Little Miss Runner Pants

so i guess i should get around to writing this bad boy, shouldn't i?!

m'kay. well.. here goes.

the night before the race, while i told my parents to SHUSH!! i'm concentrating, here!!!.. i went over... and over..

and over and over and over my race-day bag.

ok first i'll be heading to the water. i'll need my wetsuit.. check... goggles and swimcap... check... and timing chip.. check.

and that's it!

then i'd stand there, looking at everything, and say again, outloud..

"okay. so first i have to swim, i'll need...."

and i think i more or less did that about 19 times before bed.

finally around maybe 9ish pm i sent my parents to bed, tucked asher in for the night, and crawled under the covers for some sleep.
i wasn't actually expecting to GET any sleep, but.. i did!! i got sleep!

... until about 1am when asher demanded that he be let outside to pee. after that, sleep was a crap-shoot, but until then... i got sleep!

at 3am the alarm went off. then again at 3:20.. then again at 3:40.

i was paranoid about sleeping in and missing the whole day. what can i say?!!

after a morning of okay. first thing i need is my wetsuit... and a seriously large protein shake, i packed my car and headed off to 0%'s house, where i rechecked my list, packed her car, and finally at 4:15am headed out to the lake.

it was nuts.
it was NUTS and there were tons of people, but...
i never really got nervous.
i was excited. in the back of my mind, i knew i could do this thing, and i was just really excited to be there.

setting up transition took far less time than i thought it would, so afterwards i did a lot of standing around, wondering ok so now what the hell do we do!?!

apparently... what you do is... TAKE PICTURES!!!

at about the time running jayhawk and i were goofing off taking pictures, we noticed i had some body marking issues that made me look like a total newb.

yeah. nice.

not only did i have it all over the back of my legs... it was seriously ALL. OVER. my quads. i'd somehow gotten it to more or less cover the front of my legs and at one point almost the entire row of women in our transition area were laughing at me as a photographer came to capture the mess.

classic!

i figured then it'd be a good time to wet-suit-up!

afterwards, it all happened so fast...

athletes were ushered out of transition. we went to the water to splash around while the navy seals skydived in. the race director sang the national anthem, and just like that... the pros took off.

holy. SHIT.

i just felt like grabbing father time and yelling at him to SLOOOOOW DOWWWWWN!!!

i barely had time to think. bam, next age group. bam next age group. suddenly they were calling all silver swim caps to line up and then. FINALLY.

i got nervous.
i got cry in my goggles a little bit nervous.
can't breathe, want to pee my pants (which i did. in the water. several times.) nervous.

but i had no choice. i took a quick pic with a friend...

ran up to see my mom and give her one last hug on the side...

and we were off.

this is for real.

.... HA! the swim sucked.

oooh, man it sucked.

the men in the age group behind us were brutal. i got elbowed in the face, shoved, kicked.. you name it, it happened.
but i didn't freak out.

i stopped a lot to tread water and let people pass me by, but..

i didn't freak out.
i just went REALLY SLOW!

52 minutes later i was crawling out of the water and the swim was done. i ran alllll the way around some flooding they had to steer us around, peeled off my wetsuit (losing my chip in the process), but.. i was done!

weeeee!

... and i didn't drown!

Posted by a.maria at 06:40 AM | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBacks (0)

my wetsuit's finally here!

WOOT!

.... as i pulled in the driveway yesterday, i actually let out a little yelp.

there, on my front step, was the box i've been waiting for. my Blue Seventy REACTION wetsuit...

($70 off because of the messed up print job. go to insideoutsports.com if you want one too! but you have call, cuz its not offered online..)

ANYWAY...

i ran inside, tore open the box, struggled for about 1/3 the amount of time i figured i would to get it on, and...

TADA!!!

(... i like how i managed to only actually look at the camera once. apparently 10 seconds is a lot less time than i think it is.)

i'm sorry but... ITS SO PRETTY!!!

and if i stand just right and don't breathe, i almost don't look a baby whale! weeee!

Posted by a.maria at 07:11 AM | Permalink | Comments (21) | TrackBacks (0)

i am so uber-hydrated lately that the amount and frequency of which i pee.. is almost disturbing.

even to me.

..... TMI!!?!

maybe.

but i'm just sayin.

Posted by a.maria at 10:20 AM | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBacks (0)

wow, guys. i have to say.. thanks for the feedback from sunday's ride. i was in a low place sunday night, but am feeling, now, much much better.

as i mentioned to a fellow blogger earlier this week.. i sort of thought i had this whole thing figured out. but truth is, there's so much to learn as an athlete. right when you think you've got it all under control, its like triathlon goes HAHAHAHA. you FOOL!!! and puts you in your place.

and thats what it did to me sunday. tenfold.

i think i'd taken for granted some of the lessons that i learned during marathon training a few years ago. some of the things i learned about me, about how strong i am. how much i'm worth...

i was aloof, and i started letting things slip, mentally.

and then sunday, when i wasn't really looking, all those fears and doubts snuck back in and slapped me around a bit.

luckily, i have people like you, and my "real life" friends and training partners, to gently but firmly give me a serious kick in the pants.

and for once... finally... it didn't take me 3 weeks to figure it out again. cuz the things is... i have changed. i'm not struggling to find myself anymore, at least not in the way i once was. the difference is now i have to remember that. and not just decide, as soon as things get rough, that its only the bad moments that define me, instead of all the good.

.... last night was supposed to be our first open water swim of the season. its been crazy around here weather-wise, and not surprisingly, at about the time we should have been getting in the water, the skies opened up and dumped rain and hail on us, postponing that first-of-the-season harsh reminder of what swimming in a lake with a few 100 other people is all about.

so instead i headed to the pool... and somewhere in the middle of my 2300yd swim...

i relaxed. and i found me again.

i found the me that knows she can do this.

i found the me that isn't afraid to say she's looking forward to the race. that she sorta thinks it might go really well.

that although its going to be SO HARD, and there will be moments when i am SO DONE and wanting to SO QUIT!!!....
that its going to be good.

and that i kinda think i'm going to love it.

........................ ten days and counting folks... are you ready!?!

Posted by a.maria at 06:55 AM | Permalink | Comments (11) | TrackBacks (0)

i lost it today.

i LOST. IT. and completely broke down.

i had an 80 mile ride and a 30 minute run and...
mentally..

i just didn't have it today.

the ride started off really well. at about 1:35 into the ride i was averaging 17.2.
(i never average 17.2...)

by 3:06 hrs into the ride, my average had dropped to 16.6.
(i never average 16.6...)

to be quite frank, i've never ended a ride averaging more than 15.7. EVER. as in..

EV. ER.

so.. like i said... the ride started off pretty well.

unfortunately, at about 60 miles in.... things stopped going so well.

i got tired. we ran into more hills. it got hot. and..

i lost control.

i couldn't turn my legs over. i could no longer hang with Beagle Girl. i could barely keep myself in aero position, wanting to just sit up, stretch out my back, and cruise in my granny gear, and when even that got too hard...

i wanted to give up.

i can't do this anymore. i don't have it. this was too much of a mileage jump, i wasn't ready for this. my body can't do this. i can't run after this. if i were racing, i'd have to run 13 miles... I CANT RUN 13 MILES!!!

i'm not ready for this.

and i. broke. down.

i was on the verge of tears, which makes me not able to breathe... so then i couldn't breathe so i'd want to cry even more... so then i couldn't turn my legs, i was trying to catch up to Beagle Girl, so i felt horrible for making her wait... and the whole time i just thought..

i. can't. do. this.

every self-doubt, every questioning feeling, every lack of self worth i've ever had or thought about myself came rushing back to me in one sick moment.

every bad run. every bad bike. bad swim.

my horrible marathon times, my weight challenges throughout my life. my guy problems, the thought that maybe all these things are linked...

i fell apart.

quietly, in my mind, i lost control.

and then when i got off my bike to run... i stopped holding it in, and i let it out.

just under 6 minutes into my run the floodgates opened and i could do nothing but cry.

jog a few steps... stop and cry. walk. talk myself out of my head. jog a few steps... stop and cry. it was all i could do.

all the people i'll be letting down. all the training i've been through. all the people that have supported me along the way... the ones who "know" i'm going to have such a great race. that are proud of me. that have faith in me.

what if i fail?

i won't be able to look them in the face and i'm so scared i can't do this.

physically, i felt fine.

once i got off the bike and got running.. my legs were great. they were ready to move, but my head...

my head got in the way, and.. that scares me too. i haven't questioned myself like this in forever, i thought i fought these demons a long time ago. i was past it. i'd learned, and i'd grown, and now there they are again, and...

i don't know what to do.

i've completely lost my mental game, and i don't know what to do.

Posted by a.maria at 08:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (20) | TrackBacks (0)

for those of you that weren't able to attend my SMACK DOWN at the heritage park duathlon/triathlon earlier this morning..

i thought i'd inform you that..

I WON SECOND PLACE IN MY AGE GROUP, BEYOTCHES!!!

and because we all know that you don't actually *count* the people that were faster than you in the race (cuz... duh.) i might as well announce that i practically won THE WHOLE THING!

i mean taking into consideration people that are faster than you is just being a little too detail oriented, ya know?

*minutiae*

...

to be perfectly honest, i spanked that race so hard i heard rumor that they're renaming the event next year to the Heritage Park holy-shit-did-you-see-how-fast-AJ-raced-this-course-last-year Duathlon/Triathlon

i mean, officially.. ya never know.

but i hear its in the works.

the WINNERS PLAQUE that i brought home is, clearly, going to be mounted inside a UV protectant hyperbolic chamber stored 10-20 feet in the ground so that you'll need two keys, turned at exactly the same rate, to even open, so..

i mean.

its a pretty big deal.

and i just thought you should know.

>>> insert image of me here doing the shake-your-bootie-cuz you think you're-so-cool dance <<<

(more pics to come, for now this is all i have. compare to last year....)

race pics..

(okay. so maybe i was like 19th overall and got beat by a number of people that are not only faster and fitter, but probably just better at everything than me.

i care not.

things like taking home hardware happen to this chick all of never so.. i'm celebrating it to its fullest extent!!

can ya blame me?!

... i didn't think so!)

Posted by a.maria at 10:19 AM | Permalink | Comments (25) | TrackBacks (0)

so..

after that last run i did earlier this week, i awoke the next day with...

a swollen knee.

a very sore, swollen knee.

why? where'd it come from? what happened?!

yahhh.. i dunno. but it was NOT. COOL.
i couldn't bend it without screaming out in pain, going up/down stairs was a joke, and even really just walking around was a bit of a problem.

so i iced it. layed off for a day or two. swam instead of biked and thought, yesterday, when the swelling and pain had gone..

sweet! i fixed myself!

um.
........ i didn't fix myself.

because 45 minutes into my ride yesterday, i looked down and WHOA.

swollen. knee.

having no choice but to ride back, i.. rode back. got home. iced it.
woke up this morning with NO pain, but am now wondering..

WHAT THE HELL.

i have a 3.5 hour ride tomorrow and a duathlon sunday.

so the question is... if it doesn't hurt, but is still swollen..

do i ride?
do i race?
do i sit it out?

what do i DO!?

my HIM is in exactly one month.

i do not have time for this!

Posted by a.maria at 09:53 AM | Permalink | Comments (6) | TrackBacks (0)

over the years i've read the blogs of several people as they train for various races and there always seems to be a point where each person struggles with two things..

food... or more specifically portion control, and ALWAYS being hungry.....

and cleaning.
finding time to do the dishes, the laundry, pick up after their kids/spouse/self, and generally lead a normal tidy life that doesn't involve making excuses like "i'm really sorry my house looks so trashed right now, its just that ______________ ".

i've read these blogs and read these statements and always sort of chuckled to myself. exaggerate much?! jeez...i'm sure its not that bad...

well, ladies and gents, i'm here to tell ya something....

IT. IS.

it is that bad. it is very much that bad.

between getting up and taking care of the puppy, getting myself dressed and off to work in time, coming home, walking the dog, feeding the dog, making sure the dog doesn't poop on me.... finding clothes that are semi-clean to workout in, getting to the gym, coming home and stuffing my face immediately, often, and with large quantities of food..

lemme tell ya...

it is that. bad.

i have absolutely no time what-so-ever to take my clothes from the various folded piles in which they lay on the floor (clean, mind you. my CLEAN piles of clothes).. and find space for them in the closet.

it is much easier for me to drape items over fans and chairs and bed posts than it is to find a hanger and align them neatly by color, by season, by style like some people do.

its also much easier and much more enjoyable to walk through the kitchen, pull out a bowl of fruit and graze than it is to reflect for the 20 seconds it would take for me to do so and think to myself.. huh. lots of fruit. lots of carbs. where's my fat? where's my protein?!..

because then when i DO decide to "think" its... ooh. that big serving bowl i use when guests come over.. i should just make my salad in THAT. and eat the ENTIRE THING. i'll get all my servings of everything then for SURE!

well, yeah. while i graze on some crackers and peanut butter AS i'm cooking, i'm getting all my servings...

AND THEN SOME.

i mean please.
it never ends.

i am always putting something in my mouth, while simultaneously stepping over something that needs to be picked up off the floor, usually on my way to the couch... FOR A NAP!

at this rate i'm going to be the fattest in shape person to ever attempt to finish her first half-ironman.

with a messy house and dirty laundry to boot!

GAH!

Posted by a.maria at 11:39 AM | Permalink | Comments (10) | TrackBacks (0)

oooooh holly holy.

my legs.

OOOOOOH my legs.

i can't remember the last time i felt quite this spent. but i do know its been a long, long time.

full IMKS 70.3 bike course recon-story to come tomorrow, but let me just say...

OOOH holly holy.
i can't right now fathom exactly how it is that i'm supposed to ride that course, and then run a half-marathon.

that's frackin dumb.

however i haven't ridden that well, that hard or that long... (and definitely not all three at once) ... in like...

ever.

sooo, yeah.

we've got about a month left. and i have two things to say...

1.) i've got my work cut out for me and
2.) ... i am so doing this thing!

Posted by a.maria at 05:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (5) | TrackBacks (0)

for those of you living in the KC area, training for IMKS 70.3 or just wanting a fun and social training day... i thought i'd mention that this weekend the co-race director and some fella's from ENDURAcamps (who also happen to be from KC MultiSport)... are conducting a little training weekend out there for us athlets and any and all peeps are invited...

(from their site)...
That's right, for anyone who wants to swim, ride or run the course we will be out there on May 4th. So don't sweat missing out on a pre race training opportunity, the guys at Kansas 70.3, EnduraCamps and everyone at GU Sports will take care of it. Here is what we are looking at:

08:00-09:00 Open water swim at the beach (you gotta pay the $5 fee)
08:00-08:20 Open water swim technique/strategy clinic on the beach. Totally optional.

09:00-12:00 Run and Bike course open for training. Race Directors from Kansas 70.3 will mark the course using same markers/signs as race day, they will also be at the event as they will love to hear your feedback. Our crew will have a SAG vehicle with pumps and tires available on the course- probably should pack your gear though just in case. We will also set up an aid station back in Transition area stocked with GU and GU2O as well as water and some snacks. Transition area will be marked off and we will post a person there to watch over the gear at all times(We are in no way responsible for you gear though).

09:00-09:30 (Optional) EnduraCamps will have a short clinic on racing your best 1/2 Ironman and basic pointers for the race.
12:00-12:30 (Optional) EnduraCamps will have a short clinic on racing your best 1/2 Ironman and basic pointers for the race.
We will repeat it for people that want to get straight to the bike or that might miss it.

You should be able to get plenty of good training in that day, so come out and join in. Best part? The price.....

Free

If you can email us and let us know your coming so that we can get our numbers inline, that would be great. info@enduracamps.comThis e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it We will hold a drawing for those who give us a heads up and give away some Kansas 70.3 swag! We might even give away Tom Z's car to one lucky winner (maybe not).

info@enduracamps.comThis e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

-----

so thats the deelio. i'll be out there on the bike course all day. i plan to ride the ENTIRE thing, no matter HOW long it takes me, and hopefully live to tell about it!

so.. come one, come all, and happy training weekend to ya!

Posted by a.maria at 01:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBacks (0)

oh for the love...

okay.

so last night i needed to swim. my coach gives me a list of workouts each month and depending on the day, i look at what workout to do and.. i do it.

simple enough.

except when its NOT.
like last evening, for example!

i took a look at my workout and saw THIS:

warm up -- continuous swim 5:00
8x50 one arm drill
8x50 catch up
10x100 1:00 RI
cool down -- continuous swim 5:00
approx. 2200 yds

right. m'kay. so i saw that, and thought this..

2200 yards plus 10 minutes of warm up/cool down?! EFF THAT! i'm not swimming extra. that's dumb!

so i got my stuff, and headed to the pool...

first things first... i do all my drills last, and i do all my straight swimming first. otherwise my arms get really tired, i stop paying attention to my form, and when i'm doing the straight swim at the end, i'll talk myself into getting out early cuz.. i'm compromising form! i don't want to teach myself a bad habit! lets quit early!

yes i know. lame. but i've found a way around that by straight swimming first so.. it is what it is, yeah!?

ANYWAY.
10x100...

off i go.

500 later i'm bored. so i come up with a brilliant plan... oooh! i know! i'll swim half of everything twice.. 5x100, 4x50 and 4x50 and then do it again! sweet!

.... not. so. sweet.
here's the problem...

first of all i can't count while i swim. especially when i start doing 150's and 250's.. i always lose track of what the hell hundred i'm on and lets face it. i have a tendency to round UP.

that, plus the fact that by the end of my 4x50's i'd forgotten the my straight swim set was 10x100... not 8x100... because i'd been swimming HALVES. halves at that point meant 4x50, so i figured it also meant 4x100 on my second set.

WRONG. I. WAS.

by the time i was nearing my last set of 100 two things were going through my mind...

wow. i'm usually way more tired by the time i hit 2000. SWEET! i'm a fracking rock star today! and two...

wow. i don't ever usually swim 2000 this fast. SWEET! i'm doubley frackin rockalicious today!

not once did i stop to think for a moment about what i was doing.
not once did i stop to do some simple math and add up my actual yardage.

not. once.

because.. i was rockalicious. and i was totally okay with that!

but here's the problem....
you saw what i was supposed to do,yeah?

here's what i ACTUALLY did. which i didn't realize until i got home and took a second look at the workout...

warm up -- none. i'll warm up as i swim. duh.
5x100
4x50
4x50
(and then i thought HEY! lets mix it up a little!)
1x250
1x150
1x50
2x100
1x50

and i thought... SWEET! 2200!!

except. NOT. SO. MUCH.
what i neglected to realize was that a.) i forgot one of my 100's and b.) when my coach added up my yardage IT WAS TO INCLUDE THE WARMUP/COOL DOWN!

so far all my effort in trying to stay true to my program... i ended the night 600 yards SHORT!

WHAT THE FRACK!?!?

i am otherwise a relatively intelligent person. what the HELL happens to me when i get in the pool!?!

Posted by a.maria at 07:17 AM | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBacks (0)

so.. i didn't so much come in first place at the du this weekend.

... i didn't so much even come in third or fourth or ninth place either... (not that i thought i would!)

but i DID come in well before last, with a MAJOR running PR and... AND...

when they raffled off bread and bananas... well. my number was called.

so that means I PRETTY MUCH RULE!

mmmm. cinnamon bread.

*grin*

other than that it was a pretty kick ass race. somehow i ran like a bolt of lightening and PR'd my 3 mile run by over 3 minutes (ran at a 9:14 pace!!!)... the bike was rough, and although 20 miles isn't a lot.. when its all you have to do, suddenly getting from mile 12 to 20 takes everything out of you but i muscled through, passed 6 or 7 people and managed to form enough of a gap that i then never again got passed!

and then there was the final 2 mile run.

my legs felt like lead.
my stride was 4 inches long.
i thought i might die.

BUT. I. DIDNT.

my finish time was 2:02 and my final 2 miles were just a slight bit slower... at a 9:15 pace!!!!!

COLOR ME THRILLED!!!

Posted by a.maria at 06:34 AM | Permalink | Comments (17) | TrackBacks (0)

so i swam last night...

15 minute swim. 3 minute rest. 15 minute swim.

it went like this...

00:00 - 05:00
this sucks. my shoulder hurts. i probably injured myself for life. this sucks.....

05:00 - 10:00
.... still sucks. this sucks. i hate this and it sucks....

10:00 - 15:00
okay... this isn't really all that bad...

15:00 - 20:00
.. hey! swimming is fun! i like this!..

20:00 - 25:00
... how am i not done with this swim set yet? mother of god get me outta here....

25:00 - 29:00
... this sucks. i want to be done. this sucks....

29:00 - 30:00
oooh! one more minute! lets see how fast i can go!! FUN!

so yeah thats me.
just your average bipolar pschizoid in training!

weeeeeeeeeee!!!

Posted by a.maria at 01:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (6) | TrackBacks (0)

because i came back to home/work and received some interesting news (i'm getting my OWN office. with like a window and 4 walls and a door and everything... to myself... PFFT. how hysterical is that!?! and... my dog gets here friday. WHOA! i have a lot to do to get ready)... i'm going to feed you my trip list-style, as a series of things you should know, if you ever decide to trip it on down to austin on your own.

so here we go.

1.) wetsuits are small.
they are abnormally small.

when my smaller-than-me friend said i could borrow her suit, already i had my doubts. she's, as i just pointed out, smaller than me ---- already.

but her suit!!?!?... that was a joke. i lifted it up in front of me and nearly choked on laughter.

i'm sorry. what?! you want MY ASS to get inside of THAT tiny piece of rubber?! pfffft. i. don't. think. so.

it took me over 20 minutes of on, off, on, off, yank, pull, grunt, jump, off, on... until finally... A-HA!!! i got it.

that was just dumb. i'm going to have to wake up an extra half hour early on race day to have enough time to suit up.

2.) watching someone else take apart your bike and arrange it into a bike box?!

yeah.

infinitely easier than actually doing it yourself.
also?!

watching them take it apart does not necessarily mean you'll understand how to put it back together.

4.) although you might not understand exactly what you're doing... putting together your own bike in the driveway of someone's house --- MAKES YOU FEEL LIKE A ROCKSTAR!

even when, afterwards, it wont shift right so you have to take it to your local LBS.

hee. whoops.

5.) i still can't drive my friend's old red mustang without a pillow to prop myself up on. i felt like an 89 year old woman.

6.) there's this spot on Congress (... or was it 1st street!?!) where you can order a coke, and get it in a glass bottle. mexico style!

this, alone, made my trip worth it.

7.) doing laps in an outdoor pool makes me feel like i'm training for the olympics. i feel fairly certain that if this were an option for me here in KC (which it will be, ya know.. in like JUNE when it gets to be warm for more than 3 days in a row) i would swim all the time.

i would be a machine.

8.) there are bike routes in austin all over the place.

i sort of knew that'd be the case, but my version of all over the place, and their version of all over the place, were not at all the same.

because by "all over the place"... they actually mean all over the place.

this i found to be disturbingly delightful.

9.) when in San Marcos... stranded.. in the middle of the day... with a flat tire on the side of the road... next to a busy street and a baseball field...

there will be no end of friendly drivers, in trucks, pulling up to see if you need help.

unfortunately none of them will be matthew mcconaughey.

10.) when further stranded in San Marcos because your idiot "friend" doesn't know how to answer the phone, you're back tire is rotating wobbly, there's a whole in the rubber of the wheel and you've just bit it once again on the side of the road...

getting in the truck with a random stranger (who's a fellow triathlete chick and your same age) is not only a good idea... its an absolutely great one.

11.) finding out that your arms don't reach your middle back, and so therefore your sunscreen application wasn't without flaws...

hurts.

a lot.

make this mistake once, and you will NOT make it again.

12.) the congress street bridge is long.
L-O-N-G.

especially when you have to cross it, on foot, upwards of 5 times because you're lost, the people you're meeting are always on the opposite side of the bridge, and you're a moron.

13.) running at town lake is divine. especially at 10am monday morning.

especially when running 8 miles at a 9:34 pace and setting a new PR.

turns out-- i can run.
apparently i just have to be in austin to perform well.

13.) it is damn near impossible to take off bike pedals without severe brute strength and a local bike shop.

14.) whataburger is and forever shall be my prize for any southern training weekend.

..... and that, more or less (but of course not actually at all) sums up my weekend of fun, sun, and an eight mile run.

i could say SO much more, go into minute detail, and post for days on the enjoyment i had this past weekend, but suffice it to say...

it was everything i wanted it to be.

and i cannot WAIT to get back!

Posted by a.maria at 11:21 AM | Permalink | Comments (10) | TrackBacks (0)

well i've about had it.

it was 42 degrees and pouring down rain today, and something in me just snapped.

i went on priceline, bid for a ticket, got it, and now have a training weekend planned.

i fly into austin april 10th in the AM, and fly out the 14th in the PM.

in between? i plan to train.

A. LOT.

i've ridden outside exactly twice so far this year, i've not run outside in almost two weeks, i wont get any open water swims till just weeks before my race...

THIS HAS GONE ON LONG ENOUGH!

so i'm jumping ship. for 5 days.

FIVE. GLORIOUS. DAYS. of hopefully a LOT of sunshine, a LOT of miles, and... lets be honest...

a LOT of food!

so for those of you that live in or around the austin area and can suggest where to go to ride (i don't mind driving out of the way, if you've got some quality hill country route to share!).. where to go to run... where to go to swim...

LET ME HAVE IT!
cuz i'm so down.

and if you're not into any of the above.... (what the hell are you reading my blog for?)... then feel free to drop me a line and maybe we can meet up. girl's gotta eat.. and drink... at some point.

right?!

Posted by a.maria at 06:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (8) | TrackBacks (0)

this past and upcoming week, between my car being in the shop, the weather being schizophrenic, and the NCAA championship on the line...

my training's been.. well...

a little less than on.

i can't seem to find my rhythm, i feel completely inconsistent and i'm almost always in a state of needing to catch-up.

i REALLY need some warm weather around here. i'm facing 7 miles on the dreadmill, 3+ inside on my bike and as always... freezing cold laps for my swim.

realizing the weather's been less than ideal sort of all over the nation, i don't mean to whine whoa is me... but i'm seriously starting to wonder if winter will ever end.

with the final four in san antonio this weekend, i think a training weekend down south is almost my only option.

who's in!!?!

Posted by a.maria at 06:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBacks (0)

ok, ya know what?

really?

how do you do this?

how do you people that have been training for triathlon.. specifically loooooong ones.... that have the word "ironman" in them...

how do you do it?

how do you do it and not die?!

because i tell you what, this sh*t is trying to kill me. and its coming close!

i had to make up my 6 mile long run from yesterday today, and... after a hamstring heavy crossfit workout yesterday... i could barely lift my legs.

it was some of the worst running i have EVER done.

and tomorrow i have a LONG RIDE! that will involve hills. and pedaling. on actual outside ground.

how can i possibly survive?!?!

i just don't get it.

a good run means your legs are tired the next day for the bike.
working on your push-ups and dips means your arms don't work when you swim.
recovery one day means the next day's bike will be great, but then the next run will suffer.

IT NEVER ENDS!!?!!?!

i feel like.. at some point... shouldn't my body acclimate?! shouldn't it get used to heavy legs, so... the runs start feeling okay?!

shouldn't my arms sort of understand, after several hours in the pool every week, that... this motion is just something they need to do!? and just DO IT. without forgetting how every week!?

how. do. you. do. this.

how do you do this, and survive... and even more so, how do you thrive!?!

i'm not even out of build phase yet. its been so cold that i haven't even had a full training session outside yet! my coach hasn't even tried to kill me with track workouts yet!

i'm still just getting started.

please tell me it doesn't get worse!?

Posted by a.maria at 09:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (7) | TrackBacks (0)

i pr'd my swim this weekend!

i pr'd my swim this weekend!

i pr'd my swim this weekend!

.....

did i mention i pr'd my swim this weekend!?

*sigh*

i am so thrilled.

honestly 100% absolutely stoked, elated, pee your pants from joy---THRILLED!!!

a little over a month ago, no joke, i was about ready to quit. i'd swam (swummed? swimmed?) my first 500 for time, and the result was less than ideal.

like.. minutes less than ideal.
like... dear god in heaven did i miss count?, less than ideal.

it was my first smack in the face of what if i can't do this? and i didn't take it very well. swimming since then has been... a struggle... and to say that i'm confident i'll finish in the cutoff time, even now, would...

well...
be a lie.

HOWEVER, this weekend.. huge gains!

a couple weeks ago i met with my coach to talk about my stroke and since then... things have kind of clicked.

saturday was my first 2000+ day and while i was a weetle nervous -- since tweaking my stroke my muscles have been screaming at me -- i was excited as well.
2000+ is a big deal for me!

so away i went, ready to swim.

and shockingly... i did. i was ON.

i mean, i was just so on.
and loving it.
loving EVERY SECOND of it.

towards the end of the workout i had 5x100 with 30 second intervals to do before my final cooldown, and on my last one, i glanced at my watch....

not really trying to go for time -- at this point my muscles felt like they would atrophy and die -- but just taking note of the time and... when i got back to the wall it read 2:00 flat.

(as point of reference, my 500 pace was almost 3:00 and my fastest 100 ever, at an all out dead swim was 2:07.
have i mentioned i suck?
oh yeah, really.
i am that bad.)

that can't be right.

that cannot be right. i did not just swim that fast. i did not. i did not just swim 100 in 2:00 flat. that cannot be right.

i was shocked. amazed.
it was the end of my first 2000 day, my shoulders and arms felt a lot like they were on fire and i was pretty zonked from the millions of drills. how on EARTH, while not sprinting, just swimming my regular holy-shit-i'm-tired-pace, did i just swim in 2:00 flat?

that cannot be right.

but ya know what?

it WAS.
because of course at that point... i just had to see for myself!

i swam one more 100, smooth, concentrating on my stroke, not straining to go fast, but just swimming right and..

2:00:54.

oh. my. god.

i was on cloud nine.

elated. thrilled. wanting desperately to scream at the top of my lungs, jump up and down, and give someone a high five.

TWO MINUTES FLAT! can you believe that?!

that's like.... one second away from SUB 2:00!!!!!!!!!!

that's insane!!!

needless to say i left the pool very happy with my day. now all i have to do is...

well...

do it again!

..... and again.. and again... and again....

Posted by a.maria at 11:18 AM | Permalink | Comments (21) | TrackBacks (0)

fiiiiiinally!

a training weekend that took place... OUTSIDE!

and it @#%#!-ing ROCKED!

*sigh*
i could not be a happier chick.

friday night's crossfit started the weekend out right with a seriously solid ego-boost that lets be honest... is always a fun thing to have.

then saturday... more of the same.

we met for our first outside ride of the year at 10am and although the temps were ideal... starting out in the low 50's... the wind?!

that's a whole 'nothah story. i basically rode at a 45 degree angle the entire ride. that part kinda sucked. but honestly the being outside part!? TOTALLY made up for the rest. and our two-a-week spin class, kicking my own ass there and at crossfit...

oh honey. i no longer SUCK!

or.. okay.

i no longer suck a LOT. i just kinda sorta suck!
whoopie!

of course topping the weekend off was an outdoor six mile run that i negative split by two minutes and then, last but not least, a hella-swim that i think i actually did RIGHT, cuz my shoulders and upper back kinda kill!

so, needless to say, i am loving life.

here's how the week's numbers stack up...

run -- 13 miles
spin -- 2:50 hours
ride -- 30 miles
swim -- 2300
yoga -- 1:30 hours

not too bad, yeah!?

15 weeks to go!

Posted by a.maria at 07:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (10) | TrackBacks (0)

a.) because the pool heater was broken last night, i skipped my swim.
b.) since it was nearby, i decided to take a look around target instead.
c.) looking around = trying things on.
d.) while trying things on i realized i've dropped 2 sizes, so i tried more things on.
e.) i look good in a 6.
f.) so i bought the entire store.
g.) some of what i got, i'm not entirely sure how to wear
h.) i might need some girlfriend intervention
h.) after crossfit tonight i have to make up yesterday's swim.
i.) and then i'll want to drink.
j.) but i wont because i'll be thinking of tomorrow's 2.5 hr spin and will go to bed instead.
k.) gawd my friday nights are lame.

Posted by a.maria at 12:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBacks (0)

so this morning i watched a bunch of triathletes suck donkey balls at crossfit.

they can beat me in a race, but i can so beat them at the gym.

this? = a good day.

also...

i have a crush on a boy.

from my gym.

which is all i can say because there are far too many people that know me. that know him. that know this blog.

which creates my weetle problem.

hmpf.

Posted by a.maria at 08:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (10) | TrackBacks (0)

... why all my pants keep falling down.

as many of you know, for the past several years (several being about.. lets see how old am i? oh right... 28 years) i've sort of struggled with my weight.

i eat.. i gain weight.
i diet... i gain weight.
i run.. i gain weight.

(do we see a trend here?)

to the point where after talking with several people.. coaches/doctors/etc... we decided there's just something wrong with me.

*gasp*

i know, right?!

no. shit.

but finally, after discovering i'm hypoglycemic, need a ridiculous amount of protein, not all that many calories and have an adrenal system that is, apparently, dysfunctional...

i think we've figured it out.

granted, as always, i'm a work in progress... but after a month of vitamins, supplements, seriously paying attention to what i put in my mouth AND, obviously, a lot of training (hi whats up half ironman in 6 months)...

we've made some headway.

and i couldn't BE more thrilled.

here's how this past month has panned out....

(and the accuracy of these numbers after one month.. i mean who knows. could be a fluke. BUT...)

1.25" off my waist (this i seriously question. i think i'm just having a skinny day.)
.5" off my hips
.5" off my big ole bootie
.25" ADDED to my way huge upper thigh (wtf!!? uncool.)
1" off my lower thigh
.5" off my chest (THIS i'm not as pleased with)
1" off ribs cage.

arms = same same. stupid arms.

weight wise... well. some things never change. i lost .2 lbs and .7% bodyfat, so.. i guess maybe its all just redistributing..

but the point is...
PROGRESS!!!

its not impossible!

so, cheers to one month of loss. and here's hoping February brings more of the same!

Posted by a.maria at 08:04 AM | Permalink | Comments (8) | TrackBacks (0)

so... as mentioned earlier in the week, this marked my
first ever tues/thurs spin class held by KCM and my
butt bones are still sore enough to tell the tale.

here are how the numbers stack up...

spinning = 3.5 hours
running = 6 miles
swimming = 2550 yds
crossfit = 45 minutes
yoga = 90 minutes

total ~ 8 hours.

on the spinning front...
um. yeah. it might be a very long time before i
can keep up with the 80+ people in my spin class. as
the pictures demonstrated i am friends with some
seriously fit people.

its kicking my a$$.

swimming is swimming. i pulled my fastest ever 100 to
date and then wanted to cry when i thought about
trying to hold that for another 1+ mile. suck.

crossfit and running... they're the one-two punch that
i just struggle to survive. wednesday night after an
extremely intense workout i bailed on the night's run.

which brings me to this upcoming week...

the one thing i can't do is let that become habit. if
something gets dropped, it can't be my run. crossfit
is my own add in... i have to remember that and train
accordingly.

lesson learned.

two down.. 22 weeks to go!

Posted by a.maria at 08:13 AM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBacks (0)

5:15am ALARM ---- roll over-- no... hit snooze.

5:24am ALARM ---- roll over-- nnnno... hit snooze.

5:33am ALARM --- roll over-- f*ck. what time is it?..(5:33).. no... hit snooze.

5:24am ALARM --- roll over-- uuuuuuuugh. out of bed. get out of bed.... hit snooze.

5:51am ALARM --- roll over-- what do i have to do today? i'm not working out this morning. this is stupid. no... hit snooze.

6:00am ALARM --- roll over--.. m'kay. what will i wear today? what do i have that's clean?... hit snooze.

6:09am ALARM --- roll over-- ok i have to get up. i'm getting up right now. right this second.... hit snooze.

6:18am ALARM --- roll over-- f*ck. f*ck. f*ck. f*ck. get out of bed. GET UP..... no... hit snooze.

6:27am ALARM --- roll over--6:30. i will get up at 6:30. i will get up at 6:30. just 3 more minutes.... hit snooze.

6:36am ALARM --- roll over--DAMMIT. ow. i'm sore.... hit snooze. fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck... turn alarm off. get out of bed.

this sucks. i gotta learn to get out of bed.

aaaand, that about sums up how my morning went today.

how was yours?!!?!

Posted by a.maria at 10:04 AM | Permalink | Comments (13) | TrackBacks (0)

omg what the hell.

there is something wrong with me.

this morning after way too many laps of the one-armed drill, my body completely took over. my mind was no where near the pool.

for whatever reason, for the remainder of my swim, every time i took a breath on my left side, i paddled twice with my left arm.

just... just purely on reflex.

i was like some kind of defective robot. my fourth, fifth, sometimes sixth stroke were all with my left.

what is WRONG with me?! i cannot form some sort of odd one-sided swim habit. i'll literally be stuck out in a lake somewhere swimming in circles.

what in the hell!?!

make this go away!

Posted by a.maria at 08:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (8) | TrackBacks (0)

alright folks... week one of the new year is in the books. and.. because HIM training is no joke and someone's gotta hold me accountable...

i'm following in bold's footsteps and recounting my week in numbers.

and here they are:

spinning... 3 hrs.
running... 6 miles
swimming... 1250 yds
crossfit... 20 minutes

i know i know... kinda weak. at least compared to my fellow athletes, but let me assure you... o.u.c.h.

this body is NOT used to logging that much leg time. or arm time. or really just movement at all.
i used my paddles in thursday's swim for the first time and hi. someone should have mentioned how sore those things will make you.

BUT... i finished. i got it done, and although i've got quite a bit of work ahead of me, i'm glad to be able to check it all off my list and move on to what's up next.

January 7th?! ... 23 weeks to go!

Posted by a.maria at 04:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (12) | TrackBacks (0)

i threw up a little in my mouth when i saw this. i'm relatively certain this profile will haunt my dreams for months to come.

....... needless to say, training is ON.

Posted by a.maria at 01:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (19) | TrackBacks (0)

so its race day morning. my mom and dad and i are in Lawrence in the middle of this big field and we've got all my stuff. my bike, helmet, wet suit, shoes... everything.

we walk up to this big booth, and i get my ID out to show the lady working the booth that.. yes, its me. can i have my bib number please?!

i get up there, she takes my ID and tells me.. "sorry. you're not on the list"

"um.. okay?! what do you mean "not on the list"...?!"
"i mean.. you're name's not here. you haven't paid to race yet."

"uhh. yeah. actually.. i HAVE. i already paid. i paid forever ago. i was the first one to pay!! my race number is 69!!"

"i'm sorry ma'am. you're not here. you can't race today"
"WHAT!?! but.. but.. i have to. i have to race today!! today is race day!! i have to race!!"

"i'm sorry. but there's no way we're letting you race today. you're not ready. you haven't trained enough, there's no way you'll survive. we can't let you race today"

.... and then i woke up.

*sigh*
is it just me or does that feel mildly like a bad omen?!

i'm officially freaked out now.

o.ffic.ial.ly.

Posted by a.maria at 12:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (11) | TrackBacks (0)

i just ran for 60 minutes, swam for 20 and sat in the sauna for 10.

if that's not a fun way to spend 90 minutes, then i don't know what is.

and by the way... sculling?!

HA!!! i lasted exactly one lap and promptly decided that that was the stupidest thing i have ever done. as a way to spend 20 minutes in a pool.. i don't suggest it.

however, as a way to sculp/torture the arms...

i'd say it ranks right up there around highly effective.

highly.

which of course is why i look forward to doing it again in the near future.

i'm a masochist that way.. what can i say?!

Posted by a.maria at 10:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (7) | TrackBacks (0)

dear 0% bodyfat guy,

next summer i would very much enjoy participating in a half ironman event type situation. if it is at all possible, i would very very much enjoy participating in said event type situation without the fear of death, dismemberment, or other great bodily harm.

as you may or may not know, it is a common practice of newb athletes, not unlike myself, to hire more experienced athletes to help them in this endeavor. said experienced athletes are often older, wiser, and much better looking than the newbs. not surprisingly they are also often referred to as.... "coach".

having had the highest honor of spectatorship thrust upon me two short weeks ago by IMMOO, it has become evident that to properly dominate the field, i must not only seek out a "coach", but that you, good kind sir, are that man.

i am (almost) certain that with your skills, knowledge, and dashing good looks, there is a fair possibility that i may survive my chosen half-ironman event, and live to, one day, perhaps even do it again.

with that thought in mind, it would be my great honor to officially request your services, in the form of "coach", for my half ironman event type situation.

yours very sincerely,
little miss runner pants.

(oh, and, one more thought!!?!

YOU'RE PRETTY!)

Posted by a.maria at 12:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (20) | TrackBacks (0)

ok so.. i know typically when recapping a weekend trip, i would start at the beginning...
:: holy crap 8 hours is a long drive! ::

maybe throw in a few fun facts like...
:: got pulled over in Iowa for going 76 in a 70. they're some sticklers up there, i tell ya ::

and then brag because
:: but i got out of it. its amazing what a wink and a smile can get ya these days! ::

then i'd probably go on to tell you all about my crazy night
:: seriously cute-ass bartender guy ::

and how i may or may not have been inebriated.
:: what!!? he was CUTE. what don't you get about that?! ::

then i'd definitely talk about the blogger meet-ups, finally getting to meet people like IronPol, Wil, Trigrey, Laurie, Wendy, 21C, Walchka and many others, and then i'd probably start in on the race report.

right?!
right.

except this time.. i wanna jump straight to the end.

because the end... is where it really *happened* for me.

for those of you that have never had the opportunity to experience ironman... let me just say the finishline is like nothing you've seen before.

watching these athletes finish up a 9, 10... 15, 16, 17 hour day is beyond amazing.

for most of the day, i screamed and i yelled and i supported the best i could. but although i knew what i was seeing, i didn't FEEL the way i thought i would.

it was a race and... yeah. that was it.

but around hour 10, when Babysitter Girl and i headed to the end, i started to get an idea.

hours 10 - 12 are pretty fun. people are lined up down the chute, all the speedy guys are coming through, and you get a sense of damn. they were really hauling ass out there.

its impressive, and fun, and.. its good times.

hours 12 - 14 are.... more of the same. the crowd really thins out, comparatively, and although its fun to see everyone run in... you start feeling the length of the day. as a spectator, you've been on your feet now since 6am, and... you kinda wanna go sit down!!

BUT!!! then its the end. there are a few hours left, and these are the people that really need the support. the crowd starts to grow, the music is blasting, and mike riley really revved it up.

you could start to feel a buzz in the air. everyone, absolutely everyone there wanted the same thing... for each and every athlete to make it down that chute. we were willing people across that finishline. screaming SCREAMING at them to run.

each new hour the crowd grew more and more. minutes 13:59, 14:59 and 15:59 were insane.

they. were. in. sane. we were all going nuts, trying to urge each athlete to make it under the 14, 15, 16 hour mark.

and then the last hour, it just never stopped.

there was a man, 78 years old, named frank. he was out on the course, shuffling along, and with an hour to go he had 5 miles left. mike riley kept giving us updates and at mile 25, we knew he could hear us.

the crowd. went. nuts. i have goosebumps just thinking about it.

we chanted, we cheered, we probably all wondered whether he'd make it and..

that's what i want to share with you today.

(below, is when he's at mile 25. we knew he could hear us, so we started to cheer)

(below is frank coming down the chute. i've watching this now 4 times today and the tears keep rolling down. i hope i hope i hope you all can sort of get an idea of the finish from this!)

(and below is his speech at the end. he's a funny little old guy. cutest lil man EVER. he talks about "the damn hills".. that maybe they should "hire a contractor to flatten out the course" and "knowing each of the athletes from their backsides".

he was the last athlete to cross the line.

he. is my hero.)

i'll post pics of the weekend tomorrow. today.. i want everyone to get a chance to watch frank come down that chute.

Posted by a.maria at 08:22 AM | Permalink | Comments (22) | TrackBacks (0)

i think there's someone in everyone's life who, every now and then, just has a way with words.

no matter what you do, no matter who you become, they have a way of saying just the right thing.