Mont Tremblant

Yesterday I got a text from my best friend.  She lives in Canada near to where we grew up with her family.  She wants to register for the Mont Tremblant Half Iron and she wants me to register with her. 

If you've read my posts, it was the 2013 Mont Tremblant Ironman where I saw her compete with my sister and Brother In Law.  That's where I started taking my running seriously, that's the race that I thought "I can do this, I really can".  So when she asked me, I gave it some serious thought. 

Mont Tremblant is a beautiful part of Quebec (seriously, I think all of Quebec is magical and wonderful) but MT is particularly beautiful.  It is a great destination for a first half Iron.  It would also be amazing to not only train with my best friend, but also be able to cover some serious miles with her.

I think having her as a training partner could really help motivate me as she could cheer me on and pick me up when I'm having bad days.  This race apparently sells out in hours of registration opening so when I said I wanted to think about it, I really didn't have a lot of time since registration opens at 9am on Monday. 

And then reality set it, and I actually cried.  Even though I've come a long way since struggling to run to the gas station 2 years ago, I am not capable of this race.  I ran the numbers and I can't make it in the allotted amount of time.  I am just too slow.  And since I am not confident that I can make up the time needed to finish in the 10 months until race day, I had to say  no to her, which actually broke my heart.  I know it goes against the Ironman motto of 'limitless' but I think that this is a race best set out for those who really want it.  Those who really want to put aside the time to make it work.  And reality is, I am not that person.  Are these excuses?  Probably.  But in the end, I guess I just don't want it badly enough.



So where does that leave me?  Another year without an Ironman that I want so desperately in my heart.  Reality hurts sometimes.  But I know that if I registered for it, and trained my butt off, there is still a real possibility of a DNF.  Some may say "who cares, at least you had the courage to start", which is true, those who start and get a DNF are very brave people, all race starters are.  But you have to remember, I don't have the self esteem to do that.  Maybe one day I'll cross that finish line.  But I think I also have to be OK with myself if I don't.  I have to be OK with what I have accomplished and save the hard core stuff for the hard core people.  Respect for my BFF of 30+ years for taking on this challenge again.  A working mother of 2 completing her 4th half Iron is something we should all respect and admire - I certainly do. 

Kiefer Swim Bag Review

So up until now I've been using this tired, tragic old swim bag that my friend gave me.  It was bright yellow and had "fueled by coffee" on the front.  I would use this bag to tote my swim stuff to and from work and to and from the pool.  And it was just fine by me!  I am not one to spend money.  Some say I am thrifty, but some say I'm cheap.  So I am not likely to spend money on something if I have a perfectly good alternative.  I acquired this bag from a friend.  Her boyfriend, whose last name was 'Coffee' gave it to her and thought he was being hilarious.  They broke up, I got the bag.  My swim stuff fit in it just fine so why need another?


Because I brought it to school and one of my students said to me "Miss, that bag is slick tired looking, is that the best one you've got?"  Well...no, I did have other bags but I used this one because it was bright yellow (and if someone ran off with it I could see them for miles), it was free (so I wouldn't actually mind if someone did run off with it...if they just dumped my stuff from it first), and it was completely usable.  But my student was right, I do swim a lot, I am going to Augusta in a few weeks for the Ironman (although 'fueled by coffee' was with me last year), and it's ok to spend money sometimes.

So I went on Active Gear Up which is a site that I love love love to use.  And I found the Kiefer swim bag on sale for $19.00.  So I did some research and really fell in love with it.  Adolf Kiefer was a WWII veteran and Olympian.  He also invented the kickboard, which we know we all use, as well as the nylon swim suit.  Seriously, this is THE guy to design a swim bag right?


Totally right

As soon as I opened the box that contained my new bag I fell in love.  There are lots of different colours from black to pink to red to grey to navy blue.  I opted for the navy blue one.  It was a change from the bright yellow bag I had previously.  The first thing I noticed was how big it was...but not in a bad way.  In a "this will totally carry my stuff without junk falling out" kind of way.  There is a big zipper at the top that allows for quick access to your gear, you can open it up and see everything you need quickly.  The next thing I noticed was all the amazing pockets.  Both zip pockets, elastic top pockets, mesh pockets, pockets with a spot for your ear buds to poke out, water resistant pockets, etc.  It is SO nice to have different pockets for things.  I have now a mesh bag for my goggles and cap so they can dry, one for my hair products, one for my plastic baggies that all swimmers should have, and even ones for my watch and other things we don't swim in.  There is even a pocket on the bottom to store your wet swimsuit so it doesn't drench your other stuff.  I'll have to remember to try that out as I usually wrap my suit in my towels.  Plus - there is a little key ring to put your keys on it so they don't get lost in the bottom of your bag...genius!


The handle is also amazing.  It looks sturdy and will totally be able to withstand my yanks and pulls.  The straps look a little less padded than I expected.  I would think that such a large bag would have more padding in it.  Now I say that but I actually haven't loaded it down yet with my stuff to judge the effectiveness of the padding. 


So...so far I am in love with my new bag and can't wait to bring it to Augusta.  I am going to really be part of the triathlon crew with my updated gear, I wonder what I'll do with 'fueled by coffee', maybe it is time to just retire it. 

Running in the Dark

I've been meaning to write this post for a few days but since I've started back at school my time is a little more limited - no more sleeping in, working for a few ours before going for my nap.  Ah well, such as life.






As I've explained in the past, I am an avid night runner.  Mostly because of the intense Georgia heat in the summer.  But also because by 7am my workout is done.  It also helps me to start my day off well and I often feel floppy (didn't I say that was my  new word?!?) on days that I do not work out - ie those 'rest' days. 




So I end up getting up when it is still technically night.  My running app defaults my run title to 'night run' on these mornings.  But night running is so different than day running for many reasons:






1) Routes - I would NEVER recommend running in a park at night.  Crazies  hang out in parks at night, haven't you seen the movies where the drug dealer who is all hopped up on downers comes out of nowhere and kills the heroine (pun intended)?  No?  Then you aren't watching the right movies  :)  Anyway, seriously.  Often times parks are well lit, however, there are so many crevices where the crazies can skulk and jump out and get you.  Stick to streets where if there is a problem, hopefully a passerby is waiting to assist you.






2) Clothing - In night running something reflective is necessary, nay, mandatory.  A belt at the very least and I often see smarties running with reflector vests.  I love it.  I have reflectors on my hat, my wrist, my belt, and my shoes at the bare minimum.  This will help you be seen by tired motorists or distracted drivers as they make their way to their late night destinations.






3) Blinking - Is something you are wearing blinking or glowing?  This is another mandatory item for night running.  This not only helps with visibility but also helps confuse the crazies.  It may also scare them away as why would you want to attack something that is blinking that will clearly draw attention?   It will also help you be seen if you have to veer on to the road if there is debris on the side walk or *gasp* no sidewalk at all.






4) Known Routes - This sort of goes back to number 1 but NEVER go on a running adventure at night.  You may end up in CrazyTown capitol or you may end up lost or twist an ankle (oh I didn't know that sidewalk was all jacked up) and then you are not only away from home, but you might not know where you are.






5) Buddies - In my case this hasn't happened but it is always smart to run with a buddy.  Especially at night.  Crazies are less likely to attack groups of people and if you get hurt, your buddy can stop your Garmin for you...and call for help obviously. 


6) Traffic - Should go without saying but ALWAYS run towards the traffic.  It is sort of counter intuitive but runners who run towards oncoming cars stay alive.  A motorist is more likely to see you if you are coming straight at them.  They are motivated not to hit you (no one wants a vehicular manslaughter charge, plus a messed up car).  Even in the day light hours, run INTO traffic, no matter what your mama told you as a child  :)




In my opinion you have to be smarter when running at night.  And if you are smart about it, it can be a great way to start your day. 


Enjoy the night run.