Things I Learned at My First Tri

After years of saying that I wanted to try a tri, I finally got a little taste of one this past Saturday at the Windcrest Freshman Triathlon. I LOVED it! It was so fun, and it was perfect for a first time tri.  

The first thing I learned that day was NOT to speed on the way to your race. We got pulled over on the way there. :) Scott was driving and didn't even realize he was speeding. We were only going about 75 on the freeway, but the cops were being sticklers that morning since it was the last weekend of Fiesta, a big party that happens every April here. My first thought when we got pulled over was, "Crap. We're going to be late for my race. I hope we make it." My second thought was, "Crap. We've lived here for TWO years and Scott still hasn't gotten his Texas license yet!" (Technically you have about 30-90 days to get your new license. Scott's going on 700+. Don't worry, I'm sure he'll be getting it soon.) 

Anyway, the cop was really mean when we first rolled down the window, and I was so worried we were going to get a BIG FAT fine for not having a Texas license. He asked what we were doing out so early in the morning, and after I told him we were on our way to my first triathlon, he went from a gruff grizzly bear to a soft teddy bear. He let us off with a warning, and even wished me luck at my race. I couldn't believe it! I think once he realized we weren't partiers, he decided he better get back to catching those that were out partying, so he let us go quickly. 

I hope you enjoy these embarrassing pictures of me. :) One of the main reasons I chose this race as my first tri was because the swim was short (200 meters), and it was in a pool. Swimming was pretty much the only thing keeping me from doing a triathlon sooner. I finally took a few swimming lessons last summer and learned how to swim, but the thought of swimming in open water still freaked me out a little, so this little pool swim worked out great. 

One helpful thing someone suggested to me before the race was to get in the water and get wet before it was my turn to swim. I'm glad I did that so my body was already used to the temperature of the water when I started my swim. 

Just in case that last picture wasn't embarrassing enough, I thought I'd post another one. The swim ended up being much easier than I thought. Turns out I had nothing to worry about. I guess I've come a long way since my first swimming lesson last summer where I didn't even know my head was supposed to be under the water, and then turned to the side to breathe. I might even kind of like swimming a little bit now. :)

Another thing I learned is to bring my iFitness belt so I can have my number attached to it, and a little snack in it. I thought I was supposed to pin my number to my shirt after I got out of the water. I guess that's fine if you want to waste a lot of time. 

Luckily I realized this before the race started by talking to one of the race volunteers. I ended up pinning my number to an extra t-shirt I had in my bag before the swim, and then I threw that on when I got out of the water. 

The first thing I learned about the bike part of the race was that getting on your bike in the transition area and starting to ride is a big no-no. Good thing this tri was intended for first timers, otherwise they might have kicked me out or something. Now I know that I'm supposed to walk my bike to the white line and then I can get on and ride. :)

I entered the fat tire division, meaning that I rode a mountain bike with fat tires rather than a road bike with skinny tires. It's funny how many people thought I meant I was in some kind of heavy weight division when I told them I entered the fat tire division. One of my friends even thought I said "fat and tired" division. I got a good laugh out of that. Yep, I entered the fat and tired division, and I won too! Ha ha.

The option to enter a fat tire division was another main reason I chose this race. Road bikes are expensive, and I don't plan on buying one anytime soon. Mountain bikes are slower than road bikes, so that's why they have a separate division for them. I ended up riding Scott's mountain bike since mine has a baby seat attached to it. I had never ridden Scott's bike before that morning, and it was just barely too tall after we lowered the seat all the way, but it worked fine. I had a blast during the bike portion of the race! Riding bikes is one of my favorite things to do even though I don't do it very often.

I had never actually practiced biking and then running directly after, so towards the end of my bike ride I was wondering how that would feel. 

It felt a little weird, but the thing that felt the weirdest to me was not having my running watch on! I felt lost not knowing what pace I was going. I really had no idea if I was running a 10 minute mile, or a 7 minute mile (It ended up being a 7:30 pace). Since I had never run directly after swimming and biking, my pace sense was all thrown off. I think I would have pushed harder on the run if I had my watch, but it was also kind of nice not knowing what pace I was going. My Garmin has become a crutch. :)

Yet another embarrassing, but funny picture. Don't ask me what I was thinking, but I totally ran right past the finish line and everyone was yelling at me to go back. Maybe I was a little too hopped up on endorphines. That's me with my arms in the air realizing I had missed the finish line shoot. Ha ha. 

I turned around and made it back to the big giant sign that says FINISH. I was laughing as well as everyone else that was watching me. I was a little spastic the entire race. I was just so excited and having so much fun that I felt like a chicken running around with it's head cut off. 

(I'm blurry, so I like this picture!)

My time ended up being 1:01, although I have no idea what that really means yet (I was waiting in line to start my swim for about thirty minutes. That is why the clock in the background is 1:33). The distance of this tri was a 200 meter swim, 10 mile bike, and 2 mile run.  So it was just a little one, but perfect for seeing what a tri is like. My swim was 4:55, my bike was 38:05, and my run was 15:48, including my little detour. 

This is the last embarrassing picture of the post. I got a medal for finishing, and a medal for winning my division. 

Now that I've had a little taste of what a tri is like, I can't wait to do more, and longer ones too! I'm glad I finally took the plunge and gave it a try!

Healthy Chocolate Chunk Muffins

It's been awhile since I posted on here! I needed a little blogging break. I've been consumed by the Hunger Games books, the gorgeous Spring weather, trying to learn how to swim in hopes of doing my first triathlon this April, and a myriad of other stuff as well.

I've also been trying lots of new recipes! I was telling my mom and sister over the phone about these yummy chocolate muffins I made from a recipe I found on Pinterest. 

These are healthy enough to eat for breakfast for those days you wake up craving chocolate, and yummy enough to eat after a meal to satisfy a sweet tooth. B and I actually had these for breakfast today. I told him he could pick it up with his hands, but apparently eating like a puppy dog is more fun. 

Healthy Chocolate Chunk Muffins

1 3/4 C. oats

3 egg whites

3/4 C. unsweetened cocoa

1/2 C. applesauce

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 C. plain greek yogurt

1/2 tsp. cream of tartar (or 1-1/2 T. vinegar)

1-1/2 tsp. baking powder

1-1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt 

1 C. hot water

1 C. sugar substitute (like Splenda granular) OR 1/4 C. stevia (I just used a couple packets of Stevia. I didn't use anywhere near 1/4 C. Pure Stevia is very sweet.)

1/2 C. chocolate chips (You could also use white chocolate or peanut butter chips!)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin pan with 12 cupcake liners. Set aside. 

2. In a blender, or food processor, mix all the ingredients together, except the chocolate chips. Blend until oats are ground and mixture is smooth. 

3. Place mixture in bowl and stir in 1/2 the chocolate chips (set the rest aside). Scoop mixture into prepared muffin pans. 

4. Bake muffins for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, remove muffins from oven to distribute the rest of the chocolate chips on top of each muffin. (I ended up cooking mine a little longer than 10 minutes. They still looked a little too gooey after 10 minutes to distribute the rest of the chocolate chips.)

5. Place muffins back in oven and cook for an additional 2-5 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean. 

According to the site I got these from, each muffin has about 120 calories, or you can make 24 mini muffins for 60 calories each. That's a lot better than the 690 calories that are in the Costco chocolate chunk muffins! 

What's the last chocolate thing you ate?

You Know You're a Running Nerd When...

You watch Running The Sahara on Netflix during naptime as entertainment/motivation to fold 3 loads of laundry. 

Normally Biggest Loser is my laundry folding motivation, but I'm going to miss it tonight because I get to go to a rodeo/Miranda Lambert concert for a fun girls night out, so I found a different source of laundry folding entertainment. 

Not sure if my husband will be happy or disappointed that I already watched this so I won't make him watch another running movie with me. I may or may not have made him watch Running America with me on Valentine's Day.  I know, I'm so romantic, but we had our real Valentine celebration the day after. The restaurants were much less crowded then, and the chick flicks (Breaking Dawn) were available in Redbox. I think we might make February 15th our new Valentine's Day. 

Anyway, laundry's folded, movie was good (They ran over 170 marathons in 111 days! CRAZY!)

Now you fill in the blank: You know you're a running nerd when ................

Fun (For a Treadmill Workout)

Here's the treadmill workout that I made up yesterday! It went by really fast, and I thought it was fun as far as treadmill running goes. I'll definitely be doing it again the next time I need a good 6-ish mile treadmill workout. 

*(Adjust speeds to fit your needs. Number 1 and 9 should be a comfortable pace that you could sustain for awhile. Numbers 3 and 7 (20 seconds on, 10 seconds off) should be a sprint.)

I left the treadmill running while I was doing the 20 seconds on, 10 seconds off. I would just jump to the sides and watch the treadmill clock for 10 seconds. Otherwise I would have been using the entire 10 seconds or more to slow the treadmill speed and then speed it back up. You just have to be really careful when you get back on! I used my arms to take a few steps at first every time I got back on so I wouldn't biff it. 

I was so focused on watching the clock for 20 seconds, and then 10 seconds that my workout was over before I even noticed how nasty sweaty I was.  

I planned to end with 2 more miles at the same speed I started (7.5), but after all those faster intervals, 7.5 felt too slow, and the 8.0 speed felt the same as the 7.5 speed had at the beginning! I love when that happens. Next time I think I'll challenge myself a little more with the 20 seconds on, 10 seconds off speed. I think I could have gone a little faster because 20 seconds goes by really fast! 

The total mileage for this workout was 6 miles, including the little bit of mileage from when I was taking the 10 second rests. I may have counted the reps wrong because it was kind of hard to watch the clock, and count reps, and run, and watch the movie that was playing in the cardio cinema. : ) (I've been doing a week trial at a gym this past week to decide if I want to get a gym pass for the next few months to help me train for my first triathlon that I hope to do this year. I need a gym pass to practice swimming and cycling, so we'll see how B does in the daycare.)

Runners and Non-Runners Should Read This Book!

I just finished reading Kristin Armstrong's book, Mile Markers, and I loved it. It was funny, uplifting, and inspiring. I kind of want to read it again now. It's due back at the library next week, but I'll share a few snippets of her writing here before I turn it in. I'm also going to add her blog to my blogroll. (She keeps a weekly blog on Runner's World called Mile Markers.)

I Get To:

One of my favorite chapters in her book was the one on gratitude. In one of her posts titled "I Get To," she talked about her ultramarathon running friend who was recently diagnosed with ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease.) One day as she was trudging through a hard workout, trying to make it up a big hill, she caught herself thinking in terms of have to's. I have to make it up this hill, I have to finish this loop, I have to, I have to....Then she remembered her friend whose life was recently turned upside down by his disease and started thinking, No, I don't have to. I want to. I get to. I get to charge up this hill. I get to hit the gym after work. I get to make dinner for my children. I get to pick my kids up from school etc etc.  She ended this post with, "Think about it--If you stopped yourself every singel time you were about to say I have to and changed it to I get to, it might change your entire experience."

There's a little taste of her motivational and inspiring side. It's really does change my attitude towards anything when I think of it in terms of get to instead of have to!  My new goal is to think in terms of get to the next time I'm doing something I don't particularly enjoy. 

Here's a little taste of her funny side:

She was giving a speech on Spring Cleaning, not the house kind, the inside kind where you let go of unnecessary things you're holding on to. She brought some metaphorical visual aids with her that she dug out of her closet. All of them made me laugh, but I'll share this one: "Skinny jeans. Small enough that my daughter Grace could probably wear them, and she's 8. This is proof that I am unable to let go of my skinny-as-a-rail era. I keep the jeans around in case I ever get that skinny again, which hasn't happened yet. I have to be truly miserable to stop eating, and I haven't been that miserable since, well, back when I wore those jeans. Meanwhile, whenever I feel fit and fabulous, I try them on just in case, and all this does is to limit the amount of time I feel fit and fabulous. They need to go, but I keep them. This is proof that no matter how much I think I have evolved and made peace with my body, I can still manage to torment myself. 

I think a lot of girls can relate to this, including myself. :) That's why I found it so funny

There were so many other favorite parts in this book that were inspiring and funny. I wish I could have read it with a highlighter, but since it's a library book I couldn't. That makes it a little hard to go back through and find my favorite parts, but you'll just have to go read it for yourself now and find your own favorite parts! I know runners will love this book, but I also think non-runners would love it too because she uses running mostly as a metaphor to relate to all kinds of things in life that we all go through. 

What's the last get-to thing you did today? 

I got to put away my little boy's laundry. It's so funny what an effect one little word can have on my attitude. When I get to put away laundry instead of have to, suddenly I feel so lucky that I (1.) Have a little boy to put laundry away for,  (2.) Have a washing machine, and (3.) Have laundry period. 

Anyone holding onto anything in their closets/attics that should probably go? 

Living in an apartment the past year and a half has definitely helped me get rid of things that need to go pretty fast, so nothing is coming to mind right away, but I know there is some stuff lurking and hiding in there that could go! Going through our storage closet has been on my to-do list for two weeks now.

Eat of the Week: Healthy Chocolate Banana Shake

This has been my favorite nighttime snack lately because it's healthy, it tastes like dessert, it's filling, and it's less than 200 calories. 

Scott and B like it too. I've made it several different ways, so I'll share a few of the variations I've made. 

The most simple one is:

1 C. Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk

1/2 Frozen Banana

1/2- 1 T. Cocoa

Ice cubes for desired thickness

Pinch of Stevia to sweeten (opt.) 

Blend all ingredients. This one is about 110 calories. Pretty yummy and filling for only 110 calories!

Some other ingredients that you can throw in are a handful of spinach (you won't be able to taste it), chia seeds, avocado, peanut butter, protein powder, oats, and greek yogurt. 

My favorite variation of this recipe I just made last night, and then again in larger portion for breakfast today. 

Here's last night's version:

1/2 C. Almond Milk

2 T. Oats

1/2 Frozen Banana

1/2 Scoop Vanilla Protein Powder

1 T. Cocoa

Ice Cubes

 (This one is about 175 calories)

This morning I made the same one, except I added more almond milk, chia seeds, more protein powder, and spinach. 

Do you get hungry before bed? If so, what's your favorite snack to have?

I almost always get hungry a few hours after dinner. I hate the nighttime munchies, but this snack has helped keep my appetite happy without snacking on a bunch of things and consuming  an entire meal's worth of calories before I know it. 

Rest Builds Strength

It's taper time again. I really hate taper week. I have to mentally gear myself up for taper week more than I have to mentally gear myself up for a hard workout or a long run. It didn't used to be like that at all. I remember when I first started distance running I would mentally gear myself up all week for my long run on Saturday. Now I just plain look forward to my long runs every Saturday. 

My love for running has definitely grown over years of consistently getting out the door on the days I didn't feel like going and then coming home feeling a million times better. A week or so ago I came home from one of my long runs and said to Scott, "You know how they say you fall more and more in love with your spouse the longer you're married? Well, I think the same is true with running. I think you fall more and more in love with running the longer you run." Scott just paused for a second and then said, "So I have competition?" I got a good laugh out of that response. I tried to tell him they were in totally different leagues and that he doesn't even have to worry, but I'm not so sure he believed me. I think he responded with something like a sarcastic, "Sure." 

Anyway, I briefly mentioned that I had signed up for a 25K (15.6 miles) this Saturday, so this week is taper week and I'm reminding myself that rest builds strength. I read that in this article on Runnersworld.com this morning. I also read that my last long run should have been 3 weeks before my race day. Oops. Too late for that.  My "short" run this past Saturday turned into 13.1 miles because it was too gorgeous outside and I was enjoying myself too much to stop at 8. 

I'm writing my taper plan for this week down again because last time I did that I actually stuck to it, and then I even got a half marathon PR. 

Here it is:

Monday: 10-20 min. warm-up. 6X400 @ 1:30 (400m Rest). 10 min. cool down.

Tuesday: Pilates.

Wednesday: 3 mile run: 1 mile easy, 2 miles @ 7:40/mile.

Thursday: Rest.

Friday: Rest or 2 miles on treadmill plus 8-10 strides.

Saturday: Race day.

I already did today's workout and it felt great even though I had to settle for the treadmill instead of the track. I took B to music class this morning, and then we went to our apartment gym afterwards. We brought some of his new birthday toys and some snacks and he did really well entertaining himself. He also did a good job telling me when he needed to use the potty unlike last time I took him to the gym. We made two quick bathroom breaks for B during my workout. One right before I started the intervals, and one right after I finished, so he even timed his bathroom breaks well! Actually, that was just a happy coincidence. 

It's weird to think I won't even get sweaty for tomorrow's workout. I even straightened my hair today in anticipation of that. Yep, I plan my hair-do's around my workout schedule. :) 

Do you determine how much you get ready and how you do your hair based on your workout schedule, or is it just me?

Run Every Year On Your Birthday

That was one of my favorite bits of advice from Kara Goucher's Running For Women book that I recently finished reading.

It was in the chapter on "Foolproof Strategies For Keeping You Fit, Lean, Happy, and Energized For The Long Run." She said there is no better way to start your special day than to run first thing in the morning on your birthday. "It'll stay with you the rest of the day--I'm fit, I'm a runner, another great year to look forward to!"

I loved that because my birthday has always been one of my favorite days to run since I started running in high school. People would sometimes say to me, "It's your birthday, why are you going running!?" And in my mind I would think, "It's my birthday! That's why I'm running!" In fact, the longer my run is on my birthday, the better. That just means even more cake right? :)

Speaking of birthdays...

This cute guy turns 3 today!!!

We are celebrating by taking him to the Spurs game tonight, and then he gets to have a little party with his friends tomorrow. He's requested a basketball cake, so I'm on the search for some good orange frosting today. We might even celebrate by starting our day with a short jogging stroller run too. He's no awake yet, so it'll depend on his willingness to go. Just heard his little knock, so I guess I'l go find out.

Do you like to run on your birthday, or would you rather take the day off? 

Running Motivation! (Pictures From the Houston 2012 Olympic Marathon Trials)

If looking at these pictures doesn't motivate you to want to get out the door and run, I don't know what will. I think I'll come back to this post and stare at these awe-inspiring pictures anytime I'm lacking motivation to go running. Isn't my husband an amazing photographer? I'm in love with all these pictures.

Enjoy!!

Here's the start of the women's race before any lead packs were formed. Can you pick out your favorite runners? I was so excited to see Kara Goucher, Shalane Flanagan, Desiree Davila, and Blake Russell, but the first time they ran by I only saw Blake Russell because the others were hiding in the back. I completely expected them to be front and center. They were just using smart racing tactics though. :)

 

Janet has a cool story. You can read it here. 

Look at Kara's leg muscles! Wow.

Team USA!!! They finished in this order. 

Look, now I can say I'm in a picture with Kara Goucher, Shalane Flanagan, Desiree Davila, Deena Kastor, and Amy Hastings! Pretty cool huh? 

I was on cloud 9 the whole race. It was so freaking fun to watch. My husband even loved watching it and he's not a runner. 

Those are some serious leg muscles. 

Ryan Hall and Josh Cox were the only guy runners I knew, so here's one more picture of each of them.

So, tell me, did these pictures make you want to go running? 

An Obsession and My 2012 Resolutions

I'm obsessed with to-do lists and planners. I make a to-do list every day either when I wake up, or before I go to bed at night. I've always loved having a planner and crossing things off throughout the day. When I first became a stay-at-home-mom, I didn't think I needed a planner anymore because the "deadlines" of school and work were gone, but then I realized I function much better when I use a planner, or at least a to-do list, no matter what's written on it. Whatever it is that I need to get done that day whether it be cleaning toilets, grocery shopping, or even the simplest things like making a phone call, writing it down completely increases my motivation to do it. Sometimes I have to write it down about 20 times before I actually do it, but eventually I'll do it just so I can cross it off and stop re-writing it every day. Folding the laundry seems 10 times more exciting to me if I know it means I'll get to cross it off my to-do list at the end of the day. I know, I'm a little weird. Good thing my husband's the exact opposite, because we balance each other out pretty well. I've never known him to have a planner or make to-do lists. I remember thinking he was absolutely crazy for not having a planner in college. I didn't know how he kept his mind from exploding trying to remember all his assignments and due dates. 

Anyway, along with my to-do list obsession, I also love setting goals. I've been like this ever since I was little, so my dad tells me. 

I finally chose some resolutions for 2012. I've had so many of them floating around in my head for awhile now, but I decided to narrow them down to 12. 

Here's my 12 Resolutions for 2012:

1. Improve photography skills by taking the free classes that came with my camera and reading at least one book on photography. 

2. Publish and order our 2011 family blog by the end of February. 

This was a page from our 2010 book. It's a lot of work, but it always feels like Christmas the day it comes in the mail!

3. Get my cycling certification and renew AFAA certification. 

4. Eat vegetables at least 2-3 times/day. Always for lunch and dinner, and either for breakfast or snack. 

5. Break my need for sweets after meals. Not just desserts, but sweets in general. I don't eat desserts like the one below very often, but I have a really bad habit of thinking I always need something sweet after lunch and dinner. 

6. Learn to swim at least 800 meters without stopping. (I've never been a swimmer, but I took a few lessons last summer and learned the basics. I could maybe swim about 50 meters right now before I would feel like I was suffocating and needed to stand up to breath. Hopefully I'll be able to practice and get more comfortable in the water this summer!)

7. After #6 is done, complete my first sprint triathlon and see if I like them. If I decide I do, then I want to complete an Olympic distance triathlon too. 

8. Be in bed by 10:30PM 5 nights a week. 

9. Make my daily prayer and scripture study more meaningful and thoughtful. 

10. Read at least one book per month. 

I reas this one last year and loved it. The next two books on my list for this year are Born to Run, and Kara Goucher's Running For Women. And yes, I will read other books besides running ones. :) 

11. Have at least 10 minutes of quiet time per day where I don't do anything but think and relax. Even when I sit down to eat, I'm usually multi-tasking. I think lunch time will be a good opportunity for my 10 minutes of quiet time. Instead of reading while I eat, I'm just going to sit and eat! Nothing else. 

12. Work on my inner calm. I know this sounds funny, but I want to practice staying calm on the inside when B is being difficult or throwing tantrums, or when anything else might be stressing me out. Even when I don't show my impatience or stress on the outside, I can feel it boiling on the inside. I really want to master not letting outside circumstances affect my mood on the inside. If I can master my mood on the inside, I know my mood on the outside will automatically be the way I want it to be. 

While I'm at it, here are a couple blog goals I have for the year:

1. Write my About Me page.

2. Make a separate recipe page with links to all my "Eat of the Weeks."

3. Fix my comment section so I can directly reply to people's comments.

4. Write my running story.

5. Move my blog to Wordpress. 

6. Make a facebook page. 

7. Add facebook and twitter buttons to my blog. 

Are you a planner/list maker? 

Tell me one of your New Years Resolutions! 

It probably goes along with my list obsession, but I love reading other people's goals!