Workouts:

Saturday: 20 mile run
Sunday: 20 mile bike, 4 mile run

Legs cramped in the heat. I am worried for my next race! My dog felt so badly for me coming in from my 20 mile run. She put her paw on me and just rested it there. You have got to love dogs.

So you had a bad day

I spent the Labor Day weekend doing what I usually do during this holiday: not laboring. I visited my favorite place, the bookstore, and discovered a new fav author. Despite the heat advisory and unbelievable temps Phoenix is still having, I managed to run miles everyday and complete a couple long bike rides.

However, Monday morning I was greeted with some deeply disappointing news. I had been very much hoping for something to happen and emailed myself everyday saying that it would happen and saying a prayer each time. I figured if I wrote (typed) my goal, it would have to come true right? Well, it didn't and it was a major (major!!) bummer and gave me a headache in the process. On top of it, I asked my parents if I could move back in with them. I would rent out my house to save money and pay off the car I was forced to buy when Saturn decided that it didn't want to drive anymore.

My parents haven't said yes. I don't expect them to either. But if they do, I will be a 33-year-old, single girl living with my parents. How attractive is that? It wouldn't be for a long time, just to pay off my car and some bills. Plus, I think I would like it. It's lonely living alone in my house. I come home to my DVR and as often as I try to start conversations with my TV, it just doesn't seem to talk back.

Tribal Sprint Triathlon

I woke up at 3:30am for an early triathlon which had a start time of 6:15--a 1 hour and 15 minute drive from my house. I'm not even close to being a fast swimmer or biker, but I love to run and I thought my goal for this race is not let anyone pass me on the run. I accomplished the goal. Not a soul passed and yes, there were still people behind me. I'll take the small accomplishments as I can get them. I really love the run course, as it is a lot of trail running, which you don't often find in a triathlon.

Bad Movie Weekend

Friday night I went with a past co-worker to see Hot Tub Time Machine. Yes, I want my money back. Yes, that was two hours of my life I won't ever get back. Yes, I washed my eyes out after it. The actors and directors had to have known that this cannot possibly be anything other than the worst movie ever made. Even the title alone reeks of stupidity. On Saturday night I rented 2012. Apparently, even though the world is ending and the continent is underwater, you can still use your cell phone.

But I did make a delicious discovery: The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf. I'm sorry Starbucks, but I have found something better: raspberry scones that taste like Lucky Charms cereal and hot vanilla, which is like melted clouds. Yum!

I ran an 18 miler on Saturday and then biked 18 miles that afternoon in gorgeous weather. I also got a bit bronzed. It's fun looking at the stranger in the mirror. On to a new week of running. Got some marathons coming up!

Weekend

I spent the weekend hiking and biking in this beautiful "green" desert. I really mean green. With the amount of rain this winter has seen, we are left with beautiful lush hills, purple wildflowers, blooming cacti and the fragrant smell of lemons and oranges. Driving around smells like liquid detergent...and I mean that in a good way.

So someone I was hiking with has done Ironman New Zealand and he couldn't say enough good things about it...Crap, another race I must do!! Maybe next year as it has already past this year and after Ironman AZ, I am so tired of biking all the time. I heard from him that Qantas didn't charge him to check his bike box, so bless you Qantas. My dream is to do the Byron Bay triathlon in Australia, so someday that will happen. Too much travel and not enough time nor money, so I have to be picky about where I go. I want to go to Africa again, so I have that on the list as well.

Valentine's Day is about love right? So...

I spent Valentine's Day doing what I love: running. I ran my 21st half marathon in Apache Junction and got the same time I usually do. The course felt tougher with more hills, as it had changed this year. No more running through sweet neighborhoods with children handing out oranges to the runners. Rather, we ran a lot on pavement and only a small portion on trails. The neighborhood blocked a lot of the head wind, but with the new course, we ran into the wind which really slowed my pace down.

I then biked 25 miles to assist with recovery. I find that biking after a half marathon sort of spins the lactic acid out.

It was a gorgeous near 80 degree day. I was dog sitting all weekend and watched my favorite sport in the world: figure skating. I love the winter Olympics because of skating.

So Valentine's day had lovely weather, running, biking, figure skating and a dog for my date. I couldn't have asked for a better Valentine's day! Except if Curtis Stone had been around, things would have been brighter, but I take what I can get. This year my date was a dog, which is actually more than I can say for last year.

On Saturday I ran a 5K and placed 4th out of 14 in my age group. Small race and tough hill for first 2K, but didn't feel winded like I usually do at the end of a 5K.

Blonde Again

So I am now officially blonde again. After 1.5 months of brunette, I am back to the fake me. I love being the fake me.

I went to pick up my packet yesterday for my race and ended up in bike envy. I don't think I saw one bike for less than $2k, probably more like $5k. Oh well, the bike I have is the bike I have and what can I do? Triathlons are my hobby and I love 'em, but not so much that I drop a small fortune.

I am going to a dinner for all the athletes tonight and then dropping off my bike tomorrow and then on Sunday...stay tuned.

Weekend Update

Saturday I participated in the last Splash and Dash of the year: 2000m swim and 3k run. It was cold, cold, cold. I couldn't even feel my feet on the run. It was like running on air.

I then met my group for a 2 hour bike ride...at least it was supposed to be 2 hours. I flatted about 15 minutes from finishing and I ran out of CO2s. A car pulled up next to me and a very old gentleman with handicapped parking made his way out of the car with his cane. "Do you need some help?" he asked in his old man's voice. "No, I'm okay," I replied. It was very sweet of him to stop, but I just couldn't ask him to help when he could barely get out of his car.

Another biker then stopped to help who had clearly just fallen off his bike. He was gushing blood and offered his services. I really just needed another CO2, which he didn't have.

It was kind of a funny and sweet situation. Getting offers of help from people who I should be offering to help. What goes around comes around. I always, always try to help bikers. If I have a pump in my car and I see a biker changing a flat, I stop and offer my services. I block other cars when I see a biker out on the street to protect them. I know what it is like to be out there with flats and crazy drivers.

After which I attended a baby shower for an old roommate. She was very pregnant and glowing and beautiful. But, I am a deer in headlights with baby products. All of women were discussing labor and which baby lotions work best for rashes and I sat there happily eating homemade cake and nodding as if I understood anything they were saying.

On Sunday I ran the Iron Girl race. I love to support all-female races. I had an easy 10 mile run that felt like nothing. I just felt like I was lightly running and averaged around 9 minutes/mile, which isn't fast, but it felt really easy. It gave me some confidence from my bad workouts last weekend.

I then did a long swim at the gym.

Then I met up for a meeting with my triathlon group to go over racing strategies and we shared some stories and good times and laughs.

After that, I went to my parents' house to see some old friends in town from my hometown of Seattle. So nice to catch up with friends and eat good food. Delicious, crunchy chocolate chip cookies somehow kept finding their way into my stomach. I don't know how that kept happening.

Weekend Update

Friday night I spent swimming laps at the pool. My friends all had dates or went to the movies and I swam never-ending laps and went to bed early. Such is life and it is my choice to spend my Friday evening at the gym.

Saturday I did a 3.5 hour bike ride and felt really out of it. I was in some kind of funk. I had a brick scheduled with a quick 6 mile run afterwards, but had to wait a while to recoop my energy level to do the run. So tired and weird feeling. I think my electrolyte level was too low.

Sunday I participated in a 4000m open water swim race. If this is any indication of what is to come, I better get my armor set up and practice swimming with fists. I was clobbered and hit and kicked so hard my goggles came loose and knocked my contact out of my eye. I treaded water to blink it back in. At 1300m, I threw up from an excess of water intake, suffered from 2000m to 3000m, and then from 3000m to 4000m, I swam my heart out as fast as I could. I don't know how I placed, but it doesn't matter. I did the best I could.

The race director said anyone not wearing a wetsuit is called a swimmer, those with wetsuits are called triathletes. That is fine with me. "Jennifer" and "swimmer" do not belong in the same sentence.

My wetsuit worked fine and didn't split open. Success!

Happy Halloween

I started off the morning that began with a chilly bike ride and ended up with a run in some heat. I did 75 miles on the bike and ended with an 8 mile run around a lake. I even was a good cyclist and helped to stop a fellow biker with a flat.

I am all gelled up from sticky GU seeping its way down my leg and my poor bike just gets Gatorade and GU all over it. It withstands such a beating I give to it, as does my poor body. I ran with my headphones and listened to Michael Jackson's Thriller and The Monster Mash to get into the spirit of the holiday.

Tonight I am dressing up as an inmate in black and white strips and heading to a haunted house.

Tomorrow I will do a 14 mile run and a 2.5 hour swim. I am not looking forward to that long swim...it will be my longest. I end up completely comatose after my long swims and pruned as an old apple.

Half Ironman

Sunday I participated in the annual Soma half ironman: 1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike and 13.1 mile run. I got up at 4:30am, grabbed my stuff and headed out the door for a chill in the air. My wave started at 6:52am and the swim went fantastic. I stayed nice and relaxed, kicking off other swimmers and trying to stay directly on course. I managed a time of 41.40 for the 2000m swim, which is okay. I always want to be faster on the swim, but it's relatively short compared to the rest of the race. The wave behind me were all men and all caught up to me, which is always scary. Women aren't nearly as aggressive swimmers or bikers.

I quickly headed on to my bike and didn't bike fast at all. I was trying to stay in my low heart rate zones and got passed by almost all the bikers. There was an accident in which a biker was carted off to an ambulance with a broken leg. Fortunately, no accidents or flat tires for me. But just a slow time. I had to change around my nutrition plan at 2:15 into the bike. My stomach started to feel heavy, so switched from electrolyte blocks to just gels and gatorade. I usually eat 100 calories every 20 minutes on the bike, but by the end, I switched to 25-30 minutes just to have a better stomach on the run. I got a very poor time on the bike, but biking just isn't my strength, which is unfortunate because it is the longest portion of the triathlon. I am not a good bike handler and get nervous on turns and tight u-turns, so slow down, which is part of the reason I am slow.

However, the run came and I rocked it. I started my run at just over 4 hours into the race and managed to pull off a 2 hour half marathon. I even ran the same time as some of the faster runners in my group. However, because they are much better bikers than I am, they finished with much faster times. My coach told me I would pass a lot of people on the run and she was right. Guys who I saw on the bike course who were a good 25 minutes ahead of me, I caught up with and passed. I slowed down a bit at mile 8 and 9, but by mile 10.5, I started running 8 minute miles and didn't slow down. I got my second wind and finished very strong.

Just need to work on my bike technique. If I can stay that relaxed in the swim, I think I'll be fine. Just need to work on swim speed now. I think in my wetsuit, my form is actually better than it is without it. The wetsuit forces me to keep my arms apart and not cross them over my body. But biking is my nemesis. I don't know how to get better. I can see how people can become better swimmers and runners. It's mainly about genetics, background and experience, technique and speed work. However, I don't see what you can do to become a faster biker? Is there some magic secret I don't know of? Perhaps my positioning could be better; I could stay in aero longer, work out with leg weights more...not sure.

But overall, it was a nice race and glad I did it. Gave me some confidence going into next month when I will be an even slower biker. I am going to have to really slow down my biking during my next race...frustrating. The weather was a warm 90 degrees by the time I finished the run and luckily, ice was available on the run. Every aid station I ran by, I grabbed cups of ice and threw them down my shirt. Felt soooo good.

Fall...? Where are you??

Autumn is my favorite time of the year--when the weather starts cooling down, Halloween candy is stocked on the shelves in the stores for me to salivate over and the mornings are perfect for running.

But, alas, the weather Gods seem to be punishing Arizona for some reason. It has been 109 on Saturday and 102 on Sunday with record-breaking temperatures...three words that are on the news almost everyday.

This weekend was a big training weekend and unfortunately, was so long I had no choice but to deal with the weather.

My 17 mile run on Saturday ended up with me running to the Circle K to buy Gatorade. I grabbed a bottle and yelled, "Gatorade, where have you been all my life?" And I was only at mile 14. It was a long, long 17 miles with salt forming on my head and face and the salty taste of the fruit punch Gatorade was so delicious down my throat.

I love to run at Kiwanis Park, this lovely park by my house where the kids feed the ducks in the pond and boys go fishing with their dads. Some kids like to count the amount of times I run around the lake because I tend to run it at least 17 or 18 times around. I love this park. Well, I got there on Saturday and the whole thing was torn up with metal fencing around it. Say what? My beautiful run and crowd watching were not going to come to fruition. I also love to run at this park because they have water fountains and bathrooms, which are especially helpful in the heat of the desert. Well, the city turned off all the water fountains and locked all the bathrooms. I ran there anyway and by the end after downing all my Gatorade and 1 gallon of water, I was holding onto the fence just to stay up. My electrolyte level was just too low from the heat and my stomach was cramping and legs felt icky.

Then afterward, I headed to the gym to swim.

On Sunday, I had my longest bike ride in 102 degrees. A group was riding the 87 highway and I had 100 miles to bike. 100! No exaggeration. 100 miles after my really difficult run on Saturday in my fabulously icky park. I started off well, taking in 300 calories per hour and following my nutrition plan. I cruised down the hill at 25 miles per hour and averaged around 20 mph for the first half of the course. Then....the heat came! Salty bikers in colorful shirts headed up the hill cursing the desert Gods for giving us this Indian summer. I had something happen to me that has never happened. Sometimes during biking I wear a headset, which a fellow biker did not appreciate. He biked near me to let me know how he felt about this and to tell me how bad a biker I was...hmm? What did I ever do to you? He then found me again several times along the highway and even came back around biking the opposite direction of traffic to bike next to me to yell very mean words to me. I told him I couldn't hear him because I was wearing my headset..lol! That made him more upset, but I loved it.

I came back to a much needed shower, as I had grease and gel packets stuck to my skin. I am a beautiful biking sight! Ahhh, now to eat all the calories I can.

Weekend

Saturday started off at 5:30am for a 4 hour bike ride through Apache Trail and onto Tortilla Flats. Gorgeous! Best bike ride ever. Beautiful cactus and desert landscape with canyon lake looming in the background. I charged up the hills, but stayed behind the pack for the flats. We had a lot of switchbacks and straight climbs and downhills. Although, I am not feeling the love of my training group member who said "maybe Ironman isn't for you." She is on my bad side now. Let your haters be your motivators.

Right after the ride, we all did a 6 mile hill run: three miles up, three miles down. I averaged not too shabby on the run.

The next day at 5:30am, we all met for a 20 mile run and it went great. The first 15.5 miles flew by. I had problems with my iPod the night before and think it is done. I had an old friend give me an iPod last year, so I'll have to be using that now. However, for the 20 miler, I decided to use a small portable radio and knew the batteries would be dying. So I kept a spare pair of batteries with me in a pocket. Well, of course, the batteries died and I thought...no problem, I have back ups. Smart thinking! Well, somewhere between mile 1 and mile 4, they fell out. But alas, the 20 miles went fine.

At noon, I met my group for swimming practice, which I dread. I am not a swimmer and really struggle with swimming. The coach stayed with me to practice my form and it is so hard to relearn what I have been doing for so long. Plus, in races, a lot just goes out the window anyway when you wear a wetsuit and battle it out with 2000 other people who kick and pound you.

I am feeling quite bad about three things in my life that are weighing heavily on my mind. I won't go into it here, but I'll just say that I have had three disappointments recently all at the same time. They say things happen in threes, so maybe three wonderful things will be happening to me soon. I'll say that one has to do with my training group member who seems to take a harsh beating to me, one has to do with another harsh person in my life and another has to do with not getting something I really wanted for the past 6 years and someone else getting it who probably doesn't know what he or she has.

But life must go on. I feel blessed to have other good opportunities come my way, but not getting this one hurt. Not so much for not getting it, but for the person that got it.

But I am grateful for this training and for my braces and for celebrating my dad's birthday yesterday. My dad is in amazing shape and works so hard. I should learn from him.

TGIF

I had a swim session today with my group and we got a workout. Luckily, the pool is now heated and feels warmer than it did during the summer. The temperatures quickly dropped from record-breaking heat two weeks ago during my triathlon to cool mornings. Yesterday I went out for a bike ride at 5:30am and actually came home to get a jacket. Nice that fall has finally descended upon us. Although, temperatures are going back up today through early next week. But that's okay, no more triple digit temps.

I can finally bike during the day and not be overwhelmed with heat.

This weekend I have a long bike ride of 4 hours, plus a 10K run immediately after. The next day I have a 20 mile run followed by a 1 hour swim. I am eating up the calories now.

My favorite things about autumn:
1. Halloween candy. I love pumpkin mellowcreams.
2. A break from heat. I love crisp mornings.
3. The fall menu at Starbucks: pumpkin scones with a non-fat tall chai. Yum.
4. The holidays are right around the corner.

And this year, fall means I'm halfway through my braces (I hope). They are to come off hopefully at the end of January if all goes well. I cannot wait for that day. My teeth have shifted to where I talk funny. I sound like I have a lisp. I can't make "f" sounds very well.

Sick

I am getting over a viral infection. I haven't been sick since February 2008 when I did the Antarctica marathon. It isn't something I want to repeat. I had a bad viral infection and missed a couple days of work and now am on antibiotics. I wonder if that played a part in my bad showing at the triathlon for Nathan's. Oh well. I'm doing better.

I dyed my hair last Sunday a brunette color. I went to the store and found two boxes, one labeled "brown" the other labeled "chocolate espresso brown." I went with the later, as it sounded so much more alluring. Well, 10 minutes and hair dye all over the bathroom later, I ended up a brunette. Of course, now the shower curtain and floor were brown. I've not colored my hair at home and have always left it to the professionals and think in the future I will leave it to the professionals. Not sure how I feel about being brunette. I think a golden color makes me feel sunnier. I have just been having my hair ruined with chlorine, so thought this might make a good solution.

Yesterday I went biking in 20 mph winds and got pretty much blown off my bike. I had to actually get off and walk it through an intersection because my weight wouldn't keep me up. I've never had to do that before. Also, there were some trees hanging over the biking path and didn't have enough time to push them out of the way with my hands, so one branch sliced up my forehead.

I swear, I have a scar from my stitches from my bike accident, now a slice through my forehead and dried out brunette hair. What a sight am I? Battle wounds! Loving it.

Update on life

Tomorrow is a duathlon and this weekend is an Olympic triathlon. So I've got a couple races coming up. I got into a very, very bad bike accident in this race in 2007. It messed up my training for the Antarctica marathon and kept me out of P.F. Chang's Rock N Roll Marathon in 2008 and Lost Dutchman Marathon in 2008. So I'm kind of worried....hopefully all will be well.

A member of my group had a bad bike accident and ended up carted off in an ambulance on Saturday. He flipped over the handle bars and took a tumble. Biking is one dangerous sport. Plus, it's a huge production just to go out on a bike ride.

On Sunday when I was biking, my bike started changing gears on its own. So I brought into the shop for repairs. $127.00 later I needed a new cable. So hopefully it will be fixed and not all greased up as it has been. I'll probably take it in once more this year.

I've been very tired since my bike ride. Monday and Tuesday were hard days to make it through and to get out of bed. I slept probably 10 hours last night. Went to bed early, woke up late. Shame on me! Now it will be a long evening of workouts.

People at work have been asking if I've gotten skinnier. I don't think so, but I've toned up more. My arms are getting more cut, which is strange because I don't have the genetics to get cut arms. I have my father's body and no matter how much weight I lift or how many strokes I swim, I don't develop cut arms because they are so long. Usually compact bodies develop more muscles. My body is tall and lanky, which I'm not complaining about at all. I'd rather have that than short and stout. So my arms aren't buff by any means, but do show a little more tone. I think it's from the swimming I have been doing.

But this has let me eat more. I eat more than anyone I know. I swear I eat and eat. It'll catch up with me in about 7.5 years when I enter my forties and my metabolism slows down. But until then, I'll have my cake and eat it too.

Weekend

Friday I ran 18 miles and did an hour swim. Then Saturday I did a 4000M open water swim race in very choppy waters. We were near the boats and water skiis that made for a very bumpy swim. I am super prone to getting sea sick and I did during the race. The waves made for a very nauseating swim. It was one of the hardest physical challenges of my life. After the race, I did a 2 hour bike ride in 105 degrees.

It is almost October and still having the same heat as in July. This heat will not end.

On Sunday, I did a 90 mile bike ride with a group of bikers. The group had set up aid stations and I got to refill with ice cold water. Lovely! I was getting used to drinking warm water on my rides. Cold water just quenches the thirst so much better. I also had no flat tires! Happy day.

Working hard

I am hard at work with training. I just did a 15 mile run and then Friday before work I will do an 18 mile run and then Saturday I am doing a 2 hour bike ride followed by an open water swim. Sunday I do a 6 hour bike ride...6 hours is an awfully long time to be seated in a saddle. I truly am trying to dig deep to find the motivation for that...I can only listen to my iPod for so long before I get tired of the songs and the radio plays the Black Eyed Peas at least 6 times an hour. So I'll try. It's still very hot and training in heat is very hard on the body.

I have been contemplating a hair color change for a while. I've been blonde (fake blonde) for about 13 years now. I'm thinking of going brunette for a while. Chlorine makes the blonde just wash out anyway and it's expensive to up keep, although I've been doing it for so long. Might be fun to see what life is like on the other side. I really don't remember what it is like having dark hair. I have no one to impress, so if it doesn't work for me, it's not like it'll really matter. I haven't been very social lately. Just training, working in an office where I don't have much interaction with people, and watching television.

I am addicted to the Real Housewives of (fill in city) series. I also am loving the Rachel Zoe Project. I just like seeing all the beautiful fashion and dreaming of far away lands where I get to be dressed up and have people do my hair and makeup and look fabulous or "bananas," as Rachel would say. But no walking red carpets for me in Dior and Jimmy Choos high heels. Instead it is jogging paths in Under Armour and New Balance shoes. At least I'm more comfortable.

I am working on a positive outlook on life. So I am listing a few things that make me happy:
1. With my love of running, I can eat sweets and no guilty feeling comes.
2. I like being alone. Most people aren't introverted, so when they are alone, they hate it. I love it.
3. I will have straight teeth when these braces come off. I think that will be the happiest day of my life.

Update

Last Saturday I attempted a 5 hour bike ride, but was met with pouring rain and lightening. Due to safety issues, I had to stop after 3 hours. It was actually quite cold and shivering. So I went to the gym, ran 8 miles on a treadmill and then swam 2000 meters. The next day I met a group for a 12 mile run on a trail; then Monday, a holiday, I got in my 5 hour bike ride. I didn't end up riding too many miles though in 5 hours. Guess I was a slow biker that day and I did get a flat tire. On Saturday, a member of my training group was off to the side of the road changing a flat so I stopped to help. She said a staple went through her tire...a staple? No way, I thought. But then guess what? Monday comes and I get a flat. I always try to find the source of the problem before I put in the new tube and wouldn't you know? A staple had found its way through my tire and tube. Maybe I was jinxed.

My long swim this week lasted 3500m and went just fine.

I have been very tired lately and getting bad headaches. I think my teeth from my braces are shifting quite a bit, so maybe that is why. Or maybe it's the never-ending heat. But I hope it goes away.

Today is September 11th and it's nice to see all the American flags flying in people's yards.

Swimming

I swam 4000m yesterday and wow, was that monotonous. Back and forth and back and forth. I did purchase a waterproof contraption for my iPod so I could listen to music while I swim. According to the website, both Michael Phelps and Natalie Coughlin use it, so if it is good enough for them...but I read some reviews online that weren't positive. Turns out once you get underwater and stroke and breathe, you can't hear the music. It becomes very muffled and sounds just like your neighbor playing music...you know it's there, but can't make out any sounds. So I may be returning that. If I wouldn't swim and just held my head underwater, you could make out the songs a little better, but still muffled. So I guess I will be listening to my breathing and sounds of my thoughts as I swim.

I did run 8 miles yesterday as well and then biked this morning a little. I think my iPod is done and dead. I fell on it during my bike accident and it got pretty banged up and I think I may have broken it permanently.

Today my little brother left for Salt Lake City. He has packed up his things and moved there, so I am sad. I will miss him. I hope I get to live near him again soon. Maybe he'll be back someday, I hope.

But all is well. I am ready for a good night's sleep at some point. Been waking up early to train everyday. But life is all good.