29 August 2011

The Main Event


I did it! I finished the 2011 Go Girl Triathlon in 1 hour, 25 minutes, and 47 seconds. This was 208th place out of 467 finishers. Apparently quite a few people didn't finish because when we started the race they said over 600 people had registered. The breakdown of my time was 18 minutes, 58 seconds for the 500 meter swim (450th place); 38 minutes, 21 seconds for the 10 mile bike (262nd place); and 24 minutes, 42 seconds for the 3 mile run (61st place). Clearly, I need to improve my swim time. 1st place in the swim came in at 7 minutes, 53 seconds. That's super fast. I was expecting to finish in about 12 minutes because this was my time trial in the pool. However, I wasn't taking into account the fact that in the pool you have some momentum when you push off the wall. In the open water, this is gone. All you have is your own strength. They started us individually 2 seconds apart to try to avoid people swimming over each other but it still happened. I got kicked in the face and kicked someone in the face a couple times. The chances of this were increased by the fact that you couldn't see anything in the water, including another person. Also, on the way back to the shore, the sun completely blinded me. I couldn't even see which direction I was supposed to be going. At one point, I almost ran into one of the rescue canoes. To get by I had to stop every so often and listen for splashing so I could follow the sound. It felt great getting out of the water because I knew the hardest part was over.

All the bikes were racked in a designated spot based on bib numbers so after getting out of the water I ran to my bike, put on my helmet, gloves, sun glasses, socks, shoes, and race belt and ran my bike out to the start line where I was allowed to jump on. I had a little trouble getting my feet in my toe clips but once I did I was on the move. The route was quite hilly and one downhill/sharp curve combination almost took me out. I underestimated the sharpness of the curve and spun out a little to far. I recovered quickly and after that had a pretty smooth ride. My style of bike (hybrid road bike) definitely affected my time. With a true road bike and clipless pedals (when your shoes snap into the pedals) I'm confident I would have knocked several minutes off my time. I knew this going into it but I wasn't ready to invest that kind of money for my first event. I still stand by my choice.

The transition from bike to run was much easier. I re-racked my bike, took off my helmet and gloves, put on my hat, and took off. The run started with a steady incline which was killer but I felt strong so I just gave it all I got. I was in a zone. My time of 24 minutes, 42 seconds gave me an average of 8 minutes, 14 seconds a mile. This is an improvement of about 3 minutes from my trial run time and probably my fastest 5K time ever. I'll take the personal best. I felt so strong at the end that I was able to do an (almost) all out sprint for the last tenth of a mile. I felt such exhilaration crossing the finish line; especially when I saw Jimmy and Carter cheering me on.

The aftermath has been pretty good too. Usually, my body is hurting after a long running event (e.g. half marathon, marathon) but I felt good after the triathlon. I'm guessing because each portion of the event causes you to use different muscle groups and also the swim and bike are fairly low impact compared to running long distance. Considering I still feel good the day after, I think I'm in the clear. I'll probably go out for a short run tomorrow morning just to keep my muscles loose. I also have a massage scheduled for tomorrow which is definitely needed.

Overall, I loved the complete experience of training for and competing in a triathlon. I can see doing more in the future. It also made me realize that having several different types of exercises in my exercise regime is key to developing the muscles I want in my physique. The swimming really helped strengthen my upper body, the biking helped strengthen my hamstrings and calves, and the running helped everything else, including my abs. I hope to keep these three exercises in my regular workout schedule albeit at a much lower frequency.

On to the next project! I'll keep you posted once I figure out what that is.

26 August 2011

Banana-Blueberry Pancakes

Here's a quick breakfast idea that takes about 30 minutes to prep and cook.

Aunt Jemima Original Pancake Mix
3/4 cup Milk
1 Egg
 3-4 tablespoonsVegetable Oil
1 tablespoon Butter
1 Banana
Handful of Blueberries
1 teaspoon Cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

Follow the directions on the Aunt Jemima Box to make the batter for 10-12 pancakes. Combine the pancake mix, milk, egg, and 1 tablespoon oil and stir until smooth. I use a fork or whisk so the egg is combined well. Then mix in the cinnamon and vanilla extract. Peel a ripe banana and mash in a separate bowl. Fold banana into batter (will not be smooth). Finally, fold desired amount of blueberries into batter. I pour the batter into a 2 cup measuring cup for easy pouring.  Using a nonstick skillet or griddle if you have one, heat 1 tablespoon vegetable and 1/2 tablespoon butter on medium-low heat. Once butter is melted, slowly add pancake batter. I usually make small silver dollar pancakes but you can make them as large as you like. The pancake is ready to flip once you see air pockets on the top of the batter and the edges start to form (usually about 1 minute). Flip the pancake and allow to cook for another 30 seconds to 1 minute on the other side. Repeat this process until all batter is cooked. You will need to add more oil and butter along the way so the skillet does not get dry. If your pancakes are burning then the heat is too high. Serve warm with syrup. Enjoy!

25 August 2011

Game Time

Today was my last training day before the big event on Saturday. Of course I could always use more training but I'm ready to do this thing. What I'm most anxious about is the swim because it will be in a murky reservoir instead of a safe clear pool where I can grab on to the edge or put my feet on the bottom anytime I choose. I'm told that the reservoir is so murky that you can't even see your hand when you put it in the water. Anyhow, the water is something I can't control so no sense in worrying about it.

Doing this event reminds me of some advice a professor gave me while studying for the bar exam. He said "all you have to do is be average...just perform in the middle of the road and you will pass...either you pass or you fail." Applying that theory to my race goes something like this: I know I'm not the best and I know I'm not the worst so my focus in on finishing with the pack. Of course, I'm going to do the best I can and will compete to the fullest but I won't be disappointed if everything doesn't go perfectly.

What I do know is that training for this triathlon has really transformed my physical fitness. I feel like I'm in the best shape of my life since when I was playing high school sports. I even feel like my conditioning is better than when I train for a marathon or 1/2 marathon and I attribute this mostly to the swimming. I wish I had taken a before and after video so you could see how far I've come. At the end of practice today, my coach encouraged me to do another triathlon after this one because my swimming has really improved and could get even better with continued practice. I encourage folks reading this to consider adding swimming to your workout. It's not strenuous on your joints but it's probably the best cardio workout I've ever done while at the same time providing a full body workout. The downside is that it's rough on your hair, skin, and nails from the chlorine but it's a good trade off if you can work it into your schedule.

I'll let you know how it goes. Wish me luck!

15 August 2011

Practice Run

This is the second time I'm typing this post because the first time it was mysteriously erased during spellcheck. Unfortunately, this one will probably be abbreviated because I don't feel like retyping everything.

Anyway, my training group did a practice triathlon last Thursday. We did a 500 meter swim in a pool (down and back 10 times), a 10 mile bile, and a 3 mile run (both on the monon trail). The idea was to make this as realistic as possible to the actual event so we didn't get any time to change clothes like we normally do. We started in the pool. I finished my laps in about 12 minutes, which is a pretty good time considering where I started. I climbed out of the pool, quickly put on my shorts over my swimsuit, laced up my shoes, grabbed my bag, and ran out to car to get my bike. The transition from swim to bike killed me. It took me about 6 minutes to pull out my bike, put on my helmet, shirt, sunglasses, gloves, and MP3 player. During the actual event my bike will already be set up so I'm hoping the transition will be cut down to 1-2 minutes.

I felt good starting off on the bike but I think the fact that I had no concept of how far 10 miles was on the trail hurt me. I could have probably pushed myself a little harder but I was trying to conserve some energy so I wouldn't burn out. It was also somewhat difficult riding on the trail because it intersects walkways and streets causing me to have to slow down or stop several times. I estimate I lost about 5-6 minutes from this stoppage. My overall bike time was about 42 minutes. I kept my watch running so this also includes any stop time. 42 minutes is extremely slow. When you subtract the stop time you get 36-37 minutes which is better but I still want to get it down to about 32 minutes.

The transition from the bike to run was much better (about 1 minute). I parked my bike, took off my helmet, grabbed my water bottle (I ran with it) and took off. I must have been running on pure adrenaline because I couldn't feel my legs for the first 1/2 mile. By the time I got to the 1 1/2 mile mark I was starting to feel pretty good and increased my speed a little. I still had enough juice at the end to increase my speed even more and finish strong. My run time was about 27 minutes or 9 minutes/mile. This is faster than my pace for longer distanced races (e.g. half marathon) of 9 minutes 30 seconds/mile so I'm pleased but would still like to shave off 1-2 minutes from the overall run time.

My total practice run time (with running clock) was 1 hour 29 minutes.  This would have put me in about 270th place out of 500 participants in last year's Go Girl Triathlon. The winner finished in 59 minutes.  If I deduct my lengthy bike transition time and the bike stoppage time I would have finished in around 1 hour 20 minutes which would have put in about 130th place. Big Difference!

My goal is to finish somewhere in the 1 hour 15 minute range. With 2 more weeks of training to go, I think I can do it.  Regardless, most of my anxiety has been relieved with this practice run because I now know I will finish.

09 August 2011

Quick Training Update

With the Go Girl Triathlon less than 3 weeks away, I'm trying my best to stick to the training schedule. Believe me when I say it's easier said than done. Here's an idea of the regime:

Monday - swim 1000 meters (about 45 minutes for me)
Tuesday - run for 45 minutes
Wednesday - bike for 1 hour
Thursday - 40 minute swim with training group followed by 40 minute run/bike
Friday - rest day
Saturday - run for 1 hour, 10 minutes
Sunday - bike for 1 hour immediately followed by 20 minute run

Can you say...oh my goodness. The last time I worked out this much, I was in summer basketball camp in high school..and I didn't like it. I have to admit, I've been slacking on the bike portion of the training. I've only been riding about one time a week. Maybe I don't think I have anything to worry about as far as the bike portion of the race goes or maybe I'm just afraid of damaging my very expensive bike. You should see me...I'm almost afraid to touch it.  I have been sticking to swimming twice a week and I can tell it's starting to pay off. I feel a lot more comfortable in the water now. Which brings me to a funny story. Today after I finished my swim workout, a woman approached me in the locker room and complimented my good swimming form. "Were you on the swim team she asked?" "Not quite," I replied holding back my laughter. I almost let the compliment go to my head until I realized this woman could not swim herself. Hence, she wouldn't know the difference between good form and whatever it was I was doing. It gave me a chuckle at least.

My strategy in keeping to the training schedule is to get the workout out of the way in the morning so I don't have to worry about it the rest of the day. The runs are the easiest because I can strap Carter in the running stroller and take off. I've been using a sitter for my bikes and swims, except on the weekend when Jimmy can take over. I started off taking Carter to the daycare in the gym which was great but out of the blue he started having separation anxiety and wouldn't let me get out the door without crying and screaming. I tried just leaving him but the staff said he kept crying after I left. For his sake and my peace of mind, I feel better having him stay in the comfort of home. This is working out well and I can focus on training.

3 more weeks to go. I can do this. Let's go...

08 August 2011

Another Fun Family Mini-Vacation

My dad, stepmom, Carter, and I traveled to Washington D.C. this past weekend to belatedly celebrate my brother Clinton's (CC) 30th birthday. His actual birthday was July 10th but we weren't available to make the trip so we decided to make up for it. Being my normal "cheap" self, Carter and I crashed in my parents' hotel room. We thought we were going to have two double beds but once we arrived they only had king bed rooms. What does that that mean you ask? It means that Carter and I were stuck on a roll-away bed. The room was so small that the only place the roll-away would fit was at the foot of the king bed. Once we did this, access to the far side of the room was completely cut off. Carter loved this configuration because it meant he could easily climb from one bed to the other. We've been in tight quarters before but this was "tight."

Other than the close quarters, the hotel was nice. It was The Fairfax on Massachusetts and 21st near Dupont Circle. The location was convenient to restaurants, bars, shops, etc. Everything we needed was a short walk or taxi ride away. My dad got a great rate on cheaptickets.com and I would highly recommend it for anyone looking for accommodations in the area.

On Friday night, we had dinner at a Lebanese restaurant (think kabobs) and on the walk back to the hotel we stopped to hear a street brass band comprised of about 6 young african-american kids ranging in my guestimation from ages 6-16. Those boys were rocking, had a good crowd, and had been playing for at least 3 hours. In a moment of weakness (this doesn't happen often) I donated $10. I thought they deserved it. Afterwards, I hung out with CC and one of his friends. We went to Public House in Dupont which is a multilevel bar/club. It was a cool place with a good crowd and the expected pop hits. However, if I hadn't already realized this, it confirmed that I am way over pushing through crowds, having drinks spilled on me, ringing eardrums, and standing room only. Is this a sign that I'm maturing or that I'm a boring housewife? Maybe it's a little of both but if I never step foot in another club I wouldn't be disappointed. They just don't hold the same luster for me anymore. In my 20s I used clubs to look for my next victim...I mean date...but now that I'm locked down (I mean that in the most endearing way possible) I have no use for them anymore. Although, I will admit, I still like the occasional booty shake with my honey or with my girls but 2-3 times a year is all I need. I was so happy to get back to the hotel and snuggle up next to my little angel.

On Saturday, Carter and I started our morning with a walk to Au Bon Pain for a croissant and muffin (so yummy). Why were random women stopping us on the street to gush about how cute he is? Of course he just eats it up. If this is any sign of what's to come I am not looking forward to his teen years. I can already imagine him as a "ladies' man" because he is very social and already a charmer at 14 months. We had lunch with an old family friend who, despite being 78 with one arm in a sling recovering from shoulder surgery, laid out a mini-feast for us at his home. I rarely see hospitality like this and it inspired me to be more like this to guests in my home. I was also impressed by his art collection which he acquired while living in Nigeria and South Africa in the 80s and 90s, as well as, his stories of the peace keeping missions he embarked upon while abroad.

We ended Saturday with a wonderful feast at CC's abode with the company of his roommates, family, and friends. My uncle Calvin and his daughter Kennedy were there and Kennedy (5 years old) and Carter, who met for the first time, got along glowingly.  So well that Carter felt comfortable taking Kennedy's drumstick from her plate and waving it around like a trophy. It was so much fun watching the two of them. Even with the age difference, they seemed to have a good time together. The highlight of the night was my dad trying to back out of the parking spot in the alley behind the house. It's really one of those "you just had to be there moments" but the best way I can describe it is the scene in Austin Powers where he was trying to turn around the motorized cart in the hallway and he kept hitting the wall. OMG...my dad could not get out of the spot and it was so hilarious that everyone from inside the house came out to watch. We eventually made it out, although with tears in our eyes from all the laughter. Ahh...all this and still in bed by 11 p.m. Unfortunately Carter didn't get the memo. I had to literally keep my arm around him so he would stop moving and fall asleep. I have never seen anyone fight sleep like him.

The trip ended with breakfast Sunday morning and we were off to the airport. I was so happy to get home and see my hubby but once that excitement wore off both Carter and I passed out. If this isn't a sign of great trip, I don't know what is.