A new adventure on the horizon.

This past week marked the beginning of the end of off season.  This week plus two more and then I'm back to early mornings and tired legs.  The next two weeks are 'transition' weeks so there is still some time to relax and go crazy with the amount of time I'm sitting around.  (This was not the original plan but you will see why further down.)

Big things happened again this week.  On Sunday I ran on the Smith's treadmill because of the crazy wind.  I can run in the cold but wind just puts me in a cranky mood.  I ended up having to two more indoor runs which was three two many.  I also finished up my last exam this week and have no school related work until the first week of January.  Thankfully that gives me plenty of time to finish up my parents' Christmas present: digitalizing all their old slides.  It's taking more time than I thought it would.

DRUM ROLL PLEASE....I signed up for the Mississippi 50 mile trail run.  Crazy stupid - I know.  Monday night I was talking to MB about things on my bucket list and how I'm frustrated that I can't ever remember what I say I want to do.  Well this conversation jolted my memory that I wanted to run 50 before I turned 50.  I started searching on active.com and found one in Destin on the beach.  Thankfully it happens when I have to be in Nashville because I am horrible at running on the beach.  I found MS 50 and knew it was perfect.  Great time (early March) and good location (5 hours away).  Having such a short amount of time to train will save my body and not be as harmful.  January and February have been my high mileage running months the last two years.  I wont have to add many more miles to what I have done in the past during this time and will not be swimming and only biking as cross training.  This means more time to focus on work and school, but also still get the excitement of doing something new.  The next two nights I could not sleep and constantly was picturing myself running a race. Wednesday I signed up and Friday I convinced Mrs. Smith to also sign up.  She turns fifty in a few days and I somehow talked her into making my goal hers too.  She then signed up the Dr. without telling him.  The race sold out at 11am that morning but a few emails and one phone call to the race director and we signed Ems up for the 20k.  The best thing about the race is the short distance between the aid stations and the option to switch to the 50k without getting a DNF.  I plan on sticking out the 50 miles but I have to remember I have never ran on trails and there is a twelve hour time limit.  I'm told to take your best marathon x 2 and add 2 hours.  Well that would put me around 11 hours.  So what is my goal - under 10:00.  Why not - it's possible!

Thursday was the local tri/running club dirty santa Christmas party.  Everyone ran 3 miles on the bridge and got a number when they got back to the K-Mart lot.  The faster you were, the closer to the end you got to pick a gift.  I was thankfully number 5 which meant I could steal almost anything.  I came out with a Bama snuggy and was very excited especially considering all the inappropriate gifts. 

The week was brought to an end by watching NBC's coverage of the Ironman World Championships. It was bitter sweet.  I wasn't emotional like I had prepared myself for.  I almost felt disconnected.  Maybe it's because I'm still slightly disappointed and maybe it was because I don't know when I will be able to go back.  I want to go back and actually race - not just participate!  Nonetheless it was fun to watch and Shannon even made it on crossing the finish line.  You could also see my parents cheering on the midnight finishers.

On a different note: the Panama City school board shooting took place this week.  I am thankful for God's hand in the situation.  It does not matter whether or not the shooter was a poor shot or if he simple did not want anyone to die except himself - God was present.

Starting the week off on the right foot.

Running on the deathmill:

23mph - gusting 43mph.  Yick.

 Just before I signed up for MS50.  I'm a little giddy. 

Cookie cake I made for the dirty santa Christmas party.

270+ registered means only a few slots left.  Time to convince Mrs. Smith she doesn't have time to think about it and she should just sign up.

It worked!  We are both signed up along with the Doctor.

Ended the week by watching the IM World Championship coverage with my parents.

A Random Week

It was a big week. Sunday morning I rode outside for the first time since IMFL. I met team CCR and did a short and easy brick. It was nice to just get out and be with people and not worry about pace or cadence. Then that afternoon it was time for a two hand tag football game. Although it was windy it was still a lot of fun. It made me think about all the weekends growing up playing in the empty lot next door and then on the college field when I got a bit older. I had a little ‘oh wow’ moment. One of the guys announced that someone could get hurt because there was a nurse around. This was the first time I had been referred to as a nurse and as much as I wanted to say ‘ya that’s me,’ I actually got a little nervous. I found myself being worried about people the whole time and didn’t want anyone to even get knocked down. That was not ok with me. I was there to have fun and not to stress. I decided right then and there that in the future I would not go into nurse mode unless I had to – until then people could be stupid.

All week I’ve been trying not to think about 2011 race season but just can’t keep myself from at least talking about it. I have yet to google races which I’m sticking to until the new year. Right now I really want to do the Rev3 half in SC in October. It takes place in my old stomping grounds of Anderson. I can’t think of a better race to do.

This week ended with receiving some surprise presents in the mail from a friend, having a great afternoon at the beach, and perfect weather for a little creek adventure. Man I love having the woods and the beach so close.

The most noteworthy ‘training’ aspect of the week was my first 10k race on Saturday. Ya, I have never run a 10k race before. X was going to pace me and I told him I wanted 7:40s. Really I wanted to be faster but didn’t tell him that. He didn’t show that morning but S was there and I was pumped to go fast. I did the look around to see who was there and was put in my place when some ladies looked fast and were well equipped with their compression leggings. Over confident, I positioned myself at the front of the start. I caught the first place female at mile one marker and ran within 5 feet of her for the next 5 miles. This was my first strategic run and boy was it fun, although extremely annoying to the other girl. Breath hard, hide in her shadow, drop back on the two turn arounds, don’t play the speed up/slow down game, and more. Around 4.5 I knew I didn’t have it in me to pass her and stay ahead. Looking back at splits we slowed about 15 seconds from 3.5-4.25 and I should have made my move there and not allowed her to control the race. But I didn’t know what to do. I don’t run fast and was out of my league. The last .5 I had planned to surge, but she was fresh and I just couldn’t do it. She deserved to win. If she hadn’t been there I wouldn’t have been close to my time. We crossed the line within a half of a second and she was wiped out. I told her congrats and realized she played me. She was struggling – maybe I could have passed her and held her off – maybe not. I’m happy with the results despite that. Small race, 2nd OV F and got a really cool ornament rather than a ribbon. 44.47 for a 10k! Bang!

After the outside ride.

4:30 wake up call in the offseason to meet the crew for a pre-dawn run.

Winter months = crazy dress.

Post Holiday 10k race.

The finished Christmas tree.

Losing Weight - Gaining Pounds

It's weird. That's the lesson I learned during week four of off season. Since I'm no longer training crazy hours each week I'm losing muscle which means numbers on the scale. However I'm still gaining pounds. My pants don't fit. Darn you fat weighing less than muscles. It's deceiving. Let me clarify. I'm not watching my weight and I'm not trying to get to a goal weight. That sort of talk only happens a few weeks out from a race. Rather it's kinda been a mini ah-ha moment - the number the scale shows you isn't everything.

Other happenings this week: I finished our Thanksgiving left overs. I enjoyed eight days of goodness. I love holiday leftovers. Deep down I wish they had lasted longer but I don't think I could have stretched them out any further.

On Saturday I went swimming for the second time. I traveled with Dr. Smith, Mrs. Smith, Ems, and Ms. Owen out to Frank Brown. It was perfect, almost 70 and sunny. The water was just right for an outside pool - not to hot. I’m still not sure why the lifeguard wouldn’t open more lanes but we made it work and had a good time.

I’m running a few days a week now, just for fun and nothing over an hour. One day I ran in all my winter gear I owned and then the next I was in a sports bra. It’s getting too cold too soon. I had an awesome bridge run on Thursday night. I pushed hard; something I can’t do by myself no matter how hard I try.

School update: Saturday ended two weeks of pure craziness. That's what I get for not getting ahead in school.

Week three and four in pictures follow. Yes, I purposely didn’t write about week three.

Week 3 Pictures:

Finished product - it kept me busy for a few hours.

BB shooting contest.

At the creek the Friday after Thanksgiving. Todd jumping out of the tree.

I love this place.

Some time alone...

LC tired from playing fetch.

Lunch time.

No day would be complete without shooting something. 6/8 - could have been better.

Nathan's new puppy - LC - makes a pretty good pillow. Getting the Christmas tree.

Week 4 Pictures:

Dressed like this one day - the next in a sports bra. What's happening?After a fast bridge run in the freezing cold.

I love this dog. 14 years old Maxwell.

Week Two Highlights

I'm a nurse! I took the NCLEX on the sixteenth and then did the Pearson Vue trick to find out my results. I was excited but more relieved that I can continue on in the program at Vandy. And how did I celebrate...I got on a plane a few hours later and headed to Nashville for a week of classes.

First checking on the phone...

Then confirming on the computer!

The trick is simple and is based off of what happens when you try to re-register. If you failed the test it lets you go all the way to the credit card screen. If you passed then you get a nice little pop up saying you have a test already schedule. I got my official results on the eighteenth but that was pretty anti climatic.

On the 'exercising' front I went swimming for the first time since IMFL and felt pretty sluggish. It was still good to get in and move. And to top off the week I ran a total of a whopping six miles. I would say I'm successfully attacking off season.

Is it already off season?

It's hard to believe this week marked the end of my second triathlon season. Off season has begun and I'm already struggling to embrace it. I need the recovery. I need to allow my body to heal. I need the rest. Yet I find myself being pulled back. It's hard to sit still. It's hard to embrace it. It's hard to say no to training partners, friends, challenges, short sessions, and races. Not training is sometimes more difficult than racing itself. Maybe I'm struggling because I have nothing on the horizon: no races have been paid for and nothing is being planned. Maybe I'm worried I'll let myself slip away from the sport I have grown to love. Maybe, just maybe, I'm afraid of the fact that I know I'm supposed to use these next eight weeks to rebuild relationships and pull myself out of Ironman training isolation. That scares me. I've become comfortable being a hermit and that is unacceptable. I need community and Christian fellowship. I need to surround myself with people who can pour into me and people I can invest in. I don't need to hide. I'm through with using training as an excuse. I need to be intentional. So as much as I'm dreading the off season I'm also excited about what it will bring. So what have I done my first week of off season...

I've kayaked...twice.

I've played frisbee on the beach.

I've shot skeet.

I've played putt putt (and got a hole in one).

I've studied...ALOT.

I've taken pictures of random Panama City signs that make me sad.

I've organize, clean, finished two books, started a new one, lost a toenail, fallen asleep on the beach, saw a turkey, wrote letters, chased stingrays in the gulf, saw a production of Fiddler on the Roof, ate too much, saw my godparents, called old friends, and been productive. And whoops: I ran in a 5k race. I’m a sucker for good causes and reasonable race fees. It was put on for Toys for Tots and all you had to do was bring a new, unwrapped toy. I decided to give it a shot. I hadn’t ran, biked, or gone swimming since IMFL a week ago. My quads were still shot but there was nothing to lose even if I walked. Well guess what – I ran – and got first overall female! Woot Woot.

I'm ready to see what week two will hold! I'm driving to Tallahassee tomorrow night to wake up early Tuesday and take the NCLEX. Then driving back to Panama City and flying to Nashville Monday night. Vandy will keep me busy with a week of classes and assignments. But don't worry - I'll find some time to have a little adventure.

Blog Intro

Tri-ing to strive just isn't about striving to become a better athlete but about striving to be a better friend, daughter, sister, and student. The beauty is that I know my own strength is not enough and I cannot succeed on my own. I am not perfect and desperately need God daily. This blog is about the journey I'm on: striving to be vulnerable, moldable, and willing to respond to God's words all while trying to become a stronger triathlete. I'm striving to be more Christ-like. Praise God for his faithfulness!