Disclaimer: I am taking all kinds of meds for this month-long cough and now ear issues. These include steroids, which make me ramble even more than usual. (I know, is this really possible?). The good news is my house is tidy, laundry is done….I’m like a Mom on speed! (Kids- this is not condoning “juicing”. Steroids are bad…but if I’m going be sick and on meds at least the house is clean!)

The Good News: I ran/walked 4.5 miles on the treadmill yesterday. It felt awesome! It was mostly running, with some walking in there (trying to build myself up and not push it). Of course my heart rate was definitely higher than normal but I figure my body has been through a lot. It felt good to sweat that hard-earned, I’m pushing myself kind of sweat.

Team Trakkers 2011: Lots of cool happenings for our team. The Team Trakkers Elite have a video out introducing themselves. It is fun to get to know our pro teammates. You can check it out here.

One of the most exciting new additions to the Trakkers Elite team is Kathleen Calkins. Kathleen was one of our age group teammates last year when she earned her Professional Triathlete status. She raced as a pro at Rev3 Cedar Point. Her husband Shane was super supportive, cheering on Kathleen and the rest of us during the race. I also met…

(read more)

Categories: Triathlons

The last couple of months have been a bit rough. Even as I type that, I know that friends are going through much “rougher”, more life-changing events right now. I’ve had some crappy moments, but they are all in the “this too shall pass” category. All things that I can see to the other side of. Will they shape the fabric of my life from here on? Of course. (Do I sound like a commercial for cotton? maybe). Have I really processed my ectopic pregnancy and the loss that went with it? I don’t think so. It was such a surreal experience from start to finish that it seems like it happened to someone else. For me, being open about things helps tremendously. Others prefer to keep things to themselves, and I fully respect that.

When I felt good enough to get back on my bike/in the pool/ out for a run, I realized my knee was still a problem. So here I sit, ice machine flowing, after arthroscopy to fix a torn meniscus. It was torn in three places. No wonder it freaking hurt!

I also sit here looking forward. I look forward to starting PT tomorrow. I look forward to thinking about my first race. I have kept my 2011 schedule very open, so that I can see how recovery goes. I am thankful to have an orthopedist who gets athletes, and knows I want to…

(read more)

Categories: Triathlons

Columbia Tri

(read more)

Categories: Triathlons

I was not popular in High School. (No shock to those of you who may read this and actually attended school with me). I wouldn’t say I was glaringly unpopular; I just never was in the inner circle of any one group. Only 80 people comprised the 9th-12th grades at our school. That meant there were not many large groups. I hung out with a variety of people (the athletes during track and basketball season, other friends at other times). I got along with various groups, but was never really “in” any of them. As an adolescent, this frankly sucked. I got along with most people, but didn’t feel like I truly belonged in any of their groups. In my adult life, the ability to get along with lots of different people seems to serve me well. (If only I had known then when I know now).

Now, as an adult, I have the opportunity to be a member of two amazing teams of people (actually more than two if you want to be technical, but two for the purpose of simplicity). The first is my healthcare team- those I work with on a daily basis, and more recently those on Maryland-1, our state DMAT (Disaster Medical Assistance Team). A DMAT is a group sponsored by the Federal Government, activated in much the same way as the military reserves, but for domestic disasters. Many of the states have them, and…

(read more)

Categories: Triathlons

7:10 am, Middlebury, CT
Quassy Half Rev Race
The male pros have just exited the water into transition. Mama BearSharpie (Team Trakkers’ fearless leader) and I are rushing to the car (with Michele B. close behind) to go set up our aid station at Mile 29. Oh crap! The pros have gotten on the road ahead of us. (“Negative Ghost Rider, the pattern is full”). The challenge: beat them to the aid station on a two-lane country road with no shoulder. The only map we had was the race map, which didn’t show other roads in the area. Reading the map, it appeared that we could go straight and cut out a portion of the course, getting ahead of the cyclists. I explain this to Sharpie, who doesn’t really want details but just to be told where to turn (as she watches for cyclists, etc.). Ok…I’m stressed…if I am wrong about this alternate plan we are in serious trouble. If I am correct, we are good to go. (Little did we know that Michele had a GPS in the car behind us…oh well). The plan worked….we beat the pros by 20 minutes and got everything set up. Whew! In the midst of navigating, Sharpie commented that I make a good “Goose” to her “Maverick”.

In that one sentence, she summed up something I had often thought about myself. While the term “Wingman” makes you think of…

(read more)

Categories: Triathlons

Pre-Race

I wasn’t planning to race at Rev3 Quassy, just volunteer. A couple of weeks before Columbia, I got the bug. I heard what fun my Trakkers teamies were having in Knoxville, and the great energy there, and I wanted to partake. Then Robin, one of my tri club friends, sent out an email that she was going and wanted a driving buddy. Talk about things working out…her awesome parents live less than two miles from the race site. Imagine a 100-year-old New England home with beautiful gardens in back…their home is awesome and they are incredible hosts!

Robin did the driving, and I was the designated fruit roll-up opener for her two boys. Thank goodness she knew the alternate route to save us from driving through NYC on a Friday afternoon. On arrival at her parents’ house, dinner was waiting for us…her parents and sister ROCK!!! We ate quickly and went to the race site for check-in and bike racking. I was bummed to find out I had missed my Trakkers teammates before they left for dinner, but knew I would see them at the first aid station on the run course.

Rev3 really does things well….their bike racks are the nicest I’ve used, and you get a personalized, laminated name/number on your spot. So cool!! The bikes got racked, and we drove the run course (after a couple of wrong turns). We realized there were a few…

(read more)

Categories: Triathlons

“Mama Bear” is the nickname for Sharpie (another nickname, of course), our fearless Team Trakkers leader. She keeps us all in check, and provides tons of support. She has taken the sport to a whole new level for me, and I am extremely thankful. In honor of her, I composed a poem (yes I am corny, but it is MY blog after all). :)

Ode to Mama Bear
Sharpie’s fast, she’s funny, and she’s definitely tough,
Mama Bear looks out for her green Trakkers bear cubs.
She supports us and gives us loving reminders,
So we can race hard and help support our awesome sponsors.
She has invested so much and for that we are thankful,
Hopefully we aren’t too much of a handful.

Sharpie’s up for the challenge with Trakkers/KSwiss,
When it comes to smack talk, Mama Bear lays it on thick.
Terriers- woof, woof, Dynamo- who????
With her encouragement and support Team Trakkers will smoke you!
From Knoxville to Quassy, and Cedar Point, too,
Sharpie will be there to get us all through.

There’s Sonja in Boulder and Jamie the Bull,
Kati, Kelly, Megan….And Meredith times two
So many more cubs, how does she keep track?
‘Cause she loves all her cubs and we love her right back!!!!

And we can’t forget the Trakkers Elite,
They’ve got super fast Kestrels and Saucony shoes…

(read more)

Categories: Triathlons

…

(read more)

Categories: Triathlons

For three years (actually 4), I have struggled with a pain in my “butt”. It is actually my right lower back. I knew it was my sacroiliac joint, but never knew the exact cause. My first experience with this pain was during pregnancy with my second child. At the end of pregnancy, there were days it was so bad I couldn’t bear weight on my right leg. Once I delivered and lost a bit of weight, there was no more pain. I assumed it was my sciatic nerve and swelling related to pregnancy.

Two years later, training for the Marine Corps Marathon, I got a similar discomfort. The more I trained, the more constant the pain was. I knew it wasn’t a nerve problem because there wasn’t numbness and tingling, but it hurt. Eventually, I changed my stride to compensate and ended up with a partially torn lateral ligament and sprained medial ligament in my right knee. After the MCM was when I decided to transition to triathlon in an attempt to cross train and relieve some of the discomfort.

The pain was back last season…worse with heavy training. By the Army Ten Miler in October, it was really intense and I definitely needed some time off.

This year I started training earlier than ever. That meant the pain was back sooner than ever. It is a dull ache, ranging from 3-4/10 (sorry…I work in…

(read more)

Categories: Triathlons

Being on Team Trakkers with triathletes from all over the country has been like the modern-day version of having pen pals. We have gotten to know each other through blogs, tweets, and the Rev3 radio shows. I am actually only about an hour from Trakkers HQ, so I’m hoping to meet Charlie and the Trakkers crew before too long.

Rachelle is from Iowa, and Kati from VA. Rachelle is in town for a conference, so we all met up for a ride and dinner (complete with Margaritas, the unofficial team recovery drink). Rachelle rented a road bike, which presented some challenges on the 4 1/2 mile climb at the start of the ride, but she is a tough cookie (tougher than me, for sure). Kati was a total workhorse (I was singing “Just keep spinnin’” to myself while watching her legs go…to the tune of “Just keep swimmin’” in Finding Nemo). We had a great ride, though it wasfrigid on the downhills!

The Mexican restaurant I found online left a little to be desired, but we had a great time hanging out. It was so nice to meet up with teammates and get to know one another. On the drive to meet Kati, Rachelle discovered what a talker I am, and we realized that we both identify our teammates as their twitter names and the pic they have posted on Twitter (“Laura is the one with a pic of her in…

(read more)

Categories: Triathlons