My New Triathlon Ride

I finally decided to go for it and purchase my "dream bike" this weekend. I got the Cervelo P2 triathlon bike. Now, when I show up to a triathlon, people are going to expect me to be fast! I guess that means I need to start working my ass off in this off-season to make that happen :) I'm so happy and excited already! I'll pick it up on December 28th after I have it fit! Can't wait already - this is my Christmas gift to myself this year and for the next several years! haha. I have to thank my most supportive fiance who convinced me to "just get it".

Marine Corps Marathon 10.25.09

Me approaching Mom and Bry between 18 and 19!

Dad approaching Mom & Bryant between 18-19 looking like a pro!

Taking a break with Bry around mile 18.5! Just the motivation I needed to continue!

I signed up for the 34th running of the Marine Corps Marathon on April 1st of this year with my dad, sister Jackie and co-worker and friend Kara. Training for this race was mixed in with triathlon training and racing all summer. This race was designed to be my season-ender and topper and turned out to be just that.

We arrived in Washington D.C. on Friday night and stayed in Metro Center close to Chinatown and the Convention Center. We ate dinner at the Capitol Brewery - I enjoyed some great white pizza and pumpkin beer. Ended up going to bed pretty early that evening which worked out well.

On Saturday, my parents arrived to D.C. from Baltimore and we met them at the hotel before going to the Convention Center for the Expo. The expo itself was an experience. It was very well run and efficient to check in but it got a little crowded on the floor around the exhibits. We walked around the mall and hit the National Art Museum. We stayed at a hotel which had a kitchen in our suite, so my mom and I went shopping to get the needed ingredients for a pasta dinner. We cooked a great pre-race carbo loading dinner which worked out perfectly since it was humid, raining and windy outside. After dinner we walked down to the Capitol Building since we were really close and took some nice night pictures. Bryant and Mom continued on to tour some of the other monuments while dad and I headed back to the hotel to prepare for race morning and get ready for bed.

Race morning I woke up at 5:15 to get dressed and start my breakfast which consisted of spaghetti from the night before with some parm cheese. I drank some gatorated and water as well. I packed everything for my race check bag, including my pre-race sports drink. We met at 5:55 to go and catch the Metro to the race start. We didn't have to wait too long for the train to the start. Once we arrived at the start area it was still pitch black outside. We made a few stops at the port-o-potties and continued our pre-race hydration. We walked at least a 1/2 mile to the area where the bag check was. When we got there we got rid of our long sleeve shirts. I decided to wear shorts, a tank top and arm-warmers. It was chilly at the start (about 50 degrees) but was forecast to warm up to the low 60s by the time the race ended.

The start area was alive with static electricity. There were so many people around the start! The introductions were great and the fly-over by the military planes was breathtaking. I was pretty nervous at the start thinking "what have I gotten myself into" and "how the heck am I going to run 26.2 miles?!?"

It took me about 10 minutes to get to the start from where I was lined up. The first 8 miles of the course were pretty hilly which was not expected! I saw the topographical map of the race which showed a 160ft elevation gain over the first 8 miles and thought "that's not much at all" but let me tell you there were a few tough hills for sure. Luckily I made a friend on the course that I could talk with for that period of time which kept my mind off the course. I lost her around mile 9 or 10 when she started to fade. The course was great around the Georgetown Reservoir and through Georgetown itself. Running along the Potomac and East & West Potomac Park was also great. The weather was perfect! I was glad I kept my arm warmers throughout the race because the breeze was cool at times. From the park we started to run along the mall. Beautiful with tons of spectator support! This is where I caught Bryant and Mom with the diet coke. I took a minute or two to hang out with them and stretch between mile 18 and 19. This was enough encouragement to continue the race! The last 10K was definitely a challenge for me. Beating the bridge was rough and running through Crystal City was kinda boring but with each mile I knew I was closer to the finish. I felt great cardiovascularly and nutritionally but orthopedically, my feet were killing me - especially my right ankle an foot. I stuck it out though as we reached mile 24 and 25 around the Pentagon and when I heard the music around mile 25, I started to really try and push my way to the finish. Running up the final incline towards the finish was awesome! I finished in 4 hours and 44 minutes. This ended up being a 41 minute PR for me. I finished my first marathon in January of 2005 in Carlsbad, CA in 5:25! I was excited to get my medal from a Marine at the finish. I felt good overall. It took me about an hour to find my dad in the finisher's area afterwards. He finished in 4:29 :)

It took a really long time to get to the hotel after the race because my dad wasn't feeling well after the race and there was a huge crowd to get into the Metro station to catch the train to the hotel. Once we got back, my parents headed back to New Jersey and Bryant and I headed back to our hotel for Sunday night. We walked to dinner in Georgetown which actually made the sore legs and feet feel better. I took a brief nap before the Yankees-Angels game came on. They won and clinched their berth to the World Series! Perfect end to a great day!

We headed home on Monday and I was feeling good physically but tired in general. I slept most of the ride home to Philly and took another nap when we got home.

I felt good all week and treated myself to a sports massage on Wednesday evening. It really helped stretch out my sore hamstrings and tight IT band! Definitely worth it as part of the post-race recovery phase. I went back to the gym cross-training workouts Wednesday and Friday. Felt pretty good overall!

This was an overall great experience for me! Now, its the "off-season" for me which will include focusing on the swimming again, building up some cycling miles and spending time at Fusion and the Lithe Method. I'll be working hard towards looking good at my wedding on January 30, 2010!

Thank you to everyone who has supported me through this whole challenging triathlon and racing season! This marathon was the perfect end to the season! I'm hoping to do it again next year with my sisters running along with me :)

ING Philadelphia Distance Run

Today I ran the Philadelphia Distance Run which is a 1/2 marathon distance run. I ran 4 miles with dad before the race to make it a long training run towards the Marine Corps Marathon on 10/25/09. In total, including the race, distance before and after I ran 18 miles. I finished the race in 2:12:30 which is a 2min, 30 second PR for me. It was a perfect day weather-wise and there were a ton of people on the course for the whole run. I was happy with it and am feeling good after the race! :)

Now, onward with the training for the marathon :)

- Kel

The Nation's Triathlon - Washington DC 9.13.09

I signed up for this race way back in December as a 'destination' race. I didn't realize that by the time the race sold out they had 6,000 people registered. They had about 4,000 finishers so I guess you lose some amount of people to injury, etc.

Pre-Race:

The race was Sunday, September 13th. We arrived in Washington, D.C. on Friday, late morning. The race expo started at 12:00 on Friday, so we decided to head over around 1:00. They have a mandatory pre-race meeting that every athlete must attend. I just missed the 1:00 meeting so I had to wait for the 1:30 meeting. Nothing too earth-shattering was discussed at the meeting but they made it mandatory and your hand stamp was necessary before moving on to the next stop where you picked up your packet with your numbers and your swim cap. From there you moved on to get your t-shirt and your goodie bag.

Saturday:

Mandatory bike racking at the transition area which was located separate from the expo (at a hotel). They also had the opportunity for a practice swim in the Potomac river from 1-4pm. I didn't take advantage of it because I had run 7 miles that morning and wanted to take it easy from that point on.

Sunday/Race Day - Transition opens at 5:00am and closes at 6:45 for the first wave to go off at 7:00am. I got there around 5:50 and went straight to my bike and set up the rest of the transition, got suited up halfway in the wetsuit (water temp was 72 degrees) and checked an extra bag with dry clothes in gear check for after the race (did this because it was recommended at the pre-race meeting as they SLOWLY opened transition starting at 10:30 am for people to start getting their stuff). I stood on line for the Port-o-Johns and still had about 45 minutes before my wave went off at 7:48. Weather for race day was mid to upper 60s at the start of the race and low 70s by the finish - it was sunny and just a beautiful day! Also, this race benefitted the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society so there was a ton of Team-In-Training people out there participating, volunteering and cheering everyone on - very nice!!

SWIM:

Single loop 1.5K course - pretty crowded waves just because of the large field. I thought there was a pretty long distance to the first buoy so it was tough to sight where we were headed. We swam out and underneath a bridge, past the bridge about 300 yards and then turned around to head back. I got kicked in the face going around that first buoy but not bad enough to lose the goggles or anything! I felt like I was swimming at a decent pace, but turns out it took me 35:41 which was about a minute slower than my time at NJ State Tri in July. The current was noticeable on the "out" part of the swim but not too overwhelming.

T1:

This took 3:04 which I am not completely surprised about because the transition area was 240,000 square feet and it was a long distance to the "bike out" area.

BIKE:

This was a nice course - went out on a 5 mile loop and then a 20 mile loop. Roads were in decent condition, on the 20 mile loop (10 out and 10 back) the 10 miles out were on an incline and I felt like I was just struggling to maintain a decent speed and just thought my legs were tired. I realized after the turnaround that I had been climbing most of that 10 miles - gradual incline. The 10 miles back was much faster because I had the decline working in my h There were a good amount of volunteers and spectators for most of the bike course. Overall the bike took me 1:21:51 for an average of 18.2 mph which was about 7 minutes slower than my race at NJ State.

T2: 2:25 - this was "slow" again because of the long run from the "bike in" to my area of transition. I was close to the "run out" though :)

RUN: Nice 10K course along the Potomac River, around the Jefferson Memorial, around the Lincoln Memorial, over the bridge towards Arlington where you turned around and headed back towards the Jefferson Memorial and on to the finish. Decent amount of shade on the course and mostly flat. They had an aid station about 1/10th of a mile after every mile marker which was great. Total run time was 59:40 (9:38 pace) with some periods of walking. My legs just felt tired about 3 miles into the run.

Total time: 3:02:40 - not my best time and not my worst. I was happy with finishing especially since I had the flu for a full week before this race and was just starting to feel back to normal.

Now, it's on to finish training for the Marine Corps Marathon on 10/25, then finally some relaxation!!! :)

- Kel

We're Engaged!

Bryant asked me to marry him! yay! We are in Colorado for the week on vacation and went for a 2 day retreat up in Glen Haven which is right outside Estes Park. He asked as we were stargazing :) I don't think I have seen so many stars in my life! We are both very excited! We don't have any definite plans yet for when or where we're getting married, but we figure we'll enjoy the engagement for a little bit and then figure it out! :)

Tri Babes Sprint Triathlon. Longmont, CO 8.23.09

I signed up for this race a couple weeks ago when we decided that we would be spending a week in Colorado. It was an all-women's Sprint Triathlon in Longmont, CO.

Here are the results:

KELLY KUNTZ
60/270 overall
F30-34 15/56
Total - 1:24:20
Swim (1/2 mi): 14:38
T1 - 1:48 (couldn't find my bike!)
Bike (12.5 mi) 37:26 (19.9 mph)
T2 - 1:42 (couldn't find my stuff, again!)

Run - 28:49 (9:18 min/mi)

I really enjoyed this race - the swim was wetsuit legal, so I took advantage of it and wore the wetsuit. Felt good during the swim after I got into a rhythm. Transition was tough, they had different bike racks and I had a hard time finding my bike because everything looked the same and there were no numbered racks or any order to how they were placed. Felt strong on the bike which was a 3 loop course. The run was pretty but mostly on dirt. Wish I knew that - I would have brought my regular running shoes rather than use my race shoes. There was a killer uphill and the course was all in the sun. I definitely needed to take a few walk breaks - not sure if it was the altitude getting to me or just general fatigue, but I still managed a decent run pace.

It was nice to have Bryant and his parents as spectators today. It was fun racing outside of the tri-state area and I'm feeling more confident with each race. There's only one more race for this season - the Nation's Triathlon in Washington DC on September 13th!

SheRox Sprint Duathlon

No photos yet, but here are my results:

Clock Time
01:37:36

Run 1:
00:11:38 (7:44/mile pace)

Trans1:
00:02:27

Bike:
00:54:50 (17.2mph)

Trans2:
00:01:31

Run2:
00:27:07 (8:44/mile pace)

Let's just say we should have called it a day when we got out of bed this morning. Driving to the race the skies looked ominous and the humidity was 100% - the air was thick. Kacy and I wondered if rain would hold off long enough to still make this race a triathlon. We got to the race site around 6:15am, secured a good parking spot for an easy entrance/exit and headed to transition. As we walked to transition, the skies opened up and we got soaked before we even walked down the hill on Black Rd. to get to transition. Body marking was a challenge because we were already wet. Luckily Kacy had her towel handy to dry off the arms and legs.
As we entered transition, they were announcing that they were still planning on going ahead with the race as a triathlon. As time went on and thunder boomed in the distance, they had to reconsider the decision and after a good 1/2 hour to 45 minute delay the race officials decided to cancel the swim because of the current and the amount of debris floating in the river. The race was now going to be a duathlon. I had mixed feelings about this . . . but knew the swim would have been brutal.

Run 1 (1.5 miles):
Kacy and I were in Wave 12 which ended up going off at 9:45am which was just about an hour delay from when we would have originally started. The first run was fine - it was humid, but not raining. The street was a little slippery from the earlier rain, but I was able to keep a fairly brisk pace for the run. Entered transition at 11:38.

T1:
Took me 2:27 which I was a little surprised about . . . but I think it was because my bike rack was at the far end of transition so it was a long run to the "bike out" timing mount.

Bike (15.5 miles):

Mounting the bike went off without incident. Started out averaging around 19mph and passing alot of people along the way. As the bike went on, the rain started again . . . along with thunder and some lightening now. The course was nice with only two significant uphills and a few downhills; however, the course was very slippery and dangerous. I saw a couple really nasty wrecks - 2 women with c-collars placed by paramedics on the scene. That definitely slowed me down because I didn't want that to be me on one of the downhills. One of those times that you say to yourself "is it really worth it to push hard, right now?" The safety answer was no . . . so my bike speed definitely was slower than I could have done if conditions were better.

T2:
1:31

This transition was quicker. Ran to the bike rack, took off the bike shoes, helmet and sunglasses, slipped on the running shoes, grabbed the water bottle and took off. Felt good running out through transition.

Run 2 (3.1miles):

This run was great for about the first mile and a half, at which point you could see some really nasty clouds in the distance, towards the finish. Scary and very close lightening along with deafening thunder precluded the most torrential downpour I have seen in a LONG time. Just as you thought it couldn't rain any harder, it just kept intensifying - I had to keep wiping my eyes because I couldn't see through all the rain pelting my face. Luckily I was able to run all the way through and finish the race. Unfortunately for Kacy and MANY other athletes out there, they cancelled the race while I was out on the run - people who were biking had to stop and people out on the run had to turn around wherever they were at that point. Honestly, the only thing that got me through it was the adrenaline from my 'fight or flight" response - I wanted to make sure I didn't get struck by lightening!

Post-Race-

Going back into transition after the race was another disaster. It was still downpouring rain and the transition area was flooded under 3-4" of water. I didn't lose any of my equipment but my bag was soaked as were my towels that had rested on the ground. I decided it wasn't worth keeping the towels because they were submerged in muddy flood waters and weighed about 50 pounds! Nothing else was lost, but I was super soaked. The post-race celebration was cancelled as were the awards. The priority of the race directors was getting people off the race course and on their way home as fast as possible. I give them credit for trying to keep things calm and organized under very bad conditions!
We headed back to the car and racked the bikes and headed home. Some of the local roads were floooded on the drive back, but luckily I figured a way around them.
On the way home as Kacy and I were debating our sanity for sticking with it during the race I said "There is a thin line between being brave and being stupid . . . I think we were pretty stupid today." Kacy agreed.
If nothing else, it was yet another adventure and learning experience. Hoping for better luck next year!

New Jersey State Triathlon - Olympic Distance 7.26.09

Here is my race report for the 2009 New Jersey State Olympic Distance Triathlon which took place on Sunday July 26th. This is race #2 out of 3 consecutive race weekends. I went into this race looking to beat my time from the Philadelphia Insurance Triathlon which I competed in on June 28th by 1 second. My time for that race was 3:05.

Pre Race:

Great setup by the Jersey Shore Triathlon Club with a tent and an RV. The RV was awesome for the simple fact that it allowed me to avoid using the (overused) port-o-johns on the race site. Downside here was that we had to arrive at 6:00am to set up in transition and my wave was the second-to-last to start the Olympic at 9:15am. So, just some waiting around, but it ended up being well worth it.

Swim (0.9 miles):

The swim was in the lake at Mercer County Park, 0.9 mile. Seemed like forever! The race was just barely wetsuit legal, so I took advantage and wore the wetsuit for the swim. I felt a little overheated at times but I think the suit helped out with that distance of a swim. Finished the swim in about 34 minutes which I was happy with, but I know that maybe someday I'll speed up on the swim.

Bike(23miles):

Transition from swim to bike was about 2 minutes which I was cool with - able to get the wetsuit off pretty quickly, put on the helmet and sunglasses, slipped into the bike shoes and took off. Practicing mounting the bike with Bryant the night before definitely paid off today! I was able to average about 18.9 mph on the bike which I was thrilled with.

Run (6.2miles):

This run felt pretty brutal because it got pretty hot by the time I was out on the course. The first 5K was mostly flat and shaded with an awesome water stop with frozen washcloths! Felt so good! The second 5K was rough - HOT!!! Honestly, I felt like I walked more than I ran during these 6.2 miles but somehow was able to average a 9:50 pace

I finished in 2:53:32 which beat my PR for the Olympic Distance by 12 minutes!!! So happy and excited all at once.

I'm really enjoying this triathlon thing and having a great time :) I am lucky to have Bryant as my support crew! He got up at 4:50am just like I did so that means alot in my book!

Next race:

SheRox Sprint Triathlon in Philadelphia, PA on 8.2.09 - cannot wait for this one! It should be a ton of fun and Kacy is racing too, so that's icing on the cake! :)

- Kel

Sunset Challenge Sprint Tri - Bridgeton, NJ - 7.18.09

Race Report for the Sunset Challenge Sprint Triathlon

Bridgeton, NJ

07.18.09

Swim was great! No wetsuits were allowed because the water was 82 degrees. This made me a little nervous at first because this would be my first open water swim without a wetsuit, but I did a little practice swim before the

start and felt okay. Definitely a little more work than with the wetsuit, but manageable. The water itself was decent - there were a few patches where you had to swim through some thick seaweed, but I made it through this time without freaking out. The swim felt good overall and I was out of the water in about 18 minutes.

Transition took about 2 minutes from swim to bike. I always seem to be a little shaky clipping into my pedals before I get going. The 16 mile course was very scenic through horse farms

, fields and neighborhoods. The roads were in decent conditions and there weren't any major hills. In fact, I didn't have to get out of the saddle even on the biggest one. Only downside was that there was a headwind for most of the course. I ended up averaging 17.3 mph and finished the bike in 55 minutes and change.

Transition from bike to run was about 2 minutes. The run was actually alot of fun - most of it was on a trail/towpath with part of it through a grassy field and some street running. I felt decent on the run but had to take some quick walk breaks through the water stops. I ended up finishing the run in 27:55 for a 9:00 min/mi pace which I was happy with.

My total finish time for the race was 1:45:55 which was good enough for 1st place in the Athena division (females 150lb and over) which is the equivalent of the male's Clydesdale division.

I stuck around for the post-race food and awards ceremony. The food was great! The Bridgeton Exchange Club made some excellent pasta salads and there was a great spread of Jersey Fresh fruit - peaches, bananas and amazing blueberries!

Bryant was a real trooper - he woke up with me at 4:30 to leave for the race and stuck around with me for the whole thing. I can't say enough how awesome it is to have him come watch me race and to be my support crew! I wouldn't trade him for the world! :)

Next up is the New Jersey State Triathlon next Sunday - Olympic Distance! Going to try to beat my time from the Philly Insurance Tri which was 3:05 - even if that means I finish in 3:04:59!

- Kel

Nutrition!

So back in April, I decided to consult with a nutritionist who works with all populations but who has a wealth of knowledge working with athletes. His name is Tom Bilella and I attended a lecture he presented to the Jersey Shore Triathlon Club in March. I've known all along that nutrition was a missing link in my training ever since I started getting into this running and triathlon thing. I decided to take the first step and consult with Tom early in April. Without going into the nitty-gritty details my body composition testing showed that my body age was in the 50's!! And here I thought I was at least in decent shape. I'm happy to report that in 3 months of following an individualized program, I have lost a total of 9 pounds, lost 7 pounds of fat and gained 3 pounds of muscle and lost 3% of my body fat :) I highly recommend Tom and the people at Nutrition Treatment Center in Red Bank, NJ if you have any desire to address how nutrition effects your everyday life!  - Kel 

www.nutritiontreatmentcenter.com

Gonna try to pick up the pace!

So, I signed up for a running technique class in hopes of picking up the pace a bit for both triathlon and as part of my marathon training for the Marine Corps Marathon in October. It is going to be a lot of track work which I am looking forward to but at the same time dreading because I usually hate running on the track! Hopefully I'll learn something in the process and get some rewards by running at a faster pace!!! I'll keep you up to date :)

Philadelphia Insurance Triathlon!

Just completed my first Olympic Distance Triathlon and I'm feeling pretty good :) I finished in 3:05 which was exactly what my goal was for the finish time. The swim was about 28 minutes which was helped significantly by the current pushing me along the Schuykill River! The bike was pretty tough . . . well, tougher than I expected it to be - there were more hills than I thought, but I was happy to make it through. I started to run out of gas during the run and averaged a 10:28 pace - I'd like to improve on that for my next race! Overall, it was a successful day and I felt good during the recovery! Now . . . I'm on to a Sprint race on July 18th and the next Olympic is NJ State on July 26th! Wish me luck! :)

JSTC Time Trial Weekend

So this weekend will definitely be a challenge! I've signed up for 3 events as part of the Jersey Shore Triathlon Club's Time Trial Weekend. First on tap is the Bay Head 5K - 3.1 mile test of speed on a flat course in Bay Head, NJ. Afterwards, it'll be off to Lavalette for a wetsuit demo and open water bay swim and timed 1/2 mile swim. On Sunday, I'll be participating in my first Cycling Time Trial - it's a 30K time trial race which is approximately 19 miles of trying to finish as fast as you can! Little nervous about that but I think it will be alot of fun and challenging. I'll report on the weekend after it's all over :) Wish me luck! 

Long Branch 1/2 Marathon

This year instead of participating in the annual Broad Street Run in Philadelphia we registered for the Long Branch 1/2 Marathon and New Jersey Marathon in Long Branch, NJ. As you can tell by the pictures, it was a rainy, wet day. We didn't let that bother us, even after we arrived at 5:30 am and had to wait an hour for the buses to bring us from the lot to the start line. The start of the race was delayed because of traffic for about 20 minutes or so. I felt great for most of the race but did have some tight quads starting around mile 8, but nothing that couldn't be stretched on a few occasions around the route. I'm thinking the legs were still recovering from the Bassman Triathlon the weekend before.  It was actually a really nice/fun course despite the weather. We felt good enough to go for a PR . . . and we ended up getting our PR - 2:15:41 :) Very happy indeed. It was a long day with the trip back to Philly by train but very happy with the results!

First Triathlon of the Season!

So I completed my first Tri of the season last weekend. It was the Bassman Triathlon in Bass River State Park in NJ. The race was a 1/2 mile swim, 29 mile bike and 4.2 mile run. I finished in just over 3 hours. Unfortunately, I had set my goal as 2:50 and missed the goal. I fell behind at the very beginning because I had a mini-freak out/panic episode during the swim portion of the race. We swam in Lake Absegami which was not as cold as I had expected (60 degrees) and it was clean and clear. Only problem with being that clear was that you could see all the lake weeds and debris, which by the time I started swimming with the women's wave that went off last, had been kicked up close to the surface. So every time I put my head in the water I saw all of this "stuff" in my face and it just got to me. I thought I was prepared for the swim, but I guess I was not. I can swim over a mile in the pool - easily! But it's a whole different game in open water. The bike and run went well but I lost too much ground in the swim to make it up on either the bike or run to meet my goal. So  overall I was disappointed in my performance, but if I learned anything from the first race of the season it is that I have alot of practicing to do in all 3 sports to meet my goals for the races I have scheduled later in the season! :) 

I ♥ San Diego!

I made it back to San Diego (finally!) this morning. Our flight from Newark was relatively smooth, although I forgot my dramamine and still have a dull headache as a result, 7 hours later! We went up to La Jolla to view the scenery and take some pictures! Now, it's off to pick up Steph and Bruce to eat at Pizza Port and drink some of their awesome beer! :) 

FARC's St. Paddy's Day 10 miler

I had a great time running the St. Paddy's 10 miler put on by Freehold Area Running Club on Sunday March 22 :) It was a little chilly to start but warmed up as the race went on . . . too bad the wind was a little frigid! Overall it was a great training run in preparation for the New Jersey Half Marathon that I am running on Sunday May 3rd in Long Branch, NJ! 

Here's pictures of Dad on his way to a 1:18 finish and me on my way to my 1:39 finish! 

I'm officially an AUNT!

 Here's the official announcement! Luca David Frangella was born at 7:26pm on Friday March 13, 2009 to my sister Jaime and bro-in-law Dave. I was lucky enough to be in the delivery room to witness the birth! My sister was awesome . . . and I was honored to be able to be there. Luca is beautiful and healthy. He weighed 6lb 11oz and baby, mom and dad are doing well. So excited to have a nephew and am so excited to watch him grow!!! 

Here's a picture of me and Luca a little after his arrival :) 

Cleared for takeoff!

I followed up with my Ear, Nose and Throat doctor today and was cleared to return to all of my everyday activities after my tonsil surgery. I am feeling really great and eager to get back to training for a very busy spring/summer/fall running and triathlon schedule. I think it's a pretty ambitious schedule, but I am determined to do it! This is what I have planned so far:

Sunday, April 26th - Bass River State Forest, NJ

Bassman Sprint Distance Triathlon

Sunday, May 3rd - Long Branch, NJ Branch Half Marathon
Running with: Jackie, Colleen, Kacy
Dad is running the NJ Marathon

Monday, May 25th - Bolder Boulder 10K - Boulder, CO
I'm a little nervous about the altitude for this race, but it is a very large field of people and should be alot of fun!

Sunday, June 28th - Philadelphia Insurance Triathlon - Olympic Distance Triathlon
Philadelphia, PA

Sunday, July 26th - New Jersey State Triathlon - Olympic Distance Triathlon
Mercer County Park, NJ

Sunday August 2nd - SheRox Women's Triathlon - Sprint Distance Triathlon
Philadelphia, PA

Sunday September 13th - Nation's Triathlon - Olympic Distance Triathlon
Washington, D.C.

POSSIBLE: Sunday, October 25th - Marine Corps Marathon - 26.2 miles of fun!
Washington, D.C.

Wish me luck! :)

MacBook

One thing I've done really well since I have been home recovering from my tonsil surgery is spend money! I bought a MacBook Pro 15" laptop for myself on Valentine's Day. I really, really love my new toy! I'm just learning all the mac shortcuts with the keyboard. I love it for all the media stuff and because it's so great for my photo editing with Photoshop. Can't wait to get really good at it!! Being a PC user for most of my life, venturing to mac is a challenge . . . and challenges are what I love!!!

- Kel

Tonsils and Adenoids

I finally bit the bullet and decided to have my tonsils taken out after 15 years of tonsilitis and strep throat several times a year. I had the surgery on Feb 10th. I must say that overall the recovery has been much smoother than I had anticipated. I had expected to be in tears from pain for a few days after, but I went home feeling good and able to eat some ice pops, jello, and pudding all on the same day of the surgery. Days 4-9 were probably the most trying - the sore throat was a little more intense because of the scab that forms in the back of the throat, but as that fell off gradually, I started to feel a lot better. At this point, I'm experimenting with some more solid foods, and it's going okay. The throat still gets irritated, so I guess that solids might take a little longer to feel more comfortable with. Going back to work on Tuesday might be a little tough - I've gotten used to staying up late, waking up 'late' (i.e. 7:30) and watching my fill of reality TV and Judge Shows. Oh well . . . I'm ready to get back into the regular routine!

- Kel

Training

I've got the triathlon bug and can't wait for the season to begin! In the mean time, because this winter seems to have been particularly cold and windy, I have been doing alot of indoor training. I swim 2 mornings a week at the pool at work. Those mornings I have to wake up at 5:00 to get going and arrive at the pool at 6:00 when it opens. Luckily there are showers there for after the swim to just clean up, get dressed and get to work. The other 3 mornings a week, I try to make it to the 6:30 am class at my gym - Fusion. If I haven't mentioned Fusion before, it's what you might call a "boutique" gym that focuses on cross-training workouts. Along with the swimming, I have noticed some great changes in my overall stamina, endurance and strength. The interval workouts are making a huge difference in my distance running for sure. I'm looking forward to continuing on this "roll" for the rest of the winter . . . and then getting back outside for running and biking as soon as it warms up! This cold weather stinks!!

- Kel

Baby F!

Everyone is so excited for the new addition to the family coming to a hospital near you in March - so of course we had to have a Baby Shower in preparation and celebration! Jaime is due March 20th . . . and everyone has taken bets on when the new baby will arrive and whether it is a boy or girl! Can't wait! The shower was a success with lots of people, gifts and non-alcoholic punch! It was a FREEZING cold day though . . . only downside :)

Keep an eye on the blog for the announcement of the arrival of Baby F!

- Kel

Birthday 2009

My birthday this year (Jan 8) was a good one . . . it's always so tough having my birthday 2 weeks after Christmas. I always wished I had a birthday in the summer, this way you had something to look forward to later in the year and you'd get gifts away from the holidays. Oh well, we're stuck with what we have there! This year my birthday was on a Thursday - translation: work night. We stayed at home and relaxed and just opened a bottle of champagne which has been our "kick" lately. I must say that just relaxing and enjoying a bottle of champagne is right up my alley, so my birthday was perfect! Forget all that getting older stuff . . . you're definitely only as old as you feel!! :) - Kel

Holidays 2008

The 2008 Holidays were amazing, but they came and went way too fast. Seems to happen alot nowadays. Everything was pretty low-key this year - Bryant had to work Christmas Day and New Year's Day, so we took it easy, stayed at home and just enjoyed being together. I got some really great things in preparation for this year's running and triathlon season with some new gear for my bike, a transition bag, laces that I don't have to tie in my running shoes and winter gear for running. It was great to see everyone on Christmas Day at my parents and later that weekend with the annual family party where extended family and friends come by to celebrate. It's an exhausting but rewarding time of year!

- Kel

Jingle All the Way 10K Race Report

  

 I ran this 10K on Sunday, December 14 2008. Bryant and I headed down to DC the day before and checked into the Westin hotel close to Georgetown. We hadn't stayed in this area before but picked the hotel because it was within walking distance of the start of the race. The hotel was amazing! The rooms were like "home" very comfy, modern and with very nice furniture, making you feel like you were at an upscale hotel. We decided to walk the mall after I picked up my race gear which included jingle bells to attach to your shoelaces. We went to the newly opened Museum of American History (I think that was what it was called). Pretty cool museum, but we were feeling hungry and tired which is never a good combination! We decided to do lunch at a place we've been to a few times in DC - Capitol Brewery. I had one of their pizzas as my attempt at carbo-loading pre-race. It was very good. We took the Metro back to the hotel and decided to just take a break and nap. After that, we decided to check out the National Christmas Tree - we both thought that it was a little too well lit with white lights, but they did have a tree for each state decorated with ornaments put together in local schools. 

It was pretty cold and we got tired of all the walking, but it was pretty late and we weren't really very hungry for dinner. So, I was still craving carbs and we ended up getting some popcorn from the local RiteAid - perfect!!

Race Day: we woke up very early, and I emphasize the "we" because even though Bryant wasn't running the race, he woke up with me anyway to be a spectator and take some pictures while I was running. It was pretty chilly for the race start, my guess is that it was mid-20s. I think I bundled up enough - I did warm up as the race went on, but there was a pretty brisk wind so that made it tough. The race itself was an out-and-back 10K course along the Potomac River, right by where you would go to see the Cherry Blossoms in the spring. I felt really great during the race. I would say I ran pretty consistently at an 80% effort, which translated into a 9:19 pace and a finish time of 57:50. I was pretty happy with this since it was one of the faster 10K's I have run in a really long time. I felt good after the race and we walked back to the hotel with cookies and refreshments in hand. While I ran the race, Bry took some pictures around the Lincoln and Vietnam Memorials. Here's one example of his work:


After getting showered and eating breakfast at a cafe across the street from the hotel, we decided that since Bryant did his part in being a supporter while I raced, we'd go to the National Air and Space Museum in Virginia - a much larger facility than the one on the National Mall. I must say that it was amazing, even for someone who isn't an aircraft mechanic, like Bry.

We headed home after that - overall a great weekend and great race. I think I'll plan on doing that one again next year!

- Kel

Absentee

So I've been away from blogging for a couple months . . . not sure what happened, I think things just got busy and I forgot about it! I'm going to attempt to add some posts on things that have been happening in the past couple months, and then try to stay on top of it! Wish me luck!