Bucket List: My First Tri

Five years ago I was on the verge of turning 30 and feeling a bit sorry for myself. Life wasn't what I expected it would be – it never is. We were living in a campground, I was unemployed, childless and Daniel worked an hour away. So I wrote a bucket list: 100 Things I would like to do in my lifetime.

Three mile trail run in preparation for the Rock Island Rock and Row triathlon in two weeks. #imslow #icandoit #trailrunning #trainingrun #rockislandrockandrow #mohausoutside365 #mohaus2016

A photo posted by Cheree Moore (@mo_haus) on Apr 2, 2016 at 4:43pm PDT

The list had no-brainer things and grandiose things. Some I have accomplished, some will never happen. My life is a lot different now, but every once in awhile I get the chance to mark an item off my list.

Last weekend I got to cross #20 off.

Triathlons have been on my mind for some time. But every time I get the itch to tri, I have been pregnant or just had a baby. About two months ago I started asking around to see if there were any races in this area that included a paddle, mountain bike and trail run combination. Then I got busy and forgot about it.

One week to the Rock and Row Triathlon. After a week of foot pain I finally felt ok enough to do a short indoor training bike ride and run. Hoping I don't spend the rest of the day hobbling around. #rockislandrockandrow #mohaus2016 #trainingrun

A photo posted by Cheree Moore (@mo_haus) on Apr 8, 2016 at 10:27am PDT

Three weeks ago, a friend asked Daniel if we would be interested in doing a paddle, run, bike race with her at Rock Island State Park. We would have 3 weeks to prepare and each segment would be a 5K (for a total of just over 9 miles). We talked it over, asked Daniel's mom if she could watch our boys, and then we signed up.

Leading up to the race, I was working out pretty consistently (4x a week doing boot camp and pump classes). Daniel was running maybe once a week at best. The last time we paddled, I was 39 weeks pregnant and we haven't been able to bike with any consistency – our most recent ride several weeks ago on muddy terrain. But we figured we could do it. Nine miles is no big deal, right?!

I have to admit this isn't the first time I have decided to "train" for a race in a short period of time. I seem to do things backwards – I find a race and then cram for it, much like a high school student trying to scrape by. I guess not much has changed in the last 20 years.

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In an attempt to train, I went on one 3 mile training run and hurt the bottom of my foot. So I took a break for several days before attempting an indoor cycle/spin session.

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A week later I found myself with a pinched nerve in my shoulder. I spent the Sunday before the race on my back, unable to lift anything. Things weren't looking very promising for me to be able to paddle.

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I took it easy for a couple of days and then did a few light workouts to make sure I could handle the cardio portion of the race. I figured I would just do my best to finish and pay the price after. I also knew that I would have no shame walking if it came down to it during the race.

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Friday we headed to Rock Island to pick up our race packets and take our boys hiking. Years ago, Daniel and I spent a decent amount of time hiking in the Rock Island gorge, but I don't think we have ever gone down to the Caney River (past the Great Falls). As we drove down to pick up our packets, my stomach dropped. The hill was ridiculously steep and long. Oh, so, long.

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That night I couldn't sleep because I could only think about the hill. I kept reminding myself that it would be OK to walk it, and in fact I should just plan on walking it.

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The next morning at the start of the race, we talked to so many people who were nervous about the hill, and that made me feel a bit better. Everyone was incredibly friendly and the dreaded hill made for good conversation!

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For the start of the race, we began in waves. The first group was open female kayakers (those who brought their own boats). The second wave (my group) were female kayakers were renting a boat from The Happy Yaker (the boats were already staged for us). The third group were SUP and canoes. The fourth group was the open male kayaks, followed by Daniel's group, the male kayakers.

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Each wave was spaced 4 minutes apart. Daniel and I always canoe together and I haven't been in a single person kayak in over 10 years so I wasn't sure how I would fare. I surprised myself by being the first in my group to get in the water.

Our first leg involved a 2.5k paddle down river, where we would circle a buoy and head back up river. Thankfully the current wasn't too bad but we had a pretty strong head wind on the return trip. I passed several in the first group on this section, coming in 4th in my group. Many of the SUP and canoes passed me and a few of the men caught up at this point. I was shocked at how shaky I was coming out of the paddle section. My paddle time was 49 minutes.

The transition involved running across a really sandy beach and quickly changing in to tennis shoes. I did my best get as much sand off my feet as possible before running to the base of the first hill. The hills in this park were no joke. Definitely not for a novice. I only saw a few people who actually ran the whole course. Nearly everyone walked some portion.

After the first big hill, I managed to jog a portion of the next hill and walked a limited amount on the rest of the road section. As we transitioned to the last part of the run, my foot started to hurt. I walked at least half of the trail section and don't know what my time was as I came out of the woods. At the bike transition there was a water station. Praise the Lord! I was definitely needing water at this point.

With the bike portion in front of me, I knew I needed to get in easy gears as quickly as possible. We started with a fast downhill, that would turn right and immediately start into a steep hill. The bike portion of the race was all on park roads and consisted of 4 major hills – long climbs followed by fast downhills. The very last hill for biking had most people off their bikes and walking back up. I made it a third of the way up (on mountain bike tires no less) before I got off my bike. Daniel was able to crank up this final hill (props to him!).

While off my bike, I bonked. My energy tanked and I wasn't sure if I could get back on my bike. It took some mental gymnastics to convince myself that being in the saddle would be easier than walking. I'm so glad I got back on my bike because the last hill was the long hill that we had started running (walking) up and it was a treat to ride down. At the start of the race, the officials said to check your brakes at the top and to not try to race anyone since the bottom of the hill involved a final turn. They thought you could get up to 35mph. I'm sure that I didn't get that fast, but I bet that I pushed 20mph on that final descent. It felt so good to go fast and not have to put in any effort – besides not falling off the bike!

With the bike portion being last, I was able to make up a lot of lost time (from my slow run/walk) and I ended up finishing 3rd in my group with a time of 1:55:04. Daniel finished 5th in his group with a time of 1:47:55 (he was 37 overall while I was 56 out of 85 racers). 

 

I am really proud of us both for finishing. It was a really hard race (I would say only 10% of the racers actually ran the whole thing), but we had a lot of fun and it was the perfect day to be out in nature. It's not often that we can combine several hobbies that we love into one morning together! Post race I came away with one nasty blister on my left thumb and Daniel had a rough evening while his body chemistry evened itself out.

The Rock & Row Triathlon was put on by Support a Park, with funds raised going to the Rock Island State Park.

I'm so glad that I brought a pint of gelato to keep in the freezer of our cabin. It was so good after that race!

I'm Not a Runner

Sprint down.
Touch the line.
Sprint back.
Repeat.
Push harder
Repeat again.
Lungs burn from the effort.
Try not to collapse in a heap.

TRX Rows with a jump.
More sprints.
TRX Push-ups.
More sprints.
TRX Pull-ups.
More sprints.
TRX Tri-ceps.
More sprints.
TRX Bi-ceps.
More sprints.

A total of 30 sprints with everything I have, down and back.
300 sit-ups to finish.

So tired.
But in a good way.

That was the nature of today's 60-minute workout.
With each sprint, I raced Todd, our instructor.
Pushing to the limit of what I thought I could do.
And then giving a little more.
It took me back to my high school days.

Todd asked if I was a runner.
No. Just a mom who has lost her baby weight and feels extra light these days.
After class, Todd told me that I was easily one of the top 5 fastest people he has had in his TRX classes.
Those words will be motivation for days when I feel slow or want to stop.

It feels good to push.
It feels good to feel light – I lug around a 25+lb baby all day every day, so that hour by myself is like running on air. 
I'm not a runner, but today I feel like I could conquer anything.

New Shoe Review:
I recently purchased new shoes. I was long overdue. Shin splits and back pain after working out had become my norm.

I have really wide, short feet so I always put off shoe purchases because it is such a hassle. I typically choose the grey New Balance W990v3 but this time I decided to try the Brooks Addiction 12.

When your feet are super wide, it's hard to find shoes that have any kind of personality. I have been impressed with the Brooks Addiction 12. I really do feel like I am running on air. And while part of that is because of my weight loss, part of it can be attributed to having a new shoe to support me. Plus it's nice to have a shoe that isn't plain Jane.

I would walk 500 miles (May/June Recap)

I am way behind on blogging. We have been keeping busy with summer stuff, but I have been swamped with work so updating my blog has been on the back burner.

Several weeks ago, I woke my family up at 7:00am {including my parents who were in town visiting for the weekend} so they could go watch me run another 5K. Lucky them :) I am thankful to have family who love me and are willing to give up weekend sleep to come watch a sport that is not really a spectator sport.

Run So They Can Crawl was a race {organized run in my case} held in Stevenson, Alabama as a part of Depot Days. It was in support of the Huntsville Hospital NICU and families who have experienced the loss of a child.

My race results: my gun time was 38:08 and my net {real} time was probably 37:48. 

According the MapMyRun, the race was 3.26 miles long.

I continue to be a slow runner, but making the effort to run means that I am doing more than I if I were just sitting on the couch. I also have to admit that I am enjoying getting to know other runners by participating and training for local races. 

This was my second race this year... back in May, I ran The Round the Rim 5K on Mother's Day weekend. Happy First Mother's Day to me!

The weather has been really hot since the June race {and I have been too busy} to run any since. I am afraid that my goal of 500 miles for the year is pretty much unattainable :( Hopefully I can up my mileage once the weather cools down (September-ish?).

As of the end of June, my running stats are as follows: 4.38 miles in January >> 6.66 miles in February >> 11.66 miles in March >> 11.56 miles in April >> 19.92 miles in May {including a 5K} >> 12.82 miles in June {including a 5K} >> 67 ytd

Round the Rim – 5K

I have discovered that the best way for me to get motivated to run is to sign up for a race. I use the term "race" loosely as I don't really consider myself to be racing, more like I am attending an organized running event. I am just thankful for the ability to run, albeit at my tortoise-like pace.

About two weeks ago I noticed on Facebook that a friend had signed up for the Round the Rim 5K at Raccoon Mountain and I thought, "I should totally sign up for that."

In true Cheree fashion, I didn't have make time to train and before I knew it, I only had a week to get in a few runs. Not wanting to show up completely unprepared, I somehow managed to squeeze in four runs last week and then rested yesterday.

Logistically speaking, getting to this race was a bit of a challenge.

1) We live in Central time. The race was located in Eastern.
 

2) You have to show up 30 minutes early for this race because they close access to the rim for the safety of the runners.
 

3) I have a 6-month old baby. Did I mention that he is still nursing full time {i.e. I have never pumped or given him a bottle}?

 

Here is an overview of how we dealt with the logistics and how my run went. 

1) Daniel graciously agreed to get up at 4:50 am Central with me in order to drive me to the race. There were several reasons for him to go: He is used to getting up early for work. He could drive when I was exhausted {before and after}. He could watch Jack so I wouldn't have to push Jack in the stroller. *I actually train with Jack in the stroller, but the thought of pushing Jack up a hill that lasted for 0.4 miles was a daunting one.

2) Getting to the course by the cutoff time meant that we had to leave our house by 5:15am CST. I'm not gonna lie, this was tough.

3) Since we left so early we woke Jack up for a quick diaper change and stuck him in the car. We hoped that he could wait until Chattanooga to eat. We arrived at the starting point of the race by 7:20am EST and I nursed Jack in the car while Daniel went to find my running packet. This actually worked out really well. Jack hung out in the stroller with Daniel while I ran and then he napped when we went to eat breakfast at Cracker Barrel, post race. I had to feed him in the car one last time before heading home, but it really wasn't too difficult to make work. By the time we got home we were all ready for naps.

As for the actual run... my main goals were to 1) not walk at all and 2) to finish before the first 10K person did. I met both of these goals.

Kicking off the race was a long hill that lasted for about a half a mile with 110 ft of elevation gain. Not fun. Once we reached the top of the hill, it was a full mile of flat running on the rim. And then you finish with a downhill. It was a truly beautiful run with views of the Tennessee Valley Gorge and the Raccoon Mountain Reservoir. To top it off, the weather was perfect: cool and no humidity.

 

Toward the end of my race, I was getting tired when the song, Another One Bites The Dust, came on my iPod. When you are tired, this is a terrible song to listen to. It would have been different if I was passing people, but for a few minutes I felt like I was going to be the one biting the dust.

As for finishing before the 10K. I did it. Just barely. The winner of the 10K came in right behind me. But I am cool with that. I know that am a slow runner and I am just thankful to be able to get out and run a 5K, six months after giving birth.

Thank you Daniel for making today possible! For being my personal cheerleader and giving up sleep on your only day to sleep in this week!

And for letting me indulge in breakfast at Cracker Barrel after my run!

When I got home, I checked MapMyRun to see the actual distance. According to MMR, it seemed to be more like 3.5 miles instead of 3.1. All I gotta say is that the middle mile seemed kind of long to me...

My race results: gun time was 38:18 and net {real} time was 37:58.

I would walk 500 miles (April Recap)

I managed to eek out 11.56 miles this month... ran, walked and hiked. This challenge has continued to be a hard commitment for me to devote time to.

This past Saturday was the Music City Marathon in Nashville. I thought about all of the training I committed to last year and how I ran the half marathon last year while 12 weeks pregnant. In that single day I accumulated more mileage than I have been able to squeeze out of a single month this year. It is kind of depressing.

Right now exercising and finding time for myself have fallen to the very bottom of my list of priorities. That is the season of my life. I think the important thing is that I am still trying. Will I make it to 500 this year? It is looking doubtful. If I can make exercise a priority again, I am hoping to make it to 250. Only time will tell.

4.38 miles in January >> 6.66 miles in February >> 11.66 in March >> 11.56 in April >> 34.36 ytd

Thursday Things (Random, April 2012)

1. It crossed my mind that working mom's must live crazy, busy lives.* Then it dawned on me... most working moms use daycare or babysitters to supplement the care of their children. No wonder I have been so exhausted lately. 30+hr work {at home} work week's plus simultaneously taking care of a 5-month-old is tough. I am so glad that this is not my normal. If it was, I would definitely have to look into child care.

*I totally respect moms that are making the whole working thing work.

2. I was finally able to catch my breath this week. That means I actually cooked meals and went for a run. It helps that the little sickness I picked up last week has finally passed.

Grilled Sesame Ginger Salmon with Sauteed Asparagus, Rice and a Strawberry Spinach Salad

3. On my run yesterday, a family of geese hissed at me. The parents didn't want me near their little goslings. I shouted and clapped my hands back at them. The thought of geese attacking me or worse, attacking the stroller with Jack in it, did not give me warm, fuzzy feelings.

4. Jack has been sleeping through the night this week. Then last nigh he woke up at 2am, starving. After a week of uninterrupted sleep, it was tough... I hope he doesn't do that again.

5. Since Jack is sleeping through the night, we are on the hunt for good cloth diapers that won't leak when left unchanged for 8-12 hours. If you use CD, feel free to weigh in with your personal faves.

I would walk 500 miles (March Recap)

Third verse... same as the first... Trying to get the mileage in continues to be difficult. At this rate I think I can at least get to 250 miles by the end of the year. Hopefully I will pick up the pace soon.

It is easy to get side tracked though. Some days I would rather just hold my little boy than go running. However, I know that it is my best interest to exercise and it will be good for Jack to see his parents living out a healthy lifestyle.

Hopefully I can make up some of the mileage with biking in the near future.

4.38 miles in January >> 6.66 miles in February >> 11.66 in March >> 22.7 ytd

Thursday Things (Random, March 2012)

There are several 5K races that are currently on my radar. I am hoping to do at least one of them {hopefully April-ish}. 

Is it weird that I am more psyched about participating in a 5K than I am about shopping for clothes? I might like shopping more if I could just order outfits I liked off of Pinterest {but only if they were cheap}.

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I haven't done any crafts in the last couple of weeks. Not because I don't have a long list of projects I want to start, more because my crafting partner is moving back to the city and I just haven't felt like crafting by myself. Next week, I will buck up and make the crib skirt for my sister and cover some boxes in fabric for Jack's toys.

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My friend that is leaving is also the person that got me interested in running. We ran our first 5K together back in December of '10 and then we committed to running the Nashville Half Marathon last April. It was an amazing experience. I am thankful that she motivated me to run. I will miss her.

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Speaking of friends, I am so glad that Daniel and I are good friends. There have been so many times I would be lost if it wasn't for our friendship. Being in a big city can be lonely. Being in the country can be lonely. Friends move. We move. But Daniel and I are each others constants and I am grateful for that.