Friday Five: Fitness Ways to Pay it Forward in 2014

I haven’t made resolutions – [heck, I didn’t even do a proper 2013 wrap up so how could I handle resolutions?!] – but I have decided something about the new year: I’m going to pay it forward in 2014. So for today’s Friday Five linkup with Courtney from Eat Pray Run, DC and Mar from Mar on the Run, I’m sharing Five Ways to Pay it Forward in 2014.

1. Volunteer at a race. I haven’t done much volunteering recently since my crazy schedule doesn’t leave me with a lot of “extra” time. If I’m out on a weekend morning instead of with my kids, it’s usually to do my own workout or a race. Since I’m benched from running because of surgery recovery, I decided to start the new year off right by volunteering at a New Year’s Day 5K. I figured if I can’t run during my recovery from surgery, I could give my time and be around a race again since I miss running so much.

So at 7:30am on January 1, instant coffee in hand (ick), off I went in the freezing cold to volunteer.

I worked registration, which was really fun. I liked seeing all the runners coming in excited for the race, bundled up in cold-weather running gear.

Before I knew it, the speedy runners were finished with the 5K and I helped with the drink table (picture in the graphic above), and then helped with cleanup. I hope to volunteer at other races this year, and I think my daughter would also enjoy helping at some of these volunteer opportunities.

2. Donate old running shoes and clothes. If you’re like me and never bother to get rid of the old running shoes piling up in the closet, consider donating them! Many local running stores have shoe donation programs, and there are a few other online resources such as Soles4Souls and KindRunner that have different philosophies and methods. There are also local shelters and other common donation points for shoes and clothes. A shoe that may not be ideal for you to run a marathon in might still be an excellent piece of footwear for someone else.

3. Encourage youth to participate. I don’t know about you, but I love seeing my daughter’s face when she accomplishes something physical that she didn’t think she could do. She’s been playing soccer and is enjoying the running aspect of practices and games. Now she can ride her bike without training wheels, so she’s been talking about trying a kids’ fun run or youth duathlon. Another great way to encourage youth is by volunteering with Girls on the Run or another youth running organization.

4. Run a race for charity or donate! I ran the Marine Corps Marathon in 2007 for the Organization for Autism Research, and there are so many great and worthy causes. Sure, you can pay the straight race registration fee and run a race, but doing it through Team in Training or in support of another charitable organization is a wonderful way to make a difference through fitness. And if you have friends running for charity – support them!

5. Connect and share. I know, runners and triathletes are competitive by nature, but there is also a huge bonus to this endeavor that is connecting with others, including helping new runners. Introduce yourself to a new person at a group run, welcome someone on the outskirts of a crowd, make others feel invited and welcome! Finding people with similar interests and passions as you is a great thing about the fitness community, and making newcomers feel welcome can spread your love of running and triathlon to others and give them the drive to stay active. And share what you know – your tips, your knowledge about running routes, and what works for you.

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Speaking of connecting and sharing, on New Year’s Eve I had an awesome coffee/lunch with my two DC Trifecta linkup buddies Courtney and Mar! I’ve met Courtney a couple of times, but it was the first time I had met Mar!

Link up your Friday Five with us today here –

Next week, we’re going to have a themed Friday Five, so start thinking now on this topic: Your Five Favorite Motivational Sayings or Mantras, and link up with us to share the things that keep you going during a long run or a hard workout.

How can you pay it forward in 2014? Give me more ideas in the comments below!

Race Report: Pretty Muddy Mud Run

The good thing about sitting around on medical leave is that I can polish off a couple of long-overdue race reports that were in my draft folder. I normally love to write race recaps, but these two races came at a time when I was super busy with the whole shebang of my crazy life. But I’m knocking things off the to do list now and don’t plan to fall behind again!

So here it is – my race recap of Pretty Muddy Richmond.

It was my second mud run, my first being the Dirty Girl Mud Run in August. I had won the entry from another blog‘s giveaway – lucky for me, the first winner couldn’t use the entry and she re-drew the prize. My sister and sister-in-law decided to register and we had a blast.

Since Richmond is a couple of hours away, my sister and I used a Marriott certificate that I had from my frequent traveling and made it a girls’ night. We had a 1-bedroom suite with a kitchen and fireplace, and it was amazing to have wine by a fire in a hotel on a Friday night at a time when we’d normally be putting our little kids to bed. The perfect way to end a hectic week! Our sister-in-law decided to camp since the race was in a state park and she loves camping, so we met her at the race.

In the morning, we drove over bright and early to the race venue at Pocohontas State Park since we were in an early wave just after 8am. The entry into the parking area was clear and well-marked with signs leading up to the entrance, and they had ample people directing the parking. Once we parked, we looked around and realized we needed to take a hay ride to the race area.

We hopped on the hay ride (no line at that time of the morning) and it was a pretty fun start to the day.

It wasn’t a long ride to the race venue from the parking lot.

We checked in and checked our gear bag, ready for the obstacles! Thanks to my sister for the pigtail braids, although my hair didn’t want to stay in them.

Unlike Dirty Girl, we didn’t get a free t-shirt with this race, and the pre/post-race area was smaller. But I liked the atmosphere – it was like a fall festival. They had at least one game for people to play – it looked like a bean bag toss.

And they had good entertainment – a band playing live music. We really enjoyed this after the race as we were waiting for one another.

So as with all mud runs – we took the before picture:

I didn’t run with my camera (shocker for me!) because I didn’t want to get my precious little camera dirty. I’d love to get a water/mud/weather proof camera for events like these some day, but for now I don’t have pictures of the in-race moments. We joked that we needed a fourth person with us to just follow us around with a camera and not get dirty.

So the race itself – overall we had a blast. In fact, I enjoyed it so much that I ran it twice in a row – my sister-in-law and I made it a 10K obstacle run!

OBSTACLES: In general, we liked the obstacles. However, a couple of them seemed very similar (i.e., climb over this wooden thing). So it wasn’t quite as varied as the Dirty Girl, and there weren’t as many huge inflatables. It was hard not to compare and I liked the Dirty Girl better for the obstacles. The first obstacle had sudsy bubbles that were really fun to run through, but our second time through they must have been refilling the soap since it was pretty empty.

THE COURSE: The course was amazing, I really loved the state park trails this was set in. The only negative was near the beginning when we had to be extremely careful not to twist our ankle getting to and just past the first obstacle – there was some uneven grassy areas. But once we got on the actual trail, I loved it. I really miss trail running – I used to do a lot of that and never do these days.

THE RACE AMENITIES: Overall it was low-key. They were selling food, had a band, I heard there was free beer but didn’t have any, some tables set up with vendors or info, and they had a merchandise sale area.

THE CLEAN UP: At a mud run, the clean-up is key. We didn’t feel as though we could adequately wash up since the clean-up was outdoor hoses with low water pressure. It was good for rinsing, but not completely thorough. The nice thing was the changing area – it was an enclosed tent with private changing rooms.

THE MUD FACTOR: We got muddy. Not just “pretty” muddy – very muddy! But only from the waist down – there wasn’t much that got us muddy on the top half.

The “after” pictures for when we finished the course the first time:

My sister-in-law and I looked at each other and thought “I want to do it again!” My sister said “I’m going to shower and I’ll wait for you!”

So we ran to the starting line just as another wave was starting. You can barely see me in red on the right side of the crowd. We were the only already-muddy ones there!

It was definitely more crowded the second time through – doing the early wave was great for not having lines at obstacles or at the finish.

Here’s a tip – don’t wear bootleg capris to a mud run. They got so muddy and soggy and flapped around like heavy weights, it made it hard to run the second time through. I wanted to wear longer pants since it was a chilly fall day, and I remembered my knees getting torn up from rocky mud in the Dirty Girl run. But bootlegs – bad idea.

My sister caught this pic of me half-run-walking after the finish.

We got our medals and grabbed a bar and drink at the finish line:

Here’s the “after” pic after the second time through the course:

Similar, but much wetter and soggier pants!

By the time we finished the second run through there were lines. Lines for the washing hoses, lines to buy merchandise, and lines for the hay ride back to the car. So my advice is to just be patient and don’t be in a hurry – or go for an early wave before more people show up.

I’m definitely game to do another mud run in 2014 – it’s a fun time and a great atmosphere of camaraderie with all the other participants. People run, walk, do a little of both – whatever gets you through! And doing the race twice through was a great training run for the Army Ten Miler!

I wasn’t compensated for this review, nor did I receive a free entry from Pretty Muddy. I won the entry through another blogger and registered using the code from the giveaway. My family paid for their own entries. All opinions are my own.

Review and Giveaway: Energybits!

This week, I posted my Army Ten Miler Race Recap and realized it was my 100th post! I’m sure it would come as no surprise to my mother that I have a lot to say…

So in honor of my 100th post,

(that has a better ring than “102nd post”!)

I’m happy to do another GIVEAWAY!

A little while ago, Energybits sent me a sample to review and offered to give away a sample to one lucky reader. I was really interested in trying them a second time – you might recall my green-toothed episode when I chewed them rather than swallowed them as part of my sample Tribox from Runnerbox. Yes, the instructions say you can chew them – it doesn’t mean you should chew them right before a dentist appointment. [Take that, endodontist – pick the green algae off my teeth before you drill through my crown to re-do my root canal!]

I keep hearing about the wonders of the ‘Bits from various bloggers, and I was game for another try. What are these little green vitamin-looking things? I learned that they’re not a supplement, they are food. And since I’m doing the Whole30 and can’t have gels, beans, bars, or any of my usual stand-bys, I thought this was a good time to try them.

Here’s a run-down of the ‘Bits:

Want more energy, more mental vitality, or a healthy high protein snack you can grab on the go? How about a quick way to boost your athletic performance, supercharge your run or crank up your endurance while working or working out? If so, ENERGYbits® are for you. Made from 100% organicallly grown spirulina algae and loaded with 40 nutrients, ENERGYbits® algae tabs have the highest concentration of protein in the world (64%) all for just one calorie per tab. Endorsed by the United Nations as the most nutritious food on earth, spirulina algae has been a favorite of Olympic gold medalists for decades and is a super food in every sense of the word, delivering instant and enduring energy to your brain and body.

They came in this adorable little tin. I actually want to go around my house finding tiny things to put in the tin because I love it so much.

They say to take at least 30 of them at once. Unless I counted wrong (entirely possible, since I was in my car), I had enough for two doses of 29, so that’s what I took each time.

They are apparently packed with B vitamins, which I’ve always been in need of boosting for several reasons:

So how’d they work out?

The first time I took them was for my evening 7-mile run on Columbus Day. I ran with the running club and the Energybits seemed to work great. I sustained my low 9’s pace for 7 hilly miles consistently, without water or any other fuel during the run, in the evening, in the dark, after a crazy busy day with the kids. So I was happy with them.

My second try was for the Army Ten Miler on Sunday. Honestly, I had so many other things going on that I don’t know if the Energybits helped or not.  I was dodging and weaving through crowds, and stressed during the race, so I’m not sure how I would have been without the Energybits in terms of my endurance and energy level. So who knows.

I’m still really curious about them as a natural source of energy, and the little tabs are easy to swallow – when you have water available. Before the race, I went to take them and realized I didn’t have any water on me near the corrals – I had been apart from my car for over an hour. I swallowed them with a Go Go Squeeze applesauce – challenging but doable!

I’m thinking of giving them more tries, especially since I’ve ditched sugar and processed foods.

So… a giveaway of Energybits? Yes please!

Click here for the Rafflecopter giveaway!

ENERGYbits are only available at ENERGYbits.com, and Jonathan (their Brand Manager) has shared with me that he’d be happy to connect anyone with a current ambassador to share a discount on a bag of bits – you can email him at jlevitt@energybits.com.

In addition, Energybits is offering a discount during the month of October to raise awareness of Breast Cancer – please see this press release for details. They are offering a 25% discount on all purchases made with the discount code “PINK” to allow everyone to try their algae and experience the health benefits for themselves.

May the odds be ever in your favor!

(that’s not copyrighted by The Hunger Games, is it? If so, shhh don’t tell!)

Race Report: Army Ten Miler

Let’s subtitle this Race Report: Stuck In a Crowd When The Gun Goes Off. And I don’t mean a crowd in my starting corral.

The problem with doing a “bucket list” race is that you have high expectations. And you want to come away exhilarated with all your expectations met. I did not. You want the short version? Here it is:

• Had an amazing time with my friends.
• Total mess getting to the corrals. I was stuck in a mass of runners who couldn’t get through to the starting area as we heard the gun go off for wave after wave.
• Missed my wave. Missed all the waves, and started running at the tail end of the last wave.
• Spent the first part of the race stressed and weaving through crowds. Couldn’t run at my pace other than in isolated stretches.
• That was exhausting and made it hard to enjoy the race.
• Running with so many military personnel and wounded warriors was incredibly motivating and inspiring.

Bam. There you have it. My Army 10-Miler in a nutshell. So… the details?

As I mentioned in my Friday Five post, I had friends coming to town for this race. On Friday I went to the Expo at the Armory to get my race packet and met up three of them. It was so great to see Melissa from I Thought They Said Rum, K, and J.

The Expo was awesome – so many vendors! I was able to restrain myself from Buying All The Things and only bought an Army Ten Miler glass, and stocked up on my favorite socks. I was oh-so-practical.

On Saturday, I worked a concert most of the day, and then the racing friends came over for dinner. Everyone carb-loaded but me, since I’m still doing the Whole 30. Still going really well, but it kinda seems like it’s going on forever…

We called it an early night to get pre-race rest and I got my things together for the morning. After doing my first triathlon – out of town! – getting things together for only running a race I could drive to seemed pretty easy!

On Sunday morning, I thought I left home at a decent time and had a clever plan for not fighting crowds parking at Pentagon City, where the race organizers had said parking was limited. I drove downtown and parked at a meter (free on Sundays) near a Metro stop that was only a few stops away. Waited a few minutes for a train, and thought my timing was perfect.

 

So our Metro doors open up and we unload onto the platform. Not too bad, except that we stand there. And stand there. And can’t get up the escalator. People started running up the down escalator, and eventually we made it to the top. This is blurry, but here’s the view looking down to the downstairs platform.

 

So I’m upstairs finally and more trains unload up there, and we don’t move. For a long time.

 

 

 

 

It was getting worrisome because there wasn’t any more space for more trains to unload. Finally the Metro people turned off the turnstiles and just let everyone go through – cheering ensued and we were able to exit the station!

Because of that, I came out of the Metro station later than planned, and realized that my friends must already be gone from our meeting spot. I looked around, got the lay of the land, and was excited to head towards the start.

 

 

I saw a very long port-a-pottie line and thought I should hop in the line while I had plenty of time (oh the irony now knowing what happens next!). I waited a while until I decided that I should just get into the start area and hit up the potties closer to the corrals. Really, the distance didn’t seem that far, all I had to do was walk from here to there. So I moved towards that area.

And then a dead stop in a giant crowd of people. For at least 45 minutes. Why were we stopped? Why didn’t this mass of people move at all? We had no idea – people kept hopping on shoulders, on a table, trying to figure out what was going on. We figured out they must be funneling a mass of people into a small line, and checking bags or bibs. Every so often we’d move two feet and everyone would cheer. Sometimes people left and we didn’t know if they fared better or were just back in the same line.

We were all getting very stressed and anxious. There were people of all bib colors in this mass, and more just kept flooding into the crowd. And yet we still didn’t move an inch.

We heard the National Anthem. We heard the Wounded Warrior starting gun. Then we heard the first wave starting gun. Then another wave starting gun. I got into this crowd (I won’t call it a “line”) well before 7:30am (maybe at 7:20am?), and it was at least 45 minutes of standing there. I’m not a race newbie, I thought for sure I’d have time to walk the short distance to the corral even with a wait at the potties and get into my corral.

Finally they stopped whatever they were doing and had us all walk through with our arms raised so they could see our bibs, and people ran to the starting corrals – whichever ones were left. But first, I had to wait in yet another line for the port-a-pottie.

 

Staring backwards from the line at my orange starting corral as our gun went off was pretty stressful.

After my pottie stop, I ran towards the start. I heard them calling for stragglers and felt panicked. I wanted to run at a 9:15/mile pace, but here I was behind the last corral. It meant dodging and weaving through slower runners, runners who were walking or jogging while chatting four across.

I finally broke free and made a plan – try to do 9:12/mile until Mile 3 and then drop back a bit in pace until Mile 5, then pick it up for the second half of the race. But then I got stuck in a crowd turning a corner and started to stress again.

Finally, I decided to just relax. To just run. To just enjoy the moment. And to just enjoy the views of DC. I realized that I had barely looked up from the runners’ backs in front of me until this moment.

 

 

Oh, how I love the Lincoln Memorial.

So I started to run with a smile and enjoy myself. I really enjoyed running with all the military personnel, the people running as teams with their coworkers, and was moved by the shirts and tributes on backs for family and friends in the military.

I love running along the river and under the Kennedy Center.

 

Around this point (I can’t remember what mile but it was a point where we’re running back up the street we went down), I started to feel a little tired. But then I encountered Super Happy Guy. Super Happy Guy was chatting with neighboring runners, and was loudly positive, telling people to smile and have fun. I loved him. I really perked up and tried to shout thanks to him – he really helped give me a zip in my step.

 

It was great timing because then there was the bridge. Oh, the dreaded 14th Street Bridge.

 

It never ends.

 

But you know what? As my Garmin beeped Mile 9, I ran past two different Wounded Warriors with prosthetic legs, who were surrounded by other men in uniform running with them. And it was so inspiring that I shed a tear behind my sunglasses. How amazing and inspiring to run with those strong (in more ways than physically strong) individuals.

And the thought that came into my mind was – “Why Cares?” Who cares about my race finish time? Who cares about my stressful race experience? Who cares about any of that? That’s not what matters. So I ran towards the finish.

 

My Garmin had me running more than 10 miles at a 9:41/mile pace.

 

Official results have me at 1:38:34, a 9:51/mile pace. Not exactly what I had hoped for, but fine nonetheless.

So I finished and then – more lines and crowds.

 

They were out of finisher medals/coins when I finally got to the front of the pack and said to email the race organizers and they’d mail it. Fine, whatever – par for the course for this day, I thought to myself.

But then someone brought a handful and I was able to get one.

 

First time with the new Iron Girl arm warmers, and I loved them! At first my hands got tingly until I readjusted the material, then they felt awesome since it was chilly out.

 

Melissa had a great race!

 

After the race we went to an Irish restaurant for brunch. My Whole30 compliant breakfast didn’t have the same effect as a beer and a burger, but it filled me up.

 

All in all, I’m so glad I did the Army Ten Miler. Once. I don’t know that I’d do it again, since there are plenty of other races out there.

The highlights for me were being inspired and strengthened by running with military and their friends & family, and doing the race with friends.

In talking to coworkers and friends who ran the race, my estimation is that getting through the bag/bib check to the starting corrals was only a problem after 7:10am. So my recommendation if you are doing this race next year is to make sure you’re there super early. Like way earlier than you think you need to be there, since there are 36,000 people running it. I have done other big races in DC – like the Marine Corps Marathon and the Cherry Blossom Ten Miler, and thought that being so physically close to my corral more than one hour before my wave start would enable me to start running with them.

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Have you ever missed the starting gun at a race?

Do you prefer larger races or smaller races?

Friday Five: Army Ten Miler Weekend!

Happy Friday!

Well, hopefully you’re having a happy Friday and not an unhappy Friday. I’m feeling excited and happy because it’s Army Ten Miler weekend!

It’s no secret that I get insanely excited about races, and this one is no exception. You would think it wouldn’t have the same level or excitement as other races, since I run in DC regularly, and have done several races in the city – the Marine Corps Marathon, the Cherry Blossom 10 Miler, and most recently the Nike Women’s Half Marathon – all in DC. But this race is a “bucket list” race. And more importantly, I have some friends running too and we’re making a fun weekend out of it – Melissa from I Thought They Said Rum from Texas, another friend from North Carolina, and two local friends – and they’re all coming over for a pre-race dinner at Casa Cynthia tomorrow night.

So the real point of this post is a fun Friday Five. I love lists, my brain is full of random thoughts today, and this week was a very random week in terms of workouts, so today felt like a good Friday Five day.

1. Army Ten Miler Expo – This afternoon I need to get to the expo to pick up my race packet. I hear this expo is huge. Can they please confiscate my wallet upon entry to stop me from Buying.All.The.Things.

(Didja like my meme? I think it was the first one I’ve ever created. Patting myself on the back now.)

2. Lazy Days Are Best Spent Cooking – Sunday I was lazy and didn’t work out. I had worked two concerts and come home late the night before, it was still raining, and I just couldn’t get it together to do my long run before my husband left on a business trip mid-day. So I spent most of the day cooking. Whole 30 is giving me a new spark for cooking up veggies. The day started with giant veggie omelets, which a certain 1-year-old LOVED.

3. Columbus Day 7-Mile Run – Monday was Columbus Day, and I had the day off work. Alas, this does not mean I’m a lady of leisure – I describe days like this as “Trading One Full-Time Job For Another” because I’m Mom all day long – like on the weekends!

It was great – some extra time with my kids, some things done around the house, and being a shuttle  to/from elementary & preschool, and to/from my daughter’s chorus rehearsal that afternoon.

I had thought about doing my long run with Finn in the stroller while my big kids were at school in the morning, but the running stroller was in the car the au pair had. Doh. I did, however, have our au pair scheduled for the evening for some extra help since my husband was out of town. I decided to run with the local running club (I’m a member again!) for their Monday night 7-miler. It was great – hilly and dark, but great company and a good pace for me.

(Yes, that’s the same shirt as in all the other recent pictures. The only long-sleeved shirt that fits. Yes, I wash it.)

I really need a reflective top and a headlamp. Maybe they sell them at today’s expo… [BUY ALL THE RUNNING THINGS!]

After the run I bought a Halloween costume, went to the grocery store, and got gas in the car. Not a bad use of 3.5 hours of babysitting!

4. Whole 30 Going Strong – I posted about starting the Whole 30 diet – I’m now on Day 13! I am feeling good and definitely look different this week. I’m suddenly getting TONS of comments about weight loss, so I think something has changed in me this week. And I feel good! I am doing fine not eating baked goods and sugar, but I still miss wine, cheese and chocolate, and can’t wait to add them back in… gotta be honest here. But I am loving cooking new and interesting combinations of things, breaking my bad mindless eating habit, packing more lunches (which saves money), and enjoying when I buy salad from the employee Canteen for lunch.

Oh, but I still hate ghee.

5. Random Workout Week – I hereby declare this week “Random Workout Week”. After Monday’s 7-miler with the running club, I thought I’d take it easy Tuesday. It’s a good thing, too, since I took the Metro to work and was super motion sick.

I often have a motion sickness problem, but this really hit me hard. It was all I could do to walk into my office with weak knees and nausea. So I did the noon Pilates class that day, and it made me feel a bit better.

I did NOTHING on Wednesday – I had slept poorly due to zombie nightmares from watching the Walking Dead right before bed, and so by Thursday I had to do something. I had also slept horribly that night due to the 4-year-old waking (and being cranky), so I turned off my Thursday morning workout alarm. I knew I had to get it done at night, but by the time the kids were asleep, going to the gym didn’t sound like fun. So I pulled out something I hadn’t done in ages – Jillian Michael’s 30 Day Shred and did Level 2.

I forgot how hard a workout it is – 10pm is a great time to jump around and get sweaty!

Do you get motion sickness?

Do you have zombie nightmares after watching The Walking Dead?

Do you have a favorite exercise video or workout you do at home?

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Eat Pray Run DC has a Friday Five Linkup – add yours or go there to discover other Friday Fives!

I Am An Iron Girl!

I did it! I’m a triathlete. And not only did I do it, I felt strong throughout the race and strong at the finish.  I loved it and immediately wanted to sign up for another.

I’m typing up a race recap, but I’ve been totally exhausted today after the weekend at Iron Girl Rocky Gap, and today’s full day of kids, work, and Back to School Night. Long gone are the days when I would come home from a long run or race and sit on the couch relaxing. Yesterday after the race, I drove an hour and 45 minutes and went straight to the end of my daughter’s soccer game, then home to the clingy 1 year old, made dinner, and put the clingy (almost) 4 year old to bed. Well, a quick detour to Starbucks was mandatory before all that craziness began.

And yes, I wore my medal into Starbucks and to the soccer game.

Iron Girl bling is snazzy.

I’ll tell you a few secrets as you wait patiently for my real race recap:

SECRET #1: I had a secret goal to break 2 hours for the entire sprint triathlon. I said I “just wanted to finish”, but I had calculated each leg and thought I could break 2 hours. It was a half mile swim, 16 mile bike, and 2.5 mile run.

My finish time: 1:53:09

SECRET #2: After 3 practice open water swims, I thought I would rock the swim. Truthfully? I just did okay. A lot more breaststroke than I had planned. And my breathing wasn’t smooth – I was kinda excited so I was inhaling into full lungs. It took me about half the swim to really warm up, exhale systematically, and get into the groove.

Swim time: 20:33

SECRET #3: I was most worried about the bike and my biggest fear was falling over still clipped into the bike pedals on one particular hill after the turnaround. So how did I do? I rocked the bike course and was really happy with how I handled the hills and gear shifting.

The bike split: 1:03:11. Average pace: 15.2mph

SECRET #4: Aside from the bike course, I was also worried about whether I’d need a port-a-pottie stop during the race. Come on, all you moms, admit it – you would think about this too! I didn’t take a pottie pit stop, and consequently I had a full bladder on the run. Doh. That serves me right for hydrating on the bike. So I didn’t feel like I pushed my run because I was preoccupied with my bladder. My Garmin never picked up signal so I shut it off and had no idea what my pace was for the hilly run course. So how did I do? Just fine!

Run time for 2.5 miles: 22:23. Average pace: 8:57/mile.

Here is my last secret, which I guess isn’t really a secret for those that know me:

SECRET #5: I used to be obsessed with Ironman.  I recorded all Ironman races that were televised, watched them obsessively, and knew all the major triathletes of the sport. Ah, to have that kind of time again.

In 2005, I went to see my friend do Ironman 70.3 Florida and bought this bag:

And as I ran around cheering for my amazing friend, I looked at my new bag and said “I’m going to do an Iron Girl one day!” and went home to look into beginner triathlon races to sign up for.

The next morning, I happily got a positive pregnancy test. I shelved the plans. I still loved watching Ironman recordings and even went to Frankfurt to see my friend do Ironman Germany while pregnant with #1.

I have spent the last 8 years on a rollercoaster ride of pregnancy, nursing babies, losing weight, gaining weight, and losing it again.

So, walking down the beach towards the lake, pulling my goggles over my swim cap, I had a moment. Do you ever have those moments? You know, the ones where you just feel something big change and you take a moment to look around? I looked around that beach and thought – I’m finally doing this thing that I said I would do, so many years ago. And then I walked into the water and thought:

The next chapter is beginning.

Race Report: Dirty Girl Mud Run

I’ve been so caught up with my recent birthday celebrations and travels that I haven’t posted my Race Recap of the Dirty Girl Mud Run in the DC/Baltimore area. It was my first mud/obstacle run and I can’t wait to do another!

My sister has recently started running, and really wanted to do a mud/obstacle run for her first race ever. So me, my sister, sister-in-law (who has gotten into the most amazing shape), and my au pair signed up together as a team for the Dirty Girl Mud Run.

The instructions from Dirty Girl said to arrive 90 minutes before your start wave. We were in the 8:45am wave, and didn’t quite make it there 90 minutes prior (hey, I needed coffee!) – it was more like an hour before our wave’s start time. There was a line of cars to get into the farm but it moved pretty quickly.

We laughed at this sign as we came in.

It just took a sec to pay the $10 cash fee to park and then no time at all to park and walk over to the registration table.

Things were pretty well organized with the check-in table – easy peasy, lemon squeezie, to quote my 3 year old.

We picked up our shirts. The logo for Dirty Girl is cute, although I’m sure wearing a shirt that says “Dirty Girl” will inspire commentary.

Everyone over 21 received a bracelet for the post-race free beer.

They had a Paul Mitchell station for hair braiding, which I totally would have done if I had left more time before our wave. I wore pigtails, which is highly unusual for me!

We were not coordinated enough for costumes or matching shirts, but saw plenty of cool ones at the event that inspired me for the next one! We just came in old clothes and shoes, things we didn’t mind getting muddy. My sister decided to wear long pants to save her knees from rocks and other rough obstacles. She had the right idea because my knees and elbows were pretty scratched up afterwards, but I wouldn’t have wanted soggy sweatpants weighing me down through most of the race. Maybe kneepads are the answer!

Here’s a “Before” picture – we’re too clean!

We walked to the starting area, where they had an emcee getting everyone excited and involved. Then we were off!

The run itself was in a large field, and because it had recently rained, it was a little slippery and muddy already – this got us into the spirit of the race. We ran between obstacles but saw plenty of people walking, jogging, and just laughing their way to the next one. I would deem this race for any fitness level, because they don’t time it and allow you to go around an obstacle. But honestly, everyone I saw just went straight through every obstacle and had a great time!

The obstacles were fun, a neat mix of going under, through, and over things.

The muddy “After” shot!

It was impossible NOT to get muddy unless you skipped things. I seriously felt like a kid again.

The only flaw in the organization and layout was that we had a hard time finding the washing area after the race. We picked up our bags from the gear check and wandered around a while. It turned out that it was completely on the opposite side of the layout from the gear check and through some trees.  At last we found it – it was basically a big tent with hoses set up inside. I decided to do a basic wash and then take a real shower at home.

I had worn old shoes that should have been cleared out of my closet years ago. I can’t believe I ran the Marine Corps Marathon in these things! There was a shoe donation area right outside the changing tent, so I passed them along.

After the race we enjoyed a hard-earned beer with our free beer tickets. It’s 5:00 somewhere, right?

What a fun day, and a great experience for my sister’s first race ever. She’s now prepping for a local 5K and then doing another mud/obstacle run with me in the near future. Maybe someday I’ll convince her to do a half marathon with me! A girl can dream… right?

So all in all, I’d give the Dirty Girl Mud Run two thumbs up. We had a blast, the course was just the right length, the obstacles were fun, and everything was well-organized with the exception of needing signs to lead us to the washing area. I would do it again.

And next time, we will actually coordinate those costumes we talked endlessly about.

If you did a mud/obstacle run, did you wear long pants or kneepads?

Race Report: Maryland Women’s Sprint Duathlon 2013

It is way more catchy to say “I’m du-ing a duathlon” than “I du-ed the duathlon”, but let’s DU it and say: I did it!

Sunday was a great day. A gorgeous morning, a well-run race, and just a fabulous time all around at the Maryland Women’s Sprint Duathlon. We were really lucky with the weather, the rain from the previous day had dried and the humidity was low. I originally wanted to sign up for this race as a practice for the triathlon, but as it got closer I was excited for this race in and of itself. It was my first real multi-sport event, aside from an adventure race back in the early 2000’s (a partner race with kayaking, mountain biking, & running with orienteering interspersed). The duathlon/triathlon races are totally different, but the adventure race was what gave me the bug to sign up for a sprint tri back then – and then I got pregnant and never got to do it!

THE DAY BEFORE:

Picked up the packet the day before the race, easy peasy.

The shirt is cute, it may be the nicest race shirt I own! They had a transition talk with pro triathlete Suzy Serpico, which I found really helpful as a newbie, and the opportunity to practice transitions there at your bike rack spot.

THE MORNING OF:

4:25am – If my alarm went off, I didn’t wake up. Maybe I shut it off in my sleep. I had a backup alarm set for 4:40am but didn’t need it because…

4:30am – Woke up to the sound of the toddler crying in his crib. Thank you, buddy, you knew that mommy needed to be up and getting ready! Sent husband in to console him and got ready for my race.

4:45am – My support team of 1, my awesome dad, arrived and loaded my bike onto his car’s bike rack.

4:55am – I woke up my 7.5 year old daughter, who now owns the title of “Mommy’s Biggest Fan” – she was such a trooper!

5:06am – We were on our way! Arrived at 5:45am and parking was a breeze, just a short walk over to the transition area.

THE PRE-RACE STUFF:

I racked my bike and laid out my transition area. The session the day before, as well as another triathlon transition session I went to at Fleet Feet Sports, had been really helpful with tips for this to make me feel confident and prepared.

 

I finished setting up and got body marked.

It was so cool to be marked for the first time, I felt like this was for real!

And the Big Deal for me – having them write the number 40 on my leg to represent my age.

I asked a girl racking her bike near me my stupid newbie question, without realizing that she was going to be the #1 age grouper of the entire race, beating out some of the elites. Oops. I’m sure she realllllly wanted to answer my question about the logistics of peeing during the race since the portapotties are outside the transition area. To run there first before transition? To run out of transition to go pee and back in? To depart on the bike and stop at the potty 30 second later? At least she was nice about it! To be fair, I had qualified the question as “the dumbest question ever” and told her I have had 3 babies and I usually need to go during half marathons. TMI? Okay, well then, anyhow… back to the race!

I was doing the duathlon with friends, which was so awesome! It was neat to see friends and cheer on the out and backs when we passed one another.

I was a wee bit too early in taking my Gu, so let me be the one to tell you that downing an Espresso Love Gu 30 minutes before the race will cause you to jump around before the start like a crazy maniac. I was wired.

THE 2-MILE RUN #1:

I took off. Seriously, I really took off. My Garmin clocked me at 8:34/mile average pace for 2.03 miles. The official results have me at 8:44/mile. I felt awesome.

Total Time = 17:28.

THE TRANSITION #1:

I felt like I was racing around, and took a sec to catch my breath since I was fumbling with my things. Took a deep breath, then moved on. I actually felt really good about the transition, but my time was horrible compared to others ahead of me in my age group results. My dad said that people came after me and left before me.

Total Time = 2:54.

I need to get some bungee cord shoelaces and work on efficiency. Case in point: I stopped dead in my tracks to have some water. Um, dude, get moving!

THE 13-MILE BIKE:

Hills, hills, and more hills. I really enjoyed it, though! Well, aside from one or two brutal hills, which cannot possibly be deemed enjoyable. My biggest anxiety going into the race was that I’d fall over going up a hill on my bike, unable to unclip. We heard that this course was good practice for the Iron Girl Rocky Gap, so I feel more confident about the triathlon course.

I lost a lot of time mounting my bike. Not wanting to be right in the middle of the road blocking people as I clipped in awkwardly, I waited to get to the side. It was crowded there, but next time I need to just GO.

I worked hard on the bike and passed a lot of people, and at mile 5 took the Clif Shot Blocks for an energy boost. I slowed way down as I tried to open and eat them. This was not good. I got passed a lot, then spent the next part of the race passing most of those people again, but with steep hills, it didn’t always work out as I planned. I also leap-frogged with a few people for the last part of the race.

Total Time = 55:00. Average pace: 14.2 mph.

THE TRANSITION #2:

I took too much time racking my bike back up and messing with things. It’s different to hop in and out of the bike shoes to running shoes without getting your socks wet on the grass. Need to move it along in the future.

Total Time = 2:43

THE 2-MILE RUN #2:

Felt great again, but for the last half mile I really had to remind myself that the portapottie was only minutes away…

Again, Garmin says I ran an 8:34/mile average pace. And it says I went 2.1 miles. Official race results have me at 9:01/mile.

Total time = 18:02

THE FINISH:

It felt great to finish strong! The two run courses were the same loop, just a different direction. There was a pretty big hill leading up to the finish, but I felt like I kept my pace on the uphills pretty well.

My friends both did great, although one friend had a bike tire blowout and had to wait 30 minutes for the support van. That was frustrating – and she was so close to the end of the course!

One cold towel, one bottle of water, and one cute medal later:

THE BOTTOM LINE:

I’m definitely loving the duathlon, and hope to do this race again next year. I may seek out another Du during the next year since it was such a fun event.

Loved my new bike, loved running faster than I normally do, and loved finishing strong.

And most of all, I loved hearing my daughter cheering for me so many times during the race, and seeing her smiling face at the finish!

Have you ever done a duathlon?

Help Me Name My New (to me) Road Bike!

What a week! Lots of late night working in the heat and humidity for July 4 events. Also, I’m in Week 1 of an 8-week Diet Challenge. I’ve already shed my vacation weight and THEN some, in just one week! Unbelievable. It’s a sugar detox along with other healthy habits, and you get points for various things like eating 3 servings of veggies a day, tracking your food, etc. There are two winners who split the pot – the one who has the highest percentage of weight loss and the other is the person who has the most points.

Anyhow, back to the topic of the day: The Bike.

I was glad to get out on my bike on Tuesday morning, but the slow speed and heaviness of the mountain bike reminded me that I had to revive my road bike search so that I could get one in time to adapt before my upcoming races. Our mountain bikes were our first anniversary present to ourselves (we had a mantra: Screw Paper, We Want Bikes!), and although I’ve loved that bike, it isn’t right for the duathlon or triathlon, and it needs some work. I don’t think a bike is supposed to hesitate when you shift gears, and then when you least expect it go clunk-THUNK, finally changing gears as you try to keep your balance.

First off: Road bikes are expensive! I hadn’t really thought through that expense carefully when I pushed the REGISTER NOW! button and signed up for the Tri. Let’s just say that the budget I had in my head was mentally erased  when I started my research (and ridiculed by my now-more-researched-self).  And I’m not even looking at full carbon bikes, just carbon fork. I’ll think about carbon at a later date when I want to upgrade. Something tells me this won’t be my last triathlon…

I have been eyeing the Specialized Dolce in its various iterations, but wasn’t ready to plunk down the cash. And the Elite was the version I was really interested in. I really wanted a brand new bike, and had been in a couple of local bike shops drooling over road bikes, but I also had an eye on various sites for a used bike.

This week I found an older Specialized Dolce Elite on Craigslist for a good price. Today I went and looked at it, and it seemed to be the right size frame, so I forked over the cash and brought it home.

I’m thrilled with my new (to me!) bike, and think it will be just the thing to take me through my first few races, and if I upgrade I can always keep this for commuting or as a spare. I had qualms about buying a $1,200 brand spanking new bike that I couldn’t really afford, and then have it dinged, wrecked, or stolen in the city. I’m going to drop it off for a tune-up and buy the shoes I need for the clipless pedals so I can try it out.

Who knew I’d have a purple bike when I bought my purple helmet? Now I’ll be all matchy-matchy. Is matchy-matchy at a triathlon dorky or cool?

I’m taking name suggestions for my new/old road bike – anything but Tinky Winky (the purple Teletubby)! 

(And by the way, no dissing the naming thing, it’s going to have a name!)

Do you name your bikes or cars? With male or female names?

Nike Women’s Half Marathon Expotique

WE RUN. Why yes, yes we do.

Yesterday, I went to the Nike Women’s Half Marathon Expotique to pick up my race packet and check out what they had going on there. I thought I might buy a few things, but they didn’t really have anything for sale other than a small Fleet Feet stand with race day essentials (buy BodyGlide = check!). They were directing people up the hill to the Nike store in Georgetown for shopping, but I was short on time so I didn’t make it up there.

They gave us a card with a code in our race packet, and you could enter it into a few places to try to win a prize. I didn’t win anything [insert sad face here]. I took a pic as I entered (from the back, the wrong side, oops!):

I’ve been Tweeting but I didn’t stick around the video wall of Tweets long enough to see some of mine:

I love running in DC – this course looks great and it’s the main reason I was interested in signing up for this one as opposed to another half marathon. Look, it’s a foot tour of DC!

They had a lot of cool things at the Expo, like printing customized signs for your spectators to hold, hair and makeup stations, and a big wall where you could sign with Green Sharpies, with the header: WHY DO YOU RUN?

 

(ack, too much glare!)

I’ve got my bib and I’m ready for Sunday!