It's getting closer...

This week was AMAZING!  Of course, I almost always think that.  I mean, it's pretty amazing what our bodies can do...right?  I'm not heavy on my miles, but that's mostly because I had less cycling this week.

I actually was fighting a sinus infection and some low back pain at the beginning of the week.  It was a little (read a lot) bit humid out at the beginning of the week, with the hurricanes and tropical storms coming through.  It was wicked humid and body was not happy after already adjusting to our fall like weather from the last few weeks.  Cool morning with warm/hot afternoons with less humidity.

By Thursday I was feeling better, but I'm sure that was mostly to do with the weather.  I worked all this week (Tue-Thurs) at my "normal" dental office, because my co-worker was on vacation in London.  My dentist doesn't believe in cooling the office when the humidity is up for some reason.  I was sweating all day long.  Nothing like having wet hands under your gloves while working. My Thursday workout was an intensity bike, and I felt great doing it.  Tuesday and Wednesday I had to force myself out the door to get my workouts in.  Friday was a rest day...Thank Goodness.

Team Tri Tri Again

White Lake.

Friday I drove down to White Lake to race in a Relay with my girlfriends!  It was a fun race (International Distance on Saturday), that I wanted to do (the whole thing), but we just don't have the finances to add this race to my schedule.  When Dar and Jenn let me know they were switching their entries into a relay and wanted to know if I could swim for them, and that I could crash with them....I was in!  I had a bunch of friends who were down racing!  It was fun to hang out with everyone and see them before/during/after the race.

 I just did the swim for our relay (which got 4th place by 16 seconds).  After I swam and passed the chip on to Dar to bike, and went back to the room to change and go out for a 14 mile run!  That is 2 loops around White Lake.  My first loop around the lake felt AWESOME!  The second loop was wicked hot.  I can't believe how different the loops felt.  The first loop I was going along at a decent pace, I actually felt like I could go faster, but I felt really comfortable and wanted to be able to keep it going through the whole run.  Once I made it to mile 10 I had to walk to mile 11.  I had given out all my salt tabs to other people on the actual race course (when I was on it) because they were cramping up and I felt bad for them.  I didn't mean to give them ALL of my tabs, but that's how it worked out.  I could feel the sun baking into me, but there was nothing I could do.  There was NO SHADE on the route. The last 3 miles were tough, and I was happy to hear comments on my runmeter from friends on facebook...made me smile a few times.  When I was less than a mile away from the finish I kept getting texts and messages asking me where I am.  And friends trying to find me to encourage me the rest of the way in.  Somehow I missed Jenn M, who was looking for me, and Chris U who was out on a golf cart looking for me.  Ohh well...I finished the run.  I was crusted in salt (residue of sweat) and super sun burnt.  After sitting and waiting for the relay awards (we came in 4th) I went up and packed up my gear and then hopped in the lake for a nice cool off swim.  Then back to the room (P.S. I love staying right at the race site...in the lodge) to take a shower and hang out till Jenn M came to pick me up and take me back to Raleigh.

My Sunburn.

Scout on the pool deck.

Sunday was an early morning of volunteering for the Friesen 5K (run with the Carolina Hurricanes), I was at the race site (RBC Center) at 6 am.  I helped set up, keep things running, and break down the race.  I had some awesome friends who came out and volunteered as well (note: volunteers fundraising credit towards fundraising for Team In Training). Amazing.  After the race I went home and met up with my friend Kim for a bike ride through the neighborhood (recovery ride).  Sunday evening I took Scout out to Cary for the Pooch Plunge.  Scout had a blast swimming in the pool and trying to show all the other dogs how awesome he is at swimming.

Monday came with another crazy headache, and me feeling lucky that I have such a wacky schedule and was able to go back to bed and try to rid myself of the headache.  I finally felt well enough to go swim, and I did.  Of course the neighborhood pool is closed for the season so I had to head over to the city pool, which I had to get a new punch card for.  It was actually a great swim, even for a form swim.  I don't usually like doing drills.

Tuesday was a work day, and I was doing fine until I wasn't.  My stomach was feeling sick, and I was feeling a little dizzy.  Not the best feeling while working on my patients.  I took a little break between patients to try and evaluate what was going on.  I'm pretty sure I have a sinus infection.  My face is sore, and my stomach is gross from all the drainage from my sinuses.  It makes me feel bad, but hopefully I can beat this little infection in no time flat.  I ended up coming home and resting, and not doing my workout.  Sometimes a body needs some rest.

Today - Wednesday, I'm still not 100%.  I did do a short run at the Human Performance Lab (testing new earbuds that monitor heart rate).  I need to do a bike ride, but I'm not sure my head and stomach are going to be able to handle it.  But I'm going to give it a try in just a little bit.  I have a big fundraiser tonight at Cary Wine and Design, that I need to be feeling okay for.  We'll see how it all turns out.