Pondering: Triathlon Training

A running buddy of mine is a triathlon coach and has asked me if I was serious when I mentioned last year that I might be interested in doing one this year.

When I think about jumping into a cold Washington lake and swimming, then biking, then running after swimming and biking, my reaction is something like this:

Just kill me already.

Last year I decided 2017 is going to be the year I do a triathlon, and it has finally occurred to me that WE ARE ALREADY IN THE MIDDLE OF MARCH 2017. If I'm going to do this, I have to commit and start training now.

I'm not a bad swimmer, but I have difficulty making time to do laps at the nearby pool, which is only open for lap swimming after 9:00 p.m. during the week. And to be completely transparent, I haven't been on a bike since college... so yeah, there's that minor detail.

As I mull the decision over in my head, I have this sneaky suspicion I'll end up taking the bait and doing it.

Have you ever trained for a triathlon? What tips and advice do you have for a potential runner considering doing one?

Happy International Women's Day!

I come from a very traditional family with the engineer dad and the stay-at-home mom. Both worked hard to raise their three kids, and both saw the value in saving money to send us to college. I am forever grateful to my parents for everything they did to ensure that my sister and I would have equal opportunities to those of our male counterparts in this world.

It is unfortunate that despite our education and experience levels, my sister and I have consistently fought through the professional world with less-than-equal pay, being called derogatory terms by men such as "sweetheart" on the job (true story), and dealt with a blind eye turned to our contributions while men tried to take credit for our work. 

I don't want that for my daughters, and I do everything I can to teach them by example to never accept anything less than equal respect and treatment. Although I do my best, there is always room for improvement. 

Happy International Women's Day to all the amazing women in my life.

I think I feed her too much spinach. 

A Constant Battle

Yesterday, I ran the Seattle Hot Chocolate 15K. Finally healed from a raging sinus infection, I was a little worried I would have some difficulty with this race, but I ended up finishing with a decent and consistent pace. Unfortunately, about four miles in I realized my old nemesis had crept into the race, which made the last several miles a bit of a mental fight for me.

Tachycardia is a pain to deal with. Recently, my resting pulse rate was so high that I scared my doctor until we had the "oh yeah... remember? This is normal for me..." conversation when my heart was pounding at a rate higher than 100 PBM just sitting on the exam table. A little white coat syndrome knocks my already-quick resting pulse to what some runners experience during a warm-up jog.

The cardiologist I met with years ago did a number of tests and monitoring then determined that while my pulse is indeed rather fast and that I do struggle with heart palpitations, my heart is healthy and activities such as running are safe as long as I don't overdo it. His recommendation was to ensure I am properly hydrated. Beyond my morning black coffee and a little wine on the weekend, I'm a water drinker. If I'm not gulping water, I'm sipping hot decaf tea. When I explained this to the cardiologist, he told me that water is simply not enough to keep me hydrated, and that I have to be drinking something with electrolytes. I've mentioned before that NUUN is my go-to electrolyte drink because it's the least sugary-tasting supplement I have found to date (sugary drinks gross me out - hence my hate for sodas - instead, give me all of the salt!!).

Well, despite prepping the day before by drinking NUUN, I realized about four miles into yesterday's race that my stomach was beginning to ache in that way that means my pulse is too high. Glancing at my watch, it was reading 180 BPM, which is high even for me. My legs felt great, my breathing was even, but dammit - my heart always gives out long before the rest of me feels tired.

I forced myself to walk through every aid station so I could gulp down two cups of NUUN and chase it with a cup of water. By the time I reached the 6-mile mark, the race had turned to downhill but my pulse was still much higher than it would normally be. After hydrating carefully at each aid station, though, the pain in my stomach went away and my chest no longer felt tight.

The mental struggle was tough. Because my legs and the rest of my body felt good, I wanted to speed up during the last half the way I normally do during a race. I couldn't because my pulse was having difficulty slowing down to my body's "safe zone".

Nevertheless, I felt proud of how I did yesterday. The Seattle race is extremely hilly and difficult, and I managed to keep my overall pace at a 9'43"/mile average (according to my GPS) despite everything going on. I felt pleased that I was able to push the ego aside and hold back on the speed even though my legs begged to run faster. I also learned a few things, which I'd like to share.

1. I should probably follow up with a new cardiologist. It's been awhile and my overall physical condition has changed quite a bit since my last appointment. Collapsing mid-race would be stupid if it's avoidable.
2. Running the long, intense uphills without stopping was something made possible by all the mountain-training runs I've been doing this year.
3. My endurance is increasing, and I know this because the middle of the race, which was all uphill, felt better than the first few miles once I got my heart rate under control. 
4. I still dislike running downhill; I find it more exhausting than uphill running, oddly.
5. I need to measure the amount of liquids I am consuming the day before a long race from now on. Obviously, I didn't get enough the day before, and this could have been avoided.
6. I looked awful during this race. Like, seriously stressed out. Usually, I'm smiling in all my photos, but the look on my face is pretty accurate to how I was feeling. Because I have no shame, I'm sharing one of my official race photos so you, too, can get a good laugh. You have to zoom in to see the bags under my eyes and the straining in my throat. 

See those folks in short sleeves behind me?
It was 37°F with a cold wind. They're nuts.
Also, my awesome Crane Tights are from
INKnBURN, naturally.

I didn't previously mention this because I chose to focus on my tachycardia today, but I also want to share that my daughter ran the 5K the hour before my race began, and she rocked it, of course. This was taken post-race, which is a little more flattering than my end-of-race photo.

Me and my awesome little runner kid!

Vacationing at Lake Louise

Last week my girls had mid-winter break, so we took the opportunity to vacation somewhere we have never been before.

Nope. Not Photoshopped... that's a real place!

If you have never visited Banff National Park in Alberta, Canada and you enjoy being outdoors, it's a Bucket List must. We stayed at a hotel next to Lake Louise and our week was full of snowshoeing, skiing, ice skating on the frozen lake, and hiking with crampons attached to our snow boots (I might be guilty of laughing at the name "crampons").

Lake Louise Frozen Over

As much as I love Seattle and generally like the weather (yes, even the rain... I love the rain), I was hoping to escape to someplace warm for the week. Hawaii is a direct flight from here, but the prices were outrageous this time of year and the hotels were mostly booked already. Instead of heading south for warmer weather, we made the decision to embrace the cold and head to Lake Louise, which is a little less than a 12-hour drive from us.

Despite my best intentions of keeping with my normal training, I fell off the wagon and didn't run at all on vacation. No treadmill. No yoga. Forget the normal workouts. Instead, I spent everyday outside trying new things.

Don't let the confident smiles fool you...
I'm not a real skier, but James isn't too bad at it.

I have only skied once before and the girls were brand new to the slopes, but we managed to have a wonderful time. Skiing has always scared me because I'm a giant chicken who is afraid of heights, speed, and losing control. I dislike being afraid and anxious, so I looked that fear right in the eye and told it to take a hike. And guess what? Not only did I survive and enjoy it, but I learned that I'm not too bad on a set of skis. All that yoga and dance balance work seemed to keep me on my feet and off my rump.

A family of adventure-seekers!

While skiing and other snow sports aren't really a big deal to a lot of people, I have to say that I feel very proud of myself for trying something new. It's easy for me to get lost in my regular routines of life, and stepping out of my comfort zone is always a wonderful reminder that opportunities are endless and worth seeking out.

Runner (Girl) Problems - Edition: Sports Bras

On Sunday morning I awoke with the beginnings of what felt like a sore throat, but it was minimal and I didn't notice it at all during my half marathon. Yesterday, though, my sinuses were jammed, my throat felt swollen, and I spent the day in a bit of a hazy mind fog as I navigated through the Valentine's festivities and emotions of seeing all my old photographs again.

By the time I got myself out the door for running group with my daughter, I was congratulating myself on remembering to put on my running shoes and for simply finding my keys. But shortly thereafter, I realized I forgot something pretty important. What exactly, you ask, did I forget?

I was about one quarter of a mile into my run, chatting with a friend, when I felt my bra strap sliding down toward my shoulder. Without thinking, I reached over and readjusted the strap when it dawned on me with complete horror that I was wearing a normal, everyday bra instead of a sports bra.

Yes, that's right. I forgot to wear a sports bra yesterday. Those of you fellow athletes with a C-cup or larger can probably understand just how ridiculous I felt upon this realization. I'm not a very big person, but I'm curvy enough that wearing a regular bra is nowhere near enough support to run comfortably. My saving grace were my two fitted layers plus a reflective vest that probably helped keep things somewhat in place, and the fact that I wasn't feeling well enough to run more than a 5K.

So, there I was running and doing my darnedest to keep my posture upright and my shoulders squared as I resisted the urge to constantly adjust the underwire that was miserably soaking in the sweat and rubbing uncomfortably on my ribcage. If my daughter and her friend weren't running directly behind me within earshot, I likely would have confessed the absurdity to my friend and then proceeded to laugh hard enough to get a side ache. Instead, our conversation went something like this:

Friend:   That house you rented for Hood to Coast looks amazing!
Me:        Holding shoulders rigid with constipated-looking anal-retentiveness. Oh I know! I was so stoked to find it. I think most teams are procrastinating on booking, so there were a ton of great places to choose from. [Thinking: Oh crap! There's another runner coming towards us. Are my boobs bouncing all over the place?]
Friend:   It's great that it has a hot tub. That'll be perfect for after the race.
Me:        Oh my gosh, I know. There were a couple other comparable places, but come on, the hot tub won me over. [Thinking: I feel sweat trickling down. Oh no! SPARE ME, PLEASE! Don't burn the chafed skin just under my boobs from the half marathon! OMG IT'S FREAKING BURNING! My own sweat hates me!]
Friend:  And it looks like there are plenty of beds for everyone, which is awesome.
Me:        [Thinking: Oh no... OH NO! It's slipping again! My boob is going to fall off! The burning... the burning won't stop. Someone just put me out of my misery.] Trying to inconspicuously adjust my right bra strap. Yes, so much better than trying to sleep on some crappy pullout couch. [Thinking: How on Earth did I manage to forget to put on a sports bra? I'm an idiot.]

Anyway, you get the picture. The whole thing would have been hilarious had I not been feeling under the weather and miserably uncomfortable from this weekend's chafing, which brings me to my complaint of the day: Why oh why can't I find a comfortable, high-impact sports bra that doesn't chafe my ribcage during a half marathon? I've tried several different ones, but there's always a seam or something about the fabric that irritates my ridiculously sensitive skin. Forget anything involving exposed elastic, and I hate adjustable straps because they either involve those cheap plastic hooks that pop open mid-run and dig into my back, or because they adjust with velcro, which leaves a lump that always hits my collar bones in the wrong way. Anti-chafe cream helps, but it doesn't get rid of the problem entirely.

The Gap used to make a sports bra that I loved, but sadly, they stopped making them a few years ago. Now, those bras are so old that the thread on the seams leave raw skin after more than a few miles.

Did you really expect me to stick to boring underwear colors?

One of these days I fear I'm just going to have to design my own sports bra, but I'm fairly pathetic with a sewing machine and I'd prefer to not reinvent the wheel. If anyone has a favorite sports bra that they swear by, I'd love a few suggestions.

My Valentine

While I realize a lot of people scoff at Valentine's Day, it has always been a favorite holiday of mine because of its simplicity and positive message of love. When I was a child, I looked forward to exchanging Valentines with my classmates, each of whom I matched to what I felt was the appropriate picture drawn on the cards that I so carefully chose each year. In high school, I searched the Val-o-grams posted on the walls and snuck the heart on which my several-year crush's name was written into my backpack when no one was watching.

Now as an adult, I love surprising my girls and James with something simple but thoughtful. They always know I love them, but their extra excitement when finding a new pencil holder filled with chocolate and the handmade Valentines waiting for them fills me with that warm fuzzy feeling that just makes my day a beautiful one.

Today, though, James was the star of my show. In addition to a fancy new camera, he surprised me with the most amazing gift - he had all the photographs I had stored on both the hard drive and the backup drive that crashed restored. My memories that had fogged over during my postpartum illness were captured on camera but have been lost for several years, and I thought that I would never see them again.

First, he handed me an envelope with a stack of favorite memories printed, then he gave me the new hard drive with the thousands of restored photos. This is, without a doubt, the most meaningful gift I could have imagined.

2003 - Shortly after James proposed while
backpacking Havasu Falls, Grand Canyon

October 23, 2004
We were basically 12-year-olds.

2006 - Who knew this curly-haired munchkin would
turn into one heck of a runner a decade later?

And again... our chubby firstborn cherub!

Our second hairy baby one day after birth! Now that chubby
munchkin is a gymnast with an 8-pack!

Our second (huge) baby at a couple months old.
She still has wild hair and crazy dimples!

I hope your Valentine's Day is filled with love and friendship... and if it's not, I hope you treat yourself to some self-love and chocolate! 

My Better Half Marathon

In attempt to build my endurance, I have decided it is again time to attempt difficult and/or high mileage runs back-to-back. My first taste of this kind of training was preparing for Hood to Coast last year. While I ran that well and felt proud of my overall performance, I realized after the race that endurance is my weak point. Increasing my overall endurance is going to be even more important in 2017 as I prepare for Ragnar Trail Rainier and Hood to Coast Washington this summer, so my goal over the next several months is to focus my energy on becoming a stronger runner with decreased recovery time in between long runs.

This weekend I decided it was time to step up my game and actively focus on achieving this goal, so I started Saturday with a 9+ mile hilly trail run around Lake Youngs with a couple of friends, then I woke up at a comical hour and watched the sunrise over Lake Washington before running the My Better Half Marathon at Seward Park on Sunday.

Lake Washington at Sunrise

My Better Half Marathon ended up being five loops of the park, which would have included some hills except our stormy weather knocked over several trees last week, so the course had to be modified just before the event. Running the same loop over and over was a bit monotonous, but Mount Rainier made her majestic appearance, so at least the views were spectacular for the entire race.

My apologies for the poor quality in the photo...
iPhones cameras struggle in dim lighting.

Of course, in light of the theme, I ran with my better half even though I did spend part of my time glancing over my shoulder to make sure he was keeping up with me. He hasn't been training as much as he should due to all his recent travel (and because he has been spending more time playing ice hockey than in his running shoes... but we're letting that slide because I don't want to be a nag... *cough*).

Looking a little haggard, but whatever. No shame.

Despite my long, hilly run the day before and James' lack of preparedness, we ran a strong 13.1 miles and finished with a decent time. We weren't out to set any records with this particular race; it was more about spending time with each other and our friends. Nevertheless, I was proud of our strong finish.

Finishers say, "CHEESE!"

Yes, we wore matching INKnBURN shirts, and I realize just how painfully cheesy (or shall I say... ridiculously spectacular!) we look with our gooey-lovey-dovey hug and smiles, but whatever. We love each other and the whole event is meant to be pretty cheesy, so we fit right in. By the way, the shirts have a hidden unicorn... do you see it? 

INKnBURN Men's ISO Shirt

Anyway, I know you're dying to hear my list of What I Learned this time around. Here you go.

1. Some of my friends are really grumpy in the morning (*cough* no names mentioned, but YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE)... approach with coffee and do not make eye contact next time. And here I thought I was the grumpy one. 
2. I need to remember to use the foam roller on my calves and achilles after a trail run if I plan on running a PR the day after a long training run.
3. The trick I learned from Golden Harper regarding thinking of swinging my arms back instead of pushing them forward really keeps my posture upright when the fatigue tries to sneak in.
4. I learned from my last half marathon and didn't push the first few miles, which led to a strong pace even through mid-and-late race. 
5. Steamy, salty vegetable lentil soup is my favorite post-race snack ever. Must find a good recipe and make some to have ready after next race.
6. Not only is James not allowed to be the pacer, but he also runs into me and swipes me with his elbow if I allow him to get too close while running with him. Next time I'll just have to run with a taser and zap him with it if he gets too close.
7. Stashing warm clothing in the drop bag was a really smart idea. Note to self: do this every time.
8. Wearing matching shirts might be a little dorky, but it was actually really fun.
9. Running a race for fun at a conversational speed is very rewarding, and I still ran faster than expected.
10. I am a better runner and stronger than I think I am.

Side note... it is my Better Half's birthday today. Even though I give him a lot of heck about running into me when we're running a race together, he's still my favorite partner for just about everything in life (except for maybe a girl's night). 

Happy birthday, my sweetheart!
(Yeah... I know this is ultra mushy. Deal with it.)