Friday, March 28, 2014

Catching up...Part 2

The sport of triathlon is so different from that of just running. So much more is involved and the training varies from day to day. I think that is what I have come to love so much about this sport in such a short amount of time. The sprint distance is so much fun. The half ironman distance is the challenge that the endurance junkie in me is seeking after being burned out on marathon training.
So, I signed up for my first half ironmant after only doing one sprint distance triathlon. Since signing up I have done a lot of training and two additional sprints for experience.
I am not scared about this race except for one little tiny detail. Enter the wetsuit. How do you breathe in one of these things?? This is the scariest part for me.
 
My first attempt and putting the wetsuit on and getting in the water. This lake was a balmy 56 degrees. I never could put my face in and my breathing was aful. I really thought that on this day in the middle of that lake I was going to drown. I made it back to the dock, barely. I only went like 230meters. It was aful.

This cheesy smile was before we got in the water. There were no smiles after we got out! Hopefully we will get in the lake once or twice more before race day. On the other hand, my bike training has gone very well. I am feeling stronger on the bike and I like it!

 This has been our longest ride of training and I was extremely proud of this ride and how I felt.
 



The weekend after Pacing for Pieces half-marathon I raced in the Parris Island Sprint Triathlon. This is the first race of the Set-Up Events South Carolina triathlon series and the kick-off to triathlon season!
 
We drove up to Beaufort after work on Friday and stayed Friday night. The drive wasn't bad but my nerves for this race sure were! I told myself I would never do a pool swim but to get more experience I had to. This swim was crazy but I survived and I am better triathlete for it!
 
It was a 500m pool swim, 10 mile bike, 3 mile run.





 
 

 
Swim -  13:53
T1- 2:44
(I took a nap aka tried to put on arm warmers while wet. Big. Mistake.)
Bike - 34:39
T2 - 1:41
Run - 21:57
 
I was 4th in the 30-34 age group (even though I am still 29).
 
It was such a fun day and a well organized event! I would totally do it again and I hope I can next year! Thanks set-up events! I am a runner now converted to triathlon!
 
The second event in the SC Triathlon series was the Columbia Downtown Triathlon. This one was close enough so we got up early Sunday morning and drove in to downtown Columbia on the campus of the University of South Carolina. The swim was in the pool where their swimming and diving team trains. I had actually never been in there so that was neat!
 
 
Packing for a triathlon is so stressful!! Look at all this stuff just for a half day trip an hour away from home! There is lots more involved than packing for a running race! So for the equipment junkie like me, I enjoy it!
 
This event was 500 meter pool swim, 10 mile bike, and a 3mile run.
 
 



 
Swim - 14:54 
(It took me over a minute to run from the pool to transition. It was so far away!)
T1 - 1:38
(No nap or arm warmers - yay!)
Bike - 32:52
T2: 1:26
Run - 21:41
 
1:12:28
Good for 4th place in the 30-34 age group. I am still mad that I am not 30 yet! Don't they know its bad enough without rushing it!!
 
This race was hilly but so fun! Another great event. I have two more weeks of training before the half ironman. Let's do this!!

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Catching up Part 1...


I am just not a good blogger! It is so hard to find time to blog. I am so impressed with those that can schedule posts and keep a daily blog post up! I am a wannabe daily/weekly blogger! :)
 
 
I am going to play catch up! A LOT has been happeneing since the last few re-caps I have posted. I have not blogged about it, but I am in the last stages of half-ironman training. My life has been all about swim, bike, run lately and I have loved almost every minute of it!
 
My first race of 2014 was the annual Polar Bear 5k sponsored by my church and my parents' sunday school class. It is a family tradition for us and the money goes to supporting a charter school mission that uses our church camp property. The school is closing so sadly this may be the last year of the Polar Bear trail run.
The fam after the race. I finished in 32:52. I had already run 8 miles that morning so I decided to run with my sister. I still ended up placing 3rd in the 20-29 age group.
 
 
 





I love this picture of my parents. My mom is obviously happy she is almost at the finish line! My dad is trying to act like he is not with her! :)
 
Next up, the weather! This crazy cold weather will make you do crazy stuff! We have gotten snow/ice two different times this winter which caused a 3-4 day break during the week. During the second snow/ice storm I was stuck inside my house for 4 days while my husband was away on a business trip on the other side of the world! SOOOOO.....this happened because I got bored:
ENTER: Little Sister Paisley
 
Big brother and new little sister!
 
I am crazy, I know but Patton needed a playmate during the day and I saw her and fell in love. She was born on December 22, 2013 and she was 8 weeks old when I got her. Patton wasn't sure at first about her but they have a good love/hate relationship now. They love each other so much but they love to play fight, growl, and roll all over each other! They keep us entertained, for sure!
 
She is the total opposite of Patton. She is sweet, cuddly, and so loving. She wants to be held and loved constantly! Although she has a mind of her own and can be a little fireball! We love her so much and I am so glad I made that quick on-a-whim decision to get her!






I love my babies so so much!

 
My mom's exact words when I told her Paisley was joining our family "That's not exactly the kind of baby I was referring to when I said I wanted you to have a baby." Obviously from the picture above she fell in love!
 
Up next, I ran my 14th half marathon on March 8, 2014. The Pacing for Pieces half marathon to support the Florence area Autistic Foundation. A friend and fellow runner puts this on in honor of her son who was diagnosed with Autism. She does an outstanding job and it was another successful event this year!
I ran a 1:44:47 which I was okay pleased with, but not totally. I know I can run better and I am working to get back to where I was. My mom and the husband ran the 5k!





 
 
After the half-marathon it was time to focus on the few sprint triathlons that I had coming up. I signed up for these in preparation for the half-ironman and I am so glad I did. They were so much fun and I am hooked. I love the sprint distance! Next up, my first few thriathlons of my career and this season!


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