Woohoo!!! I made it ;-)

 

 A video recap of the Olympic tri I did this past weekend, June 23, 2012, with Team in Training. Commentary to follow. Mama is pooped!!!

Am I nervous...absolutely! Am I excited...positively!

Okay, it's the night before my sister, Gwyn, and I leave for the triathlon! It has been 3 weeks since I last posted...ugh! Here's a recap of the last 3 weeks- 3 weeks ago, I was out on a 6 mile run on a 90+ degree day sporting my new elastic shoe laces. I ended up pulling/maiming a tendon in my right ankle. So yours truly, laid off of it for 2 weeks and did limited biking/no running/some swimming. Which leads me to about 10 days ago...just as my ankle was healing, I did an open water swim with my fellow teammate and coach at Lake Jordan and voila...of all things, I pulled a muscle in my neck! So after some intense pain for the first few days/week, I was out of training until about now. On the bright side, I am feeling much better overall. My neck is still tight and occasionally sore when I turn sharply. My ankle feels a little tight but not painful. And here we are...leaving for the race tomorrow!

Honestly, I was scared to do much in the way of training these past few days given my record the past few weeks. My main thing was to be able to do the race at this point! Am I nervous...absolutely! Am I excited...absolutely!

I can't tell you how much participating in this triathlon journey with Team in Training has meant to me. Really. As much as I get worked up about the actual race, it was about so much more than that. I got to meet some really wonderful, inspiring people. I got to reconnect with my friend, Mary Ann's, family and train with a real purpose beyond me. I got to try and raise money for a good cause. I got to get my butt in shape. I got to experience a whole new sport which I think I love. I got to rediscover parts of myself as a competitor and as an individual which sometimes gets lost in the day-to-day stuff of life as a parent. I've learned so much about the sport and myself and my family and my friends that was all affirming despite the recent bumps in the road. Would I do this again? Absolutely. Totally worth it...more later but for now I must catch some zzzz's. Race day is not far away  ;-)

Mission Moment

 * We have mission moments in our weekly Team in Training emails and occasionally at the beginning of workouts. Here is one worth repeating:

A few years ago at the Seattle Special Olympics, nine contestants, all physically or mentally disabled, assembled at the starting line for the 100-yard dash. At the gun, they all started out, not exactly in a dash, but with a relish to run the race to the finish and win.
All, that is, except one boy who stumbled on the asphalt, tumbled over a couple of times and began to cry. The other eight heard the boy cry. They slowed down and looked back. They all turned around and went back. Every one of them.
One girl with Down's Syndrome bent down and kissed him and said, "This will make it better."
All nine linked arms and walked across the finish line together.
Everyone in the stadium stood, and the cheering went on for several minutes. People who were there are still telling the story. Why? Because deep down we know this one thing:
What matters in this life is more than winning for ourselves.
What truly matters in this life is helping others win, even if it means slowing down and changing our course.

---

 Addendum to this story: Origins:   The story is more true than not, although its primary point has been grossly exaggerated. According to folks at the Special Olympics Washington office, the incident happened at a 1976 track and field event held in Spokane, Washington. A contestant did take a tumble, and one or two of the other athletes turned back to help the fallen one, culminating in their crossing the finish line together, but it was only one or two, not everyone in the event. The others continued to run their race.
The story is thus not about an entire class of "special people" who spontaneously tossed aside their own dreams of going for gold in favor of helping a fallen competitor, but rather one about a couple of individuals who chose to go to the aid of another contestant. Unfortunately, this tale as it is now being told helps further a stereotype that deficiencies in intelligence are compensated for by unfailingly sweet natures and a way of looking at the world in childlike wonder. Special Olympians train long and hard for their events and are every bit as committed as athletes who compete in any other athletic endeavors. The Special Olympics are not a casual get-together organized to give less fortunate members of the community a day to socialize and perhaps run in a foot race or two. They're highly organized sporting events taken very seriously by all involved, with each competitor striving to do his best. It's about trying. And succeeding.
The Special Olympics oath is "Let me win. But if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt."

Congratulations CAROLINE DERIFAJ. You have qualified for the 2012 USA Triathlon Olympic Distance National Championship after finishing in the top 10 percent in your age group at the Ramblin' Rose Women's Only Triathlon - Raleigh.



(Ha! I got this message in an email about a week after the Ramblin' Rose Triathlon.  I am too chicken to do it. Maybe next year!)

Ouch....

                                          (pic of me doing ankle rehab exercises with S.C. cheering me on)

So, it seems my daily blog posts have been relegated to a more infrequent/weekly post as I find myself dedicating more time to training while trying to manage mommy life as well...hence, I am even more exhausted at the end of the day! Now I also get to add ankle exercises to my list of "to do's" as I was out jogging in 90+ degree weather on Thursday and felt pain in my ankle around the 4th or 5th mile. My goal was to do 6 which I did mainly because the pain seemed to subside after I initially felt it and stopped to stretch. However, after the hard workout, I felt it again and this time I knew something was awry. I took some Ibuprofen and iced it that night and woke up on Friday with the ankle feeling really stiff and more painful. Ugh! I've never had ankle issues in all my 20+ years of running. I really felt bummed thinking that maybe I had a stress fracture. So I managed to get an appointment with my sports medicine doc and she feels like it is a tendon issue. However, she couldn't say for sure given the tests she ran. So basically, I am off running for at least week and in the meantime will be focusing on my biking and swimming. That's the great thing about training for a tri...if you go down in one sport, you can hopefully pick up in the other one or two.

Today is Saturday and I was surprised to wake up without pain. Granted I did take 400mg of Ibuprofen last night but I thought I would still feel stiff in the a.m. So...wanting to test out my riding ability, I headed for our team workout at the Tobacco Trail. Basically, our team is down to me and another woman with our coach. Unfortunately, others quit early on in the season or have been hampered by physical issues or, in one case, a couple changed jobs and moved to Florida this past month! So, life happens but it still hasn't dampened my excitement for the race which is in 3 weeks. This recent injury though has gotten me down a little. I want to be prepared for the race yet play it safe enough so that I can have a good time in Atlanta. My doc said to lay off the running or any activity that is painful for a week to 10 days and if I still can't walk or run without pain then she would order an MRI to verify if it is a stress fracture etc. I am truly hoping my ankle irons itself out with the aid of icing, meds and exercises.

On a side note, last weekend my teammate and I met our other coach for our brick and had a strong ride of 15+ miles averaging around 18mph on rolling hills. He wanted us to go all out and chase the 2 guys who started a few minutes ahead of us. I caught one of them at the very end. I can tell I am improving with my power on the bike which feels good. Then I ran for ~ 5 miles. Tuesday, Tracey and I met at Jordan Lake and swam ~900 meters in pretty choppy waters. It was good to get a sense of what that could feel like on race day. We found it harder to sight and hence swim efficiently and in a straight line. I've learned new swim exercises with the pull buoy that I am going to use this week. I am actually excited about it! I took Wednesday off and then see above for what happened on Thursday...blah!

So, in my professional opinion, I am guessing I believe my new stretchy shoe laces may have been the culprit for my ankle injury. I've heard that using the elastic laces really helps in transition as you can just slip your running shoes off and on without losing a minute or so actually tying your laces. So I tried out 2 different brands and settled on the Easy Laces (I tried the Yangz as well but thought it was too cumbersome). Anyway, I suspect that with all the curves at Lake Pine where I ran on Thursday, the elastic laces were not giving my ankle enough support and letting it over-bend which caused tendon strain. So off with the fancy laces and hello to the regular joe-schmoe laces that I will use with barrel ties more than likely.

Anyway, there you have it. My week in a nutshell. Only 3 more weeks until the big race! Given that I am searching for more races beyond this one, I think I may have caught a little bit of the tri bug!

Call me a triathlete!

                                                  (I am the one in the green swim cap)

So, I did my very first triathlon this past Sunday in Raleigh. Woohoo! It was the Ramblin' Rose Sprint Tri- all women. Very cool! The weather was great- mid 60's at race time though the wind was a bit brisk. My faithful Team in Training teammate, Tracey, also did the race. What a great experience. The day before (Saturday), we went on a 20 mile bike ride and 3 mile run which may have been a bit much the day before the triathlon. But, hey! I didn't sleep well Saturday night thinking about the race, I guess. I scrambled some eggs and ate some vanilla Greek yogurt which has been my pre-workout fuel that has served me well. I departed without my bike gloves which are somewhere in glove heaven, I suppose. May they rest in peace. I also chose to stick with my regular goggles instead of my fancy, new Aquaspheres that I only tried once in the pool because my old ones have had some leakage issues. My theory was to not try anything new for the race. Stick with what I had been training on which also meant that I left behind my easy-peasy, new Yangz shoe ties which are supposed to make getting in and out of your (lace) shoes much easier.

So good call on the goggles as they did not give me a bit of trouble during the pool swim. I arrived at the Finley YMCA around 6:30a.m. for an 8a.m. race start. On Saturday, I picked up my race packet and wisely went to a pre-race info session where they told us all about what to expect. Since this was my first tri and transitions are involved, I thought I could use a little wisdom. Another good move was to drive the bike course. And let me tell you, I was almost dizzy by the time I finished with that. Get this- 9 very hilly miles and 23 turns! Thankfully, I was not shocked on race day about that which is a good thing. I also had to rate my swim ability the day before. I knew I wanted to race pretty hard given that I was probably over-trained for this distance so I bumped myself up to an 8 out of 10 (being the best). I just didn't want to get clogged up in the pool. Well, no worries there. I swam hard but I must say I was not shedding a tear when that leg of the race was over and done. I got passed once in the middle of the swim which was cool (they tap your foot and you let them pass when you reach the wall). And then just as I was to climb the ladder to exit the pool, a teen slid in front of me to get up the ladder. Hmmm...teen angst, I thought. No worries. According to official results, my swim time was a peppy (I jest) 5:09 which placed me 158/450 overall for the swim.

So my transition from swim to bike was admittedly slow. I was still trying to catch my breath from the swim which is my weakest link and thankfully the first of the 3 legs. Anyway, donning stretchy bike shorts on a tired, wet body is not a pretty sight in case you were wondering. Neither is putting on a pull over shirt. If you want some entertainment during a tri, consider watching people during transitions. It can be, well, entertaining. I pranced to the bike start on my fancy-dancy bike shoes that click into my fancy-dancy Speedplay pedals. Just imagine running with unlevel tap shoes on. Then I did what no Team in Training coach would want you to do during transition and I stopped to take a couple of swigs of my Nuun water. Hence the paltry transition time of 2:39. (I know Coach Tom and Joe- bad triathlete, bad triathlete!) But I felt better and I got to see Jason and the girls as I mounted the bike and headed out which was super cool. By the way, fans and cheering is great for athletes during a race. Just do it!

And off I went on my PattiLew (my beloved, well-used bike that I purchased from a lymphoma survivor and TNT participant- Patti Lewis). The bike did great. The hills and the number of turns were tough. 23 turns in all within 9 miles through a beautiful neighborhood. Did I mention 23 turns?! I pedaled hard averaging probably 18mph. Unfortunately, I set my bike odometer to stopwatch instead of mileage so I had no idea how many miles were ahead or behind me. I like knowing that stuff as it helps me pace. Nonetheless, the bike portion went well and I made up some time from the swim. I completed the bike portion in 34:28 and was 36/450 on that leg.

I was feeling pretty good after the bike though my legs were feeling those hills. My bike/run transition was not that great either at 2:11. I am not sure why I took that long there but we'll get that worked out before June. Oh now I remember, I chose to stick with double-knotting my lace ties instead of the fancy-dancyYangz. Nice move, Caroline. But I digress. Off to the last leg- the run. I expected this to be my strongest leg of the race and it was. Thankfully, it was a flat course which made it fast. I was feeling pretty good but tired. I ended up with a 16:18 for the 2 mile loop which put me 29/450 on that leg. Overall, I ranked 35th out of ~450 and 6th in my age group out of 100. It's funny to note that had I been racing in the 20-24 year old age group, I would have placed 2nd! This just goes to show that 40+ year olds rock! Anyway, I was happy with how it all went and thrilled to see Jason and the kids at the finish line! p.s. the 12 year old that was sprinting towards the finish line at the end of the video was part of a relay. Just sayin'! More importantly, I did it! While I was pleased with my time, I can assure you that time will not be my driving factor in June. Finishing and having fun will be! GO TEAM!

**Please consider making a donation to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society/Team in Training. I am training for an Olympic Triathlon on June 23rd outside Atlanta in memory of my friend, Mary Anne McClurkin Wolfe, and in honor of LLS survivors and their families. http://pages.teamintraining.org/nc/eletri12/carolinenelsonderifaj

Back in the saddle...

So it has been awhile since I last posted...not because I haven't been training but just that life has been whizzing past me faster than usual, it seems. Plus, I admit, I was feeling overwhelmed after my first lake swim a couple of weeks ago and that had kind of gotten me down a bit. It seemed that after all this training, I would be able to handle the swim better. But after talking to lots of people, I am learning that open water swim is tough for a lot of people especially when they're new to it. The fact that the weather has been rather wet and stormy did not allow me to get back out to the lake until this past weekend. With a new perspective about it all, I am happy to report that my second lake swim went much better than the first! The main thing I did was adjust my breathing which I am sure slowed me down but allowed me to feel more in control and also allowed me to swim much longer without feeling so exasperated. I actually enjoyed myself! And the scenery...well, you can't beat it. Check it out:

So this is a shot of Lake Jordan. Our plan was to swim across to the other side and back which would have been a mile but instead we opted to swim more along the shoreline which ended up being about .7 miles. If not the easiest way to swim, it easily must be the most beautiful.

With the second lake swim done, I am feeling more confident that I can handle the swim which is good. What else? I am still faithfully attending my 5:30a.m. Monday killer spin class. Getting a swim and good run in during the week and then doing bricks on Saturdays. I've also started using my Speedplays which use clip in shoes. And I am happy to report that I haven't toppled over yet. Stay tuned...

This Sunday will mark my very first practice tri- a sprint distance- the Ramblin' Rose triathlon in Raleigh. It's a 250yd. swim, 9 mile bike and 2 mile run. All women. I am excited and nervous. It should be good transition practice. Plus Jason and the kids will be able to see me in action as they won't be making the trek with me to Lake Oconee. Wish me luck!

"Come on girl!"

So Saturday came another brick workout at the American Tobacco Trail (funny name for a place where you go to get in shape). Anyway, it was a doozy again. It was a 30 mile ride plus a 4 mile run. Oh what a ride. Very scenic. Country roads and lake views abound. I was biking mainly with one and then later another teammate as well. We averaged about 18mph. I tried to ride strong but with the run in mind as well. I pushed myself. I had a steady ride. No chain dropping. Ingested a Gu- chocolate and 2 Nuun bottles on the ride. I went straight into the run and though it was a flat course found myself to be in search of that finish line towards the last 2 miles of the run. I am still learning how to pace myself. I need to leave some room for the swim as well and there was no way that would have happened after the bike/run. I was spent and ready to down several cold chocolate milks. Unfortunately, I missed my daughter's soccer game. I don't like that. I will make next week's for sure.

And then came Sunday- my first ever lake swim. Keep in mind, I just came off a hard workout yesterday. We met around up at Falls Lake about 30 minutes from where I live. I was excited for my first lake swim. I love being out in nature and all this biking and swimming outdoors is right up my alley. Oh what an experience I had...and not the one I was hoping for.

Coaches Tom and Joe were there plus 2 other of my teammates. Most of them were wearing wet suits as the air temps were only low 70's. I dressed in my swimsuit and bike shorts. Coach Tom went with one of my teammates in his kayak. Coach Joe swam with Cindy and me. I surveyed the lake and thought how pretty it was and then it came time to swim. "Come on girl," yelled Joe. "Let's get going!" And with that I dove in and started swimming from Point A to B which I must admit was a bit far away. I didn't think too much about it though and just got going. Well, about 2 minutes into it, I felt exasperated! I popped my head up and saw that I had still had quite a ways to go to reach Point B. And then it came...fear. Oh crap, what have I gotten myself into I thought. So I started treading. Coach Joe was swimming away from me and Cindy. Thankfully, his girls were in a kayak not far from us but overall I wasn't feeling too great about the situation I was in- smack in the middle of this vast body of water- no bottom to touch or edge to hold onto when I needed a little rest. I was out there!

No one told me how tough my first open water swim might be. Much like no one tells you that breastfeeding can feel like a bunch of needles piercing you all at once. Much like that getting pregnant doesn't happen just because you want it to. But I digress...to give you an idea of how my first open water lake swim went, check out this article. It just about sums up my initial ignorance and then wide-eyed fear once I had started and found myself smack out in the middle of this big body of water:

http://www.nomeatathlete.com/open-water-swim/

But, I survived to tell the tale. We swam .7 miles but it may as well have been 10+ to me. I did feel myself starting to relax a little by the time we got from point C back home but I use the term "relaxed" loosely i.e. I was no longer in a complete panic. So there you go...another day another training and somehow, someway, I am sure I am better for it!

So I've been a little slow on the draw this week with keeping up with the blog posts. Here is what happened this week: Monday- spin class- great workout but not my favorite way to exercise! Tuesday, we trained at the Triangle Aquatic Center. It was just me and Cassandra and Coaches Tom and Joe. They tried working with me more on technique. Apparently, I pop my head out of the water too much especially when I take a breath. I cannot lie. I am concerned that popping it any less will result in inhaling large amounts of water of which I don't care to do. I took Wednesday off but knew I had to get a good run in Thursday. I have not run much during my training which needs to be addressed sooner than later! The good news is that it is my strongest part of the race but that doesn't mean I can slack off during the training. To be honest, we haven't done much running as a team. No one likes it but me. So, I ran for about 40 minutes yesterday in the 90 degree heat. Thankfully, I am not as bothered by heat either so I think I managed okay. I took my Nuun tablets with water for hydration. I like it better than gatorade. Not so sugary. Anyway, I have some anxiety about being able to pull all these events off consecutively but I am keeping the faith that we'll be ready. Saturday (tomorrow) is another bike/run and then Sunday is our first lake swim. I am kind of excited about that!

How to ride a bike for dummies...check

So I finally learned how to ride a bike today! Seriously, the past 3 rides I have dropped my chain on each ride and last week it was right in front of all the strawberry pickers at Jean's Strawberry patch in Apex. I am glad I could provide some entertainment for them while the toiled away in the fields. But I digress... so for this past week, I did okay. I made it to my cock-a-doodle-doo spin class Monday morning to get my butt kicked by Linda (love ya'!). And then it was off to swim team practice Tuesday evening. I got a 2 mile loop in around Shelley Lake before getting my butt kicked by Coaches Tom and Joe. We did something like a 100- 200- 400- 500- 400- 200- 200- 100- 50. Anyway, it was enough I think for one workout. Coach Tom took notes on our strokes. My favorite was his comment that my hips "slosh" from side to side. I am guessing that is not a good thing. But, overall, I think I earned a B+ish and I am cool with that.

So Wednesday, I took "off" as usual. Thursday I pushed myself to head out to Lake Pine so I could get a run in for the week. I ran into my spin teacher, Linda, on the trail which made me feel good because it was almost like I felt I got extra credit for pounding the pavement outside of class. While finishing up the 4 miles (with Audrey in tow in the jogger), I passed a woman with some kickin' hot pink compression socks. She made a comment like "Oh great, I'm getting passed by the jogger mommy but I'm okay with that. Really." I kind of chuckled and we got to talking. She asked how much the jogger slows me down. Truthfully, I don't know because my pace has actually increased since starting to train for the triathlon. Then she talked about how she didn't start really exercising until her kids left for college which I thought was a great idea although a shame to wait that long. She agreed. I told her about the triathlon and the typical response I get from people is fear about the swim. As I told her, you don't have to be a good swimmer to do an event like this. Do you need to know how to swim? It's a good idea to be able to swim a couple of laps but beyond that, your training gets you in shape. (Mind you I am doling out advice prior to actually having had to swim a mile so you might want to check back in with me after June 23rd.) Anyway, she also mentioned that she didn't have a great bike. I laughed thinking about the hunk of metal I rode on my first ride. The fact of the matter is that, you make adjustments as you go along. You find a way to make it happen and that is what I would share with others. Don't wait until all the stars have aligned and you have all the "right" equipment and you're in shape. It ain't gonna happen. Find a team or group if you can and just do it.

So Friday, I didn't do much. I was too distracted by the fact that my oldest, Sarah Cowles, got reassigned for Kindergarten to a different school. Me oh my how we/I have stressed about this school stuff. Finally, though, we got her final assignment for next year and we're getting geared up for that. Where has the time gone? Today was her last music "performance" at preschool and it was precious! Check it out:

And then came Saturday...we just cycled but it was a doozy- 30 miles to be exact. The weather was overcast which was good but there was wind. Funny thing, though, I finally learned how to ride my bike! Coach Tom gave a little gear shifting for dummies seminar prior to our ride today and I was totally intrigued. You mean you aren't supposed to be shifting mainly with your left hand? Well I'm glad I know that now because I have been wreaking havoc on the gears during my ride. If one didn't work I'd shift around until I finally found one that did. No real rhyme or reason to it. Just keep moving forward, right?! Apparently not. There apparently is a rhyme and reason to shifting gears on a bike and I am proud to say that I am well on my way to learning what that is! I am also thrilled to report that I did NOT drop the chain one single time today on the ride. Next up is learning to master the click-in pedals (Speedplays). People tell me it makes a huge difference in your biking efficiency. Watch out triathletes of the world...there is a new kid in town!  ;-)

Drum Major

So today was the big day for the big workout: 3 mile run/ 20 mile ride/ 2 mile run. I am happy to say that I survived! Truthfully, I was looking forward to getting more of a run in as that is my "strong" point of the tri. We've been focusing so much on the ride and the swim. I pushed myself fairly hard throughout. The weather was great. Overcast and low 70's. I completed the workout alone as we all spread out during the workout. I completed the first 3 miles fairly easily as it is a flat course- but I wanted to keep up the intensity on the bike. I averaged between 15-20mph. for the 20 miles. I saw a turtle and some goats along the way. I dropped my chain right in front of Jean's Berry Patch in Apex! That dang chain...not sure what is going on there. But I was able to put it back on and move on. At least the families picking strawberries got to see me in action on the side of the road. Then at one point I got caught up in a group ride and drafted with them for a short while. It's so nice to be on the NC country roads. Very pretty.

I get to think about some things while I'm out there. I think about Mary Anne each time I train. I think about my girls and what I have learned on this adventure. One thing that occurred to me today during the workout is that I would want my girls to learn is that it is okay to shine. What I mean is that sometimes, I feel that I am more concerned about not leaving a teammate behind than pushing myself ahead. Especially during the run. I would tell my girls that if they can, it is okay to be the leader. It is okay to be out in front. Don't feel bad or guilty about it. Be the drum major if you are able. And so I pushed myself onward. I didn't let up or wait for someone to catch up. And I finished strong and felt good...that is what I would say today.

Many, many thanks to Kate B. Eager for sponsoring my workout today...one mile at a time, one donation at a time, we can beat cancer...

Squeezed in an early morning run- 3 + miles. I am a little nervous about tomorrow's workout!

So excited that my FB friends are lending a hand by making donations and supporting LLS and my triathlon efforts. Last night's workout was sponsored by Paxton Helms. Thank you! It really helps keep me going in the thick of it...tonight's swim- 2000m

Today's workout was brought to you by John Earles

So I put out a challenge on FB to my 189 friends asking if someone (just one person) would sponsor my workout on today. I was quite happy to hear from 2 friends: John and Paxton. John sponsored today's workout and Paxton put himself down for Tuesday's swim. Very generous donations and friends to help support LLS and my triathlon efforts. I will keep up the FB challenge and see how much more I can raise. I have some very generous friends and family who have helped get me to my fundraising goal and now I am going beyond. I appreciate the gentle push by Russell Wolfe to do more, give more. Hey, if I can, I will.

So today we did a 1 mile warmup run then a 19 mile ride and then a 3 mile run. Truthfully, I didn't want to push myself as hard as I did last Saturday. Burning lungs don't feel so great. But I still worked out hard and felt it afterwards. I hope to get some more workouts in this week....

Our Saturday brick was moved to Sunday: today's workout = 4 miles to downtown Cary. Walked around the farmers market. Went to the community garden for a minute and ran back home. I am feeling good but a bit guilty that I didn't get more workouts in this past week. Jason was out of town 2 days but still. Big workout tomorrow!

THANK YOU!!!

If anyone is reading this blog other than myself, I want to say a sincere thank you to those who have contributed to my fundraising efforts. To date, I have met my fundraising goal of $2300!!!!

5:30a.m. swim to start the day. I typically go to team swim practice on Tuesdays but Jason has missed several softball games due to my practices so tonight is his night to play. The swim started out hard as my chest felt really tight. However, after warming up, I felt pretty good and kind of got into a groove. It was a good workout even though I missed my teammates. I hit the whirlpool afterwards as I have had a very stiff neck for the past week (thanks to the mattress). Anyway, other than that, I am feeling pretty good  ;-)

So I skipped spin class on Monday and chose instead to run with Audrey while SC was in preschool. Good move. I would much rather be outside. Nice day. Good run. 4 miles...

Tough...

So today was my toughest training day to date. It is Saturday so another brick. Today though we bumped the ride up to 25 miles plus a 3 mile run on the Tobacco Trail. And a quick transition between the two I might add. To date, when we have finished a ride we have milled around for 10-15 minutes and then mosied to go do the run. Today it was all business. Bike, drop off your stuff, hit the trail. I was excited to get back on the bike as the weather has kept us from riding the past 2 Saturdays. Plus I just got a tune up at REI since I dropped my chain on the last ride and the gears were a little rattly. Anyway, my goal was to keep up with Tracey and Libba. I did well with that I must say. However my start was a little rough as I forgot to bring my gatorade. Thankfully Coach Joe handed over one of his bottle...whew! So we averaged about 15 or so mph on the ride down but a little slower on the return as we were headed against the wind. At the mid-point, I popped a pill. Actually, Libba was kind enough to give me one of those energy tablets. The 3 of us spread out going back. Unfortunately, my chain dropped off again which did not excite me. Back to REI. The rest of the ride was good. I rode fairly hard. The cool thing was that we landed in the middle of the Cary Duathlon race. So I guess you could say in a way I kind of did a duathlon today. Apparently they rode 17 miles and ran 3 miles, I believe. It was nice to have the police escorts. Kind of made things a little exciting.

So after the bike, Coach Tom took care of our bikes and we hit the trail. I don't know what it is about running after biking but my legs want to go fast. I think I averaged 8:15/mile. That is flying for me. Of course, after I finished, I felt like I was going to throw up which doesn't happen too often to me. I was exhausted! Then my lungs hurt or at least I thought it was my lungs. The center of my chest hurt for the next 2 days. Needless to say, it was a tough workout but I am proud of myself for making it.

Holy mile swim!

It's Tuesday which means swim practice! I wanted to take some pics of our motley crew though all were not in attendance. The first pic is of our fearless leader, Tom.

 He's the one that faithfully barks at us all during practices. Great guy. Great coach. Very dedicated to helping us and I am grateful for that. He also makes the best homemade granola bars EVER! I've tried to duplicate the recipe twice but they don't measure up. Anyway, the video is of a few of us during our workout tonight. Here was the breakdown: 100m, 200m, 300m, 400m, 300m, 200m, 100m. So if my math is correct, that's 64 laps = 1 mile!!!!!! Holy Mile!!! People, I have a ways to go to do all that non-stop. Breathe Caroline...you can do it  ;-) Oh and then, we did two 100m timed laps. Good times...go team! Here we are in action...

Went to spin class today. An hour long. 5:30a.m. I tried to push hard given that our ride was cancelled on Saturday and Sunday. I must admit, spin class is not my favorite. I like the outdoors. Spinning like a hamster on a wheel gets in a good workout but that's about it for me. I did have a good talk with my teacher, Linda. She came in 2nd overall for women in the Mountain to Trails run yesterday. I have never tried a trail run but I think I would really like it. Nature and exercise. I doubt there will be a blog about it but I might give one a whirl in the Fall!

Bummer...ride today was cancelled too! Spin class at 5a.m. Monday here I come. I must admit though I am happy to be spending the day with the family. It's time to plant the garden...woohoo!

So this is the second Saturday that our big bike/run has been cancelled due to inclement weather...ugh! However, we did manage to get in a 4 mile run at the Tobacco Trail in the rain, of course. I also ran into my spin coach- Linda- on the trail. Let me tell you, this woman is inspiring! She is a true athlete. Very cool. I am disappointed we couldn't ride as I needed a good workout. I don't want to lose speed. At this point, I feel like I should be ramping it up. We're going to try to make up the ride (20 miles) tomorrow (Sunday).

It was a beautiful day today and since I have to facilitate tonight at the Postpartum group at Rex, I had to get my workout in this a.m. with Audrey. It went well. I did 4 miles with her in the jogger. She loves seeing all the dogs, ducks, geese and turtles. I saw a banded water snake as well. At least that is what someone told me it was and I chose to believe her over my fear it was a copperhead. Anyway, I am slowly starting to tell that the cross-training is helping my running. I am moving a little quicker with more ease. Glad the hard work is paying off!

Good times...

Yet another 45-50 (did I mention that I can't count) lap swim tonight with the team. Coach Tom took some video of me and my swimming "form." Oh boy....I look like I am gasping for my last breath as I work my way down the pool. I've always been like that. Decent stroke but I crank my head way up to breathe probably for fear of sucking down the water. I am told that won't happen but I guess it's a bad habit. Anyway, the best part of practice was when we put all 6 of us in one lane and raced for 25 meters. Let me just say that I am learning that fear really motivates me (like fear of getting kicked in my face or punched in my ribs) because I flew that lap! Good times...

I made my 5:30a.m. spin class this morning...hamstrings felt tight from the run yesterday but otherwise I'm okay.

So due to not being able to exercise yesterday, I felt the need to get out there today and do something. However I had to fit it in after church and a birthday party as that was my only window to get it in. Audrey was napping and SC was in quiet time. For the most part, I have been able to keep on schedule with workouts but it gets a little tricky when I have to shift my workouts around as there isn't much time/energy to work it around family life. On the other hand, the workouts are important as it's hard to maintain the level of training we are doing if you don't keep up. So I hit the pavement today and this time ran to Lake Pine, did a lap and ran back. So 6.5 miles in 60 minutes. Not too bad as there are a few good hills in there. My right hamstring is tight though. I hope to get my spin class in tomorrow morning.

Our brick (bike/run) was cancelled today due to bad weather...  ;-(

Life is like a box of chocolates...

So today my intention was to run 4 miles around Lake Pine. Instead, I barely ran two because, alas, nature called.Yes, today I saved a baby squirrel. The same species I wish away when our garden takes a hit in the summer. However, I am a sucker for babies and this one needed me big time. As I was jogging on the trail, I saw this big fluffly kitty. Then I saw the baby squirrel just a couple of feet away flailing around in the leaves. Eyes still not opened. I couldn't leave it. I flagged down 2 teenagers (they typically frighten me) but these kids were sweet. They distracted the cat with french fries while I scooped up the wee squirrel in my ball cap. I headed off down the trail wondering what the heck I was going to do with a baby squirrel who needed more than I could give. I panicked. I started asking random passerbys if they knew anything about baby squirrels. One woman growled at me (I think she really did). But 2 other women stopped and took pity. Of all things, one worked in a vet office and the other had nursed another baby squirrel to health. The gods were smiling on me. They told me to take it to the Wildlife Rescue place off of Glenwood (for future reference). I proceeded around the lake to my car with baby squirrel curled up in my hat. So adorable. Yet I must have appeared slightly overwhelmed having visions of night feedings and such. Then the gods smiled on me once again as one of the women came running back to me. I kid you not...she took off her shirt (thankfully a running bra was underneath) and she said she would be happy to deliver the baby to the rescue place herself! True story. Not such a great workout but a reaffirmation of the kindness of people. As the saying goes, "Life is like a box of chocolates..."

Train Endure Achieve Matter

Okay, so I've fallen a bit behind in my blog posts but, not to fear, this train is still rolling. I am just a little weary! This past Saturday, we ramped up the mileage and did a 20 mile jaunt on the bike near the American Tobacco Trail. It was a beautiful ride I must say...

I took this pic as we were passing Lake Jordan. Not a bad way to spend a Saturday morning! Shortly thereafter, though, I lost my chain. Yep, I think I dropped my gear too quickly and, as a result, the whole thing went kerplunk as in spinning air and going nowhere fast. Uh-oh. I knew I should have taken that biking basics class the other weekend. Seriously, if you are thinking about doing road biking, it's a good idea. Anyway, I did the only thing I could do at that point and threaded the chain back on and thankfully it worked. Close call though. This time I tried again to stay with the lead pack but I just couldn't keep up. It landed me in the middle of the pack with another rider who rode just behind me. Thankfully though, the rest of the ride went pretty well (minus the gun shot) in the not too distant field. I picked up the pace a little and waved my arm just to be sure. Then came the run. It was totally flat but dang if I didn't do an 8:50 mile for 2 miles!

I did however miss Sarah Cowles's first soccer game of the season since I was at the training. Mommy guilt is a factor here. That hurt a little. I knew there were going to be sacrifices and there have been. I miss dinner/bed every Tuesday evening and Saturday mornings. I have been preoccupied with training and fundraising but I am okay and my kids are okay and Jason is fine. We are good. After training Saturday a.m., I drove to VA with Sarah Cowles to send my brother off to Bulgaria. It was good to be with family and especially spend one on one time with SC.

I take Sundays off....ahhhhhhhh

On Monday, I made another 5:30a.m. spin class! It is probably not my favorite form of exercise but it gets the job done and the best part is that I am done by 7a.m. just in time to start my real job  ;-)

Last night (Tuesday) was swim practice. Ooh, la, la...I have to admit I think I started feeling a little sorry for myself this week. I mean. This training is tough! I started doubting myself about being ready for the event even though we're several months away from the big day. Can I really swim a whole mile? We're swimming 50+ laps at practice but with quite a few breaks, too. And then, we're a small team. There are ~6 of us that are training consistently together. But sometimes that means you're alone for most of the bike ride or run or sometimes the swim. I start feeling sorry for myself and want some company but then I start thinking of why I am doing this. Why I am training. I think of Mary Anne and how much she would give to be here on this Earth being out of breath and tired. I also think of the patients and survivors (Ed! and Patti!) who have fought so hard to get better and beat cancer. And then I look at my wrist band and it all comes back to me: Train Endure Achieve Matter. That's why I am doing what I am doing through the ups and the downs. Go TEAM!

1400m/25m = 56 laps!

Holy cow...no wonder my body is feeling it today! So we swam 56 laps last night at swim practice. When you think that on a typical (pre-Team in Training) swim, I would stop at ~25 laps, I would say that I have made some progress! I swear it is the group dynamic that pushes you further and faster than you would normally go. I know that is true for me at least. I swam hard tonight. I guess I felt good. I think it may have been the Greek yogurt I downed on my way to practice which also included a 2.25 mile jog before swim practice. I am eating lots of protein these days. The knee is feeling better thank goodness. Got home around 8:30p.m. Took a shower. Ate a bean burrito and fell fast asleep. Taking the day off of exercise tomorrow...woot, woot!

Cock-a-doodle-doo

Went to spin class this morning at 5:30a.m. (applause, cheer). I didn't go all out for fear that my knee was going to act up again. I also didn't stand up too much in the seat. Do I like spin class? I'm not sure. I do think it gives you a good workout but they really should have bikes that have digital readouts of heartrate/mileage/calories or something to keep you motivated. For now, Lifetime just has hand adjusted turn dials. Plus 2 big screens of pro bikers climbing hills etc. with pulsating music. Yee-haw!

Trying to keep up with the big kids...

We biked at a different place today- up at Research Triangle Park. I decided today that I was going to try to keep up with the "big kids." I wanted to push myself a little bit more on the ride. And so I did. I kept up with the lead pack for about 5 miles but the little engine that could fell behind and then I was by myself. Slower than the fast bikers and faster than the others. My legs felt good though. I was worried about knee strain as I had not biked since last week's 1.5 hour spin class. It is interesting to me how more comfortable I have become biking on the roads. Some of this may be false security as I probably only know enough to manage out there. But I am not as fearful as I was my first ride and am actually enjoying these rides. It is a freeing feeling to be on a bike going far and sometimes fast. We bike with maps taped to our handle bars. However, one stretch was like 7 miles and at least once I came to an intersection with no signage. Once I had to flag a car down and ask how far until the next road change and another time, I had to call coach to see if I was still on track with the map. Next bike ride, I hope to have the pedometer in good working order! Thank goodness for cell phones!

We followed up the 17 mile ride with a 3 mile run. My legs felt good. The tricky thing with this event is that it's hard for me to gauge how hard to push on the swim or bike leg so I don't poop out on the run. I am still trying to figure it all out...spin class at 5:30a.m. on Monday here I come

Weight lifted tonight to help my knee- did a bunch of hamstring and quadriceps exercises. I need to work this into my weekly routine to keep my knee from getting out of whack.

I can't count

Tuesday, March 7- Tonight was swim practice. One thing I have learned is that I have a hard time counting laps correctly. You would think that I would have a lot of time to think about what lap I am on when I am swimming but alas perhaps I over think (or get tired) and confused. So what did I do last Tuesday when I got tired? I just followed the pack. See we swim 2 or 3 to a lane and trail each other up and back. So I assumed that my teammate in front was on the ball and so even though I thought we had swum 8 laps, I noticed she kept going. And for that, we both ended up swimming 2 more laps than necessary which was so not what I needed or wanted to do!

Tough practice- Two 100m, four 50m, one 200m, two 100m and ten 25m 

M'am, that is the prettiest blouse...

Today I finally went running! I've been swimming and biking all week for the most part and I was actually looking forward to getting back to my long, lost friend- running. It was a beautiful day in the mid-70's. I could have taken Audrey with me in the jogger for a run while Sarah Cowles was in preschool but I intentionally did not. I needed some just me time without having to multi-task between running and entertaining her at the same time. It was just one of those days. So I went to Lake Pine where they have a beautiful 2 mile loop. I ended up doing 2 laps or 4 miles. I felt good minus the fact that I started having some knee pain yesterday. It is a familiar pain as I have dealt with it since a soccer injury and subsequent chondromalatia in my right knee. Typically it is side-to-side activities that aggravate it but alas it has resurfaced probably due to the intensity of training since starting TNT. So I will hit the weights sooner than later and hopefully get that knee/muscles in shape.

On a completely different note, while on my runs, I have recently discovered the pleasure of listening to NPR on my fancy phone- Android, I think. It's great. Real adult "conversation" for more than 5 minutes at a time! I crave this stuff as a full-time momma to two little ones! Anyway, today's podcast on Talk of the Nation was titled:

Trading The Road Of Anger For The Path To Patience 
http://www.npr.org/2012/03/01/147736933/trading-the-road-of-anger-for-the-path-to-patience?sc=emaf

Hey, not that I am ever angry or impatient (I jest) but it was a nice story to listen to as I hoofed it around the lake. They took calls from people who wanted to share how they had learned to be patient in certain instances. In case you don't have 16 minutes to listen to the story, here was my favorite segment:

BETH: I was a having a very busy day with lots of errands a few years ago and went into a post office where I was the only customer. And the attendant was taking his time rhythmically stamping a very tall pile of envelopes. And he didn't even look at me. I stood there for about five minutes. And finally, I just laid it into him, at which point he looked at me and he said, ma'am, that is the prettiest blouse.

(SOUNDBITE OF LAUGHTER)

BETH: He completely disarmed me. And I thought what a great tool to have in your toolbox when somebody is impatient, to be able to use something like that, that completely changes the subject and gets you see how unimportant this little delay is in the bigger scheme of things.

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Pretty cool, huh? Workout and wisdom. Looking ahead...no workout tomorrow. Another brick (bike/run) on Saturday...wahoo!

Spin to win...

Went to spin class this evening with TNT teammates Tracy and Libba. Cycled for 90 minutes. The class was good though I admit I didn't know how much to turn that little dial thingy that increased/decreased your resistance. Perhaps I need a Spin Class for Dummies? The instructor would yell, "Push it up to 7.5 y'all!" And I just pretended that I knew what the heck I was doing. Mind you there are no numbers on that dial. It's all good though! I felt it in the legs and that's what counts, right?

On the mommy front- unfortunately, I have had to miss a few dinners/bedtimes these past few weeks. I am still trying to finagle my schedule so that I am not missing these. I felt a little guilty this evening as it was my turn to cook and I literally just threw a bunch of things in the crockpot at 5 p.m., cranked it to high and hoped for the best that it would be ready in time for Jason and the kids to eat at 6:30! I didn't get home until 7:30p.m. Turns out that the crock pot-a-la-surprise was quite tasty!

Running tomorrow. I'm looking forward to getting outdoors after the past few days of swimming and spinning.

A mile swim = 64 laps

Tuesday- 2/28/12 workout- Met TNT buddies at the pool. Ran down the street and across to Shelley Lake- 2.5 miles then off to swim practice. During the run, Tracy and I figured out that our mile swim is equal to 64 laps in the 25m pool! I almost fainted. One day at a time, Caroline. One day at a time!

Overall, a good workout but one I never would have done had it not been a group exercise day! Here is to the power of TEAM!

Off to spin class for the very first time ever this evening  ;-)

5:30a.m. workout...check!

I am pleased to report that I made my 5:30a.m. workout this morning...applause, cheer! I chose to do swimming as that is my weakest "link" (I think)- anyway, here's the rundown:

100 meters: 200 meters: 300 meters; 200 meters; 100 meters.

I did almost all freestyle with some breaks to catch my breath and prevent drowning. Loved having the workout done and over with by 7a.m.- just in time for my real full-time mommy gig! Swim practice tomorrow night here I come...

What a difference a day makes...

Let me just say off the bat...today I am overjoyed, utterly grateful and touched by the donations I have received just in the past 24 hours. A dear friend of Mary Anne's, my parents and someone whom I don't even know (thank you Cathy!) have come together and pledged their support for my efforts with Team In Training but more importantly to those patients and families who are battling various stages of leukemia and lymphomas as we speak. As a result, we (you/me/we) have raised $1150 just in the past 24 hours! Thank you, John, for your incredibly generous donation in memory of Mary Anne; thanks mom and dad for supporting me in this special adventure; and thank you Cathy for your blind faith in me and your important contribution to LLS/TNT and conquering cancer.

I am beaming right now and as evidence of that I wanted to post my first video. I took it this morning just prior to our 8 a.m. brick (15 mile bike/2 mile run). I have to confess, last night I went to bed stressed because I let some doubt creep in as to whether I could raise enough funds to even be a participant with Team in Training. I am terrible at asking for things (though my husband may challenge me on this one) but generally, it is true. Keep in mind, when you see $$ goals from Team In Training participants, this is the money the participant must raise in order to participate in their chosen event. The goal money pays for the participant's race entry, lodging and coaching. The rest goes to support the mission of LLS. If a participant does not raise their $ goal, they can either choose to leave the team mid-way through the training season at Re-commitment (April for me) OR pay out of their own pocket the difference between what they do raise and the goal amount. And most of us TNT participants are not fundraisers by trade so there is some understandable angst there.

Anyway, just prior to crawling into bed last night, after posting my LLS/TNT fundraising page, I happened to check my email. All of a sudden my husband heard me exclaim in the pitch dark, "Oh...my...God!" And it was a good "Oh my God" because I had just been notified via email that my friend John (and dear friend of Mary Anne's) had posted a $500 contribution! Whoa! Now instead of not being able to sleep because I was stressing over not raising money, I was so pumped with my very first donation that I couldn't sleep! Still reeling from last night, I gathered my teammates this morning and gushed with pride about my very first contribution and asked the team to send a special shout out to John. And here it is in all its early morning glory. Don't blink or you will miss it:

The TNT Tri-crew saying "Thank you John, go TEAM!"

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So here is today's workout roundup: We did our workout with the TNT Century Ride crew (that's right, they're training for a 100 mile ride in the mountains of NC!) I threw down some Greek yogurt and a delicious homemade granola bar compliments of our fearless Coach Tom. One small hitch, in my exuberance to learn how to pump my own tire, I overcompensated and snapped off the stem thingamajig on my tire which now needs to be replaced. Thankfully there was enough air in there to ride but off to REI I go tomorrow. Anyway, it was a good ride on hilly terrain. I am thrilled to report that I am flying on my PattiLew (that's the name I have now given my beloved road bike in honor of its former owner/survivor). I road most of the way with the Century riders and even had delusions that I might join them some day.

I know I am getting long-winded here and my husband (the tech guy) always tries to encourage me to keep these entries short but things must be said: so funny thing happened on the ride- I was coasting past a local high school and the police had each end of a long road blocked off for what initially seemed like a walk-a-thon or something by the high school students. A bunch of kids were just strolling down the road. So nosy me pulls alongside a group of them and yells out: "So what are you walking for?" And as teenagers tend to do, they glared at me and someone yelled back what I thought to be "CRAM!" And I gave them the thumbs up though never having heard of the organization CRAM yet proud of these kids for rocking it out on this early morning, blustery day and rode on my merry way. A little ways down the road I start seeing more kids and they're actually running like in a race. And it occurs to me that the kids who were walking were really saying "Cramps!" as in they were walking because they had cramps! I got a good chuckle out of that one. How dare I question their unwavering commitment to their Booster-thon race!

Anyway, I successfully finished the 15 mile trek and then did my 2 mile run which again went pretty well for me...whew!

Today was also LLS/TNT mission day and we had a great time bonding with each other at the event and hearing from LLS staff, survivors and family members about their triumphs and tragedies. I am in complete awe of these folk. We heard from my teammate/survivor Ed and his wife, Libba. Ed reminded us that the efforts that we are making today on behalf of LLS are helping that mother, father, sister, brother, son or daughter to be well enough to see the Grand Canyon for the very first time. In other words, the money we are raising is changing lives and, in the best of circumstances, saving lives.

And on that note, I am going to wrap it up and say simply and with sincere gratitude...GO TEAM!

Ugh...not a great training week. Wednesday- watch alarm didn't go off. Thursday- phone alarm didn't go off. Sounds weak, I know. I hosted Bunco last night at my house which was a blast but I crashed today. Alas, tomorrow's bike/run (Saturday) is going to be rough. It is at N. Cary Park at 8a.m. Can you say hills? After, there is an LLS rally day of sorts at the park- survivors sharing their stories etc. Should be great!

I am also starting to get a little nervous about my fundraising to be honest. I am terrible about asking for money but I can do it for a great cause. Hopefully, I will be getting out letters/emails/Facebook requests this coming week!

The dog ate my alarm...I swear

So the dog ate my alarm or however the saying goes which essentially means- I did not make it to spin class at 5:30a.m. (in fairness, my alarm really did not go off). Not that I would have heard it anyway because we had a rough night of "sleep" at the Derifaj household. Audrey woke up it seems on the hour through the night. I think eating dinner at 5:30 yesterday threw her little body clock off because she was up and ready to go throughout the wee hours. Thinking that I had a crack o' dawn-thirty workout, my faithful husband dealt with Audrey. Then the dog eating the alarm thing happened and before I knew it, it was 6a.m. Oh well, another case of patting myself on the back for having ambitious plans. Instead I did my 4 mile trek with Audrey and baby jogger in tow while Sarah Cowles was in preschool.

I am happy to report, though, that swim practice last night went well. I just need to work on doing consecutive laps without huffing and puffing! I hear the bottom of Lake Oconee will not be in my reach come race day  ;-)

*Check this article out if you're looking for some real inspiration. Wow!
 http://www.cnn.com/2012/02/21/health/chrissie-wellington-triathlete-champion/index.html?hpt=hp_bn10

The evening started with Fat Tuesday pancake dinner at the church. I thought I was being smart by not indulging in the pancakes and sausage. Instead I brought a bowl of curry chicken rice. Turns out that didn't process well either as I ended up with cramps during my first TNT swim practice. Note to self: eat something other than curried chicken and pancakes before practice. Coach Tom led our motley crew of five. He showed us a video of efficient swimming techniques before we took the plunge. Here was the workout: 2-100's; 1-200; 1-300; 1-200; 2-100's. Anyway, it was somewhere around 20+ laps. I did okay. I still need to build up endurance which led me to ask Coach Tom, "So Tom, will we be able to touch the bottom at Lake Oconee during our mile swim?" The answer was not encouraging. So I have my work cut out for me to be able to swim a mile on June 23rd! I do find however that I am enjoying training with a group and the cross-training. I like the variety. Jason put the kids to bed tonight. I find I am having to lean on him more in order to train. I am thankful that he is so supportive of my efforts. Off to bed...up at 5a.m. for spin class at 5:30a.m. Yet another new adventure awaits!

Bike, Butt and Chicken & Dumplings

Ahhhh....what a difference a good road bike and cushy butt shorts make! Today we did another brick- bike/run except this time, we did not get lost AND we went 15miles/bike and 2miles/running AND I made it! Seriously, anyone interested in biking in the least- invest in a good pair of cushy bike shorts. I got mine from HucknRoll for a pretty good deal ($32): http://www.hucknroll.com/sugoi-neo-pro-short-womens  My butt has never been so happy!

Enough about my butt or lack thereof...the bike. Whoa! Second piece of advice is to get a decent road bike. I bought a used one from a former TNT biker and survivor. Riding a yard sale mountain bike on the road was not one of my smarter moves but you do what you gotta do. Let's just say that last week felt like riding a bike with training wheels and this week I felt like a bird. I exaggerate a little but you get the idea.

Chicken & Dumplings anyone?

So as you can tell by now the bike ride went much better this week. I think I may even be starting to like this road bike thing. Now if we can just get the cars off the road, it would be great! The scenery was beautiful. And then there are always the unique signs (see above) At least I know where we're headed for dinner tonight! There were 2 other team members who joined the ride today. One took her mountain bike since her real road bike was in the shop- I felt for her big time. And the other woman had a little trouble with her asthma/cold. I felt bad for her, too. Coach Tom was great again with his pointers- "Spin to win, Caroline. Spin to win." I like Tom. I will also hopefully be featuring 2 other team members in an upcoming post. Apparently a local news team followed them several years ago as the husband is a lymphoma survivor and the wife is pretty darn cool herself. Go Ed and Libba!

Then came the 2 mile run and for some reason I must have been on fire because I have not run a sub-9 minute mile in I do not know how long (okay, the course was flat as a pancake but let me bask in the glory for a moment). Okay, done.

Next up- first swim practice on Tuesday. And many thanks to those of you who are encouraging my efforts and the cause. It keeps me going...I will post my LLS donation page very shortly i.e. as soon as I figure out how to set it up  ;-)

Hug a parent (especially a new one)...

Thursday, 2/16/12- Took a break from training today. Went to facilitate a meeting of postpartum mommies who are struggling with the anxieties/challenges of having newborns and little ones. I was once one of the mommies in the group. After I had our 2nd child in 2010, I experienced postpartum depression/anxiety for months. This group helped me cope. Check them out: http://postpartumeducationandsupport.com/

At the meeting, we shared one thing that made us happy this week. Mine was signing up for Team In Training. It was the first time I had told anyone outside of family/friends about what I am doing. I've been a little shy about it all. However, it reminded me of how far I have come since the birth of my second child. I am finally at a point that I feel like I can start giving more to myself. I hope the mommies reading this know that while it is always going to be a roller coaster ride as a parent, those first days/weeks/months are especially hard and can be overwhelming. If you are a mommy (especially a new one) and are reading this, please take a moment to pat yourself on the back for a job well done. I think too often we get stuck in the guilt of what we didn't do right or could have done better for our children. And we often tend to judge one another. Let's be kinder to ourselves and especially each other. Let's encourage one another in this journey of parenthood. There are so many parents (especially the ones with little ones) who could use a little lift!

Wednesday, 2/15/12- Today, I went running. My goal was to run 4 miles and the good news is that I did while pushing a jogger with my little 18 month in tow. Honestly, the first lap of 2 was tougher than I thought. Was I that out of shape? Had I not run with the jogger in awhile? Anyway, I made a few pit stops. Slowed it down and decided it was more important to run the distance than for time. The strategy worked. I ended up enjoying the run more and my toddler got to see the sights which included some big geese and lots of dogs. Done. Whew...

Welcome to my Tri-Mommy Diary!

2/14/12- My name is Caroline Nelson Derifaj and I am a mommy to two wonderful girls, ages 5 and 18 months. I am also 40 years old. I started this blog as a means of chronicling my journey through the ups and downs of preparing for my very first triathlon (an Olympic one at that) in June 2012. Let me just confess up front, I am not technically a triathlete. Currently I am, however, someone who is trying very hard to earn that title while being a full-time mommy and all that that entails. I have also never blogged before. So come to think of it, I am neither a triathlete nor a blogger which makes this venture all the more exciting. Stick around and let's see how this all works out...should be interesting!

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So how did this all come about? In the past few years, I have thought about doing a triathlon. That's generally where it stopped- I thought about it and then never acted on it. I am a busy mom to two little ones and for the past 5 years that has been my focus. Having a family and just trying to keep up with life. After having our second child in 2010, I found myself starting to want to focus more on me. Sure I do like to exercise- running primarily. In fact, I have been running since junior high (that's what they called it way back when). However, we're talking more jogs of 2-6 miles max off and on through the years. My last big race was the Country Music 1/2 Marathon in 2003. That was the last time I had really trained seriously for anything. Since then, it's been more of a jog here and there with a dash of swimming and occasionally weights thrown in whenever I felt like it. Sometimes I would jog several times a week and sometimes I wouldn't exercise for weeks. But I always came back to it. I need exercise. I can't go too long without getting outside and getting my heart going.

Having run for years, I started feeling towards the end of 2011 that it would be cool to actually try a triathlon. I craved variety in my exercising. I craved a challenge. I craved focus. Don't get me wrong, I love being a full-time mommy and find it completely challenging in its own way but wiping poo and pee and crusty noses all day long was starting to take its toll. I needed to do something for me. Running alone was getting a little stale. And I have no interest in pounding the pavement for 26.5 miles.

So towards the end of last year, I called the local Team in Training chapter. They said they would call when their season started up again. That was November 2011. I forgot all about it but I patted myself on the back for having at least made the call. Fast forward to the end of January 2012 and guess what, I got a call from...drum roll please...Team In Training...asking if I wanted to come to an orientation meeting for their upcoming triathlons. I mentioned it to my husband in case he wanted to go to the meeting. And then I thought, wait...this is what I wanted to do. So I sat on the idea for a few days. Got another call from Team in Training asking if I was interested and I said maybe I would. Then we started exchanging emails and I felt kind of like we were in the awkward "get to know you" phase of dating- me and TNT. Did I want to commit to TNT? Did I or didn't I? Did I or didn't I? As my wise husband says, the hardest part of most things for me is the decision to commit. Once I do, I am in 110%. So I hemmed and hawed about it for a few more days (all the while realizing that training for the group had already begun and...yikes...I was getting further behind the longer I remained idle). Yet the little voice inside kept saying, "Just do it." Trust me, I could have countered with a thousand reasons why I shouldn't do a triathlon much less one with Team in Training-

1. I am way too busy to train.
2. I am way too tired to train.
3. I don't have a decent bike.
4. I don't have access to a swimming pool.
5. Did I mention I am too busy and tired to train?
6. I haven't ridden a bike since I don't know when.
7. I am not sure I can even swim 5 consecutive laps at this point even if I had to.
8. Gulp- can I actually raise $2300 albeit for a wonderful cause?
9. I don't know if I can do it and so on and so forth.

But the gut said to go for it. And this time, I made the leap...

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So, I finally decided to commit around the beginning of February 2012. I felt like this was something I really wanted to do. And that it was okay if I was scared maybe even better because I will be stronger- physically and mentally- for having weathered the challenge. It makes me think of a quote I heard in my 20's- Gospel group Sweet Honey in the Rock offers this introduction to the gospel song, “Wade in the Water.”

And when there is a promise of a storm, if you want change in your life walk into it. If you get on the other side, you will be different. And if you want change in your life and you’re avoiding the trouble, you can forget it. So as the prophet says, wade on in the water. It’s gonna really be troubled water.

I chose to commit to Team in Training for several reasons. I felt like I needed the group bonding and support to get me through this. I needed coaching. I needed inspiration. I needed motivation. Let me remind you, I do run and I can swim and bike but not so much in those latter departments. In fact, I can't even remember the last time I went biking. And I was just hoping that I still fit into the one swimsuit I did own (prior to my 2nd pregnancy) for doing laps. Okay, you get the idea. I am starting from some place close to scratch. The TNT staff assured me that I would not be alone and I took their word for it. 

And the other main reason I wanted to sign up with TNT is because of what they are all about:

Helping patients with blood cancers, live better and longer lives.

A friend, Mary Anne McClurkin Wolfe, passed away suddenly in 2003 from leukemia. She left behind a wonderful husband and two beautiful, young children (shown above) as well as a sister and numerous other family and friends. I wanted to train in memory of Mary Anne- someone who was such a positive force in this world. So friendly. So giving. So positive. So warm. So funny. I wanted to raise money and train in memory of her and in honor of her family. And what better way to do so than to make this commitment to TNT.

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Now you know why I am doing this triathlon. Let me explain what's happened to date. I signed up online, paid my $100 (woo-hoo, only $2200 more to raise towards my goal) and waited. It didn't take long before I started getting emails from local TNT staff and then my Team Coaches welcoming me to the group and charting my training course for the coming month of February. I had already missed the first week of training and wanted to get going ASAP once I signed up. Unfortunately, I came down with a bad cold (refer back to the wiping noses part of my other job) and was in bed for the rest of the week unable to train. I had only exercised sporadically since the first of the year so I needed to get in gear. My goal, though, was to make it to the "brick" (what's that?) training on Saturday. I guess that's what they call a bike/run or some kind of 2 sport workout. So I started scrambling for gear- literally. I ran to REI and scoured their sale racks for bike gloves and bike shorts. I found bike gloves 1/2 off but no such luck on the shorts. Oh my tailbone. I didn't know much about biking but I knew enough that after riding for even just a little while, I needed to have some padding between me and that bike seat. I scrambled around town trying to find shorts. I found some Sugois that were great but I feared a size too small (xsmall). So I found the same shorts online in size Small and 1/2 off and ordered them right away. The bad news is that I would not have them for the first bike ride of 14 miles. Ugh. More on that later.

My other dilemma was my bike. At this point, I only had a yard sale mountain bike that had a bent rim. I went out to get that fixed and sheepishly asked the bike guy if he thought I could train for an Olympic triathlon on the thing. He said, "People have been known do it, I suppose. But I wouldn't recommend it." Crap. No bike. What was I thinking signing up for a tri-sport event for which I am minimally equipped? We couldn't afford to pay for a new bike too on top of all these other little costs that were starting to add up. Could I train on a mountain bike? I left the shop feeling defeated about my bike situation but actually inspired at the same time. It turns out the bike guy who handed me the bad news about my bike was passionate about bikes. To the point that he started showing me pics on his cell phone of his ultra-carbon bike that he was building from scratch. Keep in mind that he knew I knew nothing about bikes but that didn't matter. This was his baby and he was going to show me his baby whether I liked it or not. I oohed and awwed but had no idea what he was talking about. But back to being inspired, this bike guy was training for a timed trial in a few months after having had a kidney transplant in 2010. Wow...how cool... and all of a sudden his pictures really meant something to me. He was going for it. We had something in common.

Anyway, the biking portion on an Olympic triathlon is 25 miles. I emailed the coaches to get their opinion on my bike situation. Could I train on this thing? It didn't sound promising but I lugged that pile of metal to the training practice and found out for myself that the yard sale heap-of-junk was in fact NOT going to cut it. Here's how it went down: I showed up a 1/2 hour early so I had plenty of time to figure out how to assemble my bike after having to lug it with the front wheel unattached in the back of my car. I did it. I assembled the bike on my own (patted myself on the back) and wheeled around to the front of the parking lot waiting for my Team in Training. I was so nervous. I asked anyone I saw with a bike, "Are you with Team in Training?" No. "Are you with TNT?" No. Shucks. Finally, I saw a group of bikers assembled in the middle of the parking lot which is where I finally found my crew. Yes. Here they were. A handful of people on bikes. And serious looking bikes at that. And they had those cushy pants. Carbon bikes. And fancy sunglasses. Not me. I had none of it. I shudder to tell you what I did to ease the tailbone pain but let's just say it involved layering some padded feminine products plus at the last minute stuffing a spare (but clean) diaper changing pad down my running tights. Voila. Cushion.

I introduced myself to the team and was warmly welcomed to the group despite my protruding rear end. No one asked about it thankfully. Come to think of it, even the riders who had the "real" bike pants on looked like they were wearing diapers. So it was all good. Then we had our Mission Moment and I learned that another teammate was a lymphoma survivor who was given a 20% chance of living about 6 years ago (suddenly the diaper changing pad quandary seemed so much less important in the scheme of things). His wife (another teammate) told us that is was the medicines provided from TNT funding that helped save his life. WOW! How cool. So after a few brake adjustments, Team Coach Tom went over the route. 14.4 miles of it! I am awful with maps. I was hoping someone would shepherd me through this ride. Truthfully, I was hoping I would make it period. I had never been on a road ride before and I again sheepishly let them know that. I think there were 3 of us who were in the same boat. Yikes.

As we started out, one of the seasoned bikers came along side me and gave me a pep talk about not getting discouraged with my bike. This should have been a sign. They knew I was going to have a tough ride. Then Coach Tom came coasting beside me and tried to feel out my biking prowess. "So Caroline, you've been biking around town?" "Not really," I said. He probed further. "So you've been on trails with your bike recently?" "Uh, no again Tom. The truth is I don't know when I last rode a bike," I said. Awkward silence. But sometimes ignorance is bliss because I pedaled on. Unfortunately, one rider had to turn back within the first mile. Maybe something was wrong with her bike. The veteran bikers of the group took off and the next time I saw them was in the parking lot at the end of the ride! So it was me, another teammate and Coach Tom navigating the country roads. My bike told me a lot during that ride but mainly that it was not cut out to carry me on long distances. My body also told me that I needed to get in better shape. My other TNT teammate was very encouraging. This was only her 2nd ride! I huffed and puffed my way along. Coach Tom stayed right with me most of the time and as a result we got to know one another a little. You can do that when you're moving at a 2mph clip up a hill. He would talk up the hill and I would listen and then I would catch my breath and carry on the conversation on the downhills. I managed. We took some wrong turns but that was okay by me. Then Coach Tom mercifully cut the ride short so we wouldn't fall too far behind the others. He apologized several times about missing some turns but I was so cooler than cool to be turning back. So we did a 10 mile ride last Saturday and I was never so glad to see that parking lot! I MADE IT!

And then came the 2 mile run after we stowed our bikes away. I am happy to say that for me the 2 mile run was no problem. It was flat and totally doable even after the painful ride. I was really happy with myself. I survived my first TNT triathlon workout! I felt good. I felt inspired. I felt humbled. But my bike had to go.

When I arrived home, I was so glad to see my girls and husband. Poor dad had to take care of the girls much longer than I had anticipated. I thought we would train maybe an hour and a half. "Be back by 10:30," I assured my awesome hubby. I didn't get home until closer to noon. Oops. Here we go having to make some sacrifices to make this all happen. I must say though I was more energized to be with my family having been away all morning. My 5 year old listened attentively as I described to husband the trials and tribulations and successes of the morning. She heard me say that I came in last in the bike ride. The look on her face let me know she truly felt bad for me. Winning is everything to a 5 year old. Then she asked me why I did the bike ride if it was so tough. And I took the moment to explain to her that sometimes in life it feels good to simply give your very best whether you win or lose. And that's what I did this morning. I tried my very best. She seemed impressed because she then went to go get her shiny medal necklace and put it around my head (too small for mommy). Cool. I realized then that maybe I could teach my daughters something positive about life through all of this. I could see how this experience was already going to be great.

 Next hurdle: find a good, reasonably priced, used road bike. ASAP.
Remember my tailbone incident? TNT sends out weekly emails to inspire and educate the participants. The day after my bike ride, I saw a bike that was being sold from a former TNT participant and it was local! It was 13 years old but solid. I went to take a look at it last Sunday. The bike seemed to be in good working order. Better yet, the owner/rider of the bike is a lymphoma survivor. In her email to me describing the bike she ended by thanking me for what I am doing. She even said I was a hero. Wow...we all know who the real hero is here. Thank you Patti! You are an inspiration to me. I am honored to be riding your bike!

Bike. Check. Swimming here I come...
So this past Monday (2 days ago), I rejoined Lifetime Fitness as I knew I had to practice in the water. Sure I could swim but for how long? Well, my goal on Monday was to swim 20 laps. You have to swim a mile (or 30 consecutive laps, I think) for the Olympic Tri. The good news is that I made it 20 laps but certainly not consecutively or very fast I might add. Swim practice was the following day but I opted out. It was Valentine's Day yesterday and I felt I wanted to be home with my family. Sure I felt guilty not making the swim practice but I knew this was an exception. There would be plenty of cutting out early on the family for practices and training coming up. On Valentine's Day- I stayed put. And I am glad I did. Tomorrow is running and I am actually looking forward to it. This cross-training is great. I have a feeling that having to train on the bike and in the pool is going to make running more fun again. As they say, absence makes the heart grow fonder. Stay tuned!