Sexy in Her Sneakers

For the last two months, I have been busy dating several men – 48 to be exact.  This may seem above and beyond the call of duty for a single woman with an already hectic schedule, but I’m an overachiever and Costco was having a sale.  We go for swims at Washington & Lee’s Aquatic Center, bike in loops at Hains Point, and run around the DC monuments.  I didn’t meet them on Match, E-Harmony, or Craigslist’s Casual Encounters.  I met them in the DC Triathlon Club’s Newbie Triathlete Program. 

I bought a couple of cute one piece swimsuits to match my latex swim cap and goggles for my pool dates.  My high coverage Speedo brings all of the boys to the yard.  And the tiger print swim cap...grrrrr.  Now, if only Jimmy Choo made flippers, I would be downright bootylicious.

Though even I can have my bitchy moments, doggie-paddling is not the most efficient way to swim in open water.  In addition to my regular dates with the boys, I decided to take private swim lessons to improve my freestyle form.  A lot like my favorite running bra, my coach is very supportive.  In between smiles and claps, she threatens to throw kickboards at me when I start swimming in a vertical position again.  Back and forth is swimming; up and down is drowning.   

Of the new men in my life, Dennis may be my favorite.  He is the handsome store manager at my local bike shop.  He wooed me with a new pair of cycling shoes and pedals.  Yes, pedals with a “d” not a “t.”  (I don't want a Trinket.  Bring a girl a Diamond!)  On my first date with Dennis, I left with the equivalent of a BMW amongst bikes and a couple of thousand dollars poorer.  Now every time I see Dennis, I leave with a new saddle bag or tire repair kit, but only a hundred dollars poorer.  As our relationship grows, our love becomes more economical.  I really hope he’s not in it just for the money.

I am slowly building my cycling endurance from 16 miles to 40 miles in a training session.  My largest frustration is that cars need to learn to share the road with us cyclists.  The parked ones hurt when I’m flying down a hill out of control.  The cars in motion are much better at avoiding me.  I haven’t mastered exiting out of Dennis’ clipless pedals at sudden stops yet.  Flipping off as a human projectile is another example where vertical is bad.

Of the three sports, running is the easiest to me.  We have a history.  Yesterday, I ditched out on my scheduled cycling date with the boys at Hains Point to go back to an old love, a Half Marathon race.  It was worth it!  After six years of running, I finally placed third in an age-group category.  Unfortunately, the race officials are a surly bunch.  They would not let me take a stand on the podium with the eighty-year olds because I am only 35.  What an unfair technicality.  The rulebook didn’t say which age-group I had to belong to.

I expect it to be an 18-month courtship before I get to the man of my dreams.  But, finish an Ironman and brag for the rest of your life.

The National Half Marathon

The groundhog lied!  Here it is the beginning of Spring and I was surrounded by a bunch of runners dressed homeless chic.  Outside the privacy of your own home on laundry day, a race is the only time that it appears to be okay to wear a trash bag, bleach-stained sweatshirts, and tattered sweatpants – all for the sake of staying warm.  But when we cross that start line, clothes go flinging in all directions faster than a stripper can say “Would you like to go to the Champagne Room?”

 

So, how do you get 15,000 people to go into Southeast DC on a Saturday morning?  That’s right – you organize a race.  The National Marathon and Half Marathon start and finish at the DC Armory by RFK Stadium.  To relieve local traffic sooner, the race actually started at 7am.  Unfortunately, our friends at WMATA wouldn't open the Metro's station doors until 6am.  This gave our runners two options:  Drive or Be Late.  Fortunately, getting to the parking lot was not a big deal.  However, I definitely saw some late runners coming off of the Metro.  As if running a race 13.1 or 26.2 miles was not bad enough, these poor guys first had to race to the the start line while the rest of us were running away.  *Ouch*

  

Though I’m a DC-native, starting from this side of town almost felt like being able to run through a completely different city.  I saw parts of DC I typically never saw -  Southeast…H Street…Adams Morgan sober by daylight.  The course was also a bit hillier than I realized DC could be.  Now, I understand why we call it Columbia HEIGHTS. 

Since the course ran through areas of DC that weren’t convenient to the Metro stations, there were not as many spectators to support the runners as I have experienced in other area races.  Either that or everyone else decided it was just too cold to come out to cheer on some crazy runners who think this is the best way to spend a Saturday morning.  Lucky for me, this was my first race as a High Cloud athlete.  While proudly running in my new team gear, I was very energized by the fellow supporters of DC Tri Club and Team Z who cheered me on as I ran by. 

Well, for me and my sick running fetish, it turned out to be a GREAT way to spend a Saturday morning.  The awesome timing of year gave this grizzly bear some motivation to come out of winter hibernation.  I got to run 13.1 miles through my neighborhood city, get some Vitamin D, and shake my fist at the windy, cold winter we had.

 

With another new medal in hand, I say to you – let’s get another race season started.

...But I HATE Swimming!!!

It makes me want to cry.  It makes me want to sit at my desk and do work.  It makes me want to stay in bed. 

Give me 75 minutes in a yoga studio...no problem.  Give me 4 hours on a run...no problem.  Give me 18 minutes in a pool...I stand by the sidelines shifting back and forth from one foot to the next.

I am not afraid of the pool.  I have been doggie-paddling since I was 5!  But I HATE lap swimming.  I am so consumed with my form not feeling right.  Am I moving my hand right?  Am I lifting my shoulder correctly?  Am I breathing properly?  Am I rotating my hips correctly?  Am I using my thighs and not my knees to kick?  Am I even kicking?!!!

I am pulling every psychological trick in the book to get this baby to click for me.  I bought a new swim suit.  I have a friend meeting me at the pool so that it's a little social.  I put it on my calendar to make myself go. 

And I'm going twice a week.  And my endurance is even improving.  But I just don't like it.

Next up...I am going to hire a REALLY good coach to videotape me and explain the physics behind swimming.  I really hope this works.

Love at First Sight

It had been ten years and I was still recovering from a bad relationship.  For a long time, I was not even sure that I would want to give it another try.  However, this year, I decided to get over my fear and give love a chance.  And then, I met her...yes, HER....  I was reluctant at first, but I was encouraged to give it a shot. 

Meet my 2011 Trek Madone 3.1 WSD Womens Road Bike.

As a child, a new bike was the biggest treat.  It was the big gift you got for a momentous birthday.  It meant you were a big kid when you got to move up to the bigger bike.  It brought a sense of freedom and independence.  I would spin my wheels as fast as I could so I could come tearing down a hill as if it was my own personal roller coaster. 
But then, as a poor adult just having graduated from college, I "splurged" on a cheap mountain bike.  It made my quads ache from the inefficient pedaling, my hands hurt from the vibration, and my frustration grow because riding just no fun.

So, when it was time to purchase a bike to get me through this new stage of triathlons, I went ahead and sprung out for a full carbon performance bike.  I didn't mean to.  I had originally budgeted for half the cost and planned to get a decent aluminum bike.  But when I took her out for a test spin...  Drool...  LOVE.

I instantly LOVED riding again!

I noticed how smooth of a ride I had.  She was amazingly responsive when I took her quickly around tight turns.  In addition, when I had to climb a hill, it was no big deal.  And lastly, I was comfortable. 

The Madone 3.1 is the newest entry-level carbon bike by Trek.  The geometry of the bike is set that it's between "comfortable" and "aggressive."  The Shimano 105 groupset comes standard on the bike and is very well received for beginner to intermediate riders.  The cables in the front of the handlebars were wrapped in nice and tightly compared to some of the other bikes.  In addition, it was offered in a women-specific design, which I took advantage of because of my proportions (long legs, short torso).

I wanted to make sure that I was getting a bike that I wouldn't outgrow too soon considering the chance that I am eyeing a potential Ironman sometime in my future.  On other words, this may be a serious lifestyle change.  For all this, I think I got the best bang for my buck.  And best yet, unlike swimming, I am looking forward to my next bike ride.

Groovin' with Lance HerbStrong

While waiting for Morcheeba to come on stage, my friends and I stood on the floor of the 9:30 Club absorbing the sound of the opening act.  When you hear someone new, you just sort of stand there and try to distinguish whether it was something you like or not.  After taking in the beats for a bit, I noticed that it was something that I liked moving around to.  Chill, cool, very hip.... 

On stage were 3 guys who were remixing music and adding some new beats.  In the center stood this little guy with spikey hair.  He was having fun!  His energy and attempt to rev the crowd up really drew our attention.  You have to love someone who is clearly loving and enjoying what they do.  T and I began to joke that we wanted to BE HIM. 

Eventually, I said to my friends that if that guy made it down to the concert floor, I was going to make him my new BFF.  (Sounds a lot like my goal to beat a smurf at MCM, right?)

After the concert, we went to U Street Music Hall to dance our booties off a bit.  Sure enough, my future-BFF showed up.  I tapped T to ask, "Hey, is that the guy from the 9:30 Club?"  Before he could answer my question, I decided to make a beeline for the dude before I lost sight of him. 

Based out of Austin, TX, Lance HerbStrong has been performing together for about a year now.  Their genre is Remix/Dub/Dancehall/Electro/Downtempo -- totally fun to groove to!  Bill Sarver (my new BFF) told me that they had to keep things chill to complement Morcheeba's vibe.  I think that I am definitely catching these guys again if they come through town. 

BTW - how wild is this business card?!!!

Enjoying the Journey

As I plan out some loose goals for the upcoming months, I reflect back on how the past few months have been a whirlwind for me.  However, when I think back to a starting point to the craziness, I realize that I can keep going back further and further into a whirlwind of events that doesn't seem to have a true beginning...unless you start with Birth.  It is a thought that makes me smile.  Some moments have been up!  Some moments have been down!  But, here I am.

"Be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves, like locked rooms and like books that are now written in a very foreign tongue. Do not now seek the answers, which cannot be given you because you would not be able to live them. And the point is, to live everything. Live the questions now. Perhaps you will then gradually, without noticing it, live along some distant day into the answer." (— Rainer Maria Rilke)

Appreciate your journey and realize that everything works out the way it is supposed to.  Don't fight Life -- you'll never win.  Let it move you.  Trust your gut.  And most importantly...be patient.

Peach Almond Smoothie

Here's another smoothie recipe.  This one is a TREAT because it tastes like a nutty milkshake.  I love it for breakfast as well.  Because it is higher in calories than the Veggie Smoothie, I try to reserve it for mornings where I need an extra boost of energy.

Peach Almond Smoothie
Serves one.

1 cup almond milk
1 T almond butter
1 cup frozen peaches
1 dash cinnamon
1 T agave syrup (or as much/little to taste)
1/4 cup ice

Blend well.  Enjoy.