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How do you do it?

To all the mom's out there. Specifically, Bree Wee, Angela Bancroft and Katie Jongerius...my three mommy-triathletes that I feel I know as friends due to lots of blog reading and emails :) I just don't get it how you get it all done?? I have had the busiest weekend and still smiling cause I know it could be worse. Not that having kids would be worse (I can't wait til I have little Marni/Karel's running around...or riding around in Karel's eyes) but I have been super busy I feel like the weekend was only 1 hour long. And that was the one hour I laid on the couch on friday night and watched part of a movie with Karel. I've been doing great with my training by the way. Getting in two workouts a day on tues and thurs and swimming hard 2 days a week. Last thurs was one of my best swim sets of 4 x (4 x 75) on 1:30, 1:20, 1:10 and 1 min! Thurs and Fri I ran after swim (and fri ran after Karel and I lifted) and I felt just great. I got in an hour run both days and felt just super. I even rode tues, thurs and fri afternoon and felt great on my road bike. I am just so super busy with things that I choose to do to keep me busy. As far as if I had a baby around here, that would be something that was not a choice but rather a priority. I just don't know how you all do it?? Lots of props to the mommies and daddies who train, work, sleep, eat and still have time to relax with friends/families and your significant other. Although Karel and I have different schedules, that is one of the best things about our relationship. We have an equal relationship where we both understand what it takes to be an Elite athlete. But one day when I am ready I will take on that task of being that tri-mommy. But for now, in my baby-free..super busy weekend.
Friday evening Karel came home around 8pm from his easy spin and I had angel hair pasta, semi-homemade marinara sauce, bread w/ fresh mozzerella and veggies ready for him. Sorry about not having a picture. Karel was sitting at the kitchen table well before I even thought about getting out my camera. Hey, the boy's gotta eat to get ready for his race. Saturday morning the alarm was set for 5:30am. Not for training but for the Gasparilla race. I was working a booth for Race Place from 7am-12 at the Tampa convention center. I thought about signing up for the race but since I wasn't sure if I was ready to "race" yet, I thought helping out would be just as good. I saw many familiar faces which was great for my spirit but the best part was walking to the convention center. I had my running shorts on, my Ironman World Championship Finisher hoodie on (so proud to wear that, I must admit), hair in a high ponytail and I was wearing my new pink mizuno wave rider running shoes. Aside from my hoop earrings, I looked like all the 5K and 15K runners. And not only did I have the look but I had the nerves and excitement as if I would be running the race. Over the past couple of months I wasn't sure if I missed racing. I have been devoting my time off from racing (due to that horrible pre-kona un-diagnosed injury) to my passion of sports nutrition. After walking into that arena as a non-registered athlete, I feel I can 100% equally split my passions of racing and sports nutrition. I love them both and I don't know what I would do if I didn't race and fulfill my dreams and if I didn't help others to fulfil their racing and nutrition dreams. So after 5 hours of standing on my feet, talking to people about signing up for the chilly willy duathlon and the Escape from Ft.desoto tri, I was heading back to my car to head to the Clearwater Y. I really wanted to run on after I worked the expo but I was searching for the strength to actually get to the gym and not just head home. Ever since my injury, I never miss an opportunity to run if I have the motivation and energy to run. Even if it is 7pm or 6am, all I have to do is think about 4 months of no running and being in pain for almost 2 months straight and I have plenty of reasons to get my butt out the door and run. So as I am heading back to Clearwater with my trusty GPS and I zoned out and missed my exit for 60. I didn't dare call Karel and tell him that I am now driving over 30 miles out of my way and heading to new port richey on 275N instead of heading west. Karel got me the GPS so I wouldn't get lost all the time and call him crying that I have no idea where I was heading. Well, I knew where I was heading and I was totally out of luck for turning around and back tracking. I decided to continue to new port richey and run on the suncoast trail and visit my dad afterwards. Now here is where I thought about you mommies out there. It is 12:45pm when I arrive on the trail. I can't remember the last time that I have ran past 8am in the morning. Aside from Kona training when i would run at 1pm after a 100+ mile ride, I don't enjoy running in the afternoon and starting my day with a run is the only way I really know how to have a good run. Well, I pulled out my inner strength and started running when I arrived to the running/cycling trail (paved). With my head phones on and my music going, I was really enjoying my run and I feel I could run at anytime of the day if I just told myself to do it more often. I think nutrition needs to be right on and regular if you choose to run at lunch or mid-day, so with that in mind, bring it on lunchtime run! After 1 hour and 25 minutes, I was finished running and ready for a shower and some food. I visited my dad and we chatted for a bit as I enjoyed a nice cold glass of milk before a late lunch. I finally arrived back in Clearwater at 4pm and crashed on the couch right before Karel came home from work (bummer that he has to work on sat. The life of a cyclist who works at a cycling company - Gearlink.com). After a quick rest on the couch, at 6pm karel and I were out the door for a wine tasting event for a lady who is raising money for Team in Training. I recently did a nutrition consultation for her and we were invited to a wine tasting to raise money for 100 mile ride as a charity ride. Well, since I don't drink I enjoyed the great great great food (bread, nuts, cheese..oh I was super happy!) and karel enjoyed 10 glasses of wine (not full glasses!) for the tasting. He is a big wine drinker and with his European upbringing, I really find joy when Karel and I can be together and he can tell me stories or anything about Czech and his family. In this case, Karel was enjoying every moment with the tasting and he also enjoyed meeting some of my tri friends and learning how to taste wine. No surprise, if food is involved, Karel is a happy man. After an entertaining 3 hours with good food and lots of people, we headed home and were ready to go to bed. Around 9:45 the lights were off and I was almost out. With no TV in our bedroom and only a fishtank, we watched our fishes for a few minutes and then I was fast asleep. So now were are onto sunday. I woke up early and headed out on my bike around 7am. With my super grover jersey on, I felt just great. I think I put a couple smiles on the faces of other riders out on the roads today. After 51 miles, I was back home only to miss Karel who left for Gainsville 5 min. before I arrived. Bummer. No good bye and good luck for him so I had to give him a phone call. He won't talk to me before his race (he gets into his zone and does his thing) so I had one opportunity to wish him good luck and that was 6 hours before his race :) Karel had a race this afternoon and I just received a quick call from him that he was 5th in the field sprint. He said there was a crash right before the finish and that threw him off from the main pack and he had just enough juice to almost catch up with the top guys. In the crit races which Karel loves there is a lot going on in the <1 mile loop. congrats to his team...I am sure I will hear more details later.
After I got myself cleaned up and had breakfast, I worked on a nutrition plan for someone who is doing an ultra run. I will have to fill you in on more details about this but for now you can visit runfortheinnocent.com . After the nutrition plan, I worked on my biology lab report all afternoon since it is due on tues. Almost finished except for some graphs which I need to do on excel but my brain is in overload right now. At 4pm it was time for grocery shopping but I was not alone on this one. I am mentoring a senior high student (daughter of one of the guys who rides with the Gearlink team) who is doing her senior project on becoming healthier. We spent an hour at the grocery store as I got groceries as taught her about reading labels and looking for affordable and healthy food. With an almost college freshman, this comes at a great time to teach her how to learn how to eat and stay healthy and not develop bad habits in college. After the grocery I stopped at the produce market on my street to get some veggies and fruit (so much cheaper than the grocery) and at 5:30 I was home for the evening. I am now finished with everything and thinking about calling it a night. I will probably fall asleep on the couch and wake up when Karel gets home later this evening. What a weekend. Now I am exhausted and looking forward to filling my brain with information for the next three days in school. Alright moms, what's your secret????