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

I've got a Case of the Thirties...

THIRTY!!! :-O

30 days ago, I got the most painful injury of my life (a really bad sprain which luckily was not a torn ankle ligament). 30 days later, it's still swollen. Thirty days from now... my goal is to be either walking or walk/running my first half marathon! 2013 is the year to overcome these thirties!

Thank you + an ankle update :)

Thank you to EVERYONE who attended our happy hour on 12/7.  It was an amazing success, and I was able to raise a ton of money.  The space was really cool, and people were really loving the food from the tequeria next door!  We stayed and danced the evening away and everyone had a really great time (and some folks won some awesome raffle prizes too!)

I'm back in Singapore now, and my ankle is quickly getting better.  That said, my right foot is almost like dead weight to the point that when someone is about to step on it, or I'm about to drop something, my reflexes just aren't working quick enough to get my foot out of the way.  (either it's the injury, or I'm now just a million times more sensitive to the fact that I have a sprained ankle, and I keep dropping things on my foot.)

Yesterday was my first full workout since my last swim in NYC (about 2 weeks ago).  I was able to do 40minutes in the pool (plus some) and swam just shy of a mile.  I was worried that my ankle would start acting up, but luckily I was able to pull through and really get going!  The pool here (pictured above) is absolutely beautiful and slightly longer than the Y I go to, so I was really enjoying myself.  Looking around at all the guys around me, I was definitely one of the better swimmers, and probably the one with the most endurance (which doesn't say a lot since I'm still a weaker swimmer, and about 20-30 years younger than most of the guys that were there...) Excited to get running again soon! My ankle feels like it's at about 75%!

It's a busy month for sure, but Bermuda is right around the corner!  This is what my travel looks like through the end of January, but I'm thrilled to finally have BERMUDA in my list of upcoming trips!!

Happy Hour!

My teammates, Marilyn and Crissel, and I are holding a happy hour on Friday, 12/7 and I hope that you, your friends/families/coworkers/fellow athletes will come join us!

The event is at 200 Orchard in the LES (steps from the 2nd Avenue subway stop) and starts at 5:45, with happy hour prices till 8pm! There will also be $5 'Bermuda Triangle' cocktails all night. We have a private room to ourselves till 10pm, and then we can stay as long as we want even after that as the DJ spins! This place has a BYOFood option, or you can have food delivered right to the bar, so you should be set if you want to eat!  Items that will be raffled off during the event are graphic design products from CMYK+White (designplusshop.com), Body Shop gift set, a gift card to Body Rock Sport (http://www.bodyrocksport.com), and more! Raffle tickets are now available and are priced as the following and can be bought at our workplaces, social events, or at GTS!

• $10 for 5 tickets
• $20 for 12 tickets (2 bonus tickets!)
• $40 for 25 tickets (5 bonus tickets!)

See you Friday!
FACEBOOK INVITE: https://www.facebook.com/events/404457906289108 (please invite your friends and have them rsvp too!)

RAFFLE ITEM SAMPLING (PICTURED BELOW):

• Professional hair product from Schwarzkopf Gift Basket
• $90 gift card to spend at www.BodyRockSport.com 
• American Apparel T-shirts: Toddler t-shirts (size 4 white tees, size 6 green tee) & Mens' dark grey size M t-shirt
• "I'm not an old bag!" Eco Tote bag
• 10-piece Body Shop Moisturizing Body Care Collection.

Prizes will be selected in order of when the winners' ticket was selected. Winning ticket holders not present will be eligible to win the final prize left after selections are made... so get thee to our Happy Hour!

Professional Hair Product Gift Basket from SCHWARZKOPF

$90 GIFT CARD TO SPEND @ ONLINE STORE

GRAPHIC TEES & TOTE FROM CMYK+WHITE

10-PIECE GIFT BASKET FROM THE BODY SHOP