HHH 2012

Another successful Hotter N Hell Hundred!  This year was a good year; much better than last.  Not quite as hot (only about 99 instead of 110 like last year) and a new course that was much better as far as road conditions and chip seal.  We went through the air base and the air force personnel lined the streets and cheered for us as we rode by.  It was so amazing; they had been out there for hours and hours, standing in the heat.  It was a little emotional to see them all so soon after losing Granddad.  Bitter sweet.

I bought a new electrolyte replacement drink at the expo and decided to give it a try on the ride.  I don't know if it was the drink or just a good day, but my legs felt better than they ever have on a 100 mile ride.  I stopped only once at mile 82 for a quick refill of water and was on my way.  It was such a great day.

Another detail making it a great year was the addition of Zach!  Zach rode 100 miles.  Before this day, he rode a total of 3 times.  That's crazy!  Way to go, Zach!  He finished with a smile and even said he could have kept going.  That makes 5 family members that have completed this ride!  How cool!

Rock-n-Roll Chicago Half Marathon

How cool that we just happened to be in Chicago when Rock-n-Roll came through to host the half marathon!!  While the rest of the gang snoozed off our ridiculously huge birthday dinner, Pete and I got up and ran 13.1!  Wow.  Chicago is such an amazing place to do a half marathon!  The course is flat and fast and there are people along the entire route cheering you on.  It was by far one of my favorites so far.  Aside from a 4:30 pit-stop at mile 3, I had an awesome run.  Highly recommend it.



Chicago Muddy Buddy

For the full story of this race you will have to check out my other blog.  We kid-napped Pops for his 60th birthday and took him to Chicago to complete the Chicago Muddy Buddy.  We had such a blast and stayed together as a group, but that did not stop Pops and Nana from taking first place in the masters co-ed team division!  Woot!  It was a 4 mile course with various obstacles along the way.  Most of the mud was at the very end which made it a little easier along the way.  We are the coolest family EVER!

Tour de Goatneck 2012

Another local charity ride, Goatneck is the Cleburne tour.  Danna was in town and she and I rode with Pops.  Pete and Reese rode the tandem and Nana had a great ride, too!  Awesome!

Burleson Honey Tour 2012

Nancy and I at the 2012 Honey Tour.  Texas hosts some really great charity rides and Burleson's is always a blast.  This year the start and finish were at the new high school which gave us an awesome 20 minute downhill to the finish with great traffic control.  It was a great ride!

The TexasMan X50

What a great race!  I really liked this distance.  The training is very manageable, the race is long enough to make getting up at the crack of dawn worth it but short enough that it does not take over your life to train for it.  I will be doing this distance again, for sure!

Dallas Athletes puts on a great race, and they did not disappoint.  The venue was beautiful Lake Ray Roberts (my home stomping grounds!), support was excellent, and the weather cooperated, which is always a huge plus in the spring!

Pete surprised me by showing up unexpectedly.  He was scheduled to teach a class so he was not going to be able to make it, but he got up super early and drove out just to wish me luck.  He was able to see me finish the bike and start the run.  That meant so much to me, thank you, Pete!

A breath-taking Texas sun rise to start the race off right

 1 mile swim

 40 mile bike

 9 mile run

Ahhh...the painfully wonderful post race massage.

I was able to take home 1st in my age group, 5th overall female.  A good day, indeed!

Spring Training

Training in Texas in the spring can be great and it can be a great frustration.  Last spring as I pushed toward my Ironman in May, I struggled on the bike because biking in 30 mph wind really sucks!  It is so hard to gauge how hard you should ride and then it is disheartening to see a low average on your long rides, etc.

This spring the wind is back, but it does not have me as frustrated.  Not being signed up for a $650 race that requires 20 hours a week of your time will help a person lighten up when it comes to working out :)

I can choose to ride on the trainer.  I can choose to ride for a much shorter amount of time.  Or, if I feel like it, I can choose not to ride at all!

As of the last 15 weeks, I have been pretty faithful in sticking to a training program and recently chose a race to celebrate the training.  I will do the X50 at the TexasMan Tri on May 20th.  This will be my first time to do this distance.  It is a 1 mile swim, 40 mile bike and 9 mile run (50 miles, hence X50).  Should be fun!

I have only made it to one of the local charity rides so far this spring.  I was able to ride Lancaster and it was such a great day!  The incredible scenery provided by bluebonnet covered rolling hills more than made up for the howling winds.  We were fortunate to head south first, giving us a tail wind for the last 30 miles back to town.  A strong hour-long run off the bike sealed the deal for a fantastic big Saturday workout.  Love those days!

ominous clouds in the morning gave way to full sun and we had a great ride!

6 Years of Fitness

 

March marks 6 years of fitness for me!  Woot!  Yep, 6 years ago I ventured out to run for the first time and let me tell you, it was not pretty :)


Three years ago, I posted this:

3 Years

I am happy to say that three years later I am still on the wagon and still loving every minute of it (even the painful ones!)

6 years ago today, I could not run 1/10 mile.  Today I can say I have completed a running race of every distance from a 5k to 50k and a mini triathlon up to the full iron distance. 


Pete is still the most amazing coach and when I listen to him (you know how it is, sometimes you gotta do what you wanna do) I have great success.

I am so grateful that I get to do these things.  I try not to take a single step for granted and recognize the fact that it is indeed a blessing and not a right to have the ability and the time to do this.  The way my family supports me is unreal.  There is no way I could have had the success that I have enjoyed without them.

So, cheers to 6 years of fit living!  And here's to many, many more!

Cowtown 10K

Saturday, Pops and I ventured out for the Cowtown 10K.  In 5+ years of racing, I have never raced that distance, so I thought...Why not?!

It was fun, but give me a marathon any day over a 10K!  Running 6 miles hard is harder than running 26 miles at your happy pace :)

I was able to maintain a 7:30 pace but I had to work for it.  I guess that is where I am right now.  That was good enough for 5th in my age group out of 373 women, though!  Woot!

Pops had a personal best at a 9:55 pace.  He hasn't been able to break the 10:00 barrier for that distance until now.  Way to go, Pops!!

It is such a blessing to do these things with family.  Nana was there to support us and take us to Mimi's after the race.  Such good times.



Whiterock Marathon

The Whiterock Marathon.  A great Dallas race that I just couldn't resist (although I probably should have).  It was a cold (40 degrees) wet (rain started as I passed under the starting line and didn't stop) wonderful (I love running marathons no matter how miserable the conditions) successful (I finished) day!  Soren and Pete were on a relay team with Mat for the marathon.  Soren ran a 5 mile leg and Pete ran his leg, Soren's leg, Mat's leg and then some to be with me as I suffered along :)

I was fine until mile 14, on track to get my elusive 3:45, but then my legs locked up and I slowed WAY down and crawled in with a time of 4:15.  Oh well.  I am glad I finished and I still had fun because those events are so great and the people are so amazing, but I have to say that I am tired of racing without being prepared and have set some real goals for 2012 to get back on track.  2011 was a HUGE year with 3 stand alone marathons, a full ironman, two half ironman races, a 25k at midnight in July in Texas and 2 half marathons.  That was more than my body can do well.  I did them, but everything since my full ironman in May has been less than stellar.

For 2012 I would like to race a 70.3 and do well and, dang it, I want to run a 3:45 marathon!!

Cheers 2011, it was fun.