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

This year was the 5 th annual OUC Triathlon. I did the first 2 years and had really enjoyed the race. Part of my motivation to register was the fact that two of my runners were tri - ing for the first time and I had a couple of other athletes participating. I love racing with my girls! Two days before this race, husband and I decided to register. My mom was in town, therefore we had a babysitter for the morning so it was a no brainer . With the AmeliaMan Olympic distance just weeks away we needed a baseline for how prepared we currently are. In a nutshell, we will be able to finish but it will be a challenge. You'd think that I would love racing with my husband but it's not really THAT grand. See... after nearly 40 triathlons, I have certain rituals and routines. Dealing with another tri -er in the house messes with those routines... "Honey, do you have a race number belt for me?"... "Honey, where are my goggles?" ... "Honey, what should I eat?...

It's here!!!! We finally made the giant step and ordered a treadmill. Of course the bill gives me heart palpitations but that's my personal issue. Treadmill arrived yesterday around 2 PM. Husband assembled it last night and - wonder of wonders - it works! So now we have this behemoth in the living room. You would think that I would have jumped right up and gotten on it but nope, my ass was firmly planted on the couch by this point watching, sadly, the new 90210 and GOP Convention. Today I will give my new toy the time it deserves.

Well after all the hoopla, the race organizers cancelled the Sandestin Triathlon this year. Not that I was well-trained or anything but it was still a disappointment. Our entries are rolled into next year's race. I think this was a sign that perhaps I'm not ready to be outraced by my husband. God gave me a pass. We still traveled up to Sandestin and visited with family. I had a workout of my own, squeezing in and out of the backseat of a convertible trying to entertain the baby. From now on, we take the SUV... lousy gas mileage and all. Now it's time to focus on Amelia Island Tri! Olympic distance the weekend of October 4th. Better get my butt in gear.

I swam today for the first time in a few weeks. Husband and I went to a local lake for some open water practice. While I managed to swim freestyle crawl the whole way, it was painfully slow. I think a turtle passed me. Race is one week from today. At least this year I can partake in the free beer!

One thing about using a baby as a freeweight is the progressive weight gain. Great motivation. I must do my arm exercises because she loves it!

My first triathlon of the season was scheduled to be the Pineapple Man in Melbourne, Florida. Conveniently, two days before the race my body revolted against me and I got dog sick so I made the tough call to bag the race. So my first race of the 2008 triathlon season was the Jacksonville Sprint Tri! It was also my first tri after baby. I was excited and a little apprehensive at the same time. While I'm great at telling others how to train and guiding my athletes, I have been remiss in my own training. My bike had been hanging in the garage since early May. At least I have gotten back to running (slowly) and I did make it out to the lake a week earlier for a great open water swim. This race was to be a baseline for the coming season so I could tell exactly how much the pregnancy, and stubborn 20 extra pounds of baby weight affected me. Sharon and I got on the road at 4 AM and arrived at the race site exactly 2.5 hours later. We picked up our packets and set up transition. I'm ou...

Whenever the water temps in Florida rise above 80 degrees there is an advisory against swimming in the lakes. Last summer, due to the fact that I was pregnant and exercising for two, I heeded the warnings and did not swim. This summer I decided to take the risk despite the threat of the brain eating amoeba. My husband, though supportive, is not a fan of this decision. Saturday morning I got up and headed over to Lucky's Lake Swim. This is a local 1K swim hosted by a kindhearted swimmer. It offers locals and visitors the opportunity to practice open water swimming and while there is no lifeguard on duty, there is a sense of security with others in the lake. As we learn from an early age... never swim alone. My previous swim across the lake was Mothers Day weekend. Half way across I was tired and breathing every stroke. By the time I finished the lap, I got in my car and could barely lift my arms. Thankfully, this weekend showed a marked improvement. I was able to breathe every 3rd s...

I get to see this every day. I also get to see this... Every up has its down.

My life has changed since the baby arrived and in some ways, it has not. I still go out to dinner, still go to the movies, still shop. I'm blessed to have a very good baby who is calm (for the most part) and quiet (for the most part). So I take her with me. However, she is my new priority and I must consider how my actions will affect her. As a result of this new thinking, I decided not to race the Pineapple Man on Sunday. I really wanted to because I'm ready to get back out there and I just love triathlon. I love the community of athletes and the comaraderie among the bike racks. I love the challenge of it all. So what happened? Friday night I was sick. It was beyond the sniffles. I had a fever with chills and felt wretched. I tried not to breathe on Elise too much, or cough on her, or spread my germs but I'm her caretaker and well... when you breastfeed you do have to touch your child. My fever broke overnight, thanks to a strict regimen of Tylenol, but the co...

On July 25th, 2007 I discovered that I was sharing my body. The following 8 months were filled with excitement, anticipation, and happy eating. I discovered that "baby liked cake". That's right, I didn't crave french fries, pickles, ice cream, or meat. I craved cake and cookies. Generally I indulged once per day. It was delightful. In the meantime, I kept active thanks in large part to the women I was coaching. I ran as long as the pressure in my pelvis would allow, biked until my belly got in the way, and threw in the occasional swim. Eventually my workouts became long walks. I do credit the form and practice of Chi Running/Chi Walking for being able to move so far into my pregnancy. My final 5K was on February 23rd. I completed with my husband by my side, and we even managed to run the final quarter mile or so. Our time... 49:03. Not bad being 8 months pregnant. 3 weeks later, Elise entered this world a little early, a little small, and a lot perfect. ...