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| Tuesday, May 13, 2008 |
A. Elliot's Lessons Learned at the Triathlon |
- The people at the triathlon were amazing and not just with sports. They went out of there way to help my training buddy and me get set up and comfortable at the triathlon. This was especially important as we were complete disasters. I wasn't even sure where to go and check in.
- The teenager who tells you to pull down your pants isn't trying to get fresh with you. It's because both your arms and both your quads will be marked with your bib number. Your right calf is marked with your age. This is important because it will ensure that when someone with the number "16" whizzes by on a bike, you will remember that an entire local high school swim team is competing. I could have sworn I saw someone with the number "85" whiz by too.
- When you realize that you have a really low bib number (or race seeding or start position) and that everyone else whose number is close to yours looks like they've competed in an Ironman, don't freak out. For a lot of triathletes, and I mean a lot, swimming is the hardest of the three sports. In this particular triathlon, your bib number was based on your swim registration time.
- If you can't figure out when you're supposed to swim, hanging out by the pool seems like a good idea. If you have a low bib number, you'll need to be there right at the beginning anyhow.
- Cell phones are a good idea for when you realize that your low bib number means a start time an hour early than predicted and thus a likely end time an hour earlier than you asked your husband to arrive at the race.
- I still have no idea how you know when to start swimming if you're waiting outside of the pool area.
- The announcement that you need to run over the "time pad" that records that you have finished your swim which is "located under the maple tree" after you finish the swim is only helpful if you live in a place like Arizona where there are few trees. It is less useful in a place like Massachusetts which has a lot of indistinguishable maple trees. The announcement should really have been " People will yell at you when you leave the pool. Follow their screams."
- When you are struggling to make sure your bike helmet is safely clipped, don't forget about your other equipment. For example, if you hypothetically laid your gear on your towel in the order in which it is needed, just like all the triathlon books recommend, it is still possible to accidentally bypass your biking shoes and put on your running shoes when you are about to get on your bicycle.
- If you hypothetically were to end up on a bicycle wearing running shoes, rest assured that it is apparently possible (though uncomfortable and more challenging) to pedal with your gym shoes on clipless pedals. There just may have been someone who has tested it out. The silver lining is that such an individual would have the world's fastest transition from biking to running since that individual would not have to change shoes.
- Make a mental note to not "dis" the serious bikers who clipped their shoes into their bikes before the swimming even started. If you too had done that, you wouldn't have put the wrong shoes on for biking. You may have toppled over trying to simultaneously mount your bike and get your shoes on, but you would have landed on the ground wearing the right shoes.
- If you find that your hands are cramping during the running leg, check to make sure that you're not still wearing your biking gloves. If you are, shove them down the bra of your tri suit. Don't worry about forgetting that they are there; you will remember them when you notice them in all of the photos taken after the race.
- The sport that you think will be the hardest, will probably be the easiest. After all my worrying about running, it turned out to be the easiest part for me. On the other hand, during the swimming I ended up in the middle of a six person pile up. Then someone pulled me under her and tried to swim over me.
- Man these triathlons are addictive! Allow time after your first triathlon to search the internet for more triathlons in which to compete. Then you can email your friends to join you.
A. Elliot's Lesson Learned 2 days after the Triathlon: Apparently nail polish remover will remove the bib number written on you in permanent marker.
This may be pointed out to you when you're wearing a short sleeve shirt in public two days after the triathlon. Notice I didn't say shorts. I may only be 32, but there's no way I'm walking around with my age written on my calf for all to see!Labels: Exercise and Fitness, Humor (at least Attempted), Mom-Care |
posted by Alex Elliot @ 5:12 PM   |
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| Sunday, April 27, 2008 |
A New Addition |
I'm going to leave you in suspense for minute. The Big Giraffe and I got married almost 7 years ago. We both lived in our own apartments and we each owned a set of dishes, pots, pans, silverware and kitchen appliances. When it was time to register, we decided that since we already owned these things (some in duplicate) we weren't going to register for them. We would only register for things that we absolutely needed like the waffle maker...the one that's been sitting in a closet for almost 7 years that we've used twice.
As we looked at aisles and aisles of kitchenware, I remember thinking that it was all such a waste. Didn't people know how to minimize? In my boldness, I may have even said something to that effect to the salesperson in my engagement giddiness. This giddiness is now making me blush as I type this.
Now that I have delved more into cooking over the past four years of being a stay at home mom, and my husband has gotten into cooking on the weekends, I would like to go back and shake my 25 year old self and ask what I was thinking when I registered! Why didn't we replace our things with good stuff that we actually liked instead of the odds and ends of things we already had most of which weren't in great shape? Why didn't we expand on what we had? Why on earth do we have a waffle maker sitting in our guest closet? Alright that's a conversation I should also be having right now with my 32 year old self.
Last night I actually baked. I'll pause for a moment of silence because this is a rare event in our house. Pause. This was for a baby shower that I'm hosting today. One of things I made was lemon bars. Lemon bars (or at least my recipe for lemon bars) require lemon zest. That was the straw that broke the camel's back. For the past seven years, I have used many recipes that have required zest. Most of them tend to be low fat chicken ones that require orange zest. I have always done the logical thing: skip the zest. Why did I need to skip it? Well, a zester is one of the items that I scoffed at when registering. Truth be told, I'm not sure I had even seen one before I registered, but I do remember what it looked like at Crate and Barrel when I did register. The handle was shaped like a lime.
Yesterday I decided enough was enough, and I shelled out $3 for a cheapo zester at the grocery store while fully aware that had a I registered for one instead of... oh let's just say for example... a waffle iron, I would have a nice cute one that didn't look like it was going to fall apart. We are now the proud owners of a cheap zester! Note to self: next time I'm near a place that sells decent kitchenware, buy a decent zester. Second note to self: do something about waffle iron.
A. Elliot's Lesson Learned: If you plan to bake with zest, you need a zester.Labels: Humor (at least Attempted), Mom-Care |
| posted by Alex Elliot @ 7:58 AM |
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| Saturday, April 19, 2008 |
Gross |
A couple of months ago, my doctor gave me some inhaler samples. The box said that the inhaler contained 200 metered units. I was to use two units before exercising. This inhaler should have lasted me a few months. Yet one day it stopped working. I used the next sample. After a few weeks the same thing happened.
My doctor called in a prescription and when I picked it up I asked the pharmacist about the samples. She said that many times samples are just that...a sample. I questioned the fact that the boxes of the samples and the box for the prescription were identical. She said that didn't matter.
I used my prescription inhaler for a couple weeks and once again it stopped working. I couldn't figure out what was going on because my prescription was to use two puffs four times a day. I only used two puffs one time a day. Clearly something was wrong. Was I using too much of it? I didn't think that was possible. An inhaler is premeasured meaning it doesn't work like an aerosol can. I was worried that it would stop working right before my triathlon. Just what I needed. My mom suggested going back to the pharmacy and showing them how I was using it. Right before I left Suzanne called me. I asked her about her experience with her inhalers . She told me that she hadn't experienced anything like this. I then asked her if she ever washed hers, because I vaguely remembered seeing a diagram on the insert from the inhaler box. You know, the type of inserts that come inside medications and tampon boxes? I usually throw them away, but I happened to have saved one. Suzanne mentioned that she did occasionally wash hers.
After getting off the phone, I washed my inhaler out. Then I took a puff. A very small piece of crud apparently flew off into my mouth and then the whole inhaler worked. Gross. Was this from the time I didn't brush my teeth before spinning? Was this a dog breath piece of crud? Same thing with one of the samples, although this time fortunately without crud. I still need to test out the third one. I went back and read the directions. Turns out you are supposed to wash the inhaler at least once a week to prevent medicine build up over the opening of the spray. Phew, not dog breath crud.
A. Elliot's Lesson Learned: Wash your inhaler at least once per week.Labels: Exercise and Fitness, Mom-Care |
| posted by Alex Elliot @ 7:24 PM |
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| Monday, April 14, 2008 |
Winter Storage |
This past Sunday I had the pleasure of getting together with two of my college friends. We try to get together a couple times a year, but like everything else it's much easier said than done. Somewhere amongst stories of childbirth, kids, husbands, and work, our conversation stumbled onto the subject of storage. I think it came up when discussing how hard it is to keep your house clean with little kids. (This is not to be confused with the conversation I later had with Linda's husband during which I mentioned that our room looks like a disaster zone and he triumphantly turned to Linda and said that none of their good friends have a neat bedroom.) When it did come up, we all immediately jumped in to share our woes regarding where to stuff our husband's giant gray winter coat that takes up more room than any three normal coats. Alright that last part was just me, but my friends also had coat storage issues.
Linda happen to casually mention that she gives thanks to the dry cleaner. I looked at her quizzically. She explained that she takes the coats to the dry cleaner when it gets warm and then picks them up when she needs them in the fall. She even described how people forget about things at the dry cleaner for a long time and then remember them eons later. (Sadly, I can relate.) What a fantastic idea! I could get the giant coat clean and get rid of it store it at the same time! I wouldn't have to worry about where to put any of our coats. Immediately a reality check set in: I must really be at a different place in life to get excited about dry cleaners.
The discussion moved to other subjects, but sometime during dessert I took us back to the cleaners because I just couldn't believe how clever Linda was. Clever she still is, but it turns out this is an actual program offered by many dry cleaners. At least at Linda's cleaners, it doesn't cost anything extra, so it's essentially the same thing as cleaning and forgetting to pick clothes up except that you're guaranteed they won't throw them out!
A. Elliot's Lesson Learned: Your dry cleaner may offer storage for your winter coats. Labels: Mom-Care, Toys / Clothes / Gear |
| posted by Alex Elliot @ 8:38 PM |
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| Thursday, April 03, 2008 |
The Irony |
I discovered what I am sure is one of many ironies about parenting. This particular one is about the brand-new cashmere sweater that you handle with great care. The best sweater you've had in years. The one that you justified getting at the holidays because it's on sale and you've lost weight so it's essentially a gift to yourself. The one that you won't wear around your kids because they might touch it with sticky fingers or spill juice all over it. How ironic is it then the when you put it on for a dessert night with your moms group that the waitress spills a glass of wine all over it? I have to say that at least the food was terrific!
A. Elliot's Lesson Learned: Adults can be as hard on nice things as children.Labels: Mom-Care |
| posted by Alex Elliot @ 9:52 PM |
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| Tuesday, April 01, 2008 |
When Did I Become So Old? |
Last week was one of the most stressful weeks I've had as a parent. Two trips to the ER, one case of pink eye, one broken washing machine, and one dog on bed rest seem to have aged me by about twenty years. Alright, maybe that last part is a bit of an exaggeration, but I did feel like I hadn't slept in about a week. I had been looking forward to visiting Suzanne in NYC for the weekend, but after last week, I was counting down the hours.
I arrived late on Friday evening, and Suzanne and I stayed up until 2 AM talking. It was so much fun! I haven't done anything like that in a really long time. The next day I slept late. I also haven't done anything like that in a long time. After going for a 6 mile walk around Central park, we went to a wine and chesse party complete with a sommelier. Did I mention that I felt old? I have to say that it's at times like this that I really feel like a "mom".
I was dressed in a pair of jeans that were actually clean. Shocking, right? No trace of sticky little fingers anywhere! I was wearing one of my nicer sweaters. I arrived at the party feeling pretty good, but once I was inside I felt totally underdressed and completely frumpy. The women were all dressed in trendy clothes. I felt old. At one point Suzanne and I were discussing the pointy heels that many of the women wore. I was careful to be pretty quiet lest someone hear me and point out that I was wearing my LL Bean snow boats. Nice. When did I become so old? Yes, it was a 30th birthday party, but I'm only 32. I was already planning on getting my hair cut this week. Now it's a definite.
Despite feeling like "the mom" at the party, I had a fantastic time. Oh, wait I actually was the only mom at the party! I really enjoyed sampling learning about the wine. I actually found three that I really like. There was also the most amazing cake I have ever seen. Suzanne's husband is going to email me a picture, and then I'll post it. Sunday we finally went running. I was pretty pleased with it. Of course I have to admit, I felt a little stiff later. Now tell me again when I became so old?
A. Elliot's Lesson Learned: Parenting can age you.Labels: Mom-Care, Travel |
| posted by Alex Elliot @ 7:09 AM |
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| Saturday, March 15, 2008 |
You Don't Feel Like That? |
Back in January, I took advantage of one of the many deals offered by my Y to buy a package of personal training sessions. My personal trainer went MIA so I never had a chance to use them. I decided to meet with a trainer who specialized in running since that's the part of the triathlon I'm most nervous about; seriously I felt like a water buffalo wearing a cement block on all four of my hooves when I ran. It felt like my arms and legs were all over the place.
The first session was great. She told me to repeat the mantra "heel then toe" over and over when I ran. I did it and for the first time, my shins and feet didn't hurt later on that day. The second time I met with her, she asked how my running had been going during the week. I told her that it was great, but I was wondered how long it took for that heavy tight feeling in my chest to go away after I ran. She raised an eyebrow. I raised an eyebrow at her raised eyebrow. She raised another eyebrow at my raised eyebrow at her raised eyebrow. I kept trying to explain:
"You know that feeling that starts while you're running and then keeps going for hours and hours? The one that makes you cough for a while? It will get better when my body gets more used to running, right?"
She told me I needed to see a doctor. I figured I must not have explained it properly. Surely everyone gets this? You know it's like windburn on your cheeks when you run except that it's in your lungs. In fact it is the number one reason that I've always disliked running. I tried describing it to Sally HP and my triathlon training buddy. Fortunately, there were no more raised eyebrows, but they both gave me blank looks. What was wrong with everyone? Seriously, it's like having sore arms after you swim. They both asked me more questions. I mentioned that I had always had the heaviness in my chest when I exercised, but it had gotten particularly bad lately. I also mentioned that it was worse when I ran than when I swam or biked.
Still in denial, I made sure to run 2.25 miles before going to see my doctor so that she could see that it was nothing. I didn't get raised eyebrows, and I didn't get a blank stare. Instead I got a diagnosis. It was exercise induced asthma. I probably then had a blank stare on my face. I was stunned. I've always felt this way when I've exercised.
I started using my new inhaler this week. The big breath followed by a baby breath that I've had throughout my competitive swimming career (and when swimming for pure exercise) was gone. Thanks to my heart rate monitor, I know I burned an additional 150 calories in each of my three "sports" this week, even though I was exercising for the same amount of time. Unfortunately, an inhaler cannot assist me in my fourth sport: dealing with my children when they do something like lick the floor of a grocery store as they're leaning out of the car cart. I even checked the insert that came with the inhaler.
A. Elliot's Lesson Learned: If you feel heaviness in your chest for hours after exercising, you may want to see your doctor.Labels: Exercise and Fitness, Mom-Care |
| posted by Alex Elliot @ 6:59 PM |
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Good tips. I'm certain I'll never need the info, but it's great info!
I had no idea that they mark you with your age. Gah!