Lake Effect Half Marathon Review

Boy, I really should apologize for not Blogging for the last 2 months!! I have been actively busy with a toddler, a tween, work, exercising...you know, the thing we all call life!!!

Its been a crazy ride!

I would like to start out by saying that I am overly joyed at how this half marathon went. I could beat myself up and say I did this and that wrong, which I have, but I need to stay true and say it was a good one for me.

I had one goal and that was to get under 2 hours for a half marathon.

The days leading up to the half, I ended up with a virus that would take me out of commission with a really bad sore throat for a few days and then a stomach bug that infected the whole family! I tried not to let this bother me and stick to envisioning a great race for the weekend ahead!

The day was perfect, high of 40 degrees, sun was out. I saw many familiar faces and friends at this race. It was like a running family reunion!!

I situated myself towards the front of the pack. I was going for the goal. I was feeling great, feeling rested. Ready to rock 13.1 miles!

The run was an out and back course x2. It was nicely contained in Onondaga Lake Parkway in Liverpool. One of the better things about this run is that it Benefited Ophelia's Place. A sanctuary for people to go who have eating disorders. Their vision is To change culture and to empower individuals, families, and communities to embrace health, beauty, and happiness at any shape and size to share a message of body celebration. I loved that the race was full of eating disorder statistics and what Ophelia's place has done. I didn't get a chance to read them all while racing, but such a strong message was told.

Onto the race- I started out too fast, running 8 min miles the first 3 miles, Was able to pull back a little to 8:20's which I was comfortable at. I liked the course because you got a chance to see the faster people come back on the parkway a few times and cheer them on which occasionally made me run a little harder. The last few miles I struggled keeping pace due to my foot cramping up every time I was in the toe off phase of my run. I managed to keep them in the 9 min mile range to end up with a overall time of 1:55:22!!!!!

Overall standings were:  net pace 8:49/ mile: 15/55 people in my AG, 72/327 Females, 216/584 runners!!

Let me put this out that I have been consistently training for the last few months. Putting the effort into my workouts. Every workout I had served a purpose. I was focused and determined.

In the last few months I changed my diet as I was having issues with migraines, bloating, not feeling myself which in return lead me to drop 30 pounds, most which I will say was a little baby weight that was itching to come off! I really think eating well, fueling well, recovering well all had to do with my success of this half marathon.

Pros of the race- Smaller race size, contained to parkway, good amount of water stops, Flat, Nice Race shirt, gorgeous Medal, Nice post race food variety, Warming tent before and after!

Cons of race- Out and back x 2 (can be pro too, I guess!), Lack of crowd support.

I definitely have another goal in mind and that is to get under 1:50:00 for Syracuse Half in 4 weeks!!

I have some work to do!!

Happy training!!! :0)

Kiwanis Turkey Trot 5K Review

Few days late but still note worthy! Quick recap....

Thanksgiving morning I was off to the race at 8:30 as this was a late start at 9:15Am. It was snowing and teen degree temps!! What was I thinking?!

Slipped and almost fell prior to the race, but caught myself on the car that was parked next to me. Actually had a big THUD. People were in the car laughing at me! Well, Karma....but, It was kind of funny!

Met some of the Lake Effect Run crew that I love so much! They are like family! You don't see them for a while but they still great you with a warm smile and a hug every time you see them!!

Lined up according to my predicted pace which was 8-9min miles. Well, the gun went off, it took me almost 2 min to get to the start line. There were people walking, WALKING, in front of me!! (Note to self: line up closer to the front.) It took me almost 3 min to get past all the slower runners, that my first mile was 10 min. WTH! I had so much time to make up.

They changed the course last year, didn't realize it. It was now hillier. Every turn you made, there was a hill!!! No lie!

I wore trail shoes, thinking the slush and slip would be better. Never again for a race. My feet fell like lead! They lighter the better for me!

I made it to the end, and saw my time. For sure this was not a PR day. I was a little ticked, but got over it quickly.

Got in my car, went home, And enjoyed a Whole 30 Thanksgiving meal!!

Time: 28:23. 25/122 in AG 30-34

On a side note, I completed my first Whole 30!!! Didn't even cheat ONCE!! I am a strong woman!
I stepped on the scale today. I am 17 pounds lighter than when I started! What a difference in my mood, my well being. I feel so amazing right now. Its not about the weight I lost. Its about finding a healthier way to eat. A blueprint so to speak. Those of you who want to do it but have failed, my advice to you is to think real hard why you want to do this "diet". Think about that every time you want to pick up some processed, sugary foods. If you think of why you want to start, you wont stray. Trust in yourself.

Last week in numbers:

Swim- Still NONE. Cant wait for that pool to open!! December 9th I will get back to the pool I swear!!

Bike- Making it an effort to get on 3 days per week for 45-60min at a time

Run- Big run focus as 2 half marathons are on the horizon- 28 miles this week!!!

Strength- 30 min


Happy Training!!!

Whole 30...Almost complete!

I have been doing the Whole 30 Diet for the last 24 days. I got inspired to do this after my old coach Mary Eggers started doing this and feeling really good on it. I figured, what do I have to lose?

I got the book It Starts with Food and read it. Started to cut out all the junk that first day of reading the book! Now, I'm 24 days in and I'm hooked!! I never feel deprived or hungry. The only thing I have craved for the last few days is a piece of Chocolate. Only because my man decided to bring it into the house!

A few things I have come to the conclusion so far on this diet is...

1. You have to really like eggs

2. You have to really like onions. And for me, I do, but I hate chopping them and smelling them before they cook! I get really nauseated!

3. You have to chop a lot! And frankly, I'm not that good at chopping and have almost cut my finger a few times!!

4. Coconut oil is my new staple

5. I'm so glad I can eat sweet potatoes more often!

6. Coconut milk took some time getting used to

7. My new craving has been kale chips and coconut chips

8. I am ok with Black Coffee

9. I am in love with Paleomg.com recipes! and nomnompaleo!! and a few others of course!

10. I love Larabars!! They are all natural and yummy!

11. I am pretty regular now. I Know, TMI, TMI!!!

ok, So back to the training.

Swim- Um, yeah..what is that. This month had been a big FAT zero!! The pool has been closed and it isn't working with my schedule at the moment. I have been doing some land drills, but we will see how that turns up poolside. The pool is closed because of repairs until December 9th!!! OMGEEE!!

Bike- I have been doing a killer spin class on Friday mornings! It really is awesome! Now they have new spin bikes at my local Y with cadence and watts!! Its a competitive thing when Im in the class to see the other persons info on the screen!! Makes me go faster!! It helps that most of the class is triathletes too of course!! I also try to get 1-2 bikes in by myself at home when I can.

Run- Big Run focus right now. I have been consistently running 5-6 days per week. With longer runs on the weekend. Total mileage has been between 25-30miles per week. Getting ready for some 1/2 Marathons!!

Strength- This week I figured it was time to add some strength at least 1-2 times per week. I added some Legs and Abs this week and am still feeling it!! Ahh!!

Happy Training!!

Training with a busy life

I cant believe its been 2 months since my last post! There is a lot happening in this household and unfortunately this was put on the back burner. Hoping to blog a little bit more now that My 10 1/2 month old son is finally in a schedule that fits our family well. I have been keeping up with my running. I have been involved in our local Y running group which keeps me on track with my runs. I have slowly made it back to 90min of running on the weekend! My base runs have been anywhere from 30-60min at least 4 times weekly. I have ran a few races last month and felt pretty strong throughout the runs. Run for Their Life 15k- 1:32:54, 21/47 in AG 30-39 Empire State Marathon Relay- 3:46, 4th overall female team!! Eastwood Park to park 5 mile run- 45:34 (9:05ave pace) 21/60 in AG 30-39 Biking has been going well. I have been getting on the bike for at least an hour 2-3 times a week. This is all I can afford to do at this time with the baby. I am not training for anything at this point, just trying to keep my fitness up for the spring when racing here in good ole Central New York will begin again!! I wanted to try cyclocross racing this year, but chickened out and didn't. I'm hoping to try to dabble into it more next fall. Swimming has been less than stellar with running races on Sundays and with the pool closing at the Y for roof repairs. I don't think I have swam but half a dozen times in the last month!! YIKES!! Also, I am on Day 10 of the Whole 30 program and feeling great!! I have lost a total of 10 lbs in the last 10 days. I don't feel deprived or hungry during the day. The funny thing is, I am starting to crave fruits and vegetables!! I will try and keep up on my posting and post at least once per week!! Happy training!!

Im still hanging on

I have been really negligent in writing on the blog lately. With a 8 1/2 month old constantly at my feet, keeping me very busy, there isn't much room for other little things that I used to enjoy. Its getting better each day, but of course now the real teething begins and we are back at square one. I never thought having another child 9 years after my first would be such a life changing event for our family! what a 360 degree turn we made! My son is so opposite of my daughter. Much more needy, Into everything, sleepless nights, cannot look away type of guy!! I hope this gets better! In the world of Exercise, its been get the shit done and get back to the kids. I have been trying to get up early but frankly don't have enough gas in the tank to get my ass up! Between work, Taking care of a infant, taking my daughter to Gymnastics 3 days a week, and everyday life, it gets pretty exhausting. I raced a few races last month but didn't feel that they were my best performances, but you get what you but into them. I raced Cazenovia Intermedite Triathlon and came in 3rd in my age group after a miserable run I can be proud of my cycling race 2 weekends later- TOur De Loop 30 mile race in Oswego where I took home 1st in my AG, just 30sec shy of 3rd Overall!! Next up is Caz Hill Bender tomorrow which frankly I feel like I have not put in the cycling mileage or hill work to have a good race but we will see what happens tomorrow. 39 miles of torture is great right?!! RIGHT!! I have been doing well on my running which is a plus. It really is the only thing that I can do with my son, so the mileage is there. Next month is a running month with 3 running races on tap, Run for your Life 15k, Relay Empire State Marathon and Eastwood Park to Park run. Im super excited to race these races. That reminds me, I need a new pair of running shoes.. Swimming- Yep it happens maybe once or twice per week. I try and focus on good form and let the other stuff fall into place. Well, its back to watching the little one as I can already tell he is into stuff that he shouldn't be.

Better Late than never kind of report- Gillie Girl Race Report

I haven't been logging all these swimming, biking and running miles for nothing!! July 21st I participated in the 2nd Annual Gillie Girl Sprint triathlon race in Camillus, NY. The race was designed for a first timer race as well as to challenge a seasoned athlete. Right now, Im calling myself the come-back racer. This was my first Triathlon race postpartum, 7 months after the birth of my amazing little man. I came into this race with a few goals, Come in around 1:30, place in my age group, and give it all on the bike (as this is what my honey wanted me to do). After all it was a puke it or nothing kind of race as Sprints are balls to the wall the whole time, right?!! The night before, I settled my transition back, ate healthy at all meals and settled in early. Not only did I deal with a son that didn't want to sleep, but my stomach was upset all night as well. I was not happy that my race may not turn out with the goals I mentioned above. I wanted to get to the race fairly early, but I think everyone had the same Idea. I did however find a nice racking spot closest to the bike out as it was a long bike out without shoes on. I decided I was going to keep my shoes on the bike and hop on after the mount line. More about my ever so graceful mounting in a bit. I met some fellow racers and chatted about future racing, plans for the future, etc. (I even made a pact to maybe race 2015 Lake Placid, which may come true) I did my pre race meal I always do from the time I started training with my former coach, Mary Eggers. Man do I miss being coached. I cannot think for myself, or plan a freaking workout to save my life working full time and taking care of 2 children, a hubby and a house!! Anyways, back to the race.
I decided since the swim was so short and the weather was rather hot leading up to the race that I would go sans wetsuit. Im so glad I did because I was hot right after the turn around! This course was a 2 loop Lake swim in a really tiny lake. The second loop was less than desired as I was weaving in and out of people from different waves trying to make their way through the swim. I felt like I pushed hard and felt good about my swim The transition was about 200-300 yards away from the lake.
When I got to my bike, I Grabbed my helmet, got my bike and ran down about a 100yards out of transition to the mount line. While at the mount line, I had a hard time getting into my shoes and lost a little time on the bike. The first 1/2 mile is all down hill and could've made some serious time here if I wasn't fidgeting with my shoes and my Garmin!! (For future reference, never put transitions into the freaking mode. I totally messed the whole thing up and didnt get my splits right!) I felt like I gave it my all on the bike course, I was well above 20mph. But it didn't reflect it on the bike time due to my need to leave my shoes on the bike and jump off my bike. Maybe a flatter course would've been better to try this on!!


The transition was uneventful. I think I was out in less than a minute

The run was a fairly challenging run with one bigger climb back to the lake. I admit, I had to stop for a second to catch my breath on the hill but it was short lived as my determination to not be defeated took over. Granted I still have about 15 pounds to lose to be at pre baby weight and be faster like I was a few years ago.

I like that a lady at the top of the hill introduced herself and said she was feeling tired. Yep, I coached her into just breathing, relaxing, telling her she is doing great and what did she do right at the end?! Took off on me!! ha ha! At the end she asked me if I was a coach and that I should be because I gave her so much encouragement. Nice to hear!!

At the end, I was 22nd overall, 3rd in AG 30-34!!!! I am so proud of this! All the hard work and determination is paying off!

Next up, Cazenovia Intermediate triathlon August 11th!!!

Life is Good!!!

I cant believe its been 2 months since my last post!!

It s hard sitting here trying to blog while your son is sitting on your lap playing musical instrument with the keys. So, I must say I have to do it when he naps and in between my training sessions!

Now that he is almost 6 months, its getting a little bit easier to get back into the routine somewhat. Now its trying to juggle 2 kids, a job and a husband and fitting all the exercise in without losing my sanity.

In the last few months, I have tackled the Moutain Goat Run in 1:45:08 (10:31 pace). This was the first "true" race post baby and I think I did pretty well 5 months after having him!


I have ridden a few hundred miles on my bike and did the 40 mile Tour De Cure ride for Diabetes. That was a blast as I managed to get my hubby out for the day to ride it with me. Our dates now seem to revolve around working out, but this is fine with me!

 Paiges Butterfly 5K run at the beginning of the month showed me how far I've come in the last 6 months! I had a 28:26 (9:09 min per mile). My watch had be a 9 min per mile even. This is truely a great accomplishment for me.

In regards to my triathlon training. Well, we can say it hasn't been stellar. I try to get what I can in and make it important. The workouts are focused and to a end goal.

Swim: The last swim I did was about a week ago. I have been using my Garmin 910 XT in the pool to guage how well Im doing and I managing to pull of 1:40/100yd in the pool. Also, I just snagged the swimming secrets book for my Android Tablet and am Highly engrossed in reading it. Who would've thought the pull was the most important thing about swimming competitively?!! I am doing this resistance band exercise that has been teaching my muscle memory the high elbow!! So far so good. I will continue to work on this and hopefully it will pay off race day!

Bike: I have been getting out about 2-3 times per week to Ride. I just got a new ride and absolutely love it! I just bought a Fuji Supreme 1.0 Road Bike. I sold my Triathlon Bike and I am anxiously awaiting the premiere of the Fuji Norcom to hit the Bike shop my honey works at!! I have been feeling quite good and relaxed on the bike. This is my strongest leg. Still working on positioning on this bike because I haven't really been on a road bike in a few years!! Seeing this is my Strongest leg and I have a road bike again, I have signed up for a few Bike races!!! Woo hoo!!! Tour de Loop and Cazenovia Hill Bender. Maybe next year I will get into racing a bit more.

Run: My running is just going, Nothing too interesting to talk about. I have noticed that I really roll my left foot out, so really trying to work on a more forward foot strike. My right foot is good, just trying to concentrate on getting that left foot going in the same direction!! I have been trying to get out to run at least 15-30 min when I can and a longer run on the weekends. I usually am pushing the jogging stroller along to get this part in!!!

Happy Training!!