Cedars of Lebanon Tri

Michele, Me, Wayne, and Patrick

Zbuck!

Connor's stitches are out!

Yesterday I did the Cedars of Lebanon Triathon (my third) and it was a sprint. Because I have been such a slacker this summer with my training..it was difficult and I am not exactly proud of my performance. But, at least I was out there...right? I need to be fully awake for any morning races/work-outs so I set my alarm for 4:00 and began the wake-up process. I got ready and arrived in Lebanon, Tn around 6:00. I was one of the first one's there! (I am so over zealous) When I found out my race number and found the place to rack my bike..I knew I had made a mistake. For some reason I put down a REALLY fast swim time so they put me up close to the front. I was number 163. No pressure! As I was picking up my race packet..I ran into a fellow blogger. ZBUCK!! I knew who he was immediately, because he looks just like the photos on his blog. I introduced myself and I met his brother . Zbuck was really fun to hang out with after the Tri. I also saw the usuals....Wayne, Michele, and Patrick. The swim was REALLY difficult for me..it was a 300 meter but since I can't swim worth anything..I struggled. I think got passed by like 100 people. Ther bike portion was no picnic either. LOTS of hills. Once again I called out to all the live stock I passed to see if I would get a re-action to take my mind off of it. I don't know why I can't resist the urge to do that. There's no tellin' what the people around me are thinking when I do that. HAH! The run was also hard. I saw so many people pass me on the turn-around..people I was close to in the swim line when we started. BUT..Wayne came back for me when he was finished and ran the last mile (which was uphill) with me to keep me from walking. THANK-YOU WAYNE!! AND>> I even passed a guy I started the swim leg with. He passed me in the pool and was out WAY before me..and I caught up to him in the run leg and beat him!

I ended up coming in 12th out of 23 in my age group. Nothing spectacular. Oh well. It was fun. If I am going to do tris..I have GOT to get out of this slacker mind set and actually train. I can't beat myself up for not performing well if I'm not training properly. I was dog tired after the tri and went home and took a nap. Next stop...Staggerwing Du in Tullahoma next weekend!

Connor got his stitches out last week. I took that picture right after they were taken out..and the scar is actually almost white today. Incredible! No one will even notice it in a few months.

3 days later

Connor UpDate: We removed the bandage about an hour ago to get a peek of the damage and it's looking good. The swelling has gone down, and it's a little bruised, but it's not near as ugly as it was the night it happened. It's going to leave a mark for sure, but I think after it fades it won't be that bad. He hasn't complained of any pain or asked for anything like Advil or anything. He's a trooper. He has been really calm (unlike him) since it happened so I know it was hurting, but last night his energy and personality started to return. Today he's smiling again. The swelling in his lip is almost gone but the tooth is still loose. (cringe)

Yesterday I ran a 5 k with Bailey and Christy. I ended up having to push Christy's stroller which contained her 2 year old son and it was a work-out! My butt was on FIRE during that run. Needless to say I didn't even come close to a P.R., but I want to push him around at least once a week now because I think if I did my strength would improve tremendously. I'd hit all kinds of P.R.'s!

Once Again...

I had just run a 4.3 mile loop with Fleet Feet, and I had taken a shower when Bailey came busting into the house screaming. I only caught bits and pieces, but I heard "Fracture", "Medics", and "Connor", and "he's gonna die." Immediately I felt my blood rise to my head and I started shaking..and I thought the worst. Like maybe he'd been hit by a car. I was terrified! I had on my P.J. bottoms and a tank top and dashed to my car along with Bailey and Doug, and we drove to the scene. There were about 20 people..mostly kids and 6 or 7 adults gathered around him when we got there, and one of them was a doctor. He already had Connor's head bandaged. Apparently Connor had been racing some kids he knew in the church parking lot on his Scooter and slammed into a pole with a concrete footing. When he left the house he had his helmet on, but he had taken it off...of course...as soon as he was out of sight. The doctor on the scene (one of the parents of the kids Connor was playing with) directed us to the E.R. and assured us he would be fine but he would definitely need stitches. THANK GOD it wasn't serious! There was blood EVERYWHERE so I am sure Bailey just completely freaked and thought he was dying. He ended up with 9 stitches and it looks like the scar on Harry Potter's head. (Just in time for the release of the new Harry Potter movie AND novel. ) This is the 4th time Connor has had stitches in his short life. (He'll be 8 in October). He ALSO had a busted lip and one of his permanent front teeth are loose. I am fine with blood and cuts, but teeth....I'll hit the floor. When I saw that the tooth was loose, I got weak and sickly. (I have to have gas just to get my teeth cleaned and I have NEVER been able to pull the kid's teeth. Bailey always does it for himself AND Connor. I'd pass out) Anyway, the tooth should tighten back up in a few weeks. (just typing this makes me lightheaded). He did that once before with his baby teeth and loosened them from a bike wreck. They were all crooked after that..but they tightened up. PLEASE let this one stay in his mouth!! I couldn't deal if he lost it. I'd freak every time I looked at him.

Speed sessions

Speed sessions really killed me last night. One mile warm up..then 4x1200 Intervals. I did the first 3 right on the mark in 5:45 with a 5:00 rest in between..but that last one was a killer. I really didn't do it. Just here and there with it. The last lap I decided to run with speed racer Jeff and try and do a 1:20 400. He was going to pace me and I got to the 200 mark in 40 seconds..started tasting metal, then quit. And to think this is his 10k pace!! How in the Heck??

Today I worked like a dog grooming dogs, then I went and swam laps. I am not sure what I have done, but I have a pain in my neck that is shooting down my arm. It started after the swim work-out. Hmmmm.

Tomorrows plan is to run the 4 mile loop with Fleet Feet (in my neighborhood...like a treadmill). We will see how that goes. My last few longer runs have been really sad. REALLY sad. I feel like I have never run before. I HATE that. I have a 5k Saturday and I want to break 24:30 but I don't see that happening.

Where have I been??

I have been working my bootie off....THAT"S where I have been! The summer months are the busiest for me, and the majority of my income is earned this portion of the year. I can't possibly catch up on everything I have been doing since my last post, but the quick version is training, working, and going on vacation last week to Florida where I was a TOTAL slacker! Well..not completely..I swam laps everyday in the pool. 1000 m at a time and I felt really good. But, I only ran once and it was so hot I did a half-ass attempt so I skipped out on the running the rest of the week. I ran 6 miles yesterday after we got home from a 7.5 hour drive and I felt good to be moving. Here lately my runs feel like I am brand new, but I think it's because of the heat and humidity. I ran a 5 k on the 4th of July and my time was so pathetic I aint even gonna post it. Really embarrassing. Oh well. I am lifting weights today, and I have speed sessions tomorrow..so maybe I can swim on Wednesday. Hopefully. My next Tri is next weekend and I really need to get to the pool. So that's it. BORING I know. Sorry. If I think of anything exciting I have missed.. I will post it. Cheers!