TNT Season #5 (A Look Back)

I took a year off.  I needed a year off.  I didn't really take a year off.  I still did fundraising, I still trained and participated in endurance events.  I did take a year off of fundraising for LLS and doing TNT event.  I still raised money for cancer research.  I felt like I was still doing good.  But it's not like the feeling of doing TNT and doing for LLS.  I came back.

My fifth season was supposed to be a repeat of season #3.  The Nike Women's Marathon.  I signed up to mentor again.  I was ready to go conquer the beast!  Except I wasn't.  I started having some foot and ankle pain right before the start of the season, and decided to switch to a triathlon instead.  Well not just any triathlon, a half ironman distance triathlon.

The season was amazing.  I actually hired my friend and first TNT coach to coach me, even though we had a great TNT coach for the team.  My friend understood my crazy schedule and what my goals for the race were.  The TNT coach would of probably been able to do the same, but his workouts had to be grouped towards the whole team, so I didn't feel like I could ask for so many changes.  I did get to workout with the team every now and then, but mostly worked out on my own with a really good friend who actually signed up for the race as well (he had a different coach as well).  I'm lucky that most of the team were alumni, that I knew already.  We all clicked really well and had fun whenever we got together.

Race weekend was AMAZING!!  I drove down with my friend and training partner a day earlier than the official team time.  We met up with another teammate to hang out and check out the course and do some short training before the big race.  We got water, we got food, we got all our stuff together. We did a training ride. We hung out, we ate dinner...we had fun.  We moved to the next hotel, we picked up our packets, we hung out with the team.  We got ready at the race site, set up our bikes, we got nervous, we got calm, we got nervous again.  We ate, we starved, we ate again.  All good happy things.

Race morning- got up early about about 4 am. Got down to take the "team" photo, then went over to take the bus.  The original plan had us "walking" to the race site (we all said no to that). I chit chatted with others going to the race site.  The getting your transition area ready, and tires pumped.  Then a bus ride to the actual start area, and the waiting game began.  I was in wave 24 out of 25 for the swim.  Which means I was waiting around FOREVER!!

The swim was amazing.  Wicked FAST.  The current in the Savannah River was really fast.  The 1.2 mile swim with the run into the transition area took 26 minutes.  Not to shabby.  I made it through transition, and hoped onto my bike.  Ahhhh, my bike ride was fun!  Yes 56 miles through Augusta and rural South Carolina was fun.  The best part was that it was overcast throughout the whole swim and bike.  I made it back to transtion, and felt really good.  I was so ready to rock out the run.  I was feeling so amazing.  Then the skies parted and the sun came out.  The sun the crazy hot sun.  My run turned into mostly a walk, but I did all of those 13.1 miles of running and walking.  I finally got to the finish line....and crossed it.  6 hours and 45 minutes after I started I finished my race.  70.3 miles all together.  I did it in under my goal time of 7 hours (or less).  If the sun hadn't of come out I'm sure I could of cut some more time off.  I'm really proud of what I did though.  I had tears streaming down my face at the end.  I did it, I really did it!  I was a Half Ironman.  Who knew this girl could raise this much money for cancer research and patient services and finish a Half Ironman, I didn't know....but I sure did do it!

I FINISHED!!

Just a quick post.  I finished all 26.2 miles of the Disney Marathon on Sunday!!  Yep I did it!  It was actually kinda fun.  It's was hard, no doubt, but I stopped and took lot's of pictures...lot's and lot's of pictures!  My goal was to finish...not to finish by...whatever time.  So I didn't mind standing in line to get my picture taken with as many characters as I wanted!  Believe it or not, I did pass up a few!  *smiles*  I'll post a full race report soon (after I finish my look backs).

I'll be taking a mini break for now.  I'm pretty sore still.  Muscles are still recovering, but I'm happy.  So HAPPY!!  Soon I'll be on my bike again, training for the 100 mile bike ride around Lake Tahoe.  Happy for my break, but excited to be getting on my bike more again!

Mickey and Minnie right before the finish line!!

It's about to be here!!

I can't believe I'm about to cross another milestone off my list!  I hope I'm not jinxing myself, but I'm so happy to be almost done with this marathon thing!  I love my runner friends, you know the ones who aspire to do 50 mile and 100 mile runs (or have done them already), but I'll NEVER be one of them.  You know what....running hurts!  Well, not all running....just those stupid long miles.  Truly it's a mental game, one that is hard to figure out, and not so much fun to play.  Regardless - I am about to embark on my mission to conquer the 26.2 (attempt #2).  This is a no holds bar, take no prisoners, act of need.  So in order for me to mentally tough it out through this battle of 26.2 miles I will be remembering that 1) I want this!, 2) I never want to train for this again!, 3) All the people in my life touched by cancer who I am doing this in honor of or memory of (this list is way to long!).

I plan on having a great weekend!  I'll have fun!  I'll take pictures.  I'll enjoy being with my team, I'm sure I'll even enjoy a little alone time.  I'll also be reflecting.  Anyone who has done a TNT event knows that with it comes some heavy duty reflection, if not on your own, then with the "Inspiration Dinner"....which usually makes me cry.

David Brooks - is an amazing young man who is battling Leukemia, and has been for about 2 years now.  He's recently been dealing with some kidney issues as well (HUS), and when he was originally diagnosed he had had a stroke as well.  This young man is battling through some amazing fights!  He has a good attitude and a structure of family and friends to keep him going.  David I'm running this race in honor of YOU!

Wendy Gammon - My mom.  Diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma in 2/2007, stem cell transplant in 10/2007, dealing with all the after effects of chemo and stem cell transplant on a person who is very drug sensitive. Mom I am raising money for The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society in honor of YOU!

Lynn Harris - Uncle, you were a rock to our family.  Your passing left a hole that no one can fill.  We miss you.  I run this race in memory of YOU!

Pat Allen - Aunt Pat- I wish I had known how much you were going through before the end.  Your battle was a secret, but you fought the best you could.  I run this race in memory of YOU!

Georgi Brunning - Cousin - even though I haven't seen you in years I think of you.  Your battle with the cancer monster was amazing and I'm glad you made it through the mine fields to be here with your family.  I run this race in honor of YOU!

Vashni DePaz - You my friend are one AMAZING woman!  You are totally going to kick some cancer butt...AGAIN!!  Keep strong in your diligence!  I have faith that you will defeat the cancer monster!  I run this race in honor of YOU!

Jane Pahner - You have made my life so much happier.  I'm so happy you have fought the cancer battle and won!  I run this race in honor of YOU!!

Rob Harris-Cannon - You have given me the strength and determination to keep going so many times you don't even know it.  I'm glad to call you friend!  I'm so happy you have won your cancer battles.  I run this race in honor of YOU!!

there are so many more......but the tears are welling up already and I can't write anymore names right now.  I'll try to add to the list before I leave....but know that I am thinking of you all!!

My 4th season of TNT.

For my 4th time doing a Team in Training event I went back to what I started with, and what I love...Triathlons.

It was 2009.  My Mom was in recovery/remission.  She seemed to be doing pretty well, despite the set backs of treatment.  My mom is very drug sensitive and the high dosages of steroids and neurotoxins caused some pretty severe side effects.  Mom was/is unfortunately in pain most of the time now.  She can't feel her feet most of the time, and when she does they hurt (pins and needles...that don't just go away).  Her arm/hand shakes uncontrollably and it's beyond frustrating.  Her back has developed arthritis, in part because of the multiple fusions.  In spite of all these things, Mom puts on a brave face and seems to be learning to except her new limits with a thread of happiness.

I decided I would try training for the next distance of triathlon.  The international/olympic distance.  This distance consists of a .9 mile swim, a 25 mile bike, and a 6.2 mile (10K) run.  A little more to train for than my previous sprints, but I was determined.  I decided to just be a part of the team, and I was.  I had a great mentor, whose positivity was AMAZING.  Julie made everything seem possible.  My friend (the one who originally got me hooked on TNT) became the assistant coach for this tri group, and I got to be coached by Bruce - one of the most dedicated TNT coaches around.  It was a really fun summer of training.  I felt strong on my bike, and felt like my run was making slight improvements (after the never wanting to run again, after Nike...Months).  Swimming still came easily and was one high spot for me as I was able to help others with their swimming during our swim times. 

swimming at Falls Lake

The race I choose was Nations Tri, taking place in Washington, D.C.  The only part I wasn't looking forward to was the swim.  It was in the Potomac River.  Yep, that one.  But you know what??  It wasn't bad.  The water was clearer than any of the lakes around here.

perfect race food...right??

We were good and wore our helmets!

Listening well!

my sweet spot in transition

getting ready for the race!!

My Buddy Jenn!!

Me coming out of the water!

Run Chrissy Run

Looking Strong

Race weekend was AMAZING!!  And even though our little group from NC (there were 4 of us) got grouped into "the national team", with unknown coaches and staff people, we were lucky enough to have both our Coaches (Bruce and Ruth) come up on their own to cheer us on!  It was pretty spectacular!  Julie, Michelle and I drove up  together.  It made sense to do that since we would all be together anyways.  Annika had her family coming with her, so she drove up on her own.  We had a great time hanging out in DC and doing a little (very little) sightseeing before getting ready for the big day.  

we look awesome in our wetsuits and caps!!

Coaches and Team!!

The race:  Having been my first Olympic/International Distance race, I'd say it was pretty overwhelming.  There were 6,000 people registered.  The transition area was gi-normous.  I was really lucky to have been assigned a spot on the end of the bike rack (all spots were numbered to match your bib number).  Anxious butterflies happened before the swim while we were waiting to be corralled up.  Once the race got going though, it went fairly smoothly.  Well smoothly through the water (minus that last double turn where everyone tried to climb all over each other....ewwwww, get off me), and smoothly on the bike (except that part where it didn't look like I was going up a hill, and I thought I had a flat, so I asked the girl behind me to look and see, but apparently I was just going up a hill....ohh and the many many potholes), and smoothly on the run (except that part where the girl told me to keep going, and I explained my run/walk routine, in which she let me know it would be faster if I just ran the whole thing...thanks, I didn't train for this or anything), or at least mostly smoothly on the run.  Because at about mile 3 I really had to use the potty (just tee tee).  BUT, there were NO potty's anywhere.  And you couldn't go in the bushes, because...well it's downtown DC, there just wasn't anywhere to go hide in a bush at.  It was so bad that I ended up walking for a bit, and yelling and all the water stop people to see if they had a port-a-john near by.  Finally someone told me this big circular building was a potty, and I crossed my fingers that the doors would be unlocked.  And they were.  Relief.  However, getting back into running was hard for me.  So I walked, and ran a little and walked some more.  I had a great time talking to people and kept moving.  My weird injuries were flaring up, but I just kept moving, and finally got to running again....in time to come across the finish line.  I'm positive I could of been faster....but I wasn't, and it's okay because I finished.  I hung out with the girls after, and Julie and I drove home together (Michelle was meeting one of her friends in D.C.).

We trained (the four of us who did Nation's Tri) with a bigger group while in Raleigh.  The other group did the Wilmington YMCA Sprint Tri.  It was a fun group of people to train with.  Team in Training in our area was changing, and not quick enough.  I truly believe in what LLS does and how TNT helps, but I think that there are many ways to make the program more effective, and more accessible to many more people.  I was lucky enough to be a part of a focus group to think out different ideas (specifically for our area).  By the end of this season I was a little burnt out on TNT.  I was frustrated with the current powers that be.  Although I still believed in the mission, I needed a year away from the cause, and I took it.  

Happy New Year!!

Yesterday was a great day!!  I got up and did my last long run with the team.....it was "just" 10 miles.  Don't you love it when you get to the point in training when your previously long long runs are "just" runs.  I love it!!

Disney Team after the 10 mile run.

I brought my camera on my fuel belt so I could practice being ready for pictures at Disney.  I did pretty good with it, but I won't post all those crazy pictures (including the one of the little dog, of whom I called Mickey, who was running free).  I did the crew that stuck around to get together and have our picture taken!  Funny thing that happened was that one of my teammates was given a set of my coasters as a gift (was purchased at the Trek Store).  She really liked them and that made me happy!!

I hung out with some of the team afterwards for a late breakfast (recovery meal) at Bruggers Bagels.  It was an interesting experience.  *smiles*  It was crazy busy, but we all got to hang out and talk a little about our holidays and our upcoming exciting trip to Disney.

Fun times

Lot's of Characters

I came home and took a nap....cause I'm good like that!!  *smiles*  Then got up and helped Jason (a little) get ready for the party happening at our house.  We had a Murder Mystery Party with friends for New Years.  Jason (my husband) and Kim (my friend) came up with this idea a week or so ago, and I thought...GREAT, lets do it!!   So we did.  Kim had a boxed game set.  We set up an evite, we set up the characters, and sent out special emails out to those who would play parts (the only people who showed for the dinner) and set up the meal plan.  It turned out to be AWESOME!!  Everyone who came seemed to have a GREAT time, and really got into Character...and a bunch of Characters we were!!  *smiles*

Fun Food and Friends

Yay, for Friends!!

The midnight hour came and we toasted with our bubbly and watched the ball and acorn drop on television.  Then everyone packed up and headed home.  We were in bed by 1:30!!

New Years Resolutions....I usually don't do them, however I will be trying to do some this year.  One of my biggest resolutions is to drink less soda.  Ideally to stop drinking soda at all.  However as I know I'll be drinking soda in Disney, and probably after every race I do (it's just super satisfying), and it's one of the only things that helps with the onset of migraines.  My other resolution is to eat less fast food, limited to only 1 x week (or less).  My other resolutions are more personal, and somewhat private.

Merry Christmas!

I am enjoying the holiday season this year with my family...well my husbands family.  We made it to Virginia on Thursday night, and have been enjoying the holiday spirit while here.  We've been baking and wrapping, and arranging, and visiting, and all manner of things.


I went for a short run on Friday.  Waynesboro is in the valley, but it's fairly hilly here.  I got up and got on mapmyrun, and and mapped out a route (that I could recognize landmarks), it was about 2.5 miles, and I ended up doing it twice.  I could of gone longer but I didn't want to spend more than an hour away.  It was a nice run, and the sun was out and the people were out walking.  It was lovely.

The tree here is beautiful, and it's wild how many gifts there are under it.  Scout has been sniffing around a little under it, but to be fair there are gifts for him under there, and I think he knows!!  *smiles*  He hasn't gotten into anything yet. *fingers crossed*  He has had his moments in years past (remembering the year he ate half the cookie tray, and the top half of a chocolate cake), but he's been really good in years past as well.

I really love this time of year, even with the craziness and hustle and bustle of everything, I love being able to spend time with the ones we (I) love and remember how lucky we are to have each other, to live this life, and be a part of this world.

Merry Christmas, or whatever Holiday you Celebrate.  

20 miler!!

Tis' the Season, Fa La La La La La La La La!!  So Friday I worked til 5-ish, then I went and ate dinner and went to the wine club holiday party.  I only drank 1 small glass of wine though, as I knew I had to get up early and do my 20 miler the next day.

I woke up at 5:15 on Saturday and took the dogs (my friend was spending the night after the wine club party- she and Jason stayed later and came back home to sleep), for a walk.  I got all my stuff together and headed out the door.  It was chilly but not COLD out.  The air was moist but it wasn't raining. I was dressed in a long sleeve compression-ish shirt, a short sleeve wicking shirt, and one of my running jackets on top, and my cwx compression capris on bottom, along with socks and the new-ish brooks running shoes, also a knit hat and gloves (which got shed pretty quickly into the run).

I got to the meet up spot, and hung out in my car until the group formed.  No need to get cold before I need to. *smiles*  I got out and hung out with the group for a bit, we had our instructions, and our mission moment.  I asked Wilford to take a group pic of us doing the 20 miler (he nicely did and put it up on facebook :) ).  And off we went.

I had been dreading this run all week.  I really didn't want to do it.  I knew I needed to, but I didn't want to do it.  Our team is small, and I usually am out running by myself for a good chunk of the time.  We have some great coaches, but we also have people who need more encouragement, or instruction than I do.  When I trained for Nike, our team was HUGE, and there were always people around, even if we didn't run the same pace we could talk for awhile and then move on.  I'm the middle girl.  Runners faster and runner's slower than I am, but I'm pretty much in the middle of the group on most runs.  Which means I usually get to hang with a coach for a little bit at the beginning and a little bit at the end of my runs.  20 miles is a really long way....boring, boring, boring running.  TNT policy says we aren't allowed to use headphones during group training for safety reasons.  I get it, and I actually think I run faster without music (I listen to my foot falls better), but I miss the distraction of music.  Ohhh, but I'm such a lucky girl to have good friends, of whom I sent out pleas of you could come run some of this run with me, or ride beside me for a little bit, or just come cheer me on at my hard points!  A few friends wanted to come out, but schedules and what not got in the way.  One friend said she would try to come and ride beside me, but it was early on a Saturday morning (trust me, I totally understand not wanting to get out of a warm bed on a cold morning).  My good friend Ruth made it out to ride beside me (very slow riding in cold temps) for a good chunk of my run.  It was nice to chat and catch up, and keep my mind distracted through all those miles!!  I felt good, I felt really strong, and HAPPY, so HAPPY!!  Ruth headed back when I had about 4 more miles to go, she was cold, and had to get back to her car which was closer to the half way point of my run (it was an out and back).  I kept running, feeling pretty good, but also feeling that last honey stinger chew sitting in my stomach just turning into a hard knot.  Eating while running can be tricky at times.  Figuring out the right combo of "food" is always interesting.  I've been doing endurance sports for awhile, and just when I think I've got it all figured out, something throws me for a loop.  It's okay though, because you learn from these things.  I ended up walking for the last 2.5 miles, but I tried to keep my walk going strong.  Walking is hard.  Your feet hurt more (really they do), and you just want to be done, but it takes longer, because you are walking instead of running.  Yeah...walking isn't fun, but since I do run walk combo's throughout my run, it wasn't torture either.  I finished...I made it.  I ran/walked my 20 miles.  It took me 4 hours and 15 minutes.  I found the porta john, thank you ATT for having that there, and afterwards felt amazing!  I walked across the street, talked with the coaches, signed out, and headed home for my ice bath.

Yes, you read that right, ice bath.  Brrrrrrr.  Actually the cold water bath is pretty hard in and of itself, so I sit in the cold water for about 7 minutes and then add the ice in, for another 7 minutes.  It's terrible.  I HATE IT!!  Jason made me some hot chocolate to try and keep me warm.  This is one bath I wear clothes in, I should of had Jason take a picture of me in the ice bath.  I wore some old tri shorts, and on top I had on a long sleeve cotton tee, and a sweatshirt, I forgot my knit hat.  I had a book, but Jason talked to me, so that was good.  Ohh and I had my phone.  Smart-phones, I lover youse.

Yep, then it was shower time, and get ready for the first of 3 parties I had to go to.  I actually only made it to two parties, because I did crash (I was just so tired).  I felt pretty good all day though.  I ate yummy food, and had lot's of water, and coke's cause ummm yeah.  I'm sorry I missed the last party, but sleep was so AWESOME!