Tag: Training

From 2009 into 2010: Places, races & goals

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In terms of my athletic goals and experiences, 2009 has been an excellent year. (It’s been a great year for other reasons as well, just not necessarily central to this blog :)). I have met some of the coolest runners and triathletes,  some of which I have been fortunate to develop relationships with, others who passed through my life for a day, as I did through theirs. So many smiles, so many words of encouragement. Peace, love and light to all of you in 2010! I’ve enjoyed interacting with all of you here on my blog, on twitter, at races …

Satisfying the demands of reason and emotion through gradual adaptation and 1% improvements

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I’m antsy. I’ve got work to do.   It’s been a week since the half iron distance triathlon. The soreness has faded. The feeling of accomplishment is there, but I can’t help feeling that I want to do better, go faster, be stronger. My basic goal for the triathlon was 6 hours, and while I accomplished that goal with a time of 5:55;37, I secretly (or not so secretly) wished I would do better–like 5:45 would have been great. I had wanted to place in my age group, but was 4th (by over a minute). My rational mind knows that I …

Arriving at one goal: The half distance triathlon

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Arriving at one goal is the starting point to another.  ~John Dewey Sunday, October 4th was the day I have been working toward for five months: my first half iron distance triathlon. Race day began as most race days begin: EARLY! While I had been tossing and turning since 2:34 a.m., I did not officially rise out of bed until 5:01 a.m. The race was scheduled to start at 8 a.m. Even though the venue was only 20 minutes away and I had already packed everything I needed, I wanted to get up early enough to eat something solid, and arrive …

Training connections

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I’m going to come right out and say it: My family is awesome. Some of you might be rolling your eyes right now thinking this post is going to be some fake Beaver Cleaver nonsense. I can understand that: not everything about family is awesome. There are fights, misunderstandings, and other unpleasantness. Yet, since I started training for marathons and triathlons, and writing about this training on my blog, a series of events has reminded me of this simple idea: My family is awesome. Of course, my family was great before I started training, but pushing the limits of my body has …

Four weeks to go

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On May 9, 2009, I watched John, my husband, compete in the Jerseyman Triathlon, a half iron distance race held in Clinton, NJ. At the time, I was recovering from pneumonia (the sickest I have ever been in my life!) and a bout of hip bursitis, so I couldn’t compete.  As I watched the race, I just knew I had to do it some day. At that time, however, I had never even done a sprint triathlon. Heck, I had only learned to freestyle swim in March, and the first time I sat on a road bike was in February.  It seemed …

Enjoy what the body can do

I read a profound statement in my friend Lorin’s blog the other day (VeganAsana: Adventures in Veganism and Yoga): “Wouldn’t it be great to always be in that place – to just live in the body and enjoy what it can do and be instead of critiquing what it is not?” I’ve been touched by the line since I read it, and have thought much about it. It’s reminded me about my long history of trouble with body image–and the lessons I have learned about my body from exercise and endurance training. I have had body issues of varying sorts since I was a young …

In praise of spectators

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You get up at 4:30 a.m., too. Sometimes, you are the one to wake the athlete, allowing her to sleep in just a little bit longer as you prepare a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for her breakfast, as you fill his water bottles with scoops of powdered sports drink, water and some ice cubes, as you pack the car with her transition bag, bicycle, and other various sundries. You just smile and make light small talk when the grumpy and nervous athlete fails to say thanks—or worse yet complains about your efforts to make his day a little easier. …

TrekWomen Triathlon Series, Mount Snow: Event Summary

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 The TrekWomen Triathlon was held at Mount Snow on August 9, 2009. It was a sprint tri, with a 1/4 mile swim, 12 mile bike, and 2.1 mile semi-trail run. A portion of the proceeds benefitted breast cancer research and Team Survivor. There were a total of 185 finishers, who included cancer survivors and first timers who have overcome great obstacles to get to the finish line.One woman had undergone a heart transplant and was participating in her first triathlon. Wow! If you were looking for inspiration, this race was a great place to find it. I was teary eyed in …

Marathons are a gateway drug

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This time last year, I was about one month into a marathon training plan. I was preparing for my first marathon, the Atlantic City Marathon. Prior to this experience, I had only raced in a 10 mile event and maybe one or two 5Ks for charities that I supported. But, for the most part, I just ran–and had been a runner since I was 13 years old. I didn’t compete. It was what I did to stay fit, and I really enjoyed the peace and fulfillment of a good run. As we grow older, we may begin to take the …

Volunteering at the Lake Placid Ironman 2009

The Lake Placid Ironman was a fantastic and motivating experience. I was moved to tears at several points throughout the day as I witnessed the sheer strength and determination of the human spirit. Watching an Ironman is an experience that I would recommend to anyone. John and I signed up to serve as volunteers, and that was an excellent decision for so many reasons. First, volunteering gave us priority registration for the 2010 event, and I’m happy to report that we are registered. This consideration is not insignificant since Lake Placid has sold out onsite in previous years, and this year was …