Photography from the Fall/Winter 2010

Some images I captured this Fall into early winter...

Jack Frost nipping at my....heels...

As November sets into its second week, I officially have 3 "runs" under my belt. Last Thursday, my sports therapist had me run for the first time since the triathlon, August 1st. It felt great! My hip didn't bother me at all and I was beaming from ear to ear when I left.

With a page full of homework I was ready to take on my running routine coupled with interval biking, swimming, hip & core strengthening exercises and my mainstay 3 days of personal training a week. Now the issue is getting all of this in my schedule! My therapist wants 3 days of run/walk intervals, 1 day of barefoot running in sets of 100 yard sprints, 5 days of interval biking and/or swimming and to continue my commitment of personal training. In a perfect world I wouldn't need to sleep.

I am working at getting all of this in my already busy work schedule while I prepare for the holidays and the end of my first semester back in school.

This morning I enjoyed my first set of sprints barefoot...hmmm, my calves are curiously on fire now! I really enjoyed it, although it is going to take some getting used to.

Oh and one more thing...my trainer is having a competition between all his clients...the client that best reaches their goals and attends the most training sessions by the end of the year wins free training for January & February! It's totally on, watch out! :)

Here's to a happy hip and a great November!

Amazing Autumn

Howdy!

I am participating in a 21 day challenge with Gretchen Bleiler (super awesome snowboarder) in which I use NO STYROFOAM, NO PLASTIC BAGS & NO PLASTIC WATER BOTTLES for you guessed it, 21 days! So far I am staying strong, I lugged around my reusable water bottle & coffee cup in my purse all weekend so I would stay hydrated and be able to partake in some warm apple cider at the top of the chairlift. To my dismay there was indeed no warm apple cider at the top of the chairlift! My husband thinks I am crazy seeing as how I opted for a water bottle full of beer instead of a plastic cup :)


I will keep you posted on the challenge!

In other news...


It's October, my favorite time of year, apple cider, pumpkins, crisp fall days, hoodies....There is only one thing missing this fall...Fall Runs.

I miss running immensely and I can't believe it has been almost 3 months since I have run. I am trying to get out and walk or lite hike but I try not to put myself in the position where I will want to run since I will most likely has no self-restraint and end up making my injury worse. So far so good though!

As far as the hip goes, I had no pain for about 2 weeks up until this weekend. Squatting equals misery for me. Back to rehab on Thursday I go.

I am working out in the gym on the bike and swimming laps in the pool. Hopefully this will give me more strength in these areas come triathlon season. I am staying on top of my training (upper body & core) three times a week and try to get 2-3 days of cardio in as well. Try being the operative word.

I think I may walk a 5k or two and see how it feels to at least get back in the swing of things so when I get the green light I won't feel like a giant slacker.

In other news, I spent the weekend in Seven Springs with my most awesome husband for our 3rd wedding anniversary. We had a blast! I am instantly relaxed when we head up there, it's amazing. It is most definitely "our spot". YAY FALL!!!





Happy Tuesday!

A little hip swivel...

So in the midst of working with my sports therapist I am trying to stay on track with an exercise regime. I'm only allowed to do certain exercises so I am working with my trainer 3x a week on upper body and core only, walking 2x a week, swimming once a week, working with my therapist once a week and doing his prescribed exercises 2-3x/week.

I am out of space in my schedule it seems between all of this, regular life (work, teaching, hubby, puppy) and school. I went back to school this Fall! Very exciting stuff and a lot of work, but I'm thrilled to be doing it. I am working towards a degree in Sports Nutrition. (many, many years down the road :)

It's about 9:15pm on a Wednesday, I am finishing up my school work after a long day of work and exercise and I preparing for another long day tomorrow including therapy, work, lessons and school work. I know it will all be worth it when I have that piece of paper in my hand and my hip no longer hurts. I am much more mindful of my movements and what hurts and what doesn't. I realized that the simple act of pushing off and swiveling around in my office chair was killing my hip every day so I have revamped my swivel style and it's made a world of difference!

I feel as though I am not getting in as hard of exercise as I once was training for triathlons and marathons so I have been paying close attention to my diet. Counting every calorie, carb cycling and cutting back on alcohol (minus Oktoberfest).

So onwards I continue! See you the next time I have a chance to breath, or write :)

Injured Reserve

So after tons of pain in my hip I finally went to the Othro Dr. followed by a trip to UPMC Sports Medicine in the South Side. Basically I have one leg longer than the other, a labral tear in my hip and lots of no-fun stuff going on. They are putting me in a sports rehab program from 4-6 weeks before they do an Arthogram and inevitably have me make on how to proceed. For now, no running, lunging, squatting, heavy weight or anything that hurts.

If I follow the instructions given to me and don't accidentally tweak it doing something stupid like getting out of bed, then I should be able to run pain free in about 6 weeks. I'm allowed to run in the pool so that is my plan. They will evaluate me closer to the end to see if I can get back to hard training. According to my rehab guy (official title) if all goes well I should be able to start training for a 5k. No more though.

This mean a few things:
1. I am bummed about missing the Great Race 10k, Indianapolis Adventure Race and the Spirit of Pittsburgh Half Marathon in November.

2. It has forced me to slow down, enjoy walks, yoga and other exercise that normally doesn't fit into my rigorous "training" schedule (I am a glutton for punishment).

3. I have to be very careful about what I put in my mouth. Without the extra calories I burn through running I am going to have to really buckle down on the nutrition end.


I am taking it slow with my hip and nursing it back to health to avoid surgery. I hope to be better than before and running 5K's this Fall. Here's to a better time and a happy hip in the Half Marathon next May...

Eco Tips for Idiots...

So I was just reading an article on the top ten ways a college student can be environmentally friendly while on campus. I agreed with many but then there was this one....They encourage you to stay connected online, which I don't think is all that hard of a fete this days. Then expanded to include that you can read most newspapers and magazines online nowadays. All this I agree with and then I read "with Facebook and Skype there's hardly any reason to write a letter anymore" Now call me silly, but I don't think it's the masses of letters being written home from college students that are ruining our environment.

In other news, I found this FitDesk bike/laptop holder that I must have! It's perfect for the girl who wants to be active and the boy who wants to stay home and enjoy the internet and video games. :)

Another triathlon under my belt...

So I'm about 36 hours out from my 2nd Triathlon. It was great...well...it didn't go so great, but the sense of accomplishment is great!


At the start I was concerned with the paddle portion since I was in a boat I had never been in, a shorter paddle and a completed different paddling position due to the size of the boats. They tell you to never do anything new the day of a race...no new foods, no new clothes, and definitely no new gear! I broke this rule not only did I wear a new shirt, but I had a completely untested kayak, an a new elevated bike seat.




As I set in the water waiting for the start I was feeling scared..then it was go time! Before I knew it I was hit in the head with a paddle, being shoved to the back of the pack. I paddled hard to get anywhere for the first 5 minutes. Finally I get into some open water and kept pushing hard. As I round the turn around I see another paddler who flipped their boat on the turn. I just keep telling myself to keep my core strong and stay stable. I finally get to the end of the paddle and go to run up to transition but my ankle is throbbing because of the shape of the boat and the way I had to position my legs & feet. Out of transition and to the mounting line I hop on my bike feeling pretty good about the 20k to come.



Through the North Shore and then up the ramp to the HOV Lane, I remember this feeling. Burning legs and sweat dripping down my forehead I forge up the 6% grade dodging rumble strips & broken glass. Less than 2 miles to the Perrysville turn around I try to shift from 1st to 2nd gear and my bike is being stubborn. After several attempts, the chain finally pops. Thanks to my wonderful husband I know how to get it back on! After I get through this obstacle and head into the turn around I realize I have 2 flat tires! FANTASTIC! Not! Grabbing a Gatorade at the bottle exchange I head to the lovely bike maintenance station to get some air & a new tube. Standing there for what seemed like eternity I get back on my bike and head back up the ramp. No where else to put it my Gatorade finds a home in my sports bra for about 7 miles.



Sailing down the hill trying to pedal hard my ankle is still throbbing and it feels like I have no power behind it. I realize my rear tire is flat again. Thanks for cleaning the glass off the HOV lane PennDot.

As I come into the dismount I see my amazing husband, my trainer Josh and his gf. It's a welcome sight after a grueling 20k.



Out of transition and into the run, or should I say stumble. My ankle hates me officially at this point. I jog for the first mile and then have to stop and walk for a bit. Making a friend along the trail we run together for a while and then I'm back to walking, then running, then walking, then running...Frustrating! I just want to run already! Finally coming near the end I see my supporters and hop along busting for the finish line. I finished! 2 flats, popped bike chain, busted ankle and all, I made it! I was thrilled to finish my 2nd triathlon.




As I got home I started thinking about my effort and I'm really happy that I've finished but I'm also feeling a little defeated. I wish I could have performed better. A million thoughts go through my head about why, what, how, when, where...but I have to tell myself I did a great job and I should be really proud of what I did!

So I am! I am proud of my accomplishment and I 'm thrilled to have the opportunity to compete in these races. I am looking forward to more great races in the future and hopefully they will be with a 40 lb slimmer Krystyn who is enjoying her goal weight and all the advantages it brings to my races.