Not my A game

Sunday, I met with fellow TNT-er Simon and his lovely ladies Cassi and Gail to plan a bachelor/bachelorette auction. Four cups of pancake house coffee and five buckwheat pancakes with nuts later, we had a plan, and I had three hours until the Core Strengthening session with TNT. Of course, being stuffed to the gills means it's a perfect time for a brick!

I learned several important things:
- When you have an asthma attack, the most useful location for your inhaler is on your person. Not in your car, necessitating a trip to the locker room to get your keys first.
- Four cups of coffee and pancakes with nuts will feel like a Molotov Cocktail when you are running.
- The day you are most likely to yack while on the treadmill will be the same day that the hot trainer will choose to talk to you.
- Your AT is a nice place to visit, but you shouldn't try to live there.
- Nausea does not improve your balance.

Pizza party, pizza party!

I held my first official fundraiser on Thursday at Uno's pizza. It works sort of like dining out for life, they donate a percentage of everyone's check to the charity you specify. They have a new GM, so they were super nice about getting a check cut right away.

Shout out to everyone who came out and supported the cause: A, J, S, K, MR, J&M, and D.
Thanks especially to the non-tri people who put up with all the sports talk.

Thanks to Uno's and our awesome waitress!

Who gets Lymphoma?

Approximately 64,000 Americans will be diagnosed with lymphoma in 2005, the vast majority (about 90%) will have non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
Of these cases of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, only 2% will be diagnosed in children. The incidence of non-Hodgkin lymphoma increases with age.
Of cases of Hodgkin lymphoma, only 12 % will be diagnosed in children, and most of these are adolescents.
In general, lymphomas are more common in males than in females and more common in Caucasians than African-Americans. Lymphomas are the third most common form of cancer in children (the most common is leukemia, followed by tumors of the central nervous system).

Funny Because It's True

Dating a Triathlete

"I am an outdoors type of person."
Really means: I train in any type of weather. If its raining, snowing, 90 degrees w/100% humidity, or windsgusting at 30 mph. I don't want to hear any complaints because I will still train in it and you're just a big wuss for complaining about it.

"I enjoy riding my bike."
Really means: with or w/o aero bars, alone or in a peleton, I don't care. If you can't do a spur of the moment 30miler then you're not my type. I will let you draft, but if you can't hang I'll drop you. I am a capable mechanic, but don't expect me to change your flats or tune your bike. You need to learn that on your own.

"I enjoy jogging."
Really means: Lets run hills until we puke. I have just as many shoes as you only mine are better because they are functional and all look the same.

"I enjoy dining out."
Really means: I enjoy eating out, in or anywhere else I can find food. Don't be shy because with the amount of food I eat, you can have that main entree instead of a salad and you will still look as though you eat like a rabbit in comparison. Don't get your limbs too close though as I may take a bite out of you. Most importantly don't expect any taste off my plate unless you can bring something to the party like more food. Eventually though if you're not burning 4,000+calories a day you're going to plump up and have a terrible complex due to watching me eat deserts and not gain any weight. Friends and family will eventually decide not to dine with us anymore due to my horrid table manners. Oh, and don't ask me any questions during breakfast, MidMorning Lunch, Lunch, Afternoon lunch, Dinner or Recovery Dinner as it does not lend to efficient food intake.

"I enjoy quiet walks on the beach."
Really means: Walks on the beach warming up into an 8 mile run and then plunging myself in the ocean for a 2 miler. If you get in my way you're going to find out what a mass start is and let me assure you that you don't want to find out.

"I find fulfillment in charitable work."
Really means: If I am not racing, I am volunteering and I expect you to be there along side me as I stand out in 90 degree weather for 8 hours handing out sports drink to cyclists going 20 mph. Just stick the ol' arm out there and hope itdoesn't get taken off.

"I enjoy sharing quiet moments together." Really means: It's taper time. Just back off because I am strategizing and in a pissy mood because I am worried about my "A" race and can't workout.

"I am an active person." Really means: Aside from my 40 hour job, andthe 8 mandatory hours of sleep a night. 10 hours a week are devoted tome during the off-season and 20 during race season leaving us 4 hours. 2 of which are spent inhaling food and you not talking to me, so lets make the best of the 2 hours we will spend together on average each day. If you are a licensed message therapist or doctor this would make the most optimal use of our time together. Nutritionist is also acceptable, but I probably already know just as much as you.

"I enjoy road trips and leisurely drives."
Really means: You have your choice of Wisconsin, Idaho, Florida, California, Arizona, and New York, but don't expect to do much site seeing. If I get enough support fromyou we might be able to include Hawaii in there.

"I enjoy site seeing."
Really means: Lets grab a mountain bike and getour HR's up to 90%. There's plenty of time to look around on the descent as trees and bushes whiz by you at 40 mph.

"I like stimulating conversation."
Really means: while we are running,we can talk about food. Then we can talk about how we decided what to wear on this run based on the temperature at start time versus the temperature at the time we expect to finish, how horribly out of shape we are, how many miles we did last week, and how many we will do this week and next week. Then we can talk about food.

"I enjoy relaxing soaks in the tub."
Really Means: I'm going to stop onthe way home and buy two bags of ice, throw them in the tub with somewater, and sit in this torture chamber for 30 minutes.

"I'm interested in photography"
Really Means: My camera is permanently perched on a tripod in front of my trainer. I obsess over taking photos ofmy bike position and analyzing them to get the perfect setup.

"I'm into in technology"
Really Means: My HRM and bike computer are my best friends. Until you can give me some hard data that can improve my training, don't bother trying to buddy up to me. You could one day break into the top three if I find you as entertaining on long runs and rides as my iPod.

This workout seriously kicked my butt ...

TNT had a running clinic at Potomac River Running this weekend to help improve our run techniques. Particularly since when you run after biking 56 miles, after having swum 1.2 miles, you're a bit tired and your form is a little goofy.

So there's this magic number of steps you're supposed to take per minute for maximum running efficiency, 180. Aside from this being further proof that the world is ruled by Pi and Fibonacci sequences, it gives a finite number to focus on while running.

To get to the all powerful number of 180 while running, we're supposed to practice bouncing in place in cadence, then doing a high kneed step to the 180 cadence, and finally, butt-kicks. Which are exactly what they sound like. I can just imagine doing this while running; talk about things that will make even the crazy homeless people cross the street to avoid you. Next we'll find out that banging my head against the wall is a good swim drill.

I will say that PRR is a good run shop and that Margie and family are good people.

Spasmodic Dysphonia

I've been having trouble with my swimming. My breathing has been off. I had totally lost the ability to breathe properly, which means that my swimming has been more like controlled drowning. I felt like I had lost the ability to speak. Sort of like after waking from a dream where I'm fluently speaking in French, but can only manage the basics now that I'm awake.

Sometimes my swimming helps my rowing and vice versa, so I decided to try doing what helps keep me on rhythm in the boat: sing drinking and 80's songs to myself. I'm sure the guy from Kajagoogoo is thrilled to know he helped solve my swim stroke.

Brick ... house?

Nope. Brick workout!
Fueled by angst (or as the Germans say: angst), over my personal life, I completed my first intentional brick workout yesterday. I had to spin because of the USAT challenge. And I needed to run because: 1. I made a new Year's resolution on Nike.com and I really don't want to run all my races in skirts this year. and 2. My first half marathon of the year is only a month away. It was a pretty short brick: an hour of spinning followed by 30 minutes of real running/ hitting my AT/speed work. That was the least painful run I've had in a while, and I have to wonder if my half marathon time for the Half ironman will be better than my stand alone half marathon times.
I also may have to look into getting a boyfriend since stress seems to be good for my workouts.