Daydreaming

Call it stir crazy. Call it plain nuts. But I keep finding myself searching the inter-webs for 2014 races and triathlons.  

Since I started running 6 years ago, this is the longest stretch of time that I haven't been training for something. Whether it be a simple 5k, triathlon or marathon, I have always had a goal on the horizon and something to work toward. (Let's clarify: I haven't actually finished a marathon, but I've trained for two so that totally counts. Kind of).

Obviously being pregnant changed that. I couldn't push myself like before and to be honest, I didn't have much motivation. I know myself- if there isn't a race to train for, why train? Why get up early or out in the cold when there is no "real" reason to. 

(This is where someone can say, "But Alex, being healthy and active, especially during pregnancy IS a real reason." Apparently that isn't good enough for me.  Who cares about that stuff, really?) 

2013 was the year of zero fitness accomplishments. I am totally okay with that. And I'm even okay if this year doesn't amount to much either. Because let's get real, I have no idea what my life is going to look like after Baby. All the time I had for myself- mornings, evenings, weekends- I'm giving a lot of that up to snuggle, love, and take care of my sweet baby. 

On top of that, my pending thyroidectomy and subsequent radiation therapy puts another big question mark on what my life will look like. I would love to plan for a late triathlon but what if treatment, which should be around July, kicks my booty and sets me back? I would hate to have a self-imposed expectation that might only cause disappointment.

So, as I read race reviews and calculate possible training schedules for the 2014 year, I do so with a healthy amount of hesitation. I promise that I will complete at least one half marathon, and I would love to add a triathlon to that as well. But we shall see.  

Ozark Valley Triathlon Recap

Yesterday I crossed something off my bucket list: Complete an outdoor triathlon! 

The Ozark Valley Triathlon was simply amazing. From the course, to the volunteers, to the after-race drawing and prizes (I won a box of Powerbars and a coffee mug!), I couldn't have picked a better first outdoor triathlon! While my performance will never be in the record books, I had an absolute blast and I am officially in love with triathlons!

This past week a friend reminded me with a wonderful verse from scripture that kept me mentally tough during this entire race. 

Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not be faint. Isaiah 40:31. (<--DGR represent!)

I repeated this verse over and over again, which gave me a sense of peace and strength during tough moments. What could be a better mantra than God's own words?! I wonder what took me so long to figure this out?

The morning started early with a 5:30 alarm. I always thought I needed a lot of stuff for half marathons, but my goodness have I been enlightened. Here is everything I needed:

• Tri shirt, shorts, and shorts bra
• Swim Cap
• Goggles
• Swimming watch
• Towel
• Hand towel
• Bike
• Helmet
• Running shoes
• Socks
• Sunglasses
• Headband
• Garmin
• 2 bottles of water + 2 bottles of Gatorade
• 3 Gu packets for fuel
• Change of clothes/shoes for afterwards

Whew, thats a lot!

The race was held at Lake Weddington, a state park 20 minutes from my front door. We got to the park at 6:45, just enough time to get body marked, set up, take a Gu, use the rest room (again), and attend the pre-race meeting before we headed to the start line. The transition area was a little overwhelming for me and I kept looking around to make sure I was setting things up right. As far as I know, I didn't do anything faux pas. 

After setting up the transition, I tried to keep my nervous down. Don't I look relaxed?

As the countdown began, I watched the first two waves go ahead. Females age 39 and under were in the third and final wave, 10 minutes after the official gun went off. See, still nice and relaxed:

My fellow female competitors were incredibly nice and encouraging. A few women I was wading next to found out this was my first outdoor triathlon and they gave me plenty of tips for the swim. Such a great camaraderie among runners and triathletes! My main focus on the swim was to start in the back so I wouldn't get tackled at the start. See me waving? Yep, way in the back!

The hardest part of the swim was staying on course. I kept veering every which way but straight, which left me frustrated and using way too much energy searching around for the right direction. I definitely chugged some tasty lake water more than once. Open water swims are seriously legit and completely different than pool swims. I'm glad I did at least one open water swim during training so I wasn't totally naive, but I wasn't prepared for this.

Nevertheless, I still ended up with a great time (for me)!

1000 yard swim: 00:22:15.4

We then had to run 200 meters uphill to the transition area where I was completely under prepared and became flustered. It went by too slow and I had way too much to think about: Gu, hydrate, fix my hair, clean my feet, put on socks/shoes, helmet, start the Garmin, etc. Then I had to go back for my racing bib and had to repin it because it kept falling off. I definitely need to work on my transitions!

T1: 00:05:01.0

I absolutely loved the bike course! We road along country roads with beautiful northwest Arkansas scenery: big ranch houses, cows, beautiful rolling hills. Well, the hills were nice to look at, not climb. This course had a major hill and consistent rollers which left me exhausted. My goal was to keep about a 16.5mph pace and that is exactly what I did.

19 miles bike: 01:06:26.5

My second transition went by much more efficiently even though I could barely rack my bike because I was so fatigued. All I had to do was take off my helmet and down another Gu + water and I was off, with legs that felt like lead.

T2: 00:01:58.6

{via Jessi}

Surprisingly, the run was my biggest struggle. Before the race I felt confident tackling the four miles, but by the time my body had swam and biked for 88 minutes I was spent. I think the biggest mistake I made during training was not making my workouts long enough; my body was not prepared to be pushed for that long.

That being said, I am really proud of the running leg. The weather was HOT and the course was brutal! It was a two-loop course with a long, steep hill I had to climb twice. Each time I got to the hill, I willed myself to run but my body couldn't do it. I resorted to walking the hill both times, and was completely out of breath by the time I reached the top. I could have easily puked if I let myself.

The one good thing about hills is that you get to run down them, which is where I made up my time. The last quarter mile was downhill to the finish and I pushed it to the very end, reaching a 6:09 pace at one point.

4 mile run: 00:40:25.6

Total time: 2:16:05.9

Crossing the finish line is one of the most rewarding and exhilarating feelings. So overwhelmed!

After I cooled down (by pouring ice water over my head) and caught my breath (90 degree heat with humidity is brutal!) I was finally able to relish in the joy of finishing this triathlon. While there are things I can work on, I am so proud of myself and feel so blessed God has given me a body capable of this. With three long months of training, my body was ready to be challenged and I accomplished my time goal of a sub 2:17:00. Success!

{via Jessi}

And major credit to the amazing support crew who kept my spirits up the entire race. My dad drove up from Little Rock and the Leonards woke up early to cheer me on. Also, so many of you texted, tweeted, and facebook'ed me to tell me good luck and sent prayers my way.

I can't forget my awesome Ironman boss who helped me train, cheered me on, and pushed me hard! Thanks Andy- you rocked this race!

{via Jessi}

And of course I had my wonderful, amazing and handsome husband who never complains of these early mornings, is my official race photographer, and is proud of me no matter the finish time. Truly blessed I tell you.

Ladies and gentlemen, tri season has just begun. I can't wait for my next one! 

In Case the Anticipation is Killing You...

...I finished!

Now I am just waiting for the official results so I can upload my race recap.

Spoiler: It was amazing!

Nerves Are High

I picked up my race packet today and oh boy am I nervous. I'm trying to remind myself that I'm in this just to have fun, but this is territory I've never traveled before.

An open water swim with people swimming over me. Transitions. Racing on bikes. Hills.

Oh Lordy. Oh well, here goes nothing!

Ozark Valley Triathlon Game Plan

Remember when I was all gung-ho (gun-ho? gun-hoe? Seriously, what is this word?) about this triathlon and I was all "I don't want to merely complete it, I want to compete in it" and I made lofty declarations of this being my "speedy summer". Well, true to Alex-fashion, this spunkiness has worn off. After almost 3 months of training, I'm no longer tackling each workout with full force. I am merely checking them off and wondering to myself if my "dog walks" could count as the day's workout. 

What? This pup can walk a mean 15min-per-mile pace.

So, to confess, I'm currently coming to the end of a 3 week long taper. (What? Taper weeks are only suppose to be about a week long? I'm such an over achiever.) Because my workouts have been slacking in intensity, I knew that I wasn't going to be winning any awards, but then I had a look at the treacherous elevation charts:

Bike: 19 miles

Run: 2 laps of this course= 4 miles

Yikes! ( And you know how much I love hills.) 

And then I found out that this race is a regional championship! Holy shnikies! Talk about intimidating. 

As a result, I gladly scaled back my intensity going into the race and have developed the concept of "just have fun." Monumental, right? 

Now that I'm using this race as just a really good workout I'm sure all the other 25-29 year old females are ecstatic that they now have a chance to place in the age group. Go ahead and pass me. You're welcome. 

So what are my actual goals this Sunday?

Goal A: Don't get a flat tire because 1) I don't have an emergency repair kit, and 2)even if I did, I have no clue how to change a tire. 

Goal B: Finish under 2:17. I'm a little unsure of how I am going to do on the run because I'm sure to be exhausted by then. Fingers crossed that I'm not wiped out by the time I get off the bike. Here are my hopeful splits:

Swim-24:00

T1- 4:00 

Bike- 1:07

T2- 2:00

Run- 40:00

Total- 2:17

Goal C: Finish under 2:20. If things aren't going well, this is my backup plan.

Goal D: Have fun experiencing my first outdoor triathlon! My dad is coming up and I have some friends participating as well so it should be a blast!

Wish me luck!

My New Lady

Since I'm taking triathlons and cycling a bit more seriously, it's about time I got a bike that can hold up. Introducing my new lady- The Black Pearl.

Yes I named my bike. What of it?

My sweet little hybrid bike has done me well over the past few months, but no matter how hard I huffed and puffed, I couldn't keep up with the big boys on their fancy road bikes. I have been searching for something used within my price range and knew I had to find a bike ASAP if I planned to ride it during the Ozark Valley Triathlon. Riding a road bike is way different compared to a hybrid or mountain bike and I need amble time to get accustomed.

On Saturday, following my brutal 5K, Josh found Pearl and I was immediately in love. We promptly took it on a 20 mile bike ride and I was flying! Even though it took me a while to get use to the new positioning, the ride was much more efficient! I easily knocked 13 minutes off that 20 mile route with minimal effort. 

Oh, how I love going fast(er). I'm definitely going to love this.

A List

My mind is random today, but I still have a few things to share. Please bare with me.

1. I are currently obsessed with several television shows: Mad Men, Game of Thrones, and Girls. Sadly, these all come on Sunday evening which means either 1)I stay up really late (aka: 11pm) to watch all of them, then super be tired Monday morning, or 2)Save a show for later in the week and avoid all form of social media. Clearly my life is full of problems.

2. I worked on Memorial Day, although it wasn't too bad because it was a paid holiday and I was out by lunchtime. I immediate came straight home, took a 2 hour nap, then went on a 30 mile bike ride, which was promptly followed by a double dip ice cream from Braums. Pretty darn good Memorial Day if you ask me.

3. I'm getting faster. On Sunday I had a brick workout of a 15 mile bike ride followed by a 2.5 mile run. You would think that my pace would suffer after riding hard for over an hour, but I averaged a 8:46 pace! This time last year, I was thrilled to keep a 10minute pace for a couple of miles and now I'm easily holding a sub 9:00. Who am I?

4. I signed up for a 5K this Saturday and I'm kind of nervous. I have a goal time in mind, but I am mainly using it to get into "racing mentality." I have never truly pushed myself during a race before- I always hold a comfortable sustainable speed. Saturday I want to push myself so hard I could be throwing up at the finish line. Doesn't that sound horribly wonderful!?

5. Triathlon training has taken over my life. If I'm not running, cycling, swimming, or yoga-ing, I'm resting or eating. Oh, and I have to manage to throw in work, sustaining an amicable relationship with my spouse, and planning a baby shower. June 24th couldn't get here soon enough.

6. Despite being completely drained, I've never felt stronger or happier. This tri-training, crazy hectic life kind of suits me.  Who am I?

7. My dog has bad breath. As a result, Josh and I have been alternating brushing her teeth with this little doggie toothbrush. She loves it; I do not. 

So, what randomness is happening in your life right now? Anything as boring interesting as mine?

Ozark Valley Triathlon Training Schedule

Well, since I announced my next adventure about three weeks ago and I'm already five weeks into my training schedule, I might want to re-address the topic. Ya know, cause I try to be a good blogger when I can. Fail. 

I am lucky to have a boss who is training for a full Ironman Triathlon. In case you don't know what that is, it's a 2.4 mile swim + 112 mile bike ride + 26.2 mile run. So practically, the baddest slash coolest thing you can do. And he volunteered (read: I annoyed him until he agreed) to create a 12 week training schedule for me.

He has given me my schedule a few weeks at a time so it won't feel so daunting. I easily become bored with training plans, so only knowing what I'm doing a few weeks out has helped this mentality.

Here is the link to my Ozark Valley Triathlon training schedule.

The first few weeks were a little chaotic since I was trying to find the balance of living a life + training for three different sports. By week 5, I now hopefully have the hang of it:

Monday: Long Run

Tuesday: Rest or Yoga/Pilates

Wednesday: AM Speed Run + PM Swim

Thursday: Long Bike

Friday: Speed Swim

Saturday: Brick workout 

Sunday: Rest or Yoga  

This sprint triathlon is a 1000 meter swim, 19 mile bike, and 4 mile run. I know if I had to, I could go out tomorrow and complete the distance, but I actually want to do well during this race. I want to push myself and be proud of my finish time. I want to compete. With only 8 week left until race day, I sure have my work cut out for me.

My Next Adventure

Initially after my last half marathon, I was determined to jump right on the running train again and tackle another half marathon before May. After a couple of weeks went by, my overly ambitious self settled down and I was able to think more clearly.

Do I really want to train for another half marathon? Not really. As fun as the New Orleans half marathon was, training for the full sort of burned me out on running. Looking back, I had been training for some running race since last June! Yikes!

It was time to switch things up a bit.

Introducing my new adventure:

As of today, I am signed up for the Ozark Valley Triathlon on June 24th! Thats right! In just a mere 10 weeks, this wannabe athlete will wake up ridiculously early on a Sunday morning and swim 1000 yards, bike 19 miles, and run 4 miles. 

I can't wait! 

I think this is exactly what I need! Since I will be training for three different sports, ideally I won't become so easily burnt-out and injured like I am when I training for marathons. I'm actually already two weeks into training, but the specifics of my training is another post for another day.

Until then, please enjoy some triathlon-related humor: