VACATION!!!!

I am in FLORIDA for a much needed vacation!

There are now 3 race reports that I need to write, maybe between the laying on the beach, soaking up some rays, swimming in the ocean, running on the beach, & biking up the coast on Hwy A1A ... maybe I'll get caught up. =) My goal for the week is to get enough sun to somewhat even out the horrible "tri" burn on my back from last weeks race & the 40mi post race bike ride with Jeff.

This is a family trip that we have been taking since before I was born. I have only made 1 of the last 3 summers, so I'm excited to be down here. Unfortunately my sister, Rebeccah, & her husband couldn't make it. Looks like it's just me and the parents! We strapped 3 bikes on top of the Altima & crammed all our stuff inside. Looks like we were going to stay for a month or something. There was so much stuff I had to straddle the bike pump.

Recently, it seems I have been pulled in so many directions. Grant it, it's all been my fault, but I am so ready to veg out menatally & physically from all my normal responsibilities!

Relaxing is starting in 3 ... 2 ... 1...

St. Anthonies - Pre Race Weekend

Wow!! I know this is getting up a little late, but here it goes. Where do I start?

This race was supposed to be a girls race weekend. Having fun, racing, partying, singing w/ the radio ... but things didn't happen quite as planned. My race buddy got all preggo & strict bed rest on me, & it looked like I'd be going down by myself. Well, a week prior to the race my sister must have been feeling pretty bad for me & she told me that she is flying down from OH to come see me race! How cool is that! I was soo excited. And, then my mom started asking questions about me driving down there & how long the ride would be. Turns out she was feeling bad for me too! She came home Thursday night & said she was coming down too b/c I shouldn't be driving that far all by myself. Well this is just great! Turns out it is still going to be a girls weekend ... just w/ diff girls.

FRIDAY morning my mom & I head out (a little later than planned!) The drive was horribly long. I thought the cops in Starbucks might arrest us, & at one pit stop I would not have been surprised if hillbillies had come out w/ their shot guns & robbed us. All in all we made it down there safe & sound. Got there about 9pm & found a great parking spot about 1block from the historical hotel we were staying at. It was

at this point that the palm tree I had parked under decided to give up the ghost & 1 of the larger branches fell & hit my car while I was standing right there ... couldn't believe it ... just started laughing. As we were waling back to the hotel we heard some loud noises coming from the pier. Turned out there was a outdoor production of Hairspray going on. We walked for a little bit and decided to call it a day.

Beccah's flight ended up changing due to nasty weather up north. So, she didn't fly in

till Saturday evening.

SATURDAY morning ca

me before I knew it. I had to do a short swim, bike & run. I decided to start w/ the swim so I could get a feel for the water in the morning, like it would be race day. I was slightly nervous about the ocean swim b/c even though I have swum i

n the ocean for fun I have never actually "swam" in the ocean. My mom & I walk down to the swim start & see everyone there w/ their wetsuits. I decided not to give into the peer pressure & I swam w/o my wetsuit. The water felt amazing & I l

oved it. At one point, my hand hit something semisolid & somewhat slimy. People there thought it could have been a ray. I'm not sure b/c the water was pretty murky & I couldn't see anything. On our way back to the hotel we saw the coolest tree ever w/ beautiful red flowers that had dropped & were now covering the ground beneath.

Next I biked. It was fun b/c there was a huge group from Team in Training at this race & I was wore my TNT tri suit for the short bike & run. Everyone was hollering at me "Go Team" & I felt so special & was wishing I could wear the TNT suit for the actual race. I finished m

y run at the Saturday fair, a couple blocks from our hotel, for some good lunch & music.

Then we headed down to the EXPO for athlete check in & to find some cool stuff. Of course I ended up spending too much $$, but it was fun!! It was extremely hot while we were at the expo, so when we walked by the Endless Pool exhibit I was eager to jump in! Swimming in the Endless Pool was a very unique experience. Emily with the Endless Pool Design Team was super nice and very informative. While I was swimming, Emily's coworker kept increasing the speed of the water to fit my own personal speed. You could definitely get a good workout from one of those pools! If you ever get a chance to try one out you should jump at the opportunity!

We finished the day by getting lost on the way to the airport, but finally making it to pick up Rebeccah. Grabbed some pre-race pasta dinner under a cabana. And, then it was back to the hotel for some shut eye.

RACE DAY - on another post.

Fun Weekend & Parris Island Race Report (3/20/10)

First race of the season!

Well, for starters. I think I forgot how to pack for one of these things. Thursday night came & I wasn't in the least bit packed. It wasn't till about 10pm that I even started. Smart Sarah, very smart. I ended up throwing anything & everything into the music room floor & started wading through it all. Don't need this, don't need that ... do need that. Found my race belt, shoes, goggles ... by about midnight, I pretty much had everything ready. Friday morning I threw everything in the car & zoomed off to work. I tell you what, sitting at work when you are all packed & ready to be gone is one of the worst things ever! Finally, Nicole let us know that she was in-fact going to get off early, so I was able to scoot out of work at a decent time. Jeff, Nicole & I grabbed subs for lunch and headed down the interstate in Jeff's huge red truck. We made it down there w/o too many bathroom stops (Nicole is pregnant). The AC didn't work in the truck again, so the windows were rolled down & the radio was blaring. Jeff had even been doing his homework & was able to sing along w/ some of the songs! =)

When we all get together there is always a good amount of laughing, and since Nicole is preggo it made for some very funny, almost disastrous moments, First of which came in the elevator of the hotel. Jeff shoved me, the Griffen, Nicole, the Kestrel & the HUGE cart of luggage into the elevator. The only problem was we got stuck & couldn't get out!! Here we are stuck, laughing are heads off, Nicole w/ her legs crossed & me having no way to move pinned btw my bike & the luggage cart. Finally we made it out & safely to the room. =)

Food time! Takeout or Dine in? We opted for takeout - the faster we got food the better! But, before we picked it up we stopped at the grocery store for nothing other than bug spray & Diet Code Red. Both are a MUST at this race. After giving the guy behind the counter my phone # about 3 times & then Nicole laughing her head off, w/ legs crossed, & giving it to him again, we made it out of there & got our food! After dinner Jeff & I started cleaning up

the bikes & getting them all ready for the race the next morning. Nicole opted out of this, but we felt bad & took care of the Kestrel. Got all the clothes set out & off to bed!

RACE TIME!!

The alarm goes

off at some ungodly hour and none of us want to get up. I know some not so nice things were exclaimed by everyone of us. I hate early mornings! After a few u-turns we picked a friend up on the way to the race site. Boy, what a beautiful drive in. There was marsh on either side of the palm tree laden road as the sun was barely rising ... it really was gorgeous! Jeff snuck around & got the normal parking spot for this race right by transition area instead of way far away like most people. Everything seemed pretty routine unlike last year where I was freaking out the entire morning. Found my bike rack, set up, went for a short bike ride, stretched, walked around, got bored, sat on the grass, waited, almost fell asleep sitting in the warm pool area, waited some more ... Finally, it was about 10min before I was supposed to go off, so I jumped in the pool & did a few practice laps & flip turns ...

And, I'm off! Thankfully I was seated pretty descent. There was actually a min

break after me so I didn't have anybody trying to swim over me & I ended up only passing 2 people. I hate pool swims. I started out w/ flip turns but got winded and finished w/ grabbing the side & pushing off. It was kinda funny, every time I pushed off my shorts kept going lower & lower on my butt. I thought I might loose them! Finally, out of the pool, with all my clothes and on to the bike!

Thankfully it wasn't nearly as cold this year, so coming out of the pool wasn't so bad. I ran to my bike, only to have a video camera shoved up my face. The marines were standing there video taping me ... until I almost fell putting my socks on, then they moved to another athlete! Got my new race helmet on & I was off! The bike felt great! Tried to keep my legs like pistons & keep a good cadence. I didn't have a computer so I was going completely by feel, but it worked ok for me. About half way through the bike I caught Nicole & she was dying. She had left her gels in TA so I gave the only one I had to her. It was time for me to get ... oh well, suck it up! This bike course is completely flat so in one sense that's nice. There were a few sharp corners that I had trouble w/, just b/c I'm not confident yet after the crash last year. About 3/4 of the way through this one guy & I started playing cat & mouse. The only thing was, he ended up drafting off of me for about 1.5mi. I was sooo aggravated. I kept weaving & then I tried to burst ahead, but he stayed right w/ me. Later they told me I should have done a snot rocket & that would have fixed the problem. (I have now mastered that & am fully prepared for the next race!) Finally I dismount & the jerk that was riding my butt almost plows into me & my bike ... I lost it & yelled at him. It's one thing to mess w/ me, but don't mess w/ my bike!

Oh, the run. I hate the run. Always have & probably always will. Thankfully in TA I found an extra gel since I didn't have one on the bike. I start running, ooo this doesn't feel good. I found a rhythm, not a very fast rhythm, but it was all I had, so I'll take it. When there was about 1/2 mile left I didn't think I could move anymore, but then I saw some friends & knew if they saw me walk I would never hear the end of it ... so I kept running as best I could. I would love to feel like I smoked that run course, but I don't. It was faster than last year though & that was my goal.

We all had a great race that day. Nicole got 2nd in the Athena group, I got 3rd in my Age Group, & Jeff had an awesome race

time ... he wiped the floor w/ Nicole & me! There were a lot of other friends out there that place & did awesome, especially Kat Welling bringing home a big glass bowl for 1st place overall women! It was great to see all the familiar faces & to meet new ones too! Thanks to all my great sponsors, friends and family. I couldn't do it w/o them. Thanks also, to my great coach & friend, Nicole!

Pain is Anticipated, Fun is Ensured & Triumph is Hopeful!

Excitement is building, not just for me but ALL the triathletes that will be going down to Parris Island next weekend. It is the 1st triathlon of the 2010 season put on by Set-Up Events. This will be my 2nd year doing this race & I can't wait! I thoroughly enjoyed my "off season" and probably wasn't quite as dedicated as I should have been, but I have kicked it into gear and am going into this race feeling so much better than I did last year.

Kicking it into gear hasn't been the easiest. I'm crazy excited about the season, but there has been so many things pulling me in every direction: schoolwork, full time job, TNT, hours spent in the car each day, disappointment, friends, my own training, family, volunteering ... every different avenue has taken a chunk out of me & there is not much left. This last week I found out I did not make it into the nursing program I had applied for. That was devastating. I'm sure it didn't help having 2 prerequisites in limbo, but I'll try again ... and again. I know I'm not the only one w/ lots on their plate, it's just learning how to juggle it all, & that is something I have to work on.

On another note, my Team In Training (TNT) group is doing great! We've got 4 athletes training for a sprint triathlon & 1 getting ready for an olympic distance. They have been so dedicated & coming out for the group workouts and group socials. I know they thought I was looking for every hill in Travelers Rest today for their group ride, but I'm so proud. They hung in there and stuck it out!! Can't wait to see them through to their races. Way to go TNT triathletes!!!

This past week has been full of fun stuff!
1. I've been going up to Tryon to see one of my sponsors, Dr. Dan Becker, on a weekly basis to get the kinks worked out of my shoulder and hip - he's been a miracle worker! If you ever have an issue w/ anything you need to give him a call!
2.The TNT social was moved to Monday this week, so I was actually able to go & hang out w/ all the crew. It was fun to see how many people here in the Upstate are working to help find a cure for blood cancers. So much fulfillment comes from realizing you have an active part in helping change someones life - I'm so glad I get to be part of that.
3. At work, me and the other lab tech were experimenting w/ the X-ray machine, b/c it turns out we have a bad batch of films so I got to take an X-ray of my weird looking clavicles - crazy I tell you! They've been out of alignment since elementary school & I'm sure it was from falling out of too many trees. =)
4.The final "out of the ordinary" thing that I got to do this week was go see my dad sing in an opera. That's right I said OPERA! Yes, shocking I know - this triathlete knows how to wear a dress & high heels! It's been a fun week!!

Snow Cancels the Myrtle Beach Marathon - crazy!!

"Don't let your circumstances dictate your happiness." That truly sums up this past weekend. It could have been discouraging, but we went out there and just had fun!

Who would have ever thought that snow would have canceled the Myrtle Beach Marathon. Yes, that's right. I said SNOW & lots of it. Well, lots of it for a southerner! My half marathon race might have been canceled, but it ended up being quite the fun "race" weekend after all!


Here's a quick recap:
As the weekend drew near I started watching the weather channel. When the weatherman said that is was going to be snow I just figured it would be rain like it normally is when they call for snow. Sure, rain would be miserable, but still doable. Friday morning came & they were still calling for snow. I prepared for the worst - sleet. Figured that nothing could be as bad as running in sleet & in comparison, snow would actually be nice. Saw some flurries on the way down, but It wasn't till I got there & headed out to dinner w/ friends that the snow started coming ... & it was really coming. By this time I had already gone to the expo, checked in & spent some $$ of course! They told us to stay tuned to the news and by 10pm the official verdict would be made. I said there's no way they'd actually cancel the race ... I was wrong. Finally by 10:40 the news anchor came across w/ breaking news ... "The Myrtle Beach Marathon has officially been canceled." What! No way! How on earth could anybody go to sleep now. Some of us ended up going out for a little bit to try and unwind & play in the snow ... got to bed late.

Race Day: well it's canceled, but who is that stopping? Not Nicole (she was ready at the crack of dawn), and therefore not me either! We ended up running the 13.1mi. Turned out there were quite a lot of people running out there. Tell you what, you have never seen so many happy faces on a race course. The other runners were so friendly. And, there were people standing on the side of the roads cheering us on, people ringing cow bells & there were even people coming around w/ water bottles since the official aid stations weren't there. It was great. We took a detour at one point and ran about 1mi on the sand. How cool to see snow on the beach. It was beautiful - hard to run on, but beautiful! About half way through we stopped and got our pictures making snow angels. It was just a great "race!" =) We even got our medals at the end!! Which are a flip-flop. How ironic seeing as there was snow on the ground. Thanks to my great TriSports.com jacket I didn't get cold running. Ended the day w/ a surprise birthday party for a friend ... and lots of laughter. Laughter makes your soul smile!

It was a great weekend & we made lemon-aid out of lemons! And really that's how life is. Life can throw you curve balls, but what you do w/ those curve balls is what is important. Surround yourself w/ good friends and have a good laugh. It will always make you feel better!

Couldn't have had the weekend I did w/o my awesome friends (the "other family"). And, thanks to my great sponsors for keeping me moving, keeping me warm & keeping me hydrated!!

Up, Down, and Around

These last two weeks have been interesting. Have you ever felt like you bit off more than you could chew? My life feels like that right now. And then to help things, someone asks you a question and your mouth is full to the brim since you took more than you could handle! How are you supposed to answer, seriously! Come on people, be nice ... can't you see my cheeks are bulging and full of food? Do you really want me to spew it over you to answer your question? Well, I'm not quite there ... but almost!! Not that I have literal food in my mouth all the time, but my life seems crazy busy.

I have been all gung ho about getting back into triathlon training, but have been having trouble with my time management and the stupid weather. I'll be blunt - lately the weather here has sucked! When I'm supposed to be doing long runs or ride on the weekends we have ice, freezing rain, & snow. But of course, when I'm stuck inside for class it's beautiful out there ... retarded! I just can't stand running and biking inside. You stay in the same place! Who has ever liked the fact that they go nowhere. At least I've got my faithful training buddy, my iPod, with lots of music that keeps me going!! Music makes me move my booty! =)

Getting back into it!

"Getting back into it" has a few different of meanings. Since my first blog I have started school again! I'm still working full time, but decided to take a few classes towards a new degree. Things are starting to get busy. =)

Also, Team in Training (TNT) has started back up! This year I will be an assistant coach with Nicole Ramsbey as the head coach. TNT is how I started triathlons. I had absolutely no background in athletics but w/ TNT's help my life has changed! If you don't know anything about TNT its an amazing organization that raises money for Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. It gives people the opportunity to get free coaching, training schedules, gear for the triathletes & discounts at many different places. All of that is good, but it is not the greatest reward for being in TNT. TNT will change your life & it changes the lives of so many cancer patients every day!

The most exciting thing that I'm getting back into is TRAINING!! Woohoo! I'm so excited to be out of the off season. Don't get me wrong, I trained during the off season ... just not as much! Traithlon training is back and in full swing, half marathon training is going well & nutrition training ... well, it's getting there! Turns out I've got a pretty decent racing schedule ahead of me so you'll have to stay posted to see how everything goes!