Car Shopping

I ran 12 miles in over 90 degrees Saturday morning and then the humidity hit. I had to go car shopping, which was brutal in the heat. I told the salesmen to stay inside and I'll come get them if I need them, trying to keep them away from the heat. I think it was 114 yesterday.

I did find a car, a Kia Sportage. It's an SUV and I am now going to spend way more in gas than I ever have...and I feel like a soccer mom driving it. It is so much car for little old me. But I do feel empowered looking down at all the cars on the road. I like to think I am moving up in the world, literally. My poor Saturn went to car heaven and I asked the dealership to take care of it and treat it with love and affection; it was my baby for 7 years. Now I have a car payment for the first time since 2005 and this time around I'm living alone without a roommate, so my expenses have drastically increased. I am trying to think of what I can do to earn extra money...I think I may pawn some of the presents ex's have given me over the years.

4th of July

I spent the 4th of July in beautiful, cool Salt Lake City. I landed in 73 degree weather and it was heaven. Utah had a rainy spring, so the mountains were so green they looked like Hawaii. It was breathtaking. I went to Park City with my brother and then watched fireworks and had a BBQ with my aunt, uncle, cousins, brother, brother's girlfriend and friends. I ate too much, but what else is new? We lit off fireworks in the street.

The next day I got up early to go running. I adore running in Salt Lake. It was one of my favorite cities to run and it is a tradition for me to run at Brighton High School in Sandy. Its track is located at the base of the Rockies and overlooks a good portion of the Wasatch front. I packed all my gels, water bottle and running clothes, but realized that morning that I forgot my running shoes. So I "borrowed" my brother's car (without asking) and went to the only thing open: Target. I would NEVER buy running shoes at Target, but I just needed something for a couple of days and Target would have to do. So I got my shoes and headed to Brighton only to find out that the track was gone. Totally gutted. No fair!!! But I ran anyway and loved it. I got to run in the middle of the day and felt like I could run forever. It was only 73 and it makes such a difference from 100 or the dreaded treadmill.

I spent another night with my cousins and played games and watched a movie. I miss everyone there. I miss it terribly. I was depressed getting on the plane and having to come back to the blazing inferno of Phoenix. I landed and felt like I was walking on the sun.

Heat!

It is so ridiculously hot. I went to a movie and came out and couldn't even drive my car. I couldn't touch it. So this weekend was spent either in the pool or inside with the air-conditioning on full blast. I hate to see my next electric bill.

Weekend

On Saturday I biked 3 hours with my group and then we ran 4 miles, but it was so hot that we had to cut our workout short. We were supposed to do 4 hours of biking. It's been 113 almost everyday and tomorrow is September! We have been breaking heat records and I'm about ready to lose it. I tried to run yesterday and it was 10 miles that took me longer than any half marathon time I have run. I just don't know if I will be ready and it's been a bit of a heartbreaking weekend.

I hear how everyone is swimming 4000 meters already and I'm just not there. My swimming is behind and it's too hot to get in the full workouts. I've never given up on any physical challenge I've been given, so don't know what to do. But I just can't train in this heat and I'm too slow in swimming. Really sad right now, but we'll see. Maybe I can still pull it off. It's something I've been wanting for a very long time and signed up for this race in April 2008.

Weekend

This weekend I did a four hour bike ride, which I got up at 4:05am to do. However, I was not fast at all. In fact, my average mph was very slow. I should be faster by now, but I vow to do better next week. I was on a hilly course, so that did bring down my average speed, but I know I can do more. I did keep my cadence pretty high and stayed in the higher gears for such a long ride. I am getting used to just biking in higher gears now.

I also did a swim with a group and on Monday morning I did a 12.5 mile run before work. By 7:30am it was a scorcher. It's going to be a hot day.

I hope to not get caught in the traffic of President Obama, as he is in town. Last time he was here, I was on the freeway at a completely dead stand still.

Weekend

Patience is a virtue. It has now been two weeks since I got my braces and every morning I look into the mirror only to be greeted with the exact same smile I had before. I am someone who wants things immediately and changing my teeth apparently is not something that happens overnight.

This weekend I got back on the saddle so to speak. I finally got back biking after my accident that left me with a lifetime of scars and an embarrassment in front of two good looking men. But I completed a 50 mile ride and kept my wrist wrapped, so no pain. After that, I ran a slow and exhausting 6.5 miles in heat. But I finished.

The next day I met my training group for a 10 mile trail run. I love technical running. It is my favorite type of running, which is one of the reasons I love triathlons. There is no ability to zone out; your head is always thinking and it keeps me from feeling exhausted as easily as 10 miles of running in circles. Of the group I met, 4 of us were doing Ironman, so we all had a longer run. It was me and 3 guys. And you know what? For the first half I could hang with them. The 5 miles back they smoked me and I couldn't even see them they were so far ahead. I was a bit cautious coming back down the trail after my accident, however. I really was not looking for another round of stitches or blood trails.

I then swam with my group for an hour in a very cold pool, which makes no sense as it has been nearly 110 everyday.

Well, I am still hoping to do Ironman. We shall see. My fall made me lose a lot of training time and I'm not a good biker. So if another fall is in my future, Ironman may not come to fruition. But I'll keep my hopes up and send myself positive wishes that no more accidents will occur.

I also saw the movie Julie and Julia, which combines two of my favorite loves: writing and food. Cute movie! Wish I could say the same about the book.

Brace Face

Today I am dealing with stitches on my face, knee, an arm brace...and now braces on my teeth. I got white braces today. I'm sure this will put a damper on anything social I do, but really, from far away, you don't notice them. When I was driving back from my dentist appointment, I put on my sunglasses and in the rear view mirror, you couldn't tell I had braces. But they hurt like crazy and I can't eat. I tried to drink from a soda can and couldn't. So maybe it'll be soup and smoothies from a straw for the next few days as I adjust to the new metal in my mouth.

Still all banged up from the accident, but more range of motion in my wrist. Driving around with 1 arm all the time hasn't been hard, except for when I want to change the station. Thank heavens for automatic cars in times like these :)

Excessive heat today--115 and higher in some areas. Last night at 11pm, it was still over 100 degrees.

Weekend

This weekend I participated in the Arizona Road Racers Series. I came in 10th out of 41 in my age group. Not great, but it was really, really hot. I left my house at 5:45 am and it was already hot. It has been 115 almost everyday for a few weeks now.

After I finished, I spent about 10 minutes recovering and then set off for a long run which I finished at 9:00am dying of heat.

I also completed a 3 hour slow bike ride this weekend.

Changing Hands bookstore, my favorite bookstore, held a publishing seminar on Saturday that I attended after my running.

I didn't do the Mountain Man triathlon. I am trying to save money and that would have meant a long drive with gas and a hotel stay, not to mention registration fees. I will be doing a lot more races this fall, so I am keeping my money in the bank.

I am also planning on getting braces on July 28th. I've had the molds done and probably will get them, unless something drastic happens. This will surely put a damper on my social life. I'm only supposed to wear them for 6 months, so that's not too bad.

On Friday I read my horoscope, which I do once in a while for fun, I don't believe in it, but this one said "An old flame returns, step back and then come out ahead." Well, this weekend I saw an old flame, not the one I thought would return, but I did see one. Trying to get over that fact.

Headaches

I've had one too many headaches lately. When I was in Utah on Sunday evening after a beautiful day in heavenly Park City shopping and sharing the relaxed lifestyle of the Park City elite, I was driving back down the canyon into Salt Lake and my vision started to go. I knew right away a migraine was coming. When I get migraines I lose my vision for a while and then the pain starts. The vision started going away, while I was driving mind you, down a canyon, and I got nervous. I drove as quickly as I could without completely breaking the law to a grocery store to buy the most powerful medicine I could find and took over the maximum limit of pills as to hopefully put me into an Excedrine-induced coma. Unfortunately, that amount of pill popping didn't do the trick. I laid in total pain till about 3am when I was finally able to close my eyes and fall semi-asleep. At 6:30am I woke up, wide awake and still had a migraine.

My family was killing me this weekend. Slowly and surely. My grandmother's Alzheimer's mixed with a little dose of senility = a deadly combination.

I did enjoy the heat reprieve because when my plane touched down, hot hair came straight to burn my bones. I could actually see the air from the plane. It was steaming hot. I think the windows of the plane were fogging up.

Now it was my car's turn for a headache. I had trouble with my car since I got back from my 4th of July weekend and it finally gave way. It completely overheated and started steaming. I had to quickly shut it off and mysteriously a AAA van just happened to be in the same parking lot as I...what are the odds? Heaven sent. Well, turns out that my hood wouldn't open because it was stuck, so all he said to me was "good luck" and drove off. Boo hoo! My dad and brother came to my rescue from my overheated car and were able to pop the hood. Perhaps they should get a job with AAA. I got it to the mechanic the very next day, but having to drive in 107 degrees with no air-conditioning. Yeah me. Fortunately, the mechanic was able to fix it, it just hurt my credit card $335. My poor credit card, my poor car, my poor body driving in desert heat with no AC. But it is fixed and the air conditioning blows cold. It better blow cold, that's some expensive AC.

This weekend was hard core workouts. I got up at 4:30am to beat the heat with my friends from Racelab. We swam in Saguaro Lake with many bees who spent the morning trying to mate with my bike. After a 45 minute open water swim, we biked a little over 30 miles into an Indian reservation. Then I ran 5 miles in 110. It got up to 115that day and broke a record. Now it's time for my poor dehydrated muscles to hurt and a dehydration headache to start. Then I had a 12 mile run the next day at 4:30am and a swim session in the outdoors. Tomorrow I have a swim session at 6am and a run with my group at 7pm. Two workouts outdoors in the heat. Just kill me now. I'm already living in hell. If you kill me now, I won't have far to travel and maybe I wouldn't have to get up so early to workout.

Headaches, headaches, headaches.

Heat Running Games

Last evening I met my running group at the track, or in our case, the baseball field because the track was being refurbished.

Because of the heat, the coach decided to play a running game of Scrabble. We'd run in circles and everytime we'd pass him, we'd get a letter that we'd then run to another team member who was trying to make words. As soon as she had a word, she'd give it to someone running who would bring it to the coach. Basically running in circles collecting letters is how the game was played.

It was a nice treat that let us forget about time and made me feel like I was 12 again at an elementary school field day.

Weekend

This weekend I endured a bike ride in 100+ temperatures and my water was scalding hot. I think I may have to do more loops and come back for cold water, not to mention go out earlier.

I had swim practice as well and the waters were cool and inviting. I was put into a group of 3, as the three of us swam at almost exactly the same pace. It certainly made me push harder to finish before them. I am just competitive that way, even when there is technically no competition.

It will be hard to train this weekend with the 4th of July. I am heading to Salt Lake City to enjoy some cooler weather, but will definitely be running. I'll enjoy the shopping of Park City and backyard BBQs without scalding heat.

I have to say I am loving all this Michael Jackson music being played throughout the airwaves and on television. So many of his songs I have forgotten.

I am Dirty Purdie

I started to feel better the next day from my little, itty, bitty cold, but all was brought back during a 10 mile run today. Everything came straight to the chest and head with the jogging I was doing. So perhaps I am not cured yet.

I did go out and do 10 miles in 99 degrees followed by a 60 minute bike ride in which my chain came off 3 times and my brake pad rode up against my tire, so those 60 minutes turned into a little bit longer dealing with the bike pains. I now have greased finger prints down my legs. I look as though I should be entering into war camp or going paint balling. I got grease down my legs and underneath my fingernails...sexy!

I did get my hair colored a wicked shade of California blonde and with all this outdoor training, I'm afraid I will eventually start looking like one of Hef's wannabes. But I won't let that happen. I think the grease will counteract the sun bleached blonde.

Weekend

I had dinner on Friday with a group of girlfriends and then on Saturday evening with another girlfriend who gave me a belated birthday gift. It was very sweet of her. The temperatures are rising and it is summer already. I love the long summer days and waking up when the sun has already risen, rather than the dark when it feels like I should still be sleeping.

I skipped the international triathlon this weekend and thought it would make me feel good not to get up nervous for a race, but rather, I woke up feeling guilty. I missed racing. I missed the bike course and swimming in the inviting waters.

I found out a friend of mine was hit by a car when she was walking across the street and is now unconscious in a hospital in San Francisco. I hope she will be alright and await to hear. She is my friend who works at Sephora and loves to talk beauty supplies with me. I really hope she will be okay.

Racing some more



I will be doing another aquathon today and am skipping the Tempe International Triathlon as I just did a triathlon last weekend and have a big race next week. So many races and the temps just go up up up. Tonight's race will be in 103 degrees. The swim will be nice, but the run will be painful.

Here are photos from my last race.

And here are photos from the race before.

Earth Day Recap

I ran the Earth Day 5K last evening and it was...hell. How ironic is that? First of all, it was 99 degrees during the race and actually seemed to get hotter. I'm sure it was just my temperature going up from running. Second, it took me a long time. I spoke with some people after the race who said that it was measured incorrectly and was actually longer than 3.1 miles. I need a GPS system. I think I may go buy one soon, especially for upcoming marathon workouts.

So then I went to the grocery after the race and the conversation with the bagger at the checkout went like this:

"How are you doing today miss?"
"I am doing great. It's Earth Day."
"Is plastic okay?"
"Yes."

Shoot! Of all the days not to use plastic bags. I even received one of those organic shopping totes at the race expo and thought "I will always use this shopping now. Now I can be hip and trendy and environmentally correct and save myself $.10." But alas, my attempts to be loving to this earth were for nothing.

Happy Earth Day!



Today in celebration of Earth Day, I will be running in the 2nd annual Earth Day race. It is 99 degrees and probably will be about that temperature during the race. Lucky me! Global warming is upon us and all of us out there today will definitely feel it.

Yesterday I ran just under 9 miles in hot temperatures. It wasn't so pretty. I had to walk more than ever. I am a bit worried at this point in my training. I signed up for a marathon for Memorial Day weekend with only 1 1/2 months to train: 45 days total for training. I figured I would just do it slow and stop and take pictures along the way. It would be more of an experience than a race. Although I think I will end up caring about my time, which is too bad because I don't think it will be a good. But now training is harder than ever with this blistering heat. I have to make sure I'm hydrating properly and not hitting snooze when my alarm goes off. It is better to get out running early. Although I am quite tan now. It's a joy to look at this stranger in the mirror. I also discovered spray on sunscreen. It's the best thing for a desert lover since sliced bread.

Happy Earth Day! Happy Administrative Professionals Day! and Happy 5 days till my birthday!

It's like a heat wave




It's not even the end of April and temperatures are soaring to 102. I ran 9 miles in the morning at 96 degrees. I long for Seattle right about now. Ended up walking quite a bit.

Tonight is The Real Housewives of New York City. I swear it is reality show soap opera and I eat it up, which is so totally terrible. Ramona is an idiot. Simon is just plain weird. The countess thinks she is better than everyone else. Who is she to give class advice? She has none, so really? What makes her an expert?

On a sad note, I was not selected for team Bear Naked today. I had really hoped I would be a chosen athlete for them, but it wasn't meant to be...but I was selected as the running columnist for an online publication. So I will be writing lots of articles coming up and I am most excited for this side gig. I could have given Bear Naked press with these articles, but I'm sure they don't need it, as they are a really great company. Unfortunately, I won't be a part of it.

The weekend



This weekend was packed full of activity. Saturday I arose early to participate in Pat's Run. It is a short 4.2 mile run honoring Pat Tillman and raising funds for his foundation. I averaged just 8 minute miles, but there were so many people it was hard to run. Over 20,000 runners on the course and so many were getting trampled on. I saw children go down, adults fall over. Pretty crazy and hectic. But it was a nice day and I had a good run. I finished in the top 5% of female finishers.

I then took 4 beautiful young girls to go see the new Hannah Montana movie. Surprisingly, it wasn't as cheesy or as lame as I had expected.

Sunday I arose at 4:45am for a triathlon to raise money for breast cancer: Tri for the Cure. When I got to the parking lot and was putting my bike together in the dark, I had difficulties. The screw holding the brake pads together had come loose and now my tire was sitting on my brake pad. I was worried I wouldn't be able to do the race. I had three people try to fix it and luckily it got fixed in time. Unfortunately, it was a pool swim, which meant one swimmer after another after another. We all had to be out of transition by 6am, preferably by 5:30am, yet my number wasn't coming up till 9am. This meant a lot of sitting around and waiting and waiting and the temperatures just kept getting hotter and hotter. They started with number 1 and I was number 463. I finally got to start the swim at 8:59:30. So I had already been there since 5:15 and was just starting the race, which ended up only taking me 58 minutes to finish. I placed 18th out of 89 in my age group. I think I finished 91 overall. There were a few DNFs. I finished around the 20% mark for both my age group and overall. Not exactly where I'd like to be...I need to swim faster. I placed okay in the bike and run, but my swim was really slow. I see I have a lot of work to do. The unfortunate part of the race was all the waiting around. I think I would have done a better race had I not had to wait for hours and hours, which screwed up the nutrition and temperatures were racing past 90 degrees by the time I got to the run. I did manage to run just over a 7 minute/mile pace for my quick 2.25 mile run, despite the heat.

I don't think I'll be doing any more races by this company. Many competitors told me that this is what happens with most of their races, just wait and wait and wait. I did do a triathlon by this company back in 2005, but it was an open water swim, so different story.

Well, it's getting hot here. Temperatures are hovering near triple digits, which means no more afternoon runs...getting up very early to beat the heat.