The Power of Intention

“All great acts are ruled by intention. What you mean is what you get.” - Brenna Yovanoff

Always the mantra of a race...

I have been thinking very hard lately of what my intention for 2013 will be.  It finally came to me in a yoga class at Santosha Yoga a couple of weeks ago.  We had a class on arm balances.  I hate arm balances.  No, I LOATHE arm balances.  I can't do them.  I get frustrated and mad.  Yoga sucks when arm balances are involved.  Yes, arm balances elicit a very violent response from me.

So, there I was- struggling to get my legs on my arms, ass in the air, sucking in the abs, clenching the *sshole and of course BREATHING.  God, I hate arm balances.  When Page, the yoga instructor, paused in front of my mat and said, "You can do this.  You are strong enough.  You just don't trust yourself."

It was a revelation.  No, I don't trust myself and I especially do not trust my hands to support me.  This is my problem and I need to work on this.

Drumroll please.....the 2013 intention is to trust myself.  Trust the little voice inside me.  Be confident. Shoot for the stars without abandon and don't hold back.  Believe.

I start my 2013 journey tomorrow by embarking on a 40-day headstand challenge.  Every day, I am going to do a headstand for 3 minutes.  This practice will help me condition my abs, my balance and see the world with a different perspective- upside down.  Hopefully, being upside down will get rid of a couple of wrinkles too... hey, one can hope!

Next week's blog: Why I still hate the bike.

Grateful- In the Spirit of Thanksgiving

“A grateful mindset can set you free from the prison of disempowerment and the shackles of misery.”- Steve Mariboli

The two things I am most grateful for in my life- X-t and Bakon.

Last year at this time, I wasn't in a very good place.  I was in a job that made me miserable.  I just turned 45, which meant I was now middle aged.  I still mourned my golden retriever, Otto.  I was in a real bad funk. I acknowledged this and knew I needed to do something to get me out of it.  I worked with Tiara Coaching on a women's leadership initiative at another job.  Tiara Coaching is a place where women rediscover and refresh their sense of purpose and direction in the company of bright, successful, interesting women.  It is a place where you can reclaim your life.  I needed to do some reclaiming, so I contacted them.

My life coach was Ellen Burton.  She asked the hard questions, demanded the true answers and opened doors.  She changed the way I thought about myself, situations and other people. 

One of my homework assignments was to write down five things that I am grateful for each day.  I am not a writer- as you can tell from this blog. I don't keep a journal of thoughts or ideas.  Writing five sentences each day about something that I was thankful for was going to be a stretch.  Writing five unique things every day seemed nearly impossible.  

I started my journal on Tuesday, January 17th.  The first entry was pretty big.  Here it is:

1) I am grateful for my husband.

2) I am grateful for my family.

3) I am grateful for my friends

4) I am grateful for my health.

5) I am grateful for wine.

There!  Not too bad.  In fact, this is all (or so I thought) that I am grateful for- it sums it up!  Even though I thought this is all to be grateful for, I kept at it every day.  I still write in my gratitude journal.  

After a couple of weeks of writing, I started to notice something.  Life wasn't so bad after all.  In fact, there is a lot of good that was happening to me.  Someone complemented me on my outfit.  I got an adjustment in yoga class. Someone opened a door for me. I got a postcard in the mail from a friend.  I got $10 off coupon.  My dream job became available and I got the offer!

Where I am in my life is light years from where I was last year, or is it?  Did I just need to open my heart and my eyes to see all around me with a sense of gratitude?  As Mr. Mariboli said, "A grateful mindset can set you free from the prison of disempowerment and the shackles of misery."  

It certainly set me free. 

Finding the Sturdy Girl Voice Part Deux

Definition of Sturdy:

Adjective: (of a person or their body) Strongly and solidly build.

Synonym: strong-robust-firm-stout-stalwart-lusty-tough

My sturdy self in a sturdy pose.

Lately, I have been hesitant on what to write in this blog.  Do I write about training for races? Do I write about my neurotic, random thoughts?  Do I write something my struggles with what to eat and my weight (boring topic, personally)?  What type of format should I put my thoughts- list, story, conversation?

What I have been doing is over thinking this whole blog.  It took a week's vacation of parking my butt on a beach in Florida and three yoga classes to figure out that I don't need to have a plan on what to write.  Just write!  Instead of pushing, it is sometimes better to just be patient and let things go the course to develop into something beautiful (Thank you Mary for this revelation in this morning's yoga practice!).

So there is going to be a bit of everything in the coming weeks, especially now that the holidays are upon us.  The holidays for me means too much pressure to get the perfect gift, losing some of the most important people in my life and the darkest days of the year.

Now, I am not going to get all depressed on you.  This time of year is also an exciting time for me.  This is the time that I plan the races that I am going to participate in next year and set goals for those races. I set my 5 intentions for the year.  Intentions are very powerful and should be seriously considered.  I will share these intentions with you along with the logic.

This Sturdy Girl Blog isn't going to be about about weigh loss struggles and the quest of being a physically fit person.  This Sturdy Girl Blog is about creating yourself to being a stronger physically, spiritually and emotionally person.   Sturdy means that you are someone (including yourself) that people can depend on.

So, fasten your seat belts and hang on.  We are getting ready to go for a ride together.  Please feel free to bring your thoughts, comments, perceptions to this blog about being a sturdy person.

Here we go!

Chronicles of Sturdy Girl Lisa!: Why I love Marathons...

Chronicles of Sturdy Girl Lisa!: Why I love Marathons...: "The difference between the mile and the marathon is the difference between burning your fingers with a match and being slowly roasted over ...

Why I love Marathons...

"The difference between the mile and the marathon is the difference between burning your fingers with a match and being slowly roasted over hot coals."- Hal Higdon

Medal from the last marathon I ran- Carmel (like carmel apple) NOT Car-MEL marathon in Indiana in April, 2012.

Ah October, marathon season- my favorite time of year.  Congratulations to all who ran and completed the Chicago and Milwaukee marathons yesterday.  The day after always hurts, but it is so rewarding!

I love running marathons.  My first marathon was Chicago in 2001.  Since then, I have managed to run a marathon every year- give or take.  Next year I will be running my 13th and perhaps 14th marathon.  I am already signed up for the Kentucky Derby Marathon in April and I might run Chicago for the 3rd time with some friends.

So, why do I love marathons?  Let me count the ways:

1)  You cannot 'cram' for a marathon.

2)  A marathon takes commitment and dedication.

3) You must respect the distance.

4) Not everyone is crazy enough to attempt a marathon, although the sport is getting more popular.

5) You face adversity.

6) You learn about what you are made of.

7) If you are a back of the packer such as myself, you meet a lot of interesting people.

8) You learn about your body and how it reacts to training.

9) You realize that you are tougher than you thought you were.

10) You believe (and rightfully so) that you can do anything you set your mind to do.

I love standing at the starting line knowing that there is a story about to unfold in front of you.  All of the training will get you to the finish, but what is going to happen during the race?  Will it be a good day or will it be a bad day?  How will you adjust your strategy?  Do you have a strategy?  My common strategies:

• Negative split the second half of the race (this never happens by the way)
• Finish the same day that I start
• One mile at a time 
• And my all-time favorite- oh, let's just wing it.

As you can tell, I don't take myself too seriously when it comes to marathons.

Three marathons I have gotten the same time (which is my PR)- Chicago Marathon in 2004, Indianapolis Marathon in 2006 and Green Bay Marathon in 2008.  My worst time marathon was Milwaukee Marathon in 2007.  That was the 'hot' marathon.

I don't think I will give up doing marathons for a while yet.  There are so many good marathons I would like to run.  Here is some on my bucket list:

Hatfield and McCoy Reunion Festival Marathon

Vancouver Marathon

London Marathon on the docket for 2014

Des Plaines Trail Marathon- it's so close to my house it would be a travesty not to run it!

LA Marathon- I don't know why, but I have an attraction to it...
Quebec City Marathon- I did my PR in the 1/2 marathon in 2003.  I would love to do the entire race.

Marathons made me believe in what could be possible.  Because of marathons, I had the courage to go back to school and get my master's degree.  I adopted a healthier lifestyle.  I found a new career.  I made lasting friendships.  I had to courage to try triathons.  Training for marathons deepened my relationship with my husband (he trains with me).

I will never qualify for Boston.  I will always be a back of the packer runner.  I am ok with that.  The reason why I run marathons is because I can!

Powersongs and other Motivational Music

"One good thing about music, when it hits you, you feel no pain." - Bob Marley

Happiness is running with music!

I am getting my playlist together for the upcoming International Detroit Half Marathon on October 21st.  I have been 'kind of' training for this 1/2 marathon, but not a serious training for a 1/2 marathon.  This is going to be a fun 1/2 marathon, not a record-breaking 1/2 marathon.  Because of my low-key training schedule, music will be playing a big part in running this race.

I always have a 'theme song' for a big event.  Here are some examples of theme songs:

2012 Racine Half Ironman-Theme from Mission Impossible- Sound-A-Like As Made Famous By: Adam Clayton/Larry Mullen

2012 Carmel Marathon- "This Head I Hold"- Electric Guest

2011 Steelhead Half Ironman- "Ladies and Gentlemen"- Saliva

2011 New Orleans Marathon- "No More Tears"- Ozzy Osborne

My theme song for Detroit is going to be: "Too Close"- Alex Clare

So, let me share my first 10 songs of the Detroit Playlist:

1) "Losers"- The Belle Brigade- This song reminds me to run my own race.  It starts out nice and slow. This is good to navigate through the crowd at the beginning of the race.

2) "Paradise"- Coldplay- The tempo is a little bit faster, but controlled- this reminds me that I am still warming up.

3) Theme from Mission: Impossible- Now that I am warmed up, it is time to get funky and get in the groove.

4) "Moves Like Jagger"- Maroon 5- Established pace and away we go!  This song lets me figure out how my body is feeling for the day.  Is it going to be a good day or a challenging day?

5) "Tongue Tied"- Grouplove- My new favorite song!

6) "This Head I Hold"- Electric Guest- another reminder to run my own race.

7) "Eminence Front"- The Who- this song is always playing on Saturday mornings in the winter on the Weather Channel at 5AM when I am figuring out what to wear for my run.  A reminder that this race could be colder...

8) "Vogue"- Madonna- I just saw her in concert.  My favorite Madonna song.

9) "Rain in the Summertime"- The Alarm- This song was my 'powersong' for my very first marathon- 2001 Chicago Marathon.  I ran a lot that summer in the rain- brings back good rookie marathon memories of chafing.

10) "Dead Man's Party"-Oingo Boingo- Come on!  It's October!  You gotta play "Dead Man's Party"!  Also brings back good, hazy memories of college parties...

BONUS!  Here are the last 3 songs on every playlist.

"Amazing"- One eskimO- this plays on the last mile. So inspirational- makes me cry every time.

"#9 Dream"- John Lennon- This plays as I cross the finish line.  It is so surreal to hear this song as you get your medal.

The final song is "Claire de Lune" by Claude Debussy.  Such a beautiful song- a good song to collect yourself, stretch out and take stock in all of the hard work and training that you dedicated to the race and to yourself.

What are your powersongs?

I. Hate. Shopping. For. Clothes.

Fashion is architecture: it is a matter of proportions. - Coco Chanel

Posted on Facebook this morning by Trek Women

This weekend, I went down to Indy to visit my sister and my mother to celebrate my mom's birthday.  It  was a lovely weekend, except for one thing.  My Mom and my Sis love to shop.  I, on the other hand, HATE to shop.  More specifically, they LOVE to shop for clothes.  I decidedly HATE to shop for clothes.  

My sister is a petite size zero.  My mother is a true size eight.  Me, on the other hand, my size vacillates between a 10 or a 12 or sometimes a petite 10 or a petite 12 or sometimes an extra-large men's.  It all depends on the situation.  I would much rather mail order a frock from a catalog, try it in the privacy of my own home, be horrified and then return it only to swear not to shop for another six months.  

You see, I work out.  I have large shoulders from swimming, a pouch for a belly(too much wine drinking) a big ass and thighs from running and biking.  Usually nothing fits in the shoulders.  If it does fit, then the sleeves are a country mile long.  Same situation happens with the pants.  Something will fit in the butt and thighs and then the legs will be a country mile long.  When I do find things that fit, I wear it for a LONG time. I still have clothes from 1998 that I still wear, which I celebrate as a small victory.  

I melted down this weekend in the Nordstorm's changing room.  We were shopping for jeans (I don't own a pair of jeans because NONE fit.)  This nice lady who was helping me gives me a pair of Jag Jeans to try. Nice jeans, don't get me wrong, but they were, shall we say, HUSKY jeans.  For those who were overweight in the 70's, you know what HUSKY means.  For those of you who were normal sized it was Sears version of 'plus' size for children.  I am still not over the emotional trauma of wearing HUSKY clothes in second grade.

Why can't anyone make nice clothes for active women over 40?  I don't want to look like I am 20 with the really short skirts from Title 9 or Athleta. Nor, do I want to wear an Omega on my ass from Lululemon.  I would like some nice, tasteful, fitting clothes to wear to work and play.

I am just frustrated.  I work out at least 2 hours a day and document every morsel I place in my mouth with my LIVESTRONG app on my iPhone.  I have stayed the same weight now for 3 years.  

I am tired of blaming myself.  I don't know what else to do.  

I guess I should take Coco's quote to heart.  Fashion is about architecture- I just have the wrong type of architecture to wear fashionable, fitting clothes.  It is hard to ignore the "haters"(the fashion designers) who don't make clothes for your body type.  It hurts enough to make you cry.

Golden Legs 5K Pub Run (Race Recap)

I want to share with you my favorite beer song: B Double E Double R U N= Beer Run

Saturday night, a bunch of my friends and I participated in our very first 5K Pub Run, which was hosted by Golden Legs Running.  For the $40 registration fee, you got a 5K 'race', a cool t-shirt and beer at each of the participating pubs/restaurants.  Let's break down the race.

The Preparation:
I have never ran and drank beer at the same time.  Usually, I run and THEN drink beer.  Having never trained for an event like this, I was pretty apprehensive as to how I would react with foamy beer in my belly running in 90 degree heat.  It is a faux pas to toss one's cookies on the course- I didn't want to be the initiator of a puke fest on Seymour Ave.  Surprisingly, the more beer I drank, the better I ran (or so I thought)!

The Course:
The course was mostly up and down Seymour Ave. in Mundelein.  The course was rolling hills with only one nasty intersection to cross.  We did have a course marshal helping us cross the road safely- thanks Tom!  At the beginning I thought it was cruel to have so many hills on a Pub Run, but the last mile or so was downhill.  After that 3rd beer, you could really get some momentum going and just roll on into the last beer stop.

The T-Shirt:

The Front of the T-shirt

The Back of the T-Shirt

I LOVE the t-shirt that was given out at the race.  It is a cotton t-shirt, which I would rather have instead of a technical shirt.  I will certainly wear this to train at the bar for my next Pub Run!

The Beer:

Thank you to all of the participating restaurants/pubs!  Every stop had plentiful, cold beer to sip so runners could gather their strength to make it to the next pub.  The first stop on the tour was Bill's Pizza & Pub. Besides have nice, cold beer on tap, Bill's is also known for their good pizza.  The next stop on the tour was Jake Moran's (sorry, no website!).  Jake Moran's is a lovely local bar that serves magnificent hamburgers, as well as, yes, you guessed it- beer.  Our third stop was Park Street.  Park Street is a great restaurant that has the best grilled oyster appetizers.  The final stop on the tour was the new microbrewery in town, Tighthead Brewing Company.  And guess what?  All they serve is FABULOUS beer!  The post-race party was here and appetizers were catered by Park Street.  

The Pit Stop:

There was one water/pit stop on the Pub Run.  This stop was hosted by A Taste of Paris at mile 2.  Claude provided runners with cool water and homemade chocolate chip cookies that were to die for!  They were warm and the chocolate was ooey gooey.  The best 5K water stop ever!

Overall Impression:

The Pub Run was a great way to spend a Saturday evening.  The course was challenging, the beer was cold and it was a fun time with friends.  My goal was to finish the run in under an hour.  We finished in 59 minutes- a PR for a 5K pub run for me!  Would I run another pub run again?  You betcha!  

Thank you to Golden Legs Running, Bills Pizza & Pub, Jake Moran's, Park Street, Tighthead Brewing Company and A Taste of Paris for a great evening.  

Test Driving an Ironman

"H2O: two parts Heart and one part Obsession"- Author Unknown

My ducky medal from the Madison Open Water Swim (MOWS)!

This weekend, I had a chance to tag along with my friend Loren to Madison, WI to swim in the Madison Open Water Swim.  The swim is either a 2.4 mile or a 1.2 mile open water swim in Lake Monona.  Loren is training for the Ironman Wisconsin, which takes place on Sunday, September 9th.  Many of the triathletes use this open water swim as a dress rehearsal, then bike the course afterwards.  That was our plan too.

So, I signed up for the 2.4 mile swim.  I have never swam that distance in open water before.  Since the opportunity presented itself, I might as well try!  I could always bail at the 1.2 mile distance since the course was a 1.2 mile rectangular course that you had to do twice.  The start is not like a usual triathlon start where you run into the water and start swimming from the shore.  The start was in the water with all participants treading water before the gun went off.  The first 1,000 yards sucked.  Everyone was hitting each other and swimming over the top of one another.  I have a bunch of bruises on my arms and legs from getting kicked and hit.  At this point in the swim, I was mad.  Really people?  I just don't get why everyone gets off hitting one another in the water.  Just swim around people or draft off of them until the opportunity to pass and draft off of someone else presents itself.  I found my zone and had a great swim until my allergies kicked up.  

Will I do another open water swim like that again?  Yes!  I really had a great time and enjoyed the swim.  It is on my bucket list to do the Big Shoulders 5K Lake Michigan Swim one day.  

I must have been allergic to something in the water because I could not stop sneezing and my nose just kept on running.  The bike was miserable because of this.  I wish I would have taken some more allergy medicine and some decongestant.  I snotted myself up to the point of wishing my nose would fall off.  My lips were chapped and bleeding by the time we were done, ugh.  I felt bad for Loren having to wait on me since this was a dress rehearsal for the big day.  I'm sorry Loren.

I had been contemplating trying to compete in an Ironman in the near future.  After Saturday, I don't think it is in my cards to do one.  Can I swim 2.4 miles?  Yep.  Can I run 26.2 miles?  No problem.  Can I bike 112 miles?  I don't think so.  It takes a special person to do this distance and I don't think I am one of those people.  And I am ok with this.  I do enjoy doing Sprint, Olympic and 1/2 Ironman distance and will continue to compete in triathlons.  

Good luck to those competing in Ironman Wisconsin!  It was fun swimming and biking with those of you who were training in Madison on Saturday.

Afraid of being Happy? I am.

" You will never be happy if you continue to search for what happiness consists of.  You will never live if you are looking for the meaning of life."- Albert Camus

Happiness is...having a glass of champagne in a Paris cafe with your beloved.

Life has been pretty darn good to Lisa lately.  This year I did something different.  I wrote my intentions for the year (usually it is resolutions like losing weight, working out more, running more marathons, blah, blah, blah.)  Here are my 2012 intentions:

1) I intend to be sponsored for running and/or triathlons.  

2) I intend to launch my blog. 

3) I intend to move someplace warmer.

4) I intend to get a puppy.

5) I intend to get a part-time job in fundraising.

Let's take a look at these intentions:

1) OK, I'm still working on this one.  I am not the fastest person on the road, but I am quite determined, funny and would shamelessly plug a product I truly believe in.  I just haven't figured out what type of company I would like to sponsor me.  

2) Got this one.

3) The warmth actually came to me rather than me going to it!  Is the universe telling me to stay in Illinois?!

4) Got this one.  I love my Bakon!

Bakon on last week's road trip to WI.

5) Got this one.  I absolutely love, love, love my job at the Historical Society.  I look forward to going to work- this hasn't happened in over 5 years to me.  If feels good to like to go to work.

Everyday, I write in my Gratitude Journal 5 things that I am truly grateful for that day.  

Besides all of these good intentions and being grateful, I am in perfect health, my family is in good health, we are employed and we have enough to renovate the kitchen.  Wow!  It just can't get any better!

I was enjoying my happy, comfortable life, being thankful that all of the hard work and dedication was FINALLY paying off.  I was ALLOWING myself to be happy when I saw this on Facebook from a friend:

Hug your significant other tonight, tight & long! If they are out of town, call them! What if you couldn't do either ever again?!

Then another wrote:

Constantly reminded of the fragility of life. Every breath a reminder you're alive. Life is a gift. Love your family, hug your friends.

Oh shit.  I was too busy being happy to remember that the other shoe must drop soon!  What if? What if? What if?  

It was storming on my way to work yesterday morning.  It was all I could think about that I was too happy, something bad must happen soon.  A tree is going to fall on me, I know it.  Something bad is going to happen to a loved one because I am living it up. I am happy and I don't deserve to be.

For real.  This is how I think.

And it is wrong.

May we all be well.

May we all be happy.

May we all be free from suffering.

We all need to practice some lovingkindness for ourselves. We do deserve this.  Even me.

I Dared to do the Dairyland Dare- Ride Recap

"You must dare to do as many things as you dream of"- Nastassja Kinski

Logo for the Dairyland Dare

The Dairyland Dare was this past Saturday.  A couple of friends and I decided to ride the 50K route of the Dare.  There were 50K, 100K, 150K, 200K, 250K and 300K.  After riding on the terrain of the 50K and being from the flatlands of Northern Illinois, I am glad that I chose wisely and didn't bite off more than I could chew!

The day was beautiful- upper 50s in the morning that warmed up to the 70s by the end of the ride.  There was a bit of wind, but not enough to make the ride more difficult that it needed to be.  The route was well marked, even with a detour.  The volunteers and law enforcement were plentiful and very friendly- thank you for coming out and making sure the riders were safe!  

There was one rest stop on the 50K route and one water stop.  The rest stop was located at mile 17.  There were plenty of snacks to choose- from peanut butter sandwiches to plums to granola bars.  We were well fueled to get us to the finish line.  At the finish, there was enough food to feed an army!  We could get two sandwiches and three side dishes.  The sandwich selection included: brats, hamburgers, black bean burgers, grilled chicken wrap and cheeseburgers.  Sides included: pasta salad, coleslaw (which was delish- it had a lime cilantro dressing), potato chips, watermelon and chocolate chip cookies.  If that wasn't enough, you also got some Culvers custard AND two beers from Capital Brewery in Madison.  Any calories that I burned on the ride, I more than replenished them at lunch!

It was a great ride, one that I am planning on doing next year.  The Dairyland Dare was part of the Wisconsin Triple Crown Endurance Cycling Series. I might even tackle the Triple Crown if my schedule allows.  

Thank you to my friends for riding with me!  I don't get to ride often with this group of friends and it was a true pleasure to enjoy the ride and to catch up with one another.  

Three things I am grateful for:

1) Friends who like to do challenges like the Dairyland Dare

2) Events like the Dairyland Dare are available within driving distance of where I live

3) That my body is able to do these types of activities that I so enjoy!

The Evolution of Bakon

"Special day! Oh, what have I forgotten now?  Now, don't panic.  Is it Bacon Day? No, that's crazy talk!"- Homer, The Simpsons

Since it is the off-season, I have been kind-of lazy lately with the workouts.  This is how pathetic I was last week:
Monday: Yoga, Heat Advisory issued so I didn't do Training to Tri because of my asthma.
Tuesday: Walked the dog 3x
Wednesday: Walked the dog 3x
Thursday: Rode bike to work
Friday: Walked the dog 3x
Saturday: Ran 8-miles (now we are talking!)
Sunday: Rode 30-miles (back on the workout train!)

Sometimes exercise ebbs and flows.  You can't be 'on' all of the time.  It is good every now and then to have a week that is easy.  Just don't make it into a habit.

I am breaking in a new training partner.  His name is Bakon and as of last Friday, he is 3 months old.  Right now, we are walking around the neighborhood.  On the weekends, we venture to the forest preserve for a one-mile walking loop.  Eventually, in about a year, I will start running with Bakon.  I am hoping to work him up to 5-mile runs during the week and perhaps up to 8 miles on the weekends depending on how he progresses when he gets older.

I thought I would share some photos of Bakon- who doesn't like puppy pictures!  I hope it makes your day a little brighter.

May the 4th, Bakon was welped.  Little does he know how close he was going to be named after a Star Wars character.

Memorial Day weekend we got to pick out Bakon.  He was 3 weeks old.

Bakon at 6 weeks.  

Bakon on 'Gotcha Day'.  He was 8 weeks old.

Enjoy at day out at the park at 9 weeks.

Running errands last week at 13 weeks (3 months).

We have had Bakon now for 5 weeks.  In that time, he has gone from being 8 pounds to a whopping 21 pounds!  Looking forward to the many adventures that await with him.

Venus De Miles Ride Recap

"Give a man a fish and feed him for a day.  Teach a man to fish and feed him for a lifetime.  Teach a man to cycle and he will realize fishing is stupid and boring."- Desmond Tutu

Sorry the logo doesn't show up very well.

 Yesterday, I participated in the inaugural Venus de Miles ride in Lake Forest.  It is an all-women's ride that supports Greenhouse Scholars, which provides comprehensive personal and financial support to high-performing, under-resourced college students, both men and women.  

Two fears were conquered yesterday.  One- this fear is always present- the fear of bike riding on the road.  I absolutely HATE riding on the roads.  Mostly because of the drivers in this area are not very bicycle friendly.  Usually this time of year, a couple of cyclists will get run over.  I just don't want to be one of them.  I refuse to go for a bike ride by myself for fear that I will get run over and then be lying almost dead in a ditch with nobody stopping to help me.  I am trying to get the courage up to go on a 30-mile ride this year by myself...I don't know if that will happen or not.  

My second fear is doing events by myself.  After I rode to the start of the ride, I realized that this fear was going to quickly disappear.  Like most all-women's events, this event was very inclusive and supportive.  I had no problems finding women to talk to and to ride with.  There were all kinds of women at this event- there was even a 75-year old professional cyclist!  Yes, she blew right past me like I was standing still on the bike.  I was inspired that I have another 30 years to improve on the bike!

It wasn't a competitive ride and all levels of riders participated.  There were fancy triathlon bikes to  mountain bikes to coaster bikes.  The route was well marked and there were plenty of route sheets to go around.  The rest stops had many clear port-o-potties and plenty of great, nutritious food provided by Whole Foods.  All in all a great time was had by all.  I plan to sign up for next year- which takes place on Sunday, July 28, 2013.  To all of my women friends, you might want to check this out next year!

Questions to you:

1) Where do you find groups to ride with that are beginner/intermediate level?

2) Where do you find safe places to ride?  Word of mouth? Internet?

Thanks!

Now What?!

"First you write down your goal; your second job is to break down your goal into a series of steps, beginning with the steps that are absurdly easy." Fizhugh Dodson

Arc De Triomphe photo taken in May in honor of the Tour De France finish!

Now that the 1/2 Ironman is over, it is time for some deserved rest and fun workouts.  I have filled my fall schedule with fun bike rides and some 1/2 marathons to maintain this level of fitness that I worked so hard to attain.  

Fun things that are planned in the next couple of months are:

Venus De Miles Bike Ride this coming Sunday in Lake Forest.  It is my first 61 mile bike ride and I am looking forward to the route.  I will report on the ride in next Monday's Blog.

The next adventure is the Dairyland Dare- Grand Fondo Wisconsin on Saturday, August 11th.  I am only going to do the 30-mile route.  It is a very hilly course!

In September, I switch back over to running and am signed up to run the inaugural Brewers Mini Marathon on Saturday, September 22nd.  

The next day, Sunday, September 23rd, I am planning on riding the North Shore Century. I don't know what mileage I will be doing- it depends on the weather.

I am rounding out the season with a final 1/2 marathon on October 21st with the Detroit Half Marathon.   

One thing I learned about triathlon season this year- do more than one triathlon!  I really wished I could have done a sprint or another Olympic.  Next year, I will do a variety of distances for the triathlon instead of pinning everything on one race.  I love triathlons!

I am already starting to think about next year's races.  I would love doing a marathon in the spring and am planning on running my 13th consecutive Indy Mini Marathon.  I will start plotting and planning this fall for next year's adventures.

3 Questions:

Do you plan your races far in advance, or do you spontaneously sign up for races on what sounds good?

A: I plan out my race season.

Do you like to do local or destination races?

A: I love destination races if the budget allows for it.  Otherwise, I am lucky to live in an area that has a vibrant race scene all year around, so I can race local and save some $$.

What was your funnest race?

I loved running the Goofy challenge at Walt Disney World.  It was a blast and I ran it for fun rather than time.

Racine 1/2 Ironman Race Recap

"Pain is about seeing how strong you are mentally."- Unbekannt

It look an hour of water and a ham sandwich, but I finally manage to smile for a finisher picture.

Yep.  I finished the Racine 1/2 Ironman yesterday.  And it wasn't pretty.  Here are the race nitty gritties:

Swim:

What a wonderful morning for a swim!  The water temperature was 68 degrees and the lake was calm.  It was so clear that you could see the bottom of the lake the entire swim portion.  I had a great swim- it is my favorite part of the race.  My time: 43:22- I'll take it!

Bike:

With the confidence from the swim, I felt good about the bike.  Well, that lasted about 10 miles.  At the transition, there is a nice hill to start you off.  We practiced that hill, so I was ready for it.  The bike was in low gear and I managed to avoid all of the folks who were falling.  Before the bike portion, I took 2 Endurolytes so I wouldn't cramp.  I had two water bottles on the bike so I felt I would be hydrated enough for the ride.  I had a Clif Bar and Clif Blocks for nutrition.  I was going to take a block or a bite of the bar every 7 miles- which I did.  I didn't bonk- amazingly.  The issue was the heat.  There was not a cloud in the sky and a nice furnace heat breeze coming from the south.  The pavement heated up quick and there wasn't much shade on the course.  I quickly realized I needed more hydration.  I finished both water bottles and drank a water bottle from every aid station.  I knew I was going to be in trouble for the run by mile 35.  

Another problem that I encountered was my feet felt like they were on FIRE.  I never had that problem ever on the bike.  I even took my feet out of my shoes for a while to cool them off.  It didn't help.  

Finally, the bike was over-3:48.  It was not a good time and I was disappointed.  The bike portion is something that I will keep working on.  I hate the bike, but that a blog subject for another time.

Run:

I knew this was going to be ugly.  I felt awful.  It was the middle of the day and the temperature was 93 degrees.  I make fun of people who run in the middle of the day.  I mock people who run in 93 degree heat.  This girl gets up at the crack of dawn to avoid the heat to run.  I also don't run fall marathons for this very reason.  I would rather freeze to death on a 20-mile run that do a death march training run in this heat.  At the aid stations, there was water, sports drink, cola, oranges, bananas, pretzels and potato chips.  I would have an orange slice and alternate between water and cola at the aid stations.  There were also sponges soaked in ice water- that was heaven!  This was my WORST 1/2 marathon time EVER: 3:09.  There isn't much to talk about here- it was terrible.

Physical Damage:
I am a bit sore today.  I might go for a shake out run tomorrow, depending on the heat and my sunburn.  I have a horrible sunburn and a lovely heat rash on my legs.  I sunburned on the top of my hands from the bike- weird.  I am chafed on the bum- my tri shorts aren't the best and I was expecting this.  Body Glide failed here.  Other than that, I have no blisters or scrapes.  I will survive to race another day.

Race Overall:

This was a very well run race.  The volunteers and support from the Racine community was bar none!  Thank you to those who had there sprinklers on for us.

Support:
Thank you to all of my friends and training buddies for coming out and cheering me on!  You don't know how much that means to me.  Thank you, thank you, thank you!  I can't wait to return the favor.

Final Thoughts:
Will I do another 1/2 Ironman?  That is to be determined.  I won't be doing one next year.  I want to focus on the Olympic distance and really improve on the bike before I try the 1/2 Ironman distance again.

3 Questions:

1) Would you do a 1/2 Ironman or Ironman Relay?
Yes I would.  I wouldn't mind doing the swim portion or the run.

2) Which do you like more, triathlons or running races?
I am starting to like triathlons more than running races, but I will continue to do both.

3) What was your post-race celebration dinner?
Since Chris and I lead a mostly vegetarian diet, we rarely eat pork or beef.  I splurged after the race with a ham sandwich rather than a veggie sandwich and for dinner we had steak, baked potato, salad and for dessert- lemon pie!  The steak was paired with a Robert Young Scion.

3 Things I am grateful for:

1) The support of my friends, family and training buddies on this journey!
2) That I didn't die yesterday, when I really felt like I would.
3) Last night's dinner- what a splurge!

Tri Training Recap

“Pain is temporary. It may last a minute, or an hour, or a day, or a year, but eventually it will subside and something else will take its place. If I quit, however, it lasts forever. That surrender, even the smallest act of giving up, stays with me. So when I feel like quitting, I ask myself, which would I rather live with?"- Lance Armstrong

I have been thinking about this quote a lot lately.  Next Sunday is Racine 1/2 Ironman.  I have been training for this thing for over 6 months.  It all comes down to this one day.  This is the only triathlon I signed up for this year. In all of the races that I have trained for, this one I have practiced the most.  My triathlon training group even went to Racine TWICE to train for the swim, bike and run.   I never did that for a marathon.  I usually experience the course on race day- it is part of the deal.  


All of the training is done.  Now is a taper.  As you know, I hate taper week.  I get neurotic.  I feel fat.  I start to doubt.  It's all part of the process.


Next week at this time, I am hoping will be submitting my first race report to you.  


Here is this past week's triathlon training log:


Monday: Yoga, 30-minute swim, 10-mile bike
Tuesday: 5-mile run
Wednesday: 75-minute run, 30-minute swim in Racine.  FYI- did you know that Racine has the largest 4th of July parade in the Midwest?  Now you know!
Thursday: Rest day- to darn hot to run.
Friday: 35-mile bike, yoga
Saturday: 6-mile run (death march) in the sweltering heat
Sunday: 50+ mile bike (my Map My Ride App on my iPhone died right at the end), yoga


Questions to you:
1) What is your race mantra?
Mine is: "Attitude, not Aptitude, will determine your Altitude."
2) What do you do during taper week to calm nerves?
I do a LOT of yoga.
3) What is your favorite pre-race dinner?
My favorite pre-race dinner is spagetti with turkey meatballs, side salad with oil and vinegar and a glass of red wine.  The wine helps calm the nerves and gets me sleepy.


Thank you to all of my friends who gave some very good advice regarding my yoga funk.  After Racine, I am going to completely rework my yoga and workout schedule.  I think I have just become bored with the same routine and need to experiment with some different types of yoga and try some new teachers.  


Three things I am grateful for today:
1) The heat is not so oppressive.
2) The husband passed his colonoscopy!  One less thing to worry about...
3) Puppy Kindergarten for Bakon.  

Yoga Uninspired

"In theory, practice and theory are the same.  In practice, they are not."- Yogi Berra

Attempting my best version of King Dancer Pose

I have been practicing yoga since 2004.  On average, I usually attend 3 classes a week.  You would think I would be one of those bendy types, but I am not. No, I still cannot touch my toes, rock out an arm balance or do a handstand in the middle of the room.  I would love to do those things too- I try to every time I practice. I won't do any of those 'fancy' yoga things like Acroyoga either- I'm a sturdy girl, which means I would be the supporter, not the flyer.   Who wants to be that?  Slacklining I would love to try, but let's get real- have you seen any sturdy girls on the slackline?  The answer is no.

As you can see, I have reached a crossroads in my yoga practice.  For the past 6 months, I have been uninspired.  I still go to yoga classes at least 3 times a week, but it's different.  I don't feel at peace.  It hurts to practice.  I am not happy or blissful after a class.  I am just frustrated.  I just go through the motions and breathe, waiting for the spark to start the fire burning once again.  

No, it's not the teachers.  My teachers are wonderful.  They put their heart and soul into class.  They are passionate about the practice of yoga.  It's me.  I'm uninspired.

Three Questions for readers:

1) Have you ever been uninspired with yoga or any sport that you were once passionate about?

2) If so, how did you rekindle the fires of passion?

3) Or, did you change your focus?

I look forward to your comments!

Three things I am grateful for:

1) My new 8-week old goldendoodle puppy Bakon.

2) K9 Playtime for their amazing petsitting service and doggie daycare.  I am glad to be using their services once again!

3) Air conditioning!  Boy, it is hot outside.

Tri Training Recap

"Swim like you're gonna drown, ride like you stole it, run like they're chasing you"- Unknown

This is the only time I will let myself be photographed in a wetsuit.  Notice the strategically placed noodles.  This was taken at last year's Danskin in Pleasant Prairie where I volunteered as a swim angel.

We are getting into the final weeks of training for 1/2 Ironman Racine.  This week I resumed training at my usual intensity after finishing up the antibiotic/steroid regimen to get rid of that nasty sinus infection.  Here is last week's recap of training:
Monday- Yoga (no biking because of high wind warning)
Tuesday- 5-mile run
Wednesday- 1-mile open water swim
Thursday- 5-mile run
Friday- 10-mile run, yoga
Saturday- 30-minute swim
Sunday- Racine dress rehearsal

Sunday, my 1/2 Ironman training buddies and I took a field trip to Racine to get a swim in Lake Michigan and bike part of the course.  We got in 30-miles on the bike.  The course is really nice and rural- the only thing that I am nervous about on the bike is the small hill you need to go up from transition.  After the bike, we took a quick dip in Lake Michigan to get a feel for the water.  And felt the water we did!  The water temperature was 58 degrees!  We attempted to 'swim' but our faces about froze off!  We are going to attempt to get another swim session in on July 4th in Racine.  It's funny; my biggest worry was the bike.  My biggest worry is always the bike.  It's never the swim.  The swim is my strongest leg of the race.  After Sunday, my biggest worry is the swim in Racine because of the water temperature.  I hope I don't freeze to death!

3 Questions:
1)  Why did you start doing triathlons?
I started to get bored with running.  I knew eventually I would injure or burn myself out because all I was doing was running all of the time.  I thought I would mix it up and try triathlons.

2) What distance of triathlons do you like?
Actually, I like all distances-sprints, Olympic and 1/2 Ironman.  I think each distance has something to offer- sort of like the varying distances of running.

3)  What is your favorite running distance?
I really do enjoy running marathons.  Mostly because of all of the crazy people you meet.  Everyone has an interesting story out on the course.  I like how the race reveals itself to you.  At the start you just never know what type of a day you are going to have.  One tiny thing can unravel into a big issue in a marathon- it is how you deal with it that determines what kind of race you are going to have.

It's Hot! Hydrate!

"I got this powdered water and I don't know what to add."- Steven Wright

I love to drink my water out of my new Fiesta Tervas glasses!

It's summertime and today starts a heatwave in the Midwest.  If you are like me, you are in the midst of some heavy-duty training for an upcoming race.  This is where a lot of us get into trouble with training- not hydrating enough and not taking in enough electrolytes.  If not hydrating correctly, you can easily get heat stroke or heat exhaustion.  If not taking in enough electrolytes, you will start cramping.  You do not want to find yourself in either situations, especially out in the middle of nowhere.

I drink a liter of water a day, minimum.  I was trained by my mom to drink water to get clear skin and to keep full during the day when I was in high school. No Cokes for me- I was banned from them because I was a fat kid. The trend continued into college and in my working career.  I am fortunate to love water.  

My funky 1-L Sigg water bottle for work

When training, I stick to water.  I tried Gatorade and HEED with disastrous results- they give me 'runner's trots'.  My usual routine for a long run is to take an Endurolyte tablet before the long run, then pop one every hour of training.  If it is hot outside, like it is today, I will pop 2 tablets before the long run.  During the run, I try to take a sip of water every 15-20 minutes.  If I get thirsty, I know I am getting in trouble.  

Recovery hydration for me is still water.  Chris, my husband, likes to replenish his electrolytes with a can of V8 after a hot run.  Keep sipping that water until your pee is a pale yellow color.  Happy kidneys=Happy you!

Running or swimming, I have a good handle on my hydration.  I run into problems hydrating on the bike.  If anyone has any good suggestions on hydrating on the bike, I would LOVE to hear about it.

Here is to good hydration!

Last Week's Training Log

Monday: Yoga, Open water swimming drills with Training for Tri group

Tuesday: 4-mile run

Wednesday: Regressed on the sinus infection- rest day

Thursday: 4-mile run, yoga

Friday: 27-mile bike, yoga

Saturday: 7-mile run (should have been 9 miles but felt crappy from new antibiotics)

Sunday: 30-mile bike, 60-minute run (still felt crappy but banged it out)

3 things I am grateful for:

1) I am grateful that I got better antibiotics from the doctor on Friday so I can kick this sinus infection to the curb!

2) I am grateful that Chris and I took time for preventative bike maintenance yesterday.

3) I am grateful that there are some awesome strawberries from the Mundelein Farmer's Market. A healthy dessert after dinner!

Friday Fun Food

"Sleep 'til you're hungry, eat 'til you're sleepy."- Author unknown

Dinner!

Today is the Mundelein Farmer's Market.  Fortunately, Chris has summer hours and has Friday afternoons off from work.  This allows us to go to the farmer's market then grocery shopping to get our week's worth of groceries.  Since there is a lot of produce that is available now, I thought I would share one of our favorite salads- Tuna Nichoise.  It is easy to make and good for you!  Most of this salad came from produce we got at the farmer's market or from our neighbor.  Here are the ingredients:

Head of lettuce or mixed greens- we got ours from the neighbor

1Tomato- from farmer's market

1/2 lb- Green Beans- from farmer's market

5 small white potatoes- from farmer's market

1/2 c.- chopped pitted kalamata olives (grocery store)

6.4 oz of tuna (grocery store)

Reduced Fat Salad Dressing - according to your taste.

Lay your bed of greens down in the bowl.  Boil potatoes until almost done (about 15-minutes).  The last 5-minutes of the potato boil, add green beans.  Drain green beans and potatoes and cool.  Cut up potato into bite size pieces.  Arrange potatoes and green beans in the bowl on lettuce.  Dice tomato and chop the kalamata olives.  Arrange in bowl.  Finally, plop your tuna in the middle!  Add salad dressing according to your taste.  

It's a quick and easy weeknight dinner that looks visually pleasing (impress your friends or family).  It goes great with a glass of Sauvignon Blanc.

Things that are available at the market this week: Strawberries, red raspberries, cucumbers, green beans, sugar snap peas, onions, beets, turnips, radishes, swiss chard, kale, broccoli, arugula and PIE!  

Three things I am grateful for today:

1) Going to the doctor and getting antibiotics to finally nip this sinus infection in the bud!

2) Early morning bike ride with some buddies

3) Wine and dinner out on the deck.

"Determination gives you the resolve to keep going in spite of the roadblocks that lay before you."- Denis Waitley

Me at the Top of the World in Trempealeau County Wisconsin last fall

Today was supposed to be an update on how training is going for the Racine 1/2 Ironman.  Not much training was going on last week because of the course of antibiotics banned me from swimming and keeping training at a low burn rather than it's usual intensity.  This is what I did last week:

Monday- Yoga and bike clinic at Training to Tri

Tuesday- Run 5 miles

Wednesday- Rest day

Thursday- Run 5 miles and yoga

Friday- Bike 24 miles and yoga

Saturday and Sunday- Off 

This week I am going to get back into the usual intensity.  I have 4 weeks to go before the big race.  I believe that with the spring marathon in Carmel, IN and Indy Mini, I  should have enough endurance base to get me through the race.  I need to really focus on transitions, the swim and my nemesis, the bike.

Having a setback during training always provides a teaching lesson.  The lesson, as in this case, is patience to get better.  If you allow your body to completely heal, then you can get back on schedule a lot quicker.   There are so many times that I 'felt' better, so I started back on my training routine only to extend an illness or injury far longer than if I had just waited a couple of more days and allowed my body to heal.  A very hard lesson to learn, especially if you don't have patience, like me!

3 things I am grateful for today:

1) All of my buddies who competed in the SIS Try in Vincennes, IN and SheROX in Naperville, IL- you inspire me!

2) I am grateful that I am able to swim tonight (if the weather allows it!)

3) I am grateful that the house is clean!

"If I can bicycle, I bicycle"- David Attenborough

My Trek 7.2 FX ride

I am fortunate enough to be able to commute by bike to work.  I usually commute by bike on average two days a week.  My commute is 11-miles one way and is a mix of road and bike paths.  Fortunately, I only have to cross two busy intersections on my commute.

Some tricks and tips to commuting by bike to work:

• I commute on Tuesdays and Wednesdays so I try to bring in my clothes for those two days on a day that I will be driving to work.
• I have a 'clean up' bag at work.  The bag includes: Baby wipes, deodorant, hair brush, hair spray and makeup.  I don't have a shower at work, so using baby wipes are a great to clean up!
• I do have panniers for my bike.  The ones that I like are from Banjo Brothers.  Things I bring in my panniers are: my lunch and my change of clothes if I can't get my act together.
• I have lights on my bike and use them for my commute.

Commuting by bike to work is a great way to:

• Save money on gas!  I fill up my truck every other week now rather than every week.
• Great cross training for triathlons.  I didn't realize how much easier it is to ride my Trek Madone 4.5 after commuting on my 7.2!
• A wonderful transition to get into work mode on the way to work.  On the way home, it is a great way to destress and leave all of the work woes at work.  Work woes seem to follow me home when I drive to work.
• It takes your fitness level up another notch!

If you can figure a safe route to work, why not try to commute by bike one day?  You might find (as I have found) that going to work can be fun!

Three things I am grateful for today:

1) A wonderful 24-mile bike ride with Karen, Nancy and Chris this morning.  

2) Going to see my mom this weekend!

3) Finally feeling better from this sinus infection- I feel almost human!