Woo hoo!  I'm in!  I submitted an application a few months ago and found out on Friday afternoon that I made the cut for the 2011 Team Aquaphor sponsored athlete team! Very exciting!  :) 

I just sent back my Ambassador Agreement and look forward to connecting with my new teammates!

The cool part is that I've used Aquaphor since I was a kid.  My mom worked for a Dermatologist and it's been a staple in my household for dry skin (especially now with my daughter), for sunburns (like the one I have now) and if I do chafe on a run. It's also good for those long bike rides!!

Looking forward to sporting the new team kit and being able to offer some samples and coupons! I'll post pictures when I get everything in!  Thanks Team Aquaphor and Active Ambassadors!


About Team Aquaphor



Aquaphor is dedicated to providing athletes the ability to train and compete while being free from uncomfortable chafing, blisters, and other skin conditions that often occur during strenuous exercise. In its sixth year of existence, Team Aquaphor is comprised of 200 top-age group athletes who primarily compete in triathlons, running and cycling. Aquaphor thanks all past and present team members for their success, dedication, and support.

Sunscreen FAIL

"I'm going off the rails on a crazy train!"   -Ozzy

82 mile bike yesterday afternoon... 14.5 mile run this morning! :)

* I took a half day off on Friday to get my 5 hour ride in.  It was a gorgeous 80 degree day.  Winds were nasty as usual at the Texas Motor Speedway, but this was my longest ride to date, so I was pretty excited to hit another milestone. 

* I sprayed sunscreen on like crazy... but apparently the winds blew it off before it hit my skin.  Well, at least it's going to be an interesting tan line. :P

* Putting on a sports bra to go run this morning was excruciatingly painful.

* I didn't succumb to using that as an excuse as to not go run.  I actually ended up adding an extra couple miles to the run, just because I knew I could.  (My foot is feeling great!)

* Leaving to go down to the Woodlands next weekend to ride the majority of the IMTX course.  I can't wait!  If you told me last year that I would be excited about riding 90 miles, I would have fallen over laughing.

* Riding 90 miles will be my "taper" for my half iron the following weekend.  Or is the 1/2 Iron my taper week...  bwhwahahah... crazy train.

* I've had a rough couple of weeks with some let-downs and now I'm back to my normal, happy self and having so much fun with this training.

* At the end of next week, I will have surpassed my entire training total for the bike of last year.


Hope everyone is having a great weekend of training!

All races are at Fit-N-Wise in Decatur, Texas.  The swim is in a heated, indoor pool.  The bike takes place on a scenic, country road with a few Texas hills included to keep the course challenging.  The run is all on paved, cement roads. 

Register on Active.com!

Many thanks to our Web Manager, Blake for the logo design and web page development and putting up with my umpteen changes; Michelle for allowing me to bounce logo concepts and names to no end and to Mike Bowers, the originator of the Try the Tri at Wise Regional and the Race Director for the series. The Try the Tri in July 2009 was my first triathlon and started me on this crazy journey! :)

If you want to volunteer, sponsor or help support one or all of these events, please don't hesitate to contact me!

What else could it be than the USOC recruiting me for the 2012 London Olympics Triathlon Team, right???

I love the idea of virtual races, I'm just bad about submitting my results.  But, for me it's about the motivation to get the mileage in, so I'm in for  The Iron Christmas Virtual 70.3 Race.


The race is being hosted by Luke from The Super Fatlete and it was my favorite So. Cal Multi-Sport racer, Patrick that gave me the heads up.

Between Monday, Dec. 20 and Friday, Dec. 24, each entrant must swim 1.2 miles, bike 56 miles and run 13.1 miles. 

I've already got this in the bag.  ;)

I got the swim in on Monday (and I didn't even know about the race).  Have  a 6.2 mile run planned for lunch today.  Bike trainer tonight.  And, we're only on Tuesday, folks!

Sorry, dude.  You're DQ'd!

The new USAT newsletter had a link to their "updated" rules - with the new instruction as to wetsuits, etc.  So, as I'm perusing them, I noticed on the run portion that they specifically state:

6.1 Permitted Conduct. A participant must run or walk the entire portion of the run course. Except for reasons of safety and when no advantage is gained, all runners shall follow and remain within the prescribed course. A participant who gains forward progress by crawling or otherwise violates this Section shall be disqualified.

So, that got me thinking whether or not the same rule applies to the ITU.  Sure enough.  As plain as day, they say:

The competitor: 

1) May run or walk
2) May not crawl

They also go on to say that you can not run with a bare torso  (seriously, these people have no sense of fun at all.)

But, here's my point.  Arguably the most infamous Ironman finish was in 1997 where Sian Welch and Wendy Ingraham do everything in their power to finish and duke it out by crawling to the finish line.  According to today's rules, they would have been disqualified.  As far as safety goes, I understand wanting everyone to be trained to a point where they don't have to crawl, but if you pull a hamstring with 300 meters to go - you can't gut it out and crawl yourself to finish?

Sigh.  I'm joking about my training plan.  But some of the best stories in sports are those that defy the odds and push themselves to achieve when everyone else would have quit.  I'm not a proponent of crawling, I just think that as long as you're making forward progress without assistance, I don't care if you're doing the worm to get there.   Thoughts?

2010 Race Medals

So, I don't have any more races scheduled for the year, so I figured I'd review 2010.   What a year! 2009 was my first in triathlon and this year was one of some awesome accomplishments and one where I made a lot of mistakes and learned a lot about racing.

This year I competed in:
  - 3 Sprint-distance Triathlons
  - 3 Olympic-distance Triathlons
  - 3 Half Marathons
  - 2 Bicycle Rally's
  - 1 Adventure Race
  - 1 Half Ironman

1.  Supporting first -time races is good for the community and for our sport.

2.  Adventure racing is a heck of a lot of fun.

3.  If you want to race fast, you have to race smart. (And that means slowing down for sharp left turns)

4.  After finishing my first 70.3, I realized that I had the drive, the will  and the sincere desire to tackle a full Ironman.

5. Bike rally's are not to be feared. Personally, I felt they would be filled with a bunch of peloton-riding hard core cyclists.  But, everyone is so friendly and they didn't even laugh at my aero bars (at least not in front of me) And, rest stops every 10 miles... with cookies??  Seriously?  Made me question being a triathlete.

6. If the race you're going to ride / run in has hills... it's best to train on hills.  Trust me on this.

7.  No matter how far you are out of your league you feel in any race, you still belong there.  There is room for the person who finished first, just as much as there is for the person who finished last.  Don't let anyone tell or make you feel otherwise.  No one can take the experience away from you.

8.  Always double check the race signs.

9.  Bloggers are a great source of inspiration, motivation and experience!

10.  I can't wait for the 2011 season!!

So, I've been down the last few days about my taking the wrong course at the White Rock Marathon.  I had trained for and was mentally prepared to go 26.2 and  with one simple mis-read of a sign, I was robbed of a marathon finish.  I felt that I wasted valuable training time, I didn't complete what I set out to achieve and well, just wanted to go back in time and fix it.

As most of you fellow triathletes know, we can easily obsess on just about everything race-related.  How to drop seconds off our transition times ... Will that aero helmet really improve my bike time? ...  How can I improve my nutrition plan? We want to be the best that we can be at a sport that seems to give back to us as much as we put into it.

But, seriously.  What do I have to complain about?  I realize that I should be so thankful for my health and that I was able to complete a half without any problems or injuries.   I will go on to run more marathons, triathlons and the like.  I should be thankful and not dwell on the mistake.  In the scheme of things, it's just not that big of a deal. 


I came across this movie trailer for a movie called "ATHLETE" - a documentary that profiles four individuals - a cancer survivor, a blind senior citizens and two twin sisters who compete in marathons and triathlons.  I haven't seen the movie, but the trailer already has me inspired. Enough of my pity party.

30 weeks or 206 days.  However you look at it... THE JOURNEY HAS STARTED!!

This last week has been a transition period- from finishing out the 2010 triathlon season and sprinting (!) to beginning marathon training and now this week, I begin IM training.  Not much of a rest period, that's for sure. But, switching gears to start going "long" is an adjustment.

White Rock 2009

I had a great 12 mile run last Saturday morning.  That was seriously double  the longest run I've completed in more than 3 months.. at least?  Nothing like crash coursing into marathon training.  I'm only 6 weekends away from the White Rock Marathon, so I have a lot of running to catch up on. I had a nice invite from Jason over at Life of An Aspiring Triathlete - also running White Rock- to join him for a 16 mile run, but I was afraid I wouldn't be able to hang.  Trying to take it slow and easy and trying not to get injured, but thanks Jason!  You Rock!  (We'll train together at some point - promise!)  

Ironman training (today) consisted of a 2,500 yard pool swim at lunch and then a 10k run this evening.  The run is more than what is called for, but I'm having to adapt to keep my mileage up.  I'm typically swim between 1,500 and 2,000 during a session, but at a greater intensity, so upping the mileage wasn't too bad- but still seemed like a long time to be water-logged.  My swimming will be dropping from 3 days/ week down to 2 so that shouldn't be so bad.

As always, I have my wonderful swim partners to thank (Blake & Michelle) for keeping me motivated in the water.  I've always preferred being a "wolf pack of one" when it comes to training, but I always enjoy their company.

Hope everyone is having a great week.  :)

1st place - 30-34 age group!

Obviously a reference to Austin Powers, but I had a great race on Sunday!  I did the Monster Tri 2 in Denton.  I was ready for this race.  It was sprint race and it was really the first time that I set my mind to a training plan to be ready for it.

Sprints on the track, quick bricks and endless 100 and 50 sprints in the pool.  And, it worked.  I took 1st in my age group!

And, that qualified me for the 2011 Age Group National Championships in Vermont.  Don't know if I'm really going to attempt that again, but at least the qualification is out of the way if i decide to....So, yeah baby!

 

This guy actually did the whole race in this costume! He said he could see just fine. It made me claustrophobic!

 I raced with my friend and co-worker, Michelle who did an awesome job!  She is 3-months, post-baby!  So any of you mommies out there can understand the major respect I have for her to get herself back into the physical shape to just get out there and do it!  I am so amazingly proud of her! 

More than 300 racers!

Part of the reason, I was so happy with my finish, was last year, I had approached a certain individual about possibly his company sponsoring me as a triathlete.  He, in a joking manner, said that he "wouldn't sponsor last place."  I know him well enough to know that he was kidding, but, I was new to the sport and it irked me. Really irked me. I was excited about my progress and was getting a definite feel for the sport. It was one of those things that has driven me to push harder and expect more out of myself. 

I don't expect 1st place finishes all the time. It may never happen again. I have my loftier distance goals and then, maybe I'll re-evaluate my podium goals in the future.  But, for now.  I'll take this first place and for me, that's enough - knowing that he wouldn't have been sponsoring last - he would have been sponsoring a triathlete-in-the making. 

Heading out on the bike. Brrrrr!!

The guy behind me shot me a dirty look when I chicked him.  Seriously dude? Run. Faster.

Michelle & Me post-race! Tri-Mommies!

We have the best mom's ever!

Our hospital's Web manager and our personal Swim Coach, Blake, came out to root us on!

This is what happens when you live in a small town and there's not much news going on- even when they only publish once every other week.  So embarrassing.  But, hey, maybe it will inspire someone else to try a triathlon. That, to me, would make it worth it!  :)


Speaking of triathlons, I am trying to talk our hospital into sending me to the USA Triathlon Race Director Symposium.  It's being held in Colorado Springs, CO this January.  I'm so excited about getting to be the Race Director for an All-Women's triathlon out at our hospital in 2011.  It will be the first time for this event, and we just nailed down the event date.  Looks like we're a go for Saturday, August 13.  More info when we get the logos and the event website all set up.  

After setting the world record for an Ironman race, Chrissie Wellington had this to say on her blog. And, to me, it is one of the most inspiring things I've ever read. Thank you Chrissie for being a great role model to women of all ages and for the sport of triathlon!

"...as with any ground breaking performance the inevitable questions arise. They are never directed to me. More whispered in the background, or implied in conversations with those who know me. They ask how it is possible to do what I did without the use of performance enhancing drugs. I don’t believe that silence is golden – and my brief response is this. I got into this sport almost by accident. Not for money, for glory or even for world records. Simply to see how good I could be. I had a talent that not even I knew I had. It took a few special people to help me realise that talent and hone me into the athlete I am today. But I devote my life to this sport. Putting my heart and soul into fulfilling my potential – mentally and physically. It requires sacrifice, hard work, determination and an ability to look beyond the physical boundaries that others set for you. I look in the mirror and I know that I am clean. I have never, nor will ever, take performance enhancing drugs. I don’t need to. What you all saw last weekend is the real me, putting my heart and soul on the line to test my limits and show that the bar can be raised.  This is a wonderful time for women in sport. Please, let us celebrate that."


From Chrissie Wellington's web site:
http://www.chrissiewellington.org/blog/challenge-roth-anything-is-possible/

I had a great talk with my friend, Peyton, tonight. (Sorry, Peyton... hope you don't mind).  But, I can't tell you how much I love talking with people who are just catching the triathlon bug ("Newbies").  Mainly the ones who are considering it, but are scared to death. Why? Because that's exactly where I was a year ago.  Ok. 385 days ago.  I competed in my first sprint triathlon on July 11, 2009.  I was scared to death. Other than knowing that I was going to swim, bike and run... I had no idea what to expect. I had read a ton of articles online, but still wasn't sure how things were going to end up when or if I crossed the finish line.  Well, I finished and while I was exhausted, I immediately started thinking about what I could have done better and if I had only pushed it a little harder on the bike, I could have finished "this" much faster. Yep. I was hooked.


Since July of 2009, I've finished:
5 Sprint-distance triathlons
3 Olympic-distance triathlons
1 Half Ironman-Distance triathlon (70.3 miles)

3 Half Marathons (4 if you count the one in May '09)
1 Full Marathon

1 Adventure Race - Warrior Dash
1 Bike Rally (45 miles)

And the season this year is just getting started! :)  Entering races and events keeps me motivated. If anything it keeps me accountable for my training.  I keep track of my training meticulously, thanks to BeginnerTriathlete.com. It's a great site and using the forums and the training logs are free!   Here's a quick peek at how the site keeps track of everything.

Training Totals

July's totals:
Bike:	7h 01m 33s  - 112.8 Mi
Run:	3h 00m 09s  - 18.2 Mi
Swim:	3h 18m 57s  - 8440.42 Yd
Strength:	5h 55m

2010 totals
Bike:	57h 24m 35s  - 841.64 Mi
Run:	33h 36m 27s  - 202.65 Mi
Swim:	41h 28m 15s  - 90022.42 Yd
Strength:	16h 03m

Family First 
It must seem like I'm working out 24/7, but that's really not the case.  Because, being a mommy is my number one priority and I work full-time. For the majority of the time, I do 2-a-day workouts.   I'm very lucky to have a pool at the hospital that I work at, so I'm able to do my lap swimming there. I also work with two very awesome people that just happen to like to do triathlons or some part of triathlon workouts.  Most days, when I'm not attending a Chamber meeting or other work-related functions, I work out during lunch.  Then after work, I come home and spend the evening with my family until my daughter goes to bed and then I start my second workout of the day.  That's usually either a P90x session, a 4-6 mile run around the neighborhood or some quality time with my bike trainer.  The last of which is my least favorite. Weekends usually include one early morning long run or a bike/ run combo, so I'm back right after breakfast or an early morning race.  It leaves me with the majority of the weekend to spend with my very busy little one, which I should actually be tracking as exercise, because we can play "Following the Leader" for at least an hour.


Back to "One Day"
So, where does this lead me on my "One Day" post title?  I think it comes down to how much I enjoy sharing my active lifestyle with others. Whether it's just answering general questions about triathlons or putting together a half marathon training plan for a first-timer, I love it. I can't tell you how proud I was of my mom, who at age 64, finished her first sprint triathlon earlier this year!  She trained hard and accomplished something she wasn't sure she could do. We all start out questioning our abilities, but given the right opportunity, we can find out what we're capable of.  So, my "one day" is how this new found love of triathlon and my background in marketing/ event planning/ PR might be a great mix for becoming a good race director. I've already talked to our local coach at Fit-N-Wise and we're going to meet later this month about planning some additional tri's for next year.  It looks like I'll be getting my feet wet as the race director for an All-Women's Tri!  How cool would that be for our area?  From there... who knows?  Maybe we'll have a 70.3 race in North Texas in the future.  Ironman...I'm available. Ha! :)