My First Triathlon... Recap

What an AMAZING experience is all I can say! I always knew that race day would be exciting, nerve racking, and vomit inducing (No I didn't throw up.. but I wanted to on several occasions) but I never imagined the sense of accomplishment I would feel once I was done. I will recap with you all the race day events so you can have a clear picture of what an awesome day it was!

Race day was Sunday at 7:00am... my wave was scheduled to start at 7:05... female first timers. This was a "My First Tri" so our distances were shorter than an average sprint tri. The male first timers were scheduled to start at 7:00am.

Apparently being a triathlete means you enjoy waking up at the butt crack of dawn... or at least pretend that you like waking up at the butt crack of dawn. My alarm went off promptly at 3:45am Sunday April 19.

Transition areas open up at 5:30am and it was about a 30 minute drive to the race site and every clinic I went to said "be there 30 minutes before transition opens" so that's what we did - or planned on doing.

We arrived between 5:15 - 5:20am to begin setting up our transition area. Transition is where you run into after the swim, bike out of and into at the beginning and end of the bike portion, and run out of at the start of the run portion. All of your equipment is placed here, bike, helmet, shoes, towels, sunglasses, anything that you need during the race is placed in the transition area.

When we arrived the transition waiting line was already a mile long. People are serious... as you waited in line you were "body marked" with your race number on one thigh, one arm and your age on your calf. FYI - permanent marker is removed off of skin by rubbing alcohol... in case you ever need that piece of info. Soon after body marking transition opened and were let in. We racked our bikes, set up our area, and took a look around to familiarize ourselves with the entrances and exits of transition.

At 6:45am we had a pre-race meeting for the newbies that went over the rules, regulations, etc by one of the referees... 7:00am and the first wave of male first timers jumped off the dock and headed for the starting buoy.

5 min. after their wave started we jumped off the dock and made our way to the starting buoy. Cayla and I were very nervous... one because it was FREEZING Sunday morning. The water temperature was 62 degrees!!! We high fived... and jumped in the water together. Our goal this whole time during training was to finish together... no matter what. We felt like we were at the same level of preparedness so no matter what we would cross the finish line together.

We heard the air horn and started our swim... here ensues Allison's moment of freak out. I realized about a minute into the swim that I had forgotten to start my heart rate monitor and watch. As I was swimming in this lake I tried to start my watch... bad idea... I freaked out... I could not catch my breath so I stopped free styling and back stroked. Now this was very disappointing to me b/c I had worked so hard to be able to freestyle. But let me tell you ... .swimming in a pool is WAY different than open water swimming. I know "swimming is swimming" but seriously it was hard... and scary... b/c I got slapped a few times. I still did a respectable time on the swim of 7min. and 38 seconds... but it was literally the scariest 7 minutes of my life. I thought I was going to drown and the kayaks were going to have to pull me out of the water. I ended up placed 12 out of 38 in the swim.

When I got out of the water I headed up the bank and promptly met the "strippers". These people are assigned to strip you out of your wetsuit as fast and efficiently as possible. I was amazed at how quick they peeled that thing off of me. Once my wetsuit was off I headed down a large hill, through the tennis courts, to transition. The hill was the 2nd scariest part of the race... I thought for sure I was going to bust it. I had wet, cold, numb feet and was running down a slippery hill. I didn't bust it... thank goodness... and made it to transition.

I waited for Cayla at transition and was relieved to find out that she had a minor freak out in the water too. I guess nerves and the newness of open water swimming got the better of us. But we had made it ... 1/3 of the way done!

We hopped on our bikes and headed out for the 6mile bike ride. This was the hardest part of the race for me. I don't think I had prepared fully for the bike portion. I was sick the week before if you remember with PINK EYE so I slacked on bike training. I took my bike out for a spin on Saturday but only for about 3 miles and not on any hills ... which the bike route was 80% uphill. I am not going to lie... it was a struggle...but I made it and I finished it on my bike, in one piece, with no crashes! I finished the bike in 32 min and 32 seconds with an average of 11.1 mph. We finished 33 and 34 out of 38...

Cayla had finished about a min. and a half before me in the bike so she waited for me at transition this time. Transition was crazy between the bike and the run. As I was getting my things someone had taken my race belt with my bib number on it. I know this was a honest mistake because my belt and number were returned at the end of the race... but I didn't have a number the duration of the run. I was so afraid that I was going to get a penalty. As we started the run I spotted the race director and told her... she said if I had received a penalty to let her know and she would correct it. I didn't receive one so I was excited!

The run was an out and back 2 mile. I was frantic and crazy after not having my number so the first few minutes of the run was a tad difficult...but I had Cayla there supporting me and telling me to breathe... sometimes I forget to do that!

We finished the run in 19 min. and 15 seconds... an average of a 9 min and 38 second mile! We placed 8th and 9th out of 38 athletes! So the run was definitely our strongest sport!

We crossed the finish line together... got our "great job" medal and visited with all the lovely people that came to support us!

Overall we were 23 and 24 out of 38. Not too bad for our first time I don't think!

Once we could pack up transition we did and headed to Blue Mesa for their AMAZING Sunday brunch fully equipped with bottomless mimosas!

Thank you to Tony, Hunter, Anna, Kaylee, Karen, Erinn, Chris, Julie, Mario and Della and Dave for coming out to support us! It was so great to see each of you at the finish line! We really appreciated your support and signs and yells and screams!

I have pictures that Tony, Hunter, Erinn and Anna took during the race that I will post later. I am at work and can't download them to post but I will post soon.

Now it's time to start training for a sprint distance in May... maybe I have found a new addiction....

Recap of Results:
Swim - 7:38.95 - 12th out of 38

T1 - 6:33.65

Bike - 32:32.75 - 34 out of 38

T2 - 1:34.20

Run - 19:15.55 - 8 out of 38

Total - 1:07:35.10

Pic of the Week

My friend, Nick, and fellow blogger over at AU2012 sent me this picture today...

This is the honest to god Lunch Specials board at his office.... hmmmm....

Hope it made you laugh on your Thursday!

5 days before my first triathlon...

and I'm fighting double pink eye....

REALLY???? It's getting better.. but it still sucks. I noticed mid-week last week I felt like I was getting sick so held off from working out and slept ALOT ... like on Sunday I slept for nearly 12 hours and then took an hour nap at my moms on Easter.

Anyways - Friday night after a lovely dinner with Cayla, Hunter, Kristin and Nick.. I noticed my eyes were bloodshot.. by Saturday morning I had to pry them open with a cro-bar... not really but I might as well have. I woke up at the butt crack of dawn on Saturday to go to a tri-clinic over transitions... after that Cayla and I were going to work out but instead she promptly drove me to CareNow to see a Dr. They tested me for strep too.... luckily that came back negative. But pink eye was confirmed in both eyes. Along with some serious allergy issues for which I was prescribed a 30 day supply of allergy medicine that comes in the largest box known to man.

I hit the gym today, totally disregarding the advice of Erinn, Tony and Michael, but it made me feel good... and I feel better tonight.

I can't believe I'm 5 days out from this triathlon. I'm starting to getting nervous... and it's Monday. I can't believe what I will be like on Saturday...oh help me.

The transition was clinic was helpful... although some of the "transition moves" were way more advanced it was really helpful until this smart a$$ guy in the crowd starts talking about when his friend does tri's she suffers from vertigo. Seriously... then the teacher was like "Oh yea... you can get dizzy, sick from the water, vertigo is common, blah blah blah..." That sent my nerves HAYWIRE... Cayla and I looked at each other and about threw up.

So - this week it's no equipment failure... it's eye and breathing failure... say a few prayers that I heal up before Sunday!!!

Sunday = Equipment Failure Day

Well... I think it's official... I have copped to believing the old adage of "When it Rains it Pours"....

I always try to look on the bright side of things... find the silver lining in the gray cloud... look at the glass half full instead of half empty... but yesterday I wanted to kick all those happy thoughts in the face...

It was Sunday which meant two things 1) Cayla and Allison's super weekend workout and 2) BUNCO!!!! I was so excited to get up yesterday and spend the day in Ft. Worth with my equally workout obsessed bff.... I packed all my stuff for a great workout and a great night of Bunco with the girls.

As I was over half way to Ft. Worth I had a minor freak out... I had left my heart rate monitor strap at home (or so I thought... I later found it shoved in the bottom of my gym bag). Without my strap I couldn't track my heart rate or most important my calories... which is truly what I work out for... to see the number at the end of each workout and then the following Monday to get my trophy ( I LOVE TROPHY MONDAYS). So I was like crap.. this sucks... but half the time my heart rate monitor straps transmits to my watch that I am dead anyway (constant 0 heart rate) so I was like whatever ... I'll run my watch for workout time only... then I found it like I said crammed in the bottom of my bag so I was happy...

I get to Cayla's and we suit up (in our super cool bike shorts previously mentioned HERE) and head out for a 6 mile ride around her neighborhood. Probably over 3 miles of the 6 miles we rode were uphill... suck....

We were about 1/2 done with our last 3 mile loop and I had been coasting pretty good downhill in my highest gear when I went to shift to a lower gear to start climbing a hill.... and I hear a "POP". I hopped off my bike and realized that the gear line had snapped and there was no way I was going to be able to shift. So I rode the last 1.5miles UPHILL in my highest gear... and it sucked... big time.

So... equipment failure #1 - broken bike

After our bike ride we dropped the bikes and ran the same 3 mile loop around her neighborhood... mostly uphill again.. half the time we were running my heart rate monitor said my heart rate was at like 300... totally inaccurate... good for my caloric output (not accurate) but soooo wrong... it also read a few times that I was flat lined... ZERO

Equipment failure #2 - Heart Rate Monitor Strap...

After we ran... and kicked a&$ btw.... we headed to the gym for a swim and some weights. Everything went according to plan in the weight room... no major mishaps but the pool is a different story.

Now my initial fear about this triathlon was swimming.... remember my plan HERE... I have since subsided this fear with massive amounts of time in the water. I finally was able to swim the entire length of the tri distance freestyle which was a HUGE accomplishment for me. I still think that "fun" swimming is sitting in the lake with a life vest on such that it resembles a diaper and a beer in hand... but "work out" swimming has become a particular fun activity for me. Until Sunday.... Cayla and I hit the pool for the last portion of our SUPER SUNDAY WORKOUT... we were going to do a quick 30 minute swim because we were now on a time crunch for Bunco and still had to fight Central Market ...

We warmed up with a few laps... then moved on to two different swimmers drills that will help decrease lap time and increase the appropriate way to swim (i.e. give you better form and maximize your output underwater). I was one lap away from finishing the drills and about to start our 300m swim when I came out of the water for a breath and realized I couldn't see. I had been blinded by the water that filled up my goggles because the rubber suction-ey things had separated from the plastic goggle part.... AWESOME... I couldn't see and my eyes were burning.

I tried to swim a lap without goggles and realized quickly that that wasn't going to happen ... I swam smack dab into the lane divider.... I'm sure the life guard got a good laugh....

Equipment failure #3... broken goggles

So it was a good workout... I feel great today.

On another note... I ran 5 miles on Saturday for the first time in my life and DIDN'T stop not one time!! I was so proud of myself!!!

I have also started taking a crap-load of vitamins.... I need a geriatric pill box to accommodate. Here's a brief run-down:

One-a-day multi-vitamin (women's formula) - 1 x/day
Omega 3/Fish Oil (for joint health) - 1 pill 3x/day
Glucosamine Sulfate (for joint health) - 1 pill 3x/day
Potassium/Magnesium (for my sucky charlie horses) - 1 pill 1x/day
Calcium (for strong bones... I don't want osteoporosis) 1 pill 1x/day
Vitamin D (for calcium absorption) 1 pill 1x/day

Seriously.... it's crazy...

Well old lady Allison is off to finish taking her vitamins for the day and finish working so she can work out and do it all over again tomorrow!!!

I'll keep you posted :)

19 days to go!!!!!

I wear skinny jeans so you don't have to...

I AM OFFICIALLY BACK IN MY SKINNY JEANS!!!

I have had two pairs of jeans in my closet that have been hanging there waiting for me to drop the lbs. and be able to wear them again.

The first pair - an AWESOME pair of True Religions I bought YEARS ago on sale from Neimans.


I probably bought them too small for me initially and wore them like twice before I wasn't able to wear them any more... now I will tell you ... I FIT INTO THEM appropriately!! No hang over on the waist band... not leg pooch through the intentional ripped up holes... so exciting. I love these jeans people... I have been waiting for my work outs to pay off on the scale but more so... so I could fit into these damn jeans. When I bought them I ripped them up a little more than the picture shows so they are my grungy real expensive jeans... I love them... I heart these jeans so much. Now I have to go get them patched though because there is a big rip in the crotch... probably because I was trying to fit my fat ass into them when I shouldn't have...

The second pair - and way less sentimental attachment... is a pair of dark James jeans that are more trouser style. When I bought these I bought them for Friday jeans day at Genex. After one or two tries at wearing them I realized my fat ass thighs were too big to make these slim line pants look good on me. So I did as any normal chick would do... I hung them up in my closet until I could wear them... and now I can wear them. In fact, I wore them to work yesterday just because I could and they looked damn good... and they were baggy by the end of the day which made me feel even better.

I buy spandex so you don't have to....

32 days people.... a little under a month and I will officially be a tri-athlete!! WHAT WHAT!

So as most of you know... Cayla and I work out for a long workout on Saturdays. Well this Saturday we weren't able to workout together so we pushed it back to Monday. Cayla is on Spring Break this week so she came out and we hit they gym... HARD!!

We graced 24hour fitness with our presence for nearly 3 hours!!!!!!!!!!!!! It was insane!!! I left feeling like I had dropped like 10 pounds... come to find out this morning it was only 2... but hey I'll take it!

After we were finished working out we decided to go by RBM (Richardson Bike Mart) and pick up new bike seats for our road bikes. After a slick salesman and $110 we ended up with matching tri-outfits..... really???? Who does this????? Who goes in for a $30 bike seat and spends over 3 times that on an outfit? WE DO!!!!!!

We purchased the tightest pair of shorts and shirt I think imaginable. Complete spandex my friends... complete with padding in the nether-regions for comfort. I am trying these shorts out for the first time today when I take my bike out for a little spin.... no worries... I'll blog if I crash.

If this outfit isn't motivation to drop my last 10 pounds.... nothing ever will be....

see below....

Cayla and I in the dressing room at RBM before we bought out outfits...

Me and my outfit....

Cayla and her outfit

I get hurt so you don't have to...part 2

If you remember correctly a few days ago I posted this ... well as you may have noticed it said "Part 1"... you have to assume that I would follow up with a "part 2"....

So.... last week I decided I would take a run over to Karen & Ciearra's... it's about 2 - 2.5 miles from my house to theirs. Not too bad right...

So I lace up my shoes, grab my iphone (which operates as an ipod too... good thing I can listen to my tunes and still have my phone in case something happens right...), and head out the door for a nice afternoon run. It was probably almost 80 degrees that day... such a pretty day.

So here I am trucking along Kelly towards George Bush. Now, to give those of you who are not familiar the "lay of the land" between my house and Karen's, we basically are separated by a HUGE MASSIVE TOLL ROAD. To get to the side of the street that Karen's neighborhood is on I have to cross over George Bush and subsequently run about 3/4 of a mile down the access road to get to the entrance of her neighborhood...

I was having a minor freak out because I couldn't remember if there were sidewalks along the access road... luckily there were so I was a-ok! Had there not been, this could have been a much worst post... ie... I get hurt by getting run over by a car on the highway....

As I'm crossing over the bridge and cars are whizzing by me... I start feeling this burning sensation right by my hip. My iphone was in it's little sports case and clipped onto the waist band of my running pants so I figured "Oh it's just hot from being played" so I scooted it over so it would stop burning me......

Little did I know at that point .. I had already been burned... and blistered for that matter. WHO GETS BURNED AND BLISTERED BY AN IPHONE??????

See below

You can't really see the magnitude of the blister in this picture... over the course of the few days following my run it scabbed over and was gross... now it's healed but I will NEVER clip my iphone to my waistband again... I will ALWAYS use the arm strap that came with the case.

Toodles!

AU2012

Ok ... I know many of you who read this blog are going to think that I am certifiably NUTZO after you read this post... however, I am ok with that.

A few years ago my two dear friends, Kristin and Nick, explained to me the theory of the "Animal Uprising of 2012". It is a theory that in 2012 our precious domesticated and non domesticated animals are going to turn on us.

This may sound like a bad zombie movie but it's actually kind of interesting as well addictive. Now that they have roped me into this theory I can't help but scour the news sites for incidents and evidence that AU2012 is upon us.

For example, in January birds flew into the engine of the plane that went down in the Hudson. This could be a precursor to what we should expect in 2012...

Just for another though provoking 2012 moment.. the gorilla that attacked it's owner's friend a few weeks ago... basically mauling her to an almost death.

Everywhere you turn AU2012 is on the rise... and to officially note this in the cyber world... we have started a blog... au2012.blogspot.com

Feel free to submit your own stories... I know you are wanting to throw me in a loony bin right now but I'm serious people... just look around you and watch for the stories of animals attacking... they are everywhere!!!!

If for no other reason it is humorous AND totally distracting from anything that you should be doing at work :)

RUN FOREST RUN!!!!!

****Guest Blog**** Ciearra Style....

This is long overdue and is filling me up with angst and anger so I need to let it out! Three things I HAVE to talk about and let my opinion be known, The Bachelor, Steve Harvey Morning Show and The Rickey Smiley Morning Show, two of the three I am absolutely disgusted with!

One – The Bachelor. I boycotted The Bachelor this season for many reasons, 1. I think the idea of these stupid shows are BULLSHIT…you are not going to find the person that you are going to marry and spend the rest of your life with through a reality tv show...point proved by the numerous failed relationships that crash and burn after the show and their five minutes of fame has fizzled… except for Trish and that fireman guy…lets see where they are in 20 years, 2. What kind of woman are you if you are going to put yourself with 20-30 other women COMPETING FOR A MAN’S ATTENTION! No one should have to compete for a man’s attention THEY COMPETE FOR OURS…Where are your standards ladies! AND 3. Why the hell would a FATHER, let me repeat the word FATHER bring his three or four year old baby that is at his most impressionable age of his life into a NATIONAL REALITY TV SHOW with 20-30 women who are strangers to this child and this “so-called” FATHER. What is this “Father” teaching his son? I got it, that his son can have 20-30 women at his disposal, that marriage is a joke, you can propose to one and let her go once another one or problems arise!…which BTW is what happened at the end of the show….This brings me to the last rant with The Bachelor. Ladies where have our standards gone, again!…We talk and say chivalry is dead no it is not dead we have just lowered our standards and don’t expect or we make justifications about why people we date, our boyfriends and even some husbands aren’t gentlemen…Do you expect it at all times? If not, why not? Let me get back to The Bachelor, once our lover-boy-shitty father-horrible waste of space dumped the “lucky” girl, whom he picked at the end of the show, Melissa, said he loved, put a ring on her finger, and PROPOSED…he confessed to her that “things”, we never found out what “things” those were, were different and he hadn’t been able to stop thinking about the other girl from the finale that he dumped, Molly! The “Dumpee” was pissed like anyone would be and left the show...ok fine…THEN they bring out the, Molly, first “Dumpee” from the shows finale. The Bachelor, once our lover-boy-shitty father-horrible waste of space, confesses to Molly his new love for her and how he just broke it off with Melissa, let us not forget the girl he just proposed to SIX WEEKS EARLIER and he wants another chance with Molly…I’m thinking no girl in her right mind would say yes after he embarrassed her in two ways 1. Broke it off with her on national TV AND 2. Sucked face and probably ophed (Slept with) Melissa the past 6 weeks doing who knows what while they were ENGAGED….THEN TO MY AMAZEMENT …SHE SAID YES! WTF! Ladies can we learn a lesson from this, A GUY has once shot and that’s it....um especially if he dumps you to put a ring on another girls finger or in real world examples, sleeps with another girl, lies to you, doesn’t do things he says he will. Can we please remember what a ring on the finger means also…FOREVER…not like today’s loose terms of an engagement ring. I was livid and thinking last night this is why guys are the way they are bc we, ladies, are allowing it!! We go back to them time and time again! Learn that guys will not change especially if we allow then to continue in the bad behavior they are portraying. STOP MAKING EXCUSES FOR THEM…AND GROW UP LADIES AND GENTLEMEN!

Two- This morning on my way to work I’m schmoozing through an array of stations and found myself thinking about last night and the very thin backbone this woman had with THE BACHELOR, our lover-boy-shitty father-horrible waste of space, and I hear Steve Harvey of the Steve Harvey Morning Show 105.7 FM speaking on the Rihanna/Chris Brown fiasco. For those that don’t know, here’s the latest, Rihanna has gone back to the man who beat her face into her brains and has disrespected herself to the most extreme way she ever could let a man beat on her and went back to him. Steve Harvey was talking about how upset he was at Rihanna’s father, bc his father is very lackadaisical about this whole situation saying he is with Rihanna no matter what she decides either to be with Chris Brown or not. Steve Harvey was furious with her father and explaining how if it was his daughter he would find Chris Brown and beat his “punk ass”. As Steve Harvey said, “Any man who goes outside his manhood and puts his hands on a woman is a coward”. TRUE TRUE Along with that quote he went off on a tangent about how he heard a WOMAN from a sound byte speaking on the Rihanna/Chris Brown situation he found asking, “Well what did Rihanna do?” Steve Harvey went off for 20 minutes stating it doesn’t matter what a woman does, MEN NEVER HAVE AN EXCUSE TO PUT THEIR HANDS ON WOMEN! Ladies again after hearing that sound byte what are we thinking? I know that most, well hopefully most, women will say it is not ok for a man to put his hands on a woman but for those “NOT MOST” women what are we thinking...Again we are ALLOWING MEN to think it is ok to act in this way! We have to raise our standards!

Three- Sadly, right after I was so happy to hear the angelic words coming from Steve Harvey, I turned the station to The Rickey Smiley Morning show 97.9 FM who was just doing the entertainment news. They were talking about the Rihanna/Chris Brown reconciliation. The people on that show said, “I bet they are having a hard time reconciliating with the media all over them” and “They both (Rihanna and Chris Brown) need to go to a private place with a psychologist to get over this.” My mouth almost fell off my face when I heard that! TO GET OVER THIS? NO Christ Brown’s punk ass, as Steve Harvey put it; needs to get his punk ass thrown into jail where he will really feel like a punk ass when he is getting it up the ass and then he can feel what it is like to be Rihanna that night. Has this abuse just become so normal that people are not forced to deal with consequences of their actions? Not once did I hear that Rihanna should not be with Chris Brown…Not once did I hear what is she doing? Is this really ok? No it is not ok with me!Ladies, we HAVE GOT TO STEP UP! What type of mankind are we turning into? What happened to what The Bible says, the golden rule, and parents teaching their children to be mature, respectable adults! And ladies if we want a gentleman and chivalry back we have to expect it. We are allowing men to act the way that they do …

PS – If you are thinking why is she not getting on the men…bc if I expect a man to treat me one way and he doesn’t, he’s gone…I don’t deal with PUNK ASS BOYS...It starts with us ladies

I get hurt so you don't have to...part 1

I wasn't going to blog about this... BUT... since the two friends I told this story to initially have blabbed their big mouths because they think it's funny (not naming any names... KAREN AND CIEARRA) I will go ahead and tell you what happened...

*****FLASHBACK ABOUT A MONTH AND HALF AGO....(insert wayne's world finger movement and sound here)******

I was super stoked to get my bike. Tommy had found it on Craigslist for me and I was so excited to have a real road bike. If you remember correctly, the only other bike I've ever had was like a pink, basket and all, 10 speed that I barely rode because I lived on gravel and that makes it rather difficult as an uncoordinated little girl. (not much has changed... I'm still rather uncoordinated)

Anyway...

I got my bike and Tommy came over to fix it up... check the gears, brakes, adjust the handle bars, seat, etc...

After all was complete I took it out for a spin... The loop around my neighborhood is about a mile give or take... so I figured that would be a nice little "get acquainted" at 10pm ride...

I was going pretty good... quick little jaunt through the neighborhood... when all of a sudden four houses down from my finish line (my house)... I got going WAY to fast....

I panicked... forgot where the brakes were and laid me and my bike over in the street. It was either that OR hit the mailbox... and I opted for a few scrapes rather than a broken neck, hip, leg, arm, etc...

I totally freaked out... I didn't know what do... now you may have a TINY bit of understanding as to why I have a few apprehensions regarding the bike portion of my triathlon.

I have gotten on my bike sense and I'm doing just fine... but I don't ride in streets and I tend to enjoy riding where there is no one around that I can plow into and subsequently discombobulate.

I have a feeling I will soon be comfortable on the bike ... just as I am now comfortable swimming.. however I may prefer drowning over a bought of road rash...