Kate - you are awesome. Training a croc with a clicker?!  You must have a HUGE patience bucket!!

Hey Podmates... 

Went for an awesome run in the rain the other day, I really wanted to capture how great I feel when I run in the rain, so I took a few videos, pieced them all together, added some text and music and here is the result:

(sorry for the bouncy video, recorded it on my phone and it doesn't have any image stabilization)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=--bLm0E5SNo

A news article for our Yanti - apparently a little s*x could cure that migraine....

Got a headache? Try a little passion instead of a painkiller: One in five migraine sufferers had no symptoms after sex

• More than half of migraine sufferers who had sex during an attack experienced an improvement in symptoms
• One in five were left without any pain at all, researchers found

Haha thanks--to be honest, Mr. Croc was incredibly smart--he caught on within the first few sessions....Even my Blue Monitors have caught on pretty quickly. Sadly, reptiles get a bad rap concerning their intelligence, most of them (lizards and tortoises especially) seem quite intelligent/trainable. 

Just a wee trailer of the race report and what actually happened:

- swim was fantastic

- there's a 500m uphill run and long flight of steep stairs to transition--that and doing a full dry and change and getting my bike, 19min in transition not too bad!

- First lap of bike fantastic. I had nailed the course simulation ride on the trainer and it was and went exactly as expected. It's about half hills; none of it is too bad although just out of town there's a 10km climb that averages 10% (I had it between 5-10% but that was a bit off). On pace to finish around 7:45 on the bike even accounting for slowing down a bit on the 2nd lap and still feeling fresh and strong ... although getting very warm.

- Because of (justified) semi-paranoia from IMWA and Melbourne, I had on a sports bra, tri top (3 warmers in the back pockets), black long-sleeved woolen thermal underwear top, a double-layer bike jersey on top of that, a warming do-rag under a non-ventilated aero helmet, and knee-high thick woolen socks (the kind you'd climb Everest with).

- It was a blazing hot day. Although I was getting really hot after lap one, there was no chance to discard clothing until Special Needs, which somewhat more than halfway through that 10km climb out of town at 95km. (ASININE). {This is where I should have gotten a clue and handed a bunch of layers to a spectator, any spectator, they were all so nice, and taken the woolen socks off since I'm used to long rides barefoot}.

- About 3km or so into the climb, I started feeling chilly and dizzy--sure signs of overheating so I tried to get off the bike. This did not go well at all and I fell heavily on one side, tumbled a bit down, and the bike hit hard as well and skidded. Anytime I tried to move, I got deep cramps in toes up to hips! A marvelous piglet came to my aid and got me doused in water, drinking sports drink and eventually (15-20min) I was able to get back up. Very sharp pains in the ribs and breathing hurt but figured ... well, nothing, I wasn't thinking.

- Managed to get back on the bike and to Special Needs, where I ditched all the hot crap.

- Jo's seen the roads around Taupo--I figured I'd ridden the IMWA course which is half chip-seal and it wasn't too bad--holy smokes it is NOTHING like the NZ chip-seal, and almost the entire course is that. It makes riding in aero difficult to control, especially at speed (I was wondering what SO MANY road bikes were doing in an IM transition area ... now I know). First lap was bearable but by the time I was at 110km or so, the ceaseless rattling was making my arthritic joints feel like they were being deep-stabbed. My side felt none too good either.

- Then my bike started falling apart. Once I was off the climb, the derailleur would only let me ride in the two easiest and two hardest gears. Pushing that hard with the joints already so unhappy was ... painful. My muscles were going strong, no more cramping, and I wasn't particularly tired. I was just in a crapload of pain. Half of one of the elbow rests had chipped off, so I kind of had to balance on the top bit that was left with the forearm, and that took quite a beating from banging on the hard edge (even padded) from the rough roads.

- My aerobars got loose and would simply not bolt down tight again, so I had to make several stops for those (the shifters are on them, so ... they were unfortunately essential). Then the handlebars came loose. That was just one stop. Unfortunately with every stop, and being in so much pain, getting off actually made the pain WORSE and made it so, so hard to get back on.

- Around the 3/4 mark, 135km or so, there's a very confusing intersection where athletes are coming from two directions but some need to merge one way and the others turn. This was neither on the maps provided, nor detailed in the road directions given by the race. No signage or arrows on the road, just volunteers pointing to you and yelling. I followed what the volunteer told me. She was wrong. I'd gotten about 5km down the road (and it was plausible since other athletes were going that way too) when a spectator started yelling at me and actually waved her arms into the road that I was going the wrong way and needed to turn back (she had noticed I was not wearing the right color armband). I stopped and she told me what to do and that many athletes had taken the wrong turn (so it's not just my usual idiocy).

- So I lost 10km there. What's galling is that when I got back to the same intersection, another volunteer yelled wrong directions again (and there was no one behind me so she could not have possibly been meaning it for another rider!)

- I knew there was a chance I could still make the cutoff, so I put in the ride of my life that last 40km of the course--right until 175km when the course director himself came and took my chip, saw what state I was in and suggested I take a ride in the SAG wagon which had also pulled up. I asked if I was allowed to ride my bike back into town, and he said yes, it's an open course, but it's not marshalled anymore so there would be many more cars and lots of pedestrians on foot. Right here, discretion was the better part of valour so I got into the SAG wagon.

So, that's what happened. I think any two, perhaps even three of the above might have been manageable, but not all of it. I would probably have done some serious or possibly permanent damage running anyway--punctured lung from the rib, stress fractures near the joints, etc. One day post-race with lots of treatment including steroids and I can see the tips of my elbows, but still have no knees and only cankles. Can type but not write well and am using cutlery like a caveman (fist grab only) or just eating with my hands.

Yeah, sorry, that was just the bad bits of my race report--and damn that was long --but I did have a grand time while it lasted and so many events and people around the race week were just amazing. PIIIIIIIGLETS ... and food! More of all the juicy good bits to come!

Pretty pretty streaking porn I like that name!

I love that bridge. Very nice, Chad. Thanks for sharing.

I'm also a part time photographer. If I could pay back my pharmacy school loans with a photographer's salary, I'd do it full time...  **someday!**

Hey Podmates... 

Went for an awesome run in the rain the other day, I really wanted to capture how great I feel when I run in the rain, so I took a few videos, pieced them all together, added some text and music and here is the result:

(sorry for the bouncy video, recorded it on my phone and it doesn't have any image stabilization)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=--bLm0E5SNo

I also made this:

I did not make it to my race today. I went to the grocery store this morning and had car issues. So no race for me today, but I did get a future new running buddy. He does not have a name yet...

He is almost 2 months old, an Alaskan Husky. His Aunt is currently running in the Iditarod.

Name suggestions?

jbwills - 2013-03-02 9:51 PM

I did not make it to my race today. I went to the grocery store this morning and had car issues. So no race for me today, but I did get a future new running buddy. He does not have a name yet...

He is almost 2 months old, an Alaskan Husky. His Aunt is currently running in the Iditarod.

Name suggestions?

Holy crap that is one of the cutest things I have ever seen.  I wish more people had reply-quoted so that I could look at it over and over and over and over...again. Ahhh PUPPIES!

Funny, I was looking for something dog related the other day and thought of your pics. I had to jump over to your site and scroll through because your stuff rocks. You gotta put your link in here for the rest of the group.

1. Run for those of us who can't right now

2. Think how good the food will be once you have burned off the calories...

Run didn't go well Tightened up at 2 miles.

I've gained 12 pounds since my injury and I felt every one of them this morning. That's just plain stupid. I am making a change now and dropping that weight. There is no reason I should let me emotions get to me like that.

********************************

Manatee Group: From my heart: Honestly guys I've been so frustrated that I haven't posted much since my injury. I apologize for that. This group is awesome and I get so much encouragement from y'all that I should be here every day. I am making a vow to check in every day from here on and remain positive. There is no reason for me to get so emotionally involved over a stupid injury.

I've missed so much that I don't know if I can get all caught up so for those of you that have race a big congratulations to you. I WILL be going back and at least reading race reports.

***********************************

OK just talked to my coach. Since rest has obviously not worked and I still have a good base her suggestion is to do daily short runs of 1-2 miles. The thinking is that hopefully this will actually help loosen up my IT Band. She said hopefully this will help loosen up my IT Band and I can get my volume in this way. I know several of you do daily runs so what do you think?

Yanti, so glad you are (mostly) OK. We were all getting pretty worked up trying to figure out where you'd gone! (spoken in my best mother voice)

I've had quite a weekend. My run yesterday was beautiful (the weather, not my running prowess ) Then last evening we learned of the death of a sweet young lady, Jackie, to cancer. Jackie is actually first cousins with our niece Ashley, on her mother's side. We've known Jackie since she was born. I HATE CANCER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So when it was time to head out on my 3.75 hour ride today I dreaded riding in the wind but couldn't take that much drainer time and needed time to clear my head. So as I rode in to 25-29 mph winds I stayed surprisingly positive as I thought about/prayed for Ash, Jackie and the family. My mind also wandered to others I know who've been stricken with cancer. Still it was a fairly positive ride, in spite of the crazy winds. Then I got the text. (I don't normally check calls or texts when I'm riding but my cue from my DH that I need to stop and check is several texts in a row. Interestingly, this one did that on my phone but was only a single text. It's a God thing) The text was from my SIL. Her parents are splitting up. So I told her that I would pray for her and her family for the remainder of the ride. Hard to ride and cry. Anyway, because the winds were to my back I made it home in an hour 21 minutes, the trip out had been an hour 50. The wind at your back is a wonderful thing!

So overall, good training weekend. Now i'm off to look at swim vids from Skrat.

Run didn't go well Tightened up at 2 miles.

I've gained 12 pounds since my injury and I felt every one of them this morning. That's just plain stupid. I am making a change now and dropping that weight. There is no reason I should let me emotions get to me like that.

********************************

Manatee Group: From my heart: Honestly guys I've been so frustrated that I haven't posted much since my injury. I apologize for that. This group is awesome and I get so much encouragement from y'all that I should be here every day. I am making a vow to check in every day from here on and remain positive. There is no reason for me to get so emotionally involved over a stupid injury.

I've missed so much that I don't know if I can get all caught up so for those of you that have race a big congratulations to you. I WILL be going back and at least reading race reports.

***********************************

OK just talked to my coach. Since rest has obviously not worked and I still have a good base her suggestion is to do daily short runs of 1-2 miles. The thinking is that hopefully this will actually help loosen up my IT Band. She said hopefully this will help loosen up my IT Band and I can get my volume in this way. I know several of you do daily runs so what do you think?

We podmates must have a mental connection.  During my run I was fully appreciating the fact that I am able to run, appreciating my health, appreciating nature (even the strong, cold, wicked wind), appreciating so many little things I never want to take for granted while Kirsten and TX Jon were requesting such things!  Thanks, guys, and since I got out the door, Chad, I'm still in the pod!

I ran 7 miles without walking.  I've never run more than 5.2 straight without walking, so I'm beyond excited and stoked and still in a slight bit of disbelief.  My only stop was to take a pic of some spring flowers, snowdrops, which my great aunt always called the harbinger of spring, so my relatives who passed on before me were with me on  my run as well.

Dub, you're so sweet

www.tracyolsonphoto.com

He is precious!! I want to hug him and squeeze him and name him George.

 92 of a running streak. Not that I have any intention of holding that streak as I will be  tapering in a month. 

Is anyone else streaking at this point? 

Awesome! Man I love running in the rain!