Visual Race Report - Myrtle Beach 1/2 Marathon

Our Hostess with the Mostest! Heather

Our Host and Hostess for the weekend! Rich & Heather

Rocky - The Snuggler

Oscar (Meyer Weiner Dog)

Hurley - The Enforcer

Marley - Looks can be decieving

The SHIRTS! Front - 13.1

The SHIRTS! Back !!

Race Morning - Ready to go! 13.1 (x 3)

GO! The front of the pack ...

United We Stand!

On the road with "I'm Knocked Up" & "I'm Broken"

Slow and Steady - Finishing the Race!

Another year, another medal! Cathy, wish you were here!!

Come Play with me!

Leave me alone kid!

Now I'm up - Let's PLAY!

Myrtle Beach Metric Century on Sunday (Jim is in red and yellow)

Strong Finish after a COLD ride (35 degrees - BRR!)

Finisher's Medal!!

A Happy Couple - Chilled!!

Couch Potato Olympics - Jim post-ride with Cat Warmers...

Oscar - a tired puppy!

Mommy & Baby GT (in Utero) on the Beach!!

Jim and I had a wonderful weekend! We are looking forward to 2007 and a "Return to the RUN"!! Love you Heather, Rich and the GT ZOO!

Knee Update

My Knee - A Healthy Knee

So the good news is that there are no tears or rips in my knee. The only thing Dr. Bruno could find wrong was a slight case of Chondromalacia AKA "Runner's Knee" which may not be responding to the ice and ibuprofin because of my weekly doses of Interferon.

So I am going to start 3 weeks of Physical Therapy to see if we can strengthen the muscles around the knee, solve some of the "Runner's Knee" and get the swelling to stop happening. After 3 weeks of PT, Dr. Bruno says "We'll see were we are at!"

In terms of activity, he asked me to wait until I saw the Physical Therapist so that she/he could determine how much activity I should be doing. In the mean time as long as I wasn't having pain I could swim or bike - NO RUNNING for now.

Stubborn and Happy - Myrtle Beach 1/2 Marathon

The year of the Phoenix has begun!!

The weather was perfect. I had no knee swelling. We agreed that at the first sign of pain, we would stop. We wore crazy shirts that made many runners smile, laugh and comment and we had a great time together!

Oh and we finished too....

Heather Gannoe - 23 F - Myrtle Beach, SC - 3:38:52 - 16:59 pace

Holly Gannoe - 35 F - Alexandria, VA - 3:38:52 - 16:59 pace

Race Report and Pictures to follow....

Live STRONG!

(Knee status - slighly swollen but no pain - MRI results in hand and follow-up with Doc on Friday)

In Memory...

Life is just one damned thing after another.
- Elbert Hubbard

On Wednesday night, February 15th, Gladys Katherine Elizabeth Gannoe passed away. She was 94 and it was a blessing. Gladys other wise known by me as "Grandma G" was a strong, tough woman.

I lived with Grandma G. from the time I was 7 years old along with my parents and later my sisters. While we had a challenging relationship, I am happy to have plently of wonderful memories that I'd like to share.

Gladys:

• Would visit the local nursing homes every week and take her friends out for the day - She hated nursing homes...
• Had an apartment complete with a bedroom, bathroom, living room and porch on the back of the house
• Loved the Music of Englebert Humberdink
• Loved to watch "Love Boat" and Lawrence Welk
• Was the orginal "channel surfer" and used to drive me crazy by changing the channels during commercials ("BUT GRAM WE ARE GOING TO MISS THE SHOW!!")
• Always had Orange Marmelade on her toast that she soaked in bacon grease
• Ate Chocolate Chip cookies and Ice Cream in the middle of the night
• Would listen to hours of "Heidi & Friends" and "Nursery Rhymes" Albums while my little sisters danced around her living room
• Never left the house without putting on her face
• Smelled of Ben Gay, Oil of Olay and Emeraud perfume
• Let me raid her closets constantly when I was in high school and wanted cool "retro clothes"
• Had a magnificant costume jewelry collection
• Definately influenced my love of "art deco" style decorations and furniture

Things Gladys Always Said:

What's for Dinner? - "Quail on Toast"

Whenever we pulled into the driveway in her car - "Home Again, Home Again Jiggity Jig"

Rest in Peace Grandma G.

Doctors and Teddy Bears

Would you call it a "good omen" or "sign" if you picked an Orthopedic Doctor who had the same name as your favorite Teddy Bear (BRUNO) from childhood?

Probably not but as it turns out in this case, I think I have struck a little sports medicine gold. This morning I had my appointment with Dr. John Bruno, Jr. of Orthopedic Medicine of Alexandria.

The office was full of cycling and running posters, several physical thereapist and Dr. Bruno. Dr. Bruno was fit, engaging and funny. LOVE THAT IN A DOC!

He asked my history, noted my Interferon Immunotherapy, bent my knee in many funny angles, took two quick x-rays and determined that he would prefer I get an MRI since he didn't see any obvious bone problems but suspected some damage to the tissues since my swelling keeps coming back consistantly with only a little pain.

Even when Dr. Bruno repremanded me, he was so friendly and engaging that I felt good. He mentioned that had I come to him when my knee first started hurting, He could probably have given me some rehab and ibuprophin and we could have solved it but waiting a month while still doing moderate activity might cost me a few extra weeks of healing and rehab.

We talked about this weekend and walking the Myrtle Beach 1/2 Marathon and he said "If you have a tear, your only going to make it worse but it is just some strain, another weekend of exercise isn't going to do much as long as you pay attention to the pain and stop if it starts to hurt.."

"Maybe you can walk a mile or two and be happy with that?"

Hmmm ... same thing that Coach Debi said but with a few different words.

Don't worry Folks, I heard THEM, I am listening!!

So tomorrow bright and early (630AM) I will be getting my MRI of my knee and then Jim and I will be heading south to Myrtle Beach to spend the weekend with my sister Heather, Rich and Baby-in-Utero.

Lessons Learned:
1.) See a DR as soon as your knee hurts!
2.) Listen to Coach Debi when she says "Take a break, No race!"

Well that is all there is for now. I am looking forward to the weekend in Myrtle Beach even if I am not racing. I promise lots of pictures upon my return!

Hope you all have a great weekend! Keep Living STRONG!

SMOOCH!! CYBER KISSES TO YOU ALL!

It seems that I forgot that doubling Interferon dosage meant an increase in side effects and fatigue for a few shot cycles. The last few days have seen some increase in headaches and stomach aches and some odd fatigue. I am able to work through the headaches and stomach aches by reminding myself they are "side effects and I am fine" but the fatigue really get's to me. Emotionally managing fatigue takes some serious effort.

Yesterday's workout called for a 30 minute swim. Nothing taxing, just laps. I did 20 minutes and that was the end of the workout. My form had fallen apart and there wasn't anything left. I covered 800 yards and I was happy that I got in the pool at all. How tired was I? I called Jim and asked him to pick me up at the metro station because I was too exhausted to walk the 5 blocks back to the house.

My sleep these past few days has been restless but the good news is that eventually my brain will just shut everything down and I will sleep long and hard!! Our bodies are so smart like that!

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My RIGHT Knee: I have an appointment to see an Orthapedist (Dr. #7) on Thursday morning. I'm hoping he can give me an official diagnosis and get me started on some RECOVERY.

Coach Debi was gentle but no-nonsense in her email on Monday when she strongly recommended that I NOT do the Myrtle Beach 1/2 Marathon this weekend until I get my knee problems resolved.

SMART COACH: "It is not worth doing any long term damage to the joint."

DUMB ATHLETE: I HATE NOT DOING RACES THAT I SIGN UP FOR!! (Insert Whiney Holly Voice Here)

Don't worry - reason won out over ego - I'd hate it more if I was down and out for even longer because I was stubborn and really did some long term damage.

So I called my sister Heather and told her that we are still coming down for the long weekend BUT I will not be able to run the race. She completely understood - My sister is cool like that. (They both are!) We talked about walking some of the event if the Doc doesn't think it will cause any more damage but that will have to be a case of "wait and see".

So that is all the news that is fit to BLOG in my neck of the woods. EASY spin on the workout calendar tonight.

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!!! CYBER KISSES AND HUGS TO YOU ALL!

Live STRONG!

ONE YEAR

Today it has been a year since I first got that phone call saying "You have Melanoma."

I'm still here. I am one of the lucky ones and I am so very thankful for that.

Today, tomorrow and every day after that, I am a survivor.

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There is a fellow triathlete named Ken who was just recently diagnosed with Hodgkins Lymphoma. His fight has just begun and he is planning to fight hard - training for a 1/2 Ironman in May, despite his diagnosis. Why don't you stop in and let him know your out here in cyber space, sending him good vibes.
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LIVE STRONG!

SNOW Interruption

This is the current view out my front door :

As you can see, we got a little snow last night ...

The plan for today was a Swim Clinic with Nancy but the community college pool where it was being held in Columbia, MD closed for today. Therefore our Clinic has been canceled/postponed. I hope it turns out to the latter (POSTPONED) because I was really looking forward to the clinic in a "my swimming needs help" kind of way.

Yesterday's 75 minute run/walk didn't happen. My knee swelling is back with a vengeance along with some creepy "snap, crackle and pops". Did somebody put some Rice Krispies in my knee? Perhaps if I stick my knee in a pile of snow today, the swelling will go down? It is worth a try!

So I will spend my day as a leisure "snow bunny" - Since Jim is at work today (poor guy!), I am on my own and my only plans are:

1) Ice my knee
2)Work on my taxes
3) Shovel the driveway
4) Get outdoors and find some beautiful "snow" shots with the new camera.
5) Oggle the Olympic Speed Skaters (Man are some of these men HOT!)

I guess you could say that the snow shoveling will be my upper body strength training for today. It's certainly better than nothing at all.

wherever you are, I hope you are safe and warm and enjoying your weekend! Live STRONG!

Pump It Up...

My visit with Dr. Butler was a good one! I am heading back up in to the land of 10 MIU of Interferon, 3x a week from 5MIU. I am considering it an "Interferon Bootcamp, Part II" of sorts. While it is likely that my symptoms will be a little stronger - I'm emotionally pumped up to finish my treatment on a high note.

BRING IT ON!

Jim wondered if perhaps I was feeling some "guilt" for not suffering during treatment as much as other people I have met in my situation. I thought that was a pretty good observation and one that I had silently considered myself. I don't think it is guilt that is motivating me as much as a strong desire to do whatever I can to continue to live "melanoma-free".

At this point, as far as we can tell (we being me and my Drs) .. all evidence of Melanoma was removed from my body and I have "no evidence of disease". Dr. Butler did mention again yesterday, that Melanoma is completely unpredictable and it could come back tomorrow, 30 years from now or never. I told him I was shooting for "Never" and he said, "So am I, Holly."

I went to SPIN class last night and did about 40 minutes before my knee began to gently speak to me. I heard her gentle cries and immediately got off the bike and went in to gentle stretching mode. Healing .. Slowly but healing.

Providing we don't get completely SNOWED IN, I am heading to Columbia, MD on Sunday with Nancy to take a Swim Clinic. I can't beleive I am going to let someobdy watch me flounder through the pool and ask them to tell me how bad I am doing!! I guess that is how desperate I am to get better!

Live STRONG!

Girlfriends RULE!!

Last night not only did I get to spend a great time at dinner with my friend Liz and her new baby Joseph but I also talked two other wonderful friends that I have known at least 1/2 my life on the phone.

There is very little in this world that is more comforting than talking to the people who know you best and love you just the way you are ... It is very renewing. Just like being with family.

Just catching up with my friends made the week a little lighter!

I have my monthly Oncology visit with Dr. Butler today. I'm not expecting much except a port flush (sound kinky doesn't it? - Sadly it is not) and the usual "I'm looking for sick people - You don't look sick... How is it going Marathon Woman?"

As usual, I have my small list for Dr. Butler. He doesn't mind lists!! Top on the list is recommendations for a new dermatologist who does Mole Mapping and/or specializes in Melanoma.

Later I will be heading to SPIN class - Did I mention that my knee was *NOT* swollen this morning when I woke up? WOOHOO!!Even so, I will be taking it EASY in class. No climbing or jumping - Just SPINNING.

Hope everybody has a great day! Live STRONG!

Poser-Status

I hate going to SPIN class and then "doing my own thing" while the instructor and everybody else around me is sweetly suffering but it beats not going to SPIN class at all. I always enjoy the tunes and seeing everybody put in their maximum effort. I'm happy to be able to work out at all.

I'll feel no guilt for babying my knee because there is no other way to recover than to "recover". Now my knee and I are compromising with *No pain but still swelling after activity* and I am going to the Doctor so that I will have an official diagnosis. I am guessing that he will say "bursitis" and "Stop Exercising" but I am no Doctor so we'll have to wait and see.

Tonight I am going to spend some time catching up with some wonderful friends on the phone. Unfortunately I missed some great messages - Thanks Alot SPRINT! - Looks like it is time for a new cell phone!

Wednesday is almost over - Mid Week and Living STRONG!

Crankiness Subsides - Productivity Ensues

Nothing like a few workouts and a VERY PRODUCTIVE weekend to help you get through some significant crankiness.

Thursday night I ended up wandering the localBorders bookstore to alleviate my crankiness instead of going to the gym. My knee was still a little too swollen for my liking. The bookstore was wonderful - I could wander bookstores for hours and buy nothing and still come away content and relaxed.

I guess I am "odd" like that!

Friday the weather here was STUNNING! Mid 60s and not a cloud in sight. I made it a point to go to the gym and did 30 minutes on the CrossTrainer with the hopes that my knee would warm up and allow me to enjoy the weather later in the weekend. It felt good to sweat!!

Saturday was a rainy day so Jim and I put all our focus on the house and we got SO MUCH DONE! There are fewer boxes in the basement, I have a place to put my photo albums & we have a guest bedroom again! These are HUGE accomplishments and bring us closer to "adopting kittens".

We have a deal that we will adopt "2 kittens/cats" once the house is more settled. At this point, we are looking at Spring adoptions. I know you are not suppose to name animals before you have them ... but we are leaning towards "Wallace & Grommit". (But I don't think our cats will like Cheese as much as the original Wallace & Grommit do....)

Sunday the weather cooled considerably but it was still in the mid 40s. Warm enough for a short run to test out the knee. I took it VERY EASY and did 1:1 Run/Walk intervals at a VERY SLOW (15 minute miles) pace. My knee didn't cause any pain at all ... but there is still some swelling happening. I guess that means there is a little more healing for my knee to do.

All in all it was a wonderful weekend and a good way to wrap up a "not-so-wonderful" week.

Onward! Hope you all have a great MONDAY!

Cranky Chick

I have to confess today I am sleepy and cranky. I think some of it is "post procedure" and most of it is "sick of interferon and thinking about melanoma" related.

I went to see my dermatologist yesterday for my regular 3-month appointment. I brought a list of things to ask about and I don't think she liked that much. When I asked about "Mole Mapping", her enthusiasm for telling me that she doesn't do that and that maybe I need to find another Dermatologist, was downright creepy! She recommended her mentor at the Washington Hospital Center and when I asked her if I would be able to get the Mole Mapping done and still retain her as my primary DERM Dr. her response was: "probably not"

Honestly you guys, I felt "unwanted" ...

Then we went through my full body check and down my list. In some cases, the things I was concerned about were benign and in other cases, I couldn't give her enough information so I am supposed to pay attention and get back to her.

I had her remove two moles. One from my lower back - It always gets in the way of my sports shorts and one that has recently appeared not far from my excision scar. My derm said it looked normal to her and was simply red from my bra. I argued that my bra doesn't come across that part of my body (it doesn't!) and my original mole started the same way. She agreed to take it off "since it would be a hassle with your bra anyways..."

So two moles means two biopsies but I don't expect any bad news...My gut tells me they will be negative.

On the other hand, I left this DERM appointment with a bad feeling about my Dr. This was the first time since I have started going to her that I made lists and her bedside manner wasn't as good as I hoped. I wonder why I didn't notice that before? Maybe it was because at other visits, i was a quiet, nice lady who didn't question anything.

I guess Cryosurgery brings out the "MS. CRANKY_PANTS" in me!!

I was recommended to this DERM by my Primary Doc after I complained about the complete "lack of follow-up" by the original DR who took off my first mole. His idea of follow-up was to send me to a surgeon, hand me a few photocopy articles on Melanoma and Interferon and send me on my way without looking at any other part of my body. As far as I am concerned, I found my Melanoma and got it diagnosed. All he did was initially remove it.

Oh man .. I am ranting... See I said I was kinda cranky today...Perhaps it is time to channel some of this crankyness into a long walk or an easy spin ....

Cranky & Living - STRONG!

Updates

I am going to be an AUNT!!! Heheheh.... "Crazy Aunt Holly ... who runs with Mommy, who bought me my first bike, who brings me back cool gifts from Italy and France..." My middle sister Heather is expecting and the due date is September 27th!! Looks like it is a good thing that I will be in southern VA for my 1/2 Ironman on the 24th so I can simply head south to Myrtle Beach post-race and visit a new "neice or nephew"!!!

Now you may remember that Heather and I are planning to run/walk the Myrtle Beach 1/2 Marathon in three weeks. Well it is still on the calander. Her OB Doc said, "Go Ahead, have fun - just keep it easy and fun!" So we are going to do the race!

I wonder if they will give Heather two medals - since technically it will be my "niece/nephew's" first 1/2 Marathon!! Start them early! In-Utero Athletes!!

Well I got through the Cryosurgery on Monday afternoon. But ladies, when the Doctor tells you that "It is no that bad, you will simply have a little cramping", I recommend you have them give you a scale of pain from 1-10. Because I considered a little bit of cramping to be a "Level 2" and what I experienced during and for about 14 hours "post-procedure" was most definately on the Level of an 8 or 9!!

For reference, this was cramping while on 800 mg of Motrin *before the procedure*.

So I spent the remainder of Monday with a heating pad on my lower belly, curled in the fetal position because that is what worked. Around 9PM I took *2* Darvocette left from surgery last May and enjoyed the "drug-enduced" sleep (with no dreams!!) I woke up still feeling drugged, and took the day off. By Noon, the cramping was over and I am fine now.

Good thing that Cryosurgery is 85-90% effective at solving "mild cervical displasia" because I will not be doing that procedure again, EVER!!

My knee is still having problems with swelling so I am making an appointment with my GP to have him take a look at it. I took Thursday and Friday OFF and did a short, easy walk of 3 miles on Saturday. Sunday it seemed the swelling had reduced significantly but as of Monday it was back along with some "clicking and popping" sounds when I move it. I will be in the pool alot this week!

LIfe is never dull! Keep Living STRONG!

The list keeps growing...

I'm on a registration roll and have just added my "MAY" Event

Marilyn Lathum "Homegrown" Triathlon on May 7th, 2006 in Reston, VA. The race is a 1K pook Swim/20K Bike/5K Run and therefore is a SPRINT distance TRI.

Keri, I asked to be in the same wave as you!

Hmmm... what can I spend money on next....

Tales of Ice and Half Marathons

Today was busy at work and while my knee didn't get any smaller, I had hardly any pain. So I went to the gym and did an upper body strength workout and some Core Strengthening. As a test, my warm up was 10 minutes on the stationary bike at Level 4 (very easy). No pain to speak of ...

Once home, I iced for 15 minutes ON - 20 OFF - 15 ON, a course of action recommended in my book "Galloway's Guide to Running" and took some Advil. We shall see if there is any reduction of swelling by morning. In the mean time, I am going to take tomorrow and Friday off completely and hope that will encourage some healing and then I will resume my run workouts by half and maybe stay off the spin class bikes and stick to Sunshine and a trainer.

Time will tell ... taking it easy this week may be hard but it could mean the difference between having a fun time running Myrtle Beach with my sister, Heather, in 3 weeks OR suffering and needing to take more time off to heal.

Besides, I need pool time.

**YEAR OF THE PHOENIX CALENDAR UPDATE**

My youngest sister Cathy, noticed that I didn't have anything planned for October 2006 yet and emailed me to ask me if I would be willing to head up to Maine to run the Maine 1/2 Marathon with her. She *claims* that she needs something to keep her active over the next few months but I *know* that she has become charmed by the BLING of Race Medals!!



You look at this picture of Cathy running the Myrtle Beach 1/2 Marathon in February 2006 (Her first road race EVER!) and tell me that she doesn't look like a runner!

So I jumped on Active.Com today and registered for the 1/2 Marathon. Looks like 2 of my races this season are with my sisters!! How cool is that? WICKED COOL!! Life is pretty darn good !!

Biopsy Results and yet another procedure

Hey all, the two-week wait is over and the biopsy results from my Colposcopy are back. The biopsy confirmed abnormal cell development on the cervix. While I don't have a copy of the biopsy yet, I am assuming based on the treatment my doctor has suggested, that I have mild to moderate dysplasia of the cervix.

So the next step is Cryosurgery.

In a nutshell, I am going to be zapped with a very very cold stick which will freeze and kill the funky cells and allow the healthy cells below to come to the front. It takes 15 minutes at the most and other than a little discomfort, it should be a "walk in the park."


The great news is that this procedure is 85-90% effective in preventing the cells from continuing to develop into cancer.

I'm all about prevention!!

So now Monday afternoon will be "Crysosurgery Day"

And now I need to get back to work.

Still Living STRONG!

First Swim of the Year

Well it is in the workout log book. Last night I got back in the pool and swam 1100 yards (44 laps) - just over 1/2 a mile.

My new suit works great! It fits, there is no rubbing on my port near my collarbone and other than being slow as molasses.. I am very glad to have gotten back in the pool.

Now if I could just get the swelling in my knee to go away! Grr....

Back to work ... Busy Week.

Keep Living STRONG Folks!

Credit Due...

Thanks to everybody for all the KUDOS on the "Photo Blog" of my run. I had fun doing it but I got the idea from Nancy's Bike Around the Pennisula Post.

So KUDOS to Nancy for inspiring me!

-------- WHINEY ATHLETE ALERT: WAAAA!! WAAA!! --------------

My right knee starting hurting immediately following my long run on Saturday. It hurts on the outside, near my patella and is swollen less now than on Sunday but still swollen.

I have been icing and taking Advil and I wrote Coach Debi for some advice on how to proceed this week. She had this to say:

"Sounds like ITB problems? Does it hurt when you step on it?" Well...either way it is a good excuse to get in the water to either water run or swim. I bet the swelling goes back down in the next day or so. You might want to try spinning easy on your bike later on (not the spin bikes) to see how it feels."

"We'll go from there in a couple of days. It might just have been one of those side affects from your medication that just showed up."

Coach Debi ROCKS! I can't wait to be done with Chemo so she can help me see what I am really capable of in Triathlon.

I think she is right on the money and I will take today as a rest day as planned and get in the pool tomorrow - since I didn't do it on Sunday like I had said I would - My knee hurt ... and I was reading a good book!

My Mom "caught me" on Sunday when we caught up on the phone and reminded me to "Get in the Pool because I have a 1/2 Ironman in September!

I LOVE my Mom! She knows me so well! Hi Mom - Thanks for the encouragement! (She reads my blog daily)

Cliff Shot Blocks - My Review

So many people asked about the Cliff Shot Blocks in the comments of the last entry that I thought it was worth a separate entry.

The following is only **MY** opinion -

I have always been a fan of Cliff Shots, GU and other gel supplements in "running" events. I have a hard time "chewing" when I am on a run. It seems like I am trying to do too many things at once. Having said that, my biggest complaint about Gels is how messy they can be. I can't even tell you how many empty gel packets get stuck in the back of my cycling jerserys and in my running pack. What a mess!

So when I saw the Cliff Shot BLOCKS in the local bike shop (LBS), I thought twice before I decided to buy them.

So I picked up a pack of Strawberry and raspberry Cliff Shot Blocks. Hoping that the cleanliness factor would outweigh the "chewing" factor. The guys at the LBS (local bike shop) advised that I not even attempt the Lemon-Lime because they said the smell made them gag when they were stocking the shelves.

• I liked the Strawberry flavor. It was sweet with no obvious aftertaste and you can't say that about the Strawberry Sonic Clif Shots.

• The block itself reminded me of the "fruit jelly" candies that my Grandmother always had in her candy jars. They are chewy but didn't stick to your teeth. That is an improvement over the Sharkies and Jelly Belly Sports Beans that I have tried in the past.

• I took 3 blocks at the 50 minute point of my long run with a couple of gulps of water and it seemed to have the same impact as if I had a gel. 20 minutes later, I was still doing well, no BONKS in sight.

Overall Assessment: Cliff Shot BLOCKS will become a part of my training routine ... but probably for the bike and not for my long runs. I just don't llike chewing while I am running!! On the bike, I can chew all day long and the blocks will easily fit in my bento box.

Lingering Concern: What happens to these BLOCKS when the temps heat up? Am I going to have "hot jello jigglers" sticking to each other and my hands?

Now has anybody tried the Cliff Nectar Bars? The Cinnamon Pecan and Cranberry, Apricot, and Almond flavors sound right up my alley!

Long Slow Distance - 8 Miles Saturday

The Runner ... Holly

And her Gear ...Cell Phone, Water, Cliff Blocks, Road ID & IPOD Mini

The slight climb out of the driveway ...

Five Guys - Burgers and Fries - Temptation in the first mile.

Warm Up is over: Big Climb - Start of Mile Two

At the top of your climb - a Vintage Salmon Station Wagon - 1973 - FOR SALE!

What goes up must come down ...

And down further still ... Head to the river!


2 Miles Down - Rest Stop!


Miles 2-6: on the Mount Vernon Trail - Watch you speed!


Passed by a pack!


View at Mile 3 - 1 mile to your turn around!


A Beautiful Day for a Long Slow Run ...


On the back half of the run - Keep your eyes UP!! Only 3 miles left!


2.5 miles to go!


Finding Inspiration in the most unlikely places!

Runner's Notes: I had a blast "photo blogging" this run but the workout wasn't quite what I had hoped for. The one thing that I "forgot" was to put on my Body Glide and I paid dearly for that oversight. By Mile 6, my inner thighs were chafed and raw so I cut the run short. I walked the last 2 miles (mostly uphill) home. It was a beautiful day, so even walking was wonderful BUT I had the energy to run so that small mistake cost me a few miles.

Body Glide is a voluptuous triathlete's best friend! I won't soon forget that lesson!

Living STRONG in spite of chafing!

Back in the water...

The swim has always been my worst event in a Triathlon. Funny really, since I was in the water 24/7 every summer from the time I was 9 until I was 14. While I loved to dive and pretend I was a synchronized swimmer, I never got into the races across the pool that my Grandpa and my youngest Uncle often threw my way. I would try to beat them, but I never believed that I would beat them.

When the time came to "try out" for the Swim team in High School, I was so scared of failing that I didn't even bother trying. If I had *known* that they take everybody, regardless of skill, I might have shown up for tryouts that fall and I'd probably be a much better swimmer.

But I'm not.

You see I do fine in the pool. I definitely need to work on my stroke, bi lateral breathing and speed but I have no problems getting in the pool for the workout and doing my best.

The problem happens when I get in the water on race day. Open Water. I simply lose my cool and end up doing a modified crawl with my head up and out of the water the whole time.

So in an effort to resolve this problem and improve my swim, I am taking a swim clinic with Nancy. But more importantly, I am going to take Nancy & Jim up on their individual open swim offers. Nancy. has mentioned that she wants to get some open water swims in this year and has invited me along. Jim has said that he is willing to escort me in a boat while I do open water swims down near our friends at Lake Anna, this summer. It is wonderful having friends and family who want to see you succeed!
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After a rest day on Wednesday, last night's SPIN class was welcome. I got out of work a little early so I used the extra time at the gym to reaquant myself with the Weight Room. Strength Training is something that I have been missing lately and I figure 20-30 minutes 2 times a week can't be that hard to add in. So I did some upperbody strength training work yesterday followed by an hour of Spinning.

Today is a rest day in prep for a LSD run on Saturday. (Long Slow Distance) The schedule calls for 8 miles of 3/1 intervals and the weather is supposed to be in the mid 60s! Sound like the makings of a perfect workout!

Sunday - I AM GETTING IN THE POOL!! Let it be said, Let it be done!

Hope you all have a great weekend!

Live STRONG!

Quads-A-Burning

My normal walk into the office today left no doubts in my mind that I chose the right day to schedule a recovery day. After a faster than normal run pace for 5 miles on Monday, last night's SPIN class left me and my quads empty of all available glycogen stores.

I am spent and D*MN does it feel GOOD!

It has me so motivated to be so tired that I went ahead and bought some more gear to complete my lovely "triathlon" race kit for this season.



So I hopped on over to Team Estrogen and bought this pair of shorts to go under my skirt. Because Comfort and large thighs prevent me from even considering the bikini-briefs that Zoot! recommends. I'm my own fashion icon!! PROMISE TO Nancy: When the shorts come in, I will post a picture and model my new race kit!!



SO with all this gear, I guess the next step is to add some more races to the calendar. I had thought about going to Boulder to visit Bolder and do the Bolder Peak Triathlon since Jim and I want to go to CO & it is close to my birthday. I also considered signing up for SteelHead as Nancy suggested since so many of you are also doing that race as prep for Ironman Florida.

In the end, I have had to settle for local races. Jim and I would LOVE to head to Colorado to race and ride AND I would love to spend time racing with you guys, but I simply don't have enough "Leave Time" at work thanks to the big M and treatment. So I have to choose my races with that in mind. After all, I need to save up some vacation time to come down to Panama City in November to volunteer at Ironman Florida!! You didn't think I would sit home while you guys kick butt in Florida together, did you?

So I am officially adding the Colonial Half Iron Distance Triathlon to my calendar on Sept 24th.

Hmm.. my Lunch break has expired...Back to work!

Keep Living STRONG!

Where did the weekend go?

I had a 3-day weekend and do you think I got even half my list of "things to do" done?

Nope!! But it was a full weekend never the less.

Friday night was a night "OFF" from the workout schedule. I met Jim at Sine, had a Kilian's Red and Spinach Artichoke Dip for dinner (YUMM) and then we went to the DC Motorcycle show where I went all "girly" over the Vespas and made Jim take a picture with me on one. If I am ever going to ride a bike with an engine, I plan to start small and that works for me.

BEEP BEEP!

Saturday morning I planned on an easy bike ride along the Potomac and through some surrounding neighborhoods. I got lost trying to go home (I'm still new to the neighborhood) and my easy 12-15 mile ride turned into 20 miles. The ride started out balmy and a little windy and ended in 20-30 mph head winds for the last 5 miles home. I'd say that I got a good workout (and now I will never forget how to get home from Fort Hunt!!)

Saturday night was spent visiting with friends and watching football.

Sunday I went to the Health and Fitness Expo and saw "Dr. Jeff" from The Biggest Loser 2. He looked amazing!!

Monday was "tax day". I spent the morning starting to reconcile my medical deductions for Tax Year 2005. I have not even started to reconcile my Rx expenses and I am flabbergasted at the amount of money that I spent this year. Thank goodness for what medical insurance I do have or I might not have any savings left.

Midway through "tax day" I took a break to do the long run that I skipped on Sunday. I ran an out and back course of 2.5 miles for a total of 5 miles that includes some hills and flats. Throughout the workout I found myself breathing hard and using every moment of the recovery in my walk intervals. I kept wondering why the workout felt so darn hard until I looked at my watch and realized that during the "run" portion of my intervals I was keeping an 11:30 pace.

That's a "pre-Interferon" pace!!

I wasn't "fall on the ground exhausted" at the end of my run but I was having problems making sense so I'd say that it was a great long run albeit a little harder than I probably needed to push it!

It is good to know I still can push it!

Bring on the week! I'm living strong!

Get thee behind me...

The Colposcopy adventure is over and a piece of my cervix is off to some lab in Bethesda, MD. It will be two weeks before I hear anything (according to my Doc) so I am left to my own devices and sending "healthy vibes" to my sample.

While Dr. Tabibi was doing her thing, she told me that everything looked okay to her but she wanted to send samples out just to cover all the bases. I would have prefer not giving a sample but I appreciate her thoroughness. We talked about if she had "ever" heard of Melanoma metastisizing to the Cervix and she said "No" so I am holding onto that nugget.

Later in the day, I saw Dr. Butler, my Oncologist, for my monthly checkup and unloaded all my stress right onto him.

"Blah Blah ... Colposcopy ... Blah Blah ... Night Sweats and Itching ... Blah Blah ... New Moles... Blah Blah ...Recurrence??"

Dr. Butler took the time to listen and ask questions and told me that he would test my blood a little more this week and make sure that there were no "odd" markers indicating problems. He looked at my new skin things and said "They look pretty benign to me so just keep your appointment with the Dermatologist in 2 weeks and have her look at them" and then reassured me that he had never heard of Melanoma metastisizing to the cervix.

He also was kind enough to tell me that all the anxiety of the last week was "perfectly normal" and he had been waiting for me to come to him and be "sick of it all" for a few months now. He commended me for being upbeat for as long as I have been.

All in all, Dr. Butler answered my questions and make me feel better. This allowed me to let go of some anxiety and really think about how I wanted to approach the next 20 weeks of treatment.

Last night while talking with Jim, I finally realized ::I have been coming to this for a while but last night it was "CLEAR TO ME":: that I am going to start treating my weekly shots the same way I treat my daily vitamins. It is just something I need to do 3x a week. Obviously I still need to be vigilant in doing weekly mole checks, but how is that any different than the monthly breast exams that we all should be doing as well?

No different.

For all intense purposes, I am CANCER-FREE with NO EVIDENCE OF DISEASE and have been since my second surgery on May 4th, 2005.

It is time to get back to Training, Working and Enjoying Life in General. I'm imagine my blogging will reflect more of my TRI training and racing adventures as well as the final countdown to this particular treatment year and I hope you will stick around as I transition, dear friends. It might bit a bit of a bumpy transition but I'm ready for it...

Living STRONG all the way.

Work It!

Don't wanna wait til tomorrow,
Why put it off another day?

One more walk through problems,
Built up, and stand in our way...ah

One step ahead, one step behind me
Now you gotta run to get even

Make future plans, don'?t dream about yesterday, hey
C'mon turn, turn this thing around

Right now, hey
It's your tomorrow
Right now,
C'mon,it'?s everything
Right now,
Catch a magic moment, do it
Right here and now
It means everything

(Right Now by Van Halen)

With a 1/2 Marathon with my sister Heather (Myrtle Beach 1/2 Marathon) less than 6 weeks away and a Half Ironman (to be announced after this weekend) in my long term plans, I realized this weekend that the "holiday slacking" was over. So I confessed to my slacking to Coach Debi, asked for some adjustments to my workout schedule to keep me "on track" and got serious.

This week I have been keeping an eye on my food intake and getting back to the daily workouts in earnest. After just 2 days, Tanita has been very kind in acknowleging that I have been getting all my water, watching my food and working out. I'm glad "she" is in a good mood this week but I know she is prone to serious "mood swing". If you don't believe me, ask Boulder.

Monday was a light day with Core exercises early in the AM (Earlier than the birds but not earlier than Nancy)

Last night I worked "hard" in spin class. We did a mock "criterion Race" which was 3 laps of 6 minute progressive climbs followed by a 2 minute "downhill" sprint and then 2 minute of recovery. I gave it everything I had in that class, knowing that the only thing I had to do after class was go home, eat dinner, give myself a shot and relax. When Jim and I finally did get home, I felt that "exhaustion" that I covet and I soaked in the "Wow, you worked hard today in class" compliments from Jim. He is much faster and stronger than I am in cycling and sports in general and isn't quick to hand out the compliments in the workout world unless you earn them!

So EARLY this morning, I found myself stumbling out of bed to get to the gym before work since we are having friends over for dinner tonight. By 6AM I was on the treadmill, doing my 2:1 Run/Walk intervals and shuffling my I-Pod like a mad woman to find the most motivating, pulse-pumping tunes I could to keep my pace up. By the end of the 45 minutes I was covered in sweat, face red and had covered 5K. There was a time when 5K took 33 minutes ... I look forward to that again.

I have found lately that focusing on this year's season is helping me focus alot less on my upcoming biopsy and my monthly appointment with Dr. Butler. I'm sure thousand of other cancer survivors have gone through what I am going through this week - Doubts creep in, along with anxiety and suddenly every new thing makes me wonder "Is it back?" "Did we miss some of it and it has spread?"

With 20 weeks of Chemo left, I have to find faith and courage in the knowledge that I am doing everything I can and that I can't worry about what I don't know yet. I have to Live STRONG now and not dwell on what "might or might not be"

Besides, I have to make dinner tonight ... LOL... and Gloria Childs, I am not!

Live STRONG, Right Now!

Flattered and Humbled

THANK YOU to every one of you who nominated me for Tri-Bloggie-for-Most-Inspirational Blog on Tri-Geek Dreams.

I have never won anything before!!! I was a runner-up in the "Degree Everyday Ironman" competition last year and got a cool Nike Backpack but this is much cooler than that!

Shakin' Up the Routine

I am not, nor have I ever been "a morning person" but year's ago I accepted the fact that most of the races and events I enjoyed required early wake-ups. No problem, as long as my weekly workouts could be in the afternoon.

Ah, but life changes .. as it is want to do... and today I found myself up at 5AM to do my Core Exercises since I knew that my evening was already booked with plans unrelated to Endurance.

5AM is DAMN EARLY! How do you guys do this on a regular basis?

For this week, I will wake at 5AM again on Wednesday and Friday for more Core Exercises and leave Tues and Thurs as afternoon workouts. How many weeks does it take to make a new habit?

I am curious ... When do you work out?

Living STRONG (and remarkably awake!)