tri kim tri

The missing miles.

2010-05-23T19:38:00.004-04:00

Yesterday I ran the Brooklyn Half Marathon. 13.1 miles. I consider them the missing miles from my meaningful but failed attempt at the Wildflower Half Ironman. 21 days later but I did them. And in typical Kim fashion, I did not prepare for them adequately. Or at all. I ran once between Wildflower and yesterday. It has been crazy busy at work and well, despite my pride over the whole Wildflower weekend, my workout ego has taken a bruising and I have let myself go. I've been off the workout wagon and unmotivated to get out there and fix that. So the fact that I actually got up at 5am and took the Q train to Brooklyn yesterday is pretty tremendous.

I can't tell you how many times over the past week I thought about ditching the race. "I haven't trained." "I'm too busy to pick up the race packet." "I need to sleep more than I need to run." "It will be one more race to prove how slow I am these days and I will be disappointed." But I kept thinking about the need to "fail better." Just finishing would be a much better "fail" than not doing it at all. So I did it.

And slow it was. I took the run 4 minutes/walk 1 minute approach and the breakdown into 5 minute chunks made the whole thing more palatable somehow. The humidity was not helpful and the two loops of Prospect Park were steamy indeed. It was nice to see my co-worker Sam on the course (twice) and very nice to have the water stations stacked to the brim with cups at every turn! I think I only skipped two and did a decent job of adjusting walk breaks to coincide with fluid stations. I took 2 gus and a few sport beans and ditched the fuel belt for this one. Luckily that worked for this race.

The last, straight, flat stretch on Ocean Parkway was fine but just a tad longer than I needed it to be. I just wanted to get to the boardwalk, and when I did I couldn't have been more relieved. I didn't have any extra kick in me for a big finish and somehow even managed to miss a few folks calling my name! The finish was uneventful and after half a bagel and a banana, an extremely efficient bag pick up (there weren't that many left in my corral ;) and a quick shirt change, I headed to the beach.

I was hurting and I remembered regretting that I hadn't taken a dunk in Lake San Antonio after the ride at Wildflower. So I headed down to the ocean for a little stroll. It was cold and served as a perfect post-race ice bath! A relaxing visit to the post-race festival followed. There were cool sand castle building experts, kids games and a fun band (April Smith and the Great Picture Show.)

As I was on my way down Stilwell headed to the subway home, a few Wildflower peeps spotted me and I ended up hanging with them at a beach bar for a bit longer. Friends, fun and food. All good things. I was home before 1pm and will admit to crashing hard. Old man Sam and I napped away the afternoon. And today, I hurt. My quads are killing me and I've been icing and ibuprofening all day.

But 70.3 was done in the month of May - 1.2 in Lake San Antonio, 56 in the hills of Bradley, California and 13.1 on the roads of Brooklyn.

Wildflower 2010...setting up camp

2010-05-19T22:14:00.003-04:00

I might need to buy this print from the Keep Calm Gallery Says it all, don't you think? Well I did a horrible job of recounting race weekend last year so I thought I'd try to do a better job this year.

I've found that people are afraid to ask me about the race - they're scared I'll break down and cry (shocking, I know) or be too embarrassed to talk about it. But I'm not. I'm proud of the weekend and all that I experienced. So here goes:

This year I took advantage of an airline credit I earned by volunteering and booked a flight to SF a day earlier than the group. My co-worker Karen was my coordinator and had to travel out early to set up the campsite for the team. I offered to help. Well, really I used that as an excuse to travel on Thursday so as not to arrive Friday afternoon and feel the panicked rush of traveling for 8 hours, setting up camp, retrieving my bike and getting up the next morning at the crack of dawn to attempt 70.3 hilly miles. I was very glad I did.

Karen and I had a lovely drive down to Lake San Antonio in the rental Mercedes SUV (thanks free upgrade) with stops to eat yummy Mexican food, load up on supplies and drink some Starbucks on the cheap (compared to NYC!) The weather was stunning and continued to be so for the entire weekend. Sunny, clear and not the least bit hot. In fact, our first night and day might even be considered a little bit cold! Gloves were in order as the night went on and there is at least one picture of me floating around in which I look like a giant blue marshmallow because I have so many layers on under my sweatshirt.

First order of business - pick a campsite for 30+ tents. This did not prove to be an easy task. Many TNT chapters had already arrived and I was disappointed to see that last year's NYC Chapter spot was already taken. With not a flat inch to be found we staked out a lovely spot near the TNT Pasta Party Tent. Amenities: 2 fire pits w/grills, 3 picnic benches (until another chapter stole one,) nearby bathrooms and shower truck and ample parking. The SF Chapter nearly kicked us out but finders/keepers ruled. We set to work bringing the tents from the tent box and laying out Team NYC's tent village. We had 21 tents to set up and only a few hours of daylight left. Imagine two city girls trying to set up that many tents. Especially considering most of the tents were missing one part or another. Karen was impressed by my knowledge of the term "fly" and kindly put up with my bossy tent assembly guidance. Not more than 7 0r 8 tents in our hands were frozen and the sky was dark. We set up my solo tent and packed it in for the night. The team was expected around 3:30 or 4pm on Friday so we were safe to finish up the next morning. As long as we woke up early enough to fend off earlier arriving chapters and defend our space we were good to go. Day 1 of Wildflower - quiet, cool, beautiful.

Wildflower 2010

2010-05-10T22:35:00.002-04:00

May 1, 2010 - Race Report Part 1

"I may not be a finisher, but I'm definitely a winner." I've been repeating that mantra since about 3:15pm Pacific time on Saturday, May 1. For the bicycle gods were not kind to me you see. Not one, but two flat tires foiled my attempt to finish the Long Course at Wildflower this year. Between myself and Mike the SAG guy the flats got fixed and I completed all 56 miles of the bike course, but I only managed to get through 57.3 miles of the 70.3 I was aiming for overall. As with most races there were time cutoffs - and I missed the one that would have allowed me to start the run course and finish those last 13.1 miles on my feet.

Disappointed? You bet. Horribly disappointed and riddled by "What if?"s Friends and supporters keep telling me not to beat myself up. I was fairly hysterical as I sped down the final hill on Charlie with the knowledge that I would not be able to continue once I hit the transition area. A little white car had come up beside me somewhere between miles 50 and 53 out of 56 (I seem to have blocked exactly when) and the men inside informed me that the run course had closed. "I can't do the run?" I asked, still pedaling. "I'm afraid not," they said. "You mean I can't run?" I asked again. "No, we're sorry," they said. "We can take you in or you can finish the bike course, just be aware that the roads are open to traffic." A brief hesitation and then I continued on.

In the last few miles I passed cars and lingering spectators and even a portion of the run course as the rest of the field finished up the race. And as I got to the chute heading into transition, I knew I would need to let go of 2010 and set my sights on Wildflower 2011. The timing mats had already been removed and if you look at the official results, I only have a swim time (and a decent one at that.) As my dear co-worker Karen says, I successfully completed the Wildflower Biathlon.

But here's the part that makes me a winner - that night at the 2nd Inspiration Dinner for the 400+ Team In Training participants from across the country participating in the Wildflower Triathlon that weekend, I was announced as the 9th highest fundraiser. The NYC Chapter had 3 of the top ten fundraisers in the country for Wildflower and I was one of them. That is what truly counts. That is what means more than the shiny medal I didn't get this year. That is what means more than another embarrassing finish line photo that didn't get taken. Months of training and bothering all of you may not have ended the way I had hoped, but I couldn't ask for anything more wonderful than the tremendous support I have received and the success I have had where it matters the most.

My initial goal was to be able to say I had raised $25,000 over 3 seasons. That milestone was blown out of the water. 128% of my fundraising goal this season alone. Nearly $9,000 this season and nearly $27,000 overall. I could not be more humbled or more grateful.

So thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you. I can't say it enough. Thank you for your donations, thank you for your kind words, thank you for your faith in me and thank you for defining "team" in an astonishing way. Donors, teammates, coaches, bike shops, co-workers and friends made up the best Team a girl could hope for. I hope you won't mind if I ask for your support again next year :) Wildflower Long Course 2011 - I'm coming for you.

Stay tuned for a more complete recounting of what turned out to be an amazing weekend.

I did a little googling for some inspirational quotes -

Confucius:
Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.

And I can't believe I'm going to quote a sports figure but:

Michael Jordan:
If it turns out that my best wasn't good enough, at least I won't look back and say that I was afraid to try; failure makes me work even harder.

99 miles this week

2010-04-04T22:10:00.003-04:00

If you hadn't noticed my new widget on the left, check it out! Dailymile is like facebook for athletes (and I use the term "athlete" loosely.) It's been a great way for me to track my workouts and, in combination with my new Garmin, a great way to watch my progress. And this week Dailymile tells me I covered 99 miles in the pool and on the roads!

That's insane! It's like going to Philadelphia from NYC!

43 miles of that happened today on a lovely bike ride to Nyack, NY and back. Destination, the cyclist's pit stop, The Runcible Spoon.

An 8am start at the GW bridge for me, one of my TNT coaches and a few of my teammates led to some lovely mileage in NY and NJ. Despite a few wrong turns we all made it to the pictured cafe, had a few baked goods and then headed home. The route along 9W is packed with cyclists on the weekend and the fantastic weather made for a beautiful ride.

The hills were definitely challenging but the ride up the hill at the state line seemed much less difficult than I remembered it being from last year! Progress!

Worst part of the ride? On the way to the Boat Basin for a brunch with teammates, I took a tumble on Riverside Drive. I hate riding in traffic and a slow moving car on a downhill coupled with me riding too close behind a teammate led to me bouncing between my teammate's bike and a car and crashing to the street. Scraped knee, torn tights and bent handlebars notwithstanding, I'm totally fine. The cars behind me were far enough back to stop and not run me over. The car I hit stopped to make sure I was okay and I got right back in the saddle to finish the journey to a sunny table with friends and a turkey cheeseburger.

I'm a klutz, but a really lucky klutz.

On the fundraising front we're super close to the uber-goal of $25,000. Spread the word! Donate what you can! trikimtri.com

Pay It Forward

2010-03-31T23:16:00.004-04:00

When I started training for my first triathlon in 2008, I didn't have a bike. I was unemployed and the thought of buying a bike was daunting. Plus, what if I hated biking?

In walks my pal Jason, who listened to my dilemma and said, "I have a bike you can use." And he gave me a bike. Flat out gave it to me to use for my training. Problem solved. Chuck the mountain bike served me well. He never got a flat and he never complained. Which isn't to say he was the perfect choice for a very hilly triathlon. But Chuck was free and available and I rolled into the cycle finish shoot grateful to have such wonderful friends.

When I signed up to do the Half Ironman, I knew that Chuck couldn't do it with me. Twice the hills would be too hard on Chuck. So I saved my pennies (pulled out my credit card) and with the help of a very patient coach, purchased Charlie, the road bike.

Poor Chuck watched as I headed out for rides on Charlie and gloated a little as I fixed two flats on the new bike. But there wasn't really room for both in my studio apartment. So, with the blessing of Jason, Chuck has found a new home.

The bike that made my first TNT Triathlon journey possible is now in the hands of Chantelle. I met Chantelle while she was training for the Marine Corps Marathon with TNT last fall. She's lovely and energetic and passionate and a part of my extended TNT family. And now Chuck has been re-gifted to her.

Pay it forward.

New Toy - First Readout!

2010-03-20T14:01:00.000-04:00

Garmin Connect -
Activity Details for Untitled

Cycle gear :)

2010-03-14T22:21:00.002-04:00

One of my cycle team members took this pic of me at the first team ride in NJ. Snow, rain, we got it all :)

7 weeks and icky weather

2010-03-14T21:40:00.003-04:00

7 weeks from today it will be over. I will have completed 70.3 miles. I gotta admit, I'm a little terrified. I've kicked up my training over the past two weeks and am pretty proud of that (it's about time.) But the next few weeks are super busy and it's gonna be a challenge to keep at it - this week's training plan calls for a 3-4 hour (50-60 mile) bike ride! Yikes!

Speaking of bike rides....today's was a doozy. The rain the weathermen have been promising arrived and was pretty relentless. But I'm crazy and couldn't deal with setting up the trainer. Weather.com kept promising a dry spell in the afternoon and I foolishly believed them. They lied.

But I did it anyway. The good news is that it wasn't cold. The bad news is that it was wet. Really wet. But it wasn't crowded at least. In fact I only saw 2 other cyclists as foolish as me. And one of them was smart enough to have a bike with a back fender. Because when you ride in the rain, everything you ride through spits up off your back tire and onto you and your bike. I don't even want to think about what all of the gunk was that ended up on Charlie and me. I just know that it took me twenty minutes to clean everything when I got home and I had to strip in the tub to avoid the dirt and gunk ending up all over the floor. Gross.

The best part about biking in the rain? Watching all of the runners. Tons of runners. All different types of runners. There was barefoot runner with his Vibrams in his hands. There was "I will not move my hands up from my sides" man who ran keeping his arms down at his sides the whole time. There was windmill girl - hands and feet akimbo with every step. There was "come with me" man who's right arm waved in such a way that he looked like he was beckoning you to follow him. There was shuffle man who did not fully lift either foot and sounded like he was doing a soft shoe as he moved along. And there were the folks running in sweats. Cotton sweats. In the rain. Ow.

The amazing part is that we were all out there getting it done. As my marathon coaches always said, "You never know what the weather is going to be on race day." I'm pretty certain it rains in triathlon world sometimes too. I'll be ready for it if it does.

Goal!!!

2010-02-17T22:56:00.002-05:00

No, I haven't turned into a soccer fan, but with your help I reached part one of this season's fundraising goal. That's right, as of today I have raised $4900 - the fundraising minimum for the Wildflower Triathlon this season.

But that doesn't mean I'm going to rest on my laurels and stop - oh, no. Part two of my fundraising goal is to hit the $25,000 mark - not for this season alone, but for all three of my seasons with TNT combined. That's right, $25,000 total. And we're only $2082 away.

I'll pretty much do anything to get donations right now. Proof? Last week I recorded the intro to Chris Russell's Run Run Live podcast -- and he used it! Check it out here! I included a plug for my donation site and this blog. I guess now I have to post a little more frequently :)

Thanks to everyone for their continued support. $25,000 and 70.3 miles - we can do this!

Blizzard!

2010-02-09T23:59:00.003-05:00

I'll believe it when I see it but that's what they're saying is heading our way. One more thing making it harder for me to get out there and run. The treadmill is mocking me and I'm starting to panic just a tad about 70.3 in May. Swimming is going well. Biking is, well, non-existent except for some spin classes and I've hit a low point in terms of running speed. The Gridiron 4 miler in Central Park this past Sunday was my slowest race - ever.

So I for one am hoping for clear skies and less pre

cipitation so that I can get out there and run!

p.s. Did I mention my new bike - my first road bike - arrived? It's at the local bike shop being put together as we speak. Can't wait to get on it!!!!

Chilly Central Park this morning

2010-01-23T13:46:00.002-05:00

There was a lot going on this morning. I headed up to 77th Street for an 8:20 start. Checked in with my winter season Miami team (as a coordinator) and handed off some info before walking over to the park with my spring season half ironman team (as a participant!) and doing one hour and 16 minutes. The plan from the coaches was 3x up Harlem Hill and then sprint repeats across the 102nd Street transverse for about 20 minutes. I was sloooow and my breathing is not right yet, but I did it. 1 hour and 16 minutes and 7.02 miles. Back to 77th to check in with Miami one more time and see some Fall Season alum and then down to 63rd for a recruitment meeting! Whew. Now I'm off for a swim since I missed my swim yesterday. If only Rock of Ages didn't pay me so much to stand around for 3 hours. ;)

Wish me luck!

The New year.

2010-01-09T18:29:00.003-05:00

Seems I wrote a post with this title last year :)

But it's a new year once again and I've got to getting on the training train fast! Official TNT training started before Thanksgiving, but I've admittedly been slacking and that has got to stop! So I'm trying hard to stick to the schedule and it was going okay, until this morning.

I had signed up to run the Fred Lebow 5 miler. And I overslept. Didn't hear the alarm at all. Woke up when the dog started barking in his sleep.

But I'm tracking my activity on dailymile.com in an effort to feel more accountable. Wish me luck!

2009-12-07T07:21:00.002-05:00

Tuesday, December 8th, starting at 8:30pm, join Bret & Kim at The Mean Fiddler on 47th Street and help in the fight against blood cancers. A $10 donation at the door gets you drink specials, live entertainment beginning at 10pm and one chance at your choice of the door prizes below. Can't make it but want to be eligible for one (or more!) of the prizes? Make a donation of $5 or more to

Kim's Fundraising Page (http://trikimtri.com) by noon Tuesday and leave a comment letting us know what prize(s) you're interested in - we'll enter you for a chance to win! Winners not present will be notified on Wednesday, December 9th.

1. $800 flight credit on Continental Airlines for 2010
(some restrictions apply)

2. 1 hour massage at Longevity + Health ($110 value)

3. 1 1/2 hour Acupuncture Support for Running Buddies
acupuncture and tui na massage ($300 value)

4. A STEADY RAIN windowcard autographed
by Hugh Jackman & Daniel Craig and a SHREK windowcard
autographed by the company (pricesless)

5. A 2010 personal forecast from Sharita's Star Secrets
($200 value)

6. A stunning print from David E. Liddell of Liddell Photography

7. 2 tickets to WEST SIDE STORY at selected performances
in January ($240 value)

8. A Nike+ Sportband and Brand New Official Human Race
T-shirt and limited edition drawstring bag ($100 value)

One chance for every $5! A bonus chance for every $20!

Thanks for your support! We hope to see you there.

Visit www.LLS.org for more information about The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and their mission to cure leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease and myeloma and to improve the quality of life for patients and their families.

Bret & Kim's Holiday Fundraiser December 8th!

2009-11-29T20:09:00.006-05:00

Are you ready to join us on December 8th? I hope so! Bret Shuford and I decided to throw a fundraiser to support The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Bret is training with LLS's Team In Training for the first time and aiming to cross the finish line in at the Walt Disney World Marathon in January. I just started my third season with TNT and am aiming for the Wildflower Half Ironman Triathlon in May. We're both doing this to raise awareness and funds in the fight against blood cancers.

We hope you can make it!

When: Tuesday December 8, 2009 8:30pm-midnight

Where: The Mean Fiddler - 266 West 47th Street

What: $10 donation at the door gets you:

drink specials

live entertainment

door prizes including:

$800 flight credit on Continental Airlines for 2010

(some restrictions apply)

1 hour massage at Longevity + Health ($110 value)

1 1/2 hour Acupuncture Support for Running Buddies

acupuncture and tui na massage ($300 value)

A STEADY RAIN windowcard autographed

by Hugh Jackman & Daniel Craig

SHREK windowcard autographed by the company

A stunning print from David E. Liddell of Liddell Photography

2 tickets to WEST SIDE STORY in January

A Nike+ Sportband and Brand New Official Human Race T-shirt

additional chances for door prizes available for $5 each or 5 for $20 - choose which prize you want to win!

Performances begin at 10pm. Currently scheduled to appear:

MC Lara Yaz first performed stand-up comedy when she was 13 years old in her middle school cafeteria for a talent show. Ten years later she moved to New York and decided to try it for reals. Since then she has been featured in the comedy group 'Lack of Etiquette' with Tim Warner and Ed Murray and wrote the popular music blog for springstreetsessions.com under the name April O'Neil. Spring Street Sessions' compilation cd of featured music which was released in 2006 also includes several tracks of her live performances at Sly Bar. Most recently Lara appeared on Comedy Central's Open-Mic Fight New York. She continues to perform at comedy clubs around the city.

Becca Ayers Broadway: South Pacific (original revival cast); Les Miserables (original revival cast); Avenue Q. Off-Broadway: Sarah Plain and Tall. Film: Clear Blue Tuesday (a movie musical with characters, songs and scenes created by the cast.) Itunes: brainypants with band: baby goes bang, Becca Ayers; live at the Laurie Beechman www.beccaayers.com

VERO

Kay Trinidad

and Tituss Burgess

And starting at 11pm - DJ Theocracy - Theo Stockman from HAIR

Plus:

Introductory astrology and numerology readings from Sharita's Star Secrets. Discover the connection between your sun sign, karmic path, and your current place in time for only $15 bucks to help support our cause. Check out www.sharitastar.com.

Special thanks to Mike at The Mean Fiddler for generously donating the space! Tip your bartender :)

Save the Date!

2009-11-08T16:14:00.001-05:00

So Bret and I are having a fundraiser on Tuesday, December 8th! Bret is training for the Walt Disney World Marathon in January and very shortly I will begin my training for the Wildflower Half Ironman in May. We each have separate fundraising goals, but we're teaming together to hold one whopper of an event! Mark your calendars! Details coming soon!

Coming soon - Kim Is At It Again!

2009-10-12T19:54:00.002-04:00

Alright everyone, there's a new obejctive and I'm trying new things. I can't wait to get started. A half ironman, a $25,000 goal and a new job. Get ready for more of the craziness that is Kim!

kim on a bike

2009-05-13T00:15:00.001-04:00

I'm still pasty white so this must have been early in the bike portion!

results

2009-05-05T19:15:00.001-04:00

7079 - KIMBERLY RUSSELL

race

Olympic Course

age

hometown

New York, NY

time

04:09:15 at Finish Line

rankings

2325^th	Overall
900^th	Overall Women
92^nd	40-44 Women

splits

interval	time	pace
Swim	36:25	39:05 min/mi
T1	08:34
Bike	02:12:05	11.29 mi/hr
T2	02:42
Run	01:09:28	11:11 min/mi

4:09:15

2009-05-05T18:43:00.002-04:00

I did it! I'm still recovering and unpacking and procrastinating doing the laundry, so give me a few days to gather my thoughts. It was an amazing weekend that finished off with another surprise which I will fill you in about soon.

8 hours....

2009-04-30T23:02:00.002-04:00

....until my flight for San Francisco leaves. I have packed - although I am not confident that I have packed the right things. My obsession with the weather forecast continues and I just can't decide if I I've packed warm enough/cool enough/enough enough clothing. I am just befuddled by the whole camping thing! Wish me luck!

can you tell I'm obsessed with the weather forecast?

2009-04-30T17:01:00.000-04:00

Sunday, May 3

High: 64 °F RealFeel®: 63 °F

Cool with times of sun and clouds

accuweather forecast - fingers crossed!

2009-04-29T12:35:00.000-04:00

Sunday, May 3

High: 63 °F RealFeel®: 58 °F

Cool with times of sun and clouds

the kindness of strangers

2009-04-26T23:47:00.002-04:00

Today I reached a new goal - $6000!

Thanks to many friends and, just today, a stranger - we broke the $6000 mark. And oh yeah, one week from right now I'll be heading into my tent after completing my first triathlon. A little hard to believe, but I can't wait!

My Fundraising Total

Raised: $6,023.00 | Goal: $4,900.00

122 %

Chuck's on a truck

2009-04-25T17:44:00.004-04:00

I leave on Friday and race day is one week from tomorrow! Woo hoo!

Last night I took my bike, now known as "Chuck", on the subway for the first time. We did not enjoy that part. Once far enough uptown we walked across Central Park to get to a bike shop on 87th St. and 2nd Ave. Waiting for us was a giant moving truck. That's right, Chuck got loaded onto a truck and is now heading cross country to Monterey where we will be reunited on Friday afternoon.

TERRIBLE BLACKBERRY PHOTOS:

That is not Chuck being loaded, he went on second and I didn't think of taking a photo until much later.

Th truck driver very carefully wrapped packing blankets around all 45 bikes. He had no clue why they were going to California and was mostly concerned about getting a ticket.

send off!!!

2009-04-22T23:01:00.003-04:00

One step closer.....!!!!!! Tonight was our team send off event. All 43 of us got together and met with TNT staffers Tyler and Robert and Coach Jay to go over the details of our trip. We got our travel info and went over the weekend itinerary. We're the only TNT team coming from the east coast so it will be us and a couple hundred west coast TNTers in our designated campsite, which - get this - is a 15 to 20 minute walk from the race start/finish! Downhill, they said, which sounded good until I realized that getting back to camp after finishing my race will be UPHILL!! Do they not realize that I might not be able to walk?! Actually, I'm still feeling foolishly confident. Let's see how I feel by the weekend!

two weeks from now...

2009-04-19T18:35:00.002-04:00

...it should be over! I will have completed (promise!) my first triathlon. I really can't believe it. But I feel good. I feel ready. And now I can't wait!!!

I'd still like to hit that $6000 mark in my fundraising, so spread the word! I am deeply humbled by and grateful for everyone's generosity.

(On a side note - I'm amazed at all of the wonderful comments on my quilt post!)

a brief departure to enter the quilt blog world

2009-04-17T07:42:00.004-04:00

Okay, so excuse the brief departure from my usual training/fundraising blogging....but since this is the only blog I have, I wanted to join Park City Girls Quilt Festival - Spring 2009 and share a quilt that I made a few years ago. It now belongs to the lovely Miranda Kennedy and family, but it was an unexpected design that I love. I had purchased some Aunt Grace fabrics on a trip to Denver that I had no idea what I was going to do with. A bit later I took a class at the City Quilter in NYC which used a quilt as you go pattern. I was in love! Here is the end result:

34 minutes

2009-04-17T07:40:00.002-04:00

That's how long it took me to swim a mile on Monday night at Asphalt Green pool with the team. Woo hoo!

And then there's the time at Wednesday's Group Training session when I heard someone say that last year it got into the 90's at Wildflower temperature wise. Uh oh.....

chuck and the rainy brick or...

2009-04-11T10:49:00.004-04:00

...as I like to call it - Bike-Run-ICK! Today was a wet one! The workout for this morning was:

10 min run warmup

pushups to exhaustion (to simulate swimming, yeah right)

1 hour bike

1 hour run (or 6 miles)

It was dreary when we started and by the time we finished, it was downright miserable. Wet, wet, wet. But I did it!

Three weeks from tomorrow it's race time!!!! So I figured I'd better do this:

I sharpied my name in my wetsuit!

And did I mention I reached (and exceeded!) my fundraising minimum of $4900 this week? I couldn't be more grateful. $6000 anyone? Spread the word!

Oh, and "chuck?" That's what I named my bike. Don't ask me why. I just thought my lovely blue bike (thank you, Jason) was a "chuck."

4 weeks from today!

2009-04-05T12:59:00.003-04:00

I will be competing in a triathlon!! Yikes!

Actually, I feel pretty good about it. Yesterday's bike workout was basically a hill workout. Wildflower is notorious for being hilly. 6 Harlem Hills was definitely a smart move for the workout. Total mileage was probably about 25. Hmmm, kinda like race mileage!

A quick (or not so quick, depending on how you look at my time) 4-mile race in Central Park today and now I'm off to see a show! Sounds like a perfect day.

wetsuits are hot

2009-03-31T00:03:00.003-04:00

Really, really hot. And I don't mean just when you are out of the water. (And I really don't mean "hot" in the sense that they are a giant, full-body Spanx.) They are hot when you are IN the water. But, on the other hand, they are really, really buoyant. You can pretty much float upright without doing anything. Neat.

Here are two pictures of my wetsuit. And yes, that is my chest in a wetsuit. :)

run 5 swim1

2009-03-25T00:16:00.003-04:00

or "take that, charlie horse"

Tonight was "swim .75 miles" night at swim GTS. And after turning over a new leaf today, I decided to go straight from my temp job at BC/EFA up to Riverbank State Park and run on the cushy track before the group swim. It took me a few minutes to convince the front desk guy to let me stash my stuff in a locker an hour early, but I prevailed and hit the track. I don't typically like running on a track - it's boring! - but I have to admit that the soft surface makes it feel a heck of a lot easier.

I plugged in my headphones and re-visited an old running playlist on my iPod. I almost never run with music these days. The coaches prohibit it at GTS. But listening to my "running" playlist I definitely had some flashbacks to running in San Francisco more than 2 years ago. Nothing like a little OK Go to get you moving.

There was a track club of some sort training tonight and let's just say I was seriously lapped....several times. Those guys were fast! I got in a decent 5 miles before heading in for the swim.

Tonight's challenge was to swim a continuous .75 miles. And when I finished, I kept going...until I had swum a full mile! Woo hoo! And I did it in under 40 minutes despite a wicked charlie horse that stopped me cold for a second and had me kicking with only one leg for a few lengths. (And despite constant notes from the coaches that I need to keep the fingers of my right hand closed - I just can't seem to do it!) I am happy to report that I have now exceeded all of my race distances. I have swum more than the 1.5K swim, biked more than the 40K bike and run more than the 5k run. Now I just have to put it all together. Only 5 1/2 more weeks to go!

six weeks and counting

2009-03-21T10:40:00.004-04:00

Well, my race is 6 weeks from tomorrow. And I feel pretty good. My workouts this week were a little erratic due to 3 gigs in the same week, but I'm not freaking about it. I got in an unexpected advanced swim workout on Monday and learned all about the wetsuit. Wetsuit pickup is Thursday! I must say I'm not exactly looking forward to squeezing into a rubber suit. And at some point they make us swim in them in the pool. Fun, fun, fun!

Today was another bike GTS, although not nearly as long as last week. For the second day of spring it's still pretty cold for a bike ride. But I bundled up and headed up to meet the group at Riverside Park. A few instructions and we headed off to Central Park. Ultimately I did 2 lower loops, 2 upper loops and two full loops. An hour and a half and home. I am really, really, really going to try to get in a run tonight after I get home. Tomorrow is the Colon Cancer Challenge but I'm only volunteering. If you're running look for me to be your chip clipper!

i'm pretty sure i just biked more than four hours...

2009-03-14T16:11:00.004-04:00

* photo courtesy of RoBoNC on igougo.com

Okay - things I learned today:

1. When they say the bike workout is an hour and a half, they are LYING. The "workout" may be 1.5 hours, but by the time you add in travel time it's more like 4HOURS!!!

2. There are literally hundreds of bikers out training on a day like today.

3. Our coaches are magicians of some sort. They are able to re-appear at any point even if you never see them pass you.

3. Seeing roadkill is inevitable.

4. Your cell phone can freeze.

I left my house at 6:55 am and headed up to Riverside Park at 72nd street. There were 2 options for GTS today - a beginner workout in Central Park or an intermediate workout across the GWB into NJ. I wasn't sure which one I was going to do - I felt better than the beginner description but a little unsure of the GWB option. I checked with coach Jay and coach Mike and they pretty much said "go for it." So I did. I met up with the intermediate group at Riverside Drive and 72nd and by 7:30 we were off. (total non-biking/wait time: 10 min)

By 8:05 or so we were at the entrance to the GWB. A quick 2 min. instruction stop and we were off. I had run the bridge to NJ last year and the bike was definitely easier. Except for the hairpin turns when you pray that no one is heading at you from the other direction.

Another 2 minute instruction break and we headed onto Route 9W. We were heading for the New Jersey/New York state line. Hmm....that sounds far. It was.

I managed to stay apace with a few fellow teammates. At one point a coach road up alongside me from behind to check in. He then sprinted on ahead to the next group. I swear twenty minutes late he came up from behind AGAIN to let me know we were almost there. I never saw him head back the other way after the first pass!

Now, even though I had told the gig am working on that I wasn't available until 12 today when they hired me (so I wouldn't miss this session), I had planned on getting back to midtown by 11am. As I came upon the state line around 9:15am I thought perhaps I should turn around and head back. But as I slowed near the coaches, who were magically waiting at the state line, they yelled out "Easy ride down the hill and stay on the saddle back up." I felt guilty and just kept going. Down the hill. The very long hill. Too late to change my mind now!

So a short water stop at the bottom of the hill and it was time to climb back up. I swear I could have run up the hill faster. It was endless. Another 5 minute re-group at the state line and it was time to head home. All the way home...

As long as it seemed to take to get from the bridge to the state line, it seemed ten times longer heading back to the bridge. Road kill seen along the way? A poor deer and a sad looking raccoon. And one of the coaches magically appeared at the turn off before the bridge. Never saw her pass. How do they do that? I had a brief stop to pick up the water bottle I dropped while trying to drink and ride and didn't bother to stop again before heading back over the bridge.

The scariest part was the ramp back down to the Manhattan side. It is very narrow and there were large groups of bikers heading west as I was heading east. I swear at one point I was holding on to the bridge railing for dear life while trying not to crash into oncoming bikers or fall over onto the ground completely. Yikes!

At this point I'm pretty sure I'm not going to make my 11am arrival time at rehearsal but am too cold to stop and pull out my phone. I've felt it buzz a few times but it's not worth the time waste at this point to pull it out. I make my way over to the Hudson River path and start the fairly flat journey back downtown.

I realize it is actually 11am when I hit the short but steep hill that leads up into the esplanade at Riverside park. I figure now is as good a time as any to try to send word that I'm not dead, just slow. I pull out my Blackberry to see at least one message from rehearsal. Funny, I can't seem to open it. Okay, I'll call instead of text. Funny, it won't let me into the address book. Funny, it won't let me do anything! Screw it...just get back on the bike and keep moving towards midtown. (Later at rehearsal it will require 4 battery removals/re-starts to get my phone functioning again. I'm pretty sure it literally froze.)

I get held up for a brief moment by all the cars heading to drop people off for their cruise ships at the piers in the 50's but by 11:30 I'm finally at my final destination - 45th and 6th. 11:30. Hmmm. 6:55. Yowza! That's more than 4 and a half hours! And I figure non-saddle time was about 20-25 minutes. Okay, I'm pretty sure I can handle the ride portion of the triathlon. I'm going to go MapMyRide right now, but I'm quite certain that was more than 40k! Yay me!

And oh, yeah.....ouch.

my first brick

2009-03-07T11:37:00.004-05:00

Today I did my first "brick." "What's a brick?" you ask? Well, it's the workout that prepares you for the actual triathlon - the part where you have to get off your bike after pedaling for quite some time and then run. (You can also do a swim/bike brick to practice that transition.)

"Why do they call it a brick?" you inquire further - well.....some people claim that it's because your feet feel like bricks after you get off the bike and try to run. They might be a little right.

It's definitely a weird feeling to switch gears after biking. Today I biked from Riverside park over to Central Park and did one big loop (6miles) and 1 small loop (1.7 miles) and then back to Riverside and 72nd. We had set ourselves up in a mock transition area and returned to our spots to switch to a 20-30 minute run. I de-helmeted and grabbed some water and started off on a 10 minute out-and-back. Of course our route was a hillier section than just along the river. Since the Wildflower course is notoriously hilly, I better get used to it now. Two of those and a few extra loops of the small track and we were done.

So how did it go? I feel good. I'm not fast and I definitely need to get my running legs back in shape, but I feel good. There will be many more bricks over the next 8 weeks. Many, many more.....

My next challenge? - I'm gonna switch it up and go to the Int./Adv. swim GTS this week. Wish me luck!

warm enough to forget your hat and not freeze

2009-03-06T22:55:00.002-05:00

That's right, it's getting warmer! Now let's just hope it lasts. Halfway to the gym tonight I realized that I forgot a hat. I'm usually too lazy to dry my hair after swimming and just slap a hat on for the walk home. Tonight, I forgot the hat. And tonight, it didn't matter!

And even better than that? I swam for 45 minutes straight - 15 minutes longer than I intended. Woo hoo!

And in other news -

My pal Maggie is having to switch events. She was going to be doing the Wildflower 1/2 Ironman but is now going to do the NYC Triathlon. I'm bummed that we won't be traveling together, but happy that she gets to swim in the Hudson ;)

Eight weeks from today I fly to Monterey!

And my college buddy Katja in Virgina has just signed up with TNT to train for a half marathon!!! I am so excited and proud. Go Katja!

3/4 of the way there

2009-03-03T23:06:00.002-05:00

On the swim that is. The official distance of my swim in the triathlon will be 1.5km which is .932056788 miles. Tonight I swam 1000 meters (20 lengths, 10 laps) in 25 minutes at GTS. Woo hoo! The goal for the night was only to swim 1/2 mile (804.672 meters). I swam .621371192 miles! A lot of silly numbers, I know, but I just like doing the math! Now if I could just keep the fingers on my right hand closed while swimming....

two out of three

2009-02-28T19:58:00.003-05:00

Today I hit two out of the three. I went to bike GTS (now at 7:30am!) and did 4 lower loops and 2 full loops of Central Park. The coldest part was waiting for the start of practice over at 72nd and the river. Once we got going, however, it wasn't so bad. I'm feeling more confident every time I hit the road. I had a nice chat with coach Jay and went over some shifting issues. I just have to keep practicing!

And then, because I got called in to sub unexpectedly last night and missed my Friday night solo swim, I went to the gym and swam....for 40 minutes straight!!!! And I wasn't busted afterwards! I am feeling pretty great about the swim bit.

Now, if I can just get back my running legs. Let's hope the Coogan's Salsa Blues and Shamrocks 5K goes better tomorrow than it did last year. http://kimrunsparis.blogspot.com/2008/03/oh-my.html

harlem hill with sandwich bags on my feet

2009-02-21T10:06:00.003-05:00

I've been embroiled in AEA negotiations all this week and am exhausted, but I promised myself I would not miss bike GTS this morning. So, with 5 hours of sleep I got up, put on 5 upper layers, 2 pairs of gloves, 2 lower layers, 2 pairs of socks and some sandwich bags over my socks and got on my bike and headed up to Central Park.

I must say I loooove my new tires. That suction cup feeling is totally gone and except for going uphill I actually felt like I was moving quickly and not trudging along. And after releasing the urge to stay with the basic, basic group, I headed off with the main group for some gear work. After 2 lower loops we did 6 runs up Strawberry Hill as I like to call it. I have no idea what it's actually called, but it's really steep. I was very excited to get an "excellent" from Coach Scott. Small things :)

Then we headed back down around the bottom of the park and up to the north end. Harlem Hill. Eeek. I thought running up it was hard.....

But I did it 3 times before braving 9th Avenue to get home to shower and get ready to go back to AEA.

I don't anticipate resurfacing from 46th street until some time tomorrow. It's going to be a fun night!!! And I promise to get in a run as soon as it's over.

toga

2009-02-14T13:01:00.002-05:00

I'm a little in love with the guys at Toga bikes on 64th and West End. They were very nice and didn't charge me for the adjustments my bike needed or the labor for changing my tires. They didn't make me feel like an idiot and answered all of my questions.

And just for the record - I biked for an hour and a half this morning. It was cold.

A Thursday morning adventure and battle wounds

2009-02-12T10:28:00.004-05:00

I had a plan this morning. I accidentally left a binder uptown last night and I definitely need saddle time so.... The plan was to ride up the west side, retrieve the binder and ride back. The ride uptown was pretty good. I'm still having trouble with the whole shifting thing, but the ride along the Hudson is pretty flat so it wasn't too painful.

The first thing I realized is that I need to get some eye protection - sunglasses or something. The wind makes my eyes water and there is so much crud flying around in the air that eye protection is definitely my next purchase.

The next thing I realized is that the simple things, like locking up the bike, are really not that simple for me. It took me a good ten minutes to remove my chain, get it around the bike without the bike falling over and safely lock the bike. It's all still so awkward.

And here's where the plan derails: City College -where I left the binder - was closed. Lincoln's birthday. Apparently they take advantage of President's Day AND Lincoln's birthday. Seems a little redundant to me, but oh, well. So much for my plan.

So I make my way back downtown. Only now I'm riding directly into the wind. Wow, what a difference that makes. I was bad about checking the time, but I think it took me twice as long to get home as it did to get there. I also managed to lose my chain once. I am very proud to say that it only took me a few minutes to get it back on. I did not panic. Yay.

On the way back I decided to see if the Toga bike shop at 64th and West End was open yet. I think my bike might need some gear tweaks and the guys there were really helpful at our group info session a few weeks back. I head out of Riverside Park at 59th street and then back up West End Ave to 64th St. to find that they are not open yet. Foiled again. And here's where I get brave....I decide to ride the rest of the way down 12th Avenue. The traffic was fairly light and I did quite well if I may say so myself.

That is until the last half block. I stupidly decide to ride on the sidewalk on 45th St. past 9th on the way to my building mid-block. 20 yards from my door I lose my balance and topple over onto the tree guard between the parking lots. I now have a very sore thumb and a nice gouge on my right inner thigh. My first battle wounds.

The entire trip was a little over 10 miles. 25 miles still seems quite daunting!

I'm slackin' on my running...

2009-02-10T23:14:00.002-05:00

... but really loving my swimming. Sunday night I swam for thirty minutes straight at the gym. At tonight's GTS, I got some nice feedback from coach Jay and felt pretty good about the 20 minute snake swim at the end. It's great practice to have to swim with lots of other people in the lane with you. I'm mildly frustrated by my speed - not fast enough to pass anyone, but fast enough to have to slow down to avoid crashing into the person in front of me. I'm pretty sure I did one of three things to everyone in the pool tonight - blocked them from getting ahead, crashed into them from behind or cut in front of them at the turnaround. Sorry everyone!

crazy

2009-02-07T18:22:00.002-05:00

I'm doing a reading this week and trying to fit in rehearsals and meetings and classes and listening to tapes for meetings I've missed so I'm a little behind on my posting. I had to miss this morning's bike GTS because of rehearsal and I'm sad about that. Hopefully I'll hit the road tomorrow afternoon with my pal Maggie for a catch up workout!

swim gts

2009-02-03T23:43:00.002-05:00

I really like swim GTS on Tuesday nights. And I feel like my swim stroke is improving. I'm not fast, but I swam the 15 minute "snake" swim without killing myself and I felt like I could have kept going. I watched lots of people stop at every turn and take a breather...I just kept going. Yay me! I do not, however, enjoy smelling like chlorine all the way home.

and oh yeah....

2009-02-01T22:28:00.006-05:00

Super Bowl Sunday is the anniversary of my first running race ever. Superbowl Sunday 2007 I ran a 5K in San Francisco. 2008 I ran a 4 miler in at my fastest pace to date. Today I ran a 4 miler. I did not break any records.

the bike

2009-02-01T22:19:00.003-05:00

Today I rode the bike outside. Today I rode the bike on Eighth Avenue. Today I rode the bike in Central Park. Today I rode the bike on Ninth Avenue.

I did not die.

Whew.

the freezing point of gatorade....

2009-01-25T19:59:00.004-05:00

...is lower than the freezing point of water. How do I know this? Well, this morning I ran the Manhattan Half Marathon in Central Park. It was a little more than two full loops of the park and according to the New York Road Runner's results page, the temperature was 14 degrees. 14 degrees!

The NYRR races always have water stations (or "fluid stations" as they call them) spread throughout the course. Today there were 4 stations on this course that you hit 2 times each. Some had just water, some had Gatorade and water. At the first water station I grabbed a cup and there was a lovely film of ice on top of the water. I didn't see it fast enough and as I squeezed the cup to take a sip, the ice flew out and all over me. Fun! At the next station I just took Gatorade - no ice yet but it was mighty cold. I was definitely running slow today so I was really far back in the pack - the leaders passed me with 2.1 miles left in their course - I was at mile 5. Yes, you read that right, they were almost done and I had 8.1 miles left to go! By the time I hit the next station with Gatorade the contents of the cup resembled a Slurpee. Nothing solid, just a nice, slushy freeze of yellow Gatorade.

I was so far back in the pack that the second to last table had actually run out of water by the time I got there. And the last station? Well, the first table had a lovely grid of cups with frozen water that were actually frozen to the table. They wouldn't budge. As I passed the last table, a very kind man pried up a frozen cup, violently banged it on the corner of the table to break the ice in the cup and passed it to a grateful me. I got about two sips out of it and then chewed ice chips for the next 5 minutes.

It definitely wasn't my fastest race, but considering I hadn't run further than 6 miles at a time since the Marine Corps Marathon in October, I was happy to just finish. I am, however, pretty sure it was my coldest race. Brrr!

what an amazing day

2009-01-21T01:19:00.003-05:00

I am spent. Today was incredible and I end it with a new resolve.

p.s. I got a "Nice. Really good." from Coach Scott at swim GTS tonight with regard to my freestyle. Yippee!

and the winner is....

2009-01-15T11:50:00.002-05:00

Maria and Carlos Martinez! Congrats guys. As soon as the TNT folks get the shuffle to me, I'll get it to you. Let's hope it's a really fun color! I was at the Apple Store last night for some computer issues and took a peek at the shuffle - it's really cute!

Again, thanks to everyone who donated. So far I've raised 40% of the TNT goal!

P.S. I did hit the treadmill last night for an hour. I keep forgetting that I'm registered to run the Manhattan Half Marathon next weekend. Yikes!

shuffle and swim

2009-01-14T14:54:00.004-05:00

The deadline for the iPod shuffle raffle is tonight at midnight - so far the odds are pretty good. Thanks to everyone who donated in the past week! I'll announce the winner tomorrow.

And last night was the first Manhattan swim Group Training Session (GTS) at Riverbank State Park. It's a little bit of a hike for me to get up there but the pool was pretty great (we won't mention the locker rooms.) Coach Scott gave us some pretty thorough instruction and I think I did pretty well. I can't wait until it's a little bit more of a workout though - I regretted not going to the gym earlier in the day as well.

I'm skipping the outdoor run GTS tonight and hitting the treadmill instead. I still have a bit of a lingering cough thingie and I'm going to play it safe. I tried to run outside at Saturday's GTS and had to throw in the towel after the 20 minute warmup. I thought I was going to hack up a lung! Since it's about a thousand times colder today than it was Saturday, I'm not going to risk setting myself even further back. So the gym it is.

the iPod shuffle raffle

2009-01-09T23:24:00.002-05:00

So as an incentive to drum up some donations, I've instituted a raffle that ends on Wednesday, 1/14 at midnight. Team in Training has generously offered an iPod shuffle as a prize to anyone who raises $1000 online between 1/7 and midnight 1/14. As of right now, I'm only $50 away from that goal so I'm pretty certain the iPod shuffle is within reach. Once I surpass the $1000 in a week mark, I'll put the names of everyone who has donated into a hat and pick a winner! You could be the owner of a brand new iPod shuffle. And for those of you who aren't able to donate before the deadline, just get someone else to donate - it doesn't matter how much - and then tell me about it. I'll put your name in the hat as well.

I thought it might be fun to spice up the donation process just a bit. So far it's working pretty dang well. Now if I could just get my internet connection at home working again (thanks to Stephen for letting me pirate his connection for a bit.)

new year

2009-01-04T20:36:00.003-05:00

It's a new year and I'm excited. Now if I could just get this nasty bug to leave my body. Despite feeling pretty cruddy most of the week I managed 2 spin classes, 1 swim and 2 runs. Not as much as I had hoped for but it'll do for another holiday week.

One of the runs was the Emerald Nuts Midnight Run in Central Park at midnight on New Year's.

This was my second year and it's such fun! It probably wasn't the smartest thing to run with a cold in 18 degree

weather, but I had a blast with my pals Amy and Maggie.

Fireworks, and crazy people at midnight. What could be better?! (And could I look more like a mummy with crazy hair?)

quick fact

2008-12-30T21:47:00.002-05:00

You may not notice that your bum is sore from your first spin class until you take your second one. Ow.

spin class

2008-12-29T13:19:00.004-05:00

I just took my first spin class. Yowza. That was challenging and I am drenched. Next time I'm wearing my heart rate monitor - I'm pretty sure I reached my max heart rate! But it was an excellent guide for working with the trainer at home and I am certain I will go back.

And no, despite the nice weather yesterday, I did not make it outside on the bike. (Sorry Carlos.) I slept in. Again. And then I worked both shows at AVENUE Q. Which is why I took the spinning class today instead of a rest day. Now I'm going to disassemble my bike from the trainer and take it and the pedals to the bike shop. I need to buy a water holder and some tire tubes, investigate new tires and have them show me how to adjust the seat back and change the pedals.

I should probably shower first.

Oh, and another important thing happened today - I reached 10% of my fundraising goal. Thanks everyone! Only $4405 more to go! (Or more if you guys are up to it ;) Spread the trikimtri.com word!

Happy Holidays!

2008-12-27T23:25:00.003-05:00

So the holidays got the better of me and I only managed to run once and swim once last week. But I made it to GTS this morning - along with only about 10 other people - and had a sluggish yet helpful run. 50 minutes total and almost 5 miles. Definitely slow but I had a nice chat with Coach Jay who reassured me that the training schedule is plenty long and accounts for weeks like these where everyone falls a little short.

I'm taking him at his word. Now if I could just get outside on that bike!

another week without a bike ride

2008-12-20T21:12:00.002-05:00

Foiled by the weather again! No bike training session today. They even cancelled the run session and the bike gear clinic! So I'm struggling to get myself on the treadmill tonight so as not to waste yet another training day. Wish me luck. Only 3 hours left in the day....

the kindness of strangers and a week without running

2008-12-16T18:32:00.003-05:00

Okay, she's not really a stranger and I did run once, I just didn't get nike+ credit for it because I wore the wrong shoes. I already explained the whole shoe thing, but I have gotten another generous offer of equipment and I missed running the NYRR Holiday 4 miler due to a little fever. (Not to mention also missing the injury prevention clinic Saturday morning after the race. Foiled again.)

So last week I ran once, swam twice and hit the stairmaster once. Not my ideal training week. But I've moved on and did a run in the balmy weather yesterday and hit the pool today.

And as for the kindness of strangers, at the AEA Holiday Party Friday night, a biker and very generous staff member offered to loan me a trainer so I can ride my actual bike inside my apartment! That is huge and I am incredibly grateful. She's going to bring it over on Sunday and has promised not to judge me based on the state of my apartment.

I'm missing tomorrow's GTS due to theatre tickets (Dividing the Estate) but am super excited at the possibility of a bike session on Saturday. Let's hope the weather holds out!

wrong shoes

2008-12-10T22:43:00.003-05:00

Tonight's GTS was a little wet and a lot hot. What happened to winter? But really, the most frustrating thing was that I wore the wrong shoes. I accidentally wore an old pair. A pair without insoles. A pair without a lot of cushioning. And most devastating - a pair without a nike+ sensor!!! If you don't know, I'm obsessed with logging my miles using the nike+ system. I have logged over 2000 miles since I first started using it (and no, there are not too many zeros :)

So when I started my sportband and it kept saying "walk" and never getting to the all important "0.00" I was cursing my inability to work the sportband in the dark. What the heck was I doing wrong?!!! And then I looked down at my feet. There was no emergency tag - a tag supplied by TNT with all of your emergency information. I had on old shoes. There was no sensor for the sportband to sync with. Duh.

So I lost about 4 miles. I still ran them, I just don't get credit for them. I the cherish credit for all of my miles. It keeps me going. Oh, well. Just add it to the infamous "9 miles of spring '08." Long story....

2nd group training session

2008-12-03T23:22:00.002-05:00

Tonight was the first weekday run GTS (Group Training Session). It was appropriately cold for December and I was happy to only have to go to Columbus Circle (marathon training takes place on the upper east side.) There are tons of coaches, whose names I am still learning, and there was a pretty big turnout. We did a quick warmup to Bethesda Terrace and then Coach Scott went over more strength training exercises and split us into three groups - basic, intermediate and advanced. I stuck with the intermediate group since the "8 minute miles for 5 miles" qualification for the advanced group is a little out of my speed bracket.

And I'm pretty happy with how I did - I stuck close to Coach Scott at the front of the pack since he seems to talk and run at the same time - lots of tips and advice. We did 3-10 minute out and backs (squats and the like in between) and cadence checks with a goal of over 45 strides per 30 seconds. My three checks were 43, 45 and 44. I thought, "Terrific, I'm pretty darn close!" but Coach Scott didn't seem entirely satisfied. Something about keeping our feet on the ground too long. I guess there is work to be done!

Maggie has promised me a bike ride on Friday. It would be my first. Uh, yeah, I know....

swimming

2008-12-03T10:48:00.003-05:00

I have a membership at the Manhattan Plaza Health Club and am happy that I do - because there's a pool! Last night my training pal Maggie joined me for a solo swim workout laid out by the coaches. Lesson number one - 6pm is crowded at the MPHC pool! There are 4 lap lanes - one of them was taken up by a private lesson and the other 3 had 2 or more people already swimming. I'll admit to not being able to figure out the speed labels for the lanes: Slow, Fast, Intermediate Slow, Intermediate Fast. They aren't in that or any other obvious order so I can't quite decide if Intermediate Slow is faster than slow or vice versa. Let's just say I usually pick the lane with the least people. So we swam, dodging the super fast and carefully passing the super slow. Over the course of 35 minutes in the water I'm pretty sure there were at least 5 different people rotating out of the lane I chose.

The good news is I can already swim. I was a lifeguard for several summers in my youth - indoors and out - and also taught swim lessons for little kids and adults. And Maggie very kindly assured me that I am already ahead of many of the TNT tri participants in terms of my skill level in the water. That made me feel good. She also challenged me to choose the Advanced training sessions. It's under consideration :)

It was a good workout and I can't wait for January when the Group Training Sessions at the pool start!

PS - If anyone finds a pair of purple flip flops - somebody stole Maggie's from the edge of the pool. Nothing is safe!

just to clarify....

2008-11-30T23:34:00.004-05:00

No, I have not actually ridden the ACTUAL bike - but I got in my bike sessions on the stationary bike at the gym (the upright, not the reclining!). It's coach sanctioned and completely allowed. So there.

week one of training - done!

2008-11-30T22:25:00.002-05:00

Week one of training is over and, according to the little calendar our TNT coaches gave us, that means there are 20 weeks left until the Wildflower Triathlon. Now I know that sounds like a lot of time but consider this - I have not ridden the bike yet. I would blame it on the weather but that is not really the case. I have the helmet, I got the bike tuned up, I even got a great little bag for under the seat and oh yeah, some padded tri shorts (thanks super sale at Jackrabbit!). I've got the stuff and now I'm just waiting for the right time. Soon.

As for my first Group Training Session (GTS) - those tri coaches kick butt! We ran for about 40 minutes in a hilly section section of Riverside Park and did core and strength exercises on the wet grass between 10 minute sets. Ramon only made us do planks and lunges on the asphalt once. I fear these exercise breaks are a regular part of the tri training. I'll let you know after Wednesday's run GTS.

And I am proud to report that I followed the training calendar to a T! 2 run sessions, 2 swim sessions and 2 bike sessions. Now if I could just start eating properly.....

I have a bike

2008-11-24T20:47:00.003-05:00

Thanks to my friend Jason I now have a bike. A beautiful Trek 800 bike that I took to the bike shop today. They tuned it, cleaned it, and even added a kickstand! I also am the proud owner of a helmet. Now to get on the bike and ride it.... (I walked it to the bike shop.) Baby steps.

The title has changed....

2008-11-23T10:58:00.002-05:00

...and the goal is mostly the same - just a little bit expanded! I'm doing it again. I have signed up with TEAM IN TRAINING to train for an endurance event and raise money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Not another marathon, but a TRIATHLON!!! I can't quite believe it myself. I don't even own a bike!

This time the fundraising goal is $4900 and I'll be traveling to Monterey, California to compete in the Wildflower Olympic Triathlon. (And by "compete" I mean "attempt to finish without hurting myself.") My pal Maggie will be competing in the Half Ironman distance of the same event. She's one of many who inspired me to take this next step. So visit my fundraising page if you get a chance (link on the right) and wish me luck. I'll be posting more soon about the event, my training and why the heck I think I can do this!

And some more...

2008-08-05T14:36:00.011-04:00

The whole paris team!Coach Ramon at the after party. I'm still standing!
My roomie and training coach Eissa, my mentor Peter, and my running partner Teresa.
Peter and I. I'm looking a little tired. :)
Coach Steve - he leads the best stretching sessions!
Coach Christine.
Christine, Paula, Teresa and I. We did it!

I know, I know...

2008-08-05T14:22:00.004-04:00

I'm just the worst (or is it best) procrastinator in the whole world. Here are some official pics from the Paris Marathon folks. I sucked it up and paid for the package.

before i forget...

2008-05-29T15:02:00.012-04:00

I know - it's been a month since my last post. Things have been crazy and I've definitely been having trouble getting back into a routine. So, before I forget the race entirely let's try to finish up some thoughts.

We hung out in the starting corral for quite some time. The crowds were crazy and the ground was quickly littered with plastic ponchos, extra shirts, water bottles and energy packets (in France they look like little decorative frosting tubes!). They played the Chariots of Fire theme a few times after the start gun and it took us a full 15 minutes to cross the start line. It was quite a challenge to move forward in the crowd without stumbling over the debris. Unlike the races I've done in NYC, once we crossed the starting line the crowd actually seemed to thin out and it was quite easy to move forward - no stumbling over walkers or slow-paced wide runners!

Once we got going, Paula and Christina branched off and Teresa and I decided to stick together as long as possible. Teresa had never been to Paris before so I decided to keep our minds occupied by acting as tour guide. I did pretty well pointing out the sights until we passed the Bastille and the Paris Opera (not the Phantom one, the other one). Except for the elevated park, I hadn't actually ventured into those neighborhoods or the forest Vincennes.

There were water and fuel stations every 5K Orange sections, bananas, sugar cubes and dried apricots were on the menu. Alright, who thought banana peels on the wet cobblestones were a good idea! And we never did see PowerAde as promised. I think we were too far back in the pack. Luckily I had brought some Cliff Energy Powder so the water was all I needed. My plan was to have a PowerGel every 4 miles and I stuck with it.

Teresa's boyfriend Corey managed the Metro and caught up with us several times. There were coaches at the 5K mark as well cheering us on. It was surprising how many purple singlets there were out there - and lots of NYC fans! And since our names were on our bibs, we got personal shout outs throughout the race.

photos

2008-04-28T21:56:00.003-04:00

Still working on race day updates. In the meantime, check out some more pics of my Ireland trip.

Ireland - The West

2008-04-21T23:21:00.002-04:00

So race day started with a 4:30am wake up call - from the gang back at LEGALLY BLONDE! They had just finished the show and didn't think I'd answer, but I'd been sleeping fitfully the whole night so the ring of the phone made me jump a little and I groggily answered. I had set the alarm to get up at 5:30am to eat a Power Bar and a banana anyway so it wasn't a big deal. I knew I needed to eat, but wanted to make sure there was time to digest before leaving the hotel. So I ate and reset the alarm to get up with just enough tome to dress before heading down to the lobby to meet everyone. Luckily my roommate Eissa (our lovely training captain) was there to wake me as I did that silly thing where you change the time instead of the alarm time!

I had painstakingly set everything out the night before: jersey, sneakers with Nike + sensor and race chip attached, race number with safely pins, my sport watch, gloves, long sleeved base layer, sports bra, long sleeved throwaway shirt, light jacket, pants, socks, and fuel belt with all of the following: 7 power Gels (raspberry creme) camera, ID, metro card, a few Euros, a pack of electrolyte powder, a pre made bottle of said powder, my iPod nano with the Nike+ receiver, and a small bag of pretzels. It takes a lot of stuff to run 26. 2 miles!

So we all met in the lobby of our hotel and spent a bit second guessing our wardrobe choices and making trips to the lobby bathroom and adjust our bibs, and pacing. It seemed like forever before we hit the streets en masse. And as we walked the block to the Champs Elysee it all became real. There they were - thousands of runners! It wasn't easy keeping up with Coach Ramon as he weaved through the crowd, heading for the end of the start corral.

We all had bibs with colors indicating our start corral based on our expected finish time. We're not exactly sure how those times got determined because, for the most part, they were waaaaay off. My color was green which was the 4 hour finish time group. Now I'm optimistic, but not that optimistic. Ramon wisely headed for the last corral and we headed in. Man was it crowded! And they were mostly male! And there were crazy people. I especially enjoyed the man in the tiger suit. No tiger head, just the tiger body suit. A stocky, hairy man in a tiger suit.

More to come....

The race

2008-04-21T23:16:00.002-04:00

Ireland

2008-04-09T14:46:00.003-04:00

Still composing race day thoughts. In the meantime...

Finis!

2008-04-07T04:37:00.006-04:00

So it's over. It's Monday morning in Paris, I'm sore and I just woke from a 10 hour sleep. I really can't believe it's over. The run was incredible, and despite a nasty bit somewhere between mile 23 and mile 25 where my left knee decided it didn't want to play anymore, I finished in just under 5 hours. 4:59:02 to be exact. Coach Ramon led us to the start line at 8am (that's his back in the pic). And you can see the legs of the Arc de Triomphe behind my pals Theresa, Christine, Paula and me as we waited for the start gun (okay, you're going to have to wait for that one - the pic is not uploading!). There were lots of cool things along the way. Fun bands and cheerleaders (the gang in pink showed up twice) and two creepy tunnels. I'll definitely write more later. Off to enjoy my last day in Paris! Thanks again to everyone for all the support!!!

Paris!

2008-04-05T08:27:00.002-04:00

After a 2 hour delay at the airport, we're finally in Paris! Yesterday was a blur as we checked into our hotel, went to the expo to pick up our race bibs, and tried desperately to get some much needed sleep. The expo was lovely, as was the kindly gentleman who gave me my bib. He kept speaking to me in French as if I understood. I just kept nodding!

Trying hard to stay off my feet today after a fun group run to the base of the Eiffel Tower. This time tomorrow I should be crossing the finish line!

before I go...

2008-04-01T16:39:00.006-04:00

I thought I'd show you my attempt at taking a picture during this past Sunday's race. I wore a new fuel belt with better pockets and was testing the idea of carrying my camera during the marathon. Seems like it might work. The subject? The damn cat on Cat Hill.

And then there is this - my TNT singlet. I did a little arts and crafts last night and appliqued my name to the front and a patch to the back where I will list the names of the people who I am running in honor of or in memory of. There are far more names on that list than I could have ever imagined. So many of you have been affected by leukemia or lymphoma. I am honored to have been able to fundraise for such a worthy cause.

omigosh

2008-03-31T09:17:00.003-04:00

It's almost here! Less than one week! I fly out on Thursday night! I have so much to do! Could I use any more exclamation points! :)

Well, this is the week. The training is essentially over. We had a Tuesday night practice about

pacing where I learned that I didn't quite have a handle on how to hold myself back and run really slow. So, instead of running with the group for 6 miles on Saturday morning, I ran in the Scotland 10K on Sunday morning. I wanted to challenge myself in a race situation. 10 minute miles, that was the goal. And it worked, I ran really easy. The second mile I thought I was still holding back, but found out it wasn't quite slow enough so I pulled it back. The next 4 miles were pretty consistent pace wise and I stopped at every water station. 10:04/mile was my overall pace as reported by NYRR. I can safely say I know what that pace feels like - even though I'll admit it pained me to let people pass me by! But Ramon has assured us that by holding back in the first two thirds of the marathon, we will have the energy to power through the last third and actually increase our overall pace. I trust him!

I ran my last pre-marathon workout with my pal Maggie on Wednesday between shows. She has been a tremendous motivator. She's training with Team in Training for a triathlon and I like to think of our Wednesday runs as a third GTS. The oddest thing about this past Wednesday - the poor little seal from the previous Saturday was still on the dock. Hope he's okay.

And a huge thank you to everyone who has donated. At the Team in Training send off event on Thursday, I was awarded a plaque and some swag for being the second highest fundraiser on the team. I (amazingly) raised over $11,500!!!! I really can't believe it. You guys are the best. You know I'm a sucker for causes and I've become attached to this one. I am honored to have been able to help.

I'm going to try to check in one more time before I leave, and I have a plan to try to take some pics during the race! Hopefully I'll be able to blog from Paris and keep everyone in the know!

2 weeks

2008-03-23T10:44:00.003-04:00

Two weeks from right now I should have finished running my first marathon. How cool is that. Yesterday was my last long run before then, and it was only 12 miles! Sounds crazy I know. We ran up the west side along the Hudson River. Starting at 72nd St. in Riverside Park we ran the 5 miles up to the GWB and back and then tacked on one mile south and back to reach 12. On the southern part of our run we actually saw a seal on a little dock just north about 69th St. He was very cute, but I can't help thinking how lost he must have been. Poor thing.

20 miles

2008-03-15T15:53:00.005-04:00

Today I ran 20 miles. I took the matinee off and went with Team in Training to a trail along the Delaware & Raritan Canal in New Jersey. It went pretty well. The coaches had set up water stations at mile 4, 6 & 7.5. When we got to mile 10 we turned around and went back. I had 5 Gus, a handful of pretzels, 4 fuel belt bottles of Gatorade, 4 fuel belt bottles of water and 1 regular bottle of water. The quad behaved and I couldn't be happier. Now I get to start tapering. Woo hoo! 3 weeks to go!

P.S. Did you know there are such things as sponsored air guitar players? Neither did I. Things you learn while driving with teammates to New Jersey.

test #2

2008-03-11T22:33:00.003-04:00

Tonight's GTS was test #2. That's the workout where we run a mile as fast as we can 3 times in a row with some recovery time in between runs. I'm still nursing the right quad so I didn't push as hard as I did the last time around, but I still showed a tiny bit of improvement. 8:00 for the first mile and 8:07 for the second. We're not talking about the third one - they made us run up Cat Hill! Damn cat! It was great to have most of my running crew there. I'll miss them on Saturday when I go with the Paris gang to NJ to run 18-20 miles!

15K

2008-03-09T23:47:00.004-04:00

Today was the Colon Cancer Challenge in Central Park. 9.3 miles. I did pretty good. On Coach Ramon's advice, I only ran the race and didn't add any extra mileage. Some people had already run 7 or 8 miles this morning by the time the race started! The weather was beautiful, if a bit windy, and even with the loss of an hour overnight I felt okay. A 9:40/mile pace and a finish time under 1:30. I'll take it. Thanks for cooperating right quad.

4 weeks from today I will be running a marathon. In Paris. Eek!

better luck this time...

2008-03-08T23:46:00.001-05:00

I am running a 15K (9miles) in Central Park tomorrow. I have already attached the NYRR chip to my shoe.

update

2008-03-04T16:14:00.002-05:00

Scenario #2 - the one where my ATM card fell out of my jacket pocket while running is the winner. A very nice man from NYRR called to say it had been found. He promised he would cut it up.

Diagnosis - muscle strain (quad, abductor)

Remedy - stretching, stretching, stretching

No hills for me tonight but I'm going to to GTS and try an easy run as recommended.

oh my

2008-03-02T11:27:00.005-05:00

Let's just say it wasn't my morning.

8:05am
Get on the subway to go to Coogan's Salsa Blues and Shamrock 5K up at 168th St. This was good since the A train was running local today.

8:25am
Realize just before 155th Street that I have forgotten my NYRR chip. Uh oh. Get off at 155th St. and get back on the downtown train. Again, the A train was running local

8:46am
Text my running buddy Meryl that she should start without me, if I make it I will be late.

8:50am
Convince a cab dropping someone off outside my building to wait for me. "I'll be going to Washington Heights!" I yell at him.

8:56am
Head up the West Side Highway in said cab. I kind of can't believe he waited for me!

9:07am
168th St. Pay the $18.50 fare with debit card, tip with cash, get receipt. Get out of cab, peeling off sweatshirt and bag. Toss bag at luggage pile at appropriate bib number.

9:09am

Volunteers guide me around the starting line - the finishers are 5 minutes away. I do not get to cross the start mat with my chip. Unsure what this will mean for my time.

9:10am

Off and running. There are about 5 other people in the same late boat as me. I feel crazed but am happy to just be running. A few minutes in I am actually passing people. (About the time the finishers pass me as the course doubles back on itself.)

Mile 1

My right quad, the one that started seizing up toward the end of yesterday's long run, starts to tighten up again. Ugh.

Mile 1.5 - turnaround

Right quad is not having it. I actually stop and stretch. Manage to run another couple hundred yards and stop to stretch again. All the people I managed to pass, are now starting to pass me.

The Next 1.6 Miles

I mostly walk. Walk. Ugh. Every time I try to run, the quad refuses. I do not want to do permanent damage and a finish time is no longer an issue, so I stretch, walk, stretch, walk - all the way to the finish line. I am passed by speed walkers, mentors with unhappy middle school-aged runners and skipping fathers with their 7 year old daughters. I am feeling pathetic. I have even turned the nike+ off.

Finish

I'm done. I retrieve my bag (not hard, there are only about 2 dozen left in the entire pen.)

Grab an undeserved bagel and get back on the A train heading down town.

125th St.

Putting my sweatshirt back on, I notice that the zipper on the arm pocket of my running jacket is open. This is where I usually keep my driver's license, ATM card and cash. I pull out $10, my license and.......nothing else. My ATM card, the one I used in the cab is gone. I check my pouch (I'd brought my phone to the race) and find only my phone and my metrocard. All pockets and my bag are checked again. Nothing. Nada. Pretty sure I threw my card and the taxi receipt in the trash can as I threw away a Cliff Block bag right after I got out of the cab. Or I put it in the arm pocket and it fell out when I took my running jacket off and tied it around my waist.

10:30am

Home at last. Triple check all pockets and pouches. The ATM card is officially gone. I call and report is missing. Sometime today I'll have to figure out what things I have automatically deducted through that account since the number will change. Total cash on hand? $11

And here's the kicker. Seems that if you don't cross the starting mat at a race, your time is calculated from the start time of the race. My finish time on my results reflects the time on the clock when I crossed the finish line. 49:43 Oh well.

Let's hope the day doesn't get any worse!

2008-03-01T23:08:00.000-05:00

17 miles
Find more Runs in New York, New York

rain

2008-02-26T22:05:00.004-05:00

I'll admit, it was incredibly tempting to skip practice tonight. But I had promised myself that I would not miss another Tuesday night practice! I argued with myself the whole way there - it was raining although not terribly cold (thank goodness!) I only really started feeling good again in the last few days - that flu is nasty and holds on hard. Was I being stupid? Running in the rain? And then, as I decided not to get on the first super packed 96th Street crosstown bus and wait for the next one, I started worrying. One of my running buddies called to say that she wasn't go to make it. Would anyone else be there? And then, when the next bus came, it was super packed as well and I realized that 96th Street was actually closed and the bus was going to have to go up and around the top of Central Park. It was about 6:15 - should have been fine. Practice starts at 6:40. But noooooo - the traffic was terrible and to make it worse, we got to East 106th Street and the bus turns to go east! Nooooo! I got off at 106th and Madison at 6:35pm. Urban Athletics, our meeting place, is at 92nd and Madison!

So I hoofed it downtown - wondering all the way if A.) anyone would still be there - and 2.) if anyone showed up in the first place! Well, the answers were yes and yes. So I dropped my bag, found my buddy, Amy, and we headed over to the park with our other running buddy Whitney. And then we ran hills in the rain. 102nd Street on the west side up to 105th and back. In the rain. Yuck. Did I mention the rain?

But here's the kicker - middle of my third recovery I turn my right ankle on one of these:

Stupid prickly things. Luckily, Amy catches me. I sit out 1/2 a hill and do some ankle rolls. It's fine now, but seriously? Tripping on a prickly tree dropping? Just ridiculous.

So I did 5 1/2 hill repeats. A little wussy for my intermediate status, but the whole run was about 5 miles and I felt pretty good considering how sore I have been since my 16 mile run.

And I can't wait for my first Wednesday run in more than 3 weeks! Hopefully it won't be raining. I can safely say I have experienced rain running and know how it would feel if, by some chance, it were to rain during the Paris Marathon. I don't need to do it again. Really.

16 miles

2008-02-25T00:00:00.001-05:00

This morning I ran 16 miles. All by myself. And then I went to work and did two shows. I have one word for you - "Ow." That is all.

fundraising

2008-02-18T12:40:00.002-05:00

Well, the new fundraising goal has been reached - and exceeded. I can't tell you how this makes me feel. I didn't start this marathon endeavor with raising money for a worthy cause as my main impetus. I started it because I wanted some training. The fundraising was just a means to an end. But I couldn't be prouder of the fact that I have raised over $10,000! $10,000 for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. And I couldn't be more humbled by the generosity of the people in my life.

thank you thank you thank you

better pic!

2008-02-17T00:14:00.004-05:00

So one of my running buddies, Meryl, took a fab pic of the GWB. iPhone vs. camera phone? - no contest.

George Washington Bridge

2008-02-16T12:19:00.004-05:00

Today I ran for the first time in a week and a half. Our group training session involved running over the George Washington Bridge into New Jersey. Here's a lousy cell phone pic from the New Jersey side. It was pretty beautiful. I was pretty pathetic. :( 8 miles instead of 16. Damned flu!

it's for real

2008-02-11T21:35:00.000-05:00

Day 5 of the flu and I found this while going through the piles of paper overtaking my apartment. It's in French. It's official. It's my registration for the Paris Marathon. I'd better find a safe place to put it. Where I can find it again. :)

foiled

2008-02-09T16:21:00.000-05:00

sadly, i will not be running in tomorrow's Bronx 1/2 marathon. I have been foiled by a nasty case of the flu that has kept me out of work for 3 days now. I'm going stir crazy and couldn't be madder that I won't run tomorrow. I was looking forward to really racing. I'm thankful that I did the Manhattan 1/2 two weekends ago, but this was a real group training session with a race plan. Oh, well.

the one at which the coach implies i'm old

2008-02-06T09:52:00.001-05:00

Hills #3. That was last night's workout. I'll admit I sort of forgot about the (damn) Cat even though we were running back and forth up Cat Hill to Cleopatra's Needle. The theme was "cresting the hill." Make your way up the hill at a particular effort level and then be able to maintain that effort level once you reach the flat portion of the course. In other words, don't push so hard up the hill that you don't have any energy left when you get to the top. At one point Coach Ramon yelled out as I was passing, "That's right, show the young one's how it's done!" Considering my two main running buddies are 10 and 15 years younger than I am AND I think I'm actually a year older than Ramon, I heard, "You're old!" Alright, it did make me run harder.

We were all a little crabby and very annoyed by the 2 (i think) other groups that were training on the hill at the same time. Except they were running in ENOURMOUS packs. We would be trudging along down the hill during recovery and suddenly 50 or more people would swarm around us.

Kind of like those car tests where they rush smoke around cars to demonstrate their streamlined designs. Except it's not smoke, it's people with elbows and flailing feet pushing you into puddles. And let's not even talk about the trauma of trying to change direction as they kept heading south at 72nd St. If I had tried to signal a turn with my arm, I could have knocked a couple out. Hmmm - maybe next time.

We ran for nearly an hour. But then we had a great stretching session with Coach Steve. He's my favorite stretch leader because he's thorough. He doesn't let you rush through it. It's good.

On a side note - I'm only $1180 from my $10,000 goal with 8 1/2 weeks to go. That's pretty darn good. Thank you all.

milestones

2008-02-04T14:12:00.001-05:00

There they are. 25 race bibs. Since February 4, 2007 I have run in 25 races in 2 states. 24 in NYC and 1 in San Francisco. 26 races total if you include the Paris 10K. That's one every two weeks average!

And here's the fun part:

This is my number from the

San Francisco 5K on

February 4, 2007.

My finish time was 35:52.

A 5K is 3.1 miles.

This is my number from

the New York Road Runners

Gridiron Classic, yesterday,

February 3, 2008, in

Central Park.

My finish time was 34:55.

It was a 4 mile race.

You read it right: yesterday I ran a race that was .9 miles longer than my first race ever - and I ran it FASTER! Woo hoo! I think that's pretty cool.

Carry on.

long runs

2008-02-03T22:53:00.000-05:00

Back to yesterday:

8am group training in Central Park started with the Paris group branching off and running on the outside of the park. Great, in that I got to meet a lot more people training for Paris; sad, in that I didn't get to run with my pals Amy and Meryl. Great, in that there was tons of new scenery (garden on the northeast end of the park anyone?); sad, in that we were forced to run reaaaally slow with Coach Ross (not the "with Coach Ross" part, but the "reaaaally slow" part.) It's all about forcing yourself to hold back in the first part of the race - save your energy so that you can pull it out at the end. I get it, but boy is it hard.

We ran on the outside of the park so that we could experience a different surface - something closer to the cobblestones of some Paris streets. I feel I have a little leg up on this one, as the 10K I ran in Paris in October took us over cobblestone quite a bit. The pavers around the park were a little less "cobbly," shall we say.

So I finished the outer loop with the group, then ran the inside lower 5 with a smaller group, and then the lower loop again by myself. I finished 1/2 of the last mile forcing myself up and down Cat Hill (damn cat) and managed to run into Amy and Meryl as we headed in. 14 miles total and I felt pretty good.

By the end of two shows, however, I was exhausted. My muscles felt okay, but boy was I tired. So off to bed when I got home - only to get up at 7:30 today for the Gridiron Classic 4 mile race.

More on that tomorrow. Important milestones in detail then. :)

saturday: 14 miles, 2 shows

2008-02-02T23:12:00.000-05:00

must sleep. more later

i forgot

2008-01-28T18:31:00.001-05:00

my second favorite moment was when, as we approached mile 5, a truck sporting a bullhorn drove by commanding "runners move to your left, the leader is passing on the right! runners move to your left, the leader is passing on the right!" and then he did. The course was 2+ loops of Central Park and while we were still working on our first loop, the ultimate winner was heading into the last 3 miles. He finished the race in 1 hour, 8 minutes and 33 seconds. Yowza!

manhattan 1/2 marathon

2008-01-27T23:16:00.000-05:00

We're halfway there! Today I ran my first "official" half marathon in Central Park. 30 degrees and cloudy. My running buddy Amy and I hunkered down and just tried to run a consistently paced run. (Note - I avoided the word "race") We have a half marathon in the Bronx in two weeks so Coach Ramon advised us to treat this as just another long, EASY, run. And we did GREAT! We aimed for 10 minute miles and that's exactly what we did. 10:02min/mile to be exact. 13.1 miles in 2 hours, 11 minutes and 37 seconds. Can't wait to see how different the Bronx race is.

Thanks Amy for keeping me going!

My favorite moment? The chuckles from the surrounding runners as I raised my fist and yelled "Damn cat!" at the cat statue on Cat Hill (the second time we had to run up it!)

connection to the cause/ first comment

2008-01-26T17:33:00.000-05:00

So this morning I went to GTS at 8am but only ran 2.5 miles. Tomorrow is the big Manhattan 1/2 Marathon. 13.1 miles. 2 + loops in Central Park. 8:30am. I'm as ready as I'll ever be.

But this morning was also a Team in Training event called Connection to the Cause. We all met at an intermediate school auditorium on the west side and got to hear from 3 of our honored teammates. These are people who actually suffer from leukemia or lymphona and are TRAINING ALONG WITH US to participate in marathons, 1/2 marathons, triathlons, century rides, etc. They are in remission or even currently undergoing treatment. Amazing. It was inspirational to hear them speak and even more touching to hear several people in the audience stand up and speak about their connection to the cause - a father lost to lymphoma, a brother passing away and leaving behind a 10 year old and a 4 year old and a family forever changed, a best friend recently diagnosed with leukemia. I cried (you knew I would) and became even more determined to hit that $10,000 mark. Only $1700 more to go. One more check arrived today. Thank you John.

And thanks to Carlos for posting my first comment - (he (you) might actually be the only person reading this so it was inevitable ;)

Cats. Hills. Hate 'em.

2008-01-22T21:47:00.000-05:00

Okay, I don't really hate cats, but I am allergic to them. But I hate hills. And I really hate Cat Hill on the East side of Central Park just above 72nd Street. Well, tonight was the first night of hill training. Up Cat Hill and then back down 7 times. SEVEN TIMES. The scary part is, Coach Steve says tonight was not the hardest hill training session. Omigosh.

On a side note - I sent out yet another round of fundraising e-mails and the response has been great once again. I really think $10,000 is not out of the realm of possibility. We can do it!

Cold!

2008-01-20T23:21:00.000-05:00

Yesterday morning was a GTS (group training session in Team in Training speak.) My training buddies and I are up to 10 miles - so that's what we did! 10 miles in about an hour and 42 minutes. Our head coach, Ramon, gave us pace runners for the first time, so we stuck pretty closely with one of the mentors running at a 10min/mile pace. Well, until I got all discombobulated about which loops we had run and headed off in the wrong direction. But we stuck together and finished strong with a little over 10 miles for the day. (Subconsciously, I think I just wanted to avoid Cat Hill the last half of the run ;)

It was the farthest one my running partners had ever run. Woo hoo!

And today - it's cold. Really cold. I initially intended to run my prescribed 5 miles inside on the treadmill, but I just couldn't do it before work. I'm not feeling the treadmill at all these days. Which meant I needed to run outside. Between shows. During the super short break. Always a challenge. I started with my running pants under my jeans and made a quick top change at intermission. Rip off the jeans during the second courtroom at the calling desk, restore the sneaks during graduation, grab my gloves and speaker hat after the "see you at 6:30" announcement and I'm out the door. 4:23pm start - not bad. Ran up 7th Ave. to the park and did two lower loops plus a bit before heading back down 6th Ave. 23 degrees on the CNN billboard. My legs were a bit chilly and it took about ten minutes to warm up my lungs. But I got in 5.27 miles and even survived the shower in the nasty ladies room backstage.

Did I mention I'm running a half marathon next Sunday? :)

mile repeats

2008-01-15T23:39:00.000-05:00

Test #1. It's cold again. We start just south of 64th St. on the west side and run as fast as we can. For one mile. We recover for a little less than a mile. And then we do it again. And again. The key is to run as fast as you can and still be able run that pace the second and third time. I did okay. 8:08 on the first pass, 8:15 on the second and 7:57 on the third. I honestly think I ran faster on the third one because by that point, there was no one else running around me! It felt like I was all alone, in the dark, in the freezing cold, in Central Park. run!!!!