Growing Up Ginsburg — try to ignore the weird

San Diego Recap!

by Christa on June 19, 2013

This is way overdue, but I wanted to post about the awesome experience we all had in San Diego recently.

I coached the summer season of Team in Training for the Texas Gulf Coast Chapter, along with my friend and awesome assistant coach Emily. We recruited a fantastic team, including magnificent mentors Jess, Joanna, John, and Patrizia! We were all bound for the Rock ‘n Roll San Diego Marathon/Half Marathon. This event is very close to my heart because it was my first full marathon! It was so awesome to go back and be out on the course as a coach.

And after 16 weeks of training, we were finally off!

We left on a Friday morning and got into town pretty early. Stayed at the Manchester Grand Hyatt – a palace if I ever saw one. Pretty pimp. San Diego Marathon is unique in that the entire event benefits LLS so every chapter all over the country sends a team! Everywhere you look, PURPLE.
It was awesome seeing so many people from different chapters and hearing about where they were from, their reasons for running for the cause, etc. – just on the elevator to the room!

We had major plans Friday night; Marisa had made reservations at the drag dinner theater show Lips. It was Glamor Night so we got to see performances by Cher, Nicki Minaj, etc. We were celebrating Pati’s 30th birthday, so she got to get onstage and take a pic with the performers too!

Saturday we went for a short 3 mile run, and then it was breakfast at The Broken Yolk, as seen on Man v. Food. And it really was US against the FOOD. I ordered an omelet with hash browns and a biscuit (don’t worry, totally had a banana before the run and ordered orange juice, that counts as my fruit right?) PLUS Jess and I split a waffle. We did some damage.

Some of the others went shopping but John and I chose to stay off our feet and check out Hangover III before the inspiration dinner.

I love inspiration dinner. It’s one of the best parts about doing an event with Team in Training. Really brings it back to why you’ve been raising all the money, logging all the miles, and everything in between. After drying our eyes, we had one final team meeting (along with singlet decorating!) before an early bedtime. I was rooming with Sarah and we were up and at ‘em at 3:45am. The race started at 6:15 and we needed to get ready, meet the team, get on the bus, and get everything done at the start line. Group pic at the hotel before boarding the bus!

I was stationed at Miles 19-22.5, and mile 22 was very close to mile 1, so I decided to run with some participants for awhile since my “zone leader” told us we could go wherever til we needed to be at our zone. Ran a couple of miles with the fullers, then ran back to see the halfers too. Here are some fun pics from along the course!

Jess looking fast at mile 2!

Joanna rocking mile 21 – can I just say that I am super proud of Joanna? She got injured during the season and her longest run was 13 miles. She ran a 5:02!! What the hell girl. What the hell.

Sarah on the same giant hill (did I mention I was stationed on the hill that was a mile long? aces)!

This guy was juggling.

Marisa was all smiles at 22.5 – why, I don’t know. ;)

Pretty soon, everyone crossed the finish line and was a marathoner or half marathoner! It was all over within a matter of hours – crazy. So many weeks of training, and their hard work paid off. I am so proud of all our awesome participants!! AND they raised over $140,000.00 for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Truly rockstars.

By the time I made it back (walked btw) to the hotel, I had been on my feet for well over 8 hours and clocked over 20 miles. I knew all the participants were hurting, but man let me tell you – it’s easier on my body to run the race!! I think just because I am on my feet for much less time. Man, I had to recover the few days following.

But we made it to the victory party to celebrate! It was early to bed for some of us (cough, me too!) and some others had fun at the rooftop bar. Our flight was the next afternoon – at least we had time to brunch at Cafe 21. Recommend!

All in all, a wonderful weekend. It is so weird that now I don’t have a TNT event on Saturdays – for the first time in over 2 years. So strange. Can’t wait to get back out there after the little one is born! :) I was so honored to be out there as a coach – completely blown away by everyone’s spirit. LOVE marathons. LOVE TNT. Love love.

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Week 19

by Christa on June 17, 2013

in Baby Gins

The baby is the size of a mango. I SO HAVE A MANGO BUMP NOW.

Total Weight Gain: Five or six pounds.

Weekly Workouts: Took another easy week. It’s awesome to have free time! Ran 3 miles by myself on Tuesday, then 5 with Shea on Wednesday and 5 with Aimee on Thursday. Spin class on Friday, bike ride (23 miles!) with Aimee and Jessica on Saturday. Had full intentions of doing a long run on Sunday, but late nights + heat = sleeping in and making waffles instead

Maternity Clothes: My awesome MiL picked up some pants for me to try on from the Macy’s sale – our Macy’s didn’t have maternity, what the hell! I did some browsing at Target and (shudder) Motherhood Maternity. No purchases. The pants were either too long (regular) or too short (petite) and there’s no way I would pay to get them altered. I really just need a pair of work pants and a pair of jeans – I think I can get through the whole thing like that. Bought a few dresses from TJ, but two were different colors of a dress I already have and love! Can work while pregnant, so why not.

Sleep: Sleeping through the night lately, not even getting up. Pretty cool.

Best Moment of the Week: Had a lot of fun times this week. The bike ride on Saturday was lots of fun, as was our girls’ night out! And feeling the baby move has been pretty cool in itself.

Food cravings: Veggies – I’m eating lots of carrots and tomatoes with hummus. Salads. Oh and French fries, that’s a new one. DELISH.

Food aversions: None really.

Symptoms: I’m showing! People now ask me how far along I am. I really want to mess with them and just be like, “on what?” I get dizzy if I stand up too quickly. And I was so tired of being on my feet yesterday after a museum tour and running errands. I wanted to lie down. Oh, and I’m super forgetful.

Movement: I felt the baby move for the first time!! My masseuse said at my size it is fine to be on my stomach still, that I won’t crush the baby – and I could feel it squirming around in there! Now it is much easier to feel. So weird.

“Six inches long this week and about eight ounces in weight, your baby is the size of a large mango. Your little action figure is able to choreograph Matrix-like moves this week. Arms and legs are finally in proportion, neurons are now connected between the brain and muscles, and cartilage throughout the body is turning to bone. All these upgrades combine to give your baby more control over limb movements, which explains all that kicking, stretching, and bodysurfing (belly surfing!) you’ve possibly started feeling by now. Something else going on this week: your baby is getting a cheesy varnish. A protective substance called vernix caseosa now covers your baby’s skin. It’s greasy and white and is made up of lanugo (downy hair), oil from your baby’s glands, and dead skin cells. This vernix protects your baby’s sensitive skin from the surrounding amniotic fluid. Without it, your baby would look very wrinkled at birth (sort of what you’d look like if you soaked in a bath for nine months). Some babies – especially those born early – will still be covered with vernix at the delivery, so you might get a look at your baby’s first anti-wrinkle cream.” – What to Expect (www.whattoexpect.com)

Sex: I had a dream that it was a boy, so who knows at this point. We will all find out on Saturday!!

What I’m Looking Forward To: I have a couple of dinners this week, but really looking forward to the anatomy scan on Wednesday! We haven’t had an ultrasound since 7 weeks, and it looked like nothing at that point, just a little blob. Can’t wait to see the baby!

What I Miss: Not being tired so early. I really think I can hang, but then 10:30, 11, rolls around and I’m like omg when do I get to go to sleep. Last night I was up til 11:30, super late for me these days.

Next Appointment: Anatomy scan on June 20th. Just a few more days!

Estimated due date is November 11th, 2013!

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Triathlon in a nutshell, Part IV: Bike

by Christa on June 13, 2013

in In a Nutshell,Triathlon

Part IV – THE BIKE!

I’m no expert, but I’ve survived a few triathlons Check out Part I, Part II, and Part III!

Ah, the bike. It is my weakest leg of triathlon and I really hope to work on it. I’ve already improved a lot from where I started, but there’s a ton of work to be done! My goal for next season is to make the bike my bitch. RAWR.

Buying a bike:

So we already covered in Part I the things you’ll need to do to TREAT YO SELF to a bike. A great tip I got from my first tri coach (that I did not follow) is to “buy your second bike first.” Well, I bought my first bike first – meaning I didn’t know much about bikes, I got what was a pretty good deal, but then ended up spending more money later because it turned out I bought the Hyundai of bikes and wanted something nicer. Save some money; bikes are pricey.

Butch is a 2011 Giant Avail 3. I got her at Bicycle World. I knew nothing about bikes and they were offering some specials for our TNT team. I had regular pedals with toe cages for most of the first season since I was scuuuuurrrred of clip pedals. But sucked it up and bought ‘em for Oilman 2011 – I knew I needed to get used to them. More on that below. Butch is great for a first bike (and is Charlie-approved), but heavy and not the best fit for me. Now that I knew tri was going to be something I pursued as a sport and hobby on the reg, I wanted something nicer. I have two other friends who ride Avail 3s – Amanda T and Shea! Amanda rode hers in her first Ironman and Shea’s helped her crush the bike at Oceanside! Amanda has since bought her second bike and Shea’s recently got stolen! BOOO (but yay for bike shopping).

Jeremy is a 2012 Quintana Roo Dulce. I got a good deal on him at Bike Lane in The Woodlands. I knew I wanted a tri bike specifically and started doing my online research. I test rode a few at Bicycle World – I’ve been really pleased with their customer service and they are a JSC/SBS sponsor so wanted to toss them some more business. But I just hadn’t found THE ONE yet. In my research on Cervelo P2s and Felts, I came across the QR Dulce and was intrigued – little did I know that my friend Jordann already rode one! People said that between the Dulce/Seduza (the Dulce is just the “female specific” model, marketing ploy since they’re basically the same; Jess rocks a Seduza – team QR!) and the P2, they couldn’t find the $800 worth of difference. So I went up to Bike Lane to check it out, get a feel for it, test ride. They had the 2011 and 2012 models. The 2011 was camo pink and it was a fantastic deal, but I knew I loved the blue. So I talked him down til I got to a price I could live with. I have to say it’s been worth it. Blue’s my fav color and if you’re going to spend a ton of time on a bike, it better be one you like looking at. Jeremy is Charlie-approved

Pedals:

When you buy a bike, it’ll probably come with regular pedals. Might have toe cages, might not. You’ll want to start investigating what kind of clips you’ll want. I use SPD-SL. Standard spin bikes use regular SPD (but the bikes at Define Rev can accommodate both!). I was very nervous about clipping in, watched a couple of videos on YouTube (aka where I learn how to do everything):

Now it’s so easy! You get way more power using clip pedals (because you are pulling up on the pedal as well as pushing down) and your feet don’t slip around. It’s just better, ok?

Road Safety:

Some of these should come as common sense, but hey ya never know.

- Helmet: Wear one. Or you could crash and die. This puppy could potentially save yo life, so I’d say it’s pretty important.

- Rules o’ the Road: Follow ‘em. It’s just smart, and drivers get pissed if you don’t. This means you act like you’re a car. You stop at stop signs and red lights, yield when appropriate, etc. Look up your state’s bicycle laws. In Texas, a person operating a bicycle has the rights and duties applicable to a driver operating a vehicle! You should ride “as near as practicable to the right curb or edge of the roadway.” Make sure you know what the passing zone is for cars too! I don’t like riding on city streets (see: Tour de Houston Emotional Breakdown 2013) but out on those country roads, they should maintain a safe distance for passing too. Sometimes they don’t, and that pisses me off!

- Group Riding: Ride no more than two across; single file is best. Only the person in front should ride in their aero bars – when you’re in aero, you don’t have access to your brakes, so obviously for safety reasons you might want those in case the lead person swerves, falls, brakes, etc. Communicate with your buddies. Say “car back” if there’s a car coming up behind you, and “car up” if there’s one coming toward you. Point at debris, call out “gravel,” “glass,” whatever it is. Signal when you’re turning. If you want to pass – if it’s my friends I’ll just be like “hey, I’m gonna ride in front of you for a bit,” but if it’s someone I don’t know, I just say, “on your left” and make the pass (remember that in a tri you will only have 15 seconds to make the pass!). And jeez, leave your headphones at home. That is so dangerous!

Where should I ride?

Find a local park to start out – we use the Memorial Park picnic loop and Bear Creek Park. Easy. Go on roads outside the city – we go to Montgomery/Conroe, The Woodlands, Fulshear, Chappell Hill. Find a sponsored ride if you’d rather be around a lot of people. I use the Bike Barn calendar to find local rides (and they also sponsor a free ride once per month!).

What does the bike look like on race day?

Once you’re done in transition, take your bike off the rack and run it toward the Bike Out location (make sure you have your helmet ON and buckled). You cannot mount your bike until after you cross the mount line.

Vroom vroom…

Make sure you have put your bike into an easy gear, so you can warmup your legs for a minute. Stay to the right unless you are passing! And remember there is NO DRAFTING – you must stay at least 3 bike lengths from the person in front of you. If someone passes you, it is your job to drop back so you don’t get slapped with a penalty.
According to USA Triathlon, these are some of the most common race-day violations:

Position– riding on the left side of the lane without passing.

Blocking – left side riding and impeding the forward progress of another competitor

Illegal Pass – passing on the right.

Overtaken – failing to drop back three bike lengths before re-passing

Drafting – following a leading cyclist closer than three bike lengths and failing to pass within 15 seconds.

Other than that, enjoy! Once you’re done on the bike course, just dismount before the line and run your bike into T2! Don’t forget where you’re racked

What are some other bike tips yall want to offer to some tri newbies?

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Week 18

by Christa on June 11, 2013

in Baby Gins

The baby is the size of a sweet potato.

Total Weight Gain: About four pounds. Not gonna lie, I’m not a fan of weight gain, and while I KNOW it’s happening for a good reason and that it’s supposed to happen and that I’m NOT FAT, I can’t shut up the voice in the back of my head that says, “Holy shit, four pounds, you fat fat fatty.” Don’t worry, I am not dieting AT ALL – I still eat everything in sight, as per usual.

Weekly Workouts: This is a category I’m adding to keep track of what I’ve been doing. Since Sunday I ran 20 miles at San Diego, I kind of took it easy this week. I only went on 2 short runs – 3 miles by myself after work and 4 miles with Shea one morning. Oh and then 6 miles on Saturday (1 mile with my dad).

Maternity Clothes: None. Still holding strong!!! Although the Bella Band is getting more uncomfortable. Sigh. Some pants will eventually be purchased.

Sleep: Tired all the time, and now I get up a couple of times per night. Or wake up from a weird dream.

Best Moment of the Week: Being designated driver at Jessie’s bachelorette party! And feeling fancy at her bridal shower tea party. It was great spending time together, and she got the baby his/her first doll – a really creepy Emily Dickinson doll, but still. Hah!

Food cravings: I overloaded on sweets during bridal extravanza weekend, so now I’m craving healthy stuff – salads and quinoa and veggies.

Food aversions: Some dude smelled like pizza in Whole Foods and I was like UGH – so I guess we’re back to no pizza.

Symptoms: Showing now. AND omg this is so weird – when I wake up from sleeping on one side and roll to my back, the baby stays on that side. I can see a huge bulge on one side, so strange! I haven’t felt any movement yet though – hoping to in the next couple of weeks…

Movement: “This week, your baby is hitting the height chart at five and a half inches long (crown to rump) and weighs about five ounces. The art of the yawn has been mastered by your baby (someone’s sleepy!). In fact, you might catch a glimpse of that adorable yawn if you’re getting an ultrasound this month. You’ll also catch a glimpse of all the fetal movement your baby’s doing – twists, rolls, kicks, and punches. And would you believe your baby is finally big enough for you to start feeling those movements now (or anytime in the next few weeks). So get ready! Your baby’s nervous system is maturing rapidly at this time. Nerves, now covered with a substance called myelin, are forming more complex connections. And those in the brain are further specializing into the ones that serve the senses of touch, taste, smell, sight, and hearing. Talking about hearing, your baby’s is growing more acute, making your little one more conscious of sounds that come from inside your body (which means you could both be listening to each other hiccup – a skill your baby has by now). – What to Expect (www.whattoexpect.com)

Gender: My instincts still say it’s a girl, but I have been thinking more about boy stuff too! We have the anatomy scan next Thursday!

What I’m Looking Forward To: Spending the weekend at home for once. Date night on Friday, dinner with the SiL and some gal pals on Saturday. Should be fun.

What I Miss: I thought I’d miss booze at the bachelorette party, but it wasn’t so bad. At least I wasn’t hungover! Now I miss running without getting wiped so easily.

Next Appointment: Anatomy scan on June 20th. I found a new doctor, thanks to Aimee! Long story short, I just didn’t feel like I was getting the communication I needed from my old doctor. While she was perfectly nice and obviously has a very successful practice in a gorgeous pristine facility, every appointment was a different bad experience of some sort and I was just uneasy. At the new place, the PA spent 30 minutes talking to me, explaining everything their practice believes and things I should be doing. That’s more than I’ve spent in appointments at the last place in my 3 visits combined! It also surprised me when the PA told me she used to work for my old doctor – I’m happy that my new doc’s C-section rate is much lower and she is more on board with some newer birthing stuff – like no drugs, intermittent monitoring, delayed cord clamping, etc. I don’t know if we’ll do any of those things but it’s nice to know it’s an option. Yeah, I’m definitely going to have to write a whole post on switching doctors, because now I’m getting worked up again. Hah!

Estimated due date is November 11th, 2013!

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Week 17

by Christa on June 5, 2013

in Baby Gins

The baby is the size of a turnip. Couldn’t tell you the last time I saw a turnip.

Total Weight Gain: Three or four pounds.

Maternity Clothes: Still none. So close to halfway! Boom.

Sleep: Getting up at least once a night.

Best Moment of the Week: Running 20 miles with the turnip on the San Diego Marathon course, cheering in our participants to the finish!

Food cravings: Really wanted fried stuff after running so far. Got waffle fries!!! All that salt hit the spot too. Now all I want is a giant salad.

Food aversions: None.

Symptoms: Starting to show – and it’s very firm! Sometimes I look obviously pregnant and then sometimes it goes almost back to normal – very weird!

Movement: “How big is your baby this week? About five inches long and more than three and a half ounces – the size of your open hand. Body fat is beginning to form and will accumulate through the end of your pregnancy. By the time your baby is born, body fat will make up about two-thirds of his or her weight. Your baby is almost certainly listening up by now. In fact, loud noises – the dog barking, the doorbell ringing – will actually startle your baby (and also get him or her used to such noises; for instance, fetuses who regularly hear a dog barking will become babies who sleep right through [Mac and Charlie's] outbursts). Your baby’s eyes are making small side-to-side movements and can even perceive some light, though the eyelids are still sealed. Since practice makes perfect, your baby is sharpening his or her sucking and swallowing skills. In fact, most of the survival reflexes that your baby will have at birth are being perfected in utero right now. And here’s some proof that your baby is truly one of a kind: within the next week or so, the pads on your baby’s fingertips and toes will become adorned with completely individual swirls and creases (aka fingerprints).” – What to Expect (www.whattoexpect.com)

Gender: Shane still thinks a boy, I still think a girl. My friend Jessie (DC Jess, not Houston Jess) said she originally thought boy but would like to change her answer to girl since she’s “not betting against the house”!!

What I’m Looking Forward To: Jessie’s bridal shower and bachelorette party in Dallas this weekend!!!! AHHHH!!!

What I Miss: Honestly? Alcohol. Everybody was celebrating after the marathon with bubbly (I did partake in a half glass of that), wine, beer, mixed drinks, etc, and man I wanted to get my buzz on too! Womp womp.

Next Appointment: June 6th – changed from the 21st because I have a consultation with a potential new doctor. I’m anxious to see what she says!

Estimated due date is November 11th, 2013!

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Triathlon in a Nutshell, Part III: Transition

by Christa on May 28, 2013

in In a Nutshell,Triathlon

Part III of Triathlon in a Nutshell! I’m no expert, but I’ve survived a few triathlons Some handy info for beginners…
Check out Part I and Part II.

So you might think swim, bike, run is all there is to triathlon. And for the most part, that’s true. Pretty basic. BUT there is a very important piece that comes after the swim (AND after the bike, but since we just talked about swimming, this comes next in the order). TRANSITION!

There’s a lot of anxiety surrounding transition, especially since the whole concept can be a little confusing. If you’re coming from a running or cycling background, you’re probably like, “Wait, what? I’m TIMED on changing my shoes?” Yes, you are. Transition is a key part of triathlon and the goal is to make them as speedy as possible.

So when you rack your bike in the transition area, you’ll get your own spot. Sometimes you’ll have a specific spot for your number, and sometimes the racks will just have a range. For instance, numbers 100-125. Well if you are number 122, you can rack your bike anywhere you see fit unless they have specific numbered spots. It’s best to be towards the end – easy access to get out! It’s important to orient yourself in transition and know where you are in relation to swim in, bike out, bike in, run out…find where these are before the race and get your strategy together. Nothing worse than standing in T2 looking around furiously to find the direction in which people are running! Some people even tie balloons next to their bikes so they can easily find where they’re racked and head straight for it! I’ve never done it but not a bad idea.

Then you’ll get a space next to your bike (under the wheel of your neighbor’s bike) to set up your junk. I use my burnt orange towel (easy to spot) and set up my shoes, race belt with number (this is a necessity as you don’t want to be safety pinning and losing time!), gels, handheld water (for the run). I put my helmet, sunglasses, and Sweaty Band on my aerobars. Sweaty Band is ready to go on my head, sunglasses are open and read to be slid on, then I snap on my helmet and go (after putting on the bike shoes of course).

Some pics of transition area – yes, I set this up next to my indoor trainer!

The less you can leave in transition, the better.

Gear in the helmet, ready to go:

And one more shot of the Jeremy the bike, because he’s pretty.

Potential timesavers:

1) Don’t wear socks. Some people keep a bucket of water to rinse their feet off after running from the swim to T1, but I don’t bother. Dirty feet FTW! My bike shoes are made to be barefoot in, and so are my Zoot tri shoes. For a half (or full!) ironman, I’ll definitely wear socks on the run, but not the bike – but that’s only because I want my more comfortable running shoes for the longer distances.

3) Get slip-on shoes or locking laces. The Zoot tri shoes I use are slip-ons, so it’s super easy. But it’s just as easy to buy a pair of Yankz or Lock Laces and convert your regular running shoes to slip-ons – this is what I do for longer races, wherein I’m wearing socks.

2) Flying start. Do this at your own risk. Basically, you clip your shoes into your bike ahead of time, mount, and start riding before sliding your feet in and strapping your shoes. I would most definitely fall flat on my face if I did this, so I just put my shoes on in transition and then clip in after the mount line.

3) Wear a tri suit. Then you won’t have to change anything at all in transition! You do the swim, bike, run in the same getup. Easy peasy.

4) Put on any sunscreen before you start. If you’re super pale like me, you might need a haphazard reapply in transition, but for a sprint or Olympic I’ll usually chance it and not take the time to screen up (oops).

5) Grab and go. I’ll usually have my gels, race belt, handheld (sometimes, if it’s hot), and maybe a hat for the run. Grab your shit and get out of transition. It is super easy to put on your race belt and hat while you are starting the run. Don’t waste time standing around and doing that.

Practice transition!! The more you get used to it, the faster you’ll be at it. You might feel silly practicing changing shoes and putting on a helmet, but it’ll help. Hope some speedy T1s and T2s are in your future!

{ 3 comments }

Week 16

by Christa on May 27, 2013

in Baby Gins,Daily Digest

Sporting the official grey t-shirt. It got noticed that I wore it for pics a lot – because I think it’s the right amount of tight but not too tight.

The baby is the size of an avocado. Still feel like we’re backwards from a peach but whatever.

Total Weight Gain: Three pounds.

Maternity Clothes: I’ve made it my personal goal to not purchase anything that is strictly maternity.

Sleep: Been a little restless. Bad dreams, uncomfortable, tossing and turning.

Best Moment of the Week: Spending the holiday weekend with family and friends in Dallas. We went to Marisa’s 30th birthday party and my mom’s side of the family came over for a pool party. And my dad and I both placed second in our age groups at the 5K today!

Steph, Dad, and me before the race

2nd place!

Food cravings: I wanted Mexican tonight – we had Trader Joe’s cheese and green chile tamales. Hit the spot!

Food aversions: None really.

Symptoms: Serious donut belly. And I keep saying that my stomach is hard – because it is! It feels like there’s something in there!!

Movement: “Listen up – tiny bones in your fetus’s ears are in place this week, making it likely that the baby can hear your voice when you’re speaking. In fact, studies have found that babies who are sung to when they’re in the womb recognize the same tune when it’s sung to them after they’re born. The backbone is stronger now – strong enough to enable your baby to work on straightening his or her head and neck even more. Baby’s crown-to-rump measurement is between four and five inches in length, and weight is overing around three ounces. This little one’s a looker – with a face that has both eyebrows and eyelashes – but a skinny looker since there’s no baby fat yet. The skin is practically translucent now, so if you took a peek inside your uterus, you’d be able to see your baby’s blood vessels under that thin skin.” – What to Expect (www.whattoexpect.com)

Gender: Still unknown. We find out at the next appointment. Shane and I have a $4 (you read that right) bet going. He thinks it will be a boy and I am still pretty convinced it’s a girl!

What I’m Looking Forward To: San Diego Marathon trip with the team this weekend!

What I Miss: My old worries. Now it’s always worrying/wondering if everything is ok with the baby. I’ve had some doctor drama lately and am considering switching, so that’s been really frustrating too. A lot to think about.

Next Appointment: June 21st

Estimated due date is November 11th, 2013!

Holy showing belly, Batman! That’s legit. So weird that at the next appointment I’ll be halfway there…

{ 4 comments }

Triathlon in a nutshell, Part II: Swim

by Christa on May 21, 2013

in Daily Digest,In a Nutshell,Triathlon

Part II of Tri in a Nutshell – how to survive your first triathlon if you’re a beginner! I am NOT an expert but have survived a few tris

The swim always seems to be the most daunting leg of a triathlon for most people. Personally, the bike is MY weakest! But I grew up confident, or at least comfortable, in water so the swim has never really bothered me. I took swim lessons as a child but then didn’t really swim a stroke until taking a conditioning swimming course in college, just as a supplement to all of my dance training.

Well, fast forward another 5 years. No strokes taken in that time either, so I pretty much started from square one again when I started training with TNT for The Nation’s Triathlon in 2011.

If you’re starting at square one too (not two), then here are some helpful tips to help you survive the swim leg of a tri…

- Figure out what you’re doing. If you don’t know the first thing about swimming, check out some handy YouTube instruction videos. Is there really anything you CAN’T learn from YouTube these days? While USAT regulations allow any stroke, you’ll probably want to learn how to swim freestyle. Here are some good ones for beginners:

You might also want to look into hiring a swim coach, at least at the beginning. Or get a friend to go with you! I am probably not the best coach, but I have to say that Amy is looking better in the water now than when we started! If you have a swimmer friend who is willing to go with you and help out, that’s awesome.

- Find a pool. I don’t recommend training in your bathtub, soooo yeah. I belong to 24 Hour Fitness and get my swim on there. Also in Houston is Dad’s Club, a pool facility offering monthly memberships. Last summer I joined a tri swim class there twice a week and I think it helped with my technique (and therefore my speed!). Commit to swimming AT LEAST twice a week.

- Practice open water swimming. It’s very different from swimming in a pool! You can’t see anything, no line on the bottom to help you swim straight, you can’t stop (and take standing up breaks like you can at a gym pool), the water might be colder (or more often than not in TX, warmer) than the pool, and also – lake zombies. Ahhh!!
You’ll need to practice sighting as well. This means taking a peek out of the water every once in awhile (10-20 strokes) to make sure you’re going in the right direction. I practice OWS at 288 Lake or Twin Lakes. If you join HRTC, Fridays are free at 288, which is a pretty good deal.

What kind of gear do I need?
Swimming is pretty low maintenance. You need a swimsuit (or tri suit), swim cap, and goggles. You can fancy up your workouts with some swim fins, a pull buoy, and a kickboard, but these things just help you with drills and are not essential.

What will the actual swim look like on race day?
You’ll start the swim with your wave – divided by age and gender (so, I’m in Female 25-29). If you weigh more than a specified number (now 165 for women and 220 for men), you can elect to race as a Clydesdale or Athena. These categories usually have their own waves as well.

Depending on the race, you could have different start formats. For instance, we had to jump off a dock and tread water for Clear Lake Tri, US Open Tri, and Galveston 70.3. Then Oilman has a running start. True to its name, you just run in and start swimming. I don’t like that because everyone knows you need to get in the water and pee before you start – it’s true. But most common is the walk in, tread water, then start. So find the group with your swim cap color and hang out with them before the start of the race. If you’re nervous, hang towards the back or the outside. Once it’s your turn to start, go at your own pace but do prepare yourself for some contact. Some people go a little cray cray when the horn goes off, so let the crazies go ahead and beat each other up and swim over each other. Keep in mind you might get kicked, swam over, or elbowed. Be confident in the water and know that if this happens, you’ll be ok – just keep making forward progress. It is ok to take a break and breaststroke or flip over on your back to catch your breath for a few seconds – but make yourself keep going. For ocean swims, I always keep an extra pair of goggles tucked in my sports bra (did this for IMTX too) in case mine get kicked off or broken.

PRACTICE – the more time you spend in the water, the more comfortable you will be!

Ready to SWIM!

{ 2 comments }

Week 15

by Christa on May 20, 2013

in Baby Gins,Daily Digest

The baby is the size of a navel orange.

Total Weight Gain: One or two pounds? Maybe.

Maternity Clothes: Still just rubberbanding the pants.

Sleep: I’ve had a wave of exhaustion this week. Need more.

Best Moment of the Week: Running Peak Week with the San Diego team and volunteering at Ironman Texas! It was really special being on the other side of the event.

Food cravings: I had my first real craving on Saturday. I REALLY REALLY wanted McAlister’s veggie club wrap, potato salad, and sweet tea. There is no McAlister’s in Houston but I googled it and there was one in The Woodlands! Luckily Jess and Aimee were accommodating and we got to go there before we volunteered! Really hit the spot – now I want that sweet tea again.

Food aversions: None really.

Symptoms: Still look like I’ve had too many beers. Backache, exhaustion. Fun!

Movement: “Curious why your body is finally looking like it’s pregnant? That’s because your baby is growing bigger each week – he or she is as long as four and a half inches right now. So what keeps baby busy all day? Mostly, your fetus is in rehearsals…babies practice breathing, sucking, and swallowing so that when they leave your comfy womb and move into your comfy house, they’ll have the skills necessary to survive. Fetal body movements continue to get practice this week, too. But because your baby weighs so little (a bit over two ounces), you won’t feel the calisthenics going on inside your abdominal gym. But don’t let that fool you; your fetus is holding daily aerobics classes – kicking, curling toes, and moving those little arms and legs. And with each passing week, your fetus is looking more and more like the baby you’re picturing in your dreams. By now, the ears are positioned properly on the sides of the head and the eyes are moving from the side of the head to the front of the face – where they’ll soon meet your loving gaze.” – What to Expect (www.whattoexpect.com)

Gender: Dying to know! I think we have another month.

What I’m Looking Forward To: Appointment this Friday, and the three-day weekend!

What I Miss: Running at my usual pace. Actually, everything at my usual pace.

Next Appointment: May 24th.

Estimated due date is November 11th, 2013!

{ 6 comments }

Race Recap: Big D Half Marathon

by Christa on May 17, 2013

in Race Recaps

When we made plans to go to Dallas over April 12th-14th, naturally I had to scope out local races. Big D Marathon & Half had been on my list last year, and it just so happened to be the weekend we were planning on going up there to drop the bomb on the families.

I convinced Aimee that she should do it too through a slew of emails – peer pressure rocks.

Since I wasn’t gunning for any specific time, I offered to pace her to a new PR. Little did we know that this was going to be tougher than it seemed! Course was hard.

It’s a decent sized race, I think they mentioned 2500 people running the half. Put on by Mellew Productions in Dallas, everything seemed pretty organized and straightforward.

It started and ended at Fair Park in Dallas (obv). Not wanting to deal with the crowded parking lots, we opted for street parking. On our walk to the fairgrounds, we ran into this sweet dino statue.

Rawr.

There was only one line for the port-o-lets. Kinda weird. But it moved fast, I was able to get in line twice! Nothing worse than having to pee at Mile 2, am I right?

Pre-race photo ops. There’s a baby in there!

The 5K runners – Dad and Steph.

Ok, so guys – I was expecting it to be kinda warm. It’s Texas in April, after all. What I forgot about was how hilly the back end of the Dallas Marathon was, and that’s how we ran out. Damn, there were some decent hills on this course!

We were cranking out some decent splits though, steadily under 10:00/mile and on track for a sweet SiL PR. Here we are at the 10K mark (which was also Aimee’s 10K PR!).

I was telling her to smile for the camera; guess I should follow my own advice.

I am sorry for being mean in the last few miles. I wanted to make sure it was a PR! Her previous half was 2:15:43. On my watch we ran 2:13:56 – the results say we started WITH the clock at 8am on the dot and finished in 2:15:06. Not true but either way it is an official PR for Aims! PR is a PR, yo.

Finally done – we are hot. Literally. Like really hot. And salty.

Here’s Dad coming in for a 5K PR of 27:50, 4th in his age group (awww, just off the podium!)

Steph ran her second 5K EVER in 31:23. Look at that ponytail bounce!

Fun day of running, knock Big D off the list. Don’t think I’d do it again unless it was just convenient, like it was this time. The swag wasn’t so great…cheap white tech shirt and a cheapo medal. At first I thought we were getting beer mugs when we crossed the finish but sadly those were only for the full marathoners. F.

Oh well, call it a day! Another one in the books, right?

{ 2 comments }

← Previous Entries

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San Diego Recap!

Week 19

Triathlon in a nutshell, Part IV: Bike

Week 18

Week 17

Triathlon in a Nutshell, Part III: Transition

Week 16

Triathlon in a nutshell, Part II: Swim

Week 15

Race Recap: Big D Half Marathon

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