Quaint As Austria

First off, thanks to all of you who ordered shirts, just awesome! And, thanks also for your patience as I am learning how to navigate my way through this whole shirt selling thing. Appreciate your support!

The kids and I came up to Vail yesterday to stay with a girlfriend and her kids. We are staying right in Vail Village at the base of the chairlifts. Last night we did some poking around the Village which might even be quainter than some villages in Austria, but I don’t know because I’ve never been to Austria.

This is outside of our condo. That’s snow on the barren ski slopes.

I found a couple signs I should probably plaster to my forehead.

Oxygen is over-rated in these parts.

All I do is lay around. I’m just not cut out for exercise.

Some times I like to do tricks:

This morning I get up at the ass crack of dawn to tackle Vail Pass on my bike. The summit is about a 15 mile climb from our condo. I was going it alone. It was chilly when I left – maybe 45 degrees. I knew that climbing from 8.150 to 10,400 feet might freeze my nuts off, or some kind of body part.

The first few miles I cruised along thinking, what’s the big deal, this is no problem. By mile six, I really started climbing and it was that steep crazy climbing where you are in your granny gear, pushing as hard as you can and going 5 mph. At certain steep steep spots you consider actually walking your bike because it may be that or fall off on your face.

I couldn’t bring myself to walk the bike so I pressed on. Around every turn I would think, “Okay, the summit has got to be around the next bend.” It wasn’t. It’s good to know where you’re going

And where you’ve been.

I seriously thought I would encounter a bear and he would make me his bitch - I was literally the only one I saw out there. But I didn’t see Deliverance bear. Only saw some deer who were rude enough to stand there, still, on the side of the path and stare me down. The look in their eyes was something like, “What the eff is she doing?” I shrugged those fawns off, giving them a dirty look back.

Finally I reached the top, and the view did not disappoint.

Coming down, the snow and rushing water made it cold as hell. That’s what 1 hour hot showers and endless cups of coffee are for, right?

All in all, 2,400 feet of elevation gain. 30 miles out and back. You don’t want to know how long it took me. 1:20 going up, :45 coming down.

When I got back I stuffed my face at the breakfast buffet with hard boiled eggs, scones, bananas and yogurt with granola. Emma walked up as I was peeling and eating the egg. “WHO FARTED?” she yelled. I told her it was the egg. But I got to wondering why do farts smell so much like hard boiled eggs? And given that, why do we keep eating hard boiled eggs?

I’ll leave you with that conundrum.

Do you work out while on vacation? I never used to. Once I got really into running (about three years ago) I started always exercising while on vacation, regardless of where I am.  For me, it just starts my day off right. Then I don’t feel so bad about basking in the sun all day eating nachos and drinking margaritas.

SUAR

Get Your Shut Up and Run Shirts!

SHIRTS ARE HERE!!*

There are three types available

*Please do not let the dorkiness of the models and their poses distract you from how cool the shirts are

1. Women’s tech/performance tee – $34.99

The print has a distressed look because runners are tough and go through a lot and sometimes get distressed and cry.

When looking at the price keep in mind that not all tech shirts are created equal.   This is a high quality tech shirt from Alo or New Balance (I’m still deciding on the brand).  It is 100% polyester. It is available only in white (for now), with a crew neck. Print is reddish/pink with a turquoise runner on the side, running from the back of the shirt around to the front.

Sizing: XS, S, M, L, XL.

2. Women’s casual, every day burn out tee – $32.99

I LOVE this shirt. It is perfect for wearing to the grocery store, to drinks with the girls or to drive your kids to the 15th baseball game or piano lesson of the day. It is the softest cotton/poly mix with a feminine fit and capped sleeves.  The brand is Bella.

It comes in S, M, L, XL.

3. Men’s tech/performance tee -  $37.99 

This is 100% polyester from Alo with contrast stitching. Back panel is in gray.

Comes in XS, S, M, L, XL.

I am now taking pre-orders for the shirts.

These are just the preliminary shirts. There will be more designs and styles offered in the future.

Please note that when ordering on the “store” page the colors lo0k more vibrant than they really are. The true colors are represented by the pictures in this post.

Shout outs! Thanks to Nuf Said Advertising for their help with the logo stuff. Shirts are being printed by Family Fan Club, a local business specializing in custom apparel and gifts.

If you want to order a shirt please go to the “store” tab at the top of this page. I will take pre-orders for the next ten days and then will have the shirts printed, to be available as soon as possible (do not know the exact date, but will let you know when I do). All shirts have a $5.00 shipping charge.

Please contact me directly for international orders.

Happy shopping!

SUAR

Being Last Makes You Wise (Or Some Sh*t Like That)

Live every day as if it were your last and then some day you'll be right.  ~H.H. "Breaker" Morant

Have you ever had this experience before?

You are pushing yourself to your limit, making your legs work as hard as they can, and you are still last. DAMMIT!

It is humbling.

And, it is a good reminder that there will always and forever be people faster and more fit than I am (and slower and more out of shape than I am). I can only do my personal best and hope for growth and improvement along the way.

Today I could not hang with my bike group. This is only my third time out with these ladies, and the last two times I’ve held my own and been able to stay with the group.

After our first climb today, I fell behind as I wondered why I wasn’t still in bed or at least sitting at the kitchen counter drinking my coffee with a resting heart rate of 54 bpms. This puke threshold, heavy breathing and inability to speak is for losers!, I thought. Meanwhile as I’m huffing and puffing, these badass girls seem as if they are un-phased – barely breathing hard, a walk in the park. But I did not cry. I tried to HTFU (thanks, Patrick).

Seriously, has that every  happened to you? You are gasping and sweating and spitting and everyone else is barely glistening and shooting the shit about The Bachelorette? (Thank God she told Bentley to f*ck off. About time).

It is humbling.

In the end the ride was only 23.5 miles at 17.5 mph average with 715 feet of elevation gain. But it kicked my butt.

I have to remind myself that there is more to life than training and numbers on a watch and gear and time goals and carb: protein ratios and how to best avoid chafing.

There is real life and mountains to gaze at and birds chirping and children who want to play Trouble or have a lemonade stand. There is life beyond the workouts.

We get so wound up in our goals it can make us self centered. Training can become very self indulgent and give us tunnel vision.

I remind myself: not everyone cares about your training or your goals. In fact, not everyone gives a crap about running and triathlons and racing. In fact, a great part of the population doesn’t know what BQ stands for or that a marathon is 26.2 miles long. Case in point: my dental hygienist asked, “Isn’t Boston one of the longer marathons?”

My point is: let’s keep it all in perspective. Being fit and working out and having goals is amazing and is what keeps us feeling alive and rejuvenated. But it is NOT all there is to life. There is a balance to be found. This morning was a reminder that:

• It’s okay to be last.
• I don’t want to be so focused on the workout and my Garmin that I don’t look up to see how the light looks in the canyon or how blue the sky is against the snow capped mountains.
• Not every workout will be your best or your strongest. You don’t need to judge yourself. Let it go. Tomorrow is another day.
• Pushing yourself means putting yourself in positions when you will feel inferior. Don’t let your ego get the best of you. Always see it as a way to become stronger. Keep your attitude positive.
• There is life beyond training and racing.
• Not being able to keep up makes you insightful and wise!! Or that’s what I’m choosing to think today.

How do you reign yourself in and get perspective?

Ever run/bike/swim with a group and end up last? How do you cope or do you care?

SUAR

Input Needed.

This will be the shortest post ever. 

After this weekend’s conference, I am thinking of making the big switch.

I have finally decided to become a man. Just kidding.

Blogger vs. Wordpress. Which do you use and why?

If you have switched from one to the other, are you glad you did it? Did all your stuff transfer okay? What about followers?

Any input you have will be appreciated more than you know.

SUAR

Check Your Nose

It just keeps getting better and better. I wish my job was to go to conferences full time. Free schwag, lots of coffee, drinks with lunch, like minded individuals, non stop blogging, and lots to learn about how resources, writing posts, etc. Pure heaven. Then these crazy random subjects arise from the group like “Leaky Gut Syndrome,” something I have never heard of before. I like to think I have “Leaky Butt Syndrome,” so that is what is most relevant to me.

Yesterday rocked the house. Lots of stellar blogging info and great company. We headed to the Med in Boulder for lunch. One of the things that sucks is sitting outside in the fresh Colorado air with a view of the mountains and a plate of delicious food. Very depressing. I think I should have been a food blogger:

The picture below was a very serious conversation about carrying toilet paper while running and how you dispose of it. I am not sure if Jason is  a runner or not because his shirt is very subtle.

However, our very serious panel could not figure out why this woman was wearing a helmet throughout her lunch or why the woman behind her was holding her nose.

Someone spilled a salad on Clair’s pizza:

After our afternoon sessions about Search Engine Optimization (I’ve become very technical), we hit the hotel banquet sponsored by Refuel With Chocolate Milk. The meal was not quite along the lines of the night before at Whole Foods. In fact, I was scared off by the mystery brown sauce (trying not to think about Leaky Butt at this point).

Got to meet Heather, Michigan Runner Girl. She is hysterical, so go to her blog if you haven’t already. I was so tired and bleary eyed by this point so don’t be jealous of how gorgeous I appear.

I also got to hang out with Erin from Just Run with It who is extremely fun and cool, but can’t find my damn picture.

Overall one of the most fun days I’ve had in a long time. The perfect mix of good company, helpful information, good wine and so much laughing I almost pissed myself five times.

SUAR boot camp was back in action this morning as I strapped 20 lb weights to Clair’s ankles and made her run hill intervals . We showered and I actually put on a dress and strappy shoes. I was feeling kind of sassy when we got into the car. Clair said, “You need to check your nose.”  There is nothing like a girlfriend who tells you like it is.

Yeah, booger city. What can I say?

Today it all comes to an end, but not before a few more blogger sessions and a guided 19 mile mountain bike ride outside of Boulder. We had to say goodbye to Misszippy this morning. I’m so glad I had some time to get to know how smart, grounded and goodhearted she is in “real” life.

Big thanks to Alan Wright and the Zephyr Adventures for making it all possible. This conference has gotten me really excited for the Urban Bloggers Summit in Vegas in December when I actually will be a speaker! Check it out and join me. It’s over the Rock ‘n Roll Vegas weekend.

Going to clean out my nostrils,

SUAR

I Love Quickies: 6 Speedy Product Reviews

Do something everyday that scares you. Here goes.

I have no clue what is happening, but I am sitting at table #5 getting ready to do an impromptu and speedy product review as part of the conference. Condom? Pack of cigarettes? Depends? I have no idea. But, this is real time, kind of like Live TV, so I hope I don’t lose my cool. Score.

Companies have five minutes to describe their products, then it’s time to switch.  Here we go. And the first one is alcohol, they must have seen me coming.

Casa Noble Skinny Margaritas:

All the taste, none of the guilt. Skinny Margarita! 181 calories. Organic. Gives you a buzz (I added that). Made from blue agave nectar, hand crafted. Agave gets to mature 2-3 years longer than competition.

2 oz Casa Noble Crystal Tequila
1 oz fresh lime juice
3/4 oz La Sierra Agave Nectar

Taste: Delicious. Light. Refreshing. Slightly sweet. Taste of tequila comes through beautifully because it is not weighed down by corn syrup or other sweeteners. Great summer drink.

Jovial Einkorn Pasta:

The most ancient wheat pasta. From Italy. Has higher nutritional value than other wheat pastas. High Vitamin B, protein (9 grams per 2 oz servings). Available in gluten free.  About $4.99 for 12 oz box from Whole Foods.

I was given a dried bag of pasta. It is dark in color. I have no clue what it tastes like, but interesting concept for sure. Drawback: expensive compared to regular grocery store brands.

Rudi’s Gluten Free Bread:

Multigrain. Made with rice flour. Wholesome, simple list of ingredients. Nothing artificial. About $5.99/loaf.

Taste: Excellent, substantial multi grain bread. Slightly dry. Store in the freezer, no preservatives so shelf life is very short.

Popchips:

Air popped potato chips. The only one like it out there. Next generation of potato chips. No oils in popping process, only sunflower oil in the seasoning. Eight flavors. BBQ, Cheddar, Sour/cream and onion, etc. Jalapeno coming in July.

Taste: Very good and light. Single serve bag is 100 calories. 280 mg of sodium. 4g of fat. Gluten free. Seriously delicious and guiltless. I would SO eat these in front of The Real Housewives any day.

Recharge Natural Sport’s Beverage:

10 calories per stick of mixing powder. Sweetened with Truvia (from the stevia plant). All natural. Nothing artificial. Eight sticks per box for $3.99. Color comes from vegetable dyes. 30 mg sodium, 50 mg potassium.

Taste: If you like Kool Aid you will like this.  Sweet, fruity. 

Detour Peanut Butter Cream Protein Bar:

15 g whey protein. 1.5 oz bar. 170 calories. 17 g carbs. 1 g sugar, sweetened with sucralose. Whey is co-product of cheese, transfer the most quickly to the muscles of any protein. 3 flavors. Chocolate chip caramel, caramel peanut and peanut butter cream. $1.45 in health/grocery store. Available Costco, GNC, Kroger, etc.

Taste: Very good. Not too heavy or sweet. Tastes like a good candy bar.

Lara Bar

Started when Lara when for a hike and she had fruit and nuts, she combined them for a great taste. All have only three to nine ingredients. Gluten free, vegan, dairy free.

Taste: Peanut Butter Cookie – yum. Only has dates, peanuts and salt in the ingredients. Love it. Genius. Healthy, quick snack.

That’s all I got.

Ever tried any of these? Which do you like? I have to say my fave was the skinny margarita and the popchips. They simply went well together. I almost felt like I was at a Bronco’s game.

Do you ever buy/try new stuff based on a blogger’s product review? I may not run out and buy it, but I definitely consider a product a blogger has reviewed the next time I’m looking for an item that is similar to the one reviewed.

SUAR

Thunder in the Rockies

Fitness and Health Bloggers Conference Update:

Just FYI: later on I will be doing a “live blogging” event where I will be reviewing sponsor products live on the blog. It is like speed dating but hopefully with no unintended pregnancies.

7:00 a.m. yoga class started out peaceful enough. The cool Rocky Mountain air flowed through the Bugaboo room at the Marriot. The Flatiron mountains looked amazing through the huge picture windows. We moved easily and quietly through Warriors and down dogs and triangles. Clair was to my left, Jason behind me (he’s brave). We were about 50 minutes into a one hour class when the calm in the room was disrupted as Clair came out of three-legged dog pose and released a thunderous fart. Yes, she did. Let me tell you something about Clair. She is a proper Southern girl. It took about 18 years of being her friend before she passed gas in front of me.

I crumbled onto my mat and looked back at Jason. All I could see was his back shaking while he tried to maintain a downward dog. Quickly, the instructor took us into happy baby pose, which only made matters worse. In this special pose, you are on your back with your legs drawn up and spread open. You grab your big toes with your peace fingers, further opening your legs. “Crap,” I thought. “Is she going to let a few more fly?” No, she didn’t. We regained composure, and I told Clair later, “Thank you. My weekend is complete.”

Now, I’m sitting here in the Marriott conference room listening to A-list, influential, very successful bloggers talk about how they got to where they got to. It’s make me feel overwhelmed. I started blogging because I love to write and wanted an outlet. I love the connection blogging allows, and I love the exchange with you all. You make me laugh and inspire me everyday.

When the conversation leads to brands and sponsorships and advertising and book deals, I am not sure what to do. In all honestly, blogging has become more than a hobby for me because of the amount of time I put into it. I feel driven to write everyday. The fact is, it’s taken over a lot of my time. It feels like next steps might be in order, and that’s why I’m here – to learn about all the stuff I’m missing. Twatting and ambassadorships, book deals. It’s a different world.

Woven into all of this are the important questions: Why do you blog? What is your purpose? Where are you going? Do you care about your traffic, your numbers, your analytics?  What is the strategy for your blog, or do you have one?

I am a fly by the seat of your pants (underwear) kind of girl. I love being spontaneous. My only “rules” for my blogging is that I write authentically and I don’t force my writing. If I don’t feel inspired, I don’t write. I don’t have much structure, but there are themes that have surfaced over the course of this blog: not making excuses, doing what you said you would do, potty humor, honesty, recovery/rest, being real.

What’s your goal with your blog?

SUAR

Alcohol Is a Health Food

I’ll tell you what sucks. You finally get the chance to go to a conference and “network” (i.e., shoot the shit) with like minded individuals and you have such bad laryngitis you can’t talk any body. 

Really, the only thing left to do is dance around, pass gas and take pictures.

Amanda, Jill, moi, Jason, Clair eating some beignets at Lucilles in Boulder:

I take this conference thing very seriously. No Harry Beaver comments please:

Cozying up to the bar because we are fitness and health bloggers and it’s better than smoking pot or doing meth:

I hate it that Jason frowns all the time:

They both look so shiny:

Kyle, the bartender. Because everyone wants to be friends with the bartender. Plus, he carded us all, which is weird because I’m like 25, but my friends are all pushing 60.

The whole  conference walked to dinner at Whole Foods. 80 of us. As Jason said, it was like a field trip.

Dinner outside at Whole Foods. An incredibly healthy, vegetarian and fart inducing plate of goodness. The food bloggers were losing their minds:

Overall, a great day learning about this crazy world of blogging and all the opportunities it can lead to. Loving every minute. Glad we have two more days.

Tomorrow 7am is yoga. Hope the Whole Foods meal doesn’t come back to haunt me on the mat.

SUAR

SUAR Boot Camp

Do not ever come to visit me unless you are prepared to be uncomfortable.

I will feed you all kinds of rich food and wine, make you stay up way past your bedtime and give you an air  mattress as hard as a rock to sleep on. I will fart at my leisure and encourage you to do the same. I will try to keep my one eyed, three legged dog from humping you, but there are no guarantees.

I will wake you up at 6am and crawl in bed with you for a moment, then make you guzzle your coffee because we have things to do. I will ridicule you for wearing your fuel belt backwards and not tell you about all time times I’ve tucked skirts into underwear and walked around the restaurant so the whole world could see my ass.

 

I will take you on a 9 mile run even though you have not adjusted to the altitude and I will make you stand guard while I drop trou and take  mini dump in the bushes at mile four.

When you come in the door from said run I will make you drink 105 ounces of water so you do not dehydrate and then I will tell you to “chop chop” we have a busy day ahead so get your ass moving.

This is SUAR boot camp and if you don’t like it or Harry Beavers then I guess you go to the Hampton Inn.

How do you treat your guests?

Off to Boulder for the Health and Fitness Bloggers Conference!

SUAR

Dude, Where’s My Car?

I’m not surprised I lost a couple followers on that last post.  Can’t please the masses. I guess not everyone likes to read about Harry Beavers. He’s a doctor for God’s sake. Get your head out of the gutter.

Today I tried something new. I’m not feeling 100%, but well enough to get a workout in.

I drove to the pool at 6:30 a.m. sipping some coffee and stuffing my face with a waffle sandwich on the way. I swam 1,900 yards in 42 minutes and only saw one band aid on the bottom of the pool. I then changed into my running stuff, put my crap in the car and ran home for 6 miles in 53 minutes (8:49 average). No water, no nothing. I am trying to train my body to run in summer heat without much hydration. Did I tell you that the half marathon portion of the HIM will be done in August at about noon with no shade? I’m getting a hot flash just thinking about it.

Here I am doing a post run snot rocket:

Here I am showing you my favorite running shirt from the Boulder Striders. I love it because it makes me look like I have boobs. That’s why I rarely take it off:

So, today is such a fun day because some of my favorite bloggers are descending on Boulder for the Fitness and Health Bloggers Conference. We’ve got Miss Zippy, Jason from Cook, Train, Eat, Race, Clair from Own Your Backbone, Paul from Family Fan Club, and Jill from Run with Jill. Just to name a few. Zippy and Clair are staying with me, so lots of estrogen funneling through my house this weekend!

I have been waiting months for this conference and cannot wait!! I know for a fact that Jason, Clair and I will be going to a yoga class together. I never do yoga with people I know because it makes me laugh. I don’t know why. This should be interesting. If I get kicked out for uncontrollable farting or laughing, I’ll blame them.

Any chance you will be here this weekend? Let me know so I can be sure to meet you!

Do you like to switch up your workouts/training routes or are you a creature of habit? For me, the more variety the better. I try new routes and workouts all the time.

Ever been to a conference geared towards health fitness and/or blogging? Not me. I am a virgin.

Are you offended by Harry Beaver posts? I’m sorry if you are, but there is more to life than running, biking, swimming and recovering from running, biking, swimming.

Oh crap. I forgot I have to figure out how to get my car. It’s still in the pool parking lot.

SUAR

Dr. Dick

I am not running, biking or swimming today because I am being a pussy and letting this illness run its course. So let me be annoying and share something non-fitness related with you because I think it is a fascinating topic:

I went to the urologist recently (in support of a family member). Having not spent any time with a urologist, I wasn't quite sure what they did. I knew it had something to do with urine (or that was my guess because I'm pretty good at looking at words and breaking them up to find their meanings).

Sitting in the waiting room and seeing all the pamphlets on Viagra and erectile dysfunction, I quickly realized that the urologist must cover all kinds of issues from the waist down. Not, however, to be confused with the gynecologist or proctologist in any way.

After I had read every "Martha Stewart" and "Country Living" magazine in the waiting room (I skipped the edition of "You and Your Urine") I started looking around. I realized that there are two doctors in the practice. One of the doctor's name was Dr. Weiner. No shit. And not the same Weiner who just resigned for using his wiener inappropriately.

This got me to thinking: does your name have anything to do with your destiny?

These are real:

Chiropractor: Dr. McCracken
Dentist: Dr. Molar
G.I. Doc: Dr. Butt
Orthopedist: Dr. Bonz
Driver's Ed Teacher: Mr. Carr
Hearing Aid Doc: Dr. Silence
Urologist: Dr. Cockburn

Cockburn??? Are you kidding me?

Do you think if you are born with a name like, let's say, Lester Vachina, are you more likely to become a gynecologist than the average person? If kids ridiculed you for fifteen years about your name being so close to the word vagina, is there something subconscious that would cause a person to gravitate towards a profession having to do with female genitalia? Just curious. Someone should do a research project. I think I'm onto something big.

Ever met anyone whose name correlated to their profession or personality? How does Beth Shart sound?

Update and funniest thing ever! A reader, Michelle, just commented about a gynecologist back east named Harry Beaver. I did not believe her. But, Google tells me he is alive and well and practicing in Fairfax, VA.

SUAR

Triathlon vs. Plain Old Running

Today I have lost my voice, literally, and I know there are some people around here who are thrilled. No yelling, nagging, singing, cussing. This virus has not, however, affected my fart capacity. That end is still going strong.

Things that are hard about losing your voice:

• It is hard to whisper road rage like, “WTF are you doing a$$hole?” while driving down the road.
• People you just meet think you are either very meek or mute. Sometimes they start using sign language. I don’t know sign language except for my ABC’s and the middle finger.
• The dog never comes when I do a yelling whisper. What is his problem?
• I can’t sit on my back porch and heckle the golfers, “Your balls hang left!” Or some other reference to balls. Working “blue balls” in somehow is the best.

ANY REMEDIES TO GET MY VOICE BACK? <- That is me yelling.

Question of the day from a reader, Marilynn: “I was wondering last night if you miss a running-only training schedule. I love that you've gotten into this triathlon training routine and what you're sharing about it but do you miss the days when you just run (almost) everyday? Maybe you can do a post on triathlon vs. plain old running training?”

I’ve actually thought a lot about this, because the two forms of training are so different.

My first love is running and as is the case with any first love, you want to “do” it all the time. Plus, logistically it is way easier to just run than to try to plan even workouts in running, biking and swimming. Not even to mention the gear involved in doing all three sports. Don’t even get me started on swim paddles, CO2 cartridges, tubes, towels, goggles, fins, and swim diapers. The planning for this type of training is ridiculous.

That said, like with anything, you get into a groove. Preparation is everything. Every Saturday I sit down with my calendar and various half ironman training plans. I come up with a time goal for the week and the types of run, bike, swim workouts I want to incorporate. I put it all into a fancy red and yellow spreadsheet and hang it on the wall. I put an extra copy in my gym bag in a Ziploc bag so I can have it with me when I swim.

The gym bag is essential. It makes grabbing and going at 6am much easier. Inside I have: two bathing suits, two pairs of goggles, iPod, iPod case, Clif bars, water bottle, towel, paddles, workout plan, pasties, thongs, etc.

As far as “do I miss the days when I just ran?” the answer is “sometimes.”

1. There is something very pure and simple about training for just one sport and putting all of your energy into excelling at that one thing.
2. Running feeds my soul. At the beginning of half ironman training in May I had a tough mentally (and physically) giving up some of my running and replacing it with swimming and biking. At first I did not enjoy those activities as much. However, as time has gone by and I’ve gotten stronger on the bike and in the pool and I’ve gotten more acquainted with those types of workouts, I’ve really embraced the multi sport thing.
3. My body has adapted to the increased training hours and the variety of workouts, as our amazing bodies will. When you only run, you only use certain muscle groups, so adding in biking and swimming has created muscle, tone and strength in new and interesting areas!

I’m sure I’ll keep doing triathlons after this, but not at all sure I will do a long distance one again. This is purely because of the amount of training time and planning involved. If all I had to do everyday was train, that would be one thing. But I have two jobs, two kids, volunteer work and marriage to tend to as well. I’m sure my friends would like to see me one day again too.

And, to be honest, I miss my friend, the marathon. We need to get re-acquainted again soon. We might have a date in the fall.

When you shift your training and you are not running as much (either due to injury, time off, or other training goals) how does it affect you mentally and physically?

Now that I’m deep into my HIM training, my physical and mental well being is spot on. I still run enough to get that runner’s release, but am enjoying the challenge of the other disciplines. It feels good to be doing something different and to be challenging myself in a new way.

SUAR

RIP Eugene

So, I got out of the pool yesterday after drinking my share of pee water and started coughing. Thought it was the chlorine (or the piss or the hairballs or the e-coli), but as the day progressed so did my cough. Last night Sam asked what the heck was wrong with my voice. I told him I had taken up smoking copious amounts of pot. And cigarettes. It helps with my training. And, my glaucoma.

I’m not sick SICK, so when my alarm went off today at 5am for my riding group it never occurred to me to not go. I mean, training under adverse conditions is what it’s all about, right? Makes us stronger or something like that?

There is actually a pro triathlete (well, he won the Ironman World Championship in 2010), Chris McCormack, who, in an effort to learn how to deal with GI distress during race, eats nachos with super spicy hot sauce before long runs. Yes, the dude deliberately instigates cramps and farts and the need to evacuate. In his own words (I find this fascinating!):

“I always had this problem of my stomach shutting down during the marathon of an Ironman. So I thought if I could run with my stomach shutting down, I could do it in a race. So once a week I would sit down and eat nachos with really spicy hot sauce. Then I’d get my running gear on, go for a run and of course, my stomach would shut down, but I’d just keep going.”

I don't see any shit in this picture.

“They were brutal training runs. But then on race day, when my stomach would shut down I’d think, “I can deal with this.” I’d be able to keep going. Doing this paid off so many times over. I’d do this 10 weeks out from Ironman until two weeks before race day. It’d be a horrible run, but it had a huge impact on my overall race performance.”

He is hard core. But, what he doesn’t tell us is about shitting on the side of the road, what TP he used, etc. (Thanks, Jason, for putting this on your blog).

I, on the other hand, do not need to eat nachos before a run because my body already knows how to cramp and shit itself without any hand holding.  It is a built in training strategy. I could win an Ironman.

Anyway, the ride was amazingly beautiful, but I have to admit I felt like dog crap. Probably smelled like it too. I think it’s funny when you start getting sick. At first you say, “Oh, it’s probably allergies” or “Oh, I have something in my throat.” You deny the sickness for as long as possible. But then there comes a point of acceptance.  I can’t deny any more that I’ve got some respiratory crap.

But, when you're with a group, there is no wussing out or turning back early, so I sucked it up. Shut up and do not be a pussy.

We headed towards the foothills, then up Lefthand Canyon.

As we passed the spot where Eugene Howrey, age 73, was killed on his bike on Friday, I took a moment to think of him and to send healing thoughts to his family. Here’s a guy well into his 70s just trying to stay healthy and to live an active life. To make matters worse, come to find out that the trucker who hit him was charged with reckless driving two years ago for nudging a cyclist into oncoming traffic. I know he didn’t do it on purpose, but he probably was being more aggressive or less cautious than he needed to be. 

Anyway, 1,400 feet of climbing (from about 5,000 feet to 6,400 feet) in the first 14 miles kind of kicked my ass. But it was downhill the whole way back, so I lived. I can’t tell you how much I love this group. Not just because the women are strong and amazing, but because it pushes me to whole new levels.

I call this the “tit” ride. Thanks for pointing that out Matty!

But, now it’s time to take a load off.

Are you in denial when you get sick? Do you still train? I deny it for awhile. If there is no fever, I can breathe okay and I don’t feel too run down, I still train. But, maybe a bit lighter than I would otherwise.

Ever purposefully eat crap before running just to see what happens? No, I don’t. I once, by mistake and before I was really a runner, ate beef stroganoff for lunch before a run. I think I threw up.

Are you an early morning workout-er? I love getting up and getting it done. Plus, morning is my favorite time of day. So full of possibility.

SUAR