Luray Race Weekend Recap

Happy Monday!  Here is a short and sweet recap of my weekend.

Thanks to Sara- we were able to stay in a SWEET cabin for the weekend. I enjoy camping, but have a nice cool place to relax after racing is pretty awesome. 



Took 1st our division at the Luary International Tri, and had a blast with Team Z 



We took lots of silly pictures at the VA is for Lovers sign.



Too cute!



Went to Luray Caverns- TOTALLY awesome. 

Princess Fiona tagged along too. :)

I hope everyone had a super weekend! 

Semi-Wordless Weekend Recap: Birthday Edition

This weekend wasn't all fun and games. :)  I decided to hit the pool at Hains Point on Friday after work.

After the crazy storm on Friday night, my 10 mile run on Saturday was more like a 10 mile steeplechase. Yay for climbing over trees and splashing through puddles!

Huck's brother and sister-in-law were visiting this weekend, so we took them to dinner at Proof. NOM NOM NOM

For Huck's b-day surprise, we went to Kings Dominion.  We had so much fun!



Huck even talked me into riding the Intimidator 305. Sooooo fun, but really scary!!!

Yesterday was Huck's actual b-day, so of course I wanted to take him to dinner.  We had a delicious meal at Co Co Sala.

Huck's fantastic dessert.

I hope everyone had a fantastic weekend!!

Weekend Recap: Awesome Edition!

Yay for weekends filled with friends and fun. Here is what I was up to...

• Dinner at Cheesetique- yummy wine, delicious cheese, fun atmosphere, and great company.  This place was awesome!  I highly recommend it.

Grilled cheese with banana and bacon- SO FREAKING GOOD!!

• Hash run- This is the first weekend that I haven't had to work in a LONG time, so I was pumped that I was able to go to a team workout.  Saturday was my first hash run.  For those of you who are not familiar with what a hash run is, check out this link. Long story short, the "hares" lay a trail and "hounds" have to work together to follow it. It was a lot of fun- definitely a great way to start my Saturday.
• Engagement party- JC's friend Jeremy recently got engaged to a great girl named Shannon, so to show our support we headed out to Jeremy's to celebrate with them.  Congrats guys!  We are really excited for you.
• NEW BIKE!!- Yesterday morning, I made to the short trip down to Plum Grove to pick up my new ride. After 2 hours of adjustments, T-Bird was finally ready for me to take him home. #I<3MyNewBike!



Adjusting the areobars






Checking my leg angles






Final touches






First spin!!


• Super Bowl- I am a Patriots fan, so I wasn't pumped about the loss.  HOWEVER, it was a great game, and a NY Giants win equals a happy boyfriend.  Plus, who can be upset if they spent there Sunday night with 20 of their good friends? :)

I hope everyone had a fantastic weekend because I certainly did.  Happy Monday!

Weekend Recap: Babies, Bikes, Birthdays and Shiny Things

Happy Monday! I hope everyone had a great weekend.  My weekend was a little hectic, but all the craziness was definitely worth it.  Here are the deets.

CUTE BABY ALERT!! My nephew Kellen was born on Friday night! 11-11-11 is a pretty awesome birthday.

Started my Saturday off with a 3 hour spin.  #FinalLongRideBeforeIM



I went back to WV to meet Kellen!  Jordan holding her new baby brother. So freaking cute!

 

Happy birthday, Mom!! While I was home we had a little family b-day celebration. 



Once I got back to NOVA, I went to Burke Lake for a quick 14 mile run.  Yay for logging my final long run before IM! 

I wrapped my weekend up with dinner with friends.  I <3 yummy dinners with great company!



Just when I thought the weekend excitement had come to an end, I received a text from Dani telling me that she was ENGAGED!!  Congrats guys!  I am so happy for you two. <3 <3

Have a super Monday!!

Weekend Recap: DC is great!

Happy Monday!  I hope everyone had a super weekend.  My weekend was filled with a birthday celebration, an amazing run, a yummy brunch, a few errands, dinner with a fabulous lady, more errands, recovery brick, pizza with my team and IM prep clinic. Here are the deets.

Birthday dinner: Earlier this week a teammate and friend of mine had a birthday.  So of course we had to celebrate!  Yay for a yummy dinner with friends to celebrate a super person! Holly, I hope you had an awesome birthday! 

The Birthday Girl

Amazing run: I woke up on Saturday morning and went out for a quick 15 miles.  I originally planned on doing my "zoo run" because I wanted to see the lions.  Yes, I know this makes me sound like a 5 year old, but I really wanted to see them.  A bunch of cubs were born earlier in the year and I hadn't seen them since this summer, so I was curious to see how big they were, etc etc. 



Insert huge smile and jazz hands!

Anyways, I set off from Crystal City and headed through Georgetown and jumped on the Rock Creek Parkway.  Please note that I exercised great self control, and did not stop mid-run to get a cupcake.  #GoldStarForWhitney! 

Georgetown Scoops cupcakes!  I haven't tried them before, but I certainly will in the near future.


After I was on the Rock Creek trail for about .75 miles, I was stopped by a construction guy.  Despite my efforts to explain to him that I was just running to the zoo and that I had a VERY VERY important date with the lions, he made me turn around.  Grr!

Construction makes me cranky!

Time for plan B- check out the monuments. On my way to visit my BFFs Lincoln and Jefferson, I came across Georgetown's Novice 8 out on the river.  Seeing them out on the water definitely made me miss rowing. 





After reminiscing about rowing for a few minutes I headed down to the monuments.  The Washington Monument, Jefferson Memorial, Lincoln Memorial, and the World World II Memorial may not be as cute as the lion cubs, but they are always pretty amazing. 



The tourists were out in full force Saturday morning.



Jefferson Memorial

Washington Monument

 

World War II Memorial



Unfortunately, the Reflecting Pool is undergoing a huge makeover, so I could not turn my run into a run/swim brick.  Maybe next time though! :)

A little hard to see, but the entire pool is torn up.

After finishing my mid-run sight seeing, I ran back to my car in CC.  Because of switched routes mid-run, I only ended up logging 13 miles, but I will take it. 

Yummy brunch:  After my run, I went and grabbed brunch at Bread and Chocolate in Old Town.  This could have been the best decision of the weekend.  I had never been there before, but I am so glad I finally tried it out.  My chocolate banana french toast was DELICIOUS!  I am definitely going back ASAP.

Need I say more?? So good!!!

Errands:  Running errands= Driving all around town + Killer car dance parties + Spending money on silly triathlon things like Gu, nuun and helmets.

I have offically caught the NUUN bug.  I love it!

Dinner with a fabulous lady:  Lauren was in town all last week, but we didn't get a chance a real chance to catch up on each other's lives. So that means we had to get together Sturday night, eat yummy food and talk for almost 3 hours.  Is that not what you would have done? Dinner was delicious and the company was fantastic!



Laur and Briz

Recovery Brick:  Sunday afternoon, I met up with Valerie and Scott for a little recovery birck at Haines Point.  Now when I say I met up with Scott, I really mean that I said hi to him before he got on his bike and then I didn't see him until he was done.  Scott = Super fasty fast cyclist :)  Regardless of getting blown away by Scott on the bike, I still had an awesome ride.  It was beautiful out, so logging my 20 miles was really enjoyable.  As for my run, I only ran 2 miles, so there is not much to report.  Just a short and sweet run.

IM planning/ IM Prep Clinic: Holy crap!  Ironman is less than 3 weeks away.  I will admit that I had a minor freak out Sunday morning, but I doing all right now.  The clinic was great.  It put my mind at ease, and I am ready to pack like a champion! Bring on the crazy packing list spreadsheets and label maker. :)

My weekend was awesome.  I didn't have much Whitney time, but it did remind me of how much I love DC and the people I have met here.  #LifeIsGood!

Thank Goodness Whitney Finally Posted Again Thursday!

Hey guys!!  Did you miss me?? :)  Well I certainly missed blogging!  I have been way out of touch with the blog world over the last week.  Today when I opened my Google Reader, I had 54 posts to read. Geez!  You guys are blogging CHAMPS!  I promise to catch up on my blog reading tonight.  So what have I been up to over the past week? Here is the I promise I will try to make it quick super abbreviated version of last week.

• Friday- I woke up with a fever and still went to work because I was trying to be a big girl and tough it out.  Bad idea!  The stupidity continues though  So after leaving work because I felt awful, I went home, napped and then got up and thought it would be a good idea to try to get 80 miles in on my trainer. Bad idea #2! I made it 2 1/2 hours and then had to stop. My fever came back and this was the beginning of my experience with the stomach flu. STOMACH FLU=DEATH! 
• Saturday-Monday Morning- I repeat STOMACH FLU=DEATH.  Actually, the stomach flu does not equal death.  It actually equals living in your bathroom, not being able to eat anything, not being able to sleep, losing 5 pounds, being cranky because you cannot workout with your friends or cheer at the MCM and looking like a hot mess for days.



The stomach flu and I are NOT friends!

• Monday Afternoon- I actually was starting to feel normal again, so I made the trek over to see my favorite PT, Dr. Moses.  Monday was my third appointment, and I think what he is doing is working.  However, it is not fixing the problem.  Oh no!  Well don't freak out- Dr. Moses and I agreed that he was not going to try to fix me until after IM.  His goals are to prevent me from doing permanent damage to myself and to get me to Cozumel in one piece. How is my hip doing now?  It is swollen and achy.  Which brings to me to the bad news.  Dr. M recommended that I do not run a winter marathon. LE SIGH! He wants me to give him or the orthopedist (depending on my MRI results) time to fix my hip.  So it looks like I won't be trying to qualify for Boston this winter. :(  Thank goodness I had already planned a sweat session with a friend right after my appointment!  Otherwise, I think I might have gone home and cried.  I know getting healthy is important, but as crazy as it sounds I really wanted to race this winter!  I am forcing myself to be okay with it though. 



Maybe getting healthy will help me get there??? :)

• Tuesday- Heigh-Ho, Heigh-Ho it's off to work, I go. :)  Yay for not being sick anymore! Plus I was able to meet a good friend for a yummy dinner.  Not being sick + Productive day at work + Dinner with friend = Super Tuesday



I was definitely feeling a little like Grumpy on Tuesday morning.

• Wednesday- More work and PT.  No change in the hip- still a little swollen and sore.  My day ended with a wonderful dinner with friends.  You guys know Lauren, I mean really- who doesn't know Lauren Riley.  Well that lovely lady is in town for the week, so a few of the girls headed out to dinner to catch up and hear all about Laur's new home, Denver.  I <3 my friends.

And that brings us to today- nothing too exciting going on today.  Just more of the same- work, training (IM is less than a month out- eeeeekkk!), PT and reading Harry Potter. :)

I hope everyone had an awesome weekend and is having a fantastic week.   Happy Friday Eve!

Weekend Recap: EPIC Edition

Happy Monday!  I hope everyone had a super weekend. This past weekend was supposed to be EPIC! There were definitely epic parts, but there were also some pretty crappy parts.  Let's start with the good stuff. :)

• My 20 mile run on Saturday was EPIC!  My legs felt strong, and I felt like I could keep going after I reached the 20 mile mark.  #I<3Running!
• I saw tons of cute puppies on my run. All different types, but they were all really cute.  My iPod died at mile 17, so I had to rely on the cute puppies to keep me occupied for the last 3 miles. I really want a dog.  Too bad my apartment is only 400 square feet. Womp Womp
• The team BBQ after the run was wonderful.  As always the food was delicious and my teammates were awesome! 
• Pre-ride carbo-loading was equally as awesome.  Eating lots of yummy carbs and hanging out with fantastic people is a pretty EPIC way to spend a Saturday night. :)
• Sunday's post ride BBQ was fantastic.  Perfect weather, delicious food, awesome people and 120 miles of riding in the bank!  How awesome, right?!?

Which brings us to the not so good stuff. Le sigh...

• The plan was to ride 120 miles on Sunday- hence the big carb feast on Saturday.  However, my hip and knee had other plans for me.  LE SIGH! Don't worry, the pity party is almost over. :)  I was able to get 40 miles in before having a pretty intense pain in my hip which somehow caused my knee to hurt.  Long story short, I had to get sagged back in.  Total downer!  Not only was I looking forward to this ride, I was hoping that it would be a huge confidence booster for IM. I am glad I llistened to my body, but it was really hard for me to wave the white flag.  I hate not being able to finish my workouts. Hopefully I will be able to address the hip and knee issues and make it to the start line in Cozumel feeling 100% healthy.  My first PT appointment is tomorrow, so keep your fingers crossed for me. :)
• During my 40 mile ride, I saw a TON of dead animals.  Riding my bike past dead animals is not what I would call fun.  I know these things happen, but this was gross and sad. Poor Bambi! 
• Now for the worst part of the whole weekend-  I got home last night kind of cranky (because of my dumb hip and knee), but I was looking forward to having a little scoop of Edy's Slow Churned Ice Cream. I mean, what girl wouldn't want to indulge in a "small" scoop of Mint Chocolate Chip ice cream?  Well I totally forgot that I polished off the ice cream Saturday night!  Oops. Not being able to finish my ride was bad, but not having any ice cream was much worse!  #DoIHaveAProblem??

Congrats to all my teammates who dominated the 20 mile run and 120 mile ride!!  You guys are AWESOME! 

Have a super week :)

Weekend Recap: Super late edition

So it is almost Wednesday, and I am just getting around to my weekend recap. #SuchABadBlogger!  Did you have a super weekend?? I certainly hope so.  Because this is so late, I will keep it short.  Here is the quick and dirty run down of my fabulous weekend:

• Employee of the Month- Cheesy, but always nice to get positive feedback at work. :)



Perk of being selected

• Happy Hour- I <3 Sam Adams
• Team Brick- Team sweat sessions are my favorite
• Yummy Team Brunch- Team meals are also pretty awesome!
• Lauren's Going Away Party- Geez, I am going to miss that girl.  Thank goodness she will be back in town soon. :)



Lauren and I before getting into the water at Eagleman

• Sleeping in on Sunday- PRICELESS!
• Running Errands- Yay for new running gear and the 5th Harry Potter




New running outfit





New trainers



I clearly only bought the necessities!

• Fun Afternoon Run- Great way to spend my Sunday afternoon.
• Dinner with Meghan and Dani- AWESOME, enough said!




Meghan refused to let me take her picture because she didn't have her makeup on.  Such a diva! :)


• I have officially reached and maintained my race weight for IM.  Can I get an AMEN! :)

I hope everyone had a super weekend.  Happy almost hump day!

Wonderfully Random Wednesday

Happy Hump Day!!!  Seeing how I haven't posted since Thursday or so, I probably should bring you up to speed on what has been going on in my world. :)  I know- I am the worst blogger ever. Work, training and life just keep getting in the way, but I promise to try harder.

So what's new and wonderful and not so wonderful with me?

New and Wonderful #1
I completed with first 112 mile bike ride this past Saturday!!!  How freaking awesome is that?!?!  It was freezing cold and super windy, but thanks to my awesome teammates I made it through.

Working out = THUMBS UP!

New and Wonderful #2
I finally finished the 4th Harry Potter book.  It was sooo good!  I must confess that I am starting to have mixed feelings about cracking into the 5th book- Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.  Don't get me wrong, I LOVE the series, but I don't want the series to come to an end.  #I<3HarryPotter!

My favorite one so far.

New and Wonderful #3
Work has been super crazy, but I am still managing to get my workouts in  thanks to the gym in my new office.  Totally pumped about this! We just moved into our new office space a little over a week ago, and the gym downstairs is perfect.  Well maybe not perfect- it doesn't have a pool, but it certainly does have everything else a triathlete would want. :) 

Having a gym at the office is SWEET!

Now to the not so wonderful...

New and not wonderful #1
I was sick all last weekend and the beginning of this week. :(  Being sick is never fun, but being sick and being dumb bad-ass enough to ride 112 miles is not a good idea.  Because of my "bad-assness", I spent all day Sunday in bed and had to skip my 18 mile run.  No fun!  However, I am happy to report that I am feeling much better now!  Last night I was able to put in a solid 5 mile run and weight session.  Woohoo!

My BFF!

New and not wonderful #2
Last night there was a totally sketchy person hanging out behind my building.  YIKES!!  I live in a relatively safe area, so I was really surprised when some dude was hanging out drinking wine out of a "big girl bottle" and smoking a cigarette.  Not really what I want to come home to after a long day at work.  Luckily, Miss Barbara at the front desk was all over the situation and had already called the police.  Creepy guy who likes to linger around my building, if you are reading this, please enjoy your wine and cigarettes somewhere else.  You may be very nice, but you tend to scare people when you are hanging out in the shadows of my building at 10 PM. 

Please hang out somewhere else Mr. Creepy.