My first Tri - Lifetime Fitness Indoor Triathlon

Race Recap

Sometime around mid January I got bitten by the triathlon bug. That sucker was big too. I ended up signing on to two Sprint Triathlon's for 2014 - The Iron Girl Columbia Triathlon and the Iron Girl Rocky Gap Triathlon. In a way that was what convinced me to do the Iron Girl Columbia Half Marathon - you see there is extra bling if you do all three. Now there has been some controversy due to the fact TriColumbia (who ran the races) went bellyup - but I sure do hope we get our Triple Crown bling!

I figured I HAD to know whether I could actually hack any sort of Tri so I found this Indoor one put on by Lifetime Fitness and this cute graphic convinced me to click the submit button:

Anyway by the time I signed up for this Indoor Tri I had 5 weeks to train. As with everything else I do I went all out. I was swimming/biking and running like crazy. I had not been in a pool doing lap swims since maybe 1986 and I hadn't ridden a bike since 1994. I got a road bike and a Mag trainer and set it up in house and headed off to my fitness center which is about 2 blocks from my house as it was freezing outside and there was no outdoor swimming (I miss sunny SoCal!).

For the bike I just did a lot of miles - for swimming I worked my way up from gasping at about 1 length to being able to do about 4 without collapsing. I refreshed my stroke and realized, frankly, I'm probably all sorts of wacked doing it but I figured this indoor tri would be a great way to see if I was truly all out crazy or just a little crazy.

I got up race morning and ate my usual toast with nut butter. By this time I was fully vegan so no dairy or meat for me. I had my coffee and drank a glass of water and I was off. My "heat" started at 10am so I had plenty of time. I had easy parking and went to collect my bib, swim cap,  and t shirt and get marked up on my hands.

I had time to go and cheer on a work colleague who wave started before mine - so that was fun. Then I just kind of walked around nervous as all get out. I got ready to get in the pool with a couple of ladies I'd met in the locker room. Both had much more Tri experience than me - so they were great with helping calm the nerves.

The first part is the swimming - so we all put our caps and goggles and got in the water. It is a strange pool with not a ton of room - like 4 ft deep all the way. I managed to do 11 laps of the 25 yd pool in 10 minutes. Not great but hey I didn't drown - I'll take it.

Then we ran into the locker room and got changed for the bike. You bike for 30 minutes. I hopped on one in the cycling studio - first time I've ever been on a spin bike. There was a guy coaching, music playing, and Iron Man Kona (or World Triathlon Championships - I forget) on the big screens. Talk about inspiring! He led us through 30 minutes. I should say that, around minute 20, I figured out that to increase the resistance you rotate the red stop button (yeah cuz that makes a lot of sense..NOT!) and so I only went 7 miles - and could have done more. Lost some good points on this.

Next we were on to the running for 20 minutes. My favorite part!

I started off slow - but quickly figured out I should be pushing it. My legs were not tired at all because I had been pedaling fast but with no resistance (thank you resistance button) so I ended up with a negative split. I ran 2.2 miles in 20 minutes which is pretty good for me.

I think I came in about 20 up from the last in the ratings - but what counted is that I got a real taste of Tri and a feel for my strengths and weaknesses. I don't think I can say at this point I fell in love with Tri. In fact, given the issues with the race company for the Iron Girl's, I'm not even sure I'm going to do those races this year. I think my passion is with the running. However I'm not a quitter so I'm going to keep practicing and training because I know if I don't at least TRI I will be mad at myself.

I think the Indoor Tri is a fabulous way to let you get the feel of a Tri without the pressure of a full event. You really compete against yourself so there isn't a lot of stress (other than what you make). Lifetime is a great company and they do a great job with these events - in the long cold winter this is a nice option!

Baltimore Commitment Day 5K - How to start the New Year right!

Race Recap

I decided that 2014 was going to be my year to run. It seemed appropriate to start such a year with a formal run - enter Baltimore Commitment Day 5K. I had run two other 5K's as "test" runs in late 2013 (a Turkey Trot and a Jingle All the Way 5K) so I was well prepared - and I knew I wanted this New Year to be full of health and happiness.

The website had all the required information and it was pretty clear as far as directions. The cost was average and packet pick up was a breeze. The T-shirts were unisex and actually ran pretty big. I ordered a "M" but I probably could have easily done a "S" and so keep that in mind if you run it. The shirt is more t-shirt like and blended but doesn't feel so much like a Tech Tee. I really, really like it alot and I've worn it tons to work out. It's very comfy.

The race was in Columbia by the Lifetime Fitness. I have never seen such a Mega Gym with this type of class - everything was super gorgeous and made you feel a bit rich. They let us use the club to go to the bathroom and there was plenty of water around and parking.

The race itself was typical of MD - more rolling hills than steep elevation changes and nothing was too much but it was very steady. They had an aid station around 1.5 miles (or maybe 2) and I grabbed some water. I thought I would do my regular run/walk for this but I only walked to drink the water. I ended up with a time 34:14 and was very happy with it!

Afterwords we got banana's, bagels, and water. It was easy to get out of the parking lot and back on the road. They did have music playing but not really any sort of festival. This is a great way to start the New Year - not high key at all and something you can do for yourself. They have these races all over on New Year's Day and I highly recommend it!

Trail Racing - Getting Down and Dirty!

I have been running on some trails and I find that it feels so different than running on pavement. There is something about being outside with the trees and the insects and the just zen-ness of nature that makes me feel so much more noble than pounding some asphalt.

So far I've been running mostly only on pretty nice trails - nothing too technical. Just your average dirt trail, roots, rocks, and every once in a while an obstacle. One of the reason I moved to the DC area from Southern California was because of how green it is - the sheer amount of green everywhere you looked made me feel more peaceful. Of course when the humidity is so thick you can barely see the trees I rethink that decision.

I'm also drawing inspiration for trail running from a colleague of mine who runs Ultra's. Although my furthest run is the half marathon at this point who is to say where I end up? The trails engage me more physically than the road - and I find myself not as able to zone out. I'm more a part of my surroundings, leaving a footprint. No music, just my breath, the hum of wildlife (hopefully no roars!) and the air.

For 2014 the following races are on my schedule and I'm really looking forward to running more trails!

North Face Endurance Challenge - 10K June 2014
Dirty Damsel Trail Race 1/2 Marathon October 2014
Seasons Trail Race Series 2014/2015 10K

What this is all about....

Sometimes you have to get the crazy ideas out there. I mean not just in your own head. When I get into something I really get into it - and if I'm not careful it can consume my life in various healthy and unhealthy ways. The good news is that I'm trying to channel all that energy into obsessions that are good for me - sans sugar, couches, and happy hours!

I'd always had a bucket list - never formally written down but firmly entrenched in my head. I'm not sure when the goal of running a 10K before I was 50 made it to the list - but it's been on there for so long it was just a buzzing that steadily sounded as I clicked off the items on the to-do list. I don't know that I consciously thought much about this over the last, say, 20 years....but then all the sudden I was bucket list checking off and it hit me. I was turning 47. I had only 3 short years to accomplish that BLI (bucket list item). Now if you knew me IRL you'd know I am a give 180% person. Never quit. Never surrender. Fight the good fight until it's over. Never give up. Don't look back. Keep moving forward.

So there it was in front of me in flashing NEON letters - Run a 10k! That began the journey. Because I'm, well, me -- this journey is not going to be blogged in intricate running fashion. No Siree Bob. The meat of this blog (the only meat in my life actually since I'm a vegan) will just be me talking about running itself, the races I've done and plan to do, how training is going, how I'm managing to fuel on a plant strong vegan diet, and reviews of the products and services that have gotten me here and will get me there.

In honor of the recognition that sometimes setting foot on a path takes you somewhere you never thought you'd go the words of Bilbo Baggins are my mantra:

This is what you see when you open the door to my home. This blog is stepping into my home and getting swept away with me on this journey. Win, loose, or draw - you'll hear about it!