Today I rode my bike from Pleasanton to Menlo Park. It was a great day and a great ride, 30 miles in all. I have been running a lot with Penny, so this was a nice break from that as well as a nice return to how I really like to move my glutes. Here are a couple of photos from the Don Edward Wildlife Refuge, just before traversing the Dombarton Bridge. No toll on the bike!

Kersplat!

On Thanksgiving morning, I had my annual bike accident. Once a year, whether I need it or not, apparently. I have to admit, I have had several more spectacular crashes in the past. In this case, I was riding on Highway 1, just north of Davenport, when I caught my tire in the train tracks. I lost my balance, and my bike went over my head. I was intact enough to keep on riding, which was good, since I was about 15 miles from Santa Cruz where I had started. When I got back to my parents' house, my brother pointed out that I had marks from the chain ring along the shoulder of my jersey, confirming that the bike had in fact gone over my head. I ripped through my jacket when I hit the ground, and earlier today I picked a piece of said jacket out of the scabbing abrasion on my elbow. Yes. Once a year. At least.

Gotta Game Plan!

Yes, I do.

I want to do two things in the next year.

1. Wildflower Olympic course. I may have to solicit the support of Pam's chichi "invite only" triathlon club to accomplish this goal. But I'm not going to participate in any shady hazing rituals. You got that, Pam? Just because I'm little sister doesn't mean you can boss me around. Take that.

2. Providence 70.3. Yes, this is my race. Eileen! Are you in?

I give myself until the New Year to unpack the boxes. Then, I swim, bike, run, swim, bike, run, swim, bike, run. And swim, bike run.

Alert!

Red Warrior needs to get back in shape, badly!

Hellooooo

Well, I'm definitely on hiatus, but I didn't want the ol' blog to get too dusty. I am moving to Menlo Park pretty soon, and thus, into my favorite cycling territory. Overall, it's also a great place to swim and run. So, in other words, I'm a bit apprehensive about this big life change, but this is a triathlon blog, and in that regard, blue skies are ahead.

When days are hot, when days are cold

Yes! Finally back in the swimming pool. I hadn't hit the water since the Malibu event, and I was really starting to miss having prune fingers, raccoon eyes, and chlorine perfume. I swam a pretty slow mile yesterday at the gym, and I would have to say, the day was verging on cold, but not quite there yet. I actually love this time of year, as the chill sets in, and the leaves start to blow around.

Am I training for anything? Time will tell.

I had a long conversation with Katy, my *new and awesome* massage therapist, about to do or not do to Wildflower again next year. She said she could not justify giving her money to those Christian crusaders who run it, and I definitely see where she is coming from. But does doing the race via TNT balance that out in any regard? Is the Providence 70.3 my new race? That is not until next summer. I will have to meditate a bit on my next step.

Admission

I actually really like running.

There, I said it.

Number 7!

The Malibu Nautica Triathlon Presented by Toyota, aka Race Number Seven, was a pretty grand day. Absolutely no regrets (despite some grumbling when I initially signed up) and in fact, some distinctively fond memories. Let's do the play-by-play.

Nate, David, and I drove down to LA on Friday. We took 101 so we could go straight to Zuma Beach for the race check-in, which is exactly what we did. After getting packets, swim caps, etc. and confirming via phone that both Pam and Geoff (the latter being the third and final Lazy Mofo) were either in LA or en route, we headed to Nate's mom's new rental pad on the West side, where we were graciously hosted for the weekend.

Andrea cooked up some scrumptious pre-race pasta, which we scarfed, then we crossed our fingers, set our alarms, and hit the hay.

4am arrived rather quickly. We had a quick bite of carbs and protein and packed the car to head over to Malibu. Just past the race start, we finally found a Starbucks that was open at that early hour, and it was double luck, because there were some super convenient secret free parking spots in a residential block just beyond the caffeine station. Score!

Over at transition, we got body marked, found Pam, and the Lazy Mofos did some fast and furious team bonding. Before we knew it, an enormous cannon (which we were standing right beside, yowsers!) signaled the race start. Nate and I happened to be in the same heat (apparently women my age and relay competitors get grouped together) so we took a quick dip and lined up to swim.

Our swim was great! Perfect conditions. Nate and I were able to keep each other within sight for a while, but ultimately, all the bodies in the water became a blur. The ocean was clear, the temperature was in the mid-60s, and the swell was small. I even rode a little wave on my way back into the beach :0)

The bike was a 13-mile-out, 13-mile-back up PCH. I saw both Pam and David while cycling. It was a lovely temperature and the road just rolls up and down with nothing scary nor nothing boring along the way. I made great time.

The run was also quite nice. We ran along the ocean, basically on a 3-mile-out, 3-mile-back strip. I did NOT see Geoff, because apparently he was going fast, rather than staying true to his Lazy Mofo credo. I did see Pam and she looked strong. I finished with a leap and a twirl across the finish line (fingers crossed the race camera caught it) and was delighted to see I had finished in 3 hours, 15 minutes! Wow! Maybe I should include three weeks of relaxing international travel in every race preparation plan.

Later in the day, we high-browed it and went shopping on Melrose (I admit, it was my request). I had to skip Fred Segal because I was shopping with two males; however, we found a great hat shop where David and I got matching Strollers (see the super cute photos). That evening, we did team cooking in Andrea's apartment and had some salmon, beet salad, and mushroom risotto (I really seem to be focusing on the food, don't I?). We went to bed E-A-R-L-Y.

Sunday morning, we went to Hillside Memorial to see Joey's grave. I remembered the time Nate, Joey, and I went to the diner in the middle of the night to get something to eat and Joey, who was perpetually broke at that time, only had enough money for half a piece of pie. Nate and I laughed about that until we cried and then, well, we just cried. But I'm glad we went. I wish I could hear Joey tell me just one more joke about pirates, or anything at all, just to hear his voice.

David and I drove up 101 and got home by dinner time. We parted ways, I picked up Penny, unpacked, and sat down to blog it all out.

Stay tuned for future events.

Malibu Triathlon

Meditation on Aquatic Park

I realized this evening as we (Nate and I)were stepping into the sub-60-degree waters of Aquatic Park, that never, as an adult human, do I ever want to pee myself (and urgently, at that) except every single time my wetsuit hits that water.

There's Nothing Like

blogging about how great the weekend was while it's still going strong.

Down in Palo Alto all week, I battled the heat. I did a couple of longish rides after school, but both days, it was so hot that the water in my bottles heated to an almost undrinkable temperature, and I had to cut the rides short. Needless to say, my core heated just as much. One of the days, I attempted a brick involving running the Stanford dish. I thought I would surely vomit from the heat. Fortunately, I did not.

However, when it's a hundred degrees in Palo Alto, you can be pretty sure that it's a lovely seventy-five in San Francisco. Ok, maybe eighty. But much, much more manageable.

This morning, Nate, Pam, and I swam in Aquatic Park. Nate drove (to drop off Penny) and I rode down the Embarcadero to meet him at the water. The conditions were more perfect than ever have I seen them. Warm air, calm water, no sharks, decent water temperature. We swam a very nice mile, as witnessed in the accompanying photos. Nate and I will try to recreate the magic again next Tuesday evening.

Tomorrow, Pam and I are going to do a bike loop in the Headlands, then run on Chrissy Field. This time next Saturday, we will be rocking the Malibu swim-bike-run.

Ouch!

That sums up how the first week of training after traveling for three weeks feels.

In a panic, I frontloaded the week with two bike/run bricks. Wow! WOW!!

Yesterday was the day of sweet repose. It was very successful. Today, I plan to take Penny for a run in the sun. It should be fun. The rhymes are done.

The Malibu triathlon is on 9/13. Today is 8/31. I will push it hard for one full week, and then taper a bit. I'm still deciding if a full taper would be for better or for worse, in light of the traveling. At times like these, I ask myself, "What would Michael Phelps do?"

Unrelated, but for the record, I purchased a new tri suit last weekend. Hmmm. What is my subconscious trying to tell me? I don't want to have to change the name of this blog, after all...

Comme des Phelps

Three weeks in Asia did not hone my triathlon skills, let me tell you (no surprises there). Except in one regard. Permit me to share a humorous anecdote.

In Tokyo, I was very excited to shop at Comme des Garcons, since it is such a funky brand and virtually impossible to get in the US. I found in my searches THE BEST SWIMSUIT IN THE WORLD. The swimsuit is a special Speedo designed by CDG. It comes in both one and two piece suits (I got the two piece). I thought "Wow, a Comme des Garcons Speedo! It doesn't get much neater than that!" But it does! As the super cute, so much cuter, so much more stylish, so much more Japanese than I will ever be salesperson explained to me, CDG designed the suit specifically for the Beijing Olympics. It has a Chinese character on it that means "heart," and all the athletes who wear Speedo as their swimsuit of choice were wearing the same swimsuit as *me* this Olympic season. That includes, of course, the man who makes every woman's (and probably some men's) pulse quicken, Michael Phelps. Sigh. As the salesperson told me at least twenty times, "very, very timely!"

...

Since returning, I have gotten one run, one swim, and one bike/run brick under my belt. Sore glutes.

I didn't want to get competitive about this Malibu business, but I'd better finish in 3.5 hours at the worst.

More to come.

Domo Arigato!

Hey Duffek, guess who did 45 push-ups this morning?

In my excitement before the RI 70.3, I forgot to share that I ever did 50. I WON THE BET! I DID 50 PUSH-UPS IN A ROW BEFORE SUE! In case you're wondering how I feel about that...

The Malibu triathlon is 9/13. My training regimen for the next three weeks is strictly to relax in Japan and Vietnam. I must admit, I'll miss my bike. Swimming, I can do on the trip, and running, well, running-schmunning.

Nate, David, and Geoff are also doing the Malibu event as a three-man team, proudly named, "The Lazy Mofos."

I thought Pam was going to kick my butt, but she surprised me with the lovely gift up a pair of pink goggles yesterday, and now, I think they may be the key to her undoing.

RI 70.3!

RI 70.3

Well, it's time to tell the tale of what *was* to be my final race for awhile.

I boxed up my bike last Wednesday (smooth sailing, due, as usual, to my unassailable girl power) and on Thursday night, Nate drove my down to Palo Alto so Kate could courier me to the San Jose airport early, early Friday morning. Once at the airport, I paid my $80 (one way, might I add) to ship my bike and crossed my fingers as the big Thule box was tossed onto the carousel.

8+ hours later, I arrived in Hartford, greeted by Anna's smiling face. At the baggage claim, the bike was the THIRD piece of luggage off the carousel. Yes! All that worrying for nothing. But wait, where's the rest of my stuff? My tools? My helmet? My pedals?

Lost. My suitcase did not make it onto my connecting flight. Damn your cumbersome largeness, Dallas/Ft. Worth!

The woman at the lost luggage counter assured me that "this happens all the time in Dallas. That airport's too big for it's own good." She gave me a 99.9% guarantee that my bag would get on the next plane to Hartford, and arrive in the night. Where would I like it delivered?

"Oh, no, we don't deliver to Rhode Island. Massachusetts, sure, but not Rhode Island."

Ok, time to think fast. I guess we're staying at...Shannon's parents' house tonight! Surprise, Shannon and parents! Surprise, us!

Anna and I got to roll past the old homestead on the way to Shannon's house, which was definitely an unexpected surprise. It was looking good. The new folks built a nice deck on the side.

After eating Shannon's food, using her toothbrush, sleeping in her PJs in her bed, Anna and I awoke at 6am to find...no suitcase had been delivered in the night! Haha!

We called American Airlines to inquire about this interesting development. We discovered that the bag was in Hartford, but wouldn't be delivered for about 5 hours. 5 HOURS?! We have things to do, people!

We drove back to the airport, got the bag, and hightailed it to Providence. I missed the first race meeting, but caught the tail end of race meeting number two. I waited in line to register for two and a half hours, bought come CO2 cartridges, and we rapidly headed over to the state capitol building to set up T2 (yes, of COURSE this was a two-transition race).

We got in the car and assessed our situation. It was not looking good. We would be cutting it REALLY close to get to T1 to drop off the bike before closing time. Did we persevere? You bet!

We got to T1 at Wheeler Beach 45 minutes after closing time. Anna was sure the race was run, so to speak. I begged the kindly race workers not only to let me in, but, er, ahem, to also let me put my bike together on the spot. It was still in the box at this point, naturally.

Second instance of girl power. Bam! T1 accomplished.

We finally made it to Nancy's house for dinner. After eating, I opened my suitcase to get my things ready for the race. Surprise again! My aerosol sunscreen had been depressed inside the suitcase and its entire contents had emptied onto my clothes! Wow! Am I an unsuspecting contestant in some sort of cruel reality show?

Compared to the prep, racing was a snap. Well, it was snap-like at least. "Snap-like?" Now I'm talking nonsense. Let's move on.

The swim was 70 degrees. Just lovely! Kinda big swells, though. I didn't barf, for the record.

The bike was the best Best BEST I have ever experienced in a race. Beautifully scenic, with gentle, rolling hills.

The run was fine. I hate running. Have I mentioned how I feel about running? HATE IT. However, the two 6.5 mile loops went through the Brown campus, which is quite nice. Nicer than running, in fact.

After the race, Anna congratulated me and suggested I work on my finish line moves. She said the man just a few minutes before me did a log roll across the finish line (much to the surprise of those finishing right after him) and I should consider my options.

Consider them considered.

Anna, Nancy, and I celebrated with fish, chips, and beer that night.

The next day was mellow with packing and goodbyes. And now I am back to the grind.

And yeah, I'm signing up for the Malibu Olympic in September. But I made Pam promise my training regimen could include one day of Tai Chi, one day of yoga, and one day of hiking with Nate per week.

Last Call!

Ok, here are the LAST photos from Maui. Whew. Everybody took tons of photos, since it was GORGEOUS. The album is from Tessa, and includes our synchronized swimming routine. Yes! The others are from Geoff. I like the one where I am scrunching my eye shut. Yes again!

Maui, Hawaii 2008

The Amica 70.3 in Rhode Island is next weekend. Whoa. Where did that come from? Anna will be my trusty coach and companion for the event. I have to hone my ability to pack my bike in its box before I depart. As if that is the biggest issue concerning the race. Heh. Anyone been in the ocean lately? When was the last time anyone ran 13 miles? Important questions, to be sure...

Blog #2

I finally started the second blog. Is isn't AMAZING yet, but it will be. Just gotta do this 70.3 in Rhode Island next weekend and I can shift my focus. More on that tomorrow.

http://infinitymiles.blogspot.com

I should REALLY learn how to make links. Eek. I am terrible. Nate will help me do it...

Between Races...

...a lot of folks have graduated.

Maybe I'll start a non-race blog one of these days.

Graduations 2008

Cinco Mas!

Here's 5 more memories from Maui. I hope the video link works! I'm still waiting on the really excellent photos of Tessa, Melissa, and I doing our synchronized swimming routine in the infinity pool. Patience is a virtue.






Note the icy cold stare.



Drats. I'll settle for a cut-and-paste.

www.flickr.com/photos/86141429@N00/2569917005/in/set-72157605561901706/

Grass skirt optional

Kings Trail

What a whirlwind weekend!

As those near and dear to me know, I had some reservations about doing this tri because Nate lost his father the week before I was scheduled to leave. In addition, I lost a bit of training steam after Wildflower. And by a bit, I mean practically all but the last drop.

But, I persevered.

Nate and I decided the best idea was for me to carry out my plan to do the Kings Trail. And what a wonderful choice it was. Although I only had a long (Friday through Monday, including travel) weekend in Maui, it was filled with happiness and success.

I spent all of my time either strenuously exerting myself or relaxing by the pool, parasoled drink in hand. Not a bad combination.

The race itself was a bit of a surprise. My experience in Honolulu told me Hawaiian tris are flat and easy. Apparently this is not always the case. The swim was warm and clear. I even saw a sea turtle amongst the schools of tropical fish! However, it was also really choppy. Whenever I lifted my head to sight on the buoys, all I could see was the swells. Ah, well.

The bike was HILLY! It involved a lot of U-turns and loops. Fortunately, Melissa and I leapfrogged a lot, and thus, were able to continually reassure one another that neither of us was lost.

Though it pains me to admit it, the run was my best showing of the day. I ran the two 3-mile loops fast and easily, though the course was NOT closed to traffic and the temperature broke 100. What can I say. I enjoyed the run.

Three times now, seeing the smiling Team in Training faces on the course has brought joy to my heart. I am so happy to race with TNT and so proud of what I have accomplished with them.

My next race, Ironman 70.3 Rhode Island, will be solo. We'll see what the future holds...

Participate in Life to the Fullest

"In one of the stars I shall be living. In one of them I shall be laughing. And so it will be as if all the stars were laughing when you look at the sky at night."

-The Little Prince, Antoine de Saint-Exupery

It's a tough time to go do Maui, but I've got a new mantra.

Ahhh! Shark!

Good grief. I joke about sharks in the Bay all the time. They guard Alcatraz. They eat seals. They eat triathletes. Giggle, giggle, haha. UNTIL LAST SUNDAY! A real, live shark entered Aquatic Park and all swimmers had to evacuate. From the shore, we watched its sharky top fin slice the water like a (somewhat smaller) version of Jaws. Gulp.

As if that's not bad enough, I also recently discovered that the Hawaiian islands are NOT shark-free as I had formerly understood them to be. Nay, they are the stomping grounds (chomping grounds?) of ferocious tiger sharks. Remember the time that adorable 13-year-old surfer girl got her arm brutally bitten off? Yeah, well, it was a tiger shark off one (umm, which one, not sure) of the Hawaiian islands that did it!

Mantras are not going to work in a shark situation. I am going to have to resort to Plan-B: strap a hunting knife to my thigh from now on when swimming in saltwater any place, any time. I can only hope that's race legal.

Bay to Breakers Highlights

Bike to Work Day...

...was definitely the highlight of the week. I biked all the way to work. It was an incredible and incredibly long ride to do before putting in a full day on the hottest day of the year in Palo Alto.

I left at 5:45am and rode through Glen Park to Skyline. I took Skyline to Canada to Woodside to Whiskey Hill to Sand Hill into downtown Palo Alto, and then Bryant to school. I thought it would be 35 miles, but apparently it's 43 miles. I got there the same exact minute as all my little smiling faces did. Eek. Close call. Maybe leave at 5:30 (gaa!) next time. What a satisfying way to get to work!

Wednesday was a nice hilly four miles at the Presidio Sports Basement.

Here we are conditioning our hearts and minds. No wait, we are definitely conditioning our bodies here.





This is an OYO weekend due to Bay to Breakers craziness tomorrow. Nate and I are both running, but not together. Nate and assorted Hastings friends are going cap and gown themed, and I and assorted TNT friends are going hula themed. No coconut bras, though. Way too much chafiness potential.

Ready, set, go!

Back in the Saddle

Last week was the most wonderful week of my life. That may be an exaggeration. I did no exercise whatsoever. Pure relaxation.

On Saturday I swam an easy mile at UCSF. Today I repeated Saturday. I'm back in the saddle and looking ahead to Maui. Future posts should get wild and crazy once more.

Happiness is...Finishing 70.3!

I'd like to write about the race while it's still fresh in my mind. I will post Nate's photos asap...probably later today. (UPDATE: Photos posted!)

Wildflower 2008

We arrived at Lake San Antonio in the mid-afternoon Friday, after stopping at the parents' house to pick up the racing cape, which my mom had sewn all my honorees' names onto in preparation for the big day. It looked great, and to jump ahead a little, I got tons of compliments on it and support while I was wearing it! But geez, spectators sure have high expectations for how fast a person can go just because she's wearing a cape!

I took a brief swim in the lake on Friday just to "test the waters." Giggle. Perfect conditions! Except way too much algae. In my suit. Bottom and top. On the way back to camp, I stepped on a rusty staple which punctured my heel. Yes, that is correct. Apparently, wearing sandals was a great idea. Unfortunately, the nearest doctor was 50 miles away in King City, and the medical tent was not equipped to give tetanus shots. So I shelved my worries of lockjaw and helped Nate set up the tent.

The evening went by really quickly with all the race registration, pasta consumption, words of inspiration, and so forth. Before I knew it, Nate's cell phone alarm was shaking the tent on Saturday morning. 6am. Time to get the job done.

On the way down to set up my transition spot (1873, near the Mexican flag) Nate and I got separated. Easy to do when you are in a crowd of thousands. Unfortunately, I had my bike but Nate, who was not allowed in transition, had my gear bag. So I racked my bike and started freaking out because the announcer kept saying "only ten minutes until the first swim wave!" Eek! Finally Chris found Nate and thus I got my gear. I set up transition in good time and decided to make a final bathroom stop before wetsuiting up. Pardon me if the next bit of information is an over share, but in the port-o-potty I discovered that my period had started, fewer than 10 minutes before the race. Between that and the rusty staple, things were really shaping up!

I raced a hard race from start to finish. I swam fast and yes, got kicked in the head multiple times. Suffice to say I also did some head kicking myself. Back off, people! We're all going to finish, and none of us is going to win! Let's just have a good time, shall we?

I annihilated the bike ride. At practice weekend, I rode the 56 mile course in 4 hours, 45 minutes. On race day, I rode it in 3 hours, 50 minutes. It felt awesome, but I shouldn't have pushed quite so hard. I really, REALLY wanted to make the cutoff time for the run, so I went all out. I rode for 15 miles with Mika, which may have been an error in judgment, because not only is she fierce and fast, but she also was racing in a relay and hadn't swum the 1.2 miles I had just completed.

Although I got a bee up my sports bra at mile 16 of the bike, it did not sting me badly, and I was able to keep pace and get it out with one gloved hand. I rode the entirety of Nasty Grade in 10 minutes. Awesome.

Because I rocked the bike so hard, the run was grueling. Just painful. I ran hard for the first three miles (my race cape swooping gracefully behind me) and then I started to get really tired. Despite the fatigue, I powered through 8 miles of the run before I just couldn't stave it off any longer. I had to walk. Everybody knows that you always end up adjusting your expectations in any race situation, and I had wanted badly to run the whole 13 miles. But my body was not cooperating. It was over 80 degrees out, no clouds, and I was getting really hot. I couldn't stomach any liquids or solids due to the heat, (and possibly the 62 miles I had under my race belt at that point) so I made a grave error in judgment and basically stopped taking them in. After walking for about 20 minutes (I did manage to run down the pit of despair, but couldn't run back up it) I walked past Coach Bill and he encouraged me to run the last two miles to the finish. I dreaded seeing the "mile 11" marker because I was totally out of steam. But I had to run those last two miles.

What did I do? I thought about how much scarier and more painful cancer must feel than what I was feeling, and I found two TNT racers (one from the East Bay, one from LA) and together we ran the last two miles to victory. I have never felt so happy and proud in my life.

Unfortunately, my happiness and pride were acutely interrupted by intense feelings of nausea and lightheadedness. Nate found me and said "Congratulations! Let's go check out and get to the showers!" To which I replied, "I am going to puke and pass out right now." Thus, we changed our plans and headed to the medical tent.

Although they didn't have any tetanus shots, they decided I was totally dehydrated and I was promptly hooked up to the nectar of the gods: an IV filled with saline. Ahhh, sweet relief.

I felt like my normal self after the IV. Well, my hamstrings were definitely a little more tender than usual, but other than that, no real damage done.

All told, I finished in about 7.5 hours. It was an honest day's work.

P.S. I got my tetanus shot at the Kaiser emergency room at midnight that later that same night...

Water noodles are for exercise classes only!

That's my fancy way of saying the outdoor pool was closed, and I had received no prior notification via listserv, when I arrived for at the gym Tuesday for my final pre-Wildflower swim. What did I do? I swam indoors, in Chlorine Town, right next to the toddlers and parents who reside across the lane lines in Urineville, the land of many swim lessons. Good grief, that pool must have been 85 degrees. Definitely not wetsuit legal.

Other than that, I am ready to rock. Over the course of this season, I have had some doubts about my preparedness, but Todd and Tom have brought me to a place of inner peace. Todd has reassured me that I have put in the miles on my bike and I am ready. And at the risk of sounding emotional (I usually avoid that, and therefore when I try to do it, I come off sounding either sarcastic or corny) I will be thinking of Todd the whole race. Yes, I will think of Jessica and JP. I race for them. They inspire me with their will, spirit, and unending courage. But Todd has gotten my through a lot of hard practices and I am so happy, so happy for his remission. So many conversations on long runs and long car rides over to Marin. All that Saturday afternoon traffic on Divisadero is extra time to talk.

Tom and I have created the "chocolate cake zone," a special place in your mind you can go when the race gets tough at the end.

He has also reminded me time and time again that I TOAST him at sprints on the track. Even though I think I hate running, I know I have the ability to power past multiple racers at the finish. I did it in Honolulu. I did it in Santa Cruz. I will do it Saturday.

Bring on the water noodles. I am prepared for all types of exercise.

Let's Get it On!

Let's just focus on today's workout, shall we?

So, it all starts with A CERTAIN MS. PAMELA SCHWARTZ emailing her entire mentor group a link to an article about a fatal shark attack off the San Diego coast yesterday. The poor guy was a triathlete! I have always been terrified of sharks, traditionally of the great white variety, but more recently of the tiger shark variety, (since I learned they live in abundance around the Hawaiian islands...that teen surfer girl lost her arm to one and I met a man last weekend who encountered some having a feeding frenzy on a dead cow in Captain Cook Bay) so this concrete piece of evidence of sharks in places they usually don't go, where triathletes swim, FRIGHTENED me. Yes, it did, because today was our final swim in the (now) dreaded Aquatic Park before Wildflower (WHICH IS NEXT WEEKEND. WHO HERE IS FREAKING OUT AND USING CAPS TO SHOW IT?).

Did I sleep last night?
No.

Did I have an upset stomach all morning?
Yes.

Did I have other related gastric distress? (Trying to be polite here...)
Yes.

Did I get in that damn bay and swim?
Yes!

How was it?
Well, it was terrible. It was! First, we had to do three race starts. Three! In a row! Although I have to admit, it was fun to practice hitting and kicking the new kids so they know what to expect on race day. And THEN we had to swim the perimeter. In case that doesn't signify anything to you, fair readers, allow me to explain. The swim buoys are well within the protected cove area of Aquatic Park. So, although the water is unbelievably frigid, at least you can convince yourself there's no real way a shark could wander all the way in. It's like a lobster trap, right? And their sharky sensibilities know better. Swimming the perimeter, on the other hand, means you are way out there, (definitely more than 150 meters out, and we all know Mr. San Diego was only 150 meters off the coast when Jaws chomped his legs off. CHOMPED HIS LEGS OFF. Please refer to my post from March 11, 2007 if you need clarification about this issue) away from the safety of shore, and much closer to that scary gap in the breakwater that permits things from the real ocean to drift/swim/deliberately seek prey in Aquatic Park.

Needless to say, I survived.

After all this doom and gloom, I'd like to end on a high note. On Wednesday, I was again reminded of the beauty of the world. Get it while you can.

Hip, Hip, HOORAY!

Fundraising Goal #2 Met!

Thank you, Teresa, Rob, Sam, and Rosa! You put me over the $4900 mark. You are the best, most wonderful support! Thanks to all who have been supportive with both $$ and kind words. 5/3/08 is the day of reckoning.

Training Weekend at Last!

Finally! The link to the photos of practice weekend. Thanks, Nate! There's a few other shots in there, too.

Easter and Practice Tri

Suffering!

The bike ride up Mt. Tam and across the Seven Sisters was the single hardest physical activity I have ever completed in my entire life. The final five miles of the ascent include a 1500 foot elevation gain and the road is painted with inspirational phrases including "suffering," "pain," and "anguish." Wow. What a ride. Traversing the Seven Sisters felt like coasting along rollers in comparison.

Here's the view from the top. Hello, Bolinas Bay!



Sometimes I am overcome with the beauty of the world. Not joking.

Today I ran 15 miles. Yowsers, a new record. I am beat. Peak training is HARD! I can't wait to taper, and then rock the Wildflower course. Two weeks to go.

I'm feeling more fatigued than eloquent at the moment, so this is as good as this post is going to get.

Hot or Not?

Hot!
1. I got my two-mile time down from 18:00 minutes to 15:41. Here I am prepping with a side plank.



2. I can do 40 push-ups in a row. 50 would be hotter.
3. I did 1.5 miles of sprints in the pool last week.
4. I did 30 miles of bike sprints today after school.

Not!
1. Flat tire at 6:45am today. (I girl powered that bad boy in no time at all!)
2. I ate two bugs on my bike this week.
3. Having circulation issues.

Snakes and Lizards and Birds...

...oh my! And squirrels and frogs. I saw all of these dead on the road today. In terms of training, this was a good week, which is of note since things on other fronts were disastrous. But this is a training blog, is it not? In that case, what a great week it was!

Yesterday was the annual classic "Alpine A**kicker" ride and run. This entails an elevation gain of about 3500 feet over the course of a 20-mile-out, 20-mile-back route centered around Alpine Dam near Muir Woods. We hopped off our bikes and ran for an hour at the halfway point. No, this did not make the second half easier.

Today I skipped the practice triathlon on San Pablo Bay because I didn't feel I needed practice with body marking, transitioning, and such. I felt I needed to get some more fast miles under my pedals. I went down to Santa Cruz and did another 20-out, 20-back on Highway 1. It was absurdly windy on the way north, and extremely awesome on the way south. The roadkill was abundant on both sides of the road.

I've gotta be fast enough to make my bike time cutoff at Wildflower. I have a couple more weeks to get faster before I have to taper. I can do this.

I am Iron.

BTW, only $87 to go!

The Week in Review

T'was a difficult week for me! On Wednesday, I skipped Kezar and took an extra rest day to celebrate Nate's birthday (well worth it, especially after the training weekend extravaganza). I was all ready to get back to business Thursday, but as I was changing into my bike jersey, I realized I had forgotten my bike shorts at home! Gaaaa! I have never made such an omission before. And I had to be back in the City at a specific time for an appointment, so it ended up being a three rest day week for me.

I asked coach Chris how to get faster on my bike, and taking three rest days was not one of his suggestions.

Today we had a big ol' loop ride (The "Cheese Factory Loop," in fact) in Novato/Nicasio. I rode the 48 miles much faster than I rode the same mileage at the Wildflower course. Yes! And after more swimming, too.

One month until the main event. Things are getting serious. Buckle your bike helmets, everyone.

Where's Waldo?

Jem and the Holograms

Feel the Burn

Let's just say this was not the finish line marker at training weekend.

This past weekend was the moment of truth for those of us hoping to race the Half Iron distance at Wildflower this year. I was not worried about my total race time, since you get 8.5 hours after the last swim start to finish. However, you only get 5 hours 20 minutes after the last swim start to complete both the swim and the run. Jeez, who needs all that run time? Give it to the bike time, people! I did my swim/bike with about 5 minutes to spare. Although I am totally and thoroughly proud of myself, I have a slim margin of error (no flat tires, please!) but also about another month to improve. Time to get serious.

The swim was great. It was 1.2 miles of 60+ degree water. In a lake. Ha! Last weekend (and next weekend, gulp) I was swimming in the 49 degree water of the Bay with great whites circling me.

The bike was...grueling. Incredibly difficult. Strenuous to the tenth. I was making 10 miles every 50 minutes (that includes 40 mph downhills, no kidding) until the last mile (that would be mile 55 of 56) when I took a wrong turn and did an extra six. I really wasn't excited about the extra mileage at that point. It did not feel like doing extra credit or even just getting a plain old A+. It felt like my ischial tuberosities were holding a mutiny on my a$$. Nevertheless I persevered. Or rather, Todd and Nate rescued me.

I did it.

The run the next day was gorgeous. Now I know why the race is called the "Wildflower." To quote Todd around 8 mile, (sorry if you are cringing, but I could not resist making an Eminem allusion there) "Oh my God, my head hurts, this is so pretty!" Until yesterday, I had never run 13 miles in one stretch. I ran the whole damn thing without walking a step. Check that one off the list.

Nate was manning the h2o stops all weekend and was an all-around champ. He is simply the best. Not only did he skillfully fill Dixie cups with fruit punch flavor Gatorate, he basically helped me be successful in every regard. Wow Nate, thank you.

He took some good snaps, which I will post at my earliest convenience.

That's training weekend in a nutshell.

I have a couple of other exciting announcements, and I might as well make them now...

1. My hair is red with purple stripes. I will post a pic tomorrow.

2. I have almost raised enough to race in both the Wildflower and the Kings Trail in Maui. My donor support rocks! Thank you, donors! I went ahead and signed up for Kings Trail because I am confident I will make the rest in good time (hint, hint, you slackers). That 70.3 didn't race itself this weekend, and cancer sure isn't going to cure itself. Keep that in mind.

See you at Chrissy Field on Saturday!

Vistas

Sharkies yes, but Sharks, no.

I survived the first open-water swim in Aquatic Park, and all I got was this lousy blog post (no, not even some Sharkies)!

As ye olde sayig goes, a picture is worth a thousand words (too bad it's not a thousand dollars, huh?) so check out this bling:



Eric prepares for the "wetsuit entry" demonstration, while Emma Louise explains how and why to use Body Glide (snicker).



Eric and Max fully prepare to enter their wetsuits.



Down to their swimsuits.



Haha!



We all made it safely into our wetsuits. Time to warm up those arms.



49 degrees + 30 minutes = total numbness.



We rock.

Fire on Valencia!

Sorry to be a total triple ring road brat, but I couldn't resist!



Shout out to Dave et son trois choix for posting the original.

I am kitten, hear me me-OW!

I had been plateauing for a while, but this weekend was definitely a time of breakthroughs. First of all, I did FORTY push-ups in a row. Second of all, I ran ELEVEN miles today (after swimming at least two miles. If that wasn't two miles, I'll eat my swim cap!). I have never run eleven miles before in my life. I think I've run nine maybe once, and eight a handful of times. Methinks the legs doth protest too much. I got this scary feeling at the end, where I really, REALLY wanted to stop running, but I just couldn't. Even when I got back to the parking lot, I wanted to keep going in this weird state of endorphin-induced masochistic agony. Yikes, is that a runner's high? I don't have any pictures to post at the present, but next week is the first open-h2o swim, so that should yield some good ones. Time to break out hte swimming mantra. Here, in radio-edit: If the girl can't swim, she's bound to drown.

Wish me luck and a shark-free environment.

OMFunkyG

I am too tired to say much. We had a bike/run brick today: 34 mile bike followed by 8 mile run. Goodness. We rode around the Mt. Tam area and then ran along the water. At least the weather was amazing. Here is a picture that gives a sense of the "rolling" nature of the bike ride.



We did a bunch of other workouts this week as well, but one kind of blends into the next.

Who needs a nap?

Dites "fromage" encore!

Phillip really went to town with the underwater photos at IVC recently. Here are a few of his snaps:

1. Work that freestyle!



2. So many legs!



3. Wow! Eyes open and no goggles! Tessa looks hilarious...hehe.

Words of Wisdom

I read this in Outside magazine today. "The first rule of triathlon: you will get kicked in the head during the swim."

Food, Glorious Food!

This is what I love the most about tri training. I can eat a wagonload of anything, really, and I am still losing weight. Yikes! I am hungry all the time. Now I know how that adorable caterpillar felt. I am up to eating breakfast twice, lunch, at least two snacks, dinner, and sometimes dessert. This is excellent.

Training was du rigeur this weekend. One and a half miles in the IVC pool today, followed by forty miles of cycling. Too bad I didn't have this photo of IVC earlier to post under "whose pool rocks?"



Working backwards, yesterday was a hilly run in Ross, followed by the honoree potluck. Good times, and good weather.



Wednesday was a really good workout at Kezar. We focused on form and core work. Yowsers. Here I am working on abs of steel.



Good grief, it's time to eat something again.