GAGA Ooooo La La

Last night was LADY GAGA!!!! and words can't describe how awesome the concert was!

First of all, I was not expecting the crazy freak-show crowd. The things people were wearing were quite interesting, and made for very good people watching pre-show. I noticed quite a few people wearing caution tape - is that from one of her videos or something?

The opening act was alright. Lots of f-bombs, but did an alright job of getting the crowd pumped for Gaga. The crowd went ab-so-lutley crazy when she finally came out. I mean seriously, a sold-out Xcel center screaming at the top of their lungs = loud!! Her performance was a non-stop 2 hour crazy freak show - and I loved every minute of it!

I had been to Britney last year, and thought it was really entertaining and fun. But GAGA was beyond entertaining. Unlike Britney, she actually performed live (I think most of it anyway) and talked to the audience a lot. She really portrayed a message of loving who you are as individual and not letting others bring you down for being different. But her music is just so much fun - you can't resist dancing!

So it was a fun night, but a late night, which really throws my week off - man am I an old fart! Even though I struggled through my day at work, and drank way too much caffeine (mocha in the morning and diet coke at lunch) I forced myself to get a run in. Ended up doing 3 miles at a little under a 10 minute mile, not an improvement, but much better than I was expecting! I have no BG facts, because I was feeling rebellious and frankly just didn't want to take the effort to check before or after. I know, I know...

Off to bed I said!

MN Military Appreciation Fund 5k

Saturday my hubby B, my TBFL, our best buddies M&R, and another friend H. headed to Harriet Island for the MMAF 5k run. Pre-race I had a piece of toast with peanut butter and a banana, and took enough insulin just to cover one of the two, in hopes of preventing a race or post-race low (my BG was 78 prior to breakfast). I was a little concerned about going low, because on Friday I had an unexpected low right before lunch. I had just read in "Diabetic Athlete's Handbook", that havin a low the day before strenuous exercise event raises your chances of going low then too.

This race started a little later than most - 10am, which I was appreciate of, as it allowed me to "sleep-in" a little. However, the other side of the coin was that the temperature was warmer than I would have liked. The race wasn't all I had hoped it would be. I started out keeping pace with my TBFL, but from the start just seemed to be struggling. At the turn around point half-way through, I just couldn't keep up with my running buddy. My side-ache continued to worsen, and around mile 2 I even had to stop and walk it out, which was a big bummer. I pushed through it though and B joined me in the last little jaunt across the finish line. As soon as I stopped I did not feel so hot, well I did feel super hot, but not in a good way. I ended up finishing at about 30:10 - not my worst and not my best. I decided not to fret too much about the seemingly treacherous run, because it was after all for a good cause and it was over! (my BG after was 181, a little high, but better than going low!)

The whole day was a Say Thanks Day, so there was lunch, beer, and live music to enjoy all afternoon. I ate a half a hot-dog, chips, and an apple, taking enough insulin to cover each item. We didn't stick around too long, but it was great to give our troops a small sign of our appreciation for them (B just got back from Iraq and out of the guards after 10 or so years of service, so it means a great deal to us).

After the race my BG continued to drop - 146 at 11:20 before lunch, 138 at 12:22 after lunch before a treat of Starbucks frapuccino which I also took insulin to cover, 88 at 2:28 which was when I was pretty sure I was going low, but the numbers weren't quite proving it yet, and 64 at 3:02 a low I treated by eating Chobani. So I am not sure if it was all due to the tough run, too much insulin through-out the day, or too little food, or a little of all 3. Either way, the result was a pretty bad headache all day, that was still there when I woke up this morning. I guess better luck next time!

The remainder of the weekend included grilling and Farkle with friends, successful shoe shopping (two super-cute pairs!), girl talk, a slooow movie "Brooklyn's Finest", bathroom remodel decision making (white trim, dark stained doors, brushed nickel hardware), cancelled bike ride today due to the lingering headache and sore quads (HUGE bummer), an afternoon massage, and some house cleaning. Another weekend come and gone - SAD! Here's to enjoying the last couple of days in August!

3 Things THURSDAY!

1. If you have read and enjoyed the book "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo", you must see the Swedish movie! My TBFL and I had a date night last night, as if we don't see each other enough (probably more than we see our significant others) which included MAC GRILL!!! The food was oh so yummy. Another sign that we maybe spend too much time together -- we ordered the exact same meal! I had low expectations for the movie. I figured it would be a low budget foreign film with poor acting. I was wrong! The actors were fantastic and kept me intrigued the whole 2 1/2 hours. I was a little disappointed in how not-so-good looking Mikael Blomkvist was, but he grew on me. The girl that played Lisabeth was spot on! I will be curious to see how the Hollywood version, which is being filmed currently, compares.

2. I love my dog. She is the cutest and smartest little creature evah! However, she does have a little attitude (anyone that's met her would agree). This attitude comes out especially when she feels left out. So today after work, my hubby came home, quickly changed and headed of to go motorcycling with some buddies. I left shortly after to go for a run and then grab a bite to eat with a good friend. When I got home, I knew right away she was not happy:

She always pulls something out of the garbage, doesn't really chew it up, but just leaves it out, whenever we don't stay home long enough with her. This was her pay back. I couldn't even be that upset with her, so instead we played fetch until she got bored with it. 

3. Today my Manager sent me an email letting me know that he thought I was in a good place with my projects, so it wouldn't be unreasonable to take off at 3ish and still leave around noon tomorrow as well. I so couldn't pass that offer up! I love my new job : ) Summer Fridays are the best - leave whenever you feel you are in a good spot; I haven't stayed past 2 yet!

Tomorrow's Friday - whoo hoo!

Is it only Tuesday?!?!

So in my last post I explained how sore I was from Yoga. Since then I have:

1) Went for a nice bike ride with the hubby. I was planning on doing nothing Sunday, but to my surprise B was actually interested in going for a ride with me. Typically I have to beg and plead, and usually fail to get him to do physical activity. You are probably thinking I must have a lazy husband. Nope, not true. He is always busy doing something, its just leisure activities aren't really his thing. He'll run a race (and kick butt) if I sign him up, but that's about it. So I couldn't say no! And it was nice. It was way too hot, so I was dripping quite a bit, but that just made me feel even more hardcore ; ) In the end we did about 8 miles in 45 minutes. (BG was 148 before and it looks like I forget to check after, but a few hours later it was 78)

2) I wasn't about to get up early and run on Monday, as we went to a late Twins game the night before, which I should add was a great game - nice weather, fun company, home run, and a Twins win. I couldn't ask for it any other way! (I even indulged in some gelato for the first time at the game, which is dangerous because the booth is right behind our seats). Ok, back on track. So I knew I needed to get a run in, with this 5k coming up on Saturday. Unfortunately, towards the end of my work day, I felt that nagging cold coming back - sore throat, running right nostril (why only one?), ick. When I got home all I wanted to do was lay around, but I forced myself to hop on the treadmill for a first effort at "speedwork". I was actually very surprised and pleased with myself and the workout I knocked out. It consisted of a 5 minute warm up at about an 11:13 pace, 1 minute sprint (or whatever you want to call it) at between 8 and 8:30 minute pace, 1 minute at warm-up pace, repeated 5 times. Then repeated the whole process 2 more times. Ended up taking about 45 minutes. It was hard, but I was proud of myself for pushing through! (BG before the run was 135 and after was 87)

3) I thought I might have been able to run away my cold - no such luck. Today my TBFL and I planned to try out the "Body Works Plus Abs" class this morning, as part of our effort to increase our core strength. I woke up at 5AM feeling absolutely crummy (BG was 62, which didn't help either). I dug around in the dark (trying, but failing to not wake up B)  for the last dayquil in the house. Even with the drugs, the class was HARD. It started with some brutal planks, held for a minute each, then 30 seconds. I could barely hold it for 10 seconds - sad! Then it moved to lunges, squats and lots of dumbbell reps. Whew - we survived, barely. We'll be back next week ; ) (BG after the workout was 140)

4) A friend asked if I wanted to go for a 3 mile run with her tonight. My initial thought was - No, I am sick and I just need to recover. Then I thought, ok, maybe that wouldn't be so bad, especially since I am planning on taking tomorrow off. Then I had to walk something to our other building at work, and as I crossed the parking lot, I felt the effects of the body works class hitting me. There was no way I was going for a run. By the time I left work my entire body was one big sore muscle (kinda similar to Yoga just a few days ago). So no run for me tonight, which is ok. I did make some delicious tomato basil soup with cheesy ciabata bread. I am stuffed!

Well I think I am going to do more reading tonight - did you know Mary Tyler Moore is a diabetic and wrote a book about her life with it? Pretty interesting stuff.

Honeymoon

Wow -- where did the week, and now almost the weekend go?!?!

The week was primarily a "recovery" week. I did manage to get a 4 mile run in on Wednesday morning and Spin class on Friday morning. I was really hoping to get a speed-work run in yesterday, but opted for Yoga instead, the thought being I could do my run today instead. Yeah, well having not done Yoga in months, I am sore, um, EVERYWHERE. Yikes. Now I remember why I love Yoga. It never feels like that much of a workout during the hour, hard yes, but just not the cardiovascular challenge I link with a tough workout. Until the next day. Ooof. I will be lucky if I get off the couch and take the dog for a walk today...

On that note, I really don't have anything big coming up to train for. I am doing a 5k next weekend and then a 36 mile bike ride (more of a leisure ride) a few weeks later. But I just haven't decided what I want to do next. Part of me really wants to just take the time to build up my base, i.e. do more Yoga and strength training. But another part of me is afraid that if I don't have something challenging to train for, I will start to slack off. I don't want that to happen! My training buddy and I were talking about maybe doing a 10k and/or a half marathon. Neither of us are mentally ready to commit yet, but I think I am going to just enjoy this time of pressure-free workouts!

On a health-related note, I got my lab results back which show that I am "honeymooning". No, this has nothing to do with the Hubby and I : ) It basically means that my pancreas is still producing some insulin, but this will eventually stop (when?) and my required low levels of insulin will have to be increased. How bizarre.

Well time to enjoy the last day of my weekend - Twins game tonight!

YWCA Triathlon Report

Oh, triathlon. It really seemed like a good idea when I signed-up for my first one and then optimistically my second one on the same day. I think I should have tri-ed one first. My first tri was, I am pretty sure, the hardest thing I have ever done. The swim was a half-mile. I had definitely done this distance in a nice, clean lap pool, but nothing similar to a freezing lake with large men (and powerful women) kicking you in the head as they swim past. The bike was not much better - 20 miles of never-ending rolling hills, at which about mile 15 my entire legs cramped-up. Somehow I powered through it, only to reach the bike-in, finding that I could not bend my legs to get off of my bike. No one helped. Finally, I somehow managed to get off, pretty much in full panic-attack mode by this point. I walked into the transition area, pretty confident it was the end for me. But then I saw my best training buddy. In a state of delusion, I asked if she was already done? Actually, she was waiting for me, so we could do the run together. I wasn’t sure I could do it, but her words of encouragement worked. We finished the tri together, and I felt like I had conquered the world (even if we were pretty much the last people to stroll in).

Well, since then I realized that during this time (training and completing the tri) I actually had diabetes. Huh. BG is the high 400s. Wow. After all the shock of being diagnosed and beginning my insulin treatments, I finally came back around to the idea that maybe I could complete this 2^nd triathlon I had signed-up for. I picked back up my training the last couple weeks before the tri, and kept reminding myself that this one would be better – shorter in all three areas and all women, with lots of 1^st timers!

Tri-day came so quickly. My sister and friend came to town. We “carb-loaded” at Buca’s, as much as a diabetic can anyway, we packed our bikes, and we woke up at the crack dawn to get marked and set-up our transition areas.  I had a pre-race breakfast of toast with PB, then a mini-clif bar. After getting all set-up, I checked my BG one more time before the transition area closed - 85. It was lower than I wanted it to be, dang it. So I ate another clif-mini bar, hoping that would hold me through the swim. 

Pre-race Smiles (from left to right: Friend JW, Sister, Me, Training Buddy)

Then we waited, and waited as each wave began 3 minutes apart. Finally wave 13, 14, then there we were lined up on the edge of the water, ready to run in. 10, 9, 8…3,2,1… GO!

The swim definitely wasn’t easy, but I was glad to find that the ladies dispersed pretty well and no one kicked me in the head! I didn’t have to stop either to avoid running into anyone, and the best part was I got stay right along the booies with no problem. It appears everyone had the idea to hang to the outside to avoid getting clobbered. That worked to my advantage! I was also happy to see lots of volunteers with noodles for emergency purposes. The idea of stopping for a rest definitely sounded wonderful, but NO! The run from the water to the transition area was labored, but I didn’t want to stop as there were SO many people standing along the side cheering away. I heard someone shout my name, but wasn’t sure who…

My training buddy was already in transition when I got there. I gave her a pat on the back. She majorly improved on the swim from the last time, as she overcame her open water fears – so I was very happy for her!

The bike part, ugh. I was really thinking this would be 1,000 times better than the last tri, simply due to the fact that I was now managing my diabetes, but also due to the fact that the course was relatively flat and 5 miles shorter. Hm, it was a struggle from the start. I just felt drained already. Maybe I kicked too much in the swim? Maybe my BG was too low? Maybe it was the strong winds that never seemed to be at my back? Maybe it was my front brakes rubbing on my tire? Somewhere close to mile 11, my sister and friend passed me. I was happy to see them, but would have been happier to see the finish line. I just kept pushing as hard as I could. I managed to drink most of my Nuun, but probably should have drank that plus my other water bottle. I also managed to eat a bag of GU Chomps, about 30g of carbs during the ride. It seemed like a lot to me…

Transition to the run is the worst. First, getting off the bike is tricky, but I remembered to clip-out (phew) but it took some time for my legs to remember how to walk. There was no running into T2. I switched my shoes, put on my race belt, and attempted to eat one more GU, because I was feeling low (or maybe just exhausted?).

Attempting to run out, I was pretty sure I didn’t have enough juice in me to get through the rest of the race. My legs felt like bricks that didn’t want to move. I saw my hubby and parents on the sideline, but couldn’t muster a smile. I passed my sister and friend, and they told me to take it easy, as I said I thought I wouldn’t make it. I was starting to think maybe I was low, maybe I would pass-out. Crap. C’mon, I got this far, and I just wanted to finish. Finally, about 1 mile in, I am not sure if that little bit of GU kicked in, or adrenaline, or maybe I was just over-concerned about how I felt earlier, but regardless, I found my running legs, and ran through the next 2.1 miles without feeling like death. As I passed ladies, I cheered on with words of encouragement. I hope they appreciated it and weren’t annoyed, because I know how much it helps me. 

Finally, finish line! I saw friends & family & training buddy (she kicked even more butt on the run!) and heard the announcer say my name – woo hooo – mission accomplished!

Stopping abruptly to get my ankle timer off, I was pretty sure I was going to hurl, but managed to walk out of there, rush to the food line and binge on a chocolate chip cookie and watermelon. I honestly can’t even remember if I tasted the cookie? I also took a wrap, banana and chips, but couldn’t eat them.  Then I headed back to the finish to cheer on my sister and friend as they crossed the finish line! I was yelling their names SO loud!!!

We all met back-up to discuss the killer tri and to take a couple fun finisher pictures! I checked my BG about an hour after the race - 155. For all the crap I consumed, it was probably pretty low when I crossed the finsih line. I definitely did not drink enough water afterward, as I had an annoying dehydrated headache the rest of the day. Once I get those, there’s not enough water in the world to get it to go away. I also know I lost quite a bit of salt (mostly because I could see and feel it on my face), because I was craving a big burger and fries. Same thing I craved after my last tri. I find it weird, because I am not a big red-meat or potato eater.

Well the family had to get back on the road home shortly after the race, so the hubby and I went to a local favorite that has THE best burgers. It hit the spot. I even indulged in an ultra-light beer.  The rest of my Sunday was lazy and involved watching too many episodes to count of Dexter Season 2.

After all is said and done, I can say I was proud of myself for completing the tri. I am not yet ready to commit to my next big challenge, but know whatever it may be, I can do it!

Three Things Thursday!

1) I got up (before my alarm even went off) for a last chance lake swim this morning. We pushed back our meeting time by 15 minutes, which made huge a difference - no dark, creepy water! The sun was out, and driving to the lake I got to see a beautiful sunrise. The water felt so peaceful and cool this morning! Don't get me wrong, it was still a tough swim for me, but I tried to focus on the enjoyable parts of swimming instead : )

2) More storms are on the way. The tv alert system has been going crazy. I thought it was all just further west and north of me, but it turns out we are under a tornado watch now too. Bad weather seems to be a popular trend this summer. I like a little thunderstorm, but would gladly pass on the extreme heat and high, damaging winds.

3) Chili & Lime almonds = way too addicting. I was SO excited the other day when I found my favorite almonds at Walgreens. After not being able to find them at the grocery store and Target, I had thought they stopped making them. What a delightful surprise! Almonds are a great snack, especially now for me as they are basically carb free. However, they are not FAT free. Is it bad that I went through almost the entire can in 2 days?? Yikes. I will have to keep the rest of my meals low-fat, because I just can't give up those yummy little guys!

I can't believe tomorrow is Friday already - YAY!

857

This morning it was incredibly hard to get out bed at 5AM. Thank goodness I was meeting my workout buddy or for sure I would have rolled back over for another hour snooze. I was really hoping to get in at least one more ride on my new bike before the tri this weekend, but this dang weather just isn't cooperating. So we opted for indoor spin class. I always like spin, well afterwards at least : ) This morning's class was only 45 minutes, so I thought why not make it a BRICK workout. (For some reason when I write about a BRICK it has to be in all capital letters). It wasn't anything too crazy, as it is taper week, so just a casual 15 minute run-off, that felt really good! My BG before the workout was a nice 76. I ate a clif mini bar to get me through the class, but towards the end felt I needed a little more, so I ate one clif shot block. My post-BRICK BG was 136 - not bad!

The best part of morning workouts is when we can make it to the local Herbalife Fusion, to get a YUMMY protein smoothie! These things are seriously a-mazing! They are also low-carb, so I didn't need to wait to take insulin before indulging : ) Somehow I accidentally wrote down the wrong smoothie number, so instead of getting my favorite Chunky Monkey (which has crushed herbalife energy bars in it) I got Almond Joy. Not a fan of coconut, but it wasn't bad, just not the best. With the smoothie also comes (separately) a shot of aloe and iced tea of your choosing. Sounds weird, but they both have their health benefits and I actually look forward having those as well.

I have maintained my BG really well today, but I think I may be getting sick. My throat was starting to hurt and my nose got a little runny towards the end of the day. I also felt super tired. So when I got home from work today I had some Airborne and then took a little nap. Verdict still out if any of that helped....the next debate is whether I can (or more like want to) get up in the morning for one last lake swim???? I really should....

Got my race number today:  857! Me and three other buddies (one of which is my sistah) are in wave 15! I am getting excited! For even more exciting news, check out the forecast for race day:

Cross your fingers that it doesn't change!

Lake Swim

First off - GO Thome, Hardy and Mauer - 3 HOME RUNS in one exciting inning!

Ok, so today's training plan included an early morning lake swim. I checked my BG before heading out - 100.  I decided since I would be swimming in open water, to be safe I would eat 2 cliff shot blocks (or 1 carb choice) before I started.

The lake was a little creepy with the sun not quite risen yet, and still pretty warm from all the nasty humidity. We like swimming at this lake though, because you can swim straight out and back and it equals about a half mile.

Swimming has definitely been my most abandoned third of the tri these past few weeks, as I have gone from deciding to drop-out to changing my mind and picking back my training. It doesn't help that it is also my least successful of the three, but not much to do about that now!

The swim was not easy, my arms got tired fast, my breathing seemed labored, but somehow I made it the dock and back! As soon as we got on the beach some little gnat things kept biting us, so we quickly packed it up to head back to gym and get ready for the day. I checked my BG before driving off and it was at 162.

Today I had another diabetes education appointment. Unfortunately, I was unaware it was a 2 hour appointment. Thank goodness my work has been so flexible with all this stuff! I found out more good information, as it seems to be endless! I guess it is normal for BGs to spike after a work-out, even without taking in carbs. Somehow adrenaline can cause that, but its important not to treat it, as it will most likely drop quickly just a little while later. Good to know!

They reduced my background insulin some more, as my BG continues to drop overnight. I will also reduce it slightly the night before the tri, to help prevent any lows during the race. I am so thankful that the nurses are so involved with helping me manage my training so I can still participate in my tri! I am glad though that I won't be going back until November, as they think I have it all under pretty good control.

On a side note, the hubby and I treated ourselves to DQ blizzards tonight! I haven't had any good treats since I started taking insulin, so I am pretty sure it was well deserved. However, it is slightly less fun when you first have to go check the carb count and realize exactly how bad those delicious treats are. I opted for the mini size, which seems like nothing when you see it, but yet still has a gazillion calories. Regardless, it was scrumptious, and I am not going to feel guilty about it!

Time to relax now and enjoy a good ol' thunderstorm and Twins baseball - goodnight!

Early Morning Run

Last night my training buddy and I laid out our workout plan for the week. This is TAPER WEEK as the triathlon is coming up on Sunday already! This time we plan on still working out Monday thru Thursday, and then having two full rest days prior to the tri.

Since the forecast showed it was probably going to rain this morning (it was wrong of course), we opted to do our run indoors. I have a treadmill at home, so that's where I was at 5:30 AM! My BG before the run was 79. I didn't feel like eating anything, but I forced my self to have one clif shot block, in hopes it would hold me over.

My goal was to do 3.1 miles, and wishfully hoping for more like 3.5. I started out the first mile at a 9:30 pace. The second mile I sped up to 9:13. I was hoping to do negative splits, but just didn't have enough juice to speed it up anymore. I had to stop after the 2nd mile an take a short walk break. I finished the 1.1 miles at a 10 minute pace. It wasn't exactly what I was hoping for, but I don't want to over-do it this week either. My BG after my run was up to 144. I was kind of surprised at how high it jumped from one little shot block. Hmm...

Well, not a bad way to start Monday!

Wonderful Weekend!

Oh man does this summer just seem to keep flying by!


Workouts:
I got in a few good workouts this week: Monday night spin (almost died as we did hills the ENTIRE time), Tuesday night swim (was a little nervous to swim across the lake and back, but I made it and even though the water was nasty warm, I was glad to have done it!), Wednesday night sand volleyball (last game of the season), Thursday night outdoor bike ride (took out the new bike!! with the sis and training buddy). I had the best intentions of getting a swim and bike ride in Saturday, but it didn't happen. Oh well, last week of training before the YWCA Tri!!!

Work:
This week was a little crazier than usual, as it was month-end close and we were still in the process of filing our Q2  10-Q. After making all the last minute changes from our lawyers, execs and auditors, on Friday morning I filed my first 10-Q with the SEC!!! It was pretty exciting to me : )


Health:
I also had a big week of doctor appointments. I met with my RN and dietitian on Tuesday to review my food and BG logs. After more discussion, we all agreed that it made sense for me to change up my insulin plan. Instead of taking pre-mixed insulin before breakfast and dinner, I will now take mealtime insulin before each meal (breakfast, lunch and dinner, and large snacks) and then a background insulin that lasts 24 hours before bedtime. This new plans gives me a lot more flexibility, as I can eat when I want and how much I want. I was excited for the change, but also, again a little overwhelmed with having to learn a whole new regime again...They want me to come back next week before the tri to see how its all going.

The next day I met with an Endocrinologist for the first time since I have been diagnosed. She was great, and knew her stuff. She ran a quick A1C, and my results were 9.3, done from 12.6 when I first went it. That's really great progress for only being on insulin now for about a month! She made the comment after asking what my profession was, that she thinks only accountants and engineers should get diabetes. Ha. Because we like numbers. Good one ; )

Fun stuff:
I was very excited for my sister to come visit Thursday, and on Friday, we met up with about 6 other girls and  headed to a lake cabin for a fun bachelorette weekend extravaganza!! It was such a great weekend. The cabin was a-mazing. Saturday we enjoyed awesome weather on the lake all day. We also took in the local bars (quite the experience). It was just so nice to get away for a weekend and spend some quality time with amazing ladies! (I also learned that jello shots have 19g of carbs, dang!)

Oh, better get back to the laundry!!

New Ride

This post is a little delayed, but I didn’t want to overwhelm any readers by making my first post an epic novel, so I saved this post for today!


After completing my first triathlon in July, and now gearing up for my next one in a couple of weeks, I began to realize what the benefit of a road bike versus my hybrid bike would be. I bought my hybrid a couple of summers ago, when I knew I wanted to start cycling more, but at the time had no intentions of doing triathlons and frankly a road bike intimidated me. Now that’s all changed and I want SPEED! So after toying around with the idea and doing some research online and in stores, I found what I thought would be a great entry-level road bike that wouldn’t kill the budget. I also found a great new home from my hybrid – with my mom!

It was a tough decision between the Trek 1.2 WSD (my hybrid was a Trek, and I just generally prefer their look) and the Specialized Dolce Sport. Both bikes were similarly priced, had similar components and are designed for women. I ended up choosing the Specialized, primarily due to the fact that the store was close and convenient, which will make it easier for tune-ups and fixes when necessary. I also took it for a test ride and thought it felt great!

Unfortunately, I was too exhausted after the big purchase (and the 4k run in the morning), and just couldn’t take on the humidity to go for a nice ride. I hope to soon though! C’mon weather work with me!

Old bike - you will be missed!

New ride!! So shiny and white! I wonder how long that will last???

First Post - 4K Race Report

I am SO excited for my first post on my new blog, that I don't even know where to begin! So much has occurred in my life in just the past couple of weeks, but I am going to stick with theme of my blog on only focus on the present.

Today has been wonderful! This morning me, my hubby, and my parents got up at the crack of dawn and headed downtown for the Twins Territory 4k. None of us (who has?) had ever done a 4k before, but it was purposefully that distance to represent 4 bases in baseball. So each K, they had a little plate on the road to let you know how far you had gone. There were a lot more people there than I was expecting, but we were able to park and get through the packet pick-up line just in time.

The race began, but given the number of people, we didn't actually start moving until about a half minute in. My hubby immediately took off (fast run when my wife signs me up type of guy). I decided to run by myself, as I wanted to challenge myself to break a 9 minute pace. I have never run faster than probably a 9:30 pace, so I wasn't sure if I could do it. But my training buddy (who you will probably hear lots about on this blog) in the last 5k did it, so I was inspired and wanted to push myself too!

The morning seemed cool when we left, but downtown just seemed a bit more humid and stifled. I was weaving and passing lots of people, which made me feel great! Towards about 2 1/2K I wasn't sure if I would be able to maintain the fast pace I started with (typical bad move on my part). I kept pushing myself though, and relished in the thought that "it was only a 4K", whatever that meant. Well I was surprised to find the course had a few hills, one of which being at the last lag of the race. That is the 2nd race recently that has ended on an unexpected up-hill. Who's the crazy that plans these courses -- give us a break please!!! Well I trudged up the hill to see my hubby on the sideline letting me know the end was just up a little ways. He is a GREAT cheerer (if you ever need a pick-up at the end of the race, he can get you motivated!). Right at the end I heard someone cheer out my name and looked to see an old high school friend - how nice!

I was happy to cross the finish line at 22:38, which given the slow start, was probably more close to 22:10 or so. I think that works out to be close to an 8:30 pace!!! I couldn't, and still can't, believe I could run that fast! It felt great!

The finish had great recovery/refuel snacks - I indulged in a banana and Chocolate Light Muscle Milk. I had never tried the Muscle Milk (which says right on it, that there is no milk, weird), so I wasn't sure to expect. It was definitely a protein drink. Not horrible, but nothing I wanted to guzzle down. I managed to get about half down. I didn't want to eat too much after the race, since I hadn't given myself my morning insulin yet.

Since the race started at the old Metrodome and ended at the new Target Field, we walked our way back to our car at the start. We then had to get some fun pics at the new Field before leaving! After a quick shower, we head to a local favorite for the best breakfast in town! I tried the special of the day - applesauce pancakes (approx. 4 carb choices). Very good!

All in all I was glad we did the race! I am looking for another 5K to do next -- any suggestions??

Pre-race BG:87; Post-race BG: 168 (result of clif mini bar and banana with no insulin); Pre-breakfast BG: 97;  Post-lunch BG: 134 (forgot to take pre-lunch)