What's Next?

So, I have put Ironman behind me, for now. Next year's IM Canada was accepting on-line registration for the first time since I've been involved in the sport. The race usually sells out in 1 day to those who live in or are visiting Penticton, but not this year. I have to admit, I did think about signing up, but not for long. I am going to stick to my plan of losing weight, getting faster, and doing some shorter races.

I returned to work last week. This means I have less time to work out, but it also means a return to a structured schedule and a routine. I like routine. I have been running more frequently, 4-5 times a week. My plan is to run at least 4 days a week, swim twice, weights twice, yoga once, and cycle when I feel like it.

I will be doing the 1.2 mile swim as part of a relay team at the San Diego Triathlon Challenge on October 26th. This triathlon is the main fundraising event for the Challenged Athletes Foundation, and is my favorite day of the year! I am doing the swim so I can spend the rest of the day cheering on athletes and soaking up all the inspiration I can. Since I started doing triathlons 3 years ago my goal has always been to survive the swim. At Vineman this year, I pushed a little harder when I was swimming with the current. I took 20 minutes off my previous IM swim time, and felt good coming out of the water. So I think I need to revise my goal for the swim. Since I will only be doing the swim at the SDTC I can experiment with swimming a little harder. I will have a time goal closer to race day. For now, though, I have a fundraising goal of $3500. If you haven't already done so, please consider making a donation today. Thanks!

I'm not signed up for any other races in 2008, but I am considering the following: Manhattan Beach 10k on Oct. 4th, Bonelli Olympic distance triathlon on Oct. 5th, and Santa Barbara Half Marathon on Nov. 1st. I am registered for 2 races next year: Carlsbad Half Marathon on Jan. 25th and California 70.3 triathlon on April 4th. This should be enough to keep me honest.

Finished!

It's unofficial because I missed the cut-off time on the run, but I DID complete the 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike, and 26.2 mile swim in just over 17 hours.

The day started off great. The Russian River was 74 degrees (which made it a wetsuit legal race) and very calm. I finished in 1:32! A PR of over 20 minutes! The first loop of the bike was great. I was happy and I felt strong. The second loop was TOUGH. The temperatures climbed to 97, and I felt it. I took more time at the aid stations. Volunteers poured water over my body to help cool me down. I was drinking a lot of fluid - Heed/Carbo Pro and water, but I did not eat very much solid food. I was slowing down, but felt okay until mile 90. I got off my bike at the last aid station and immediately felt dizzy. I sat down on a chair in the shade while a volunteer poured cold water on me. I felt better and continued on. 10 miles later I hit Chalk Hill (the biggest on the course) for the second time. About half way up, my quads cramped up and I had to get off my bike. Again, I became dizzy. I found some shade, stretched out a bit, and cooled down. Another rider stopped to make sure I was okay and waited with me until I started moving again. I walked up the remainder of the hill. A first for me.

The run course is 3 loops and is filled with lots of hills. And it was still hot. The first 8+ miles took me 2:25. You had to start your 3rd loop by 9pm in order to continue, and I knew I would not make this cut off. I also knew that I would continue to run even if they did take my chip. 3 of my teammates were in the same boat. We ran together, which was great. It was dark and lonely out there on that last loop. Several of the volunteers stayed out even though the course was officially closed. Hank was stationed at the turn around point. They took the cone away, so he put out a little lamp for us to run around. We thought we were the last runners, and Hank followed us in his car, giving us light and moral support. Hank is the Honored Teammate for the Santa Rosa team. He was diagnosed with Lymphoma in 2003. Last year he was on the course until 1am, walking with a TNT participant. He followed us until we were about a half mile from the finish line, and then he went back to his post at the turn around point because we saw at least 3 more runners still on the course. He went back to support them. Amazing!

I know I said this last year, but I think I'm done with the Iron distance. I'll stick to more reasonable 70.3 races.

Vineman

So, my shot at redemtion is just a few days away. I have been a mentor for this year's Ironteam with Team in Training. This is their A race. I had been planning to go up and cheer the team on. Now I will be racing with them. Coach Paul first mentioned this possibility in the airport the day after IM Coeur d'Alene. I dismissed the idea at first, but then it grew on me. I am already trained, I was traveling up there anyway, it made sense. And it's close enough for my brother Mike to come cheer me on :)

The course is open for 16 hours. CDA was open for 17, and last year I finished in 16:40. So besides NOT DNFing again, I have to take 40 minutes off my time. This is good ... I like a challenge. How will I do it?

• I should be able to take 10 - 15 minutes off my swim time. The water will be warm and calm, and the river is not very wide. I can't get too far off course!
• The bike is flatter than CDA and wind is rarely a factor. I plan to carry all nutrition with me so I don't have to stop and dig through a Special needs bag. And I WILL NOT have any stomach troubles. I should be able to take 20 - 30 minutes off my bike time.
• I am hoping to take 30 minutes off of my run time. I have been doing a 6 min run/1 min walk in training. This way I should be able to run more than I did last year.

Best case scenario, I finish in 15:25. And I do have some wiggle room should anything go wrong. To make it to the finish line I need to stay in the moment and focused on the task at hand. And so I will.

What went wrong?

I lost sleep for a few nights thinking about this question, and then I moved on with my life. I know that the DNF is not the end of the world, and I am now able to tell people about it without crying. I am returning to the question now because I am going to give Ironman another try in just a few weeks, and I certainly don't want a repeat performance! When I was out on the bike in Coeur d'Alene, I thought I would NEVER do this again, when I missed the bike cut off, well meaning volunteers asked if I had another Ironman on the schedule for this year. I looked at them like they had 3 heads and said NO! One, I would never want to do more than 1 in a year, and 2 they sell out a year in advance, so I couldn't just pick a new race now. (Or could I? More on this later.)

Anywho, on to the race report.

Pre-Race
We arrived in Coeur d'Alene early Thursday afternoon, checked into the hotel, got lunch, and picked up our race stuff. I was feeling good and not nearly as nervous as last year. Friday morning we swam in the lake. It was cold but not unbearable. I think the water temperature was up to about 56* by this point. I wore a rash guard underneath my wetsuit, booties and a skull cap. After the initial shock and after my hands went numb, I was fine. After the swim, we rode our bikes for an hour on the run course just to make sure the bike is in good working order and to loosen the legs up a bit. Check and check.

Saturday morning we swam again. The water was a little warmer so I ditched the rash guard. To simulate race day, we got in and got use the water, swam a few strokes, and then got out to "wait for the gun", then we ran in and started swimming right away. I felt good. The water was much calmer than last year, and I could deal with the water temps. We did a quick, easy run after the swim, and then it was on to the free pancake breakfast in the park. After that, we had to get our T1 and T2 bags and our bikes checked in. It sounds like we should have had lots of free time but not so much. I managed to find time for a turkey sandwich in between the pancake breakfast and gear drop off but didn't find time for a nap like I had hoped.

At dinner Saturday evening, my stomach was a little "off" -- nothing on the menu appealed to me, but I knew I had to eat something. I settled on plain grilled chicken (not on the menu) and mashed potatoes (yum!). We were back to the hotel in time for the fresh out of the oven chocolate chip cookies. I was in bed by 8:30 - 9:00 and asleep shortly after. I woke up once or twice to pee but slept through the thunderstorm. So I'd say I got a good night's sleep :)

A few clouds lingered, but it looked the weather would be perfect. I had my ususal coffee, oatmeal, toast and banana. My stomach seemed fine, except for the standard pre-race jitters. My timing was not great once we got to the race site. I bypassed the bodymarkers because I wanted to put my bottles (which were heavy) on my bike and drop off my special needs bags. The area was very crowded, and I was getting annoyed. I ended up going through the most crowded section 3 times -- not a good expenditure of energy. I had lost most of my friends by then, but Karen and I stuck together. If it wasn't for her, I might of had a major break down. We got in the lake to warm up, and I got hit in the face. Ironman swims are notorious for physical contact. But in the warm up, when I'm just standing there? Really? This woman jumped in and started swimming and just hit me in the face. The good news is that the temperature was reported to be 59.5. I think they said this so we good still wear our booties, which are legal for temps under 60.

The Swim
The gun went off, and I went to work. Well, I waited a few seconds to let all the aggro swimmers go first, and then I got to work. I felt good. I was able to draft off others a little bit while avoiding getting kicked or punched. The first loop was uneventful. The water was a little choppier on the 2nd loop. At one point I swallowed some water, stopped to cough, and thought I might throw up. I did not. I kept swimming. I finished the swim 3 minutes faster than last year. I was happy to be finished but was disappointed with my time. The conditions were not as bad as last year, and I thought I had a better swim than that.

My BFF was volunteering the women's change tent (they wouldn't let her in the men's!) and she helped me get ready for the bike. It was awesome. I let other volunteers slather me with sunscreen, hit the port-a-potty (I tried several times to pee while swimming, but couldn't - I think I need to have my feet on the ground. TMI? sorry), and then I was off.

The Bike
On the first corner out of T1 I saw Laurie's aunt. She recognized me and called me by name. I was touched. Now I can't even remember her name. Jeez! I rode through town, toward the CDA lake loop, watching the riders coming toward me, looking for my friends, and trying to figure out how far behind I was. People were cheering and saying nice things, but I didn't want to hear it. I didn't feel like I deserved their praise. I don't know where these feelings came from. I missed a turn. It wasn't a big deal, and I was very soon back on course. When I looped back around and saw where I went wrong, I thought how in the hell did I miss that? I went through about 6 cones. At one point here, still in town, I saw a car waiting to get across the road, and I thought, "just go ahead and hit me and put me out of my mysery." I did not even know that I was miserable until that thought popped into my head. I probably wasn't even 10 miles into the ride, and I was thinking like this? It's gonna be a loooong day.

It wasn't all bad. At about mile 20, I got passed by the pro men. For a spilt second, I was riding with the pros. How many amature athletes can say that? Mike Lovoto said, "good work" as he passed me going up a short, but steep hill. I then turned the corner, and a guy was using a traffic cone as a magaphone and yelled, "charging up the hill ..." (which clearly I was not, especially in comparison to my new friend Mike who just flew by him). I finished the guy's statement with "Trish Ray from Hermosa Beach, California!" He said something about another crazy Californian :) and I continued on my way.

I don't know exactly when it began, but at some point I became aware of gastrointestinal troubles, to put it politely. More crudely, I was afraid of exploding diarrhea, and to make matters worse I was wearing these shorts

This was only my second time wearing these shorts, and I wasn't sure where the light blue ended and the black began. Exploding diarrhea would be bad, exploding diarrhea in light blue shorts would be devasting. A few weeks prior I had a dream where I was running in a downtown area and desperately searching for a bathroom. I had crapped myself (in running shorts) and was looking for a place to clean up. A bit of foreshadowing, I thought, as I wondered if I would make it to the next porta-potty. I stopped at several but never experienced any relief. I was drinking and/or eating every 15 minutes, as I had planned, but I wasn't taking in very much. And I was slowing down. In the end I only drank 3.5 of my planned 8 bottles.

At mile 90 I knew that it was a very real possibility that I would not make the cut off. I thought about stopping. I thought about riding in easy, knowing that I would be done for the day. But I didn't. I rode as hard as I could. Once I got through the hills, I was hit with a head wind. Volunteers were tearing down their aid stations. They still offered food, drink, and encouragment - they knew it was going to be a close call. I could barely look at them, ashamed at my failure, again feeling undeserving of their kindness. But still I fought on, and I thought I had made it. I was surprised and devasted when the man asked for my chip.

Maria was there waiting for me, thank God. We cried. I got my stuff, and we went to cheer on our friends as well as strangers, and I ate a big plate of french fries :)

Next up, Full Vineman on August 2nd! More to come.

nice hair cut

So, I got my hair cut (pretty short) after school last Wednesday before leaving for Idaho on Thursday. When I returned to work yesterday, everybody was eager to hear about my race. I would tell them the bad news, and after the usual and well meaning "oh, that's too bad," "you should be proud for trying," type of comments, almost everybody ended with, "I like your hair" or "your hair looks cute." At least I got that going for me.

Two Thirds

Well, my day did not go quite as I had planned .... my first DNF (did not finish). Except for a bruised ego, I'm fine. My stomach was doing flips for most of the bike ride, and I just couldn't take in enough nutrition. I didn't quit, even though I did think about it. At about mile 80, I knew it was going to be close, but I pushed and rode as hard as I could. I thought I had made it, handed my bike off to a volunteer, and was heading towards the change tent. That's when a man asked for my timing chip. I asked what time it was, he said he was sorry but that I had missed it by a minute or two. He never did tell me what time it was.

I am disappointed and sad. It was a tough ride home today -- the plane was filled with athletes in their finisher's t-shirts. But Horizon Air has free beer. That helped :)

Thanks for your support and concern. I'll write more later.

Ready, Set, Go!

I know I need to write more, but I've got lots to do before my flight tomorrow morning at 9:30. Besides packing, I have to get my hair cut -- gotta look good for that finish line photo :) Yes, I'll have a hat on, but lately I've been sprouting wings.

Anyway, I took antibiotics a couple of weeks ago and have been feeling pretty good. My biggest worry now is the swim. The water in Lake Coeur d'Alene has been very cold. Last week it was 52* but today the temp was up to 56*. Last year I think it was in the low 60s. I bought a new wet suit after Wildflower, and last week I picked up some booties and a neoprene skull cup and bigger goggles, all in hopes that I don't freeze to death.

Last year I finished in 16:40. This year my goal is 15:45. My number is 2212. On race day, look for a link to Athlete Tracker under the "coverage" tab of the event on Ironman.com.

Oh No!

18 days until Ironman #2, and I'm feeling sick. Yesterday I was fine. I went to work, I did 40 minutes easy on the trainer, and did laundry. This morning I woke up at 5:00 and did my easy 40 minute run before work. Everything was as usual. At some point at work I noticed that I was feeling a bit achey. I thought it might be a good idea to get a massage after my swim this evening. After my usual lunch of PB & J, carrots, and an orange, my throat started hurting, and I started coughing. At 4:30 I decided to skip the swim (and the massage) and head home to rest. I took my vitamins, drank lots of water, and went straight to the couch. I am hoping that I'll wake up tomorrow, and this cough will be a distant memory. I hate missing a workout, but an extended illness at this point would be much worse. I am hoping I can nip this in the bud!

Wildflower ... Take Two

I completed the Wildflower Long course for the last time. It's a tough race for a few reasons: a challenging bike followed by an even more challenging run (read hills!), cut off times, and camping.

Laurie and I did indeed leave LA at 4:00am Friday morning and pulled into the campground around 8:30. The trip was uneventful, which was perfect. We found our team and chilled out ... worked on crossword puzzles and read trashy magazines. If I had a bed, I would have napped. I took my bike out for a little spin just to make sure everything was working okay. It was. After lunch we went down to pick up our "stuff" -- race numbers, chip, etc, and to check out the lake and do short swim. It was all good ... the water was calm and not too cold.


After a quick trip through the Expo (where I spotted Macca) it was time for dinner. I had hoped to get all my numbers on and nutrition ready before dinner, but it had to wait until after which stressed me out a bit. It all worked out though, and I was in "bed" by 9:00 or so. The campground quieted down around 10:00, and I got a decent night of sleep.


I was up at 5:00. It was dark and cold. I did all my normal pre race things ... coffee, bathroom, breakfast, etc., but outside with hundreds of people around. Not ideal. I headed down to the transition area with the team at about 6:45am. The first wave went off at 8:00, but my race didn't start until 9:25. Lots of time to wait and worry. I had planned to eat more once I got my transition area set up, but all I could manage was half a banana and some Odwalla Super Food green juice. I used the porta potties about six times.


The Swim

I was nervous, as I always am on race day, but I felt ready. As a team, we had been practicing mass starts and drafting. Normally, I wait for the crowd to take off and then just swim, doing my best to avoid ALL contact. Drafting is legal in the swim, and I have been told there is a great benefit to it. So I decided to give it a try. I wasn't out front, but I did try to keep up with the group. I did for a bit, but then I couldn't settle into my own rhythm. So I stopped for just a second, caught my breath, and settled into a groove. I did draft off one woman for a while, and I didn't stop every time I got bumped by someone. I am making progress! All went well until the very end. In addition to my race, the Long Course, there was also a sprint distance race. They started their swim while we were in the water. Since they had a shorter swim, many of those swimmers were finishing at the same time I was. At one point I looked up and saw all these swimmers in front of me. Many of them were stopped. I had no idea what was going on (I didn't pay any attention to their race start times), but I kept swimming. It was a nightmare. There were people doing the backstroke and side stroke about 25 yards from shore. And some people were just completely stopped. Two people were having a conversation! What the hell? Finally, I was finished and made my way up the ramp, to my bike. My swim time was about 5 minutes faster than last year, but I lost a few of those minutes fighting with my wetsuit. I think it's time for a new one. I can barely get it over my calves.

The Bike

Again, the sprint racers (on mountain bikes) were in my way. Many of them were unsure and unstable on their bikes. Some were kids, some were turning around, looking for friends and stopping. Now, I am all for beginners having their day, but really? They had to be in my wave? I am already starting in the last wave, and the bike cut off is the same for everybody in the race, whether you start at 8:00 or 9:25, we all have to be off the bike at 2:45. So, not only do they give me 1:25 less time than the pros and young men, but they also throw a few obstacles in my way! This is one reason why I won't race Wildflower again.

Anyhoo, we only shared the course for a short time, and I quickly got over my annoyance and settled into a groove. I saw the pros coming in as I was leaving the campground. The wildflowers were in bloom and gorgeous. I did pretty well with my drinks (4 bottles of Heed and Carbo Pro) but didn't eat enough. At about mile 30 I started doing the math and became worried about making the cut off, and the hill they call Nasty Grade lay ahead. So, I decided that I would just get up Nasty, but push hard everywhere else. Which meant that I didn't take the time to eat. That would cost me later, but for now I was feeling good. This was my third time on this course, and I was comfortable on the road. I passed a few people going up Nasty and a few more going down. I hit 40.2 mph, which could be my fastest speed ever. I made it back to transition with plenty of time to spare -- especially since the cut off time was 2:45 and NOT 2:30, as I had been thinking the whole time. Doh!

The Run

The course is beautiful ... much of it is on trails, around a lake, and through more fields of wildflowers. But don't let that description fool you. It's a bitch. This was my third time on this course too, but I was NOT prepared. The hills just kept coming. Several of the women I passed on the bike passed me on the run. At mile 4, I was hungry. I think I ate part of a banana at some point. They had oranges too, but I was afraid to eat too much. I had a couple of Gus and drank my Heed. Luckily I was able to run (and walk) the last 8 or so miles with a woman named Sharon from Arizona. I don't know what I would have done without her. Overall, I think I felt better than last year, but my run was 16 minutes slower.

Lesson Learned:

• Keep camping and triathlons separate. I love them both, just not together.
• It's time for a new wetsuit. I could have PR'd (at least by a minute!) if I didn't have to struggle so much to get the stupid thing off.
• Pay more attention to nutrition!

So Tired

Just last week, I was thinking that maybe this Ironman training was actually getting easier. I was hitting all of my workouts, but I wasn't exhausted, like last year. I thought maybe this has become a life style, and I could continue training like this without it completely taking over my life. But then it hit me! A wave of exhaustion has washed over me. I've been in bed by 8pm every night this week, and it's been a struggle to even stay up that late. I have phone calls to return, laundry to put away (at least I have clean clothes!), a race report still to finish, etc, etc. I just don't have the energy to do any of these things. Maybe next week ....

Done

It wasn't easy, but I did it. My swim was 5 minutes faster and my bike was 7 minutes faster than last year, but my run was 16 minutes slower. So I didn't not beat last year's time - I was 1 minute slower. But I DID finish, and I feel pretty good today. The full report is in the works, but it's time for bed so it will have to wait.

Ready or Not, Here I come!

I am almost completely packed, and I hope to be in bed before 9:oo tonight. Laurie is picking me up at 4:00 am tomorrow for the 5 hour drive to Wildflower. I am just now getting excited. I don't feel ready, but I don't think I ever feel ready for a race. And I have finished every race I've started.

Yesterday I took my bike into the shop because my brakes were screeching after a tune up last week. It was suppose to be a very easy fix, but the mechanic found a more serious problem ... cracks in the rear rim. The bike was still under warranty, but he wasn't sure he would be able get a wheel for me before I had to leave. I have to admit, there was a tiny part of me that was relieved, thinking here's a good excuse not to race. But of course, that's not an option, and he did hook me up with a brand new rear wheel. So, I'm off to the races.

Wish me luck. Thanks!

Paris Marathon

Despite setting a new PW for a stand alone marathon, this was the most fun I've ever had running a marathon. But maybe it was the slower time that made it fun. Some other things that made it fun ....

• running through the streets of Paris!
• being called madame
• chatting with a handsome French man for a few miles
• being congratulated by another handsome French man at the end of the race
• finally figuring out people were calling my name at mile 13 :) "Allez, allez, Ray!"

The race did not start until 8:45am, and I had planned to get up at about 6:00 and we were going to leave the hotel at 7:00. However, I got a "wake up call" at 5:20. Not such a big deal, but I had also gotten a call at midnight. Not sure what they were about as I did not request a call and no one was on the line when I picked up. I slept well despite the calls, and I even had a good dream -- I was in a park, and there were several men all vying for my attention. They were all Latino, and because I live in Southern California, I assumed they were Mexican. Each man was sitting at a table and had a resume of sorts letting me know why he was the best man for me. All I had to do was pick the one I wanted. It wasn't an easy decision. So imagine my surprise when I went downstairs to have coffee and breakfast, and there were two Spanish men having coffee. And then those two turned in to nine. Yes, I had breakfast with nine Spanish men! Jeanine drank her 2 Red Bulls up in her room so it was just me :) It was a nice start to the morning, but nobody gave me their "resume."

It was cold, but I hadn't been able to find any news or weather report so I really didn't know what to expect. I decided to wear a long sleeve shirt, shorts, and a cap. They gave us a plastic bag at the expo, and I wore that for the first 2k or so of the race. There were moments were I felt a little chilly after that, but most of the time I was comfortable. I later found out that it was about 30 F at the start of the race. The worst part was the 45 minutes of waiting in the porta potty line after I had already turned in my sweats. I had to go so bad and the freezing temperatures were not helping at all.

The race was big -- over 30,000 runners, and I started at the back of the pack. It took about 15-20 minutes to get to the starting line. Even though I couldn't understand most of what was being said around me, everybody seemed to be having a good time. I met a few folks from the New York chapter of Team in Training. I ran several key miles with Libby who helped distract me from the pain. Thanks Libby! Water, oranges, bananas, and sugar cubes were offered at aid stations every 5k. I took water every time it was offered (in little plastic bottles, not cups), one orange slice, and 1 banana piece in addition to the 4 Gus I had brought. They only offered an energy drink once at about mile 18. Wine was offered twice late in the race, but I passed.

I don't have any pictures of the race, but they have video on the website. I was not able to see myself at the start, but I did find myself at the finish. I'm wearing a long sleeve pink shirt and a light blue cap. I do have vacation photos, and I'll post those soon.

Bonjour

I'm home! I loved France, and I did meet my goal of having fun (most of the time) running the marathon but set a new PW (personal worst) of 5:31. Sitting on planes for 14+ hours the day after the marathon was not so much fun though, so I treated myself to a massage after work yesterday. I also fit in a short swim, and I am feeling much better today. My suitcase still sits in the middle of my livingroom, and I have lots to catch up. I will post a real race/vacation report very soon.

Au revoir

I'm leaving on a jet plane .... I fly to France tomorrow. It's 10:00pm, and I'm just about all packed. I am very excited as this is my first trip to Europe and my first real vacation in a looong time. I wish the dollar was stronger, but other than that, things are looking good. We'll be spending a few days in Paris, then we'll take a train to Nice and spend 5 days in the town of Jausiers. I will try to get a bike ride in while I'm there. Then, it's back to Paris to run the marathon on April 6th. They have me listed as Ray Trish and my bib number is 45053 if you want to look me up. My goal for this race is to have FUN!! I'll be sure to let you know how it goes.

Update(s)

It's been a long time! I will try to get you caught up.

1) Health -- I'm no longer coughing up a lung, but Lord, I've got so much snot! At first I thought it was swimming that was producing it, but now I think I just may be allergic to Ironman training! After every swim, I'm so stuffed up and have trouble sleeping. The bike seems to loosen everything up -- I've perfected the farmer blow on the bike, and can even shoot left now. Maybe I should ride right after swimming every time. Honestly, it's shocking how much snot has been coming out of my body. Overall though, I've been feeling good.

2) Work -- I've been super busy at work, often working ten hours a day. This weekend was Wildflower Training Weekend, but I wasn't able to go with the Team. I HAD to work on Friday. I'm a big fan of using sick days for things like this, but I had meetings with our Open Court consultant all day. It's a 5 hour drive up to Wildflower, and it didn't seem worth it to drive up late on Friday. Plus, I have a ton to do before my trip to Paris. I got my taxes done this weekend!

3) Training -- being sick last month set me back some, but I think I'll be okay. I did a 56 mile hilly ride yesterday and felt pretty good. Today I ran 20 miles. And I found two things to add to the list of things I love -- running in the soft sound and headwinds. Because of the strong winds, about a half mile of the path was completely covered in sand. It was like there was no path, only beach. On the way out I got to run through the sand with a headwind. Yippee!!

4) Racing -- I signed up for Wildflower Long course today. I've had it on my schedule for a while now, but it's for real now. And I'll be raising money for the Challenged Athletes Foundation and supporting my Team in Training teammates at the same time -- it's the best of both worlds :) I leave for Paris in 9 days! I'm super excited. In addition to running, I've been trying to learn some French.

I'm sure I've left out something, but it's a start, and I'll try not to let so much time lapse before I post again.

sick

It's been a week since I worked out. Last weekend I was not feeling great .... I was congested and coughing, but I did not feel horrible and the weather was beautiful ... in the 70s and sunny. So I went ahead and did my 4 hour bike ride on Saturday. Breathing was a little difficult, but I still felt okay. Sunday, I only ran 8 miles instead of my planned 12. I didn't have school on Monday so I did hill repeats on the bike and an hour with Lisa, my personal trainer. And then I was done. I was planning to do my swim drills after the strength training, but I couldn't. It was straight home and to the couch. I should have rested the entire weekend.

I went to work on Tuesday even though I had no business being there. Even before my coworkers heard me cough they knew I was sick. I looked that bad. I was winded walking up a flight of stairs! I missed my last "swim better" session. I was really bummed about that. I stayed home Wednesday and went to the doctor. He said my cough was "impressive" ... I don't mess around. He gave me all sorts of drugs, including an inhaler and cough suppressant with codeine so I could sleep :)

So, I've been sleeping a lot and watching bad TV. The evenings are so long when you don't spend an hour or two at the gym. Saturday I did my good deed for the Team, and provided SAG as they rode up Latigo (a 10 mile monster of a hill) for the first time. Everybody made it up and down just fine, and nobody needed me. But it is nice to know someone is nearby if you do get into trouble. Sunday I left my apartment only once, and that was to take out the trash. I'm not sure what today will bring. I might do laundry! I do know that I want to make sure I'm completely healthy before I work out again. I definitely don't want this to linger.

Another Wet Sunday

So it rained again today. But it was dry and clear yesterday so I was able to get in my 2 hour bike ride and 1 hour run. I can deal with a wet run, but I hate riding in the rain. It can be dangerous and scary. The rain was coming down pretty hard when my alarm went off at 6:30 this morning. I had coffee, read the paper, ate my oatmeal, and then got some work done. It stopped raining around 9:30. I headed out for my 3 hour run shortly after 10:00, and of course it started to rain again just as I stepped out the door. But it wasn't too bad and only lasted about 30 minutes. The on-shore winds did not let up though, and it felt like I had a head wind the entire time. And never a tail wind. I hate it when that happens. I got it done and was greatly relieved that I didn't have to resort to the treadmill.

2 minutes

Two minutes is about all I have this morning before I head out for my run and then off to work. And two minutes just happens to be the amount of time I took off of my four mile run!! This is a rest and test week ... we cut down on the volume of training and do a couple of hard efforts to test ourselves. Tuesday I had a 40 minute time trial (TT) on the schedule so I ran my normal 4 mile route. On an easy day I run that in about 42 minutes. The last time I did as a TT, my time was 38:10, and it was hard to hold on to that effort. This week I ran it in 36:13! And it wasn't so hard to hold on to that pace. I have not been doing any speed work so I think it's the strength training paying off here.

Sunday I am supposed to do a 2k swim TT (assigned by my tri coach), but my swim coach says we're not ready to swim yet. Last night was week 2 of the swim better clinic. It wasn't raining this week, but it was COLD (about 45 and windy), and we swim outside. During the first length of side balance, my arm that was resting on my leg was freezing! I had moments of breakthrough last night where I could really feel the difference and the power. So I will stick with the drills this week .... 4 times before next Wednesday.

this and that

Well, I've been back to work for three weeks now, and trying to fit it all in. It's not easy. I've had many blog worthy thoughts come and go before I found the time to sit down at the computer and bring them to life. Last weekend I ran the Carlsbad Half Marathon. My good friend Liz came out to support me. It was also the year anniversary of my Mom's passing. It was great to see her, as always, but I discovered that I am not very comfortable with praise or compliments. Liz is so enthusiastic about my accomplishments, and I tend to focus too much on my flaws and shortcomings. It's a never ending battle, but I'm not giving up!

This week I began a four week, swim better clinic. I was proud of myself just for making it to the first session, Wednesday evening at 7pm. It was raining and cold and the pool is outdoors. Mapquest said it should take 17 minutes to get there or up to an hour with traffic. It took me one hour and forty-five minutes! They video taped each of us, and then we did lots of drills. Our homework is to get in the pool 3-4 times but NOT swim, just do the drills. It's hard to skip my scheduled swims, but I know I have some bad habits. Taking a couple of weeks now to improve my form should pay huge dividends for the rest of the season.

I got in two good workouts this weekend despite the bad weather. We had rain most of the week, but Saturday was clear and gorgeous. I rode for 3 and a half hours in Palos Verdes. My longest ride so far this season, and I felt good. Rain, wind and thunder were predicted for Sunday so I didn't set my alarm. I woke up at about 8, and it wasn't raining. For reasons I can't explain, I didn't get out for my run until about 9:30. I planned to run for 3 hours, but cut it short. I ran 12 miles in 2:15. I ran about half of it in the rain and strong winds, and decided I had had enough. I do like running in the rain though. The waves were awesome, and the Strand was mostly empty and I feel so hard core. I am glad I don't have to deal with bad weather for too long though :)

ABANDON HOPE!

Day 6 of the New Year, and already she's giving up? Not quite. I have been giving quite a bit of thought to what my New Year's resolutions should be. More so than usual. And number one on my list is to love and accept myself. As I am. Right. Now. No excuses. No what ifs. I must abandon hope* of becoming "perfect" for I am already perfect. Losing ten pounds will not make me a better person, nor will it make me happy. There will always be someone thinner, fitter, faster than me. To be truly happy, I need to be myself, and I need to love myself.


Having said all that, there are a few things I'm working on. And the new year is as good a time as any to work on changing some habits.

Living in the Moment -- I worry a lot and tend to over think things. Part of what made the Ironman such a great experience for me was that I was in the moment as soon as the gun went off. I stopped worrying and just swam and biked and ran for 16 hours and forty minutes. I was proud of myself for getting there. I soaked in the beautiful views and enjoyed the support and kindness of strangers. And the day just flew by! I want every day to be like that. People shouting my name and cheering for me eveywhere I go would be pretty cool too.

Stretching

As you can see, I need to work on my flexibility. This is me seriously stretching, and that's as far as I can go even with my knees bent. Right now. Lisa, my private trainer, says that my tight calf muscles are hindering my movement and has me using the foam roller every day. It's painful, but I am noticing an improvement. I went to yoga twice this week, and it felt sooo good. Once I go back to work (tomorrow!) I'll be lucky to fit in one yoga class a week, but I can stretch for 10-15 minutes at home everyday.

Nutrition -- I need to be more mindful of what I'm putting in my body. This mostly means planning, grocery shopping, and cooking so that I have good, healthy choices readily available. And it's not all that hard. The other night I threw a turkey breast tenderloin (preseasoned) in the oven and roasted some veggies along with it. It was very easy and tasty. The only drawback was that it took over an hour to cook. That's where the planning comes in.

So, I think this is enough to work on for now. Happy New Year!!

*I first heard the phrase "Abandon Hope" from my good friend and IronFan, Liz, on June 23, 2007, in Coeur d'Alene, ID.