I started a new post to cover everything last week and got too busy to finish it. So this one is meant to get you caught up and cover the past race plus what is coming up.
So here is what I’m going to cover
- Pi Mile Road Race recap
- How Triathlon Training is going (ups and downs)
- Upcoming Race at Auburn
- How my hip/leg is doing
Got it??? Good!!
*********************************************************************
Pi Mile Road Race recap
So my wonderful friends in MRTT were great and cut me out vinyl logos of the Pi Mile and GT Bands so I could wear them on my shirt. I got a bright yellow shirt, made a blue sparkle skirt and found awesome black and yellow bee socks. I have a small blue glitter MRTT logo on the front of my shirt.
I got lots of compliments on my socks and my shirt. Even got a few “Go Band” so that was very cool.
I got up around 5:45 am because my silly husband forgot to turn off his alarm. I set mine but after that went off I just turned it off and got up. I was outside waiting on my friend in my warm car. Once she got to my house she followed me up to Georgia Tech. We got our stuff together and pinned on our numbers and headed over to the start which was right by the stadium. We easily found my friends as we were taking our first bathroom break.
I’m so proud of my friend. This was her first official 5k and she was nervous. I couldn’t wait to cheer her on at the finish. This is my favorite picture from the day.
We headed over to the official start and waited for the send off. They had a small part of the marching band (or pep band as I would call them), Buzz the official mascot and the Ramblin Wreck. Don’t know what the Wreck is?? Well here you go!!
Here is the start:
and the finish:
It’s the exact same spot, only problem is that you have to run up a hill to finish the race. kind of cruel. All four of us set off, I wasn’t sure if we would stay together or do our own thing. Pretty quickly it was evident that we would do our own thing. I just wanted to see what I could do. I set off at an easy pace. This was not going to be an easy run because of the hills. I just decided to tackle each one as I got to it. If I needed to walk, then I could but try to see how long I could keep going. I managed 1.5 miles before I walked for the first time. First mile was 11:19 (there was some nice downhills that helped with that), my second mile was 12:01 and I walked twice (short ones to catch my breath). I took a final walk break at 2.25 and then didn’t stop until the end. I slowed down some coming up a stinker of a hill but I didn’t stop. Third mile was 12:17 and I really used the last downhill to get a little speed and catch my breath. I then trudged up the last hill to the finish. Time was 37:32. Darn right respectable especially after all my hip issues. I’m done, I’m hot, I’m sweaty but happy!!!
I hung out at the finish to cheer in my friends. One-by-one I found them.
This friend cut 7 mins off her previous time. Way to go!!!!
Here is my friend finishing her first official 5k!!!!
We hung around for a little bit and got food and/or drinks. You never know who you will find. Well I found another fellow MRTT mama. I met her at the Hot Chocolate Expo. She won an age group award. Way to go!!!
Even got a picture in front of the wreck and I got one with Buzz. Buzz decided to photo bomb our wreck picture so we just invited him into the shot.
We all chatted for a few more minutes and then went our separate ways. Me and my friend walked back to our cars together. I went off to get a shower at a coworker’s house before I went to another event for the day. I’m just super proud of my friend and love watching her progress and can’t wait to see what she does next.
Race pics came out a few days later and I found this one. I love it!!!
****************************************************************
How Triathlon Training is going (ups and downs)
It’s going well. I am thrilled with how I am doing in the pool. Though I finally had a horrible day in the pool on Friday. Hopped in and did my warmup and felt off. Kept going and did 100 kick and 100 stroke. water in my ear, my goggles were fogging up every other lap or getting water in them. I had no rhythm and felt terrible. Did a 100 barely and then decided to rest a minute and do a 300 and if I still felt terrible then I had permission to stop. I decided to see how quickly I could do my 300 and time myself. took off at a good clip and after 100 i was tanked. sucking wind. floated for a 50 and then just hung out floating on my back for like 5 mins and then got out of the pool. Got a milkshake on my way back to work to cheer me up. I did redeem myself on Sunday when we did an Open Water Swim (OWS) clinic and in the pool today. We are allowed to have a bad day, just don’t let it define you or your workouts.
We had our first OWS on Sunday. There was 8 or 9 of us in the water. It was cold!!! But it was great to start getting used to swimming in a lake that you can’t see really well, siting your target so you can swim straight (sort of ) and I even got some tips on my stroke. Once we got done and warmed up we headed out for a bike/run brick.
I’m getting in brick workouts and I can confidently say that the one I did on Sunday felt better than (i.e. sucked less) than the last one I did. I was able to run farther (1/2 mile more) before I needed to take a walk break and I held a faster pace. Woohoo!!!
My other triathlon group – Witness Through Fitness is having a mini tri on May 2nd and I am going to try and get up there. I will have to work out a couple things (kids) but I think I need to do it so I can start practicing my transitions and get any tips they have to share with the group down on my side of town.
I still need to figure out what I am going to wear. I need to get up to a local store (just on the other side of Atlanta) and try on stuff to see if I like two pieces, one piece or what. I did go ahead and order a pair of triathlon shorts that are the same brand as my cycling shorts that I like how they fit. I know these will get used so that doesn’t bother me. I’m stressing out a little over this, probably because I’m getting nervous and that means I have to freak out about something whether it’s logical or not.
******************************************************************
Upcoming Race at Auburn
I’m excited about this one. I have a huge car load of my friends (almost all of the ones that ran the Donna in February) are going. I will post pics soon of my outfit. I still need to make my orange sparkle skirt but I got my orange logo for my shirt. I wanted a navy blue shirt but couldn’t find one I liked. It was not the cut I wanted and the neckline was not good for me. I went with white. I’ve got my MRTT logo on my back and a support Boston ribbon on the front. It’s a small remembrance ribbon. Like this one only 3-4 inches long.
I need to make 3 skirts total, seriously I need to get on that. whoops!!! They aren’t hard and if I can get stuff done today (including my run) I can start on them tonight. I will get my two friends done first and mine can be last. I have fun polka dot socks in Auburn colors to wear. Here they are!!
I will update with pics of my outfit and our fun adventures this weekend. I ‘m also excited because this is a nice flat course so I would love to see what my time can be and if I can run all or most of it. We will see what happens.
*********************************************************************
Ok last topic!!!
How my hip/leg is doing
I went to PT last week for what I hoped would be my last visit. It wasn’t but it’s all good. She is still thrilled with my progress and gave me different stretches to do so that I actually have fewer and they cover all the major areas that runners need in their legs. So I am to continue doing my stretches and exercises for the next 2 weeks and come back to see her and then I should be released from PT. My runs are doing ok. My leg pokes at me overall much less than it has. I haven’t had a pain free, tightness free run again but I think it will come. My brick workout on Sunday was actually really close to being tightness free. My hammy only kicked in right as I was finishing. Otherwise it was barely there and I almost didn’t notice it. I did do my brick without KT tape. Not because i was being adventurous, it was because I ran out. I did go buy more but I’m going to try and run without it and see how I do. I may not need it and feel the same with or without it.
So to help build my core strength I started doing a plank a day (or almost every day). I started out at just over 1 min. I was shaking like crazy. Well here is my time after day 4!!
Not bad huh???? I’m also doing pushups and tricep dips almost every day to work on upper body and shoulders since I’m doing so much swimming. I’m up to 35 inclined pushups (on my stairs) and 25 tricep dips off the end of my bed.
Alright, there you go, you all are 100% updated. I’m going for a run tonight, will do something on Thursday (don’t know what yet), Swim on Friday and Auburn 5k on Saturday. Sunday may be another OWS with a brick workout. Still have to plan all that out.
this mom's gotta run 