2019 is almost done and 2020 has just gotten very interesting

I know, it's been a while but now I'm back. For real, for real, I'm back! So, what have I been up to?

1. In February, I went to Austin, TX to do the Austin Half Marathon with my good friend Sally.

Yes, that is my medal with a bowl of ice cream. I deserved it.

2. I did Chattanooga 70.3 in May for a second time with the swim being being cut short AGAIN!!!! 

3. At the end of September, I did the Chicago Half Marathon in the pouring rain. I actually did 17 miles of it as opposed to 13.1 as I was on coach duty and also running back and forth running my athletes in.

4. I did the Girls on the Run 5k to help out one of my athletes to be a running buddy to a young girl. Although it was my slowest 5k, it was so much fun except the girl I was paired with face planted towards the end. Don't worry, she got up and finished like a Champ!

5. In the early part of November, I flew down to Miami for the MiamiMan Multisport Festival. I competed in the Aquathlon (1000m swim and 5k run). It was literally a fly in/fly out race. The only goal I had was to get 18th place in my age group which would mean I would qualify for the ITU World Championships in Almere-Amsterdam in 2020. Guess what? I qualified! Yes, I am going to Amsterdam by any means necessary to race. I can't pass up this opportunity.

6. Last, but not least, the Turkey Trot 8k on Thanksgiving morning with my T2 #ganginred

So, as I prepare to swim 100 x 100 yards after I finish training clients (yes, 10,000 YARDS) on this NYE, 2020 is the year of Joy.

I am going to actually put myself first. I normally don't race a lot due to my commitment as a trainer and a coach. Not gonna happen in 2020. If all goes well, this is my race schedule for 2020:

March 28:         Rock n' Roll DC Marathon

April 26:           Challenge Cancun

May 23:            Soldier Field 10 Miler

June 27-28:       Rev3 Sprint and Half Iron

September 10:   ITU World Championships - Aquathlon

September 27:   Chicago Half Marathon

October 11:       Chicago Marathon (I am actually starting and may/may not finish - coach duties)

November 22:   Ironman Cozumel 

Whew! That's a lot but we'll see how it goes! Happy training and Happy New Year!

#afrocoach #milesandsmiles #swimmer #blackmermaid #blackgirlsswim #cyclist #runner #coach #athlete #marathoner #triathlete #multisportathlete #coffeelover 

Run streak: I made it to 100 days of running today

I'm back! Did you miss me? I'm really back now.

I never set out to do 100 days of running. My original intention was to run 30 days from June 1st to June 30th. I had just came off of training and finishing Chattanooga 70.3 and was looking for a new challenge. Marathon coaching/training was starting soon, so why not start on June 1st, a mere 9 days before the start of training. I have never ran 30 days in a row. PERIODT!!!!!! My rules were simple. If it was on the training plan, then either I did the mileage or time. If it was not on the training plan, then I had to run a minimum of 1 mile. Easy, right? Not necessarily. There were some days that my legs were like "f*** you" and other days where I felt strong. Days where my migraine tried to get the best of me and days where I question my sanity. Days where I found clarity and days where I just needed to run.

June 30th came and went. I logged 71.3 miles.

Hmmm, let's keep going until my birthday. Well, my birthday fell on a Wednesday (#temporunwednesday) and there was a track workout on Thursday.

Well, let's keep going to the end of the month. July gave me 104.8 miles.  Okay, let's just go into August up until day 75.

On  a side note: during the first 7 days of July,  I also did a swim streak. I ended up swimming over 33,000 yards in 7 days.

So, what had happened was? Day 75 came and went.

I was so far into no man's territory, I just started having the thought of:

1. Do I go to day 100 and so be it?

2. Do I go to day 135 (#chimarathon)?

3. Do I go to day 150?

That was going through my head. My August bank account gave me 146 miles. Oh boy! 

September shows up and now it's like I need to grab that carrot! It was the countdown to today. 100 days of running totaling, as of today: 351.7 miles or a Hell of a lot of my family members. 

So now, I'm continuing on until at least the Chicago Marathon (remember, I do not cross the finish line but I run a whole lot). 

But what I have learned in this journey, so far is that I can run every day and be okay. I can run a variety of paces, depending on duration. I prefer to run in the morning but sometimes my schedule dictates when I run. I have been able to inspire friends to try their own streak. So, here's to the next 35 days or more.

Don't let anyone tell you that you can't do something: IMAZ 2017 Race Report

So, I've been very quiet about this race: leading up to it and afterwards. IMAZ did not go the way I wanted but that's how the journey of Ironman goes. There is not a straight path from Point A to Point B. There are obstacles, detours, etc.  This on the that journey. My training was not your traditional training only because my training happens either before or after training/coaching/teaching or sometimes, training could not happen due to work. I am going to keep this short and sweet. Just remember, do not let anyone tell you that you can't do something.

There were 2 factors that I was worried about going into this race: triggering a migraine and the cold swim. Well, the water temperature was 67-68 degrees and I was in a full wetsuit. I was extremely cold coming out of the swim. Something that I was expecting but didn't actually think would happen-I raced with a motherf&cking migraine. Yes, I just said it. My migraine triggered the day before shortly after the practice swim. This was not going to be a good one because this was the type that caused me to throw up. This means hydration and nutrition is all off, especially in dry, hot conditions.

The swim was a rolling start so you seeded yourself accordingly. I finally jumped in the water, did a few bobs and started to s
wim. I had a nice rhythm going out. The water was okay temperature wise, murky as expected and I experienced a few collisions, but nothing that I couldn't handle. Now, let's talk about the back half. There was a chop and the buoys were not in a straight line and I may have inhaled some diesel flavored water (gross). Around this same time, my calves decided that they were going to take turns cramping/seizing up on me. My motto: just keep swimming. I ignored the pain in my legs, the pain in my head and how cold I was getting. I finally saw the finish and I was so happy. That swim took entirely to damn long. Later, I would realize that I swam 4600 yards vs. 4200 yards.

Wetsuit off, glasses taken out of my sports bra and I am running for the changing tent. Once I got to the change tent, I still could not warm up but I was determined to get the hell out of that tent in under 10 minutes. Mission accomplished. All I had to do was put on my socks, shoes, sunglasses, helmet, sunscreen,  drink some water, stuff a larabar in my face and get my bike.

Once I finally mounted my bike, it was go time. I have worked damn hard this year on the bike. We get on Rio Salado and I here/see Angel, Terri, Chris, Von and Shannon cheering me on. Where did this wind come from? You are not suppose to show up until Bee Line Highway. I just thought of the bike as a long as CompuTrainer session with better scenery. Roughly near the 2nd aid station, I was in trouble. Not my bike because I put Beeker back together like a boss, but my migraine was telling me I needed to throw up. F&CK!!!!!! Pulled over, went into the porta potty, threw up, rinsed my mouth out, continued on. I tried to stay on my nutrition and hydration plan but this was not going to be the case. I threw up 3 more times on the bike. No nutrition, no electroytes, no hydration and my throat felt like sandpaper mixed with me gargling with acid. I was not going to give up because I am hard headed and stubborn (I'm a Leo). On the final loop, I was literally racing on fumes. I probably lost about 5+ pounds at this point but I was doing Ironman math in my head and I started smiling because I knew I would make that cut off.  Made the damn bike cutoff and now it was time to attempt to run.

Once I made it to the changing tent, I took off my tri shorts to change into my running skirt and tutu (yes, I finally brought it out to a triathlon), visor, fresh socks and running shoes. Oh, and don't forget the lipstick. I tried to do a 4:1 run/walk but that went out the door because my calf was saying hell to the Naw! I ended up walking. I tried to take in nutrition but it was not going to happen. Ice was my friend/enemy. It felt good but it was hurting my throat. Doing the math in my head, I knew that I was not going to make the first run cutoff but I was going to fight until the end.  I felt like sh$t and mentally, I was not trying to go into that dark place. That place is very scary and no one should open the door their unless it is absolutely necessary. When I was pulled at mile 13, I was not upset. I was actually at peace with everything. I tried my best and my best was not enough for that day. I should have not raced with a migraine, but I never know what will happen or how everything will work out. I am proud of what I did this year especially with dismantling my bike and putting it back together I think 3 times within a week with everything working, tackling a "hilly" course (Chatt 70.3) and just trying to be a better version of me. You do what you can do and then you move on. I am not going to say what will happen in 2018. I am going to be very quiet about it right now. I have a lot of contemplating to do before then. I am moving better except I am still having difficulty walking down stairs and I have a lovely cough/upper respiratory infection going on (pass the cough drops).

So that is it, but I need to thank the following groups/places/thangs:

• FFC (my place of employment, my home away from home)
• The #SharkSquad (because Sharks get shit done)
• #TriMonster and all of the #IronMonsters
• #BTA
• #FastChix
• Howard Logan
• L & A
• Southwest Airlines

And everyone else who helped me on this journey.

Peace, Love and AFROS!

A HOT Ass 13.1: The Chicago Half Marathon

I normally post on my Instagram (@fitness724) the number of things that corresponds to the number of miles that we run. Well, I had to finally dust off my blog for this one. Yesterday was the 21st edition of the Chicago Half Marathon ran by the awesome folks at Lifetime Athletic Events. The main mission was to stay in the back and pace my normal posse of  T2 athletes-keep them on pace, make sure they hydrate, eat, watch their breathing and count shirtless men. More about the last one later. Here is how everything went.

This Half-Marathon was brought to you by:
1. A total of 317 Shirtless men! #109 was hot, chocolate yumminess. Trust me on this. Why count shirtless guys? It keeps you from thinking of how hot and humid it was.
2. Heat and Humidity!
3. The T2 quest for Diet Coke!
4. The rainbow at the misting station before the turnaround.
5. Sunscreen, hydration, nutrition and salt.

We were looking good! Photo credit: John Gress
6. Listen to your footsteps. It should sound like a bunny fart. Huh? Ever heard a bunny fart? EXACTLY!!!!
7. The ladies who wanted to hang out with us because we were so cool.
8. Is that a chicken? Is that a Chic-Fil-A Chicken? Ohhhhh, it's a turkey reminding us of the Turkey Trot. I think we should all sign up. We get to turn around now!
9. Creating the rough draft of the new romance novel, "Manathon". One woman's quest for love while running the Chicago Half Marathon. Coming soon to iTunes, Kindle and the next T2EA fundraiser.
10. Running backwards. No, literally running backwards for the last 1.5 miles to keep Janine focused on the finish line. I may have pushed Janine towards the finish line.

 photo credit: Bernard Lyle
11. My fellow Purplehead, Kevin Oldenstedt.

photo credit: Kevin Oldenstedt

12. Having a popsicle at the finish line. ABSOLUTELY NEEDED!!!!

13. This BIG ASS MEDAL! Best bling in Chicago!!!!

.1: Having the pleasure to see all of my returning and brand new athletes to the Half Marathon distance complete the Chicago Half Marathon in less than ideal conditions with smiles (and beers, not me! I had to go into work). In addition, I did give the shuttle bus drive directions back to the Belmont Red Line Station. 

T-minus 12 days for  the Chicago Marathon. 

Some reasons that Black Triathletes are under represented in the world of Triathlon

I have been doing triathlons for over 15 years. I have seen in this span an increase in Blacks and just more people of color participating in the sport, however are numbers are still vastly lower that are white counterparts.

According to the USAT Annual Adult Membership for the period ending December 31, 2015, the number of members stood at 116,110. Out of that number, 1.5% identified as Multi Racial;  1.1% identified as Other; 2.1% identified as Asian; 3.2% identified as Hispanic; 88.2% identified as Caucasian/White; and a staggering .5% identified as African American. *https://www.teamusa.org/usa-triathlon/about/multisport/demographics

I see 3 main reasons for this low number.

1. Financial: Triathlon is not a "cheap" sport. When you have factored in the registration fee, USAT membership, a bike, helmet. wetsuit, running shoes, tri suit, training, travel, and this is just the minimum, you are looking at close to $1,000 vs doing a local marathon which would be considerably less since you do not need the extra gear for the bike or the swim. There are ways around this, but this does deter a lot of people.
2. Skills and Knowledge:  Everyone just about knows how to run or can race walk, but not everyone knows how to swim or actually ride a bike. Even though swimming is a life skill, you would be surprised at how many adults do not know how to swim or ride a bike. Some of it is due to fear-maybe a family member or a friend nearly drowned. Maybe family members had instilled a fear of the water that they never tried to do it. Maybe it is a hair issue. In the case of the bike, maybe the person never had a bike before.
3. Stereotypes:  Triathlon is a "white" sport. No sport is a race or ethnic group. It is all about changing the perception of the sport. It is a swim, a bike and a run. The more of us who are present at races, the more of us who make it a point to bring someone on the journey, the more of us who decide to become coaches, the more we move that number to .5%

The #IronFitFro is BACK

2016 has been more of a trying year than an interesting year for me. I have a lot of stuff (some positive, some negative) going on in my life but I am now getting ready to turn the page and I am ready for 2017 to get here IMMEDIATELY!

So what has been happening with me? Well, let's start with racing. Most of you know that I do not race that much due to the fact that I work 7 days a week (If you have forgotten, I am a Pilates Trainer/Group Exercise Instructor/Marathon Coach/Triathlon Coach/Cycling Coach/Swim Coach). However, I was able to get some in:

• Indy Mini Marathon in May: So, I registered for this and was training until I took a really bad fall down a flight of stairs at the North/Clybourn Red Line Station. I ended up with a SEVERE ankle sprain and couldn't run for 6 weeks. Hell, even work was hard as hell but I survived. I ended up doing this race with no real expectations. It was also the first race in damn near 20 years that I wore headphones (a very ratchet playlist for me) because I needed to focus on me. I finished in under 3 hours which I ran non-stop for 10.5 miles. Not bad for not running for 6 weeks. It is always better to run with friends and teammates.
  

   
• Esprit de She Women's Tri in June: I have a confession to make: I do not train for sprints. I was there mainly in the capacity of a coach and cheerleader who happened to race. Why did I do this race? The folks at LifeTime Athletic Events (a lot of my friends) put on a very good race experience for the novice to the seasoned athlete. That is why. 
  
  
  
  
  
• Chicago Half Marathon in September: Oh, since this was the 20th anniversary of this race and I haven't done it in 18 years, why not! I had fun! Way too much fun helping my athletes, friends and random strangers. I even CHICKED my client-that's another story in itself. Tutus fluffed, afro looking fierce, red lipstick popping and fully coordinated. Oh, did I mention that my friends at LifeTime Athletic Events put on another high caliber event? The only bad part about this: I had to go to work after this. Note to self: NEVER, EVER AGREE TO TRAIN CLIENTS AFTER RUNNING A HALF MARATHON OR LONGER! #butthatmedaltho
  
  
  
  
• AIDS Run/Walk: Well, I actually led the work out wearing a poncho and bright red lipstick in a downpour. It takes a special type of person to get people out in the grass and mud in the pouring rain to do a warm up. I think I did my job. I was suppose to run the 10k but I said, "Nah, I'm good." I ran the distance the next day.
  
• The Chicago Marathon in October: So, I actually don't finish this race. Now that may change next year. The reason that I do not finish this race typically because it is not my race. This race is for my athletes that I coached all Summer long. I normally start at mile 7.5 and go to mile 14, running back and forth making sure that my athletes are good, if they need anything (gels, vaseline, salt, bandaids, saline nose wipes-trust me on this, sunscreen, cheering). But then, I get off the course, jump on the Green Line to get to the Red Line to get off at Chinatown. This is where I jump back on the course until mile 25. And in typical fashion, jumping back and forth where everyone needs that last motivation. I will do what ever it takes to get you to mile 25. Hell, you can crawl 26.2 miles. At the end of the day, I had ran 31.26 miles of the Chicago Marathon Course but in pieces.
  

Now, what's next? I am waiting for 2017 because here is what it looks like now.

• Saturday, January 28: F^3 Lake Half Marathon (yeah, I know. It is in the dead of Winter in Chicago)
• Sunday, February 5: Rock n' Roll New Orleans Marathon (my epic return to the standalone marathon distance)
• Wild Card: If I do not get into the lottery for the New York City Half Marathon on March 19th, then I will more than likely sign up for the Puerto Rico Half Marathon on March 12th
• Sunday, April 2: South Beach Triathlon Olympic Distance put on by my friends at LifeTime Athletic events (it's South Beach, why the hell not?)
• Sunday, May 21: Chattanooga 70.3 (because Sally and Yvette are doing it)
• Some time in early June TBD: Esprit de She because again, my friends at LifeTime Athletic Events are the organizers
• Sunday, September 24: The Chicago Half Marathon...just cause.
• Sunday, October 8th: The 40th anniversary of the Chicago Marathon
• Brace yourselves: Sunday, November 19th...IRONMAN ARIZONA. We have some unfinished business.

Oh, and did I mention that I am proud to represent Team HERevolution my races next year? Yeah baby!!! And of course Fitletic for my hydration belt needs!!!!

I think that's it for now. Come on 2017!

DNF vs DNT vs DNS

It's been a while since I have written a post (long story) but I am BACK!

You may have noticed the title of this post. If you are not an athlete, let me explain what all of these letters mean:

• DNF: did not finish
• DNT: did not try
• DNS: did not start

Why this title and this topic? Let's start with the first one, the infamous DNF (did not finish). This post stems from NOLA 70.3 that happened this past Sunday. The DNF rate for this race was over 40%. The majority of the DNF's were from the swim. There are many reasons that a DNF may occur (choppy water, sea creatures-Godzilla, mechanical failures beyond your control, injury within the race, etc.), but whatever that reason is, please do not, and I must say this again, DO NOT make the person feel bad. I have had a lot of DNF's and in my head, I run through every possible scenario on what I could have done differently, basically all of the "what ifs". The thing about a DNF is you can either learn from it and apply those lessons to the next race or you can let it cripple you.

The DNT: Did not try. I think the description says it all. Why race if you are not going to at least give half a F&CK???? Maybe your friends bullied, I mean peer pressured you into race that you know in your heart of hearts that you are no where near ready for. Sometimes you just have to tell them no. No is a wonderful and powerful word. That is all I am going to say on this.

The dreaded DNS: Did not start. Now, there are plenty of reasons for not starting a race, especially if you are not able to get a refund or transfer it to a friend. Injuries are the number 1 reason why someone doesn't start a race. That person actually was smart and probably knew that if I race, I may make the injury worse. Sometimes travel is a cause. If you are going to a race in another state or even another country, travel delays can happen. You can only wish for the best possible outcome. And then, there is forgetting about a race all together. Say what??? Yes, you read that right! I know of a few friends who completely forgot that they were racing. This is what happens when you sign up for a race a year in advance.

So, what would I rather have? I would rather have a DNF vs a DNT vs s DNS. What say you?