Monday, October 22, 2012

Motivate Me! Monday


I think about this all the time! I am always trying to break through my limitations ..or at least the limitations that my mind has created...

Sometimes, I think a run will murder me when it turns out to be nothing at all (this usually happens when I'm exploring new trails). 

Have you ever "defied your limitations"?

Sunday, October 21, 2012

After Hours in Sabino Canyon

Yesterday, I headed down to Sabino Canyon to get in a few miles. I had planned on going around 4pm and run all the way to the end of the road but life got in my way. As usual. :)
So I made it to the parking lot at 5:30pm. Much later than I had planned. The sun was already going down so it turned into a sunset run. The run to the end of the road is about 3.5 miles (one way) but I only ended up going 2 miles in (4 miles total).




It started to get very dark.



And I usually don't mind the dark near my house; But in Sabino Canyon, it's a different story.
The area is notorious for sightings of mountain lions.
And they like to come out at dawn and at dusk, exactly the time I was running.
They like to ambush their prey by hiding in bushes and on rocks. Every time I came close to a bushy/rocky area, I would run to the other side of the road so I would be the farthest I could from it.
I also became hypersensitive to every. single. sound. out. there.
I swear, it sounded like something was following me.
But of course, there wasn't. Thank goodness...At least I don't think there was...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

My training for Week 8 of marathon training:

Monday: Rest Day
Tuesday: 4 miles
Wednesday: Weights at the gym
Thursday: 4 miles
Friday: Weights at the gym
Saturday: 3 miles EZ
Sunday: TTR Bear Canyon run. My schedule says 8 miles, but the run is around 16 miles. I really want to check out the trail so I may just go for the full route. It will be my longest run to date. I'm not trying to beat any record, so it will be a nice, slow run. 

Thursday, October 18, 2012

Three Things Thursday

1. Back to marathon training! After the Tinfoilman Triathlon on Sunday, I'm very excited to get back to just running. I loved training for a triathlon, but it's exhausting training for 3 different sports throughout the week. It was a fantastic challenge and I can't wait to do it again. But I'm glad to get back to my roots and just run. Only 4 months until my first marathon! :) :) :)
 
 
2. Ragnar Relay Las Vegas.  Less than a month away. But...I'm having second thoughts. O__O I didn't think I would! I joined a team without knowing anyone on it. It's definitely a great idea if you want to meet fellow runners! However, these folks are not really into running. Or so it seems. They seem to like the idea of running and all the gear that comes along with it. I have tried inviting them to multiple TTR events, but no interest. I feel as if I don't fit with the group. And to feel that way AND to have to spend a lot of money on a Las Vegas hotel, it just may not be worth it. I am still IN. I haven't made a decision to drop out, I'm still thinking about it. I don't want to upset anyone, so if it happens, it better happen quick. Have you ever dropped out of a relay team/running group before and did you feel guilty??
 
 
3. Parent Teacher Conferences. Not my favorite way to spend my evenings. But that's how I've been spending them this past week. "Hanging out" with my students and their parents. Once in a while, I even get blamed for their kids not getting straight A's. Somehow, it's our fault as teachers. Yes. It happens more often than you'd think. But most of the conferences were positive. It's just the being at school for 10 hours each day really starts to get to you. :/ 
 
Hope you're having a great week Runnerds!

Monday, October 15, 2012

The Tinfoilman Triathlon

I'm a Tinfoilman! 



Racing my first triathlon was crazy. 
I had such a good time! It was so awesome that I can't want until my next one! I haven't registered for one yet, but I'm keeping my eyes open for a good one. 

I woke up at 4:30am, jumped out of bed and started to get excited for the fun to come. I have never done a  triathlon before, so I wasn't sure what to expect. I ate a breakfast of oatmeal with strawberries and raisins and downed a glass of lemon-lime Gatorade. Chance woke up with me (although reluctantly) and came along to support me (so sweet).  :)

It was so cold out! I keep forgetting Tucson actually gets cold in October. I was wearing my tri-suit, a sweater and flip flops. My little toes were stone cold! Next time, I will wear some cozy boots and sweats.

I picked a spot in the transition area to set up my bike. I wasn't sure what to do so I glanced around at the other athletes and eventually figured it out. Chance was standing with me, helping me put things away.

The transition area. 

My set-up. 
Apparently, some women in a local triathlon group, Tucson Tri Girls, were making fun of some of the stuff I brought along. How childish!! They were making fun of my mirror. I only brought it because my contacts were feeling especially dry this morning and if I had to take them out and clean them, then I would need my mirror. I'm considering contacting the Tri Girls and letting them know they have some childish members  What a shame. I was thinking of joining that group.

Freezing before the start. 


The start of Wave 1.    I was in Wave 3.


Other than that, everything else went very smoothly! I started my swim wave at 7:30 and swam 33 laps. I was a few minutes faster than my training time (woo!). I even lapped the guy in my lane a few times. We were talking beforehand and he said it was his 4th triathlon. I guess the swim portion is not his strongest. 
I was so happy to be on my last lap! I jumped out of the pool saw my parents and Chance in the bleachers above and ran to the transition area. My legs were a little stiff and my feet hurt on the cold concrete but I was excited to jump on the bike and sit down for a while.

Starting the bike portion. I think I'm trying to get comfortable on my bike here.
 
I exited the transition area and flew down the street. Passed a few people on the way. Around mile 1.7, the road gets very bumpy and it was hell. I couldn't stand it. It lasted for a whole mile and I had to ride on it 3 times. Every loop, I dreaded it. My number 1 fear coming into this race was the bike portion. I don't really get bikes and I was worried that I would get a flat (which I didn't!). I also was worried about the back pain that I get after 6 miles (we're racing 12). At about mile 7, I wished I had got my bike fitted.

Finishing the bike portion, coming into the transition area. 
I was so excited to come back into the transition area! Running is my strongest (although swimming might be too) so I was ready to speed up a little. However, as soon as I got off my bike, I couldn't feel my legs. Uh Oh. I took off my helmet, and hydration pack and put on my running gear and number. I took off out of the transition area, feeling as if I was running as fast as a turtle.

Just before I take off for the run portion. He got a photo of me fixing my hair after taking off my helmet. I'm not trying to make this pose.  :)
I felt so slow!!! I looked down at the my Garmin and it said I was going 9:00 minutes per mile. Pretty good. So why did I feel so tight? I didn't really do block workouts so I should have expected the surprise. After a mile, I felt a little better and finished the 3 miles in about 30 minutes. I really liked the fact that your age is on the back of your calf. If I was coming up behind someone, I could spot their age pretty quickly. If they happened to be in my age group (21-24) I was book it and try to pass them. I would love to get first in my age group one day! 


Running into the finish. 
Soon, I saw the finish line and sped up. I was so happy to see it!!!  I crossed the line, and I started crying as soon as I saw Chance. I felt like I was having a mini asthma attack too. Just so much emotion for finally finishing my first triathlon! 
I am so proud of my myself. :)  I did it! And I was so worried about it. How silly. 

Time- 1:41:09
Swim-  18:38
Bike-  52:03
Run-  30:27
Age Group Place- 8th
Overall Place- 274th


I loved this race!   The morning was a little cold, but it was better to have perfect temperatures when I was biking and running instead of temps in the 100's. This race is part of the Tucson Tri Series. They have 3 races throughout the year. There is one in March, July and October. I'm thinking about the March one, but I'm not too sure about the July one. Way too freaking hot that time of the year.

I will post my official photos when I get them!

I would definitely recommend this race (or at least this distance). I have so much more respect for those who race Ironman's. You guys are awesome. This sprint triathlon hurt so much, I couldn't imagine an Ironman. 


I can't wait for this race next year! Maybe I'll convince someone to race with me. :)

Happy Running! 

“Most people run a race to see who is fastest. I run a race to see who has the most guts.” -Steve Prefontaine

Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Operation More Energy

I'm on a mission to combat this tiredness that my body seems to have become accustomed to.

I will call the Sleep Lab at the University of Arizona today to schedule an appointment. If the cause is something sleep related (like sleep apnea) then there's not too much I can do about it on my own.

However, I'm going to try a few things as well...just to make sure:
  1. No more snoozing. I used to hit the snooze button multiple times every morning. Chance told me it could be creating a sleep apnea type effect.I must wake up the first time and stay up. 
  2. Cut out soda for two weeks. And coffee. Not a big coffee drinker (I like my tea!) but I drink soda like no other. I'm addicted to the carbonation fizz....mmm. The caffeine could be dehydrating me . 
  3. Drink more water. I've been informed that I need to be drinking a minimum of 75 oz. a day when I'm training. I have a marked water bottle and I'm trying to down 3-4 of them everyday. 
  4. Exercise even on rest days. I'm not talking about running on rest days but instead doing yoga or weights on those days instead. I need to constantly stay active. 
  5. and lastly, Start running in the morning. I have a tendency to run at night (I'm used to the heat). However, it is getting colder and my energy seems to increase before I go to bed. If I run in the mornings, I can get that energy during the day when I need it most. 

This is the plan for now. Crossing my fingers that it will help. I really don't want to deal with a sleep problem. 

In other news, I discovered Team Sparkle a little while ago and now I want some sparkly skirts! 


Only 5 more days until my first triathlon! 

There are two mistakes one can make along the road to truth…not going all the way, and not starting.
Buddha 

Sunday, October 7, 2012

The Truth

One. week. left.

It's starting to hit me. A few weeks ago, I was insanely excited about the idea of completing a triathlon.

But now...to tell you the truth...I'm freaking out. And not just about my triathlon.

For the past few weeks, I've been feeling a little different.

I'm just plain old tired.


There's no other way to describe it. I'm really really freaking tired. Like all. of. the. time.

I went to my doctor and she told me it could be the aftereffects of starting a new job. While I'm having a great time at my job, teaching middle school can be stressful and that could be the cause of my sudden sleepiness.

I just want to sleep all day. Everyday.

I feel lazy. And stupid. And fat.

Seriously. I can't stand this! And the worst part is that it's making me re-think running altogether! Like, can I really train properly if I need to sleep so much? Should I really be doing this?

I have already signed up for the RNRAZ marathon in January and I know I don't want to back out.

I want to run it. But sleeping instead of running is not helping! I even missed another trail run with my running group because I couldn't wake up!

I'm going to go to the hospital to do a sleep study. Maybe I'm not sleeping at night? Sleepwalking, snoring, sleep apnea?? Not sure, but I need to find out what is causing this sudden tiredness!!!

Please send good thoughts my way. I'm going to need them.

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