Friday, February 11, 2011

The First Step is Admitting You Have a Problem

Disclaimer:  Please take this post in the spirit in which it is intended.  I am in no way trying to poke fun of, or belittle, twelve step programs or those who are working through their steps.


Hello.  My name is TriGirl,


and I like to drink and run.

My poisons are water and lemon-lime Gatorade.   (YES, I have two; I was told this was a judge-free zone.) Ok, ok, when I run further than 6 miles I *may* partake in the occasional lemon-lime or apple cinnamon gel.  But only one every 45 minutes.  


That's not my problem though.  No, my problem is this...I can't co-ordinate drinking and running.   This is something I have actively been working on.  When I do my long runs (6+ miles) I wear my handy fuel belt to carry my gels and fluids.


I believe these are crucial because you really only store so much energy before you *run* out of it.  A little hit of Gatorade or a packet of gel can get you from feeling like this



to THIS



in mere seconds!  (Don't worry mom, it's just a little sugar)


My little bottles have sports tops so over time I have managed to *sometimes* get a tiny sip without having to stop dead in my tracks.

For races I prefer to run without the belt because I like getting rid of the extra weight.



This means that I will rely on water stations to get my *liquid courage*.  My first experience with this was last July when I signed up for my first half-marathon.

Now, if you're anything like me, when you get into a new situation you want to integrate.  You know, blend in.


Look like you know what you're doing.  Like you've done this hundreds of times before.

Basically, for my first race I just didn't want to look like a noob.






**This post was getting ridiculously long so I've broken it up and am finishing up the second part.  It should be done by the end of the weekend so please come back to read the rest!

THIS WEEKEND:  CONCLUSION TO THE RACE


NEXT WEEKEND:  PILATES






12 comments:

  1. Soooo funny!!!! I'm the same way! (with the integration part, not the gel....still not digging the gel) I showed up for my bike ride last week with everything imaginable... kind of like that dorky friend who brings absolutely everything on a camping trip. I wanted to "be prepared" because I was riding with someone who was training for an IronMan. Truth be told, it was only my second time on my road bike, and I had no idea what I was doing....

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  2. Oh, and I still can't coordinate drinking and riding.... drinking and running, I've done, but it's a little sketchy... drinking and swimming? Well, I do that quite well, thank you. Lots of pool water while I try to improve my breathing during my stroke...

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  3. Hehe...I can drink and swim too ;) Drinking and riding would require taking one of my hands off the handlebars and that just doesn't work for me.

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  4. Thanks for following me- Im returning the favor. I loved visiting your blog and found your layout to be adorable!

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  5. Thanks Toesthattwinkle! I'm having fun looking around your site :D

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  6. I love that last picture, too funny! Can't wait for the other half of this post :)
    hope you're having a good weekend!

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  7. Trigirl, you are hilarious! I am loving your blog and will definitely be back! We ran our first marathon a couple years ago so I definitely have felt the need to blend in...and failed;-) ha

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  8. Hi Shalyn,
    Thanks for stopping by! A marathon--wow! That is on my radar but I think I might be a ways away from making that leap :)

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  9. I ran my first half marathon last October with a fuel belt with red gatorade on. One of the bottles leaked all over my back. Which actually felt good. Until people kept asking if I was okay. Because it looked like I was wounded!

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  10. Oh no! That could be a problem Colleen! Do you have any more runs lined up?

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  11. The "start" drawing is adorable and also I wish I had your hair :)

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  12. Pish Posh: Thanks, I really blend in, right? And, I love/hate my hair :)

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