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.