Debbie

Name: Debbie

Location: Liverpool, NY (suburb of Syracuse)

Sport of Choice: Running, triathlon, resistance training

2013 Race Plans: February: Lake Effect Half Marathon; May: Mountain Goat 10 mile run; June: run portion of the Syracuse 70.3 relay; July: Boilermaker 15K, Save the River 10K; August: River Rat Sprint Triathlon; October: Empire State Half Marathon; various fall and holiday 5Ks after that

What makes you a Tough Chik: I doubt my abilities all the time, but I just push through them because I know its all in my head.  Also, finding time to train while working 3 part time jobs, building a crafting business, and become a certified personal trainer and group exercise instructor makes me a Tough Chik!

If you had a super power, what would it be? I would make people be kind to each other because there’s so much hate in the world whether its behind the wheel, who your political party is, etc.

Fun Fact: I have a goal to be working on my own from home by the end of the calendar year…hopefully sooner!

Blog URL: I’m way behind on my blogging, but here it is:  http://mommystri-ing.blogspot.com/

Kimberly

Name: Kimberly

Location: Friendsville, TN

Sport of Choice: Running

2013 Race Plans: Knoxville Marathon relay, Ragnar Relay -Key West, and hopefully a fall marathon (would be my 2nd). I’ll also do a half marathon (or a few) and some local small races.

What makes you a Tough Chik: My weight loss running journey. I started this gig 4  years ago 90 lbs heavier running my first 5k in just under 49 minutes. I’m now a marathoner (albeit a slow one) but making huge strides daily in my journey to being a better runner (and healthier overall) all while juggling being a full time working mom of 2.

If you had a super power, what would it be? To wiggle my nose, stomp my feet and have a 100% clean house in 2 seconds flat.

Blog URL:  http://KimertRuns.blogspot.com

Melissa

Name: Melissa

Location: San Diego

Sport of Choice: Running, Weight Training

2013 Race Plans: January: Tinkerbell Half Marathon

February: Dirty Girl Mud Run, Mermaid Series Half Marathon, Lady Speed Stick Half Marathon

March: San Diego Half Marathon, Hot Chocolate 15k

April: Hollywood Half Marathon and depending on my cloning abilities, I will be running at least one of these: La Jolla Half Marathon / Inaugural Nike Half Marathon in DC

May: Safari Half Marathon

August: America’s Finest City Half Marathon

October: Nike Women’s Marathon

What makes you a Tough Chik: What makes me a Tough Chik? Have you seen my race schedule?!? I am a firm believer in making choices, not excuses. I am turning 40 this year and I’m excited to be a stronger, faster, TOUGHer Chik than ever!

There has always been a “legitimate” reason for me to take the easy way out. I could blame a full schedule, raising teenagers, asthma, anemia, or a variety of other reasons, but we all get 24 hours a day and we make time for what we value. I value life, family, and those that I can influence toward healthier living.

If you had a super power, what would it be? My daughter suggested reading minds, and my husband informed her that I already have that ability.

My son suggested the ability to clone myself, which might be nice when multiple races are on the same calendar day, but then he elaborated: You could go shopping, run to the bank, pick us up from school, and have one of you just relaxing. That made me too tired to want to clone myself.

Fun Fact: Heading into my 40th year, my nickname is now Guns amongst my running friends. More specifically, let me know if you’d ever like to meet “Vicious” and “Delicious.” I absolutely LOVE how crazy fitness freaks are.

Blog URL: http://themelissachronicles.blogspot.com

Trainer Ali, my friend and swim coach, told me about Covethon, a local aquathon (swim + run) race series that offers a free open water swim clinic prior to the race.  Since my swim leg during my last race was less than stellar, I felt that I needed the practice and this was the perfect opportunity.

I am not comfortable in the ocean. Most of my open water experience has been in the lake and most of my race experience has been in a bay or protected water (i.e. no big waves).  Most of my past race experience has been in water starts, so I really haven’t had to combat waves out past the break.  The clinic started with basic open water swimming information and wetsuit maintenance.  Then we suited up and headed out into the deep blue ocean.  To this point, I pretty much knew everything that was being covered.  When I got into the water, I was transported back to my race in TX.  We were suppose to swim out to the first buoy and back (400 yds).  On the way out to the buoy I was struggling.  Waves in my face, swallowing gallons and just having trouble getting my head down and swimming.  One of the lifeguards was on his board and I guess I looked like I was struggling.  He started to talk to me and gave me a few pointers about timing my breathing so I wasn’t coming up at the same time as a wave was setting.  He was so nice and patient.

Once I got to the buoy, I was exhausted!  Only 200 yds and I was wiped.  The thought of swimming 800 yds and running a 5K seemed too much.  I felt like I wouldn’t have the energy, which is ridiculous.  I have swam much, much further and ran/biked for hours after.  But something in my head was causing doubt.  I swam back to shore with little incident.  Ali and I chatted and she admitted that she was a little overwhelmed as well.  It was her first swim with a full wetsuit and she felt awkward.  We walked out into the surf and a huge set came in.  My goggles were on my head, so I couldn’t dive into the wave.  It knocked me over and my goggles went flying.

THE PERFECT EXCUSE!  I can’t race…I don’t have goggles (I actually had an extra pair, but no one need to know that!)  The clinic was over and we had about 45 min until the race started.  Some of the clinic participants were racing, but a whole new group of folks stared to show up for the race.  There was even a pro.  ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME????  Only in SoCal will a pro show up for a little “race” like this.  The transition area was a patch of sand and the finish line was a few lawn ornaments stuck in the sand.

I overheard the Martha (the woman running the clinic) talking to a few ladies and she said, “You are endurance athlete, so the first 200 yards may feel like crap, just make it to the first buoy.  Once you turn at the first buoy and start swimming parallel with the shore you will feel better, heck you might even feel good.”  Just that bit of advice gave me the confidence to get out there and give it a try.

40 folks participated and once the horn blasted, I held back and let the majority of the group get in the water and start swimming.  The water had calmed down and I was able to dive into a few waves and was doing ok.  I knew that I just had to make it to that first buoy and then I was going to be home free.  The swim went much better than I expected.  I did drink half of the ocean, but I was able to swim…really swim.  As I was swimming in there were lifeguards yelling at us to swim to the right.  At first I couldn’t hear what they were saying and I started to panic.  I thought that maybe the surf had picked up and the were warning us.  But atlas, it was just some rocks.

I ran into “transition”, my towel and running shoes on the sand, I noticed that Ali was there.  She was putting on her shoes, so I knew I wasn’t last!  I was actually (dare I say) doing pretty well. Ali is a strong swimmer, so for me to be just behind her was a huge boost.  She started to run out with her swim cap on, so she returned to transition to drop it off.  During that time, I left transition and started running.  The first half mile was on the sand, which is challenging.  Then we ran up a HUGE STEEP ramp to the trail.  Between the sand and the ramp, my breathing was very labored.  I attempted to slow down my breath, but it took almost a mile to get my breathing under control.

The run was an out and back, so I could see the pro hauling a$$ to the finish.  I started counting women running back to see where I was in the pack.  Once I got to the turn around point, I realized that I was in top 10 women!  The hardest part of the whole race was the soft loose sand to get to the finish.  I was worried I was going to twist my ankle!

I ended up the 9th woman, out 27 and 18/40 overall.  My swim time was 16:50 and 43:40 overall.

It was a great experience and a huge confidence boost!

Ali and I with the Crystal Cove Lifeguards

Gina

Name: Gina

Location: Sumrall, MS

Sport of Choice: Running

2013 Race Plans: MTB: Long Beach Carnival Classic Half Marathon, Rock n Roll New Orleans Marathon, Crescent City Classic 10k, Jazz Half Marathon and several 5ks

What makes you a Tough Chik: I think that being a mom that has 5 kids (even though some are older and some are small) makes any woman tough! This also means that with so much going on, I have to train when I can. That usually means that I’m on the treadmill at 9:30 at night or I’m out doing my long runs with a headlight on. (*Safety first – if it’s dark, my husband goes with me while our older kids watch the younger ones.)

I also think that making the decision to completely change my life after my 3 yr old daughter was born in 2009 makes me pretty tough. It wasn’t easy. I’d been overweight for a while and stuck in the state of mind that I was just going to be that way for the rest of my life. I finally decided that things COULD change because I was in control of what I ate and what I did. I started walking and pushing her in a stroller. My oldest daughter would come sometimes and when she did, I would try jogging ahead a few feet. I don’t know what it was that had sparked inside of me to keep trying every time we went for a walk but it was there and it wasn’t going away. On February 8, 2010, I ran a complete 5k distances without stopping. It fueled the fire in me and I knew that things weren’t going to be the same anymore. Since then, I’ve lost 76 pounds, I’ve run tons of 5ks, 10ks, 5 half marathons, 1 full and I’m in training for my 2nd that will be February 24, 2013. “Every accomplishment starts with the decision to try.” – Gail Devers, Olympic Hurdler    

If you had a super power, what would it be? To be able to run like The Flash, of course.   Can you imagine how much I’d get done??

Fun Fact: I’m in the Jan/Feb 2013 issue of Women’s Running Magazine in the Women Who Move section. MSN/Fitbie filmed me in December for their Everyday Champions series. It was released January 18, 2013.

Also, my feet are so big that I have to order men’s size 11 running shoes. I add pink laces and wear them proudly!   

Blog URL: www.slowisthenewfast.com

Nancy

Name: Nancy…aka Fancy Nancy

Location: Cape Cod, Massachusetts

Sport of Choice: running, spinning, softball

2013 Race Plans: This year I am gunning for the big one…the full marathon!  I am also shooting for at least 13 races this year with most of them being half marathons.  I can’t wait to see what 2013 brings!

What makes you a Tough Chik: What makes me a tough chik?  I’m up before dawn to squeeze in as many miles as possible before my family starts their day.  Being a mom to a toddler and a newborn, time is worth the same as gold but not running is not an option!  Sure my muscles hurt and my lungs are burning but being a healthy example of a tough girl is a perfect life for me!

If you had a super power, what would it be? I would love to be able to fly….imagine how much faster I could get around!!! I am fluent in Spanish, which many friends and coworkers call my super power since my students can’t get away with anything!!

Fun Fact: I’m pretty much your average gal but I would say something quirky about me is that from the moment the air begins to warm, I NEED to be at the beach!  I have lived all my life within 2 miles of the shore.  It is my calming place, my fun place, and the place of so many memories! I’m so excited to have two beach bum girls to share it with!

Blog URL: http://www.littlefancynancy.blogspot.com

Deihdra

Name: Deihdra

Location: Glen Rock, NJ

Sport of Choice: Triathlon

2013 Race Plans: Nike Women’s Half DC, Rev3 Quassy OLY, Philadelphia TRI Sprint, Rev3 South Carolina, NJ State Triathlon, West Point TRI and a few 5ks with my son!

What makes you a Tough Chik: I’ve never been an athlete in my entire life but found triathlon 3 years ago and am hooked.  I try very hard to not come in last – I’m often discouraged but keep signing up for races and scaring myself into training for them!

If you had a super power, what would it be? I would be a fast, graceful, beautiful runner and sing like Lea Michele (although not sure that’s a super power!).

Fun Fact: I’d never learned to swim until 3 years ago to do triathlon.  I’ve always loved the water but never knew how to actually swim and while I’m very slow – I can get to the end of the swim without much issue.

Blog URL: http://deihdratri.blogspot.com/

Your cupboard looks like this…

AND you still have this overflow for a garage sale

Your trunk may resemble this

Or your idea of new “jewelry” looks like this

This is your new luggage set

Or you get so excited about the new flavor of Honey Stinger that this is what you text your husband!

Shannon

DISCLAIMER: I am not a cycling professional.  I have never worked in a bike shop or for a bike manufacturer.  I have never raced bikes for a professional team or have been sponsored by a team.  I am your average cycling enthusiast and fledgling triathlete.  So take my advice as such.

This should help you know the names of the components that I am referring to. This must be an older drawing, because your shifters will be with your brakes and not on your down tube.

At least once a month there will be a post on the Team Tough Chik Facebook page regarding purchasing a bike.  There are so many questions that I thought I would put my suggestions and experiences in one place.  First off, let me say how happy this makes me!  All of the interest in cycling (albeit via triathlon) makes me so excited for the future of women’s cycling!  And I love to talk bikes, so still feel free to contact me with questions!

Here are some things you should think about before you start your search. You need a budget, just like buying a car, once you get into the shop you might find that the sales guy (or gal, but most likely guy) will try and up sell you, stick to your budget.  What do you want to do with the bike?  Are you buying a bike so you can ride along with your kids?  Do you want to ride on trails and the road or are you wanting to get into cycling to train for a triathlon?

Today I am going to mainly talk about road bikes, but if you have questions regarding hybrids, commuters or mt. bikes, feel free to contact me.

Budget – You might experience a little sticker shock here, that is why a budget is so important.  From my experience and in my market, you will be hard-pressed to find a road bike for under $800.  Yes, it is a commitment.  So, if you aren’t sure cycling is for you, see if you can borrow a bike from a friend that is the same height as you.  If you are 5’2″ and you borrow you neighbors bike and she is 5’8″, no matter where you put the saddle it will be too big and you will hate it.  So give cycling a chance and find a bike that fits (foreshadowing).

Weight & Components – I get posed the question, “what is the difference between a $1500 bike and a $5000 bike?”  You will find that in bike racing, weight is a HUGE deal.  Your sales guy is going to talk about weight a lot and he is probably going to have you pick up a lot of bikes.  To be blunt…weight-savings of a pound or two to the recreational cyclist should not be a major factor when choosing your new bike.  Pro cyclists are elite athletes that have trained to the limits of their physical potential and any weight-savings that they can find are considered advantages in their profession.  As much as we all hate to admit it, the cheapest way to lighten our load is to lighten ours bodies (this is a touchy subject and you can read about that here, but I digress…)
The other major factor is component groups.  Component groups refer to the shifters, derailleur, brakes, etc.  You are paying for the overall quality of the components (expensive bearings, machined aluminum, carbon fiber, etc) on more expensive bikes.

Generally speaking, the lighter the bike, the more money you will spend.  The higher quality of the components, the more money you will spend.

Materials – Most enthusiast, road bikes under $2000 are made of aluminum, the more expensive bikes are usually carbon fiber. Carbon fiber provides both weight-savings and ride quality.  Do you need carbon?  Of course you don’t NEED carbon, most entry-level bikes are aluminum and you can compete and ride in any triathlon or group ride with an aluminum bike.  Most won’t know the difference, but your bike will be marginally heavier and less road-compliant (due to aluminum’s rigid characteristics, you will “feel” the road).  If you have the money to spend, then yes, go carbon.  If not, an aluminum bike with carbon fiber, front forks will do the job just fine.  My first bike was aluminum, most are, and don’t worry if you roll up the “A” group ride or you are racking your bike at your first tri. 99% of the time the gal next to you is thinking about her own ride or race and won’t notice the difference.

Ride – So now that you know what you can afford and what your money is going to get you, go ride a bike.  Test ride every bike in your price range!  If your last bike had a banana seat and no gears (that was me), then it will feel odd.  The position will not feel natural, so ride lots of bikes.  The more you test ride bikes, the more you will be able to notice the feel of the bike and not how much your butt hurts.

Fit – I also get asked about what bike or what brand you should look at.  My answer is always, disregard the brand (and the paint job) and ride the bike.  No matter what the make of model is, if the bike doesn’t fit, then it is not the bike for you.  Just like jeans, just because you ride a 54cm in one bike, doesn’t mean that you are a 54 in all bikes or you might find that the next manufacture use small, medium and large vs. the numeric size.  Each bike manufacturer has different geometry, meaning the length and angles of the frame will differ.

Women’s Specific – Do I need a women’s bike?  Again, test ride the bike.  Don’t walk in a bike shop with the preconceived notion that you need or don’t need a women’s bike.  Back in the day (like 5 years ago) most bike manufactures “shrinked it and pinked it”, but now they are getting better about designing for women’s bodies.  And again, take that with a grain of salt.  That just means that most women have short torsos and longer legs, so the geometry is designed to accommodate the different proportions.  Many women’s bikes will come with a women’s specific saddle and smaller handle bars.  You can very easily put a women’s saddle and smaller handle bars on any bike and can be negotiated with the purchase of the bike.  Yes, woman’s bikes are cuter.  But who cares how cute it is when it is sitting in the garage because it is too uncomfortable to ride.

Pre-owned - Not everyone has the money to buy new and in this economy, there are a lot of sweet bikes on craigslist or eBay.  If you are a new cyclist, I would still suggest you test ride several new entry-level bikes.  That way, when you go to ride the pre-owned bike, you know how it should feel.  Even better, if you have a buddy who is a bike dork…bring him or her.  Before you ride the used bike, know what size bike you should ride and how a bike that is your size should feel.  Again, fit is key!  I would also see if the seller will let you get the bike looked at by a bike mechanic to see if it is in good working order.

Splurge – If you have a few extra dollars, invest in a good saddle! The biggest complaint a new cyclist has is that his/her butt hurts (it isn’t really your butt, but we all know what I am talking about).  The bottom line is that if you are new to cycling, you will be uncomfortable at the beginning but stick with it and it will pass.  A good saddle and a good pair of shorts will help.  Women’s specific saddles are wider because a woman’s hips are wider than men’s.  The plusher the saddle doesn’t mean that it will be more comfortable.  See if you can test the saddles out or find out the return policy.  It make take a few saddles but it is so worth the effort.

Fit (again) – Once you buy your bike, the bike shop should offer a fit session where they adjust the handle bar height, the seat height and may even change the stem for the handle bar position.  The shop may not offer a fit session, so make sure you ask and if they charge for a fit session, try and negotiate with the price of the bike.

Pedals - There are flat pedals, cages and clip-less pedals.  Flat pedals are just that, a flat platform.  Cages are flat pedals with a plastic “cage” that slips over your shoe and held down by straps.  Clip-less pedals are pedal and cleat systems where a cleat it attached to the bottom of a cycling shoe and the cleat locks into the pedal. Cages and clip-less pedals allow you to push and pull on the pedal giving you twice the power.  Many folks are scared to clip in.  But trust me, it is easier to get your foot out of a clip-less pedal than to get it out of a cage.  There are many different type of pedal systems on the market, so do yourself a favor and just start with clip-less pedals.  You will fall, it will be slow mo and it will hurt your pride more than your body.  It happens to EVERYONE, just get it over and move on.  Once you get use to the clip-less pedals, you will never go back.

Basically, the conclusion is this…
·        Stick to a budget.  It’s really, and I mean REALLY easy to spend thousands on a bike and all the gear that comes along with the sport.  Remember, pedals, shorts, helmet, gloves, etc are all extra costs that you should figure into the total purchase price of what will surely become your new, best friend.

·        Determine how you want to ride (to the coffee shop with the kids, or to the state line with the hammerheads).  This will help focus your shopping experience.

·        Don’t worry so much about the weight of the bike. Most bikes in a category within a similar price range will be within a few pounds of one another.

·        Test ride, test ride, test ride.  Test different bikes.  Test different saddles.  Test different pedals.  It’s all about how you feel on the bike.  If the bike you purchase instills confidence and a relative comfort, you will continue to ride and, eventually become totally addicted to the experience of the wind through your helmet and whoosh of your bike’s drive train cutting through the morning air…

Hopefully I’ve provided a little more information that might help inspire more of us Tough Chiks to start riding.  After all of this talk about bikes, it’s about time for me to saddle up…I’m going for a ride!

I ran briefly in collage, and by briefly, I mean like 6 times and by run, I mean slowly jog.  It wasn’t until I moved to CA and adopted a dog that I really started running.  My logic was that if I had to spend time exercising the dog, I might as well get a benefit out of it too.  I was active, I rode, did yoga, lifted weights, etc…but never a runner.  So enter Cosmo, my 14lb terrier-Chihuahua-dachshund-God-knows-what-mix.  I bought him a harness after pulling him around the block by his neck and we ran maybe 10 times before he started to hide when I pulled out the harness.  So I started to run solo, basically because it was convenient and I lived 2 blocks from the beach.  It was beautiful!

Cosmo, the laziest dog know to man (but ain’t he cute)

My sporadic running was solidified when I found a pamphlet for APLA (AIDS Project LA) and their half-marathon and marathon training program. I conned encouraged my bestie to join me for the informational meeting about the program.  We should NEVER go to a time-share meeting, because we can be talked into anything!  Up to this point, I had only ran a 5K, for bonus points because I wan endanger of failing pass or fail tennis in collage.  Yes, I am THAT bad a tennis.  We walked in planning on signing up for the half, but after a 30 min inspirational video of folks 40 years older and 100 lbs heavier finishing marathons, we were swindled sold.  (I am totally kidding…but not really)

So in March of 2008 we started to train for our first marathon and my real first race, and which race did we settle on?  San Francisco Marathon (later to be named with the tag-line “worth the hurt”) with the promise by the training crew that it “wasn’t that hilly”.  We were so dumb naive.  I really got into it (or so I thought) and was running 3 times a week (which I thought was a lot) and keeping up with my yoga.  Anyhoo…I ran SF with my bestie (who was so injured that she later need surgery and 9 moths in a boot).  After that I promised myself I was NOT going to be a “one and done” marathoner.  It was the last marathon I ran.

SF Marathon
Molly, Me & Daniel

Running and I go through our ups and downs.  As a triathlete, I have to admit that the run is the hardest part for me.  Just over the past few weeks, I am really starting to find my groove in running.  I am actually afraid to say (type) this out loud, as it might slip away tomorrow.  Running is not easy, not for me.  But I try…

I dress the part and channel my inner runner

I DO run…Hot Chocolate 15K
Me and Laura

But most of the time, I am running after a bike ride…don’t I look happy?

So I am celebrating National Running Day in the best way I know how, after a bike ride.  For some reason, I run faster after a bike ride.  I mean, it is usually a shorter run, but it makes me feel better

Happy Running!

Name: Veronica

Location: Pasadena, CA

Sport of Choice: MTB, Muay Thai Kickboxing and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu

2013 Race Plans: MTB: Fontana Winter Series

MTB: USC Cup West

What makes you a Tough Chik: I really like sports that challenges you, both mentally and physically.

If you had a super power, what would it be? I’d be super strong.

Fun Fact: I have a Mustang from 1966, and the only time I sing is when I’m in this car.

I like photography and my favorite lens is a homemade tilt-shift lens made from an old 50 mm lens and a shower head. Works great!

Blog URL: http://veronicablog.com/

Lisa

Name: Lisa

Location: Palos Park, IL

Sport of Choice: Running, Tennis

2013 Race Plans: First Midwest Bank Half Marathon, Muddy Monk Trail Races, Chicago Police Department Run to Remember, Get Your Rear in Gear, Run Like a Mother and Warrior Dash. May do a full marathon.  Also run as Race Guard for CARA 10 Miler and Chicago Rock n Roll 1/2 Marathon.

What makes you a Tough Chik: I am really new to running.  My New Year Resolution last year was to train and run a half marathon.  I am tough because I completed that.  I started running to do something for myself.  I am a stay at home Mom ,and my answer to “What’s new ?” always involved news about my children.  I seemed to be in a rut.  Now my answer to that question is usually about a race I just completed or am training for.  I feel I have set a good example for my daughters. I have met so many nice runners who inspire me to do more.

If you had a super power, what would it be? I would love the power to communicate with the spirits, like Theresa Caputo, the Long Island Medium.

Fun Fact: I used to compete in Hula Hoop Contests when I was younger.  Was state runner up for two years in a row.  Even did it for a talent show in my early twenties when I went on a Carnival Cruise!

Name: Theresa

Location: Huntington Beach, CA

Sport of Choice: Road Cycling – but I also swim and run

2013 Race Plans: Surf City 1/2 Marathon

Los Alamitos Race on the Base

Encinitas Tri

Redondo Beach Tri

Newport Beach Tri

Some Olympic Tri TBD

What makes you a Tough Chik: Wanting to be a good example for my adult daughters and coaching other middle age ladies to learn what a joy it is to ride road bikes and get fit.  My husband and I “made” our daughters ride from infancy through junior high (in a trailer and on the back of tandems).  After a 10 plus-year hiatus for her, this year my 25-year-old decided that riding thing isn’t too bad and joined us on the Annual Amtrak Century in September.  Picture is she and I riding together.  She would be a tough chik for 2013 as well if she wasn’t spending the year in New Zealand.

If you had a super power, what would it be? Be able to change a flat in under 1 minute.  I’m not bad at it, because I’m patient and take my time, but would be cool if it was super fast.

Jennifer

Name: Jennifer

Location: Western New York Southerntier

Sport of Choice: Marathon, Triathlon

2013 Race Plans: Nothing concrete, but I want to get back to my distance racing (I miss the time to myself the training gives me,) so absolutely a half marathon (maybe two) looking at Virginia Beach Shamrock in March, and Rochester MVP in September. For the summer, two sprint distance triathlons. Probably Musselman again, and maybe A Tri In The Buff or Owascoman?!

Plenty of local(ish) 5ks and 10ks.

What makes you a Tough Chik: I am a Tough Chik because ~ I have Fibromyalgia. I have been combating the symptoms(chronic fatigue and pain) and related conditions of this  auto-immune disorder with exercise and diet. I began with marathoning (a year prior to my 35th birthday, as a gift to myself) to give me a goal, and keep me on track. Because I am very competitive and driven, the training provides a “no excuses” routine for me. Tri-ing was the next step in my journey. I wanted my exercise plan to be more eclectic and wished for the challenge. It has been the right choice. I am more balanced, and recover more quickly. The health, strength, and confidence it gives me are immeasurable. The hardest part about training for the race is finding the time to get all the training in. I am a Mom of two wonderful little girls (6 and 9), a home daycare provider, a Girl Scout leader/trainer, and a soccer coach. On “bad” days with my condition, I find the ability to push through it, because I am tenacious. I have a separate planner with my scheduled trainings in it. I work with my family’s schedule, and my work/volunteer schedule to get each days training done, whenever I can. Sometimes this means getting up early, sometimes it means staying up later, often times it means sacrifice, but the payoff is worth it. So far I have completed several 5ks, 8ks, 10ks, 3 half marathons, a 14 mile trail race, 3 full marathons, a duathlon, 3 triathlons, and 3 obstacle style mud runs. Every race has helped me feel inspired (by racers, especially ones meeting challenges, and my own desire to overcome my obstacle,) hopeful (I usually get a little emotional,) and accomplished (the culmination of all the hard work.) I am jazzed for the rest of the day (and sometimes into the next week!) In 2012 I challenged myself to go further ~ Because my “good months” are March – September, I made my goal to do 2 races each month, with a total of 14 for the 7 month period. They include ~ 5ks, a 21k bike ride, a 33 mile bike ride, a duathlon, 2 triathlons, 2 mud/obstacle runs, and a color run. I did 16 races in all. My motto is, “Because today I can.” Do what you are able to, knowing that you can do it, the reward is immeasurable. I do this so I can be a better person, mother, and woman, I am proud to call myself a marathoner, a triathlete, and one tough mama!!

If you had a super power, what would it be? This is a good one…I thought a long time. The ability to heal others and myself quickly. I know, not very Marvel Comics, but it’s what I would want.

Fun Fact: I love to cook!!! I wanted to open a Lunchette in the college town down the road called Simply Soups (serving artisan breads with the daily specials.)

Blog URL: http://justjennifertri-ing.blogspot.com/

Stacie

Name: Stacie

Location: Chehalis, WA

Sport of Choice: Running

2013 Race Plans: I’m setting a goal to run 15 half marathons.  I would love to break the 2 hour mark.  If training goes well then my ultimate plan is to run the Portland Marathon for the 5th time.  I really want to set a marathon PR.

What makes you a Tough Chik: I have completed 4 marathons, 16 half marathons, an ultra, a sprint-tri, all after losing 80+ pounds.  I have battled a few knee issues and was finally coming back strong.  Just had to suffer through sitting out my first race ever after fracturing my left foot in two places and tearing a tendon(not running related).  I refuse to start completely over so I’m doing arm weights, ab work, and other misc. exercises until I am able to start running again.

If you had a super power, what would it be? I’d love to be able to fly or run really fast

Fun Fact: I love thunder & lightning storms.  I’m super excited to be a part of Team Tough Chik 2013

Blog URL: “IMPOSSIBLE IS NOTHING” http://stacie615.blogspot.com/

Name: Rebecca

Location: Hickory, NC

Sport of Choice: Running

2013 Race Plans: Taking on my first full in 2013!  Shamrock in March!  After that, planning on the Diva Half in Myrtle Beach, Richmond Half in Richmond and …… still filling in the rest of the year.  It will be epic!

What makes you a Tough Chik: This is a hard one, I suspect for many of us to answer.  I guess at the end of the day, what makes me tough, is that I keep going.  I started running just over 2 years ago and have battled injuries along the way as most anyone in running has.  I kept going.  Between regular ‘use’ injuries from running, falling (I’m not the most graceful by far!), running ailments (you know…chafing, wrong clothes, wrong shoes, the pieces we don’t talk about…. but we all know what those are ha ha), I’ve kept going.  I’m super excited to be taking on my first full next year in 2013!  Nervous, but super excited!  Can’t wait to see what 2013 has to offer! Bring it!

If you had a super power, what would it be? If I had a super power…I would love to be able to make people laugh…. randomly.  Like when you look at someone and I could think something, and then they would laugh.  Laughter heals so much pain!!

Fun Fact: Can’t wait to get my next tattoo after my full!

On Thursday I flew to Chicago and met my new favorite person, Evelyn.  She is the best baby!  So happy and all smiles.

On Friday evening I took the train to Oak Forest and was greeted by the one and only Too Tall Fritz!  When you meet your on-line “friends” in real life, it is always like a first date and can be kind of awkward.  Not with Amanda!  We greeted each other with a big hug and we clicked immediately!  She graciously allowed me to stay with her on Friday night so I could run with her and her F-NRC running group.  Susan, another Team Tough Chik member, is also part of F-NRC and I was able to run and chat with her.  What a sweet gal!

Amanda, Susan and Me

After our run, we stopped by a local 5K to cheer on some more F-NRC peeps and Joyelle, another Team Tough Chik member.  So lucky to meet my teammates!

On Saturday afternoon Amanda and I headed to Peoria.  Packet pick-up was pretty easy but the expo was small and sparse.  I have to admit that I was a little bummed because rarely do I get to attend an expo that I am not working, but it is the first year of the race, so I am sure it will grow tremendously!  On Saturday evening we had a team meeting at our hotel when I got the chance to meet Carmen and Jess.

Me, Jess, Carmen and Amanda

Carmen was our 1st leg, but due to a recent injury, she had to sit this race out and found a replacement with Katie.  If you would like to read Carmen’s race report and her perspective, here is a like to her post.

http://sherunseverywhere.blogspot.com/2013/05/run-river-city-race-recap.html

Group photo with Katie

Katie handed off to Amanda and her long legs booked it!

If you would like to read Amanda’s race report, go here…http://tootallfritz.com/2013/05/20/run-river-city-marathon-relay/

Amanda handing off to me

I was leg 3, the shortest leg..THANK YOU! This was my first relay and it really pushes you to know that 3 other people are counting on you to perform.  I wasn’t running great.  I will be the first to admit that I am not the fastest runner and I made sure my team was aware of my pace.  If they wanted to win, I was not the gal to have on your team!  But we all agreed that we were in it for fun and not to break any speed records.  Little did I know, that prior to the race another local blogger threw down the gauntlet.  We all have a little of a competitive streak and I will be the first to tell you that I can be pretty competitive, so when I found out that another team was “out to get us”….GAME ON!  All of this is going through my head while I am watching my pace slow.  The reason my leg was the shortest, is because it was the hilliest.  I didn’t think Illinois was hilly, I was wrong.  I live in a very hilly area, so this wasn’t unusual…just not what I had planned.  I knew that I wasn’t running as strong as I could, but I was giving it my all and I thought to myself, all I can do is apologize.  Amanda had mentioned that it is pretty awesome when a runner sprints to the next for a hand off, so I kicked it up a notch and sprinted to Jess.

You can see it on my face, I was pushing!

Jess took off for the last leg and if you want to read her post, go here…http://www.runwithjess.com/2013/05/race-recap-river-city-marathon-relay.html

We were able to run in as a team and it will be the first and last time I cross a marathon finish line in under 4 hours!

Team Tough Chik

We finished in 3:57 and were the 4th women’s relay to finish (but 2 and 3 were in high school, so we came in second in my head).  And we did finish ahead of that other team, in case you were wondering.

Yup, I am the slowest!  Luckily Katie was wicked fast and helped make up for my pace.  But that wasn’t what this race was about.  It was about having fun and doing something as a team.  I have to say, I was blown away with these 3 women.  They are amazing!  And cool and fun and kind and just plain nice.  We had a great time and really got along very well!

A little cheesy!

Overall, I had a blast in Chicago and in the rest of Illinois as well!  I am already thinking about heading back next year!

Laura

Name: Laura

Location: Orange County, CA

Sport of Choice: Triathlon, Mountain Biking, Running, Adventure Races, Yoga, Hiking

2013 Race Plans: I’m still putting together my race calendar, but so far I’m hoping to do the following: San Diego Hot Chocolate Run, So Cal Ragnar, Ride for Rwanda 25 mile mountain biking event, Orange County Triathlon (my first Olympic distance!), San Diego Tri Rock olympic distance tri…plus a number of 5k, 10k races and one or two half marathons.

What makes you a Tough Chik: I love this question!  I AM a Tough Chik because I choose to be tough.  I am a Tough Chik because I persevere — I finish what I start.  I LOVE a challenge, and I believe that going beyond your comfort zone makes you tough.  At this point in  my life, I am doing things I NEVER imagined myself doing.  Triathlons? I never swam real freestyle as a kid.  Mountain biking?  I was the kid who never wanted a bike. Half Marathons? Who me?  Now I LOVE all of it!

If you had a super power, what would it be? If I had a superpower, it would be to spread happiness and hope throughout the world.  Everyone deserves to be happy and hopeful throughout their life.

Fun Fact: I was born in Okinawa which is off the coast of Japan.  No one had ever heard of it until the Karate Kid movies came out.

Blog URL: (still working on it!)

Jamie

Name: Jamie

Location: Tucson, Arizona

Sport of Choice: Running, Triathlon

2013 Race Plans: Rock ‘n’ Roll Arizona Marathon (my first marathon!), Mt. Lemmon Half Marathon, Disneyland Half Marathon, Tucson Triathlon, Firecracker Triathlon…and as the year goes on, so will my list lol.

What makes you a Tough Chik: I’m ready to try anything! I’m always on the lookout for new adventures and experiences. I’m that girl who wants to try everything, at least once!!

If you had a super power, what would it be? I would love to have telekinesis. It just sounds like way too much fun.

Fun Fact: I’m a HUGE sci-fi nerd!

Blog URL: heatrunner.blogspot.com

Name: Marie

Location: Henderson, NV

Sport of Choice: Triathlon

2013 Race Plans: Leadman 125 Triathlon – April 13, 2013 – Tempe, AZ

LV10K 2.4 mile swim – May 18, 2013 – Boulder City, NV

Ironman Arizona – November 17, 2013

What makes you a Tough Chik: I have three children, one grandchild.  A loving husband of 20 years who supports me in all I do.  I work as a Registered Nurse.  My first sprint triathlon was in 2009 and next year I will race my first Ironman in Arizona with my fellow Tough Chik Angela Dimaya.

If you had a super power, what would it be? The power of healing.

Fun Fact: I’m a diehard Detroit Tigers / Red Wings fan.