4 Mile Lap4Life in NY!

My knee has been getting so much better lately so I decided to take the plunge and do the Lap4Life 4-miler while we were up in NY on vacation. It's been over 2 months since I've done a proper event so I was really nervous on the way over in the car...

The race was to benefit Desmoid Cancer, a rare type of cancer that tragically took the life Dr. Angelo Casabianca - a local physician and father of three young children. About 600 runners came to show their support and run around the beautiful Chadwick Lake in upstate NY.

We got to run with Scott and Karrie for the first time :)

The run around the lake was so pretty and Mike stayed with me in case my knee played up. I was really thrilled to not have any pain at all even with the NY hills! It definitely helped to be running in temperatures over 10 degrees lower than in Florida too:). I loved the motivational signs throughout the course and the volunteers did a great job of cheering everyone along...

Maddy and Jayden came to show their support and managed to spend over 20 dollars on raffle tickets while we were running. We didn't win anything...

When we crossed the line the guy with the microphone called us the 'most romantic couple of the day.' I love this picture of us!

After we were done we hung out for a while and enjoyed the post-race entertainment...

Me and my mentor, Scott:)

It felt so great to do an organized event again. And to share it with such special friends. Now I need to sign up for another one :)...

I'm all broken in now...

You know when you start biking a bit more seriously it's just a matter of time as to when you'll come off it. I've actually managed to fall three times now but this last one was a bit nasty and hurt more than you would think from the picture. I had been riding Mike's bike for a while and this happened when I got back on my road bike. I realize now that it's too small for me and the gears are in the wrong place. Think I'm going to stick with Mike's for a while and since it's a mountain bike I'll be able to compete in the 'fat tire' class at the next tri which will really help my placings anyhow. And I'm going to need to toughen up...

Bike PR for me!!!!!

I've been working really hard with my biking lately so I was thrilled to hit my goal tonight of 15 miles within an hour! I did it on Mike's mountain bike and actually beat the goal by nearly 4 minutes although I was a major sweat monster when I got back home :)

I also managed to run a full 2 miles without any major knee problems this week too (which was a major relief) so I'm going to try adding distance now so that I can get back to running more regularly again. For now though I have to say the bike is challenging for me and more importantly fun!

How to be a nosy neighbor...

The whole biking thing is really coming around now which is a good job since I have a mystery knee injury:(. It happened on a Sunday morning long run about three weeks ago and has been very painful after a mile or so ever since and feels just like it's 'giving out' whenever I run. I've tried the usual stuff (rest, icing, elevation etc.) and a couple of bandage-type contraptions, but it's not getting any better so I think it's time to see the doctor. I'm trying to find a sports doc so that I won't get the predictable 'stop running' advice:). Anyway, I'm also trying really hard to stay positive. I've been able to run over 200 miles this year including completing a triathlon and a 15K. And it's Summer so I have plenty of time until the season kicks back in. It's going to be fine :).

I'm also staying focused on what I can do for now. I found this really cool article on coolrunning.com (here) which recommends: antigravity running, steep uphill walking, pool running, elliptical training and cycling. Since I don't have access to an antigravity machine (Cool Running writing team - you may have wanted to just leave that part in for the version of the article that went to NASA - just saying) that gives me 4 great options! I have found a great swim coach and partner (thank you Kathleen!) and I'm getting out on the bike on a more regular basis now.

It has made all the difference in the world to play my ipod while I ride (in just one ear - I know I need to be able to hear traffic mum) and I'm gradually getting faster. I have a favorite 12 mile route that's really pretty and I always seem to see something interesting while I'm out. Just today I saw my favorite sandhill cranes hanging out...

And you can be a really nosy neighbor too - look what happened to their car - blimey!

Running is so goal-oriented and I'm always thinking about how far and how fast. I'm going to set a biking goal to keep it interesting for me. My first goal is to complete 15 miles in under an hour. I know that's still very slow but it will be a big accomplishment for me. Wish me luck!