Around the house...

My new favorite wall in my house...

Want a close up?

"You don't know, until you try"

so true.

Many of us wouldn't be where we are today without giving something a try that we never thought possible. Seeing this reminds me to keep trying, working hard, and go after my goals. I can never say can't unless I've truly tried and exhausted all possibilities.

This is my new Allied Steel Medal Display that I finally hung up after winning it from Watch MeGo Run! Joel helped me create a custom hangar that I absolutely love. I can't wait to add my new medal on saturday to it!

From Whooha gear

This is the picture I have framed above it (my picture had a glare, so this is from the website). I bought it at my last Tri of the season and LOVED it. I found a great long sleeve tee that I bought from them as well.

I love to have things around the house to motivate me. What's on my list?

1. My medal display & Tri wall

2. My race schedule on the fridge

3. My clothes laid on the dresser the night before

4. My "hat" hangar on the closet door that only holds 1 or 2 hats, but mostly running headbands

5. My supply of Stinger waffles and chews by my running gear

6. Your blogs to check in with on the computer and iphone

7. My foam roller in the living room

8. My bike & trainer in the living room/dining room

9. New packages arriving in the mail often with new running gear and fun things

10. magazines and flyers for more races!

What motivates you around the house?

I have to admit, I did miss this morning's run. I had about 5 nightmares last night, and thought sleeping in would be better. Plus, I think in the long run it will help my calf for saturday's half marathon. Did I mention I bit the bullet & bought new black CEP socks, so I now have a pair to match every outfit. They have become a must have for me.

Tonight we worked on our plan for our big Halloween bash! Remember last year's fun?

I cannot wait!

What are your Halloween plans?

Speed Bumbs

today's quote:

"Don't question reality. When something bad happens, it's better to embrace it and do something about it than to be lost in regrets."

Things do not always go the way we plan. There are small speed bumps and huge mountains that on occasion will make our goals seem impossible. One problem many of us have, is getting hung up on those bad moments. The piece of cake you had at the birthday party, the missed workout to sleep in, The forgotten training session due to the family emergency (or even plain laziness), those are moments not to be stressed over. Spending time worrying over and obsessing over the bad stuff prevents us from making a plan of attack to avoid it happening again. So next time you indulge in a desert, or skip a workout, recognize it, then get over it. Then start thinking about how you can make sure it doesn't happen again.

I did 2 great things today. #1, I actually made it to the pool, and #2, I signed up for my first Sprint Tri race of the season in 4 weeks! The Ludlow Sherrif Sprint triathlon. It is a 300 yard swim, 9 mile bike & 3 mile run, so it should be a good first race of the year. I decided to sign up as Athena and am hoping to kick ass and take first place!

The bad?

I forgot my sneakers to do my weightlifting after swimming. Can't weight lift in sandals, and didn't realize until after I had changed completely. bummer. I did well with my eating until hitting the bar after work with a few coworkers. 2 beers, a little bar popcorn later and I am at home snacking mindlessly until Kevin gets home and I can make dinner. Please someone tell me how to get in the right frame of mind!  I'm trying to just learn and move forward, so someone help me get the motivation I need to eat clean!

I promise to have my Cherry Blossom race recap and a Pearl Izumi review done soon for you guys!

Athena or Age Grouper?

Today I did this....

I registered for a USAT membership in preparation for Tri season, to avoid paying multiple "one-day" fees at each race. I got excited, so then I wanted to check out the info for my first trialthon of the year. A sprint tri with a pool swim.

Typically, I always sign up as an Athena if that category is offered. My brother thinks that this is using my weight as an excuse with racing, but it's hard to lug the extra weight around (he's technically a Clydesdale, but never registers as one). I was scoping out last years results for this race and discovered some interesting facts. If I register as an Athena, there is a decent chance I could come in first place. If I register in my age group 25-29, I have a decent chance of placing in the top 5.

I've never thought of myself as less of an athlete competing in the Athena category. I just feel like it compares me to other females more similar to myself. A lot of age groupers are super thin and fit, and while I know weight doesn't measure the level of fitness a person has, I feel more on an even playing field with other women my size. 

Do you register as an Athena if your weight allows?

Which group would you register as?

Needless to say, the prospect at placing well in a very small local race has motivated me to seriously plan my training, so Olympic tri plan it is! 

germs, vegas, and prizes!

I hate that just as I start to get my workout mojo back, I start to get sick. I'm thinking lack of sleep over the weekend, a crappy diet the last week, and everyone sick at work are to blame. Tuesday night I guzzled 3 cups of green tea, and wednesday morning I had DayQuil, Airborne, and green tea before heading to work. Today though, I'm feeling stuffy, headachy, exhausted, and have a sore throat. I'm skipping work in favor of more rest and healing. Mayyyybe I'll see if I feel up the gym later. But for now, after I get things straightened out, its back to bed. Then maybe I'll have some time to clean my bathroom and work on my tri training schedule.

Aimee @ I Tri to Be Me suggested I try following an Olympic training plan to keep my mileage base up. So I've searching around online for ideas on one I like. So far what I'm not liking is longer than an hour in the pool! I don't think I've ever swam for that long! I'll need to get the waterproof Ipod case just to keep me occupied. I am excited to use my new swim cap from REI though!


Guess what came in my email...

Shelley was already begging me to do this race, but it being so close to Disney 2012, I'm not sure if it will be a smart financial decision. My credit card is still hurting & waiting for my tax return to settle last vacations bills. I am reasoning with myself saying they are a month apart, and I have a coupon code for Disney & could probably find one for Vegas or wait to sign up till I'm at RnR Providence. I just think it would be extra awesome to run the beautiful strip at night!

I also got an email about the Danskin Tri in Webster. It is now scheduled for July 24, which may make it warm enough to go without the wetsuit!

In other news.... like my Power Balance giveaway!

We had 71 entries all together (with the bonus entries from my raffle donations), with the winner being Miss Zippy! Maybe the power balance mojo will help Miss Zippy get rid of her injuries and run happy again!

email me at sgrigely at hotmail dot com to claim your prize by saturday.

Another BIG Thank you to all of you who have donated to my Run to Home Base Fundraising Raffle!

So far I have raised $205 through the raffle to help support injured vets of war. Thank you to each & every one of you who have donated.

This past friday, Elizabeth @ Canyon Cairns won herself a pair of CEP compression shorts!

You can win some fabulous prizes and support a great cause by checking it out HERE!

The next winner will be chosen tomorrow.

I also noticed that I am over 200 followers!! Welcome to all new followers and thank you to everyone new and old for following. Knowing I have you all to keep me accountable and to support me, help me get better and stronger all the time. Thanks for reading, now back to bed for me!

On the mend!

Luckily my back is much better. I spent friday night eating heating, reading, and TV watching, making sure to take my muscle relaxers and pain killers when scheduled. Kevin left for Vermont to go snowboarding for the weekend with some friends, which left me to heal, and have a little alone time.

my best friend: brookstone lumbar support

Saturday I even managed a short trip to the gym. I did the elliptical and stair-stepper, then spent a good 20 minutes stretching. I really worked out my back stretching, and successfully managed a short stint on the foam roller. I was feeling great, and even avoided the muscle relaxer (Aleve only)! 

I was feeling pretty confidant for my 10 miler today, but not so confidant in the weather. Below freezing temps made me worried about ice, and my running parter & I decided to hit the treadmills. We pretended she was interested in joining my gym so she could get in for free, then pounded out 10 miles at an amazing speed. Usually we end up around 11:20-12:20 min/mile pace outside, today however I finished with a 10:58 pace. My heart rate was pounding into the 180s near the end, I needed a couple quick pauses to lower it, and stretch the back, but overall I felt great! And the post run starbucks wasn't bad either. This makes me think that maybe I can run a faster half marathon than I previously thought!

Later, I decided to make my strength training plan. I bought Strength Training for Triathletes a while back, but hadn't put the time aside to go through the exercises to develop a program that would work for me. I really think overall the book is great. Lots of pictures and easy to follow instructions. A good background of information for people who aren't familiar with the science behind strength training. I definitely recommend it!

Here's what I came up with....

3 days of strength training split into each sport

Separate core strengthening I can do at home 2-3x/week

Monday (Run strength)

circuit 1: squats, leg press, hamstring curls

circuit 2: hammer curls, upright row, band row

circuit 3: Split squats, lateral raise, toe raise, runners raise

Wednesday (Cycling strength)

circuit 1: Walking lunge, step ups, single calf raise

circuit 2: back extension, captains chair knee lift, shoulder protraction

circuit 3: front raise, DB push up, one leg squats

Friday (Swim strength)

circuit 1: Cable lateral leg lift, cable crossover, cable hip ext

circuit 2: bridging pullover, tubing stroke, tricep push down

circuit 3: inclined superman, slam dunk, DB shoulder press

Core

V-up, combination crunch, modified bridge, russian ball twist, moguls & twisting punch

I picked exercises based on the areas I feel I need the most work on. I tried to group them together into circuits that I can easily work on in one area at my gym. Any input, ideas, or feedback?

Don't forget my Nathan hydration giveaway! enter HERE by 2/3!

Am I a Runner or Triathlete?

Me & Monica at our first 5K in 2006!

This week I started thinking about triathlons vs. running. I started running almost 5 years ago, and it took me a long time to consider myself a runner. Since I was chubby & slow, I never felt like a "real runner", just someone trying to fit in. I felt like an outsider in the running world. I finished a few 5Ks, and even my first and second half marathons & still didn't feel like a runner. You see, I was the kind of girl who would find plenty of excuses not to get up for the gym, to skip my long runs on the weekends (even when I was race training), and I would never dream of going out if it were too cold, rainy or snowy. When I signed up for my 3rd half marathon at Disney World with a group of friends, I promised my brother I would go as slow as we needed to so I could help him finish. The race was in January, which in florida should be ideal running weather, right? Last year unfortunately was the worst weather florida had gotten since the 70s, making our 3:30am bus time & 6:30am race start the worst thing I have ever experienced. I had my running tights, long sleeve shirt, gloves, headband, and a disney poncho to block out the rain, hail and snow as we got pelted waiting for the race to start.

Me & Christy pre-race at the hotel

Amy & Christy getting ready for the start

Almost done! at Epcot

We were cold, miserable, and if I hadn't paid so much money to get to Disney & wanted that race medal so bad, I would have turned around & climbed back to bed. My brother & I finished the race in just under 3 hours. His legs cramped up at mile 9, and we walked for the majority of the race after that. It was my slowest finish time ever, but I finally felt like a runner. Only a runner would endure snow in florida to run 13.1 miles through Cinderella's castle!

Horrible self taken shot of me & my brother after the finish

Becoming a Triathlete was a totally different story. I felt it the minute I crossed that finish line. Maybe it's because I struggled into a wetsuit at 6am, maybe because I was crazy enough to ride up the practically vertical hills, maybe it was because I pushed myself to keep running even though my back felt like it was going to give out on me. The moment I crossed that finish line & high fived Sally Edwards, I felt like a totally bad ass triathlete. For months people had looked at me like I was crazy when I told them about the swim, bike, run plan, and I proved I could do it. Totally Bad ass!

Now clearly I have more running races under my belt than triathlons, but now I'm trying to figure out how to be a runner/triathlete. Train for both at the same time, improve my body to benefit both sports. Thankfully tri season is over for now, and I can focus on the running.

Me & Monica after my Athena win!

I signed up for the Hartford Half Marathon's 5K for next weekend! My friend Jessica at work helped me out by taking my backup shift at work, so now I can do my first 5K road race since my surgery & watch my brother & friend Ashley finish the Half Marathon! I won the Athena category a few years ago at this, so we'll see how it goes this year! The Manchester turkey trot is on thanksgiving & New Orleans is looking like a definite, so my calendar is looking good so far!

Today, I got out of work around 2:30, and really wanted to go for a run. I got home and in my mailbox was a fabulous motivational surprise that I can't let you in on yet, since it is for our next giveaway! I was all pumped up & ready to go for a little over a 3 mile run. As I was heading out, I felt so good, I decided to add on another loop, which really turned out to be a pretty good sized extra loop. I thought about adding on a little more, but my right knee was aching (old ACL reconstruction) and my back was starting to bother me, so I started for home. I had no idea how long the run was, but it felt like the longest distance I've done in awhile & I was able to keep my heart rate manageable & my breathing under control the entire time. I only needed 2 rest breaks walking for the knee, and didn't walk at all until almost 4 miles in. Total I ran 5 miles! Guess I'll be fine for my 5K & the turkey trot, I'll start working on building my speeds.

Don't forget to enter my giveaway HERE for an Inspired endurance Triathlon bead, and be sure to check out their website HERE for lots of fabulous running jewelry!

Want to know how my triathlon went? go HERE to get my Danskin Triathlon race report!

Danksin Triathlon Race Shots!

Finished! Race Report Danskin Webster Triathlon!

Saturday 9/25/10 - Packet Pickup
Left at 10am for Webster! packed up the car, and picked up Debbie. For some reason the GPS took us through some backroads instead of the masspike, but we got there eventually. Picked up our packets at the tent, then went inside to get our swim caps and race tanks, and listen to the informational/motivational meetings held by some seasoned pro triathletes/ironwomen. They gave us some tips for things like putting on the swim cap, passing bikers on the road and making the transitions run smoothly. Got some free goodies, bought a couple Bondi Bands and a neoprene chip strap, then headed out to check out the course. We didn't get our swim in, but felt the water and confirmed wetsuits was a spectacular plan, and saw where we would swim and transition. After that we checked in at the hotel, drove around, went to the mall/killed time until dinner at Outback.

Sunday 9/26/10 - Race Day
Danksin Women's sprint triathlon
1/4 mile swim, 12 mile bike, 3 mile run

Getting marked up with my number

Woke up early, put the gear on and headed out of the hotel. I brought my own organic wheat bread, organic peanut butter, and bananas and made breakfast before we left. Headed the race site, where we had to park in the neighborhood across from the park and walk over. Thankfully I had Kevin to help me get my stuff over there. Got there a little after 5am, transition had just opened. Got a pretty sweet spot close to the bike enter & exit chutes.  We got marked up and laid out all our gear. I spied a bunch on the other girls to figure out what I was doing, how I should set up, etc. Heres what I came up with:

Running shoes, race belt, tank, cycle shoes, socks, sunglasses, glide, goggles. I put my helmet on my bike, and wetsuit over the bar. 6ish we put on the wetsuits and headed to the beach around 6:30 so they could give us last instructions before we headed out into the water. The swim didn't look too bad from the shore.

Me, Debbie & Barb geared up for the swim

My Swim wave

The water wasn't too cold, but I was definitely was glad to have the wetsuit on. I positioned myself to the right side, and back of my wave to start. Sally gave us a mantra to say to ourselves along the way. "I am a wicked good ::insert sport here::" I didn't use it too much on the swim, but definitely later on in the course.  Somehow I ended up at the front end of my wave, even though I felt like I was struggling. Every time I saw the buoy, I was praying it was the one for us to turn back to shore. I passed a few people on swim noodles, some people from the wave before me & the wave before that. I ended up finishing the swim in 11:46. As soon as I got out, I started to strip down, I ripped off my swim cap, goggles, and starting unzipping my suit. I saw Kevin on my left as I exited the water.

Coming out of the swim

I got to my transition spot, my legs a little wobbly. My feet were numb from the cold water. I saw Debbie at her bike stripping down too (she was the wave ahead of me), I finished peeling off my suit. I put on my socks and cycling shoes, headband, sunglasses, helmet, tank. I ate a couple sport beans, then headed out for the ride.

Not Going to Lie, the ride was TOUGH! The hills were worse than anything I've ever ridden on. I repeated my mantra "I am a wicked strong cyclist," up the tough parts. The worst hill, was so steep about 90% of racers walked their bikes up it. I am proud to say I rode the entire way. A couple other hills people walked up, I cruised (I mean struggled) by. We did have a couple downhills, mostly past mile 5. I found it tough to really pick up speed on the downhill while trying to maneuver around people. My back was killing me the second half of the bike, I knew it would cause me trouble in the run.The last leg of the bike overlapped with part of the run course, then it was back toward the beach. Saw Kevin on the way in, but he didn't catch a shot quick enough of me. My overall bike time was 53:19.

My back end as I raced by

Pink shirt in the back is me at transition

I got off the bike, my legs initially felt rubbery, feet still numb. I racked my bike, changed into running shoes, put on my race belt & grabbed a few sport beans and took off. There was no "run out" sign, so I thought I was going the wrong way & started to turn around, but the volunteers guided me in the right direction. Kevin met up with me along the start of the run for a few good pictures.

blowing kisses on my way out

I'm not gonna lie. The run was tough. Not too many hills, just a few little ones, but I was struggling hardcore. My legs left great. It was the left side of my low back & my lungs that felt like they were gonna die. My heart rate stayed around 171, as it had been for much of the race (not great!). After the 1 mile mark, I had to pull over to try & stretch my back, but it didn't work so well. I looped around at the halfway point, and a little after that, saw Barbie heading toward the halfway. I kept chugging along, checked my watch, I might actually make my 1:45 goal! I walked up one hill, then jogged the rest of the way. Realized that when I had longer strides, my back hurt less. Saw Debbie on her way to the halfway point on my way to the finish. Kevin caught me as I was almost to the finish.

Almost there!

Sprinted the last bit to the finish! My run time was 34:44. I was surprised that I wasn't going slower. Crossed the finish line, sweet! Barbie finished a couple minutes after me (her swim wave was one after me). Debbie finished a little after that, we got some food, then headed home with a new title of triathlete!

We finished!
1:45:28, 2:00:56, 1:42:38

Packing up & heading home

Overall I had so much fun! I'm not even feeling as sore as my half marathons. I think I'll be ok at work tomorrow (luckily my student will do most of the work haha), and I can't wait to brag!

My Overall Stats

Total time: 1:45:28

Overall place: 346/657

Athena Division place: 16/35

Swim: 00:11:46

Swim rank: 186

Trans1: 00:03:02

Bike: 00:53:19

Bike rank: 346

Trans 2: 00:02:35

Run: 00:34:44

Run rank: 422

Now it's time to start thinking about the next adventure. Planning my next half marathon with my college roomate. We're trying to pick one possibly near her in TN next spring, but are having a little difficulty figuring it out. My next race will either be the Hartford Half 5K or the Manchester 5 mile turkey trot on thanksgiving. I want to pick out a few more to round out the list until St Pattys Day race in march.

I'll post my first giveaway tomorrow to celebrate my triathlon finish! Early to bed tonight!

This is it!!

It's here! Race weekend!

I can't believe that this time has flown by so quickly. Not only does it seem like not that long ago that I had my bunion surgery (a little more than 5 months!), but it feels like yesterday that I decided to train for this race. Now after all those hours of training, and money spent on equipment, I am getting ready for an extremely "big" moment in my life. I can't wait to call myself a triathlete!

The race is Sunday morning. We decided to stay overnight nearby since we have to be out there for race packet pick up on saturday, and my friend debbie and I want to try and get a swim in at the lake the race is  at. We are leaving tomorrow morning around 10, will get there around 11/11:30 to get race packets and go to the seminars they are having on what to expect, etc. Then we will try to get in a swim before heading to the hotel. Haven't thought about dinner, maybe I should google healthy places to eat nearby.

Tonight, Kevin dragged me out to Oktoberfest in Springfield for an hour or so, and now we're back home so I can pack & get a good nights sleep. Check out my gear all laid out to pack, so I don't forget anything!

Now I haven't worked out since my double session on tuesday (AM run, PM outdoor ride), I've been reallly tired & busy. Hopefully its not too much of a taper? I'm sure it will all work out fine.

I will be back on either sunday night or monday to post results, pictures, race recap & announce the fabulous giveaway to celebrate my achievement! Wish me luck!

I fought my bike, and my bike won....

So after feeling so exhausted this morning I had to skip my workout, I decided to pack up my stuff to go out riding/ running with some coworkers. I spent 20 minutes fighting my bike into the car. imagine this ..... I am dressed in my red sox scrubs and a white tshirt, I take the bike from the garage. Removing the front wheel so it fits in the back seat is supposed to be easy right. flip the clip, pop off the wheel. nope, not working, unscrew that black screw thing? nope, now a spring is coming back. Lets try to put down the back seat & shove it through the trunk. Groan, shove, not going in. Rip the bike out, put it back in the garage. Get into the car & realize I have 7 minutes now to get to work and look at my shirt and arm to realize I am coated with dirt, tire streaks & sweat. The bike won, it went into the garage. Then at work, my coworkers decided they wanted to go earlier than I could get out & I was way to exhausted anyways. ::GROAN::

Took a nap when I got home. I guess my body just needs a little rest, cant wait for my vacation! I ordered my Tri outfit! I went with the TYR outfit (Option #3 from a couple posts below), and decided maybe I will buy option 2 if I stay dedicated to my training for a few weeks. I also ordered the book Slow Fat Triathlete: Live Your Athletic Dreams in the Body You Have Now , which was recommended to me. It won't be in before I leave for vacation, but I'll move it to the top of my reading list when I get back. Ive been reading a LOT of inspiring websites & blogs. I came across a girl on the WW boards who signed up to complete an iron man prior to her 30th birthday, AMAZING! I would be so excited to do a half ironman at some point! Check her out: Iron girl Jo .

Since my body is clearly craving rest, my plan is to lay low tonight. Do some packing, cleaning, organizing, make some lists of what I need. Tomorrow AM we're going out for breakfast for our student's last day, so I will hit the gym for what I can in the AM. At least a 20-30 min run, maybe a swim in the PM after work, if I can get enough done before then.

rainy day

I knew that it would be rainy today so I definitely needed to get my workout in this morning. Woke up bright & early at 5am. My friend Barbie decided she will do the tri with me & we go to the same gym (clutch!) so she came with me today. I Swam laps for about 15 min, then jogged/walked for 30 min. I couldn't believe how sore my legs still are from lifting yesterday! Even though I felt like lunges were my only lower body exercise, they KILLED me. I am having trouble sitting, standing up, and squatting down (all major parts of my work as a physical therapist). I have to work all weekend and so far it seems like it will be a busy one. Im hoping to sneak in maybe a workout on sunday afternoon.

I've been looking for advice on triathlon wear. I kind of like the idea of a sport skirt (I think I would hate running in a compression tri short, but who knows!) They have a bunch at Skirt Sports , which was recomended to me by a trainer at the gym. A fellow blogger Lindsey (Adventures of a big kid) recommended  wearing a normal swimsuit with sportsbra (I was HOPING someone would say that, I most certainly can't go without a bra!), and tri shorts & tank from Danskin (they have some cute skorts too).

I'm already getting nervous about the transitions and doing one exercise after another, but I'm so excited for the challenge! It's giving me the motivation to eat healthier and stay on track, and I'm honestly looking forward to my workouts!