Half Marathon

Jarod and I have signed up for a 1/2 marathon (13 miles) race November 9th. Stay tuned for the results! :)

Sprint Tri

Swim, Bike, Run! That's the Tri way!

This weekend I completed my 1st triathlon with my good friend Becci and the support of our directors of logistics - our hubbys! It's amazing how much coordinating goes into this event. Basically how it works is everyone sets their bikes up in a set area - also known as " racking your bike" before the race starts. Along with your bike is everything you will need to complete the biking and running parts of the race. So, things like tennis shoes, socks, t-shirt and pants/shorts, helmet, towel, water, etc. have to be out under your bike b/c the time it takes to get all of that done counts against your overall time.

So, we were in the 500s out of 650 participants - so near the back. The race kicked off at 8am and Becci and I didn't go until a little after 9am. They split the pool in 1/2 with 8 total lanes. Odd #'d people were on the left, even #'d people on the right. Then you had to swim down and back in 4 of the lanes, so 8 one way trips (total of 400 meters). Then you pulled yourself out of the pool and ran around the building (mind you it's about 65 degrees and you're wet and in your bare feet) to the bike set up. Once you reach your bike, you dry off as quickly as possible, put your shoes/socks on and whatever clothes you want to wear. Put on your helmet and gloves and get moving! You have to walk/run your bike out of the bike area but once out it's full speed ahead!

The bike ride was nice, we had to go 13 miles and most was flat or downhill, but there was about 3 miles (between 7-10 miles) that were all uphill and really tough. The scenery was beautiful and I was surprised by how extremely friendly everyone was (spectators and participants). At the end of the 13 miles, you come back to the bike rack section. You get off your bike, walk/run it in, re-rack it and then get ready to run.

The run was really nice. It was only 3.1 miles. I was surprised though at how tired I felt. I normally run 9.5 - 10 min miles and I ended up doing those miles around 10.5 min each. The course was through a small community and relatively easy - they must've known we'd need it after doing the other 2 events. :) The end of the course brought you back to wear the bike rack area was but right before was the finish line. It felt great to finish!

I definitely recommend everyone at least try a Tri. It was a very interesting experience for me. I think next time I'll feel more comfortable b/c I've got one under my belt. They haven't posted times yet but when they do I will be sure to add it to this blog.

Another experience to check off my list! :0) Now the question is, should I go ahead and do a 1/2 marathon now or wait until the spring??? stay tuned! :)

RESULTS ARE IN- I did much better then I practiced!! :)
KADIE BLANEY ALEXANDRIA VA

Swim time - 10:10
Transition 1 - 5:30
Bike - 47:56
Transition 2 - 1:11
Run - 31:26
Overall time - 1:36:11

Jarod (the Gazel's) 1st 10 miler!!

Jarod and I did the Army 10 miler yesterday. It was awesome! Not only was this Jarod's first 10 mile race, but it was also the 1st time he has ever run 10 miles..ever! He did great!! This is the first race that I've ever run where it was PACKED!! all 10 miles. It was tricky running around people for 10 miles, but it made the race go really fast. The weather was perfect - little humidity and around 65-70 degrees. I had a few technical challenges (like my shoe laces coming undone - that never happens!) and our friend Becci that ran with us has asthma, so at mile 9 I had to stop and get her inhaler out, but despite all of that we finished in under 10 minute miles!! :)

The race was really beautiful. We ran around many of the key sites in DC - the Washington Monument, the White House, the Mall and much more. At the end of the race, there is one final turn and then you can see the finish line. I decided I would sprint so I pulled away from Jarod and about 1/2 way to the finish line he passed me and beat me by a few seconds. (if only i had longer legs).

I would recommend the race because of the awesome views and the fact that it was relatively flat. However, since there were so many people I found myself getting very frustrated dodging people for 10 miles. All in all, we had a great time and were feeling very good when we finished! Here are our times.

Jarod - 1:37:54 (9.47 min/mile pace)
Kadie - 1:37:56 (9.48 min/mile pace)