2019 in Review

A few weeks ago we ended a year (and a decade).  If I tried to do a decade in review, it would take you all day to read it!  But there is certainly time for a year in review...and so without further ado....

ATHLETIC (the good and the bad)

Let's start with races...I attempted 36 races in the course of 2019.  I finished 33, but I don't consider any of the ones I didn't finish a fail.  Lets talk about those first.

If late January and early February, we took a Caribbean Running Cruise, in the course of the trip (including the pre-cruise event) there were 6 events.  The trail race event was on Roatan Honduras and billed as "hill-ish" (a major understatement).  I bailed after the first major hill (as did several others)...and I still felt like a winner for conquering that hill! 

Up the hill

Down the hill

We won that hill~Didn't need any more!

A few days later in Cozumel we had an pirate adventure amazing race.  We started out, but we already knew we were tired and planned to make it our own.  So ran a couple of miles and found a great spot to take photos of others and share them with the group. So while we did not technically finish a race we started, we had a successful outing. 

ARR! We made the pirate race our own

Finally, in July I attempted the Door County Sprint Tri.  Just as we started the breeze came up and the waves on the bay in Lake Michigan became unmanageable for me and I was pulled.  But I went ahead and had one of the best (and longest) bike rides of my triathlon career.  I started the run, but decided that I did not have to finish, as I would not have an official time and dropped. But that bike ride...oh, that ride!

Happy on the bike

Otherwise in running, I completed seventeen 5ks in 8 states plus the Bahamas, one 1 miler that was part of the Temptations Challenge at the Detroit Free Press Races, one 5.5 miler (in Costa Maya), one 8k, two 10ks (in 2 states), one quarter marathon, and one half marathon.  

Some highlights are below:

Winning the costume contest at the Heroes in Disguise 5k in St. George, Utah

 

I really enjoyed running several races this year alongside my friend Christine Miller

 

Love this photo, love the backdrop, love when I get to run with my honey

 

Melanie's first 5k after many years...great moment for her, proud moment for me

Maybe a bit esoteric, but Crowley and Aziraphael was my favorite costume of the year (and got re-tweeted by Neil Gaiman)

I also did 2 half marathon relays, 1 marathon relay and one triathlon relay.

 

Glenda and I had a blast with Polly Hamner at the Rockin' Brews Half in August (we also introduced her to the joys of themed outfits...and I did my tri relay with Polly as well)

 

Marathon relay with Chritian Borchardt, Glenda, me and Amy Borchardt at the Detroit Free Press in October

 

Finished the year with a half marathon relay in Atlanta with Glenda

And in the triathlon world I did 2 indoor tris and 3 triathlons of various distances.

 

Glenda and I crossed paths doing different distances at the Elkhart Lake Tri

 

Crossing the finish at Naperville...my goal triathlon of the season

Undoubtedly my biggest accomplishment of the year for 2019 was finishing the challenge I had set for myself to run a race of at least 5k in each of the 50 states plus Washington DC.  I concluded the challenge in Missoula, Montana by doing the half marathon. It was made extra special in a number of ways.  Glenda ran the race with me and we reminisced about all the other races along the way, which was an incredible way to make the miles go by.  I had the opportunity to meet a number of wonderful people who are members of the Challenge 365 online group that I belong to, and many have become even better friends.  And randomly at mile 8, Glenda was contacted by Nicole DeBoom, the founder of Skirt Sports (we are both ambassadors and had won the Dynamic Duo award earlier in the year...another highlight!), she wanted to feature us in an Instagram story on the company site that morning. My 50th state became a part of that story, as she featured us!

Around mile 12

Mission accomplished!

The last thing I want to say about athletics in 2019 is that coaching can be important, no matter what your talent level, but that "fit" is incredibly important.  I was lucky to work with 3 talented and very different coaches.  All were good and all were knowledgeable.  The first was an unfortunately poor fit for me despite being a very good coach, the second was better fit and also a very good coach and got me through the goal triathlon...the third is someone I'd wanted to work with for a long time and I am even more happy than expected. I feel like she gets me and I look forward to working together for a long time.  So I end the year as a member of the Fleet Feet running club, the Prairie Athletic Tri Team and being coached by C.C. Rowe of WTF Endurance out of Austin, TX.

IN THE WORLD OF WORK

Last year I actually retired.  I thought I'd love it.  I WANTED to love it.  I don't. There are some nice perks of course...but I miss the feeling of making a difference. And although I have a retirement income, saved over the years, I somehow miss the connection between my money and my work.  I know I earned it...but it seems out of sync somehow.  

I  do still work part time  on an irregular schedule as a photo editor for Focal Flame Photography...and love it! I am exploring other part time options, and ideas for irregular work, but more on that in my next blog post!

IN THE FAMILY

Glenda and I celebrated 22 years together last year.  This always amazes me to think about it.  I was married before.  Twice. Eight years each.  My kids are from my first marriage. And I learned a lot from the other relationships I had in my life.  But nothing compares to life with Glenda.  Here's to another 22 years (and then some)! 

I enjoy living close to my son, his wife and my granddaughters, as well as my mother, and my brother's family. I used to live close to my daughter too.  But her living situation is the biggest change in the family.  Melanie is a paraplegic with several health issues and requires some help.  The state of Wisconsin helps with her living situation, and after a stretch of particularly bad health she found her living situation inadequate and spent several months in a nursing home.  When the state was able to find her an appropriate situation (a group home) it was 80 miles away. I protested, but she wanted to try it...telling me that she thought she might never really become independent if she could easily rely on me.  After 4 months in the new situation, I readily admit...she was right. I had for years told her various doctors and social workers that I wanted to be Melanie's mother, not her social worker/medical manager/caregiver etc.  In the last quarter  of 2019, I became just mom again.  It has changed my life in some unexpected ways...but I have to say, I like it!

LOOKING FORWARD TO NEXT YEAR AND BEYOND

I will soon be sharing my "vision" for next year. But I look forward to seeing what comes in 2020 and beyond!

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