So it has only taken me 6 months to get my crap together, but alas a new blog is finally up and rolling. But now you will have to find me here!
Daisy's new home
Saturday, September 22, 2012
Thursday, March 01, 2012
The Skinny
So why has Daisy been so quiet some might wonder?
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Mainly it all relates to trying to focus on moving forward with my career. I could not be more excited to announce that I am starting a new job on Monday. I will be focusing on Client Service at a growing financial services firm in Beachwood. This is super huge for me. Mainly it was a change that I needed to make, but I think it will be so healthy for me in that my commute will be cut in half and the bonus is that my main gym with my pool is right in Beachwood about a mile away....can you say BONUS??!!! Plus a million other bonuses I am not getting into like not paying for parking, etc, etc!!! :-) SOOOOO EXCITED!
Other than that, January was super busy with CTC firming up club sponsors. On the team front with local NEW TEAM BICYCLE HUB, I am heading up building the new local team bicycle hub pride!! (Yes, I have become obsessed with Big Cats on APL so I am calling us a lion pride...yet I still can't decide if I am a bigger cheetah or leopard fan). We have a very excited group of teammates and over the winter, we had indoor rides at the shop. I could not have been more excited about the turnout which was HUGE and we had an absolute blast. We ended the sessions last night with having a social after class at Willoughby Brewing Company! (my first time there which is hard to believe...sweet place!)
Still training a lot but being sick the past week has cramped my style a tad. I am pretty excited about turning the page and hope to be posting more! Planning to run Mill Creek Classic (Youngstown) 1/2 marathon Sunday. I can't believe March is here..the month where all the kewl kids were born ;-) The following weekend is my favorite running race of the year ...ST MALACHI!!!! I might be a little excited about it! In other news, after some discussion with coach, I think I am going to table running the full marathon in Toledo in April. I would be lying to say I did not really want to do it and I must say the training was going AWESOME, but marathons do take a toll on the body and with my A race at TTT being one month later, it is probably not the smartest move. So I am resolved to focus on my big picture!!! LOOK OUT TTT!
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I will leave you with some pics from Wednesday at Rays MTB where one of my BFFs and teammates, EP and I broke the women';s (and MENS) record on the pump track posting up a whooping 208 laps each. (My lower back might have paid for that a bit!) Oh I do love that place!!!
Wednesday, February 08, 2012
Swimming with the tide and plunging into the unknown
All has been going well on the training front. I am transitioning gears from the 50K trail run training and recovery to my Triple T build and possible April Glass City (Toledo) marathon if training proceeds well.
Last weekend was the Cleveland Triathlon Club's 3rd Annual Swim Challenge / Swim Clinic. While I often groan about having to swim and my strong preference for the other 2 disciplines, I decided I would again try to get in the 100x100's.
I am happy to report I got it in...barely! Even staying close to 2:00 intervals per 100 yards in the pool, it was all I could do to get it in during the allotted time (3.5 hours). Thankfully, they gave me that extra 3 minutes I needed to finish! So 2012 will go down as a success for CTC and Daisy!!!
Check out Kurt's super sweet video of the action here!
On a separate note, I love how Kurt cut to the sharks in the swimming video. After speaking with him Sunday, it turns out he shot that footage just after the swim challenge at the newly opened Cleveland Aquarium! I can't wait to check out that place!
Monday, January 16, 2012
2012 Winter Run for Regis 50K
Winter Run for Regis 50K was my first 50K ever in 2008. That year I ran it with ESpeed and Solar Squirrel and we hung together for the majority of it and I was hooked on trails! Year one gave me a time of 5:37 with some pretty nice trail conditions on the old course.
In 2009, I returned to do the 50k again and was feeling pretty darn good. Young R gave me a run for my money that year and we went back and forth before I threw the hammer down after 28.5 miles to start to try to drop her and she answered back and gapped me the last half mile of the race to take first woman finisher. Oh did I hurt after that race! That year the trails had deep snow to work with, I had some bad blood blisters from all the sliding and who starts to race at that point in the race....OUCH! Yet, I was walked away from the race content with the performance and glad young R was there to push me harder. Huge props to her on her performance that day. That year Garmin showed 29.79 miles, 6:01 total time and boy did I work harder for that time vs the 5:37 from the previous year. Had the race conditions been like the previous year I am certain my time would have likely been sub 5:30 given the effort but race conditions have an incredible time impact sometimes!
In 2010, I was signed up for Run for Regis only to get a tibia stress fracture and sat that year out. I signed up for the 50K in 2011, but I still felt residual tenderness in the tibia area and decided to play it safe and run the half marathon option. 2011 was another deep snow year and my first time on the new course which started in 2010. This course is clearly longer and has more elevation than the old course. It was another slow day on the trails with the snow and I ran hard finishing 12th person in the half and first female in for the half. Total time 2:24.
Now there are a lot of reasons that I sign up for this race every year including-
1. The race organizers are the best! Tanya, the RD pours her heart into this race and has good supporters like Nick, Roy and Vince who really lend a helping hand. There are a million volunteers every year that help setup and tear down and stand out in the freezing cold for hours to provide runners high quality aid stations.
2. The course is always well marked and offers runners some of the most scenic sites of the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. Each trail had tons of streamers, flags, plates and even home signs which were such a welcome site!
3. Each year with every entry runners always get something awesome like a jacket, running shirt and this year I got the ladies fit Brooks neon yellow vest which I love!
4. The finish is always enjoyable with warm chili and fireplaces to warm up!
5. IMO this race has a very laid back hometown feel with lots of local runners that are always fun to see throughout the day on this loop course.
6. BUT, my main reason I sign up is to give myself motivation to get out there on Ohio's cold snowy days, build a solid training base and really get in some good trail miles.
So as we rolled into November I started getting out on Sunday trail runs. Mainly I ran each week with Ashley and Guy. Ashley grew up in my hometown and it was obvious that while she had not yet run a 50k, she was a naturally strong trail runner who attacked the uphills as if they were not even there. I think ESpeed said it best when she said Guy was a monster on the trails. Guy just flew down the hills and would effortlessly run those trail miles chatting away clearly in his element. It seemed each week, I would run on Sunday after logging a pretty huge week and keeping up with the two of them was often more than I could muster and I got my butt handed to me!
I ended up taking Friday and Saturday completely off from training which I think had me feeling a bit fresher on Sunday. My plan was to hang with Ashley as long as I could and hopefully just make it though the race (I am forever careful to make sure I never push that tibia/tibial nerve too much as it would not be worth the setback so I was prepared to call it a day early if it started to trouble me).
I was trying to channel my inner Emily (as I was running waaay later than I wanted to that morning and was trying to not freak out about it!) but I made it there in plenty of time to get my stuff hit the bathroom twice and listen to Tanya's spunky pre-race message. I lined up with Ashley and away we went. We just chatted like a normal Sunday run and the miles just clicked on by. As usual Ashley crushed the uphills and slowed up as I tried to reel her back in after I caught my breath.
We both stooped at different times to hit the RR. I hit it the RR after 13 and told her to feel free to head on but she seemed resolved to stick together. I would say overall, while we were working, it was a pretty laid back run as we indulged in Oreos. I did take in some water, heed and First Endurance Liquid Shots over the course of the morning. I enjoyed seeing the many trail running friends and CTC peeps out running on that crisp morning. (Way to go Jen, Sara, Brandy, Eric and everyone else on those awesome half performances!!!)
We did 3 loops of Happy Days /Boston (~5 miles) and 2 loops of Salt Run (~8mi). Let me say I was happy when I was done with that second Salt Run loop as those last 2 climbs past the lake are just mean when you are getting tired! On the final 5 mi loop, we were both ready to be done and I was so excited to finish the last stupid climb before the Happy days Parking lot (which Ashley still effortlessly ascended).
As we rolled into the finish we just finished together as we ran as the first females in for the 50K. Clearly I feel like if it would have been a race between us, Ashley would have easily taken me. However running the race alongside a friend and training partner makes for easily one of the most enjoyable races I have ever done. And while I was tired, nothing specific was really hurting me and I could remember many of the training runs which had me hurting waaaaay worse!
It seems hard to believe that 31.55 miles with a whole lot of climbing in 5 hours, 21 minutes seemed to just click by so easily. It gives me more hope that maybe my leg is stronger than I have given it credit for and that this solid base of running miles will pay dividends as I build towards triathlon season.
So in summary just want to express my gratitude to my gal, Ashley for the super fun run yesterday, Guy for all the training runs and all the people like Tanya and the volunteers for making this an awesome experience which I will always treasure!
Garmin data-
+ 2819 ft of climbing
Total Miles: 31.55
Avg HR: 160 - seems a little high for such a long event!
Avg pace: 9:59
Untitled by beelz2009 at Garmin Connect - Splits
In 2009, I returned to do the 50k again and was feeling pretty darn good. Young R gave me a run for my money that year and we went back and forth before I threw the hammer down after 28.5 miles to start to try to drop her and she answered back and gapped me the last half mile of the race to take first woman finisher. Oh did I hurt after that race! That year the trails had deep snow to work with, I had some bad blood blisters from all the sliding and who starts to race at that point in the race....OUCH! Yet, I was walked away from the race content with the performance and glad young R was there to push me harder. Huge props to her on her performance that day. That year Garmin showed 29.79 miles, 6:01 total time and boy did I work harder for that time vs the 5:37 from the previous year. Had the race conditions been like the previous year I am certain my time would have likely been sub 5:30 given the effort but race conditions have an incredible time impact sometimes!
In 2010, I was signed up for Run for Regis only to get a tibia stress fracture and sat that year out. I signed up for the 50K in 2011, but I still felt residual tenderness in the tibia area and decided to play it safe and run the half marathon option. 2011 was another deep snow year and my first time on the new course which started in 2010. This course is clearly longer and has more elevation than the old course. It was another slow day on the trails with the snow and I ran hard finishing 12th person in the half and first female in for the half. Total time 2:24.
Now there are a lot of reasons that I sign up for this race every year including-
1. The race organizers are the best! Tanya, the RD pours her heart into this race and has good supporters like Nick, Roy and Vince who really lend a helping hand. There are a million volunteers every year that help setup and tear down and stand out in the freezing cold for hours to provide runners high quality aid stations.
2. The course is always well marked and offers runners some of the most scenic sites of the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. Each trail had tons of streamers, flags, plates and even home signs which were such a welcome site!
3. Each year with every entry runners always get something awesome like a jacket, running shirt and this year I got the ladies fit Brooks neon yellow vest which I love!
4. The finish is always enjoyable with warm chili and fireplaces to warm up!
5. IMO this race has a very laid back hometown feel with lots of local runners that are always fun to see throughout the day on this loop course.
6. BUT, my main reason I sign up is to give myself motivation to get out there on Ohio's cold snowy days, build a solid training base and really get in some good trail miles.
So as we rolled into November I started getting out on Sunday trail runs. Mainly I ran each week with Ashley and Guy. Ashley grew up in my hometown and it was obvious that while she had not yet run a 50k, she was a naturally strong trail runner who attacked the uphills as if they were not even there. I think ESpeed said it best when she said Guy was a monster on the trails. Guy just flew down the hills and would effortlessly run those trail miles chatting away clearly in his element. It seemed each week, I would run on Sunday after logging a pretty huge week and keeping up with the two of them was often more than I could muster and I got my butt handed to me!
I ended up taking Friday and Saturday completely off from training which I think had me feeling a bit fresher on Sunday. My plan was to hang with Ashley as long as I could and hopefully just make it though the race (I am forever careful to make sure I never push that tibia/tibial nerve too much as it would not be worth the setback so I was prepared to call it a day early if it started to trouble me).
I was trying to channel my inner Emily (as I was running waaay later than I wanted to that morning and was trying to not freak out about it!) but I made it there in plenty of time to get my stuff hit the bathroom twice and listen to Tanya's spunky pre-race message. I lined up with Ashley and away we went. We just chatted like a normal Sunday run and the miles just clicked on by. As usual Ashley crushed the uphills and slowed up as I tried to reel her back in after I caught my breath.
We both stooped at different times to hit the RR. I hit it the RR after 13 and told her to feel free to head on but she seemed resolved to stick together. I would say overall, while we were working, it was a pretty laid back run as we indulged in Oreos. I did take in some water, heed and First Endurance Liquid Shots over the course of the morning. I enjoyed seeing the many trail running friends and CTC peeps out running on that crisp morning. (Way to go Jen, Sara, Brandy, Eric and everyone else on those awesome half performances!!!)
We did 3 loops of Happy Days /Boston (~5 miles) and 2 loops of Salt Run (~8mi). Let me say I was happy when I was done with that second Salt Run loop as those last 2 climbs past the lake are just mean when you are getting tired! On the final 5 mi loop, we were both ready to be done and I was so excited to finish the last stupid climb before the Happy days Parking lot (which Ashley still effortlessly ascended).
As we rolled into the finish we just finished together as we ran as the first females in for the 50K. Clearly I feel like if it would have been a race between us, Ashley would have easily taken me. However running the race alongside a friend and training partner makes for easily one of the most enjoyable races I have ever done. And while I was tired, nothing specific was really hurting me and I could remember many of the training runs which had me hurting waaaaay worse!
It seems hard to believe that 31.55 miles with a whole lot of climbing in 5 hours, 21 minutes seemed to just click by so easily. It gives me more hope that maybe my leg is stronger than I have given it credit for and that this solid base of running miles will pay dividends as I build towards triathlon season.
So in summary just want to express my gratitude to my gal, Ashley for the super fun run yesterday, Guy for all the training runs and all the people like Tanya and the volunteers for making this an awesome experience which I will always treasure!
Garmin data-
+ 2819 ft of climbing
Total Miles: 31.55
Avg HR: 160 - seems a little high for such a long event!
Avg pace: 9:59
Untitled by beelz2009 at Garmin Connect - Splits
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Step back and smell the flowers
Life remains the constant juggling act where I feel like I never have enough time to do all the things I want to do and never have quite enough time to do all I know I should be doing....but every now and then I enjoy being able to step back and smell the flowers and reflect where I am at and what makes me happy.
1. My health-It is so nice to finally feel pretty healthy. We have been eating pretty healthy over the past 6 weeks or so and while like most girls, I don't like to publicly announce my weight much, I was happy to step on the scale and see that I was 0.6 lbs from hitting the teens. My goal is to generally stay under 120 which always has required a fair amount of discipline for me and has not happened much. I was down there back in 2009 and before that it was back in 2001. Needless to say, it feels good to see the work pay off with regards to watching my intake. Not only that, it really does make running feel SO MUCH easier with a few less pounds. This weight drop can be attributed to no dramatic diet changes, just eating more healthy and cutting out the garbage and probably also some extra training sessions. I owe much of this to my husband committing to be healthy. So on to the next point...
2. My Donald Duck-aka as Mr. Edwards as I don't think he would like me calling in Donald or a duck! Watching him come into his own with his training regimen has been super fun to watch. Plus I am picking up all kinds of bonus workouts with him or while he is at the gym. He is really enjoying trail running and is logging more and more miles every week. He is also a regular now at the indoor cycling workouts and I guess today he is working with our friend to learn to swim (like a real swimmer). Look out world!
3. My training buddies-I think what I enjoy the most about training is the camraderie of it all. I love running on the treadmill next to CV even if we barely talk between speed intervals. I love sneaking in some early trail miles with LP and seeing that she is on the mend. I love when AM kicks my butt effortlessly ascending the uphills on a 20+ miles trail run. I love looking around the room at the Bicycle Hub seeing everyone enjoying the tunes and sweating away on their trainers on a cold dark night (or simply ESpeed smiling as she catches up with ET!). I love getting covered in mud on a group trail run with many other training friends as we slip and slide through the most scenic trails that NE Ohioans call home. I love plunging into the lake with a million of my CTC friends! This is how I get through the winters!
In general I feel like I am in a good place right now. I was really excited last Thursday as I ran with AM and watched the sun coming up earlier. The two of us will be out running this Sunday as the sun comes up as we embark on the Run for Regis 50k. I am sure it will be muddy. I have been feeling pretty good lately but I am never 100% sure about my leg. If all goes well, hopefully I will have a solid 50k performance. But if for some reason, I am not feeling it, I am fine with cutting it short or easing off the pace. Goal was always just the motivation to get out this winter and put in some solid trails miles and I can say without a doubt that I consider it mission accomplished!
Thursday, January 05, 2012
And now, every runners favorite subject...Let's Talk Shoes!!!
So the last two years, the Trakkers / Rev3 team had hooked me up with shoes. OMG, did this girl feel so lucky about that!
2010 was the year of Saucony and 2011 was the year of Avia! I tried several models of both brands that worked fine for me and to my liking.
My shoe history is as such. I used to buy the over-priced stability shoes when I first got into running more competitively about 8 years ago or so. Over the years, I have learned I never needed all that stability and have went more minimal over the years. I pronate to a degree and always wear out the outsides of my shoes. My feet are on the wide side and over the years I have developed a running style that always strikes with my forefoot. Prior to Trakkers, I was only an Asics girl. I ran in the 2100 series for awhile and then fell in love with the Asics DS Trainers. As the team aligned with Saucony, I looked for what shoe might be the best for me. I finally landed on the Saucony Tangents and liked those pretty well and completed my first 140.6 in them. Then I was introduced to the Fasttwitch 4's and the Kinvara's and liked them both....well I think it might have been a love affair with the Kinvara's. First all, they were super light and felt fast, but I loved the bold hot pink color and have subsequently got 2 pairs in that color and one with the white/hot pink look.
As the team aligned I went to the Avia Bolt II's and III's. Another shoe I liked for the color and many of the features that made it a nice tri shoe with the speed laces and heel tab and these shoes got me through my second 140.6.
But now that I am a free agent so to speak as far as I am not getting free shoe hookups, (but open to offers!! ;-0 ) (Sidenote: This is a subject for a long overdue post to come. Cliff notes version was that I did not re-apply for Trakkers / REV3 this year and I also resigned from my local Bike Authority Fleet Feet team. So much to say on this subject which will again be discussed later, but I think the world of both of them and am incredibly thankful for all the opportunities they gave me. Both teams and teammates will forever hold a special place for me! But for 2012, I am focusing on the local scene, continuing efforts of the CTC front as well as working with my good friends, Rob and Emily on building their new shop team, Team Bicycle Hub!) ...back to the free agent, anyways now I am trying to decide what I might want to run in because if you have not noticed by now, this girl loves to run!
In several magazines and articles I had read, the Brooks Pure Connects seemed to be garnering a lot of attention and seemed to be the new it shoe to try in my mind. I tried a few different pairs of shoes on at the store (Fleet Feet of course) but I think before I had went in, my mind was made up that I wanted to try to the Brooks Pure Connects.
I thought the Pure Connects had a fun fresh light look. The shoes feel much narrower on the balls of my wide feet (vs the Kinvara) but they are not too snug. I am not sure if it is just that they were new, but the cushioned feel was noticeable and I liked it. One thing I was a bit concerned with that I had heard from others was that the arch was a bit much for some of my friends, but I like the way the arch feels. Before I even started running I definitely noticed how the heel cup and strap behind seemed to push on my heel. And once I started running, I have come to find it something that I am having a hard time with. For me, these shoes seem to dig into my heels a lot. I was hoping it would be just a matter of breaking them in so I have been mixing them in with others shoes. I have even changed shoes mid-run on the treadmill as they bother me so. Everything besides the heel feels good, but even after probably 8 runs or so in them which have been probably 60+ miles, they still seem to really tear up my heels. I always wonder when I have something like this happen if I just got a bad shoe or what. Maybe it will get better or maybe these shoes are just not for me.
So, fortunately for me, I had scored some Dicks gift cards for Christmas so I headed back to the store to pick up old reliable, the Saucony Kinvara's because I was still in need of some shoes that I could put some miles on as there was a reason I had bought the Connects. The store had my beloved hot pink Kinvara I's and I was just going to go for a 3-peat as they were on a killer sale, but they did not have any in my size. So I bought the Kinvara II's. I threw them on this Tuesday for the inaugural run on the treadmill which was 10 miles with 6x1mile repeats at just under 7 min mile pace. This could be where the "Reunited and it feels so good" song would be playing in the background. No issues at all, just happy light feet!!!
To compare I would say that the shoes feel similar in weight. My strike does not change between the two shoes. With my slightly wider feet, I do like the feel of the Kinvara's better. As a note the Kinvara II's are definitely narrower than the I's but still fine for me. The Kinvara feels slightly more cushioned than the Pure Connect. The only drawback to my new Kinvara II's, was the only color that they had in stock was the one pictured above which is a little vanilla for my tastes. Yet, I could not be happier to be running in a shoe that makes my feet feel light and pain-free! Time to log some more miles!
And you thought I was done talking about shoes! The husband picked up a pair of the Salomon Crossmax shoes as he has taken a liking to trail running. These came highly recommended from Jody at Fleet Feet. So of course I was jealous of his shiny new shoes and decided I wanted new trail shoes. After all, I do have a 50K trail run this month on the calendar. So back to Fleet Feet I went as my old trail shoes did bother my feet a bit (seemed to often have discomfort on the top of my foot where a seem was). Again, I tried on several pairs, but like before, my mind was already made up and I got myself a pair of the Salomon Crossmax shoes too!
Now these shoes, I have loved from the start. Comfortable, lightweight, good tread and laces I won't have to re-tie a thousand times (like my current ones despite all my double knotting). I have wore these on two shorter trails runs and so far, I am impressed! Now I am just hoping for some nice trail race conditions so all that tread will not be so necessary but lately we are just getting LOTS of mud!!!
I HEART NEW SHOES!
2010 was the year of Saucony and 2011 was the year of Avia! I tried several models of both brands that worked fine for me and to my liking.
My shoe history is as such. I used to buy the over-priced stability shoes when I first got into running more competitively about 8 years ago or so. Over the years, I have learned I never needed all that stability and have went more minimal over the years. I pronate to a degree and always wear out the outsides of my shoes. My feet are on the wide side and over the years I have developed a running style that always strikes with my forefoot. Prior to Trakkers, I was only an Asics girl. I ran in the 2100 series for awhile and then fell in love with the Asics DS Trainers. As the team aligned with Saucony, I looked for what shoe might be the best for me. I finally landed on the Saucony Tangents and liked those pretty well and completed my first 140.6 in them. Then I was introduced to the Fasttwitch 4's and the Kinvara's and liked them both....well I think it might have been a love affair with the Kinvara's. First all, they were super light and felt fast, but I loved the bold hot pink color and have subsequently got 2 pairs in that color and one with the white/hot pink look.
As the team aligned I went to the Avia Bolt II's and III's. Another shoe I liked for the color and many of the features that made it a nice tri shoe with the speed laces and heel tab and these shoes got me through my second 140.6.
But now that I am a free agent so to speak as far as I am not getting free shoe hookups, (but open to offers!! ;-0 ) (Sidenote: This is a subject for a long overdue post to come. Cliff notes version was that I did not re-apply for Trakkers / REV3 this year and I also resigned from my local Bike Authority Fleet Feet team. So much to say on this subject which will again be discussed later, but I think the world of both of them and am incredibly thankful for all the opportunities they gave me. Both teams and teammates will forever hold a special place for me! But for 2012, I am focusing on the local scene, continuing efforts of the CTC front as well as working with my good friends, Rob and Emily on building their new shop team, Team Bicycle Hub!) ...back to the free agent, anyways now I am trying to decide what I might want to run in because if you have not noticed by now, this girl loves to run!
In several magazines and articles I had read, the Brooks Pure Connects seemed to be garnering a lot of attention and seemed to be the new it shoe to try in my mind. I tried a few different pairs of shoes on at the store (Fleet Feet of course) but I think before I had went in, my mind was made up that I wanted to try to the Brooks Pure Connects.
So, fortunately for me, I had scored some Dicks gift cards for Christmas so I headed back to the store to pick up old reliable, the Saucony Kinvara's because I was still in need of some shoes that I could put some miles on as there was a reason I had bought the Connects. The store had my beloved hot pink Kinvara I's and I was just going to go for a 3-peat as they were on a killer sale, but they did not have any in my size. So I bought the Kinvara II's. I threw them on this Tuesday for the inaugural run on the treadmill which was 10 miles with 6x1mile repeats at just under 7 min mile pace. This could be where the "Reunited and it feels so good" song would be playing in the background. No issues at all, just happy light feet!!!
To compare I would say that the shoes feel similar in weight. My strike does not change between the two shoes. With my slightly wider feet, I do like the feel of the Kinvara's better. As a note the Kinvara II's are definitely narrower than the I's but still fine for me. The Kinvara feels slightly more cushioned than the Pure Connect. The only drawback to my new Kinvara II's, was the only color that they had in stock was the one pictured above which is a little vanilla for my tastes. Yet, I could not be happier to be running in a shoe that makes my feet feel light and pain-free! Time to log some more miles!
And you thought I was done talking about shoes! The husband picked up a pair of the Salomon Crossmax shoes as he has taken a liking to trail running. These came highly recommended from Jody at Fleet Feet. So of course I was jealous of his shiny new shoes and decided I wanted new trail shoes. After all, I do have a 50K trail run this month on the calendar. So back to Fleet Feet I went as my old trail shoes did bother my feet a bit (seemed to often have discomfort on the top of my foot where a seem was). Again, I tried on several pairs, but like before, my mind was already made up and I got myself a pair of the Salomon Crossmax shoes too!
I HEART NEW SHOES!
Tuesday, January 03, 2012
New Year, New Goals
I must say 2012 is starting out awesome! I spent New Years Eve with the husband and 2 wonderful friends over some muy delicioso Mexican Guac, food, Dos Equis and Margaritas of course!!! I managed to wake with no hangover and then got to go on my 3rd run ever with the husband (who I suspect will become quite the runner in 2012!) and MV. After a nice rather warm Jan 1st run, we headed up to the Polar Plunge.
Did I mention that while I have been there helping with the organization for several years now, I have never went in??? Well after years of ribbing and a super cute tshirt design that I had to have, I decided I would PLUNGE in 2012 as long as I was not sick!! And after my long fall/winter sickness, I arrived feeling good and was treated to some balmy weather! Official sign stated 48 degree outside temperature...36 degree water temperature!
 |
| Always pimping Cleveland gangs!!! |
 |
| Turns out 36 degree water is quite cold!!! |
So the new year is upon us, which is always a good reason to re-evaluate goals.
The one thing I plan to change for 2012 is to log all of my miles! I have actually been diligent for December. NOW, to keep it up for the entire year!!!
221.8 Miles Ran
9.75 Miles Swam
135 Miles Biked (This will ramp back up here in January!)
Generally I think I am pretty good as far as getting in workouts. I think I could clean up my diet a fair amount so I am placing a priority there. This has actually become easier with my husband making a solid effort with his intake as well. So I am focused on maintaining this focus for 2012.
Other random thoughts for new year!
1. As I hit my health insurance deductibles in 2010 (insert broken elbow and tibia stress fracture) and 2011 (crash with broken scapula), let's have a nice cheap year there PLEASE!!!! a) this is expensive b) being hurt STINKS!
2. Come on TRI BIKE! I have been doing tris since 2006...chances are looking good 2012 will be the first time you will see me on my very first tri-bike!! As much as I love my road bike with my clip on bars, I will be soooo excited for this!
3. So this girl has been regular at Masters Swims every Tuesday and Thursday and I am seeing my 100's dropping a bit. There is still tons of room for improvement so here's to working towards continued improvement!
4. CRAP, I effectively age up now. Seriously I think I still belong in the 25-29 age group! How can it be I am going to be 35 in March. Is this a joke?
4. And above all, my goal is to make every moment count this year!!! This means in everything! Appreciate all my time with family and friends. Dig in at my professional life to make progress. Do my best to support those who support me. Train hard and race hard! And so on....!!!
BRING ON 2012!
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
Didn't make this year's merry mailing list? No worries, as you can read it here!!!
Hi-dee-ho dear little elfs,
We have been busy still picking meat from the bones of the Thanksgiving turkey and nursing the wounds we received while shopping on Black Friday, but apparently everyone wants to know what exciting things the Edwards’ have been up to this year. After turning down repeated pleas from E! Online and People Magazine, we are going to give you dear friends, family and any nosy onlookers…wait for it…wait for it….. the EXCLUSIVE!!!
Being the holiday season, it seems fitting to mention that we have not yet been invited to a single New Year’s Eve Party this year. We only mention this to make you feel guilty in case you have some awesome plans that you forgot to tell us about. Don’t worry though; we will just entertain ourselves by hopping into a frozen lake on New Year’s Day to make the pain worse!
Many of you might have heard that this summer, I (yes, first female ever) was in the lead of the Tour de France and I climbed like an angel up the Alpe d’Huez. I crested the mountain and quickly looked back to see all the goldfish behind (just sucking air just trying to catch me) and made for the wicked descent. All of the sudden, this pothole jumped out in front of me and reality hit. Crap, I guess that I was not in the Tour and I must have been dreaming or perhaps that was the good drugs they dosed me with as I laid in the ambulances and hospital bed. In 2011, I learned that when I get in a fight with Gravity and Asphalt, I lose! They left me with a fractured scapula (shoulder blade), some bruised ribs and a whole lotta road rash. But I hear scars are cool! Right? But sigh, I had to take 9 entire days off from working out. And oh yeah, I learned I could run with just one arm! As they say, no rest for the wicked!! And by wicked, this now includes Joey, who seems to have the workout bug too these days!
Ahhh, but the ‘Year De Clutz’ continued in the Edwards household. About the time, the better half (aka: the name for all female counterparts in case you were unaware), the other half (the super talented landscaper...well don’t look at our yard 75% of the time) experimented with cutting some limbs down with his extension chainsaw above our garage. (I swear he has done this before at least once successfully!) Yet, on this day he managed to trim all the limbs but one and when it went to let loose, the big old thick limb landed right on top of his thumb on the saw crushing his thumb joint. (Insert one of Joey’s choice $!%@ words!) The treatment, immobilize and rest. It has healed fast because he is really good at that! (Insert sarcasm!) Suffice it to say, we have had quite the busy year with a whole lot of tiger blood!
In other breaking news, our little (rather quite chubby cat generally) Zippo gave us quite a scare this year. Zippo got so sick, quit eating and got so scrawny that he could only muster a very sickly meow! Did not mention I really only do triathlons to meet vet triathletes who perform house calls? Anyway, my super-friend came out and saved our lil guy! This was likely due in part to the joy Joey got from getting to stick the cat with needles for a while!
I thought hell might have frozen over this year (not because Arnold Schwarzenegger admitted to the love child with family maid but) because I randomly got a call from Joey one day at work that we were getting a new puppy! (Cue to me jumping up and down and doing cartwheels) Apparently Joey’s Mom Edwards was hooking us up with a cute little girl to keep our 7 year old Matches golden retriever company. Of course, we had to think of another name with a fire theme, so we named her Ember! She is the most adorable puppy ever even when chewing my socks while I clean up her messes!
And that folks is just the cliff notes version…! Other than that, life in our world remains pretty much the same and we still both ‘Occupy’ Jobs (no not that Jobs (RIP and thank you for my new IPhone). No wonder the world is coming to an end in 2012—how could it ever live up to 2011, a year which gave us a royal wedding, Sheen declaring himself to be a Martian rock star made of tiger blood who no longer does drugs (glad rehab helped), a second ex-Mr. Kim Kardashian and a political penis scandal (what a Weiner!)? "I'm not bi-polar I'm bi-winning" (LOL)
So wishing all of you and all of the best! Keep your friends and family close and your enemies closer! Time to get shuf-f-f-ling! HUGS AND KISSES to all of you! XOXOXO! Janet, Joey, Matches, Ember and Zippo!!!
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Trails, Leg and Hubby-Yes I think my brain is fried!
Just a quick note before I embark on a nice long 4 day weekend. I have been so darn busy, blogging has been a struggle and just keeping up with all the little things I want to do has been rough (including sleep).
So here is the cliffnotes version-
1. I have getting in lots of good training- This includes being consistent with hitting masters swims (thank you coach amanda for all the tips), returning to indoor cycling class (which are always good for a nasty sweat pool on the floor) and lots of running and trails!!! :-)
2. My troublesome left leg has been feeling so-so. I never know if I am just paranoid or that tibia stress fracture from 2 years ago has never healed but it always makes me nervous so I am monitoring it closely! I did manage to have a pretty clutz week the sunday before last on the trails which resulted in two falls, 4 ankle rolls and some good bruises. That said, luckily while the knee looked impressively colored, nothing hurt me!!!
3. A huge factor lately in my workout ramp up has been my husband! Now this guy never gets enough mention here. Yet, anyone in this tri-area knows him well as he comes to everything to sherpa, cheer and every other thing you can think of. Now my husband has never been one to workout seriously. Sure he would ride mtn bikes or road bikes here and there and we might go to Rays Indoor Mtn Bike Park the last few years which was still A HUGE STEP for someone who never worked out or really played competitive sports ever. BUT, all of the sudden a month ago, for some reason (still not sure exactly what but likely a variety of things) but my husband has come to the dark side!!!! He is now watching his intake and exercising a lot intensely about 6 days a week. He has been coming to indoor training rides, running including treadmill workouts with stud tri guy, DM and lifting. He even just picked up some trail shoes and has filled me in on some pretty big ambitions for 2012. I AM SOOOOO EXCITED FOR HIM and he is doing AMAZING to the tune of a fast dramatic change already.
Regardless this has been super fun to watch and he is just soooo motivated! So now I have been doing more evening sessions while he gets in his workout and not feeling guilty about spending my evenings away at some indoor cycling session because now he is there with me. Did I mention how excited this makes me? I am also super excited about not setting an alarm tomorrow morning for the first time since 10/30. And when I get up, the husband and I will hit the gym together!!! This all seems like a big Christmas present to me!!!
4. I think after maybe 7 weeks of being sick, I FINALLY FEEL GOOD THIS WEEK! It's a christmas miracle!
So here is the cliffnotes version-
1. I have getting in lots of good training- This includes being consistent with hitting masters swims (thank you coach amanda for all the tips), returning to indoor cycling class (which are always good for a nasty sweat pool on the floor) and lots of running and trails!!! :-)
 |
| My trail slave-drivers! |
3. A huge factor lately in my workout ramp up has been my husband! Now this guy never gets enough mention here. Yet, anyone in this tri-area knows him well as he comes to everything to sherpa, cheer and every other thing you can think of. Now my husband has never been one to workout seriously. Sure he would ride mtn bikes or road bikes here and there and we might go to Rays Indoor Mtn Bike Park the last few years which was still A HUGE STEP for someone who never worked out or really played competitive sports ever. BUT, all of the sudden a month ago, for some reason (still not sure exactly what but likely a variety of things) but my husband has come to the dark side!!!! He is now watching his intake and exercising a lot intensely about 6 days a week. He has been coming to indoor training rides, running including treadmill workouts with stud tri guy, DM and lifting. He even just picked up some trail shoes and has filled me in on some pretty big ambitions for 2012. I AM SOOOOO EXCITED FOR HIM and he is doing AMAZING to the tune of a fast dramatic change already.
Regardless this has been super fun to watch and he is just soooo motivated! So now I have been doing more evening sessions while he gets in his workout and not feeling guilty about spending my evenings away at some indoor cycling session because now he is there with me. Did I mention how excited this makes me? I am also super excited about not setting an alarm tomorrow morning for the first time since 10/30. And when I get up, the husband and I will hit the gym together!!! This all seems like a big Christmas present to me!!!
4. I think after maybe 7 weeks of being sick, I FINALLY FEEL GOOD THIS WEEK! It's a christmas miracle!
Thursday, December 15, 2011
Decisions, decisions!!! 2012 Potential Schedule!
I have been giving a lot of thought to 2012 and there are lots more posts to come on this subject. I don't want to short change a few of the topics, so for now, here are some thoughts on my 2012 schedule.
First off, every year I like to try to keep it fresh and do something new every year. I love to race the local venues, but I feel the need to always try something new.
2006 - First year of tris- Completed sprints and olys
2007- Focused on Duathlons and First Half Iron
2008- More tris, a half, more marathons and even a couple 50K trail runs
2009- Focused on Xterra Tris, Mtn Biking and of course some tris and runs!
2010- First 140.6 (REV3 Cedar Point)
2011- Second 140.6 (REV3 Cedar Point) and Triple T Tri (4 races, 3 days, 140.6 hilly miles)
So I scratch my head now trying to figure out what I would like to do for 2012. For a number of reasons, I have decided to try to limit the race travel. My thought for the year is to continue to challenge myself and hopefully put down some stronger times at my key races (TTT, REV3CP) but also to sprinkle in something new and fresh to mix it up and this year I am thinking some more bike races.
So here is what I am currently debating between. And of course I already see some races I like that are not on there (Maumee Bay, Hinkley Du, ??). So stay tuned to see what I end up deciding.....
Green events are ones that I am pretty much 100% on.
1/15/2012 – Run for Regis 50K Run, http://winterrunforregis.blogspot.com/
1/22/11- CTC Indoor Tri at University of Akron, http://www.clevetriclub.com/events-menu/indoor-tri-menu.html (MAYBE, ONLY QUESTION IS RACE OR VOLUNTEER)
1/29/11- CTC Swim Challenge -100x100’s! http://clevetriclub.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=news&action=display&thread=6779
2/26/11 – CTC Indoor Tri at Twinsburg Rec (MAYBE, ONLY QUESTION IS RACE OR VOLUNTEER)
3/4/2012- Millcreek Distance Classic (Youngstown Half Marathon)- http://ytownrunners.org/Assets/2012%20Classic%20app.pdf
3/10/2012 – St Malachi Run – 5 Miler http://hermescleveland.com/roadracing/
3/18 – CTC Indoor Tri at CSU, (MAYBE, ONLY QUESTION IS RACE OR VOLUNTEER)
April 21 Races at the Lake, Munroe Falls, OH, Summit Freewheelers (CRIT ROAD BIKE RACE) OR TOLEDO MARY OR KENT ½ MARY (STILL DECIDING)
April 28 Races at the Lake, Munroe Falls, OH, Summit Freewheelers (CRIT ROAD BIKE RACE)
May 4-6 – CTC Training Camp at Mohican
May 12 Races at the Lake, Munroe Falls, OH, Summit Freewheelers (CRIT ROAD BIKE RACE)
May 20-22 – American Triple T Tri!!! Full irondistance over weekend, http://www.americantriple-t.com/
June 2- Mohican 100K Mtn Bike Race!! http://www.mohican100.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=59&Itemid=65
June 10- Sunday in June, 100 M Bike Ride, http://www.clevelandtouringclub.org/ridesandevents/sundayinjune
June 24th –Monroe Falls Sprint Tri, http://www.champracing.org/schedule.html
July 13-15 – Tour of the Valley – 3 Day Bike Stage Race, http://tourofthevalley.com/
July 29, 2012 - Giant Eagle Triathlon presented by HFP Racing, Oly tri, http://www.hfpracing.com/events/2012/giant-eagle-triathlon (MAYBE)
August 5, 2012 - Greater Cleveland Tri presented by North Coast Multisports, Olympic Tri
Some HALF TBD within reasonable driving distance (Thinking Steelhead (8/19) or Morgantown (6/24) or Musselman (7/15)
September 9, 2012, REV3 Cedar Point presented by REV3 Tri, Full 140.6, Cedar Point; Sandusky, OH, http://rev3tri.com/
Sept 29, 2012 – Akron Mary Relay, http://www.akronmarathon.org/
October 21, 2012 – Columbus Marathon, http://www.columbusmarathon.com/
Turkey trot and reindeer run too of course!!!
So any thoughts on something awesome I just need to do that I am leaving out???
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