Dusting off the blog...

The last time I blogged was my race recap for Eagleman. Re-reading that rekindles my excitement to race again! And no better time since TODAY is 6 months until CHALLENGE AC!! Booyah!

Mom: Just a recap: 4 kids - all busy. Oldest daughter,14, is on the swim team this year and loving it! It is very time intensive - they don't leave the HS until 6 at night and get home at 9:30ish. She is learning a lot about time management - which is good for her.  Daughter #2, 12, finished up field hockey with the middle school and is not concentrating on band and jazz band. Playing alto, tenor, and bari sax for the various bands. Son, 10, just turned his double digits 2 weeks ago. He is a webelo in cub scouts and has his swim class. I am trying to convince him to make the leap to swim team at the Y. He also takes a gymnastics class that he enjoys.  Daughter #3, 5, has her girl scouts and takes gymnastics and swim class. 

 Vet: I am on vacation until 1/2. Yeah! That doesn't mean the calls, emails and texts have stopped. But they have lessened.

Survivor: I have appointments coming up next month - ultrasound and doctor appointment in January. All stable for now. Considering asking for a PET scan to see if it detects anything new/different.

Triathlete: 2013 was a great year for me race wise!

RACES 2013
May 5 - NJ Half Marathon Relay
May 12 - Manassas Ladies Sprint Tri  - 2nd in AG!!
June 9 - Eagleman Half Ironman
July - Jersey Girl Tri Relay (Bike) 2nd place!
September 8 - Sandy Hook Sprint Tri
October 27 - Marine Corps Marathon

It was a year of firsts! My first HIM and my first MARATHON! Both had PR's !! Haha! I can only get better from here!

I have joined a group of triathletes swimming with a coach at 5 am twice a week. I think it will be very good for me - I have never swam the distances that she has us swimming. I am the second slowest right now, so I can only get faster. Trying to decide if I should consider a TI class or go for some private lessons. I watch videos and try to replicate what I do but I am not seeing improvement.

I am excited for 2014!

Races so far...
June 8 - Escape the Cape Sprint
June 29 - Challenge AC - guaranteed PR!!!

Considering -
Shamrock Half Marathon - March 16
Wineglass Marathon - October
Iron Girl Sandy Hook - September

There are so many races out there to try (or tri!)! I will have to do this a lot of years to try them all!

Half Marathon Relay Race Recap - 5/5/13

Here we are in May and I beg to ask, WHERE IS SPRING???

Today was the first race of my season. I did the NJ Half Marathon Relay last year as well. For races that I have done before I always check back and see what my time was so, of course, I can try to beat it. Last year I did 6.9 miles with a 8:37 min/mile pace. That's not too shabby for this 43 year old! The gauntlet has been dropped - I need to beat 8:37 min/mile.

Tina and I arrive early. We even had time enough to stop at a hotel along the route to use the restrooms. This is our signature move....although I will use a portapotty if I have to, I prefer a clean bathroom and hotels are perfect for this! Thanks to the Holiday Inn, that is what I got.

Next stop, my drop off at 5:45 am. The race started at 6:50 and it is 46 degrees out (again, where is spring??). I was smart enough to dress appropriately with 3 layers on top, compression socks, and my skirted Athleta pants. AND I remembered gloves!!! While waiting I bounced around, stretched, ate my banana, waited, stretched some more. I had a Cliff gel about 5 minutes before the race started and washed it down with some Skratch.

I kept telling myself that this should/could be a training run. I had no taper for this run and was just finishing a 3 week build for my triathlon. I rode 45 miles and ran 2 miles yesterday. My legs were tired. I shouldn't put that pressure on myself. But that darn competitive nature of mine kicked in full force.

The national anthem was sung and then they did a round of Sweet Caroline in honor of Boston. The wheelchair races were off and then so was I. And I was really off....

First mile 7:56 min/mile
Second mile 7:58 min/mile
Third mile 8:37 min/mile (uh oh)
Fourth mile 8:38 min/mile (another uh oh)
Fifth mile 8:56 min/mile - who put two bridges in the same mile!!! It's a hill, get over it is what I kept telling myself
Sixth mile 8:44 min/mile - now I am averaging these miles in my head...
Seventh mile 8:34 min/mile
Eighth mile 8:11 min/mile - longer than last years race

So the average.....do you think I beat it?
7.02 miles
59:34 total time
8:29 min/mile average
8 second per mile PR for a total of 56 second PR!!!

That was close.
I wonder if I had tapered if I could have maintained the sub 8 min/miles??

The handoff went well to Tina. She was off. I walked about 1/2 a mile and then did a recovery pace the rest of the way. I met Tina at the finish and our total time was 2:00:23. She did a great 9:49 min/mile pace which gave her almost a 7 minute PR over last year!  Go Tina!!

We were 8 seconds from being the 3rd female masters team out of 31!! We were 6th last year, so we moved up 2 spots to 4th this year! This might be the reason we go back next year!!

Next week - my first TRI of the season!!! The Ladies Choice Super Sprint in Manassas, VA!!! I won 2nd in my AG last year.....the pressure is on!!