Who's Got a Case of the Mondays...

Ok, so it is completely understandable that after a super awesome weekend, I should be dragging a bit coming back to work today. It also could have something to do with the amount of drinking that happened on Saturday night.

But I'm getting ahead of myself - so this weekend, Ken came down to Dallas with Jake (his golden retriever) for some quality time with his favorite lady (me). It was a blast. Friday night, we went to the new burger bar in Uptown, Ketchup, and had fancy burgers with creme brulee shakes, and the french fry trio, which included sweet potato fries, zucchini fries, and parmesan fries with truffle oil. It was delicious, and surprisingly inexpensive - especially for Uptown. Saturday morning we had breakfast at Cafe Brazil (one of my favorite Dallas spots), and then spent about two hours at RBM where Ken got new pedals for his road bike, and I (finally) got my heart rate monitor fixed. We wouldn't have been there quite as long, only I kind of lost him about halfway through when he went outside to play on the new bike. After RBM, we took Jake over to the dog park on Mockingbird, where he terrorized all of the proper Dallas pooches and their owners by leaping up on tables and running through lots of mud and puddles. After Jake calmed down, though, everyone fell in love with him, as they always do, and everyone kept telling us what a beautiful dog he was. He is pretty - that's why he gets away with murder. Speaking of which, Chuck was not a huge fan of that particular house guest, as Jake for whatever reason decided that Chuck was a giant lollipop, and basically spent the entire weekend coating him in his doggie drool. Chuck's a lover, not a fighter, and he took it fairly philosophically - though he did throw a few blows when Jake got too crazy. We took a terrific video of the two of them that is hilarious - hopefully we can put it up on facebook or something soon.

Saturday afternoon, we went out for a spin around White Rock - Ken's first official ride on the new bike! He did such an awesome job - his natural athletic ability continues to amaze me. Which is good, because as I told him, I really don't know if I could date a guy who was slower than me. Anyways, we hit the trail right as some serious weather was blowing in, so we had to battle what were at least 30 mph winds at a few points, but he was a total trooper and didn't even complain that his first ride took place in a wind tunnel. Of course, there were still plenty of folks out there braving the weather to get in the weekend ride and/or run.

When we got back to the apartment, we ran into a lady and her golden retriever who were playing fetch in the backyard behind the building adjacent to the trails, and she noticed our bikes and started to talk tri's with us - turns out that she was a client of Ahmed's almost 10 YEARS AGO! Pretty wild - she said that he coached her through her first Ironman, after another coach told her their was not way that she could meet her goal for the race (and she didn't just meet it, she beat it). That's Ahmed for you. Anyways, it turns out that she lives practically next door to me, along with another triathlete who is across the hall, so I officially have some resident training buddies! And her dog (Kona, of course) was one of the sweetest golden retrievers I've ever met - hopefully a good buddy for Jake the next time he comes to visit.

Saturday night we spent with Steve and Renee - wine, dinner with wine, and then more wine is basically how the evening went. They are the best neighbors - we all had dinner together at Rockfish, where they were having half price wine night (I mean, come on, you really can't pass that up), and had a blast talking about anything and everything. Then they came back over to our place afterwards where we opened yet another bottle of wine, and let Jake into the living room with Chuck so that they could entertain everybody. We all work really hard, and the evening was a much needed break and chance to just be silly for all of us. I hope we will get to do it again relatively soon.

But then came Sunday... and, embarrassingly enough, the hangover to end all hangovers. Ken went and got me Starbucks, and stayed until I was up and moving around, but then he had to leave to go home and get some schoolwork done, and I had to go model some Playtri apparel for our new website. Yes, that's right friends - I am officially a fashion model. Playtri fashion, that is. The picture on the right is one of the snaps they took while they were setting up the lighting. The focus was, obviously, on the apparel, but I'm hoping to get a few really good shots for myself to use for wooing potential sponsors. If you are reading this as a potential sponsor... don't I look pretty in spandex?

We had a lot of fun at the "shoot," with Ali watching Nick Jr. in the background, and Mary and Jim rigging up all kinds of creative tri pods from various objects in the gym. It was great.

But later that evening, after much rest and hydration, I was still feeling the effects of the night before. Had to do my run, though, so I headed over to the 24 hour fitness center in our clubhouse to hit the treadmills, since there is no way I would run by myself in Dallas after dark (only thing I miss about Denton - well, that and my hottie). I get to the gym, enter the key pad code, and... the door won't open. I call maintenance. They can't help. Neither can the on call office person. Talk about frustrating! I almost threw caution to the wind and hit the trail by myself, but I knew it was just too stupid of an idea. One run isn't worth that kind of risk. But the long and short of it was, I didn't get to run.

So, with such a crazy weekend, I'm dragging just a little bit today. Not much time to waste, though, because with race season officially in gear again, there is lots to be done here. This is going to be a HUGE year for Playtri - and we have to get ready!

And, I have to get pumped for the 2nd Annual Playtri Lonestar Triathlon Camp THIS WEEKEND in Galveston, TX! Expect to hear all about it very, very soon...

Happy Monday!

THE Erin Baker

First, sorry for the long gap between posts... The past two weeks have been insanely busy, with the first Playtri race of the year, and the Austin Half Marathon this past weekend. I'm just now getting caught up on sleep, and back to training. For my results at the Austin 5K, check Facebook or www.youraustinmarathon.com. It was a difficult course with lots of hills, but I was reasonably pleased with my results.

A very cool surprise awaited me at work this morning. You never know who you'll run into here. Pro triathletes, USAT officials, famous coaches - and this morning, who should I meet in the kitchen but Erin Baker herself? I eat her granola almost every day, and there she is making coffee with our Keurig. So we get to talking. no surprise, about nutrition, which is something I struggle with a lot. Yep - I'm a coach and I've got all the info, but it's still hard for me to maintain the level of nutrition necessary for the level of competition that I want to be at. I always go for what is easy and fast, and usually for what I'm craving - which is rarely healthy. Most people would see my diet at a glance, and think that it's reasonably healthy, but if they saw the raw numbers that pop up when I log everything, they would be shocked at the high percentage of fat that I take in every day.

Anyways, Erin shared with me her story of two years ago when she decided to revolutionize her diet with a very simple method - requiring herself to eat a minimum amount of fruits and vegetables a day. That's it. She didn't require herself to cut back on anything, or stop eating things she liked - just to eat a certain amount of fruits and veggies every 24 hours. And she said that when she did that, the other stuff cut itself back, because she wasn't as hungry, and she stopped craving it. Could it really be that easy?? I don't know, but I aim to find out! Less fat, more carbs, here I come...

Ladies, you can hear from this nutritional inspiration as well - she'll be speaking at the CK Sports Ladies Night TONIGHT at CK Sports in McKinney at 6:30 PM! RSVP at 214-383-0088 and come find out how to get your nutrition on track.

Happy Wednesday everybody - the week is halfway through!

A Beautiful Day by White Rock Lake

Finally, FINALLY - the warm Texas weather has returned! The temps got up into the 70's yesterday for my run around the lake with my mom. It was such a huge relief to be outside and wanting to lose layers, as opposed to wanting to add them! We had a wonderful run before mom had to head back to Galveston.

This weekend wasn't ideal in terms of training, though. Saturday was spent entirely in Denton, doing last-minute moveout chores. Which of course means I didn't get a workout in - much to my frustration. Sunday was a little better. Getting the hour run in was great, but I didn't swim - though I did get to go and watch Ahmed coach a one-on-one swim at the SMU Nat, which will probably help my stroke just as much as an hour of practicing would have done. He completely changed my notion of rotation while swimming, and I can't wait to work on adjusting my stroke now. And I have some new drills I can try tomorrow!

Of course, today is Valentine's Day. Not Ken's favorite holiday, but I have finagled him into coming down to Dallas for the night, so at least we'll get to spend some time together, and maybe if I'm lucky I'll score some flowers as well. Originally my gift was supposed to be registration for the Austin Half Marathon... until it sold out. I guess he'll have to get creative now. (I'll be doing the 5K in conjunction with the half, now, much to Aaron's apparent relief - I guess all's well that ends well). I have a 30 minute run today, which I'll get in after work once it's a little warmer. My original intention was to hit the trails pre-work, but it was still a little chilly for me. Especially since I knew it would be in the 70's later on!

I hope everyone has a wonderful Valentine's Day, and a great Monday, too. Adios!

Inspired

Who doesn't want to make history? All of us want to leave our mark on society, in one way or another. And recently, the youth and young adult population of Egypt did just that. They forced a president who was, in reality, a dictator out of his office through sheer force of will and perseverance.

Wow.

I mean, that is HUGE. A call to action on Facebook of all places was all it took to ignite the democratic spirit of an entire population into a flame that literally consumed large cities all over the country. Now that's what I call spirit. Watching the protests in Tahrir Square has been an inspiring experience for me. These are people who know what they want, and are willing to give all of their time and resources to get it. When was the last time I wanted something that badly? Have I ever wanted anything that badly?

I always say that I am passionate about triathlon, but my passion seems so feeble in the face of these people. My complaints about not having time for a two hour workout, or being too lazy to log my nutrition, or not bothering to wear my heart rate monitor - these definitely are not signs of passion.

But the good thing about spirit and passion? They are 100% contagious, and the passion of the Egyptian country has inspired me, and reignited my passion for the thing that is first and foremost in my life - the triathlon lifestyle. It might only last a week, but at least I know now that all I need to get a shot of inspiration is to be around people who are passionate themselves. And I am fortunate to know a lot of people like that! So even when work and training and racing and family and volunteer work start to seem like a burden, I know I can turn to my friends and aquaintances for encouragement and inspiration. What an awesome feeling.

Training? What?

So I've been reading some of my old posts on here, and it occurs to me that even though this was originally, in my head, intended to be a training blog, most of my posts are just about life in general. Which got me thinking. One of the things we always talk about in Playtri is the "triathlon lifestyle." It's the idea that multisport, at its best, isn't just a hobby, it's a way of life - and everything in your life feeds back into it.

Am I living the triathlon lifestyle? I think I am, but sometimes it feels like it's harder than it should be, or like I'm missing too many workouts, or forgetting to log my nutrition, or forgetting to send my coach my schedule, or one of a million other things. Sometimes, I feel like a complete failure of a triathlete. Sometimes I worry Team USA will read this blog and kick me right off. How could they possibly want someone like me representing them at an international competition? The thought is ludicrous.

See, I am secretly a perfectionist. (This isn't actually a secret at all because every triathlete is a perfectionist, deep down). The way this plays out for me is that if I mess one thing up during the week, it's like I might as well not bother with anything else because I've already ruined the week. I know this type of thinking is completely illogical, but that doesn't stop it from happening. Last week was a huge victory for me, in a way, because I didn't log any calories for three days, but then I still logged for the last two days of the week. It's funny sometimes the things that make me feel victorious.

So the hardest part of living the triathlon lifestyle for me is letting go of my mistakes and moving forward - the good news is, I do already view my entire life as affecting my sport (which is why this blog is about anything and everything), I just have to remember that when things go wrong, it doesn't necessarily mean that everything is ruined. It might be slightly damaged, but it can still be pretty good.

I'm working on being ok with just "pretty good."

Movin' on Up... To the South Side!

Well, it's official - as of Monday, February 7th, 2011, I am officially a DALLAS-ITE! I never thought I would be so excited to say that. But I am! My new apartment is huge, and backs right up to White Rock Lake, with my own private (well, at least I only share it with other apartment residents) running trail to access the lake and parks. I have a gas-powered fireplace, gigantic bathtub, and a kitchen that makes my last kitchen look more like a closet! Oh, and let us not forget the parking garage, 24 hour fitness center, and beautiful pool. Living in ghetto Denton student apartments for 7 years will make you appreciate all of these things. I feel like a grown-up!

More importantly, I am now only 5 minutes from work, meaning no more I-35 marathon commutes, and more time to work, train, relax, and just live life - instead of listening to talk radio. At the end of 2010 I sat down with Aaron (my coach) and Ahmed (my boss) to go over my coaching goals for 2011. That's right - just like Playtri athletes have to do their athlete goals and commitments every year, Playtri coaches have to do their coaching goals and commitments every year. And at Ahmed's encouragement, my number one commitment was:

1. Move to Dallas.

Cross that off the list baby!! I had a 6:00 AM weights workout with Ahmed this morning, and it was utterly glorious to roll out of bed at 5:30 AM - and still be right on time! And I even had time for breakfast before I left! Breakfast in front of a roaring fire in my beautiful fireplace!

Life is goooood.

Now, ok, obviously moving is work, and 6 straight hours of it (not counting the commuting time) yesterday definitely left me with some aches and pains. At one point during weights I literally thought my left trap was going seize up and refuse to move. But as I said, it was totally worth it - and, of course, I had my sweet boyfriend helping me all day, so that made it much easier. I couldn't have done it without him.

So anyways, I'll be in a world of hurt when I wake up tomorrow, but at least I'll be waking up to sunshine and trees outside my window, knowing that work is only a painless 5 minute drive away. Completely, 100% worth it.

Want to come see the new place? Give me a ring and I'll have the wine/beer/soda ready!

The Lost Week

So, we had this ice storm come through. Maybe you heard about it. It happened to be the same week we were having the Super Bowl here.

And maybe it messed up some people's plans for the week. Mine included.

Over a solid inch of ice on the roads from Tuesday-Friday this week keep myself and about 99% of the DFW community stuck inside for four days straight, leading to missed workouts, missed work, and very poor eating habits involving alcohol and high levels of fat. I don't think any of us are particularly proud of this.

My feedback report that I sent to Aaron today read something like this:

Monday:
1 hour swim, 2000m, felt good after my hard swim the day before, looking forward to tomorrow's workout.

Tuesday:
Fail.

Wednesday:
Fail.

Thursday:
Fail...

Well, you get the idea. On a side note, for those of you who are coached athletes, your coach would still much rather get this than a false record of workouts that you "did." Just a tip. But anyways, it still isn't pretty to read, and after the awesomeness that was the week before, I was pretty cranky by Thursday, and desperately wanting to get out of the FREAKING house. On Friday, I actually walked two miles in the snow just to get breakfast. And it was probably the best walk of my life.

Needless to say, I didn't get to move to Dallas yesterday. The big move has been postponed until tomorrow (Ken declared today a national holiday), so I'll be taking tomorrow off work to get everything moved and get settled into my new digs. Hopefully having White Rock lake less than 300 yards from my door will be inspiration to get even more of my workouts done. Why is it that every time I start to get on a roll I seem to get jacked up?

Freaking weather.

I've been sitting on the edge of sanity all week. Let's hope moving day doesn't push me over, and that I can get back on track on Tuesday.