A perfect weekend...

This weekend was pretty great. At the end of last week I decided to skip the Xterra's Last Stand Duathlon at Ft. Custer. Trust me, I did not want to skip it because I had so much fun racing it last year but common sense (I do have a little of it) told me not to do it. Since I missed a week of training from being sick, and then had a sub-par week of training since I was wrecked from racing the 5/3, I decided the Du would Du (haha) nothing but set me back even more.

My summer schedule is pretty eclectic because I have a mixture of long and short races. And unlike winter I'm not chasing any series. However, I do have two big hundred milers coming up in June that are back to back and I spent the weekend focusing on my endurance. Even though I'm tired from training I feel really good. And after being sick for almost two weeks FEELING GOOD FEELS REALLY, REALLY, REALLY GOOD. I mean, holy crap I can breathe and pedal again!!!

So instead of racing I had one of the most low-key weekends of my life. I spent a lots of time with my family...

PS. Naomi is still alive and kicking. She was in the back seat doing what she does best-sleeping! 

This probably goes without saying but there was lots of coffee..

Tacos at the farmer's market...

Speaking of the farmer's market, I had to laugh when I got home and unpacked. Clearly I skipped past all the veggies. Oops. Mental note...start eating more carrots or something.

And riding....I had some really great days on the bike (did I mention that I can breathe and pedal again???) Between the three days I managed to pedal across a mixture of road, singletrack and gravel.

It was all great. Especially the singletrack parts. I just couldn't take any pictures of that because I've learned the hard way that uncoordinated people like me shouldn't try to ride one handed over rocks and roots.

Now it's time for a rest day. In 3 days I got a little over 13 hours of riding in and my legs need to recover. All of a sudden it's summer and riding in 80 degrees felt completely shocking and regardless of how much liquid I carried over the 3 days I managed to run out. However, don't think for a minute that I'm complaining. I'll take this weather any day of the week!

Fifth Third Riverbank Run race report

The fifth third riverbank run was an experience I won't forget anytime soon. I really didn't know what to expect going into the race. I knew that it's the biggest 25K in the country and that 21,000 people compete between all the different divisions. And friends told me that it was lots of fun. But that didn't stop me from being really, really nervous. I was in no way prepared for the race (training wise) and the day before the race I still felt sick. Every time I coughed my head hurt, which meant that my head also hurt with every running step. But since my lungs were clear I decided that I was going to do it regardless of how I felt.

My goal was to go to bed early but for some reason I managed to get sucked into a movie that I won't mention (it was Twilight) and didn't fall asleep until 11:30 p.m. Oops! I still woke up bright and early at 6 a.m. and was instantly wide awake, excited, and really, really nervous. I can eat almost anything before a bike race but with running it's completely different. I settled on a bagel and a banana and that was probably a little too much since the race started at 8:20 a.m. I'm still figuring out the nutrition stuff when it comes to running.

We picked up our registration packets the day before and I felt really antsy waiting to go downtown (where the race started). Usually I'm rushing around loading up my bike, shoes, helmet etc. This time all I had to do was tie my shoes. I spent the rest of the time pinning and re-pinning my stupid number plate on my shirt. I couldn't get it straight for the life of me.

Finally it was time to put on my game face...ok, not a very good game face.

For as crowded as the race was, it was also really organized. We arrived about a half hour before the race started and I tried to stay inside as long as possible because it was 40 degrees out and cloudy. Brrrr! I just wore a t-shirt and running shorts because I knew I would get hot the moment I started running. I was a little surprised that the race corrals were still pretty empty with 20 minutes to go but quickly realized where everyone was. Lined up at the porta-potty's. I vaguely remembered reading in my race pamphlet that anyone who finished in 2-hours or less the year before had a room of their own with private gear checks and more importantly, private restrooms. Instantly I decided to try and make the 2-hour club...just for the private restrooms :-)

With 5 minutes to go the race corrals filled up. First the elites, then the 2-hour club and then everyone else. There were pace signs held up and by the time I finally was able to freaking use a porta-potty the 12:30/milers were lining up. I hopped in with them and tried to work my way up. I think I made it to the 8:30/milers by the time the race started which was a blessing in disguise. It was so crowded there was no chance of me going off too hard. We headed down the street and I couldn't help but smile. It was really cool to be running in such a huge crowd, with soooo many people cheering us on.

The first couple of miles flew by. There were aid stations every 1.5 miles and my ultra-endurance runner friend Ben gave me a tip to pinch the top of the dixie cup to make drinking easier. It worked but I still managed to get gatorade up my nose, down my shirt and everywhere in-between. The volunteers were all amazing and I can't say enough good things about them. There were tons of them at each aid station and they were all so cheerful and encouraging. One aid station had cheerleaders lined up on both sides waving their pom-poms and dancing to music. It was awesome. It makes me want to rent a cheerleading squad to travel with me to endurance races just so that I could have them cheering every time I come through the pit area...haha.

I didn't feel horrible during the first part of the race, but I also didn't feel great. Just for the record, coughing and snot rockets are much harder to do while running. My legs started to feel it around the 6-7 mile marker and I realized that I was in over my head. My hamstrings started to get tight and my feet started yelling, "what is this pounding on pavement? Where are the pedals???"

I managed to keep most of the race "I can't do this" demons out of my head but my calf muscles were slowly going into shock. They definitely were not prepared for what I was putting them through. I had no clue what pace I was going but right when I started to feel like I was slowing down I heard a familiar tune...

"Rising up, back on the street!"

Haha, it was Eye of the Tiger blaring over loud speakers. As I got closer I realized that it was a live band playing the song. The singer was standing on the side of the road with a curly mullet, trucker cap and aviator glasses. The best part??? He was high-fiving all of the runners on his side of the road while singing the lyrics into his microphone. It was probably one of the best things I've ever witnessed in a race. It almost could have been a scene in a movie. 

At every mile marker there were time clocks and at the 12 mile marker I started doing the math. I realized I was really close to hitting the 2-hour mark. The only problem was that my feet and calf muscles were starting to cramp. The crowds were getting bigger and bigger and by the 13 mile mark people were standing shoulder to shoulder cheering us on. It was crazy.  There were tons of signs waving around but my favorite one simply said, "don't poop!" I felt like that one was made specifically for me. 

With ten minutes to go I saw the 14 mile marker and got really excited. I had been running for 1 hour and 50 minutes and realized that I was going to make the 2-hour club. I was already imagining the private restrooms for next year :-) I tried to pick it up a bit but I think I just maintained my pace. I was feeling muscles I didn't even know that I had. 

After a half mile I saw another sign, this one said, "only 1 more mile to go." I was shocked. I'm not sure when and where I got the idea that 25K = 15 miles but I was wrong. Apparently I was in a 15.5 mile running race and that last mile took forever. The only thing that kept me from crawling to the finish line were the crowds of people cheering from both sides. Like I said, I've never experienced anything like it before. 

The finishing chute was really long and I borderline wanted to puke and pass out at the same time. There were tons of tents and volunteers started handing me things left and right. First it was water, then gatorade, then muscle milk, then yogurt, then bananas, oranges and watermelon. The "poor mountain bike racer" in me grabbed every free sample that I could and by the time I left the chute I had to carry a few bananas in my sports bra. Nothing weird about that, right??? I was really happy when I finally found Scott so that he could take some of my loot. 

My chip time was 2:02:08. Ahhhhhh.....so close! I got 30th place out of 521 women in my age group. I'm really happy with how I did, especially since I was racing on antibiotics with minimal training. I'll definitely be back next year....I have to beat that 2-hour mark!

Now I'm on a mission to recover as quickly as possible. I'm planning on racing the Xterra Du at Ft. Custer this coming weekend. Right now that seems a little crazy since I can't even lift my legs but hopefully tomorrow I feel more mobile.  Jason taped my left leg and the top of my foot muscle is already feeling better. If all else fails, I'll just throw Rock Tape on the rest of my body on the day of the race!

The good news is that the Xterra has mountain biking in it and the running portion is much shorter. I shouldn't (knocking on wood) be that sore afterwards, which is good. I have some endurance races right around the corner and a lot of long rides are in order.

Happy Mother's Day

Good news! I survived the 5/3 Riverbank run. I can honestly say that I am more sore then I have ever been in my life. And that's counting all the hundred milers, 12 and 24-hour races that I've done EVER! Trust me when I say that I am wrecked!!!

I'll put up a full race report tomorrow. Today I had no time. When I woke up this morning I basically had to roll out of bed because my legs and arms were to sore to function right. When I finally made it to the kitchen I had to laugh...apparently Naomi and Ben appreciate me :-)

After breakfast I did an endurance ride. It rained, hailed and was windy so I can't say that it was the best ride but it felt good to be on the bike. The only hard part was getting on and off...I actually had to use my arm to lift my leg over my bike. I'm sure I looked a little weird to anyone watching. By the time I made it home I had to get ready for work. I have a feeling I'm going to need lots and lots of coffee tomorrow.

But before collapse in bed I want to wish everyone a happy Mother's Day!!! I hope everyone had a great one. I actually only saw my mom for a minute today but I'm pretty sure she knows how much I love her considering that I call her at least 5 times a day. Minimum.

One of my favorite photos of my mom...

Crossing the finish line and waving...haha!

The picture below is from the Riverbank run yesterday. I talked my mom into doing it and she ran 15.5 miles in 2:44 with very little training. Running on pavement isn't that easy for her either because she has a fused toe from an old injury, so it doesn't bend. I brag about her all of the time but rightfully so. When I was little I always wanted to be just like my mom and I still feel that way today. She's so hardcore!

welcome back legs!

The good news is that I'm finally feeling better. Mostly at least. Ironically the last thing that I had said before I got the upper respiratory infection was that I hadn't gotten sick in a really long time. Famous last words I guess :-)

On Tuesday I realized that I was slowly feeling more like my usual self and by Thursday I was able to go mountain biking. Being back on a bike felt amazing. My legs felt like they had a little bit of power back and I was able to do some hard efforts without feeling like I was going to cough up a lung. It  felt so great to be riding on dry trail and I can't wait to start mountain bike racing. Luckily I have a bunch of races right around the corner. And btw...the trail didn't stay dry long. About 10 minutes after I started riding dirt a spring thunderstorm hit. Oh well, my shoes were looking a little too clean anyways.

When I got home there was a nice surprise waiting at the front door. My new kits had arrived. Talk about Christmas in May!!! I love them. In fact, these are my favorite ones yet!

Someone else was all over (or should I say all in) my kits too...it's a good thing they have my name on them!

The Plague part 2

So last week was a total bust. It's been a really long time since I've gotten that sick. In my last post I mentioned that Scott and I were skipping town for the weekend but only part of that statement ended up being true. Scott flew out to L.A. for two days to visit my little sister but I ended up having to stay home, sick and on the couch. Disappointed doesn't even begin to explain how I felt.

Scott did come home with a few gifts! Mochi for me...

And treats from a dog bakery for Naomi and Ben...

I never knew that upper respiratory infections could be so miserable but holy crap...I couldn't do anything. I spent an entire week on the couch drinking liquids and trying to sleep sitting up. I think I watched more TV this past week then I have in my entire life and I "googled" a ridiculous amount of things. At one point I actually found myself googling "how to do a citizen's arrest." Yes I was that bored! But I'm also very prepared now. You know, in case I ever need to arrest anyone :-)

After 5 days of doing nothing I managed to do a 40 min run (my stuffy head was not ready for that) and then the next day attempted to do an endurance ride.

It was not pretty. This picture sums it up nicely...

Every once in a while I have a not-so-great ride and this was one of those rides. My legs felt like jelly, I couldn't breathe and to make matters worse my nose started bleeding. Ha, I must have looked pretty gruesome weaving along on the dirt roads. For a few minutes I started to worry that I wasn't going to make it home but I did. Obviously...

I had another rest day today and the good news it that I finally feel like I'm at the turning point. Like I can actually breathe and I'm coughing way less. Now I just need to finish getting better really, really quick. Tomorrow I'm going to attempt another bike/run and then I have to report back to my coach. It's going to take a miracle to get me to the start line this coming weekend and a double miracle to get me to the finish line.

Now I just need to find another time to go visit my sister in L.A. It's been way to long since I've seen her and it sounds like so much fun. I used points for my plane ticket but I think Delta is going to let me transfer the points (for a fee) but first they have to call my doctor to confirm that I was sick. If they don't believe my doctor I can always show them my empty Nyquil and Sudafed bottles....haha.

The plague

I managed to avoid getting sick all winter long and what happens the moment the weather turns nice absolutely beautiful? I catch the upper respiratory crap that's been going around, that's what. Blech.

I usually just try to drink lots of liquids and get lots of rest but this thing is harsh. Forget about working out, I could barely get off of the couch. I was mostly worried about my lungs because I couldn't take a deep breath without them hurting. And I couIdn't laugh without starting to cough uncontrollably. That was a problem last night on Girls&Gears. I did an interview with Jill and Emma about their bike trip around Lake Superior and about half of the things they were saying seemed really funny to me. I spent the hour eating cough drops but a few coughs escaped and I'm sure the giant microphone in front of me picked them up loud and clear :-) Here's a link to the interview...I had fun talking to them.

Anyways, I've had to skip a few workouts but I'm not freaking out about it. In the past I used to freak out if I would miss just one workout but dealing with injuries and illnesses is just part of being an athlete. And if all I have to deal with is upper respiratory infection the plague then it's not so bad.

I'm thinking positively and hoping that tomorrow is the day I wake up feeling better. Not only has it been a few days but I went to the doctor today and he put me on some antibiotics to clear it out. And even though I was complaining about the timing of getting sick when the weather turns nice I'm actually happy it happened now and not next week. I'm going to have a hard enough time running the 5/3 as it is, and there is no way in hell that I would have been able to if I were this sick then.

Anyways, time for bed. I really do need to feel better tomorrow as Scott and I are skipping town for the weekend. Here's to hoping that the antibiotics I'm taking work!

A whole bunch of awesome

I can't say enough good things about our first women's mountain bike clinic. We had over 45 women show up and it was incredible to see so many female riders practicing skills, riding trail and nailing technical sections. There was so much laughter, determination, cheers and camaraderie throughout the day that I didn't want it to end. We stopped a few times on the trail to work on riding over log piles. At one point a few guys rode past us and I think they were very surprised to see all of us. We cheered them on as they went over the log pile and while they were smiling I could see a little panic in their eyes. Because I am 100% certain those guys were thinking, "please don't let me crash in front of all these women." Ha!

There will definitely be more clinics in the future and we are already planning monthly group rides with some skill work thrown into the mix. Thanks to all of the instructors who helped out, thanks to the Ada Bike Shop for sponsoring the event and a huge thanks to all the amazing women who spent the day riding bikes with us! 

I can't wait for the next one!