Men Cyclists Kicked My Bootie!!

This morning I woke up at 5, even though I didn't have to get up until 6. Guess my body was ready to "shake and bake". I woke up early enough to enjoy a pre-race snack two slices of whole wheat toast cut in half with some Z Pb and honey, and my cup of coffee of course. We got down to the University about an hour till race time, so we had plenty of time to check in and set up. There were only about 350 people racing and about 100 of them were doing the 5k. I like local races small and quaint, but no expo:(

I was getting those pre-race butterflies, which is when I think I have to go to bathroom but I really don't. I wasn't as nervous when I finally got up to the starting line. I tried to get up to the front as much as possible seeing that I wasn't wearing a time chip. The race started at 8am sharp and I took off running. The start of the race is always interesting I am always more worried about being tripped then anything else. When I finally broke free from the pack I was running a good 7 minute tempo, trying to stay at a steady pace. The run was nice not too many hills, mostly flat. My biggest problem was NO MUSIC. I swear by my Ipod! I hate hearing myself breath and my feet hit the ground. I know that hearing your body is better for you, because it helps you keep better rhythm, but I disagree. I think that my music pumps me up and gets me going fast. Well I did fine without it and ran a 19:10 5k.

Pre Race Pic

When I hit the transition point I threw on my helmet and took off on my bike. This is always the hard part for me. Not that cycling in itself is difficult for me, it's just the speed part. I took off and felt great. Legs were pumping but I was trying to pace myself because I new I had 11 miles and a swim to go. As I was going up this hill a couple cyclist started to pass me, and I got mad! I knew I had killed those guys on the run, they should still be back there. Well this happened more then once, no girls passed me just a bunch of MEN. I started feeling very harsh toward men cyclists, because I knew I was in just as good of shape as they were yet they were taking ME! I even at one point was following in another guys petal steps and he was soaring passed me in his 3,000 dollar bike! This is where I had to take deep breaths in and remind myself that this was MY race, they have been doing this longer. So I speed up passed a couple of guys myself, and came into the last transition area.
I threw off my shirt, cycling skirt, shoes, and Garmin and booked it into the pool. My legs felt like jello but I used my arms to run and sprinted hard. I jumped into the heated pool(even though I was burning hot) and quickly realized I should have taken my socks off! I pushed hard even though my body felt so heavy. I played water polo in high school, but I always hated swimming. I did ok in the swim seeing as it was not too long. Made it to the finish shoot, and grabbed HUBBY! I was done, and mad. I know that I didn't do too bad, I was just beating up myself for not being able to beet some of those cyclists. I am a runner, but I know I can get better at cycling I just need to get out there and practice. Seeing that, that was only my second time riding sense my last Tri, I knew I was doing pretty good.

I love my face expressions rrrrr!!!! We waited around for about two hours for the results, I was famished. I was not smart, I forgot to bring something to munch on for after the race, and my Heed got lost on the bike ride. We finally got the results and I got second in my age division, with a time of 1:05. I wasn't too proud of that time because my last sprint Tri my time was 1:03. I am glad I did get out there but I want to be FASTER. I need to start cycling more, and I am getting a better road bike for sure!!!!! I am just glad I made it out, and finished.

I just got done taking a 2.5hour nap(which I have never done), so I must have been exhausted when I woke up I was starved so I had a bowl of banana,pb, and Natures Path Pb granola ( very yummy stuff). I had a glass of milk with it, and because I haven't drinking cows milk in a long time, the tummy is hurting:(

I am going to go rest for the evening, I am glad I have no plans for tonight again, so I can recuperate! I was going to go to a kettle bell class but I think I need to listen to my body. Thanks fo all of the encouragement!!!!!

Hope you all had a fabulous weekend:)

How do you wear your sports bra?

Society is always focusing on women with big boobs, but I think the sports bra companys forgot about us! Until now.

I know that woman need to be wearing a good bra and not a CHEAP one. Your boobs are too important for you to be tossing around. A good sports bra is just as important as a good pair of running shoes as it protects one’s breasts. The wrong sports bra can get in the way of exercise and may even be a threat to one’s health, which may lead to all kinds of problems like the dreaded Cooper’s droop, a condition where the connective tissue strands in the breasts called Cooper’s ligaments will be irretrievably stretched and will lead to permanent sagging of the breasts with continuous exercising.

Finding one that keeps the girls up without giving me one big, massive "uniboob" is a challenge, sorry TMI. As a runner I am always worried about my little guys, I don't want them to be sagging low when I am 30 because of how bad I have treated them. So my mission was to find a great sports support bra for me! Recently I had the privilege of trying one of CW-X Firm Support Bra . Now my world will never be the same.

What a wonderful and comfortable bra. Not only do I feel like everything is held in and supported I don't feel anything pinching. I love how sleek the lining is so it doesn't press in at the bottom band. CW-X Firm Support Bra is the ultimate versatile sports bra. I wore it in my 5k race last weekend, and I felt like I was a size A, well maybe that's a little extreme, but I didn't feel anything moving so that made my run quick and smooth. I give this bra and A+ and I will be buying more!

Here's what others had to say about the CWX-Firm Support Bras:

"With my CW-X Firm Support Bra, I feel like I can really go the distance! The snug fit was awkward at first, but once I wore it for a few hours, I realized it helped pull my posture straighter and took the strain from my chest and shoulders."

"I love this bra! I am larger breasted and I always struggle to find a bra that keeps me supported while doing high intensity sports. This bra is one of the best bras that I've ever worn. Plus, the material is fantastic in wicking away any perspiration."

What sports bras do you guys love? Some of my friends say they wear two at a time?! Is this really necessary?

Step by Step

"Great results cannot be achieved at once; and we must be satisfied to advance in life as we walk/run, step by step."

(shoe on the left started training in, shoe on the right I am finishing training in we'll call them Jack and Jill)

As I looked at my Garmin this morning I just came to see that I have run over 500+miles sense the beginning of this marathon training. What an accomplishment, and all it took was a good pair of running shoes (not really) but they did help.

I have never really splurged on any running apparel until this marathon training. I always settled for a cheap sports bra,shorts, and an old t-shirt to get me through. I maybe spent sixty dollars on some running shoes, but nothing near a hundred, until now.

There are a few things that I believe have made me a better runner.

1. A runny buddy, who teaches me sooo much and I love that I have her lean on for any running advice!

2. A good pair of running shoes, my Women's ASICS GT that I adore. I haven't gotten a single blister from, but I did have to get a second pair after the 13th week of training.

3. My new love for running skirts. I used to think they were so girly and made fun of women who wore them, thought they were trying to be too cute or something. Well I was wrong they are not only cute, they are also soooo comfy!

4. My Garmin Forerunner 301. It's not the new new one, but I think I like it better. It helps me pace myself and push myself, and let's me know how many miles I have run which is a necessity when your on a 20mile run.

5. Hammer Nutrtion I wouldn't take anything else. I use there Heed sports drink for my long runs (mild melon is my fave).The gels are just as good to, to pump me up on a long run. "HAMMER GEL is an easily digested, concentrated source of complex carbohydrates with four amino acids added to enhance performance and prolong energy levels during intense training and competition. HAMMER GEL has a syrup-like consistency that mixes easily with water if so desired. "

6.Protein powder, a must after a long run as well as HOT YOGA!

7. My water bottle, I never used to carry one. Now that I am wiser, I know better and take one on all my runs, this one is my favorite

8. A great plan, never thought I would try and run a 3:30 marathon. When you have the plan it's a little easier, it's not easy just nice and convenient.

9. My wonderful Ipod Nano that gets me through those long runs. There is something about music that gets my butt moving!

10. Last but certainly not least my hubby. He has been so encouraging through all of my training. Doing drop offs, taking us to races, waking up early to make my coffee, and just being my number one fan! I love this man:)