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#TBT Wings for Life Race Recap

5/8/2014

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Remember when you were little and you ran EVERYWHERE. All around the house, from the one end of the playground to the other, to the car, to the beach, to the cereal lane in the grocery store, to each other, and away from each other. We would run and run and run without a care in the world...not our nutrition, not our compression socks, not our pace, not our time....we would just run until we felt like stopping.

On Sunday, I participated in the Wings for Life Event,  a WORLD WIDE EVENT where runners in  35 countries on 6 contients were running simultaneously  to raise funds for Spinal cord injuries. I ran it with a friend and teammate, Lupe Merlos, and a couple 100 other runners, who would also agree it was an incredible experience.
We ran like little kids:
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We Matched.  Head to toe, just like in middle school that you would excited match your best friend. (confession coming) I even took off my compression socks so we would be identical...well for that, and because it was a little cold and I thought that if they got wet (bodily fluid or water station mishap), the rest of the run would be more uncomfortable...and not to mention the terrible tan lines that would result from said accessory.

We Snacked. I think it's the first race that I have FEASTED. I ate Gu's of a variety of flavors that runners around me offered. I ate half a banana around mile 7 maybe (slowly like Lupe suggested) and then another half around mile 17. I had Gatorade, water, and an electrolyte juice that Lupe and I carried throughout the first half of the race. Parts of me were like: STICK TO WHAT YOU ARE USED TO, other parts of me were like: FEED ME!!! Nonetheless...No cramps to report or trips to the rest room, oh and definitely no trips to the ER (always a plus).

We Laughed & Played.  "Smile, you are burning calories" was the mantra of our race....and we didn't even know we were going to get 4 seconds of national TV time. Throughout the race we also played a couple games including "hide and Seek", "Tag- you're it", and "I'm gonna find you" with unsuspecting targets along the course. With old friends, with aquaintances that became friends, and even with running idols we realized were just regular runners (when not in their element- TRACK) 
We ran until we were tagged.  No pace, no distance calculator, no real goal past what we had originally set out to run (13.1 miles- we hit at 1:34). We just followed the road and WFL signs--not knowing what lied ahead in the remaining miles, but NOT WORRIED ABOUT IT EITHER.
In the end, the Catcher Car caught Lupe and I at mile 21.33  after around 2:40mins of running. Neither of us had run over 14 miles in a couple years. Since the Miami Half marathon, Lupe has been focusing on TRACK (shorter events) while I have been more "off-season"-ing until a couple weeks ago when I started tri-training. But regardless of our training or milage...the WORLD RUN, the milage we were able to log, and the joy we felt participating... THAT surprised us both.
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Our 4 seconds of global running fame as the Catcher Car was approaching Bryan Huberty, Lupe, and I.

I know we are both looking forward to playing in this sandbox again next year!!!

Check out minute: 3:58:54 in the live stream above and some cool cats we spent the day with below:
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Top 5 female Finishers in USA ;)
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With Lolo Jones before the race.
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With MICHAEL WARDIAN 1st Place Male Finisher in the US, 27th in the world.
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-Happy Kid-Like Running

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Picking an outfit

9/23/2013

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My friends shop around and plan their outfits for special outings way in advance. I on the other had tend to wait til a couple minutes before said outings to get ready EXCEPT when it comes to racing. For some kinds of events,  like the ESCAPE to MIAMI TRI, I don't mess around. I start shopping around for  RACE DAY OUTFITS a couple weeks in advance.

This time in particular I didn't get my suit until last week...which isn't ideal. I would have liked to have had it a couple weeks ago (at least) so that I could have used it in a couple longer workouts to make sure I felt comfortable in it, but in the NON-STOP world I (and most of us) live in, if I even get 1 solid workout in with the new outfit... I'm a happy camper.

I know that race day outfits will vary from the elite/professional triathletes with head to toe matching TRI SPECIFIC GEAR to the first timer with bathing suit and shorts----AND that what people are wearing may not necessarily be any indication of how well they will do during the race. Let's face it, even if your suit repels water, it doesn't mean it will swim for you, or if you have a super lite carbon fiber bike, it's not going to pedal itself up the bridges. You are going to inevitably have to put in the leg work. However, I am aware that there are benefits to dressing appropriately for the occasion, so lets take a look at what I found.

Things I was looking for...

For the swim- something tight with the least amount of drag.
For the Bike- comfortable for my buttock (24 miles), shorts long enough to prevent high leg chafing, shorts that don't squeeze my leg too tight nor waist either (creating the dreaded muffin top look) and that are not too LONG-- (I don't like the way that looks or feels, personal opinion-plus terrible tan lines to get rid of later).
For the  Run- something COOL(as in breathable) that I won't feel super claustrophobic in.

Overall I was looking for something that I could be comfortable in, wouldn't SLOW ME DOWN, had the least amount of wardrobe changes to shorten the amount of time I'm in the transition zone,  within my budget,  and (let's face it) something that looked good too! We all know that when you think you look good, you feel better, and you feel stronger--the mind in a powerful weapon, and so is your EGO!

The Search...

So first thing I did was poll and ask my runner/biker/swimmer friends, coaches, and (former)teammates  to see what they liked. And  additionally did some research on the side. The general consensus seemed to be that the first decision you had to make was whether or not you wanted to race in a Tri-Suit.

PROs

  • They are made specific for these events
  • Material that dries quickly,
  • Lessens the amount of wardrobe changes
  • Offer padding for the bike
  • Made with breathable material
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Cons

  • Can run on the expensive end, even though there are some more affordable options available too
  • If you are uncomfortable, you don't have an easy way to get out of your outfit and switch into something else.
(Couldn't find too many cons)
If you decided to go with a TRI-SUIT then your next decision was whether you wanted to race in a ONE-PIECE, called a TRI SUIT or a TWO-PIECE suit, called a TRI KIT (thanks Marcelo). The decision seems to be purely subjective. One pro that I can see to wearing a 2- piece tri-suit is that you have the option to take off the TOP during the running if weather is getting too warm by the time you are finishing your third leg (the run).

If you opted out of the TRI-SUIT options, then you have a couple other decisions to make.  Some lower budget options are doing the tri in a full piece or 2 piece (sports) bathing suit then quickly slipping some biking shorts over your bathing suit in transition so that you can bike comfortable and later run with that same outfit. 
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When in doubt, go in black----perfect for any occasion, compressingly slimming, and very classy; you can dress it down for a swim, accessorize for a ride, and be yourself on a run... ;)
After checking out many online sites, and a couple local stores, and squeezing into a couple different types of suits...I finally found the perfect little black dress for the occasion (or shall I say- suit)!

Loved the fit, the shorts were a good length, it had a zipper in the front that will allow me to unzip a little during the run,  a built in sports bra,  just enough padding for the bike ride but not too bulky for the run, and within my budget ($100).

Lets see how my suit works out for me come RACE DAY! Good luck picking out your RACE DAY OUTFIT,  just make sure you KEEP IT TIGHT & KEEP IT LIGHT!

P.S. I got mine at SWIM BIKE RUN where they have 20% off All Women's Tri-Suits and you don't have to pay shipping costs. #STAYLOCAL
If you haven't found your outfit yet, don't FRET. Though there are thousands on online options, being that the race is a couple days away, you probably should opt for purchasing something locally that you can TRY ON. There are a couple places in town, that I've listed below, that have suits (and many more if you just run a Google search of your area). Check out these stores early in the week so that you can get at least a  swim, run, or bike-ride in before the BIG DANCE.
SWIM BIKE RUN
TRIJUNGLE
IRUN
MAC CYCLE
BIKE TECH
TRIVILLAGE
Sports Authority
Sports Chalet
-Happy Shopping
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    Teacher, Author, Mother, and Runner. As I try to balance it all, I sometimes ask myself why I run. The Ironic things is that the runs themselves hold all the answers.

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