Jenny's Ramblings

School Year begins again! And an ultrasound...

2011-09-09T04:50:00.000-07:00

Molly's first day of preschool. (Noah started 1st grade a few weeks ago)

Profile view of baby. 12.5 weeks! Crazy technology.

Whole baby view. The legs are bent in so you can see them and the arms are above the head. It was moving like crazy!

Molly ready to rock and roll at preschool!

Molly had her first day of preschool yesterday. I have been looking forward to this day for a long time! I know some parents cry but I was SO excited. I knew she was excited to do something on her own. I was almost giddy as I left the school. You can definitely tell the parents whose first kid is at school. Both husband and wife come, with camera, and lots of pictures. Then you can also tell the parents of kids who might have 3 or 4 older ones. They still have their jammies on and don't flinch. I think I fall somewhere in the middle. No kids with 2.5 hours to myself! YEAH, what to do. Well I had my first trimester screening. I didn't do this with Noah and Molly but I have been exposed to so much more. I think I was definitely a little more green when I had Noah. I just assumed you got pregnant and the baby was born healthy. I think age and time have showed me that nothing comes easy. This time around I want to be armed with all the info I can. This ultrasound is done at the hospital (they have a fancier machine than the doc office). Then there is a blood test. I had NO idea the ultrasound would be so clear and amazing. I even got to see the sex! I am keeping that minor secret for a while. But everything looked good! I feel like I can get a little more excited now that I am almost in the second trimester.

And then there were 5...

2011-09-01T14:46:00.000-07:00

I feel like I can sort of spill the beans now. We inadvertently expanded our family this past summer. No the bundle of joy isn't here, it is due to arrive March 18. But it was the HARDEST first trimester I have had. If there was a symptom in pregnancy book that I didn't have I would be shocked. I thought it would get easier with each one. Nope not even close. First one was the easiest by far. Could be that I was 26 when Noah arrived and now I will be 33 when #3 decides to come. As far as my OB is concerned I am ancient. Therefore everything is harder according to him. LOVE IT and him.

I did my first triathlon of this season in Decatur. It is a race I LOVE big time. Small but very organized and competitive. I decided not to renew my professional license this year. I needed a break from thinking as a professional athlete. To be honest it worked. By early June I had barely trained all winter and started to coach myself. It came back quick. Not all the way back but good enough for me. I only wanted to put in 10 hours a week so I was realistic with my expectations too. Decatur was going to be competitive I knew it. But I was excited to bring it for the first time in 2011. There was a chick there from New Zealand! Who does a local IL race from another country? Of course I would pick a race like that. The swim went not so bad considering my lack of pool time. On the bike I really pushed but couldn't quit catch my breath it was weird. I chalked it up to little winter training. Going into the run I was only a few seconds back from the New Zealand chick and I could tell from her cadence that I could get her. OHHHH how I was wrong. I had NOTHING. I couldn't breath at all. I again chalked it up to no winter training. By Tuesday that week I went out for a little speed run and was so off that it didn't make sense. We're talking 2 min slower per mile for my 10k pace! Half way through my run a little light bulb went off. I'M PREGNANT! Duh. Really yes it takes just one time and bam you are figuring out how to handle 3 kids.

I have had some time to think about it now and I honestly have to say I am VERY excited. I know it will bring new challenges to our family and to my training. But it will all work out!

Cougar Trail Trot

2010-12-28T12:07:00.000-08:00

I would love for every single person I know to come to the Cougar Trail Trot at Springbrook Prairie Sunday April 9th! It will be a 5k run and 1 mile fun run to help raise funds for Clow Elementary school PTA! It will be my first time being a race director and I am super excited to help support Noah's school. Please shoot me an email with any questions or if you would help with sponsorship of this event!
http://clow.ipsd.org/pta_cougar_trail_trot.html

Contact me...
jengarri@gmail.com

Realizing new dreams

2010-12-14T05:16:00.000-08:00

I finished my season the end of August with Chicago triathlon. After that I sort of hit the bottom. As a triathlete I thought I needed to constantly have something on my plate to conquer. Next up for me was to get pregnant again. Well, turns out that isn't really what I wanted. After a month or two I realized I needed to figure out how to live life without training and not pregnant. How do people not train and stay sane everyday? That was what I wanted to figure out. So that is what I have been doing. I want to be able to live my life where triathlon is NOT on my priority list. It always has been important to me to live my life as if I could break my leg tomorrow I would still have a purpose. Too many triathletes, amateur and professional use triathlon as their source of happiness and balance. It should just be a part of a bigger picture. I am finally learning how to live my life without triathlon as my identity. Imagine taking a huge part of who you are then still smiling everyday. It was a challenge. But one that I wanted and needed to overcome. I don't want to be...This is Jenny my wife, my mom, my daughter, the triathlete. I just wanted to be Jenny, my wife, my mom, my daughter or my friend. My husband, kids, and family are the most important thing in my life. But without a sane spouse and mom none of it works!
So for now I have been sleeping in everyday!!! After all these years of setting an alarm for 4:30am it is SO nice to just wake up when you wake up. I am still not used to it. I am committing myself to blogging more to keep my family in the loop and friends! Here are some recent pics of the family:

The Season Finale

2010-09-01T04:52:00.001-07:00

I know it has literally been months since I posted on this blog. I honestly don't have the time between training, coaching Tball (june), kids, cleaning, and coaching my clients! The last thing I want to do if I do have a spare moment is sit on the computer. BUT now that I am done with my season I realize I have TONS of time. So maybe now I will make up for no blogging:) What do people do that don't train in their spare time? I guess read and write.

I have to admit overall my season was good. Not necessarily spectacular but good. I had some poor races and some good races. But I truly am a big believer in the need to have "bad" races. Those are the ones you learn from and really make you appreciate and revel in the wonderful ones! Chicago Triathlon was my last race of the year. I never understood why some races make the pros go off so late. NO one ever stays to watch. Supposedly that is why they like them later, for spectators. From personal experience no one spectates triathlon, pro or amateur. Except for the few die hard friends and athletes that don't mind sitting in their own sweat and stink to cheer for you. I was very touched by the friends and family that did spectate on Sunday even though by the time I was done it was 94 degrees with not much shade.

The swim went great. The water felt like a dream. After jogging to the swim start which seemed like forever I jumped in to warmup with my skinsuit on. It was wonderful. I have no idea why anyone would wear a wetsuit in that water. Pro water temp cut off is much cooler than amateur. I LOVE that. I know I probably could use the help of a wetsuit but I honestly feel so much better when it is above 90 without one. I think the wetsuit alone takes off a few minutes from your swim time. Not sure the exact numbers on that but seems that way! By the time the gun went off I moved myself behind all the girls. I know I am one of the slowest pro swimmers so I don't like to be swam over. I eventually found a girl to swim behind. It didn't last long she seemed to slow down so I tried to move in front of her. For a long time we swam side by side but she kept moving me away from the swim course. I think I spent more energy dealing with staying straight that moving forward. I so wanted to give her a few words when we got out, but no time for that!

On the bike I purposely tried not to go all out. I was very cautious of the heat and respectful of it. I tried to keep myself cool and hydrated. Normally I would bike so hard that I can't talk but this time I actually felt myself singing! This kept me from going crazy and turning my body inside out by racing too hard. I passed a few girls here and there. Then I got stuck behind 2 girls that wouldn't move. The officials were right behind me so I sat up in my bars and waited for something to happen. Finally a turn came and one of them went faster so there was room for me to pass both of them. The official came by smiled and waved to let me know I did it legally. I was a little annoyed that I lost time but it was a nice little rest. Lakeshore drive was awful! Speedbumps and cracks galore! NOT a fast course for sure. The wind had picked up for us. I knew it would. They kept saying at the pro meeting that the wind off the lake gets stronger around noon, lovely. I actually thought it was stronger on the second loop too. (I was right I asked a few others).

Onto the run. My goal was to run overly controlled for the first 5k. I grabbed my ziplock bags of ice shoved them into my suit and took off. I didn't care who passed me I just wanted to run my race. And I did it! I ran super smooth felt great for 6k then hurt a lot the last 2 miles or so. It wasn't a hurt of can't go faster it was the heat. They didn't have much fluid on the course and what they did have was WARM water. Some of the aid stations the people weren't even paying attention anymore so I got nothing. That was my biggest complaint. They should have had sponges, cold water, or ice on a day like that. Running on blacktop at 1:30pm in 94 deg heat with warm water is no picnic. I am sure if there were the masses earlier in the day there would have been a big up roar. There were some very nice spectators that were dumping water on our heads as we ran by. It was not by any means a fast run for me but I ran the whole thing even and controlled. When it comes to racing in the heat I have learned that control is the key. If you dig too deep early on then your body can't cool off later in the race.

I also have learned that the smaller athletes do better in the heat. Oh well not much I can do about that since I Love to eat and will never be a tiny athlete. For now, I will just keep my ziplocks of ice in my suit:)

So I finished 6th after all that. My goal for the day was top 10 and I did it. Even if I swam straight, didn't rest on the bike to not pass, or dig deeper I think I still would have been 6th. I am not questioning anything. I am taking it and running. Or at least jogging slowly:) With about 12 hours of training a week I made my goal. I think most of those girls ahead of me train 20-30 hours. So not too bad for me! I know a few amateurs that train 20+ hours a week, crazy!

My whole family came to watch. It was great. My Mom, Dad, brother, husband, kids, Big Papa, friends, and clients watched. Having a support crew is a HUGE help. I love them all. Even though they were miserably hot and sweaty. Thanks to all my great sponsors Gao Fei for even making racing possible for me. Powerbar for fueling me. And Avia for giving me the BEST racing shoes ever.

Heatin' Things up in Memphis

2010-06-02T11:12:00.000-07:00

I always have to throw in a pic of a kid. It's a Mom thing.
Eating at O'something friday night on Beale St. Memphis. Notice the goats in the background, weird. Ate and drank good stuff!

Beale Street, downtown Memphis!

Heading out of T2 on a REALLY HOT RUN. Ice was in my chest and back!

Right before the finish (friend Deb and her sis are in background!). Finishing the hottest run of my life. It was over 100 deg with the heat index. NOT FUN.

I decided to do Memphis in May triathlon a few months back. I did it last year and loved it. Mostly because of the food, but I loved the course too. Sad but the main thing I remembered from last year was the awesome bbq food at the finish. My Dad and I drove down Friday in time for dinner on Beale Street. I got a tasty drink with a little too much alcohol while we walked around. It was one of the few cities other than New Orleans that I have seen with Slushy alcohol drinks sold on the corners. It like mini Disney for adults. You can get a drink in a commemorative cup! Headed back to the hotel Friday night and had a really good night of sleep. It was WAY strange sleeping alone in a king size bed without a snoring man, and random child or two at night. Ear plugs in and I was good to go.

Saturday we headed to the race sight so I could get in some training on the course and just check it out. It always seems to ease my nerves knowing I have been to the race sight. I biked at 8am on Saturday and it was already in the 90s. NOT good. Normally I always run later in the afternoon before races. But an executive decision was made (well really I just talked to myself) to run early in the day to avoid major loss of sweat running in the afternoon in even hotter temps. I went to the Pro meeting and felt ready to race. We ate out at our hotel Saturday night. No driving, quiet restaurant AND no pasta. I don't know why people feel the need to eat at Italian restaurants for races. Eat the local food. Try something fun. I always eat fish or chicken before a race, NO bread products, a little veggies and rice if possible. All easily digestible. Especially with the heat eating foods that would digest easy is very important. Drinking calories with that heat was going to be crucial.

I slept great again Saturday night (I have to admit it was drug induced but hey who cares) and woke up at the nice hour of 7am since I raced at 10:30. When I got out of the air conditioned car at the race sight my Dads car read 89 deg and that was at 9am! Uh oh. I tried my best to not focus on the heat. Even though I come from Chicago where we haven't had that kind of heat yet and I train at 5am when it is cool. I cut my warmup very short, you could walk to the port o potty and be warmed up.

I lined up for the swim start in a time trial format. Not a big fan. Hard to race that way. However you don't get smothered at the swim start which is refreshing. I got out of the water in a good time for me with NO wetsuit. I actually felt bad for the age groupers who wore them. I would imagine they got really hot. Onto the bike if felt like breathing in a sauna. You never felt cool. AND they was never a bottle exchange. They ran out of water during the age group race! I was looking forward to it. It sucked down a gel even though it was boiling and gross. My drinks were like coffee even though they were frozen a few hours ago. I felt okay on the bike but never great. I attributed to the heat. I passed a few girls on the bike and then was passed only by Lauren. I kept her in my sights the entire time. I knew if I felt good after the bike I could run her down. Once in transition I could not wait to get my cooler open with my Lovely ice bags. I grabbed those suckers like they were gold. I bit threw a few of them and drank them then put one in the front of my suit and the other in my back. It was an instant relief. It brought my core temp down right away. Sad to say within 10 min the ice was gone. But at least it got me going. I knew when I got to the first mile it was going to be a suffer run. My first mile was my casual tempo pace normally at 7 min mile. Yikes not good. Then it just got worse. It was HOOOOTTTTTTT. Like I have never felt in my life. I started to feel nausea and then got goose bumps. I kept running my hands over my arms to see if I stopped sweating. My heart race was max out and I was not going anywhere. On the uphill I could have walked faster. Lauren seemed to keep the same distance in front of me for the first 3 or 4 miles. Then when we passed Andrea Fisher I started to catch Lauren. I actually didn't even think I could win. Knowing she started behind me we could tie and she would win. Or someone behind us could be faster. I ran with her for the last mile, I kept telling her good job and just to stop running with me! I was loosing it and didn't care. My mind was falling apart. When we hit the grass which I think is less than a half mile to go I picked it up really just to finish soon not to win. But then I realized she wasn't there anymore. I turned around (sign of weakness by the way) and noticed how far back she was. What? I could win. I just sucked in all the pain and lack of oxygen to run into the finish. IT HURT. And after all that it was my slowest 10k time ever in a race. I don't care. I still won:) Not only did I win the race but I didn't quit. Heat is not my friend and I conquered it that day. I feel like I own the heat now.

All I wanted that day after the race, SALT and lots of it. Were talking a big bag of chips and then a large fry at McDs. I think it is a kid thing. Since I kids I now eat at McDonalds way too much. Other triathletes "treat"themselves with one thing! Insane, I treat myself a little too much.

Random thoughts...

2010-02-28T18:07:00.000-08:00

Yes this is me swimming. Sorry for the butt shot, I know it is not pretty. Nothing special except this video. I have never uploaded a video. Pretty high tech of me. Don't expect much. I actually feel like my swimming has gotten better with less yards and more strength training. I have consistently doing what Barb tells me to do every week with strength. In the past I usually ignored the strength work b/c I have no time. But now I make an effort to fit it in. I usually do a mixture of arm strength with free weights while balancing on one foot and cord exercises doing swim strokes. I really feel the difference!

I finally finished the indoor triathlon series today, yahoo! I think my HR was 250 on the bike today. I had to go to that happy place with my eyes shut just to get thru without throwing up. It was fun to have 2 clients in my heat too! They both did awesome! I think Amy almost kicked my ass on the bike today too! Nothing makes a coach so proud:)

I ordered a Quarq this week too. Isn't it gorgeous. Now I will actually ride with a computer on my bike. Much to anyone's dismay I have not ridden with a bike computer for 7 years or so? I just use my watch and or HR monitor on my wrist. Too much technology overwhelms me. But I know to go to another level as a professional it had to be done. Can't wait to see it on my brand new P3!!!! On the down side, I will actually have to be honest with how hard I am pushing myself. No more riding just by perceived exertion and time.

No news can be good news

2010-02-10T17:15:00.000-08:00

Noah enjoying the hi -five!

I that fast that you can't even see me, ha ha ha.

My Monsters before a tackle.

The diva.

This can be the hardest time of year to train. We have been through a good chunk of winter but still have the tailend to go. Training for me has turned into gerbil runs on the treadmill ALOT and ALOT of biking on the computrainer. Since I had kids training for me has been 5am and sometime during the day. I had an epiphany sometime in the fall. If I get 8 hrs of sleep most days I recover better, I am a less bitchy wife, and a productive Mom. So I have been taking full advantage of the kiddie care at our YMCA and running on the treadmill. I miss running with Janeth but I knew once the sun comes up earlier I will get back to it. I have to admit not waking up to an alarm most days has been AWESOME and great for my marriage. Who knew spending more time with your spouse was good.

I decided to do the MITCS (midwest indoor tri series) this year. It is a fun and anaerobic training session with possible money. What the heck, why pass up a good barf session, right? And what I have discovered too is that Noah can run around the indoor track and hi five me on every lap. WAY better than racing outside when I disappear for hours. He loved it and now asks me about being an athlete. I have not done any anaerobic stuff yet so it was what coach called, 'blowing out the cobbies." First one is over didn't go bad. It was actually a ton of fun and a client did awesome. That was a bonus.

The kids are really starting to beat the crap out of each other lately. I have a feeling this is just the beginning not the end of this. To be honest it is usually Molly doing the hitting and then Noah following up with touching her every 5 seconds to tick her off. If I wasn't their Mom I would laugh. But because I AM their Mom most days I take a deep breath and THEN pull my hair out. They are awesome, and they are mine! That is the best part. Every now and then Noah pulls a one liner out of his tush. Recently he told me, "mommy I am going to marry Madison one day, she is perfect!" Then the next day we were watching a commercial when a blonde girl comes running out singing, Noah declares..."I change my mind, I am marrying her." Men must be visual from a young age? And what is with the blonde thing with my son? He is only 4.5 and it is starting already. He is still my baby.
Molly growls now. At anyone really. I have come to terms with no longer being able to shop at Trader Joe's with the kids. They have little grocery carts there for kids. BADDDDD IDEA. They each have to push one then go in different directions and run into everything. Then try to buy all things chocolate. It is a nightmare. I decided to give it a whirl last weekend with my Mom and only one child. Molly was actually okay for the first half of the store then her inner psycho came out. I finally got her to the check out lane and told her to get in line. She replied (loudly), "NO Mommy, GRRRRR" (as she gritted and showed her teeth). She actually scared me and probably some of the other people standing there. I picked her up left the cart with the groceries there and left. Attitude equals you don't get want you want. You may be cute and little but I am the boss. She is aging me everyday.
Next up on the schedule....POWERMAN ALABAMA. Crazy, yes, but a much needed race. I have a hard time training from November until the end of April with NO racing. Powerman is driveable and a challenge. Plus I get to try out my new ride! More of that coming soon...

Rules to Live by...

2009-12-13T18:09:00.000-08:00

Thomas Jefferson's Ten Rules

1. Never put off tomorrow what you can do today.

2. Never trouble another for what you can do yourself.

3. Never spend your money before you have earned it.

4. Never buy what you don't want because it is cheap.

5. Pride costs more than hunger, thirst and cold.

6. We seldom repent of having eaten too little.

7. Nothing is troublesome that we do willingly.

8. How much pain the evils have cost us that never happened.

9. Take things always by the smooth handle.

10. When angry, count ten before you speak, if very angry, count a hundred.

I am not a total sucker for quotes but my Mom had this sitting on her kitchen counter yesterday and I couldn't help myself but copy it! Every single point is valid and true. Especially during this time of the year when we can get so wrapped up in our own world of shop, eat, bake, run around, complain about the cold, and relatives. This really sums up how things should be done. Cherish those annoying relatives they might not be here tomorrow. Everything that is HARD and painful is worth it. Things that come easy are never worth it. Don't overindulge just because! Don't go nuts with a credit card. You will regret it in January. And most importantly what I took from this is that you should never waste time thinking about all of the negative things that COULD happen. Enjoy the positives in the moment you are in. The future is just that, far away. I am so thankful and happy to be sharing my days with my family!

TURKEY CLUB Fun Run

2009-11-15T17:19:00.000-08:00

My friend Amber and I decided to put on a "race" on Thanksgiving morning as a free alternative. We wanted it to be not only free, but fun, and worthwhile. So we are asking anyone that is coming to bring a toy for the Aurora Gift Mart for the holidays. Should be tons of fun with donuts and themed prizes. Please email me if you want to come! jengarri@gmail.com
Check out the flyer below...

Off season struggles

2009-11-09T07:34:00.001-08:00

Acceleration Naperville

Being a professional triathlete, NOT EASY. And I am not talking about the training part. In order to race, train, and well...eat you have to somehow make a living. Unless you are winning a huge race this is VERY hard. The catch here is that in order to win any sort of big race you need to put in the time and effort to get there. And well let's face it, it costs money to train to be the best you can be. I am really struggling with this. How am I suppose to be the best I can be without an endless bank account. Training costs money to hire a coach, get sport specific training, buy equipment to train and not to mention child care! Racing costs money. Sometimes but rarely I get comped entries but not too often. Then you have to travel to races. I wish there was an easier more economical way of doing this. Essentially what I am taking away from this is that unless you are in your early 20s without kids and a mortgage it is virtually impossible to be a professional triathlete. But the key there is impossible. NOTHING is impossible. I almost feel like when things are more difficult there is even more of a lure to do it. I really want to do well, better yet, KICK ASS. It is so important to me to never have regrets in life. As long as those goals match up with my husband and also my kids I am there! I will figure out a way to make this work. If anyone has any ideas for me please let me know.

I found this FANTASTIC place called, Acceleration in Naperville. It is a sports performance training studio. They deal with professional football players, basketball, and it seems most sports. They improve power and speed through muscle memory training. They have these incredible treadmills that go 30 mph and I think 30% grade. Unfreaking real. But awesome. I know to be the best pro triathlete I can I need to start working on my weaknesses. As triathletes we seem to forget about strength and plyometrics because we only have time to swim, bike, and run. I will be updating this blog as my training with this goes. I am really excited to see how this can improve my fitness.

Halloween was a blast! It goes by so fast. Here are a few pics of my kiddos...

Chicago Marathon Recap

2009-10-14T05:00:00.000-07:00

I decided a few months ago to give the Chicago Marathon a try. I have been doing this crazy thing of triathlons now for almost 10 years. And living in Chicago I still have not checked off the box, Chicago Marathon. Now...Checked. And side not, never do again.
I have done a few marathons before. 2 in college, mistake. And one last December. This by far was the most boring course I have ever done. And WAYYYY tooo many people. I would much rather run somewhere pretty and less crowded. The only benefit I saw was sleeping in my own bed!
I really felt prepared for this too. I trained with my running partner and friend Janeth. I actually got my highest week up to 68 miles! That is a ton for this girl. I stopped biking and swimming just to take a break from the triathlon life. (I actually miss it!). About 3 weeks ago my heel started to feel sore after a 20 mile run. I went in to the doctor and yep, plantar fascitis! I was really proactive about taking care of it, icing and stretching. It never got any worse.
The first few miles of the marathon I was right on my pace but I could feel my heel already. I knew that couldn't be good. I think it was the faster pace and blacktop. I got to the halfway point at 1:30. Okay, not bad but boy did my heel really hurt at this point. If this was mile 25 than I could have sucked it up but I had 13 miles to go. By mile 15 I had changed my stride so now my opposite hip flexor was killing me. I couldn't even run! That is crazy for me. I always think of myself as having a really high pain threshold. I walked a few min then ran again. I was looking for a place to drop out and get a ride. As I walked and watched everyone run by all I could think about was Noah asking for the medal when I got home later. So off I went. NO dropping out for me. I can't quit. Not in my vocabulary. There are too many people out there that would love to finish in any time. So I walked and jogged the last 10 miles. It was a LONG 10 miles. Lots of self talk. But I finished and didn't cry. I was actually incredibly proud of my self for not quitting and sticking it out. That is a part of sport. Not all races will be PRs but all races are successes in different ways. I am still not sure what the huge draw is for the marathon. 40,000 people? I understand the sense of accomplishment. But to be honest I get that from running a PR in any race 3 miles or 26. Why don't people try dog sledding? It would be so much easier on the body.
Note to spectators: don't cheer for people that don't give you eye contact. I had tons of people cheer for me with, "You can do it!, Run!". I knew I could too but I was in PAIN! Just smile and wave next time. It is kind of like your OB telling you, "Come on Jenny, your almost at the finish line of a triathlon, PUSH!". I am serious, my OB actually said that to me. I wanted to punch him. Pushing a kid out is NOTHING like finishing a triathlon. I would do 10 Ironmans in a row before pushing a baby out.

So now it is the fall in Chicago and I need a goal. I ran the first half of the Chicago marathon in 1:30 and the second half in 1:50. Not vary fulfilling. I have to wait 6 months now before I can race again. It is like a drug. Competition is awesome. It feeds me. Anyone with an idea?

Sport is Cyclical

2009-10-01T12:09:00.001-07:00

I need to update my pics of people. This is Noah heading off to school for his pictures. Seriously I could just eat him up! And yes, they were fighting. SHE is always the one to start it. Who knew a 1 year old could beat the crap out of a 4 year old. You should see some of his war wounds from Molly biting him! Watch out boys!
This is what I do when there are no triathlons to train for. Pull out the slip and slide. Yep, here in the midwest this is how we do it.
You better believe I was running so fast Bill couldn't even take my picture. LOL! But really with all of the marathon miles on my legs I feel like I have one speed, turtle.

While I was in the shower Monday after yoga with Adrienne (note to self, Yoga is WAYYY harder than I ever thought) I came to a conclusion. Sport is cyclical. For the last hmm, 30 years of my life I have been involved in competitive sports in some form or another. I think I have never gone a 12 month period without a swim meet, running race, triathlon, or rowing race since I could walk. No joke. But as far back as I can remember I have always gone through periods of my life where I just wanted to BE active not racing. It seems like these are all cycles. I can imagine a big circle that I go around. It is broken down into: training hard for triathlons, post season break, training hard, post season break, then realizing it has been two seasons with only a month or so break of No structure in those 24 months or so. I implode. I need to sleep in, I need to not have a fire just fun. I need to be with my kids not be tired with my kids. I need to be just Jenny not, OH that's Jenny the triathlete. I am at that point. I stopped racing triathlons early August and have thrown myself into marathon training. In my mind that is running 6 days a week and NOT touching a bike or getting wet in a pool. Unfortunately I have come to realize this really is no different than triathlon training. I am running hard, still waking up early, and still tired with the kids. I need a break! In 10 days after this crazy 26.2 miles of running I am taking a break. I mean workout when I want if I want. I feel fatness coming on and it is OKAY with me. I want the cycle to come again. You see that is the way it works. After this cycle is over I will come back to training hard and be even hungrier to race and get back into shape. You need to get out of shape to get into shape:)
I never understood how sooo many athletes can just go from year to year doing the same thing all the time with such intensity. And I don't mean a 2 week or 1 month break. Take a break! Don't talk about triathlon or think of it. There needs to be a cycle and balance. In the last 5 years my OFF times like this usually included having a baby. NOT this time, no worries here. Just a break for the body and mind. I need that fire to burn bright again when the gun goes off.
If I don't take a break I really believe the flame gets smaller and smaller each season.

A triathlete who tries to run!

2009-08-18T06:50:00.000-07:00

After much contemplation I decided to do the Chicago Marathon in October. It is almost hard to believe that I have never done it. The marathon has never been my thing. Too much running for this big girl. But as I get older and my kids are getting older it seems to haunt me. Marathon training is almost easy compared to triathlon training. BUT when I say easy I do not mean to slam any runners. I mean logistically as a parent it is easy. I don't have to get on my bike for hours or drive to a pool to swim for an hour. Running is simple. Shoes, watch, and you! Out the door in nature running against time. It's almost poetic in nature. This past 2 weeks I have embarked on my marathon training in full force. I totally dropped the pool (very easy for me to do!) and only am biking easy on the weekends mostly with the kids in tow. I ran a total of 50 miles last week. That is a lot for me! This week I am aiming for 55. My legs are feeling it. They are screaming at me to stop running and jump in a pool. This body was NOT cut out for distance running. I know serious distance runners can run 100 miles a week in preparation for a marathon. The difference is they weigh half as much as me. I have to slowly figure out what is my max before I get hurt. And then take the miles I do have and make them quality! I decided to have my run partner Janeth help me conquer my goal of sub 3:00. She has a ton of experience in this. She has been whipping my big butt 2 times a week with hard runs. BUT I am loving it. I love that my afternoons are free to play with Noah and I LOVE that I am not passing out at 8pm b/c of training. I know come late fall I will miss my bike and the pool. But that is the point. I want yearn for it again. I want the fire to come back so that each workout is a personal test. To be the best professional triathlete (with 2 kids, ha ha) that I can be. I need to refocus and find out what my goals are for next season. But until then I will be running my heart out and having fun doing it. Because as I have discovered if you aren't having fun, why do it.

This coming Saturday I am doing a 10k called the Dekalb Cornfest 10k! Only in Illinois do you get a race called a cornfest! And boy will I have fun. I really want to break 38 in the 10k. For some reason this triathete can run faster in a triathlon than an open road race, hmmm.

The weekend after the marathon some really good friends of mine are putting on a flat and fast 5k here in Naperville called The Newthing 5k. Please come support them and this race. It is at the yellow box church. If you live in Naperville you know where that is. I will be there cheering on everyone! www.newthing.org/5k

Naperville Sprint RR

2009-08-12T04:33:00.000-07:00

On Sunday both Bill and I raced in the Naperville Sprint Triathlon. This was the first time I have done this race. It is basically the same course as the womens triathlon in June but a shorter swim. This was the first race for Bill in about 2 years! And I think even longer since we have actually done a triathlon together. Probably since Noah arrived 4.5 years ago!
The swim was a time trial start which I am NOT fond of. How can you race if you don't have everyone with you. All you can do is go as hard as possible. And hope it was hard enough. They let us line up according to what we thought our times were. Apparently some swimmer were over zealous b/c I got stuck behind a bunch of swimmers that got in too early. It made for an interesting swim. The bike was a little windy and very crowded on the second loop. I always feel bad shouting at beginners to move over. They must think I am either crazy or mean. I always try to apologize as I pass after shouting, "on the left!". Onto the run...it was HOT! I don't mean sort of hot I might need a drink but hot I need to jump in a freezer to stop from boiling. On the last long stretch of road on the run we ran into the sun with no shade. I think that might of been the first time this year that I have felt that hot. Thank goodness it was only a 5k run. I had so much fun waiting for Bill and hanging with the kids. My Dad met us there and pushed them around in the double jogger. I had it all ready with snacks, juice, diapers, and blankets. Once he saw the diapers he told me he was NOT changing a diaper. Molly could wait until I crossed the finish line. He said he might even stand at transition while I am heading out on the run to yell at me that she had pooped so hurry up. Gotta love the grandpas. Thanks for your help Dad! I ended up winning and Bill had a great race for not even riding his bike this year.

I was happy with my race overall. I still felt a little sluggish from Steelhead last weekend but overall was having fun so pushing through slug is easy when you are smiling!

Enjoy the video my running partner and friend Janeth made!

HRMS Naperville Triathlon from RunnerGirlJaneth on Vimeo.

Another day as triathlon capital :: Naperville Sun :: Local Sports

2009-08-10T10:36:00.001-07:00

Another day as triathlon capital :: Naperville Sun :: Local Sports

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Steelhead Race Report

2009-08-02T10:53:00.001-07:00

Friday my Dad and I headed to St. Joe Michigan for the Steelhead 70.3 Triathlon. We got there in a little over 2 hours. Perfect! I love races that are close to home. I wish all of them were this easy to get to. We headed straight to the race sight so I could check it out and bike a little. The beach was beautiful. It really was a nice area to have a triathlon! I actually rested for this race so I was a little nervous if it was going to work or not. I went to bed Friday night without taking Ambien b/c I had run out and not gotten a refill. HUGE mistake. I didn't fall asleep until midnight! I don't know how anyone goes to sleep before races without it. It was just one of those nights that everything bothered me including the air conditioner. My alarm went off at 4am (3am Chicago time!). I was really relaxed and excited to get the show on the road already. I got to the transition area early and set up my stuff. It was too dark to bike so I skipped the warmup. Not sure yet if that was a mistake. I think that might have been the first race in a few years that I didn't do my typical warmup. It was a 1.2 mile walk down the beach and sand to the swim start. The water was perfect! Great temperature, wavy, and pretty! I felt good on the swim. Since I can't seem to shake the bad experience I had at New Orleans 70.3 I really was focusing on more of a relaxed pace so I could finish without having tummy problems. Plus I came into this race WAY undertrained! I have not ridden my bike over 50 miles since April or run over 12 since April. I think I ran 12 miles 3 weeks ago but really only 10 miles are my long runs. NEVER will do that again. I got out of the water with a few other girls at the same time. It was a fun experience swimming in a pack like that. I probably stayed too relaxed on the swim and should have been more aggressive. As the race progressed this seemed to be the theme on the bike too, need to be more aggressive! Anyway, onto the bike. Nutrition was number one concern on the bike even more so than speed or effort. Looking back now I know that I totally slacked. I need to start racing with power and/or HR so I know how hard to push myself. Amy Kloner went by me and I yelled at her good job, she didn't even respond b/c she was working so hard. That was the first sign I should have picked it up. I was way to focused on staying controlled and not overdoing it. Sometimes to race well you need to toe the line with overdoing it, that is the only way you will ever know if you did your best. I started the run at a 6:30 mile with a hill climb. Yikes! I slowed way the heck down worried I wouldn't be able to finish 13 miles of this. After stopping at the port o potty to pee at mile 1.5 I was off to my steady 7-7:30 pace. I finished the race definitely tired but knowing that I should have pushed the bike harder. It was mostly a lack of endurance training. The positive was that I had NO stomach problems and I think I have nailed that issue! YEAH!!!! That was a success for me. I Loved the course and race. I will do it again. I might even drag Bill to race it next year.
UP next, Naperville Sprint Triathlon. Bill and I are doing it next weekend! I have never done this race so I am excited. Plus it is a hometown race. I really enjoy all the people and friends that are there.

Naperdink

2009-07-27T11:30:00.001-07:00

Noah's cheering section. Notice I finally can put a ponytail on Molly's head. She looks like she has an antenna on.

And their off.....

Pre-Race. Notice the bento box filled and the bike jersey. He was ready!

This past Saturday Noah did his very first triathlon. It is called Naperdink. Their motto is "so dinky anyone can do it". It was a 2 mile bike, 1/2 hike, 2 mile bike, float. In that order and in no way fast or timed. Bill and I decided it would be a great idea for Noah to have an opportunity to be like Mom and "race". He was so excited and nervous! Bill pinned a jersey up so he could wear one. Bill even put my Bento Box on his cross bar of his bike. They put chocolate chip cookies and fruit snacks in it to keep him going! Bill jogged with him the whole way. Like Mother like son. Bill told me he stopped every few hundred feet to get a snack and a drink. By the time they got to the park for the hike he was really concerned he was so behind so they skipped the hike and biked back. So really it ended up being a 4 mile bike, float, and play in the sand. Bill got him a little trophy to give him. He was so proud of his trophy and finisher ribbon. I think it will be a family tradition we will do every year now! Plus I can pull Molly in the bike trailer next year. AND even more importantly it is all you can eat pancakes and bacon!

Saturday is Steelhead 70.3. This is only the second big taper I have done this year. I am sooo ready to race. I cannot wait. I have a lot to learn from this distance that I have been working on. Since my last 70.3 in New Orleans I have learned that I cannot eat gluten before a race or during a race. AND I take Imodium and then I am good to go! I have redemption on my mind. There are personal goals that I want accomplish for this race. I want to finish feeling good (stomach) and race strong. What I mean by that is mentally not falling apart or giving up. That is a big challenge for anyone I think. I also want to race on fresh legs. My legs have been so tired lately that I finally get to rest them so I can wait to feel peppy!

Anyone that lives around Naperville and is interested in Gluten Free products. My favorite bread that I have discovered that doesn't fall apart or taste terrible is the Gluten Free Raisin Bread from Great Harvest Bread Company in Naperville. It is sooo tasty. They make Gluten Free stuff every other Tuesday. If you try it I promise it will be the best GF bread you will have ever had.

Bike Problems!

2009-07-19T12:47:00.001-07:00

I am realizing more now than ever that you have the lows to appreciate the highs. Yesterday I did Evergreen Lake Triathlon which is about 2 hours from home. It is a competitive local OLY race that I LOVE.
The swim went good. It was actually a little choppy on the back end of the loop and I am pretty sure the course was long. I have not been swimming great lately so I was really content with how I did. Onto the the bike. I noticed on Friday when I put my race wheels on that the brake levers moved over and were rubbing the carbon on the wheel. I tried manually moving it over to see if that fixed it. I know that is not the right way to do it but I was in a rush. AND as a result forgot about the whole thing. The first mile or so into the bike the wheel moved a little and there it was. My front brake rubbing the ENTIRE freaking race. It was like riding a spin bike with high resistance. My legs were soooo tired halfway thru the bike. I slowed down on a ton of occasions to try and move the brake over. But it never worked. You could hear the rubbing with each spin of the wheel. UGH. All of that work and I missed a mechanical problem. Lesson learned. Take care of the bike. AND learn how to do it yourself. There were alot of voices going off in my head during that time on the bike. I wanted to quit or just get off and dnf. But I knew I couldn't face my family and kids with that. So I came into transition and put my shoes on to run as hard as my legs could after doing strength for an hour. I ended up running with Todd from Endure It. He was a great motivator. It is such a huge help to run with someone when you are in pain. Not talking just knowing they are there and their energy is helping you. I ended up 3rd. I am could say I am okay with that. BUT I am NOT! I am pissed. Because of my stupid mistake of rushing I forgot to fix something that lost the race and money! I need to slow down and take care of the little things. We all work so hard to get to the finish line that I think the little things are overlooked but in the end those are the things that keep us from getting there.
I didn't rest for this race because Steelhead is only 2 weeks away. I am burning for that race now. I want to have a great race there. It will be personal revenge!

Philly in Pictures

2009-07-01T16:46:00.000-07:00

I think this is half way thru the run you actually come back to the transition area thru grass then back on the road and away from the race again.

I had to force Bill to do this. A touristy looking couple took the shot, mostly I forced it to embarrass him!

Can you believe this is almost 250 years old!

The Skulgle river (I know this is spelled wrong but that is I I think it sounds). I actually rowed here in college. It was great to see all of the rowers practicing on the river along boat house row. Once I train less I definitely want to get back into that sport!

I am finally sitting down to do this. Bill and I were in Philadelphia this past weekend for the Philly Triathlon. It was a GREAT weekend. Friday we got there super early and did some sightseeing. I really enjoy American history so we did the Liberty Bell, the mint, Independence village, and a few other things. It was really fascinating. Living in the midwest we have nothing that is that old. Maybe 100 years but not almost 300 years old.

The race was great. The swim was a point to point with the current so it went by quick. The bike was MUCH harder than I thought it was going to be. Essentially there were 8 short and some very steep climbs and descents. I am not used to that. I would say it is my weakest thing in triathlon. The run was flat and somewhat shaded. I was glad it was over when I finally got to the finish. Starting at 6:55 eastern time really felt like 5:55 am to me. It was a much more competitive race that I thought it was going to be but I love the competitiveness of it all. Lots of fast women make it even more fun. I was content with my race and even more thrilled at how much fun we had by ourselves for the weekend. Much needed time away!

One brick and one wedding

2009-06-24T09:20:00.001-07:00

Even though he doesn't look happy he did great!

I could just eat her up:)

Summer is here in full swing. It has been in the 90s everyday and above 100 with the heat index!

This past weekend was GREAT! Noah was a ring bearer in Bill's cousin's wedding. He did a fabulous job. A four year old in a tux is ridiculously cute. He looked like honey I shrunk the kids but it was a grown up in a tux shrunk down. He even said he looked sexy. OH boy! It was a hot day too it that tux and he was still a trooper.

That morning I did a run heavy brick. The main set was 10 min TT effort on the bike and then 2 x 1 miles on the treadmill at 6 min pace and then the second mile at under that with a little break btw. OUCH it hurt. I had to do that 3 times thru. It felt great to finish it but boy was I pooped by 7pm at the wedding. After chasing the kiddies and having to wear high heels I needed my jammies and a bed a lie in.

I actually had to borrow a curling iron from a neighbor because I don't own one! I even had to dig in my bathroom cabinets for makeup. I knew I still had something from the last wedding we went to a year ago.

Bill and I head out to Philly Friday morning! I can't wait to see some sights and eat some good food too. Should be a great race.

Race Report- USWTS Naperville

2009-06-17T12:25:00.000-07:00

I will start with the beginning of the weekend. Bill had finals all the following week and a huge paper to work on. So it was a very tuff weekend to balance. I worked at the expo for Endure It on Saturday. I really enjoy the expos! It is a social outlet for me as well as a way to get my name out for coaching! I got to see tons of people and catch up with some friends that I have not seen in a long time. I got to meet a great bunch of ladies that started a company called Make Your Mark (http://www.makeyourmark.com/). I always try to support women owned and operated companies. They had great t-shirts. I am a HUGE T-shirt wearer as a stay at home mom. I must own 2 dozen life is good shirts. But these are even BETTER! I love how comfy they are. And they are CUTE and inspiring. Check em out! I also got to see Naperville Running Company and some other booths that I love! It got the competitive juices flowin for sure! This is my hometown race so I wanted to be ON for it!

I slept terrible Saturday night. First it started as me having a hard time falling asleep. Normally before races I take Ambien (sorry to push drugs here) but I ran out and forgot to get the refill. Then I started hearing EVERYTHING outside. You know those night that you can hear the branches crack and you get ticked. It was one of those nights. Then after overdosing on Tylenol PM I finally fell asleep at midnight only to wake up to my wonderful daughter at 2:15am WIDE freakin awake. Needless to say Bill and I had about 2 hrs of sleep Saturday night. By the time she fell asleep at 4am I was getting up for the race.

I headed out the door at 4:45am to get my warm up in at home before I took the 5 min drive to the race site. I was so tired my eyeballs were burning. I was in a BAD mood. Never race with no sleep or even try to be a decent human. It felt like I had a newborn again. Yuck. I almost decided to stay home but knew I would be mad at myself if I didn't try to go. So I drank some coffee and we got in the car.

I was really hoping to race this girl I have heard about from Chicago all week! But she didn't show up. I was really bummed about it. I got to the swim start with Adrienne a few minutes early to get in a good swim warm up. For a sprint triathlon you really need to warm up longer than the actual distance of the race to be able to go anaerobic from the start. We lined up at the start and it felt competitive actually. For some reason this race brings out some competitive feelings in the elite wave. I could sense it before they even said GO. The swim really wasn't that bad after a few strokes. It was pretty much open water. My wetsuit was taking on WAY too much water. I now know that the velcro that closes it is full of hair and won't stay shut (thanks Adrienne for telling me:) I would have never thought of it). I came out of the water second I think 45 sec or so back from the girl in front. I got her within the first 3-4 min of the bike. Then I got to ride behind the lead vehicle the rest of the race. I wanted to put in a hard effort on the bike with only a 5k to run you can do that. I got off the bike in the lead and started the run. The lead mtn bike guy in front of me started out to lead the course. I screamed at him after about a half mile to find out where second place was. He radioed someone and yelled at him that they were just leaving transition so they were 4 min back or so. AHHH, that was a nice feeling. The work on the bike paid off. On the other hand I LOVE to run with someone and push each other so I was a little bummed for that. I ran solid and got to finish with most of my family there! Noah was jumping up and down cheering. It meant a lot to me to have him there. He sees my train all the time on the trainer so now he understands the reason. 4 is a great age. Not to mention my client Kimberly Goodell finished second, YAHOOO all that hard work paid off. And Elizabeth and Adrienne were right on her feet. It was so much fun to have all those girls there. Congrats to everyone that finished the race.

10 days now to Philadelphia Triathlon. I can't wait to race there. Bill and I are going alone since he has a 2 week break from school. It will be a nice weekend away and nice to have Bill experiencing it the race with me! Thanks DAD!

U.S. Women's Triathlon :: Suburban Chicago News :: Photo Gallery

2009-06-15T03:25:00.001-07:00

U.S. Women's Triathlon :: Suburban Chicago News :: Photo Gallery

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Race Report: Pigman

2009-06-08T07:25:00.000-07:00

I have been humbled many times. This race was a new experience for me. I have had some amazing break throughs in the last few weeks with my running and biking. I have run mile repeats on the treadmill at 5:40 pace (for me that is great) and been on the track a few too many times. I truly can say that I gave everything I had in my body yesterday and there was nothing left. The problem was, was that there wasn't much there to start with. After talking to my coach I realized that when you achieve great breakthroughs it takes alot of time to recover from the new thresholds that you pushed yourself through.
From the start of the swim at Pigman I was completely out of breath. I actually felt like I was hyperventilating. I couldn't even catch my breath a little. It was totally ridiculous. I wasn't going anywhere and was breathing as if I was swimming like an Olympian! Running into transition I thought I was going to throw up I was still breathing so hard. It never ended the entire race. My quads even throbbed on the bike like I had done an IM the day before. I was breathing so hard on the run my mouth couldn't have been any more open to catch oxygen. I could have swallowed a bird that flew by. It was just crazy. I knew how fast I had been training and I was racing at a pace that I do on moderate days. I finished the race fairly disappointed in my place and time. But NOT disappointed in how I pushed myself. I never gave up even though I knew I had dug a huge whole these past few weeks and now was paying for it. Barb didn't taper me for this race at all and I thought it wasn't a big deal. Now I know how I respond to no taper. Not so well:) Lessened learned. After crossing the finish line the girl that won Cathy (very nice Minnesota girl) said to me ,"you have bigger fish to fry." She was right and it made me feel better in a strange way. Every race can't be great. You learn from your training and hopefully all the pieces fall together on your A race days. That was a C race for me. And I need to realize when I race a C race that I am not rested and the result might not be what I want but the big fish races will be what I have trained for!
This coming weekend is the Naperville Womens Triathlon (www.uswts.com). I LOVE this race. It was the first triathlon I ever did and is in my hometown. I am resting for this sucker! Plus tons of clients and friends are there to all have a good time! Can't wait to see everyone!

Inspirational

2009-06-03T11:02:00.000-07:00

I know this is silly but sometimes that is needed at 5am. The lifeguard had a fancy underwater camera. I want one! He offered it to Adam and I to see if we wanted it to analyze strokes. Nope I just wanted to screw around underwater with it. We do enough analyzing!

It has been a busy few weeks. Bill's little grandma passed away last week after a long bout with heart failure. She was a generous and giving human being. Bill's uncle said something that totally fit her at the funeral, "good things come in small packages." That was her, I think when she was 9 months pregnant with any of her kids she didn't even hit 100 lbs! I never really had a grandma like her. I feel like I have learned how to emulate how to be a great grandma one day from her! She was fun and adventurous. And always supportive of her grandkids ambitions. She will be greatly missed but her life was definitely lived to the fullest so it is a celebration as well.

Molly had ear tubes put in Monday morning. After 7 ear infections, tons of high fevers, and too many doses of antibiotics we finally did it. It is really amazing to me how quickly and smoothly the whole surgery went. We arrived at the surgery center at 5:45am and were home by 8:30am! She was back to her normal toddler self by dinner time! If that was an adult we would still be lying in bed. Kids don't know how to milk it. They just want to play! We are so happy it went well and are hoping this ends the crazy string of sickness.

While we were sitting in the room waiting for Molly to come back to the room to recover we talked about parents that have to deal with sick kids everyday. The Lacewell family in Naperville is dealing with a rare form of brain cancer in their son Max who is turning 6 soon. I can't imagine what that is like as a parent. Since he was diagnosed back in the fall I have been reading his parents journal online and keeping up with what their family is doing. I didn't know them until this happened. They go to my YMCA and live not far. But since this has happened it has truly touched me. I have come to appreciate everyday with my kids even more. I don't want to rush their lives from day to day. I appreciate the little things more like their giggles and hugs. And their birthdays are a HUGE deal now more than ever. I don't talk to this family often but I want them to know that they have impacted my life forever. Their faith in God and how they lean on each other is inspirational. If you want take a moment please pray for Max's health, I will.

I know this is going to right field now, but I am racing Pigman Sprint triathlon this weekend! I am SUPER excited. I love sprint races. And it is an equalizer. So the men start a few min back from the women. Who ever crosses the finish line first wins! I can't wait! It sounds so fun:) Training has been going awesome and there is NO let down for a smaller race so we'll see how the legs respond. Hopefully Barb will give me next week easy because I made a crazy decision. I am doing 2 races in one weekend. Elkhart Lake Triathlon on Saturday the 13 and Naperville Womens race on Sunday! Nuts, I know. Sunday will hurt but where would be the fun if it didn't?

Lots of luck to everyone racing this weekend!

Memphis Report

2009-05-19T17:36:00.001-07:00

This is what my wonderful husband now does for training while I am off running! Talk about strength training.

I think I discovered a new sport in Galena a few weeks ago. I even used Noah's Lightening McQueen fishing rod. I didn't tell him but as soon as a fish would come near I yanked it out. There was NO way I was touching a fish. We told him they fish were taking a tap!

Getting ready to go...

Trying to get balanced to go uphill with no shoes on.

Chatting with Deb and here sister after the race! They both had a great race too!

I know it has been SOOO long since my last post but I find it really hard to sit at the computer in my spare time (ha ha ha!) I would rather be a vegetable in front of the TV or asleep. Plus since I raced in New Orleans my life has been pretty low key and I have had consistent training. I chose Memphis in May over the winter because it was "driving" distance and a non drafting race. Well after way too many hours alone with my Dad in a car I now think that it should be a plane trip instead. Needless to say we made it down to Memphis Friday right before dinner. My Dad booked the hotel closed to the race site. He always used priceline which is great except you really don't know what you are getting. Well we got a house full of Marine teenagers on their weekend off. There is a base in town so I assume when the kids (I say kids because for the first time I felt OLD waiting in the check in line next to the young men in uniform. They seemed so young and pre pubescent) get a weekend off they go to a cheap hotel to live it up! Luckily they seemed to be pretty quiet and didn't keep me up. Plus after traveling to races for years now I have learned to travel with drugs and ear plugs. There could have been a tornado and I would have slept beautifully.

It seems as if all pros sign up for a race the year I do it. The last few years of results for this race don't seem nearly as competitive? Maybe it was me. But Michellie Jones? Who would have thunk she would come to Memphis TN! Lucky me:) Actually I was really excited and feeling great! I knew a few people doing the race as well as some friends doing the amateur race. I no longer get nervous because of who I am racing. Now I just get nervous for all the good reasons: Will I mentally stay strong the entire race, or Will my body hold up the entire race the way I want it to? Those are good reasons to get nervous. YOU can control those. You cannot control your competition. Only get nervous in life for the things you can control. It took me years to figure that one out.

I had a solid race. It was a time trial start so a person left every 10 seconds. They mixed men and women pros. Not a fan. I would much rather race head to head. I am a racer! I thrive on that element of the race. It brings you to a different level. The swim was super choppy but not awful. I used a fancy speedsuit that I bought Saturday b/c I am the only professional triathlete without one. WAYYYY worth it for anyone out there thinking of buying one. It was FAST!!! I bought a Blue Seventy and love it. (NO I am not sponsored by them). A cold front blew in on Saturday evening and with it came wind. I would take wind and cold over heat and humidity ANY day. Give me a 50 or 60 deg triathlon and I am a happy camper. The bike was extremely windy. Pretty much like riding here in Chicago all year long. It wasn't a spectacular bike for me. I never felt in the groove. It was struggle the entire ride. I think I need to borrow someones fancy aero helmet and disc wheel. It seems like most pros use those now too! I am learning. My goal was to start the run very comfortable. Run a mile to get my legs back then reassess. I did exactly that. I actually negative split the run and felt strong the entire time for taking out the first half slower. It has taken me many bonked races to learn this one. Turns out I finished 5th! Pro awards were 5 deep so that was a big milestone for me. It was my first pro award and paycheck! The only frustrating part of 4th place was 14 sec ahead of me and if it was head to head I know I would have outkicked her! UGH. Next year.

Thanks Dad for the trip and BBQ. Thanks Avia for the awesome new red and pink racing flats! Thank you PowerBar, Mideast Team Elite, my super coach Barb, Bill, Gao Fei, and my family for helping with the kids.

Wet and muddy

2009-04-19T17:38:00.001-07:00

After a few weeks of frustration I think I am finally getting somewhere. I have two appointments this week with a GI doctor and a Sports Med doctor who is also an internist to figure out my tummy troubles. After speaking to a few on the phone last week it seems like they all have the same idea, Celiac disease or gluten intolerance! What the heck is that I said. I had to google it. Hmmm, it all seems to make sense though. Hopefully after this week I will know what is "bugging" my tummy and I can get back to a symptom free training and racing world. If this is the case, I am pigging out this week on all things wheat. I LOVE carbs. It will be a morning period for me to have to give up all of those lovely flour foods. But I will do it just to run and not get sick every time! It is getting worse everyday. ICK ICK.

Today I did the NCO Spring Ahead 10k trail run. It was so fun. It was a rainy and cloudy day. It was PERFECT for a run. I think it was 60 ish deg or at least it felt that warm. To me that is tank top and shorts weather. (it was probably 50 but to us Chicago athletes it is time to break out the sunscreen and get a tan.) My brother ran with me the entire run. Or a few steps ahead. His out of shape is my in shape, thank goodness! After the gun went off, I asked him what he was going to do. He said it was more of a paced run for him with his garmin so I could probably hang with him. As we ran he kept telling me the pace. NOTE to self, NEVER wear a garmin in a race it is completely annoying. We seem to run 5:45 pace pretty consistently. Which was really shocking to me. Since my goals this year are all longer events I have not once stepped on the track or done alot of fast running. The middle 3-4 miles of this race was on a trail that was limestone, rocks and wet mud. It was great! There were times he would get a few steps ahead but I always seem to pull him back in or he slowed down, not sure which. I really worked it. It wasn't one of those I felt like I was coasting runs. I felt like I was going to hurl the entire time. But I didn't care i wanted to hold that pace and run with Brian. I miss the speed stuff! I felt a little bonkish most of the run. I get sick so much now that I am trying to not each much gluten before I train which leads to no energy. I will have to figure that one out soon. But we finished strong! His garmin read 6.44 miles. Almost 1/4 mile long! It felt like it and most the runners we talked to had the same numbers. Our time was 38:56 so I think it would have been around 37:40 which seems to make sense with the pace we were running. As we got to the finish line Brian physically pushed me in front of him so I could beat him. Brothers are awesome:) I wish someone took a picture of that! I am completely happy with the day. I needed a positive day like that after what has been going on with my training. Congrats Dad on doing great too, I think wearing the Jimmy Hendrix shirt made you faster.
OH I won the 10k and got to take home money too! Plus tons of friends and clients were there which makes our town of 100,000+ seem so small. Another great weekend.

The Aftermath

2009-04-08T10:45:00.000-07:00

When a race doesn't go as planned you start to think. During the run portion on Sunday when my stomach was screaming at me to stop running (and I did) I had plenty of time to think. That is NEVER a good thing. Normally when a race goes well you are running so hard all you can think about is the finish or race tactics. But this time all I could think about was my kids and how much time I spend training for this exact race that I am now failing at miserably. All of the weekends and early mornings that I leave home are all a waste. I know this is wrong but when you are in that mental state all you think about are the negatives. I missed my kids more than anything. I wanted to see them right then. A few things that I did take away from a miserable experience were that I don't want to race an Ironman this year. It takes too many hours away from my main job, Mom. My heart is totally with my kids now. Before I had Molly I could race with my heart 100% into every training effort and race experience. Since she came, something inside me switched. Now I have 2 human beings that I am responsible for. I want to invest quality time with them so that they become the best people they can be. I do know that to be that kind of Mom I have to train and race. It somehow balances me out. It is my drug. It makes me excited to live and breath everyday! To train and race as a pro it seems like most of the women I have met are at 20 hours on the low end to 30+ hours on average. I am nowhere near that. And I don't think I will ever be. I like my life nicely balanced with 15-18 hrs a week. I never feel overwhelmed or pulled in too many directions at that level. So I am going to stick to olympic distance races and one or two halfs this year. I think every year you need to reassess and see what life hands you. Things might change. But if they don't I am thrilled with where I am going. I know my abilities as an athlete and what I can do. It's just a matter of getting it all right race day again (with my family in tow this time).

GI and then some

2009-04-06T06:53:00.000-07:00

Quick post to sum up yesterday. Not good. I have had problems now for a few months with GI issues. NEVER before in my life racing has this ever been a problem. Very weird. Every long workout or any long run I have had problems. I have tried to change everything but nothing has worked. And after any long session or race I am not only sick during the race but then super sick until night time. Essentially until there is nothing left. I had a bad feeling about this for yesterday but hoped changing a few things up for my nutrition plan would do it. Plus I ate super bland the days leading up to the race. Halfway thru the bike it started. I felt sick to my stomach and the bubbly in the tummy. On the run it was about mile 2 that it hit me that it wasn't going to go away. There was a lot of walking and doubled over pain for the rest of the run. On a really bad day I can run a 1:35 half during a race but a 1:50 was silliness. I couldn't go. Every step I took I wanted to cry my stomach hurt so bad. I always thought people with excuses were wusses. That it was an easy way out for a bad day to make excuses. But man did I have a bad one. The race seem to be the easier part of the day. As soon as I finished I was super sick until about 5pm. I mean sweating throwing up and the other end (sorry tmi). But this is happening to me every time I go hard now.
It hit me last night talking to my dad after I came out of the coma of sickness. The only thing that has changed from last year. I am on cholesterol medication. I have had super high cholesterol since high school (270 now). I started taking the meds right after I finished nursing Molly last fall. I called my Doctor and a light bulb goes off. That is it. He explains to me what happens with the blood and water and blah blah blah. I am the small percent with the side effect and probably even a smaller percent that do what I do on the drug. Whatever! At least I know now what I need to do.

Dear Molly,

2009-03-25T11:00:00.000-07:00

One year ago today you came into our lives. I now can't imagine what life would be like without you. Since you have come into our family we have all become better at what we do. Noah has turned into the best big brother. He sings you songs when you cry in the car to calm you down and gets you your pacifier when it falls. Your Dad has evolved in so many ways. He is more sensitive now and much more willing to jump in to hold you then ever before. (he was a little more nervous with your brother). He adores you and is always kissing you. Because of you he is a better Dad to Noah. My Mom would always tell me there is nothing like having a daughter. I think I now understand what she is talking about. I can't wait to watch you grow up and become a strong women. And go shopping with you and hang out. You are already a strong independent little baby always pushing yourself away from us trying to do it on your own. You are so determined at one I can't even imagine what you will accomplish!
Happy Birthday Molly!
Love, Mom

In other news....
Only 10 days left until New Orleans 70.3. Yikes is all I can say. I hope the moon and the stars align that day for a great race. I am so excited and nervous to finally race! I haven't even been outside yet on a bike to ride! Gotta love Chicago. Every day that seems a little nice I can never get out due to babysitting issues. Go figure. I don't care I am ready for that race. I have put in some LONG trainer rides and pushed hard on freezing cold days running for this.

What does it all mean?

2009-03-22T17:22:00.000-07:00

My husband asked me today, "What are you contributing to the family with all of this training?" Good question ehh? I think it is one that a lot of families with triathletes ask each other. It hasn't been all peaches and cream since we had kids. It has been HARD. It is a struggle everyday to train, be a Mom, clean, work, and be the best wife I can be. Up until last year I have been an amateur triathlete. Really there is no difference from amateur to professional other than a card and the tiny possibility of making money at it. So what is the purpose? I struggle every day with that. I spend half of my weekends away training trying to become a faster triathlete. The key there is away. When my husband, Bill, goes away to work he brings home a paycheck. I bring home sweaty clothes and an insane hunger for anything edible. OH, and no money. Or not much at least. Truth be told, I would still train like this even if I hadn't turned pro. I know more than my share of triathletes that are not pro that train WAY more than me. And for what...
My answer to him. (I have not told him this yet it has been stewing in my head). I contribute a mom and wife that is happier, healthier, and excited about life! Training for triathlon gives me fulfillment in areas that I need. Sure my kids give me tons of fulfillment but I need something for ME! Training is my time to reflect and enjoy life. I'm not sure if this is fair or how it is perceived but that is the truth. I want to know if this is a question that anyone's spouse has ever asked them? And if so, what is your answer?

St. Patricks Day and a CRAZY hilly half marathon

2009-03-16T10:49:00.000-07:00

What a weekend! Saturday started out with a bang. I woke up super early (like everyday) to get in a 3 hr trainer ride so that we could all go to the St. Patrick's day parade together! I LOVE parades and I think my kids have caught the bug too. Who would want to miss men walking around in skirts, people throwing candy at you, and getting tons of green beads. All for free I might add! Perfect entertainment for the family. It was Molly's second parade, last year she got to see the labor day parade. Not sure if she was actually awake for in a baby coma though. I walked about 2 miles that day carrying Noah on my shoulders, all 40 lbs of him. Ugh. Saturday afternoon we took the double jogger out for a 30 min run for the first time of the season, yahoo!
We mad it an early night with Pizza and then all in bed by 8:30 b/c both Bill and I were running the March Madness Half marathon in Cary.
This IS the hilliest half marathon or running race of any kind in IL I think. We have bumps in the road but no hills. This town seems to have them all. As I warmed up for the race I knew my legs were dead from yesterday. I silently cursed my coach but I knew the big picture wasn't this race. At the start lined it was full of all of the skinny runner types in the short shorts and tank tops. I will give you it was nice but PLEASE it was still in the 40s! Put some freakin clothes on. My short course competitive side came out in the first mile as I looked at my watch and saw 6:18, oops. I was trying to run 6:45 pace. The pace I want to race in New Orleans. The first 5 miles I was probably in the 6:30s then started to taper off with the big climbs. Ended up finishing 1:28 and 6th overall. I was happy with that given what was before this and it was just a small piece of the big picture. Every time I do this race I think that I will never do it again b/c it is so painfully hilly. But I seem to keep signing up!
Congrats to everyone who ran as well! There were tons of triathletes there racing soon. Good job Doug, Todd, katie, Caroline, and tons of other people. By way we have a triathlete that does Kona every year here in Naperville, Bob Scott. HE is in his upper 70s and finished the hilly half in 2:05. HOLY cow that is incredible! I want to be like him one day:)

Skunks

2009-03-05T19:02:00.000-08:00

I haven't blogged in a long time b/c really there is nothing to blog about. It seems like the winter is never going to end. Day after day the same thing happens, feed kids, swim, treadmill, feed kids, computrainer, change diaper, feed kids, bathtime, pass out. Not always that order AND not always everything! But it really isn't that interesting. I can feel change coming. The weather is actually starting to break. Today I didn't even have to wear a hat or ear warmers! What a great surprise! 2 weeks ago on my normal morning loop with Janeth I was doing a tempo section and lost her. I turned back to find her but instead literally ran into a skunk! 5:45am and a skunk comes walking out into the street about 10 feet in front of me as I am running towards it. I stopped in my tracks and stood there. It has to be some sort of omen to run into a skunk. This NEVER happens. I always smell them but never see the stinky guys. He just stared at me then eventually waddled away. I was a little spooked but more interested at what this might mean. Flash forward to today. I was out doing a LONG fartlek run with Janeth. While we warmed up I was telling her about the run in with the skunk a few weeks back. Low and behold we turned the corner and I ran right into one, AGAIN! He even sprayed his stink. He was too far from us but you could still smell it, yuck. But this seriously has to be some sort of omen or sign. I am taking it to mean that spring is finally coming and the skunks are hungry. Either that or something big is coming! I feel it. Training sometimes hits cruise control and you have no big major break throughs just lots of the grind of work. Well it is time my friends. I have put tons of time in on the computrainer this winter. I am ready to get outside and see how this has paid off. Watch out you stinky skunks, I might run over you:)

Paying the Piper

2009-02-04T04:03:00.000-08:00

This is my entertainment. But really they were fighting over a kid sized sofa chair. Who knew it was possible for a 10 month old and a 3 year old to fight? The baby won!

Molly is posing with newly delivered energy supply. She is fueled by formula and fruit. Mom is fueled by coffee and Powerbars.

I had a GREAT brick on Sunday. Of course it was inside on the treadmill and trainer but I actually hit all of the times asked of me. That almost never happens or if it does I suffer trying to get there. But three hours of biking and running back and forth and it felt effortless. There are those wonderful days that everything just clicks. After those workouts I should really enjoy it longer. Who knows when it will happen again. I got to sleep in and start training at 9am!!!! I mean come on that is super late. Anyone with kids or a job knows that all training occurs at 5am. For me that means waking up at 4:30 even on weekends. So the occasional 9 am workout is a dream. What a concept right? Actually getting 7 hours of sleep and THEN training. Come on, that is for wusses right!

So Monday morning I head to the pool for my normal steam bath swim. (our Y pool is a thousand degrees). It started off feeling great but as my warm up wrapped up the feeling started to creep in. BONK. I did the first 250 of my main set and missed the interval, not by a little by a lot. I sat at the end of the pool for about 1 min thinking. I woke up this early for a warm up? And after doing this sport for a few years I realized that YEP I did. I woke up for this and now I will go get a coffee and read the paper. Working out: done for the day. The brick yesterday sucked all of my energy out for a few days. You take two steps forward only take take one back. Well at least I am still up one. By now Bill knows that when I walk in the door before 6am with a cup of coffee in hand he knows it was a bad day. He just smiled.

I used to get so frustrated with those days. Now I have come to just accept it as part of the package. It will happen, just focus on the next day and what you can accomplish tomorrow.

A little this and a little that

2009-01-14T12:02:00.001-08:00

It is getting to be that time of year when you feel like a caged animal. The kids tickle each other just to get a laugh b/c they are so sick of being inside. I think I am more sick of being stuck inside with them! UGH. I don't know why we live here. Bill LOVES warm weather and I am a triathlete, hmmm. Chicago doesn't seem to make sense anymore. California is calling our names, come stay here. Oh but then there is the whole job thing and babysitters that are free. WE do have great jobs that we love and our families are both here. The positives outway the negatives. BUT the negatives are starting to decrease and I feel a change coming! Maybe a heat lamp over my trainer in the basement will make me feel warm inside. This is what we do when it is cold, snowy and well, just snowy.

We took Molly swimming for the first time last week. I know tons of people bring their kids swimming all the time. I think when you swim laps WAY too much swimming as a fun activity looses it's appeal. So the kids loose out. The last thing I want to do is put my suit back on for "fun". But we did it last week. Here is the proof. She was a trooper, I even dunked under water a few times and she just looked shocked. No tears just shock. She was probably thinking this is the lady that takes care of me and now she is forcing me under water! GREAT.

On the racing and training front. I am suppose to be getting my new bike in a few weeks!!!! I will be riding a Scott. The pictures are sooo pretty. Bree, I think it might be similiar to yours? I can't wait to take pics and post them. I need to get used to that baby with only 3 months to train on it before riding 56 miles in NOLA. Yikes! Plus my new computrainer should be arriving soon. In my world that is like getting a new car! I spend soooo much time on that thing. I bought my current one back in 2000. OH boy, it is 9 years old! I have been doing that a LONG time. Now I can have a friend over to train and race. Oh the fun.

ps. The pool this morning was 1000 degrees. So we opened the doors to let air in so we could breath. It was like a movie with the fog above the water. The air temp was 0 and we were 10 feet from the door. If I get sick in a few days, this will be my fault. BUT it was soo worth it during that 800, thanks Barb!

Sacrifice...

2009-01-09T12:56:00.000-08:00

I was coaching masters swim last night at the high school pool and saw this quote on the wall. I needed to share it! I truely believe this. I don't know who wrote it.

If you ran without sacrifice, congratulations you just jogged.
Running hurts, it always has. It teaches us that good things do not come easy. It teaches us that we are capable of more than we think. It teaches us that hard work will be rewarded and laziness will be punished. Don't expect to learn those life lessons from jogging. Next time you suffer on the roads, suffer proudly.
You just RAN.

I think this not only applies to training but to life.
This is something to remember in the off season when it really counts. And there are no races but only days after days of lonely training. But you must keep running!

Welcoming in the New Year

2009-01-03T07:51:00.000-08:00

These were the fast guys post run!

This morning I would consider the kick off to training 2009. Or at least the effort to start training. We met up at 6am which in my books is sleeping in for a 90 min casual run. Normally on my long runs it is just my brother and I or Janeth shows up. But today was my swim partner Adam, Guy (client and friend), Brian (brother), and Colin (fast college kid). I have not run much since the marathon a month ago. I would consider this my hardest effort since then. Adam wore his Garmin this morning. Typical of us triathletes. We constantly need numbers and feedback to feel validated for the hardwork we are putting out. Some would say we are OCD but I would say we are just type A. Brian is the COMPLETE opposite. He even forgot to bring a watch to the marathon. I think if any triathlete I knew forgot their watch they would have made a scramble the night before to find the nearest sporting goods store and bought a new one. A little into the run I asked Adam how fast we were going. I love when you ask that and all you get as an answer is a laugh. I was REALLY working. But it was fun to run 12 miles at almost a 7 min pace. I am saying the word fun now that I am in my comfy sweats and drinking a cup of coffee. I think it so neat that runners can come together and find something to talk about. All of us that ran this morning have nothing in common really except for running. But you still can find something to talk about.
So here is to the next few months of freezing my butt off outside and sweating my butt off in the basement to get ready for New Orleans!

Grateful

2008-12-17T08:45:00.001-08:00

It officially has been one year since our car accident. 1 year ago today our lives changed forever. It wasn't that we were seriously injured, God was watching, it was that we lived and will forever live our lives differently as a result. Here is how it happened...

I won Galena triathlon in May of 2007 and got a free weekend away at a really cute hotel in Galena. A resort like town about 2.5 hrs from where we live. Going away in the summer is impossible so we decided to take Noah to Galena right before Christmas to take a sleigh ride and bond as a family. Part of the package that I won was a free massage at some fancy spa (I never go to places like this). I got a prenatal massage since I was 6 mos preg with Molly. They had nature music playing that made me want to pee every 5 min. I semi enjoyed it laying down in a pillow that had a belly cut out for my huge tummy. It was a little weird. Anyway Bill and Noah dropped me off at 8am for my massage and took a little car ride before heading back to pick me up. There was a big snow storm that previous night so black ice and tons of snow were all over the roads. The spa was in Dupuqe Iowa about 20 min of Galena. After my fancy massage I jumped in the jeep super relaxed to take a quick ride to a toy train outlet store down a country highway. Not far into our ride is when it happened. We never made it to the toy train store. It was a 2 lane highway each way with a grassy ditch in the middle between the east and west. Bill was coming over a bridge when he lost control of the Jeep on black ice. I remember holding my breath and just saying Bill over and over again. Our car slide fast forward then it started to slip to the side picking up speed. Once the wheels caught dry pavement we were sideways so the car started to flip over and over again. We rolled in the the grassy snowy ditch and then kept rolling and sliding into oncoming traffic until we eventually came to a stop on the shoulder of the opposite side of traffic, upside down. Bill was calm in a scary way. He immediately got his seat belt off since we were hanging upside down. We didn't know that we were in the way of semis. I think he knew. So he got Noah out of his car seat and by then passerby's were at our windows taking Noah from the window. The top of the car had crunched down since it rolled a few times and I could barely get out of the tiny window with my belly. We walked a few feet away from the car and stood there staring at it. We didn't cry or scream. We were just quit. We were all alive but I thought for sure I had lost the baby. All we could do was wait to get to a hospital. The ambulance didn't have the equipment to hear a Heart beat inside of a belly. Obviously she is here and okay so it went well. A few bruises from the car rolling on my shoulder but that is it! I am not religious but I DO believe God was watching or angels were there. People that saw our car roll told us how lucky we were to pass into oncoming traffic without getting hit. We happened to cross over when there was a break in traffic.

Days like today when there is snow and ice on the roads I have to take a deep breath and relax. I will forever be nervous driving now. I DON'T care how mad others are around me that I go slow.

That night that the accident happened Bill and I laid in bed and just kept hugging each other and Noah. We were all there and healthy and THAT was the best gift that anyone could ever ask for. I am grateful for my family.

BarbQue... OH and a run

2008-12-07T07:10:00.000-08:00

Thanks Mira for the photo! You can tell I don't fit in:)

Brian and my Dad post marathon BBQ meal.

The best ribs in Memphis post race. Take note my Dad's ribs are on the left. He really cleans them off. I am on the right. I guess I am not good at eating ribs.

This is at the halfway point or so. I wasn't that miserable yet:)

Next time I decide to do a marathon someone slap me. OR better yet someone slap me if I decide to do a HILLY marathon with 13mph winds and freezing weather. I would NEVER call a marathon fun. I am a 10k runner at heart and always will be I think. We left Friday morning for the 8 hr drive to Memphis, TN. It was me, my Dad, and my brother. We have never gone anywhere alone. I was really nervous about the quiet moments in the car. I cannot stop talking if there is silence it makes me nervous. My brother, Brian, can totally just space out and focus on a spot of dust for h0urs on end. Which is why he is a good endurance runner. Not only was it a long car ride but my the two of them have to eat meals. NO snacking on clif bars and fruit and calling that lunch like I do. They have to eat a meal at a restaurant that you order from a menu and get served! What a waste of time. It was a little funny. WE talked about everything. Car trips are a great way for families to talk and really communicate. We spend so much time plugged into life literally with cell phones, computers, television that we don't accually communicate anymore.

We got to Memphis in time for dinner. I think they were relieved that a meal was coming. I was just glad to walk around. Brian and I got our race packets. This whole running only thing is so foreign to me. NO packing a transition bag, traveling with a bike, wetsuit, and every other odd and end that you might need. IT was just a small bag of running shoes and some clothes. That's it. So simple. I get why people do this, for the pure simplicity of running. I didn't even have to spend time at night getting my race stuff ready. Just made sure I remembered my shoes.

The morning of the race we got up and it was FREEZING. Memphis was suppose to be in the 50s this time of year! What happened. It was in the 20s with the wind chill and VERY windy. I felt like I never left Chicago.

I got the in Elite start Corral, shouldn't have. I looked around and I was the slowest looking person. At least I thought so. All of the "runners" are sooo tiny and they wear these itty bitty running outfits even though it was freezing. There were even Kenyans! I did not fit in. Oh well first marathon really so it was all for the experience. Before the gun went off and looked back to see if I could see Brian. There he was just laughing at me, he knew I looked ridiculous too. Just as I didn't want to do I went out WAY too fast. I got caught up in the excitement of the moment and ran the first mile at 6:30. Oops. I tried to slow down for 6 hilly miles but had a hard time doing it. I knew I would pay for it later. I think I averaged 6:45 or so for the first 10k. Not my plan. But really up to the halfway point I felt good holding 6:45-6:55. Even though the wind seemed to get worse and the hills never went away. I held 6:55 or so until mile 19 when my calfs were screaming at me to stop and lay down. I didn't really bonk it was more leg pain. Lack of endurance training I think. I stopped at mile 19 to pee! I would never do that but it was way too cold to pee in my pants and then run wet. So I crouched down in front of someones house, not pretty. I think a few people got a very white butt shot. I felt better. At least I was hydrated. Pretty much from then on I was on survival mode. I was just trying to finish. I actually slowed down for the water stations and drank thinking that would be a magic pill to my legs hurting. Not so much. I ended up finishing the race in 3:05:04. Not too bad for my first real marathon. Next time I will actually pace myself better AND run a flat course. If there is a next time.

All about the experience

2008-12-04T08:21:00.000-08:00

In less than 48 hours I will be "racing" a marathon. I have never raced one before. I have jogged 26.2 miles for fun back in college withe friends or my husband but never at any speed that would elicit a bonk or hitting the wall. After my season ended early in September I decided I needed a goal to keep me motivated and honest thru the early winter. After talking to my brother I decided that a marathon would be a great goal and a new experience for me. I will be racing an Ironman in less than a year as a pro triathlete I thought it would be a good idea to get the sense of 26.2 miles. Not only the racing aspect but training for that kind of mileage. Let me tell you 20 miles is LONG. And BORING. I don't know how distance people do it race after race but I am a short course athlete at heart. I LOVE the intensity and time that is involved in Olympic distance triathlons. BUT I need an new challenge. I need something to make me get out of bed in the morning and put fire in my step. Ironman and marathon did that for me.
My brother signed up for the Memphis Marathon with me. He is pure runner no swimming or biking in his bones. I think wet he might weight more than me. But the best running partner. He never complains, never bonks, makes me laugh all the time, and well he is my brother. You can talk to your family about anything. And 2.5 hrs of running brings out every conversation imaginable. He is everything I am not. He is a night person, not intense, or competitive with others, passive in some ways, very techy, funny, and even more impressive he can totally disconnect on a treadmill. He can run for miles and miles with no TV or music. I on the other hand need movies and music non stop to keep me working out in the basement. This whole marathon experience has been awesome! It has been a reason for me to see him almost every week. Without training I barely get to see him now that we both have kids. Saturday I have a high goal for myself. But if I don't reach my goal I will still come away from this marathon with an amazing experience of spending time with my brother. And that will make it a success!

Disneyland and beyond

2008-11-05T19:14:00.001-08:00

Just a quick note. I am working on my gaming skilz. Thought triathlon could use a break!

Things I need to succeed

2008-10-29T11:22:00.000-07:00

I am never good at posting continuously. But for a few days now I have been thinking of the same one. Things I need to succeed in triathlon and for that matter life. They are big and small, loud and quiet, tuff and soft.

And so the list begins.

I need....

1. My husband, Bill, he helps me stay calm and is a great Dad when I am gone at 5am everyday.

2. My training partners. I seriously could write an entire blog about them. I don't know how anyone survives training alone. It is so much easier to succeed if you have someone to back you up on the days were feel like throwing in the towel. I could not run without Janeth. She is my running rock. And without my brother, Brian I would probably not know what it is like to laugh and pee in my pants while running at the same time. They both make it easier to get up at 4:30 and run. And Adam my swim partner. What a stud! No matter how much I really suck in the water he always does my intervals and waits for me. And every now and then I actually try to keep up with him. (ps good luck at IM FL!!!)

3. My parents and my inlaws for babysitting when I SOOOO need breaks.

4. My computrainer (I love you) and my treadmill. I think with kids and living in Chicago those are both complete necessities. I don't care if you have to trade your car in they are BOTH worth it.

5. My awesome sponsors that I had this year and next. I can't believe how lucky I am to get all of this great stuff! Yesterday I got a HUGE box from Avia with tons of GREAT running shoes and a whole new winter running wardrobe! It was like Christmas (well really Hanukkah for me).

6. My sleep. I don't think I ever really knew how important it was until I had TWO kids. I have noticed in the last 6 months or so that I can't roll out of bed at 4:30 and go for a tempo run. I need to drag my butt out and drink TONS of caffeine and even then it takes a good 30 min of running before I feel okay. I don't recover like I used to. And I can't fake no sleep. I need it no two ways about it.

7. Baked Goods. And lots of them. I don't know how anyone can give up anything completely. I am a big fan of moderation. Any thing in moderation is okay. I LOVE LOVE to bake.

8. My awesome coach. Barb keeps my workouts fun and intense. I don't think I have ever been bored during a workout. There is always something to think about. Even on easy days there are drills to be done and sprints. I love that. And I love that she always thinks of my family.

9. Did I mention Bill. I need to one more time. He had his birthday on Monday. I can't believe he is IN his 30s now. We are getting older! I guess it was bound to happen. But seriously as he gets older he becomes more supportive of my goals no matter how they may affect him. Every year he has definitely fine tuned being a better husband and father. I can't wait for more years to come. LOVE YOU:)

10. Last but definitely not least my kids. I didn't really understand how to train or push myself until they came into my life. I think kids have way of making us see what is really important in life and how to know that there is always someone there for you. Molly, Noah, and Bill are the best team I could ask for.

A new adventure

2008-10-20T11:47:00.000-07:00

(Molly 6 month pics, I can't help myself I LOVE the bows and headbands)

After my last race of the year ended so early it left me feeling goalless (if that is even a word?). I won't have a triathlon for 6 months! I thought hard about a new goal to have this winter. I needed something different and still challenging. I feel like after 6 months postpartum I am finally in shape. UGH. And now I have to wait until April to race again. Then it hit me... a marathon! I have never really raced one before. I haven't even run further than 14 miles since I was in college, a LONG time ago. I knew it would be a challenge to talk my coach into letting me race one this winter. I had to think of how it would benefit my triathlon season next year and not injure or take away anything I might do next season. Shockingly Barb was okay with it. It will be a sort of challenge to see how my body handles that kind of run mileage and also to see what my marathon race pace really is. My goal is to run 7 min pace. I have never run hard for any distance further than a half marathon so I wanted to set a hard but obtainable goal. Doing my first Ironman next year as a pro is a huge deal for me. Mostly b/c I have never trained for one before. So running this marathon when my biking and swimming hours are lower is a good test of stress on me before the big stuff comes! Living in a colder climate leaves us without many running races after October. So I found one that was still somewhat drivable and talked my brother into running it with me. So Brian and I will be off to Memphis Tennessee Dec. 5 to do the St. Jude Marathon (http://www.stjudemarathon.org/). I think he is looking forward to the BBQ food more than anything. Brian is actually a really fast runner. His goal is to break 2:50. And it is a somewhat hilly course. Oh and did I mention you get to run thru Graceland. It is Elvis crazy down there!

30 years later...

2008-10-09T12:17:00.000-07:00

I woke up today 30 years old. Or one day older from yesterday. Really not a big deal to me. But I have to admit that when it comes out of the mouth, thirty years old, it makes you feel like an adult. When I was in my twenties, so long ago, I felt like I was still being judged as a teenager. I know I look young but I felt like a kid living in a body of a 29 yr old Mom. At 30 I feel like I matter now. I don't know what it is but 30 feels like I have entered adulthood finally. I can no longer be looked at as a child. My twenties are now behind me. In your twenties you finish up schooling (at least some of it), maybe get married, maybe have a kid (or two or three), establish your career, and basically start your life. I feel like my thirties will be about growing as an individual and enjoying my family more. In my thirties I will have more self confidence and self awareness. In my thirties I will hopefully learn how to not over extend myself too often. In my thirties my kids will eventually all be in school! And finally in my thirties I will have to turn 40! I really look forward to that one:)

The reason for no sleep...

2008-10-07T08:40:00.001-07:00

Do you see this cute baby girl? Does anyone want to come over and stay awake with her at 9pm when she decides to wake up? So my husband and I can get some sleep! Molly has been sick now for 4 LONG days. She is congested and miserable. It makes for a VERY hard day and night. I think we under estimate how important 8 hrs of sleep (continuous) really is. I have come to the point where I don't even close my eyes when go to bed b/c Murphy's law says she will wake up the moment you close your eyes to deep sleep. So the call is out to anyone willing to come to my house and rock a baby from 9pm to 5am. You are hired!
By the way how cool is it that Splish sent me a TON of fun training suits for the long winter ahead! I can be stylish at 5am! Molly was just drooling (literally) over how cute my suits are. Thanks Dawn for sending me so many fun suits:)

In 6 months...

2008-09-29T12:13:00.000-07:00

Me finishing the 5k on Sunday, this is the look of fun.
Bill pushing the kiddies at the prairie behind our house. We live 1 min from this running path. It is great!

Noah pretending to win. He likes to win everything. I don't know where he gets that from?

I get to wake up to this everyday!

Molly was born 6 months ago. Reflecting on this I realized a few things that we have done as a family or as an individual...

1. We are now officially a family of four and need a table for 4 at a restaurant.

2. Bill has started school and is studying ALL the time for his MBA

3. I have turned pro in triathlon.

4. I have raced my first triathlon as a pro triathlete.

5. Bill put on a fancy new front door to our house and has accomplished a lot of other house stuff

6. I have nursed a baby while simultaneously training to be a pro triathlete, ugh!

7. Noah is now a preschooler (with an attitude)

8. I am driving a minivan (and I have to admit it is awesome!

9. OH and started this all off with having a beautiful baby girl.

I couldn't be happier right now. She is such an awesome addition to my life and to Bill and Noah's life.

I have taken the last few weeks off of really strict and organized training. It has been great. I was going to start back up today base training but after emailing with Barb I think she realized that I still need a little more time to rest. I need to have that burning desire to start back up. I am enjoying this a little too much:) Having energy right now is a whole new concept. I am not training much, I have 2 kids that sleep thru the night, and all the good TV shows are back on! Life is good. Bill and I have been running together more with the double jogger and enjoying it! I know this party will soon end but for now I am livin it up! One of my favorite things to do in the fall are the running races around here. Living in a cold climate like Chicago triathlon season ends basically at Chicago triathlon in August. Then come the running races. I did one this past weekend called the Plainfield Harvestfest 5k. Almost 900 people showed up. I did not expect that. I warmed up like I was doing a triathlon. I really don't understand to this day the running kind. These girls are TINY! They come in the warmups and jog right before the start strip down to their tiny running uniforms and go. I am always intimidated by them. I think I am double their size and dress like a triathlete or a mom who doesn't do enough laundry so nothing ever matches. I got to the start line a little early but wanted to make sure I could get to the front. There were a few "runner girls" right next to me. They don't talk as much as triathletes do at swim starts. Off the gun goes. I knew I had to run hard. There was girl that took off with me! About a half mile in she was right in front of me. We got to the mile mark at 5:45. Ouch. That hurt. I knew this whole race would hurt. I don't know about anybody else but running off the bike in a tri doesn't seem to hurt as much. I started to loose ground to this chick! Her breathing sounded alot better than mine. She started to pull away but I knew to keep her in my sights. You never know when someone gets tired or something else happens. By the 2 mile mark she was 25 yds or so ahead but was starting to fade! I slowly reeled her back and and won! It was fun but painful. I ran a 18:33 I think. For as painful as that was I can do that time in a triathlon swimming and biking before? Weird. I still don't get it. But that is why I do triathlon and not running races. Still more time to have fun before base training begins. Maybe a few more of these things:)

Race Report-Nautica Malibu Triathlon

2008-09-16T08:40:00.000-07:00

Post race at the pier in Santa Monica, really awesome!

Coming out of the swim, it was wavy!

Starting the swim along with the male pros and young men age group.

Coming to the finish! This is my grandma cheering and uncle who both live nearby.

This was one of the most beautiful races I have ever done. Of course racing in the midwest there really isn't much to compare to. On Friday we went to the course to check it out. I knew when I signed up for this race that it would be an ocean swim but it never occurred to me that there would be waves. OHHHH my there was waves. The first time I got in the water Friday to practice I was slammed down. Almost 9 years of triathlon and I have NEVER had to swim into waves in the ocean. Most races are in harbors or protected in the ocean by piers of some sort. This race you swam out 400 yds or so then parallel to the beach and then back in. It was sooo much fun. Race morning I went to rack my bike and I was next to Matt Reed! Seriously I felt stupid. But it was awesome. He used my water to clean his goggles. I am a dork but it was really cool. I was definitely the nobody. They were all fast pros there. I don't think I knew anyone as new as me. I met a few girls on the walk to the start they seemed really nice and made me feel a little more calm knowing someone. The swim went off just fine. I was a little nervous on how to handle the waves as we ran into the water but it turned out fine. My biggest mistake of the swim was starting in the back of the pack. I wasn't confident of the swim so I started further back with some of the age group men. I got stuck with a bunch of slower swimmers and couldn't get out for the first 1/4 of the swim or so. I need to be more confident, lesson learned. Onto the bike I knew I could probably catch one or two of the girls so I worked hard. I didn't realize PCH was so hilly. But for me riding in Plainfield IL doesn't compare. Or my computrainer. It was nice that it was so rolly it went by really quick. I passed a few girls that looked like strong runners so I did the best I could. I was a little nervous heading into transition that my legs would be pooped. But much to my surprise I felt AWESOME. I took the first 2 miles or so super easy since Chicago went so bad. I really wanted to come away from this race having a positive experience, I didn't even care about placing more than feeling good. By the time I hit mile 3 I picked it up a ton. It was one of those races that everything in the run was smooth. I wished I felt this good at Chicago! As I came into the last mile along the sidewalk of the beach a helicopter landed along with some firetrucks. They suddenly rerouted us around all of it onto the sand. UGH, I think it was 50-100 meters of sand running, SO slow. I think my run split was about 1 min off or so b/c of it. I don't think it would have changed my place but it would have been nice to have a faster split! All in all it was a great experience. I know I will get faster for next season since I will actually have a base and an OLDER baby!

My Mom and I had soooo much fun too. It really makes a difference to get away and get some rest! Now for some off season rest and then onto base training.

Leaving

2008-09-11T12:21:00.001-07:00

I was trying to stuff them in my bike box so I wouldn't miss them so much:) I am looking forward to the break but it truly is a double edge sword. It will hurt to miss them so much. This is my first time being away from Molly overnight. I know her Dad can do it but I still will miss seeing her pop her head over her crib to see me walk in.

Since my experience in Chicago I have spent the last 3 weeks training my butt off so that doesn't happen again. Trying to figure out why you bonk is never an easy task. Someone told me that you can never call a race a bad day if you can walk away from it learning something that you can apply to the next one. Ultimately your day will come that everything clicks. This shortened racing season for me was all about just learning and hoping the clicking will take place next year and the year after that. I wanted to learn a little bit more about being a pro triathlete and how to train that way. Even more importantly how to balance it all with being a wife, mom of 2 kids, and coach. I won't lie. I thought it was going to be hard but not this hard. The last 3 months of training has shown me how much desire I have and how supportive my family is of what I want to accomplish. Bill has really stepped up to the plate and helped me balance this crazy life that we have. So as I leave tonight for Malibu I know that no matter how this race goes I have two cute faces waiting for me and an awesome husband that will always know what I am made of. I can't wait to do my best!

OHHH that's it...

2008-08-28T05:35:00.000-07:00

Finally, I called the doctor yesterday. It was getting ridiculous. It was Wednesday and I was still sick from the race. I was nauseous and my head hurt still since Sunday. This is silly. After talking to Barb on Tues I quickly realized that I had really bad heat exhaustion. I must have gotten sick during the race (I knew that but stuck it out). The smart and experienced athlete would have gotten an IV at the finish and all would have been good on Monday. Well I was so bummed about bonking that I just wanted to get home and see my kids. Monday I felt terrible, sick and just gross. By Tuesday I was starting the think I was pregnant, NOT GOOD. But that is how I felt. On Wednesday, I said this is enough. I was still bonking during my workouts and feeling terrible. I put a call in and an hour later talked to my doctor. I told him my symptoms and the first thing he said, "You know Jenny you can still get pregnancy while nursing." Yes I know Dr. but TRUST me that is NOT happening in this house for a LONG time. Then he went on to tell me about electrolyte depletion, potassium, and sodium can play havoc on your body if you only take in water. I definitely had severe heat exhaustion probably almost heat stroke if it had been a longer run. If I was more sane I would have stopped running when I started going blurry but kept going. Because as triathletes we are such smart people. He told me until I start drinking electrolytes and eating tons of salt I will continue to feel sick and then will need to go to the hospital (again something most normal people would have done after the race) to get IVs. So last night I downed a ton of gatorade and will continue today. I hope by tomorrow I am back to normal. And trust me this will never happen again.

Learning from your experiences...

2008-08-25T06:50:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I raced my first Pro race. It was a really great experience. On Saturday I got to register for the race at the Pro suite. Pro's get to register away from the lines and crowds in a separate part of the hotel with snacks and chairs to sit down in to relax while you fill out your paperwork. It was unreal. They were doing camera interviews for the TV show. I didn't want to do it b/c I am really nobody compared to some of the big people there. But the camera guy made me. And what was even more weird was that he knew my stats! I brought Molly to the pro suite while Bill checked into the hotel. So while they interviewed me on camera one of the crew guys held Molly outside of the room. When I came out Greg Bennett was holding Molly's hand and talking to her! I don't think I will wash her now for a while. I am hoping some of the speed and desire he has rubs off on me!!! All I can say is that I was completely star struck. Later at the pro meeting I sat in the back with a really nice girl I had met that Barb coaches as well. Looking around the crowded rooms it was full of talented athletes. I felt like a tiny ant sitting there. All I could think of was I bet none of these women have kids! I don't know why that was the first thing that crossed my mind. It struck me as they asked questions and headed out to have dinner that all most of those athletes have to worry about are themselves. I think that is advantage that I will have going further into this. I have more on the line that I have sacrificed. BUT on the other hand I did just have a baby 5 mos ago and WHAT THE HECK am I doing here with these people!
I slept awesome Saturday night b/c the pro start was at 11am. I was actually not that nervous more excited about a new experience. And I knew that I had it in me to finish in the top 10. I know a lot of the girls in there that have turned pro in the last few years from nationals and I have beaten them. So I felt good about my goals and what I could do. I just needed to execute them and probably hurt a whole LOT to do it. Remember, they have trained all year. I just started 3 mos ago!
I got to the swim start to warm up and some of my friends were there to cheer. I was really touched that they came to watch. Thanks everyone. You don't realize how special friends are until they show up for your biggest days. I got in the water and felt excited! Once they told us to get in they literally blew the horn a few seconds later. I am glad we didn't tread for long I think I would have gotten more nervous. I actually felt good on the swim. I held on to some feet for about half of it then kept them in sight. My swimming is probably the last thing that I will get back b/c getting to the pool is the hardest thing to do with kids. Half way thru the swim my wetsuit came apart just a little but I felt water rush in, yuck. Oh well I kept going no big deal. Then off to run more than a quarter mile to transition! I was sooo out of breath. I got on my bike and realized after passing a few girls I was biking behind Samantha McGlone! I did the entire ride with her. You can ride with someone as a pro as long as you are staggered, new to me. During the ride I started to feel cold and semi bonkish. about half way thru I decided to slow down a little to make sure I had something left since I was feeling this way. I kept drinking as much as I could I knew it was important to stay on top of this since it was warm and sunny (and I am still freaking nursing!). As I rode into transition behind Samantha (I can't tell you how awesome that was) I knew I was feeling bad. But I grabbed my bottle and gel to head out. Right away I was laboring WAY to hard for the effort I was putting out. By mile 2 I could have dropped out. I was CRAWLING. I haven't bonked that bad for a few years. I couldn't see straight, I was wavering on the course. It was bad. I'm not sure where I went wrong. I think looking back it was a combination of a few things for me: the race is was at 11am (I never workout that late), it was warm and sunny, and nursing takes a ton out of you nutritionally and fluids as well. I can't figure out how to eat right before a race at that time or run in hot temps. If we had gone off at 8am it would have been a different day for me. My run time was probably 5-6 min off of what I can do now. Plus my bike was even a little weak. But I do not quit. So I dragged myself barely running to finish. I believe if you can finish then you should. I sacrifice too much to not finish a race. I want my kids to know that you don't quit no matter how bad it gets.
I know that over this winter I will get stronger and faster. I think that I put too much pressure on myself after having Molly. I am proud of myself for going pro and racing yesterday against such a talented crowd. I learned so much about myself and how to race better. Anytime you have a bad day you have to take away something from it so it isn't a failure but a learning experience. I know if this was last year I would have been top 10 but it is this year and I have a beautiful baby girl to show for it! And next year, who knows I could be top 5 (trust me I will be top 5)!

Thank you to everyone who was there cheering for me! I heard my name yelled out a ton of times on the course. It felt great to know people were pulling for me when I was really needing it.

My training hideaway...

2008-08-15T06:08:00.000-07:00

This is where I spend most of my training time Monday thru Friday. Not pretty or exciting just my basement. But lately some seriously hard work has gotten done. Yesterday was one of those training days that I was actually nervous about before it started. (Secretly I love those days). It began with an easy run in the early morning then a killer bike/run/bike/run workout a few times thru. Except this time it was the fastest I have run at intervals longer than I have held yet this year post baby! As I was warming up I was getting excited and nervous at same time. Just like in a race. My first set on the TM was just comfy tempo pace around 7s or so. I started visualizing on the wall in front of me all of the super fast pros that will be at Chicago next week. Then after the first set I was down to 6:20s at 2% incline for 8 min! I was pushing but I knew I could do it. It was one of those feelings that you are on the edge of wanting to stop but you know you can keep going it will just hurt. (note-I have actually thought about what would happen if I pass out in my basement with no one home!). I think Barb was angry when she wrote this workout. My legs were sore going into this from the hard week I have already had too! But I did it!!!! I hit all of the intervals and finished without fainting! I was really psyched and even more excited about Chicago. Not to mention after I got off the TM I had 30 min of leg strength and REALLY hurt. I kept telling myself that I LOVE this, I really do.

So one more weekend until my first big race in Chicago against some HUGE people that I feel almost silly to be in the same transition with. But my new motto is go big or go home. So I am going big. I need new challenges to keep pushing myself in that basement. One more big weekend of training before a nice taper, yeah!

Race Report-Bangs Lake

2008-08-11T06:54:00.000-07:00

Fun day is how I would recapture yesterday. It was really a great local race. I really enjoyed waking up at 3am to get there for a 6:30am start (really I didn't). But it was so nice to race with Jenny H. and see here again. I am going to just jump right in with how it went.

They bused us to the swim start which really was only a half mile away but I guess that is too far to walk! Funny how some triathletes freak about walking too far but we put ourselves thru miles of running. As we stood there on the beach trying to figure out where the buoys were I should have payed more attention, but I didn't. I looked a few times into the blinding sun as everyone was making a big deal about it and just figured I would follow the wave in front of me. BAD IDEA. It was a run in start which I LOVE. It is more aggresive to me then starting in water. After a few strokes I felt good and noticed that Jenny, her freind Mary (good swimmer) and I were in a pack. Good! Not for long. Next thing I noticed we came upon the slower swimmers from the wave in front of us and I lost Mary. So I started weaving in and out of swimmers trying to see a buoy. No such luck. I just followed the rest of the people who obviously didn't know where they were going either! But finally I saw a buoy! As I approached it I noticed there weren't many swimmers around, oh crap. Wrong one. I had to turn around and go back to the BIG buoy. You would think since now I am a Pro triathlete I would know a course better or have a magic secret for stuff like this. But nope, I couldn't see sh** like the rest of the swimmers. All said and done I think I added a good 4 min onto my swim.

As I get out of the water my Dad is standing there and says to me, "Did you drown?". He is really very supportive. He told me about 5 min back on 1st person. So I knew I had to work hard on the bike. It was a killer bike too. Who knew Wauconda IL had that! It was interesting b/c it was 2 loooped which I love. The only downfall on the bike for me was saddle sores! Yuck. Riding on your trainer alot seems to have some nasty and uncomfortable side effects. So I kept standing and trying to figure out a more comfy position, never happened. It was a solid ride and I new I was getting closer as I approached transition and he told me I was about 2 or so min back on Jen. I came out of transition on fire. I knew I needed to run hard. I saw her right away so I ran within my limits a little more then so I could reel her in slowly and not explode and bonk. One of my personal goals for the day was to have a solid run to build my confidence for Chicago. As we came to the 5k mark I had caught her and really wanted to slow down. But she yelled at me that someone was coming. After a little bit I dug deep and hauled butt to finish without someone passing. Turns out the girl she was talking about did the duathlon, UGH! Still it was good b/c it pushed me and I won!

I really felt like it was a great race mostly b/c I messed up the swim. As an age group athlete I don't usually have to do alot of chasing on the bike and run. It was a good experience at trying to run down people. I know as a pro now I will most likely be in the middle to back of the pack going into the bike. I am really excited for the new challenges that it brings. It is really amazing how every race no matter what happens you can take away something positive!

Oh and this picture! I carry a water bottle on a 10k (I know it isn't a marathon) because of nursing. I am thirsty 24/7. I can run 1 mile and feel like I just ran 20. Oh the joys of motherhood. And my sports bra under my suit! Well, you can figure that out. I normally don't need any extra support.

Feeling it come back!

2008-07-29T11:57:00.000-07:00

This week was a new week for me! I looked at my workouts on Monday and was sooo excited. I had more time to commit to training and boy did Barb (coach) take advantage of it. Today I had to run a tempo run at 5am with my brother who is a ton faster than me, fun! Then mid morning I did a bike with a mini brick at the end. There were a bunch of 6:20 pace running that ended at 5% grade on the TM. I was worried that I would bonk b/c of the run this morning. But I didn't!!!! It actually ended up being a great workout. I felt like I could run that pace forever. I am getting more excited now about training that I see small improvements every week. It is soo much fun to see how far you can push yourself and what the return is for your hard work. So then I jump of the TM and have 20 min of leg strength!!! OHHH I love it. She it totally into strength training. I used to skimp on it but now I am a true believer! It has really helped my power on the bike. I am excited to race a local tri in a week and a half. Jen H will be there. I don't think we have been at the same race in a long time.
SO Bring it on Barb!

Surrounding Yourself

2008-07-24T07:06:00.000-07:00

Because of my situation with the kids being so small I do a lot of training alone or with one person every now and then. That leaves a LOT of time to think. This past week I have been thinking about how lucky I am that I have so many great people surrounding me. I don't know how I could train the way I do without the support of my family and friends. And also my sponsors that send me awesome stuff. I have to pinch myself when I get a big box of running shoes from Avia that I love or more fun suits from Splish. It has been so amazing to me that so many people still wanted to support me even though I was pregnant over the winter! I will forever be loyal to them. I think some of the best athletes are ones that have the best support crews around them.
When I decided to turn pro this past year I knew it would take a village to make it work. Last week I realized that it will take a freakin nation. To train like a pro is going to be a 20+ hr a week commitment that I want to follow through with. Let alone my coaching job, being a mom, and a wife. That is actually in reverse order of importance ironically. But when I have a goal I stick to it until it is done. Last week everything caught up to me. I think the lack of sleep with the baby, trying to train, work and run a house was way too much. I wanted to throw in the towel and forget the whole triathlon thing. But after talking to family I worked it out so that I can train and commit myself to this without taking away from my kids and husband. Thanks to Aunt Gail (Bill's Aunt has a home daycare) the kids will be there a few hrs every morning! So starting next week I am officially going to start training like a pro. If that means sleeping more so that I can have more quality sessions then that is what I will do. I am sooo excited about this new chapter in my life. I know my kids would understand if they were old enough. I will be a better Mom and wife if I can have more balance and accomplish goals that are important to me.
So now it is time to pick those goals! My first big pro race is Chicago Triathlon! I can't wait. I think I will be like a little kid in the transition area setting up by the people I read about. Then I am doing Nautica Malibu triathlon (I have family out there). Not sure after that for this season but I know next season will start early b/c I can't wait to kick butt!!!!

Quick post

2008-07-14T15:41:00.000-07:00

It never seems to let up. You try to get ahead by getting up at 3 or 4am to get in your workouts but then your immunity goes downhill and you get sick! So here I am with the flu for the 2nd time this year. I EVEN had a stinkin flu shot! I was sooo pumped about having a great ride yesterday. But I really think there is a purpose for everything. I think God wanted me to take a few days easy b/c my legs are killing me from training and I feel some injuries coming on. It was a forced time out but one that I will take with stride!

Thought this was a fun article that Windy City Sports did:
http://www.windycitysports.com/training/fast-in-chicago/Page-2.html

Aren't they cute!

2008-07-03T12:33:00.000-07:00

Noah and Molly had their first picture taken last week together! I had to post it. He is 3 and she is 3 months.

Elkhart Lake Triathlon-Yikes!

2008-07-01T10:47:00.000-07:00

I decided a few weeks back to do this race in Wisconsin that I have done several times for fun. I don't think I realized how hard an Olympic distance tri would be with no base training. It was HARD. And did I mention it was unbelievably hilly! Elkhart Lake is part of Kettle Moraine which is a really hilly part of southern Wisconsin and northern IL that was cut out by glaciers years ago. I actually really enjoyed myself. I was totally laid back and relaxed about the whole thing. It is a beautiful course that I really enjoy racing plus the hotel for the race is part of the transition area! You really can't get more convenient. Bill and I did this race when we were dating 9 years ago so it holds a special place in my heart.

As I was setting up my transition stuff I had no idea there were so many girls there registered in the elite wave! I think there were 10. That is a ton for a local race. Overall it was a great race. They changed the course from the last 2 years and made it more challenging in both the bike and run. With no base training I had NO last gear to push. It was as if I could run forever but couldn't get into that fast gear. The one that makes you feel like barfing. I didn't have that. So instead of spent the entire run telling all of the volunteers thank you and cheering on the sprint distance people. I really just enjoyed the atmosphere which I know won't happen as I get back into racing. My Mom came with me so I could bring Molly and feed her. It was awesome having her there, thanks MOM! She was so cute telling me where I was at in the race. I even think Molly enjoyed watching Mommy:)

After the race I decided that I need a month or so of good training before I do that again!

Pic of the next generation

2008-06-25T13:02:00.000-07:00

I needed to post this b/c it is so funny how intense Noah is riding his bike. Check out his bottle cage. He had to have it.

Here is also a new pic of Molly at 3 mos. She is thinking, Mom stop kissing me! It is so hard b/c she smells so good:)

1st Race Report

2008-06-23T18:25:00.001-07:00

So I decided to do the Womens Triathlon that comes to my hometown a few months back thinking that the baby would be about 3 mos old and that would be no problem. OUCH. It was really hard. You can be "in shape" and you can be in "race shape". Which I am only in shape. I truely believe that it will take me a full year to be in race shape again. And I think I am okay with that. I packed my bag the night before the race forgetting half of the things I usually bring. As I was getting in the car Sunday morning at 5:50 (race starts at 7am) running late I remembered that I needed a towel and a few other things. I was a complete space cadet. I went like gang busters and got into transition by 6:15. Not bad only 45 min to set up get a quick warmup in and head to the start. WOW. Normally I give myself tons of time. My DAd was standing behind me in transition pointing to his watch as I was chatting away. I didn't realize I behind I was until I got to the start and they said 2 min left before everyone is out of the water. Yikes, again. As the race starter counted back from 10, lightening struck. I think I am ginxed this year with the weather. Every thing I have been doing the last month or so keeps getting rained out. So we got delayed an hour. OH Crap! I had it perfectly planned to feed Molly (nurse) after the race. I had pumped before I left home. I didn't want to feel like a cow milking at a race so I left that machine at home. Now that the race was one hr later that meant 1 more hr of bigger boobs! Not good. I borrowed someones cell phone to see if my Mom could rush the pump to the race. Didn't happen. As we waited for the second start I was telling Liz and Lauren about my leaky problem. Lauren looked at my wetsuit and read it like it was "Hydrofull". Except she said "superfull". She was right I was superfull.

The race went great! It was a ton of fun to do all of that again. I really REALLY hurt during the swim. My arms went numb I think. I haven't done anything that hard since giving birth 3 mos ago. I am out of shape in the water something fierce! Then onto the bike. I thought the swim hurt but boy did the bike hurt. I really tried pushing it. As I got off the bike people were shouting at me 2 min or 3 min behind. I couldn't care less. I was doing everything in my will power just to go forward let alone catch anyone.

Today in the paper...

2008-06-19T11:16:00.001-07:00

Check out this fun article. I am a little nervous about racing this weekend. Especially against Elizabeth Fedofsky and Lauren Jensen. I have about 2 weeks of good training in, yikes. Oh, well. Should be fun to get the racing demons out:)

http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=209085

My relationships...

2008-06-01T03:33:00.001-07:00

Yesterday was my first group ride in I don't know how long. But a long time. I do like them but they have there positives and negatives. It usually entails a bunch of ego hungry men that need to prove something and then a mishmash of others. I always get a kick out of all of the different personalities and bikes.
As I we began the ride yesterday I soon realized that I totally forgot about my relationship with the wind AND my saddle. They have both been rocky ones. Living in the midwest with absolutely no elevation causes tornado like winds on the farm roads. Yesterday was just like that. It felt like pushing against a wall the entire ride! It probably didn't help that I have been on the bike 3 times since giving birth but still it was a freaking wall! I tried to stay with the big boys but couldn't do it for long. Even when I was grinding and grinding on the road against the tornado like winds I LOVED every moment. We are so lucky to be able to do this and push our bodies to the limits that we do. My relationship with the wind has been a rocky and tumultuous one but one that I always find rewarding in the end.
AHHH, but my relationship with my saddle by no means is EVER good. I swear I think I have tried every saddle on earth and every pair of cycling shorts to find the perfect fit. I don't think I will ever find it. No matter what I wear or what I sit on it will always hurts. I have come to the conclusion that my saddle and I will never have a successful relationship and I will have to be okay with that. (And ladies, if you have any new ideas for me on this please let me know, I am always up to trying new stuff)

Run, bike, poop, bike

2008-05-28T11:19:00.000-07:00

Okay, so this title was a little too in your face. But serisouly this describes my life right now. I am pretty sure Molly has no clue that she needs to sleep at night. We think she has GERD. In english that means she doesn't sleep lying down but held or in a seat. Yuck.
This morning I did a track workout with a client at 5:30am! That means I had to be up and adam before the sun came up and in the car. Of course Molly did not know this nor did she care when she was awake last night at 11pm. So of I went this morning totally in a daze with 4-5 hrs of sleep. There wasn't enough time to make coffee so I grabbed a Dr. Pepper and left. I used his track workout as my recovery run for the day. I ran with him. I don't know if I should have done that and considered it MY workout but I have NO energy for anything else. After 4 or so miles of stop and go running I decided I needed to get on the trainer this morning while Noah was at play school. ( I call it play school b/c it is more fun for them that way). 16 min into my workout Molly starts to fuss (she is starring at me in her bouncy seat probably wondering why I am trying to ride a bike and not going anywhere). I happily get off my bike and smell her. OF COURSE she poops just as I get warmed up. So I change her. 5 min later I am back on the bike ready to go. Molly is happy again and we are all good. 35 min into the bike she starts to cry. I get off AGAIN and smell her. She pooped again! I change her and hop back on the bike. She starts crying right away as if to say, "Mom, get off that bike and hold me!" So that is what I did. I rode for 40 min off and on. I have to admit it was a workout running up and down 2 flights of stairs to get diapers. This is my life:)

One week and counting

2008-05-23T12:59:00.001-07:00

As I ventured out for a morning run today I realized I only have a few of those left that I can do without a coach. For the past 11 mos or so I have been doing what I feel like. Sometimes (especailly lately with less sleep) I actually organize my thoughts before I head out the door to run. I think today I will do a tempo run or intervals. It is SOOOOO hard to do this without a coach. At least for me. Once I start running I realize I don't HAVE to do anything so I usually just end up running moderate to easy day in and day out. I think this is why most triathletes don't improve. You get stuck into a rut of what is comfortable and what you know. You head out the door everyday do the same loop and head home. There is never a challenge or a new workout to try. I MISS my coach. I cannot wait to have new workouts to do and check off each day. I am a task master. If there is a list of tasks for me then I am good to go. Bike, check, do laundry, check, feed kids, check, run, check, clean, check. If it is written down then I will accomplish it. My coach gives me what I need and what most of us need, structure! I think we thrive on it. I know as a parent now that kids thrive on it too. So here's to you coach, I can't wait to have intervals to do and rides to push!

OH, and to my hubby, Happy 5th Anniversary! You make it so much easier to do what I love to do: wife, mommy, triathlete, coach!

Why I couldn't Walk.

2008-05-15T02:37:00.001-07:00

I decided back when I was preg to run this 10 mile race in Lemont thinking it would be a good distance and goal to have 6 weeks post baby. OHHHHH how I was WRONG. It was one of the most challenging running races I have ever done. I didn't even know there was an elevation map for this race. I should have looked. Maybe I wouldn't have done it.

http://www.quarrymanchallenge.com/pdf/quarryman_10mile.pdf

It started off as a great day. My mom came over so both Bill and I could go. It is like a date for us getting to do a race sans kids. I think when it really hit me how hard this was going to be was when I went back to where Bill parked the car to get something and it was on a steep incline and needed the emergency parking break! In Illinois!!!! Come on! So off we raced up and down and UP and UP. I wished it was a 5k at the 3 mile mark. That is not a good sign. Without the gigantic climbs the rest of the course was constant rollers which for me makes it hilly. It came to a point at mile 7 or so that I could no longer move my legs. I think it was a combination of bonking and legs that were just not ready for those climbs. So I had to back off a little just to finish! Come on, can you believe a 10 miler could do that. Once I finished I could have cried. It was like doing a half IM I was so tired and could barely walk. Then on Sunday, Monday, AND tuesday I could barely walk down the stairs straight. I haven't had to do the sideways walk like that since I did an IM years ago! MAN I LOVE that feeling!!!! Needless to say I wasn't in the top 5 even but I was totally okay with that. There was prize money and alot of fast runners came out for it. You know the "runners" are there when they come to the start line and have on there spanky uniforms and look like they could eat a hamburger. I know that they probably run 100 miles a week and eat these hills up like nothing. I can't believe that I will be doing a half Ironman in 5 months! I might be nuts.

One more thing, I think my daughter is gifted! I know it sounds arrogant (but isn't every parent that way). Yesterday I realized before the kids went to bed that I totally forget yet again taht I hadn't done "tummy time" with Molly. It is amazing with your first you do everything they tell you to and take pride in it. The second time around, at least for me, I forget everything. There are days I don't think she even lays on her stomach b/c I am so busy. But yesterday I put Molly on her tummy and she ROLLED OVER!!!! It was as if she was telling me, "hey Mom! do this more often with me and you will see how awesome I am!". It was a big moment. I went running to get Bill so he could see how talented our daughter is! (to be honest I really have no idea what is normal at what age but to see a 7 week old baby roll over was cool). Noah was even screaming. I think I might have an athlete on my hands or at least I am really hoping.

To Race again!

2008-04-28T12:19:00.000-07:00

As I am sitting here now with my 1 month old laying on my lap as I type I realize now more than ever the pure necessity of multitasking will over take my life. I don't think I ever realized how hard 2 kids would be. It really is HARD. I can't imagine how I am going to train like a pro. Not to mention soon. I am racing this year. Not big of course until the end of the year but still, yikes. I don't even sleep a full night. I can't see getting up in the morning to nurse and deal with a toddler let alone workout. Right now I am managing to do something once everyday. But that is all the energy I have right now with the lack of sleep. I hate to admit this but I MISS doubles. Can you believe that?! I am crazy but I miss the time to myself that it brings. And the satisfaction of finishing more than one hard workout in a day. I think my husband and I are nuts. I was falling asleep last night as I rocked Molly for the umpteenth time thinking about why we put soo much on our plate. Today Bill starts his masters degree in Finance. So every Monday he will be gone from home from early in the morning until way past my bedtime. We have a new baby, a toddler who talks better than I do, my awesome job of coaching, his career, and the little fact that I turned pro as triathlete (yikes again).

Back track to Saturday morning. I decided when I was 8 mos preg that I wanted to do a 5k right away b/c I really missed racing. I knew that I would be a turtle but I didn't care. So here I am Saturday morning warming up for this 5k with my brother, Bill, and a friend. I REALLY miss this I thought. I think it has become a part of my blood or something. I finished in just over 21 min, no record of course but I was really proud of it. And THAT is why we put so much on our plates. Because we all LOVE to do this.

Molly Birth Announcement

2008-04-08T10:46:00.000-07:00

Molly Birth Announement!

http://www.loulabellecards.com/images/molly2edit3.jpg

Molly is here!

2008-03-28T01:03:00.000-07:00

Molly was born on Tuesday March 25! The first picture is from Tuesday morning before we left for the hospital, yikes. The middle one is of Noah's first time he met his sister. And the last one is Molly after she got home yesterday on the couch chillen.

Molly was 7lbs 15ozs and 20.5 inches. She was 2 weeks early thank goodness. I will post more later:)

Love,

Jenny

Runner Up

2008-03-17T01:46:00.000-07:00

I got a phone call a few weeks ago now (time flies it might have been a month) while we were giving Noah a bath. It was a man from USAT letting my know that I was one of a few other women that was awarded USAT Female Amateur Athlete of the Year Runner Up 2007. I hung up the phone and told Bill how cool that it was that I could be sitting here 8 mos pregnant and get that kind of award. It made me feel SO much better about myself. I actually remembered what it feels like to be a triathlete again. I would hate to really admit this but I LOVE winning and racing. So this was truely an honor and something I am proud of.
I wanted to thank everyone that took part in my success last year. I wanted to thank Bill for growing with me as an athlete and being more supportive everyday. I want to thank my Dad for everything he does for me and my family. Thanks for traveling with me and putting up with my routines. Thanks to my coach Barb for giving me a purpose with every training session making them fun (if that is possible). Thanks to my training partners Adam for pushing in the water and Janeth for making waking up at 4:30am totally okay. Thank you to the rest of my family for being so great about helping out with Noah and making me feel like a winner all the time. Thanks to Endure It for a fast bike that got me to the finish line on top! Thank you to my friends and neighbors that are always excited about everything I do and make me feel like a rock star! Last but not least I want to thank Noah for making me realize almost 3 years ago now that there is sooo much more to life than triathlon. Once I realized that I started to achieve so much more.
I am really excited to come into my first year as a pro triathlete with such great people in my life.

Haiku From Deb

2008-03-05T04:03:00.000-08:00

This is from one of my clients. It made me smile. Winter is almost over! This picture is actually from December but it really looked like this since November.

February dawn

Golden strands glow from chimneys

Single digit cold

Young trees on Modaff-

branch ends burst fuzzy green buds,

yet trunks deep in snow.

Cars out of driveways

make backup v's on the road.

Wet prints mark rush hour

Clothes soaked in sweat hang

all over laundry basket

Jenny sessions done!

--Deb S.

Food!!!!

2008-02-29T14:11:00.000-08:00

I just finished reading Jen Harrisons blog on food. Then I read Bree Wee's blog on food as well. It is amazing to me that food is such a huge topic and for that matter controversy. I really do understand it all. I have a bachelors in nutrition and I had some form of anorexia nervosa in college. I say it was some form b/c I was never into starving myself. I didn't eat anything that was fattening in my eyes (at that time) or bad and I worked out WAY too much. Then I discovered triathlons and met my husband. For me, triathlons brought me to a healthier relaionship with food. Not only that but meeting my husband also helped me move past that part of my life. We grew up in two very different households in the area of food relationships. I grew up with parents that seemed to be always trying to lose weight or talking about eating healthier. We NEVER had anything sugary in our house. A treat was pretzels, I kid you not. We didn't have snack foods or sugar cereals. We ate at meal time together and that was it. If you opened our pantry you only found ingredients for dinners, maybe soup, and other dried goods. When I first met Bill we used to eat at his parents house a lot (poor college students). I LOVED going there. They had soda, cookies, and all sorts of potatoe chips. And the weirdest thing of all was that no one in his family was or is overweight! They eat everything in moderation and don't deprive themselves.
I will never be skinny again or hungry again. It is no fun. I pretty much eat what I want most of the time, again in moderation. I don't think it is a terrible thing to go to Dunkin Donuts or McDonalds once a month. I don't think it hinders anyone as an athlete or hinder their potential. As long as you do follow a 'generally' healthy lifestyle. I don't want my kids to think of any foods as tabboo or bad for you. Too much of anything even healthy foods can actually make you gain weight. IF you eat 10 apples a day which is 800 kcal roughly you are eating the amount of calories as a sandwich from McDs. I know it is not nutritionaly dense, but again anything in moderation. A calorie is a calorie no matter how you cut it. This way you don't deprive yourself.
Food ultimately is a very personal decision that we make as athletes, parents, and coaches. That is really what is great about it. We are the ones who decide what goes into our bodies. So in the end of the result isn't what you were looking for you can only look at yourself.

Wow, almost 35!

2008-02-26T04:21:00.000-08:00

Weeks that is. I started having contractions yesterday and was thinking this might happen sooner rather than later. But all is good for now. But the Dr. told me that I probably wouldn't make it more than 3 weeks from now, yahooooo!

So with the extra time I have from no longer running, I emailed my coach. You see, when you are pregnant or injured all that you can think about is how much you want to train and race again. So this year I signed up for the Longhorn Ironman. It is the last 70.3 race of the year in Austin, TX. I am totally excited. My husband is doing it as well. WE will go sans the kids which I am SURE will be a much needed break! So yesterday I emailed Barb to let her know that I am nuts and signed up for a half Ironman 6 mos after having a baby. Funny thing was, she wasn't surprised or even disappointed. She actually asked me if I was going to do Chicago and Portland (Pro nationals)! Is she nuts, after all I will have a baby to take care of! But I guess I am the nutty one b/c I did sign up for a HALF IM! So off I sent my email with my full schedule of local races up until the half in Oct. I can't wait to see the fun she has in store for me!

Pregnant Pause (x3)

2008-02-15T11:29:00.000-08:00

I know what you are thinking, hot right? Yep, that is what my husband said when I opened this email from my Mom with this picture in it. No I am kidding really he said I should delete it! I barely ever read Runners World magazine but one of my clients gave me the latest issue to read about Paula Radcliffe. I officially feel like a lazy peice of you know what. She actually did 20 mile runs when she was pregnant and ran a 10k in 42 min when she was 6 mos pg!!!! What is that! If anything the article did not inspire the mothers in waiting but rather made us feel like lazy athletes. She did doubles everyday!!! If I do doubles it consists of too many trips up the stairs to get a toy Noah can't find. That alone gets my HR into zone 4! As I did my run yesterday on the treadmill I felt guilty getting off after 3 miles! But enough is enough with peeing, so 3 miles is my endurance workout. I really should include the 3 trips up the basement stairs to use the potty as cross training during my runs. (I just realized I used the word "potty." Noah is potty trained now so my vocabulary is changing.) So for any pg runners reading don't read that article. But if you do just know that she IS the world record holder for the marathon.

Valentines Day!

2008-02-13T05:17:00.000-08:00

So I really LOVE Valentines Day. Not really for me or my husband but I love it for kids. Making Valentines and sending them is so much fun! I always go overboard for holidays with Noah no matter what they are. We are Jewish and I still get into Easter! (Bill isn't Jewish). Every year gets to be more fun with him. He actually understands us and we can have conversations with him now. He really is like a little person!
So this morning Bill comes home from working out before going to work. He walks into the kitchen while I am making coffee (decaf of coures) and asks me what I want for Valentines Day. Now remember that TOMORROW is Valentines Day. I love that he always remembers me but it seems to be a last minute thought. What do I want? Hmmm. Nothing really just get me a card that is mooshy. Bill's response is, "that never works, you will want something else, I heard on a radio station this morning that I need to get you something!" Really I find this to be sort of stupid. There really is nothing to get me. I don't wear jewelry, even my wedding ring I forget most of the time. I don't like how rings feel when you swim or even just running. And now that my entire body is swollen rings are not even semi comfy.
I really can't think of anything I want more than to hang out with Bill and Noah on Valentines Day and eat heart candy. (If I was training I would probably not even touch a bag of those but LOVE those message heart candys!) Isn't that what any holiday is about? If Noah put his dirty hand on a card and scribbled on it I probably would frame it and love it. Presents can be so simple and small.
On the pregnancy front, I am officially 33 weeks today! My obgyn told me last week that if I don't go by 38 weeks that they would schedule an induction sometime that week, yahooo!!!! That means about 6 weeks or less left! Noah was a big boy for being 2 weeks early so they are trying to avoid me squeezing out a 10 lb baby. I love that women compare baby sizes like there are prizes or awards for it. Trust me if there was an award for biggest baby I would have told the Dr. no thanks this baby cookin for as long as possible! But there is no award just pain! So take that baby as early as you want!

Trying to Swim

2008-02-06T05:17:00.000-08:00

So every Tuesday before I go to teach a computrainer class I try to get to the Ymca to get a quick swim in. To give a little background on this. I would normally wake up early and go to the Y closer to our house but there is a masters team there that swims and a big window from all of the exercise machines so people are watching you. For the past few months I no longer want to be seen be people in my bathing suit. For obvious reasons. Not only am I a beached whale I wear a 2 piece speedo b/c I could not find for the life of me a maternity speedo. So here I am walking out to the pool and the entire masters team stops to see the whale walking into the pool. That ended my swimming there. Now I swim at a different Y where the only people there when I go are on medicare and think I am cute (if that is possible). Not yesterday. I open the door to the pool to what i normally see as a water aerobics class but a REAL swimmer swimming laps with flip turns. OH NO. I hope I don't know them. Not to mention that is the only lane left to share. So I quickly put on my cap and jump in the lane with her. I really thought I had not slowed down that much in the water but as of yesterday I am officially a turtle in the water. I think she lapped me every 50 yds or so. All that I could picture is a whale swimming thru the water with their belly hanging down while this torpedo was swimming by. So after my 2000 yd "workout" I attempt the impossible. Getting OUT of the pool. They really don't have stairs there and today I was with speedy girl and didn't want to look like a dork swimming over 3 lanes just to get to the ladder. So here it goes I had to jump out of the water backwards to land on my butt. IF you have ever seen seals flop out of the ocean that is what I looked like. I literally had to roll over and scoot on my butt to get out. I am so glad no one was paying attention.

Yikes!

2008-01-30T12:04:00.000-08:00

Okay, so this is not a HOT picture. But the story is funny. My 2.5 yr old son, Noah LOVES to take pictures with my camera. So he runs around the house taking pictures of his toys, usually his feet end up in most of the pictures. A few days ago he asked me to pose for a picture. I had to show this b/c it is not pretty. Sometimes I totally forget to even look at my hair let alone brush it. Not to mention he took this from his height, not very flattering.

Sunday morning "run"

2008-01-27T08:27:00.001-08:00

Okay, so I put "run" in parenthesis b/c it really isn't running. But this morning was a cold jog that quickly has me realizing that running is going to become more scarce. What I have really enjoyed about running since I have been pregnant is that I have been able to run with people I normally wouldn't run with. I have terrific neighbors that are so supportive of what I do and always want to know what we are up to or find out more about it. So when I became pg I called up a neighbor who I knew jogged on weekends to run with. I could no longer run with anyone that I train with so why not find some new conversation outlets! I have been running with my neighbor Kate now for 6 months or so, she has been awesome. She has gotten slower just for me. But along the way she has lost 20 pounds as well! I think as I gain weight I take it from her. I love that our conversation our NEVER about triathlons or where I am racing soon or anything like that. Our conversations are totally about kids or marriage. It is such a drastic change from everything else. It is so nice to have different types of people in our lives especially ones that can make you remember what else in life there is besides triathlon.
This morning Kate told me about her best friend from high school. She was out of town last weekend visiting her friend in Michigan for her husbands funeral. Kate's friend lost his life to cancer a few weeks ago. Not only that but he was paraplegic since he was in college and fell off a frat house. This morning our run was all about how much he filled in his short life. He was in a medical profession and also was one of the first wheelchair racers at the New York marathon the first year they had it. I guess in the New York Marathon there is a hill that is very steep or bridge that they were concerned that the wheelchair participants couldn't cross so they put a bus there for them to cross it and continue the race. He felt like he wouldn't have really done the race so he actually was the only wheelchair participant to make it thru the hill. He really sounded like a person who always looked at life as half full. Stories like this really put in perspective how lucky were are to be able to jog or whatever we do.

Okay, here we go!

2008-01-25T12:30:00.000-08:00

This is my second try at a blog! I have to admit that I spend WAY too much time reading everyone else's blogs everyday! But when it is the middle of winter and you are pregnant there really isn't anything else to do. I wake up early almost everyday b/c my body is so used to getting up to swim/bike or run at the crack of dawn. So instead of training I sit down on the computer and read all about how everyone else is doing with their training and race schedules! Oh, it is soooo hard to sit your big butt down and just read about how hard training is or wishing for recovery weeks when I pretty much treat everyday as recovery!!!! I have to admit that I really do enjoy it. I know this isn't a permanent condition b/c I have gone thru this before. But you do get the itch to run with out hyperventilating or having to pee every 6 minutes. I kid you not I actually do get off the treadmill to pee every 6-10 min. Thank god for treadmills or I would be peeing on my neighbors front lawn. I really enjoy reading all of the blogs from people living in warm climates when I have to bundle up just to get the mail b/c the windchill is -20! I think I also am addicted to reading blogs b/c I don't get the outlet of running with friends all winter or training with people. In some insane way it helps me feel connected to the sport of triathlon when the only sport I know right now is running after a 2 yr old. So here's to only 8 or so more weeks of this!!!!