Christmas Eve Run!

Today, I ran 6.2miles through the streets of Tokyo! I arrived last night after a long flight from New York to Seattle to Tokyo, and the first thing I did this morning was lace up and hit the streets.  The jetlag is a little rough, and I was up at 5am, but it made the run feel all the more intense and awesome.  

Winding down the main street in Shinagawa, I spotted Tokyo Tower.  Growing up, Tokyo Tower was always visible from my bedroom window.  Literally, 13+ years of my life, I saw countless sunrises and sunsets with Tokyo Tower in my view. 

I ran with my cousin Abe, who recently and since Thanksgiving of running with me, has decided that he misses running as well.  Before long, he'll be faster than me, but until then, I get to lead :). We took a bit of a scenic and mellow pace to the tower, which took us 25minutes to get to from the temporary apartment we're calling our family home base.  Japan isn't really a place where you see a ton of people running on the street, and people naturally don't really gain weight here, so it was a little bit challenging to be weaving around people that weren't really used to seeing runners on the street.

To be continued...

Thank you, Team In Training

It's a cold and rainy day in New York, I'm still working, but it's okay, because I know I'll have my Team In Training family to run with tomorrow AM, and for a million Wednesdays and Saturdays to come.  We run together, we cry together, we brunch together, and we do it for an awesome cause... killing cancer every step of the way.

[Picture is from a 5-miler I recently did at Central Park.  I was in the 6000s wave, and honestly unexpectedly managed to PR and pass a ton of people in the 5000s.  This is my happy running face. :) ]

A year ago, I was hurt, I couldn't run, and my ankle looked like an elephant's foot (soccer game sprain, some of you will remember me screaming bloody murder!).  This year, I'm running faster than ever, I have a confidence that makes me question how I ever thought it wasn't possible to feel like this again, and when I take a second to sit down, breathe, and think about everything I've accomplished physically and mentally, I know that most of my happiness and better outlook on life is from Team In Training.  (I can't go saying my pre-TNT friends haven't made my life better!)  It's been a whirlwind year with a ton of emotion and wildness, but Team In Training is really what keeps me grounded, balanced, and smiling while I run.

I donate to Team In Training on a regular basis now.  It's being a part of my life and a part of who I am and who my friends are.

Support the amazing cause, kill cancer with me, and feel better all the while.  :) And... come join me for a run, or a swim or a bike ride!

http://pages.teamintraining.org/nyc/immontre14/bklynsarah

PS. I'm now officially signed up for every single race I mentioned I'd be racing in 2014.
New Orleans Half Marathon, Mont Tremblant 70.3 Half Ironman, NYC Triathlon, and NYC Marathon.

How cool is my family?

This last Thursday (Thanksgiving!) I ran my very first Turkey Trot. My cousin Rahul now lives in the US and he ran it with me, as did my cousin Abe. It was a momentous occasion for all of us, each in out own way. My first trot and a 5-miler Personal Record, Abe's first big run in 14 years (he last did this exact same Trot in 1999), and Rahul's first Thanksgiving! They were total champs for sticking with it, in feels like 15*F weather, and Abe even wore shorts.

Rockland Lake 5-Miler Turkey Trot
Yes, this is what I look like wearing two pairs of pants, two sweatshirts, and gloves with handwarmers in them. :) My cousin Abe and I may be related, but our blood apparently runs at very different temperatures! 

It was cold, I had worn too many layers, and I began to sweat pretty hard pretty early on. I had bought a balaclava on Wednesday which I really wanted to use, but it was excessive with my hat and hood.  It quickly fell out of my pocket, and it's rescue story after the race is a good one. :) that'll be a good memory for a while. 

Abe was ahead of me for a while, but his shoelaces got untied (thank you quick laces!) and I was able to catch up.  We ran together for the latter half of the race, and then I got ahead slightly around mile 4 1/2.  I knew we were going fast and since I had spent the first two miles trying to catch Abe, I knew my muscles and lungs weren't too happy with me.  I took it easy, didn't push to hard when I saw the fake finish line (there was a full 400 yards till the actual finish) and I crossed that finish line in 47:01, with Abe nudging me on my shoulder. :) I beat him on the official race clock by exactly one second and I know he is and will always be in better shape than me, so it made me feel good!

Hot chocolate at the finish line, could barely feel my face or fingers but it felt gooood. And so proud of my cousin Rahul, who I went back for so that I could run him to as close as the finish line as possible. 

And Sat, we ran again. :) Abe ran 7miles with a fellow mentor and one of my mentees while I stuck with Rahul for 6.5 miles! What am amazing and inspiring family I have, and it was the perfect way to spend a holiday about being thankful.

And then, my dad ran his second half marathon. Seriously. It's so cool that I'm getting my family into all this running and racing business. Holy wows.

Balaclava!

And so proud of my Dad!!!

What a summer!

Its been a crazy busy summer for me, and literally I just haven't had a chance to collect my thoughts and post some of the awesome pictures from the New York City Tri and the other races I've done since!

Today marks kickoff night for my next season of Team in Training. I'm mentoring this season after I joined the season last year at this same time. It was my first running team experience with Team In Training and I absolutely loved training with everyone locally and then jumping on a plane and taking over Bermuda!

This year, the team is training for 3 events: The Join The Voices 5-miler is local in Nov, and then Bermuda in Jan and NOLA in Feb! It's going to be a fantastic season ahead of us, and I'm super pumped.

In other news....

I have signed up for a half ironman. Out of sheer fear and needing to bounce this idea off of someone rational, I actually asked my parents their permission before I purchased my race entry to Mont Tremblant. Even though they are thousands of miles away, I'm going to need their support and I'm gonna count on their support! 31 is going to be a crazy year for me, as I also round out my 9+1 with NYRR. This means I'll be eligible for the NYC Marathon next year... And this means my current 2014 roster is as follows, and October only just begun!

- New Orleans Half Marathon, Feb '14

- Mont Tremblant 70.3 IM, Jun '14

- NYC Tri, Aug '14

- NYC Marathon, Nov '14

Like WHOA!!!!! :)

Race Prep!!

I'm gearing up for my 3rd New York City Triathlon!  Today I spent the day getting my gear together, and then volunteering at the Red Transition area (predominantly men and paratriathletes) providing information and detailing the course out for them.  A great experience... and more importantly, guaranteed entry for next year's race!

Time is limited today, but here's a quick collage I made!

Race week is upon us!

It's officially race week, which means lots of early bedtimes, a limited social life, reduced workouts, and eating right (and 0 alcohol). Super excited abo the race and really looking to improve my time this year.

It's been a strong finish to a great training season, where I was working out the required 5-6 workouts/week, and really feeling a lot stronger about myself and my troublesome back. 

I competed in the Aquathalon on Randall's Island, and felt good, sceptic that it was incredibly hot since the race only started at 9:30am.  We also had a great open water and run (Aquathalon in a sense!) at Coney Island the following week.  

Coney Island Open Water Day!

Brunch post BRick and the day before the Aquathalon...

I can swim!

Today, I swam a full mile in a pool after a week long vacation of long nights and far too much alcohol.  Yes, I'm really put my body to the test, and I'm thrilled to say that not only survived, but I did it all in under 42 minutes! Last year, I was swimming a mile in 45-46 minutes, so I'm thrilled about what this means this year for the Hudson swim!

Anyway, this weekend I have the Stars & Stripes Aquathon off of Randall's Island.  It'll be my first race open water of the season, and I'm pumped.... but nervous. Wish me luck!  1.5K swim and a 5K run!!!

AHHHHH, race nerves!

Fantastic weekend of training!

This weekend, between Saturday and Sunday, I worked out more than the time/distance required for an NYC Olympic distance triathlon. How?

Two trips to Coney Island and one very hot hash run!

Saturday: 30min swim + 45min run

Sunday am: 25.2 mile bike ride

Sunday pm: 3.5mile hash run (which I may have balanced with spiked lemonade and a Cubano panini at Greenwood Park)...

Regardless a fantastic people and fun-filled weekend, and I am feeling better now that I'm back on my bike!

Wall Street Run!

Who knew it could get so hot and humid on a random Thursday in New York City?  I ran the NYRR Wall Street Run with some of my friends from my TNT Bermuda 2013 season, and we just about thought we were going to pass out from the heat.  I ran with my friend Maggie who tends to pace faster than me typically, but she knew I was struggling and walked with me when I needed.  We on and off walked from about the 1.8mile point through the end of the race.  It definitely got a little tight when we got to the Hudson River, but it overall was a great little run, a fun experience, and we stayed out at PJ Clarke's well after the race!  (Best tater tots I've had in my life.)

Let's just say I've been keeping busy :)

I've been a little MIA with many of my friends, but I know they understand. They think I'm a little crazy with the number of races I've been doing (verdict is out on if they're right).  I find races to give me a serious motivating high to push myself and my body even when it hurts. The coaches have said runners tend to be joggers on non-race days and I tend to agree. With that in mind, this makes me really happy to share. These are all the races I have done to date since 2010. I took a serious hiatus and reveled in awful weight gain, but I'm definitely back with a vengeance!

(Click to expand)

(Typo is that the 3 races in Hamilton, Bermuda appear as Hamilton, Ontario, lol...)

It hurts, but it hurts good!

As you know, I've taken up running this year, like REALLY running. A lot of people like to be alone with their thoughts while they run, while others like to chat and socialize. I'm not quite sure where I fall on this spectrum, but most of the time, I'm not really thinking about anything, and if I am it's about what hurts.

I'm learning very quickly that most of my pain comes from weak hips. I've been trying to strengthen them, but it feels like this impossible task, like I'm looking at an uphill climb that is just too steep to even get your foot up. That's how this feels. I feel the grind of my bones and muscles in my hips whenever I run more than 6miles, or (like in yesterday's practice) whenever we run stairs or a lot of uphills. 

I've got no excuses, I just have to get it done. I think if I'm able to strengthen my core, I may have a chance of getting to my triathlon goal of 3:20 or under.

I've gotten my running under control for the most part where I think this year I can target for 1:10 or under for the final 10K run leg. The swim will be no biggie now, and it's all about that bike. I'll admit that I've been avoiding my bike, and I know I need to get out there. Trying to motivate myself to go to a 10am spin class, so we'll see!

Here's the collage I put together from the Brooklyn Half Marathon last week, where I PRed at 2:18! Yesterday's 1.6mile Great Hudson Swim race got cancelled due to flooding and choppy water, but I think it was a blessing in disguise. I was feeling some nervousness about my second NYCSwim event paired with the distance and the very nearby obstacles of piers and ferry terminals.

This is what keeps me going!

Team In Training is an amazing and awesome cause, changing and saving lives every day. The people, however, are what takes this organization to the next level. They are amazing, self-less, and incredibly supportive teammates that I am thrilled to have met!

Life is good.... Brooklyn Half Marathon, here I come!!! Four half marathons in under four months!

First BRick!

It's 6:45am, and today will be our first team BRick workout! Super stoked and not sure I got enough sleep after an amazing John Legend concert but I'm going to rock this!!  I can feel my legs becoming solid hill-climbing machines, and it is awesome.  I'm also finally beginning to build upon my calf muscles so that there is that slight but noticeable curve to my calf. Sweet.  Once I get that visible calf muscle, I'll be able to officially call myself a runner.

With that said, I'm running my fourth half marathon in 2 weeks! This will be my fourth this year, and fourth ever. Go me! The next race after that is a 1.6mile swim in Hudson, 1 week later with NYCSwims, followed by the 5K Wall Street Run 4 days later.  I'm on a roll!

Did I mention I signed up for another Olympic triathlon?

1 year straight TNT!

I've been training with Team In Training for almost 1 year straight. I started the season in March last year, and trained through July. I took a little break of Aug/Sept, but I still ran a race in that time.

One year later, this is what my watch reads (as an overall count)! I have totally changed my life, and burned over 30,000 calories in workouts and races, all thanks to Team In Training. It's amazing what a turnaround and positive impact it has had in my life, and I'm grateful to everyone who has supported me on this path.

3 Half Marathons....

Before 30! That's right, in just 3 months, I have gone from finishing my first half marathon, to finishing my third! I'm proud to say that I am stronger and have a higher endurance than ever before and I want to stay on this roll. (It's tough though, I get tired often and I don't like feeling like I'm literally stuffing my face all the time)

Tomorrow, I turn 30. This means I will now be in the most competitive women's age group for any race that I do. I know I'll never be the winner of my AG, but it's a nice challenge to think that everyone is stepping up their game in this group. So, 30, here goes!

My next races are a 4miler Japan Day run and the Brooklyn Half Marathon. I'm also now signed up for the Nations Triathlon in DC in September!

2 Weeks till my first Rock 'N' Roll SF Half Marathon!

Am I a race nerd yet? I might be on my way!!!
I think this is the coolest race elevation chart I've seen!
2 weeks and 2 days till the Rock 'n' Roll San Francisco Half Marathon!!!

Milestones!

This week, I overcame a major milestone. I worked out 5 days straight, and felt really good. Here's the breakdown:

Saturday: Brooklyn Team Triathlon Practice
Sunday: Coogan's 5K
Monday: Brooklyn Tri Swim Practice (Intermediate session)
Tuesday: Manhattan Tri Run Practice (Intermediate)
Wednesday: Pure Power Boot Camp (insanity, 7:30am)
Thursday & Friday: Rest & Stretch
Saturday.... Repeat!

It's definitely been an exhausting week, so I really need to figure out how I am going to keep my energy out, since Friday was supposed to be a swim day, but I could barely keep my eyes open on the subway. What to do.... Any advice? I also don't really want to put on weight because I really am enjoying the way I am looking and feeling!

Coogan's Salsa, Blues 5K -- completed!

Yesterday was the first official triathlon team practice! We did about 20minutes of running, and I was desperately seeking more, so today's race worked out well.

Great day for a 5K run, though it was a little cold. All along the course in Washington Heights (45min subway ride up to the top of Manhattan), were various types of musicians scattered to encourage us and entertain us. While I wasn't running a 15minute 5K pace, I did manage to keep my pace under a 10min/mile which is great because it was pretty darn crowded with lots of kids and walkers. Here's a pic for 4 of us (all finishers from Bermuda, and TNTers) who did this mornings race, and I knew about z4 other people running today.

I am 4/10ths of the way to qualifying for the New York City Marathon in 2014!!! (I have run 3 NYRR races, and volunteered for one, as part of the program 9+1).

So, what's next?

Of course, you are probably not surprised when I tell you I have tons of races planned for the season!

I'm running a 5K Irish-themed run on Sunday, the day after Team In Training practice officially kicks off for the new NYC triathlon season! After that, I don't have much planned beyond oh, just 3-4 days of Team In Training workouts, with my own personal 2-3 days of working out. I am ready to really get serious. Why? I am motivated by the honored teammates I have met over the seasons, and I am motivated by my own health. I feel great. It feels good to be alive, and it feels good to look good in this life that I am loving. Team In Training has given me a lot over the last 3 years, and this year I am really giving back by becoming a mentor. I have three wonderful alumni mentees who I raced with either in 2010 or 2012, and I am set on being more than a corporate mentor but also a supporting mentor to the BK and Manhattan teams.

So, triathlon training will kickoff, and then it'll be time for two half marathons on back to back weekends. Why, you ask? Because I've got legs and they be feelin' good! (Ask me about that in April 14th night, and I just might tell you something else.) The San Francisco Rock N Roll Half Marathon will be first true Half Marathon (no 10K or 1 miler in the 2 days prior like in Bermuda!) so I am planning to rock it. Maybe a 2:20 should be my plan? I have no idea, but I really need to scope out this elevation and route and figure out where I'm going to push myself and take it easy.

Until Saturday, stay healthy and happy, dear friends, athletes, and family. :) Hi, Mom.

Cherry Tree 10 miler - it feels good be alive!!!

Seriously. Today's race felt like it was never going to end, but I kept pushing myself to just keep going, and remember that I've run this exact race route twice before with the Battle of Brooklyn 2010 and 2012.

I wore compression socks for the first time, but opted to only go with one pair of running pants which may have resulted in me feeling distracted as I felt myself freezing between hip and knee.

(Side note: I recently purchased a pair of Zoot Ultra Compression socks from an Active.com GearUp sale. I strongly recommend becoming an Active.com Advantage member to get 15% off at the GearUp store. Highly recommend the socks and the membership!)

I think next time, I'll wear the comp socks plus a thicker pair of running tights since even though the pairs I have are lined with fleece or something on the inside, it just doesn't work for this weather.

And then there was nutrition. Did I mention that this might have been my worst race experience ever? In a last minute decision at bag check, I started searching for Chapstick to put into my running belt, and I have no idea how I missed it, but my trusty nutrition did not make it back into my belt pocket. By mile 5, I was really feeling it, and by mile 7 I was considering picking up someone's unfinished Gu pack (rest assured, I did not decide to test my immune system with that but it definitely crossed my mind when I passed a single, lonely Clif Block. :)

Final time: 1 hour, 45 minutes and 52 seconds, yielding a 10:35/mile pace. My ankle has been acting up, as well as my back and my knees so I am taking it easy the rest of the day. No matter what, no matter how I felt like I was running on fumes, today proved to me that I can really run my own race and my own pace and feel like a champion!!!

Beyond Bermuda!

Me & My Trusty Shoes!

Greetings from a very chilly, and somewhat snowy NYC!

I found a picture from after the Bermuda Half-Marathon day, and thought I'd share it! It's me, with my TNT pride, showing off the shoes that took me all the way through the Bermuda Half Triangle Challenge!!!

This week, I did my first run with NYRR -- it was a Superbowl-themed 4miler in Central Park, in 25*, and yesterday, I did my first run with the NYC Triathlon team for the July 14th race!  We've got plenty of time (it was only 30*, so not as bad as Sunday), and it was a nice and easy run.

Courtesy of my Garmin Connect (from my watch/shoe)

Collage tradition continued!

I DID IT!!!

One Bermuda Half Triangle Challenge under my belt, and my first 1/2 Marathon under my belt!

Here's a finishing shot of the 10K race! (The 1/2 Marathon wasn't such a smiley photo finish for me, being cold and chilled to the bone!

I'm done!!

And I've got 4 medals and 4 t-shirts to prove it! 


Here's the post-race shot of a very cold, and wet me -- just finished my first half marathon!

Bermuda!

Two races down, and one to go! It has been a fun little time in Bermuda so far! Here's a quick set of pix!

Bermuda.... HERE WE COME!!

I'M SO EXCITED! AND I CAN'T HIDE IT!!!

If you donate to my continued donating efforts for Team In Training, and if you donate before 1/16, then I'll put your name on my race singlet which I'll wear for at least one of the races!

DONATE HERE AND SPONSOR ME!
http://pages.teamintraining.org/nyc/nyctri13/sarahthomas