7/26/13

Zinio: The Worlds Largest Digital Newsstand

Zinio 300x250I don’t subscribe to magazines – even for my most favorite hobby of triathlon/running etc – because they are expensive, tend to gather dust all over my house and I don’t ever seem to find the time to read them.

Money down the drain…until I discovered Zinio.

I do carry my iPhone and iPad every.single.where and the Zinio platform allows me to carry my favorite magazines that I want to read with me to work, on travel – anywhere. Now I don’t have to gather my magazine up and pack to take on a trip or put in my brief case (I never did that anyway). I can just grab my iPad – which I DO have to take to work with me everyday.

Now, during a break, while waiting for an appointment, at lunch – ANYTIME, ANYWHERE – I can check out the latest articles in my magazine(s) of choice.

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Explore- Free articles curated every week –>read for free

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Read what you like on any device - Millions of readers from around the world have downloaded Zinio's apps for iOS, Android and Windows 8, and other platforms for any device.

BUT WAIT…THERE’S MORE!

300x250_zpassNew at Zinio!
Introducing Z-Pass:
  • Get 3 new magazines for $5 every month, with Z-Pass
  • Keep the same 3 or swap your titles every month and explore
  • Keep your current subscriptions as they are if you like, and use Z-Pass to test out new magazines instead of committing to a full year of something new
  • see below for Z-Pass images you can use
  • http://bit.ly/z-pass-ah
This is the way I would like my magazine subscriptions. No full year commitment to anything. Move it around as you wish. I would start with Inside Triathlon, Triathlete and Velo.

What magazines would you take advantage of either on Zinio or using the Z-Pass?

Here is your chance to share with us all and to win a free subscription to any magazine of your choice. Winners can choose from ANY of the thousands of titles Zinio offers.

Not familiar with Zinio? Check it out HERE. Zinio has thousands of top magazines from around the world and you can browse and purchase subscriptions or single issues instantly from your computer or mobile device to read wherever and whenever you like.  Zinio’s Explore section lets you read - even without a subscription - thousands of articles from your favorite magazines and share them with friends.


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I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Zinio.com.  Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally.

7/25/13

Race Report: Maryland Olympic Duathlon & HEAD GAME

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This race was HARD! Harder than TriRock Philly. Just friggin hard and hot as hades.

 

It was my worse performance at a race – EVER. This whole year has been one challenge after another in terms of illness and injury. I was floundering. Scrambling to put together a training program sans coach, trying to fit it all in with a promotion at work, school AND a family/home to care for…

 

Something had to give.

 

Turns out I let fear, doubt and uncertainty creep into my head. Suddenly, my self talk was turning negative and/or doubtful. “I don’t think I can…” kinda stuff. Ugggaaaaahhh.

 

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Run – 2 miles 25:52

Well, hot damn! I was actually feeling kinda good about this two miles. Slightly under 13min pace, which since the foot fiasco, is like speedy gonzalez for me. This might not be as bad as I thought, but I noticed that I was LAST…AGAIN in my age group. My spirits dropped. Sigh.

 

T1 2:25

FASTEST transition EVER! GO ME. I have to say that I generally piddle around in transition. Eat, drink, be merry, get my ish together, piddle, piddle. This time, I decided to give – GET IN AND GET OUT – a try. Cut about 2 min off that piddle around time. It definitely could get even shorter.

 

STOP PIDDLING AROUND. Move along, nothing to see here.

 

Bike – 26 Miles 2:18:31

…at the blistering slow pace of 11.8 mph. I was doing fine on that first loop avg 13 mph on that HILLY.FRIGGIN.COURSE. There was just no let up on the hills. NONE. And the downhill portions were a short precursor to the next climb.

 

And it was HOT! Halfway through the second loop, I mentally checked out. Watch it…it happens quickly and it is damn near impossible to get back in the head game – impossible to get your mind back right. I just didn’t want to climb anymore. NOT.ONE.MORE.HILL! I was out.

 

Snivel, snivel, whine, whine. And the race was pretty much over. It wasn’t a race anymore. It was a “can I just get to the finish line before the cutoff” race mindset. Just endure long enough to get there.

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…and then my West Point Classmate, John Crino, came WHIZZING past me on his bike, yelling “GO ARMY, CLASS OF 87’” and I got a little pep in my pedal. I mean seriously, I couldn’t have my classmate see me coming into transition all defeated and pathetic looking, right? NO WAY!

 

I beast it into T2 and try to hold it together for the 4 mile run to come…and of course, there was John look all fresh as a daisy, encouraging me to just keep moving. I’m almost done.

 

T2 – 3:43

PIDDLE. PIDDLE. SNIVEL. 2 TEARS (maybe 4) and I talked with my classmate for a bit. Sue me.

 

Run 4 miles 1:16:09

970066_10201049756382603_1044760491_nYeah, I pretty much walked that puppy. I was DONE. Stick a fork in me, DONE! My legs were lead. My foot was screaming at me. I was so hot, I felt like I was going to spontaneously combust. I don’t even remember the last half mile. I only recall sounds. I heard “COME ON LISA!!!” and “MISTY!! GET THE COW BELL”. I heard the cow bell and shuffled, hobbled and staggered to it. The cow bell got louder, I shuffled faster. I heard Shawn (Hard Body Outdoor Fitness) ask me what I needed. I think I said “The end” or “The Finish” and grabbed at the flag string that guided you to the finish chute.

 

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…and in the most dramatic diva finish that only the TravelDiva could manage…I crossed the finish line, stood there a second and the lights went out. I came to seconds later to Shawn shoving bags of ice into every crevice he could find (and there are plenty) and volunteers and a medic pouring water all over me. First thing I said was “Did I cross the finish!!!??” If not drag me across the line, please.”

 

After a few minutes to make sure I was okay, I got my medal, shoved some more bags of ice in my shirt and walked straight over to Suzy Serpico of RipIt Events & RipIt Coaching

and asked if she and Danny would help me.

 

Laying on the ground – I KNEW – I was not going to make it the rest of the season without some solid guidance, some hands on, some serious accountability to get back in the game and get my HEAD GAME BACK.

 

Suzy & Danny took me on and after meeting with Suzy and discussing my challenges and goals, I knew I was investing in the right thing. Listening to Suzy and coming up with a game plan together was exactly what I needed and her passion and enthusiasm is infectious. The DIVA IS BACK.

 

So, I have my training plan for the month…and well, it’s not anything to joke with. However, this past week, getting out there and doing it – I felt the weight of doubt and uncertainty fall off my shoulders.

 

The HEAD GAME struggle is real. Despite all your conditioning and training, if you let the negative nellies & anxiety get in there – it’s like pour water on a gremlin. The resulting monster will wreak havoc on everything. The game; the race will be OVER.

 

Mental toughness. Head Game.

 

Get some. Now let’s RIP IT!!!

7/3/13

Race Report: TriRock Philly & MENTAL TOUGHNESS

1048883_10151684327379630_1264830968_oDespite the fact that I look absolutely MARVELOUS in this moc-cover photo…Tri Rock Philly = Getting my azz handed to me.

 

PERIOD.

 

It’s been a while since I’ve done an Olympic distance and this was my first Tri since the IM70.3 Cozumel Survivor Trial…and, well, it SHOWED. At least on the run…and the bike course fro hell.

 

The course director for this race is OF THE DEVIL. Who in their right mind would put not ONE but FOUR switch back/technical hills (20%+ grades) on a friggin course. DA HELL??!! I got two words – RAT BASTID!

 

I rode up to Philly on Friday and made it to Nineteen69’s house just in time to get to packet pickup and off to the movies (World War Z). We both got up on Saturday and made our way down to the Sprint distance race to watch and cheer on @Dwidgee in her first Tri. SHE WAS BEAST!

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These pictures say it all about her first tri. GO @Dwidgee!!! YOU ROCKED PHILLY!!!

 

After the race, @Nineteen69 and I took the kids to the pool where we got in some laps and the hot tub. It was very relaxing and I felt as prepared as I was ever gonna be. I packed my gear and fell asleep at 9:30pm. It was one of the best pre-race sleeps I have ever had. AMAZING. I think I have to do that swim/hot tub thing again.

 

I was up at 4 am; got dressed, grabbed my bag, put the bike on the car and @Nineteen69 and I took off to pick up Bailey (I had the most awesome Spectathlete crew…EVER). They helped me get fed, walk my gear down to transition and kept me calm, cool & collected as I set up everything in transition.

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                  lisa_transition transition

When TriRock took over this race from the Lifetime series, there were a lot of nice changes/additions made (again, the BIKE COURSE was NOT one of them) and one was that the swim went in one direction with the current so you didn’t have to make any turns – just keep swimming as straight as possible downstream. AWESOME! After getting all set up in transition, we all had to board buses to get to the other side of the Schuylkill River where the swim start was.

 

Olympic Distance: Swim 1500 meters. Bike 24.8 miles. Run 6.2 miles. NUFF SAID

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SWIM: 39:58

The swim was uneventful to me. I was consistent, SLOW but steady. The buoys were HUGE and there was one every 100m except at 500m where they had a pseudo rest station. You were allowed to hold onto the ball shaped buoys, regroup and press on – or not. I swam past. There were a few times I got a little winded – like when a whole wave blew past me and I got a little flustered or when I got annoyed with the every 100m buoys and it seemed like I wasn’t moving.

 

swimLesson learned from this swim – work on stroke rate – pick up the pace, boo. Goal for IM70.3 Cozumel is to get out the water in 45 min. Aggressive (for me) but doable. LET"’S WORK!

 

BIKE: 01:58:03

Whoever put this course together was INSANELY EVIL. I am of the notion that if I had perused the course beforehand, I might have found me an excuse to be violently ill the morning of the race and bow out. Like, “NAW player…I ain’t trained up for this kinda nonsense.”  And I wasn’t and got my ASS handed to me on those soul sucking hills and we had to do TWO loops so as you are coming past the turn around; you just start cussin’ and cryin’ about the second go round with hell. I don’t even know how to describe it…but for my Howard County peeps…take Mt Albert; add a turn; then add the Gateway RBR hill, turn again and climb out of the turn up Homewood.

 

TEARS. Do it 3 more times within each 12.4 mile loop and you now know what it was like to be thrown into the pits of hell and have to ride your way out.

 

On the second loop, halfway up the second stage of the 1st major climb…I looked up and I let fear, doubt and uncertainly enter my mind. It was over. I unclipped and walked up that hill, cussing myself. It happens. However, that was the last time. The rest of the hills, I refused to look up. I kept my eyes on the road just in front of my tire and pedaled like the wicked witch of the west.

 

Lessons learned for the bike – CADENCE! I will never go out without my cadence meter. Estimating and thinking you are up at 85-90 means you are not there. GEARS – if you don’t know how to work them up and down hills; especially to become more proficient at climbing, then its best to get on an intimate basis with them.

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RUN: 01:41:51

That sucked! Coming off of a foot injury which I now know is a bone spur that I will have to manage and nurse for the rest of my days, I don’t think I did that bad. There was a time that I thought I was going to spontaneously combust – the last 3 miles had NO SHADE WHAT SO EVER – but I shuffled along doing 2:1 intervals until about the last half mile where, when I looked up (trying to keep my head up and bring it home strong) I spied my Spectathlete Team (Nineteen69 & Bailey) cheering and screaming for me. I was so relieved and happy to see them and they ran me up to the chute when I took it in strong on the red carpet.

 

It is the most awesome thing to hear your name over the loud speaker!

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Lesson's learned on the run – Keep running, boo. If it means I have to slow down, FOCUS on my form and do intervals – then perfect practice makes perfect running- for me. I am going to have to put in the work regarding running (re-learn some things, take some clinics, get a coach (STACEY!!!)) just like I had to with swimming.

 

It’s a journey and I LOVE IT.

FINISHLINE

If nothing else, each and every race and all the training leading up to the races have taught me (and I continue to develop) a mental toughness, an ability to REMAIN CALM – adapt, improvise, overcome and an ability to handle adversity/challenges with a positive mental attitude.

 

I AM A TRIATHLETE!