WomenTalkSports.com is an online network that connects the very best blogs relating to women's sports. http://womentalksports.com/profiles/view/1524 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Sat, 25 May 2013 18:04:14 -0400It is an art. I just finished another triathlon.  It was my first sprint triathlon of the season. I was looking forward to it, because I did the same race last year.  Trialthons are all different.  They have different distances, set ups and transitions.  I thought if I did the same race this year I would see how much I improved over the year. The race was the Maine State Triathlon, which takes place in Bethel, Maine. It is a small, relatively local race, but the participants are competitive.  The race location is situated in the mountains region of the state about an hour and half north west of Portland.  It is quite beautiful.  The 1k swim is in a clean lake.  The 15 mile bike ride is on a gorgeous rural road, which is peaceful and scenic.  The 3.6 mile run is around the lake on a dirt road completely shaded by trees. The distances are a little longer than your typical sprint tri, but the beauty of this race is worth the extra training.&n...http://www.womentalksports.com/items/read/1524/1158763Tue, 13 Sep 2011 13:42:59 -0400  The other day I went for my normal lunchtime run.  I set out to do the same 5 mile loop that I have done so many times.  On this particular day, the temperature was in the mid 80’s and the humidity was high.  When I got through half of the run, I felt terrible.  I was lethargic like my legs each weighed 100 lbs, and it took every bit of effort to continue.  I did stop and reevaluated what was going on.  I decided to cut my run short and finished three miles instead.  This was the beginning of my summer time training. I live in the northeast.  In the winter, it gets incredibly cold, and we can have snow storms that leave a foot of the beautiful white stuff everywhere.  While snow is nice to look at, it isn’t so easy to run and bike in.  When I prepared for winter training, I looked at the weather forecast for the week.  If I saw snow in the forecast or below 25 degree temperatures, I would workout inside.  ...http://www.womentalksports.com/items/read/1524/1032095Wed, 06 Jul 2011 14:52:36 -0400The other day my 10 year old son, Andrew, was lecturing my daughter, Nicole, who is 13, about conquering her fears.  She was afraid of swallowing a large allergy pill, which she desperately needed.  We were all shocked how afraid she was to even attempt it.  It was something so simple, but for her, it was a very big deal.  I was also pretty amazed at my son’s wisdom, although I am sure it was a lecture he had heard before from one of us at one time. I usually subscribe to the philosophy that if I am afraid to do something, I must do it.  Conquer my fears.  This holds true with many things.  Last January, my good friend, Nancy, called me to talk me into signing up for my first Olympic distance triathlon.  My first reaction was no way.  It was scheduled for May 15th, which was really early in the race season.  I thought the water would be too cold.  I thought I wouldn’t have time in the winter to properly train because o...http://www.womentalksports.com/items/read/1524/989733Wed, 08 Jun 2011 14:46:26 -0400I love my friends.  We laugh and joke about our crazy lives and they make me feel like the day in and day out of being home with four kids is normal.  They are there for me for my ups and downs, whether it be a family celebration or helping me care for sick kids.  They have a sincere love for my family and me, and I feel blessed to have them apart of my life. When I decided to commit to do the Danskin Sandy Hook triathlon, my first reaction was not to buy a new pair of sneakers or bathing suit.  I decided to recruit as many of my friends to embark on this journey with me.  I sent out a note to a group of friends with the registration details and managed to get about 12 women to sign up.  These women had the desire to do something outside of their comfort zone and physically challenge themselves. The friends, who finished the race, had the desire coupled with the time, motivation and discipline to train.  As a group, we hired a swim instructor to giv...http://www.womentalksports.com/items/read/1524/961001Mon, 16 May 2011 10:35:32 -0400I have always liked exercising. In high school, I ran track, and I continued to run off and on through college. I decided in my mid-twenties to do some long distance races and finished three marathons, including the New York City Marathon, the Marine Corp Marathon in Washington, D.C. and the Chicago Marathon. At that point in my life, I had plenty of time to dedicate to training for a marathon. It was an incredible athletic challenge, and I felt good about myself despite my relatively average finishing times. Exercise had an important place in my life…and it changed once I had children. Whoever said, “kids change everything,” certainly wasn’t kidding. Time became a precious commodity, and I couldn’t just take off and run for two hours anymore. In addition, my body took a beating during pregnancy and childbirth. I managed to get the weight off and stay fit with short gym workouts, but once I was back into pretty good shape, I was pregnant again. This happ...http://www.womentalksports.com/items/read/1524/946264Wed, 04 May 2011 10:07:46 -0400