Julie Dunkle Ironman

The Party's Over...

2012-02-13T20:46:00.000-08:00

Okay so you were not invited you say....that's right-it was a pity party for 1. Yes, I spent Fri-Sunday having a gigantic party for myself. I was in a lot of pain both physically and mentally - orders were to stay off my leg and keep it elevated..that pretty much means laying in bed. UGH...

So I hobbled out in the AM with the dogs and thankfully timed it well with other dogs and since Mako will chase a ball for a good hour, I was able to wear him out. The kids were great with afternoon dog duty....

I went through all the emotions and finally woke up today realizing in the big scheme of things it is not that big of a deal...my family is healthy, both my parents are living and in good health, I have so many great friends and my life is pretty sweet! this is a hurdle and like others in the past....I will get over it and move on!!

So onward and upward! As long as the Orthopedic Surgeon agrees that no surgery is needed....we are on the up and up! Appt is tomorrow AM- wish me luck!

Update.....change in plans

2012-02-10T18:35:00.000-08:00

So amazing how Wednesday afternoon I was tired from a decent ride, run and swim and prepping for a mega training weekend...carefully eating the right recovery food, making sure I had enough protein, fluids etc..... planning my fueling for a big weekend of training.   And now....I am eating carrots and honey mustard and drinking chardonnay.   Now that is a meal of champions..... or a meal of an injured, frustrated, depressed athlete.....

So yes I am having a pity party..... I took a solid 6 weeks off in Oct/Nov and got out of shape and fat
(okay it's relative but gained 8 lbs) and then worked my way back.... patiently gaining fitness, battled some illness but was feeling awesome! And with 8 weeks to go to Oceanside I was patient, able to have real recovery weeks and then lay out a 20hour week. No injuries or niggling issues....I was so ready do well come March 31! And then in a blink of an eye or a slip of a few stairs...it is all gone!

I have searing pain and boot that is really uncomfortable....cannot swim.bike.run or do anything right now as the fracture is unstable.   And it hurts....throbbing most of the day- unless it is elevated and I am sitting still, which I am not good at. I have my moments of calm and then my moments of rage....

I see an Ortho Surgeon on Tuesday who will decide if surgery is a good idea.... at this point I am open to anything that will heal me faster, not that that is the answer.   So now I have time..... lots of it!   Hanging with my kids, as long as they are home- which they are not, trying to be productive but not all that successful right now.   The good news is that in one week we are headed to Australia for 8 days....while my plan in AU was to water ski and run every day, at least I will be out of this environment.   Hanging with my brother and family will be a great distraction.

In the meantime I am researching trainers as I do not own one. Riding on the road will not be for a while....but a trainer will allow me to get back on the bike sooner than later. 6-8 weeks is an eternity....

So I will take this one day at a time..... try and be positive!

Why I was a swimmer....

2012-02-09T18:40:00.000-08:00

Sometimes people ask why swimming? How did you end up a swimmer? Part fish? .....no not really, I think it was by default and really because I am so uncoordinated and accident prone. For those who know me, I have the most random accidents that end in some kind of peril. Swimming was safe....well for the most part -other than the time I fractured my heel doing a flip turn- yes really in the middle of the 1650 I got too close and slammed my feet on the gutter. Being a distance swimmer I never kicked much, but ouch, that really hurt.... I finished the race, don't recall my time, dragged myself out and had a hard time walking to the warm down pool... Next morning my foot was blue and well I ended up in cast. Other than that....the water is pretty cushy.

Well I no longer am a fish nor relish spending my life in the water.   So I do a lot on land and subsequently have issues...... there was dropped weight and broken toes in October. the random plate breaking and 7 stitches in 2010, the broken fingers playing ball with Zen...and the list goes on.

Usually I have been fortunate enough to do such random acts in the off season....that is until yesterday. I was exhausted and took a quick nap. On the way downstairs , with an arm full of sheets, the dogs rushed me and pushed ahead, who knew we were racing to the bottom, caught the sheets and when I stepped down and slid down the last 4 stairs...rolled my ankle, heard that special pop, and was crumpled on the landing.   Heart racing I got up and was panicked....but it felt okay, I tentatively stepped on it and I was optimistic. It started to swell almost immediately...but I was still feeling optimistic.   I iced and elevated and went to the park with the dogs. The longer I stood the more it throbbed....

By the time I went to bed it was painful and had a really rough night- anytime I moved it hurt - tried to elevate it but hard to sleep..... The panic really set in around 2am...when I could not really walk the the bathroom- there goes the Palm Springs Century on Saturday, the 1/2 Marathon on Sunday and the fun weekend with the Nytro girls....the longer I stayed awake the more I worried.... finally got up and was googling sprains...4-6 weeks- then the tears came- there goes Oceanside.... Crap!

Too soon to panic you say....ha not really.   Nothing like getting a call from the Dr at 5:00 telling me I have a oblique fracture of the fibula....I was speechless- seriously- come one.....so the rolled ankle seemed okay and now I am waiting on the orthopedic for the next step....boot for sure, review of the xray and hopefully the fracture is set.

Looks like a big swim block (with a pull buoy) is in my future....

More to life tthan Ironman

2012-02-01T12:48:00.000-08:00

JD and I hit the road on Wednesday and headed to Denver.... well Colorado Springs but we flew to Denver, rented out ridiculously large Ford F-150 (due to the pending storm) and made our way to Cheyenne Mountain Resort- I was mixing college tours with some work tours so we scouted out a few hotels. Arriving into a new city in the dark is always strange, as you have no idea of your surroundings. I was up early and out for a sensational run in foothills- it was chilly but nice. Altitude did not bother me until I started going up so I avoided going up! We were right next to the entrance to NORAD, a bit of a cold war entity, I think...but a highlight of Cheyenne Mountain nevertheless.

Run done, tour of the hotel done, work done and off to UCCS. JD liked the school....the town of CO Springs is nothing to write home about- urban sprawl without a real downtown area and the school is just up the road and has no curb appeal- 1969 architecture is just plain ugly....but the kids were great, the business school was very informative, caring and gave him a lot of good information. He left thinking it was a definite possibility, especially the year at the Frankfurt School of Finance!

We did a quick tour of The Garden of the Gods

Amazing natural beauty....amazing geologic features. Wild to see the red rock amidst the mountains and the trees....it looks so desert like but then you have Pikes Peak in the backdrop...really an amazing sight.

From there we checked into the Broadmoor....CO Springs 5 Diamond Historical Hotel..opened in 1918 and I always picture it lush and green...not so much in January- try frozen lake and brown- but the hotel is stunning, in an old world way.   I have booked a few groups there so it was great to see it finally. The service was exceptional and the hotel is well old....Personally I like new and crisp- the florals and poster beds are bit over the top for me and JD agreed. Nevertheless we had a sensational meal and watched a terrible movie for $17- oh well...

My Friday run was a bit different...snowing outside and I am wearing long sleeve shirt, gloves, silly hat and shorts. The cool thing about CO is that despite the 26 degrees and snow there were a lot of runners...although I was the only one in shorts. After 4 miles I gave up and finished on the treadmill. Serious Southern CA wimp.

Workout done, site inspection done and we are on the road to Greeley. I have zero hope or expectations for Univ of Northern Co. When mentioning it to most Colorado peeps I got the snicker, cow town etc....but we wanted to see for ourselves. While the drive into Greeley was miserable and the town was not much to shout about the campus is great.....Built in 1899 the architecture is wonderful, lots of open spaces and the kids were great.  Monfort Business School really has their act together and despite JD getting stuck in an elevator in a dorm for 1 hour he loved the school....

So 2 for 2! Lots of questions to be answered but I am 99% sure he will end up in Co.

Onto Boulder and then Breckenridge with my sis and family..... we got up to Breck late...had a nice family night and were up early to ski. I woke up with that feeling of dread - sinus pain, headache, stuffy head....really, really? I was hoping it was lack of sleep or whatever....after a few hours of freezing cold skiing- icy wind and crappy snow I called it a day and went to urgent care. Only to find my sinus infection had resettled.... another Z Pack- afternoon of sleep and bailed on skiing Sunday. I was in bed by 8 and determined to get well-

I have lost nearly 2 weeks of good training and I was not coming home to take more time off....Good news is I am feeling better each day and am on day 3 of a big week!

My new masters program is seriously kicking my arse every Mon/Wed/Fri. I share a lane with 2 swimmer types who can just kill it...their easy is so easy it drives me nuts but when the main set hits - they are a solid 8-10 seconds faster per 100. I finish each workout trashed...

Workouts are 5:30, 6:30 or 10am and I am loving the 10am - I can get my run done early with Mako and get a few hours of work done and then head to the pool- the pool is only 6 lanes, no gutters but the workouts are all freestyle and all a minimum of 4000 yards!

On we go.... big week, long ride this weekend and then another monster week culminating in Palm Springs with the PS Century on Saturday the PS 1/2 Mary on Sunday!! yee haw

Ah ha!!!

2012-01-25T09:10:00.000-08:00

Forced rest, drugs, homeopathy....working a bit but not totally. Had to bail out of the Carlsbad 1/2 as I was just not feeling well Saturday night. After a long nap was still worn down... Monday I took R to the Dr as she has been sick for over a week and her Dr is asking her does she have a headache in the center of her forehead (I'm thinking I do and have had one for weeks now ), do her ears feel full? hard to hear? ( I have been telling my family I am going deaf), when she pressed on her sinus's was it tender ( I can hardly wear swim goggles it is so tender)....she does an exam and tells us R has a sinus infection and the light bulb went off....Off to urgent care I go and gee I have lots of fluid in my ear, inflamed and infected sinuses.... whamo! Z Pack Antibiotics and I am on the mend.... never occurred to me. But I am so thankful to really and truly be getting better not just mind over matter convincing myself I am feeling better (which actually works pretty well for about 1/2 the day)

So with that...yet another recovery week that is building back into serious training the next 2 weeks but before that JD and I are headed to CO Springs tonight to do some college tours...few nights there and then off to Greeley followed by a weekend of cross training in Breckenridge with my sis and family. Lots of new snow!!

So I will be running at altitude.... skiing and then back Monday to hit it hard training!

Forced rest.....not a fan of that!

2012-01-21T08:31:00.000-08:00

So I really thought I was managing fatigue and my health pretty darn well.... ie: taking a day off here and there to feel strong the next few days. I have been fighting a cold since Jan 1 and it has been at bay but there...waking up with a sore throat or stuffy nose - just not 100%. I nailed some solid training though it and thought it was finally gone...Monday AM woke up with an elephant on my chest..ok not really but that is what it felt like. But since I have been waking up not feeling great I got up and took the pups out for an early walk and headed to the pool to coach my Monday AM weekly lesson. The coffee was not helping, the energy from the lesson did not help....but nevertheless I hopped in the pool and started swimming. 1000 yards later I was out and in the shower...this was something more. Dang it.....

Headed home and crawled in bed...lots of sleep and many homeopathic remedies

Overkill.... maybe not sure.... Tuesday day off! Wednesday woke up ready to roll...80% and make the ~~stupid~~ decision to ride not only GWL but add on to Descanso...ride was meant to be controlled and let's just say the numbers look really controlled ~~meanwhile I felt like I was mashing 300+ watts...~~ Hmmmm perceived effort high... numbers low- not a good sign. Guess what...woke up Thursday feeling not worse but not better so hit the pool for a 4000 session with a 1000 yard TT that ~~sucked~~ was not stellar and was quite challenging, Looking at my time- really hoped I did an extra 50 but know I did not. Friday off....Saturday raining and cold and am feeling good but am not making the stupid mistake of hitting it hard today- snuck in a short ez run with the dogs and going to swim easy and sit in the sauna!!

Carlsbad 1/2 is tomorrow..... survey says skip it. But I am not....I am going to run it easy and have fun....Made plans to go with K so will follow through and just have a nice catered training run.

By the way if you have not seen MoneyBall....rent it!! Read the book and loved it - but Brad Pitt did a stellar job playing Billy Bean.

Big breakthrough with one of my athletes this week....her swimming is coming along so well and we did a few 100's and asked her to guess her 1st one based on her effort...guess was 12 seconds slower than the time! Now that is progress...followed by another who emailed me that not only did she move up to a faster lane but she lead the lane!! Sweet..... exciting for all of us

Training and family and rest.....

2012-01-18T06:53:00.000-08:00

My running continued on for another week pretty well.....I was doing the miles but the runs were getting slower and the aches were flaring up- Around Thursday of last week, I had the gut feeling again, poster tibialis was not happy and my calves were like spasming rocks... Got some torture ART and skipped a day of running- as much as I want to complete the block- one day off allowed me 3 more solid runs.   I slapped my Garmin on Sunday for my longest run and well it was utterly depressing... cadence was 86 vs 90- yes 4 steps a minute is ALOT and my pace, well we are not even going there. Yes I was tired, yes I woke up Monday sick ...blah blah blah - bottom line it was slow, so slow I started hoping there was a satellite failure someplace...

So on we go to Carlsbad 1/2 this weekend- before Sunday I was optimistic I would have a decent run. Not a PR or even close, but a decent benchmark for the the next 9 weeks as I head into Oceanside. And now I am fearful of a slower run flat out that I run off the bike.... we shall see! I am happy to have company, Kristen and I shall start together...while she is a speedier runner - she plans to start slower and ease into it...my plan try to hang with her- could be awesome or could be really painful.

Along with all the running I ramped up the swimming. 3 swims - all 4000k minimum and I dragged my sorry self to Masters. New program in Scripps Ranch and I love it. Small pool that is wavy but hey it simulates open water right? 10:00 masters which is perfect! I can get up and do my run or bike early, work for a few hours and then swim- there are 2 girls that are presently kicking by arse. They randomly go on the 1:15 which is way out of my zip code right now so I slap on paddles and go for it.   By Friday I was just plain sore....my lats and tri's are worked.   The test set this week of 10x100 on 1:20 did not go so well..... but it is benchmarking.

Come Thursday my brother and family arrived from Australia via Aspen for a long weekend of fun..... short visit but we will be there in a month so it was a good warm up. We made the most of it.

Teenagers at the park

Dinner with my bro and mom

Billy turns 76!

Decorating the cake

perfect 3 boys...they wore each other out all weekend

Uncle Scott and R

Jax at Chucke Cheese...

the girls

Taz the monkey

Difference of one day.....and one hour

2012-01-08T19:55:00.000-08:00

Really? How, what.....

I came off a big bike block last week and rolled into a recovery day with swimming and then a run block started. After a few days I was tired and that little voice was telling me, "ease up".... I was driving home from my run and was thinking a day off maybe a good idea.....chatted with coach and we agreed. So instead of a 1 hour run Friday I slept in and had a productive day.

Saturday was my longest ride since Kona- 5:30 with some serious climbing and I felt great... I had that extra gear toward the end of the long climbs and was able to dig when I wanted too! Good choice...really just one day allowed my to have a higher quality ride.

1 hour...so after the climbing was done on our ride, we had another 20 miles with a few moderate climbs and I decided that the rest of the ride was easy.... as in 25 watts lower than IM watts..... I was thinking forward to my long run today.

And....my legs felt good today..knocked out a 1:35 trail run and felt good and strong.... It has taken me a few years but I am getting it.... a day here, an hour there OFF, will actually make me stronger!

BENCHMARKING

2012-01-05T13:24:00.001-08:00

Do you benchmark your swimming? If you ride with power you know how fit you are. Running is easy, especially with a Garmin, even without you can run on a track and know your pace. Early season if we test ourselves are PE (perceived effort is generally high and power low on the bike and pace a bit off on the run) But that is ok, that means we took an off season.

What about swimming....maybe you were leading the 1:30 lane in October and now you are drafting off the back- surely you watch the clock and can tell if the 100's are faster or slower. Some Masters workouts do "test" sets- all out efforts on more rest to "test" your fitness. But many do not and many of us swim on our own.

S0, I challenge you to 2 benchmarking sets,

1: 1000 yards or meters for time. Get in a long warm-up, 1000 yards +- and then do it nonstop and finish tired. If you blow the pace and die, hang in there and finish. Best to wear a watch and hit start and go. Record the time, how you felt, maybe what you did the previous day etc. Commit to 1x week- look for gradual improvement, assuming you are swimming regularly. Don't be discouraged if you dip at times- if you swim on a Monday following a 100+ mile ride and a long run, you may be tired.

I plan mine tomorrow and considering I have been in the pool 7 times since 10/8 I know it will not be fast, pretty or fun. But it is a start.....

As for the other test set....stay tuned!

Hello Bike

2012-01-04T12:52:00.000-08:00

18 days and 40 hours in the saddle....Game On! Coach and I planned a bike block late December and while it started accidentally, as in "hey wanna ride tomorrow?" , ok and then another day and another day.... after day 3, coach says, bike block ON. So he laid out a lot of riding and laid out the guidelines...if in doubt go easier than harder. And for all the rides, but 2, I kept the power low and the fun factor high. With so many friends off work it was great to ride every day with my pals. We rode locally and we headed East. No Epic rides...longest was 4:30 and most 3 hours ish. As the days went on I felt better.... Somewhere early in the block I finally felt great and let it go a bit.... Liz asked Julia, "what the hell is she doing?" Some days you just go with it...

But after that it was controlled. Some days were painfully slow and painful to ride- When NP (normalized power) is well below Ironman Watts and the ride feels hard, that is not good. But I rallied!

Last week we stepped up the running quite a bit and I was thrilled to take that on and still be able to ride. Monday was the culmination...GWL + Descanso - no rules. We had a big group it was awesome....we hit it hard- Beth killed it up the bee keeper and I could not hang on. Yes same Beth who used to ride in another zip code was dropping us all. GO BETH

Andy lost his virginity on GWL, Cathleen jump started her training and we all kicked of 2012 in one of our favorite spots! Beth commented Amy was way too close to the front for her 2nd time out.... I was unsure of how I would feel come Monday with all the riding and 2 longer runs + a few 1 hour runs...I showed up ready to roll and it was great. Psychologically my legs knew, one more day and then we recover and they came ready to ride! Was not my best ride ever out there...but felt darn good.

Beth asked what our fastest time the the Beekeeper was...I cannot recall but am thinking 1:23/24- a solid day is sub 1:30, chatty ride 1:35 and powerderpuff (coined by Jen_) is anything over 1:40. She then lays down the 2012 goal of sub 1:20 to the Beekeeper.... I take the challenge...but want to know who will pull us up Skyline truck trail once we blow to bits......

That's What I'm Talking About.....

2011-12-29T17:57:00.000-08:00

It's a Wednesday, In December, Nearly 80 degrees and I am riding my bike with the girls..... Oh and did I tell you it was Amy's birthday!

So we did the best ride ever....Great Western Loop! It was Amy's first time- really, how can that be! But it was....we rolled out at 9 and it was already warm...no vest, no socks, just arm warmers!

And we rode clockwise and let the climbing begin....it was all chatter and enjoying the magnificent weather! Just for fun, we added on 12 miles and went to Descanso and with the warm weather we actually needed more fluids.

We like Skyline Truck Trail for the descents but due to a fire we were forced to ride by Lyons Valley- really beautiful but I am convince more climbing. As I was apologizing for more hills to Julia, she smiled and said, better to climb than ride through flames....see it's all about perspective.

Post ride.... Trader Joes Brownie mix made with Pumpkin instead of oil and added some 70% cocoa chips.... delicious (if I do say so) Birthday Brownies! See Amy loves them too.....

Sensational day.... good ride, great weather, best company and treats at the end! And I had a free Starbucks coupon- oh yea - iced skinny peppermint mocha with an extra shot! Life.....IS GRAND!

And the riding continues.... more riding tomorrow, Saturday and back in East County to kick of the New Year! Lots of base miles.... nothing hard, nothing crazy, just logging time in the saddle with great friends (who are all off work)

Upgrade or downgrade.....

2011-12-28T19:00:00.000-08:00

Going from a 1999 Infiniti QX4 with 150,000 miles to a 2007 Audi A3 6 speed performance car was definitely an upgrade.....

Old crappy car

new (to me) really fast, fun car...summer 2009!~

Love the car, love the car..... but well in October.....enter Mako

(cutest pup ever)

What does new dog have to do with car......well the Audi is not meant for dogs in the back- bucket leather seats and Zen cannot even hang his head out the window. Zen lives for car rides....and used to hop in all the time with me- for the last 18 months maybe 1 or 2 times he comes and slides around the car, not loving it- So you are saying - its a dog! But I love my dog(s) and I want them in the car, going to the beach etc....and the Audi is tough- add 2 kids and forget it- the hatchback is not right for the dogs.....

So bye, bye Audi (sniff) Oh and the amazing 6 speed fast car- is not exactly fuel efficient. So I drove and drove and drove suitable options....1- JD goes to college next year so we are looking to decrease expenses not increase- so I stayed away from the high $$ options- Lets face it -
- I want a car the dogs can be in and out of and I really don't care
- car cannot be total dog as in 0-60 in 30 minutes
- needs some basic amenities- blue tooth, power stuff, iPod adapter- yes all this can be done aftermarket but it is REALLY expensive (trust me I know and usually it sucks)

So....drum roll please........ my new ride! (4000 miles old that is)

with the idropboys plates and an mDot sticker- she will be ready to roll!

Holidays, training and life

2011-12-26T19:11:00.000-08:00

I have fallen off the blogging wagon..when that happens I cannot get back on. So much is happening that I don't know where to start....

Training- back at it and it feels good.... still consuming the cookies and eggnog- BUT am logging a lot of miles on the bike and some on the run to the lbs are no longer compiling on my body.

Yes these are my Granny's sugar cookies and I LOVE them....really the only cookie I will indulge on, Well the molasses cookies were good this year- confession, I took a zip lock bag of them on my last ride. Hey carbs, sugar and fat - all good right!!!

Last week was about logging base miles on the bike, Christmas Shopping (online), baking cookies with kids, going to dog beach and NOT working.

Lucky for me JD was working each day and Riley slept in, so I could ride my bike and still get all the pre- Christmas fun in. I rode with John one day, with Beth (now a pro-triathlete), James ( kick our ass) and Noko one day.... let's just say Beth no longer needs to hang on my wheel....she was waiting for us on every climb! Impressive! Another ride with Jen, while Riley babysat Anika and then a few days of trail running and an awesome Christmas Eve ride with friends. Good week.....logged some good miles and none of them were crazy hard to the volume was able to creep up with out me being smashed. Since I am not running with a Garmin and all is in hilly trails.... no stellar stats there. By Christmas I was tired but not dead! Perfect week and time for 2 days of eating and drinking

Christmas Eve at Mom's with Champagne and Crab....

Belgian Waffles Christmas Day!

Followed by presents and fun....

Oops wrong partner

and then a great trail run with the dogs and then Christmas Dinner! If you saw Julie and Julia or you own Julia Child's cookbook you know of the infamous Beef Bourguignon - a mater piece and a labor of love...well Kathi took on the recipe for Christmas dinner and it was truly one of the best tasting entree ever- wonderful food, wonderful family and friends....really so very thankful!

Dad wants these with prescription

Another trip to Vegas......

2011-12-14T19:45:00.000-08:00

I much prefer my Vegas trips to include swim.bike.run, whether it be training with the girls or a race. The past 4 days was all about work.... Yes we had some fun, but meetings from 9-6 and then evening events until 10-11 or later is way out of my comfort zone.... 1st I had to figure out 6 outfits that do not include spandex or running gear- yes 6- 3 days and 3 nights.... I had 6 pairs of shoes- really? 1- zoot running shoes 2- Merrill comfy shoes 3- 3 pairs of boots (1 brown and 2 black -1 flat and 1 heels and 6- dress shoes. I could have done the bring 2 pairs and wear them with everything but I work at home, travel little for work and rarely dress in real clothes- so since I was recently shopping with Riley and have new clothes, shoes etc- why not schlep them to Vegas and wear them all.

Yes I had to check my bag for a 4 trip...yes I brought a lot, but I wore everything and the only thing I wore twice were my running shorts that I washed out. So I was dressed well for each evening event and snappy for the daytime meetings. My feet, however, are KILLING me. New boots x 2 and heels + standing on my feet for 8+ hours a day are as damaging to feet as Ironman.   I still have 4 black toenails- 2 from Kona and 2 from the fateful weight dropping on my foot.   In any case, I survived....

I am totally wiped out. I ran every day for an hour!! Bonus.....was in bed by 11 and one night up until 12:00. Now that is late, really late for me, but for this group, I was a total wimp. There were many up until 3 or 4am and even 2 today who never went to sleep.....seriously- cannot fathom not sleeping unless it was some kind of 24 hour race.   I took heat for " ducking out" when really 11pm is really, really late for me- see I prefer to be in bed by 9, okay 8:00 if I can swing it. So when the reception starts at 7:30 I know I am in trouble....

But it was all good- mostly because it is December and it is the off season- so a few drinks and too much food is pretty much par for the course...but I tell you - 1 week and all this craziness is ending.   Yup,....7lbs folks- that is the current weight gain since Kona and my jeans are no longer comfortable. I knew it was a few lbs...but 7 is close to 10 and that is the limit.   I could even by at 10 after 3 days in Vegas...but I am NOT going to find out.    What I am going to do is keep running, ride more and get back in the pool. Drastic food cut back is not necessary, yet, I am going to increase training first.

And Mako......yes he too is gaining weight every day- but he is growing too! Seems he grew inches in a few days..... all is good!!   7:45 and I am off to bed and out to ride GWL tomorrow.

Fitness where are you?

2011-12-09T12:15:00.001-08:00

Off season is good, let your body fully recover, lose fitness to get stronger, gain a bit of weight..... ok I have done all that and it is just not FUN!   It's great to read about all the successful athletes who do it and come back stronger...but when you are the one who has gained 5lbs (maybe more - no longer checking), power is down, legs are sore from a 3hour ride, running cadence is somewhere around 80 and pace is slow....it's not fun. Maybe mid January when my bike shorts fit and I am nailing my power numbers I will be on my soap box preaching about the importance of a solid break at the end of the season or maybe when I PR at O'side at the ripe ol age of 45 I can profess the value of losing fitness and gaining weight only to get stronger....but for now- I am not feeling it!

The good news is.....most of my friends are in the same boat - not necessarily the "i need bigger bike shorts" but in the same fitness situation. As we suffered our way around GWL on Wednesday Noko was complaining as much as I- although she is doing things like temp runs and intervals and I am trying to run about the neighborhood.

My schedule from coach as been "do as you like" ...my choice because if I saw a scheduled with X swims, bikes, runs...I'm pretty sure I would not do it- just because.   Although I uploaded my last 4 workouts to TP and then emailed coach with my plans for the next few days (all the while winging about my sore legs and that I need some ART on my IT Bands) and he let me know....time to ease up!   Honestly I knew that was the case.....others wise I would have suffered on riding and running hard and forcing fitness too soon.   2 day off.... and still walking up the stairs winds me.  It would be a great time to swim, yes swim....but the f'ing pool heater is broken and then temp is 72 and the air temp is 40 so that is not going to happen....yippee another excuse NOT to swim. And yes that is only pool in all of San Diego!

Going to ride tomorrow with the girls....as that is part of my fun- I don't have a social life so gossip and chatting on the bike is critical to my sanity. Luckily most of the group is not killing it right now and if they are well- wait for me sister I will be coming along shortly.

And Sunday I am off to Vegas..... company meeting and with a company like mine that means late nights and all day meetings - little time for fitness. Recovery I guess....

GU Peanut Butter.....

2011-12-02T13:15:00.001-08:00

Peanut Butter ranks as one of my all time favorites....I love spoonfuls of crunchy all natural peanut butter right out of the jar! I love soft peanut butter cookies. PB cliff bars, powerbars, balance bars you name it....and now GU comes out with PB GU. Rachel had a pack on Wed and I was uber jealous as she enjoyed it at the top of our biggest climb....I was determined to score a taste. I was able to score a packet and it was every bit as good as I hoped..... This is the best GU has done! I am already thinking of a gel flask and mixing PB and Chocolate!!

Picky Vizsla....

2011-11-27T07:40:00.001-08:00

We have been lab people for 10 + years and labs eat everything and anything all the time...Food hounds- constantly seeing out food, turning couch upside down for a crumb that dropped off a cookies, finishing dishes of any food left about, counter surfing (okay maybe that is bad training), raiding neighbors cat food in garage (back to the training issue), inhaling 2 cups of food in 10 seconds...okay you get the message here. I can tiptoe into the kitchen and stealthily open the cupboard but if a minute squeak erupts Zen will come thundering from upstairs seeking a handout. I can open the almond butter jar without a noise (that I hear) and he emerges for anyplace in the house.

That is Zen and was Rocky and how most labs roll. Enter Mako....the finicky ( I dislike that work but it fits) Vizsla... $40 bag organic, no grain, duck and sweet potato puppy food- place a dish in front of him and he sniffs and promptly lays down. I know for all of you who are going say #1 he is a dog he will get over it #2 if he is hungry enough he will eat it and to both of those points yes you are correct. But he is our adoring puppy with his ribs poking out and as a good mama I want him to eat. He prefers hot dogs (yes really- we have not bought hot dogs really ever - but his trainer suggested them and he LOVES them), cheese (any kind but Tillamuck seems to be his favorite), cooked chicken and yams and pumpkin pie. Our dog trainer uses food and it hard to reward a dog when you give him the liver treat and he turns his nose away. So we resort to hot dogs, peanut butter and we have more dog treats... refused liver treats, forget milk bones or any similar treat, nixed Charlie bears...but what he loves- dried duck, chicken wrapped sweet potatoes, salmon chummie yummies (which are worse smelling than the Bully sticks) ... I love the fact he is not a food hound but the discerning taste is expensive and frustrating... when he is whining and hungry. You say let him whine....okay it is 6:30 am and I am up with the dogs, John is trying to sleep after a late night. I put Makos food down and he sniffs and runs full tilt up the stairs to John ( I can hear him complaining about the food I presented him with) I run up with a duck treat in hand to coaxhim back down....really who is the boss here? I put his food back down and he is pondering the idea of lowering himself to eat dog kibble and Zen walks by and with one inhale cleans the dish- Mako is now jumping up and down throwing a fit as if Zen took his raw steak.

He seems to prefer to work for his food...doing tricks and the like. So I can usually fill his belly with assorted morsels with lots of sitting, down, touch, and other training exercises, but not today. He protested on the walk, cut it short....as in bolted towards home signaling he was not eager to keep playing at the park. However upon returning home he goes crazy ruining and jumping and eager to play- go figure....I planned to work on training and after 3 or 4 he walked away - signaling not interested..... Vizsla's maybe eager to please....but they have a mind of their own and can be stubborn as well. Love the pup for his individuality!!

IMAZ, Puppies, Toes, ImmuCell, food.....

2011-11-22T12:30:00.001-08:00

Girls night at the Ritz Carlton Laguna....reception, room service and a movie in bed1

Blogging is like training if you do it all the time it is much easier.... when you wait too long it gets hard! Why? you cannot blog it all and then I find myself pondering what I should write vs what I feel like writing. Plus is is really fun to blog on about massive training...the rest can be boring, although training blogs are boring to many...so I am going with random thoughts here.

I ~~forced~~ begged Riley to sit on his lap

I had zero interest, not an inkling or flash of envy of those racing Ironman Arizona..that is until Sunday mid day as I was following so many good friends who were absolutely crushing it out there. Then of course I wished I was really fit, racing and crushing it....in turn I am NOT fit, swam 45 minutes, drank a Peppermint Mocha and ate a Gingerbread cookie the size of my face...and followed a long. So impressed with Mimi (AG record - after doing Vegas 70.3, Kona, ITU Long Distance) and then PR'd set a record and went 10:22! I am humbled..... I am envious of those who are set for Kona 2012, even if I am not sure I want to do Kona in 2012....

I rode 3 hours on Saturday with Christine and Kebby....2 girls that I have know, we have talked about riding together but never made it happy. Lucky for me...they too are not fit in the off season. We kept the ride social and chatty....things got quite as we hit Ramona and it was 45 degrees and raining. In season I suck it up and tell myself that I am building strength, what if it rains on race day etc.....now when I am riding for fun- this is not so fun. But the good news was....after we descended Highland Valley it warmed up! The last climb towards Peet's was hard for all of us....I use to run up that hill about the same speed. I know, let it go, let it go......

On occasion I get contacted from random companies who ask me to blog about their product...... I generally say no unless I am going to try it and then I tell them I will do so and be honest. After my horrific post and picture of my mangled foot I received and email from NeoCell suggesting I try Collagen Type 2. I was a bit perplexed as it seems the product is mostly for joints....but after reading more it says it " Assists in the maintenance and rebuilding of cartilage bones, joints and surrounding tissue"... sold! They offered to send me some and suggested it will help speed up healing in my foot. The problem is I don't really know...but I can say- Dr said 5-6 weeks before I would feel like running. I am at 4 weeks and have been taking this for 2 weeks and I am able to run! Maybe I am a fast healer, maybe this is a miracle pill or maybe it is a bit of both.... I like what the marketing says and certainly the ingredients are ones recommended to me anyway- hyaluronic acid, glucosamine, and chondroitin. So I will keep taking it and see.... so far so good and company is great.

Time to start using my shoes again!

Yes I am running..... my toes are okay the rest of me feels like I have not run in months....really 4 weeks and I can hardly run 30 minutes AND I am sore. Ugh....taking a break is good, taking a break is good! I am soooo excited to be running that I am trying not to think about how horrible I feel.

Mako....have to have a puppy update! He is big..... triple his size, triple the energy and a whole ton of fun! John and I are back in bed together and Mako is sleeping upstairs now. He is time consuming and exhausting...but a welcome addition to the family.

Yes Zen has accepted his little brother.... happy dogs!

Food.....I was going to clean up my diet in November....but am thinking December. I fell off the gluen free wagon and have caved in big time...cookies, tortillas, carbs- and at the worst time when I am not burning them off. But well.....my jeans still fit...but they are indeed snug- so maybe post Thanksgiving I will clean up the diet before the Holidays really hit or maybe I will keep going and once my jeans don't button will deal with it then.

Thanksgiving,....Johns Birthday too! Hoping to ride GWL, go for a run and then enjoy the day with family....although Riley is not here- she is in Baltimore with a good friend from the Tole More1 Riley has a monster suitcase..... she heeded the cold weather warning- 49.5lbs....she can only buy 1/2 lb of goods while she is gone. Miss you R!

Puppies recover faster than humans....

2011-11-11T15:37:00.000-08:00

Mako woke up around 5am ready to rock and roll....leaping and bounding and his offering his whole body waggle. He seems to have forgotten the trauma of yesterday. I was so worried he someone blamed me but the morning greeting assured me he still loves me. The porker, now 11 lbs- that is a 6.5 lb weight gain in 3 weeks, was hungry. We are doing a lot of training with him so he gets a lot of his food that way- working for his food. Sarah, our dog trainer, believes a dog should never have a bowl to eat from- they need to earn their food- training, tricks etc- As for Zen he now has food puzzles- this is his favorite - he has to drag it around and the food comes out. We have to do this outside or the floor becomes a slobbery,slippery mess. Keeps him very entertained and working for his food!

Here is the other option - he rolls it around and the kibbles fall out. He particularly likes this one when he can get Mako to roll the ball and he eats the kibbles- I guess that is call "management."

Veterans Day.....holiday for the kids! And that means puppy care for me- yeah. After an invigorating early AM with the dogs I left a sleeping puppy and headed to pick up Liz and out to Great Western Loop we headed.

Wow... I have been riding some since Kona but not climbing much. I know it's the off season, we were riding and chatting not doing any intervals nor had power goals..but I did glance at the Garmin as we passed the Bee Keeper and gulp....really 1:44? Um usually we are around 1:30 when we are working pretty hard, 1:35 when a bit more chatty....1:44- the problem is not so much the time, but the PE.... did not feel like 1:44. Well the conversation was good...thank you Liz! And a bit of a relief in that my Garmin was not programmed to auto stop- so we had the porta pottie stop and all the traffic lights (~~that don't exist- but sounds good anyway)~~ No worries.... good reminder why NOT to have a computer.

It was a beautiful day....cool but not cold, started cloudy and cleared to sweeping views of the valley. With the rain last weekend the hills are greening up....truly my favorite time of year to ride!!! And if I am lucky I will get to do it again on Sunday!

Mama Bear....

2011-11-10T19:40:00.000-08:00

My baby was attacked today and it was horrific..... we headed out the park around 2:30 to have a little play time. Mako was loping along behind Zen and I was hoping for some more brotherly play. They did their usual checking out of the park and then I threw rope/ball and off they went....Zen ran right by and another dog swooped it up. Kona took of with the Kong and Mako was on his heels running and playing. He dropped the Kong and I threw it again and Kona again took off with Mako on his heels. Soon Kona lays down with the ball and Mako is stalking him and now the owner says " my dog is sometimes not good with puppies or small dogs" The low level panic starts in me and now Mako is in the Kona's face and I don't want to run and grab him for fear of sudden movements startling a dog.

Well before I knew it Kona had Mako pinned and was aggressively biting him....It was sheer horror, Mako was screaming and crying and Kona was tearing at him and snarling....Luckily his "owner" was able to get him off fast and I picked up a crying and trembling Mako. He was crying and shaking so hard and I just ran with him. We got home and he cried and hid under the couch. He was whimpering and hiding.... I finally put a blanket under the couch and he curled up on it.

A few minutes later he woke up yelping and off to the Vet we went. Luckily nothing broken, no stitches, a few punctures and a nasty cut on his head. We came home and he hid under the couch and slept....I laid on the floor with my hand out and he hardly sniffed...I began to think he was somehow associating me with the attack.

Eventually he went into a sound sleep ....John came home a few hours later and was able to get him to drink some water and soon he was creeping out and ravenous for chicken. We were able to get his meds in him and he went out and pottied....crashed out again and his precious head is swelling and bloody.

So sad.......I have never seen the dog in our park nor the owner...I did not get her information- the Vet said I should make her pay the bill. Right now I just want my happy waggy tailed puppy back....hopefully a good night sleep and he will have his swagger back. For now....he is hurting and his mama is too...

Gym Rat

2011-11-08T19:16:00.000-08:00

I have become a gym rat....sort of like returning to the scene of a crime or for me the accident. Get back on the bike after you fall off or in my case, pick up the weights and rack them on the race vs on my foot.

The other reason I am at the gym is I can do the Elliptical with broken toes...good fast cardio! So in sticking to my off season....I am swimming one day a week- max 45 minutes, not running (but only because my toes are broken) and riding 2x a week. But I need some cardio or I go nuts.....early AM works best as I have puppy care. Mako is up to 2 hours alone now- yeehaw!!! But see I have to work as well so I cannot use all that time for training.

Mako is up by 5:30 and now with the time change we can go out walking by 6....although I have to carry him this first 10 minutes because it is cold...and then he is good to go and we are up to 1.5 miles. He still has loads of energy and I drop him upstairs with the kids and head to the gym, So I get in cardio and then lift. Know I know why I don't lift a lot when I am training hard.....it makes me really, really sore....I keep thinking I did a monster workout and then realize it was the 3 sets of squats which make me as sore as a hard 80 mile ride. Whatever..... I am doing it!!!

The gym is not nearly as social as riding and running with my friends...but it it feels good! Tomorrow I meet coach at the gym to get a serious routine. Maybe I'll get ripped in the off season.

What else is new....Zen is finally playing with Mako! So fun....they rolled and played for nearly an hour and now.....both are passed out snoring! perfect!!

What else.....taking care of the rest of my life! dentist, doctor...all the things that are ignored when I am training hard. Working...yes doing a lot of that as well. Sleeping- not so much.....

On the bike again....

2011-11-06T07:15:00.000-08:00

Friday I decided to take off my race wheels from Kona, de-rust the chain, clean off the scum and get my TT bike ready to ride. I really wish I would have dumped a gallon of water on the bike....smelly!   I ended up getting it ready but when I rolled out Saturday I chose my road bike. The bike feels like IM Training and I am not ready to go there...the road bike, even though it has a power meter, it just different. No expectations and no worries.

I did a test ride in Wed with C and my toes held up well! So Saturday I rolled out with the girls and it was great. We rode 3:15 ish and it was a loop I used to do all the time....but it has been a while so it was great. Climbing up Scripps Poway Parkway reminded me I have really not ridden in a month.... yes fitness does go away when you don't do much.

The day was sensational....it poured rain Friday, huge rain cleaned up the roads and cleared the air. It was a chilly 49 when we rolled out so I had to dig out arm warmers (no coolers today), leg warmers, socks ( I never wear socks) and my vest. No scull cap or full finger gloves, come on the sun was coming out.... the day was chilly and so clear it was wonderful.   Kristin, Liz and I were out for socializing and riding while Amy had bit of work to do. I happily let her go on her intervals.... no need to be uncomfortable right now.

I was feeling ambitious, and since it is the weekend and Mako has puppy care, I headed to the gym for a strength session. Worked hard and did NOT drop any weights.   I really want to build some strength this off season. Funny thing is my legs were a bit tired from the ride and I had to lower my weight on the squats.   Finished up thoroughly sore and came home and promptly took a nap. Hard to believe 6 weeks ago I could bang out a 5+ hour ride, T run and be good to go..... Losing fitness is GOOD and will be valuable next year but it is hard....I am committed to keep losing it however!

So the toes are less ugly, bruising is fading and the pain is pretty much gone unless anything lands on them or I try to push off them. Going to be a while before I am running but I am happy to be riding a bit and that is fine for now...Coach mentioned I could do a lot of swimming...I noted or NOT.

Puppy training, dinner with my Dad and K, dinner on Saturday at friends and the weekend is complete...Riley has lacrosse tryouts and JD is finishing up his community service volunteering a Race for a Cure.

Broken toes, dog is doubling in size, kids are someplace...

2011-11-03T10:14:00.000-07:00

My life it upside down these days...I have shown up to Riley's game 1 hour early, sent my mom to her game 1 day early, arrived at the wrong location for a game.... what the heck? This is why women should not have a baby at 45. Yea, yea, yea.... Mako is a dog and babies are 100% more work...I know been there done that, BUT, going from a 15 and 17yo and Ironman training to a puppy is a major adjustment. Getting used to interrupted sleep, only being able to leave the house for 60-90 minutes at at time, planning my day when he is asleep vs in aggro playing mode.... Really though he is so much fun! How can you not fall in love with this puppy! He sleeps 4 hours at a time at night...so our up and down is less. we still have a futon downstairs, as we figure better for one of us sleep. So we take turns with Mako. Every other night I get a solid 8 hours and the alternate nights not so much...John is a good co-parent and JD even takes a turn on the weekend!

Training...well not really but I was running pretty regularly to keep Zen from ballooning out due to eating all of Mako's food. My plan was run every day, not a lot, not too hard but build fitness. And the plan was to get strong in the gym. I avoid the gym but know I need it so in the off season I committed. It has been a long time...day 1 I was excited, snuck in a 2nd run on the TM and I was off on my routine. I needed the 30lb bar for bicep curls and it was being hoarded, ~~bitch~~ lady at the gym would not share. So I used the 20 lb bar and that was too easy so I went for the 40lb bar and that was too heavy- I'm feeling a bit like Goldilocks now but being the impatient soul I am I went for the 40lb bar and did my set and it was pretty much to failure. As I was racking the bar, my arms are shaking and jumping and I SHOULD have put the bar down but I struggled to rack it and did not quite make it. Bar slammed down, bounced and landed on my foot....

You know the term white lightening....yeah that was pretty much the effect. That and being sucker punched hard in the stomach. It was so painful I don't really remember leaving the gym...thankfully I got all my gear and got home. I arrived home took 4 Advil and opened a beer... JD was here and blankly staring at me. Delicately pulled off my shoe and watched it swell and turn colors....within a few hours it became apparent I needed a medical opinion. JD dutifully drove me to urgent care and after 2 hours the XRay tech proclaimed nothing broken so we left, no need to wait another 2 hours for the Dr. Well 7ish am my cell rings and the ER Dr chastises me for leaving without being seen by a Dr and that I do in fact have 2 broken toes- crushed at the tips actually. She practically orders me to come back and be seen. I politely ask what they will do for my predicament... basically nothing. Okay so you want me to drive 30 min the UCSD in AM traffic, wait for who knows how long (again) to be told I have 2 broken toes for which you can do nothing? Right...on my way. Not so much. So now I am thankful it is only my toes and the tips... so they will heal fast (hopefully). No running as it seems one really needs the toes to push off, although I could become a major heel stryker and see how that works out?..... for now, no running. After 1 week I am able to ride!!! Good news....hitting the road with my girlies this weekend. I supose I can swim and just use 1 foot on flip turns- but no sense if messing up my groove..okay really another excuse NOT to swim!

So there you have it.....when people ask me why I was a swimmer? This is not the first of my ever so stupid accidents.... 1 year ago to date http://jdunkle.blogspot.com/2010/11/beware-in-kitchen.html was this incident, the year prior I broke my pinkie playing with the dog http://jdunkle.blogspot.com/2009_10_01_archive.html and so there you have it. End of October is bad timing for me and accidents...I can even go back to pre-triatlon days and I was training for the NY Marathon and broke my pinkie last weekend in October while playing at the park with my husband...okay well a friendly competition in who could do the log roll the longest- I fell rolled over my pinky and snap.... So there you have it..... I am not coordinated and the fall is when I am at my worst. Lucky for me that is the off season...

Mako, mako, mako......Chick Magnet!

2011-10-25T17:43:00.000-07:00

If any single guy out there is wondering how to kick up his social life..... get a puppy!   Any place I go with Mako I attract throngs of females.   No exaggerations.... girls flock to him and all go "ooooohhhhhhh"   and then ask if they can pet him, hold him etc.   It is quite amusing....

Before you rush out and get a puppy.....consider you will not sleep more than 3 hours at a time, you have to keep the house really clean (even though the puppy will trash it), you have to be home with him 100% of the time (at least for now), and he costs a lot of money....

Now for the pros's...he is by far the cutest pup ever (okay maybe we are a bit partial), he is smart- 7 days and he is nearly housebroken- no newspapers, no pads....just a lot of watching and as soon as he "looks like" he has to go we scoop him up and run him outside. We did this about every 30 minutes....but it worked!   We have to keep the doors open- thankfully we live in SD and it is not winter yet, but we will have a dog door soon.   He is more fun than imaginable...snugly, wild, crazy, and in love with Zen.

Here Zen is very tolerant....not always. Mako would love to curl up with Zen all the time but Zen is not too keen on that.    We have these giant pillow beds for Zen and well seems Mako has claimed them.

All Mako has to do it approach the bed and Zen runs away....so sad he is already the Alpha dog. We are hoping as Zen gets bigger he will "appreciate" Mako and begin to have fun with him. Time will tell.

In the meantime...trying to sleep, trying to work and trying not to play with Mako all day :)

Ironman- what's that....Oceanside is a long ways away. Pretty sure this off season thing is really going to stick this time. Between lack of sleep and not being able to leave the house...makes it tough to do much!

Although..... I have ridden a few times with my girlies....good fun on the road bike and no gages. Few early runs with Zen and 1 swim. Not a total slug but close....and the diet (not as in trying to lose weight) but what I am consuming... probably too much beer and candy corns- but well I am making up for lost time!

Hate to make this a dog training blog,...but I am spending more time training Mako than I am me. Next up- leash training, how to sit, better manners (flying leaps with stick in his mouth is cute now but not so much in a few months), better sleeping - although his bladder really needs to get bigger and start to learn to be left alone. He is happy with his crate, as long as we are near by, it is not in the car and it is not dark (okay we have a ways to go on crate training) but that is where he will hang in the beginning when we leave- too many risks around the house- he nearly committed suicide playing with the iron, loves any and all cords, small anything (yummy)...we hope to avoid a $5000 vet surgery in the near future, well actually ever.

Mako or Ironman....

2011-10-16T20:23:00.000-07:00

We have been talking about getting a puppy for years.....but only talking. See we rescued 2 wonderful labs- Rocky (RIP) and Zen now 8. Both are wonderful dogs but were troubled, abused, left and inherently wonderful dogs. In fact I'm not sure there will ever be another Rocky to me. I digress....so when we lost Rocky we vowed no more dogs, enjoy Zen, live it up etc.

Okay well the adorable picture sort of gives the story away..... I have never had a puppy, Okay, not never, but I was 8, so not really. Face it when a beautiful purebred Labrador ends up at lab rescue it is not because he is a stellar dog... at least not at the time. So we rescued, reformed and have had 2 wonderful dogs. But I decided that the next time, I was starting from scratch, or close to it. And that my friends means a puppy,

Timing is everything...no possible way can we have a puppy during IM training- cannot leave the house for ore than a few hours in the beginning, Light bulb goes off- coach has been after me for 3 years now to take a proper off-season. Stop training, gain weight, get out of shape....I always promise to do so and am good on that for a few weeks and then out hammering again. So really, does it take a puppy for keep me at bay? shamefully, maybe. Hey better than a baby (at least for me)

So once the idea culminated the discussion was what kind....I really wanted another black lab (just like Rocky) but wanted to get one from a breeder. Okay, I know, why buy a dog when so many are homeless and need a home...blah, blah, blahs- start reading at the top- I rescued 2 dogs! And one was train wreck....was rejected by 2 others and we saved good ol Zen. So yes, now I am selfish. After all this dog will be left when my kids go to college - My other selfish reason for going through a breeder is that I want a good running dog so I need to know the genealogy. Rocky was a great runner, logged some 18 mile runs. Zen not so much...more of a miler kind of a dog. I want a companion in the trails.

Okay so back to the black lab....seems a "real" black lab is the English Lab - those are the ones breeders breed, well I like the American Lab- less boxy, smaller frame and cuter (IMHO) so I was stuck....cannot find a real breeder of an American Black Lab... so I resorted to Runners World for best running dogs. Germain Short hair Pointer or Vizsla. I looked at GSP and well...they just don't do it for me- no attraction. But the Vizsla....now they are cute! and rare and expensive.... classic Julie for you.

So we found our breeder based on timing...I want the pup 1 week post Kona if possible....and magically, Mako was born 8 weeks ago and ready (well sort of ) to come home this weekend.

Big family trip to Alpine to pick our baby... you get to pick your pup in the order you made your deposit. Of the 14 puppies (yes 14) there were 11 boys and we were # 9, we laughed that the fat one, the run and lame one would be left. We were close, but big one (who was adorable but a slug- although now I'm thinking that would have been a good thinking) the Runt (Mako) and one in the middle that was wickedly wild...more than Monster (I mean Mako)

He slept like a baby in the car and it has been a massive introduction in our house....where are is 13 bothers and sisters and his Mama? Zen pretty much ignores him except when he is eating...this runt can eat and eat. So we are potty training- at 8 weeks they can old it 30 min to 2 hours... that is a lot of running outside with him.

He is a bundle of energy and then passes out..... into everything and we have to watch him like a hawk. We take him out to pee and he comes in and if you take your eyes off him..he is in the corner going. No poops inside...he does a crazy dance and we have gotten him out each time.

So maybe 4 hours of sleep last night, lots of up and and down the stairs....we are crate training him so no papers to pee on at night. Training.....hardly.... he is going to be my off season!

Random thoughst on Kona

2011-10-13T20:52:00.000-07:00

Love the Island, love the town, love Ironman ....need to find a way to love the Ironman in Kona
Kona Coffee is the best especially Coffees of Hawaii
Swim up coffee bar is a highlight of the week (well maybe 2nd to running down Alii at the finish)
I am so thankful for all the friends I have met in this sport....so amazing to see them all in Kona!
More sunscreen next time! My back is molting right now
Wish I had not donated my orthotic to the Island Gods
Nutrition plan? Taking suggestions on one that keeps my fluids in my body!
Blister prevention- actually I have all the aids but used none of them- why? I'm stupid sometimes
Kona is HOT!
Euro's shopping in speedo's is funny
TYR;s new Special Ops Goggles ROCK!! Polarized, NO Goggle marks and they are the best...available in 2012 - look for them
Half Ass Donkey Balls (frosted) are as good as sex
4 Ironman Athletes, 2 athletes not racing but riding and 2 teenagers can eat and drink ALOT in a week!
Ron Tribendous's wife is a saint.... 8 3/4 months pregnant and she wanted Ron to come and race in Kona- she deserves an easy birth with this kid
There are some really fast people in Kona
There are a lot of really nice people in Kona and a few not so nice
Less wind means it is much hotter!
Craig Alexander is a good guy!
Mike Reilly's induction into Ironman Hall of Fame at the Awards Ceremony was awesome
The swim in Kona is the toughest of any Ironman
Doing Vegas 70.3 and Kona is not a good idea (for me anyway)
Seeing the pro's in front is inspirational but seeing the ones in the back suffering and gutting it out is also inspirational -they have bad days too
For $600+ to race I want MORE Porta Potties....have to wait in line is just not fair- Garmin says 6+ minutes in idle time :)
Biestmilch wins the award for viral marketing....create the demand, give out swim caps and very cool t-shirts. How many people really know they are pimping "colostrum or the foremilk, this quintessentially natural substance, which is produced by the mammary glands of all female mammals " Have not tried it but love my shirt
World Bicycle Relief is a cool org.....and brilliant with the marketing- nice pink and green t-shirts with the number 89,707. What does that mean, everyone asks? # of bikes given away to date
Can everyone come to Kona 10lbs heaveir next year vs leaner and faster? Just asking

Ironman World Championships

2011-10-11T12:31:00.000-07:00

This is a long one…. Amazing what a 5+ hour flight allowsfor

Kona is a special place….it is a competing of the best inthe World and I am truly humbled and grateful to line up toe to toe with somany amazing athletes. This was our 3^rdyear in Kona and by far the best trip. Having the entire family was both memorable and great fun! Staying with great friends who were alsoracing really adds to the excitement and builds the energy for the bigday. Our house was a few miles from thestart but not down Alii which is where all the activity is, it was up ( and Imean up – as in Torrey Pines x2 up) ahill in a very quiet neighborhood. Atfirst I was disappointed we were so isolated but in the end we really enjoyedit. A house full of athletes meant wewere in bed by 8 and often up by 5am…never really adjusting to the time zone-which was intentional for race day.

We cooked in most nights, big family cooking, had a bbq withother friends one night, went to a terrific dinner hosted by Zoot and thenpre-race we ate our own pre-race meals…..

The real fun of staying with other athletes is when thealarm goes off at 3am and you are not the only one getting up! The coffee wasprepped and that was the first thing to get going. Next stocking piling calories- most of us hadto get down around 1200 calories by 4am, mind you we had eaten a large dinnerat 6pm the night before. So eating wasnot really what we wanted to do. For me-Pamela’s Gluten Free Pancakes – one giant pancake (i.e. 700 calories) slatheredwith almond butter, banana and honey. Chased that with lots of coffee, PowerAde and we were ready to roll at4:30.

Housmates ready to race!

We have a secret parking spot so there is not race daystress of where park…and we were in transition by 4:50. It is very dark and the energy is low….brightflood lights as you enter body marking and it is very organized- no randomsharpie on your arm. You had a stationwith your range of numbers and they use stamps. Team of 2 with the blockletters. Dropped off our special needsbags (this is extra food, drinks etc. you drop in bins and they will be givento you ½ through the bike and run) and onto the pier where the bikes are. I reconnected with Ron and we put our bottleson the bikes, checked computers, pumped up tires, last final prep. The energy is lifting now for sure…still darkand we see Jen and Chuck.

At this point we are ready and decide to chill out and sitdown…. It starts getting surreal at this point. As you start to realize what is ahead- along day and the butterflies are active. Here is where I started to worry a bit- this was my first year not doinganother Ironman early in the season- someone that started to give me doubts…Isquashed those soon.

Michelle Simmons...blog land friend

It seemed like minutes passed and we were suited up andheading to the water… so here is the big dilemma- where to start- center (thisis where I usually start in an IM but too chicken in Kona), near the pier orleft of the car (yes floating car)…. I ended up starting pier side. We are treading water, hula dancers on therocks and the drums are playing- an absolute surreal place to be. 1800 athletes in the water and 1000’s ofpeople spectating. This is it!

Chatoic swim start

Cannon goes off. And holy hell breaks loose. Kicking, fighting and absolute chaos towardbuoy. In most races this eases up with500 yards but in Kona it is a dog fight for nearly a mile…. I was pulled underonce, gulped a lot of water, swam over many times and had a tough time gettinga rhythm. I finally settled in and it isa long swim. But sure enough pretty soon you start to hear the announcer andsee the pier and start mentally transitioning for the bike!

Up the ramp and onto the pier- very dizzy standing up afterswimming hard for an hour. In and out oftransition and onto the bike. Riding out of the bike the streets are lined andpeople are screaming….Lots of shouts of my name and support for Nytro. 10 miles of an out and back and then throughtown and before too long you are on the Queen K and it gets quiet and the racereally begins. Ride was fine out toKawaihi – around mile 40 is usually a low point for me, I have been riding 2hours, not working really hard but am feeling like I have been out there and Irealize I still have 70 miles to go…along way!

Kona is a special place but the ride is not so special
Lava, lava, lava

Winds are not bad at all, eating and drinking- left atKawaihi and up to Havi- 18 mile climb and our first headwind of the day. Slow climb and long haul…finally Havi,special needs and downhill – seems the descent from Havi goes by in 20minutes…. So fast and then back towards Kawaihi. I am sticking to my power guidelines butgetting passed by everyone….. I stick with my race, but still a bitdemoralizing. I am feeling good at thispoint and pick it up a bit. The last 30miles is straight on the Queen K in a headwind and as far as you can see arecyclists……it is a long haul and where it gets uncomfortable- back and neck areaching from being aero so long, legs are fatiguing and rear end is ready to getoff the bike!

Airport is a good sign. 7 miles to go. Energy Lab…. 6 milesto go and now I can see the pro men running out on the marathon- I try not tothink about the fact they are on mile 10+ of the run and I am still on mybike. Riding into T2 is great….packed with people and lots ofenergy. I feel pretty good….off my bikeand my legs are definitely more rubbery that I would like- bit worried. Long run to T2 and I am not in a hurry….

Sitting in T2, deep breaths, mentally preparing for themarathon. And out I go…see the kids – nice to see their happy faces- Mile 1 istough…. I am a bit worried here. Thefirst 10 miles of the run are awesome- down Alii with crowds and you get to seeeveryone. By mile 3 I am feeling betterand am not so worried. Focused on my HRand pace and settling in for the run. Atmile 10 you run up a steep hill and out onto the Queen K- it is hot and lonelyand this is where my race fell apart last year. I am feeling okay, but I have made 2 porta potties stops (not so prettybut I am thinking I must be empty) I take 3 Imodium and hope for the best. 5 stops in total but after mile 17 nomore….so while it was dehydrating and depleting it did stop thankfully. Approaching the Energy Lab is where I reallyslowed down, my feet were blistering, and my tending throbbing and I am nothaving fun. Down 1.5 miles where there are no crowds…. Into special needs and Isit down, pull off both shoes and socks and lather my feet in aquaporin. My biggest blister is forming under myorthotic so I rationally throw it out as on offering to the Hawaiian Gods. I am back on my feet and trudgingalong….. This is my low, low point…… Isee a lot of friends and they are all so positive. I exit the lab near tearsand John is there with so much encouragement and Kevin is there soon after.

I walk a bit and KP tells me to suck it up and dig…..ugh! I rally for a few miles and pick upthe pace but soon slow again but I kept running one mile at a time counting mysteps to 100 and starting over. Forcingglucose tabs and coke to keep it going.

Finally I crest the final hill and head down Pilani…1 mileto go. And you can hear the crowd, feelthe energy and this is when the emotion hits….. Running down Allii with 1000’sof people screaming at the top of their lungs is really surreal. Next I here Mike Reilly says “we areapproaching 11 hours; let’s get these athletes in…” Okay final sprint to break 11!

Thank goodness…… I am done and even when the race is not aPR or my best……it is so tremendously rewarding to be done!

Nutrition plan

·       Pre-Race: 1200 calorie pancake, almond butterand banana +3 cups coffee, 22 oz. PowerAde Zero
·       Bike- 1400 calories – all power bars
o  Guzzling water and drenching at ever aidstation- great for cooling down body, not so great for sunscreen- I am fried!
·       Run- PowerAde ever mile until diarrhea startedand switched to coke and glucose tabs, even ate a few pretzels….

Final thoughts…PR in Kona (but was also lesswindy this year), not an IM PR

·       Swim- decent- but want to be swimming 58
·       Bike- happy with bike split
·       Run….HELP ME!!!!! Seriously 30 minutes slow…… need to STOP dyingout there in the Queen K and NOT spend 6+ minutes in Porta Potties – WTCseriously, you need MORE Port Potties- 1 o 2 with that many athletes in need…come-onwe paid $600 – more potties please!

Thanks to my adoring family!!! JD and Riley were all over the course onmopeds, made signs for all of us, wrote our names in chalk near the Energy Lab,John rode many miles and said all the right thingsJ, KP for making me suck it upand get out the shovel to dig deep and of course NYTRO for all your supportthis year, Brand Betty for making us look so cool and Zoot for letting us inyour Tribe! And thanks to everyone whocalled my name and said “you look strong” even when I was hardly moving andpossibly crying. I do love this sportand all the great people!

Let's Get it Done

2011-10-08T07:20:00.000-07:00

Really it is happening!! Today is the day.... #3 Ironman World Championship race for me. Less nervous than the last 2 times and feeling pretty good! It has been an amazing week + with the family and many moments of feeling like I was merely on vacation with intermittent oh sh#t I have an Ironman to do. We are staying with a great group of friends so I have had great company on the taper week swim.bike.run workouts and plenty of company at 3am eating and drinking before the race.

Hoping for a great day but looking for a fun day!!

Oahu

2011-09-30T20:44:00.000-07:00

Wow 2 days of fun on Oahu....come and gone! Just took a quick nap in order to ensure I am awake to pick up John and the kids at 9:30.

Arrived late Wednesday and checked into a sensational suite - holy cow- check out the living room

and there is a master bedroom and another room with 2 beds. I could get lost in here alone....thank you for the generous room Kelly Sanders, General Manager at the Sheraton Waikiki (my old boss) And thank you for the nice amenity....I was starving after the ~~huge meal~~ zero food that was served on my 5+hour flight and was too tired to stop along the way. Nothing like a cold glass of Sterling Chardonnay, smoked Gouda and fruit and the ~~entire box,~~ 2 small chocolate covered Macadamia Nuts I ~~devoured~~ nibbled on.

Crashed in bed and was up early....gotta love the time change. Got some work done and was off to Kaimea Beach to meet Michelle Simmons We met at the popular open water swimming spot near Waikiki. We swam to the windsock and then hung a right and swam for 15 minutes, hardly moving mind you. We paused and chatted a bit and then swam back the same distance in 6 minutes-can you say current. Then as we followed the pipes back to shore it was a sensation of a washing machine - pushed out pulled in.... but the water was stellar- crystal clear and warm! I would swim open water living here that is for sure!!

After the swim I had an ez run and hit the road heading toward Diamond Head. So nice to be in a different environment and exploring new territory!

Workouts done and I showered and changed. I had busy afternoon- was looking at 2 hotels for my HPN clients and then calling on 2 bike shops for ZocaGear The sites are no brainers...the sales calls were a learning experience. My first call was nothing short of a disaster... Couple a really sophisticated buyer with the first time I am showing my samples- they were totally disorganized, falling all over, I could not find what I needed as he was asking me what type of thread we use.... He was asking questions that I am sure were not in my training materials, not that I could find those either.... after all that he tells me is will not longer be the buyer come November- what....actually for me, probably a blessing. I gathered my gear, put my tail between my legs and departed. Okay I had 30 minutes before my next call. 1- went to Von's and bought freezer bags for each kit! done 2- Starbucks for a lot of caffeine and sugar. 3- reviewed all my materials.

And the 2nd call was awesome...I was there for over an hour, he is VERY interested and it went well! Okay, I can do this. The only issue is my eyes have taken a dive since last week.... seems turning 45 is the magic year for me needing reading glasses. I pulled out our pricing list and it was like, really? What is this font 6? I was trying to read it and had to sort of guess....so he has on reading glasses and asks if I want to borrow them. I used to bond with my customers drinking beers now we share reading glasses.

Off to my final hotel and it was a full day....time to sit outside overlooking the ocean and enjoy seared ahi and a nice glass of wine! I keep thinking maybe I should skip the wine, well with Ironman now 8 days away.... maybe when I am a week out?? Anyway a smashing day!

Up early today 4am....had some work to do and was sort of awake anyway- really 7am in CA. Drove the Windward side of the Island, after stopping at Peets in the lobby! Really- Peet's coffee in the lobby at the Sheraton Waikiki!

. Met Michelle and Nalini at their pool...okay this pool is nuts. You show up at 6:55 and people are waiting- no fee to get in for a 50 meter long course pool! But wait there are no lane lines- right on. You don't get lane per se you get the black line or to the right or left of it- so you have 16+- people swimming long course no lane lines and no clock. Really? So we warm up 1000- all is fine...see I don't like swimming with a clock anyway, especially this close to a race- just don't want to know- if I feel good than great! If not, don't want to see the time. So after warm up we have a set of 12x200 descend in 2's through 6/100 ez and repeat. First set is okay...but by #6 I am not feeling it...by the 2nd set, Nalani was miles ahead and Michelle mile ahead. Was tough for me and not what I wanted to do....so did I fight and hang on, no I slowed down about 20 seconds per 200 and finished. Any fighting I have will be saved for October 8!

After swim we went to Michelle's and she graciously offered up her old TT bike- forgot my pedal wrench so she again graciously offered me her pedals and her shoes and her socks..... Since I had her shoes she was not riding with me. She sent me North- ride until you feel like turning around. Sounds good...no computer on the bike - good for me- no data. So Michelle has Speedplay pedals and I ride Look. I have always wanted to try Speedplay (maybe not the week before a race, but well....anyway) As I am riding off Michelle says the first time she rode Speedplayaero for fear of falling off.... had a tough time settling in, riding with ice skates, different bike etc and nearly turned around. And then it clicked and I was feeling the Island charm.... I was loving the mountains, the ocean and the peaceful ride. Before I knee it I was well past the 1 hour mark...oops- turned around and enjoyed the spectacular scenery home!

I rolled in and Michelle was just about to wonder what happened...oops I forgot I have an Ironman in 8 days! Loved it.... Funny I walked in her house like we are long lost friends...sort of funny we met via blog land and only one time, last year in Kona, but someone clicked and it has been great hanging on her turf these past few days! I hope she will come to San Diego sometime so I can return the hospitality!

Such fun...and I feel great, except for the disastrous swim! Legs are what really matters here!

Few more sales calls today...few more lessons- note to self- be sure to ask if they sell more than Mountain and BMX bikes...."so our one piece tri suits are not ideal for your BMX customer? " Another lesson...long sleeve jerseys and arm warmers not a big seller in Hawaii! It's all good...I'm learning along the way.

So now I am enjoying the view from my Lanai.....in paradise

Leaving on a jet plane.....

2011-09-28T15:30:00.000-07:00

Really is it time already..... It seems like a week ago or maybe 2 that I wrote the big check and accepted my Kona slot at Oceanside 70.3, back in April. Gulp...where does the time go? I raced Wildflower a few weeks later and then it was the big mid-season break and plenty of time to get really fit for Kona. Oh right and Vegas 70.3 World Champs along the way. Yet I don't really feel like I had all that time..... I sort of remember the "off" season- which really for me means little swimming and running and lots of miles on my bike.

And then I swear it was 10 weeks to Kona, drop the hammer, log the miles....get really fit and ready for Kona. And now I have what 10 days.... shit, did I drop the hammer, did I log enough miles, were they the right kind of miles, enough aero time, enough climbing to build strength.... and the questions go on and on and on.

The thing about Triathlon is that even when you think you are really fit and ready to race you show up to a race and sure enough 1/2 the girls look fitter and faster. Complete mind f&*k really. As Jen put it.... she swears that she will be leaner and stronger than the year before when she shows up in Kona. And the years that she is leaner and stronger, she still feels overweight and weak. See that is the thing about the World Championships- these people make it a goal to be as lean. as strong, as fit as possible.... ugh! Too late...

Now don't get me wrong, this is not a "I'm so fat" post looking for "no your not comments" this is real thoughts... and for many others racing the same thoughts they have. Walking around Vegas with a few of my friends I noticed them too saying. dang look how strong she is, look how lean she is...it is part of our sport.

So this is when coach chimes in (thank goodness) What I don't know is who maybe too lean (really? yes possible), who is over trained, tired. injured, stressed....etc. No one wears that on their face right- okay, maybe he has a point.

The bigger issue is really how ready am I to race Ironman? And race it well.... that is hard to say. Sure we looked at Training Peaks and looked at the data.... sure we know what I have done, but what we don't know is what will happen on race day. And honestly with Ironman it is hard to say... sometimes I don't know until the run.... sometimes I think I know and then things go South.... This is the first year I have not done more than one Ironman- good yes? Yes I am not tired..... but then the doubt, I haven't done an Ironman this year- how will the marathon go?

So what else is different this year....
1- I am going earlier ( today in fact) 10 days before the race. Not all play - few days of semi work in Honolulu but hoping the extra time helps with the heat acclimation
2- Entire family is coming- 1st year I went alone (bad idea), last year was John and me (and lots of friends there) good - but having the kids there will be great (I hope)
3- Less stressed... really and truly looking forward to the big Island fun- going to soak up all the fun again and enjoy the week- each year seems to be less stressful.
4- Goals- of course I have a goal, but really I want to enjoy the day- these women are the best in world and I am not sure I can hang with the best of them- and that is okay, really it is. Top 10 and I will be more than happy! For me to get on the podium it would have to be the perfect race for me + a little bit of race day magic, possible yes. realistic maybe.... setting my sights on it- not really. I am feeling confident but realistic.

So I an eager toe have some fun in HNL. hopefully make some sales with my few job at Zoca, enjoy my kids and husband, have fun with Jen, Chuck and Rob in our very cool (hopefully) house. hang with the many wonderful friends I have made in this sport - both those racing and spectating and have a good day on Saturday 10.8.

So as for the question about Zoca- new job? what you left HPN Global? No I am multitasking.....HPN is my main gig, so to speak, love my clients and will continue to work hard for them as well as work with training new associates. It's all good.... Zoca is a triathlon, cycling and running apparel company based in San Diego. They want to grow the brand and need a local rep! I am interested in doing more the world of multi sport - good match. What drew me to Zoca is they are based in San Diego and all their stuff is custom made right here- no exporting overseas. The quality is high and they are constantly making improvement and changes. Even though my territory is Southern CA- I have all my samples and am eager to chat with local bike shops in Honolulu and San Diego!!!

Girlfriends....

2011-09-27T07:50:00.000-07:00

Guys are great but sometime girls just rule.....Saturday was my last long(ish) ride before Kona and possibly for the year! I rode with some of my favorite peeps...we had a great ride and some conversation that was second to none. Sometimes we ride and laugh out tails off, tell silly jokes and humor each other up the climbs. Saturday was day about friendship, listening to what is going on in each of our lives (and not the highlights) more like the bumps or mountains in some case... And well we commiserated, empathized, yelled at cars and other people, shed a few tears but did laugh out loud and cherish each other for who the the other is.

Thanks girls...you know who you are! Looking forward to our next ride for coffee, scones and lots of silly laughter.

Gotta Blister...

2011-09-22T22:03:00.000-07:00

I had not 1 but 2 blisters smack dab on the bottom on my foot. Blister 1 was a deep blister, under the callous, on the ball of my foot- courtesy of my brilliant move of running Vegas World Championships sock less with my Orthotics (which I had only done for a 5 mile run) This blister did not cause too many problems... could use the general blister band aids and ran pretty well. It was a recovery week and all but they worked just fine.

Until Sunday that is.... long run and I used regular band aids on top of the blister band aid just to be sure. Well the skin below the band aid, the really tender skin on the arch of my foot, rubbed and created a big blister. Now that one really hurt....hurt to walk even!

Yikes... last solid week of training and I need to run! Here is the solution,,
1- soak in Epsom salts as many times a day as you can
2- when it's time to run.... give yourself 10+ minutes to prep

3- apply 2nd skin blister protection... a 3 step process that is great! Basically you add a layer of skin that comes in a package, make a mole skin donut around the blister and the wrap with athletic tape, If you are really serious, you wrap in Duct Tape- what the ultra runners do

4- put Blister Shield in your shoe. Use 1scoop of this "powder" shake and rub inside. It creates a water barrier that keeps the foot dry. Amazing.....

It works!!!!

Running pain free and now I am down to 2nd skin and blister shield only! Out the door much faster.....

Countdown.....

2011-09-20T20:09:00.000-07:00

Racing Vegas was not the boost I hoped for...mentally that is, but I already cried about that race so onward. The good thing about a crappy run is that the recovery is much faster....slower run means faster recovery. After O'side I was smashed for a good week. After Vegas by Tuesday I was feeling pretty good and running on Wednesday. The massive blister on the ball of my foot was doing okay so I was feeling optimistic. As the week rolled on I was feeling good and the legs loosened up. Come Saturday I was feeling looser than I did 1week ago, pre race. Coach was clear and emphasized....save it for Kona. Don't prove anything now..... so I did. I rode mostly alone to ensure I was doing my ride and not sucked into someone else's pace. Amy joined me for the middle 2 hours and that was perfect...the rest of the ride was me and my iPod.

Come Sunday...other than very little sleep due to raising teenagers and dealing with late night crises, altered states, misinformation... I was ready for my long run. I decided to put a band aid on my blister just to be safe- BAD IDEA...as I created a new blister on the skin rubbing against the band aid. Ouch, ouch... this one big and puffy on my arch. Dang it..... But the good news...run was solid and my foot DID NOT hurt. The nagging, painful random injury was 99% gone. Why? Probably because I finally went to a Podiatrist who told me it was nerve damage and it will slowly get better 6mos-2 years (yes years) and that I could not do more damage...I think that was all I needed to know-that I could not hurt it any more. And the fact that Dave Jewell at Zoot is a rock star in making sure I have the right shoes for training and racing. Thank you!!!

And here we are less than 3 weeks to the big day..... I am feeling good and coach has a solid week on the books- instructions are NO mistakes, NO adding volume or intensity, SAVE IT FOR RACE DAY. This has not been an issue of late as I have been tired ...but I am feeling like it is coming together so it is tempting to test my fitness. But I am not going to!

Today was fun....really fun! Getting paid to ride with someone. Okay that sounds desperate...this was a coaching gig. Rode with someone getting ready for a big ride and she needed some tips on climbing, pacing, execution. Worked perfectly...I had 2 hours in the saddle and rode to meet her, had our active coaching session and rode home. This is my kind of work....it was so much fun!

8 days and I am off to Hawaii.....Heading to Oahu for 4 days, 2 days all alone :) and I am super excited to hang out and train with Michelle S on her turf. John and the kids arrive on Friday and then we all head to Kona on Sunday!!!

Vegas Recap....

2011-09-13T20:32:00.000-07:00

Race reports after stellar races are really fun....... Guess what, this is not a fun report! But it seems only fair to write the good and the bad....

Well......the race was not what I hoped! No race day magic, not a confidence building day for Kona, not a fun day out racing.... it was a tough day. I finished and gutted it out but it was not pretty.

What happened....wish I could tell you. Swim was good, but did not "feel it". The bike was hard, the course was hard but my perceived effort was high for the watts I was putting out. Usually in a 70.3 I have to hold back a bit in the beginning and pace myself, in Vegas I had to push myself. I trained on the course and left there not feeling like it was all that tough..it was tough and we got lucky- it was not 110 degrees and there was minimal wind. The hills were fair and took a lot out of me, the downhills requred hard pedaling - there is no break on the course. Hopping off the bike in T2, I could tell my legs were spent...I usually feel good right off the bike, so this was my first sign that it was going to be hard. The 1st mile is downhill so I had a bit of false confidence. As soon as I hit mile 2 and went up, I knew it was going to be a long 13 miles. So I checked them off one at a time and made the best of it.

Serious hot spot that lead to a big blister on the ball of my foot, but that was not the cause of my slow run. My foot held up which is GREAT news for Kona! My nutrition was not good... why I still struggle with this I don't know! I am seriously considering solids on the bike in Kona- I train with Powerbars and Cliff ShotRoks and am thinking it maybe the way to go. Save the gels and Gu's and liquids for the run. Again, nutrition was not the cause of my slow race, but my gut was not happy and if was a full IM I would have had serious GI distress.

Weather was great (for Vegas) that is...high of 95 I think- could have been 105+ so that was fortunate. The split transition is a bit of a bummer....we stayed at Green Valley Ranch - near the finish and I think next year I will stay at the Loews or another Lake Las Vegas Resort- too much driving back and forth, up early to drive to swim, then back later in the day to drop off bikes, riding from GVR is not that nice vs taking a nice spin from Lake Las Vegas, GVR is a big casino hotel which means cigarettes and a hike to get to the car etc.... would rather stay in one place- drive to register and take the shuttle back after the race. There are some great condos right there which could be a lot of fun.... cooking in and hanging with friends!

The trip was fun.....Ian was our sherpa and chauffaur which was awesome. Great fun with Riikka, Ian, Beth, James, Darcy, Diana, Jody and Stacey.... so that was all good! Lots of familar faces on the course- Whiteney and Liz were the rockstar cheerleaders....hooting and hollerin such positive mojo as I nearly crawled by. You know the race is going down hill when lap 1 KP gives me my position in the race, lap 2 says hang in there.... lap 3 not even sure what he said or if I could see him.

Anyone doing Vegas next year or ITU Worlds....hills, hills, hills....ride and run hills. Train like you did for Wildfllower! Serioulsy- it is a tough course.

Recovery for a few days...and final push for Kona!

Ironman 70.3 World Championships

2011-09-10T15:21:00.000-07:00

Reporting here from Las Vegas...Green Valley Ranch Resort- I can feel the base blasting from the pool in my hotel room. Clearly not everyone here is racing tomorrow....

Race is actually in Henderson, just outside of LV proper. This is the Kona for the 70.3 (or 1/2 Ironman for my normal friends) Same deal..you have to qualify and the race is a big deal just 1/2 the distance.... and well you swim in a murky lake vs the beautiful pacific ocean, but I digress...

Super excited to be here- have qualified in years past but never "punched my ticket" so to speak as the race as been in Clearwater FL in November. 1- I strongly dislike FL, yes the whole state. 2- Nov is just too late ( I want my season to be done by then) 3- if I was fortunate enough to race in Kona, that is enough.

Ironman made a big move and the race is now in Vegas- hot and hilly and early! Some say perfect tune up for Kona others say bad idea. Some of my friends racing Kona passed on Vegas as they want to focus on Kona prep....I decided to go for it. When you have 2 races so close you have to pick A race and B race. For me...Kona is my A and Vegas my B.

What does that mean....I am a bit tired, did not taper much (rest for those normal peeps again) so I will not be as fresh as usual for a big race. Why is that...tapering allows the body to freshen up and get ready to race, but one also loses fitness, which is great if you are racing and then taking a few weeks off. But to be ready to race Kona, a full Ironman in 4 weeks, I needed to keep training.

So...we shall see. Is there ever the perfect race prep? not sure..... My worries 1- will my foot hold up? 2- Did I rest enough to lay down a good race 3- Will I survive the heat? All will be told in less 24 hours...

I am excited. The venue is great, the course challenging - which I like, and so many of my triathlon friends are here. It is so fun to see so many familiar faces all over the hotel, at the race site etc. It makes me realize how many special people I have met over the years and how comforting it is to see them all, know they are nervous and a bit anxious as well. With a 70.3 we start in waves, vs all 2000 people at once as in an Ironman, so we will be spread out a bit.

The bonus for me is I am the 1st wave after the Pro's. Big, big deal...why? 1- I will have open water to swim in. 2- Will be cooler...thank you race director for letting the old ladies go off first and 3- so fun so see everyone out on the course. The course has an out and back on the bike so will be great to see where everyone is. The run course is all out and backs so I suspect a lot of high 5's and good on ya's throughout the day as well are all running up or down the hills. Not a lot of flat on the bike or run course.

In honor of the race I added a bit of color..... yes I died my bangs purple. It's all fun....and will be gone in 4-6 weeks...

So my bike is checked in and my bags are dropped off. Fridge is stocked from Whole Foods...T-1 to race day means okay to eat simple carbs....a treat I do not often enjoy anymore. So I am getting my fill of Amy's Parmesan pita chips, spinach and artichoke hummus, grapes (had to cut myself off) and a bit of black licorice. Staying off my feat and thoroughly enjoying the monster suite thanks to Green Valley Ranch, working in the hospitality business, does have it's perks at times.

Considering I don't own a TV at home and rarely lay around.. this is heaven. Flat screen, surround sound and eating in bed!!! See Ironman is really not that hard.

Always have a mantra for a race....why? Not if, but when it gets hard, you need one to fall back on. Mine for tomorrow... "thank god this is not a full Ironman" and for the more positive mantra " at least I CAN do this, make the most of it" I am fortunate to have my health and wits (well many not my wits)....

Time to rest.....my fingers are cramping and I need them fresh to buckle my helmet on the fly tomorrow

Family....where is my family? John hates Vegas and the heat - enough said there. No husband far outweighs a cranky one. JD taking ACT and Riley shopping for Homecoming dress. I have my triathlon family out here.... Ian (bless him) is Noko and my sherpa and he has been awesome! So many SD friends are racing and cheering... I wil be just fine!

More coaching than training this weekend

2011-09-05T15:18:00.000-07:00

I have been doing some work with coachme triathlon coaching, a very cool new coaching operation with a new approach to coaching with mostly face to face coaching that can be booked in 1 hour increments. While there is ongoing coaching available the majority of the coaching is for specific needs; swim needs, specific bike and run coaching, race prep, nutrition consulting, transition...really anything specific to the sport. Coaches are all over the US and are active triathletes who are in the top 10% of the sport- so they bring real life training and race experience to the table.

coachme partnered with a new 1/2 Ironman race, Orangeman, on 9/25/2011 in Dana Point. This is a first time race and looks to be a very cool race! Ocean swim which is rare for a 70.3 around here, most are in bays, harbors etc. So there will be waves, current and who knows what else. The bike is awesome, close to 3000 ft of elevation, and they are closing the Ortega Highway which offers great riding but traffic usually makes it unreasonable to ride. Some steep climbs getting out of Dana Point. And the run is a 2 loop course that is a bit hilly as well. This looks to be a great race!

coachme triathlon is the official coaches for the race and is offering swim, bike and run clinics as well as a few 5 hour swim.bike.run clinic to go over the race from start to finish.

I went up Saturday as one of 3 coaches for the clinic. We unfortunately could not get in the water due to large surf so we only scoped out the swim, did the wetsuit on and off demo, discussed surf entry and exit, placement strategy etc. And then we rode a portion of the bike and it was great to talk with the campers about packing, how to approach the climbs, descents, fueling on the bike, aid stations, recovery, compression ( I was sporting my Zoot compression sleeves etc. For about 1/2 of the group with will be their first 1/2 IM) so the distance is a bit intimidating. While you can wing nutrition and make mistakes on shorter races, that can be detrimental on a 1/2 IM. The rest of the group has done the distance but was taking advantage of the day to learn the course and gather additional advice from 3 other coaches.

With 3 weeks to go they can practice a lot of what we discussed well before race day. The final part of the day was 1 loop of the run course which I skipped due to my ongoing foot/shin injury, which I don't want to discuss, and then wrapped up the day with Q&A.

It was one of the most rewarding days I have had in a long time....so fun to be with people jumping up to this new distance and to see the excitement, anxiety and passion for this sport which has become such a mainstay in my life. Each and everyone of them was so appreciative and shared how much they learned and how valuable the day was. That made the 2.5 hour drive home in bumper to bumper traffic worth it.

If you are looking for a fall 1/2 Ironman I would definitely add Orangeman to your list.... close to SD and a stunning venue! I hope to be there on the 17th to cheer them all across the finish line.

What I learned today

2011-08-27T17:43:00.000-07:00

OCOTILLO WELLS

Sunny

Extreme heat index.

Outdoor exposure should be limited. ~~Riding a bike for 4:45 is a really, really stupid idea~~

Mostly Sunny

112°F

Feels Like: 118°

1- When you do a ride in 2010 and comments in Training Peaks say never again- pay heed to that

2- Don't pick the hottest day of the summer to ride out there

3- Ride inland San Diego where it was still hot, we did not have to drive 90 miles....

4- When you realize your the number you have been focusing on as power is actually your HR and it is reading 175-180 for over an hour.... you are in trouble

5- UCAN in 110+ degrees is possibly the most disgusting fueling option I can imagine

6- When trying a "new"product, bring back up when you are riding in the desolate desert with 1 fueling stop over 90 miles-

7- When your coach turns back because he looks like he may die.... good idea to do the same versus persevering on to the planned turn around

8- Check the other store you plan to stop at on your way out.... because when it closed on the way back and the hose is pumping out water that is 90+ degrees you will be very sad

9- Delete I Had a Bad Day from my iPod

10- 5 hour energy shot + fein in 110+ degree weather, at the same time, is a really bad idea..being delusional one makes such errors

11- sometime walking you bike is okay when your HR is over 180 and you are seeing black spots

12- Beth is a good friend and training partner

13- My husband was really smart to go scuba diving in the cool, refreshing ocean

14- KP was a savior when he came out to get us

15- We were the ONLY cyclists on the road today

16- Before you dump nearly a gallon of water down your back....make sure your phone is in a zip lock bag.. email me or try 858 829-7161 until further notice :)

16- Vegas and Kona HAVE to be easier than the 80 miles we logged today

Rolling along well here.... only 98 degrees and optimistic

KP not feeling so well..... is my HR 180 or my power?

The ~~ugly~~ beautiful desert- Ocotillo

Rest for the weary....

2011-08-23T19:33:00.000-07:00

Saturday's ride was one of the best I have had all year! KP, JB and I headed out to Elfin Forest...KP wanted me to do a flatter and more aero ride- time to start logging the Ironman rides so come race day the shock of being aero for 5.5-6 hours is not a shock. Developing those muscles, getting the gut used to processing calories folded in half etc....he suggested riding to Dana Point and back- 1: I hate that ride, but will do it on occasion but not in the summer and especially not on a weekend. Too many cars, people and beach crazies and car doors...... So after a great ride through Elfin on Tuesday I had the grand idea of doing laps in Elfin. So we warmed up on the way to the coast and held a steady pace up La Costa and into San Elijo Hills- as soon as we crested the 1st hill, hammer down and time trial to the other side...17 minutes and a solid ride. U turn and back we went, even stronger. KP says " that stung a little" and then the final one was just plain hard- but able to push all that harder knowing it was the last one. All said and done - just about an hour of near threshold riding. Can you say baked....really quiet for the next 20 min or so. As we climbed up after the awesome Del Dios descent my legs were back and I was feeling okay. At the turn towards home I rolled up to John to let him know I was riding back to the coast on Lomas Sante Fe and then a loop home...he said no thanks and left. All was good for the next 30 minutes or so and then I felt the 20+ hours of training that week, the brutal hour in that ride and I was changing my iPod frantically trying to find motivation. Found the Black Eyed Peas, and AMPM for a Monster Java + a Red Bull and I was back in business and finished the 90 mile ride feeling pretty okay.

Came home and made a grilled cheese...absolutely perfect carb loaded fat loaded meal I was craving, went for a quick swim in the back yard and back on the bike ( mtn bike this time) for a spin to the Farmers Market. I have to stay the Cat1 climb out of my neighborhood was um painful..... ate my way thorough he market and began to feel normal again.

And now.....5 days of recovery. They are welcomed and not forced (which is how they usually are) 2 solid weeks of big volume with some intensity thrown in there...manged a cold that did NOT get out of control.,

As soon as I felt the cold....I started it all- Congaplex , increased my daily dose of the Wellness Formula to 3xpill/3 hours, Zicam as directed. Chinese Herbs and the Nasal Cleansing Pot. Overkill? I had a wicked sore throat and 90% congestion one day and was nearly gone the next- did not have to back off training and kicked the cold!

Monday- day off and I was okay with that. Today had nice swim and an evening run and I am feeling pretty good. Going to roll with the recovery all week and hit it hard again this weekend! Heading to the heat of Ocotillo - 110+ temps here we come.

Mid Week Fun!

2011-08-18T20:03:00.000-07:00

Mid week fun with the girls..... Liz, Riika and me off to ride GWL + Descanso

idropboys x 3

54 miles

4,770 ft of elevation

Nice views of idropboys.com

max temperature 102

Lots of fun on the climbs

iced Mocha at the bottom!

Swimming with Friends

2011-08-17T12:15:00.000-07:00

I ride with friends and sometimes run with friends but usually don't swim with friends. I swim in a lane at UCSD with people I have met swimming but other than a name I know nothing about them. Occasionally I swim with Kim and Terry and they are friends. Today I swam with friends.... Liz and Amy. I did not want to to to UCSD because the hot water was turned off and that pool is cold! Cold pool followed by cold shower in the morning marine layer is just not my way to start the day. So I planned to swim at Frogs and swam with friends.

We did an awesome workout! 600/6x00, 500/5x100. 400/4x100, 300/3x100, 200/2x100, 100/100 I swam the continuous distance and pulled the 100's. The funny thing about this workout is Beth suggested in for Vegas last week and I was in. Jen said she would do any workout but that exact work out Beth has suggested hours earlier- it was quite funny! Do we did not do it, but it has been on my mind to do. Funny even though we all had out own lanes. swim different paces it was motivating to be together! Of course we had the pre and post workout chatting so that makes it all the better. Company is good!

Training is going great..... not feeling 100% today due to a summer cold (what the heck?) - has been slowly coming on- one of those colds where you sound really bad but feel okay, just all congested. I had an awesome ride yesterday with the girls (Rachel, Riikka, Liz) and KP and felt spot on. Somewhere along the ride I got stung by a bee right near my armpit- usual burning and stinging, but usually it just goes away. This time it swelled up and is still itchy today. I had felt another pain on my chest but did not bother with it too much. When I took my jersey off I found a mashed up bee and the stinger sticking out. Double whammy! Well that's what I get for riding with my jersey wide open - letting friend come in.

Despite the cold- my swim was great and the run following was terrific as well. Its when I stop exercising my head fill up and I don't feel so well....what is the message here? I finally gave in and took a sudafed. I was contemplating a Beadryl for the bee stings...but that seems like a lot, I can just complain instead.

Kids are registered for school....long gone are the days we do this together- they print all the forms and ensure that I don't need to be near them during the process....sniff, sniff. 1 week from today and school is back in. Where did the summer go?

Las Vegas 70.3 Just the facts.....

2011-08-16T20:17:00.000-07:00

So I was asked for a Vegas 70.3 recap...less all the personal stuff. So if you are not racing Vegas or not a triathlete, you probably want to skip this blog post!

SWIM: No clue....Lake Las Vegas is not open to swimming year round so we were not able to do any recon. Looking at the area it was hard to tell where T1 will be, where the swim takes place etc. The question will be wetsuits or not? We felt the lake and it was NOT hot but since I did not have a thermometer with me it is hard to say if the temperature is within the wetsuit legal range or not. Word on the street is no wetsuit, so get a swim skin. If you are wondering if it is worth it - YES they do make a difference and hello you are at the World Championship. Don't give me, but they are expensive- take a look at what you spend to save less than 1lb on your bike- do it, get one! I hear Zoot will have theirs ready and I hope they do!!! I love my Prophet Wetsuit so can only assume the swim skin will rock too.

BIKE: So you can see the map and the profile..... what do you notice? The most amount of climbing is mile 40-56 and this is hard to imagine when your ride the course. As you exit T1 and Lake Las Vegas you are climbing almost immediately out to the highway, good time to settle in and not go crazy, Although there will be many hammering out, eager to ride, there is no need, you will have plenty of time to climb hard. First you turn right toward Henderson for a bit and then get on the River Trail and head back towards Lake Mead. You enter the National Park and do an out and back. The roads are good. Rolling hills and if there is no wind this will be a fast course, if there is wind, not so much. The climbs are reasonable all can be done aero - nothing as steep as the Oceanside or Wildflower Climbs. Great for sighting competition as you turn around at mile 18. Once you exit the park you are on the highway for a bit and then the stair step turns through the neighborhoods begin. It reminded me a bit of St George neighborhoods - bleak, desert like and not that exciting, But you are climbing the whole way. Here is where I think people will feel the ride...if you over ride in the park this will be tough. Still aero but a lot of turns and not exciting. I don't image there will be many crowds back there either. No shade and may be really hot. We missed the last 2 miles but I am sure they meander through the neighborhood to T2.

RUN
T2 and the finish are in a big park/amphitheater area- with shade. Rolling in T2 should be easy and nice to be on the grass. Getting out to the run course was hard to navigate so I am unsure of the route, But the run is odd, really more like an L. You run ~1 mile net downhill and turn around at a park, run back up past T2 and then run up hill ~1 mile- steeper climb for sure, turn around and run back down- that is lap 1. There will be no shade so expect it to be hot. I think the run is fair, can be broken into 1/3's and gives you 6 opportunities to see your competition as you are out and back each segment. I imagine crowd support will be tremendous so the run will go by quickly. The last downhill mile is of course better than uphill but tough on the quads.

So there you have it.....where to stay? We are staying at Green Valley Ranch, at the finish, Bike check in is on Saturday so race AM I assume there will be shuttles- there is not much near Lake Las Vegas- hotels and restaurants but all expensive. At the finish you have lots of shopping and more to do. Plus we will all be hanging at the pool bar Sunday post race...so come join us.

Any specific questions...fire away! Cheers and good luck.

Oh and was it hot- yes it was f'ing hot! Well over 100 degrees- but definitely a dry heat. Sort of like running or riding into a hair dryer.

Smashed in Las Vegas....Girls Weekend

2011-08-12T20:11:00.000-07:00

I am sure this headline conjures up many images....drunken nights, shows, strip clubs, gambling, night clubs and the list goes on. Well this girls trip did include lots of girl times, getting smashed, chugging liquids, passing out....but in a very triathlon sort of a way.

I think we drank 4 beers and 1.5 bottles of wine between the 4 of us over 3 nights.... Instead of going to sleep at dawn, our goal was to be in bed before it was dark (ie before 9pm) and up before it was hot (ie 5:15am)

We rented a very cool condo in Lake Las Vegas... 1.2 miles from the start of Vegas 70.3 World Championships. Wicked cheap.... amazing the discounts you can get when it is 117- not kidding. We rolled in on Monday night around 5 and it was 117. First stop- Whole Foods- Beth and I stopped on the way in and ~~ate our way through the store~~ went shopping for the next 24 hours and headed to the condo where Brandy was settled in. We could not figure out the gate nor the lock box but managed to get in somehow. Relaxed night and I picked up Jen at the airport- late night bike assembly and all of us (less Brandy) realized how much we rely on our husbands for this kind of a thing.

Up at 5:15, coffee brewing and GF pancakes on griddle. Riikka, Ian and Brain arrived on time at 6 and after Ian's strong hands helped with the new tire..we were rolling at 6:10 to ride the course. We skipped the swim as there is no do much other than float around in Lake Las Vegas- not set up for swimming. So here is the recon on the course.....

Bike Course.....beautiful ride, great roads! Challenging but not a Wildflower or IMSG.

As soon as you get on your bike you are climbing out of Lake Las Vegas and then again into the National Park- we had to pay $5 but assuming on race day it will be free. Immediate left turn to head North, we headed South for a bit ~~because we were completely lost,~~ to see how the other direction looked. We righted ourselves and rode on....rolling hills, NOTHING steep or grinding, all very, very manageable- will be very fair and a great ride- VERY fast IF there is no wind....Tuesday was calm and fast, Thursday was wicked, wicked, did I say wicked, head wind going out and a a tail wind for part of the ride back- then shifted again. I digress..the first 36 miles are in the park on great roads, not technical and allow for lots of aero riding. As you exit the park, climb out- it is actually the steepest climb of the course, but does not look that way at all. Down the highway you go and quickly start the neighborhood climbs to T2- 16 miles of dogleg lefts, false flats and views similar to the neighborhoods of St George. This will be the more challenging part of the course...and if you are not careful will leave you wiped out.

T1 and T2 are separate locations....T2/Finish have a lot to offer-Whole Foods and lots of restaurants, hotels and cool spots-

We left T2 and rode back to the condo to cool down...temp was reading 114 outside. I have to say for as hot as it was....it did not feel all that hot. Good news. We chowed down, showered, ate and napped! AH! Such is the life..... 20 minutes into my nap work called....but hey 20 minutes, is 20 minutes. Next up we went to the pool for a swim sesh.... really nice outdoor pool for $2. Downside the pool temp was close to 85 and it was over 110 outside. A bit sick feeling but we got in a solid 4500yard workout.... We had our own lanes for 30+ minutes and then swim team came and we had to pile into 1 lane with a really agro dude. He was NOT happy he had to share, swam down the middle of the lane, sprinting and knocking hands- He ran over e one too many times and the next time we passed I ~~smacked him hard~~ accidentally hit him with my hand paddle!

Back to Whole Foods for dinner food!

Run Course....not really a loop- but you get the picture

Hitting the run course

Gotta love it.... worked for us. In bed early and then we slept in....6am. And off to the run course. Again I was pleasantly surprised- I heard hilly, hilly...the course is 3 loops which on paper is not too desirable but in theory it is not a loop. You leave T2 and somehow get out of the parking lot, we missed this, but then a nice mile mostly down hill, turn around in a park and back up, past T2 and up hill 1 mile - much steeper climb and then turn around and back. Loop 1 will be fine, loop 2 not so fun and the final loop just get up the hill and then a nice downhill finish. Very fair run, spectator friendly for sure and great for seeing your competitors. I would recommend some downhill running so you can smash that final mile- running down on sore quads is a bit tough.

We swam again without the nightmare dude.....and then enjoyed a nice afternoon. Hammered out some work and we had a so-so dinner at a Mexican Place in Lake Las Vegas....the company was good! food- eh,. margaritas not so good. Early to bed....and up at 5- Pancakes and coffee on deck and out to ride again....

This ride was much different.....big wind changed the course a lot!!! Hills were the same, obviously....but wind adds to the day. Someone asked me about gearing...I would not say you need "special" gearing- as in Wildflower but my new motto is better to have too many than not enough. I will probably roll my 11-27 only because I have it and have only used it for Wildflower.

The other question for the race is where to stay....Lake Las Vegas has some great resorts- Loews, Aston Condos... and a lot of other great condos and you are at the start! But the finish has Whole Foods :) We are staying Green Valley Ranch..... awesome pools and spot for some post race RnR. Either way you will be fine!

We did a T run in 114 degree weather, rode over 8 hours in temps well over 100 degrees and it felt like the hair dryer was on high in your face...but it was not horrible- very doable. Dry heat so you are not dripping sweat- and as longs as you hydrate, take salt and get in calories...all is well. After all it is only a 70.3.

Thursday ride we added on to the Marina....screaming descent and we were all hot and a bit bonky....dreading the climb out we stocked up.

monster rehab, Frito's, frozen snickers, trail mix, gummy bears....please get us up this hill

The only thing missing is the gigantic dill pickle which Jen bought, drank the juice and ditched the pickle. Jen lives in Tulsa where it is 114 and humid...she knows how to replace sodium! We had such a screamin tail wind coming up the hill the climb was nothing.... either that or we were super powered.

As for the rest of the time.....the group of girls was perfect! Beth is an ideal travel partner- always has to pee (like me), always up for a Starbucks stop and is happy to eat bags of carrots in the car. Brandy, whom I met at the condo just rolls with it.... met us all for the first time and was perfect. Jen and I have stayed together at races so we already knew it would work. We all gelled, laughed a lot, ~~bitched~~ praised our husbands, ate like we trained and did not want to go home. I see another trip like this in the future.... love you girls!

So we are nearly home.....45 minutes. Withing riding distance and we have to make one last frantic bathroom stop. So frantic I cannot find or get to a gas station...exit Old 395 and drive uphill and throw on the brake, turn off the car, open both doors and go. Feeling 10000% better I hear this odd noise....like a rattle. Holy Crap I look to my left to see the 2nd 1/2 of a big fat Rattler slinking up into the bushes. Beth nearly climbs in my arms, screams get in the car.....then wants me to back up so see if we can see it. Talk about the adrenaline shot I needed for the final drive home.

Thanks girls....for the good training and good fun!

More of the same....

2011-08-08T10:32:00.000-07:00

Heading to Vegas for 3 days of heat training and girl fun! Rolling out with Beth and picking up Jen later tonight- we have a condo in Lake Las Vegas and the plan is meet up with Noko and Brian and roll at 6am for a 70is mile ride on the Vegas 70.3 World Champs course... eat and recover a bit and hit the 50 meter pool for a long swim session and then its RnR!

Wednesday we hit the run course early...beat the heat and since it is 3 loops and we are varied runners- Beth being wicked fast, Jen really fast, Noko fast and me well, anyway. we will probably run laps and reconvene at the end. Hit the pool again and then avoid the heat.

Thursday we are riding again and hitting the road! Going to be fun, fun, fun!!!

Last few days have been about swim.bike.run and hanging with JD and John. Good fun and nice movie time... Movies we have seen- Limitless: highly recommend. Soul Surfer - another thumbs up and Unknown- another good spy movie. Yes we have nice summer evenings and we should be at the beach, well we did that Thursday, but we are all tired..... weekdays me from working and training, JD is working and up early and is beat and John is putting in long hours- so we are happy to eat outside by the pool and pile on the couch for movies.

We are all eating the best of summer....more corn. tomatoes every night, Alaskan salmon, grilled chicken and purple potatoes, spinach and lemonade Popsicles for dessert! Last night I did make cookies for JD- my going way present for him.

The Ironman Train....

2011-08-04T20:50:00.000-07:00

Survived Saturday's ride thanks to coke and chips! Sunday was a trail run... off and on issues with my dang foot- the one I sliced open in November with the broken plate- something seriously happened as the injury comes and goes and it has come again.... but the run was successful and with pancakes and an ice bath I was ready for the 2nd half of the day. Farmers Market... yuuum and Jen's baby shower. So much fun! She is adorable and beaming with all the good pregnancy hormones.

I am so excited for them and just stunned to think it was nearly 17 years ago for me....really, really am I that old? Ugh- yes. The shower was great run and thanks to the Daubner's for hosting- but you could see the wiped out, over trained triathletes vs the young parents who have a balance in life now. The tired kids (me being one, ate, hung out, cleaned up and left) meanwhile the young parents and kids were swimming. This is why you don't have kids at 45...well my siblings did but not me.

Monday was a well earned and appreciated recovery day and then the train began..... swim and run, swim and GWL + Descanso in the heat- okay not the 110+ degrees in Tulsa, but close to 90 and hot, hairdryer hot- eyes drying out hot, water is hot hot, and so hot and dry there is really no sweat on the descents hot- and this is nothing...not 110 Vegas hot, but we are easing into the heat. Today was another swim- 12,000 yards in 3 days and I am feeling it- Wednesday swim was a hard one and today was, well not so hard! Mid week runs on the treadmill to monitor the foot and so far so good!

Wednesday was a classic day....up at 5- 1 hour solid work and hit the pool, post swim 30 min email over coffee and a bagel ( yes full carbs), long ride., shower in Starbucks post ride and "cleaned" up, 2 conference calls while driving to Oceanside for a 1:30 lunch and meeting, 30 min at Starbucks to review 2 contracts, Acupuncture, 2 more calls and then a few hours of work in the evening. Dinner of champions: corn from Farmers Market, fresh tomatoes from neighbors garden with olive oil, balsamic and feta and a huge bowl of fresh strawberries...stunning colors and such good food!

Thursday more swimming and running and really busy work day with a coffee date with dad and a smashing evening at dog beach!. John and JD surfing and Zen and I played in the waves as the sun was setting.... another summer fresh dinner and it's almost Friday!

sashimi and pure fit bars are not Ironman training fuel

2011-07-31T11:42:00.000-07:00

Deliciousdinner on Friday with JD and John! Howwe consumed $85 so quickly I am not sure...but we got out of the house and a anice family dinner out. I was thinking healthy food, not long swim and ridefueling, so I ordered seaweed salad and sahimi (skit the rice) I ate a lot of both and consumed a largeSapporo (carbs in that)

I didmake a pancake before the swim.... but after that was fueling with PureFitbars- which are described as "The all-natural, gluten-free and wheat-free,dairy-free, vegan, kosher, high in protein, diabetic-friendly, that tastesgreat nutrition bar. But no where do you see selling references like "®C2MAX dual source energy blend, a 2:1 glucose to fructose blend found to deliver20–50% more energy to muscles than glucose alone and improve enduranceperformance by 8%.* Performance Energy bars contain 200mg sodium — a keyelectrolyte lost in sweat that is associated with muscle cramping in someathletes."- which Power Bar offers. I had a glove box filled with both barsbut I chose the PureFit bars.

So somewhere long into the ride, near the Wild Animal Park with a Havi like head wind I am bonking badly....I fall off Beth and James's wheel and start the pity party. Next stop I tell them to go ahead, I am riding the rest of the way really slowly and alone...Beth, God love her, tells me to F'ck off and we are riding togged. James can go on but we are together. We make out last fuel stop and I dump all remnants of anything that is sweet and fill one bottle with coke- real coke and ice and the other with ice water. As we are waiting in line I snag a bag of salty, greasy potato chips and tear into them. They are in such disrepair the guy cannot even scan them....As I a licking the bag strolling out we run into Trevor who says "bonk much" ? I give him the finger and am happy about my fueling choices. Within minutes..... my "wit" is back and I am feeling a million times better! carbs, salt, caffeine and sugar! We are rolling baby...... Thanks Beth for being a good friend!

With ice bags on my legs, a bag of Frito's and a large coke I drove home! Pancakes for dinner

Music, friends, training...

2011-07-29T10:25:00.000-07:00

On my ride this am....3 songs played in a row that most remind me of Riley. Brought a huge smile to my face thinking about her somewhere out on the Pacific sailing and enjoying life. I she is loving every day and minute of her adventure at sea! Its' funny how songs can conjure up such vivid memories...pretty cool!

And while I am relatively sappy....I have to say I am so thankful for my friends! My friends are diverse and I love them all...whether is is the girl talk while running on the beach or lamenting about teenagers over a glass of wine. I love John and he is super supportive and loves me dearly I know but he just cannot replace a girlfriend. My girlfriends are good listeners, empathizers and sympathizers, are keen to call my bluff if necessary and are just fun to be with! I appreciate you girls....

Well recovery week is ending and I wish I could say I am bouncing off the walls and am 100%...but I am feeling better every day and my legs are slowly coming around. Darn IT Band is wound up so tight and my left ankle has flared up...but with some good ART and Simone's healing hands they seem to be easing up. I have no patience when it comes to down time...seriously after 4 days of recovery I want and expect to feel 100%- not happening....either I am getting old (yest that is a fact) or I have done more work than I realized. Probably a bit of both...I keep sending coach reasons I may be tired and he nicely says yes right, then tells me why that is probably not it, and reminds me of the training I have done- okay, okay...maybe, just maybe I did this to myself? I find myself surfing the Internet for cures for "dead" legs, fatigue.... funny I get sucked into all the ads...and then calmly shut the page down before I whip out my credit card to take advantage of "the final offer, money back guarantee...fountain of youth."

Oh well all is good....weekend is ramping training back up and rolling into a solid week and then we head to Vegas for our mini training camp. More girl time and should be awesome!!!

Energy? Legs? Anyone seen mine....

2011-07-25T11:37:00.000-07:00

3 days of solid recovery and I am ready to have some spunk again....not happening. One of the worst swims I can recall this AM- seriously when I cannot make the interval with paddles on- time to get out- and I did, 58 minutes into the workout, in the middle of the 500, I hopped out- done!

Friday I took the day off. Saturday a cruisy social ride with Cathleen, hardly broke a sweat and Sunday day off- 2 naps, 9+ hours of sleep each night....eating well and hello? So there you have it!

Riley is off on the Tole Mour for 3 weeks.....sniff - I am so excited for her. This is her 2nd time on the ship and so different from last year. As a veteran she knew what to pack, over packed (seems all the returning sailors pack more each year) 1- they realize it does get cold out in middle of the Pacific even in the summer and 2- laundry 1 time in 3 weeks means laundry 1 time in 3 weeks. Also washing clothes in salt water is not ideal. Big change this year- only 3 girls and 13 dudes....last year was 11 and 11. Interesting ...John asked me if I had the "sex talk" with her on the drive up :) The girls all sailed last year and it was a great reunion.

Scuba diving, showers in the ocean- washing you hair with Dawn dish washing soap, 1 real shower, no electronics, night watches, scrubbing toilets and making memories of a lifetime!

Asked JD last night if he will miss her....No. FB post last night says "no sister for 3 weeks" we will see - he may get lonely or miss her when he has to do all her chores....

Raising the white flag.....

2011-07-22T09:39:00.000-07:00

Yup....flag is waiting..... what for? I am baked, cooked, tired....... and this flag is hard to raise and not fun to raise!   So when I said Ironman training officially began last week, well that was sort of not true. In my mind it was true but when KP pulled data from Training Peaks seems that well...I was on my 4th week of big training. See I had said come mid July game on for Kona, but seems the game unofficially started a few weeks ago and I was playing along and loving it!

Last week I finished well..... great ride on Saturday and my T Run was piece of cake. Sunday my 1 hour run was ugh painful.... I was checking my watch every few minutes to see how much longer. Sign for me...tired! I got it done and was ready mentally for one more big week. But not physically. Monday was okay, Tue long ride was a struggle and each day was tougher...by yesterday when I was doing my long run- it was too hard for what it was and the warning signs were firing off. Today I woke up, tired after 10 hours of sleep and starving....craving starving, and me legs just ached.

So I raised the flag and emailed KP..... recovery week starts today!    If I am really good and follow with recovery as planned, my reward is a 7 hour Big Day Training on Saturday and a long run on Sunday!   Sick....really I know but well that seems to be how I roll.

Eat to win....Eat to train....

2011-07-14T16:32:00.000-07:00

Vacation is over.... less wine, more miles and more power food! Game on!

Last night I made my "Pot of Power" which included...sauteed scallions and celery, added garlic and then chopped up kale, collard greens, spinach, swiss chard and added salt and some coconut water and a tad coconut mild. Let it cook for 2 hours on low..... these greens need ALOT of cooking. Added curry, cumin and more salt and it was delicious!!! Topped with garbanzo beans and it was filling and I could just feel it mending my muscles.

Today after a killer swim session....ouch!!! I took a few scoops and mixed with egg whites and heated up! Another good lunch....

I wish I could say it has been all good and healthy..... dark chocolate is sill lurking about- but he that has redeeming qualities too!

Tonight...Padre game with JD most likely less greens and more barley and hops! It's all about balance anyway :)

Get your greens! Recovery and getting strong....

2011-07-14T10:46:00.000-07:00

I eat a lot of greens....esp with Ironman training in full swing but there are days I need more or want a boost! This stuff is the bomb! Mixed with iced coffee......yum! Yesterday after my long run mixed Green Super Food with Fluid Chocolate Recovery and iced coffee- Perfect! All good and good for me!

Shoes..... Merrell Barefoot Pure Glove

2011-07-12T14:18:00.000-07:00

If you have any shin, foot or lower leg issues.....flip flops are a no-no! Researchers found when you wear flip-flops, the muscles on the front of your shins work harder. Flip-flops were also found to shorten a person's stride. All of this can cause sore feet, ankles and legs.

Summer is here......and I love my flip flops!!! But.... I want to be kind to my shins, feet etc.... I tried the Vibrams and 1- they are hard to put on and 2- my toes get cramped....so I was wearing flip flops again. Until I found these!! Merrell Barefoot Pure Glove

They are the best! Super comfortable, lightweight, grippy sole, easy to put on, a bit of arch support and super cute (many compliments on them) Do your feet a favor and pick up a pair. They claim " Microfiber lining and non-removable footbed treated with Aegis® antimicrobial solution resists odor. So far I can say it works pretty well.....time will tell- still highly recommend even if stinky

Let Ironman Training begin.....

2011-07-11T21:15:00.000-07:00

90 miles.....7900 ft of elevation and a great way to kick off "real" Ironman training. 3 months to Ironman.... time to get serious. I convinced Beth and Liz to come along :) and we had a grand time....Usual start of the Great Western Loop, onto Descanso and then we keep going... up to Gutay and on to Pine Valley and then the final 1 11 miles up to Mt Laguna! If Beth was not racing Vineman this weekend we would have continued down the backside and around Cuyamaca to make it 103 miles but we "wimped" out and did an out and back and kept it at 90!

Top of Mt Laguna....most of the climbing is done and we all enjoyed cookies!!!

You know it is a serious hill climb when it takes 3:45 out and 2:10 back...

Good times, good friends and let the training begin! The best part of this sport is all the great friends and all the crazy rides we endure together!!!

Colorado calling my name......

2011-07-07T17:28:00.000-07:00

My 1st house

We arrived here on Saturday and took a trip down memory lane- went to visit the house I grew up in in Denver and visited the pool I learned to swim in. I was under 1 year old and was already a fish....the very pool I joined my first swim team as a 6 & Under and I was maybe 4. Swimming 25's in races for jelly beans. So many great memories and a great place to grow up.

Hampton Heights Swim Club

From there we headed to Boulder and the drive alone calls my name....driving toward the mountains is just stunning and so peaceful. I just love it. We had a great day and arrival with my sis and bro-in law and nieces. How could we not be welcomed with open arms- we brought Super Soakers!!

Sunday my sis and I joined a local bike shop weekly ride. Perfect as they had 3 groups and I headed off with the A group. We had a great ride out to Hygiene and I pulled train of girls who later thanked me for setting a new pace at the weekly ride. When the question was asked "should we stop" (those who ride with me know the answer) and said NOOOO- on we went and again they thanked me. Come on girls speak up :) It was great- scenic and fun women. Topped off the ride with coffee at Amante with K and headed home.

Monday my bro in law and I headed to our next destination via bike. 60+ mile ride,. 4000+ feet of climbing- not a big deal right? Well when you start at 5900 ft and end at 8200ft and you are not acclimated- it becomes a tough ride!

Here we are at the top of a sensational climb...snow capped Rockies in the background- stunning! Thankfully DeRose was not killing it and was nice to me- many stops and lots of food along the way- even caved and chowed a bag of Frito's. Ride pretty much felt like a total bonk..... but was a lot of fun!

We met up with JD and Riley and my sis's family at the YMCA Camp in the Rockies- stunning views and we had a very remote cabin which was great. Deer and Elk in the front yard and lots of fun to be had! The camp was .7 miles away and we could play miniature golf- where I clobbered JD- seems playing Golf for real does not translate to mini golf skills. All good fun....made tie dye shirts and the girls painted ceramics.

Great fun for 2 nights and then time to head home but not before a trip to the Rocky Mountain National Park - 12,000 + ft and more fun!!! And then the hail/rain ride home..... and here we are back in Boulder!

Hail, rain, hail, road closures, wrong turn......and more!

2011-07-06T18:01:00.000-07:00

Fun with Archery!!!!

Day 5 in Boulder and the trip is awesome....more on the previous days - but have to recap my ride today. We spent the last 3 days in Estes Park- 8000+ feet near the Rock Mountain National Park. Amazing cabin in the wilderness. Here is what we found in our front yard!

Today was out last day and we started with Archery....for the record- 3 rounds of arrows, 4 each and 1, yes 1 of the 12 actually hit the paper- not the bulls eye or the 3 surrounding rings- but the white paper. The rest shot over, under, around, in the ground.... so the Biathlon will not be in my future. I'm just sayin

We headed up to the Rocky Mountain National Park- 12,000 feet of stunning beauty!

After the great fun and adventure of 12,000 feet we headed down and I decided to ride home to Boulder. 36 miles - 3000 ft down :) and a few rollers. As I headed out it began to sprinkle which soon transitioned to rain- steady rain as I climbed out of Estes Park. As I rode along Kathleen and the kids drove by...I decided if they stopped and asked I would definitely get in the car, but they waved. On I climbed and climbed....the rain got heavier and heavier. At the summit it dawned on me that the descent in the rain would not be fun- but it was pouring, no place for shelter and I soldiered on. A rock, or so I thought, hit me and then another and another....not rocks hail. Soon it was painful and I was a bit scared...I wanted to stop by it was so slick I was not sure I could stop- eventually I had to stop as it was killing me- I saw a barren tree ahead and aimed for that, breaking slowly....I reached it and as I hit the gravel I slid into a branch and cut my nose. Seeing shelter under a tree without leaves offers little respite- I waited it out and considered calling for a ride, but there was no place to wait and it was pouring. Back on the road, carefully riding, and hail returned. This time I found 2 mailboxes to sit under and listen the the hail pummel the metal. No pictures, phone would be ruined in a minute!

Finally hail ceased and the rain was no big deal. Eventually I saw the dry road but there were drops falling.... oh no, my worry was the storm was moving at the same pace as I. No I out rode it and was soon in the sunshine and warming up fast. I wanted to get off the highway and took a detour, longer than I thought, but took me to a nice spot I had visited on Sunday. With the storm over and drying out I realized I was bonking hard. Thankfully I found Mary's in the town of Hygiene and scarfed a turkey sandwich, espresso and was rolling. Checked in with my sis and decided to meet her for coffee at the famous Amanti's

Good old iPhone directed me to another Amanti's in an office park....arh! rain again, lost and grumpy! Finally arrived, dry and enjoyed a much deserved iced latte and chilled with my sis!

Riley turns 15!

2011-07-01T06:39:00.000-07:00

Beach Cruiser!! Girls has wheels, finally

Can my "baby" really be 15....gulp! Hard to believe frankly. 2 days of parties and fun for Riley- 29th was the "girls" birthday and the 7 Wonders had a blast swimming, hanging out and enjoying each others company. Fun too see such great friends!!

The colors alone are enough!

And then onto the family birthday! We are so thankful to have my parents and their spouses live so near! Family really makes birthday celebrations so special!

Great fun with everyone!

Black and white seemed to be the theme color

I'm eating, leave me alone

3 generations

Riley's favorite! Strawberry cake made by Granny!

sucking the helium and singing ABC's

Helium fun!

Health.....

2011-06-23T13:04:00.000-07:00

how the drugs make me feel

I admittedly take my good health and relatively injury free status for granted....until now that is. This allergic reaction has made me aware that when we don't have our health so much else falls apart. Now on day 10 of this but it is definitely getting better.

The week in Cancun was hardly tolerable but I did it - thanks to the various medications, beautiful ocean and my wonderful kids. Upon my return I saw my Dr who put me on a strong dose of prednisone which is powerful stuff. Day 1 I felt like I was on speed all day, felt immediate improvement and was so relieved to finally see progress. Still did not sleep but now on day 4...I see the progress and am thankful. What I am not thankful for are the horrendous side effects. Stomach upset- unless you eat with a lot of food- pancakes are perfect so that is less of an issue. But the water retention is horrific. Started with puffy eyes and now is puffy everything. I cannot see my wrist bones and had to loosen my watch. Not only is it disgusting to see that in the mirror but my skin hurts from being stretched. And the grand finale is the red blotchy rash that is from the drug- not my rash. Really a sight for sore eyes....when you google prednisone and read of others who are on this long term....I get a grasp on reality- 6 days for me. I am self conscious in public - assuming people are staring at me and wondering what is going on with that lady- my vanity surely to assume anyone is even looking, But when I take off my sunglasses and you can see ~~bags~~ full set of luggage under my eyes, people do a double take-

So training.....well that has been interesting. Monday am I was awake from 3am so I went to swim- water felt great and swim was fantastic- until I got out and the chlorine took its toll on the rash. Tried running later in the day but the drugs had elevated my heart rate so much I was afraid. Tuesday.... boost of a little sleep (4 hours ) and was so eager to ride again and had date with Beth and the GWL. Oh boy... immediately the sunscreen burned the rash to no end. Had to rinse off and try again...finally I used my Zealios and not only did it not burn it soothed...maybe the zinc, not sure. In any case the ride started out cloudy which was awesome but as soon as the sun peaked out I was so not prepared for the effect of the heat on the rash - painful, itchy, swelling and we had to cut the ride short and went home to a cold shower hoping I had not undone all the healing. Tue night was a breakthrough 6 hours of sleep- 2 x 3 hour increments. This was great!!! Learning that I can only train inside or the dark I was at the pool early and on the TM for a run. I actually feel great training- the sweat is cleansing and I lose some of the puffiness, comes right back, but is a relief. Today was an early ride and coffee date with John and back inside before the June gloom wore off. Next few days will be early as well....

I am racing San Diego International on Sunday and cannot quite fathom how that will play out - where is my fitness, no clue. Did some solid running in Cancun - hoping that pays off. Not much swimming and cycling is all over the board. No speed work and this is a short race- will my legs go fast? Averaging 2-4 hours of sleep for 10 days- that is taking a serious toll. Medications....certainly not performance enhancing- I am thinking of asking for a head start due to my condition???

The good news...it is a short race, early and on the coast so I hope no sun! The idea of showing up in my Michelin man puffy state is not fun.....but to not race because of appearances only would be lame.

The day will be what the day will be! So in the meantime....I apply lotion every 2 hours to my poor damaged skin, wear sunglasses inside, am still irritable and grumpy but am trying to be nicer, appreciating the time of day I feel great, hoping for more sleep each night! Thankful this is temporary and empathic for those who suffer with major maladies every day!

Anyone want a review of lotions, topical treatments.....happy to share!!!

Dear Zen

2011-06-18T19:16:00.000-07:00

So Zen is our chocolate lab who has had skin issues since werescued him 6+ years ago....he goes through phases of constant scratching andbiting. Yes, I take him to the vet when it gets bad and we put him on meds. Buton a daily basis he can be seen or heard scratching or biting...I tend toholler at him to STOP ZEN.

But now....as I head into day 6 of the horrible affliction Iempathize with him and am shamed for all the times I yelled at him to stop anddid not offer assistance. I am sure hehas raging itching is places he cannot reach and he does not have the dexterityto use a towel to aggressively scratch the itch.

Itchy skin is horrible.....When there are red welts,blisters and lesions that is not fun either. But as the wounds heal there is phantom itching, perhaps akin to whatsomeone feels after losing a limb? I amnot sure. But at 7 days post outcroppingmy skin is 70% better- buy my skin is crawling (literally feels like 1000+ants) at any given time of the day. Itmoves from my hands to arms and chest.

Seriously.... I am sorry to whoever put this hex upon me!!!I will repent, just tell me how.

I have quit most of the Mexican meds as I have no clue whatthey really are.....the itching stops in the water and at random times of theday. Nighttime it takes on a life of its own and thus sleep is a limited option....Ice feels great but is not a long term solution.

I carry a candle of solidarity with Zen and anyone else withmajor skin issues…..I always have know skin is the largest organ with the mostnerve endings…but now I REALLY get it!

So here we are out last night in ~~paradise~~ and yes the affliction is better.. but long from being gone!

Cancun and Cozumel..the good and the bad

2011-06-16T15:55:00.000-07:00

No photos? Why not.....well the underwater camera is wellunderwater, or at least is carrying a solid cup of water inside the camera sothere will be no photo essay of the 2 tank dive trip we did today in Cozumel.One cool wall dive and a nice reef dive. Visibility was as far as you can see,water temp 80-85 and heavenly. Good day indeed!

Time of this blog...good question- seems when a watch sayswater resistant to 50 feet they do not mean it is resistant to 80 feet. Sincewe dove to 80 ft....my watch gave out- but it was fun being at 80 feet and thesurface looking like it was 10 feet away. It was a crappy watch anyway.

Puppies’ breath fast...so does Riley- we had to shorten ourfirst dive- I had 1500PSI's and Riley had 500. Early surfacing for us- but thankfulshe was vigilant in watching her air. 2nd dive she slowed down breathing and wemaxed out the dive.

Seen 3 Dr's in Mexico...nice they come to my hotel room. 1stone came with big shots to clear up my raging rash. Combination of steroids(non performance enhancing- I have since learned- not even the benefit ofdoping through this ordeal) and antihistamine + anti-inflammatory. 50%improvement over night and another round I was well on my way to enjoyingCancun outside my hotel room- no sun allowed on the raging rash.

Great day on Wednesday leaving the crowdedness of hotel rowin Cancun and took the ferry to Cozumel. 1st day I felt great and we had somefun at Senior Frogs and enjoyed live local music on the ride over. Water inCozumel beckons you....so blue and clear and inviting. We dumped our gear inthe hotel room and went snorkeling- not a lot to see but nice to enjoy thewater and get excited for our diving on Thursday.

Kids are getting along marvelously and I am pretty sure allthe bartenders see their purple wristbands which mean virgin drinks! They havebeen great making sure I am not dying and checking in on me while quarantined fromthe sun.

I was not missing diving, was feeling much better and spentmore $$ on my rash issue by investing in a 50spf rash guard for our day ofdiving. Each resort offers 5-10 restaurants for dinner and since it is allinclusive we can choose- we have been alternating casual and dressed up - pantsand collared shirt for JD and dress for RM and mom - no flip flops.

Our Brazilian adventure was fun in Cancun and we opted forthe nice Italian spot here in Cozumel. Kids had pizza? Really.... yes. Withmenus in Spanish I took the waiters recommendation for the "classic"Italian fish dish. Looked like a giant fish stick to me.... more vegetablesplease and another glass of wine and I will be fine. Brazilian Steak House wasa win; Italian in Cozumel was a bust. But nice white cloth dining and a good refresheron which fork to use with each course.

Mexican games and fun around the pool and off to bed....Rash came alive around 11 and kept me awake and miserable until around 2am-ah....so more for the magical drugs. I was not missing diving and was sure themagical Mexican Caribbean would cure all. In the water, I am golden, out of thewater....time to call a Doctor. Over $400 in Dr bills and medicines I hope tohave this leashed. Hard to understand what she was saying....but when you hear lesionsand your name you know it is not pretty, no sun, no sun, no sun- got themessage and back to quarantined or become a vampire- rats! Hoping for sleep andwill take it one day at a time.

Tomorrow we head back to the mainland for 2 nights in Playadel Carmen. We are thinking of underground cave tours on Saturday - no sun incaves right?

Thankfully the resorts have nice gyms so I can run every day- inside and air conditioned.

So I am making the best of this trip...... all in all we arehaving a lot of fun! Kids are really enjoying it so that is a bonus.

Fun with the underwater camera

2011-06-15T19:42:00.000-07:00

Made it to Cozumel....sensational! Wonderful hotel and water is to die for. Had to test the underwater camera today before we scuba tomorrow!

Kids so excited to be in clear water....wait until they see a reef!!

sea urchins....scary memory from my youth - glad the kids found this and not me

Post snorkeling... viring pina's by the pool and a serious game of hearts

Canun Fun!

2011-06-15T09:40:00.000-07:00

Despite my wicked rash and being quarantined from the heat and sun..we are having fun! Great food and fun at the Moon Palace in Cancun. Ocean must be 85 degrees....serious bathtub water-

Kids have been just jet skiing, swimming, game room, tennis and checking on me throughout the day. Once the sun went down we headed out for some fun.

Very fun pool bar with swings .... good photo editing on my part so you cannot see the rash.

13 restaurant on property- we had Mexican the first night and hit the Brazilian Steak House last night. Nothing like meat on a stick.... steak, pork, chicken, turkey, ~~veal,~~ short ribs and more. Delicious side dishes and desserts as well.

Travel

2011-06-08T19:01:00.000-07:00

To say I travel a lot would be a lie....to say I traveled a lot the last 3 weeks would be the truth! 4 cites in 3 weeks.... 6+ airplanes, 3 rental cars, shuttles and town cars, 5 hotels and lots of good food. This was work travel and I worked it out as best I could to fall during a convenient time for me! No family conflicts, no Ironman training so it was all good. And I am done, well as far as I know for a few months.

I hope we can survive

The next travel on deck is all for fun...... Kids and I are Cancun bound on Monday! The kids and I went to Puerto Vallarta 5+ years ago and it was a great trip. I love John and we love traveling as a family but Mom and kids time is important as well. I have "needed" to go to Cancun for a long time....in all actuality I really do. I have booked a number of clients there and have no clue how Cancun is set up, what any of the hotels are like etc....and well knowledge is an important factor in my job. I was invited on a "fam" - familiarization trip to Cancun. A fam trip is when hotels or a destination flies you there at their cost for a few days to experience what they have to offer. 6+ years ago when I was new to the business I loved such trips...now they are time away from my family, a lot of walking (running I can do- but walking) to see multiple hotels and venues each day etc- there is always stellar food and beverages but it is work after all. Surely when it comes work- this is not really work, but to me it is. So back to my story... I decided I would go on the fam trip but then had a better idea- skip the fam trip, pay our own way and have some serious RnR with the kids.

They get out of school on Thursday and we are heading out Monday! 3 days in Cancun and 3 in Cozumel for some scuba diving!! Between now and then they have 2 finals to take, last day of school fun to include R hanging with a friend and JD golfing, Friday JD working and Riley at a party and me at the Cove...followed by too graduation parties on Saturday and Sunday!

Few ride....going back for more fun on Saturday in Rainbow and Sunday remains to be seen...

Mid Season break...or sort of

2011-06-07T19:29:00.000-07:00

After Wildflower I was insistent that I needed some unstructured training....coach suggested a mid- season break- um okay, well not really. I am simply not good at this break thing - I like to train and it is part of my day. I realize I could make a lot more prospecting calls if I was not swimming.biking.running and could be a better wife, mom, daughter and who else knows....but well not a better me.

So here we are 5 weeks post WF and I am thinking I took a solid break...that is until coach sends me my weekly training totals. Okay so not a total break but nothing like Ironman training and if you break it down it is quite random. You will see day off, which is unheard of for me, followed by 5+hour ride and a run (without an Ironman looming) But this is what is fun. I feel like the social trainer...I find what my friends are doing and join them- long run Friday - ok I'm in, swim.ride Tue - ok works for me, another ride Wed- ok I am good... you get the picture. The best way to describe my training is last Saturday- leave my house at 7:15 with John and we ride 45 minutes to Carmel Valley and pick up Jen and turn around and ride back to pick up Liz at 8:45 and then head out to Rancho Sante Fe and along the coast coming back we (unplanned) pick up Johan, drop off Jen in CV, Liz peel off for her IM ride and Johan and I ride home. Some thrilled route with great scenery.....no but it was fun to see so many friends in one day! I have gotten back to riding to UCSD to swim 1:15 and then swimming masters and riding home. Perfect for a 2:30 ride and 1:15 swim and I am saving gas and parking money...

Speaking of gas. So finally the insurance company figured out that yes the girl that slammed into my car was at fault, CA State Law. In any case, so once that was determined then I had to find the "right" shop to fix my baby. Not the scary shop the insurance company sent me to where Stan (but crack showing) did my appraisal. Nice..... CA State law allows me to take the car any place. So I call my buddy at Audi and get hooked up and of course since they are a good shop I have to wait another 2 weeks to get in. My car is drivable, just a bit banged up and the best part is that the hatch opener was hit so when I hold down the unlock button it sounds like a machine fun. Seriously I have scared a few people in parking lots and JD is so jealous...he wants one on his car.

So anyway car is at the plastic surgeon getting fixed....but my rental car story is great. So I am insisting that I need a hatch back, why? for my bike, silly. I go back and forth with them and they say they will "deliver" a comparable car. So there I am and what drives up? A massive Crown Victoria- you are kidding me, the same jumbo "luxury" car I had the privilege of driving in Seattle. Wow....not going to work. Their rational is that I drive a luxury car and this is a luxury rental and while it is not a hatch back it has a very large truck- true, I could fit my entire family, my bike and my dog in there. But I am not driving this boat for 2 weeks... back to the rental car shop.... seriously just find me Ford Fiesta with a hatch back - not happening. I was all set in a cool pick up truck until I realized the seat some sort of a rocking chair-oops, seems that last renter tipped the scales at 300+ lbs and must have bent? the bolts that hold the chair? Not sure....so finally I rolled out with a Jetta- decent car Thanks to Jen I learned the seats fold down and then I can put my bike it! Really that was all I wanted.

MiO and airplanes....bad idea

2011-05-31T10:06:00.000-07:00

So do you know the stuff....."liquid water enhancer" ....good flavor, no calories and works well when I am tired of plain water but want to keep drinking. I also use a squirt in my bike bottles etc. When I last purchased some I decided to get an extra bottle for my travel bag so I would have on trips.... great to have when running, working out etc on the road. Compact, ~~tightly sealed~~ bottle.

So I am about 2 hours into my flight and I reach in my backpack for my computer mouse...which is in a large clear plastic bag that holds all my computer stuff, iPod, headphones, ibuprofen, chap stick etc.. as I reach the mouse I realize is has moisture on it, seems odd, I cannot see as it is under the seat. I pull out the mouse and my hand appears to have been slashed up and is covered in red liquid..holy cow. So I maneuver the bag out, which is a challenge due to the person in front of me laying in my lap, and into the aisle. As I begin to take out other bloodied items I finally stumble upon the bottle of opened MiO.....leaked all over and is red, red. Thankfully I have baby wipes and am able to clean up most of it without too much of a science..not to thankfully I am wearing a nice white top. Could have been a lot worse..but nothing like red spots to add "color"

What a mess.....oh well killed about 30 minutes of my flight. Thankfully Delta has Wi-Fi so I can ~~be entertained on the web and facebook~~ work the entire flight.

Oh and another keen fact....I am in the bathroom trying to get the stained red liquid off my hands and I notice my shirt is inside out! thanks honey for not mentioning this key fact on our drive to the airport.....yes the red soaked through.

Loving the ~~obnoxious and out of control~~ adorable kid behind me and his great rhythm in kicking my seat mixed with periodic high pitched screams.

The apple falls really fall from the tree....sometimes

2011-05-24T11:05:00.000-07:00

Friday John and I joined the Tri Club for the Mt Baldy Ride....it was part of Stage 7 of the Tour of CA. The ride was set to leave from Mt Baldy school, which skipped the first 6 miles of climbing and this being a mid season training break, was okay by me. We did the 67 mile ride as planned! A few did the final 10 miles which was 5 miles up with over 2000 ft of elevation to the ski area and then back down. The excuse we had was we had to get on the road and wanted to miss Friday traffic, which was valid....but what was not said was after nearly 70 miles with 7500+ ft of climbing I was tanked.

So much for the epic 100+ milers with 10,000 ft we were knocking out last summer...1- no IM on the schedule until October and 2- trying to not overdo it now so I can kill in come July/Aug in prep for Vegas and Kona. The ride was sensational....sweeping valleys, beautiful mountains, very little traffic and nice roads. The ride starts with rollers and then a rolling 14 mile descent with the final 5 screaming fast and moderately technical- quite fun actually! Then rolling across flats and back up- 7 miles of a serious climb and then 14 miles of what we came down. John and I rode together and while he is incredibly fit I am not!

We were on the road by 2 and missed most of the traffic....

So back to apple....so that was my Friday and come Monday Riley was doing the annual Westview High School Triathlon. How cool is that? All Freshman do the Tri. Pool swim - 300 yards, 3 mile bike and 1 mile run. So here is where the analogy comes in...Riley does not ride her bike, in fact she recently sold her bike. Why....ask a 14yo girl. In any case bike check in was Sunday and she realized she did not have bike and was going to borrow JD's- I recommend she ride around, practice with the gears, which slip and get familiar with the bike. She did - she rode around the park and home. Check the tires? No. I suggest she ride the family, dog walking, mountain bike- she says its too bike, well really the saddle needs to be lowered and she can ride it- no thanks!

Okay so I agreed to ride the bike up to the school to drop it off and run home. The seat is so low on this bike...picture the Shriner's Clowns- that was how I felt. I must have seen 10 people I know as I am on this ridiculous bike- how JD can ride it I don't know. The gears are slipping and I make a few adjustments and tighten up the brakes.

Monday AM I am very excited for her and she is dreading this...eyes rolling, seriously "this is going to be lame" I lobbed the idea of watching and that was meet with "No, you CANNOT come. I will kill you if you come." If you have spent any time around a teenage girl....you will take pause at a comment like that. Committing social suicide is grounds for murder- I am pretty sure of that.

So off she goes.... I see her running shoes and she says my Converse are fine. Right- no support, heavy shoes- mum is the word. I reminder her she needs to ride the bike home- the horror- what , seriously??? um yes.

She arrives later than I suspect and she is pushing the bike....really that embarrassing to be seen riding the bike? "No Mom it is broken. It broke on the 1st lap of the tri and I had to walk it back." Broken....okay not really the chain fell off. She stares at me blankly- I explain she could have put it back on. Blank stare....really, I show here - she is amazed. I make her try it. She worried about the bike grease and that she has to put down her snack. "Really I don't need to learn I wont be riding a bike again....."

Sometimes I really do work.....

2011-05-22T06:53:00.000-07:00

Today was a serious work day, for me anyway. Not so serious that I had to swim at 6am but serious enough that I had to pack my clothes for business meetings and bring them to swim. And not so serious that I could not swim and then run before meeting a client at 10:30. But before you shush me away...I was working last night from 7-10:30pm on my presentation so I could play a bit in the AM.

So I packed up last night- swim gear, run gear and work clothes- took me 3 trips to get all my gear as I kept remembering things I forgot, like underwear, but I finally had it all in the car. See I used to do this every day, back before I had kids and had a real job in a real office and had to be at my desk by 7 or 7:30 so I was up at 4 and to the gym and off to work. I was good at it then, well I do remember buying random items at Rite Aid or wherever on the way to work.

But I digress...less than 1 mile from my house in the stop and go school, work traffic I am stopped and the lady behind me was go and WHAM right into my bumper....I swear the car did a bunny hop. Holly crap that was loud and scared me big time! I had a cup of coffee in the cup holder, no lid and holy cow that coffee traveled all over the car and all over me. Thankfully I was drinking iced coffee. I fly out of my car, in a rage, until I see the girl who hit me and she is freaking out on the phone with her husband who is clearly yelling at her enough for the both of us. Argh....exchange insurance, take photos- nothing too major, car is driveable, but my baby is not damaged....sniff, sniff. Once I do the accident work it takes 5+ baby wipes to clean up the coffee and milk ALL OVER my car. I am getting a full detail job out of the insurance company because there is coffee in places I cannot access and I know the next hot day, my car is going to smell!!

I have a headache but all in all I am feeling fine and go on with my day. I am feeling good about my planning and having all my stuff ready for a long day of work. Well that is until I realize I don't have a towel to dry off with....nothing like a shower and using a hand dryer and paper towels- you know it is a really good friend when you friend offers a towel- Thanks Jen!

I am just about dressed for work and I pull out my shoes and think something is wrong...terribly wrong. I have 2 right shoes....2 different right shoes. Oh crap...I am thinking can I wear them anyway, my pants are long- but wait I cannot wear a right shoe on my left foot- Ahhhh panic. Wait I have 30 minutes and Jen says there is a Marshalls near by. Off I go and discover DSW....holy cow, thousands of shoes and 99% of them have stiletto heels and are suicidal to an earthy chick like me. I ask the sales woman, where are the Born, Clarks etc kind of shoes. She takes me to the back corner where 5 pairs of shoes sit gathering dust....this tells me how un-fashionable I really am. And to make it worse...I own most of what is sitting there. She suggests some nice sandals- right suicidal all of them. Another sales person checking me out leads me to one pair of Born Sandals and they have my name on them! Success Zoot pink running shoes off and sandals on and I off to a day of work.....

Great day. 3 meetings and I was home by 6:30 for dinner with JD and Riley!

Locker Room etiquette.....

2011-05-19T14:50:00.000-07:00

There was a great writeup in Triathlete magazine this month on this subject...and well since I havebeen back in the gym for a few weeks I have a few to add!

lounging on the bench (where my bag and clothes are supposed to go) buck naked is not acceptable
using a pedicure foot file and allowing your dead skin to fall on the floor is horrifying
clipping your toenails and allowing them to fly about is not okay
plucking your eyebrows and leaving your hairs about is gross
trimming hairs in discreet places and not cleaning up is worse
stretching after your shower and before you are clothed has no benefits to anyone
the pool is for swimming not walking
do pee in the shower
blow dryers are for the hair on your head or so I thought anyway
Conference calls while naked and in the middle of the locker room?

That’s all for now....Iam sure more to come after my next visit

Planes, big cars, hotels oh my......

2011-05-18T20:55:00.000-07:00

2 cities, 2 cars, 2 hotels, 4 meetings in less than 48 hours! Off to Seattle early Monday morning and thankfully the flight was on time and I was on my way. 45 degrees, windy and cold- oops should have brought a jacket. So I head to get my rental car and mistake #1- did not book the on site car, so had to take the shuttle and wait in more lines...dang it. I always rent the cheapest car- small car, mechanical windows, am radio- you get the picture- just not where I spend my $$. When I made my reservation this time and booked the economy car and option for Wild Card popped up- save $10 and they assign you whatever car is not reserved. I decided why not....I will tell you why not!

Yes you got it....Crown Victoria full size luxury. Wait, wait I tell the clerk- I cannot drive a tank like that....never mind I will take the Ford Festiva- okay she says for an additional $30- what???? Seems the small cars are now a premium with gas at $4.50/gallon. So I agree. Okay this car was massive- the truck was so big and deep you could have put 2 bike cases in the trunk + 4 suitcases. Huge front seat where at least 5 people could fit, well if they had enough seat belts. I could hardly reach the radio dial...I felt like a little kid.

Off on my adventure...Garmin Nuvi was not responsive and as it was acquiring and acquiring satellites I managed to head the wrong way on the Freeway. No worries I have time..... soon I am following my directions and "had arrived at my destination" and there was I was in a run down neighborhood in front of a dilapidated house. Hmmmm my client did not mention that NaanCurry was in a house.... so I call and double check the address -oops seems the SW makes a difference. I still had 10 minutes and rolled my big daddy car up to the real NaanCurry just in time- except holy cow, parallel park this boat???? Luckily there were 2 spots so I could get in - I only took one, but it was not easy. Delicious lunch....mixed curried greens, tandoori chicken, something hot and spicy with lamb...all soo good!

Next up downtown Seattle- usually I will find alternate parking in a city vs the $40 valet parking fee, but well, parking a boat in a city was not my cup of tea! Afternoon meeting was on foot and that was a blessing but I really wished I #1 had a jacket and #2 was wearing shoes suitable for 5 hilly blocks in Seattle. I made a quick stop looking for a nice coat but no luck and the second stop was at Walgreen's for band aids. Business done and I really needed a run....I had a long sleeve shirt and vest, not for running, but considering the weather I was running in the gear. Headed down Pike Street to the waterfront and had a sensational run along a path that went forever..I suddenly realized I had been running for 40 minutes and I still had to turn around and go back- perfect weather, chilly and new scenery.

Quick change and off to dinner at Palomino.....delicious food, nice wine and an absolutely perfect way to end the day!

Up early for a meeting and off to Portland. I snuck in another chilly but wonderfully scenic waterfront run. I was doing really well on time when I realize I had miscalculated and was off by 30 minutes and booked it back to the hotel and in my rush I hip, well thigh checked a cement planter and screamed the F work. The 100+ year old doorman says..."wow, honey sloooooow down." Right he was... nice cut and big bruise on my leg.

Showered, dressed and packed in 10 minutes. Called down to Valet to find La Bamba and I rushed down and no La Bamba...okay few minutes goes by, nothing, the valets are saying no worries, just another minute. Okay it has been 15 minutes and my flight is taking off in 1 hour and I am in downtown Seattle. Can you say F!!! Finally I say where is my car? " well ma'am awe are looking, are you sure you parked it with us?" I am now basically screaming the car is as big as this hotel is white and how can you possibly miss it! The valet takes off and I follow him to the basement where there are 30 parking spaces and what looks like 200 cars. You know the puzzles where each piece can move one place to get the puzzle undone? Well that is what the garage looks like and there she is La Bamba in the middle of all the cars....they move and move cars and the clock is ticking.

I fly to the airport and drive up and jump out, throw them my keys and run down a bus and make it an express bus to Alaska Airlines. I am dropped off and running, OJ Simpson style and skidding as I see the 50+ person security line, I now have 20 minutes until take off. I charge to the front, flash my ticket, strip off my belt, shoes, scarf, unload 1/2 my bag and briefcase and fly through security. Running to my gate holding my shoes, belt and scarf and am on the plane as they are closing the door. Nothing like an arrival like that- HR had to be 170 and then I get dressed in front of the passengers and roll into my seat for my 40 minute flight to Portland.

Just as I am settled we are landing and here we go again with the Wild Card Rental....Crown Victoria this time? NO....here is what they give me

Nice....15 passenger van. I protest and am willing to pay double for Ford Fiesta or Yugo at this point....sorry all sold out. So they kindly accommodate me with a Minivan...I'll take it. Thankfully my day in Portland was absolutely lovely- delicious lunch at a local Farm to Table Restaurant and great client meeting. Business always gets better when we can talk bikes, saddle sores, gear etc....she is doing a big ride this summer and has got the cycling bug!

Nothing nearly as dramatic as I return to the Portland airport and actually have time to relax and do some work in the airport. Home by 8:30 to a clean house thanks to my Mom, darling kids and husband...... dinner and in my own bed and happy by 10:00.

Felt like I was gone for a week.....

Mothers Day, the actual day

2011-05-10T20:52:00.000-07:00

Sunday AM I woke without an alarm! Bonus....read the news online and took Zen for a walk. Geared up for a Mothers Day/Birthday ride for Cathleen. Rolling from Peets and I was ready to go early so headed out on my own and enjoyed a nice NF latte while waiting for Cathleen, Amy, Andy and John. Really a civilized way to start the day.

We had a sensational ride on a new route for all of us. We all seem to do the same rides all the time so I shook it up a bit and off we went. The sun was threatening to come out so we were optimistic and headed West, The longer we rode, the more the clouds rolled in and temperature was dropping- the only downer of the ride. We cut it short a bit but still rode a respectable 2:45 and ended back at Peets for more coffee and birthday celebration. Amy and Any could not stay and eat...they are in the thick of Ironman training so had to log more miles and tack on a run. The rest of us...no plans and happy about that. Johan and Sandy joined us and we had an absolutely delightful Sunday morning. Good friends, a nice ride..hard to beat that!

After the ride we enjoyed the day, helped my dad get his iPad dialed in and then the kids came home. They had spent the afternoon with their Grandmother (on their dad's side) at a Padre Game. We topped of the day with flowers, cards and sushi at Love Boat Sushi!

We had a splendid time laughing and eating.....lots of food, lemon sake (yuck) and a smashing day indeed!

Mothers Day.....

2011-05-09T06:20:00.000-07:00

Such a perplexing day when you are a mom but are still fortunate enough to have your own mom. Is it my day or is it my job to appreciate and pamper my mom? I suppose this is multi- tasking at it's best. Or you simply have to make it a 2 day event.

Our plan was Saturday was my mom's Mothers Day and Sunday is my Mother's Day. My mom wanted to go and see the play Ramona. Ramona is the longest running outdoor play in the US, this is the 88th year. Fortunately for our sake, the actors and actress's have changed since it's inception, although a few may have been originals.

The play takes place in the booming metropolis of Hemet! The Ramona Outdoor Play, formerly known as (and still commonly called) the Ramona Pageant is an outdoor play staged annually in Hemet, California since 1923. The script is adapted from the 1884 novel Ramona by Helen Hunt Jackson. The production features cast of more than 300, made up largely of local residents and amateur actors. This is a love story of sorts but really is a depiction of the Americano's brutal takeover of the Indians land in California. In 3 1/2 hours we watch the budding romance, celebration, family drama, marriage and a child birth, pillaging of homes and finally death of the male lead. This all takes place outside in the Hemet....quite a day indeed.

Riley and I a picked up my mom and Gail (a long time friend of my mothers) and we headed to Hemet and enjoyed a delightful picnic in the park before the production. The play was bit long but we had an enjoyable afternoon and it was after 8 by the time we got home...phew, exhausting this play going can be. A wonderful pre-Mothers Day celebration with my daughter and mom!

no schedule.....really

2011-05-06T09:32:00.000-07:00

I love having a specific training schedule.....and I love not having one! In the build up for O'side and the WF it was great- no thinking on my part, just follow training peaks and get it done. But now that I have a mid- season break I like seeing the schedule each day and I like that really it is optional for a bit! Oh I am still training daily but take today for instance I had short ride and swim on the schedule and instead rode to work with my husband, stopped for coffee, rode to the bike shop and in all rode over 2 hours - nothing hard, nothing planned just enjoying good company and wonderful weather!

Swimming....well after my great swim at WF I was thinking- yea I can do this swim thing on my own, but really...I cant. Okay semantically I can, but I don't have the drive to get the yardage in necessary for an IM swim on my own. A 1.2 mile swim is one thing...but a 2.4 miles swim. And I am going to swim hard in Kona and to do that well, I need to be super fit in the swim department. So welcome back UCSD. I know I complained about the gas, the parking and the stroke work- but well I love that we are now long course, that my good friend Jen is there and it makes it easy for run or bike after we swim and there are other good peeps there as well! It was great to see Sickie, Terry, Kim etc....I may do 2 days UCSD and then slog out one on my own at Frogs- get the long swim done so I can be more patient when we are doing short stuff at UCSD and swimming at Frogs works well for my home life too. It's all about balance....

So what is the plan from here.....May is play month for me. Nothing forced, other than KP says I have to let some fitness go. I hate that part- we work so hard to get fit and want to maintain or improve on it. But I know October is a LONG way away and I do not want a summer meltdown like last year. So......easing up now. I have 2 business trips in May so that works out well- as training and traveling is tough and stressful anyway. Then we hit it June! Well for a week anyway and then JD, Riley and Mom head to Cancun for a week of super fun in the sun! Just mom and the kids. As much as we will miss John it is good for us to do this once in a while and plus we have other fun planned where we want John to be with us for sure. Since he has a "real" job and does not have unlimited vacation we have to make choices. As for the rest of the summer...still working that out!

Wildflower.....goals accomplished!

2011-05-03T15:11:00.000-07:00

Polly and I representing NYTRO well !

Sharing the podium with my good friend Marion

My goal for Wildflower was to have fun and enjoy the day! Check.....I did both and manged to win my age group along the way. After so much training and race prep and stress for Oceanside I headed up to WF with a totally different mind set.

We drove up Friday, day before the race, normally would totally stress me out, but was not worried. We rolled in around 2 and I picked up my packet around 4 and we set up camp. Thanks to Jodi and Ken our tent was pitched in a premier spot near their mega trailer and Darcy. We were amongst the Tri Club of SD mayhem but that was okay. Dinner was on our own and we had a cold Quinoa pasta salad with veggies and GF PB cookies. Even had a few beers. I was tired, the campfire was blazing and the tri club was partying. I took a sleeping pill, popped in ear plugs and was asleep by 9pm! Only woke up twice and slept amazingly well on the air mattress- definitely a must have for all future camping excursions.

Up at 5:45 with the light and the announcer saying "good morning athletes" over the loudspeaker. Solid night sleep and 5:45 is sleeping in vs 3:30 wake up time for O'side. Coffee was brewing and I made GF pancakes and we were in good shape. Light wind and it was cold...although I knew that would not last long so I tried not to complain, too much.

With the pros going off at 8 and W40-49 at 9:25 there was no rush to get to transition. Around 7:45 Riikka, Jodi and rolled down there- very casually and set up our gear. Jodi and went for a short run, scouted out some empty porta potties and watched the pros go odd. Hung out with Liz and Marion for a bit and then strarted getting ready.

My plan for the swim was to swim hard- all out and see what I could do. It was a land start so I up front ready to go- off we went and 3 steps and I dove and started sprinting. I fully expected to be alone but no there was another pink cap on my right and she was going fast. I did my best to drop her and by the first buoy realized she was pulling ahead of me so I did the next best thing and tucked in behind her. I was swimming hard to stay in her draft and once I figured out she was a good spotter I focused on staying behind her. We rounded the buoys at the turn around I was not sure I could keep up the pace but she seemed to slow a tad. And we have major chops and waves hitting us... Around the 2nd buoy I started feeling guilty sitting on her feet so I sprinted and as soon as she saw he she picked it up and we swam side by side all out for a bit, I was trying to get in front and then she paused to sight and I did but she went right around me and pulled ahead. Okay....I tried to pull her back but she was not interested. So I sway alongside and then tucked back in and hung on as she hammered in. 26:48- PR for me by over 1 minute!   And my arms are feeling it today.

T1- my bike was racked in the worst spot ever....all the way at the opposite end of bike out and bike in. Usually bike out and bike in are in different spots, so no matter where you are racked you have to travel the same distance with your bike either in or out. But not here...so I was flying through T1 and my helmet buckle was stuck inside my helmet and I was fumbling to get it on, took me a while to realize what what happening. Pulled off my helmet, glass fall off - lenses down of course on the pavement and I nearly tear my ear of getting it back on.   Finally I am off and can see the girl I came out of the water with mounting her bike and riding off...good 30-45 seconds ahead of me. At this point, I am thinking she is in my AG.

Goal for the bike was to ride, have fun and not worry about power.   Took me while to settle in and we were climbing in no time.   I rode like I train and was not hammering and was waiting to feel better. When my stomach settled I reached for my nutrition and took a swig and promptly spit it out- I had mixed it in San Diego Friday AM and put it on the cooler - along the way the cooler was knocked open and when I pulled it out Friday night it was hot. I did not worry too much but the taste worried me so I tossed it. Oh boy...nutrition will be fun. It worked out okay- I had 1/2 power bar and 5 gels- so got my 600k and even drank some Gatorade without stomach upset. The issue was i want for over an hour without any calories as all the aid stations did not have gels....I was not stressing, okay maybe a bit, but just coped.

The ride was fun....but very soon I realized how windy it was. I was bummed, O'side was windy and now WF was wickedly windy- I did not want to get depressed, after all everyone in my AG had the same conditions. The course is beautiful and challenging for sure, but with all the GWLaero bar has jimmied out and was about 2 inches longer than the right one and had swiveled upside down, Oops.... I was able to shove it back in but could not tighten it while riding and thus had to hold it in with all my might- possibly the sorest part of my body is my left forearm from holding on so tight. It definitely affected my descending as I had to hold the bar in and manage the bike.... anyway stressful but could have been a lot worse. I was a bit of a sissy on the descents with the crosswinds - my wheels were a bit deep and I was getting blown about and after I say the 4th ambulance and the Life Flight Helicopter I decided the minute or two I may have sacrificed were well worth finishing the race on my bike.

So mile 40 is the infamous "nasty grade" I was prepared for Highland Valley Road and yes it was steep - it is a 4+ mile climb and nearly 1000 feet -not nearly what I feared and I was feeling good so just kept riding up the hill- here is where the 28 was awesome! After nasty grade I was beginning to think about the run... I was feeling good, did not ride too hard and suddenly it was T2.

Long run back in and decent transition. Almost immediately you hit some stairs and within a few 100 yards you are climbing up and out of the lake area. This is when I realized this would be a hilly run and took it very conservatively. Here is when I knew this was a B race...I was not willing to go hard now and hang on. So I had a comfortable pace and figured if anyone came up on me, game on, I will pick it up. After mile 1 we are off the roads on the dirt....up and up and up.... hot and dusty but my HR was low and I was feeling good- after looking at my Garmin post race, well I should have been feeling good- I was running slow. Any who.....I was enjoying the day and running along, passing a lot of people who were suffering already. A few times I forgot I was racing and had to kick it up a bit....there was a lot of climbing, did I say how hilly it was. In any case at mile 6 I decided it was time to get serious and I picked it up and raised my HR 5-8 bpm for the next few miles and was thinking I really am feeling good, should I take it up a notch? I ultimately decided to stay steady until mile 10! Okay so mile 10 is so cruel...you run down hill for 1 mile turn around and slog back up- so on the downhill some 30 something K-Swiss athlete blows by me, I mean blows by me- and woke me up. I picked up my downhill running and on the uphill could see her up ahead and I made it my goal to catch and pass her with the same speed she blew by me...mind you I am going up hill- so maybe the overtake was not so speedy but I caught her attention and she picked it up, so did I and then it got hard. As we crested the hill she says thanks for the motivation and takes off.....uh excuse me?? So I pick it up after her and as we approach the final small hill I cruise right past her and then the final mile, steep downhill and I knew she had me here- her downhill running skills far surpassed mine so I did my best to stay on my feet and run downhill like a kid with whirly bird arms. At the bottom I saw 3 boys and ran hard past them all for the finish!

I was pretty sure the girl I swam with was my AG and since I never saw her again I was fairly sure I was 2nd. A tad bummed....but was complacent with that. Meanwhile I tell everyone I was 2nd so they then calculate their places based on that. I hung at the finish for a while to watch Marion, Polly, Molly, Mimi and a few others come in and we chilled for a bit. Finally got my gear and turned on my phone to the many texts and messages..."way to go 1st place" Oops....guess the other girl was younger than me :)

Wildflower....The Woodstock of Triathlon

2011-04-28T15:13:00.000-07:00

What is it that brings 8,000 athletes each year to Lake San Antonio for the AVIA Wildflower Triathlons Festival? The Wildflower Triathlon is a triathlon held at Lake San Antonio in Central California since 1983, the first winner being legendary Paul "The Machine" Huddle.

The original course was expanded to the standardized half-Ironman distance (1.2 mi / 56 mi / 13.1 mi) in the late 1980s, and is often referred to as simply the long course. Two more races have subsequently been added to the event: an Olympic-distance (1.5 km / 40 km / 10 km) race and a short or "sprint" mountain-bike triathlon (0.25 mi / 9.7 mi / 2 mi).
Known for a particularly hilly and grueling course, it is one of the largest triathlon events in the world, with 7,500 athletes and 30,000 spectators attending each year. Traditionally it is associated with a Wildflower festival, though in recent years the festival has been eclipsed by the increasingly large athletic event.

Yeah baby......we are packing up and hitting the road tomorrow AM for the drive up and hope to be there mid afternoon to set up camp, pick up my packet and chill with so many people from Tri Club San Diego!

I am the last wave on Saturday... 9:25 start time (very late) and with this warm weather it will be a hot run - looks like mid 80's. Since it has been so chilly, 80 feels really hot these days. Have to gauge when to eat, stay hydrated etc...this race is NOT a PR! Hilly bike and very hilly trail run so I will be out there longer than O'side and have to plan accordingly. More salt, more calories and more fun!!!

The water temp is 68! Perfect and I love swimming in a lake vs ocean. Whats the goal of the race....have fun!! No pressure on Saturday- the goal is to swim hard, solid ride and enjoy the run... :) So funny how my emotions are in check, not stressed this week and just excited to race with a lot of friends. It is good to have no pressure races so we remember that this sport is all about having fun! Not that other races are not fun, but when qualifying is in the back of your mind, the pressure stacks up.

The big fun will be Saturday night! Post race, campfire and huge tri club dinner. Have a few bottles of Hard Cider to knock back and hang out at the campsite.

No live tracking like they have for Ironman but results will be posted as the day progresses on Saturday http://www.tricalifornia.com/index.cfm/WildFlower2011-results.htm

Easter...+++

2011-04-27T07:02:00.000-07:00

I know, I already posted this on FB but I just love this....it makes me laugh and I can only entertain myself with it once a year.

Awesome weekend.....not because I laid down amazing rides and runs but because it was a weekend that had it all- training, coaching, family and friends

Training...of course there was some. Super fun and relaxed 3+ hour ride on Saturday with John, Cathleen, Liz and Chelsea. Since we are all (except John) racing Wildflower it was a cruisy ride out through Poway and up Scripps Poway Parkway and home. I tested out my massive cassette and am pleased with the cadence I was holding on the climb. I was extremely proud of the self installation of the new cassette....well until John and I took off and there was this clanging sound, a sound like something may fall off my bike sound. Oops...seems that little spacer is quite important. No worries, I rode home, took the cassette off, inserted the space and was back on the road in 10 minutes. John had time for Starbucks and the girls a pottie break. Nice day and fun times!
- Sunday was a nice run, well until I came upon the 10 ft rattle snake on the sidewalk. Okay, maybe it was 2 feet or even 18 inches but it was hogging the entire corner.   What the heck - Easter Sunday and there he was. I took the long, long path around and was totally freaked out for the rest of the run.   Headed to Frogs for a great swim and called it a weekend of training!

Coaching - my newest swim client! I am very excited about my newest client...he is signed up for an Olympic in September and is struggling swimming 1 length at time. We have a lot of work to do but he is committed, eager to learn and we had 2 x 1 hour lessons this weekend and made HUGE gains already. Saturday we met at the JCC and the kicked me out, no more future lessons! Only lessons given by the JCC staff. Dang it! I figured we could go to UCSD but they were closed on Easter so he agreed to drive to Frogs in Carmel Mountain. I have taught 20+ lessons there and never had an issue...not today- new head life guard and she asks us to leave. Nice impression I am making...kicked out 2 for 2. She called her manager and they agreed to let us stay for the 1 hour, but huge bummer! They say it is a liability...but when he is a member of the JCC and we both paid and singed waiver for Frogs, how is that a liability? And, as a USAT coach I have liability insurance....Argh!   So after Wildflower we are going to meet at UCSD- he wants 2x1 hour lessons per weekend and I am excited to help with his progress and get him up to 1500 meters.

I have been teaching swimming since I was 14. Granted I took a sabbatical for 15 years but it is amazing how it all came back so quickly when I started up again.   The Internet is such a lucrative source for learning, confirmation and giving me background on certain drills and why they work. I have taken 4 webinars as well as the USAT Training and I get better every time. The key really is consistency and coming back. The most success I have is when we see each other every week or every other week and they work mid week and then we correct and learn more. Swimming is technical and most people have more than one issue to correct and sometimes you have to correct them one at a time or the brain is overloaded and everything falls apart.

It is amazing to watch as an athlete fatigues...the stroke falls apart. I now yell to stop, stop! As soon as the incorrect technique returns, stop. Building new muscle memory is not easy, but it can be done!!! Once the technique is corrected then we work on endurance, not before, not during!

Movies...we rarely, okay never get to the theaters so when we see movies they are long out of the hype and everyone has seen them, but they are good So we finally saw The Kings Speech and The Fighter. KS was as good as it was hyped to be...great historical fiction and Colin Forth really did a stupendous job acting the stammering. Well worth seeing if you are one of the few that missed out. Really this was a feel-good history lesson, one that reminds us in no uncertain terms that royals are people too and have struggles like the rest of us. Riley even liked it- "even though it was kind of like a documentary" she said. The Fighter is an enjoyable underdog-triumphs-over-adversity story. Predictable yes, most of the drama takes place outside of the ring, where lives are on the line, a family is divided. Nothing new here but really well done and worth seeing.

And finally Easter....Easter Egg hunt for the kids and my Dad! Great fun- always a good time when everyone can see the final egg but for the person looking for it.   Lots of candy, money and good fun! Wonderful dinner with my Dad and Kathi, Billy and his neighbor Irene and the kids and John. With my Mom in Boulder, Billy brought a date ;) Less time training so more time cooking...Lamb Tangine, Moroccan Quinoa salad and Easter treats for dessert. A perfect finish to the weekend.

Gearing.....

2011-04-21T21:24:00.000-07:00

So I have always (in all 5 years of riding a real bike) gone with less gears is better...why, not sure. Well to begin with I rode my 1st bike with whatever cassette came on it. Flat, hilly whatever...I just rode the bike. Then I bought my first TT bike and John says you'll need to change the cassette, it's too hard for you? Instead of questioning what he meant, seeking to understand or learn about the bike I immediately was offended? Too hard, who is he telling me this. I had done 1 70.3 at the time and was riding alot of miles. He handled it well..and let me go off ride up Highland Valley Road (which has some serious grades at times) with me 12-23 after I had been accustomed to a 12-25 and a compact crank.

I was dismayed...I had lost my fitness, had to stand up the entire climb, hated the new bike.....ah the light went on about 1/2 way up the climb that maybe I needed to understand what this cassette thing really was.

Okay 5 years later.... I was doing most of my training on an 11-23 and riding some serious stuff. I went to a St George training camp with my 11-23 to ride the course and when Gordo (who is kind of a big deal and really fast dude) said he was riding an 11-28 with a compact and coach suggested I add some gears I began thinking....maybe this grinding and gutting it out was not the answer. I finally gave in and raced with an 11-25. Did I run out of gears? yes. Was my cadence low? yes. Did I have to stand at times? yes. Did my race suffer? Hard to say, it was good day for me.

I raced O'side with 11-25 and was fine, had a great race, but on the steep climb when I was forced out of the saddle and watched some strong riders seated and riding with a higher cadence I got to thinking they are not putting forth as much effort...or so it seemed.

After the race I changed my wheels and threw on the 27 for my last few rides...and holy cow I was amazed at how my power did not drop but my PE did. I was able to keep my HR lower on the "wall" on the GWL and am starting to see the light that KP has been showing me for some time, but I refused to see. I keep thinking big cassette = wimping out. Just my own little issue... seriously if you can save energy then by all means. And I do not recall getting bonus points from Ironman for running an 11-23 when others were running 11-27.

But my big fattie cassette is a 12-27 and I do not want to give up the 11. I HATE spinning out and like to pedal as much as possible. So of course...new race, new cassette. But I had to draw the line at the Dura Ace cassette- $227...vs $98 for Ultegra for how many grams. Seriously Julie - skip a meal and save $150! We all get caught up in lightest this and that and spend more and more $$ when well 1lb off me does not cost $1000! And would in fact save a little time on the run...

So I had a little bike maintenance session going on tonight..12-27 off the bike, 11-28 (I know ginormous but Ultegra does not make 11-27, only 11-28) on the bike, a few adjustments and took it for a spin all is well. Will get a few more rides with the new cassette before the sassy race wheels go back on and she i ready to roll for Wildflower.

8 days and counting.... yee haw!

Taper time....not yet

2011-04-20T18:08:00.000-07:00

O'side 70.3 seems like last season....really was just about 3 weeks ago. After a solid recovery week I hit it hard last week. I do recall coach saying something about the possibility of feeling great in training...the effects of the taper for O'side + the additional recovery. So when we did our mid week GWL + Honey Springs my legs felt fresh and I was hitting in. I did not go all out but did a solid 3:45 ride and with a nice run. Backed that up with a big swim and run on Thursday and a rockin run on Friday. 90 minutes of trails and hills, including the climb up Black Mountain. My HR was good, legs strong, pace slow but well it was wickedly hilly and I felt great. Rolled into Saturday and had a awesome climb up Highland Valley Road with exceptional power and semi fresh legs- I had my mojo back and was ready to nail another solid week.....

Then came the sleepover with 7 girls and the fatigue. Sunday I was slow and tired....really thinking it was lack of sleep - and yes that was part of it, but it was also the training. Coach said "save your efforts for Wildflower" Yeah I will but well it felt so good to feel so fresh- Beth and I were chatting up Honey Springs realizing how great it felt to have our legs fresh..... right- well that feeling is a memory indeed.

Monday was recovery day and Tuesday's GWL adventure was scaled back indeed. When the ride time is over 1 hour less and power is 15+ watts lower and you feel the same after the ride...that is telling. The run off the bike was good- thankfully! But an indicator that coach was possibly right.

What is it about trying to cram in fitness....Rationally I know that is not much that can be done- I kept thinking I can gain fitness up until 10 days out, but at what cost? forced rest???? Someday I will learn. Well I do in fact get it and can apply this to other athletes and it makes perfect sense, but when it comes to me.....well that is why the coach has a coach.

Funny thing is one of my riding buddies....who is in the same decade of life as I is in the same spot. Seems she has been put on training probation as well, although she was banned from GWL this week so must be really bad! But I am sure that will translate to a smashing race at Wildflower.

Today I knocked out a sensational swim, all on my own! 8x500 with 5-10 seconds rest- descending - last 4 with paddles and the last one was painful but finished really strong. Solid set and great workout- finished up with and ez 400 and called it a day. Run in the trails was ez but legs are coming around....good news! Hitting the trails tomorrow for some more Black Mountain fun!

Why am I so tired.....

2011-04-17T19:01:00.000-07:00

I know you are thinking....why? swim.bike.run/repeat. Yes it could be the killer GWL + Honey Springs ride on Wednesday, backed up by a killer swim/run day no Thursday and then a long, hill run up Black Mountain on Friday and a Highland Valley Road ++ ride on Saturday....but you are only partially right.

Here in lies the real source of fatigue..... 7 teenage girls

Here they are slumbering away after a very busy night until past 2am. We swore off multiple people sleepovers years ago- why? I like to sleep and with multiple kids at my house that simply does not happen. But well....Riley has a very cool group "fantastic 7" of her lacrosse friends and they come as a unit. Sem Great girls and well.... we agreed.

People talk about teenage boys and how much they eat- well have 7 lacrosse players over and you will think again. 2 costco pizzas, costco chips,1 gallon milk, 1 case sparkling ice, entire recipe of chocolate chip cookies, ice cream sandwiches, 2 lbs bacon, 30+ pancakes, few gallons water, large watermelon ....and I am not sure what else. All this from 2pm -11am! WoW.

We have been in the throws of winter and suddenly on Friday it was warm and nice! Saturday we put the solar in the pool and the pool was up to 80 and the spa 106 but the time the girls arrived. Backyard was packed with bathing beauties. From the pool to the spa to the park for lacrosse and then dinner and a movie. They were busy and JD, John and I were holed up in our bedroom for the evening. What a night.... guitar and recorder playing, listening to bad cd's, playing hide from John and more ridiculous fun. Around 2am they went to sleep as did we. Other than that it was uneventful, although I find it odd that 16+ pack of TP is missing from the closet???

So... my training took a backseat but in the big scheme of things it's all good. Life is more than triathlon around here....and sometimes that is okay!

Wilflower Long Course....in less than 2 weeks! Ill be ready to race again then.

When you fall off the bike....get back on it

2011-04-13T17:10:00.000-07:00

So I fell off on Sunday...it took until Wednesday but I got back on. After a 6 week sabbatical from the East County I was excited to ride GWL again. We met at an extremely reasonable time of 9:00am....slept in, ate breakfast (not out of a package), got some work done and hit the road. Conference call en route and rolling with Riikka, Lynn, Brian and Beth (who is on spring break) Weather promised nice and sunny but it was cloudy and breezy.

Nice climb up to the beekeeper and then we hit the crosswinds and this was the first time I was out in East County with my Reynolds wheels and well I was wishing they were at home...the 58mm depth was enough to blow around and make it pretty scary. Now I love descending and drop in my aero bars and go but not today....1- the fall off the bike as a little too fresh in my mind and the pounding in my nose was a good reminder and 2: the wind and the wheel combo was freaking me out. So on the awesome 6 mile descent down Honey Springs, or honey hills as Riikka calls it, I was sitting up and holding on.

Great ride....my legs are feeling incredibly fresh coming off O'side, solid ride at Gran Fondo and some runs. I was cautious...I still have some work to do before Wildflower and did not want to use it all up today. Skyline Truck was also crosswinds and hair raising....my arms were actually sore from holding on.

All in all it was great fun and still so beautiful out there since it is so green. Nice T run with Beth- yes I actually ran with the speed demon. 30 minutes flew by and off to Sbux for the usual reward!

Finished in time for my next call and conducted business quite efficiently in the parking lot. Have iPad and iPhone will travel and work anywhere!

Coaching swim at the JCC tonight for the TriClub San Diego!

Gran Fondo

2011-04-12T15:07:00.000-07:00

“Gran Fondo” means “Big Ride” in Italian
And a big ride it was.....so Colnago is the title sponsor and they sponsor the Women's Nytro Team and provide us with the hot rides on the TT Flight. So all of us who were in town lined up with the Ferrari's and Ducatis and lead the ride out of Little Italy.

Sweet rides to follow. Even Papa Skip was there to roll along!

There were 2 rides - 60 and 105. Since it was one week post O'side and technically a recovery day I was planning on riding 60....well until Beth convinced me, after a few glasses of wine the night before, to do the 105 ez. We were all well fueled after a great team dinner of pasta and wine.

Julie, Molly and Beth ready to roll

So we lined up and off we went. Riding out of downtown is NOT fun- crappy roads and very soon the scenery is wear house like and steel buildings, shipyards and lots of RR tracks. Within 2 minutes, Polly had launched 2 bottles but no hard no foul. As we approached out (what felt like ) 10th set of RR tracks I was slowing down and the dude in front of my rolled over, bottle popped out and headed for me. Oh S&*T....missed my front wheel but rolled under the rear and then it is a bit of blur....but I was down- elbow, hip, knee and face bleeding. Thankfully it was cold do my arm warmers and knee warmers were torn and mild road rash on my body. My glassed were jammed into my face, thus the slice on my nose and my helmet is sporting 2 major dents.

I was stunned, John was freaked out- he watched it all, but nothing broken, just little air conditioning. Team stopped and helped and off we went....we had spread out a bit so I was thanked for regrouping us all. Hey, anything for the team!

After 10 miles or so Polly flatted, torn tire...thanks to John for carrying all one could need and more on his bike - so he had a replacement tire. This was going to be a long day- 13 miles and over 1:15 due to crashes and mechanicals. At this point I decide that 60 would actually be okay as my head was pounding and my nose was not feeling right.
Once out of downtown it was awesome! Riding through the Olympic Training Center and all the way to Honey Springs was terrific. Rolling hills, nice roads, little traffic and I was aero most of the ride with John tucked in behind me. We missed the turn around and at the base of Honey Springs debated the 10k time trial but decided to turn around. The way back was nice but had a massive head wind. I got aero and rode....my legs felt amazingly good considering I was one week post race. We were flying past everyone and soon I started to hear different voices calling clear when I moved over to pass. I looked back to see we had picked up a nice pace line, well I had picked them up. I was happy to pull and not looking for a break so it was all good.

It was great until we got back into town...traffic, lots of cyclists and right across from the convention center we stopped for a light and I rolled, well so did a massive semi- There was a curb and no bike lane....holy cow I was freaking out- it was so close to hitting me....I did not know what to do- my right pedal was scraping the sidewalk and I was afraid to stop for fear of someone crashing into me- well of course I was the only moron to be wedged between the truck and sidewalk. Scary.....again

Time to get off the bike! Nice spread for the VIP's - yes we qualified and there were pouring chilled Prosecco but I passed...with a throbbing head and swelling nose, coffee was more in order. Here is a shot of the leg....no nose shots as it is not bad enough that someone says OMG what happened. It is slightly swollen so my nose looks big, my eyes a bit sunken in and dark brown bruising across the bridge. It is just enough that when talking to someone they kind of stare but not really and cannot figure out what is going on.

My bike....it is okay- brake is scratched to no end and bent- but rode it 60 miles and all seems okay. Need a new helmet...this one did it's job but want a fresh one in case I need it to do it again!

Eventfull weekend indeed...... Rest of the weekend was dinner with family, hanging with good friends and JD grilling a nice Pork Tenderloin for us all to enjoy.

Thank goodness for triathlon, friends and family!

2011-04-08T12:06:00.000-07:00

stressing about life and not sleeping is a real bummer.... but the upside is triathlon. I am up early these days, usually around 3am it seems. I have found I can down 1/2 pot of coffee by 6am and then forcible switch to green tea.

Yesterday is was howling wind and threatening rain....better than being miserable at home I headed to Fiesta Island to meet J and S. See I really dislike riding in circles (ie Fiesta) and I really, really dislike wind, but I happen really like these girls and this was where they were riding. As I am getting ready to ride, ~~chatting,~~ dumping my woes on J, I take one last look in my trunk and slam it shut.....as the trunk is slamming this panicky feeling sets in and I am reaching in my jersey pocked, I hear the beep- beep confirming the car is locked about the time my hand finds the jersey completely empty. Yes my keys and phone are in the car. I am so pissed, I am not even pissed....come on let's just ride knowing I call AAA later and deal with the issue.

Off we go joined by S and it was pretty darn miserable, terrific headwind on the backside (more so than Fiesta usually offers) and cold. I think maybe I should go back and get my jacket, great idea if I had keys. In any case...I am still recovering, S is getting ready to taper and J has an extra passenger so this was a no expectation ride. A lot of chatting, solving the worlds problems and riding in circles.

The last loop the rain came....and AAA was reasonably on time. After watching in panic as he jammed something between the door frame and window and began inflating air so the rubber popped out...I was a bit nervous, fully expecting a whistling window from here on out. He users the high tech tool, a large bent piece of metal, covered in duct tape to hit the open door button. Minutes later, in the rain and mud, I am in my car. Have not used AAA in 4+ years but got my moneys worth yesterday.

M was running today at 5:30am..... I pretty much figured I would be up to run, but in the rare case I was actually sleeping, I was not setting an alarm to get up. She says text me in the AM if you are coming or not....well I cannot do that because if I wake up to text you then I am coming, if I am not awake, I am not texting or coming. Last night....late close to 11 after dinner with great friends I opptomistically texted I am not coming- sleeping in. Guess what... I ran at 5:30 - I was up, 2 cups of coffee in me and nothing to do. It was cold and windy....really cold, really windy but well running down Torrey at first light watching the ocean on a stormy morning was the perfect start to my day. Drove home and crawled back in the warm bed and then had GF pancakes with John.

Training wise this has been a recovery week...I felt good swimming by Wedenesay and good on the bike by Thursday. Today was the first day my legs felt good running, although my calves are stilll mounds of knots- KP did not painful ART and I think I am back on track. 3 weeks to Wildflower....this weekend is mellow and then hitting in hard for 2 weeks and then 1 week of taper and race time again!