Friday, February 29, 2008

LA Marathon

Wow!!!

I leave for the airport in the morning at 5 am. Johnny Tri will be picking me up at LAX and then it is off to packet pick-up.

I am very excited for this marathon! This will be my first marathon for time since the one that was tacked onto the end of Arizona IM in 2006. I kinda feel like I have been cheating with the 1/2 marathons. Like I really want to suffer more??!!?? Crazy Girl!

But I feel ready for this one. My coach has me pegged at a really unbelievable time. I am shooting for 4:15. I am going out easy with Johnny Tri for the first few miles and then after the first 10K I am going to start easing into my race pace. I am confident about my fueling and hydration plan. I am stocked up on S-Caps. All I will need to do is get some Ensure with protein when I get to LA.

I will write a race report on Monday!

Thursday, February 28, 2008

I PASSED THE EXAM!!!

Test Time!


Arrghh!!! It is EXAM DAY!!! I get to prove that I really do understand the concept of autonamic inhibition and the difference between reletive flexibility and dynamic functional flexibility. I will master the concepts of reactive power training vs. core stability training. I will effectively be able to convey the concepts of proper arthrokinomatics and synergistic dominance. Yes, I do know the function of the Pectineous, the Poplitial, the Infraspinatus, and the Teras Minor!

God, please help me past this test!!!

Tuesday, February 26, 2008

new photo!

I was getting tired of the Oregon Coast photo. So, for your viewing pleasure I give you the Swim Exit from the Clearwater 70.3 World Championships and Coach Liz a.k.a. "The boob-less Tri Machine". John Cobb stated that I was very aerodynamic on the bike when I had a chance to listen and watch him in action at the Texas A&M Wind Tunnel.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it, HA!

Putting me in a bikini or anything intended to enhance the upper anterior thorasic section of the torso is about as laughable as standing Brittney Spears, Linsay Lohan, and Paris Hilton next to my Kuota Kalibur and having them all say that they are going to sign up for a triathlon.

But hey, you can read the entire logo on the front of my race top! :0)

Last day of track work and tomorrow is a swim. LA Marathon, here I come!!!

Monday, February 25, 2008

Taper Time

Yesterday was absolutely beautiful in H-Town. I had an amazing 8.5 mile run and felt fantastic. Now I just get to swim, do some functional strength workouts and one more bike workout. I have a short track workout tomorrow and then it is no more running until Los Angeles.

I started my taper yesterday evening by flopping on the sofa and watching all of the Barbra Wa-Wa special and the Academy Awards. Nothing amazing like in past years and it did not help that I had only seen a few of the movies up for any awards. Also, they were movies that were in categories for sound mixing and other obscure stuff like that. I saw Atonement, Transformers, Ratatouille, Borne Ultimatum, and Surf's Up. Sad, yes. Hey! I was busy training last year!!!

Movie line up for this weekend...Semi-Pro with the comic genius of my generation, Will Ferrell.

Thursday, February 21, 2008

Where in the Hell have I been??!!??


Zowie!

One month has sped by and I have not updated my blog, much less kept up with reading other blogs as well.

I'm pathetic! Do I have an excuse? WELL...yes, and no.

So here it goes, where in the hell has Liz been for the last month???

When I last left off, it was January 23rd, and my 15th wedding anniversary. I surprised my husband with a weekend trip to Key West, Florida. The weather was great and it was a very relaxing stay at the Casa Marena Resort. This was the first trip that I have taken in YEARS that I did not take one piece of workout clothing or my running shoes. Most of the stuff in the luggage was pink and/or lacy and scared the crap out of me because it is way out of my comfort zone. I feel like a real poser in most of it, lol. "HEY, YOU! Yeah, you in the Ralph Lauren clothing. No white or linen before Easter!" Dang, the Drag Queens on Duval St. would have looked more at ease in my clothes. And how come they had bigger ta-tas than I do???? What's up with that??!!!?? I need the 411 on that.

After getting back in town it was time to buckle down. I had to get it in gear to finish up my training for the Los Angeles Marathon on March 2nd and I had to study for my NASM exam. I have tried to take this exam two other times and stuff has come up, but now my deadline is March 1st. I have 7 other national certifications for group exercise and personal training, but for some reason, I have a feeling that this exam is gonna bite me in the rear. I totally understand the concepts, but it is the friggin' vocabulary that is screwing me over. I am scheduled to take the exam in one week and I have 3 more chapters to go and the practice test. I am going to need all the luck I can get on this one.

My biggest time commitment has been the start of the new Team In Training season. Whoo Hoo!!! I have over 50 participants that I am single handedly coaching for the Capital of Texas Triathlon on May 25th in Austin, TX. My group is awesome! I have people that range in age from their early 20's to their late 60's. I have a former NFL football player and a few cancer research specialists on the TEAM. What is so cool is that the group is very diverse and they are already starting to develop friendships and by the end of the season the bonds that they will make will be life changing. Our Honored Teammate is a Lymphoma survivor and she will be coming out to our weekend bike workout this Saturday. We had a fun party last weekend at "Coach's Training Camp" to watch NBC's broadcast of the 2007 Hawaii Ironman. The gang was really inspired and very happy they only have to train for an Olympic distance race.


Work has been busy as well. I spent the first weekend of the month taking a great Pilates Matwork training. As a Master Trainer for Pilates, I rarely get to take other people's trainings and workshops since I am the presenter. It was such a great experience to learn new ways to cue movements and to see things through someone else's eyes. I received 7 new Pilates Reformers last week at work and this week I had the delivery men drop off 7 new EXO Chairs and Step Barrels!!! I have all these new toys and my clients are thrilled. I have a Reformer training next week before I head out for the Marathon and a Chair training the week after. !!!
I already know most of the work, but it is a good review as I prepare to take my Pilates Certification Exam in the fall. I have been studying, teaching, and practicing Pilates now since 1999 and I only have one piece of equipment left to study on and then it is time to become CERTIFIED!!!

The weather in Houston has been either beautiful or rainy and humid. Today was rainy and humid so I did my bike ride on the trainer as I watch The Best of Triumph, The Insult Comic Dog.
I got a new SRM power meter for my bike and it will be interesting to see when I download today's workout where the power dropped of because I was laughing so hard at the TV. Hopefully the sun will peek out tomorrow because it is time for my last 7-8 mile run before the LA Marathon next weekend.

Well, that's my excuse and I am sticking to it. A lot of running, a little swimming, and some bike workouts but mainly just life and TEAM IN TRAINING.

Have a great week!

Liz