Farewell 2007

Ah, the sun sets on yet another year. And I have to admit I'm happy to see this one go. Yes, I accomplished a great deal this year ... training for and completing an Ironman while raising over $9000 for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. I made some great friends along the way too. Yet my Mom's passing on January 18, 2007, put a damper on things to say the least. I know she's proud of me. I just wish she could have been here to share this success with me. My Dad too (he died on January 15, 2002).

My Dad was my first coach. He had my four older brothers and me doing drills daily ... swinging the bat 50 times in front of a mirror, fielding balls, playing catch, etc.; but always we were thinking ... visualizing the ball and thinking about the play we would make. And quitting or giving up was never an option. My Mom was team mom, manager, score keeper, etc. If there was a job that needed doing, she did it. I don't know how she did it, but she seemed to attend EVERYTHING for all FIVE of us. Amazing! She even traveled from Arizona to San Diego to be there for my first triathlon! She was a little disturbed by the "skimpy outfits" worn by some of the athletes, and she thought I should have won, but she was there for me. Always. Thank you both.

11:46

For two weeks in a row my total duration of training has reached exactly 11 hours and 46 minutes. I ran more and swam less this week, but still the total time was exactly the same as the week prior. I don't think I could do that again even if I tried. Freaky. Maybe it's a sign that I can finish an Ironman in 11:46. Ha!

Yesterday I rode on PCH in Malibu with the Team. It was a beautiful day with an easy 2 hour ride on the schedule. PCH has some rolling hills and gorgeous views. Seven months ago it was our easy, recovery ride. But yesterday the hills seemed a bit harder than I remember. I'm a little worried about what's gonna happen when we start riding the real hills. Will I be able to make it? Will I be going so slow that I'll just tip over? Or start sliding backward down the hill? I doubt it of course, but still I worry.

Stats for the week of December 17th:
Swim: 6200 yards; 3:00
Bike: 67.0 mi; 4:42
Run: 11.0 mi; 2:04
Weights: 2:00
Total Time: 11 hours, 46 minutes

Stats for the week of December 24th:
Swim: 3050 yd; 1:40*
Bike: 52.3 mi; 3:50
Run: 20.3 mi; 4:01
Weights: 2:15
Total Time: 11 hours, 46 minutes

* I had to cut my swim short on Dec. 24th because of the aqua aerobics class. Those old ladies can be ruthless.

It feels good to be back :)

New Muscles

Well, the week is almost up so it's time for a new post. These past two weeks have been a little strange. I'm on vacation so even though there has been lots to do ... baking, shopping, wrapping, spending time with family and friends ... I have been able to fit in all of my workouts. Last week I logged over 11 hours, but I have been eating SO much that I feel kinda gross. I'll be glad when the holidays are over and I can get rid of all the junk in my house (and on my thighs!)

I felt some new muscles while swimming last night. I think they were the pecs! I have worked out with my trainer four times so far. I have also done the workout she has shown me on my own several times. I love that tingly feeling I get after I work out with weights ... like my muscles are still working. And feeling them last night was even better. It's going to be a challenge fitting everything in, but I just know all this work will pay off.

I'm Back

Holy crap! It's been a long time since I've posted. How does that happen? I'm back in the training groove, and I'm liking it. I love having a schedule to follow and a purpose for each workout. You can check out my training log here. I've also hired a personal trainer. I need to drop about 10 pounds and get leaner and stronger. This will make help tremendously on all those long bike rides and runs. I will start posting at least once a week again whether you like it or not ;)

It's Official .....

I have my spot for Ironman Coeur d'Alene!! June 22, 2008 will be here before I know it so it's time to get serious about my training again.

Big Plans

I bought my plane ticket to Paris today. That's right, I'm going to Paris to run a marathon on April 6th! Don't worry, I'll have plenty of time to see the sites and eat croissants and drink wine :) The race comes at the end of my two week Spring Break so the timing is perfect. My friend and fellow teacher Jeanine is going with me. Actually, I'm going with her. She's a planner and has already worked out almost all of the details. Thanks Jeanine!

The other big news is that I signed up for Ironman Coeur d'Alene again!! Last month I made the decision to be a mentor with Team in Training. The team is training for Wildflower Long and Vineman. So, I had people to train with, but no race. Until now. I love having that goal out there. This year will be a little different. I know that I can do the distance, but I also know the sacrifice it will take to get there.

More about goals (one of which is to post more regularly) in another post ....

San Diego Triathlon Challenge Cancelled

I received this email on Wednesday:

*** Cancellation Announcement ***

Due to the massive, widespread wildfires that have devastated San Diego County since Sunday (and continue to burn in the Northeast and Southeast parts of the county) we have decided the best and most prudent course of action is to cancel the 14th Annual Sempra Energy San Diego Triathlon Challenge and the Frog’s Fitness Tour de Cove scheduled for Sunday, Oct. 28, 2007 at La Jolla Cove.

The safety, well-being and enjoyment of all our event participants was the major factor in our decision-making process. At this point, we do not know what the air quality will be like on Sunday. We are also cognizant of the great losses suffered by many of our friends and neighbors across the county. We believe that after four days of severe disruptions that affected more than 500,000 San Diego County residents, and with an uncertain air quality forecast for Sunday, it is best not to proceed with the event at this time.

CAF thanks all our sponsors, friends and volunteers who have worked so hard to make this year’s San Diego Triathlon Challenge and Tour de Cove a success. Like you, we are very disappointed that the event will not go forward this weekend. However, we truly believe this is the right course of action. Thank you for your continued support of physically challenged athletes.

We will be in touch with further updates.

Yours in sport,

Virginia Tinley

CAF Executive Director

To say that I am disappointed is putting it mildly. I look forward to this event every year. It's better than Christmas. Particiants get a Nike duffle bag stuffed with goodies ... Nike running shoes, dri-fit shirts, t-shirt, sweatshirt, water bottles, Gu, goggles, towel, DVDs, Timex watch, etc. But even more important than the stuff I get, are the feelings I get. When I watch all those athletes with disabilities giving it their all, I get the feeling that ANYTHING is possible. I am filled with joy and admiriation; courage and humility; a sense that all is right in this crazy world.

Last year, 8 year old Jake attempted the hilly 13.1 mile run. He completed 8 miles and said that since he had already done the hardest part (the hills) he didn't need to finish. Indeed he didn't. I'm sure he will finish that run one day, but he is already a winner. He had the confidence and courage to start. That's more than half the battle.

I know that the good people at CAF made the right decision, and I know that I am one of the lucky ones. Yes, my favorite race was cancelled. Yes, the air quality was poor here and I missed a few workouts and my car is FILTHY. But I am alive, my house is still standing, and I am healthy.

"Race" Reports

So, I ran the Manhattan Beach 10k two weeks ago, and it was my slowest ever ... 1:03:56, but it was a beautiful day, I had fun, and I got a cool tee shirt. Unlike most race shirts that are filled with ads, this one always has a photo of the MB Pier and no ads. And it's long sleeve.

I have never been fast, but my goal in a 10k had always been to run each mile in under 10 minutes and thus finishing the race in under an hour. On this day though, I was happy to be keeping the miles at under 11 minutes. It seems that 11 has become the new 10!

I know what I need to do to get it back .... I need to drop a few pounds and I need to push myself a little harder in my training. During Ironman training, I got use to the LSD (long, slow, distance) workouts. My IM race was 4 months ago, and I have fully recovered. There is no reason I need to keep running at that snail's pace.

Thursday morning I pushed myself, and I actually "won" a 4.5 mile race. The woman, whom I'll call Racer X, didn't know we were racing. But still, I won :)

I've seen Racer X for years. Up until last year she was always walking with a man I assume is/was her husband. He walked a little bit faster than her so every few feet she would jog to catch up to him. And she was always talking ... it looked like he was trying to get away from her incessant chatter. He would say good morning to me, but she would never acknowledge my presence. And that bothered me. Lately she has been alone, AND she's been running. I have wondered what happened to Mr. X. Did she decide she liked those little jogs she took to catch up to him, and just kept going? Did he dump her, so she turned to running to work out the pain? I have wanted to ask her, but she STILL won't look at me. I smile, I say good morning, but I get nothing back from this woman.

Usually Racer X is going in the opposite direction I am, but on Thursday, as fate would have it, she was going my way, and she had stopped to tie her jacket around her waist. This time as I passed her I said nothing, and as my friend Laurie would say, "I put the hammer down!" I heard foot steps but never looked back. She was NOT going to pass me. At one point, I thought maybe I should slow down and get the story. But I didn't think she would talk to me, and I'm just a tad bit competetive. I don't know when or where she turned around, but I never saw her again. I had a GOOD run though. I ran 10 minute miles and was about 3 minutes faster than I have been in recent months.

Next up: The San Diego Triathlon Challenge, which I'm doing as relay this year. I'll be running 13 hilly miles for this one. It's not too late to donate :)

You DO love hills, Trisha!!

I ran hills this week! Tuesday morning I did some hill repeats in the neighborhood, and this morning I ran 8 miles in Palos Verdes with Maria. It was so nice to have company, and I felt like I was running faster than I have been. But it turns out we ran an average of 12 minute miles. Not so fast after all. But I felt good and there were hills :)

I love hills ... they make me stronger. Years ago, my God daughter, Lucy, called a meeting with me to discuss sand. She was about 3 years old at the time. Her parents were very active in a local organization called Neighbors Against Garbage (NAG), and they took Lucy to many meetings and various protests. Lucy was a pro. We were at the beach, and she asked me if I liked sand. I said no, and calmly voiced my reasons for not liking it. But she would hear NONE of it. She became a bit agitated and said, "You DO like sand, Trisha!!" and she wouldn't let me leave the tent until I agreed that I did indeed like sand.

I have often told myself that I love hills when clearly I don't, but they do make me stronger. I don't know what my "love" of sand has gotten me, but maybe this strategy goes back to that fateful meeting with Lucy. Thanks Lucy!

Why I Don't Do Hills

This is where I get to run! And it's just two short blocks from my house. Today was exceptionally beautiful because we got our first rain storm of the season Friday night/Saturday morning. To the right of the sand is a running/bike path. This morning I saw my neighbor walking his dogs, a coworker walking her husband, a woman I met in a volleyball class 9 years ago, and my friends Dee and Ted playing volleyball. Not to mention all of the regular runners I nod to and smile at. I felt like a minor celebrity. It's perfect. I could run over 20 miles on this path, and there are water fountains and restrooms strategically located along the way. And except for the occasional pervert, I feel very safe, comfortable, and happy running here. But it is FLAT, and I have some races with hills approaching.

Usually I don't think about the fact that I should be running hills until AFTER the race. So I guess I am making some progress ... I am at least thinking about it now. I am going to run the Manhattan Beach 10k on Octber 6 (my birthday!), and there are a couple of decent hills. But the run in the SD Triathlon Challenge is HILL - LY! I know I need to start running hills, but it is difficult to tear myself away from the beauty of my home turf. Maybe next weekend!

She Drinks Skim Milk and She's Still FAT!

My dear old grandmother said these words about me at the dinner table over thirty years ago, yet they still haunt me. I don't run to my bedroom in tears like I did when I first heard them, and I can laugh when I tell the story now, but still they haunt me. I had a converstion about this with my brother Jim a couple of weeks ago, and he asked if this is one of the reasons I have pushed myself to physical extremes that I have. And yes, it is a part of it, a big part of it.

About 10 years ago I joined Weight Watchers for at least the third time in my life and lost 55 pounds. I had been jogging 3 miles a few times a week at that point, but as I neared my weight loss goal I felt like I needed another goal to keep myself on track. My friend Tomie was beginning to train for her first marathon and dragged me on an 8 mile run. I was so sore after that run (I remember it like it was yesterday), but I did it! I signed up for the marathon too.

But the words of my grandmother still lurk in the recesses of my brain ... "She runs marathons, and she's still fat!" and "She's an Ironman and she's still fat!" The other night, or morning I guess it was, when I couldn't sleep, I finished reading Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert. Liz spent a year in Italy, India, and Bali in pursuit of pleasure, devotion, and balance and chronicled her experiences in this wonderful book. She tells of a time when she was on a tiny island east of Bali. After 9 days of silence, she dropped into a long (we're talking several hours!) meditation in which she faced everything in her life that had caused her sorrow, anger, and shame. She examined each one, and accepted, forgave, and loved it.

Now, I can barely sit for the 5 minutes of meditation at the beginning of my yoga class, but I CAN forgive my grandmother for uttering those hurtful words, I CAN forgive myself for believing those awful words, and I CAN accept and love my body as it is right now. And with that said, it is DONE!

CAF .... My Motivation

On October 28, I will be fortunate enough to once again participate in the San Diego Triathlon Challenge in San Diego, CA. This is the main fundraising event for the Challenged Athletes Foundation (CAF). This is from an email I wrote last September while training for this event, my second Half Ironman ....

Training is going well, and I feel so much stronger and more confident than I did at this time last year. And because I am no longer SO intimidated by the physical challenge I will be facing on November 5th, (2006), I have had time and energy to reflect on what has gotten me here in the first place ....

My Dad was injured while serving in the US Army during the Korean War. He was shot in his left arm, and he lost the use of his hand -- it was in a permanent fist. A competitor to the core, my dad won contests to see who could get another morphine shot while rehabbing in the hospital. My dad never preached or complained, he lived his life ... working hard and taking care of his wife and 5 kids. He taught us all how to play baseball and coached our teams. He played softball himself, and he was good! He would wear the glove on his right hand, catch the ball, put the glove under his left arm, pull out the ball and throw it. And boy would he get mad if we didn't use 2 hands when catching the ball! When he retired and moved to Lake Havasu he started a senior softball league and yelled at the pros on TV to use 2 hands.

I never thought of my dad as disabled and the only time I remember hearing that word in my house was when my dad was driving disabled veterans to the hospital or helping out the DAV in some other way. By his example, my father showed me that anything is possible. He taught me to try my hardest and to never quit. I am thankful and proud of him, and I know he is proud of me.

In 2004, CAF began a new program called Operation Rebound, which supports and mentors American soldiers and veterans who have been permanently injured in recent wars, and last year there were several soldiers who participated in the triathlon.

CAF is where I got my start in the sport of triathlon. Before that I was just a runner. I did the run leg of this triathlon for several years before I worked up the courage to do a triathlon. You see, I didn't know how to swim. But three years ago I looked at a guy with one leg who was doing all 3 events himself while I was only running, and I decided then and there that not knowing how to swim was clearly NO excuse. I fractured a bone in my foot a month later and couldn't run ... it was the perfect time to learn how to swim :) And now look at me ... I'm an Ironman!!

This year I will do only the run. I want to ENJOY the day and cheer on all of the amazing, courageous athletes who will be there, and I want to include others in this inspiring day. My IronTEAMmates Maria and Gregorio will be joining me. Teammates Laurie, Jen, and Karen also have a team. This is my favorite day of the year, and I'm really looking forward to it. The race is sold out, but you can still come .... volunteer, cheer, be amazed. Donations are welcome too :)

Thanks!
Trish

Life After Ironman

Summer began for me with the Ironman. The last day of school was June 26th so I actually started my summer vacation a few days early. And now it's over. I go back to work officially tomorrow, but I've already been in several days getting ready. Today was my last day to sleep in, but I woke up before 6:00am. I wanted so badly to sleep longer, but I was wide awake. I had to get up.

I took a few trips, caught up with friends, went to yoga, took care of some things that I had put off during months of training (like finding a place for the boxes of my grandmother's china that had been sitting in my livingroom since MAY!), and gained 7 pounds in the last 9 weeks. It doesn't seem right. While training for the race I gained 5 pounds. And no, that's not a roll of muscle around what use to be my waist. Seriously, I burned thousands of calories in a day, and I gained weight?! Then when I cut back on my workouts AND my eating, I gain more weight?! Obviously I was eating too much. I started to believe all those people who told me that I must be able to eat whatever I want. But when my pants no longer buttoned I had to get serious about my diet, and I have dropped a few of those summer pounds.

I've been focusing on the run these days. I'm thinking about running the Long Beach Marathon on October 14th, but only if I think I'll be able to have a decent time and feel good. I may end up just doing the half instead. I try to swim and cycle 1-2 days a week, but only if I feel like it.

I went to Minnesota to visit Super IM Fan Liz earlier this month. We held our own mini triathlon, her first!! Yay Liz! We did a 300 yard lake swim, 9 mile bike, and 3 mile run. She will be an official volunteer at IM Madison next week. I think she may be hooked :)

RACE DAY

So, the alarm went off at 3:45am, and I was ready to go! I slept through the night and felt good, nervous but good. I got dressed and went downstairs for coffee and food. Yes, the Holiday Inn had breakfast ready for us at 3:30am -- oatmeal, eggs, fruit, etc. I started with coffee and oatmeal. I tried some eggs, but I wasn't lovin them so I moved on. Most of the athletes looked as apprehensive as I felt, and that was reassuring. BUT I didn't want to spend too much time there, soaking up that nervous energy, so I ate and scurried back upstairs to finish getting ready.

At about 5:00am we got in the vans to head down to the lake. The weather was cool, in the 40s, and there was a breeze. The lake was not like glass as I had been promised by coach Paul. I put my bottles on my bike, added a PB & J sandwich to my swim to bike transition bag, and headed over to get body marked. Tomie called at this point to tell me that my IronFANS had arrived. I wasn't sure I wanted to see them -- I was very nervous at this point and didn't really want anybody to ask me how I was feeling. As soon as I saw them, though, I had a good laugh. Their shirts say "Trish Da Ho" and the hats say "Iron Trish" and I WAS glad to see them :)




I got my wetsuit on and made my way down to the lake. There was a ton of people crowded into a small space, everyone trying to find their loved one to wish him/her luck. Karen saw her mom and squealed, and a little later Maria found her dad. He gave her a hug, and Maria and I both started crying. Even though my mom and dad weren't there to give me a hug for luck, they were there with me. There is no way I would have ever made it to the starting line without their love and support my whole life. They both believed that I could do ANYTHING! My mom would have asked me if I was going to win.




THE SWIM (2.4 miles)


The water was still cold and choppy. It was so choppy that the race organizers announced that anyone who wished could opt out of the swim and work the day as a duathlon --- bike & run only. As much as I was dreading the swim, this was not an option worth considering. I had worked long and hard to get here, and I was going to be crowned an Ironman today! About 50 people decided not to swim.



So we were all huddled on the beach trying to stay warm, waiting for the gun to go off. There was a strange mix of adreneline, fear, anxiety and excitement flowing through my body at this point. My friend Jen told me that once the gun went off, all would be well, and I would just get the job done. I was praying that she was right. The gun went off and I followed the crowd into the water. I placed myself in the middle of the pack, walked into the lake, took a second to get my bearings and started swimming. I got bumped a little bit, but it wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be. So I swam, and swam , and swam. Sighting was tough because everytime I looked up I got smacked in the face with a wave. I have a tendancy to swim to the right and the buoys were on the left. Because of this I probably swam closer to 3 miles. But I was doing it, and I wasn't freaking out! This was a 2 loop course, and I finished the first loop in about 58 minutes. The pros were already finished with BOTH loops, but I knew I would be able to finish and make the time cut off of 2:20. So in I went for my second loop. It seemed easier this time, and I was hoping my time would reflect that. My calves started cramping up toward the end of the swim. I flexed my feet and tried to stretch them out. Finally, I was finished! I ran across the timing mat and heard my name announced and the crowds cheer! I was so happy to be done :)




I ran to the strippers, sat down on the grass, and had them yank my wetsuit off. Heavenly! It is always such a struggle to get the dang wetsuit off. I may have stick to Ironman races just for this feature :)



time: 1:59:08
rank: 2112/2197



THE BIKE (112 miles)

There were more volunteers to help me get ready for the bike. Christy, our team captain, was volunteering and found me in the women's changing tent. She helped me get on my arm warmers, gloves, and helmet. I was cold and shaking, which made it tough to do those things myself. She sent me out, and I made a stop for sunscreen --- yes, more volunteers slathered me with sunscreen. One more stop at the porta pottie (no volunteers to help there!) and then I was off. The course went through town, around CDA lake, back through town, and then out to Hayden lake. It was beautiful! Many residents were out in front of there house cheering us on all day. One house had signs posted that said that we could use the bathroom, get water, and get mechanical help. And on a table under an umbrella sat a sign that said "counseling available" ... I laughed out loud. On my second loop I told the man there that this was my favorite house. He seemed genuinely touched by this and said thank you.


I stayed focused on the ride and on getting my nutrition in. The swim was in the past and I wasn't worried about the run yet. I felt good. Because it was a two loop course I saw a few of my teammates several times, and I found this very comforting. The pros passed me while I was in the hills (about mile 40 or so), and that was exciting. I was racing with the pros! Once again they finished in about half the time it took me. I saw my IronFans frequently. I don't know how they did it, but they were everywhere! Later, Liz and Theresa told me that they thought my Mom and Dad had guided them to the right spot on more than one occasion.


The second loop proved a tad bit tougher, but manageable. Finally I was out of the hills and headed back to the transition area, but first I had some head wind to deal with. The weather had been great all day-- in the 60s and cloudy and windy in spots. I was done! I had made the cut off with about 30 minutes to spare :) Once again, there were volunteers .... they took my bike and racked it for me while I headed to the changing tent.


time: 7:51:46

rank: 2061/2197



THE RUN (26.2 miles)


I saw Maria almost immediately. She was about a mile and a half ahead of me. Maybe I could catch her, I thought. I saw her at least 2 more times, but I never did catch her. Then I saw Gregorio ... he was starting his second loop of the run. He was almost done, and I was so proud of him. The run was tough I can't lie. My goal was to run and only walk through the aid stations, but I didn't quite make it. I walked a lot. I was feeling a little light headed and knew I needed to take in some nutrients, but everything I ate made me sick. I must have spent at LEAST 30 minutes in the porta potties. I tried chicken broth, pretzles, and Gu. Nothing was working. Finally at mile 14 I decided to only drink Gatorade. That worked, thank God! At one point during the run, a little boy who had just come out of the porta pottie exclaimed, "Mom, I saw your diarrhea!" Ha! At least I didn't have anybody announcing my gastrointestinal troubles to the world!



Again, my Fans were great. I saw them many times. Liz ran with me for a while, and Tomie biked beside me. It was dark and lonely out there. I know I wouldn't have quit, but it sure was nice to have some company. Finally, I was almost there. A couple more turns and I would be able to see the finishing chute. Nothing could have prepared me for that moment. By this point it was cold, the wind had picked up, AND it had started to rain! Bring it on! I am an Ironman, I can handle it! I started to pick up the pace a bit. It was almost midnight, but there were still lots of people cheering us on. I heard Mike Reilly say, "Trish Ray from Hermosa Beach, California!" and the fans went wild. I saw Coach Paul and he gave me a little shove, and I felt like I was flying. People were cheering like I had won and giving me high fives. It was amazing! I was an Ironman! Click here to see proof of this :)

time: 6:29:54
rank: 2048/2085
Total time: 16:40:58



Thank you for believing in me and supporting me on this journey!

hugs,
trish

IM CdA Pre-Race Report

I arrived in Coeur d'Alene on Thursday afternoon with my TEAM, we settled into our hotel, where we were treated like celebrities. They even took pictures of us as we checked in :) Then we went down to the Ironman Village, where the magic happens. We picked up our race packets, which included a timing chip, swim cap, and a cool Ironman backpack. This was real, soon I was going to be an Ironman and there was no backing out now! It was not crowded yet, so we were in and out in no time. Everything was so well organized and the volunteers were so friendly and helpful. I then dropped some cash in the official IM shop. What's the point of doing an Ironman if you don't have some cool gear to show off?! We picked up our bikes and rode a couple of miles back to the hotel.




Friday morning we got up early and headed down to the lake for a swim, bike, and a run ... all short and easy. The lake was much choppier than anticipated and cold. We donned our wetsuits and everybody dove in and started swimming, and I followed. That was a big mistake. After about ten strokes I was freaking out. My breathing was out of control, I couldn't find any rhythm, and I was seriously doubting my ability to complete the swim in the 2:20 time limit. Coach Paul found me and talked me down from the ledge. We swam out a little farther and then over and back in. Then he made me get back in the lake and do it again. I was only in the water for a total of 30 minutes or so, but it seemed like forever. Better to have this kind of freak out today and not on race day. Next we got on our bikes and rode 1 loop of the run course -- mostly flat through downtown, some neighborhoods, and around the lake. It was beautiful, and I felt calm and peaceful. Which is somewhat amazing after that swim. But I felt my Mom there with me, and the tears began. It was a good cry, and it wouldn't be the last time I cried this weekend. Then we ran for about 20 minutes just to make sure everything's working okay. I had been having some pain in the ball of my right foot for a week now, and it was still there. I was worried, and I iced it that evening.


I had a much better swim on Saturday morning. I gave myself a minute to get use the water tempertature and went in at my own pace. I can do this, I thought, and I did! Some of my teammates went to free pancake breakfast in the village after the swim, but I went back to the hotel to get all my gear together. Unlike most triathlons where you set up your gear in the morning, we had to put our stuff in bags and bring it down the day before. I was a little nervous about this --- would I have everything I needed? I always set things up the same way so I won't forget anything. With everything a jumbled mess in the bag, would I forget to put on something important like my sunglasses? I laid everything out, and Paul checked it out for me. He suggested I put a long sleeve shirt in my Special Needs Run bag, and I'm glad I did. This bag was available to me halfway through the run, and I needed that shirt. We then dropped off our bikes, bike gear and run gear bags. This was quite an operation they had going, and everywhere we went, there were more helpful volunteers and more stressed out athletes. My stomach is doing tiny little flips right now. It was doing huge flips then.

My crew had all arrived by this point. Tomie and Jen flew in from San Diego on Friday. Liz, from Minneapolis, and Theresa, from New Jersey, got in Saturday afternoon. It was so great to have them there. Liz had a million questions for me and all four had lots of love and encouragement for me. Liz has a new philosophy and wants a magnet on her fridge that says "Abandon Hope". The basic premise is that we are perfect the way we are right now, and that we should abandon hope of ever becoming better. Correct me if I'm wrong, Liz. We had a lot of laughs over this new catch phrase of hers and it definitely relieved a lot of my tension.

After dinner with the TEAM and our family and
friends, and a last minute pep talk from coaches Paul and Kevin, I went up to my room alone, to face my fears, and hopefully get some sleep. I finally fell asleep around 10:30 and slept until my alarm went off at 3:45 am. Today is the day!!

Race Report .... A Pictorial

PRE-RACE

Here I am after picking up my "stuff" --timing chip, race numbers, swim cap, etc. They even weighed all athletes.

Shopping with Maria for cool IM apparel.

THE SWIM

2.4 miles, 1:59:08, 128/135 in my age group
I was very nervous about the mass start, but it wasn't so bad. Needless to say, I wasn't out front. I wasn't the last one to enter the water either.


THE BIKE


112 miles, 7:51:46, 107/135
Feeling strong!


THE RUN


26.2 miles, 6:29:55, 114/135
As you can see, I did a lot of walking. The course was beautiful, and I never once thought of giving up.


THE CREW


Liz, Theresa, Tomie, & Jen
They were EVERYWHERE!! Thank you!!!

And thanks to ALL of my fans who were with me in spirit!



THE FINISH

140.6 miles, 16:40:58, 117/135
With Honored Teammate, Maria and Mentor, Dean

Recovery has been good, and I'm even thinking of doing another one. I'll wait for the high to wear off before I make any big decisons though. I will write a real race report soon.

Hugs,

Trish

I am an IRONMAN!!

I did it!

I got home late last night and am exhausted, but I feel great and have never been prouder! I will write a detailed race report soon. Thanks to all of you who supported me on this long journey, and a big Whoop dee Whoop! goes out to my amazing "I Da Ho Crew" ... Liz, Theresa, Tomie, and Jen. You guys rock!

Here I go ....

Tomorrow I leave for Coeur d'Alene!! Coach Paul told us that we should be getting LOTS of sleep now, and usually I'm pretty good at that. This morning, though, I was up at 4:00 and couldn't get back to sleep. So I decided to get up and get stuff done in the hopes that I can get to bed early (by 8:00pm) tonight since I have to be at the airport at 4:30am tomorrow.

Last night was our last swim practice. Here I am (blue shorts & sweatshirt) walking into the pool with teammates Raul, Laurie, and Dean.
To simulate race conditions, each of us had to swim through the "gauntlet".. .. apparently it's a TnT tradition. Some said ours was pretty tame, but it sure didn't feel that way to me. And Matt reminded us all that we could all do this for 6 hours! So there.

IronTEAM

I reached my fundraising minimum of $8500 a couple of weeks ago, and I am so grateful to all of you with have supported me through this long journey. Thank you!!

Stats for the season:
swim: 149,288 yards

bike: 2,146 miles

run: 573 miles

total time: 340 hours, 40 minutes

What the hell am I going to do with myself after this?!

I will post a race report here as soon as possible.

Hugs,

Trish

Taper

Here's the TEAM gathered for our last bike ride before we head off to Coeur d'Alene. Saturday we met at Castaic Lake for a swim, bike, run, and picnic :) The lake was nice, and we swam for about 45 minutes before we were kicked out. The bike ride was only 18 miles. I rode for one hour out, but it only took 30 minutes to get back. The downhill was nice, but there were some strong gusts of wind that scared me. It would really suck to have an accident 2 weeks before a race that I've been training 8 months for. And then the run ... 50 minutes. I was a bit sluggish all day, but Coach Paul says that's normal after the low key week we had. Today I only had to run for 1 hour! I got up at 8:30 after 10+ hours of sleep, had coffee and read the paper like a civilized person. I could get use to this!

Our bikes are being shipped and need to be turned in by Friday. I can send a duffle bag with the bike so I'm trying to get all my stuff organized .... without freaking myself out. Since we won't have bikes, I'm not quite sure what we'll be doing for our team workout next weekend, but I do know that it involves food at teammate Gregorio's house afterwards :)

Weekly Stats:

swim: 5112 yards
bike: 36 miles
run: 18 miles
total time: 8 hours, 28 minutes

26 days ...

Only 26 days to go. How crazy is that? Yesterday in the pool, I had a moment, out of nowhere, where I thought "I can't do it," and this was BEFORE the moron ran into me. Yes, I had a head-on collision in the pool. I was swimming 3000 yards, so I had been there a while, swimming back and forth in my lane minding my own business. A woman was swimming next to me for a while, and when she got out, a guy jumped in and decided we would circle swim, but he failed to let me know. I didn't even know he was in the pool until after we ran into each other. He said he didn't see me. I looked at him like he was a complete idiot (which he was) and said, "How could you not see me?!" "I wasn't looking," was his reply. Good plan ... jump into a pool without looking or figuring out what the other people are doing. I finished my swim in fear of him, but I did finish, and I'm still angry about it. I just can't believe how stupid he was.

Last week we had a 4000 yard swim on the schedule that I was dreading all week. My longest swim had been 3000 yards before this. When the team swims together, longer sets are posted, but I am never able to finish them. We only have the pool for 1.5 hours, and I'm a slow swimmer. The pool our team uses is being cleaned so I did this swim on my own, and had all the time I needed. Also, when I swim with the team, I can see everybody finishing and getting out of the pool, while I still have many laps to go. Swimming on my own, I saw many others come and go, but I could feel good about myself because I was swimming such a long set. I finished the 4000 yards in 1 hour and 45 minutes :)

Last Saturday, May 19th, the team went on a hellish 80 mile ride. I had many moments where I thought I am not ready for this race. After we finished, coach Kevin said that this ride was much harder than Coure d'Alene. Plus we're working on tired legs. It was a miserable day ... one hill that was about 20 miles long, and a head wind on the down hill, and it was hot. The next day was the Hawthorne 5k, and I had a title to defend ... I had won my age group the past 2 years. After that bike ride I was worried ;) The event is great fun .... 300 students run, and for many it's their first race. I didn't get the best start but soon had Jeanine (my only known competition) in my sight. I crept up on her and then passed her at mile 3 with only .1 to go! I yelled at her to pick up the pace, but she didn't. I beat her by one second and came in 1st in my division with a time of 29.16. Luckily for me, she had run the Palos Verdes half marathon the day before. After the race, I met Maria, Karen and Dean at the beach for our long run of 3 hours/15 miles. I actually felt better on this run than I did the week before. Go figure.

This past Saturday, 7 of us did an easy 100 mile ride to San Diego. Compared to the hard, hilly efforts we have been doing, this really was easy! We had a great day. The weather was cool and cloudy, no flats or mechanical problems, and we only got slightly lost near the end of the ride. I even ran into Tomie and her teammates just north of Camp Pendelton. We rode together for a little while. We spent the night and rode the train back home on Sunday.

Stats for week of May 14th
swim: 4400 yards
bike: 120 miles
run: 23 miles
total time: 16 hours, 57 minutes

Stats for week of May 21st
swim: 5500 yards
bike: 129 miles
run: 7 miles
total time: 12 hours, 8 minutes

This is our last big week, then we taper. I'm already a nervous wreck. The taper is going to be tough. Please send postive energy my way. Thanks!!

six weeks to go!

There are moments when I think that I am nowhere near ready for an Ironman. Like on Saturday at about mile 95 of a 100 mile ride when our Team captain, Christy, said, "You know what would be crazy? Running a marathon after this!" I had to agree. It didn't seem possible, and I didn't even do a swim before the ride. The good news, though, is Sunday I got up and did a 1 mile ocean swim followed by a 13 mile run. I was a bit tired, but I was not sore. Also, I recovered very quickly after the Wildflower race. So I guess I am making progress.

My stats for last week:
swim: 6360 yards
bike: 130 miles
run: 28 miles
total time: 17 hours, 30 minutes

This was by far the biggest week to date. It was also a busy week at work. I was in meetings all day Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday plus I had to prepare for a parenting meeting on Thursday and that turned out to be a 12 hour work day. I cut my swim short on Friday, but I did get all my workouts in. I don't know what I'm going to do with myself after June 24th.

Wildflower race report

Yesterday I finished my toughest race to date. Before I get to that, though, I want to fill you in on last week. Saturday, April 28th, we did another Big Ass Brick in Griffith Park -- a four hour bike ride followed by a 2 hour run. I felt really good on the bike, but suffered on the run. It was a hot day, and I did not take in enough nutrition on the bike. If I hadn't been running with my teammates, I would not have finished the run. But I did. The next day I had 2 hour 45 minute run on the schedule. I was afraid that it would be horrible, and that I wouldn't be able to do the whole thing, but I actually felt okay and had no thoughts of cutting the run short.

Last Sunday afternoon was my fundraiser in the park. Anne did such an amazing job organizing this for me. My brother Mike came from Lake Havasu and was a huge help. Tomie, Jen, Rox, and Selina also pitched in to make the day a success. I am very lucky to have such good friends and family. I raised $1300 and had a good time :) We did not get to play kickball because the field was being worked on, but we had relay races and an egg toss. The relay race involved a hippity hop, which just about did me in. My quads were on fire! And they were sore the next day too.

My stats for the week of April 23 (not counting hippity hop):
swim: 4800 yards
bike: 93 miles
run: 38 miles
total time: 15 hours 46 minutes

This week was a recovery week with a half ironman race, Wildflower Long Course, on Saturday. Not only is this a tough course, it involves camping. Luckily, my teammate Gregorio has a motor home. Maria, Gregorio, and I drove up Thursday right after school. We found a great spot, settled in, and got a good night's sleep. Friday morning we lounged a bit, then met up with our other teammates and headed down to the expo. It was a long, tiring afternoon. I went for a short spin on the bike just to make sure everything was working okay and then got my race bag packed for the morning. We had pasta dinner with the team ... Maria, Gregorio, Raul, Chris, Laurie, Meghan, and I were racing. Karen and Dean were volunteering and cheering us on. Coach Paul stopped by to give us last minute advice and wish us luck. I was looking forward to another quiet night in the motor home, but was not so lucky. The medical team volunteers were camping next to us, and they were up partying until 2 or 3am. At midnight I went out and asked them to quiet down. They didn't. One guy even got a little louder.

We got up at 6am, had breakfast and headed down to the transition area at about 7am. The race started at 8, but my wave didn't go until 9:25 ... plenty of time to work myself into a nervous frenzy. During the last trip to the porta potty, we noticed the wind picking up, making the water a bit choppy. Finally it's time to go. I got off to a decent start, and settled into a groove. Slow but steady. I got cut off by two boats -- a ranger and event organizers, and got hit by other swimmers a couple of times, but nothing too bad. The water was warm but choppy, especially on the way back.

The bike was a challenge. I rode this course a few weeks ago and knew it was tough. Race day brought some serious wind to make it even tougher. It seems like we had a head wind or cross wind the whole way and never a tail wind. But hey, this a training day, so bring it on! This will just make Coeur d'Alene that much easier. They have cut off times (which are totally unfair to the old ladies -- since I'm in the last wave, I have the least amount of time to do the race) but I wasn't too worried about it. I should have been because I was close to missing the bike cut off. As I was coming back into the campgrounds a woman told me I had 15 minutes. It was only 3 miles and most of it downhill, but it was also congested with runners and spectators so I had to be somewhat cautious. I made it! Now on to the run ... again a challenge with hills and heat. I did better with nutrition this week, but there is still room for improvement. I walked up the hills and ran on the flats, but I just couldn't get my legs to move very fast. I saw Dean, Karen, and Meghan at about mile 6 in the run. That was so awesome! I wore my Team in Training jersey and got a lot of love on the course, but it really was so great to hear my name shouted. Karen and Dean were at the finish line too --- they handed me my medal and cold, wet towel. I finished the race in 8 hours 8 minutes, well over my goal of 7 hours, but I finished a tough race that many others were unable to complete yesterday.

9 weeks to go ...

Yikes! We're into the single digits! It is so hard to believe that my Ironman race is now just 9 weeks away. I completed my first race of the season yesterday. The Desert Tri in Palm Springs. We did an 80 mile bike ride on Saturday so my legs were a bit fatigued. My time was not as fast as I would have liked, but I finished it in under 3 hours. I felt strong, and I feel great today! I'm not at all sore or fatigued. This was my first lake swim, and I loved it. I may never go back to ocean triathlons again! No waves to worry about and the occasional mouthfuls of water didn't taste too bad. I drifted to the right a lot, and I need to work on that. Going off course in a short race like this isn't such a big deal, but I do not want to swim any farther than 2.4 miles in Coeur d'Alene.

My stats for last week:
swim: 7208 yards
bike: 110 miles
run: 18 miles
total time: 13 hours 16 minutes

I have a big week this week. We have started doing longer midweek workouts with Wednesday being the monster day -- 2 hour bike and a 1 hour 20 minute run. Both are to be done at an easy pace. Last Wednesday it was super windy out so I cut my bike ride short. Hopefully this week I'll be able to get it all in ... 16 hours!

Sunday is my fundraiser in the park. It should be a lot of fun. Beacause I've been so busy with training I don't get to see my friends as often as I would like. So I'm looking forward to catching up with everybody. If you live in the area, please come!

Good Times

Ah, it's so nice to be on vacation :) In addition to my regular workouts this week, I have been to yoga twice. You would think that training for an ironman would use every muscle in your body. Not so .... I found a few I haven't been using. My arms are still shaking a bit from this morning's yoga class, and I'm sure I'll be feeling it in my abs tomorrow.

I had a bike fit done on Monday. I think I was the last one on the team to go and see Nate. He made quite a few adjustments ... he raised my seat post and brought the saddle back, and also raised the handlebars and brought the aero bars way back. I rode on Wednesday, and it felt good. I'm so much more comfortable in the aero bars that I'll actually be able to ride in that postition for long stretches. I also felt stronger and more efficient going uphill and in more control going down. Yippee!

April is a busy month for me. Next weekend is a TNT training weekend ... there will be a bunch of teams camping and training at the Wildflower site. My team is preparing all the food as a fundraiser in addition to getting our training in. Our coach thinks we'll be able to get an 80 mile bike ride in after preparing breakfast and before fixing dinner on Saturday. We'll see. April 22 I'm racing in the Desert Tri (3/4 mile swim, 26 mile bike, 6 mile run) in Palm Springs. It will be my first race of the season, and I'm hoping it will feel easy! The following Sunday, April 29th, I am having a fundraiser in the park. My good friends Anne, Cathy, Tomie, and Jen are helping me out. We'll have food and games and raffle prizes. It should be a blast. Come on down!! May 5th I have another race ... Wildflower Long ... which is a half ironman (1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike, 13.1 mile run). I know this one won't be easy, but I do hope to finish in under 7 hours and feeling strong. Wish me luck!

freakishly strong

Getting things other than bills in the mail is one of life's greatest pleasures. Today I received a t-shirt from my good friends Dave and Digo, and it's not even my birthday or anything. How cool is that? I really love that my friends see me as strong; freakish I'm not so sure about :) They addressed the card to "Iron Trish" and said they loved my blog. It's great to hear from my readers, but you don't HAVE to send a gift. Of course you can if you want, but posting a comment and sending emails are a nice way to go as well. Making a donation (if you haven't already) would also be greatly appreciated.

Here are my stats for last week:
swim: 6800 yards
bike: 90 miles
run: 23 miles
total time: 13 hours 37 minutes

Saturday's bike ride brought us down to Orange County to train with the OC IronTEAM. It was a tough route with some serious hills. I was really impressed though with the restroom at the biker bar ... super clean and the toilets flushed automatically. It really doesn't take too much to make me happy. The beer was tempting too, but we still had a few hours to ride. Maybe next time :)

This week is a recovery week, AND I only have 2 more days of school ... spring break is around the corner!!

B.A.B.

Hey there! I just finished another big week .... and yesterday's workout was the longest one yet ... a 3.5 hour bike ride followed by a 2.5 hour run. That's what we call a big-ass brick. Normally we might run for 20 - 30 minutes after a bike ride just to get the leg muscles use to running after the bike. To make this even more challenging, we did a trail run that seemed to be mostly all up hill! And it was a warm day -- in the 80s. But I love hills and heat -- they make me stronger :) Today I swam 2000 yards. It was tough to get going this morning, but I definitely felt better after the swim and the jacuzzi!

The week of March 5th was a rest week, and it ended up be a tough one for me. As my 21 year old niece would say, I felt craptacular. With more time on my hands and not as many endorphins pumping through my body, I was sad. I had a dream about my Mom and Dad early that week. The good thing is that they are together and looking out for me. The bad thing is that they are no longer here with me on this earth. And the dream was too short; I didn't have enough time with them and I don't know when the next visit will be. I almost didn't go to the team swim workout that week, but I'm glad I did. We did a timed 2k swim, and I didn't want to be last. I swam through a few tears, but I took 3 minutes off my time and was NOT last! Yahoo!! 2 others finished behind me. I finally did a familiar route, an 11 mile hill repeat, on my new bike, and I was 7 minutes faster!!

When I am tapering for this race, somebody please remind me of how I felt during this past rest week. Tell me that it's normal to feel "craptacular" while my body recovers from all the stress, and that I'll be stonger and faster when I get to the starting line. Also, feel free to comment here. I have made it easier -- you no longer need to be a registerd Blog user. Thanks!

Thank you!!

We are officially at the halfway mark ... 16 weeks till race day ... holy crap! But I am feeling good, and I have put trust in my coach that I'll be ready. I am confidant that I will reach my fundraising goal of $10,000 too, thanks to your generous support. I was worried there for while, but I just hit the $5000 mark. Isn't that perfect timing? Not only do your dollars help fund cancer research, but they also got me out of bed for a run last Tuesday morning when it was cold and rainy. It also made me keep swimming last Thursday when we had 3000 yards on the schedule (our longest swim so far), and I was tired. But I told you we were increasing our swim yardage so I finished it ... even though I'm not sure anybody's even reading this. And I wanted to quit halfway through the bike on Saturday. The winds were so fierce. I was scared much of the time, and the first 2.5 hours felt like 6! Knowing that I couldn't let you down kept me going. So, thank you very much!!

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

So this was my biggest week to date ... 14 hours of training! 95 miles on the bike, 19 miles running ,and over 7000 yards in the pool. My distances on the bike and run are a few miles shy of what I'll be doing on race day, and I will be THRILLED if I finish the race in 14 hours.

The good news is that I bought a new bike (thanks Uncle Dick!) It's a 2006 Trek 5200, all carbon with Ultegra components. I was able to get all of the accessories -- pedals, shoes, aero bars, computer -- with my gift certificate to B & L Bikes in San Diego. This was my fundraising prize from CAF. It's all pretty sweet. I did a 70 mile ride yesterday. There are a few minor adjustments that need to be made, but overall I am very pleased. Yee Haw!!

I had to work Saturday morning at 9:00 so I got up at 4:30 to run my 10 miles. It was dark and a little chilly, but I always do my week day runs in the morning ... it's such a beautiful, peaceful time, and I see the same people and we say hello. Well, none of the regulars were out this early on a Saturday. In fact, not too many people were out at all. A few blocks from my house, I see a guy leaning against the wall of a fancy hotel. He was wearing jeans and a hooded sweatshirt. I thought maybe he worked at the hotel and said "good morning." Just as he replied "good morning" I realized what he was doing ... he was masturbating! Good God! Don't you have anywhere private to do that! Needless to say, I picked up the pace. The rest of the run was uneventful.

Time to go to work. Thanks for reading.

Well, I'm another week closer to my goal! Last week was a good one, and I do feel rested even though Saturday's workout was pretty tough. We did a 50 mile bike ride that was mostly flat but with a few good hills in Palos Verdes. The temps were well into the 80s though, and it rarely gets that hot here even during the summer. I did my best to stay hydrated and felt good. I did a 40 minute run right off the bike. The first 10 minutes are always so hard. I was not breaking any speed records, but I felt like I could have kept at it for a while more. So that's a good thing.

Sunday was a 2k timed swim to keep track of our progress. I have gotten better but still have a lot of work to do. Conveniently enough, this week is a swim week. We will continue with hill repeats on the bike and run, AND we will also build up our swim yardage. Yippee Skippee!! I have added a link to my workout log so you can check up on me.

There is also a link to my fundraising page. If you haven't yet done so, please make a donation today! 75% of your money goes directly to patient resources and research. The other 25% helps with my training and travel to the race. I did Saturday's workout with our honored teammate, Maria. She was diagnosed with Non-Hodgin's Lymphoma in 1998. Today she is strong and healthy and training for an Ironman!! Your donations really do make a difference! You can also help by spreading the word ... Forward my info to family and friends. Thanks!

Rest Week

This week begins a rest week, and boy do I need it. Last week was a hard effort. I put in 75 miles on the bike, ran 21 miles, and swam 6600 yards ... that's about 13 hours of training. Saturday the rain held off, and we had a beautiful ride in Malibu. We went up and up and up Latigo and down Mulholland. I had never been there before and it was just so beautiful and peaceful. The views of the canyons and of the Pacific were breathtaking, pun intended.

Here's my schedule for this week:

Monday-
rest

Tuesday-
1:00 run (easy)
1:00 coached swim

Wednesday-
1:30 bike (easy)

Thursday-
:40 trainer
:30 run

Friday-
rest

Saturday-
3:00 bike
1:00 run right off the bike

Sunday
2k swim

Thanks for reading!

It's About Time

Welcome to my Blog!
I know I'm a bit behind the times, but here I go into the blogging world. So, my big race, IronMan Coeur d'Alene, is just 4 months away, and I have been training since November. I would have started a Blog sooner, but I've been a little busy. This post should catch you up.

In October I received a postcard from TNT announcing their schedule. I was aware of their marathon training programs, but since I had already run 6 marathons I almost threw the card away. Before I did that though, I said, "The only way I'd join TNT is if they were training for an Ironman," thinking that there was NO way they would be. I opened it up, and there it was .... my destiny ... IronTEAM! I signed up on October 14th. This was a BIG decision.

On October 19th doctors found a tumor on my Mom's lung. Three months later my Mom passed away. This was HUGE. She was my greatest cheerleader. She came to every softball and soccer game when I was a kid. She was at my very first triathlon, and she thought I could WIN!! The death of my mother has rocked my world.

My training has kept me sane, my teammates have been a great support, and fundraising for such a worthy cause has given me purpose at a time I might otherwise have felt lost. Speaking of which, I have fundraising deadline looming ... I need to have $4200 raised by March 2nd. I need $1800 more to make that goal. If you can, please donate today! And spread the word. Please and thank you!