A few questions on this lovely, not rainy Friday.
-How on EARTH did I manage to wake up this morning, after 4 hours of sleep, and run to Mt. Bonnell with Leslie? At a pretty darn good pace, too.
-Where did all of the writing on my arms come from? When I was getting water after our run, I looked down and noticed an entire conversation written on my forearms.
-Why do I seem to absorb the habits of everyone around me, to the point of annoying myself because I don't have any characteristics of my own? Hence, why I kept calling myself a sponge last night?
-Who knew that Little Woodrow's had such good frozen bellinis? (Well, Jane & Katie did.) And why did Kris keep saying, "Erin. Just get one more. Just one!"
-Why couldn't Lulu remember where she parked. She was my taxi home, and she kept saying she was at Jack & Adams. Then Runtex. Then Jack and Adams. Then Runtex. And why did I have the hiccups the whole way home?
-Why is it that if I stay at a pub run "too late," someone always gets mad at me?
-Where did all the postcards go?
-Why did some guy keep saying, "YOU are a freak. You are a BIG FREAK."
-Didn't Michelle & I look cute with our matching shoes?
-With the 20 mile Rollingwood Romp + 8 miles in Tarrytown in the past 24 hours, can my legs handle the brick tomorrow? Right now, they are saying, "NO!!"
-And most importantly, how did I get so lucky to marry Phil? When I came home from my run this morning, he gave me a huge hug and made me a giant breakfast. I am sooooooo lucky!
Friday, June 29, 2007
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Rant of the Day: People CAN Change
Here is something that really frustrates me: people can change, but oftentimes the people around them are so used to be them being a certain way that they don't see the change. Instead, they assume that person is the same as he/she always has been.
For example, I had a coworker that used to scream at people when he got angry. After talking to our company, he learned that was an ineffective way of managing people and he decided to stop it. He didn't raise his voice at anyone for almost three months, all the while making a very conscious effort to change. But after three months, most people hadn't noticed and still complained that he yelled.
It's hard to see change in people, especially when you don't know to look for it. It's very frustrating when you've changed and people don't recognize it.
So what got me on this rant? I feel like I've been pigeonholed by a number of people close to me - "You're always complaining about XYZ." "You don't like XYZ." or most recently, "You never listen to my advice. I might as well be talking to air."
Argh! In each of my above situations, I have made a determined effort to change. But people assume I'm still the same... so it's like changing doesn't matter. I'm still perceived the same way I was before.
Anyway, this is probably a bit too rant-like, but I just wanted to get it off my chest. Perhaps my takeaway is to look at people in your life who have been trying to be different and recognize them if they have been successful. Don't assume they are the same as always. The end!
For example, I had a coworker that used to scream at people when he got angry. After talking to our company, he learned that was an ineffective way of managing people and he decided to stop it. He didn't raise his voice at anyone for almost three months, all the while making a very conscious effort to change. But after three months, most people hadn't noticed and still complained that he yelled.
It's hard to see change in people, especially when you don't know to look for it. It's very frustrating when you've changed and people don't recognize it.
So what got me on this rant? I feel like I've been pigeonholed by a number of people close to me - "You're always complaining about XYZ." "You don't like XYZ." or most recently, "You never listen to my advice. I might as well be talking to air."
Argh! In each of my above situations, I have made a determined effort to change. But people assume I'm still the same... so it's like changing doesn't matter. I'm still perceived the same way I was before.
Anyway, this is probably a bit too rant-like, but I just wanted to get it off my chest. Perhaps my takeaway is to look at people in your life who have been trying to be different and recognize them if they have been successful. Don't assume they are the same as always. The end!
Monday, June 25, 2007
Week 24 Workouts
Run: 21.5 miles (goal - 20 to 25)
Bike: 96 miles (goal 80-100)
Swim: 2300 / 2 times (goal - 2 times)
Gym: 1 time
I did more this week than I thought.
Monday: Cycling study, easy run with Maggie.
Tuesday: swim in the morning; Panther's Pyramid track workout in Houston. In weather like soup. Fun 7 miles.
Wednesday: off!
Thursday: 14 mile bike ride - prep for Urban Assault race
Friday: 7 mile run (3 with Michelle, 4 with Maggie)
Saturday: Lost Creek bike ride (27 hilly miles) followed by 3 mile run & 1.5 mile trail run
Sunday: Urban Assault Race - 25 miles racing, 5 miles roundtrip to my house = 30 miles
Bike: 96 miles (goal 80-100)
Swim: 2300 / 2 times (goal - 2 times)
Gym: 1 time
I did more this week than I thought.
Monday: Cycling study, easy run with Maggie.
Tuesday: swim in the morning; Panther's Pyramid track workout in Houston. In weather like soup. Fun 7 miles.
Wednesday: off!
Thursday: 14 mile bike ride - prep for Urban Assault race
Friday: 7 mile run (3 with Michelle, 4 with Maggie)
Saturday: Lost Creek bike ride (27 hilly miles) followed by 3 mile run & 1.5 mile trail run
Sunday: Urban Assault Race - 25 miles racing, 5 miles roundtrip to my house = 30 miles
Sunday, June 24, 2007
Urban Assault Race
This morning, Lulu & I competed in our first Urban Assault Race. I'll be honest - signing up for an event that tests both my physical and mental capabilities is not my idea of fun. But I am coordinating a similar event for an organization I am in later this year, and I felt this would be a good test run to see how to plan a similar event.
I chose Lulu as my race partner for a number of reasons, primarily being that she said yes when I asked her. It doesn't help that she and I are extremely similar in our skill levels on the bike, and both have the same competitive yet fun nature about competition. I am happy to say that Lulu did not disappoint - she was the perfect race partner. Also on our team were Tim (ready and armed with his computer in front of him), Kevin (Lulu's brother) and Phil (as race support).
On Wednesday, Lulu & I met at Austin Java to discuss our race plan, which involved mapping a route between eight checkpoints and one secret checkpoint for us to most efficiently ride on our bikes. We also worked a little on this insane quiz that determined your starting position. Thursday morning at 6:00am, we rode the first part of our planned route. It took us over an hour and half to get to four checkpoints. (Uh oh.) Lulu submitted our quiz on Friday, and we only got a 65%! We were freaked out about what this would mean for our starting position on race day, not to mention pissed at how much work had gone into completing it. (Thanks Tim H., Tim S., and Ostrich for your help!) Luckily, when we picked up our packets on Saturday, we learned we were still starting in the first stage. Whew!!
We left my house at 6:50am this morning and headed to Runtex, thinking the 2.5 mile ride would be a good warmup. Instead of being warmed up, we ended up standing around for another hour upon arrival. This gave us a good chance to size up our competition, though. Lots of people in their fancy matching bike outfits. The race started around 8:15am - and we had to run from the Runtex parking lot, down under the First St. bridge, to our bike transition on the other side. This was not fun in biking shoes, I'll tell you! Luckily, we made it out of transition really quickly and were on our way.
First Stop: Rio Grande Restaurant @ 3rd and San Jacinto.
We, along with Tim & Carrie, were among the first people there. We ran inside the restaurant, where our task was to throw bean bags into the hole of wooden box. After some confusion, and switching off jobs between throwing and retrieving missed bags, we had 4 successful shots and got our first bead.
We then zoomed to Hyde Park Gym, which was the first secret checkpoint of the race. We took Trinity to San Jacinto to Duval over to 45th.
Second Stop: Hyde Park Gym @ 45th and Guadalupe.
No obstacle here, just the clue for the next landmark checkpoint. Clue: classical music playing from a boombox, composition by Mozart.
As we headed to our next stop, we called Tim and asked for help. We thought that Mozart's on Lake Austin was too obvious. I thought it might be Bass Concert Hall or the Austin Symphony Orchestra building. We rode up Guadalupe to Detson to Airport to Huntland. Uphill. Damn this was a far checkpoint!
Third Stop: Austin Suburu Dealership by Highland Mall
Here I sat in a wheelbarrow as Lulu wheeled me around a slalom course. To motivate her, I kept saying "these other teams suck! They are a bunch of, well... not nice things." I said all this while smiling sweetly at the volunteer for our lane. Little did he know how awful I was being. :) I gotta hand it to Lulu - I certainly wouldn't want to push me around in a wheelbarrow, but she rocked at it.
Next we headed to Ozone . Thank god it was downhill because I was actually starting to feel tired! Lulu was very impressed with my blatant disregard for traffic laws.
Fourth Stop: Ozone Bikes @ 32nd and Guadalupe
Holy cow. The line here was really long, and we contemplated skipping it. But we opted to stay and wait it out. This gave us a chance to figure out the Mozart's clue. (Thanks, Tim, for a ton of help with this.) Somehow, we determined the next secret checkpoint was the guitar signed by Reckless Kelly on 6th Street. Anyway, finally got through the line, did a stupid little obstacle course, and were on our way.
Fifth Stop: The secret checkpoint on 6th.
We had some trouble finding it until someone off the street pointed us in the right direction. We got our bead and asked for the next clue. No clue. What?! Apparently this was the last checkpoint - we had skipped the second. Hmmm... So we continued our plan and headed down 6th Street to Pure Austin.
Sixth Stop: Pure Austin @ 5th and Lamar
Here we were given a sheet of paper and sent on a scavenger hunt to find different letter around the property. Once getting the letters, we had to unscramble them to come up with a tag line. We hooked up with a male team and eventually figured out that the slogan was "Follow Your Folly" - Fat Tire Ale. Wish we had called Tim as soon as we got the clue and had him look up sponsor slogans. Could have saved time. We did, however, learn that the first clue really did mean Mozart's, so we took back off on 6th Street. The only trauma here was me completely banging my right ankle in the parking lot of Whole Foods. I wanted to cry it hurt so bad, but I sucked it up. Can't let Lulu see me cry!
Seventh Stop: Mozart's
Nothing much here. Since we somehow had already gone to the last checkpoint, we didn't have to waste much time here looking at the clue.
Heading east on Lake Austin Blvd, Lulu and I were definitely in game mode. We passed everyone we could and hauled butt!
Eighth Stop: Rowing Dock on Stratford Drive
Here, Phil was waiting for us. (He'd actually been waiting for over an hour, poor guy!) We had to take our bikes all the way down to the dock, take off our shoes and socks, then paddle an inflatable boat around a buoy. We were awesome at this, thanks largely to Lulu's long arms, I believe. I couldn't get both of mine out of both sides of the boat, which made things interesting. Here was passed up the 2 guys from Pure Austin, which was kinda fun.
Ninth Stop: Bicycle Sport Shop @ Barton Springs & Lamar
Here we had to complete an inflatable obstacle course. I must admit, this thing was hard. You had to pull yourself up with ropes and climb things - which is really hard to do when you are tired and wet. Luckily this was short, and there was no line.
Tenth Stop: Jack & Adam's @ Barton Springs and Lamar
My favorite obstacle - big wheels! Here we raced around a big wheel course - I admit, I was pretty awesome at this. Poor Lulu though, her legs are far too long to be any good at this!
From here, we hopped over Lamar and headed up Dawson towards our last checkpoint. Unfortunately, Lulu's phone, which she stashed in my bike bag, fell out and I had to stop. On the hill. Yuck. And man, Dawson is hilly! Luckily, though, there was not much traffic so we were able to make it to our final stop fairly quickly.
Eleventh Stop: Jo's Coffee on South Congress
Here we had to walk on stilts back and forth. I was not at all talented at this. Maybe it was because I was in bike shoes, maybe because I was tired, or maybe because I am just not meant to walk on stilts. Upon finishing the task, we saw a few female only teams and realized we needed to haul it back to Runtex. We passed everyone on our way back down Congress (albeit we were totally breaking the law, riding into traffic) and then made it back to transition at Runtex. I was a little annoyed because I thought we could just bike in, but no... back to transition.
Final Stop/Finish Line: Runtex
We racked our bikes and then had to run back to Runtex. Again, not fun in biking shoes. Lulu had taken hers off and she was running strong. I was merely trying to keep her in sight. Luckily, I outran the mean team who was right behind us and made it to the final stop before them. Here, we climbed up a water slide, slide down into a pool of water, then checked in at the finish line. Very fun! When we got to the finish line, I gave them our necklace of beads. We were one short. $#*#(%!!!! Oh, nevermind, it was in the back of the jersey. Whew. So... then we asked, how did we do??
"Female only team... Looks like you're... Fourth." UGH!!! Rather than be excited, Lulu and I were pissed. We wanted second (or third). Not that we're competitive or anything! :)
Truth be told... we did awesome. I'm not sure how we could have done any better, especially in our first race. The biggest problem was the backup at Ozone and taking a long time at Pure Austin. But this was not really in our control. So... we should be really proud of ourselves.
Tim and Carrie did awesome too - they came in just a few minutes after us. It was fun seeing them throughout the morning and working on clues together with them.
Anyway, they haven't posted the results yet so I'm not sure how we did it. But I did have a blast. Lulu was an amazing partner - we worked really well together and had fun doing it. We're already planning on how we're going to do better next year. By the way, one thing we probably won't do next year is leave from my house. The hills coming back home suck after a race!!
I chose Lulu as my race partner for a number of reasons, primarily being that she said yes when I asked her. It doesn't help that she and I are extremely similar in our skill levels on the bike, and both have the same competitive yet fun nature about competition. I am happy to say that Lulu did not disappoint - she was the perfect race partner. Also on our team were Tim (ready and armed with his computer in front of him), Kevin (Lulu's brother) and Phil (as race support).
On Wednesday, Lulu & I met at Austin Java to discuss our race plan, which involved mapping a route between eight checkpoints and one secret checkpoint for us to most efficiently ride on our bikes. We also worked a little on this insane quiz that determined your starting position. Thursday morning at 6:00am, we rode the first part of our planned route. It took us over an hour and half to get to four checkpoints. (Uh oh.) Lulu submitted our quiz on Friday, and we only got a 65%! We were freaked out about what this would mean for our starting position on race day, not to mention pissed at how much work had gone into completing it. (Thanks Tim H., Tim S., and Ostrich for your help!) Luckily, when we picked up our packets on Saturday, we learned we were still starting in the first stage. Whew!!
We left my house at 6:50am this morning and headed to Runtex, thinking the 2.5 mile ride would be a good warmup. Instead of being warmed up, we ended up standing around for another hour upon arrival. This gave us a good chance to size up our competition, though. Lots of people in their fancy matching bike outfits. The race started around 8:15am - and we had to run from the Runtex parking lot, down under the First St. bridge, to our bike transition on the other side. This was not fun in biking shoes, I'll tell you! Luckily, we made it out of transition really quickly and were on our way.
First Stop: Rio Grande Restaurant @ 3rd and San Jacinto.
We, along with Tim & Carrie, were among the first people there. We ran inside the restaurant, where our task was to throw bean bags into the hole of wooden box. After some confusion, and switching off jobs between throwing and retrieving missed bags, we had 4 successful shots and got our first bead.
We then zoomed to Hyde Park Gym, which was the first secret checkpoint of the race. We took Trinity to San Jacinto to Duval over to 45th.
Second Stop: Hyde Park Gym @ 45th and Guadalupe.
No obstacle here, just the clue for the next landmark checkpoint. Clue: classical music playing from a boombox, composition by Mozart.
As we headed to our next stop, we called Tim and asked for help. We thought that Mozart's on Lake Austin was too obvious. I thought it might be Bass Concert Hall or the Austin Symphony Orchestra building. We rode up Guadalupe to Detson to Airport to Huntland. Uphill. Damn this was a far checkpoint!
Third Stop: Austin Suburu Dealership by Highland Mall
Here I sat in a wheelbarrow as Lulu wheeled me around a slalom course. To motivate her, I kept saying "these other teams suck! They are a bunch of, well... not nice things." I said all this while smiling sweetly at the volunteer for our lane. Little did he know how awful I was being. :) I gotta hand it to Lulu - I certainly wouldn't want to push me around in a wheelbarrow, but she rocked at it.
Next we headed to Ozone . Thank god it was downhill because I was actually starting to feel tired! Lulu was very impressed with my blatant disregard for traffic laws.
Fourth Stop: Ozone Bikes @ 32nd and Guadalupe
Holy cow. The line here was really long, and we contemplated skipping it. But we opted to stay and wait it out. This gave us a chance to figure out the Mozart's clue. (Thanks, Tim, for a ton of help with this.) Somehow, we determined the next secret checkpoint was the guitar signed by Reckless Kelly on 6th Street. Anyway, finally got through the line, did a stupid little obstacle course, and were on our way.
Fifth Stop: The secret checkpoint on 6th.
We had some trouble finding it until someone off the street pointed us in the right direction. We got our bead and asked for the next clue. No clue. What?! Apparently this was the last checkpoint - we had skipped the second. Hmmm... So we continued our plan and headed down 6th Street to Pure Austin.
Sixth Stop: Pure Austin @ 5th and Lamar
Here we were given a sheet of paper and sent on a scavenger hunt to find different letter around the property. Once getting the letters, we had to unscramble them to come up with a tag line. We hooked up with a male team and eventually figured out that the slogan was "Follow Your Folly" - Fat Tire Ale. Wish we had called Tim as soon as we got the clue and had him look up sponsor slogans. Could have saved time. We did, however, learn that the first clue really did mean Mozart's, so we took back off on 6th Street. The only trauma here was me completely banging my right ankle in the parking lot of Whole Foods. I wanted to cry it hurt so bad, but I sucked it up. Can't let Lulu see me cry!
Seventh Stop: Mozart's
Nothing much here. Since we somehow had already gone to the last checkpoint, we didn't have to waste much time here looking at the clue.
Heading east on Lake Austin Blvd, Lulu and I were definitely in game mode. We passed everyone we could and hauled butt!
Eighth Stop: Rowing Dock on Stratford Drive
Here, Phil was waiting for us. (He'd actually been waiting for over an hour, poor guy!) We had to take our bikes all the way down to the dock, take off our shoes and socks, then paddle an inflatable boat around a buoy. We were awesome at this, thanks largely to Lulu's long arms, I believe. I couldn't get both of mine out of both sides of the boat, which made things interesting. Here was passed up the 2 guys from Pure Austin, which was kinda fun.
Ninth Stop: Bicycle Sport Shop @ Barton Springs & Lamar
Here we had to complete an inflatable obstacle course. I must admit, this thing was hard. You had to pull yourself up with ropes and climb things - which is really hard to do when you are tired and wet. Luckily this was short, and there was no line.
Tenth Stop: Jack & Adam's @ Barton Springs and Lamar
My favorite obstacle - big wheels! Here we raced around a big wheel course - I admit, I was pretty awesome at this. Poor Lulu though, her legs are far too long to be any good at this!
From here, we hopped over Lamar and headed up Dawson towards our last checkpoint. Unfortunately, Lulu's phone, which she stashed in my bike bag, fell out and I had to stop. On the hill. Yuck. And man, Dawson is hilly! Luckily, though, there was not much traffic so we were able to make it to our final stop fairly quickly.
Eleventh Stop: Jo's Coffee on South Congress
Here we had to walk on stilts back and forth. I was not at all talented at this. Maybe it was because I was in bike shoes, maybe because I was tired, or maybe because I am just not meant to walk on stilts. Upon finishing the task, we saw a few female only teams and realized we needed to haul it back to Runtex. We passed everyone on our way back down Congress (albeit we were totally breaking the law, riding into traffic) and then made it back to transition at Runtex. I was a little annoyed because I thought we could just bike in, but no... back to transition.
Final Stop/Finish Line: Runtex
We racked our bikes and then had to run back to Runtex. Again, not fun in biking shoes. Lulu had taken hers off and she was running strong. I was merely trying to keep her in sight. Luckily, I outran the mean team who was right behind us and made it to the final stop before them. Here, we climbed up a water slide, slide down into a pool of water, then checked in at the finish line. Very fun! When we got to the finish line, I gave them our necklace of beads. We were one short. $#*#(%!!!! Oh, nevermind, it was in the back of the jersey. Whew. So... then we asked, how did we do??
"Female only team... Looks like you're... Fourth." UGH!!! Rather than be excited, Lulu and I were pissed. We wanted second (or third). Not that we're competitive or anything! :)
Truth be told... we did awesome. I'm not sure how we could have done any better, especially in our first race. The biggest problem was the backup at Ozone and taking a long time at Pure Austin. But this was not really in our control. So... we should be really proud of ourselves.
Tim and Carrie did awesome too - they came in just a few minutes after us. It was fun seeing them throughout the morning and working on clues together with them.
Anyway, they haven't posted the results yet so I'm not sure how we did it. But I did have a blast. Lulu was an amazing partner - we worked really well together and had fun doing it. We're already planning on how we're going to do better next year. By the way, one thing we probably won't do next year is leave from my house. The hills coming back home suck after a race!!
Friday, June 22, 2007
A rude awakening...
Today's Horoscope:
For the record, I don't believe in horoscopes - at least not in the way that implies that each person has a personal message derived from the stars or whatever. I know that someone is just talented at writing advice and got the horoscope writing job at google. I do, however, think that horoscopes typically offer good advice, and this one is no different.
For the past few months, I have seen my share of excitement. I'm busy as I've ever been, taking on more with both my job and my training than I thought possible. This in addition to balancing my friends and family and home. (People with children, how do you do it?!) As a result, I've been making some mistakes. I booked my company at the wrong hotel in Phoenix. I forgot to pay my credit card bill. I haven't changed the oil in my car in probably 15,000 miles. I forgot to administer some tests to my project managers that will result in my company getting "turned off" a program until I get them completed. None of this on its own is major, but these are mistakes I usually don't make.
The constant travel to Houston and other places may be taking its toll. It's hard to do a really good job when your mind is in two different places. At this point, I think I have about 2-3 more months of this constant traveling left in me.
Yet, what do I do when I'm in Austin? Book up every free moment with an event or a workout or another work event. Do I stop to breathe? No! Does the idea of stopping scare me? Hell yes!
So, like I said, I think this horoscope offers some very good advice. If I don't slow down, or at least take stock of where I am right now, I'm going to be in for a major reality check.
You have seen your share of excitement recently, just as you wish. There is, however, a problem as you head toward a major reality check. Unless you slow down in order to get more control of your life, you could have a rude awakening as you deal with the disillusionment ahead. On the other hand, intelligent analysis of the situation now will go a long way.
For the record, I don't believe in horoscopes - at least not in the way that implies that each person has a personal message derived from the stars or whatever. I know that someone is just talented at writing advice and got the horoscope writing job at google. I do, however, think that horoscopes typically offer good advice, and this one is no different.
For the past few months, I have seen my share of excitement. I'm busy as I've ever been, taking on more with both my job and my training than I thought possible. This in addition to balancing my friends and family and home. (People with children, how do you do it?!) As a result, I've been making some mistakes. I booked my company at the wrong hotel in Phoenix. I forgot to pay my credit card bill. I haven't changed the oil in my car in probably 15,000 miles. I forgot to administer some tests to my project managers that will result in my company getting "turned off" a program until I get them completed. None of this on its own is major, but these are mistakes I usually don't make.
The constant travel to Houston and other places may be taking its toll. It's hard to do a really good job when your mind is in two different places. At this point, I think I have about 2-3 more months of this constant traveling left in me.
Yet, what do I do when I'm in Austin? Book up every free moment with an event or a workout or another work event. Do I stop to breathe? No! Does the idea of stopping scare me? Hell yes!
So, like I said, I think this horoscope offers some very good advice. If I don't slow down, or at least take stock of where I am right now, I'm going to be in for a major reality check.
Monday, June 18, 2007
Gym Etiquette for the Day
Here is a friendly suggestion for those who find it necessary to strip down to nothing in the locker room at Gold's Gym.
Please, please, please do not do this in the first section of the locker room, where there are no lockers or walls around you. There is a space for you to get down with your naked self - that space is far away from where I first look when I walk into the locker room.
I really did NOT need to see that. Really.
Thank you.
Please, please, please do not do this in the first section of the locker room, where there are no lockers or walls around you. There is a space for you to get down with your naked self - that space is far away from where I first look when I walk into the locker room.
I really did NOT need to see that. Really.
Thank you.
Sunday, June 17, 2007
Week 23 Workouts
Recovery Week = Erin hardly worked out at all. And you know what, I don't care!! It was NICE to take some time off. I've been going hard since January 1st - I think 3 days off was a nice little reward. My body obviously needed it, I slept until almost noon both Saturday & Sunday.
Total Run: 10.5 miles / 3 times
Total Bike: 12 miles / 1 time
Total Swim: 3500m / 2 times
Total Gym: 1
Total Days Off: 3!!!
Total Run: 10.5 miles / 3 times
Total Bike: 12 miles / 1 time
Total Swim: 3500m / 2 times
Total Gym: 1
Total Days Off: 3!!!
Saturday, June 16, 2007
Phoenix!
Whew! What a week. Tonight will be the second time in a row I've slept in my own bed - a first since last week. Thursday & Friday were spent at a conference in Phoenix. I had a really great time at the conference, but also just being in a different part of the country.
Even though I stupidly booked us at the wrong resort hotel, the place we stayed was amazing. I ended up looking like a hero!
The resort where the conference was held was also beautiful. At one point, I walked outside during our break and found almost 30 bunny rabbits hopping around the landscaping. They were so cool!
Since our flight left pretty late on Friday, we had a couple of free hours to explore the city. My coworker wanted to see the mountains, so we took a drive up to the top of one and took in the scenery.
I wanted to check out downtown Scottsdale and the local art scene. We stopped by the Scottsdale Civic Center and look what I found!
I also found this sculpture titled "Windows to the West." It was sooooooo cool.
I arrived home at midnight last night, and slept until almost noon today. I don't know how people who have jobs that require constant travel do it - I still feel like I need a day to recover.
I am so glad I got to attend this conference. My coworkers and I got a lot done, made some good contacts, learned a lot, etc... I got to know the Houston manager a lot better, which will be very helpful for my endeavors in Houston. And I got to see Phoenix - what a beautiful city!
Even though I stupidly booked us at the wrong resort hotel, the place we stayed was amazing. I ended up looking like a hero!
The resort where the conference was held was also beautiful. At one point, I walked outside during our break and found almost 30 bunny rabbits hopping around the landscaping. They were so cool!Since our flight left pretty late on Friday, we had a couple of free hours to explore the city. My coworker wanted to see the mountains, so we took a drive up to the top of one and took in the scenery.
I wanted to check out downtown Scottsdale and the local art scene. We stopped by the Scottsdale Civic Center and look what I found!
I also found this sculpture titled "Windows to the West." It was sooooooo cool. 
I arrived home at midnight last night, and slept until almost noon today. I don't know how people who have jobs that require constant travel do it - I still feel like I need a day to recover.
I am so glad I got to attend this conference. My coworkers and I got a lot done, made some good contacts, learned a lot, etc... I got to know the Houston manager a lot better, which will be very helpful for my endeavors in Houston. And I got to see Phoenix - what a beautiful city!
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
A little pain before I go...
I'm midway through my crazy week of travels. I've slept in a different bed every night since Saturday (nice) and I'm leaving for Phoenix tomorrow morning at 6:00am.
So, with all of this traveling, what's a girl to do? Subject herself to some pain, of course!
Rather than take it easy after my race, I decided to try and cram all of my workouts into the first part of the week. I'm not sure that was a good idea, but I tried. On Monday, I went to the gym and ran a progressive pace run. (It was fun, I went to the gym with my dad.) Tuesday I swam in the morning and then ran in Memorial Park in the afternoon. Today, I did tomorrow's quality bike ride. Wilke Hill Repeats.
There really needs to be another name for this workout - something more like "WTF am I doing on this F***ing hill, damnit!!?!" repeats. This was my first time to do Wilke, and I gotta say that this hill is hard. Luckily I convinced my friend Scot to join me for the workout - probably because I didn't tell him what we were doing. Had I gone it alone, I definitely would have wussed out.
So, we left from my house and headed over to Barton Hills. I was feeling okay. Not great, not bad, very nervous. I made it up Wilke the first time I tried, but damn it was tough. Then came attempts 2 & 3. I admit it - I cheated. Halfway through the hill, I pulled off down a little street before hitting it again. I still made it all the way up. Attempt 4 - I was determined to make it all the way up without cheating. Well, I did it, but not without a ton of really loud groaning and yelling. Seriously, I sounded like a weight lifter at the gym. I felt bad for the homeowners who lived in the neighborhood, the people walking their dogs, the parents pushing strollers... they were subjected to some really interesting grunts from me!
Anyway, this workout kicked my butt. I'm supposed to do 6 repeats- I only managed 4. I think I can beat that next time, but I am not looking forward to trying.
So it's rest and relaxation for the next two days. At least from a workout standpoint, since I don't think conferences are at all restful!
I'll be back Saturday!
So, with all of this traveling, what's a girl to do? Subject herself to some pain, of course!
Rather than take it easy after my race, I decided to try and cram all of my workouts into the first part of the week. I'm not sure that was a good idea, but I tried. On Monday, I went to the gym and ran a progressive pace run. (It was fun, I went to the gym with my dad.) Tuesday I swam in the morning and then ran in Memorial Park in the afternoon. Today, I did tomorrow's quality bike ride. Wilke Hill Repeats.
There really needs to be another name for this workout - something more like "WTF am I doing on this F***ing hill, damnit!!?!" repeats. This was my first time to do Wilke, and I gotta say that this hill is hard. Luckily I convinced my friend Scot to join me for the workout - probably because I didn't tell him what we were doing. Had I gone it alone, I definitely would have wussed out.
So, we left from my house and headed over to Barton Hills. I was feeling okay. Not great, not bad, very nervous. I made it up Wilke the first time I tried, but damn it was tough. Then came attempts 2 & 3. I admit it - I cheated. Halfway through the hill, I pulled off down a little street before hitting it again. I still made it all the way up. Attempt 4 - I was determined to make it all the way up without cheating. Well, I did it, but not without a ton of really loud groaning and yelling. Seriously, I sounded like a weight lifter at the gym. I felt bad for the homeowners who lived in the neighborhood, the people walking their dogs, the parents pushing strollers... they were subjected to some really interesting grunts from me!
Anyway, this workout kicked my butt. I'm supposed to do 6 repeats- I only managed 4. I think I can beat that next time, but I am not looking forward to trying.
So it's rest and relaxation for the next two days. At least from a workout standpoint, since I don't think conferences are at all restful!
I'll be back Saturday!
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
Glorious French Toast!
If I were a truly religious person, I think I would pray to Cafe Brazil.
Check out this french toast - amazing!!!
Someone told me they opened a Cafe Brazil in Austin. I drove downtown to get a good look.
But it's just a Cafe de Brazil (in the Hampton Hotel) and unrelated to Cafe Brazil.
That's probably a good thing.
Week 22 Workouts
to recap:
Total Run: 10.5 miles / 4 times
Total Bike: 63.5 miles / 3 times
Total Swim: 3800m / 3 times
Total Gym: 0
Total Days Off: 2!
As Maggie says, "rest is the fourth sport of triathlon." There will be more of that sport this week!
Of course, this was an easy taper week since I raced in Dallas on Sunday. It seems that the taper strategy worked!
Total Run: 10.5 miles / 4 times
Total Bike: 63.5 miles / 3 times
Total Swim: 3800m / 3 times
Total Gym: 0
Total Days Off: 2!
As Maggie says, "rest is the fourth sport of triathlon." There will be more of that sport this week!
Of course, this was an easy taper week since I raced in Dallas on Sunday. It seems that the taper strategy worked!
Sunday, June 10, 2007
Metroplex Sprint Triathlon
I'm just going to come out and say it. Today, at the Metroplex Sprint Triathlon in Dallas, I rocked. I've been training my butt off since January 1st, and it payed off. I am ecstatic.
800 meter swim: 14:36 (1:50 pace)
27K bike: 44:12 (22.8mph pace - 1st place in age group!)
5K run: 27:01 (8:40 pace)
Final Time: 1:28:44
Female 25-29: 4th place
Overall Female Place: 22 out of 113 women
The swim was chaos, to say the least. The first couple hundred meters were nothing but getting kicked and knocked around. It was like nothing I'd ever experienced during a triathlon swim. But I found a rhythm and decided to push it a little. I couldn't believe my time when I got out of the water - definitely my fastest sprint time to date.
Looking at the results after the race, I almost fell over when I saw my bike splits - and that I was the fastest female in my age group on the bike by over a minute. I passed every female I saw, and most of the men too. I only was passed by a few guys during the whole thing. ABC - Always Be Closing! The bike is definitely my thing!
I can't believe I pulled out an 8:40 pace 5K either. I hate running in triathlons. I wanted to walk. I felt like I was barely shuffling. But I kept going. Once I realized I could break 1:30, I couldn't give in.
Goal: Break 1:35
Somewhat Secret Goal: Finish before Glenda who started 8 minutes after me.
Super Secret Goal: Break 1:30
Mission Accomplished!
Like I said, I'm ecstatic. Yesterday during my pre-race brick I thought this would be my last race, and I was going to quit training. (It was a bad brick, obviously.) As of today, I can't wait for the next race.
What an awesome weekend. I'm glad I got to share it with Maggie, Glenda & Kris. I'm so glad my parents came out and watched me. I'm so glad that Panther gave me the courage & motivation to really push myself with my training so that I can be so proud of today's results. I'm glad that I've found a sport that provides so much self-confidence and triumph.
800 meter swim: 14:36 (1:50 pace)
27K bike: 44:12 (22.8mph pace - 1st place in age group!)
5K run: 27:01 (8:40 pace)
Final Time: 1:28:44
Female 25-29: 4th place
Overall Female Place: 22 out of 113 women
The swim was chaos, to say the least. The first couple hundred meters were nothing but getting kicked and knocked around. It was like nothing I'd ever experienced during a triathlon swim. But I found a rhythm and decided to push it a little. I couldn't believe my time when I got out of the water - definitely my fastest sprint time to date.
Looking at the results after the race, I almost fell over when I saw my bike splits - and that I was the fastest female in my age group on the bike by over a minute. I passed every female I saw, and most of the men too. I only was passed by a few guys during the whole thing. ABC - Always Be Closing! The bike is definitely my thing!
I can't believe I pulled out an 8:40 pace 5K either. I hate running in triathlons. I wanted to walk. I felt like I was barely shuffling. But I kept going. Once I realized I could break 1:30, I couldn't give in.
Goal: Break 1:35
Somewhat Secret Goal: Finish before Glenda who started 8 minutes after me.
Super Secret Goal: Break 1:30
Mission Accomplished!
Like I said, I'm ecstatic. Yesterday during my pre-race brick I thought this would be my last race, and I was going to quit training. (It was a bad brick, obviously.) As of today, I can't wait for the next race.
What an awesome weekend. I'm glad I got to share it with Maggie, Glenda & Kris. I'm so glad my parents came out and watched me. I'm so glad that Panther gave me the courage & motivation to really push myself with my training so that I can be so proud of today's results. I'm glad that I've found a sport that provides so much self-confidence and triumph.
Metroplex Sprint Tri
Here are some pictures from my weekend.
Erin's Pre-Race Secret: Chocolate Cake! (This one is courtesy of Johnny Carino's.)
This is the only picture of my running where I looked happy. Probably because I was only a few feet from the finish line.
This is the only picture of my running where I looked happy. Probably because I was only a few feet from the finish line.
Kris, me, Glenda & Maggie after the finish.
Glenda crashed really hard towards the end of her bike. Here are a few of her wounds.
Kris enjoyed some post-race food - sausage pizza of course!
I couldn't believe it - I actually got hardware!! They gave awards four deep in each age group. Glenda won second place in her age group. (Even with her awful crash!)
My parents came to watch!! This was the first time my mom saw me in a triathlon. I'm so glad they came - it mean a lot to me. My dad was certainly happen that this was a sprint - not a half ironman like last year. :)
Glenda crashed really hard towards the end of her bike. Here are a few of her wounds.
Kris enjoyed some post-race food - sausage pizza of course!I couldn't believe it - I actually got hardware!! They gave awards four deep in each age group. Glenda won second place in her age group. (Even with her awful crash!)
My parents came to watch!! This was the first time my mom saw me in a triathlon. I'm so glad they came - it mean a lot to me. My dad was certainly happen that this was a sprint - not a half ironman like last year. :)
Thursday, June 07, 2007
A Higher Level
This morning I had an incredibly frustrating swim class. It was the first class of the new session (we start over each 8 weeks) and we focused on drills. I was looking forward to the class becuase I was told it would be "an easy swim as part of you taper."
Well, let me tell you - drills are not "swimming easy." Drills are annoying. They highlight how much you suck. They make you feel really bad about your swimming. They call in to question how you kick way too much and can't find a rhythm. They tire you out even when you're swimming much less than you're used to. They essentially want to make you want to become a duathlete.
Okay, I'm being a bit overdramatic. But this is how I felt about our drills this morning. I apparently am completely incompetent at kicking. I just couldn't figure out what Meredith was telling me to do. It was incredibly frustrating. It also made me feel nervous about Sunday, which sucks because swimming is usually the easiest part of a triathlon.
I subscribe to a blog by Christopher Flett - Business Coach of Women. In his latest post, he wrote something that I completely agree with:
The point I’m getting at is if you want to be successful in your professional career, don’t limit yourself to spending time with people at your same level. Stretch a bit and move yourself one position higher than you think you are right now. If your business is suffering, ask yourself, “who am I spending my time with?” My guess is the people around you are also in someway suffering. That’s herd mentality. Champions move into a level higher then themselves, pull them up to that level and once they are comfortable, they move up again. Don’t spend time with people like you…spend time with people who you want to be like. Modeling in business comes from learning from those who are doing.
I'm trying to apply this not only to business, but to my training as well. I'm trying to run and bike with people much faster than me (Glenda, Panther, Kris, etc.) - trying as hard as possible to keep up with them. By working out with people who are at a higher level than me, I have no choice but to pull myself up to their level.
I think there are some new, faster people in our swim class. I just need to bury my frustrations and try hard to keep up with them.
And one day, when the stars are aligned, I might just catch up to Glenda during a race. Oh, that will be the day!
Well, let me tell you - drills are not "swimming easy." Drills are annoying. They highlight how much you suck. They make you feel really bad about your swimming. They call in to question how you kick way too much and can't find a rhythm. They tire you out even when you're swimming much less than you're used to. They essentially want to make you want to become a duathlete.
Okay, I'm being a bit overdramatic. But this is how I felt about our drills this morning. I apparently am completely incompetent at kicking. I just couldn't figure out what Meredith was telling me to do. It was incredibly frustrating. It also made me feel nervous about Sunday, which sucks because swimming is usually the easiest part of a triathlon.
I subscribe to a blog by Christopher Flett - Business Coach of Women. In his latest post, he wrote something that I completely agree with:
The point I’m getting at is if you want to be successful in your professional career, don’t limit yourself to spending time with people at your same level. Stretch a bit and move yourself one position higher than you think you are right now. If your business is suffering, ask yourself, “who am I spending my time with?” My guess is the people around you are also in someway suffering. That’s herd mentality. Champions move into a level higher then themselves, pull them up to that level and once they are comfortable, they move up again. Don’t spend time with people like you…spend time with people who you want to be like. Modeling in business comes from learning from those who are doing.
I'm trying to apply this not only to business, but to my training as well. I'm trying to run and bike with people much faster than me (Glenda, Panther, Kris, etc.) - trying as hard as possible to keep up with them. By working out with people who are at a higher level than me, I have no choice but to pull myself up to their level.
I think there are some new, faster people in our swim class. I just need to bury my frustrations and try hard to keep up with them.
And one day, when the stars are aligned, I might just catch up to Glenda during a race. Oh, that will be the day!
Wednesday, June 06, 2007
Stay. Go. Stay. Go. Stay. Go. Ugh!
Today I was so indecisive that I was completely annoying myself. I couldn't decide if I should stay in Houston tonight or drive back to Austin.
When I woke up this morning, I felt sick. (Some sort of stomach bug, I think.) So I wasn't exactly moving quickly to leave my hotel room and call on accounts. Then I checked my email and my boss told me to come back to Austin as he didn't see a point to why I was staying. (Wrong - he didn't even know my schedule.)
30 minutes later: I talked to my other boss and he told me I should stay.
30 minutes later: I realized if I came back to Austin, I could go to the gym & swim. And I really didn't HAVE to be in Houston on Thursday.
But then I thought about having the night to myself and not having to be responsible for anything.
30 minutes later: So I'm staying. I told Glenda, "I'm staying. Decision!"
I took a shower and then decided to go back to Austin. Told Glenda, "No, wait. I'm leaving!" Changed my hotel reservation and checked out.
Felt better at the conference I was attending. Felt motivated to work. So, I called Tim and gave him the pros and cons of staying in Houston. He told me to stay. So, I called a new contact and invited him to happy hour. He agreed. Good, I'm staying. Decision!
Called the hotel back, and my rate had increased by $50. No longer in my budget. Crap, I'll think about this later.
Went to happy hour and was out by 7:00. Should I drive back or stay?
Finally, I decided to drive back. Realized I could make it to swimming in the morning if I came home. So, I'm back in Austin. I'm wide awake thanks to the coffee I had to keep me awake for the drive. I also feel really sick again. But I'm glad I don't have to make the drive tomorrow.
This doesn't even cover the indecisions of "where to eat" on the way home. By the time I had made up my mind, and driven through too many strip centers to mention, I was halfway back to Austin and it was 8:15pm. For the record, I do not eat at restaurants that are part of a gas station. Does anyone else find that concept incredibly gross? I mean, have you been in the bathrooms at these gas stations? And then they make you a sandwich? Ick!
Anyway, the point of this post is that I really wish I could have made up my mind and stuck with it. But I couldn't, not for the life of me. It's really a bad sign when you are annoying yourself.
When I woke up this morning, I felt sick. (Some sort of stomach bug, I think.) So I wasn't exactly moving quickly to leave my hotel room and call on accounts. Then I checked my email and my boss told me to come back to Austin as he didn't see a point to why I was staying. (Wrong - he didn't even know my schedule.)
30 minutes later: I talked to my other boss and he told me I should stay.
30 minutes later: I realized if I came back to Austin, I could go to the gym & swim. And I really didn't HAVE to be in Houston on Thursday.
But then I thought about having the night to myself and not having to be responsible for anything.
30 minutes later: So I'm staying. I told Glenda, "I'm staying. Decision!"
I took a shower and then decided to go back to Austin. Told Glenda, "No, wait. I'm leaving!" Changed my hotel reservation and checked out.
Felt better at the conference I was attending. Felt motivated to work. So, I called Tim and gave him the pros and cons of staying in Houston. He told me to stay. So, I called a new contact and invited him to happy hour. He agreed. Good, I'm staying. Decision!
Called the hotel back, and my rate had increased by $50. No longer in my budget. Crap, I'll think about this later.
Went to happy hour and was out by 7:00. Should I drive back or stay?
Finally, I decided to drive back. Realized I could make it to swimming in the morning if I came home. So, I'm back in Austin. I'm wide awake thanks to the coffee I had to keep me awake for the drive. I also feel really sick again. But I'm glad I don't have to make the drive tomorrow.
This doesn't even cover the indecisions of "where to eat" on the way home. By the time I had made up my mind, and driven through too many strip centers to mention, I was halfway back to Austin and it was 8:15pm. For the record, I do not eat at restaurants that are part of a gas station. Does anyone else find that concept incredibly gross? I mean, have you been in the bathrooms at these gas stations? And then they make you a sandwich? Ick!
Anyway, the point of this post is that I really wish I could have made up my mind and stuck with it. But I couldn't, not for the life of me. It's really a bad sign when you are annoying yourself.
Monday, June 04, 2007
Sunday, June 03, 2007
Week 21 Workouts
Total Run: 21.5 miles / 4 times
Total Bike: 100 miles / 4 times
Total Swim: 2100 meters / 1 time
Total Gym Workouts: 3 times
I'm surprised at how easy it is becoming to get bike miles in. Unfortunately, I have a harder time getting run miles in. I only got to swim once this week because of the storm on Thursday morning. But, overall - I made my miles and I'm seeing progress.
Next Sunday, Kris, Maggie, Glenda & I are going to Dallas for the Metroplex Sprint Triathlon. It is at Joe Pool Lake - the same place where Glenda & I competed at the Prarieman Half Ironman last fall. I'm curious to see how I do at this race - I'm not going to hold anything back... I've definitely been putting in the training and it's time to see what I'm made of!
Total Bike: 100 miles / 4 times
Total Swim: 2100 meters / 1 time
Total Gym Workouts: 3 times
I'm surprised at how easy it is becoming to get bike miles in. Unfortunately, I have a harder time getting run miles in. I only got to swim once this week because of the storm on Thursday morning. But, overall - I made my miles and I'm seeing progress.
Next Sunday, Kris, Maggie, Glenda & I are going to Dallas for the Metroplex Sprint Triathlon. It is at Joe Pool Lake - the same place where Glenda & I competed at the Prarieman Half Ironman last fall. I'm curious to see how I do at this race - I'm not going to hold anything back... I've definitely been putting in the training and it's time to see what I'm made of!
Saturday, June 02, 2007
Birthday Brick
Perhaps because it's my birthday, I had one of the best workouts of the year today. Camp Punishment met at the Veloway for a brick at 7:00am. I was a bit worried about this workout, seeing as yesterday consisted of cake and beer.
The workout was awesome. First we did a 1 mile warmup (which I did at an 8:32 pace). Glenda was kind enough to stick by me for the run and then stay with me during the 25 mile bike ride. We didn't push it too much (though keeping up with her is always pushing it for me) and we averaged 20mph! Then, we did a 5 mile run that I finished in 44:34. Sub 9 minute miles! I also happened to be the second one of the group who finished the workout, and I was pretty damn proud of myself for that.
The workout was awesome. I kicked butt. I am really working on changing my perspective from "I'm not fast, I just need to finish" to "I'm not the slowest person out here, damnit. In fact, I can kick some ass if I want to." It's a big shift, but I'm enjoying making it.
Post-workout breakfast & mimosas at Giss's were awesome too. Wiley surprised me with some finger puppets - an awesome way to wrap up the morning.
Next up... the Metroplex Sprint Triathlon on June 10th. We'll see if I can repeat this morning next Sunday.
The workout was awesome. First we did a 1 mile warmup (which I did at an 8:32 pace). Glenda was kind enough to stick by me for the run and then stay with me during the 25 mile bike ride. We didn't push it too much (though keeping up with her is always pushing it for me) and we averaged 20mph! Then, we did a 5 mile run that I finished in 44:34. Sub 9 minute miles! I also happened to be the second one of the group who finished the workout, and I was pretty damn proud of myself for that.
The workout was awesome. I kicked butt. I am really working on changing my perspective from "I'm not fast, I just need to finish" to "I'm not the slowest person out here, damnit. In fact, I can kick some ass if I want to." It's a big shift, but I'm enjoying making it.
Post-workout breakfast & mimosas at Giss's were awesome too. Wiley surprised me with some finger puppets - an awesome way to wrap up the morning.
Next up... the Metroplex Sprint Triathlon on June 10th. We'll see if I can repeat this morning next Sunday.
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