Feeturing…my new favorite socks (NFS)

May 27, 2009 by · 4 Comments

I am very excited about my new favorite socks (NFS), especially since I have a hard time finding socks that I like. My drawer is filled with a smorgasbord of different brands: Adidas, Ironman, Asics, Bolega… but they are all only okay compared to my NFS.

So, without further ado, my NFS are: Feetures! light (thin and breathable, specifically designed for running and cycling)

And guess what? I love them, I love them, I looooove them (said/sung like Buddy the Elf)!

Here’s how the love story unfolds: Andrew, BJ’s friend, is the head buyer at Hudson Trail Outfitters and always has a new product for us to try. Most recently, it was a pair of socks and he told us that Feetures! are the “best socks on the market for what we do – running and cycling.” Who am I (not the head buyer at HTO) to call Andrew (head buyer at HTO) a liar?? Duhhh! I got my butt to HTO ASAP for a pair of Feetures! light. Final Price: $8.99. BJ and I went biking that same afternoon (23 miles) and I thought they were great – absolutely no complaints and totally worth the price.

But, the real love story begins one week later, when I went to Pacer’s to buy a new pair of running shoes. Since I was on a Feetures! kick – I picked up a “no show with tabs with colors” pair in pink. So cute!! Price: $8.95. But, as I was paying for my items, I noticed a huge bin filled with Feetures! for $4.00!! Why were they selling for $4.00, you ask??? Feetures! changed their packaging and decided to sell the old pairs for 50% off. YES I WILL – thank you very much!

So, I sadly put the pink pair down, and bought 8 pairs (yes, 8) of the “no show with tabs” socks. I literally can not stop wearing them. They are deliciously light-weight, so comfortable, fit perfectly (hint: I buy a size small, even though my shoe size = medium) and do not cause blisters. I wore 2 pairs on the day of The Columbia Triathlon – pair #1 was soaking wet after the bike (it rained), so I quickly changed into pair #2 and went on my way – my feet felt great the entire 25 mile bike and 6.2 mile run. I think they are awesome socks and can’t imagine training or competing in anything else. Bottom line: I’m in love with Feetures! light and I don’t care who knows it!

I don’t dare throw away my old socks – because you can never have too many – but you better believe that I am only wearing those if I haven’t done laundry in 9 days!

(Now, if only I could get a pink pair!)

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Run MP Run – Take #2

May 26, 2009 by · 1 Comment

After I posted my blog on Friday, I was motivated to start tracking all of my workouts, from now until October, when my “race season” is over. I have a few goals over the next couple of months including: lose 3-5 pounds, tone my arms/legs and incorporate different workouts into my mix. I think that tracking my workouts will keep me honest and motivated.

Friday (May 22): I lied! I ran when I got home from work. I didn’t mean to but BJ ended up having a last minute client meeting – and I never ride my bike without him. Call me crazy but I’m not 100% comfortable biking in DC by myself. So, that pretty much leaves me with running (my fave). I did a 25 minute loop and my legs were burning the whole time. Okay, so my legs are tired and I’ve pretty much been ignoring them (sorry legs!).

I promise not to run the entire weekend.

Saturday: I had an awesome morning swim – only a few people were at the pool and I had a lane to myself! It was GLORIOUS!

800m (32 laps): all out sprint
100m: recovery
4x100m: all out sprint (30 second rest)
250m: swim

In the afternoon BJ and I went on a 20 mile bike ride. The weather was perfect and the trail was less crowded than usual (thanks Memorial Day weekend!), so we had a really good ride.

Sunday: 35 mile bike ride in Poolesville, MD – very hilly and extremely hot workout. I was glad when it was over!

Monday: 62 lap swim at a moderate to fast pace. My arms felt a little tired but other than that, the conditions were pretty good.

I *love* 3-day weekends! I got in some great training – and still had a fun weekend without feeling like all of my time was consumed by running, biking or swimming. I wish we had every Monday off.

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Run MP Run

May 22, 2009 by · 2 Comments

I always give my body one day of rest after a big race. I don’t really like doing that, I just know that my body likes it.

That being said, and since I had such a terrible race, I took Monday off – then, I kicked my own ass with some insane runs. If I’m ever going to achieve my triathlon goal – complete an Olympic distance triathlon in [less than] 2hours 50minutes – I need to start getting serious!

Tuesday: I woke up early and did a plyometric workout at the gym, totaling about 25 minutes of intense cardio, with no breaks. After work, I ran hard for 15minutes, just enough time to strategically place me at the foot of a pretty big hill. I proceeded to sprint up the mountain, I mean hill, 10 times; my recovery was the jog back down. After the hill sprints, I ran home (the long way) – right at 25 minutes.

Total time: morning – 25 minute plyometric workout
afternoon – 45 minute run with 10 (all out) hill sprints

Wednesday: I had plans immediately following work, so I [peer] pressured myself into running before work. I’m glad I did – it was such a beautiful morning and the temperature was perfect. I did a 5 mile loop – which runs through some very nice Arlington neighborhoods and has a decent amount of hills.

Total time: 37 minute run (7:30/mile pace)

Thursday: Track workout – I always do a variation of the same [sick] workout at the track – it never gets old to me – and I love it.

It was hot when I got home from work, so I looked like a legit runner when I left the house: Nike visor, Oakley sunglasses, Camel Back and my hot pink iPod. I ran to the high school track, 1 mile away. Workout: I ran the stairs of the stadium, its about 12 sets and the equivalent of 100m –> completed the stairs, lengthwise, and ran to the track –> ran the remaining 300m at a brisk pace –> repeat 4 times = 1 mile with stairs. Then, I ran 6 – 75m sprints, with a 25m recovery. To “cool-down” I did 200 sit-ups, lunges for 100m, 50 squats and 10 squat jumps. And, because I’m hard-core, I ran home.

Total time: 45 minute track workout
– 1 mile to track
– 1 mile with stairs
– 6 – 75m sprints
– abs, lunges, squats
– 1 mile home

Friday: No more running this week – I’m definitely biking when I get home!

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The Columbia Triathlon

May 19, 2009 by · 2 Comments
(Clearly these were taken before the tri)

Part of me wanted to write this review immediately after finishing The Columbia Triathlon and part of me knew I should wait a few days to calm down and re-group. I’m glad I did – or else you would be reading the most negative review I’ve ever written! Don’t be fooled, I didn’t have a good race so this post is a little biased – but since my attitude has changed (even if just a little) I feel comfortable writing about the good and bad of this race.

I can sum up my “race day feeling” in five words: I did not have fun!

Two days later my feelings have changed: my disaster on Sunday is all part of the sport – you have to be ready for kicks in the face, losing a chain and calves that cramp for 6.2 miles.

But, none of that makes sense on race day and I have a hard time accepting that fact that I let myself down. Bottom line: I was in a bad mood from 11am on.

The weather wasn’t great – rain was in the forecast and because it had rained the night before, the transition area looked more like a mud pit than a grassy field. Thanks to BJ’s urging, I bought heavy duty trash bags for our gear and made them a staple at my transition area. I’m a very organized transition athlete – everything is laid out perfectly, in the exact spot and ready to go. One hour before my wave start I felt very comfortable about the coming events.

7:47am – Wave 8: Women 25-29 & 30-34 (FYI: I’m in the 25-29 age group). Thanks to my full-body Zoot wetsuit I was only chilly for the initial shock of getting into the water – a minute later I was fine. It started to rain about 30 seconds before my wave start and my goggles started to fog – but thanks to my adrenaline infused nerves, I barely noticed. Normally I hate the swim – it’s my least favorite and the one I am worst at – but I felt really good (minus the occasional kick in the face)! It was an easy course, really well marked and I felt comfortable. You will most likely never hear me say this again but I *loved* the swim – plus it was a PR for me.

I felt really good coming out of the water. I ran to transition and started changing: wet suit off, quick towel dry, Zoot top on, socks, Sidi bike shoes on, helmet, glasses, bike… and just like that I was off. My bike is still very new to me and despite a wet butt and soaking bike shoes I felt really relaxed. Until….about 15 minutes into the bike, going slightly downhill, I shifted to the big ring – or at least I attempted to. All I remember is not being able to pedal and looking down to see that my chain was off – dagger! Honestly, I didn’t have a clue what to do. I got off of my bike and unsuccessfully tried to put my chain back on. That continued for about 3 minutes; after that, I was extremely frustrated, standing there, waiting for someone to help me and watching everyone else pass me. Ten minutes later (from the time my chain came off), race support was by my side, helping me with my chain. It took John, the race support guru, 3 tries before he could get my chain back on – so I didn’t feel so bad not being able to do it myself. I thanked him, got on my bike and felt like crying. I was so mad – and from that point on, my attitude drastically changed – and I really couldn’t help it. I tried thinking about other things, tried to feel good about the people I passed or the hills I dominated – but I couldn’t. Plus, the bike course was extremely hilly – more than I was ever expecting (the Conte’s bike ride did not prepare me for this race) – and that started to get to me, too. I was too happy when the bike was over.

My transition from bike to run was decent. I had to change my socks because they were soaking wet from the bike ride but other than that, I was in and out. I was trying to change my attitude because I love to run but from the second my running shoes hit the pavement, my calves cramped up. One of the worst pains I have ever felt. It was a combination of major cramping, lactic acid and a Charlie horse – for 6.2 miles. I’m just guessing that the cramps had something to do with my start/stop/start on the bike and it manifested itself on the run (thanks bike chain!). I tried to run through the pain but going uphill was extremely painful. I ran up the first 4 hills (yes, there was more than 1 major hill) but the 5th hill looked like a mountain, and as I started to run up, the pain was so intense that I started to cry. Have you ever tried crying while exerting your body at 100%? Well, I don’t suggest trying it because the outcome is hyperventilation. Yes, I started to hyperventilate – and its happened to me before so I know exactly what it feels like – not fun!! So, I stopped on the side of the road, wheezing, and attempted to get my breathing back to normal. I am so competitive that I was still (slightly) wheezing when I started to run again. A fellow athlete asked, “Are you okay??!!” My response was “NO! But thanks for asking.” For the remainder of the run I walked up the hills and ran when it was flat. The last mile was pretty flat so I was able to really push it in and run through the pain, sprinting the last 800m – but it still felt like a disaster. Funny thing is, the run was a PR for me…

I crossed the finish line in 3:08:18. And never in my life have I wanted a race to be over as badly as I did The Columbia Triathlon. I was pretty upset on race day, but like I said, I’m glad I waited 2 days to write this because my perspective has slightly changed.

I have to be honest, it wasn’t all bad – and here’s why:
a) The race was close to home (1 hour away)
b) Race Support was awesome! There were volunteers everywhere, cheering the athletes on and directing the bikers/runners on each respective route.
c) The triathlon was really well marked – there was never a question as to where I needed to go.
d) Plenty of water stations
e) Chrissie Wellington competed (yea, that’s right, the Ironman Triathlon World Champion) – she’s a bad-ass!
f) I had a swim PR and a run PR!
g) I got to do the race with my boyfriend and his sister – and we all finished, injury-free.

Areas for Improvement:
a) More kayaks in the water
b) Transition areas – bike in and out. Due to the rain, the bike out was a steep uphill covered in slippery grass and mud; and the bike in was a steep downhill covered in slippery grass and mud. Not a good combination.
c) Description of the course needs to be a little more specific/detailed. I knew there were hills but I did not know that there were HILLS!

Swim: 31:32
Bike: 1:41:37 (The swim to bike transition time is included in the bike splits. Technical problems prevented the equipment from recording the bike start time data.)
T2: 2:11
Run: 52:59
Place: 967 (out of 1568)

Verdict: I can not give this race a fair overall rating – because I’m still disappointed in myself for not achieving my goal and frustrated that I lost 10 minutes on the bike. But, you better believe I am doing this race again next year! There’s no reason not to – I can only do better!!!

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Strong as a BRICK…

May 13, 2009 by · 2 Comments

My first triathlon of the season is this Sunday, May 17. I will be joined by BJ (my boyfriend) and his sister, JJ. We are an unlikely crew: JJ has a (healing) torn ligament in her ankle; BJ travels too much to workout on a regular basis and I, well, I really only like to run.

But I digress – that’s not at all the point of this post.

The point is: We did a brick (bike/run) workout last night and I felt great!* (see note below)

I work with a fellow triathlete who has done the Columbia Triathlon for the past six years – and she informed me that the bike course is very hilly. Good – I have just the solution for hills! Conte’s, a local Arlington bike shop, does a group ride every Tuesday night starting at 6:30pm (through September 8, 2009). The primary focus of the ride: HILLS. It’s only an hour long but the ride kicks my butt – and I’m a strong hill-climber.

As soon as the ride was over, I was feeling two things:
a) hopefully this ride will prepare me for the tri
b) I really don’t want to run when I get home (the run is my favorite part of the tri – but that doesn’t mean it’s easy – it simply means that I love to run)

But, I knew I had to… So, BJ and I walked in the door and quickly changed – back out the door in less than 5 minutes. We did a 2.5 mile loop and I felt really strong – better than I thought I would. Columbia Triathlon – here I/we come!

Moral of the story: brick workouts make you feel like a bad-ass athlete!

I feel prepared for my tri. And, I burned a lot of calories. You better believe that I had vanilla ice cream with strawberries for dessert!
(Y-U-M)

*Reasons why I should not have felt great: I don’t really like swimming at Washington and Lee high school (it’s a gross pool); I just got my bike 10 days ago; and I love running too much. I have created a little equation that might offer some clarity: hate swimming + brand new bike + obsessed with running = I’m not ready for a tri.

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MY NEW BIKE (!!!)

May 8, 2009 by · Leave a Comment

The beautiful, light weight carbon
construction to your right is: MY NEW BIKE!

Last weekend, BJ surprised me with it.

Here’s how the situation went down: It was Saturday afternoon and we were running some errands around town – Whole Foods, Pacers, Hurt Cleaners and Hudson Trail Outfitters. Nothing about that list is out of the ordinary: we need food, have dry cleaning to pick up and BJ’s best friend works for HTO. We go to HTO about 2 times/month because BJ ‘always’ needs a new pair of shorts or a new shirt or a new pair of flip flops, etc. Our first stop: the bike shop. I love the bikes at HTO – and, at any given time, there are about 10 different ones that I want! I wish I could buy a beach cruiser for every day of the week. Anyway, I started looking around and pointed to a bike that I liked – it was a white/green/black Scott bike. [Side note: I should point out that the “bike pictured above” is the bike that I thought I was getting, however 14 days before my first tri, I still didn’t have it. As a serious athlete I started to get nervous. I was looking for a back-up; I was looking for an alternative.] So, back to the bike that I pointed to – I showed BJ, he seemed to like it too, and then I asked Jon, the bike shop manager, if he had the Scott bike in the back. He said, “Let me check.” Well, he had a bike in the back but it was NOT the white/green/black Scott – it was MY NEW BIKE (!!!!) – a beautiful black/silver/purple Fuji. I was so excited, I couldn’t stop smiling (or screaming: “That’s my new bike!!”).

That afternoon we rode 25 miles – and it fit perfectly. I don’t know what I was so worried about – I’ll be ready for my tri in no time!

P.S. A special shout out to Andrew – for getting me an awesome bike; and to BJ – for an awesome surprise! Posted by Picasa

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Yep, it’s definitely broken…

May 6, 2009 by · Leave a Comment

I’ve mentioned before that I’m not a doctor, but this pain is just too obvious to miss. Last night, I broke my toe. I was about 15 minutes into watching Bolt, the Disney movie that I’ve been *dying* to see since its release on November 21, 2008, when I decided I needed some lip-gloss. I was moving fast (practically running) because I didn’t want to miss an important scene (as if I couldn’t rewind) and quickly grabbed the gloss. I went to turn off the bedroom lights when my toe drove, head first, into the wall. I literally dropped to my knees. This wasn’t just a little stub of the toe; this was deep, intense, drop-to-my-knees-and-cry pain. I could barely walk, let alone finish watching Bolt (I’m still mad about that today). So, I took a couple of Motrin, complained a little to BJ and went to bed, hoping that it would feel better in the morning. Wrong. I’m still in throbbing pain and I’m limping when I walk – great! I have a broken toe.

Like any ‘real’ American would, I did a little research on the internet – and found this one tip particularly interesting: “Try to stand for a minute or so. If your toe is broken, it won’t be able to support your weight. A broken toe will tend to buckle underneath you when you stand on it.” Really?! My pinky toe is going to cause me, a grown woman, to buckle? That’s the worst tip I’ve ever heard in my life! According to this (stupid) source, I don’t have a broken toe. But, thanks to more reputable internet sites, here’s how I know its broken (“Check” means that I’m experiencing this type of pain):

· After the injury, pain, swelling, or stiffness will occur. Bruising of the skin around the toe may also be noticeable. It may be difficult to walk due to pain, especially if the big toe is fractured. Check
· Shoes may be painful to wear or feel tight. Check
· Swelling and bruising. Check
· Pain is worse when the toe is moved or touched. Check

Here’s the worst part: You can’t do anything about a broken toe! I mean, what’s a doctor going to do? Put a cast on my baby toe? I don’t think so…

I’m just going to have to suck it up – and “buddy-tape” my broken toe to the [uninjured] toe next to it.

Diagnosis: broken toe (I should be a doctor)!
Workout for today: 6 mile run – in your face, pinky toe!

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Training Run (A.M. style)

May 4, 2009 by · Leave a Comment

BJ and I have decided that we really need to amp up our triathlon training. I got an email today from the Columbia Triathlon Association – just a “little” reminder that our tri is in 12 days. Yes, that is correct. 12 days, as in less than 2 weeks. I just got my bike 2 days ago. I probably need to start training!

Here’s the problem: BJ travels a lot during the week so we rarely have time to workout and/or train together. However, last night, he (surprisingly) said: “Let’s wake up early on Monday and run before I have to catch my train to Philly.” Yea, okay, I like that idea. Monday morning = a different story. Last night, running sounded like a great idea – this morning, the alarm clock sounded my worst nightmare. We stayed in bed 15 minutes after the alarm went off, debating back and forth. Should we or shouldn’t we? We decided we should (after all, we are hard-core athletes).

I wore a jacket and ear warmers to run. Did I mention that it’s May?! Okay, no more complaining, it was just hard to wake up early and run in the cold. Oh yea, it started to rain about 5 minutes into the run. Dagger.

But, 10 minutes in, I was really, really happy that we were running. Together. In the rain. In the cold. It was nice – something that we have never done in the entirety of our relationship – and I liked it! I liked waking up early. Complaining together. And then, running 5 miles before work. It was an invigorating start to my day.

My advice: Wake up a little early and take run. I felt great (and skinny) all day. I’m not a doctor, but I’m guessing you’ll feel fabulous from 9-5, too.

Author’s note: I won’t tell you what time we woke because my mother would laugh in my face (it wasn’t that early) – but either way (4:30am or 8:30am), I highly suggest a morning run! It’s a great way to start the day, you don’t have to worry about running after work and can take full advantage of Happy Hour specials! Even better….

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George Washington Parkway Classic 10 Miler

April 30, 2009 by · 5 Comments

I did my first race of the season (according to my race calendar) this past Sunday. I’d never even heard of the George Washington Parkway Classic 10 Miler before (I think it might be overshadowed by the (lame) Cherry Blossom 10 Miler, run a few weeks earlier) – but apparently, it was the 25th Anniversary. Who knew…?!

I originally signed up for two reasons:
a) I was out of town the weekend of the Cherry Blossom 10 Miler.
b) I was desperately looking for a race, other than the Cherry Blossom, to run (I should post a blog titled: “Reasons why I don’t like the Cherry Blossom 10 Miler”).

Race day approaching, I started to get excited (I mean, really excited) and here’s why:

1. I LOVE TO RUN! I should have started this post by declaring my unconditional devotion to running – but now you know. I like it. I love it. I adore it.
2. Easy. Convenient. Close to home. Who doesn’t love all 3 – especially on race day, when you wake up extra early to arrive with plenty of time to stretch, use the porta-potty, drink some water….I could go on, you get the point. I mean, I walked one block to pick up my race packet and drove 5 miles to Old Town, Alexandria on race day (my boyfriend likes convenience even more than I do, so he really loved this race – but more about him in a minute).
3. Not too crowded. When I picked up my race packet I asked: “How many people are running on Sunday?” Ms. “I-have-all-of-the race-answers” answered: “8,000.” Okay, not too bad. The final number of finishers on race day: 4054. Even better!
4. Point-to-Point. You start at Mt. Vernon (that’s right, George’s house aka “the 1st President of the United States”) and finish in Old Town, Alexandria. You don’t have to run past the same house/store/building/person/tree 10 different times. I like that – keepin’ it fresh!

So, now to my boyfriend – I’ll call him BJ (to save him any brush with fame he might receive, should this blog become famous) – kept saying, “That was a fun race!!” He later corrected himself by saying, “The race was fun, now that it’s over!” And everything he’s saying is true. It was a fun race … but just a little too hot and not enough water. There’s absolutely no reason it should be 90 degrees in April – but it was and there’s nothing we can do about it (damn global warming). On the flip side, there is something we can do about not enough water: PROVIDE MORE! I have very little patience for races that don’t provide enough water, and to be honest, it’s a little unacceptable. Water is free – give it out – people need it! Now, I will point out that there were plenty of trees along the run to help balance out the brutal heat – nice touch – a special shout out to the big shade trees on GW parkway. But, you and I both know that shade is not going to cut it when you are dying of thirst – 1st water station, mile 2.5. Thanks to BJ’s relentless urging (and my 25th birthday), I wore my Camelback – and good thing I did. I needed it.

Overall, I felt pretty good. My mirror image ran next to me the entire race – which was great motivation. Never in my life have a witnessed someone run so much like me, it was cool (and creepy). I have a running twin. Mile 7 was the start of a huge blister (like the size of a quarter and a nickel combined) but I ran through it (barely). I think it wanted to keep me from running sub 8-minute miles and it almost did, but I’m not about to let some stupid blister ruin my run. Nice try – I win.

Final Time: 1:19
Place: 450 (out of 4054)

Verdict: The race was great and really well organized! I highly recommend running the GW 10 miler (as long as the overall runner count does not exceed 8,000). Plus, a huge bonus/nice suprise: the race shirts were awesome (I can’t say that about many race shirts)! They were New Balance technical tees and gender specific – nice touch – I’m sure the paparazzi have already snapped a shot of me sporting it around town (that’s how much I like it)!

Overall score: 8

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Race Calendar

April 29, 2009 by · Leave a Comment

I’m rocking some runs and some tri’s this year- yea, that’s right, I’m a pretty serious athlete! This is my race calendar but I’m up for doing more. FYI, I don’t love 5k’s (I have my reasons) – so, 3.1 miles aside, I’m open to suggestions.

Who else is in?

April 26 – GW Classic – 10 miler
May 17 – Columbia Triathlon (MD) – Olympic Distance
June 13 – MS Ride (Chicago) – 75 miles
June 20 – American Red Cross (Alexandria) – 10k
July 26 – Princeton Triathlon (NJ) – Olympic Distance
August 15 – Luray Triathlon (VA) – Olympic Distance
September 13 – The Nation’s Triathlon (DC) – Olympic Distance
September 20 – SavageMan Triathlon (MD) – Olympic Distance
October 4 – Army 10 Miler – 10 miler
October 25 – Marine Corp Marathon – 10k

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