Autumn is my time of year!

(Thanks for the photoshop Glenda!)

I was born in early autumn, late September, just when the leaves are starting to change.  I always wanted my birthday cake to be decorated in Fall colors with autumn leaves...not roses or anything else.  I've often wondered if the time I was born had anything to do with my affinity for this time of year...because honestly I look forward to it all year long.

What do I love about it? Lots of things from the riot of colors and smells, to the cooler weather, to the odd new beginnings of back to school time.

I know I'm a bit different, but as a kid, I was always excited for school to begin each Fall.  I loved to learn and I did well in the classroom environment.  Oh, of course I liked the freewheeling days of summer, but I really liked the structure of school as well.  As I got older, I also looked forward to hanging with my particular girl posse at school during the week (as well as on weekends). Even as a professor I love the feeling of possibility that came with new students and the start of school. This year was a little weird, as I retired, but I am loving hearing about my older grand daughter's new adventures in middle school and the younger one's tales of the second grade.

I look forward to the trees changing color.  The red of the maples, the yellow elms and aspens, the golden oaks...all mixed with greens and browns.  We have some trees in our backyard now and I love getting up on an autumn morning and looking to see how much more they have changed.  I really missed the color palette of fall when I lived in the south and am glad to be where I can watch it happening every year again.

A long with the colors, there is, randomly, the smoky smell of burning leaves or an evening bonfire.  But that isn't the only familiar autumn smell that I like. The smell and taste of pumpkin spice anything is wonderful to me. Apple cider, fresh apple sauce and homemade apple pie likewise.  Also with cooler weather, I am more inclined to bake...fresh muffins baking, fresh cookies out of the oven...and especially the smell of homemade bread rising, baking and cooling mark autumn for me.

Cooler weather is good for other things too...outdoor workouts, especially runs are exponentially more comfortable. I'm generally speedier on the run in the October and November before it gets too snowy or slippery to spend as much time outside.

And then there are the Fall holidays....Halloween and Thanksgiving. Halloween is an obvious favorite given our love of costumes!  And for many years we have found at least one Halloween race to run in costume.  This year, like last year it will be the Pumpkin Run in Oconomowoc...because it fits our schedule.

Jake Blues of the Blues Brothers at last year's Pumpkin Run

Thanksgiving is different for us.  Our kids generally spend it with their Dad and Step-Mom.  And we usually run a Thanksgiving race and then help edit photos from the race.  We celebrate with the kiddos later in the weekend.  But these traditions are comfortable and wonderful for us.

Last year we ran a Thanksgiving race in Boulder City, NV (and edited at a distance)

As you can see, sometimes I even celebrate my favorite season in my costume!  So there it is, autumn is my favorite....what's yours?

Work in progress...adjusting to change.

Presenting at a conference in my academic persona

I have had a number of careers over the years.  I have been everything from a bartender, waitress and short order cook to a librarian to a business coordinator for a video game company to a librarian to a college professor.  And all the way I was very dedicated to my work...even defined myself by it.  And then, a year ago I retired.  But it didn't last and I went back to teaching for 9 months.  But now I have retired again...this time for real (I hope!).  That's a good thing, but it is also unsettling...what am I going to do with this chapter of my life?

So I am still finding my way, and will continue to be a work in progress.  But I have found a theme, which is not exactly what I expected it would be. So I want to talk about that theme, what I hope to do with it and how it is different from what I expected.

WHAT DID I EXPECT?

I will be totally honest.  As much as I was ready to retire, I feared that my life would be consumed by care-giving. Don't get me wrong, I love Glenda and I love my kids and grandkids and my mom, for that matter...and I want and expect to spend more time with them. Helping them is a good thing, and I want to do that. That said, however, I have been care-giving on an "extra" level for a long time for my daughter. 

This is Mel, my daughter

For many years after her accident she really needed my help on a high level, first helping with personal care, wound care, education, etc.  And later with coordinating medical care, housing, etc. It became so ingrained that I think I just assumed it would always be that way.

But here's the thing, Melanie is still a person who needs help and support and she still has health problems. But she also has a team to help her, she is in a safe place and as I am increasingly aware she is developing her own voice and is getting better and better at advocating for herself. It is time for me to truly be a mother to this adult...not a manager or care-giver.  

I will always want to spend time with her and be supportive, just as I like to spend time with any of my family...and wish to be supportive of them.  I am sure there will be struggles, but I'm actually looking forward to seeing how things progress. 

SO WHAT IS THE THEME?

Me before I started running

A little background, when I was in graduate school working on my dissertation I started walking and going to a women's gym called Curves just to help my brain activate.  Before this time, even though Melanie and Glenda were running and racing I was still claiming to be the world's biggest indoors woman. I was heavier, yes, but what I really want people to see here is that I was unfit, disconnected from my body and a little scared to try to change that.

One day Glenda was out walking with me and I was suddenly struck with an idea and without thinking I said it out loud.  I turned to Glenda and said, "D'ya think I could walk a 5k?  I'd like to try." Once she picked herself up off the ground, she encouraged me to do it.  And when we got home, we found one and signed up.

By the time I finished grad school, I decided my next big dream would be to train for a marathon.  About this time I also got a tattoo, which reminds me that there should always be dreams.  I realize I have appropriated a native symbol...but the idea of catching dreams is so close to my heart and I couldn't find a better way to remind myself (and others). So I thank that culture for my reminder. 

My reminder to continue to "catch" my dreams

I did that marathon in 2009, and though it was my only one, I have continued to train and race and try new things ever since.  It has not only made me fitter, it has improved my confidence...even though I never got very good at it.  I'm still slow, and not getting much faster...but it doesn't matter.  It is for me both my health regimen and my playground.  And I want to share it with other people like me. 

So the theme is PASS IT ON. PAY IT FORWARD. GIVE BACK.

CHEERING YOU ON!

I am not going to stop racing by a long shot,  but in the last several months, Glenda and I had made a concerted effort to cheer some local races instead of racing them.  And of course we do it in our own special way....with costumes and signs and sometimes music. 

The Blues Sisters cheering on their friends...and random strangers!

OTHER WAYS I AM THINKING OF PAYING FORWARD OR GIVING BACK?

In thinking about how I can give back, particularly to those who are just starting out or who are older, I began to think back over what I might have to offer.  One of those things is just support...mentoring, cheering, making myself available to help with training runs.

Then it occurred to me that both my research and my personal experience might help others just starting out. All the work I've done on play and also on the learning about self that comes with running could be turned into something.  And all the lessons I've learned about starting late in life and not being the fastest might have something to offer other beginners.

So I finally reached out to someone local who could help me find a way to mentor newbies and also possibly create talks or workshops.  And the response was positive. So we are in the planning and thinking it through process. 

Over the last several years I have come to discover what is important to me in a coaching program. And I finally seem to have found a coach who has the qualities that are important to me. I think those qualities might also be important to others.

Many older "adult onset athletes" or athena/clydesdale newbies, in particular seem to be somewhat intimidated by coaching...but could benefit from it. Even older and heavier and not new athletes like me can benefit. But it has to be the right kind of coach.  I haven't done much about it yet, but I'd like to get USAT certified and be a coach specializing in these types of athletes.  Stay tuned.

Finally, I think it is really important to document  those athletic moments (just as it is important to document all kinds of important moments).  I already work on a part time basis as an editor for Focal Flame Photography...a local company that photographs many local and regional events.  I hope to increase my involvement, and learn some new skills in the process. So stay tuned for that too!

So while none of this has come to pass yet...I am hopeful that some of it will soon, and I will keep considering more things. And, as always I will continue to be a work in progress. 

#Reboot

Every now and then, each of us needs to take a moment and look back, so that we can look forward more clearly.  This is what I call a reboot.  For me there are many reasons that this is a great time to reboot...and the reboot has already begun.

Why is it a good time?

Probably the biggest reason it is time to reboot, for me, is that on June 30 I completed a 13 year long challenge to run something more than a 5k in all 50 states plus DC.  I spent about two months reflecting on that and writing a blog post.  But now it is time to set new goals.

Glenda at the end of my 50th state

Another reason is that I am really and truly retired, and that is sinking in.  During the summer I didn't feel quite so retired.  I have taken summers off before as an academic, but when school started across the country within the last few weeks and I was not a part of it (very much by choice!) I began to realize that the academic year will no longer be the dictator of the rhythm of my life.  I am finding that I have to find a new rhythm.

The other thing that has controlled my time for the last many years is the needs of my daughter. Visiting her, making sure she has what she needs and being her extra ears for medical appointments.  She had been living in assisted living nearby for a number of years, a really bad string of health issues ended with 6 months in a nursing home much further away...but still close enough to visit a couple of times a week.  But things have taken a turn for the better.  No ER visits for over 2 months! And late next week she is moving to an adult family care situation where she will have plenty of support, but greater freedom.  This is all good news.  However the new place is far enough away that visits two to four times a month are more realistic.  She will also have someone to go to appointments with her.  All good, but it does change the structure of my week.

Melanie and I at the 4th of July parade in Evansville

Finally, while I have a fair number of races left this year, none of them is an "A" race or a super goal race.  Those were finished in August when I did the Naperville Tri.  I love just doing fun races...but it is good to have a goal race in mind, just to give things a little shape and structure.

What am I doing about it?

I have been in the process of reboot since early August.  One of the things that came of that is (yes, another) new coach.  I appreciated working with the coaches at Prairie Athletic Tri Team, but I have had in the back of my mind for a long time that I'd love to work with a particular coach I know.  When I chose to hire a coach a year ago, I decided to go local. By the time I was ready to change and I thought working at a distance could work, my chosen coach did not have an open slot.  But as it happens she had a slot open up in late summer and I decided to go for it.

So, I am now working with C.C. Rowe of WTF Endurance (not to be confused with Wisconsin Triathlon Farm League, with similar initials which is local to me) in Austin, TX.  I trained with C.C. at Tough Cookies years ago when we were both athletes in their program.  I knew that she had gotten certified as a USAT coach a while ago, but decided to go local...still it was always kind of in the back of my mind that I'd like to work with her.  I like the fact that I know her as an athlete and that she has some understanding of chronic health issues (she's worked with other diabetic athletes before, etc).  But I LOVE the fact that she is C.C.  I like the way she approaches things and love her personality. She "gets" my goals on a different level, and I have no concern about using "sentence enhancers" (you might call them cuss words) when things don't go so well (or sometimes when they go very well). I have been with her for a month now.  So far, so good.

In this Tough Cookie pre-race photo CC is in the center standing in a black shirt and I am on the right side in a striped headband

So the next step was to set goals.  I set two very general goals at first, two new "quests" if you like.  The first of these is to run a race 5k or more in each of the Canadian Provinces (not the territories, at least for now).  I've already raced in Ontario and Prince Edward Island so I have a start.  The other general goal was to race 5k or more in each county in Wisconsin as a quest to see my home state. So far I have run in 17 of the 72...so there is a ways to go.

But C.C. also suggested that I set some SMART (Specific Measurable Achievable Relevant and Time-Bound) goals for the short, medium and long term.  My 3 goals are 1. Gaining more core strength over the winter (measured by the number of reps of certain exercises) 2. Swim a 2:30 hundred regularly in 6 months time 3. Improve my run intervals to 2 minute run/1 minute walk  ver a 5 mile distance within a year. It is really helpful to be working on goals like this that will help my running and triathlon, but are not based on going ridiculously fast on increasing long distances.  I recommend a similar goal setting exercise for all athletes.

Choosing "A" races was harder, but I have finally done it.  The difficulty came because I didn't want to add distance.  I want to be slightly faster and more comfortable (even recognizing that discomfort is necessary).  Typically I have a Spring and Fall running race and 1-2 triathlons in the summer, and sometimes a shorter fall race if I can find one.  I race much more, of course, but the rest are done as training runs or just for fun.  So for 2020, I am planning an 8K in Chicago on March 22nd as my Spring race, and the Mackinac Island 8 miler  in September as my Fall race.  For Triathlon I have decided on a repeat of the Naperville Sprint Tri in August as my number 1 race. I also plan to do a small Tri in Marshall, IL as a kick off and a super sprint in North Carolina in October to cap the season

Shockingly though, life is not all training and racing...and I am finding that I need to find new structures in my life now that I am not working.  I have some ideas that I am pursuing, but I am aware that I need to make room for reflection. So part of my reboot is making time for mindfulness and maybe even meditation.

I'm eager to see what's next.

See the country...Run the World

Medal photo from the final race

On April 1, 2006 I did my very first 5k, the Running of the Horns, on the University of Texas Campus.  I walked the whole thing.  I was also hooked on this racing/ running thing. 

On June 30, 2019 I ran/walked (mostly walked) the Missoula Half Marathon in Montana.  It was my last race in my quest to run any race 5K and above in every State plus Washington, DC.  

While I counted races starting in 2006...I really decided that I would try to run them all around 2008 when I realized Id already run in 5 different states.

SOME STATISTICS

If you count the FIRST race I did in every state I did twenty eight 5ks, one "yearling" (3.65 miles), one 4-miler, six 10ks,  Ten Half marathons, two marathon relays (with Glenda), two duathlons and one triathlon. 

If you count the LONGEST race in every state, I did nineteen 5ks, one yearling, one 4 miler, one 8k, one 5.5-miler, eight 10ks, two 10 milers, twelve half marathons, one full marathon, two marathon relays, two duathlons and one triathlon. 

And MORE than 51 great  races and stories, some of which are below. 

BECAUSE IT WAS THERE

Not all of my races were done on planned race weekends, at least 3 of them were just because there happened to be a race near where I was on a "non-race weekend" trip.

The first of these was the Cupid Chase in Albuquerque in February 2012.  It just happened to be the same weekend as the SWPACA conference, so I sneaked out to do the 5k at the balloon park.

The hot air balloons were neat to watch during the race

Thanksgiving week 2012 we attended the Maui Classic, a basketball tournament in which our Longhorns were playing.  A few weeks before we left we found that there was a 5k race nearby...so of  course we ran!

A very Maui panorama from the race start

In March of 2016, I attended the TASP conference at Rutgers University. Since I had not yet run New Jersey, I searched around and found a St. Patrick's race.

The day was chilly, the course was hilly and the Shamrock chapeau was a hit

ON THE SPUR OF THE MOMENT

A few of the races were chosen and done with almost no notice...

For example, in 2013 we lived in Texas and were training for long races.  One Saturday after our long run, we looked at each other and said, "there is no way I can do one more long run at the temperature of the surface of the sun."  So the search began for a cheap flight and race distance that would fit our training in a state we hadn't done...for the following week!  We ended up in Provo, UT where Glenda did half marathon plus and I did the 10K. I met Claudia, Mary Jane and Kristen that morning...and I'm still in touch with Kristen after 6 years.

Claudia, Mary Jane, Kristen and me...ready for the 10k in Provo

In December 2014 we had money on account with Southwest Airlines and they were having one of their very good sales...so of course we had to find a place to race (again on short notice) and ended up in St. Louis doing the Hot Chocolate 5k and 15k.

It's all about eating the chocolate afterwards

In 2015, we found ourselves needing a few more miles and segments to reach the next level on American Airlines...so what did we do?  Why looked for an inexpensive flight to get those points...and a race to get a state.  Voila!  The Road Hawg 5k/10k in Battle Creek, MI.

Here we are...Thing 1 and Thing 2 :)

IN COSTUME

Over the years Glenda and I have become infamous for running in costume, a trend which began when we ran Florida for the first time in 2010.  It was also our first Disney race...the Princess Half.  

Tinkerbell runs the half

It was 2014 before we wore costumes for another state.  But how could we not?  It was the Hare Hop 4-miler in Illinois

A couple of bunnies ready to run Illinois

Later that same year, we did a half in Kansas...I didn't feel entirely prepared (and I wasn't OH THE HILLS!), so I wanted to remind myself to have fun.  Thus, Dorothy and Glinda return to Kansas

We are in Kansas, complete with bubbles!

Early in 2015 The Little Rock Half marathon had a pirate theme, and so did we!

ARR-Kansas!

In the Fall of 2016 we ran in King's Island park in Ohio, including the Peanuts kids area.  We ran around and under the roller coasters dressed as Peppermint Pattie and Marcie

Marcie and Pattie after the race

The summer of 2017 took us on our first running cruise to Alaska.  Our first run was a friendship 5k in Anchorage with a moose theme.  We were happy to oblige!

A couple of crazy "Bullwinkles" before the race

Easter weekend of 2018 we were in Kentucky running the Run the Bluegrass as none other than jockeys.

My colors are Seattle Slew and Glenda's are American Pharaoh

December of 2018 had us channeling Elvis at the St. Jude's 10K in Memphis...complete with a peanut butter and banana milkshake post race.

We call this photo "We Three Kings"

By June of 2019 we came to the next to last race by running the Cornfield, Cornfield 10k in Omaha.  So what do you find in a Cornfield...scarecrows and crows of course!

I guess Glenda's scarecrow wasn't scary enough, because my crow finished with her

Not included here are 3 or 4 races where we wore themed skirts, but not necessarily full costumes. 

THE PRETTIEST

This is a tough category. I have run many races in beautiful places...Colorado, Wyoming, West Virginia, Washington and on and on.  But below are probably my favorites.

In June of 2015 I made my second (and successful) attempt at South Dakota (see below) with the Deadwood Mickelson Trail Half Marathon.  It was far from my best half...but it was extremely pretty with a new and beautiful scene around every turn.

Scene...

After scene...

After scene...

To the finish

In 2017, Glenda and I were celebrating our 20th anniversary on an Alaska Running Cruise.  ALL of the races we did there were scenic.  Below are a couple of photos from the first two.

Friendship run...the first race of the trip...How do you beat this scenery?

Maybe with the scenery from the second race.

June of 2019 I finished my quest with Missoula, MT Half marathon...and what a way to go out!  Gorgeous and well-supported course. 

So pretty in Missoula

as you can see

This bridge was a highlight

THE "WORST"

Of course, not every race can be perfect or scenic or wonderful....and at least 3 of them weren't.

I did a duathlon in Arizona to get that state.  It was a friends and family add on to USAT nationals and it started at 10 minutes after high noon in Oro Valley (which you can guess is hotter than the surface of the sun).  I struggled, but I finished.

I was happy to finish

But I admit to wondering why I did it

The second crazy bad race took place around Easter of 2013 in Denver, CO.  The race we had come for was cancelled by a blizzard...but this one went on.  I've never done anything more "stupid" for fun!  We did have a good time, but thought I'd freeze completely to death.

View on race morning

Yes we were that bundled up!

The final one was also a duathlon, but it was bad for opposite reasons.  It was COLD and rainy in Louisiana in February of 2014.

It was cold on the run

And colder on the bike! BRRR!

THE ONES THAT DIDN'T HAPPEN

In all the years of doing this only two races were ever cancelled, both by blizzards.  Colorado, as mentioned above had a snowstorm in March of 2013 that cancelled a race that we had come for.  Fortunately in the case, we found another race nearby and got it done.

Not so in South Dakota the next October.  Who expects a major blizzard (over 30 inches) the first weekend in October?  But we got it.  The snow was hip deep on the trail race morning, also the power was out and the interstate was closed!  We barely got out the next Monday...and had to do a do over to get the state in.

This is almost 3 feet of new snow on what was to have been race morning

FINDING WHAT'S NEXT

So proud that I've finished this quest...but now I have to figure out what's next.  And it isn't easy.  Anyone got a favorite running race 7k-10 mile distance?  How about a favorite duathlon? or super sprint or sprint triathlon?  Because I'm going to keep going.

I'm working through the counties in Wisconsin and the Provinces in Canada...but open to all kinds of suggestions.

To see more of my quest and other running things...check out my website here

Coaching matters

In case you were not aware, Fred Rogers was brilliant

I have had a number of coaches over the years both for running and triathlon. The best ones, in my opinion, understand the wisdom of Mr. Rogers above.  They understand YOUR goals, acknowledge your limitations, expect you to do the best you can with what you have, help you reach your goals and celebrate with you when you do. 

I have been fortunate enough to participate in both individual and group coaching that met those needs and only rarely found myself with a coach or group that did not gel for me. So this is blog to all those groups and coaches that have helped me reach my goals happily.  These groups and individuals worked best for me for a number of reasons.

Panther

My first coach  (after I decided that having your wife coach you is a good idea for only so long) was Phil Carmical, aka, Panther in Austin, Texas.  I was a member or associate member of several of his groups in Austin.  And when I moved to Rhode Island to take a job we stayed in touch.  While I was there, he coached me via e-mail to a successful first half marathon, and my only marathon.

This is one of Panther's groups after a local Austin 10k (we ALL PR'd...Panther is in the white hat in the middle)

Celebrating my PR that day

There are many things I could say about Panther.  He was patient with me and believed in me.  He was also honest when he wasn't sure why something was happening...and informative when he was sure.  

Best of all he celebrated all of us....fast and slow (and I was by far the slowest) and made me feel part of the group, even when I was living far away.  

He coached me through the Green Bay Marathon in 2009.  The time cut off was 7 hours and  my only goal was to finish before they took the finish line down.  I completed in 6:43:48.  When he announced it to the group (which he did with all of the athletes) he said that I had beat my goal by over 15 minutes.  That meant a lot to me...because he understood my goal and could celebrate it with the group despite the fact that compared to many of them it was very modest.

The other amazing thing about Panther's groups is how they gelled socially...in fact a number of meetings and marriages came out of his various groups. 

Tough Cookies

After I moved back to Austin from Rhode Island, I was at loose ends.  I struggled with being so slow.  Glenda and I went out to cheer for the 3M Half Marathon and as we watched runners pass, she pointed out many of them in Tough Cookie gear.  Some were fast, and some were back of the packers...and there were plenty in between.  We had both heard of the group...a women's only triathlon, cycling and run training group.  We had even done some of the races they put on. She turned to me and said, "you know...you might like that group."  And a few weeks later I joined them.

There were advantages to being part of a women's only group.  There is a different vibe in such a group. It is generally very supportive (not that many co-ed groups I have been part of aren't), and maybe even more important, there is discussion about things that are specific to female athletes that sometimes get short shrift in other places.  

They were also good at celebrating their athletes in both formal and informal ways (as you can see below).  We always waited and cheered each other in at events, as well. 

There were a number of ways to participate in Tough Cookies and a number of ways to access the coaching. You could train for a specific race or event (which many did) or you could pay a fee and have access to a variety of weekly workouts, which was the option I took.  This allowed me to "drop in" and work on the basics, I did many track workouts, some pool and open water swims, some bike rides.  I even signed up for a bike workshop, where I learned a lot about gearing, cadence and riding hills...among other things.

The Tough Cookie motto is "Tough Cookies Never Crumble" and to this day, I tell myself that I'm a tough cookie and I won't crumble when things get tough.  

Some Tough Cookies gathered before a race

I appreciated the TCs and they appreciated us, posting this shortly before we moved to Wisconsin

In March 2014, just days before we moved, I received the Tough Cookie of the Month Award, for the progress I had made...Tzatzil LeMair, TC founder presented me with the certificate at a TC social gathering

Jeff Galloway

December 2014 Glenda and I were in St. Louis to do the Hot Chocolate race and pick up another state.  We had moved to Madison in March, and I hadn't not really been training with any coach or group on a regular basis.  I was still running and training, but kind of on my own.  I was laying in the hotel room, playing around on my iPad...looking up something about the kind of walk/run training I had found that the man who is credited with the walk/run method actually took on online coaching clients, and he was not unreasonably expensive.  I had always been annoyed that people wanted me to phase into running the whole distance (whatever the distance was) and I alway developed outrageous aches and pains when I ran more than a certain interval at a time.  So why not go to the guy who was sure not to push that particular path and will instead help me make the most of what I am best able to do. I signed up the same day.

That spur of the moment decision was one of the best I ever made.  Jeff was very human even at a distance.  He got to know me as a person, he didn't just write a plan. He celebrated, commiserated and encouraged no matter what was happening.  He enjoyed the photos, I sent.  He liked our costumes.  He recognized me the first time he ever met me in person, and greeted me with enthusiasm every time we crossed paths, often remembering exactly what we had discussed in our last few e-mails. He is not only a former Olympian and great runner in his own right.  He is a good coach and an outstanding human being. I was sad to leave him when I decided to train seriously for triathlon (but a coordinated effort seemed to make sense).  I still catch him up from time to time and will be back in Atlanta in December to run in his signature race series. 

At our most recent meeting last January

Prairie Athletic Club Triathlon Team and Fleet Feet Running Club Madison/Sun Prairie

I start talking about these two groups together, because we came involved with them at about the same time. At first we were generally social members of both.  Doing drop in bikes and runs, cheering others at races, and generally getting to know people.  As time went on we got more involved in coached groups and workouts with both...and both Glenda and I still both claim "dual citizenship." Of the two, I had my first seriously coached experiences with Fleet Feet, and I am currently being more seriously coached through the Tri Team. 

Fleet Feet

I first joined a group at Fleet Feet known as No Boundaries or NoBo.  Generally speaking this group is promoted as one that is intended for people who want to run their first 5k...but in reading further I found it was also good for those starting over, or those who just needed someone to run with.  So I joined.  Since NoBo I have done 2 sessions of Force of Orange (FOO) and two of Winter Warrior.   And I will be doing the summer SpeedPlay in June and July for the third year in a row. Glenda has also done FOO training, as well as serving as a pacer.  Every group was very welcoming, the coaches were very friendly and helpful...and I have met some of my best local friends in these groups. 

Glenda and I gained a reputation at Fleet Feet where our costumed shenanigans are loved and celebrated.  This outfit was at our goal race, and we called it "Force of Oranges"

Tri Team

The Prairie Athletic Club Tri Team started for me as a social group.  It connected me to the triathlon community in the Madison area, provided a few workouts and a lot of new friends and relay partners. And this is a team that truly cheers each other, so that was a bonus.  It wasn't until recently that I decided to take advantage of the paid coaching option.  There is a team of coaches and while you have a coach of your own, there are others to turn to as well for questions, etc.  The whole thing has been a growth experience...from expanding my abilities on the bike and swim...and continuing to run, to learning that sometimes it is important to make hard choices. It took a little while to connect well with a coach, and though I had some frustration and made some changes...I'd recommend any of the coaching team to someone who wanted coaching. I'd also encourage anyone searching for coaching to find a really good fit, and know that sometimes that takes a little while to know. I'll know for sure how well the training has worked when I race this summer...but I do know I'm stronger, and maybe more importantly, more consistent that I have been in years. And that accountability that leads to consistency may be the best reason of all to pay for coaching. 

Me, left, with two of my teammates before we ran a relay together