Long Over Due Race Recaps

I've been a super slacker when it comes to posting anything here.  I just get done with work and the last thing I want to do is look at a computer or think about anything.  Let's see if I can get in a recap of my races that I've had since Haines City without boring anyone to tears:


June 29, 2013:  Siesta Key Beach Tri - Olympic Distance
Total Time - 2:42:04; place - 2nd a/g, 6th OA female

Swim - 36:24
This was probably the craziest open water (o/w) swim I've ever done.  The waves were very high.  There was talk of them cancelling the swim, but obviously that didn't happen.  I was going up and down with the waves so much that I felt like I was going to through up about half way through the swim.  Other than that it was kind of a fun swim.  I was actually 1st in my a/g in the swim!

T1 - 1:25
I suck at transitions

Bike - 1:10:25
I was 1st in my a/g in the bike too.  I felt ok on the bike.  Nothing special.  This is the 3rd time I've done this course.  So, I knew what to expect.  Although, this was my slowest bike time.  The swim just killed me.  The wind was the same as every year on the bike.  So that's no excuse. 

T2 - 1:03

Run - 52:47
I was 2nd in my a/g on the run.  Mary Beth, who is in my a/g and I also train with, made up the 6 minute lead I had on her in the transitions and on the run to take 1st in our a/g.  This was also my slowest run of the 3 times that I've done this race.

Overall - The swim is always ok, the bike is always challenging because the roads are open to traffic and can get a little crowded on the 2nd loop, and the run is so freaking hard because it's hot, hot, hot, and in the sand.  But, I do love this race.  I guess I like the challenging races even though I'm cursing them when I'm in the middle of doing it. 
________________________________________________________________
July 28, 2013: Scenic 17 Sprint Tri (.25 mile swim, 15 mile bike, 3.1 mile run)
Total Time - 1:14:53; place - 1st a/g, 2nd OA female

Swim - 7:50
I came in 2nd for females on the swim.  I was pretty excited about that.  Granted, it was only a .25 mile swim.  Super flat swim since it was in a lake

T1 - 1:39
This is the first time that I've tried starting the bike leg with my shoes already clipped in.  It worked out pretty well.  I didn't have any issues and I didn't fall.  :)

Bike - 42:40
Holy cow was this course hilly.  You don't think much of 'hills' when you think of Florida.  But Central and North Florida near Tallahassee have hills.  So, of course I got passed at the end of the bike by a couple of girls that train on the course every year since they attend the college that this race is hosted at (Webber International University).  I was 2nd in my a/g off the bike and 3rd OA female. 

T2 - :37
Boo-yah!

Run - 22:05
The run is supposed to be a 5K, but my watch said it was 2.9 miles.  Whatever, I'll take the shorter distance.  This run is not flat and it's not shaded. 

Overall - This is a very small race.  Maybe around 200 - 250 participants total.  But, there is definitely some strong competition and this is a very challenging course for being a sprint.  The awards are nice for being a smaller race.  A/G winners win a beer bug of various sizes depending on what place you came in.  Overall winners get a pitcher.  I've said this before, but I enjoy races that give out unique and/or functional awards.  Even if you don't really use them.  :)

___________________________________________________________
August 18, 2013: Sea Dog Brewery 5K
Time - 20:53
I wanted to do this race to 1) to try and break 20 minutes on a 5K and 2) to see where my speed was at.  I did not break 20 minutes.  I didn't even set a PR.  But, it was under 7 min/mi with my first mile being at 6:40-something.  The first half mile was under 6 which I know is what killed me.  I didn't think I was going that fast until I looked down at my watch.

Nothing super special about this race.  It's put on by Premier Racing Institute that also put on the Pretty in Pink 15K that I last year with Sarah.  I like their races because they're usually a good size, not too big or too small and they are usually in Clearwater which isn't too far from me.  This race went back into a neighborhood for a little bit so there were more turns than I would have liked.  I am not a cheetah or a gazelle.  It is hard for me to turn on a dime and continue my speed.  I tend to slow down around a turn and slowly pick up my speed until I reach my top speed.  Sometimes when I slow down I can't get back up to where I was.   

Post race activity was great.  It was at the Sea Dog Brewery in Clearwater (hence the name) so everyone who was over 21 could get one free beer of their choosing.  Right when everyone finished though, they were just pouring and not taking any tickets.  So, a lot of people got multiple free beers.  They also had pastries, pizza, fruit, yogurt, and cookies.  The race shirts are gender specific which is always nice. 

I would recommend this race to anyone looking for a 5K.  Whether it's their first one or not.  In fact, I would recommend any of the Premier Racing Institutes races.  They have always done a good job. 

_____________________________________________________________
August 24, 2013: Courage to Tri Sprint Tri (Swim 1/3 Mile; Bike 13Miles; Run 3.1 Miles)
Total Time - 1:10:38, 1st a/g, 4th OA female

Swim - 7:25
I came out of the water 3rd in my a/g.  Water was flat and calm.  We did get to see a couple of dolphins at the start which was pretty cool and kind of got everyone to relax a little and smile.

T1 - 4:03
OUCH!  The transition has you running on the pavement that is full of tiny rocks that just hurt my feet so bad.  I was practically tip-toeing to my bike.  I really, really hate races that have the transition in a parking lot that is not feet friendly and then they don't put anything down for even part of the way.  OUCH!  My feet hurt just thinking about it.

Bike - 35:51    
I was 1st in my a/g and 3 OA female on the bike.  This course makes you go over all 3 bridges in Clearwater.  The rest of the ride is basically flat.  I actually had fun on this course.  There wasn't a lot of wind to fight which is what kills me almost as much as sharp turns.  I can tackle hills and bridges just fine, but false flats and wind are awful. 

T2 - 1:21
Again, OUCH!  I came out of my shoes with no socks on and my feet hurt so bad on that stupid pavement. 

Run - 21:55
I was 2nd in my a/g on the run and 5th OA female.  Mary Beth did this race also.  I saw her as I started the run and thought "oh, shit.  Here we go again."  But, this was only 3 miles.  I fought like hell stay ahead of her.  This time I only had about a 2 minute lead on her.  I think she was running close to sub 7 the entire time.  I had an average pace of 7:07.  But, I managed and beat her by 2 seconds!  Can you believe it?  Because I can't. 

Other than that, the run was ok.  The first half mile or so includes running on the beach for a bit in semi-soft sand.  But, after that it's all packed trail and pavement.  Nice and flat with only 2 sharp turns for turn around points. 

Overall - This race was ok.  It was an inaugural race at a course that I train at all the time (Sand Key, Clearwater).  The shirts were unisex so of course I ended up giving my small to Daniel who still has extra room in the shirt.  The awards were generic plaques.  Cool this was that the 1st place winner in each a/g and overall winners were supposed to be given half off discount codes for St. Anthony's.  This has yet to happen.  So, we'll see.  This race was only $50, so eh.  Can't complain too much.

_______________________________________________________________________
September 1, 2013: Hy-Vee 5150 Championship  -- DNF
So, I flew all the way up to Iowa, paid a ton of money, and did not get to finish this race.  I was using new (new to me) tubular wheels and the seam between the tire and the rim started to come apart causing a small leak starting at exactly race morning.  Of course!  I literally had just ridden my bike the day before and it was fine.  I had my tires pumped race morning.  But, when I went to get on my bike after the swim, it was totally flat.  I was pretty much beyond livid.  I was so mad I couldn't even cry. 
FYI, in case you're ever thinking of travelling to a tri. 

• If you decide to fly, go with Southwest if you can.  They are the cheapest as far as shipping your bike ($75 each way) but you don't have any baggage fees.  Delta and United have baggage fees (unless you have the premium frequent flyer or business class status) and it's $150 each way to ship your bike. 
• If you decide to ship it separately, go through FedEx.  They are cheaper than UPS.  Currently, through FedEx, you should create two separate shipping labels instead of doing their "use the same address to create a return label...".  It will force you to have a max insurance of $1000 for the way back.  If you do separate shipping labels, as if they were to completely independent transactions, you can set the max insurance to whatever.  I think it's a programming glitch, but until it's fixed, that's the work around. 
• Make sure that the width of the box is not over 8 inches.  If it is, the price to ship each way almost doubles. 
• Try to ship it to a bike shop both ways or at least to a FedEx location nearby.  It is cheaper and there is always someone to sign for the package.

Iowa itself is pretty boring.  The people are nice though.  That's pretty much all I have to say about Iowa. 
I did meet a new girl, Melissa Thompson, that lives in Georgia. She seems nice and a worthy opponent.  We will both be volunteering at IMFL and will probably both do Haines City next year. 

______________________________________________________________________
September 29, 2013: Iron Girl Tri (.5 mile swim, 12 mile bike, 3 mile run)
Total Time - 1:11:43, 1st a/g, 2nd OA female

Swim - 12:49
I came in 2nd in my a/g and 10th OA female.  Not bad for a half mile swim that I swam a little of course a couple of times.  I REALLY hate when I do that!  This swim is in a lake which is nice because the water doesn't taste bad and it's usually pretty flat.  Downside is that lake water is sometimes really dirty. 

T1 - 1:41
I stopped at the kiddie pool to clean off my feet.  I don't know why I did this.  It didn't make a lick of difference except that I wasted time waiting and then cleaning off my feet. 

Bike - 34:45
Like I said before, Central Florida has some hills.  This 12 mile course was hard.  And, of course the steepest hill comes just after you make a turn so you have zero momentum to get up and at the bottom you have to slow down to make another turn so you don't even get a chance to use the downhill speed that you normally get to use to make up the lost time getting up the darn thing.  Rant over.  I feel like half the race was uphill.  All this complaining and I did come in 1st OA on the bike (by 2 seconds).

T2 - :44

Run - 21:44
1st in my a/g and 2nd OA in this.  I missed 1st OA on the run by :11.  And, this was probably the 11 seconds I lost by following someone going the wrong way.  So, I stopped and then had to back track a bit.  Oye!  Oh well, the :11 still wouldn't have gotten me to 1st OA which I lost by 1:24 - 1 minute down on the swim, :10 seconds in each transition.

________________________________________________________________________
October 5, 2013: Disney Tower of Terror 10 miler  
Time - 1:19:45, 10th a/g, 40th OA female

This is another night time Disney race.  It starts at 10 PM at Hollywood Studios and finishes in the same place.  You would think Disney races would be pretty easy.  But, they're not.  There is a lot of running on the highway and that means a lot of ups and down on slants with the on/off ramps.  My goal was to do this race at a 7:00 min/mi pace.  Of course, that was when I signed up for it over 6 months ago.  As the race got closer and I realized that wasn't happening, my goal on race day was to not go over 8:00 min/mi.  I did accomplish it.  I would have been closer to 7:45 if I hadn't ended up with a cramped stomach around mile 7.  Those last 3 miles were torturous.  I felt pretty good leading up to that point.  Oh well. 

So, with this race, you get to place in Hollywood Studios until 3 AM after you're done with the race.  I signed up for this race as a motivator for my friend Shannon.  After we were done, Daniel and I were so tired and she was in so much pain (this was her first race over a 5K in at least 4 years) that we just grabbed something to eat and then headed back to the hotel. 

I  hate the shirts that Disney gives out.  The medals are always cool.  Post race recovery drinks and food are ok.  With how expensive Disney races are, I would really expect more.  But, Disney can charge a premium because they are Disney.  Me personally, I am not that much in love with Disney.  So, I do not plan on repeating any of them.  I only did the marathon twice because the first time was part of the Goofy Challenge and the 2nd time was because the course was different (we got to run on the race track) and it was the 20 year anniversary for the marathon.  I may do it one more time as part of the Dopey Challenge.  But, that will have to wait a little while because that is probably going to cost about $450!  So expensive!






 

  


 

2-4-1 Part 2, Haines City 70.3

Are you ready for your second drink?  If you’re wondering what I’m talking about, please check out my race review for St. Anthony’s Olympic Distance Tri here.

This review is for Haines City 70.3.

Haines City 70.3 was as hard as everyone said it would be.  Unfortunately, I think I got a little too big for my breeches and just assumed I could take on whatever the course brought.  Yup, I was wrong.  But, I guess I needed the little slap in the face to tell me that I can’t just ‘DO’.  I have to Prepare, mentally and physically, and Execute with a tried and hopefully true way.  This was not the case with Haines City.  I think I really killed my training 2 weeks before the race.  Two weekends before the race I went out for a girls night, drank too much, and botched my Sunday training.  This was my last big training session that I needed to get in and I botched it.  I was supposed to do bike 60 – 70 miles and then run 6.  What did I end up doing, 37 miles on the bike (half assed) and 0 miles running.  I let myself slide saying “oh well.  At least you got out there and did something.”  I should have been kicking myself in the ass saying “you’re an idiot.”  Now, please don’t tell me that I’m being too hard on myself.  I know when it’s ok to relax and when I need to work hard.  And, I was definitely not working hard and I was letting myself get away with it.  The following weekend (the weekend before the race) I made it out to San Antonio for some last minute hill work.  I did good and I was feeling confident about the race.  I got in 40 solid miles at about an avg. of 20 mph on the bike and 5 miles on the run (with climbing two hills twice) with an avg. of 7:42 min/mi pace.  However, training the week before a race is not really supposed to be training.  It’s supposed to be a taper period and should be easy.  So, I screwed up the two weeks before the race. 

Fast tracking to the day before the race.  I had a slice of pepperoni pizza for lunch, I drank an entire 24 oz bottle of Gatorade throughout the day along with water, and I had the following at Carraba’s for dinner: side salad with house dressing, bread with the oil dip, shrimp and scallops with fettuccine alfredo as a side dish. 

I carpooled with Rose and Pete and we headed straight to the race site to check in our bikes and get our packets.  The southern hospitality was on high at packet pick up.  Everyone was so nice and you can’t help but to smile when someone wishes you the best of luck and ‘god bless’ in the southern accent.  Also, Polk County is pretty poor, so they appreciate the extra income and also thanked us for doing the event and supporting their community.  The expo itself was so-so.  Augusta 70.3 was better.  St. Anthony’s was better too.  St. Anthony’s and Haines City both had the expo outside, but it was so hot at Haines City.  The seats on our bikes were getting too hot to touch just by sitting out in the sun for about 10 minutes.  I was a good girl and didn’t purchase anything.  I really wanted some new tri shorts and a top, but they were just too expensive.  Fit2Run… 10% off of $80 is crap.  Just FYI.  After the expo, we went to dinner and made a pit stop at Publix for some last minutesfood items before heading back to the hotel.

Got to bed around 9 PM, was in and out of sleep all night until my alarm went off at 4:00 AM.  Yay! <shaking head>.  We headed downstairs around 4:30 to grab some breakfast which for me was half a powdered donut (YAY! – for real YAY!), scrambled eggs, and one sausage link.  I had a 20 oz. Gatorade that I was sipping on all morning until about 30 minutes before my wave started.  I opted out of taking any pre-workout mix, again because I was being a little cocky and thought I didn't need to take anything to get me going and keep going.  I think this may have been a mistake and why I was so slugglish after the swim.  

We got to the race site around 5:00 AM.  We had to be out of Transition by 6:00AM.  I got to race in my new bike shoes that Daniel bought me for placing 2^nd at St. Anthony’s (or because I begged him to and pretty much made the order and handed him my phone to input his cc info… let’s not worry about the details  :)).  In transition and on my bike:

• 2 scoops of Infinit mix (197 calories/scoop) with 2 squarts of MiO Energy in a 24 oz water bottle
• Water bottle filled with water
• Bento Box with 1.5 Honey Stingers opened and broken in half
• Socks
• Bike shoes - Pearl Izumi Tri Fly IV.  I <3 these.  I can't say that they really function any better than my LG tri-lite carbon bike shoes, but they're about equal and they look cooler.  Which, you know, is very important in going faster.  LOL. 

 

• Helmet - Lazer Tardiz aero helmet
• Run shoes - KSwiss Kwicky Blade Light
• Sunglasses - Tifosi chromomatic (light adjustable)
• Visor - Nike

 

What I wore:

• CW-X tri shorts
• Kona multisport tri top
• Nike sports bra

When I got back to the car to put my transition bag in, I put on sunscreen (spf 50 btw) and made sure to put on Butt’r Cream on those sensitive areas.  I also remembered to use the non-chafe stick under my arms where I always get chafed.  So far so good, right? 

Sat around and waited until my wave started at 6:55 AM.  It was an in water start and the walk to our starting position was gross.  It was muddy and grassy and you kept sinking into it.  Definitely the grossest swim start I've experienced.  

Swim -   37:29, 12th a/g

This swim is in Lake Eva.  The water was at 78*, but it felt cooler than that.  The swim was a little crowded for the first 1/3 of the swim.  I don't think I bumped into even close the same amount of people in the Beach 2 Battleship and that was 700 swimmers all at once vs. about 40 or so for this one.  I was way more aggressive on this swim than I ever have been in any other race.  I'm not sure why.  In most cases, I would swim between two girls instead of going around like I usually do.  I'm glad I did though.  I'm getting more confident in the water and my performance in the swim at this race just confirmed it even more.  I swallowed a ton of water and even though it doesn't taste bad like swallowing salt water, it's more scary because lake water is so dirty.  I was almost positive I was going to be sick for the next couple of days.  I also got water in my ear that I couldn't get out all day and I was praying that I wouldn't get an ear infection.  So, in line with not reading directions, I was so confused at the first turn.  I had to stop and look around to figure out where everyone was going.  I followed the crowd, but I was swearing to myself they were going the long way.  Joke was on me, though.  Good thing I wasn't in the lead because I would have for sure gotten everyone penalized for trying to cut the course!  The swim was a little confusing though.  It's in the shape of an M.  You start at the bottom left.  When you get to the top, you have to turn right and pass 2 red buoys and turn right again after the 2nd red buoy.  Then at the bottom (of the M shape) you turn left and pass through 2 orange goal posts, swim a little ways and pass through 2 more orange goal posts (inflatable posts) and turn left after passing through them.  When you get to the top right of the M, pass 2 more red buoys and turn right again after the 2nd one to swim to the bottom of the M.  It's as confusing in the water as it is trying to read my instructions.  LOL.   

 

T1 - 3:55

 

Bike - 3:22:49, 8th a/g

As soon as I got out of the water my legs were tired.  It was the same feeling that I had with St. Anthony's.  The only problem is, at St. A's I had taken pre-workout and it had kicked in a couple of miles into the bike.  With this race, I hadn't taken anything and I used a lot of energy on the swim.  Thankfully my mix that I had on my bike had caffeine in the Infinit mix and the MiO Energy had lots of caffeine.  It definitely helped but I didn't start drinking it until mile 3.  My first mile was 15.5 mph.  My speed, and energy, was all over the place.  The rolling hills and the wind made my miles go anywhere from 16.3 mph to 25.1 mph.  There were 3 aid stations stocked with Perform and water bottles, gels, and bananas.  I took a water bottle at each aid station and on the second one I took a Perform.  I knew I was losing energy and it was hot.  I needed to stay hydrated.  This is the first race that I've used my down tube water bottle and had to fill it up during the race.  I do not like.  I will definitely not be using the down tube for water.  When I tried to fill it up, I had to stop pedaling otherwise my leg would hit the water bottle.  So, I think I will just continue to use it in training and maybe use it as an extra bottle in an iron distance.  I will definitely be going back to my Profile Design aero water bottle that sits between my handle bars.  

The bike course was good.  The road was nicely paved except for a few areas.  Unfortunately one of the areas was at a turn near the end (after the last aid station) and I had 3/4 full water bottle sitting between my bars.  When I turned and hit the bumpy part, the water bottle fell.  Thankfully I still had some water in my bottle in the down tube.  The rolling hills really weren't that tough.  I was just being lazy.  They weren't any harder than Augusta and they were easier than San Antonio (Florida).  I was partially thinking in my head "you need to save your legs for the run".  But, that was really just my excuse for not trying harder.  

 

 

T2 - 2:34

 

Run - 8:56:42, 8th a/g

I took 4 gels - 1 pb Gu (without caffeine), 2 Powerbar gels (with caffeine), and 1 2nd Surge gel (double caffeine).  I took the pb Gu at the start of the run and the other gels every 3 to 3.5 miles.  This run is 3 loops with the first half of each loop uphill 3/4 of the way.  So, you go up then dip a little then up again and level off a little before mile 1.  At about 1.25 miles you climb a little more then it's downhill and flat the rest of the way.  The first time up the hill I was having trouble catching my breath.  I made it half way up the first part and decided to walk.  When it leveled off and started going down a little I started running again.  When it started inclining again, I again got half way up and then started to walk.  I told myself "I'm going to end up walking this whole f*ing thing".  I finally made it to the top and turned to see the first aid station a little ways up.  I ran to the aid station and then slowed down to get water, water, and more water, coke, and some ice which I wasn't able to get.  I poured water on my head and on my arms.  I was using Pete's arm coolers so I made sure to put water on my arms and ice in the arm coolers at every aid station.  I also put ice in my shirt under my armpits, down the back of my shirt, and in my sports bra.  Around mile 9 I started putting ice in my pants.  I have to take a moment to give a special thanks to the little boy at aid station 1 who sprinted to catch up to me and give me a cup of ice after I wasn't able to grab any on my first pass.  I honestly think he saved the rest of my race because I was pretty bummed that I couldn't get any ice to cool me down and when I saw him it picked my spirits up.  The first loop was pretty awful.  But, I resolved to running to each aid station and walking through them to make sure to grab everything that I needed, especially enough ice to put everywhere and hold in my hands.  This worked and as I started my second loop I was feeling a little better.  Not necessarily faster, but better.  Using arm coolers is new for me as well.  I will definitely be using them in future races that are hot and HIM or Ironman distance.    

 

I saw Lindsey half way up the first part of the hill that's at the beginning of each loop.  When I saw her I told myself not to stop running.  It didn't matter how slow I was, just to not stop running.  You can't quit when people are in the blazing sun cheering you on.  She was hilarious too, made me laugh.  One of the things she said was, "You're looking great honey!".  I had to laugh because in my mind I was thinking "HA!  I feel like I'm busting out of my tri suit and you could cook breakfast on me.  I feel anything but great."  But, the way she said it made me laugh and made me forget about the pain for a little while.  I remembered Rose telling me that on races like this when it's this hot (~90*), you will always see people going out hard in the beginning, but by the end they are walking and sometimes just sitting down on the curb.  One of the reasons was because they didn't keep themselves cooled down enough.  That was one of the other reasons I made sure to grab ice and put it everywhere at every aid station I passed.  Sure enough, on the second lap I saw a lot more people walking up the hill than running.  And, by the third lap, I saw just about everyone walking up the hill and even more people walking after they passed the hill.  I even passed a girl that was in my a/g on the third loop just past the hill that passed me on the first loop.  The ground was so hot that my feet were burning before I even finished the first loop.  Half way through the second loop I could feel the blisters forming.   

 

My last loop was a lot better.  I was so happy that I was almost done.  The finish line didn't seem nearly as far away as it had earlier. 

 

Mile 9 - 9:29

Mile 10 - 9:24

Mile 11 - 8:43

Mile 12 - 8:39

Mile 13 - 8:09   

 

Overall - 5:22:05, 8th a/g

 

This race was hard and kicked my ass.  I think it also cut me down a couple of notches which I think I needed.  My races have been going pretty well lately and I came into this race thinking "I've done so good at the other races and they didn't feel hard.  They just felt like another training day".  So, starting the two weeks prior, I was just being cocky and ignored the fact that I had a race to prep for.  

I did like this course.  It was challenging but doable.  And, it's so close to me.  I may try to tackle it again next year.  I don't like courses that have loops, but I can deal with the run looping on itself.  It gives you a chance to see more spectators for more of the run portion and that's where you need them most.  There was an aid station at just about every mile exactly, each stocked with water, ice, Perform, coke, pretzels, and gels.  This was definitely needed and appreciated.  One thing that they didn't have was cold sponges.  Hopefully they will in future years.  After the race, there wasn't any chocolate milk in the athlete lounge area.  They were selling them from one of the vendors, but it wasn't being advertised anywhere.  I found it odd when I took the survey for the race and they asked about using chocolate milk as a post-race recovery drink but didn't offer any.  Maybe they are trying to see if they should.

 

After thoughts:

I'm relaxing this week.  Daniel doesn't have school so I am enjoying this week with him.  But, next week I start back.  I'm doing the Siesta Key Tri 6/29 (Olympic distance) and then the Women Rock Marathon 8/31*  Hyvee 5150 Championship race on 9/1.  So, all of July and August is training, training, and more training.     

• Strength training - 4 days of weight training for 4 weeks then 5 days for another 4 weeks.  After 8 weeks I will probably drop back down to 2 - 3 days a week  
• Run - 3 specific runs (strength (aka hills) or tempo, speed drills, and a LSD) per week.  Following a 16 week (now 3 weeks in) marathon training plan to break 3:30 at Women Rock Marathon in August
• Bike - 2 speed drills and 1 long ride alternating each week with 1 speed drill and 1 long ride
• Swim - 1 speed drill alternating with 1 speed drill and 1 long swim per week -- maybe a OW swim if there's a group going out to do it.

Feel free to call me out if you notice that I am not following this.  In fact, I welcome it.      

* The Women Rock Marathon was cancelled by the race.  They are still having the half and 10K races but they didn't have enough participants to justify doing the full marathon race.              

     

2-4-1, Part One - St. Anthony's Olympic Distance Triathlon

Who doesn’t like two-fers?  Well, because I’ve been slacking, I will be posting 2 race reviews.  But, just like a good bar/restaurant that will wait to serve you your second drink until after you’ve finished your first, I will post the race reviews separately so you can enjoy them each when you're ready.    

The first race review will be St. Anthony's Olympic Distance Tri.  The next review will be Haines City 70.3. 

I enjoyed St. Anthony’s.  I saw a lot of friends, the course was good, it was close by, it was in a nice venue, and I had a good race which I think adds brownie points to any race, no matter how bad everything else was. 

Because of the events in Boston, the race directors decided to make it mandatory to bring your bike into Transition the day prior.  Not really a big deal since you have to go to the race site to pick up your packet the day before anyway and the Transition area was near there.  But, it’s always a little scary leaving your most expensive piece of equipment out in the open overnight.  I carpooled the day before to Vinoy Park to get my race packet and drop off my bike along with whatever other gear I wanted to leave.  I ended up leaving my shoes (bike and run), sun glasses, socks, and visor.  My aero helmet was too big to fit in the bag they gave us so I took it with me.  On the way back home we made a pit stop at a smoothie shop off of Gandy Blvd. (Point Break VIP ???  I can’t remember) and had a PB&J smoothie.  It was good and tied me over until dinner.  There was a pool party going on so of course there was a ton of delicious, off-limits foods that I couldn’t eat.  I ended up having a couple pieces of smoked ribs and baked mac and cheese.  I wouldn’t recommend that as a pre-race meal, but it was good and didn’t upset my stomach that night or the next day. 

4:00 AM race day: Rise and Shine!

Well, sort of.  That’s just so flippin’ early.  But, when you have to get to the race site and get your transition set up before 6:30 AM you really don’t have much of a choice.  For breakfast, I had a bowl of peanut butter cheerios and So Delicious Almond Plus Milk.  About 45 minutes before my wave start  had a Honey Stinger Waffle.  Starting about 30 minutes before my wave I began sipping my Gatorade and NO-Xplode mix.  I used the bathroom 3 times before starting the race.  And, of course, I still had to pee again just before the swim started.  Thankfully it was an in-water swim so I was able to go while we were getting to our starting positions.  I decided to wear my Kona Multisport tri kit.  The shorts are comfortable but I've gained some weight and by the end of the race the waist part was digging into my skin so bad it hurt.  I couldn't wait to take the shorts off.  Other race attire (in no particular order):

• run shoes - Kswiss Kwicky Blade Light
• sports bra - Nike dri-fit compression
• race belt - Fitness
• goggles - TYR Special Ops (I <3 these goggles).  I bought a clear pair for training and use my multi-colored ones for races 
• bike shoes - LG tri-lite - these are awesome bike shoes and they're actually reasonably priced compared to other carbon bike shoes

Swim – 14:05, 11^th a/g

The swim was wetsuit legal but just barely.  I opted to not wear my wetsuit because with a .9 mile swim, the minutes you save in the water are the same amount or less that you lose by trying to take off the darn thing.  There are no strippers (wetsuit strippers, focus…) so it makes it a pain trying to get it off quickly.  Turns out anyway that the swim was shortened for the age groups to .5 miles because the water was too rough after a certain point in the swim where you get more out in the open water.  The run to transition was longer as a consequence.  It wasn't too bad though because it was on the sidewalk and it was smooth.  I had a pretty good rhythm in the swim and finished satisfactorily.  I have been working on my speed in the water and it has definitely paid off.  I’m not an Olympic swimmer or anything, but at least I’m closer to the front of the pack now.  As I was running to T1, I saw a couple of different friends, Dene and Anna at one point, and Mike at another, and their cheering made me happy.  I love seeing people during a race that I know.  It always helps me relax and if I’m hurting I forget that I’m hurting and push harder.  Mike also got an awesome shot as I was running by.  This is only the 2nd picture of me coming out of the water that I like.

T1 – 5:09

Bike – 1:09:20, 2^nd a/g

When I got on the bike my legs were so tired.  I thought immediately that this was going to be a long race.  The bike course turns you around a lot so you’re never directly with or against the wind for too long.  I enjoyed the bike course even though there were more turns than I ideally would like.  But, it was flat, it was only one loop, and I was pleasantly surprised when I came to an aid station.  I guess I wouldn’t have been surprised if I read the athlete guide, but I’ve been known for not always reading the directions :).  I don’t know if it’s just being lazy or if I like the idea of being surprised and taking the course as it comes.  All I had on my bike was my water bottle and a Gu gel.  As I was coming to the bike finish, I saw my friends Dene and Anna who were also cheering at the swim exit.  Again, it boosted my energy.  Love it!  I have learned to come out of my shoes while still on the bike so I can run barefoot to T2.  I need to learn how to mount my bike with the shoes already clipped in. 

T2 – 1:19

Run – 46:37, 3^rd a/g

I wore socks on the bike and run and they got super dirty running through the dirt and grass into the Transition area off the bike.  Thankfully it didn’t cause any hot spots on my feet.  I forgot my Gu gel for the run and ended up having to rely on whatever was supplied on the course.  Unfortunately it didn’t include any gels… booo.  I like biking with my sunglasses and running with just my visor.  But, I was in such a hurry that I forgot to take off my sunglasses in T2.  I was half way through T2 when I realized I still had my sunglasses on and I had forgotten my gu.  I was tempted to turn back but decided against it.  Good thing too because I beat the girl in my a/g that came in behind me by 12 seconds!  The run was flat, except for a tiny overpass bridge that you have to climb over twice.  There was very little shade.  But, the run goes through a pretty ritzy area in St. Petersburg and it’s fun when the neighborhood residents come out and participate in the fun by spraying water from hoses on you or helping out with handing out water at non-official aid stations.  I don’t do well in the heat, but I was amazingly able to keep well under an 8:00 min/mi pace.  I was very happy when I finished.  Along the last 100 yards or so, I saw Dene and Anna again, and even better was seeing my Mom and Dad at the finish line.  I got to slap hands with my Dad and got a nice photo finish with this huge smile on my face. 

Overall – 2:16:27, 2^nd in a/g   

Post race thoughts:

I did like this course a lot.  I think I will do it again next year.  I qualified for the 5150 Hy-Vee Championship in September but this year September is just crazy.  I’m doing the Women Rock Marathon the weekend before and the Wednesday after the Championship is a soccer game that Daniel and I are planning to  go to in Ohio.  So, I am sadly declining the invitation to go this year in hopes that I will get another chance next year. 

My mom and me

Weekly Workouts: 4/29 – 5/4

After wrapping up my winter/spring race season with Boston, I realized that I needed a little break from a dedicated marathon training schedule. Since I don't have another full distance race planned until Labor Day weekend, I have about a month before I need to be married to a training plan again, and I decided that this would be a good time to focus on building up a bit more muscle. I had really good results with the Shortcut to Size program last summer, despite only making it about 50% through the 12 weeks, so I am giving it another shot this year. Week 1 is under my belt, and I had definitely forgotten how simultaneously challenging and rewarding this program is. I'm excited to see what kind of gains I will make over the next three months!

Monday, April 29

Strength:

Shortcut to Size Phase 1, Week 1 Chest, Triceps, and Calves
Medium Grip Barbell Bench Press: 1x15 @ 65lbs, 3x15 @ 80lbs, 1x5 @ 80lbs
Dumbbell Incline Chest Press: 3x12 @ 30lbs, 1x7 @ 30lbs
Dumbbell Incline Flyes: 3x15 @ 25lbs, 1x12 @ 25 lbs
Cable Crossover: 3x15 @ 22.5lbs, 1x8 @ 22.5 lbs
Triceps Pushdown: 1x15 @ 22.5lbs, 1x10 @ 32.5lbs, 2x12 @ 27.5lbs, 1x8 @ 27.5lbs
Skullcrushers: 3x15 @ 40lbs, rest pause set 8 @ 40 lbs
Cable Rope Overhead Triceps Extension: 3x12 @ 22.5lbs, 1x8 @ 22.5lbs
Standing Calf Raise: 3x30 @ 75lbs, 1x20 @ 75lbs
Seated Calf Raise:  3x25 @ 70 lbs, 1x 9 @ 70 lbs

Cardio:

Off

Tuesday, April 30

Strength:

Shortcut to Size Phase 1, Week 1 Back & Biceps
One-Arm Dumbbell Rows : 1x15 @ 20lbs, 3x15 @ 35 lbs, left arm 1x11 @ 35lbs, right arm 1x13 @ 35lbs
Wide Grip Lat Pulldown:  3x15 @ 70 lbs, 1x13 @ 70 lbs
Standing Pulldown: 3x15 @ 70lbs, 1x15 @ 70 lbs
Straight Arm Pulldown: 3x15 @ 35lbs, 1x8 @ 35 lbs
Barbell Curl: 1x15 @ 30lbs, 3x15 @ 40lbs, 1x5 @ 40lbs
Incline Dumbbell Curl: 3x15 @ 15lbs, 1x11 @ 20lbs
Seated Inner Biceps Curl: 3x15 @ 15lbs, 1x11 @ 15 lbs

Cardio:

4 mile run @ 8:17 pace

Wednesday, May 1

Strength:

Personal Training Session: Legs
Superset:
    Clean & Jerk to Shoulder Press to Back Squat to Shoulder Press: 3x10 @ 65lbs
    Sumo Squat: 3x10 @ 95lbs
Superset:
    Leg Extension (Feet Wide): 3x10 @ 55lbs
    Leg Extension (Feet Close): 3x10 @ 55lbs
    In Place Lunges: 3x10
Lying Hamstring Curls: 3x15 @ 40lbs
Seated Calf Raises: 3x20 @ 45lbs

Cardio:

3 miles @ 8:14 pace
15 minutes Stairmill level 12 intervals

Thursday, May 2

Strength:

Shortcut to Size Phase1 Week 1 Shoulders & Traps

Dumbbell shoulder press: 1x15 @ 15lbs, 3x15 @ 20lbs, 1x9 @ 20 lbs
Dumbbell Lateral Raise: 3x15 @ 12.5lbs, 1x9 @ 12.5lbs
Front Cable Raise: 3x15 @ 7.5lbs, right arm 1x6 @ 12.5lbs, left arm 1x5 @ 12.5lbs
Rear Cable Delt Flyes: 3x15 @ 27.5lbs, 1x9 @ 27.5lbs
Dumbbell Shrug: 4x15 @ 50lbs, 1x12 @ 50lbs

Muscle and Fitness Hers Crush Ab Flab
Stability Ball Roll-In: 3x20
Stability Ball Finger Tap: 3x20
Scissor Kick: 3x25
Medicine Ball Wood Chop: 3x10 @ 8lbs
Medicine Ball Twist on Stability Ball: 2x20 @ 8lbs
Pulse Side Plank: 2x20
Hip Stretch with Forward Reach: 3x20 @ 8lbs

Cardio:

15 Minutes Stairmill on Level 12 Intervals
Box Jump Tabata

Friday, May 3

Strength:

Off

Cardio:

Boxing

Saturday, May 4

Strength:

High Octane Cardio with personal trainer
Circuit #1: One Minute of Each Exercise
    TRX Mountain Climbers
    TRX Ab Roll-Out
    Kettlebell Single Arm Swing Switch
Circuit #2: One Minute of Each Exercise
    TRX Jackknife
    Pulldowns on the rope climb machine
Circuit #3: One Minute of Each Exercise
    TRX Pullups
    T-Bar Rows
    Step Ups
Finsher: 2 sets of suicide sprints

Cardio:

3 Mile Progression Run: Mile 1 @ 8:30, Mile 2 @ 7:24, Mile 3 @ 7:17

Sunday, May 5

Rest Day

Boston Marathon Recap 2013

I’ve been contemplating if I should even write a recap which is why it’s taken me so long to write this.  Obviously I decided to write the recap because you’re reading it now.  So, here it is. 

Sarah and I flew up Saturday morning, dropped our bags off at Steve and Meaghan’s place and then headed over to the expo.  They were sold out of just about everything in a XS and S, and 90% of the M were out too.  So, when you make it to Boston and if you want a souvenir, make sure to get to the expo before the last day.  Neither of us brought a sweater because we were planning on buying one at the expo.  We each ended up getting a zip up sweater from Lululemon that we never would have spent the money on in normal circumstances but were glad for our purchases the next morning. 

We got pizza for dinner from Woody’s with Steve and Meaghan and then headed back to their place to get to bed by 9:30-ish. 

We set our alarms for 5:00 so we could be out the door by 5:25 to catch the bus that would drop us off by Boston Commons.  It was cold, around 40 degrees.  I had a bowl of peanut butter Cheerios and a cup of skim milk before leaving to catch the bus. 

*Brief interruption.  It is so weird writing this because I’m remembering back and never did it cross my mind that anything about the day would be as unordinary and scary as it turned out to be.  It’s weird that we generally wake up every day like that.  And, the truth is that you never know. 

We were super excited and wanted to get out of the cold so we hopped on the bus a little earlier than our scheduled time and headed to Hopkinton.  They had coffee, hot chocolate, and tea along with some bagels and other snacks waiting for everyone there.  The hot drinks were much appreciated!  Although, I think the coffee was a bad idea because I had to pee 5 times before the race and that includes one time 5 minutes before the race.  And, even with that, I still had to pee again 2 miles into the race. 

At 9:00, I had a half a bagel.  At 9:45, I drank my half Gatorade with NO-Xplode pre-workout mix and ate a Honey Stinger Waffle.  I was ready to go.  I stripped all my layers off as we headed to the busses that were going to transport our gear bags to the finish.  I was left with neon pink Brooks arm warmers, a Saucony tank top, Nike Compression sports bra, Nike Compression shorts,  RRS dri-fit socks, and Brooks Pure Flow 2 shoes.  In my race pouch I had 5 gels.  I should have added some body glide on my chest were my ipod was clipped to my shirt, and some extra under my arms were I chafe a lot.  My skin was burning about half way through the race. 

Sarah was in the corral in front of me so we said our good byes and she continued on as I stepped into Corral 5 of Wave 2.  It was really only a few minutes and we were off.  We started walking a little and then once we hit the mat everyone started running. 

I tried to hold back the first few miles but it is so hard because it’s downhill  in the beginning and there are so many people around you.  But, I managed an 8:09 the first mile and then I picked it up maybe a little too much because my quads were already starting to hurt around mile 6. Mile 2 – 14: 7:48, 7:44, 7:46, 8:00, 7:42, 7:48, 7:53, 7:52, 7:50, 7:52, 7:44, 7:49, 7:48.  Like I said, I had to pee at mile2, but I waited until mile 5.  Starting around mile 8 I noticed that every mile was .01 further away from the race mile marker.  I kept arguing with myself whether I should run faster or just give up because I wasn’t going to make my PR with the bathroom break and the .01 discrepancy.  In hindsight, that may have been a mistake.  I didn’t give up until mile 20.  If I could have kept closer to an 8:00 min/mi pace, I probably could have ended slightly under 3:30.  This may have gotten me a PR, but only within seconds.  Mile 15 – 26.47: 8:02, 7:39, 8:08, 7:52, 7:54, 8:20, 9:07, 8:08, 8:09, 8:20, 8:14, 8:13, 8:41 (last .47).  Finish time: 3:32:34 

Oh well.  I still had fun.  And, I found out that the frozen ice pops are freaking awesome during a long run.  They are cold and wet and you can take your time eating them.  I decided to try one that some of the spectators were passing out because I was like “What the heck?  It doesn’t matter if it upsets my stomach”.  This was obviously after I had decided I wasn’t going to make my PR.  But, it didn’t upset my stomach and it was awesome and the extra sugar gave me a little boost of energy too. 

The day was beautiful and warmed up to about 55 with the sun out saying hi to everyone.  After I finished around 2, the sun was starting to be hidden by clouds and the temperature started to drop down again.  I waited for Sarah across the street at the Boston Commons park and shortly after we met up the unfortunate events of the rest of the day started to unfold.

Even though I have a sad heart and tear up every time I think about those killed and those permanently injured I am very grateful that one of my best friends and I made it out unharmed.  It was amazing to see how many people cared.  There were people who didn’t know for sure if I even ran who either texted or sent me a FB message asking if I was ok.  There were even a few texts from numbers I didn’t have in my phone.  It was incredible.    

I ran with a group a week later for the Memorial Run that running groups around the country participated in.  The Memorial run was a 3 mile run with the first mile in silence.  As I was running that first mile, all I could think was that most ‘moments of silence’ are just that, a moment.  But, this was a mile of silence.  So, I ran it a little slower so I could have more than just a moment of silence.  After that first mile, I ran my heart out though.  I ran Boston Strong.  I ran for me.  I ran for those hurt or killed.  I ran for all runners.

A co-worker sent me this: 

with the following letter: 
"This past Sunday, April 21, 2013, the New York Road Runners Club hosted their annual City Parks Foundation Run for the Central Park.  This race marked the first major New York City running events since tragedy struck the Boston Marathon that Monday.  The race came at the end of a surreal, emotionally draining week for Boston and the entire nation.  The New York City running community bonded together in the spirit of solidarity and compassion.  The event began with a moment of silence and a stirring national anthem by a resident of Hopkinton, MA, home of the Boston Marathon starting line.  She choked back tears as the crowd of runners and spectators helped her through the final verse.  Barely a dry eye in the crowd.  As the race began, "Sweet Caroline" played.  Over 6,200 runners participated and everyone work black ribbons and bib's that said "I run for Boston".  Mary wore blue tee shirts with "I run for Boston" print on the front.  I thought you might like to have my bib, so I'm sending it to you".

I called him immediately and thanked him.  I started to tear up, of course, as I read the letter.         

My Love Letter to Boston

Dear Boston,

Thank you for reminding me that there are heroes walking (and running) unnoticed among us. To the first responders, race volunteers, and bystanders who rushed in to help the injured without any concern for your own safety – your courage and selflessness inspire me. You restored my faith that the good in this world will always overcome the evil. And to the Boston residents who stopped two random women on the street to make sure that we were okay and to see if we needed anything – your generosity and kindness amaze me. You, too, are proof that good, caring, compassionate people outnumber those with hatred in their hearts.

I am grateful to you for reminding me that the connections we forge with other people are the most important things in this life. The outpouring of love and concern for Maria and me was overwhelming – once news of the tragedy broke, our phones were constantly notifying us of texts, emails, calls, and Facebook messages from people who were worried about us. I came home from Boston knowing that I am loved, and there is no more comforting feeling in the world in the midst of such a terrifying situation.

And although it seems much less important than so many other things right now, thank you for putting on a race that lived up to every last bit of hype surrounding it. The city rolled out the red carpet for us runners, and the race volunteers and spectators were nothing short of amazing. The entire course was lined with people cheering, holding funny signs, and handing out orange slices, water, wet sponges, Kleenxes, etc. The people of Boston were right there with us, every step of the 26.2 miles. It was a perfect, dream come true day right up until the moment everything changed.

My heart aches for all the people whose lives were forever altered in an instant on Monday. I have thought of little else since I got home. This morning, I proudly put on my race shirt and ran for the first time since the marathon. For four miles, instead of focusing on how powerless events like this make me feel, I thought of how I could honor the victims and survivors of the bombing in my day-to-day life. I’m going to try harder to help others in need. I’m going to let the people I love know just how much they mean to me every chance I get. While I know I will never forget what happened on Monday, I’m going to stand strong with the rest of the running community and keep running and racing every chance I get. And Boston, if you’ll have me with my just barely qualifying time, I will be honored and thrilled to run your streets again in 2014.

Spring Is In the Air

Yes, finally it is Spring time.  Yay!  I haven't needed to wear two layers of clothes on my bike rides in a couple of weeks now and my toes have stayed warm  :).  Training is going well.  Boston is in a week from Monday!  I'm super excited.  I know this year is going to be awesome! 

Here are a few things that I've missed posting in the last month:

• I participated in the Sarasota Half Marathon for the 2nd year in a row and it was awesome. 
• About the race:
• I highly recommend this race to anyone.  It's a small race that's flat with one bridge that you run over twice in the beginning (while you are still fresh).  It's at a good time of year where it's still cool.  I say cool because sometimes it can be 50s and sometimes it can be 60s.  But, not likely to get warmer than that. 
• The medal is awesome and the post-race food is catered by First Watch

• About my race:
• I started the morning with nothing to eat and waited until about 30 min before start time to eat a Honey Stinger Waffle (those are sooo yummy) and some gatorade with a scoop of NO Explode pre-workout.  I had a chance to use the bathroom before the race.  If I hadn't the race would have turned out very badly. 
• Waiting for the gun to go off I was talking with Sarah (and myself) saying that I was just going to go with the flow.  I wasn't expecting to PR and I wasn't going to push myself trying to reach one.  But, I started the race and my first mile was 7:28 and each mile got faster from there.  Except mile 5 which was the second time going over the bridge - that was at 7:35. 
• I took to gels, one at mile 7 and one at mile 10.  I didn't have any stomach issues during or after the race.  The races that are like that, where I don't have any stomach problems, are my favorite.  Regardless of my time. 
• I did PR... by 3 minutes from the St. Pete RnR Marathon that was a month earlier.  Finishing time 1:35:04 - 7:19 min/mi. 
• I have taught one more spin class that went really well.  So, I think I'm getting the hang of it.  My first couple of classes were too structured.  I was literally teaching the class by saying something every 30 seconds or less.  It's too distracting for them and for me.  I will most my spin profiles in another post. 
• I ran my longest distance ever - 28.01 miles @ 8:28 min/mile. 

• This was the longest distance for my Boston training.  I know that some people like to follow a plan that only takes them to about 20 - 24 miles as their longest, but I prefer to get as close to the actual mileage as possible in my training.  I do think there are added physical benefits, but for more it's more the mental.  If I do the distance, I know that when I get to race day, and I can tell myself "you've done this before.  Relax, you can do it again".  Everyone is different though.  Some people are satisfied and feel prepared come race day by breaking up all the mileage throughout the week.  To each their own.  Whatever works for you is what you should do. 
• I decided to back out of the Vineman Full Distance tri this year. It was getting to be too expensive to go out there and I need to save my money to pay for Florida IM and for a wedding next February.  I want to do Augusta again, but I have to see when it gets closer.  Maybe I will miraculously get my money affairs in order.  I don't know, though.  I want to upgrade some of my bike components too.  Decisions, decisions...
• I follow Meghann on Meals and Miles and she got a full time job working for Iron Girl.  I am so jealous.  And, on top of that, she gets to (and is encouraged to) go swim in the Gulf on her lunch break with other people she works with.  Even more jealous.  She also posted a swim session about a week ago with her normal swim group.  A couple of take aways from this:
• Take away 1: When I do kicks in the pool, I normally just go at a normal pace.  Nothing too fast or too slow.  But, Meghann mentioned that she did some of the lengths with fast kicks.  So, the next time I went to the pool, I warmed up with 200 swim, 200 kick, 200 pull.  For the kick and pull, it was one length normal, one length fast.  I like this and I think I will continue to do that.  I never thought about trying to improve my kick.  No one really every talks about making your kicks stronger.   
• Take away 2: I've been thinking about trying to squeeze a workout in at lunch time.  After reading about her swimming at lunch I decided that was it.  So, I tried it out today.  It worked out ok.  I will probably have to take a little longer of a lunch and either come in earlier or stay a little later on those days though.  I need about 15 minutes longer than a normal lunch hour to get to the pool, change, swim for at least 30 min., cool down, change, and then drive back to work.  Notice the time needed to cool down.  Well, funny story.  Today after my swim, I couldn't stop sweating.  I needed to go next door to the SwimBikeRun store to ask some questions about and look at their aerobars.  When I walked in, the bike guy Bruce, asked me if it was raining outside!  LOL.  Hence, I need about 5 minutes to just sit and cool down. 
• My brother, Marcus, and his boyfriend, Myke, are on day 89 of P90X.  They have both lost around 25 pounds each.  I can't wait to see them.  But, even better than this (to me because it's selfish) is that Myke has run a 5k and is now looking to bump it all the way up to a half marathon.  I am so excited about this!  I told him we can plan race-cations together now.
• I got invited to be a part of the elite wave of the new Iron Girl triathlon in Clermont.  I was very excited about this.  It's not like getting invited to participate in Ironman, but I'll take it  :)
• So, upcoming races:
• 4/13 - Escape from Ft. DeSoto (yes, two days before Boston.  I think it will be a nice way to keep my legs warmed up  :) )
• 4/15 - Boston Marathon 
• 4/28 - St. Anthony's - I'm getting pretty pumped about this one.  I haven't been able to do it the last couple of years because I've been participating in the Nautica S. Beach Tri with a team.  
• 5/4 - Iron Girl Tri
• 5/19 - Haines City Half  

I think that about sums up everything that's happened in the last month.  After Haine's City, I don't have any major races planned until the Women Rock Marathon in Minnesota on 8/31/13.  I am definitely going to be looking forward to that one because I'll get to hang out with Sarah for a few days.  Since she'll be moving in June I won't have a good friend and my best running partner around for a couple of months.