It has been a good year

Exactly one year ago, I was wrapping up an e.l.f. Makeup At Home party that Audrey and I hosted at our parents’ house.

I had spent the previous week in NYC, going on job interviews as I prepared to move there.

A few weeks prior, I had met a guy named Brian at a runners’ club and we had done a few long runs together on the weekends, just the two of us, as we prepared for our respective Fall marathons.

On our latest run, he had asked me if I wanted to do something during the week for a change, something that didn’t include running. So we had arranged to do something on Tuesday, September 1.

It wasn’t a date.

Not in my mind, at least. It was an evening with a running buddy, a way to end a trying day on a good note.

You see, I wasn’t particularly looking forward to September 1. It was to be the day of my divorce court hearing.

I had never been in a courtroom. I had never been divorced. All I knew is that I would take the stand and my lawyer and then the judge would ask me a series of questions. I would have to sit in front of my ex-husband, and about 100 people neither of us knew, people who had their day in court that very same day, and say that yes, we have decided that our differences are irreconcilable; no, I am not asking for spousal support; and yes, I am choosing to go back to my maiden name, among many other questions.

And that’s precisely why Brian suggested we plan our little non-running get-together on that day. So that there would be something nice for me to look forward to after an emotionally draining morning.

Most of the ladies had left my parents’ house after the makeup party when I received an email from Brian. He was getting in touch about the following evening:

Weather’s looking good, so I was thinking a little boat ride, show you the harbor and head over to the island, we can tie off in front of the house I’m helping to build. Great views of Bristol, has a deck with chairs, it’s neat looking at Bristol from the water. There a beach on the west side we can walk to. its like a mini Martha’s Vineyard. You were talking about real Irish food, you said you liked Aidan’s, so let’s try the new one, they updated it and it’s nice inside. so not sure what time you can make it, we can do 530 ish or before. Its going to be great weather so if you have the time, we can start earlier. Hope you’re having fun at the girls party tonight. Talk to you later, I think this will get your mind off things.

brian

I read it and thought, “Oh, I get it… this is a date.”

In my mind, because I was literally in the middle of a divorce… because I was moving to NYC… because Brian was almost 5 years younger than me… it couldn’t be a date.

But I enjoyed spending time with him, and I knew we’d have a good time together, so the next evening, hours after my trip to divorce court, I drove to meet Brian where he was waiting for me, with his boat and his dog Tansy, on the dock at Bristol Harbor.

He was right; the weather was good. We walked to that beach on the west side of Prudence Island and watched the beautiful sunset, then took his boat back to Bristol for dinner at Aidan’s.

One of the things I liked so much about Brian at the time (and what I love about him now) is that he was so kind, understanding and patient with me. He knew I needed time, and he gave it to me. He knew I needed to move away, to be on my own in a new city, and he encouraged me to go.

Of course, the more I got to know him, the more I enjoyed his company… and I soon found that I didn’t like to be without him at all.

And that’s one of the main reasons why 6 months after I moved away, I came back home.

Exactly one year ago, I was a day away from forever saying goodbye to a piece of my past, not realizing that the same day would prove to be such a defining piece of my future.

Ask Jane and Brian Anything: The Video

You asked, we answered!

Yes, I was able to convince Brian to get on film with me to answer your questions. And yes, we sat way too close to the camera.

So just ignore my dark roots (I’m seeing my hair stylist Tuesday!) and enjoy the video.

Ask Us Anything!

Yikes! I haven’t posted anything in two weeks. I knew it had been awhile, but it wasn’t until I received a few emails from people seeing what was up that I realized I should pop in and say hello!

Things have been extraordinarily busy, which is a good thing, but sometimes when there is a lot to do, the amount of time I’m able to devote to this little ol’ blog lessens. And I miss talking about things…

One of the things I’m upset about missing is the one-year anniversary of the day I met Brian, which was August 6th. This year, I was in NYC for Audrey’s Getting Gorgeous event (which she hosted with Vera Sweeney) that day, but I was able to get home in time to see Brian, so that was good.

The Getting Gorgeous event was absolutely amazing. Not only did Audrey and Vera hit it out of the park with the incredible sponsors and swag, but I was able to see – and sometimes meet for the first time – some of my absolute favorite bloggers in the whole entire world.

And many of them wanted to hear about Brian.

Ahhh… Brian. He is a bit of an enigma, isn’t it? I write about him all the time here, yet he never comments (OK, he did one time). If you look on his Facebook page, all you’ll see is a bunch of photos I’ve tagged him in – and nothing else.

He goes online about once a day to check his email, and that’s it.

So in an effort to get Brian a little more involved in my community here, he has agreed to little question and answer sesh. Kind of like my friend Sabrina’s “Ask Me Anything” post, but for both of us.

Feel free to ask us questions individually or as a couple and we’ll answer them.

And if Brian is feeling particularly brave, maybe I can convince him to do a video post with me a la Ask Vera and Bill. We’ll see!

So, go ahead – ask us anything, either in the comments here or via email.

Three years

I don’t remember his name. I don’t remember his face. I don’t remember what I said when he knocked on our door.

I only vaguely remember talking to him the night before.

I had called him on the way home from the emergency vet, where they had told us our Bismarck’s cancer had spread to his liver and his spleen, and that keeping him alive any longer would be unfair to him.

It was surreal, asking this man to come to our home to put our dog to sleep, while at the same time driving with Bismarck right there in the car with us… knowing that it would be his last car ride.

We just knew we wanted it to be done in our home, on our terms, where we could hug him and kiss him until the end and then bury him in our yard. So we had left the vet that night with Bismarck and Ryder (who we had brought along for moral support… for all of us), knowing we had one last night with Bismarck, and knowing the man coming to our home the next day would be putting an end to our time on earth with him.

For the 8 weeks since his cancer diagnosis, I had been obsessed about every little thing that went in Bismarck’s mouth. Everything was all-natural, home-cooked. I gave him vitamins and supplements from the holistic vet. He hadn’t wanted to eat much of anything. So when he showed interest in eating pizza on that last day, I gave it to him. There was no more damage to be done.

Initially, the vets had said we may get 2 more years with Bismarck. When they found out how aggressive his cancer was, they changed it to 6 months at the most.

It was exactly 2 months (8 weeks to the day) after his diagnosis that this man came to our home to do the unthinkable.

The un-understandable.

The man didn’t stay long. He knew he had a job to do and he had the tools and experience to do it quickly and confidently.

I didn’t want him there, of course, but he was professional and matter-of-fact, and I trusted him with making it as painless as possible for Bismarck.

It was 3 years ago yesterday that we said our final goodbye to Bismarck. 3 years ago yesterday… it seems like yesterday sometimes.

And yet, these 3 years have brought so much change.

When that man drove away from our house, he was done with the job he had to do. It was the end for him. But for us, it was just the beginning… the beginning of adjusting to a life without Bismarck.

Bismarck was only 5 years old. My sweet soul of a boy… oh, I loved him so. I still do. And he loved his mama. It was not right for him to die so young, to have to suffer in any way. Time has a way of healing, but I still – even 3 years later – cannot get over my anger about the unfairness of it all.

But I know he has had his hand (or paw) in sending the sweet, sweet souls that have come into our (my and Ryder’s) lives since his passing… first, by sending us Seth, and then by sending us Brian and Tansy.

Last year, on the 2-year anniversary of Bismarck’s passing, I wrote about how sunflowers came to be my “sign” from Bismarck that he is still with me.

So here is a big, beautiful sign from my sweet Big Boy, courtesy of my talented friend, Dawn:

Thanks, Bizzy. I love you, forever and ever!

The Blessing of the Fleet 10-miler race recap

Friday evening is not an ideal race time for landscapers. Before you finish up the day, you need to make sure everything is all set going into the weekend, and a lot depends on the weather, your equipment, your employees and your customers. You may be done at 5PM and you may be done at 9PM. So when Brian told me he wanted to run the Blessing of the Fleet (a very popular Friday evening 10-mile race) this year, I was hesitant about pre-registering because I know his schedule as a landscaper can change from moment to moment.

So we decided that we would wait until race day to register. If everything went according to plan, we would leave his house by 3PM, head to my parents’ house on the way to drop off our dogs (since we would be staying there that night) and arrive in Narragansett, RI (where the race takes place) by 4:45PM at the latest – plenty of time to register, warm-up and get any other pre-race activities taken care of.

We did OK on our departure time. By 3:20PM we were pulling out of his driveway, and figured we would still make it to Narragansett by 5PM. The traffic flow had much different plans, however, and we didn’t end up pulling into my parents’ driveway until a little after 4:30PM. By that time, we figured it would be best to drive with my parents instead of taking one car; that way, we could just jump out of their car and register rather than have to find parking ourselves. But that also meant waiting for my dad to get home from work before we could take off.

We finally left their house at 4:50PM, about 50 minutes later than we planned.

It was raining pretty hard on the way down to Narragansett, and we kept hitting pocket after pocket of traffic. We started to panic a little about the time. When we finally reached the Narragansett Pier School (where registration takes place) at 5:45PM, we jumped out of the car and ran to register. The gym was muggy and smelly, but we had made it in time. We filled out our registration forms, got our T-shirts (which we promptly ditched because we realized we had no place to put them) and ran to the start of the race. (And we were pleasantly surprised that the race organizers had finally opened their eyes to the wonderful invention that is chip timing.)

Knowing we had made it in time for the start (barely), we could finally breathe a sigh of relief.

It had stopped raining at this point, but the air was thick… and it didn’t help that there were about three thousand people huddled around us. Brian and I said good luck to each other and went our separate ways in the crowd.

I didn’t realize how far back I started, but I later saw that there was almost a 2-minute discrepancy between my chip time and my gun time. (It did seem like it took awhile to cross the starting line, with a lot of starting and stopping.) And as anyone who has ever run the Blessing knows, the first mile is usually pretty crowded and consists of a lot of weaving around other runners. I didn’t mind, though, because it gave me a chance to loosen up a bit after rushing around before the start.

Right from the beginning, the crowd support was awesome. It reminds me of a smaller-scale Boston Marathon, with people literally partying all along the race route as you go by.

I had forgotten my Garmin (and my socks, too, but that’s a different story), so I had to rely on the timers at each mile marker. And since it had been fairly cool (and raining) when we left the house, I figured I would just keep hydrated with the water stops rather than bring my FuelBelt. There were plenty of water stops, but they got a little crowded and I had to actually run up to the table at one of them to grab my own cup because the volunteers couldn’t keep up with everyone.

It started drizzling within the first few miles, but by mile 5 it had turned into monsoon-like conditions.

On top of that, around mile 6 the course takes you onto a very tree-lined road, so it actually got pretty dark. Even after we got out of the tree-lined area, the sky was very dark and ominous.

The 10 miles went by pretty quickly for me, and I really didn’t mind the rain because it was a warm rain. I did feel sorry for the race photographers, though (or rather, their expensive cameras… but they seemed to have a handle on that situation) and the spectators, too (though everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves, cheering as we ran by).

I know that a big draw of the Blessing is the festival afterwards, but though I had no problem running around in the rain, standing around in it didn’t appeal to me all that much. So after meeting up with Brian and our friends, I helped myself to a bottle of water, found my parents and headed to The Mews Tavern for a post-race meal with them, Brian and my brother Adam and his sister-in-law (the two of them also ran the race).

This was my third time at the Blessing. I walked it in 2002 and ran it last year (8 minutes faster last year – I know I could have pushed myself more this year, but not 8-minutes-faster more!). It really is an exciting race – great crowd support on a scenic route with fun after-party (especially when it’s not raining) – and I can see why it draws in big numbers year after year.

When the Blessing of the Fleet comes up in conversation between runners around RI, it is often accompanied by groans of, “Oh, that race is always so HOT!” That is not, however, how the 2010 Blessing will be remembered.

For some, it will be remembered as the year it downpoured. For others, it will be remembered as the inaugural chip-timing year.

For me, it will be remembered as the year I decided we would always pre-register.

Testing out the Bergan ASPCA Pet Harness

This weekend, thanks to Collective Bias, I was able to try something that I’ve been meaning to try for awhile… a pet harness for the car. With 3 dogs, I hate the thought of them roaming around in the back of the car, especially if I have to stop short.

Tansy tried out the Bergan ASPCA Pet Harness. She is about 60 lbs. (a size Large), so it fit her perfectly and allowed her to stay safely and comfortably put in the car. Click on Tansy below to check out my Whrrl story:

Why I blog

When I started blogging back in January 2007, my life was decidedly different than it is now.

I lived in a different city, in a house I owned. I was married with two dogs, Ryder and Bismarck. (Bismarck would pass away that July.) I did not yet have my dog Seth. (Seth would come into the family that September.)

I still had my wisdom teeth. My sister only had only given birth to two boys. I always, always had Breyer’s Mint Chocolate Chip ice cream in my freezer.

I hadn’t gotten separated or gone through a divorce. I hadn’t moved out of my home, moved in with my parents, then to an apartment in a new, big city.

I wasn’t a member of the Y. I had never run a marathon. I hadn’t competed in a triathlon since I was 11 years old.

I hadn’t been a published author in 9 years. I subscribed to Pottery Barn and Restoration Hardware catalogs. I had never met Brian.

Three and a half years may not be a long time in the scope of the universe…

But sometimes, when my motivation to write isn’t there… when I don’t feel like putting my thoughts into words… when I wonder why I blog… if I share too much… if anyone even cares about what I have to say…

I think about how much my life has changed in these years since I started blogging… how different I am… the new things I’ve tried… what I’ve accomplished…

All of it is right here – in words, in photos, in videos – documented by me, for me. To remember, to learn from, to reminisce on, to be inspired by, to appreciate.

But not only for me… for my children someday, too.

For all of this, I am glad.

Many people know about Jon “Blazeman” Blais, especially triathletes and ALS patients and their families. An accomplished triathlete, Blais was diagnosed with ALS at age 33 and went on to compete in the 2005 Ford Ironman World Championship despite the disease ravaging his body. He passed away in 2007.

Known as the “ALS Warrior Poet,” Blais wrote the following words, which resonate to me on so many levels:

Live more than your neighbors. Unleash yourself upon the world and go places. Go now.
Giggle. No, laugh. No… stay out past dark and bark at the moon like the wild dog that you are.
Understand that this is not a dress rehearsal. This is it. Your life.
Face your fears and live your dreams. Take it all in.
Yes, every chance you get. Come close.
And by all means, whatever you do, get it on film.

If you have a box of tissues, watch this clip of an NBC documentary on Blais’ trip to Kona – and get ready to be inspired:

Amica Ironman 70.3 Providence Race Recap

When my alarm clock went off at 3:30AM Sunday morning, a few things crossed my mind: 1) Why didn’t I go to bed earlier the night before? 2) Just five more minutes… I’ll even take two! 3) Really? I SIGNED UP for this? Willingly?

I’m talking, of course, about the Amica Ironman 70.3 Providence triathlon that, by now, you’re undoubtedly tired of hearing about.

But I endured nearly 6 hours of working out in the hot sun yesterday, SO YOU WILL ENDURE READING THIS!

Brian and I had gone to a wedding on Saturday – the beautiful wedding of one of our wonderful running friends who is moving across the country with her new husband (sniff, sniff).

We were so sad to have to leave the wedding early, as it was clear the party was only getting started at 6:00PM. Luckily we were able to make it to the afternoon ceremony and the start of the festivities… but the fact that I would be waking up in a little over 9 hours for a 70.3 mile race kind of sealed the deal for our early departure.

We stayed over at my parents’ house, since it’s not too far from Narragansett, RI, where the race started. My friend MaryBeth, whom I had met when living in NYC, was here to do the race, too, so she stayed over. She slept in my bedroom and Brian and I each had our own twin air mattress on the floor of another room, which we chose because it’s the only room in the house with an air conditioning unit!

I didn’t have a great sleep, which is odd for me. Usually, once I’m sleeping, I’m out until the the alarm goes off. But I was restless, thinking about the race ahead, and I kept waking up every so often. At one point, I was woken up by Brian, who told me to scoot over so that he could share my bed because I had let the air out of his mattress. That’s right… I had somehow, in my non-REM sleep mode, found a way to deflate his air mattress. Mmmhmm.

Anyway… back to that 3:30AM wake-up.

Everyone else in the house was already up, getting the last-minute gear together and making sure nothing was missing from our bags. I was tired, I was hungry, I was nervous, I was hoping I could make it through the day ahead… and, a little bit, I was wondering why I do this to myself.

But there was no turning back. We took one last photo before we left…

… and then it was off to the races. Er… race.

It was still pitch black as we left my parents’ house, but the sky started to lighten up as we reached Narragansett. Mom’s swim wave was set to go off at 6:05AM, and we were on target to get to the beach before 5:00AM. Unfortunately, there was a huge line of traffic on the beach access road. We were about 1/4 mile from the beach’s parking lot, but we were stuck in the unmoving traffic line.

We just sat in the car, still not moving, for 5 minutes. Which turned to 10 minutes. We started to feel like we were cutting it too close. Finally, Mom, MaryBeth, Brian and I followed the people getting out of the cars around us and just started walking towards the beach with all our gear while Dad stayed in the car.

There is always lot of excitement around the start of any race, but I have found it to be amplified times a thousand before triathlons.

For running races, you basically have to show up with your running shoes.

For tris, there is much more on the agenda. You have to get your body marked. You have to make sure you’re all set up in Transition (with your bike helmet, shoes, towel, sunglasses, etc.) so you can go quickly from one discipline to the next. You have to put on your wet suit, cap and goggles for the swim. You have to put on your timing chip. And there are tons of other people all trying to do the same thing. It’s semi-organized chaos.

Basically, you’re exhausted before the gun even goes off.

The announcer came over the loudspeaker while I was doing a quick once-over of my T1 gear with Mom.

The gist was that we should get our butts over to the beach pronto. I was counting on borrowing a bike pump from someone to do a last-minute check of my tire pressure, but in the rush, I wasn’t able to. (And as such, I was pretty convinced throughout the entire bike ride that I was going to get a flat… but let’s get the swim first.) So off we went to the beach.

Mom braided my hair so I wouldn’t have to be fussing with it while racing.

And speaking of racing… oh, my heart.

I hate open water swimming. Just looking at this picture, I can tell exactly what was going through my mind. The 1.2-mile swim was an out-and-back course, and I was staring out at the water, at all the buoys lined up. The buoys that we would have to swim around. The buoys that seemed to go on forever and ever.

I could tell Mom was nervous, too. I could see it in her face. It was getting closer and closer to 6:05AM. My wave went off at 6:25AM, so I had an additional 20 minutes to be scared. As Mom’s swim wave time started to approach, I could see her starting to get a little choked up.

I gave her a big hug and reminded her of all the people, those still on this earth with us and those who aren’t, who would be behind her, carrying her through this entire race.

I was really just keeping a brave face for her sake, though, because as she walked away towards the other ladies in her swim wave, I lost it. The truth was, I was probably more scared than she was. Even though I had done this exact race last year, and swam the course in much choppier water, and even though I have done a lot of open water swimming, I was just simply terrified yesterday.

Brian was calming as I cried to him, of course, but in a firm-yet-gentle way told me that this wasn’t the Jane he knew. And that I would have to rally and get out there and do this thing because I could.

I watched Mom’s wave go off feeling so much pride for her…

… and then I did my best to hold it together for the next 20 minutes. I chatted with my friend Kelly, I hugged my sister-in-law Nicole and our friends Jill, Tracy and Megan, all of whom were in the same swim wave as me. I posed for a few photos for the paparazzi – I mean, Dad.

Finally, it was time for me to start. Right up until the gun went off, I was a nervous wreck inside, but once I got in the water, I felt OK. I started kind of in the middle of the pack, which held me up a few times as I tried to swim ahead. It was a clear day, so it was pretty easy to sight the buoys. I didn’t try to go too fast… I just wanted to get a good, solid swim in and save enough for the rest of the race.

Last year, the swim portion seemed to fly by, but this year it just seemed to go on and on. It felt like it took a long time to get to the furthest buoy out before we got to turn around and swim back in. I started seeing different color caps in the water, which meant I was passing a few people from earlier swim waves. Every time I’d see a purple cap I looked to see if the person had Mom’s swim stroke (I would be able to spot it).

I never saw her during the swim, but once I finished swimming and started running out of the water towards T1, I looked to my right and saw Mom getting out of the water, too! I was so psyched to see her, and it really made me happy to know she made it through the swim and was still smiling!

We even had a photo-op:

I know I’ve talked about my transition times before, and while I do want to keep getting faster in my transitions, since this wasn’t a sprint triathlon, I gave myself a little leeway in the speed department while I got ready for the bike. I wanted to get some fluid in me, take a bite of my energy bar, and basically make sure I had everything I needed for the 56 miles ahead.

As I left the T1 area, I saw Mom out of the corner of my eye getting ready also, and I knew she was making sure she had everything she needed, too.. And then, it was off to Providence on my bike!

I was not looking forward to the bike because when my brother-in-law Matt and I rode the race route a few weeks ago, it was torture. It took so much out of me and seriously tired me out for the rest of the day. I remember thinking, “How am I going to run a half marathon afterward if I feel this awful on race day?”

Luckily, I actually had a great experience on the bike yesterday. It seemed to go by quickly (I liked that there were distance markers every 5 miles), and the hills, while they were difficult, thankfully did not beat me up like they had few weeks prior. And I didn’t get a flat, so that was a huge relief.

And Dad was a champ during the bike portion. He managed to get to three different spots along the route to take photographs… this was quite a feat because not only was he trying to photograph me, Mom, my brother Keith and sister-in-law Nicole, but he was trying to catch at least 9 of our friends, too – and he did! He was pretty easy to spot, too, in his bright red and green Portugal shirt!

Here’s me going by Dad on the bike:

And Brian, Audrey and Matt, their 4 kids, my other brother, Adam, his wife Aimee, and their 3 kids were out there on the course cheering us on, too. It was so awesome having a special, enthusiastic cheering section!

I finished the ride and headed into Transition 2 (T2) in Providence. T2 is set up right near the State House, which is where the race ends, so I looked over and thought, “Just 13.1 miles to go and you’ll be finishing right there!” (The whole “just 13.1 miles!” part may not have been as enthusiastic in my head as it seems when typed out.)

Right from the start of the run, my legs felt tired, especially my quads. I made it through the first mile and then saw the first big hill. I knew from talking to other people that the best thing to do when your legs are already exhausted is to just walk up a big hill instead of tiring yourself and your legs out more by trying to run it. So I walked and by the time I got to the top of the hill, I was ready to run again.

I never felt completely smooth and energized on the run, but I never felt awful, either. I just felt tired and a little sore, so I ran as hard as I could without pushing to the point of utter exhaustion. At one point when I ran by Brian he told me I wasn’t working hard enough because I wasn’t pissed off at him when he shouted words of encouragement (I tend to get a little crabby when I’m pushing myself hard during a run). And we do all remember Boston, right? But I can assure you, I was definitely working hard.

The run was a 2-loop course, so I had to get teased by seeing the finish line so close to me halfway through, knowing I still had another 6.5 miles to go. But the run was nice because I got to see so many of my family and friends, and we cheered each other on.

And the volunteers were awesome handing out the water, sports drinks, food, gel packets, cold sponges and ice.

The sun was really beating down on us during the run, so I tried to always have ice with me to cool me off, as well as water to keep hydrated, as evidenced by this photo Audrey took of me being a total hoarder:

Overall, the run went well. I walked the big hills but ran otherwise. I added a few minutes to last year’s run time, but I know I was in better shape then, and it just gives me extra motivation to get back to that pace.

A special thanks here to all the Rhode Island Road Runners who came out to show their support – Curt, Kristi, Kevin, Christy, Shoes, Andrew, Chuck and Sue – and Serge for manning one of the first-aid stations on the bike course. It is always such a great feeling to see people you know, and to hear familiar voices cheering for you.

And, of course, my amazing family – Dad, who continued his Where’s Waldo?-like action on the run course, popping up everywhere to take photographs…

Audrey and Matt and their kids, who had a prime spot for viewing…

… and Adam and Aimee and kids, whom I heard while racing to the finish line.

Speaking of the finish line… I just remember running up the final hill, seeing the State Capital, hearing the crowds cheering, hearing the announcer say my name, and then sprinting over the finish line. Happy to be finished and feeling accomplished, I took my medal, my finisher’s hat and a bottle of water and got my finisher’s picture taken.

Soon I saw Audrey and her family…

and then my brother Keith came in, too:

I just loved watching my family and friends come in with the biggest smiles on their faces, like Nicole and Tracy here:

That’s what it’s all about!

And Mom… well, how can you not be inspired by her? She ran her first 5K just last year. She did her first (and, so far only) sprint triathlon last summer. She ran her first half marathon this year.

And then she goes out and comes wins her division in her first Half Ironman, qualifying for the Foster Grant Ironman 70.3 World Championships in Clearwater, FL in November!

That’s right – road trip to Clearwater!

And guess what? I get to compete in the Championships, too! No, no, not because I actually qualified – but I’ll take it… I got a spot because I was there cheering for Mom at the award ceremony and there were two unclaimed spots available in my age group. They went down the list of 30-34 females to see if anyone wanted to take the spots and another girl and I did. I can’t wait to train and compete with my mom again!

Congrats to all the athletes who worked so hard yesterday, especially my wonderful family and friends!

And I can’t possibly forget to post a photo of the most supportive Dad/Husband/Father-in-Law/Man in the world, sporting his bright, easy-to-spot, red and green Portugal shirt! Thanks for EVERYTHING, Dad!!

My final stats:

Swim: 36:32:00 (26th place in Women’s 30-34 division)
Bike: 3:13:37 (17.4 mph pace, 35th place in Women’s 30-34 division)
Run: 1:57:32 (8:59 min/mile pace, 24th place in Women’s 30-34 division)
Overall Time: 5:57:42 (27th place in Women’s 30-34 division, 480th place overall)

Making the Dog Days of Summer Safe Ones

A friend of mine once told me that on hot days, her grandmother would say, “If you’re looking for the coolest spot in the house, follow the dog.” I’ve found that that’s a true statement most of the time… I say most of the time because sometimes, on the hottest, sunniest days, my dog Seth will lie right down in the middle of my parents’ hot deck and refuse to come inside where it’s nice and cool. It usually just takes the promise of a treat to get him to come in, though, which I do to make sure he doesn’t overheat, being a big, furry black dog and all.

During the summertime, we need to make sure we take precautions while we enjoy the beautiful weather. Our guest post today is by Claudine J. Randazzo from FIDO Friendly magazine (www.fidofriendly.com), who is writing about:

Making the Dog Days of Summer Safe Ones

Most people look forward to enjoying outdoor activities with their dogs during the summer months—and they should. However, take a simple queue from Fido before you head out to the great (and warmer) outdoors. What’s the queue? Have you ever noticed while walking or hiking with Fido on a warm and sunny day that he/she stealthily heads for a shady patch of the trail every chance available? It is an instinct, and even though it may provide only a brief respite from the high temperatures, dogs understand that every little bit counts when it comes to keeping their hair-covered bodies cool.

Including your dog on family outings makes the adventure more fun for everyone. However, Fido’s needs are special ones, and they often get overlooked, which can have quick and dire consequences. The four major things to prevent so that your dog does not suffer during the summer are overheating, dehydration, sunburn and heartworm.

Overheating

Dogs are not able to cool off as efficiently as we are; they have hairy bodies and do not have as many sweat glands, but rather they rely on panting and being in cool temperatures to regulate their body temperatures. They can get overheated from enjoying outdoor activities, but many die each year from heat stroke simply from being left in a fenced yard with no shade or water or from being left in a hot car. Be aware of your dog’s surroundings and situation at all times. Leaving Fido in the air conditioned house when you leave during the day is optimal, but if you cannot, then make sure he has a cool, shady place to rest with gallons of clean water available to him. The car is never an option for Fido. Even when the temperature is only 70 degrees outside, the temperature in the car can climb to 100 and sometimes 200 degrees—even with the windows cracked open! It takes a surprisingly short amount of time for a dog to overheat beyond recovery in this situation.

The other caveat is to not neglect Fido’s need to cool off after a walk or any activity on a warm day. Make sure if you’ve been playing for 20 minutes or all day that Fido is given a cool place to rest and drink water afterward. Other tactics for keeping your dog safe and cool are playing in the morning or evening hours and, while outdoors, pouring water on his head, making sure that it reaches the skin around his ears and neck.

Dehydration

Dogs only have sweat glands in their paws and ears. Their most efficient way of releasing heat from their body is through panting; shallow breathing.

Bring plenty of water for your dog to drink while outdoors, even if you will be spending time at a river or lake. Separate containers of water for you and your dog are best to ensure that you both have enough (this goes for summer car travel as well). Don’t forget a small bowl for your dog to drink from. Many pet supply stores and stores that sell outdoor gear have collapsible bowls that easily fold up for carrying in a pocket or backpack. If you forget a bowl, look for a large indention in a rock in which to pour the water or use your hands cupped together.

Remember to increase Fido’s water intake if you are at higher elevations than he/she is used to or in a drier or more humid climate than usual. It is difficult for dogs to drink while they are panting and in the process of cooling down, so never make the assumption that if Fido doesn’t drink it means he doesn’t need to. Always keep water available in a shaded area so Fido can drink when he is ready.

Sunburn

Typically this is only a concern in dogs that have a lighter skin pigmentation, such as Pitbulls and Bulldogs. If your dog has any pink skin around his nose, lips or stomach, limit his exposure to the direct sun and apply sunscreen to these areas when the sun is unavoidable. Dogs can get sunburned just as humans can, and the overheating effects of sunburn will cause their bodies stress just as it does us. (They can also develop skin cancer.)

The other parts of Fido’s body that can get severely burned, although not by the sun, are his paw pads. The rule is that if the ground surface (be it concrete, asphalt, dirt or sand) is too hot for your feet (or the palm of your hand), then it is too hot for Fido. Always check the surface temperature before letting Fido step on it, as painful and debilitating heat blisters can occur. Some dogs do not mind wearing booties, and if you spend a lot of time enjoying outdoor activities with Fido, investing in a good pair of dog booties is wise.

Heartworm

This silent and wicked malady affects dogs all over the country. If undetected and untreated, it is deadly; costly to treat and hard on a dog’s body. Prevention is key and entails a once-a-month preventative pill from your vet. Mosquitoes transmit heartworm, so even if you do not live in a locale where mosquitoes are prevalent, you might travel with Fido to a destination where they are, and you must be prepared.

Make it a fun and safe summer for Fido!

Want more FIDO Friendly content? Check out our website at www.fidofriendly.com and our blog at blog.fidofriendly.com.

Training, Celebrations and Races… oh my (Goddard)!

We’re T-minus 2 weeks until Ironman 70.3 Rhode Island.

I’m hoping that if I tell myself I’m ready often enough, it will be true.

You’re ready, Jane. You’re ready. You’re. Ready.

This is a race I competed in last year. It was actually an amazing experience for me. But I also went into it with a lot of confidence… the race was just a little over 2 months after my Boston-qualifying marathon and I had never felt stronger or more sure of myself athletically.

This year, the race is just a little over 2 months after my meet-and-greet with The Wall at the Boston Marathon, and quite honestly, my confidence has yet to come back in full force since then.

But despite this, as well as the fact that my race times are a little slower than they were last year, I try to keep focusing on the following positives: I’ve trained a lot, I’ve had some good practice races (including one this past weekend – more on that later), and two years ago at this time if I had even attempted to run a mile, it would not have been a pretty sight.

So.

Again, I repeat to myself: You’re ready, Jane. You’re ready. You’re. Ready.

Now, on to the title of this post. First, the Training…

Last week was my heaviest pre-race training week. I put in over 150 miles of swimming, biking and running. 56 of those miles were on Friday, when Audrey’s husband Matt and I woke up at 4:00am to ride the bike course for the Half Ironman.

We got to see a beautiful sunrise along the beach…

And then… there were a LOT of HILLS.

That’s pretty much the end of that story.

Then on Saturday I ran my last long run. I had slept in, and then procrastinated… so I didn’t end up starting my run until about 10:00 AM. It was hot, my legs were still tired from Friday’s ride, and I had left my FuelBelt at my parents’ house. Luckily, Brian placed a water bottle in a plastic bag with ice along my route, so I kept on looping around to hydrate. It wasn’t the best (or fastest) run, and I actually stopped halfway through it at Brian’s garage (where he was working) for a much-needed pep talk… but it got done. And just so this paragraph doesn’t sound like one big complaint, I will say that I actually felt pretty good the last mile. So, yay!

Then it was time for the first of the weekend’s Celebrations…

Brian and I headed to Newport to have a few drinks to celebrate one of our running buddy’s 30th birthday.

Now, I know competition to make it onto this blog is stiff, but when a request is made – even if it’s after a few beverages – I think it is only fair to honor it. So, Mike, here you go:

Happy Birthday!!

Now, on to the Races…

Well, actually it was just one race – the Oh My Goddard! Sprint Triathlon (hence this post’s title) at Goddard Park (hence the triathlon’s name) in East Greenwich, RI. A bunch of people in my group raced (as well as Matt – his first triathlon!), including our friends who were getting married later that day (that would be weekend celebration #2).

The professional race photos are not available yet, and believe it or not, I forgot my camera in the car (I know!), so at the moment, this picture, taken by one of my friends as I ran from the swim to Transition 1 (T1), is the only photographic evidence that I raced that day:

The race course was beautiful… a swim in the pond at Goddard Park, then a mostly flat bike ride through East Greenwich and North Kingstown, followed by a run in the park. And remember how I lamented about my terrible transition times in my last triathlon? I did much better this time.

However.

There were definitely some discrepancies between the distances each portion of the race were supposed to be and what they actually were.

Now, while I know it was the first time this race was ever put on… and while I’ve never put a race on myself, so I can’t even say, “Well, I would have done XYZ…” and while I would absolutely do this race again… I just think that the stated distances should be accurate in a race.

The swim was supposed to be 1/4 mile, which is not a very long distance, so had already decided before the race that I wasn’t going to wear a wetsuit. My thought was that since the swim was so short, the small advantage that wearing a wetsuit would give me just wouldn’t be worth the hassle of having to take it off in T1.

Once I got to the race and saw the swim course, it was clear that it was much longer than 1/4 mile – probably not quite as long as a 1/2 mile, but definitely close to it. That’s quite a difference. So, my swim probably wasn’t as fast as it could have been, but the bottom line is: now I know to always be prepared for the unexpected. I should have brought my wetsuit anyway.

The bike portion was great. It was an 11-mile ride on a shady, quiet, tree-lined course that I’m pretty used to riding on. My legs still weren’t feeling 100% recovered from Friday’s 56-miler, but overall I was pretty happy with the ride, and it seemed to go by pretty quickly.

Finally, the 3.2-mile run… which, it turns out, probably wasn’t quite 3.2 miles. The route started out through some wooded trails, which meant dodging horse poop, but I liked running in the shade.

When we got out of the woods, there was a mile marker for Mile 1, which was a little suspect because it seemed we had been running longer than a mile. I didn’t have my Garmin on me, so I wasn’t certain, but when the mile marker for Mile 2 popped up shortly after, I was pretty sure the markers were off. My time for the run ended up being 20:39, which, if the course really was 3.2 miles, would put my pace at 6:27/mile.

I know my body. I know how I feel when I’m really pushing myself. I was not running at a 6:27/mile pace.

Case in point: Brian didn’t race that day, and he was standing with a friend of ours, Kevin, as I came in to the finish. Kevin yelled to me, “Smile, Jane!” – and I did. Apparently, Brian said to him, “Well, that’s strange. Jane is never friendly at the end of a run.”

Exactly. Don’t get me wrong; I was pushing myself. But if I could smile, I wasn’t killing myself during the run.

I heard later on that the run was more like 2.8 miles long. Again, I enjoyed the race. I feel like I did well and I had a lot of fun. I don’t want it to seem like I am being only negative about it. But… this was a USAT-sanctioned race. The entry fee was fairly high for a Sprint triathlon at $85. The course should have been accurately measured.

OK, that’s enough. End rant.

My final stats:

- 2nd place in 30-34 age group (females) – 1st place went to my teammate, Kristi! (Yes, I am only 29, but have to race my age on 12/31/10 at USAT events)
- 4th place female finisher
- 35th place overall

After the race, I was off to have breakfast with one of my best bloggy friends, Dawn, who was in RI for her high school reunion. We talk pretty much every day, so even though it was only the third time we’ve seen each other in person, we had plenty to chat about. Plus, some of her family members came along, and it was great to see them, too.

But I’m still mad at Dawn for paying for breakfast.

Finally, that evening it was time for the weekend’s final celebration – Kelly and Graham’s wedding!

As I figured it would be, the wedding was fun, happy and included lots of dancing. It was a perfect way to end the weekend – a joyous celebration on the beach with great friends.

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