Race Reports

Sorry, Stephen! I didn't realize anyone was waiting for race reports.

Race 1 - Indoor Sprint Triathlon, May 16
500 meter swim, 10 mile bike, 2 mile run
This was my first indoor tri, and it was a blast! I got faster and felt stronger as the race wore on, which was very encouraging to me. Even better, I was the second female overall (out of only 21, but it still sounds pretty cool to say I came in second). :)

Race 2 - Delaware Marathon relay, May 17
6.55 miles, anchor leg of the marathon
I was concerned about racing two days in a row, something I'd never done before. On race day I was very sick to my stomach and completely sleep-deprived, as someone had tried to break into our house the night before and we were up with the responding police officers 'til 1 a.m. (Yes, I was home alone when it happened. No, the bad guy didn't get in. Yes, I was pretty freaked out about it.) IronHubby graciously swapped relay legs with me so I could rest for a bit before I had to run, so I got the cheers and the glory as I crossed the finish line. As a team, we ran a 3:40 marathon. Here I am approaching the finish line.










Upcoming races:
May 31 - Mike's Run for Fame 5K
June 13 - Thundergust Duathlon
July 4 - DRC Duathlon

Off to the races!

Race season officially begins this weekend for me!

Wheeeee!!!! :)

Now I'm starting to worry

For most of the winter and definitely the spring so far, I've been in and out of a running slump. No mojo, not much consistency, low mileage, not loving it, etc. Race season officially starts this weekend, though, so I was getting a bit worried about my lack of motivation.

Then I did an absolutely amazing speed workout yesterday morning. I nailed my paces and was as consistent if not more consistent than ever.

4x400 in 1:39, 1:40, 1:39, and 1:37 (my goal pace was 1:44)
4x200 in :44, :44, :44, and :44 (my goal pace was :45)
4x100 in :19, :19, :18, and :19 (no goal in mind for these)

Talk about a mental boost!

And this morning my mojo stayed with me in the pool. I started out thinking about doing 3x500 in preparation for my indoor sprint tri this weekend, just to see what my 500 meter time might be on Saturday. When I started swimming, though, I felt strong. I felt fast. I felt a.m.a.z.i.n.g. in the water. I quickly scrapped my plan and decided to swim 1350 yards straight, the same workout I've been doing every Tuesday morning for several months, just to see if I was at or near PR pace. At one point, I even thought, "I know I can break 30 minutes for this distance. Maybe not today, but I know I can do it."

I figured I'd maybe break my PR of 30:42 today... by a few seconds. I knew it would be close.

29:52. 29:52!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! A 50 second PR and my first sub-30 minute swim for that distance!! I could not be happier.

Except... Am I peaking too early??? I want yesterday's and today's successes this weekend! Now I am worried that I blew my load a few days too soon.

I guess I'll find out this weekend, huh? Meanwhile, I'll enjoy my endorphins. :)

Random Thoughts

- Will it ever stop raining? It's so dreary outside. I know we need rain, and I appreciate all the wonderful things it's doing for my lawn, my landscaping, the ecosystem, etc. But it's depressing. This weather is one of the major reasons I could never live in London. Or Seattle. ;)

- Despite being wet and cold, I had an absolute blast cheering with Lora at the Broad Street Run yesterday. I was so glad I wasn't racing. Cheering for and supporting the runners was so enjoyable, and it's something I don't make enough time to do. It felt good to be there for my friends and (hopefully) give them a little lift in the last 3/4 mile or so.

- For someone who claimed to not like running, I did a fair amount of it last week... about 20 miles. I think just removing the pressure of racing Broad Street made a big difference mentally. I ran because I wanted to last week, not because I felt like I had to.

- I've entered a six-week ab challenge on kickrunners.com. The challenge began today, and in six weeks (on June 15) everyone is supposed to post a picture of their abs. Anonymous votes will be cast, and a Best Abs winner will be crowned for the participating men and women. I have no hope of winning (especially after seeing another contestant's before shot... holy moly!!!). I'm just using this as motivation to really whip my core into shape so that I don't embarrass myself when I post my picture on June 15. The timing couldn't be more perfect; if the weather ever improves, it will officially be bathing suit season in a mere three weeks! Plus race season will be here very soon, and a strong core will be so beneficial in my training.

- Step 1 in my quest for better abs = less unhealthy snacks. Boo.

- I need some new tunes to motivate me. Any and all suggestions are welcome!

- Speaking of new tunes, if you're a fan of jazz standards, you MUST buy Swingin' on the Moon by Perry Danos tomorrow. He's my cousin, and I'm so excited for him!

- Thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone who took the time to comment on my last blog entry and/or call me to talk me through my funk. Your kind words meant the world to me!