Nothing like a little of the wee "C" to bring you back down...

I heard the news today.
It came out of nowhere.
I wish I could run away,
but where would I go?
Is this my destiny?
Something so unfair...
What will become of me?
God only knows.

And they say the road to heaven might lead us back through hell.
Maybe tonight, maybe tomorrow,
we will win this fight and bury this sorrow.
We're so alive, still holding on, not ready to die,
so we LIVESTRONG.

(lyrics and song - WideAwake)

I've been ALL IRONMAN, ALL THE TIME these last two weeks but this week has served to remind me that there are bigger battles going on every day.

First I got a call from Melanie, telling me that she was going to have to put down our cat Jasmine. Jasmine is your typical cat - LOYAL to only ONE or TWO (Melanie and myself) and always suspicious and on guard. She was the crankiest, meanest, nastiest cat I ever co-owned.

Melanie brought her home as a ferrel kitten from her job as a Park Ranger when we were roommates in 1994 back in CT.  When I moved out, I took Jasmine with me (she was not very nice to other cats either...)  Jasmine and I were together for 8 wonderful years until 2000 when I found myself having to move locally here in the DC area.  The rental market was tight and moving with a cat was proving very difficult - so I call Melanie, who was living on the other side of the beltway and asked her if she would take Jasmine.

I cried like a baby the day Melanie came to pick her up.  I knew she was going to be well loved but I felt like I was giving up a child. (I really love my pets...each one.)  Within a month, Jasmine was happy and content and would barely give me even a pur or a walk-by when I would pet-sit for Melanie when she was out of town.  I felt better - I knew Jasmine was happy.

Jasmine lived with Melanie for the next 10 years - even making the long move to Texas.  That is a lot to ask of a New England-born cat! But according to Melanie, Jasmine kept her personality in tack right up to her last years - only mellowing slightly.

Jasmine was diagnosed with Breast Cancer that metastasized to her lungs.  I didn't even know cats could get breast cancer...

REST IN PEACE my sweet, evil kitten!

Last night I got another call from a friend telling me that a mutual friend who has been battling a reoccurrence and in and out of the hospital for the last year - has been released from the hospital to go home and into the care of hospice.  Things have progressed to the point where the Doctors can no longer do anything more.  

I makes my heart ache to imagine anybody ever having to hear those words but I know that being at home with family and friends is the best place for my friend to be and I completely respect the decision that has been made.  I pray that every moment is filled with love, laughter and happiness for the time that is left for my friend and the family.

This morning, I was lurking around - catching up on some more friend's blogs and learned that another friend and blogger was just informed of a reoccurrence.  This friend is one hell of a dynamic guy - a FIGHTER in the truest sense of the word and while the news that he was going to have to start chemo again is still fresh in his mind, he is already making plans and taking action.  He is primed for the FIGHT - that is a LiveSTRONG attitude if ever there was one.

It's been a while since I got this much "cancer" news in less than 24-hours.  It's sobering and quite frankly it simply pisses me off! Not the news but the cancer itself.  Nobody is free from the grips of cancer.

1 in 2 Men and 1 in 3 Women will develop cancer during their lifetime.

560,000 Americans are expected to die of cancer THIS YEAR.  That averages out to more than 1,500 people a day.

(source: American Cancer Society)

But as long as we are all willing to continue to FIGHT and live life on our terms - at least we know that we truly Live STRONG! Make sure you tell your friends and family how much you love them today... Life is still Good - Keep Living STRONG!  

I'm GOOD and TIRED...

FOR THE RECORD:  If you choose to snack on seedless red grapes - maybe think about rinsing them TWICE before you indulge.  Yesterday I found a small but fuzzy spider in my snack bag of red seedless - Needless to say, I lost my appetite at that point.

What a weekend!  I'm still tired and it's already Wednesday but I am not leery about my 90 minute run tonight so I guess that means I am on track with my Ironman Training.

This weekend was the last official LONG WEEKEND of TRAINING for IRONMAN USA.

SATURDAY: 

The workout schedule called for a 2-mile open SWIM practice and a 20 mile Zone 2 RUN.  I met Team Z down at Gunston's Manor for the swim and run.  

The open water SWIM went really well.  I was very happy with my half mile swim loop times (19:00 - 20:00 per loop) and I felt pretty comfortable in the water - even though I grew weary of having to pull my hands and feet out of the fresh water hydra.  Those weeds were just prolific!  Really - ridiculous!! 

The RUN started out just fine and then along came the Rain - at least it stayed warm.  I heard THUNDER but never saw any lightening so I just kept on running.  It really helped to see my other Team Z-mates out on the course.  There is solidarity and comfort in knowing your not the only one out there.  Something like "misery loves company" with a side of " GO Z!" to make you smile.

We ran along the roads leading into Mason Neck State Park and Wildlife Reserve and it was really quiet (except for the Thunder) and beautiful with lots of frogs that would leap in the low bog water along the side of the road with a loud "RIBIT" as you ran along.  At one point on the second loop, I found myself laughing out loud - for every foot step - it seemed I would startle 2-3 frogs.  It was one of those times that you think "If not for this workout - I would have missed this entire moment..."

I did cut my RUN down to 16 miles because I am still a little behind the rest of the group on running volume due to the pleurisy and the wedding but those 16 miles felt good so I know I have what it takes to handle another 10 miles if I stick to my RUN 5/WALK 1 intervals on IM USA race day.

My total volume for Saturday:

• 2 miles open water swimming - 1:20

• 16 mile run (5/1 intervals) - 3:25 (12:50 pace)

SUNDAY:

Sunday was the BIG RIDE and Team Z ALL-HANDS picnic! On the schedule for me was 120 miles starting in Nokesville, VA.  The 120/70 mile riders started bright and early at 7AM.  The day was pretty much 80 and overcast for the entire day with winds going from 10-15 mph all day long.  There was always a headwind, crosswind or tailwind - which made the ride a little more challenging considering the terrain was "gently rolling".  We did have some climbs but they were always long, gentle gradients with a few short steep climbs that required nothing more than a little extra power.

All in all the ride was FANTASTIC!  I was able to dial my nutrition plan in and it was SPOT ON!  I rode by myself the entire way - about 2 minutes back from a group of teammates that I thought I was on pace with but staying in my Zone 2 meant not trying to bridge the gap to them and since this was supposed to be training for race day - I knew that I needed to ride alone and be "OK" with it for 120 miles.  But it was nice to know the group wasn't that far ahead and everybody always had a "Hi!" or "Looking Good Holly" for me when they saw me at the rest stops as I rolled in and they rolled out.

I only had one tough patch the entire ride and that was right around mile 101 on the bike.  I found myself getting tired.  I took the time to self-assess, took a GU that I knew would kick in in about 15-20 minutes and took the time to do some positive thinking.  I told myself: 

 "Embrace this moment, remember what this feels like.  Your going to have less than 11 miles left on race day and you will be climbing the hardest part of the bike course. Now is the time to dig deep and be strong and believe because you need to get back to Transition and get on the RUN course!"

Of course, on Sunday, there was no run to transition to but there was still another 20+ miles to go so the mental practice help and the rough patch passed and the GU, when it kicked in at Mile 109 made the last 10 mile fly by.  I can honestly say that I felt STRONG when I finished. I'm sure part of it was the endorphin rush of knowing that I had just biked 120 miles but the other part of it was that I got my nutrition right.  Had I needed to Run after that bike ride, I had the energy to do it.  Now I KNOW my legs would have felt like BRICKS but I was not suffering from any stomach issues or general exhaustion which speaks VOLUMES about my conditioning.

Total Volume for Sunday: 119.35 miles - 8:25 hours (14.1 mph average)

Monday was a FULL REST DAY - Thank Gosh!

Tuesday was LONG AM SWIM with Team Z.  I managed to get in 2850 yards in 1:30 but I was toast and very thankful not to have a second workout for the day. 

Today will be a 90 minute run in Zone 2 and then it's back to "double workouts" as the official TAPER begins. Everything that follows over the next 4.5 weeks is considered "taper volumes" to get my body ready for the big day.  

Just because it is a taper - don't expect to see me slacking off on workouts.  I want my body and mind prepared and primed for race day so I am committed to every workout from here until race day.

FOLLOW-UP: Clumsy Continues...

Got home from work last night and got on the Bike for Workout#2 of the Day. (Workout #1 was an AM SWIM with Team Z, FYI)

2 miles into my ride, at a busy intersection, I waited for a break in the traffic (Stop sign - no traffic light) to cross.

Break in Traffic Came - and my left foot decided not to stay clipped in (or I didn't realize I was not clipped in...)

Left Foot hit the ground and Right Shin hit the right pedal - leaving yet another bruise and creating some tears and swearing along with the following internal struggle:

HOLLY: "Damnit, that hurt - SCR*W this - I'm just going back home."

INNER HOLLY: "Yeah that hurt, soft pedal, relax - just spin in out."

HOLLY: "Maybe this is sign, I'm not supposed to work out today...Damn my shin hurts. [whimper]"

INNER HOLLY: "HTFU Holly!  What are you going to do on IRONMAN race day? Quit if you get a boo-boo then too?"

HOLLY: "What...NO! OK, FINE...I'm feeling better now anyway, an easy mile helped.  Sheesh, third times a charm, right? -  no more bruises this week !"

And with that...I went on and did my BIKE workout for the day...

(For those of you not in the know - HTFU stands for HARDEN THE F**K UP - useful in self-whiner moments for anybody...)

Stay upright much?

Um..what it is with me and falling this week? 2 falls in 5 consecutive days has got to be some kind of record for me.

I have always been a little clumsy in general - I think it is my long feet (size 12 women's), they get in the way - but I never fall more than one in while (months between clumsy acts..)

Saturday, I took a SLOW FALL while getting back on my bike after a quick break to fill my water bottles. Typical CLIPLESS pedal incident. I forgot which foot was clipped in (left) - shifted my weight for a moment and - S_L_O_W___F_A_L_L - No damage to the bike - nasty elbow and leg bruises for me. Hurt my ego more than anything else...

So then yesterday, on my way home from work - I managed to loose my balance going UP the stairs on my way to the L'Enfant Metro Station. It was one of those situtations where you feel yourself falling and try to recover it - only to realize - "Too much momentum already - you are still going to fall..." So at the TOP of the stairs, knowing the fall was coming - regardless of my attempt to recover my balance - I did a "tuck and roll" - after all there was no need to try to stop the fall with my hands and break a wrist!

The very nice stranger who helped me gather my bags off the top of the landing complimented me on my "Tuck and Roll."

GOSH THANKS! LOL - What can I say....if I see the fall coming, "I know how to protect my head and significant body parts..."

Even with my "tuck and roll" technique, I ended up with a nasty scratch on my knee and my left hand is a little scratched up - and I decided that rather than risk another fall - I would do my speed work on the treadmill at the gym - instead of the track (closer to home too...)

I have not been this wobbly and out of sorts since I was on high-dose interferon back in April/May 2005. At least then I could blame it CHEMO - this time is is ALL ME.

Team Z mates - you might want to steer clear of me this weekend at about Mile 18 of the long run or mile 100 of the long bike - I seem to be on some kind of roll.

Thank God tomorrow is a REST DAY!

She's got me thinking...

Cat, fellow Team Z-mate and one of my wonderful CANCER to 5K SHERPA volunteers, had a great post about BALANCE.

In essence, she talks about her struggle to find a balance between training for Ironman (IRONMAN FLORIDA in Nov 2009) and the rest of her life. And reading her blog, I found myself nodding my head alot - thinking, I know how that feels.

Quite a few people suggested that I might have taken on too many things this year. That getting married and racing an Ironman were too much and that to do another season of CANCER to 5K on top of those two big events along with a regular work schedule was just asking for trouble. I'm not sure that I agree but I guess we will have to wait until race day (July 26, 2009) to test that argument to the fullest extent. 140.6 mile should be a good test, I think...

I have, indeed, had my share of moment when I thought: "What was I thinking?" but overall, I think that things have gone well. I managed to find some balance and learned to "delegate responsibility" wherever I could this year. Of course it helps to have a Fiance/Husband who loves and supports your crazy dreams. Without Jim's support, none of this could happen.

Jim and I planned a beautiful wedding in Jackson, MS - in no small part thanks to my WEDDING PLANNER: Deborah Simmons. Delegating the responsibility of planning and handling vendors and keeping our event on track was the smartest thing we could have done. Our Wedding Planner was the biggest ticket item on our wedding budget and she was worth every penny, PLUS!

I took a BIG STEP BACK with CANCER to 5K for the Spring Season. Coach Bob and I reached out and asked some volunteers to step up and take on leadership roles as Assistant Coaches and I only attended TUESDAY track workouts this season. While I missed working out with the group more than I could have expected (there are some people who only make Saturday workouts), I was happy to see that the program can run without me around all the time. That means that things are moving in the right direction. Are there improvements to be made? Of course, but like any program, you try something new - weight the results and course correct. The bottom line is that the Team had a successful season and I learned that I don't have to do everything (which I already kind of knew...LOL)

As far as Ironman Training goes - I knew that to be effecient, I needed to let my training be handled by somebody who had the time to write my schedules and plan my workouts - making my job simply to "show up and get them done." Team Z and Coach Ed have made that possible for me. BONUS: I have a few hundred teammates to train with and about 25 teammates who are heading to Lake Placid, NY in July too. Talk about built in support systems!

It was a rough start indeed! The horrible FLU and the later bought of Pleurisy just after the Myrtle Beach Half Marathon and before the Wedding really shook my confidence. Then I had two hard race experiences at the Half Ironman Distance (both DNFs of a different kind...).

It took quite a bit of personal courage to really dig and evaluate those race experiences but I feel like in both cases, I gained some very valuable lessons. Lessons that I would rather not have learned on IRONMAN USA race day itself.

My training since the beginning of May has been good and consistent. I'm getting the miles in and I am getting the hours in. This weekend is the FINAL BIG BUILD! Saturday is a 2 mile swim and a 20 mile long run ... Sunday is 120 mile bike - both with Team Z.

142 miles over two days in prep for 140.6 miles in one day in just 5 weeks.

5 WEEKS...WOW!

Life is Good! All I can do is keep trying to find my own "balance" as IRONMAN USA race day approaches.

Thanks for the reminder Cat!

The SMILES tell the real story...

Jessica T. and Jennifer M. - running strong!

Finish Smiles for Andrea H., Beth S., and Thomas S.

Yuneng L. and Paula S. leading the charge!

Laura is all smiles at the finish!

Denny C. - all smiles after his first 7-mile race!

Cat, Ben and Monica - making it look easy!

The "unofficial" finisher bling - more cowbell!

Paula S. took home 1st Place for Survivor Women - Age 20-29

in the 7-mile distance race - GREAT WORK PAULA!

Lindsey from UCF and Holly S. at the Finisher Pavilion

Heather G., Denny C. and Colleen C.  - 7 miles complete!

Team CANCER to 5K - Spring 2009

Go to most running races and watch the faces of the finishers - you'll see grimaces, tears, frowns and smiles - every conceivable emotion can be seen at the Finish Line.

But there is a something in those smiles - joy, triumph, pride, sometimes a hint of relief...those are the people that I am drawn to every time.

On Sunday at the Survivor Harbor 7 race in Baltimore, MD - Team CANCER to 5K: 20 runners & volunteers strong, all finished their races with BIG SMILES!

This season the CANCER to 5K program trained 15 runners for 12-weeks to run either the 4-mile or the 7-mile distance of the Survivor Harbor 7 race.  Coach Bob Shaver led the way every Tuesday and Saturday at group workouts along with the help of this seasons new group of Assistant Coaches (Arnetta D., Destiney I., Monica R. and Andrea H.) and our ever present and dedicated group of volunteer pace leaders helped to encourage the group of survivors to new distances.

While in the beginning of the program, the common tie that binds this diverse group of people together is CANCER - either as a survivor, a supporter, a supportive family member, a volunteer - at the end of 12 weeks - it is the running, the training and the common goal to challenge themselves and "LiveSTRONG" that makes this group a Team.

Pace doesn't matter for Team CANCER to 5K - we cover the every part of the collective PACK (Front, Middle and Back) - what matters is that we are in this together - committed to taking a risk, trying something new (running) and showing ourselves and those around us that we will not let "cancer" determine what is possible and that we can reclaim our health - on our own terms and go onto to achieve great things!

With all these "personal goals", you would think that all that matters is the Finish Line - but that is not the case.  This year, we had a few Teammates who were not able to race - those Teammates were there with us - in our hearts and minds as we covered the distance. They are facing the challenges of different fight's this season - recovery from injury, cancer diagnosis of family members, complications/reoccurrence of cancer & even happy changes in family status. All these challenges serve as a reminder to us all that STRENGTH and ENDURANCE are important in all facets of our life to be nurtured and encouraged and that to "LiveSTRONG" can have so many definitions.

For Helen, Shawn, Jessica W., Alisa and Katy - you were with us, every mile.

CONGRATULATIONS to the SPRING 2009 CANCER to 5K Team!  You did it!!

FALL 2009 Season starts August 1, 2009: Come explore the meaning of the word ENDURANCE as a Cancer Survivor - One Mile at a Time! CANCER to 5K

12 Weeks goes by so quickly...

Well it is coming up on another 12 weeks and this weekend the 4th group of CANCER to 5K Runners will toe the line at the Survivor Harbor 7 Race in Baltimore, MD this Sunday, June 14, 2009.

This season we tried two new things - we added a 7-mile distance training option for those CT5K alumni who wanted to try running a longer distance than 5K and we coached 3 runners "on-line."

All in all, I think we continue to be very successful.  We had a few people who had to pull out of the program for various reason - but that happens in any program. 

Last weekend the first of our "on-line" runners, Sandra, completed her first 5K at the Race for a Cure in Detroit, MI.  Her comments after the race to Coach Bob:

 "I can't believe I did it. This was HUGE for me and I couldn't have done it without you Coach. I was a little nervous but my sherpas were by my side and I averaged a 5 minute run/1 minute walk pretty consistently. I felt good running and felt even better finishing.  p.s. - I'm signing up for a 5K in September."

(L to R:)  Andrea, Sandra  and Jenean:

The H. Sisters at the finish of the Detroit Race for the Cure!

On Sunday, June 14, 2009 - We will have 4 runners and 4 volunteers running the 4-mile event and 4 runners and 7 volunteers running the 7-mile event.  Including friends, family and non-running volunteers - we will have a group of about 25-30 people representing the CANCER to 5K program at the Survivor Harbor 7 race.

The goal of this program, from inception, was always to provide a place where young adult cancer survivors could discover the benefits and joys of being active and hopefully, after the program, have the tools to continue running or explore other areas of fitness and continue with an active, heathy lifestyle.

It's working but to be honest, I had no doubt that it would work.  Sometimes all a person needs is the opportunity to try something new.  CANCER to 5K provides that with NO FEES, NO FUNDRAISING and LOTS OF COWBELL.  Our Coaches, Assistant Coaches and our Volunteers keep coming back to help and I hope as we spread the word and get more survivors involved - we will make an even bigger impact on the Survivor Community here in the NOVA/DC/MD area and someday far beyond.

What is even more exciting is that some of the Alumni runners are going onto bigger and better things and yet they stay involved with the group - training and doing social races - and in that way - they encourage and inspire our new runners.

• 1 CT5K alumni runner qualified for and ran her first Half Marathon at the National Half Marathon (13.1 miles) this past March 2009.

• 2 CT5K alumni runners are currently training for the Half Marathon Distance (13.1 miles)

• 1 CT5K alumni runner is currently training for the Marine Corps Marathon this fall! (26.2 miles)

This season has been the most "hand-off" season for me yet due in large part to my IRONMAN USA training. I am thrilled to report that the CANCER to 5K program has a model that is working successfully and can sustain itself - showing that there is room for other  groups like the Northern VA team to form and grow.

RACE DAY is going to be a day to CELEBRATE!

Life is Good!  Live STRONG!  MORE COWBELL!!!

Training Perspective....

Hill repeats on the bike was the workout so I thought "Well I keep climbing the same hills in my neighborhood, today I should go elsewhere and climb something longer and harder"

"Where to go?  Long and Hard - think, think, ahhhh - Custis Trail - Lee Highway - that has always been a hard climb for me...5 miles from the office - that is a good warm-up and then I'll climb.

Bottom of Climb:

"OK, here we go....cadence up, SPIN SPIN SPIN, here come the hard hill...."

SPIN, SPIN, SPIN - "Um, okay, here comes the hard hill.."

(still same gear - SPIN SPIN SPIN) - "Here comes the hard hill?"

(top of climb - SPIN SPIN SPIN - only gone down one gear)

"CR*P, I need to find a new hard hill!"

---------

Perhaps a hard weekend in the Poconos wasn't a total bust after all...

Life is GOOD!  Train STRONG!  Live STRONGER!

Today is the first annual NATIONAL RUNNiNG DAY!

GET OUT AND GET A RUN IN!!!

I'm UP then I'm DOWN but I'm still moving FORWARD...

On the shore of the Lake with some of Team Z!

(Holly & Jim, 4th and 5th from left)

This past weekend was the Black Bear Half Ironman at the base of the Pocono Mountains in Pennsylvania.

Black Bear Half Ironman

May 31, 2009

1.2 mile SWIM/ 55.4 mile BIKE / 13.1 mile RUN

Bike course included 5012 feet of altitude gain (VERY HILLY, VERY CHALLENGING)

I could go on and on and on - and I kind of already did to some folks - but I find the longer I dwell on this weekend, the less confident I become and I want to turn this experience into some positives so I am keeping it short - just the facts please!

HIGHLIGHTS OF WEEKEND:

• Watching my husband spontaneously sign up for his first TEAM RELAY Triathlon by doing the Bike Leg with some Team Z folks! (Team Coleman aka "TEAM Something Like Awesome!"

• He rocked the 56 mile bike in 3:36:51 - pretty d@mn good for low milage season on the bike to date...

• Setting a PR (Personal Record) in the 1.2 mile swim distance with a time of 51:00 - 8:35 faster than I swam the same distance just 3 weeks ago and 3:40 faster than my previous PR at Timberman Half in August 2003.

• Having one of the young volunteers at the Water Station on the bike tell me "I want to do triathlons so I can ride a bike just like you!"

• Getting my nutrition on the bike nearly SPOT ON!

• Being allowed to finish the Bike Course

• Getting comforting hugs from Jim and from Pam C. and feeling, in that moment, OK again...

LOW POINTS

• Another DNF - I missed the cutoff for the run by a large margin - over 35 minutes - I averaged 10.7 miles per hour and covered 55.4 miles in 5:35

• Crying like a baby in transition...

• Experiencing the pain of DNF because I was too slow - I'll be frank - It SUCKED! (and yet it is very motivating - I don't ever want to feel that way again...)

FINAL SYNOPSIS: I gave this course all I had and it wasn't enough. I'm told this course is much harder than Lake Placid - let's hope so because I'm not backing down and I  am honestly getting sick of these @#&#&$ DNFs.

TWO is TWO too many!  Back to the training at hand!

ONWARD!

Thinking about LAST...

I've been mulling over this topic of "LAST" for a while now - my sister Heather and I talk often and this is topic we come back to again and again.

WHAT IS THE GREAT *FEAR* IN BEING LAST?

Okay, I will be the first to tell you that I don't like being slow, I think it is why the BIKE is my first love because a bike means INSTANT SPEED.  Give me a downhill and I excel!  I am an ATHENA and baby, I can descend - I've got SKILLZ and I have weight on my side.

I digress....

Whenever I meet a new athlete, somebody new to triathlon, biking or running - the thing that I always hear is "But I don't want to be LAST..."  In fact, used often enough it becomes a great excuse and scape-goat...

"I didn't sign up for the race, I didn't want to be LAST..."

"I stopped half-way, I didn't want to be LAST..."

"I'm not sure I want to sign up for that distance, what if I am LAST?"

SO I CHALLENGE YOU: (cause I know you guys are lurking out there...) 

WHAT IS SO WRONG WITH BEING LAST?

Is LAST worse than never having gotten off the couch?

Is LAST worse than never having started the race?

Is LAST worse than quitting?

Does being LAST make you a bad person?

The answer to all these questions is NO!

I think people confuse LAST with SLOW and nobody wants to be seen as SLOW. And I am here to tell you that SLOW is completely relative.  My average Marathon Pace is 12:30 per mile. 10:00 minute miles are fast to me! Once I ran a 5K in 27:00 - ONCE - sub 9:00 minute miles at the age of 32 - I'd like to see that speed again when I am 42 at least once but I have a long road ahead...

BUT: A 9:00 minute mile wont even get you out the door and on your way to qualifying for the Boston Marathon at my age (38). You are looking at an 8:40 pace or faster. Oh and by the way - 8:40 pace is SLOW for a person who might run 6:00 minute miles!

You get my point, SLOW is relative. 

Now SLOW does matter when it comes to most RACES, I know that - I understand the concern you have!  Race Directors work closely with towns, police and road closures so cut-off times are there for a reason.  They keep the athletes safe and keep the volunteers and race workers from being out all night.  The CUTOFF is there for a reason.

And for full disclosure let me say that I am a FULLY AWARE that the time cuttoff for the Jim MacDonnell 2-Mile Swim was 90:00 minutes.  My official finish time was 96:07 - 6 minutes beyond the advertised limit.  

Did I think that I was going to miss the limit when I signed up for the race?  

No, I knew I would be close and that is what scared the *BLEEP* out of me.  But I was willing, based on my POOL times for 1650 (40:00) to sign up for the race and take a chance.

I was lucky and can only assume that the Race Officials decided that since I was close to being finished and not appearing to be in distress, they let me finish the race.  I could also have been within the 90:00 time for the last wave.  All I know is that I was not pulled out of the water nor was I disqualified and I am listed as an official finisher - that was the decision of the race director on that give day.  

So again I say : SO WHAT!!  BIG DEAL, YOUR SLOW!

The bigger questions for slower athletes are these?

Are you too slow for the cuttoff times of the event?

Are you willing to do the hard work it takes to get faster?

Are you willing to take the risk, do the work, and face the clock - accepting the possibility that you might be pulled from the race because you are not fast enough but knowing that you will have given it the best effort that you have in that race, on that day?

If your not willing or able to take that risk, then stay home, stay safe and stop using "LAST" as the catch-all excuse because there will always be somebody else out there who may not like being SLOW but would be just fine with being LAST...

especially since FIRST and LAST both cross the SAME FINISH LINE!

Just my 02 cents on the subject...

RR: Jim McDonnell 2-MILE Swim

Jim McDonnell 2-Mile Swim
Reston, VA
1:36:07 - 310/310

Summary: Last and damn proud of it...I finished the swim and then did an 83 mile Bike ride on my own - just another day on the road to Ironman USA.

You'll never know if you don't go
You'll never shine if you don't glow

Hey now you're an All Star get your game on, go play
Hey now you're a Rock Star get the show on, get paid
(And all that glitters is gold)
Only shooting stars break the mold

The Rest of the Story:
Saturday there was an open water clinic sponsored by the Reston Masters (race organizers) - it was a great chance to swim in the lake and the weather was perfect.  I got out there and swam the one-mile loop in my usual fashion - SLOW with lots of pauses for sighting. I'm glad I took the time to go to the clinic so I could get comfortable with the course and the lake but that still didn't stop the "inner swim demons" from doing their dirty work. We got some great tips from a panel of swimmers with varied experience.  Three things stood out at the clinic for me - 1.) Just take it one stroke at at time 2.) Find a song or something to distract you 3.) One swimmer said "I was last but I finished - I did it."

I'm a slow swimmer and I have never felt comfortable in the swim portion of a triathlon, ever. It just doesn't seem to be coming easily to me. As my husband Jim and my close friend Keri have said "Something is *broke* in your stroke."  I just don't seem to be able to go anywhere fast in the water but I am working on it slowly.  I am told it takes time and lots of practice. All my swims to date have been 1.2 miles or shorter in a race.  This would be the first time I attempted 2 miles in open water.

Saturday Night, I stood in the kitchen with my husband Jim and cried tears of FEAR for the first time since my Ironman journey began. "Jim, I'm afraid that I am not going to be able to swim 2 miles." I was facing an unknown distance in an event that I already have worries about - this race was a moment that could change everything for me.  "What if I can't do this?"  "What if I'm too slow?" "What if I come out of the water and I don't want to go back in?" 

Sunday morning came to soon, so I focused on my morning race routine: Peanut butter and Bagel, glass of skim milk, pack up the gear and nutrition for the 80 mile bike ride I had planned to do after the swim, pack the car, and off we go to my first Open Water Swim Race.

We got there around 8AM as the 1-milers started their race and sat under the Team Z tent, relaxing and chatting until it was time to line up. 30 minutes after the race brief - spent standing in the sun in a full sleeve wetsuit with the rest of the 2-mile group of racers and they finally started the event.  16 waves were put in the water - 30 seconds per wave - by 1650 predicted seed times. I was in wave 15 - 40 minute seed time.

We jumped in the water and within a few seconds we were on our way.  I just put my face in the water and spent my time focusing on stretching out, pulling water and making sure I could feel the air on my feet when I did kick, which meant that I was on top of the water to some extent.

The first loop went okay.  I found that "Soak up the Sun" by Sheryl Crow, "Good Vibrations" by the Beach Boys, and "All Star" by Smash Mouth are good songs to pass the time between sighting.  I also learned, when being lapped by the faster swimmers - that I can suffer a punch to the back of the head and keep on going.  I also learned that "Sorry" sounds garbled in water but it was nice that the guy thought to apologize.

Second loop was quite sad and lonely so I just kept doing my thing - running through songs - sighting as best I could.  The negative thoughts came rolling in as I noticed that my not so pretty stroke was getting worse due to some soreness in my left shoulder. As I looked up to sight at one point, I wondered if I should just lift my cap and wave the canoe on over and be done. In that moment, I was close to quitting and then I thought about the Black Bear email that I got for a race next week.  There is a relay team that is doing the race and the swimmer for that team was born with no arms or legs and he is going to swim. Then I thought I Dick and Rick Hoyt - Dick pulls his son in a boat behind him as he swims. If somebody born with no arms or legs can swim 1.2 miles and if Dick Hoyt can swim Ironman's with a boat in tow - then I needed to put my head back down and KEEP SWIMMING.

I relaxed in that moment - because I had finally made my decision.  I was going to swim.  Mine is not a fast or a pretty swim but I wasn't tired - just slow.  To quit now, just because I might be last was not an option - the only option was to finish.

I was the LAST 2-MILE SWIMMER out of the water: 1:36:07

But more importantly, I gained confidence in myself. 

If I had 0.4 miles left - I have no doubts that I had the energy to continue and I would have finished the swim. I would have finished under 2-hours. While my swim won't break any records - that is 20 minutes under the swim cuttoff for Ironman USA which means that I would be out of the water and on my bike and like all the other athletes on that race day in July, I will be that much closer to the finish line.

The dream is still alive - and the reality check was worth the fear. Of course 83 miles on the Bike post-swim, helped to ease the mind a little. 

Work to do and time left to do it in! 

ONWARD!

LIARS! Both of them...

I feel that I need to tell you about two big LIARS who are very, very close to me that I have discovered whose treachery was uncovered yesterday afternoon during my speed-work session.

LIAR #1 - My conscious MIND

LIAR #2 - My LEGS

I'm going on 4 weeks of solid and consistent Ironman training volume with no illness or issues (please let this trend continue!!). This past weekend had me putting in a long run of 14 miles on Saturday and a long bike of 79 (VERY WINDY) mile on Sunday.  No rest for the weary though - REST days are FRIDAY so Monday consisted of WEIGHTS and a RUN, Tuesday was SWIM, 14 miles on the BIKE and CANCER to 5K workout, which I took EASY and simply did 2.0 miles of run/walking to support my runners and volunteers.

So yesterday when I woke up, my legs were feeling pretty empty and all day I dragged around feeling generally tired and fatigued .  All day I dreaded the RUN speed work that was planned for the evening that I was choosing do alone because I wanted to stick close to home after work.

I was COMPLETELY SURE that this was going to be the WORST WORKOUT EVER! I was just so darn tired all day long and even walking up the Metro Escalator seemed like an all out effort on my way home - how on earth was I going to get in 45 minutes to an hour of running FAST?

So I decided the only way to look at this workout was for what it was:  Training for Ironman - Get it Done!  The workout needs to get done and on race day I am going to feel even more tired than this so it was time to EMBRACE THE FEELING OF RUNNING TIRED.

The first 5 minutes were like slogging through a mud bog both physically and mentally and then it happened...My LEGS, who had previously been feeling like logs, who had been refusing to put it even the least bit of enthusiasm all day -  began to settle into the rhythm and do their thing - and do their thing QUICKLY when I asked them too!

The workout was hard but not nearly as miserable and torturous as my MIND had led me to believe it would be....

So, take it from me, your consciousness can be a "Dirty Lying B*tch" when she wants to...AND will take advantage of every opportunity she has to make you think you should skip a training day, including recruiting your LEGS to fake it for about 5 minutes.

BUT

LEGS love to RUN!  They are like two big beautiful golden retrievers just waiting to be let off the leash and PLAY, PLAY, PLAY - if only you let them!

Looks like today is a great day for another SWIM and some speed work on the BIKE!

Life is GOOD!  Live STRONG!

Melanoma Update - 4 Years!!

Yesterday was my 6-month follow-up with my Oncologist, Dr. B.  We are "old friends" now. We talk running, triathlon, and cancer. 

Dr. B is a good man and a great doctor but I still wish I didn't have to wait several hours for my "scheduled appointments" - Seriously, they should just say "Be here between 9 - 11AM, the DR will see you sometime in between those hours" instead of pretending that I have a 10AM appointment.  But to his credit, Dr. B gives me his time when he does get to me.  I never feel rushed out the door, he remembers MORE than just my blood counts and he takes time to answer my questions, big and small.

Since the beginning of my diagnosis in Feb 2005; Dr. B. has never sent me for a test that I didn't need. So when he told me yesterday that he felt that I was doing well and with 3 clean CT Scans in my cancer history, he felt that we could wait on a CT Scan this year unless I present warning signs of a "reoccurrence" at a later date, I was THRILLED!

No more "apple juice with barium" x3 and Iodine via IV?  WAHOO!

This May is my 4th year as a Melanoma Cancer Survivor. Next year (5 years) is a significant milestone, especially for Nodular Melanoma. My survival rate which is currently 50%, jumps to a range of 57-73%. 

 I'll take every percent I can and in the mean time, I am going to ENJOY skipping those 3 bottles of the "Nastiest Apple Juice, Ever!"

Dr. B, my stomach thanks you! LOL

DNF: Kinetic Half Ironman

Nobody starts the first race of the season with the intention of a DNF (Did Not Finish), certainly I was more worried about being pulled off the course for not making the time cutoffs but I made some mistakes with my nutrition early on in the bike and when it came time to start the second loop of the run - I felt that my body had done enough.  As my husband said "Recover and Live to Race Another Day..."

So that is exactly what I did - time on the course 6:35. No Regrets - A good training day.

THE REST OF THE STORY:

Kinetic Half Ironman - 1.2m Swim / 56M Bike / 13.1m Run
Time until DNF: 6:30

Short Summary: DNF after the first loop of the run (4.0 miles completed of 13.1) - serious nutrition issues - gas, nausea, diarrhea - not much fun...

We started out right on time at 7AM with Wave Swims starting every 3 minutes. I swam in Wave 4 with the 45+ women, Athenas, and Relay Swimmers.

SWIM: 59:35

My first open swim of the season. Two Loop Swim Course. My new wetsuit fit perfectly - no tired arms, no neck issues, no calf cramps from too much kicking, face in the water even though it was too murky to have anything to look at. I am happy to say there were no real freak outs about being in the water - just the typical sighting issues and stroke mechanics. I did freestyle the entire time but often found myself stopping to sight instead of just breathing "tarzan-style" to sight while still swimming. My pool swims have been around 45:00 for a mile and I was hoping that I would come in around 45-50 minutes but all the stopping and sighting took too much time.

SWIM: Lessons Learned/Issues:
1.) As much open water practice as I can get over the next 12 weeks will be very beneficial.
2.) I would be "satisfied" if I could get my 1.2 mile time down to 45:00 in the open water for IM USA
3.) Keep up the drills and keep going to Team Z swim practice - no matter how ackward and uncomfy it makes me feel

T1: 4:44 - About where I expected Transition One to be. That is fine for a long race day.

BIKE: 4:12:30

This was a beautiful bike course, long rollers and some long but easy climbs - plenty of time in the big chain ring - even after the headwinds kicked in on the second lap. This was a two loop course with 3 water stops and no port-o-potties. WHO HAS A 56 mile bike course with NO POTTIES? That is my biggest race organization complaint.

LAP ONE: I was not last out of the water - at least 2-3 people behind me. Even so, I only ever saw one other person on the Bike Course until around Mile 20 when the front of the race began to lap me. All the fast folks were super friendly and encouraging, which was nice of them. I was riding blind, without a bike computer or my Garmin so I relied on the watch to tell me where I was in terms of pace. I hit the 15 mile course marker at 50:00 minutes in, right on target for a sub 4:00 Bike. Nurition was fine at that point, I had been eating Cliff Blocks and drinking Gatorade and Water with the occasion peice of Power Bar.

Bottle exchange at Mile 18, I picked up water, mixed my second bottle of Gatoraide & a Nuun Tablet - opened more Cliff Blocks to snack on and continued on. Winds started to pick up at this point. Mile 30, another bottle exchange of water - about 2:15 into the ride. I was frustrated to have lost some of my early pace and having started the second lap, was all alone on the course and my stomach was feeling rather full and sloshy so I backed off the fluids for a few minutes - just chewing on some more power bar peices and hoping for the best.

Around Mile 35 - a white motorcycle with a side car pulled up next to me and very man with a big smile said "Are you in the triathlon?"

"Yep, am I the last rider on the road?"

"Yep"

Internal Dialog: "F*#% Me, Damnit!"

What a blow, to be the last bike on the course AND to now have an escort and headwinds. You can imagine the thoughts that started flying through my head. All of them very negative but I would counter each thought the best I could before it could turn into more by telling myself "You are having a bad moment, bad moments happen - let it pass" or saying "You have a personal escort, you don't have to worry about traffic" and FINALLY I just said to myself "Hey, nobody had taken my chip, nobody has told me to stop and I am just passed the 40 mile mark at just over 3:00 on the clock - I have time." Unfortunately, my stomach issues were getting worse - I had a serious case of belly slosh and had switched to just Gatorade, Water and Cliff Shots for the last 16 miles.

Around Mile 45 and the last Bottle Exchange, my motorcycle escort left me and was replaced with a Sag Van that had picked up the one rider that I did pass, who had a mechanical around Mile 40. By then, being followed no longer bothered me, I had become immune to the thoughts of quitting or feeling sorry for myself for being last. Not long after I passed Mile 50 - my watch alarm went off - It was NOON. 5 hours into the race start - as far as I knew, I had missed the Bike to Run cuttoff and my day was done.

I had decided that I was going to finish my bike and if they pulled my chip at transition - then that was it - but I wouldn't know until I got to transition so I was not going to "give up" or slow down because my overall elapsed bike time was 3:50 and I was less than 6 miles from Transition and a freaking Port-O-Potty.

I pulled into transition as the last official bike on the course - and apparently - I had come in well under the cutoff because it was based on the start of the last swim wave getting started. I was free to start my 13.1 mile run. The question now was - could I run?

T2: 3:58 - Could have saved myself 2 minutes if I had not felt so sick and unsure if I should even start. I futzed around trying to decide what to do. Reaching T2 with nobody taking my chip was a shock. Another fellow Athena who had come in a few minutes before me and was on my same rack and on Team Z told me her day was done - she was not getting out on the run. That was a temptation for me - especially feeling like I did. I ran to Jim before heading out on the run and told him that I was really hurting but I was going to try a lap of the run and see if finding a damn "Port-O-Potty" might actually help alleviate some of the pain. I knew I had 3 hours still on the race clock and nothing to loose by continuing on, so I got a kiss from my husband and headed to Run OUT.

BIKE Lessons Learned/Issues:
1.) I increased the number of Clif Blocks that I normally eat and tried to take on more calories early on - THIS DOES NOT WORK FOR ME
2.) I can fight the "voices" in my head - and successfully tell them to "shut the heck up" when I have to
3.) Being last isn't really that big a freaking deal the important thing is to keep your eyes on the time and NOT GIVE UP
4.) Use the next 12 weeks of long bike rides to figure out what will work - KEEP RECORDS!

RUN: 4 miles of 13.1 miles (1 loop) - 1:15:05

I have raced and officially finished the Half Ironman distance 2 times before. I know what it feels like to get off the bike and be tired. I have NEVER until this race, known what it felt like to get off the bike and be in PAIN. My digestive system was a mess - my stomach was making noises that I have never heard before and the gas pain was incredible. I decided that I would power walk the first mile, because I knew that was where there was a Potty and a Water Station. First stop was the potty and emptying my bladder for the first time in 5 hours helped somewhat. Second stop - the water station where I took 2 Endurolyte Salt tabs and Ice Chips with some water. I was hoping the extra salt might somehow help me balance out my tummy issues or at least settle them down some. For Mile 2, I was able to do some run/walking - stomach pain would come and go - it came with the run and would go with the walking. As we came back around near Mile 2.5 and another waterstop and Potty and things changed - at first I thought for the better. I had to GO! So I ducked in and did what I could. My first thoughts: "Allright! Got that out - now let's get back to the work at hand." Sadly that was not the case...Instead it was the beginning of much worse.

For the next 1.5 miles, every time that I tried to run - I had the feeling that I was going to have a very embarrassing accident and my stomach would make sounds that made me think of scenes from the movie Alien. For 1.5 miles I did what I could - I sucked ice chips, I ate some chex mix, I stayed away from simple sugar (since I had so much on the bike) and nothing changed. The most frustrating part of all of this was that as far as my legs were concerned - they were tired but I definatley felt that I could have run. I just couldn't make my digestive system calm down enough to find a nice easy pace.

I hit the first lap, got my hand marked and passed the finish line to start the next lap up the steep hill. Jim was standing at the Aid Station - looking concerned but said " One Lap Down, you still have time to finish one more." It was when I said " Honey there are two more laps I need to do..." that he looked at me with some concern and said "What are you going to do?" I thought about it, knowing that it had taken me 1:15 to cover 4 miles. My digestive issues were not getting better and I had been out of the course for 6:30. This was a "training race" - there was no glory for me in gutting this race out (literally at this point) - there was nothing more that I was going to gain in training today. Clearly I was not going to be able to ingest any more calories. It was time to turn in my chip and declare myself officialy a DNF for this race.

Jim was super supportive and my good friend, Keri, who had come to watch me finish, was supportive and kept things upbeat as we sat down at the Team Z tent and I tried to get my body to relax a little. While it felt good to have stop moving, there was nothing that I could do to settle my stomach. I tried a little real food, I tried some soda water, I tried a few trips to the Ladies Room but the issues kept on. I finished the my race day at about 1:30 in the afternoon and when I went to bed at 9:30 - my stomach was feeling just as bad. I went to bed last night with no regrets on choosing to DNF. Clearly, my body was in distress and I will need to find out how to fix that but I have time still to get the nutricion mix right.

When I woke up this morning, I was feeling nearly normal, physically. My stomach is nearly back to normal and my body feels like it should have after a long swim and long bike - tired but not spent, none of this was "new milage" in terms of training volume. Emotionally, I'm not sad or mad or angry. I'm just doing my best to process this race day experience, figure out what I did wrong and what I did right and how to course correct my training to fix the issues before July 26, 2009.

While 12 weeks is not alot of time, I'm not as far behind as I thought considering the 2 weeks of illness that I had and my short "wedding break". I have work to do but I also still have time to do it.

Let the SEASON begin...

Ready or not, here it comes...

My first TRI of the 2009 Season is tomorrow morning at 7AM.

I'll be doing the Kinetic Half Ironman:70.3 miles of FUN - 1.2 mile SWIM, 56 mile BIKE, 13.1 mile RUN

Coach Ed has said "just a training day, not an A race" but when the race cutoff is 8:00 hours and your half Ironman PR is 8:01 the event becomes a chance to PR on a training day.

DId 2000 yards in the pool the other day - felt good - time to see where my training has gotten me so far this year.

Race Report on the FLIP SIDE!

Have a good weekend and remember LIFE IS GOOD so Live STRONG!

"Oddest Weekend of Training, YET!"

Seriously, I am thinking this weekend goes in the record books at the "Oddest Weekend of Training, YET!"

First on Saturday was a 5K run with Team Z at the Arlington Science Focus 5K. It was a hilly course that raised money for the Arlington Science Focus Elementary School. The run itself was pretty uneventful and hard with the constant hills. I ran a 36:40 and I'll take it since the first two miles I held a solid sub 11:30 pace - not melting or slowing until near the end of the last mile. I also got a chance to meet a few more Team Z Ladies, thanks to Priscilla. There was Christine, Mary and Alison (who also did the Princess Half Marathon!!) Go TEAM Z!

The ODD part of the day was the "Swat Team" and Police that were down the street about 2-blocks from the school in a gun-stand off. Of course, I had foolishly parked down *that end* of the street (along with some other runners) and we had to wait about 15 minutes after the end of the award ceremony to get access to our cars.

Now let me tell you about THIS MORNING:

So like a good little dedicated Ironman-distance triathlete in training, I got up today to go out to MD to do my long ride with Team Z, despite the rain that had been falling all night and was expected to continue to fall all day. At 6:30AM I left the house on the hour drive to the ride start. I was ready for a long day in the rain, knowing based on my trip to Lake Placid last season to sign up, that there could be rain - all day - on race day.

Apparently, riding of any kind was not in the cards for me today.

About 30 minutes into the drive, as I took the exit ramp off I-495, I felt the Ford's wheels slip a little and I did my best to correct it, as I remembered from the few track days I have been on (very few) but as the wheels finally caught pavement, I probably over corrected and the Ford decided to take me for a ride - into the guardrail and then for a few spins and a very UNNECESSARY bit of rocking which scared me clean out of my mind since I know Ford Explorers have a low center of gravity and therefor are known to roll. There was some rocking but no rolling and no airbag deployment.

Luckily nobody else was around so the only things that got hurt were the aforementioned guardrail, the driver side of the Ford (some bumper and side panel damage), the right front tire (rolled off the rim and flattened), my Garmin 305 and me.

At some point during the Ford's "WILD RIDE", my bike came out of it's holder and decided to take a look at the view closer to the front. Jim and I can't determine if it was my bike or if it was a cooler full of water bottles - but one of those two things came forward from the back and smacked the back of my head, hard enough to leave a huge bump ( I think they call it an egg on your head) and cause a serious headache. The ER DR said I can expect to feel horribly stiff and sore tomorrow and gave me and R/X for muscle relaxants and 600 mg of Ibuprofen every 6 hours for a day or two until the pain is gone. I am under "observation" with my husband Jim by my side for the next 24 hours to make sure that I didn't suffer a concussion or other complications. So far, other than feeling progressively stiffer and more sore and having a sore spot on my head and a headache, I'm OK.

I'm thankful that nobody else was involved in my spin out and that the only serious injuries were the car and a bump on my head. I'm thankful for the good Samaritan who stopped and waited with me until the police, ambulance and my husband to arrive, to the Potomac Ambulance Crew who brought me to the hospital to make sure everything was okay and to the ER doctor who not only decided not to do a CT scan because she was concerned at exposing me to any unnecessary radiation but who also confidently told me that as long as I was not having any headaches or pain in 7 days, I was free to do the Kinetic Half Ironman next weekend. She smiled when I asked her about doing my race and asked me about how we fit two bikes in the Ford, I suspect I encountered a fellow rider.

Now as for this weekend, I am now on the couch - and staying here for the time being. It seems to be the safest place for me right now - at least until something else ODD happens (Can you be smooshed while sitting in your own recliner?)

Life is still good, at least I raced a hilly 5K. ONWARD!

What's a Bride to Do? - Just "I DO" It! - 5K REPORT

I'll bet in all the hub-bub that is "THE WEDDING" you guys thought that I had *forgotten* that little race that I signed up for in July...

I have not posted much on my training since mid-February because my training had been frequently interrupted by illness.  First was the nasty FLU that sidelined the Princess Half Marathon, which I smartly sat out.  It took me about 2 weeks to fully recover from that illness and I blindly jumped right back into Ironman training - Full Steam Ahead and ...

S_M_A_C_K

Ran into a wall by the name of "Pleurisy" (Sounds old-fashioned, huh?  Like have the Vapors or Scurvy - yeah that is what I thought too...)

Pleurisy , also called pleuritis, is an inflammation of the pleura, which is the moist, double-layered membrane that surrounds the lungs and lines the rib cage. The condition can make breathing extremely painful. (This is an UNDERSTATEMENT!)

Apprently the cause for my pleurisy is most likely the previous FLU that I *thought* I had recovered from but apparently the LEFT SIDE of my body did not get the message that we were done with the FLU.  I place the blame completely on the "lack of lymph-nodes" that were removed back in May 2005 when I was diagnosed with Melanoma. 

NOTE TO SELF & OTHER SUVIVORS:  Less lymph nodes means you need to "listen to you body more when training!"

So diagnosed with Pleurisy and told by the DR that the only fix was "complete rest and recovery", I took the unusual route of actually heeding my DR orders and took a 2 week break from training. What could I do?  Who wants to remember their wedding day because it hurt to breathe?  Yeah, I know, it's IRONMAN...LOL

So my reward for taking a much needed break and letting my body heal came on my wedding day when I woke up at 7AM to run the INAUGURAL JUST "I DO" IT 5K.

Joining me for this unique event were: my Sister/Best Friend (and Maiden of Honor) Heather, and close running/tri buddies Linae (Dr. IronFeist); Shawn (Marathon 50 Chick and Newbie TRIathlete), Keri (TNT SuperTRI GAL) and Leona (soon to be a run addict, only she doesn't know it yet!).

Keri gave me a beautiful sparkly vail that I wore for the entire run and I pulled out my "Princess Bride" T-shirt for the occasion and finally wore the darn thing on a run! LOL It was decided that I needed to keep the veil and pass it and the tradition of running 5K on your wedding morning to the next lucky lady to come... 

(Heather, Leona, Shawn...your all next in line...)

L to R: Heather, Keri, Linae, Shawn, Holly & Leona

Sporting the "Veil" of  Honor and my "Princess Bride" Tech Tee

The course was a 1.0 mile loop at Parham Bridge Park in Jackson, MS.  It was a paved one mile loop that you had to see to believe (see photo below - thanks Heather!).  We ran that loop 3 times until Heather's Garmin said 3.19 miles completed.  It was by far the most memorable 5K that I have done yet and it was EXACTLY the way that I wanted to end my "single life" and "begin my married life."

The Parham Bridges 1.0 mile trail x3! (Dizzy Yet?)

What more could a BRIDE do on her wedding day?

The Innaugural JUST "I DO " IT 5K runners at the wedding reception

 L to R: Keri, Linae, Shawn, Heather, Leona & myself (the Bride, d'oh) in the center front

Here Comes the Bride!

The last month has been a WHIRLWIND!  But when all was said and done, the weather held out for a few extra hours and Jim and I had a beautiful intimate wedding with close family and friends!  I even got a 5K run in the morning of my wedding with some of my favorite running gals!

While we have not gotten all the photos yet (it will be a few weeks), our photographer Erin Fults did get a preview up on her blog.  All the vendors did a fantastic job in helping us have the perfect wedding day! Deborah Simmons with Signature Occasions oversaw every last detail to make the day run smoothly. William Box with William Box Designs was the creative eye responsible for all the fabulous flowers. Cindy Clegg of A Catered Affair provided the yummy and beautiful food. Stance Bingham kept everyone's toes tapping with the great music and That Special Touch created the cake which featured the fun wedding logo that I created especially for our invitations and the wedding day.

Be sure you check out Erin's BLOG...There is a slide show with more photos at the bottom of her post "WEDDING: Holly & Jim" that made me cry all over again!  

We can WAIT to see the rest of the photos!

Life is Good!  LiveSTRONG!

Holly S.

(formerly know as Holly G.)