A look back through 2013

As 2013 is coming to an end, I thought it would be appropriate to take a look back. The easiest things to remember are the ones that are most fresh in your mind. So while I could look at 2013 and say it wasn't a success because my most recent race didn't go as planned, that's not the case. 2013 was an amazing year for me in the sports of triathlon and marathon running. It was also a year blessed with special memories made with friends and family. So while it would take too long to relive a memory from each day, I've chosen to highlight each month with a special event that took place, and end with some photos of the year.

January - I spent much of the first few weekends in January helping prepare for my nephew's construction themed 3rd birthday party. I loved this time, because it wasn't often that I got to spend extended amounts of time with him and my sister due to them living 1.5 hrs away and my training schedule being hectic. 

February - Valentine's Day in 2013 was spent as a double date with my brother and sister-in-law at Richwood Grill. The food there is amazing (it has since closed) it was local, fresh, and organic products. It was awesome to get to spend time with them without the company of children. It isn't often that it happens, but I loved sharing my Valentine's date night with them.

March - Marathon building month!!! Lots of run focused workouts. As well as building time on the trainer and getting use to my new Adamo saddle. March is also the birthday month of my nephew, Jacob. He turned 4 and my goodness is he ever an amazing, funny kid. We share the same attachment in life, our blankets :)

April - MARATHON PR 3:36!!! I will never forget running the Glass City Marathon and realizing that I was going to PR by 12 minutes! It was an amazing feeling. I went into the race as a training run, and walked away with the biggest smile on my face!

May - In May I participated in my first triathlon of the year. Black Bear Triathlon in Maryland. It was an Olympic distance race and I was ready to see how all my winter training would come into play. This race would turn out to be an amazing learning experience. The race itself was a bust. I had an asthma attack in the water (due to temperatures being so low) within the first 2-3 minutes. I was furious with my body for failing me, but was not going to walk away that easy. I wasn't the only one pulled from the water, the temperatures were so low that nearly 15-20 people had the same thing happen so the race director allowed us to bike and run for training. So that is exactly what I did. I pushed myself through a cold, rainy bike and run and was very happy with the results of those 2 legs. It definitely was a great training day! 

June - On June 9th I celebrated my 1 year wedding anniversary with my amazing husband. What makes him so amazing? Well one thing would be that on the morning of June 9th I was hours away in Cambridge, Maryland competing in my first Half-Ironman. He wished me luck on Friday morning and sent me on my way with my 2 very dear friends (and coach) Lori and Brian. He didn't blink an eye when I mentioned wanting to do this race, in fact when I returned home on Sunday evening at around 11pm he had dinner from Muriale's (our rehearsal dinner food) and presents waiting for me. He knows triathlon makes me happy and that makes him happy. I couldn't have picked anyone more understanding. Oh yeah, did I mention it was my FIRST half-ironman AND I went under 6 hours? 5:42:05 to be exact :)

July - Not only does July house 2 of the most special boys in my life's birthday's (Drew and my Dada) but it is also IRONMAN LAKE PLACID month!!! Tackling this hilly, challenging course made for an awesome day! I managed to PR in the Ironman-distance by 33 minutes. A years worth of training really paid off! I enjoyed spending the week with Lori and Brian, as well as my Dad and Jason who joined us for the weekend. It was relaxing and exciting all at the same time. I can't wait to do it again in 2014. Being able to travel to these races and afford to also pay the entry fees is not something that I take for granted.

August - August was a special end to my triathlon year. I qualified for the Best Of The Us race by coming in 3rd overall female in WV's qualifying race (Stonewall Jackson Triathlon) This was my first major "win" as a triathlete and it was pretty great. The following weekend my 3 nephews and I participated in the Kids Sprint Splash and Spin race on Friday evening. They LOVED it! I was able to get into the pool with them for their swim, run along side their bikes, and run along the trail with them. I will never forget Drew telling me "This is beautiful, you should bring me here more often." On Saturday morning I participated in another first for me. A sprint distance race. This was the most painful triathlon I've ever endured. I was fatigued from racing the weekend before and an all out race for 1:03:00 is painful! It was so incredible to place first overall female. I can't even put into words how I felt. . . Did I mention it was Jason's birthday, and he got up extra early to come watch me race? :)

September - FOOTBALL SEASON! This is my favorite month of the year. My weekends are spent with my very very best friend, and other half. My cousin Brittany! She and our friend Julie come for every home game and spend the weekend with me. We don't live in the same town so getting to see her for 7 weekends in a 3 month time makes me so so happy!!! September is also when I made a HUGE change in my diet. It wasn't easy, but I was loving how I was feeling.

October - October is the month of the Ironman World Championships. It is so inspiring to watch the live feed via the internet. All Ironman All day! It's often referred to as "Tri Porn" :) October is also when my last marathon training cycle was really in full swing. I was nailing workouts I had never thought possible and feeling better than I have ever felt. My diet changes and focus on racing and training was really paying off.

November - While we are all aware that my race did not go as planned, lets not forget that November is a time to remind us to be thankful for all our blessings. I have the ability and means to race, travel and share the sport I love with some amazing friends and family. I have the support of my family and friends not only for sport but also in life. I have a wonderful father and mother who love me dearly, and incredible siblings. My sister-in-law and brother adapt family dinners around my eating style and everyone is so encouraging. I have the most inspiring, funny and loving nephews. They love me like no other, we have a bond that I will forever cherish. So while my heart was broken for most of the month over the outcome of one race, it was also mended by all the blessings that I have been able to enjoy in life. 

December - What's better about December than the fact that I, yours truly, was born? Ok, kidding. Kinda ;) This month is just a spill over of all the family time and blessing that start in November. Traditions are my favorite and I look forward to them all year. I love decorating and making the house smell of Christmas. It's also a time to reflect on how amazing my life really is, and focus on my goals to make 2014 even better! 

 Eagleman 70.3

 Our Newest Addition, Diesel

 Glass City Marathon 

 Huntington Marathon

 Lake Placid - Prerace

Pre Swim with Lori and Brian 

 My Momma became a TOUGH MUDDER!!

2 Carseats and a booster seat piled in the back!

 Finally got our wedding tattoos!

 Throwback of our Wedding Day!

 Became a part of Team Wheaties

 There's nothing like living in Morgantown on Game Day!

Weekend Activites

So this weekend's activities didn't go quite as planned. I headed to the doctor on Thursday even because I  was having trouble with my breathing. (I have asthma for those of you who don't know) Come to find out, sinus infection, ear infection and referral for a pulmonary function test. BUMMER!

Like the good little athlete I am, first person I texted was my coach, Brian. This is what transpired!

This is nothing new. Brian is my voice of reason, and I'm his relentless athlete who tries to talk him out of his rational. I knew the best thing for me wasn't to get in the pool the day after being given steroids and antibiotics for an ear infection, but my mind and body were already set for a swim in the morning! None the less, I listened, and I rode my bike for 30 minutes instead! (*How I've grown - There was a time when recovery meant nothing to me, and I would have jumped in that pool without a second thought. I now know, it's not worth it in the long run.)

Saturday, instead of a run test - which obviously would not have been a good idea - I rode my bike in zones 1-2 for an hour. I cleaned my house, did some laundry, and had lots of cuddle time with my fur-babies! (*Lesson - recovery is imperative to repair the body! Sometimes I have to talk myself into doing nothing (not even folding clothes) but I never regret when I do)

My favorite date night is sushi night! Hands down. Sushi does not make me feel anything but satisfied after I eat it. Only thing is, I LOVE soy sauce with my sushi. I have been using Bragg's Liquid Aminos at home, but this weekend I decided 'who cares' and I took my soy sauce to the restaurant with me! Bragg's has 160mg of sodium compared to the 900mg in a regular bottle of soy sauce, and it tastes so good that even Jason ate it instead of the restaurant's! (*Lesson - Who cares what others think. Do what makes you happy, and if that means adapting your restaurant meal to fit your needs by taking something of your own, then DO IT!)

And last but not least, I talked last month about adding my core/hip/glute work regularly to my schedule now instead of waiting until January...well after my easy ride Saturday and my 1:20 interval ride on Sunday I got down on the floor and performed my routine. As usual, I had a training partner, except instead of lying under me during my planks, he decided he wanted to sit on top of me during my bridges and crunches! What would my life be without these fur-babies? (*Lesson - My core lost more strength than I could have imagined in just a few weeks off. Adding core daily has made a huge impact in my core sessions already. In just a few weeks I have been able to advance my exercises...Never give up just because it's hard!)

And in case you're wondering how I'm able to accomplish all my training, racing, house work, puppy cuddles, working full-time, family activities, and date nights without loosing my mind....I have the most amazing and supportive husband! (who also works on Sundays and sometimes Saturdays too like this weekend) He doesn't question my training schedule, and he loves my drive and passion for what I do. Even with the amazing family support I have, and the unconditional love from my dad who is also my travel side-kick and #1 supporter and fan, it wouldn't be possible without such a supportive and understanding counter-part! Who also, helps unload the dishwasher and takes out the trash without being asked! ;-)  (*Lesson here - have people in your life that support you and enhance your drive for whatever your passion in life is. Negative people have no (or limited if you can't avoid them) place in your life!)

Happy Monday! Hope you all have a fabulous week! 

Banana Nut Bread

So as promised...Here is the recipe to the fabulous Banana Nut (or nut free) Bread I posted last night! I tend to have trouble sometimes when making a 'clean' recipe. They never seem to turn out right, I mean they're OK, but never like "Mmmm..." but this, this cake was the most moist, perfect banana bread. Even Jason had quite a few comments about this recipe!

In a bowl:

mash 4 ripe bananas

1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce

1/2 cup honey

2 eggs

1 cup whole wheat flour 

(I use white whole wheat, it's not as grainy)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

Mix ingredients while you pre-heat the oven to 350.

Spray 4 mini loaf pans with non-stick spray of choice

I then divided the batter and topped 2 with walnuts and left 2 without since Jason prefers his without.

Bake 28 minutes ( or until fork comes out clean)

I turned and moved mine around in my oven a few times but each oven is different.

Easy. Simple recipe that came out DELICIOUS!

Thank You!

This blog is just to say THANK YOU! 

I have received some incredible messages recently thanking me for my inspiration. Honestly, sometimes you're not quite sure what others think of what you're posting on social media. It's refreshing to hear that I am making a difference. 

I know what it's like to look up to others for inspiration and a sense of peace that time and patience really do make great things happen. Fitness and health do not happen over night, nor do they have an ending. Often times I find myself frustrated with my fitness level, but once I stop and realize that I've only been competing in triathlon (of any distance) for 2 years now it makes me smile and be proud of where I am. I love to follow other athletes and watch their journey. It makes me excited for where I still get to go in this sport. 

I look up to my coach and his wife more than they will ever understand, and I trust my sports dietitian 100% and part of that is due to being able to follow her journey and watch her practice what she preaches. Seeing my friends post about their workouts, makes me excited for my own, and just knowing someone else is suffering the same good hurt you are somehow makes it more enjoyable :) So know you are not "stalkerish" or "creepy" for sending a message my way. I look up to others the same way you may look up to me.

So again, THANK YOU. I'm open to all questions. I love getting emails and messages about all things health and fitness related, and will pass on my knowledge to the best of my ability!