Wednesday, March 12, 2008

It's been a while...


Sorry I haven't written in a while. Wednesday, Feb. 27, I got really sick with the flu. My entire body hurt, I had a 101 fever and I worked mornings until about 1 p.m. when my body would start saying enough was enough and then went home to bed. I stayed in bed Wednesday and Thursday, but the thought of not participating in the Ragnar Relay upset me, so on Friday I met my team at David Allison's house to venture up to Wickenburg to do the race. I was starting to feel better, so I thought I would be fine. I was wrong. I had three runs, all about four hours apart. I hadn't run, or done any physical activity, in three days so my first 4.7-mile uphill run was extremely challenging, probably one of the most challenging runs I've ever done. Then around 2 a.m. I had a 7 mile run and I felt great. I finished in around 43 minutes, which is fast! I felt great, but I couldn't sleep between runs and that was killing me. My nose was so stuffed I could hardly breathe when I would lay down. By the time my third 6.4-mile run came around I was dead. I was so tired I couldn't believe I was able to run, but I kept up 7:50's anyway, which is slow for me. Afterwards I just started feeling very sick again. My team finished the 182-mile race in 22 hours and 41 minutes. I went home and was in bed again for a couple days. We ended up with third place in the mixed division, which is awesome! I still think it was worth it, even though I hated myself for the next couple days.

I was scheduled to race in the Southwest Valley YMCA Olympic Triathlon last Sunday, March 9, but I held back and decided not to participate since I knew I would just get sick again. So I went with Brian to the race and watched, which ended up being very fun because Brian and Dan Cadriel were neck and neck the whole race. However, since I didn't get to race Sunday I signed up for another Olympic distance in Lake Havasu March 22, which I now can't stop thinking about because I am so excited. It is an open water swim and out and back bike and run course, which is much more exciting than a boring pool swim and 6 lap bike course. The run also goes over London Bridge, which will be very cool! I've never done an Olympic distance before (1500 meter swim, 24 mile bike and 6.2 mile run) so I am interested in seeing what time I get, even though the bike course is one of the most challenging courses here in Arizona.

This week I've been putting a little more umph in my biking to prepare for the 24 mile bike course in Havasu. Typically I like endurance training, biking long and slow, but I know I will need to race a little faster than I like at this race and I need to get my muscles used to that.


Oh! And Brian and I are in Runner's World on page 101 in an ad for Rock 'n' Roll San Antonio! It's pretty cool, check it out!

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