Try and Tri Again

Trippity-Trip-Trip

2011-08-24T20:11:00.000-07:00

Hello folks!

I've safely arrived back home from the East Coast and dodged getting struck by lightening (thanks TH!) and the earthquake. I stayed with my dad in Alexandria, VA for the past 2 weeks and spent nearly everyday touring our nation's capitol. TH flew in and spent 7 days with me during my time there. The weather was less humid then average for the region, but still bad for Oregon standards!

I did all the typical touristy things you can do. I saw the majority of the Smithsonian museums, toured the national monuments and walked and took the Metro everywhere. I even met up with a law school classmate for lunch and was able to venture out into the "real" DC and see some culture.

Some places I visited:

National Space and Air Museum - reminded me of OMSI
Hirshhorn Museum - cool modern art
National Museum of Natural History - spent 2 days in the minerals exhibit: METEORITES!
American History Museum: cool pop culture things (Ruby red slippers anyone?)
National Portrait Gallery and the American Art Gallery - meh...
White House
Washington Monument
Holocaust Museum- yikes and very educational
American Indian Museum- I only spent few minutes there coz I was pooped
Jewish Military Museum
Lincoln Memorial
WWII Memorial
Arlington
Mt Vernon
Old Town Alexandria
Library of Congress
And a bunch of others I prob forgot to mention.

My favorite highlight included a 11 mile running loop TH and I did to see the city. I also learned that my IT Band still hated me.

I was unable to see to Supreme Court due to it being closed (sad face!) it was the ONE thing I REALLY wanted to see. I did see the outside. It was beautiful. The capitol building was also equally impressive. I've been to many historical sites in other countries and it was amazing to see my own nation's historical buildings and appreciate the amount of hard work and artistic details that went into every single structure.

The Original G Dub's Pad at Mt. Vernon. (I know, by crotch offends me too)

View of the Potomac River

Us after an evening of Sangria and jazz music at the National Gallery of Art Garden

The usual.

The humidity gives me volume. (Mind my face. This was taken right after I woke up.)

It was great to spend the time with my dad and see bits and pieces of the East Coast and the South.

Some things I learned:

People in the east coast ARE more harsh then over here in the West coast. I don't mean that as an insult. The attitude is just different. Things just run at a quicker pace.
Cars will not stop and slow down for you at cross walks. Thank you Corvallis and most of Portland for being so pedestrian friendly!
Chiggers. Stupid flea-like bugs. I was a dumb Oregonian and walked through tall grass with shorts on. oops.
There are a lot of Black people in DC. Is that legit to say? I'm from Oregon so this was quite an eye-opener for me.
We really are a bunch of laid back hippies over here in the PNW. No, really.
People run for cover when it rains over there for a reason. 3 inches in a few hours? Lightening? Flooded Metro system? yikes. It WAS fun to run through it with TH and get drenched and a bunch of weird looks. A lot of comments like "you must be from Oregon"
7-11 Slurpees are a God-send.
I really love the NW and am more thankful for the beautiful place I call home!

I can't keep track of the jobs I've applied for so far. Someone PLEASE HIRE ME. I swear I have a brain. Come on, I at least have a pretty face and am somewhat decent to look at in the office. Yes? I will bring cookies!

I'm off to run/walk Hood to Coast again this Friday and Saturday. I have no clue if I can even run due to my damned IT band. Ah. I hate not being able to run. boooo. At least I trained my power walking skillz over the past couple of weeks.

--Are you running H2C?

---Have you been to the Capitol? What did you enjoy while you were there?

--What's your dream job?

--Why does no one comment anymore? (oh right. I don't post anymore. haha I'z so smartz)

Best Chocolate Cupcakes EVER!

2011-08-06T16:09:00.000-07:00

TH left to go floating the river and camping with the boys this weekend. I wanted to bake something good without having to go to the store. I searched the internets and came across a gluten-free chocolate cake recipe HERE. I used a 6 muffin tin instead of a cake pan and baked for only 25 minutes instead of 30. I also added 1 teaspoon of instant coffee. It's a great recipe. Simple and tastes like real cake! I then decided that the only reason why I like cake is for the frosting. I had no powdered sugar nor enough butter. I found a quick method for making frosting which I think is also referred to as boiled frosting. IT WAS SO GOOD AND EASY. OMG OMG.

Thank goodness I have by KitchenAid with me in Corvo.

7 Minute Boiled Frosting:

2 egg whites
2/3 cups granulated sugar
Pinch of salt
2 tsp vanilla

Using the stand mixer bowl, heat the egg whites, salt and sugar over a double boiler. Continue to mix the mixture with the whisk attachment for about 5 minutes or until the egg whites are cooked. The mixture will go from goopy to runny.

Remove from heat and place on mixer and immediately whip on high for about a minute. Add in vanilla and continue whipping until peaks form. THAT'S it! How easy is that.

The frosting has the consistency of Cool Whip. But it's so yummy. On the plus side it's also fat free.

P.S; I went running today. It was warm. I was sweaty.

My pace is finally picking up. Still slower then half marathon pace though. I need to do some speed work.

Off to watch more SHARK WEEK.

I'm Baaaaaaaack and a race report

2011-08-01T00:04:00.000-07:00

I took the Oregon Bar exam this past week. I don't really want to talk about it. I had some interesting physical reactions though. First the last 2 weeks of studying, I got a reoccurring crazy itchy rash on my upper thighs and wrists. Second, I went from my usual "I can't stop stuffing my face with junk food" stress eating to not being hungry at all. AT ALL. Very un-Jayme-like.
I officially have have the world's best boyfriend ever. He took my on a surprise horseback riding tour and massage the day after. Fab U Lous.
The race world has been non existent. The Long course tri happened and I found out that they forgot to take my entry out right after bike check-in closed. I was tempted to do the race on a whim, but like I said... missed check-in. I did a relay Oly tri at Hagg lake with TH and a friend. I really felt left out and not doing the entire thing, but it was nice to be done after the swim. I squeezed into my "new" full sleeve suit and had a 7 min PR on the swim, even though I missed a buoy and had to back track.

Yesterday, TH and I ran in the Wildwood Trail 10K at Forest Park. TH had registered me a week ago as I was busy studying. I really didn't think much about the race. We showed up and realized that I wasn't on the confirmation list. It was a sold out race. Anyways, the race director took our sob story and let me run anyways. We later DID have to pay an increased race fee. The race was a trail run that was pretty much uphill for 3.25 miles. It was a 6.5 mi race but was listed as a 10K. Towards mile 2 my heart rate skyrocketed and I knew I had to slow down. I gave in a walked for about half a mile. It sucked. A lot of people passed me. I then decided to start running again and passed most of the people who passed me. I was so thrilled the see the turnaround cone and flew back downhill. It was kinda scary running so fast down hill with switchbacks and roots and rocks everywhere. I managed to only twist my ankle once but now it's uber sore.

I ended up getting 3rd in my age division (20-29). I was not far behind 2nd or 1st place. Made me kind of regret walking, but I was still happy to have done as well as I did considering I haven't ran for a really llng time. My runs have been easy 10min/mi jogs here and there and that's about it. I had one longer run with TH but mostly just 3 miles.

Now all I have to do is find a job. It's horrible to say but I've resorted to seeking non-lawyer jobs due to the lack of jobs anywhere. It's pretty crappy that I'm even considering that option, let alone actually doing it, but Girl has loans to pay. I swear, law school has been the biggest case of buyer's remorse.

I don't get the Bar results back until September 22nd. Prob, didn't pass seeing that day two left me speechless.

Ciao.

Goodbye Freedom

2011-05-29T18:12:00.000-07:00

The first thing I get to do as a doctor is spend the entire next 8 weeks studying 8-10 hours a day (including weekends) learning everything I was suppose to learn in law school in order to pass the doom known as the Bar Exam. My degree means nothing without passing the Bar. For those who do not know, the exam is offered twice a year (always in February and July) and covers 2 days of examination.

With Rev 3 Portland off my schedule I'm kind of lost in my training. Running has come to a standstill though I was able to slowly run a mile without pain the other day. I was scared to go further. Biking is still at a standstill since it's still cold and wet here in Oregon. Yup, 45 and raining. It's May 29th. I did go on a 22 mile ride with TH on Saturday and we were lucky to avoid rain, though the roads were still wet from the downpours the night before and it was freezing. I wore arm warmers and a jacket. Swimming has continued but this shall also become interesting as my school gym membership expired come June 2nd as I am no longer a student.

With lack of free time and any structured training, the future of this little bloggy-poo for the next 2 months will be up in the air. I will return but for now, don't expect to see anything on a regular schedule.

Did you know that a law degree is one of the only (if not ONLY) professional doctorate degree that does not refer to its holders as "Doctor"? The title "Esquire" has some interesting history of itself though I would hardly want to compare lawyers to knighthood.

Doctor of Jurisprudence

2011-05-22T09:16:00.000-07:00

Ma and Pa

J.D., Esquire, Barrister...? I don't care because I'm a law school graduate!

Band-Aid

2011-05-17T21:36:00.000-07:00

After a rather successful 60 min indoor spin at the gym and some stretching, I attempted a light easy ~~run~~ jog with The Beagle. I didn't have anything crazy planned, I just wanted to try an easy 3 miles. I started out at a 10min/mi pace. An easy, shuffle for me. Everything felt fine. At mile 1 my IT band acted up again and my knee started to hurt. It hurt enough to where I had to stop and walk. I've ran a half marathon and multiple 5 and 10k in triathlons through pain, fatigue, and aches. This was too much. I literally could not run. I walked the silly mile back home and attempted a few jogging steps. The pain returned. At this rate I couldn't even do a measly 5K. I'm so pissed. all I can do it stretch and use the foam roller, which I think is helping because the foam roller hurts but gets better with use...

at this rate I'll be happy to do ANY triathlon this spring and Hood to Coast in the summer. I should be grateful that I can bike without pain and still swim, though pushing off the wall hurts. *sigh*

Weekend Entertainment Disappointment

2011-05-16T14:39:00.000-07:00

TH and I love to go see movies at the local independent theater and occasionally, we like to go see local plays. On Saturday, TH suggested that we go see a local musical called "Kiss Me Kate".

The musical is about a group of actors performing "The Taming of A Shrew". The acting was okay. The lead was sick and could not sing. I'm not saying she was a bad singer, her cold just didn't let her sing. Unfortunately, she attempted and it was embarrassing and awkward. She is also a college friend of mine's mom. I felt bad, but I felt that they should have done something differently when the lead has laryngitis. Aside from the voice, the plot just sucked. It dragged on and on. TH and I both thought about leaving during intermission, but we felt bad. We almost walked out a few times during the drawn out second half. Overall, the music was bad too. The songs were long and repetitive and BORING. I don't think different actors would have made a difference, so I'm not blaming the poor showing on the actors. When the show was finally over (Three LONG hours later) we walked out relieved to be going home.

I think we'll stick to the independent movies.

Post Law School: week 2

2011-05-14T14:04:00.000-07:00

This past week has been quite the wild ride. Over the weekend I developed a sinus infection. TH and I successfully did out Ride Around Clark County bike ride with some of his work buddies. We opted for the 34 miler instead of the 68 since I was sick. It down poured on us the last 10 miles but nothing to cry about.

I planted my butt on the couch for the next two days letting all the snot drain from my face. Monday I went swimming with my mommy and my ears ached so bad from all the pressure. Tuesday I felt a tad better and decided to go for a run. I scheduled 6 miles with The Beagle. After 2.5 miles my right knees started to hurt like a bitch. I walked the next half mile and tried to run again. It hurt instantly. I've had knee issues since I was 9 but this was different. I wouldn't just run through the pain. This girl f-ed up her IT band. AAAAAAAARH. I walked the rest of the way home and even Momma Bear asked me what took me so long. I took the rest of the week off from working out because I was only getting sicker. I started coughing a ton and so from Wednesday until Friday it was HGTV, OWN, and the Food Network with a few Real Housewives of New York thrown in. Friday evening I made my way back to Poo-gene (that's Eugene for you foreigners) and hung out with my new roommates. Last night My wonderful friend from high school (the amazing swimmer) told me to transfer my Rev3 registration to her. What a lifesaver! The IT Band issue really just sealed the deal for me. This morning I rode my commuter bike to the gym and lifted a few weights then swam a 2300. The swim actually was great and I think my body was happy to do something physical after taking nearly a week off. I forgot how comfy the commuter bike is. I have Landrider guys.

~~Stolen,~~ "borrowed" Dollar Tree basket is a nice touch.

Yes, that's right the one from the infomercials. I actually hate it. It has an auto-shift thingy that really just sucks, but it was given to me for free so no complaints. it is super comfy though with it's giant tires and padded seat. It makes my road bike feel like a torture device. I also forgot how slow it is compared to a road bike. The rest of my weekend will be spent up in Corvallis with TH helping him guard his house. His roommates dog ate (yup..ATE) his front door with he will be front door-less while it's getting fixed this weekend. Can't wait to spend this last weekend with my AMAZING boyfriend until the craziness of BARBRI. blah

After carrying my Mom's dog 2 miles during the Jule Run the other weekend.

The Beagle and His lover-Sharkie-toy

If you were wanting to know:

2011-05-10T23:52:00.000-07:00

PS:
I have an injured IT Band in my right leg, a wonky ankle on the left, sore shins all around, and a sinus infection to top it all off. I see this as a sign from above.

well.

2011-05-09T18:54:00.000-07:00

Okay folks. I've mentally checked out of doing the Rev3 70.3 this July. With my BarBri schedule and the weather, the jury is out. I also developed a wonderful IT Band issue today during my run. Are you kidding me?!

SO.

WHO WANTS TO TRANSFER MY REGISTRATION?!

Basically, I don't want to waste the $230 I spent on registration. Rev3 allows athletes to do this. According to the site, I have until June 1st to notify them in writing.

Current cost of registration is $250+$30ish in fees.

You can have mine for $200.

HELP A GIRL OUT

Post Law School: The morning after

2011-05-03T08:49:00.000-07:00

The Beagle's pooped.

Weekend in Review

2011-05-02T13:09:00.000-07:00

Saturday morning started with a beautiful partly cloudy, but sunny enough for a long run with ZG. We ran 8 miles around the University of Portland and St. Johns area. The run was flat and the temperature was perfect. Low 50's.

After our run, I drove down to meet TH for a fundraiser dinner for Rett Syndrome.

What is Rett syndrome?
Rett Syndrome (RTT) is a unique neurodevelopmental disorder which begins to show its affects in infancy or early childhood. It is seen almost exclusively in females, although it can occur rarely in boys. It is found in all racial and ethnic groups throughout the world.

I hadn't washed my hair for 5 days....errr

Through the dinner, silent auction, and other contributions, the family was able to donate $140,000 to the IREA. How crazy is that. Each dinner ticket was $100 so I guess that really adds up This is extremely important since a cure for the syndrome is just a hair out of reach (They've already cured mice). To learn more about Rett Syndrome you can check out their website HERE

Sunday started with my move back to Eugene for the summer. TH and I then took advantage of the 70 degrees sunny weather and biked back up to Corvallis (47 miles). We both got sunburned and we were wiped after facing the headwinds. I made my way back to Eugene, unpacked and got settled.

PS
Today is my last day of class. EVER. (well, minus Bar Prep classes.)

Did you have a productive weekend? Any good training stories? Stories about the weather?

Spring Cleaning

2011-04-28T19:59:00.000-07:00

I move back to the E-U-G this weekend. Moving is the perfect time to clear out the clutter. I went through ALL my stuff and well, I now have a carload of clothes, office stuff, and random crap to take to Goodwill. Didn't I just do this a month ago? I guess I'm just really good at hiding things in every nook and cranny.

Last night I put my BarBri (bar exam prep class) and training schedules into my Google calander. According to the BarBri website we're expected to spend 7-8 hours outside of class each day to study on our own. On most days, class is just 3 hours long. On some days it's 8. Good grief. That ontop of my training... well it's not looking pretty folks

This isn't funny. I'm having some serious worries about my life this summer. I will have a schedule with little variation from this for a little over 2 months. Gross.

Why is it 43 and raining outside? Spring? Are you there?

Anyways, Are you participating in the Eugene Marathon this weekend? Let me know, we should meetup :)

King Estate 5K

2011-04-23T21:31:00.000-07:00

I traveled down to Eugene with run a 5K with my friend AJ. I was scheduled for my long run today, but I'm glad we only did a 5K since my shins and ankle have been bothering me. Got up early,cleaned house, and dyed Easter eggs. Drove down south and went to the race. The weather was perfect. 65 and sunny. The race started out fine. Crowded at the start but little did I know I had 2 giant hills to run up on gravel roads. Because of the gravel, I twisted my ankle twice. That SUCKED. The run was HARD. I hate hills and well, there was quite the elevation gain. I finished with a major case of chaffing. I can't walk now. great. I love that my thighs rub...not. I finished with a time of 27:17:18 and a distance of 3.26 ( I started in the middle of the pack) There was no chip timing. I've never struggled to run so much for 27 minutes! My triathlon 5Ks are faster then that. I ran a 24min 5K at Beaver Freezer. oye. Anyways, We got a glass of wine at the end and went home. The End.

1/19 age group; 20th woman; 66/379 overall. I've never gotten 1st in my age group so that was cool, despite the slow time.

Last week I was able to do my 50mi bike ride. It was hard. I got 2 flats. I survived. Rev3 will be rough! I have another 50 scheduled for tomorrow but I have a lot of stuff to get done. *sigh*

Rainy Day

2011-04-16T18:53:00.000-07:00

I'm so sick and tired of the weather. I haven't seen sunshine in forever and at this point I'm happy with overcast gray skies as long as it's not raining. It'd also be nice to get above 55 for once. I had my long run planned for today. The forecast was for clear skies. They lied. It was a constant stream of rain the whole freaking day. It was also just below 50 degrees. Finally by 4:30 I decided to head out and go for my run. I was dreading every, single moment of it.

Not thrilled to be heading outside.

TH has been off running a mini version of the Hood to Coast relay down south. It's from Roseburg to Coos Bay and is about 67 miles. Instead of 12 runners, there's only 5 per team. I got a text an hour ago stating that TH's team won the entire race. Of course they did. TH was the slowest one on the team and he's fast!

I know I live in Oregon and it rains here but if this keeps up, I'm moving to the desert.

A Very Portlandia Weekend

2011-04-11T09:32:00.000-07:00

I don't think I could have had a more "Portlandia" weekend if I tried. Friday I biked out from where I live all the way out to Oregon Health Sciences University which is on top of a giant hill. It was suppose to be a 18 mileish ride, but I got a bit turned around on some of the roads and I made the trip just over 20 miles. It also took me 2 hours. WOW. After getting to my destination and eating some BBQed salmon, TH, our friends, and I went out to the Blazer/LA Lakers game and were happy to see that the Blazers won. While we were waiting for out bus back home, SoyJoy was handing out free bars so naturally, we grabbed as many as we could. Saturday morning, I met up with my friend ZG for a run in the Pearl (NW Portland) and along the waterfront. We stopped by the farmer's market and after sampling a ton of goat cheese, I headed back home. I later returned back to Portland because TH and his friend JD had tickets to a high school basketball tournament. MD and I went for a 3.2 mile run around the hills there. I was a lil tired from the morning run, but the 3 miles still felt good. Sunday, TH, his mom, and brother and all of out dogs went to the Jules Fun Run down in Salem. I think we can agree that we had the most unbehaved dogs there, but probably the cutest. The run was just a quick 2 miles around a park. I had Momma Bear's dog (aka my half sister). She decided that she was done running after mile marker 1. I got the pleasure of carrying her the remaining mile. I got a wonderful forearm workout and we still finished the 2 miles under 23 minutes.

After the run :)

I had a 50 mile bike ride scheduled for Sunday. I just didn't have the motivation, energy, or time to do it. the weather was threatening to rain and it was windy.

This has me worried that I won't be prepared for Rev3 come July. I can blame the weather all I want, but I really just need to get things together and go outside!

CONTACTS

2011-04-06T12:17:00.000-07:00

Yup. This girl got fitted for contacts today. The doc told me I was a pro at putting them in and taking them out. Maybe I should rethink this triathlon thing and join the world of professional contact lens putter inners and outters.

I'm not completely blind or anything without my glasses, but it will be nice to bike from now on and be able to see. Running as well.

Having a bad day? Watch The Beagle finish off some Greek yogurt:

Taking the tub to his bed

Diving in

Getting every...last..

...drop.

Target running skirt that I talked about earlier.

Oh Noes!

2011-04-05T12:39:00.000-07:00

Rev3 Portland Bike: Just look at the elevation. No more Miss LaaDeeDa biking for this girl.

Monday Mondays

2011-04-04T21:34:00.000-07:00

I actually had a somewhat productive day today. Woke up, went to the pool. Swam a decent workout even with my sore shoulders and neck from biking yesterday. Got home and didn't eat too much junk and hydrated a bunch. Later in the afternoon I went for a run in the wind and rain. My shin didn't really hurt but my legs were tired. I can't believe how out of shape I've really been. I finished my large patent litigation paper more or less but I'm scared to turn it in as a draft to my professor. I hate being judged and I know he's going to mark it up like crazy or come up with ~~crazy ideas~~ related topics for me to add to my paper. I just have a lot of anxiety about my legal writing ability and I hate being graded on it.

Workouts:

AM: Swim: WU-150each S/K/P/S; Main set: ladder: 275, 250, 225, 200, 175, 150, 125, 100, 75, 50. I actually didn't do the ladder just like that because I think it's awkward don't swimming in even 50s. I did my "ladder" as follows: 300, 250, 200, 200, 200, 150, 100, 100, 100; CD: 200 easy Total: 2400yds

PM: Run : 5.01 miles at 46.13 for a 9:14min/mi average. My speed has clearly gone down the drain.

PS: so far the only commenter on my prior post was Big Clyde from The Clydesdale Project. Basically, at this point... he's the only winner, winner, chicken dinner. Make it happen people.

Interested in a Giveaway?

2011-04-04T12:40:00.000-07:00

Friends,

I'm thinking about hosting a product giveaway. I'm worried that no one will enter. I need ideas on what you would like to see. Seeing that only 18 of you officially "follow" me, your odds of winning free stuff are pretty dang good.

Yes, that's right, THIS IS A BRIBE.

So far I'm thinking about having a sampler pack of energy gels and the winner of the giveaway promises to give me their opinion on their favorite, whether it be flavor, ingredients, or brand.

Another idea is that I make some sort of gluten free goody and you trust that my culinary skills aren't horrid.

Those are my 2 ideas, what are yours?

Do you want free stuff? Comment and let me know what you would like to see and whether or not you would enter.

And no... I will not agree to giveaway a bag of diamonds or a car. shocking. :)

First long Bike ride

2011-04-03T23:43:00.000-07:00

TH and I rode just a tad under 42 miles on our bikes today. A few climbs, but nothing crazy. I started getting emotional (aka hungry) about 19 miles in. Ate half a SoyJoy bar and a tangerine and felt better. I also fell off my bike at a stop because I clipped out my right foot as usual, but ended up tipping to my left and couldn't regain my balance. I fell hard. I scrapped up my elbow even with thick arm sleeves on. I also bruised my left shin and I have a funky bruise on the inside of my right forearm where I hit my aerobar elbow rests. I was pretty tired and my neck was sore from the ride but I am so happy we got to go out and do it. We got home, I drank some almond milk with whey protein and made delicious burgers. After gorging my face in meat and ketchup, I took a good long 2 hours nap.

We finished off the HEED this weekend from the Beaver Freezer so I looked online to order more. I first went to get 15% off from a sponsor, but shipping wasn't free unless I spent over $100. I started thinking more about race nutrition and I really liked the Hammer Perpetuem Solids as well. I opted out of the sponsor purchase because REI discounts 20% off all nutrition products when you buy 12 or more at full price. Gels and drinks rarely ever go on sale at REI or online anyways. They do have their "gel of the month" promos but it's Powerbar gels and I hear they taste like poo and I don't like their ingredients...too much shitty sugar and they include oat and wheat derived sugars and syrups. Plus I like the Hammer gels and Cliff gels. I like Cliff because of the sodium since I'm super prone to hyponatremia but I also like Hammer products because they don't include any crap that you don't need. I ordered 2 26-serving bottles of Hammer gel in raspberry and a handful of Cliff gels in various flavors. After the 20% off the Hammer gel bottles were only $16! I've really enjoyed using whey protein so I ordered some Hammer Whey protein. Costco is probably a tad cheaper, but with the 20%.. it wasn't too bad. I opted out of getting some Heed becuase it's a ton cheaper in the 80 serving containers and REI only had the 32 serving can. I decided to order a can of GU's Electrolyte Brew. Probably the closest thing to Hammer with a quarter of the price. Plus the Brew contains more sodium which is a plus for me. I decided to add on an aero bottle and mount to my order. All in all I spent $84.90 in nutrition and $27.99 in my aero drink system (stupid mount). I plan on purchasing some Hammer Perpetuem Solids at a local store because I don't want or need the giant jug, I only want a couple of 6-pack canisters. I can't wait to receive my new products and for Mama Bear to lecture me on online shopping. She should be proud of me for being such a bargain hunter and for keeping my body healthy.

PS: my biker short tan line is making a comeback! :)

Beaver Freezer 2011

2011-04-02T19:37:00.000-07:00

First tri of the season. 38 degrees in the a.m. Luckily, I didn't start until 9:30. Watched TH and his friend swim and start the bike.   Watched TH start his run before I had to head inside to swim. This was a sprint tri with an indoor swim. It's actually the largest in the USA according to the website. When we registered we had to put in our 500yd swim time. I put in the time I had last year. There are 4 people per lane. I was seeded 4th, meaning there were 3 girls ahead of me. we were sent off 5 seconds apart. All the ladies in my lane were conservative and started out at pace as opposed to a sprint which is good because sprinting at the start is a common mistake at tris All was great the first lap. Lap 2, I was right on the leg of #3. So, I tapped her feet. At the wall, she didn't let me pass. Um.. okay. SO I tapped on the way back down. I did this for the next 400 meters. Tap...breaststroke...tap...breaststroke...etc WTF. I ended up swimming breaststroke with my head up about 90% of the swim. Whatever, we got out and started to T1. It was freaking cold out so I opted to wear my compression calf sleeves for support and warmth. Compression + wet skin = SLOW SLOW SLOW. T1 took forever.

The Bike went really well. I started out slow, but once I got going at the first turn around about 4 miles in, I picked up the pace. Unlike last year where everyone and their grandma passed me, I only got passed once. This is kind of meaningless since there are 10 different waves, so you can't really tell whose the same pace as you.

T2 went okay. The bike dismount to my rack spot was a pretty long distance, but not unheard of compared to other races. I was happy to sear the sun come out and the skies clear.

As usual the first mile of the run sucked and really the whole run was really hard for me. My shin hurt a ton and I was really warm.

Overall, I finished and actually cut just under 8 and a half minutes off my time from last year with a lot of overall improvements considering the issue with the swim and my slow T1 this year. As great race and it got me excited for the rest of the season.... so long as my stupid shin figures its life out and stops being such a bitch.

Last year's splits (Langton Pool: Longer run to T1 and crappy bike):
S:9:02 T1:4:17 B:48:36 T2:1:56 R:26:23     Total 1:30:15 Overall 266/399 place   92/176 in women 15/26 age group

This year's splits (Dixon Pool: Shorter run to T2 and crappy "slow" swim...though faster then last year. HA):
S:8:41 T1:3:31   B:42:26   T2:2:17 R:24:46    Total 1:21:43   Overall 172/414place   57/186 in women 13 ( tied with 12th) /30 age group

So after the race I was back in transition putting my stuff together. The lady in front of me in the swim asked me if I was in her lane. I told her I was and she went off talking about how she kept trying to get passed and how it was silly because there were people ahead of her. She said something along the lines of "oh it doesn't even matter since it's only going to save them (meaning ME) like 15 seconds at the most."   Sorry lady, 1) if it was only 15 seconds, why didn't you pull your ass over and let me pass you. 2) 15 seconds in a sprint tri makes a HUGE difference. 3) I guarantee you I would have gained more then 15 seconds off my swim. I was freaking doing the breast stroke. COME ON!   grrr. I didn't say that to her and I instead acted disinterested. I'm sure she thinks I'm one of those competitive asshole triathletes that care too much about speed. But to prove my point, just 15 seconds makes a difference of 10 places.... and that's the 15 seconds that she thought was the difference, not what I could have swam. That matters to me and last time I checked, this was a RACE. My bad.. I didn't realize it was typical lap swim at the pool I don't know what the EEF I am doing because I don't know any lap swim etiquette even though the race director gave me a refresher.

Procras a mas

2011-03-30T21:07:00.000-07:00

I'm such a bad student. You'd think of all the years I've spent in school I'd be a stellar student. Quite the opposite. I've pretty much decided it will be impossible to write another page on patent litigation. I've also forgotten how to read before class. I met up with a friend from high school who I haven't seen for about 7 years. It was great to catch up on our lives and even some old school gossip. I also may have convinced her to do the Half Rev3 Tri with me. This girl will likely win the swim portion. I do not kid.

Speaking of the Rev 3....

I've been such a horrible athlete on top of being a horrible student!. I'm amazing at eating sugar and baking, but horrible at being a student student and athlete. Today was the first day that Portland was going to reach 60 degrees. It didn't happen but it came close. We have also had one of the rainiest March's of all time. I blame this for why I haven't ridden my bike. I also need a more productive way to ride on my trainer. I will occasionally pound out a couple of hours, but my intensity is non existent. I will occasionally go to the spin classes offered at the gym, and while they offer intensity, they don't offer time in the saddle. Fifty-six miles will going to come too soon. I really hope once Oregon decides that it's spring and summer that I will get some time outside and have the motivation to ride hard. And find some hills seeing that the bike ride will make a very honest athlete out of anyone.

I forced myself to mail in my Bar application today. Goodbye $625. plus shipping. Hello Bar exam in a few months. aaaaaaaaaaah.

Workouts:
3.5 mile run today between the treadmill and running to the pool
quick 1000yd swim.

BEAVER FREEZER THIS WEEKEND! WHOOP

PS:

I apparently, no longer post pics on my blog. Will work on this because I know you ALL have been missing The Beagle's precious puppy-face.

Looking for...

2011-03-29T22:06:00.000-07:00

Missing: ChoPat compression sleeves:

Last seen: Shamrock run

Reward: me not having to fork out another $40 for a new pair.

Thanks

PS:

Target has running skorts for $17.99. WIN

Hot coffee and whey protein powder = FAIL

Cold coffee and whey protein powder = WIN

Not being anywhere near inshape for this weekend's Sprint Tri = FAIL

Can we just skip Spring and go straight to Summer?

2011-03-23T14:53:00.000-07:00

Could someone please tell me where the heck you bloggers live that are talking about weather in the 70's and 80's?   It was 34 degrees this morning, but sunny(!!) so I went outside to run. What a treat. It's pathetic. Running in 34 degrees is a treat for me when some of you are complaining about the heat?!   Who wants to find me a job, house, free rent someplace warm? Okay? Thanks. While it has warmed up a bit (52 degrees *whoop whoop*), the wind has picked up and we're expecting rain and clouds for the next.... 10+ days. sooupaa....

Have you guys been enjoying your Spring Break? I've been spending it catching up on projects and papers. mostly procrastinating, but I started working again on my ginormous paper today. The motivation is dwindling (hence why I'm actually updating my blog). T-minus4 days and then it's back to the grind.

I'm suppose to get my 2nd pair of shoes in the mail today or tomorrow. I can't remember if I said this earlier, but TH and I got refitted for shoes at RRS. We both kept the molded inserts. TH returned his soes because he doesn't believe in spending money on new shoes. (aka he's "responsible"   whatever..) I opted to buy last year's model of the shoes they recommended online. they stuck me in a neutral shoe because of my high arches. I think this is complete bull shit because Yes, I have high arches, but I also pronate like Big Foot. I think the inserts helped a ton, but I'm weary about these neutral shoes. I've never been in a neutral shoe. I've ALWAYS been fitted with stability or even motion control. I pronate in them, but so far my shins have been "okay". Not fabulous... but "okay". I can tell that the extra cushioning they provide has helped relieve my shin pain that my Mizuno Alchemys did not provide, but the pronation scares me. Because of this I opted to buy a 2nd pair (and thy were on sale) of stability plus cushioning shoes. I think the Neutrals will be okay on shorter runs and treadmill runs but I'm looking forward to the time tested stability shoe. so for specs I am currently running in Adidas Adistar Ride 2 shoes and I will be rotating in Saucony ProGrid Guide 3s once I get them.

Wish me luck.

Workouts: (like I've been tracking THAT welll.)

4.32 mile run with the Beagle. Pace: 9:33 (WHOA.. slow but it was my first run on pavement so I was scuuured.
Swim directly after run: 1750 yds: 500 WU, 5X100s, 10X 50p, 250 CD.

Going Robe Free

2011-03-16T16:59:00.000-07:00

I few of my graduating classmates have started a group to go "robe-free" at commencement. To RENT (yes RENT, not PURCHASE) the robes costs $70 plus a $10 cleaning fee. Now, I asked my mom about her opinion on this and she was like "just wear your old one." Unfortunatly, being the future juris doctorates we're about to become, our robes are the funky ones with poofy black and purple sleeves and we have a poofy hat. Freecycling is not an option. The goal is to donate the $80 that would have been spent to rent to robes to a charity. To be honest, I'm not all that excited to walk down the stage because we get to spend the 2 months following sitting in a freezing air conditioned law school classroom studying for the Bar. And then we get to take the Bar exam. And then we get to wait 2 more months to see if we passed or not. I'm mainly walking at commencement for my family. I think this is more improtant for them then it really is for me. I'm fine with going to commencement, but I think $80 is ridiculous and that my $80 can go towards a lot of better causes then to fund the monopoly known as Jostens.

get excited

2011-03-09T00:23:00.000-08:00

Weekend Wrapup

2011-03-06T20:03:00.000-08:00

Saturday I went out on a trail run with The Beagle. It was 47 and partly sunny. I went up to Chip Ross Park and ran 2 miles out which was completely up hill in the mud and then slightly downhill. It was painful but it was good for me. The 2 miles back were the opposite, so slightly uphill until a very sleet muddy section where I had to walk because it was crazy. Overall it felt really good to be outside with nature and The Beagle. He was a complete mud ball, but he was super happy. Beagles love the smells of nature.

I woke up today pretty sore from the trail run meaning I need to do it more often. It's easy on my shins and mixes things up a bit. My shoulders and back were tired along with my hips and quads. I started my 3 hour trainer ride for the day. Played some N64 while on it. Best Idea Ever. After 2 hours in, TH wanted to ride outside because the weather was nice. I went along and we pounded out about 11 miles outside. It killed me. the trainer cannot replace the real world.

The week has been good training wise. Diet wise.... not so much. working on that one this week.

I think my head just expanded.

2011-03-04T14:41:00.000-08:00

Lane Mate: *completely out of the blue* So, who do you swim for?
Me: Pause... I don't swim for anyone.
LM: Did you use use to be on a swim team?
Me: Nope.. I played a little water polo in high school and college
LM: oh
Me. I just swin for triathlons now
LM: oh..wow.

True story. I'm glad someone thinks I'm badass with my 1:40 min 100's and crooked flip turns. lol

ABCs

2011-03-02T17:57:00.001-08:00

Age: 24

Bed Size: Full

Chore you hate: taking out the trash

Dogs: Murph-a-licious

Essential Start your day item: Breakfast (I never skip it)

Favorite Color: Blue?

Gold or Silver Gold

Height: short

Instruments you play: piano

Job Title: broke ass law student

Kids: Murph-a-licious

Live: Oregon

Mom's Name: Mamma Bear

Nicknames: Jame, Jaymers, James, Bunch

Overnight Hospital Stays: none

Pet Peeve: High school girls at school

Quote from a Movie: “I was hiding under your porch because I love you!” UP

Right or Left Handed: Right

Siblings: one

Time you wake up: anywhere between 5:30am and 9am

Underwear: yes?

Vegetable you dislike: Bitter melon

What makes you late: Murph-a-licious' presents that he leaves me in the house

x-Rays you've had done: a lot

Yummy food you make: I make it all

Zoo animal favorite: River Otters!

On Track Wednesday

2011-03-02T12:09:00.000-08:00

Wednesdays are my Get Shit Done days. As of late, they haven't gone as planned but today is looking good. Although I did sleep in, I just got back from completing another run and swim AND I made some black bean hummus. I fell like I have a lot of school work that I've been slacking off on. I have a 15 page paper on patent litigation to write, a presentation on customer discrimination in the workplace, and I have to research federal energy policy related to the current Congress. Ideally, I'd get a good jump start on all of these projects, but we'll see. My goal is to get off the blog-o-sphere and keep the TV off. I've already worked out for the day so that can't be an excuse.

Flattering Photo of the Day:

Workout:
Run: 3 miles (Mile 1: 9:00 Miles 2 and 3: 400m intervals of 7:40 on and 9:30 off)
Swim (immediately after the run): 300yd warmup; 10x 50yd sprints with 10secs btwn; 200yd cooldown) It's recovery week after all so my distances are low

Runner's high

2011-03-01T22:00:00.000-08:00

Oh Hai there Crazies!

I RAN YESTERDAY NIGHT!!!! Yay. I was even excited about running on the treadmill! It was great! It was fantastic and THAT is saying a lot because I HATE the dreadmill.

I chose to run on the treadmill because it was 8:30pm at night and I needed to run on a softer surface. The chip path at the high school would have been an option but it would have been a little spooky because it's not lit and it would have also been very very wet and muddy with all the rain/snow we've had. it was also 37 degrees outside and super windy. I kept my pace just over a 9 min/mile. It felt slow, but I didn't want to push anything. I limited myself to 3 miles and felt good. I was happy that I didn't feel like a pack-a-day smoker after not running for so long but at the same time this was only 3 miles, not 10. Tonight I went to spin class and tomorrow I have a swim and another 3 miles treadmill jog in the planner. I hope this stays good. I iced last night and have kept massaging the shin.

Fingers crossed.

Workouts:
Monday: 3mile run
Today: 60min spin class

2011-02-28T11:36:00.001-08:00

Saturday: Swim 3000yd
Sunday: Walk 4 miles with the pup. in the rain... and wind.. and cold.

2011-02-25T21:00:00.000-08:00

Workout: swim 1500yds. I ran out of time and had to go to class.... on a Friday evening. ewwwwwwww

2011-02-23T21:39:00.001-08:00

Workouts:

Tuesday:
AM Swim 1250yds
PM Spin Class 1 hour

Wednesday:
AM Indoor trainer 3 hours

Back on track?

2011-02-21T21:54:00.000-08:00

I swam after class for the scheduled 2000yd of 4 x 500s. Boring, but they went by faster then I thought. I was also able to get 3 of them under 9 minutes and the last one just over.

When I got home, I made dinner then rode the trainer for 35 minutes. Better then nothing I suppose. Next week marks one month off from running, meaning I'm going to try it again! If my shins hurt, i'm going to cry. I'm excited, I can't wait. I'm going to force myself to stick to 3 miles. yay.

Off to bed because I have a date with the pool at 5:30am.

What's my problem?

2011-02-15T22:36:00.000-08:00

I'm not running until March. This is really killing any motivation I have to work out. I've been okay swimming wise but biking has really be bad. I was suppose to go to a spin class tonight at 6:30p. I ended up falling asleep on the couch. I did do an easy hour on my trainer, but it just isn't the same workout as pounding it out to music with an instructor. Tomorrow I'm scheduled to do a "long" ride. This won't be happening outside since it's 37 and raining. Maybe a few hours on the trainer? Gah. Where is my motivation? It's only week 2 of training and I've barely started. I can't wait to run again... My suit jackets are getting tight. I'm also driving back down to California this week. Insert horrible diet choices....yet again.

Workout:
AM: Swim 1250 recovery
PM: 60 min bike on trainer.

Restful At Last

2011-02-13T00:37:00.001-08:00

Po Po and Me

Driving and driving and driving

2011-02-12T12:23:00.000-08:00

In a 36 hour time period I drove from Portland to the Bay Area, California and back up. When I say drive I mean Me driving. None of this splitting up the drive or anything. Straight Interstate 5 driving. I drove back North in the middle of the night. Nothing like rocking out to some Lady Gaga at 2am over the Siskiyous alone and sketchy rest areas. Maybe I'll explain why I took this trip later on... Maybe I won't. Either way... no more long distance driving for me in a long time!

On another note, I really need to start getting serious about this triathlon training. I'm hoping to start running again in March.

I also may have found a place to live this summer. Yay for not being homeless.

Nor-oga

2011-02-06T20:58:00.000-08:00

TH, his brothers, ZG and I went to Hoodoo this morning. The boys went snowboarding, ZG and I went cross country skiing. Neither of us have ever been, it was going to be a guaranteed laugh attack.

At the Beginning

After a shaky initial loop, we felt ballsy and went on the "intermediate" loop. There was a giant hill.

ZG about to embark on "The Hill"

I should preface this with the fact that we don't know how to turn, slow down, or stop. ZG went first. She fell, I laughed, and videotaped. I went second, I laughed, almost took ZG out with my pole, she laughed. Yes, we were THOSE people. Before we met the boys for lunch we decided to do some yoga, or you could call it NorOga. Actually, you can't call it NorOga because ZG and I invented it and have trademark rights to it.

1. Awkward Sit Pose 2. Warrior 3 with Ski Modification

3. Serious Spinx 4. Serious sitting tree pose thing

After lunch, and figuring out how to slow ourselves down we got the hang of things. A little old lady actually was shocked it was our first time and was very impressed. We're going to be in the Olympics someday. Biathlon here we come. That's what everyone is excited for: ZG and Jayme to race on Nordic skis with rifles, shooting at things. yup...that would be super safe.

ZG attempted to skate up a hill. Not a success.

At the end of the day. A little haggard, but we had fun.

Fatty Mc Fatterson

2011-02-04T20:48:00.000-08:00

I've officially decided to not do the Shamrock Run 15K. My shin has really got me worried about my running and my ability to get back into long distances without getting injured. I've been able to transfer my registration to my best friend, so nothing is going to waste. I'm just totally bummed, but I think it'll be smart to take some extended time off of running. Unfortunately, since running has been my main source of cardio throughout the winter, I'm screwed. Running burns the most calories/time compared to swimming and biking and it gets the most bang for its buck. Well, bring on the fatty weight gain. Ugh.. While I'm not stressed about the run anymore, not running has be stressed about other things, such as fitting into my wetsuit...

Workout: Swim 3000yds

2011-02-02T19:59:00.000-08:00

It was a beautiful sunny, yet cold crisp day today. Went to the, now cavities, but some issues with sensitivity that will be remedied. Met up with Momma Bear at the pool for a swim, went grocery shopping, then got home, did some work, did some napping, walked the dog, did some trainer, and some more studying. I need to shower now coz I stink.

Workout:

Swim 1500yds, Trainer: 1 hour

70.3 Challange Part I

2011-01-29T12:35:00.000-08:00

It's the dead of winter and I'm ready to start thinking about summer. For me this means training. I have a busier than usual spring and summer planned so I'm also planning my days and what hours I can allocate to what. Last year I did an Olympic Distance "challenge". I don't think anyone followed along with me, but it sure kept me accountable. So for the next 20 weeks, I'm going to do a 70.3 challenge. Part I is base building and my schedule for the next 4 weeks. I don't type in my training yet but I intend to follow something similar to this plan here: with a few adjustments since I am a slow biker and runner so the I will need to add some time on the runs and such. Alsok the plan is kind of crap since there are no rest days later on in the plan. My life schedule looks like the following: each day will include 8 hours for sleep, 3 hours for breakfast, lunch, and dinner and an hour of grooming and shower time.

Monday:
Class 4.5
driving 4
Training 3
Free 0.5

Tuesday:
Work 8
Driving 0.5
Training 3
Free: 0.5

Wednesday
Study 2
Training 3
Free 7

Thursday
Work 8
Driving 2.5
Training: 0
Free 1.5

Friday
Class 3
Driving 2
Training 3
Free 2
Study 2

Saturday
Class 6
Study 4
Driving 2
Training 4
Free 4

Sunday:
Training 5
Free 7

Am I insane? Don't answer that. I function really well on a schedule. My free/study times will be adjusted day by day depending on my needs. Also I don't expect to initially spend 3, 4, or 5 hours training every day, but I want to give myself plenty of time these initial weeks. I hope this is feasible. I looks a hell of a lot more productive then I am now, but this is a good thing, seeing that I slack off a ton during the week. In 4 weeks I'll re asses my choice and go from there.

Are you ready for the challenge?

2011-01-26T17:18:00.001-08:00

Workout: 2000yd swim and 23mi bike ride..OUTSIDE!

My Little Old Man

2011-01-25T19:17:00.000-08:00

The Beagle went back to the vet today. Over the weekend he developed a sore on his neck. I thought it was just irritation from his collar. Well last night when I picked up to go to bed (remember he can't go up stairs) the sore was huge and bloody. I cleaned it off the best I could with baby wipes, put alcohol and antibacterial ointment on it and tried to trim away some of the nappy fur. Momma Bear took him to the vet while I was at work. No idea what caused the sore, but he's on antibiotics now for that. He also get sent home with eye drops for his allergies. Vet said that he has an injured knee. He said it was genetic in beagles and if it doesn't get better with rest, he'll have to get surgery. In the meanwhile, The Beagle is sanctioned to kennel time when no one is home or if we need to go upstairs. He actually loves his kennel and voluntarily goes in it and lays down all the time.

I went for a run for the first time in a week and a half. I hate taking breaks because I feel like a pack a day smoker with all the endurance I lost. My shin hurt like a bitch. What the heck. I was going to do 6 miles but after 2 the shin hurt so I cut it short. grrrr

I'm icing like a mad woman now.

Workout: 4.5 mile run. 9:00 pace.

Does Glucose = Gluten?

2011-01-24T21:15:00.000-08:00

This weekend I picked up some PowerBar Gel Blasts.

They are basically gel filled gummy bears similar to a gel. On my spin tonight I decided to try them. They are delicious and might as well be candy. I had the unfortunate discovery to find something on the ingredient. The first ingredient is glucose (from wheat). I've had glucose before because it's in a lot of gels. I have never seen it labeled as "from wheat". From my basic chemistry and nutrition classes in college I know glucose is just a sugar. Gluten is a protein. Therefore glucose should be safe right? I don't know. I did some Google research and it looks like glucose is technically gluten-free and products can be labeled as such even if they contain wheat glucose. However, wheat glucose (there is corn glucose as well) can affect those with wheat allergies (as opposed to gluten). To be honest, I don't know if I have a wheat allergy along with gluten. I've never really had a product that had wheat but sans gluten. I feel fine right now but I'm going to see how I feel overnight. Really I should just avoid the situation due to almost certain cross contamination in the production process. Maybe I should stuck to GF gummy bears and safe GF gels.

Workout: 20 miles on the bike trainer.

Helping Central Oregon Tourism

2011-01-23T17:37:00.000-08:00

Friday morning, TH and I headed up to Mt Bachelor to do some skiing. Too bad for us it was 31 and raining. EW. Now, I'm an Oregonian and I've skied more times in the rain then I can count, but the forecast for Saturday called for 29 and clear skies. We decided to give up on skiing and go snowshoeing. After talking to some folk we decided to go to the Edison Trail.

We got to the SnoPark and started snowshoeing.

About a mile and a half up, we found a warming hut with a stove inside. Having nothing dry( remember it was raining) to start a fire we tried, got some flames, then just smoke. It was getting late so we hiked back down to the lot.

On our way back into town, we decided to stop at the High Desert Natural History Museum. There were some interesting exhibits including a huge thing on the CHinese railroad workers. We got to see a bobcat and a lynx, and some other fun creatures.

A strange eagle-like animal in his nest

Bagged myself a bronze buck.

That evening, TH and I met up with his friend ES and his wife at The Summit Saloon and watched a few local comedians. Funny stuff. We later headed to The Bend Brewing Company for some more happy hour snacks.

Saturday morning, we headed back up to the mountain to ski. The weather was perfect and aside from the icey conditions and being old, the sking was great. I watched a bit of a high school ski race (memories) and filled TH in on everyone's form.

TH: man of mystery

In the parking lot, on our way to head back to town, we ran into a former ski teammate's family. Actually, they were parked right next to us and took this picture.

On the way back to our hotel we made a last minute stop to the Deschutes Brewery. TH had some samples and then we took a tour.

Upon return to the hotel, I couldn't find my glasses. We searched everywhere and told the front desk guy. He was helpless. I was getting upset because he blew off my glasses like they were nothing. What if it was my cell phone or laptop? TH and I forged on, had dinner at The Bend Burger Company, and then went to a local play called Love, Laughter, and Lucci and the 2nd Street Theater. Wine helped my mood. This morning we packed up and headed out. As a last minute effort, TH asked the desk attendant upfront about the glasses. She was A LOT more helpful then late night guy. She called housekeeping, spoke to the housekeeping manager, and even had the maintenance guy go dumpster diving because we decided that my glasses fall/we knocked into the trash when housekeeping was cleaning. After a minute or two of dumpster diving, the front desk attendant ran out and had a wonderful surprise. Housekeeping had seen my glasses in the trash and put them aside. YAY! I didn't have to be blind for the next 2 months, before my insurance would buy mamma a new pair of glasses.

Am I a lucky girl or what?

Bend Hoe!

2011-01-20T15:30:00.001-08:00

TH and I are headed off to Bend in central Oregon for my Birthday Weekend Celebration. I hope the snow on the mountain is okay because we've had some wet and warm weather lately.

Chauffeur TH

A typical Oregon drive: Trees

Mechanically Inclined?

2011-01-19T21:13:00.000-08:00

I tuned my bike today. I had previously ordered thinner tires (I had 25, ordered 23s) and also planned to replace my front derailleur cable. 3 hours later... lol I had a little problem with the cable that was a really simple fix, I just needed to figure it out my self. While I was changing one of my tires I accidentally pinched my old tube into the new slimmer tires. That sucker popped and I can't tell you how loud that ways. My ears hurt and everything was sorta muffled for the next hour. I didn't realize that I would need to trim the derailleur cable after installation. I thought they were standard size. Wire cutters don't work because they just fray the cable. off to buy a cable cutter. $30 later... I picked up some gels that were on sale for $0.79. One Gu blackberry and a Gu Vanilla. If they taste good I'll go back and pickup more. I also wrapped my aero bars but didn't have handlebar tape so they are duct tapped. VERY CLASSY. I'm such a noob I can't get over it. Regardless, I feel that my way awesome triathlete skillz (yup, with a "z") jumped a few points. Along with setting up bike shop in my living room, I cleaned out my closet and donated a Subaru Impreza car full (seats down) of clothes, shoes and accessories to Goodwill. My closet, sadly, still looks packed. I'm working out getting rid of junk this year. I went through some paperwork and shredded a ton of old tax stuff (older than 5 yrs) and bills. I had planned on going on a nice bike ride on this sunny day but between Portland, Trivia, Cleaning, and fixing it was 5pm before I got a chance to go out. I rode on my trainer for about 40 minutes and my computer said 15 miles (again, trainer miles so it could mean anything).

Spring Cleaning

2011-01-19T11:24:00.000-08:00

I ventured out to Portlandia this morning at the spry time of 6:30am to meet my friend ZG for a coffee and shoe exchange. I rode the Max in because I'm not stupid enough to drive downtown on the parking lots known as 217 and Hwy 26. I got really ambitious last night and planned to Max into Portland then bike back home. Well it was 31 degrees this morning and my car was frozen over. No biking.

ZG and I met up at a coffee shop called Fehrenbacher Hof in Goose Hollow. ZG picked it because it was German. I agreed because it was right off the Max line.

After coffee and a GF pumpkin muffin we parted out ways and Miss PDX rode her bike to work.

When I got home, I planned to clean out some of my old clothes and donate them to Goodwill. I have a lot of clothes and I don't wear a lot of them. Seeing that I live at home with my mother, I also have some shoes and other things from high school. Here are the piles that would make a hoarder blush:

Yup. 10 pairs of shoes. The clothes I left out are for me mom to sort through. There are more hiding in the bags. She'll probably snag them all since she hates "wasting" things. bah. Is that a strobe light? Yes, yes it is. See that trophy? Yup 1st place dance competition back in the day. GLORY.

Now I'm off to work to play trivia. That is what us cool kids do on out days off.

The Morning After

2011-01-17T19:17:00.000-08:00

I woke up this morning and didn't want to move my body. I was sore, but not as bad as Hood to Coast. Definitely worse than an Oly tri though. Drove back to Momma Bear's and then lounged around the rest of the day. My next race will likely be the Shamrock Run 15K. I would like to do a short 5K in February though. I'm poor. Someone registrar for me. Thanks. I successfully rotated the tires on my bike and I'm going to set out to replace the shift cable probably on Wednesday. The cable has been frayed since Bike Shop Tom from REI "tuned up" my bike when he really just F-ed it up and it came home with frayed cables. I didn't think this was that big of a deal until I realized that it was... such a n00b. I love that you can learn to do anything on You Tube. Fantastic.

Workout: 2000yd swim. legs feel better.

Cascade Half-Marathon

2011-01-16T16:58:00.000-08:00

First Half-marathon did and done. The weather sucked. Really couldn't say much else. Sideways rain and killer wind. Could it be worse? Well, it could have been 30 degrees. It was in the 50's so I shouldn't complain. Though, the wind was really rough.

The first 3 miles were very crowded because we were sharing the same route as the 10K. I really tried to watch my Garmin carefully to slow myself down. I was still at a 8:00 pace. I also started getting a hot spot between my big toe and the one next to it (pointer toe?!). Throughout the run I consumed 2 Hammer electrolyte capsules and at miles 6 and 10 I had half of a PowerGel. I felt really good until just after mile 10. No surprise since most of my "long" runs have been 10 miles. Mile 11 was my slowest at 9:04. Mile markers 12 and 13 took FOREVER to pass. The entire run was on rural farmland and the start (local high school) wasn't in view until just after Mile 13. I sprinted in the last 200 meters and was very excited to be done. I was dragging towards the end and wanted to be done. My legs actually felt pretty good the whole time. No shin or knee pain and only until mile 10 did my hamstrings really start to feel tight. I felt walked after the finish and because there was no chip timing we had to stand inline for someone to collect the little thingies off our race numbers. I kind of forgot about my Garmin so i forgot to stop it after crossing the finish line. So, I'm pretty sure my actual time is at least a few seconds less than what I have below. Either way, I finished under my goal of 2 hours. Barely, but did it. I'm happy. I don't know how all of you crazies out there finish these things in 90 minutes or less.

I should also mention that TH Mama ran her first race in a long time. She competed in the 2 mile run. We started together but I lost her after we got out of the parking lot. I think it was awesome of her to sign up and I can't wait to see/hear about her triathlon this spring.

TH Mama and I waiting to start.

Her finish! I didn't see it, as I was out being blown away by the wind.

My finish. I guess I kept running past it?

The awesome tech t-shirts. It's hard to tell in the pic but they are Brooks and are that safety night green color. YAY. They ran a bit large though and ran out of XS.

Garmin Time: 13:20 miles; 1:54:27; 8:40pace

Happy Birthday..... to me!

2011-01-14T14:28:00.000-08:00

No more running for me until Sunday morning. Thankfully, it is taper week. Un-Thankfully, it has been just days before the Cascade Half that my shins were roaring. I've been icing and planning on wearing calf compression to help survive Sunday. I know I will be able to finish, but I hate that I know it'll be THAT much more painful due to my shins.

Anyways, today is my birthday. I can now legally rent a car. Yes, I am THAT young. TH and I have plans to go to sushi for dinner. We are actually celebrating next weekend in Bend.

No crazy partying this year. I'm running 13.1 miles in a couple of days.

I had dinner with one of my friends last night. We were at Baja Fresh for nearly 2 hours chatting away about our lives. I hate that I never have time to hang out with people and it keeps getting pushed off.

I wish I had more to post today. I've been spending the past week in an intensive course on Law Practice Management. Interesting stuff to consider about starting your own solo practice. After taking the course I feel that starting my own practice is more attainable then I thought. There are also a lot more considerations that I thought. We'll see what the future holds.

Speaking about lawyering... It's crazy when I look at my Google Calender and see nothing but blank days after July. It's also scary because free days = unemployed. While I'm excited about the possibilities that lay ahead, I'm terrified as well. What if I don't pass the Bar? What if I don't get a job? What if I never work as a lawyer?! OMG

On another completely unrelated note: I want a sponsor. Not like Lance Armstrong/Nike sponsored, but like getting free products from companies sponsored. I know a lot of amateur, "hobby" athletes that are sponsored in one way or another and I want to know how they made that happen. Tips anyone?

OMG OMG Portland is offering another LongCourse Tri this Summer! It's also cheap (for a LC)

http://www.racecenter.com/stumptown/

Where'd you go?

2011-01-11T19:01:00.000-08:00

I just glanced over my class's "facebook" and realized that there's a handful of my classmates that are no longer listed in the roster. I know of few who transferred or what not but there are a couple of former students that were here the past 2 years, but are gone now. Hum.. Where'd you go? Hope all is well.

Workout:
Run cold, painful, SLOW 5K this morning

Costco FTW! (I think)

2011-01-10T22:16:00.001-08:00

I had a friend tell me today that there was GF bread at Costco and it was actually good! I Googled this and supposedly, the Oregon Costcos are having a special. I don't have a Costco card though. I'm not at home with Momma Bear at the moment and TH is in California! What IS a girl to do?!

The Beagle used the last of his doggie pain killers today. I hope tomorrow pans well for him. :/

Workout: No workout today. Leg (yup just one) uber sore from the track run yesterday. I better not be injured. It just feels like sore muscles in the side of my shin though, no bone.

Just so nobody gets jealous.

2011-01-09T14:55:00.001-08:00

Here's a pretty realistic article from the NY Times. Now no one has to tell me repeatedly that I'll be rich. I would appreciate some pity instead of "Oh, you'll be rich and okay."

Workout:
10 mi run on the track. Not as boring as a dreadmill, but pretty darn close. I had 2 old men ask if I was getting dizzy from all the loops I was making. Smart asses.

Can you tell I'm in a whiny mood? No?

Getting old

2011-01-06T20:50:00.001-08:00

not me, the Beagle.

Momma Bear and I decided to take him to the vet to get x-rays. Turns out, my lil man has a few herniated discs in his back. The vet said that he was showing signs of a lot of pain and that he was very very uncomfortable. :( I feel awful for the guy. We also found out about some arthritis in his back leg from the x-rays but the vet said that beagles are so muscular that they typically don't even notice any pain from that. We were sent home with muscle relaxants and pain killers and orders for no stairs, up or down. She wants to see The Beagle back in a few days to check on him. In the mean time he's all wonky from the drugs. Poor guy.

Workout:
50min spin class
Intervals with the running group. 3X 400; 1X 1600; 3X 400 with warmup and cool down and recovery. Total of about 6.5 miles.

Mixing things up

2011-01-05T21:50:00.000-08:00

I decided to take a complete rest day. My knee is still sore and the weather sucks. 33 and raining. Blah. I still have a hard time just not doing anything because it makes me feel lazy. I decided to do some yoga with the Wii Fit. Did that then some boxing to round up my time to 60 minutes. 174 calories later (haha)... the stupid thing tells me to lose 10 lbs to be my "ideal" weight. While I agree with this, I hate having a machine telling me this. Those last 10 lbs means I have to eat healthier and less. Though 10 lbs less of Jayme would be ideal for my race weight... oh lord. Maybe after my birthday and cake.

GF SF Pumpkin Spice Granola

2011-01-04T15:42:00.000-08:00

What is one of the most versatile snacks? Granola. It can be eaten with milk as a cereal, a topping for yogurt, and just a crunchy snack. A lot of store bought granola are full of fat, sugar, and gluten. They also have low nutrition levels.

I've made granola at home a few times before and it has turned out great.

Pumpkin Spice Granola

Ingredients:

1/4 cup maple syrup

1/4 cup honey

1/4 cup grapeseed oil

2 tablespoons pumpkin spice

dash of Cinnamon, all spice, and nutmeg

1 teaspoon on vanilla

2 teaspoons of salt (I like mine salty sweet, you might want to half the salt)

1/3 cup flax meal

2 heaping tablespoons of vanilla rice protein powder

1/2 cup water

1 and 1/2 cups of nuts (I used walnuts)

4 cups gf oats

** optional**: chopped dates, raisins, cranberries, etc. I didn't have either of these on hand but I highly recommend the dates. They are delicious in this.

Mix all the ingredients minus the oats and nuts. Stir in the oats and nuts until evenly coated. Spread onto a greased cookie sheet and bake at 300 for roughly an hour. Check every 20 minutes to avoid burning the stuff. It also helps to stir the mixture around when you check.

I've finally found what was wrong with The Beagle. His somehow hurt his right front leg. I think it has something to do with the joint by his shoulder. This would explain his prior slow walking, reluctance to beg (highly unusual for my lil man), shivering (pain), and being lazy. He can still walk but is avoiding stairs. I doubt there is much a vet can do for him except recommend rest. I don't know. I'm going to give him a couple more days and if he's still sore, I'll take him in. He's eating fine, pooping fine and asides from not being as active, being his normal beagle self. I'm kind of upset the emergency vet didn't realize this. Especially since The Beagle yelps when you move that leg. He just gave The Beagle an anti-nausea injection. The vet supposedly asked if he normally had a good appetite. Anyone have experience with beagles? Right. I understand that vets don't have the luxury of having clients who can speak, but I feel like he should have maybe done a physical exam on The Beagle's movements. maybe he did... I don't know I wasn't there... but who knows. I guess just like with people doctors, there are good and not-so-good ones. *sigh*

Biggest Loser Season Premier! WOOT.

Workout:

Gym: 15 min each: Elliptical, stair climber, row, treadmill, recumbent bike, elliptical. Free weights for arms and core.

No running group tonight. My legs need some rest.

Visitor from India

2011-01-03T18:37:00.000-08:00

Today I met up with my best friend ZG to exchange shoes and meet up for some coffee. She spent the last 5 and a half month teaching in India. Asides from being jealous of her adventures, it was good to catch up and learn some things about her trip. ZG has her medical school interview tomorrow so everyone wish her luck! We went over some "typical" med school interview questions and I tried to give my thoughts on appropriate responses. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for her because she would be PERFECT as a med student.

Along with stories, she brought me back from Indian goodies:

Red stone bracelet which I can't wait to wear to work on Wednesday

Himalaya brand lip balm and eyeliner. Supposedly all natural and authentic. I guess everyone uses eyeliner in India. Perfect that eyeliner happens to be my favorite makeup of choice.

Stone elephants

Shoes made from Camel skin. They are hand embroidered and super cute! They are also super uncomfortable but are suppose to mold to your feet after a few wearing. I hope that is true because I love them.

The Beagle was really sick last night and went to the doggie emergency room. They couldn't find anything wrong. He's still a bit lethargic today but after feeding him some chicken broth and a baked potato, he seems to be a little better.

In the mean while he's not complaining about being baby-ed or laying in front of the fire.

Workout:
Sunday: 2000yd swim with TH
Today: 10 Mile run 1:27:36 time 8:45 pace

New Years and the Resolution 2011 5K

2011-01-02T10:05:00.000-08:00

TH and I planned to have a night in with our friends, JD and fam. We had a friend drive up from Southern Oregon and another flew in from Eastern Oregon. We made fondue (cheese and chocolate) and strawberry margaritas, played some board games and nearly missed the countdown. We turned the TV on with 7ish seconds left. Good timing I suppose. After my tummy was filled with tequila, cheese, and chocolate we all got to bed because we had a race the next morning.

The aftermath of the fondue

Playing Cranium

Last NYE we all (more or less) ran the First Run and Walk 5K at the stroke of midnight. This year the same event planner held another 5K on the same course during New Years Day. We opted for the morning run since midnight is late for JD Junior (and TH). It was super cold in the morning but dry and sunny. Would have been perfect if not for the East winds coming from the Gorge. They were frigid!

My goal for the race was to finish under a 8:00 pace. I told myself that I was going to focus on pacing myself and not going out too fast. We started and again I had to slow myself down but thankfully I had the Garmin to tell me exactly how overly fast I was going. I slowed down to just below my 8:00 pace and I felt like I was jogging. It's interesting how my body has no idea of how fast or slow it's really going. I kept at that pace for the next 2 miles. At the end of mile 2, I picked up the pace a bit because I felt completely refreshed and fine. I picked up the pace, but not too much and then I had an all out sprint the last quarter mile. I ended up finishing in 23:37 according to chip timing. That put me at a pace of 7:36. I was pretty happy to see that because i just had the goal of finishing with an 8:00 pace. I ended up getting 2nd in my age group (20-24) but I've come to the realization that everyone in my age group was busy being hungover and not running. I compared my time to the runners the night before and I wouldn't have even made it top 10 in my age group. Regardless, I got myself a medal. I later scanned through the Garmin and my last mile was recorded at 7:26. This is interesting because when I did 1 mile intervals with my group Thursday night, that was just under my average time. Interesting. I want to do another 5K because I want to push myself harder because I felt so slow during this run. Aside from the last half mile, I really felt like I was jogging. I looked back at my results from last year and interestingly enough, My pace for that race was 8:01. I didn't even know I ran a 5K with that pace before. Still happy about knocking 25 seconds off my pace, but now I'm motivated to do more!

The JD family. JD Junior and his daddy did a great job! JD mama did fantastic too!

Our group after we all finished.

Workouts:

Friday: 15 min row machine, free weights for arms, core 1500M swim + 3- 50M sprints
Saturday: 5K race
Today: Possible swim with TH but no running since I poured boiling water all over my foot and it's burned. boooo

2010 in Review

2010-12-31T14:08:00.001-08:00

January: First Run & Walk 5K

March: Adidas Shamrock Run 8K

April: Beaver Freezer Sprint Triathlon

May: Blue Lake Oly Triathlon

June: Hagg Lake Oly Triathlon

June: Amica Series Oly Triathlon

August: Hood to Coast Relay

September: Corvallis Fall Festival 10K

September:Madras Sprint Triathlon

October: Astoria mini-Sprint Triathlon

November: Sherwood Turkey Trot 10K

December: PIR Winter Wonderland of Lights 6miler

I wish I had pictures from each event, but I don't. Goals for next year:

Track my workouts better

Finish a Half IM

Doing something (race) once a month!

I'm a not so healthy eater

2010-12-30T20:40:00.000-08:00

Let's just go over a rundown of what I ate today:

3 slices of GF homemade bread slathered in b-u-t-t-e-r

one Costco hotdog sans the bun with ketchup and onions

Multiple samples of chips and cheese

3 servings of those crack filled chipoltle cheese rice and bean chips

Giant bowl of edamane

Roasted Asparagus

Rice protein mixed with chocolate rice milk.

an apple

an orange

okay, so the Holidays really put a damper on my diet. Actually, I think it's living at home. ugh Can't wait til summer.

I had a really good time running with the group tonight. It was below freezing but dry. I love sunny cold days.

What are your NYE plans? TH and I are hanging out with the JD fam and making fondue. yum

Workout:Run with the group: 3 x 1 mile intervals. Total of 5.48 miles including the rest period (according to the Garmin) Max speed: 11mph roughly a 5:50 pace.

2010-12-29T22:43:00.001-08:00

Workout: Bike Trainer 30 miles 100 minutes. ew.

Happy 100.

2010-12-28T20:35:00.000-08:00

This is my official 100th post. Wish I had something exciting and crazy to report... but I don't. Spent all day in Vancouver helping step father with his big rig. Made a record 5 trips to Home Depot. Wanted to drop kick an ugly puppy by that 5th one, let me tell you. I then rushed home during rush hour..bahaha.... to quickly change and meet up with my running group. We were scheduled to do a 3-5 mile track run, but the track was not lit so we ran around the property. I quit and wussed out at 4 miles. I felt that we held a fast pace for me, though I now feel guilty for being a big girl and doing the entire 5 miles or at least pushing my pace more. It was nice to not be so sore after my "long" run yesterday. I'm ice bathing and swimming all the time now. Work tomorrow. Hope to either do some spinning after or gym maybe. I fear the 5pm crowds though.

I am in love with the Garmin though. Awesome to see my run info mile/mile. Tonight reaffirmed my need to be more consistent with my pace.

Anyone else ready for summer? I'm moving to southern California.. just not right now with all the rain they're having.

Workout: 4.09 miles Time: 34.51.88 Pace: 8:32/mi.

Another Rainy Day

2010-12-27T14:35:00.000-08:00

I set a goal to do another "long" run today. Last night I put in a long gym session of 15min elliptical, 15 min row 10 min stair stepper, weights, abs, 10 min elliptical. So this isn't as long as I have done in the past, but I also haven't been to the gym in about 3 months. My butt was a bit sore from the lunges I did, but nothing unbearable. More of the feel good sore. The forecast the next week is rain, rain, and wind. Around 10am it wasn't raining, just overcast. I gussied myself up to go running. After all I had a new watch to test out. I filled my two bottles with 16 oz of Gatorade (I wanted to mix it up from the HEED). The weather was perfect for running. Overcast and cool. My knees felt fine and it was really cool to see my pace and my mile times. My goal for the Half marathon in a few weeks is to finish within 2 hours. I convinced myself that I would need to run an average of a 9 min/mile. So far I had guesstimated that on my long runs, I was pacing about 9 to 10 min/mile. I don't know if it was because I had on the Garmin or what but my pace overall was: 9 min exactly. Ha. Most of my miles were under 9 min but there were a few that kicked my butt. I also did drink all my Gatorade. I only finished one bottle (8oz).

I decided to take an ice bath after the run. I did it and it felt AMAZING. I only got into my thighs because I was scared and too impatient to wait for the tub to fill to my hips. Plus, my hips are rarely sore. It felt marvelous. Doing it again. Momma Bear was actually motivated to go "swimming" today so after my ice bath, I went to the pool with her. Unfortunately, lifeguard training was happening so we couldn't swim laps. We instead splashed around and kicked back and forth until the kiddos took over the rec swim space, forcing Momma Bear and I retreated to the hot tub. 15 minutes later, we headed to the showers.

I think the 2 minutes of semi-swimming really helped to loosen my legs. Next time I hope I can actually do some real swimming to loosen my arms from the weights yesterday.

Workout: Run 11.02 miles, 1:39:10 Pace: 9:00/mi

My splits were all over the page. I'm going to try to smooth things out over the next few weeks.

Holiday Review

2010-12-26T19:29:00.000-08:00

Well, Christmas is finally over and I can look forward to New Year's. I traveled more than I would have liked and spent time with my family. I ran less then I should have, swam only once, spend zero time on my bike, and ate more sugar and fat than is normal, even more than the average American. My Christmas week started when TH and I drove down to Stayton to take "secret" pictures with his family. It was kind of fun and TH even joked that it was like getting wedding photos done. Awkward.... but Lord knows I love them awkward boys. Here are a couple of my favorites:

I then picked up my brother at PDX and then we drove to Bremerton, Washington to visit my Dad and Gma. Spent 3 days there then drove back to Mama Bear's home. I drove back down to have Christmas with TH in Corvallis, and then back up to Mama Bear's and then we all drove to Ocean Park, Washington to have Christmas there. Thank goodness I got a swim workout with TH one of those days because I was having some serious training withdrawals. Eating and then not working out really reeks havoc on my sanity. I got some pretty awesome goods over the week, if I must say. I am forever using Amazon wish lists. You get what you want, and nothing you don't. Sure nothing is a complete surprise but there's still mystery involved since I chose not to look at my wish list buying history.

the Goods:

ChoPat Compression Sleeve. Like my horrible over-pronation?

Not on my wish list. Actually, I was there with TH when he bought this. Borders was having a huge store closing sale. Exciting none the less.

RoadID! Ankle strap. Reflective. Red. I have freakishly thin ankles.

Okay not on my wish list either. Not even for me originally. These are two flashing LED dog collars. They were too big for the dogs so now the two clipped together make a new nighttime running belt for me.

AEROBARS! yay! I'm now so much cooler then I once was. bahaha

Garmin 405! yes yes yes! Mama Bear told me I could get an entry level Rolex for the price of this baby. I told her I haven't graduated from law school yet. ;) Guess what? I also have freakishly tiny wrists as well! That thing is like an inch too big for me. meh I love it anyways. Instead of explaining what the watch does, Google it. There are mixed reviews but after weighing the other options and aesthetics (coz THOSE are important), I added this sucker to the wish list.

TH also got me a dog camera that fits on The Beagle's collar and takes snapshots from his point of view. Beagle spy cam? You bet!

TH also purchased me a pink race belt/running skirt. I don't know where it is right now. I think I left it at TH's home.

I took the Garmin for a run on the beach the other day. Being high tide I had to run in the not-so-packed sand. I had a speedy pace of 10:53. This is SUPER SUPER slow for me folks. I run a 9ish mile pace in my olympic tri 10Ks! I really hope it was because of the sand.

Time to get back to real life. Time to start running for realz again. Time to cut out sugar again. Seriously, My body is so much happier that way. Okay, maybe I'll wait until I start my officially 70.3 training. The birthday is coming up and I want me some cake.

2010-12-18T23:46:00.001-08:00

heading to Washington in the a.m.

Workout: Run 10 miles. Knees sore as hell . crap

2010-12-16T20:36:00.000-08:00

Had another lazy day. Momma Bear attempted to make some Mexican Chocolate Souffle. Needless to say we each ate 4 of them. Met up with the running group tonight for intervals. Kicked my butt (or should I say lungs). Afterwards I spent $20 on a quarter tank of gas (whoop) and got some Bragg's Aminos and brown rice protein powder. I try to avoid soy whenever there is an alternative. There are a ton of soy protein products out there and whey. Dairy isn't my thing and I have enough soy in my diet so rice protein it is. I'm trying to add more protein to my diet this next season and I hope it helps calm down my linebacker appetite.

Workout: Run Intervals: 1 1/2 mile warm up, 2X 400m, 12X 200m, 1 mile cool down.

First Date recap

2010-12-14T20:32:00.000-08:00

The run went great. I have no idea what I was worried about We talked about triathlons and such. Plan on doing intervals this Thursday with the group.

Got home and made the most fabulous breakfast burrito with TJ's Rice Flour Tortillas. NUMNUM

First day back at work in over 3 weeks tomorrow. whoa.

Workout: Run just over 5 miles on the track (felt soopa on the knees!)

um.. Toto?

2010-12-14T12:33:00.000-08:00

I'm sitting in my jammies watching the news talking about a tornado in Oregon right now. Um... last time I checked Oregon in the Pacific Northwest, not the Midwest. I could be wrong though. Scary thing is that it touched down in the town TH's parents live in. They live outside of town so all is well but it's still a little scary. About 2 and a half years ago there was a small tornado in Vancouver, WA but it didn't seem as bad.

I have a first date with my running group tonight. I've been part of their "group" on meetup.com for about a month now but because of scheduling and cancellations I have yet to have a run with them. TH actually ran with the organizer during the WinterWonderland Run a few weeks ago but we didn't know it was the same guy until we left. Is it normal to be nervous about the meetup? Am I fast enough? Athletic enough? Cool enough? They all know I do triathlons and they think I'm super badass for that but little do they know that just because I do triathlons doesn't mean I'm supper fast or athletic. I'm not sure what kind of workout this will be. This is their weekly track workout at a local high school but I'm not sure if they will be doing speed work or just laps around the track. Hopefully speed work. I haven't sprinted since high school but running laps around the track just seems BORING.

Hopefully, I will have a successful recap later tonight.

oye

2010-12-13T18:26:00.000-08:00

I think The Beagle has a food allergy. He's been itching and licking everything on his body non stop. The thing is... I switched his food about 2 months ago and the itching only started about 2 weeks ago from what I could tell. And NO, HE DOES NOT HAVE FLEAS or any other creepy crawlies. The trip to the coast was uneventful. It was super windy and rainy so we only went on the beach for about 15 minutes where The Beagle was allowed to run free as I frantically kept calling him back towards me worried that... I don't even know what I was worried about, he had no where to go. Plus, it was rainy and cold, he hates the rain and cold. He wasn't going anywhere without me. TH and I got back this morning and I convinced myself to go for a short run with The Beagle. I ate half a cheesecake this weekend. I made it from scratch so it's okay? bah. feel like crap now. It's funny how when i eat healthy, I'm more motivated to work out and do healthy things. When I eat like crap, I feel like crap, and then I don't want to do anything but veg on the couch. This isn't rocket science, but it's the story of my life.

In other news, for the first time ever, I finished all my finals during the first full week of finals. In law school we have 2 and a half weeks of finals. It's not like we have a test every single one of those days but they are spread out and we are not allowed to switch when they occur. Really unless we have a billion in one day, we have no say in when we can take the exams. It's really nice logging on to Facebook or my email account and seeing all these messages about exams when I know I'm already done. I've always have had horrific scheduling during finals so I think it's okay for me to bask in all this "glory" that is winter break.

I'm stuck between 2 HIM training plans for next spring. The 20 wk BeginnerTriathlete one or the 18 wk TriNewbie one. The largest difference is that one schedules by minutes and the other does by distance. Last year I used an Olympic distance plan that scheduled by minutes and ended up trying to convert into distance. Maybe I just answered my own question...any thoughts?

Workout: Run easy 3 miles with The Beagle

when it rains, go running?!

2010-12-11T15:52:00.000-08:00

I had my 12 mile run scheduled for today. Today happens to be the rainiest day of the year (according to the weathermen). They were right too. I decided to suck it up and go out on my run to work on my mental toughness if anything else. Well I was freezing cold. I hate running any any jackets because they get all steamy and gross. I wore running capri tights and a long sleeve tech shirt. I also had the typical baseball hat on as well. I set off and I was fine at first. Then around mile 6ish I started to get really really cold. 2 hours later, I made it home with about 20 lbs worth of wet clothes (no joke here ppl). When I get in the shower, my whole body got all itchy from the change in temperature. I also couldn't feel my hands or anything else on my body for the first 10 minutes. hum. After I was showered and my legs were compressed, Momma Bear and I headed out for The Costco. Got some good eats and now I'm back home waiting for TH to drive over so we can head to the coast, where's there's a flood warning. I was really surprised how "okay" I felt during the run. I typically enjoy running in the rain so I think that helped my mood. I was miserable after I got cold though. I don't think I will be running any further distances between now and the half mary. I'll probably do another 12 miler and then work my way back down.

It's really nice not having any studying to do at the moment. I should probably be job hunting, but whatever. I don't want to right now. Maybe I will at the coast later this weekend while sipping wine, eating cheese, and sitting in front on the fireplace while I listen to the stormy weather outside and with The Beagle at my feet and TH cooking in the kitchen. Jealous? you should be.

Workout: Run 13 miles (I originally planned to walk the last mile but I got so cold I kept running) Time: 2:10.

done!

2010-12-09T18:28:00.000-08:00

another semester bites the dust and it's on to the final countdown. The final blew btw.

I got to go to get GF cupcakes with my dear friend AG and they were delicious. We then convinced each other to go to the mall. Got a pair of riding boots. Not the quality leather ones I've been eyeing, but these were $20. What ev.

I downloaded a 20 week Half IM workout plan. It should work out to be starting in mid-February. I feel like I'm not doing enough "off season" training right now. I need to set some goals for biking and lifting weights.

Workout: Swim 3200m

PS: Question: Does anyone else get sneezing fits after a pool workout? I'm 99% sure it's the chlorine but I also get bouts of sneezes after swimming in my local pool that uses salts.

PPS: 12 mile run this weekend! aaaaaaaaah

Revolution 3

2010-12-08T22:02:00.000-08:00

Well Merry Christmas to me. I just got myself a race registration for Christmas and my birthday and for graduation. Guess who's committed to swimming 1.2 miles then biking 56 miles then running a half marathon?! I AM. Mark your calenders folks because I expect all of you west of the Cascades to witness my pain on July 10, 2010.

http://rev3tri.com/!/portland/index.htm

I've been putting off registering for Pac Crest becuase I can and it's over 6 months away. Well Patrick from TheRoad informed me about this new event for 2011 and I couldn't resist.

Only a triathlete could justify spending $$$ to induce physical damage over a shopping spree, all while studying for the bar exam.

2010-12-08T19:57:00.000-08:00

Evidence final tomorrow. Spent all day studying for something I should already know. ugh

Workout: Nighttime 4 mile run. Freaked myself out a little bit b/c I decided to run out to the middle of nowhere where it was pitch black. Def had the rape spray in hand. Shhhh! don't tell Mama Bear. She would beat me for running alone, in the dark, in the middle of nowhere.

2010-12-07T21:58:00.001-08:00

workout: Run 4 miles with The Beagle

2010-12-06T19:17:00.001-08:00

Workout: Post Final swim: 1500m. That is all.

The Big 1-0

2010-12-05T14:54:00.000-08:00

I did it! On a beautiful December afternoon I pounded out a 10 mile run. My very first in fact. The weather was perfect. I started out in tights and a long sleeve thermal top. Took the top off at mile 2 and ran in a t-shirt for the first time since.... I can't remember. Sunny days are a rarity in Oregon, especially during the winter months. When I finally made it home I immediately iced my knees because they were super sore. I took a shower and downed 2 cups (a whole can) of chicken broth. That stuff is amazing btw. Lots of sodium and protein and it goes down easily.

I don't know why the pic is upside down. I tired to fix it but no luck.

Workout: Run 10 miles roughly 90 minutes

2010-12-03T23:46:00.000-08:00

Workout: Run 5.7 miles

It's That Time of Year Again

2010-12-02T23:12:00.000-08:00

Finals are next week. I've been studying. Probably not as much as I should.... but I've been getting stuff done. I'm not sure how much more Bankruptcy I can shove through my ears. I went to a coffee shop here in "Beaver Country" and I realized (yet again) how retentive and neurotic and set in my ways when it comes to studying. When I study at Da Law Lib (read: law school library) I don't notice anything weird about how I study because I'm guaranteed to see someone else with weirder (more weird?) "habits". But no, when I'm all alone at a coffee shop with the rest of the "normal" population I notice how much tab and then frantically un-tab my code books, read and re-read supplements and sit there nonstop for 5 hours.

TH and I got Civil War tickets (OSU Beavers vs UO Ducks) for Saturday. I'm not going into the game all excited about the Beavers since Ducks are undefeated and Beavs are.... not so much. TH and I plan to leave the game at half and then more studying for me!

see: proof that I'm not just watching TV and stuffing my face!

Not quite sure what TH is doing here but The Beagle looks peaceful.

P.S.
I got old lady compression socks last night. AMAZING! Even after my silly puke-y 2 mile-ish walk/run.

Workouts:
Wednesday: I felt like crap. Half ran 2 miles and almost threw up at mile 1. What the heck?
Thursday: 2 mile walk with the doggies, Trainer for 20 miles (according to my odometer)

Winder Wonderland of Lights 6mi Run

2010-11-29T19:03:00.000-08:00

TH and I drove over to NEP to run the 6 mile race at the Portland International Raceway. My weekly long run was supposed to be 9 miles this weekend. Since we were only running 6 miles during the race I thought I'd run another 3 somethime before and/or after the race. I convinced TH to run just over 2 miles with me pre race,mainly to stay warm. The race itself was more fun then expected. I was worried about getting bored to tears running 3 laps around the PIR. Thankfully I tried to focus on keeping my pace up the 2nd and 3rd laps to notice the repeat of scenery. My goal was to finish in 50 minutes. I've had 2 10K time thus far. One at over 51 min and the other at over 52 min. I wanted to start off the race slow so that I could get negative splits. As the race started, I tried to ignore everyone running the 2 and 4 mile races and took it nice and slow. I felt good and thought I could keep that pace forever. When I checked my watch at Mile 1 I realized that I just ran a sub 7 min mile! What the heck? I forced myself to slow down for the rest of the race. The first 2 miles were fine. Miles 3 and 4 blew because I had to work hard to keep my pace up. Mile 5 was fine. I got there at around 40 minutes. This was great since I would hopefully be finishing in at around 48 or 49. I pushed hard the last mile but unfortunately my final time was 50.19. boooo! I was still satisfied with my time and I'm trying to tell myself that running 2 miles before the race had something to do with my time. I also think the mile markers were off. I really think the mile marker was about 1/4 mile shy of the real distance. This would explain my really fast mile 1, 3, and 5 times and my slow 2, 4, and 6 times.

After the race TH and I went to Red Robin's for some foooooood. it was delicious and warm. We then went to our friends' home up by OHSU who just had their first baby on Halloween. TH and I didn't get a chance to see little JD yet. What a cutie. He just loved sleeping on TH while we watched a movie. He was super good and didn't really cry except right before bed.

I'm still looking for a run to do in December. TH and I were going to do a New Years Eve run, but we might decide to go snowshoeing instead. Any suggestions?

Only a month and a half until the half mary. Holy cow!

Workouts:
Saturday: run: 2miles easy, 6 miles race pace
Sunday: Off
Monday: Run 5.75 miles

Sherwood Give n Gobble Turkey 10K

2010-11-25T12:23:00.000-08:00

The race started at somewhere between 27 and 30 degrees. My goal for this race (my 2nd 10K) was to pace myself. I started out nice and slow. The course had a a few rolling hills and the last mile was through a winding, icy and hilly trail. I slipped a few times, but thankfully no falls. Final time: 52:25ish I say ish because we didn't have timing chips. So slower than my first 10K in Corvallis 2 months ago, but the course was also full of hills. I don't know how well pacing helped... I def was able to push it a little more towards the end but My pace was still a sub 8:30. (same as last time) though I don't know how to compare the flat Corvallis course with this hilly one. It was fun, cold, and the race provided a lot of post race goodies such as Honest Tea, Organic Yerba Mate tea and Pop Chips. Not bad for a $15 entry fee. Plus the course was pretty and we got to wear AWESOME hats.

Now it's off to Aumsville to eat with TH's fam.

Hiding in the car before the race so we don't freeze off any limbs.

TH is giddy with excitement.

2010-11-24T22:24:00.000-08:00

Sherwood Give n Gobble 10K tomorrow morning.

Workout: 3mi run with The Beagle in the ice, snow, and sun :)

2010-11-22T17:52:00.000-08:00

Workout; 5.4 mile run/jog with The Beagle

2010-11-21T19:25:00.000-08:00

I'm really trying hard to churn out 2 of my 3 papers right now. I still have my COMP to finish editing, but I also have 2 smaller, less formal papers to write for my Tax Loophole class. I've pretty much got one finished and part of 2nd one started. What I've learned so far? Don't retire until 70 1/2 years old and don't try to route your self employment income through an S-Corp.

I convinced Momma Bear to go to the pool with me today. It was cold and rain/snowing today so I thought a pool workout would be best. I wasn't that sore from yesterdays run, but I thought it would be good to let my legs have a rest. Ironically, during my swim my arms were exhausted. I guess I use my arms a lot while running? Probably, I have horrible form.

Momma Bear seemed to enjoy herself a little more this time. I even saw her stick her head in the water... like once before she retreated to the spa. I'm proud of her though for getting in the water. Swimming can be a very intimidating thing for someone's who's never taken lessons... or really for anyone who HAS taken lessons. We walked to and from the aquatic center, fully bundled up of course. I preceded to take a 4 hour long nap when we got home. I'm getting a cold. I've blown my nose more times that I can count.

Workout: 3ish mile round trip walk to pool; 2000m swim.

Productive and unproductive all at the same time

2010-11-20T15:50:00.000-08:00

I slept in this morning with The Beagle. Got up, ate me some flax crunchies cereal with rice milk, ate some bacon then set off on my run. I filled my two mini-water bottles from the water belt the wonderful TH got me for H2C back in August, with about a tablespoon on honey and the rest with water. I think each bottle ( I had 2) is about 8oz. It was raining and about 40 degrees out. I wore my new Target running tights (bargain winner!) and my Costco thermal top. I also had on my Dollar Tree headbands (classy). Apparently, I'm all about being thrifty. The first 2 miles sucked because they alwas do. I took it really slow knowing that I didn't want to kill myself. I just did an 8 mile out and back. Once I got past the turnaround, the next 4 miles went by fast. I drank my honey-water during the crosswalks and ended up drinking both before I got home. It felt great to finish that run. I was smiling the entire last 2 miles feeling proud of myself. I got home, showered, iced, drank 3 glasses of chocolate rice milk, raked the leaves from the back yard, then Momma Bear and I went to get groceries. An hour later it was 2pm meaning that Starbucks had their Buy one, get one Holiday Drinks special. We stopped by and each got a peppermint white mocha. SOOOOOOOOOOO sugary, but so good. I will say that the drinks were a good treat, but not something I could do everyday. When we got home we took The Beagle for a long walk and let him run loose at the high school football fields (I'm pretty sure that's illegal). Momma Bear and I really love to live a life of danger. I had to give The Beagle a bath when we got home since he was covered in mud. After The Beagle ran around the house like a maniac to dry off, Momma Bear decided to open up a bottle of wine. Enough said.

It's 4pm and I'm NOW just thinking about doing some outlining. hum. I guess the title of the post says it all.

Workout: 8 mile easy run.

(P.S. honey water rocks! It gave me a lil kick)

Snow before Thanksgiving

2010-11-18T19:02:00.000-08:00

On my drive home from Eugene this late afternoon (Around 4) it was raining like crazy. About a mile or so north past Coburg, I saw not one car but 2 cars in the middle on the grassy median along I-5. I could see their tire marks on the road which seemed weird. It took me a second to figure out how I could see the cars' path. I could see it because there was snow on the ground! This snowy "micro climate" only lasted for about a 2 mile stretch. Afterwards, it was all rain. However at around 6:30p my car thermometer read 37 degrees. hum.

Workout: 1500m easy swim. I was tired.

Wetsuit!

2010-11-17T20:41:00.001-08:00

I bought a full wetsuit last night from some woman off craigslist. It's probably a size too small. It's a workout just to get into it. It was $60. It's another motivator to lose 10 lbs.

My scheduled group run today got cancelled due to one member being sick and another needing a rest day. The weather was horrendous, so no complaints here.

Workout: 90min on the trainer BAH

Not that I'm asking or anything.

2010-11-17T12:50:00.000-08:00

My Amazon wishlist: HERE

And of course any donation to my entry fee fund would be greatly appreciated. I'm not a real attorney yet so therefore, I have no money.

2010-11-15T21:46:00.000-08:00

Workout: 5.75 run

http://www.mapmyrun.com/route/us/or/corvallis/942128988676086299

2010-11-14T20:42:00.001-08:00

Workout; Swim 3200m

MapMyRun.com - Regular Run: Regular Run on 11/12/2010

2010-11-12T17:06:00.000-08:00

Got new shoes today! I got off work early so I was able to get some studying done and get a long run in before it got dark. Happy day.

Workout: 7.1 mile Run... see stats below

MapMyRun.com - Regular Run: Regular Run on 11/12/2010

Anticipation!

2010-11-11T20:39:00.000-08:00

I posted an ad on Craigslist looking for a training buddy. I got a link for a running group in Hillsboro. I joined the group and signed up for my first group run next Wednesday. This is fantastic seeing that it's dark when I go and get home from work/school and my mommy would approve running in a group.

Workout: 3000m swim

2010-11-10T20:20:00.000-08:00

It was freakin cold today after work. Mid 40's. Also, thanks to DLS it was dark. I set out do to a quick run. Tried to stay in the lit areas. Only got 3.5 miles in :( Perhaps better planning next time and perhaps I should be more motivated to workout in the mornings.

Workout: 3.5 miles fast pace.

2010-11-08T19:59:00.001-08:00

Workout: 3 mile run around da hood.

Scheduling

2010-11-07T13:01:00.000-08:00

I just found out (via Fb) that Stayton, Oregon will hold its first spring tri in May. This is exciting becuase TH's mom was looking to do her first Tri next year and this would be perfect for her. Guess what else happens in May? I graduate. Guess what happens the same day as the tri. :( According to the Triathlon Brochure, it starts at 8am. Commencement start at 1pm, but I'm going to guess we have to be there by at least 11:30am for setup? It takes about 1 1/2 hours to get from Stayton to Eugene (at the most). If I finish the tri in 1 hour 30 min, that leaves me at 9:30. THe latest I would need to leave Stayton would be 10am. This is also assuming that my wave starts at 8.... Oh dear.

I dragged my mom to the pool today. She doesn't swim. She doesn't really kick with a kickboard either. Flippers helped. She's hooked. ha

Workout: 1700m swim and a 3 mile roundtrip walk to and from the pool.

Fall Back

2010-11-06T19:56:00.000-07:00

Daylight savings starts tonight/tomorrow morning. It'll be light (sorta... it will be 40 and raining) a lil earlier in the mornings. Unfortunatly, it'll be extra dark, extra early. Mother effer. I dread the fall and winter

Workout: Bike trainer: 10 miles; Treadmill: Interval run 5K.

This is how we do it.

2010-11-06T09:40:00.000-07:00

That's not clapping from the fans. That's rain. Welcome to the Northern Oregon Coast:

Tracking

2010-11-05T22:05:00.000-07:00

I started this blog as a way to hold myself accountable. Well, accountability has been lacking. From now on I will start posting my workouts for the day. :)

Workout: 5 mile run after work