Author: HSF

*I actually started writing this post over a week ago, but had not brought myself to finish it until now. Honestly, I do not feel like I completed a triathlon. Okay, that is sort of a lie. My knees and below still feel like I have, but mentally I do not. It is kind of the same feeling for the half-marathons I have done. I do not feel like I can call myself a runner or half-marathoner because of how slow I completed the events and how I feel inside. Saying all that, I do want to share my experience at the RocketMan Florida Triathlon. 

My first triathlon has come and gone and I survived to tell the tale! It was a great event, with wonderful volunteers! I cannot say enough about the volunteers! They did a lot insuring that all participants were safe and taken care off. For that, I am hugely grateful! The morning of the race started with four different alarms set. Thankfully, I had a moment of panic that night before and double checked my alarms because I had set them to PM and not AM.

I had packed everything the night before so the only things I needed to do was get dressed, pack the car, and get the remaining bike on the rack. I left the hotel around 5 and still had time to stop for gas and coffee. I was slightly concerned because I saw storm clouds and lightening in the direction of the ocean, but things cleared off a little later. I arrived to Space Park and set up my transition area. I must say, I loved where my transition area was. It was next to the railing and I was able to grab a spot at the end. I decided to keep my jacket, shorts, and shoes on while I waited until my wave started. I had planned on putting my things right under the railing when it was time and this plan worked great! Before heading over to watch the Half-Iron and International+ waves, I met up with Daniel and we grabbed our timing devices.

After the National Anthem and prayer, the first waves were off at 6:30. Waves started every few minutes after that and then they took a little break before the Classic+ waves started. After putting my clothes away and hitting the bathrooms, I went over and tried not to puke while waiting for my wave to start. I’m not lying about this. I was so nervous that I was sure if I wanted to cry or puke, probably both. A little before 8:30, they lead our wave down to the dock and let us get into the water. Deciding to only wear my bathing suit, I was concerned about water temperatures. Thankfully, the water was not too bad! Right at 8:30, our wave was off.

Time for 1/4 mile Swim: 15:43 Side note: This part of the triathlon is what I am most proud of. Yes, it was a slow swim, but I had never gotten any open water time and it was in salt water.

I took my time during transition 1. I dried my feet, threw some clothes on, put my shoes on, and focused on starting to hydrate.

Time for Transition 1: 7:31 (Oops!)

Oh the bike…. This was suppose to be the best part, in my opinion, with getting to ride on Kennedy Space Center and get super close to the Vehicle Assembly Building and one of the Shuttle Launch Pads. Unfortunately, this was my lowest and least favorite part. I did not put in the time I should have during training and I really paid for it. I underestimated what 33 (I think they have changed it to 36) miles on a bike feels like. Yes, it was cool seeing the VAB and launch pad up close, but I did not enjoy it like I thought is would. The first and last 6 miles were on the Wildlife Refuge and we BORING! It was windy, hot, and I would have stopped to walk a little, but I saw a rogue baby alligator. Seeing the rogue baby alligator quickly changed my mind.

Mentally, the last 3 miles or so were the toughest mentally. I had already spent an hour longer on the bike course than I anticipated, my hips and knees were killing me, and I was ready to be done. I had resigned myself to just finishing the bike portion and calling it quits. I am not sure what kept me going, but I am glad I did. A HUGE thank you to the amazing biking volunteers and police on the bike course!! They did an amazing job not only ensuring our safety, but encouraging and making sure we were OKAY.

Time for 33 (36?) Mile Bike: 3:47:45 

When I finally got back into the transition area to put my bike up, I found that someone had put their bike in my spot and was somewhat blocking my things. I am not sure what proper triathlon protocol is, but I found this very frustrating because some of my things were knocked over. I grabbed my phone and took a few moments to get my legs back and then I was on my way.

Time for Transition 2: 4:57

I called my FABULOUS friend, Kate, from the course. If I remember correctly, I was somewhat crying and still wanting to quit. She was fantastic and encouraged me. I cannot say how thankful I was that she was there! Overall, the 5K was a straight forward, out and back, course. I was surprised when I hit the turn around point and headed back. From the beginning, there was more walking than running. All I was focusing on was putting one foot in front of the other. It was the slowest, fastest 5K I have ever done. I guess spending almost 4 hours on a bike will do that to you.

Time for 5K Run: 48:44

Overall Time: 5:04:39

And THAT is the story of my first triathlon. Almost 2 weeks later and my lower legs still hurt and my skin looks awful because of the lovely sunburn and peeling it has gone through, but things are looking up. I took last week easy and have done 4 workouts, including 3 runs, this week. The jury is still out on whether I’ll do another triathlon. There was a lot of stuff that went into it. Call me lazy, but it’s nice just worrying about your running shoes and fuel for races.

Thank you for all your support! I really do appreciate it!!

I did it! Race recap coming soon when I can coherently put thoughts together and I’m not a blubbering idiot. Thank you for all you encouraging tweets and Facebook posts!

Happy May Day!! May is an exciting month! I complete my first triathlon on Sunday in Florida and the next week is Thrilling Adventure Hour in Brooklyn! I also get to see some college girlfriends this weekend. I’m not sure what I am more excited about, completing my first triathlon or hanging with my girlfriends. Onto my first monthly weight/measurement check-in!

The starting weight was from January 1st and all the measurements were from March 26th. I just started tracking body fat this morning on the scale. I’m not putting too much stock in the body fat measurement, but I do look forward to seeing where it goes. Some areas have stayed the same, while some areas have started to go down. I am thrilled and that makes me all the more determined to continue on the training path.

To help stay accountable, I want to set up some monthly goals. Here are May’s goals.

1. Drink 600 mL upon waking up and then 1600 mL throughout the day.

I am pretty bad about drinking water. I have a 600 mL Filter Camelbak and a 1000 mL Nalgene bottle. I want to focus on drinking a whole 600 mL first thing in the morning and then getting in the other 1600 mL during the day.

2. Net around 1750 calories a day. 

I do not think this one needs too much explanation.  ;-)

3. Switch to strength training 3 days a week, swimming twice a week, and continue running 3 days a week.

After I get back from the triathlon, I want to continue to swim. I have found that swimming has been a great workout and that I actually really like swimming. Go figure! I am also going to up the days that I do strength training. I would like to see more results from strength training 3 days a week instead of 2 days a week. I feel like I am missing cardio on those strength training days, so I feel like doing running and strength training on the same days will help with that feeling.

There you have April by the numbers and May goals! Lookout, May is going to be a great month!

I have been doing a lot of thinking recently and for anyone that knows me well, that can be dangerous! The past month has been one big bag of frustration. I promise to not turn this into a whiny post, but bear with me for a moment. My current job is awful. We recently had a change in management and before, I felt like I was good employee. I did my job and I helped store numbers, but here recently I can do nothing correct. I have had customer complaints and have been told I was getting a written warning in my file. Something that upset me so much, that I actually left the office crying. Guys, I hardly ever cry. And what makes this whole situation even more upsetting and frustrating, this job is just a “passing” job. I do not wish to work in retail the rest of my life, but I feel like all this negative stuff happening could have a negative impact of getting a “real” future job. I also bombed an interview on Monday, or at least I felt like I did. Only time will tell, I guess.

On top of that, I am not doing too great in my Masters program and the scale is back up, YET AGAIN! Granted, this past week was not spot on, but it was a terrible week either. When I stepped on the scale yesterday, I was up 3 pounds and then this another pound in a half. WTF?!?! I have been counting calories and getting my workouts in. I’m so confused and irritated.

So, where does that leave me besides confused and irritated? The answer, knowing I need to make some kind of mind shift. My original goal for this year, weight wise, to lose 3 pounds a month. Instead of an official weekly weigh-in, I am going to start doing a monthly weigh-in and monthly measurements, starting May 1st. I feel like this will give me a better idea of how I am doing over the long run. I have learned that my body very easily fluctuates on the scale and even if I am up 4 pounds this week, I can just as easily lose those 4 pounds before my next weekly weigh-in. Have I lost you yet?

I am not really sure how to end this post. While things are frustrating right now, I am not one to just lay down. The only things I can control right now are making healthier decisions and taking things one day at a time. Have a great day!

I, like so many others, cannot comprehend what happened at the Boston Marathon yesterday. My heart aches for all those there and all the families that have been affected by it. I have no idea what I can do personally, except to continue to pray and keep Boston in my thoughts and prayers. In honor of Boston, I’ll be wearing my race shirt from my first half-marathon and my blue sparkly soul headband.

Tuesday Weigh-In

It has been two weeks since I have weighed in and posted. I like the idea of weighing in every other week, but I know accountability would not be the greatest. Anyway, without further ado!

I’m officially done 12 pounds and I will NOT see this number again, unless maybe in a long time from now I get pregnant. Again, a LONG time from now.

I did have a small victory in my buying a new pair of jeans. I was able to buy a size smaller than what I am wearing now and they are already a bit loose. They are probably cut a bit big, but I’ll take it.

Signing off to hit the gym before work. Remember Boston and keep those affected in your thoughts and/or prayers. Love to all of you!

The above Boston picture was posted on Facebook from the F5 Endurance Running Club.

Just a quick check-in for Tuesday Weigh-In, as I’m at work until late and was running around this morning. When I stepped on the scale for a pick half-way through the week, I’m not going to lie. I was disappointed, but stepping on the scale this morning was a heck of a pleasant surprise.

That’s a loss of 3.8 pounds last week and a total of 10.8!

I don’t expect all weeks to be like this, but it was a good week! I started training for the RocketMan Tri, I got some awesome workouts in, I ate all my calories during the week, ate without counting calories, but mindfully during the weekend, and jumped right back on the proverbial wagon on Monday.

It’s good! I know all weeks won’t be like this, but I’ll take them when they come! I owe y’all a post on RocketMan Tri training! Coming soon!

Yep, it really has been a good long while. I think my last weigh-in was before I left for LA. <Ahh, I miss LA so very much.> While I did not go crazy in LA, I did see a slight increase when I got back and then I kind of went crazy the last few weeks. I’m not even going to pretend that I don’t know how it happened.

I didn’t eat the best foods, I didn’t exercise as much as I have been, and I didn’t track the foods I was eating. I’ve been a chicken, instead of the pig. Confused yet? Good! I’ve been dedicated to this journey, but not yet committed. This changes today.

A few weeks ago, I got my weekly newsletter from my new favorite business? I only put this in italics because I’m not sure what to call it. Chris Brogan is the CEO of Human Business Works.<I found his podcast through another friend, Hal. The segment, now known as, Three Not So Fat Guys, features Chris, Hal, & Derek Overbey chatting about their quest for becoming healthy. It has been a fun time listening to the podcast and becoming inspired.> Back to the moral of the story… In the newsletter, Chris talks about “The Words We Choose.” Please, go check it out! He is so right!

Chris talks about the difference in trying to lose weight and making a lifestyle change. In the end, this is all about making a lifestyle change to become a healthier individual. There are going to be times, like the past few weeks, where my journey sucks and I make the wrong choices. That is OKAY. This is a journey and this journey is always changing. Even when I get to my goal weight, the journey is still evolving.

So, what did the scale say this morning?

I’m up about 6 pounds since my last official Tuesday Weigh-In. Am I okay with that? Heck, no. Can I do this? Heck, yes! I know how I was successful in the beginning. I tracked my food. I made getting in activities a priority. I know how to do this, I just need to start using those tools again.

This journey is not over. I am no longer trying to lose weight. This is about being the pig and building a healthier me. I’ll leave you with this cute little thing I saw on the old Face of Book yesterday. This is fitting because 1) I am a Razorback and 2) I am no longer the Chicken.

My 2nd Half-Marathon is officially in the books! Three days post 13.1 miles and my legs are feeling back to normal! Today is my last rest day before I jump into training for my first triathlon.You can read about my first 13.1 miles experience here, but onto this weekend! 

I signed up for this race as part of the National Region area of Team in Training. I’ll post more on my Team in Training thoughts later, but until then, there is still time to donate!! Team in Training signed me up for the race, but I was still responsible for bib pick-up. I headed over to the DC Armory on Friday to grab my bib and walk around the expo. Blogger fail as I did not take any pictures. Oops!

I spent the rest of Friday running errands and waiting for Katy to arrive. She stayed with me over the weekend to lessen her commute time. It was fun to hang out and to get an insight as to what serious runners do the night before/morning of a race. I was originally planning on going to the Team in Training Inspirational dinner, but after running errands and crowds, the idea of just going home and relaxing won out. Katy and I ate our respective dinners, set out our gear, and headed to bed around 11:30. Another, oops! I was really regretting going to bed so late when my alarm went off at 4:30.

We made it out the door and to the metro around 5:45 and made it to bag check around 6:30. I am going to admit that things were a little chaotic at bag check. The signs were not placed in the best area, but once I found my respective bus it took only a few minutes to hand off my bag. After bag check and a quick “I see other TNT participants” I headed over to my corral to find the port-a-potties. Side note, the first song I heard when I got into the corrals was “I Will Wait” by Mumford and Sons. I LOVE this song and it has a special place in my heart. 

I waited around a little while and then met up with some Space Tweep girls also doing the race. It was lovely to see familiar faces and I hung with one of them until after the start when we split ways. After the National Anthem (which I, unfortunately couldn’t hear) the runners were off! Because I was near the end, I did not cross the start line until about 8:15, when the race started at 7:30. I forgot how crazy and crowded big races can be!!

We finally crossed the start line and we were off! The first three miles went by pretty quickly! I remembered what happened after my 1st half and so I wanted to be more prepared at staying hydrated and replenishing. There was a bit of a problem when there was no water around mile 2, but what can you do? Keep going, of course!

Miles 1-3

Somewhere between miles 4-6, I ditched the garbage bag I had just in case of rain and I also took off my long sleeve shirt. I had on my Team in Training Singlet underneath and this allowed for a lot of encouragement from other Team in Training participants along the way.

Miles 4-6 

I felt okay after my first Gu at mile 3, but because of the lack of water my fingers had started to swell and I started feeling it. I told myself to make it to the 10K mark before taking another Gu. Unfortunately, to get to the 10K mark, you had to climb this lovely hill. I’m still in that phase where I am not really going to look at elevation charts. My thought, I have to go up it anyway and I am not competing, so why psych myself out? I finally made it up the hill from hell and hit the 10K mark.

Miles 7-10

This part of the course is kind of a blur. We were somewhere in the Adam’s Morgan/Howard University area of DC. I can remember running along the reservoir and there being a really cool drum line. This is also where I really started to question if I could finish. Physically, I knew I could, but mentally it had started to get rough. THANKFULLY, right after mile 10 I had some AMAZING friends that ran the last 5K with me!

Miles 11-13.2

Just seeing their faces brightened my day and the fact that they ran me in, was great! They listened to me complain about how much my butt hurt and my hips hurting. Seriously, they were GREAT!

Garmin Time: 3:10 – 14:24 pace

Official Time: 3:09:57 – 14:30 pace

*Edited to add: While I only have 2 half-marathons under my belt, I did PR by 39:59 compared to my first half-marathon!! Next goal is to break 3 hours!!  

I checked in with Team in Training and then headed over to get my bag before we walked to Union Station for lunch. Logistics wise, things could use some improving, but I would do this race again. Call me a new runner and/or naive, but there was no giant factor that would cause me not to do this one again. Again, there were some annoyances, but overall I thought things went fine.

So, there it is. My 2nd Half-Marathon experience. I am already looking forward to my next half-marathon, but first I have to complete my first triathlon.

Back in October, Thrilling Adventure Hour did a Kickstarter to raise money. I am thrilled to say enough money was raised for a graphic novel, web-series, and a concert film! My first TAH/Kickstarter Reward experience was Beyond Belief Unplugged in November. This last TAH show, I got to experience my next Kickstarter Reward, the Green Room Package aka going backstage before the show!!

First, I have no idea how to write about such an amazing experience! To give you some idea, when I get super excited and all smiley, the tendon/muscle thing on the right side of my neck pop out and gets super sore. The right side of my neck is still sore from all the smiling I did backstage and then afterwards. I was THAT excited! I also was AWFUL at getting pictures! I was just so excited I did not really think about snapping a ton of pictures and I did not get any one-on-one pictures with anyone! To see some AMAZING Thrilling Adventure Hour pics, please visit Liezl Estipona’s set here. I do not claim ANY of those photos and all photos belong to Liezl.

So, how did the evening go down?

We (RJ, Katie, and myself) arrived at Largo to get our seat assignments and chill before I got to head back stage. We headed backstage about an hour before the show and let me say, it is small, but very cozy and close feeling. We were introduced to some of the WorkJuice Players, like Paget Brewster, Autumn Reeser, Busy Philipps, Paul F. Tompkins,  Marc Evan Jackson, Hal Lublin, Marc Gagliardi, and the list goes on. TAH had also gotten some amazing guest for their 8th anniversary show, like Chris Hardwick, Karen Gillian, Scott Adsit, and, oh yeah, Weird Al Yankovic!

We got to watch some of the rehearsal from behind the curtains and everyone was SO nice! They would come up, introduce themselves  and say hello. I have never met a nicer group of people in this line of work. Everyone is extremely down-to-earth and are seriously just the greatest people. Anyway, Ben Blacker, one of the fabulous writers, came over and chatted with us. After chatting for a moment, he asked if there was anyone that we hadn’t gotten to meet. I took him up on the offer to chat a little bit more with, of course, Paget!

Blacker handed me off to Paget and the other writer, Ben Acker and we went out back to the alley. I mainly just listened to the conversation. Both Paget and Acker were extremely nice and chatted with me. I even got to see some drawings for the Graphic Novel that Acker had! Before long, it was time for Paget to go rehearse and back inside we went. I had a little more time to watch rehearsal and snap a few pics and video.

Annie Savage, Craig Cackowski, Weird Al, Karen Gillian: Sorry for the backsides

Scott Adsit, Paget Brewster, and Paul F. Tompkins: Again, sorry for the backsides

Josh Malina, Marc Gagliardi, James Urbaniak, Hal Lublin, Craig Cackowski

All too soon, it was time to join the rest of the audience for the first show. The show did not disappoint! The WorkJuice Players and guest knocked it out of the park! It was an hour of Colonel Tick-Tock, Sparks Nevada, Croach the Tracker, the Red Plains Rider, and Frank and Sadie Doyle. If you are in the LA area and have not seen Thrilling Adventure Hour, GO!! They perform monthly at Largo at the Cornet.

In between the shows, we met up with Jenn. It was WONDERFUL to see her again! I wish we would have had more time to chat and catch up, but it was really loud and she needed to run. I cannot wait to see her again in May!

The second show was also fantastic! They performed the same show, but being a live show, the dynamics were different from the first and I also caught some jokes I missed in the first show.

Being able to go backstage during the 8th anniversary show was an incredible experience that will be incredibly hard to top. Each time I do something Thrilling Adventure Hour related, my expectations are blown out of the water! A few shout-outs to wrap this up!

RJ and Katie- Thank you for really making the weekend! It was a blast hanging out and sharing this experience. It was better with friends around than without! Y’all were fantastic handling me and I owe both of you a drink!

Avalon- It was WONDERFUL meeting you!! You are such a sweet person and I cannot wait to meet up again! Thanks for letting me crash your smoke after the show.

Ben Acker and Ben Blacker- THANK YOU for creating such an amazing show! Acker, thank you for showing me those wonderful drawings for the graphic novel. Blacker, thanks for chatting with me backstage.

Hal- Wait, do I know you? Ha! Thank you for chatting with me backstage and just being an awesome person. I can’t wait to hear more about your journey in getting healthier and to see you perform in May.

Jenn- I wish we could have talked more! I hope we can remedy this in May! It was great seeing you! Thank you for being such an amazing person and a huge encouragement! Your pictures and words you (and Carter) post are inspirational! I am truly blessed to know you!

Paget- Thank you for letting me hang out with you and Acker in the alley before the show, even if I don’t smoke. It was wonderful getting to talk! You are an incredibly sweet person and inspire more than you know!

To All the WorkJuice Players- You are the sweetest group of individuals I have ever met! You said hello to us and treated us great both backstage and in the courtyard. Y’all are truly amazing people!

And that, folks, wraps up my INCREDIBLE time spent backstage and at Thrilling Adventure Hour! It will be really hard to top this experience! Maybe playing with the Andy Paley Orchestra at a TAH show can! Clink!

Setting goals is super important, in my personal opinion.

I like the idea of having small goals along the way, instead of just saying I would like to loss 60 pounds. While 60 pounds is the “final” goal, I want to keep myself motivated. I hesitate to say SMART goals, but something similar. So, what are these goals?

Goal #1: BMI in “overweight” category

After my last weigh-in, my BMI is now 30.8. I am still in the obese category, but compared to a BMI of 33 when I started, I will take it. The target weight would be 174.5 to be in the overweight category. My target date for this goal is March 16th, the day of the Rock ‘n Roll Half Marathon. (Don’t forget! You can still donate to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society! Please, donate! It would be greatly appreciated!

Goal #2: Target weight of 155 pounds

155 would put me right in the middle of the 150-160 goal my nutritionist set. Target date for this would be one of my best friend’s wedding/my birthday on July 27th. This gives me almost 5 months to lose 24.2 pounds, or about a pound a week.

Goal #3: BMI in the “normal” category

My target weight for a normal BMI would be 145. While this is lower than the goal of my nutritionist, I would really like to be considered in the “normal” BMI category. Target date is September 28th.

Goal #4: Target weight of 130 pounds 

This is my personal “goal/happy” weight and what I “think” I would like to be at. I would like to re-access at each goal to see how my body feels and how I feel in my body. 130 pounds would put me at a BMI of 22.3, right in the middle of the “normal” category. Target date is Christmas.

So, there are my weight goals! Just typing this out has really helped set some things in concrete for me. I am going to continue to count calories, focus on the food I put into my body, and continue to workout to achieve these weight loss goals. I also have some workout goals, but that is for the next healthy edition!

I am off to finish cleaning and packing for LA, TOMORROW!!

Don’t forget to donate! Please and thank you!!