It Started with a Whoopie Pie…

06/22/2011
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It Started with a Whoopie Pie…

Actually, it started with a no-good, awful, very bad mood a week ago Friday. And the mood, which I can only imagine had something to do with hormonal imbalances, led me to one of my mother’s recipes a week ago Saturday. We’d found the recipe weeks earlier and tacked it to the refrigerator with the intention of trying it at some point. But when Saturday afternoon rolled around and the no-good, awful, very bad mood had not subsided, I knew I needed some serious comfort food to help fight the battle. Out came the Crisco—yes, you use Crisco in this recipe–the sugar, the cocoa powder, the white flour, the sour milk, more sugar…. and I began assembling and baking what would turn out to be just like my mom’s Whoopie Pies. I have to admit the process at least distracted me from the mood for a while. And then...

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From Running To Runner

05/26/2011
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From Running To Runner

I have been running for almost two and a half years now. Slowly. I started with Couch 2 5k and now I can run 5-, 6-mile distances as long as I keep my pace, although 3-4 is still my favorite distance. I’ve been running for more than two years. The thing is, I didn’t start running to become a runner. I started running so I could compete in a triathlon. I have resisted the running along the way. Almost always, I would start out on a run, wishing I was home already, wishing I could walk, feeling the twinges in my knees or hips. Running was a chore with fleeting moments of serenity or accomplishment. Running has been about finishing a run. Being done for the day. During my St. A’s training, in the freezing cold, I had to practice running without headphones, I had to make sure I...

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A New Routine

05/09/2011
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I feel like I had been living, breathing and sleeping St. Anthony’s Tri training for the past six months. I didn’t realize how much until I didn’t have to do it anymore. I rarely slept past 6:00 am on a Saturday or Sunday, because training needed to get done. My days revolved around work and working out. In the last couple of months before the race, I was too afraid not to get to the gym or out on the road, for fear I wouldn’t be ready. Don’t get me wrong. I had my off days, but even when I was “off,” I was worrying that I wasn’t training enough for this race. There was so much to do to prepare for it, from fundraising to getting comfortable running without my iPod. In the end, it was awesome, but I am happy it’s behind me. Last week, I did...

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St. Anthony’s Race Report… The Race

05/06/2011
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St. Anthony’s Race Report… The Race

So, after a good non-existent night’s sleep, it was time to wake up at the unGodly hour of 3:45. We had to be in the lobby of the hotel before 5:00 am to make the three-quarter of a mile walk down to the race area. And we had to double check our bags and eat something. The first thing I did  when I got up was check the weather. 10-12 mile an hour winds. 72 degrees. There was hope. Then I looked out the window. I don’t know who gave the weathermen their information, but 10 to  12 mph winds? Hah! The trees were whipping. They at least got the winds blowing from the east part right. As we passed Tampa Bay by the pier where we would be swimming in a couple of hours, pure dread crept in. Not only were we looking at the lovely 3-, 4-foot...

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St. Anthony’s Race Weekend Report – Part 1

05/06/2011
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I did it! We’re back from St. Petersburg and my first Olympic distance triathlon. It was hard, it was a little scary, it was hot and windy, but ultimately it was fun! Warning: Long post…. Which will be followed by another long post…. Because this race was a weekend event, I figured it would be best to break it into two parts. We had gotten into St. Pete on Friday around 10:30 on Friday, went over to get our bikes, pick up our packets and visit the expo. Our hotel was about 3/4 of a mile from the race site and we did an awful lot of walking back and forth from point A to point B. The weather was a balmy 85 degrees, no wind, water like glass. Checking out the swim area, we were psyched. It was going to be tough to transition from training all winter...

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And the Tire Saga Continues…

04/19/2011
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I got home from work last night around 5:30 and got dressed and right out on my bike to see if this time, the tire would hold up. It did better, but not good enough. Last night, I made it about 13 miles before I heard and felt the ominous thump…. thump…. thump…..Race distance is 24 miles. This simply won’t do. Needless to say, my bike is now in the hands of someone with infinitely more experience than I have at fixing tires. Please keep your fingers crossed for me. Rain will probably prevent me from riding tonight, so I hope to get a ride in tomorrow at some point to make sure my bike will be able to go the distance. This is not stress I need this close to race day! Race day is May 1, by the way. This week in St. Petersburg, temperatures are climbing...

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Mercury Retrograde, Flat Tires and Wind

04/18/2011
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Mercury Retrograde, Flat Tires and Wind

On what was pretty much my last long brick chance this weekend with the bike I will be riding at St. Anthony’s, the weather gods were just not cooperating. Nothing was. I blame Mercury retrograde. When it goes backwards, Mercury can muck up pretty much anything. On Saturday, our training day, wind and rain was predicted for Long Island. So we went to train bright and early, 7:00 am, before the weather got ugly. When we left, it was breezy. By the time we got to Hecksher State Park, where we ride and run, gale force winds had set in. 30, 40 mph sustained easy. We started out anyway, rode a couple of miles (could have walked faster), turned around and racked the bikes back on the car. The wind was so strong, it was knocking us off of our bikes. And it was cold. The heat in Florida...

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