Wineglass Half Marathon

In less than 4 days I am participating in the Wineglass Half Marathon.  I am excited to do this race for one reason ... I want their medal! Is that a reason to sign up for a half marathon?  This will be my sixth half marathon, and as much as I think it won't be my worse half, it certainly will not be my best half marathon!  This summer I was really focused on my triathlon training so I didn't get all of my long runs done.  I should be OK ... famous last words?  When I start on Sunday morning I am just going to move forward, if I have to walk I walk if I can run I will run and I won't worry about the time!  I will run this race for me and not worry about anyone else.

The Wineglass Marathon is in its 31st year and counting.  Last year was the first year of the half marathon and it was a huge hit.  The Wineglass Marathon course goes from Bath, NY to Corning, NY and the half marathon starts at the half way point of the Marathon.  In the past the medals that they give to the runners have been the bottom of a wine bottle with the Wineglass logo etched in the glass.  I am hoping that the medal for the half is similar!!

The other reason I am excited for this race is ... my hero Joan Benoit Samuelson will be at the event.  Joan Benoit was the first woman to win the gold medal in the Olympics for the Women's Marathon.  In 1984 the Olympic Committee finally aloud women to run the marathon in the Olympics.  And Joan, an American, won won the first medal in the LA games in 1984.  She is a class act who inspires so many.  I met her once at another race in California and I am hoping that I can meet her again!!

Well I will keep you posted ... wish me luck!!

Are we there yet?

I am a Runner

Today on Facebook this picture was posted by "I love to run" and other than the "mom" quote at the bottom of the page I could totally relate to this post. I don't have the latest gadgets, in fact my running watch I bought for $12 at Target.  It is a watch and a stop watch and that is all that I need.  I have won a race twice in my life ... in the 7th grade I was the only person in my class who could complete the mile without stopping and when I was 15 years old I came in first in my age group at a 10K.  I still have the trophy from that race, it means that much to me.  However, every race I enter I am competing against myself and the clock.  I want to be better than I was the last time I competed.  I want to improve every time I cross the finish line.  I am a bit thick around my middle and I don't look like a triathlete or a runner but I am moving forward!!  I win every time I get off the couch.  I win every time I take a step forward.  I win every time I try harder!  I AM A RUNNER!!

No where is it written that everyone has to be the fastest ... someone has to win and someone has to come in last.  No where is it written that we have to win ... there isn't much room up on the winning podium for everyone.  Create your own podium.  Stand tall on your own podium.  We are all winners just for trying and for moving forward!!  I AM A RUNNER!!

Last Triathlon of the Season

When my alarm went off this morning I hit snooze, laid in bed and then I heard this noise out side.  I couldn't decide if it was wind or pouring rain ... either one wasn't good since today was the 4th Annual DeRuyter Sprint Triathlon.  This was my last scheduled triathlon of the season and no one wants to compete when it is raining or try to ride your bike into the wind.  I checked out weather.com and according to the site it was wind outside and it was blowing at 20+ miles per hour.  I tell you this not because this will deter me from completing the triathlon but now I have to change my outlook for the race.

This particular race is a lot of fun and very laid back.  It is a grassroots run event without sponsors or timing chips but has a very enthusiastic group of volunteers that work very hard.  Even though it is a laid back, end of the year event there are still a great number of very competitive & strong athletes.  The great part about this is that everyone on the course is very encouraging and cheers everyone on as they go by each other.

So today at 9 AM in the morning of September 22nd, the first day of fall, the water temperature was 63 degrees.  I have to say the water was cold, the wind was blowing on the bike course and it started to rain during the run ... but I am happy to say that I had fun and I completed my 5th and final triathlon of the summer.  Unofficially I also took 10 minutes off my time from last year!!

So even though the race season is over ... training is just beginning again!!

Are we there yet??

Why did I do this blog?

 “SWIM BIKE RUN … ARE WE THERE YET?” is a blog that will follow my training getting ready for triathlons, specifically the 70.3, and weight loss.   So why am I doing this?  I wrote a 13 week blog recently for a local television station regarding my training.  I really enjoyed it and I decided I wanted to continue.  I also have to thank my friend MB who encouraged me to continue.  So Why the blog name?  Training for endurance events can be a very long and tiring process.  Often times in the middle of the workout I would ask myself … “Are we there yet” or “are we done yet”?  I just found the title to be fitting for the journey I am about to take. 

I hope this blog is honest, insightful and at times funny but most importantly I hope it motivates me to want to work harder and maybe encourage others to try it too!  Here is my story…

I grew up in Massachusetts and I am the youngest of four kids.  I never married (hint still single) and moved to Central New York in 1999.  My activity level, like my weight has been up and down.  In High School I ran Cross Country but in College didn’t do anything.  I have been a skier my entire life and try to do that as much as possible, when we have snow.  In Grad School (1996 – 1998) I participated in the Pan Mass Challenge.  It is a two day bike tour through Massachusetts to raise money for the Dana Farber Cancer Institute.  That bike tour was a great experience, but after I graduated college my life became a bit sedentary.  I moved a few times looking for a job after Grad School and landed in Syracuse, NY in 1999.

In the fall of 2000 I decided to make some changes I joined Weight Watchers and started training for my first triathlon.  I decided to train for the Ludlow Triathlon in Ludlow, Massachusetts.  I started training in September of 2000 and nine months later I completed my first sprint triathlon.  Later that summer I completed my second triathlon in Cazenovia and after that I took a break.  The next 10 years was a roller coaster ride of some training, some injuries, some ugly moments and finally seeing the light again.  In 2005 I completed a marathon in San Francisco and in 2008 I ended up having surgery on my ankle which sidelined me for a year.  Then after the year was up my emotions were in a funk and I didn’t want to get off the couch.  My weight climbed during that time and my self esteem dropped.

In January of 2010 I finally got off the couch and started running again.  My goal was a half marathon the end of April in Rochester, NY … I just wanted to cross the finish line.  Well I crossed the finish line in 3 hours and 26 minutes and I was the last person on the course.   I was ok with being the last person on the course because I was back and I was moving forward.   Later in 2010 I completed an open water swim and I was back. 

2011 included two half marathons, several road races, another open water swim and after a 10 year hiatus I did a sprint triathlon and I was back!!!  In 2012 I completed 5 triathlons included a 70.3 Half Ironman and I still have two half marathons on my schedule.  So what is next…?

For 2013 my goal is to do the 70.3 Half Ironman again but I want to finish stronger and faster than I did in 2012 and I need to lose some weight.  I know that if I lose the weight my goal of finishing faster and stronger will be a lot easier to attain.  So now the question is … are we there yet??