Members of the month!

Hey- that's us! 

A couple weeks ago, Andrew and I got some good news and some less-good news. The less-good news was that our TRX instructor Kelly is leaving our gym to take an awesome new job (I'm not calling it bad news, because its great for her!). The good news is that (a) she's continuing to teach our TRX class for at least a few more months, and (b) as one of her final acts at the gym, she nominated Andrew and I to be members of the month!

We're thrilled about this for the obvious reason- it feels great to have our efforts recognized. But we're also thrilled because we love our gym as much as our gym loves us!

I bought my house in Eastport in 2003. That same year, Annapolis Athletic Club opened up its doors a mere 60-second walk from my own. For the next 6 years, I constantly heard great things about AAC and I thought about joining, but I was always turned away by the price. I'm not going to say how much it costs, but it is one of the more expensive gyms in the area. As a graduate student turned therapist-paying-off-grad-school, I could not imagine forking over what they were asking each month.

For those same 6 years, I also exercised... sometimes. When I was at Yale, I would manage to use the (amazing) Yale gym about twice a week. It was about two miles from my house- a 10-minute drive or 30-minute walk- and that was far enough to make excuses not to go. I signed up for fitness classes and always dropped out. I did exercise DVDs or ran from home, but often made excuses to skip those activities too. I doubted my ability to stick to any kind of exercise consistently.

Then, in the 2009-2010 academic year, I signed up for a very intense schedule of full-time work, classes, and a 20-hour/week internship doing grief counseling. As a bonus, those 20 hours included one 8-hour shift guiding people through the decedent identification process at the DC morgue (you can read about that here). I spent the summer leading  up to that trying to mentally prepare myself for the intense schedule and emotional work. Then, in late July, less than one month out from the start of my crazy year, I got dumped. Suddenly and painfully.

In the first two weeks after the breakup, I thought "What am I going to do now? How am I going to survive this and help people when I'm a total mess?" And that's when I re-considered AAC. I knew I needed to do something to focus on myself and relieve my stress. I also found a new way to think about the cost: I added up what I used to spend on my relationship. I thought about gas to visit him, meals I paid for, and presents I bought him. I realized I probably spent twice as much on my relationship as I would on the gym. So, it was decided: the gym would be my new boyfriend.

I joined AAC in August 2009 and I knew I wanted to do group classes. I soon realized that the only classes which fit my schedule were at 6am. As someone who once struggled to get up for 10am classes, this worried me, but I decided to give it a go. Soon, I was hooked. I realized what had been missing from all of my previous exercise attempts: other people! I am a people person, and I am more motivated by relationships than anything else. The people in the 6am classes were nice, and fun, and they noticed me pretty quickly. Once I felt like I knew them, those relationships motivated me to keep showing up. Now, 3 years later, I consider many of those people true friends.

Naturally, when Andrew moved to Annapolis, I wanted him to be part of my gym community too. I didn't want to pressure him, so I just invited him to take a few classes as a guest and see what he thought. I never imagined that he would become so committed so quickly! The progress he has made is amazing and I couldn't be more proud.

Read our full story here, on the gym website!

IronGirl #2!

A chilly race morning with my fellow Wonder Women, Christin and Linda! 

About 3 weeks ago, I crossed the finish line at IronGirl Columbia thinking "Whew, I made it!" My next thought? "And I'm doing it again in less than a month!" 

This year's IronGirl Columbia sold out so fast that it actually crashed the race organizer's website for 3 days. Given this "unprecedented popularity," the organizers decided to sponsor a second race: the inaugural IronGirl Rocky Gap at Rocky Gap state park in Western Maryland. They billed it as a "girl's getaway" weekend and warned that it would sell out quickly. It sounded like a nice weekend away, so I signed up the day registration opened. 

As it turns out, the organizers were correct about the nice weekend, but way off-base regarding the potential for a sell-out. For whatever reason, women were not scrambling to sign up for this race and it wound up being pretty small: 425 finishers. Columbia had over 1600. Given the low turn-out and the fact that this was an inaugural event, I had concerns. Would it be a disorganized, never-to-be-repeated mess? 

I should have trusted the very experienced people at the Columbia Triathlon Association. This was a great race! Here's the rundown: 

The Location

The race took place at Rocky Gap Lodge and Resort, which is located inside Rocky Gap state park in the mountains of western MD. Despite the low turn-out, the Resort sold out months before the race and long before I had thought about my own arrangements. Fortunately, one of my Wonder Women training buddies came to the rescue! She had experience in the hotel industry and knew just what to say on the phone to get myself and another WW friend amazing rooms at a great discount. 

Andrew and I arrived Saturday afternoon and we were thrilled with everything. The park was beautiful, the resort was fabulous, our room was HUGE and came with a late check-out for race day. And the best part? The transition and race start were basically on the lawn of the resort. No need to get up at 3AM on race day and take a shuttle or hunt for parking. We checked in at the tiny expo and WALKED to the bike racking. 

My equipment MAN-ager.

I got a few strange looks racking my bike in a fancy dress. It wasn't race day! 

After racking, we met up with my Wonder Women buddies Linda and Christin (the hotel fairy) and went out for dinner and some last-minute forgotten item shopping. We also picked up some sweatshirts because it was cold! Linda and Christin had attended the pre-race course talk and delivered some wonderful news to me: "The race director says that the bike course is easier than Columbia." 

The next morning, we got up at 5:30, which is amazingly late by triathlon standards, had some breakfast in the resort, and WALKED to the race start. The rest of the day could have been a disaster after that, and I still would have loved this race. 

The Swim

Morning fog over the lake. 

Race morning was very chilly (only in the 50's), but the announcer assured us that the water temperature was still in the 80's. So, for once, I was actually looking forward to getting in the water in order to warm up! With a smaller race, the swim waves went much faster and they re-arranged the order from Columbia so I was in wave #3. I was excited to start in an earlier wave, but worried that my earlier start would mean being swam over by faster racers behind me. 

I needn't have worried. Given that we were a small race in the middle of a big lake, it felt like everyone had plenty of room. My swim did not go quite as well as IronGirl Columbia, but it was pleasant enough and I finished the .5 mile course in 28:23 (ranking-wise, my weakest showing of the day). 

Transitions

For the first time in a tri, I really had to go to the bathroom between race legs. For reasons beyond my comprehension, race organizers never put port-a-potties anywhere near transition. So, I had to go out of my way and wound up with a 7-minute T1. T2 was better, at 2:54, but nowhere near as quick as the sub 2-minutes I have managed in the past. 

The Bike

Smiling because I have no idea what's coming. 

After the swim, I hopped on my bike and quickly realized that whomever gave the course talk was a big fat liar. No more than 5 minutes after mounting my bike, I was huffing and puffing up a huge hill... and then another... and another. Around minute 15, I started to worry that I might have to drop out of the race. So. Many. Hills. Naturally, as soon as I considered quitting, things got a little easier. The uphills continued, but they got a little less steep and there were more downhills for building up momentum. Still, I have no idea why someone would suggest the course was easier than Columbia. Maybe because it was 1.5 miles shorter?

 The bike course was an out-and-back, and the only real inaugural race hiccup happened at the turnaround. In IG Columbia, the turnaround happens in a nice, big middle school parking lot. There's an aid station, a bathroom, a bike repair crew, and plenty of room to stop if you need to. The Rocky Gap turnaround was literally in the middle of a narrow street at the bottom of a steep hill. As I approached, I saw flares and a line of volunteers yelling "Slow down and downshift!" The next thing I knew, I was riding into an absolute clusterf* of riders trying to navigate the sharp turn without falling and/or crashing into the people who had stopped to use the mid-road "aid station." 

I could have used a gel break, but I didn't even think about stopping. Instead, I eased my way through the turn and- with no momentum at all- started struggling through the steep climb ahead. Behind me, I heard several screams as someone wiped out. Later, I chatted with other racers and learned that "wipeout" was pretty much the theme for that turnaround. I hope they find a better place next year!

The return leg of the bike course was challenging, but felt more manageable simply because I knew what was coming. In the end, I covered 16 miles in 1:20. Ranking-wise, that's still a weak showing, but it was a slight improvement over my IG Columbia performance. 

The Run

I don't have any photos of the run (yet) because I over-estimated how long the bike course would take. This meant Andrew missed my bike in and run out, and didn't catch me again until after I finished. The run was by far my favorite leg of the race and my strongest showing of the day. Compared to IG Columbia, it felt SO EASY! It was only 3 miles, as opposed to 3.4, and the hills were minimal. In fact, it felt like the overall trend was flat-to-downhill. I still had to deal with the post-bike "jelly legs" feeling in mile 1, but I felt great in miles 2 and 3. I felt even better when I sprinted across the finish line having finished my first tri run with zero walk breaks! My time for the run was 33:24. Ranking-wise, that was a middle-of-the-pack finish and over 100 places better than my back-of-the-pack swim and bike times. My overall time was a much-better-than-expected 2:32:03. 

Finished! 

Post-Race

After the race, I really experienced the benefits of the small turnout. Rather than a zoo of people and long lines, the finish festival was basically a little picnic by the lake. I found my friends easily and had plenty of time to chat and grab whatever tasty food I wanted. After comparing races with Linda and Christin, Andrew and I headed back to the huge room where we took full advantage of the late check-out (read: long showers and ample time to sort gear and pack). As we were walking back to the hotel, we heard the race announcer give the date for next year's Rocky Gap and we both agreed that we will be back! 

August catch-up post #2: IronGirl Columbia.

Is this the gun show? 

For my second of three August catch-up posts: a race recap of the 2012 IronGirl Columbia triathlon!

I signed up for my second IronGirl on the morning after the 2011 NYC marathon. At that point, I was at the height of a great year of racing and looking forward to the next year. A few weeks later, IronGirl announced a new event: a second women's tri, in September, at a resort in western MD. At that point, I was still looking forward to 2012 as a big racing year, so I didn't hesitate to sign up for IronGirl#2! A couple months later, I signed up for the 2012 Marine Corps Marathon.

I think we all know what happened after that. To my great surprise, 2012 changed from "year of big races" to "year I get married." Except, of course, all those races are still on my schedule. My training is WAY behind, so I approached IronGirl Columbia with dread. I expected it to be a fiasco. At best, I thought I would feel awful by about mid-way through the bike leg. At worst, I thought I might not finish. In the days leading up to the race, I told all my friends that it would be a disaster and I meant it.

Now, I am happy to report that my fears were exaggerated. My 2012 race was definitely slower than 2011, but I actually felt better.  Here's the rundown:

The Swim

If you look closely, you can see me chatting with my friend Andrea before wading in! 

Whatever swimming magic came over me during the dress rehearsal in July, it continued on race day. I stunned myself by freestyling the whole thing! I have no idea how I managed this. My hunch is that it was a combination of TRX (which has strengthened all my swimming muscles) and slowing down. Usually, I switch to backstroke when I need to catch my breath. This time, I kept the pace down and never had to catch my breath. I came in over 3 minutes slower than last year (37:44 vs. 34:24), but I was still ecstatic.

Transitions

Transitions are the one area of triathlon where I usually make it out from the back of the pack. Being a type-A super-organizer comes in really handy at transition time! This time, though, I was trying some new things: bike shoes and a Camelbak for the bike leg. I didn't take the time to practice those things, and getting it all together took a bit longer than it should have. I'll be more ready next year.

The Bike

Smiling because I haven't fallen off! 

Last year, I was most afraid of the swim leg of IG. This year, all of that anxiety transferred to the bike. As in any triathlon, the bike leg of IG is more than half the race. The IG bike course is also hilly and HARD. I knew I had not trained for it, and I was afraid that I would fall apart on the first hill. Adding to my anxiety was my new clipless pedals. I started using them a few weeks before the race because they help on hills, but I am still getting used to clipping in and clipping out... and, by "still getting used to," I mean "still falling off my bike on most rides." In the final weeks before the race, I made a strategy for avoiding wipeouts during the race, and I practiced it successfully, but I was still worried. What if I fell off in front of all the spectators during the mount or the dismount? Even worse, what if I fell off on the course and caused other riders to fall?

Thankfully, my "no wipeout" strategy worked. In a nutshell, I avoided clipping in until I was very secure on the bike, and I clipped out long before I needed to stop. I am also happy to report that, in addition to not falling off, I also did not fall apart. The hills were challenging, but I made it. In fact, I think I did about as well as last year. My overall time was a little slower (1:31 vs. 1:26), but I think the extra 5 minutes came from a bathroom break I didn't take last year. One improvement over last year was my hydration. Having realized that I am incapable of grabbing a water bottle while riding, I switched to a Camelbak and it worked like a charm!

The Run

Starting my final sprint! 

The run was where I experienced the full disadvantage of being a young and slow swimmer. At IG, the younger athletes enter the water in the latest swim waves. Being in the "30-34/ last name A-L" wave, I was 3rd from last starting the swim. Being a slow swimmer, I exited the water with people from the last leg. Given that I'm a pretty slow biker too, I didn't pass many of those slower swimmers on the bike. So, by the time I got to the run leg, I was among the final racers left on the course.

What happens when you start a run course late? The course is crowded with non-racers just out for a stroll in the park. Also, many of the racers still left on the course are walking. The IG run course is very challenging on its own, without having to weave around people out for a stroll or avoid the temptation to join the walkers all around you. I managed to keep my head in the game for miles 1 and 3, but I lost it a bit in mile 2. There were a lot of hills in that mile, and I did a lot of walking. In the end, I finished a little slower than last year (39:23 vs. 38:57), but my finish was stronger. Last year, I jogged over the line and was immediately seized by stomach cramps. This year, I managed a finishing sprint and felt great!

Overall

My overall time for this race was 2:56:32. Just over 10 minutes slower than last year's 2:46:22. I'm always disappointed when I see a slower race result, but given the fact that I was expecting a disaster, I have to be happy with that. After the race, I caught up with the many friends who also did the race this year: several Wonder Women, two high school friends, a college classmate, one of my trainers from the gym, and a Loyola classmate who was there as a cheerleader.

My friend Caitlin and I representing South River High School class of '97! 

As always, this was the best part of the whole event. It feels great to be part of such an active, fit group of friends! One IronGirl down, one to go...

Interlude: active vacation.

True!

I am interrupting my previously-scheduled "August update" posts about IronGirl #1 and the A10 to bring you a report on a short vacation I took with Andrew and his brother this past weekend. Fear not- the IG and A10 stories are coming soon!

Andrew's family has a very long friendship with two ladies who own a summer home and cabin in Mount Desert Island, Maine. Growing up, Andrew spent at least a week there pretty much every summer. I believe it looked something like this:

The O'Briens, ca. the mid-90s.
This is before the addition of Andrew's youngest brother, Marquis. 

As far as I know, Andrew has never missed a Maine trip and he really wanted me to come along this year. I was skeptical, as back-to-school time tends to be VERY busy in the children's mental health world. In the end, though, I agreed to go up for an extended Labor Day weekend. I stayed at the office until 10pm the night before we left, making plans for other therapists to cover the fully 50% of my caseload that is in crisis at the moment. To put it mildly, it was very hard to walk away.

Fortunately, the next few days wiped work right out of my mind. Our flight to Maine didn't leave until 10pm, so we took the opportunity the day before to handle one of our wedding errands:

Licensed to wed! 

I was surprised and pleased that the process of applying for a wedding license at the courthouse is actually quite romantic. Everyone involved took the time to congratulate us and wish us well. I thought that was lovely, considering they see dozens of people apply for licenses every day, and they also see many of these people return some time later to file for divorce. Somehow, optimism reigns at the Anne Arundel County Circuit Court!

A little over 12 hours later, we touched down in Mount Desert Island, ME and met up with Andrew's older brother, Chris. After a long sleep and lazy morning, Chris led us (me, really) on a driving tour of the island. It was foggy and windy, but we still caught some amazing views:

Cadillac Mountain.

"The Bubbles," which Chris hiked the day before we arrived. 

That night, we headed into downtown Bar Harbor for a raucous Maine Friday night:

What happens in Bar Harbor...

The next day, Andrew and I were feeling rested up and ready for some adventures of our own. We started the morning with a 6-mile run along the Island's "carriage roads." These are 55 miles of roads, apparently built by the Rockefellers. Once, they were used for carriages. Now, they are used by hikers, runners, bikers, and horseback riders. No cars, no noise- just soft gravel paths and breathtaking scenery like this:

6 miles hasn't felt that easy in a long, long time. Even Andrew, who usually does a walk-run combo, was able to run almost the entire distance. Sadly, the weather kept us from repeating our run the next day, but I definitely look forward to exploring more of the carriage roads on a future trip.

After the run and lunch, Andrew and I rented canoes to paddle around a huge, beautiful lake. I hadn't canoed since the great triathlon wedding of 2011, so I was very excited to pick up a paddle again. Despite our longish run in the morning, we managed to stay in the boat for over 2 1/2 hours, taking in almost the entire lake and having a great time in the process. As we paddled back to shore, we talked about how grateful we are to be able to have active, adventurous vacations. It makes all the 6am workouts worth it!

The next day, we got a steady, soaking rain all day. So, we traded in adventures for reading and eating:

I suspect we'll see the results of that day (and all of our meals out) on the Weight Watchers scale this week, but it was worth it!

On Labor Day, Chris drove 18 hours (!) to return us to our doorsteps and our jobs. We slept through our alarms the past two days, but this reprieve won't last long: one of us (ahem) has IronGirl #2 this weekend!