THANK YOU!!!!

This is Vicky's family (her mom and older sister).

Thank you all for your support.
Clearly, I couldn't be happier (to be done).

I trained in the wet suit!

Me in the wetsuit day 2.

Road Rash-- Road clips are the devil

Being clipped into your road bike is like accepting that one day you're going to eat pavement.


But it's nice to christen a new bike with some blood from your palms. Then it really becomes yours.

does leisure "activity" count as training?

Mare and I bike on the beach to get some kind of workout in...







I'm wearing my pajamas, so does it count as training???

Honestly, we'd rather be partying...












We were in a Wedding in Florida and the following morning we woke up and decided to run for 30 minutes on the beach. When we got back to the beach house Mare decided that we should do 5 sets of push-ups where you do as many push-ups as possible in 2 minutes (interpret that as ten for me), then hold a low push-up for one minute and repeat. I couldn't get through one set without laughing hysterically because she was using her scary bootcamp instructor voice yelling "Stop laughing and KEEP GOING!" And it was ridiculously hard. AND Kelly's family (the bride's family) kept coming outside and looking at us like we were crazy for trying to workout during vacation.

The only thing that got a good stretch that vacation was my stomach. Later on when Kelly came to the house we broke out the wedding cake none of us got to eat and went to town on it like a pride of lionesses on a deer carcass in the Serengeti. No plates needed. Just a fork and gallon of vanilla ice cream to lubricate our esophagus. No crying allowed then. I made sure to use my dessert bootcamp voice during that eating exercise. Eat! Stop laughing and pick up that fork!!

There are some things you have to get serious about.

friends make you a better athlete/a mini shout-out

Friends push your pace (Becca).
They make you aspire to be better (Jeremy).
They make sure you don't injure yourself (Talia).
And they bring out the best competitor in yourself (Mike).

Friends check up on you and make you feel like you're doing something right (Hil).
They stand in the rain on race day and hold your bags so you can make sure you warm up properly and happily take pictures of you (Sherry).
Friends refuel with you and empathize with you (Dana and Taner).
(One) Friend doesn't give you a hard time for eating 3,000 calories in a day (Maria).

They send you encouraging and funny emails and pump up your self-esteem (Cassie).
Friends keep your ego in check and keep the fear of finishing poorly alive so you always want to train better (Anna).

And they're there for you no matter where you are, no matter where they are (Ally and Laurel).

Friends are the refining fire and family is the foundation.

10 miles of fun weaving and yelling "nice cut!", splashing shoes in puddles, using my fingers as wipers for my glasses, running directly for the port-a-potties, fantasizing about food, fantasizing about a race with music, and laughing in wonder of our 9:17 moderate pace.

rock n' roll dedication

All day I was dreading my training. Run 6 then swim 30. Run 6 then swim 30. Run 6 then swim 30. It was haunting me. Shouldn't be so bad, but I was hitting a mid-training slump. Then as I was getting ready to meet Becca for the running portion of the workout, I realized I was missing something.

I would say 4 out of the 7 days of the week something is missing. Yesterday I couldn't find my knee strap. The day before that I forgot one of my flip flops for the gym shower. Then the day before that I forgot my Penn Card that lets me into the gym. It's always something. My mind's on other things and the only thing I care about it is that my running shoes and bathing suit are packed. All else is expendable for some reason (which is not true which I discovered when I tried to run in a regular bra).

But as I rummaged through my bag I realized that my swimming cap and goggles were missing. Then I realized that i had left them in the gym shower the night before. Instantaneously I was sad. Then I was relieved. Oh well, can't swim today... right???? right??? I needed someone else to validate that thought.

In the Team and Training video one of the coaches poignantly remarked, "What we're doing is so much easier than what the patients we're swimming for goes through." So I stopped in Philly Runner and got my second (but probably not final) pair of goggles and swim cap.

I visited the gym's Lost and Found on my way to the pool. A super cute tall, probably barely 21, muscular handsome --what other adjectives can I use?-- guy helped me rummage through the surprising number of snorkeling gear (who uses snorkeling gear at the gym? and why am I not in that club??). As he picked apart several gross looking pairs of spandex he asked, "what did it look like? your cap?" ... and I paused, then laughed out loud and said "it was black and white and it said 'Rock N' Roll.'" He laughed and stood up. Clearly such a cap was not in this pile. "I know, it's a little cheesy," I admitted. "But I didn't really think it would be here." He laughed again and said "Well, if I see a cheesy cap, I'll put it aside for you. Rock n' Roll!"

Run 6, swim 30. Sure. Why not? Could be worse. Rock n' roll, baby.

there was a bandaid at the bottom of the pool when Talia and I were swimming the other day. I got so grossed out because it was in my lane and I would stare at it as I swam above it. I kept thinking about what it was originally covering (bacteria infested scab? papercut? nipple?). And it was hard for me to swim because I kept thinking about how I was swallowing the pool water + whatever bacteria was on the bandaid. Luckily after 30 mins the bandaid migrated to the next lane over.

thank God the river we're swimming in is so so dirty--i mean, murky that you're left only to your imagination what's on the bottom of the pool (versus it staring directly at you as you swim over it).

i used to laugh...

I used to laugh when people would ask me if I did the three sports in the same day. Like, I would think "obviously!"

Today was probably the hardest I've pushed myself in swim practice-- a straight hour of swimming with a maximum of one minute break in between drills. Then I tied my soggy hair in a bun and threw on a sports bra for a quick hilly run with the rest of the team. Thank God I had that powerbar in my back pocket. The legs felt heavy, the sun was microwaving me, and I couldn't stop obsessing about stopping to walk but making myself keep pace.

After the run I asked a teammate, "Do I have do these three sports in the same day?"
Minus the laugh.

Mom and Dad, the doctor says I'm fine...

Dearest Mom and Dad,

When I came home for my birthday last weekend instead of presenting me with delicious ice cream cake with chocolate crunchies, I got a newspaper article that was titled "Triathlons lead to death"... thank you New Jersey Star Ledger paper for your TIMELY article. Apparently, when people swim in open water with a crowd of crazy athletes, they suddenly collapse. I can sympathize.

You called me and you insisted and you pleaded... And so I saw Dr. Pittman yesterday. She tapped me in all the right places. She pressed her cold stethoscope and prodded appropriately. She quizzed me on my activity. And she wanted to know how many people in my family have died from activity. I told her I might be the first. She didn't think that was funny.

But alas, she gave me the go-ahead and patted me on my poofy hair in a supportive kind of way. I can tell from her eyes-- it was the easiest 20 bucks she ever made (or however much Keystone will give the poor hardworking woman).

So Mom and Dad, the doc says I'm healthy to participate. I might get diseases from swimming in the Schuylkill River-- but that's another medical appointment... One at a time. Besides, I hear they have a cream for that.

Love,

Your Craz(ier) Daughter Di

Oh, what, you can't find your finishing time?

Results: https://www.lin-mark.us/results_files/cr09.txt

Oh? What? Can't find my name? Yeah check PAGE 25. Not "number 25" but scroll 24 pages down to find me. That's right. It's faster to go to the end then scroll up.

*Note: First woman finisher was 47 years old. The second place goes to a 39 year old. And the third place finisher was 33. So as I was telling Becca-- it's clearly something women age into this whole "running" business.


***Much Love to Talia who had to drive the car home because my legs were like "you still want us to work after all that?!?!" ... I mean Talia even had the foresight to give us goodies bags filled with ice and aleve. She clearly knows us really well.

Much Hate to: (this is a longer list)
1.The Caesar Rodney race organizers who thought that running up and down hills for 13.1 miles sounds like a fun way to raise money for The American Lung Assocation. (on a sidenote, thank God for that guy at the last 1/2 mile hill who was basically instructing me what to do so I wouldn't be tempted to walk)
2. The Caesar Rodney pizza people who wouldn't give us a slice because they were waiting for the "laggers to finish" -- ummm, did I not finish on page 25?? Does that not qualify??!!
3. To Matt who works with me who trained for 3 weeks and finished 20 mins ahead of me. No, I'm not competitive! I'm hating because he finished "early enough" to eat a slice of pizza, COOKIES (!! I didn't even get to SEE said cookies), JUICE, POWERBARS, got his girlfriend pizza. His GIRLFRIEND got a piece of pizza. I'm sorry, what was your time Matt's girlfriend wearing so-obviously-did-not-run jeans?!
4. And most importantly--"Jen" our crappy waitress. We went to a crappy pizza place where "Jen" the crappy waitress committed many many crimes, one of them being spilling water all over our coupon "for next time." (perfect, "Jen")

...pics to come! :)

5Ks ... why haven't I done them before?!?!

Becca and I finish our first 5K together. After the run we were like "hmm, that was short." Since we've never run anything under 6 miles together. Our pace (which we have calculated 8 million times out of awe) was 9:05 min miles. Which also counts 1. me almost puking at the very start out of nervousness 2. me punting my eyeglasses when they fell off my face and kicking them around on the ground 3. me almost freaking out when I realized we ran our first mile in 9:15 and Becca saying "Let's slow down!" 4. me almost tripping on the hill back to the finish line. I'm pretty sure we'd have AT LEAST 9 min miles if it weren't for me holding us back. Now we know.

Picture of me punting my eyeglasses: (reinactment)





To me that looks more Heisman Trophy-ish.





...And Becca in her infamous pose, shows off her bib number.

I show off my bib number.




And lastly, our running forms... There's a lot of work to be done....

(apparently tho, Becca has recently taken a liking to breaking down my running style which usually is: arms dead straight by my side, left foot turned in like it's broken-- in summary me running like a monster. Sorry we don't all have PERFECT FORM, Becca...)

I pretend to "cross the finish line." ( Becca finished #103, and I finished number #105.)

I love Amy. She organized the 5K "support our troops" theme. It was super fun to see her... eventho she made me help her recycle after the race....

In summary, we spent more time taking pictures post-race than actually running the race. That's where our heads are at.

Half Marathon this weekend. I have a feeling we'll be less "jokey" this weekend... gah!

Can running tights be too tight??

This is what happens when running tights are too tight.


12 miles successfully ran in CW-X running tights. Becca asked me if I was self conscious in them. Now I am!

We're tapering this coming weekend before the big Half Marathon. :) And then I'll struggle again for 45 mins to put those tights on again. Next time I'm gonna stuff my sports bra for some added self esteem.

when i typed in "thighs burning" on google image, this is what i got...

This was a weekend of first. First swimming practice with the Team. (amazing people) And first time on the spinner with the teammates. Needless to say my thighs on fire. Much like the chicken above. But not as tasty. Yet.

Hill Repeats Make me Sick

Yesterday Becca and I did 3 miles and then 2 miles of hill sprinting. Then I promptly went home and was horizontal for three hours before I recovered. Awesome.

It's weird, after you run 10 miles you just assume you can do anything. Sooo not true. :)

Nine miles later...

Dear Nine Miles,

Becca and I thought we kicked your ass when we completed you in 1:28:25 and felt like we could keep going. But now my body is telling me the opposite. But damnit, we will prevail.

See you next weekend when we pass you to hit the big 1-0 miles.

Love running.
D

END OF MONTH ONE BABY!!!

Month 1 in the bag.


















This month I logged in 58 miles, hiked for 5 hours, biked for +250 minutes, and used the stairclimber for 15min (why does that machine kick my ass??). I told Talia, my gym buddy and awesome friend, that they should power the lights at the gym with the watts the cardio machines produce at the gym. Green energy anybody?

Life is good. It's good to train for a reason. At the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society meeting they reminded us that we may go through a hard mile, but it's way easier than what the patients go through. Word. Hear ya loud and clear, coach. Moving along happily.

Nine miles is the long run next week. Becca and I (nervously) laugh...

Hit my first mental wall today

After doing my run tonight the training paper instructed me to hop on the bike for 25 minutes. Sure. No problem. Except my quads wouldn't work after 5 minutes. The resistance on the bike immediately went from 10 to 7... and so forth. Occasionally I'd look at the girl biking easily next to me and then increase the resistance back up only to feel weak two minutes later.

Freaked out to Cassie, the roomie today. Who reminded me: at least you made it through the workout. Too true. And tomorrow is a new (lighter) day. Thank God.

Weather Forecast for The Second Long Run ...

6am 9°F Feels Like -2°F

9am 13°F Feels Like 3°F

12pm 19°F Feels Like 10°F

3pm 21°F Feels Like 14°F

6pm 20°F Feels Like 12°F

9pm 20°F Feels Like 11°F

Day

Weather.com says that tomorrow, 1/17 when we run at 9 it's going to feel like 3F. Umm, is it too late to call Becca, my awesome training partner, and cry like a baby?? She says we should be thankful for 6 mile runs because it's only going to get longer from here. Soooo true. An hour in 3F can't be THAT bad, right? Last week we ran our 6 miles in 1:02 but I swear the timer on my watch is malfunctioning. Mentioned it to Becca who said "yea, but don't change it!" lol.

check out my fundraising page!

http://pages.teamintraining.org/epa/philtri09/dpinder