Long time no blog...

Okay so it has been forever since I last posted here. I feel like the worlds worst blogger, not that I have many followers or anything, but still I am hoping this may provide a useful tool for me in my life, my training, or just fun to go back and read about my follies back in the day.

So since my last post I have run my second Boilermaker 15k road race in Utica, NY. This year I finished about 5 minutes slower than last year, but there were a few reasons why I was a wee bit slower.

• It was about a billion percent humidity
• When you are slow it gets hot and the last 3 miles are open and sunny and toasty
• I ran with a friend and we learned about nerves and racing and port-a-potties

On the awesome side:

• With a race bib you get 50% off a 12 pack of Saranac beer
• I finished
• I ran with a friend
• We ran up the entire hill
• We made up a ton of time between the port-a-potty and the finish
• We saw an ass - an actual ass (donkey) at the zoo and were not delusional
• Physically I feel much stronger and better than I did at this time last year my legs feel good and this I am happy about
• I finished!

Also when you are at the back of the pack and pass the 500 photographers on the course they have nothing else to do but take a ton of pictures of you. So I have lots of photographic proof that I did indeed run this race - none of which will ever see the light of day. Oh and a new feature they added...a finisher video. I found this completely depressing. I my mind I was sprinting like I had never sprinted before...running like the wind...running like something awful was chasing me...on the video I look like I might collapse at any moment...like I am about 112 years old and am crossing the finish line with my walker...I look like forward progress is almost unnoticeable.  Ugh. Again this video will never be viewed by anyone and must be destroyed immediately.

The following weekend was winefest so not much training to be had unless you count sweating in huge tents while waiting for more wine...

And now I am only a week away from my first Iron Girl. My first triathlon. Wow. I am excited and terrified.
Just this past week I did a training with the CNY Tri club. This was really my first open water swim with people. I have been swimming since October so I am okay in the pool and I know I can swim the distance, but open water is different. And open water with 100 of my closest friends kicking and swinging their arms is even more different. I decided to do the swim sans wetsuit. I wanted to make sure it felt good without it just in case the water is too warm to wear the wetsuit I didn't want to be dependent on it. The lake is very low due to lack of rain and even snow this past winter - and it is very weedy. You could probably walk the majority of the swim and I am sure many will, but not me. I have trained to swim not walk so I am going to swim that bad boy. I was pleasantly surprised at how good the swim felt. While I am not a fast swimmer I was comfortable in the water and I passed people. Oh yeah you heard that right I PASSED PEOPLE! I am now feeling much better about the swim. Whew.

I did a loop of the bike course which was just under 9 miles. It felt good. And guess what? I passed people!!! And they weren't all on tricycles with baskets filled with flowers and puppies they were actual athletic people on bikes! Me and Lola were feeling good. This was my first swim then ride. Whew.

Next was the run. I wasn't sure how far I was going to run. I was after all skipping my maraton speedwork training to do this tri training, but I had also just done a swim and a ride how would I feel running? And could I go the full 5k? Did I want to? Off come the cycle shoes and on go my running shoes. And out I go. Yep I am still slow. And nope I don't want to quit. I do the whole 5k. I am not last and I PASSED PEOPLE! What what what?

Boy was I glad that was over, but damn, I might just do okay on this Iron Girl. I feel ready. I may not be fast, but I am excited to do this race.

Post Iron Girl my focus changes...biking and swimming for fun or cross training...and focus on running, running, running. Next stop 1/2 mary land.