O-H MY GOSH!!!!

The Year of Awesome #2

Number two for the 'Year of Awesome' was attend a sporting event. I'm sure this will happen more than once as Dave and I are sports fanatics. Last night was a great event as we had tickets to the Ohio State-Florida men's basketball game. We have been attending the OSU women's games for years as my aunt and uncle have season tickets and they give them to us, but this was the first time in a quite a while that I attended a men's basketball game. OSU is currently ranked #3 and this was one of our big games of the year. And it didn't disappoint. Even though we had nose bleed seats, we still had a great view and it was a great game. Go Bucks!

Second Month Measurements

I've now got two full months of triathlon training behind me. I'd like to say I did all the workouts and they were all great, but I spent a great deal of time sick and no matter how I try, I just haven't figured out the magic combination to get all my workouts done in a week. Maybe this week! Dave and my friends have really started to notice the changes in my body. A friend of mine at lunch the other day told me my shoulders were looking bigger. Dang right! I've been working hard in the pool. But despite what they see, my measurements don't seem to be changing.

Weight = 116.4, basically holding steady
Quads = L - 19.5", R = 19.5", no change, but I swear they look bigger. I've even begun to get that tear drop over my knee.
Biceps = L - 10-3/4", R = 10-3/4", they sure seem bigger than that. :)
Waist = 27-3/4", no change

Today I also took my body fat percentage on my parents' scale. It said 24.5%. I actually think that's pretty good. Last time I had it done, which was years ago, it was more than that. I hope to continue to see that falling. I think body fat percentage will be a better gauge of how fit I am getting.

Hope you all had a great New Year. My year has certainly started off right with a Buckeye win. Rose Bowl Champs! Here's to a great 2010...

December and 2009 Totals

Despite being sick at the beginning of the month and missing a few exercises here and there, it's starting to feel like the workouts are productive. I'm not running as many miles as I'd like but I've had to do runs on the treadmill (cannot get as fast in as lower heart rates) and miss a few to keep myself healthy. I also know that triathlon is not all about the run so I keep reminding myself to be patient. Overall, I'm starting to dig this triathlon stuff.

December...

Swim = 17,950 meters (That's 11.2 miles of swimming!!!)

Bike = 124.13 miles (My first month over 100 miles!!!)

Run = 36.69 miles (I really want to be closer to 100 or at least over 50!)

Other = 2 hours

2009...

Swim = 109,100 meters (68 miles of swimming. Not bad considering I had 8 weeks out of the water with the broken finger.)

Bike = 614.28 miles (I'll probably have more miles by March of 2010 than in 2009 total.)

Run = 852.66 (I was really hoping for 1000. Maybe next year.)

Other = 24 hours (One whole day of doing crunches!)

Tomorrow my beloved Buckeyes play in the Rose Bowl. Of course I'll be watching and I hope you will too, cheering on the Bucks. But even if you're not a football person, try to tune into the parade or halftime of the game. The Ohio State School for the Blind's marching band will be represented and during halftime they will do Script Ohio in braille. If that doesn't bring a tear to your eye, I don't know what will.

Happy New Year. See you in 2010. (And this concludes blogging every day in 2009!!!)

Six Years in a Row!!!

I have lived in Columbus, Ohio my whole life. I have no idea what it is like not to live in a college town. This town in CRAZY in the fall. It's football, football, football!!! This week was no different as we clenched the Big Ten title and the Rose Bowl bid last Saturday. Then we geared up all week for the big game, Michigan. Or should I say, "the state up north." Game day in Columbus is a sea of scarlet. Everywhere you look people are wearing jerseys and sweaters and t-shirts, all Ohio State gear. If you go to the grocery store before the game, there are tons of people buying food for parties. If you go to the grocery during the game, it's a ghost town. Not a sole in sight. After the game, people high five perfect strangers. You can hear cheers of O-H...I-O across the street or any public place.

I love living in a college town. I wouldn't want it any other way.

Go Bucks!

Stopping to Smell the Roses

My Buckeyes have done it again. For the FIFTH year in a row, my beloved Buckeyes has clenched the Big Ten and punched their ticket to a BCS game--probably the Rose Bowl. The last time we were at the Rose Bowl was my freshman year at OSU. A long time ago! I am so excited! I have never been to a bowl game. I'd REALLY like to go. Hey all my SoCal friends, how can I get tickets? Who's going to put us up for a few days? :)

Gosh, I love being a Buckeye. Bring on Michigan week!

Big Shout Out!

Have y'all been watching the Olympics? Dave and I have been glued to our TV. And last night we stayed up really late to watch Ohio State alum Raj Bhavsar and the men's gymnastics team totally kick butt to earn the bronze medal. Raj was an NCAA all-around champion while at OSU. From the Buckeye nation, congratulations and....


O-H!

April Showers....

...bring running in the rain. And since Dave and I both had an interval run and there is only one treadmill, running in the rain it was.

We ran two miles together and then started our intervals. Dave's workout called for 3 minutes on, 2 minutes off and my workout was 5 X 600 at 5K pace with a 400 jog in between. A 5K pace for me is right around a 7:00 mile, which would equate to a 2:37 600. I absolutely suck at pacing these intervals. My intervals were this:
2:24
2:29
2:31
2:31
2:34
By the time I finished I realized that I hadn't done enough warm-up to equate to 8 miles total (including my cool-down) so I had to do an extra long cool-down. My cool-down was WAY faster than my warm-up as it had started to rain heavily and being that I already have a head cold, I just wanted to get finished. Overall, it was a great workout and I am psyched for my half marathon this weekend and Boston in 2 weeks.

And did y'all see my beloved Buckeyes rip it up in the NIT final? Yeah, it was awesome!

It Was Electric

I was trying to put into words what it was like to be at the Ohio State game last night, but this commentary pretty much sums it up.

The Stars Aligned

Saturday was the best day. I got to spend the day with Mary and go to the Ohio State game where we trampled Youngstown State. Then I spent the next 1/2 hour after the game underneath the stadium watching Michigan lose to Applachian State. Those were some of the loudest cheers I heard all day. Finally I got to go home and watch Notre Dame lose. The stars all aligned.

Welcome Home

Welcome home Gordon Gee. We're so glad you've decided to return.

Gordon Gee was the sole reason I decided to go to Ohio State. I had signed my papers to go to the University of Kentucky and was about to drop them in the mail, when my mom asked me to take one more look at Ohio State. I went and while I was there I heard Gordon Gee give a speech. By the end I was in tears and knew I HAD to go to OSU. The next day I sent my acceptance to Ohio State. It was the best decision I ever made.

Oh yeah, it's Thursday. Who or what influenced you to make the schooling choices you did?

One More Game!

The Roller Coaster

It was a roller coaster of a weekend. It started on Saturday with a really good track meet. The kids had been practicing hard and I personally thought they had a lot of talent, but seeing it in a meet setting was a pleasant surprise. I think it's going to be a great season and for several seasons to come.

The good times kept rolling as my beloved Buckeyes made their way into the final four. Yay!!

But then things came crashing down. My family's dog, Oreo, who had been deteriorating for several month jumped out of her cage at the vet's office and couldn't walk anymore. The vet x-rayed her and she had a tumor in her stomach and her last two vertebrae were virtual nonexistant. My dad made the tough choice to put her down. I cried my way through dinner. We've had Oreo for 15 years. My dad buried her today.

Sunday had an upswing, though. I finally made it through a 20 mile training run. I ran 4 miles from my house to the school where I met my dad. He ran 12 miles with me and then I ran the 4 miles home. Total run time was around 2:48. I'm so glad to have the last long run (and my only long run) done.

Now it's Monday and there are only 14 working days until the marathon. I'm hoping for smooth sailing for the next several weeks.

Elite Eight, Baby

Oh. My. Gosh.

March Madness

Countdown: 37 hours until the awesomeness!