Run. Bike. Run.

I'm just a regular mom.  Nothing I do or post is anything spectacular as far as times, speed, weight, etc.  Really this is just to show others out there that it doesn't take anything crazy to be 'fit.' 

Lara first two mile run

Matt first two mile run

Lara bike

Matt bike

Lara finish second 2 mile run

Matt finish second 2 mile run

Lara picking up her swag for winning her age group

Matt's swag for the military division

Last weekend, Matt and I participated in the West Point duathlon.  This wasn't an extremely long or challenging event:  run 2 miles (flat), bike 14 miles (not flat!), run 2 miles (flat).  I was not trained specific for this type of event as my focus as been solely weight lifting with HIIT a couple times per week the past 5 months.  I hit the bike a total of three times prior to this event and ran one 6-mile run and one 2-mile run.  

It was a chilly morning with temperatures in the 30's but the sun was shining.  The run course paralleled the Hudson River on the quick flat PT test course for West Point.  As I counted the women in front of me at the turn around, I sat in 3rd or 4th.  I clocked something around 14:29 for the first two miles.  That is about my ONLY strong point of the ENTIRE race.  Basically I suck at transition, so so at the bike, and my legs are dead on the second run following the bike.  I came into transition one as the 3rd female, but probably left out as the 6th or 7th.  I kind of felt like I might have a slight advantage on the bike being that we live on West Point, and we tested out the course one time prior to the race.  After we exited Washington gate, the bike course followed Route 293 to Camp Bunker and every time I have rode in the past year of living here, that is the road I ride.  The bike course started with a pretty steep uphill and continued for probably 4 miles all up.  As I rode by other riders they all kept asking how much further is it going to go up?  I kept track of the couple of females that passed me on the ride.  Being that the bike is always my weakest event, I knew I probably wasn't going to be able to catch them.  By the time I finished the bike, with the windchill my toes and fingers were numb. 

As I came into transition two, all I kept thinking was "I am SO hungry and should be eating Meal #2 now."  For those of you who follow my same eating schedule, you know what I'm feeling like at this point.  One of the race volunteers said as I got off the bike "You have finished the hardest part, now just a 2-mile run."  I thought "yes, he is right."  Then....I hit the road running and my legs felt like dead weight.  Basically, I got through the next two miles and was happy to be finished.  My second two mile run was not impressive what so ever, 17 minutes and some change (awful).

I ended up winning my female age group and was the 7th female overall.  I don't find that to be impressive at all considering every female that beat me was older by a handful of years and a 48 year old beat me!  Must, work, HARDER. 

Matt and I's life dilemia is how to fit in everything we like to do.  We don't necessarily want to train solely for races.  That would mean my weight lifting has to take a back seat, and I don't like that.  Generally speaking, I'm looking to be an overall bad ass (thanks Joe S.).  I don't want to go out there and win every event.  I want to have an overall fitness level that allows me to compete in all sorts of events, survive, and maybe even challenge some folks. 

For now I'll stick to heavy lifting a couple times per week, a high intensity Crossfit workout a time or two a week, and maybe one cardio day.

Next up, tomorrow...the Bear Mountain 1/2 Marathon.  Say I if you don't think this girl is trained for that event either.  "I!"

Wish me luck!
I haven't posted any "what I've eaten today" blogs since my first b/c I haven't changed it up yet.  I tend to eat the same things for a while until I get sick of them.  Typically 5 out of my 6 meals daily are the same.  The dinner changes each night though, but usually lacks creativity.