*except for running.
Holler peeps it's time for a rhyme,
Grab a seat if you've got the time.
Some white stuff is coming down out of the sky,
Bread, milk and TP is what the people buy.
The mexis gather round the chimney with care,
In hopes that whatever they pray to would soon be there.
Denise sets up camp at Du Burns Arena,
This wet ass snow will not make her cleaner.
The bars open up to serve drinks and din,
To stay in tonight would be a mortal sin.
Get your lawn chairs ready to mark that spot,
This snow's comin' in, ready or not!
Friday, February 5, 2010
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Stolen from Slowtwitch
So I haven’t blogged for awhile now and it’s mostly because I haven’t known what to write about. My training is still in the early phases, so nothing too earth shattering (too soon?) there. I will wrap up phase/month1 with the half marathon in Miami. My goal time is 1:37. I haven’t trained properly for a half marathon by any means and am probably drastically underprepared, but I am excited to try and go for it, so I will. I did back to back long runs Sunday/Monday and judging from how my legs felt yesterday that was a bad choice, but those runs are going really well and I’m excited for that. Oh, and the Nordell duo signed up for 3 Days (again) so I’ll get to compete against the 2x (3x?) returning champ. I wouldn’t want it any other way.
Anyway, due to my lack of creativity for a post, I headed to Slowtwitch and stole the questions from their recent interview with Joanna Zieger and I interviewed myself. The only answer I overlap with her on is the first…..
What is the most overrated virtue? Underrated?
The most overrated virtue is patience. If I was patient, I wouldn’t be running ultras or Ironmans in the first place. The time is never “right” ….the moment is never perfect. It’s up to you to decide to do something and go after it. People often encourage me to take it easy – don’t try to do all these sweet things when I’m so young. What will be left for me to accomplish in 5-10 years? That’s the great thing about ultras. There’s always one more mountain to run up. There’s always one more way to challenge myself. And this way, if it all ever ends, for one reason or another, at least I can be satisfied with what I got to do.
The most underrated virtue is creativity. Things get crazy, especially when you’re an age grouper trying to balance life, love and the pursuit of happiness. But all you hear is about people saying that to be successful at it you need to be disciplined and focused. And while those are important things too, it’s important to get creative! Find ways of training to make yourself better AND have fun, meet people, etc. Keep it new, keep it interesting. Find ways to get in workouts that still leave you time to go to happy hour or brunch. Sometimes you need to think outside the box, but it’s gotta be possible to have it all. Because if you can’t maintain that balance, if you’re not winning, you’ll burn out and forget about why you’re competing in the first place...
What are some things that every elegant woman should have?
A catchphrase. Think about it – Coco Chanel, Marilyn Monroe, Paris Hilton….all have their little sayings. What’s mine? If you can’t be good, be good at it….If you can’t be good at it, just be pretty.
Oh, that and an always have an avalanche shovel.
Do you ever think about money when in a race?
Of course. You can’t be in that much pain and help but at point to curse the fact that you probably spent thousands of dollars to put yourself through it. Or the fact that I could be lying on a beach in some exotic land and have hired a small child to bring me drinks with those dollars. Sigh.
I believe in….. God? A metaphysical whatever? The human spirit? Love? The devil? Yahweh? Mohammed? Nothing? Random chance? Fate? Luck? The Great Pumpkin?
I believe that humans are smart, rational beings that have the ability to do the right thing and make themselves happy. Just takes some of us longer to find the initiative to be in control of that.
Why are so many excellent triathletes so smart? Mari Rabe is a Rhodes scholar, Scott Tinley got his PHD, Ray Browning has a PhD, Sri Lindley and Karen Smyers are Ivy Leaguers, you have a doctorate … Can a dumb triathlete be very good?
Smart people are more likely to make more money. Smart people are also more likely to be bored with mundane things. Therefore smart people are probably the most willing to spend so much on racing equipment. The nature of the beast sifts out the poor man. And if “dumb” means no Ivy League degree or PHD, then yes, a dumb triathlete can be very good. Same principal as in life applies here…book-smart doesn’t equal tri-smart.
If an asteroid hit the earth while you were leading Ironman Hawaii -- given that the asteroid didn’t hit immediately nearby but was large enough that disastrous consequences were looming -- would you finish or would you stop and hug your husband Mark and your mom and dad?
ummm, hello? I would finish the race. Family would understand.
If tri is swim bike and run plus transitions, is in-race urination the fifth discipline? What woman is best at this special skill?
Sure. I am definitely a contender for the best at this one. Although I can’t pee off the bike, I have mastered the “hold it until the aide station is in view, let it go slowly and grab water to wash it off of you” trick. I also am good at finding the perfect angle to squat behind a tree so no one can see my muffin….even if it’s a skinny birch tree.
Is it even possible to use makeup during a race? If so, what do you use?
I never really wear much makeup, but I also never leave the house without mascara on. Race morning included….waterproof, obvi. You never know who you’ll meet and take pics with! And if you’re not going to win the race, you should at least try to be the prettiest while competing.
What scares you the most?
Getting pushed into the harbor on a run in the winter. Falling off a mountain. The thought I may never going through with any of my sweet ideas and inventions I have. Never getting to the point of “my absolute best” before I can’t compete anymore.
Do you ever watch your races on TV? Why or why not?
I always watch them. The footage is never of me, but I watch them.
Anyway, due to my lack of creativity for a post, I headed to Slowtwitch and stole the questions from their recent interview with Joanna Zieger and I interviewed myself. The only answer I overlap with her on is the first…..
What is the most overrated virtue? Underrated?
The most overrated virtue is patience. If I was patient, I wouldn’t be running ultras or Ironmans in the first place. The time is never “right” ….the moment is never perfect. It’s up to you to decide to do something and go after it. People often encourage me to take it easy – don’t try to do all these sweet things when I’m so young. What will be left for me to accomplish in 5-10 years? That’s the great thing about ultras. There’s always one more mountain to run up. There’s always one more way to challenge myself. And this way, if it all ever ends, for one reason or another, at least I can be satisfied with what I got to do.
The most underrated virtue is creativity. Things get crazy, especially when you’re an age grouper trying to balance life, love and the pursuit of happiness. But all you hear is about people saying that to be successful at it you need to be disciplined and focused. And while those are important things too, it’s important to get creative! Find ways of training to make yourself better AND have fun, meet people, etc. Keep it new, keep it interesting. Find ways to get in workouts that still leave you time to go to happy hour or brunch. Sometimes you need to think outside the box, but it’s gotta be possible to have it all. Because if you can’t maintain that balance, if you’re not winning, you’ll burn out and forget about why you’re competing in the first place...
What are some things that every elegant woman should have?
A catchphrase. Think about it – Coco Chanel, Marilyn Monroe, Paris Hilton….all have their little sayings. What’s mine? If you can’t be good, be good at it….If you can’t be good at it, just be pretty.
Oh, that and an always have an avalanche shovel.
Do you ever think about money when in a race?
Of course. You can’t be in that much pain and help but at point to curse the fact that you probably spent thousands of dollars to put yourself through it. Or the fact that I could be lying on a beach in some exotic land and have hired a small child to bring me drinks with those dollars. Sigh.
I believe in….. God? A metaphysical whatever? The human spirit? Love? The devil? Yahweh? Mohammed? Nothing? Random chance? Fate? Luck? The Great Pumpkin?
I believe that humans are smart, rational beings that have the ability to do the right thing and make themselves happy. Just takes some of us longer to find the initiative to be in control of that.
Why are so many excellent triathletes so smart? Mari Rabe is a Rhodes scholar, Scott Tinley got his PHD, Ray Browning has a PhD, Sri Lindley and Karen Smyers are Ivy Leaguers, you have a doctorate … Can a dumb triathlete be very good?
Smart people are more likely to make more money. Smart people are also more likely to be bored with mundane things. Therefore smart people are probably the most willing to spend so much on racing equipment. The nature of the beast sifts out the poor man. And if “dumb” means no Ivy League degree or PHD, then yes, a dumb triathlete can be very good. Same principal as in life applies here…book-smart doesn’t equal tri-smart.
If an asteroid hit the earth while you were leading Ironman Hawaii -- given that the asteroid didn’t hit immediately nearby but was large enough that disastrous consequences were looming -- would you finish or would you stop and hug your husband Mark and your mom and dad?
ummm, hello? I would finish the race. Family would understand.
If tri is swim bike and run plus transitions, is in-race urination the fifth discipline? What woman is best at this special skill?
Sure. I am definitely a contender for the best at this one. Although I can’t pee off the bike, I have mastered the “hold it until the aide station is in view, let it go slowly and grab water to wash it off of you” trick. I also am good at finding the perfect angle to squat behind a tree so no one can see my muffin….even if it’s a skinny birch tree.
Is it even possible to use makeup during a race? If so, what do you use?
I never really wear much makeup, but I also never leave the house without mascara on. Race morning included….waterproof, obvi. You never know who you’ll meet and take pics with! And if you’re not going to win the race, you should at least try to be the prettiest while competing.
What scares you the most?
Getting pushed into the harbor on a run in the winter. Falling off a mountain. The thought I may never going through with any of my sweet ideas and inventions I have. Never getting to the point of “my absolute best” before I can’t compete anymore.
Do you ever watch your races on TV? Why or why not?
I always watch them. The footage is never of me, but I watch them.
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Saturday, December 26, 2009
Goals Schmoals
I am a big believer in goals. I think that quantifying what you want, visualizing it, and mostly just having that goal stare you in the face everyday will help you get there. Not that I'm discounting the hard work, but seeing it every day really is a big motivator. When I was trying to qualify for Boston with my first marathon, I had the time "3:40" taped up just about anywhere imaginable (well, considering I was at the Naval Academy that was like 2 places otherwise I got in trouble) so I would see it several times a day. By the time the marathon rolled around, the number didn't scare me; I was prepared, and I believed that I would do it.....and I did.
TWSS also values goals, and at our awards night each December we write them on little notecards that Ryan saves for us to look back on at the end of the year. Interestingly enough, I was pretty far from most of my goals for last year. But, that is okay. I aimed high, and I missed - but that doesn't mean I didn't do some sweet things.
For 2010 I set myself some pretty lofty goals again. They are:
-Overall Female Winner at 3 Days of Syllamo (March)
-Overall Winner at Old Dominion 100 Mile
-Sub 10:45 at Ironman Wisconsin
-Sub 3:30 Marathon
-Sub 8 at JFK
Looking at these, I may very well be setting myself up for failure to meet them once again this year. But I'll do my best to get there. There are a couple major changes I'll be making training-wise to reach these goals. One, I am going to work closely again with Francesca Conte to coach me through OD 100. She coached me through GEER and I know that it significantly improved my performace. After that, I still was using her as a coach and mentor, just not as seriously (my focus was the IM). I know that she can get me into the shape I need to be in to be able to beat the whole field at that 100. Even without a win, I would like to see how well I can do at OD, get my confidence up a bit for 100's, and then in 2011 go for a bigger race.
Because I will be following her training plan seriously, I want to hold myself more accountable for my training. My training logs have also taken the backseat since GEER. I will hopefully use this blog and another online tracker to keep track of my mileage and training. To get ready for both the 100 and the IM, every mile and every minute will count, and I don't want to cheat myself.
The Ironman is probably my loftiest goal out there. To get there, it's pretty simple: I need to swim, bike and run like the baller I know I am. 1:15/5:50/3:40. Boom.
For the marathon, going sub-3:30 has been a long time coming for me. I know I can do it. Heck, I know I could run a 3:20. It's just a matter of making myself run faster when I train. Running faster is something I can do. I don't neccessarily like it - but to get to my other goals I will have to do it. The plan for that is to run a half in March to get a time that automatically enters me in the NYC Marathon. If that happens, I will run NYC, skip JFK, and then run Hellgate 100K in December. If it doesn't happen, I will decide between JFK and Mt. Masochist as a 50 miler for November.
Only 4 more days till the training cycles begin!
TWSS also values goals, and at our awards night each December we write them on little notecards that Ryan saves for us to look back on at the end of the year. Interestingly enough, I was pretty far from most of my goals for last year. But, that is okay. I aimed high, and I missed - but that doesn't mean I didn't do some sweet things.
For 2010 I set myself some pretty lofty goals again. They are:
-Overall Female Winner at 3 Days of Syllamo (March)
-Overall Winner at Old Dominion 100 Mile
-Sub 10:45 at Ironman Wisconsin
-Sub 3:30 Marathon
-Sub 8 at JFK
Looking at these, I may very well be setting myself up for failure to meet them once again this year. But I'll do my best to get there. There are a couple major changes I'll be making training-wise to reach these goals. One, I am going to work closely again with Francesca Conte to coach me through OD 100. She coached me through GEER and I know that it significantly improved my performace. After that, I still was using her as a coach and mentor, just not as seriously (my focus was the IM). I know that she can get me into the shape I need to be in to be able to beat the whole field at that 100. Even without a win, I would like to see how well I can do at OD, get my confidence up a bit for 100's, and then in 2011 go for a bigger race.
Because I will be following her training plan seriously, I want to hold myself more accountable for my training. My training logs have also taken the backseat since GEER. I will hopefully use this blog and another online tracker to keep track of my mileage and training. To get ready for both the 100 and the IM, every mile and every minute will count, and I don't want to cheat myself.
The Ironman is probably my loftiest goal out there. To get there, it's pretty simple: I need to swim, bike and run like the baller I know I am. 1:15/5:50/3:40. Boom.
For the marathon, going sub-3:30 has been a long time coming for me. I know I can do it. Heck, I know I could run a 3:20. It's just a matter of making myself run faster when I train. Running faster is something I can do. I don't neccessarily like it - but to get to my other goals I will have to do it. The plan for that is to run a half in March to get a time that automatically enters me in the NYC Marathon. If that happens, I will run NYC, skip JFK, and then run Hellgate 100K in December. If it doesn't happen, I will decide between JFK and Mt. Masochist as a 50 miler for November.
Only 4 more days till the training cycles begin!
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Thanks for the memories
Just kidding. My memory is horrible, I remember next to nothing. But I think I had a good time in 2009, so I'll take a brief look back and look at the highs and lows (low low low).
High Point: PR at Holiday Lake 50K in February. Dr. Horton's (hears a who?) races are always pretty competitive and attract a lot of wild card younger marathoners, so getting in the top 3 there and breaking 5 hours was sweet.
Low Point: DNF at North Face in May. No one wants to be a quitter.
High Point: THE JAMS! 2009 has been a sick year for music, especially with the ladies T. Swift and Lady Gags releasing sweet stuff nonstop.
Low Point: Mile 35 of Western States. Puking, hot and tired. Enough Said.
High Point: Finishing Western States. Rivals winning GEER for my favorite ultrarunning moment.
Low Point: Ryan getting hit by a car. Even though it didn't hurt me physically, it hasn't been fun to see a friend have to go through that. He was setting himself up for a baller year, and not being able to see him finish it is sad.
High Point: Qualifying for Clearwater. I never thought I would get there, and I probably never will again, so it was nice to have my 15 minutes of fame.
Low Point: Getting out of the water at Louisville to discover my jacked up rear wheel was flat....before it left the rack.
High Point: Ironman Lousiville. Alyssa, you are an IRONMAN! Not only that, but having 2 amazing friends surprise me and come out for the race was awes.
Low Point: Work was a drag. I was unable to be positive in a lot of other areas of my life because work was getting to be very frustrating and stressful. Buttt.....
High Point: I got a new job! I will be kicking off 2010 as a Data Analyst & Technical Writer for a defense contractor in Hunt Valley, so that should be a good change of pace and hopefully something that I enjoy.
Low Point: DNF at JFK. Again, it's never fun to quit. Especially when you're going for a 5th finish and final race of the year. OHhhhhhh well.
High Point: Some baller performances by my bffs on TWSS. A few standouts: Chrissie at NY, Bren at National, Ben at JFK, Ryan finishing Eagleman standing (haha), Zero's IM......the list goes on.
Low Point: Getting tired. I had more struggles with my mental racing game than I usually do this year, espcially post-IM.
High Point: Getting more comfortable in the pool and on the bike. I'm beginning to actually enjoy these workouts now and am looking forward to the spring and summer when I can get out there more. Hopefully will be able to save for a new bike in 2010 as well!
Low Point: Missing the Majumdar wedding due to my little race. Still feel bad about that one!
High Point: I'm 24 years old and did I mention I'm an Ironman and a Western States finisher? Damnnnnn son. I'm a sexy biatch.
High Point: PR at Holiday Lake 50K in February. Dr. Horton's (hears a who?) races are always pretty competitive and attract a lot of wild card younger marathoners, so getting in the top 3 there and breaking 5 hours was sweet.
Low Point: DNF at North Face in May. No one wants to be a quitter.
High Point: THE JAMS! 2009 has been a sick year for music, especially with the ladies T. Swift and Lady Gags releasing sweet stuff nonstop.
Low Point: Mile 35 of Western States. Puking, hot and tired. Enough Said.
High Point: Finishing Western States. Rivals winning GEER for my favorite ultrarunning moment.
Low Point: Ryan getting hit by a car. Even though it didn't hurt me physically, it hasn't been fun to see a friend have to go through that. He was setting himself up for a baller year, and not being able to see him finish it is sad.
High Point: Qualifying for Clearwater. I never thought I would get there, and I probably never will again, so it was nice to have my 15 minutes of fame.
Low Point: Getting out of the water at Louisville to discover my jacked up rear wheel was flat....before it left the rack.
High Point: Ironman Lousiville. Alyssa, you are an IRONMAN! Not only that, but having 2 amazing friends surprise me and come out for the race was awes.
Low Point: Work was a drag. I was unable to be positive in a lot of other areas of my life because work was getting to be very frustrating and stressful. Buttt.....
High Point: I got a new job! I will be kicking off 2010 as a Data Analyst & Technical Writer for a defense contractor in Hunt Valley, so that should be a good change of pace and hopefully something that I enjoy.
Low Point: DNF at JFK. Again, it's never fun to quit. Especially when you're going for a 5th finish and final race of the year. OHhhhhhh well.
High Point: Some baller performances by my bffs on TWSS. A few standouts: Chrissie at NY, Bren at National, Ben at JFK, Ryan finishing Eagleman standing (haha), Zero's IM......the list goes on.
Low Point: Getting tired. I had more struggles with my mental racing game than I usually do this year, espcially post-IM.
High Point: Getting more comfortable in the pool and on the bike. I'm beginning to actually enjoy these workouts now and am looking forward to the spring and summer when I can get out there more. Hopefully will be able to save for a new bike in 2010 as well!
Low Point: Missing the Majumdar wedding due to my little race. Still feel bad about that one!
High Point: I'm 24 years old and did I mention I'm an Ironman and a Western States finisher? Damnnnnn son. I'm a sexy biatch.
Thursday, December 17, 2009
To Rash Field, Fort McHenry, and Natty Boh
As I write this, I am sitting in a sweet loft in downtown Toledo. Toledo? Why Toledo? Well, it just so happens that my good friend Dani's sister lives out here. I consider the Garcia girls to be my own sisters, and Alicia has lived out here for a year and a half now and I haven't come out to visit. When I realized a couple months ago that I was long overdue for a real vacation - with no racing, no activities, no nothing planned - this seemed like a good option. Of course, it's no Barbados or Costa Rica, but it will be sweet because everything I do ends up awesome.
Anyway, after eight hours in this city I wanted to write this post to give Baltimore some props. In the short day I've been here, the only thing I have noticed as a common thread between the people I've talked to is that they apologize for their city. No one can believe we came out here for a vacation. They say things like "I don't really know what you'll find for fun" or "I'm sure where you're from is much more exciting."
Now, if they hadn't said anything, it's not like I would have thought Toledo was my next life destination, but I certainly wouldn't have thought that there was "nothing to do." Which brings me to my realization that Baltimore is awesome. Sure, the traffic blows downtown and operation orange cone is quite possibly the worst idea ever. But, we're damn proud of our horrible traffic patterns and our homeless people. We're indescribably loyal to a beer that isn't even brewed in our city anymore. We know that the dolphin show really is sweet enough to warrant the $50 per ticket it costs to see it. In fact, we believe it so much we write that Baltimore is the greatest city in America on benches all over the town.
So to everyone in Baltimore, keep believing in your city. Because, after all, it could be worse....you could live in Toledo.
Anyway, after eight hours in this city I wanted to write this post to give Baltimore some props. In the short day I've been here, the only thing I have noticed as a common thread between the people I've talked to is that they apologize for their city. No one can believe we came out here for a vacation. They say things like "I don't really know what you'll find for fun" or "I'm sure where you're from is much more exciting."
Now, if they hadn't said anything, it's not like I would have thought Toledo was my next life destination, but I certainly wouldn't have thought that there was "nothing to do." Which brings me to my realization that Baltimore is awesome. Sure, the traffic blows downtown and operation orange cone is quite possibly the worst idea ever. But, we're damn proud of our horrible traffic patterns and our homeless people. We're indescribably loyal to a beer that isn't even brewed in our city anymore. We know that the dolphin show really is sweet enough to warrant the $50 per ticket it costs to see it. In fact, we believe it so much we write that Baltimore is the greatest city in America on benches all over the town.
So to everyone in Baltimore, keep believing in your city. Because, after all, it could be worse....you could live in Toledo.
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