Because I backed out of Lavaman at the last minute, I was still registered to do the race. So I've been getting emails that go to all of the race entrants. the most amusing one came today:
"Aloha Triathletes,
Congratulations on your award winning performance at the 2009 Lavaman Triathlon!
View your photos here:
-> Direct link: CLICK HERE TO VIEW YOUR PHOTOS - Please enter your 3 digit (or more) race number in the "search" field and hit "go" - i.e. 014 for race number 14 to find your photos.
or go step by step:
http://www.hawaiiphotoman.com/
- Race photos
- 2009 Races
- Lavaman Triathlon 2009
- Please enter your 3 digit (or more) race number in the "search" field - i.e. 014 for race number 14 to find your photos and hit "go".
If you cannot find your photos please have a look at the unidentified gallery. The photos are available with or without the Lavaman custom graphic.
NEW THIS YEAR:
LAVAMAN 2009 SLIDESHOW
We are excited to create a TV slideshow with the best photos of the Lavaman Triathlon 2009 for you. With 6800 photos to choose from we will create an awesome documentation of this beautiful event. More info will be sent as soon as it is ready.
Mahalo,
Birgit & David O. Baldwin"
I'm excited about the slideshow as well. Maybe there will be some pictures of my "award-winning performance!"
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Helen, Not Hawaii
I knew that there was something H-related that I was supposed to encounter in March...I just had the wrong H in mind! It turns out I wasn't supposed to go to Hawaii to race in a triathlon after all. I was supposed to adopt a baby girl. So that's what I did. Here is the best reason in the world to skip a triathlon:
Helen Alexandra Wiley, born March 19, 2009, 1:32AM. 7 lbs, 12 oz, 19 1/2 inches long.
(Interestingly, non-biologically related big brother Caleb had very similar measurements: 7 lbs, 14 oz, 20 inches long).
The call from the adoption agency came hours after my long brick workout (which was just a ride, due to my shin splints). Wiley had just taken the pedals off of my bike to ship it. Helen's due date was the day we were scheduled to leave for Hawaii. I have to admit to thinking "damn!" when I heard the due date. If only it had been a few weeks later! But the feeling went away pretty quickly. (soon replaced by "Oh my God! We're going to have a new baby in a week! We're not ready!"). We got as ready as we could and now we are two weeks in, sleep deprived and totally smitten.
This blog was destined to turn into a beyond-the-training blog anyway, and I hope you'll keep reading as we navigate the perils of parenting two kids under two. Some last thoughts and info about the triathlon, though.
You're probably wondering "what about all of that money we donated?" My minimum fundraising requirement was $5900, so that automatically goes to this year's event. I can do what I want with the "overage", so here is what I am doing: giving $2000 of it to this year's event, since it's such a crappy year for the economy and for charitable organizations. the other $3,476 that I've raised will be banked for another Team in Training event. I have to do the event in the next year in order to use that $. Either way, it goes to LLS.
It turns out that, at $11,476, I was the top fundraiser for Lavaman for all of the Team in Training chapters in the country! I won a bike for my efforts (!), but in order to take the bike I would've had to use all of the $ for this year's event. Since I already have a bike I like, and having $ banked is a motivator to do an event, I decided to do the above plan and let the 2nd top fundraiser get the bike. So whoever you are, I hope you enjoy your bike!
I'd still really like to do a triathlon. Whether or not I will find the time and energy to do it in the next year remains to be seen. A half marathon is also an option, but doesn't sound as fun to me. I like the variety of the 3 sports to train for. We have lots of credit on Hawaiian Airlines we have to use in the next year, so we'll go somewhere in Hawaii (even if it's just to chase toddlers down the beach!)
I called a friend from the team on race day, and it sounds like it was a great event. Everyone on the team finished. The bike course was really windy, which would've been hard for me. I have to admit to feeling a little sad not to be there with them, but very happy for the reason. There will always be lots of triathlons. But there is only one Helen Alexandra.
Helen Alexandra Wiley, born March 19, 2009, 1:32AM. 7 lbs, 12 oz, 19 1/2 inches long.(Interestingly, non-biologically related big brother Caleb had very similar measurements: 7 lbs, 14 oz, 20 inches long).
The call from the adoption agency came hours after my long brick workout (which was just a ride, due to my shin splints). Wiley had just taken the pedals off of my bike to ship it. Helen's due date was the day we were scheduled to leave for Hawaii. I have to admit to thinking "damn!" when I heard the due date. If only it had been a few weeks later! But the feeling went away pretty quickly. (soon replaced by "Oh my God! We're going to have a new baby in a week! We're not ready!"). We got as ready as we could and now we are two weeks in, sleep deprived and totally smitten.
This blog was destined to turn into a beyond-the-training blog anyway, and I hope you'll keep reading as we navigate the perils of parenting two kids under two. Some last thoughts and info about the triathlon, though.
You're probably wondering "what about all of that money we donated?" My minimum fundraising requirement was $5900, so that automatically goes to this year's event. I can do what I want with the "overage", so here is what I am doing: giving $2000 of it to this year's event, since it's such a crappy year for the economy and for charitable organizations. the other $3,476 that I've raised will be banked for another Team in Training event. I have to do the event in the next year in order to use that $. Either way, it goes to LLS.
It turns out that, at $11,476, I was the top fundraiser for Lavaman for all of the Team in Training chapters in the country! I won a bike for my efforts (!), but in order to take the bike I would've had to use all of the $ for this year's event. Since I already have a bike I like, and having $ banked is a motivator to do an event, I decided to do the above plan and let the 2nd top fundraiser get the bike. So whoever you are, I hope you enjoy your bike!
I'd still really like to do a triathlon. Whether or not I will find the time and energy to do it in the next year remains to be seen. A half marathon is also an option, but doesn't sound as fun to me. I like the variety of the 3 sports to train for. We have lots of credit on Hawaiian Airlines we have to use in the next year, so we'll go somewhere in Hawaii (even if it's just to chase toddlers down the beach!)
I called a friend from the team on race day, and it sounds like it was a great event. Everyone on the team finished. The bike course was really windy, which would've been hard for me. I have to admit to feeling a little sad not to be there with them, but very happy for the reason. There will always be lots of triathlons. But there is only one Helen Alexandra.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Bike Ride
Since no one really reads this blog, I will be brave and post something I wrote for one of my writing classes. I'm trying to practice observing and writing about thigns with all of my senses engaged. I went for my first 20-mile bike ride one snowy day in January and did that. Here is the result. (sorry it's so long for a blog post!):
February 2, 2009
Mile 12
The trail spools out in front of me in alternating patterns. This section is rain-soaked. Snow pockmarks some parts of the trail in large patches. Some are entirely white with a very thin layer of snow. A roll of tulle, a wedding aisle runner. Trees line the trail. Most stand naked. A few have leaves somehow still green, as if they stepped aside when autumn barreled through. Evergreens sit one row back from the trail's edge. Piles of mulch emit a piney scent as I ride past. Here the trail is close to houses which line up like dominoes along the lake shore. I can't see inside – the rooms are dark, or the windows are lined up in such a way as to avoid the glances of strangers, the curiosity of passers-by. Each house has a ramp down to a dock near the water's edge. The lake is an unwelcoming slate color; whitecaps churn at disagreeing angles.
The wind argues with me as well. I've tried to take measures to protect myself against it, but it has ferreted out the weaknesses in my system, sensed my novice status. It blows in my face, chafing my cheeks, making my nose run. It creeps under the collar of my jacket, through the fabric of my gloves, between the teeth of the zippers on my shoe covers. I pedal against it hard, harder than I want to pedal. The wind pushes back, slowing me down, putting me in my place. I am almost riding in place. I pedal harder. The wind relents a bit and I downshift, give my legs a break.
Once-dormant muscles voice their protest. My glutes call out to me, you need to do more strength training! Muscles in my legs I don't know the names of now assert their identity. My neck and back protest this position – arms stiff, head up, shoulders hunched. The bike seat tries to drive itself into my spine by way of my butt. It numbs my butt cheeks and requires near-constant adjusting of my rear end.
I wear a Camelback backpack with a bag of water held inside. A tube pokes out the top of the pack and threads through a loop in the left strap. It dangles down, tapping my arm with a light thwap as I ride. I'm supposed to drink plenty of water as practice for the race, imagine how much I will need in a dry, sunny, eighty-degree climate. The heaviness of the pack reveals I haven't had enough to drink. It's too much of a leap to make today, riding in snow, then sleet, then rain.
My breathing is steady, even. The cold air fortifies my lungs, but I do not appreciate this. I resent it for the way it numbs my fingertips, my toes, for its all-body chilling effect. Cold air on a bike ride is painful, punishing. You should be inside, sitting by the fire with your cat on your lap, it taunts, and I agree. I have one hand warmer, a tea bag full of mysterious herbs which heat up with my touch. I trade it back and forth from one hand to the other, pulling my fingers out of my gloves to wrap around the warmer. I balance my fist on my handlebar, gripping the warmer as though it could warm my whole body if I squeeze hard enough.
The rain is tiny needles in my face. I have to stop every ten minutes to wipe it off of the bike glasses, Matt's glasses which he lent me for the training season. The waterproofing material on the arms of my jacket creates unnatural patterns, beads and streaks of wet. My tires send out fireworks of water, hissing steadily as I move forward. The rain on the trail erases the snow, the tulle rolled back up, the wedding over.
I take a bite of energy bar I unwrapped during my stop at Mile 10. The hour in cold weather has hardened the bar, and I have to tug it with my teeth, wrenching it until it breaks off in my mouth. Tangy blueberry and salty cashew nuts mix in my mouth, a familiar taste. It's not a pleasurable experience, eating this stick of fuel, but it's necessary to keep going. I reach across my chest for the tube of my Camelback, bite the valve and suck the water in bursts. The chlorine taste so prevalent at the beginning of the ride does not bother me now. The water is cold, colder than when I started, colder than I am. I feel each sip travel down my esophagus, chilling as it goes. I have no thirst to quench, but drink out of a sense of obligation.
The trees create a tunnel over the trail, the sky barely visible in a strip above me. The open lake provides a better view of the clouds, their comings and goings. Today they hover, unmoving, the color of rinse water after a morning of mopping. They block the sun, the mountain view, the hope of warmth. They muffle the sounds of the city. Cars on nearby streets sound more distant than they are, construction noise is less intrusive today. A repair truck blocks the path in one spot, forcing me to get off and walk my bike past on rubbery legs. Dogs and owners speckle the trail in places, and a few other cyclists. Joggers and walkers smile as I pass. Usually shy, I begin calling out hellos to people as I ride by. I make eye contact with the cyclists. Aren't we crazy to be out here in this weather? I think to shout, but don't.
Signs announce the neighborhoods I ride through, the parks I pass. At a random point in the middle of the trail, a City of Seattle parks sign stands proudly, striped festively in orange, red, green, and blue. Burke Gilman Trail it announces. Cycling. Hiking. I could add some other activities: Freezing. Suffering. Self-inflicted punishment. But also Daydreaming. Goal-setting. Meeting challenges. Going the distance. Going home. I am beyond the halfway point of my twenty-mile ride. I've never ridden this far. I've rarely been outside this long in such foul weather. But here I am, doing it.
I ride on.
February 2, 2009
Mile 12
The trail spools out in front of me in alternating patterns. This section is rain-soaked. Snow pockmarks some parts of the trail in large patches. Some are entirely white with a very thin layer of snow. A roll of tulle, a wedding aisle runner. Trees line the trail. Most stand naked. A few have leaves somehow still green, as if they stepped aside when autumn barreled through. Evergreens sit one row back from the trail's edge. Piles of mulch emit a piney scent as I ride past. Here the trail is close to houses which line up like dominoes along the lake shore. I can't see inside – the rooms are dark, or the windows are lined up in such a way as to avoid the glances of strangers, the curiosity of passers-by. Each house has a ramp down to a dock near the water's edge. The lake is an unwelcoming slate color; whitecaps churn at disagreeing angles.
The wind argues with me as well. I've tried to take measures to protect myself against it, but it has ferreted out the weaknesses in my system, sensed my novice status. It blows in my face, chafing my cheeks, making my nose run. It creeps under the collar of my jacket, through the fabric of my gloves, between the teeth of the zippers on my shoe covers. I pedal against it hard, harder than I want to pedal. The wind pushes back, slowing me down, putting me in my place. I am almost riding in place. I pedal harder. The wind relents a bit and I downshift, give my legs a break.
Once-dormant muscles voice their protest. My glutes call out to me, you need to do more strength training! Muscles in my legs I don't know the names of now assert their identity. My neck and back protest this position – arms stiff, head up, shoulders hunched. The bike seat tries to drive itself into my spine by way of my butt. It numbs my butt cheeks and requires near-constant adjusting of my rear end.
I wear a Camelback backpack with a bag of water held inside. A tube pokes out the top of the pack and threads through a loop in the left strap. It dangles down, tapping my arm with a light thwap as I ride. I'm supposed to drink plenty of water as practice for the race, imagine how much I will need in a dry, sunny, eighty-degree climate. The heaviness of the pack reveals I haven't had enough to drink. It's too much of a leap to make today, riding in snow, then sleet, then rain.
My breathing is steady, even. The cold air fortifies my lungs, but I do not appreciate this. I resent it for the way it numbs my fingertips, my toes, for its all-body chilling effect. Cold air on a bike ride is painful, punishing. You should be inside, sitting by the fire with your cat on your lap, it taunts, and I agree. I have one hand warmer, a tea bag full of mysterious herbs which heat up with my touch. I trade it back and forth from one hand to the other, pulling my fingers out of my gloves to wrap around the warmer. I balance my fist on my handlebar, gripping the warmer as though it could warm my whole body if I squeeze hard enough.
The rain is tiny needles in my face. I have to stop every ten minutes to wipe it off of the bike glasses, Matt's glasses which he lent me for the training season. The waterproofing material on the arms of my jacket creates unnatural patterns, beads and streaks of wet. My tires send out fireworks of water, hissing steadily as I move forward. The rain on the trail erases the snow, the tulle rolled back up, the wedding over.
I take a bite of energy bar I unwrapped during my stop at Mile 10. The hour in cold weather has hardened the bar, and I have to tug it with my teeth, wrenching it until it breaks off in my mouth. Tangy blueberry and salty cashew nuts mix in my mouth, a familiar taste. It's not a pleasurable experience, eating this stick of fuel, but it's necessary to keep going. I reach across my chest for the tube of my Camelback, bite the valve and suck the water in bursts. The chlorine taste so prevalent at the beginning of the ride does not bother me now. The water is cold, colder than when I started, colder than I am. I feel each sip travel down my esophagus, chilling as it goes. I have no thirst to quench, but drink out of a sense of obligation.
The trees create a tunnel over the trail, the sky barely visible in a strip above me. The open lake provides a better view of the clouds, their comings and goings. Today they hover, unmoving, the color of rinse water after a morning of mopping. They block the sun, the mountain view, the hope of warmth. They muffle the sounds of the city. Cars on nearby streets sound more distant than they are, construction noise is less intrusive today. A repair truck blocks the path in one spot, forcing me to get off and walk my bike past on rubbery legs. Dogs and owners speckle the trail in places, and a few other cyclists. Joggers and walkers smile as I pass. Usually shy, I begin calling out hellos to people as I ride by. I make eye contact with the cyclists. Aren't we crazy to be out here in this weather? I think to shout, but don't.
Signs announce the neighborhoods I ride through, the parks I pass. At a random point in the middle of the trail, a City of Seattle parks sign stands proudly, striped festively in orange, red, green, and blue. Burke Gilman Trail it announces. Cycling. Hiking. I could add some other activities: Freezing. Suffering. Self-inflicted punishment. But also Daydreaming. Goal-setting. Meeting challenges. Going the distance. Going home. I am beyond the halfway point of my twenty-mile ride. I've never ridden this far. I've rarely been outside this long in such foul weather. But here I am, doing it.
I ride on.
Pain, No Gain
I have my first running-related injury: shin splints. I had some shin pain earlier in the season and my coach gave me some stretches and exercises to do. Of course, once the pain went away I stopped doing the exercises, so now it is back, and worse. the prescription for this is to take a break from running, which is tough to do only 3 weeks before the race. Last night I dragged myself to the gym to ride the stationary bike, in lieu of going to the team running practice. As hard as it is to get myself out the door at night for team practice, it was even harder to motivate myself to go to the gym. The stationary bike is one of my least favorite gym activities (boring and tiring at the same time), so I lessened the boredom by watching old episodes of "sex and the city" that i'd downloaded onto my ipod. I'd forgotten how much fur Carrie wore in those early episodes. And when did she quit smoking?
Anyway, tomorrow we have our longest brick workout -- a 22 mile bike and a 5 mile run. I'm supposed to try the run and stop if I have pain, and then ice afterwards. My carpool-mate tore her MCL (knee ligament), so she probably won't be able to do the race at all. Relatively speaking, shin splints is a minor injury. I do hope the pain goes away, though. I don't want to have to resort to my other running substitute activity: water jogging!
Wiley very kindly came home from work early last Friday so that I could do my Saturday bike ride on Friday. This had immediate advantage of allowing me to do my 25-mile ride on a gorgeous, sunny afternoon instead of the following morning, when it was sleeting. It also meant that I got my first Saturday morning with Caleb and Wiley in months. I went with them to Caleb's soccer class, and then we went to a children's music concert. it was so nice to just have a family day! I went for a run during Caleb's nap, so I still got my training in, but at a more convenient time. Luxury!
Anyway, tomorrow we have our longest brick workout -- a 22 mile bike and a 5 mile run. I'm supposed to try the run and stop if I have pain, and then ice afterwards. My carpool-mate tore her MCL (knee ligament), so she probably won't be able to do the race at all. Relatively speaking, shin splints is a minor injury. I do hope the pain goes away, though. I don't want to have to resort to my other running substitute activity: water jogging!
Wiley very kindly came home from work early last Friday so that I could do my Saturday bike ride on Friday. This had immediate advantage of allowing me to do my 25-mile ride on a gorgeous, sunny afternoon instead of the following morning, when it was sleeting. It also meant that I got my first Saturday morning with Caleb and Wiley in months. I went with them to Caleb's soccer class, and then we went to a children's music concert. it was so nice to just have a family day! I went for a run during Caleb's nap, so I still got my training in, but at a more convenient time. Luxury!
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Serious Countdown Mode
...is what we're in around here. Less than four weeks until race day, and less than 3 weeks until we leave for Hawaii!! Holy Cow!
Last Saturday we did our longest brick workout so far. We did an 18 mile bike, immediately followed by a 4 mile run. I felt tired at the end, but really pretty good considering what a big deal both of those distances were to me individually just a few months ago. (that is to say, I'd never ridden more than 14 miles in my life, and hadn't run more than 3 miles since at least college, maybe longer). It looks like I might actually be able to do this!
We have one more long brick workout next week, and then we have to bring our bikes to the Team in Training office for shipping to Hawaii. I have to say I've grown quite fond of my bike, and I'll be a little sad to be without her for a few weeks. I'll tide myself over with a spinning class or two, which is a great workout (though a lot less fun than an actual bike ride).
I tried eating a gel (chocolate clif shot), which was less disgusting than the gu I tried a few months back. I'm still not sure if I will eat it during the race, but it's good to know I have it as an option. I tried to practice drinking as much as I would during the race, but it's nearly impossible to do so, since it's only 40 degrees here during most of our training sessions. I'm carrying a camelback during the race, so i'll be able to have plenty of fluids on hand.
After three toeclip-related mishaps (okay, falls needing part repair or replacement!), I decided to take my toe clips off my bike. Apparently between doing my first triathlon, pursuing my MFA, and parenting a toddler, my brain and my body are maxed out on processing new experiences. I don't think they were adding much to my performance or speed anyway, so I'm just going to keep it simple: Pedals and running shoes. I'm sure Lance Armstrong would disapprove. But, to paraphrase Lance himself, it's not about the toe clips.
Last Saturday we did our longest brick workout so far. We did an 18 mile bike, immediately followed by a 4 mile run. I felt tired at the end, but really pretty good considering what a big deal both of those distances were to me individually just a few months ago. (that is to say, I'd never ridden more than 14 miles in my life, and hadn't run more than 3 miles since at least college, maybe longer). It looks like I might actually be able to do this!
We have one more long brick workout next week, and then we have to bring our bikes to the Team in Training office for shipping to Hawaii. I have to say I've grown quite fond of my bike, and I'll be a little sad to be without her for a few weeks. I'll tide myself over with a spinning class or two, which is a great workout (though a lot less fun than an actual bike ride).
I tried eating a gel (chocolate clif shot), which was less disgusting than the gu I tried a few months back. I'm still not sure if I will eat it during the race, but it's good to know I have it as an option. I tried to practice drinking as much as I would during the race, but it's nearly impossible to do so, since it's only 40 degrees here during most of our training sessions. I'm carrying a camelback during the race, so i'll be able to have plenty of fluids on hand.
After three toeclip-related mishaps (okay, falls needing part repair or replacement!), I decided to take my toe clips off my bike. Apparently between doing my first triathlon, pursuing my MFA, and parenting a toddler, my brain and my body are maxed out on processing new experiences. I don't think they were adding much to my performance or speed anyway, so I'm just going to keep it simple: Pedals and running shoes. I'm sure Lance Armstrong would disapprove. But, to paraphrase Lance himself, it's not about the toe clips.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Group Starts
Last night was our weekly team swim practice, and we had a special feature: Group Starts. The lifeguards took out some of the lane lines, and we all gathered at one side of the pool. Cathy counted us down and then we all swam together across the pool, back around the "buoy" (Karen, the team captain for the half-ironman team) and back.
Our actual group start in the water at Lavaman will be from the beach, and 200+ people. So practicing it and thinking about your strategy for it are helpful. We got the following tips:
I have yet another cold, courtesy of my "carrier monkey" Caleb :). Maybe this is just another kind of preparation for the race. If I have a cold during the race, it won't be so shocking. I hope it goes away soon, though. We have a big brick workout on Saturday (18 mile bike and a 4 mile run. Yeah, right in a row). It sure would be nice to be able to breathe.
Our actual group start in the water at Lavaman will be from the beach, and 200+ people. So practicing it and thinking about your strategy for it are helpful. We got the following tips:
- choose your position. If you swim in the middle lanes in practice (me), position yourself in the middle of the group, and try to be on the outside.
- you can "draft" off of the person in front of you, swimming just behind them to make the swim a little easier on you.
- after the chaos of the first strokes subsides, you'll need some oxygen. change your swim stroke, flip onto your back for a few strokes, or let up on your kicking a bit (since kicking uses lots of oxygen).
I have yet another cold, courtesy of my "carrier monkey" Caleb :). Maybe this is just another kind of preparation for the race. If I have a cold during the race, it won't be so shocking. I hope it goes away soon, though. We have a big brick workout on Saturday (18 mile bike and a 4 mile run. Yeah, right in a row). It sure would be nice to be able to breathe.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Where Have I Been?
Sorry for the enormous gap in posts! The combination of starting grad school, traveling, and Caleb's first stomach bug have kept me away from blogging. I have, however, managed to (mostly) stick to my training schedule, switching some team practices for training on my own. Good thing, as now we are only five weeks away from race day! Holy Smokes! Even though I've done full distances of each leg of the race now (5 miles of running, if you want to get technical), it's still hard for me to imagine doing all three right in a row. We have two long brick workouts coming up, so those should help me feel more prepared.
One thing we are focused on in training at this point is getting our nutrition/hydration routine down. My bike frame is so small that I can only really fit one water bottle on it, so I'm going to wear my camelback for the race. I've been wearing it on most of my bike rides, so I'm used to riding with it now. I'm going to drink something called nuun, which is like Gatorade. It's a tablet that I drop into a liter of water. I've tried the lemon-lime flavor, and it's pretty good. I bought a little mesh carrier (some brands are called a Bento Box) which attaches to the top tube of my bike. I put my energy bars and kleenex in there. I've gotten the hang of eating while biking, but blowing my nose is still a challenge. I can't do the "farmer blow" that more coordinated folks do. I'm working on using the kleenex without having it blow away when I open the carrier. You can get disqualified for littering in the race, and it's, y'know, not good to do.
I'm also trying to find a gel that doesn't taste disgusting. I tried gu, and it was vile. Next thing to try is clif brand gel. I have problems with getting hungry/bonking during exercise, so staying fueled is important. We had a special clinic on nutirition earlier in the season, so if I wanted to really be conscientious I would figure out how much of each food group i need to consume, etc. I think finding some good, fueling snack foods and practicing eating them is good enough for this length of race, though.
We just got back from a family trip to San Diego. I was on my own for the 6:30AM spinning class at the resort's gym, but I did have family company for the other activities. My Dad and I went swimming in a lovely outdoor lap pool at a community center near our hotel. Wiley and my sister-in-law, Rachel and I went for my longest run yet (5 miles) on the beach by our hotel. The hotel is flanked on either side by Naval Stations, so we ran from one military fence to the other and back again. Some Navy Seals were running at the same time, so we got to feel pretty jocky. It was windy in stretches, which was good practice. The sand was very packed down, moreso than the 1/2 mile of beach I'll be running on at lavaman (I think). Thanks to my Mom doing "nap duty," Wiley and I could both go off and exercise (or, ahem, have a cold drink by the pool!)
This morning Caleb and I went to a birthday party for his friend Claire, who lives across the street. A couple of my neighbors asked if I'd lost weight during my training. I haven't, but I look thinner because I'm more toned than usual. When I did the Danskin Sprint triathlon two years agol I actually gained weight during my training, so I'm glad just to have maintained my weight this time. I'm trying to avoid junk food from now until after the race, just because I want to feel as good as I can going into this last stretch of training. I'm doing okay except for a cookie habit, which wasn't helped by the delivery of girl scout cookies yesterday. (Who can resist girl scout cookies, or the cute neighbor girls who sell them? Not I!)
I feel good and I'm still really glad to be doing this. However, I am getting a bit weary of the huge time commitment that this is. I'm grateful for the fact that there are only a few more weeks of evening and Saturday practices. Now would be a good time to remember the larger reason for doing this, and to be thankful for all of the support I've had. It's astounding that I've raised over $10,000 already! People are impressed that I'm doing this, but it's YOU, my family and friends, that are making it all possible with your emotional and financial support. You have no idea how much both of these have boosted me every day of my training! THANK YOU.
One thing we are focused on in training at this point is getting our nutrition/hydration routine down. My bike frame is so small that I can only really fit one water bottle on it, so I'm going to wear my camelback for the race. I've been wearing it on most of my bike rides, so I'm used to riding with it now. I'm going to drink something called nuun, which is like Gatorade. It's a tablet that I drop into a liter of water. I've tried the lemon-lime flavor, and it's pretty good. I bought a little mesh carrier (some brands are called a Bento Box) which attaches to the top tube of my bike. I put my energy bars and kleenex in there. I've gotten the hang of eating while biking, but blowing my nose is still a challenge. I can't do the "farmer blow" that more coordinated folks do. I'm working on using the kleenex without having it blow away when I open the carrier. You can get disqualified for littering in the race, and it's, y'know, not good to do.
I'm also trying to find a gel that doesn't taste disgusting. I tried gu, and it was vile. Next thing to try is clif brand gel. I have problems with getting hungry/bonking during exercise, so staying fueled is important. We had a special clinic on nutirition earlier in the season, so if I wanted to really be conscientious I would figure out how much of each food group i need to consume, etc. I think finding some good, fueling snack foods and practicing eating them is good enough for this length of race, though.
We just got back from a family trip to San Diego. I was on my own for the 6:30AM spinning class at the resort's gym, but I did have family company for the other activities. My Dad and I went swimming in a lovely outdoor lap pool at a community center near our hotel. Wiley and my sister-in-law, Rachel and I went for my longest run yet (5 miles) on the beach by our hotel. The hotel is flanked on either side by Naval Stations, so we ran from one military fence to the other and back again. Some Navy Seals were running at the same time, so we got to feel pretty jocky. It was windy in stretches, which was good practice. The sand was very packed down, moreso than the 1/2 mile of beach I'll be running on at lavaman (I think). Thanks to my Mom doing "nap duty," Wiley and I could both go off and exercise (or, ahem, have a cold drink by the pool!)
This morning Caleb and I went to a birthday party for his friend Claire, who lives across the street. A couple of my neighbors asked if I'd lost weight during my training. I haven't, but I look thinner because I'm more toned than usual. When I did the Danskin Sprint triathlon two years agol I actually gained weight during my training, so I'm glad just to have maintained my weight this time. I'm trying to avoid junk food from now until after the race, just because I want to feel as good as I can going into this last stretch of training. I'm doing okay except for a cookie habit, which wasn't helped by the delivery of girl scout cookies yesterday. (Who can resist girl scout cookies, or the cute neighbor girls who sell them? Not I!)
I feel good and I'm still really glad to be doing this. However, I am getting a bit weary of the huge time commitment that this is. I'm grateful for the fact that there are only a few more weeks of evening and Saturday practices. Now would be a good time to remember the larger reason for doing this, and to be thankful for all of the support I've had. It's astounding that I've raised over $10,000 already! People are impressed that I'm doing this, but it's YOU, my family and friends, that are making it all possible with your emotional and financial support. You have no idea how much both of these have boosted me every day of my training! THANK YOU.
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