Race recap-Hyannis? more like Low-annis :p

This is the email I sent to my coach about the Hyannis Half marathon this weekend-Enjoy!

When it rains, it pours (how cliche' )

Anyways going into the weekend-

I'm not sure if you remember me saying last night that my legs just felt off, but eh they just do. I felt it in my shake out run and I definitely felt it today. I was also feeling that "shallow breathing" feeling, I'm not sure if you know what I'm talking about. Basically I feel like I have to cough, but it won't help if I did cough. Anyways, I felt it yesterday and I felt it today, but I'm not sure how much that all affected anything, but felt it was worth noting. I told myself I thought I didn't feel 100% before Super Sunday 5miler and I crushed it so I tried not to think too much on it.

I probably could have gotten better sleep but it wasn't terrible. I felt pretty good in the morning. Ate a bagel with butter (peanut butter gives me stomach aches if I have it before I work out.) Drank water, tried to stretch it out and just get ready. I went on my warm up run and I realized pretty quickly there was nothing warm about this warm up -BAH DUM CHING! I ran back to the house with Chris and changed my socks and thought maybe putting sandwich bags on them would help. (I think it did? If you have any hot tips (HA more puns) on avoiding wet feet, please share!)

So race start was pretty uneventful. I probably should have started closer to the front because you know how packed it is. I just tried to keep it on pace the best I could. I would say the next couple of miles were pretty uneventful. I felt ok but my breathing was a little forced. However, I really try to channel that yoga breathing and focus on my breath and keeping it steady. It kind of worked, and the pace didn't feel too forced. I had a couple mantras I was trying to repeat to myself and Chris was out there cheering and cowbelling so I was trying to remember all of that.

I remember the second beach area "took my breathe away" last year so I tried so so hard to have a positive mind and I ran with my head down- A LOT! I would say where things started going bad was the hill going into what I think is Oysterville (stupid Oysterville.) I believe it was around 9ish. I basically just felt off. I felt that "bonking" feeling and tried to take in my nutrition and settle my mind. I thought if I walked a little I could get my mind back. I did an OK job trying to get back and just push through. I put on a great playlist and just tried to keep it together.

At this point my hands were pretty much frozen numb and at a couple points I felt like I was going to pass out. I honestly don't remember too much of the rest of the race. I think I let out some "AGHHHHs" of frustration somewhere in miles 11 and 12. I thought it would help maybe like how they say people who swear are less angry or something like that 

I just did what I could to finish. I felt bad and my face and hands were numb and I just sat as soon as I finished. Chris pulled me into the conference center and I just put my head on the table for awhile haha I kind of scared the lady next to me. AH well.

SO that's that. I was truly DONE feeling when I crossed the finish line. I really don't know what happened because I did think I was prepared and I do want to think I can push myself. 

Where I have been...ending with a Bachelorette 5k

I found this blog draft from September 30, 2016 so... I figured I would post it for ole times sake :D

Enjoy-

O hi there... if you would like to just read the part about the bachelorette 5k, kindly scroll down :)

Here you go Greg, this one's for you!

Ok so I know it's bad form to leave your blog just hangin'. The truth is I just became such a great triathlete I just didn't feel this title fit me any more... KIDDING.

I don't know if there is one particular reason I stopped writing here. I would bet one big reason would be that blogging about my various athletic adventures didn't bring me as much joy and humor as it did before. I bet it is because after events at the marathon and trek, the sport became something I approached with fear and trepidation. I've always had to give myself a pump up speech to get in the water (those pond monsters man!) but now I feel that way any time I get on my bike and most of the time when I run a race.

You know the deal:
Ships are safe in the harbor, but that's not what ship's are for. Carpe Diem. You can't see the view if you don't climb the mountain. Life's short, do [some activity that doesn't involve hiding in your house.] Think about why you started. Be stronger than your excuses.

As many motivational quotations as I read, I found that wasn't my underlying problem. I was just scared. I really don't want any more bad things to happen that are associated to the activities that have been such a positive force in my life.

Time heals all wounds. What an obnoxious line to hear (especially when it is usually associated with break ups, ha!) However, there is a lot of truth to the benefits of time. For me, I just like having more "data", if you will, of more times things have gone right rather than gone wrong. I know the only way to achieve this greater data set is to suck it up and participate. I'm getting better but it has definitely been a slow not as fun process.

Excuses are like assholes... I won't finish that line but for those that do know how it goes, I do believe there is a lot of truth to that saying.

The other thing that has taken up my time (and no I won't even try to throw in the BS 'I've been busy' line. That line has been used to me SO MANY TIMES and I'm like EVERYONE IS BUSY. Trust me, if you are reading this post you are probably amazing and really busy and that's probably why we get along.)

CP2 and I moved into together. We got a cat (CP3PO). We are getting married. We bought a house.

Yes, I realize out of the 28 people that clicked the link Greg posted the other day, most of you know all that already :) But hey, for blogging purposes, it's worth pointing out.

That being said, I do have a lot of stories to catch up on. I'll try my best to do so. Of course a lot of our wedding planning stories are tied into our triathlon stories over the last 17 months. Again, thank you Greg for the data point :)

So pretending we are all up to speed, let's get to my Bacherlorette party:

Bachelorette 5k:

I had the best bachelorette party I could have ever imagined. My cousin and her husband told me about how after they got married they ran the Falmouth road race and she ran with a veil on her head and it was the most fun they ever had during a race. I wanted to emulate something similar.

The one thing (although I told her MANY things and she is fabulous and wrote them all down) is that I wanted to run a 5k during my bachelorette. Now before everyone thinks I am the worst bride ever, I stressed it was OPTIONAL.

I also wanted to spend the weekend with my girl loves being in the kind of environment I have enjoyed the most over the last couple of years. I wanted it to be like Saco, Killington and like places we have stayed after races (like Timberman, and yes, we completed Timberman!) A nice combo of all three.

We stayed in the best house ever - that just had the scariest driveway ever. We were actually just down the road from our Timberman house. After getting lost for awhile, we finally found this straight up, dirt, curvy driveway of sorts that had orange construction zones along the way. Comforting!