Okay, I must respond to the the attached article by Jemele Hill which was forwarded by my teammate Ryan D:
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=hill/070731&lpos=spotlight&lid=tab1pos1
Here goes the response...
Do you remember studying the Salem witch trials in American history class? After the defendant maiden drowned in the river, the accusers stood along the lakeshore scratching their heads and declared that she wasn't a witch afterall. "Mea culpa!" might have been uttered if they spoke French.
Call it my American indoctrination (and hyprocrysy), yet I am repulsed by the "guilty until proven innocent" approach of the Tour's "dopey" counsel. I read Armstrong and Ulrich's biographies, and its just unbelievable how the testers can barge into the private lives of these athletes, demand they alter their plans to accommodate "random" testing, and make public accusations although test results were mishandled and completely suspect. I'm so disappointed that many of the cycle greats chose to walk away from the Tour and the sport, remarking they no longer want to deal with the unfairness of the dope test harassment.
Prior to reading the article by Ms. Hill, I read this morning on AP that Alberto Contador, the winner of the Tour de France, has been accused of doping. Oh, what a surprise! Is this really possible? Again? Didn't those pro cyclists learn to stay clean when Landis was stripped of the "winner" title last year? BTW, that decision to strip Landis of the title is still pending a final ruling, but few seem to track the status of such a charge after the headlines report the doping scandal. There was a time when I eagerly tuned in each day of the Tour for athletic inspiration. I didn't this year...only saw a few highlights and read limited articles, trying to avoid those re doping accusations.
This article by Ms. Hill makes an assumption that the dope officials' actions are fair, accurate, and promoting good for the sport. It fails to address the politics, test result inconsistencies, interference with people's lives and incriminating damage to the professional reputations and careers. While I'm certain that the dope nazis cleaned things up a bit in the sport of cycling, I'm bewildered by the level of hardship and stench they were willing to cause the innocent and the sport.
Perhaps I'm a bit naive about the prolific use of illegal drugs in professional sports, yet I still believe we have some amazing athletes who can perform beyond the boundaries of yesterday's records without illegal chemical assistance. Don't we? I certainly hope that if or when American professional athletic orgs decide to "clean up" their act, the process is conducted with more civility and fairness, minus the Inquisition tactics of the cycle dope officials and hopefully causing less destruction to athletic inspiration.
Whew, I feel better now. Thanks for reading although I sound like a haughty hypocritical American...my apologies to Ms. Hill.
G
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Saturday, July 28, 2007
P
Sunday, July 22, 2007
Vineman Race Day
Wow, this turned into a really long post, so you might want to get a glass of wine or a cup of tea and something to snack on before you sit to read :)
Race morning started at 3:58am for me. I rolled over in bed to look at the alarm clock and watched the remaining two minutes tick away before the alarm buzzed. Here we go. I got up and showered, dressed in my race garb and headed out to the kitchen to eat breakfast. I pulled out my water bottles from the freezer and ran them under hot water to get the thawing process started. I froze two bottles, one with Cytomax mix and the other with Hydralyte mix. My other two bottles were chilled in the fridge, one with Cytomax and one with plain water. The roommates were just starting to rustle and get themselves put together while I ate a bowl of oatmeal, half a bagel with peanut butter and two bananas. I washed it all down with a glass of water and a cup of hot green tea.
I was in one of the earlier race waves, starting at 6:38am, so I was anxious to get to the race site. While I waited for my roommates, I stretched and then double and triple checked my tri bag, ensuring that I had everything needed for the swim and the bike. We had set up T2 the previous day, so my run gear was already waiting for me at the transition area at Windsor high school. This was my first race with two separate transition areas. Can't say that I'm a fan of the double transition areas...I like having everything in front of me just in case I need it. I must have spent about 1 hour setting up my transition area in Windsor...well, 10 minutes setting up my shoes, hat and run bottles...then 50 minutes trying to go through a mental inventory and visualization of every possible scenario that could occur when leaving the bike to head out on the run. All of us were expecting hot temperatures on race day, and Paul A was kind enough to loan me a small thermos which I filled with ice and left at T2. My equipment was ready, I had eaten plenty, I was ready, my roommates were ready, and so at 5:15am, with just a hint of light in the sky, Paul, MoMo and I biked the 3/4-mile distance from the cabin to the race start at Johnson's Beach.
Within a couple blocks of the race start, the roads became crowded with excited and friendly triathletes, greeting one another with race wishes and clacking bike shoes on the street. We headed down the hill to the beach where we were body marked as we entered the transition area. At this point, I needed to separate myself from everyone. It was that time before the race when I limit the distractions and just mentally run through the course and my preparations. I also take time to pray...I always pray before a race, and no, its not about my race speed :) I recognize that not everyone believes in God, and I'm pretty certain that my idea of God is unique to many who do believe. In the midst of life's peak experiences, I become most in tune with my faith, and I think of these times and the people I meet along the way as gifts. I ask for a safe race for me and my fellow triathletes, and I express thanks for these opportunities, awareness that not everyone has the physical ability, and enjoyment of the incredible beauty of the course location. During all of this, I also set up my T1 area, said hello to my transition area neighbors, and stretched out a bit. Then, I ran through a final check before seeking out my teammates, coaches and friends...and a final trip to the porter pot.
I put on my wetsuit, cap and goggles and entered the swim corral with my fellow lavender-capped wave...its the first time I had a pretty colored race cap instead of neon green, white or red. I swam to the first couple buoys to warm up a bit, stretching my arms and shoulders...also worked to ease the race jitters. The water temp was warm at about 74 degrees. The current was mild, and there was a light mist rising from the river. The sun was just starting to make its way over the redwood trees that lined the river. It was gorgeous, and I felt so lucky to be there. At some point, we settled down, lined up behind the starting kayak, and just waited out there in the water for the horn to sound. We could hear the race announcers talking, yet out in the water you couldn't understand what they were saying...it was like the adult mumble sound that was featured in the Charlie Brown cartoons...mwaaah, mwaaah, mwah, mwah, mwah...HONK! That's the sudden start sound, and so I began to swim through the bodies that aggressively kicked and stroked with all four appendages. Someone hit or kicked me in the eye...I winced, yet it only motivated me to swim harder and break away from the pack. I found my stroke pace about 10 minutes into the swim. From that point on, the swim was all about the rhythm. This out-and-back 1.2-mile swim course in the narrow Russian River was easy on navigation...I'm one of those navigation-challenged swimmers, and I usually cover extra milage in an open water swim. This day, my swim seemed to be relatively efficient and right on target. I hit the beach in just under 40 minutes, and ran into the first transition area.
One of my key challenges on the bike was nutrition, and I had a mass of food waiting at T1 for me to load into my shirt pockets...3 plain gu's, 2 halves of a PBJ sandwich, a tick-tac box filled with salt tabs, and two Powerbars. I sort of just jammed everything into my back pockets without any kind of order and I fumbled around as things fell out of my overloaded pockets each time I bent over or moved suddenly. I ran my bike out of the transition area and decided to continue running my bike up the short hill to avoid the bike jam that was building at the mount line. My bike start was pretty smooth, and soon I was comfortably maintaining a high cadence and speed around 20 mph, while keeping my heat rate below 155.
The bike course headed out of Guerneville along the roads that travel between the vineyards. The roads were rolling hills with a great deal of redwood shade. One concern to watch out for was poor road conditions, cracks that could perfectly catch a tire in a groove and cause a pinch flat. Another concern were several sharp turns, which seemed to only occur at the bottom of the hills, just as you were gaining speed. Overall though, it was one of the best bike courses I have experienced. Beauty, speed, some challenge, and the rising sun.
My nutrition plan was to consume most of my solid calories before I crossed the half-way mark of the bike course, so in these initial minutes, I started sipping the cold Cytomax in my aero bottle and consuming bite-size pieces of a Powerbar. The first aid station was at mile 13 on the course, and by that time, I had emptied two-thirds of my aero bottle, so I snagged a Gatorade Endurance, and without thinking I poured it into the aero bottle. That next sip was an eye opener and mouth twister...grape flavored Cytomax and orange Gatorade Endurance is about the most disgusting mix ever...so after a few sips, I decided to water it down with some water, yet instead of my water bottle, I must have grabbed the bottle containing the Hydralyte, so I found a way to make a bad mix even worse. Well, I went on ahead and sipped on the suicide brew...it was all I had for liquid electrolyte and calorie replacement. I also finished that Powerbar, and that's about the time that I became aware that I wasn't really digesting any of the calories I had consumed...it was all just sitting uncomfortably in my stomach. I decided to slow down my heart rate and pace for 20 -30 minutes, hoping that would allow my digestive track to kick in and clear out my belly full of liquids. That worked like a charm, and it also gave me some recovery time. I was able to pick up my pace for the remainder of the ride, yet I only could consume two gu's and half of the PBJ. I just couldn't force myself to eat more in addition to consuming the necessary liquids. BTW, freezing the Cytomax and water bottles worked like a charm. About half-way into the bike, with the day heating up, it was really refreshing to drink my Cytomax slushy and pour ice cold water on my head and down my back.
While biking, I did see a few of my friends on the course. Paul J was the first to ride up behind me and greet me with a "Hello, gorgeous!" Thanks, Paul! Then, Ryan D zoomed up shortly after that with a bold, "Is that Ms. Reha?" Go gettem, Denner! After that, an official passed me on the back of a motorcycle, and he waived a penalty flag. "Crimony!" I couldn't figure what I had done to deserve a penalty...no one was around me, so I wasn't drafting. I was all the way over on the right side of the road, so I don't think I had interfered with anyone or passed on the wrong side. As I was running through these possible penalty worthy actions, the official turned his head and smiled. It was Coach Gurujan officiating at this race, and it wasn't a penalty flag but his notepad that he was waiving at me. I laughed (totally relieved), and acknowledged Coach G's waive, then he sped off to give penalties to someone in my age group I hoped.
The 56-mile bike course winds its way 40 miles inland from Guerneville and finishes at Windsor high school. It was significantly warmer in Windsor, and I was so looking forward to that cooler filled with ice water waiting at T2. As I approached Windsor high school, I saw people heading out on the run. At the dismount line, the race volunteers ushered us into a narrow walkway that circled half-the perimeter of the transition area...it seemed like a rather long distance to get from the dismount to the T2 area; however, once I found my things, I racked my bike and opened that cooler and dumped the entire thing on the top of head. It was shocking, yet soooo good! Then I changed my shoes, hat and grabbed my water bottles. I decided to make a stop at the porter pot in the transition area...there's just no good reason to be uncomfortable out there on the run. I also stopped at the aid station to fill my water bottles with ice cold water. One of my bottles had Cytomax mix, while the other had just cold water. Now, these extra stops extended my time in the transition area to roughly 6 minutes, way beyond my norm, yet I think it was worth taking the extra time. I sipped the Cytomax throughout the run course, and I continually poured the ice cold water on my head and down my back, refilling with ice water at the aid stations along the course. I maintained a comfortable pace, running roughly 9-minute miles, and besides the aid stations, I didn't have to make any additional stops along the course.
On the way out, not even 1 mile into the run, I passed Michellie Jones as she was heading towards the finish...she started about 10 minutes ahead of my wave, and now she was finishing about 2 hours ahead of me...wow! The 13.1-mile run wasn't flat as promoted on the Vineman course description. It was rolling hills, not severe, yet I was keenly aware of every incline. However, the toughest part about the run was that it was hot. I heard others say that the temp reached 101 degrees out in the vineyards along the run. However, I kept myself pretty comfortable with ice water. I also took advantage of every volunteer's offer to spray me with water. My shoes made a "squishy" sound as I headed back towards the finish. After I made the turn-around, I started seeing my teammates who were either passing me or heading out on the run....the run was getting really warm, and I was so fortunate to have that early race start. I yelled and cheered for them, and they yelled and cheered for me. The night before the race, Coach Jon encouraged us to give while we're out on the race course. When you give and share your enthusiasm with others, it only returns greater enthusiasm and energy for you...its one of those amazing life equations.
Coming into the finish, I saw ahead of me a purple clad triathlete walking. It was my teammate Walter. He must have hammered that bike ride...I didn't even see him pass me. I ran up alongside of him. He was having some stomach issues. I tried to encourage him to run it in, a strong finish and all of that...after all, we can stand just about anything for 1-2 minutes, and that's about all we had left of the race. At that moment, my buddy Damian blew past us, and Walter got his second wind and picked up his pace, faster than I could go :) I was about 30 feet from the finish line when a lady in the crowd yelled, "Hey, you can beat him!" I looked around, and there to my left about 10 feet ahead was this guy comfortably making his way to the finish line. I responded, "Yeah, I think I can!" I pushed hard into a sprint, and the guy must of seen and/or heard me, cause he picked up his pace, too. I crossed the finish line just barely in front of him. We laughed and high-fived as we tried to catch our breath, waiting in the line for our finisher's medals. That's totally the way to finish a half-ironman race ;)
After the pictures and the cold wet sponges, they encourage the competitors to go to the food tent. I couldn't force myself to eat at all. I nibbled on some watermelon and pineapple, yet I couldn't swallow anything. It was hot, I was tired, and all I wanted was fluids, so I kept the cold fluids going down. Greg helped Damian and I find shade to rest under, while we consumed a new recovery drink by Powerbar. It was really good, and I'm going to have to research the name and where its sold. We eventually joined our coaches and teammates who gathered at the finish line to cheer on those finishing the race. Everyone on my team completed the course. It was a great day for the San Diego TNT Tri Team!
My roommates and I returned to the cabin to clean up and get ready for the TNT Victory Party that evening. While I waited for my turn in the shower, I went down to the river for a relaxing swim. Its kind of odd to casually swim after training with such intensity these many months. I also spent a few minutes in the hot tub just letting the warm water ease all of the muscle aches and tension. I had entered that post-race phase of amazement...and delirious goofiness. Coach Trent's funny saying was correct...the hay was in the barn. Haaay! I just completed a half ironman race!
My overall time at Vineman was 6:10:05. That's quite a bit faster than my projected 6:30:00. Completing this race is a huge achievement for me. Its something that I dreamed about doing for a long time, and then I trained many months in preparation. Reaching this goal and this level in the sport not only has physical significance, there's also some emotional and philosophical meanings for me. My thoughts and emotions are jumbled right now, yet I'll post more once I sort through the significance. I also have pictures to share, which I'll post later this week. For now, I need some rest and recovery time. I'll be in touch soon!
G
Race morning started at 3:58am for me. I rolled over in bed to look at the alarm clock and watched the remaining two minutes tick away before the alarm buzzed. Here we go. I got up and showered, dressed in my race garb and headed out to the kitchen to eat breakfast. I pulled out my water bottles from the freezer and ran them under hot water to get the thawing process started. I froze two bottles, one with Cytomax mix and the other with Hydralyte mix. My other two bottles were chilled in the fridge, one with Cytomax and one with plain water. The roommates were just starting to rustle and get themselves put together while I ate a bowl of oatmeal, half a bagel with peanut butter and two bananas. I washed it all down with a glass of water and a cup of hot green tea.
I was in one of the earlier race waves, starting at 6:38am, so I was anxious to get to the race site. While I waited for my roommates, I stretched and then double and triple checked my tri bag, ensuring that I had everything needed for the swim and the bike. We had set up T2 the previous day, so my run gear was already waiting for me at the transition area at Windsor high school. This was my first race with two separate transition areas. Can't say that I'm a fan of the double transition areas...I like having everything in front of me just in case I need it. I must have spent about 1 hour setting up my transition area in Windsor...well, 10 minutes setting up my shoes, hat and run bottles...then 50 minutes trying to go through a mental inventory and visualization of every possible scenario that could occur when leaving the bike to head out on the run. All of us were expecting hot temperatures on race day, and Paul A was kind enough to loan me a small thermos which I filled with ice and left at T2. My equipment was ready, I had eaten plenty, I was ready, my roommates were ready, and so at 5:15am, with just a hint of light in the sky, Paul, MoMo and I biked the 3/4-mile distance from the cabin to the race start at Johnson's Beach.
Within a couple blocks of the race start, the roads became crowded with excited and friendly triathletes, greeting one another with race wishes and clacking bike shoes on the street. We headed down the hill to the beach where we were body marked as we entered the transition area. At this point, I needed to separate myself from everyone. It was that time before the race when I limit the distractions and just mentally run through the course and my preparations. I also take time to pray...I always pray before a race, and no, its not about my race speed :) I recognize that not everyone believes in God, and I'm pretty certain that my idea of God is unique to many who do believe. In the midst of life's peak experiences, I become most in tune with my faith, and I think of these times and the people I meet along the way as gifts. I ask for a safe race for me and my fellow triathletes, and I express thanks for these opportunities, awareness that not everyone has the physical ability, and enjoyment of the incredible beauty of the course location. During all of this, I also set up my T1 area, said hello to my transition area neighbors, and stretched out a bit. Then, I ran through a final check before seeking out my teammates, coaches and friends...and a final trip to the porter pot.
I put on my wetsuit, cap and goggles and entered the swim corral with my fellow lavender-capped wave...its the first time I had a pretty colored race cap instead of neon green, white or red. I swam to the first couple buoys to warm up a bit, stretching my arms and shoulders...also worked to ease the race jitters. The water temp was warm at about 74 degrees. The current was mild, and there was a light mist rising from the river. The sun was just starting to make its way over the redwood trees that lined the river. It was gorgeous, and I felt so lucky to be there. At some point, we settled down, lined up behind the starting kayak, and just waited out there in the water for the horn to sound. We could hear the race announcers talking, yet out in the water you couldn't understand what they were saying...it was like the adult mumble sound that was featured in the Charlie Brown cartoons...mwaaah, mwaaah, mwah, mwah, mwah...HONK! That's the sudden start sound, and so I began to swim through the bodies that aggressively kicked and stroked with all four appendages. Someone hit or kicked me in the eye...I winced, yet it only motivated me to swim harder and break away from the pack. I found my stroke pace about 10 minutes into the swim. From that point on, the swim was all about the rhythm. This out-and-back 1.2-mile swim course in the narrow Russian River was easy on navigation...I'm one of those navigation-challenged swimmers, and I usually cover extra milage in an open water swim. This day, my swim seemed to be relatively efficient and right on target. I hit the beach in just under 40 minutes, and ran into the first transition area.
One of my key challenges on the bike was nutrition, and I had a mass of food waiting at T1 for me to load into my shirt pockets...3 plain gu's, 2 halves of a PBJ sandwich, a tick-tac box filled with salt tabs, and two Powerbars. I sort of just jammed everything into my back pockets without any kind of order and I fumbled around as things fell out of my overloaded pockets each time I bent over or moved suddenly. I ran my bike out of the transition area and decided to continue running my bike up the short hill to avoid the bike jam that was building at the mount line. My bike start was pretty smooth, and soon I was comfortably maintaining a high cadence and speed around 20 mph, while keeping my heat rate below 155.
The bike course headed out of Guerneville along the roads that travel between the vineyards. The roads were rolling hills with a great deal of redwood shade. One concern to watch out for was poor road conditions, cracks that could perfectly catch a tire in a groove and cause a pinch flat. Another concern were several sharp turns, which seemed to only occur at the bottom of the hills, just as you were gaining speed. Overall though, it was one of the best bike courses I have experienced. Beauty, speed, some challenge, and the rising sun.
My nutrition plan was to consume most of my solid calories before I crossed the half-way mark of the bike course, so in these initial minutes, I started sipping the cold Cytomax in my aero bottle and consuming bite-size pieces of a Powerbar. The first aid station was at mile 13 on the course, and by that time, I had emptied two-thirds of my aero bottle, so I snagged a Gatorade Endurance, and without thinking I poured it into the aero bottle. That next sip was an eye opener and mouth twister...grape flavored Cytomax and orange Gatorade Endurance is about the most disgusting mix ever...so after a few sips, I decided to water it down with some water, yet instead of my water bottle, I must have grabbed the bottle containing the Hydralyte, so I found a way to make a bad mix even worse. Well, I went on ahead and sipped on the suicide brew...it was all I had for liquid electrolyte and calorie replacement. I also finished that Powerbar, and that's about the time that I became aware that I wasn't really digesting any of the calories I had consumed...it was all just sitting uncomfortably in my stomach. I decided to slow down my heart rate and pace for 20 -30 minutes, hoping that would allow my digestive track to kick in and clear out my belly full of liquids. That worked like a charm, and it also gave me some recovery time. I was able to pick up my pace for the remainder of the ride, yet I only could consume two gu's and half of the PBJ. I just couldn't force myself to eat more in addition to consuming the necessary liquids. BTW, freezing the Cytomax and water bottles worked like a charm. About half-way into the bike, with the day heating up, it was really refreshing to drink my Cytomax slushy and pour ice cold water on my head and down my back.
While biking, I did see a few of my friends on the course. Paul J was the first to ride up behind me and greet me with a "Hello, gorgeous!" Thanks, Paul! Then, Ryan D zoomed up shortly after that with a bold, "Is that Ms. Reha?" Go gettem, Denner! After that, an official passed me on the back of a motorcycle, and he waived a penalty flag. "Crimony!" I couldn't figure what I had done to deserve a penalty...no one was around me, so I wasn't drafting. I was all the way over on the right side of the road, so I don't think I had interfered with anyone or passed on the wrong side. As I was running through these possible penalty worthy actions, the official turned his head and smiled. It was Coach Gurujan officiating at this race, and it wasn't a penalty flag but his notepad that he was waiving at me. I laughed (totally relieved), and acknowledged Coach G's waive, then he sped off to give penalties to someone in my age group I hoped.
The 56-mile bike course winds its way 40 miles inland from Guerneville and finishes at Windsor high school. It was significantly warmer in Windsor, and I was so looking forward to that cooler filled with ice water waiting at T2. As I approached Windsor high school, I saw people heading out on the run. At the dismount line, the race volunteers ushered us into a narrow walkway that circled half-the perimeter of the transition area...it seemed like a rather long distance to get from the dismount to the T2 area; however, once I found my things, I racked my bike and opened that cooler and dumped the entire thing on the top of head. It was shocking, yet soooo good! Then I changed my shoes, hat and grabbed my water bottles. I decided to make a stop at the porter pot in the transition area...there's just no good reason to be uncomfortable out there on the run. I also stopped at the aid station to fill my water bottles with ice cold water. One of my bottles had Cytomax mix, while the other had just cold water. Now, these extra stops extended my time in the transition area to roughly 6 minutes, way beyond my norm, yet I think it was worth taking the extra time. I sipped the Cytomax throughout the run course, and I continually poured the ice cold water on my head and down my back, refilling with ice water at the aid stations along the course. I maintained a comfortable pace, running roughly 9-minute miles, and besides the aid stations, I didn't have to make any additional stops along the course.
On the way out, not even 1 mile into the run, I passed Michellie Jones as she was heading towards the finish...she started about 10 minutes ahead of my wave, and now she was finishing about 2 hours ahead of me...wow! The 13.1-mile run wasn't flat as promoted on the Vineman course description. It was rolling hills, not severe, yet I was keenly aware of every incline. However, the toughest part about the run was that it was hot. I heard others say that the temp reached 101 degrees out in the vineyards along the run. However, I kept myself pretty comfortable with ice water. I also took advantage of every volunteer's offer to spray me with water. My shoes made a "squishy" sound as I headed back towards the finish. After I made the turn-around, I started seeing my teammates who were either passing me or heading out on the run....the run was getting really warm, and I was so fortunate to have that early race start. I yelled and cheered for them, and they yelled and cheered for me. The night before the race, Coach Jon encouraged us to give while we're out on the race course. When you give and share your enthusiasm with others, it only returns greater enthusiasm and energy for you...its one of those amazing life equations.
Coming into the finish, I saw ahead of me a purple clad triathlete walking. It was my teammate Walter. He must have hammered that bike ride...I didn't even see him pass me. I ran up alongside of him. He was having some stomach issues. I tried to encourage him to run it in, a strong finish and all of that...after all, we can stand just about anything for 1-2 minutes, and that's about all we had left of the race. At that moment, my buddy Damian blew past us, and Walter got his second wind and picked up his pace, faster than I could go :) I was about 30 feet from the finish line when a lady in the crowd yelled, "Hey, you can beat him!" I looked around, and there to my left about 10 feet ahead was this guy comfortably making his way to the finish line. I responded, "Yeah, I think I can!" I pushed hard into a sprint, and the guy must of seen and/or heard me, cause he picked up his pace, too. I crossed the finish line just barely in front of him. We laughed and high-fived as we tried to catch our breath, waiting in the line for our finisher's medals. That's totally the way to finish a half-ironman race ;)
After the pictures and the cold wet sponges, they encourage the competitors to go to the food tent. I couldn't force myself to eat at all. I nibbled on some watermelon and pineapple, yet I couldn't swallow anything. It was hot, I was tired, and all I wanted was fluids, so I kept the cold fluids going down. Greg helped Damian and I find shade to rest under, while we consumed a new recovery drink by Powerbar. It was really good, and I'm going to have to research the name and where its sold. We eventually joined our coaches and teammates who gathered at the finish line to cheer on those finishing the race. Everyone on my team completed the course. It was a great day for the San Diego TNT Tri Team!
My roommates and I returned to the cabin to clean up and get ready for the TNT Victory Party that evening. While I waited for my turn in the shower, I went down to the river for a relaxing swim. Its kind of odd to casually swim after training with such intensity these many months. I also spent a few minutes in the hot tub just letting the warm water ease all of the muscle aches and tension. I had entered that post-race phase of amazement...and delirious goofiness. Coach Trent's funny saying was correct...the hay was in the barn. Haaay! I just completed a half ironman race!
My overall time at Vineman was 6:10:05. That's quite a bit faster than my projected 6:30:00. Completing this race is a huge achievement for me. Its something that I dreamed about doing for a long time, and then I trained many months in preparation. Reaching this goal and this level in the sport not only has physical significance, there's also some emotional and philosophical meanings for me. My thoughts and emotions are jumbled right now, yet I'll post more once I sort through the significance. I also have pictures to share, which I'll post later this week. For now, I need some rest and recovery time. I'll be in touch soon!
G
Saturday, July 21, 2007
MoMo's B-Day - 2 Days before Vineman
Friday was my rest day...sort of. My cabin roommates and I had invited the TNT half-team over to the cabin for a bbq in the evening, so a good part of the day was spent preparing for the festivities. Also, Friday was MoMo's birthday, and several of us made plans to surprise her with cake, ice cream, flowers and make much fuss over her special day.
MoMo was flying into Oakland Friday morning and then driving to Guerneville in a rental car. I was expecting her to arrive at the cabin around 1pm. My cell phone doesn't have reliable reception in Guerneville, so I've been a bit out of touch with my family, friends and team since I've been up here. About 1:30pm, Paul received a call on his cell...he seems to be the only one with good reception up here. I was in the kitchen while Paul answered the call on the patio, yet I could still hear excited MoMo's voice.
Evidently, MoMo arrived at the Oakland airport and went to the car rental place and was informed that they couldn't rent her a car because her driver's license expired yesterday...happy birthday, MoMo! The woman at the rental counter advised that MoMo could go to DMV to get a license renewal and then return for the car. It was MoMo's good fortune that Coach Trent happened to be at the car rental office at the same time, and recognizing MoMo, he stepped in to offer to give her a ride to the DMV. Now, my experience at the DMV over the years has taught me to avoid going to the DMV unless you have an appointment or don't mind wasting the better part of your day waiting for your number to be called. MoMo was able to get a ride to the DMV office in Oakland, apply for her license renewal, wait in line, obtain her renewal, and return to the car rental office in 2 hours. I'm amazed! When MoMo arrived at the cabin around 3pm, she was excited to share her story while we ate a late lunch. With her story told, she seemed to relax and then announced that she needed a nap. MoMo went to the back bedroom, and we didn't see her again until bbq time :)
While MoMo napped, we had two other groups of visitors arrive. Paul's mom and niece came over for the afternoon and evening, and Ryan D, Alana, and Nelson came over to drop Greg off at the cabin. Everyone was pretty impressed with the cabin and took unguided tours...I was busy in the kitchen still. At some point, Ryan D came out and announced that MoMo is solidly out :)
Well, the bbq went totally smooth. Greg was on the grill, Paul had drinks covered, and I kept the sides filled. It was so much fun to see my teammates relax and enjoy the time, the company, the food and the cabin's amenities. We had people in the kayaks, in the hot tub and resting on the patio. It was a well behaved fun group who cleaned up and left at an early hour, so I don't think we alarmed the neighbors...too much. I counted 22 people in attendance, and my mentor, Derrick, with his accomplice, Rob decided to go get a couple cases of beer...so glad the property management didn't decide to drop in on us!
After our dinner guests left, Paul, Greg, MoMo and I finished clearing up the kitchen and rearranging the cabin furniture, My roommates and I relaxed for a time on the patio, in the quiet, with candles glowing, and birthday cake remnants to finish. We decided to spend a little time doing yoga stretches, and then we turned in for the night. These are sweet times.
This morning I'm heading out for a short run, and then Paul, Greg and I will drive the entire bike course on our way to meet the team at the Expo. We plan to pick up race packets and set up our T2 areas this afternoon. Wow, we're really going to do this :)
G
MoMo was flying into Oakland Friday morning and then driving to Guerneville in a rental car. I was expecting her to arrive at the cabin around 1pm. My cell phone doesn't have reliable reception in Guerneville, so I've been a bit out of touch with my family, friends and team since I've been up here. About 1:30pm, Paul received a call on his cell...he seems to be the only one with good reception up here. I was in the kitchen while Paul answered the call on the patio, yet I could still hear excited MoMo's voice.
Evidently, MoMo arrived at the Oakland airport and went to the car rental place and was informed that they couldn't rent her a car because her driver's license expired yesterday...happy birthday, MoMo! The woman at the rental counter advised that MoMo could go to DMV to get a license renewal and then return for the car. It was MoMo's good fortune that Coach Trent happened to be at the car rental office at the same time, and recognizing MoMo, he stepped in to offer to give her a ride to the DMV. Now, my experience at the DMV over the years has taught me to avoid going to the DMV unless you have an appointment or don't mind wasting the better part of your day waiting for your number to be called. MoMo was able to get a ride to the DMV office in Oakland, apply for her license renewal, wait in line, obtain her renewal, and return to the car rental office in 2 hours. I'm amazed! When MoMo arrived at the cabin around 3pm, she was excited to share her story while we ate a late lunch. With her story told, she seemed to relax and then announced that she needed a nap. MoMo went to the back bedroom, and we didn't see her again until bbq time :)
While MoMo napped, we had two other groups of visitors arrive. Paul's mom and niece came over for the afternoon and evening, and Ryan D, Alana, and Nelson came over to drop Greg off at the cabin. Everyone was pretty impressed with the cabin and took unguided tours...I was busy in the kitchen still. At some point, Ryan D came out and announced that MoMo is solidly out :)
Well, the bbq went totally smooth. Greg was on the grill, Paul had drinks covered, and I kept the sides filled. It was so much fun to see my teammates relax and enjoy the time, the company, the food and the cabin's amenities. We had people in the kayaks, in the hot tub and resting on the patio. It was a well behaved fun group who cleaned up and left at an early hour, so I don't think we alarmed the neighbors...too much. I counted 22 people in attendance, and my mentor, Derrick, with his accomplice, Rob decided to go get a couple cases of beer...so glad the property management didn't decide to drop in on us!
After our dinner guests left, Paul, Greg, MoMo and I finished clearing up the kitchen and rearranging the cabin furniture, My roommates and I relaxed for a time on the patio, in the quiet, with candles glowing, and birthday cake remnants to finish. We decided to spend a little time doing yoga stretches, and then we turned in for the night. These are sweet times.
This morning I'm heading out for a short run, and then Paul, Greg and I will drive the entire bike course on our way to meet the team at the Expo. We plan to pick up race packets and set up our T2 areas this afternoon. Wow, we're really going to do this :)
G
Thursday, July 19, 2007
First Day in Guerneville - 3 Days Before Vineman
I met Paul A at his home this morning at 4am. We loaded his vehicle with bikes, gear and our luggage, and then, started the journey by 4:30am. "Vineman or bust"...we didn't actually have this painted on the windows of the vehicle, but we should have. The drive was smooth with little traffic and only a couple stops, once for breakfast and Starbucks, and the second for fuel and lunch. We pulled into Guerneville at 2:15pm.
Our cabin is located right on the Russian River, about 1 mile outside of "downtown" Guerneville, and its on a mysterious side road that Paul and I seem to miss and have to double back to each time we try to return to the cabin off of the main road. This cabin definitely has character, with a strong scent of a freshly burned wood fire and a kitchen about the size of my childhood closet. We wrestle with the old-fashioned door handles, struggling to fully unlatch and release the sticky knobs. The property management left a rule book that I perused, and then panicked when I read they only allow 2 day guests in addition to the 4 residents staying at the cabin. I had invited the entire team over for a bbq on Friday night...about 15 people have confirmed. I called the property management office and begged and pleaded with them, emphasizing that it was only dinner without alcohol and we would call it an early evening as we're all going to compete in Sunday's triathlon. The property management was hesitant, extremely leary, yet she agreed to allow our get together as long as we kept it quiet and closed down early. Whew!
Paul and I unloaded the vehicle, contacted our friends and family to advise them of our safe arrival, and then we headed down to the path to our private dock for a refreshing swim in the river. The water was a murky greenish yellow color, rich in algae nutrients...that's the explanation that I'm comfortable with. Visibility is about an arm's length. The water is reasonably cool, and it appeared and felt clean. We only swam in swimsuits this afternoon, not wanting to bother with the wetsuits. I think I would have been more comfortable temperature wise in my wetsuit...it was a little too cool for my taste...still spoiled by that Lavaman swim. The current was mild, almost negligible during our short swim. The water depth is shallow, going just about 2 feet above my head in the deepest part of the stream. We swam leisurely for about 20 minutes, and then we layed out on the dock to dry and relax in the sun. I could have fallen asleep at that point, except that Paul noted that we should probably clean up and search out our dinner...oh, dinner sounded good.
Paul arranged to meet his mom and neice for dinner at a grill located by a local golf course, and I was invited to join them. Always glad to meet the family of my friends. I also really enjoyed eating my plate of capellini pompodoro with chicken...delicious and the perfect carb-loading meal.
On the way back to the cabin, we stopped at the grocery store to pick up two absolute necessities...toilet paper and drinking water. We'll return for "intense" grocery shopping in the morning. We did that miss-the-street-and-double-back thing on our return to the cabin. We've now settled in for the night. We're expecting two of our teammates to show up to crash in the cabin tonight, yet it won't be until 10:30pm or later. I plan to be asleep by then, so I hope it isn't too much later.
Its been a long day, yet I'm glad to have made the trip to get here today. Family and friends called, emailed, and visited yesterday and today, checking on my preparations, sharing advice, wishing me a good race. I'm so grateful for their encouragement and support. I don't know if I could or would do this kind of event without sharing it with others, and I'm certain I wouldn't enjoy it as much if it wasn't for the smiles, cheers, pats on the back and commaradery. Taking this all in, I find that I'm not so nervous about the race. I'm actually looking forward to Sunday's catered training...thanks for the new perspective :)
G
Our cabin is located right on the Russian River, about 1 mile outside of "downtown" Guerneville, and its on a mysterious side road that Paul and I seem to miss and have to double back to each time we try to return to the cabin off of the main road. This cabin definitely has character, with a strong scent of a freshly burned wood fire and a kitchen about the size of my childhood closet. We wrestle with the old-fashioned door handles, struggling to fully unlatch and release the sticky knobs. The property management left a rule book that I perused, and then panicked when I read they only allow 2 day guests in addition to the 4 residents staying at the cabin. I had invited the entire team over for a bbq on Friday night...about 15 people have confirmed. I called the property management office and begged and pleaded with them, emphasizing that it was only dinner without alcohol and we would call it an early evening as we're all going to compete in Sunday's triathlon. The property management was hesitant, extremely leary, yet she agreed to allow our get together as long as we kept it quiet and closed down early. Whew!
Paul and I unloaded the vehicle, contacted our friends and family to advise them of our safe arrival, and then we headed down to the path to our private dock for a refreshing swim in the river. The water was a murky greenish yellow color, rich in algae nutrients...that's the explanation that I'm comfortable with. Visibility is about an arm's length. The water is reasonably cool, and it appeared and felt clean. We only swam in swimsuits this afternoon, not wanting to bother with the wetsuits. I think I would have been more comfortable temperature wise in my wetsuit...it was a little too cool for my taste...still spoiled by that Lavaman swim. The current was mild, almost negligible during our short swim. The water depth is shallow, going just about 2 feet above my head in the deepest part of the stream. We swam leisurely for about 20 minutes, and then we layed out on the dock to dry and relax in the sun. I could have fallen asleep at that point, except that Paul noted that we should probably clean up and search out our dinner...oh, dinner sounded good.
Paul arranged to meet his mom and neice for dinner at a grill located by a local golf course, and I was invited to join them. Always glad to meet the family of my friends. I also really enjoyed eating my plate of capellini pompodoro with chicken...delicious and the perfect carb-loading meal.
On the way back to the cabin, we stopped at the grocery store to pick up two absolute necessities...toilet paper and drinking water. We'll return for "intense" grocery shopping in the morning. We did that miss-the-street-and-double-back thing on our return to the cabin. We've now settled in for the night. We're expecting two of our teammates to show up to crash in the cabin tonight, yet it won't be until 10:30pm or later. I plan to be asleep by then, so I hope it isn't too much later.
Its been a long day, yet I'm glad to have made the trip to get here today. Family and friends called, emailed, and visited yesterday and today, checking on my preparations, sharing advice, wishing me a good race. I'm so grateful for their encouragement and support. I don't know if I could or would do this kind of event without sharing it with others, and I'm certain I wouldn't enjoy it as much if it wasn't for the smiles, cheers, pats on the back and commaradery. Taking this all in, I find that I'm not so nervous about the race. I'm actually looking forward to Sunday's catered training...thanks for the new perspective :)
G
Welcome to Guerneville!!!
After 9 hours 45 minutes of driving north, we're here at Guerneville, the site of the Vineman race start, my first half-ironman triathlon. Paul Anderson drove and was kind enough to let me co-pilot the roadtrip. We made great time with little traffic. What a small eccentric town! There are about 3 blocks of downtown...leisurely blink while driving, and you'll miss the town. The cabin is this little rustic wood-smelling cottage...completely adorable. It has a beautiful patio view overlooking the Russian River, and the patio is equipped with a hot tub, grill and a dining set...looking forward to tomorrow night's bbq. There is a little trail from the cabin that leads through the woods and blackberry bushes to a private dock on the river, equipped with two kayaks and a row boat. Its just gorgeous with redwoods along the river. The water is green, and the water temperature is close to 73 degrees. I'm guessing the air temp is close to 80 degrees this afternoon. After we get the car unloaded, we're heading out for a swim to get familiar with the river current and exercise our road weary bodies. Quick arrival post and more to follow this evening...
G
G
Monday, July 16, 2007
So How's That Taper Going?
Coach Trent asked this question with doubting arched eyebrows after yesterday's practice tri. Fact is, the taper is going great. I have way more energy and extra time this week than I've had in months! All of my laundry is finally caught up. I've been at home to cook dinner almost every night, so I'm eating well. I actually chatted with my parents over coffee this weekend, and I've touched base either by phone or in person with just about every friend that has accused me of being MIA these past couple months.
Also, I'm really excited about my conditioning, almost to the point of doing something crazy like signing up for...dare I say it?...an ironman. I ran approximately 10 miles one evening last week on the trails behind my home, a slow paced run, and about halfway into the workout it struck me that I wasn't tired, winded or hurting. This same run was such a challenge last summer, so its pretty darn satisfying to realize the improvement in my fitness...but I'm holding off on making the ironman commitment till after I finish Vineman and pending the level of post-race pain.
Yesterday's practice tri took place at Glorietta Bay in Coronado, CA. The swim was close to 300m in Navy Seal territory, followed by a 15-mile bike along the flat and windy strand (headwinds both directions...for real), and wrapping up with a-supposed-to-be 3-mile run (well, I ran passed the turn-around...I didn't know...so I was alone, lost on the island and wandering along the golf course for an extra mile or two). Still it felt good to push and get in a little transition practice.
I also attended Coach Gurujan's talk about the Vineman course yesterday. The key information that I walked away with was ice is your friend and the bike course roads are in bad condition...lots of flats. I'm so tempted to go purchase Kevlar tires this week before we make the trip up north, yet I keep hearing a whispering voice of caution, "Nothing new on race day." If I buy them tonight, and ride them tomorrow that means they wouldn't be new, right? Hmmm....still need to resolve this issue.
Well, the team's final prep meeting took place yesterday afternoon. I think we're all eager for the trip up to Guerneville and Santa Rosa. There was little talk of our race preparations, and quite a bit of convesation on social activities. We're pretty set on having fun regardless of the race, and that's a great place to be today...not sure if I can hold onto that frame of mind come race day :)
G
Also, I'm really excited about my conditioning, almost to the point of doing something crazy like signing up for...dare I say it?...an ironman. I ran approximately 10 miles one evening last week on the trails behind my home, a slow paced run, and about halfway into the workout it struck me that I wasn't tired, winded or hurting. This same run was such a challenge last summer, so its pretty darn satisfying to realize the improvement in my fitness...but I'm holding off on making the ironman commitment till after I finish Vineman and pending the level of post-race pain.
Yesterday's practice tri took place at Glorietta Bay in Coronado, CA. The swim was close to 300m in Navy Seal territory, followed by a 15-mile bike along the flat and windy strand (headwinds both directions...for real), and wrapping up with a-supposed-to-be 3-mile run (well, I ran passed the turn-around...I didn't know...so I was alone, lost on the island and wandering along the golf course for an extra mile or two). Still it felt good to push and get in a little transition practice.
I also attended Coach Gurujan's talk about the Vineman course yesterday. The key information that I walked away with was ice is your friend and the bike course roads are in bad condition...lots of flats. I'm so tempted to go purchase Kevlar tires this week before we make the trip up north, yet I keep hearing a whispering voice of caution, "Nothing new on race day." If I buy them tonight, and ride them tomorrow that means they wouldn't be new, right? Hmmm....still need to resolve this issue.
Well, the team's final prep meeting took place yesterday afternoon. I think we're all eager for the trip up to Guerneville and Santa Rosa. There was little talk of our race preparations, and quite a bit of convesation on social activities. We're pretty set on having fun regardless of the race, and that's a great place to be today...not sure if I can hold onto that frame of mind come race day :)
G
Sunday, July 8, 2007
Cramming
Vineman is two weeks from today! I'm a mix of nerves and excitement when I think about this. The fast approaching event kind of stirs me up to an old habit...cramming. This study technique was key to my passing several college exams, yet its probably one of the worst things I can do for my body now that we're so close to race day. My rational side is counselling that I'm conditioned to go the distances in all of the events...I've been training hard, long hours, and now its time to taper. I can't build or improve at this point, and any extreme exertion will only risk injury. However, my not so rational side is thinking, "Hmmm, I wonder how fast you're going to run 13 miles after the bike...maybe you ought to do a final full-distance brick." Truth is that I haven't gone the full distance in all three events in one day, so there's a question of how its all going to come together on July 22nd.
I counted this past week as my last full workout week. I ran 13 miles on Monday and Friday. I ran 5 miles and swam drills at the pool on Tuesday and Thursday. I lifted weights and did yoga once this week. I biked 72 miles on Wednesday, and then I did the Del Dios Brick workout on Saturday (30-mile bike and 4-mile run). I also met a teammate for an easy-paced 6-mile run this morning...my legs were pretty tired.
Today marks the beginning of my workout taper. The team has one workout scheduled for 5 days this week, shorter distances and times. Then, next Saturday is our full-transition practice...a taste of event day. I don't like to taper...sort of feels like I'm losing ground. Also, there's a growing level of anxiety...not necessarily the bad kind, but that building anticipation. Then too, I'm suddenly faced with lots of extra time on my hands...again, not such a bad thing because I have several projects that I'd like to finish at home while I also can use the time to get ready for my trip up north. I also have several friends that I've neglected during these past few weeks of intense training, so it might be a good opportunity to catch up with them. Then, there's work, and I'm going to try to get a bit ahead of schedule so there's no problem when I take a few days off for the triathlon week. You know, I'm now thinking these next couple weeks would be a lot simpler and easier if I could just ignore the rest of my life and cram several more workouts in before race day :)
I counted this past week as my last full workout week. I ran 13 miles on Monday and Friday. I ran 5 miles and swam drills at the pool on Tuesday and Thursday. I lifted weights and did yoga once this week. I biked 72 miles on Wednesday, and then I did the Del Dios Brick workout on Saturday (30-mile bike and 4-mile run). I also met a teammate for an easy-paced 6-mile run this morning...my legs were pretty tired.
Today marks the beginning of my workout taper. The team has one workout scheduled for 5 days this week, shorter distances and times. Then, next Saturday is our full-transition practice...a taste of event day. I don't like to taper...sort of feels like I'm losing ground. Also, there's a growing level of anxiety...not necessarily the bad kind, but that building anticipation. Then too, I'm suddenly faced with lots of extra time on my hands...again, not such a bad thing because I have several projects that I'd like to finish at home while I also can use the time to get ready for my trip up north. I also have several friends that I've neglected during these past few weeks of intense training, so it might be a good opportunity to catch up with them. Then, there's work, and I'm going to try to get a bit ahead of schedule so there's no problem when I take a few days off for the triathlon week. You know, I'm now thinking these next couple weeks would be a lot simpler and easier if I could just ignore the rest of my life and cram several more workouts in before race day :)
Thursday, July 5, 2007
Independence Day Ride
This was the reckoning ride...Encinitas to Couser Canyon on the 4th of July. I was joined by Derrick, Greg K, Jennifer, Richard, Greg B, and Arianne.
Within the first 3 miles of the route, I ended up with a flat tire..."Great! Here we go again." I quickly changed it, and made the extra effort to stay upbeat while stuffing that nagging memory of the last time on this route. The rest of the ride was flat-free for me, yet about half-way into the ride I opened my big mouth about not having any more flats, and just within seconds of the words passing my lips, I heard "POP"...Richard's back wheel. Greg K warned me about never again saying the "F-word" ("Flat") while on a ride. Sorry, Richard...I didn't know the rule.
I rode at a moderate pace, trying to stay in Zone 2 or less the entire workout. All worked well until I reached the 4-plus-mile hill on Couser Canyon Road. Throughout the duration of the hill, I fought an internal battle...I wanted to stay in my training zone, yet I also just wanted to hammer and be done with the darn hill. So, my ride up was really mixed...in the saddle...out of the saddle...high cadence...low cadence....push...rest...schizophrenic cycling. The only consistent thing was my body temperature...HOT!
The news predicted a heatwave with temps close to 110 degrees in east county for the day. Its going to be toasty at Vineman, so I sort of shrugged at the high temps as good training conditions. Fortunately, we had overcast skies until about noon, and even in the afternoon, I think the temp may have just barely reached the low 100s. Oh, it was HOT, yet we were spared severe heat. All of us consumed tons of water, electrolytes and salt tabs. We made stops at the gas station both on the way out and on the way in to refill our bottles. Later, Derrick reported that he tried to talk the young woman behind the cash register into letting him go into the back freezer to cool down; however, she wasn't having any sweaty unsupervised cyclists mingling that close to the Haagen Daz.
We took our sweet time about getting this route done, yet we all finished in time to clean and meet up with family and friends for fireworks. I was pretty exhausted as one should be after riding 75 miles in the heat, yet I felt good about the workout, and I didn't feel like I was totally spent...just sweetly satisfied with completing this route.
G
Within the first 3 miles of the route, I ended up with a flat tire..."Great! Here we go again." I quickly changed it, and made the extra effort to stay upbeat while stuffing that nagging memory of the last time on this route. The rest of the ride was flat-free for me, yet about half-way into the ride I opened my big mouth about not having any more flats, and just within seconds of the words passing my lips, I heard "POP"...Richard's back wheel. Greg K warned me about never again saying the "F-word" ("Flat") while on a ride. Sorry, Richard...I didn't know the rule.
I rode at a moderate pace, trying to stay in Zone 2 or less the entire workout. All worked well until I reached the 4-plus-mile hill on Couser Canyon Road. Throughout the duration of the hill, I fought an internal battle...I wanted to stay in my training zone, yet I also just wanted to hammer and be done with the darn hill. So, my ride up was really mixed...in the saddle...out of the saddle...high cadence...low cadence....push...rest...schizophrenic cycling. The only consistent thing was my body temperature...HOT!
The news predicted a heatwave with temps close to 110 degrees in east county for the day. Its going to be toasty at Vineman, so I sort of shrugged at the high temps as good training conditions. Fortunately, we had overcast skies until about noon, and even in the afternoon, I think the temp may have just barely reached the low 100s. Oh, it was HOT, yet we were spared severe heat. All of us consumed tons of water, electrolytes and salt tabs. We made stops at the gas station both on the way out and on the way in to refill our bottles. Later, Derrick reported that he tried to talk the young woman behind the cash register into letting him go into the back freezer to cool down; however, she wasn't having any sweaty unsupervised cyclists mingling that close to the Haagen Daz.
We took our sweet time about getting this route done, yet we all finished in time to clean and meet up with family and friends for fireworks. I was pretty exhausted as one should be after riding 75 miles in the heat, yet I felt good about the workout, and I didn't feel like I was totally spent...just sweetly satisfied with completing this route.
G
Saturday, June 30, 2007
Abundance
Its late...I'm beyond exhausted...still I'm pretty jazzed about today's events. My day started at 4:15am, and the only reason why that's significant is because I had only gone to bed 4 hours earlier. I've been getting ready for tonight's catering event, from which all earnings will go towards my fundraising for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, so I've been keeping some late hours the past few nights, prepping, organizing, strategizing and stressing :) So, the unplanned early start today...I was completely awake and couldn't go back to sleep, and I decided to get up, taking my sweet time to respond to emails, call overseas to my friends in Switzerland (Halo, Barbara & Ernest!), eat breakfast, shower and dress for today's team coastal ride.
I met the team at the Solanna Beach train station, where we boarded the 7:38am northern- bound Amtrak. The women who ruled the train station (these ladies took their jobs very seriously) gave us specific instructions for handling our bikes when boarding the train, so that loading didn't cause the train to run behind schedule. In short, we pretty much threw our bikes in the doors to trusted Mentor Derrick who stacked the precious cargo so that there wasn't any great damage or casualty. Then, the team took over our own private car...I don't think anyone else wanted to be around such rowdy yahoots so early in the morning...which gave us a chance to visit and preview the course.
We disembarked at San Juan Capistrano. The bike ride was spectacular...mostly because I love the coastal scenery, and we were right there next to the water almost the entire 50-plus-mile-ride. The water was teal blue with full swells. The sun was brilliant, making it a warm summer bike ride. GORGEOUS! The other thing I loved about this ride was that it was flat, and you could fly down the bike paths. Now, I've been trying all season to focus on staying within my heartrate zones during our training rides...yet I was just itching under these conditions to see how it felt to go all out. The compromise I made with myself (b/c I'm a goon) was that I would push the first 20 or so miles and then return to Zone 2 training for the remainder of the ride. Oh, the initial hour of the workout was sweet...fast, smooth, little traffic interference, beautiful surroundings and great company!
The most notable part about the remainder of the ride was that I road through Camp Pendelton trapped in a "cycle blob" of visitting cyclists from Las Vegas. "Cycle blob" was coined by Mentor Derrick when I tried to describe how I ended up surrounded by this mass of cyclists, all seeming to be very nice people, yet they completely surrounded me on both sides, in front and behind, and there was no way to break free. I ended up riding in the cycle blob for about 6-8 miles, and it was just as I was really trying to focus on my form, cadence and heartrate, you know "all business", while these folks were just chit-chatting away, asking the new girl (me) about my bike, my training, my next race, where I'm from, how old I am, what I do for a living, if I was hungry and wanted to stop with them in Oceanside for lunch, etc. GEESH! Anyway, I eventually escaped the kind folks from Vegas, and resumed training mode.
I returned to the Solanna Beach train station at about 11:30am, which means the ride took approx. 2.5 hours (I really need to make a better habit of using the stop-watch feature). I felt great, and was elated about the time because I had other matters to attend this day. I loaded my bike, said goodbyes and headed to the closest Chipotle's (I think burritos after a workout are a beautiful thing). I headed home to clean up and take a short nap. Then, I switched into chef mode and went back to event prepping. Everything went just super at the event (special thanks to Ysabel for her help!). I'm now at home...what a full amazing day!
Good night!
G
I met the team at the Solanna Beach train station, where we boarded the 7:38am northern- bound Amtrak. The women who ruled the train station (these ladies took their jobs very seriously) gave us specific instructions for handling our bikes when boarding the train, so that loading didn't cause the train to run behind schedule. In short, we pretty much threw our bikes in the doors to trusted Mentor Derrick who stacked the precious cargo so that there wasn't any great damage or casualty. Then, the team took over our own private car...I don't think anyone else wanted to be around such rowdy yahoots so early in the morning...which gave us a chance to visit and preview the course.
We disembarked at San Juan Capistrano. The bike ride was spectacular...mostly because I love the coastal scenery, and we were right there next to the water almost the entire 50-plus-mile-ride. The water was teal blue with full swells. The sun was brilliant, making it a warm summer bike ride. GORGEOUS! The other thing I loved about this ride was that it was flat, and you could fly down the bike paths. Now, I've been trying all season to focus on staying within my heartrate zones during our training rides...yet I was just itching under these conditions to see how it felt to go all out. The compromise I made with myself (b/c I'm a goon) was that I would push the first 20 or so miles and then return to Zone 2 training for the remainder of the ride. Oh, the initial hour of the workout was sweet...fast, smooth, little traffic interference, beautiful surroundings and great company!
The most notable part about the remainder of the ride was that I road through Camp Pendelton trapped in a "cycle blob" of visitting cyclists from Las Vegas. "Cycle blob" was coined by Mentor Derrick when I tried to describe how I ended up surrounded by this mass of cyclists, all seeming to be very nice people, yet they completely surrounded me on both sides, in front and behind, and there was no way to break free. I ended up riding in the cycle blob for about 6-8 miles, and it was just as I was really trying to focus on my form, cadence and heartrate, you know "all business", while these folks were just chit-chatting away, asking the new girl (me) about my bike, my training, my next race, where I'm from, how old I am, what I do for a living, if I was hungry and wanted to stop with them in Oceanside for lunch, etc. GEESH! Anyway, I eventually escaped the kind folks from Vegas, and resumed training mode.
I returned to the Solanna Beach train station at about 11:30am, which means the ride took approx. 2.5 hours (I really need to make a better habit of using the stop-watch feature). I felt great, and was elated about the time because I had other matters to attend this day. I loaded my bike, said goodbyes and headed to the closest Chipotle's (I think burritos after a workout are a beautiful thing). I headed home to clean up and take a short nap. Then, I switched into chef mode and went back to event prepping. Everything went just super at the event (special thanks to Ysabel for her help!). I'm now at home...what a full amazing day!
Good night!
G
Saturday, June 23, 2007
Lemonade
Today's team ride was to be our bike peak for the season...75 epic miles. Unbeknownst to me and my TNT teammates, Coach Trent opted for us to do the same course as the CAF Team (Encinitas to Couser Canyon). TNT started and finished a few miles north...which trimmed our route down to about 72 epic miles. I was feeling great this morning...well-rested, well-nourished and totally pumped about going the distance. Another plus, my bike had just been tuned and cleaned yesterday, and you know how they ride so much better after TLC.
We were quick to get on the road this morning. About 8 miles into the ride, my rear tire popped and went flat. Not good, yet I quickly changed it and caught up with my team. Pa-shoosh! Again, same tire. Alright, I took a little extra time to change this second flat, searching for the culprit. Nothing! I found absolutely nothing inbedded in the tire or tube. My spokes looked good. Everything appeared solid and clean. Theresa was kind enough to hold up and wait for me. Also, we were soon joined by MoMo and Elisa who were riding with the CAF Team. Its always great to laugh and talk with enthusiastic MoMo, and Elisa, as always, was calm, encouraging and graceful. The four of us road together for awhile before Theresa and I built our pace back up and pushed to catch the TNT pack. Mile 19...another flat! Well, third time's supposed to be the charm. I had to call our SAG vehicle, because I was out of tubes and was down to 1 CO2 cartridge ...Theresa's extra tubes were too small for my rims. On the cell phone, our SAG volunteer reported that they didn't have any tire repair equipment, so he was on his way to pick me and my shiny, well-tuned bike up. NOOOOOO!...I cringed at the idea of having to take a DNF on today's ride. As Theresa and I waited for SAG, my teammate Ryan M biked up and asked about the problem. Ryan came to the rescue and offered me his spare tube. A true knight in a shining bike jersey!
Okay, back in business. Theresa and I cruised down the road. I was getting the full details on last night's B-52 concert which she attended, and then we spent some time trying to give deep meaning to the words to several B-52 songs...i.e. Rock Lobster and What's that on Your Head...truly intellectual stuff.
"Dag-nabbit!" (...this is about the closest thing to cursing that I ever heard my father utter as a child). The FOURTH FLAT TIRE! "That's it! Its not meant to be today," is what I told Theresa. She waited while I called SAG, again. I asked Theresa to go on once I made contact and knew that SAG was on the way. Our SAG volunteers were great. They recognized my disappointment, patted me on the back, and helped me collect my things and loaded my bike onto the back of the car. I really was surprised by how low I was feeling...gosh, you'd think I just lost my puppy or something. Anyway, seated in the backseat of the vehicle, I had some time to get my attitude right. Okay, not today, yet I can come back tomorrow...after I get this darn tire thing solved.
I road with our SAG volunteers up the route to deliver refreshments to my teammates. Everyone was so encouraging and offered me their extra tubes, yet I thanked them and said I wasn't riding until I could get whatever was causing the flats fixed...I didn't want to ride until the next flat. I needed an expert...hopefully today. Our super SAG team zoomed ahead to catch up with the lead riders. We travelled up Couser Canyon Road, the crux climb of today's ride. Then, we just waited for everyone else to pass that high point. After waiting for 5-10 minutes, my team mentor, Derrick, pulled up in his car next to us. He wasn't riding today, yet came by to check on the team...what a mentor! He asked what happened, and then he smiled and opened his blessed messy trunk loaded with bike tools, spare tubes, extra CO2 cartridges and a pump...everything I could possibly need. He inspected my rear wheel and found that the rim tape had slipped exposing a tiny hole, which allowed the tube to expand, pinch and pop (a "classic pinch flat"). That's what had been causing today's flats. He patched the exposed hole, put a new tube on, and offered me an extra tube and CO2 cartridge. He then asked if I wanted to finish the ride. OH YA BABY! I was ready to rock-n-roll.
Now I was positioned in the middle of our team on the course. The lead folks were at least 15 minutes ahead, and there were about 6 teammates behind me. So, this was to be a solo ride, but it was going to be a fast solo ride...just in the off chance that I could catch up with the lead team during the remaining 40 miles. I pushed hard, as hard as possible. There was one long stretch on Deerspring Road where the course was flat with a smooth road surface, and I was in my zone only hearing the wind and the rhythm of my cadence, with my eyes focussed on the road and a blur of bright colors in the periphery of my vision. My speed stayed at about 26mph, with exception to climbing hills. I didn't catch the lead team before the end of the course, yet those 40 miles were about the sweetest I have experienced to date on the bike.
In total, I covered 65 miles today (including the wrong turn at Old Castle Road). I'll have to go back and do the crux climb at Couser Canyon Road, but another day...another weekend. I waited for my teammates in the parking lot at our start/end point. All of us felt really good about today's accomplishment. Famished, I decided on the way home that I had to stop and eat, so I returned home feeling strong. I'm sweaty, salt-covered, sun burnt and ever so thirsty. I really need to take a shower; however, my neighbor left a gift bag of homegrown lemons at my front door today, so right now, I'll postpone the shower and get a drink. Fresh-squeezed lemonade sounds just perfect for quenching the thirst from today's workout.
G
We were quick to get on the road this morning. About 8 miles into the ride, my rear tire popped and went flat. Not good, yet I quickly changed it and caught up with my team. Pa-shoosh! Again, same tire. Alright, I took a little extra time to change this second flat, searching for the culprit. Nothing! I found absolutely nothing inbedded in the tire or tube. My spokes looked good. Everything appeared solid and clean. Theresa was kind enough to hold up and wait for me. Also, we were soon joined by MoMo and Elisa who were riding with the CAF Team. Its always great to laugh and talk with enthusiastic MoMo, and Elisa, as always, was calm, encouraging and graceful. The four of us road together for awhile before Theresa and I built our pace back up and pushed to catch the TNT pack. Mile 19...another flat! Well, third time's supposed to be the charm. I had to call our SAG vehicle, because I was out of tubes and was down to 1 CO2 cartridge ...Theresa's extra tubes were too small for my rims. On the cell phone, our SAG volunteer reported that they didn't have any tire repair equipment, so he was on his way to pick me and my shiny, well-tuned bike up. NOOOOOO!...I cringed at the idea of having to take a DNF on today's ride. As Theresa and I waited for SAG, my teammate Ryan M biked up and asked about the problem. Ryan came to the rescue and offered me his spare tube. A true knight in a shining bike jersey!
Okay, back in business. Theresa and I cruised down the road. I was getting the full details on last night's B-52 concert which she attended, and then we spent some time trying to give deep meaning to the words to several B-52 songs...i.e. Rock Lobster and What's that on Your Head...truly intellectual stuff.
"Dag-nabbit!" (...this is about the closest thing to cursing that I ever heard my father utter as a child). The FOURTH FLAT TIRE! "That's it! Its not meant to be today," is what I told Theresa. She waited while I called SAG, again. I asked Theresa to go on once I made contact and knew that SAG was on the way. Our SAG volunteers were great. They recognized my disappointment, patted me on the back, and helped me collect my things and loaded my bike onto the back of the car. I really was surprised by how low I was feeling...gosh, you'd think I just lost my puppy or something. Anyway, seated in the backseat of the vehicle, I had some time to get my attitude right. Okay, not today, yet I can come back tomorrow...after I get this darn tire thing solved.
I road with our SAG volunteers up the route to deliver refreshments to my teammates. Everyone was so encouraging and offered me their extra tubes, yet I thanked them and said I wasn't riding until I could get whatever was causing the flats fixed...I didn't want to ride until the next flat. I needed an expert...hopefully today. Our super SAG team zoomed ahead to catch up with the lead riders. We travelled up Couser Canyon Road, the crux climb of today's ride. Then, we just waited for everyone else to pass that high point. After waiting for 5-10 minutes, my team mentor, Derrick, pulled up in his car next to us. He wasn't riding today, yet came by to check on the team...what a mentor! He asked what happened, and then he smiled and opened his blessed messy trunk loaded with bike tools, spare tubes, extra CO2 cartridges and a pump...everything I could possibly need. He inspected my rear wheel and found that the rim tape had slipped exposing a tiny hole, which allowed the tube to expand, pinch and pop (a "classic pinch flat"). That's what had been causing today's flats. He patched the exposed hole, put a new tube on, and offered me an extra tube and CO2 cartridge. He then asked if I wanted to finish the ride. OH YA BABY! I was ready to rock-n-roll.
Now I was positioned in the middle of our team on the course. The lead folks were at least 15 minutes ahead, and there were about 6 teammates behind me. So, this was to be a solo ride, but it was going to be a fast solo ride...just in the off chance that I could catch up with the lead team during the remaining 40 miles. I pushed hard, as hard as possible. There was one long stretch on Deerspring Road where the course was flat with a smooth road surface, and I was in my zone only hearing the wind and the rhythm of my cadence, with my eyes focussed on the road and a blur of bright colors in the periphery of my vision. My speed stayed at about 26mph, with exception to climbing hills. I didn't catch the lead team before the end of the course, yet those 40 miles were about the sweetest I have experienced to date on the bike.
In total, I covered 65 miles today (including the wrong turn at Old Castle Road). I'll have to go back and do the crux climb at Couser Canyon Road, but another day...another weekend. I waited for my teammates in the parking lot at our start/end point. All of us felt really good about today's accomplishment. Famished, I decided on the way home that I had to stop and eat, so I returned home feeling strong. I'm sweaty, salt-covered, sun burnt and ever so thirsty. I really need to take a shower; however, my neighbor left a gift bag of homegrown lemons at my front door today, so right now, I'll postpone the shower and get a drink. Fresh-squeezed lemonade sounds just perfect for quenching the thirst from today's workout.
G
Sunday, June 17, 2007
Training Check #2
Okay, this is just a quick note about yesterday's brick workout. It got off to a rough start...I overslept and pretty much rolled out of bed, cleaned up, dressed, and left the house in about 5 minutes to go meet the team only to realize down the road that I'd left my bike helmut at home. I returned home to grab the helmut and arrived at practice 1 hour late, arriving just as the team was loading up and heading out on the bike ride. We had the option of doing a 50 or 70 mile bike ride followed by an 8-10 mile run. It had been a long week with some intense training, so I was settled on going 50 miles. Well, the group I was riding with had a change of plans about half way into the ride, and we ended up riding 65-70 miles. The sun was blazing, so this was the opportunity I'd been looking for...training in warm conditions...lots of water, salt tabs and Hydralyte. I was feeling pretty good after the ride, so I immediately joined Coach Trent on the trail run. About 1 mile into the trail run, mega hunger started to set in. I had eaten well on the bike and thought my nutrition would carry me through the run. Thus, all I had with me on the trail was an electrolyte beverage which I kept sipping, hoping the calories were enough to keep me from bonking. Lesson - bring nutrition on the run. I wore my heartrate monitor during the run, and I think that saved me, because each time I tried to pick up the pace, the alarm would go off...annoying, yet it worked to keep me going...slowly, yet the entire distance. We ended up running about 8 miles on the trail (9, if you include the transition from the parking lot to the trailhead). Back at the cars, I was too happy to plop down on the street and just pass some time stretching, eating goodies out of the SAG box, talking with our volunteers and teammates, and drinking lots of ice cold water. We concluded that this was indeed an affirming workout day... the half-ironman will be tough, yet so doable.
Vineman, here we come!
G
Vineman, here we come!
G
Thursday, June 14, 2007
Training Check
This week I realized that its only five weeks till Vineman, and I'm questioning whether I'm going to be ready. I know that I can go the distance in each part of the race, yet I'm not sure about putting the swim-bike-run together...and in the heat. Just to add to the concern, Ryan circulated an email from the race coordinator stating that water temp could be in the 80s. I'm already expecting air temp around the 100s. These are not the conditions in which I've been training. I really only have 3 weeks left of intensive workouts, so I plan to make these weeks race specific...kicking up the intensity, reducing recovery time, conditioning for warm weather, keeping up on nutrition and hydration and getting adequate rest...while staying healthy and injury free. Several folks asked about my training schedule these upcoming weeks, and here's the general plan:
Mon PM: Rest/Yoga
Tues AM: Pool drills (2500 - 3500 yrds)
Tues PM: Bike drills / hill repeats (2 hours)
Weds PM: Spin 1 hour, followed by pool workout (3000 - 3500 yrds)
Thurs AM: Run 1 hour
Thurs PM: Rest/Yoga
Fri PM: Ocean swim (2 miles)
Sat AM: Bike (70 - 85 miles) or Brick workout (Bike 60/Run 10)
Sun AM: Base run (2 hours)
Sun PM: Ocean swim (2 miles)
I start pulling back the intensity in July...
...with miles to go before I rest, with miles to go before I rest!
G
Monday, June 11, 2007
Tri 101 in Lakeport, CA
This was my weekend off from training, so on Saturday morning I headed up north to attend my niece's high school graduation near Sacramento (Way to go, Jacki!). That afternoon, Marty and Jay met me in Sacramento, and we drove to Lakeport, CA. Marty was competing on Sunday in a 3/4 Ironman, the second race in the new Tri 101 series. It would take place along the shores of Clear Lake and along the highways and residential areas of Lakeport. Jay and I were the designated support crew and cheering squad. Marty and Jay arrived on Thursday and previewed the course on Friday. During the ride from Sac to Lakeport, I received a full brief on the race course. They described the run as the main challenge...1,350 ft of climbing in two 9.5-mile laps. Marty even drove the run course so I could have a firsthand look...lots of hills, ewwww. I think Wildflower's run course is tough with the 1.5 miles of consistent steady climbing...I can only imagine how tough this run would be...a brutal 19 miles with continual hills and valleys on foot after swiming 1.9 miles and biking 80 miles.
The night before the race, Jay, Marty and I walked through the transition and expo areas. All of the competitors' bikes were left in the transition area over night. Man, there was impressive high-end equipment in the transition area! In typical tri geek fashion, we hung out along the fence of the transition area just admiring and drooling over the bike set ups belonging to both pros and amateurs. The race ambassadors were kind enough to let us all eat at the pre-race dinner for free. After our meal, we headed to our hotel room at the Anchorage Inn, conveniently located close to the race start. We spent time in the hot tub, did some yoga, and then Marty finished perfecting his race preparations.
Race morning, Marty was already in full motion getting ready and eating when I woke up around 4:30am. We headed down to the race start and transition area around 5:30am. The transition area was organized similar to Ironman races, with changing tents, special needs bags designated for each transition, and a team of volunteers who were at the participant's beckon call. Marty warmed up with a short swim. He reported that the water felt good and that he was feeling great and ready to race. When the gun went off for the age group wave at 7:05am, Marty secured a swim position towards the front of the pack. Jay and I made a point of meeting Marty at each transition and on the course during each leg of the race.
It was pretty cool to have the chance to observe the techniques of the pros with Jay's expert commentary. Everyone has a unique stroke, stride, gait...I couldn't really make out defining postures or body mechanics on the bikes since they passed by in a blur. This was a competitive race with high level pro and amateur athletes. It was the longest tri distance Marty had competed to date, and throughout the course, Marty appeared to be strong and in good spirits. He finished the race at 7:26:09, a great finishing time...fast enough to place 23rd overall, 5th amateur and 3rd in his age group...oh, and he bragged that he beat one pro...female, yet still a pro ;) Congrats, Marty!
It was really hard to watch this event and not feel the draw to try it next year. The location was at a scenic lake surrounded by rolling hills in small-town USA. It was a well planned and organized event. The course was well marked...definitely challenging by all accounts. The volunteers were so helpful to spectators and competitors. Even the race director and course director took time to speak with us. The town seemed to welcome the extravaganza and tri crowd. This weekend's race was small with only 160 or so athletes, yet I expect this series will grow tremendously with more participants over the next couple years.
The night before the race, Jay, Marty and I walked through the transition and expo areas. All of the competitors' bikes were left in the transition area over night. Man, there was impressive high-end equipment in the transition area! In typical tri geek fashion, we hung out along the fence of the transition area just admiring and drooling over the bike set ups belonging to both pros and amateurs. The race ambassadors were kind enough to let us all eat at the pre-race dinner for free. After our meal, we headed to our hotel room at the Anchorage Inn, conveniently located close to the race start. We spent time in the hot tub, did some yoga, and then Marty finished perfecting his race preparations.
Race morning, Marty was already in full motion getting ready and eating when I woke up around 4:30am. We headed down to the race start and transition area around 5:30am. The transition area was organized similar to Ironman races, with changing tents, special needs bags designated for each transition, and a team of volunteers who were at the participant's beckon call. Marty warmed up with a short swim. He reported that the water felt good and that he was feeling great and ready to race. When the gun went off for the age group wave at 7:05am, Marty secured a swim position towards the front of the pack. Jay and I made a point of meeting Marty at each transition and on the course during each leg of the race.
It was pretty cool to have the chance to observe the techniques of the pros with Jay's expert commentary. Everyone has a unique stroke, stride, gait...I couldn't really make out defining postures or body mechanics on the bikes since they passed by in a blur. This was a competitive race with high level pro and amateur athletes. It was the longest tri distance Marty had competed to date, and throughout the course, Marty appeared to be strong and in good spirits. He finished the race at 7:26:09, a great finishing time...fast enough to place 23rd overall, 5th amateur and 3rd in his age group...oh, and he bragged that he beat one pro...female, yet still a pro ;) Congrats, Marty!
It was really hard to watch this event and not feel the draw to try it next year. The location was at a scenic lake surrounded by rolling hills in small-town USA. It was a well planned and organized event. The course was well marked...definitely challenging by all accounts. The volunteers were so helpful to spectators and competitors. Even the race director and course director took time to speak with us. The town seemed to welcome the extravaganza and tri crowd. This weekend's race was small with only 160 or so athletes, yet I expect this series will grow tremendously with more participants over the next couple years.
Tuesday, June 5, 2007
PBJ Power for LJ Shores to Iron Mtn
I knew that I would miss Saturday's team workout due to a fun commitment at Disneyland (Happy B-day, Lily!), so early last week I sent out an invite for people to join me Sunday for an out-and-back 60-mile ride from LJ Shores to Iron Mtn followed by a swim. I cycled most of the bike route with the half-team about 3 or 4 weeks ago. What I liked most about this route is that it tied together several of the shorter routes I biked while training for Olympic distance races (Torrey Pines, Scripps Poway Parkway and Iron Mountain)...a rite of passage. I also liked the fact that it starts from the coast and travels all the way inland to the foothills of the San Diego mountains..."coast to the mountains" has an epic feel. Plus, with the weather staying so cool this Spring in SD, I need to take advantage of the East county sun to condition myself for the Napa Valley heat. This is also a route with lots of hills and only a few flat stretches, so its a ride that challenges your strength, speed and endurance.
Ryan, Damian, Nuno, Elisa and Kim met me in the LJ Shores parking lot, and we peddled our bikes about 10 miles to meet up with Greg, Pat and Emily at Rancho Penasquitos Park West (These kids were just finishing a Tour de Trail run with the Pacific Grove Team). About 8 miles further along the route, Pat's bike had mechanical problems with the cables (a real bummer too since the bike was new), so he had to turn around and head back to a bike shop with the goal of meeting for the swim. The rest of us continued, and somewhere along Scripps Poway Parkway, Damian, Greg and Ryan shot far ahead. When we reached the turnaround point at the intersection of Hwy 67 and Poway Road, there was no sign of the 3-lead-team, so in Mom fashion, I left a voicemail to check on the boys. The rest of us started on our way back. Nuno, Kim and I arrived at Rancho Penasquitos Park and decided to wait for Elisa and Emily. In the meantime, I checked my messages and learned that the lead team decided to make a side trip to the Circle K store on the 67 Hwy to refill on liquids...that's an additional 8 miles one-way with a major hill on the way back!
Once Elisa joined us, we said our goodbyes to Emily and continued on to LJ Shores. At Torrey Pines, I received a call from Greg reporting that Damian and Ryan were just leaving Rancho Penasquitos. Greg arrived at LJ Shores in his car just ahead of Kim and I on the bikes. We were shortly followed by Nuno and Elisa. It felt really good to climb off the bike and just sit still in a stupor for a bit. As we loaded our bikes and gathered our swim gear, Ryan and Damian pulled in. Ryan was animated and sputtering about the headwind on the return ride. Damian was salt-covered, also complaining about the difficulty of their extended route. HOWEVER, both of them would break into the largest grins across their faces whenever they paused with the whining and considered their accomplishment. That Circle K trip added almost 20 miles to an already challenging ride, so they ended up covering 70 - 80 miles.
I decided to use this workout to test out my "new" nutrition plan for the bike. Training for the Olympic distance races, I would take in 2 gels or gu's during the bike portion of the race, yet on these longer rides, I need to take in 4 to 6 gels. After consuming hydration and gels on these long rides, I feel like I've been drinking syrup all day...not really satisfied and way more thirsty. Therefore, I brought other forms of sustenance for the day's ride...a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, corn chips, salt tabs and a balance bar...yum! Okay, I got a lot of ribbing from my workout crew about the PBJ sandwich, but hey, you gotta do what works for you...besides, I think they were just a bit envious as they sucked down another gu. I didn't consume everything I brought with me, and I was glad to share with others. This worked for me. I felt great the entire time on the road, and when we finished, I was hungry, yet I still felt strong and energetic. If the Cheese Shop wasn't so close, I'm certain that I could have continued on to the swim without stopping for a meal...just can't say no to a good sandwich :)
Greg and Pat opted to swim immediately, and Elisa decided to do a quick transition run. Brian joined our group at the Shores, and after eating and reliving in conversation the day's bike adventures, Damian, Ryan, Nuno, Kim, Brian and I headed back to the Shores for the swim. Marty and Mike, who both ran the Rock-in-Roll Marathon that morning, visited with us a bit on the beach, reporting on the marathon experience. Marty met his goal of a sub 3-hour marathon! Woohoo! Greg and Pat were just finishing their swim while the rest of us rallied to enter the water. I don't think I ever appreciated the cool water more. My tired muscles felt so good stretching out during the swim. We didn't cover any great distance, yet it was just long enough to reduce the lactic acid in my legs, and afterward, I felt refreshed. It was a great workout day!
Ryan, Damian, Nuno, Elisa and Kim met me in the LJ Shores parking lot, and we peddled our bikes about 10 miles to meet up with Greg, Pat and Emily at Rancho Penasquitos Park West (These kids were just finishing a Tour de Trail run with the Pacific Grove Team). About 8 miles further along the route, Pat's bike had mechanical problems with the cables (a real bummer too since the bike was new), so he had to turn around and head back to a bike shop with the goal of meeting for the swim. The rest of us continued, and somewhere along Scripps Poway Parkway, Damian, Greg and Ryan shot far ahead. When we reached the turnaround point at the intersection of Hwy 67 and Poway Road, there was no sign of the 3-lead-team, so in Mom fashion, I left a voicemail to check on the boys. The rest of us started on our way back. Nuno, Kim and I arrived at Rancho Penasquitos Park and decided to wait for Elisa and Emily. In the meantime, I checked my messages and learned that the lead team decided to make a side trip to the Circle K store on the 67 Hwy to refill on liquids...that's an additional 8 miles one-way with a major hill on the way back!
Once Elisa joined us, we said our goodbyes to Emily and continued on to LJ Shores. At Torrey Pines, I received a call from Greg reporting that Damian and Ryan were just leaving Rancho Penasquitos. Greg arrived at LJ Shores in his car just ahead of Kim and I on the bikes. We were shortly followed by Nuno and Elisa. It felt really good to climb off the bike and just sit still in a stupor for a bit. As we loaded our bikes and gathered our swim gear, Ryan and Damian pulled in. Ryan was animated and sputtering about the headwind on the return ride. Damian was salt-covered, also complaining about the difficulty of their extended route. HOWEVER, both of them would break into the largest grins across their faces whenever they paused with the whining and considered their accomplishment. That Circle K trip added almost 20 miles to an already challenging ride, so they ended up covering 70 - 80 miles.
I decided to use this workout to test out my "new" nutrition plan for the bike. Training for the Olympic distance races, I would take in 2 gels or gu's during the bike portion of the race, yet on these longer rides, I need to take in 4 to 6 gels. After consuming hydration and gels on these long rides, I feel like I've been drinking syrup all day...not really satisfied and way more thirsty. Therefore, I brought other forms of sustenance for the day's ride...a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, corn chips, salt tabs and a balance bar...yum! Okay, I got a lot of ribbing from my workout crew about the PBJ sandwich, but hey, you gotta do what works for you...besides, I think they were just a bit envious as they sucked down another gu. I didn't consume everything I brought with me, and I was glad to share with others. This worked for me. I felt great the entire time on the road, and when we finished, I was hungry, yet I still felt strong and energetic. If the Cheese Shop wasn't so close, I'm certain that I could have continued on to the swim without stopping for a meal...just can't say no to a good sandwich :)
Greg and Pat opted to swim immediately, and Elisa decided to do a quick transition run. Brian joined our group at the Shores, and after eating and reliving in conversation the day's bike adventures, Damian, Ryan, Nuno, Kim, Brian and I headed back to the Shores for the swim. Marty and Mike, who both ran the Rock-in-Roll Marathon that morning, visited with us a bit on the beach, reporting on the marathon experience. Marty met his goal of a sub 3-hour marathon! Woohoo! Greg and Pat were just finishing their swim while the rest of us rallied to enter the water. I don't think I ever appreciated the cool water more. My tired muscles felt so good stretching out during the swim. We didn't cover any great distance, yet it was just long enough to reduce the lactic acid in my legs, and afterward, I felt refreshed. It was a great workout day!
Friday, June 1, 2007
Friday Ocean Swims
Last year I didn't enjoy ocean swim practices. Out in the deep blue I became oh so aware of how small I really am and concluded that a mile swimming is way longer than a mile running. It sure didn't help to learn that La Jolla Shores (our team's primary ocean swim venue) is the only place off the coast of San Diego where significant marine predators have been captured (this info was provided by my brother, Levi, the biologist/ecologist...thanks). So, as I bobbed along swallowing saltwater, I was on the constant lookout for man-eating sharks...I really wasn't concerned about my swim form.
Well, it was a year to overcome personal limits, so I forced myself to participate in those practices although outside my comfort zone. Soon enough, I learned to enjoy the quietness and openess that one finds out beyond the wave break. I also liked the peaceful and rhythmic commaraderie of swimming along with my teammates. Once I learned to relax in the deep water, I even discovered a great appreciation for being amongst oceanic nature...yet even cute lovable Flipper needs to keep some distance.
This year I've totally embraced the ocean swims, and in preparing for Vineman, I'm swimming at the Shores twice a week in addition to my pool workouts. One of my favorite weekly workouts is the Friday night swim from the Cove to the Shores. Its about a 2-mile RT swim, yet it isn't just about the physcial workout. Its a great way to transition from the work-week to the weekend. There's a whole swimming community that meets at the Cove for this weekly ritual. I counted 72 people donning wetsuits at the Cove last week. Multiple teams and groups gather, including TNT alumni, SD Tri Club, Breakaway Training, and several swim clubs. You also have tons of individuals representing a large spectrum of ages and walks of life.
I love to people watch, so this is an interesting sphere. So far, my favorite Friday night swimmer is a woman who looks to be about 70. I met her in the water while stopped at a buoy a couple weeks ago. She stands out because she wears bright red lipstick and round pearl earings while swimming...she's definitely got me beat on style out there. Also, she can keep a monster pace, and it eased my ego that she turned around while I continued further out with my group. Anyhow, its a fun mix, and after the swim, several of us have made it a habit of grabbing a bite to eat before continuing on with our Friday night. So, if anyone is looking for an ocean swim with lots of company, you should join us at the Cove on Fridays at 5:45pm. Hey, its Friday and almost time...I better go.
Well, it was a year to overcome personal limits, so I forced myself to participate in those practices although outside my comfort zone. Soon enough, I learned to enjoy the quietness and openess that one finds out beyond the wave break. I also liked the peaceful and rhythmic commaraderie of swimming along with my teammates. Once I learned to relax in the deep water, I even discovered a great appreciation for being amongst oceanic nature...yet even cute lovable Flipper needs to keep some distance.
This year I've totally embraced the ocean swims, and in preparing for Vineman, I'm swimming at the Shores twice a week in addition to my pool workouts. One of my favorite weekly workouts is the Friday night swim from the Cove to the Shores. Its about a 2-mile RT swim, yet it isn't just about the physcial workout. Its a great way to transition from the work-week to the weekend. There's a whole swimming community that meets at the Cove for this weekly ritual. I counted 72 people donning wetsuits at the Cove last week. Multiple teams and groups gather, including TNT alumni, SD Tri Club, Breakaway Training, and several swim clubs. You also have tons of individuals representing a large spectrum of ages and walks of life.
I love to people watch, so this is an interesting sphere. So far, my favorite Friday night swimmer is a woman who looks to be about 70. I met her in the water while stopped at a buoy a couple weeks ago. She stands out because she wears bright red lipstick and round pearl earings while swimming...she's definitely got me beat on style out there. Also, she can keep a monster pace, and it eased my ego that she turned around while I continued further out with my group. Anyhow, its a fun mix, and after the swim, several of us have made it a habit of grabbing a bite to eat before continuing on with our Friday night. So, if anyone is looking for an ocean swim with lots of company, you should join us at the Cove on Fridays at 5:45pm. Hey, its Friday and almost time...I better go.
Thursday, May 31, 2007
Rest and Training
"Think about it – if you’re tired from lack of sleep, are you really getting the benefit of the workout?"
-Sleep more, train better, race faster, by Charlene Waldner (Triathlete Magazine, May 23, 2007)
-Sleep more, train better, race faster, by Charlene Waldner (Triathlete Magazine, May 23, 2007)
This season the seemingly harmless habit of sleep deprivation has taken a toll on my well being and interfered with my triathlon training. My body hurts; I have limited endurance and focus during workouts; I caught just about everyone's cold; and its really bugging me that I continually yawn. The irony? This is “rest week” according to the team schedule, and I am experiencing complete physical and mental exhaustion. I know that I have a problem, because I’m seriously considering taking my personal coffeemaker into the office, so I can have continual access to caffeine and not have to share with my co-workers. As I transformed into a triathlete, I addressed my conditioning and diet, yet I neglected to research or make changes in the areas of rest and sleep. I’m certain that I’m not getting enough rest, and its high time that I do something about it. Here is what I learned about how sleep critically impacts the triathlete:
*Sleep quality is just as important as sleep time;
*Sleep increases the growth hormone production for muscle tissue repair;
*Sleep aids in recovery between workouts;
*Lack of sleep will weaken the immune system;
*Lack of sleep increases the appetite and may lead to weight gain; and
*Lack of sleep will decline physical and mental performance.
I also looked at suggestions for improving sleep and getting more rest. I can already hear my wise-acre friends doling out the simplistic advice along the lines of “first, you need to go to bed.” Some of the less obvious suggestions include avoiding intense exercise 3-4 hours before going to sleep; increasing carb intake (without overeating) at night to induce sleep; replacing mattress and pillows for better support; keeping a regular sleep schedule; and taking afternoon naps (30-40 minutes). Over the next week or so, I will experiment with these ideas and see if they work to improve my sleep time and quality.
Monday, April 30, 2007
Training and the Family Reunion
I went to the first family renunion on my dad's side this past weekend. It took place in Edwardsville, IL, about 30 miles across the state border from St. Louis, MO. I planned to fit some training runs into the weekend between the festivities, yet it became more rewarding to spend time with the people. Many of the relatives I either hadn't seen in years or had never known before this weekend. My Aunt Sheri coordinated a really fun weekend. We had a blast eating amazing bbq, dancing to the 60's and 70's, singing karaoke, playing Spades (thanks for the card lesson co-champ Wayne!), goofy raffles and relays (Cousin Vi style), and just connecting and musing about memories and pictures. It was really special to meet my cousins Keira, Jess, Kaenen and Tre for the first time. Grandma outlasted all of us during the fun. Can't quite explain how full my heart is right now.
Well, I haven't done so well with posting to my training blog these past few weeks...the update is that all is going well. I'm back with the Master Swim Program at the JCC. I'm currently going to swim workouts at lunch time on Tuesdays and Fridays, yet I don't really like the way the coaches conduct these workouts...they sort of just give you the workout and monitor your progress without offering any valuable insight on how to improve the efficiency or speed of your swim. I want to go back to the sessions coached by Ali. I'm also working out with the TNT half-team, and I'm now back in the base building phase of my run and bike training. On Saturday 4/21/07, we did Honey Springs route, a 55-mile bike ride from Chula Vista to Japitul Valley. Really gorgeous scenery out there this time of the year, yet a way tough hilly ride, including a 7-mile incline followed by many more hills. I pushed hard on the entire ride and just couldn't rally myself to do a transition run after completing that bike route. My rationalization was a commitment to do the Iron Mtn brick workout with some of my Lavaman teammates the next morning. Definitely my toughest workout weekend.
I've noticed that I've reached a new level of hunger as I finish workouts...I'm dubbing this new level of hunger "mega-hungry", and I think it might be dangerous to stand between me and food during this phase of my training. I'm trying to figure out whether there's a need to adjust my protein before or during workouts. Muscles stay kind of tight all the time, yet they release with consistent stretching. I'm feeling energetic again.
Still trying to set a regular training schedule, so I'm operating my workouts on "catch as catch can"...there's several things happening in my personal life these next couple months...scheduled to be out of town for 3 of the next 4 weekends...started some home remodelling last week...Wildflower is this upcoming weekend...I'm not truly race ready, yet I'm excited about going back to this event and spending the weekend with friends and the tri community near Paso Robles.
I've noticed that I've reached a new level of hunger as I finish workouts...I'm dubbing this new level of hunger "mega-hungry", and I think it might be dangerous to stand between me and food during this phase of my training. I'm trying to figure out whether there's a need to adjust my protein before or during workouts. Muscles stay kind of tight all the time, yet they release with consistent stretching. I'm feeling energetic again.
Still trying to set a regular training schedule, so I'm operating my workouts on "catch as catch can"...there's several things happening in my personal life these next couple months...scheduled to be out of town for 3 of the next 4 weekends...started some home remodelling last week...Wildflower is this upcoming weekend...I'm not truly race ready, yet I'm excited about going back to this event and spending the weekend with friends and the tri community near Paso Robles.
Monday, April 9, 2007
Post-Lavaman/New Goals
Its been exactly one week since I participated in the Lavaman Triathlon in Kona, Hawaii. I'm not feeling the post-race blues or withdrawls...just reflective...thinking a lot about the training season...new and old friendships...the travel adventures...the race. It was a wonderful trip, yet not exactly the race experience for which I hoped. During the weeks leading up to the Lavaman event, I battled general fatigue and achiness which I attribute to overtraining and a lack of adequate sleep. My run speed decreased during the season. I worked out a lot this past season...coached practices, base building, master swim, weight training, pilates, yoga, and soccer. It was too much. Even after tapering for two weeks, the muscle soreness returned upon any hard exertion. The aches were located in the quads, glutes, low back and shoulders. I could feel my problem muscles tightening during the bike portion of the Lavaman race, and that tightness evolved to low level pain as I started the run. However, seeing my teammates and appreciating the coastal scenery increased my enthusiasm and joy so that the the pain no longer mattered. Even with a hurting body, my time improved by a few minutes over the prior olympic distance event.
I've now taken a full week off from all training, and my body is still pretty tight through the hips and low back. This upcoming week I plan to join Team in Training's half-team to start preparing for Vineman, my first half-ironman race, which takes place July 22nd. I'm also registered for the Wildflower Olympic the first weekend in May. It was my first triathlon event last year and will be a good benchmark for where I am today. I'm a little hesitant about jumping back into a regular training schedule...my body feels a bit battered...not feeling the eagerness to train for a longer distance race tonight. I'm thinking that this season I'll focus only on going the distance and not get caught up in strength or speed training.
Here's to hoping it all will work out!
Ginger
I've now taken a full week off from all training, and my body is still pretty tight through the hips and low back. This upcoming week I plan to join Team in Training's half-team to start preparing for Vineman, my first half-ironman race, which takes place July 22nd. I'm also registered for the Wildflower Olympic the first weekend in May. It was my first triathlon event last year and will be a good benchmark for where I am today. I'm a little hesitant about jumping back into a regular training schedule...my body feels a bit battered...not feeling the eagerness to train for a longer distance race tonight. I'm thinking that this season I'll focus only on going the distance and not get caught up in strength or speed training.
Here's to hoping it all will work out!
Ginger
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