Dream, Explore, Conquer

Time is a funny thing....

2011-11-17T07:03:00.000-08:00

New AW Tri Kit

It’s been almost 2months since Chesapeakman and tomorrow it will be 4 months since my mom’s passing. It seems like it has been forever for both. I would love to write and say how my training has been going so well and I am refocused and ready for my next adventure, but I can’t be ready for an adventure that I don’t have any energy for or even know what it will be.

I am writing this entry in hopes that it might help someone else not feel so alone in the grieving process and because it’s important for me to share for my own recovery.

My parents have always been supportive of my athletics...well maybe not the cheerleading...but cycling and running for sure! I said in my last post that finishing Chesapeakman was done for more than just myself, it was done for my family. Something happened during the time my mom passed to the time of my race. I never really started my grieving process. Sure I was sad, very sad. I cried everyday. My body and mind were exhausted. But in the end I was just sad. I could still get up each morning to train, I had a purpose. I often thought to myself...in the grand scheme of things, this grief process isn’t that bad...im doing ok...foolish girl!

5 weeks ago I started going to a support group for grief. It has really helped me look at the
different parts of grief and has given me some tools to work through my grief. Since my race I have had no motivation to do anything physically. I used to find joy in working out, now I don’t want to get out of bed. Work forces me to get up, and from there I am typically fine, but as the day wears on, my sadness deepens. It came to me a few weeks ago that this deep grief I am feeling is what I should have been feeling after my mom passed, not 3 months later. I have gotten into a terrible cycle. I am so tired in the morning that I don’t get up to run. I go through my day at work like a routine, I get in my car and drive home. It’s the hardest hour of the day because that was my time on the phone with mom. Then when I get home I keep myself busy, or I stay up way to late watching tv...I do this to avoid going to bed, because there I just think about my mom and it makes me too sad to sleep....then I am exhausted in the morning. In addition to that cycle, daylight savings has also occurred...so I never seen the sun, which is depressing in itself.

Since I have recognized that this is whats happening, I feel a huge weight off my shoulders. It all makes much more sense to me know. I am working through my grief and feel stronger. My drive home is still hard, but is getting much better. I am ready to get back to that crazy training person that I was, and so I have picked a race to train towards. I am still doing the winter series at Tyler State Park, but my long term race will be the Caesar Rodney Half Marathon. I don’t normally pay to run 13 miles, but this is a really famous race in the area and it’s a hard race because of the hills. It’s in March, so I still have time to really get into great shape!!

To wrap this up, my point of this post is to show that I am human and as dedicated I am to my training, and want to be successful even at the amateur level in my sport, it’s more important that I fix “me” first. Otherwise I will just be going through the motions and not really living the experience.

I always knew how tough and strong my mom was...but how I saw her fighting for her life before she passed, put that strength to a whole new level. So if one thing I can take from her passing is that you have to keep fighting and not just for yourself but for those around you that love you.

I am taking it one day at a time.

Another for the Story Books!

2011-10-04T14:16:00.000-07:00

A week has passed since Chesapeakman. I have hit the post race blues. Not really sure what to do with myself…besides think back to how my race went and nurse my stress fractured foot!

My training this time around like I said before was not like last year. I took a different approach, and with how crazy my schedule got, I had to be really flexible with my training. I prepared all my supplies during the week. I Sorted out and labeled my food into bags according to caffeinated/non-caffeinated food. I only wanted to bring what I needed, and not over pack. Our hotel room can with a microwave and refrigerator, so that was a hug plus, I could bring cold things.

John and I headed from my work on Thursday afternoon. Stopped for dinner at a Mexican restaurant, then headed to the hotel. Not much is in Cambridge, or the surrounding towns…except a lot of Walmarts.

After a great night’s sleep, John and I had a lovely breakfast in the hotel room made by myself. We had homemade waffles on my portable waffle maker. We gathered our bike gear then headed to packet pickup. You know it is a small race when the Expo is in a room the size of your living room. Oh well, on to ride some of the bike course.

After riding and checking out the course and T2 area, some of my family made it in town. Michele, Dad and Alycia. We hit a really cool seafood place for dinner then back to the hotel. All seemed to be going well. In bed early…

Around 2am, I awoke feeling very sick and spent the next few hours throwing up everything I had eaten in the past few days. I felt defeated…and I hadn’t even started racing. I tried to drink some Gatorade, that came back up and so did anything else I tried to put in my body. I thought it would be best to try and sleep it off.

4am wake-up: Still not feeling well, I tried to eat something. I made some waffles and could barely get half down. I thought it would be best to just drink an ensure (high calorie drink) instead of taking in solids. Dad, John and I left for the Swim start. As we were walking to the start, my stomach got sick again, and I was on the side of the road throwing up what I had taken in that morning. I honestly didn’t know how I would make it in to the water. John came into the bike area with me and made sure all was good to go with the bike. I got into my wetsuit and tried to take down a gel. I was able to. This is a good sign, I was starting to feel better. 1 more Gel before heading into the water and I was feeling even better. (Better is still an understatement!)

SWIM: The swim start was a mass start of all swimmers. The area where we started was pretty shallow, so you could actually stand instead of treading water, which was really nice. We did 2 1.2mile loops. Nothing too crazy happened during the swim, except that there were jellyfish!! Exited the swim in 1:19:09. Not great, but I’ll take it, considering I didn’t think I would even start.

Transition #1: 4:05

BIKE: I was looking forward to the bike, it’s my strongest area. Today, however, I didn’t want to be on the bike. I tried to take food in slowly. I wanted to make sure I built my fuel back up but wanted to do it gradually. The bike you typically ride in a race like this has bars the lay flat so you can get really aero and glide through the wind. Unfortunately the pressure that position put on my stomach made me feel very sick and I had to ride in an upright position 80% of the ride. That put me back prob 30min. I stopped about 25miles into the ride when I saw my Dad and John. I told them I didn’t think I could make it. They said to try a little further and they would meet me with a soda. Once I got a soda in my body, I felt much better. (Still all relative!) My cousin Marita, who also was racing that day, had a great day and caught up with me on the bike. We rode the rest of the bike portion together. It was nice to have familiar company. I had more soda in my special needs bag and drank it all…that seemed to be the trick! Bike time 5:59:03

Transition #2: 3:11

RUN: Happy to be off the bike, now I just need to muster out a marathon…. SERIOUSLY!! This whole Iron distance thing seems fun to talk about, but when you are depleted off all energy, it’s not fun. The sad thing is, my legs and muscular system felt great…I was just so tired, sleepy, groggy and according to John, very pail. But, on a positive, I felt so much better going into the marathon this race than I did in Louisville. I will take what positives I can get.

The run consisted on 3 out and back 4.2mile loops. It was very boring and nothing exciting to see. They had 4 aid stations, 1mile apart. I was feeling decent, knew I didn’t want to go out to hard…not that I could! I kept a steady pace of 9:00-9:20. My goal time was to run a 4hour marathon. I was lucky to have a running partner, Susan. She is an old college classmate of my sister in law Helena. Susan at one point was a professional runner, so I know she was bored out of her mind running a 9min pace with me, but I was beyond thankful to have the company. I was actually feeling better and stronger with each lap. Because of the lap structure, I kind of forgot that I was running a marathon! Crazy huh. As I approached the finishing shoot, I got all chocked up. I pulled out the picture of my mom that I kept in my shorts during the whole race and crossed the finish line with her. My family and friends were right there waiting for me and I collapsed in tears in my Dads arms. Finish time: 11:29:02. Marathon time: 4:03:36

This race was not just about me and not just for me. This race was for my family and for my mom. This race was bigger than a finishing medal and shirt. This race was about survival, family and courage. This race was everything that my mom was and everything that her spirit and family carry on today. I only got to the finish line today because of the strength that my family, friends and my mom gave me. The encouragement from my dad at the start, the unbelievable support on the bike and run from my husband John and new friend Susan and the loud cheers and creative posters from my family and friends on the side of the road. I can’t thank them enough for being there for me, standing in the cold drizzling rain all day, supporting and encouraging me.

Big THANK YOU to Beth at AdventureWoman for sponsoring me again and helping make this race possible.

And A HUGE THANK YOU to my husband John who stuck by me, through all my training, days of tears and days of successes, supporting me, loving me and always having faith in me. I LOVE YOU.

What's in store next is still up in the air. I have gotten another sponsorship, not sure how I keep getting them. This one is with CCN Sports, a sports clothing company. I am working with them on perfecting their tri gear. Planning to do the Winter Running Series at Tyler State Park. I am looking to do more half Ironman distance races and see if I can get into Kona...that is my ultimate goal. For right now though, I will spend so much needed time with my husband, step-son and my neglected house and dog!

A Labor of Love

2011-09-06T07:13:00.001-07:00

As I headed into the Labor Day weekend, and my last big weekend of training, I was feeling strong and really motivated. I had some great workouts, getting some good sleep and my overall attitude was very calm. For the weekend, John, Puma and I would be heading down to Perryville, MD. We rented a house with 6 other couples and there kids, along the northern most part of the Chesapeake Bay. It was a large house, right on the water with really pretty views. My goal for the weekend was to get in a long bike, medium swim and a long run.

Saturday morning was a little rough after not the best nights sleep. My brothers, John and I headed out on the bikes, only to be surprised by the very hilly terrain of Perryville. We were all expecting a much flatter ride, but that didn’t happen. I planned to sit in the first half and conserve and ride all out the second half, much like my race day plan. With a flat tire from myself and Travis, we ended up cutting the ride a little short, since we didn’t have any more spares tube left...and we did not really know the area. So, I made the most of it and rode as hard as I could back home. I quickly transitioned into my wetsuit and John and I headed out by Kayak into the Chesapeake. I won’t lie, I was nervous about the swim. The water was a lot choppier than I would have liked. I didn’t know the body of water, so I was unaware of what might be swimming in it with me! I sat on the Kayak, and John paddled me far enough out so I could start my swim. The plan was 15 minutes out and 15 back. I encountered tons of seaweed which really creeped me out. The current was coming from my right side, and the swim out was hard. When I did turn, it felt easier as my breathing side was not going into the crashing chop. John Kayaked beside me the whole time. I was concerned with getting run over by a motor boat, as I did swim in the middle of the day. Workouts done, now time to hangout with the babies and eat lots of food!!

Sunday came my big workout for the weekend, a 20miler. This would set my longest run for my training so far. I had done plenty of 15milers and 18milers, but not a 20. I also had done all my long runs on shorter/multiple loops where I could stash water and I ran with people. This run would not be so kind to me. I was running on hilly, unfamiliar terrain. I mapped out a run ahead of time. I rode a portion of the run on Sat on my bike, so I knew some of it. I wore my tri kit and a fuel belt with 3 flasks and my pouch to hold my map and food. I wanted to simulate race day as best I could with my gear. It was a hot day, so I knew I needed to keep hydrated and take my salt tablets to prevent cramping. I planned to take them every 5 miles, take Tylenol at mile 10 and eat a gel every 30min. I kept to the plan and I paid off. By mile 10 I entered into a town called Perry Point. I stopped at a Pizza shop to fill up my water and get a coke. Since I was running in the middle of know where, I thought it would be best to stop and refill when I had the chance. I am glad I did because, the only thing I passed on my way back was a yard sale. I only had half a flask by that point, so I stopped and the two ladies who ran the yard sale were so kind and gave me 2 cold bottles of water. They were my shinning angels. With cold water on my belt and over my head, I made my way back with only 5 more miles of running. I felt great the rest of the way in. As I was running down the gravel road to the house, I see John driving towards me. He was getting nervous that I was still not home. I did get lost once and stop twice. I did not factor that into the time I told the group it would take me. I recovered great from the run and my legs are not sore. I really needed that run. It was such a positive uplifting day for me. I ran 20miles, by myself, in unfamiliar territory, in the hills on a hot day. What a great mental and physical boost.

I will start my tapper next week. I still have a long ride on Sunday, but no more long runs. 3 more weeks until race day....I am sooo excited. I will have so many people out cheering me on, which makes me work that much harder.

Have an awesome week!!!

A New Reason To Race!

2011-08-15T08:57:00.000-07:00

My First Triathlon (My family & friends to Support me!!)

It has been a good while since I have last posted. I am still in full swing with my training and still competing at Chesapeakman in 6 weeks. Life sometimes takes you but storm and hands you a new set of cards and it’s up to you to decide how to play them.

My training this year has been much different than last year. I had different priorities and time last year than I do this year. I am focusing more on the bike portion, and have really developed that very well. I am riding strong and have developed a new love for the bike.

Being a new homeowner has taken up a ton of my free time, so I don’t have the luxury of coming home from a training ride/run and resting the rest of the day, I know work on house projects with my husband, and it’s exhausting.

Overall I feel strong and very excited to race. Im excited to see what I can do on a flat course. I am shooting for 12hours!!

My friend Larry gave me a book recently on the triathlete Chris, McCormack (Macca). It talks about his career and how the press and other athletes perceive him. He also talks about how the death of his mom affected him and gave him a new reason to race. At the time I read that part of the book, I was on a plane to Florida to visit my mom in the hospital, who passed away a day later. My mom was one of my biggest supporters. She read this blog religiously; even when she knew what my training was that week because we spoke on the phone every day!! My mom died from complications of Pulmonary Fibrosis. She couldn’t breather, so now I breathe for her and race for her. It would be so easy to quit training and racing, but what good would that do for anyone, and I know it’s not what my mom would have wanted. So now I race in honor of her. I know she will be there with me, through all the challenges and successes. And my dad is even flying up from Florida to come see me race too, it’s going to be a great day.

You always read about people who race because they just beat cancer, or lost a leg, or lost a ton of weight, well I race for those can’t, and I race for those who lost a loved one, because we race each day and are challenged with the grief monster. Someday the monster is easy to beat and others it’s not, but you get through it.

I am hoping the rain lets up here so I can get out on the road, but if it’s inside on the trainer, than so be it. At least I have a new bike to ride thanks to Michele and Travis!!

Talk to you all Soon.

Where has my training gone?

2011-05-31T08:08:00.000-07:00

First let me start off by saying that I finally met Beth from AdventureWoman, in Florida of all places!! It was so great to finally meet such an amazing woman.

I thought going into this race that I would have so much more time on my hands with the wedding behind me…then we bought a house! Anyone who owns a home knows, understands and can be compassionate to a new homeowner. We did not buy a turn-key ready home, we bought a home that needed a ton of work, and that’s what we did. I was lucky to have all the base from the Marathon to hold me over, now it’s serious crunch time.

With the house, family and travel, my training has not been as structured as it was. That is a good and a bad thing. It is good because I know what I need to do and focus on, and it’s bad because the lack of structure messes with me mentally. This week I will be back on track.

This go around, the important aspects of my training will be the cycling. I am a good swimmer and need to keep it up, but it is not my main focus and will not be the make it or break it of the race. Since the bike portion of CM (Chesapeakman) is flat, I can really make up some time. That is where my focus is, and what I have missed most this winter. I have been getting some long hard rides in, starting in FL with the MS150. One day was 93 miles and the second day was 62. This past week I commuted to work, did group rides and got some great long rides in over the weekend in the hills of bucks county. I mixed in some running and my first lake swim of the season. I felt great in the lake, and will be out again on Friday.

The race is 3 months out and I am getting pumped. I still have another month until I am fully satisfied with my training, but I am not dissatisfied with my training thus far. I have an Olympic Tri I am doing in July that I want to podium in, that will be the test of my training.

Dad’s in town this weekend and next weekend is another MS150, this time in Virginia with Team MS is BS, riding with my sister Michele and Alycia and superstar Dad!!

Hope everyone had a great Holiday Weekend.

Dream, Explore, Rest, Buy House, Train!

2011-04-06T08:45:00.000-07:00

Life never stops. 2 days after the National Marathon, John and I closed on the house. The very next day we started small demo on the house. I scheduled a recovery week from training that week, but let me tell you, it was no rest. Construction work is hard. Painting works your upper body, your hands, fingers, etc. The bulk of the work on the house is almost done. With that my "rest" week is over and my training will resume. Since I have the base from the marathon training, I can jump right into block 2 off the Chesapeakeman training. I am using my program from last year, but with a few modifications.

I will be focusing more on swimming and cycling for the first phase to try and give my tailors bunion a little rest. I am excited to get back into the pool, and before long the water will be warmer and I can get into the lake. The weather has been funky here. Rain one day then hot the next. Today it is in the 40's but I still wore flip flops, it's spring and I want to flip flop away.

I am also very excited to mention 2 things. The first is that I will finally get to meet my sponsor, Beth from Adventure Woman next month at my friend Kelley's wedding. We have spoken in email and phone, just never in person. And the other thing is that I got a new bike! My sister Michele and her husband Travis gave me her old Specialized Ruby. It's a beautiful bike that I will get so much use out of. Again, I am the luckiest girl ever to have such great people in my life. I joke that I am the goodwill child! Can't wait to ride my new ride!

Hope the weather has been nice for everyone else. Swim time tomorrow!

Marathon...Check

2011-03-31T09:19:00.001-07:00

Saturday was the National Marathon. The weather was forcasted to be in the low 30's with rain or snow! Not fun. I left work early on Friday to drive to my sisters, no traffic and only one pit stop. Got to DC just in time to see Izzy and Davis before they went to bed.

Saturday morning was an early rise at 5am for a plate of tasty french toast. Travis was nice enough to get up early on his day off to drop me off by the stadium. The temps were better than expected and I was able to wear my favorite race day shorts. I also pimped out my Boston Marathon running shirt...bragging rights!

The race start was setup in corals, based on your entry time. I was in the 2nd Coral. The first only had about 50 runners, so that meant I was right at the front.

As the race got underway, I looked for the first mile marker, did not see it. I did not see it until 5, then i think I saw it at mile 11. I was not able to know what my pace was, not good. At the halfway point I saw Michele, Alycia, Izzy and Davis, that was the best halfway point cheering section ever. Just a few miles down, Cara, Crista and Sammy Davis Jr, Jr. were out cheering as well.

For a wrap up without going into boring details, the race did not go as well as I hoped. I was shooting for a 3:23 but ended up with a 3:32. It would be easy to blame the course for not having mile markers each mile, or the rolling hills and bad wind, but I just didn't race smart. I went out to fast to early and I wouldn't say I hit a wall, I just couldn't go any faster. I felt fine for the most part, ate plenty, it just wasn't my day. This race taught me that it's ok to have a bad day, except it and move on. It is hard to do that but I have to.
With the Marathon behind me, it was now time to focus on the house! John and I closed on the house on Monday. With a few minor setbacks..like the people not being moved out, closing went well. We started Reno on the house Tuesday after work. So far we have spackled most of the holes in the walls, ripped out the 100year old security system, removed all the blue carpet, switch faceplates, vents, closets and more. With the house sitting for over a year empty, I was surprised to not find to many bugs. Hopefully this is a good sign that we won't have problems with bugs when we live here.
I am taking this week off from "scheduled" training, but will workout when I want to. Next week will be back to Chesapeakman training in full force. Oh and did I mention we are supposed to get snow this weekend!!! Oh geez.

March Marathon Madness!

2011-03-23T06:22:00.000-07:00

This Saturday is the National Marathon. Am I ready is the question you always ask yourself. My body is, I have put the training in, but my foot is a whole different story. The pain seems to change. First it started with bad blisters, then my bone looked to become inflamed. Soon after the the bottom of my foot hurt on pressure, now it’s the side of my foot that hurts. I don’t have shooting or stabing pain that would indicate that something is broken, my foot feels like it walked a theme park, and that feeling happens about 3 miles into my run. Most normal people would not go out and do a marathon in that kind of pain/annoyance, but I did not train in the snow in freezing conditions NOT to race.

***THIS JUST IN: After telling my friend that I was not going to the doctors before the race, I decided to go online and see if I could figure out what it was. Why I didn’t do this before, I don’t know. Under common running injuries, I found that I have a Tailors Bunion. A bunion is a swelling near the bone connecting to the big toe that sticks out at the side. In my case it is by the pinkie toe. The remedy, get it shaved down, or where shoes that aren't to tight and wear a bunion bad over it. I think I will go with the pad first, and see how it goes.***

With that being said, I think I’m going to have a great race. I just hope the weather is nice. This passed Friday we had temps in the mid 70’s, but down it is cold and raining, I even saw ice on my car window this morning. Regardless of what happens, DC I’m coming for you!

In more exciting news, John and I close on our first house a week from today!!! We have been busy packing the apt up and picking out paint colors! Can’t wait to get in and start something!

And in even more exciting news, with the weather being so nice I finally got outside on my bike. I got out of work early on Friday, so John and I went for a ride. It was so nice out, we rode to the Tyler State Park, rode by the new house and the best part of all, stopped at Ritas for an Gelati!!

Sunday was back out on the road for a 60mile ride in the hills of Bucks County. I road better than I thought I would, considering the last long ride I did was the Ironman!! It felt great to be on the bike and can’t wait for more.

I will talk to you after my race, hope everyone has a great week.

Fueling your way through a long run

2011-03-09T07:41:00.000-08:00

I am always so amazed when I run with other people at how little they eat. On a short run, like 5 miles, eating is not an issue. Anything over 8 miles, you really should have water and somehting small. When you get into 20mile runs, you should be eating every 30-45minutes and drinking a fari amount of water with that. On my 20mile run this past Saturday, the conversation of pre-run eating came up. Everyone said what they ate, or what the didn’t eat. About half did not eat prior to running and the rest had a piece of toast or something to the same volume. I on the other hand would have (if I didn’t miss my alarm and oversleep and have to rush out the door) a plate of egg white french toast, a small cup of iced coffee, and depending on the length of the drive, half of a banana in the car and some Gatorade. What I would eat for breakfast was more than most consume on the whole 20mile run. Moving on, I watched how much people ate/drank during that run on Sat. I am amazed and jealous of how little others have to take in compared to what my body needs. I drank 24oz of water/Gatorade, 4 gels and a pack of Powerbar Gel Blasts. From the testing I did last year, I know that my body burns through fuel faster than most, so hydrating and eating needs to be a top priority.

With all the different fuel sources out on the market, how does one choose what to use?
I have tried pretty much every gel out there. Some that were made with honey, chocolate or espresso flavored ones. Clif Bar makes a gel wrapper that is more environmentally friendly with the tear off top that is still attached to the wrapper. The one consistent thing amongst most/all gels is the thickness of the gel. It’s hard enough for some people to even consume the gel with chalky flavor let alone the strange texture when you are training. Recently I have found a new product that does the gels the best, Powerbar Gels! The packs are small enough to fit into your short pockets or up to 5 in my fuel belt back, but packed with enough gel that fuels you through your run. The tangerine flavor ones that I had were spot on. It did not have a chalky flavor, but more of a natural fruit flavor. Even better, you did not have to spend half of your time trying to squeeze every last bit of the gel out of the pack like you do with a tube of toothpaste. These Powerbar gels are just the right thickness to squeeze out without effort and go down your throat without feeling like your swallowing a booger! I also am in love with the Powerbar Gel blasts. I wrote about them last year, but I just tried a new flavor that rocked my world, Lemon!! I had to remind myself that they weren’t candy, but energy food! I did see that they have a Cola flavor. I think that will be my next one to try.

Fuel and hydration is a personal preference. Flavor, texture, the right protein to carb ratio, etc. The biggest piece of advice I will give is to try them all until you find the one you like. Try them during training and not in competition. The last thing you want to do is try a new energy drink or gel during a race and your stomach not like it and cause you to perform less than what you could have. Race day is about racing, training is for just that training. You train your legs to handle the pain of a marathon after 112miles on the bike, but you also train your body to consume 3,000 to 5,000 calories for a 12 hour event.

I am 3 weeks from the National Marathon. All my super long runs are done, and I am heading into the home stretch. We bought our first thing for the new house this past weekend, a beautiful farm sink. Can’t wait to get it hooked up...after we get the keys to the house of course!

Only a few more days till the time change and every ones lives will be happier. Have an awesome week!

50mph winds and the Wiss!

2011-02-21T07:19:00.000-08:00

When I woke up Saturday morning, I thought I was back home in Florida in the middle of a hurricane. We had 40-50mph winds all day and into the next morning. There were trees knocked down, traffic lights out and cows flying through the air...ok well maybe not flying cows, but it was windy. I was lucky that my long run would be on Sunday and not in the middle of the crazy winds. John however rode his bike in this, and I was expecting to get a call saying he was in the hospital, but fortunately he came home unscathed!.

Sunday was my 20mile run. I was running with Kayla and Ed from the Moorestown Running group. I was so excited to have people to run with, and both of them are great runners. We met at Lloyd Hall and headed out to the Wissahickon. The "Wiss" as we call it, is part of the Fairmount Park system. It is 1,800 acres comprise of mountain bike trails, rock climbing, running paths, horseback riding and beautiful views.

For the 20 miles we were going to do an out-and-back course. From Lloyd hall to the begining of the Wis, it was 5 miles, then we would run 5 miles inside the park, taking us to the red bridge as our turnaround point, and back 10miles. I wasn't sure what the conditions of the trail would be, but we were hoping for the best. The first mile is paved, but once you start on Forbidden Drive, it turns into compact dirt/gravel/trail. As we entered Forbidden Drive there was a orange detour sign indicating a closed section, not sure what to expect we still moved forward. The closed section wasn't to bad, had to crawl under some stuff and go over, but nothing we could handle. There was still tons of ice and snow on the trails. Not much sun gets in, so not much had been melted. The worst part of it all would be the embeded foot prints. After we had run for a couple of days, people were back out on the trail on foot and bike and their foot prints had frozen, leaving craters all over the path. It was hard to get your footing and my knees and ankles were not happy.

Running is such a mental sport. When I run, I break it into sections. For this run it was comprised of 8 sections. Llyod Hall to bridge, bridge to concrete entrance, concrete entrance to forbidden drive, forbidden drive to red bridge and then loop it back. So you mentally know how far you have to go and have left. My watch can tell me that stuff, but I like to rely on my surroundings more instead of technology.

The run ended on a high not with a finish time of 2:44:00 for 20.75miles. That was an avg pace of 7:54/mile. I took it easy the rest of the day, epson salt bath and several meals and renting Sex and the City II. It was the perfect end to the weekend.

This week is a recovery week and a trip to DC for a baby room decorating extravaganza, baby shower and marathon course scouting. Can't wait!

More later on my workouts for this week!

Shorts, I ran in shorts....

2011-02-18T06:57:00.000-08:00

The past two days have been glorious. I ran outside in SHORTS! I can't get to excited, the temps are dropping, but it sure was nice. We even turned the heat off and opened the windows. I think Puma was the happiest of the bunch, nice long walk without a sweater on!!

I'm excited to have established a good group to run with. Last night I ran with Terry and Kayla out of the Moorestown Running Company. I hope to join them this weekend for my long run. They are both super fast and really positive, enthusiastic people. I also broke down and got a new pair of running shoes. Since I got to the group run early, I took the opportunity to speak with Ralph about my toe issues. I looked at the bottom of my shoes and knew exactly what my problem was. I roll my foot in when I run, but I have been wearing them to long that there was no more support inside and I started rolling my foot out, creating the blisters on the outer toes. I know my blisters and sore bone won't go away overnight, but it's the right step to recovery.

I am currently reading the book, "The Grace To Race". It's about a nun, Sister Madonna Buder. She is an amazing woman, runs marathons, does Ironmans, hikes and helps woman in need. Her book has become very inspirational for me. Not on a super religious level, but more on a "have faith" level. I really recommend this book to anyone who is struggling for inspiration for anything. Reading about her life and how she struggled and overcame obstacles really keeps my chin up. I also learned in the book to put tea bags on blisters, will try that tonight!

I have a 20mile run this weekend and off to the antique market/flea market for some scouting. I hope to get a booth when the weather gets nicer to start selling my baby items I have been making.

Have an awesome weekend.

My Head is Spinning

2011-02-15T12:42:00.000-08:00

The snow is finally clearing off the ground and the temperatures the other day were actually above 35 degrees. Could we be heading into spring... I dare to speak of it more! Instead, I have go where I hoped I would not have to go...spin class (dah, dah, dah, dummmm!!!)

The last time and only time I have ever taken a spin class was back in 2002, and was dragged there by a friend. When you live in Florida there is no need for spin classes, but in the northeast, that's a whole different story. I was getting tired of riding my bike in my living room, so I joined the loud, hot, sweaty filled spin room at the gym and spun away. I have always been a “sit in the front row” type of person, but with spin, I sit all the way in the back. I don’t agree with the instructor on what he has the class doing, it’s not how I would ever ride my bike on the road, so why would I train that way. So, I sit in the back to be out of peoples way and hopefully the instructor won’t be too annoyed when I’m not jumping up and down on my seat!! It is a great workout, but I am looking forward to more daylight and warmer weather.

I also have gone to a place that I never thought I would go and that is wearing a fuel belt while running. I used to just carry a bottle, but my hands get cold and it’s annoying. I was returning something at REI the other day and they had fuel belts on sale, so I got one. Besides feeling like a pack mule while running, I actually liked it. I always thought it was dorky and didn’t see the need for all that water, but now I do. I met John and Jordan at the park the other day, and I was able to carry food, my phone, keys, 16 ounces of water and not one thing in my hand. Every time I go out wearing my fuel belt, I feel like I’m going on an expedition, I’m learning to embrace the things I didn’t think I would want to!!

Training has been going. Not as well as I would have liked, but I’m getting in all the long, hard runs that I need. The marathon is in just over a month, and two days after the race, John and I make settlement on our first home!!! I had been holding off saying anything in print about buying a home because I didn’t want to jinx it, but it’s official, we bought a house!!!!

The house is the one I spoke of before, a 3bedroom twin, in a great neighborhood and across the street from the state park where I train!! There is a ton of work to be done, but whats training for an Ironman if I don’t have something big to do on the side!!!

Heading to the gym tonight for an hour on the treadmill, wish me luck!

Also, Happy Birthday to Beth Walz, President of Adventure Woman. Hope you had a fantastic day!!!

My New Enemy

2011-01-24T10:48:00.001-08:00

Since I have been an athlete I have been pretty much injury free. (right now I am knocking on lots of wood!) The extent of my injuries have either been a muscle tear in the quad or an agitation in my Achilles. Not to bad right? Since the Louisville Ironman, I have been fighting a bad blister on my left pinkie toe. It has now turned into a small island on my foot, that like a mood ring changes with heat! It is painful to the touch, burns and itches at times. It is no longer a blister, and really not sure what it is. The good news is, my new little enemy is not alone, it has a friend now and it's called my right pinkie toe! AWESOME. And then a third friend came to my big toe, and I'm not really sure what it is. At this point it is painful to run because of the friction, so for the first mile, I have to run through the pain until the pain numbs away. I can't wear any of my cute high heels because the toe box is too narrow, so instead I wear a very fashionable pair of sequin slippers...to work! (they sound ghetto but they are so cute, I didn't even know they were slippers!) I think it is time to go see a doctor and probably get a new pair of shoes. Yeah:(

On a happy note, John and I have found a house that we really like. Without getting into details of offers and inspections and stuff like that because I don't want to jinx anything, I can tell you a few things. One of my most favorite things about the house is the fact that it is 2 minutes away from Tyler State Park, my most favorite park. This is the park that I do my training in and take Jordan and Puma to. We can walk to the park from the house!! In addition to the park, it's also in an amazing cycling area, great climbs and no traffic. The school district is ranked in the top 20 in the state of PA and it's close to great grocery stores and sushi!! What more could I need....maybe new floors. We are so excited about this house and I will keep you posted.

My training has been coming along rather well. It's so crazy how I'm not as stressed about single digit weather and inches of snow on the ground and how it effects my training. Instead, I adapt and change things around. I know what I'm capable of and what I can do, which is making this go around more enjoyable.

I am on a recovery week this week, but since the weather was not kosher this past weekend, I will only take the end half of the week easy. We are supposed to get more snow on Wed, so I have sucked it up and decided to start taking spin classes at the gym. Not thrilled about being in a small stinky room with loud techno music and cheering people, but it beats riding alone in my house.

Hope everyone has a great week.

Snow, Sewing, Houses and More

2011-01-17T12:35:00.000-08:00

Training in the cold north has not been what it has in the past. I have really been enjoying it. Part of that is because I have a great group of people to run with. Last sat a group of us headed out in the snowy, cold weather. By the end of my 17 mile run, icicles had formed on my eyebrows and lashes. It was pretty amazing!

I am 10 weeks away from the National Marathon. I have been feeling pretty good on my long runs and have been running faster then what I should be. I'm really excited to see what time I will run.

My Chesapeakman training has also started. Last week marked the beginning of it. I will say last week was pretty tiring, but I know it's a matter of time before I get used to it again.

In addition to the training, John and I have been house hunting. We have been looking for our first home. It has been fun, exciting and stressful all at the same time. We have to be out of our apt by the end of April, so keep your fingers crossed!

I will have more to write soon, just wanted to check in while my head was above water. Hope everyone has a good week.

Marathon Training Has begun

2010-12-08T10:29:00.000-08:00

The winter is here, and my body is still not happy!
This will be my 5th winter in the northeast, and i'm still not sure how I feel about the weather.

Yesterday started my first official day of my training program for the National Marathon. March 26th is the race down and will be held in Washington D.C. I have trained for marathons before in the winter, but i usually didn't start my program until late February, but for this one, I will be running through the whole winter. In addition to the cold and the wind, there also isn't any light. Visibility is kinda important when running, especially if I want to avoid a sprained ankle. Since I want to avoid running on the treadmill as much as possible, I will be borrowing a head lamp from my cousin to use when running. It kinda looks like the ones miners wear, but not as bulky. I also wear reflective bands on my arms and ankles so cars can see me and not run me over. I know I will be looking forward to my weekend runs, even though they are the longest runs, I will at least have daylight!

The goals I have set for myself for the National Marathon are within reach, but still will push me in my training. I want to run a 3:20:00, that will give me a PR by 6 minutes and also a qualifying time for the New York Marathon. It's important for me to have a successful marathon, as it will help set me up for success at the Chesapeakeman Ultra Distance Tri.

My training for this week:

Mon- Off
Tue- Easy 6mi @ 8:38pace
Wed- XT/rest
Thur- Tempo Run 5mi with 3 mile@ 7:12pace
Fri- 45min Swim
Sat- 1hr Bike
Sun- 10mile run @ 8:38pace

I hope the snow stays away for as long as it can, I'm not ready for that yet:(

Have a great week everyone!

Ironman Vs. Ultra Distance Triathlon

2010-11-23T06:20:00.000-08:00

It wasn't until recent that I found out that there was a difference between an Ironman and an Ultra Distance Triathlon. When you look at the distance for each component they are the same and when you look at time to complete by, they are the same, and they both follow USAT sanctioned rules, so why the big difference. It's a little thing called Trademarking!

The Ultra Distance Tri I am doing in September is just that. It's not a part of the Ford "Ironman" Series. When I cross that finish line after 11+ hours, the announcer will not say, "Megan Howe, you are an IRONMAN!!" Is there a benefit of one over the other. Why will some people only do "Ironman" events and non other.

I think the thought that some people have, is that it's not an Ironman. Even though it's the same distance, same pain, same time training, because it's not called one, then it must not be as hard. Well according to Triathlete Magazine, the Chesapeakman Ultra Distance Tri, is listed as one of the top 10 hardest/best ultra distance events. There were only a few "Ford IM" events listed on there, so maybe there should be so much hype over a trademark.

Don't get me wrong though, I am not knocking that series by any means. My first IM was a Ford series event, and I did it because I wanted all the lights, and more so to hear the announcer say in front of everyone that I was an Ironman. But now that I have done that, experienced that, I have new priorities. I want to cross that finish line and have my family see me do that. So I picked a race not only for it's logistical location, but also because it is such a well run and organized event. At the end of the day, it doesn't matter if there is a TM next to the them, you are still swimming 2.4 miles, biking 112 miles and running 26.2 miles. That in itself is awesome.

Yesterday I registered for the National Marathon in Washington DC. I wanted to do a few races this year before the big one, and I also needed extra motivation have a successful winter training as well. The marathon is at the end of March, so that will leave my training for some nice snowy days! There are a few things I will need to invest in for the marathon training. Winter running shoes, head lamp for running in the dark, and blinky reflective arm and ankle bands so cars don't run me over! I really don't want to spend all my training in the gym, that would be terrible. My official start date for the Marathon training is December 6th and the UDT (ultra distance tri) will be January 3. I have already written my marathon program out and have started to write the UDT program. John and I will be traveling to Florida in May to ride the MS150 Charity bike ride for Multiple Sclerosis with my dad. More about that later!

On a final note, I am so happy, excited, proud, oh and excited that I will have a training partner and a day of-suffer through the pain partner at the UDT. My cousin Marita is doing Chesapeakman. You will be hearing a lot about her, because we will be training a lot together.

I hope everyone has a happy and safe Thanksgiving holiday. My family will be celebrating our Thanksmas holiday (not sure if i ever explained that). Can't wait to see the family.

All the Peas are married!!

2010-11-15T11:37:00.000-08:00

This weekend I not only got to see my friend Crista get married, but I was her "day-of-coordinator." I got to help run the show, which was so much fun. I love being in control and telling people what to do...

anyways, back to Crista. Crista was the last, but not least Pea to get married. What is a Pea?

The "Peas" are a group of friends who will grow old together and their kids will become great friends. The Pea's started with my sister Michele and her best friend Cara. They went to High school together and didn't like eachother, but once in college at the University of South Florida they became best friends, eventually moving to Washington DC, to join the other half of the Peas, Crista and Kate. Crista and Kate were also college best friends at Stetson University in Florida. The four of those girls created this bond that was unbreakable, regardless of the different guys or friends that came and went and some that stayed, there friendship lasted.

As an outsider to the group, we wondered what would happen when the Peas would marry off and start to have children. My sister Michele was the first to get married, and the Peas still stood by. Then Cara got married followed by Kate with Crista closing up the deal. The friendships are still just as strong as in the beginning and they have even added a new member, my sister-in-law Alycia. They recently performed Mambo Italiano for Crista and Firoz at the wedding, and it was a smash.

I guess where I was going with this the importance of friends and support. And to cherish those friendships and treat them kind. At some point during my training, each one of those Peas's helped and supported me, and I am so lucky to have them.

Aside from the awesome wedding, the rest of the weekend was filled with awesome food and hanging out with family and the babies. Oh how I love the babies.

Thanksgiving is almost here, and for our family that means we will have our "Thanksmas" so I have a lot to get done. I am looking for a turkey trot to do on thanksgiving day as well.

Gobble Gobble.

The Winter is approaching

2010-11-10T12:04:00.000-08:00

(costume I made for Crista's 80's theme bachelorette party)

The winter is hitting us early here in Philly and I am not very excited about that. With day light savings in effect, I can already feel the on-set of my winter depression beginning. This will be my 4th winter in the north and I am still not used to it or even close to embracing it. Thank god for training and UV lights, otherwise I would be 15 pounds heavier, paler and severely depressed.

I am still at the same place with my "limbo training" as I call it. I run when I can and want and occasionally lift, but more for the joy and not for specific reasons... well... and so I can still eat the same amount as before without the weight gain and the guilty feelings!!

I am starting to narrow some things down I want to do with my program next year and have been looking into new programs and training tips. I have even had some dreams about the open water swim in the ocean... it's always a good sign that your heads in the game when you start dreaming about the training, especially for it has even started!

I will come out now and admit that I am very nervous about the ocean swim at Chesapeakman. When John and I were on our honeymoon, I did some swimming in the ocean and I didn't really enjoy it. I felt dehydrated very fast. Not because I was drinking the water, but water does get in over time and it dries you out. Also I have heard the currents are very strong in the bay, so that concerns me too. The only positive thing, is that the swim portion is two loops, so you actually exit the water then have to re-enter. I will have to make sure to get several ocean swims into my training.

John and I are approaching our 6month anniversary of being married (don't get nervous we don't really celebrate) and it's crazy how time has really flown by. Married life is good, not really any different than before except all the name change and the financial. You can't just go spend like you did before because it's mutual money. That has been an adjustment... more for me than John!!

This weekend, we are heading back down to D.C. to watch our friend Crista get married to Firoz. I am excited to be her go-to-girl for the day, making sure everything is in the right place looking perfect. I also get to see the babies and steal them from there parents!!!

Have an awesome week!!

What to do with all this time?

2010-10-18T13:46:00.000-07:00

(pictures from the Nations Triathlon - Took 5th in age group out of 300+)

50 days have passed since the Ironman but it seems like a year. With all of this extra time on my hands what am I supposed to do?

I have heard that brides go through a small depression/post-wedding blues phase after the honeymoon. I did not experience that because I had my training to keep me busy. I didn't go through the post-IM blues either because I had an Olympic Distance Triathlon only 2 weeks after the IM. But I will say I am going through some blues right now... and it's awful.

I know all the pro's to taking a break from training and resting. I understand the mental and physical benefits of it all. I know with the break it will allow John and I to enjoy being Newlyweds and for me to get to crafting jobs I've had on my list to do. But at the end of the day I miss the training and having that goal to keep me focused. I feel like I've gotten really lazy in many aspects of my day-to-day life and I'm not happy about that at all. I know when I start my official training in Jan I will be happy that I took it easy, but right now I can't appreciate it.

I think what I need to do is set some short term goals for myself, but not make it too crazy that I am tired before my training starts.

Here are a few things I want to do before Jan:

1. Re-Design my training plan for Chesapeakman.
2. Pick 2-3 smaller races to do throughout my training
3. Do 1 running race before Jan (maybe a turkey trot)
4. Workout 3-4 days a week for FUN!
5. Make tons of cute things for my Niece and Nephew!!

I know that Jan will be here before I know it and I just have to be patient. Luck for me, John has started his CycloCross season, so our weekends will be spent at the races which is nice. Only if I could find a cross bike small enough for me to borrow, I would love to give it a go!

BIG THANKS!

2010-09-09T13:10:00.000-07:00

So many Thanks… (in no particular order)

My Husband John: For all the countless hours dedicated to my training, pasta dinners, leg massages, cleaning of my bike and being the best cheerleader ever. Seeing you while I was running the marathon gave me the strength to fight through the pain. I love you so much.

Beth Walz and Adventure Woman: For taking me on as your sponsored athlete, a friend and a great role model. Without the help from you and AW, my road to Louisville would have been even harder.

My Family & Friends: For all the constant support, pep talks and care packages. I am so lucky to have such a supportive family who never questions why I want to do the crazy things I do, instead they are always standing by my side.

Michele Coleman: You are my other rock, you help keep me grounded and focus on the road ahead. You are the best sister ever, thank you for always having faith in me and being there when I needed you.

Travis Coleman, Mike Esmonde and CycleLife USA: For the attention I get when I come to the shop, the great work done to my bike from the Awesome head mechanic Mike Esmonde to the bike fitter Josh Frick and performance tester Eric Sorrenson. They all helped give me the tools I needed for success.

Pat Walters: For the Zipp 404 Wheels and Power Tap to help ride me to the next part of the race.

Centennial Lake Friends: For the awesome 5:30am swims in the lake. Big thanks to Frank Maneri, without him I would not have had a lake to swim in. Larry Friedman for taking the time to share his knowledge from his Louisville IM experience and for Karen for being my invisible carrot during the swim portion of the IM.

Helena Esmonde: For running with me in all kinds of weather conditions, at all sorts of crazy hours in the morning. Thanks for giving up many of your Saturday mornings!

My Cycling Friends: Pete, Frank, Don, Pam, Mark, John, Pat W, Marita for riding with me, listening to me talk about my training and usually riding what I needed to ride for my training. You guys rock and I hope to return the favor.

Pete Howe: For always having water for John and I on our long rides so we could fill up and not have to stop at stores.

Don Hard: For lending us his GPS for the travel out to Kentucky

Puma Howe: For not getting mad when I could only throw the toys from laying on the couch cause I was wiped out from my workout!

Dave Howe: For Always watching Puma when we go out of town... you rock!

For anyone I missed who might have helped me along the way, Thank You.

I AM AN IRONMAN!

2010-08-31T12:36:00.000-07:00

I AM AN IRONMAN!

It feels so amazing to say those words and to know that it’s real, and oh yes were talking about me. What a long an awesome journey. I feel such an immense sense of accomplishment and pride. I am not often proud of myself, but the moment I started that swim and crossed the finish line, I was more proud of myself than I have ever been.

The low down, break down, muscle spasming tale…

The enviroment in Louisville was filled with excitement, fear, courage and dreams. You see people there from all walks of life, different ages, and of different physical abilities. Everyone was there for there own personal reason. With the exception of a few bad seeds, every competitor was really nice and when they would find out I was a first timer to the IM, they got excited and would share everything they knew with me.

Race Day: Super early wake-up, not that I felt like I slept! Had a hot bath to get the legs woken up, ate some french toast then headed down to the transition area to drop my bottles off before walking a mile to the swim start! It felt really official when I got my body marked with my race number. Then it was off to wait in line for the next 2 hours!

The cannon shot of at 6:50 for the pros, followed by the age-groupers at 7am. What a great sound to hear, everyone is cheering and getting amped up. Before I knew it I was jumping in the water and starting my swim with 3,000 other people. It’s important to keep calm during the first half of the swim, because there is so much congestion you feel like you are going to drown with people swimming on top of you. About a mile in I noticed my timing chip on my ankle did not feel secure and as I went down to tighten it, it came of and started floating away. It was like in a movie, in slow motion. I was able to get it, try to attach to my wrist, after that failed I put it in my shorts. From there on I felt great during the swim and was right on my target time.

The transition from swim to bike was easy. I just had to put my CycleLife top on and the rest of my gear. I was super hungry during the swim so I quickly ate a Clif Bar and drank some liquids.

My bike started off great, I was feeling good. Aside from my stomach feeling funky from eating and drinking to fast, I felt good. John found me all over the course and had signs to hold up that Michele and Cara made since they couldn’t be there. It was Awesome. Mile 80 was the downhill point of my race. I started experiencing dehydration and my legs took the brunt of it. It started with muscle spasms in my right quad to the point where I had to get off the bike to stretch and massage it out, 3 miles from the transition area. I rode one-legged the rest of the way in, took it easy in the transition area and tried to compose myself for the run.

The marathon was the hardest run I have ever done. My legs are still spasming and I am not able to have an open stride like I usually do. I would take as much liquids, salt tablets, bananas, and cold water sponges as I could at each Aid station. Every mile was an aid station equipped with all sorts of things, and I went through them all. I would shove 4 ice cold sponges in my top and poor a cup of ice to keep my core temp down, drink water, Gatorade and around mile 15 I started in on the cola and chicken broth. That really helped. I was feeling better so I tried increasing my pace, but the spasms started coming back. I had gone through all my salt tablets, so John rode his bike back to the hotel to get me more. I was able to get some from fellow competitors while I was waiting for Super John.With 4 miles to go you can start to see the final destination. The last mile was filled with so much excitement, happiness, joy, emotion and satisfaction. I did it, I crossed the finish line, did a ballerina twirl followed by a curtsy and became an IRONMAN.

The rest of the night I was on cloud 9. John was amazing, the best husband ever. He ended up getting about 50 miles in on the bike and tons of walking!

It is now 8pm on Monday and we have been in the car since noon. My legs and lower back are tired but I am still mobile. Since I have an Olympic Tri in 2 weeks I will get on the bike tomorrow to spin my legs out. The next 2 weeks I will take nice and easy.

A question I have been getting most often after the IM is, “will you do another and if so which one?” The answer is HELL YEAH and the race is still up in the air.

Thanks again to Adventure Woman, Friends and Family and mostly to John.

And in case you were worried that the blog would end when the IM did, great news, AW offered me another year of sponsorship, so keep tuned in because this little turbo isn’t going anywhere except to get more food and to the next race!

Journey to today

2010-08-27T17:38:00.001-07:00

The journey to Louisville really started 5 years ago. I made a
personal promise to myself that I would compete and complete an
Ironman within the next 5 years. I knew then I would be able to finish
the bike with no problems, it was the run and swim that I would have
to conquer. Having only done 3 sprint triathlons (in 2001) prior to my
set goal, I had a long road ahead of me.

Soon after I told myself I would do an Ironman in 5 years, I went back
to school full time, moved to Philadelphia and entered a whole new
battle field, the COLD. Living as an athlete in Florida you are
spoiled by year round training. There were only a handful of times it
was to cold to train, moving North, I would soon experience that I
would have to find a new sport for the winter.

My body, more specifically my hands and feet get cold, fast. After
many different warm gloves, creams, and several doctor vists, I was
told I have Renards syndrome. It simply means I don’t get adaquet
circulation to my hands and feet. Living in Florida, I never would
have had a chance to figure this out. This makes training on my bike
very difficult in the winter. So, I took to running.

My cousin Marita, and roommate at the time and my soon to be
sister-in-law were runners, so I ran with them. I was inspired
watching Helena run her first marathon, that I set out to run my first
the following year. I wanted to qualify for the Boston Marathon in my
first shot and I did. The next 3 years I ran 2 more Marathons, and 1
Duathlon.

I knew at Boston when I crossed the finish line that the Ironman was
looming on the horizon. Having the confidence to successfully get
through the two largest portions of the IM, I knew I could do this. At
this time I had finished school, graduating at the top of my class and
was fortunate to land a job shortly after graduating. I had nothing
stopping me now. What better time than now, So I registered. I ran 1
more marathon before my official training would begin in December. I
started my training out on a high note, Setting a personal record at
the last marathon by over 14 minutes! I was off to a great start.

37 weeks ago my training began. You have all been there through this
with me. Supporting me, sending me care packages, going on training
rides, runs and swims, all to help me with my own personal goal. I
sometimes wish I had some large noble cause to be racing for,
something bigger than my own personal goal, and I can only say this. I
race for myself because I can. Because I have been blessed with the
physical ability too. I race for my family and friends and I race for
those who can’t. I race because I am a woman and how awesome it feels
to blow by a guy! I race because I just love to do it.

In less than 72 hours I will be jumping into the Ohio river started my
first of many Ironmans to come. I can’t wait!

--
Megan Marie Howe

IRONMAN or Bust!

2010-08-26T05:51:00.000-07:00

Week 37, the last and final week. The Ironman is almost here. Weeks and weeks of training, many bananas eaten and who only knows how many pairs of stinkin' goggles I went through until I found the right pair!

I AM SO EXCITED!!!!!!

Over the weekend I felt a cold starting to try and make it's way into my body, but I kicked it out and hibernated as much as I could in my bed, resting and taking plenty of Vitamin C.

I feel good this week. Trying to keep off my feet as much as possible, eating enough and not doing killer workouts. My coworker Laura asked me yesterday if I made a binder for the trip (i love making binders for anything!) and not letting her down, I pulled out the binder that had detailed maps, schedules, checklists and more checklists. I have spent way to much time to get to KY just to have forgotten something or to be stressed about where a place is and how to find it. I am prepared in my training, I want to be just as prepared in my packing and traveling!

With my lists all made, all of my clothes neatly laid out on the bed, the only thing left to do is pack it all up. I wanted to wait until my last workout was complete before putting everything in the bags, and it's very gratifying to check things of the list as I put them in the bag!

THE PLAN OF ATTACK!

John and I are leaving for KY tonight at midnight. I am leaving work early to pick up a few more things from the store, ice then a quick dinner, pack and bed. We hope to get a few hours of sleep in before we leave.

Friday 12pm - We should arrive in Louisville no later than 12 and we will check into the hotel. Unpack, get situated then head down to the Galt house where athlete check-in is. After this if I have time and feel the need, we will go for a super easy ride to get the junk out of the legs from the car drive. Then it's off to Cararaba's thanks to my awesome parents. 7:30pm is a mandatory athlete meeting, then it's off to bed.

Saturday- Get a great nights sleep, eat some french toast in the room thanks to the handy dandy electric griddle that Helena let us borrow then off to the open water swim (still debating) then a quick ride of the run course and back for lunch. Before dropping the bike off at the transition area, we will check the bike over, put the race wheels one and head it down by the mandatory 5pm check-in time. After that is dinner, epson salt bath then bed.

Sunday- 12am midnight snack of Ensure then back to bed. 4am wake-up followed by a french toast breakfast. Head down to transition area, get my body numbered 232, check the tire pressure on the bike, attach computer to bike, put bottles on then head a mile down to the swim start. Since the start is first come first serve, I want a good spot, close to the front.

7am- Race begins!

A number of people have asked if they can track me on the course and the anwser is yes. You can track it through the Ironman website, the link for the tracking is not up yet, you would put my race number in 232 and I'm also registered still in my maiden name ESMONDE.

ALSO, I did rent a gps tracking device that I will wear that you can track the whole time online. here is the link.

http://www.myathletegps.com/ When you get to the home page at the top you will see TRACK ATHLETE , select that.

The next page will have a list of events, Under LOUISVILLE IRONMAN you will see a list of athletes, select my name MEGAN HOWE, it will then open a window that looks like this.

On the right side will be names of other athletes, to view me, select my name and you will see me blinking on the screen. The MyAthleteTracking only tracks me, it will not give you race times, that you will still need from the Ironman site, and I will post when I find more.

ps. I am bringing my computer and will be writing my next post along the way talking about the course.

I will have email so please don't hesitate to email with words of encouragement!!! See you in Kentucky!

9 Days, 5 more taining days, 1 big event!!

2010-08-20T13:58:00.000-07:00

It's really happening. Next weekend I will be competing in my first Ironman, this is more exciting than words can even describe, I can't stop smiling and getting massive butterflies in my stomach!

My training has been great the past weeks and I am feeling really happy with where I am and what I will have to show in 9 days! Just a handful of days left to train and take in calories and get as much sleep as I can. No late nights, alcohol, cut down on the coffee and consume lots more water. The coffee thing is going to be tough!

Out of all the the 3 components of the Ironman, I find swimming to be the time in my training that I have most reflection on the past 36 weeks. Maybe it's because the lake where I swim at 5:30am in the dark is scary and I don't want to think about the possible creatures or dead bodies that could be lurking in the water, waiting for the right moment to attack me.... OR it's because it's so peaceful in the middle of the lake watching the sunrise, just me and the water. Regardless, it's a good time for reflection and I am so lucky to have so many AWESOME people to train with during my IM experience. The group of athletes I swim with at the lake have been some of the most supportive and motivational people I have come across in my time as an athlete. They have invited this sassy little girl into there circle, giving me advice, guidance and a great draft to swim behind! I know they will be with me in the water next Sunday swimming beside me every stroke, every breath until I reach that 2.4mile mark.

I have been really fortunate to meet people who have done Louisville in the past and one person in particular, Larry even took the time to take me out to lunch, bring all of his race materials from last year and share every piece of knowledge and advice with me so I have the BEST possible day ever. That lunch was one of the best things that happened with my training, and it tasted really good to... thanks Larry!

With 9 days to go, my training is slowing down. Last night I had a double brick, swam this morning, run tomorrow and swim on sunday. The intensity is lessing and same with the mileage.

Next week I will do even less. Off on Monday, easy bike on Tuesday, easy run on Wednesday and easy swim on Thursday. John and I will hit the sack super early on Thursday so we can be on the road by 2am Friday morning getting us to Kentucky around 1-2pm. The plan is to stop every 3-4 hours to get out an walk to keep the legs loose. I will also where the compression socks to help with the blood circulation. I won't do any working out on Friday besides the walking. Sat I will go for a easy spin on the bike before retiring it to the transition tent by 5pm which is mandatory. And Sunday is the big day of course!

I will break down all of the details in my next post... But I'm so Excited!!!!!

Holy training, only 20 days to go

2010-08-09T14:13:00.000-07:00

Me holding Davis for the first time!

Izzy, Davis and Caroline in the clothes I made them!

drinking pickle juice! helps prevent dehydration!

WOW! It seems like yesterday I started my training in the cold month of December. Now it is 100 degrees out and only weeks away from the big event. The question I get now is... are you ready instead of before "why are you doing it." To answer both, Yes I feel ready and because I love to push and challenge myself to the fullest.

With 20 days to go what is my training like?

I have started my taper. For those who don't know what that means in terms of training, it means to ease down in the volume of training without loosing the fitness that you have worked so hard at getting. Everybody is different in terms of tapering. I know for myself I can't taper of to much. I tend to lose my "pop" as I call it pretty fast, so I still need to be pushing the legs. I won't be doing 100 mile rides and 20 mile runs, but I will still be putting in some fair distances.

This past week was really hard, it was the first week of my taper and also the first week back from my recovery week. The week back from a recovery week is always hard, and luckily I have some really supportive people around me who keep pushing me through the pain. John and I were down in DC this weekend visting our new nephew and my godson Davis. Sat morning I ran 14 miles with the DC Road Runners and Sun did a group ride first then met up with Travis after to get more miles in. I really wanted to stop after the group ride and call it a day, but Travis helped me realize I just needed to push through it. I am happy I did and got 4 hours in on the bike. Thanks Travis!

I am pretty sore today. Had John massage my legs last night, and plan on taking an epson salt bath tonight. I am looking forward to this weeks training, I just hope this tickle in my throat goes away and doesn't turn into a cold. Lot's of sleep and vitamin C for me.

Training this week:

MON - OFF
TUE - Run - Track workout
WED - 2.5mile open water swim
THUR - Bike - Intervals
FRI - Swim -pool or lake
SAT - 10 mile run
SUN - 60 mile ride followed by 6 mile run

I know an event is getting close when I start having crazy dreams. They have already started for the Ironman... crazy is all I can say!

have an awesome week!

Sew much going on

2010-08-04T11:08:00.000-07:00

My beautiful Godson Davis, 1 day after he was born!

Michele (mom), Davis and Cara

I have been MIA for a bit. I swear life never slows down, and I don't do anything to help slow it down either. Here is where I'm at without boring everyone to death.

2 weeks ago I finished off on the Penultimate training phase of the program. That was a really intense week, rounding it out with a 112 mile ride in 100+ degree weather, 2 10 mile runs, long swims and some more riding and running.... it was awesome.

This past week was a much deserved and much anticipated active recovery. This meant, I only had to work out 3 days instead of 6! During the week off I caught up with some sleep, hung out with my husband and had an awesome weekend with my family up at my Godmothers house. My stepson Jordan is a little ball of energy, John and I are used to it, but it's fun to see others who aren't and are amazed at how he just keeps on going. It's awesome!

I also did a lot of sewing. I don't want to show what I made or say what I made just yet since the receiving parties follow my blog and I don't want to spoil the surprise, but I will say I impressed myself being a self taught sewer, and I plan to have an Etsy site up soon for people to buy my things! (Etsy is an online site for crafters to post there crafts to sell)

Current Standings:

Week 34 of 37 and 25 days to go!!!

I have just started my tappering. It's a pretty long taper but the way the program is set up, it makes sense. The next 2.5 weeks I will still be putting in the miles and hours, I just won't be doing 2-a-day workouts and doing the intensity.

I am getting really excited for the race. I have been putting together my binder that has everything could possibly need in it. List of grocery stores with detailed maps and directions to get there. My favorite restaurants, running stores, cycling stores, pharmacy... etc. As much as I would love to taste the local fare, I really want to eat what I know my body likes before the race and then after the race I will eat all of what Louisville has to offer!

I am also really excited to announce that my Godson Davis Jackson Coleman is finally here. He was born yesterday at 5:55pm in Maryland. He is so handsome and fully healthy. My sister Michele is also doing well and from what I heard, she rocked the delivery! John and I are leaving Friday to go see the little guy and I can't wait. Congrats to both Michele and Travis!!

I am looking for some good ideas to kill the time during our 12 hour drive to Louisville... please leave me suggestions.

Thanks everyone and a BIG THANK YOU to AW for an awesome care package I just got, with yummy oatmeal, dried fruit and nuts. Halfway through the sunflower seeds already!

later guys!

48 Days!!!!!

2010-07-12T08:17:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted since my interview with John. Of course SO much has happened since and even before that. I failed to mention that I just became an AUNT for the first time. My brother Michael and his wife Alycia had a beautiful baby girl, Izabella Ellen Esmonde June 23, 2010 at 5:30 pm. She weighed 7lbs 15oz. It worked out great that John and I would be attending a wedding in DC the same weekend that Izzy would be coming home so I got to see and hold her. I am in love with her.

This past weekend, John and I went down to DC again (twice this month) for a bike race. John races on my brothers team, and there bike shop was a huge sponsor of the race so it was important for John to be there. I also LOVE going to DC. I got to hang out with Izzy more and also help my Michele and Travis decorate their babies room. Davis is expected to come in 22 days!!!! And of course we will be in DC for Davis coming home... I am so proud and honored to be his godmother.

Training... oh right! The thing that consumes my whole life. I am 3/4 ways through my training. 2 weeks ago I had a pretty rough week. Not only are my workouts long and intense, but mentally I was getting pretty beat up. During a 20 mile run I had told Helena the doubts I was having about my training. I didn't think I was where I should be, I had been having some bad rides and weak runs. I knew I would finish the Ironman, I just didn't think I would do well. This was the lowest point I hit so far. During that run, Helena helped me realize something that I overlooked and always overlook no matter what I'm training for. I am at the point of my training that my body is tired, I am mentally drained and I want to stop... but I can't because the finish line is so close. I can't slow down my training, but I can't go to hard. I hit this hurdle before when training for Boston. I finished off that run strong, then went out and rode 73 miles the next day and felt great. The following week was really positive. I had great workouts and feel much better about where I am with my training. I just put a lot of pressure on myself and it can get in the way sometimes.

I have 2 weeks left if this last training block before I start tapering. I will do a 2.4 mile swim this week, and the full 112 bike next week. I am looking forward to my workouts this week, hill repeats, running intervals and some long riding.

I just wanted to give another big THANK YOU to Adventure Woman for all of your help and support.

Have an awesome week everyone!

From the Husbands Perspective

2010-06-28T13:20:00.000-07:00

(John racing..that is me on the left supporting him!!)

Most of my blogging has been about what I have been going through and how it has been affecting my life. I thought it would be interesting for not only myself but for those that follow my blog to hear how it effects my husband, John. Through the help of my friend Cara Elias, we came up with some great questions that I emailed to John. We thought we would get a more thought-out answer if he was alone when he responded. I cried when I read what he wrote.

I also have figured out the email situation to the blog, so please leave me comments, words of encouragement, tips, anything. It's always great knowing that people are actually reading this!!!

1. How has Megan's training affected your life?
I don't think that much at all really. I knew what i was getting into when we started dating. I love the fact she works out so much and such awesome goals. I guess the only thing thats kind of changed would be that dinner is a bit later in the evening now.

2. Has her training created any stress on the relationship?
I don't think much if any, i tend to go with the flow.

3. What has been the hardest thing for you to adjust to with her training?
The time we spend together. Whether she's up with me at 5 am or training after work, the time we have together when we are both awake and coherent is not very much if at all some days.

4. How do you help make her training easier?
I try to ride with her when possible and encourage her if trainnig isn't going according to plan, and just let her know i'll be there for her no matter what.

5. Does Megan's goal to complete a Ironman make you want to do one?
ABSOLUTELY.... not. Her goals are her goals.

6. How would you say her training is going?
In my view i think she is right on track and it's coming together nicely.

7. If you had to give her one piece of advice to help with her improve her training from your point of view, what would it be?
Don't sweat the small stuff. It will all come together in due time.

8. How do you think she will do at the Ironman?
WIN duh.... it's first or last, shake and bake. Honestly i feel she will do great, I'm very proud of her for the training and time she has put in.

9. Do you think that this process has been fun for her or stressful?
Both at least for her, how can it not be stressful when your putting that much effort into something and on occasion have a bad day training, then add the everyday life situations into the mix. However i know how much she loves working out and finds it a great release from the stresses of life.

10. Which leg of the Ironman do you think will be the easiest for her? The hardest?

The easiest would have to be the bike for sure because of her experience and knowing how conserve energy the correct way. The hardest is going to be the first 5 miles of the run, at the end of a long swim followed by a long bike i think it may take a bit to get into a good rhythm.

11. Which leg are you most looking forward to watching her compete in?
The run simply because i will get to see her raise her arms triumphantly at the end where can say she is an IRONWOMAN.

12. Do you have any race day fears for Megan?

Some, hoping she eats and drinks enough.she has a tendency of not doing that which could be devastating towards her goals. I will say though she has gotten much better at that.

13. Have you noticed that training for an Ironman has changed Megan in anyway?

She is way more ripped than me...hahaha

Thanks for a great interview John, I love your honesty and I love you!

A Successful Weekend!

2010-06-21T06:36:00.000-07:00

I raced on Saturday and it felt good to be back in competition. The last race I did was a road race last year, and the last triathlon that I did was in 2001. I wasn't sure how the race would go, but I was excited to find out.

A triathlon takes TONS of preparation. More time went into packing and driving then it took me to race the whole thing! Friday night I made a pasta dinner with grilled chicken and broccoli, it was very tasty. According to Jordan, I am the best cook ever!! John got my bike prepared with super fast Zip wheels and removed some excess weight from the bike to help go faster. Here is the list of everything you need for a Triathlon, regardless of the distance.

1. swim goggles
2. race outfit (depends on each athlete, I wore just a bathing suit)
3. running shoes
4. yanks for running shoes (elastic cords so you don't have to tie)
5. number belt
6. cycling shoes
7. helmet
8. glasses (optional)
9. hat (optional)
10. bike
11. bucket of water (to rinse of feet in transition area)
12. towel (to dry feet off after rinsing in bucket)
13. water bottles
14. race food (gels or bars)
15. body glide (to prevent chafing)

As you can see there is a lot of stuff!! I realized while I was packing that I no longer had my number belt. This is an elsatic waist band that you pin your number to and wear around your waist for the bike and run. You don't wear it in the water because it would get ruined. I turned my MacGyver switch on and found an old polar heart rate monitor strap that I could use as my number belt. I also loaned my yanks to a friend and had to take apart a pair of water shoes that had the elastic cord and put them on my shoes. Everything worked out great.

Sat AM

John, Jordan and I loaded the car at 5:30am. Headed to the race. I went straight to pick up my packet. I noticed that there wasn't much order to the race. Ususally you have a certain place were you rack your bike in the transition area, and only the competitors are allowed in the transition area, well not here. It was a free for all. Since we got there late, I had to rack my bike in the last row, which worked fine for the swim, but not for the run.

The Swim

This was a mass start with all the woman 35 and under. I have been putting the distance in on my swims, just not the speed work and it showed. It took we awhile before I could get into a rhythm. I did great with spotting, just not used to a straight up sprint.

The Bike

I knew on the bike this is where I would make up my time. My transition from the swim to the bike was a little slower than I would have liked so I knew I would have to crank it out. The confusing thing with a tri is that you don't know where people are in terms of placement. Your age is written with a permanent marker on your calf, so you can look for that, but some peoples rub off. Also with the different wave starts it's hard to tell who's winning the overall. You just have to go as hard and fast as you can. I passed people left and right and felt great on the bike. When I came into the transition to the run, John said I was sitting in 3rd place.

The Run

The run went great. I felt awesome, got into a great groove. Took water when I needed it and was cruising. Since it was an out-and-back course you could see how many people were ahead of you. There were more woman ahead of me, but most started in the swim wave 6-9 min ahead, so not sure where I stood overall.

The Results

I took 1st in my age group of 25-29 (I was the oldest too)
I was 6th overall female
37th overall combined men and woman.
3rd fastest bike split out of all woman
20th fastest bike split combined
I ran a 20:40 5k which is a 6:40/pace
I rode a 32:09 12mile which is a avg speed of 22.4/mph

I am REALLY happy with my results. My training has been slow, steady miles, not short speed work. I ENJOYED the race more than anything which is so good. I really want to race again, and I can't wait for the Ironman. I know the distances are on two different spectrums, but I'm looking forward to getting out there and pushing myself.

I want to give a big THANK YOU to my awesome husband John and super cute step-son Jordan for coming out and cheering for me at such an early time of the day. After the race we went to Jordan's baseball game where he hit his 1st HOMERUN. A successful weekend for all of the Howes!

Will right in later with this weeks plans.

First Big Open Water Swim

2010-06-16T12:49:00.000-07:00

(this isn't me, but very similar to what my swim looked like!)

4am - Wake up

4:15 - Leave for Medford, NJ

5:10 - Call Frank because I am LOST! Stupid NJ jug handles..rrrrrr

5:30 - Start Swim!!!

When I first started my training back in December, I met two guys at LA Fitness who invited me to swim with their weekend group at a lake in Medford, NJ. It wasn't until Monday when I had a small freak-out about my training that I gave Frank a call. I was sure he had forgotten who I was, but lucky for me he hadn't and he told me about a group swim they were having this Wednesday morning at 5:15AM. Without the slightest hesitation I said yes.....WHAT... AM I CRAZY 5:15. Oh the things you will do for training.

I have not had ANY open water swims since I started. I don't really count the honeymoon swims. I have been swimming the distance in my training in the pool, but it is not the same thing. The water pool is clear, and the lake is brown. Huge difference. Plus you don't have the wall to kick off every 25 yards and you can't stand. You also have to do this thing called "spotting".

Spotting is what you do to make sure you are on the right path. So about every 8-10 strokes you will lift your head straight out of the water to see if you are on the right path. In most races they will have big blow-up pyramids that are a bright color along the course for spotting. For the swim I did today, we just followed the shore line.

The water wasn't too cold, but I did opt to wear my wetsuit for experience. It's a little restricting at first because your not used to being squeezed into something so tight, but it doesn't take long to get used to it. We swam .9miles out and .9miles back. I think I went further because I was not in a straight line and went further than the turn around point. No biggie. Because I had not done such a long swim in the open water before it took me awhile to find my rythem. Once I did i was cruising.

The only "problem" I had was with my massive amount of hair. My hair reaches halfway down my back and is really thick. I have to put it in a bun to keep in the swim cap. I can't put the bun to high because it interfers with the goggle strap, and with the bun low (like i usually have it) it kept creating problems with my spotting. I couldn't get my head high enough out of the water without coming to a stop. I now have a kink in my neck. I am thinking about cutting my hair shorter, but not crazy short, or experimenting with a differnt way of wearing the hair in the cap. This only seems to be a problem with the wetsuit on. Whats a girl to do.

All - in - All I had a GREAT swim. I loved swimming in the lake, even if it was so early. This has also been my longest swim thus far! As I was finishing the last leg, the sun was rising and I felt like I was in a movie, right before the giant shark came and ate the early morning swimmer!!!

(My coworkers keep teasing me that there are fish-snakes and sharks that will come get me...i'm not listening to them)

Looking forward to my next big open-water swim. This weekends lake swim will be really short at the race. I have deceided not to wear a wetsuit and brave the cold water for a few minutes. This will cut down on my transition times!!!

Talk to you soon!

I'll see u in 76 days Ironman!!

2010-06-14T12:31:00.000-07:00

26 weeks down and 11 more to go!

This past week I finally felt like I was back on track with my training and the rest of my life. Things in the house are in order, my kitchen is in full function with all of the new pots and pans, pyrex, knives, plates, cups, you name it, it's in their and I love it all!!

The week ended on a positive note with a great weekend of training. Fri after work I got my long continuous swim in which felt great. Sat morning John and I did 100 miles on the bike and I felt really good, much better than the last 100miler we did and Sunday I hit the river with Helena to run 10 miles in the blazing heat.

I am in the last real training phase of the program and this is the most important.
My workouts will be longer and harder, and I think I'm ready for it.

Week 27 looks like:

Mon: Off
Tue: Swim (50min continuous swim) with some open water drill exercies
Wed: Run 12mile run
Thur: Brick (Bike 1.5hrs followed by 3miles run)
Fri: Bike (recovery with a few sprints)
Sat: SPRINT TRI (1/4mile swim, 12mile bike, 5k run)
Sun: Bike 5-6hr followed by 7mile run

I'm excited to race this weekend. It's a small race, but my age group is one of the largest so I will have some competition which I like. My goal is to podium, and to get some good practice at my transitioning. I will practice that this week as well.

Have an awesome week!

Wetsuit...(aka speedsuit)

2010-06-09T07:18:00.000-07:00

I tested out the new wetsuit this morning at the pool. I didn't really know what to expect. I got into the suit in the locker room and had some funny looks from other members.

The last time I tried the suit on I was sweating like crazy, this time I didn't and it was really easy to slip on. I guess the lesson learned here is don't eat a big meal before trying on a wetsuit!

The first lap in the pool felt lightning fast. It was so cool how my body glided across the water.

For the Ironman and other triathlon events, wetsuits are only allowed to be worn in temps 76.1 degress Fahrenheit. If you chose to wear one in temps above the allowed amount you are not elligable for awards and world championship qualifying slots. There are also other requlations on the wetsuits in terms of materials and thicknesses, and the one I am wearing qualifies.

The wetsuit I have is the 2XU Women's C:2 Comp 2

Full sleeve and full leg.

At first I thought I should get the sleevless wetsuit with the nicker bottoms, but after speaking with some professional triathletes at CycleLife USA, I chose to go with the full body wetsuit.

I was surprised during the swim at how fluid the suit it. It was not uncomfortable at all, I felt great in it, and I feel like it help keep my swim stroke and body in great form. The only time I felt water in the suit was when I turned around from the wall on each lap, other than that no big deal. With the sizing of a suit, I was on the cusp of an XS and Small. I went with the small because that's all the shop had in size, but after the swim I think I will stay with it.

For those who are looking to get a wetsuit I would reccomend calling around to a local bike or tri shop to see if they do rentals. It's best to test the suit out in the water before making such a large investment. If you live in DC, check out CycleLife USA, they sell and rent suits. $35 for a weeks rental.

Also if you are looking for name brand 1-piece bathing suits, I get mine at TJMax and Marshalls. I just got a Nike Performance suit that retailed for $74 for only $17. The only downfall is they only sell them in the summer, so stock up for the winter if you don't want to drop 80 bucks for a suit.

I am planning on doing a sprint try next weekend, will decide for sure this week. Anxious to get back to racing!!

Wedding | Part Deux...

2010-06-07T10:25:00.000-07:00

The Honeymoon | Sunday May 23, 2010 3am!!

John and I left for our honeymoon at 3am. We flew out of Newark airport, to Miami.

Around 1pm we boarded the Liberty of the Seas, one of the largest ships out there. It was so big.
Once on the ship we started exploring, checking out the bars, the pool deck, rock climbing wall, karakoe bar, fittness center and much more. The cruise holds specials on excursions and massages if you book on the first day, so we did that as well.

The ship left Miami at 4pm, and we were headed to the Western Carribean.

The itineary was as follows.

Sun - At Sea

Mon- At Sea

Tue - Labidee, Haiti (priviate part of island owned by Royal Carribean)

Wed - Ocho Rios, Jamaica

Thurs - Grand Caymen

Fri - Cozumel, Mexico

Sat - At Sea

Sun - Return to Miami

We only booked two excursions from the cruise, and the rest we played by year. In Labidee we did a couples massage in a cabana. It was by the water so not only were you relaxed from the massage, you also heard the ocean and felt the nice breeze. It was so nice being pampered, expically after the wedding week. The rest of the time we spent at the beach.

Jamica was a blast. We did a catamaran boat ride with snorkeling and a trip to Dunn's River Falls. The snorkeling was amazing, the water was really nice ad it felt good to get some exercise! The Falls were so cool, it was kinda like a team building exercise cause you had to hold hands with your group in a line and help eachother up the falls, it was neat. I bet i could make it up in 2 min if i went by myself! We had some jerk chicken and beans on the boat ride back with a few beers, i could get used to that!

Grand Caymen was nothing to special, just hung at the beach.

Cozumel was fun. We rented a scooter and drove it around the Island. Went to a really nice beach, hung there most of the day. Checked out the downtown area before heading back to the ship.

The nightlife on the boat was fun. We had dinner every night at 6pm with 3 other couples. We had an assigned table, and assigned servers. We were lucky to have a really great group of people to sit with. After dinner we usually went to a show, hung out at the bar or did some karakoe, well at least i did some singing!!

During the days on the ship, we hung at the pool, did some rock climbing and took naps. We slept in pretty much everyday until 10:30. It felt so good to get some much needed rest.

I worked out 5 days on the ship, running and weight lifting. I didn't go crazy, but felt good to work out.

A lot more stuff happened, but I will keep that for John and I. We had a great time!

Back to reality | Week after wedding

The week back from the honeymoon was just as crazy as the wedding week. Unpacking from the trip, spending time with the puppy, opening all of the boxes from the bridal shower and re-organizing the kitchen with all the new pots, pans, plates...etc. I also was finishing up final details for the triple baby shower I was co-hosting over the weekend. My mom flew in on thursday to surprise my sisters and brothers at the shower, which was so fun.

The Shower was awesome, a ton of work, but well worth every drop of sweat. Alycia should be having Izzy within the next 15 days, Cara in July and Michele in Aug. I can't wait to meet all of my nieces and nephews!

In Ironman News | 83 days till the race

Finally back on track with the training. My workouts last week were nothing to write home about, but that is to be expected after a week of rest. This week I hope to be much more sucessful.

Week 26 of 37

Mon - Off (still need more sleep)
Tue - Swim (endurance swim in wetsuit 2400 yards)
Wed - Run 10 miles
Thur - Swim & Bike (1mi swim & Group Ride)
Fri - Swim (endurance swim by time)
Sat - Bike & Run (100 mile bike & 2mi run)
Sun - Run 10 miles

This weeks program was a combo a two diff weeks to make up for some missed workouts. I am excited to try the wetsuit out. I want to thank CycleLife USA of Washington DC for setting me up with a suit to try. They are the best bike shop around.

Sorry for such a long entry, so much has been happening...i think i need another vacation!

Talk to you soon.

Megan Marie HOWE!

The Wedding | Part 1

2010-06-01T11:36:00.000-07:00

My husband and I are back from our honeymoon and back to reality... well trying to be at least!

There is so much to tell and I will have to paraphrase but I will break this into a two part section!!

Part 1 | Wedding Bliss

How do I describe the wedding and everything leading up to the big day... simply amazing does it best! I won't go into the boring details of getting nails done, stuffing hospitalty bags, because we all know it got done at somepoint. The wedding weekend for me started once we got to the venue.

Thursday | The day before the wedding.

Nails, lunch, running, packing the car, unloading the car, checking into the room, unpacking in the room, greeting early guests, and then the actual rehersal!!

It was starting to feel real seeing the room all set up with the seats and the pretty covers on them. Then even more real when I practiced walking in with my Dad!! The rehearsal went well, Travis did a great job and I was so excited to see him do the service for real!! After the rehearsal we were off to dinner at Ricks. My mother-in-law Pat did an amazing job setting up the dinner. We had it outside on the back deck of this great Italian restaurant. The food was sensational and I can't wait to go back on our anniversary! Once dinner was done John and I said our goodbyes until tomorrow when we would see eachother all fancy and almost married!!

Friday | Wedding Day!

I could not sleep Thursday night, but that doesn't come as a surprise to me, I am a terrible sleeper. I woke up early to go for a run with Helena and Melissa. We ran for about 9 miles on the tow path the runs parallel to the Delaware River. I felt great after the run, quickly showered, grabbed some Starbucks coffee with the girls then headed to the hair salon... Salon Metro in Morrisville. My mom, mother-in-law, Aunt Pixie and brother Pat met us there. We had a blast there, Pat took so many pictures. Alycia & MIchele brought a great spread of food, homemade scones, fresh fruit and some bubbly. They kept making sure I ate. My hair and makeup came out great, I loved it and felt so fresh and chic, exactly what i was going for.

On the way back the girls and I stopped at this cute cafe called Blue Moon in Lambertville for a quick bite before pictures. I ate so much food, and I'm glad I did, beacuse taking pictures is really exhausting. It was getting more real as the events moved on, putting my jewelry on... the new pearl earings that John gave me as a gift, my sassy high heals, then the dress. I love my dress and loved how it looked on me, very romantic and sweet. John and I wanted to take pictures before the ceremony so we didn't feel rushed and could enjoy our time with our guests, but I still wanted to see John's face light up when he first saw me, so the Photographer, Pete staged a meeting and photographed the whole thing. He looked so handsome, I am a lucky girl. We took more photos than I have ever taken in my whole life, but it was fun and they came out great. You can view the photos my brother Pat took at the following link.

http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/sredir?uname=patrickesmonde&target=ALBUM&id=5477632369489456081&authkey=Gv1sRgCLvgs7jbipbcbA&feat=email

When we started lining up to walk down the isle it got super real. I asked my dad if he was ready to give me away and he said the first time I dropped him on the bike going up the hill on 535 (rode in orlando) he said that was the day he let me go... it was the sweetest thing I ever heard from him. I was ready. John looked so handsome waiting for me. My brother-in-law Travis performed the ceremony and he was AMAZING. I can't even describe what an amazing job he did. He was funny, and sweet and so true to John and I. I am so glad he performed the ceremony for us, I wonder if does funerals and baptisms too!!!! John seemed very nervous and wouldn't take his eyes off of Travis when we were saying our vows to eachother... it was so cute. So After we were officially married the rest of the night was ours to party.

The cocktail hour was a lot of fun, food was good and it was nice to finally relax and have a drink. John and I saw the reception room before the guests did and I was blown away with how it looked. All of my hard work payed off and it looked fantastic. The gusets loved everything, the food was good, everyone was dancing and seemed to have a good time. The toasts were sweet and heartfelt and the first dance was everything i thought it would be. After the party was done and John I went back to our room to change for the after party, we had a lovley suprise, a decorated room with candles, rose petals and champagne. We have such an amazing family that loves us, we are so lucky.

Sat & Sun | After the wedding

The rest of the weekend flew by fast. John raced on Sat in Wilmington, DE with my brother. Dinner with my parents, finishing packing for the honeymoon and taking care of my sick puppy. Puma was so upset that we were leaving that he was throwing up all day Sat... he is doing much better now.

John and I left for the honeymoon at 3am on Sunday. Tune in for all the details of the Honeymoon...

Now it's back to training. More on that too!

I just want to give a huge thank you to everyone who helped make our day so special. Michele you are such an amazing sister and I don't know what I would do without you. I love you all so much.

I'm getting MARRIED this week!!!!

2010-05-17T10:55:00.000-07:00

The wedding is FINALLY here! I can't even tell you how excited I am. It has been a crazy road getting here, not too many bumps along the way, but I had a really fun time getting there.

But before I go into to many details of this week, I just wanted to recap on a great week I just had.
I had a pretty intense training week last week, putting in 20miles running, over 5,000 yards swimming and 100miles on the bike. I can't say every workout I felt great, but I did feel strong on my 16.5 mile run yesterday, so that's a big plus!

To make last week an even better week, the Flyer's have moved on to the Eastern Conference Finals, and won the first game last night 6-0. This week is going to be so much fun, with the wedding and the Flyer's winning even more games!

So besides the wedding, what else am I doing this week:

Mon: Off (i tried getting up to swim, but my body said NO!!)
Tue: Am Swim and PM Ride
Wed: Swim
Thur: Run
Fri: Run and the Wedding
Sat: Plan by year
Sun: Leave for Honeymoon!

I know this week will be crazy, so I am not going to stress about my workouts. Chances are I will do more running than anything since I can run anywhere at pretty much any time. And while we are on the cruise ship my number goal is to rest, sleep and enjoy my time with my new husband. If I get a chance to run I will. But After the honeymoon it is full speed to Kentucky, so I am going to enjoy the rest while I can.

I wanted to give a HUGE shout-out to my Dad, Mike Esmonde. This past weekend he just completed his 21st MS150 bike ride with the Central Florida Chapter. He has been the #1 fundraiser for the past 6 years. I am so proud of my dad, he puts so much time into this great cause. He is so inspiring, and such an amazing person. Love you Dad!

I hope everyone has an awesome next two weeks. For those coming to the wedding, I can't wait to see you friday. I promise to post pictures as soon as I get home.

Bye from Megan Esmonde...(for the last time!!!)

Honeymoonitis!

2010-05-12T07:30:00.000-07:00

correction from last week: last week was week 21 not 17, my mistake!

Do you remember the term, "Senioritis" Well I have that but mine is Honeymoonitis

.	Senioritis
	noun. A crippling disease that strikes high school seniors. Symptoms include: laziness, an over-excessive wearing of track pants, old athletic shirts, sweatpants, athletic shorts, and sweatshirts. Also features a lack of studying, repeated absences, and a generally dismissive attitude. The only known cure is a phenomenon known as graduation. I am done all I can do for the wedding. I have a couple things to pack, but in terms of things I need to make, put a fork in me and call me done!!! I hope I don't have to set foot in JoAnn fabrics until I get back from the Honeymoon! I can't wait to share with you all...and Martha Stewart all of the things I have made. I hope that my work makes it onto the wedding section of the website. I will keep you posted. This is starts week 22. I am still on the endurance stage: week 5 of 7. My week goes as follows: Mon: Off Tue: Run easy 5k Wed: Swim 2100 yards Thur: Bike 35 miles (training race) Fri: Swim 1900 yards Sat: Brick Bike 60 miles + 3mile run Sun: Run 16.5 miles (this week was altered to work around my schedule, just switched workout days, not actual training!) Last week was tiring and exhausting. I didn't sit down and breathe until 6pm on Sunday...and boy did that glass of wine taste nice! This is my last "single girl" weekend before the wedding in 9 days. I am so excited for everything. I'm most excited to marry john, I can't wait to see all of my friends and family, and very excited to meet new family. John's grandfather is flying as we speak from England to come to the wedding. We are having dinner with him on Friday... can't wait. This Sunday at 3:30 tune into AdventureWoman Blog Radio. http://www.blogtalkradio.com/adventure-woman Have an awesome week everyone.

Week 17 and only 16 days till the wedding!

2010-05-05T06:17:00.000-07:00

Time has really flown by. It seems like yesterday I was running the Boston Marathon and getting engaged, and now the wedding is only days away, which means the Ironman is even closer.

Right now I am in the Endurance Phase of my training. I have been doing running speed work on the track and power workouts in the pool and longer rides on the bike. Unfortunately at the end of last week I caught another virus of some sort which put me out of commission for 3 days + 1 actual rest day. I am feeling worlds better, still have a lot of congestion which makes swimming interesting, but I don't feel like my head is all cloudy.

I start doing longer runs now which I am really excited to get back into. I miss them and look forward to my 12 miler this week.

Week 17 looks like this:

Mon: Off
Tue: Swim (power week 2 of 3 2150 yards)
Wed: Run (speed work)
Thur: Bike (power ride 35miles) I will do the group ride which is like a race pace avg 21mph
Fri: Run 12miles
Sat: Swim (power week 2 of 3 1900 yards)
Sun: 60 mile bike followed by a 9mile run

I hope that after the wedding and my life slows down a bit I can stop getting sick. 4 times already since I started training is a bit much. I have been getting more sleep and not staying up super late. I also limited my 6am workouts to once or twice a week. I think I am just overall exhausted. But on the positive I don't feel mentally exhausted. I only have a few more things for the wedding and I'm done. I have even packed my bag for the hotel and started my packing for the honeymoon!! I want the week before and the week leading up to the wedding to be nothing but training, hanging out with John and Puma and enjoying my time. I don't want to be doing wedding stuff the night before I get married. My plan seems to be working. And before you know it, John and I will be married and I will be on my week long Honeymoon!!! I can't wait.

I hope everyone has been enjoying the warmer weather, I know I have. Have an awesome week. Keep the rubber side down!

Bachelorette Party

2010-04-19T07:34:00.000-07:00

This past 2 weeks was a whirlwind of craziness. Last week was supposed to be a active recovery week, with the weekend off, but since my bachelorette party would be the following weekend, I thought having that weekend off would be wiser. So i mixed around the past two weeks workouts and made it all fit. I have been riding so strong which has been so awesome to see. When bike racing was my only job I was really good. It has been hard for me in this whole process to try not to compare myself to what i was, and just focus on what I am now. But I think I am in even better overall shape then I ever was.

Thursday nights there is a training race by my work. It is a mile loop with 3 turns. It averages about 40-60 people, most of which are guys. There are a few women that go, but all but 2 of us get dropped. I love this ride because of how fast it is, and for me it's a chance to see how my legs are doing. Two weeks ago was the first week at greentree for me and I was on fire. I was riding on the front, bringing back breaks, and really duking it out with the guys. I love that feeling, not sure if they do! This past week was the same awesomeness. But I added a twist to the ride. I needed to do a double brick workout so I thought I would do it at greentree. I had to ride 15 miles, then run 2 miles, then repeat that. I wasn't sure how my legs would react joining in the group after my run, but I did great, went straight to the front. Looking forward to this weeks ride!

This past weekend was my bachelorette party. I went down to DC for it since most of my friends live there. I left Friday after work with Puma. My best friends from FL, drove up that morning and got to DC in 11 hours...really impressive. Sat, I went for a easy run, then toured the city with Melissa and Nichole, seeing all the monuments, museums and other historical stuff!

I LOVE country music and wanted to go line dancing, so we all dressed up as cowgirls and headed out on the town. We started at the banana bar, a tex-mex/cuban restaurant in Capital Hill. The food was awesome. I won't go into to many details about the night, mainly because I don't remember most of them, but I had the time of my life. I am so lucky to have SO many amazing friends. I am still hurting today!!

Everything is getting closer. The wedding is 32 days away and the Ironman is 132 days away. I am so excited about everything and can't wait to dance more and race my heart out.

This weeks workouts look like this:

Mon- REST (much needed)
Tue- Swim 1750 yards
Wed- Weights
Thur- Ride Speed work (greentree)
Fri- Run Speed work
Sat- Swim 2850 yards
Sun- Brick 2hr bike ride/ 8 mile run

Big hugs to all the girls who came out, Melissa, Nichole, Laura, Cara, Crista, Kate, Marita, Alycia, Izzy, Davis, Caroline, and of course the best sister in the whole world MICHELE!!!! I love you all.

Swim Goggle Headache

2010-04-07T06:45:00.000-07:00

Thank you to those who have taken the time to help me figure out why I have been getting these bad migrane like headaches while doing my long swims. From an article my sister-in-law Helena sent me and through some research of my own, i think I have what's called "Swim Goggle Headaches" I would keep tightening the straps if water leaked in and the pressure on the supraorbital nerves is whats causing the pain. here is a visual to show better.

My plan now is to go get a new pair of goggles that have a softer material around the base. Hopefully this works. Thanks again everyone.

On a side note, if you have sent emails as a response to this post, I never got it. I don't know where these emails go, so if you want to post something you can do it directly to the blog or use my other email.

megan.esmonde@gmail.com

First 100 miler on TT bike!

2010-04-05T05:50:00.000-07:00

Over the past week my body finally starting feeling back to normal.
I'm sure part of it had to do with getting more sleep and not over
doing it. I am just glad to be feeling normal.

So this past week was the end of the Aerobic Phase. I did change
around some of the workouts to fit my schedule and I felt like I
needed more time on the bike, so I rode more.

Saturday, John and I went out for a 100 mile bike ride. We left the
house at 6:30am and headed to the group ride in New Jersey. (we live
in PA) The ride would be approx 25 miles, we had to avg 15mph in order
to get there on time. The ride to NJ was a direct shot, but there was
one obstacle in our way...the Delaware River! We had to ride over the
Tacony-Palmayra Bridge to get there, that was the best part of the
whole ride. The group ride was nice and steady, I sat on the tail end
so I could be in my aero bars the whole time without anyone
complaining. The group ride was 50 miles so by the end of that John
and I already had 75 miles in. John's dad Pete, brought water and food
for use to refill for the 25mile ride back. Thanks Pete!! At this
point this has been the longest ride I have done for a long time, I
still felt good, but not great, The ride home was good, John pulled
the whole way, I wasn't complaining:) I relaxed the rest of the day
and I think that was the reason why I feel great today. Recovery is
such a key to a successful training regime. I am really good at doing
nothing!

To finish off the week I had a long swim. Unfortunately I keep getting
bad headaches during my swims, they get to the point of nausea. I
don't know why this is happening, but I want it to stop. Maybe I have
my goggles to tight. If anyone has any advice please let me know.

This coming up week is a recovery week. I was planning on doing a
duathlon on Sat, but with my Achilles still flaring up and the
ridiculous cost of the event, I am opting to pass.

Only four days working out this week, and I'm looking forward to the
down time. I hope to finish all of the flowers for the wedding and
some of the preparations for the baby shower.

Have a Happy Easter Everyone!

Get it together body...SERIOUSLY!!!

2010-03-25T10:32:00.000-07:00

My body is starting to rebel against me. It does not like working out 6 days a week, planning a wedding, planning a trio baby shower, designing nursery's and only getting 5-6 hours of week. My brain and heart love to do those things so don't take this as a complaint, but once again I have gotten sick:(

For someone who hasn't gotten sick in a very long time, I have been sick since the beginning of my training. I have not found the balance or work/wedding/training/extra stuff to maintain the healthy flow.

It started last week on Thursday, I thought it was allergies, but the cold was sneaking back in:/
That weekend a lot was going on. My wedding shower was on Sat, so my sister Michele came up early on Friday. Sat am I had a big workout which I almost skipped but the weather was to nice to pass up. I did a 2 hour ride followed by a ten mile run. I felt physically fine muscle wise, my body was just tired.

The shower was at my Aunt Dee's and it was so great and a little weird all at the same time. People sit around you watching you open presents. I'm always used to giving presents back. I got a lot of great things and was so happy to see everyone that came. My sister did an amazing job. Love you Michele.

Sunday I hung out with my mom since she was still in town and went to a family function. I eventually got home and was able to see John for the first time that weekend.

Oh and I almost forgot, I did my first long swim. 1.25 miles in the pool on friday and it went GREAT!!
It was 88 laps, and I never lost count. I really enjoyed the long swim, can't wait for the next one.

I switched my Sunday to Friday so I would have off and it was nice. The cold got worse and I ended up losing my voice, which John enjoyed!!! I finally got it back Wed and that was the first day back to working out. I ran 6 miles and my body afterwards felt like it ran a marathon. Not Good. I will take Thursday off and do a small swim on Friday. I plan to pick things back up this weekend to do two days of Bricks. (Swim/Bike & Bike/Run)

I have learned my lessons. I will use the weekends for now on for Wedding stuff, luck for me there isn't much left. Hopefully this won't hinder my Ironman goals...I don't think it will.

Official Countdown:
57 days till Wedding
157 days till Ironman!!

Don't worry I"m not MIA!

2010-03-15T06:08:00.000-07:00

It's been a bit since I've last posted, and I apologize for that. You know after a long weekend, you need a vacation, thats how i have been feeling. For me the past two weekends have been busy, and right now I am trying to keep my eyes open.

My last post talked about clothing, and thank you for those who posted comments and asked questions about the clothes I wear. Since then, I have been wearing less clothing thanks to the warmer weather. I also have been able to run outside before work since there is plenty of light. With the time change now, I will be able to run and ride outside after work...YEAH!!!

So what has been going on. 2 weeks ago was week 12. I had a pretty solid week of training. I have still been doing the Elite swim which has been going really well. I have become a pro at putting all my long hair into the swim cap without ripping any out!! Over that weekend I got in a 50 mile bike ride and a 10 mile run. I also went to my cousins baby shower and saw lots of family.

This past week went well. My lifting at the gym has changed from slow/low weights and lots of reps to fast/heavy weights and less reps. This makes my workout shorter in time which I like! Over the weekend I was down in DC helping my sister-in-law Alycia get the baby Izzabella's room all decorated. It rained all weekend which was a bummer, so I had to time my workouts so I didn't get caught in the rain. I ran 5 miles on Sat, and my ride on Sun was shorter than my plan said, but it was hard to ride when most of the areas we went were flooded. I am not stressed that I didn't get the miles in, I will make up the miles this week.

So, now, back on track. It's the start of Week 14. Hopefully this week will be kinda chill before the craziness of the weekend begins. My mom fly's into town tomorrow and will stay through till Monday. She is here for my bridal shower which is this Sat. My mom is not staying with me, but my sisters are over the weekend which I'm really excited about!

This is my training for this week:

Mon: Off (get my life back in order and get food for the house!!!)
Tue: Bike
Wed: 8 mile Hill Run (there is a great 2.2 mile loop by my house that I will run with hills)
Thur: Swim 950 yards
Fri: Off
Sat: Open water swim (can't do open water yet, water to cold, will swim 1.25miles in pool instead)
Sun: Brick (3hr ride followed by a 8 mile run)

I will probably change around a few of my workouts. Instead of having Friday off I will move my long swim to that day so I can have Sun off. I have it all worked out!!

A lot of people have been asking me how I think my training has been going, and I think it has been going well. I try not to freak out when I don't get the full distance in, but I also try not to make a habit of it. I am getting excited for all the events that will be taking place this year, weddings, babies and races.

Warm weather I feel you getting closer:)

So much clothes, so little snow!

2010-03-01T08:50:00.000-08:00

There’s nothing better than ending a great week of working out with a great weekend!

Saturday’s swim went really well. I have decided to start swimming the Elite workout that is one step up from what I have been doing. I actually felt like a swimmer this weekend, I feel my form getting better and my arms are getting stronger.

Sunday, I had a brick workout and my friend Mark joined me for the bike portion of it. The roads were fine from the snow we got earlier in the week and the temps weren’t to bad either. Throughout the ride it kept snowing and then stopping. It was really pretty and my first time riding in the snow. After the 1.5+ ride, I got back to my car, had a quick wardrobe change then headed back out on foot for my 8 mile run. The first 100 yards felt funny, but my body quickly regained composure and ran as if I had not ridden before hand. My feet however were still frozen and didn’t defrost until mile 3.5.

After I got home from my run and bike on Sunday and emptied my bag, I was amazed at the amount of clothes I had to wear for these two workouts. I took a picture so you could understand what you have to wear in the winter while training for an Ironman.

Bike Portion
1. Helmet
2. Lightweight Ear band
3. Long sleeve base layer shirt (worn on bike and run)
4. Short Sleeve Cycling Jersey
5. Thermal Jacket
6. Long Tights (worn on bike and run)
7. Cycling Shorts
8. Socks (worn on bike and run)
9. Cycling Shoes
10. Insulated Shoe Covers
11. Lobster Gloves
12. Watch (worn on bike and run)

Run Portion
1. Fleece Lined Headband
2. Long sleeve base layer shirt
3. Winter Running Jacket
4. Long Tights (worn on bike and run)
5. Socks (worn on bike and run)
6. Running Shoes
7. Brooks Winter Running Gloves
8. Watch (worn on bike and run)

It is important in my training on my brick workout days to simulate the transitions as best as possible, so when it came to what I wore I tried to wear components that could be used on both the bike and run. Also, since I was parked in a public space I needed to keep that in mind in terms of changing. My long sleeve base layer is a Patagonia Women’s Capilene base layer. It wicks away the sweat, which was perfect. My running jacket is the Saucony Omni Soft-shell Jacket, great for running in a cold rain, or a windy day. The two biggest components to my wardrobe are my gloves. My running gloves are by Brooks. They are both glove and Mitten and are totally warm. The best part is if my hands start to warm up, I can simply pull back the mitten and it exposes my fingertips, bring down the temp in my hands. My cycling gloves are Pearllzumi’s Barrier Lobster gloves. It is a full glove liner inside with only 3 outer shell compartments. They work really well for me.

I look forward to the summer when I will just wear a tri top and shorts and that’s it!

Another Blizzard :(

2010-02-24T12:45:00.001-08:00

It feels good to be training, and even better to ride outside. Over the weekend I was lucky enough to ride on PAVEMENT…so exciting. John and I met up with some friends to ride the hills in Bucks County. I loved every minute of it. In addition to a great weekend of working out I also got a ton of wedding stuff done. It is officially less than 3 months to go! I can’t wait.

This week is another crazy week. My training schedule looks like this.

Mon- Rest Day

Tue- Run (Intervals…love it)

Wed- Upper Body Weights and Core

Thur- Swim

Fri- Bike

Sat- Brick (Bike 35 mile and Run 8 miles)

Sun- Swim 1700 yards.

We are expected to get another snow storm starting tonight and ending Friday. The area where I live, north of the city is expected to get the most snow… lucky me! I am hoping the roads are nice and clean come Saturday so I can ride outside.

I also have been sick since last Wednesday, which is not fun. But this time I ended up taking antibiotics and am feeling much better. It does make it interesting swimming when your all congested. I think the travel to NY and body just been over worked caused for a low immune system. I am also pretty bad about talking vitamins, but I am making a bigger effort to do that.

My new favorite Vitamin Drink is Emergen-C Pink Lemonade Flavor. It is a mix you put into water, and it’s packed with 24 nutrients, antioxidants, electrolytes and 7 B vitamins. It’s filled with lots of good stuff while tasting yummy.

John and I are also taking Jordan to go look for his wedding suit this weekend, he is going to be so handsome looking, can’t wait.

Brides, Bodies and Bostons!!

2010-02-16T10:17:00.000-08:00

Recovery week is over and I'm back into the swing of things with my training...boy am I happy about that. As much as I enjoyed the sleeping in, I missed the working out. I love the feel of a good hard workout.

This past weekend was a whirlwind of fun. It started on the train in Trenton where I met my sister Michele who traveled up from DC. We reached Penn Station, NY a little after noon, walked across the street to our hotel and quickly checked in (thanks to Michele's mad skills). The lobby of the Hotel Pennsylvania looked the an airport terminal.

The Westminster Dog show preliminary competition was this past weekend and our hotel was the host hotel, which meant...dogs everywhere. Michele and I were in heaven. Our Aunt Pixie and Aunt Maggie met us at the hotel before we jumped in a cab and headed to the Village where my appointment at JCrew was. At the time of the fitting I owned 2 wedding dresses, the same one just different sizes. With all the training I was doing I lost weight and needed something smaller. The dress fit great, just needed a few alterations. My Aunt Pixie works at the Lion King show on Broadway and her boss, Keld, was kind enough to do my alterations. So after a great lunch at John's Pizza in the Village, we headed to the Lion King for the actual fitting. We got to see the behind the scenes of the show, costumes, puppets and the best part was that we almost got taken out by a hyena running to her cue on stage!!

The rest of the weekend was filled with a crime scene on the subway, dinner in little Italy and shopping. I am exhausted and need a full day to catch up on my sleep!

This week starts the third phase of my training. This is the Aerobic Stage, 6 weeks long.

Mon- Swim
Tue- Weights
Wed- Bike
Thur- Run
Fri- Off
Sat- Swim & Bike
Sun- Run

I can't wait for the sun to come out and melt all this snow...we got more last night! I am ready for spring, ready to ride my bike outside and ready to BBQ!!!

blizzards, snowmen, poweroutage and more

2010-02-11T14:22:00.000-08:00

So this blizzard that I had mentioned on Monday, it hit and it hit big and bad.

I lived in Havertown, PA until the summer of '89, when I was 7yeats old. I remember sledding, and jumping in big piles of leaves and lots of things at my grandparents house, but the rest I visit in Photographs. I have no memory of building a snowman or building a fort out of snow, or even having a snowball fight. I know it all happened, but I just don't remember.

Yesterday, I worked from home. It's hard working from home with all the distractions...dog, fiance, snow... you get the picture. First thing wednesday morning I built a snowman. it was great. Did some work. Built a snow fort while John went for a mountain bike ride and then had a snowball fight with some of the kids in our complex. Then back to work.

We lost power during Jeopardy last night... I love Jeopardy and it was the college edition so I'm guaranteed to get a lot of anwsers right!! I still had to take a shower, which I did in the dark and was lucky that there was still hot water. The storm hit us really bad north of Philadelphia where John and I live, the snow was up to my hip is some places.

I dug my car out late last night, I was bored, John went to bed so I did physical labor which I'm regretting now. My back aches and biceps are sore...guess I don't need to go to the gym! I had to go into work today and my coworker Sam was kind enough to take me in, I wasn't comfortable driving on the snow/icy roads.

I took yesterday off training, and will resume today and tomorrow. It's a good thing I was on a rest week when the storm hit. I leave Sat morning for NY with my sister Michele. We are taking the train to NY for my dress fitting. I can't wait. The wedding is 99 days away!!! It's almost here, which means Alycia's and Michele and Cara's (friend who is also having a baby) babies will be coming and of course.... THE IRONMAN. So excited for everything.

Thank you everyone for your support in this blizzard and throughout the training. Another storm is headed for us on Monday, lets hope it doesn't come. I don't know where they will put all the snow.

Winter Wonderland!!

2010-02-08T07:19:00.000-08:00

The big Blizzard hit this weekend. The storm came from the south and when I spoke with my sister in DC on friday it had already started snowing there on friday late morning. They really got the brunt of the storm, but we still got alot. 24 inches is what the report was in Langhorne where John and I live. It is pretty to look at and play in but hard to train in, but we still managed.

Friday- Since I had a double workout and I wasn't sure when the snow was coming, I went to the gym before work. The gym was extra packed, I think everyone had the same idea that I did. We were able to leave work a little early on friday to get home, but still no sign of snow. It didn't start for us until late late friday night.

Saturday- woke up around 10 and the snow was there!!! It was still coming down...hard and fast. I woke up not feeling well with a pretty bad headache. I laid around for most of the morning, rode the trainer for a bit before John and I attempted to go sledding...Attempted is the key word. We got to the sledding hill with our sleds to find out that they don't go down the hill...so much for that. Since I was itching to be outside I deceided to go for a run. John had already ridden his mountain bike for 3 hrs today and I was really Jealous, He came with me on my 5k run. so sweet!!

Sunday-Got up early to hit the gym for my swim then home to ride the trainer. My swim was great. Just a continuous 15 min. I loved that. The bike was not so great, just boring. I can't wait to get on the road. After the workouts John and I did some wedding stuff and then took a nap. I still had that headache from sat that never went away and no it wasn't a hangover! I think it was coffee withdraw! We were having John's younger brother Dave over for the superbowl so instead of ordering out I thought to make all the favorite football foods. Homemade onion rings, homemade buffalo chicken tenders and chicken and bean nachos. My house now smells like a grease ball which is awful. I felt so gross cooking everything that I made a salad to eat instead!! The food did come out good though, I don't think I will be cooking that ever again!!

This week- ACTIVE RECOVERY!!! Great week for me!

Since we are getting another snow storm tomorrow I have to move my workouts around and double up.

Mon- Run & Core
Tue- Bike
Wed- Moved to monday, day of snow storm
Thur- Swim
Fri- Run
Sat- Off
Sun- Off

This weekend my sister Michele and I are going to NYC for my Wedding Dress Fitting!!!!! I am so excited. We are meeting my Aunt Pixie and Aunt Maggie up there. More details later!

enjoy your week, I know I will.

The big EPIPHANY!!!

2010-02-05T08:55:00.000-08:00

Last night, when I was walking Puma I had an epiphany. I know I have said before that I don’t feel like I’m training, that I’m not working out enough and that I should be doing more.

I know this sounds crazy. I’m working out 6 days a week. I sweat, get my heart rate up, have sore arms and legs and do it again the next day. But yet, I still don’t think I’m doing enough. I’m worried that in less than 30 weeks I’m not going to be ready for the Ironman.

So what’s the problem. I finally put to and to together and it is…

The NORTHEAST and The WINTER……big shock!

So I’ve been in Philadelphia for 4 years going on 5 this May. When I moved up here I was still bike racing. I soon stopped that because I could not handle the cold weather, so I tried running. I really took to that and my body was able to handle the cold better running than the bike. Marathon training was easy, I could run in pretty much anything. I loved it.

With the Ironman training it’s hard. Since the training has started I am in the gym or on the bike trainer in my living room 5 out of the 6 days I’m working out.

I AM GOING STIR CRAZY!! I feel like I need a heat lamp to stair in to take the depression away and restore my bodies vitamin D. Do they have that for indoor training?

As I write this, another snowstorm is heading our way. Looks like my weekend plans to ride my newly set-up time trial bike OUTSIDE has vanished. So I’m preparing myself mentally for my 3 hr training ride indoors. Instead of watching my favorite Thursday night TV shows, I’m saving them for my ride. It’s gonna rock. I hope to that I can get to the gym to swim so I don’t have to do laps in my bath tub!

If anyone has any connections with the weather God, can you please ask him/her to get warm soon, I don’t care what that stupid groundhog says about the winter being longer. I’m having faith that the warm air is coming soon.

Enjoy the sun for me mom and dad and send the heat my way:)

Congrats and Throwbacks

2010-02-02T12:59:00.000-08:00

FIRST SPRINT TRI (9th in novice)

2nd SPRINT TRI (3rd in age group) (sister michele is holding sign)

8th grade track and field!!

Junior Varsity Cheerleading (my dad loved me cheering..NOT)

Last week came and went just as fast as the week before. Workouts were great. Feel like my stroke is really coming along which makes me happy. Saturday was a big workout for me.

2150 yards in the pool followed by a 3 hr bike ride. John and I had planned to ride with his dads club in NJ, but since the temps would be 0 degrees when we would be waking up we changed our plans. I was going to suck it up and ride the trainer. After my swim at the pool I headed straight home and got on my bike. I had tons of shows recorded so I was able to get caught up!

Did I mention I rode the trainer for 3hrs!!! Just checking.

On to a new week...WEEK 8 of training

This is the last week of Phase 1, next week is a recovery week:)

Mon- Rest
Tue- Bike (1hr)
Wed- Lower Body weights & Core
Thur- Swim (1550 yards)
Fri- Upper body weights & Run
Sat- Swim & Bike (easy swim followed by 3hr on bike)
Sun- Trail Run

If you haven't heard me before say how supportive my family is then let me just say...my family rocks. I was going through some photos and came across a few of the tri's I did back in 2001&2002. Man I had some bad hair! I'm starting to look at plans for the Ironman, travel, sleeping arrangements and seeing which family members would like to come. My sister Michele was planning on coming which made me so excited, but it made me even more excited when she told me she was having a BABY!!!! Since she is due in August she won't be able to come but will be their in spirit.

My brother Mike and his wife Alycia are also having a baby if I didn't mention that either. They are having a girl, Izabella Ellen Esmonde.....SO EXCITING!!

Congrats to everyone.

On a training note I think everything is going along great. I still feel like I'm not doing that much since it's spread out over many days, and I miss my long runs, but I know I just have to be patient because the big workouts are to come.

Life is good though..really good! Enjoy the pictures and please don't judge any of us for the bad hair!!

Weekend of Coaches

2010-01-27T05:53:00.000-08:00

This Past weekend John and I headed down to Washington DC. We actually left Thursday night. The car was packed with more workout gear than anything else. 3 Bags of workout clothes, 2 Bikes and 1 Boston Terrier! Since My brother Mike and Sister Michele live next door to eachother we will take turns staying at a diff house during each visit. This trip we stayed with Michele and Travis. I don't think Mike minds to be honest!!

This is how the weekend went...

FRIDAY-
7am arrive at CYCLELIFE for RMR Testing (Resting Metabolic Rate). This test I had to fast for, which I was not happy about but I wanted the most accurate results so I was hungry!
Josh Frick, Director of Fit Services did this test. The results showed that if I were to do nothing all day my body burns 1267 calories! I can afford to eat more food if I want...awesome.

8am still at shop and with Josh, it was time for my bike fit. The TT (time trial) bike I have now used to be a road bike that my brother Mike and Travis converted into a TT bike about 5 years ago. Being so petitie and at the time that the bike was assembled there wasn't much to offer a smaller rider in terms of equiptment, without spending $10,000. So they did a great job with what they had, and it was up to Josh to get it even better. He took video of my position on the bike and later superimposed it on top of the new position, and boy was is night ad day. I essentially used to ride like superman, which is not good. Now I have proper form and feel really fast. Pat and my brother Mike did a great job of putting the new compenents on my bike, making it clean and super fast looking, thanks guys!

Sometime in between i met with Colin Shah, he as a new coach at CycleLife and worked with me on some of my weight lifting routine. He also informed me on how inflexible I am...awesome. Looks like I will start taking some Yoga classes. He also arranged for me to work with his swimming coach on sunday..more on that later.

11am with the bike fit done it was now time for me to meet with Eric Sorensen, Director of the Athletic Performance Department and Triathlon Coach. First he performed the body fat test. I sat in this machine called the Bod Pod. Its done in a series of three tests and they take the average. I weighed in at 108 lbs with a BMI (body mass index) of 13.3%. This was great news. That is a great BMI for a female athlete. Once that was done it was time for the last test, my VO2 max. This will test the oxegyn output, and how efficient my body is. I ride on my bike with a mask attached to my face and it measures my oxygen intake and carbon dioxide output, in addition to a heart rate monitor measuring my heart. Eric increases the resisitance on the bike but i have to keep the wattage going, otherwise I won't be able to peddal. The test was hard and brother stopped working to come up and watch (he works there too!) John and arrived at this point as well. I didn't do as well as I would have like and it would have been a good idea to tell Eric about my existing oxygen intake problem..ie i don't take in that much..genetics. I learned from this test that I burn more carbon dioxide than i take in oxygen. which is not good. this means I have to be very aware of how much food i'm eating...which means i need to always be eating when i workout..lucky for me I already did that.

Sat slept in and then rode for 30 miles followed by a 6 mile run. Then off to Ikea for wedding stuff and hanging out with the girls. We had an awesome dinner at Micheles, cooked by both Michele and Alycia, chicken enchilada with a tomitilla sauce, fresh quac and chips!

Sun 10am meeting with the swim coach of AU, Mark. He took vidoe above water and underwater so we could watch my form. After watching the video i learned that my kick is good, but my left stroke is bad. He showed me a ton of great drills to work on to improve this. He was great.

I am exhausted from the weekend, defiently not relaxing, but super educational.

I just want to say my biggest THANK YOU's to EVERYONE at CycleLife. As Travis says "you rolled out the red carpet for me". It was such a great oppertunity to have this done, I learned soo much and couldn't be more greatful. If you are ever in Washington D.C. you HAVE to go to CycleLife. This shop will change your life and the staff there is the real deal.

CycleLife

3255 K Street, NW
Washington, DC 20007
202.333.8883

I have to run, but will be back with more about this week.

Week 6 and mor fun to come

2010-01-18T11:36:00.000-08:00

It seems like the older you get the less time you have. The weeks, days, years are flying by.

Over the weekend I turned a big 28. I don't feel any different or the sudden urge of "omg i'm almost 30 and i'm not married or having babies." There is alot of pressure on woman to have kids, a husband and a home before the age of 30. For me, I have the pressure of getting to Kona before the age of 30... I like my way better!!

I am so excited to get married, but John and I are in no rush to have kids together yet, the house would be our next step. But let's get back on focus, training.

By Sunday after a packed week I was done. The festivities started Friday night with Pat, Helena, John and I for sushi and Gelato. YUM! Saturday I changed my run from 4 miles to 10 miles. The weather was amazing and Helena and I miss running with each other. Sat afternoon, My sisters from DC arrived and we headed to my Godmothers for a big Post-Christmas/Surprise wedding/birthday party. Lots of food, family and Fun. We couldn't end the night if we didn't stay up to watch the Colts game. Sunday we did lots of wedding stuff and after my sisters went back to DC i still had to swim and ride.

Let's just say I was in bed at 8:30 sunday night. TIRED would be an understatement.

This week is as follows.

MON- Off
TUE- Turbo Sprints on Bike
WED-Swim 1200 yards
THUR- Upper body/core weights
FRI- Run and Testing
SAT- Swim
Sun - Bike & Run

This Friday John and will be in DC. Thanks to my brother-in-law Travis and his awesome staff at CycleLife USA they are doing all sorts of tests on me to see my wattage output, VO2max, lactatte threshold, body fat..etc and so much more. I will be sure to take lots of pictures of crazy things straped to my face and me sitting in the BodPod machine.

If your ever in DC check out CycleLife USA, it's an amazing bike shop/fittness center.

www.cyclelifeusa.com

have an awesome week.

Where does the time go

2010-01-11T10:33:00.000-08:00

Today is the 5th week into my training. Somehow last week came and went before I knew it.

My week last week was pretty crazy. Early morning workouts, Swim test in the pool which I aced, work, too much wedding stuff and a great run in the FREEZING cold with my favorite running partner Helena.

This week poses the same craziness. I think from here until the wedding it will be crazy every week....awesome!

Workout at a glance:
Mon: OFF
Tue: Run
Wed: Swim and Weights
Thur: Bike (wind sprints)
Fri: Weights
Sat: Swim, Bike and MY BIRTHDAY!!!!
Sun: Run

I feel like the training has been going well. I am not hating the lifting as much. I am finally comfortable with using the free weights and don't feel so awkward using them. I probably still look like a dork though! I can feel a difference in my swim stroke from the lifting I have been doing which is always rewarding. And the best news of all is that I don't look like a body builder. That has been a big fear of mine lifting weights. I'm already very muscular and I didn't want to get bigger muscles, just stronger. It's important that when I walk down the isle that John sees a woman and not a sheeman!

I'm looking forward to the weekends festivities. Friday night John and I are going out for sushi with my Brother Pat and sister-in-law Helena. YUM!
Saturday is a big party at my Godmothers and my sister Michele and sister-in-law Alycia will be coming up from D.C. Lots of family, fun, food...and of course training.!

Next weekend is another packed weekend, I will tell you about that in a few days when I have more of the details hammered out.

Talk to you all soon.

Not enough hours in the day

2009-12-30T14:14:00.000-08:00

This is an expression you always hear adults saying...now I'm saying it. I guess I'm an adult now!

I read a response to an article in Triathlete magazine the other night. The article was how to avoid getting divorce while training for an Ironman... I wonder if this applies to Fiance's as well?

The lady who wrote it read the article to late she said, because she recently divorced while her and her spouse where training for an Ironman. I did some research and found a good article that gives you 5 tips on how to manage the training schedule and still maintain a healthy family, productive work enviroment and maintain a social life.

5 Ways to Have a Triathlon Training Schedule Without Getting a Divorce

I don't think I will get divirced, I mean I have to be married first and thats not happening until May, but I have the 5 rules down patt and think John and I will survive.

In response to a few post from some awesome followers. They asked how much swimming, running and biking I'm doing. Well it changes as I progress through the phases. Right now I'm in Phase 1. which is the adaption phase. My swims are anywhere from 1200 total Yards to 2000 yards. Run is done by time and i'm doing 30-60 min. And the Bike is 1hr - 2.5 hr with intervals. This will all ramp up. Today I did 1400yards in the pool and a 3mile run after. It varies, right now is the easy stuff..Oh and I'm also lifting 2 days a week!

Some days like today I swam 1400 yards and ran 3miles. Other days I will just lift upper body and do core workout.

I'm still having fun!

Happy New Year to everyone. Be safe.

2 Weeks down, 34 more to go!

2009-12-28T07:01:00.000-08:00

I hope everyone had a great Christmas weekend. I know I did for sure.

Here's a short recap of the holiday weekend.

Christmas Eve- Dinner at John's Dad (Pete) and Diane.
Christmas Morning- Watch puma open presents, watch a Christmas story, and I had to ride my bike for 1hr and 15min and do intervals! ( I watched the Kona Ironman again to get inspiration!)
Christmas Afternoon- Pick up Jordan and watch him open his presents at our house.
Christmas post-Afternoon/Evening- Dinner and presents at John's Mom (Pat) and Joe's.
Day after Christmas- Swimming, take Jordan home and post Christmas gift exchanges for different sizes!
Last day of Christmas weekend- Bike ride OUTSIDE with John. I love riding with John, we also saw my old teammate Pam and John's friend Pat and Jeff. It was a good thing we did see Pat who also does the mechanic work for us, because my cable broke 30 min into our ride. Lucky for me it was the cable to the big ring, so I left it in the small ring since we were out in the hills. Hopefully that gets fixed today!

Overall I had a great weekend. Although I didn't see my family, I had a great time with my soon to be in-laws!

Whats going on this week-

Monday- Rest Day
Tuesday- Bike
Wednesday- Run & Swim
Thursday- Weights & Run
Friday - Weights ( hopefully the gym is open)
Saturday- Swim & Bike
Sunday- Run

I'm still loving the training. I got some new workout clothes for christmas and some awesome things for my Gym bag from Adventure Woman, I have no excuses!

Cheers!

23 inches of snow and still going!

2009-12-23T05:32:00.000-08:00

This past weekend we had a "blizzard," as some weather reporters call it. I think we just got a lot of snow. It started falling late Friday night for us in Langhorne. By the time I woke up on Sat morning there was a good covering on the ground, but not enough to stop my Fiance John from taking his cross bike into the woods for a ride. He makes me so proud:)

We had Jordan last weekend so I spent the morning hanging with him, watching christmas movies and eating breakfast. When John got back I only had a two hour window to get to the pool before they closed. The worst portion of the "blizzard" would be hitting around 2pm. John and Jordan dropped me off at the Gym and I did my swim workout. I keep getting bad headaches after my workouts in the chlorine pools, but i'm fine in the alt pools. I hope this goes away,
because I was hurting the rest of the day.

Sunday the snow stopped, but at that point we were pretty covered. Living in an apartement complex, they have people to clear out the sidewalks and walkways...at 4AM!!!!! Not fun, but at least I didn't have to do it. I made the best breakfast ever for my boys. In honor of the snow i made snowman pancakes, with bacon for the hat and mini chocolate chips for the eyes, mouth, nose and buttons and syrup for the arms!!

My discipline today was running..on the track. That clearly was not going to happen seeing how it was covered in snow, and I don't know of an indoor track to use. But before any of the could happen, my brother Pat and wife Helena came up for the afternoon. We all took Jordan to the ice skating rink, and was surprised at how empty it was. I was not complaining. Lunch followed then it was time to run.

I ran outside all last winter training for the Boston Marathon, so I was used to the cold. I bundled up and headed out doors. It felt great, I love running outside. I would run in any condition outside as long as i didn't have to run on a treadmill! The snow made it challenging, but thats part of the adventure!

Week 1 down and 36 to go!

This week looks as follows.
Monday-Rest
Tuesday-Run and Core
Wednesday-Swim
Thursday-Lower Body and Run

Friday- Bike

Saturday-Swim
Sunday-Bike

I had to switch around my Thursday and Friday workout since the gym is not open on Christmas day...seriously don't they know I need to train!

Tuesdays Run on the treadmill was pretty dreadful, but managed to not go completely crazy. My swim this morning at 6:30am hurt. My arms were super tired this morning. I'm ready for bed already, but I have to work.

I hope everyone has a Happy and Safe Holiday. Don't eat too much so you regret it later and remember a Thank You goes a long way:)

Kickin' in the pool!

2009-12-16T09:50:00.000-08:00

First official swim today. I started my day nice and early with John. He gets up at 5am for work, so this morning I joined him. Puma our Boston Terrier stayed in bed nice and comfy. I was at the gym nice and early and to my surprise the pool was hoppin! This was the first time swimming at the gym by my work and I was excited because it is a salt water pool. I had to share a lane with someone, which was fine. The nice thing about all the swimmers there was you know they were serious because who swims at 6:30am! I gathered from the swim caps that they were triathletes, and after a few introductions I made some friends and some new people to train with. One of the guys (Joe) actually did the Louisville Ironman this past year. They invited me to swim with there club when they do open water swims. I was so happy about this, because the open water swim was giving me some anxiety. I didn't know where to do it and I wasnt thrilled about doing it by myself. I guess it pays to be chipper in the morning. The only bad thing about working out so early besides the fact I was done my workout before the sun came up, is that I have already eaten three times today and it's only 12:30!! Good thing I packed a couple snacks. Tonight I'm making Shepards Pie for John. He is half English and lived in London for sometime, so I thought I would give him a taste of his hometown.

Cheers!

Day 1 of Ironman 2010 Training!

2009-12-14T08:12:00.001-08:00

This day has been a much anticipated day for me. My whole life I have been an athlete. Little League, Cheerleading, Track & Field, Sprint Triathlons, Cycling and then running. Through all of those sports I can't honestly say I looked forward to the training. I was always the type of Athlete that just loved the competing element of the sport.

As you get older your perspectives change and for me, for this part of my life and the caliber of event I am setting out to achieve, the training is half, if not more of the whole Ironman Experience. If I am not excited about the training and looking forward to 6 days a week for the next 37 weeks of my life being consumed by working out, then mentally it will be a tough road...for everyone!!

For those readers who are new to ME, there is something very special about being an ESMONDE! We were born with this special gift of being planners, organizers, packers, anticipators and competitors. With that it explains much of who I am and my approach to my training. After much research I bought a training plan online and then finessed it to my likings. I.E I turned it into a 150+ Training Bible that is Spiral-Bound, color coordinated, with a training log behind each weeks workout. Some might say I'm a little neurotic, but I like to look at it like being prepared!

For the past few months I have been reviewing what the next 37 weeks will be like. Mentally preparing myself. Last night I felt like I was putting in the final review before a test, reading over and over about my nutrition plan and the first week of Training. The nice thing about my program is that it's broken down into three levels of athletes. Age group, Elite and Pro. For Swimming I classify myself as Age Group, Running Elite and Cycling Pro. I can adjust as I go along depending on how my body is feeling.

Day One: 45 minute run. Easy enough. I was up at 6am this morning. I bundled up to embrace the 35degree morning. I wore my reflective jacket so cars don't hit me and ankle reflective straps. The sun was up 30 minutes into my run. Body felt good, but lungs were still really tight from the cold. I am feeling much better and back to myself, cold is gone, but have a small cough. I should be 100% by this weekend.

The rest of week one includes
Mon-Run
Tue-Upper Body and Core weights
Wed-Swim
Thur-Bike
Fri-Rest Day
Sat-Swim
Sun-Run

37 weeks to go!!! Can't Wait!

Down for the count:(

2009-12-09T06:28:00.000-08:00

I can't even remember the last time I was sick it was that long ago. But I guess it's better that I'm sick during my 3 week break then during my training. Everyone at work has been sick so I have been washing my hands more, taking my vitamins and be extra cautious. It didn't work, cause Saturday night I felt it coming. My weekend started out great. Friday after work I cooked dinner for John and Jordan (Jordan is John's 7 year old son) and then we took him to the Christmas lights show at ShadyBrook farms. It's a tradition to take him every year and is one of my favorite things to do. Saturday I hit the pool and swam 1200 meters. By night time I knew i was getting sick. I spent all of Sunday in Bed. I made it into work Monday but Tuesday i didn't. I need to get better by Monday, that's when my training begins, so after work today it's back to bed. Send some vitamin C vibes my way.

thanks!

Thanksmas and more

2009-12-01T17:11:00.000-08:00

I would definitely have to say my family is pretty unique. For the past 4 years my immediate family has been celebrating a new holiday..Thanksmas! It is the combination of Thanksgiving and Christmas. Holidays get a little more complicated the older you get. People move away and get married and have to share the holidays with both sides of the family. I think we solved the "In-Law Holiday Crisis".

Thanksmas is celebrated the weekend of Thanksgiving. John and I were able to still have Thanksgiving dinner with his family and still drive down to Washington D.C. to my brother and sister ( Mike and Michele live next door to each other!) and still celebrate with my family. In addition to the turkey coma, we also do celebrate the Christmas side...and that means presents. I got a great gift, triathlon shorts and race nutrition. What every girl wants!

So now that the post turkey coma is finally over, I'm back to my usual routine..well kinda. My usual routine involves running or riding, but I'm on the 2nd of 3 weeks rest. I did get a run in when i was in D.C. There are so many great places to run and ride. Helena (sister-in-law and running partner) went out for a 1:45 min run along the Anacosta Trail. This was my first run since the marathon, and it sure did hurt..my right foot especially. It hurt so much that i barely made it 200 feet the next day when i tried to run again. After a few lost toe nails and bad blisters, its back to the shoe store to find yet again a new pair of shoes. Lucky for me my sister rides and I was able to use her bike and equipment to go for a ride. I was going stir crazy so it was nice to get out and burn off the holidays treats!

I did get my gym membership started back up today and will hit the gym bright and early tomorrow before work and get some easy laps in the pool. I am resting, I promise, but I'm an athlete and I can't not do anything. I would go crazy and would drive everyone around me and how does that help anyone!

Hope everyone had a great thanksgiving and let me know if you are thinking of giving Thanksmas a try...it works wonders!

Excited...

2009-11-24T13:43:00.000-08:00

Hey Guys. This is so exciting for me to be apart of Adventure Woman and get to share the journey to my very first Ironman. The holidays are here and for most that means time off the bike, out of the pool and easy runs. But for me it’s a different story.

Just coming off the best marathon run so far, running a 3:26:11 and placing 35^th in my age group out of 787, I will take off until Dec 14^th, when my Ironman training begins.

During those three weeks I will still run, ride and swim, but it will be more when I can, instead of on a schedule. I’m also going to take Pilates classes and of course take my Boston Terrier Puma to the park as much as I can.

Oh yeah, and I’m getting married in May…so I’ll be trying to get as much of the wedding stuff I can get done before my training really starts to consume my life!!

Hope everyone has a great holiday and I hope you keep coming back to read about my adventures as a bride-to-be-ironman-to-be-fulltime-graphic designer-adventure woman!!!!