Pine Top Perkins

Just a quick thought before I hit the road to Houston...

Last night I took some people from Georgia & Missouri who I'd met in Phoenix out for a "night in Austin." Dinner at Guerro's followed by a show at Antone's.

I'd talked to one of these guys for about 5 minutes total before yesterday, and I'd never met the other guy. But I met them in the bar at Guerro's at 7:00 and we instantly hit off. After happy hour and dinner, it was about 9:00. Normally I would have gone home, gotten in bed, prepared for swimming in the morning. But I wanted to practice getting out of my comfort zone, so I joined them at Antone's to see Pine Top Perkins play for his 94th birthday.

I had no idea who Pine Top was. I also had no interest in seeing live music, especially blues. But I went anyway and ended up having a blast. The music was great! The scene was pure Austin, and I loved it. Then Marcia Ball took the stage, and she was fabulous. All in all, it's something I never would have done on my own, but I am so glad that I tried it. I should really try this more often.

MONDAY QUALITY RUN

First off, I have no idea why I can't enter a title for my recent posts. Very annoying, Blogger, very annoying!!

Second, I am thrilled to have had a great quality run workout this morning. I met Holly at 5:15am at the Rock and did a mile warmup to & around the Austin High track. I'm not sure why I was nervous (or better yet, dreading) the workout, though I have my theories. The first theory is that my body likes running slow and really doesn't like pain. The second is that I've been doing track workouts in Houston, on a horrible asphalt track, in the blazing humidity. Not exactly fun.

But anyway, this morning, though humid, was relatively cool. And running on the track felt so much better than running on asphalt. The workout was 6 x 800's at 5K pace with 200 meter recoveries. My 800 pace would be 4:07. The results:

#1: 3:57
#2: 3:58
#3: 4:00
#4: 3:57
#5: 3:54
#6: 3:47

I'm quite pleased! I felt great the entire time, and stayed at 5K pace (versus the typical mile pace that "5K" pace usually turns into.) When I told Phil my times, I think he nailed it on the head - looks like it's time for a new time trial. Anyway, Holly & I cooled down together - giving me a total of 5.5 miles. I was home by 6:20 & at work by 7:30. Not a bad way to start the morning.

Run: 17 miles (goal - 15)
Bike: 65 miles (goal 65)
Swim: 4500 meters / 2 times (goal - 2 times)
Gym: 4 times (hell yeah!)

I definitely enjoyed this easy week. Also, I enjoyed getting to work out on a more "one on one" basis with people... since I've been feeling somewhat anti social to big groups. For instance, I had a great brick workout with Dave yesterday at the Veloway, a great run with Rob & Leslie on Wednesday, a great run with Holly on Friday, a nice easy ride with Glenda and Michelle on Thursday and a really nice ride with Glenda & Kris this morning. Phil & I have been going to the gym together too, which has been fun.

As Kris aptly noticed, I've been a bit burned out lately. I've been a bit discouraged at how fast everyone is on their new bikes. (Why is everyone getting new bikes, damnit!!?) I'd been sucking wind on my runs. I've been getting lapped like crazy in the pool. My only saving grace is having good workouts at the gym. (I'm feeling stronger than ever! I love the gym!!)

But luckily I was rewarded with some good workouts this week that reaffirmed that I don't suck on the bike, I am a good runner, and I can swim just fine. I think that burnout is completely normal, especially since I've been going so hard since January 1st, but it was really nice to have an easy week where I remembered that I do enjoy doing all of this.

Next challenge: the Katy Flatlands Century Ride on July 15th. 100 miles of *hopefully* fast & flat riding.

Fun while it lasted...

I was beginning to think I was really doing well on my bike. One of the main reasons I thought this was because I could keep Glenda in sight during our quality bike rides.

Well, not anymore. She got a beautiful new bike and is now flying faster than I thought possible. We took advantage of the break in rain last night to hit the Veloway for 15 miles. After 12 miles, I thought I was going to puke. We did our first lap at a leisurely 16mph pace. The next 3 laps brought our average to 18mph. (Meaning we were riding "easy" at almost 19mph.) The thing that really got me was when I realized that even though I was pushing hard gears in my big chain ring, Glenda was still in her easy gears. ARGH!!

On the one hand, I'm happy for Glenda and her new bike. On the other hand, I feel like I'm back at square one. Perhaps it would be wise not to compare myself to her?! I'm going to keep pushing and trying to stay near her, but it's going to be rough.

On a positive note, this morning I got to run with Holly for the first time in what seems like forever. Rather than wade through the floods on the trail, we opted for the Enfield 4 Loop. I was impressed with our pace - quick but not too hard. It was nice to feel strong while running, since I haven't felt very good about my runs lately. The lightening storms were pretty to look at too.

This about ends my "easy" week as I have a feeling I'm going to be hating tomorrow's bike/run workout. Panther used emoticons when describing the workout, and that can never be a good thing.

Glenda's Advice

Glenda is one smart cookie, I tell you. I somewhat edited this, but you should get the point:

"People move on. When something else works out, I'm sure people miss you but wish you the best. I sometimes can't imagine being somewhere else, but then you get to a new place and it gets familiar too."

*For the record, I'm not going anywhere. But this was too smart to pass up.

Slacker... (not really!)

I was feeling particularly slackerish last night when I arrived at my quality run workout. One might think I'd be excited to be in Austin on a Tuesday and run with the group. Instead, I was tired and didn't want to run in the rain. So... after waiting around for a while, the group decided to go to Aussie's for beers instead of doing our run. (Gotta love the "easy" week!)

This morning, I was supposed to do a 50+ mile ride called "Rabbit's Run" with the group. After exchanging text messages with Kris, and thus determining that she wasn't going and was going to rest, I decided to skip the ride. Of course not 5 minutes later, I was starting to feel really lazy and called Leslie to see what she was doing.

Ironically, she and Rob were meeting in 5 minutes to run. They agreed to wait for me and I quickly dressed and got myself down to the rock. Instead of an easy 5-7 like Leslie advertised, we ended up doing the 9 mile Mt. Bonnell loop. Uh, not so easy afterall!

I LOVED THIS RUN!!! I have really been hating running lately, as I think it's my weakest sport and it just isn't much fun in the summer. But the combination of a days rest, tolerable weather and great company were just what I needed. I felt very strong the entire time we ran. Going up Mt. Bonnell was actually pretty easy - especially considering I used to not be able to get halfway up without walking. The hills actually felt really good, and dare I say it, were fun!

I'm glad I skipped my ride and ran instead. It was an awesome way to spend my morning, and the perfect way to get rid of my slacker complex!

Out of Integrity

Lately, I've been feeling this terrible nagging feeling that I like to call "Being out of Integrity."

It's the feeling that you get when you know you should be doing something, but you aren't. You know, like not sending a mother's day card to your mom when you really should.

So, I've had quite a few of these issues lately, and I've been spending the last week trying to clean them up. Here are a couple that I've taken care of so far:

1) Returning Panther's Twin Peaks tapes that I have borrowed for over a year now.

2) Officially signing up for the Austin Duathletes instead of coasting by our past Running Banana sponsorship.

3) Figuring out what wedding gift to get someone who's wedding was 11 months ago.

4) Taking care of some work H.R. issues that I was avoiding.

5) Writing back some long overdo emails.

Now, I realize these are somewhat small things. But they are the things that drive me crazy whenever I have to face them. Whenever I saw the girl who I owed the wedding gift, I felt nauseous and embarrassed. It was horrible. It feels so much better now that I'm cleaning it up.

So... if I am "out of integrity" with any of you, please let me know! I'm still cleaning up some things, so I can just add them to the list. By the way, I suggest trying this out - it feels so good!

Week 25 workouts

Run: 19 miles (goal - 20 to 25)
Bike: 104 miles (goal 80-100)
Swim: 3250 / 2 times (goal - 2 times)
Gym: 2 times


What a week! Especially Thursday - Sunday, where I went non-stop.

Monday: gym + attempted ride on the Veloway with Glenda. Got a flat which wouldn't keep air, it was raining, and we rode backwards on the Veloway to get to the car quickly. (That was pretty neat, actually - there was no one else out there.)

Tuesday: 5 mile tempo run in Houston. Holy crap, this was really hard.

Wednesday: gym

Thursday: swim in the morning, Rollingwood Romp 20 mile hilly bike ride in the afternoon

Friday: 8 mile run to Mt. Bonnell with Leslie

Saturday: Brick - 3 mile bike, 1 mile run, 25 mile bike (21 at tempo), 5 mile run (3 at tempo)

Sunday: 48 mile Nutty Brown ride - very hilly! very hard! and swim with Amy in the afternoon at Stacy Pool

Friday Morning Questions...

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!

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!

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

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!!

A rude awakening...

Today's Horoscope:

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.

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.

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!!!

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!

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!

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!

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.

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.

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. :)

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!

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.

Tim! Tim!

I got to see Tim today. A great day, indeed. :)

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!

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.

da na na na na na... they say it's your birthday!

Join Kris, Mike & me for happy hour Friday at the Tavern.
5:00pm till whenever. Celebrate the Geminis!

Cute Overload!

Olive & Violet have a new cousin, Sprinter Nudelman. He may be one of the most desired dogs I have ever known.

I have known Jenna for almost 20 years, and she has always had a thing for golden retrievers. She didn't have a dog growing up, but she knew she would get one as soon as she could support one.

When we were in college, her boyfriend (now husband) Tal gave her a picture of a golden retriever puppy with a note that said "I O U 1" She has kept that note, framed, in her bedroom ever since. She's been patiently (and sometimes not so patiently) waiting and waiting for the chance to get Sprinter. A combination of events, including a huge promotion that will take Jenna and Tal from LA to Atlanta, have allowed them to finally bring Sprinter home.

Congratulations, Nudelmans! I hope Sprinter, Olive & Violet can meet sometime soon!

Museum of Bad Art (MOBA)

Random Erin Fact: I had three dream jobs when I was a little girl. (I had the same three as a junior high student. And college student. And well, hell I'd like to be any one of them even now.)

1. Pianist on Broadway, probably for Phantom of the Opera
2. Shamu Trainer at Seaworld
3. Curator or Marketing Director at the MOMA (Museum of Modern Art)

Anyway, it's no secret that I like art. I LOVE the MOMA. Of course, there are tons of pieces at the MOMA that I don't get, or that I think are horrible. Today I found a brand new museum that I think everyone will appreciate: MOBA, the Museum of Bad Art.

The museum's purpose statement reads: The Museum Of Bad Art (MOBA) is the world's only museum dedicated to the collection, preservation, exhibition and celebration of bad art in all its forms.

I love it! Check out a few of my favorites from the collection:

Sunday on the Pot With George
Acrylic on canvas by Unknown
22" x 37"
Donated by Jim Schulman
Can the swirling steam melt away the huge weight of George's corporate responsibilities? This pointillist piece is curious for meticulous attention to fine detail, such as the stitching around the edge of the towel, in contrast to the almost careless disregard for the subject's feet.

In the Cat's Mouth
Acrylic on canvas, probably by Pangorda
24"x22"
Acquired by Tom Stankowicz from the Children's Hospital Thrift Store
A comment on issues of power as experienced by those who dwell with feline pets. Is the artist consumed with or consumed by his love for this cat? Does he identify with the personality of the startling animal? Does the similarity between these inseparable cohabitants stop short at the nose? Or is he simply trying to observe a tree-lined avenue through a cat's eyes?

Love Is Being Out On a Limb Together
Oil on board by Unknown
21" x 24.5"
Japanese in its simplicity. American in its text. This valentine in blue hangs in MOBA as a tribute to the poster poems of the seventies.

Week 20 Workouts

Total Run: 17 miles / 4 times
Total Bike: 62 miles / 3 times
Total Swim: 2550 meters / 2 times
Total Gym Workouts: 2 times

I love recovery week! :)

Three Week Cycle:
Run: 59
Bike: 270
Swim: 8
Gym: 6

the life of a single chick...

After a pretty busy week, I wanted to spend Friday night doing nothing but be alone and do the week's crossword puzzles. I felt somewhat bad as I hadn't seen Phil for more than 30 minutes since Monday, but I still just wanted some alone time.

Alone time I got - Phil decided to head to Cozumel until Wednesday evening. He got the opportunity to join some friends on a dive trip, so he left early yesterday morning. The timing couldn't have been more perfect. I get the house to myself, and he gets a much needed vacation.

Yesterday morning I figured I would sleep in since I didn't get much rest Thursday night. Of course, that lasted for all of 10 minutes before I packed my bike to go ride & run with my group. I'm glad I did, otherwise I would have felt guilty and angry for the rest of the day. I spent the rest of the day going to breakfast, swimming, hanging out with Maggie, Katie & Glenda, celebrating Wiley's birthday, playing with the dogs and finishing up the crossword puzzles. It was very relaxing- just what I needed.

I was going to run the Run for the Rovers 5K this morning, but woke up feeling less than stellar and decided to bag it. Instead, after some much needed motivation from Maggie, I went to Town Lake and ran the 4 mile loop to get the rest of my mileage in for the week. Turned out to be a great run (usually is!) and I was very glad I did it. When I came home, Olive & Violet gave me such a jealous/pleading look that I decided to take them for a long walk. Ironically, being that I skipped the dog 5K this morning, I ended up running the neighborhood with them. This was quite possibly one of the most interesting runs I've ever done, trying to get two puppies to run close to me, not run into the street, not stop and smell the smells, and not chase other dogs. My arms are more tired than my legs.

So now I'm just back home, relaxing, enjoying not having to be anywhere. I think I wore the dogs out, for they are both sound asleep near my feet. I think I'll follow their lead soon and take a nap too. I miss Phil, but I'm liking the single thing this weekend.

Pirate Costume, Take Two (or, May Pub Run Pictures)

My Third U.T. Cycling Study - Practice Ride

After a 12 hour fast and 4 hours of sleep, I woke up at 5:30am this morning to make it to Belmont Hall by 6:15 for my third cycling study. I was very pleased to learn that they would not be drawing blood during this round, as it was just the practice ride. (Damn, I could have eaten, I suppose. But I didn't, I played by the rules.) Anyway, I was tired & starving, but still pleased that I would be getting a good ride in.

The study is funded by RedBull. They are testing some new type of energy drink. The goal is to go a certain kJ (output) in one hour at 70% effort based on your VO2max. If I were to pedal 90rpm for 1 hour straight, I would reach the goal. For me, 70% effort is about 140 watts.

First they took my blood pressure (110 over 70, I think), my resting heart rate (41bpm), and weight (133). All good readings. Then, I got on the bike and started pedaling. I knew it was trouble when I was only going at 60 watts on my warmup and having a hard time. I ended up doing an average of 80rpm, and finishing in over an hour ten minutes. Not stellar, but I was taking it somewhat easy. I mean, it was just the practice ride! :) I must say that going at a consistent effort is much harder than riding loops on the Veloway and coasting during some of the fast parts.

Anyway, I was very glad not to have to go for 2, 3 or 4 hours like previous studies. One hour and change was just perfect. A great way to get in some mileage!

Arrrgh!!!

In case you have ever wondered what I might look like as a pirate...

Isn't summer supposed to be easy?

I was thinking I would have a pretty laid back June. Not exactly - here is my most updated travel schedule. I should really buy some stock at the Sheraton Four Points.

June 5-6: Houston
June 9-10: Dallas
June 12-13: Houston
June 14-15: Scottsdale
June 19-20: Houston
June 26-28: Houston

Now the trick is going to be not drinking too much (these trips inevitably equal happy hours), eating too many muffins at the bakery in La Grange, getting my workouts in, and most importantly - reminding Phil and dogs who I am. :)

I know that Kris & Panther & others relate to this type of travel schedule. And I'm pretty much used to it, too, though putting it all out on a calendar is a bit overwhelming.

Oops

If you are going to the gym at 3:00pm during your workday, it's best if you don't go to the same gym your boss goes to. Just saying... when you're doing some lat pull-downs and feel a tap on your shoulder, you might have to turn around and face your boss. And he will probably ask you why you are at the gym.

Uh, yeah. Oops!

Happy in Houston

Surprise, I'm in Houston again. It's kind of ridiculous how much I enjoy coming here. I saw a ton of clients yesterday, and everyone was very warm and welcoming. (In the past, I have had trouble getting past the front door - yesterday, people were nice and receptive.) When I started my job four & a half year ago, I hated coming to Houston. I avoided it as much as possible. Now, I often look forward to it.

I have a tough job, really. I took some people to lunch. Then I took cupcakes and brownies to people. Then I took another client to happy hour. Today I'm doing a breakfast, a morning coffee break, and another lunch. Then I drive home. During the drive, I will probably talk to Tim most of the time. And catch up with my mom. And listen to 93Q - my favorite Houston radio station. Like I said, it's tough.

I had dinner with Panther last night, and we were contemplating why we both like coming here. Granted, it's hard going when we have to leave Austin, but by the time each of us are here - we really like it. When we go into our respective offices, it's almost as if we are treated like a celebrity. "Hey, Erin! How are you!? How are things? What's new in Austin? Talk to us! You should come here more. Sure you don't want to move here?!" Not a bad feeling to have at work.

And there is the fun of exploring a different city, finding new restaurants, running on different trails, having someone else make the bed, getting the paper delivered to the front door in the morning. There's the fun of trying to make coffee in the tiny little coffee pots in the bathroom. (Yes, I'm a dork, I know it...) Getting a bagel from Einsteins and reading the free USA Today. Seeing business contacts and colleagues who are more like out-of-town friends.

My trips kind of sound like vacation, right? Now if I could find a way to expense a massage, I might have a problem calling my trips to Houston business trips.

But what's the best part of my trips? Knowing I get to come back to Austin. I'm so lucky that Austin = home.

Week 19 Workouts

Total Run: 22 miles / 3.5 times
Total Bike: 85 miles / 4.5 times
Total Swim: 4 miles / 3 times
Total Gym Workouts: 2 times

Met my mileage goals again, though I wish I had ridden my bike a bit more. My wrists and now my knee are really hurting from the bike, so I'm going to take it in to get refit. My biggest accomplishment was feeling comfortable in my aerobars - now I'm not sure why I was scared of them. :)

I managed 3 brick workouts this week, even though today's brick was only a .5 mile run. (Hence the 3.5 times running.) My Saturday brick was awesome - I ended up doing a 2/16/3/10 workout (run 2, bike 16, run 3, bike 10) thanks to suckering Diana into riding with me after our official workout was over. The best part of that workout was second 8 mile loop of the 16 miles - we were supposed to go near race pace, and I managed to keep Glenda in site the whole time. I only finished about 30 seconds behind her, which was quite an accomplishment for me.

I'm very excited that the upcoming week is a recovery week, meaning I only have to do 2/3 of the usual mileage. (15 miles running, 60 miles biking) I'll be in Houston Tuesday -Wednesday and San Antonio on Thursday, so I'm about to figure out how to fit everything in. I also have the first ride of the bike study on Friday morning.

Good week! Now on to recovery!

Getting Fit!!! Hell yeah!!!!

For the record, my hard work is paying off. Today I have the proof. I did my third VO2Max testing at UT, and here are the results:

Date: 11/10/06
Weight: 137.31
Max HR: 164
VO2: 39

Date: 2/9/07
Weight: 137.11
Max HR: not taken
VO2: 43

Date: 5/18/07
Weight: 135.55
Max HR: 162
VO2: 45.9

I have gone up 7 points!!!!!!! In fact, I was told I could probably have done even better had my legs not been fried from the Mesa Hill bike repeats yesterday. Regardless, I'm so excited. It's so great to see that my efforts are paying off.

Also, because I've been doing these studies, I've been getting to see a lot about how my body works. Crazy stuff, like how it utilizes protein, what my glucose levels are, etc... I saw the results of my muscle biopsies today and they were very interesting, at least the parts I understood. I love being a part-time lab rat! And to think I get paid to do this!

My Day Off

I am apparently not a very good communicator. When I told people that today would be my off day, they assumed I meant I didn't have to go to work today. They didn't think like Erin, as Kenny said, and realize that I meant I had a day off from working out.

To make sure I didn't cheat and go to the gym, I booked my day solid. Slept in a bit (thankfully, since happy hour lasted until after 11:00pm last night) and met Amy at Galaxy Cafe for breakfast. Worked until 11:00, when I left to attend an association luncheon. Had a meeting at 1:30, then made a special trip to Tim's apartment to see how he was doing. Made it to Panera at 4:30 to pick up food for 25 people, set up dinner for a training class, had a quick happy hour at 6:00, back to the class to pick up remnants, then dinner with Phil. Busy day!

Tim Update:
I saw Tim today!!! It was so good to see him, and he was walking around and seemed in good spirits. He's not blogging much because he is still depressed about the scenario, but I see progress. He is learning how to swim from Holly, and I think this will be a really good thing for him.

While in Tim & Kenny's apartment, I saw 2 birds. Yes, 2 birds - both emerging from their closet. One of them took a swan dive into the fresh bowl of popcorn Kenny had just popped. Very strange.


So, it's 9:30pm and I made it without working out. Not as hard as I thought it would be. In fact, I can see how easy it would be to get of the habit. Which is precisely why I will be up tomorrow morning at 5:00am to go to swimming.

A Bag Lady with Sore Wrists

Today, I am a bag lady with sore wrists.

First, my right wrist hurts. I think it's from riding in my aerobars so much yesterday - I haven't quite figured out correct positioning. (Further proof is the blister on the side of my hand.) So, incorrect positioning, coupled with doing lots of pulling with paddles during swimming, has made it painful to move my right hand.

This morning, trying to balance my coffee (in my right hand of course. I'm brilliant, I tell you) with 5 bags strapped on my shoulders, from the kitchen to the car was interesting. Which brings me to my next description - I am a bag lady! This morning, I counted 8 bags in my car:

• Duffel Bag for tonight's run + change of clothes
• Gym Bag
• Laptop Case #1
• Laptop Case #2
• Rogue Bag from duathlon program with bike gear
• Mesh Bag with swim gear
• Purse
• Bag of Snacks/food for the day. (Today, it is yogurt, fruit, and a sliced yellow bell pepper. in ziploc bag.)

I often joke that I could live out of my car. Hell, I should be able to with all of this stuff!!

Even though it's hard to share...

For the record, it's very hard for me to be open about my "get in sports bra shape" goal. Thus, keeping a blog contradicts what I really want - to keep this process all to myself and not let anyone know how hard I'm working, or how much I may struggle.

But, at the same time, keeping a blog about it allows me to process this journey.

Meredith gave me some really great feedback today which I very much appreciated:
"The other reason I love your peeling the banana blog is because so many are in your position, but just don't open up about it. I think the fact that you are open about it will only help you!"

I sure hope it will help me! Today, Banana joined the contest. If anyone else wants in, let me know... hopefully it will help you too. :)

Sunday Shoutouts

First... Happy Birthday, Maggie. :) I hope you have a fabulous birthday... thanks for letting us share it with you last night! This has been quite a year, huh? I'm so glad you and I have become such great friends.

Second... Tim. ALL OF US are thinking about you, keeping our fingers crossed for you, and missing you. I think I miss you most of all. (Besides the Enforcer, of course. :)) I sure hope you are feeling better soon.

Week 18 Workouts

Total Run: 20 miles / 4 times
Total Bike: 123 miles / 3 times
Total Swim: 5150 meters / 3 times
Total Gym Workouts: 2 times

Total Hours: About 15?

Good week - reached all my goals. The big milestone was the 80 mile ride yesterday - my longest ride to date, and it was a blast.

I had 2 good swim workouts, which was nice since I've been struggling a bit with swimming lately. I am absolutely NOT a sprint swimmer, rather I do much better at endurance events. Which is fine for triathlons, luckily.

My quality run on Tuesday was pretty hard. We were supposed to do 8-10 400's at 5K pace with 200 meter recoveries. I did 9, and about passed out at the end. My times got slower each set, until the last 2 when I picked it back up. It's going to be hard to adjust to running in the heat again.

Finished the week with a great run/swim with Katie & Kris at Stacy Pool. PERFECT way to end the week, and we even got to check out some hot triathlete swimming. :)

I'm in town this week, but out of town next week. I'm supposed to focus on more consistency, so I'll have to figure out how I'm going to make that happen in Houston & San Antonio.

Saturday Pictures, Take One

This morning I woke up at 4:30am to head out to Liberty Hill and volunteer for the Armadillo Classic. I was a horrible volunteer, but I did score a free entry into the ride. I had planned on riding 50-60 miles, but of course got talked in to doing the 78 miles route instead. This was the longest distance I have done on my bike, and it was a blast. Here are some members of Camp Punishment before the ride. Here is Kris, Lulu, me and Triscuit. This is at the third rest stop, I think, and we were pretty darn happy. I had just chowed down on some peanut butter grahm crackers. Delicious!
At the 42 mile rest stop, all that was left was Kris, Lulu, me, Tim, Justin & Panther. Here are the guys. Notice the amount of space between them.
Here is the remaining group at mile 71. I think we all look pretty good considering all of us but Panther were ready to never look at our bikes again. This was after some intense hills. (One of which I fell down on. For some reason, my legs decided they didn't want to move anymore and down I went.)
Lulu & I decided to keep going once we finished so that we would make 80 miles (versus 78). Here is us at the end. Don't feel too bad, we had just chowed down on peanut butter & jelly sandwiches. And luckily Panther had given us a reprieve from running 2 miles after the ride.
I had a great time today. It was rough, but not unmanageable. The company was great, especially my S.L.O.W. girls. I did quite a bit of the ride in my aerobars, which showed some serious progress on my part. Songs were song, new nicknames were created, and a new mileage distance was set. Great morning!

Guess I'm Not Adopted

I had to take a headshot of myself for one of the organizations I am in. Looking at this picture, I'm amazed at how much I look like both of my parents. I never used to think so. People always used to ask if I was adopted, but I think it's pretty obvious I am a true combination of my mom and dad.

PS - Gordon, I think you probably could have done a much better job with this photo!

The Cheerleaders

I just want to thank all of the cheerleaders in my life. I am so lucky to have so much support and care from them.

Today, I felt very touched by my friends who are always rooting for me. Thanks, Katie, for the awesome email I received this morning. You were very insightful and supportive. Thanks Stephanie for your comment on my contest blog, I really appreciated it. Thanks Mike (my coworker) who helped me sort out why I am the way I am about certain things. Thanks Glenda, who is always cheering for me and supporting me. (especially tonight when I looked like death on the track!) Thanks Maggie for calling and checking up on me.

Thanks to all my friends for always being there for me, especially when I am not even asking. I hope I do the same for you.

So embarrassing...

Meeting your friend at the gym, and both showing up wearing the exact same clothes.

Seriously. Same shirt, same color shorts...

Not that this, uh, happened. But, if it did, I may have turned beet red and spent the rest of my gym time trying to cover my shirt so we didn't look completely ridiculous.

Week 17 Workouts

Total Run: 12 miles / 3 times (Goal = ? miles)
Total Bike: 52 miles / 2 times (Goal = ? miles)
Total Swim: 2800 meters / 1 time (Goal = 2 times)
Total Gym/Core Workout: 3 times

Yet another slow week for me. I was really unmotivated, but not in a way that I'm actually upset about. I've been working hard, and I needed a break. I also was, obviously, traveling a ton. So... whatever, I still worked out 9 times and when you look at it like that, that is still a lot!

My favorite workout was my bike ride with Glenda today. We rode 35 miles, mainly along Parmer, and we did pretty darn good considering how windy it was. I opted to skip my group ride and instead ride with Glenda because 1) the group ride was at 2:00pm and would have eaten my day, and 2) I hadn't seen Glenda in what seemed like forever. It was great to see her.

I'm in town this week, so I will be at the workouts and am looking forward to coming back refreshed!

Thoughts from Houston, Part II (5/4/03)

Technically, these are thoughts from Austin, as I am back in town. But, they are Houston related.

1) I admit it. I like Houston. A lot. Crap.

2) I am very impressed with how well I know Houston, and how well I can navigate around now. I don't even print out maps anymore, which is a big change from this time last year.

3) I have had some great meals this trip, and 2 Jamba Juice smoothies. Yum, yum, yum. I also have a new found love for the mojito. I realize I'm a little late to the trend, but I really like them and am making them my drink of choice.

4) I could do the I10/71 drive in my sleep. During my drive back, I really concentrated on the landmarks along the way, and I thought that I would share. (Because I'm sure you are really curious what my drives are like. Well, everyone except for Tim & Maggie, who I talked to for half of the drive.) For this post, I will list the highlights from just past La Grange to the first stoplight in Bastrop.

• Longhorn Frog Ranch. (Is this not the strangest name for a ranch?!)
• Diamond Shamrock. (This place pisses me off. The bathrooms are dirty and they don't have any healthy snacks or flavored water. I find it creepy that people sit and play on the slot machines.)
• The "Broccoli Tree" in the median. (I've always loved this beautiful tree, and just learned of its nickname. It's usually surrounded by wildflowers - very pretty.)
• The "I95 to Flatonia" sign. (Where is Flatonia? Why would anyone want to live in a place with that name?)
• Smithville. The hospital, then 2 Mile Lane, then the Shell station. (Love that Shell station. Their bathroom is very nice, and they are very friendly there. They don't get mad when I stop even if I don't buy anything. Oh, and did you know this is the home of Hope Floats?)
• KLBJ Road. (I don't get this one. It reminds me of a road that Dudley & Bob should live on.)
• Chevron & La Cabana restaurant. (Does anyone else find restaurants attached to gas stations a little bit gross?)
• The Navarro Log Homes. (These are tiny little log cabins on the side of the road. I don't know what their purpose is, but they are pretty cute. Sometimes when I drive by, I want to pull over and take a nap in one.)
• Toad Hollow - Antique Shop/Art Gallery/RV Park. (Need I say more?!)
• Rusted Antique Car Place. (100s of old, rotted cars. Kind of depressing.)
• First stoplight in Bastrop. (I never get a green light here. Never. Ever.)

Oh, another highlight is this billboard for The Colony. It's an old man in a cowboy hat in a swimming pool. Why they think this is good advertising beats me.

So, anyway, another trip to Houston complete! Looking forward to being in Austin for a bit.

Thoughts from Houston (5/3/07)

Some thoughts from Houston:

1) I ran around Rice Village & Rice U this morning. I, like most of my friends, have been feeling really unmotivated this week - so I was proud that I went and ran. That being said, I had a cinnamon scone and a chocolate croissant for breakfast, and that did not make for a good run. I almost got sick about 6 times, so my run turned into more of a speed-walking exercise than anything.

2) Speaking of breakfast, some guy was trying to bill breakfast to a non-existent room that his "girlfriend" was staying in. He was arguing with the front desk clerk, and eventually they told him: this room didn't exist, stop trying to make stuff up, pay for your breakfast with cash. How lame! Besides, if you are going to scam breakfast, do NOT, I repeat, DO NOT scam it from the Sheraton Four Points. It sucks. Really. Even the La Quinta breakfast is better.

3) Damn Wiley. Damn him and his stupid "Pasito Tun Tun." Thanks to his cd with 6 different versions, I have had that song stuck in my head for the past day. It made my horrible run this morning ten times more horrible- I can't make it go away. UGH!

4) I went to a fabulous dinner last night with some very well-to-do Houstonians. I am very thankful that my mother taught me good table manners. So, I was a little taken aback when as soon as I sat down, one of the hosts almost spewed bread at me as she talked and put her menu on top of my place setting. I couldn't get to anything because her stuff was on top of mine. Regardless, these people were great, the food was great, desert was great - I had a great time. Also, I love meat-oriented places, because they have the best vegetable plates. Ironic, but true.

5) So, I'm here working at 2 different trade shows/exhibitions. Best pickup line I've received all year: "You know what I like about you, baby?" "Oh? What?" "We are both in the same industry." Ohhhhhh.... very hot!

So... more later... I'm about to spend the next 8 hours hawking restoration... yippee. :)

PS - Happy Birthday, Glenda!

Muggy - Ick!

When I was a kid, I must have heard that weather affects a person's mood. For as long as I can remember, I always feel kind of "blah" when it's, well, "blah" outside. On the contrary, I'm the happiest person you've ever met when it's sunny outside. I wonder if this theory holds any value, or if it's mental.

Anyway, since it's been "blah" since I returned from Las Vegas (which, by the way, was sunny and gorgeous), I have not been particularly motivated to do much of anything. Tonight was the first night that I can remember when I didn't have a workout scheduled, and didn't make a huge effort to do something anyway. Instead, I came home, snacked, did the crossword puzzle, and fell asleep on my couch. Then, I went to Magnolia Cafe with Maggie. We stayed for almost two hours.

Thanks to dinner with Maggie, and a few other events today, I'm looking back at the day fondly. But I am still tired and "blah" feeling. I'm really not even looking forward to getting up and running (with the exception of meeting my buddies.) I'm ready for sun again.

And one more thing - we are in the process of replacing all the windows in our house. So as I type this, I can still feel the mugginess from outside since our windows aren't sealed, and we don't have any curtains because they don't fit in the space anymore. Even though I'm inside, I really can't escape this weather!

I'm heading to Houston tomorrow for the rest of the week. Muggy capital of Texas - should be fun!