Sugoi Verve Short Review

Running shorts a big deal to me. Outside of my shoes, I'd say they are probably the next most important piece of gear. Well...actually they may be tied with the sports bra. Either way, when you're running long distance, you gotta have a pair of shorts that feel good. I've experimented with several different types of shorts in my running life, and not just any will do. There are several factors that play into whether or not I like them: fit, comfort, flattery, and performance. I am normally a die-hard Nike Tempo Track shorts girl, but I recently gave the Sugoi Verve Short a try, and here's what I think about it...

Fit: These shorts fit me really well. I got a medium, which is what I normally wear, and it fit great. The length is actually a little longer than my normal Nike Tempos, and I liked something a bit longer for a change. They have a drawstring in the waist to make sure they are snug, and a liner that felt perfect. I haven't tried to run in my undergarments in many moons, so that liner is crucial. For fit, I give them 5 stars.

Comfort: Very comfortable shorts. The material is very thin and airy, and as I mentioned before, the liner on the inside is perfect. These shorts never offered to ride up, and that's a big deal. I have yet to experience any chaffing with them, although I normally apply some Body Glide as precaution. For comfort, 5 stars.

Flattery: This probably depends more on your body type than anything. I was pleased with how I looked in these shorts, although I think when I am thinner and in better shape I like the cut of my Nike's better. These did a very good job of covering up some of my problem spots, though, so that was nice. They were a very cute "coral" color also, that went with several running shirts I have. For flattery, I'll give them 3 1/2 stars.

Performance: These shorts have a small key pocket in the front, plus two pockets near the back that are perfect for a gel or two. This is one area these shorts definitely kill the Nike Tempos. Being able to tote along some gel is crucial for marathoning. They also have some reflective strips which come in handy for my 4 a.m. runs in the dark. Last but certainly not least, they did a good job of keeping moisture off my skin with the wicking material and the breathability of the mesh panels on the side. Performance gets 5 stars.

Overall, I highly recommend these running shorts. The only thing that tripped me up a little was the fact that the retail price is $45; that's a bit higher than my $28 Nike Tempo Track shorts. I guess you get what you pay for, though. If $45 doesn't hurt your recession budget too bad, give them a try.

A quote that is close to my heart...

“You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, ‘I have lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along.’ You must do the thing you think you cannot do.”

-Eleanor Roosevelt

There's not a whole lot I can add to that. Eleanor says it all.

"Making The Cut" is coming along. I've lost 3lbs, my clothes are starting to fit differently, and I'm almost to the point where I can go through each circuit twice...last night I did 4 out of 5 of them twice. I'm sure I'm getting laughed at in the weight room at the gym when I'm doing jumping squats and lunges till muscle failure, but oh well. Bonnaroo was this past weekend, so I did have to jump ship from the diet for a days, but I'm back on track now. I still have a long ways to go, but at least we are headed in the right direction.

I'm still looking to do the Lock 4 Xterra, then the Music City Triathlon in downtown Nashville (an Oly). The following week J.T., the boys and I are going visit 4 MLB ballparks in 5 days. In the Prius. It's our recession-proof family vacation. We are driving to Cincinnatti to watch the Reds, then to Chicago for the Cubs and White Sox, then back down to St. Louis to visit my cousin Megan and to watch the Cardinals. Marine Corp Marathon training starts July 5th. I'm going with the FIRST plan this time, so I can keep riding my bike and getting in shape for the MS Jack N Back ride at the beginning of October. I followed this plan for the Las Vegas marathon a couple of years ago.

I'll leave you with some Bonnaroo pics:


and last but not least....

Mach Triathlon 2009

The Mach Tenn Triathlon was my first triathlon EVER...5 years ago. When I think back to that scary day 5 years ago, I almost get emotional. I really had no idea what I was getting myself into. I had been running for about a year and a half, and I had just purchased my bike off of Ebay 2 months prior to that race. As far as swimming, I thought I was hitting the pool hard...but it was hard because I simply didn't really know how to swim very well, so I was not exactly efficient in the water, and a mere 500 yds was hard. I was going through a discovery period in my life. I was finding out, all by myself, that I was no longer limited by my preconceived notions, my critics, or my environment. William James said "Compared to what we ought to be, we are only half awake..." and I was realizing this on a small scale. Running had first tipped me off to this idea, and I was all about pushing some limits to see what was really possible. It was liberating, and the early morning sunrise workouts just plain made me feel good. So old basketball teammate, Leslie, told me about the Mach Tenn Triathlon and suggested I make it my first. Leslie was the only person I knew who had ever competed in a triathlon. To make a long story short, I worked really hard to get to a place where I thought I could finish that thing, and I did finish it, but I would never call that experience easy. I was terrified. The dinner I had eaten the night before was long gone in our septic tank by 3 a.m., and I didn't sleep a wink. The swim was what I was most afraid of, and for good reason, because to this day I am surprised I actually made it out alive. I was very happy not to crash on the bike, and my legs were pretty much in shock the entire run because the race itself was my first ever BRICK. I finished and was ecstatic. My parents thought I had turned into Super Woman, and my friends thought I was crazy. That day led to countless other sprints and olys, and eventually a half iron and a full Ironman - Ironman Florida. The many other lessons in life and in toughness it led too, though, are countless. Not to mention the relationships and friendships I have been blessed with in this sport.

All that said, Saturday was a celebration of all that. It was an "I-love-this-sport-so-even-though-I've-taken-a-break-and-am-not-trained-very-well, I'm-still-going-out-there-and-gonna-have-fun-with-my-friends-doing-the-sport-we-love" kinda attitude. And boy was it a lot of fun. And as it turns it out, maybe I'm not in as bad of shape as I thought. My times were only only seconds off of last years, and I even placed first in my age group! The fact that my friends Larkin and Leslie (who are also in my age group) took Overall 1st and 2nd certainly helped my cause, but I will certainly take it.

I went as hard as I could in the swim, and managed to come out with an 18:09 (0.6 miles) even though I got into a fight with an old man out there. He didn't appreciate my bumping into him as I squeezed in between him and another swimmer, so he decided to jerk my arm under water. I called him a not so nice name and we yelled at each for a moment then went on with the swim. I must admit that's never happened to me before, but it's all good. I don't hold a grudge...I said my peace, he said his, and we were back off swimming. Get 394 competitors in a lake and...well...it's gonna happen sometimes I guess.

I hit the bike hard. I knew that my only shot to do well in this race was to give 100% on the bike, and that's what I did. I ended up with a 46:16 for the 16 miles, which is just a few seconds slower than last year. And the crazy thing about this is that I found myself battling back and forth with the same guy, aka "Mr. Lightspeed", that I was battling back an forth with last year in this race! We both recognized each other, and pushed each other to the end again!

The run is a different story. I haven't been running enough lately, and I knew that. It hurt, pretty much the whole way. I went as hard as I thought I could...but if I am honest with myself, I know that I didn't really give it my all. Boo. I had more to give on this run, I wasn't even sore the rest of the weekend. Either way, I actually beat my run time from last year with a 31:59 for the 4 miles. My one promise for this race was that I would cross the line smiling, and that I did! With a total time of 1:39:03.

I SO loved seeing all my peeps and racing hard with them. And it was a total blast to see my sister finish her 1st ever triathlon here - 5 years after it was my first! She even snagged 3rd place in our Age Group!!
Next up, Lock 4 Blast...my first ever Xterra off-road tri...let's hit the trails!

My Mach Tenn Limerick

Tomorrow is the Mach Tenn Tri.

I hope to finish and not die.

I plan on having lots of fun,

Hurting like hell on the run,

And cross the finish smiling, will I!

Good luck to Holly - it's her first ever triathlon!!

Making The Cut

I've been whining around about not being in shape for a few months now. Not in shape, as compared to being in Ironman shape, which is supposed to be really great shape...right?

I'm not so sure, anymore.

I was walking through Target the other day and caught a glimpse of this:
It said "Drop the last stubborn 10 - 20lbs once in for all."

I was a bit skeptical, as this 10 - 20lbs has certainly taken it's toll on me lately. It drains me of my motivation and my confidence, regardless of how many miles I can swim/bike/run. Whether that's a body image problem or not, it really doesn't matter if it's the reality. I've carried an extra 10 - 20lbs with me along in marathons, half iron triathlons, and all the way to the finish line at Ironman Florida. And I'm still dragging it around. So I figured "WTH, I'll see what the drill sergeant has to say...maybe she'll say something to motivate me." I bought the book.

The fact of the matter is that I looked better before I started running long distance. When I was taking classes at the gym and running only 3-4 miles at a time, I looked good. I stood in front of that mirror at the gym and liked what I saw. Before I picked up a piece of bread or a piece of chocolate, I thought about that mirror, and how the extra calories really weren't worth it. Enter marathon and triathlon training, on top of a pretty hectic schedule to begin with, and it gets a bit more complicated. You IM parents know what I mean, right? Sure, you'd rather have grilled salmon for dinner, but you're stuck at the ball park for the next 5 hours where you can only get a burger or a hot dog...and you've got that long run coming up in the morning.

To make a long story short, the philosophies I've been using to shed my unwanted 15lbs haven't been working. I haven't stayed motivated for long enough at a time to make any progress.

But....

I read Making The Cut and did the first workout Monday, and I am a believer. It's circuit training, the same kind I used to do at the gym...except somewhere over the last 4.5 years, I have lost all that strength I used to have...regardless of how many miles I can swim, bike, and run, I am not strong anymore. I faced that reality when I trembled while trying to finish up a set of planks, and when I put J.T. on stand-by for rushing me to the E.R. because my heart rate was so out of control I couldn't catch my breath. All of the sudden ice cream didn't sound so good and chocolate was the last thing I wanted.

I am on Day 4 of the 30 day plan. I'm following her menu and workout plan, and adding my swimming, biking and running as extra cardio. She expects you to survive on your BMR...so I have given myself a bit of allowance there, depending on how much cardio I get in. But I have a whole new perspective on the kind of shape I'm really in. These workouts are kicking my butt, but I need them. I want to be strong from the core, and I want an acceptable body composition. I can already tell a difference, so I'll be posting regularly my progress.

The Mach Tenn Triathlon is this Saturday. It was my first ever triathlon, and one of the most fun tri's around. I am gonna get my ass whipped, but I'm going out there anyway. I have always improved my time from year to year in this event, but that's about to come to an end. I'm just not nearly as strong this year. I'll do the best I can, and enjoy the day with my awesome triathlon peeps! I'll let you know how it goes.

Twenty bucks or Good Karma?

I was walking into work today, not in the greatest of moods, when I saw a $20 bill lying right in front of me as I walked through the parking lot. My first reaction was "Yes!! $20 richer! cha-ching!" And then I realized it was just outside of a mini van...and it sure did look awfully probable that whoever drove that mini van had dropped it as they made their way into work. It didn't take but a couple more steps to decide I'd much rather gamble on good karma than pocket $20. So tracked down the owner of that mini van and found out that she had, indeed, lost a $20 bill from her pocket that morning. Of course, I returned it to her. My friends are telling me that the power ball is now $222 million...I believe I will go buy my first ever lottery ticket today...bring on the good karma.

So, I've been MIA for a while again. Training has been sporadicly consistent. Does that make sense? Oxymoron or not, that is the only way to describe it. I've managed to let the Mach Tenn Triathlon fill up before registering, but I'm curious as to whether the VP of the club(that would me) that is putting on the race can get a string pulled for her in that regard? If not, maybe it's a sign that I'm so undertrained I need to opt for working the event rather than racing it. If I do get in, the goal will be to finish, and only to finish. I expect to get my @ss handed to me by many people, one of who is my sister (doing her 1st triathlon of all things! But she is fast!), but I'm a big girl, and I can take it. If you don't put in the training you can't expect to be strong, and that's just the way it is. Somehow it seems awfully lame of me to not race under these circumstances, though...especially since I have no good explanation as to why I haven't put in the training(no injuries or anything). I simply have been turning off the alarm instead of getting in good, quality morning workouts; and I've been opting to watch American Idol or sitting at the kids' ball practices instead of going to masters' swim class. The actual games, though, I do consider an excused absense, for the record.

Speaking of all this laziness, though, it's about to come to an end. I do despise such a way of life. It starts and ends with mental fortitude. Life on a daily basis without it is very nonproductive. You know I've been roaming around like a lost sheep wondering what in the hell I'm going to do now that my Ironman is over, and I'm not registered for anything. Everyone says "register for a smaller event and work toward that," but for someone of my mentality it seems like that would be comparable with snorting 1 line of cocaine when you are used to snorting 5. For the record, that analogy could be way off as I have never been a drug user and, other than Hollywood's interpretation, I know nothing much about it...unless you count 20 mile runs and 100 mile rides as drugs...and granted, you could have an argument there. Back to the point, though, having a smaller race than an Ironman as an A race for me, just isn't going to cut it right now. Perhaps at some point I'll be able realign the sensible railways in my head about this stuff, but for now I need something bigger. Like something I've never done before.

XTERRA Lock 4 Blast.

July 18th. I've been tossing it around for a while, but I made up my mind during a 20 mile road ride yesterday. Comfort zone, be gone. Back to swim class, back to the trails, back to early morning training. Back to being discliplined, and back to eating right.

I feel better already.

Necessary Silence

Authenticity is something I hold very close to my heart. I believe in being true - true to God, true to family and friends(including you), and most importantly, true to myself. Not to say we don't all have slightly different personalities depending on who we're conversing with; for instance, I probably don't use the same tone and dialect when I'm speaking with a company executive about the latest economic developments that I use when sitting at the ball park discussing the best strategy to win, or when I'm fussing about the humidity while trying to gut out another few miles of a long run. We all understand that. But keeping things real, as in really real, can sometimes be scary. That being said, please forgive my absence on this blog lately. As if my sporadic training had not been a key indicator, I don't mind telling you that my heart hasn't been into the great sport of triathlon in a while. Knowing this, and embracing it, I dove back into the baseball mom persona who does nothing but go to work and tote her kids from place to place. I love taking my boys to baseball practice, and you know I would never miss a game they were playing in, but in all things, I've been reminded balance is still important. I'm not a lot of fun hanging out a baseball practice if I'm stressed to the max and need a good 5 mile run that I've neglected for a week.

Not to switch the subject, but Ironman is hard to follow. Need I explain to you the depth of the butterflies I get when reflecting upon the waves and the crowd...the sweat and the salt...the fatigue...the barely making it to T-2...the running out into the sunset...the desperate attempt to eat something that would supply some energy...and the rebound...the rebound...the "I'm okay-I will do this"...the sunset...the darkness...the spotlights...the loud speaker...and the voice - you know the one I'm talking about...the crowd...and sheer euhphoria that can make a 32 year old mom who's gone 140.5 miles in the past 11 hours and 58 minutes break out into a sprint and feel like she could go 20 more if she needed to.

It's hard to follow.

It was something I've had in the back of my mind for 4 years, and something that had been my main focus and an extremely high priority for the entire year leading up to it. It was everything I ever wanted it to be and more, but it's still just an event. It has an end. It doesn't last forever. It's not something that defines who I am, it's just a small part of me. I'll do another one someday; how could I not? But not now.

So the extra time I've had on my hands sans IM training has left me tons of time to think and explore lots of other avenues that I had left on the back burner. Intitially, I didn't know what to think of it. I tried to rationalize...tried to justify and such, but I finally just decide I needed to retreat and gather my thoughts. I was having a hard time giving you the real Lana...and I didn't like that at all. I needed to shut up and listen, and quit running my big mouth so much. So that's what I've been doing, and really what I am still doing. I have some ideas and some goals in mind, but I'm still regrouping and still trying to determine which road I should take next. I've had some struggles and some victories lately, and I'll share them with you soon. The silence has been refreshing, but you know I can't stay quiet for long. :) I'll also get caught up on all of your blogs eventually - I'm still working on that.

In the meantime...feel free to friend me on Facebook or follow me on Twitter if you want a more up to date account of what may be going through my head at any random moment.