My first (and Mike's second) triathlon - I can't believe I did it!!!!

I was poking around on active.com on Thursday and found a local-ish Sprint Triathlon designed for first-timers and with a pool swim too! I have only technically completed a few weeks of my 13-week triathlon training program but I just have been feeling so strong lately so I decided to take the plunge and sign up for my first one this weekend! Mike volunteered to do it with me so we both got up at 5:15 a.m on Superbowl Sunday and headed for Sarasota for the Superbowl Sprint Y Tri...!!

They don't give you a whole lot of information in advance (or I probably wouldn't have signed up :)) but once you arrive there are Sarasota 'Storm Team' Triathletes everywhere to help you. First you have to register and get your body marked up. I didn't realize that the number on your leg is your age at the end of the calendar year - like I needed a reminder...

Then we set up in the Transition area with all of the paraphernalia that you need for each event. The Transition was definitely the part that I was feeling most confident about since I'm very proud of my organizational abilities :)

At the kick off meeting they explained the rules and how the whole thing works and told some really inspirational stories. As if that weren't moving enough, they traditionally start the event each year with one of the club members taking three disabled althetes each through a phase of the course. Totally amazing and inspirational...

The Swim...

The swim was really well organized and we were seeded in order of our predicted finish time and separated by 10 seconds to avoid too much overtaking in the water. There was also plenty of room in the lanes and I actually managed to jump ahead of a couple of people and even some guys! I was really surprised at how tiring 8 laps (400 mtrs) really was though and together with the nerves and excitement I was quite out of breath when I finished the first event.

The Bike...
I have never actually biked for 12 miles before so I was most nervous about this part. And rightfully so. If I never go another day without hearing "passing on the left!" I'm OK with it. I'm just not fully comfortable with biking yet at all so I really struggled to get in a riding position that didn't hurt. I also can't pace myself yet either so I had no idea how far I'd gone at any point throughout the event. So when I first thought 'I've been biking forever - this must be nearly over' I asked one of the race officials how much longer there was to go. She said 'I think you're about half-way' and I think I felt my heart break physically in two. Anyway, I got myself together and after what seemed like about 2 miles later I looked down and realized that the bike lane was actually marked along the way. Some of it looked like it was written in some kind of secret code but there was no disguising the one that said "Half Way To Go..." I nearly cried. Anyway, I felt a bit better when a girl in front of me fell off her bike (at least I was still on mine) and sucked it up and pedaled away. I was so miserable and just couldn't wait to hit the pavement for the run. I kept thinking - I know how to run! And it's only 2.2 miles! Then I'm done! Finally the bike was over and I was astonished to discover that I wasn't dead last at all!! And there's Mike in the Transition area! Did I catch him up on my bike?! Really? No...he must have waited for me so that we can run together...that's so sweet :). What's that Mike? You've done the run already...OMG - shoot me now...

The Run...
The run wasn't pavement at all but a trail run. And now I realize for the first time that not only do my legs no longer work properly after all the swim/biking but also running on a trail is harder than the kind of running I usually do. This will likely be the longest 2.2 miles of my running career. But only a crazy person stops at this point. So...I did the two loops and Mike did the second one with me :). And the great news was that several people (in fact about half) have actually started walking now so I can do some "passing on the left" of my own!

Here's Mike during his run sometime earlier...:)

The Big Finish...
I lost my ever-loving mind when I finally crossed the finish line - I can honestly say I've never felt anything quite like it!

Post-race pics...

I feel incredibly proud of myself and so very lucky that my 40-year-old body is capable of so much more than I ever imagined. Now I can't help but wonder what else I can do...:)

Long Run at the Ranch 5K

Fantastic 5K at the Long Run at the Ranch today, our first 5K of 2011...

We met up with Kathleen, Darren and Emily when we got there. Really great friends to run with :).

The course was twice round a 1.5 mile loop and I took my camera for the first time. There were only about 200 runners so we were really well spread out and it was flat and open the whole way round. Together with the beatiful weather the running conditions were so perfect :)

At this race last year, Mike and I had PRs of 23:14 and 31:51 respectively. This year we had PRs again - but 21:41 and 28:24 this time! I was 6th in my group!!!

Here is the youngest participant of the fun run. When he crossed the line he said "can I get a bagel now?" - too cute:)

Mike came third in his age group and won another 'Running Man' trophy for his collection!

Now we have two, proudly on display at the Early home. From a decor standpoint, you really can't have too many...

And with two, you can make them 'fist pump' each other:)

And then Mike won the drawing for the cool sunglasses. What now!

This is exactly why we run...on a day like today - you just can't beat the feeling:)!

Florida Dirty Duo

We had such an amazing time at the Florida Dirty Duo race! At this event teams of two share one bike and alternate running and biking through a 6 mile obstacle course (including a mud pit:)) through Tampa's gorgeous Trout Creek park. Throughout the course there are various obstacles such as: tractor tire flip, tire run, steep hill climb, tunnel crawl, roll and pull, etc. Course terrain includes grass, dirt, jeep trail and single track trails and covers about 6 miles and 18 challenges.

Here is the 3 mile course that we had to complete which ended with the mud pit. Then you have to do it all over again covered in mud!

It was still dark when we arrived at the park ready to rock and roll...

We marked up the bike with painter's tape so that we didn't take someone else's by mistake during transitions...

Our team name was "the Sporty Forties" in honor of my BIG birthday coming up:)

Mike did the majority of the running and I biked trails for the first time!

The course started out with a three-legged potato sack race...

Later we had to hop in them to get to the finish...

And then there was the crazy mud pit!!

It was great to hang out with Amber and Chris ("The Honeymooners":))

We definitely got dirty...

After the race the kids were allowed to play in the mud. Mike ended up throwing Maddy in :)

I'm so glad I have Monday off to recover...I ache all over :).

Weight a minute!

I was working diligently towards my goal of running a 5K in under 30 minutes when I suddenly realized that there may be more than one way to 'skin a cat' as it were. I found this little table on Runner's World that shows the relationship between how much faster you can run if you lose a few pounds in weight :)

According to RW author Amby Burfoot, the table is based on research that runners, on average get 2 seconds per mile faster for every pound they lose.

So, basically if my PR is about 30 and a half minutes and I lose just over 5 lbs I could be at goal!

Coincidentally this is almost the exact amount of weight that I've gained over the Holiday season. Not sure if it happened in Charleston where I was so carb'ed up that I actually had Mike take photos of me in front of a dessert bar no matter how much my enthusiasm was scaring the server behind the counter...

Or...it could have been on New Year's when Catherine held me down and forced me to eat these...:)





Regardless, I've signed up for the new PointsPlus Weight Watchers program and so far it's going pretty well. I've found some great blogs to follow also including *Bitchcakes* (Click here) and the Retro WW Experiment (Click here) which is hilarious. On her blog, Mimi goes "Back in Time" and incorporates some of the original 1972 WW program recipes into her current weight-loss plan and writes about it!

Jean Nidetch - founder of WW

Since I was feeling a bit nostalgic I volunteered to try out one of the hideous recipes for myself. Here is my "guest blog" over at Mimi's (Clare's guest blog).

And here is the living proof that Mike and Maddy actually enjoyed it!

Groovy Jean!

New Shoes for Mike!

We went to the fabulous Fitniche at the weekend to get Mike a new pair of sneakers. According to running shoe manufacturers you're supposed to buy new ones every 300 miles/6 months or so but Mike thinks that's a made-up conspiracy to get at his hard-earned money. So it took quite a bit of persuading that after 5 years or so he really could do with a new pair. Here's Mike's 'gait analysis' where they filmed him running on a treadmill and slowed it down on a TV to find the right fit just for him based on his footstrike.

First they put him on a treadmill...

According to Mike, in the next photo the store employee is looking up fancy terms on her computer like "over-pronating" and "cadence" so that she can hit him up for lots of money when he's too tired to argue...

Mike's feet - literally bursting into flames on the wide-screen...;)

He went home with a pair of Nikes in the end...:)

It's a foot miracle :)

I've been suffering with a massive blister in the same place every time I run over about 3 miles for a while now. I've tried vaseline and two pairs of socks which definitely helps but doesn't fix the problem completely. I asked at our running store for their advice and it turns out that new socks are the answer! Apparently cotton retains moisture and you shouldn't run in cotton socks. Who knew?! I suppose it makes sense since you don't run in cotton T-shirts. Anyway, I wasn't sure if I believed it so I bought a pair (for about $10) and took them out for a long run. I had no blisters at all! None in over 5 miles! What an awesome discovery - thank you Emily from Fitniche!

Goals for 2011...

When I look back over the past year I'm really happy at how I've done:). My running goals for 2010 were...

* Finish a 5K in under 30 mins
* Do a 10K
* Exercise at least three times a week and add some variety

I did manage a couple of 5Ks in under 30 minutes but only on the treadmill and I never managed to pull it off under race conditions. That will be my goal for this year. I'm most proud of my first 10K which I did on December 17th! This was the very last race of the year so I'm going to try and get this year's goals done a bit sooner so that I don't feel quite so much pressure:). My last goal to establish a regular workout regimen went very well. I'm now safely in 'the groove' and have changed my lifestyle accordingly. I ran about 300 miles this year in total and participated in 10 races for some amazing charities. I have also connected with some of the nicest people that I am really happy to have as my 'running buddies.' I definitely have better energy levels and feel much stronger than ever before. I also have a deeper appreciation for people with disabilities or injuries and recognize that running in particular is such a privilege. I feel so lucky that I can (albeit slowly :)).

So for 2011, here are my new goals:

* Run over 350 miles
* Do at least 6 fitness events
* Complete a 15K or a Sprint Triathlon
* Finish a 5K race in under 30 mins

Yikes! These feel very ambitious...gulp...

Our first 10K!

I can't quite believe that I actually managed to complete a 10K!!! I was really nervous the night before and only got about 3 hours of sleep but on the plus side it was a nice cool, rainy morning :). We went over to Clearwater with the lovely Catherine at the crack of dawn and met up with Kathleen, Emily, Darren, Nikisha and Joe over there. Everyone was in really good spirits and I felt encouraged and motivated. The bridge was tough on the way back but apart from the couple of hills, I just kept running and stayed at a really slow and steady pace. Mike was a complete treasure and stayed with me the whole time and it was really special coming over the line holding hands!

The results came in later and I was just under 71 minutes which I was thrilled with until I realized that I was 39th out of 46 in my age category! I can't believe how fast 30-something chicks can run! The good news is that next year I will be in the next age category so it's not that I have to run faster, just get older...that I can do :).

Me, Mike and Catherine just after we arrived...

We ran over that bridge!!

This race is notorious for the fabulous after-run pancakes!

We're home and it's time for some relaxation!