Yanti & Salty MAD MANATEES Mentor Group - FULL POD (Page 3)

Another one! Crap, you guys are going to keep me on my toes. 

Anyway, we are glad you are here. I am certain you can meet your goals. Especially with some Manatees on your side. Losing 15 pounds is no joke! Well done. 

enders_shadow - 2012-04-04 5:01 PM I guess now that I'm not in a hurry to get let in, I can give y'all a little more of a bio...might help explain where I'm coming from (or maybe it will just be cathartic for me, who knows)...it's long...sorry. 2005 - had baby #2, hit high weight of 206 January 2006 - baby #2 is 1 years old and I am still carrying around my "baby weight", so I decide to start running again & eating right. I have always run...track & xcountry in jr. high and high school, 5K and 10K road races when the mood struck...it seemed like the right thing to go back to. Lost 40 pounds - way to easily. June 2006 - got my dream job (as a professor) and moved to Richmond VA (from Chicago-land). Now that there were actually country roads, I talked hubby into buying me a bike & I started riding as well as running. Became "tri-curious" and joined BT. I didn't actually know how to swim. January 2007 - took adult swimming lessons, signed up for tri # 1 (pool sprint) March 2007 - did tri #1 and kept signing up for them (mainly pool sprints) October 2007 - did my first OW swim tri...it scared the bejesus out of me. December 2007 - lost Athena status 2008 - I was fast (for me); hit my 1/2 mary PR, I was rolling. Did some sprint tris. I'm a rockstar. I'm moving on to bigger & better things. Spring 2009 - I am on research leave so I sign up for full mary. Training was going great until last long run. Knee craps out. Knee feels better and I PR a 10K a few weeks before. Last training run - knee hurts again. I ice & do mary anyway. I had an awesome first half and then the knee crapped out during the race and I crab-walked the rest of the way in. Finish before they close the clock. But I am devastated. I was supposed to do my first Oly a month or so later, deferred to fall. Depression (clinical) ensues. No idea if it is "because" of the race disappointment, but in my head they are linked. Start meds. Meds don't work. Fall 2009 - Trying my first Oly, I have a panic attack in the water. Get pulled out into emergency boat. Sink further. Meds don't work. 2010 - a blur...I keep racing, but I put on 50 pounds. Back to just under 200...meds make me eat. I did do a sprint OWS tri with a swim angel. I didn't get pulled out of the water. I haven't been back in the water (OWS or pool since). 2011 - starting to get the meds under control (or more aptly, the meds are getting me under control) I'm still 200 pounds. I do a half-marathon training team because I have no faith that I will do it myself, end up doing a 1/2 in August in a hurricane. (It is as fun as it sounds...not). Supposed to run another in November, but drop to the 5miler race instead because I just can't. I can't. December 2011 - I get tenure (or atleast the faculty vote comes in, which is the hard part). Meds are working. The sun starts to shine a little bit. Not every day. Not brightly, but there is light. Christmas 2011 - go on a cruise to celebrate the tenure vote. I eat. I eat. I eat. (And drink. And drink. And drink.) Weight - somewhere just north of 200. January 2012 - March 2012 - Lose 10 pounds, follow 1/2 training plan on my own. All is going well until short long run week before race - ITB freaks out. I spend week before 1/2 resting. Do half on 3/18. Finish. Not happy with time, but I finished. Strongly believe that my poor performance + my knee have to do (at least in part) with the weight of a small toddler that I am carrying...start eating paleo (mostly). Also in this time, I switched docs - needed someone who would actually do something about the meds because my old doc wasn't listening to me. On new meds. Feeling slightly better, but still low. Dysthemic I think is what he calls me. Better than full out depressed. April 2012 - down another 6-7 pounds. Training for a 1/2 in May. ITB is sketchy - rolling, icing, running slow. Wow. That's a mess. (You've already let me in, right? So you can't kick me out now... )

Hi Kristen,

That's a lot to deal with in the past few years!  Glad things are looking better, and you found a doc that is helpful.  Having suffered from depression myself, I know where you are coming from.  Not sure where you live--oh, wait you said VA--what is the weather like there?  Being up here on the West Coast of Canada, I struggle with the lack of light during the winter months.  We don't get much snow here, mostly grey, rainy days.  I got myself a daylight simulator, and what a difference it makes.  I was falling into a deep depression last year, got this light, 4 days (not kidding!) later, I was feeling so much better.  So much so that I have been lucky enough to get off meds.  Doesn't help everyone, but I recommend trying it!  I hope things continue to improve for you (and that your ITB settles down!)

I wanna be a Manateee-eeeee!!!  Are y'all still open for joining?  (btw, I totally don't have a southern accent, actually, I have a midwest accent.  For example: I'm going on a bOat to see the gOat in minnesOta. It's just fun to say "y'all")

YAAAAAY and Hello! to all the new faces around here!!! 

I already have an issue/question for everyone and anyone! 

Yesterday I went to the local lake (and the OWS site for my next race) to get some OWS time in and to try to acclimate a bit. The water was in the low 50s---In the full wetsuit and my hands and feet were not terribly cold (after a few minutes), but when my face met water, it was like ice cream headache on the outside!!!! I was not really able to get into the full swimming groove, and now I am a bit worried that my race will not go that well! Also, after my little 'swim' session, I got a really sore throat--its a bit better today, but still there--there are no other symptoms, so I am wondering if it was caused by the cold water too? Is these things a common issue for anyone else????

On the bright side, I went to my Tri club's start-of-season party last night (met tons of new friends!!), and won a voucher for half off of one of my more expensive races!! I also got some other nifty swag, but the voucher was the best-est! ANNNNDDD...My wonderful husband said that he will give me my b-day money tomorrow so that I may purchase my present--my sleeveless wetsuit! YAY! 

Apart from that, its the usual busy school and work stuff. No workout tonight though---not til this throat thing is resolved (I was supposed to swim at the gym pool--I don't want to encourage any more nastiness in my system!

I think the 'cold' virus would already have been in your system, the cold water swim won't have helped any!

Last week I swam with a training friend in the ocean only half an hour - water temp was 59 degrees, a huge difference from IM on the Sunday where it was nearly 70.  anyway I had the same experience with brain freeze!  My arms were fine even in my sleeveless wettie.

Anyway - one week on, my training friend has had very bad flu the whole week - me nothing.  So I would say that indicates he already had the virus and the cold just brought it on quicker.  I've been fine!

Who knows - I'm no doctor!

Seeing as all the people I need in my life are magically showing up, including you ... welcome. {MELON PRESS} It's really good to see you.

Also, there is something about the, um, off-center humor in here that for some reason makes people laugh, and then the motivation to get going and do stuff is better, too.

Ah ha! So you ARE going to do the swim of Charleston. Good, good.

And welcome back! here! uh ... you never left ... thank you for sparing me the pain of missing you!

P.S. Post a bio of your wonderful self so the Manatees joining the pod can know how wonderful you really are, since obviously the rest of us already know.

Will you have a chance to get in the water and warm up before your race? To me it's actually most important to get your head in the water and breathe in, breathe out, keep face in water, etc. until your head is okay with it. (P.S. Make sure to turn your head for the breathe in part )

If not, splash LOTS of cold water on your face before the race. That can help.

Yeah, as for the scratchy throat--you're not going to get any resp issues from swimming or getting chilled unless the bug was already there anyway. The chill might hasten its onset, but otherwise, it really doesn't matter.

Hope your throat's better today!

I'll post a bio soon but I have to run to class and then taxi Cole (my 9 y/o son w/lots of special needs) to his program.  Oh and then I have parent/teacher conferences.  Wish me luck!

{MELON PRESS}

Good luck and as always, a prayer goes with you!

Kirk (Tripopo)

Grew up swimming and diving through high school.  Worked my way through college as a lifeguard and swim instructor.  Currently work in a bike patrol unit in a coastal carolina police department.  Transfered to bikes about three years ago when the scale hit the 200lb mark, I had been skinny to the point of being accused of having an eating disorder through college, in an attempt to get back into shape.  I've been attempting to get into the Secret Service for a couple of years and so needed to get into shape.  Speciffically running,  I don't really enjoy running and found that I needed a goal to stay active/at it.  A co-worker told me about his brother who was doing sprint tris and with my background in the swim and bike seemed like an obvious choice.  This will be my second season.

Family status: I'm 30 years old, married to a fantastic woman who is very tolerating of the tri training and fights cancer.  I have a yellow lab/shepard mix foundling who is my open water swim partner and recovery jogging buddy and a cat who feels that the best wake up call a human can get is a flying attack somersault into my face at 0430.

Current training: taperish time for a HIM relay I have on the 21st, it will be my first at this distance and I am aqua biking it and a friend is handling the HM.  I am also ramping up my bike in anticipation of the Police Unity Tour in mid may.

Last year's races (2011/early 2012): Hilton Head Island CAL-U sprint tri, Kiawah Olympic tri and Charleston Half-Marathon.

2012 Races/events Still Planned:
* Try Charleston HIM
* Police Unity Tour)
* Charleston Sprint Tri series #1 and #3(May/July)
* Kiawah Olympic Tri

Might be adding the Bone Island HIM in January 2013 if I can convince the wife that Key West in January is a good idea, not thinking that it will be too hard

I know I've been around BT for a very long time (even longer than Yanti!), but I haven't been training much so can I PUH-LEASE be a manatee?  I've always wanted to be.

Pretty please, with a frosted cherry PopTart on top?

I've met Kristen.  This is an accurate description, although I probably speak the same way.  I'm originally from Wisconsin and have been living in Richmond for the past 8 years.  I'll hold off on the rest of the bio until I know if Yanti is kicking me out or not. 

HA! Biscuits just walked in as you postedPOP TARTS DID YOU MENTION POP TARTS ... I have a dozen new Biscuits/Moose pics for you, but one I just took today.

Huh. Well, I suppose you of all people know what I'd do for a Pop Tart ... and you are my sponsor, after all ... so WELCOME!!!

It's a little intimidating (yes, you, smartypants) because you know everything, but then again, Lord knows I need you and everyone else too to flipper MY butt

Also, Jo (jobaxas) who's now a Manatee whom I met last week has a gorgeous, perfect little girl named Artemis.

Adorable!!  E's middle name is Artemis.  It seemed appropriate since I went into labor the day of a lunar eclipse and she was born the night of a full moon. 

I really need a kick in the butt.  This running thing is hard when you haven't done it in 5 months!!

And you know I always love Biscuits and Moose pictures. 

I want to do Bone Island!  I'm just concerned about winter HIM/IM training (and burning too much vacation in January).  Leaning marathon in January/February instead. 

My story:

Family Status: married (8 years in July!) to A, baby girl E was born on December 11, 2011, two cats (Taji and Griffin).

I finished my PhD in genetics in September and am working as a Post Doc in Richmond (not at the same university as Kristen though).  I do research on Pulmonary Hypertension and what happens to the heart.  I finished my first tri in 2004, have run several half-marathons, and did my first marathon in 2008.  Sadly, I had a string of injuries in 2009, 2010, and 2011, including tibial stress fractures, ITB problems, and gall bladder surgery.  I found out I was pregnant in April 2011, so I didn't really race or train very hard last year - I did do the run portion of a tri in June, but that was the only one.  I am looking forward to doing my first tri (non-relay) in 2 years this summer!!

Current Training: um....none.  I was running while I was pregnant, but that stopped around 34 weeks because I was too uncomfortable and couldn't breathe.  E is now big enough to run in the jogging stroller with me, so I can start running again!  I want to try running about three times each week.  I think I'm going to start a Sprint Tri training plan 12 weeks out from the race I want to do in August, although I should probably plan that out if I actually want to do it....

2012 Races: all tentative

*Goochland Sprint (8/11/12)

*Patriot Sprint (9/9/12)

*Richmond Half-Marathon (11/10/12)

Weight Loss: I peaked at 212 before I gave birth, which was about a 15 pound weight gain during pregnancy.  Sadly, I have lost all the baby weight, although Judi (QueenZipp) assures me I can call it baby weight until E is 5.  That's why I love her.  I was down to 194 this week.  I'd love to be down around 150 again, but I don't know how realistic that is.  I have hypothyroidism, so losing weight can be a bit tricky for me.