Melissa - Vain Triathlete

I did this half iron yesterday in Freetown MA. AKA Middleboro, Lakeville area.  It was my 5 th one and I had very high expectations. Perhaps they were misplaced. I know I have the capability of going under 5:30 in the half. I thought that with my experience and finally  figuring out my stomach issues I would go under 5:30. Compared to Timberman here is how I did. Place at Patriot :  (7/28 AG 45-49)   (189/505 OA) TOTAL Time  Timberman 5:46:17 (Wavy, Hilly, Challenging) Patriot: 5:49:10 (Not wavy, not very hilly, HOT)  (+3:07)         TMBR: swim 45:34 PTRT swim 43:03 (- 2:31)  Good. TMBR Bike: 3:01:43 PTRT Bike :3:00:34 (-1:09)  Ok. TMBR Run: 1:52:54 PTRT Run : 2:00:36 (+8:18)   Crappy 　 TMBR T1 3:32 PTRT TI 2:50 (-:48)  Great! TMBR T2 2:34 PTRT T2 2:09   (-25) Good. My thoughts about this race: I've been coaching myself and getting healthy by listening ...

This week is a taper week for the Patriot this weekend.  I need to really buckle down with my eating and drinking and only consume lien healthy protein and carbs. Boring boring boring. I also need to get to bed early which so far this week has not happened.  We have had company and a concert to attend to and well  you can't just stop living.  I also still need to find a dog sitter which for this time of year is a little difficult.  If I can't find  a dog sitter I will be going it alone. :(  Despite my lack of a dog sitter I am very ready for this race and have everything I need all put together in a small area.  I even had an ultimate tune-up done on my bike.  Not because I thought it would be a good idea but more because my elbow plate on my aerobars broke off and I had to bring the bike in to get fixed.  While there the Landry's clan suggested new cables, new chain, and the ultimate ...

The Patriot HI is getting closer. Only 4+ weeks left to hone in on my race pace. I will be wearing the Bay State Triathlon team kit. It's red, white, and blue. Not my best personal colors but definitely the colors I'm extremely proud to wear. I'm looking forward to having this race done. Hopefully I will get this monkey off my back and will have  proven to myself what I've been trying to prove for the last 2.5 years. That I can have an excellent race throughout.  If not then I will have nothing else to prove because I will have given it my best shot.    I loved swimming outside in this pool last week. 

Self coaching myself these days requires that I read a lot more. I am currently reading "Run Faster" and "Time Crunched Cyclist".  Both are good books but not sure if the training for the Time Crunched Cyclist is appropriate for Triathletes.  The program call for 4 days of cycling which is fine but all of the workouts are intense. Maybe a bit too intense.  Still, I found some excellent training tips and workouts to try that I did like. The 3x12 minutes steady state ride makes those short 1 hour workouts go by pretty fast.  Run Faster talks about adaptive running.  Very interesting stuff. I feel as though I am stronger than I have felt over the past 2 years.  The last 2 years were very difficult with my sleep issues and feelings of being tapped out during or after workouts.  With some encouragement I recently I had my ferriten levels checked and have since upped my iron intake.  Did you know that as endu...

Sometimes I hate posting but I force myself to do so for a few reasons. So I can look back to see how I have progressed.  To keep from being labeled a fair-weather-blogger. To keep myself thinking about why things happen and what I can do to fix and improve.  This post falls under all three reasons above. This year's Ramble was designated as the New England 10k Championship. It's an awesome, very unique race that is extremely well run. They also happen to have the best after party around. What really hurts is that had I run like I did in 2007 I would have cracked the top 10 (age group) easily in an extremely competitive field (top 100 runners were under 6mp). Instead I didn't even crack the top 20 in my age group.  I have decided to delve into some fun facts to try to understand or see where I am at. For starters here are my last 5 years worth of results from this very same race:  April 2007 42:15 ...

Last Sunday was the Wrentham Duathlon. A short little race. Lots of fun. Felt really good to get racing again.  I was like a pent up rodeo bull. As soon as the gun went off I was like, get out of my way.  It was an awesome feeling. I don't usually feel that confident at a race.   The race it's self is pretty small. I think 250 participants.  3 mile run, 11 mile bike, 2 mile run.  I did this race in 2009 so I had at least that to compare my new results with. I was a whole minute slower. But lest you think I've been slacking let me assure you that I haven't.  Actually they changed the last 2 mile run course.  I think.  Anyways - the real fun part was this: Senator Scott Brown was there and he was the announcer.  I figured I go up and introduce myself, which I did.  He was smiling and was gracious.  He's is one cute guy.  When the gun went off I was able to pass many runners (including the senator). Yes. I did. I wasn't lighten...

Just got back from a 5 day trip to Aruba. It was planned within the last two weeks so we got a STEAL on airfare and hotel.  Seems that the airlines and hotels like to sell any remaining slots at the last minute and will cut their rates drastically to do so. The trip was FANTASTIC.  I'm not trying to rub it in it's just that I needed a break very badly and this trip allowed me to rest, swim in the open water, run, bike, eat and sleep.  Not to mention a little gambling and a couple of drinks at night. I'm trying to figure out which fall marathon to target.  It's difficult. I might end up running Baystate. I'm not particularly excited about Baystate but it IS local and it IS flat.  It would give me a chance to have a good marathon. I haven't run a marathon since 2007 so it's time to get back in the saddle.  I did TRY to run a marathon last February but unfortunately had to DNF.  Only 11 weeks till the Patriot Half and I a...