From Another Planet?

A funny thing (at least I think so) happened to me at the Y on Friday night. I got off work and went straight there. I figured I'd get in some free weights before hitting my spinning class. Now I don't normally notice much going on around me in the weight room. When I started lifting on a regular basis 8 years ago, it was in the weight room that our D3 sports teams used. I was often the only female in the whole room, so I made it my goal to get in, work out, and leave - no wasting time.

Well on Friday, I was very aware that this guy kept looking at me. First I wondered if we knew each other. I quickly realized that wasn't the case. Then I wondered if I had seen him there before, but he had very distinct tattoos. I know I would have remembered them. I brushed it off and finished my workout, still a little puzzled.

A disclaimer: the free weights at my Y are unusually large. The 15s and 20s look almost the same as the 30s. I have big arms. I've always had big arms. If I don't lift weights, they look big and undefined. If I do, they look bigger but defined, so I lift. Not as much as I used to, but enough to keep lunch lady syndrome from creeping in.

I think figured out the answer to my question when I went into the spinning studio. He and his girlfriend were taking the class for the first time. She was a twig. Her biceps were about as big as my wrists, and even though there were plenty of bikes available, she opted to ride a clip-only one in her tennis shoes so that she could be right next to him. That can only lead me to believe one thing. This guy kept staring at me in the weight room because he was wondering what planet Amazon women come from.

Crossing Over to the Dark Side

Now I may be shunned from the blogger community for even writing this, but I have bucked the trend of ipods for a long time. I know, I know. It's the 21st century. Everyone and their dog has an ipod, but I have my reasons:

1. I rarely listen to music when I run. I believe that keeping myself company builds up mental toughness, especially since I won't get to wear music during races. When I'm really jonesing for some tunes, I bring along my discman (I know, I know - totally uncool).

2. It can be dangerous. I run in the middle of St. Paul, and though it's not a huge bustling metropolis, cars/bikers/other pedestrians aren't always watching for me. I need to be able to hear everything.

3. I sort of think it's impersonal. I live in a neighborhood where lots of people are out there running with me. It's not unusual to see people I recognize, and I think it's just plain polite to greet the people you are meeting on the sidewalk.

4. I get super annoyed by runners who have their music turned up so loud that they cannot hear my polite "on your left" while I'm biking. I don't want to be a hypocrite.

5. I am against people wearing them during races. First of all, it's usually against the rules. Also, it takes away from the experience - the people cheering, getting to meet another racer, etc. Finally, it's sort of cheating. I know how motivating having the music can be. I think it gives those who have portable music a slight edge over those who don't.


Well, I've officially crossed over to the dark side. I won an ipod shuffle at a meeting a couple of months ago, and I have been taking it on all of my runs recently. It's just a little extra motivator to get me out the door into the dark 10 degree weather. I keep the volume turned way down, so I can still hear everything, including the hellos from my neighbors. I love it. This is really dorky, but I love how light it is and how the music never skips like my CD player used to. Lately, I cannot get enough of Blue October or Breaking Benjamin. They're both great motivating music. I won't use it on the bike this summer, and I don't even know if I'll use it running in the summer (extra stuff on my head just adds to the feeling of overheating). But for now, I'm totally hooked.

Coaching, Snow, and Everything in Between

I love motivating people. I have said for a long time that if I weren’t a pharmacist, I would have gone to be an athletic trainer. Who wouldn’t want to wear yoga pants and tennis shoes every day? It sure beats dress pants and, ugh! dress socks on a daily basis. Saturday, I got to play the role of coach. Steph rocked her awesome new swim suit. It was the first time I had seen it on. It really doesn’t look as bad as you would think, especially far away. (By the way, she says that she will order from the grab bag again. It really can’t get much worse!) We had “putting on your swim cap 101;” took a tour of the Y’s locker room; and I showed her how to use the suit drying thing. Then we got started. We did lessons 1-4 of the program. She did great. Steve and I also critiqued each other’s strokes. Turns out I am rotating WAY too much. This may explain why I’m not getting faster. Ah, one more thing to work on this year. I’d be nice to get my swim time down a bit for IM, though. I probably have a good 20-30 minutes of time to comfortably cut out when I think back to it this past year. That’s just with improving my form and working more on speed.

I haven't convinced Steph to take up tris yet, but she will probably be running the marathon with me next fall, so that's a start. Who knows what'll be next?

Minnesota finally looks like winter! We’ve gotten several inches of snow over the last 2 weeks. I love running outside right now. I think there’s something magical about running when it’s supposed to be dark, but the city lights combined with the white snow light up the whole sky. The sidewalks are nice and clear now too, so there’s less risk for ice and subsequent falling, which has been known to happen. I’m hoping for a 7 miler tonight. It’ll be my longest run since the marathon in October.

I am totally jonesing for some sunshine right now. I have a business trip planned to Orlando in 3 1/2 weeks, and boy am I hoping for some swimsuit time. They said on the news this morning that we gain an extra minute of sunlight per day in Jan and that come Feb, we’ll get an extra 3 minutes per day. As far as I’m concerned, it can’t come fast enough. I have literally been having dreams about going somewhere warm and tropical.

I got new running shoes on Sunday. Superfun! There are three clothing items in which I always have a new one handy: swimsuits, running shoes, and Steve’s jeans. For some reason, they all wear out to the point that one day, you realize that you absolutely cannot wear this thing another day. For running shoes, it’s usually weird leg or back pain for me. For Steve’s jeans, there’s some massive hole somewhere, and I cannot let him out of the house knowing that his students will judge me based on what he is wearing (hey! I did it to my professors in college. I know it happens). Swimsuits? Well, there comes a point when you realize that your suit is no longer supportive and that you should probably be charging people to look at you because it’s so see-through in some parts. I’m too, ahem, thrifty and busy to just go out and buy any of those things full-price, so I stock up when I can. So I guess it will be a little while before I can sport my new digs, but they’re in the closet when I’m ready :)

T Minus 6 Days!

I start my IM training program in just 6 days. Actually, my official Ironman training doesn’t start until May, but I’m signing up for a June half IM just so I get my butt moving earlier this year :)

I’ve been thinking about goals for the upcoming year a lot lately. Among them:

1. Train earlier. Last year I didn’t work out very much up until May, when my program started. When it did start, I was still refining my swim stroke (read: had not yet finished teaching myself the 15 step program). This year, I’m hoping that having a better base will allow for more speed work come May and June. Maybe that will lead to a faster Sarah come September!

2. Better balance between work and training. Last year was a lot different because 6 weeks of my training took place while I was studying for boards. My schedule was absolutely flexible. This year, at least through June, I will be working 50-60 hours per week, including every other weekend. Guess it’s time to see how the rest of the working world has to do it!

3. Eat healthier. In some ways, being a distance athlete makes my eating habits worse. Since I can eat anything I want, I do eat anything I want. The problem comes during the off season when my brain still thinks I can eat indiscriminately but my hips say otherwise. I can remember training for one of my first marathons. I ate a jar of P-B and a quart of (low-fat) ice cream per week. Usually the containers were next to each other on the counter with one spoon dipping back and forth. It seems that the last couple of years, chocolate has replaced the two. Also, trying to eat more nutritious foods this year will just keep me healthy. If you put crappy gas in your car all of the time, how will it run? The same goes for eating 1/3 of your daily calories in sweets. Yup. That one’s going to be a toughie.

4. Write a more positive (or at least balanced) blog. Writing for me is often an outlet. I usually need it when I’m tired or frustrated. When I’m really busy, I sometimes forget to come back and write when I’ve had a great training day. I consider myself neither an optimist nor a pessimist. I’m a scientist. Therefore, I am a realist. I see things both as they are and as they could be, but I want to work on writing both down.

5. Have fun! This may be the only time that Steve and I get to do something like this together. I just want to savor it all.

The Dangers of "Grab Bag" Swimwear

For the last several years, I have been buying my swimsuits from the "grab bag" from swimoutlet.com. I've never had a problem. I know my size, so they always fit, especially since I always order the same brand. Some of the suits are cuter than others, but I've never cared. Who pays twice as much for a suit that in no time will be saggy and see-through from all of my time in the pool?

Since my sister Steph joined our local YWCA, she has been itching to get into the pool but hasn't forked over the cash for a suit yet. I was planning to order anyway, so I had her try on Speedo suits at our local sports store to get her size. Then she took her chances on the grab bag.

The order arrived in the mail on Saturday. I was so excited! It's sort of like Christmas - the surprise of seeing what your suit will look like. When I opened the box, though, my heart sank. One of the suits was HIDEOUS! I was praying that the suit wasn't Steph's. We're different sizes, and I honestly don't care what I look like (as long as my form looks good!). Sure enough, she got stuck with the uggo. I cannot believe that a reputable company like Speedo would allow this suit to be produced and actually put their name on it.

Where do I start describing it? Well, first it is very bright - fluorescent greens, pinks, yellow, and blues. It probably glows in the dark. So yeah. It's a little loud. If that were all, it would probably still be tolerable. But wait! It has butterflies. All. Over. The. Suit. Black butterflies in all shapes and sizes. Ridiculous, you say? I would agree. But there's one more thing: the words. It has "Crazy Cool Hot" written all over it. I'm just speechless. We seriously cannot stop laughing, even though I feel so guilty. I keep telling her that maybe it's just like her high school prom dress. Maybe once she puts it on, we'll all be amazed at how great it looks. Then we laugh some more. You be the judge. So far, she hasn't been able to bring herself to actually try it on...

Steph with her new pretty suit.

This way you can fully appreciate the colors, butterflies, and words :)

Catching Up

I always mean well. I really do. I was going to post a lot of this stuff over a week ago. My fastest internet connection is at work, though, and sometimes (especially last week) I just don't feel like sticking around to post. So... some catching up.

* I was tagged by Triteacher with the following instructions:
1. Find the nearest book.
2. Name the book & the author.
3. Turn to page 123.4. Go to the fifth sentence on the page. Copy out the next three sentences and post to your blog.
5. Tag three more folks.

The nearest book is Training Plans for Multisport Athletes. Most of my tri books are sitting on my end table in our living room. This one isn't necessarily my favorite, but it's on the top of the pile because it's the smallest. Author: Gale Bernhardt

p. 123, 5th-9th sentences read: "Base 3 begins lactate threshold training. Build 1 and 2 have spicy days of anaerobic threshold training. Finally, in Peak and Taper, a reduction of overall training volume and some fast workouts in the mix each week bring you to a fast race with a well-rested body. Let us look at each period in more detail."

Hopefully this is a sign that things will go as planned this year! Uh, since I'm no speed demon at the posting stuff, most folks are already tagged. If you've not yet been tagged and want to be, consider yourself "it" :)

* I've added links to some of my favorite blogs. If I forgot anybody, let me know. Selfishly, I partly did this for myself. It's so much easier to get around this way than trying to remember the addresses for them all!

* I've also added 2007's race schedule on the side bar. I love having a techie husband! This schedule may be subject to change, but as of now, the marathon is on for Oct. 7. Happy birthday to me! Plus, it may be a first for my sister Steph. So fun.

* Somebody stop me! I just spent $206.40 at swimoutlet.com. I love that site. Free shipping when you spend $75, and they have everything. I bought 3 grab bag women's swimming suits (one for Steph, 2 for me - who cares what color they are?), 2 jammers for Steve, 3 pairs of goggles, and 3 swim caps to have on hand, so we are set for the season! The goggles will be great to have come Ironman time. I used relatively new ones this year for IM, and I couldn't believe how much better I could see compared to my 2 year old ones. It just makes you feel good.

* My official training program starts in just a few days! Yikes! More on that later.

* Time to head home! Supper with the hubby then out for a run. Gotta enjoy the unseasonably warm weather while I can get it.

* I love exclamation points today!

What Two Triathletes Get Each Other for Christmas...

First of all, happy holidays everyone! We were busy preparing for and going to six (yes I did say six) Christmases, so the posting is a little late.

So what do two triathletes get each other for Christmas? Well, since I got Tony this past summer, there were no presents under the tree for me this year. He's still in the entry way of our house, though (I can't bear to send him out to our garage), so I could just look over and think of all of the great rides we'll have this year.

I got Steve a wetsuit for his upcoming races this year. He still has to model it for me. I also got him a huge tub of Carbo-Pro. It won't take long for the two of us to use it up! The Triathlete's Guide to Mental Training was wrapped up and under the tree. We both can use a little help in that department! Oh, and I got him an ornament, something that sings and dances. Overall, it was an awesome Christmas. I've already got ideas for tri Valentine's Day presents:)

Below is our failed attempt at getting our cats to dress up for Christmas. Steve posted our "good" picture.

You can tell they're thrilled. Yes, those are footed pajamas. Kids' size XL. I think they are making kids' clothes bigger than they used to. I haven't worn that size since 5th grade.

Happy New Year everyone!

A Fork in the Road

In an effort to get myself revved up again for the upcoming race season, I've been finalizing my race schedule for the next year. I should have all of the kinks worked out tonight because I'm meeting with my other residents to negotiate our weekend schedule after Jan 1st. When I was looking up the dates for my prospective races, I discovered that 2007's Twin Cities Marathon will fall on my birthday. Hmm...

After this past year, I swore that a marathon 3 weeks after Ironman just wasn't worth it. Now I'm just wondering... I'd like to get your opinion, so I will present the pros and cons.

Pros:
- The 2007 marathon will be 4 weeks after Ironman. This year's was only 3 weeks post IM.
- It's on my birthday - what a fun way to celebrate! I ran my second marathon on my 21st birthday, and it was a blast.
- There's a good chance that my sister Steph will be signing up for the first time this year. I'd love to be able to run it with her.
- Being a week later next year may mean a little cooler weather. 50 degrees is much more agreeable to me than 70+.
-Presumably, I won't have pneumonia next year. It certainly complicated things this year.
- Streaks! This would be my 8th one in a row.
- Steve's all for it. He already told me he thinks I should do it.
- Who knows what the family planning situation will be in 2008. I may not be in a state to run marathons...

Cons:
- Running the marathon on top of IM this past year greatly extended my need for recovery time.
- Um, this year wasn't exactly a PR.
- I would run the race just because I could and may take the spot away from someone whose dream it is to someday run a marathon.

I dunno. I'm just putting my thoughts down for now. I won't actually have to decide until the beginning of May this spring. Any thoughts out there?

A Lesson From One of the Cats

Someday, I will post pictures. My cats are hilarious. I'm usually more of a dog person. I like the idea of having a full time running partner who's always excited to go however far I want to. In the meantime, I'm perfectly happy with my cats that fetch (seriously!), greet us at the door, love their bellies scratched, dig through the garbage, and drink from the toilet (we try to keep the seat closed to avoid that last one). Steve and I joke that we've been training them to be dogs since they were babies. I think it has worked.

The other day when I got home from work, I turned on the lights and sat on the couch for a second. Ella the Cat fell asleep sitting up with her head under the lampshade. I looked over and realized that I know exactly how she feels right now. I am craving sunlight and warmth. There are only four days total per month when I get to see the sun. Lately I get into work before the sun comes up and leave well after it has set. I have thought for a long time that I get some component of Seasonal Affective Disorder. The other day, I looked the symptoms up on the internet. They are:

1. A change in appetite, especially a craving for sweet or starchy foods
- check. Chocolate has become my new best friend.

2. Weight gain
- unfortunately, yes

3. A heavy feeling in the arms or legs
? not really sure on this one. I don't think so...

4. A drop in energy level
- double check. I can barely muster up the energy to turn on the TV in the evenings, much less get in a good workout.

5. Fatigue
- Check. I know I'm busy, but I just seem to be so much more tired than normal. I've had my thyroid and hemoglobin tested, so I don't think it's anything easily explainable.

6. A tendency to oversleep
- I can't get out of bed in the morning. The only thing that gets me out of bed is promising myself that I can take a nap when I get home in the evening.

7. Difficulty concentrating
- My mind is always racing, so I don't know if I'd notice.

8. Irritability
- Check.

10. Avoidance of social situations
- It's hard to tell if I'm avoiding them or if I just truly don't have time for many social activities right now because of my work commitments.

I don't really feel depressed. I just don't have any energy. I don't feel very ironmanish right now since I can barely get off the couch.

I have been getting these symptoms every year for at least the last 10 years, but they don't usually get too bad until January or February. They seem to be early this year, maybe because of my work schedule? I know that come March and April, everything will warm up, the sun will stick around longer, and everything will be back to normal. I'll be back on my bike outside, I can wear a single layer of clothes on my runs (it's going to be highs in the 20s today - brr!), and it won't be long until I'm swimming outside again. The freckles on my face will explode like they do every year, and my pasty white complexion will become a little less pasty.

I'm not sweating all this too much yet. I still have plenty of time to be increasing my base workouts before IM training officially starts back. I just need need to find a little M-O-T-I-V-A-T-I-O-N...

Late Race Report

One week ago today, I ran a 5K. With 8000 other people. Yes, I said 8000. We weren't exactly expecting there to be so many people, and it turned out to be more of an obstacle course than a race. I PR'd for slowest race ever, with a time of around 29 minutes, but it was a blast. I ran with my sister Steph and Steve, who decided to dress up for the occasion. He wrote a great account of it on his blog. My highlights:

1. Seeing ALL those people. There were dogs, strollers, kids, families - you name it, they were running the race.

2. I totally biffed it at around mile 1. I couldn't see very far ahead of me and didn't notice a raised part of the sidewalk until it was too late. Several people commented on my instant tuck and roll. They actually described my fall as "graceful". There was no blood. Maybe those pilates classes are working!

3. Steve's crazy costume. I came out of the bathroom at one point, and he had made, like, 30 friends. Everyone was pointing and commenting. It was fun to watch.

4. The weather was beautiful. We don't get many 40 degree mornings in late November in Minnesota. It was a nice surprise.

5. The finish line was 1/2 block after we had to stop. We couldn't cross it until minutes later because so many people were filing in. It gave us an opportunity for Steve to take his picture with the giant turkey.

6. Eating all those calories back and then some. Yum! I love pumpkin pie.

Three Days of Work in Review

Saturday: Today, I Love My Job.

The days leading up to Saturday were pretty tough for me at work. I hadn't had days like these since I was down in the trauma ICU. In the last couple of months, I have had a lot of patients. Some get better, some get worse, and some don't make it. For the most part, I've been OK with all of it, knowing that my team and I are doing the best we can for each patient. By the end of the day Thursday, I was pretty convinced that I was going to need very large doses of Prozac very soon. It was just a rough day. One of my patients died just a little over 12 hours after he came in, and even though he looked very peaceful, it was just really sad. A couple more of them got even sicker, and now they may not make it. When you've been following them for weeks to months, it's really hard not to get attached sometimes, and I start to get a little protective. I don't know whether that's a good thing or a bad thing. I just know that it means I care.

The patients I took care of Saturday on my other team were tons of fun, and they all seemed to have smiles on their faces. I just kept thinking how beautiful they all were. I was done with work in 8 hours and was home in time for a nap before church. Everything went pretty smoothly.


Sunday: Wow, This is One Crazy Job Sometimes.

My alarm clock went off around 3:10 AM, but I couldn't seem to drag myself out of bed. I finally managed to do it and still made it into work by 4:20 or so. I should still have around 3 hours and 40 minutes to get all of my work done before rounds. I checked the new patients, and there were only 3 admits from the night before. I worked them up and went upstairs to look at their charts. I no more than get to the first patient when a Code Blue was called to another unit. I stopped to think for a second. Technically, that unit is not my responsibility, but there are no other clinical pharmacists in the hospital at 5:20 AM. I didn't give it a second thought;I decided to go. It lasted about one-half hour. The patient didn't make it, even though we did everything we could. Wow. What a way to wake yourself up in the morning! My sympathetic nervous system was revved into very high gear. I should be OK, I thought. I still have plenty of time to work up my patients before rounds. I was cutting it close, but I made it back to my office in time to check for labs and get all of my work done. I logged back into the computer only to find that there were two more admits. Arrrggg! Well, kick into overdrive. You've got to get them done. I raced through checking labs, ran back upstairs to look at the new patients' charts, and made my list of med changes for the medical residents. Thankfully, the attending physician was a little late. I wrote down my last change just as he was rounding the corner. We finished rounds over 3 hours later. I wolfed down a fruit roll-up and ran to the pharmacy 15 minutes late to relive some of the inpatient pharmacists for their lunch. Funny. I had already put in an 8 hour shift at this point and had not yet eaten lunch myself.

I put in my hour of checking orders, and just as I was finishing up, they called another Code Blue in the intensive care unit. I ran up to see of my co-pharmacy resident needed any help. The patient was having breathing trouble, and she didn't need any medications. I went back to my office to finish looking at my patients for the day. I quickly realized that I wasn't going to make it a couple more hours without some lunch, so I ran over to the caf only to realize that they were mostly closed. I settled for a bag of Doritos and two cartons of chocolate milk. Two hours later, I was on my way home; it was a 12 hour day.

When I got home, I was basically nonfunctional. I took a 1 1/2 hour nap, watched TV for another 1.5 hours, vacuumed my house, and crashed into bed at 10 PM. My WONDERFUL husband offered to give me a backrub, then I passed out.

Workouts this weekend? Unless you count running to codes and walking all over the hospital, zero. None.

Monday: hopefully Back on Track

I woke up this morning at 4:30 AM with a terrible feeling that I'd overslept. A quick mental check revealed that it was Monday, and I could sleep in until 5. I did weekend sign off, and now I'm back in my office. Today is a project day, and a much needed one at that. My big residency project is hanging over my head like a huge black cloud. I'm relieved to have some time to devote to it. Tonight, I try my hand at Pilates again. I'll probably lift weights afterward to make myself feel better. Thursday is my first 5K in over a 1.5 years. More on that later :)

Grace Is Not In My Vocabulary

Note: before any of you worry any further, I am pleased to inform you that the Ironman Wisconsin bracelet officially came off after my last post. It was ready. I was ready.

Now onto today's topic... I have never described myself as graceful. It in no way suits me. Strong, yes. Powerful, yes. Fit, yes. Able to endure, yes. Graceful, coordinated, etc, not so much. I am built more like a softball player than a dancer or a distance runner. It's OK. I learned to accept that a long time ago. No offence intended to any softball players out there. I was one for 6 years before I discovered track. I'd still love to find a summer league sometime.

This month, my goal is just to start getting back into shape. Nothing crazy, just feeling relatively fit again, building up a base for IM training. It will be starting before I know it. So this month, I decided to try something new. I signed up for a pilates class. It's once a week for 6 weeks. I feel completely out of place. I've got a fairly decent core already, but I figured this would challenge me and loosen me up at the same time. I am enjoying it for the most part, but it's not the type of workout I'm used to. I threw up during my first spinning class. That's when I knew it was for me. Pilates in a studio is just so much different than doing it watching a DVD. There's no one in my living room staring at me and telling me that I'm doing it wrong. There's no mirror in my living room to show me that I'm doing it wrong. The dancer from my undergrad does not have a mat next to me in my living room to show me what it should look like. Sure this is her second session, but she looks like she's been at this for years. No, this will not be an easy class for me, and that's exactly why I need to be there.

A Great Day

So I lied a little. The bracelet didn't actually come off until today. I got home from work a little late last night, Steve and I watched America's Next Top Model ( a very guilty pleasure) while putting away laundry, and then I helped him pack for his trip to New York City for his big photo convention.

This morning, I woke up bright and early (3:40 to be exact) to drop Steve off at the airport and then came home for a 1 hour nap before heading to work. You'd think that with an alarm clock going off that early, I'd be crabby. For some reason, it was just the opposite today. Work went really well, and for the first time in a long time, we were not swamped with patients. It gave me some extra time to spend teaching my medical residents and pharmacy student, which I love doing. I even managed to squeeze in a noon talk by one of the physicians about her recent time in Darfur working for Doctors Without Borders. It was really interesting from both the political/world view as well as the medical view.

This afternoon, I vowed that I would be able to cut off my bracelet, so I went to a spinning class at my local Y. Dan, my instructor, just finished IMMoo this fall, too, and he always offers fairly challenging classes. He laughs just like Eddie Murphy in the Beverly Hills Cop movies. I can't explain it. You'd have to just know what I mean. Anyway, it was nice to see some familiar faces from all of the classes I took last winter. Alas, I still do not have an indoor trainer. I honestly don't know that I want one anytime soon. Class actually went pretty well. I took it a bit easy. No use going crazy on my first day back. This probably won't make sense, but the happy place I imagined during class, which used to be a flat part on my favorite trail, has turned into my 3 hardest parts of the IM bike ride. Maybe it's because those are the ones most ingrained into my memory. Maybe I was just telling myself that even if this were a difficult class, I've certainly gotten through worse, or maybe it just means that I'm rested, and I'm back - ready for the next adventure.

Today, the Bracelet Comes Off

OK. You're probably all going to think this is weird. I am still wearing my "all access pass" bracelet from Ironman, which was nearly 2 months ago. At first, I couldn't bear to take it off, sort of like the smile on my face. It was a conversation starter, and it reminded me of what I had just accomplished. Soon the Ford Ironman Wisconsin letters started to fade as did the 2126 written on it. I couldn't say why. I just couldn't bring myself to cut it off. The past couple of weeks helped me to realize its significance. Its initial purpose was to remind me of what I had just accomplished, then it was to remind myself that even if I didn't finish the marathon in record time, I was still an Ironman. Lately, it has meant that Ironman status was attained this year, and it's the goal for next year too. In order to accomplish this goal, I need a fresh start. So... I decided that I would not work out until November 1st. It's probably an arbitrary day, and I admit I have no scientific evidence to back this up, but my OCD needed me to pick a specific date, and the first of the month seemed like a good choice. It's been just over 4 weeks since my marathon. Up until today, the bracelet has reminded me of why I am resting and why I NEED to rest to be able to start training again for next year. Today, I get to cut it off (just in time for frigid Minnesota weather!) I'm not going to go all out right away. I may start with an easy 3 mile run. I also want to get back into spinning and swimming. I've even thought about taking a pilates class at my local Y. We'll see. I'm not going to get back into shape overnight. For now, I just want to enjoy being active again.

So what have I been filling my time with lately? Well, I've been putting in my usual 55-60 hour weeks at work, and my residency project has been calling for me too. Today I got to pass off the on-call pager that I've had to carry for the last 2 weeks. Whew! No more worrying it will go off at 4 AM. I also sewed 2 quilts, one for my good friends Jess and Al who just got married and one more to go on Steve's and my bed. That makes 4 quilts that cover me at night. I know. I have a problem. I love not being able to move under their weight. I have also been serving as a big sister football fan for my high school and college brothers who play. The season is wrapping up now, but it's been so fun to be able to watch them. The pros have nothing on high school and D3 college. The tickets are cheaper, the seats are better, and you know the players personally. Along with all the games has come lots of family time, which has been really fun. I had to give some of that up during my training over the summer. Finally, Steve and I are barely, just barely, starting too look for a house. We don't anticipate having to move for at least a couple of months yet, which is probably good because I won't be making a full salary until July or so. I'll keep you posted how getting back into shape goes!

Picture Time!

Alright, folks. My personal photographer got a couple of minutes to get all of my pics up, so here they are. First, the new pony tail. I'm sure you all have been anxiously awaiting to see how short it really is.

OK, so it's not THAT short, but it used to fall halfway down my back, and now some of it barely fits up!

Marathon Pics:

Steve and I just before the start. Yes that is my lucky sweatshirt. Yes, I do wear it before all of my races. Yes, I do wash it.

Me in the middle of one of the hardest races ever.

I'm on the right. You can see the masses of people down at the finish line. I can't believe how many people were still down there by the time I got there!

My sister Steph and me, just after finishing the slowest marathon of my life (see post below to find out why). We got asked on Sat if we were twins or "just sisters." Just sisters? Has this lady ever had a sister? They're amazing, especially mine!

Well, there you have it. I didn't want to bore you with all of the photos, especially since Steve posted some on his blog a few weeks back, but I figured I'd show you what I've been up to. What else have I been up to? Well, it seems not much. I have decided to take most of the month of October off. Ironman + marathon + being sick left my body feeling like it REALLY needed a break, and with more IM goals coming up, I want to start out fresh. So, I'm working my 60 hours a week and playing Suzie Homemaker for a while. I cleaned my house and now have been working on a couple of quilts to keep me company while I catch some of the new fall shows on the tube. Boy to I feel lazy, but I know it will probably pay off later. My clothes all thankfully still fit, but I'm sure looking forward to starting up again really soon!

Happy Belated Birthday!

... to me! My 26th birthday was on Saturday, but I had to work this weekend, so this post is a little late. It's funny. Usually around the time of my birthday, I get just a tiny bit sad. It's stupid, I know, but it's happened since I turned 20. I guess sad is the wrong word. It's more like a very real awareness that I'm now officially a year older. This year is different.

I can't quite say what it is. Maybe it's the fact that they had to write "26" on the back of my right calf for my duathlon last spring to signify my age at the end of the year. That was the first time I faced another year older. Maybe it's because I managed to pack a lot into 25: graduating from pharmacy school, starting my residency, celebrating my 3 year wedding anniversary, finishing my seventh marathon, and becoming an Ironman. It's going to be a hard year to top!

I celebrated my birthday by getting up at 3 am for work. After I put in a 9 hour day, I caught the end of my brother Matt's football game. My mom, two sisters, Steve, Matt, and his girlfriend went to church and then grilled at my house. Steph had made an angel food cake - my favorite! Yum!

Pics to come soon from the marathon and my new haircut. My personal photographer has been quite busy. Apparently photographing the cover for The New York Times' magazine is more important than getting my blog photos up:) Check his story on his photo blog.

I went inline skating tonight. I only went 7 or 8 miles, but it felt great. It was my first workout since the marathon. My lungs still aren't up to par. I think I've got a bit of bronchitis yet. It's getting better, though. I know I just need to be patient, but that's not something I'm good at. I love inline skating, but usually it's my respite from running. Tri training is so varied that I don't really need a respite day, so I haven't been out in a while. The weather is that wonderful crisp feeling, and the leaves are gorgeous. It was the kind of evening that makes you just grateful for being out there, part of it.

I Feel Pretty, Oh So Pretty...

I have taken the whole week off so far. I walk a lot at work but haven't even thought about working out. I've been filling my time with my ginormous "to do" list and have been very successful at checking things off. Bills? Check. Phone calls? Mostly check. House cleaned? It's a never ending battle, but it's getting checked off. Quality time with the family? Working on getting it in. Quality time with the cats? Every day. I've also managed to get sucked in to some of this season's new TV shows, although I'm weaning myself off for fear of getting addicted. That leaves one major thing to check off the list - Sarah improvements. That's right, folks. I have been neglecting myself the last couple of weeks. I finally got around to giving myself a mani and pedi on Tuesday, and last night, I cut my hair for the first time since May! Just to give you an idea how long it's been, I had my bike serviced twice and my car serviced a couple of times as well in that time. By the time they were done at the salon, it looked like a small poodle had been massacred on the floor. I should have cut it before IM. The extra weight off could have meant a faster bike split:) My ponytail has gone from mid-back to barely there. Think how much room I'll have under my swim cap now!

Run Report - The Race That Almost Wasn't

This recap could also be called "Recent Ironman + Recent Pneumonia + Heat Does Not = Marathon PR." I said it wouldn't be pretty, and boy was I right. Let's just say that it was slower than my Ironman marathon split, and it felt much much worse. I think I underestimated how much time it would take for me to fully recover from IM. I got sore much earlier than usual, and although the cough was better, it was still there. My abs are quite sore from coughing while I was running.

When I decided yesterday that I would try the race today, I resolved that I would not go for time. For the first time in 7 years, this was not an A race for me. Even though my time was terrible, I'm actually happy with my performance. I started and finished it, and that was all I was going for.

The crowd was great as usual. I can't believe how many people come out to cheer. The weather was warm, about 80 degrees, and it was sunny the whole day - not my preferred race weather but nice for the race I was looking to have. I've done the course enough times to know it well, and I just tried to have fun and keep a smile on my face. The finisher shirts are sweet! Brooks brand long sleeved performance wear. It'll come in handy very soon as the weather cools. Glad I stuck it out to get it :)

My cheering section was awesome, as usual. My sis Steph, Steve, and my sister-in-law and her husband were there to cheer me on at the start. My brother Matt waited a long time to see me pass his college, and Maddy was there to cheer me on twice at the course. I can't tell you how great they all were. To top it off, Steve biked much of the course and met me at at least 10 checkpoints. He was so supportive all day. I'm not sure whether it was support or concern (probably a little of both), but I was sure glad to have him!

So... what's next? Well, for now, I'm just going to rest. I'll probably try a few easy workouts next week, maybe later this week if I'm feeling great. I've got a couple of sore spots that I'll need to nurse back. There are a lot of improvements I'd like to make on the way I trained for IM last year, and I'll probably be sitting down to figure out a pseudo game plan soon.

Pics from the marathon to come soon!

Gonna Give it a Try

This morning, I decided. I have been going back and forth all week, so I haven't posted since I had no idea what I'd be doing tomorrow. I still haven't completely eradicated my cold. I went for a run on Monday, and when I couldn't even make it 3 miles without coughing out both of my lungs, I decided to decide on Thurs. Thursday came and went, and I still hadn't decided. When I woke up this morning, I decided that I wouldn't do it. I went down to the expo just in case and decided that I'm gonna give it a go. It likely won't be pretty.

I don't even know if I will finish, but I've never skipped a start line. I just can't bring myself to miss this one. I am feeling a little better. The antibiotics have started to kick in. I'm not going for time, and for the first time since my first marathon, I just want to finish. I know that if I can pull this off, it will be a blast. It is their anniversary celebration, and there will be tons of excitement to keep me occupied for 4+ hours.

I'll give you a report, good or bad, but for now, number 1855 will be towing the line at 8 am!