Couch to ATHLETE!

What's that??? I'm not a big planner. I talk in vague terms. I am not detail oriented. I schedule potlucks and forget to have someone bring the plates and silverware. I put things on my schedule and forget to register. I register without looking at my schedule. The bottom line is I don't like being tied down and I like to do things because I like to do them. For instance, I run because I love to run. With that said, I have been obsessing about the half marathon I am running next week and have no clue why. So here is my 'plan' and what I am obsessing about... I want to PR this race. Now ask me what my plan is... Yep, don't really have one. My friend Sue has listened to me talk about this race all season long. It is amazing to me that she still runs with me because I am quite certain that I am probably the third most annoying person on the trail. Oh and don't ask who the most annoying are because I'm not telling!!! The plan hasn't even changed tha...

The surfers!!! My family used to joke that my sister was the exercise bully. I think I have successfully usurped that role. The reason my sister was called the exercise bully? Well any time we went to visit her she would take us on insane hikes up mountains, or unexpected long bike rides. She also successfully recruited a number of us siblings to triathlons. Now in those days my sister would also joke about her home being the vacation exercise spa, or something of the sort. I have to admit I have slowly adopted that mentality for vacationing over the years. It is no secret that I recently spent a week on Kauai Island in Hawaii. I was so fortunate to go on this vacation because my brother got married. It was the perfect reason to purchase a plane ticket and disappear for the week. As I mentioned before I enjoy being as active as possible so am always seeking the activities that will allow me to experience the beauty of a new place while also allowing me to feel good about myself....

Yep that is right, I am blogging from Hawaii!!! Well this will be short until I am home! Did you all know surfing is really hard! I sm still recovering from that workout and from my hiking .. There is still snorkeling and running and kayaking in my future. Stay tuned for more Hawaii fun and pics.

It was so sad to watch the news coverage yesterday from Boston. As I said to one of my friend's, one of the places I find the most joy is on a race course! Now that very joyful place is the scene of a terrorist attack; at least that is what the media tells us! During this time as I remember the injured, the families of the injured, the runners, the innocent bystanders and those who died, I also remember the joy I feel when I toe the start line of a race. Damn it I will not let this situation take that joy away from me. As a matter of fact none of us should. The best way to overcome this is to lace up those shoes and keep doing the thing we love! Log some miles for those who can't anymore! Today I will wear a race shirt with many others because the only thing I know how to do in this situation is show my support. In the words of my soon to be sister in law keep truckin'!!!

I'm tired from a long weekend of long workouts. I have a million things I am trying to get done and procrastination has gotten the best of me. I work best in last minute situations with EVERYTHING. I decided to spend this time identifying what I have come to love through running/cycling/swimming. Here is what I love: Breathing - On many occasions I have found myself struggling to breath in the morning. I love camping and can recall various mornings when I have woken up in my tent with puffy eyes, a stuffy nose and a little wheezy. I always assumed this was because I was coming down with a cold that would always disappear a few days after returning from the woods. The true culprit? I'm allergic to trees. What trees you may ask? Basically all trees.  Zyrtec - Zyrtec is quickly becoming my best friend. I might try Allegra one of these days since Zyrtec basically knocks me out, but still, Zyrtec makes breathing much more enjoyable in the morn...

Bike back! Passing! Get out of my way!!! These are all things you might hear when a cyclist is about to pass you on a multi-use trail. Or you might hear silence and then see a blur pass you almost clipping your arm off your body as a cyclist flies by you unannounced. I'm a runner, swimmer and cyclist and I'll tell you what, nothing frustrates me more than a cyclist who has bad manners on the multi-use trails, or anywhere for that matter. We all need to take responsibility for our safety and look out for those around us. Oh, and guess what? Sometimes we also have to admit when we are wrong. I am a woman of many distractions. Ask me about a plant and you will get a story about a tree and the bushes around the tree before I even mention the plant originally in question. Many years ago I lived in Hallowell, Maine and I worked across the river in Augusta. The only reasonable way to get to work was by driving through two traffic circles that intimidated the heck out of me. W...

I had the pleasure of watching a number of my friends race the race that they have been dreaming of. That sub two hour half marathon, a sub two hour and fifteen minute half marathon, PR after PT today! The best part was that I got to be on the sideline and have absolutely no shame in being there! I have had issues in the past with being the cheerleader at races because I always feel like I should be on the course doing what everyone else is doing. The reality is we all have to recognize our own goals and stick with them and be encouraging to each other along the way. It is no secret to my regular readers that I have fairly aggressive goals this year. They include a PR at my half marathon, finishing my half iron tri and some open water swimming events. I have taken a different tactic and rather than solely focusing on running I have been swimming and cycling. Someone asked me a couple of years ago if I would do something that I totally hated just so I could keep running and ...

And my cell phone saga continues, but that is another story! I headed out for a run at 5:30 this morning with Sue. If you haven't picked up on it, I have a couple of friends I run with often; Sue is one of them. We are training for the CapCity half marathon together and we have plenty of time to joke around, share our stories and I have a tendency to make things uncomfortable from time to time because I am the queen of TMI. Anyway, there is a tendency to struggle with your mind while training for any endurance event. I have been keeping a collection of stories from the trail or my life that have come from or impacted my training. I figured you would all enjoy a little TMI too... Chafing  On Saturday morning Sue and I headed out with our running club for a leisurely ten mile run. One of the things I have learned with endurance sports is that the mind is the biggest enemy but one you can certainly conquer with the right attitude or company. Well on Saturday morning m...