Black Friday Workout

I did a different kind of workout on Black Friday.  My husband, Bill manages a large department store and I volunteered (hello??? what was I thinking???) to come in at
3:00 am when they opened and help in the shoe department.  I got there at 3:05 and the line was still filing in the door.   The first 250 customers in the door received a gift card and one of them was for $1000!!!!!!!!

By 3:10 am it was jam packed.  People looked like they were in a feeding frenzy over the $19.99 boots that were for sale.  (I have to admit - it was a great deal!)  I saw people with stacks of 5-6 pair of boots!!  We found discarded and stray pair all over the store throughout the day.  I've never seen anything like it.  It was like a feeding frenzy. 

The poor tables were absolutely demolished - and under the tables.... an unbelievable mess. I was assigned the task of "trying" to put the shoes left all over the place back with like animals and picking up the "trash" that came from all the paper and inserts in the shoes.  I have never squatted and bent down more times in the 10 hours that I worked than ever before.  Talk about a good workout.  (secretly I know I'm getting a good workout, so I enjoy going in to help).  (Hello..... what is wrong with this picture???)  

Saturday and then also on Sunday the soreness in my low back and adductors let me know just how many times I used them.  I am a glutton for punishment.  But you know what... it was worth it knowing that I helped Bill and his store have an amazing Black Friday.  And... I didn't buy a single thing!  That day anyway.

Way Past Due Mighty Magnolia Triathlon Race Report

Finished my last triathlon of the season last Saturday (this post is way overdue - the race was Saturday, October 8th) with the Mighty Magnolia in Hattiesburg, MS.  A little bit of performance pressure with this race since my friends and I all wanted to represent well at our local race.  Judy, Deanna, Lesley and I swam the course, rode the course and ran the course a few times within the last couple weeks.  Deanna said it kind of felt like cheating - being able to train on the race course - I know what she means and I kind of felt the same way......for about 5 minutes.  Then I was over it! 

Since this was our local race I did some volunteering before the race.  I helped stuff all of the race packets and worked packet pick up at the race sight the afternoon before the race.  Had a good time working packet pick up and got to see and meet a lot of the triathletes from the area.  And of course got to represent Team Aquaphor while handing out packets!!

That's me swimming to the start.

The short version is I had a really good swim, an okay bike and a good run!!  If you want the long version... keep reading.  The swim was changed this year from the previous 3 years that the race has been in existence.  This year was a point to point swim - really a great idea.  The sun was at our backs the entire time making it really easy to see.  We were supposed to walk around the levee to the starting point and went off 3 seconds apart in time trial fashion.  I decided to swim the 1/3 mile course backwards to warm up - the water this morning was an awesome 71 degrees making it wetsuit legal. 

Now I have had some big time panic attack issues with a wetsuit.  Once in a half IM swim I freaked out in the 58 degree water at about 100 yards in and swam over to a girl on a long board, ripped the suit off and swam without it!  Another time at the Gulf Coast Triathlon I actually took it off at the first swim buoy and let it float off in the Gulf of Mexico.  But today I had zero issues - I really think it's because I swam in it 3 times in the week and a half before the race.  One of my training partners, Judy (who is a super fast swimmer - she swam for Auburn on a full scholarship) told me during one of our OWS training swims that I should use it because I was definitely faster with the suit.  I felt very comfortable and fast in the race - success!  Thank you, Judy!  (She still kicked my you know what in the swim even without a wetsuit!)

Bill walked along the levee while I was swimming and took this picture. It was really neat because I could see him to my right the entire swim and I was watching him as I swam!  He was counting the people I passed.  I went into the water 35th and came out 10th.  I heard him call out "Good Swim!" when I came out of the water! 

One of the local triathletes, JD once told me that he calls me the Penguin.  Of course I immediately asked him if it was because I'm so short - he explained that it's because I'm a fast swimmer, like a penguin!  I am a penguin in the water - I like that!!



My husband, Bill is so awesome - when he gets to come to one of my races he takes gobbles of photos.  Most of the time I rarely see him, but here I heard him call my name and of course had to wave and mug for the camera.  

The 16.5 mile bike course is tough - lots of little rolling hills and one pretty decent climb.  (Now I say that as a flatlander who pretty much has been training on the flats for the last few years.)  I made a rookie mistake on one of the climbs and threw my chain when I was shifting the front derailleur.  Had to get off the bike and put the chain back on - doh!! 

Bill heard someone say "This isn't her
first rodeo" as I ran off the bike.

My friend Deanna out split me on the bike (again and as usual).  After the race she told us how this guy drafted off her for pretty much the ENTIRE bike.  And at one point even came around her and said "I'll take the lead for awhile".  Now... maybe I should give him the benefit of the doubt and think that he didn't know that drafting is illegal... yea right.  He knew better because she said that when a draft marshal came by he dropped back and then got right back on her wheel after the marshal passed.  One of my biggest pet peeves is people who cheat!  

The run hurt, but that's normal.  Judy's husband Sam (a super fast Hattiesburg triathlete) asked me a couple weeks before the race if I knew who my competition was and I had to sheepishly admit that I hadn't looked yet.  He mentioned Stephanie Smith from New Orleans was signed up.  So I looked her up.  Uh Oh.  I started the out on the run as the first female but saw on one of the little out and back sections that a young girl was closing fast.  As she passed me I even asked if she was Stephanie.  Nope.  This girl could run though - I looked her up afterwards in the results - she averaged 6:38 miles!!!  Only in my dreams!   I had a strong run though, the results said 7:19 average pace but my Garmin had the course a little short and said 7:30 miles.  I'm happy with that, it was a tough and hilly little course. 

First Kid Finisher! 

After I finished and found Bill he told me that as I was coming up the road towards the finish line a woman next to him said, "Oh look, here comes the first kid finisher."   "That's not a kid, that's my wife."  I guess I am pretty small compared to everyone else.  I ended up placing 2nd Overall Female.  Stephanie Smith won by 2:05.   That's a lot. But then she is 30 years old - 20 years younger than me.  ("I'm growing older but not up.  My metabolic rate is pleasently stuck!" - JB)

All of my friends and training partners placed!!    Deanna was 1st Masters Female, Judy was 2nd Masters Female and Lesley placed 2nd in her age group!!  Judy's husband Sam was 2nd Overall Male and Chris placed 3rd Overall Male.  There was a great turnout from all of the Hattiesburg area triathletes.  If you check the race results you'll see Hattiesburg represented all over the place!!

Chris, Sam, Judy, Deanna, Lesley and Me!

Here are some pictures of my friends from the race!

Check Out FinishTags™!!!

I'm definitely a believer in keeping some form of ID on you when you ride or run (or even swim for that matter).  I have a sticker in my bike helmet with Bill's phone number on it (I think I remember reading somewhere that if you're in a bike crash and have to be taken by ambulance to the hospital that EMS is required to take your bike helmet with them) and a Road I.D. tag on my running shoe.  But I know that most of the people that I train with don't carry any kind of identification with them.  I know we would call 911 if one of us were seriously injured but how would we get in touch with each other's spouses?

I saw a sidebar link on Facebook (at least I think that's where I saw it) the other day for FinishTags™ by FinishSafe™ and decided to order a set.  A week or so later I got my very cool set of Emergency Medical Information tags in the mail.  There is a Wallet Card, a Bike Tag, a Luggage Tag, two Shoe FinishTags,™ and a Key FinishTag™.  

On the website you enter all of your Medical and Contact Information. On your card is a LIFEPIN®  number that when texted to the listed phone number or entered on the FINISHSAFE.COM website it pulls up all of your Emergency Medical Information. 

 



The individual tags punch out of the plastic card.



After I got my tags I was curious and went to the website to see what my information looked like.  You can also edit your page whenever you need.  Listed is all of my Personal Information,  Allergies, Medical Information, Previous Injuries, Medical Conditions, Medications, Emergency Contacts, Physician Contacts and Insurance Information. 

The best part?? These tags are free! Take a minute to check out the site http://www.finishsafe.com/ and see what you think! I think they're pretty neat.

So I'm going to put one of these tags on my swim bag - heaven forbid I would need medical assistance at the pool.  One on my helmet strap.  One on all of my running shoes.  One on my key chain and one on or in my bike saddle bag for good measure!  And one in my wallet.

I hope all of you reading this have some type of identification with emergency phone numbers on it with you while you train.  If you don't you might consider ordering a set of these awesome little tags!!