the post where I tell a story and then link to other bloggers who write a funnier version

I'm fully aware that title is too long.

My husband literally does everything. He flies planes. He fixes stuff around the house. He calms down his wife who might start having a panic attack about life at any given moment. He can even do that from another state. It's impressive. He's superman, really.

In general I'm pretty used to him being away. But with the whole being-an-adult-and-trying-to-sell-our- first-house-and-move-to-England thing, I really miss my partner. Maybe more so because there is so much to do, and in my head I have "plenty of time" because I'm not working right now....somehow that adds to the pressure.  No Excuses, housewife! But it doesn't change the fact that the to-do list is a little overwhelming and sometimes confusing and things in the house seem to be breaking right about when we're trying to leave and blah blah blah.

Sometimes I wonder...how did I get here? I wasn't supposed to be a housewife.  What is going on? HOW DO I ESCAPE? WHY IS DAVE ALWAYS FLYING HIS PLANE TO FAR AWAY PLACES???

Buuuut, I know the answer. I chose it. It's hard to remember why sometimes, but I chose to be where I am right now.  I so do not regret the decisions I have made. Sometimes I do have to rewind a little and remind myself, otherwise I spiral into labeling myself as a quitter or something else terrible, untrue and useless.

I fell in love with superman at age 21 and never looked back. I went into the Air Force super blue and in love.....oh, how perfect. Off we go, into the wild blue yonder...But 4 years later superman was still by my side when I wanted to rip my hair out daily. I so wanted to hang on to the Air Force for all the reasons I wanted to join in the first place, but life is not about being miserable at a job where you don't feel like you are making a difference. Many argued I was....but that's another internal battle in my mind :) I was definitely overly-confident about how "easy" it was going to be to have my own career in the civilian world with that whole moving around part, but I think it was good I had those blinders on. Dave is always a voice of reason and a source of endless support....good qualities to have in a spouse. And that is why I feel content with where I am & how I got here. I am excited for the near future....we finally get to go on our European honeymoon. For 3 years, woot! I have seen so little of the world. And we've had so much fun so far that I'm even fairly confident that the more distant future will be fun as well...whether that means housewife, mom and/or super career woman when Dave is retired at age 42.  I'm keeping my options open, haha.      

So when I read this post by one of the most hilarious bloggers I follow, it was pretty amazing. Seriously, if you took the time to read my post, you'll appreciate this comic relief (caution: do not drink liquids while reading).  No kiddos yet, but that moment in life when you wonder "How did I get here?" and then realize you are actually happy at the same time....

While I'm referencing blog posts that I love, this one about letting go is also worth a read if you are in some sort of "oh-my-god-how-did-I-get-here" stage in your life.  I love her closing remarks.  

Superman flies back home today.  Win.

Oink Oink

Today I had sort of a slow, off, feeling unproductive-type day. Mostly I was getting frustrated that I couldn't find things around the house...and that makes me go a little crazy & I turn into the tazmanian devil and lose focus on what I need to get done. But anyway, as I was going through my card box, I found this. Just at the right time.

An old laugh (from 2007!) from one of my favorite cousins who happens to live in Germany right now. We're gonna be Europe buddies! Really excited.

The oink oink part is a bit of an inside joke....but you don't even need to be on the inside. Look at that kid :)

I found so many old thoughtful cards and notes from friends and family.  Don't undersestimate the power of a thoughtful card or a funny face :)

Good night, Monday!

Cupcakes & Salads

If baking has become a relaxing stress reliever, does that mean I am getting old? I don't know. But I can definitely see why so many people cook, bake and blog. I could do this all day.

I've been having somewhat of a...cupcake obsession.

I guess it started a couple weeks ago when I made some Margarita Cupcakes. Oh. Em. G.

I can't do more than pictures for you here.  Just make them!

 

My first attempt at making Vegan Vanilla Cupcakes failed. NOT BECAUSE OF THE RECIPE. Because my experiement with the recipe. They were going to be for a friend's 1 year old's b-day par-tay that we didn't end up making it to. I made them with almond flour instead of all purpose...an unplanned and fatal move for the cupcake. I didn't realize I was out of all purpose flour and had just bought (the really expensive) almond flour to experiment with a couple other low carb recipes. I even googled substitution rules, thinking I was avoiding the upcoming disaster. This one:

The only precaution I took was adding more baking powder. As the "cupcakes" were bubbling and overflowing, they smelled awfully good. Seriously. So I decided to scrap out this mixture into a bowl and taste it. I ended up with what I would call somewhat of a very tasty almond crumble crisp.

I would have to refine the recipe to avoid another volcanic overflow of the muffin pan, but I thought "maybe I'm on to something here...." Just not cupcakes.

Round 2 with all purpose flour worked much better. 

Wa-la! Delicious. Except the frosting was kind of off. Probably because I used coconut oil instead of shortening, and it wanted to melt. Delicious flavor, though. 

My obsession has apparently also applied to my choice in dog treats. I got home after buying these and thought 'what is up with the cupcakes?!'

Ok, let's get healthy. 

A friend recently sent me an article with a bunch of healthy living tips and reminders, one being "Decorate Your Plate." I'll be honest, I didn't have the article in mind per se when I threw this salad together, by it is super colorful and healthy and delicious. I made it 5 times this week. Romaine lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, green onion, sliced almonds, some (ok maybe too many) sunflower kernels, chickpeas, BLUEBERRIES and some lite balsamic dressing. I'll be honest...it's pretty amazing. Add chicken or salmon.

And the workout recovery drink I've been making for post-Insanity....COLOR! I stole it from here. But the color really is energizing.  

Yesterday I did a local 4-mile road race, and then I ate another cupcake. I guess I'm not completely over it. Ok the race isn't REALLY relevant to the cupcake. But I did run really. hard. After, I went wedding dress shopping with a friend and we went to this bakery recommended by her boss. SNICKERS!

Jrae's Snickers Cupcake.  Token Oreo cake pop.  

Today was my rest day for Insanity. But I have regularly been thinking about engaging my core more in everyday activities, I found myself doing squats as I knelt down to wrap the vacuum cord up this morning and I just started doing the Heisman in the kitchen while waiting for water to boil earlier this evening...a healthy kind of addiction, Shaun T-brainwash I think. Loving Insanity and feeling fantastic. Thanks, Shaun T.

I love the colorful fruits and veggies, but I LOVE cupcakes and Insane workouts. Be healthy and enjoy life. Balance.

My mouth is cleared to move to England. Progress.

I've been out of the Air Force for almost 2 years now. I'm starting to forget my own SSN. #dependentproblems

At the same time, the Air Force still won't accept me as a dependent. For medical appointments I don't come up as Dave's dependent, I come up as a Reserve Captain. Perfect.

Also, without "complaining" too much about fraud, waste and abuse, I'm going to mention that it is something that really irritates me. It always did when I was on Active Duty but now I still see it as "the spouse" in the very few encounters I actually have directly with the base. And we have no room for fraud, waste or abuse anywhere in this country or in the military.  

Ever since I left the Air Force, I've felt fortunate to get to see off-base providers for my eye and dental exams. Yeah, I'll say it. My exams have been the most thorough since they were when I was still under my Dad's insurance before coming into the Air Force. Heck I get two cleanings per year now instead of one. In December I had the little wing x-rays at the dentist. Last month, I got the full x-ray. Now that we are PCSing overseas to England, I have to get medically cleared by the base to go, which is fine. But instead of recognizing that dependents aren't seen on base for things like eyes and dental and asking when I was at the dentist last, if/when I had x-rays, and possibly just requesting them from the off-base provider (seriously, even the place we board our dogs is this "advanced" and pulls records from our vet), they have me come in and tell me I'm overdue for a dental exam. Uh, well yeah. In YOUR antiquated way of doing things. But my teeth and eyes are spectacular, if you're wondering. So I take up a half hour appointment to get x-rays I just had to hear "your teeth look great.  you are good to go." Yeah. I know. I'm sorry, but this is not the first or second or third time I've felt one of my appointments is just a complete waste. Of my time, yes. But more importantly the dentist's and his crew.

We should have been proactive and asked questions about what the appointment was all about and prevented it ourselves. I forgot, that's the only option in being efficient.

This isolated incident is not that big of a deal in itself, but it's the fact that I think there are some critical thinking skills missing and this has to be affecting other processes and operations.

Maybe I will call them and tell them. I won't get into how I think that would go.

But my mouth is cleared for overseas travel, so that's good. I just hope my sarcasm fits in perfectly with the dry humor.

And although fraud, waste and abuse ticks me off, the only thing really stressing me out and bringing me to tears about once a week is trying to figure out how the hell to get the dogs to the UK (really, more trying to coordinate with our travel as well). I'm still finding new and different information all the time, and you can only go in circles for so long before you get dizzy and fall down.

I'm less worried about the vet and health certificates...that is pretty clear. Travel logistics is the horrendous part. But I'll get my puppies there as scary and nervewracking as the process may be. Too much love for them.

Flash that healthy bright smile...we're moving to England, we're moving to England.....

Rev3 Williamsburg Race Report

I'm now a few weeks into a new fitness journey (Insanity....loving it, actually.  I just think Shaun T should affiliate himself with a different company:)). I thought I better wrap up my Rev3 triathlon race report before I forget that fun little adventure.  Race day was completely exciting and enjoyable.  A blast! I totally stole this race report format from an Ironman finisher, too.  This is pretty detailed, so maybe those thinking of doing a tri will learn a few things and experienced triathletes may just be amused.

REV3 WILLIAMSBURG OLYMPIC TRIATHLON

LEVEL 1: PREPARATION
As we prepared to leave for the almost 3-week trip to Virginia, Michigan and then Chicago, I tried to have my priorities straight and first made sure to use my USA triathlon membership card race day checklist, along with the one provided by Rev3, to make sure I was packing everything I needed for the race.  This was way more complicated than preparing for a run.  I guess I knew this from doing the sprint tri a couple years ago, but this triathlon was across the country not across the street, and I didn't want to forget anything critical.  Like my bike.  Plus all the little things.  In the end I did forget little things, like baby powder.  But nothing too expensive that I couldn't grab after we left Kansas.

Real preparation started when we got to Woodbridge, VA.  When we could finally stop driving, see our good friends and relax for an evening before driving down to Williamsburg.  Being able to relax of course starts out with getting the dogs a little worn out.  We met Jack at a dog park by their house where Teddy and Ellie met up with Tater.  Jack and Angela took us to dinner at Cock and Bowl, a quaint little European bistro in Occoquan.  Mussels and 60+ Belgian-style beers.  Sounds like race prep to me.  

This also included Friday's crash course on changing a flat given by Dave & Jack.  I said many small prayers that I wouldn't have to change my first during this race.

LEVEL 2: PRE-RACE
Pre-race started when we got to Williamsburg late Friday after fighting lots of traffic (this happens throughout the entire state of Virginia, during all times of the day.  You can't get away from it).  When we arrived, I loaded up on a 1/2 pound of carrot cake at a bistro called Second Street.  Nik ate the other half.  We had each ordered a "piece" not realizing it was Colassal, so the waiter made a good assumption that we only needed one. Funny.  And it was fabulous. A 1/2 lb was plenty...I didn't need to be hulling around a carrot cake in my stomache Sunday morning. Oh yeah, I had Quail for dinner.  Dave drank a bottle of wine.  I was "good" and had one local brew.

   We headed back to the hotel to get some sleep so we could get up for the practice swim.  Fast forward to the morning.  This is when it got real! It was a long, fun day of prep.  First we drove out to T1 (transition 1....where you get on your bike after getting out of the water)/the water.  It was then that I realized my packing was horrible as usual and that things were not properly organized.  I had a bunch of stuff in my bag that I didn't need to take down there, making the bag heavy.  A massage stick, extra clothes, extra goggles, caps, etc.  Note- don't use the bag you want to carry around as storage for everything you brought.  So I was just throwing stuff everywhere in the back of Dave's truck. A sight, I'm sure.

It was about a 5 minute walk down to the water at Jamestown Beach Park.  Triathletes were swarming everywhere.  Some getting in the water, some getting out, some just looking at the water :)

View of starting area

People were visiting and talking about triathlete things....things that were probably not even thoughts in my little triathlete rookie mind.  But the biggest topic of conversation was "wetsuit or no wetsuit."  I had paid to reserve/rent one a couple weeks before, in my mind assuming we would definitely need them and not really thinking about the possibility of not needing them.  At dinner Nik had told me that the water temperature was borderline for the rules.  The USA triathlon rule states:

4.4 Wet suits. Each age group participant shall be permitted to wear a wet suit without penalty in any event sanctioned by USA Triathlon up to and including a water temperature of 78 degrees Fahrenheit. When the water temperature is greater than 78 degrees, but less than 84 degrees Fahrenheit, age group participants may wear a wet suit at their own discretion, provided however that participants who wear a wet suit within this temperature range shall not be eligible for prizes or awards. Age group participants shall not wear wet suits in water temperatures equal to or greater than 84 degrees Fahrenheit. The wetsuit policy for elite athletes shall be determined by the USAT Athletes Advisory Council. The AAC has set the wetsuit maximum temperature for elite athletes at 68 degrees for swim distances less than 3000 meters and 71.6 degrees for distances of 3000 meters or greater. Any swimmer wearing a wetsuit with a thickness measured in any part greater than 5 millimeters shall be disqualified.

So, there ya go.  After Nik headed in the water Jack and I walked in.  I didn't have my wetsuit yet because we were picking them up later that day.  I hadn't been too concerned about how the water would feel since Nik told us it was almost 78 degrees anyway.  It felt so good! After getting used to swimming while looking at blackness below me again, I swam out to the first buoy just to see how far that felt.  By then, I was thinking there is no way I would want to be wearing a wetsuit at this temperature.  Interesting! Like I said, I hadn't even thought of this scenario as a new triathlete a bit overwhelmed and unfamiliar with all the ins and outs.

Post-practice swim

We got breakfast at a bakery called Aromas in historic colonial Williamsburg.  I had the breakfast burrito with Chorizo. Right choice.  So good.  We walked around the quaint little downtown area, which literally took about 6 minutes :) We then headed to the "expo," near T2 (the area where you drop off your bike and start running during the race).  We checked in and picked up our registration packets/bags full of crap we needed....athlete wristband, race number bib, body marking tattoos, timing chip, bike stickers, swim to bike bag, dry clothes bag.  Being a triathlete is complicated :). It took me a while to wrap my head around the idea of the "swim to bike" and "dry clothes" bags, both of which were for T1.  But no bag for T2?  The dry clothes bag was for the stuff you were wearing in the morning before hopping in the water.  The swim to bike bag was for stuff like cap, goggles and wetsuit after getting out of the water.  Simple enough, I guess.  But what about T2?? Haha.  Here is T2:

T2

It was time to go back to the hotel and grab our bikes, which needed to be dropped off back at T1 where we had been that morning.  Back and forth, back and forth (it was about 6 miles between the 2 locations).  As we were loading up the bikes, Jack noticed a gash in one of Nik's tires.  Oh s***.  This stuff does happen right before the race, people! So we went back to the expo where there is a bike mechaical support team.  Nik's bike goes in the queue.  When it was ready we took the bikes down to T1 and dropped them off in the swarm of bikes, to be guarded by some Marines overnight.  So weird to have so many crazy expensive bikes in one location overnight.

T1

We ate some seriously fabulous Italian food at Maurizio's (you can see that food is critical to my race weekend experience. Duh :)  I seriously fought the urge to get just one fabulous glass of wine to go with it....I beat the urge.  We were running out of time to get a good night's sleep.  We headed back to the hotel at about 8:30 and the rain had started.  I don't think that during all of the race prep chaos I had even BOTHERED to think about the weather.  Or I at least wasn't tracking it that day.  And apparently in my mind it was obviously going to clear up by morning.  Obviously.

LEVEL 3: RACE DAY
My alarm went off at 4:15.  The adrenaline reminded me that hitting snooze and sleeping longer than I should would only add to my nerves, so I popped out of bed and got dressed.  Lights on.  Nik made pancakes (I don't know how many triathlons it takes to build that step into your 4 a.m. wake up routine, but wow).  And we notice it is raining.  Grreeaat.  I'm still not panicking....just do what everyone else does, Breanne.  Nik was ready to leave on time, I was almost ready and Jack was definitely not ready  :-p Dave drove us down to T2 (to drop off stuff at our spot where we start the run) at about 5:20.  It was raining good....luckily I found a plastic grocery bag in the door of Dave's truck to throw my shoes and socks in....HOW DID I NOT PLAN FOR THIS? Haha.  Shocking.  Although let's face it, I was the one still grabbing baby powder for my feet at 8:45 the night before.  Most people had big garbage bags.  I felt like such a newb!

We got in line for the shuttle to take us to T1, but it was very very long and we were just becoming a soppy mess.  Excellent.  While Dave parked, Jack and I made the best of standing in line and we spent most of the time waiting talking to an older couple who noticed my U of M shirt.  They had a Michigan connection and loved to watch U of M swimming.  The woman was watching her husband race the Olympic distance.  Just a really friendly couple.  Really helped distract me from the fact that I wanted to puke as I got nervous.  We finally got on the bus shortly after Dave walked a mile from where he parked (seriously, so many logistics....yet I still found this race pretty awesome).  As the bus pulled away, someone said "well, we made it on the bus.  that's the first hurdle."  Without missing a beat, Jack yelled "what? there's hurdles in this race??" Everyone busted out laughing.  The comic relief was good at that point because everyone was a little on edge about the long line and the shuttles being backed up.  T2 was supposed to close at 6:40 (meaning you had to have everything set up in that area by that time...the dry clothes bag and swim to bike bag, and be out of there).

SWIM
We made it out of T1 with some time to spare, but they did have to leave it open a little longer as buses of athletes were still en route.  We went to the bathroom one last time, threw a bunch of sunscreen on and walked from T1 to the water (a good 1/4 to 1/2 mile as well, haha).  At this point I realized I didn't have any water with me and of course was thirsty.  There was a table of drinks and volunteers set up for the transition and they gave me some gatorade.  The race start was delayed a little bit, but the rain had stopped and that was pretty awesome.  The Half distance racers started first in waves by age and gender.  They closed the gap between waves from 5 min to 3 to make up for a little lost time.  Um, I had to go to the bathroom again pretty close to our start times.  Jack made the "joke" that those hanging out in the water were taking care of business and I don't think I caught it at first.  It wasn't until I actually took his advice and went and sat down in the water that it occurred to me....that is why people are sitting in the water.  Yup.

I watched the waves start in front of me and got more nervous/excited.  I lined up in the chute when the announcer gave us the 3 minute warning.  I pressed my goggles onto my face and threw Dave a couple smiles.  The announcer counted down to our start and I casually started walking out into the water after crossing the timing mat, getting my bearings.  I walked as far as I could, why not.  I remember being paranoid that the chip tied around my ankle would fall off during the swim.  Between constantly checking that, looking to make sure I was going the right direction, looking to make sure I wasn't about to plow over someone (only happened once), there was enough to focus on during the swim.  The current was pushing us out a bit, so that helped a little from the start to the first buoy.  But then you had to make a right, and then another right to get back to the beach.  So the water pushing us out on the second and third legs was not helpful.  Too confusing? Anyway, I just kept thinking about how I swam to the island on the Big Manistique Lake as a kid.  This was cake! It helped me to not freak out.  After turning around the second buoy, people were fairly spread out.  And I had to pee again! I quickly thought...pee now while still swimming- 2 birds with one stone.  Or waste time in the porta-potty when I get out and lose momentum? I looked behind me to make sure I wasn't peeing in someone's face.  I was considerate.   

Finishing the swim

T1
It was a great feeling running out of the water with everyone there cheering.  I ran over the mat and followed the path across the field to T1.  I was trying to move at a pretty good clip, but in the back of my mind I was also thinking "shit, this is the bike."  I wanted to get clipping into my bike OVER WITH.  Between running from the water to T1, getting my shoes, gloves and helmet on and getting to the mounting line, I used 7 1/2 minutes.  Not bad (for me).  I ran my bike up to the road, passed the mounting line and hopped on.  This was it! I was on.

BIKE

Starting the bike

This is what really sticks out in my mind from the bike:  Me going pretty damn slow.  A lot of people passing me, some even asking me if I was ok, especially when I would stop just so I could take water from my water bottle (people were SO nice).  Everyone being so spread out that sometimes I wondered if I was even on the correct route.  The moment I realized that while the interesections were blocked off, the roads weren't closed and a couple cars seemed to be those ones who don't care about bikers (I was always as far to the right as I could be...cars scare me).  The lady who decided to pass me ON A SHORT HILL and then not give me the required distance between us (3 bike lengths).  Instead, she passed me and then drastically slowed down right in front of me....on the hill.  I thought I was going down.  Seeing the sign for 14 miles and thinking I had gone more like 20.  The Rev3 signs that said  "CAUTION," but nothing else.....what was ahead?!?! And the volunteer who was yelling "rough road ahead" after I had just gone over what I would call rough road.....so really, what was ahead?? I breaked on a lot of hills.  And the sweet relief of being at the end and knowing all I had to do was dismount and run :)

 T2
This one was pretty simple....throw shoes, visor and running belt on and go! Apparently it only took me 1:05.  I still wonder if this is accurate, but I don't think I wasted too much time.

RUN
I really tried to keep my pace up in the beginning because it is easier to get a good pace and hold it than start slow and then feel tired anyway.  I knew once I got to the turn-around at 3.1 (it was an out and back) I could definitely let my mental strength carry me.  For the Half distance athletes, the run route was the out and back x 2.  That sounded a bit like mental torture to me, but it was really cool seeing all the athletes at different points along the course.   You were constantly passing runners going in the opposite direction.  I really pulled from my running strength as well as the strength I was watching in others to get me through the 6.2 miles.  I felt pretty good overall.  The last 1.5 was rough, to be expected.  What was really awful was getting back to the finish line area/chute and having to go past it, run down another hill and then back up before actually going down the chute.  These race organizers were sick! Haha.  At the athlete briefing the day before, the guy said "there are a few hills along the run course to keep the athletes honest." Hilarious.  A few? It was very hilly.  But a good challenge for me.

LEVEL 4: FINISH
It was so awesome getting to the chute.  Rev3 is big on allowing athlets to run down the chute with their loved ones.  I wish I would have thought of this and grabbed Dave! But it felt so good finishing and I didn't have much left I guess.  The announcer mentioned my name as I came through, but then immediately after crossing the mat and slowing down, the second place male pro finisher  (yes, for the Half distance....more than double what I did :) was finishing and totally stole my race finish thunder! Haha.  The finish area was split into two lines on the left and right.  I was in the slightly backed up right line (as people got towels, medals and shirts), and one of the volunteers said I could go to the other side.  That would have required walking across camera and interrupting the pro finisher interview.  Maybe that was my moment of fame and I should have taken it, hehe.  But then no one gave me a medal and I was starting to wonder if they were only for the Half finishers.  It was like panic set it...this would have been so upsetting!  Then a lady finally asks me what size shirt, and asks me if I got a medal.
*Sigh of relief.*
I wanted some Williamsburg bling for my first Olympic distance race.

LEVEL 5: POST-FINISH

I snapped a few photos with Dave, my support crew.  We waited for Jack to finish to cheer him on.  We got some pasta and salad, and then watched more finishers.  Watching people finish was a lot of fun.  Great atmosphere.  People finished with their spouses, kids, newborn babies, unborn babies/pregnant wives, dogs.  The best one to watch was a lady who raced with her special needs daughter.  She pulled her in a kayak, she pulled her on her bike and she pushed her in a running stroller on the run.  I get choked up just thinking about it.  Here she is finishing:

 Yes, I do it all for the bling.  And having fun with friends.  And seeing amazing people like Jenna above, along with people who overcome all sorts of obstacles in training and racing to finish. And the post-finish beer.

Cheers to more triathlons in the future!

My Results

Now if you want, back up with me.  My training journey wasn't really a blast, but it is important for me to reflect on it because in the end it was worth the pain.  Every time I train, I learn.  And so should you!

After the USMC Marathon, I was in pretty awesome shape.  But then, in post-marathon fashion, I sort of got lazy.  I took a "break." A 2 month break.  When we got to Washington, I was really looking forward to building up my fitness level before my official tri training began.  I got back in the pool after many years.....weird.  I biked (spinned) my butt off in the safety of the gym, all the while thinking about the clipless pedals I would have to eventually face.  And of course, I ran.  Outdoors on base whenever I could.  

4 Feb: Official training plan started.  I was on a little training high! I looked forward to checking each workout off and felt really accomplished afterward.  There were 9 (3 of each swim, bike and run) workouts per 6 days (1 rest day).  I would usually swim and bike on the same day since I was going to the gym anyway.  And then the run day was somewhat of a "rest" (stress-free) day for me since I'm obsessed with it;  it's not only a workout for me but a stress-reliever.  Sunday was the day of rest... but I eventually changed rest day to Saturday since that is the only day of the week Dave had free. 

18ish Mar: Burnout after about 6 weeks.  I don't recall doing much for about 3 weeks.  And I didn't even care.  It was a weird feeling, because I DIDN'T EVEN CARE. Never happened before.  Granted the training for the first couple marathons I did was shotty, but for the last couple, I would have been FREAKING about my lack of caring.  Because I know how necessary the training is from experience/the pain of not training and, well, my education.  And common sense.  It wasn't until I was in Seattle visiting some friends that I realized what happened.  I was possibly slightly buzzed ranting to my friend Mike about how I didn't understand what had happend and he casually suggested "It sounds like you just burned yourself out."  Huh.  Burnout.  I had heard of this thing....but it was foreign to me until now.  It's true....I did train really, really hard for 6 weeks and didn't focus on much else.  That in itself I found out didn't work for me.  When training is the only thing you have going on, or your only "obligation," it's not that great.  Things were out of balance.     

20 Apr: I started getting back into things.  Missed a few weeks, NBD (eeeek).  I decided there was nowhere to go but up and I HAD to go up or this triathlon wasn't happening.  I also decided to add some weights into the mix and hang out with the meatheads.  I really think if I had my own weight room at home I could get into it big time.  But I hate the weightlifting environment.  And I hate how most lifters see little value in aerobic fitness or endurance.  I know I'm generalizing, but it's pretty accurate.  A lifting buddy definitely helps too.  I made zero effort in finding one of those.  I have to admit, this routine only lasted about 2 weeks (not proud. NOT PROUD).  But at least I was getting back on track with the 3 main disciplines. 

6 May: Pinched nerve

Or was I?? I was swimming my laps and all of the sudden BAM.  I felt a sharp pain in my right upper back/shoulder (the exact location is kind of fuzzy now) as I stroked with my right arm and started to pull through.  I couldn't keep swimming because the pain hardly allowed me to.  I stopped at the wall and started rubbing it.  But I could feel it; this was serious.  I got out after only about 400 meters.  I continued rubbing it throughout the day, used Icy Hot, used ice and heat.  But I could barely sleep because whenever I rolled over/moved my head I felt excruciating pain.  I scheduled what I call an emergency massage (because I still hadn't started the responsible routine of getting one regularly when I'm beating up my body 6 days a week.  I did have one on March 25th but hey-yo, I skipped April).  I already had one scheduled for 2 weeks later and I kept that appointment as well.  I vowed: from now on- Posture, water, stretching. 

3 Jun: Sick! Seriously.  While we were trying to eat fairly healthy while in WA (both in training that demanded a lot), perhaps I was enjoying too much fantastic wine and beer and going out too often :)  After Dave's graduation weekend, we were dragging a bit on Sunday packing up the whole house.  Our departure all of the sudden came so soon and we were trying to see friends/say goodbyes, use gift certificates, pack up and I, of course, was scrambling to acquire some local wines and brews to take back to share.  By the time we got to Missoula on Monday night, we were beat.  We had vouchers for a free drink at the bar and as I sat back and relaxed, I noticed my throat was sore.....dun dun DUN. No bueno.  Sore throat, ears and complete exhaustion took over my body over the course of the drive back home.  We managed to enjoy Yellowstone a bit, during which time I started a nightly dose of NyQuil.  Throughout the rest of the week and weekend,  I decided to inquire with Rev3 about switching to the Olympic Distance (instead of the Long Course or "Half IM").  They wrote me back giving me the option and until Monday morning to let them know.  

9 Jun: Swallowed my pride and decided to race the Olympic distance.  The training I did put in + some of setbacks was a better recipe for a strong Olympic race than a miserable Half.   

18 Jun: Depart for Virginia! That night, in a quiet little Sleep Inn just past St. Louis, my ear pain returned with a vengeance.  Excruciating.  Swallowing woke me up and I was in tears within a few minutes.  I found urgent care the next morning and figured out that, like I was hoping for the last couple weeks, I didn't need antibiotics.  But there was fluid in my ear wreaking HAVOC.  Wow I all of the sudden felt so badly for babies & kids with ear infections.  Because if that wasn't an ear infection, holy crap I don't ever want to feel one in my adult life.  I'm sure I had one as a baby?  I got all of kinds of stuff from the Doc to relieve the pain and keep things moving through all the canals and was feeling 100 x better throughout the day.  T-4 days until the race, haha.  And the rest is history. 

Derby Rock N' Route Tri

Unfortunately, I do not have a race report.  Just a race DAY report.  It went like this:

3 Aug:

2100: We begin tracking the weather and continue to check obsessively on both phones, hoping to see something other than 90% chance of thunderstorms all morning.  Maybe we should have just not looked...

2230-0510: Pretty rough sleep. Some lightening, some thunder.  Some anxiety about race morning.

4 Aug:

0515: After my alarm goes off, the adrenaline starts pumping through my slightly tired body.  I get up, go to the bathroom, get dressed, wash face, brush teeth, get dogs up, make some toast with peanut butter....watch the rain come down.  Watch storms on the radar, but still feel pretty excited. 

0615ish:  Leave the house for the triathlon...staying "hopeful."  Pull into park near the transition area and see no one is near the pool, but there are plenty of people setting up in transition and running around in the rain.  We park, and I realize I forgot my rain coat that I set out the night before with my tri suit.  How does this happen? I have no idea.  But I'm mad, haha.  We unload our bikes and JUST as we do this it starts pouring harder.  We throw our bikes on the rack and observe the mess of soaked gear under everyone's bikes.  Although some very wise and probably experiened racers have plastic bins with lids.....noted.  While we're out there, they make the announcement that transition will stay open until 710 and the start has moved to (tentatively) 0730 (back from 0640 and 0700, respectively).  We head to the truck with our bags.  Well, I'm soaked.  So with the extra time, we drive 3 minutes back home to get a dry shirt and my raincoat.  

0640: We get back and park in one of the last spots in that parking lot (otherwise it's up the block and across the street in a different parking lot).  We start thinking about how this isn't going to be too much fun.  Not only was it raining this morning, but it's been raining for days and there are flood warnings.  All I could think about was the roads and the bike...1) Even if it wasn't storming when the tri started, what if you're in the middle of the bike and it starts? Ride faster? To get away from the lightening? I felt this was a bad idea because 2) There were probably lakes all over the roads.

0650ish: They make another announcement that they will provide an update in 5-10 minutes.  We hang out in the truck until about 0700 and walk over to transition with our bags.  By now, the adrenaline has worn off and I'm just feeling tired.  Dave is not feeling in the mood to do it.  We run into a friend of his from the base (who is already bodymarked and chipped...bringing up the same thought in my head for the 15th time....are we quitters???) and talk about the conditions.  

0710: We grab our bikes and head back to the truck.  I was still wanting to hear that update so we walked back to hang out in the rain and listen to the decision.  We wonder....what radar were they looking at...?  Then Dave's friend mentions they are looking at re-doing the bike route? Must have been concerned about water on the road.  We see some others head out with their bikes, but not many overall.  At this point, something hits me as I watch people dash around in the pouring rain like "hardcore" pros...with a walk that screams 'I'm doing this even if they cancel it.'  I've run 5 marathons, I've done a couple tris....my ultimate goal is an Ultra distance tri....but I must not have the super crazy gene.  Or my crazy gene has some sort of mutation that makes me not want to do a tri in the pouring rain/FORECASTED LIGHTENING.  Would I be reacting differently or feeling more daring if I had invested more than 3 minutes travel time and more money?  Yeah, it was a time of observation and reflection :)

Waiting, waiting, waiting

0737:  About 40 minutes after they say there will be another update, they announce that they hope for an 0815 start.  We decide to leave.....disappointed that it wasn't rescheduled (honestly I was just kind of hoping for a couple big lightening strikes....) and that this was our last chance to do this little smalltown tri.  I was mostly excited for Dave to complete his first one.  

We don't regret our decision...maybe with more experience on the road it wouldn't have seemed as bad.  Maybe we should have trusted the city of Derby to watch the weather for us, and maybe we just need new weather apps (but Dave has a lot of very good weather resources that are reliable a lot of the time).  It never did storm badly, but as I was fixing a nice breakfast at home it started POURING more at about 8:40.  I would have just been starting my bike.  All of our landscaping was basically flooded and our street looked like Zachary River.   

Also, when we got home, I almost fell getting out of the truck.  Then I proceeded to stub my toe badly getting out of the shower.  Then I tripped in the kitchen making breakfast.  And then when I sat down to write, I spilled coffee on my desk.  

That sealed it....I was too uncoordinated this morning to complete a triathlon and probably would have crashed my bike in the road lake :) Ok maybe not, but wow what a rollercoaster of decision-making.  

So now we're having a nice family day on this rainy Sunday.  Drinking coffee with the dogs under our feet and making England plans.....life is good.  And I really do hope those folks had a fun race! (I assume the race happened)

Monday's update:  The race was cancelled and it's not being rescheduled.  Oh, weather.