Purling Sprite

I Did It!

My very first half marathon:

Time: 1:59:57!!!!

I'll report later with pictures (maybe) and the entire enchilada! It was so much fun!

The Day has Arrived

Tomorrow by this time, I will be about in mile 3 of the Ogden Half Marathon. By 9:30am, I should be crossing the finish line and bringing my training for the past three months to an end. In a sense, I feel a little sad that the day has finally come and then I won't have anything to look forward to which has lead me to think of another half or a possible full marathon, the Top of Utah. My neighbor Nish keeps nudging me to prep for the full marathon in September but I don't know if I have enough time...I would need to dedicate about 4 hours one day a week to a looooooong run...I don't know if I can commit to so much time nor to so much distance; but maybe, just the Half. We'll see how I feel after tomorrow's experience.

The past week has been an easy one, I have even knitted two items for the next issue of LKC, which only means that I have been on my butt more than the weeks before. I have tried very hard not to exercise too hard nor to injury myself doing dumb things...like falling off my bike again. Speaking of falling off the bike, my leg is healing well, except that I have a slight strained right ankle from not being able to clip out of my shoes. The right calf is also sporting a huge round bruise, the remains of the pedal hitting me right on the back.

I am excited about tomorrow and anxious as this will be my very first race. A few friends and my darling Sam will be there but we are all at different paces which will have us all finishing at different times. I keep thinking of the items I need to pack, the indecision of carrying my own little water bottles as I do when I run by myself....one more day, one more.

Beef It!

Pedaling along about 18mph, a railroad crossing coming up ahead. Look both ways, nope, no train it is safe to cross. I have crossed plenty of railroad crossings before so this was no biggy. Sam had gone before me and he had done just fine, my front tire went over and then I saw it and I knew right away that I was in trouble. The tracks were deeper than I was used to and not only that, they were set at an extreme angle. Crap! I felt my entire body tensed up, microseconds passed, and I knew that I was going to beef it. My back tire passed over the track but I was already heading to the side of the road. I tried to stop so I put on the brakes which sent my front tire skidding on the bloody gravel! My front tire falling, I tried to unclip and I couldn't, I braced myself for the worst--ending up in the ravine! I felt the crunch of the gravel as I slid down on my side. Finally the bike stopped...and I stopped...and I was trapped under it. Good thing is an all carbon bike thus light as a feather. I tried to move and I couldn't, my right shoulder hurt like bloody hell. Sam by this time had turned around and was trying to assess the damage. Can you get up? Nope, I can't. Please help me up. He helped me and held me for a few seconds. I could feel the tears swelling and on the border of spilling down my cheeks. Then a car stopped to ask if I was okay, I swallowed my tears and said yep. I was okay, and I truly was. I was in one piece, a little bruised but in one piece. I looked down my leg and blood was dripping from a little spot. Darn it! Our friends that were riding with us had turned back by this time and had joined us to make sure that I was okay. A little shaken but okay. As any other cyclist, I picked my bike up and inspected it closely....my beauty had fallen. How stupid could I had been?!?

Adding salt to the wound, as we were ready to pick up and go I saw that my front tire was a little flat...I touched it and sure enough it felt quite flattened. So we turned it around and there it was: a stinking thorn--I took it out and air just popped out of my tire! Darn it!!! At this point, I was sure pissed at my stupidity. I was holding our ride...we had just barely gone 15 miles and we still had 25 miles to go! They all asked if I wanted to go home. Go home, I answered? Nope, no, definitely not! Let's keep going. We are just 15 miles into our ride...we must continue.

15 minutes later we were on our way...new tube in my tire a little bruised but both of us in one piece. As I shifted, my gears were not working. My triple comp had only two of the gears working, all I could think about is the major hill coming up and how I would have to ride without one of my gears. My bike and I were limping away (but I know she has a heart and like my heart we don't give up easily). We just had to work together and put our chins up.

43 miles from start to finish. 28 miles after the mistake. My right side full of bruises. My bike needs a major tune up (thankfully the frame is not scratched anywhere!).

I am grateful that I was kept safe and that my scratches will heal up. I am grateful that Sam was with me to take care of me and my bike. I am grateful that my bike is okay. But most of all, I am SO grateful that my scratches are superficial enough so that I can still run the half marathon next week, I would hate to have had all my training go to waste!.

Friday Fill-Ins

1. The pozole had an extra secret ingredient; it was bay leaves!
2. I can see the rain through my window.
3. Right now, I need breakfast.
4. To the movies (Ironman) and dinner (Indian Food) is where I went Thursday night; it was fabulous.
5. Why does my left calf hurt so much?
6. All I can think of is the half marathon coming up on May 17th.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to staying home and watching some movies, tomorrow my plans include a 10K race in the morning and then a 30mile bicycle ride and Sunday, I want to sleep!

Currently Knitting:

Baby bootees for a friend who just had her little baby about two weeks ago. Pattern comes from Easy Knitted Socks by Jeannette Trotman. The book has easy to follow patterns for the new knitter. Socks done on two needles, booties done on two needles, or socks done with dpns. The Textured Baby Bootees are easy as it comes. All the parts are done separately on two needles and then all the little panels are seamed. The approach is different but easy and they create a pair of cute little bootees!

Failure is not an option!

Wednesday Quote:

Pain is temporary, it may last a minute, or an hour, or a day, or a year, but eventually it will subside and something else will take its place. If I quit, however, it lasts forever."

Lance Armstrong

I read this quote over the weekend on my way to my Saturday ride. Sam was driving and a few friends were with us in the car. When I read it, the quote hit a spot in me. I have always been a stubborn mule and when I fall, I dust myself off and just get up and keep going. It is said that it is hard to defeat a person who never gives up, I would like to be a person like that.

The quote by Lance hit a more special spot yesterday as I went out for my last long run before my very first half marathon, May 17th. The first 10 miles were a piece of cake, I was listening to a book on my Ipod and I felt great, I was pumped and was going at a very leisurely pace. By mile 11 though, I was feeling tired and hot. The temperature was about 70 degrees with a nice sunny day which is perfect for cycling but a little too hot for running. My dark skin attracts the sun and I was literally baking, I have blisters on my arms to prove it (I wear 80spf all the time but even with that on).  By mile 12, I was able to see home (it is a long road) and I just felt sooo tired, I was ready to give up...the heat was way too much for me. I drank a little bit of water and then I dumped the last of the water on my head, the cooling was heaven sent and my heart was a little revived but my legs just wanted to stop. Then, I remember the quote that I had read over the weekend, I pondered it and it just hit my heart. I can't give up on the last mile home, I just can't. I kept going and going then when I finally turned into the cul de sac, I saw my kids and hubby and I just sprang to life. I was home, I had done it! I didn't give up.  I had gone 13.4 miles...a full half marathon and a little more.

Friday Fill-Ins

1. Two of my favorite ingredients in a drink are ice and water!
2. The ability of the body to heal itself often amazes me.
3. You can keep doing that forever, the dog is fetching.
4. mashed avocados, chopped tomatoes, chopped onions, and chopped serranos, mix it all together and voila! You have guacomole!
5. If I had a yard with a garden, I would love to grow calla lilies.
6. swimming is best au naturel.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to taking a nap, tomorrow my plans include running 6 miles, cycling 30 miles, watching Made of Honor, and Sunday, I want to sleep!

Sleepless in Utah

Little Benny has been sick since last Friday which means one thing for everyone in the house: no sleep! The no sleep unfortunately turns us all into crabby monsters. Today, I woke up tired, crabby, sleepy and frankly I was ready to throw in the towel so into the doctor's we went. Thankfully they had an opening at 9:20am which gave us enough time to get Wonderboy to school and then into the doctor's.

The verdict: Little Benny has ear infections (on both ears) right one not so bad but the left one is about to go pop! Uggh, just what I feared. No wonder she has been so crabby and crying non-stop for days.

We got medicine and now we just need to wait it out and hopefully it will start working by tonight...maybe tonight we can all get a good night's sleep.

Zzzzzzzzzzz