88 Laps….

Posted on May 15, 2012 by tootallfritz

For me, swimming is a task like no other. When I run or bike, I have a constant stream of thoughts and am actually able to work things out in my head. When I swim, I focus on not drowning, breathing, stretching my stroke and counting my laps. I have random thoughts that come and go but mostly, I just focus on not drowning and counting. No joke.

88 laps in a 25 yard pool is equivalent to the 1.2 miles I need to swim in the two half iron events in which I will be participating this year. I swam the full 88 laps yesterday for the first time. I am only 55 days away from the July 7th Ironman 70.3 Muncie.

A few of my random thoughts….

44 minutes, the amount of time it took me to swim 1.2 miles in my last half iron event.
56 minutes, the amount of time it took to swim the 88 laps yesterday.
4, the minutes I hope to eliminate from my swim with it being in open water and not having to turn around every 25 yards.
5, the minutes I hope to eliminate from my swim by using my wetsuit that will hold my ~~momma~~ hips up in the proper position.
10, the number of mini prayers I sent up asking for water temps on July 7th & September 1st to be cool enough to be USAT wetsuit legal.
78, the max water temp for an event to be wetsuit legal.
3, the lap I was swimming when I started thinking about Kelly’s post on her first swim lesson.
4, the lap I was swimming when I thought about contacting Maggie’s cousin, Coach Judie, or MJ at TriSmart , or ~~anybody~~ somebody to tell me if my swimming is even remotely adequate.
50, the number of times I tried to “hear” my stroke like Kelly discussed in her post on the first swim lesson.
0, the number of flip turns I performed.
6, the number of times I stopped to readjust my goggles.
4, the number of times I breathe in 25 yards.
7, the number of years that I have owned the TRI tank I was wearing that I will never again wear. Can you say skintight and see thru? UGH!

35, the lap I was swimming where it finally all came together and I relaxed.
36, the lap I was swimming when I started to wonder if the turnover rate of my arms during the swim is also called cadence like the rate of turnover of foot fall/pedal stroke while running/biking. Answer: YES, look HERE.
3, the number of sets I did to equal 88 laps. Set 1 = 48 laps, Set 2 = 30 laps, Set 3 = 10 laps. Don’t ask why, it’s random, just like my thoughts.
25, the lap in the 2nd set where I was wondering if CrazyBoyDon actually counts laps or if he somehow adapts 99 bottles of Beer on the Wall to keep track….. 88 laps to swim in the pool, swim one down, flip it around….yeah that doesn’t work.
1, the lap in the last set where I realized that I don’t know how to kick. I have spent so much time “not kicking” to save my legs, that the kick just seems foreign to me now.
12 the number of times Michael asked me if I had been swimming with Santa when I got home.

Michael is obsessed with Santa and wants to go swimming with him so badly. He is always flailing around the bathtub pretending to swim with Santa. If you know of any swimming Santa’s, please let me know. PLEASE!

What do you think about when you swim? Will you be thinking of swimming Santa’s the next time you go to make some laps? Maybe you should!

Happy Swimming ** Amanda – TooTallFritz ** amanda@tootallfritz.com

Ryder Shot Eyewear Review

Posted on May 14, 2012 by tootallfritz

I was a lucky girl and put in some nice miles this weekend while still managing to have lots of fun! The weekend kicked off mid afternoon Friday with a 29 mile bike ride. This was an important ride because I ~~just had my bike readjusted and needed the mile~~s was testing a new pair of sunglasses, the Ryder Shot Photochromic, which had already passed the run test x10. I’ve been running in these glasses for almost a month and we all know from the I Wear My Sunglasses Almost Never post, sunglasses and I normally do not get along. I want to wear them, need them to protect my eyes but usually pitch them due to poor fit, lighting, or the irritation factor.

I have quite the collection of those which remain but never get worn:

Therefore, I didn’t want to be hasty on writing up a review on the Ryder Shot’s prior to really wearing them, thinking about the fit, coverage, functionality, and using them on both the run and the bike. As a triathlete, the sunglasses are one of the most important pieces of gear on the transition mat. They can make or break the bike/run legs if you don’t own a good pair that fit, perform well and protect your eyes.

First, how do they look? The most important aspect, right? Okay, not really but….

The above photo is not the best, it’s a direct result of Aby’s photo session at the bike shop on Thursday night, but it gave me giggles after a quick WTF moment of seeing the color “splashes”. The before/after photos below are a bit better. I’m a “little” disheveled “after” but still smiling! Yes, that is the Team Tough Chik bike jersey if you were wondering.

The Ryder Shot’s that I received are the photochromic type which retail for $69. I’m wearing the silver frame with light grey lenses. I probably wouldn’t have picked a silver frame myself, not that I don’t like it, I’m just very boring and tend to stick in the black/brown family. However, these look good and more importantly fit really well. They are not tight on my face but they hug and do NOT move.

The Ryder Shot Photochromic incorporates the photochromic technology that automatically lightens and darkens the tint of the lenses according to the weather and lighting conditions. For somebody like me, who ~~is blind~~ doesn’t see well, this is a huge selling factor because I can’t change my lenses while I’m on the road. I need the glasses to accommodate whatever the weather throws at me.

The Shot’s come in various colors and styles. The non-photochromic & non-polarized models start at $39, that’s a steal!

I also love the nose piece which is soft and rubbery but doesn’t get stuck in my hair. If I’m talking with someone or taking a photo, I tend to put the glasses in my hair. The nose piece can be a big issue if the rubber piece get stuck in my hair. That’s an immediate fail in my opinion but not an issue with the Ryder Shot’s. You can see in these photos from yesterday’s run at Schubert Woods with Cindy & the Pancakers that I have my glasses in my hair and it’s a win. It’s a win that they fit nicely on my face when I run, and a win that they don’t stick to my hair when they are resting for a photo op. 🙂

Initially, upon receipt of these glasses, I was planning to do a list of pros & cons. However, I have put this review off for this long because I can’t find any cons. I wanted to make sure that I was really behind these glasses for the long term before I actually recommend something. I didn’t buy these, ~~that’s a first,~~ so didn’t want to just get all crazy excited over some freebies before I really knew what I thought. I actually like them, really like them, and you will see me wearing them exclusively on the bike and run this season and for many more to come. Thanks, Ryder!

According to the Ryder website, these are one of our smallest, most lightweight models. A favorite amongst runners for its minimalist design. I absolutely agree that they are light and certainly not only “a” favorite of mine but the only pair I have used for the last month. They offer UV protection and are shatter proof. As a triathlete and cyclist, the shatter proof quality is a necessity because things happen and we crash. Although I have never crashed badly enough to crack my glasses, I have seen others who weren’t as lucky. Protective eyewear is not a luxury but a necessity.

Please find something to protect your eyes from the UV rays, rain/sleet, bugs and debris. I was wearing these on the bike on Friday and was amazed at the clarity. It was absolutely crystal clear that a yellow jacket would have flown into my right eye had it not bounced off my right lens instead. Scary. Protect your eyes!

If you are interested in Ryder products, check out the website HERE. The prices are very reasonable in comparison to other sport brands so enjoy the savings!

Happy Running, Riding and TRIing! ** Amanda – TooTallFritz **

Building a Successful Group Run….

Posted on May 12, 2012 by tootallfritz

As I was driving to the group run for our running club today, I must say ~~the thunder and lightning were scary~~ I didn’t want to go. However, there wasn’t really an option for not going because most of the club was racing, we had a few newbies who said they were coming out for the first time, and I was the ~~self-designated~~ group leader.

I always say, you build it and they will come but the bottom line is that somebody has to show up to get everyone started. I know this, I believe in it and I certainly do not want to see one person get dissuaded by showing up for a group run and being the only one. It’s just not cool in my opinion.

So even though I knew we would be light on numbers today due to area races, the weather and the number of people who had texted me to bail, I was going to show up, just in case. As a result, I met a new friend, Heather. Brian was also there and snapped a quick photo of us between rain showers!

This was Heather’s first time out with the F’N Running Club and I spent a nice 4.5 miles run/walking and getting to know her. We have a lot of common friends, so we “may” have been talking about YOU! 🙂

If you have an interest in building a group run, here are a few things to consider:

Have two group leaders, who are reliable and will show up regardless of weather.
Group leaders should communicate with one another so if one can’t go ~~for whatever reason~~, they know for sure the other will cover the run.
Schedule the group run for the same time & day each week.
Don’t change your time/day because “Suzie” can’t come at that time.
If you are a leader and decide to run mid-day and are scheduled to lead the 5pm run, better plan for the 2nd run or show up with your bike to get everyone started.
Unless you are a specialty group or a competitive team, encourage all paces and levels of ability.
Post group runs thru the Park District, local running store, and/or local health clubs to let area runners know when and where to show up.
Encourage runners to bring a friend, or their kids, or whatever will help them get out the door to show up.
Know that everyone is busy and their time is valuable so pay attention and get everyone started ~~pretty much~~ on schedule unless you know for sure that somebody is running late.
Being a group leader doesn’t mean being a coach, just that you get everyone moving toward the trail at the appropriate time.
Know that most people show up for a group run for FUN, stress relief and exercise so keep things upbeat and light ~~if possible~~.
Make sure you get to know the new people so they show up next time. You get to talk to “Suzie” every week, take the opportunity to meet somebody new!
Most importantly, HAVE FUN!!

Do you run with a group or are you a solo runner? Any tips on successful group runs?

Happy Running ** Amanda – TooTallFritz ** amanda@tootallfritz.com

Bike Fit….

Posted on May 11, 2012 by tootallfritz

As you know from THIS post, I’m back on the bike and staring down two 70.3s which are fast approaching. The first one is July 7th, a small event hosted by Ironman, and I anticipate it to be a total ~~bike~~ train wreck. The little biking that I have done so far (70 miles last month) has not gone well. Everything hurt. My knees hurt. My hips hurt. My neck hurt. My shoulders hurt. I kept thinking, ~~what did I get myself into?!?!~~ that my return to triathlon was going to be a difficult one. I did the only thing I could think of doing, I took more Joint ProMotion.

Okay, let’s be honest, I actually started taking Joint ProMotion. You would think that as a runner ~~and AdvoCare Distributor~~ I would be using a glucosamine supplement but you would be wrong. I am now.

Then I started thinking. More thinking. I’ve never been a strong biker but there is a difference between ~~sucking~~ not being good at something and having pain. I never had pain before, this is new. I am riding the same bike I had Pre-Michael but I felt like it had shrunk in it’s 1309 days of hibernation. Muscle atrophy? Probably not. I “may” have mentioned these problems to hubby and he may, or may not, have threatened me regarding bringing home a new TRI bike. Sigh….

So I called Trek Schererville and scheduled an appointment to be refitted on my “old” bike. Aby was kind enough to take a few photos of the process.

Getting Closer…. Hello Team Tough Chik! I’m actually in this photo…..kinda. And you can “kinda” see Paul behind me, adjusting the bike. Apparently the seat was almost 2” too low.

When your seat is too low, you don’t get proper pedal extensions, have less power, and develop aches and pains in your hips and knees. It also basically folds the bike up on you and the aerobars will feel too short, shifting will be difficult and you “may” develop pain in the neck and shoulders. Really? I never would have guessed.

I’m a happy camper now and looking forward to my ride this afternoon. Cross your fingers for me!

And as a general rule of thumb, if it feels wrong, it is wrong. Trust yourself. Don’t get hurt because you are stubborn or because you think you are a weak biker/runner/person. It also helps if you buy your bike from a store you can trust, ~~a store who’s employees know your name and number when it pops up on the caller ID,~~ a store that will refit your bike and help you with your ~~mental~~ problems, a store that will service your bike free for life. Trek.

Side note: My computer finally arrived! I’ve been waiting for the Node 1.1 to arrive so that I could have an affordable computer which works on the road and on my trainer, while still being wireless. This is HUGE. Now I have zero excuses as to not riding. NO EXCUSES!

So what’s your excuse for not putting in your miles? Please share, I need some new ones!

Happy TRI-ing ** Amanda – TooTallFritz ** amanda@tootallfritz.com **

Spring Fever…

Posted on May 10, 2012 by tootallfritz

This kids are so close to getting out of school and are anxiously awaiting summer vacation. Our toddlers are ~~freaking out~~ want to be outside non-stop. We are trying to close out the school sport seasons with the kids, figure out how to keep them occupied this summer and in the interim running ~~our asses off~~ a lot to get in as many miles as possible while the weather is still nice before it turns HOT. I must say when I parked at the Grainery last night and my thermometer showed temps in the 50’s, I was a very happy camper. That 40-55 degree range is perfect for me and that is why the spring/fall running weather is the best. Crisp, cool, zero humidity. Win!

I have also been ~~obsessed~~ in the mood to run the long way around the pond these days. I don’t care for the little curves just east of the Grainery, so have been running around the pond when I am solo. It adds a little distance but makes up for that in beauty, tranquility and less crazy curves.

Did I mention that it was tranquil? I feel so fortunate to live close to nice trails that are safe and well maintained. Road running can be stressful and dangerous but if you hit the trail, although you still need to vigilant, you get a bit of peace/tranquility and it’s safe for the most part. At least you don’t need to worry about a car running you down, right?

I run Old Plank a lot due to it’s length and vicinity to my house. I consider it my “home” trail. Do you have a home trail? Which one? I’m always up for a road trip to run somewhere new. Tell me about your trail!

Happy Running ** Amanda – TooTallFritz ** amanda@tootallfritz.com

Beautiful Day in Chicago!

Posted on May 9, 2012 by tootallfritz

This week has been a bit of a scramble but I did manage a swim on Monday (70 laps = 1750 yards = .99 miles = 40:04 minutes) when Aby’s track meet was canceled due to rain. Yesterday I squeezed in a lunchtime shake out run. My legs were still heavy from Sunday’s race so I needed something slow and relaxed. When I run at lunch, I always hit Chicago’s lakefront and it was a perfect day yesterday for lollygagging and photo taking! I ran out on the lakefront, then came back thru Grant Park to get a view of the fountain!

Sears Tower:

Entrance tunnel (under Lake Shore Drive) to Grant Park by Museum Campus:

Shedd Aquarium:

Chicago Skyline looking North toward Navy Pier:

Grant Park:

Buckingham Fountain:

All in all, I ran 4.5 miles at a very leisurely pace. The City is so alive, there are lots of people milling around doing the tourist thing and I love seeing them and seeing the sights myself in the brightness of spring. It’s the days that I can get out and run at lunch that really help me appreciate the beauty of Chicago.

People frequently ask what I do when I get back to work and am hot & sweaty. I wash up in the bathroom! If I actually go to the gym, to run on the treadmill, I can shower there. However, I normally run outside so I just wash up and use the Yes to Cucumber Wipes. Then I tell people to stay away from me. 🙂

Over the next 3 weeks, I will be focusing on increasing my run miles. A couple days a week I will be running more than once (2x and eventually 3x per day). My first multi run day will be this Saturday with a hilly 13 miler in the morning and a 5K Fun Run in the afternoon. I will continue to build the bike miles. I will also be focusing on getting out as much as possible on mid-day lunch runs to acclimate to the heat pre-Ragnar. The heat is the one thing we can not control and we will be running all hours of the day & night, particularly since there are only 6 of us running the 200 miles. Stay tuned for lots of fun training in the weeks ahead! Oh, and send me a truck load of ice for ice baths, okay?

What is your next goal and/or focus? Everyone needs a goal, please share yours with us in the event that something YOU are doing might inspire and/or intrigue someone else!

Happy Running ** Amanda – TooTallFritz ** amanda@tootallfritz.com **

Race Photos……F’N Running Club

Posted on May 8, 2012 by tootallfritz

In the aftermath of the Southwest Half Marathon, our running web pages have been flooded with photos of us half marathoners running. Normally, those photos are rather painful to look thru and I’m not saying they were all good this time around but we were an exuberant group on Sunday. You know why? We knew the photogs! The people photographing us actually knew us by name, were screaming out our name as we approached and we were happy to see them! Thanks to Gail from Running For Kicks & the F’N Cheer Squad: Maggie – MagMileRunner, Diane, Julie & Lisa for making all of us look good!

Take a look at my F’N Running Club. Since I know after you see these photos, you will want to be one of us, here are rules to joining our “club”. 1) Show up, 2) Be happy orFake it, 3) Show up. See, everyone is welcome! I’ll see you tomorrow at the Grainery at 5pm for the Wednesday run!

Our F’N Runners

Kelly – Running Kellometers:

Lori & Susan: Aurelia:

Susan & Wayne:

Brian & Kevin: Melissa:

Steve & Jenny:

Me:

Thanks Gail & our own personal F’N Cheer Squad for making all of us look as if we are having the times of our life. You guys ROCK!

Do you have any good or interesting race photos? Send them to me and I will post them on Friday!

**Update! Great minds think alike! Maggie is doing a photo challenge of good race pics. Please go visit her at magmilerunner.com and send your awesome photos to her! She will be posting them on Monday. I’m going to defer the good race photos post to her! Enjoy!**

Happy Running *** Amanda – TooTallFritz *** amanda@tootallfritz.com

Southwest Half Marathon Race Report

Posted on May 7, 2012 by tootallfritz

I am pretty sure that almost everyone I know posted a new PR this weekend from the 5K, Half Marathon to Marathon distance. I am so proud of all of you and wanted to say:

I had a super busy weekend with setting up a Twitter account the kiddos, mom in town, a few social events and the Southwest Half Marathon. We had some serious fun!

In regards to the race, anyone who has ran a race by Mel at Running For Kicks knows that they are getting a lot with their race fee. When I picked up my packet it was stuffed with great items that were both useful and exciting. Thanks, Mel!

We received a two pack of Saucony socks, a Southwest Half Marathon 13.1 sticker (super cool!), a tube of Nathan Catalyst electrolyte drink tabs, GU Chomps, a mini Luna Bar that I ate before the photo was taken, an in-store $15 off shoe purchase coupon, an in-store coupon for those awesome Saucony socks, which I can’t find online, plus a gender specific shirt that fits and is cool! I will actually wear this shirt! As a bonus, since I signed up early, I received 2 shirts instead of one. Of course, Aby laid claim to the other shirt as soon as we got home. 🙂

On race morning, everything was super organized and efficient. The line to the port-o-potties was long but that is normal. Gear check was excellent and they even had plastic bags to protect our gear since the grass was wet from the rain. Nice touch! Most of the F’N Runners met up for a quick photo. From Left: Kelly – Running Kellometers, Kevin, Susan M, Wayne, Lori, Aurelia, Brian, Me & Susan D.

The race kicked off before most people probably even had their gps watch linked up as soon as the National Anthem concluded. We were off and running and the race went perfectly. The rain held off, it was starting to get warm but nothing too crazy, the route was easy to follow and with the out and back it was fun to see the fast runners come back for the finish, plus see friends along route. There were lots of friendly volunteers, water/PowerAde every couple miles, potties throughout the course, a couple aid stations and lots of F’N support!

Maggie – MagMileRunner was at 104th Ave with signs, cheers and took a ton of photos!

Diane, Julie, & Lisa were just past Maggie and screaming like crazy for us!

I also saw Amanda W & Dennis, plus met so many people on course who I have previously only known online. Many thanks to all of you who took the time to say hello! I’m so happy to have met so many new people during/after the race!

This is a tough course for me, it always is but I’m not really sure why. It’s an out and back and just seems to go on forever and ever and ever. There are small rolling hills throughout even though everyone says it’s flat. Not my best race, I struggled. I was fueled & hydrated and it wasn’t too hot, I just didn’t run well. I was very happy though that 1) the new AdvoCare Rehydrate Energy Gel arrived on Saturday in time for the race 2) tasted good in a fresh lemon flavor, and 3) DID NOT upset my tummy. New AdvoCare win for me!

I ran a 1:58 something which was WAY off my 1:50 goal. Yes, I was disappointed. The highlight of the race was definitely seeing the F’N Cheering Squad, seeing all the local familiar faces on course and meeting some new people along the way as well. Great race, I’d recommend it to anyone and everyone. Give it a try! It’s a great local race with lots of goodies for the $$, particularly if you sign up early. Plus, our F’N Cheering Squad will probably be out there again next year and they definitely add major spice to the course.

Here is a photo that Dennis took of me “pushing” to the finish with bricks in both of my shoes and one hanging from each butt cheek. OUCH!

It’s now time for me to move on to Ragnar Chicago training. I have lots of miles to cover and very little time. I also need to seriously ramp up my bike miles to prep for the Ironman 70.3 Muncie. Time is ticking!

Great job to all of you who ran, raced and particularly those of you who crushed some PRs this weekend. Keep kicking butt!

Happy Running, Amanda – TooTallFritz

More Social Media…..Twitter

Posted on May 4, 2012 by tootallfritz

I have been avoiding ~~Twitter and Pinterest~~ certain social media outlets like the plague; however, I have been slowly coming around to the idea of Twitter.

First, I know that there are a lot of people on Twitter who do not use Facebook ~~although I’m not sure why~~. Secondly, I know it will be better to update things moment by moment ~~as if you care~~ on Twitter versus Facebook. Thirdly, I was “concerned” I was missing out.

Even though I had valid reasons for ~~jumping on the bandwagon~~ joining Twitter, I still didn’t sign up but rather put it on the “To Do” list ~~pretty far from the top~~. However, last week The Wannabe Athlete posted Twitter Tips: Getting Started and I thought, “okay, this is the time….do it now”, but I didn’t. Then tonight when I was on the website for the Southwest Half Marathon (aka: Palos Half) checking the start time of the race, I saw a follow us on twitter button.

Basically, it came down to the fact that I want to tweet about the race so I opened an account. Now I’m not sure how to use the ~~damn~~ hashtags in order to get it started. Somebody please send me ~~another~~ tutorial! And while you are figuring out what to tell me about Twitter, please go and follow me @tootallfritz!

How many social media avenues do you use? Which is your favorite? How do I start tweeting about the Southwest Half Marathon? If you are interested, they are @SW_HalfMarathon.

Happy “Following”, Amanda – TooTallFritz

You’ve Got This!

Posted on May 3, 2012 by tootallfritz

There are so many awesome races taking place this weekend and I want to wish each and every one of you well! I know that people normally say: Good Luck!

However, I want you to know that you don’t need luck because you have done the work and the race is yours to own. You’ve Got This!!

So think positive thoughts, when the race gets rough, repeat “I’ve Got This”! Make it Happen for yourself, for your hard work, for the sense of accomplishment and pride you will feel when you cross the finish line. Do the best that you can do on the particular day and never have any post race regrets. Remember, if the weather is less than ideal, you are not alone but have all of your racemates who are dealing with the same exact weather conditions as you.

You’ve Totally Got This…..now go put an awesome race in the books!

Where are you racing this weekend? Tell us so that we can send happy, positive thoughts your way! I’ll be in Palos at the Southwest Half Marathon on Sunday. Look for me and say, HEY!

Happy Racing, Amanda – TooTallFritz

TooTallFritz

Running Toward: Health, Wellness & PEACE …………………………………….. Running From: Insanity, Screaming Children, Housework & a Big Ass

Monthly Archives: May 2012

88 Laps….

Ryder Shot Eyewear Review

Bike Fit….

Spring Fever…

Beautiful Day in Chicago!

Race Photos……F’N Running Club

Southwest Half Marathon Race Report

You’ve Got This!

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