RUNNING 101: my secret weapon...

This is something I think everyone should have. If you know me in real life, you're already tired of hearing from me about the foam roller.  

You really need to stretch before and after your workout, and this is the best way to do it so your muscles are ready to work before you run, and then to release them after. It's also great on your rest days between runs, and will help with general flexibility.  (If you want the scientific details, google self myofascial release and read to your heart's content... or just trust me!)  

You can get one here on Amazon for about $25, free shipping with Amazon Prime and if you order today you'd have it in two days! (no, I don't get a commission!) I recommend the blue EVA high density, because that's the one I've always used.  I don't know if it's any better or worse than others, but I've had great luck with this one. 

I wouldn't be without mine-- even carry it with me when I travel.  Foam roller, check.  Water bottle, check.  Sneakers, check.  Ready for anything! 

Truly, an excellent investment in yourself!

I’m going to post some links that will show you how to use the foam roller, but before you get overwhelmed looking at videos, I want to try and explain the basics of my simple routine.  When I first learned about foam rolling it felt very awkward and took me a while to build up the upper body strength to do it!  (and by a while, I mean a couple of days—it’s not that bad—just stick with it!)  But in addition to feeling awkward, for the longest time I wasn’t sure if I was remembering what to do and in what order, which slowed down the whole process for me and made it kind of frustrating in the beginning.  So I’m going to try and help you avoid that! 

Here’s what you do: (without worrying about form or details, just read thru this and try and visualize the basic progression)

1.  Start with your calves, ankle to just below the knee.  Sit on the floor, and raise yourself just off the floor enough to roll your calf muscle over the foam roller, back and forth 3 times.  I like to roll the inside and outside of each calf.  Then roll your hamstrings, then your glutes (you basically sit on the roller, and lean toward one "cheek" then the other, 3x each.  (There’s a little more to it than that, but you get the idea… start at your ankles and work your way up.)  NEVER FOAM ROLL OVER A JOINT!  

2.  Flip over, and roll your shins (Again, I like to do inside and outside of each.  This is also a great core and upper body workout.  Bonus!), then your quadriceps (upper front thigh).  (You’re almost finished!  Simple, right?) 

3.  Finally, roll your IT band on both sides.  (This is your hip area.)   

And you’re DONE!!  Three simple steps—back side, front side, hips. 

Now you just have to figure out HOW to roll each area.  That’s where these videos will help.  You can find hundreds of videos on YouTube, these are just my personal favorites.  You'll notice slight differences, because different things work for different people (you'll hear me say that a LOT).  Try and find what helps your muscles stretch the best.  There is no one "right" way.  (Just don't roll over your knees-- that's a "no no"!) 

Check out the first video here.

And here is part 2.  I don't do any of the upper body stuff, and he skips shins completely (I'll get to that in a second), but you get a good idea of how to do it.  Keep in mind, the goal is to roll over all the muscles in your legs, holding on any tight spots for about 10 seconds to help them to release.

This is another really good video and she does shins (around 8:00).  I especially like her suggestions for when you hit a tight spot.  

Don't get caught up watching hours of videos trying to figure out what's perfect.  Use what you see here to get an idea of how it works, then DO IT!!  You'll figure out the best way to roll out YOUR legs!  

After watching the videos, if you’re still uncertain, do not despair.  You are in good company!  I think everyone feels a little awkward at first, but in just a few days of doing it, you’ll be amazed at how quickly it will become easier and feel more natural!    

If you just don’t have the $25 to spend right now, that doesn’t mean you can’t start running!  But make this commitment to yourself—think about skipping a few “small” things, like a soda next time you eat out?  Or maybe even the whole meal?  Clip some coupons and set aside the savings?  Perhaps you have a birthday coming up and someone needs a gift idea?  

And in the mean time, instead of foam rolling, start your run with a really good warm up—WALK at a nice brisk pace for a good 10 minutes before you even start to run.  (I’ll give you more specifics on this part later, just keep in mind that if you aren’t foam rolling, you really want to be sure you’re good and warm before you run!)  And after you run, look into some of these ideas.

If you have any experience with yoga, that’s an excellent way to stretch and recover after a run.  I love to do yoga before I run.  Try some different things and figure out what feels best for you! 

OK, Step Two: STRETCH!  DONE!  Let me know how it goes! 

Real Mom on the Run: Erin - 5K HER way!

I had this idea to write about some of my friends who are also “real moms” and have just started running and finished their first races.  When I contacted one about sharing her story, this was her initial response:

“Sure, but just FYI, my training was not one to brag about...in fact after spring break there pretty much was none! I am doing the Color Vibe, but honestly I have not run since Mothers Day....so....don't know if you want to blog about me....




I did love the run though!”

PERFECT!!!

First, let me back up.  WAY back.  I have known Erin since I was in college and she was in grade school, (she was in my youngest sister’s class).  She comes from a very loving family who are always there to support one another.  Her mom is a creative dynamo, and Erin is just like her!  She has 4 kids—twin boys who are 7, a little girl who’s just about to turn 4 and a 10 month old baby boy!!  (Just let all of that sink in for a few minutes…)

Back in March, when I posted about the Run Like a Mother 5K, Erin was one of the first people to respond.  She tagged me in this post on fb… from her phone!

“Thinking about running my first 5k. I am definitely NOT a runner....am I crazy or go for it??? Training suggestions for mom of 4 to find the time???”

I love that she posted that from her phone—say it out loud, to the world and to Facebook, before you have a chance to change your mind!!

And when she asked about finding the time, she wasn’t kidding.  Yes, mom of 4, but like so many moms, she’s not just hanging out at home with the kiddos…  

“I did work at preschool one day a week teaching toddler class. I am nursery coordinator at church, so that's weekend time, and occasionally an evening or two during week. Gracie has school 3x a week plus gymnastics and dance. The boys both do sports and sing in church choir. Hubby works till 5 and 5-8 is crammed with time together doing dinner, homework, baths and playtime! I never want to miss anything so I hardly ran during that time when I technically ‘could’.”

First of all, WOW!  And, I’ve been there.  This was my life just a few (ok 10) years ago.  And I can promise you, I was not running.  I was not even thinking about running or ANY kind of exercise other than keeping up with little kids.  So my hat is off to Erin for even considering training for a 5K!!  Sometimes, all it takes is the courage to start!

And start she did!  After she signed up for the race, she was running on a pretty regular basis, which is amazing considering how busy her days were at that point.  I asked her how she fit it in when she did:

“At first it was the honeymoon period and I did it right before dinner. I'm lucky that my hubby likes to cook so I could go then and dinner was usually ready by the time I was done. However, that meant he was trying to cook with all 4 kids wanting his attention, especially the baby! So eventually I only ran on weekends when I could time it around activities and nap time, etc. Unfortunately it got too easy to skip weekends, too, because we're just as busy then as the weeknights....so....hence, the "lack of training"....everyone I talked to said to have a workout buddy but then there's two schedules to work around so that didn't happen either. I did have two friends who were also doing Couch to 5k that would check in daily and try to motivate me. It worked sometimes.”

I can so relate to all of this!!  Even now, having a workout buddy doesn’t work for me.  Between my schedule and my moods, the weather and whatever else is in my way on a given day, I never know when I’m actually going to run until I’m just about to step out the door!  A workout buddy is a great idea IF it works for you.   But the important thing is, you don’t have to do what works for everyone else.  Try it, sure.  But if it doesn’t work for you, try something else!

So, despite a training plan cut short after about 5 weeks (out of 9, so she made it more than half way!!), Erin completed her first 5K on Mother’s Day.  

 

But first, her older kids ran the one-mile fun run with her dad!

If you know her family, this does not surprise you at all!!  When one of them is in, they're ALL in!!  

Her ever-crafty mom got in on the act and made these awesome signs for her cheering section:

I asked her about her impressions after finishing:

“I, too, was very intimidated at first thinking I would be the only walker and definitely last (I know someone has to be last but I just didn't want it to be me with my whole family there watching). You don't know the pride and confidence I had when I turned the corner to head back and saw tons of people behind me! Not only was I not last but there were quite a few people way behind me!! I know this sounds like a "yea right" comment but honestly I think I could've even run more but I hung back with my friend who needed to walk...it was her first time, too!”

Every time I read that it gives me goosebumps!!

Because here’s the thing(s): 

~ Running your first race when your training didn’t go exactly as planned is HUGE!! (a lot of people would have dropped out)

~ Doing better than you expected in your first race is HUGE!!  (just goes to show, you’re always stronger than you think!)

~ Finishing a race and feeling like you could have done more is HUGE!! (what a great inspiration to sign up for the next one!)

~ Running with a friend who’s running her first race is HUGE!! (I don’t even need to explain that one, right??!!  That’s the part that gives me goosebumps!)

And what’s next for Erin?  Well, like she said, Color Vibe.  But she’s not just running it—she’s got a TEAM together!  So far there are 8 on her team, and it’s a first 5K for 6 of them!!  Even better—the race is on one friend’s 40^th birthday, so they’ll all be helping her check off “running a 5K” from her bucket list!  How awesome is that??

On completing a 5K after a less-than-perfect training program:

“It works for me.  It’s not going to get me “in shape” but it’s low stress, low pressure and makes me happy.” 

And I always say, if it’s not making you happy, what’s the point of doing it??

Congratulations, Erin! 

Congratulations on making that promise to yourself! 

Congratulations on having the courage to start!

Congratulations on not giving up!

Congratulations on inspiring others!! 

You are one AWESOME MOM!!! 

RUNNING 101: DRINK UP!

I’m sure you’ve heard it before:  “by the time you’re thirsty, you’re already dehydrated.”  This is true, not just in the context of exercise, but just going about your everyday business.  So imagine how much more critical it is when you’re working out, pushing your body physically as well as mentally! 

I have been working on a series of blog posts for some friends who are looking for running tips for beginners, and I hadn’t planned to start with hydration, honestly.   But I was just having this conversation with my daughter when I saw this post on Facebook:Dehydration - Leading Cause of Training Injuries.  Any mention of training injuries and/or hydration is sure to get my attention!  I'm completely on board with the need to hydrate, but I had never thought about it CAUSING injury.  Interesting... and it makes sense!

My daughter will be running her first half marathon with me in Walt Disney World in January, and will be training in New York this summer.  I was encouraging her to try out my Camelbak before she heads back to school.  While there will be plenty of water stations along the race route in Disney, running longer distances in Central Park means she’ll need to carry and/or buy water for longer runs. 

I always run with a 20-25oz. water bottle, even just to run a few miles.  I feel 100% better running when I’m well hydrated, and I find the Camelbak bite valve really helps steady my breathing if I’m ever struggling.  The couple of times I’ve run without water have reminded me how much it is totally worth it to me to carry it every time I go. 

For distances over 6 miles, I love this Camelbak HydroBak. 

It holds 50oz of water and is very “low profile”—I hardly notice I’m wearing it!  I will say, I usually run with music, and was kind of surprised at a recent race when I wasn’t wearing headphones (there were 7 awesome bands along the race route!) – the thing really makes quite a bit of noise jostling around back there.  With apologies to other runners along the way who might be annoyed by the noise, I’ll just be turning up the music because having my own water supply is a must!  My longest run so far was 16 miles, and I’ve yet to finish all 50oz. of water before I’ve finished. 

If you can’t stand to carry water with you, there are other options, you just may need to get creative.  I have friends who drive out ahead on their running route and stash water bottles along the way.  On a recent 10-miler with my younger daughter, we stopped at a grocery store on the way and bought a couple of water bottles that she carried in a backpack.  She doesn’t mind the backpack, just doesn’t want to carry a water bottle in her hand.  Everyone’s a little different, you just have to figure out what works for you.
 

How much water should you drink?   More than you think, I promise!  Take your weight (in pounds) and divide by 2.  That’s the number of ounces you should drink each day PLUS whatever you drink while you’re working out!  So, if you weigh 100 lbs., that’s 50oz. per day, just for starters!  During your workout, recommendations are all over the place, but the “average” seems to be about 8oz. every 15-20 minutes.  For an hour workout, I usually try and finish a large (24oz) water bottle, and then drink another after I’m done.
 

Don’t like the “taste” of water?  Experiment.  Add some lemon, lime, orange, or cucumber to a pitcher of water.  Try it with or without ice—I’ve found that I actually prefer water without ice with a little lime.  (Our family’s drink order at restaurants, which is really all just waters, has become quite complicated lately: water, water with a lemon, water with a lemon and no ice, water with ice and two lemons… ) If you prefer bottled water, try different brands—there really are differences!  For a little flavor, my favorite is Hint water—it’s a little spendy, but you can find it on sale, and there’s no added sugar nor artificial sweeteners—it just tastes awesome!

If you're not a big water-drinker, I'm guessing your next question is, "what about other drinks?"  I know, I know... I'm a coffee drinker.  I had given it up completely and even made an overnight drive to NYC without it!  The aftermath: 

Then this horribly cold winter plus recovering from injury, I had to have my coffee.  I'm hooked again.  I love my coffee.  But I don't count that toward my water intake. In fact, because coffee tends to DEhydrate you, I actually drink more water to compensate for the coffee.  (And with summer slowly making an appearance, I plan to try and cut or drastically limit the coffee again soon!  shhh... don't tell my barista!)  As for sodas, sugary drinks or "diet" drinks... there are so many good reasons not to, but if you must have them, really try and limit yourself, and don't count those toward your total water intake. You might surprise yourself and find it easier to give those up if you're already drinking so much water! (That's how I got away from coffee.) 
  
With it warming up here (finally!) it’s more important than ever to make sure you’re getting enough water to drink.  If you’re thinking you’d like to start running or get into an exercise routine, I’d say this is the best place to start: drink your water!  Get yourself a water bottle and get into the habit of using it every day.  It costs you nothing and takes no extra time out of your day, so you can start NOW, even if you’re busy at work, away on vacation, recovering from an injury, whatever.  There's really no reason NOT to drink plenty of water.  You will notice a difference in just a few days, IF you really stick with it!
 

So there you go—Running 101: Step One—Drink Up!! 

Give it a try for a week and let me know how you do!!

triathlon... MY way.

On Sunday, I did my first triathlon, the Ramblin’ Rose Raleigh.  TRI-ATH-LON!!  250 yard swim, 9 mile bike, and 2 mile run.  And it was all kinds of AWESOME!!

My pre-race “prep” was not stellar—the whole week before was a little crazy and distracting, but it certainly kept me from being nervous!  My youngest daughter had AP exams all week, my oldest got home from college on Thursday, my second opened a show on Friday night, and as I was sitting in the audience on Saturday night I realised I FORGOT to go to packet pickup that day!  Who DOES that??  (me)   So, it was going to be an early morning for me, but not before some post-show carbs at iHOP.  I do not live the life of an athlete… more like the life of a mom who does some races in between things the kids are doing.

 

One day I’m going to post about how I ate all the right things, hydrated before the race, and got plenty of sleep.  This will not be that post.  I had 2 cups of coffee at iHOP at 10pm (2!!), but did manage to limit myself to just a couple of bites of my daughter’s Cinn-A-Stack pancakes, and I did drink PLENTY of water (only because that’s become a habit), but sleep—about 4 hours. 

I was up at 5, a little fuzzy on the race day details so I had to double check and make sure I had all my stuff packed: bike extracted from the tangle in the garage, helmet, water bottles (one for the bike, one for the run), two beach towels (One to dry off, one stand on.  Not so much for comfort, but just so I wasn’t standing in a puddle of water trying to put on sneakers.)  The forecast was for rain and possibly lightning, so I grabbed a huge garbage bag to keep things dry in the transition area.

 

Of course, the land-yacht was on E so I had to stop for gas.  Did you know that not all gas stations are OPEN at 5:30am on Sunday morning?  Neither did I.  Now we do.  Got to the YMCA at 5:45, and it was DARK.  I was the first one there.  

Check in didn’t actually start till 6am, and I am really, truly, not a morning person, but that is WHY I try to get to these things early.  My brain isn’t fully engaged at that hour, so I need to allow myself plenty of time to do anything that’s happening before 9am. 

Parked my car.  Moved my car because I was parked in the area that was eventually going to be reserved for vendors.  Walked around a bit, found the transition area, and the check-in tables.  One of the organizers unpacking race shirts looked up, and smiled, “Oh, you’re Lauren!  I recognize you from your blog!”  It was the first of a few of those comments that day, which kind of caught me off guard.  Everyone associated with the race was so wonderful, and being introduced as “our blogger” was both fun and kind of surreal.  I kept thinking to myself, “do I tell them I forgot to check in yesterday and was a iHOP at 11 last night??”   Nah!  Pretend like you PLANNED to be the first one here today! 

So, I checked in, got my race bib, time chip and ankle band—covered in sand because sometimes they swim these things in a body of water that is not a pool.  SO not there yet.  Got body marked, and can I just say, did not mind having my age brandished on the back of my calf.   AT.  ALL.

 

The rain graciously held off while I got the sticker situated on my bike, which is not something my randomly OCD self should be doing at 6am!  But after a couple of attempts and gratitude for the not-too-terribly-sticky adhesive, I was able to get the thing wrapped around the bike tube and the corners (almost) perfectly matched.  WHEW!  Sticker on my helmet, bib on my race shirt, and we’re off to the transition area. 

The transition area is the place you go between the swim/bike/run to, well, transition.  There are racks for the bikes, and some space for you to carefully lay out all your gear.   The girls in my row were, well, actual GIRLS (34, 34, 20 and 10, so, yeah…)  and clearly this was not their first rodeo.  They were busily arranging towels on the ground, bike shoes and running shoes lined up, socks carefully rolled for the quick change….  Meanwhile, there’s me, with all said items carefully “put” into a garbage bag and tied up to stay dry.  (and yes, it did rain a couple of times during the morning, so I was feeling pretty good about my choices as others dashed to cover up their meticulously laid out items).   The dad of the 10-year-old suggested, “You might want to place your helmet the other way.  You’ll get thru the transition a LOT faster.”  Yes, sir, I might, if I actually cared about getting thru the transition a LOT faster. 

And can we just take a moment here to talk about Triathlon Dads?  My kids are all involved in theatre, so I’m very familiar with the concept of Stage Moms and try my best NOT to be one.  But I am here to tell you, Stage Moms could learn a thing or two from Triathlon Dads.  Despite the fact that this was an all female event, and it was stated repeatedly, both in writing and in person, that the transition area was for (female) athletes only, these men were unfazed.  “Sir, you’re going to have to leave.”  “Oh, yeah, sure, just as soon as we take a look at the entrances for the bike and run, and the running course, and get all her gear re-arranged again, and make sure she’s stretched…”  Intense!  I had no idea!!  Amusing to say the least!  (And, for the record, much like the kids of Stage Moms, these girls were super sweet, and as soon as the Triathlon Dads cleared out, went right back to just enjoying the experience!)

For the swim, we had to place ourselves in a group from 1 to 10, 1 being the slowest.  I had been swimming a time that would put me somewhere between group 5 and 6, and this being my first triathlon, I agonized.   On the advice of my friend, Caitlin, at Healthy Tipping Point, I went ahead with group 6, and proceeded to wait over an hour to start the swim!  I was wishing I had bumped myself up just to get to start sooner, and standing in the line made me think so even more.  I was surprised how many women had put themselves in group 6 (the faster half of the pack) but had never timed themselves and hadn’t even been swimming to train for this.  OK, the 17-year-old I get, but the women my age?  Three cheers for self-confidence!   I tried to stretch and keep somewhat warm while waiting, because I swim much better if I’m warmed up (I’m talking, 20 minutes or so on an elliptical!) but it was absolutely frigid in the gym where we waited, and I’m honestly just too social to focus on stretching in line.  The time passed quickly because there were so many women with interesting stories to tell! 

I was so happy to get to the start I didn’t think twice about jumping in.  I’m used to swimming at my gym in a saline pool with maybe a few other people.  This morning it was cold, chlorine, and crowded.  We started at the shallow end and swam toward a much deeper end, and I don’t know why but seeing those lines slope down so far really freaked me out!  (No logic here—I grew up swimming and diving and am no stranger to deep water, but on this particular morning, those lines were making my head spin.)   It did not feel at all like the pool I’m used to, but I was swimming well, mostly in an attempt to get it over with!  I passed the woman in front of me at one of the turns, and had plenty of open water ahead of me.  Then, a couple of turns later, she slipped past me, awesome for her!  I figured she must have recovered.  I was wrong.   Once she passed me, she slowed to a crawl, and there was never enough space to pass her again.  I literally had to stop at least a dozen times during the last 2 laps, which meant the people behind me had to stop as well because of the traffic jam.  It was probably just as well, because I got out of the pool feeling not the least bit fatigued for the rest of the race.  But I will never question my swim placement again!

The run to the transition area in bare feet was actually fun.  I don’t think I’ll ever be a “barefoot runner” because I am way too old and practical, and I think about things like rocks, splinters and broken glass (not entirely irrational—one girl did step on a piece in the same area earlier in the morning!) but it was surprisingly comfortable running without my sneakers! 

Many of the better-prepared women had brought 5-gallon buckets to sit on in the transition area to change shoes.  Not a bad idea!  But I am happy to report that I managed to get my shoes on with no problems, balancing as in tree pose, thank you yoga classes!!

Updated my  Facebook status so my kids would know I was starting the bike later than expected, which proved futile because I just posted “Bike” (didn’t want Triathlon Dad to catch me wasting precious seconds in the transition!) and they didn’t know if that meant I had just started or just finished.  (They figured it out later… they’re smart kids!)  And I was off on the scariest bike ride of my life! 

According to MapMyRun, I was going as fast as 18mph.  (If you’re curious, next time you’re riding in a car going 15+mph, stick your head and torso out the window.)  When I drove the course earlier in the week, I had been worried about the hills.  After biking it, I don’t even remember the uphill parts—I know there were a few, but nothing too terrible.  What I do remember is FLYING downhill and thinking about all the different ways I might crash before reaching the end of the course.  The biking was my worst finish of all 3 events, and honestly, I’ll take it because I passed people going uphill and went literally as fast as I wanted to going down. 

Happy to make it back to the transition area, my legs felt just a little wobbly for the first few steps.  I grabbed my water bottle, updated my Facebook status (yes, I did!), and I was off for the 2 mile run.   By now it had warmed up a little, and I was really feeling good about my decision to get the tri suit and wear good running socks.  I was completely soaked, but not one bit uncomfortable, and the water actually helped keep me cool during the run.   

As usual, it took me a good half mile to get into a comfortable running pace.  The course was a one-mile loop we had to run twice.  I don’t enjoy running loops, usually, and this one started with another hill.  I debated whether to put in my earbuds, and when I finally did, all was right with the world.  I ran what felt like an easy pace, with no Nike+ voice in my ear to tell me the actual number.  It turned out to be an 11:00 pace, which is faster than what I’ve been doing in training.  I think I’ll never understand speed.  For the run I finished more than 60 places higher than my overall ranking.  That’s a huge deal for someone who, less than a year ago, “was not a runner, did not want to run.”

So, the numbers...  I’m a math geek.  When I train, I am never out to kill myself or push past pain or anything like that.  My goal is always to finish feeling like I could have done a little more, and to be ready to come back to train the next day.  I know that’s not the most aggressive approach, but it’s where I am.  I like to do what I’m going to do, and THEN look at the numbers and see how what I did compares to how I felt.  In training, I do try and focus on improving my form, figuring out what I’m doing (both wrong and right) and learn ways to improve.  On race day, it’s all about enjoying the event.  A sweet friend asked me, "How does one finish a triathlon with a smile on one's face?"  My honest answer: I never push past the point of smiling. I don’t go in with any thoughts of winning, but just try and enjoy the experience, and then look at the numbers afterwards.  I usually forget to even check the results until someone else posts something on Facebook! 

For this race, there were 513 participants, 64 in my age group (45-49).  My finishing time 1:24:50, which is actually faster than I had expected, based on my training times for each event.  I finished 371st over all (365th swim, 372nd bike, 310th run) and 48th in my age group (41st swim, 49th bike, 37th run).  My swim/bike transition was one of the slowest,  but my bike-run transition was one of the fastest.  My running time was just 3-4 minutes behind the top 3 finishers. 

What does all that mean?  I have no idea!  I finished in the middle of the pack, like I usually do.  I could definitely improve on my swimming and transition times, and the bike, like I said, was as fast as I wanted it to be!  I am most pleased with my running time because it was the last event, and the one I felt most comfortable doing!  I will probably never be the one to break the tape in a race, but I love being able to find a pace that’s so comfortable I feel like I could run forever.  

I really enjoyed training for this race.  It was a challenge to figure out the schedule and how to approach training for biking and swimming in a race situation.  It was a really fun, low-pressure event, and I met so many people with great stories about how they got there that morning. 

My daughter actually offered to go with me at 5:30 to the race, but with the nasty forecast, and not much to see until the end (no spectators in the pool area, and you can’t really “watch” a 9-mile bike ride) I just told them to come meet me at the finish line.  It’s certainly fun to have an entourage, balloons and signs at these things.  But I’ve found it’s also fun to be by yourself, and much easier to meet people!  If you’ve ever considered a race, but wondered about doing it 'alone,' I’d say go for it!  You’re only alone until the moment you share the first smile, and it’s all new friends from that point on! 

After swimming and biking, it was a little strange and a LOT of fun to hear people cheering me on during the run – calling me by name!  I had forgotten that I registered early enough to have my name put on my race bib.  (If you can, do that!!  It is great fun, especially near the end of the race!)  Then I heard my first AND last name—it was my son, right around the first half-mile.  They waited for me at the finish and got some fun photos, and then asked if there was anything specific I wanted to do (meaning, at the race—there were tents and vendors all over.) 

Yes... I wanted to go to Starbucks!  I’m usually OK running on an empty stomach, but by this time I was really missing my morning coffee.  Yes, there were three other vendors serving coffee at the race, but this was just a couple of blocks away...

Triathlon my way:  swim, bike, run, walk to Starbucks! 

I’m really looking forward to focusing on running again for a while, and then another Ramblin' Rose in Chapel Hill in October!  Check out Ramblin' Rose Events for the details and let me know if you'd like to give it a "tri"!! 

• Rock Hill Triathlon
  July 14, 2013
• Winston-Salem Triathlon
  August 18, 2013
• Charlotte Triathlon
  September 22, 2013
• Chapel Hill Triathlon
  October 6, 2013