Brrrrrrr... Baby It's Cold Outside

Downingtown, PA. Went to visit my college roommate, Carolyn. What a good egg... up at 4 am to cheer me on. Thanks roomie!

46 degree temperature at start. Do you see the hat, gloves, sweatpants. Brrrrrr! Major fog on the lake when we arrived but interesting phenomenon when we started swimming. 65 degree water temperature, thank goodness. Do you see the big cloud over the swimmers in the photo? That was a result of so much body heat in the water all at once. It just exploded into a haze once 700+ people jumped in.
Very, very hilly. Did I say it was hilly? Most folks walked up the hills on the bike portion. Do I ever LOVE my bike? She and I just kept plugging along, never got off to walk and averaged 18 mph. By the end of the bike I was so cold, I couldn't feel my hands and feet.

Trail run at the end. I am not used to that but it is the mountains. Had a hard time because I couldn't judge the rocks and stumps with the cold feet. Was able to put up a good time though. Took 3rd place in my age. YIPPEE! Great day overall. Thawed out on my car ride home. Took a well deserved nap and ready to do it all over again. Boy oh boy, do I love this sport!

Flying Through The Air

... with the greatest of ease. Isn't that how the saying goes? Well that was not the case 3 days ago. I had a big fall and it was NOT with the greatest of ease. I was out for a 6 mile run. It was a beautiful, early morning run and I was feeling terrific. My legs were strong and my stride was swift. I remember even thinking how it felt effortless. Before I knew it, I had tripped and was off the ground, flying through the air. What did I trip on, you ask? NOTHING! I just mis-stepped. Everything moved in slow motion after that. I had the time to think how much this was going to hurt but not enough time to react. I came down hard, scraping hands, jamming shoulders, twisting hips, pretzel like. What is it about pride that makes you look around to see if anyone saw? I quickly jumped up as if nothing happened and continued, limping, on my run. Everything hurt and blood was quickly trickling down my arms. Tenacious is my middle name and so I continued and finished the planned 6 mile run. I am so stubborn.
Long story, short, I am sore and healing. My training will take a bit of a hiatus this week as I continue to heal. Luckily I am nearing the end of the season so the pressure is off. I have to remind myself (again) that these things happen. Life gets in the way. And it is out of my control. I can have the plans in place, but then there is life that interrrupts and messes up the plans. Being the Type A, control freak, this lesson is hard for me. Maybe that's why I keep getting reminded of it. But does the reminder have to come in the form of bruises and abrasions?

Wetsuit Malfunction

Another state down... this race in the beautiful state of Maine. The Fireman Tri in Kennebunk. Tough surf with Hurricane Danny had the swim relocated. Click on the video above to see where we were supposed to swim. YIKES!

Did well, top 1/3 and 26th woman out of 170 overall. Had a little issue getting my wetsuit off. Minor calf cramping, shaky hands from the 60 degree water temps (it was MAINE afterall) and a large timing chip meant I could not get my wetsuit off easily. I was way ahead of the pack but watched a bunch of gals catch up and head out of transition to the bike course, while I still fumbled with the wetsuit. I made up some time but my T1 (time between swim and bike) was not very pretty. Oh well...

The cool temps of the morning (55 degrees to start) gave way to sun and temps in the 70s. The scenary was great and the town was lovely. It was a great race. Thanks to my friend Barbara who traveled with me from NY and raced with me. Thanks to local friends, Heather, Phyllis and Sue for coming out and cheering me on.

I love racing in other states but it is good to be home.

A New Homeowner

It's been a couple of weeks since my last post. Life has been kinda hectic. I bought a house and am renovating it. Quite the process really. It's not my first home renovation but certainly the most extensive. We're down to studs as you can see.

Unfortunately, as exciting as this news is... it means that everything has taken a back seat, including exercise. I have a race next weekend in Maine but when life gets in the way, it is hard to balance everything. There are times when it is just impossible to do it all. And I am a "do it all" person. It's ok really. I write that more for myself than for anyone reading. I am certain I will do well next week because I have a lot of fitness "in the bank" but I doubt I will post any winning times. It isn't always about winning. It's the journey not the destination. I keep telling myself that. Even still, it is hard to not work out everyday and harder not to beat myself up for it. To make up for lost time, I ran 10 miles this morning. But once tomorrow comes, I am heavy into house stuff again.

When all is said and done, what will I remember? Will it be a few months of moderate exercise or the lasting feelings of a beautiful home? Seems pretty obvious to me.

Lazy Hazy Days of Summer

We are certainly making up for a mild start to summer with this August heat, at least in the Northeast. Whew! Unlike some folks, I don't perspire; I sweat A LOT. Makes it hard to breath too but it's great for "heat training". Given that most of the races are in summer months, training in high heat and humidity is good preparation for race day. In fact, given safe parameters, I try to train mid day a couple of times during the summer to simulate brutal race conditions. For me, being ready for whatever race day can throw at me, takes some of the fear and anxiety out of it.
One of my favorite sayings is "Any obstacle is the direct result of improper or insufficient preparation". Well doesn't that say it all? That saying is about so much more than racing, training and exercise in general. It's a saying for life.
So what it's hot out? Drink some gatorade, do a shorter workout, stay close to home, cool down easily and get out there and exercise.