one day at a time

Tomorrow's plan (because hey, if I write it down, it has to happen, right?)

-wake up on time

-get to pool on time

-leave pool on time

-get to work on time

-leave work on time

-not feel guilty for going to softball practice tomorrow. I've been lazy and far too anti-social lately. And yes, my motivation for working out in the AM increases significantly when there is fun stuff to do at night, especially now that the days are getting longer.

Also, what is the deal with European shoe sizes? I figured it was a foolproof system- kind of like how guys can buy pants without trying them on because the size directly corresponds with actual bodily measurements. My first pair of bike shoes were 43 and were slightly small. The new pair of bike shoes are 44. The Birks I ordered from Endless and are perfect are size 11/size 42. But Birks sold at DSW and the like are size 11/size 41. I don't get it. How are my feet 4 different sizes according to 4 different sources?

grumble, grumble.

currently reading: Some Girls: My Life in a Harem - Jillian Lauren

its the colours you have / no need to be sad / it really ain't that bad

Okay, so my 'rest day' turned into a 'rest week.' Oops. I like to think though that I'm getting better at reading my body and understanding when it's okay to push and when i need to take a step back. I think this week was more of a mental health week. Between the club happy hour on Thursday and the World Multisport Expo on Saturday, I now feel refreshed and energized and motivated. :)

It was a nice sunny morning for a lazy 8 mi in RCP. Legs felt peppy. I'm ready for Cherry Blossom this weekend!

I started experimenting with the blender this morning. Guess you can say I'm on a 'liquid diet'- but definitely not by necessity, more out of curiosity. I got this little one that blends directly into travel mugs. Pretty convenient. This morning's menu:

pre-run:
orange juice
coconut water
frozen strawberries
omega-3 supplement

post-run:
2% milk
chai tea mix
hemp protein powder

My only complaint so far is that the hemp powder does not dissolve very well, and likes to settle out quickly. I think I should have gone with the whey powder. But, still tasty! Can't wait to try more flavors.

earworm: Grouplove - Colours

ponderings part 2

Yep, still thinking. Typical.

Nutrition:
AM kindly reminded me of my plan to start trying flat coke after races. (Ironman races provide this at aid stations along the course- they must be onto something!) I think I'll have a bottle ready after Cherry Blossom next weekend.

Feet:
No girl should hate shoe shopping this much. You know how hard it is to find sandals in size 11.5 with decent arch support that also look cute? But, after this weekend I'm much more willing to do what I need to do to take care of my feet, or else I know my season is going to end too soon. I'm expecting a pair of Birkenstock's in gray leather to arrive today. I haven't owned a pair since my hippie phase in 8th grade. I also need to peruse brands like Merrell. Endless.com is my new best friend.

My race report is noticably missing any mention of ACS, and I feel that was an egregious error. It was a great experience that could have been so much more. At first not being able to participate in the group workouts seemed to be a huge mistake, but having talked to others in the group at the pre-race dinner, it didn't seem that the group was all that close-knit anyway. Maybe I was expecting too much out of the social aspect of things. But what I did learn was how to approach the fundraising component and how to be successful at it. The experience really opened my eyes to bigger things I could be doing. And it was wonderful having something (and someone) else to think about, before and during the race, besides myself. So in that sense, my goal was reached.

Ruby is out of the shop today, and I'm excited to go see her all clean and tuned-up.

post race ponderings

So now that the race day endorphins have worn off, it's now time to consider the important questions.

Nutrition:
day before: Vapiano's pesto and spinach pasta with chicken, water
morning of: prilosec (1), same bowl of oatmeal i've eaten the last 2 months- brown sugar, cinnamon, walnuts- and water
right before race: stinger waffle (honey)
during race: clif shot gel (citrus) at miles 6.2 and 10.5, a cup of water and a cup of gatorade at each water station
post race: clif roks (chocolate), banana, tetra-pak of vitacoco, michelob ultra (1-8oz can), carton of chocolate milk, chicken sandwich and rice, bottle of gatorade

It all started off well. Somewhere between the chocolate milk and the chicken sandwich it all went downhill. I can't say it's stress anymore. Mental, at least. This had to have been the least stressful of all my races in that transportation (Metro) and course (done last year) were all known quantities. So now it's down to physical stress, or the combination of foods. There has to be some combination of drugs that prevents the gassy/heartburn feeling immediately post-race. Next experiment is with Gas-X. I planned ahead and brought with me the Clif Roks and vitacoco since that's what I had been eating after saturday spin classes. I need to control myself and not also take one of everything offered in the finisher's area. (the beer was a special treat, not something I'm planning on making a habit). I love going to eastern market after races, but that is not the time to be experimenting with new foods, hence the choice of the chicken sandwich with guac instead of more exotic options like pupusas. Must stick to plan, whatever that may be.

Feet:
No better and no worse during and after the race. My PT is finding multiple trigger points on the soles of my feet that cause toes to cramp and ROM to go way down. I need to continue stretching and strengthening the area. As a hereditary factor, if you look at all of us on the Bechtold side, we all have narrow, weak ankles, and skinny feet and calves. I don't think I could build up musculature in that area if I tried. But I can at least keep the ligaments and tendons strong and flexible. I need to find a good strength training program that isn't like weightlifting. I'm not built to be doing bench presses and cleans. Kettlebells? TRX?

I also just need to go get a good gait analysis done already. Clearly there is something going on up the chain (probably hip imbalance) that makes the rest of these issues keep flaring up.

Schedule:
I'm optimistic that I can do Cherry Blossom 10mi in two weeks without doing much running, to let my feet heal up the rest of the way. I do need to get back in the pool, since my upper body is looking not only pale, but skinny and flabby at the same time. Ew. I tried on dresses for two summer weddings last night and was not happy with the output. I am so not ready for summer yet. I need Ruby back from the shop (for her 1st cleaning) so I can get out and ride with the Mafia this weekend.

Also, as a side note, I had to go to my PCP yesterday to get my Prilosec refilled, and my weight was clocked in at 152lbs. If I can control that through the rest of training, I could really do well in an Athena category. Not that weight control has ever been a goal of mine, but I feel like it's something I should capitalize on. Or not. Jury's still out on this one.

RnR USA Half race report OR what goes on in Steph's brain

Here's a brief race report. Oh, I had fun with this one.

(Sorry, I guess I talk to myself in all tenses and points-of-view. Deal.)

Pre-race

~Metro WAS winning, until those two trains unloaded at Stadium/Armory at the same time. Good thing I'm not claustrophobic.

~Thank goodness for finding the Mafia pre-race, and having some company in the port-a-potty line. We are some fast-looking and good-looking people :)

~Wow, these corrals are actually organized. I'm not fearing for my life like I was at Hot Chocolate 15k.

~Yes, it sounds like a good idea to start your watch at exactly 8am... when you have 20+ more minutes till you reach the start line. Also, don't bother to notice gun time as you cross the line. Yep, great idea. Guess you don't really need to know overall time the rest of the way.

~Okay, here goes. This one's for you, Grandma. Ack, don't cry, don't cry.

Miles 1-4

~Shit, shit, I'm going way too fast. Why hasn't the 4:25 marathon pace team passed me yet?

~Watching these women in front of me with their bouncing water bottle belts is making me nauseous. How do you run with that extra appendage on your ass?

~Ooh, the cherry blossoms are pretty.

~Nice! An all-female drum line is the first on-course band. But what are they wearing?

~First water station, and you spill gatorade all over yourself? Great. And BTW, so much for the plan of walking the water stations.

Miles 4-7

~Hey these hills aren't feeling so bad today.

~This is a kickass playlist (if you're on Spotify, I think I can share it)

~Cliff Shot acquisition at 10k- success

~Thank goodness for Jen Strong waiting for me in AdMo.

Miles 7-9

~Wow, Harvard St. is crowded today.

~This playlist stinks. Oh no, wait, it's actually awesome.

~Where are all the Howard students? I was expecting more people to be yelling out of dorm windows.

~Stupid sidesticker on the downhills. Thank goodness it goes away on the flats.

Miles 10-13.1

~Thank goodness for Katie and Annie waiting at mile 10+

~Second acquisition of Clif Shot at Mile 10.5- success (though dripped all over self)

~Whoa, holy inflatable rock star dude over H St. I can't believe we are running under his giant crotch.

~H St is hot and sunny. But the band here is awesome, I kind of want to stay and rock out for a bit.

~Energy totally waning at the H St water station. Maybe I should walk. NO! 4:25 pace group was right behind me this whole time! Follow them! That blue flag is actually the best frosty beer you will ever taste! Go catch it! (Channeling some Anne-Marie strategy here, though I imagine our motivation is a bit different! :) )

~DC Tri club spinning support group at mile 12.5. I wonder if they know who I am, or if I'm just some groupie cheering and screaming at them like they're a boy band and I'm wearing their gear.

~Why is the band at Mile 13 not playing?!? I was expecting steel drums, darn it.

~Oh, hello, final kick.

~Oh, hello, 13.1. Nice to see you so soon. Nope, I still have no desire to go 26.2.

Post-race:

~Karen's been tracking me online from Lexington Park, awesome. Reading text message- congrats, yada yada- HOLY CRAP that was my time?! Interesting way to find out.

~Yesss... stomach I have conquered you once and for all. I will ENJOY and SAVOR this nice cold one.

~(one hour later) Curse you stomach.

~(one hour later) Screw you stomach. My new post-race tradition is Eastern Market- and there's way too much yummy stuff here to pass up.

I am so so grateful for this whole experience. I learned alot about myself and what I do in the face of adversity and uncertainty. I value, so much, the people I've met/gotten to know better on this journey. I hope we get to continue along together for a while, and a few others get to join us on the ride.

More official photos here!

Splits:

5k 10k 10mi pace chip time clock time

30:23 1:01:42 1:40:50 10:04 2:11:57 2:35:36

2:11:57 is actually good for an almost 10 minute PR over last year (2:21:48), not the 8 minutes as originally reported. See what happens when you try to do math in your head right after a race?

Ahead of myself again.

I promised myself I wouldn't do this.

But, more bucket list items await.

Add these to the schedule for the year:
RnR USA Half Marathon 3/17
Cherry Blossom 10mi 4/1
Peasantman Oly 5/5-6
Columbia Oly 5/20
Chesapeake Bay 1mi swim 6/10
(DC Tri volunteer 6/17) SUPER HUGE BUMMER for this year's NTPs :(
Musselman 70.3 7/15
(Deep Creek Lake weekend 7/27-29)
(National Harbor 70.3 volunteer 8/5)
Spartan Race 8/25?
(Nation's volunteer 9/9)
Pittsburgh Great Race 9/30?
Six Flags 6k 10/6

Come on, can't pass up a great Swaggle deal. Half off a race entry, tshirt, and an as-yet-unvisited amusement park/halloweekend? Duh.

Cross off:
new amusement park
'halloweekend' at amusement park
muddy buddy/mud run/Tough Mudder type race
more visits to pittsburgh!

Time to schedule in some fun too :)

but i can't and i won't but i might

So this is actually happening.

I reached my fundraising goal! Thank you to everyone who helped me get there! My happy hour two weeks ago was a blast. I surprisingly had a lot of fun with it, even though it was exhausting to run the whole thing myself. Next time, I will definitely have help manning the door. :)

Also, RnR released the bib numbers this weekend and DNation sent out the official singlet. I'm excited for the team dinner the night before the race, though a little sad that I never got to be as social as I wanted with this group. Falling behind in the training will do that to you.

Plus, I finished a slow 9mi pain-free yesterday.

I feel nothing but grateful for this experience. Race day will just be icing on the cake.


These guys seem like they would be a lot of fun to party with. Wish I could go see them at Kegs and Eggs!
earworm: Sleeper Agent - Get It Daddy