the unexpected ...

Sometimes you can plan how race day is going to go. And sometimes your day is full of the unexpected. This morning's Crossroads 17.75K was full of the unexpected. Here are a few of today's surprises (a full recap is coming tomorrow)...

I nearly overslept. I set my alarm for 4:15. 4:15 PM. Somehow, I jumped out of bed at 4:33 a.m. giving me 12 minutes to get ready.

I got a phone call from J at 5:38 a.m. that Dizzle had thrown up in her sleep, there was no mattress pad on the bed and both Dizzle and Doodle wouldn't go back to sleep. He was not having a good morning.

There was no line for the pre-race port-o-johns. This never happens. We went to the bathroom, walked to the car and when we came back there was most definitely a line.

The 17.75K course was a zillion times hillier than I had expected. Even though I had read the course profile.

A new race strategy can enlighten you - I know, completely shocking.

Waiting for the traffic to pass won't always work. This is what we saw when we got on 95 (after hitting up IHOP) to go home ...

But even though my morning was full of surprises, there was one thing that didn't shock me at all. I had a blast racing with G and MCM Mama.

Whooha Gear Review and Giveaway ...

Last month, the wonderful women over at Whooha Gear gave me the opportunity to test an item from their product line. If you don't know WHOOHA, which stands for Women Having Optimistic Objectives & Healthy Attitudes, is an athletic apparel and accessory company with products ranging from tech tees to head wear to underwear (which I think is super fabulous).

Like I said, I got to test an item (of my choice). I chose their I Run ... DRI BALANCE T shirt in a size medium (I'm usually a small, but their site suggested sizing up and I am so glad I did. It fit perfectly.)

Right from the start I had high hopes about this shirt. First of all, it's cute (I wear it even when I am not running). Second, it has a great, inspirational message on the front.

And finally, the WHOOHA site said that, "this DRI BALANCE shirt optimizes the transport of moisture from skin to the surface of the garment, six to 10 times faster than other wicking garments." This I had to see. I sweat like crazy and if this shirt could stand up to me, it can stand up to anyone.

To test it, I hit the treadmill for a quick five miles. And I put this shirt to work. So, how did it fare? It was super comfortable. No chafing or riding up. And that "wicking" material? Well, let's just say it lived up to it's promises. Here's what the shirt looked like after my run ...

WHOOHA Gear gets a BIG thumbs up from me. And thanks to WHOOHA Gear, one lucky reader will win a $20 credit to their online store. Here's how to enter (one comment per entry please!)

1. Become a follower of this blog and leave me a comment to let me know.

2. Visit the WHOOHA Gear website HERE and then leave me a comment to let me know what you would choose if you win.

3. Become a Facebook fan of this blog HERE and leave me a comment to let me know.

4. Become a Facebook fan of WHOOHA Gear HERE and leave me a comment to let me know.

5. Repost this giveaway on your blog, Facebook, twitter, wherever and leave me a comment to let me know.

Entries will be accepted until Friday, June 18th. Winner will be randomly selected and announced on Saturday, June 19th.

coffee anyone?

It has been brought to my attention by my dear and loving husband that I drink A LOT of coffee. (Funny, considering that I wouldn't touch it before I was pregnant with Dilly). I know you're thinking "OK. Well, so do I." But no, that's where you'd be wrong. You are probably not drinking as much as me. I easily consume an entire pot of coffee each day (and on occasion, more). And I am pretty sure that it does absolutely NOTHING for me. I'm never wired. Or energized. In fact, I am still passed out on the sofa by 9:30 almost every night.

So, why do I drink it? Well, let's see ...

I drink too much coffee because run 40 miles a week, cross train with P90X six days a week, manage a household and parent three children 24/7. And I mistakenly think it is going to give me more energy ...

I drink too much coffee because I am a stress eater and drinking a cup of coffee is FAR FEWER calories than eating a candy bar every time my children test my last nerve ...

I drink too much coffee because on more than one occasion in the last week I have had to clean up fecal matter from Dilly's crib. And I'm over it ...

I drink too much coffee because my laptop is slow as heck. The processor is overloaded and I need something to do while I wait for my email to open ...

I drink too much coffee because sometimes I need a break and my children actually listen when I say, "Give Mommy five minutes so that she can finish her coffee" ...

I drink too much coffee because there is only so much high-pitched screaming one person can take. And if you've ever been to my house, you know that we are over that limit ...

I drink too much coffee because I serve as the VP of Licensing for my children's preschool. I deal with A LOT of bureaucracy and red tape and people who don't return phone calls ...

I drink too much coffee because I am working out the details of turning my passion of running into a business. A business that doesn't negatively affect my family life. Or my bank account ...

I drink too much coffee because I don't drink alcohol. Enough said ...

P90X Day 56 Check In ...

Well, eight weeks have passed and I am officially done with Phase 2 of P90X. I have continued to see changes in my strength, flexibility and body composition. And there are only five weeks remaining in the program. P90X and I definitely have a love/hate relationship (and I am kind of over the time commitment), but I can't help but be excited about the results up to this point. So here are the numbers ...

Weight: Day 1 - 152, Day 56 - 151

Body Fat: Day 1 - 23%, Day 56 - 21%

Waist: Day 1 - 30 3/4", Day 56 - 29 1/2"

Chest: Day 1 - 35 1/2", Day 56 - 34"

Hips: Day 1: 37", Day 56 - 35 1/4"

Right Bicep: Day 1 - 11 1/2", Day 56 - 11 1/4"

Left Bicep: Day 1 - 11 1/2", Day 56 - 11 1/2"

Right Thigh: Day 1 - 22", Day 56 - 21 1/2"

Left Thigh: Day 1 - 22", Day 56 - 21 1/2"

Total Loss: 1 pound, 2% body fat, 5.75 overall"

And the photographic evidence (Day 1 followed by Day 56) ...

is it working?

In the past few months, I have been implementing a "run slower to run faster" element into my training. Instead of beating up my body with a challenging pace run after run, I have slowed it down during the vast majority of my miles. This has allowed me to recovery quicker (less strain on my muscles and joints after each run) and to build my weekly mileage base from 22-25 miles to 38-40 miles. And I.AM.LOVING.IT. (the pride that comes with saying I run 40 miles a week is payoff enough for me ...)

But, I am often asked if the slower pace and added miles are "working." If it's really worth the effort. And until yesterday, I always answered, "Yes. It builds your endurance. And building your endurance will make you a better and stronger runner." And that is true. But, now I have the data to show that this method is having an effect on me - a lower heart rate.

For example, in early May, I was averaging a heart rate between 144-147 for runs of 3-4 miles at 10:00 pace. And now, just about a month later, my average heart rate is 139 on those same runs. Simply put, I do not need to work as hard as I used to in order to hold the same pace. I am gaining cardiovascular strength and endurance. And all those extra miles at a slower pace ARE paying off ...

95 degrees?

Dear Weather Gods,

I know that the world is a BIG place and that you have tons of weather systems to regulate, but really, what is going on here? I mean, come on. Why all this "anti-knee high sock" weather? Are you hating on my style? Seriously. It was over 90 all last week with crazy humidity. That's August weather. Not June.

And really. Did you see G and me yesterday?

We were hot messes. There was so much salt on our faces after our run, that we could have either made margaritas or exfoliated our skin.

Now, don't get me wrong. I really appreciate the little break from the heat this week. I'll admit it. It's nice. I loved that it was only 60 degrees when I ran at 6 a.m., rather than 80 like yesterday. But, couldn't you have held off for a day or two? Didn't you get the memo that I have a race on Saturday? Apparently, not. Because if you had, I'm sure you wouldn't have planned a high temperature of 95 degrees for that day. I'm taking it you're not a runner?

Well, whatever. I guess I just wanted to say thanks for messing with my race strategy. Looks like racing at half marathon pace is going to be pushing it. Actually, it looks like "racing" at all is going to be pushing it. So, thanks for the fun run! At least there is one aspect of my race plan that you can't mess with - my running mates. (G, Katye and MCM Mama) We are going to have a blast even if you try to threaten us with heat stroke.

Hugs!

Tonia

hidden messages ...

Yesterday morning, Dilly was playing with some magnetic letters we have on our refrigerator. When she was done, I started pushing them back to the center of the door (yes, I am OCD like that). But halfway through, I got interrupted. When I came back to finish, I looked at the letters and this is what I saw ...

Does anyone else see the hidden messages in there? The following jumped out at me ...

• BQ (hmm? A secret wish?)
• GU (my favorite workout fuel ...)
• ID (as in RoadID, which I NEVER take off ...)
• VACAY (only 18 days away!)
• RUNS (what I do all the time ...)
• MUD (what my kids are always covered in ...)
• PB (personal best. peanut butter. two things I am constantly trying to get ...)

What do you think my sub-conscious is trying to tell me?