Rock and Roll 1/2 Marathon RECAP

Yesterday was my first Half Marathon. If you recall, I decided one day to train for my first 5K before my 40th birthday. Running was NOT something I ever did. EVER. At the time, I had a 3 and 6 year old. I worked full time. I was just getting into the swing of things juggling those boys and my life. I never, ever thought that one day I would be running a 1/2 marathon.

Well, this year, I started running with Black Girls Run, my running group. These women were so much fun. They were encouraging. They pushed me to keep going further. I went from 1 mile to 3 miles. From 3 miles to 5 miles. One day, I ran 7. Then, they signed me up for my first ten mile race. I conquered the Broad Street Run. I started training with a crew of ladies who were training for their first half marathons. Team 13.1 is what we started calling ourselves after the number of miles in the race.

Every morning at 5am, we trained hard. Some mornings, we ran hills. Some mornings we did boot camp. Some mornings, we did speed intervals. Once a week, we ran a long run. We did this for about 12 weeks. Finally, two weeks ago, one of the ladies asked me if I was running the 1/2 marathon with them. To tell the truth, I was scared that I couldn’t do it. It just sounded so crazy. In my head….I DON’T RUN HALF MARATHONS.

Finally, I realized the deadline had passed for me to register without paying a gazillion dollars. One of the teammates, pulled out of the event due to injury and I ended up with her race bib. Suddenly, I felt like the universe was conspiring to propel me to run this race. I drank the Kool Aid and got ready.

Saturday night, my stomach was killing me. I was so anxious. I think I got four hours of sleep.

I woke up on Sunday morning and started getting ready. When I got there, I found my training crew. We were all anxious but we had run the distance once before. We hugged each other and encouraged each other.

PRE-RACE laughs with my training crew….

During the race, we talked and felt good. We passed miles and enjoyed the race waving to friends and family all the way. We saw an elderly gentleman running in a POW-MIA shirt while holding an American flag on a long flagpole. It brought tears to my eyes. Around mile 7, one of my co-workers who had been reclaiming his health ran up and hugged me. He was running his first race too. We high fived and joked that we would see each other on the finish line.

Our running team had cheerleaders at every mile marker. They were awesome. They had signs and cheered for us by name. They were so uplifting. I cruised into mile ten feeling good.

THE BEST PEP SQUAD EVER!

Right around mile 10-all smiles

At mile 11 1/2, my body started to hit the wall. My breathing was not labored thanks to all of my swimming and endurance training. For an asthmatic, I used to worry about gasping for air but I have great breath control now. However, my legs were starting to feel it. My body started talking to me.

My knees said “Look here. Didn’t we have a talk not too long ago? Didn’t I tell you to sit your old azz down and rest? Why do you have me out here doing this?”

All of a sudden, I looked over and saw one of our coaches. This woman. WHEW. She was not running today but she knew that on training runs, we had all started to struggle at the end. She positioned herself right at that mile 11.5 marker and what did she yell out to us? “There you guys are. I have been waiting specifically for you.” Then she ran into the street and started yelling (with love) MOVE IT LADIES, THIS IS THE HOMESTRETCH. YOU ARE 2 MILES AWAY. LET”S GO! She then started to run next to us and push us. I told her I had to go slow at this point cause my legs were shot. She told me to “stop making excuses and keep moving.” LOL…gotta love it.

She ran the remaining two miles in with us before turning back to go run in with more of our team. BGR had almost 60 runners in the race. Amazing. She helped run in most of us. What an angel.

CROSSING THE FINISH LINE WITH OUR COACH NEXT TO US (she is on the right with no race bib on)

What was great was that we stayed next to each other for the entire race. We all finished within seconds of each other. Here we are right after we all received our post race medals. Minutes after finishing.

POST RACE PHOTO

I really did it. It is now starting to sink in.

It was a great experience. On a personal note, I also got to compete and train for all these weeks with my sorority sisters. We love each other and pushed, coached and held each other up. We all purchased special shirts to commemorate our 13.1 miles. To find them in pink and green was perfect. We showed up to our post race brunch rocking our AKA pearls and our shirts.

TEAM AKA/TEAM 13.1

Yup, Thirteen point freaking one…your girl is a RUNNER.

This Triathlon Training IS REAL

I have been MIA but it’s strictly because I am adjusting to Mr. 1969 working long hours, re-learning how to manage my household and fitting in the intense training schedule for this triathlon. How intense? See for yourself…. TRI SCHEDULE

Yep….this is the insane weekly schedule I am on. Currently, it’s Week 4 and it has indeed been a shock to my body. Last year, I did not train hard enough and it showed in my last place crawl across the finish line. I also ate like I normally do. I eat pretty healthy meals, but I would indulge in sweets. Anything with frosting has always been my weakness. Despite all of the training last year, I really only lost about 5 pounds and gained it right back when the race was over.

This year, I decided that if I was going to train, I was going to find a schedule and stick to it. I am taking this race seriously. The workouts are tough but I constantly prove to myself that I am stronger than I ever thought.  My swimming is getting better, and my biking and running are improving.

The biggest change I have made over the last two months has been my eating. I am proud to tell you all that I weighed in at my GOAL WEIGHT this morning. I am so excited. What have I done? I downloaded an app on my phone. If you are interested in seeing how many calories you are consuming a day (and trust me, it was an eye opening experience for me) try it out. The app I use is called “my fitness pal”. The cost? NADA

For the last two and a half months, I have been using it and I have officially lost my weight. I started by entering my goal weight and my current weight. Based on my height, etc…it spit out a daily number of calories I should eat to get to my goal weight. When I saw that number, I almost passed out. Who can live on that tiny number of calories? Guess what….I can. Once I started putting in the calories of stuff I was eating, it all clicked for me.

Here is what I go through daily “Hmmm….a donut is about 300 calories. If I eat it, I will waste those calories and still be hungry. For 300 calories, I could have a chobani yogurt and a bowl of oatmeal and be full. DONE.”

It has become a game to see how I can make it to my daily calorie goal without going over. Plus, everytime I work out, I log it and I get those calories back to eat that day. Swimming for 40 minutes gives me about 300 calories to play with. That way, if I want a treat…I can have it but only on a day I worked out. I have to earn that treat. Now I firmly believe that you have to find something that works for YOU but I can say, this is all working for me.

It finally clicked.  I am at the weight I was before I got married and had those children that ruined my body the Tali boys. I am feeling strong. I am balancing work, mom, wife and athlete. Like I said, it’s all clicking for me right now. This is a GOOD WEEK.

In other news, today is a special day. It is Mama 1969′s birthday. Everything I am….I owe to my mom. She raised me to believe in myself and was the epitome of a strong female role model. This tenacity comes from her. Wishing her nothing but love on her special day. I love you Mommy!

note: How fitting…this is my 1,000th post. God is good and I am so thankful for all of my blessings. Thank you all for reading!

Kryptonite

Mr. 1969 has started a rigorous new job. He is in hardcore training for a year, at the end of which, he will own his own business.  I fully support him in this endeavor and know that the long term outlook for our family could be huge. I never blogged about it but the last year has been a challenging one for our family. My hubby was laid off from his job last year. While we weren’t affected too hard financially due to a good package and unemployment, it was a hard adjustment for him personally. I didn’t share it on the blog because some family stuff is simply private and I didn’t need my hubby’s business out on Front Street as he dealt with that transition.

I can’t lie, I was so spoiled having him home for that time. Our house was immaculate, he dropped and picked up the boys every day so I could work, train, etc. All I did was cook dinner. With him undertaking this new endeavor, my life of leisure has come to a screeching halt. SCREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEECH.

Mr. 1969 has to now leave the house by 7:30am. The boys have to be at school at 8am. I have also started the Triathlon training schedule. Most mornings, I am up at 4:45 and at the gym by 5-5:30am. I swim laps or run or bike for a good hour then roll back in at 6:30am. I have to come back, get the boys dressed and make breakfast and then drop them to school. After which, I come home and get ready to work.

While I do work from home, I usually have appointments and sales calls daily. I now have to be back by 4pm to pick up the boys, do home work, make dinner, etc. Mr. 1969 works till 6pm most evenings and till 8pm two days a week.

Right now, I am doing EVERYTHING. While I am not complaining because I am so excited for my husband to have this opportunity and I will support him 100% in this endeavor so he can focus on what he needs to do to be successful…..can I just share that Superwoman is TIRED?

Yesterday was the 2nd day of my training calendar. The first day I swam 1,o00 yards and biked for 30 minutes. Yesterday, I swam 1,250 yds and then got out of the pool and ran 3 miles. I worked all day. I came home and whipped up a Valentine’s dinner for the men. I also baked red velvet cupcakes. When I finally stopped moving, I laid in my bed and stared at the ceiling and realized I was completely and utterly exhausted.

I know that two weeks from now, I will be used to the flow. You know me, I will just make it work. I have been spoiled for months by a great hubby who did everything for our family. Getting back into Superwoman mode is taking longer than I thought.

As I type this, I am about to get ready to head into the city for a lunch appointment and a meeting with my boss. *sigh*

I take on too much. Usually it’s because I want to. This time, I have to.  This is what sacrifice is all about. I am focused on the long term goals for my family and when my hubby comes home late and still has homework, I know that it’s worth it to have his back and keep our house running smoothly.

I just needed to tell someone….I really am tired.

There, I said it. Off to work. Somebody get my cape!

For the Love of The Game

I have loved sports my entire life. Perhaps it started with being the only granddaughter growing up amidst 12 grandsons? I climbed trees, played soccer, football and baseball with my cousins ever since I can remember.

As a kid, I did “girly” activities like jump double dutch, take ballet, etc. I enjoyed those things too but I loved rough and tumble sports. I always found myself to have this competitive gene when it came to the boys in my neighborhood. Despite being stick skinny and not very tough looking, all those years competing with my male cousins taught me to want to challenge any boy that ever told me they could beat me at something.

As I got older, I continued to enjoy sports. I admired athletes. Not for being flashy but for their work ethic when it came to developing their skills. I love hearing about an athlete who works hard on their mind and body. I love to see them keep going despite the odds, despite their critics or despite an injury. Sports represents life and the human spirit. It’s so easy to quit when you are down but a champion never lets adversity stop them.

So many people tell me they can’t believe a “girl” could enjoy sports as much as I do. But I do. I love the teams I follow and I love the will of the players. When they are bad, I yell for them to never quit and to do better. When they fail, I commiserate with them and resolve that we will need to regroup for next year. The best part however, is when we win. Especially when we come from behind despite the odds to rise up like real champions for that one moment.

So yes, last night when my team was down by 12 points with only 5 minutes left to play with first place and the playoffs on the line…..I was jumping up and down and yelling at my tv.  Many people can’t understand that passion for something that doesn’t directly affect me. But I love this game. I love this team. I have been there through good years, bad years and the years that will live forever in the record books.

I am a girl. I love sports. I especially love football and yes, I love my New York Football Giants. If you don’t get that, I got nothing else for you.

In the Home Stretch (a month to go)

I know you are all tired of hearing about this Triathalon and I apologize for not having witty entertaining stories to share right now. Truth be told, I am tired of it  too.

I am knee deep in training and juggling work, a household and the family. In order to do this, I have been working out pretty much at around 6am most mornings. 6am runs, 6am swims, 6am bike rides. On one hand, I am proud of myself for sticking to it. No one likes to sleep more than I do and yet, when that alarm goes off at 5:15am, I drag myself out of bed and do what needs to be done.

Most days, I come home, shower, eat, get the boys ready and then roll out to work. Most days, I feel like some kind of superhero. I am amazed at how good I am at squeezing in the time to do this.

Then, there are days like today. I ran at 6am yesterday. It was raining and cold. I could tell I wasn’t my usual cheerful self. Last night, I couldn’t fall asleep and I stayed up til midnight knowing I had to meet my training buddies to ride at 6am this morning. 

When the alarm went off this morning, I was so physically tired. I had to pray then get up. I only kept going because I knew others were waiting for me. The ride this morning incorporated a whole bunch of hills. It was tough.  My whole body hurts. I came home and felt so overwhelmed. I felt defeated.

I know I am just having a bad day and I will feel better when I wake up in the morning. Nevertheless, today….I am going to allow myself to wallow in a little self pity. Your girl is tired. I’m sore. I am tired of the constant training and pushing my body to the extreme. Maybe I just need a good cry and a glass of wine? LOL

No time for crying, it’s Saturday and I promised to take my boys out to play tennis. Iguess venting to you all will have to serve as my release. Thanks for listening. Thanks for the support. Just thanks.

Tri update

How is training going? Glad you asked! With about 6 weeks to go, it’s going as well as can be expected.

SWIMMING

I have been swimming twice a week. No more trainer, I learned all of my stroking techniques and now I am working on building up my endurance for the 1/2 mile. I think *gasp* I will be in decent shape for the race. The key is to learn different strokes so when you are swimming and you get tired of freestyle, you can switch to another stroke with ease and keep moving. The key is to never stop swimming. I was extremely anxious and I still am. I think it will be the toughest part of the race but I will feel so good when I complete it. Last week, I swam with my friend The Good Dr, who is training with me. We hadn’t done any swimming together since the very beginning when we first started. Back then, I would swim 1/2 the length of the pool and stop. We swam 20 laps last weekend and she was amazed at my progress. Now, I am still no Michael Phelps but I am sure I won’t be the worst swimmer out there.

BIKING

I was doing spin class and biking on a stationary bike for much of the winter. I have started the outside riding now. 15 miles should take me about 45 minutes or less. Trust me, when I first got on a bike, it was not a pretty sight. I haven’t been on a bike since I was about 12. When the bike would pick up speed, I would get panicked like I was going to crash. Riding in traffic gives me heart palpitations. However, on open road, I am straight. I actually enjoy the bike. Now, running after biking? *cough* That’s another story.

RUNNING

While I have never run more than 5 miles. Last week, I ran two 5Ks. I ran one on Friday morning up Kelly Drive. I ran on Sunday in the Susan Komen Race for the Cure. I am not worried about the run portion. I am confident I can run a 5K and if I get super exhausted, I can walk. My goal is to not have to walk at the end. I seriously want to complete it but as long as I cross that finish line, that’s all that matters.

On a positive note, I have lost 12 pounds (which is exactly what I needed to lose) and I am down a complete dress size. I feel strong. I feel like I can do or try anything. I know that I am open to new challenges and that’s so important to me as I get older. At the 5K on Sunday, my boys were at the finish line with a sign that said “Go Mommy Go”. That’s exactly what I intend to keep doing.

Wonder Woman Reflections

It’s no secret that my life is hectic. I work full time, raise two sons, go to soccer and swim practice, manage a household, try to be a good wife, stay active in my community through my sorority and finally, decided to throw in a triathalon cause, you know, I had an extra hour of free time.

So many of my friends are always asking me how I do it. I was thinking about this the other day. My main answer would be “I have a great husband who supports me in all I do and helps me with everything”.

What I do is what all mothers do. Seriously. My life is no different than any other mom. I multitask and stuff gets done because it HAS to. I am blessed to have help. Mr. 1969 does housework and laundry. He helps get his boys ready for school in the morning. He helps to drop them off and will take them out to play when I need a mental break. He’s a supportive daddy.

So many women do what I do alone. So many women do what I do with a non-supportive partner. I feel blessed but I make no bones about having support physically and emotionally. He helps me be great.

The real wonder women are out there doing it alone. Motherhood is a thankless job. Sure you get a card once a year but what about all the other days? What about all of the sacrifices and hard work that is expected of you or you fall into the bad mommy club? Moms have to act like this job is the greatest all the time or we will get the side eye from everyone….other mothers, men, single women, old folks, etc. We get judged harder than anyone else and we are often our own toughest critics.

As I reflect on my crazy, hectic life…I realize, yes, I do alot. However, I don’t deserve any kudos for it. I just do what I do. Look around, there are better folks doing exactly what I do with so much less help. Those are the real unsung heroines. It may not be mother’s day yet, but kudos to all the real Wonder Women out there!

Christmas Dinner 2010

This year, I am going out on a limb and doing something a little different. Since, Mr. 1969 eats so much chicken and seafood due to my non-meat/pork lifestyle, I have decided to make him a fabulous MEAT lovers meal.

The menu involves this:

A Prime Rib Roast. What could be better for my steak loving husband on Christmas day? The problem? Uh…I’ve never made one and right now, this is what I have sitting in my fridge:

So, I am online studying recipes and techniques so I can take the basic premise and run with my own version come Jesus’ Birthday. I am probably going to utilize a combination of Ina Gartner/Martha Stewart and Emeril Lagasse’s Prime Rib recipes infusing the 1969 twist.

I plan on taking pictures as I go so I can share the outcome. Don’t be afraid to try something new and take on new challenges. That’s my mantra for 2011!

What are you having for Christmas Dinner?

Giving Your Best

I went to church this weekend (yup, I dodged the lightning) and the message for the sermon was regarding “Giving God Your Best.” I am not one to put a religious figure up on a pedastal but my Pastor put his foot in this message and it resonated with me….. So much that I am still thinking about the concept days later.

He not only talked about being the best Christian you can be but also about life. He asked the following questions “Are you giving your children your best? How about your relationship with your significant other? Your job?”

Basically, we each have been given gifts and talents, are we living up to our full potential? Are we giving our best selves to the people we love and to ourselves?

I can honestly say that right now, I am not giving anything my absolute best. That’s the truth. I may be at 75% in some areas and 90% in others. I am a firm believer that we get messages exactly when we need to hear them. Sometimes we ignore them. Sometimes we hear but we table our responses for a later time hoping the message will go away. Then there are times when we hear it but totally think it can’t be OUR message. Heck, you know I’m perfect right? LOL

Well, as I sat in church, I realized that it was a direct message for me. A reminder that doing too much and not doing any of it well is not a good thing. I needed to stop and refocus my efforts. Take stock of my long term and personal goals.

Just wanted to share that message with you today. Are you in a place where you are spinning your wheels? Are you giving the people you love the best you that you can? Are you taking care of yourself? Are you focused at your job? What can you do to better utilize all of your gifts and talents?

Me? I just signed up for my first Sprint triathalon. (We’ll talk more later. I’m still in shock.) I had a meeting with my boss and told her about a few issues I was having and we moved towards a resolution. I plan on spending more time with my boys and I resolve to be more supportive and less evil with Mr. 1969. I also started inquiring about completing culinary classes. I plan on listening to my message and not ignoring it this time.

How about you?

The Randomness

Yes, Steven.Sl.a.ter the rogue flight attendant is funny. Everyone wants to applaud him for saying “Take this job and shove it”. I loved the story and his moxie. However, he needs to be fired and brought up on charges. I hate to go there but if he were a flight attendant of another nationality…say Middle Eastern…he would not be a folk hero. 

Mont/ana F.ish.burn is on to something because two weeks ago, I didn’t even know who the hell she was.

Fan.tas.ia, why are you sleeping with someone’s husband? Your life affects me in no way, shape or form but I refuse to feel sorry for you. You met that man, you knew he was married with a child and you pursued it. He’s dead wrong but you are no better. Accept your hand in it and enough with the overdosing on aspirin and one sleeping pill *insert Prince side eye*. You’re grown. You did it. Accept responsibility and woman up to what you did.

The last ten minutes of True Blood were HOT baby. I swear it’s like acceptable pron. LOL

I made quiche last night that was beyond good. Spinach, Mushrooms and Gruyere cheese. I dreamt about the slice I saved for breakfast. But since I saw Inception….was it really a dream? LOL

Go See Inception

I am not trying to be boastful but (gotta love the “but”) your girl has been so focused on her fitness routine. I even worked out with a trainer for a minute. I am so proud, not because of the way I look but because I stuck with it and it has become part of my daily routine.  I also appreciate my husband for always making time for me to workout. He is extremely supportive of this effort. I guess he likes the benefits?

Overheard in the gym this morning between two women:

You should try getting bikini waxed.

Uh no. I’ll pass.

Why, it’s not scary and it doesn’t hurt?

If I ever, EVER decide to have another woman that close to my *&$*$, she better be giving me an orgasm. That shyt is too damn close for comfort. *dead*

I almost fell off the treadmill, I was laughing so hard.

I love watching the Jets at training camp on H.B.O. How can you NOT love football? Bring on the games baby!

Have a great weekend….that’s all I got.