Hello, Blogging!

Hey there, regular blogging ;)

I miss regular daily blogging. So I'm back. And I'm working on a site redesign so it will be easier for you all to read and comment and for me to post and reply. It's getting exciting!

I never set my alarm and accidentally got 8.5 hours of sleep. Normally I average 5-7, so this slumber was luxurious! I started the day with a Svelte sustained energy protein drink. I received these in the mail as a sample and now have an addiction.

They are smooth, creamy, sweet-but-not-too-sweet, mostly organic, dairy-free, low-glycemic and gluten-free. Amazing. I may have had the Chai flavor later in the day too :-P I don't normally order my food online in bulk, but I'm definitely going to order a case of these!

The lovely Gina and I took a trip to Whole Foods recently. She inspired me to make massaged avocado kale salad, so make it I did! I haven't been cooking (or un-cooking) in a while, so it was nice to get my hands dirty with some fresh produce! (This time I added a can of blackeyed peas :) Delicious!

Among other eats I munched on raw almonds and pumpkin seeds at work.

I was stopped dead in my tracks today when I received a package on my doorstep from Vee. Vee is a fellow tweeter and athlete who I met in Philly. She reads this blog and always offers so much motivation!

Vee sent me an Ironman Mile Stones hand crafted pewter necklace to celebrate my race. It has a swim/bike/run image on the front and the 2.4/112/26.2 distances on the back. I couldn't be more thankful- or proud to wear it!

Thank you so much for all your sweet words on the Great Floridian Ultra Triathlon Race Recap!! Here's some follow-up to that post:

My recovery plan:

Sunday- I took Sunday off from any kind of exercise! I was out and about with work and friends, but movement was minimal :) I was tight in my hips and sore in my joints, but nothing too bad!

Monday- Monday Fun Day I felt almost back to normal so I headed to a hot power yoga class. I told myself to not focus on a "I just did an Ironman so I can't do _____" story. I went in with an open mind and willing body. I felt strong and kept up through the whole practice. Better yet, after class I felt 100% back to normal! Not a thing was sore. Weird.

Tuesday- Tuesday I ran out of time so just squeezed in an easy 30 minute bike ride. It felt good to get my legs moving! All soreness still gone.

Wednesday- Today I ran three miles. Other than a little WTF from my calves, the run went well. Feels good to be back!

Ironman Q + A:

Running Wifle: Did you do any sprint triathlons before the half and then the full?

My half Ironman was my first triathlon- and first open water swim! I was highly active in endurance races and had already completed the bike and run distances several times. I wouldn't say jumping in that high in the game was a bad thing, but doing some shorter races first can help you flow better in the triathlon (transitions, etc.).

Taydor Tott: But what oh what did you say to that cop?! lol

I turned him down. I asked him if he had ever thought of doing "one of these things." He said he was thinking about it. LOL, he was lying. Poor guy.

Learn Fitness: Knowing what you know now, how would you train differently for your next Ironman ofr Half Ironman?

I would devote more training to my weakest sport (swimming), actually do brick workouts (I didn't do a single true brick workout!) and train on the terrain of the race (HILLS).

Peanut Butter Fingers: Would you ever do it again? :)

As I started my swim I told myself, "do this now and you'll never have to do it again." I hated the end of the bike course so much that the thought of tackling another Ironman was the funniest thing I could have thought up in that moment. Then I signed up for my next less than 24-hours later. Yes, it was hard. It pushed me and tested me in every way. But I did it. And, really, it was only one hard day of my life. For all the good a challenge like that brings, I can do anything for 17 hours.

Many of you mentioned training for your first triathlon, half Ironman or full Ironman. There are obviously a LOT of tips I could cover, but here are a few that stand out days after the Ironman:

- Put more food than you think you'll want in the special needs bags. The last thing you want is to be hungry. Also, pack fun food you can look forward to. A pb-naner sandwich I packed had me excited to get to mile 39 on the bike!

- Train in conditions similar to the course as much as possible! If it's all hills, ride and run all hills! Get in open water swims.

- Plan as if everything will go wrong. My tri shorts ripped, my chain fell off, I forgot my lip balm for the bike leg (big deal to me!!)... plan, plan and over-plan for all that could ever possibly go wrong!

How do you commemorate your big achievements? Do you ever use jewelry?