Triathlete 4 Life

Winter Rolled In...

2012-02-12T04:14:00.003-05:00

And since it did... I've decided to forgo running the MoCo Road Runners Country Road Run 5 Miler this morning! Besided being bitterly cold... there's probably a few inches of snow on the roads. It's really NOT worth taking the rick of driving to Olney... taking the risk of hurting myself... taking the risk of getting sick... just for one of several Championship Series races this season! Somebody... please... I beg you... tell me I have made the right decision!

Here we go...

Rest of my 2012...

2012-02-09T14:10:00.002-05:00

So far haven't posted a race schedule because I am still unsure of some of my races for the year! I still have a marathon and a triathlon to choose for the season! I want to do something close by that doesn't require much travel but still pick two good races!

As far as a marathon goes... I was thinking about the Baltimore or Marine Corps Marathon for a hot second until I realized I was not a fan of Baltimore and well Marine Corps just doesn't excite me! I've been thinking about Richmond which is held in early November! From everything I've heard and seen about it... it looks like a great course and good crowd support... plus its only a few hours away!

As far as a triathlon... I don't want to do a little sprint! If the race takes less than two and half hours to complete then forget it! I need a good Olympic or Half Iron that is close by... and not to much money... which is hard to find these days! I've spent hours on TriFind but still haven't found something that floats my boat! I would do DC or Nations Tri again... but I've done both races and am ready to move toward a race I have not done yet!

Oh well... i'll figure it out... and as soon as I do... you'll see my complete 2012 race schedule!

Here we go...

2012 Goals Revisited...

2012-02-06T02:41:00.004-05:00

Since I have started coaching myself and writing training plans for myself... well for what is on its second week... I've made some changes to my goals that I set earlier this year!

Swimmingwise... unless I am coming of a race of any distance and any type... workouts will no longer be any shorter than 3000 yards except Mondays which cant be less than 2000 yards! Even though my longest triathlon this season is a 70.3... I need to stick to a good base and keep it there!

Cyclingwise... one of my three rides a week is going to be spin class at my gym... it was somewaht painful but was fun and I think it will be really helpful! Also... instead of riding each bike each week... I will ride whichever bike fits my needs of my ride!

Runningwise... well the 50k will have to wait till 2013... if I ever really do it! Also... one run a week will be a tempoish run... even if it is the most painful run of the week!

Here we go...

Knowing My Limits...

2012-01-31T16:10:00.005-05:00

This is partially the reason I have decided NOT to run the Seneca Creek Trail 50k on March 3rd. I'm afraid right now my body can't handle building up to an insanely long distance within a matter of weeks and with that I wouldn't want to push myself at the beginning of a season when I have a whole season ahead of me!

Here we go...

On Becoming A Tri Coach...

2012-01-25T09:40:00.003-05:00

So as you well may know by now... I am going to become a triathlon coach here soon enough in the months to come! I don't have any paid clients yet... but I know who my first client will be... and that's myself!

As I was trying to get in a decent swim workout I decided I needed to start writing myself training plans for the weeks leading up to the Seneca Creek Trail 50k... the Columbia Triathlon... and National Harbor 70.3! Even though I've been in the sport for going on 9 years now... and I don't know how to write plans yet... I'm gonna take a shot at making for myself... since I know myself better than anyone else!

In order to write plans I need to committ to the time to train on both work and non work days! I know my schedule two weeks in advance so I can start there! I don't have to alot of time to train for the Seneca Creek Trail 50k but will do as many regular and trail long runs as I can and hope that I am ready for 32 miles of beautiful trails on March 3!

As I think about it... I'm excited about becoming a coach but then there's always that uncertainty of a new thing in life! I know I'll make a great coach... really motivate myself and others... so maybe I shouldn't worry too much!

Will keep you updated on how this all goes and starting next week I will post my training schedule for the week!

Here we go...

Ironman 70.3 National Harbor

2012-01-19T00:40:00.002-05:00

Well... I dropped out of Ironman 70.3 Eagleman for many reasons so I could register for Ironman 70.3 National Harbor!

Here we go...

2012 Goals... Part 3... Running

2012-01-12T08:45:00.003-05:00

Last year was a HUGE year for running for me... so I thought I'd turn it down a notch for 2012!

*Only run at most 2 marathons this years... one possible marathon as part of an Ironman and the other one a definite marathon itself... I just don't know when and which one!

*Run my first 50k March 3rd... and become an ULTRAMARATHONER... this will be a first!

*Run at least 7 Montgomery County Road Runners Club Championship Series Road Races and 4 Montgomery County Road Runners Club Cross Country Races to qualify for awards in both series!

*Run a PR in the 5k... which means a 22:38 or faster... which equates to about a sub 7:27 minute mile pace... I'm gonna do it by seasons end!

*Hit the trails more and do less on the road... everyone says I'll enjoy running more this way!

Here we go...

2012 Goals... Part 2... Cycling

2012-01-11T10:32:00.003-05:00

Next up in this mini series of goals are the ones for the bike!

*Last year I didn't really do that much on my bike... so expect ALOT this season!

*Ride the QRoo Kilo aka Zoom... once per week for a speed workout... most likely around Hains Point!

*Ride the Focus Cayo aka Speedy... once per week for in either Columbia or on Beach Drive for killer hill workouts!

*Ride with my dad once a week... since he hasn't really felt like riding by himself since my mom passed away!

*Ride the tandem once this summer to a Nationals game with Dad and park it in the bike valet... to honor mom... since mom and dad rode to the Nationals games on the Tandem all the time in the summer!

*Find new routes... so I'm not always riding the same place and the same route!

Up next... Running Goals for 2012!

Here we go...

2012 Goals... Part 1... Swimming

2012-01-05T04:05:00.004-05:00

Now that it has been 2012 for nearly 5 days now... it's time to start sharing goals for the 2012 season! Instead of doing them all in one... i'm going to break it up into parts... the first one being swimming!

Though I have been swimming since the age of nine... and I'm not competing in meets... I still have goals I want to achieve!

*Stop becoming good friends with the wall on flipturns! If I somehow managed to achieve this my times would be a second or two faster... therefore I'd be happier!

*Kick more and harder on distances that are 200 yards or less! Again... if I managed to do this my times on those distances would be faster!

*Bilateral breathing is a must for any distance... main set... warm up... or cool down! I think this might help when it comes to open water swim triathlons... I never know if i'm going to be swimming clockwise or counter clockwise!

*Build a stronger upper body so I get more power and efficency out of my stroke! I'm working on this already by doing a little bit of strenght traning every other day of the week at the gym!

*To not swim any less than 1500 yards on any given day I swim! If I wanna do distance tris I gotta learn to keep the yardage up from the start of the new year!

*Swim three days a weeks! No ifs... ands... or buts!
Up next... cycling goals!

Here we go...

Bring on 2012.

2011-12-29T01:13:00.006-05:00

So as 2011 bids farwell in a few days time... I'm happy to say Bring On 2012! 2011 has been a season of accomplishments with a single PR in the Ironman distance and the most 26.2s my legs have ever ran in aingle year which was 4... where lifetime number 8 came a month after lifetime number 7 and lifetime 10 came 3 weeks after lifetime 9! 2011 was also the year I did a record low 2 triathlons for the year!

But mostly my 2011 season was done for one reson... to show my mom I still loved the sport... after losing her back in late April! All the smiles... the tears... the victories... the struggles... they were all for her! She was my biggest fan and it was hard not having her here most of the season!

As we roll into a new year... and a new season... I am excited for all the possibilities that will come my way! I will continue to do both tris and road racing but will add trail running... and lots of it into the mix! Just like in 2006I dreamed of becoming a marathoner... in 2012 I dream of becoming an ultramarather! But the thing about 2012 that excites me most... I will FINALLY become a triathlon coach and share my passion of the thing I love most to help other achieve someting so great!

with that Farewell 2011 and Bring on 2012...

Here we go...

Lazy Bum...

2011-12-23T04:02:00.003-05:00

This is exactly how I've felt in my training these past two weeks! Though I have a HUGE 2012... it's time to reminisce on 2011 and be a bit of a lazy bum until 2012! I have raced ALOT this season... all starting in the second weekend in January and ending just last weekend! I deserve to be a somewhat of a lazy bum working so hard in 2011 and accomplishing a whole lot! But even with that... I'm looking forward to starting up a daily and routine scedule come a week from Sunday... New Years Day 2012!

Here we go...

I'm Gonna Be A Tri Coach...

2011-12-14T15:11:00.003-05:00

All I have done is gotten into the Ft Lauderdale USA Triathlon Level 1 Coaching Certification Course... but that's something... isn't it? It's going to be a long... challenging... and long process... but it's been in the dreams for 8 years now... and it's finally gonna happen!

Here we go...

Not Yet Final 2012 Race Schedule

2011-12-07T11:13:00.004-05:00

So here is my not yet final 2012 race schedule! A few races are definitelies and some races are maybes!

Jan: Shooting Starr 4Miler
February: Country Road Run
March: Piece of Cake 10k, Seneca Creek Trail 50k
April: Pike's Peek 10k, Bethesda Triathlon
May: Capital For A Day 5k, Columbia Triathlon
June: Eagleman 70.3 Triathlon, Capital Crescent 5k
July: NOTHING YET (Tear)
August: Going Green Track Meet, Comus Cross Country 5k
September: Parks Half Marathon, ChesapeakeMan Triathlon
October: Cross Country On The Farm 5k, Black Hill Cross Country 10k
November: Rockville 10k, Candy Cane City 5k
December: Jingle Bell Jog 8k, Seneca Slopes Cross Country 8k

Now all I gotta do is find a race for July and I am set :)

Here we go...

Turkey Burnoff Disaster

2011-12-02T03:29:00.002-05:00

So last Saturday... Nov 26th... I ran the MCRRC Turkey Burnoff 10 Miler... the second to last race in their Championship Road Race Series! Goin in I knew I wasn't to greatly prepared becuase I had been sick two week before and then following week... the week of Thanksgiving... training DID NOT take priority becuase the twinster was home for the holiday!

Well the race was a disaster! It was a two looped five mile course! I had the option of doing only the 5 Miler but I wanted the race to count toward the Championship Road Series standing so doing the 10 miler was the only option! Lets just say the first 2 miles were GREAT... the next 6 miles got tough... and the last 2 miles were a struggle! But I managed to finish! Not so great in the standings and my time really was super stinko! Even with this bad race I managed to keep myself in good standings in the Championship Road Race Series... so I'm happy with that!

Up next... the Jingle Bell Jog 8k Dec 11!

Here we go...

So It's Official...

2011-11-21T08:51:00.002-05:00

I'm gonna run the Seneca Trail 50k next spring in place of a spring marathon! With it being a local race and one put on by the Montogomery County Road Runners... it's PERFECT! Now I just need to hit up the trails! Wish me luck! I'm gonna be an ULTRAMARATHONER... woot woot!

Here we go...

Not What I Expected...

2011-11-13T15:40:00.002-05:00

I went into the Candy Cane City 5k yesterday morning thinking... PR... PR... what did I get... NOT a PR...

Finish Time 23:14
Minute Mile Pace 7:29
Age Group Placing 3 out of 15
Women Overall Placing 12 out of 131
Overall Overall Placing 90 out of 278

Kinda pissed off... but I still have a few more races to PR at...

Here we go...

Today the END of the season begins...

2011-11-12T05:04:00.003-05:00

Starting in a few hours I will start to run the final races of my 2011 season... which means I definitely have to figure out the rest of my 2012 season... but before I go there... here are a list of my last few races for 2011...

MCRRC Candy Cane City 5k... 11/12/11 TODAY
MCRRC Turkey Burnoff 10 Miler... 11/26/11
MCRRC Jingle Bell Jog 8k... 12/11/11
MCRRC Seneca Slopes Cross Country 10k... 12/18/11

And with that... Dear Running Gods... May I have a fast end of the season filled with a few PRs along the way...

Here We Go...

PR.... Kinda...

2011-11-06T16:08:00.003-05:00

In action this morning at the 36th Annual Rockville 10k! PRed for the 5k... 22:30well the first 5k... then I fell apart at mile 4 of the 10k! 47:59 was the total time... 2nd in age group... 7th out of 64 open (20 to 34 years old) women... 106th out of 539 total people... 7:42 min mile pace! Not bad... I'm such a bad ass when it comes to 10ks... now that I've learned how to race them... sorta!

Here we go...

The Mood Has To Change...

2011-11-03T04:13:00.003-04:00

Yesterday was the day from hell for me... with the exception of running several quaters on the track at a sub 6 minute pace... it was just a shitty day overall! Basically I got stuck in a very uncomfortable and frustrating situation at work and couldn't control my composure and emotions. So today I have much explaining to do and apologizing to do... but I'll handle it... well cross your fingers I do!

But as the title said... the mood has to change... starting now! I have several races coming up in the next month and a half... starting this weekend... that having a negative attitude will definitely not be helpful... duh even I know that! But that's all I can say for now without getting myself in major trouble!

Here we go...

4:26:42

2011-10-16T20:22:00.003-04:00

Not what I had hoped for and not my greatest marathon finish... but Baltimore... you were one tough course... so I'll take it!

TEN marathon finishes in the books... FOUR of them just this year... so for the experiences I have had... I'll be damn proud to be a TEN TIME MARATHON FINISHER!

Pictures and race report to come!

Here we go...

It's Race Weekend...

2011-10-13T20:08:00.002-04:00

Which means it's time for the 2011 Under Armour Baltimore Marathon! I've been waiting for so long for this race to come (a) because I'm ready to get marathon number ten in the books in what six years (b) ready to get marathon number four of this year in the books (c) ready to have my big races for the season over and done with and (d) just have something to be uber excited about!

Being marathon number ten in six years and number four just this year... my goals are not just to finish... instead to finish in rocking fashion and have a blast so I can remember this marathon like it was my first! I also have a time goal in mind... even though I just did an Ironman Distance Tri just three weeks ago! If I can run this marathon in under 4 hrs and 15 mins I will be the happiest person ALIVE!

Don't forget to go to the Baltimore Marathon website to register so you can track me as I trek through Baltimore on Saturday!

So Baltimore Marathon... if you there and can hear me... bring it... i'm so ready to rock you!

Here we go...

reGen Sampling Photos...

2011-10-08T14:01:00.003-04:00

Did a reGen muscle recovery beverage sampling at MCRRC Track Workout this past Wednesday and had a blast handing out coupons and samples! Here are two hillarious photos I wanted to share with y'all from my sampling!

Two Goofballs... aka Jordan and Scott showing off their reGen and muscles...

Jordan and I being a little silly while showing off our muscles and reGen...

Here we go...

Asking Mom... A 2011 ChesapeakeMan Ultra Distance Triathlon Personal Account

2011-09-30T05:07:00.003-04:00

This is my personal account of 2011 ChesapeakeMan Ultra Distance Triathlon in Cambridge Maryland on September 24, 2011. WARNING... Tissue might be needed due to as I was writing this I teared up big time!

Thanks mom for supporting me and loving me and helping me get through one of the biggest days of my life. This race is for you and me to share forever and ever. I missed you race day but couldn't thank you enough for answering my questions in such rocking fashion!

Pre Race was hard becuase as I was waiting for the start of the race, the race announcer was talking about different athletes and started telling my story of racing for purpose of my mom's memory all day. I was in tears listening to the bits and pieces of the story I had sent in. My two friends Melissa and Steve came right after they told my story and I was happy they were there so I could start getting my mind off of what I heard so I could start focusing on the race itself.

The 2.4 mile swim was rough. Even with less than 300 athletes in the water going off at the same time, it was more insane than an actual Ironman swim start. I couldn't find the buoys, instead I could only see hundreds of white swim caps bobbing up and down. It took me most of the first loop to find my rythm in the water. As I swimming toward the white buoy, my signal to do the second loop, I kindly asked mom for a less crazy second loop of swimming. Unfortunately it didn't work so well. The whole second loop was filled with trying to find the buoys again. As I reached the white buoy, which signaled to make my way out of the water this time, I kindly asked mom to make sure I got up the slippery ramp without falling. It worked as I got up safely and slowly and made my way to get my swim to bike gear bag to get ready for the bike.

Transition one was relaxing. I got my mindset on cycling, hydrating, and fueling smart for 112 miles on the saddle. As I rolled out of transistion of I got my final farewell from Steve and Melissa screaming well wishes as I clipped in.

The 112 mile bike went so amazingly well. I didn't have my bike computer on my bike, as it had been forgotten at home, so I had no concept of how far I went or how fast I was going. I seemed to just roll along with much pleasure from sitting in the saddle for such a long period of time. As I got done with the out and back before the first loop started I asked mom (a) if she could tell me when to eat and drink so there was no chance of dehydration and blacking out like there was at Ironman Lake Placid in 2010 and (b) if I were to have a flat tire on the course could she change it for me. It was great rolling through the high school for the start of the second loop to see Dad there cheering me on, taking pictures, and asking me how tough the bike had been. I told Dad the bike was no way near tough. As I rolled through the second loop of the bike and saw so many athletes on the side of the road with flats, I aked mom to not let me get a flat tire becuase I didn't want to spend time changing it. My question was answered as I rolled through the high school one final time, but to finish up the bike hydrated, fueled, and with no flat tires along the way. I wanted to hug mom at this point, she had made me realize I could once again get through the bike without any major setbacks, similar to my Ironman Coeur d'Alene 2008 bike experience.

Transition two was not nice to my body. I wanted to sit down as I switched from my bike to running shoes, but my body told me stand up becuase if I sat down, my race would be done.

The majority of the 26.2 mile run was sluggish and painful. At this point I asked mom to just let me finish the race and get through it in one piece. The first of three loops on the run course was just sluggish. I kept peeking at my Garmin to see my pace rise in dramatic fashion from the start all the way to mile 9. Even with water and Gu Chomps. there was nothing I could do, I would be doing the ChesapeakeMan Shuffle and exceling at that. As I rounded the parking lot of the high school I told dad I'd see him in about an hour and a half, not knowing what was to come. It was 2 miles into the second loop that the pain surged though my leg muscles. I wanted to walk, but it hurt so much I had to keep running, continuing to do the ChesapakeMan Shuffle. The Gu Chomps had not worked at all; no energy, no nothing, just pain and lots of it. At this point I was scared of what the third loop was about to bring and wanted to call it day, or at least that was what my mind told me to do. My body told me different as I rounded the parking lot again to see Dad cheering and taking more pictures of me. I asked mom at this point just to let the pain be relieved and have an unforgettable last loop and final 9 miles of my big day. It was at mile 22 my questions were answered when I got some Chocolate Chip Cookies, my new favorite instant energy, from the aid station. Those things were a lifesaver as far as the race played out. The last four miles hurt like no other but I flew by everyone around me and picked up the pace. I really thanked mom for what happened as I approached the finish line.

The finish was something I will never ever forget. Not just had I finished the race in one piece, I had taken almost 1 hour off my only other Ironman time. As I ran down the chute to see dad once again shooting pictures, I raised my arms in the air, smiled big, and thanked mom for helping push me through to the finish in such rocking fashion that even dad was suprised to see me come in so early at nite.

12:29:12

2011-09-25T22:28:00.002-04:00

That's what this blogger did yesterday's ChesapeakeMan Ultra Distance 140.6 Triathlon in yesterday... Bad Ass I tell ya... Bad Ass...

Race Report and Tons of Pics that captured the AWESOME Day coming to a blog near you...

Here we go...

Bring It...

2011-09-22T03:50:00.003-04:00

And that's what I will do in t minus two days at the 2011 Assisted Living Well Chesapeake Man Endurance Festival out on the Eastern Shore in Cambridge Maryland. I don't have a race time goals... well with the exception of my best day ever... i'll take it for what it's worth... and I hate this sport goals. Even without thinking about these goals... finishing is what matters most... not just to me but to everyone else around me who supports me in this journey to 140.6 miles of swimming... cycling... and running.

My gear is laid out and I can't wait to represent Team reGen Recovery Beverage at the race. I will be sporting my tri kit all day long but I have one dilemma as far as team colors go... do I wear just the blue compression sleeves... the orange compression sleeves... or one blue and one orange compression sleeve. I know... I know... I might look dorky... but in some ways I'd be the coolest looking one out there if I wore a compression sock of each color race day. I will decide come race day and y'all will see what my final decision was when I post pics from the race in the days to follow.

So all in all... ChesapeakeMan... if you are there... give me what you got... I can't wait.

Here we go...

Two Important Tidbits...

2011-09-18T23:09:00.003-04:00

*Ran a 1:54:53 at Parks Half last weekend... The race aka my last long training run for ChesapeakeMan 140.6 and Baltimore 26.2 was a huge BLAST... I ran with my friend Joe from Pacers... Ran by Melissa and Steve from Pacers in the later half of the race... and ran with one of my reGen team mates Michelle... Will definitely do that race again...

*It's race week for ChesapeakeMan 140.6 on the Eastern Shore in Cambridge... Gotta take it EASY this week... Especially on the swim, bike, and oh of course the run... A little nervous but very confident I can finish this distance without getting super dehydrated like I did in Lake Placid last summer...

Here we go...

Who's Counting....

2011-09-05T14:39:00.001-04:00

6 days till Parks 13.1... 19 days till ChesapeakeMan 140.6... 40 days till Baltimore 26.2... But who's counting?

Here we go....

Seriously...

2011-08-31T03:29:00.003-04:00

Where did all this time go? I mean Parks 13.1 and ChesapeakeMan 140.6 are right around the corner! Twelve Days till Parks and 25 Days till ChesapeakeMan! I've been somewhat training for both races... but haven't gotten in all the training I would have liked to. Life kinda got in the way... BIGTIME! But in so many ways... who gives about that. The fact that I am racing and will be out there representing reGen is a GREAT GREAT honor. Yes... for both races I care about my times and how I place... esp ChesapeakeMan... but I want to be out there showing EVERYONE why I am out there racing. Mom's picture will be with me in both races becuase I know she will really help me push through the joyous and tough hours alike that each race will bring. When oh when will you come Parks and ChesapeakeMan?

Here we go...

Comus Cross Country Run 5k Pictures and Results

2011-08-22T12:06:00.003-04:00

Ran my FIRST EVER Cross Country Running Race this past Saturday evening and LOVED it! Here are a few pictures from the 2011 MCRRC Comus Cross Country 5k Run...

73 our of 117 Overall
12 out of 34 Gals Overall
1 out of 3 25 to 29 Year Old Gals Overall
30:18 Total Time
9:46 Minute Mile Pace

Is It Just Me...

2011-08-18T03:45:00.003-04:00

Or is my training going super de duper FABULOUS? My workouts yesterday (Wednesday) involved an INTENSE 3500 yard swim followed by a BREATH TAKING 6 by 800s interval track workout!

My swim workout was as followed...
500 Free Warm Up Swim
2 by 250s Pull with Pull Buoy ONLY
2 by 150s Free No Free Free by 50
100 Easy Free
4 by 250s Free Build
1000 Pull with Paddles and Pull Buoy
100 Easy Free Cool Down Swim

Then a few hours later my track interval workout 6 by 800s times were as followed...
3:26
3:28
3:27
3:29
3:27
3:28
Note... all the 800s were done at a SUB 7 MIN MILE pace :)

Not too shabby at all...

What is on the calendar for me today... morning cardio and weights at LA Fitness then a 5 to 6 mile hopefully trail run after work!

Gosh... I love this training!

Here we go...

ChesapeakeMan 140.6... Just Around The Corner...

2011-08-14T21:20:00.003-04:00

It really is... only 41 days away! The ChesapeakeMan Ultra Distance Triahtlon Athlete Guide just came up earlier this past week online... it's about 52 pages in length... i've skimmed through alot of it... looks like your typical 140.6 distance race guide... especially going into complete details about the 5 bags for race day (a)Pre and Post Race Dry Clothes Bag (b)Swim to Bike Bag (c)Bike Special Needs Bag (d)Bike to Run Bag and (e)Run Special Needs Bag! I know what I need for each bag but i've started making lists of what needs to go in each bag... just so I don't forget anything important!

I'm pretty psyched up about this race! I love the distance! The course is sure to be punishing... being on the Eastern Shore and all... but i'm psyched! Knowing I'll be racing practically ALL day long brings a smile to my face! I have already set my (a)best day ever (b)satisfied day and (c)not so pleased day goals! I have a plan no matter what the conditions are for the race! I know I still have a few LONG training days left... but ChesapeakeMan... can you please come soon?

Here we go...

Sunday Something... Getting Serious...

2011-08-07T09:14:00.006-04:00

So seriously... I'm getting serious... about a few things!

(a)Grad School...
For the longest time... well ok... since my love of books bloomed and I figured out I didn't want to be a traditional teacher in the classroom... I want to be a children's librarian. With my experience of almost seven years at Barnes and Noble and two years on and off volunteering at the library... I think I'd make a good candidate to be a library science grad student at either the University of North Texas... the University of Pittsburgh... or the University of Kentucky... all of which have outstanding Youth and Young Adult Librarianship tracks. This of course means I have to now focus on studying for the GRE... ugh I HATE tests... but I gotta do it! I hope... hope... and only hope... that by the spring of 2013 I will be in grad school!

(b) Training...
With Parks Half Marathon being about a months away... ChesapeakeMan being a month and a half away... and Baltimore being about two months away... I gotta train. I've taken four days off because I've been visiting the sis in Lexington Kentucky... but come tomorrow it's back to the one thing I love doing besides racing... and thats training! Monday will involve an early morning swim and run. Tuesday will involve an early morning at the gym for weights and cardio... then an evening run with Pacers. Wednesday will involve an early morning swim followed by an evening track workout with the MoCo Road Runners. Thursday will be like Tuesday... cardio and weights at the gym followed by an evening run with Pacers. Friday will involve circles around Hains Point on the bike... most likely Zoom (the yellow tri bike). Saturday will involve a swim of some sort... probably a two mile for time again. Sunday will be an early morning long runish of some sort since I have my end of the summer cookout in the afternoon!

Sound like a good plan for getting serious?

Here we go...

Not So Wonderful Wednesday... it Annoys Me...

2011-08-03T03:32:00.003-04:00

So it's supposed to be Wonderful Wednesday because tomorrow I see the sis for a whole four days in Kentucky... instead it's Not So Wonderful Wednesday because I am sooooooo annoyed!

Annoyed Reason One... Training...
I have barely trained this week and its already Wednesday. Rode Sunday and Monday... Swam Monday... Did NOTING Tuesday... Will Run and Swim today! Hell... I have a 140.6 in less than two months and I'm not trained for it yet. I know... I know.. I've done the distance race before... but the longest ride year so far has been under 50 miles... and I haven't done more than 8 miles of running in well over two months since I ran the Pittsburgh Marathon back in May... ugh! I want ChesapeakeMan 140.6 to be a great race... and well now i'm not sure if it will!

Annoyed Reason Two... Blogging...
It's already Wednesday and I've only blogged once since last Wednesday... ugh again! I've been so busy with work that it annoys the hell outta me that I haven't blogged in week and just got caught up with others blogs just now... I know it's early in the morning and I should be sleeping but for some reason I couldn't sleep so this seemed important! Another reason I'm annoyed at blogging is because NO ONE out there reads this stupid thing. Lots of my blogging buddies get up to THIRTY comments... I get TWO! How the hell do I get other people to read my blog? I'm on TriCrowd... it should be easy!

Ok... now that I'm done venting and beating myself up I feel better!

Here we go...

Wonderful Wednesday... Introducing The Dude....

2011-07-27T22:40:00.004-04:00

That's right... the guy on your left in front of the Washington Monument with me is... The Dude... aka James! You see James and I like... what was it... two months ago met on OkCupid... and from there I am not looking back! He is such a WONDERFUL guy and I am so LUCKY to have him in my life!

Here we go...

Magnificent Monday... Registration SUCCESS!

2011-07-25T21:38:00.003-04:00

This is what I will be doing next June on the Eastern Shore... My FIRST official Ironman 70.3 branded triathlon!

Here we go...

Three Things Thursday... Registration Woes

2011-07-21T13:00:00.003-04:00

So today was supposed to a good day... BUT...

*I didn't make it in the first five minutes to register for the Level 1 USATri Coaching Course in Philadelphis PA... it filled up in LESS then FIVE MINUTES!

*I am on the WAIT LIST for the one in Philly!

*There are two more this year... one in Las Vegas Nevada and one in Charleston South Carolina!

Here we go...

Two Things Tuesday... Upcoming Registrations

2011-07-19T22:06:00.005-04:00

In the next two weeks I will be registering for two upcoming events SOON...

*First up... The USA Triathlon Level 1 Coaching Certification Course. I register for this clinic on Thursday... The Clinic will be held October 21st to 23rd in Philadelphia Penn!

*Next up... The 2012 Eagleman Ironman 70.3 Triathlon in Cambridge Md... held next June 10th... That I will register for a week from this past Monday!

Oh and there are plenty more races I have to reigster soon for... but that will be a different post!

Here we go...

First Things Friday... Diamond In The Rough Tri

2011-07-15T18:21:00.007-04:00

Finally... since it's almost been a week since Diamond In The Rough Tri... I might as well write up my race report... so here goes nothing...

Pre Race Night...
Since the race was a little ways to travel my dad and I packed the car and headed first to Aberdeen Maryland to spend the night at a Red Roof Inn. It was lateish when we arrived in Aberdeen so we really had to get some dinner. I saw a Little Ceasars Pizza so we stopped there and also stopped at the local Shop Rite to get some breakfast for the next morning. When we got back to the Red Roof Inn... we ate our pizza... and got ready for bed.

Pre Race Morning...
The alarm was set for 4:30 a.m. and of course I woke up well before it went off. I got up... got my Team reGen Tri kit on... pigtail braided my hair... ate some oatmeal... and checked out of the hotel. By 5:45 a.m. my dad and I arrived at the race site in Perryville. Bike Check In and Packet Pickup didn't start until 6 but when we arrived I was allowed to pickup my packet... which included the most boring race shirt in the world. By 6 a.m. I was in transistion... bike racked... bike and run gear laid out... and desperately wanting to go out for a warm up run. I waited until 6:30 to take my mileish warm up run. The race director announced that the water was 81 degrees... so with that there were no wetsuits allowed... which saved me a huge amount of preperation time. Around 7:45 the National Anthem was played and the Race Director gave a brief talk and instructed us to head to the swim start.

Swim... 1 Mile...
I was the last of three waves to start... the bright green boring swim caps. As soon as the blue caps headed off... all the gal traithletes were instructed to enter the water. As I was walking down the steps and got into the water... I stopped to think about the one and only mom... the reason for racing. Even though I knew she wasn't going to be coming to this particular race... I thought about her and how proud she'd be of me for being at the start line. The water felt nice. I found my position amongst the other gals... wished them well... and waited for the countdown. The swim was a clockwise three buoy marked course. As soon the G.O. word was shouted and I started my stupid goggles started leaking... great... just what I needed for a mile swim... big time UGH! That was basically the story of the swim... leaky leaky goggles... and it was by no means fun. Even with the leaky goggle situration I found my rythm... but even with the leaky goggle situation the swim annoyed me. Boy was I ever so happy to see the steps leading out of the Susquahanna River onto dry land!

Transistion 1... Swim to Bike...
Slow... As Usual... Big Time UGH!

Bike... 27 Miles...
Just going out of the park where the swim and run take place was tough. It was a two mile curvy very narrow stretch. A few times I took the turns too tight and almost went off the road! As soon as I got out of the park and turned left... the hills started. I am going to say that this was definitely a technical and hilly course... fun... but technical and hilly! I can't remember off the top of my head the percetage grade climbs of each hill on that course... but there were many 7 to 12 percent grades... some long... some short. There were also two people down... one under a bridge... and one on a very tight turn. It was actually kind of scary to see both guys down... but they were being taken care of by race and medical staff. I don't know what to say about the bike but it was mentally exhausting. It was hill after hill and tight turn after tight turn. It got really hot really quick so I was aware of how thirsty I got and stayed hydrated... and for those of you who know me... that can be an issue.

Transition 2... Bike to Run...
Slow... Again... UGH... Again!

Run... 5 Miles...
Reminded me of Texas racing... HOT... FLAT... and UNSHADED! The run was an out and back on paved trails... neighborhood roads... and sidewalks inside and outside the park. I was very focused on staying hydrated since it was already really hot. I approached the first aide station and said "Water"... and the response was "It will be few mintues"! What the H... you think I'm gonna stand around and wait... NOPE! I'm going on. The rest of the aide staitons worked out well... even the second time I passed that first aide staiton on the way back. It was nice... I enjoyed the run... even though it was miserable! I high fived others I had met that morning... said "good job" to random fellow triathletes... and even saw a gal from MoCo Road Runners I knew! My run was actuallly a negative split... the second half being faster than the first! I was happy with it!

The Finish...
WooHoo... I survived to the finish line... not a great time for a psuedo Olympic... but I made it in one piece!

Handing Out reGen Samples...
I saw another team mate from Team reGen there... Jeff... so we both got two of our boxes of reGen and handed them out in a flash. It was fun to promote the product at a big race where people actually were needing it like crazy!

Overall... A FUN race I'd do again!

Here we go...

Sunday Something... Diamond In The Rough Triathlon Results

2011-07-10T01:43:00.004-04:00

So here is something for ya... I FINALLY did my first triathlon of the season yesterday... the Diamond in the Rough Triathlon in Perryville Md! Results are ok... acting pirate like and saying "argh" to a 4th place age group finish... missing the podium by a minute due to leaky goggles on the swim!

Swim 1 Mile
32:08

T1
1:28

Bike 27 Miles
1:38:49

T2
1:21

Run 5 Miles
40:57

Total Time
2:54:45

Two Things Tuesday... Bicycles

2011-07-05T03:22:00.004-04:00

Where should I start off with this post about bicycles... oh I know...

*My new favorit love in US Cycling... Tyler Farrar... won Stage 3 of the Tour de France! How fitting that on July 4th... an American win the stage? The French must just love it!

*I rode my own bicycle yesterday! My dad, his Lemond, my Focus (Speedy), and I all took a 36ish mile spin. Dad and his Lemond actually did twice that since he rode earlier with a friend about the same distance. So he did about 72 total... good for you dad. The ride we all took features alot of variety in terrain; flat and hills and speedbumps. Our average was a little slower than I wanted but we did run into a lot of stoplights and did go UP a lot of hills.

Here we go...

First Things Friday... In First... Well For Now...

2011-07-01T02:26:00.002-04:00

Just checked out the Montgomery County Road Runners Championship Series Standings... and well guess who is in FIRST for her age group through the first five of eleven total races? Lets see if I can keep it up... doing two if not three more of the races in the series this year! Would love nothing more then to be at the top!

Here we go...

Three Things Thursday... Randomness...

2011-06-30T15:50:00.004-04:00

Just cause I have nothing but total randomness to post... here it goes...

*Did a brick workout (bike/run) this afternoon! I hammered the ride (on Speedy of course) and almost fell into a puddle of nothing on the run! Hopefully the run is NO indication of what is to come in a little over a week when I race Diamond in the Rough up in Perryville a week from Saturday! I wore my Team reGen tri kit and LOVED LOVED LOVED it... so comfortable!

*Been working on my memior in my spare time! I created a new blog My Soon To Be Memior to share my journey with y'all! Reading so many books... I've decided to write a memior about battling depression and anxiety as an athlete and a just a human being in general! It will probably be a little sad reading what goes through my mind... but I think it will help others see what it's like to live with those problems!

*Been talking to mom alot... whether I'm at work.... at home... training... or racing. It's been a little over two months since her passing and I miss her like HELL... NO JOKE! I wish I had some pixie dust or a magic wand so I could bring her back! I've been cuddling with her stuffed cat Honey from Build a Bear every nite now since she passed! At least I have a little bit of mom with me that way! Love you mom!

Here we go...

Two Things Tuesday... Pool Rat...

2011-06-28T04:01:00.004-04:00

I've been spending some much needed time at the pool at my local LA Fitness! Unlike most people who go there... I actually go there to get a workout in! Yesterday, when I swam, there were two things that suprised me as I was being a Pool Rat...

(a) I swam 3600 yards... which is well over two miles... and it's the longest I've swam since my mom has passed away. In fact that's the longest yardage in the pool I've done all season! So Yay Me!

(b) I got through the 2000 yard swim for time part without losing count. I liked the days of competitive swimming where you had the lap counters or your coach would hit you with a kickboard going into the last 50 yards!

More to come...

First Things Friday... My Soon To Be Memior...

2011-06-24T22:00:00.003-04:00

You got it... I'm gonna start writing my memior... and I created a blog for it... My Soon To Be Memior Blog! So follow me as I take another new journey in life... as I battle the battle of writing my own memior!

Here we go...

Two Things Thursday... What I've Finished and What I'm Working On...

2011-06-23T06:05:00.006-04:00

What I've Finished...

Great Running Read... Very Inspiring and Moving...

What I'm Working On...

Such a FUN Teen Fiction Read...

Here we go...

Motivated Monday... New Uglies Suit...

2011-06-20T18:24:00.002-04:00

It's all becuase of this I am motivated to swim this week... Cute isn't it?

Here we go...

Introducing...

2011-06-19T08:45:00.003-04:00

To the world... my new love... Speedy! Isn't she beautiful?

Here we go...

Motivated Monday... Change... and BIG Ones!

2011-06-13T03:39:00.003-04:00

Since I've picked up the book "Mile Markers" by Kristin Armstrong... I have been inspired like no other... to change! Not just change the way I think about running... triathlons... that part of life... but every part of life! As followed... here are some changes I want to make...

Running and Triathlon:
*My DAILY training for the summer months
Mondays... Swim
Tuesdays... Weights and Cardio AM... Run PM
Wednesdays... Swim AM... Track/Interval Workout PM
Thursdays... Weights and Cardio AM... Run PM
Fridays... Swim AM... Bike PM
Saturdays... OFF... REST DAY
Sundays... Longish Bike

Other Parts of Life:
*Stop being so dependent on certain others and become more indpendent on myself
*Become more organized... and not just in my room

So what about you? How are you motivated right now?

Here we go...

First Things Friday... Being Scared!

2011-06-10T13:55:00.003-04:00

Right now I'm reading "Mile Markers" by Kristin Armstrong! Such a wonderful and inspiring read! I'm on the part of the book titled ONE THING... Page 121 if you need to know! The quote Kristin states at the start of the chapter is as follows...

"Do one thing every day that scares you." Eleanor Roosevelt

Well... in the past few days... weeks... and months I've experienced alot and am so scared of doing many things each day! Here are some things I'm scared to do that I will follow through with this weekend...

* Write an email to Mina Samuels... author of "Run Like A Girl"!

* Write an email to my friend Joe's friend who is a race director... to get started on planning the Marathon Mom 5k... sometime this fall... to honor my mom's memory!

* Keep the communication on the down low at work... it's a long story!

Why I'm scared to do any of this... well becuase it's change... and change is scary!

Here we go...

What's Working and What's Not Working Wednesday... I can't so NO!!!!

2011-06-08T03:57:00.002-04:00

What's Working...

*This past Sunday I raced the MoCo Road Runners Capital Crescent Run 5k in Bethesda... was mostly a SUCCESS!

23:49... 2nd out of 10 in age group... 18th out of 144 for women... 108th out of 316overall... not to shabby!

*I've been swimming and cycling... building up the mileage for both!

What's Not Working...

*I can't get myself to say no to extra hours at Barnes and Noble!

Here's the deal... I'm taking two Sunday shifts in a row... which means the only day I'm NOT working is Friday!

Then yesterday I couldn't go to Kids After Hours because I said NO to working till 4pm!

Then today I couldn't say NO to working till 3pm... which means I will be LATE to Kids After Hours!

I gotta LEARN to say NO! Teach me y'all!

Here we go...

First Thing Friday

2011-06-03T09:11:00.003-04:00

LONG but AWESOME WEEKEND coming my way...

Friday June 3rd...
*Swim @ LA Fitness
*Long Workday at Kids After Hours with Kids Night Out
*Heading to Mary's for the night

Sat June 4th...
*Barnes and Noble from 8 to 4:30
*Panera with Mary to get some stuff done on the computer
*Dinner with Mary to get ready for Sunday's MoCo Road Runners Capital Crescent Run

Sunday June 5th...
*MoCo Road Runners Capital Crescent Run with Josh (buddy from Texas)
*Barnes and Noble from 11 to 6 (picking up an extra shift)
*Dulles Airport to pick up dad (coming back from seeing the twinster in Lexington for the weekend)

Here we go...

Motivated Monday... For Sure...

2011-05-30T20:47:00.001-04:00

So... I have now decided that October 21st to 23rd of 2011... I will be in Philadelphia Pennsylavania... taking the USA Triathlon Coaches Certification Course... YAY! Now that is what I call a Motivated Monday! I've talked about this for years and wow it will come true!

Here we go...

First Things Friday...

2011-05-27T03:35:00.003-04:00

Just some of my Team reGen 2011 gear... gotta love it...

Running Tank and Tri Tank

Running Shorts and Tri Shorts

Team Jacket... If it was only COLD enough to wear it...

Here we go...

What's Working and Whats Not Working Wednesday...

2011-05-25T06:35:00.004-04:00

Working...
I ran for the first time since Pittsburgh 26.2 yesterday! Seriously it felt great! I took it easy of course... Let myself take it easy and just enjoyed it!

I applied to be a coach for Girls on the Run in Montgomery County! I really really want it!

Not Working
Today is the first month anniversary of my mom passing away... Still so sad and still so hard!

I am only motivated to swim 1000 yards in the pool! I need to get longer workouts in!

Here we go...

Motivated Monday... Well Somewhat!

2011-05-23T07:10:00.002-04:00

After spectating the Columbia Tri yesterday... and knowing that Diamond in the Rough Tri is less than two months away and ChesapeakeMan Ultra Distance(140.6) is almost four months away... I got up and went to the pool at LA Fitness! I was planning on doing between 2500 and 2700 yards but ended up doing 1000 yards instead! It was a nice 1000 yards though... 500 free... 300 pull... and a 200 kick!

Right now it's hard to do just about anything... With moms passing... But eventually things won't be so tough!

Here we go!

Happy Birthday to Me...

2011-05-18T06:23:00.002-04:00

Today... this Team reGen ROCKSTAR will celebrate her 27th birthday... man I'm old! It will be tough... the first birthday without her mom... but she will celebrate in style!

Here we go...

Ran the City of Bridges...

2011-05-15T18:31:00.001-04:00

In 4:09 and some change... despite everything that has happened over the past few weeks and little training.. i'm impressed! More later when official results come up!

Here we go...

Oh So Many Good Things...

2011-05-08T19:41:00.003-04:00

In spite of losing mom almost two weeks ago... oh so many good things are happening...

*Pittsburgh 26.2 is a week from today... which means I will be an 8 time 26.2 finisher... not just do I get to run the Run of Bridges but I get to see family... including two oh so cute doggies that my cousin has...

*My sponsorship with Team reGen has started... and it's a blast... lots of my running and tri peeps love the stuff and they want more samples... plus I have some cool gear and will be getting more the end of the month...

*I'm applying to become a Girls on the Run of Montgomery County Coach for next school year... after fundraising this spring for them... I really want to get more involved with the organization and this is my chance... lets cross our fingers and hope I get it...

*My 27th Birthday is in T minus 10 days... I know no big deal... but it's my day...

Here we go...

It's Official...

2011-05-04T02:36:00.005-04:00

And this is just the start of what has arrived (hat, visor, running tee, and towel)... I also have many cases of reGen muscle recovery beverage samples that were sent by Apure Foods!

My sponsorship with reGen has OFFICIALLY started... and I can't wait...

Here we go...

Mom...

2011-04-28T22:14:00.005-04:00

In Coeur d'Alene Idaho with mom the night after my CDA 2008 finish!

All you have to do is read this and find out why this post is titled Mom...

DOROTHY GOLDBERG (Age 60)

Of Silver Spring, MD died Monday, April 25, 2011 at Jersey Shore University Medical Center, Neptune, NJ.
She was born in Pittsburgh, grew up in Ambridge, PA and has lived in Silver Spring since 1974 except for 1997-2002 when she lived in Dallas.

She had a BS in Elementary Education from Ohio University, Athens, OH and a Masters in Library Science from Duquesne University, Pittsburgh. Mrs. Goldberg was a federal librarian before beginning to work in the Montgomery County Schools. For the last 8 years, she has been a special education para educator at Albert Einstein High School in Kensington, MD.

She was a life member of Hadassah. She was interested in presidential history and has traveled to presidential libraries and historical sites around the United States. She also liked to knit, read and was an avid fan of the Pittsburgh Steelers, Pittsburgh Pirates and the Washington Capitals.

She was predeceased by her parents, Harold and Bessie Roth of Ambridge, PA and her son Alan. Surviving are her husband of 37 years, Bruce, her twin daughters, Julie Goldberg and Marci Goldberg, and Cousin Rona Hart of Wexford, PA.

Graveside services 1 p.m. Wednesday, April 27 at the Mt. Lebanon section of George Washington Cemetery Riggs Rd. Adelphi, MD. Shiva will be observed at the Goldberg residence in Silver Spring. Donations to Hadassah, 6101 Executive Blvd Suite 130, Rockville, MD 20850 or Fisher House Foundation 111 Rockville Pike Suite 420, Rockville, MD 20850.
Bloomfield-Cooper Jewish Chapel Ocean, NJ is in charge of arrangements.

Published in The Washington Post on April 26, 2011

Let's just say it's a been a hard road since and nothing will ever be the same without my number one cheerleader!

Here we go...

Garmin LOVE...

2011-04-20T23:22:00.003-04:00

Right now I am in love with my Garmins... yes plural for Garmin. On your left is my Garmin 310XT which I bought a few months ago... and on your right is my new Garmin 110 which I won in a raffle through Girls on the Run Solemates... which I recieved today in the mail today. I will definitely keep the 310XT but will most likely be giving the 110 to a gal I know who needs the motivation to become a committed runner... so we'll see! I am using both Garmins on tomorrow nites Pacers runs... just to compare the two.

Oh and BTW... Let's Go Caps... Way to beat the Rangers in double overtime of game four of the Eastern Conference Quaterfinals... Rock the Red!

Here we go...

2011 Team reGen... I MADE IT...

2011-04-15T03:00:00.004-04:00

Just got the email and bum bum da dum... I made the 2011 Team reGen. YES... FINALLY... a regional sponsored team. Gear... samples of reGen to share with my fellow athlete friends... a DREAM come true! HOORAY! Now all I need to do is send in the forms and I'll be good to go!

For those of you who don't know reGen is a cocoa recovery drink. It's a 3:1 Carbohydrate to Protein ration... which is ideal in helping the damaged muscles recovered if taken within 60 minutes of exercise! But I won't bore you with anymore facts. You can go to their website for more details.

Still in the moment of happiness and joy... hope it lasts for a long time!

Here we go...

Wrong Turn...

2011-04-14T13:38:00.003-04:00

So my training plan of attack for both Pittsburgh 26.2 and the ChesapeakeMan 140.6 have taken a wrong turn for the weekend. Thanks to me being nice and taking an all day shift at Barnes and Noble for this coming Sunday... there will be no long long run this weekend and no long long bike this weekend. It kinda sucks... cause Sunday... OMG... it's supposed to be nice for either of those training sessions. So I figure now that Saturday I will head to spin class at LA Fitness to take place of the long long bike ride and Sunday after work I'll go down to Beach Drive and be able to get at least 10 to 11 miles of running in this weekend. It's not so much the training for ChesapeakeMan 140.6 I'm concerned about... that race is like weeks and weeks away. It's Pittsburgh 26.2 I'm now concerned about... that race is like a little over 4 weeks away! Oh well... what can I do? Well... ok... I guess I can't be worried about it!

Oh and my Staff Rec at Barnes and Noble... Run Like A Girl by Mina Samuels... is flying off the shelf! And now... heehee... I lent it to my store manager... who will HOPEFULLY be inspired to get out and become that runner she wants to be!

Here we go...

Run Like A Girl

2011-04-12T05:14:00.005-04:00

So as I prepared for National 26.2 and I continue preparing for Pittsburgh 26.2... I am getting inspired by a women in sports memior (or that's what genre I am putting it under) that I am currently reading called "Run Like a Girl" by Mina Samuels.

It is currently up on staff reccommend at the Barnes and Noble I work at by the one and only moi! My reccommendation slip reads thr following...

A must read for any gal athlete or aspiring gal athlete! This book will move and inspire you!

And that's all I really have to say about the book. Watch out for a special giveaway coming up in the next month as you have a chance to win a copy of this excellent... moving... and inspiring book!

Here we go...

New Running Shoes...

2011-04-11T02:42:00.004-04:00

As I start getting ready with my long runs for the Pittsburgh 26.2... which is now under 5 weeks away... I decided based on the condition of my previous Brooks Adrenalines... it was time for a new pair. Though I disagree with the red... I can't wait till Tuesday nite... when I get to break them in.

Here we go...

This Morning...

2011-04-10T04:58:00.003-04:00

I know it's one to two days late from the actual plan of attack but I start my long runs for the Dicks Sporting Goods Pittsburgh Marathon this morning! I also have a change of plans for mileage... instead of 11 miles I will probably hit 15 or 16 this morning. I know that's called "really bumping up the mileage"... but I think my legs are ready to jump into it... esp knowing the race is 5 weeks from today... eeks! I am confident that I can get this done today... and finish in one piece!

Here we go...

A Plan of Attack...

2011-04-03T05:00:00.005-04:00

As I got up about an hour ago... I realized my 8th 26.2... yes 26.2 number 8 is 6 weeks away. Yes... I will be up in the great Steeler Nation of Pittsburgh PA running what will probably be a hard and hillacious 26.2 miles as my cousins and mom's friends cheer me on.

Now that the National Marathon high has worn off... I'm getting super excited for this race. All I have to do now is figure out a plan for well... lets say 5 weeks of training. So I was thinking about the plan of attack for this short training period yesterday as I was doing one of the cardio machines at LA Fitness... my new favorite place. So here is how it's gonna possibly work out! Tuesdays and Thursdays will be the normal 5 to 6 mile run with Pacers in Downtown Silver Spring and Friday's or Saturday's... depending on my work schedule will require the long run. Just to further give details... here's the plan I'm going to try to stick to for long runs...

April 8th or 9th... 11 miles
April 15th or 16th... 15 miles
April 22nd or 23rd... 18 miles
April 29th or 30th... 20 miles
May 6th or 7th... 12 miles
May 15th... Race Day... 26.2 miles... NO WALKING ALLOWED!

Sound like a good plan of attack?

Here we go...

Just A Few Things...

2011-04-02T05:49:00.003-04:00

(a) Mom was wrong... my approach to the finish line at last weekend's Suntrust National Marathon wasn't that bad looking... or was it?

(b) I've joined LA Fitness in downtown Silver Spring. So not just do I have a pool now... one with way to much chlorine... I have cardio machines... free classes... including a 5:45 am spin class on the weekdays... and weights for strength training. And I got a good deal as well. Can't wait for this experience as part of my training.

(c) I'm riding and running Black Hills State Park up in Boyds... northern part of the MoCo area tomorrow with Melissa, Steve, and Mike... my Pacers triathletes running buddies. Yay for hellacious hills!

(d) Oh and did I mention by the end of the month I'll be registered for marathon number 10... the Philly Marathon... once again I'm doing it... well ok for the third time. If you want your spot... register... the race always fills up by July with a April 1st registration opening.

(e) Will catch up blogs tonite and tomorrow... it's been a busy week!

Here we go...

I RAN Through History....

2011-03-27T19:58:00.005-04:00

at the 2011 Suntrust National Marathon...

So here it is... my first BIG race of the 2011 season... a MARATHON... yep 26.2 miles and some more... according to my Garmin!

I slept pretty well going into race morning... though I did manage to wake up around 3:30 instead of 4:30... which was when my alarm was supposed to go off. I first checked the weather. It was going to be in the 30s so I wanted to make sure I dressed warm enough so that I wouldn't get to warm. After much debation I decided to go with my black Mizuno running shorts... my Girls on the Run Solemates running tee... my light bike arm warmers (as compared to the heavy ones)... my sparkly green and white polka dot headband... my green Zensah compression sleeves... and of course my pink Ironman running socks. Like always I would be putting clothes over it for pre race.

Mom... like always... my number one cheerleader came with me to the race. We left the house at 5:15ish and were down in DC somewhere near RFK Stadium by about a 5:45. I thought I knew where I was going but obvioulsy I didn't cause we got lost. I saw a car with an MDot bumper sticker and told her to follow that car... cause hopefully it was going to the race as well. After sitting in bumper to bumper traffic for nearly 10 minutes... mom told me to get out of the car and walk over to RFK Stadium while she went off to find parking. There were so many people walking over there that I hopped out of the car and followed everyone else.

As soon as I got by RFK I went into the DC Armory to drop off my bag at bag check. By 6:30 I was downing some Cran Apple Gu Chomps and water... so my stomach wouldn't get upset. By 6:40 I was ready to head out and find my corral... whereever it was located. After asking many runners and several race volunteers I found the Gray Corral. I was set for the race to begin. The only problem... I was the 7th corral... so it would take a while for me to start the race and reach the start line. I would watch my heart rate on my Garmin rise as 7 am neared. At about 7:02 the Elite guys and gals were off. I didn't then reach the start line for another 10 minutes.

Once across the start line... my Garmin was started and I was off. Boy were the streets crowded with runners. They said at the start that this was the biggest race National had ever seen in it's six years. Anyways... I was weaving in and out of other runners just so I could start at a steady pace. My first mile was just a shade over a 9 minute mile... just where I wanted to be. I missed the first aide station because I was on the right side of the road and it was on the left... oh well... I'd be fine till mile 3... the next water station. The sun was just coming up... so running down Constitution by The Mall and The Washington Monument was a beauty... like always. Somewhere between mile 7 and 8 I saw my two buddies Melissa and Steve from Pacers when they screamed my name. No waving just a somewhat head turn to recognize I saw them. Somehow... just somehow I was able to hold a consistant 9ish minute mile pace for the first part for most of the race. Of course during this point I didn't forget about nutrition... I had water at each aide station... every 2 miles apart... and popped in a Gu Chomp about every three miles. Nutrition was the only way I would make it till the end of the race.

The first half continued with the half marathoners and relay until the marathon veered off to the left to circle around the stadium. Even at that point I was feeling great... I was a shade under a 2 hour half... yippie! The circle around the stadium was boring... until I saw mom. Yep she was standing there screaming my name when she saw me. I had been running since mile 2 1/2 ish with my arm warmers tucked in but sticking out of my shorts... so it was time to give them to her. She looked as me weird as I said "here you go" and gave them to her. I told her where my Garmin said I was on pace and distance so she could call dad and the twinster to let them know I made it halfway. I heard her say "Love You Marci" so I replied back with "Love You Mom... See You In A Bit".

Anyways it was back towards The Mall and down Constitution for the second half. This where two things happened... I saw Melissa and Steve again around mile 17 and as we were going down the hill by the Capital I almost faceplanted but saved myself. It was actually scary... thinking I could have hurt myself during a race like that. Everyone around me was making sure I was ok... which I was. From there on we made our way along the waters of the Potomac... such a pretty sight. The next thing I knew we were approaching the South Capital Street Bridge over by Nationals Park... home of the Washington Nationals... and my dad's office at the Department of Transportation. I hate running over bridges and actually have a fear of them in general so I just took my time going over it. After the bridge we made our way onto the Anacostia Riverwalk Path. This is where things got bad. My stomach couldn't handle the Gu Chomps anymore and my legs were shutting down. I kinda knew I was done... but continuted. This is where I started thinking about the Girls on the Run gals.... how they struggle to in their 5k race but keep going... and that is what i would have to do even if it meant walking.

I had totally collapsed into a pile of nothing. My average pace now was at a 9:15 and I knew it would just get harder from there... I was around mile 23 at this point. Goodbye 4:15 marathon... goodbye... I would just have to settle for something under a 4:30 that day. As I said the race got hader and what made me furious was that my Garmin was about a mile ahead of the race mile markers said.

We made it through the creepy parts of Anacostia... where there were police at every corner and block... that's how creepy the neighborhoods were... and were coming down the home stretch. Now according to my Garmin at Mile 26ish I was just over a 4:11 marathon for the day but according to the race itself I still had a mile left. THis is where everything hurt and I fell totally apart. I had stop and walk many parts of this last mile... most of which were uphill. But I kept going... for both myself and these gals from Girls on the Run... cause neither of us would want me to give in this close to the finish line.

We finally made it back to RFK... just a little longer to push. I was relieved... i had made it. Funny thing about this race though... by the time we had made it back to the stadium my Garmin said well over 26.2 miles. By the finish line I was laredy at 27 miles. Back to the race... the finish line was painful... I wanted to run in strong but running in was all I could do. I hit the mat... I was done... and I mean done... and spent. I got my foil sheet... my medal... and my finisher picture taken. I had done it... my 7th marahton... COMPLETE!

I thank those of you who have supported me through thoughts on race day and I ESPECIALLY thank many special Girls on the Run gals for helping me push through a rough last part of the race. I hope the same inspiration comes when I run The Run of the Bridges in Pittsburgh!

Up next... Pittsburgh Marathon... in just left than 7 weeks from now... must get training!

Here we go...

Running Through History...

2011-03-27T01:10:00.006-04:00

At the 2011 Suntrust National Marathon as I make my way down Constitution at around mile 17! Thanks Steve and Melissa for the shot!

What a race... official results aren't up yet... but as always I will share my Garmin Data with y'all! In my own thoughts the first 20 were great miles. The last supposedly 10k... but as you can tell from my Garmin the last 7.17 miles... sucked like crazy! And in the last mile... I had to walk parts of it... which sucked even more!

But overall... I'm HAPPY and PLEASED with a 4:23:08! Race report to come over the next few days as well as OFFICIAL RESULTS and PLACINGS!

Up Next... 7 weeks till Pittsburgh 26.2 and Marathon Number 8!

Here we go...

Pretty in Pink and Gorgeous in Green...

2011-03-25T21:37:00.003-04:00

Ready for tomorrow's National 26.2 as I Run Through History...

Here We Go...

Hydrate... Hydrate... Hydrate...

2011-03-23T05:05:00.003-04:00

If you know me real well... you know I have a problem with hydration before and during the big race on the big day... so I came up with a solution... start carrying around two water bottles starting today. One will just be water and the other will be filled with Nuun aka my electrolyte replacement drink. Crossing my fingers I do this for the next few days... and National 26.2 won't be a problem for me! Wish me luck!

3 Days till butt kicking as I run DC...

Here we go...

Pulling Out...

2011-03-21T03:09:00.004-04:00

After what was a great day... running a consistantly paced 10k 6 days out of National 26.2... taking a nice 14ish mile recovery ride on the bike... and getting together with one of my Pacers buddies Melissa at Panera... I had ot do the hardest hting of my life... PULL OUT of a race... Mooseman 70.3... something I have never doen before. It just wasn't going to happen... the money wasn't there. It's a painful experience to pull out esp when you have so much passion and hunger for the sport like I do. Life will go on... it just may take a few days to let it settle in... and I might need lots of hugs from those around me. That's all I can say for now about this. The good thing about all this is I'll be set to do the Chesapeake Man Ultra Distance Tri... an independent Iron Distance on the Eastern Shore... in September now... which means I will get my 4 marathons in this year... YIPPIE!

5 Days till National 26.2... who's ready?

Here we go...

Piece of Cake 10k

2011-03-20T15:57:00.000-04:00

So here is the data from today's fabulous Piece of Cake 10k put on by the Montgomery County Road Runners in Gaithersburg MD. Click on the link to see how fabulously awesome I did at pacing myself this morning Piece of Cake 10k by untpawgal02 at Garmin Connect - Details

6 Days till I trash my legs at National 26.2 in Washington DC!

Here we go...

For Girls on the Run of Montgomery County

2011-03-11T03:29:00.003-05:00

Ok y'all... it's time for the big announcement concerning my fundraising for Girls on the Run of Montgomery County. I am making home made friendship bracelets and will be having a Friendship Bracelet sale to help my fundraising efforts. For the sale... you can pick any two to four colors from the following... blue, green, purple, pink, red, orange, yellow, black or white! Tell me how many bracelets you would like to get also. I can make several of them... so don't be scared to get plenty of them. The cost of each bracelet is 50 cents. As far as shipping them out... I can take care of that since I will need to mail them. Email me at swimangel@prodigy.net if interested!

Here we go...

3 Weeks Out...

2011-03-05T08:06:00.004-05:00

of National Marathon! Can you believe it? I can't! It seems like forever ago that I registered for marathon number 7 of my lifetime... and now POW it's pretty much here. Doing my last long long long run this morning before I start to decrease the mileage! Speaking of National... this week I will make a very fun and important announcement regarding my fundraising efforts for Girls on the Run of Montgomery County. So look for that sometime this week!

Gotta get ready to run...

Here we go...

Country Road Run 5 Miler

2011-02-21T03:20:00.002-05:00

Country Road Run 5 Miler
Olney Maryland
February 20, 2011

Time and Pace
Time: 46:03
Pace: 9:13

Placings
Overall: 145/229
Women Overall: 33/83
Women 25 to 29: 4/8

No Garmin Data available... since the watch was not chargred up... sorry! I would have really liked to have seen the data for this race... esp elevation change!

To make a long story short... it was a tough race... due to that face I did a long run on Sat and that the hills were hell on the course. But even with that I enjoyed the race... the scenery... and that fact that the twinster was able to come out and watch it!

Here we go...

Are You Kidding Me???

2011-02-12T20:01:00.003-05:00

Only 6 weeks till the National 26.2... SERIOUSLY? I've only started training for it thanks to my late 2010 clumsy running injury... a snowstorm... and more recent a cold! Oh well... I got a nice 10.5 in this early afternoon and will definitely shoot for 14 or so next Saturday and then race a 5 miler put on by the MoCo Road Runners next Sunday. Knowing me I'll turn it into an 8 miler or so... just to get the miles in.

I can't wait till (a) my cold is gone and (b) the weather warms up so I can get up to Columbia and train for Mooseman 70.3... since the terrain well ok HILLS are in similar form and fashion.

Well that's it for now!

Here we go...

Just Some Quick Things...

2011-02-04T04:56:00.004-05:00

Sorry I haven't been on here alot y'all... life has gotten in the way! I have no time these days to sit down and blog... so here's a short list of whats been going on...

*Starting to send out cover letters and resumes to preschools... private preschools... and Montessori schools in the Dallas area. Haven't heard back from anyone yet but hopefully I will start hearing soon.

*Lets just say I'm glad I have Kids After Hours cause Barnes and Noble has made me cry... seriously it has. Too much change there that I can't handle it. On the other hand after working at blah and yuck Barnes and Noble I get to spend 3 1/2 hours with those amazing kiddos. I love them! Currently in searh of something to replace Barnes and Noble... I NEED OUT!

*Lost power for two days last week during the mini blizzard here. It was not fun. The house was fine on Wed but by Thursday the house was down to 42 degrees. We ended up staying at a hotel that nite. But Friday the power did come back.

*Been swimming... cycling... and running... building up my yardage and mileage in all areas. I know I'm not training hard core like I should be... who has the time... but at least I'm getting out there and somewaht enjoying it.

*Still on my mission to raise money for the Girls on the Run Montgomery County Council. To donate click here. It would be greatly appreciated!

Anywho... I'm off to the pool to swim!

Here we go...

Oh Gosh... Here We Go...

2011-01-22T18:08:00.004-05:00

So I have never ever ever done a 70.3 Ironman branded race before... well that's about to change... after looking and looking... I found my first 70.3 Ironman branded race... which one will it be...

If you can't tell by the image... i've chosen to do 70.3 Mooseman in the cool little state of New Hampshire!

More to come...

First Run with the New Garmin

2011-01-19T02:31:00.000-05:00

So my new Garmin Forerunner 310XT just arrived and I couldn't wait to use it. It was a cold nite with ice still on the road... but I ran anywhere but the on ice with Pacers in Downtown Silver Spring. The route was Woodland Highland and my buddy Dennis and I only ran the Woodland and Highland parts. Once we saw the sidewalks on Colesville we turned around and headed back to the store.

So how did we do? A little on the slow side for a 5kish run... but we made it back safely! Untitled by untpawgal02 at Garmin Connect - Details

More to come...

Well... Hello!

2011-01-14T03:38:00.002-05:00

It's me... again! Been a while since I last posted a good post... so here goes nothing.

I am now officially registered for the 2011 Pittsburgh Marathon on May 15... as you may have seen in my last brief post. Exited already cause I have quite a bit of family up there that will be out there race day supporting me... YAY! Can you believe that Pittsburgh will be my 8th marathon... gaurnteeing of course I finish National in March which will be the 7th marathon! So super duper excitingly awesome!

Been swimming and running alot lately... but well cycling has been kind of hard with the nasty cold temps and snow we've been having here in the DC area. If the winds aren't too bad Sunday... I might just bundle up and get in a short ride on the north end of Beach Drive!

Otherwise I have a my first "little" race this weekend... the Montgomery County Road Runners Shooting Starr 4 Miler. As I said "little" race... nothing to get stressed over!

More to come...

Marathon Number 8...

2011-01-08T21:33:00.004-05:00

So... I finally sat down and registered myself for the Dicks Sporting Goods Pittsburgh Marathon... set to take place May 15!

More to come...

Hello 2011..

2011-01-01T08:07:00.003-05:00

In this New Year... here are the DREAMS and GOALS I hope to fullfill...

Triathlon...
Race every distance... a sprint... an olympic... a half... and a full (like I did back in 2008)

Start finding a coach for the 2012 season... I think I know who I'm going with but I'm gonna do some coach shopping anyways...

Prepare to send out letters so I can get a sponsorship or two for the 2012...

Marathons...
Complete marathons number 7(National), 8(Pittsburgh), 9(Redman Full... yes it counts), and 10(Philly... yes again) all by Thanksgiving week...

Become a sub 4 hour marathoner again...

Raise money for Girls on the Run... as a Sole Mate... for both the National and Pittsburgh Marathons... if not also for Philly later in the year... bookmark this link so you can donate...

Blogging...
Blog at least twice each week...

Comment on at least 2 other bloggers posts everyday...

Keep up to date with my other blog... the one having to do with books...

Meet at least one blogger in person sometime this year... one I haven't already met...

Life...
Work with my therapist and psychiatrist on getting ready for my big transition and move back to Dallas...

Find a full time job in a preschool in the Dallas area... so I can finally put my education degree to use...

Move back to the Dallas area by the middle of the summer...

Reconnect with my favorite teacher of all time... Mrs. Fitzgibbons... the one who had the BIGGEST influence on my choice to get an education degree... even though she's currently living somewhere across the pond from the states...

Take the GRE for the first of what will probably be many times by years end... so in the fall of 2012 or spring of 2013 I can start pursuing my Masters in Library Science...

For now... I think that's enough...

So in end... may your 2011 bring health and happiness.. fast racing and many PRs...

More to come...

Holiday Letter...

2010-12-25T09:06:00.001-05:00

Green Holiday Greetings from the GOLDBERG’s

Once again we have decided to spare the trees (and further jeopardize the future of the U.S. Postal Service) by going electronic with our holiday greetings. Last year was the first time we did this. I don’t think doing something once counts as a tradition, but what about twice? For the second year in a row it is time to sit down and yawn, as you read the “Second Annual Goldberg End of the Year Green Electronic Letter and Season’s Greeting.” Is this a new tradition?

You may remember that last year ended on a rather eventful note with Julie’s unplanned return to Silver Spring when she was let go by the Lakewood (NJ) Blue Claws. This meant both she and Marci were back here as 2010 dawned. Julie was looking for a new job in baseball, and Bruce was nursing a sore shoulder from a spill he took on his bicycle when he went down on some black ice while riding to work.

Near the end of January, for the fourth winter in a row, Bruce headed out to Tucson for cycling, this time for five weeks. How did he get the time off? He took no other vacation in either 2009 or 2010. His timing of this one big vacation was pretty good, though! An ice storm down south forced a huge detour, but he managed to do an end run around the weather. Dot, Julie and Marci were not so fortunate. They ended up during February dealing with the blizzard of ’10 and no power for four days while poor Bruce ‘suffered’ through cooler than normal 70 degree weather in Tucson!

It turned out to be déjà vu all over again. Two years earlier when Bruce was in Arizona and Julie was looking for her first baseball job, she was hired by Lakewood. Once again the cycling vacation/baseball job timing worked when in mid-February Julie was hired to do Group Sales for the Lexington (KY) Legends of the South Atlantic League. The only downside for her was that she had to go out to Lexington the same day that Dot, Marci and she were supposed to fly to Tucson for a few days of family winter vacation. So while Bruce and Marci were biking up Mount Lemmon and through the desert (and Dot was at the Tucson Mall!), Julie was driving to Kentucky. She was offered the job and started with the Legends, a Houston Astros farm club, at the beginning of March. Dot helped her move out, and Bruce visited her a few days later on his way home from Arizona. Bruce also visited with his former college roommate Marshall and his wife Susan, in Tennessee. As 2010 ends, Julie is already busy planning sales activities for the 2011 season. So it will be another year in Kentucky.

Meanwhile, Marci continued to work at Barnes and Noble in Rockville and got ready to tackle her second Ironman triathlon in July in Lake Placid. She swam, biked, and ran regularly, and took part in several triathlons and races to get ready. In April she and Dot drove out to Athens, Ohio—Julie drove up from Lexington and Julie’s friend Laura, who she met while both were students in Athens at Ohio University, came down to watch Marci run the Athens Marathon and to spend the weekend together.

In July, Marci took a week of vacation and headed up to Lake Placid to do her second Ironman, and her friend Jane flew up from Texas to give her moral support. Marci completed the swim and almost completed the 112-mile bike ride when she became dehydrated and had to call it a day. It didn’t matter—everyone was very proud of her. Just competing in an Ironman puts you in elite company! During the year she also completed the DC Triathlon…finishing on Pennsylvania Ave. with the Capitol Building in the background, Nation’s Triathlon in September along with 4,000 others, and just before Thanksgiving for the second straight year she ran the Philadelphia Marathon and knocked 22 minutes off last year’s time!

Dot made her annual tour of presidential sites in July. Visiting the birthplaces of Woodrow Wilson in Virginia, Lincoln in Kentucky, and Ulysses S. Grant in Ohio, along with Julie in Lexington and Dot’s cousin in Pittsburgh.

As most of you know, Bruce practically lives on his bicycle! For the fifth time in the last six years, he has ridden more than 5,000 miles in the year, including 3,000 miles commuting to work at the Department of Transportation. During the year he began to prepare for what he hopes will not be too far in the future—retirement. He’s always said that when he’s done with the workaday world, he’d love to work in a bike shop. So in April he began to work on Saturdays at the Performance Bicycle Shop in Rockville. Whenever he finally decides to stop being a faceless bureaucrat in Washington, he’ll be able to work a couple of days a week at a job he really has fun with.

In August Marci joined the ranks of those with two jobs as she began working in a local after-school program called “Kids After Hours.” She heads right from her job at Barnes and Noble over to the elementary school in Silver Spring where she gets to plan and run activities with the kids, who range from kindergarten to 5th grade. This has rekindled the desire to work with kids that led her to major in education in college. She hopes that in 2011 she’ll be able to do more with kids—she really enjoys it.

August was also notable because it was the month that Bruce earned even more senior discounts (he’s been eligible for the AARP discount since 2005!). Dot is quick to point out that she’s not 60 yet!

You may all remember from last year’s letter that the Lakewood Blue Claws won the South Atlantic League championship in 2009 while Julie was working for them. Early in the 2010 season, Julie received a package from the Blue Claws that had a South Atlantic League Championship ring in it. The ring had Julie’s name on it, the Blue Claws Logo, the Phillies logo (they are a Phillies farm club), and “SAL Champions”. It looks like a World Series ring, and many people who work their whole career in baseball never get such a prize. It is really special and Julie hopes there will be many more for her.

Just like in 2009, we had a late year injury in the family. Last year it was Bruce’s shoulder from a bicycle fall. This year it was Marci who fell a few weeks ago while running with the group she trains with. She ended up with 14 stitches in her knee and was on crutches for two weeks. The crutches are now gone and as soon as the wound finishes healing, she can’t wait to get back into the swimming pool to start getting ready for next year’s triathlon season.

Once again this year we hope you don’t mind the electronic, environmentally-friendly family letter. And we hope it didn’t put you to sleep! Although we won’t be sending out cards, you should know that we still send you and everyone in your family the same wishes we would have done via “snail-mail”. Have a very happy holiday season, and a healthy, happy and prosperous New Year!
Bruce, Dot, Julie and Marci

NOTE: No trees were sacrificed in order to send this GREEN holiday wish your way!

From my family to yours... Happy Holidays!

Yay...

2010-12-12T17:03:00.001-05:00

Stitches come out of my right knee on Friday morning... then the long road to recovery begins for my right knee... we'll see what it all entails! Oh how I so hope I can be training again soon... I really miss it... alot!

More to come...

I Need To Call My Doctor...

2010-12-09T04:39:00.004-05:00

Explain the Busted story and see when is a good time to get the stitches removed! You see Mr. Plastic Surgeon at Holy Cross Hospital said two weeks on crutches and in the knee brace... but with lots of legs rest and elevation and NO driving! Well due to working two jobs one after another and the parents working all day... it's been ALL work and NO rest! I really need to talk to my doctor and find out what to do and when to get it taken care of. I'd rather though be in a knee brace and on crutches for an extra week just to give my knee (and legs) a little more rest if I'm going to be constantly moving around... standing up... and NOT elevating my leg and resting it! Decisions Decisions!

More to come...

Busted...

2010-12-04T19:03:00.006-05:00

So I'm out running with my buddies from Pacers of Silver Spring on a fun run Thursday nite... and well I got busted... well ok not me... my right knee. I was running with Lanie, Karen, and Eddine; three of my running buddies... being their leader for the Alaska Loop route when BAM... the toe of my shoe hit a crack in the sidewalk on the first hill of Eastern Ave. I went down hard... hitting both knees and the left the side of my face on the concrete... it really hurt. I told the other three girls to go along and I would back to Pacers myself but they refused... esp when they saw all the blood oozing out of knees. All four of us walked about a mile back to Pacers where Lanie, one of the girls who works at a local hospital in DC, took care of wounded moi! Karen want over to Whole Foods to get some more first aide stuff... since Pacers didn't have quite enough to patch me up... and Eddine just hung around to help Lanie in any way she could. When Lanie said I would have to go to the hospital to get stitches most likely... it scared the living daylights out of me.

Well... yesterday... Friday morning... my mom took me over to the ER at Holy Cross Hospital... which wasn't too far from the house. They sent me to Express... since it was just a minor thing that had happened the nite before. Well... we had to wait an hour just to enter the Express room. Once I got in... the doctors cleaned both my knees off and took me to get XRayed. Good news is... nothing was broken or fractured... only meaning I needed stitches. The medicine shot they used to numb my knee hurt like crazy when they poked me all of 3 times. I was squeezing my mom's hand and I still screamed like a baby when they poked me. Then came time for the stitching... 14 to be exact.

So what does this all mean now... knee brace on my right knee and on crutches for the next 2 weeks... at least... and of course no training of any sort! It will be hard but I'll survive and push through!

More to come...

Pictures from Philly

2010-11-28T05:38:00.005-05:00

I will get to writing my report sometime this week but first here are just some pics of what went down in Philly Nov 20 to Nov 21, 2010...

Welcome to Philly Marathon Weekend 2010!

Push Through... The Theme of the Weekend... That's Exactly What I Did...

With my buddy Matt... who ran a BLAZING 1:40 in the Half Marathon on Sunday

At the Finish Line Race Morning...

All ready to be the BEST Rocky I can be...

Also to view my race photos click here... Scroll Down to Philadelphia 13.1 and 26.2... my bib number was 8846... ENJOY!

Next Up... Push Through... 2010 Philly Marathon Race Report

More to come...

Recent Race Results...

2010-11-22T02:11:00.002-05:00

Candy Cane City 5k... Chevy Chase Md... Nov 13 2010
23:34
7:39 min mile pace

Columbia Metric 26.2... Columbia Md... Nov 14 2010
2:32:48
9:24 min mile pace

Philly 26.2... Philly Pa... Nov 21 2010
4:13:48
9:36 min mile pace
New Course PR
22 Minutes FASTER then Last Year

Race Reports to come...

More to come...

Girls on the Run Sole Mates

2010-11-17T03:37:00.008-05:00

4 days till Philly 26.2 and I am already thinking about the National 26,2 in March! After working with some little gals who take part in Girls on the Run I have made a decision. One is to get involved with Girls on thre Run and the other is to become a Sole Mate and raise money for the MoCo Council of Girls on the Run. I will be a Sole Mate for both the National and Pittsburgh 26.2s. To donate go here. Thanks in return :)

More to come...

Ready...

2010-11-10T01:13:00.004-05:00

Just an update... 11 days till Philly 26.2 and I am feeling very ready to Push Through and Kick Assphalt!

More to to come...

Random Tidbits...

2010-11-05T02:52:00.003-04:00

*Philly 26.2 is approaching quickly... just about 16 days! Today I do my last freakishly long run... which will consist of about 18 to 20 miles... then it's all downhill from there...

*Signed up last weekend for the National Marathon on March 26, 2011 in Washington DC...

*Tried to register for the local Girls on the Run 5k... SOLD OUT... really wanna be there to support the girls I know who are in the program though...

*Signed up for the Columbia Metric Marathon (26.2k) next Sunday... last prep for Philly 26.2...

Have a FUNTASTIC weekend everyone...

More to come...

Half Full Triathlon (Not Very Pleased) Race Report

2010-10-25T05:10:00.007-04:00

Been super busy... so I've no time for blogging (or anything else for that matter)... but without further ado... here is my race report for The Half Full Tri in Ellicot City Maryland on Oct 3rd!

Pre Race
Though a local race... this was an early start to my day... 4 am wake up call! Looked at the weatherbug on my computer and saw 42 degrees outside... brrrrrr! Put the Negative Split tri tank and tri short on... and over that a pair of lounge pants and my blue Ironman jacket... it was gonna be a cold one! At 4:45 I headed out the door and headed up for the short drive to Ellicot City! Once there I parked... grabbed the gear (the bike was racked the day before). After dropping my stuff off at my bike... I got body marked (a very chilly experience having to strip down to just the tri gear)... to then head back to my bike and get my gear together. I talked to several girls at my rack... all my age! As time rolled by I started to get my stuff finished up... grabbed my wetsuit... and headed down to swim start.

Swim .9 Miles
The start was a time trial start... but by age group waves... start ever 5 seconds apart two at a time. Lucky me... there were an uneven amount of gals in my age group so I got to go by myself. As my feet hit the water... I realized just how cold 68 degree water felt... at that point my feet froze. Once I got fully in the water... the water felt chilly but my body warmed up to it pretty quickly. About 200 meters into the swim this gal who had passed me kicked my face right in the goggles... ouch. I had to stop to readjust them... good thing they were underneath my cap... and got on with my swim. The swim was a weird swim in general... buoys every 400 meters or so and in the middle of the lake... since you swam on both sides of them. With not so many people in the water there wasn't too much traffic and I came out with a good swim time... well under 29 minutes... if only I knew what was coming next...

Bike 56 Miles
I wanted to seriously cry my way out of this part of the race becuase I had seen the course before... but I couldn't do that! The first part was really enjoyable with some good little rollers. Though my right bike shoe strap decided to not cooperate with me I still had a decent first part. I can't remember what mile exactly... but it started to get tough. The hills got tough... steep... short... and very hard. This was where I wanted to cry. It wasn't just one bad hill... it was that every hill was bad for the next 20 some odd miles until the turnaround traffic circle. I creeped my way up every hill the first time through... and cried my way up the hills the second time through. This course was definitely my worst enemy. I was relieved to hear "last big hill" from a volunteer! What can I say... if you love hard... short... and steep hills... this course is for you!

Run 13.1 Miles
I loved this part of the race. Going out of transition was all downhill to the path around Centennial Lake. The part around the lake was hard... lots of steep and short uphill like the bike... but not nearly as bad. I had no idea what my pace really was... since my Garmin had broke a week before the race... but seriously I didn't care... because I felt real good. At the point where we got off the trail and went on local and countryish roads... I met a girl who was from Philly who came down to do the race. We talked for the next hour or so... about everything tris... goals... races... everything. I had never talked like this during a race so it was a change of pace for once. This fun ended when she told me she was walking up a hill... but said for me to continue... so I continued... running. The second loop was almost the same course but just a tad different... still I enjoyed the climbs and descends.

Overall... with a mid season Ironman DNF... I couldn't have done a better distance to end the season... even if I never do this actual race again! What will the 2011 tri season bring... hopefully awesomeness and a podium placing!

Nations Tri (Dissappointed) Race Report...

2010-10-08T02:24:00.007-04:00

It's been a CRAZY past fouple of weeks but I'm finally getting some time to sit down and write up a very short and brief report from Nations Tri in DC! So without further ado...

Nations Tri
September 12, 2010
Washington, DC

Pre Race...
Poured rain from the time I got up till the race started. The rain was coming down so hard the first wave which was scheduled to go off at 7 but didn't go off till 7:25. Which meant I went off close to 9 instead of 8:30ish. It was a long wait... esp being the 25th of 32 waves. Ate my pre race bag of GU Chomps... chugged down a whole water bottle of water... and whole water bottle of Nuun while I waited.

Swim 1.5k
Was the first of 3 waves of 25 to 29 gals. Though the waves were divided there were still over a 100 gals in my wave... which meant craziness at the start. The buoys were marked every 100 meters which made it easy to know how much I had swam and how much I had to still swim. The swim was good until the 1000 meter mark. This is where I got swum over and swam over others. It was pure madness. I was happy the swim was over... but pissed off when I saw my time for the swim!

Bike 40k
Puddles and standing water all over the bike course. I couldn't even tell you where exactly we went. There were points where I was flying at 26 miles per hour and then there were points where I struggled to get up past 18 or 19 miles per hour. I played cat and mouse with this one 30 to 34 year old gal for most of the ride... though we never drafted off each other. The sharp turns were scary to say the least. I slowed down to almost a complete stop at most... making sure no one was around me when I did it. I was pretty terrified... but was blazing fast despite the road conditions.

Run 10k
The run was nice. Instead of being somewhat of an out and back like was last year... it was a huge loop. We went up Independence all the way to the Washington Monument where there was some huge Tea Party rally. It was kinda creepy have all those Tea Party people just staring at you as you ran by. After turing around just past the Monument we made our way to Hains Points for a loop di loop around it. The crowds of specators seemed to clear a bit but I got a personal specatator... my dad. He brought his bike down to follow me on the run course... and that is exactly what he did. The first half of the race I was feeling very weak... but once I hit the three mile marker and got some Gu Chomps that Nations served on the course... I felt so much stronger. The last half mile of the run my dad got in right next to me on his bike and started blabbing as I was trying to concentrate on that last part of my race. The finish was awesome... as always.

Click here to see my race photos!

Up next... Half Full Tri Race Report!

More to come...

I am Half Full :)

2010-10-03T17:31:00.004-04:00

Half Full Triathlon
October 3, 2010
Ellicot City, Maryland

Swim .9 Miles
29:53 2:04 min 100 pace

Transition 1
2:47

Bike 56 (HELLISH HILLY) Miles
3:38:18 15.39 miles per hour

Transition 2
1:45

Run 13.1 (Awesomish) Miles
2:11:06 10:01 min mile pace

Overall Time
6:23:51

Division Place
7 out of 17 25 to 29 year old gals

Race Report to come...

More to come...

Worried... You Bet...

2010-09-27T00:40:00.003-04:00

So Half Full Tri in Ellicot City is finally almost here... and yes I'm worried! I'm worried about making a fool of myself out there... having a terrible swim... terrible bike... and terrible run! I can't just run a 6 hour race... I HAVE TO run at least a 5:45 race... because that's what I'm capable of... even if the bike and run are monstourously hilly as hell harder than Lake Placid awful. I have to reach this time goal... cause otherwise I will have failed to reach any goal this season... which will only make me hate myself more than I already do. I have seen all of my tri buddies reach their goals all season long and I have only FAILED this season. I FAILED at DC Tri to reach the podium by 10 seconds... I FAILED to finish Lake Placid... and I FAILED to be to place top 10 in age group and run a PR at Nations two weeks ago... so this is my LAST CHANCE ya'll!

Nation's Tri Race Report will be up before I race Half Full next weekend.

More to come...

This Week... Wow!

2010-09-23T05:03:00.004-04:00

Just an update... been a super busy week... so come the weekend I will (a) post my Nation's Tri 2010 Race Report and (b) review the Half Full Tri bike course... which I got to ride last weekend and (c)catch up and comment on bloggie peeps blogs this weekend!

More to come...

With Yom Kippur on the horizon...

2010-09-17T12:23:00.000-04:00

If I have hurt you, knowingly or unknowingly, in the past year, I am sorry and ask your forgiveness. For those of you who will be fasting for Yom Kippur, may you have an easy fast. Shabbat Shalom and Gmar Tov! Sabbath Peace and my you be sealed for good in the new year!

More to come...

Nation's Tri 2010 Results

2010-09-13T00:25:00.003-04:00

Nation's Triathlon
September 12, 2010
Washington, DC

Bib Number 4952

Swim 1.5 Km 30:50 1:53 per 100 pace
Transition 1 3:43
Bike 40 Km 1:11:49 20.7 mph avg
Transition 2 1:58
Run 10 Km50:25 8:08 min mile pace
Overall Time 2:38:43

20 out 391 25 to 29 year old gals

98 out of 1557 gals overall

Shoulder bothered me on the swim... Poured on the bike... Legs were tired as hell on the run... Not so epic race for me...

Race report to come...

More to come...