2014 in Review

Last year for the first time I did a year in review recap of my training and race distances for the year as well as the two years prior. It is time for this years! This takes into consideration the four miles I plan to run tonight in the Fairfax Four Miler! 

	2014	2013	2012	2011
swim	140	182	110	95
bike	573	1440	997	1029
run	342	390	393	261
brick	83	382	233	350
race	136	304	268	130
other	87	33	21	80
total	1361	2731	2022	1945

This year other is made up of 68 mountain bike miles, 15 walking miles, and the remainder was considered 'other'. I have no idea what those other miles were! Maybe next year mountain biking will get it's own line! 

In 2014 I swam a lot - up till June 8 when I did the Bay Swim. In my recap, I noted that as of race day I had swam a total of 92 miles! So I only swam another 58 for the rest of the year. Last year I swam more - but that's probably because I kept up the swim volume until Ironman Wisconsin in early September. 

You can certainly tell by my numbers I did not train for or race an Ironman in 2014! And looking back at bike miles from 2011-2013, I sure did far less bike miles in 2011 and 2012 than 2013! This year I had about a third of the miles that I had in 2013. 

As for run miles, they've stayed fairly consistent. Actually, for a non Ironman year, they seem high, as I did not have nearly the long run volume as in the past three years. My longest race(s) was the two back to back half marathons back in mid-March, as I recapped about here. After those two races I shifted my focus to short distance, where it has remained.  

Speaking of not racing Ironman this year, look how my brick miles dropped off! 

One thing I have not done with swim~bike~run is set distance / training goals for the following year. I'm not sure I could even begin to. For now it will just be fun to compare the years and note anything remarkable about the year.

Next up is the Fairfax Four Miler. I had planned to run the Resolution Race 10K on January 1, but now I'm not so sure that will happen. I had rolled my ankle right after Thanksgiving, and ended up taking two and a half weeks off running let let it heal, which it has done for the most part. I think back to back races would not be smart going into the New Year where I have a big goal for late March. Priorities! However, there is a little 5K I might consider on Sunday, January 4... Stay tuned! 

Happy and Healthy Training!

Two more days...

It has been two weeks and a day since my last run, when I made the decision to 'abandon' the #36DaysofAwesome run streak challenge. I was really sad to have a sore ankle and bummed to not run. However, I know it was the right choice. Today my ankle feels almost normal again! 

In two days - on Christmas Day - I plan to go for a very easy, short run to start my day. I have the Fairfax Four Miler on my schedule the evening of December 31 and plan to run that easy. Though originally my plan had been to go for a course PR! I still plan to do the Resolution Race the next morning, though I have not yet made a decision on whether or not to do the 10K or downgrade to the 5K. By the way, you can see Team Rabbit rocking their ears on the Resolution Race registration information page, here! After my Christmas morning run I'll decide. There's no sense in overdoing things so soon, seeing as I am coming off a sore ankle.  I need to look at the bigger picture and my Spring "A" race on March 28 and Fall "A" race on September 13!

Best wishes for a fun and safe holiday. 

Happy and Healthy Training! 

The streak has ended!

The streak has ended? You may be wondering 'what streak' I am talking about! I had seen a Facebook link on the Runner's World #36DaysofAwesome challenge. This is where you run at a minimum of one mile a day from Thanksgiving, November 27, 2014 to New Year's Day, January 1, 2015. I had run a Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving when I saw the 'challenge' on my friend Kim's Facebook page and decided I would give it a try. 

Things were going well! I ran the next two days with my dog, Riley, and she was thrilled! Then on day 4, Sunday November 30, I did a 4 mile trail run in my new trail shoes. Which, by the way, are fantastic! The trail shoes, Saucony Progrid Xodus 3.0, really made a difference. 

My AUsome new trail shoes!

I could run over chunky and regular gravel and not feel it on my feet! Amazing! But seeing as I am new to running on the single track trails, I kind of twisted my right ankle. Twice! Did not think much of it at the time and it did not keep me from continuing on that run! 

Monday, December 1 I did the Potomac River Running fun run at the Fairfax store and even took Riley with me! The streak continued on! Then last Thursday (December 4) I ran 3 miles in my neighborhood. The first 2 miles went OK, but by the third mile I thought I was getting a shin splint! Had completely forgotten about the ankle twisting/rolling incident... I've been icing it, taking ibuprofen, massaging it, and using Biofreeze. Then on Sunday I had a race, the Blue and Gray 5K. Team Rabbit blogged about it as Carol was running the half for like the fifth year in a row! Anyway, the run went great, and I hit my goals: negative split and descending miles. At the finish they announced that there were folks from a local chiropractic / PT office and they could give quick assessments or massage. I decided to get my ankle looked at. The doctor, Dr. Pallotti, checked out my ankle and all seemed to be OK and I was doing the right things for it. Except for maybe running on it. I mean my ankle is not even swollen, nor has it been! 

Well, yesterday was day 12 - and I ran one very easy mile on my treadmill. For a total of 25.78 miles since Thanksgiving. This morning my ankle is just plain sore. And it has been. I decided that continuing this fun run challenge was not worth the continued soreness, or possibly even longer term damage. Besides, the goals I have for 2015 are much more important! I have a new 10k training program starting on January 6 and I want to be healthy and strong for that! I need to follow my blog sign-off advice! 

So I will rest it through Saturday and try to run an easy 5k on Sunday. Then rest it some more. I have planned to do the the back-to-back New Year's Challenge again (Fairfax 4 Miler on December 31 and the Resolution 10K on January 1), but can always bag the second race if I need to. I have not signed up for that yet anyway!

Happy and Healthy Training! 

Race Report: Fairfax Turkey Trot

Thanksgiving morning I participated in the inaugural Fairfax Turkey Trot! This new race is run on much of the course the Fairfax Four Miler is - which I've done the past few years - is a fun race / course! The new race benefits the City of Fairfax Fire Department Benevolent Fun and started and finished right in front of the fire station! 

Race morning I arrived early for packet pick up and managed to snag lucky number 7 as my race number! In fact, I arrived so early I pretty much had my pick of spaces in the closest parking lot! After getting my bib I headed back to my car to stay warm for a bit.

When it was time to head to the start, I noticed that there were many dogs out for a run that morning! I sure wish I had though to ask ahead of time about that... While I did not have a time goal for the race, my plan was to try to negative split and even have descending splits as I need to get better at that. I think I lined up in the middle of the group. The announcer said there were over 1,000 runners out! 

My first observation: the course looks different in the daylight! I ran steadily and was warming up a bit. Turns out I should have removed my pink long sleeved shirt, which I did during a short walk break at about the half way point. I thought my second mile would be slower than the first because of my walk break - but surprisingly that was not so! There's a bit of a gradual downhill in the first half which means the second half has a gradual uphill. I know it would be hard but vowed not to walk! 

When I hit the 3 mile mark I did my best to sprint to the finish. And then my rabbit ears fell off! I had to do a quick back track to get them, but then we were off again! I could see the official clock ahead reading almost 30 minutes, and I was not sure how many second it took me to cross the start line. So I sprinted even faster! I hit my stop button and the time read 30:00.07 and I scrolled through my splits and found I'd not only done a negative split but each mile got faster - even mile 2! My official time listed in the results was actually 29:59 and a 9:40/mile average, so I was very happy with that! 

At the Fairfax Turkey Trot!

Also: Two weeks ago Monday I did my first Monday night fun run at Potomac River Running's (=PR=) Fairfax store. The course is great as they host a  couple of races from that location and I did two races there last year. One guy there was running with his dog! I thought that was great and planned to bring my Riley the next  time I went. Which was two nights ago! Here's a picture that =PR= Fairfax posted to their Facebook wall:

With Riley at the =PR= Fairfax Fun Run on December 2, 2014!
(Photo Courtesy of =PR= Fairfax)

Riley would not turn around for the picture! She had a blast, though I think she started out too fast. Newbie runner mistake. :) I also had to rein her in because I cannot run as fast as she does! Riley got a bit tired around the 2 mile mark, so we cut the course short and only ran 2.61 miles. She will definitely attend more fun runs with me in the future! We will work up to the full 3.1 distance of the route! 

Next up: Blue and Gray 5k where my fellow Team Rabbit-mate Carol will do the half! 

Planning for 2015!

The other day I put up my draft 2015 race calendar. And I noticed that my 2014 calendar still said draft! Since we are almost halfway through November it isn't really a draft any more!

So, here is what I'm thinking about for 2015:

01/01 - Resolution 10 - This will be my 5th year in a row at this fun yet hard event!
02/15 - Run Your Heart Out 5k
03/14 - Lucky Leprechaun 5k
03/28 - Monument Ave 10k - This will be my 3rd year in a row AND my Spring "A" race!
04/26 - GW Parkway 5k
05/03 - Broad Street Run
05/31 - Rock Hall Int'l (aqua bike) - I've never done an aqua bike but am thinking about it!
06/01 - Rock Hall Sprint
06/19 - Ragnar Trail Relay - This looks like fun!
06/21 - Bath County Sprint
07/12 - Colonial Beach Sprint
07/13 - Colonial Beach Int'l (aqua bike)
07/19 - Tidewater Sprint
08/16 - General Smallwood Int'l (aqua bike)
08/17 - General Smallwood Sprint
09/07 - Patriot's Sprint
10/05 - Waterman's Sprint
11/26 - Turkey Trot
12/31 - Fairfax 4 Miler - A fun way to end the year and will be my 4th year in a row here!

This year, 2014, was all about going shorter and working on my speed. I did not make great strides, but overall was happy. I did get some great workouts in prior to getting sick in October before before my Fall "A" race, but was pleased with my race!

Overall, my focus is to still work on my speed in 2015, specifically on the run. I'd really like to see what I can do again on the short tri distance. I look forward to some repeat races as well as a few new ones! And of course, racing with Team Rabbit and other friends when possible! I'm not sure if I'll have any major open water swims in 2015, or swim meets for that matter. My left shoulder still has a little niggle after the Bay Swim and prep leading up to it, but I'm working on it so we shall see! One thing is for certain: I will do the 100x100s swim! Only it can't be on Mother's Day as I'll be down at Auburn watching my younger son graduate that weekend!

Speaking of new races, there's a couple of new Turkey Trots on the horizon this year! I've decided to do the Pacer's one in Fairfax, because Old Town Fairfax is neat, and it's a bit closer to home. As for the =PR= one - well I've already done the course twice, but for different races this year. One of which is on my schedule for next year!

While I'm not anxious for 2014 to be over, I am looking forward to 2015!

Happy and Healthy Training!

Next Up:

11/23 - Fall Backyard Burn Race #5
11/27 - Fairfax Turkey Trot

Race Report: It's a Bridge Thing!

This year I crossed the great Chesapeake Bay twice under my own power! 

On June 8 I swam 4.4 miles from Sandy Point State Park, under and between the bridge spans, to Hemingway's Marina.You can read my swim report, here!

Yesterday, I completed the inaugural Across the Bay 10K with Carol from Team Rabbit and our friends, Sally and Jeff! We had a grand time. You can read the Rabbit Recap Rap, here! The course took us from the Northrop Grumman facility, across the Eastbound span of the bridge, to the Chesapeake Bay Business Park! 

So I call 2014 the 'Year of the Bridge': 

Side by Side Bridge Event Shirts!

It is always a little...unnerving, I guess, to do an inaugural event. Over the years I have done several. Most of the time they are fine but maybe there's a kink or two to be worked out. There's one inaugural race in the DC area in particular that was not so great. In fact, I did not even blog about it! It was only here one year, on December 3, 2011, then never came back. 

As the Across the Bay 10K loomed closer, I realized this was going to be a much bigger race, in terms of runners, than I had maybe originally thought. Then it crossed my mind that the logistics for this point to point race would make it difficult. I have to say, that this was so not the case! Everything went smoothly! I was bummed initially to hear there would not be a bag drop on race morning. I made adjustments for this and it was not an issue. 

The really cool thing for me was at the end, in addition to the cool finisher medal and space blanket that we received, they handed out a small bag of goodies. This was great for just putting stuff in and not having to juggle everything. I wish all races would hand a bag out at the finish line. They don't have to be special, just something to make it easier to carry all your 'stuff'! Believe me, the bag is such a little thing, but can make a huge difference. I had a hand held water bottle, gloves, my phone, and a few other items. But only have two hands. Sticking all this excess stuff in that bag made me one happy runner! 

Finally, here is a fun link to my finish video! It was a nice surprise to get this link by e-mail today!

Happy and Healthy Training!

Next Up: Fall Backyard Burn Race #5

T minus 8 and counting!

As I publish this blog post I am about 8 days (and several hours) away from my end of season “A” race – the Bay Bridge 10K! At this point I almost wish it was THIS Sunday! (Almost!) The main reason is because I have been sick twice in the past month so I’m *almost* ready for this to be done and I can spend a month or so just running and racing for fun and hopefully getting healthy before my first spring “A” race!

Seriously! I had a sinus/cough thing happening at the beginning of October. Not that I let that keep me from Sherpa/Pacer duties at the Can Lake50 on October 11! I had a blast running/walking the last 15 miles with Carol as she completed her first 50 miler! You can read the Team Rabbit rap about  it, here! Anyway, I recovered from that (though my ribs are still sore from coughing – whatever) to get some other kind of ‘bug’. After a really fantastic weekend of training this past weekend, I started this week with a low grade fever accompanied by a headache and general achiness. Wednesday I saw the doctor and it is not the flu or anything contagious. So this week I have taken it quite easy! My dog and cats have appreciated having me around a bit more!

Last weekend’s training really was fun! I started on Saturday with a swim/run brick. I did a mostly laid back swim workout – except for the crazy kick set! Perfect before a run, I think! haha I swam and did the first four run miles with Carol and Kathy. We ran a two mile out and back on the trail from Audrey Moore towards Lake Accotink, After they did their run, I headed back out for more! My plan was to get anywhere from four to five miles in, depending on how it was going.

Starting off in the same direction, after about four-tenths of a mile I veered off onto the single track trails! I've ridden some of this before, and run a very small part of it, but was excited! The part I ran along for about a mile and a half was familiar…then after that point I was running on uncharted territory! I’d never even mountain biked it before! For at least one mile I was on paths I’d never been on before, and it was quite liberating! I knew ‘where’ I was but not ‘exactly’ where! As I reviewed the Garmin data afterwards I was able to determine that I ran backwards on a portion of the course that this Sunday’s Backyard Burn is on!

Sunday morning I met Lisa and Jeff back at Wakefield Park. This time we were on our mountain bikes! We rode the loop around Lake Accotink, then as we headed back to the park we veered off onto the same single track from the day before. Later on I realized that while I’d not been on my mountain bike for over a month I still felt like I had not lost too many of the skills / bike handling I’d gained. This was Lisa’s first time off the beaten path onto the single track and she loved it, so I look forward to more rides with her back there in the future!

So this Sunday will be my first BYB – I’ll be doing the 5.5 race at Wakefield Park. I’m excited! While I've not run the entire course, I at least feel somewhat familiar with it. Check back for a race report to see how it really goes!

Next Up:

11/2 - Backyard Burn Race #3

11/9 - Bay Bridge 10K – my “A” race!

Happy and Healthy Training!

Rogue Report

Last weekend I went to Auburn to visit my younger son and watch some Tiger football. You might have read about it in the latest Team Rabbit rap. War Eagle! Auburn is pretty close to the Georgia state line so the week before I wondered if there was a Saturday 5K I'd be able to do. The game wasn't until 6:00 PM central time, so I figured I could swing a race if it was within an hour driving distance. My research found two! I emailed both race directors to find out about race day registration and picked the one that responded first. The race was to start at 9:30 AM...Eastern time! 

My older son and I flew out bright and early Friday morning through Atlanta (which is only a 90 minute drive to Auburn) to Huntsville (a 3.5 hour drive). Crazy logistics, but their dad was picking us up and we were driving down to Auburn for the weekend together. We had a bit of a delay in ATL and played gate change roulette a few times, but finally we were on our way! Once in Huntsville we stopped for a quick lunch then headed on our way. Arrived at the younger son's house and caught the end of the Nationals first playoff baseball game. After that we picked up his roommate and headed off to dinner and to celebrate their October birthdays! We ended up at Shakey's Pizza of all places for dinner because our chosen location was packed. Oh well - maybe next time. Shakey's was just fine and I have not had their pizza in many, many years. 

Once back at the house I was thinking about my race the next morning. I had all my things ready, but suddenly realized "the race starts in Eastern time and I'm in Central time!" I had to plan to add an extra hour to my morning! Of course, I'd get that hour back after the race...haha Good thing I remembered though, or I might have been late! 

I actually woke up before my alarm and manged to get out of the house quickly without disturbing anyone. Hit up the McDonald's in town for an iced coffee and an extra bottle of water. I had a banana and a half a bagel for the ride. And a yummy sugar cookie! The race was in LaGrange, Georgia and started and finished near the Callaway Stadium which is part of  LaGrange College. They are the Panthers and there were big crimson panther paw prints painted on some of the streets we ran on. Cool! Not as cool as the Auburn Tigers paw prints around that campus though! 

The race, Smilin' Waylon's 5K, had been advertised as a fast course, but I'm not so sure I'd agree because right after the start you immediately go up a hill! Then there are some rollers and a good climb around mile 2, I think. There was a nice down hill after that, but I was happy to run the entire course and come in just barely under 30 minutes. It was my fastest standalone 5K of the year! The  volunteers were all very nice and there were some groups of folks cheering. I wore my rabbit ears but an Auburn shirt. And the ears did get some bunny love! Waylon's Run raised about $3,000 for the Ronald McDonald House of West Georgia and was a fun, little event. And I check the state of Georgia off my list! 

Next Up: Cheering and Pacing Extravaganza at the Can Lake 50! 

Happy and Healthy Training! 

Race Report: Perfect 10

This past Sunday I raced in the Perfect 10 - where you have a choice of 10 miles and 10K. I had a 6 mile run scheduled for the weekend long run so of course that made the 10K 'perfect' for me! Team Rabbit rapped about the race on Monday, but I wanted to write my own report. 

Earlier in the week I'd had a tempo run scheduled. When it came down to the workout I was just not feeling it! I actually had cut the workout short. I did little the next two days and had decided on race day I would make up the tempo run. The plan was to take the first two miles at an easy pace, then up the tempo for miles three and four, and maybe five. Then back off for the final mile point two. 

The day before the race I picked up a bunch of race packets: mine, Lisa's (running bug aka RBug), Kathy's (running buddy aka RBud), Jeff (aka no nick name), and of course Carol (SRab) my partner in Rabbit crime! RBug picked up her things from me on Saturday, RBud and Jeff were riding with me, and SRab was to meet us there! Sunday we arrived early enough and parked right next to SRab! RBug was doing a warm up loop through the parking lot and found us! Before we knew it it was time to gather at the start! Got to see Kim on the way there! 

The 10-miler and 10K all started together. The course was a nice rolling loop! As planned I took the first two miles easy and got to run with SRab. We hit the 2-mile mark and she was going to tone it down while I was going to amp it up. And I did! 

My third mile was right about on target, even with a hill / climb thrown in. However, the fourth mile was above the target pace as there was another longer climb. I decided I was ready to back off the pace a bit, but not slow down to my warm-up pace. And believe it or not, there was enough of a decline that my fifth mile was faster than my fourth! I kept at the pace and caught up with RBud just past mile 5. She and I traded off in the last mile and then at the end I worked on my finish kick. Thankfully when I got to the track it was good to see that I only had to run about a quarter of the way around, as opposed to three quarters, like some of the races that finish there. Just as I was nearing the finish line I was passed by a speedy gal who was finishing the 10-miler! Wow! This is nutty but I heard her tell someone right after we crossed that she had puked! I can only imagine how much faster she would have been had she NOT puked! 

Strong 10K Finish...just behind 2nd Place 10-Miler!

As posted on Team Rabbit, all of us regrouped at the finish for a photo-op against the cool "Seniors Wall" at South Lakes High School! 

Running Friends Post-Race as seen on Team Rabbit! 

Happy and Healthy Running!

Must be time for a blog post...

...because I have a race (what race?) this weekend! 

This weekend I'm racing the Perfect 10 - the 10K distance! Several friends are running either the 10 miler or the 10K. Both courses look nice and the race(s) should be fun! Kim and Kathy are running the 10K. They both ran for my birthday 5K! Lisa, Carol, Nicolas, and Jeff are running the 10 miler. Carol also ran my birthday 5K. They all have extra mileage to do before and/or after but I'll be there to cheer them for the rest of the 10 mile race. 

The races start and finish at South Lakes High School and this will be my fourth race there this year! Earlier this year I did the following: 

February - Run Your Heart Out 5K
June - Run with Dad 5K (with my son!)
August - South Lakes 10K

What is cool about this race venue is that all the races finish on the track in the football stadium. Sometimes there's live music, but there's always people in the stands - that is pretty neat. Oh and the course was the same for the February and June races. That helped me in June! 

This weekend my race plan calls for 6 miles at my long run pace. My race plan will be to do that and hope I don't get carried away and actually race it instead! This will be good for me because my last two long runs were done on the trail from Wakefield Park towards Lake Accotink and back. And Monday I ran the loop around the lake. A longer road run should be nice!

And along those lines, I'm thinking of adding the Mustache Mile (formerly the Nearly Naked Mile) on November 8 - which is the day before my big "A" race - the Bay Bridge 10K. If I use this as a little shake out run I should be OK. I would really love to run a mile as hard as possible, outside of a run test, but this is not the year for that. But it would be fun to run easy with a few hard bursts and see what I have to look forward to next year! 

Happy and Healthy Training!

Races and Random Stuff

Since my last post about the General Smallwood Sprint I've completed two more running races:

South Lakes 10K
Great American 5K

Both were sort of last-minute additions, because they were good timing for the shift in my training plan for my "A-race" - the Bay Bridge 10K on November 9! 

South Lakes 10K

Not that the 10K course is the same but it was good to run a straight 10K. I met up with Nicolas (N2) that morning, kind of randomly. N2 will be running at Can Lake 50 that Sally, Carol, and Pam are doing. The same race I'll be pacing the last 15 miles for Carol at her first 50-miler! Sally (who did the 50-miler last year) and Pam (who did the 50K last year) are both in for the 50K. N2 is also doing the 50-miler. That should be a fun weekend! 

Anyway, back to the race. I met up with N2 and we chatted and walked around and lined up together. I figured I'd fall behind. He said he was running easy, but while I did stay with him it was hard for me! In the end, I only stopped at one of the last water stops for some Gatorade, and ended up running the entire thing. That was good for me! 

Briefly before and after the race I saw my friend Kim - bad@$$ was running the morning after returning from vacation! We ran into her during the race, too, and chatted briefly. Here's a picture Kim found of us on the =PR= flickr site:

Thanks for finding this photo, Kim!
(I borrowed it from her race recap blog post!) 

Great American 5K

I decided to run this race about 4-5 days before hand. It was Labor Day Weekend and thought it might be a smaller event, but I did the same course earlier this year, back in April. I never did a race report, but Team Rabbit did mention it in a rap on April 28! I enjoyed the course which started and finished near the =PR= at Fairfax Corner, so I knew what I was getting into! 

Well, last Sunday was pretty hot and humid - even at 8:00 AM! There were a few breezy and cooler moments, but I struggled in the heat. I started out too quick, which did not help. Oh well. It was a good race nonetheless and I had fun! Wearing my ears and rabbit top, I got a lot of shout outs! The announcer at the finish even gave me one. How can you not smile? 

At the post-race party I met a very nice lady named Linda who had just done her very first 1K! She couldn't believe she had done it - but I could. She mentioned she was in a Mom's Run this Town group in Fairfax and I mentioned my friend Kim was in the Reston (I think) one. She was going to move up to a one mile race, and eventually a 5K! I'm excited for her.

After all the running I got prepared to paint! I liked the way the one wall my friend Nanette and I pained the weekend before, so I went out for more paint and taped up two more walls, which I then painted on Monday! Carmen, my cat, helped! 

Carmen went after the brush as I was trimming out the walls!

Finally, something I've always wanted to do is mountain biking (MTB)! I have ridding my mountain bike around Lake Accotink plenty of times and behind Audrey Moore RECenter, but never really ventured off the main paths. Well, Tuesday nights in the summer there is a women's mountain bike meet up group that rides out of Audrey Moore. And they do ride off the main paths! Finally I got the nerve to go out to that! I admit I was a nervous wreck and there were times I was scared, but it was so much FUN! I really got out of my comfort zone! I even got a little bloody! Now I feel like I'm a 'real' mountain biker! Though I have a lot yet to learn. The plan is to keep this up as not only is it fun, it seems like it will be a great way to develop some mad bike handling skills! 

War Wounds from my first 'real' MTB Ride!!
(Thanks for the term, Carol!)

Happy and Healthy Training!

Next Up: Perfect 10 (10K)

Podium Surprise

Last Sunday, August 17 was probably my last tri of this season. I've decided I just really need to focus on improving my run and there is much work to be done. However, with that being said, I got lucky on Sunday! Third place in my age group at the General Smallwood Sprint!

Podium Surprise!

The race was very low key and fun. Not too many athletes, either. Total finishers were less than 200. The day was overcast and not too hot - good racing weather, I think! 

Swim: 18:24 3/6
The swim course was interesting - basically an out and back then over. The water was pretty dark and little 'weedy' - that is there was some hydrilla. I brought a little of it home with me! Not one of my better swims, as I felt a little sluggish, but no matter, it was short and sweet!  

T1: 3:25 2/6 (I am usually never that far up in the ranking on T1!)
It was a long run up to T1! I was thrilled to pieces that I literally ran slowly the entire way and my feet did not hurt! The transition area was a parking lot, which is always nice because it means no mud! 

Bike: 56:31 2/6
My goal for the bike was to hopefully come in under an hour! Therefore, I was thrilled with my time. My watch had my speed at 17.5, so I was very happy with that. It was not a flat course, but it was pretty fun. I stayed aero most of the time. I guess because it was such a small race, I did not see a lot of other people out there. 

T2: 1:26 3/6
Under two minutes? I'll take it! I did practice this the day before, so hopefully with continued practice I'll continue to keep it under two minutes! 

Run: 33:24 5/6
You can see this is where I need to work! I got very lucky getting on the podium! Of course, I'd hoped to break 30 minutes, but that wasn't the case. The course was actually fun though. It was two loops, with the second cutting off a bit of the first and being shorter. Both loops had you run across a wooden pedestrian bridge over water. I walked I think three times overall - up hills. Next year I'd like to go back and run the entire thing. Maybe I need to incorporate hill repeats... The volunteers loved the rabbit ears, as did a few of the racers. I tried to give Team Rabbit a shout out as I ran along! 

Post race had delicious BBQ from George's BBQ in Indian Head, Maryland! I had a pulled pork sandwich. There was also watermelon, chex mix, and sodas and Gatorade. 

Earlier this season I managed to get on the podium, too. This was at the Rock Hall Sprint on June 1. That was also third place. I think 3 is my new lucky number! General Smallwood was my third triathlon of the season. My second race was the Colonial Beach Oly, on July 13. No podium, but smack in the middle of the pack, which is pretty normal. Now, the two Sprint races which resulted in my getting on the podium were in Maryland; the Oly was in Virginia. I think I need to stick to Sprint races in Maryland! 

Hopefully next year I will repeat all three of these races, and maybe do one or two more. It will be fun (I hope) to compare results!

Next up: South Lakes 10k

Happy and Healthy Training!

2014 Ballpark Tour

It's finally Friday and I am long overdue for a blog post! It has been almost four weeks. Oops! But it's not because I have not been doing anything - I've been quite busy! Even managing to get some training in, which is good because I have a race on Sunday...

Well, I last left off I was about to leave on vacation. My son and I were going with my cousin Dino and his son on a four-day, four-ballpark tour:

Monday, July 21 - Cleveland Indians at Minnesota Twins
Tuesday, July 22 - Cincinnati Reds at Milwaukee Brewers
Wednesday, July 23 - Kansas City, Royals (Bo Knows Baseball!) at Chicago White Sox
Thursday, July 24 - San Diego Padres at Chicago Cubs

Travel details:

Sunday: Fly to Minneapolis
Tuesday morning: Bus ride (6 hours) to Milwaukee*
Wednesday morning: Train (1.5 hours) to Chicago
Friday night: Fly home

*In Milwaukee, my AUsome friend from High School, Kent, who not only went to the game with us, was our personal chauffeur. He truly rocked! Sadly, we hardly spent any time in Milwaukee, so I plan to make a trip back there in the next few years.

Yes, it was as crazy as it sounds! My cousin and his son are from San Diego and are die hard Padres fans. There were in the DC area to visit some of his family. So we all flew out together on Sunday morning from BWI. The airport was crazy busy and we barely made it to the gate in time. Seriously! And we arrived at the airport 90 minutes beforehand! Flying on Southwest and boarding that late we were unable to sit together. But someone moved so my cousin could sit with his son, who is only 5. We made a timely yet bumpy connection in Chicago where we had time to find a bite to eat and relax a bit before the connection to Minneapolis. 

Once in Minneapolis, we managed to sight see a bit and on Monday morning we visited the Mall of America, which the location is the former home - Metropolitan Stadium - of the Twins and the Vikings! There we stood at the site of home plate:

Bonus Ballpark!

The mall was pretty cool, what with the Nickelodeon Universe amusement park in the center court. But living in this area, I'd say Tysons Corner Center is a pretty sweet comparison, minus the amusement park. However, in general, I pretty  much stay away from malls! 

The game at Target Field was a blast and we had managed to score free tickets in the upper section behind home plate. We got to see where the organ player, who had a broke arm(!!!) played from, and the Twins won, 4-3! Great night of baseball in a pretty cool ballpark! 

Pre-Game at Target Field! Go Twins!

Tuesday morning after breakfast at our hotel, the Hyatt Regency (my cousin works for Hyatt!) we headed out to catch an 11AM bus to Milwaukee... 

The bus ride to Milwaukee was interesting and we made one rest stop at about the halfway point. We all sat together and pretty much arrived to Milwaukee on time, around 5:30. Kent was there waiting and he quickly drove us to our lodging for the night, the Schuster Mansion. We think it was haunted! After rushing through check-in, we made it to Miller Park in time to hear the National Anthem! This park is pretty cool, with its retractable roof! And since it rained that night we got to see it in action, which no break in play! Pretty cool. But man, it was hotter than Hades that night. We were sitting in the upper deck, again behind home plate. Whew. 

Speaking of our seats: Dino had ordered these. We had four seats in one section. Three in one row, one in another. I had give Kent the section number with the two rows we were in. He managed to get a seat RIGHT NEXT TO THE SINGLE SEAT! How crazy is that? 

The upper deck at Miller Park - a park named after beer mind you - did NOT have cupholders! Boo to that! Otherwise, it was a pretty AUsome ballpark! The Brewers won, 4-3 with a walk off home run. Sweet!  

Post-Game at Miller Park! Yay Brewers!

After the game we headed to a section of the river walk for a photo-op with the Bronze Fonz:

With Kent at the Bronze Fonz!

Kent dropped us at the haunted mansion with the promise to get us at 7:15AM and drive us to the train station - which doubles as the bus station. He did and had coffee and these amazing cinnamon rolls for us! We arrived to the station on time and we were practically first in line to get on the train! Thanks again, Kent! 

Our Haunted Mansion!

The train to Chicago was fast! We were again all together and the train seating was much more roomy than the bus was. And we had foot rests and tray tables!

Once in Chicago we hailed a cab to the hotel. It was only a mile-ish walk but we were hauling all of our luggage. It was a beautiful morning! We again stayed at a Hyatt Regency. (Thank you, Dino!) 

After check in we did not have a lot of time, as the game was at 1PM. The prior two games had been night games. We took the "L" to US Cellular Field. My son had predicted this would be his least favorite park, but we both loved it! My cousin walked around with his son and saw much more of it and said it was a great park. 

View from our seats at US Cellular Field!

Unfortunately, the White Sox (who Bo also played for) lost, 2-1. But it was a great game! It was also very chilly out. The temperature had dropped about 25 degrees or more from the previous day and by the end we were sitting in the shade in 65 degrees! Still a gorgeous day for baseball! 

US Cellular Selfie with the Son!

Back on the "L" to the hotel for a quick change. We were headed to Geno's East to meet up with another  old friend of mine from high school - Sandy - and her husband and son. And her son was the same age as Dino's so they had fun playing! I tried genuine Chicago deep dish pizza and surprisingly liked it! 

Thursday morning I had planned to go on an organized group run through City Running Tours, of Chicago's Front Yard. Would you believe I not only ran with someone (Laura) from the DC area, but she and I have a mutual friend in common, Kim! Crazy! 

At 'The Bean' in Millennium Park!

I got back to the room and everyone was just waking up. We got cleaned up, had breakfast, then did a little sightseeing: we went back to The Bean! 

At The Bean!

Then, we visited the Sears Tower, now known as the Willis (what you talking 'bout) Tower! There we took an express elevator up 103 floors to the Sky Deck where we literally, went out on a ledge:

Looking down 103 flors to the street from "The Ledge" - CRAZY!

Having walked over to the Sears Tower, we decided to cab it back to the hotel. There we had time to connect with Dino's friend, Susan, and her neice, who were in town to cheer for the Cubs at the game that night. We met for lunch then sardined ourselves into a cab to head over to Wrigley Field.

Wrigley!

Everyone wanted their picture taken out front of Wrigley! What is so crazy about this ballpark and Fenway, is that they are so old (100 and 102 years respectively) that they are just kind of nestled into their locations. Everything is built around them. Kind of reminds me of where my sons went to high school. But on a much larger scale! You can't really expand if there is no where to go. What a really great experience. Here's the entire group:

Who do YOU cheer for?

The Cubs lost in a blow out - our second viewing of the Cubs losing badly this season. Patrick and I saw them on July 5 at Nat's Park where they lost 13-0. (Yay Nats!) This time they only lost 13-3. Dino and his son were quite happy though! Susan and her neice, not so much! It was a really fun night and the sunset was just amazing:

Wow.

After a sardined ride back to the hotel, it was time to call it a night! Dino and his son had an early flight to catch on Friday, but Patrick and I had time to do a bit more sightseeing. We chose to go on the Architecture River Cruise, as recommended by my friend Sandy - it was fabulous! And we visited the Art Institute of Chicago. We wanted to trace some of Ferris Bueller's steps! Maybe you remember this scene?

Bueller? This was all about Cameron though. 

Patrick and I got home super late Friday night - early Saturday morning. We were both exhausted on Saturday! It was a fun vacation and I would recommend it and we will definitely do another ballpark tour in the future! 

A week and a half after we returned from our trip it was time to say goodbye to Patrick as he was off to his fourth and final year at Auburn. Wow - time flies! He and his roommate moved into a super cool little house. More about that 3-day road in the next post. It's no wonder I'm still tired! 

Next up: General Smallwood Sprint!

Happy and Healthy Training!