Announcement

Time for an announcement!

I mentioned a little while ago that I would be going through some coaching changes soon. A few months ago, Mary got offered the opportunity to join the QT2 coaching staff. This will be an amazing experience for her, but it is also sad because to do this, she will have to leave behind her own coaching company, Train-This. Those of us who are coached by Mary have had to make a decision - do we self-coach? Switch to a different Train-This coach? Switch to a non-Train-This coach? Or follow Mary to QT2?

As much as I LOVE Train-This and love the fact that so many of us are so close, I have chosen to join QT2 and do the Mission Plan option with Mary. One-on-one coaching is out of my price range, and I want to stay with Mary because she understands me, and I've worked with her for 2 years! Train-This will be taken over by one of the other coaches, and I'm not sure exactly who is going where in terms of Mary's athletes. I'm sure we will all remain close, the google group will remain active, and we will all still pester each other on facebook and Twitter. Plus.. there are rumors that there will be a Train-This reunion at Ironman Canada in 2013.. :)

I think it will be good. There is so much for her to learn, which is going to positively impact MY training. Plus, QT2 is huge, so chances are I will never have to go to an Ironman by myself again and have to beg a creepy blog friend, Kevin - who I've never met - to make sure I get across the finish line ok at Ironman Wisconsin. Seriously. I don't know anyone else who is going to be there! Although he has said that after I cross the line, it is no longer his responsibility to make sure I don't drink myself into a drunken stupor. :)

Anyways, Mary starts with QT2 on 9/1. My race is 9/11. Then I will probably go into self-coaching mode for a few months (because this Mission Plan thing is more expensive than my current coaching fees) until I start with Mary - hopefully January 1. What I do NOT plan on doing for the rest of this year is 2 months of nothing like I did last year. Part of that time I was rehabbing a strained hamstring, but I also did a lot of sitting on my butt, which made it that much harder to get back into training.

So.. that's what's going to be happening in the next few months. Changes! Lots of changes! But they will be good ones.

Spring Forward 15K 2011!!

It's Sunday, so in pre-Ironman training frenzied Alexa-land, it's long run day. Or this particular Sunday, it's race day! On tap: the Spring Forward Distance Run (read my race report of this race from 2010!) After yesterday's long ride fiasco adventure I was exhausted, which is possibly the best part of long ride Saturday - collapsing into bed, which I did, but then could not sleep. I'm pretty sure I got 1-2 hours of sleep, tops. I was up at 6:15 tired, annoyed, and pissed that I had to race.

me and Mark, my tall, directionally challenged friend

I ate breakfast and made my way to Mendon Ponds Park. On the way there, I got a phone call from Mark O. asking me how to get to Mendon Ponds Park. (And since I opened this door, I have to tell the backstory). Mark is my friend with 5 children, a wife, and a PhD. You would think he would be able to drive from his house to Mendon Ponds Park by reading a map, or using the GPS in his phone, or just by memory since I KNOW he has been there before. But EVERY TIME there is a race there he has to call me and ask me how to get there. Or text me at 10 pm the night before a race. (Or do both!!!). The same day that he called me to ask me what time the race started. Use the internet, Mark! (Alas, he is still my buddy).

showcasing Matt Kellman's absolutely RIDICULOUS
compression socks! (and Kim with her mountain bike)

Anyways, I show up, see Ken, get my chip, and then sit in my car with the heat on because it was 34 degrees out! I did a half-hearted warmup and then ran into Mary and Kim who were riding their mountain bikes, and then some other TT-ers congregated. I was having "issues" because of my 5 hour ride the day before - major chaffage and swelling in a not-so-pleasant area. The fact that I wear underwear underneath my Lulu running shorts (that already have underwear in them) just makes this situation worse. Note to self: in the future, go commando to avoid a "rebellious crotch" (term coined by Greg).

me, Tim, Mark, Greg.. quite possibly discussing crotches and underwear.

I'm not going to bore anyone with the details of the race other than it's a very hilly 15K. The last 2 miles are the absolute WORST. I ran slightly slower than last year.. 1:13 something vs. 1:12 something. Maybe a minute and change slower? I'm not surprised because I am still getting my run back to where it should be. If I cared more I would be annoyed but I really don't care. I rode 80 freaking miles in a tornado yesterday! Getting out of bed was a success in itself.

Mary and Kim were cheering at the halfway point!

The one really stupid thing I did during this race was neglect my nutrition. I had a gel which I was going to take at 45 minutes. But this course is so hilly and I was trying to push myself that 45 minutes came and I just couldn't stomach trying to take it, so I didn't. So now, hours later, my stomach is going all sorts of crazy and it is NOT fun. I napped and now I am dreading getting on my bike for an hour recovery ride (because I haven't yet figured out a way to cushion my poor crotch!!!).

Looking at all of the photos that Mary posted of our team at the race today.. I just love them. I love all of them! I love that we can talk about crotches. I love that Don sits in his warm car as his warmup. I love that Kellman wears neon yellow compression socks (and rocks the shit out of them). I love that Mary and Kim rode over on their mountain bikes to cheer for everyone who was racing. I love that Tim and Mark race and have families. I love that Rich is a vegan. I love that Greg is hilarious and that Ken is super sarcastic. They are the best! They are my Rochester family! :)

Don, Greg, Kim.. friends, teammates, family! love them!

R.I.P.

Goodbye, bless-ed rest week. You were known and loved by all (ok, maybe not all, but at least by me). You were so nice to me when I was tired from working nights. You let me regain some of my sanity and catch up on things that I needed to do (like laundry and going to my yearly doctor's appointment). You made it possible for me to go out on Friday night and sleep late (WAY TOO LATE) on Saturday morning afternoon.

But mostly, you let me demolish my 400 yd swim test time, YET AGAIN. I dropped 5 more seconds off my 400 yd time - bringing it down to 5:43.

You have to remember, I am not from a competitive swimming background. I am from a Red Cross swimming lessons/lifeguard training/WSI background and that is all of the swimming experience I have. So my 400 yd time reflects that. It's not *swim team fast*. But it's fast for me! Considering that at this time last year I was swimming 6+ minutes for a 400 yd TT I will definitely take the 5:43.

I did this swim test wearing my new goggles, the Aqua Sphere Lady Kaimans. I have been swimming in Ladies Speedo Vanquisher goggles since 2007 and although they seal properly (a problem I have normally because my head is small) they also feel like they are going to suck my eyeballs out of my eye sockets, and by the time I am done with an hour swim they are killing me. So I decided to try some new goggles. They are a little more low profile than my vanquishers (meaning I could feel my eyelashes hitting the plastic of the goggles) and I think they are dorkier looking, but they are WAY more comfy. AND they are sparkly! Maybe that will up my game at picking up dudes in the next swim lane over. Or not.

I did my swim test on Saturday because Thursday (the originally scheduled day) and Friday I was a) tired from C-shift and b) worried about trying to do a legit swim test while fighting my way through the weirdos that I normally end up sharing a lane with. Weirdos include: 400 lb man with buttcrack showing, various snorkelers, man who swims with paddles AND fins at the same time, man who swims the length of the pool along the very bottom and then rests for 10 minutes at each end, man who does butterfly right over my head, variety of large women wearing swimsuits with attached skirts "water walking," etc. These are all difficult people to circle swim with when you're going for as fast as possible. A Saturday swim test was a really good choice because the pool was essentially empty and I was definitely feeling refreshed after a mere 14 hours of sleep. (Once again, the benefits of a glorious rest week). I think  I will repeating both (Saturday swim test and excessive sleep) the next time around!

photo was taken outside of a library..
and we annoyed a guy trying to use the book drop!



crazy horse! but I <3 her

Sunday morning I did a 45 minute run with some teammates and then we all met at a bagel shop to get team gear and take a team photo. It was definitely an invasion of Bruegger's Bagels by athletes in spandex! After the photo shoot I visited my horse (I tried to ride her but she is currently lame) and then spent the afternoon relaxing before nap time and then work time. I have a super crazy brick workout this Saturday and I haven't decided how I feel about it. It's a bike/run/bike/run/bike/run totaling 3:15. Yeah.

...ew.

But I bet it will be worth it when I'm killin' it in Coeur D'Alene! :)





photo circa 2006: I fell down.
Greg picked me up. obviously, drunk at the bar.





Something that is totally unrelated but that I am really excited about - over the weekend one of my BEST FRIENDS from college - Greg, a fellow bio geek at Slippery Rock U., got engaged to his boyfriend Josh!! I am so happy for them! Greg and I were lab partners (or at least at the same lab table) countless times, sat next to each other in tons of classes, wasted time studied at the library together, screwed around in open labs, went to the bar to celebrate birthdays, end of the semester, etc. Now he lives in Washington DC so I don't get to see him anymore but facebook keeps us in contact! :) Congratulations Greg!!!!