More than a Real Estate Mom - Triathlon, Fitness, and Life on 30A

9/28/19 - Race Day! The alarm went off and I was up. Not a lot of sleep but I felt rested and awake. Today is the day! Finally going to check that 140.6 box on my bucket list.  My support crew also got up and when we were all ready, we headed to breakfast. I LOVE the Best Western in Easton MD .  They have water, gatorade and snacks out ALL WEEKEND for athletes and guests and then on race morning, they start breakfast at 4:30 AM. At 5:15 we piled into the van and headed toward the race. I had arranged for parking on a local's lawn (thank you Tamplin family!) who allow you to park all weekend for a small donation, which they put toward a mission trip. The property is right on the run course and super close to the start line. We pulled right in and walked to the start. Moe was volunteering at T1 and Amanda was registered to volunteer at the finish line from 6 - 9:30. I told her that finishing by 9:30 would be tight, but I'd try to get there by 10 (15 hours). My goal was to...

Where do I begin? Welcome Crabbies! The beginning... my first triathlon was in August 2002.  The Elephant Walk Triathlon (now Sandestin Triathlon) was the start of my love affair with multi-sport.  Had the post-race party been less lively, I may not be sitting here 17 years later still writing race reports. The day was S-L-O-W and H-O-T and I finished dead ass last.  Why do I begin my Ironman race report with this little history lesson?  Because after that, the idea of finishing in last place hasn't phased me, as long as I finish.  I decided long ago that, if I could move forward I would move forward.  That was the spirit I needed on 9/28/19. The Preparation I registered for IMMD on October 3, 2019 --- 360 days before the race. I had planned to sign up for my first Ironman for my 35th birthday.  That didn't happen.  Then my 40th... I blew out my back in 2014 and the thought of Ironman the following year was unbearable. Finally I decided...

5 days post-op and I'm feeling pretty good.  There are moments that I fear I may be getting a little too used to not exercising, but those moments are fleeting as I start googling "when can I start running after hysterectomy". I am itching to get out and move!  I'm bending fine, I am moving about the house without issue, and my abdominal muscles seem to be working again. Sometimes there is a bit of cramping, and I feel stinging around the incision sites.  I am tired though. That is something the doctor warned me about and it is 100% true.  Around mid day I just want to sleep.  And then by 7 PM, I'm ready for bed.  Thankfully I have my husband and my mom to put the kids to bed, and I can sleep when I need to. Menopause.  I keep waiting for the dreaded menopause.  Sure, there are times in the night when I wake up sweating... That happened before the surgery.  The hormones were such an issue before the surgery that I may be doing better with...

After years of discomfort and heavy bleeding, my OB/GYN doctor intervened. A little over a year ago, I had an endometrial ablation. The purpose was to manage heavy menstrual bleeding. While this procedure is a success for most women, I am among the 7% for whom there were still problems. Doc and I decided to move forward with a hysterectomy a year later.  I planned the date to coincide with the kids' mid-winter recess and during a slower time at work. The pre-op ultrasound revealed endometriosis and an endometrioma (also called a chocolate cyst) on my right ovary. All of a sudden, a simple surgery got a lot more complicated. I decided to journal about my experience.  This is a way for me to cope with all that has happened. Leading up to the surgery, I focused on preparing my body.  I ran, lifted weights, and cycled (indoor thanks to our delightful upstate NY winter. I decided that the stronger I was going in, the easier my recovery would be. We knew that my right ...

Swan Song (noun)  a person's final public performance or professional activity before retirement. When I finished MusselMan last year (DoubleMussel), I decided that it was time to take a break from long course triathlon.  My back hurt, my body ached, and my back hurt.  With my issues at the L5/S1 vertebrae, 56 miles on the bike is grueling.  So, I logged my results in my hand IM Goal Chart and... 9.  9 finish times for the Half Ironman distance.  I can't stop at 9!  So I thought about it and in the fall, signed up for Eagleman.  Eagleman is an early season race (risky) but the course is pancake flat.  Not easy, as there are headwinds, crosswinds, current, and heat, but flat.  I told J that I was going for number 10 and then I'd be done.  So, after 12 years, 2 cancelled events, 9 Half Irons and 1 Aquabike, Eagleman was to be my swan song.   Nerd Alert:  70.3 Distance Results and Goal Charts   As per usual, I...

For the last several years, we have spent the weekend after the 4th of July in Geneva NY for the Musselman Triathlon festival.  For the last several years, the Boilermaker 15K in Utica, NY has fallen on the same weekend.  Not this year!  First, we decided not to do Musselman this year and second, the weekends don't coincide anyway.  Today I registered both husband and I for this race.  It's supposedly hot, and crowded, and a bit hilly, but it's also supposedly a GREAT time.  Plus we know others who will be running and it's always more fun to have familiar faces in the crowd.  This means that we have yet another event to add to our calendar.  That's all fine with me.  I'm feeling good right now and feel the need to take advantage of that.  With the babies, back injuries, and other circumstances, it just seems right to go out there and grab it when I can.  My pace is coming back, my strength is coming back and I'm actually enjoyin...