Monday, August 31, 2009
Monday, August 24, 2009
Timberman Ironman 70.3
Well, it's done!
This weekend was the Timberman Triathlon, a half-ironman race. It consisted of a 1.2 mile swim, a 56 mile bike and a 13.1 run.
We got up to Lake Winnipesaukee on Friday evening just in time for check-in and packet pick-up. It is gorgeous up here! Ted found us a great rental house with a view of a lake and at the top of an insane driveway...hills are to be a theme for the week!
Race morning started off at 4:30...way too early! We had to leave the house early enough to get parking at the race site and we barely made it. Traffic is tough here as there is one entrance to the park and very limited parking on-site.
The actual race started 45 minutes late due to a car-accident somewhere on the bike course. Most of the local police and fire personnel were at their posts to control traffic and had to be temporarily taken away. Once things started we got to the beach just in time to see Ted off on his early wave.
Liz and I were in the same wave (pink caps!) and got to start together which was nice. We even swam together for the first bit of the race. Awesome! My swim went pretty well...the usual scrum at the start and a few kicks to the side but nothing too terrible. That is until the men's wave behind us caught up. All of a sudden yellow caps were everywhere as men swam over and around me. I kept my cool though and did much better than expected, considering my lack of swimming this training seaso. I got out of the water in just about 43 minutes.
The bike was ok. There were some hills for sure, even one called the "Marsh Hill Monstah" with a woman ("Simplicity the Clown") dressed up like the Devil on the side cheering everyone on. I am sure I could have gone faster but my legs just were not having it. I kept having to try and stretch out but the pain would go in/out. My stomach wouldn't take in solid foods very well but liquids and clif shot blocks/gels seemed to be fine. My time was 3 hours 36 minutes.
The run was a rough one...did way more walking than I would have liked, considering that the run has been my main focus. It was hot and hilly and two loops-it took a lot to keep going after running past the finish line at 6.5! It was nice to see friends time and time again on the out-and-back course though. I stopped and walked every water/gatorade stop which was a good thing. The last few miles my back really started seizing up which was no fun! Never have I been so happy to see a finish chute! Total run time was 2:21.
All together, I finished the total 70.3 miles in 6 hours and 47 minutes. Looking forward to my next one where I hope to improve on my previous times. Now on to the Marathon!
This weekend was the Timberman Triathlon, a half-ironman race. It consisted of a 1.2 mile swim, a 56 mile bike and a 13.1 run.
We got up to Lake Winnipesaukee on Friday evening just in time for check-in and packet pick-up. It is gorgeous up here! Ted found us a great rental house with a view of a lake and at the top of an insane driveway...hills are to be a theme for the week!
Race morning started off at 4:30...way too early! We had to leave the house early enough to get parking at the race site and we barely made it. Traffic is tough here as there is one entrance to the park and very limited parking on-site.
The actual race started 45 minutes late due to a car-accident somewhere on the bike course. Most of the local police and fire personnel were at their posts to control traffic and had to be temporarily taken away. Once things started we got to the beach just in time to see Ted off on his early wave.
Liz and I were in the same wave (pink caps!) and got to start together which was nice. We even swam together for the first bit of the race. Awesome! My swim went pretty well...the usual scrum at the start and a few kicks to the side but nothing too terrible. That is until the men's wave behind us caught up. All of a sudden yellow caps were everywhere as men swam over and around me. I kept my cool though and did much better than expected, considering my lack of swimming this training seaso. I got out of the water in just about 43 minutes.
The bike was ok. There were some hills for sure, even one called the "Marsh Hill Monstah" with a woman ("Simplicity the Clown") dressed up like the Devil on the side cheering everyone on. I am sure I could have gone faster but my legs just were not having it. I kept having to try and stretch out but the pain would go in/out. My stomach wouldn't take in solid foods very well but liquids and clif shot blocks/gels seemed to be fine. My time was 3 hours 36 minutes.
The run was a rough one...did way more walking than I would have liked, considering that the run has been my main focus. It was hot and hilly and two loops-it took a lot to keep going after running past the finish line at 6.5! It was nice to see friends time and time again on the out-and-back course though. I stopped and walked every water/gatorade stop which was a good thing. The last few miles my back really started seizing up which was no fun! Never have I been so happy to see a finish chute! Total run time was 2:21.
All together, I finished the total 70.3 miles in 6 hours and 47 minutes. Looking forward to my next one where I hope to improve on my previous times. Now on to the Marathon!
Monday, August 17, 2009
Longest run to date
Today I ran just about 15 miles.
I went a route that I hadn't mapped out before and forced myself to run for 2.5 hours. Surprisingly enough, I made it!
Last week was a little rough for training because of shin issues. I took it nice and easy and had planned to run 15 (or as far as I could manage) on Sunday morning. That plan got thwarted by a migraine that manifested itself at 4 am so instead, I took it easy. Had some Exedrin migraine, slept in, watched a little TV and then headed down to Georgetown for a baptism/luncheon.
This morning it was on.
I set the alarm for 5am, ate a quick breakfast and then went out.
Generally speaking, I felt pretty good. There were occasional twinges in my knee/pains in my shin but it went away. My stomach even behaved itself too! I was amazed. I ran with my old busted fuel belt and then carried a third bottle in my hand so the hydration was pretty good. I ate a gel on the Key bridge and managed to keep it down as well.
I tried using electrolyte tablets for the first time as well. I think that Hammer Endurolytes will become a mainstay for long, hot endurance days.
Here is a link to sort of where I went. Hard to account for some of the weird twists/turns off the roads.
Next stop....TIMBERMAN!
6 days and counting...
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Susan G. Komen founder receives Presidential Medal of Freedom
Ambassador Nancy G. Brinker Receives Presidential Medal of Freedom
Susan G. Komen for the Cure® Founder Given Nation’s Highest Civilian Honor for Work to Save Lives and End Breast Cancer ForeverWASHINGTON, D.C. – August 12, 2009 – Calling her a catalyst to ease suffering in the world, President Barack Obama today honored Susan G. Komen for the Cure® founder and cancer advocate Ambassador Nancy Goodman Brinker with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor.
Brinker, whose promise to her dying sister, Susan G. Komen launched the global breast cancer movement 27 years ago, received the Medal of Freedom for her leadership in building Komen for the Cure into a global force for change for people with breast cancer.
“One of the last things Suzy Komen did before she died was to have her sister Nancy make her a promise,” Obama said. “Nancy promised that she would prevent other families fighting breast cancer from suffering the way that her family had. What began as a shoe box with $200 and a list of friends has become a global Race for the Cure; a campaign that has eased the pain and saved the lives of millions of people around the world. In the months after making that promise, Nancy lay awake at night wondering if one person can really make a difference. Nancy’s life is the answer.”
Brinker is currently founding chair for the organization and Goodwill Ambassador for Cancer Control for the United Nations’ World Health Organization. She is a leading advocate for cancer control programs in the United States and around the world.
Under her leadership, Komen has built more than 120 Affiliate organizations in the United States and three abroad, with a presence in 50 countries, and has invested more than $1.3 billion into research and outreach programs since inception. Still, she notes, there is more to be done.
“We are, clearly, facing a global cancer crisis,” Brinker said. “Cancer is already killing more people than AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis combined. It will affect one in two men and one in three women in their lifetimes. Too little attention is being paid to the human suffering and the social and economic impacts of this disease, here in the U.S. and especially in countries with few resources to combat it.”
Brinker accepted the honor in her sister’s memory, and on behalf of 1.5 million Komen supporters worldwide. “For years, Komen’s friends and advocates have put in the long hours, and done the hard work, to raise awareness and end suffering from breast cancer,” she said.
She was one of 16 recipients of the honor at the White House today.
“Nancy G. Brinker’s unique passion and determination have been a blessing to all those whose lives have been touched by breast cancer,” the Medal of Freedom citation said.
Doing everything she can to end breast cancer foreverNancy Brinker’s story began in Peoria, Ill., with a promise to her sister, Susan Goodman Komen, that she would do everything she could to end breast cancer forever. Susan Komen died of breast cancer in 1980, at the age of 36, after a three-year battle with the disease. Brinker was diagnosed with breast cancer just two years later at age 37.
“At that time, you didn’t talk about breast cancer. There were no 800-numbers, no Internet. Our government didn’t spend much on breast cancer research. There were few major breast cancer centers. That’s the world we faced when Suzy was diagnosed. It’s a world I watched her suffer in, and it’s a world she wanted us to change,” Brinker said.
Determined to keep her promise, in 1982 Brinker launched what was then called the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation from her living room in Dallas. The name was changed to Susan G. Komen for the Cure in 2007.
Brinker overcame initial resistance to her efforts. “We found that potential sponsors didn’t want to be associated with cancer, especially a cancer of the breast. Papers didn’t want to print the words ‘breast cancer.’ It was very much an uphill battle,” Brinker said.
Nevertheless, she persevered, and in 1983 the first Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure® was run around a Dallas shopping mall with about 800 people. Today, more than 1.5 million people run annually in Komen Race for the Cure events in more than 120 U.S. and 14 international cities. This October, Komen will hold its first Race for the Cure around the Giza Pyramids in Cairo.
Along the way, Brinker pioneered the concept of “cause-related marketing” and established the color pink as the iconic representation for breast cancer. Today, almost 300 global and national companies are Komen sponsors, providing funding to help fulfill the organization’s promise to save lives and end breast cancer forever.
In 2001, Brinker was named U.S. Ambassador to Hungary, where she enlisted the aid of the U.S. State Department, local women, health professionals and non-governmental organizations in what she terms “global health diplomacy” to raise awareness for breast cancer in that country.
From there, Brinker and Komen launched an international breast cancer initiative, focused on low- to middle-income countries and building a presence in 50 countries in high-need areas, including Africa, Central and South America, Eastern Europe and the Middle East. Later, Brinker served as U.S. Chief of Protocol from 2007-2009, where she continued to engage world leaders in the need for global cancer control.
Susan G. Komen for the Cure® Founder Given Nation’s Highest Civilian Honor for Work to Save Lives and End Breast Cancer ForeverWASHINGTON, D.C. – August 12, 2009 – Calling her a catalyst to ease suffering in the world, President Barack Obama today honored Susan G. Komen for the Cure® founder and cancer advocate Ambassador Nancy Goodman Brinker with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor.
Brinker, whose promise to her dying sister, Susan G. Komen launched the global breast cancer movement 27 years ago, received the Medal of Freedom for her leadership in building Komen for the Cure into a global force for change for people with breast cancer.
“One of the last things Suzy Komen did before she died was to have her sister Nancy make her a promise,” Obama said. “Nancy promised that she would prevent other families fighting breast cancer from suffering the way that her family had. What began as a shoe box with $200 and a list of friends has become a global Race for the Cure; a campaign that has eased the pain and saved the lives of millions of people around the world. In the months after making that promise, Nancy lay awake at night wondering if one person can really make a difference. Nancy’s life is the answer.”
Brinker is currently founding chair for the organization and Goodwill Ambassador for Cancer Control for the United Nations’ World Health Organization. She is a leading advocate for cancer control programs in the United States and around the world.
Under her leadership, Komen has built more than 120 Affiliate organizations in the United States and three abroad, with a presence in 50 countries, and has invested more than $1.3 billion into research and outreach programs since inception. Still, she notes, there is more to be done.
“We are, clearly, facing a global cancer crisis,” Brinker said. “Cancer is already killing more people than AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis combined. It will affect one in two men and one in three women in their lifetimes. Too little attention is being paid to the human suffering and the social and economic impacts of this disease, here in the U.S. and especially in countries with few resources to combat it.”
Brinker accepted the honor in her sister’s memory, and on behalf of 1.5 million Komen supporters worldwide. “For years, Komen’s friends and advocates have put in the long hours, and done the hard work, to raise awareness and end suffering from breast cancer,” she said.
She was one of 16 recipients of the honor at the White House today.
“Nancy G. Brinker’s unique passion and determination have been a blessing to all those whose lives have been touched by breast cancer,” the Medal of Freedom citation said.
Doing everything she can to end breast cancer foreverNancy Brinker’s story began in Peoria, Ill., with a promise to her sister, Susan Goodman Komen, that she would do everything she could to end breast cancer forever. Susan Komen died of breast cancer in 1980, at the age of 36, after a three-year battle with the disease. Brinker was diagnosed with breast cancer just two years later at age 37.
“At that time, you didn’t talk about breast cancer. There were no 800-numbers, no Internet. Our government didn’t spend much on breast cancer research. There were few major breast cancer centers. That’s the world we faced when Suzy was diagnosed. It’s a world I watched her suffer in, and it’s a world she wanted us to change,” Brinker said.
Determined to keep her promise, in 1982 Brinker launched what was then called the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation from her living room in Dallas. The name was changed to Susan G. Komen for the Cure in 2007.
Brinker overcame initial resistance to her efforts. “We found that potential sponsors didn’t want to be associated with cancer, especially a cancer of the breast. Papers didn’t want to print the words ‘breast cancer.’ It was very much an uphill battle,” Brinker said.
Nevertheless, she persevered, and in 1983 the first Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure® was run around a Dallas shopping mall with about 800 people. Today, more than 1.5 million people run annually in Komen Race for the Cure events in more than 120 U.S. and 14 international cities. This October, Komen will hold its first Race for the Cure around the Giza Pyramids in Cairo.
Along the way, Brinker pioneered the concept of “cause-related marketing” and established the color pink as the iconic representation for breast cancer. Today, almost 300 global and national companies are Komen sponsors, providing funding to help fulfill the organization’s promise to save lives and end breast cancer forever.
In 2001, Brinker was named U.S. Ambassador to Hungary, where she enlisted the aid of the U.S. State Department, local women, health professionals and non-governmental organizations in what she terms “global health diplomacy” to raise awareness for breast cancer in that country.
From there, Brinker and Komen launched an international breast cancer initiative, focused on low- to middle-income countries and building a presence in 50 countries in high-need areas, including Africa, Central and South America, Eastern Europe and the Middle East. Later, Brinker served as U.S. Chief of Protocol from 2007-2009, where she continued to engage world leaders in the need for global cancer control.
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
FUNDRAISING kickoff!
Today I oficially kicked off my fundraising for the Susan G. Komen Marathon for the Cure.
My website has been up and running for a while but I've been dragging my feet somewhat on the actual 'ask'.
I'm not afraid of fundraising as I have done it many times before for Team In Training. I guess my problem is that it is really personal this time. I have no doubt that I will make my goal of $2500 but it is time to get serious!
Letter written? Check.
Email list compiled? Check.
Facebook group created? Check.
On a roll!
thanks to everyone who has supported me so far, both financially and emotionally. I really appreciate it!
My website has been up and running for a while but I've been dragging my feet somewhat on the actual 'ask'.
I'm not afraid of fundraising as I have done it many times before for Team In Training. I guess my problem is that it is really personal this time. I have no doubt that I will make my goal of $2500 but it is time to get serious!
Letter written? Check.
Email list compiled? Check.
Facebook group created? Check.
On a roll!
thanks to everyone who has supported me so far, both financially and emotionally. I really appreciate it!
Running Voices
JM sent me a link to the New York Times Health Section.
It is really amazing....inspirational stories from people training for marathons.
Check it out if you get a chance!
It is really amazing....inspirational stories from people training for marathons.
Check it out if you get a chance!
Shin Splints?
I bought something new yesterday to help with some minor shin pain that has been creeping up on the right side. It's called 'Shin Ice' and looks something like the picture to the left. It is basically a neoprene sleeve with an icepack that runs along where the shin should go. I am hoping that it starts to help! I have been trying out the RICE method for injuries:
R-rest
I-ice
C-compression
E-elevation
I really hope that is helps! Shin splints can be treated and it is possible to keep training with them, as long as they don't develop into something worse. So far, so good!
Long run, long swim. Long bike? Not so much!
Last Sunday called for a 12-mile run. And I actually did it! Thanks go out to SB for agreeing to come with me for most of it. Could not have done it without her! I felt generally pretty good, or as good as you can feel in opressive heat and a long distance run. My right shin has started to bother me again but I made it through the run which was all I had hoped for.
Monday evening I accomplished another goal..a long swim. I swam 1800 meters (nearly the race distance) in a new indoor 50-meter pool near my house. I was generally happy with it and am at least confident I can swim the 1.2 miles in NH. It may not be pretty but it will get done.
The bike is causing me the greatest anxiety. Even though I have a gorgeous brand-new bike I have not been getting enough miles in on a weekly basis. I am definitely nervous about that portion of the race. I am planning on swapping the saddle out for my old one this weekend and maybe even putting the aerobars on as well....anything to make the 56 miles just a little more comfortable. In either case, I think I have oficially begun to panic about this race. Gulp! 11 days.
Monday evening I accomplished another goal..a long swim. I swam 1800 meters (nearly the race distance) in a new indoor 50-meter pool near my house. I was generally happy with it and am at least confident I can swim the 1.2 miles in NH. It may not be pretty but it will get done.
The bike is causing me the greatest anxiety. Even though I have a gorgeous brand-new bike I have not been getting enough miles in on a weekly basis. I am definitely nervous about that portion of the race. I am planning on swapping the saddle out for my old one this weekend and maybe even putting the aerobars on as well....anything to make the 56 miles just a little more comfortable. In either case, I think I have oficially begun to panic about this race. Gulp! 11 days.
Thursday, August 6, 2009
RIP, bike rack
My bike rack was stolen last week.
Right off my car, right on Connecticut Ave. Crazy!
I filed a police report today after my friend 'Nancy Drew" saw what she thought was this very rack on a car in Dupont Circle. Figures that it would be on another Jetta as well.
I'll be watching out for it now. I figure that the thief has to have some connection to the red line...red bike rack, stolen from Van Ness on the red line and spotted in Dupont. Also on the red line. Time to call Dick Tracy.
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