What are you made of?

I'd like to say sugar and spice and all things nice. Sugar and spice and all sore leg muscles is more like it.

So about a month ago Tim convinced me that I should try the "ultimate runner" race. It's a local track race where each participant runs the 1 mile, 400m, 800m, 100m and a 5K. There were 114 participants spread over 8 heats this year. We started at 5pm on Saturday. Tim was in the 3rd heat and I was in the 8th. They organized us by what we said our best personal mile time was, with the first two heats being the top men and top women. Tim turned my mile time in at 8 min.

Everyone getting ready for the first heat of the mile.

Before I share my times, just a little note to make myself feel better. I did not sprint the 100m as I was the last heat and had no recovery time before the 5k. These results are unofficial because they haven't posted the results online yet.

1 mile: 7:11 (PR)
400 m: 1:30 (PR)
800 m: 3:28 (PR)
100 m: ~ 0:15 or just under...may have been 14 sec
5K: 26:02

So I now have a base for track times...the only question is how badly do I want to try and improve upon those times. Honestly I think the only reason I ran a 7:11 mile was because Tim said he thought I could run a 7:15 or faster. I didn't think I could but I had a little pressure...good pressure though. Honestly after running that 7:11, I think I could have broken 7 had I pushed a little harder the last 2 laps, pacing is an art I suppose.

I was happy with the results as they were mostly PRs. The 5K time I was happy with simply due to the fact that I had a) never done a track meet before and b) I had pushed in the other events trying to see what I could do. Hopefully results will be posted soonish. We didn't get home till 11:30pm Saturday night then had to be up by 5:30 for a little local sprint triathlon this morning.

So this morning was difficult. It was a short pool swim. T1 was slow for me today and as I got to the mount line for the bike my chain came off...what the heck? Two race volunteers insisted that I stay on the bike and they put it back on for me but I lost at least 30-45 seconds...which doesn't seem like much but it's not a great way mentally to start the bike. This was a much hillier 12 mile course than 3 weeks ago. T2 again was slow for me; in all I probably left about a minute in transitions today. I was just moving slowly. The 5K was a test of will. It was an extremely hilly course. So needless to say after Saturday's events and the hilly bike course I was just out of steam. I finished 4th in my age group and 20/152 women overall and 107/358. It was a good day...a great weekend actually.

Swim: 4:38
Bike: 40:13.
Run: 27:12
Total time: 1:14:18

Ryan and Brayden helping daddy with race set up.

Back to the question at hand; what are you made of? This weekend I had 2 young kids show me what they were made of and what I'm made of now. Which is not the same as what it was 8-10 years ago. High school and college were very competitive, nasty, and borderline bad sportsmanship times for me. I wasn't rude to other athletes, but losing was something I struggled with. I beat myself up over it constantly and got the point that I didn't want to play if I couldn't win.

So during the 5K at the track meet Saturday, I nearly ran the entire race with a 8 or 9 year old boy. He was struggling to maintain pace so I started talking him through it "slow your breathing down, once step at a time...etc." He stayed with me. Then at the 2 mile marker, he cut me off to grab some water and I had to stop in order to not run into him. When he saw me continue on, he threw his cup down and entered an all out sprint to pass me and never looked back. That little booger used me...tooled me. All I was trying to do was help him and the little guy couldn't stand the thought of a woman potentially beating him...my interpretation. He really sped up when he saw his dad who started yelling "Pick it up son...sprint, sprint." I know what he's made of frogs and snails (slimy little things). Please note that I am being sarcastic and joking. I don't' really think this little boy is slimy; well just a little bit.

Today was a similar situation. I was coming up the last treacherous hill to the finish of the 5K and noticed that number 16 was a 11 year old girl who was walking. I told her "the top is the end then it's down hill and we're done. run with me." So she did. I commented similarly to her about breathing and step by step...rewind and repeat. She kept slowing down, so I slowed down with her and kept talking to her. Everyone was yelling so loudly as we were coming through the finishing stretch. So I got beside her, put my hand on her back and pushed her ahead of me and told her to go as fast as she could...and she did. Afterward she was on the verge of hyperventilating, but she did great! I was proud of her. I told her I was sorry for pushing her so much and her parents kept thanking me. She was made of determination and courage.

I'm now made of joy in watching others succeed and reach something they didn't think they could...despite if they are slimy or courageous. I'm proud to finally understand that it is not about being better than everyone else, it's about being my best and now knowing that my best includes helping others find their best. It's about them finishing strong and hearing loved ones tell them "I'm proud of you." It's not about me being able to out run them at the finish. It's about the accomplishment.

Okay, sorry for the mush and the long post. I'll stop now. But seriously, it was a great weekend.

Will it ever end????

I'm going to say it has to, because nothing can go on forever. Right? But seriously, as soon as Tim and I get out of this house the better I'll be. Things just keep popping up. Rotten wood we never would have found without the inspection etc. I can't take it anymore. I want this to be over!

Tim and Angela Tri

So our first thought of the neighborhood pool from our new house in Apex....we can have our own triathlon! Small pool swim (250-300 yards), great biking location as we're in the Cary/Apex area. We're actually off of Olive Chapel and Kelly Road for anyone around here that knows the area, these are prime biking roads and not too far from Jordan Lake (yippie). And with them being prime biking roads, I'm sure we can find a decent run course.

Who's in?

Ride with me

Woo woo...

Come on ride the train hey ride it woo woo
Come on ride the train hey ride it woo woo
Come on ride the train woo woo hey
Ride it woo woo
Come on ride the train
Woo woo hey ride it woo woo
Come on ride the train
It's the choo choo ride it woo woo
Come on ride the train it's the choo choo train
Come on ride the train it's the choo choo
Ride it, woo woo
Come on, ride the train, it's the choo choo train

Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah
I think I can, I think I can
I think I can, I think I can

This was one of the songs on the radio in the car this morning on the way to daycare. And Ryan loves trains...absolutely LOVES them. So, you guessed it. He was trying to sing the song while tooting his own little train whistle in the back seat! "Come on ride the train with me mommy. Turn up the train song louder." So I did. And don't get me started on the "I think I can." part. Hilarious.

He had Brayden riding the train, his little feet were bouncing around and his arms were all over the place. When Ryan would make the "woo woo" sound, Brayden would screech. I had to dance too, so I'm sure my car was getting some crazy looks. Middle aged mom with two young children, flailing their arms around, bouncing their heads and the slight sound of music coming through the windows. Great start to my day!!

Thoughtful

Although Ryan is still getting up between 3:30 and 5:30 in the morning, at least he is thoughtful about what he does when he gets up.

He comes in to see if we're awake;
1. if we wake up to him staring at us he asks "Mommy, do you want me to lay down with you? I can snuggle."
2. if we don't respond to his silent stare he goes into the living room and "cleans up the mess" that I apparently left. This normally means that he rearranges his toys into one long line (or a train as he calls it) around the downstairs. Then he finds all the shoes he can and lines them up by the front door. Next he piles any clothes on the floor into a big mound at the foot of my bed. After all this he wakes me up to show me what a good helper he is. "Mommy I cleaned up the mess you left last night."

If I seem to be getting the least bit frustrated in the car or at the house, he says "don't worry mommy, I will show you." Show me what, I don't know. Perhaps he wants to show me some of the patience that I've been trying to find for 31 years now.

If I wear something different I hear:
1. "Mommy I like your new hair" (this when I have a towel on my head after a shower.)
2. "Ah, mommy I like your pretty dress." This when I wear a skirt, like today.

Sometimes I think Ryan is more observant than most adults are.

Crazy

That's the only way I can describe this week. Needless to say, now that we're waiting for the inspection report from Monday on the house it's also stressful and nerve racking. Did I mention that we also signed a contract for another house. Holy crap the next month is going to be soooooo busy. I haven't had enough time to breathe much less work or blog.

Family update:
Brayden is turning into a banana. I guess my mom was right, if you eat too much of something you actually do turn in to it.

Ryan is peeing in the potty when he sits on it. But only because he gets a lolly pop or "pop size sickle" for doing so. Five minutes later his pull up is soaked.

Tim wants to pull out his imaginary hair.

Bowden (the dog) is licking the hair off his belly.

My ankle is almost well enough to start running again. Oh yeah haven't posted on that. I didn't hurt it in the race last weekend...oh no that would make for a much better story. I severely sprained it while playing at Monkey Joe's with the boys on Sunday.

What a Day!

Tim and I did the Gary Kirby Sprint Triathlon in Bedford, about 15 minutes from the house. It's one of our favorite races because of the cause but also because it's a local race and it's just run so nicely. The volunteers and organizers are top notch and spectators can really watch all legs of the race due to it being set up in this neighborhood. The weather was great, slightly overcast with a little breeze, relatively low humidity...perfect.

This is not a big race (200 participants) and the majority are first time triathletes. There's usually not much competition I guess...well the elites don't show up is what I'm saying. I was aiming for 1:10 and top 5. Secretly I was more hoping to win with 1:08...or a top 3 finish. I wanted to try and actually push myself through this race, not something I normally do. I usually find that comfortable speed and just go with it.

So this morning my parents, the kids and Tim's parents were all there to cheer us on. It was great. I tried pushing the swim but honestly knew I wasn't going as fast as I do in practice, but it was what I had today so I can't complain. Got to transition and realized that I had caught up to about 4 or 5 of the people who started before me. This was a pool swim. So I got out as fast as I could onto the bike.

The bike is a 12 mile course (4, 3 mile loops). I put it down as fast as I could and when my legs said no, my head said yes. This would normally be where I would back off until the legs said "we're good now". Not that I'm all world class or anything but I knew I was pushing harder based on my legs and breathing and I started worrying about the run, would I have anything left. I had started the swim behind 8 other women...and I only counted that I passed 4 or 5 on the bike. So I was very surprised when my mother-in-law was yelling at me when I came in that I was the second woman off the bike. WHAT?! Is she sure?

I busted my hump to get out of T2 as quickly as I could...so quickly that I almost fell over trying to put my racing flats on...ok so that was too quick, slow down a little. When exiting T2 my father-in-law told me that the first girl was about 5 minutes ahead of me and said "Go run her down girl"...uh obviously he doesn't know how slow I am...or so I thought at the time. As I was running I passed Tim. He was on his way to the finish and I hadn't even gotten to the 1 mile marker AND he was the first guy I passed coming back! GO TIM GO!!!

As I'm about 1.25 in, I spot the first girl and realize she was #6 (I was #33)...so the fact that I was only about 3-4 minutes back meant that I was already beating her. So I decided that I couldn't relax because as I made the turn around I spotted 3 more girls behind me. Oh crap, #s 40, 51 and 55. There goes my first place finish. Now it's just fight so that they don't actually pass me on the run or try to beat #40 enough to maintain 3rd place. So I ran as much as my heavy, slow legs could. I did however take time to stop and hug a volunteer that had been yelling at me from lap 1 on the bike...she remembered me each lap and on the run. So I thanked her.

I made it to the last straight away and heard Tim yelling at me. I tried to go faster, but I don't think I ever actually moved any faster. Tim started yelling even more and talking me through it. He told me I was only about a minute thirty back of #6, but in the back of my mind I knew it was the three behind me I was worried about. So I picked it up as much I could around the last turn.

Take a look, here's the results. I took 4th overall. My only complaint is that the 14 year old girl that came in 3rd had a pacer on the run course...and that's where she ended up coming back to beat me by 54 seconds. Stinking pacers...isn't that illegal? I was stoked that I won my age group as well. Rock on!!! By the way, this is not only a PR for my 5K time by over 2 minutes, but it's a sprint distance PR...granted the swim was short but whatever, I'll take it. I figure add another 450 and I still would have been under my fastest sprint time by about 10- 12 minutes.

Needless to say, Tim won the overall men nearly beating the course record. He missed it by 8 seconds...man oh man. His time was 57:30 and he beat some good men's competition. So tonight Ryan asked "Mommy, did you and daddy get trophies in the race?" "yes, daddy got a trophy buddy." "Did you get a trophy mommy?" and before I could even tell the truth (bc no I didn't) I said "mommy got a big trophy because you were there cheering for me. I did my best because you were such a great cheerleader. thank you buddy." "you're welcome mommy, I like to watch you race."

Need I say more?

You're a Girl

So the best part about selling the house is that I can let my boys be kids and destroy the house and not have an anxiety attack over it...or stress about dishes in the sink or laundry on the floor. How great is that?!

Anyway, I was supposed to meet Tim and our agent at some houses today for a look. We had to bring the boys with us so this was going to be fun. In the car ride there, I kept telling Ryan "I love you sweet boy." To which he normally replies "I wub you too mommy." No such luck today. So finally I said "Ryan, do you love mommy."

"No, I don't. I love daddy. Daddy is my buddy. And Grandpa is my buddy. I love daddy and grandpa."

"Well can mommy be your buddy?"

"No, you're a girl."

Lovely, just lovely.