So much to be thankful for...

Just got back from an 8 mile run around Mission Bay. I am always amazed at how beautiful San Diego truly is - the beaches, the people, the active lifestyle, the sunshine, Sea World, the boats, it was just one of those mornings. I spent a quiet Thanksgiving having dinner with my parents. I am so grateful that they so fully embrace the fact that I am vegan. I felt bad for Dad since I am sure he would have preferred turkey, but Mom put on a truly amazing spread of fruits and vegetables. Dad filled my car up with leftovers - I think they worry that I don't eat - or maybe he just didn't want mom to continue the meat-free theme =) My sister is in Cancun and should be coming home today. I haven't talked to her in over a week - seems like forever. Hope they had a great time.

I managed to avoid the malls yesterday, but can feel the days counting down towards Christmas; so think that I will brave the wilds of at least Cedros Avenue this afternoon in search of my sister's B-day gift which is on Tuesday and my mom's B-day which is on Sunday.

During my run my left leg kept falling asleep - this is a new development which I can't say is completely unwanted, but have a feeling that it is not a good sign.... Hope everyone is having an amazing Thanksgiving weekend. There is so much to be thankful for....

Asthma or not Asthma?

I am beginning to think that maybe the air sucking sound I make when running isn't so much because I am THAT out of shape, but maybe a mild case of exercise induced asthma. It got bad this Saturday on my ten mile run - it was foggy and cold and I still sound like I inhale packs of cigarettes a day. I went for a fun run with Movin' Shoes tonight and had hoped to do an easy 4 mile, but had to turn around at three. It was cold and I just couldn't get my breathing under control. Good news I now have enough reflectors and lights so I should be easy to see on the road as I keel over - the nice thing is Sue turned around with me; so I wasn't all alone in the dark. Although the sense of guilt for cutting someone else's run short didn't make me feel good... I'm hoping maybe this is just the tail end of the cold I picked up in Mexico... Otherwise think I will ask my doctor at my annual in January.

I also have no shame - I am gleefully posting my weight at Magg's an off-season no weight gain competition. Thanks to Sarah and Maggs for letting me join even though they have no idea who I am. Wishing everyone a Happy Thanksgiving.

USWTS Triathlon Experience

This is my last official triathlon for this year - a year with a whopping two, but as a newbie I think it is good. I was looking forward to this race to see if I have improved and also because it supports ovarian cancer research. One of my best friends from college lost her mom to ovarian cancer; so this is a cause dear to my heart. Besides I had heard that this was a newbie friendly race since it is an all women's course.

I got to the race super-early and setup my spot. I had an end spot again which makes me happy and calm. Met a few women who were racing for the first time and it was fun to talk to them - one even flew out from New York just for this race. My swim heat was a weird age break down it was 32-36 year olds....but I was competing in the 35-39 year old age group - made for a little confusion on the racks. The race took place at the South Shores Boat Ramp in Mission Bay. The walk to the water had me very concerned since it felt like I was walking on glass. I have tender feet and the rocks and whatever else was on the ground made for slow going. This is the first race ever that I have done that had a water start. The waves were going every 3 minutes apart. The waves were about 75 women in a group. I ended up middle of the middle for the start and then they said go and it was a roller-derby start. I was under the impression that women were civilized. Not at this race - there was elbowing, pushing, kicking - it was a free-for-all. Not sure if this just got my competitive spirit revved or if I just wanted to get away from everybody, but I knew I was having a good swim when I started passing swim caps from the previous two wave starts. Came out of the water and felt great. Feet must have been numb because I didn't notice running across the shards of glass =)

Transition was pathetic - over 3 and half minutes(3:37), but got out onto the bike course. I have been having a lot of discomfort on my bike seat and this race did not start out well as far as the feel went. I kept my bike in the big chain the entire race - I think that might have been a mistake, but I am experimenting. I just missed a crash by a few seconds. There were water bottles and bike parts flying and people making erratic moves throughout the bike ride. There were a couple of tight turns but I managed to stay in my lane not cause any wrecks and not fall off my bike. It was my first time riding Fiesta Island and I enjoyed that. I kept thinking on the bike how lucky I am to live in San Diego. But overall I just wanted the bike to end. I kept standing a sitting on the bike, but could not get happy.

Next transition from bike to run was better 1:22. Legs felt tired, bit besides for a brief walk through a water station ran the course. The best part was at the end somebody tried to pass me and I was able to hold her off and finish ahead of her. I was able to kick it up quite a few notches - think I could probably push myself a little harder on the run portion.

It was a fun race and I am glad that I felt well enough to go lift weights and then salsa dance after the race. I'm still a long way from being ready for my half-ironman in April, but am happy with my progress.

New Beginnings

This weekend is the end of summer and the beginning of Fall and in that manner I am celebrating by working-out. I am exploring a new running group that is training for the Carlsbad half marathon and going on a beginner, beginner bike ride and hopefully some surfing since I am moving back to my beach bungalow. Oh and a follow-up I have been reinstated on Facebook. Wahoo. Wishing everybody an amazing Labor Day Weekend.

"Because when I am bad - I am oh so bad..."

I was banned from Facebook today. I sent unintentional spam. Beware videos sent from friends. I was stupid - I shouldn't have opened or tried to run the video, but it was from a friend that I had just recently reconnected with on Facebook. It didn't seem that "bad" and then when I realized that it seemed to be sending out emails - I quickly shut down my computer, but the damage was done and my profile has poofed into the ether of the internet. I feel sadly friendless. How can I get through a Monday without knowing what my friends are doing???? I have communicated to the nameless Facebook warning group and am pleading my case. Please return my account.
On the workout front. I did a BRICK workout at the gym two miles biking, then 1 mile run - repeat. Think I need to bike longer to get the burned out leg feel, but my heart rate stayed up high the entire workout and even got the treadmill up to 7.0mph and didn't fly off the back end. Wahoo!
On the way my mind thinks-what happens to you if you exceed your maximum heart rate? Am I shortening my life by exercising? I heard something that there is like an hours of operation for our hearts. That mice have a crazy rapid heart rate and yet it beats just as long as a whale that has a crazy slow heart rate - but they both beat the same number of times before they die. I'll just have to hope that my spradic forrays into exercise are mitigated by my crazy sloth resting heart rate of 50bpm.
Maybe my heart rate monitor is counting the beats to my demise. On that happy note...

Who designs these shoes????

I am a child of the eighties, I have no problem with neon colors, but do running shoes have to be so ugly? I've loved my light blue Adidas Mana's, but since I am going to be putting some more running mileage on my shoes - I went to Movin' Shoes in Encinitas to get a new snazzy pair. I now own a pair of Nike Lunaracers. They truly defy description. They are super light-weight - look like they will do well around water. And are bound to make people smile or outright belly laugh. Perhaps it is because I am a slower runner that these seem ridiculous. Do I really want people staring at my feet? Is the goal to cause hysterics in the people behind me so that they won't be able to catch up to me? Or is this for pitch-dark runs so that everybody can see me? Not that I do any late night runs, but have no doubt that the drunk drivers will have no problem finding me with these shoes. I am taking them out for a test run this evening so I will let you know.
It was a weekend of purchases. Bought a Polar heart rate monitor so that I can see what is going on in the H20. I have a Garmin GPS 305 that I love, but will not bring in the pool with me; so I'm excited to see if I am pushing myself in the pool.
See you out on the road. You can't miss me in my new shoes =)

Race Photos

Is there anything more unflattering than race day photos? I either look like I am so zoned out, in pain, drowning, not moving, but yet I am ever after that photo that captures that feeling of the race. Also they serve as prime motivation to get back in the gym.