Pink Cheeks Triathlon Race Report

Friday night I left work and ran home to get all of my stuff together so that my husband and I could head out of town that evening and stay the night in Moose Pass, Alaska so that Saturday morning it was just a short ride to the start of our triathlon in Seward, Alaska.  We had a beautiful drive down and since the race didn't start until 11am we were able to wake to the beautiful scene below and then just laze around in the sun for a while.  Awesome start to the weekend.

Good Morning!

Saturday we arrived in Seward, said hi to some friends and got our transitions set up for the race.  This race is a backwards triathlon due to the weather at this time of year.  Normally it is still pretty chilly with possibilities of snow in April/May (it snowed the day before my first triathlon on May 18th several years ago).  But this year it could have been a normal race as the weather was amazing and hot - well for AK standards.  Regardless we set up for the backwards race then went to warm up with a jog around the parking lot.

The race started with a 5k run run.  I committed the crime of running in brand new shoes but thankfully I didn't have to do the time, my feet felt great.  My legs however were a bit heavy feeling, the run was pretty hilly or at least had a grade each direction.  I felt a bit bummed about the run part but the next day when I got my time - 35minutes, I felt a bit better when I realized that was 11 something minute miles.  While my PR time is 32 so it felt far off, for where my legs have been lately it actually was better than I thought.  I do however need to do something about my running - I'll get to that later.

After powering up the last hill with steamed up sunglasses and sweat flying off me I ran into transition and got my bike shoes on for my favorite part of the race.  I had been warned ahead of time that the bike section had lots of turns and gravel.  Gravel is the enemy of a road bike but off I went.  True to the advice the course had LOTS of turns and 3 rough sections of big chunky gravel that you had to go through several times.  Regardless the bike is my strength so I enjoyed picking off people who passed me on the run.  As I powered up the last hill the race folks yelled that I had to dismount and then run over the timing mat which was a bit of a pain, but I made it through the 10k course in 28 minutes. 

Alaska Love

After finishing the bike the time stopped and I went to get changed for the swim.  The swim was interesting to say the least.  I waited in the pool area for probably a half hour or more and then finally got my turn to run over the timing mat and jump into the pool.  The swim was a double snake swim, if that makes any sense at all.  That means we swam two laps in the first lane and then swam under the lane marker and continued this pattern through each of the 6 lanes in the pool.  There were many things that made this swim funky, the timing - last event in the race - the snake swim, the fact that it was a 25 yard length pool, and the fact it was my first real swim race since I learned to swim! 

Anyways I jumped in the water when my turn came and I was off.  The first thing I noticed is that there was something funky with the pool and my new goggles that made everything wavy - like a house of mirrors.  I had almost no depth perception and kept rubbing against the wall on my first laps.  Also the pool being yards had me come in hard on a couple turns.  But the thing I noticed most was the fact that my legs were stinking tired.  My arms ended up doing most if not all of the work, it was a bit rough and honestly my thoughts at the start were  F*** this sucks.  I  paid for this.  I signed up for more of these.  I signed up for an Olympic distance of this! F***  But I got into a slight groove as time went on and I could hear my husband cheering for me on the side so it got slightly better as I progressed.  I did however have some issues with a fellow swimmer.  There was a guy who was faster than me in the water but liked to take breaks on the ends of the pool.  So according to the rules I would let him pass me if he touched my toes during the swim but then after he passed me about a length later he decided to stand at the end of the pool to rest.  I was coming in for my turn under the lane and saw him standing there and decided to go for it.  Turns are a strength of mine and I was tired of stopping for him, so I did an underwater turn under the lane and passed him.  If your going to stand and rest, I'm not going to wait for you!  My husband said the guy threw up his arms in anger when I did this, but I stand by it.  This guy also tried to pass someone mid -lane and ran into me and again was upset when I accidentally smacked him in the face.  Again your issue dude, dont pass unless you have the power to do it without swimming into oncoming traffic.  So if you got the theme, it was a bit of a shit show, but it worked.  I powered through the end and got out and crossed the timing mat and fell right into the arms of my husband.  It felt good to be done, my arms hurt so bad!  Darn you legs - where were you???

Overall I would have loved some speedier times, the swim was 600yards and my swim time was 14:30.  I was really surprised, I felt like it should have been so much shorter, my current 500m is 11. But due to the circumstances I suppose all in all it was pretty great.  My overall time was an hour and 20 minutes which put me at 78th out of 116, but 8th in my age group.  My husband had a great race and I think finished top 20.  He could have been top 10 if he didn't take a wrong turn on the bike course! 

The race was a really nice community event and you couldn't beat the amazing weather so I think it is one we will do again.  I will remember its the first race of the season and just a fun one to get the race season started and enjoy. 

My next triathlon is in 2 weeks!!!

First Annual Auntie/Nephew Heart Run 3k Race Report

For Easter this year instead of filling a basket with candy for my 4 1/2 year old nephew Ezra I decided to make a little voucher for a very special Auntie and Nephew race.  At first Ezra didn't seem super excited by the little piece of paper but understandably he was being spoiled with not 1, not 2, not 3, but 4 other Easter Baskets other than mine.  This kid needs some siblings or cousins, there is too much attention on just him!

After the sugar rush resided Ezra and I talked more about what race we would do and if he would be able to complete a 3k race.  He was confident that if he wore a cape and his special running shoes he would have the power to make it through.  Done.  I signed us up for the Heart Run 3k and we were set.

On race day Ezra showed up at my house with his cape and his running shoes and we were off.  I decided since the race is really close to my house and parking was a nightmare we would get dropped off and walk home - this will become important later...

Cape - check, special running shoes - check!

Lets run!

We got to the race and Ezra told me it was really important to stretch so that we could run really fast.  I obliged and then we were off!  The race started like a herd of turtles...in peanut butter.  It is a huge race and Ezra kept asking me when the race would start, I had to tell him it already started but I don't think he believed me since we were hardly shuffling forward.

Half way there!

Stretching is very important

Once the crowds thinned out we started the typical kid style sprint...walk...sprint...walk...sprint...walk  It was pretty fun to see him so excited to run.  I love the energy of a race, call me sappy but its all love and active people coming together to move their bodies and cheer each other on, what is better than that?  About half way through the race Ezra slowed down a bit and asked we could just walk together.  So hand in hand we continued on having great conversations about how races are hard but they are worth finishing!  I had to watch myself because I realized I was anxious to get to the finish rather than just enjoy the time with Ezra.  I guess most races I am just anxious to get to the finish - I think there is a lesson in here :)

Ready to go

Auntie my feet are getting tired - me too dude, me too.

The race ended up being a bit longer than expected so I was very proud of Ezra when after 2.5 miles he ran over the finish line.  He had the biggest smile after he got his medal!

Not sure whats up with the hands!

On the run!

Kids medals

We recuperated a bit with some Great Harvest Bread and then I broke the bad news to him that now we needed to walk home.  Even though my house was only a mile or so away, my grand plan was seeming a bit ambitious at this point. 

Recover food

Ezra didn't complain but he did tell me his feet were really tired so I loaded  him up on my back and off we went, superhero and his ride.  We took a quick break to play at a lake on our way home and made it home over two hours after we started.  My fitbit said I walked 13k steps so I can only imagine how many steps Ezra's little legs took.  During our walk he told me he liked the race and wanted to do it every year but next year maybe we should try the 5k!  He is an ambitious bugger!

Playing at the lake

We got home and he ate a ton of food then promptly slept for 2 hours. Sounds like the perfect day to me!  I really believe kids should do whatever they want for fun activity but I still love that Ezra experienced running with us since he was an infant and now wants to be involved himself.  Maybe he will keep running maybe he won't but our time spent together is priceless and I will always treasure those moments.

Ezra's first Heart Run when he was about 5 months old

Recovering from a Rough Run

Good Morning,

This blog has a bit of a different tone from the last one, after a great week of success I went out on my 6 mile long run on Sunday and it was one of those runs that was rough from the start. 

My legs felt like lead, my shins sparked with the old familiar feeling of shin splints and even a mile felt like an eternity.  Oh and I had to pee the entire time.  Sounds super right?

About mile two my legs started to lighten up a bit but by that time I was worried about my shins so I was walking part of every single mile and getting sadder by the moment.

I notice that when something like this happens in my head I start to play a dialogue of how I am going to tell this story of my awful run to my husband.  This time I stopped myself from writing a sad story before the run was even over!  I started repeating a strong/light mantra in my head and focused on not stamping this run as terrible before it even ended.

That helped a bit, at least my head felt better even if my bladder and shins did not.  I told myself I was awesome for trucking on then I focused on keeping an eye out for moose.  I had two moose encounters on the run which got my heart beating fast!

At mile six I stopped running and stopped my watch which read an embarrassing 14 min/mile average pace and I took a big breath and gave myself a way to go.  It may have not been an awesome run but I did it, I finished 6 miles - well 7 by the time I got to the car, slight miscount there! 

I am really proud of myself for not only finishing but for also keeping a positive head about the run.  While it is still hard not to look at my training schedule this morning and doubting the process, I know that tough runs happen.  Its not the end of the world, it doesn't mean that I am not going to be able to run my race, it just means it was a tough day.

I have a few days of cross training/weight lifting coming up and I am hoping my new shoes will arrive during this time and I can fend off the dreaded splints.  I will look forward to my next run knowing it will be much better than last weekend :)

How do you deal with tough runs?  Anyone else struggle with letting them get you down?

A really old moose picture I took at the Conservation Center - but isn't it neat!

Swim Breakthrough & Kickass Brick

Good Morning,

I hope you all are having a great Friday, I am super excited for this weekend and am loving the warm weather we are having up here in Alaska - it is supposed to hit 55 today!!!

Before I get to the future fun I want to share an awesome achievement I had with you all.  It started last Friday at my swim class, something just felt like it clicked.  I have really been trying to reach my arms out and get that early catch with a strong straight forearm that doesn't wobble through the water.  I also have been thinking about my kick, I think its very weak which stems from it originating from the knee. 

So, last Friday I was felt like I got in a groove with some good strong forearms and an awkward but solid hip kick.  I told my husband after class that I think I made a good breakthrough because I just felt like I was on top of the water more but I wasn't sure.  Well this Wednesday at my technique class we did a 15 minute swim for distance in which our instructor would also mark down our 500m time.  So out I went trying my new technique not really sure if it was doing any good.  I was alone in the far lane so at times I couldn't even see people but when we finished and my coach went down the line telling us our times she got to me last and said "Kayse I think you made a big breakthrough" My heart just jumped and then she told me my time was 11:05!  To give some perspective I think one time I got a time that started with an 11, otherwise my fastest 500m in a race is 12:50.  I cut off about 45 seconds from my time and got very close to a time that starts with a 10!!!  That was my big goal that I didn't think I would reach this season.  I am so stoked and proud of all my hard work - making progress is awesome!

I also had a great weekend last weekend in terms of exercise.  On Saturday I did an impromptu brick workout with my husband.  We took our bikes out to a local high school which has easy access to the trail that is along the highway.  This trail is often used during races and is fairly flat so is a great spot to do some speed work on the the bike.  We left planning on training separately but ended up biking pretty close because I was killing my speeds.  My average speed was 15mph but I had some solid 20s on the way back where I got down in third position and just let it all out.  It felt amazing!  Well until I came home later and realized my lady parts felt like the
y had been hit by a baseball bat repeatedly - note to self - remember to use my bike shorts next time.

Need more bikes

After the bike I went out on some very hilly trails to work through that terrible feeling when you run after biking.  Not having any experience in this area I still maintain I think its close to what an epidural must feel like.  I know I have legs and I know they are moving but I can hardly feel them!  My trail run was 2 very slow miles on soggy hilly trails but it was good.  I was so proud of myself afterwards!

Snow free trails are so lovely!

The fun continued on Sunday with my first long run of the season.  It was only 5 miles and it was harder than it should be, but I did it and now I can move on to 6 miles next week!

First long run done!

After this exciting and successful weekend my week wasn't the best in terms of exercise and nutrition, lots of excuses that I will spare you from but suffice it to say I can do better :)

Foam rollin with Parks and Rec

This weekend however I am really excited to run my first race with my 4 year old nephew.  We are doing a 3k together on Saturday.  Then he is going to help me get things ready for my husbands birthday game night also on Saturday.  I think if I clean the house tonight after swim I can get a brick workout in between the 3k and the game night. 

My goal photo - looking good and strong Kayse!

Finally for the weekend its a long run (only up to 6 miles right now) and lots of work.  I have a project due on Monday that I have not had time to get to.  I am hoping that a miracle will happen and my new running shoes will come in before my long run on Sunday.  I tried on some cushy Aasics yesterday and loved them.  Unfortunately they run narrow so they had to order me the wide size.  If they don't come in before this long run they should be in before my race next week.  What is that you say about not trying something new for a race?  Ehhh whatever I have done it before...and it didn't work.  OK so I'm not a quick learner :) 

Happy Running!

The Important Things in Life

Hello,

I had intended to write this post about my progress on my goals but all I really want to tell you about my goals is that I am making progress and feeling good.  Am I hitting every mark? No.  Will I make my super strict weight goal before I turn 30?  Probably not, I didn't leave any room for error.  Is this important? Kinda.  But in the long run will it matter if I weigh 10 pounds less than I do now?  Not really. 

Why all the questions?  I have had one of those weeks that puts life in perspective a bit.  Without going into too much detail in a span of a week I found out a 2 year old relative was feeling a bit sick over Easter weekend and when his mom took him to the doctor on the following Monday they were told to go straight to the hospital because he has Leukemia.  Now their life and the lives of their other three kids has been turned upside down by transfusions, hospital stays and chemo.

The next Monday I signed onto Facebook to learn a friend from High School was driving with her husband and 8 month old baby when a large piece of concrete fell on their truck and killed them all instantly.

Life is so precious and can change in a moment.  I know that one moment I could be obsessing about how much my life would be better if I just lost 30lbs and then the next moment I could be wishing to be back in a space when my biggest issue was a jean size. 

I want to be the best me I can be, but I don't want to waste time fretting over things that are so insignificant in the long run.  I know I am very lucky that some extra weight is honestly the biggest issue in my life.  I am fairly certain that means my life is pretty smooth and I am extremely grateful for that.  I stress out over if I will be last at a race when I should be happy that I am able to participate in these events.

I will always continue to live the best life that I can live and love as much, and as hard as I am able, but I will also take time to enjoy the present and give myself a break once in a while.  In the end all my anxieties probably wont matter and I dont want to look back and wish I was nicer to myself and enjoyed life more.

Thank you for stopping by :)

Loving life

Week 2 Update

Hello,

Week two is complete on my plan and I am definitely starting slow but I would rather start slow and ramp up then start fast and fizzle out. So here is to consistency!

I didn't weigh myself this week because I started to obsess a bit and I am a firm believer that numbers are not everything.  But I have been running more and thinking about race plans this week.  I got a great workout at CrossFit this week so exercise has been ramping up a bit.

Anyone up for a slow fun run while listening to This American Life?

Food on the other hand has been tough.  Does anyone else have a hard time keeping themselves focused when their life seems unfocused?  My work is still a bit nutty and while I love it and want to be amazing at it, I still need to have my own  life!

I did make a bit decision this week which may seem a bit counter productive but stay with me, I quit my running team.  For two seasons now I have been running with a women's running team which I was actually a board member for last year.  But this year I decided that I was going to separate myself from the team.  Last year the team got quite a bit smaller due to some other local running options opening up and it seemed like the folks that remained were all fast.  Every time I went to practice they would try to pair us up to run together but nobody would be my speed so I would just feel awful about holding people back, or they would write paces on the board and mine wouldn't be listed.  I know I am a slower runner but the team was supposed to be open to all.  I just got tired of feeling bad about myself every week.  I had to avoid a handful of practices which were off the track because I couldn't run with everyone else so I just got left behind.  I cried at several practices last year, and this year I decided I don't need that.  I am never going to be a super fast runner, I honestly don't care enough, I actually just like to run and I don't want to start feeling bad every time I go out for a 36 minute 3 mile run!

Also I get to run in beautiful places, check this out :)

Running on Turnagain Arm

I love this trail!

Progress - Week 1 (Delayed!)

*I started writing this post last Tuesday the 31st, but it took me almost a week to finish it, look for week 2 shortly
 
Hello,


I am officially calling this week one.  Last week I had a partial week by the time I got started and while I started making some progress on setting habits, but this week I feel like I hit my stride and I am ready to roll.

Again I did a great job prepping my food and tracking my exercise and meals.  I am tracking food on My Fitness Pal and giving myself stars and smiley faces on my calendar.  I got my steps for about 1/2 of the week- I am still working on feeling motivated to get my exercise in.

Death was near at crossfit...

I also hit about 50% of my goals in tracking my meals, so there is progress being made!

Healthy Meals were had!

I did however get to see some scale victory as the 50% good part of my week has been the last four days, so that bumped me down a couple pounds.

I am finding journaling and the mental health part a bit tougher which is something I want to focus on as I think it is really important to my ability to hang with this plan!

I am finishing this update up because I realize its almost time for the next update, so Ill keep this short and say look for Week 2 coming tomorrow!