Enjoying the little things

Getting back to normalcy after the Thanksgiving holiday. I enjoyed staying away from the computer (a little) over the weekend but now it's back to nutrition write-ups. Lucky for me, people tend to gain weight over the holidays/off-season and people need my help. I've been getting great feedback for my videos on BeginnerTriathlete.com and I'm working on a nutrition video for 2+ hr workouts. I've been riding my bike in the later afternoons and although it is really windy, I enjoy riding as the sun is setting. There's something about starting a ride when it's bright and sunny out and coming home w/ the bike lights on and my arms feeling the cooler air. I had one of those days on Tuesday. You know, when you just enjoy being outside and you don't want the workout to end. For me, I'd hardly call what I'm doing a workout but I was totally enjoying riding my bike. I planned on riding my normal 20 mile out and back route along the pinellas trail but I decided to extend my ride and head toward Howards Park in Tarpon Springs. I really enjoy looking at big, beautiful houses so my bike took me to see some amazing houses by the water. I came home w/ 28 miles and an average speed of 15mph but I felt so refreshed after being on my bike for "such a long time" :) On the way out for my ride I saw a ice cream delivery truck (not the "ice cream man") on the side of the road w/ a sign reading "FREE Ice cream" beside the truck. A few people were stopping and i was planning on getting my dinner on the way home. You better believe I'd stop for FREE ice cream and I'd enjoy it for 4 miles on my bike. It was probably a good thing that I didn't see the truck when I returned home cause I'm sure I'd end up with more ice cream on my face and jersey than in my tummy. Wed. morning was great and my class out-spun me once again. I have been teaching spin at the Y for over a year and a half and I LOVE my spin class. I've had the same people since i started and I work them really hard. We have a lot of fun and they really make it easy to enjoy teaching my class so early in the morning. I'm happy to say that I've been running! yes-you heard it right....I CAN RUN! Ok, more like a jog but I'm up to 1-1.5 min (not miles!) jogs at 6.5 mph at 6-8% incline on the treadmill. I jog for a minute and then I walk. Today I did my longest walk/run of 3 miles on the treadmill. 30 minutes of walking and 15 min. of walk/jog works for me. I've always talked about people who work so hard for triathlons, but aren't racing Elite or feeling any bit of competitivness, and I commend these people for their passion for triathlons. More so, they work through pain of running/jogging and barely get through a swim w/ a few months of prior swim experience. Their biking skills are ok, but they are riding on an aluminum road bike which is far too big for their size. The soreness they feel during training is nothing compared to the pain felt after a race and well, I feel like "one of them" and I can't tell you how much I am loving it right now. I've been weight lifting with Karel on Tues and Fri and we are both incredibly sore. We walk around bow-legged and there is barely any bending of the legs. OUCH! And now w/ two days of jogging for a total of 10 minutes, I feel like I've just run a marathon! Ok, it isn't as bad as the days after the Boston Marathon (when I was walking down stairs backwards at the airport and in total sadness looking at non-runners walking normally in the hotel) but I feel the tenderness by just touching my quads.
Well, I love it. I am so thankful that I am finally healing and I can resume my ambitions and goals of my future w/ triathlons. I was beginning to think I'd make Karel extremely happy and give up triathlons to be a cyclist, but he knows that my passion and love lies deep in triathlons. Furthermore, my TriMarni blog would be rather boring if I didn't have triathlons in my life. If for some reason I couldn't do triathlons anymore, I would have to think to myself of my amazing career thus far and I'd want to help others pursue their dreams and be as happy as I am, knowing that there is a sport which becomes a lifestyle committment that is far more than swim, bike and run.
Have a great day!

What a GREAT Weekend

Spending time with my family is always great. Now that we have a new edition to our family, it is great having Karel around to share our laughs and fun times together. My parents, bro and grandparents came to clearwater on sat. to see our place and afterwards we all headed to Columbias at Sand Key beach for dinner. We had a gorgeous view of the ocean and the food was great. Since I'm semi-obsessed with bread (ok, very obsessed) I loved it that each person had their own loaf of bread. Yeah, mine was gone in about 5 seconds :) My grandpa is a great photographer but most of all, he loves taking pics of the family. So after lots of pictures we headed back home. Karel had his typical sweet tooth so we searched for ice cream in Dunedin and came across a cute ice cream and candy shop right on main street. Too cute! Sunday I wasn't really feeling a long ride since i've been riding a lot lately (part of my active recovery for my almost healed leg) so I headed out for a nice 35 mile ride. I met up with 2 other guys from the gearlink team and i enjoyed riding and talking on the pinellas trailwhich made my ride go by really fast. Karel headed to the Suncoast trail for a 3 hour ride with some of the Gearlink guys. After we both had a nice pancake breakfast (usual sun. breakfast after our ride) we rested for a bit. Later that day, the family, Karel and I headed to St.Pete and we spent a couple hours at the Dali museum. I did a presentation on Dali in my HS spanish class and Karel really likes museums and art. My parents, bro and grandparents really enjoyed the museum and once again....lots of pics. Karel and I enjoyed our time in st.pete and walked around the streets. We stopped at a gelato and coffee shop and I just love seeing all the flavors of gelato...olive oil and pepper was one of them!!! ewwww! I had a good coffee and Karel enjoyed a lemon sorbet and dark chocolate gelato. We ran into my family driving around st.pete and my bro joined Karel and I for a drive down to st.pete beach. By 6pm we were ready for dinner so we made sure my bro enjoyed his last day in Florida by going to Outback at Clearwater beach. Later that evening we all watch Hannibal (great movie!) and my brother headed back to my parents house.
I had a fabulous weekend. I hope everyone else enjoyed some relaxing days with friends and family. I am thankful for so many things and the holiday reminds me how lucky I am to have so many special people in my life.

Thanksgiving Weekend

Dinner was absolutely yummy! I know a lot of people feel that Thanksgiving is an unhealthy holiday but we have so many vegetarian entrees that I don't think our meal could ever be unhealthy. My mom's friend Carol made me the best Zucchini boats w/ almonds, veggies and other things inside. They were really really good and the presentation was awesome! My dad always makes me stuffing outside the bird (yes-we do have a turkey and roast for the carnivores) and my mom makes her great sweet potato casserole w/ marshmallow's on top. Actually, she makes it a lot and it is a great way to prepare sweet potatoes for a crowd. Carol also made a roasted pepper, corn and onion salad which was great. MY mom's friend Linda made super fluffy mashed potatoes and I know my dad, Karel and Carlos (my good friend who races w/ me) loved those potatoes. Linda's hubby Jack made homemade pumpkin pie and I enjoyed the crust which is my favorite part of pie. I also put together a fruit salad from the leftover fruit from my pizza. With my grandparents, brother, mom and dad, Karel and my parent's friends at our Thanksgiving dinner, I believe this was one of the best Thanksgiving's ever. A few stories from my dad and a couple jokes by Carlos, Aaron and Karel-I really enjoyed myself this Thanksgiving. Karel and I arrived at my parents house around 3:30 and we had a quick stop at Starbucks to keep us going during the day. Nuts and chex mix kept our tummy's satisfied at my parent's house and my brother and Carlos enjoyed some football on my Dad's big TV. It is just outright cruel for me to be in a house with so much yummy food and I have to wait for that stupid bird to be done cooking. Hehe. Karel and I also made a quick stop to the Astrab's house to say hi to our good friends Anthony, John, Rose and her hubby John. Karel loved his Thanksgiving and he thinks that this is the best American holiday! (Coming from a Czech, I think he is strictly speaking about the food and not the pilgrims)
Friday Karel and I lifted at the Y (which was completely dead at 6am) and we took advantage of the empty gym by doing circuits. Karel shocked me when he said he would swim with me and he suprised me when he jumped in the water and started swimming like a pro. He said his shoulder hurt a bit from his crash last May but other than having to rest every couple laps, he said he felt ok in the water. He always amazes me!
Friday afternoon I met my family in Tarpon Springs at the sponge docks and we walked around and checked out the shops for a bit. I did experience Black friday for about 45 min. but I was in and out with only 3 things that I bought. This morning I went for a great 65 mile ride and this time I sat in the back and enjoyed the draft for most of the ride. Karel convinced me to just take it easy and work on my skills. This part of the season is important for working on my spinning so I keep my chain in the small ring during all my rides. Although I left the house with Karel, we only rode with each other for a few miles until he took off for a few intervals. Since this is his recovery week he only had to do an hour and a half and we decided to leave together in the morning since i wanted to get in a warm-up before I met the group at 8. I was a little surprised when I was riding with the group and all of a sudden I felt a push on my back. Karel to the rescue when I get dropped from the group!!
I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving and enjoy the rest of the weekend.

Thanksgiving Morning-Afternoon

The best way to start Thanksgiving day is with some sort of exercise. I feel strongly about getting a good workout in before the "big" meal and it's usually a Turkey Trot. I remember my first TT, which was in 2003 and I convinced my dad and brother to do it with me. I had just started running and it was raining that morning. Since i was in Lexington, Ky at the time, the weather was cold and it was a chilly morning. My family that was in town thought we were crazy and I guess since that run, I've always been considered "crazy" with my choice of activies (specifically the distance). I planned on doing the group ride with some of the gearlink guys but I jumped on bike before the ride in order to check out the scene at the St.pete times turkey trot. Seriously, you'd think people were walking to the stadium of the superbowl because there were SO many people! Since i was on my bike riding on the road, there was no way I'd be able to spot anyone but I did hear a shout from a familiar voice "NICE BLUE!" It was my friend Hunter yelling at me from his car. Always nice to see (or hear) familiar voices. I headed to the CVS on tampa rd. to meet the guys and there ended up being around 12 guys (and me) for the ride. Karel was there and it was nice to actually ride in a group w/ him. Since i had already ridden 15 miles I was hoping that the rest of the ride would be easy. Well, it was easy for the guys but my drafting and riding in a group skills need to be remembered. I felt really powerless on my bike and because it was super windy I was working extremely hard during the ride. Karel said he would ride home with me if I wanted to cut the ride short but I wanted to hang out in the back and just keep going. I was thankful that I was riding with nice guys because they all understand that I'm always trying to work my hardest to stay on someone's wheel. I took a couple pulls but they didn't last long. Karel jumped in the back with me and gave me lots of helpful pointers. I really appreciate when he takes the time to help me with my cycling. I know it is no fun for him seeing his power drop to nothing to draft in the back with me but I learn so much from him. I finally made it back home w/ Karel and i ended up with 63 miles for my easy ride. You better believe that I was making my smoothie as soon as I returned home and right after a shower we started cooking for thanksgiving.
On my menu was fruit pizza and croissant rolls w/ jelly. Karel did the rolls and I did my famous fruit pizza. My pizza is always a hit and I make it all the time for family functions. The pizza is SO easy to make and this year I made 2 alternatives to my traditional fruit pizza. All you do is take sugar cookie dough and press it on a non-stick cooking sheet. 1 roll is usually good for 8-10 people. You then get 1 packaged of fat-free soft cream cheese (not in the container) for each roll of dough. I add powdered sugar to the cream chese and I meausre by taste but it is usually no more than 1/4 cup. I take a mixer to combine the cream cheese and powdered sugar. You first bake the sugar cookie for around 12-14 minutes at 350 degrees. Once the cookie cools (be sure to wait at least 15 min. for it to cool to prevent the cream cheese from making holes in the dough) you can spread the cream cheese/powdered sugar mixture on the cookie and that is the hard part of the pizza. Next comes the fruit and you can pick any kind you want. I made 3 different pizzas this year. My traditional fruit pizza had FF cream cheese w/ splenda brown sugar (2 tbsp) and a dash cinnamon. Depending on the season I try to use apples, bananas, cherries, kiwis, pinnaple, pears, strawberry's and peaches. This year I got a mango to go with the other fruit for a tropical pizza (I used strawberry fat-free cream cheese instead of the regular) and I also made a chocolate lovers pizza w/ chocolate instant powder jello pudding to the cream cheese. I'm sure you can use different spreads but I try to make this pizza as "healthy" as possible. It is soooo good!
Well, now that I'm super hungry for some leftover fruit pizza I'm going to grab me a bit of my pizza and I'll give my thanksgiving dinner recap in a bit.

Thanksgiving Holiday

I am super excited for Thanksgiving. One of my most favorite holidays! Not only is it a great time to spend with family and friends but there is great food and lots of it! I always start my Thanksgiving Thursday with a Turkey Trot but this year I won't be running. I am happy to say that in about a week I will start running again. I feel 99% and I've been walking a lot on the treadmill. I bump up the incline and I have no limp in my leg. Although it took a while, I can finally feel good about my Kona race and I'm looking forward to next season. Swimming is going GREAT and I'm feeling really strong in the water. Cycling is great as well and I plan on doing lots of it this weekend. Later this afternoon I'll be going on a group ride with the Gearlink guys and having dinner with my grandparents, karel and parents afterwards. My bro comes in this evening. I know Karel rode this morning but I am not sure what his plans are for the evening. Although I am a big planner, when it comes to our training schedules we just give each other a call right before we are about to train. You can never predict how you will feel in the evening so we don't really know what time we will start or finish training. It seems to work well in our relationship but sometimes I get worried cause Karel often feels good and doesn't come home when I think he will be home. As for me, I'm too Type-A to not know exactly what time I will leave and come home and I have everything planned before and after training. Oh-just a funny thing I just thought of. This past weekend on sunday Karel got a PB&J sandwich at an aid station and when I saw him after the Horrible Hundred he told me the following "Did you go to the aid station with the PB&J?" I said "yes but I just refilled my bottles with fluids". He said "Those sandwiches were SO good. They had a the REAL jelly and REAL PB". I just laughed. The real stuff, huh? I guess my sugar-free/low sugar/organic food isn't good enough. We both laughed but Karel knows I am ok with things in moderation and we both enjoy a little saturated fat every now and then. Karel will get a kick out of me saying that cause he likes to call me after his long rides and let me know he is enjoying ice cream which is loaded with trans fat and saturated fat. What a goof. Hehe
So anyways, tomorrow Karel and I will be going for a long ride together. This morning I taught spin for an hour (usually 45 min class) and I worked them hard! I'm really looking forward to riding with Karel tomorrow. Just hope he doesn't mind going slow with me :) I have a feeling we will meet up with other people so I will just sit on someone's wheel and think about how many carbs I will indulge in later that afternoon. For a vegetarian like me, I just love the sweet potatoes and vegetarian stuffing. YUM. And I am making a fruit pizza for desert. Ever had one? I will share my recipe and pics of it on the blog tomorrow. It is so good and it is a must at all social functions!
Enjoy the day and start bumping up the exercising. Remember not to overeat tomorrow and enjoy a little of everything. There are always leftovers and with all those great carbs, you should have plenty of great workouts on fri-sun. Eat small snacks and meals during the day on thurs and don't starve yourself. Have some type of protein with all meals and snacks tomorrow so that your blood sugar doesn't go out of control at your thanksgiving meal. The protein will also keep you satisfied throughout the day. I recommend a small bowl of oatmeal in the morning (Especially if you are training), follow your 2+ hr workout with a 200-250 calorie smoothie with whey protein, fruit and yogurt (if you are doing a turkey trot or something short) have a glass of skim milk after the race or a 40-60 calorie yogurt. After the smoothie, start cooking or hanging out with the family. Be active and stay on your feet. 1-2 hours after the smoothie, have some egg whites, cottage cheese and veggies. Drinking coffee is fine by me and choose flavored water to help curb cravings when you are cooking. Chew gum as you are cooking or waiting around the house for the food. Depending on when you are having dinner, drink plenty of water during the day and keep fresh veggies and cut up fruit available for snacking during the afternoon. Nuts are great for snacking but be sure to portion control in less than 100 calorie portions. Drink plenty of water during the day and enjoy your meal!

Horrible Hundred (75) Event report

Friday morning I visited Judy at the WTC. Ever now and then she has an Iron Girl project for me and of course I am always excited to help her out. I got interested in Ironman because of my internship with the WTC in 2005. Now I am close with everyone at the WTC (world triathlon corp) and I just love Judy at Iron Girl! I have lots of registration papers to enter into Active but although it seems tedious I love helping out. Saturday morning was cold. BURRR I felt so good on my bike but it was a bit chilly around 6:45am when I got on my bike. Ear warmers, arm warmers, shirt under the jersey and pants. I felt great until the first hour when I was hot and ready to de-cloth. Typical Florida riding in these first "winter" months. Karel had a 3 hour ride to do and I did a big loop which gave me 45 miles. It didn't take my long to get use to my new Blue and I absolutely love it! I couldn't wait to bring it to Clermont with me.
After breakfast and entering more athletes into Active.com for Iron Girl Tempe, I packed a bag and headed to Gearlink to pick up Karel at the store. Around 4:30 we headed on the road to Mount Dora and after 1 starbucks stop and 1 bathroom/stretch stop we arrived (without getting lost! Obviously because Karel was driving) at Mike's house. Mike Baleno is one of my good friends from Davie when I was going to grad school. Mike and Carlos were my two good friends and we were inseperable. All the races we were together and we just loved hanging out. Mike and Carlos have a good friend Bryan S. who is now part of the Triathlon club and I just love hanging out with those guys at races. I think my guy friends LOVE Karel more than I do so it is always a fun time seeing those guys and Karel talk about bikes and cycling. Mike cooked us a great vegetarian friendly dinner and we all just enjoyed the evening talking. I felt bad for Karel cause most of the talk was "triathlon" oriented :) We had a good night sleep since we didn't have to wake up until 6am and at 7am we headed to Clermont for the Horrible Hundred. This event was a first time thing for me and I was super excited to have a carbon road bike to use for all the big climbs. I decided to do the 72 mile ride and Karel was doing the 100 mile ride. We both covered the same climbs and wow were these BIG climbs. Nothing new for karel since one of his races covers Sugarloaf mountain 6 times!!!! but I was a little tired from all the climbs during this event. If you ever have the chance to do a cycling event (especially a challenging one or one that raises money for a charity) I would absolutely suggest taking up that opportunity. To have support on the course and aid stations stocked with goodies (PB and J, brownies, cookies, bananas, drinks, etc.) it is worth the cost. I was always riding with people and during the first 50 miles I was really feeling confident with my climbing. Around mile 45 or 50 I met a guy (scott) who knew Karel (I think everyone who races knows Karel-the white pinarello or blue colnago kinda give him away. Oh and the czech accent!). Scott Graham and I rode together for the rest of the ride and I was so happy to have a buddy to get me through the last couple of climbs. The course was marked well but the climbs were really tough. Sugarloaf was all that it is lived up to be and it is kinda long but steep. I had a lot of zig-zagging on the road to help me get up but I made it up the climb. Actually, I made it up all the climbs. Some were better than others and I was forced to get out of my saddle to climb my way up, but I did it! The event was very challenging and after I arrived back at Waterfront park with 75 miles on my computer, my finishing time for the event was 4:36. Not too bad to average 17 mph but i was just having a great time in the beautiful weather! About 25 min. later guess who shows up...yep, karel had 105 miles in 4:59. hummm....jealous or bitter? hehe-he said he was riding with the front pack of guys for 70 miles and he had to get a water bottle filled so he was forced to break off and stop at an aid station. He didn't want to push hard during this event so he was happy about his ride. We got cleaned up and headed home and enjoyed a late lunch/early dinner at Outback. YUM!!! My favorite place. We usually devour a couple loafs of bread when we go to outback after cycling events. Of couse it is always outback for me before my tri's.
what a great way to end my weekend. If karel and I could, we'd be out on our bikes, somewhere new, every weekend. Of course we would love to move to Georgia or out west somewhere but for now we are saving up if we ever do get serious about a move (oh-job offers would be nice as well).
I hope everyone had a great weekend! Take advantage of the Thansgiving Holiday and enjoy some exercise with all those carbs that you'll be eating! And if family is coming in town, enjoy your time in the outdoors being active (I guess walking in the mall on black friday counts as exercise :)

Acting on instincts....

I've been riding almost every afternoon, usually around 4 or 5pm. My typical ride is 10-20 miles and maybe I'll squeeze in some random intervals. I really enjoy the change of weather and I'm loving just spinning my legs as the sun goes down and the cool air makes my fingers cold. Swimming is going really well and I'm swimming about 2000-3500 yards 4-5 times per week. Tues and Thurs are the hard days since Coach Matt Hess gives me some hard workouts at the Y (and we swim outdoors..burr, quick run and jump in the heated pool).
Sometimes I'll ride to the Gearlink store and visit Karel. Usually a quick high and bye but at least I catch him before he goes for his evening ride. On friday I was feeling super tired but I needed to ride to the Gearlink store to pick up Karel's car (he was starting his evening workout from work and then riding to clearwater beach and then home). Once i got outside I was happy I got my butt away from the computer and I ended up riding 20 miles before I started heading to the shop (which is only 5 miles from our place). As I was heading back towards Dunedin I was stopped at the Curlew Road intersection waiting for the Walk signal. I saw an old lady across the street and once the light turned green for the traffic to make a left turn the lady across the street starting walking towards me. I couldn't believe she was about to walk into oncoming traffic. She had a cane and wasn't moving very fast and I lifted up my hands for her to stop but for some reason no words came out of my mouth. I was thinking "STOP STOP STOP" but my brain didn't tell me to shout. The lady was fine and the first car to turn stopped and let her cross. Of course the other cars (who had no idea what was going on) were honking. I was just thankful that the lady was ok. As I was riding to Gearlink, I kept thinking of the lady and if the car didn't stop. Why didn't I act out loud. I guess I assumed she would stop. I always assume people don't see cyclists/runners and I'm the person who will ALWAYS raise my hand to let cars know I am about to cross infront of their car. I am not one to feel embarassed and I blame myself that I didn't yell at the lady to stop. I was a couple miles from the shop and I was enjoying the end of my ride when i saw 5-6 young boys (8-9yrs.) playing with a black cat. I have seen vidoes and heard stories of kids/teenagers terrorizing animals and it doesn't matter what kind of animal (squirrel or cat) I have a big heart for all animals. After the last episode of not acting on an instinct I made a quick u-turn on my bike and went up the the kids. I asked them if that was their cat that they were holding in the air (almost like they were making it dance on a railing) and they said no. I told them to drop the cat immediatly and then I gave them a quick lecture. I told them that they could get in big trouble with the police and their parents and that animals have feelings just like humans. Well, they apologized a few times and after they walked away I went over to the cat who was sitting by a building. The cat wasn't afraid of me and I was worried after what it went through that it would run away. I picked up the cat and luckily there was a collar on it with a phone number. Happy ending, the lady came and got her cat and it is now back at home. Although I felt really good about my good deed, I felt better about the lady that this time I acting on my instinct. I'm all about helping people who are need and perhaps next time I'm riding on the pinellas trail and I see someone with a flat tire I will forget about my planned workout and take some time to help someone who I may assume doesn't need me to help. For all I know, I've struggled with changing flats on my small 650 wheels and I've had the kindess people help me out.
have a great weekend everyone! For those participating in the diabetes ride in dunedin on sun, have a great time! Karel and I are heading to clermont this afternoon for the Horrible Hundred ride in the hills of Clermont. I'm doing 72 miles and karel will be doing 100 miles. I figured if I did 28 less miles than him he wouldn't have to wait for me as long at the finish :)

Great American Teach In

Mon and Tues-normal days of nutrition consultations and writing articles. Currently looking for a full or part-time job to help pay for my sport and all my expensive bills (you know-help pay for life). Don't get me started on the gas price right now! I've been riding my bike everywhere in order to save gas. I don't really like to drive so the high gas prices is a great reason to get out my new carbon road bike and run errands. I have been feeling a bit trapped in my home since i'm on the computer all the time and I think it's time to work in another industry of exercise, physiology or nutrition in order to learn more. I'm always wanting to do something new in order to help me with my quest to become a well known sports nutritionist. Of course I would NEVER give up my work on BeginnerTriathlete.com and all the local events I speak at and places I write articles for. Just looking for more work experience.
Wed. was a new opportunity for me. My good friend kelly (who is so pregnant with baby #1 and oh so cute!) is a teacher for Anatomy at Tampa Bay tech and she asked me if I would speak to 4 of her classes about careers in the Health industry. Of course I was honored to speak and I jumped on the opportunity. After I taught a killer spin class wed morning (I think I was really excited and my spin class suffered) I made the drive to tampa (in traffic-errr) to talk to the HS students. I created a power point discussing the different careers in the health and science industry and stressed that there was so much more out in the real world than becoming doctors and nurses. I then talked about what I do and stressed how hard I have worked to get where I am today. since my work is something I've worked very hard to do (and still working hard to keep rising up) I wanted the students to remember not to ever give up. maybe that's why I like the Ironman distance-I like a challenge and proving something to myself. Even through the many times i've wanted to quit in school (especially during graduate school around the 2 week!) I always stuck out my education. I brought in my professional portfolio which is filled with articles, my resume and lots of work experience and I also let the students look at my triathlon scrapbook. Let me tell you how wide their eyes were when I told them I did the Boston Marathon...and they were in shock about the Ironman.
It was great talking to the students. I love public speaking and I didn't know how i would do speaking 4 times in a row (each class 50 minutes). I think I'd be a good teacher and it would be something I'd love to do but I'm sure I'd get bored doing the same thing all the time. I do think it is a very rewarding profession and I give credit to all the teachers out there. I am a big fan of education. The kids had great questions and I hope they realize that they can be whatever they want, so long as they work hard, stay positive and find their passions. I believe if you are passionate about what you are doing, you will be far more successful in life than if you just work for money and could care less about what you are doing.
enjoy the day!

Pics from this weekend

Enjoy the pics from this weekend...
http://www.flickr.com/gp/11883136@N03/8gi24W
I got a new road bike! An all carbon Blue road bike w/ a campy crankset/chainring and shimano components. I just love it! Thanks to Karel for putting the bike together for me. He really made the bike look good with white handlebar tape. We are looking for a white seat as well to make it extra sexy :)
Anyone need a small Aluminum Blue Road bike???? Let me know..I'll make ya a great deal. Honestly, this bike was just great for a first road bike and I was happy to ride on for the last 5 months. For the size of the bike, just perfect for a kid or a small adult like me!!! hehe
I've been wanting a carbon road bike for a while and we finally found me one (ok-Karel does the searching, I do the paying). Karel worked on my bike for a couple hours on saturday afternoon in order to for me to take her for a spin on Sunday morning. I was out for 3 hours and totally enjoyed my bike! How smooth and great to ride!!!

70.3 World Championship Spectator Race Report

The morning started early...earlier than usual. Karel was up at 4:20 so that he could be on his bike at 5am to start his 2 1/2 hour workout before he volunteered at 7:30am. He is so disciplined! I could smell the coffee and once Karel headed out for his early and cold morning ride I was ready to get up. Race day morning started with a small bowl of oatmeal and raisins (normal race day breakfast :) and I bundled up with a sweatshirt, ear warmer and gloves. I headed to Clearwater Beach on my road bike and in about 25 minutes I was on the beach. I was a little nervous climbing the 12% grade Memorial bridge with my running shoes on my Look pedals (since I'm an out-of-the-saddle type of climber) but I managed to make it up the bridge in a small chain ring all the way to the top. I was hoping to run into my good friend Hunter and as I was heading to the transition area I saw Angie (his gf) and his sister. We headed to their car so I could drop of my bike and of course we took some pics. This was Hunter's first world championship (3rd 70.3 race....all this summer!) and he is a brand new triathlete! How amazing! Since he's trained with Karel and me a lot this summer (and Karel works on his bike before races) we feel a special bond with Hunter. I gave him some good luck wishes and I stayed at the Swim finish with Angie and Hollis (Hunter's sister). I saw a lot of people I knew and received lots of congrats for Kona and my engagement. How nice of people to remember the engagement! After lots of pics of the pros I headed to the start of the bike to watch everyone head off on the bike portion. I saw the Hoyts in T1 and I had no idea that they were racing. It was great to see them back at the races...racing! I remember in 2006 seeing them all over the streets on posters and flyers at the Boston Marathon and I had the great pleasure of meeting them and taking a pic with them. Very inspirational and special people in this sport. After most of the riders were on their bikes I walked around the streets to try to find something to eat. No luck since I was not willing to wait for food and miss the pro's come in off their bike so it was a processed bar and water to keep my tummy happy. I minimize bars for training only but when it comes to watching races, sometimes I gotta just get by. Salad was for dinner that night so atleast I felt I had something clean in my system. I walked right by Laura and Greg Bennett and I am just kicking myself that I didn't get a pic with them! I always ask the celebs (pros) if i can get pics but they were always talking to people and I didn't want to interrupt. I saw the lead vehicle so I found a good spot by the transition area and watched Bjorn come into T2 with a 1:59 bike! Crazy fast! I took my bike out to the run course and checked out the pros until the Age groupers came around. A nibble or two on the rest of my sports bar as I took pics of the pros. Once the age groupers were on the course I had to start looking for some familiar faces. I think I caught everyone I knew and I was cheering loud in a perfect spot. Right after the athletes past me on their first loop I would see them again about 10 minutes later. Perfect for double cheering and making sure I got a good pic. After I spotted Hunter on his way home to finish in 4:58 I rode my bike a little further to cheer on the rest of the athletes. At this point in the race the people left on the course really needed a cheer or two. Regardless if they were enjoying the moment or hurting to finish I couldn't stop the cheering. I gave everyone a clap and a cheer and I think I was out on the course (in the same spot) for over an hour. Most of the athletes had finished and my face was starting to show how long I was out on the course (ouch-red cheeks!). I remember almost every comment that has gotten me through a race and although I've been lucky to feel good in most of my races, I never underestimate the power of a cheer. "Great stride" "great effort" "you look great" "hang in there" "Enjoy the day" all came out of my mouth and I had many thumbs up and smiles from the athletes. Around 1:00 I was getting super hungry and exhausted from my long morning without endorphins and I decided to head home. I was riding up the causeway and the cheers kept coming for the athletes. I could tell the runners envied my bike heading up the bridge but I mentally reassured them that they were the ones receiving a medal when they finished. I was not able to say i finished the 70.3 World championships's but everyone on that course that gave it their all to finish the race deserved the fame of proudly wearing a finisher shirt. As I was about to make a left turn off the race course to head home I saw a few runners heading into town to make their final loop. Nope-couldn't head back yet. I still had a couple cheers in me and lunch could wait. I followed the run course and cheered for the athletes that were jogging, walking and shuffling along. Shuffling....I've been there! I totally know what it's like to "run" 13 minute miles...no fun and the reason why you think you are "running" that slow pace is cause a shuffle feels like you are moving SO much faster than walking. As I was heading along the downtown part of the run course (just beautiful) I saw Dan Devol who I have been coaching since Feb. Dan and his friend John were representing the Clearwater Polic Department and although they both were fighting injuries before the race they pulled it out to finish! I biked with Dan for a bit and kept his mind off his knee pain. I asked him how his swim went and how the bike felt. He walked and we talked and before we knew it he was heading back on the causeway. I said my good-bye to dan and told him to enjoy his finish. I gave a quick call to Karel to tell him I was heading home and told me that even after he volunteered all morning after his ride he had just enough energy after his late breakfast/lunch to bike to downtown Clearwater to give a couple cheers. It was around 2pm when I headed home and I couldn't help but think how much fun I had today. As an athlete I understand what it is like to race. Sometimes you feel great and sometimes you question what went wrong. But regardless of the outcome, you become a better person when the day is over. And then when Monday comes around, you are back to your normal self....only a bit stronger with a little more heart and a great story to share with others. A slow and uncomfortable walk is always a great conversation starter!
congrats to everyone who finished the world championships in Clearwater. Enjoy your off-season and have a healthy recovery. Congrats to Mike B. and Bryan S. for an awesome performance at the Miami Man race today and although i haven't heard from Gay, Tony and the rest of the SwimFit members who raced, I'm sure everyone did great!

Something's Fishy

Karel and I added a new edition to our home last weekend. NO-I'm NOT pregnant! We got fishies! 7 of them in our new tank. The cat is loving them just as much as we are and who knows what Smudla (our cat)is doing to the fish in the middle of the night. It is fun just to watch the fish swim around and play with each other. I love the water and although I have been asking Karel for a turtle or dolphin (my two favorite creatures!) he compromised and we got fish.
I'm so happy it's Friday. I find myself glued to the computer screen 8 hours or more a day and even more on the weekends. I think my job is so rewarding and I love helping people with their nutrition. I have some videos posted on BeginnerTriathlete.com and you can check out nutrition for 1-hour or less workouts. I also have a smoothie video on the website and finally, all my days of watching the food network paid off! It would be a dream of mine to have my own cooking show for athletes so maybe one day all my work on BeginnerTriathlete.com will pay off! Working with BT.com has been a blessing and I just love the tri-community on that website.
So I'm living vicariously through everyone racing in Clearwater this weekend. My mom volunteered on wed. and I went with her to check out the expo. Then, on Thurs. I went to registration with my friend Hunter who is racing in his third 70.3 race where he qualified in Cancun with a PR by over 50 minutes! Sadly, I found my name on the participant list but didn't pick up my stuff. They have a lot of great swag there but as a tradition of mine, I only buy 1 special thing before a race and wait until everything goes on sale weeks after the race. I've been calling everyone I know and wishing them good luck in the race this weekend. I have lots of friends racing at Miami Man and I'll be rooting them on as well. The Silverman is also this weekend and that is a race that is on my list of future races. I'd like to do the relay portion of the Ironman distance w/ Karel and find a runner so that I could swim and Karel could bike. That would be fun.
The thing I love the most about racing is the whole experience before the race. I am still a total Newbie to the sport and I race for a t-shirt and medal. Who cares about your time when you have a cool medal around your neck and a nice tech shirt to flaunt around the race venue after the race. You won't find me complaining about my race packet bag cause I haven't done enough races to compare anything. I love swag even if it is a water bottle, energy gel or sticker. I don't like to waste all the flyers and coupons in the bag so I try to use those papers for scrap paper when I make things. Since I have been known for running into things in the transition area in addition to running right past my bike on the rack, I spend lots of time reading course maps and checking out the layout of the transition area. I enjoy racing far beyond the race itself. I feel the race is something I do to keep me competitive but the days leading up to the race are filled with so many emotions. I hope all those 1st timer World championship participants are really enjoying this experience. Although I was super excited in Kona, I was pretty overwhelmed at St. Anthony's and the Morton Plant Mease Triathlon. I think it is good that I still get excited and a bit nervous for my races (Especially the short ones that REALLY hurt). I just find a first-timer to hear his/her story and that always makes me feel so much better.
Just a couple suggestions for those racing this weekend, the weather will be cool and nutrition isn't going to be as important. However, saying that..don't forget to hydrate! The body will not need as many calories due to the great weather conditions but the tendency to forget to drink is likely. I would suggest sports drinks and hold off on the gels until the run in order to ensure that you are getting enough fluids in the body before the run. The body will be warmed up and feeling great on the run so Gel's will be necessary if you choose to hydrate with water. You won't feel like you need to stop at every aid station but to be prepared, hit every other aid station even if it is just a sip. As far as dressing for the event, have a dry pair of clothes in your T1 bag. That outfit under your wet suit will get wet and it is no fun jumping on a bike in 50-60 degree weather, let alone with wet clothes. Take 30 extra seconds and put on a dry jersey and shorts for the bike and put on those arm warmers. The course is filled with rollers and the weather will be cool. You will get warm by the end of the bike portion but you don't want to spend the first half of the bike trying to get warm. Be sure the blood is flowing to the working muscles and not to the skin for heating...this can be done by overdressing for the first hour of the bike. You can always pull a Joe Boness and wear long socks on your arms for "arm warmers" and toss them at an aid station bottle drop zone (just be sure you get rid of trash in designated areas in order to avoid a penalty). I'm sure everyone will do great and I'll be riding my bike to the race venue around 6am tomorrow morning. I'll be taking lots of pictures and cheering loud. At least I feel I can be apart of the race since the volunteers and specatators are the true reasons why athletes can push harder than they ever imagined.

Racer #171

The Ford Ironman 70.3 World Championships are this saturday. The news is on TV, in the paper and on the internet. The pros have been training locally for the last week and the age groupers are arriving as I write. The carbo dinner is tomorrow evening and registration is all this week. Friday is bike/gear bag check-in and Saturday is race day. The world championships are less than 5 miles from my house and sadly, I'm watching the race. I qualified for this race at IM 70.3 Florida in Orlando in May. With a PR by 20 minutes in my second 70.3 race, I was 3rd in my age group and received a slot to Clearwater through roll-down by one place. I accepted the slot thinking that I would take the opportunity to participate in two world championship races, one being the race of my dreams and the other being so close that I had to participate. After barely getting through Kona, I couldn't imagine going through the pain to finish this race. I thought about swimming and biking but I still don't feel 100% and that is where I want to be. My swimming is feeling stronger than ever and I'm just spinning my legs on my bike. I'll be honest, I'm sad about this decision not to do the event but I'll be taking lots of pictures and cheering on A LOT of my friends and training partners during the entire race. I will down in Clearwater just as if i were to race and I'll be arriving to the transition area super early. Karel is helping out on the bike course as a street marshall and my mom is helping out with registraion this morning. I think it is great that everyone is helping out and although I thought about volunteering for this race, I felt I would enjoy the race as a spectator and use my energy to cheer. I thought about the pros and cons with doing the race and I just want to be able to run again. I miss running and I miss feeling good about my training efforts. I feel 95-100% but I want to feel 100% about my sore leg. The limp is a habit and I'm trying to get rid of what's left on my gimpy leg. The deciding moment for me to not do clearwater was thinking about the pain I went through as I ran the last mile of the Ironman in Kona. I believe everyone will push through the pain at least once in life and for me I hope I only have to push through that pain once a year...wait, let me think about me at the finish line again...Ok-I hope I only have to push through that pain ONCE in my LIFE! Before I left for Kona I told Karel that finishing Kona is all I wanted to do and I didn't care about anything else this season. I just want to finish that race! Therefore, I did what I wanted to do and I can't be upset at my decision to not race this weekend. I do appreciate the support of my friends who check-in on me and my training. My sponsors have been just great and I don't think I would look so good and feel so healthy without Zoot and Hammer. Also, I owe so many thanks to those who helped me have the season of my life. The past 2 years have been very exciting and from the Boston Marathon in 2006 to the Ironman World Championships in 2007 I feel incredibly lucky to have raced in two amazing events. As far as my upcoming season, I have big goals and expectations and I can't wait to continue to work towards my dreams and help others pursue their own.
Good luck to the 70.3 World champ participants and a special good luck to Hunter Orr, Celia Dubey, John and Dan (my two favorite cops!) and Joe Boness.

The weekend is gone and now it is Monday...

I'm so Lucky! The #1 reason why I love Florida is October through April...the weather is just beautiful! I am waking up to 60-degree weather and the air is much lighter. Karel and I had to dig out our arm warmers for our early morning rides last weekend. Of course they come off around 8am when the sun is shinning, but it is great knowing that we can train year-round. While I would love to live out west and experience some snow and altitude, I am totally enjoying the open-window season! I've been riding a bit more and feeling good on my bike. Nothing fast and crazy and last weekend I got in around 90 miles. Karel is working on his base training so we can atleast start out together on our rides. We are enjoying spending some time together at the Y and looking forward to weight lifting and swimming together (yes-Karel can swim!). If you date (or are married) to a competitive athlete you can understand that "racing" season is tough on a relationship. It is especially hard for competitive athletes who date someone who is not as active/competitive. Karel and I are usually doing our own thing during the racing season and we find ourselves crossing paths either on our bikes or if I'm running and his riding. Right now we are both staying busy and I'm working my butt off with pleny of BT projects and nutrition consultations.
This past weekend was great and I watch plenty of sports on the TV and internet. All day i was checking splits for IMFL and wondering why I raced in 30mph headwinds in 45 degree temperatures and this year was perfect! Oh well, it is what it is and it looks like it was a great day for many athletes to accomplish thier dreams and goals.
Sunday morning I drove to my parents house and rode my bike through Starkey Park to the suncoast trail and met up with the Gearlink guys for a little of their ride. Karel left the house on his bike before I got into my car to my parents and about an hour and a half later I was riding with Karel and the other guys. Karel and I always time our trainings so if one person needs/wants to ride longer, we seem to work it out with the car. We are all about time-management and teamwork. After the ride Karel and I enjoyed some pancakes at my parents house and helped them install some of their new wood floor (they are doing it themselves and it looks great!). Afterwards, karel and I headed home to enjoy the rest of our day together. We usually talk cycling/triathlons, google the internet to see what's going on in the cycling/triathlon world, read triathlon/cycling magazines and watch movies. Typical sunday for us...including pizza on sunday night. I love Hungry Howies veggie pizza (karel is a good man to live with a vegetarian like me) w/ the cajun crust. Since I'm a thin-crust girl, I love HH pizza!After a movie and pizza it was dark and only 8pm!! Oh the time change makes it so depressing in the evenings :(
This morning I went to the Y and did the stationary bike and lifted legs. When I was swimming I stopped on the wall for some water and saw Sam McGlone stretching before she swam at the Y. I re-introduced myself to the 2007 70.3 World Champ/2nd place IM Kona and we talked a bit. I am on the Zoot team with her and she recognized me from St.Anthony's after I told her my name. I told her we were on the same plane together on the way home from Kona but we both laughed that we were a little out of it. I thought that was pretty cool to be at the Y swimming in the same pool as her.
Well, time to get some food going. I guess it is 6:23 but the clock says 5:23pm. I'm a bit confused.

Hanging around

Spending most of my day on the computer today. Although I've been super busy with nutrition consultations I'm taking a break from work this weekend. well, I'll try but when you love what you do, it's hard not to spend extra time on things which are work-related. I'm watching the NYC marathon trials right now on TV and checked out the post-race coverage on the internet earlier this morning. I'm also checking out the Ironman Florida coverage. Looks like great weather and I'm thinking there are going to be some surprises with the pro's and super fast times. Tomorrow I'll be watching the NYC marathon and I'm sure Karel will want to see how Lance runs. Sadly, I just heard that Ryan Shay was rushed to the hospital at mile 5 of the trials and he past away. very sad for the running community and my sympathy goes out to his family and friends. Although sudden deaths occur, it is just one of those things that you can't predict and hope never happens to anyone. I remember IMFL last year and I was so worried about how I would be able to finish an Ironman and if my heart would beat so hard for so long. Well, i finished and I felt great. However, there are many times when I finish workouts and races and feel just awful. I suggest making the most of everyday and letting your friends and family know how much you love them. If it isn't love for everyone, just let your friends know how much you care. For most of the people who are reading this blog right now, I'm sure there are many times when triathlons/running/multi-sport events take precedence over your life. NOt saying you have to cancel all your workouts or stop racing but be sure you make time for others.
well, back to checking out some more coverage. Just finished my sponsor letter for some potential 2008 sponsors and I'm getting really excited for the 2008 season. I feel my leg is 98% healed and just a few aches in the hip. Karel and I rode last night and for the first time since Kona I felt really strong on my road bike. This morning I met Karel and the Gearlink riders and rode Seduza for about 38 miles. felt great and just enjoying my progress. Swimming is going well and I'm kicking with no pain. No running until I feel 110% but I absolutely feel great compared to the last 2 months! I'm thinking no 70.3 world champs (even if I just swam and biked) and just taking the next week to continue my healing process. I can't wait to run again and start working on my base training with Karel. Looks like the 2008 season will be exciting for both Karel and I as we are both taking our training to the next level.

Happy Birthday Aaron!!!

A big HAPPY birthday to my brother who turns 23 today!!! Woah, he is catching up to me. I am lucky to have such a wonderful family. Parents who have always been very supportive, encouraging and loving and a brother who has been nothing but great to me. My parents considered themselves the luckiest parents in the world because they had two children who never got into a fight with one another. My brother is my best friend and even from an early age, we have always been nice to one another. Not only is my brother an amazing athlete but he is very intelligent and I've always looked up to him as a collegiate athlete. Aaron graduated from the business school at the University of Michigan and if you know anything about UM you probably know about the prestigious Ross Business School. Not only did my brother graduate last year with an outstanding GPA but he was a full ride scholarship, 4-year NCAA athlete. I have no idea how he fit in school with all his gymnastic practices (including summer jobs to keep him busy without school) but he did it all and never complained. As the 2007 Big Ten High Bar Champion, my brother is someone that many people can look up to. Aaron is now earning the big bucks in Pitt, PA where he works at PPG as a business man. While a full-time job in a new big city is a big change from college life, my brother learned a lot from 4-years in college and he stays very busy on the weekends going out to bars, watching football games with friends and hanging out at starbucks.
I love you Aaron!! Happy birthday and can't wait to see you on Thanksgiving!