If you hadn't noticed my new widget on the left, check it out! Dailymile is like facebook for athletes (and I use the term "athlete" loosely.) It's been a great way for me to track my workouts and, in combination with my new Garmin, a great way to watch my progress. And this week Dailymile tells me I covered 99 miles in the pool and on the roads!
No, I haven't turned into a soccer fan, but with your help I reached part one of this season's fundraising goal. That's right, as of today I have raised $4900 - the fundraising minimum for the Wildflower Triathlon this season.
But that doesn't mean I'm going to rest on my laurels and stop - oh, no. Part two of my fundraising goal is to hit the $25,000 mark - not for this season alone, but for all three of my seasons with TNT combined. That's right, $25,000 total. And we're only $2082 away.
I'll pretty much do anything to get donations right now. Proof? Last week I recorded the intro to Chris Russell's Run Run Live podcast -- and he used it! Check it out here! I included a plug for my donation site and this blog. I guess now I have to post a little more frequently :)
I'll believe it when I see it but that's what they're saying is heading our way. One more thing making it harder for me to get out there and run. The treadmill is mocking me and I'm starting to panic just a tad about 70.3 in May. Swimming is going well. Biking is, well, non-existent except for some spin classes and I've hit a low point in terms of running speed. The Gridiron 4 miler in Central Park this past Sunday was my slowest race - ever.
p.s. Did I mention my new bike - my first road bike - arrived? It's at the local bike shop being put together as we speak. Can't wait to get on it!!!!
Are you ready to join us on December 8th? I hope so! Bret Shuford and I decided to throw a fundraiser to support The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Bret is training with LLS's Team In Training for the first time and aiming to cross the finish line in at the Walt Disney World Marathon in January. I just started my third season with TNT and am aiming for the Wildflower Half Ironman Triathlon in May. We're both doing this to raise awareness and funds in the fight against blood cancers.
additional chances for door prizes available for $5 each or 5 for $20 - choose which prize you want to win!
MC Lara Yaz first performed stand-up comedy when she was 13 years old in her middle school cafeteria for a talent show. Ten years later she moved to New York and decided to try it for reals. Since then she has been featured in the comedy group 'Lack of Etiquette' with Tim Warner and Ed Murray and wrote the popular music blog for springstreetsessions.com under the name April O'Neil. Spring Street Sessions' compilation cd of featured music which was released in 2006 also includes several tracks of her live performances at Sly Bar. Most recently Lara appeared on Comedy Central's Open-Mic Fight New York. She continues to perform at comedy clubs around the city.
Introductory astrology and numerology readings from Sharita's Star Secrets. Discover the connection between your sun sign, karmic path, and your current place in time for only $15 bucks to help support our cause. Check out www.sharitastar.com.
So Bret and I are having a fundraiser on Tuesday, December 8th! Bret is training for the Walt Disney World Marathon in January and very shortly I will begin my training for the Wildflower Half Ironman in May. We each have separate fundraising goals, but we're teaming together to hold one whopper of an event! Mark your calendars! Details coming soon!
I did it! I'm still recovering and unpacking and procrastinating doing the laundry, so give me a few days to gather my thoughts. It was an amazing weekend that finished off with another surprise which I will fill you in about soon.
Today I hit two out of the three. I went to bike GTS (now at 7:30am!) and did 4 lower loops and 2 full loops of Central Park. The coldest part was waiting for the start of practice over at 72nd and the river. Once we got going, however, it wasn't so bad. I'm feeling more confident every time I hit the road. I had a nice chat with coach Jay and went over some shifting issues. I just have to keep practicing!
And then, because I got called in to sub unexpectedly last night and missed my Friday night solo swim, I went to the gym and swam....for 40 minutes straight!!!! And I wasn't busted afterwards! I am feeling pretty great about the swim bit.
Now, if I can just get back my running legs. Let's hope the Coogan's Salsa Blues and Shamrocks 5K goes better tomorrow than it did last year. http://kimrunsparis.blogspot.com/2008/03/oh-my.html
I've been embroiled in AEA negotiations all this week and am exhausted, but I promised myself I would not miss bike GTS this morning. So, with 5 hours of sleep I got up, put on 5 upper layers, 2 pairs of gloves, 2 lower layers, 2 pairs of socks and some sandwich bags over my socks and got on my bike and headed up to Central Park.
I must say I loooove my new tires. That suction cup feeling is totally gone and except for going uphill I actually felt like I was moving quickly and not trudging along. And after releasing the urge to stay with the basic, basic group, I headed off with the main group for some gear work. After 2 lower loops we did 6 runs up Strawberry Hill as I like to call it. I have no idea what it's actually called, but it's really steep. I was very excited to get an "excellent" from Coach Scott. Small things :)
Then we headed back down around the bottom of the park and up to the north end. Harlem Hill. Eeek. I thought running up it was hard.....
But I did it 3 times before braving 9th Avenue to get home to shower and get ready to go back to AEA.
I don't anticipate resurfacing from 46th street until some time tomorrow. It's going to be a fun night!!! And I promise to get in a run as soon as it's over.
I'm a little in love with the guys at Toga bikes on 64th and West End. They were very nice and didn't charge me for the adjustments my bike needed or the labor for changing my tires. They didn't make me feel like an idiot and answered all of my questions.
I had a plan this morning. I accidentally left a binder uptown last night and I definitely need saddle time so.... The plan was to ride up the west side, retrieve the binder and ride back. The ride uptown was pretty good. I'm still having trouble with the whole shifting thing, but the ride along the Hudson is pretty flat so it wasn't too painful.
The first thing I realized is that I need to get some eye protection - sunglasses or something. The wind makes my eyes water and there is so much crud flying around in the air that eye protection is definitely my next purchase.
The next thing I realized is that the simple things, like locking up the bike, are really not that simple for me. It took me a good ten minutes to remove my chain, get it around the bike without the bike falling over and safely lock the bike. It's all still so awkward.
And here's where the plan derails: City College -where I left the binder - was closed. Lincoln's birthday. Apparently they take advantage of President's Day AND Lincoln's birthday. Seems a little redundant to me, but oh, well. So much for my plan.
So I make my way back downtown. Only now I'm riding directly into the wind. Wow, what a difference that makes. I was bad about checking the time, but I think it took me twice as long to get home as it did to get there. I also managed to lose my chain once. I am very proud to say that it only took me a few minutes to get it back on. I did not panic. Yay.
On the way back I decided to see if the Toga bike shop at 64th and West End was open yet. I think my bike might need some gear tweaks and the guys there were really helpful at our group info session a few weeks back. I head out of Riverside Park at 59th street and then back up West End Ave to 64th St. to find that they are not open yet. Foiled again. And here's where I get brave....I decide to ride the rest of the way down 12th Avenue. The traffic was fairly light and I did quite well if I may say so myself.
That is until the last half block. I stupidly decide to ride on the sidewalk on 45th St. past 9th on the way to my building mid-block. 20 yards from my door I lose my balance and topple over onto the tree guard between the parking lots. I now have a very sore thumb and a nice gouge on my right inner thigh. My first battle wounds.
It’s amazing how quickly we slip in to our accent and vernacular. I was watching the University of Alabama game against the University of Arkansas Razorbacks. I was multitasking in the kitchen making a pear cake and dinner, when I slipped in to my southern roots. When I said, “I’m fixin’ to get that,” my children did a double take. They had never heard me talk like that. When my husband met me 21 years ago, I had only lived in Maryland for six months. I still had a slight southern accent that most people picked up on quickly. For my friends who have never visited or lived in the south, we call it southern.
I was a military brat who grew up in Georgia and Alabama. My Dad kept getting reassigned to Ft. Rucker, Alabama, so I consider Alabama “where I come from.” I finished high school there in a small town and graduated from college. It was a fabulous experience and I wouldn’t trade it for anything. But as a publishing professional for two decades, my speaking and writing has changed drastically since growing up in Alabama. Ain’t is no longer in my vocabulary. Nothing ends in “in'” it’s “ing.” My family doesn’t “git” anything.
I haven’t visited Alabama since 1993. My Mom had a stroke and I flew home. My parents moved to South Carolina about two years later. I have not ventured back for any Enterprise High School class reunions. How could I so quickly launch in to speaking southern?
What made me slip in to my vernacular? A Crimson Tide football game and Facebook posts with former classmates who completely understand what football means. In the south, football is king. There are no other sports. Sure, we have other sports, but none are really as important. In the late summer and early fall, it’s all about football and marching bands, whether it’s high school or college. We eat, sleep and breathe it and our party lines are drawn: You’re either rooting for our team or you’re not. You’re either wearing our team colors or you’re an outlaw — at least during the game.
I was rather late to the Facebook game. I was active with Twitter and LinkedIn. I didn’t need Facebook. But since I joined this summer, I have reconnected with high school friends. It’s almost like we all haven’t been separated for over two decades. We all have kids; some of which are engaged or getting married. Some of us have lost a parent. We’re all working or own businesses and trying to enjoy our lives. I sincerely hope that we are living some part of our dream, if not all of it.
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