Triathlon Etiquette- Some Advice For a Happier Race!

(Originally, I was going to title this post “Boys Are Mean” because in my experience, boys do not like women on “their” race course and many of the behaviors I listed below, I witness by males.  However, I can admit women are bitches too I have a decent male readership and did not want my virtual face ripped off.) 

Throughout this summer while racing, I have been observing some behaviors that I feel are both unnecessary and at times down right rude.  Triathlon is supposed to be fun (and it is- I swear!) but some people take their racing WAY too seriously and often at the expense of one or more other racers.  Let’s face it…every race is not Kona.  And no race is life or death.  

Here are a few things I have come up with while compiling my list this summer of ways in which you can make a race happy for yourself and for all!   

• Know the course.  Be informed and if possible, attend the pre-race meetings.  In most cases this will answer any questions you may have and get you even more ready for race day.
• Plan to arrive early.  And if you don’t want to arrive early, don’t bitch about rack spots or worse expect people to move all around so you can rack.  Your failure to prepare is not the concern of any other racer. 
• Don’t touch other bikes.  Rack spots are FIRST come FIRST serve.  This does not mean that you can just move some bikes down for the coveted end spot.  You take what you get or you arrive before everyone else!
• Respect other transition spots.  Your transition area should not take up to much space.  Know what you need and bring it.  Every accessory you own is not necessary on race day.  And please don’t be the jerk who brings their trainer and rides it while others are setting up in transition.
• Respect other transition spots. Part Two.  When you return to T1 and T2, re-rack your bike where it belongs.  There is nothing worse than coming back to your spot to find someone else’s bike there, leaving you to find another place to rack (which will be someone else’s spot and so on and so on with the domino effect).  Take the extra 20 seconds to be respectful.  And if you accidentally knock over a bike while re-racking, pick.it.up! 
• Be fair at the bathrooms.  When there are long lines just before start time, it is simply courteous manners to allow those starting before you to go ahead in line.  There is no reason while someone in waves 1,2 or 3 should be stressing out behind those in waves 9, 10 and 11.  And spectators…seriously, hold it until the racers have begun and then you can have the potties all to yourselves! 
• Know how to swim.  I covered this here.
• Stay to the right if you are slower on the bike.  As a slow biker myself, I know the importance of not getting in another cyclists way while riding.  Too often slower bikers (or those unaware of how slow they really are) are in the middle of the bike lanes.  This leaves the faster bikers coming behind you having to weave around you on both sides to pass.  This is extremely dangerous to both you and them.
• Say “on your left” as you pass.  Look, I get passed all the time.  I know for some people they would be saying “on your left” for the entire ride if they did it everytime they passed someone.  And I imagine how old that would get after a while.  Still, saying “on your left” is the right thing to do.  And I don’t expect one to say it for every single person they pass, but in a crowded situation or on a narrow path, letting someone know you are coming helps keep them out of your way.  I am pretty sure it doesn’t take any time off your split to extend a little kindness on the road.
• Don’t walk in the middle of the run course.  I have been known to take walk breaks.  I do not feel that makes me any less of a competitor.  But it does mean I need to be respectful of those who will be passing me.  If you need to stop or walk, get over to the side of the course to avoid any collisions. 
• Pick one friend.  If you want to walk or run with a friend, great.  But just pick one.  Nothing is more annoying than having to dodge around friends 3-5 people wide on the race course.  You can talk to them in the food tent, I promise.
• Don’t stop for water.  Being that I walk through almost every water stop, I have seen some crazy stuff happen!  Water stops are congested as it is and they are the worst place to stop.  Oh, and it is plain rude.  Don’t just grab your water and completely stop and drink in front of the area.  Get out-of-the-way!  Jog through the actual water area, move over the side away from the stop and stop/walk/drink from there. 
• Name calling is unnecessary.  If you successfully graduated the pre-school program you should know better.  Unfortunately, some people are shitheads and some shitheads like to race triathlon.  If this does happen, rise above.  And then write about it in your blog.
• Try not to litter.  I get it-  sometimes despite your best efforts, the wrappers just hit the ground.  But if you can avoid it, don’t trash the race course.  Nothing burns me up more than going through a water stop, watching someone take a GU and then as they pass the designated trash can they throw the packet to the ground.  Unless you invited your mom to come clean up after you, do your best to throw the trash where it belongs. 
• Be nice to volunteers.  Here are a few words racers tend to forget while racing: please and thank you.  Volunteers do not have to be there- they do not have to hand you water, fight the cold/heat/rain etc or pick up after you.  They do not have to cheer you on, make sure you are okay or care if your bike gets stolen.  But they do.  Volunteers make or break a race.  Giving them a hardtime is a surefire way to make sure they never help again.  As someone who both races and volunteers, I can tell you how nice it is to hear a simple thank you on the course. 
• Have patience.  Patience is a virtue.  If you go into a race understanding that things happen, you will be much better off in the long run.  Knowing that you may have the above things happen to you will help you deal with them if they do occur.  It is more than likely that you will at one time or another be held up whether by a zig-zagging swimmer, a walker in transition, on a narrow road and etc.  Expect the unexpected and train yourself to deal properly.

And one for the spectators:  If you are going to bring your double stroller, four kids and three dogs to the race…you better have a plan to keep them in control.  This is a race, not the playground.  All too often I see kids running into the middle of bike/run courses or worse…families who expect the race to stop so they can cross the path.  Look, I love spectators and appreciate their presence at my race, but not at the expense of someone (especially myself) getting injured.  Pay attention to your kids or call a babysitter.

What do you think?  Fair list?  Have anything to add?

Full Disclosure

Having written this blog now for just about a year and a half, I feel like I have gotten to know some of my readers pretty well.  And in turn, you have all gotten to know me.  But the thing about blogging is this- you only get from someone what they are willing to put out to you.  I feel like this blog is an honest reflection of who I am and that I write both freely and truthfully.  What you see is what you get; I am as honest with all of you as I am with the people in my day-to-day “real” life. 

But there is one thing I have held back on because it is something I have struggled with for a long time.  Before this week, I haven’t really felt the need to write about it…but it has now affected my life in a way that is interceding with my sport.  And if I want to keep this blog honest, then now is the time to write about it.

I suffer from anxiety and depression.

That is the first time I have ever written those words out.  And as I look at them staring me back in the face, I already feel better about putting it out there.  Before I hit publish, roughly 10 people knew about this (family, boss and a few close friends) and now I have potentially put it out to the entire world.  (Ok, so the entire world doesn’t read my blog.)  Everyday I take a small pill that I have learned is pretty important to my well-being.  When I was younger, I would take the medication until I felt better…I would feel better…and I would stop.  (ps- that doesn’t work!) In my adult years I have learned that taking a pill doesn’t make me a different person, but rather a better version of myself.  But there is, no matter what anyone says, a stigma attached to those who have to take medication.  But I do.  And it doesn’t make everything okay; I still go through ups and downs and I still have anxiety.  However, the medication does regulate the intensity of both. 

So why post this now?  Well, you may remember this post from when I had to make the tough decision to drop from the Full Marathon at Philly to the Half-Marathon.  At that time, I just knew I was not going to be able to fit the proper training in; between work and school and family things that were going on, something had to budge.  I wanted it, the timing was just off.  Dropping left me feeling disappointed in myself but I was okay with it because I still knew the decision was the right one to make.  And by the time the half rolled around, I had accepted the fact that variables occurred that were out of my control.  I accepted the fact that sometimes, doing what is right, still sucks.  And in the end, I was happy with my decision to have only run thirteen.

So again, why this post now?  Well, as you all know, I was signed up to race in the NJ State Olympic Tri this weekend.  My first Olympic.  A big friggen deal.  A first should be fun and exciting.  And me…I was freaking out.  With more than a week before the race to still go, I was already not sleeping and having stomach issues.  My anxiety levels were so high, no amount of medication would have helped.  I talked this race up- this was MY race this summer.  The big one for me.  Just an Olympic to some, but THE Olympic to me.  What my training was all about and what I had been talking about for over a year.  And suddenly, I wanted out.  Bad.  The anxiety was leaving me feeling like a failure, depressed and I was fighting with myself over wanting to drop down to the sprint or drop out of the race altogether.  I would consider the drop but then I would feel so bad about myself for even feeling that way that I would tell myself I wasn’t dropping but then feel all anxious again.  The thought of actually admitting I might not be ready…of telling my friends, teammates…my readers. 

I couldn’t stand the thought of going through with the race and I couldn’t stand the thought of not doing the race.  That’s the thing about anxiety- it begins with one thought and then just continues into a million thoughts.  It’s back and forth, yes and no and I don’t know; its cyclical.

For days, I was crying at the drop of a hat…stupid things getting to me because of the bigger issue at hand.  If anyone has experience with anxiety, you know and understand that you simply cannot stop the thoughts.  And you absoultely cannot be rational during an attack.  And they were coming on so frequently that I was having a hard time keeping it together.  I kept thinking about how under trained I was, my fears of the bike, how I haven’t run more than 5 miles at a time since February (almost six months!) but then I would think of this blog and how many people tell me I inspire them.  Just the other day I was writing about the need to live fearlessly.  But I am fearful.  I think about the title of this blog and how I  preach to everyone that Finishing is Winning.  But that I didn’t even want to start.  I was feeling like if I dropped, I would be letting everyone down.  Like it would give people a reason to say I am not a “real” triathlete.  I would give people a reason to say I am weak.  Totally irrational…and I know that, but when the anxiety comes on there is no way to tell yourself how irrational those feelings are or how okay it is to feel like that. 

All the while I was freaking out inside, I pretty much shared it with no one outside of my mom.  And even then, I casually just mentioned my anxiety was high leading up to this race.  I never mentioned dropping out although I did mention trying to put a relay together instead after my ankle incident last weekend.  My thoughts were swirling…drop out completely?  Do the Sprint instead?  Do the Oly, but with a relay?  The internal conversation was endless and without reprieve.  I didn’t know what to do, I just knew I couldn’t keep up with my own spinning thoughts.  I could no longer separate my thoughts.  But still, I made no decisions…I just let the fear fester. And fester. And fester.  You get the point, right?

Yeah, so why this post now, right??  Right. 

Well, Tuesday was the first time I set up to go on a bike ride with my team.  First time ever.  I have been with Team Triumph since May 2008, yet this was the first time I even had the guts to show up for a group ride.  And as if showing up wasn’t already hard enough, I decided since I was early to drive the course we would be riding.  And that is all it took to send my anxiety from bad to worse.  All those thoughts that had been going on in my head for days were in full force.  All I could see was narrow streets, dead animals (seriously, there was a chicken in the road…oh, the jokes we could tell) and live deer, lots of traffic and no bike lanes.  I drove back to the lot where some other members had already arrived and proceeded to lose it.  I was trying to calm down and text my friend but I was too far gone at that point.  Totally lost it.  Full on shaking and crying anxiety attack.  Luckily I had hidden myself behind my friend’s car, so even though people knew something was up, I wasn’t all out in the open with the craziness.  I went back and forth about riding…everytime I thought about it I would get worked up again.  I did not want to re-rack my bike and drive away in front of all my teammates.  I did not want to give up.  But the fear had taken over.  How would I keep up?  What if I got hit?  Or fell?  Or fell and then got hit?  What if, what if, what if????

(For the record, I once jumped out of an airplane.  I trusted my life to a parachute 13,000 feet in the air.  Minimal anxiety that day.  Minimal.  Just saying.)

In the end, I rode.  My friend Kurt offered to ride with me and he stayed by my side the entire ride.  We were gone from the rest of the group…keeping a pace of 14-18mph, but Kurt never made me feel stupid for my fears and every time I would get nervous he simply talked me through it.  We chatted as we rode and ended up clocking almost 14 miles.  My first open road bike ride outside of the town I live in and closed race courses.  Yes, it is true…all my riding has in fact been closed courses, loops around my town, spin classes and on the stationary bike.  Until last night.  Last night, I fought my fear.

But what about NJ State?

After a really good chat with a few of my teammates (ones I know will be honest with me and not patronize my fears) I decided I am just not ready for that distance yet.  I have dealt with injuries this year that are still holding me back, my training has suffered and some of my friends warned me gently that the course for NJState is tricky and at times bumpy.  I appreciate that my friend Michelle told me straight up that she thought it might be better if I did the sprint.  Not because she thought I couldn’t do it, but because she thought I shouldn’t do it.

So instead of the Olympic on Sunday, I will be racing the Sprint on Saturday.  As it turns out…going through all of that Tuesday on the bike ride, is what finally gave me clairity about the race.  Fighting my fear is what gave me the strength to figure out what to do. 

How do I feel?  Amazing! I’ve slept through the night, my stomach feels fine and I am cool as a cucumber.  I feel much more balanced.  My mom (of course!!) totally supports any decision I make and I know she is proud of me.  My friend Brian whose opinion I regard highly, admitted to me yesterday when I told him, that he too thought I might be pushing it by doing the Oly.  Of course there are those who think I am weak- and they have made their opinions known and that’s okay…cause I can truly and honestly say that I do not care what they say.  I am not cop’ing out…I am not making excuses…I AM NOT WEAK. 

I have made the exact right decision for myself.

Here’s the thing: I could have raced the Olympic on Sunday.  And I would have finished.  There would have been anxiety and tears and more tears and etc, but I would have finished no doubt.  I know that I can complete those distances.  But at what cost to my mental state would it have been at, let alone my physical state?  What if pushing myself through it re-injured me?  What if it upset me so much I never did another tri?  It never would have been worth it.  I would have finished but probably not in a good way. 

Races should be fun.  The sprint is going to be fun.  I know I am going to do great.  I am excited and looking forward to racing.  I like sprints.  It is hard not to get caught up in the hype of doing a more challenging distance.  The thing is, for me, a sprint still is a challenge.  How about I get a few more under my belt and then perhaps I will feel more confident (and hopefully be fully recovered) for next year.  Cause next year…oh NJ STATE, I will be back to claim the Oly race!

Does changing my race magically make me better?  Well, yes and no.  I will always have anxiety and I will always be faced with the depression that comes from feeling anxious.  But I have learned how to control my life in a way where neither of them often come into play.  Sometimes they still will no matter how hard I try to block them out- mostly when it is triggered by something as intense as what I went through over the last few days.  It happens.  I do what I can.  I am human.  And I am learning to forgive myself, give myself and break and move on.  I feel better because I made the right decision.  I feel better because I chose to do what is right for me. 

I am learning that this blog  holds me accountable to myself.  And only myself.  I love my readers dearly and without you this blog would not be everything that it is, but at the end of the day, I am accountable only to myself.  I am not a failure for dropping to a shorter distance; I am a success for knowing it was the right decision to make and doing it even if I had to swallow my pride in the process.

Come Saturday, watch out.  I’m going to kick ass and take names

And by the way, if you made it through this post and you are still reading…now you really know me. ♥ 

What A Fraud!

(UGHHHHH!!! I just wrote a long, detailed post, and (how, I don’t even know..) it deleted.  It is gone!  Poof. UGH!!!   There is no way I could recreate my post, nor do I even want to at this point.  So what you are getting is a much more condensed version (perhaps that is a good thing) of what I origionally set out to write.)

I watched The Biggest Loser for many seasons; I understand the inspiration part…I really do, and I like seeing the transformation.  And I think it is great that people change their lives through hard work.   However, I also think it gives the public a disturbed view of weight loss.  Much of what they do is unhealthy and unrealistic.  And it is pretty much one big commercial for their endorsement deals.  And don’t even get me started on the marathon bs they pull (if you want to read about that, go here for a good post). 

But this is not about the Biggest Loser.  It is about their trainer, Jillian Michaels.  Jillian constantly preaches about “there not being a magic pill” but low and behold….whatta ya know…Jillian Michaels has a line of calorie control, fat burner and weight loss pills. 

 

I am confused.   I thought Jillian promoted 100% natural way to weight loss.  I thought Jillian believed in doing it 100% on your own.  I guess when you are making bank on endorsements, you change your song and dance.  Sounds like a sell-out to me…

(I found a high volume of articles that advise against taking any of her pills and also found a bunch of articles in reference to law suits being filed on her by people who have had problems with the pills, but I didnt want to clog up my post with links.  If you are interested, simply google Jillian Michaels pills.)

What are your thoughts on a certified trainer (especially one that people look up to nationally) promoting diet pills?  What are your thoughts on BL, Jillian Michaels and diet pills in general?

Not A Fan Of This Kind Of Rice…

I have made serious efforts not to become political on my blog.  And I hardly, if ever, talk about work.  Today both of those things are going to change (but don’t worry, only for this post) because yesterday…

…I got my RICE letter.

RICE letter:  A letter informing employees that their names and positions within the school will be discussed for demotion or termination.

As of February 2007, the statute requires that the public be notified in advance of and be allowed the right to attend meetings of public bodies, and that all discussions and official actions, unless specifically exempted, take place in public.  The intent of the Legislature, in enacting this law, was to eliminate secrecy in public affairs which would undermine the faith of the public in government. The statute allows the public to witness the deliberation, policy formation, and decision-making of public bodies.

So basically, all I know right now is that my name is in the hat.  Along with many others at my work (eleven in my building) who are teachers.  We have already cut five employees (which is low in comparison to many schools) and now we have to cut more.  The BOE meeting is next Thursday but they don’t have to give us answers until May 15th.  Normally our administration is really good about not making us sweat things out, so hopefully we will know by next Friday or the following Monday at the latest. 

And get this…in my district, we presented a zero tax increase.  ZERO!!!  And the voters still said no.  And you know why they said no???  Because Chris Christie told people that if their districts weren’t taking a pay freeze, do not pass the budget.  And without bothering to educate themselves or even READ the notice that went home talking about their zero tax increase they came and voted no.  Because they are convinced that by voting no, they are helping Chris Christie stick it to the man.  What they do not realize, is that the wrong people are being punished.  Bigger class sizes, lack of individual attention, no after school activities or sports and music & arts all taken away.  You know who gets punished?  The kids.

This is happening all over NJ.  In every school.

I would like to send a big F.U. to Chris Christie!

I really do not want this to be an open forum for any political battles.  I respect both sides of the political spectrum when parties are informed and educated (this does not mean regurgitating FoxsNews) but this is not the place for those arguments. 

 

  

All I ask is that you keep your fingers crossed for me, my co-workers and the hundreds of others who are up against this same wall.

Oh, and if you can read this…thank a teacher.

More Swimming 101- Water Etiquette

Welcome to Part 2 of Swimming 101:  Water Etiquette

This was not originally part of my series but after an incident yesterday I decided it had to be included.  I swim early in the morning, usually on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.  The pool is generally packed.  And more often than not, lanes need to be shared.  Of course, like most people, sharing a lane is not my favorite way to swim but I also know that it is inevitable if I choose to swim at a popular time.  Normally everything is smooth sailing regardless of how crowded it is because it is usually the same people and we have all gotten to know each other by face.  Yesterday though, was a different story, with a swimmer I hadn’t seen at the pool before:

 I came into the pool and all lanes were taken.  There was only one lane with only one person so I stood at the end of the lane to give the heads up to the swimmer that I would be jumping in; he would not make eye contact so I put my feet to make him aware that I was going to get in the lane.  And when the guy got the the wall he looked at me like I had ten heads so I said, “hey I am going to share” and he rolled his eyes.  Yeah, we were off to a good start.  For the first ten minutes, I had to basically swim around him because clearly he never learned how to share in kindergarten. I was sucking it up until he smacked me in the head with his hand weight.  At that point I stopped him and we had this conversation:

Me: Whoa…I thought we were sharing a lane.

Douchebag in Pool: I was here first.

Me: Right, and if there was another lane in which I could swim, I would.  But there isn’t.

(I thought it was over at that point, but no…)

DIP: You know, some of us in here are training for triathlon (with a huge emphasis on triathlon) and need the pool.

Me: Yes, I understand.  I am one of those people.

And then I swam off.  And go figure, he got out of the pool about five minutes later.  I would have…but some of us are training for triathlon!!!

So there you have it, my motivation for this post. 

5 proper swim etiqette tips

1. Know how to share a lane.  You can either “split” a lane…each swimmer on their own side, or if there are more than two swimmers, you can use the circle format.  This means everyone swims counter-clockwise on the right side of the lane.  And don’t hog the lane like the moron in the aformentioned story.
2. Know your ability.  When determining which lane to enter when all lanes are full, look for swimmers who are at or about at your same ability.  Don’t kid yourself about your skills.
3. Be pass friendly.  If you need to pass someone in the lane, simply tap their foot to let them know and then go around them on the left.  If your foot is tapped to be passed, DO NOT speed up in an attempt to stay ahead.  Swallow your pride and let them swimmer pass.
4. Stop appropriately.  Unless you are having an emergency, there is no reason to stop in the middle of a swim lap.  All stopping should take place at the end of the lane and the stopped swimmer should tuck themselves into the corner of the lane so they do not get in the way of a turning swimmer.
5. Do not aqua jog when sharing a lane.  Nuff Said.

And five pool pet peeves:

1. Don’t pee in the pool.  Do I even need to elaborate on this???
2. Shower first.  The pool is not your personal bathtub.
3. Don’t bring all your toys to every swim.  Decide what you will work on for that swim and bring what you need.  No reason to bring your whole toy box.
4. Don’t be a drafter.  If you are sharing a lane, don’t be the rude swimmer who constantly taps the swimmers foot but then doesn’t pass. 
5. Recognize that the gym pool is not a hang-out.  It is not cute to wear your bikini to the gym pool and hang out on the steps.  You look ridiculous.

Do you have any tips or pet peeves to add? 

 

Stay tuned for Swimming 101 Part 3; pool toys and how to use them!

Blogger Adoption Day

Today is Blogger Adoption Day.  A day set aside for bloggers to tell their own stories about adoption and/or a day to get the word out about adoption in general.

For the record-

-I am not adopted.

-I have never adopted.

-I am not currently adopting.

But I know people who are adopted, who have adopted and who are currently trying to adopt.

One person who is currently trying to adopt a baby girl from Russia, is Denise’s sister Jeanette.  I do not personally know Jeanette, but I have been lurking her blog for a long time.  And I have been reading Run-Denise-Run since before I became a blogger.  If you are not a follower of Denise, I recommend you read her awesome blog…but I really urge you to read this post and also to head over to Jeanette’s blog to read about her plight to adopt a baby girl.

Right now, thanks to a less-than-human-being who sent back her adopted son on a plane BY HIMSELF, Russia put a stop to all adoptions as of today.  You can read the story here.  And you can help by going here.  It takes less than two minutes to fill out and sign the petition.  Do it for Denise.  Do it for someone you know.  Do it because one day you or someone you love might be in Jeanette’s shoes.  JUST DO IT!

Do you know anyone who has been adopted or who has adopted? 

Travesty…And A Little Good News!

They took away internet access at my work.  As the middle schoolers are saying W.T.F/O.M.G  This is supposed to be temporary while they get the student computers blocked, but right now it is the entire system.  FRIG!

Typically, I get to work a little before the madness begins and read blogs while having my morning coffee.  I also read blogs during my break time and sometimes at lunch.  Now…well, I have a feeling my reader will never be caught up.  That is, until they reactivate the access.

Gosh…I can hardly believe I lived the first 18 years of my life without Internet!

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And for some good news…………..I am cleared to work out!

This has nothing to do with training.  I am not cleared to start training again and I have to be very careful not to confuse to two.  I am cleared to swim but only allowed to do arm drills and legs stretches in the water.  No kicking drills and no aqua jogging.  I am allowed on the stationary bike but no outdoor biking yet.  I can get on the elliptical for short periods and begin walking on the treadmill.   And about running…yeah, there is still none of that going on.  None.  Nada.  Zip.

But again, it is all about the baby steps.  I won’t lie, it is starting to really get to me.  It is hard to go so slow and even harder to be so off my schedule.  And it goes without saying that having to bag races sucks!  I have found myself feeling sorry for myself over the last week or so, but at the same time I believe in perspective and I constantly remind myself that it could be a lot worse and that I will bounce back from all of this. 

Thank you to my faithful readers, you have no idea how much your support means to me.  Your comments and personal emails mean a lot and are definitely helping me to keep my head up and stay positive!  Keep the good vibes a comin!  And while your at it, send some good vibes over to my girl Ulyana who is dealing with a much worse injury and facing surgery.  She is one tough chick and she is going to come back from all of this stronger and more awesomer!

And don’t forget…yes, I am going to bug you until Monday…VOTE for the Q&A theme on my sidebar!

Injury Report, Baby Steps, Ab Challenge, The Madness and Random Thoughts

Warning: This post is all over the place!

Happy Monday!  Hope everyone is enjoying their Daylight Savings!  I know I am happy it is finally here (even if it is messing up my sleep schedule) and that we will be having longer and lighter days!  It has been a rainy mess the last few days but on the positive side…it’s not snow!!!

PiF Update: 166.8 miles confirmed   What a wonderful thing we are all doing together to help a great cause!  Thanks again for taking the few seconds to come here and dedicate your miles.  And an extra thanks to those shouting it out on your blogs; only 33.2 more miles until I hit my goal of 200 total miles in one week!  Keep ‘em coming- it’s on until Wednesday!

Injury Report:  On Friday I was cleared from my crutches.  Woo-Hoo!  And yesterday I went to the gym.  Woo-Hoo times two! 

So here’s the deal- I am cleared to workout very lightly.  Basically stationary bike only right now.  Probably the elliptical by the end of this week and  I should be in the pool by the end of  next week.  As for running, who knows.  Everything really depends on both my follow-up MRI and my progress in PT.  I am following everything to a T; still going to ART three times a week and PT two days a week.  I have seen/felt a remarkable difference, so I know what I am doing is working.  I wouldn’t go as far to say I feel good, because I am still very aware of the pain.  I can say I feel better though because the pain is not as severe nor as constant. 

And about those baby steps…Sunday, I did ten minutes on the stationary bike.  Doesn’t seem like a lot but considering I have nothing but some ab work in the books for March, this is huge.  It is the first step to getting back to my normal workouts.  And even though it was only ten minutes…ten very slow minutes…it was still something.  I also got back to lifting which felt great.  I could have been lifting all along, but there was no way I was going into the gym on crutches because that just would have felt ridiculous.  My total workout was less than 40 minutes but I was just happy to be burning calories again!

Speaking of burning calories, Katie is holding an abs challenge!  This works out great for me as I am doing my own year long challenge- yeah for extra motivation!  I really realllllllllly want a six-pack (I would even settle for a four-pack) by summertime. 

I’ll take these abs please…

Want your abs to be kick ass??  Go check out Katie’s challenge!

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In news that has nothing to do with working out but is still sports related…THE MADNESS HAD BEGUN!! 

March Madness is here and I am in love!  My team, the UNC Tarheels, did not bother to show up this season so I am going to be rooting only for the teams that I have in my pool.  And sometimes that is tough because it requires me to root for teams I dislike (Michigan State, Kentucky and Georgetown).  I think it would be great if Villanova won, since they are the home team, but I don’t think they have the size to get very far.  Of course, as always Duke got special treatment (really…ahead of Syracuse…reallllly???) and has the easiest bracket.  Other than Nova, they really don’t have too much competition, so it is a small possibility that Nova could get to the Final Four.  But who knows.  This had been one of the toughest brackets I ever filled out but I am really looking forward to this years tournament because with big teams (UNC, UCONN, UCLA, Memphis) missing this really could be anyone’s year.  I think Kansas is the clear “easy-choice” winner but it won’t be made easy for them.  If they get past Syracuse, I think they have it.  But like I said…it is anyone’s game to win or lose.  And I expect a lot of twists and turns.  And don’t worry about my Tarheels…next year, they will be back.  And by back, I mean back on top!

Do any of you follow NCAA basketball?  If so, do you have a special team?

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And before I go, some random thoughts…

Why are there still people without a Road ID???  Last year, a PA woman was killed by a tree; she was not carrying any I.D. and she went unidentified for three days.  She was identified eventually because the news placed a photo of the shirt she was wearing on T.V.  That is how her family found out about her death.  I am sure this is not a singular case, yet still so many people do not have an I.D.  If you are one of those people…please buy a Road ID.  Not tomorrow…not in a week…now.  Don’t wait for another give-a-way.  Don’t wait until it is too late.  There are many different options; you can pick your color, the type you want (ankle, wrist, shoe…etc) and how much info you wish to share.  They start at only $19.99.  Go now.  Buy it. 

Whatever happened to TiaRT? Am I missing something because I used to love and look forward to this every Thursday and it has been MIA since the end of the blogger guest appearances.  If you are interested in what mine was, go here.  Yup, shameless plug!  Anyway, my point is, I miss it and I want it back!

Like I said, this was a random all over the place post!  Thanks to all my readers who are sticking with me while I am injured!  I know non-tri & non-running talk can get boring but hopefully I am keep you plenty entertained with Q&A’s and randomness like this.  And for you who are new to Tri’s, stay tuned for a Swim 101 post with information about beginner swimming and swim training!

Too Much Snow, Not Enough Running!

And the snowpocalypse 2010 continues!

Here are some photos from Tuesday that I took at  my work- three days after the first snowstorm hit:

 

And as if the 22.5 inches of snow weren’t enough last Saturday, we got pounded again starting last night around 10pm.   

There was about 3-4 inches this morning and then it started sleeting so everything was icy and gross. 

Here are some photos from about 11am this morning:

There was a small window of time late this morning when it didn’t snow at all, but then it started coming down hard.  By late this afternoon we had 7.5 inches.  As I write this, we have had 12inches and it is still coming down; about an inch every 45 minutes with no intentions of stopping until early tomorrow morning. 

These were taken around noon today:

Getting a work-out the only way I could!!!

And these are from around 3pm:

And at around 5pm:

Around 6pm my parents (who are crazy!) went for a drive and my mom captured these amazing shots:

So yeah, snowed in.  Today.  And again tomorrow.  And possibly Friday.

With only a week and a half until my first race of the season this is a very bad time to be snowed in.  However, it seems I did a little something to my groin area last weekend and it is causing me a bit of discomfort.  By not having the ability to go out, it is forcing me to stay in and take care of myself.  Rest, Ice, Stretch.  Repeat and repeat!

For now, the only working out I am doing is shoveling and some ab work indoors.  And lots and lots and lots of stretching!  I hope to get to the gym Friday but I plan to just cycle, not run.  And even that depends on the weather.  As for the weekend, I will see how I feel over the next couple of days and then decide how I want to move forward with my planned 6.5 miles on Sunday.  I don’t want to do anything to further aggrevate my problem but at the same time I cannot afford to be completely off of it either.  ACK!  Talk about bad timing!

Have I mentioned how much I hate the snow?!?!?!  Cause I do. 

But I got this going for me:  8 days until Florida ♥

It can snow all it wants right now, as long as it stops by next week so I can get down to Orlando/Jacksonville!!!

 

How are my fellow east coasters dealing with the snow?  What do you do when you are homebound to keep from going crazy?? 

Blogger/Blogspot Comment Issues

Onelittletrigirl is frustrated!!!!

Is anyone else having problems with comments.  For the last 24 hours or so, every time I comment a Blogger/Blogspot blog, it says my domain name is wrong.  In addition, if I attempt it more than once, a gadrillion screens start popping up and I have to re-start my entire computer.  WTF!!!!  I know lately a few people have been having issues with Blogger/Blogspot so I was just wondering if this is among them. 

For the record, I am still reading, but for now it seems I won’t be able to comment any Blogger blogs.