Posts tagged Triathlon
The Shitty Part Of Running
15December 9, 2012
in Running
It’s Monday, let’s start out with a laugh. Ever since I wrote my Fiesta Bowl Half Recap, I’ve had several people say, “You gotta tell us about your poop story.” Alright, ya’ll know I keep it real and I have no issues talking about poop. So, let me share my stories. Yes, I not only have 1 story, but several.
As long as I can remember I’ve had issues with defecation. When it hits me, it hits me. So often I have little to no warning. It’s not like I have “issues” with my GI tract, it’s just how my body functions. Add in running…you never know what will happen.
Back in 2003 I was not a runner, although I would have these random moments when I’d try to go out and run. Every time I’d end up disheartened because it would go poorly. At the time I didn’t have the initiative to keep at it and I’d just give up. One night, after going out to eat for pizza I got the grand idea that I wanted to run. (Smart, right?) Not only did I want to run, but I was going to take Viking with me. We were living on a military base, in the heat of the summer, in New Orleans. Do you know how intimidating it is to workout on a military base? Hence, why I’d do my “runs” at night, in the dark. So Viking and I took off. About halfway through my jaunt it hit me. Bam! I was as far away from our house as I could be. What was I going to do?! The best thing I could do….pop a squat behind a fence, and so I did. Trying to defecate while trying to keep your dog quiet but also keep them distracted from what you’re doing isn’t the easiest of tasks. Having no toilet paper isn’t fun either. Needless to say I waddled home. Oh yeah…that fence? It was immediately next to the barracks. Who knows who got to see me drop my drawers that night.
A few years later, when D and I ran at 5am on a daily basis, I had the same misfortune. Just over halfway through a 3 mile run it hit me. Thankfully it was dark and bushes were available.
But you may be saying, “Yeah, so what. You pop a squat in random locations, in the dark. Big deal.” But I’ve saved the best for last. This is the story that I referenced in my blog post…
When I started training for triathlons my workouts became longer and I started to add “bricks” in. (bricks = bike/run, swim/bike workouts that are back to back) One morning I set out on my bike, completed my route, stopped home for a quick transition, and took off on my run. 3 miles into my run I had a rumble in my tummy and things started moving. I thought, “I’m almost home, no worries.” Alas, GI motility is a force to be reckoned with. It was coming and there was no stopping it. There I was, in broad daylight, with no bushes to hide behind. The emotions that poured through my brain ranged from scared, to grossed out, to finding the experience totally embarrassing yet absolutely hilarious. All I could do was shake my head.
As I sat there with drawers full o’ poo I debated the best course of action. I could walk home. Even with compression shorts on I thought it best not to do this because seeping action could take place and I’d have a HUGE mess. The other option? Bust out the cell phone and call D to come to my rescue….and that I did. ”D, I just shit my shorts, grab a towel, and head to this location ASAP.” Thank God for an understanding husband who has a strong stomach, can handle wicked smells, and could see the humor in the entire situation and share a laugh with me.
The problem is, when you have to defecate the more you try to go faster to get home, the faster the poo comes. However, you don’t want to walk because it takes longer to get home. It’s a catch 22 and a no win situation.
You can probably see from those stories alone why I make absolute sure I empty my bowels before all runs. I’ve been known to visit the toilet 5+ times before runs and even more prior to races. I gotta make sure it’s all cleared out or I could have another situation like above. Needless to say I never carry my phone during races but last week I did. Thankfully I didn’t need it. This time….
Keep Smiling and Be Grateful =)
How @Rev3Tri #Rev3CP Training Rocked Me To The Core
42
You may have noticed in last week’s post that there was no mention of triathlons in the list of possible races. Why? Well, there are a couple reasons.
Upon moving here I’ve found that triathlons seem few and far between. There are VERY few lakes available for open water swimming and the races I have found call for the swim portion to be done in a pool. That’s not necessarily bad but it would definitely be a different take.
I also haven’t gotten in the pool or seriously swam since early July. With our closest lake about 30-40 minutes away and lack of sufficient funds to join our local YMCA it doesn’t look like I’ll be back in the water regularly anytime soon.
(This is where the blog post makes me a little uncomfortable. I’m stepping outside of my comfort zone a bit and sharing something I’ve held secret for a few months…..but it needs to be said.)
Although those are some pretty big setbacks I know I could really pursue and persevere if I wanted to. To be honest at this very moment I don’t want to. Why, you ask? My whole experience of registering for my first Half Rev3, starting training, and then sacrificing it for our move has rocked me to the core a bit….in several ways.
Quite frankly I had no idea what I got myself into when I signed up. You see, I only have sprint triathlon experience. I knew signing up would be a HUGE undertaking, but I didn’t realize how huge it would be. From the first moments I was humbled in each training session. As you know I don’t claim to be a super athlete but I can usually hold my own. I totally underestimated the bike and have repeatedly said that I thought it would be the easiest leg and has since proven to be my hardest sport. Adding in the use of my first triathlon bike made it that much more challenging. Not only was I attempting distance on a bike but also learning the ins and outs of riding in aero position, all while attempting to clip in and out of the pedals….not too successfully.
True, I did have some successes here and there. All of which I am grateful for. No matter how small, all of our life experiences make us who we are, so I am not belittling them in any way. Training is supposed to be hard and challenging….that’s one of the reasons I do what I do. But honestly, I felt like each training session was a HUGE hurdle and I never really walked away feeling accomplished or “on top of the world” excited. Most often I felt beat down, disheartened, and wondered what I got myself into. Although I got more confident in my biking I still never seemed to break that invisible barrier or acquired any speed (kind of sounds like my running too….)
When the opportunity for us to move to Arizona came about you may understand a bit better how it was easier for me to walk away from my Rev3CP registration. In no way did I see our move as an easy out or running away from a challenge. Lord knows there was much more that went into our decision than this race. But after beating my head (and body) against a wall for months it’s safe to say I had my fill.
With that being said, passing on registration hasn’t been easy to swallow. I acquired my Rev3 visor after volunteering last year. I wore it with pride during my workouts but couldn’t help but feel like a fraud since I didn’t earn that visor. The only thing that kept me wearing it was the drive it gave me when I would put it on and knowing that I would soon earn my place among those that have gone before me. Unfortunately that’s now not the case. With the actual race this weekend I’m sure I’ll have my share of emotions coursing through my brain. (By the way I’ll be sending positive energy and thoughts to all those racing!)
As I’ve stated previously, Rev3 is a class act group of people. They are amazing in many ways and I would absolutely love to be part of their team someday (gotta get better at the sport and work on my race resume though). I have no plans on giving up on the sport of triathlon or my dream of running a Rev3 race. I do know that I’ve enjoyed mixing up my training since arriving in Arizona and that I have many more dreams to fulfill in my lifetime.
For now I think it’s best I take time to allow the dust to settle, reassess my abilities, and scale back to more attainable short term goals. Once I get that all in line I will need to realize that just like with running, if I want to run a half Rev3 I’m going to have to work my ass off harder than most normal people do.
Until then….
Keep Smiling and Be Grateful =)
Power Song Packed Playlist
22
Some days I run with music, some days I don’t. Here’s what I’m currently listening to when I do!
Adam Lambert – Down The Rabbit Hole
Adam Lambert – If I had You
Adam Lambert – Music Again
Adam Lambert – Pick U Up
Adam Lambert – Fever
Adam Lambert – For Your Entertainment
Adam Lambert – Strut
Adele – Cold Shoulder
Adelita Way- Invincible
Aerosmith – Sweet Emotion
Akon – Beautiful
Akon – Right Now
Alan Parsons Project – Sirius
Alicia Keys Feat. Beyonce – Put It In A Love Song
Angels & Airwaves – The Adventure Final
Angra – Spread The Fire (Progressive Metal – Real fast)
Aqua – Barbie Girl
Avril Lavigne – Girlfriend
Backstreet Boys – Everybody
Band Of Skulls – Dull Gold Heart
Bangles – Hazy Shade Of Winter (remix)
Bay City Rollers – Saturday Night
Bell Biv Devoe – Poison
Beyonce – Radio
Beyonce – Single Ladies
Beyonce – Run The World
Billy Idol – Rebel Yell
Billy Joel –Angry Young Man
Billy Joel – Pressure
Billy Joel – Tell Her About It
Billy Joel –You’re Only Human
Billy Joel –We Didn’t Start The Fire
Black Eyed Peas – Boom Boom Pow
Black Eyed Peas – I Gotta A Feeling
Black Eyed Peas – Don’t Phunk With My Heart
Black Eyed Peas –Pump It
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club– Salvation
Blind Melon – No Rain
Blondie – Dreaming
B.O.B. – Airplanes
Bond Girls – Anything from them – classical strings rocking out
Brandston – Nobody Dances Anymore
Britney Spears – Circus
Britney Spears – I’m A Slave For You
Britney Spears – Will The World Ends
Britney Spears –Toxic
Britney Spears – Womanizer
Bruno Mars – Just The Way You Are
Bryan Adams – Here I Am
Cake – The Distance
Carly Comando – Everyday
Carly Rae Jepson – Call Me Maybe
Cascada – Evacuate The Dance Floor
Cascada – Everytime We Touch
Cee Lo Green – F**k You
Charlie Daniels – Devil Went Down To Georgia
Christina Aguilera – Ain’t No Other Man
Contender Theme
Colbie Caillat – Something Special
Crystal Method – Several different songs (techno)
CSS – Music Is My Boyfriend
Cyndi Lauper – Goonies Theme
Cyndi Lauper – She Bop
Daddy Yankee – Gasolina
Daniel Bedingfield – Gotta Get Through This (techno)
Danny Elfman – Anything from this composer – Planet Of The Apes Theme
Dave Matthews Band – Two Step
Dave Matthews Band – Crash Into Me
Dave Matthews Band – Drive In Drive Out
David Guetta Feat Usher – Without You
Dead Or Alive – You Spin Me Round
Depeche Mode – Personal Jesus
Diddy – Coming Home
DJ Sammy – Heaven
Dr. Dre Feat Eminem – I Need A Doctor
Dream Theater – (Progressive Metal) – Funeral For A Friend/Love Lies Bleeding
Dream Theater – I Walk Beside You
Dream Theater – Never Enough
Dream Theater – Panic Attach
Dream Theater – Prophets Of War
Duffy – Mercy
Eiffel 65 – I’m Blue
ELO – Don’t Bring Me Down
ELO – Mr. Blue Sky
Elvis – A Little Less Conversation
Eminem – ‘Til I Collapse
Eminem – Lose Yourself
Ennio Morricone – (Upbeat) L’ Estasi Dell’oro [From the Good, the Bad and the Ugly]
Enrique Iglesias – Tonight
Enrique Iglesias – I Like It
E.S. Posthumus – Unstoppable
Europe – Final Countdown
Eurythmics – Sweet Dreams
Eve – Tambourine
Fabolous – Breathe
Family Foce 5 – Kountry Gentleman
Flogging Molly – Devil’s Dance Floor
Florence + The Machine – Breath Of Life
Florence + The Machine – Cosmic Love
Florence + The Machine – Dog Days Are Over
Florence + The Machine – Drumming Song
Florence + The Machine – Heavy In Your Arms
Florence + The Machine – Shake It Out
Flo Rida – Good Feeling
Flo Rida – Low
Flo Rida – Right Round
Forever Thursday – How Can It Be
Foster The People – Pumped Up Kicks
Fun – We Are Young
Gap Band – You Dropped A Bomb On Me
Garry Schyman – Praan
Gary Go – Wonderful
Gavin DeGraw – Not Over You
Gloria Estefan – Reach
Gloria Estefan –Turn The Beat Around
Gnarls Barkley – Crazy
Gnarls Barkley – Smiley Faces
Gwen Stefani – Hollback Girl
Hanson – Give A Little
Hanson – In The City
Hanson – Thinkin’ Bout Something’
Hellogoodbye – Hear In Your Arms
Imagine Dragons – On Top Of The World
Jack Johnson – Staple It Together
Jack Johnson – You And Your Heart
Jay Sean – Down
Jay-Z -Brush Your Shoulders (dirt off your shoulders)
Jimmy Eat World – Pain
Jennifer Lopez – Let’s Get Loud
Jerry Goldsmith – Rudy Theme or Tryouts Theme
Jesse McCartney – How Do You Sleep Remix
Johnny Cash – God’s Gonna Cut You Down
Kanye West – Stronger
Karl Jenkins – Palladio 1 Allegretto (DeBeers Diamond Commercial)
Kate Nash – Merry Happy
Kate Nash –Mouthwash
Kate Nash –Pumpkin Soup
Kate Nash –Skeleton Song
Katy Perry – E.T.
Katy Perry – Hot N’ Cold
Katy Perry – I Kissed A Girl
Katy Perry –Peacock
Keb Mo – Am I Wrong
Kelly Clarkson – Stronger
Kevin Rudolph – Let It Rock
Kenny Loggins – Footloose
Keri Hilson – Pretty Girl Rock
Kings Of Leon – Use Somebody
Lady Gaga – Bad Romance
Lady Gaga – Born This Way
Lady Gaga – Hair
Lady Gaga – Judas
Lady Gaga – Poker Face
Lady Gaga – Paparazzi
Lady Gaga – Scheibe
Lady Gaga – Telephone
La Roux – Bulletproof
La Roux – Tiger Lily
Led Zeppelin – Immigrant Song
Lil Mama – Lip Gloss
Lindsay Lohan – Rumors
Lionel Ritchie – Dancing On The Ceiling
Ludacris – How Low
Ludovico Einaudi – Fly
Macy Gray – Beauty In The World
Marc Anthony – I’ve Got You
Marvin Gaye – Ain’t No Mountain High Enough
Marvin Gaye – Ain’t No Mountain High Enough
Metallica – Enter Sandman
Metallica – Don’t Tread On Me
Metallica – For Whom The Bell Tolls
Metro Station – Shake It
Michael Jackson – Black Or White
Michael Jackson – Ease On Down The Road
Michael Jackson – Smooth Criminal
Michael Jackson – Thriller
Michael Jackson/Janet Jackson – Scream
Michael Sembello – Maniac (80’s)
Miley Cyrus – See You Again
Miley Cyrus – Start All Over
Missy Elliot – Shake Your Pom Pom
Moby – Honey
Moby – Porcelain
Muse – Apocalypse Please
Muse –Time Is Running Out
Muse – Song For Absolution
Muse – Hysteria
Muse – Butterflies & Hurricanes
Muse – Starlight
Muse – Map Of The Problematique
Muse – Exo-Politics
Mysto And Pizzi – Somebody’s Watching Me
Nelly – Heart of A Champion
Nicki Minaj – Starships
NKOTBSB – Don’t Turn Out The Lights
Nuttin But Stringz – Thunder
Orgy – Blue Moon
Our Lady Peace – Starseed
Outkast – Hey Ya
Paolo Nutini – New Shoes
Paolo Nutini – Pencil Full Of Lead
Pink – Funhouse
Pink – You and Your Hand
Pinter Sisters – Jump
Pointer Sisters – Neutron Dnace
Pussy Cat Dolls – Jai Ho
Prince – Let’s Go Crazy
Proclaimers – 500 Miles
Queen – Don’t Stop Me Now
Queen – I Want To Break Free
Queens Of The Stone Age – No One Knows
Radiohead – 15 Steps
Rascal Flatts- Stand
Regina Spektor – Fidelity
Rembrandts – I’ll Be There For You
Rihanna – Only Girl
Rihanna – S&M
Rihanna – SOS
Rihanna – Please Don’t Stop The Music
Rihanna –We Found Love
Robin Thicke – When I Get You Alone
Rocky Horror Picture Show – Time Warp
Rocky Soundtrack – Final Fight
Rocky Soundtrack – Workout Theme
Rusted Root – Ecstasy
Rusted Root – Send Me On My Way
Salt N’ Pepper – Push It
Savage Ft. Soulja Boy – Let Me See Your Hips Swing
Savage Garden – I Want You
Scatman John – Scatman
Scissor Sisters – I Don’t Feel Like Dancing
Spinners – Rubberband Man
Shrek 2 Soundtrack – I Need A Hero
Simon And Garfunkel – Cecilia
Slumdog Millionaire – O…Saya
Spice Girls – Spice Up Your Life
Spider Bait – Black Betty
Spinners – Rubberband Man
Stratovarius – Black Diamond (Fast)
Stratovarius – Freedom (Fast)
Styx – Mr. Roboto
Sugarhill Gang – Apache
Survivor – Eye Of The Tiger
Swing Kids – Swing, Swing, Swing
Taio Cruz – Dynamite
The Wanted – Glad You Came
Tiffany – I Think We’re Alone Now
Timbaland – Way I Are
Timbaland ft. Justin Timberlake – Carry Out U2 – I Will Follow
Ting Tings – Shut Up And Let Me Go
Ting Tings – That’s Not My Name
Tommy Tutone – 867-5309 (Jenny)
Tony Basil – Hey Mickey
Train – Drive By
U2 w/ Greenday – The Saints Are Coming
Usher – Caught Up
Usher – DJ Got Us Fallin’ In Love
Usher – OMG
Van Halen – Right Now
Veronicas – Popular
Weather Girls – It’s Raining Men
White Rabbits – Percussion Gun
Wicked – Defy Gravity
The Wiz Soundtrack – A Brand New Day
Youngbloodz – Imma Shine
What’s on your playlist? What’s your power song?
Be Grateful and Keep Smiling =)
Buzz: Races Don’t Make An Athlete
29
Something that crossed my mind this weekend is the fact that if you look at my “race resume” I really don’t have all that many official races in my 5 years of running. Why? There are multiple reasons.
Racing is expensive. With 5Ks that run $25 along with half marathons and triathlons that range between $50-100 (if not more), those race registrations can add up fast.
Oftentimes my schedule isn’t conducive to racing. Several years ago I stepped away from a stressful job and into a less stressful but lower paying job. In order to make up my income deficit I picked up several side jobs. These side jobs didn’t interfere with workouts but often did interfere with race dates/times. This year I had hoped to have a “big” race year but was ultimately sidelined by injury and then with our huge uprooting to Arizona I gave up my Half Rev3 (for now).
If money and time weren’t an issue I’d love to race more often, and hope to do so in the future. Races are fun, they give you something to focus on and drive you to train. Not to mention the exhilarating feeling you have as you cross the finish line is unexplainable. With that being said, races aren’t the most important thing for me and chances are my Race Bucket List doesn’t include many of the races found on others’ bucket lists. (What?! No Boston?!)
What’s most important for me is that I get out and swim, bike, and/or run as often as I can. Just like any athlete, bad days come along with the good, but I try to embrace every experience as it presents itself because I am truly blessed to be able to have the ability to do such sports.
I have no doubt in my mind that I’ve grown into who I am today because of those blood, sweat, tears, and triumphs on those training workouts. All done without a cheering squad, finish line, or a post race medal.
I am by no means the fastest athlete you’ll find nor do I race every weekend but I don’t think anyone can doubt my determination and drive or what my sports of choice have done for my life. Races don’t make an athlete. You become one on your own.
Keep Smiling and Be Grateful =)
Moving To AZ, There Will Be No Rev3, For Me
30
If you read my posts regularly you know that I’ve been planning and looking forward to running my first Half Revolution3 Triathlon this year. You may be wondering how I’m going to pull it off with our big adventure ahead.
I’m not going to pull it off. There will be no Half Revolution3 for me….this time around. I will admit, it pains me to type that.
After taking a few years off of running races due to my health this was supposed to be a decent race year for me. Or at least that’s what I had hoped. My first race of the year was supposed to be the Toledo Glass City Half Marathon. After several months of training I ended up with my first DNS due to an ankle issue.
As I eyed other races for summer I found myself having issues deciding on what would fit best into my Half Rev3 training schedule. I never did decide on a race schedule (maybe I somehow knew I wouldn’t be racing??) Instead, I set my eyes to my Rev3 training. I signed up for Rev3 Coaching, dealt with my freak out, and logged a decent amount of hours swimming, running, and biking.
I know to some it may seem like I’m throwing it all away and I’m sure some may even question my goal setting, planning, and execution. In my mind all of my hard work and time wasn’t all for naught. I believe no matter how big or small, every experience in our lives builds character and makes us stronger.
Running a Half Rev3 is a challenge I’d like to conquer, but it’s not my dream. Heading out west for adventure is my dream. I will definitely run a Revolution3 race in the future…and it will be sooner than later. For now I’m going to live my dream, continue training, running races/triathlons, and hope to pick up some more fun sports.
What helpful hints do you have for me as I head out AZ? Where should I run/train? What are your fave races? What other outdoor sports do I need to try??
Keep Smiling and Be Grateful =)
Injured? You Can Still Make Your Workout Count!
18
After you’ve been fitted for the right shoes and just started moving toward your journey of running, I’m sure the chances of injury aren’t the first things that will cross your mind. But whether you’re new or old to running I can guarantee at some point in your running career you will suffer an injury. That’s not to say running will cause the injury. Something freak, like my accident last month, could hinder your training plans. You may have to take time off from running, but depending on the injury you may be able to do another form of workout that can take the place of running.
Since I haven’t been able to keep to my training 100% I’ve finally been able to implement the use of my Human Trainer that I won from Bex at Bexlife.com several months ago. I’ve been wanting to use the equipment for months but haven’t been able to fit it in the training schedule. Injuring myself gave me the prime opportunity to do so and has helped me stay sane.
If you’re ever injured you may have to think outside the box, but don’t just throw in the towel. And most importantly, listen to your body!
Keep Smiling and Be Grateful =)
Buzz: Happy Skin, GoPro Mission, & A Shiny PR
9
Recently I received word that Skin Sake was looking for Ambassadors. You may be asking, “What is Skin Sake?” Well, Skin Sake makes several skin care products that help treat and prevent skin rashes, etc. Quite obviously, the one of importance for me is their Athletic Ointment.
Why would I need Athletic Ointment? Well, I have big ol’ thighs. Seriously. I do. Those thighs rub, chafe, and get gnarly in the process of my long workouts. Athletic ointment doesn’t necessarily have to be used on thighs, but anywhere else that you may have issues. Possible problem point? Lube up! Workouts without some sort of glide would be absolutely miserable for me.
What had me intrigued about Skin Sake is their product is all natural and VEGAN. That means no animal products in the product and no animal testing. Yes!
So I went ahead a submitted this video to become a Skin Sake Ambassador…
And guess what? I received word last week that I was named one of their ambassadors. Woohoo! So even though I have a gouged up leg with stitches right now, I’ll be having Happy Skin throughout my training while I prepare for my Half Rev3!
On Friday I received even more fun…..
Yes, I received a camera compliments of GoPro. As I’ve stated previously, I’ll be heading to Sedona in a couple weeks. During this trip the Columbia OmniTen will have a mission to complete….
I can’t wait to put this bad boy to use!
Lastly, after I had my accident last week I remembered I had registered for a 5K this past Saturday. I debated whether to run and literally waited until the last minute to decide whether I was going to run or not. Ultimately I decided to run my race. I wasn’t able to run the Glass City Half Marathon and rock out my Team RWB gear, so with it being Memorial Day weekend I thought this would be a fantastic opportunity to make my Team RWB debut. 
And boy, did I debut! I immediately found myself going out faster than I usually do, but I felt good. More importantly, I was able to keep the pace. I was totally surprised with myself, but just went with it. In the end I finished with a new PR….nearly 1 minute off of my best 5K…ever. What?! Totally crazy and I don’t know how I did it. I guess it’s safe to say that I didn’t let my sutured up leg hold me back! I’m not one to worry about time or PRs, but I will admit that I’m one happy girl.
And what may be even better than a PR? Having a guy come up to me after the race and say, “I just want to let you know it was so hard to follow you today…” in reference to having to run behind a girl in a tutu. Yeah dude, you got chicked 
So fun!
Hope everyone else had a fantastic weekend!
Keep Smiling and Be Grateful =)
Don’t Fight With Light Bulbs
29
It’s Friday, which means this should be a “vegan” post. Well folks, sorry about this, but going to sidetrack a bit today. But now worries! Next Friday I’ll have a brand new vegan post for ya’ll!
Like I said Wednesday, on Tuesday I had an accident at work. I’d love to play it off like a shark attacked me during an open water swim or something “exciting”. Unfortunately I was attacked by a light bulb. Yeah, not real exciting.
Basically I was attempting to open a very high window with a contraption made to open the window. After opening the window I pulled the contraption toward me, knocking a light fixture, which then in turn busted a 4 foot fluorescent light bulb. The light bulb crashed to the ground, gouged my left calf in several places, leaving a not so pretty sight.
The first few seconds I didn’t think anything of it…until I actually looked down at my leg. My initial thought, “OH NO! MY TRAINING!” Seriously. Nothing else entered my mind. Then the blood came and I rushed to get a rag as to not bleed all over my workplace. Then, since I work alone, I decided to make a few phone calls. I knew I could drive myself to the hospital but thought it best not to. Unfortunately D wasn’t in the area so my parents rushed over to pick me up and take me to the hospital.
I’m not for grossing people out so if you want to see the “before” photo of my leg, you can see it here. Ye be warned, it ain’t pretty and viewer discretion is advised. Here’s a PG version…
As I sat in the waiting room (yes, I had to wait an hour to be seen) I had a triage nurse come out and grade my lesion. In passing I said I was a triathlete and how I’m training. She laughs and says, “Well, not for 2 weeks you won’t be!” Cue my tears. I wasn’t crying because of the pain I was in or that I had an inch of skin and fat dangling from my leg. No, I was crying because there I sat, once again with a wrench thrown in my Half Rev3 training. It seems as though I just recovered from my foot issue of unknown origin and now there’s this. Yargh!
I was seen by the doctor, numbed up, and put back together again. Here’s the finished product…..
Looks pretty good I’d say. I headed back to work and finished my shift for the day, because that’s what Buzzbombs do.
As for my training, I was told no running or biking for 5 days and no swimming for 10 days. I had planned to run my first triathlon of the season in just a few weeks and had already registered for a 5K for this Saturday (tomorrow). I have yet to decide if I’m running either of those. Time will tell.
Mizunos are all cleaned up and staying clean & secure with Tommie Copper
I’m trying to see this as a blessing in disguise or seeing some reasoning behind all of this happening. I know there’s a reason, but it has yet come to light. All I can think of is, “why the heck is there this negative energy trying to keep me from training?!” Thankfully it’s early on in in the season and I’ll adapt and overcome….because that’s what Buzzbombs do.
Keep Smiling and Be Grateful =)
PS Do you follow me on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook? If not, you should be! I posted continuous updates of this fiasco in real-time. Yes, I tweet and post photos of EVERYTHING!
Buzz: I’m Freakin’ Out
23May 21, 2012
in Triathlon
As I’m getting deeper and deeper into my Half Rev3 Triathlon training I’ve been finding myself freaking out a bit. Specifically every time my weekly training schedule is posted I think, “How the heck am I going to do this?!” The funny thing is I always make it happen. So why freak out?!
My most recent freak out came this weekend. Although I’ve logged a decent amount of hours on my CycleOps bike trainer I’ve yet to really hit the open road on my new tri bike, “Sparky“. (Taking him out around downtown a few times and crashing doesn’t count.) I can swim, bike, and run, but dealing with an actual tri bike is a whole different animal and takes some getting used to. Needless to say I knew I needed to get out and ride Sparky…for real. But thinking about hitting the open road (with cars!), without crashing (hopefully), and for close to 2.5 hours, I could just feel my heart rate increase. What the heck?
As you can see I had some definite anxiety going on. But with a little compromise to make this feel more attainable, singing Florence + The Machine, “It’s hard to dance with the devil on your back…just shake it out!” to myself (over and over), and lots of positive self-talk I got through it.
Being out there was amazing. Although I’m appreciative of the countryside, so many things are overlooked when riding in a car. Including this…
What?! Yes, that would be a buffalo. I came across them midway through my ride and just had to stop to take a photo. Sadly these buffalo are being raised for slaughter which just tore my heart to pieces but this guy came up to me by the fence and we had some conversation. I also took advantage of the few seconds I stopped to down a Chocolate Agave #9 gel. 
Although I’m getting the hang of drinking and riding, fueling is another thing I have to master while riding Sparky. Next time!
Something else I need to improve on? Sunscreen application…or at least increasing my arm reach. I applied sunscreen by myself since I was alone and obviously couldn’t reach that far on my back. Hence, the splotches. On the right side of my back you can actually see finger marks where I stretched to reach as far as I could. Nice.
I didn’t come in contact with that many cars while riding and for the most part it was just me and the road. I felt free and calm. I loved it. I want more. All of my anxiety for nothing. When will I learn?
So there you have it. 2.5 hours on my bike, out on the open road, followed by a mile run right off the bike. Another obstacle tackled. Now, it’s time to stay calm and realize, “I’ve got this!”
Keep Smiling and Be Grateful =)
Running Isn’t Fun – Let’s Get Back To Basics
32March 28, 2012
Recently I’ve been looking to add fun in my runs and have succeeded. (Remember my Sparkle Run and my plan to run my half marathon in a tutu?) Prior to seeking out fun it felt like I was dragging on my runs. Today I had an “aha moment” that I wanted to share with you.
I’ve been running for almost 5 years. Within those 5 years I’ve done some “racing” here and there. I say “racing” because really, I don’t race. I just run races to run races. There’s no part of me racing per se…other than maybe myself. And even that could be questioned. Mostly due to my health and medical bills I took a hiatus from racing for a couple years, but I continued running. A good number of runners would probably look at my race history and not be all that impressed as I’m not fast nor do I have a ton o’ races to list. That’s not to say I’m not experienced. Trust me. I’ve been there, done that. Over the past year or so I’ve gotten back into registering for races and have found that I love it just as much as I did in the beginning.
But there’s some negativity that comes along with training for a race and actually racing…at least for me. For some reason when I start to sign up for races and/or surround myself with better-abled athletes I feel like I have to live up to their abilities. I’ve spoken about this before and even made this video a few months ago.
After posting that video I was able to shake the thoughts of comparing myself with others. Enter: training season. Everyone’s logging lots of miles and kicking butt in their training. I’m training too, but on a different level. I don’t do fartleks or tempo runs. I just go out and run. I watch my time and push myself, but I don’t do anything special. I see what everyone else is doing and think to myself, “Oh boy, I should be doing that.” But I don’t do it and then I get down on myself, which transfers into crappy runs. Enter my “aha moment”.
It’s not that the fun has been removed from my runs, it’s that I’m holding this expectation over my head of what I SHOULD be doing based on what everyone else is doing. I run because I can. I run because it makes me feel good. You see, I believe everyone can run, but some come by it more naturally. I myself am not a natural runner. People talk about their challenging runs. I don’t doubt they are challenging. But here I am 5 years after I’ve started running and EVERY run is a challenge for me. Don’t get me wrong, we all know I thrive on challenges, but it’s still a challenge.
So why am I putting these unrealistic expectations on myself to train different than I already am? That would mean taking away the sole reason I run. I get so caught up in it all that I lose sight of my goal: To be happy.
Chances are when you see me at a race I’ll be smiling. Some may say, “If you’re smiling you’re not trying hard enough.” Well, that may be your motto, but not mine. I recently read a quote from Jeff Galloway and although I’m a fast moving Buzzbomb through most of my life, when it comes to running his quote fits me perfectly.
“Enjoy every mile. There’s not a lot of fun getting from point A to point B as fast as you can.”
So here’s the deal: It’s time to get get back to basics. On Wednesdays we’re talking all about running, training, and triathlons. To start, we’re going back to basics, the highs, the lows.
I plan on taking my upcoming half marathon and Half Rev3 training/race serious, but you can bet I’ll have a smile on my face come race day. I earned that smile by logging just as many miles as the next person. I have so many ideas to help myself and you through these rough patches…whether you’re just starting out or have been training for years. Hint: Let’s just say I have a couple fun runs planned to mix in with my race schedule. Stay tuned…
So are you ready to go back to basics with me? Venture over to my Facebook page and give me some of your ideas!
Keep Smiling and Be Grateful =)
