Races for 2012 - time to GET IN SHAPE!!

My husband told me on Wednesday that I get emotional when it comes to signing up for races.  That I get caught up in the moment and want to do it all.  That could very well be true - but I love having that carrot dangling out there- that motivation to stay in shape and strive to do better.  So I now have a few races on my calendar for 2012.  The St. Croix half ironman in May, Muncie half ironman in early July, and the Akron half marathon in September are the big ones.  But I also got carried away and signed up for the Miami University triathlon in April and the Vermilion triathlon in August.  And I'm also planning on doing smaller races along the way.  Luckily, I'm back running again after an IT band injury after running the Chicago marathon.  But time to get cracking and whip myself into shape!!

Happy New Year - 2012!!

Another year come & gone - the time sure does fly!  Since my last post, a lot has happened.  I ran in the Chicago marathon with a time of 3:58, qualifying for Boston (if I can get a slot for 2012 - it fills up so fast now).  After the marathon, my friend Judy and I thought we felt so good, we would try to do another marathon in November.  So we started training for the Veteran's Day marathon in Indiana.  But 3 weeks into the training, I got injured with an "overuse" injury - iliotibial band syndrome.  It was so painful in my knee and hip, that I could barely walk, let alone run.  I ended up going to Indiana with Judy so that she could run, and I biked the course.  Lucky for me, biking and swimming did not hurt, so I was able to keep exercising.  But as 2012 starts, I am grateful to say that I can run again.  It's amazing to me how a run outdoors just makes me feel so much better.  My mood is better, I feel more alive, and life is good!
My daughter Caitlin, who has been living with us since August, has now moved to Denver.  It is so quiet around here without her.  Mark and I are enjoying the quiet and I'm thankful to say that he has started running again too (he's been recovering from a torn achilles since February!).
So as January 2012 is now here, it's time to start training for the St. Croix half ironman, which is on May 6th!  It will be a hot one, so it will be difficult training for it during the cold Ohio winter.  Caitlin is doing it too, and it will be a chance for us to see her again.  I was very hesitant about signing up for this race, but Caitlin said that life is too short to always do the things that we're most comfortable with - we need to step outside the comfort zone and stretch our limits.  So ... St. Croix, here we come.  And we are so happy to say that our friends, Mike and Marjan, will be meeting us there for a little vacation too.  Mike and Mark will compete in the St. Croix sprint triathlon.  It will be so much fun!  I'll keep everyone posted on the training progress.
Happy New Year!!