RRCA Coaching Certification Class

Two weeks after my Yoga Fit training, I headed to Atlanta, Georgia to accomplish goal number 2 of the year – get my run coach certification through the Road Runners Club of America.  And unlike the Yoga Fit training, we DID get a sample agenda for this clinic and I was made aware that breakfast, lunch and snacks would be provided.  Still, to be on the safe side, I packed some of my favorite snacks. 

In researching my trip to Atlanta I discovered that the hotel and clinic were across town from the airport.  This is normally not a big deal and when I’ve traveled to big cities before I’ve used public transportation with no problem.  However, I was advised by former classmates of mine who live in Atlanta that I did NOT want to use public transportation while here.    The hotel did not have a shuttle to/from the airport and a taxi ride would cost $50, so……..that meant I needed to rent a car.  I wasn’t really excited about this because I don’t like driving in areas I am unfamiliar with, especially in the dark.  But I rented a car and packed my GPS.

I landed in Atlanta around 6:00p.m.  Perfect time for driving in rush hour traffic.  Lovely.  I grabbed my luggage and headed to the rental car counter.  Due to a weird computer glitch, it took longer than expected there and I was ok with that because I was hoping some of the traffic was now gone.  I ended up with a Toyota Camry.  I loaded my luggage, programmed my GPS and headed to the hotel.  The GPS took me through downtown.  Traffic was bad at times, but the speed limit in Atlanta was 55mph, so I just stayed in the far right lane and did the speed limit.  Thanks to the trusty GPS I found the hotel with no problems.  I checked in and decided I did not want to get back out to find food, so I just snacked on what I had and then went to bed.

I woke up early Saturday morning and headed out to make sure I could find the gym where the class was.  It was only two miles from the hotel and pretty easy to find.  The hard part was trying to figure out how to get to the parking lot.  The gym was located in a multi-level shopping center and the gym was on the lower level.  I was not the only one who couldn’t figure out how to get down there.  When I came out of one garage, there were three other cars circling around.  We stopped to chat and two more came upon us.  Finally we just all parked in the garage and walked down the stairs.  Not a big deal except that it was 28 degrees!!!

As we were walking to the gym I was talking to one of the guys walking in with us about where we were from, etc.  Turns out I was talking to the instructor.  He seemed really friendly and I could tell it would be a good class.

We signed in and then headed to our classroom for the weekend.  And oh boy, I don’t think it was any warmer in the room than it was outside!!!  It was freezing in there and I wasn’t the only one who thought so.  (I ended up keeping my coat on all day).

There were some tables set up and I quickly grabbed a spot in the middle where I would be able to see and hear.  Next to me was a guy about my age.  We got to talking and discovered he is also an Ironman triathlete.  Then I learned that he had just attending the USAT Coaching Clinic the weekend before.  We talked a lot about that since that is another of my goals if I can ever get accepted.  I believe things happen for a reason and was glad that I had sat where I did.

We went around the room for quick introductions.  There was one other person from Texas.   Most people were from somewhere around the Atlanta area, but one even came from California.  We also discovered that since we were in a gym that had it’s own deli, that no outside food could be brought in by RRCA.  So, breakfast was fruit and muffins.  I was ok with that since I had eaten a bar prior to arriving and I had snacks with me since I didn’t know what lunch would be.

We jumped right into the material.  They had prepared a manual for us that had all of the slides in it, so we were able to listen more and take notes when we felt like we needed to.  It was also a very interactive class, which I enjoyed.  And it didn’t hurt that our instructor was funny and kept class entertaining. 

As questions came up and as the class went on, we discovered more about several of the participants – two physical therapists, one who owns a running store, one who works for NUUN, an Olympic trials qualifier, etc.  We had a wealth of knowledge in that room and once again, I kind of felt out of place.  But that’s what I was there for – to learn.  And learn I did.

Lunch was a quick break with food from the gym’s deli.  I had a hummus wrap that was pretty good.  I talked with a few more people.  Yoga instructors, personal trainers, insurance specialists.  All people I could learn from.

At the end of the day I was mentally exhausted again.  And I was still frozen.  I had kind of hoped a group of people would go out for dinner, but I didn’t hear any ramblings about that, so I headed back to the hotel in hopes of getting warm.  There was a Subway just across and down from the hotel, so I decided to walk over there and get some food to bring back to the hotel.   I ate my food in the hotel and read over the course materials again, highlighting things I thought were important.  I also used the down time to study some of my personal trainer manual.  When I almost feel asleep while reading, I knew it was time for sleep.

Sunday morning I headed back to the gym for day 2.  It was still cold in the room, but not as cold as yesterday.  We jumped right into learning and decided to work through lunch since it was Super Bowl Sunday.  Today we went over some of the business side of coaching, which is the side I have questions about.  You know – setting up the business name as an LLC, legal waivers to cover you as a coach, insurance needs, etc.

Over lunch today, we broke down into small groups and were asked to write a plan for someone wanting to run a marathon in 12 weeks.  We were given a few parameters, but we quickly realized that we really needed more information to get really specific.   It was also interesting because all five people in my group had different ideas on how to get him there.  Some thoughts were very similar, but some thoughts were different.  None were wrong.  And that’s what we got out of the class as well.  As a coach, you have to determine what your philosophy and way of coaching will be.  If it works for you and your client, it’s not wrong. 

We wrapped up the afternoon, were given instructions about the procedure for taking the test, took a group picture and were sent on our way.  I felt really good about the weekend and was excited to get back and get the test taken.  In the meantime, I headed back to the room to watch the Super Bowl.

When I booked the class and my flights, the Super Bowl was not even on my mind, but I was glad that I decided to stay Sunday night and fly out early Monday morning.  I had stopped at the Target by the gym Saturday and bought some snack food for the Super Bowl, so I was set.  I got comfy, munched on bad food and then went to bed.

Monday I was up super early to head back to the airport, turn the car in and get through security.  Luckily, the GPS did me right again and I was sitting at the gate waiting for my flight with plenty of time to spare.

Since I’ve been home, I’ve worked my way through the test in my own time.  I finally got the nerve to hit the “submit” button and was very pleased to see that I passed the test with a 94.  So, I am officially a RRCA certified run coach.  Now I just need to get some clients!

YogaFit Level I Training

If you remember from reading a past post, one of my goals this year was to start on my journey toward becoming a yoga teacher.  Due to past exposure, time limitations, etc. I decided to begin that journey with Yoga Fit.  Yoga Fit is the type of yoga I have been practicing for the past 11 years and it’s a program that allows you to go at your own pace to work toward your 200-RYT.

So, January 18^th after work I headed to San Marcos and checked into my hotel for the weekend.  The class was going to be held at the rec center on the Texas State University campus.  I wasn’t sure where that was, so after checking in I drove over to make sure I knew where I was going and where I could park and then grabbed some dinner.

I also wasn’t really sure what to expect with the class.  I have to say that from my type A personality, that was my one complaint about the class.  Other than the email confirming my registration and an email to remind me that I was signed up and that I should be at the rec center at 8am Saturday morning, there was no other communication about the class.  Usually when I attend these kind of things, there is at least a sample agenda and they tell you whether breakfast, lunch and snacks will be provided or you are on your own.  Nothing from Yoga Fit on that.  Nor did they say whether we should come in yoga clothes or not.  Since it was a yoga training, one would assume that we would be doing a yoga session, but you never know.

Since my yoga teacher was trained through Yoga Fit, I asked her and knew that I should at least wear my yoga clothes.  I also planned to take snacks just in case.  Because of the food limitations and pickiness I have, I always like to be prepared.

The other thing I was curious about was how many people would be in the class and what their background would be.  Being that the class was taking place on a college campus, I wondered if I would be surround by 20-something year olds getting their kinesiology degree.  I figured I would be one of the older ones in the class.

Saturday morning I woke up early, got ready, ate a Lara Bar in case there were no food offerings and headed to the campus.  Being a college campus and being that it was around 7:30 when I got there, the only other people there were obviously attending the yoga training as well.  I headed into the room where the class would be.  There were a few people already there, but not many.  The instructor told us to find a spot on the outer edge of the room, so I made my way to what would be my spot for the weekend.

There ended up being over 20 people in the training.  When we went around the room and introduced ourselves, I started to feel a little out of place.  Some of the people were there to retrain Level I (part of the 200-RYT requirement).  Others were there for the first time like me, but it was obvious that I was one of the very few in the room who were not already teaching yoga somewhere.   And I was not the oldest in the class.

We started the day with some basic stuff and then did a 2-hour yoga session.  This was the longest yoga session I have ever done.  It did not seem like a 2-hour class, which was good.  There was a lot that I was familiar with, but there were a few poses that I don’t do on a normal basis or that maybe she got us into in a different way that I am use to.  I decided that it would do me good to attend some different yoga classes back home to get use to a variety.

After the class we broke for lunch.  Which we found out was on our own.  And we only had 1 hour for it.  Normally that would be fine, but just learning that and not knowing what was close by was a little challenging.  I managed to find a Subway, grabbed a veggie sandwich, inhaled it and headed back.

The afternoon was spent breaking down poses with each student in the class reading the cues for the pose and other students modeling the pose.  Then we would model the incorrect poses so we would know what to look for in our students.

After a long and mentally challenging day, we were assigned homework and told we would start at 7:30am Sunday morning and would work through lunch so that we could leave a little earlier.

I headed back to the hotel for a bit and then went to grab some dinner and stop at the HEB to grab some food for Sunday’s lunch.  Luckily the hotel room had a fridge and I still had an insulated lunch bag in my car from work Friday, so I wasn’t totally limited on what I could pack for Sunday. 

After getting back to the room I sat down to do my homework.  Basically we were asked to write out cues for getting into 3 poses in a flowing manner.  It sounds easy, but when you are writing it out it is much harder than it sounds.  Once I was done, it was time to sleep.

I was up again early Sunday to pack and check out before heading to the rec center to start day 2.  We had a shorter yoga session in the morning and then we broke down some more poses before breaking into smaller groups to “teach”.  This is where our homework came in to play.  We had to instruct the other participants in our group through the series of three poses we had written out for homework.  Even after practicing yoga for as long as I have, I was nervous to have to instruct someone through the poses in the 2-3 minutes we were given.  The first time was the worst, but then it got a little more comfortable, which was the whole point of the exercise.

We wrapped up class, discussing the insurance options and certification requirements and then it was over.  I was mentally exhausted and my body hurt from sitting on a hard wood floor all weekend.  I drove home and just chilled out.

Since the training, I have been working on completing my 8 hours of community service.  This just basically means I have to teach 8 hours of yoga (preferably to people who would not normally be exposed to yoga) for free.  The first session I did was for my family.  That way if I messed up, no big deal.  The hard part for me was getting the timing of it all down – did I have enough poses in the sequence to last an hour or would I be done with the sequence and still have 20 minutes left?  would I recognize the song right before meditation so that I could make sure we were on the mat and ready to start meditation at the right time?  Ultimately, I didn’t do so bad the first time.

I branched out after that and did a session for six of my fellow triathlete friends.  Only one had done yoga before and only a time or two, so a whole class of beginners.  They really enjoyed it and I hope to find more opportunities to help them.

From there I was trying to decide whom to teach to.  I originally thought I’d do my community service hours for a group of soccer players my son trains with, and I still want to, but that just hasn’t worked out yet.    What I discovered in the meantime was that a high school classmate of mine is bipolar.  I know that yoga can help people with mental disorders, so I asked if he had ever tried yoga.  He said he had not but would be willing.  So, we set up a time and off I went.  He said he enjoyed it and would like to continue, so I see my community service hours coming from there.  I hope that I am able to help him, even if only a little bit.

The next step in all of this is to complete my community service hours and then decide what I want to do as far as teaching.  I’m not sure a gym would hire me since I’m not 200-RYT trained, but I don’t really have a “place” where I can teach one-on-one sessions, so this will be an issue.  Hopefully I’ll figure something out.  I am also hoping to attend the Level 2 training at the end of June and continue down the path of learning and knowledge.

Houston Half Marathon - January 13

Sometime during the night, a cold front blew into town.  And with that cold front came rain.  When I woke up and checked weather.com it looked like maybe the rain had moved on through and we would be ok for the race.  The temps were in the 40s, which is about perfect for a half marathon or full marathon.  I decided to wear shorts and my run top with a long sleeve dry fit top over that.  Not really knowing for sure what the weather would do, I also brought with me a rain jacket, gloves, an ear band, a visor and a trash bag.  Trash bags are the greatest thing at the start of cold races.  You can huddle in them to keep the wind and rain off you and keep you warm until you get going and then just toss it.

I had spent the night with my Aunt Denise and Uncle Bob.  I would be doing the race with my Aunt Denise.  Bob drove us downtown and dropped us off as close to the convention center as he was able.  As soon as we stepped out of the car, I realized I was glad I had brought extra clothing.  It was VERY windy and a light rain had started.  We hurried inside where we got everything ready and dropped a dry clothes bag for after the race.  Knowing that the chance of rain was good, I wore the rain jacket, gloves and ear band and then attached my visor to my race belt in case I needed it.  I don't mind running in the rain, but I hate the rain getting in my face.  I put the trash bag over me and when it was time to go get in the coral, we headed outside.

Oh my goodness, the wind had picked up and it felt cold.  I knew that once I got running I would be ok, but I was freezing as we walked to the start.  And then it happened.  It started raining.  Not just a light rain, but a heavy enough rain that I went ahead and put my visor on.  By the time we got to the starting coral and the national anthem was sung, my feet were already soaked.  This race would be interesting.  Wet feet and at a slower pace than I am use to in cold and rain.  I figured I'd have blisters for sure before it was over.

When we got to the start line we started running.  My aunt is slower than me but we had planned to do this race together and I told her we would go at her pace and I would stay by her side the entire race.  It felt good to be moving, even if it was slower than normal.  Although I have to admit that as cold as I was at that point I wasn't sure I could move any faster myself.  The rain was still coming down and it actually started coming down harder.  It looked to me like a few people were actually turning around and heading back to the convention center.  If you were not prepared for this, I could see how you would be miserable.

Anyway, we got to mile 1 and I hit the split button on my garmin.  13:22.  Not bad and much better than I had anticipated based on the way my aunt talked.  The way she made it sound, I wasn't sure we'd make the cutoff.  Seeing the 13:22 made me feel better about that.

We kept going, making fun of the situation we were in - cold and miserable.  Why not make a joke about it rather than be miserable.  It was actually quite fun and made the miles go by.

Mile 2:  13:34 
Mile 3:  13:41
\
I'm thinking if we can keep this up we will be just fine.   The rain would stop for a while and then start again, but we just kept going.

Mile 4:  14:38
Mile 5:  14:14

We are slowing a little bit, but not much, and we are still doing ok.  Almost to the halfway point.

Mile 6:  14:38

Somewhere in here Denise said she needed to visit the port-o-potty.  I don't normally have to do that during a race, but because it was so cold, I needed to stop as well.  We should have gone one more mile, because the stop we picked cost us over six minutes.  Oh well.

Mile 7:  20:29

And of course when we saw the next stop for port-o-potties there was NO ONE in line.

Mile 8:  13:43

Yeah, we've picked up the pace a little bit again.

Mile 9:  14:34

It was at this point where my aunt started having some pains in her knees and lower back and she asked if we could slow down and walk some.  I suggested we do a run/walk interval, so we tried that for a while.  It worked great except I started getting cold when I was walking.

Mile 10:  16:00
Mile 11:  15:39
Mile 12:  17:09

At this point I knew we would make it.  We were heading back into downtown.  I still had my trash bag on at this point (I know, can't believe it either) and I thought about ditching it, but then we turned a corner and it was like a hurricane sweeping through the streets of Houston.  Luckily it was at our backs, but it was strong (it was actully pushing me along) and it was cold!!!  I was glad I still had the trash bag.

Mile 13:  16:14

At this point I finally ditched the trash bag.  As we turned the last corner to head down the finish chute, we grabbed hands and crossed the finish line together.

Last .1:  1:35

Total time:  3:19:30 for a 15:14 pace

This was definitely one of my slower half marathon times (I don't remember what my time was on my first half ever), but I have to say it was one of the most fun and definitley one of the most rewarding races I've ever done.  It was a real pleasure to spend that time with my aunt and to encourage her through the race.  I wouldn't trade that for anything.

We got our medals, got our picture taken and then headed inside to get our finisher shirts and some food.  I then went to try to find where I could get the third medal for doing both races.  That took a while, but eventually I made my way to meet my uncle and head to the car, which was nice and toasty.  After a warm shower and a quick stop for food, I made the drive back home.  It was a busy weekend, but I got to spend lots of quality time with several of my relatives who live in Houston, so it was a great weekend.

Houston 5K - January 12th

Last year my Aunt Denise and I planned to do the Houston Marathon this year.  Well, she had some issues during training and we decided to drop down to the half marathon instead.  Then, I heard that there was a 5K the day before the half marathon, and if you did the 5K and the half marathon then you would get a medal for each of those races PLUS a third medal for doing both races.  I'm all about the medals and since I knew the half marathon would be a slower race than normal for me, I figured what the heck.  Plus, my Uncle Josh and two of my cousins were doing the 5K as well, so I thought it would be fun.

Friday night I drove to Houston and spent the night with my grandma.  Saturday morning my Uncle Josh (along with my cousins) picked me up and we headed downtown.  As typical for Houston, it was muggy and warm - high 60s.  Shorts and a tank top for me. 

We checked out the little outdoor expo, got our packets and headed to the start line.  My 13 year old male cousin wanted to run, but my 16 year old female cousin wanted to walk most of it.  Since my Uncle Josh was doing the full marathon the next day, he said he would stay with Keeley and I said I would run with Blake.  Blake thought he would run the 5k in about 28-29 minutes which is my normal training pace, so that was perfect. 

Well, when the gun went off, so did Blake.  He sprinted fast in the beginning and it takes my body a little while to warm up, so I let him go.  I could still see him for a while but then he finally got too far ahead of me.  I thought either he would have a great race or I would catch up with him at some point in the race.

Mile 1 split:  9:46

I was perfectly happy with that pace and just kept going at a comfortable pace.  Just before mile 2, I saw Blake up ahead of me.  I caught up with him and asked how he was doing.  He said good, but I could tell he had gone out too fast.  I didn't want to change my pace at this point.  He tried to stay with me for a while, but then at some point he dropped back.

Mile 2 split:  9:29

One more mile and I would be done.  I never did see Blake again, but just enjoyed the nice run and getting my legs ready for Sunday.

Mile 3 split:  9:34

Last .1:  1:01

Total time:  29:48 for a 9:37 pace

For not racing, I'll take it.

Waited for Blake to cross the finish and then found my Uncle Josh and Keeley by the car.  Headed back to my grandmas to shower, take her to lunch at her favorite place (Luby's) and then wait for my Aunt Denise so we could go to the expo and get our packets for the half marathon.

More Yummy Recipes

Since my last post, I've tried quite a few more recipes from the Happy Herbivore and Everyday Happy Herbivore Cookbooks.  Below is my summary:

*Neapolitan smoothie - this was good, but didn't really taste much different to me than my typical morning shake.  Anything with bananas, strawberries and cocoa powder has to be good, right?

*Black Bean and Salsa Soup - this was really good.  I like soups in the winter.  They are easy to make, they are warm, and they usually yield a lot of leftovers.  Always good in my book.

*Southwest Chop Salad -  not much can go wrong with a salad.  This was a decent change from normal and good for taking to work for lunch.

*Strawberry & Spinach Salad - not much of a departure from normal other than adding strawberries, but it was yummy.  I even made the special dressing for it and that tasted really good and gave me a change from the normal.

*Enchilada Casserole - this was a nice, filling meal and even the leftovers tasted good when I took them to work for lunch.

*Tuna Salad with homemade Mayo - oh my!  Growing up we ate a lot of tuna fish sandwiches.  As an adult, I didn't eat them much before I went vegetarian, but every now and then (like at a bridal shower or something) I just had to have one and it tasted good.  I was looking forward to trying this recipe, but was a little skeptical as to how it would turn out.  Well, let me tell you that in my opinion, it tastes just like a tuna sandwich should.  It even has the texture of tuna.  And, it made enough for several sandwiches.  Leftovers are always a bonus.  I'll definitely be making this one again.

*Southwest Zuchinni Pie - if you want some zing, this recipe is for you.  Very tasty, but definitely spicy.

*Tortilla Soup - this one will also be making it to my list of recipes to make again.  I even made the crispy tortillas to put on top of the soup.  It had a very nice flavor to it.  Very yummy.

As you can see, I've been doing more than just one new recipe a week.  It's been fun and has gotten me away from the same meals every week.  I've really enjoyed trying new things.  Stayed tuned to see what recipes I try next.

Making Progress

So far, the new year has been good and I have actually made progress toward my goals.  I finished my first book - Runner's Guide to Yoga by Sage Rountree.  While a lot of the book was repetitive information for me and I've done just about every pose suggested in the book, I did learn some things.  There were actually a couple of poses that she mentioned that I haven't done but will start incorporating into my practice based on where I get tight.  She mentions some tests to do to see where your balance is off and then offers poses to correct those imbalances.  And then at the end, she gives suggestions of quick warm-up or cool-down sequences to do before or after a run.  Hopefully, the new information I learned will help me and will help any future runner's I may coach.

I've also made progress in the "new recipe" department.  Both of the recipes I tried this past week were from the cookbook Everyday Happy Herbivore by Lindsay S Nixon.  Remember, I'm a vegetarian who leans toward vegan, and this cookbook is entirely vegan.  The first recipe I tried was the Mexican Frittata.  It's actually suppose to be more of a breakfast dish according to where it's placed in the book, but I made it as a dinner.  It's made with tofu and I still haven't mastered the art of cooking with tofu, but I keep trying.  The dish turned out ok.  I can't say that I was in love with the taste, but it wasn't bad.  To me, it needs a little more spice.  I did leave out the red peppers since I don't like them, so maybe I need something to take it's place.  Maybe a little cilantro or something.  Anyway, that one will go on my "maybe make again" list.

The one that will go on my "definitely make again" list is the Banana Frosty.  During the week, I drink a shake for breakfast every morning on the way to work.  I'm pretty boring and typical and usually just make a banana/strawberry shake.  Since I'm trying new things, I decided to try a new shake Friday morning.  OH MY!!!  It was yummy in my tummy.  The cookbook advertised it as tasting like a Wendy's Frosty and I think it was pretty darn close.  Plus, it was easy to make and I already had all the ingredients on hand.  That was a winner.

Progress is being made in my studies toward personal trainer as well.  Luckily, things haven't gotten really hectic yet after the holidays.  I only worked three days last week and we actually had a pretty free weekend this weekend.  For some reason it was really cold in the house today (although warmer than it has been outside - I think it's that thing where it gets warm enough outside to keep the heater from kicking in on the inside, so it just feels cold).  Anyway, once our morning errands were done I decided to build a fire.  And other than my 6 mile run, I've been in front of the fire all day.  Most of that time has been reading or watching videos.  I took my second test and only missed 3 out of 20.  Not bad.

I'm trying to really enjoy this weekend not having much to do.  The kids go back to school Monday and high school soccer started Friday, so there will be two games most weeks from now until the end of March.  Plus, the next two weekends will be busy with me traveling - first to Houston for the half marathon and then to San Marcos for the Yoga Fit training.  I'm getting really excited about both of those.

Here's to progress!!!

2012 in Review and A Look Ahead at 2013

As typical at the end of every year, I like to look back and see what I accomplished.  2012 was actually a pretty good year.  I had set out some goals for 2012 and actually was able to accomplish several of them. 

*I wanted to get more organized and pay bills online.  DONE
*I wanted to get rid of stuff by donating or selling it online.  I haven't been as good in this area as I would like to be, but I did donate some stuff and I have sold some stuff on Craig's List.  I posted some things on Ebay without success, so I still need to figure out that beast, because I have a lot of stuff to sell.
*I wanted to do more of my workouts outside.  DONE.  While I did have to do a couple of long rides on the trainer while leading up to IMAZ, most of my workouts, including the weekday workouts, were outside.  And I do think it was beneficial come race day.
*I wanted to get faster with my swimming.  SOMEWHAT DONE.  While I was never able to work out a private lesson with a swim coach due to crazy schedules, I was able to get faster in the pool.  Being faster in the pool, however, doesn't always translate to being faster in the race.  Since most of my swimming is in the pool without a wetsuit, my shoulders are not use to the wetsuit.  I did swim several times in the wetsuit prior to IMAZ, but  between the cold water on race day and the shoulders getting tired, my swim time at IMAZ was just a wee bit slower than at IMFL (by like 1 minute).
*I wanted to eat better and take more leftovers rather than eat PB&J sandwiches for lunch.  DONE.  While I occassionally still took the PB&J sandwich, I was pretty good with taking leftovers, too.

My 2012 races included the following:
3M Half Marathon - 2:02:46
Hot Chocolate 15K - 1:27:29
Rosedale Ride
Cap 10K - 57:28
Lonestar 70.3 - 6:24:55
The Ranch 10K Trail Run - 1:34:33
Lake Pflugerville Triathlon - 1:27:27
Katy Flatland Century Ride
Outlaw Trail 100 Century Ride
Livestrong Challenge Century Ride
Ironman Arizona - 13:49:58

In looking back at the races, I did two new races - a 15K and a trail run.  While the 15K was in temps in the teens and the trail run was my slowest 10K ever, they were both a lot of fun.  I'd like to do more trail runs in the future.  Maybe that should be a goal for 2013.  And, I set new PRs at the Half Ironman and Ironman distances, so that was a success.

My totals for the year:

Bike: 3178.23 miles in 198h 43m 32s (an increase from last year)
Run: 1068.6 miles in 184h 14m 22s (a decrease from last year)
Swim:  200254.1 yards in 70h 27m 9s (an increase from last year)
Strength Training:  19h (an increase from last year)
Trainer Time:  1h
Foam Roll: 1h 25m (of recorded time anyway)
Jump Rope: 3m
Massage:  4h 30m (a decrease over last year - what's up with that?)
Race Volunteering: 4h
Reflexology: 1h
Trampoline: 45m
Trapeze Class: 1h
Walking: 5h 46m 41s (a decrease from last year - poor Roscoe)
Yoga:  36h 5m (an increase over last year)

Overall, I'm please with what I accomplished.  In looking at my list, I did some new things this year.  We went with the kids to Jump Street and actually participated with them rather than sit on the sidelines and watch, hence the trampoline time.  We had a trampoline growing up and I was always on that thing.  Let's just say that my kids were really surprised when I started doing back flips on the trampolines.  They had no idea I could do that, especially at my age!

I also did a 1 hour trapeze class with my daughter and her friend.  I'm not afraid to try anything, so when I saw the deal on Living Social I jumped on it.  It really was a lot of fun, but I was surprised at how nervous I was up on the platform before I jumped off the first time.  I was afraid my arm strength wouldn't be enough to hang onto the bar, but I was able to do it and as long as I listened to the instructor on the ground, I was able to accomplish the "routine" just fine.

Another new thing I tried was reflexology.  I was given a gift card for this after my Ironman and it was a welcome treat.  It's cheaper than a massage and you still get some massage benefits.  I would do it again, but if I had to choose in how I spent my hour, I'd pick a full body massage any day.

So, looking back was good.  But today is the last day of the year and it's time to look ahead.  What do I have in store for 2013 and what do I want to accomplish next year?

So far, my 2013 scheduled races include:
*1/13 - Houston Half Marathon with my Aunt.
*3/23-24 - Texas Independence Relay
*4/7 - Cap 10K
*6/16 - Lake Pflugerville Triathlon

That's all I have on the schedule right now.  I know more will be added, but I have to decide what.  Do I want to focus on short stuff and try to get faster?  Do I want to add another state to my 50 states of marathons?  Do I want to try to do an ultra run?  This is what I have to decide.  There is an ultra in October that I have been looking at that would give me a break in the spring from long distance training, but then I'd have to ramp it up over the summer.  I'm not sure if 2013 will be the year or if the ultra will come in 2014 (and yes, I'm already somewhat thinking about my plans for 2014).  I'd also kind of like to do another Half Ironman this year, but the one in Galveston I normally do falls on the same day as the Cap 10k, so if I do one, it would have to be something new.

Anyway, it's a lot to think about, because I also have some other big goals to accomplish in 2013.  For the last few years, I've thought about getting into coaching, but had not done anything about it.  Well, 2013 is the year to do something about it. 

First off in January I will be attending a YogaFit Level I Certification Clinic.  After attending this clinic, I will be able to teach yoga.  Probably not in a studio or big gym where they want a 200 hour RYT instructor, but I can teach yoga on my own.  I will most likely attend the Level II Clinic in June and then decide about continuing on to get 200 hour certified.

Then, in February I will be off to Atlanta, Georgia to attend the Road Runner's Club of
America Run Coach Certification class.  I am really looking forward to this.  I have written some run plans before, but attending this clinic will give me more confidence in what I am doing and I will feel like I can actually charge for my services.

And, if that isn't enough, for the next few months I will be studying so that I can take my personal trainer certification exam and become a personal trainer.  I've already started reading the materials and taking some quizzes.  It's pretty interesting so far, but I have a lot of studying to do when it comes to the anatomy part.  I know the major muscles, bones, etc., but it's the details that get me.

To help with my knowledge and understanding of all of this, I asked for several books for Christmas that have to do with yoga for runners, recovery for athletes, etc.  My plan is to read at least one fitness related book per month.  I've got enough to keep me busy for a while.

And in my quest to continue eating healthy, I've made it a goal to try one new recipe each week.  I figure that is doable even with the hectic schedule we live around.  I have 3 good cookbooks that I haven't really used yet, so it will be easy to find something new in them.  And it doesn't have to be complicated.  If I've got a busy week, maybe my new recipe will just be a shake. 

And last, but not least, the big one.  I have strong legs.  Always have and would like to always keep it that way.  My upper body strength, however, has always been lacking.  I do strength training, but it's with light weights and it is more to maintain tone than anything.  However, it's always been a secret desire of mine to be able to do a pullup.  A full pullup from just hanging there.  Maybe I'll start working on that and see if I can do just one by the end of the year.  It's a good goal to shoot for, but don't hold your breath.

Well, I think that about covers things.  It will be challenging to fit it all in, especially since high school soccer starts this week and we will have the typical club soccer in the spring as well.  And since Madison will be heading off to college in the next year and a half, I'd like to do a mother/daughter trip with her this spring.  We have talked about New York, so I need to start researching.  As always, stay tuned to see how things go.

I hope that you all have had a good 2012 and have an even better 2013.  Here's to health, happiness and new experiences.