Don't call me an expert...

Kicked off my week with my longest run post Ultra-Marathon, and I think I'm finally over the "I'm too tired to run more than 8 miles" hump.  Kris and I (rather begrudgedly) started our 12 miler on Monday around 6 pm.  And from the moment we started, I regretted not getting up that morning and getting it over with.  We both had set our alarms for 6 am (Kris had Columbus Day off...), but the hangover feeling from the Wacker-Odom Wedding Weekend prevailed.  We just didn't get up.  I was unwilling to not run, so I bargained and we started at 6 pm.  

When we got to the club, I started to grab my trusty iPod, and my husband immediately intervened.  "HEY! You can't run with THAT."  Evidently, he wanted to run 12 miles and chat.  I'm all for chatting, but you see, we had "chatted" on the 4 hour ride up and the 4 hour ride back from San Antonio the few days before, as well as "chatted" all day leading up to the run.  What the heck were we going to "chat" about?????  I relented, we chatted.  And I guess it's good that we like each other because it wasn't a quiet run.  Good thing we can always find something to chat about!  So we ran and chatted, and the chatter kept my mind off of the nagging right knee pain that I have.  Seems I have ITBS...

*ITBS (Iliotibial Band Syndrome) as per Wikipedia:  A common injury to the thigh, generally associated with running, cycling, hiking or weight-lifting (especially squats). ITBS is one of the leading causes of lateral knee pain in runners. The iliotibial band is a superficial thickening of tissue on the outside of the thigh, extending from the outside of the pelvis, over the hip and knee, and inserting just below the knee. The band is crucial to stabilizing the knee during running, moving from behind the femur to the front while walking. The continual rubbing of the band over the lateral femural epicondyl, combined with the repeated flexion and extension of the knee during running may cause the area to become inflamed. ITBS symptoms range from a stinging sensation just above the knee joint (on the outside of the knee or along the entire length of the iliotibial band) to swelling or thickening of the tissue at the point where the band moves over the femur. The pain may not occur immediately during activity, but may intensify over time, especially as the foot strikes the ground. Pain might persist after activity. Pain may also be present below the knee, where the ITB actually attaches to the tibia.

So there's that.  Probably due to overuse during the Ultra Marathon.  But, I'm icing EVERY SINGLE NIGHT, and wrapping, and it's gotten MUCH MUCH MUCH better.  A couple of weeks ago, at 4 miles, it was excruciating, now its just annoying.  Seems to be improving, so I should be all better by Rock and Roll 26.2.  I was told this summer by a Dr. that I'm more predisposed to knee injuries...so, this irritable-ness is not surprising.

Anywho, it is still warm here in the evenings, and there's mosquitoes....I was please when we rounded the Harlingen Country Club loop for the last time.  I've continued to cross train this week, and I plan to run tomorrow and do 16-18 on Sunday.  Even with my little post-Ultra hiatus, I'm still on target as far as my training plan goes (okokokokok...maybe I'm a couple miles off).  

With all this running lately, and all the races that I've done in 2011, it has become apparent to me that I've picked up a lot of of knowledge about running in general.  Never would I ever claim to be an expert or the "do all say all" of the sport, but somehow, over the past 2 years, I've absorbed all sorts of quips and bits of info that I hadn't even realized.  Lately, I've had a lot of friends, coworkers, family, etc, ask me questions about running in general, and to my surprise, I usually have a decent answer.  And I love that.  And it makes me want to learn more, and more and more.  I ravage through my monthly Runner's World and move on to finding articles, training plans, and other resources.  Everyday, I learn something new!  I feel like the knowledge I'm gaining lately is just as important as the actual act of running the miles, because it helps every mile be stronger, mentally and physically.  Had I not been reading, I would have never known there was a name for the nagging knee pain.  So for the next few months, I'm going to be a "running sponge."  I'm going to soak up as much as I can, and I'm so happy to be able to share what I learn.

I'm very honored to say that my wonderful, amazing friend and trainer, Renea, has asked myself and our friend Irma, to help her get our Bod Squad Team running.  This makes me very very excited, and I'm anxious for the different things we are planning!  I couldn't be happier to be a representative of a great group of ladies who work so hard, and find new ladies that are interested too.  I can't wait to get everyone "up and running!"  And I just want to thank Renea, from the bottom of my heart, for making it possible.  You are helping stir something in me that I didn't even know was there to stir, and I'm excited to see where we can go!  You can look up her business page on Facebook, "The Bod Squad Training by Renea Perez."  I'll be putting little quips and quotes up there as well very soon!

Just about a month to go until Rock and Roll!  I'll try to keep this as updated as I can as we gear up for the big day!  Best of luck to all of my friends who are in the home stretch training for their first half marathons and marathons, I'm SOSOSOSOSO proud of all of you!

Thanks for cheering me on!

Lacy

If Multi Sport Racing Were Any Easier, They'd Have to Call it Football

Welp, I tackled my first "multi-sport" race this AM, and lemme tell ya, that was a doozie. Riding a bike just ain't the same as when you were little.  This was much more treacherous.  And painful.  And frustrating. But fun??!

I guess I could have already categorized myself as a "multi-sport" athlete (I <3 saying that I'm an "athlete").  This past Spring, on the coercing of my husband, I took up swimming.  And I took to it swimmingly!  I really enjoyed getting in the water and the relaxing workout that it provided.  Since then, all I've heard is "now you just have to get a bike."  I hear this about ummm...3-5x per month.  We have had the  "you need to get a bike convo" a lot.  And believe me, I've thought about it.  I even went so far as to go to a bike store in Austin and get fitted for a bike.  I chickened out.  An entry level road bike in my size (43 Petite...) with gear is about 10 Benjamins.  Nope.  I can think of multiple things I would like to purchase with that much moolah.  A bike...mmmm...not so much.  So I haven't jumped into this whole Duathlon (run + bike) or Triathlon thing.

Now, today, there was a local Duathlon taking place, and for the past few weeks, I've been looking for a partner to happily do the bike portion for me.  I wanted a teammate.  But a teammate was not to be found.  So this week, my good friend Javier Vazquez (who always comes to the rescue), offered to lend me his wife's bike.  I was reluctant, even backed out and told him no.  However, Mr. Vazquez does not take "no" lightly.  Especially when I told him that my last real experience on a bike was circa 1994 on my pink and teal huffy.  He simply told me, "come on, now it's not a race, its a quest."  A quest sounded interesting, so I relented.  Yesterday, Kristofor and I went to pick up the bike.  After about half an hour of moving the seat down (we actually had to cut the seat post so I could adequately reach the pedals) and adjusting handlebars, I took off down the street as Javier and Kristofor said "it's like watching a little kid ride on two wheels for the first time."  Great, that's exactly what someone who was about to ride 18 MILES wants to hear.  Alas, we took the bike home, and I took it for a short little spin around the neighborhood last night.

And then of course I had to look stylish on my new borrowed bike (I borrowed a helmet too...).  So my loving husband bought me a very trendy pair of tri shorts and a top for me to wear on this morning's debut race (Did I say that he really wanted me to do this?).  Is it bad that my outfit was my favorite part? Naaaahhhhh....that outfit was totally the best part :)!

This morning, we rode over to the soccer complex.  Kristofor showed me how to "rack" my bike and instructed me to put my helmet on first when I came into the transition area. Got it coach.  Now this race started with a 5k, then you bike 18 miles, then finished up with a 5k.  We lined up for the start, and since running is my thing, I wasn't nervous.  There in the back of my mind though, the thoughts were a turnin' about what would happen after I finished that first 3 mile run.  I have no clue how fast I ran, although, I have a feeling it was pretty quick.  When I came back into the parking lot, there they were.  The bikes.  And that pink trek was waiting for me.

Sooo, I couldn't get my helmet on.  Yeah.  Sounds simple, but I was shaking (nerves...), and I couldn't loosen the chin strap.  I lost at least 4 minutes trying to put my purple helmet on (and it never was quite right).  Naturally, I said my first 3 bad words of the morning, loud enough for one of the helpers to hear and laugh.  Helmet on, I started to walk the bike toward the mount area, and I hopped on and away I went.  About a mile in, I thought, "this isn't so bad...this breeze is kinda nice...this could be relaxing."  Then I realized for the first time that I was sharing the road with cars.  I was on the shoulder and cars were buzzing past me on this road at speeds of over 45 mph.  Slightly panicked, I tried not to think about how I could fall off and slide under a car and get smashed like a bug.  But seriously, I was sweating.  Not from heat, but from fear.  And I was all alone.  Seemed no one was biking my speed (med-slow...slow).  Crossing railroad tracks allowed my first all out shriek.  AHHHHH!  If anyone was behind me, they probably peed their pants laughing at me.  Then the road got kind of rough and gravel-ey, and well, things started to hurt.  Bike seats are no comfy sofa.  And that padding in my tri shorts left much to be desired.  OWWWWAAAAA.  More swear words.  I passed Kristofor about mile "I was swearing to NEVER EVER DO THIS AGAIN" and even yelled that to him as he passed me and told me I was almost halfway there.  Halfway.  You're kidding.  AHHHHHHHH!

I made it to the turn around at the half way point, and well, I am not good at turning.  Like, not good.  WIIIIIDDDDEEEE turn around and off I went on the back 9.  I was doing ok, but at mile "I'm about to throw this bike in the ditch and run the last 7 miles," I hit a bowling ball sized pot hole and it messed up the gears.  I was pedaling, and not going anywhere.  MORE bad words and I hopped off and was walking the pink Trek.  Alone, I had no clue how long this would take me.  Another cyclist came up to me, and after jiggling my handlebar a bit, it clicked into a new gear and I could pedal again.  It was tougher, but I didn't dare change it for fear I'd really be in trouble.  When I pulled into the parking lot, my smiling parents and husband were there to cheer me on.  I was just happy to rack the bike and relieved it was over.  PHEEEWWWW!

I started my last 5k run, and although I felt kind of wonky when I started, I acclimated to being back on foot pretty quick.  Without even realizing it, I picked up the pace, A LOT.  Even so much that some friends that had come in from the bike a good 10 minutes before me, only had about 2 minutes on me when we finished.  I made up almost 8 minutes or so on the run.  Not too bad.  I came into the finish with a time of 2:17:21, and I was pleased.  I was hoping for 3 hours, so that was definitely a win for me! I was still saying, "never again" though.  And thennnnn.....

I won a trophy.  And trophies always make me happy, so then I liked my bike a little more.  And it made it all worth it.  Kristofor won a trophy too!  YAHOO!!!  I know the trophy was only possible because I made up so much time on my runs...but I'll take it!

So the moral of the story is, I'm not sure I'm a multi-sport kinda girl.  I may try a Sprint Tri on the Island in a couple of weeks.  Its a shorter bike, and the swim is doable.  We'll see how that goes.  What makes me happiest is, I feel like today, with the foray into doing biking AND running, I can actually call myself an athlete.  And this is unbelievable to me.  A girl who never played a sport, never caught the ball, never made the team, is now at almost 30 years old, an athlete.  I am no longer the little girl that signed up to play soccer because the outfit was cute, and sat on the sidelines.  I am now the girl getting in the mix of things, even if my outfits are still cute.  So what if that was my favorite part!  A HUUUGGGEEE thanks to Javier and Claudia Vazquez for generously allowing me to borrow their bike.  MUCHOS GRACIAS!

This week, more running, and then I'm a goin' out of town because the bestie is getting hitched!  Rock and Roll San Antonio is coming right up!

Thanks for cheering me on!

Lacy

The more I stress...the more I run.

Alright, so today sucked.  Like, not just a little, a lot.  It's days like today when I have to pull myself out of my funk and realize that I really don't have it as bad as I think I do, and there are lots of others that have it worse than me.

I mean, I have my health, a job (although...it is what routinely causes all my stress), good friends and family, and countless other blessings.

Still, I allowed myself to wallow in the suck for at least 2 hours.  They were 2 pretty decent hours because I wallowed in my bed while taking a post workday nap.  So that was nice.  But overall, today was not bueno.  At all.

Which brings me to my point...why I run.  Truly, the reason why....

I'm probably one of the most "high strung" people you will ever meet.  Is "high strung" even the right phrase?  Maybe not.  Anywho, I am super high energy, extremely intense (I've been told I can suck the air outta a room...), very motivated, but also a worry wort in the grandest sense of the word.  I am a self proclaimed "half-empty" who would rather be surprised when something turns out than get my hopes up and be crushed.  NOW...this does not mean that I walk around with a storm cloud all the time...but if you catch me on the wrong day....

All that being said, running/exercise equalizes me.  I didn't realize until a couple of years ago when I started exercising that something so simple could help improve my stress level.  Well whatdoyaknow...running helps relieve my stress.  A lot.  Like A LOT A LOT.  And usually, the more I run, the less stressed I am.  Not going to lie, on days like today, when work and life in general looks downright unpleasant, I can run, and just stomp on all the things/people/situations that make me all frazzle-dazzled.  One step at a time, I pound on people's faces (not really...you know what I mean...).  And it helps.  Sometimes, I run and I just go blank.  Either way, when I'm running, I always feel less stressed when done.

The past couple of weeks have been extremely stressful as I'm trying to juggle training, work, best friend's wedding, family visiting, random unexplained expenses popping up, etc.  And since I got back from our Ultra Run in SA 2 weeks ago, I've been a ball of knots.  I haven't run as much as I should have been.  I've tried to recover slowly from that 39 mile jaunt so that my knee and legs are ready to ramp up mileage for the marathon in 7 weeks.  But the lack of running definitely took a toll on my stress level.  Soooo....I'm back on the wagon!

Tonight, Kristofor and I did about 4 miles.  And Saturday, in San Antonio (made the 4 hour commute for the best friend's bachelorette party), I ran the absolute HILLIEST 7 mile trail run ever.  Comanche Lookout Park Trails...ummm...yeah, they mean business.   I almost died like 5 times.  It was tough.  Can I count that as this week's hill run?  WHY YES I CAN.  This week, I have to do another 5 miler, a 10-K at race pace, and a 16 miler.

I'm trying to compete in the Just Du It Duathlon on Sunday October 2nd.  I need either a partner to bike the 18 miles, or a bike to borrow so I can bike the 18 and run the 6 miles.  Let me know if you have a bike for me to borrow oooorrrrr if you wanna be my partner.  No speed demons needed.  I'm going to run my long run on Saturday early...(or Sunday I guess if I can't find a partner...) so I have no intention of being a "contender" in this race.  I just think it would be fun!  Lemme know!

Thanks for cheering me on!
Lacy

Stickers and T-shirts and Medals, OH MY!

It's been a little over a week since I've checked in, and on the running front, there isn't much to report.  Tonight was my first post Ultra Marathon training run.  And lemme tell ya...running 5 miles with hills, even after over a week off...I still felt a little rough around the edges.  My husband said the same thing last night after a 5k.  I think on some level I'm still recuperating.

Side Note: My sleep schedule is definitely still recuperating.  After staying up that entire night, sleeping the whole day, then sleeping in, and jumping right into the work week...I'm downright wore out.  I'm a late to bed, late to rise kind of girl, but lately, I've been in bed epic early.  And out of bed epic late....Not sure what's going on there.  Could I be *gasp* getting older??? Nah...

Anywho, I'm tired, and so are my stinking muscles.  And my knee...Right Knee that is...

As I'm sitting here typing, Mr. Right Knee himself (my knee is a boy...) is getting some preferential ice treatment because he was none too happy about our 5 mile run tonight.  The pain was not excruciating, and since I got an MRI in July and did PT on this SAME knee, I'm familiar with what is going on and what I need to do to fix it.  Lucky me, my pain is chronic.  And basically, the best way to fix it is:
ICE
ICE
Stretching my IT band
Quad strengthening
and....no wearing of heels, flats, flip flops, or any other stylish footwear other than running shoes or grandma orthopaedic shoes (I work in a professional-ish office...so this is a challenge)

It's just a bit frustrating to have the same recurring problem after any long race (Mr. Knee first got pissed at Marathon attempt numero uno).  But alas, the cards I'm dealt.

But on to some more exciting news.......

Let's talk about my new STICKER!!!

I know, I know, I KNOW that 99.999999% of the RGV will not know what "ULTRA" is referring to.  Heck, I've had more people than I can count ask me "what is 26.2?"  So, I'm quite aware that most will think that I am just a devoted Michelob Ultra drinker, or maybe that I'm Ultra cool, I dunno.  But I doubt many will say "oh by golly gee, that is an ULTRA runner."  But that's ok, because IIIIIIIIIII  know what it means.  And that stinking sticker made my day when it came in the mail.  So what, I'm a sucker for a sticker and the t-shirts and the other rad swag  you get when you do a race.  It's the best part!!!!!!  I run for 2 things 1. Tshirts 2. Medals.  And a couple of weeks ago...I got a trophy, so I run for those too.  That's what makes all of this so much fun, I think!

So this week, I'll be pounding out an 8 miler, and a 14 miler. God willing that Mr. Knee cooperates.  I'll also be tearing it up with Renea tomorrow AND Thursday. WAHOOOO!!! And I've heard she has some new things in store for us training wise, so I'm quite stoked!  I have my trusty marathon training schedule printed out and adhered to the fridge.  And from here on out, I'll be following that...religiously. Especially on Sundays for my long runs :)!  I'm just excited to get back on track after my very fun and rewarding detour!

Thanks for cheering me on!

Lacy

A night that I will NEVER FORGET

As of 7:11 am this morning, I completed 39 miles.  My husband completed 41.  It's been an emotional and tiring day full of excitement and gratitude for the opportunity to be a part of such an amazing event put on by the Soldier's Angels Foundation.

Yesterday, we arrived in San Antonio after our 4 hour drive, and we decided to go ahead and pick up our packets for the race later that evening.  We walked into "Run On" and when we saw the list of runners, we were shocked to know that there were only 20 of us actually doing the full Ultra Marathon.  Only 20 crazies signed up to run for over 9 hours.  There were over 10 relay teams set to participate (9 person teams).  We walked out with our swag bag wide eyed and even more nervous.  What in the heck had I decided to do?  ONLY 20 PEOPLE...wow, we really must be insane!

Checked into our hotel, and tried to lay down for a nap before the race.  As you can imagine, Saturday's on the River Walk are quite popular.  Trying to sleep in the afternoon turned out to be quite a challenge.  Our neighbors started arguing and going at it about 30 minutes into our nap session.  Then they proceeded to "go at it" in an entirely different way.  Sooooo....we really didn't sleep much.  Got up about 8, got dressed and all Body Glided up...

**Body Glide-the most amazing invention ever for a distance runner.  After running longer distances, inevitably, things start to ummmm...rub together.  This stuff prevents that.  It is heaven in a deoderant looking stick.  A must buy!

Shoes On, Numbers On...out the door we went.  We promptly got lost on our way to Olmos Park.  Made it to the start with less than 30 minutes to spare.  PHEWWWWW...that was close.  There was a band playing and people had set up tents and lawn chairs to watch us.  Everyone seemed to have brought their dog, and the volunteers we had were second to none.  Every time we ran around that loop towards the mile marker, they cheered.  By the 5th hour, they knew us by name.  It was amazing.

When the gun went off and we started, the crazy 20 Ultra Runners all stayed tightly packed together.  Plodding along at a 10 minute mile pace, we all talked about how far we wanted to go, what was the plan, who had done this before.  Wasn't long before we friended an Air Force Chemist named Brent who stuck with us for over 20 miles even though he had never run more than 13 miles prior to the race.

As the night went on, we all separated, and yes, Kristofor and I did exactly what we swore we wouldn't do.  We ran, and didnt walk.  We stopped after every mile for 1-2 minutes to stretch, grab water, grab a granola bar, or use the good ol' port-a-potty (Yuck.  I felt disgusting by the end).  But mostly, we ran.  Quicker at first, then slower, then faster, but we kept running.

I began my typical bargaining tactics.  I promised my knees, 27 miles.  Run 27 miles, then you can walk.  So that is what I did. We crossed the marathon mark about 5 hours and 15 minutes in, and I pounded out another mile.  Then I started walking.  Kristofor kept going and managed to get a mile ahead of me.  I began power walking at about 14-16 minute mile paces.  I continued to do this until Mile 38.  Owwwww.  Holy Jesus, it hurt.  When I was running, my knees were aching and throbbing, with the walking, it was my ankles and feet that provided the pain.  It is also important to note that with all of the wildfires in Central Texas this week, the air quality was not good.  At times it was like running in a BBQ pit.  The smell got stronger as the night wore on, but overall the weather was perfect, chilly even.  We finished the race in 68 degree amazingness.

At mile 38, I decided, with 25 minutes left, that Mile 39 would be my last.  I had finally hit the wall.  And although, I wanted those 40 miles sooooo bad,  I knew my body was done.  The pain had taken over, and I was having trouble putting one foot in front of the other without stumbling.  So at 7:02 am, I shuffled, very slowly across the finish line for the last time.  I stretched as well as I could, and I cried.  9 hours of continuous movement done.

I didn't cry for the pain, I cried for the sheer magnitude of what I had done, and for what it was for.  Watching firemen and police officers, veterans and active duty military do the relay and Ultra carrying boots, wearing fulll gear was so inspiring.  And I was moved by how much we all came together to cheer each other on and finish strong.  Not a mile went by that someone didn't tap me on the should and say "good job girl" or "keep moving keep moving."  We were all cheerleaders last night, complete strangers, united to finish mile after mile.

It reminded me of 10 years ago.  When the simple, kind human spirit was displayed fully by Americans in their heartfelt unity over the tragedy that was 9/11.  Last night, I witnessed the kindness of strangers, the uniting of Americans to fulfull a purpose.  And that experience will forever live with me.  This morning, we took moments of silence for when the 1st and 2nd planes hit, and for the Pentagon and Flight 93 crashes as well.  Emotion was all around, tears, and silence.  As the Color Guard lifted the flag, and our National Anthem played, I have never been a more proud American.  I am so blessed to have been a part of that experience.

When we got back to the hotel, I was not surprised to see that I have been gifted with 4 large blisters and 3 lost toenails.  They hurt, but it was so worth it.  I slept most the day, ate more Mexican food than humanly possible tonight, and now I sit in bed lacquered with BioFreeze (also amazing stuff) watching football.

It has been an amazing experience.  I was proud to have done a little part to honor our country with my miles.  I did have 14 names on my list last night, so thank you again for sending me the names.  I ran 2+ miles for each of them :), the note carefully tucked in my mini fanny pack (so fashionable).  This week, I'll be recouping and getting back on my original track of marathon training for November 13.  It seems so much more doable since last night.  I appreciate all the kind words and notes that have been sent to Kristofor and I over the past couple of days.  When times got tough last night, thinking about them (or actually reading them on my mini-breaks) helped push me through.  So Thank You.

And God Bless America.

Thanks for cheering me on,

Lacy

Relaxed and Ready to go!

Less than 27 hours until race time!

Last night, we made our jersey's that we'll wear tomorrow night!  Here's mine....

The 343 signifies the number of firefighters that perished in the Tower 1 and Tower 2 attacks in New York City on September 11, 2001.

"Let's Roll" is a catchphrase that became known after the attack of 9/11.  Todd Beamer, a passenger on the hijacked Flight 93, used the phrase as his last audible words (with a phone operator) before he and a group of other passenger's began to try to take on the hijackers.  It was then famously used in a speech by President George W. Bush in his 2002 State of the Union address.  Since, then, it has been used as a battle cry by many in reference to the events of 9/11.  (Wikipedia.com)

Kristofor also has a nifty jersey with the #72 on it, signifying the number of fallen police officers, and the slogan "In Valor There Is Hope" emblazoned on the back.

I have a few names on my list to carry with me for tomorrow.  I am running with names of those that have fought or are fighting for our country, as well as the names of any lives lost in the 9/11 attacks.  If you'd like me to run a mile for your loved one, in honor or in rememberance, I am happy to do so!  Just email them to me at lacysheahealey@gmail.com, or FB me or leave me a comment here.

Gonna keep it short tonight, I'll check in tomorrow before we head to the race!

Thanks for cheering me on!


Lacy

PS! A BIG thank you to the girls at Desiree's Spa and Massage for getting me all loose and relaxed before tomorrow...My muscles thank you tons!!

72 hours and eating

T-Minus 72 hours until I embark on my first Ultra Marathon experience.  I'm starting to get nervous, butterflies showing up in my tummy. And I'm completely ravenous.  If I had absolutely no self control, I'd be elbows deep in the 2 gallon bucket of cheese balls that are tighly placed away in our pantry.  Instead, I've tried to tether my longing for cheeseballs, cheese cake (which I did have today), cheese pizza (see a pattern here), etc.  Instead I just scarfed a grilled chicken salad but splurged with a small fry (hey...they're carbs...). Anyways, I'm hungry, and I think my internal clock knows that I'm about to put it through it's toughest test thus far.

This past weekend, my husband and I traveled to Austin so that he could compete in his 2nd Olympic Triathlon.  He did so well AND raised over $1100 for The Livestrong Foundation.  It was great seeing him finish strong and also help a teammate that was struggling towards the last leg of the race.  Multi-Sport racing is an entirely different animal from what I can tell, and it seems to be much more testosterone charged (see large muscular men finishing and making loud yells and grunting sounds).  For goodness sakes, my husband got kicked in the face in the first 5 minutes of the swim and has a small shiner.  He had to swim a mile after that...then bike 25...then run 6.  That's insane.  Soooo....Kristofor, I love you and I'm very proud of you!

ALSO this past weekend (before the Austin trip), Kristofor and I ran a 10k....ANNDDDDDDDDD....
I WON A TROPHY!  2nd PLACE!  Please excuse my excitement, I have not won a trophy since 4th grade UIL.  Seriously.  I'm so dang proud of that trophy, you'd think I won the gold medal at the Olympics.  Seriously, I'm stoked.  Who knows if I'll ever win another, but bygod, I won that one, and I'm one happy camper.  :)

So back to Austin...I knew I couldn't just take the long weekend off, so I was "that girl" and ran in the hotel gym.  I was not a fan of their treadmill, mine is much better.  And on Monday morning, I had a nice run from our hotel to the site of the Triathlon finish line.  I counted that as my "hill run" because well...Austin has hills.  And downtown Austin goes up and down up and down.  It was strange to be running at 8 am past all the bars that were packed to the brim a few hours before.  But it was a beautiful morning, and a nice change of scenery.

Overall this week, I will be taking it easy-er than normal in preparation.  Tonight, I ran 3 miles with my beautiful friend, Klaudia-Lou, and it was great to have girl chat while getting in a run.  Tomorrow I train with Renea (WAHOO!), and Friday I'll probably do an hour long stretch session and a light walk.  Going into Saturday, I want my legs fresh, my mind clear, and my spirit ready.  I absolutely cannot wait!

Please let me know if you have someone that you'd like me to run a mile for.  I'm honored and happy to do so.  And thank you everyone for the song suggestions.  You will be happy to know that I downloaded a TON of new tunes and I firmly believe they helped with my big win Saturday.  So Muchas Gracias!

Keep us in your thoughts over the next few days.  I know that I've been trying to reflect on the reason we are doing this event; to remember those that perished and survived that tragic day in American History, and to honor those that have fought and are fighting for our country in it's aftermath.  I'm so pumped to get to that track.  I know it's going to be a life changing experience!

Thanks for cheering me on!

Lacy