get to the FAST swim at Schoolcraft Saturday, and run my long run at KMP. I am going trail running at Maybury with Jaclyn Sunday.

Sweet!

These are the days I enjoy. Fun times with fun people!

2K10... here we go again?

2010-01-17T22:00:00.007-05:00

Sometimes to start over is not to go back to the mythical square 1 and call a redo. Sometimes, we must start over to move on a different path all together and sometimes we do not have to go back to start.

Funny. Last year when I was knee deep in Muncie training (or rather knee deep in the hysteria and drama that was my life) I was going crazy to get in long rides, runs, and swims. My head was about to explode, I was carrying too much emotional baggage with me and I was becoming paralyzed by the situation let alone my fears of failure.

And one fine day in late June, I lost it. Totally and completely. Epic life balance FAIL.

So far. the first three rides of 2010 are all much longer than a bulk of my rides last year save for the three or four 40-60 milers I managed pulled out of some magic hat. I know that I am starting over (much like I have in the past) but this year... I feel like I am starting over from last May... not so much like starting over from 2005. Now this is an improvement over a few months ago when I woke up one day and had a total realization that I had regressed back to my former pre-triathlon self.

But I have to ask myself, when do we stop starting over and just plain get on track from the current place we find ourselves? Are there no connectors or do we always have to go back to the beginning?

So many times before when I would say starting over, I would imagine myself as living life in a video game of sorts. You have "x" amount of lives (tries) and if you "died" then you magically got transported back to the start and you did the entire course over again, hopefully having learned from your miss-timed jumped or overuse of the super fast running feature.

What? Oh please, Super Mario Brothers rocks and you know this to be true.

However - I neglected to see myself as living in a video game with checkpoints. Those nifty things that once you reach a particular stage in the progress of the game even if you fail you get sent back not to the start but to the checkpoint.

Aha. That is more like it.

Calling a redo on the Monsoon known as Muncie?

Previously I wrote that I needed to do Muncie. No other half would suffice for my first full 70.3. That I had set out to complete Muncie and held myself back from that goal so I need a redo so I can finish what I had started. In fact, looking over the first draft of my '10 race schedule I saw '09 written all over it. Motor City, Muncie, Woodstock, The Dino Series, Brooksie and the Freep.

Whoa nelly. If I have grown as a person and athlete - why am I trying to relive such a horrible year?

I thought that I had to do Muncie to reclaim something I lost or that I had missed all together in 2009, but why? Why was I trying to relive 2009 the way I thought that it should have been instead of leaving 2009 where it was. It is what it is and it was what is was. And now, it is in the past and I am moving ahead. Muncie in '09 was my yer for the Aquabike. My HIM will come.

I need to just move forward with "2K10"

In case you cannot tell where all of this speak of Muncie, mythical squares and video games is leading me to... my friend Carol and I decided on doing the Welland Half Ironman in Welland, Ontario, Canada this June 26th. The timing works out better for me. It is less expensive and I am actually excited to do this race even though it is not Muncie.

I realized today that I do not need Muncie. What I need is to live out this year to my best ability and be greatful for every single day.

This ain't your momma's 2009, people. This is 2010. And no truer words will have ever been spoken when I say that I truly thank God every day for that fact.

I made it. And now I can move on.

Crunch Crunch Crunch Crunch

2010-01-12T21:20:00.006-05:00

2:20:00 in 2010

I am on day 3 of 100 of my hopeful running streak. So far so good. I am following the plan for my

spring half marathon and am looking forward to each run. Knowing that I can just log in a 1 miler makes me feel good and I always end up going longer once I start out that door.

I have two goals for the Martian Half Marathon this year. First and foremost - enjoy the race! My second goal is time related. I want to go sub 2:30 this year, preferably at Martian. I would really like to end 2010 around 2:20. That would be a just under a 15 minute improvement over 2009. So enough of liking... I am setting my sights on a 2:20 2010.

The First Two Steps

It really is just a matter of putting one foot in front of the other at a rate of turnover which will help propel me to the finish line 13.1 miles away in a certain period of time. While every step counts... the first two steps, I feel, are most important. Not the first two steps of the race. No. The first two steps of training.

Once you have done that you pretty much just keep going. Good days. Bad days. These days will certainly happen. I hope for more of the good, but am prepared for whichever comes my way knowing that when things get bad the good is sure to follow. I also have to keep this as the reality check for when things are going stellar as to not to get too far ahead of myself and over train just because I feel good. That my friends is the recipe for burn out right there. Failing to follow the plan and forgetting that each and every run is a gift. Each and every run is a blessing.

I had a lot of thoughts on the run tonight, and I feel it only appropriate to share with you the latest edition of my TSJoR.

The Simple Joys of Running - January 12th, 2010 edition:

I have found that when you run the same route a lot, your tracks become indistinguishable from those of your kin. My yak trax, his yak trax, those with small feet, that one guy with the huge feet, those running in the very identifiable Nike Shox with a dog companion... I see us all now, but by tomorrow we shall not be able to know who left which tracks.
I love that each step leaves just as much of a mark on the earth as it does your soul.
Running is a great way to self improve. I listen to some neat podcasts from NPR. I love that I can listen to a conversation while feeling my body fall into its rhythm.
I enjoy exploring my new surroundings through running. I am able to connect with the streets I now call home. Personally, I feel that experiencing new places on foot is the best way to do it. I never knew how hilly Farmington Hills was until I ran it. Now I am seeing how flat Berkley is. For the first time in years I need to find hills to run!
I see that training and nutrition go hand in hand. I want to eat better because it will only help my running, as well as keep me around longer to enjoy this life ahead of me.

Feels like normal... well normal plus.

2010-01-07T15:38:00.002-05:00

I have an early season half marathon and an early season half ironman. Do you know what that means?

TRAINING! (Read: normalcy)

I am starting to get over the hump of my sickness, (Read: normalcy plus) feeling much better but still not... right. This weekend is a visit from my mom and dad who will be staying with us all weekend long, and then Monday starts the first training of 2010.

Yes!

In my training I am adding weekly goals such as sleeping a good number of hours each night, drinking enough water to keep me hydrated (in my effort to ditch the caffiene). and adding in swimming.

I am excited to train smarter. To train harder. To enjoy the whole process and not just the outcome.

Next week I want to get to the pool once. The following week twice, and the next week three times. My goal is to be in the habit of swimming at lunch when my HIM training starts in late February.

If I can swim in either the AM or at lunch, then my training will go much smoother.

Week 3 of my training will also be the first check point on my goals for the new year - Consistency. Since I have sick all year so far I have not been able to run. At all. Ugh.

So, once I am in health, I will start the 100 days clock. I think that it is fair only because this goal is to get me consistent and if I was to run outside in the 7* weather with this illness, I would not be running for long. Not good.

I am also getting back into the habit of blogging more regularly. And logging in my miles... which obviously has been easy given the lack of them.

I am still using Beginnertriathlete.com but my HIM trainin gplan is actually through TrainingPeaks, and my half marathon training plan is on there as well, so I will be double logging for a while. I need to keep up with BT as that is where a huge majority of my trainng partners are, as well as this site keeps the entire history of every yard swam, every mile biked, and every mile ran. Monthly, yearly... for EVER. Oh OK, not forever, but I can always go back and read through the logs and see where I was and how far I have come.

Now I just need to be more dilengent tracking my calories... livestrong.com is great becuase it has so many foods, however that is an additional tracker I need to keep up. Both BT and TP have nutrition logs, however they are not the most user friendly. Oh well, I will figure it all out!

Ahhhh normalcy... welcome back my friend.

The Muncie Endurathon Report, Take Two

2010-01-06T16:42:00.004-05:00

ACHOO

I hate being sick and unable to do anything aside from eat food which I cannot taste, and try to not hurt myself at work. I may try to eek out a yoga practice tonight at the YMCA because I need to stretch and yoga is quite soothing to me. I need to move already.

I have been really sick since I got home from trainerfest Ferndale and have no clue how it could have come on so quickly. On the bright side I did ride 30 miles at the trainerfest, so that made me really happy.

Needless to say my running is at a huge 0 miles for 2010 so far. My running streak of 100 days will start after I get the clear from my in-house doctor.

REDEMPTION

So I got me some plans. 2010, 2011 it is all in there. All crammed in there. All sorts of crammed. In. There. In my head.

I am testing the waters with 2010 - the year of international travels, a million launches, and 2 half Ironman races. 2011 will be a very small season with 4 races. 1 sprint, 1 oly, 1 half, and 1 Ironman.

I seriously crack myself up. Remember back in the day (as in last year) when I swore up and down that I would NEVER. NEVER. EVER. Do an Ironman. Heh. Liar.

My sticky-note race plan for 2010 looks something like this: I am only listing the larger races as any misc. 5ks will be slipped in there along the way if I am available.

MARCH
*Tentatively * Corktown 4 miler - I will be in China from 3/1 - 3/12, the race is 3/14

APRIL
Martian Half Marathon
Trail Half Marathon

JUNE
Ann Arbor Triathlon
Motor City Oly Triathlon
T-Rex triathlon series #1

JULY
Motor City Mile Open Water Swim (1 mile)
Muncie Endurathon Long Course Triathlon (70.3)
T-Rex Triathlon series #2

AUGUST
T-Rex Triathlon series #3
Swim to the moon 1 mile OWS
*Tentatively *Breakwater Long Course Triathlon (70.3)

SEPTEMBER
Woodstock half marathon

OCTOBER
Brooksie Way half marathon
Guadalajara half marathon (if I am in Mexico at this time)
Detroit half marathon

So why brave extreme heat/rain/mugginess/monsoon at Muncie? After much deliberation, I need redemption at Muncie. I need to do my first half ironman at this race. I need to finish what I started in 2009. No other course will do it for me unfortunately. Steelhead would have been awesome because it is in Michigan and I always know so many people doing it, however I just cannot swing the outrageous fees. They really raised the price this year.

Everything else is pretty much sprints and fun races. I am the girl who can do a half marathon every weekend and feel good doing it, so that is why my plan is so run heavy.

The run is my devil. The run is my church.

I say this because I have a serious love/hate relationship with running. I love running while I really do not love some of the places my mind wanders. When I run it clears my head ultimately however it is a journey, nay, a process to get there.

I enjoy the scenery. I enjoy the feeling of leaves, snow, ice, water, cement, pavement, grass and dirt beneath my feet. Often I work out the struggles I have in my personal and professional life.
While I run, I meditate. I use running as my place to ponder larger things. Sometimes this is good. Sometimes this is bad. It always is what it is.

I let the bad things that happened in 2009 paralyze me in running while I stayed strong in everything else. I was afraid of running because of where my head would take me. I was not ready. I physically could have completed the Long Course at Muncie last year, but was afraid of what I would feel come the run.

No, not how I would feel in my body. How I would feel in my heart. It was too soon. I knew that I just did not have the positivity in me to tackle the devil when he wants to join my run.

In 2009 Muncie was not to be my 70.3. I made peace with that and completed the Aquabike option. And I had a blast.

So that is why, in 2010, it is important for me to tackle this crazy course with all the weather difficulties that may arise. I am ready. I can handle it. I am stronger inside and out. I can hold both the light and the dark in my heart now, and I know that I can survive and dig deep if I need to.

I start my journey February 22nd. This is the date that my official half Ironman training begins. The first three weeks of training I will be traveling, so this will be an exercise in staying strong and getting the job done while practicing life balance. The really genuinely neat thing is that I am excited about all of the things coming in 2010.

I truly feel like this year is a gift. <3 I feel like this year is going to be amazing.

010110

2010-01-01T20:14:00.004-05:00

010110

The first of the 18 binary days we shall have this century. I like binary years. It is comforting to me for some reason. You may think that it is odd, but when I can put a name, rational, reason, or explanation to something I just feel good about it.

2009 was quite possibly the worst year of my life. I am not even going to recap it because I would much rather acknowledge that the year was what it was and leave it in its own rightful place in history. We were able to pull out of it with some great things. Still employed, mom is with us, and Mike and I now own a house.

With this house, we plan to fill it with love and happiness and to always have a safe place to go when the world outside its four walls turns cold.

Resolutions? Try continuous improvements.

I guess this time of year is the time where people try to make change. New year new you. the resolutioners at the gym. After 30 odd years of hearing these things I realized that I really have come to dislike the term "resolution". I never felt right making resolutions. Resolutions can be broken. What we need to do is to aim for continuous improvements not drastic change. I am going to do something new this year. I am going to make goals for the year, with check in dates to keep myself on track. So here are my goals for the first year of the new decade. You will notice that they pretty much echo the sentiment from my November 2nd, 2009 post.

GOAL #1 - CONSISTENCY

We all know that consistency is king. I believe that I have said that tons here.

So, how am I going ot gain consistency this year? I am in a challenge with some fellow bloggers (Pat from AZ and Ken from MI) along with some of my BT, work, and FAST friends to see which team of 5 (AZ or MI) can run the most miles in 2010. [My money is on MI!]

I created sub goals to help me in my consistency, because I believe in taking little bites, not trying to get it all done in one fell swoop.

I am challenging myself to run 100 days in a row. Nothing huge, just at least 1 mile a day. CHECK IN DAYS: Days #25, #50, #75, and #100.

I want to run 1000 miles in 2010. That averages out to 3 miles a day. CHECK IN DAYS: The last day of each month.

I also have some neat races on the radar and will complete two half Ironman distanced triathlons, so again - training = consistency for me.

My goal is to ride 2010 miles this year. Being a new GREYHOUND I think that this will be quite doable. CHECK IN DAYS: The last day of each month.

GOAL #2 - HEALTHY WEIGHT RANGE/BMI

I am going to be feeling my way through this one as I go along, but pretty much I need my BMI to be in the healthy range, below 24.9. Simple as that. CHECK IN DAYS: The last day of each quarter. BASELINE - BMI = 34.4

GOAL #3 - BALANCING ACT

This is definitely along the CI lines. I just need to be able to keep balancing my work, fitness, and personal lives. CHECK IN DAYS: The last day of each quarter. BASELINE - So far so good!

So there you have it. Binary days are good. God is great. People... well people are crazy.

Tracking the Yaks

2009-12-21T09:09:00.004-05:00

May I just say that after less than 4 hours of sleep... I decided to go out for a nice little albeit cold run. And it felt wonderful!

Oh I struggled and needed to walk a few times, but it felt good. Sooooo good.

So I am bringing back the simple joys of running.

Simple joys of running, December 21st edition:

Feeling the crunch of salt covered snow beneath your feet
Feeling so alive as you are aware of every single breathe you take.. you feel it sear your lungs and you see it cloud out from your mouth. Your body is a machine and you see it in action on a level only visible in winter.
Seeing the tracks of those a kin to you. We are a special family of people who in our solo treks leave a welcome and a wave in the path we leave behind us.

Peace with the past

2009-12-21T01:10:00.004-05:00

I am at peace. Took me a while but I had a long hard look at myself today whilst shopping for a sweater and some jeans.

Why on earth have I let myself deteriorate? *shakes head*

I cannot go back in time and stop eating everything that I ate, nor can I make up all of the exercise my body so desperately needs. All I can do is look ahead and change the course I am on now.

I am getting back into the swing of things one lap, one pedal, one step at a time. Slowly but surely.

I want to run 1000 miles in 2010. I want to complete 2 Half Ironmen distanced races in 2010. I want to drop at least 35 lbs in 2010.

It all starts with action.

So this week I want to run a few times, ride the drainer a bit, maybe get 30 miles in this week on that and get back to the pool at some point. Swimming what? I only have a State Meet in like 3 months. Should probably get back into action on that topic, eh?

I did 7 miles on the drainer Saturday before heading to Cycle to Fitness to order my jersey, tri top, and team socks. I love that we have team socks.

Those 7 miles felt pretty good. My butt was feeling it, but I started just 2 years ago not being able to handle 5 minutes. After a good 4 months off from training... those 30 minutes sorta felt good.

I am not where I was in August, but I know that I can return there with some work. Then with more work - I can surpass 2009 in a huge way. I do not want a repeat, I want better and will do so much better to get there. I have seen the consequences of sloth and laziness first hand. UGH. No thank you.

So... time to work!

I am having lunch with the GREYHOUNDS superstar racer Trish M, so I hope to bounce some topics off of her beautiful mind. In the mean time... insomnia what? Geesh. It is quarter past 1 am and I am not the least bit tired.

Lesson for the day - junk in is junk out. Simple as that.

Peace, Love, and Biking... a study in expansion of self

2009-12-16T15:26:00.002-05:00

Happy Holidays all!

Well, after a truly difficult 2009, things had to change in 2010. My only New Years Resolution is to work harder towards the things in life that I want. One of the biggest things is health. Not just one of the biggest, possibly THE biggest. And not just fitness and exercise either, but true health all around - physical and mental. Personally, I realized that I have taken the word "health" for granted. I run and am active as you all know, but I do not know that I engage in what I would call a truly healthy lifestyle 365.

A lesson that I learned hard in June (which is a lesson everyone can and should walk away with) is that just like your financial bank account - without making deposits into your health bank account, you may not have enough to cover the big checks.

My journey to a healthier life is participating in more whole-body and soul activities while staying active my entire life. A HUGE part of that is growing a long and healthy life with Mike.

I applied and was accepted to the RACING GREYHOUNDS (in all caps) competitive racing team for triathlon, while Mike applied for and was accepted to the RACING GREYHOUNDS touring road cycling team! While we will have different focuses in our journey, we are part of the same bigger team which is exciting and will keep us both motivated while still branching out on our own.

In 2010 I will be going for a few Half Ironman triathlons, and in 2011 I am contemplating going for the full Ironman distance, work and personal life allowing. :-)

Mike is starting his triathlon and road bike adventure and as such we will be doing some bike tours (MS 150, Susan G. Komen, etc.) as well as some fun local triathlons, and definitely a few road bike races along the way.

In support of this, our new adventure, and obviously loving our awesome new Road bike, Mountain bike, Cyclocross, Touring and Triathlon team members, we are selling tickets to the RACING GREYHOUNDS team fundraiser being held at Woodland Lanes, one of our sponsors.

Each year, The RACING GREYHOUNDS raise funds for their upcomming events. They do this in a fun way, providing hours of bowling and entertainment for a pretty low cost. The details are such:

WHEN: May 28th, 2010
TIME: 8 pm - 2 am
WHERE; Woodland Lanes, 33775 Plymouth Road, Livonia, MI 48150
WHAT: Unlimited bowling, pizza, music, and fun for one low price!
COST: $25 per ticket

I know that this is pretty far out in the future, so if you are interested in tentatively attending, let me know and I will send you the link to order tickets from directly. Mike and I have room at our new house for people to crash afterwards if you plan on driving from outside the Metro-Detroit area. No worries about logistics!

I wish for you and yours a happy and healthy 2010, and many more years to come.

Swimmy swim swim and Bikey bike bike. Santa Claus is coming to town!

2009-12-10T17:05:00.002-05:00

Sadly, I start too many posts in this fashion. Post something then run for cover for a few weeks. Last I posted was what, over a month ago now? Great blogging practices are not being put to use around here.

Some life things have changed. Mike and I purchased our first house. We moved, and now we are geting used to home ownership. Fun times!

We have a 3 bedroom, 3 bath ranch with a large porch, stoop, and a full deck in the backyard. We also have a 2.5 car garage (detached). The basement is finished, which works out well for us.

The basement serves as a video game / training room. It is finished in such a way that we have a bathroom, a laundry room, a large open area which is carpeted, and an additional back room with an epoxy floor which will be perfect for bike maintanence purposes.

We now have the near ultimate in home fitness areas. Bikes on trainers, P90x workout stations, yoga/pilates area, and free weights.

The only thing I am missing is a treadmill and an endless pool. For sake of space, I will go to the gym if I really need to run or swim and the weather is not permitting. Although, I really would like a treadmill... we will see how this winter/spring goes for training.

Lucky for me - the South Oakland YMCA is all of 2 miles from my front door. And, bonus! The North Oakland YMCA is all of 5 miles from my office.

This training room will come in handy for us, particularly me for my 2010 race season.

Life change #2 for me...

Mike and I were both accepted to the Racing GREYHOUNDS for the 2010 season. I was accepted to the racing team, Mike to the sport team.

Unlike FAST which was more swim focused of a club, the GREYHOUNDS are a competitive racing team from Cycle to Fitness so they are bike focused. They have Mountain Bike, Road Bike, Triathlon, and Cyclocross teams and events, with a 5 race minimum to be on the team.

I have not turned away from FAST and to some of my friends in FAST the decision fo rme to join GREYHOUNDS was not a shock. I turned down the 2009 GREYHOUNDS acceptance because of my affiliation with FAST. I decided though, that it is in my best interest to move to the GREYHOUNDS and to work on my cycling skills on and off road.

I am still swimming this winter for FAST in the swim meets and I have some major points to gain in the State meet this year.

The only real difference for me will be my kit come tri season.

My base building adventure has not started only due to pure laziness on my part. I have travelled a lot, and have spent all moments not travelling, doing home things.

Tonight I am doing the P90x fit test, and taking my pre pictures. NASTY will pretty much sum up my appearance, but in 90 days I should see improvement.

I am also hitting the pool and my bike again, and working in yoga and running to round it all out.

Gotta get a groove on!

Day 3 of Peachy November - Done!

2009-11-04T10:03:00.001-05:00

I got up this morning in the hotel in Elgin, IL and did a Boot Camp Cardio workout for 20 minutes today. I am making a real effort to keep working out and making smart choices while on the road. If I can do it while travelling for work, then I certainly can do it at home, right?

This workout was a DVD that I brought from home and is a mixture of plyometrics and cardio with strength laced throughout.

Well, off to the audit!

RG

Welcome to my 2nd Annual Base Building Extravaganza!

2009-11-02T15:55:00.001-05:00

Looking over the last two months in my online training log at www.beginnertriathlete.com (BT), I noticed something that became quite evident to me on yesterday's 5k run.

Sucking air should not come at 11:30 minute miles while running on the most perfect of fall days in my favorite city to run in... unless I am running a half marathon. Certainly not in a 5k unless I am red lining... which I was at 189 BPM... at 11:30 minute miles... for real.

Somehow, someway (yet again might I add) I got way off track in my training and I need to find my way back.

ACK!

Sure, I ran two half marathons, the Detroit Relay and a 5k in the meantime. However... I ran on those four days and only those four days.

I have been ACTIVE, but not CONSISTENT. And I will be the preacher to out-preach all other preachers on this one folks. CONSISTENCY... is king.

One of the nice features of the training logs on BT is that they are color coded. White = no activity, yellow = blog with no activity, peach = tri related workout, dark peach = sports activities, and green = race.

I hate seeing the colors of inconsistency and laze. White = nothing, a void. Not good. Yellow is at least better than white in that you thought about something, even if you did not do it. Looking at the logs of the good little triathletes, you see peachy goodness all around.

L9ooking at my logs you see peachy goodness until September then I apparently decided to go on a hiatus and only race on weekends. Or rather, every few weekends.

Breaking down in only the way a numbers nerd such as myself can, September looked light... 13 days of training, 7 days of blogging, and 10 days of nothing.

Awesome.

October looked worse... this month only 3 squares were colored. 1 yellow, and 2 green - my half marathons. Nothing more.

Not a stupendous effort, yet I yeilded two personal records in the half marathon distance. Two!

November, however, now that is a different story. November has only had 1 official day pass and it is peach. Today will be day 2 and it too will be peach. My goal is for 30 colored squares, all of which peach.

Run, swim, bike, weights all count. Every single day I will do something this month.

I am now officially in the "off" season. But this does not mean rest and taking breaks. Oh no... actually this is the part of the season when I work hardest.

Last year around this time I embarked on a super base building extravaganza to make sure that I was ready for my 2009 season. Now while that season went down in a big flying heap of rediculousness, it was not due to my lack of base building.

In fact quite the opposite. I am still feeling the positive effects of putting so much into my base last winter, nearly a whole year later.

I am definitely stronger than I have ever been. I am faster in running than I have ever been. My swimming is stronger than ever and I ended the season faster as well. Only my cycling took a dip in speed however my strength and endurance has risen off the charts.

So this "off" season, or rather the 2nd Annual Base Building Extravaganza, I am focusing on three distinct things.

"Weight-ing around"
Weight loss to get healthier, as well as adding strength training back into my regime. Muscle is good and I am a very muscular person by nature so why fight it, right?

"Consistency is king"
I need to be more consistent in my training. And not only in running and cycling, but in swimming. I tend to go all out, burn out and then fizzle out. Not this year. I am going to start a solid swimming focused routine in November, switching to bike focused in December, then focusing on running in January.

I will be swimming, biking and running each week every month, but I need to spend some time honing in on different skill sets in each sport and alternating the focus will help keep the fruits of my labor on the other activities, while creating new fruit in the focus sport.

Or something along those lines. ;)

And, finally:

"Balance Act"
Finding balance with home life, my life, and work. It is an art form really. It shall happen.

I like looking at my 2nd Annual Base Building Extravaganza as an opportunity to learn new things, bond with new friends over new activities and take lessons into the new year.

While I am happy that 2009 is coming to a close, I am happier about the next leg of this journey. 2010 is the start of not only the next decade... but in the next chapter of my life.

What a wonderful chapter this is going to be... I can just feel it!

})i({RG

"Root! There it is!" And other Musing on Woodstock... Running Fit Style

2009-09-26T14:03:00.002-04:00

This is a MUST DO race event.

The theme was kitschy but really well pulled off. Trail running is so zen to me, I never have a bad experience on the trails and this race was no exception.

For a recap on what Run Woodstock actually is:

Friday night - 5k trail run
Saturday morning - your choice of a 100 mile, 50 mile, 50k, marathon, half marathon, or 5 mile trail run
Saturday evening - a 10k trail run
Sunday morning - 5 mile trail run

Love love loved this race.

I chose the half marathon over the 5 mile and I am glad that I did. First off I was able to hear some pretty amusing quotes my favorites being "Well this IS Woodstock, I mean we all should be tripping, just probably not over those tree roots" and "Root! There it is!". My absolute favorite was from a girl I was pacing to her first half marathon finish. I asked her why on earth she picked the trail half for her first, and she told me "No one told me it was a trail race!"

This was my first trail half marathon, 16th half marathon all together. SWEET SIXTEEN BABY!!!

This was by far the hardest race EVER. Beats any other race that I have done. Why? TRAIL RUN on the Potto! I love trail running but never get to do it enough, and NEVER have ran more than 5-6 miles on trails, so this was a first for me as well.

No matter how hard it was, it was the best run EVER for me on so many levels.

Why? Did I set a PR? Yes and no. Yes for a trail half, as I have never run one before, and no because being a trail run I was not taking risks and took is SLOW.

It was the best ever because I was blessed to find two runners who ran my pace who were both doing their first half marathons. Actually, they found me and sort of stuck to me. I had a blast keeping them motivated and running the whole way. We only walked up the hills, and ran the rest. We did stop, as I mentioned above, for a few minutes at the last aid station as the girl I was pacing knew one of the volunteers, and then again one other time at mile 11 for a final stretch and fluid intake session before the journey home.

I think the best thing was that we celebrated each and every mile. That was awesome.

The first 4 miles flew right by. I tolkd Susie and Julie, the two women I was pacing, that I knw a race is going well if the first 4 miles fly by. All of a sudden we were half way done, and then before you knew it we were at 10 miles.

I felt so incredibly strong, that in my head I knew that I could not have been more ready for this race. It all clicked this year with going back to celebrating every mile... I was strong 10 miles in and I was grateful for every step, and I knew that the races I do are NEVER about the finishing time but rather the time I have while on my way to the finish line. I was so happy. I ran happy. I am a freaking Brooks commercial!

The last 5k was tough for the three of us, Julie and Susie with their longest runs ever, and me with lack of trail legs, all of our backs were putting in some major work and now they were speaking back to us. Even so, it was so nice just taking it slow and easy and being able to keep upbeat when the pain set in.

I cannot say it enough, this race was just pure AWESOME.

I kept telling Susie and Julie that you only get one first, and they are definitely not wasting theirs on this race... doing a TRAIL half marathon for your first is hard core.

Once we hit 11 miles the fatigue was setting in and the hills and technicality of the course took its toll. The last 2 miles were an exercise in stretching, discussing what we will feel the next few days, and deciding if we should do a cartwheel at the end for the finish.

This my friends is racing at its finest. Just a nice and easy 13.1 miles with a few friends discussing cartwheels and ice baths.

Well, we nixed the cartwheel (FYI - BOOOOOOO), but at that point the music started and we were done like *that*, running it in to In-A-Godda-Da-Vida. Y-E-S!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

AWESOME downhill finish for a crazy technical race... well, technical for little miss Maybury me. ;)

Man THIS is why I love running! It is not about you, it is about a community.

So what's next? My Super Sweet Seventeenth half marathon next weekend at Brooksie. Hopefully my back will be playing nice by then. ;)

PEACE, LOVE, and RUNNING baby!

})i({ Your RunnerGirl Jenn

Run Woodstock Hippie Half Marathon

2009-09-23T09:54:00.001-04:00

OK.

Up until today I have been just thinking that this weekend's half marathon would be a nice training run for brooksie Way, which of course it is.

However this morning I received an email from Running Fit (the race organizer) going over teh last minute details of the runs.

Now, I am very excited to be a part of this awesome weekend! I will be going solo, but that is OK. Part of the fun is just being there and experiencing the run.

This girl has some major running mojo, and keeping fun themed races on my calendar helps me stay motivated and excited about each step.

For a few years now, my personal montra has been "The run is mine. I will embrace each step." Never truer words have been spoken!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
recap of last weekend

I made it through 12.2 miles of my planned 13.1. Shin splints plagued the first 3 miles, then the next 5-6 miles absolutely ROCKED. The last few hurt the balls of my feet, so I decided just to call it quits and go soak in the lake for a cool down.

Once home I took a hot shower, then a cold bath. The cool water running over my sore legs felt awesome. No pain afterwards, only slight tightness.

I skipped on the 10K race on Sunday after realizing the race-day entry fee was super high.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Have a great day everyone! :)
})i({ RunnerGirl

Three Half Marathons, One 5k, One 10k all In Three Weeks Time!

2009-09-18T16:39:00.001-04:00

I did something cool (to me) back in 2005. I ran 4 half marathons or greater in 4 weeks time.

While the opportunity to do this again has not come my way since, I sort of find myself in a similar situation and I am actually really excited for it.

I feel prepared and excited again.

You see, I have THREE half marathons between tomorrow and 10/4. That would be one a week.
In addition to that, I also have a 5k and a 10k race scheduled.

So I have 4 races, 5 official runs, scheduled in 4 weeks time.

9/19/09 - Brooksie Way Half Marathon Training Run - not a race, but a half marathon none-the-less.
9/20/09 - Run Wild for the Zoo 10k
9/25/09 - Free Love 5k
9/26/09 - Hippie Half Marathon

I am excited mainly because I went back to celebrating every mile that I run, and once I took the expectations out of running and put back in the celebrations, everythign just clicked for me.

I still wonder at which point did the celebrating turn to expectation on my runs, but then again why waste time looking backwards?

Am I going to set a PR this year? Yes. I just do not know when. Will i tbe 2:30 or less? I do not know as Brooksie is hella-hilly, but I have a 2:35 time at this last year and that was with consistent training however not nearly as consistent as this year.

I have three weeks to break a 2:30, and if for some reason I do not do it at Brooksie, I plan on running 13.1 miles every weekend until I go sub 2:30! I have it within me this I know. My natural running pace seems to fall at around an 11:03 when I just let myself go, so I know that I can sustain for 13.1 miles and go well under a 2:30. That is on flat.

If at the end of this year I look back and did not make or break 2:30, I am OK with it - as I know in my heart that I grew so much more than the miles and the clock can ever measure.

Three Half Marathons, One 5k, One 10k all in Three Weeks Time!

2009-09-18T16:31:00.001-04:00

So back in 2005 I did something pretty cool (to me.) I ran 4 half marathons in 4 weeks.

While an opportunity such as that has not presented itself to me since, I some how ended up doing something similar starting tomorrow.

9/19/09 - Brooksie Way Half Marathon Training Run - I will be running the actual course at slower than race pace in preperation for the next few weeks. While not a race, it is still a half marathon!

9/20/09 - The Run Wild for the Zoo 10k Race

9/25/09 - The Free Love 5k

9/26/09 - The Hippie Half Marathon

10/4/09 - Brooksie Way Half Marathon

10/18/09 -

Celebration. Make it a daily thing!

2009-09-07T13:02:00.004-04:00

This past week was phenomenal for me as far as consistency goes. I bought new running shoes for a motivational pick-me-up and boy did it work!

Monday - 2 miles on the dreadmill to make sure my new Gel Kayano 15's are the ones. They are.
Tuesday - ran 4.5 miles
Wednesday - Rode mountain bike at Maybury, got injured, then ran 3 miles at Indian Springs.
Thursday - Rest day
Friday - Ran/walk 4 miles with my friend Kathleen who is in training fo rher first 10k. Tripped and fell and hurt all remaining appendages.
Saturday - Ran 9 miles averaging 11:28. Not too shabby for an long slow distanced run.
Sunday - Rest day
Monday - Ran 6 miles (goal was 5) out at Maybury on the paved trail, averaging 10:57 pace.

The runs have been fun and attainable while still needing to work at them. While I am still in the mid-range for distances (running between 4.5 and 9 miles at a shot) I am being really consistent.

One thing that I did which really has had a mental impact is that I went back to celebrating each run. I was talking to an old running partner of mine this week and told him about how I missed when we first started running.

Yay we just ran our first half-mile!

Yay we just ran our first mile!

Yay I just rana 5k straight through!

At what point did the celebration stop and the expectations grow?

I have no idea, but I am reversing this trend.

So on all of my runs this past week I took all expectations off of the table with the exception of celebrating every mile and rejoicing in the run that I accomplished. Each and every run was that much more meaningful to me.

So today, no matter what you do, if you find a rut in your life or your sport try going back to basics like when it was all new and every milestone was to be celebrated.

It is key to remember that while some activities define a moment in your life, they do not define you.

Finding the peace.

2009-09-01T21:13:00.001-04:00

Well, as you see I have not had much time to swing buy the old bloggy bloggy. Facebook is a lot easier to update and I have been lame at posting there aside from the random 160 character or less "I am sitting on the porch" updates. I do love this space in the world, so I am returning to blogging here. Mostly because I really want to chronicle what I am going through these days in my life, the good, the bad, the indifferent. Looking back over some posts from 2006 and 2007, I have really enjoyed seeing how far I have come as a runner, but marvel at how far I have to go as a human. I am still fighting the same fights as then, some are in more heated battle, others are just smoldering... but at the end of the day this war march I am in really needs to be treated as the journey it truly is.

So as of August 19th, I have turned in my triathlon hat for the season and have donned the running hat once again. I have decided that this "off" season I am going to dedicate myself to running and swimming. I may also do some trainer rides and some mountain biking, but I need to return to trail running and road running, and to really work on my swim.

This season I would love to improve my freestyle and learn a new stroke or three. I plan on doing some swim meets again, and a long distance postal to kick off the off season right! I am doing the 3,000 or 6,000 yard postal. First off I need the 25 yard pool to do it in, and I think a counter. Volunteers?

Running wise, I secretly would love to do an ultra in 2010 so I need to improve my base miles now so that my body is used to so much time upright, and that includes base miles on trails. I want too many things. However I just need ot not want them all at once.

So, I want an early season fast 5K - 30 minutes or less please, a mid season fast half marathon (thinking Martian for this one), and a late season ultra just to finish happy and strong. Aim big, and if I fall short at least I worked myself beyond my comfort zone. That is what I call growth.

Along the way, due to work conflicts and school obligations, I really need to stick with sprint triathlons for 2010. I know that I called war on Muncie Half Ironman, however... work is crazy. I never know (literally) where I will be in the next 12 hours. I may be in China and Mexico a lot in 2010, and definitely on the road more with audits and supplier issues. Call me a fire fighter because I fight fires all day long.

I am cool with that because I have to be, and as such I plan on taking the sprint circuit by storm! Watch out Athenas/ 30-34 Female AGers of the world... my sights are on you. Yes. YOU. *points wickedly*

I am testing out my trail running abilities 9/25 - 9/27 at Run Woodstock (www.runwoodstock.com). Woodstock is a 3 day festival of running events. The weekend opens with a 5k on friday night, then the big show is Saturday AM, a 10k on Saturday PM, and concluding with a 5 miler on Sunday AM. The options are endless - 5K, 5 miles, 10K, half marathon, marathon, 50K, 50 Miles and the Hallucinating 100 Mile!

The cool thing is that if you sign up for one of the Saturday races, you get the other three evening/Sunday races FREE. Yes, all of them.

I am doing the 5k, 5mile/10k, 5mile (Friday, SaturdayAM/PM, Sunday respectively.)

Talking with a friend tonight about everything really solidified that I am doing the right thing with respect to my life. I know the answers but hate hearing them. Isn't the always the case when we know the answers to the tough questions? I feel out of control and as if one aspect of my life is not supporting another and this imbalance is leading to a spiral of depression, angst, and sickness.

We were discussing our work issues, and oddly enough we have the same ones. The more we talked, he hit something right on the head - there must be better opportunites out there, and somethings are blessings in disguise.

What I walked away with, and actually something that I have been struggling with for a good few years now, is that I feel stuck, unsatisfied, and down right miserable where I am now. In this space I am in. I am different than the happy go lucky girl I was years ago. I am hardened and very unhappy and this makes me sad to admit. So, I am taking steps to fix this, to step away from the misery and get on a path to happiness. I am doing what I need to do. Starting now.

I am tired of feeling like I have no choice in my life anymore. I do. We all do. We just need to make the conscious decision to do something about it and that is scary.

My goal is that by the end of 2012 I will be through my career transformation and graduating with my new degree. The next 2 years are going to be tough, there is no doubt. But I need the hell that is forthcoming to make everything else balanced.

That is where I am right now. As much as I am afraid of failure, of sabotage (self imposed of course), or the unknown that lies ahead of me... I really am ready to work for what I want personally and professionally.