Thursday, June 29, 2006

Sleep Sleep Glorious Sleep

For all the complaining I do about not getting good sleeps, lastnight I slept like a baby! Working out later in the day might have something to do with it, ya think? Strange though really cuz in the past working out late has gotten me all ramped up and has interfered with sleeping well. I'm consuming less caffiene these days, except for the mandatory 2 cups of courage in the morning, I've been skipping the diet sodas in the afternoon, I'm probably down to 2-3 a week...including the weekend.
While were on the subject, why are diet sodas so bad for you? Is it the sodium content? I need to learn more about the sodium/electrolyte theory as I'm not the most scientific athlete...I try to to read about nutrition and I'm getting better about label reading before I buy, but I just get bored with all the information. So as to tackle the monolithic subject of Nutrition, my question is "why are diet sodas bad?

Wednesday, June 28, 2006

A Progressive Brick

Wednesdays are normaly my day off from work but I took one for the team and I worked 1/2 day. I could've squeezed some form of training in this morning before having to get M to camp by 9am, but putzed around the house instead, made M a hot breakfast for a change, fixed her lunch, combed her hair ( I often let her fend for herself) and we walked Brandy before heading off. I feel I got some brownie points at least in the mom dept.

The half day turned into a 3/4 day and I didn't get out of there until after 2:00 pm. It was a weird weather day all over the bay area, rain and hail in the morning that turned into a warmish windy afternoon. I didn't know what to expect weather wise, so I just packed everything in my gym bag....or so I thought! I wanted to do a swim/bike brick so I headed over to Cowel pool. Now that the kiddies are out of school they only have 2 lanes designated for lap swimming. The place was crawling with kids, this is normally not an issue for me but today I wasn't feeling it.

I had forgotten my sunglasses earlier but was sure I had another pair in my gym bag...god knows I have everything else in there! NOT!!! So this compelled me to scrap swimming at Cowel and head over to Heather Farms Pool where there was a RiteAid nearby so I could pick up another pair of glasses...my luck was turning and I bought one and got one free. I then noticed the car needed gas and that took another stop.

By the time I got into the pool it was 3:15. I swam a good 45 minutes, my usual free,breast, drills. I always seem to forget the # of laps I lost count after 10. By the time I showered and changed into my biking duds (T got me my first official biking jersey for my birthday, it's purple of course) it was 4:15....guh! Too late to bike in Walnut Creek and avoid rush hour traffic, so I decided to head over Tilden for some hill work.

I arrived at Inspiration Point close to 5pm and rode for 45 minutes, covering some decent hills, mostly rollers with a few times needing to get my butt off the saddle, just enough to get the legs humming. At one point on the Nimitz Trail, I noticed the cows had wandered onto the paved trail. As I slowed down I wondered if they would be skittish or knock me off the bike, they just sort've stared at me at first not appearing to know what to do and then scurried off . Riding over cow grates is rather unnerving as well. I worried about getting a flat and rode over them each time slowly.

The wind was picking up and the sun was bright but not hot, I felt good and decided to add a run, a 29 minute 3 miler to top off. The fact that I pulled all this off so late in the day is major for me. I think I'm getting stronger too cuz the bike/run transition was so smoooooth, no jello legs at all! Considering I didn't know what was gonna happen training wise today, it turned out alright. Being prepared paid off.

Tuesday, June 27, 2006

A long strange trip....

Today is my 43rd birthday and it has me feeling a little introspective. I said not long ago to T my 20's were about experimenting- a brief stint as seasonal firefighter, a 6 year on and off stint as a Mormon who served a mission in Italy who eventualy settled on a less structered lifestyle...

My 30's were about recovery( from Mormonism) and getting over dogma and ideals not of my own, getting together with T, getting pregnant, becoming a mom, going back to school and getting my ass kicked by both....getting married and realizing that I never really appreciated alone time before. Struggling to be a grown up and really not knowing what I was doing half the time, new mom, school (fucking Algerbra II pretty much did me in!), tough internships, new career, wife.....it's all a blur really.

My 40's seem to be about alot of FIRSTS along with rediscovery . I started getting fat....really fat...and the weird thing was I didn't feel fat, I could still do what I wanted, I was energetic and able to hike and bike and not huff and puff after schlepping groceries up 2 flights of stairs....but the clothes got bigger and then I started working in a facility where many of the staff began to comment on my growing backside. Annoying as this was, those comments and a particulary annoying and petite triathlon chick....got me toying with the idea of running. That annoying trichick, was sooooo obnoxious, a real ball breaker and I was totally driven to get off my ass and DO something about my situation. I took my first tentative step at a walk run program. This has been followed by many firsts: first 5K, 10K, 12K and a sprint triathlon.....learning how to clip in and out of pedals and bike shoes! More firsts to come I'm sure.

That was June 'o4 and 2 years later I'm not that fat girl anymore. I learned to swim (the learning process was painful, kinda like Algerbra II....but it got better, math however did not! I'm not svelte or neccesarily petite, though short in stature. I am strong and have rediscovered my inner athlete..........the one that never really developed as a young person due to lack of direction and support, bad choices, drugs.....Now, I get to see what I can do.
In a strange way there is an advantage I think to coming into your own later in life, no aging athlete issues really, I mean no past glories to blurr current status. It's ALL GOOD, ya know what I mean? I'm just damn happy and grateful to be able to do all this stuff and feel great afterwards. My goals aren't so lofty, my training not so regimented, but I love this active life style and I can whole heartidly say only good has ever come of it. My life isn't perfect, or neat or especially inspiring but it's mine of my making, not one based on standards that don't fit or guilt (ok, I'm still working on that one), but I like myself better now and well that's just good all around.

The trip gets strange....and hard ...but mostly interesting. I'm happy to report I have much to learn and a desire to find out where this journey will take me next.

Sunday, June 25, 2006

Redwood Regional Park

I headed back up to Redwood this morning, the same way I rode yesterday, turns out I put 20 plus miles in the saddle roundtrip, that's 1/5 of a century!!!
So, with Brandy in tow we hit the trail @ 7:50 am, a little later than I usually like to run, but the race in August starts at 8:30 am and well I need to adjust. The $30.00 gel inserts held up fabulously(worth every penny!), as did the $16.99 sports bra from Target however the $40.00 asics shorts insisted on wedging themselves between my ample bottom...once I accepted these terms it wasn't so bad except about 50 minutes into the run I grew painfully aware that I failed to remember to use bodyglide on my delicate upper thigh area...ouch! A pity too, I could've gone longer but had to stop after an 1hr 20 minutes due to the increased chaffing, that and the fact that Brandy was whooped! It was on the warm side and she'd plop down on the trail every so often with her tongue hanging low drawing all kinds of attention from the other dog people and I felt bad for not bringing some water for her. She had a big drink once we looped back around and again plopped down and buried her nose deep into the water bowl.

M is making blueberry pancakes and we are going to IKEA to look for some kind of wall storage unit in attempt to get the dining/family room organized. You got to be creative when you live in a cottage.

I love Sundays, have a good one!

Saturday, June 24, 2006

My Summer Lineup

So, I'm registered for 2 events in August. Another Pleasonton Tri4Fun 8/19 and my first 20K trail race in Oaklands Redwood Regional Park 8/27. I was planning to sign up for a 12K trail race at Angel Island to run, but decided to volunteer instead. I'll be working the aid station 7/8.

This morning I headed over to Tunnel Road and worked my way to the above mentioned Redwood. Now this was a perfect ride. Long gradual climbs, a comfortable ride all around. I didn't want to work too hard as I plan to hit Redwood tomorrow for a run. The Montrails are itching to get out again, especally now with the super comfy gel inserts. Pure pleasure they were on yesterdays short run, we'll see how they hold up over the long haul.

Okay, that's it for now. M and I are headed to Marine World for some serious rollercoaster riding!

Friday, June 23, 2006

Tri4Fun

Here's me in all my geeky glory at the end of the race. Posted by Picasa

Saturday, June 17, 2006

I'm a Triathlete!

Big thanks to Mia for totally being there for me, you rock babe and I see a tri in our future!
Yep that's right, I want to do it again!

There was 1000 participants and it was a bit chaotic weaving in and around bodies and bikes. We racked our bikes and checked in. After a quick tinkle we gathered on the beach for a few instructions. My wave (5th) was the largest and I lingered long enough in the back to get cut off, which was fine by me. The water was warm like Nancy said it would be. She's a bulldog, but she's my bulldog, I just love her! Not listening too closely to what the announcer was saying I surveyed the swim route and got my stopwatch ready, remembering to hit it just before I plunged into the water.

The swim went pretty well for me. I went out with the last wave and hung back. I was able to freestyle almost all the way to the first buoy, I started to struggle so I rolled over to catch my breath and breast stroked the entire rest of the way......no dog paddle or anymore rolling over.
I finished the 1/4 mile swim in 15 minutes. I was not last.

T1 went smooth, that is once I found my stuff! I ran right past it! I had a little trouble clipping in on the bike, weaving abit. Such a rookie! I saw T out of the corner of my eye.

The ride was pretty much flat with an occasional bump compared the practice tri . I stopped looking at my watch after T1 and I'm guessing the 11 mile ride was 40 or so minutes There was a crash and I had to dodge glass at one point. I was not last.

T2 was a little confusing because I hadn't bothered to scope out where to head out for the run. Legs felt great, no cramping at all! I was slow but steady. It was starting to get pretty warm by this point and I knew I better just take it easy and save whatever kick I had for the end.
And kick I did, on the home stretch I picked up my pace and one of the volunteers shouted out
"looking strong, don't you know you just did a triathalon!!" With a big ol grin on my face I crossed the finish line according to my stop watch in 1:27:47.

It was so fun and I would like to tri again in August. For now I'll spend more time with family, but keep up with the bricks and work on the swim. During both the swim and the bike I felt so emotional. Just happy and proud. The run, a sort've crazy star-like loop was challenging especially in the heat. Seeing my family at the finish line is always the best part.

What a great event. I was sure to thank several volunteers along the way and we (triclub) took lots of pictures and plan on meeting next week for a final gathering.

What a great way to kick off the summer. I know I've been hot and cold with this tri biz. It's just too fun not to tri again. I need to keep this excitement and enthusiasm in my life, despite all the family issues.

I also want thank all you guys for your supportive comments. I means more than you know!

Race Day Morning 6.17.06

It's 4:27 am and while I'll admit to being a little nervous about the swim ( a feeling I've grown accustomed to!) I'm not afraid. The swim is my newest discipline, one that I've given much attention to yet I'm in the early stages of still. This event today is the culmination of that effort. Freestyle hasn't really happened outside the pool much and so I approach this thing with a determined yet humble heart. I haven't given the lake it's due but not because I'm a slacker but more because I've only just started making strides in the pool. The lake will tolerate my presence today because she knows that I've worked hard. I haven't earned the right to dominate her yet but I can hold my own.

It's so cool .....yeah, this silly little sprint....that's got me schlepping my tail around at 4 freaking o'clock in the morning feeling like a true athlete, a warrior even.
Ok, let's do this thing!

Thursday, June 15, 2006

Fatherhood

Lastnights bike ride and this mornings run were the final workouts bringing the taper to a close. I'm as ready for saturday as I'll ever be.

Tomorrow is a half day at work and I will try to find parking on Telegraph to get T a gift certificate at Rasputins Records (more bang for your buck there). He recently tuned up his vintage Bianchi and switched out the pedals for clipless ones. His shoes and pedals are different than mine and hard as hell to get in and out of, but he's not discouraged and when he can actually have some time to ride vows to master them. He is much more patient than I.

Before I was married, Fathers Day didn't really mean much growing up. Without dredging the "I never really knew my dad" storey.... suffice it to say it wasn't a big deal. It wasn't until I became a parent and watched as T grew into his fatherhood that I began to appreciate the powerful role a dad plays in the life of his daughter.

Because of T, our daughter will never just settle, she'll be confident in her choices and not too much in a hurry to grow up and find love because she'll know what it's like to be loved by a good man already. She'll discover what she's good at and what she likes and she will find her way in this world secure in the knowledge that her father is there for her. Always.
I know I play a part in all of this too. I'm just more practical than T and I play the hardass more readily. I'm the task master and disciplinarian. At this stage I can't even compete with T and somebody has to keep us on schedule.

There is something irreplacable about a good dad, especially at this time in her life. She's 10 now and by that age I hadn't seen my father in well over 8 years. He died in a ridiculous way, well before his time and before we ever found a way to connect. It was weird not crying at his funeral. I'm not looking for pity just trying to make a point. I gave my daughter a good father, one that she will love well and miss when he's gone. One that will be a positive influence in her life. One that feeds her curiosity, make her think about things and encourages her to dream.

As I watch T go through a literal role reversal with his parents I know that despite the inconvinience and stress he wouldn't have it any other way. He is the ultimate example of unconditional love. I am in awe of his ability to give so selflessly. I couldn't.

To all you good fathers and father figures out there, know without question or doubt that the good your doing now makes this world a better place. Fewer kids and adults with chips on their shoulders, missing that thing that having a good dad gives them.
Know this even when it's hard.

Happy Fathers Day!



Tuesday, June 13, 2006

4 days away

So, the amazing hip rocked his first tri. a great read as my 1st sprint is coming up. our practice tri was significantly more challenging then our upcoming event. this has me feeling strangely NOT nervous as saturday approaches. not to say i am w/o a few concerns. shifting gears is an on-going issue for me ...in all sectors.

in my usual manner i am a pile of contradiction. i don't particulary enjoy training with a group but i was disappointed when a fellow triclubber had to cancel (again) our practice swim at lake anza. prior to her cancelling i imagined some plotting and scheming as we worked on our open water swim together and perhaps considered another tri later in the season....weird, huh? then T needed a ride and later i ended up taking my mom-in-law to a doctors appointment. lake anza and thoughts of tri faded into the background.

just saw a glimpse of T this morning as M and I were heading off to school and he was coming home to change clothes after staying over with his dad lastnight. it's chilly outside with the possibility of showers later in the day and i should try to get a swim and ride in beforehand. my quads are sore from sundays run, yesterday was a restday. so nothing too hard today just keeping the engine primed for sat.

i've discovered that i can get more done with a busy schedule, though i'm not usually happy about it. for me as long as it's a short term crunch i can can manage but not so much when there's no end in site. i'm definitey NOT the type A personality that seems to gravitate towards this sport. i'm more like a B-, an impatient B-. see i'm a pile of contradictions.

i was moaning about how uncomfortable i am with uncertainty the other day. as if it's some solid fixture in my day to day world. the truth is nothing is for certain. life is full of surprises. why am letting this stuff with my in-laws suck the fun out of training and my upcoming event? I've worked hard for this but i'm not as excited anymore. I never considered not participating on saturday after poop hit the fan with the family, but i volunteered to carpool just in case, funny how i needed to do that to ensure that i wouldn't succumb to any excuses.
T spent sunday getting the yakima bike rack rigged up and there's no way i'm not showing up!!

addendum:

I arrived at strawberry pool too late or too early depending on how you look at it. like the library i'm discovering public pools have goofy hours. so on a whim i treked up to lake anza for a solo open water swim...or so i thought. not keeping in mind this is the last week of school and most of them organize a lake anza field trip during this time. I was accompanied by at least 150 grade schoolers..........as i entered the beach one little boy was a bit too excited about the prospect of girls in bikinis and thongs!!

holy mary and joseph was it cold! much more so than the last time i was there. i tentatively waded up to my hips and just stood there for a minute. inhaling deeply i dove in and swam out to the lap area well away from the frolic. 4 laps (3 breast and 1 backstoke) and i was out of there. i tried freestyle but it was too choppy for me. i put in maybe a total of 200 yards. i walked quickly back to my car and headed back over to strawberry where the pool re-opened at noon. the pool felt like bath water in comparison and i swam another 30 minutes alternating between drills and real swimming. nothing especially grueling. i then hit the workout room for an even briefer ride on the stationary bike, i was at around 13 minutes when the phone rang, ok, brick officially over.

i have a headache and i'm hungry. i need a nap too!

Sunday, June 11, 2006

My Mountain

This morning for the first time in days I awoke rested and wanting to run. With thoughts of Strawberry Canyon rolling around my mind I wondered if I was up to the task of my beloved mountain. Fueled only by 2 cups of Peet's Sumatra I headed out to get an early start. Brandy sensing something was up trailed me all through the house and was ready to go too.

When we got to the trail head a sign was posted that there had been a mountain lion siting in mid May. I briefly considered my other options but decided to take my chances. Interestingly my desire to run outweighed any fear. I was acutely aware of every sound and sight.

A younger woman was passing me on the left, we met up at the foot of Big Bertha. She paused briefly and when I got to the base of BB she started to run again. At the top she inserted her headphones and I wondered if she had noticed the mountain lion posting. She was maybe 50 yds. ahead of me and I thought I should ask her if she had noticed the posting. I whistled to get her attention but she either didn't hear or think it was directed to her. I don't know if I was being paranoid or maternal, but it seemed like someone ought to warn her. Anyhoo, she was fast and when I caught up with her she had turned around after only a mile or so and I felt oddly better that this girl wasn't running further up the canyon w/o being able to hear. One time Brandy and I were up there and I heard a big cat from a distance and we just turned around. While hearing a cat up close wouldn't prevent me from being breakfast at least I'd have half a chance hearing it from a distance.

Further up I noticed bunches of animal fur on the side of the trail, no blood or guts just big wads of yellow and grey fur. A bit further I noticed a ripped green polo shirt off to the same side, again no blood or guts. The higher we climbed the denser the fog grew adding to the eeriness of the scene.

Maybe I was aided abit by the adrenaline but I shaved off 5 minutes from the last time I ran this trail about 2 months ago!! 6.5 miles in 75 minutes 45 up 30 down. I suppose the cross training hasn't hurt either.

So, the Element is officially broken in, Brandy got it nice and muddy. I felt sooooo good after this run, even a little choked up on the ride home. I am truly my best on the trails. I'd almost forgotten how much I love trails having spent so much time on the swimming and biking.
I'm pretty sure the next event I sign up for will be the Angel Island 12K in August.

Friday, June 09, 2006

Bored

Can you tell I'm bored with Bloggers template choices?

The census at work is low and I had the option to work or not...I chose the later. I should run but don't feel like it. I know it would make me feel better but still I can't get going. I didn't feel like running Tuesday either but I did. Wednesday I swam. Lastnight I worked HARD on the bike in the Piedmont Hills Area. This morning M and I walked part way to school and afterwards Brandy and I went to Ceasar Chavez for a little bit. It's been too long since we've done that and she was a happy dog. I guess it's okay to chill out today and clean up this place. Sheesh what a mess!!! My home feels more like a transition area than the calming santuary I'd like it to be. Is that realistic or just some bullshit phrase put out there to make me feel guilty about my lack of house pride??

Monday, June 05, 2006

The Multisport called Life

I've been reading alot rookie/newbie reports and posts lately and it seems like alot folks before they've even completed their first tri are signed up for several already. One woman, after a rough first tri, (the wetsuit was ill fitting and I guess she never practiced in it prior to her event and it nearly drowned her) this one woman proclaimed loudly that she would purchase a top of the line wetsuit and a killer bike before the next one. Her next effort reported a much better swim but upon exiting the water ( note: running around barnacles is not good) she sliced her foot open and instead of rendering proper aide she jammed her foot into her shoes and struggled with each revolution on the bike and well the run just wasn't to be. This same trinewbie goes on to vow that she will become an IRONMAN. Well I'll hand it to her she's got spunk.

I on the other hand am questioning my tri future. I recently came to terms with my "place " in this upcoming race and I feel good and though I'm not as strong a swimmer as I'd like to be I feel pretty good about my progress. The practice tri was a great chance to work out the details and to highlight strengths as well as things to work on. I was excited afterwards and I had fun during the effort but I'm not so sure I've been "bitten" by the tri bug.

Yesterday morning and early afternoon were gobbled up by appointments and errands. M and I got to the pool around 4 pm and I swam laps for over an hour (lots of rest breaks of course). We hustled out of there around 5:30 to have dinner with T before he headed over to Concord to stay with his dad. My mom-in-law was admitted to the hospital last thursday for another stroke and it seems to have affected her differently than the last time . She was transferred to where I work lastnight for rehabilitation like the time before.

The thing is, since her last stroke T and his two other siblings haven't really figured out what to do. Like most families they sort've hoped that things would return to normal and opted to wait it out rather than make any major changes. My mom-in-law did get better, but not so much better that she should resume her role as caregiver to my father-in-law who is in the mid stages of Alzheimer's disease. My mom-law (K) is a fighter though and despite the deficits remained fiercly independent, though she really could use help. My sis-in-law had to cancel in home support because K didn't want a stranger in the house, in the meantime T and and his siblings have been juggling their schedules to take them to appointments and whatnot. It was quite stressful to say the least.

So, now were in the same place again and we spouses (I was on the phone the other day with my bro-in-law and boy did he need to vent!!) are more than a little bit concerned that the hard decisions haven't been made yet and the bulk/burden of care is once again on our partners. It's such an overwhelming thing caring for aging parents and dealing with all the finances and medical decisions no doubt. As a healthcare professional I understand that my husband and his siblings had to go through some degree of denial before they could move forward but as a wife not so much, guh!!!

Maybe this has something to do with my lack of enthusiam about a summer filled with triaspirations. The balance has definaitely been upset around here and the need to train for events feels abit selfish in the midst of everything. I'm not slacking off per say but I'm definitely not as focused. The unknown is always so uncomfortable and I feel just awful for feeling this way, but theres no telling what's going to happen with my in-laws and no point of planning trips, or events or anything that's going to require T's assistance because his plate is so full already.

I've been on the fence about future tris all along, I know that. The main objective has in fact already been achieved. I wanted to learn to swim, so in that respect it has been a huge success already. Just not sure what lies ahead for us as we try to figure all this out. Did I mention how uncomfortable I am with uncertainty?

Hell, right now my life IS a Multisport!!

Saturday, June 03, 2006

Practice Tri Report

As I pulled into the park, the bestest song came on the radio. Peter Gabriels "swimmin" I took it as a good omen and it definitely settled my nerves. I arrived early to test the waters. Hopped the fence and splashed around abit. The water temp was totally comfortable as was the new swim top. I quickly returned the transition area to set up and the group started to file in. The weather was beautiful.

First the swim. I apparently have no ability to freestyle in the lake. I alternated between breast and backstroke the majority of the time with occasional attempt at freestyle. The breathing was still an issue despite the warmer water. I just gotta get in the lake more. I think I swam too fast initially tiring myself out with the breaststroke which made it harder to settle into the more technical freestyle. Dread and Fear were not the blame this time, but my overenthusiasm tripped me up. To my surprise Lake Anza wasn't so bad. I actually preferred it over Shadow Cliff. I was last out of the water but I had a smile on my face. Running towards the transition I peeled off my swim top, goggles and cap. T and Nancy cheering me on felt good.

Next the bike. T1 went almost perfect except I forgot to put on my race belt. I hopped on and before too long spotted a few riders. The exit from the park to Grizzly Peak was brutal. I had trouble shifting and where the hell was my granny gear???? I humped that freakin hill until I couldn't anymore then walked the last 50 yards? to the top. Not much later things got worse. Oh yeah I had a flat!!! Thank goodness Cheryl who was our sweeper was trailing behind and between she, me and another good samaritan we changed the tire and I was off again. The last thing I heard Cheryl say "you can catch up Chris cuz your fast" We had two options. One was to turn around at Inspiration Point(IP) or to continue past IP down another 1/2 a mile and turn around at Toyon??? I caught up with one rider who was tuning around at IP and I kept going . Down Down Down........where the hell is the turnaround??? They told us this was tricky turn and hard to see. At this point I was closing in on 2 hours and made an executive decision to add a 3rd option and I turned around. Up Up Up more freakin hills, I found granny purely on trial and error and for awhile was able to pick things up. The hill leading you out of the park was a bitch and again granny gave me the slip. But I got my butt off the saddle and stood up to pedal and did not walk. Winding down Grizzly Peak back to the transition area, a few more hills to contend with and then rolling into T2. I was peeling off my helmut and bike shoes and donning my running shoes, cap and race belt.

The run. This is where I made up for things folks. I was not fast but I was strong and steady and I never walked . I was sure to high five and shout out positive words as I went toward Little Farm. On the turn around I got a bit more serious, less talkative and just tried to hold on to my pace. I passed a few more people and was grinning from ear to ear. I hate to admit it but it felt damn good not to be last. I was whipped but I felt really good at the same time.
So the real deal in just two weeks. The course today was so much harder than what we'll be facing in Pleasonton.
I'm pleased with my swim effort. I know it will improve over the summer. It may not get much better before the race but I've proven to myself that I can swim 1/4 mile and have enough gas to finish my race. The flat tire was stressful and for a few minutes I got panicky while trying to catch up but it's got me thinking how many more people would I have passed if that hadn't happened. The run was solid. I forgot to get an actual time but I know I was well under 3 hours. Overall I'm pleased with todays performance. What I lacked in technical skill I made up for in physical strength. Sprint level tri's are good match for me. This was such a helpful way to train. I couldn't imagine going into the real deal without this kind of preparatiion. What a rush!!

Addendum

one participant wasn't able to complete the swim.

average elevation 2000 ft

Thursday, June 01, 2006

The Devil is in the Details

I knew I wanted to run but wasn't sure where. So I just improvised and let my feet do the guiding. I skipped the flat BART trail and headed up Marin to the Alameda then over to the King track for one mile and then towards home. Total time 40 mins. Earlier I had my swim bag and clothes for work already packed so when I got back from the run all I had to do was jump in my car and head over to the pool in near work. To my surprise that nifty 1 month swim card I purchased the second week in May expired today ( I thought it would rollover to 1 week into the next month) but the gal behind the desk let it slide and I proceeded to bang out 9 laps in the 50 yd lane in about a half an hour. I really needed to buckle down and try to cover 1/4 mile with as little stopping as possible. This has me thinking I might pull off the swim in 30 minutes! Shit I'll take it!!
I rested in between laps 10-15-20-bleh seconds and I did everything from backstroke, breaststroke and freestyle. I started out with breast and than halfway would switch to free or rollover on my back. My main objective was to get 9 laps done anyway I could. Oddly enough the last 2 laps were all freestyle and I didn't have to switch to breast or rollover. I really like this pool but today I felt so rushed. I wanted to stay longer and I think that's a good sign. Come June 18th the 25 yd. lanes are open until 4pm. I was also charged a $10.00 non-resident fee for the swim card. I really need to be more cunning, I should've had cash on hand and not a check with my real address on it!! Still it's a really nice pool and it's close to the job.

The race mgt. meeting lastnight was good. We reviewed the practice tri logistics and swapped transition tips. The general concensus being: bike gloves are not a necessity however socks are. Some people got killer deals on tri gear at the Sports Basement over Memorial Day weekend. I found a decent training swim suit at the outlet in the Cannery for $15.00. Today I bought a Aqua Sphere swim top to wear over my trisuit. It's got neoprene on the front and back to keep the core warm, while the arms and shoulders are some other kind of fabric for freer movement. At least it will keep me a little warmer and be easier to remove then a wetsuit. Plus it does make me look and feel kinda cool and that's priceless!

Tomorrow is a rest day and I will no doubt spend friday night on the floor in my living room going over my list and pack and repack my red duffle bag.

swim cap
goggles
i'll be wearing my trisuit and swim top
helmut
bike shoes
socks
water bottle/camelbak
racing belt - does this go on at T1 or T2???????
running shoes

This is gonna be fun!

Oh yeah, today I also bought a pair of size 8 pants!! No drawstrings or elastic. Woohoo!!!