XTERRA Trail Running Series Champion

Well… I just found out that I am the official XTERRA Trail Running Series Champion for the female 40-44 year olds! Ok.. no snickering.. this is kinda cool.. I mean this means I get free entry into the XTERRA National Championship Xduro in Bend, Oregon on Sept. 27th and I get the title of XTERRA Trail Run Series Champion….

I knew going into the Xterra 21K Half Marathon Trail Race on July 20th that I was 2nd in the point standings and barring something unexpected like not finishing or getting eaten by a bear that I should be able to hold that placing. .. but honestly I didn’t think I had a shot at champion as the gal who was leading our points was one of those exceptional runners that you just have to be in awe of… no way I was coming close to beating her… but sometimes it just takes a little luck… she did not show up to run the 21K and well that freed me up to win our series!

WOW… what a surprise that was… and what an exciting year this is!…. not only do I get to be the PA State Snowshoe Women’s Champion… I also get to be the Xterra Trail Run Series Champion for Female's 40-44. Gotta love it!

Xterra Points Link
Xterra Trail Running Series Info
Mid-Atlantic Events Website

(PS: alas... I cannot go to Oregon, it's the same day as Chessy Man!)

Dream Ride Bike Century (100 miles)

Note from the Dream Ride Lancaster Website: Our bicycle tours will take you through the rolling countryside of Western and Northwestern Lancaster County with continuous views of preserved farmland, some covered bridges and the less traveled country roads…….

Joe and I did a century (and then some) today....

TOTAL MILES BIKED 115!...… moving time 8 hours 21 minutes... total time with breaks… 9 hours and some change.. YOWZA… oh and when they stated rolling hills…. Um…. When a car has to downshift going up a hill is that rolling…. ?

Estimated elevation gain 4,600 feet.. no idea what that means.. I just know that if I see another hill for the rest of my life it will be too soon…. For the love of #&$^* is it absolutely necessary to map out a course that brings a "grown" adult to almost tears! Although one descent was fairly decent.. 43.5 miles per hour.. made my cheeks shake..

Total damage: 3 chain slips, 2 unclip failures, a couple “disagreements”, one bloody elbow and one bloody knee, and a few blisters in unmentionable places….. All in all the day was great! Not only did we get lost twice, we tacked on extra miles just because we could (NOT)… AND as a bonus.. we had humor along the way.. looking at wendy still clipped into her pedals laying in the street twice.. yes the day was F-A-N-T-A-S-T-I-C.. Cant wait to sign up next year… I am trying to figure out why we find the need to get up at 4am on our day off and travel an hour away to subject ourselves to 9 hours of pure unadulterated fun..

(PS: picture is about 30 miles into ride.. we are HAPPY.. )

Elevation Link
Dream Ride Lancaster Website

Bilateral Bipartite Sesamoids

Relatively rare condition present in only 25% of the population. So I tell you… how is it we can't win the lottery but we can win this rare foot condition?? Joe went to foot doctor yesterday for his injured paw and had x-rays on both feet… and viola this was the diagnosis…

What is it… ??...well not to get complicated and not to list tons of medical info.. basically it’s the sesamoid bone split in two, a condition he was born with, not a fracture.

I am not a doctor.. but here is what I translated from the doctor’s diagnosis into layman’s terms… there are two sesamoid bones on the bottom of each foot past the big toe, think pad of foot.. and well one of these sesamoid bones is split in two.. interesting huh!??? On the foot he is having a problem with it’s split right across the middle where the ball of the foot is .. the other foot it’s split on a diagonal thus not a problem… OK.. so what does this mean???… he is still in pain and unable to apply much pressure to the one foot… SOO the doctor fixed him up with a cortisone shot, orthopedic shoe insert, explained how he could tape big toe to limit movement until the inflammation goes down… and also provided him some valuable info about NOT running in worn out shoes.. …

It appears.. how do I say this nicely.. that the advice of a physician most certainly outranks the SAME exact advice that a spouse provides.... sigh…

GOOD NEWS is that he is allowed to continue with his marathon training and cross training as long as he takes it easy until the inflammation goes down.. is taking it easy going on a 100 mile bike ride????.... OH YEAH.. tomorrow is our Dream Ride 100 miler in Lancaster… hope they don’t have to fly him into Lancaster General Hospital..

(PS: By the way this is NOT his foot in picture!.. )

WE MET THE GOAL!

Warren Chaiken
Ken Depaola
Charles Duffy
Suzanne Duffy
Mimi Fregede
Maggie Humphrey
John Hunter
Mitch Lawn
Gary Perkins
Cynthia Rennie
Anne Schwarz
Jennifer Guerrero
Thom Beard


A special thank you to these wonderful individuals who helped me raise $500 for the Ulman Cancer Fund and helped sponsor me for the Women’s Iron Girl Triathlon in Columbia Maryland on August 24th. Your donation goes to a very needy cause and has touched the hearts of many. Thank you for commitment to me and to your commitment to those in need.

Wendy

PS: On August 24, 2008 I will be racing in the AFLAC IRON GIRL COLUMBIA TRIATHLON in Centennial Park - Columbia, Maryland (0.62mi Swim - 17.5mi Bike - 3.4mi Run). It is an all women's event. Individuals who raise $500.00 or more for the Ulman Cancer Fund for Young Adults will receive the following: Iron Girl shirt, Iron Girl bag, Iron Girl socks, Iron Girl visor, Iron Girl mug, Her Sports & Fitness Magazine Subscription, Special race bib, and Recognition at the award ceremony. The Ulman Cancer Fund for Young Adults (UCF), is a 501 c-3 non-profit charity organization based in Columbia, MD, is the first and largest organization in the country solely supporting young adults living with cancer. You can find out more about the Ulman Fund by clicking on their website link: Ulman Cancer Fund Website

XTERRA XDURO 21K Half Marathon

Fighting the demons.

91 degrees today. Too hot. Man… too hot to be running 13.1 miles, alas too hot to be doing anything but floating in a pool. But gotta keep with the schedule.. wonder what the h-ll I am thinking… why cant I just sleep in, go to pool, and relax?!.. sigh

I ran the XterraXduro 21K Trail Half Marathon in Nottingham this am… should have known when I didn’t see any animals nor living creatures roaming about that it was going to be a scorcher of a day.

The course was a two loop course that was laid out just right.. a mix of trails, grass, single track, and hills.. they offered the option of bailing out after the first loop of 6.2 miles if we wanted.. and I do believe many choose this option and smartly so… bail out.. go home and go to the pool…

I HAD to get this 13.1 mile training run in.. just take it nice... and easy....they say trail running is great for the soul and much better for the legs than road running.. um.. yeah.. they are outta their mind!!! This is now the umpteenth time that I have trail run, raced, or a mix of the two.. and each time I come out either bloody, muddy, injured or looking like someone beat me with a stick..

.. and then.... there are the demons... the trail demons.. they love to work the mind… they whisper telling you it's ok to give up, they input doubt.... they bring in fatigue...they jump on your back going up hills… .. I stumbled, I twist my ankle.. they said to quit....it's ok, you have nothing to prove.. bail..

.. into a blazin hot field..nothing but the sounds of buzzing insects.. I tell you bail.. 6 miles is fine.. bail I tell you… EAGLEMAN, CHESSY MAN….. I must go on.. GO ON.. and leave me alone!... The second loop was just as fun as the first…alot slower and alot more painful BUT I did finish and I did not let the trail demons win.. not really sure trail running and I are "ONE"... it just battles with me.. but I know in a few weeks when I can feel my toes again that I will be stronger!

Post note: I won 3rd in my age division until some gender confusion (not with me!) bumped me to 4th… that I am sure will make another posting!

Upper Uwchlan 150th Anniversary 5K Run

Big Ole’ Ribbon

Today… Joe and I ran the Upper Uwchlan 150th Anniversary 5K Run together.. when I say we ran it together I mean T-O-G-E-T-H-E-R…

Our township was celebrating their 150th Anniversary and I thought it would be a great idea to sign up the WHOLE family and do a family run.. unfortunately the whole family had other ideas…… like, “OH..I haven’t walked/run in weeks” ....or “I forgot about it, when is it again?” ....or the best yet, “I have to go to the Kenny Chesney concert”.....now why is it I am the only one who hasn’t heard any of his songs???? and WHO IS HE@@! ?

Anyhow, low and behold Joe said he would do the 5K with me.. since by the way it was only 2 miles from our house…..so we head down to the township building to pick up our race packets. A sign at registration posted the winning award brackets.. they offered the top 3 male and female in only three brackets: ages 15-28, 29-45, and 46+ Holy Smokes.. that means Joe and I would be competing with a LARGE group of people...the 29-45 year olds.. and by glancing around THAT’S ALMOST all that were here, not too many younglings getting themselves out of bed on a Saturday morning.. so that kinda sealed the deal.. we would just run nice and easy… Joe was nursing a bad paw anyhow… (hurt the pad of his foot this week) so should be easy enough to stay on the easy plan. Until the gun goes off..

I really did try and hold back… no starting off like someone shot me out of a cannon.. I took it nice and E-A-S-Y…I look over and there is Joe.. hmm.. I must be going too easy.. so I pick up pace… I look over again and he is AHEAD OF ME!!!!… HMMMMM… so I pick up pace again…Did I not mention that we ran T-O-G-E-T-H-E-R? ... Most of the race was this back and forth.. I would be ahead.. we would be besides each other.. he would be ahead and then we would be besides each other… I looked at time on watch.. what part of EASY did we miss??!!….. We both PR’d today…Joe taking over 2 minutes off his best 5K time… I placing third in my age group and 15th overall and Joe placing 17th overall. And what a BIG OLE’ RIBBON they gave out…

Zip Me Up

You know with all the hours of training, working, and doing nothing….I sometimes forget to thank the ones who have been the most helpful and supportive… On the top of my list today is my mom… who quite literary got me OUT OF A BIND this am….. see..

…this morning I thought it would be special to wear a dress to work.. it’s Friday, it’s going to be hot and I thought .. ok .. dress day… well this particular dress zippered up the back…. you know like a wetsuit.. well I am not sure how many of you have worn or put on wetsuits but I have found that it’s next to impossible to zip yourself up in one without help.. so I thought of this ..as I zipped up the dress… and luck be have it.. the zipper sticks..

And of course it sticks in the exact spot in the middle of your back where you cannot reach it either by putting your arms up or down the back.. and so I fussed around with this predicament for a little bit and got myself into a nice state…SO NOW not only was my zipper stuck it was somehow wrapped around itself.. and now I am really STUCK.. literally stuck in my dress.. I cannot get out of it.. nor can I zip it up completely… and I have to go to work.. THUS comes in the big THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH to mom…

[I had to drive all the way across town to have my mom release me from my bondage!]

Please make sure you thank your mom and/or loved ones…every day because they are INVALUABLE…. THANK YOU MOM!

MIND TRAINING:

Wendy’s Update on her Personal Training Certification:
FINALLY … finished the course work, exam and essay questions for my Personal Training Certificate and now anxiously await to see if I pass and get certified. Amazing how fast the months do go by! My head is full of all sorts of WONDERFUL knowledge that I have been sharing with a few of you…. Although I think I need a course on, “How to deal with difficult people”.

….Like when I suggest that you do an easy run that does not mean you go out and run like wild animals are after you...and when I suggest that you ice your leg for 10-20 minutes that does not mean that you ice for 25 minutes and then proceed to do (I SWEAR) an Irish jig in place in front of me to prove that 25 minutes was ok… SIGH…

Eagleman Half Ironman 2008 Pics

Loop to Loop:

When its hot out and you have a long run to attend to there are a few options to keep properly hydrated… along with running at the CRACK of Dawn… the one option which really makes sense is the loop course option… you run out for XX amount of miles and then back home, refuel, and then run out again for XX amount of miles and back home.. easy enough…

OF course what you FORGET is that coming in after your first loop of 10 miles…. knowing you have 6 more miles to go.. is MADDENING!…. you look up and see your home and the door welcomes you into air-conditioning and your legs feel like toast but you are not done……

SO close but yet so far away. Just think Joe.. after this 16.. we only have 10.2 more to go… that Marathon on November 2nd is going to be G-R-E-A-T!

Workout Madness:

Madness: Noun:
· The quality or condition of being insane. See Synonyms at insanity.
· Great folly: It was sheer madness to attempt the drive during a blizzard.
· Fury; rage.
· Enthusiasm; excitement.

The sheer thought of doing 75 miles on the bike trainer for a total time of 3-1/2 hrs of blissful ENTHUSIASM.. then jumping off and running 6 miles easy… what is easy? I have to remind myself again WHY am I doing a Full Ironman??.. Time sure does pass a bit faster when you get to watch the ENTIRE 1st episode of Lord of the Rings Extended version and heck start the second and HOW LONG ARE THESE VIDEOS!!!! And real sorry to the Saturday morning sleep “in”ners at my house… as I really truly needed the movie on that loud.. it helps drown out the pain…

Unable to walk now or stand upright … Tomorrow is our long run 16 miles… Joe better be rested from his 25+ mile bike adventure today to French Creek and oh yeah and cutting the grass.

AFLAC IRON GIRL COLUMBIA TRIATHLON

On August 24, 2008, Wendy will be racing in the AFLAC IRON GIRL COLUMBIA TRIATHLON in Centennial Park - Columbia, Maryland (0.62mi Swim - 17.5mi Bike - 3.4mi Run).

It is an all women's event. Individuals who raise $500.00 or more for the Ulman Cancer Fund for Young Adults will receive the following: Iron Girl shirt, Iron Girl bag, Iron Girl socks, Iron Girl visor, Iron Girl mug, Her Sports & Fitness Magazine Subscription, Special race bib, and Recognition at the award ceremony.

The Ulman Cancer Fund for Young Adults (UCF), is a 501 c-3 non-profit charity organization based in Columbia, MD, is the first and largest organization in the country solely supporting young adults living with cancer.

You can find out more about it at http://www.ulmanfund.org/ (TAX DEDUCTABLE) DONATE DIRECTLY TO my fund raise webpage so I get credit.. http://www.active.com/donate/ucf2008/wendymastripolito

If you dont want to do the donating online you can write a check just make sure you put my name on memo line.. and send to:All offline donations must be recorded on your online web campaign page with Active Donations. Please make checks out to Ulman Cancer Fund and note Iron Girl in the check memo line. Offline donations can be turned in at race registration or mailed to Ulman Cancer Fund for Young Adults PMB #505 4725 Dorsey Hall Drive, Suite A Ellicott City, MD 21042 Attn. Kelly Lance.