Steve and I just ended our 3 weeks of what triathletes call the off season. It's a time where we do not do any swimming, biking or running. The extent of my physical exercise was taking Sam for a hike up Mt. Kearsage where my gluts were so sore the next two days!
Anyways, we started the off season in Miami, which was absolutely splendid. We then continued the trend of eating bad, bad food, or what half of America calls breakfast, lunch and dinner. Let's start this post off with the delicious marshmallows we ate from Planet Marshmallow. That's right folks, there's a little place here in Manchester, NH that makes marshmallows, you can make S'More's at your table or get them to go. We opted to get them to go, because at that point, the few beers we had consumed were telling us we first wanted dinner (we got pizza that night from 900 degrees, cheese and extra garlic if you wanted to know). We got cinnamon, chocolate mint and chocolate raspberry, all of which are outstanding. We also took home a pumpkin whoopie pie, chocolate covered S'More and a chocolate covered marshmellow. I'm pretty sure the last item is still in the fridge, hmmm.
We stopped by Bert's Better Beers This place is beer heaven. If you enjoy craft beers that is, they don't sell Corona or Bud Light. If you're looking for that, Bert's is not the place for you. However, if you want to enjoy some Laguinitas Brown Sugga, which is my new favorite by Laguinitas. Although, Lil' Sumpin Sumpin is a very close second. Just look at the bottle, it screams deliciousness! The highlight of the first two weeks was Shipyard's Smashed Pumpkin Bourbon Barrel Aged. Wowza's! This beer is da bomb. Once you get it to room temperature, the bourbon and pumpkin come together and it's a party in your mouth.
We went to O Steaks in Concord and both had really nice meals (service is another story), the salads were super fresh and of course I got blue cheese dressing on it (OFF SEASON)! The steaks were cooked perfectly and I got a side of mac and cheese which was by far the best mac and cheese I have ever had (at a restaurant). My moms homemade mac and cheese clearly is the winner in this category. Steve got a side of roasted garlic mashed potatoes, with a TON of roasted garlic cloves, nom nom nom!
Then I met a group of friends at the Backroom, which is a local joint known for the chicken tenders and MUDSLIDES. Now, you might be asking yourself, what's the big deal with mudslides. Well my friends, if you ever have the privelage of trying a backroom mudslide, get ready to be knocked off your feet. They are all liquor, there's no milk, cream or ice cream in these bad boys. They only allow you to have two of them. I got the mint chocolate one and then the pumpkin one. The pumpkin one was to die for!
The next day we had a big fall harvest at work where I made my universally famous double chocolate peanut butter pie. The crust is a chocolate wafer cookie crust. You remember those delicious vanilla wafer cookies, well throw in some melted butter and melted chocolate bar with some cocoa powder, voila! Then the middle is heavy cream, cream cheese, sugar and peanut butter. REAL peanut butter. No PB Powder in this! Then the topping is a melted chocolate bar and heavy cream. The richness of this pie is ridic, but it's so tasty.
This past Saturday was the last night of the off season (well, we are going to Portland and specifically Novare Res on Saturday, which is a late birthday celebration for Steve. That's what happens when your birthday falls in the middle of race season! We capped it off with this bad boy. There's really no words to describe this, other than 13.2% alcohol, which is why there's no words.
As we go into the Thanksgiving Holiday, I'm super thankful for being able to swim, bike and run everyday and be able to travel and race is some places I normally would probably not go to. I'm also thankful for being an American and living in America. If you read the newspaper or watch even 1 minute of the news, you know what's going on between Israel and Hamas. Be thankful you're not someone living in the Gaza Strip being bombed at on an hourly basis. Let's hope they can resolve this as soon as possible before more people die. I'm also thankful for my family and friends for just being them. Super supportive and caring. I'm also thankful I have Steve in my life. It's amazing to be able to share all the wonderfullness of life with him. We laugh together on a daily basis. Oh, and let's not forget about the buddha boy, Sam!
We also just registered for Ironman Arizona for November 19, 2013! It sold out in 40 seconds online and we BOTH got in! We have some solid races lined up for 2013 which I'll talk more about later, because this post was about the off season!
Last weekend, Steve and I went down to Miami, FL for our last race of the season. The Miami 70.3! It was gorgeous weather, Hurricane Sandy brushed the shore and brought the majority of the humidity with her.
My race: not so good. It started with a jelly fish sting during the swim in Biscayne Bay, where I freaked out, felt like I was drowning in jelly fish. Then my poor attitude brought me onto the bike. Since I was one of the first waves out, there were packs of 50 people (mostly guys, with maybe one girl hanging on for dear life), whizzing by me in an oh so illegal drafting way. No one yells or whistles to let you know they're coming, so then I started to get mad and may or may not have yelled at a few people. It was a killer headwind going out, and an awesome tailwaind on the way back! The aide stations on the bike were on the left side, which was something new and challenging since I'm right handed. My goal was to get off the bike before Steve did, he passed me with 1 mile to go. He yelled something nice to me, and I think I just groaned because I was so let down with myself. Then I felt bad and tried to catch up to him, HA, that was short lived!
Then the run, where my HR may have been in the low end of Z1, it was terrible. The run course was kind of set up weird. It was like a little maze sometimes, with aide stations not coming soon enough! Made a stop in the potties 3 times. Sometimes, it's just not your day. I met a 22 year old girl from Boston who was also not having the day she expected to have and we ran the last 10 miles together. Thank goodness we found each other, made those 10 miles go by relatively pain free.
Steve on the other hand had a FANTASTIC race! He had a HUGE 17 minute PR and went 4:53!!!! He did outstanding and I was soooo, sooo happy for him. He had a GREAT swim, huge bike and solid run. His hard work leading into this race paid off, and it paid off big time!
Post race, we had a great night with 6 other QT2ers, we all met in our hotel bar, had a few adult beverages and yucked it up. Then we went to dinner where I ordered way more than I could ever think about eating! Let the off season begin!
We got some new tats, drank some beers and relaxed!
Now it's time to enjoy some time off, eat, drink and be merry (DMB reference).
This past Saturday Steve and I raced in Lobsterman Olympic Triathlon. This would be Steve's first true Olympic Since Mooseman 2010 was shortened due to lightning, down pours, thunder, etc. This was my first Olympic Since Mooseman 2011 and I wanted to do better, ALOT better. This was going to be a nice little threshold workout the entire way. Woo!
It was an ocean swim, 64 degree water temps... hello sleeveless wetsuit! That was the best idea yet. The water was perfect temps! Swimming in cold water in an open water swim is much better than say, sitting on the edge of the pool at 6 AM and the water is over 80, it always feels FREEZING! Steve's wave was 3 in front of me, I was in the second to last wave. Lots of standing around being cold since I had already done a warm up swim. 24 minutes after the start of the race I finally got to get back in the water (there were people already out on the bike!) Swim was uneventful minus the gallons of salt water I swallowed, peeing 4 times and swimming right into someones feet who was doing the back stroke (they clearly should have seem me first). 28 minutes, MUCH better, still lots to improve on, but I was happy. Off on the bike, where I had to just petal to the metal and keep on going for about 25 miles. The first 15 minutes of the ride, my HR was reading 72 or 57. I knew I wasn't an aerobically efficient athlete, so therefore, my HR monitor was all jacked up, awesome! Then I just went on perceived effort and cadence and think I did a pretty good job. Bike was under 1:28, and I wanted under 1:30, so I was happy with that. Onto the run, just kept my HR at 185 until the finish. 2:48:32, a 28 minute PR! Whoop!
Steve also set a PR, and did 1:25, first in clydesdale and 13 in his AG!
I was happy with the results, especially since I'm 5 lbs heavier post LP and need to stop eating PB crackers. Six weeks left until Miami, and it's all business until that finish line comes!
I'm officially way out of the transistion battle, I will need a miracle in Miami to make up the time now, doh!
On a non triathlon related note, Dave Matthews Band released their new album (Away From The World) this past week, and it's amazing. Obvioulsy I love the band, but this is the best CD they've had in a very long time. I absolutely love it, and hopefully they will do a fall/winter tour so I can get to a couple of shows and see some good friends I haven't been able to see this year due to my schedule.
Also, this weekend we go to Newport to celebrate Steve's induction into the Salve Regina Athletic Hall of Fame, should be a good time!
This past Saturday, my friend Lisa directed her first 5K for our good friend Tim The race went off without a hitch. Lisa did most of the leg work on her own, and I'm super pumped for her! A good amount of money was raised for Tim and hopefully next year's race will be even bigger.
There were people who showed up who read about the race in the local paper or heard about it from a friend and wanted to participate because it was for such a great cause.
The reason why I say YOLO, is because Tim was paralyzed from the chest down in a car accident a few years back. He lives his life to the fullest. He does more in a day than most people who have the ability to walk without any issues do. He's up at a crazy hour to go hit the pool working on his functional movements, then goes to PT with his trainer Erin. He then goes home and crawls as much as he can. Works on standing up with no hands. What did you do that could possibly compare to his day? At mile 90 or so on the bike in LP, when I was assesing how I felt and if I could start to push the last miles (up hill), I though about Tim and said, he would be pretty stoked to be out here doing what I'm doing. I threw my head down and pushed. This isn't meant to put anyone down, but really, when you look at someone like Tim and watch what he does day in and day out, people should be inspired. He's one of the few people out there that look forward to Mondays (I do as well)! Why do people hate on Monday's so much? I've mentioned this before, instead of complaining about it being Monday, how about you plan to do something new on Mondays. Instead of waiting until the new year to make that resolution to get in shape, start now. That P90X you started in March, but only made it half way through, well start it up again. Or that Insanity workout you only got to week two, well, when is a better time to pick it back up and complete those 9 weeks. (The Insanity workout is awesome by the way, it's what got me off my butt and started moving again). Many people choose laziness over activity. Why? Yes, this is a legitimate question, why do people choose to sit on their butts and do nothing, when they could be moving and doing something! The week after LP, Steve and I had an entire week off from swimming, biking and running. On Thursday we were going bonkers. We felt more sluggish and tired than any other day of the year. It's proof, that if you always use the excuse I'm tired for not going to the gym, well, the more you use that as an excuse, the more tired you get!
This is a post that's more about asking yourself if you live your life to the fullest. We can all say we have no regrets, but do we? Do YOU? Did you want to go for a run yesterday but were too tired? Do you wish you ate a little healthier but think eating clean is too expensive and too much work? Do you wish you spent more time with your family and friends? What did you do yesterday, what will you do today? Not only for yourself, but perhaps for someone else. However, since you only live once, if you want to be a little bit selfish, I'm someone who says go for it. This may sound a bit mean and rude, but really, YOLO!
You don't have to go out and train and finish an ironman, hell, you don't even have to go run your first 5K. Do something everyday for YOU. Everyday, take some time for yourself. It can be small or big, as long as it's for you. We all deserve that each and everyday.
Is there a trip you've been wanting to go on for a while? A race you've wanted to do? I am someone who would encourage everyone to start getting more fit. Afterall, look at this map It shouldn't be shocking, America is a fast food nation. At work, each Friday, one of the managers brings in 100 munchkins. Really? How about bringing in a basket of fruit instead! At the race on Saturday, I realized that Tim is probably one of the most fit guys I know. He eats as clean as possible, probably more so than I do! I wish more people in America had his work ethic. He should be a reason to start moving and groovin' in life.
Following LP Training Camp, Marry Eggers posted a comment about her love for PB and how much it physically hurts to NOT eat it. I know, I'm in the same boat trying to shed those pounds! So, then Jennie Hansen informed us that she bought this stuff. It is legit, magic in a jar.
I had my doubts, though. Can this stuff really taste like PB? Is it worth the price tag? Well folks, it is! We have ourselves a little MAGIC! You mix it with a little water depending on how thin or thick you prefer your PB, and voila, you've got yourself PB with much less calories and fat! It must be Core friendly too!
Reasons why I love Betty Lou's Peanut Butter Powder:
1. You can still eat it straight, just the PB
2. I can enjoy my delic PB, Banana and chocolate protein shakes again
3. PB and J (on low carb bread of course)
4. Straight PB
5. PB and slices of banana
6. Cait Snow's Spicy PB Kale (which is pretty much the most delic dish out there)
7. PB, banana sandwich (again, on low carb bread)
8. Is it acceptable to drink PB? If not, it should be
9. Celery and PB
10. Straight up PB
So if you're looking to cut weight for a race, or just want to live a more healthy lifestyle, include this stuff as part of your diet! It's amazing!
It's been a little over a week since IMLP began and ended. I've talked about it with multiple people, and have no idea how to put it in words, on the internet, forever. This journey started over a year ago when I sat, laid down, napped, drank coffee, ate breakfast and waited in line for a few hours to sign up for 2012. It's amazing how many people volunteer in an IM, and then how many do it so they can register for the following year. So, I paid the fee, and in a blink of an eye, my life would be different. The day after IMLP 2011, a friend of Steve's sent him a link to this blog entry. There we have it, the reason why I decided to go with QT2.
Fast forward to the first week of September and I was starting the training with them. At the time it was for a marathon and 10 miler. The official LP training began on October 30. That's right, 9 months of early wake ups, late dinners, trying to squeeze in at least 8 hours of sleep, work and other obligations that come with life.
I had my last sip of coffee on October 29, I didn't even have a full cup, just one last sip. Talk about sad! Early mornings in the pool, on the trainer and the road were in full swing. Doing some funky looking swim drills that would make the elderly woman doing the side stroke look like Olympic swimmers. They were pretty boring, but once Steve and I had a swim analysis done by the wizard, we knew why we had to do them. So on they went! There were 12 weeks of base training, slow paces and heavy lifting in the gym. I saw plenty of sun rises and saw plenty of sun sets. There are times in the middle of winter at 5 am sitting on the trainer where you get so frustrated because you can't really see if you're getting better, can you feel it? Not really. My runs felt painfully slow, there were a few times I would come back from a run in tears, frustrated and angry with my results. Thankfully Steve was there. Training for an ironman is not easy, and you cannot do it on your own. You need support from the ones closest to you. Steve and I have that with each other, always there keeping the other one positive when they were struggling. I know I could not have stayed with it, if Steve was not there.
I've already talked about the races that happened before Placid, so I won't get into them again, but I was finally seeing results!
So, fast forward to race week. That year literally flew by when I look back on it. Oh man, it was almost time for pancakes! We arrived on early Thursday afternoon, picked up our race swag and checked in!
Part of the check in process at an IM is the weigh in, eww, really? In the afternoon after we just ate lunch, and fully clothed! I was 4 lbs heavier than I was before we left 5 hours earlier. Oh well, just go with it, I guess!
We walked down to the expo and ran into Tim and Cait, where Cait was getting ready to head out for a bike ride and Tim was with his mountain bike sampling all the foods! They had delicious kettle popcorn! We even walked by a tent that was serving BBQ that smelled amazing. We had none.
Off to the condo which was a little over a mile from transition, perfect spot. Close enough to transition but far away enough from all the craziness. Plus, we had this gorgeous view of Lake Placid.
Friday came and gone, and it was already Saturday. The day before my first IRONMAN, holy crap. That's really all I can say. I wasn't nervous yet, it was more of a oh my gosh, this is it, the last day before an epic day. Ahhh! We drove to the Crown Plaza to grab the most important meal of the day, breakfast. Pancakes, white toast, home fries, eggs, pancakes, home fries and more pancakes. It was delicious, and we were full! The Wizard gave a great talk on the IMLP course, you can swim INSIDE the lines in this race, oh boy, that had me excited as I'm a right side breather and in Placid, you can see the cable line from the buoys, so sighting would be less difficult! You'll see how much that came into play a bit later. We headed back to the condo to prep our transition bags to bring with us as we checked in our bikes. After an hour of doing that, since we doubled and triple checked EVERYTHING, we checked in our bikes, and that was it. The only thing left to do was to snack on pretzels, stay hydrated and keep our feet up. With that on the agenda, we watched 3 Lifetime movies, all pretty good none the less! Bed time came, and I maybe got about 5 hours of sleep.
Race morning: here we go, the nerves I had been waiting for. I felt like I wanted to throw up, legit, throw up. I was taking deep breaths all morning. At 3:30 am, we ate our breakfast. For those of you wondering what you eat the morning of a long distance race, well at QT2 we eat apple sauce (all designated amounts depending on weight), one banana, one scoop of whey protein and one bottle of Perform. About 20 minutes later after getting it all down, all I could do was sit and wait, and be nervous. Thankfully I had races earlier in the season where this breakfast was also on the agenda so it wasn't that hard to put it down, it gets a little easier each time. Off to transition we went, and I threw my nutrition for the day in my fuel belt box, filled up my bottles, and put some blocks in my run bag and pumped my tires. Well, that was it, the only thing left was to start the race.
My brother took this amazing photo of the swim start
The minutes leading up to the swim went by so fast. This video is pretty epic.
There's nothing like the 2.4 miles of an IM swim. Well, 2.7 if you swam it like me! The first loop went pretty well considering all the mayhem. After swimming over a few people, who were not realistic with their swim times, I finally had some clear water at about 800 meters. I glanced at my watch at the beginning of the first turnaround and said, awesome. Almost 3 minutes later, I was finally getting around that turn. I got stuck between a few men, one on my right, that was a rather large dude, and all of a sudden started doing the breast stroke. Not the breast stroke that's done in the Olympics either, the old fashion one everyone else does when they get tired. Needless to say, I got kicked and punched multiple times! He saw my pink cap and just kept doing it. Lame. Got to shore, ran up on the beach and headed out for the second loop. I wanted to then get inside the line, but saw how far it was and all the people there and said eff that, so I stayed to the right. There went my dreams of seeing the cable line for 1.2 miles and having a more comfortable swim. Instead I got so far right, and I mean SO FAR RIGHT, I was almost on the shore at the second turn around. Seriously, Melissa? What is wrong with you! 2.4 miles was over and I swam 2 minutes slower than I had planned, but seeing how I swam .3 miles further, I was ok with that. I was not going to get frustrated with myself. Mike Reilly said one thing that morning that I kept in my head all day. The only thing you can control on race day is your attitude (at QT2 we also control nutrition), but your attitude is number 1. I stayed positive the entire day, with one little exception on the bike.
On to the bike. According to my watch, the run from the swim exit to the bike is .41 miles. Good times! I ran to transition, grabbed my bag and threw on my helmet, shoes, race belt and a superb volunteer shoved my power bars into my back pockets! Then I ran and got my bike, as much as I yelled my number and heard someone yell it into a megaphone, no one grabbed it for me. Oh awesome, the bikes were so jam packed here, I yanked it out and probably scratched mine and the other girls bikes next to me, but whatever. It took what felt like to be 5 minutes to snap my watch onto my bike, and someone was yelling GO QT2, GO GO GO. Finally, my watch snapped on. Off on the 112 miles of the bike! I got ahead on my fluids as instructed sucking down 2 bottles in 45 minutes. Ate all my nutrition, peed on myself. I came back into town after the first loop and saw my mom, younger brother and his girlfriend Jess. I was feeling pretty good despite my ridiculously slow time. I knew it would be slow, and it was the same time as it was a month earlier at camp. Oh well! Off on the second loop, was feeling really good. I peed some more on myself, which will happen after 14 bottles of Perform. The last 10 miles heading back are uphill, not too steep, but a relentless climb. The second loop there was a glorious headwind to go with that. The last 5 miles were pretty awful. I wanted it to be over, I was pushing hard but with the headwind I felt like I was going nowhere. At every aid station I was also grabbing a bottle of water and putting it on my head, which helped tremendously as I get pretty hot easily. The weather that day was unexpectedly hot! High 80's with heat index in the 90's and pure sun! On the bike I saw what looked like a rain cloud and got all excited, but it didn't even come close the Placid.
Finally, after a long bike ride and the exact same time as it was in camp (frustrating!), I was on to the run! I tore my shoes off, helmet and threw my run sneakers on. Again, I had a splendid volunteer, and actually two of them this time that were taking my things out and handing them to me. I asked one girl to squirt my water bottle on my head as I was getting ready. This water bottle was solid ice in the morning, it was now luke warm. I ran out of transistion eating my banana and grabbed some ice water and threw it on my head. There I saw Tim who was yelling at me like a mad fool! That was nice to hear and see. I had scheduled walk breaks at each aid station, which were every mile. Some might think, well that's pretty weak of you. Not really, it sets you up for a more enjoyable 26.2 miles. I stopped at a port-o-potty after mile 5 and made a quick stop, my paces were actually pretty decent given that I was speed walking every mile through the aid stations. I saw Steve a total of 3 times, twice we stopped, gave each some words of encouragement and a quick kiss. At Placid, the run is also two loops, so you can hear the crowds with about 6 miles to go back into town, and it's pretty amazing. There's no other word to describe it. Coming back on the climb, the QT2 people were set up where they again were cheering like crazy people. If you saw this, you would probably think they should be checked into a mental health care facility, but it works wonders for racers on race day. WONDERS! I saw my family again coming in and heading out of town. Headed out of town, was feeling pretty good. Then at mile 17, you hit that wall. The dreaded I'm running a marathon wall, but it's even more so in an IM. It's at this moment where you have to dig deep and fight through the physical and mental pain and get to that finish line. It's at this moment, where you begin to rely on all your training, those long days, the run/bike/runs, etc. Here is where you can become an IRONMAN. Miles 17-23 were pretty ugly, I saw people puking on the course. I turned away as fast as I could, because seeing other people puke, only brings me to puke. Sick. Again, with 6 miles to go, you can hear the crowds, you can even hear Mike Reilly saying to people, YOU ARE AN IRONMAN. Somehow, this picks you up and you realize, wow, I can do this. So many emotions go through your mind as you turn to make the long climb back into town. Once you get back into town, I saw Cait yell GO MELISSA, YOU'RE GOING TO BE AN IRONMAN. I smiled, big time. I smiled the remaining 3 miles and picked up my pace and ran that sucker all the way home. Once you get into the Olympic Speed Skating oval, the music and crowds are SO loud, you can't even hear yourself. I sadly did not hear Mike Reilly tell me I'm an IRONMAN, but I finished, so I know I am!
Finishing an IRONMAN is the absolute most amazing feeling I have ever experienced. There is nothing like it on earth. Nothing. I saw Steve and since he was a finisher they let him back in and we hugged, cried, hugged some more. I saw my mom, who was crying as well. My younger brother Alex came at some point later, and we hugged. After a slice of pizza and a chocolate milk, we grabbed our stuff and headed back to the condo. If you ever get to experience being a spectator at an IM, do it, there is nothing like the finish line at an IM. It will probably make you sign up for the following year!
2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike, 26.2 mile run. I'm an IRONMAN and I cannot wait until next year to do another one!
Steve had a PR on the day, I was so happy for him! We did this journey together!
First, a quick recap on Rev3 Quassy, a tough course, over 4000 feet of climbing on the bike and over 1000 feet of climbing on the run! No PR's, BUT I had a 10 minute PR on a 13.1 in a 70.3 distance, which made me happy. Steve also ran the fastest he has ever run in a 70.3 and got second in clydesdale!
Ok, now onto more recent events. We just got back from spending 5 days in Lake Placid (the greatest place ever), with 4 days swimming, biking annnnnnnnd running! We lucked out and had amazing weather.
Wednesday we got into town around 3 pm, and I had to get another picture of this view, which never gets old. This is the view on the out and back of the run course that we will get to see. It's so amazing to see ski jumps in real life, they are huge!
We also got to see these two bad boys:
It was a bit hot and humid on Thursday, but nothing we couldn't handle. Thursday we had a Swim TT, with one loop in Mirror Lake, the loop right now is about 400 meters longer than it will be on race day. After the TT we headed out on a ride down the road that runs along White Face Mountain (gorgeous), then all got grouped together on the second out and back of the race course, and did a painful 4 mile bike TT. By painful, I mean the hurt box, it ended on a nice hill where Tim Snow was screaming his face off encouraging everyone, it was awesome! Once I finished and got off my bike, I almost hurled. What a great feeling! We then road back into LP and had to go up along side White Face, which is the last 12 miles of the bike course, and it's all up hill, with a couple of little downs and "flats", but about 90% up hill. Talk about a good time. Then we trainsitioned to a run, we all had different times based on our training schedules.
Friday was the day I was very, very nervous about, the long ride day. We started off with breakfast and an early 6:45 am swim in Mirror Lake. I had a one loop recovery swim. Then I had an hour to think and go over the long ride, ahhh! Then we were off. I did the full 112, which was a huge confidence booster for me. Phew! This day was even more great because Courtney, Pat Wheeler's wife was in the sag vehicle and waited for us at miles 20, 40 then back at the house, then again for the second loop. We were able to refill with Perform, dump our trash and get more bars and gels. That made for smooth ride, no need to stop at a store, etc etc. So thank you Courtney! Her and Pat also know Pratt, my college friend! Small world! Then we went out to eat at the Dancing Bears, came back for a Q&A with the coaches, which was awesome. Good information was gained from that, in fact, all weekend, we all got some quality time with the coaches and were able to pick their brains.
Also, a HUGE thank you to Mary for staying with me during the long ride, I'm painfully slow on the bike and she is not. I'm not even sure she got her HR up to her ZR pace! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!
Saturday was two loops in Mirror Lake, it ended up being 3.3 miles, haaaa! That's really all I have to say about that. Who in their right mind swims 3.3 miles in open water? We did. Oh, speaking of swimming, we finally got to use our sleeveless wetsuits, annnnnd I'm in love. It was so nice to feel the water on my arms, it cooled me off a bit. We then did a recovery ride, with loops on the out and back of the run course, then a nice T run around Mirror Lake. QT2 provided us with dinner (every night), and this was catered with all sorts of delicious items that I have no pictures of. Let's just say there was a corn and black bean salad that I ate pretty much the entire thing of, some chicken, pesto bread (to die for) and chocolate chip cookies that were so big and thick I could only eat half of one. Let's be honest, I only ate half because I didn't want everyone else to see what a fatty I really am and can probably eat more than half of the people that were there.
Sunday, we had a recovery ride and the long run! Courtney again had the van waiting for us on the run course so we could fill up with perform and pick up any gels or bars. Then we ate lunch, and headed home. Sigh. Steve and I both cannot wait to be back there in a month!
This camp was awesome, living the life! Didn't have to worry about scheduling workouts around work, just wake up, eat, then train. QT2 did a phenomenal job, they provided massages and bike fits (which I got one with the Wizard), food and all the nutrition we needed for 4 full days of training. Plus it was in LP. Steve and both are very happy we went with QT2 and the amazing things that are in store for us in the weeks, months and years ahead! Thank You!
Of round trip driving is what Steve and I did this past Saturday and Sunday. Oh my. What a weekend it was though. We first woke up at 4 AM on Saturday to make the trip to Absecon, NJ which is where we were staying on Saturday night before the race. Only 8 short miles from Atlantic City... we did not go into AC to see what it was all about though. We left at 5 AM, stopped for breakfast, got to the hotel a little before 1 pm. Good timing, walked across the street for some lunch, then napped. Well, Steve napped, I was awake watching this cheesy movie that was a knock off of the Delta Force movies... but I couldn't turn it off! It starred Ice T, so you know how awesome it was! We then went to this place called Gourmet for dinner, which was perfect, then came back and went to bed. (Life of an age grouper... VERY exciting). Race morning, 4 AM, woke up, ate breakfast then off to Tuckerton, NJ about 20 minutes north of where our hotel was. Got there a little before 5:30, got our numbers, body marked, then off to set up our bikes. My set up was pretty easy peasy since I was doing the Sprint... not much to really think about what's needed. A powerbar gel 15 mins before and then another off the bike. Bam, done!
The water... ohhhh, the water, it was cold. Not as cold as Mooseman was last June, but it was damn cold. Since the swim on the sprint is so short, I did about a 15 minute warm up, but then had to get out of the water and wait another 15 minutes. They had the duathlon people start first, doh! So, finally, a little after 7, we started. My swim was ok, I couldn't get in a nice groove at all, and was breathing in water almost each stroke... awesome. I swam next to another girl pretty much the entire time, then got out, and saw my time, hmm, ok, not too shabby. Was better than it felt. Into T1, felt like crap, got on the bike and rode. Again, I'm probably the slowest QT2 person on the bike... fact. I raced my race and was feeling good, I get very frustrated when people pass me, not as if I'm standing still, but as if I'm moving in reverse... it's ridic. Anyways, I was very happy, having a great time, and it helped that the roads were in really good condition. Something us New Englanders rarely experience with the winters we get. Off the bike and into T2, and to start the run. My run was not so great... not what I wanted and what I know I can do. Fast forward to the finish... 10 minute PR and 1st in my AG... whooaaaa! I was pumped. The 10 minute PR was huge!
I had to then run for 30 minutes post race, but I knew Steve's race started at 8, I was hoping they would start right at 8, so I waited for him to come out of the water before starting the run. Saw him, and he was off on the bike! I went and ran for 30 minutes on the run course, then came back to see my results, saw them and decided to postpone my post race ride until after the awards ceremony! Which took a bit longer than expected, but that's A-OK! Then went and grabbed a quick bite to eat and hopped on my bike. Came back and changed super fast in the truck, literally just in time to see Steve get off the bike and onto the run. Went and ran a few feet to catch him coming out of T2, good thing I did. This was our first race using the new Garmin for both of us, and using the multisport mode, so we both got all messed up when we hit lap to start the run, all we saw was the total time. No pace, distance or HR. I had figured it out on my run and then yelled to him how to see the correct screen... phew! He was good to go. His race was awesome. It was a 5 minute PR... but in this race, that's even more since the bike was 58 miles and not 56! He got third in his AG and won Clydesdale!
Those 768 miles of driving... worth it!
Also, Steve found out today he is being inducted into the Salve Regina Athletic Hall of Fame!! What an accomplishment and honor!
We stopped for dinner at a diner in NJ... we were tired! We may or may not have had a couple of chocolate chip cookies after dinner.
Now onto Monday... post race fun! We went to a new place in town that sells quality beers (which we love) and we lived it up a little. We had these bad boys... The Aprihop was a new one for us, and it was delicious. Hoppy IPA with a hint of Apricot. We ended the day with a Little Sumpin Sumpin which is just hoppy deliciousness in your mouth. Hopstupendous!
First off, we got out race kits in the mail last week, check these bad boys out!
So the multi-sport season for Steve and I has officially begun! We both raced at the Wrentham Duathlon this past Sunday, 3 mile run, 11 mile bike and 2 mile run. The weather was outstanding, it did get a bit hot, but it was such a short race, that it didn't get too bad at all. Steve got 4th in his AG and 1st in Clydesdale, which is for men over 200 lbs. I got 2nd in my AG! It was a great day with fantastic weather! Sam, of course, was there and loves hanging out at races, since he gets lots of belly rubs.
So, what's with transitions you ask? Well, well, well... Steve and I will have an on going bet the entire season for whoever has the fastest cumulative time for transitions. We do this, because let's face it, I'm not nearly as fast as him at this point, and this makes for transitions to be quite interesting. Not only does the swim, bike and run count towards your time, but the transitions from swim to bike and then bike to run. T1 and T2. Last year and Timberman, we had this bet, I beat him by 7 seconds! I did this by completey forgetting all my nutrition for the bike (have a bento box this year though), so on the bike I had to suffer and get PowerBar vanilla flavored gels. That stuff is so nasty, tastes like vanilla cake, yuck! So to make it a bit more interesting this year, we are going to add our T times for all the races to see who has the fastest time. At the end, whoever wins, will have the loser do something that is completely embarrassing to the loser. We will have the loser pay up on this bet while we are in Miami in October. For example, if I win, Steve will have to sing karaokee, I will of course pick some fantastic establishment to do this at. I on the other hand... have no shame. There's not much I will not do. If I can get a laugh out of it, why not?! Life is about having fun, and if that includes singing excellent 80's tunes with my fantastic horrible voice, then so be it!
The only race we will not count is Bassman in THREE WEEKS, since I'm doing the Sprint and Steve is doing the half. We're not sure how transition will be set up since the races are on the same day at the same site. Then, it'll start back up again at Rev3 Quassy Half, yeaaaa! I'm very disapointed to report that Steve is currently ahead by 27 seconds. I think I took a nap in transition at Wrentham, 27 SECONDS?! What in the heck was I doing?! Doh! I have alot of ground to make up, but I'm confident I'll pull ahead. Placid should be interesting since T1 is about a 7 mile run from the water to the transition area. I may be exaggerating that a bit, but the race itself should probably be increased from 140.6 to at least 141 with the distance of T1.
Two weeks ago, I finally had my first race of the season with the Great Bay Half Marathon. What a great course that was, rolling hills the entire time. Up and down, up and down. Then, almost 2.5 miles of it was on a dirt road, hmmm, ok... that was interesting to say the least. By 2 miles into the dirt road section, I was begging for hard pavement again... and it came, ahhhh!! My legs took a beating, but I loved it. I had an 8 minute PR, which I was ecstatic about. My runs in training and sticking to zones have been getting faster, but it's so hard to tell what you're capable of in a road race where you have the freedom to go all out for 13.1 miles, when I haven't gone past Z2 at all. I did have two speed work sessions the two weeks leading up to the race, and the first week was mile repeats, which I nailed, then a 5K. A 5K on your own is probably the most difficult thing I could do, it's tough. No one out there pushing you. For great bay, I passed the pace I was aiming for by 13 seconds per mile, yes! All that time on the trainer has really been paying off for my running. On the bike, ehhh, I'm still painfully slow, but I know it takes a few years to build cycling muscles, endurance and fitness. I have patience, although at the end of a race when I look at my bike splits, I'll probably still be disapointed, but I know that it takes time. I also have more confidence in my running, not that I'm as fast as Cait Snow off the bike, but I know I will pass some people out there on the run, and that is more than I could ask for. Hard work pays off. QT2 is legit, it's fantastic.
Steve had another PR at the Quincy Half Marathon two weeks ago with a 1:30! Wow! He's been working really hard all winter and it's been paying off! His next race will be at the Wrentha Duathlon in two weeks, which will be the official kick off to the multi-sport season for both of us. I think we are both excited to get outside on the bikes! The trainers are begging us to put them away, as well as our butts (yes, our butts, there, I said it).
Speaking of rubber hitting the road, I was able to get outside for a quick 45 minute recovery ride when we had a couple of weeks of SUPERB weather here in NH. 70's and 80's. Sadly, it was only that one ride though, after that, the weekday rides went back to interval training, some tabata's, speed work, BST's, weeee! So, on the weekends for long rides, mother nature, decided to go back into the 30's and 40's, and well, why be freezing outside when we could be on the trainer (as painful as it is), much more comforable (that's a complete oxymoron of a statement, comfortable and trainer do NOT belong together), watching TV, with March Madness, movies, etc.
March Madness, ahhhh, the most exciting 3 weeks of basketball all year. This of course includes the NBA playoffs, because if you're a basketball fan, then you know how much of a joke the NBA tends to be. That's a different topic that could go on and on though. So, for March Madness, if you are able to participate in a bracket pool, and if it's not the one I participate in, then you're truly missing out (thank you, Erin Rosati for getting me into this 4 years ago)! One of her coworkers has this insane pool, this year with over 800 entries and only $10 a bracket. No limit on how many you can fill out. He makes it a ton of fun with money going to the top winners of course, but also random prizes for coming in last, coming in the same position that comes in right before some dude who I don't know. This year he also will be giving money to the person whose position is equivilant to the money earnings of one of the movies that came out, so if the movie made 157 million, if you came in 157th place, you're $50 richer! If you're with every other person in the nation, then your bracket got completely busted after the first weekend with Duke losing, then again when UNC decided to blow the game. My only hope was last night for OSU to win, because I like Aaron Kraft and I think he loves the game of basketball and is a true team player. Buuut, they lost. So, let's go Kentucky (I had them losing in the elite 8, but what the hell, right?!).
I and no one I know won Mega Millions, I woke up all sad on Saturday morning. Sigh.
There were two 70.3 races this weekend, Oceanside and Texas. Texas had a ton of QT2 athletes, all from what we saw online performed really well! Amber Ferreira, local pro, finished in a solid 9th place for the first race of the season!
It's officially my birthday and a race week all wrapped up in one! I'm bursting with excitement!
Wow! Time sure is flying by wicked fast this year. It's almost my birthday, wooop!
On a really quick note, Steve set an 8 minute PR at the Hampton Beach Half a couple weeks ago! Wowzas! The training and hard work is paying off!
The training volume has picked up, well into the build phase, I'm so ready for a race, but training hard each and every day. My legs were tired this week, I pretty much wore my compression socks under my work pants almost every day. Love these and the pants are even better after a race. My hip flexors always get sore after longer, tougher runs, and boy am I feeling it! I love it though. I also ordered Steve and I some new sleeves/arm warmers and with QT2, we get 40% off everything at Pearl Izumi, say whhaaat?!?! Talk about an awesome team to be on, thank you Anyhoot, I'm starting to see my paces drop little by little, and I do mean little. But any improvement right now, is nice to see. I'm getting much better with descending the pace with each mile, getting faster and starting at the way low end of my HR zones and finishing near the tippity top by the end. Each lap on my watch gets faster, which is really nice to see. Speaking of watches, I got the new Garmin 910 XT about a month ago, and holy smokes is it awesome! Check it out I also got the quick release kit for my bike, and that sucker is ridiculously awesome. Snaps right onto my bike, and I can snap it off, then back on my wrist band for a T run. This will be so much easier in a race. Last year, I was using a timex watch to time my swims and bike, then threw on the Garmin 405 for the run, at the finish line I had two watches because I always wanted to see my total race time. It looked rather ridiculous. Now, I will only have one watch! So if you want a Timex Global Trainer we have two for sale since Steve picked up his 910 last week. $125.00 a piece, so let me know if you are looking for a GPS watch with swim, bike and run features, plus HR monitor.
Coach Mary at QT2 has challenged THE Lance Armstrong to a 50 Kick off, with all proceeds going to her Teens Living with Cancer program. It's a tremendous program, every time I read her blog I get a little emotional. Good Stuff. You can check out the official challenge invitation here I wonder if Lance will accept? Hmm. If he does, I've pledged to donate to TLC. It's Lance Armstrong for crying out loud!
Annnnd, for some really awesome news, my friend Tim passed his CSCS exam and is now officially a certified strength & conditioning specialist. He's getting better at updating his blog http://abrandnewfocus.tumblr.com/ but still a little slow! However, my friend Lisa is working hard at this little gathering The SCI stands for Spinal Cord Injury. Check it out, if you're looking for a 5K either race or a nice little walk on a Saturday morning, come! Support the most amazing person I know in my life, inspires me everyday. I will for sure have more information on this as it gets closer.
Oh, and in case you were wondering what DMB shows I will be attending this summer, I know you are... I'm going to N2 in Mansfield, not the best option, but with Quassy only a week after Hartford, I couldn't do it. When I go to Hartford, I cannot half ass it, I have to go all in, 500 + jello shots and all. I cannot sit there with compression on sipping on coconut water to stay hydrated. I would look ridiculous. So, pavilion at Mansfield it is. Oh, and I got my tickets last week, before they went on sale to the public TODAY. Mwhahahahahaaaa!
So DMB announced their official summer 2012 tour dates!! I have no idea which show('s) I'll be attending, but just seeing the announcement gave me goosepumps! It will make for an already very busy and jam packed summer! Woop! Here's to happy days...
Also, there's some very, VERY exciting news about my friend Tim, he now works out in the pool 3 days a week and is a moving machine!! Still, inspiring me every single day!
This was just a short update on how happy I am about DMB tour dates! Oh, and Steve and I also signed up for our first duathlon in April and an Olympic distance tri in September!
I got my new bike this week, she's so pretty! Cervelo P3 frame with some components I cannot pronounce, but the first ride went fantastic! It's already way more comfortable than the Fugi. Since it's a lovely white frame, I'll have to be sure to keep up on washing it more regularly, I'm stocking up on Simple Green as I type this.
Let's see, the super bowl happened, I'd rather not talk about it. Such a disappointment. I still think Eli Manning is one ugly dude though. However, this little guy, Sam is adorable, he rooted for the Pats all weekend.
I made some amazingly delicious chicken in a spicy peanut butter sauce, the sauce is from Cait Snow's Peanut Butter Kale recipe. It's seriously amazing, to make it spicy I added a little more chili powder, red fresno peppers and of course, some CRP -- crushed red pepper, delic! This is probably one of our favorite meals right now, in fact, I think I will make it tonight!
It's also February, which means... we are one month closer to the best month... APRIL! My birth month, duh! We are also closer to Spring! Although, we've been pretty lucky this year this winter, after last winter, it's ok to have a lack of cold and snow. I've been able to run in shorts on some days, which is pretty ridiculous if you ask me. Still no snow day at work! I'm hopeful we will have at least one though, because it's nice to sleep in and lounge around once in a while, don't ya think?
Now for the important news, Dave Matthews Band will be announcing their tour dates soon and since I'm in the know, from other people who know of some more people, who have counsins and brothers, of which have some serious connections (doesn't that sound completely absurd? I kid, of course) anyhoot, I had a sneak peak at the dates! I'm hoping for something in August with a destination I'd like to attend, let's say Red Rocks? C'monnn! Hartford is the weekend before Quassy, so I'll have to toss and turn and stay up all night for endless nights thinking about what to do for that weekend. Hmmm. I must do a show this summer since last summer was a bust, so I will obviously figure something out. It's DMB for crying out loud! Oh, and Madonna announced her tour this week, she apparently has some outrageous ticket prices, I'm pretty sure that if you want to see a great concert, with great music and great people and not have to cut off your arm to do it, DMB is the place to be. (Droppin' rhymes, yo). Annnd, their making a new album!! Cannot wait to hear it! NEW ALBUM, I thought that deserved a double announcement. That's all for now, catch ya on the flip side.
Music is something I thoroughly enjoy. My favorite band is DMB. This past summer I was not able to see them live, but that's ok, it's nice to take a break once in a while. It was the first summer since 1997 that I have not seen them live, whooaaa! Through the years I have met some incredibly stellar people, who I can say are my friends. I'm also known for ridiculously awesome jello shots, I have a secret that only a few know. I've made them at other times, for bbq's and some camping along the Saco, but they are most popular at DMB tailgaiting, particularly Hartford. Ahhhh, what good times I have had there. I could probably go on for days about all the experiences I've had, front row in Vegas, we were there for less than 48 hours, but boy did we pay for it a week and a half later...
Anyways, I wanted to share a song that I truly love and I'm so happy it's finally getting some radio time. Matt Nathanson, a good ole New England boy. Enjoy!
So I've taken the plung and I've ordered a new bike, I'm uber excited about it and can't wait to see what she looks like!
This week was the first build week, which means more time in the pool with higher volume sets, no more boring drills. Yippee! It also means some pretty awesome intervals on the bike, this morning I did a tabata interval. Pretty awesome, really tough stuff. Love it. It also means some Zone 2 work on the bike and run, yesss!
On to the more important matters... Lentil soup. I made a ridiculously awesome lentil soup on Sunday which was ready just in time for the Patriots to win the AFC Championship over the Ravens in a nail biter of a game. Anyways, the lentil soup. Super healthy and delicious with lots of veggies, carrots, onions and celery (you can add leeks, but that's the only vegetable I do not like, so I added more of the other ones). Fat free low sodium chicken broth, 1 lb of lentils and we added some spicy jalapeno chicken sausage to the mix. Because let's face it, if it ain't spicy, it's boring. The recipe makes enough for an entire NFL football team so we were able to freeze quite a bit of it. Easy dinner in a few weeks or months!
Oh, and my mom also discovered what is surely to become the most popular salsa on the planet -- Mrs. Renfro's Ghost Pepper salsa. OH MYYYYY. You should be able to find it in your local grocery store, if not, you can order it here http://www.renfrofoods.com/Salsa-Ghost_Pepper_Salsa-P31.aspx I'd personally like to thank whoever Mrs. Renfro is, she has created the Hot Habanero Salso as well as Ghost Pepper Salsa. Pure genius right there, folks. I immediately told my friend Erin (who introduced me to the habanero corn nuggets) about this salsa and she found it in Ohio. If she wasn't able to, clearly I was going to ship her an entire case of the stuff.
This winter here in NH, well it's been lacking. We get a few inches of snow one day, then it reaches 50 degrees the next day. What's up with that? Not that I hope for zero degree days, but if it's going to snow, it needs to snow, give me alot of snow. So far, this is the first winter at my job we have had zero snow days. I will be honest, since it's higher education, I LOVE a snow day, we don't have to make it up like high schools do, and we get paid for it. Who wouldn't love a snow day?
It was also my friend Lisa's birthday this past Monday, since she has a crazy work schedule, we shall celebrate... one day... very soon... I hope!
We are officially in 2012, wow 2011 was a fantastic year! I'm getting into what is my "busy season" at work -- February through beginning of October, haaa! Makes for the days to go by super fast though. On NYE, Steve and I both decided to sign up for Miami 70.3 next October, we are both super excited about this, even though it's (kind of) far away -- 10 months. We're pretty pumped about it, it's Miami, nice weather, South Beach, super delicious spicy foods, and a little race thrown in there!
I could spend too much time recapping 2011, but it's 2012. Time to start a new year and hopefully have it be better than last year! Meet new people, try new things, all that stuff. I'd like to do a little promotion on my friend Tim, he has a blog here http://abrandnewfocus.tumblr.com/ and he is one of the most amazing people I know. The most inspiring person I know. If you ever meet him, you will walk away thinking knowing you can do anything you want to do, put your mind to it, work hard and don't give up. Amazing. He's also one of the most selfless people out there, always telling YOU how good YOU are and how amazed he is with YOU. I hope he knows how amazed we all are with his progress and positive thinking all day long.
Take a note from Tim, and make this YOUR year, and each year after that. Life is amazing, and instead of waking up on a Monday morning saying, agh, it's Monday, and Monday sucks. How about saying, it's Monday, go after it, I woke up and I'm feeling alive (because if you wake up, you are, in fact, alive)! Yes, no one really likes Monday's, everyone seems to love Fridays, since it's the start of the weekend. Let's all be thankful we even have jobs in this tough economy and go after it the best we can.
It's also a Presidential election year, where some of you may get in arguments with your friends over their politics, let's try not to do that. My cousin, Jamie and I have different beliefs, but we respect each other for them, after all, we live in America and are able to be free thinkers, if you are able to listen to someone, then you can respect them. Ignorance is always alive and kicking during elections, throw that shit out the window.
