June is always a transition month. The boys are ending yet another year of school and I’m beginning my racing season.  As you may imagine, things become a bit hectic as everyone transitions from one routine to another. As in triathlon transition (moving from one discipline to the next i.e. the swim to bike and then bike to run) there is anxiety, some confusion and then ultimately, acceptance and happiness, as we flow into a new normal for the summer. Here’s to surviving the transition and trying to make both the beginnings and endings as smooth as possible.

“T” is for transition…and also my taper week last week.

WEEK OF MAY 29, 2017

RUNNING

This past week was a taper week, meaning I did about half to a third of the training I normally do in preparation for my race this past Saturday. Tapering also means I go a little nutty with nerves and anxiety since I’m not sweating it all out. I managed to hold myself together and did a few short runs with pick-ups which just left me wanting to run longer. Of course I would get my chance in the 10K portion of the triathlon…

Tuesday – run off the bike | 20 minutes | 2.50 miles

Thursday – 20 min shake out run with 4 x 30 second pick-ups | 2.29 miles

CYCLING

Of the two rides I had last week I was only able to do one outside. We have had a ton of rain lately but luckily it held off for the race on Saturday, which was all I really cared about!

Tuesday – 30 minute easy ride with spin ups | 10.3 miles

Wednesday – 30 minutes race prep | 6.34 miles on the trainer

I also snuck in some IronStrength training since I’m dedicated to keeping it up. Meanwhile Star is dedicated to making me insane whenever I attempt to get on the floor or do burpees. She goes nuts when I do the workout and I either have to distract her with a bone or toy (or have the boys distract her) or put her outside.

Strength training with a dog usually ends up with a butt in your face.

SWIMMING

If you read the blog last week then you already know I did my first open water swim of the season in 60 degree air and water. It honestly was not that bad and made me feel 100% more confident about jumping in on race day.

I also saw this guy trying to make his way back into the lake across the street from where I live. I really did not need to see him…and his claws. I wanted so badly to put him in my truck and take him to another lake! I hope he made it across the street…kind of.

Hey big fella. Please don’t eat me when I swim in your lake. Thank you.

Tuesday – open water swim

Friday – warm-up then 5 x 50 at race pace, cool down | 1,250 yards

FUEL

A new breakfast and lunch place has opened in our town and this is big news people. There is literally no other place like it and the food is amazing and healthy. Luann’s started as a stall in the local farmer’s market and was so popular, they opened a whole restaurant in town.

My favorite salad by far is the Cherries Jubilee. My husband loves the cookies (did I mention it’s also a bakery?) and I have to avert my eyes from the rows of cake pops, brownies and cookies, freshly made and in your face daily.

Feast your eyes.

THINGS I LOVE

Seeing my boys running track!

I was one proud mama when Vaughn decided to just jump into the mile race. He did so well and paced himself perfectly, as I ran back and forth across the infield so I could encourage him every 200 meters or so. Miles stays with the shorter distances for now and flew down the track for the 100, coming in third in his heat. And Vaughn came in next to last I think but he couldn’t have cared less.

Let’s just say Miles had some regrets about not doing the mile, hence the different body language and expressions in this picture. I’ll let you guess who is who.

Needless to say, when I posted this picture to Instagram, my shirt received most of the attention. My husband thought it would be hilarious to get it for me when he recently visited a popular BBQ restaurant (Midwood Smokehouse) in North Carolina. My first reaction was “there is no universe in which I am wearing that shirt.” And then, two days later, I wore it to a children’s track meet.

THINGS I DON’T LOVE AS MUCH

My husband’s luck. It’s seriously ridiculous and most of the time I do not benefit from it.

When six of us traveled to Spain for my duathlon race everyone’s luggage was missing when we arrived…except his.

The exact same thing happened when the two of us went to Omaha for nationals last summer.

Mailboxes pop up out of nowhere when he needs them, reservations magically open and parking spots nearly pull his car in when they sense his approach in an otherwise packed lot. It’s truly ridiculous. So, it should have come as no surprise when, a few weeks back, he won $1,000 with almost no effort.

This sums up how he feels about “luck” too.

How did he win this large sum of money you ask? Oh simple. He placed a bet on the horse Cloud Computing three minutes before the Peakness started. Yep. No prior analysis of stats, no prior knowledge of any kind on horse racing, he just turned on the tv, saw the name and placed an online bet. Five minutes later, he won $1,000.00

My aunt likes to say “God wakes up in the morning and asks ‘what can I do for Mike?'” #truth

VIDEO

Since I didn’t have time to read very much this past week, I give you the gift of video. I saw this advertised in Bicycling.com (yes, I read bicycling.com) and could not stop laughing at what they called a “Pro Cycling Mockumentary!” It’s being produced by HBO and has a ton of celebrity appearances including Orlando Bloom, Mike Tyson and Kevin Bacon. Oh and wait for Lance at the end, it’s worth it.

TRIATHLON RACE SPOLIER ALERT

I have mixed feelings about my first triathlon race of the season which took place this past Saturday. I’ll just give you the best part for now and save all the juicy details for later this week.

Unbeknownst to me, my husband was preparing my kids near the finish line to run with me down the finisher’s chute. As I rounded the final turn, I barely heard my husband say “there she is – GO!” and the next thing I knew, my boys were running with me toward the finish. It was absolutely the best finish of any race I have ever had!

I will write a full race recap for Wednesday so stay tuned…

[Tweet “The Rundown is transitioning in the month of #June with the first #race of the season and last day of #school. #train4life”]

How was your week?

Do you have any beginnings or endings coming up?

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