Christmas Break

I'm still on Christmas break from school, and for the past week I've been on break from working out as well. I read somewhere that you can start to lose your cardiac capacity in 7-10 consecutive days of not working out. I've reached that number and am now thinking about new goals for 2010 to keep me moving.

I know that I want to do another Sprint Tri, I'm looking at two possible races in March. One is in Lake Havasu and supposedly has a killer bike ride, even in the Sprint category. The other race (on the same day I think) is just south of Havasu, near to where my first race was. I haven't read up on it yet but a fellow boot camper was telling me about it a couple of weeks ago. If I only had a bike! For some reason Santa didn't bring me one. :(

I know that in April, De wants us to run in Pat's Run for the Pat Tillman foundation. It's a good cause and it seems to be very well organized. The finish line for the race is the 42-yard line inside of the ASU football stadium. I hope they play the Rocky theme song for that!

May brings a Sprint Tri to Tempe, just down the road really. I would like to compete in this race but everyone says there are dead bodies in Tempe Town Lake. I'm not sure, but I'm not a strong swimmer. I have a tendency to swallow water, and I don't feel like drinking dead-body soup.

Luminaria 5k

We're going to do the luminaria run in Cave Creek, AZ on December 5th. I'm really looking forward to it for a couple of reasons. First of all, I've always wanted to see the luminaria display at the Desert Botanical Gardens, and never have. And secondly, it's the evening before our one-year anniversary. It will be nice to do this as a couple. A perfect example of who we are together.

The race ends with bowls of chili and Indian fry bread. Then Cave Creek lights up their Christmas tree in front of the crowd of finishers. Should be a great Christmas-y night, even without snow.

Next race?

I definitely want to do this again. It was a great experience, and I love that there are three different events. Just when your shoulders burn and you think you can't swim anymore it's time to start the bike ride. And just as your ass gets tired of the saddle, you're back in the transition area getting ready for a run. My original plan was to train for the PF Chang's Rock n' Roll marathon in January (the half-marathon category) but after having completed this sprint-tri, I'd really rather do another one or two of these races. Also, I don't seem to have the time to get in as much running as I need for the half-marathon.

I'm still undecided, but I think the Sprint Tri in Havasu, AZ will be my next race. Their website is horrible, but here are the details. Here's an idea.... if you do web-design, why not trade your work for your entry fees plus hotel room for the race? Most of these race sites are horrible!

UBBC Newsletter

Here's what Richelle had to say about the race. I have to agree, I would have never been able to stay on track with my goal without the support of the people around me. Thanks to everyone at UBBC!

Thank-you UBBC.

I am so grateful to Richelle Melde at UBBC for pushing us all to our potential with this race. She believed in me when I didn't believe in myself, and I never would have done this race without her encouragement. Teena, Laura S. and Kim were great training partners, they went through all of this with me. The hard work, the fear of failure, and the sweet taste of success. We did it! Our first sprint triathlon! :)

A strong finish.

Bike to run transition

I've heard this is a difficult transition to make, but it went smoothly for me. Maybe because I competed in the sprint category and the bike ride was only 10 miles. That's not far at all. Also, I didn't need to change shoes/socks at this transition because I don't have a bike with clip-in pedals.

The Swim

This was the most difficult part of the race. One, it was cold water. Two, it was open water. The swim was just north of the dam in Parker, AZ so we had to deal with the current in the river. The long-distance swimmers had the advantage of swimming downstream, however the sprint-distance swimmers (my group) had to go across the river and back. Towards the end of the 600 meters I had definitely drifted further downstream than I needed to be and had to swim hard to get back on track.

Exhaustion, and elation.

Body Marking

First group photo of the day. We had just set up our bikes in the transition area, and then answered the loudspeaker call to get our "body marking" done before the swim starts. It was an exciting moment... the realization that we were really going to race.

My name in lights.

They finally changed it from Linda to Laura.

Wetsuits

Today after school I met the boot-camp girls at Tribe to get fitted for our wetsuits. We all took sleeveless ('cept for the other Laura) and we had a lot of fun in the shop trying to get in and out of them. It is especially difficult to get the crotch in the "just right" spot before pulling the rest of the suit on.

After we all had the right fit on our tri-suits and wet suits, we walked next door (yes in the wetsuits... we looked like robbers!) to 24-hour fitness to do a transition clinic. We swam for 20 minutes, then ran to our transition area to put on our running shoes, then ran through the gym to the stationary bikes. Once on the bikes Richelle put us through some hill training, when we finished we ran through the gym to hit the treadmills upstairs. We were the only people running in the gym, and we were wearing wet tri-suits so there was a lot of stares. I felt like a bit of a stud. I actually felt proud of what I was doing. Good feeling.

Three days till the race....

Sweat is my middle name.

"Success is not measured by what you accomplish but by the opposition you have encountered, and the courage with which you have maintained the struggle against overwhelming odds." -Orison Swett Marden


My race is next weekend. I don't know that I've struggled against "overwhelming odds" but I certainly have struggled through this training. It's been more difficult to get my head around the idea that yes, I too can finish a Sprint Triathlon. My body is doing the work, but most days I feel like "I can't". I'll be happy when the race is over and I start telling myself "I can" do something rather extraordinary.

Are we real bikers?

B is for BASE LAYER

I headed out to Tribe Multisport early yesterday morning to meet Laura S. and Kim R. for a bike-ride. It was a chilly 61 degrees outside, so I had to scramble to find a base layer to put on under my biking jersey. All of the "cool kid" bikers have sleeves with half gloves they can slip on/off for temperature changes, but I had to go old-school and just wear layers. I was happy to see that Laura did the same. :)

Kim didn't make it out because of a flat tire, but Laura and I rode for 10+ miles. My front brake was rubbing consistently all morning, so it was like biking to a metronome. This helped to keep a steady cadence, and were back at Tribe within an hour.

I did a 700 meter swim on Friday. All the lanes at the gym were full, so I had to limit my swim to 20 minutes only. I hit 400 meters in about 12 minutes, and I am hoping to repeat that on race day (less than 15 days away!).

Today I'm going to run bleachers. I will actually finish this race. This newly discovered self-confidence... well, it's a good thing. I like this feeling. You should try it!

Mountain Woman Events

It's actually called Mountain Man Events, but I thought I'd change the title to include myself and all the other women that will be competing on Nov.8th. Check out their website for images of the race course.

Swim Practice

My cheerleader and my coach.

Post-swim photo of the three amigos in training!

After reading an article about head placement and rotation, I was finally able to swim freestyle for 800 meters last Saturday. I'm really starting to believe that I will be able to finish the swim successfully and then go on to complete the rest of the race. I've been living in fear that it will all grind to a halt for me during the swim.

Swimming lessons...

... I haven't taken one since I was a child, but I'm beginning to think I may need one. Today I went to the gym to use the lap pool to practice for the "open water" swim portion of the race. I was able to complete 700 meters in just under 30 minutes. I did the first 200 meters in 10 minutes, but slowed down and increased my breaks as I increased in distance. Right now I'm doubtful about my ability to finish this race.

I started with freestyle, and was able to complete one full length of the pool before I freaked out about putting my face in the water. Since I don't like to put my face in the water at all, I found that I was close to hyperventilation by the end of the lap, gasping for air with each stroke. Most likely I will swim breast-stroke for the race as I'm able to keep the most steady pace and it's not quite as scary as swimming freestyle.

The only problem with the breast-stroke is that is seems to be slower, and by the end of multiple laps I had lower back pain. I'm probably not doing the stroke right and will indeed need a swimming lesson.

Bricking it!

Today I had my first experience with Brick training. Sounds like I have to carry a brick around while I train, but it's nothing like that. It's the bike to run (ick!) transition, hence the name, brick. It is supposedly the most difficult transition of the tri. Since I'm doing the sprint tri, my ride is only 9 miles and the run is 3, I don't suspect I'll suffer as much from the wobbly legs of someone doing the full tri.

I met Teena and Richelle at Tribe Multisport at 7 a.m. this morning. As I was the first one there, I was a bit worried that they wouldn't show up and I'd be lost in a sea of real bikers, the real athletes, you know the ones who ride at least 25 miles a day? I hurriedly sent Teena a text to let her know I was freaking out, she replied with "You're okay. I'm on my way" which made me smile.

The three of us waited about 15 minutes to see if anyone else was going to make it out for Brick training, and then we left. We rode for 10 miles at a slow and steady pace, and I really enjoyed it. I usually ride alone every week, and it's just not as productive for me. With no one to talk to, I get trapped in my head and think about my aches and pains and why I should just give it up. Giving up never crossed my mind today.

Once we got back to Tribe, Teena and I got out of our helmets and switched to baseball caps and ran for one mile while Richelle rode along beside us. I really suck at running. Half way in I was starting to feel tightness from my asthma, and towards the end I was actually wheezing. I take walk breaks to try and get some air into my lungs, but it really doesn't help. It's so frustrating. I think I'm getting better though. I set little goals all along the route; running to the next stop sign, walking for 10 deep breaths only, etc. I have two more months to improve.

A Cloudy Sunrise

Today I was up at 5 a.m. to get my "first run" of sprint-tri training in while it was still under 100 degrees. 15 minutes before I left, I ate a GU packet. Not too tasty, but I've been told I need to "get used to it". Then I did a run/walk interval of nearly 2 miles in 25 minutes. I think that is pretty good for my first run.

I stopped short of going all the way to my mile mark before turning around because I realized how much traffic was on 32nd street this morning. I imagine the passing drivers calling out "Keep running fatty!" and it stops me dead in my tracks. I have boot camp tomorrow, but will run again on Friday morning and perhaps adjust my route to a less busy street so I can mentally finish my run.

The reward for my efforts this morning was a cloudy sunrise. Beautiful.

Borrowed bike.

The number 15.

Last Thursday I decided to take my borrowed bike out for my maiden voyage. It was 2 p.m. and 112 degrees. I wasn't worried about the heat because I live here, in the desert, year round. I figure I'm accustomed to the heat. My training schedule for last week called for one ride, 5-8 miles. I decided to do 6 miles. Four different times during the ride I had to get off the bike and seek shade, I was dizzy, panting, and would have cried had I thought someone was around to rescue me. It took me an hour to finish the 6 miles.

Today I headed out on the same 6 mile ride at 10 a.m. and only 97 degrees. It took me only 35 minutes to complete the exact same ride, stopping once at midpoint to get off the pedals and drink some water. Today I learned the value of 15 degrees.

Motivation, or lack thereof.

I know I should be running, instead I am sitting in my air-conditioned living room reading a book about running. It was 117 yesterday, and today's high is 113. I am not the least bit motivated to open my front door.

The good and the bad.

First the good news... tonight I found a bike. Another teacher at my school who runs a few half-marathons every year is going to start running again in a week, and won't need her bike. Bonus, she said the frame is too small for her, so it should be perfect for me!

The bad news... I'm afraid of failing. I'm afraid of starting this thing and not being able to finish. And if that happens, what will everyone think of me? More importantly, what will I think of myself?

Even weiner dogs like to run.

Once, while I was in elementary school my mother decided to spend the day at her friend Carol's house, she took my brother and I along with her. Being told to "Go out and play", Aaron and I headed to Grandview Park, a few blocks away. I don't remember what we did at the park, or how long we were there. What I remember is the run back to Carol's house. It was all downhill, and my brother and I were running. Wind in the hair running. Feet thumping hard on the sidewalk as gravity was pulling us down the hill faster than our legs could carry us.

Towards the bottom of the hill there was a man washing his car in a driveway across the street. No, this is not a story where he sprays us with a garden hose while we run by (although that is a fear of mine). His child was also in the yard with him, playing with a Weiner dog. That Weiner dog caught sight of Aaron and I running down the hill and charged us from across the street. Aaron laughed, I screamed, and we ran faster. I don't know if the momentum of running downhill made us believe we could out-run a dog, but it never occurred to us to stop running. The dog chased us, barking ferociously, as only little dogs can do. We kept running.

Apparently my brother ran faster, because the dog jumped up and caught me by the hand. His jaw was locked around my palm and he was growling. I stopped running and I was jumping around, shaking my hand up and down in the air, but that Weiner dog held on. I yelled out "Help me!" to my brother, who had also stopped running, and was hysterical with laughter. Aaron finally came to my rescue and kicked the dog. The dog yelped, let go of my hand, and took off running for his yard. Aaron and I ran the rest of he way back to Carol's house.

Who will win?

Me, or the pavement? It's definitely going to be one of us ... I hope it's me. Stay tuned if you want to follow my training schedule as I prepare for my first half-marathon.