...doomed if you don't tri...

More PRs

2010-01-28T10:28:00.001-05:00

This time it was for the deadlift and bench press. Deadlift PR is now 225#, bench is now 95#. Pretty damn proud of these. And to think that I was stalled at 165 for the longest time. Somehow within the last two weeks I have went from a supposed PR of 165 to now 225#. Sixty whole pounds. Where did this come from? Either way...I love it!

New PR

2010-01-24T22:55:00.003-05:00

Headed to the gym and did some deadlifts today. Upped my very recent PR by 15lbs. Not. Too. Shabby. :) Here are the numbers:
DL - 95-145-165-185-205-210-210-215

Bench Press

2010-01-23T13:26:00.002-05:00

Thursday was a rest day. Friday I hit up a new globo-esque gym. Did bench press up to 85# and then some backsquats. Worked up to 165# if memory serves me correctly. Was able to jump rope stringing singles with a double under and then another set of singles. Can't seem to keep this consistent just yet. Will keeping working on this goat.

Be Thankful

2010-01-20T21:45:00.002-05:00

for what you've got at your box...

DL - 135 up to 200#. Not sure how many reps and of what weight.

Playing Catch-Up

2010-01-18T12:52:00.003-05:00

So...I didn't go to the gym on Saturday like I was supposed to. Instead I slept in, made some breakfast and then got ready to go to Ithaca with Jonny. It was a nice winter day, by NY standards - - sunny and about 41 out. So we drove along Cayuga Lake and stopped at about 5-6 wineries before we headed back into Ithaca for dinner. For dinner I had gumbo (which included rice). It was good, but Jonny will be eating most of it as leftovers. Sunday I got up and went to the gym to work on backsquats. Ate paleo all day, with the exception of a glass of Pino Noir and 2 sugar cookies after dinner. Dinner however, was pretty damn good. I had marinated venison tenderloin in the fridge with Merlot, Worcestershire, soy sauce, dill and sweet onions. Then I cooked that in a frying pan on the stove top. SO good! I served it with corn and sweet potato.

Today my eating has been good except for 2 sugar cookies this morning. Oops! (No wories - Jonny took them all to work with him today, so I won't have any more offenses) I've been snacking on dried fruit that I made on Sunday. So yummy but yet I make a batch of fruit and before you know it, it's all gone. Rats! For lunch I made up a quick spinach salad with pistachios, almonds, homemade dried tomatoes, vinegar & olive oil with 2 venison sausage patties cut up. Also good. Wishing I had an abundant supply of venison - year round. Oh well...I guess I will take what I can get. Going out to my mommas tonight. She's making chicken, squash, and cauliflower. I'm bringing salad and baked apples with almond butter in the center of them. Yum! Until next time...

I <3 PRs

2010-01-15T20:09:00.002-05:00

And I heart heavy lifting. I could live the rest of my life and *probably* never do another metcon again and I'd be perfectly happy as long as I could lift. Set some PRs today after being at a standstill for a long time. Seriously notice a difference in my lifting because of my cleaner eating. Here are the details....
DL (3 reps): 135 - 145 - 155 - 165 - 170 - 175(1) - 180(1) - 185(1) - 190(1) PR
Bench Press (5 reps): 45 - 55 - 65 - 75 - 85 (1) - 90(1) - 90(1)PR

Funny side note: I sort of accidentally kicked the clock off the wall at the gym today while doing handstands. And when I say "clock", I'm talking a 3.5 foot clock with the globo gym logo emblazoned on it. I honestly thought it was hilarious and didn't give a crap about it. Instead, I kept handstanding, jump roping and air squatting. :) Love. It. Count this as my nonviolent way to sh*t on the globo gym that serves free bagels on the second Tuesday of the month. Blah.

Falling behind on posting...

2010-01-15T12:06:00.002-05:00

But my eating has been pretty solid. Eggs & bacon for breakfast, apples or a protein shake for snack, salad w/ tuna for lunch and various meat for dinner. Went to Red Lobster last night. Didn't drink alcohol or touch my rice, but I had a cheddar bay biscuit. And...I had some chocolate covered almonds while I was in Wegmans. They were SO good. :) This morning I had my first cup of coffee all week. Half caffeine, 1 spoon of turbinado (sugar in the raw) and a douse of creamer. Today I had to stop for breakfast because I didn't premake anything or have time to cook, so I stopped at Dunkin Donuts. Got a sausage, egg and cheese on biscuit and then canned the biscuit at work. Not ideal, but better than nothing at all. Another apple for snack, salad for lunch with olive oil & balsamic vinegar & slices almonds. After the gym I had a burger from Five Guys - - also ditched the bun. Not normally this hungry after the gym but because I didn't have any protein with lunch, I was starved. Dinner was pork tenderloin, corn and a few bites of homemade seafood salad.

WORKOUTS
Wed. 1/13 - Backsquat 45# bar
DL 95-115-155 (5 reps)
Push Press 45-55-65 (10 reps)

Thurs. 1/14 - Rest Day

Day 3

2010-01-12T21:35:00.002-05:00

Breakfast: Chocolate Protein Shake with 1/2 banana, scoop of PB, protein & milk. Drank that on my way to work and then ate my Garden Egg Scramble.
Snack: Banana with PB
Lunch: Pork chop, asparagus
Snack: Apple, some almonds and a scoop of PB (Can you tell I'm craving PB this week?)
Dinner: Fried egg with spicy mustard, BLT but 86 the bread and switch iceberg lettuce for spinach, throw a dollop of Miracle Whip on top and we're golden! :)

Did some DL's and presses at the gym again today. Today my math was right concerning what 60 & 90% were (unlike yesterday). Had yet another guy come up to me and compliment me on my powerlifing skills.

Sleep - not too shabby. I'm in bed by 10:30 and up around 6:30-6:45.

Day 2

2010-01-11T19:56:00.002-05:00

Much better today. I'd give myself a solid 8.5 out of 10 in all areas (food, stress, working out) but a 4 in sleep. Ugh. I laid down late last night and after watching the tv series Sons of Anarchy, I just couldn't fall asleep. Other than that, I did some DLs and presses today. Info is below.
DL: 60% of 1RM - approx 99# - 5 Reps
90% of 1 RM - approx 147.5# - 5 Reps

Press: 60% of 1RM - 45# - 5 Reps
90% of 1RM - 57# (I think) - 5 Reps

Food was great today. Breakfast was garden scramble and water. Snack - chocolate protein shake (small). Lunch - chicken breast and salad. Snack (after the gym) - dried apples. I was just picking up a few things at the store but I was STARVING so I had to have something quick. Dinner - salmon, avocado & asparagus. Late night snack - banana with some peanut butter.

Day 1

2010-01-10T21:10:00.002-05:00

So today began the Paleo Challenge. Here's how it went:

Breakfast --> Garden Egg White Scramble (AMAZING!)
Time consuming in that you have to chop everything up, but so good! Fresh asparagus, garlic, onion, spinach, mushrooms, sundried tomatoes, grape tomatoes - sauteed in EVOO. Then add a protein of your choice. Today I used the egg whites of 4 eggs with two whole eggs thrown in and some sausage. (Please note that this was for Jonny & I, so don't think I ate this all by myself) Let me emphasize again how delicious this is. Yum! Drank a small glass of milk.

Snack --> Protein Shake with strawberry powder (this crap is nasty), madarin oranges & pineapple.

Lunch --> Moms garden beans with a little cheese, roast beef au jus. Also good. Had a glass of Juicy Juice. Full of sugar...I know.

Dinner --> A slice of homemade pizza and a can of Mountain Dew. Cheese, carbs and sugar = not cool when trying to eat paleo but...this was Sunday and I always allow myself 1 can of Mt. Dew when we go to Jonny's parents house. And I didn't eat all of my crust. But looking back on it, I totally could have passed up and been fine as I wasn't all that hungry. Bad Alisha!

Snack --> Prosciutto and a few small slices of cheese.

Indiscretions for the day --> a Reese Peanut Butter cup at dads house and a glass of wine before bed. :)

Overall, I don't think it was an awful first day. I know I definitely could have improved my dinner choices but it was Sunday and I feel that 1 can of soda a week (if I even have that) isn't too bad. And although I'm not doing the high maintenance score sheet, I'd give myself a 7 for my eating today. Also, I have my meals all planned out for the rest of the week and I think that's going to be a major help. Ok - toodles.

Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire

2010-01-04T18:16:00.002-05:00

I'm just going to get this out in the open and be done with it. I lied. Back on October 23rd I said that I was going to start the heavy lifting program of Crossfit 603 for 4-6 weeks. Well folks...I didn't. And I'm not going to come up with some lame excuse, just to make myself feel better, as to why it didn't happen. I just didn't do it. I also didn't weigh/measure my food starting on November 1st. LOSER. I know. But...I am here to say that I am ready to do something about it. I swear.

What to do, you ask? Well...I am starting the heavy lifting program again because this lady needs her strength back. And on January 10th I am hopping aboard the PCF Paleo Challenge. So there it is folks...6 weeks of lifting heavy sh*t, coupled with a 5 week Paleo Challenge. I know my CF track record sucks since I moved back to NY, but honestly...I got this one.

Time to Catch Up!

2010-01-03T10:13:00.000-05:00

Hello & Happy New Year! I've been gone for a while but I promise you that I haven't been up to no good. In fact, I've been cooking quite a bit. This in itself is a revelation. With that being said, I thought I'd share some of my latest cooking experiments, if you will. ;)

Thanksgiving Turkey: The "Bacon Bird"

For Thanksgiving, I was in charge of cooking the turkey for my family and I could not be more excited about trying a recipe that received much chatter in the Crossfit world. So...I set off to make a more flavorful, moist turkey.

The first thing I did was NOT set the turkey on a roasting rack like the recipe said. Instead, I set my 12-14# turkey in the pan and started wrapping that bad boy with bacon. I used one 12 oz. package of the Oscar Meyer Center Cut Thick Sliced Bacon. I chose to weave some bacon over and under the skin, while other pieces were simply laid onto of the skin and held in place with wooden toothpicks. *Note to reader* Unbeknownst to me, I laid the turkey in the pan upside down so the breasts were constantly kept moist in the juice at the bottom of the pan. What a lucky mistake. :) Also, my turkey cooked for approximately 4 1/2 hours and I basted it every hour for the last 3 hours that it cooked. In addition to this, I cooked the turkey uncovered in the oven for 3 hours and then covered it the last hour.

Results: The turkey was good. I'm not going to say it was the best thing I've ever eaten, because it wasn't. But...I will definitely be giving this bird another shot. And for your viewing pleasure, I've got some pictures.

Before...

During...

FINALLY Back!

2009-11-24T11:26:00.000-05:00

Ok so I made up my own WOD last night. Totally gassed after taking so many days off. Wuh-wuh-wuh!

21-15-9
Thrusters 75#
Squats

Cool down:
Stretching
Handstand Holds

Tuesday 11/10 and the last few days...

2009-11-14T19:16:00.000-05:00

Tuesday 11/10
Today was my first day back at the gym in a week as I was sick and still am. This cough keeps hanging on and I'm still congested. Super.

5 Rounds (Timed seperately - so I didn't further exacerbate this cough...) @ 55lbs

5 Deadlifts
5 Hang Power Cleans (I always mess these up)
5 Front Squats
5 Push Presses
5 Back Squats

Round 1: 1:14
Round 2: 1:11
Round 3: 1:08
Round 4: 1:12
Round 5: 1:08

Didn't go to the gym Wednesday (moving), Thursday (Metallica concert), Friday (lazy ass) or Saturday (moving again).

Calling all L1's...this if for you

2009-11-07T12:08:00.000-05:00

So I'm going in for arthroscopic knee surgery on 12/28 and my doctor has already told me "no weights" until then. Yeah right! For one, my knee generally doesn't hurt me during WOD's and if it does, then I slow it down. Secondly, I'm stubborn and I'm not calling it a day before I'm supposed to get my L1. Here is where you come in: Knowing that I will be walking immediately after the surgery, in your opinion, am I still going to be okay for my L1 Cert that is a month post op?

The Bear 11.4.09

2009-11-05T14:57:00.000-05:00

Today was my first semi "healthy" day back at the gym. Half of my students are sick and my aide has the flu (and by half I mean 3 out of my 6 kids were out). Nice. It's no wonder I am battling this garbage. Anywho...

The Bear - initial thoughts: not bad, love lifting, loathe met-cons. This should be a good workout. Never even thought of it as a "complex". That's the real blond in me. :) I got this one off CF Regina up in Canada. Was intrigued and since I am back to building strength, I thought this would be a good one to do.

Next, let me just tell you what a dumb ass I am. I wrote this down as "5 Rounds of 7 reps - Power Clean, Front Squat, Push Press, Back Squat, Push Press". Then I got to thinking that maybe the second push press should actually be shoulder press. Duh! I did this with 55# and instead of breaking the WOD up correctly, I read it as: do 7 power cleans, then 7 front squats, then 7 push presses, followed by 7 back squats and finally 7 shoulder presses. Repeat this for 5 rounds. I must be a ruh-tard because that is TOTALLY wrong! Since I didn't want to make this too "met-connish", I did each round while timing myself and then I gave myself a 3 minute rest before I started the next round. Let me also add that by the second round, I was no longer able to do the shoulder press with good form so I changed it back to push press (like it was supposed to be).

Round 1 - 2:26
Round 2 - 2:13
Round 3 - 2:29
Round 4 - 1:54
Round 5 - 1:54

Overall I give this workout 2 thumbs up and would tell anyone to go for it. But before you do...make sure you watch this video first OR have someone who knows what the eff they're doing demonstrate it for you. :)

Friggin' Knee

2009-11-04T15:55:00.001-05:00

Went to the docs yesterday. Result: torn medial meniscus. I. Knew. It. So...doing arthroscopic surgery on 12/28 to take the rest of it out. Note - this is knee surgery numero tres on my left knee and the second one dealing with my meniscus. Maybe I can get a "frequent shoppers" discount....?

Okay...I'm out.

Monday 11/2

2009-11-02T14:03:00.000-05:00

Coming down with something. Feel like crap. Just want to go home and sleep. Think I'm passing up the gym today so that I can get over feeling like crap.

CF Total 11/1

2009-11-02T13:59:00.000-05:00

Did a CrossFit total for the first time since 9/23. Haven't made much improvement at all since 1.) I haven't been working out as consistently as I should and 2.) I haven't been eating paleo.
:( Wuh-wuh-wuh. My numbers only went up in one area.

Deadlift 185
Shoulder Press 75
Back Squat 145

2009-10-29T22:03:00.000-04:00

Deadlift 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1
135#
Threw in some handstand holds between reps.

Met Con

2009-10-28T21:57:00.000-04:00

Warm Up:
Handstand holds
Jump rope/attempting double unders
Squats
Shoulder pass through

5 Rounds for time: 18:35 (I think...)
15 ring dips (no rings available)
15 sit ups
15 squats
Run a lap

Got a side stitch on the last lap in my left side and also my left knee began to ache. No just bullsh*tting this knee thing either. Went to my orthopedic doctor on Tuesday of last week, had the MRI on Wednesday and I go for the results on November 2nd. Doc thinks I might've messed up my meniscus...again. We'll see.

Another day at the gym

2009-10-27T18:33:00.000-04:00

Backsquats 5-5-5-3-3-1-1
Warmed up with handstand holds and jump roping. Waited around to get the only backsquat bar and quickly remembered how much I hate Globo Gym. Typical Globo Gym goers routine: Lift a set, stand around, get a drink, change the song on my iPod, look at myself in the mirror, repeat. Argh! Finally got on the bar and warmed up with 45# bar. I can say that my squat is pretty damn good (and I'm also pretty damn short) because I was banging the bar on the "safety" bar type thing that would keep my bar from completely dropping to the floor and crushing me. No it wasn't a Smith machine. Took my shoes off as I don't have WL shoes yet and anticipated getting yelled at again for not having my shoes on. Another argh!

Yesterday I stated that the Melissa Byers post really got me motivated. However, in part of her post she said that she was only allowed to whine for 10 mins and then get over it and workout. Keep in mind, she is going to a CF box to train. Keep in mind, I am at a Globo Gym. When I bitch and moan it's no longer about the strength I have lost, but what idiots the other gym goers are and how much I miss the box at PCF (and let's not forget the people at PCF too). Gotta love getting interrupted by some meat head when I'm banging out my sets of 5-5-5-3-3-1-1 and he is going to do a few reps and then rest twice as long. Argh.

Ok - signing off for now folks.

I'm not good....

2009-10-26T16:56:00.000-04:00

...about posting on this thing every day! So here it is...

Friday 10/23
5 sets for time - 10 front squats 65-65-65-55-55-(45 bar)
10 push jerks 65-65-65-55-55-(45 bar)
Couldn't remember if it was 5 sets or 6 sets so I did 5 and then added another set on afterward. Don't know my time because my watch malfunctioned. Last time I checked it was high 8's so I'd say really high 8 mins or low 9 mins.

Monday 10/26
Warm up: handstand holds, bodyweight squats and dumb bell swings 30#

Deadlift: Round 1 - 5 reps @ 60% max = 75#
Round 2 - 5 reps @ 90% max = 125#

Shoulder Press: Same thing as above = 45# and 60#

Push Press: Same as above = 45# and 60#

Cool down: handstand holds and jump rope (singles)

Quick explanation behind today's workout: I was reading Melissa Byer's blog and I could totally relate to her whole "Life Stuff" getting in the way of our schedules/routines. Like Byers, my workout ethic, eating habits and sleeping habits have been sh*t since July. After moving back to New York, I took a huge hiatus from the gym. I used my aching knees and the lack of a CF box as my excuse not to join a Globo Gym. Basically, I had every excuse as to why I didn't couldn't work out. No bueno! I thought by signing up for my L1 Cert I'd get my ass in gear....however that really hasn't happened yet. So far, I've had a few good weeks, mixed in with a few crappy weeks. Byer's post really hit home with me when she talked about how sh*tty she felt when she did go to the gym because she had lost so much strength. My met con times suck ass and my strength has plummeted. Although a lot of it simply has to do with not going to the gym...there is also eating poorly and never getting enough sleep. So this is my public pledge to make an honest attempt at getting better in all 3 arenas! For the next 4-6 weeks, I am going to be following Crossfit 603's program of lifting 4 times a week and slowly building back up my strength. This means lots of deadlifts, presses etc. I'm going to love it! Starting November 1st, I will also be weighing and measuring my food, something I've never done. So there it is folks. Time to get strong again!

WOD Updates 10/19 & 10/21

2009-10-23T15:14:00.000-04:00

Monday 10/19
Run 400 M
30 DL @ 135#
10 burpees
Run 400 M
20 DL @ 135#
20 burpees
Run 400 M
10 DL @ 135#
30 burpees
Time: S-L-O-W = 28:57 (with a pee break in there...)

Really loved this workouk despite the running and burpees! ;) Was initially worries about someone trying to move in on my bar when I went outside to run, but luckily no one did. Did most DL's in sets of 10 and burpees in sets of 5.

Wednesday 10/21
Today I did Snatch Balance instead of the PCF WOD. Numbers looked like this:
10 Reps @ 45#
3 Reps @ 50#
3 Reps @ 55#
3 Reps @ 60#
3 Reps @ 65#
1RM @ 70#
1 last solid rep @ 60# before I called it a day

Was focusing on form today though I still wanted to go a tad heavier. I get nervous being in Globo Gym and knowing that I can’t ditch the weight (not rubber plates and it's against the "gym rules". Feel like I was effing up my footing/stance after the initial dip/drive into squat position. Liked working on this though. Could definitely use coaching on better form.

Repost...

2009-10-16T17:12:00.000-04:00

So….I did this one last night at the gym in the apartment complex. When I say “limited resources”…I mean really LIMITED!

Shoulder press: 50# (two 25# dumbbells) Would have liked to try something a little higher, but the next step up was 30’s and I was only looking for a 5 pound increase.

Push press: 50-60-70
Again, didn’t have many choices as far as weight, so I didn’t get to try 75#.

Maybe next time….

Triathlons or Crossfit?

2009-10-14T17:54:00.001-04:00

Ok kids. So I started this blog right around this time last year. And as you can see, I pretty much suck at blogging. But at least I tried...right? ;)

(Oh...and this was supposed to be about my first year as a newbie triathlete. Well, long story short...I did 1 relay and 1 sprint distance this year and had to back out of my half because of 1) lack of time to train due to moving and life in general and 2) a bum knee. Since I already have this blog, I figured why not just use this for Crossfit? So here it is.)

But I digress....Irecently moved to New York and I am loving ALMOST everything about it. However, that one certain thing is missing: my crossfit gym, Potomac Crossfit. Without that place and those people, my "working out" ethic has pretty much went down the sh*tter. And that's putting it nicely! So this is my vow to get my a$$ in gear, suck it up and hit up my local Globo Gym. In an effort to really keep me motivated, I have signed up for my Level 1 Cert for the end of January! Ya-hoooo! :) I'll be heading down to Crossfit King of Prussia where I'll meet up with fellow PCFer Kassi. Super ya-hoooo! Between now and then, I need to clean up my act! B-I-G-T-I-M-E! Stay tuned as I attempt (again....and at some point ;) ) to do the paleo cleanse and finally start measuring! Until then...be happy that you have a box to train at! :)

April already?

2009-04-14T10:32:00.001-04:00

Ok so...it is officially half way through April and I can honestly say I have taken the last 13 days off from all physical activity that includes Crossfit, running, biking or swimming. AND....I am doing the bike leg of the Rumpass in Bumpass Oly this weekend in Lake Anna, VA. Yikes! Well, actually...I did go to the gym on April 1st but that's it. And I did try to go while I was in Florida on Spring Break but the gym was only open on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Who does that?! So I blame Crossfit Weston for having such crazy hours and that's why I couldn't work out. (Please don't point out that I could have done a WOD at home or even ran....because I know this, but it's easier to place the blame. Hehe). :) I did do a few bodyweight squats while I was taking Peanut out to go pee but that means nothing. So that's all folks. Happy belated Easter and Passover. I hope you are all doing splendid. Toodles!

Spring break pic. :)

First week of March....already?

2009-03-09T09:01:00.000-04:00

Hello hello! So I figured I would fill you in - if anyone really reads this. It was my first official week of tri training and what a great week of weather we had for it (minus the snow VA got last Monday). Friday - Sunday we had temps up to 80. Keep in mind it's March and I live in northern Virginia. Woo-hoo to that! Friday I did Crossfit. Saturday I was going to go to the gym but skipped it so I could sleep a little longer and then go to a St. Patty's day parade. Sunday I slept in, ate breakfast and headed to the gym. Oh - but wait. My goofy self had Saturday's gym schedule in my head and so I showed up at noon only to find that the last class (that I could attend anyways...) was just ending. Rats! If I would have known that I was going to mess that one up then A.) I could have gone earlier or B.) I could have gone on my tri team group run. Wuh-wuh-wuh! But....at least I'd be going to swim practice Sunday night....or so I thought. I had to work at good ol' Smoothie King from 3-9:30 Sunday and I was sure I'd be able to cut out for an hour and a half to go to swim practice. Well that wasn't the case. Because of the warm temps we were slammed! We usually get out of there at 9:30 on a Sunday night. Yeah...not so much last night. I didn't get home until almost 10:30. Needless to say my weekend was filled with activities but not many of them actually included training.

On a more training friendly note....I'll only be teaching this week so I have Crossfit classes and swim/run practice on my calendar for Monday - Thursday. I have company coming into town late Thursday night so the swim/ run thing is going to take a backseat. Though I will be hitting up the Crossfit gym on Saturday so that Jonny (my in-town visitor) can see why I rave about Crossfit. I can't wait! :)

I lied...

2009-02-25T14:10:00.000-05:00

I did not start training for my tri season this month. I didn't even run! :( But...I have been going to the gym! Woo-hoo! I officially graduated from my Foundations class at Potomac Crossfit on February 11th. Two days later I left for New York to see my family, only to return to Virginia, but not the gym! Wuh-wuh-wuh! Twelve days (yes, you read that correctly) went by before I managed to make it back to the gym. However, this is now my third day back and I already feel better.

In tri news (that is what this blog is supposed to be about right? LOL) I have a preseason meeting with my tri team, Team Z, this Saturday. Next week we get things started with clinics and whatnot, along with good old fashioned run/bike/swim workouts. Surprising, I know! ;)

So that's all I really have to report for now. Nothing too exciting, but at least I am posting on here. Let's see if I get better about that now that my "sports" life is picking back up. Until next time...

Happy New Year!

2009-01-07T09:01:00.000-05:00

Well, I have been off on another blogging hiatus again. It seems life has a way of keeping me busy and since I haven't been training, I haven't been blogging. To catch things up to speed a bit, I spent Thanksgiving & Christmas in New York with my family, but returned to DC for New Year's Eve. What a night that was! :0)

On Saturday before my break ended, I made sure to test out a new class at Potomac Crossfit. Needless to say, I couldn't walk down the stairs without feeling like my legs would buckle any second until Tuesday! Yikes! I am excited to begin my regular Foundations classes on January 19th, though I am not sure how my body will hold up to a Monday & Wednesday work out schedule..?

In other news I test rode some bikes over the weekend and seemed to fall in love with the Cervelo P1, formally known as the P2 SL. Even though I test rode the P2C, I couldn't feel the difference that the carbon frame made. Maybe that's my neophyte thinking, maybe it's because it was such a short test ride. Either way, I am saving my pennies to get the new P1. :0)
Which brings me to my MOST exciting news.....I officially signed up for Timberman 70.3!
Woo-hoo! It's funny how just registering for an event can put you in such a euphoric place! :o) :o)

And so...I will end on that high note. For now I probably won't be blogging too frequently....not until February that is. That's when I decided to start training for my March 26th race - the GW Parkway 10 Miler. And that folks, is when my season officially begins!
Until next time....be healthy & happy!

Weekend Activities

2008-10-05T21:08:00.001-04:00

Well it's the end of the weekend and I have done NO training what-so-ever. I did however, look at lots of new tri gear (ie: bags, bikes). Does that count for anything? This weekend consisted of me administering the SAT's Saturday morning from 7:30 - 1:00, reading tri blogs while the high school kiddies were working, taking pictures at a local Oktoberfest celebration and finally going out in Georgetown with a good friend Saturday night. **Side note: The bars were filled with current college students and alumni, all cheering for college football. Maybe it's just me...but this is something I could care less about! I attribute this to the fact that I went to a D3 school for undergrad and the only good game was Cortaca Jug, when Ithaca College battled Cortland State for the jug. Then there is the fact the George Washington University has NO football team what-so-ever. So yeah...college football is just not in my genes.** Either way, while I was out Saturday night I kept thinking about how much I wanted to be home in bed as I was getting up at 5am to volunteer for the Army 10 Miler. (I refuse to think that I am 'getting old' and that's why I am less than impressed with crowded bars. I think it's because I am getting wiser and there are more important things in life.) :o)

Fast forward to Sunday morning and despite the fact that I went to bed at 1:30am and my alarm went off at 5:15am...I was actually up and at 'em and at the Pentagon by 6:00am. Perfect timing! I was assigned to the gear check station. This was the most boring job ever! My two biggest pet peeves with racers were that they #1: did not follow the clearly stated directions on how to prepare their bags, which inlcuded something along the lines of, "Tear the top portion of your race bib off and affix it to your bag." This is not rocket science people! Pet peeve #2 also included following directions (are you noticing a pattern here?) "No iPods, MP3 players, headphones or cell phones allowed on the race course"....again apparently people think they are joking about this. Well, not at this race! So my actual pet peeve has nothing to do with the course rules, rather the runners who do not follow them and then come back to my gear check station and are shocked they can't have headphones/cell phones/MP3 players AND NOW...they need me to find their bag so they can check them. Sure, I'll get right on that! It might take a minute as the bags are in no particular order and I have a span of 2,000 possible bags to look through. (Granted....I did not have all 2,000 bags in my area, it's just the fact I have to go back through them because of your ignorance for course rules.) Grrr! Now if you are reading this and you are thinking I must be a law/rule abiding racer, you are wrong. I too have run many a races with headphones and my MP3 player, however, I know I am taking my own chance at getting DQ'ed. But if they race officials are strict enough to have people checking you before and during the race...be prepared to be caught. Several people started the race thinking they could sneak their headphones only to be caught and sent BACK to gear check and then start the race over, all while the clock was ticking. Ouch!

I guess it was a good thing to volunteer for, especially since the list of volunteers seemed slim (at least for gear check), but I was really bummed because I didn't feel like I really helped that much...or maybe that I didn't have as deep of an impact as I would have liked? Wuh-wuh-wuh!

Last month I volunteered at Nations Triathlon (this is the beauty of living SO CLOSE to DC) and I absolutely loved it! At various point through the race I even got teary-eyed watching these triathletes competing right in front of my eyes. See, I volunteered at gear check, but once that closed, I was able to stand inside the chute and actually direct the athletes on where to go. This was amazing! As I stood there, I also got to provide at least some small bit of encouragement to the athletes. Me: "Looking good Mayor Fenty! You are awesome!" Mayor Fenty (the friggin mayor of DC): Shooting me a smile and thumbs up - "Thanks for volunteering!" And then there were the 'regular joes' to cheer on..."Nice package blue speedo guy!" (Now if that doesn't make you laugh, then you're just no fun!) And the truly inspirational moments: "Come on ladies, this is what you've been training for...." Ugh...I'm feeling a bit faklempt! Truly a great event to volunteer for. Not only were the athletes fabulous but so weren't the race directors and the head volunteer peeps. They treated volunteers so well! There was a tent fully stocked with Dunkin Donuts coffee, bagels, donuts, Red Bull, water, Powerade, cookies, granola bars etc. Honestly, thanks so much for thinking that gee...volunteers might want some coffee in the cool hours of the morning and hey, they were probably too tired to make it this morning before they left. Let's provide it for them! If I don't do Nations Tri next September, than you better believe I will be there in a volunteer shirt. As for the Army 10 Miler....eh....I'm not so sure about that. We'll see.

Signing off for now...

NOT Hitting The Ground Running...

2008-10-04T09:17:00.000-04:00

So I know I said I was "hitting the ground running" once October rolled around but...I'm not, but I believe I have a good excuse. I was rear ended a few weeks ago and after the accident my back went from a little stiff to a miserable piercing/pinching pain. For those of you that don't know me, which is probably the majority of people reading this, I have a herniated disc that acts up now and then. However, up until the accident I was doing fine. Needless to say I have been visiting my fabulous chiropractor and she is getting me moving again, one visit at a time. Basically, I am feeling a hell of a lot better than I was during the last two weeks, but I am still not 100%. Oh yeah...and when I told my chiropractor that I was training for triathlons and my goal was to do a half iron...she sorta got mad at me. But...we all make choices in life and I know I have back problems now and then, and yes I have had 2 knee surgeries on one knee but...life is short. Plus, I figure by the time I actually need a knee replacement they will have excellent technology then, so I'm all set! :-)

Worn Out & Getting Sick

2008-09-20T12:12:00.000-04:00

As summer break neared an end, I knew I needed to take advantage of every last free moment I had, as sooner, rather than later, free time would be a thing of the past. September 2nd rolled around and marked the start of a new school year and the ending of a next to empty daily planner. Now that I am back to work AND I have officially started with Team Z, my triathlon training team, I have been pretty damn busy! My days start at 5am and usually don't end til 11pm. Some days I am lucky enough to fit in a quick cat nap before my evening activities begin, but recently that hasn't been the case. Last week ended with me getting rear ended on my drive home from work :o( & volunteering from 5am-11am at the Nations Triathlon in DC. Now don't get me wrong, I loved volunteering for the race...but getting up at 4:30am on a Sunday morning sorta throws your sleep pattern off. I started the new work week tired from my weekend activities. Wuh wuh wuh! :o( Monday was spent at the Nationals vs Mets baseball game, while Tuesday was Back to School Night, which meant I was at work from 6:45am til 9pm. Not cool! Wednesday I tried to lay low. Thursday I spent at work, then a training seminar, going to the repair shop for my car, dinner with a friend, then off to bowling and the bar with friends from out of town. The night ended around 2am, which allowed for 3 short hours of sleep before my Friday started. Needless to say, Friday night my ass was dragging and on top of that...I am getting sick. Not good people. Now some of you may have noticed one small but very important thing that was missing from my week of activities....training. Yeah...I didn't train one bit this week. So as I sit here at 12:28 on Saturday afternoon, I tell myself I am going to take a nap because I need it and because I have two BBQ's to go to this evening, one being at my house for the roomies birthday. Starting on Monday I am back to training but perhaps not as intense as I need to be. I'm giving myself until October 1st to get this whole work, homebound teacher (after work hours), taking care of personal business (ie: getting my car fixed from the accident), social life, training thing into check. After that, I've got a no excuses approach to training. And hopefully by then I will have caught up on my sleep and kicked this cold to the curb. So...that's my long winded way of telling you I have been burning the candle at both ends of the wick (is that the correct expression?) and I need to slow things down and pace myself. Maybe by putting it in writing, I will actually stick to it. Until next time....happy weekend!

This is me...

2008-09-17T20:34:00.000-04:00

Hola amigo/a! I'm excited to say this is my first post as a blogger. A bit about me...I am a special education teacher by day and a budding triathlete by night. I started running 3 years ago and have completed around 6 half marathons and 3 ten milers...along with a few 10K's here and there. I had knee surgery on my medial and lateral meniscus in April which prevented me from doing my first sprint tri. So...after having a few months off and being completely sedintary, I decided I had enough. I completed my first sprint tri on August 17, 2008 and I was hooked! I have since joined a triathlon training team and have lofty goals of doing a 1/2 Ironman in May (IM Orlando). This blog will serve as not only a release for me, but also some source of entertainment for you as stupid stuff is always happening to me! :o) For now...I'm signing off. Until next time, happy blogging!