Neon Purple Fruit Flies ...and pictures.

I haven't been sleeping well. This is really a stronger statement than it may come off as. I never have trouble sleeping. Ever. On the contrary I have trouble staying awake. However, my apartment is infested with fruit flies. Perhaps they are the biggest thing I hate about summer. They're in the kitchen, living room, bathroom, and even my bedroom which I cleaned-- laundry and all, but they won't go away. Swarms. And it's DISGUSTING. I sleep with my mouth open and I am paralyzed with fear that they will fly in my mouth! I have DREAMT about them hovering over my bed (they were neon purple in my dream... what does that mean?!), and I wake up hourly in a panic as I realize that I have shed my protective blanket while half-sleeping.

All this is to say that I'm really tired. More so than usual. And it's upsetting because since most of the activities I pursue aren't scheduled, most of them don't get done or don't get done until super late when I realize how I've piddled a day a way and get so mad that I finally have energy to move.

Here are pictures from the worst triathlon EVER:

8/11/09 EDIT: Some copyright clown got their knickers in a knot that I took a picture of the picture on my computer screen to obtain the race photos, so those are no longer posted. The last thing I need is to be thrown in jail-- or worse-- thrown a huge fine for a copyright violation. Gotta love the Negative Nancy's of the world. For the love of pete.

...

When I went to sign up for the triathlon I was considering for this weekend, registration was closed. Irritating, but probably good seeing as how registration is $90, then getting a car would be over $100. Through my job I joined Zipcar. Being an employee gets me out of the application and annual fee. It's still not cheap hour-by-hour or for the day, but it rules out gas, a lot of taxes, and underage fees that come with traditional car rentals.

I ran after work on Thursday. We went to the lakeshore trail and on our way back, we saw Obama and his entourage coming up Lakeshore Drive and then take off in one of FIVE helicopters! It was kind of ridiculous. The hospital I work for is getting ready to move in 2012 and a big issue is that the neighborhood where its moving doesn't want a helipad because of noise and safety concerns. It seemed ironic that Obama parades in with five stinkin' huge helicopters the same night that the hearing for Children's started. HA. What can ya do. It was kinda cool to watch, though. Definitely seemed like a movie or something. It made me glad we ran-- we both left late from work (~8:30) so we weren't thrilled to be running after a long day and having to return bright and early the next morning. So this little bit of excitement was appreciated.

Nothing exciting to report. I think I'm going to need new running shoes before the big race at the end of August. This is good because it means I've been running... bad because they're expensive. We'll see.

I'm still bitter about last weekend-- unreasonably so. I granted myself 24 hours for a pity party and that has passed... by far. So I should really snap out of it. So much easier said than done. I've drawn up a rigorous training plan for the upcoming week and am dreading it but excited to make it happen. Send energizing vibes, it's a doosey.

Choose Your Own Title

Several titles for this post come to mind...

"Cheater Cheater Pumpkin Eater"
"Winner!! ... PSYCH!"
"The First Female is Approaching Mile 1..."
"'We've been tracking her the whole race!' (but will wait until 9pm to tell her she's DQ'd)"
...etc.

So this race on Sunday. Lordy. My stomach is still knotted over it so bear with me.
The morning started in the middle of the night, awesome-- it's fine, I'm a morning person and like getting up early. I got going and arrived a little later than I wanted, but thanks to my uber cushy time cushion, I was totally fine.
From the very get go, the race announcer was shouting into the microphone how AWFUL the bike course was. Who hired this clown? I thought as I listened to his warnings: "This is the worst I've seen it, folks-- TAKE IT EASY-- it's not the place to win the race." HELLOOOOO the bike like is the longest part of the race-- you can't tell anyone to take it easy. Seriously, for the couple of hours before the race that's like all he would talk about. Even as we stood waist deep in the 58 degree water (thank the LORD for wetsuits..)waiting to start, the last thing he said before the start horn was 'Seriously, ladies, take it easy on that bike.' I scoffed to express my disbelief at this joker who wouldn't give it a rest. It couldn't be THAT bad if they made it part of the race course.
So we swam. Holy canoli-- 58 degrees is very cold. I usually hyperventilate at the beginning of the swim because of the chaos it entails with other thrashing bodies. However, I'm pretty sure I went into shock as I plunged into the arctic pit and started kicking and flapping my way through the masses. For the first hundred yards I couldn't put my face in the water and definitely was doing a glorified dog paddle. Fortunately I wasn't alone in my pathetic-ness. It seemed that everyone was taken aback at the frigid waters. Once the swim thinned out a little and I numbed up, I used the cold to my advantage to go faster to get the heck out of the water. I had a professor in college that was from the city where the race was (Waukegan), and she always was telling us about how the lake was toxic there for this reason and that. So that's all I could think about whilst in the water-- GET OUT OF HERE!

Out of the water on towards the bike. Once I got back to my spot in transition, there were three other girls parked right in front of my bike. I still couldn't breathe-- so huffing and puffing I decided to charade the fact they were in my way as I tried to wheeze out the message that I needed them to move. They were taking their sweet time-- they SAT DOWN, were changing their clothes, drying their feet... all perfectly reasonable things if you aren't IN A RACE. Honestly. They looked at me like I was on drugs and shuffled out of my way. Flustered, I donned my helmet and bike shoes and was off. I love my bike.

So the clown that was crying about the bike course-- he was right and I take back every negative vibe I sent him because his warnings were totally justified. It was the worst bike course of my entire life. (...which really doesn't say much because I'm not a big biker outside of commuting and the occasional 'training' ride that I do more out of obligation than anything since I bought the fancy bike...) But it was bad. Pot holes, poor paving, cracks, craters, danger danger danger. I saw SEVERAL people trying to fix their flat tires and was SO nervous that I'd get a flat! I'm honestly surprised that I escaped without one. The bike course consisted of a short distance 'out' then two laps on straight away (old highway or something??) then the short distance back to transition. I enjoy the bike because I can go fast and it isn't AS taxing as the run. Don't get me wrong, my quads are definitely burning during the bike and you can hear me breathing a mile away-- but for some reason it seems better. As I finished my second lap, the volunteers that were SHOUTING in megaphones really REALLY screwed me up. When you approach this point you can go two ways-- to the left if you've only done one lap (to start your second), or to the right to finish the bike leg (if you've done your two). I knew I'd done my two. As much as I love the bike, my legs were feeling it and I was ready to use some different muscles. One particular volunteer shouted into her megaphone "YOU MUST MAKE THIS TURN TWICE! THIS IS A TWOOOO LAP COURSE!" This was puzzling to me. You only had to make THAT turn once-- when you finished your first lap, you made the turn and did your second. If someone did that turn twice, they would have done three laps and that is a poor race strategy. I called out to the lady, "if I've already done this turn am I done?" And she pointed her megaphone at me (I was like 3 feet from her by now) and she said "YOU MUST MAKE THIS TURN TWICE! THIS IS A TWOOOO LAP COURSE!" IF YOU DON'T KNOW WHERE YOU ARE IN THE RACE THAT IS A PERSONAL PROBLEM!" Really? Who are these people? I swore at her under my breath and was frustrated. I didn't want to be a cheater, so I pulled over and asked a different volunteer just to make sure-- he said "YES, if you've made this turn once, you've done two laps, get back to transition!" In a very gung-ho-enthusiastic-go-get-em way. So I went and got 'em.

I got back to transition (barely-- seriously--fancy pants bike took a beating...) I got into my running shoes, drank some Gatorade (which I still refuse to drink WHILE biking due to extreme fear of crashing) and started running. My legs felt better this time than last. Woohoo. Sure they weren't powerhouses or engines... but they were like... limp noodles that have been left out for a long time so they're a little stiffer. ... hahaaha o man. Anyways, as I started the run, I noticed a woman on a bike in front of me. Oh man, she's confused. I didn't think too much of it though, I just needed to pound out these four miles and get some gatorade-- I was thirsty. As I ran I got closer to her and recognized her from Team in Training-- she was the 'main lady' who did all the communication and organizing. So I talked with her (more like wheezed at and sweated on) a little bit and she said "you're the first female on the course-- we'll be hanging out." Apparently she was a race official and her job was to lead the first female so they could 'track' her (me?). When she said I was first I replied with "no I'm not." How absurd. I am contently average. I am a participant not a winner. C'mon. Don't toy with me. I realized she was serious when I heard her say into a walkie talkie "the first female is approaching mile one." WTF. Craaaaazy. There were some seriously B-A looking females at this race.. no WAY was I first. I laughed it off thinking "they're making a big mistake" but just kept running. People that were cheering were like "THE FIRST GIRL!! WOOHOO!!!" It was crazy! I got to the halfway point and turned around (it was an out and back course). About seven minutes after turning around I saw another girl. I hadn't realized it but up until this point I was surrounded by men (FINALLY in life-- shoot!). Then I started to realize that I actually was the first girl on the course. I knew that my wave was the first female wave to go, so it was almost fathomable. Maybe there'd been a big bike crash and all the other women were unable to continue. At like mile 3.5, some lady who I'd passed earlier in the race (..at like a half mile) saw me round the corner and said "THERE'S OUR GIRL! SHE CAME!" For a second I was like "...mom?" Who says "our" girl if they're not your family? This woman, apparently. People treat you better when they think you're awesome, I suppose. Her remarks made me laugh out loud and helped carry me to the finish line. I WAS wheezing at this point-- very audibly and as people cheered when I went by they also furrowed their brows undoubtedly wondering "...is she going to make it?" I rounded the last corner and saw the finish line. "AND HERE SHE COMES, OUR FIRST FEMALE, WE'VE BEEN TRACKING HER THE WHOLE COURSE... KRISTIN OOOOOOURRRADAAAAA!!!" Holy shit! PINCH ME I AM SERIOUSLY DREAMING...and probably oversleeping and missing the race.. People were cheering SO LOUD-- like what you see on TV. For me. How could this be possible?? AVERAGE. Content with average. Working towards being consistently average as opposed to crippled. There was a big ribbon-- and they were holding it for me to run through. I might as well have fainted because the rest is quite a blur. I was so excited, and so confused. I really didn't believe it.

So as I walked down the finish chute, people were saying congratulations and good work and it was crazy. I was shocked.

I waited to watch my friend finish, then we went back to get our stuff from transition. I still didn't really believe it, but we went to the awards ceremony. Lo and behold, they called my name for the overall female winner. By one minute and a couple of seconds. Whaaaaat?! I got a sweet backpack (it's pink though... hmm), a hat, and a 1st place medal. I don't think I've ever gotten a first place medal. I did get a third place one for a soccer tournament in like... 4th grade, but ever since it's been a participation trophy or something lame. I was so stinkin' excited.

I called my parents, texted a lot of people and posted the news on facebook. I celebrated with a trip to Costco (I had a car afterall), and kicked my feet up for the afternoon, trying to wrap my head around it all...

Before I went to bed, I checked my email one last time, only to find terrible news there. Apparently, I had been disqualified therefore I was not a winner, in fact they think I'm a cheater and therefore a giant LOSER. Remember in the bike when I pulled over to make sure I wasn't being a cheater? When I pulled back on to the bike, I missed the timing mat that one needs to cross in order to indicate the second lap has been completed. So it looks to the officials that I only did one lap and that is severely frowned upon. What a buzz kill. I read that email and vomited.
Winning was such a high high and then reading that I got DQd was like an INSTANT launch to a low low. Honestly it's like a physiological response-- how disappointing. How embarrassing.

Honestly, I'm kind of annoyed. If they were 'tracking me the whole race' don't they know I did two laps? AND even if not crossing the mat is the unforgivable sin of triathlons, wouldn't they have figured that out BEFORE the awards ceremony that happened like a good hour and a half after I finished?? Seriously, all the hype and excitement was apparently undeserved and I'm embarrassed! Also-- I feel badly for whoever was 'rightfully' first place. I kinda stole her thunder and that was NEVER my intention. I think it's just more embarassing than anything. I'd rather trip and fall on every run I ever do in my life than have had this happen. Shoot.

Perhaps the most humbling part is when they said "please return the medal to this address at your earliest convenience." Ugh. Medals are medals and really mean jack, but for some reason that hurt.

Needless to say ever since Sunday night I have been less than a barrel of laughs. I have been quite the beyotch if we're going to be honest. I have avoided communication with most people at all costs and limited my activity to the gym and wallowing in self pity and distracting myself by watching old episodes of Felicity online. Talk about a low low! HA!

All of Monday I thought 'this is stupid, I don't want to do anymore triathlons.' I tasted what it was like to be good and I liked it. I didn't/don't really want to go back to being average. Tuesday I was apathetic about everything including my future pursuit of triathlons: 'I may do more, I may not. Don't know, don't care.' Today I found one that is happening on Sunday (the 26th) and want to do it just to get this disgusting taste out of my mouth regarding the sport.

Practically speaking, I know I'm not going to win a race again-- this shenanigan was pretty random and lucky while it lasted and it's insanely unfortunate that it ended the way it did. After every other triathlon I've done before this one (haha... both of them...), I've been consumed with a NEED to do another one as soon as possible. But after this Sunday, I seem to have lost some enthusiasm. I'm optimistic that it will return once I race again, but am discouraged regardless.

In good news, I got to keep the backpack and the hat. Haha, suckers.

Disgustingly long post-- but it needed to be done. My parents probably think I've flown off the deep end and become catatonic so if anything this will let them know that I'm alive and slowly coming back to life. They know how much of a sore loser I am.

Gravity is a Bear

I get embarassed too easily.
For the most part I think I'm okay at shaking things off, but every now and then, I get VERY embarassed.
I ran outside after work today with my friend and coworker who is doing this triathlon with me. It wasn't a crazy hard or long run, but it was good to get out and do it, especially after a long day at work. We were almost done running and I totally bit the dust-- superman style. Just laid it out completely on the sidewalk. This happens. I'd be lying if I said it'd never happened to me before. Sidewalks are uneven, it was getting pretty dark by this point, it's not THAT far fetched. But I am just mortified. Ugh, I am such a loser.
On the way home, I bought some bandaids. You'd think that I'd have them, but I don't. And to make myself feel better, I splurged for the super hero bandaids... I did go down like Superman afterall.
My palms are bruised and one knee is scraped and the other is bruised. How ridiculous am I?! For the love of pete.

Race this Sunday. Found a car-- my nursing school friend, Kirsten, consistently saves my life. I'm so grateful! Hopefully I will be able to stay on my feet during the race. Shoot.

Will Work For Ride

-The car I was relying on to get to the triathlon next week has been taken back. New options: hitchhike, walk, Metra (arrive at 1am..), quit, pout. Right now I'm embracing the pouting plan. And I may have put a post on Craigs List.. hahaha. Desperate times, people!

-I've been waking up to workout before work. The first couple of times I just lifted, but yesterday I ran. It was not fun. Nothing really works the same at 4am.

-I went on a long bike ride yesterday. I wish there were more trails available in this city! I love the trail I have, but must admit I am getting a little bored with it.

-Went to an open water swim clinic last week and was not a fan. It started more than thirty minutes late (you know my feelings on tardiness), and the water was VERY choppy. I felt nauseous. I suppose it's good practice though, as my wave-mates will make the water quite choppy in any race. Bah.

-I am starting to think about thinking about obtaining a car. If my future goes my way it will be as close to necessary as possible without being 100% necessary. Notice I said 'obtaining' as opposed to buying. I really hate that cars are so much money! Not only do you have to drop your life savings on it to GET it, but then it continues to suck you dry with insurance, gas, and maintenance. Sick. I want to go on a game show and hear "...A NEW CAR!" and then NOT have to pay taxes on it afterward.

-I woke up at 3am on Thursday to go to the gym before work. My morning went just as planned until I arrived at work and saw on the assignment sheet that I was not there. I copied my schedule incorrectly. Infuriating. And of course, because staffing is complicated beyond comprehension, there was no way for me to just stay and then be off Friday (which I was apparently scheduled for).

-The weather is fantastic today and it is one of my more sincere hopes that it stays this way for a while.

Gill Park Pool: the jury is still out

It wasn't until this morning that I had an opportunity to go to the most promising pool. Between working, other activities, laziness, and serious alarm malfunctions, it's taken me this long to embrace the Park District's pool. It was crowded. However, there were six lanes, making them much more appropriately sized. Everyone arrives to the pool between 6:57 and 7:03. Of course I got there at 6:35, ready to start early if they (heaven forbid) left the door unlocked. When the clock strikes 7 it's a mad dash to the pool and a crazy start; somewhat similar to a triathlon start. No one stretches, no one eases into anything, they just go. So I went, too. It wasn't the bliss of my cheater-pool. But it was far better than Welles Park. It started out that I was splitting a lane with a crazy fast swimmer (love those), but I didn't care because I had my half of the lane and didn't have to worry about anything (even though I had a rather obnoxious battle with the damned lane line because the clown in the next lane over was quite the enthusiastic arm thrasher and dolphin kicker...). About 15 minute in I felt someone squeezing my arm and I gasped under water-- bad news. She was asking me to circle-swim because a third person had joined us. After clearing the water from my lungs I agreed and so we went. It wasn't fantastic, I won't lie. I was irritated, but I was able to finish the workout. Not gracefully...and I didn't feel good about it, but I finished it, which is an improvement from last time. We'll see.

On my way home from the gym the other day, I stopped by the pool that is a half mile from my apartment to watch how the 'adult lap' swim went down there. It's an outdoor pool so I was the creeper outside the fence watching. Can you guess? Crowded. A lifeguard walked by where I was standing and he told me that they never use lane lines because they don't have them (while the lane line really pissed me off today, they're very necessary in my opinion.. boundaries are huge). I asked if there are at least black lines to follow on the bottom of the pool and he replied "there are white lines... but the bottom is white, so you can't really see them." wtf. He said the best way to do it is to get there super early and get in first to get a spot by the wall to help guarantee you'll go straight. The wall?? No thanks. I avoid the wall at all costs anywhere else. We'll see, I might venture over there at one point or another. I still want to go back to the pool I LIKE a lot, but can't justify dropping $80 to do so. Dumb.

I managed to weasel a way into the Harbor Lights Triathlon on July 19th! Registering was not the issue, rather getting off work that weekend. I will work from 3-7pm on Saturday the 18th, but that will have to be okay because that's the only option. This will allow me to get my packet on Saturday morning. And a friend of mine agreed to let me use her car on Sunday which is HUGE and I am SO grateful. She definitely said "I'll show you how to make it work if it goes funny..." I furrowed my brow and said "...oh?" and she replied "yea, there's a specific spot on the engine you have to hit with a hammer sometimes... and other stuff like that." HA. It's a car and I am SO excited.

AND I switched the weekend for the Chicago Triathlon in August. That was one I didn't want to have to stress out about last minute.

Welles Park Pool: Veto

...Yesterday I bought pool pass for the Chicago Park District. For $22 I can swim all summer at any Park District Pool, and there are several all over the city, and three that are within three miles of my apartment.
I went today to the second most promising one. They have Adult Lap Swim from 7:30 to 9am. I left my apartment at 6:54 and was surprised that it only took me ten minutes to get there. They REALLY mean 7:30 and not a second sooner. For a good twenty minutes I was the only person there and I was very happy about that. But at 7:26 people started flooding in. Sick. Everyone plopped in and started swimming. The pool is 25 yards long (standard) and has potential to be 6 lanes wide. However, they make three GIGANTIC LANES. You swim down the pool on one side and have to finagle your way to the other side to swim back. Obviously I didn't have the luxury of my own lane (my cheating pool SPOILED me). It was disastrous. There were just far too many people. The wide lane did allow for passing which was nice unless you were too close to the wall-- then you collide with someone who's trying to diagonally push off the wall on their way back or cut off whoever you're passing... I regret to say that I got so frustrated I just got out and left. Maybe ten minutes into it I put up my white flag. By this time I'd already lost count. I really wasn't going to be able to get in a good workout. I was just getting irritated and I don't doubt people were irritated with me. In the locker room I spoke with a woman on her way in and asked her if it's usually crowded and everything and she said yes. I guess I'm not the only one to take advantage of the $22 swim pass. Boo.

Tomorrow I'll try the more promising pool. We'll see. It's a bit further from my apartment, but if it is a better setup, it'll be worth it.

Now I'm going to spinning. Hopefully that pans out better than swimming!

I wish it wasn't unsafe/illegal to wear headphones whilst biking. I won't deny that the quietness of the forest preserve is nice, but sometimes I just want to listen to music while riding. Unfortunately, safety trumps all. Even though there aren't cars on this trail, there are plenty of other bikers, walkers/joggers, and unaware children (and adults, lets be serious) to be heard. Bah.

I swam in the lake again on Tuesday. It wasn't too bad. My friend and I swam out to the half mile buoy and back. On the swim back I timed myself and was sorely disappointed with a 22 minute finish. It really makes me wonder how legit these posted distances are, both in the lake and at races. Supposedly at the race in Naperville, I did the swim in 11:55. Sooo all of the sudden it takes me twice as long? WTF. Given, race day brings adrenaline and competitiveness blah blah blah... but that is a craaazy discrepancy. Maybe the problem is my watch. Afterall there was a discrepancy with my final time of that race, too... the common factor is the watch. Hmm.. Oh well. It was an enjoyable swim, especially because it was in the high 90s that day and the lake was a cool 60ish degrees. My wet suit DEFINITELY irritated my neck though. There is a bright red ring ALL the way around it, suggesting I was strangled. Try explaining that to patients and their parents! Shoot.

There is a race on July 19th that I really want to do but am scheduled to work that weekend. Someone else had asked me to switch with them so I could work their 25th/26th and they could do my 18th/19th, and I told them I'd check my calendar and by the time I saw her again at work she'd found someone else. Boo. Apparently this is a very popular weekend as NO ONE has been able to switch. In a last ditch effort, I emailed my boss asking if there is any way she can think of (I AM afterall working three weekends in a ROW right now...), and am awaiting her reply. The triathlon season is too short to only do two races. I really hope this one works out!

I went on a long run the other day (before work-- stupid), and my calves were SO sore. Whenever my muscles are sore I think that they MUST look more defined. If I can feel them with every movement, other people must be able to see them. False. If they're so out of shape that a run makes them ache so badly they're probably microscopic in size therefore painfully invisible.

I'm off to ride my bike because it's super sunny. It's also super hot which isn't AWESOME but I am sooo grateful it's not cold. Honestly. But before I go, the photos from the Naperville race were posted but you have to pay a SICK amount to get them and you can't just save them to your computer... so I took pictures of the pictures on my screen... haha.

It's upsetting how beastly one looks while swimming, biking, and running in spandex. Sigh.

-I found a new Craig's List Bike Guy who came to fix my junker. For a ridiculously small fee he reattached my brake and claimed to fix my derailleur, but didn't. It's okay I don't expect miracles from Craig's List. Overall I am grateful to have a somewhat functioning bike again. But this clown that came to fix it doesn't wear a helmet, AND he wears headphones whilst riding on the streets in Chicago. I said to him "Oh, you forgot your helmet?" and he replied "oh.... um, no I don't wear a helmet." Then I asked "Oh, you don't value your cranium?!" Then he shot me a weird look and an uncomfortable laugh and skidaddled right out of my back yard. Nut job.

-The next day I rode said bike to the gym to SWIM. This is the first time I've used this gym's pool, and I'm not at all impressed with it, but wasn't quite as mortified by it as I thought I would have been. Upon leaving and riding home, the biggest monsoon/tornado watch/thunder and lightening storm struck. Go figure. I got sooooaked. I think it was God's way of telling me I should have swam longer. I also learned that my brakes don't work when it's raining after almost hitting two cars because I couldn't stop.

-I am off to swim in the lake (dry heave). Then back home to take a nap, then to my last night shift for... at least a month! Thank goodness.

CONFLICTED

baaaaaaaah

-My Craig's List Junker bit the dust yesterday. Whilst on my way to work, the front brake (the only functioning brake) just FELL OFF. Something metal snapped in half, so it's beyond repair. Conflict: I need a bike I can ride daily around the city, but don't want to pay for aNOTHER bike!

-I need to figure something out for training for the Chicago Tri in August. Conflict: Is it too late to sign up with Team in Training and have a practical expectation to raise $2000 by early August??? I emailed the people there asking if there's any alumni discount or something I could do to lower my fundraising total (heinous, I know), and the lady emailed me back saying 'no.' I really am not in a place to make up for any lack in fundraising due to big plans in the fall. And I hesitate to take on a $2k commitment when a) I didn't meet the goal last year and b) it's already the middle of June.

-I was supposed to go to a bike maintenance class tonight at the store I bought my fancy pants bike from. I was told to not ride that bike in the city, but in order to get it there... I'd need to ride it. To twist the knife: it's RAINING. But I already RSVP'd. Boooooo. Conflict: Should I stay or should I go now? (haha I don't even really like that song, but so often it's very fitting).

My indecisive-ness is NOT my favorite trait.

"Do you need some help, ma'am?"

Well today was the day. The US Women's Triathlon Series: Naperville, sprint triathlon.
The morning started at 0230 because I have to be dramatically early in order to avoid/have enough time cushion any potential panic-causing situation (getting lost, unexpected disaster, etc.). So I woke up and my first thought was "VETO." I'm on the night shift right now, so my affinity to waking up early has decreased significantly. Fortunately, I had prepacked my bag so only had a few things to do before my departure (0315-0330). I ended up renting a car. After weighing all my options, this seemed like it would bring the least amount of stress and chaos come race day, so I bit the bullet and just did it. Lesson learned: don't sign up for races outside the reach of public transportation. I signed up for the smallest car available, but somehow ended up with a PT Cruiser. My apologies if this is the vehicle you own, but I think it is perhaps the ugliest automobile in all of Creation. Ugly or not, it worked, and that's really all I cared about. So I loaded my fantastically speedy steed into the back, filled my water bottles, and was off. Transition opened at 0500, so I wanted to get there at 0430 (it's a problem... needing to be early). Only at 0346 in the morning can you snap photographs WHILST driving down Lakeshore Drive. The beauty of my ealry morning trek to Naperville: traffic was not an issue whatsoever. I only had to turn around twice (the first time shouldn't count, it was me being stupid like a half mile from my apartment...and neither time was a dramatic loss), so I arrived by 0435. Still plenty of time to ease into it all. I unloaded The Ugly Cruiser and then realized I had no idea how to get to transition from parking. I remembered the website saying 'allow 15 minutes to get from the parking lot to transition' but never thought to look up how to get from A to B. Being that I was heinously early, there were very few people around, so my usual fall back plan of 'follow the crowd' failed. I spotted a woman walking through the parking lot and asked her, and she said 'good question! I think it's this way.' So I walked with her (don't worry, she was very mom-ish and not threatening) and we eventually found where we needed to be.

My big problem with races, I think, is having to use the bathroom ALL THE TIME. 'They' say you should hydrate like crazy, which is all well and good, but shoot, when I have to urinate every 20 minutes because of it, it really becomes a problem! So I stopped by the port-a-potties before setting up my transition spot. It was definitely one of four encounters with the bacteria filled fecal bins. Ick. I set up my spot. By this time it was 0515. A little over three hours until I would start the race and I was ready then. Gooo figure. I saw a bike maintenance tent not too far so I decided to get my tires pumped up. I would do it myself with my little hand pump, but the tires on my fancy pants bike are apparently so crazy high pressure or something that I couldn't dream of achieving it with the hand pump (I learned this at the maintenance class..), so a floor pump is necessary. I walked over to the tent and was the only one there so they did it for me! Yes please, Strong Man, pump my tires. I KNOW I would have looked like quite the tool doing it myself. One of the guys said 'NICE BIKE!' and I looked behind me to see who he was talking to. Then I realized it was me! No one has EVER complimented me on my bike before. This was an exciting first. I returned to my spot and my co-worker called to tell me she'd arrived and was on her way to transition. When she got there, we set her stuff up and then 'walked transition.' Then it was like 0545... So we obsessed over how crazy we were for not training appropriately and how terrible we were going to do blah blah blah, then decided to just go out to the starting area.
The swim took place in a crazy body of water. It's not a pool, but was very pool-like. There were walls with markings of how deep the water was, there were lane lines... the bottom was smooth sand... but it wasn't chlorinated. Comparatively to Lake Michigan this was wonderful. I was in Wave 26 out of 30. Wave 1 started at 0700, and another wave left every four minutes. So I went right around 0840ish. The swim was something else. It was a 'snake-like' course, so we went down the 'non-pool' around a buoy and back to the shore to round another buoy, down and back down and back three times. The swim start is something that will always terrify and conquer me. We started standing about thigh deep in the water, so the majority of my 75 person wave was like running in the water until it was like chest deep. It's so much more efficient to SWIM even if you can touch, so I took a few steps and then flopped on my stomach and tried to swim. Unfortunately my logic couldn't overcome my 74 wave-mates and their 'running' foiled my swimming. ...All this is to say that the swim start was uglier than I anticipated, I could feel myself getting panicky and wheezy and not exhaling. Oddly, I am glad I've experienced that before because I knew how to handle it and knew that it would pass once I could get past the wacko's out there. It did thin out a little, but people still got in my way. Regardless, I finished the swim after swallowing a lot of air and cursing at a lot of people. And peeing in the water. Couldn't help it.
On toward the bike. Ahh the bike. First of all getting my silly wetsuit off was quite the chore. It got caught on my darn timing chip so I was hopping around like a goon and an old man that was 'monitoring transition' said "Do you need some help ma'am?" I muttered something about being clumsy and said thanks anyways and finally wriggled out of that thing. I strapped on my fancy bike shoes clipped my helmet and lifted my bike off the rack-- one handed, it's sooo light. I got up on my throne and had quite an interesting time clipping my shoes in, but once I did it was magic. I got passed twice on the bike, but passed MANY people. Oh it was glorious. I thought back to Chicago last year and remembered watching people on fancy bikes fly by me on rickety old IH (RIP..) ... it felt good to be the passER, not the passEE. The bike leg consisted of two laps of a loop they created. Pretty uneventful. Towards the end of the second lap I saw an ambulance, fire truck, and cop car at a minor intersection. I thought it was kind of overkill for that particular point-- they didn't need THAT many people directing traffic, then I saw a motorcycle in SHAMBLES on the side of the road. There had been an accident! I asked a cop if the driver was okay as I went by (had to slow down...) and he said 'they should be fine.' Scary stuff. So the bike was done. I hate dismounting....and I hate the way my legs feel for the first mile to mile and a half off the bike. I fumbled to get my running shoes on, took a swig of gatorade, clipped my number on and took off. More like tropmed along. My legs were HEAVY. I could lift them up a little, and they'd fall victim to gravity IMMEDIATELY. Thud thud thud. I felt like I had more vertical movement than forward movement. Thud thud thud. People passing on my left and right. Thud thud thud. By the time I saw the Mile 1 Marker I thought I was closer to 2 miles in and exclaimed "MILE ONE-- ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!" A girl next to me looked over and glared. I let her pass. Thud thud thud. A few minutes later I felt my legs coming back. Praise the lord. By no means was I going quickly or at an anywhere near decent pace, but I was getting better. By mile two I felt confident that I'd finish without keeling over. There's a water station about a quarter mile from the finish (weird placement in my opinion), but from that point on people cheering would say 'ALMOST DONE!' or 'TWO MORE BLOCKS!' This would be helpful if it were accurate. When I heard 'two more blocks,' I 'kicked it in' but it was actually more like 0.2miles... Which isn't far, given, but it is farther than you want the last sprint (hahaha sprint is really a STRONG word) of the race to be... Anyways. I finished just seconds behind my coworker (she was in Wave 24) and it was good.

All in all:
-People irritate me. They get in my way. I'd like to see what my time would be if I were the only one on the course. I won't deny the dynamic that is brought by the competition and other race participants, but they got in my way a LOT, especially in the swim and bike.
-My goal was to finish in less than one hour and thirty minutes (the Olympic Distance last year took me 3hrs and 1 minute (two LOUSY minutes over my goal for THAT race) so I figured this race was half the distance of that one, so it should take me less than half the time...). I looked at my watch and it said I'd done it in 1hr and 22 minutes-- I was elated! I actually felt good about the race that I was dreading because my preparation was essentially non existent. When I got home, I checked the official results and they say 1hr and 27 minutes which is upsetting-- 5 minutes is huge. I don't know how the discrepancy came about, but I will be happy that I was still under 1hr30min.
-I have a lot of work to do before August, and I still don't know how I'm going to do it better this time. I need to really focus on running (obviously) and running off the bike. That is what killed me last year and I refuse to make the same mistake twice.
-It went better than I anticipated, but I can't deny the insane amount of room for improvement.

Official Results:

Overall place: 113 out of 1709
Division place: 11 out of 57
Gender place: 110 out of 1709
Time: 1:27:09
Swim: 11:55
Trans 1: 3:30 (stupid wetsuit!!!)
Bike: 42:36
Trans 2: 2:56
Run: 26:14

I came home and played soccer which was probably somewhat masochistic, but I miss that game so much, I couldn't turn down the rare opportunity to play in an organized game. It's crazy how much my muscles have changed after not playing for a year and a half. I was never the most agile individual, but now any exercise I do is moving forward; very little-- if ANY-- is side to side or 'bursts of speed' (honestly I chuckle.. speed was my Achilles heel...). Trying to sprint back to goal or make the run for a breakaway or change direction on a dime today was ...awful, but it was a lot of fun to just be out there.

I could write more, but I get irritated when people are too wordy and this is already far too wordy.

Ooooopen Water

I swam in the lake today! The sprint triathlon is nauseatingly close (--single digits close), and I haven't swam in open water since last August. I wouldn't have gone if it hadn't been for my coworker who is also doing the race this weekend. This will be her first triathlon, and she wanted to get in the open water at least once, but not by herself (smart). So I said I'd go, too. We were planning on going yesterday afternoon, but there were tornado warnings and while I could almost stomach being 'that moron' who is in arctic waters this early in the season, I definitely couldn't be the moron who swims during lightening storms. Gotta draw the line somewhere. But, of course, the weather turned out to be perfect and we totally could have gone. Boo weather.com.
I woke up this morning and checked the weather. It would be chilly in the low 60's but there was the little graphic of the sun and most importantly 0-1% chance of precipitation, depending on the hour. Since the weather wasn't going to bail me out this time I started getting ready. The panic attack at my spandex last summer PALES in comparison to the attack I had as I wiggled, jumped, stretched, and squatted into my spandex this morning. I don't want to talk about it. As I opened the door to leave, I was greeted by nothing less than PRECIPITATION! Strike 2. It wasn't pouring buckets, but was a heavy mist that made the streets wet, so for all means and purposes it was raining (my time away from Oregon has made me quite the pansy when it comes to rain). My coworker was patiently waiting, though, so I grumbled and sat on my wet bike seat and we left.
The bike ride was much longer than I remember. Which just reminds me how PAINFULLY out of shape I am.
We arrived and not shockingly were the only two crazy people there. People passed on the lake front trail just kind of staring, undoubtedly thinking Who are those clowns?! How crazy do you have to be to swim TODAY?! Whatever. We donned our wet suits... a whole new rendition of hopping around, tugging, pulling, squatting, grunting, and praying that it would still fit. Once all suctioned up we feebly locked our bags to our bikes, hoping that people are inherently good and wouldn't just take scissors to our bags and take off with the contents.
As we inched towards the water my anxiety grew, shocking I know. I remembered my past open water experiences and cringed. Would my wet suit choke me again? Would I swim across the lake on accident? What if I DIE OF HYPOTHERMIA?? We put our toes in and started shrieking-- it was SO COLD. Painfully cold. No way. I was NOT going to make the news for being the tool that swims in hypothermic waters and dies in the middle of the lake. Had my coworker not been there, too, I would have went home and chalked it up to a good bike ride if nothing else. But she was there. That kind of accountability can really be a bear. So we waded in waist deep and just kind of stood there. As my teeth started chattering, I resolved to just doing it and getting it over with. It was SO DARN COLD. It took my breath away. My wetsuit WAS choking me! I was forgetting to exhale while my NUMB face was in the water! I was swallowing air and starting to feel nauseous! PANIC. I stood up and belched. I got pissed off. No way did I wake up early to bike down there IN THE RAIN, get IN the water just to suck at it and look foolish. After a brief but necessary 'pull yourself together' pep talk, I got back to it and it got better. My ears hurt REALLY BAD because it was so cold. I've had some shoulder issues for the past couple of months which wasn't a treat, but I hope when I get disciplined about lifting again it will go away. We made it to the buoy and then went back. Just a half mile. A feeble one at that, but we did it, and now (after a long hot and sanitizing shower) I am glad we did. And I am glad there were no major issues involving lifeguards to report.
The race this weekend is going to be uber humbling.

I'm really considering signing up with Team in Training again for the Chicago Triathlon. Apparently I'm not as self motivated as I thought I was, as evidenced by my lack of preparedness for this week's race. Part of the fun of doing the race is the preparation and if I can't get my act together enough to prepare then it will be super miserable to be out of shape for an OLYMPIC distance race! My hesitation is solely in the fundraising. While LLS is a fantastic organization that I'll enthusiastically support, I really can't afford to make up any difference if I don't meet the fundraising minimum. I'm torn. I HAVE to figure out something for training for Chicago though, because my current plan has failed miserably.

The Iron Horse has been stolen! It is okay, I kind of wanted it to happen. Since I got my Craig's List Junker (which I am more and more dissatisfied with each time I ride it... almost makes me want IH back!), I hadn't been riding IH. There was no room in our basement for it so I left it in the backyard... not locked up. It took awhile, but someone finally snatched her. While it wasn't my intention to draw crime to my place of living, I was too lazy to take it to a co-op on the south side to be restored and sold. She served me well. I'd wanted to get the tires off before it was gone, but didn't. Darn.

That's it for now. I have reflections on my lack of motivation but will save them for another time as this post is painfully long already.

"Lube the hell out of that thing!"

Last week I went to a bike maintenance class at West Town Bikes. I really didn't want to go: that day, I'd been rejected at the pool (I'll have to get even scheme-ier in my ways or drop $80 for a community summer membership...), and the weather was less than fantastic. I was about to say 'eh... maybe next time,' but my co-worker who I roped into this whole triathlon thing really wanted to go and didn't know how to get there, so I caved and went.

Apparently we chose the night they were expecting the highest numbers since they started the class. Of course. There are six bike stands there, and they expected around 20 people. We all gathered in a super small crowded space and introduced ourselves saying our name, how we found out about the class, and what we wanted to take away from it. I wasn't super enthusiastic about the get-to-know-you session, but it was actually nice to realize that most of them had no idea what they were doing either. There were even a few who were doing triathlons and wanted to be able to fix a flat should it occur during their race. So once that was over we spread out to the six stands.
When we'd arrived, the Guy-in-Charge said 'choose one bike between the two of you to work on' since it was so crowded. I'd brought my Craig's List Junker-- which needs more work than a basic maintenance class could begin to offer, so we decided my friend would put her bike up. However, after introductions, the class-helper-man put MY piece of work up there and furrowed his brow as he looked at it. I told him to put the other one up there and he said "This one is already up," and walked away. I apologized to my friend and listened as Helper-Man started telling us how to change a flat. When demonstrating how to de-flate a tire (helloo... it's already flat!) they demonstrated on MY bike of course; Guy-in-Charge (with bruskee in hand! hahaha) who was walking around from group to group just walked up and said "this is an easy way" and took a little tool (a pedro?) and let ALL the air out, then walked away after commenting on how atrocious my tires were. I just stared in somewhat disbelief thinking 'you better re-flate that, son.' Then I eyed the slew of tire pumps not far and realized I could do it if he failed to right his wrong. After we watched Helper-Man change a tire and then got to do it ourselves. I convinced him to put my friend's bike on the stand because I'm never going to change a tire on my junker-beast. My friend and I worked together to change her tire and an hour or so later finally did it with TONS of help. Let me just say that if I am racing and get a flat, that will be the end of my race. Also, to get the proper pressure in the tires, you have to have a floor pump, and there is no way I'm going to try to lug one of those on the bike leg of any triathlon. C'mon people!

After we completed the tire task, we put my bike back up on the stand and I said to Helper-Man 'listen to this' and I started turning the pedals. This is the loudest bike ever (second to IH) which convinces me that it's about to break any second. As he heard the chirping and squeaking his disgruntled expression said 'this bike sucks' and he told me to "Lube the hell out of that thing!"-- (seriously, direct quote). I chuckled and started lubing. I was shocked at what a little (..okay a lot of) lube can do. It's not silent by any means, but the loud chattering has quieted to more of a whisper with a click here and there. Helper-guy walked by and raised his eyebrows, impressed at the progress. He then noticed that my brakes were braking ON the tire, not just the rim, so he offered to adjust it. Bad news: my rear break doesn't work now! Haha-- he noticed it right before I left, then tinkered with it for a quick second, but on the way home-- no dice. It's okay, though, because I never used the rear break anyways because it makes a SUPER loud noise (I'd use it if someone got in my way and I wanted to passive aggressively let them know it irritated me). So the front break is fine, if anything I'm mourning the loss of my makeshift horn.

All in all I'm glad that I went. Even better-- the class was 'free' with a suggested donation of $10. I can support that kind of thing.

In other news:
-TWO WEEKS exactly until the sprint triathlon. This is bad news as I am nowhere NEAR ready. I don't want to even talk about it.
-Costco has restocked with Boca Burgers! Miracles DO happen! I swore to myself that if I saw them there ever again that I'd get two boxes, as they are literally 50% cheaper in bulk than at the regular grocery store. And I DID get two boxes. Truthfully, I wanted three or four, but resisted the urge.
-I went to church this morning, only to find that they switched to the summer hours this week, so I arrived JUST as the service was ending. Send out an email or something, people!

Locked Out

I'm slowly on the mend! Yesterday I was afebrile which is wonderful since my soccer team's banquet was scheduled for that evening and I'd hate to go and infect everyone or miss it all together.
The weather here has been gorgeous-- dare I say HOT. So after three days of hiding out inside, I really was itching to get some Vitamin D. I needed to write cards for each girl on the team before the banquet, so I decided to do it in our quaint little backyard. It was the first time it felt like summer. Almost too hot, but I am NOT complaining. I sat outside for two hours soaking up the sun and getting re-energized. While sun is awesome, too much of it makes me feel gross, so I decided to go inside. I gathered my stuff and walked to the back door only to find it was locked. This was bad news. My roommate had left maybe 30 minutes earlier to go on a run saying "you'll be here, right? I don't need to take my keys then." I reluctantly went to ring the doorbell of my landlord, trying to think of how to seem less pathetic and annoying for interrupting his day. However, this was not necessary because he wasn't home. Shoot. I went to call him, just to realize that I didn't have his phone number! Who doesn't have their landlord's phone number?! So I texted my roommate and she replied with his phone number. This would have been a relief, but he didn't pick up. I was so hot! I was so thirsty! I was recovering from being sick! I couldn't take this stress! (I may have been getting dramatic, too). So, I decided I didn't care about being obnoxious and called again. It's amazing what 15 minutes can do, as he picked up this time. Relief? NO. He was in a suburb and couldn't be back for at least 45 minutes. Better than ... never, but still not the immediate relief I was hoping for. As I hung up I instinctively said "Don't hurry, it's a gorgeous day to be locked out..." and thinking at the exact same time What are you saying?!?! HURRY HURRY! I get like that and it irritates me. By this time, my roommate had returned and we spent the next 15 minutes or so trying to break into our apartment (climbing on garbage cans, reaching in the window to try and unlatch the safety lock..), which I am now glad to report is very secure. At the time I was annoyed. We gave up and sat. It was nice to have some company, I suppose, but I was BAKING. I could feel my skin frying and I was soo thirsty and getting cranky. Also, it was now 3:00 and I needed to leave by 5:00 for the banquet. I still needed to shower and straighten my crazy hair as it had been very neglected for several days.
Landlord eventually came back and graciously let us back into our apartment where we scurried around to get on with our lives. I got to the banquet on time and looking half way decent, but on FIRE.
Lesson learned: take your keys everywhere, even the back yard.

sick

I have been very sick.
I woke up Sunday morning feeling fairly normal, nothing exciting. Work called as I was getting ready for church asking if I could work that night. I thought about it for a second and then said "sure." If I worked that night, I could have Tuesday night off which would mean four days off in a row, and I'd get paid more for working the weekend night than the weekday night. So I went to church and was mentally trying to figure out how I could take a nap AND get to the gym before selling my soul to the hospital for twelve+ hours. In the middle of the service I got SO COLD. Goosebumps, shivering uncontrollably. "Yea yea, we know it's cold there..." You may say. BUT-- it was a gorgeous day, probably in the 70s. I was dressed appropriately (I was at church, afterall..) in jeans and a light sweater. But I was FREEZING. This continued through the end of the service, I also noticed a slight headache coming on. As I walked home (the whopping block and a half), I must have looked like a loon-- I could NOT control the shaking and my TEETH were chattering very audibly. At this point I realized I must have a fever and tried to scurry home as much as my awkward flip flops would allow. I got home and bundled up-- t-shirt, long sleeved t-shirt, hooded sweatshirt (with hood up and cinched tight no less), earmuffs, fleece jacket, warm up pants, soccer socks, and slippers. I laid in bed for two hours, but had taken my fantastic stimulants that work all too well so I was unable to sleep. I got up at the time I told myself I was going to the gym (before work) and tried to convince myself that I was fine. I took ibuprofen and prayed that it would work some miracles. No miracle happened. After much persuasion, I called in. I felt REALLY bad since they'd called me that morning asking if I could come in because they were short. I hate flaking out, and I hate the bad-mouthing that happens toward someone whenever they do call in. I felt awful making them short again because I know the frantic-ness that happens afterward. Ugh. But physically I felt worse. I was SO cold, but sweating profusely. I soaked three different hoodies, it's ridiculous. My head was throbbing, no in one spot but my entire cranium was just pulsating, threatening to explode any second. The ibuprofen was doing jack. My temp was 104.3, so I took the next dose (4 tablets this time, I was not joking around), and went to sleep. Febrile dreams are the worst. I dreamt about being way too hot-- I was in some country on the equator thinking "man, they're not kidding when they say it's hot here." Then I would dream about being too cold-- not surprisingly the location of that dream was good ole Chicago- got locked out in the winter without a coat. I woke up at 10 something the next morning even more exhausted than when I went to sleep. I still felt gross. Everything in my body HURT. Every joint, every muscle, anything. If I stood up I looked like an 80 year old woman hunched over and limping. I couldn't straighten my arms (still can't) because my biceps HURT. That is concerning to me. Down a whopping 0.3 degrees I hung out all day at 104. WTF. Not long after waking up I called in again, as I was supposed to work that night, too-- this time I didn't feel so bad. My good friend Amanda brought me some Tylenol PM. I asked for it hoping I would sleep better, and Tylenol is a much better fever stopper than ibuprofen, anyways. So I took that around 7 last night, then woke up when my dad called around 9:30, then somehow wound up in bed because I woke up rested this morning at 8:30. The first thing I noticed was the stench. Two days of non stop sweating really added up and I had the stink to prove it. I've felt better today, but not awesome. Still really dizzy, headache is off and on, still can't straighten my left arm and my back still hurts a lot. My fever is down to a chilly 101, so I am encouraged. Much longer at 104, I'd be forced to do something about it, and I hate doctors. I called into work for tonight, too (when I called in Sunday they said they would put me back on for Tuesday, bless them). I'm not scheduled until Saturday, so as long as I continue on this upswing I should be back in action by then.
I am mortified at how suddenly this came on! In hindsight, I did have a slight headache on Saturday night. I also noticed my joints hurting more than usual on Saturday, to the point where I thought Hmm, maybe I have rheumatoid arthritis. (Disclaimer: I am a hypochondriac). So I guess there was some buildup, but man to be fine in the morning and then 104.3 by early evening seems AWFULLY dramatic! Yowzer.

My last venture to the gym was Saturday night. Well, I guess it was Sunday morning. Being on the night shift schedule, I went at 12:30am and it was wonderful. I saw maybe fifteen other people and none of them were in my way. Perfect. There were, however, irritating people outside that insisted on banging on the windows as they walked by. Since then I've taken up residence on the couch. I hate being stagnant, but imagine severe injury would result if I set foot on a treadmill right now. Boo.

Whilst blog-stalking, I came across this website, Wordle. I entered my blog and it came out with this. Click on the image to enlarge it and go to the website.

WHAT TO DOOOOOO?!?!?!

So this sprint triathlon in June is in Naperville, a suburb of Chicago. From my front door to transition is 33miles. There is no race-day packet pick up, meaning I will have to venture out there Saturday between 10am and 4pm to get my packet.

DILEMMA: I have no idea how I'm going to get there on race day, much less the day before the race, too! Here are my options:

1) Ride my bike.
Pro's
-Cheap
-Good exercise
Con's
-A long ride the day before the race...
-Have to fit all my stuff into one backpack, which CAN be done, but it'd be heavy.
-The ride back
-Where to stay on Saturday night because no way would I bike there and back Saturday, then return via bike in the wee hours of the morning on Sunday.

2) Take the train
Pro's
-Cheaper than renting a car
-Will get me within 5 miles of transition
-Can take my bike on train
Cons
-Still have to find somewhere to stay Saturday night, b/c train doesn't run early enough
Sunday AM to get me there on time (and we all know how I like to be on time).
-No way to travel to packet pick up or the race site except my bike.

3) Rent a car
Pro's
-SO MUCH EASIER
Con's
-SO expensive


BAAAH. So I have an equal dilemma in finding somewhere to crash on Saturday night as finding a way to even get there in the first place. Usually I think these things through PRIOR to registration. My co-worker is doing this race, too, but will be driving out on Friday to do wedding planning stuff with her family who lives 30 minutes from this suburb. She offered to let me stay at her parent's house Saturday night. I hate imposing. I just hate hate hate imposing. UGGGGGGGGHHH I get so stressed out about stuff like this. I like it when everything falls into place perfectly and cheaply. For the love of all humanity.
I've looked at hotels. There is one that is sponsoring the race and will give participants the 'triathlon rate' of $92/night. ?!?!? That's a discount?! Sounds an awful lot like the 'discounted' bike fit at $150. There is a shuttle from the train to the hotel, but the hotel is 6 miles from the race site. All this makes my stomach knot! This morning I was leaning toward doing a hotel. Then I leaned toward quitting. Then I leaned toward renting a car. Then I leaned toward taking my coworker up on her offer. Then I just fell over. Geez louise I need to get a grip ... stat. VOMIT VOMIT VOMIT.

In other news:

*My team will NOT be advancing to the playoffs. =( Please be disappointed in this fact, as they wanted it very badly and fought hard to earn a spot. Apparently we were tied for second place with a team that barely beat us, then ended up losing to teams we smoked. Unfair? Yes.
*I went on a glorious bike ride the other day. The never ending trail really doesn't end! I went a total of 42 miles and was exhausted by the end of it. I woke up this morning and every muscle in my body was screaming at me. It was awesome. And I am happy to report-- no falls! Woohoo!
*I wasn't sleepy the other night (back on the drugs-- yes please) and was checking my email around midnight. I received on that said "save $20 on the Chicago Half Marathon." I'm such a sucker for a sale. If anything says it's on sale, or is a 'buy one get one free' or any half way enticing offer, I latch on to it. All this is to say that I'm now registered for the Chicago Half Marathon on September 13th, a mere two weeks after the Chicago Tri. I woke up the next morning and saw the confirmation email and had a painful 'What did you do?!' experience.
*Night shift tomorrow. Get on your knees and pray, my friends. It'll be brutal.

(PS-- there is a tornado warning for all of Chicago right now and it's thundering and lightening outside-- there were like 200 lightenings in the past 10 minutes or something crazy like that... weather seriously freaks me out. I'm going to go 'do laundry' in the basement for a while... slash hide out from the tornado.)

rAnDoM

I've been SO tired. I have been going to sleep between 8:30 and 9pm, waking up between 7 and 8am. I'll wake up and be checking my emails, then wake up between noon and 1:00pm and think 'wtf?!' I'll wake up, barely drag myself out the door to go coach, yawn through practice, have small spurts of energy, then hoof back home to go to sleep by 9, sleep the night through then repeat it all the next day. What's the issue?!
Well, a little more than a week ago I ran out of my narcolepsy drugs. "Get a refill," one might suggest. And that's what I did. Walgreen's has a great system where you can refill online and not have to talk to anyone on the phone or wait in long lines-- I love it. So a day before I ran out, I refilled it. A few hours later, though, I received an email with "Your prescription is NOT ready for pick up" in the subject line. Eh?? Apparently I'd exhausted my refills, and they had to contact the doctor's office before they could fill 'er up. Whatever. Unfortunately that took FOUR DAYS. Four days of sloth-like sleepiness. Four days where in the midst of my mental pep talk to get off my arss and to the gym, I'd fall asleep. Then when I got the email that all was well and ready, I'd lost my debit card. How could I pay the $30 copay without my only plastic? I never have cash and my teensy change cup held a mere $3.24 (I counted while praying for a miracle similar to the fish and loaves episode Jesus pulled to feed 500... swing and a miss). So it took me a couple of days to remember the archaic way of payment known as personal checks. I'd considered everything-- asking my parents for money until I could find my debit card, selling my eggs (supposedly you can get 10 G's for that!!), selling my plasma, liver, a kidney on the black market... you name it I considered it (minus prostitution-- gotta draw the line SOMEWHERE). Whilst weighing my options today, the light bulb of checks came to mind, and I'm happy to report that I now have my precious stimulants that will make life worth being awake for once again. This is great timing, as my night shift drama starts on Thursday and I pity the patient that has the narcoleptic nurse during the night shift when she's off her meds. Shoot.

In other news:
-Sprint Triathlon in one month. I am not ready in the least. The pool I swim at is closed until May 22nd which doesn't help my anxiety. Most anxiety remains in the run leg. Running isn't the same as it was last year, and I'm starting to think it never will be. A while ago I ran at the pace I used to do my 8 mile runs and could barely pound out three. Discouraging. I know that I've made small improvements since being de-booted, but I'm still mortified at the slow slow slow pace (no pun intended) of this 'comeback'.
-My team may or may not have made it to the playoffs. Confusing? Yes. Apparently we're tied for second with a team that beat us during the season. The head coach seems to think that the first tie-breaker is head to head competition, so we'd be screwed if that's the case. Either way we'll find out for sure tomorrow. Hopefully we get to go to playoffs. They've really worked hard this season, and have actually improved quite a bit. They really want to go to playoffs, too. I've been shocked at how much they care! So often in practice they're apathetic and not invested in what they're doing. I expected them to learn we may not be in the playoffs and shrug it off like the weather report. But they were pissed! It was great to see they had some fight in them.
-As I previously mentioned-- back to night shift this week. If there were anyway I could avoid the night shift, I'd do it. I have so much disdain and hate for working 7pm-7:30 (or 8, or 9...)am.
-The other night I was riding my bike home from work (at 9:30pm!!) Less than a mile from the hospital I saw a guy riding his bike and get hit by a taxi! I saw it coming and was like 'no...noo...nooo.. NO!' VERY luckily, the guy was fine, but his bike got mangled pretty badly. I stopped to make sure he was okay (not really sure what I would have done if he wasn't...) and ended up sticking around to be a witness. I figured that if I'd been hit, I would want someone to back me up. It's scary to be reminded that bad stuff happens when you mix bikes and cars. It's not like I forget-- every day I ride I am scared to death of doors and blind/arrogant/ignorant motorists, but to SEE it happen is just scary! I've never been a police witness before. That was weird.
-I had the privilege of working on Mother's Day. It was gloriously slow (I love it when holidays and weekends collide because the hospital gets sooo quiet!). But amidst the peace I found my mind wandering back home to the family gathering that I knew was happening. Admittedly during high school, I wasn't always thrilled to be at every family gathering (mostly the one that fell in September, usually on the last weekend of summer...). But each one that passes while I'm in this flat wasteland makes me miss them (and the family that gather) more and more. Some fantastic moms in that group.

Finally

I finally rode my new bike today.

I walked it to a nearby park and put on my 'bike shoes.' I fastened my helmet, clipped in with one foot, said a prayer and was off. From the second I pushed off I realized my prayer was too short and decided that a constant dialogue between me and the Big Guy would be a good idea for this life threatening endeavor I was trying to embark upon. I got my second foot in the pedal without too much struggle and was riding the bike. So smooth, so fast, so quiet. Heavenly. Then I realized that sooner or later I'd have to stop. So I practiced taking my foot out of the clip and then putting it back in. After a couple of laps around the park (avoiding any person or animal or potential obstacle at all costs), I came to a dead end and realized the street was my only option (other than falling over sideways). I decided to ride to a path I'd found last summer. This involves the street and several stoplights. I tried to time the lights so I wouldn't have to stop (which requires taking my foot out of the clip and then putting it back in when the light is green). So I'd slow up when I saw a red light and pray that by the time I got there it'd be green and I could just proceed without any clipping business. Of course, that's not how it worked. At one stop light, the second I decided to take my foot out and succeeded in doing so, the light turned green. I got startled or something, but I wanted my other foot out, but couldn't get it out fast enough and then I was just standing still barely balancing on the skinny little tires of this fancy steed. Then I felt it-- gravity. Such a powerful force that I was unable to over come. My steady stream of prayer intensified as I called out God by name as I became one with concrete. I got up, rode on the sidewalk for a few blocks, and figured it out. I got to the trail and within five minutes was at the end of it. I'm telling you-- this thing is SO stinking fast. So I decided to continue on to the never ending trail that I trained on last summer. I got to it and really embraced the beauty of this bike. Until now I'd been uber cautious and been focused on my stupid feet being STUCK to the pedals. With stoplights and cars out of the equation, I could enjoy going fast and what not.

All in all a good first ride. I am glad because I don't feel like I wasted a significant amount of money on a bike I'll never ride. And I got a tan. All in a day.

One small obstacle-- I can't figure out how to shift down! I shifted all the way up, but it's beyond me how to get it back down. That will be my next challenge...

oh-- by the way-- my team wasn't allowed to high five the other team after the game in order to avoid the potential spread of the RIDICULOUS H1N1 Virus. They were permitted to verbally acknowledge "Good game" but no contact was to be made. Don't mind the body slamming and sweating that went on the sixty minutes preceding the end of game walk of sportsmanship.

WITHOUT LOGIC. I scoff at the paranoid people out there who are insisting that the government is conspiring something and distracting the public with this STUPID Swine Flu issue, but when they pull crap like "no high fives" it almost makes me wonder. ..Almost.

LAAATE.

Punctuality is a very important thing in my life. Tardiness represents disrespect in my opinion. If I am late to my commitment, it means I don't respect that commitment enough to get my act together to arrive on time. If you are late to meeting me, I feel disrespected. Call me. crazy, but that's my mindset.

I was super tired and fairly cranky when I got home from work last night (shocking, I know). I was trying to decompress from a long day and to mentally organize my plans for the next day (today). My team had a game and I knew it was going to be on the far south side of the city. I was going back and forth between biking there and taking a public transportation. Both would take ages. I looked up the routes for both and decided to sleep on it. The game was to be at 1:00 so I needed to be there at 11:45-12:00 for warm up. I set my alarm for 7am-- plenty of time to wake up figure out which mode of transportation to embrace, and get there stress free. ...HA.

So I finally rolled out of bed at 7:30 this morning. As I poured a bowl of Fiber One (which by the way isn't all the commercial makes it out to be...), I thought to myself wouldn't it be awful if the game was at 10:00am? I'm so glad it's not....... It's not, right? .....RIGHT?! I ran to my computer to check the weekly schedule email from the varsity coach. Lo and behold, my game was to start at 10:00. I may have used a choice word or two. PANIC PANIC PANIC. I am going to be LATE! I don't disrespect them! I have lectured them SO MANY TIMES about being on time! AAAAAHHHHHHHH.

Let the scramble begin: I threw clothes on and waved the magic mascara wand over my eyelashes WHILST brushing my teeth. I was out the door by 8:15--- a mere 45 minutes before warm up. Somewhere in the whirlwind of getting ready to go I decided to bike-- it was a fairly direct route, and this way I'd be in control. Sure a bus can travel faster than a bike, BUT, a bike was available to me RIGHT THEN, I didn't have to wait for it. I didn't have to switch bikes when I was halfway there. I didn't have to worry that my bike wouldn't come. And most of all, I wouldn't be sitting on a bus watching time go by, but I could use my adrenaline producing panic at being late to my advantage to go faster on my bike.

What bike did she use? You may ask. I recently got a cheap junker from Craig's List. It's not awesome, but it's (slightly) more reliable than IH. So I rode it.

I pedaled. Each pedal stroke I recited the address of my destination so I wouldn't forget. For the first mile or so of the 11 mile journey, I kept hitting stop lights and was getting irritated. HELLOOO DIDN'T THEY KNOW I WAS IN A HURRY?! Then I kept hitting green lights which at first I was very pleased with. After a while I was ready for a rest! Haha. I pedaled like there was no tomorrow. Mentally I drifted back to the triathlon. I felt both excitement and dread for it. Excited because it is ultimately fun, dread because my quads were burning already. After about 45 minutes of crazy biking, I saw a huge bridge. Even the slightest rise in altitude is potentiated by the fact that there are essentially no legit inclines around here. I gulped as I stared up at the Everest of the Midwest and started pedaling. I down-shifted, I got out of the saddle I huffed and puffed. I heard a siren nearby and was embarrassed that someone thought I looked so distraught they'd called me an ambulance! Luckily I was wrong and no one cared quite that much. At the top I gasped and wheezed and vowed to get a new inhaler STAT.

Down the bridge and a couple more miles, and I was finally there! I made it, thirteen minutes LAAATE to the warm up. I apologized profusely to my team who graciously forgave me and ended up winning their game. And then I made the trek back in a much less panicked fashion. Phew.

randoms.

I've been MIA from the blogging world. Unfortunately there isn't anything too exciting to post.

Here are some randoms of the past couple weeks:

-Today I got to play soccer with the team I'm coaching because we were one person short for a mini 3v3 tournament. I miss soccer more than I'll let myself realize or admit.

-I went to the gym recently and as I approached the drinking fountain I saw a man SUCKING on it. His lips were sealed over the spout. After I swallowed the vomit that had erupted into my mouth I promptly turned right around as I though I'm not that thirsty. Ever since I've been taking my fantastic green Gatorade water bottle. Thanks again, mom and dad.

-I learned that I'm rotating back to the night shift in the middle of May. Again I was forced to swallow the vomit that erupted into my mouth as I learned of the switch. I hate nights.

-The weather IS getting warmer. Slowly. It'll be nice for a day or two, then it will downpour, thunder, lightening, then get super cold again. My patience is definitely growing thin and I long for sunny days on the beach all year long. Soon enough, my friends. Soon enough.

-I made a monster salad tonight, but can't eat it because the Italian dressing I put on it stings canker sores that I've recently developed. Also, my lips are SO DRY and CHAPPED that if I open my mouth wide enough to eat salad, my lips CRACK and bleed. No bueno.

-I am SO sick of everyone flipping out about Swine Flu. Wash your hands and steer clear of Mexico for awhile, folks.

-I am chronically nauseous.

I'm a pansy.

...So I got this fancy pants bike. But I'm too scared to use it. So here it hangs in the basement... waiting patiently for me to grow some guts and take it for a ride.

I still don't know what to name it. Speedy isn't sitting well... Maybe I can call it SCOTT...

...or maybe Speedster ...

In some feeble attempt to feel worthy of a bike, I went to a spinning class at my mega gym last night. It was okay. I'm out of shape, not new news, but disappointing news. Where my quads used to feel like powerful motors that would get me up that 'hill' or allow me to increase my cadence with confidence, they felt like cold limp noodles saying "what in the WORLD are you trying to pull?!" The instructor at this one was better than ones I've encountered in Chicago in the past-- at the end of the class, though, I learned that she was subbing for the regular instructor. Go figure.

Today I ran 7 miles, though, and that is somewhat exciting. I ran it slowly-- and this run six months ago would have been one I did on a day I wasn't feeling well, but it is the farthest distance I've run since the boot, and for that I will be grateful. My motto is 'once is luck, twice is skill,' so we'll see if it's legit in the next day or so.

I work the next three days in a row, so my new bike won't see daylight at least until Tuesday. Then it's a matter of weather and what not. And if I've gotten the guts to ride the darn thing. Details.

FINALLY

I did it.

I bought the Speedster.

I emailed the bike shop guy because he failed to return my email (bad salesmanship in my opinion but I needed a bike regardless). This time he got back to me like thirty minutes later asking if I could come at 2. I could, so I did. I bussed down there, under the impression I could ride my new ride back. I arrived 15 minutes early and started panicking, as I often do when I'm about to drop several dollars on something. Thankfully my dad talked me down and I went into the store (still a little panicky-- but breathing... kinda).

So the guy pulled the bike out and started looking me up and down and comparing me with the bike. Not saying much, just staring. 'Stop looking at me' I thought. Then I realized this wasn't going to be comfortable. At all. He then said "how tall are you?" I replied 5'7". And what's you're inseam as his gaze wandered to my crotch-- WHAT?! "Um, I have no idea." He guessed about 30 and asked me to get on the bike, so I did, still somewhat mortified by the inseam. The bike felt awkward. I've never had to really lean forward on the Iron Horse and this makes me feel like I am worshipping some gods to the north or something. As I pedaled he continued to stare. He pulled out a measuring tool that looked like something I used in geometry during high school, said "yep, 30. hop off and we'll look at shoes." 'that's it?! that's the bike fit?! $300 for THAT?!' I thought. Still not sold on the idea, I followed him to the shoe wall. Then he said he wanted to watch me walk. Oh lord. If you know me, you know I'm pigeon toed. So I demonstrated my toe-in for him and he said "oh wow." We picked a shoe and a pedal then he said "well, alright." As I opened my mouth to say I wasn't comfortable with that as the total bike fit he said "Let's start the bike fit." PHEW. Up until that point I was seriously regretting being there.

Then he measured my foot and figured out where to screw on the cleat in accordance to my 1st and 5th metatarsal. When people use big terms appropriately it makes me trust them more. He started getting chatty and I appreciated that because when people don't speak it makes me think they don't want to be there and if they don't want to be there I don't want to be there and the less they speak the less I speak and that would ultimately lead to an ill-fitting bike.
I put the shoes on and got back on the bike-- he showed me how to clip in and out. That will DEFINITELY take some practice. I am prepared to fall. The next part consisted of putting velcro on my 5th metatarsal, ankle, knee, hip, shoulder, elbow and wrist. He started to do this and said 'yea it's usually easier with bike shorts..." I had thought ahead and worn my SUPER COMFY tri-shorts under my soccer shorts. Wanting this to be as accurate and worth the $$$ as possible, I told him I had them on and he said "oh good, get those other shorts off." Sick. So now I was in my fantastically tight spandex on a bike (that was set up on a trainer that was on a platform that rotated... it was quite the setup)and he reput the velcro on my hips. I hate people touching me. Then he connected the sensors. I tried imagining I was in a Gatorade commercial so I could feel super cool, but it was to no avail. I started pedaling and he 'recorded' 15 seconds at three different gears on each side. It was awkward, but neat to see how the computer could figure out where my inefficiencies are (were?) and he could then make adjustments in the bike to rectify or minimize them. I wish I understood it more so I could articulate what it does, but I don't know exactly. So then I practiced going through the gears and brakes and everything. These brakes are SO much better than IH's! ... They work. And the gears shift so smoothly, it's crazy. I practiced clipping in and out a couple of times, learned how to take of the wheels and then walked the plank to the register. We'll leave that part out of the story because it makes me nauseous.
As I was getting ready to go, I realized that the pedals on my new steed are only compatible with the clip in shoes. I could TRY to wear my running shoes with them, but it'd be ugly. So I had two options: 1) Ride it home using my new shoes and pray I didn't fall into the streets of Chicago and get run over by an ignorant motorist, or 2) Walk home. I chose to walk. Thankfully, it was a nice day and my dad was available for conversation so it went by quickly. No way was I going to risk life, limb, and more importantly my fancy new bike by taking my first ride with clip in pedals on the actual road! I felt very lame though, and as I walked someone goes "you're walking your bike???" and I sheepishly explained the situation and he just laughed. Awesome.

BUT I DON'T CARE. I HAVE A REAL BIKE!!! This is huge. I haven't really grasped it yet. But I'm excited. Now I need to find a large soft grassy field where no one will watch (and therefore laugh at) me try to figure out how to clip in and out.

I'm honestly kind of scared of it. It's SO light and I feel like I'm going to break it. IH was nice because I didn't have to be careful with it. If I did something that would break it-- it was okay because she was on her deathbed anyways. Now I'm nervous to touch the Speedster. There were some kids scootering on the sidewalk behind me and they kept coming up right be side me as I walked home. I shot the little gremlins dirty looks that said "GET AWAY FROM MY BABY" and they ran off crying (haha not really...). And each little bump in the road I slowed down and either lifted it over said bump or rolled it ever so slowly as not to jostle her precious functioning gears. I'm going to have to get over that. Quickly.

I'm exciiiiiiited.

...I'm going bike shopping in one hour..... eek!

Shamrock FREEZE

(disclaimer-- this whole post is a lot of complaining, and it's my blog so I can complain all I want)

I don't believe the old wives tale that if you are in the cold then you'll get sick. Sure it will 'weaken' your immune system, but it won't introduce new viruses and bacteria to your system-- just make your system less able to fight them off.

The Shamrock Shuffle. Oh my gosh. I knew the weather was going to be bad. I learned earlier in the week that the forecast called for snow. I have developed a passionate dislike for the white poison that falls from the sky and lingers for weeks. All the way through Saturday night-- even into Sunday morning if we're being honest--I wrestled with the desire to NOT run it. Had I not payed the $40 registration fee, heaven knows I would have enthusiastically run on the treadmill instead.

When I woke up early Sunday morning, I was expecting to see the stuff, but I wasn't expecting to see a solid inch already accumulated in addition to it falling relentlessly. I checked the event website, praying that it would be cancelled or rescheduled. All it said was that according to the "Event Alert System" it was at the "Yellow Level" meaning "Less than ideal running condition." NO KIDDING. Mortified. I still didn't want to run. I didn't want to hoof downtown on the el, I didn't want to wade through masses of people to get to gear check, I didn't want to stand around waiting for the start horn, I didn't want to RUN -- all because of the snow that was approaching 2 inches deep and forming giant slushy puddles everywhere. I didn't want to. At all.

Then something close to miraculous happened. I had a positive attitude. I had run in colder weather. It was about 30 degrees-- which a couple months ago would have been incredibly exciting. Once I started running, I would get warm. I had worked hard to find someone to work for me that day, and it'd be a waste if I played hookie from the race. I would probably regret it if I didn't run, and I'd paid the registration fee. Honestly, the latter is the clincher-- I hate wasting money.

What to wear? I bundled: many (5) layers of 'technical' tees (long and short sleeved) and a lightweight windbreaker/running coat. I decided to wear my Team in Training hat (to block snow flakes from my eyes) with an ear warmer headband over it. I wore running tights with soccer warm up pants over those. I later realized how idiotic I was in choosing normal socks and knit gloves. Normal socks do jack for keeping your feet either dry or warm. I don't know what socks I should have worn, but my little cotton things were the root of my despair. Also, knit gloves get wet and hold onto moisture. By the time I boarded the el, they were wet and they never dried.

After I brainwashed myself to think 'it's not THAT cold...' I set out. It was between 7:30 and 8:00am on a Sunday-- most people not awake yet... most people returning home from the night before. Point being-- sidewalks not shoveled. As I walked to the el my feet started to get wet. I embraced my new found positivity, realized they were going to get wet sooner or later, and kept saying 'it's a beautiful day for a race.'

This mindset lasted until I got off the El downtown. I feel like it is always much colder downtown than where I live. This could be because downtown is right at the lake front, while I'm a good mile and a half inland. Either way-- it was colder, the wind was blowing harder, and the snow was deeper. I was cold and cranky.

So I tromped the 0.2 miles from the el to the race, basically just following people. That's the beauty of a bigger event-- if you don't know where to go, just follow the masses of people. My attitude had gone polarly opposite of the positivity I briefly encountered. 'This sucks. This is not fun. This is miserable.' Once I found it I had to swim through said masses to get to Gear Check to get rid of the bag full of warm clothes I'd brought for afterward. As I made my way to the start corral I heard an announcement "Five minutes until start corrals A, B, and C are closed." This was my fourth year of participating in this race, and the race honors your loyalty by giving you a closer start each year you do it. So, I'd gotten into corral A. I wanted to get up there because I hate waiting for ten+ minutes after the start just to get to the starting line. So I hustled, and fell. Stupid ice! Fell right on my backside. I was so cranky. SO CRANKY. The snow had turned to sleet/snow/rain and with the endless wind was attacking everyone sideways. My feet were NUMB by this point. I stood in my corral trying to shake life back into them and trying to convince myself to not get back on the El right then.

FIFTEEN MINUTES LATER we started. I don't understand why we had to wait fifteen minutes after the corrals closed. Honestly, cruel and unusual. I couldn't feel my feet. At all. I thought I was running on stumps. Apparently race-loyal AND super fast people are in Start Corral A as I was being passed on both sides. Humbling. I had given up on this race on Saturday night... I knew I wasn't in as good of shape as last year, I knew the weather was going to be awful... I knew I wasn't going to be pleased with my time.. So I don't want to say I didn't try hard, but ... I didn't try hard. My attitude was by far my greatest weakness. I couldn't get over the fact that this was happening. Two years ago I got sunburnt at this race. Last year I wore shorts. Now there was SNOW and ice and GIANT puddles. Ridiculous. At one point I felt something tootsie-roll esque in my shoe and I thought "what in the world could have worked it's way in there?!" Then I realized it was my pinkie toe. By mile 3 I started to regain sensation in my feet, which was quite relieving as I was getting concerned about them and their ability to withstand frostbite. I did warm up at this time, too and even sweated a little.

I brought true meaning to the Shamrock Shuffle as that is the perfect verb to describe my method of completing the race. Upsetting, really. After I finished I didn't bother changing my clothes (both because there was no place to do so and I didn't have dry shoes so it just seemed pointless). I just got my stuff and booked it back to the El. The quicker I could get in a hot shower the better.

All in all it was perhaps the most miserable race I've run-- even more so than the half marathon in Indy. I was hoping the whole time I'd feel good about it AFTERWARD, and half of my motivation in going was that I knew I'd regret it if I didn't. But I don't feel good about it. It was terrible. I'll admit that a significant amount of the awful-ness came from my attitude-- but it is a character flaw.. I hate snow. If there is anything I hate more than snow, it is snow in late March after several days of 60 degree weather. So it's not a bad race to run-- the three years before have been fantastic. But the weather really put a damper-- a real freezer-- on this one.

And regarding the old wives tale: I usually don't believe it, but I am sick now and I can't hep but blame the weather of my Sunday morning activity.