As I started thinking about if I want to sign up for Lavaman for a 4th year in a few weeks I realized I never wrote a race day report! Better late than never, right... right??!
Bright and early at 5 am we met on the grassy knoll - it was still completely dark out! I didn't remember this from previous years. We put air in our tires and made our way to the transition area. I got set up, then walked around and loved feeling all the tension and nerves and excitement in the air. As prepared ourselves during the beautiful sunrise. As usual, time on race day started flying by, time for team photos, than nervous pacing on the beach, and we stared at the swim course. This year we were grouped into 4 or so waves... and before I knew it, the wave before me was in the water!
The race start was actually far enough in you had to tread water a little - Cathy laughed at me saying it was good for me, since I'm so slow at gettin the water (it was cold! in fact this was the first year it was cold enough for wet suits to be allowed!).
And then we were off! I had my most confident swim ever - apparently practice does pay off :). As people kicked me, or pushed into me at the beginning, I just kept swimming, and even managed to draft off someone. I made it to the first buoy in what felt like no time - 1/4 done! Round the corner, then at this point some of the next wave started passing us, no worries, I just kept swimming. And then saw a turtle! Before I knew it I was done with the swim, in my fastest time yet (40ish minutes I believe), and out to the bike course.
I got on my bike, turned the corner onto the highway, to go up the first hill... and found that I could switch into my hardest gear to go uphill. Ugh, that meant some strong winds! The first 13 miles went super fast and easy, I pretended its cause I'm so strong, and not at all due to a tail wind of course.
Then the turn around, and the first 8 or so miles where not so bad, I got to cheer at many of our team mates, and felt good - I was on track to meet my goal! And then with about 5 miles left... suddenly the dreaded head wind kicked in, and man did it suck! going DOWN hill, I'd be in my easiest gear, peddling super hard and barely moving. I felt like if I stopped peddling for even a second, down hill, I'd stop! So for 5 miles, there was no coasting. on the down or up hills, and it was killer! It felt like it might never end. I saw a few of our team mates still on their way out, and I felt bad for them having to face this wind... I was sooo relieved when I finally saw the turn off from the highway. I had lost all the time I'd made up on my swim and bike out, but at least I was done!
I hoped off my bike in a rush, threw on running shoes, and contemplated having to go to the bathroom. I decided I could last, and took off in a comfortable jog. About 1 mile in I got to our first slight hill, and was tempted to walk.. My legs ached a bit from the brutal bike ride, it was hot out, etc. I then reminded myself that my main goal for this tri was to run the whole way, no matter what, and pushed through that temptation. Low and behold, as soon as I made that commitment, suddenly running didn't seem as hard, and my aches and pains were forgotten. Mile 2 I started really having to go pee - and learned there wasn't a portapotty till mile 3! This motivated me to speed up, and sped up, even into some head winds. After finally making it to the porta potty, I caught up to a few team mates (Hi Emilka!) and jogged with them, then carried on. I felt so strong and full of energy, I kept trudging on at "full speed" (full speed for me is not that fast... but whatever). I ran the whole way to the finish line, even across the last mile of coral and sand, and finished happy and strong. (and then tired once I stopped).
It felt so good to have not walked and finally actually reached a goal. My overall time was one of my slower ones, due to the wind, but I didn't mind since my swim and run where good. In practice I had run about 10 minute miles, and on race day I averaged under 9 minute miles, even w/ a potty break!
I then went out to the soft sand about .5 miles from the finish line, and helped the remaining team mates finish strong. With the brutal head winds, and high heats, people where feeling very beaten up by the end, and ready to be done. So we helped cheer them on, and finish strong.
We later learned that the winds got worse and worse throughout the morning - so the fast pros had no head winds, I had it for about 5 miles, and some of the slower people had it for like 10 miles! Unfair... While it made it harder, and our times slower, I think every appreciated how much better it felt to finish.
Great job to everyone who finished their first olympic tri! See you all next season!
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Pictures!
Here are some pictures from my camera--in no particular order. Click on pictures for captions. Enjoy!
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Race Day-- another teammate's experience
Intended to post this a few days ago, but I’ve been out and about the island and away from the laptop since the Lavaman. I got to Kona a week ago. Tom & I had a couple of days to thaw out and enjoy some of the sights. Took a hike down to a black sand beach one day and went to a white sand beach the next. The following couple of days unfolded much like Ramah’s account—with the exception of the swim. For 5 months of training in Seattle one carrot that dangled for me was the thought of swimming in that beautiful blue, WARM water in Hawaii. So to get to the first team practice in Anaeho’omalu Bay (that’s for the “hooked on phonics” crowd—the locals call it “A-Bay”) and dip my toes into unseasonably cold 73 degrees was a bit of a shock. Worst thing was the rest of the body had to go with those toes. I thought I was well prepared for the swim, but much to my dismay anxiety set in on our Friday and Saturday team swims. Dodging coral, dodging people, sloshing water & the cold made it quite different from my pool swimming.
After a night of tossing and turning, dreaming of icy water and hearing the wind howl, I got up at 4:30 am. Tried to get down my breakfast of 4:1 carbs:protein, liquids, calories carefully calculated out depending on body weight, sweat rate, etc. The churning stomach only let me eat part of it.
But by race time a miracle of sorts happened—a great sense of calm & purpose came over me! Can’t explain it…probably was a combination of all of these: the beautiful sunrise & favorite music playing at the transition setup, the visual of such a colorful sea of swim caps (color by age bracket), hugs from teammates, thoughts of those I was going to be swimming for, the power of prayer, preparation, those inspiring emails sent to me from all over the world (even as far away as Mongolia!) by my son Jess’ friends, and remembering the encouraging words of friends and family. I was ready to swim! And swim I did--strong & without a pause. It was even enjoyable. Imagine that! I saw pretty fish, stayed clear of the coral, had polite people around me (maybe it’s the age bracket—the 40 yr old & up crowd was more apologetic than fierce if they bumped into you) “Oops, sorry.” “No problem”. Those angels I was swimming for were definitely having a great swim with me. I hoped they were ready for a tough bike ride, too.
The bike ride was brutal in the headwinds. It went ok, though, except that after my first bite of my Powerbar, the darned thing slipped out of my hand and splatted on the highway. So much for that part of the calculated nutrition, too. I wondered if the two goats I saw along the highway would be feasting on race day leftovers. Mine wasn't the only accidental drop. Luckily I had some Gu and Shot Bloks along to take the place of the Powerbar. I also polished off all of my 1 & ½ liters of Gatorade plus additional water.
The run was hotter than blue blazes. It took me a good half mile before I could get the legs working after the bike ride. I’ve never run over such a variety of terrain either—rocks, pavement, grass, wooded path, large lava rock, sand…I think the sand was the worst. By the time I got part way down the beach in the end stretch, the mesh tops of my running shoes had let at least a pound of sand into each shoe. It was like running in cement shoes! A nice surprise for me was my husband Tom and son Kyle who were waiting on the beach and ran along each side of me for a minute during that “hit the wall” time when I wasn’t sure I could take another step. It was sweet indeed crossing the finish line! Woo hoo!!
Any regrets? None except that I could have used more sunscreen. They stamp each competitor’s race number on both arms and your age on the back of your leg. I also had a cool skull and crossbones tattoo (compliments of Ande, our pirate loving team captain) on my forearm during the race. The ink is long gone, but after several hours in the sun my race number, age, and skull & crossbones are clearly visible in non-tan skin now. Race time 4 hrs 24 minutes—not bad for a first effort! And the $2.2 million dollars raised for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society--incredible! Pictures will follow after my flight home today. Right now Lavaman Triathlete #758 needs to get packed! Aloha!
After a night of tossing and turning, dreaming of icy water and hearing the wind howl, I got up at 4:30 am. Tried to get down my breakfast of 4:1 carbs:protein, liquids, calories carefully calculated out depending on body weight, sweat rate, etc. The churning stomach only let me eat part of it.
But by race time a miracle of sorts happened—a great sense of calm & purpose came over me! Can’t explain it…probably was a combination of all of these: the beautiful sunrise & favorite music playing at the transition setup, the visual of such a colorful sea of swim caps (color by age bracket), hugs from teammates, thoughts of those I was going to be swimming for, the power of prayer, preparation, those inspiring emails sent to me from all over the world (even as far away as Mongolia!) by my son Jess’ friends, and remembering the encouraging words of friends and family. I was ready to swim! And swim I did--strong & without a pause. It was even enjoyable. Imagine that! I saw pretty fish, stayed clear of the coral, had polite people around me (maybe it’s the age bracket—the 40 yr old & up crowd was more apologetic than fierce if they bumped into you) “Oops, sorry.” “No problem”. Those angels I was swimming for were definitely having a great swim with me. I hoped they were ready for a tough bike ride, too.
The bike ride was brutal in the headwinds. It went ok, though, except that after my first bite of my Powerbar, the darned thing slipped out of my hand and splatted on the highway. So much for that part of the calculated nutrition, too. I wondered if the two goats I saw along the highway would be feasting on race day leftovers. Mine wasn't the only accidental drop. Luckily I had some Gu and Shot Bloks along to take the place of the Powerbar. I also polished off all of my 1 & ½ liters of Gatorade plus additional water.
The run was hotter than blue blazes. It took me a good half mile before I could get the legs working after the bike ride. I’ve never run over such a variety of terrain either—rocks, pavement, grass, wooded path, large lava rock, sand…I think the sand was the worst. By the time I got part way down the beach in the end stretch, the mesh tops of my running shoes had let at least a pound of sand into each shoe. It was like running in cement shoes! A nice surprise for me was my husband Tom and son Kyle who were waiting on the beach and ran along each side of me for a minute during that “hit the wall” time when I wasn’t sure I could take another step. It was sweet indeed crossing the finish line! Woo hoo!!
Any regrets? None except that I could have used more sunscreen. They stamp each competitor’s race number on both arms and your age on the back of your leg. I also had a cool skull and crossbones tattoo (compliments of Ande, our pirate loving team captain) on my forearm during the race. The ink is long gone, but after several hours in the sun my race number, age, and skull & crossbones are clearly visible in non-tan skin now. Race time 4 hrs 24 minutes—not bad for a first effort! And the $2.2 million dollars raised for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society--incredible! Pictures will follow after my flight home today. Right now Lavaman Triathlete #758 needs to get packed! Aloha!
Monday, March 30, 2009
A day in the life of an official triathlete
The day started at 0430 when the alarm on my phone went off, and I thought....here we go!! I had a great nights sleep and even dreamed about one of my honored teammates Matt, I have never done a TNT event without him, but in my dream he was here, which also means I am doing this for Matty!
I met up with my dad at 0515 and we rode our bikes on a dark trail to meet up with the team on the grassy knoll in front of the hotel, there was a definite feeling of anxiety and nerves running through the air, mixed with disappointment when Coach Cathy told us that the winds were not going to be easy today.....you could hear the collective groans blow through the wind. At 0550 we took off to A-bay to rack our bikes in the transition area and get ready for the race. We all got inked, and I mean the kind that washes off (however with a sunburn the numbers are still there), and I was surprised when the woman putting my age on my leg used the entire surface area of my calf.
Next....setting up the transition area, pretty close quarters when over 900 people are doing the same thing. 1. place TNT transition mat on ground 2. empty backpack 3. start from the top with the items you will use last, running shoes, race number, hat and gu 4. sunscreen and extra water 5. singlet, bike shoes, helmet, gloves and sunglasses 6. grab my goggles and swim cap head to water for team picture and race start.
Aaahhh, the race start. For the previous two days we had mini practice swims, to the striped bouy and back. My first day swimming in the open water was a bit interesting, but it got better, the 2nd day no problem. And race day....wow there was a lot of people in the water at once. I had every fear I was going to get kicked in the head and beat up, well I did get kicked in the head and it pulled up my cap and goggles, pause to adjust, I got passed over (literally) by a couple of women, of course I thought, really you couldn't go around me instead of over me, how rude. The swim was going really well and I was taking the advice of the great Dave Scott, just live in the moment, I went into scuba dive mode and started looking at the coral and the fish. I saw a turtle swimming underneath me, a trumpet fish and angel fish. That was pretty cool, but found myself getting a little distracted, so back to the task at hand. I rounded the first bouy and was having a hard time getting around a couple of ladies that were doing frog kicks and treading water, its a challenge to avoid those flailing feet, and before I knew it I had beached myself on the back of the lifeguards surfboard, did I mention she cut me off, how she missed the girl in the bright pink swim cap I am not sure. Fast forward to the end of the swim when I had to literally fight off a fellow swimmer who kept climbing up my right side and I had made it to the finish, and had some trouble finding my land legs when I got out of the water, which means the first time I got up I fell back in the water. I was a bit disoriented. Swim time 46min.
Transition....rinse feet in dirty kiddy pool, run to bike, dry feet (sort of), shove semi-dry feet into socks, put on bike shoes, dowse with sunscreen (fat lotta good that did me), helmet, sunglasses, and gloves, run/walk bike to MOUNT line....take off! Go 25 miles in heat and intense wind, turn around at mile 12.5, ride last 12.5 miles in killer head wind. Hit mile 17 and wonder what the heck am I doing, I can't see anyone in front of me and nobody behind me....all alone. It made me think of the video introduction of the Ironman in KONA, when they talk about the stretch of the ride when they find themselves alone, however they fail to mention that they have cameras and support cars following them. Started to get really discouraged, strong headwind, sore back, sore feet, thought back to Dave Scott...live in the moment....then said to myself, or maybe it was outloud, all the people I am doing this for..In honor of Matty, Tracy, Jim, Megann, Jonelle, John, Emily, Jerry, Vicki, and in memory of Patrick, Matt Yost, Cassandra's MOm..and it brought me back to the moment and I made it through the last 8 miles. Bike time 2 hours.
Transition.....DISMOUNT at line, almost fall over when I start walking, so thankful for all the TNT supporters cheering! Saw my mom..hi mom! Re-rack bike, off with helmet, shoes and gloves, slip into running shoes, sunscreen again (once again, not much use), eat a gu, put on hat and started off on the 'run'......rubber legs, sore back and aching foot. The first 2 miles felt the longest, all uphill and in a headwind....AGAIN! Made it to about mile 2.5, saw Coach Cathy....she put ice in my hat....aaaahhhhh!!! Made it to the mile 3 turnaround, met a girl from Alaska, who decided to just do the Lavaman on her own!!! Way to go Ashley! (I had also passed her on the bike in the hardest part of the headwind, told her to keep going we were almost there). Passed teammates going the other way...cheered them on. I was actually feeling pretty good despite the aches and the wind. I was just pretty excited to be almost done. Turned to go behind the hotel and saw Megan running towards me.....had to go up a slight incline and about fell over...but was thrilled to see her. Ran through the resort and had the hotel guests cheering for us, that was pretty awesome! Saw Amanda many times throughout the race and loved hearing her yell and cheer. Made it through the lava and coral and could hear the band playing.....the finish line was close. Ran into some kid on the trail and he said..keep going, you are almost there...I said, I know I can smell the beer:) Hit the finish line and my team was waiting and yelling and screaming and encouraging me to the finish......saw mom and dad at the finish.....collapsed!!
So that would be a day in the life of this triathlete....let's do it again tomorrow.
I met up with my dad at 0515 and we rode our bikes on a dark trail to meet up with the team on the grassy knoll in front of the hotel, there was a definite feeling of anxiety and nerves running through the air, mixed with disappointment when Coach Cathy told us that the winds were not going to be easy today.....you could hear the collective groans blow through the wind. At 0550 we took off to A-bay to rack our bikes in the transition area and get ready for the race. We all got inked, and I mean the kind that washes off (however with a sunburn the numbers are still there), and I was surprised when the woman putting my age on my leg used the entire surface area of my calf.
Next....setting up the transition area, pretty close quarters when over 900 people are doing the same thing. 1. place TNT transition mat on ground 2. empty backpack 3. start from the top with the items you will use last, running shoes, race number, hat and gu 4. sunscreen and extra water 5. singlet, bike shoes, helmet, gloves and sunglasses 6. grab my goggles and swim cap head to water for team picture and race start.
Aaahhh, the race start. For the previous two days we had mini practice swims, to the striped bouy and back. My first day swimming in the open water was a bit interesting, but it got better, the 2nd day no problem. And race day....wow there was a lot of people in the water at once. I had every fear I was going to get kicked in the head and beat up, well I did get kicked in the head and it pulled up my cap and goggles, pause to adjust, I got passed over (literally) by a couple of women, of course I thought, really you couldn't go around me instead of over me, how rude. The swim was going really well and I was taking the advice of the great Dave Scott, just live in the moment, I went into scuba dive mode and started looking at the coral and the fish. I saw a turtle swimming underneath me, a trumpet fish and angel fish. That was pretty cool, but found myself getting a little distracted, so back to the task at hand. I rounded the first bouy and was having a hard time getting around a couple of ladies that were doing frog kicks and treading water, its a challenge to avoid those flailing feet, and before I knew it I had beached myself on the back of the lifeguards surfboard, did I mention she cut me off, how she missed the girl in the bright pink swim cap I am not sure. Fast forward to the end of the swim when I had to literally fight off a fellow swimmer who kept climbing up my right side and I had made it to the finish, and had some trouble finding my land legs when I got out of the water, which means the first time I got up I fell back in the water. I was a bit disoriented. Swim time 46min.
Transition....rinse feet in dirty kiddy pool, run to bike, dry feet (sort of), shove semi-dry feet into socks, put on bike shoes, dowse with sunscreen (fat lotta good that did me), helmet, sunglasses, and gloves, run/walk bike to MOUNT line....take off! Go 25 miles in heat and intense wind, turn around at mile 12.5, ride last 12.5 miles in killer head wind. Hit mile 17 and wonder what the heck am I doing, I can't see anyone in front of me and nobody behind me....all alone. It made me think of the video introduction of the Ironman in KONA, when they talk about the stretch of the ride when they find themselves alone, however they fail to mention that they have cameras and support cars following them. Started to get really discouraged, strong headwind, sore back, sore feet, thought back to Dave Scott...live in the moment....then said to myself, or maybe it was outloud, all the people I am doing this for..In honor of Matty, Tracy, Jim, Megann, Jonelle, John, Emily, Jerry, Vicki, and in memory of Patrick, Matt Yost, Cassandra's MOm..and it brought me back to the moment and I made it through the last 8 miles. Bike time 2 hours.
Transition.....DISMOUNT at line, almost fall over when I start walking, so thankful for all the TNT supporters cheering! Saw my mom..hi mom! Re-rack bike, off with helmet, shoes and gloves, slip into running shoes, sunscreen again (once again, not much use), eat a gu, put on hat and started off on the 'run'......rubber legs, sore back and aching foot. The first 2 miles felt the longest, all uphill and in a headwind....AGAIN! Made it to about mile 2.5, saw Coach Cathy....she put ice in my hat....aaaahhhhh!!! Made it to the mile 3 turnaround, met a girl from Alaska, who decided to just do the Lavaman on her own!!! Way to go Ashley! (I had also passed her on the bike in the hardest part of the headwind, told her to keep going we were almost there). Passed teammates going the other way...cheered them on. I was actually feeling pretty good despite the aches and the wind. I was just pretty excited to be almost done. Turned to go behind the hotel and saw Megan running towards me.....had to go up a slight incline and about fell over...but was thrilled to see her. Ran through the resort and had the hotel guests cheering for us, that was pretty awesome! Saw Amanda many times throughout the race and loved hearing her yell and cheer. Made it through the lava and coral and could hear the band playing.....the finish line was close. Ran into some kid on the trail and he said..keep going, you are almost there...I said, I know I can smell the beer:) Hit the finish line and my team was waiting and yelling and screaming and encouraging me to the finish......saw mom and dad at the finish.....collapsed!!
So that would be a day in the life of this triathlete....let's do it again tomorrow.
we did it!
i can hardly believe it. the day is a bit of a blur now. i think we would all agree this was memorable despite the winds on the bike ride and obstacle course near the end of the run (lava rocks and sand).
before i forget, wanted to add this great picture of our tribe & coach cathy that we took the night before the race. aloha!
Saturday, March 28, 2009
T-1 day to race day!
Race day starts bright and early tomorrow morning at 5:30 am, less than 12 hours away!!
We all made it to hawaii, with our bikes intact. Once we get home I'm sure we'll post more details accounts of the whole weekend, but I just wanted to get in an update before the big event.
Friday morning we walked down the end of the run course (1 mile over large lava rock, and finishing up w/ 1/2 mile on the sand) and had our first open water swim. It went pretty well. A few people were nervous, but that is to be expected. We then did about a 2 mile run.
Life got exciting that afternoon when we picked up our bikes and headed out for our first bike ride. It was very windy, and that is an underexageration. The first mile was very strong crosswinds, and I had visions of flying off my bike ... Then we head out onto the highway (the race course), and head up a hill, but I find myself shifting ot harder and harder gears. The tail wind was soo strong that coach cathy said she went 13 mph UP hill, WITHOUT pedalling. It was sooo surreal. Then we turned around to equally strong headwinds. Where you'd be in the easiest gear, going DOWN hill, and it felt at times like we were almost standing still!
It was very weird, and hopefully will not be as bad tomorrow morning! Wind is definitly the talk of the competitors right now. The forecast is for light wind, so we're keeping our fingers crossed.
Everyone did great through our mini tri today, and I think we are all ready for the big race tomorrow morning! We just came back from our inspiration dinner (the lavaman tri raised over 2 million dollars for lls!), and I've now packed up my tri bag, and am ready for bed...
We'll try to get some updates here tomorrow after the race, but until then...
GOOOOOO TEAM!
We all made it to hawaii, with our bikes intact. Once we get home I'm sure we'll post more details accounts of the whole weekend, but I just wanted to get in an update before the big event.
Friday morning we walked down the end of the run course (1 mile over large lava rock, and finishing up w/ 1/2 mile on the sand) and had our first open water swim. It went pretty well. A few people were nervous, but that is to be expected. We then did about a 2 mile run.
Life got exciting that afternoon when we picked up our bikes and headed out for our first bike ride. It was very windy, and that is an underexageration. The first mile was very strong crosswinds, and I had visions of flying off my bike ... Then we head out onto the highway (the race course), and head up a hill, but I find myself shifting ot harder and harder gears. The tail wind was soo strong that coach cathy said she went 13 mph UP hill, WITHOUT pedalling. It was sooo surreal. Then we turned around to equally strong headwinds. Where you'd be in the easiest gear, going DOWN hill, and it felt at times like we were almost standing still!
It was very weird, and hopefully will not be as bad tomorrow morning! Wind is definitly the talk of the competitors right now. The forecast is for light wind, so we're keeping our fingers crossed.
Everyone did great through our mini tri today, and I think we are all ready for the big race tomorrow morning! We just came back from our inspiration dinner (the lavaman tri raised over 2 million dollars for lls!), and I've now packed up my tri bag, and am ready for bed...
We'll try to get some updates here tomorrow after the race, but until then...
GOOOOOO TEAM!
Friday, March 27, 2009
Sunday, March 22, 2009
A few pictures
I've been pretty bad at posting pictures throughout the season, but I do have some good video saved up! Here are a few of the pictures I have though.
Waiting around in the fog for our run to start this weekend.
After one of our first long bike rides:
Waiting around in the fog for our run to start this weekend.
After one of our first long bike rides:
Saturday, March 21, 2009
All my bags are packed, I'm ready to go....
Ok, that’s not entirely true. I’m ready to BE in Hawaii, but I haven’t packed a thing yet. I missed today’s coached run on Mercer Island—a game of Pirates & Scallywags—because I didn’t feel 100% this morning when I woke up. One thing I have learned from all this training is that when the body speaks, it’s important to listen. I slept another hour and felt better. Guess I have been burning the candle at both ends like we all do from time to time. I had my bandanas ready to go. I was ready to talk like a pirate. I was ready to evade capture. The game, which is similar to “Sharks & Minnows”, would have been a whole lot more fun than running on the treadmill at the club, which I did later in the day.
Looking back on the past 5 months of training, I’m quite amazed at the lengths I went to for improvement in each event. Besides putting in the miles on my own and with the coach & team, I’ve taken lessons, gone to lectures, studied DVD’s, read books, read articles, gone to clinics, watched demonstrations, asked for pointers, watched YouTube videos, even dreamed about technique. Hopefully some of it has sunk in!
What I know now that I didn’t know 5 months ago: I knew there was technique to swimming. We learn different strokes as a kid and then watch the Olympic swimmers (over & over) on HD TV, who by the slightest of margins win medals or not by their technique. Who knew there was technique to running, though! I guess I’d always thought you just ran. We all came with the basics: first you learn to crawl, then stand, then walk, then run. And some people just seem to run faster than others. Then I started Team in Training and discovered heart rate monitors, strides, posture, cadence, tempo, race pace, core strength...When you pay attention to all of these you can learn to run more efficiently, faster and longer. A friend and I went to hear Scott Jurek, an ultramarathoner, talk about injury prevention. This is a guy whose resume is a mile long itself: 50 mile races, 100 mile races (and he doesn’t just run them, he sets records in all of them), and best yet—he not only ran, but WON the Greek Spartathalon twice! It’s a mere 150 mile jog from Athens to Sparta. It was a fun talk and he did have some good pointers on nutrition/hydration and form. Not sure how anyone could worry about their form after 100 miles. I’d be crawling…
Cycling has its technical side. My last bike had 21 gears. The new one, which is still en route to Hawaii, has 27 gears. The gear shifters are totally different, too. I didn’t get to ride my new bike very many times before it shipped. I tried out all the gears, but seemed to favor certain ones. It’s kind of like my dishwasher at home. It comes with a gazillion different cycles, but I tend to use my few favorites. We didn’t all come with the basics in cycling, though. One of my teammates, Bex, never learned to ride a bike as a kid growing up in Ireland. I’m in awe of her guts to learn as a young adult now—and she didn’t do it just to tool around her neighborhood, but for an Olympic distance triathlon no less! Way to go, Bex!
Still need to finish my worksheet to calculate calories of carbs and protein I will need to fuel the body during the race, milligrams of electrolytes & oz of fluids per hour I’m likely to need in the heat. Then we’re supposed to come up with a plan of what fuels and liquids meet those needs and when we will consume them during the event. Even the brain gets exercise!! Sorry for the length of this blog. I’m not very good at writing short ones. Check back here for some pictures once we get to Hawaii. They might be worth a thousand words. Aloha!
Looking back on the past 5 months of training, I’m quite amazed at the lengths I went to for improvement in each event. Besides putting in the miles on my own and with the coach & team, I’ve taken lessons, gone to lectures, studied DVD’s, read books, read articles, gone to clinics, watched demonstrations, asked for pointers, watched YouTube videos, even dreamed about technique. Hopefully some of it has sunk in!
What I know now that I didn’t know 5 months ago: I knew there was technique to swimming. We learn different strokes as a kid and then watch the Olympic swimmers (over & over) on HD TV, who by the slightest of margins win medals or not by their technique. Who knew there was technique to running, though! I guess I’d always thought you just ran. We all came with the basics: first you learn to crawl, then stand, then walk, then run. And some people just seem to run faster than others. Then I started Team in Training and discovered heart rate monitors, strides, posture, cadence, tempo, race pace, core strength...When you pay attention to all of these you can learn to run more efficiently, faster and longer. A friend and I went to hear Scott Jurek, an ultramarathoner, talk about injury prevention. This is a guy whose resume is a mile long itself: 50 mile races, 100 mile races (and he doesn’t just run them, he sets records in all of them), and best yet—he not only ran, but WON the Greek Spartathalon twice! It’s a mere 150 mile jog from Athens to Sparta. It was a fun talk and he did have some good pointers on nutrition/hydration and form. Not sure how anyone could worry about their form after 100 miles. I’d be crawling…
Cycling has its technical side. My last bike had 21 gears. The new one, which is still en route to Hawaii, has 27 gears. The gear shifters are totally different, too. I didn’t get to ride my new bike very many times before it shipped. I tried out all the gears, but seemed to favor certain ones. It’s kind of like my dishwasher at home. It comes with a gazillion different cycles, but I tend to use my few favorites. We didn’t all come with the basics in cycling, though. One of my teammates, Bex, never learned to ride a bike as a kid growing up in Ireland. I’m in awe of her guts to learn as a young adult now—and she didn’t do it just to tool around her neighborhood, but for an Olympic distance triathlon no less! Way to go, Bex!
Still need to finish my worksheet to calculate calories of carbs and protein I will need to fuel the body during the race, milligrams of electrolytes & oz of fluids per hour I’m likely to need in the heat. Then we’re supposed to come up with a plan of what fuels and liquids meet those needs and when we will consume them during the event. Even the brain gets exercise!! Sorry for the length of this blog. I’m not very good at writing short ones. Check back here for some pictures once we get to Hawaii. They might be worth a thousand words. Aloha!
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
The last hurrah!
Last week we did a final long brick before dropping of our bikes to be shipped (literally, on a boat) over to Hawaii. I ended up doing my brick on my own, due to scheduling. I just went out and back on the burke gilman for both the bike and run - 20 mile bike and a 6 mile run. My main goal was to run the entire run, with no walking - I've done plenty of 6 mile runs now on their own, but this was to prove to myself that I could do it following a long bike ride. So that I would have no excuse on race day to walk.
The last two years I'd find myself walking on and off, for no valid reason (well, I was sore and tired and hot, but those are not valid reasons during a race). So during my brick I ran the whole way! I just sorta kept running, and managed to not really think about it. It felt really great! And what felt even better was stopping at the end - I was just a bit tired...
In general I'm very good at pacing myself - which means I can generally finish what I set out to do, but not as fast as possible, and I rarely wear myself out. So it was good practice for me to do a workout that actually left me really tired! Hopefully I'll do more in the future :).
And with that, I kissed my bike good bye (for two weeks) and dropped it off for its trip to the Big Island.
We are now ready for race day, and are starting to taper our workouts. Yay :).
The last two years I'd find myself walking on and off, for no valid reason (well, I was sore and tired and hot, but those are not valid reasons during a race). So during my brick I ran the whole way! I just sorta kept running, and managed to not really think about it. It felt really great! And what felt even better was stopping at the end - I was just a bit tired...
In general I'm very good at pacing myself - which means I can generally finish what I set out to do, but not as fast as possible, and I rarely wear myself out. So it was good practice for me to do a workout that actually left me really tired! Hopefully I'll do more in the future :).
And with that, I kissed my bike good bye (for two weeks) and dropped it off for its trip to the Big Island.
We are now ready for race day, and are starting to taper our workouts. Yay :).
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
more random thoughts...
in exactly two weeks i'll be boarding a plane to kona. hard to believe we're actually down to the home stretch now. five months later, we can say we ran and biked in sun, rain, snow and sleet!
this past weekend, i went back to my hometown edmonton, canada for my grandmother's 92nd birthday. when we got off the plane it was 9 degrees farenheit. i don't think it reached double digits the entire weekend! talk about the opposite of hawaii! one night i was walking past my grandmother's bedroom and i saw her on the floor doing arm exercises with small weights. it was inspiring. i also got a swim workout in while we were there and got a chance to go back the same swimming pool that i went to for years as a kid. its funny how everything looked so much bigger back then!
tonight is our last BRICK workout before our bikes are shipped to Hawaii on friday (yes, literally they are going by boat. at least this way the bikes don't have to be taken apart). of course that doesn't mean we get a break from running, swimming or riding via spin classes. we still have our last two weeks of training plus workouts in hawaii to get used to the weather. i think my sun-deprived-pasty white-self is going to go into shock when we land in kona!
alright...here we go!
this past weekend, i went back to my hometown edmonton, canada for my grandmother's 92nd birthday. when we got off the plane it was 9 degrees farenheit. i don't think it reached double digits the entire weekend! talk about the opposite of hawaii! one night i was walking past my grandmother's bedroom and i saw her on the floor doing arm exercises with small weights. it was inspiring. i also got a swim workout in while we were there and got a chance to go back the same swimming pool that i went to for years as a kid. its funny how everything looked so much bigger back then!
tonight is our last BRICK workout before our bikes are shipped to Hawaii on friday (yes, literally they are going by boat. at least this way the bikes don't have to be taken apart). of course that doesn't mean we get a break from running, swimming or riding via spin classes. we still have our last two weeks of training plus workouts in hawaii to get used to the weather. i think my sun-deprived-pasty white-self is going to go into shock when we land in kona!
alright...here we go!
Friday, March 6, 2009
Random Thoughts...
The bikes ship to Hawaii a week from today and we leave for Kona about a week after that. Exciting! Yesterday morning as I witnessed yet another light & brief flurry of SNOW outside my windows, I am oh, so ready for Hawaii’s sun and 81 degrees.
THE BIKE--I caved a couple weeks ago and bought a new one. I didn’t really need to do that. Guess it was one of those “stimulate the economy” moments. I’ve only ridden it a handful of times. We’ll have hardly gotten to know each other before it boards some boat for Hawaii. After last week’s ride when two teammates had flat tires, I did hang out at the bike shop the other day to learn how to change one. If only they had AAA for bikes on the course. :)
THE WATER—I wore out a swim suit! To be fair, it was one of those “hang out at the beach” suits—not one of the bullet proof Speedos. It did survive the distances, just not my new fragrance “Eau de Chlorine”. My mile time keeps improving and I really am amazed at where I am now as a swimmer compared to where I was 5 months ago.
THE PAVEMENT--I’ve done a 7 mile run now. After 5 1/2 miles the knees started to feel it a bit. Race distance is 6 miles (10K), so I think I’ll be fine. And there’s still time for improvement…and there’s always Advil & ice…
THE GYM-- Developing opposing muscle groups, balance, flexibility, core, strength…Kind of different from the old jumping jacks, sit ups, splits, touch your toes days, and I love it!
INJURIES—Worst so far has been in the water! Who on earth gets injured in the water? One klutz entrance down the steps into the pool resulted in a nasty skinned arm and bonked elbow on the tile edge. A couple of involuntary dismounts from the bike scraped the same knee and bruised a hip. Those were at a standstill, too, after I forgot my foot was still in the toe clip on my bike pedal. That’s like getting injured in the lift line at the ski hill. Nothing to brag about…
INSPIRATION--The donations (I’m nearing my goal!!), notes, emails & good wishes from family and friends. Stories of hope, courage and fight gleaned from random meetings with people who are connected to someone with leukemia, lymphoma, myeloma, or other cancers. Teammates, coaches, husband, sons & daughter-in-law who keep cheering me on---Thank you, thank you, thank you!!
Hele hui!! Go team!!
THE BIKE--I caved a couple weeks ago and bought a new one. I didn’t really need to do that. Guess it was one of those “stimulate the economy” moments. I’ve only ridden it a handful of times. We’ll have hardly gotten to know each other before it boards some boat for Hawaii. After last week’s ride when two teammates had flat tires, I did hang out at the bike shop the other day to learn how to change one. If only they had AAA for bikes on the course. :)
THE WATER—I wore out a swim suit! To be fair, it was one of those “hang out at the beach” suits—not one of the bullet proof Speedos. It did survive the distances, just not my new fragrance “Eau de Chlorine”. My mile time keeps improving and I really am amazed at where I am now as a swimmer compared to where I was 5 months ago.
THE PAVEMENT--I’ve done a 7 mile run now. After 5 1/2 miles the knees started to feel it a bit. Race distance is 6 miles (10K), so I think I’ll be fine. And there’s still time for improvement…and there’s always Advil & ice…
THE GYM-- Developing opposing muscle groups, balance, flexibility, core, strength…Kind of different from the old jumping jacks, sit ups, splits, touch your toes days, and I love it!
INJURIES—Worst so far has been in the water! Who on earth gets injured in the water? One klutz entrance down the steps into the pool resulted in a nasty skinned arm and bonked elbow on the tile edge. A couple of involuntary dismounts from the bike scraped the same knee and bruised a hip. Those were at a standstill, too, after I forgot my foot was still in the toe clip on my bike pedal. That’s like getting injured in the lift line at the ski hill. Nothing to brag about…
INSPIRATION--The donations (I’m nearing my goal!!), notes, emails & good wishes from family and friends. Stories of hope, courage and fight gleaned from random meetings with people who are connected to someone with leukemia, lymphoma, myeloma, or other cancers. Teammates, coaches, husband, sons & daughter-in-law who keep cheering me on---Thank you, thank you, thank you!!
Hele hui!! Go team!!
Monday, March 2, 2009
4 weeks to go!
This last saturday may have been our last long bike ride before our bikes ship off to Hawaii, on March 13th. Eeek its coming up so fast!
We did a 18 or 26 mile bike ride, followed by a 4 mile run, and once again had great weather for it (though a little chilly to start with). I did the first 9 miles with my mom and Karen along the burke Gilman, then decided to continue on the 26 mile route while they turned back. I caught up with a group of 4 from our team, just in time for a humongous never ending hill. I'd see it flattening out and push myself to that bit, thinking it was over, only to turn a corner and see it go even higher... That was a long long hill...(thanks coach Cathy!). We stopped to take a few rests part way up, which helped, and then we were able to make it to the top. I did enjoy the long downhills we earned as a result of it though :).
After cutting through bothell (for that lovely hill), we hit the burke gilman again, for a 10 mile flat ride home.
With about 6 miles left, I came across Sarah changing a flat tire (with Capt'n Ande's help). I stopped and watched, and commented that I was lucky and had still never had a flat, and that I should really know how to do it... Then I hopped back on my bike, rode a mile or so, and got my first flat!! Poor Ande then had to come help me as well. We had one little scare where we thought the tube was part of the tire, cause apparently they make some fancy tires like that, but then found it was just well stuck. So I finally got it back on, and headed back to the car.
At this point it felt like I'd been out there for ever (like 3 hours) with all the stopping to figure out were we were going, and seeing two flat tires get changed, and it didn't help that I managed to forget all my liquids that day! (I left my Gatorade on the kitchen counter :( ).
I knew I needed to practice more bricks though (bike-run-ick), so I compromised and said I would do a 2 mile run. It just so happened it was a two mile loop. However, as I finished my first loop, I found cathy and 5 people cheering for me, and cheering me onto the 2nd loop! Peer pressure is totally unfair!! So I guiltily took off, and ended up doing the 4 mile run. And I ran the whole way, and didn't find it terrible! (Very exciting for me).
I'd just like to also point out that I have had two flat car tires in the last 3 months, so that is 3 flats in 3 months, and I think that is unfair!
After practice I drank lots of water, ate a lot, took a nap, and then dropped my bike off to get looking over, so it is fresh and ready for Hawaii.
Go team!
We did a 18 or 26 mile bike ride, followed by a 4 mile run, and once again had great weather for it (though a little chilly to start with). I did the first 9 miles with my mom and Karen along the burke Gilman, then decided to continue on the 26 mile route while they turned back. I caught up with a group of 4 from our team, just in time for a humongous never ending hill. I'd see it flattening out and push myself to that bit, thinking it was over, only to turn a corner and see it go even higher... That was a long long hill...(thanks coach Cathy!). We stopped to take a few rests part way up, which helped, and then we were able to make it to the top. I did enjoy the long downhills we earned as a result of it though :).
After cutting through bothell (for that lovely hill), we hit the burke gilman again, for a 10 mile flat ride home.
With about 6 miles left, I came across Sarah changing a flat tire (with Capt'n Ande's help). I stopped and watched, and commented that I was lucky and had still never had a flat, and that I should really know how to do it... Then I hopped back on my bike, rode a mile or so, and got my first flat!! Poor Ande then had to come help me as well. We had one little scare where we thought the tube was part of the tire, cause apparently they make some fancy tires like that, but then found it was just well stuck. So I finally got it back on, and headed back to the car.
At this point it felt like I'd been out there for ever (like 3 hours) with all the stopping to figure out were we were going, and seeing two flat tires get changed, and it didn't help that I managed to forget all my liquids that day! (I left my Gatorade on the kitchen counter :( ).
I knew I needed to practice more bricks though (bike-run-ick), so I compromised and said I would do a 2 mile run. It just so happened it was a two mile loop. However, as I finished my first loop, I found cathy and 5 people cheering for me, and cheering me onto the 2nd loop! Peer pressure is totally unfair!! So I guiltily took off, and ended up doing the 4 mile run. And I ran the whole way, and didn't find it terrible! (Very exciting for me).
I'd just like to also point out that I have had two flat car tires in the last 3 months, so that is 3 flats in 3 months, and I think that is unfair!
After practice I drank lots of water, ate a lot, took a nap, and then dropped my bike off to get looking over, so it is fresh and ready for Hawaii.
Go team!
Monday, February 23, 2009
Comedy Kicks Cancer
On Sunday we had our tribe fundraiser "Comedy Kicks Cancer" - a night of standup comedy & silent auction at the Market Theater at Pike Place Market. I wasn't quite sure what the turn out would be, we were competing with the Oscar's after all, but we were all very pleasantly surprised when over 80 people showed up! We had the food, beer & wine donated for the event along with the venue and comedians. People have been incredibly generous and I've learned they are usually very willing to get behind a great cause!
We had 75 silent auction items and people left with all sorts of things from pet sitting (can't wait to take up Scottie on that) to hotel stays to handmade scarves, jewelry, event tickets and all sorts of impressive sports memorabilia. It was amusing to watch people bid for items and then "hover" to make sure their bid stuck. I have to admit, my competitive nature came out a few times too as I didn't want to lose a few key items :)
So thank you to everyone who came out to support our team, the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and most importantly cancer patients and their families.
Can you believe we have only 4 weeks left?! GO TEAM!
We had 75 silent auction items and people left with all sorts of things from pet sitting (can't wait to take up Scottie on that) to hotel stays to handmade scarves, jewelry, event tickets and all sorts of impressive sports memorabilia. It was amusing to watch people bid for items and then "hover" to make sure their bid stuck. I have to admit, my competitive nature came out a few times too as I didn't want to lose a few key items :)
So thank you to everyone who came out to support our team, the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and most importantly cancer patients and their families.
Can you believe we have only 4 weeks left?! GO TEAM!
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Bricks...
When most people think about bricks, they think of clay and mortar; the building of houses and roads etc. I was once like this, now when I hear the word brick, I think "ugh..." as the word brick is now synominous with effort, pain and moving really, really, slowly. Many of you may wonder where and why I must be carrying bricks and potentially even wonder about what I am building. Alas I am no mason, I have no major blueprint that I am working on. I am simply biking, and then running. But how is that related to bricks??? It is a simple equation: Bike + Run = ICK -> BRICK
You may laugh at this but I dare any of you to go out on a long bike ride and then attempt to move with any form of speed directly after, it's damn near impossible. Go on try it. Your legs literally feel like bricks, the lactic acid has built up to such a degree while you were biking that it is hard to move. However with practice you can teach the muscles how to recover better and adjust to the change in movement. That is currently my major focus in training. It gets me on the bike (we know how I love that) and provides focus for the last transition I will have on race day. I know that by this stage I will be tired, potentially sun burnt and the last 6 miles will seem like an eternity. I am hoping though that this training will help manage some of the pain and get me out and moving as fast as I can so that I can finish in a somewhat reasonable time.
It's hard to believe that it is only 5 weeks until we head out to Hawaii, the reality of the race is becoming ever present with the ending of every day. I can only hope that the training I have done so far, and the training that I will do in these last few weeks will be enough to take me to the finish line. Having looked at our training schedule, Cathy is definitely out to kick our butts so I'm sure I'll be fine!
If you do decide to try out a BRICK, make sure you have enough fluids and snacks with you and remember - be safe, be happy and DONATE!!
You may laugh at this but I dare any of you to go out on a long bike ride and then attempt to move with any form of speed directly after, it's damn near impossible. Go on try it. Your legs literally feel like bricks, the lactic acid has built up to such a degree while you were biking that it is hard to move. However with practice you can teach the muscles how to recover better and adjust to the change in movement. That is currently my major focus in training. It gets me on the bike (we know how I love that) and provides focus for the last transition I will have on race day. I know that by this stage I will be tired, potentially sun burnt and the last 6 miles will seem like an eternity. I am hoping though that this training will help manage some of the pain and get me out and moving as fast as I can so that I can finish in a somewhat reasonable time.
It's hard to believe that it is only 5 weeks until we head out to Hawaii, the reality of the race is becoming ever present with the ending of every day. I can only hope that the training I have done so far, and the training that I will do in these last few weeks will be enough to take me to the finish line. Having looked at our training schedule, Cathy is definitely out to kick our butts so I'm sure I'll be fine!
If you do decide to try out a BRICK, make sure you have enough fluids and snacks with you and remember - be safe, be happy and DONATE!!
Friday, February 6, 2009
The journey to Lavaman continues...
With 14 weeks down and 7 weeks to go, here is the state of affairs for this body:
Swimming—I’ve been working hard. Good news for me is that I’ve improved—a LOT! I’m not attending the Team in Training coached practices (too far to drive at night), so I don’t really know how I compare to my teammates at this point in time. I just know now I’m a whole lot more confidant that I can swim a mile in the ocean and live to hop on my bike afterwards. A couple of weeks ago I went to a swim clinic in Redmond--two full days of working on stroke technique. (And yes, I was rather prune-like by the end of the weekend). The class was small (6 of us) with 2 instructors. The best part of the two days was the several underwater videos they did of each of us. There’s nothing like seeing yourself on video to show you that your head wasn’t really low enough (when you could have sworn it was) or your arm wasn’t really high enough (when you could have sworn it was) :) It was a fun group of people and I am grateful for all their pointers since I was the only one there without any triathlon/half-ironman/marathon experience.
So last week at my swimming lesson I worked on sprints. My instructor told me to swim 10 X 50’s—all out, as fast as I could swim—with about a minute in between each. She said if I didn’t feel like barfing my guts out (her words) after each one I wasn’t working hard enough. That’s always encouraging to hear up front! I managed to keep the breakfast down, but Tina came pretty close to having some serious pool cleanup to do. Yesterday it was back to endurance work. Swam another mile without stopping (ok—I did have a couple 15 second breaks to gulp some non pool water). She said I took 10 minutes off my last timed mile. Yippee!
Biking—We’ve somehow been incredibly lucky with the biking weather. As Rachel pointed out, last Saturday was so beautiful. It makes the miles go by quickly when the sun is shining and the water is sparkly. I only got separated once from the group I was riding with after the long last uphill climb. I was just about to get the cell phone out to call for directions when a few teammates miraculously came up behind me. The only bad part of the day was hopping off the bike and trying to run for 10 minutes. It’s hard to get those muscle groups going after riding 28 miles.
Running—6 miles doesn’t sound like a lot, but when you’ve never been a distance runner, it feels like plenty. At the coached runs I always get passed by lots of people. I am getting better, though. 4 ½ miles has been my longest run at a good clip. I’m sure I’ll improve more in the next few weeks.
I keep thinking of how good the sun, sand, and 81 degrees will feel in Hawaii. Most inspiring to me has been watching the thermometer rise on my fundraising and reading the notes sent with checks and emails. I heard President Obama say recently (this may not be verbatim) “Don’t underestimate the power of a bunch of people joining together to accomplish amazing things.” No kidding!
Swimming—I’ve been working hard. Good news for me is that I’ve improved—a LOT! I’m not attending the Team in Training coached practices (too far to drive at night), so I don’t really know how I compare to my teammates at this point in time. I just know now I’m a whole lot more confidant that I can swim a mile in the ocean and live to hop on my bike afterwards. A couple of weeks ago I went to a swim clinic in Redmond--two full days of working on stroke technique. (And yes, I was rather prune-like by the end of the weekend). The class was small (6 of us) with 2 instructors. The best part of the two days was the several underwater videos they did of each of us. There’s nothing like seeing yourself on video to show you that your head wasn’t really low enough (when you could have sworn it was) or your arm wasn’t really high enough (when you could have sworn it was) :) It was a fun group of people and I am grateful for all their pointers since I was the only one there without any triathlon/half-ironman/marathon experience.
So last week at my swimming lesson I worked on sprints. My instructor told me to swim 10 X 50’s—all out, as fast as I could swim—with about a minute in between each. She said if I didn’t feel like barfing my guts out (her words) after each one I wasn’t working hard enough. That’s always encouraging to hear up front! I managed to keep the breakfast down, but Tina came pretty close to having some serious pool cleanup to do. Yesterday it was back to endurance work. Swam another mile without stopping (ok—I did have a couple 15 second breaks to gulp some non pool water). She said I took 10 minutes off my last timed mile. Yippee!
Biking—We’ve somehow been incredibly lucky with the biking weather. As Rachel pointed out, last Saturday was so beautiful. It makes the miles go by quickly when the sun is shining and the water is sparkly. I only got separated once from the group I was riding with after the long last uphill climb. I was just about to get the cell phone out to call for directions when a few teammates miraculously came up behind me. The only bad part of the day was hopping off the bike and trying to run for 10 minutes. It’s hard to get those muscle groups going after riding 28 miles.
Running—6 miles doesn’t sound like a lot, but when you’ve never been a distance runner, it feels like plenty. At the coached runs I always get passed by lots of people. I am getting better, though. 4 ½ miles has been my longest run at a good clip. I’m sure I’ll improve more in the next few weeks.
I keep thinking of how good the sun, sand, and 81 degrees will feel in Hawaii. Most inspiring to me has been watching the thermometer rise on my fundraising and reading the notes sent with checks and emails. I heard President Obama say recently (this may not be verbatim) “Don’t underestimate the power of a bunch of people joining together to accomplish amazing things.” No kidding!
Monday, February 2, 2009
Our first long bike ride
This weekend was our first coached long bike ride - and I think it went well for everyone! We had a beautiful ride, and it was blue sky and sunny the entire day. We started off at Gasworks park, then rode by lake union on the BG, and then all the way down to Seward Park. So we got to bike along a sunny lake washington for a few miles. Then on the way back, some of us added in a out and back on the bg, to get a few more miles.
Most of the team did either 20 or 28 miles - some of us did more than the race distance already :). Then we did a 10 minute transition run to practice that yucky brick feeling.
I had originally dreaded this ride - as last year I got lost on this route, and the longest I'd biked so far this year was only 13 miles. But with the sun shining, and the water glistening, it was really nice! And made me excited for Hawaii! only 8 more weeks!
Most of the team did either 20 or 28 miles - some of us did more than the race distance already :). Then we did a 10 minute transition run to practice that yucky brick feeling.
I had originally dreaded this ride - as last year I got lost on this route, and the longest I'd biked so far this year was only 13 miles. But with the sun shining, and the water glistening, it was really nice! And made me excited for Hawaii! only 8 more weeks!
Friday, January 16, 2009
holoholo Lolo!
just wanted to make a quick note that our tribe alone has raised over $15,000 already for LLS!
Our whole Seattle Lavaman team has raised $85,000 so far.
Go team!
Our whole Seattle Lavaman team has raised $85,000 so far.
Go team!
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
A Kind of Dara Torres Moment!
You remember her—2008 Beijing Olympics—oldest swimming medalist in Olympic history…Well today I had my own little moment. It is microscopic to her amazing accomplishments in swimming, but it was HUGE for me. I swam a mile without stopping! That’s the distance of the ocean swim! Woo hoo!
I have to back up so you will know what kind of swim shape I was in at the beginning of this triathlon training two months ago. At our first Team in Training swim practice I thought I was doomed. One length of the pool and I was spent. I wrote in an earlier blog entry that I never learned to breathe right in the YMCA lessons as a kid. I love being in the water. I’m not afraid of deep water. I’m not afraid of the ocean. I love to surf. I was just never good at swimming laps. I admit it--I like oxygen! When I got to my lesson today my swim instructor said “You are going to swim for 1 hour...any stroke…just keep swimming.” Oh, yikes! But somehow I did it, and I wasn’t even gasping for breath at the end. Jess, your mom appreciates all your pointers in the pool when you were home for Christmas! And my swim instructor, Tina, got a big hug at the end of my lesson today. No medals for this lady, and there’s a LOT ahead to work on, but I’m thinking at least now maybe I won’t drown in the swim!
It was hard to get in all the training over the holidays with the crazy weather. Shoveling snow & Wii Fit had to do on some of the nasty weather days. It was dark, cold and snowing on my drive down to Mercer Island Saturday morning for the bike ride. It wasn’t snowing there, though, and the ride was great. The run Monday night at Greenlake was good, too. (Dance, Dance Revolution got me nicely limbered up for that agility ladder drill--Thanks, Rachel!)
It felt good this week to get back to business and to be with the gang again. Hele Hui! Go Team!
I have to back up so you will know what kind of swim shape I was in at the beginning of this triathlon training two months ago. At our first Team in Training swim practice I thought I was doomed. One length of the pool and I was spent. I wrote in an earlier blog entry that I never learned to breathe right in the YMCA lessons as a kid. I love being in the water. I’m not afraid of deep water. I’m not afraid of the ocean. I love to surf. I was just never good at swimming laps. I admit it--I like oxygen! When I got to my lesson today my swim instructor said “You are going to swim for 1 hour...any stroke…just keep swimming.” Oh, yikes! But somehow I did it, and I wasn’t even gasping for breath at the end. Jess, your mom appreciates all your pointers in the pool when you were home for Christmas! And my swim instructor, Tina, got a big hug at the end of my lesson today. No medals for this lady, and there’s a LOT ahead to work on, but I’m thinking at least now maybe I won’t drown in the swim!
It was hard to get in all the training over the holidays with the crazy weather. Shoveling snow & Wii Fit had to do on some of the nasty weather days. It was dark, cold and snowing on my drive down to Mercer Island Saturday morning for the bike ride. It wasn’t snowing there, though, and the ride was great. The run Monday night at Greenlake was good, too. (Dance, Dance Revolution got me nicely limbered up for that agility ladder drill--Thanks, Rachel!)
It felt good this week to get back to business and to be with the gang again. Hele Hui! Go Team!
Monday, January 5, 2009
happy new year!
i was in new orleans during the last week of december where i volunteered with an organization to help with post-hurricane katrina home rebuilding efforts. myself and 16 others bascially gutted a house down to the frame/studs so that the owner could finally return and start rebuilding their home. i was a little concerned about missing the triathlon team trainings during this time plus the snow the week before slightly derailed my workouts. but when we started moving furniture, going up and down stairs to haul debris, and hammering away at dry wall/plaster/tile for days, i realized i got my workout for the week and then some!
on another note, i'm amazed at how the weather has been cooperating, for the most part, during our trainings. i just got back from our monday night workout at green lake. it didn't rain at all and it was a bearable 45 degrees which is just cold enough to make you want to run to get warm :)
on another note, i'm amazed at how the weather has been cooperating, for the most part, during our trainings. i just got back from our monday night workout at green lake. it didn't rain at all and it was a bearable 45 degrees which is just cold enough to make you want to run to get warm :)
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