Ooooooooooooweeee! That was one kick-ass run! I mean so literally and figuratively!
I picked up Travis on the corner of Ashby and College...Upon seeing him, he matched the profile of an ultrarunner to a T. A completely sweet natured guy, a transplant from Minnesota...We chatted easily and were excited about the day.
The weather was deceiving with it's low hanging fog. Condensation drippped from the trees the higher we climbed Skyline in the Element.
Lesson #1
Know where your race is.
I thought I knew where we were going, however upon arriving in the Redwood lot, it was apparent that we were in the wrong entrance. A few inquiries later, we were back on Skyline headed toward the south entrance.
Once parked and registered Travis and I parted ways, he was doing the 50K and I the 20K. I found Karen, a gal I met and talked a lot with at Pacifica and we talked a bit as the herd took off. I was a little rushed as evidenced by my mismatched socks. I meant to switch into thicker ones and I did.... but only halfway....I grew uncomfortably aware of this around 2 hours into the race.
Both Karen and her friend Dick are veteran trail hounds and they could tell I was all amped up and cautioned me to settle down.... I tried to but I was all jiggy still from getting the entrance wrong and trying to register and change into the right socks and shoes ....while the race director was already sounding off the start!
Wendell and Sarah, the event directors, held up to there reputation for hills and almost immediately there was a ridiculous ascent. I tried running,...slowly...Karen chuckled ...saying "I'm walking faster than you can run...take it easy! So, for the first time ever in a race I walked.
I knew this was the right thing to do but I really didn't pace myself well in the beginning, I think I pushed too hard on the flats initially to make up for the walking.....That didn't last too long though.
I really mixed things up on this run. I would go really slow and easy on the flats and then push on the hills...That worked for awhile...A good while actually...It seemed that I recovered quicker on the flats vs the other way around......Weird. The fog gave way to the sun not long into the run, about 45 mins into it I was really glad that I had frozen one of my water bottles. I GU'ed at this point and was for the most part alone.
The variety of terrain was incredible. It had it all, steep up and downs, single tracks, fire trails, and poison oak galore. Fortunately they were plenty of shaded areas to combat the heat out in the open. I got off track a couple times, and was grateful for the shout outs of my fellow runners.
Lesson #2
Run More, Talk Less
I was feeling really good for the first 2 hours....Legs and breathing were all good. I'm not normally so social during races but today, I talked....A lot...This would prove to be my demise in the end. I met up with a couple of other gals ....Actually they caught up with me and got me back on track, hence helping me avoid a nasty climb back up hill! I kept up with them for awhile ( the adage "run your own race" completely forgotten at this point!)....They were HAULING ASS I tell yah....And at the same time saying "we're just taking it easy, feel free to go around anytime".....Hew ...Needless to say I wasn't in any hurry to get in front of them!
We held close for a good ways on the single track and chatted a bit about other PCT races.....These women were so fast....And they weren't even giving it there all....they still had another 30K to go!! My turn up front didn't last long. Before much longer I got out of the way and poof! They were gone.
About 2 hours and 15 minutes things started to fall apart. I was really tired! My right leg was achey and I walked some more.
Each attempt to run felt ridiculous. A woman I had passed awhile back caught up with me while I was walking...Guh!!! No biggie...I said to myself, I admitted to going out too fast and she said "yeah, that's easy to do...but it's so beautiful!" I didn't say anything back to her...she was right, it was beautiful...but for a few minutes I remained in my head about the need to walk....lame, dumb, blah, blah.
By this point I could here the chatter at the finish line even though I couldn't see it....Alas...an end to this race! I tried in vain to pick up the pace and settled for a fast shuffle. I hoped that I didn't look as tired as I felt! T was waiting for me at the finish line, with camera in hand, so we'll see soon enough.
What an amazing event. It KICKED MY ASS and I can say without a moments hesitation, this girl left it all out there on the trail! Despite how tired I was and how badly I wanted it to be over......I can't wait to do it again!!
Lesson #3
Forget the Numbers
Suffice it to say I didn't come anywhere near my "super secrete" time(2:00), nor my "yeah right" time(2:15), not even my "that's more like it"
time(2:30) close though. I finished in 2:38
I discovered some wonderful trails today and met a few cool folks. Even though talking so much cost me precious energy as did going out too hard in the beginning. I feel like I really did something today!
Sunday, August 27, 2006
Pre-Redwood Regional Park 20K
I don't know what's gonna happen out there today, but i'm about to find out in another hour or 2. I'm not even nervous....which is still a strange thing for me, I guess I'm getting more comfortable with the unknown and with racing in general.
The coffee buzz is starting to kick in and I'm wondering....yes wondering about ...my....time. I have a super-secrete time in mind, then a oh-yeah-right time and finally a that's-more-like-it time.....
All this wondering aside, the run will gorgeous...Redwood Regional Park is one more reason to live in the bayarea and I'm just so lucky to live here!
I responded to a message board at the race site and offered a ride to "Travis", another Berkeley resident....I couldn't tell if he was a young or old dude....his voice was hard to pin....he sounds like a happy guy nevertheless....
PCTruns are well set-up and having had a chance to volunteer for them this summer I know we will be well cared for.
This is my longest run up to date...a 20K...that's almost a half-marathon....
So, I'm just chillin....drinking coffee and getting my breakfast sorted out...the Nano may or may not go for the run, we'll see....
Ok then, I'll check-in after the race!
The coffee buzz is starting to kick in and I'm wondering....yes wondering about ...my....time. I have a super-secrete time in mind, then a oh-yeah-right time and finally a that's-more-like-it time.....
All this wondering aside, the run will gorgeous...Redwood Regional Park is one more reason to live in the bayarea and I'm just so lucky to live here!
I responded to a message board at the race site and offered a ride to "Travis", another Berkeley resident....I couldn't tell if he was a young or old dude....his voice was hard to pin....he sounds like a happy guy nevertheless....
PCTruns are well set-up and having had a chance to volunteer for them this summer I know we will be well cared for.
This is my longest run up to date...a 20K...that's almost a half-marathon....
So, I'm just chillin....drinking coffee and getting my breakfast sorted out...the Nano may or may not go for the run, we'll see....
Ok then, I'll check-in after the race!
Saturday, August 26, 2006
Good Stuff
A Crown Book Outlet has replaced the lame overpriced Home Expo in Concord. All books were $5.00!!! I like adventures and jouney type stories, here are few I picked up:
Touching the Void
by Joe Simpson
Along the Inca Road -
A woman's journey into ancient empire
by Karin Mueller
My Daughter, the Mountains, and Me
Two for the Summit
by Geoffrey Norman
My Invented Country -
A Nostalgic Journey Through Chile
by Isabel Allende
M is disappointed to be in the 4/5th grade class this year.....very disappointed actually....inconsolible...not a fun day being the mom..... She's convinced that she'll be deprived of a proper 5th grade education and will be treated like baby..plus a certain horrible little boy that's been in every class since K will be in her class AGAIN.....she's having a bad day needless to say.
Feeling good about tomorrow's race. I got the nano fired up and am looking forward to a good time. I picked up a new pair of trail shoes, Supernova's by Adidas. They were on sale and I haven't run in them yet....no plans to tomorrow either...they feel a bit stiff and bulky compared to my Montrails.
The weather this morning was perfect race weather, let's hope for more of the same tomorrow!
M is rolling on the floor in a fit of laughter at the moment, my mom just called from Florida and is apparently having luck turning her mood around.....as they say "it takes a village!"
Touching the Void
by Joe Simpson
Along the Inca Road -
A woman's journey into ancient empire
by Karin Mueller
My Daughter, the Mountains, and Me
Two for the Summit
by Geoffrey Norman
My Invented Country -
A Nostalgic Journey Through Chile
by Isabel Allende
M is disappointed to be in the 4/5th grade class this year.....very disappointed actually....inconsolible...not a fun day being the mom..... She's convinced that she'll be deprived of a proper 5th grade education and will be treated like baby..plus a certain horrible little boy that's been in every class since K will be in her class AGAIN.....she's having a bad day needless to say.
Feeling good about tomorrow's race. I got the nano fired up and am looking forward to a good time. I picked up a new pair of trail shoes, Supernova's by Adidas. They were on sale and I haven't run in them yet....no plans to tomorrow either...they feel a bit stiff and bulky compared to my Montrails.
The weather this morning was perfect race weather, let's hope for more of the same tomorrow!
M is rolling on the floor in a fit of laughter at the moment, my mom just called from Florida and is apparently having luck turning her mood around.....as they say "it takes a village!"
Wednesday, August 23, 2006
I just want to be a good mom
Yesterday M and I were talking about what we were gonna do tomorrow (today) and I was saying a bike ride would be good , she agreed and I fought the temptation to "lead" where we would ride. The trick with getting her to go is to allow her to lead.
We got to talking about fall activities and what she would be interested in and I learned that's she's always been curious about golf..I love golf! How did I not know this about her? I only dabbled in it many years ago but I liked the game and while I never had a powerful swing I could hit straight. M also likes bowling and she's pretty good at it, like me me she's a straight shooter.........
So this conversation was going well and the topic of getting in shape came up. This led to needing to schedule a physical for her....I mentioned that I'd been avoiding it because the pediatrician really harped on us about M's weight. This pencil thin woman who weighed probably 80 lbs. really laid into us regarding all the risks associated with obesity.
I am well aware of the child obesity epedemic, I can appreciate the attention that it's getting, overall its a positive step...yet and I'm sure I speak for others when I say, lecturing and guilt don't work. Realistic solutions and ideas do. So, don't think your doing your job by just pointing out whats wrong, fuckhead!
It got so every time we'd go in for whatever she'd harp more that M was too heavy and honestly it was a big turn off. She said that M was way too preoccupied with food. Perhaps, but she's as interested in food preparation as she is eating....More so I'd say....She likes to bake and is quite capable of following simple recipie's with minimal supervision. M is in good health, a bit portly around the middle but otherwise she's fine. Her physical activity could improve and I've opted to be an example more so than a nag about it.
Still, I know that I need to be more assertive with her .....A very tricky thing as you all can imagine ... Ten year old girls are super self-conscious.
Anyways I made mention why I was avoiding the pediatrician and she blurted out " I want to go on a diet tomorrow!" Oh shit, I went and gave her a complex.....Great......Just what I had in mind....Guilt her into thinness......Way to go mom....
On occasion I am capable of thinking on my feet.........immediately the right words started falling from my lips. I said , " you know it's not about dieting really, it's more about making better choices and not just with food.....Would you consider doing a walk/run program with me?"
She cautiously agreed, then asked for specification's: Not everyday, right? We'll take it slow, right?.......
Later at home T mentioned that M was being extra good and that she should get her Shuffle this week, initially I thought "gee, I wish he would of discussed it with me first before saying it in front of her and putting me on the spot.".....Than duh!!!!...it hit me.... Walk/run program ....Shuffle....Hell yes !! she's getting that shuffle now......
She's a greed to to go for bike ride today and I still need to download music into the new gadgets so it's not likely to happen today. I'm so nervous about screwing this up! About handling this delicate topic positively and keeping it fun. I got my work cut out for me!
We got to talking about fall activities and what she would be interested in and I learned that's she's always been curious about golf..I love golf! How did I not know this about her? I only dabbled in it many years ago but I liked the game and while I never had a powerful swing I could hit straight. M also likes bowling and she's pretty good at it, like me me she's a straight shooter.........
So this conversation was going well and the topic of getting in shape came up. This led to needing to schedule a physical for her....I mentioned that I'd been avoiding it because the pediatrician really harped on us about M's weight. This pencil thin woman who weighed probably 80 lbs. really laid into us regarding all the risks associated with obesity.
I am well aware of the child obesity epedemic, I can appreciate the attention that it's getting, overall its a positive step...yet and I'm sure I speak for others when I say, lecturing and guilt don't work. Realistic solutions and ideas do. So, don't think your doing your job by just pointing out whats wrong, fuckhead!
It got so every time we'd go in for whatever she'd harp more that M was too heavy and honestly it was a big turn off. She said that M was way too preoccupied with food. Perhaps, but she's as interested in food preparation as she is eating....More so I'd say....She likes to bake and is quite capable of following simple recipie's with minimal supervision. M is in good health, a bit portly around the middle but otherwise she's fine. Her physical activity could improve and I've opted to be an example more so than a nag about it.
Still, I know that I need to be more assertive with her .....A very tricky thing as you all can imagine ... Ten year old girls are super self-conscious.
Anyways I made mention why I was avoiding the pediatrician and she blurted out " I want to go on a diet tomorrow!" Oh shit, I went and gave her a complex.....Great......Just what I had in mind....Guilt her into thinness......Way to go mom....
On occasion I am capable of thinking on my feet.........immediately the right words started falling from my lips. I said , " you know it's not about dieting really, it's more about making better choices and not just with food.....Would you consider doing a walk/run program with me?"
She cautiously agreed, then asked for specification's: Not everyday, right? We'll take it slow, right?.......
Later at home T mentioned that M was being extra good and that she should get her Shuffle this week, initially I thought "gee, I wish he would of discussed it with me first before saying it in front of her and putting me on the spot.".....Than duh!!!!...it hit me.... Walk/run program ....Shuffle....Hell yes !! she's getting that shuffle now......
She's a greed to to go for bike ride today and I still need to download music into the new gadgets so it's not likely to happen today. I'm so nervous about screwing this up! About handling this delicate topic positively and keeping it fun. I got my work cut out for me!
Monday, August 21, 2006
Signs of Fall
Aside from some tenderness along the tips of my toes, a little tightness in my right calf and some grouchy knees, yesterday's 10 miler left me feeling tired but mentally ready for next Sunday.
I have to admit to also feeling a litttle burned-out. I'm looking forward to returning to a few less strenuous activities this fall. This has been an awesome summer and I have no intention of letting the hard earned new skills go stale. Swimming, riding and running for the pure joy and pleasure of it will take the place of "focused" training (haha...well focused for me anyways!)
Signs of fall are emerging. I've noticed quite a few spider webs and the air at night feels a little crisper. Back to school shopping and registering M for fall activities. My thoughts these days revolve around cooking more in my new kitchen, working on M's quilt and curling up with a good book.
Triathlon has consumned me this summer. I discovered a whole new group of bloggers and have been inspired and amazed by these dedicated men and woman. While I look forward to slowing things down this fall, for many of these folks who have trained for one or more years, September brings the ultimate challenge on the ultimate of playing fields: The Iron Man
I doubt that I will ever aspire to such a feat....
I am curious though.
I am curious to see if my swimming will continue to improve and if I will ever conquer open water . I'm curious to see if I will ever figure the bike out, if I will move from a pure kinesthetic relationship with it and develope a more technical understanding of it 's parts. Finally, I'm curious to see if I will ever have the desire to run a marathon, curious to know if I have what it takes.
Fall has alway's symbolized growth and new learning. These lofty thoughts come as a bit of shock really, even as I embrace the idea of change and growth. I will proceed with caution............ and curiosity.
Curiosity never killed this cat, it only made her roar.
I have to admit to also feeling a litttle burned-out. I'm looking forward to returning to a few less strenuous activities this fall. This has been an awesome summer and I have no intention of letting the hard earned new skills go stale. Swimming, riding and running for the pure joy and pleasure of it will take the place of "focused" training (haha...well focused for me anyways!)
Signs of fall are emerging. I've noticed quite a few spider webs and the air at night feels a little crisper. Back to school shopping and registering M for fall activities. My thoughts these days revolve around cooking more in my new kitchen, working on M's quilt and curling up with a good book.
Triathlon has consumned me this summer. I discovered a whole new group of bloggers and have been inspired and amazed by these dedicated men and woman. While I look forward to slowing things down this fall, for many of these folks who have trained for one or more years, September brings the ultimate challenge on the ultimate of playing fields: The Iron Man
I doubt that I will ever aspire to such a feat....
I am curious though.
I am curious to see if my swimming will continue to improve and if I will ever conquer open water . I'm curious to see if I will ever figure the bike out, if I will move from a pure kinesthetic relationship with it and develope a more technical understanding of it 's parts. Finally, I'm curious to see if I will ever have the desire to run a marathon, curious to know if I have what it takes.
Fall has alway's symbolized growth and new learning. These lofty thoughts come as a bit of shock really, even as I embrace the idea of change and growth. I will proceed with caution............ and curiosity.
Curiosity never killed this cat, it only made her roar.
Saturday, August 19, 2006
Tri4Fun #2 Race Report
Well , the fun began at 4:45 when I woke up. I slept in! I had some coffee, checked my blog and waited for Tracy to arrive and she did so, promptly at 5:30 am. We parked on the road than rode our bikes to the transition area, weaving through cars and people. The weather was cooler this morning with more overcast than when we were here last in June for Tri4Fun #1.
After racking our bikes we registered and got marked ......1079 felt like a good solid bib number.
We set up near a huge Weeping Willow and for good measure I attached a bright yellow scarf to a branch of a smaller tree next to it. All I had to do was look at the Willow tree and then I could sight the scarf directly in front of it....a few feet from our bikes. A few other folks benefitted from that bright scarf too!
The Swim
Standing on the beach, I was surprised that I didn't feel nervous, not like last time. Today I was more confident, like I wasn't myself..... I'm not generally a calm person, not a Nervous Nelly necessarily but I'm usually more amped. This morning looking out on the lake, I noticed a little tully fog off in the distance and I was completely at ease....the lazy fog seemed to have a calming affect on me. Fear was replaced with confidence and I was ready for the task at hand.
We headed out with the last wave and I settled into a nice freestyle stroke. Rounded the first buoy and got a few more yards before I started to tire. I just rolled over and backfloated for a bit, my breathing was a little out of control so I switched to breaststroke for awhile......I then alternated between free and breast the rest of the way. Because I was freestyling more and my sighting isn't so good I got off track a little and needed a little verbal cueing to get back in line. The water felt really good, not too cold at all. As I exited the water I looked at my watch and I shaved a minute off my swim! 14:00 minutes woohoo!
T1
Spotted the Willow tree, tracked the scarf and I was at my transition area instantly. I think I was there for about 2 minutes then I was off on the bike.
The Bike
Clipped in and ready to ride. The hill when you first exit the park was a mere bump in the rode! Once on the main drag I made up for lost time gradually passing folks along the way. There was alot of gravel in spots, construction and detours galore. A couple of us had to stop as the police managed the traffic. Yeah, I had to come to a COMPLETE STOP and WAIT for what felt like forever. The officer was nice and thanked us for our patience......dang this was gonna cost me..or so I thought! There were a few crashes and folks seemed to be bottlenecking quite alot due to the detours.
The gears were dropping like crazy as I sped along the flats, I picked a rabbit and followed her a good while. When we got the only real hill on the course I got up out of my seat and jammed up the hill, my rabbit was impressed, as I could hear her say to a fellow cyclist, "man, she's so strong on the hills"........Needless to say, I was grinning ear to ear like a big o' dork! It was all good cruising into.....
T2
I got to my transition area without delay and to my surprise (haha) the place was a mess! As I looked around I began to realize that my right shoe was missing! No shit! They were both there when I set up and now it wasn't. I looked around a little more than spotted a right shoe ...another similiar looking Asic...Tracy had come and gone already and I suspected she was the culprit! A woman standing near by seemed more nervous about it than me and watched me as I began to pull on the "surprise shoe" she asked me "your gonna wear it?" I abrubtly replied " If the shoe fits!" Incredibly enough it did! Can you believe my luck! Dicking around for my shoe apparently gave my legs a little rest cuz when I started to run I didn't have the usual jello legs...to be honest , I was a little worried about this because I hadn't done any real tough bricks in preparation for this race. Taking it slow it was time for ........
The Run
It's all about the run baby. I was tired (the only nutrition I had was a GO LEAN energy bar 2 hours earlier) the cooler temps this time around were a welcomed relief. I had meant to Gu in T2 but got distracted looking for my shoe! I was slow and steady and paced myself pretty well I thought, having had a better sense of the route this time around. Again I picked a rabbit and kept her within sight. I never hydrated during the run and passed her once while she did, she then caught up and passed me again. I hung back and let her enjoy her short lived victory. As we approached the last 1/4 mile or so I picked up my pace and passed her for a strong finish. Crowds love it when you finish strong, there were lots hoots and hollers. Yeah, I'm a ham!
Total Time 01:27:00.........the same as last time!
In all of the excitement I lost track of time. I'm not sure how long the ride or run took but in the end despite the delay in T2 and during the traffic copping I ended up with the same time as before! If it weren't for those delays I mighta shaved off more time!
Tracy got back before me, cuz when I got back to the transition area her stuff was there but she wasn't . I found her at the finish line still looking for me! Kinda like when Mia missed me coming in from the bike the last time. We returned to our gear and she glanced down and commented, " Hey, I've got those same shoes".....I then said, "No, we've got the same shoes.", she hadn't realized the mishap, until that point!! Cracking up ensued........After I took pictures of our mismatched shoes, we turned in our bib stubs and hung out for the raffle.....I got a Snickers Marathon Bar from a kid who didn't want his and some lip balm from the Team In Training tent.
I'm so glad I found this sport! I'm starting to make new friends and getting comfortable with my competitive side. I'm definitely making progress in the lake and I told Tracy I'd go for a swim in the bay as she prepares for the Mermaid Tri in Santa Cruz in a month.
Coming Up Next: Redwood Regional Park 20K next Sunday.
It's a wonderful life indeed!
After racking our bikes we registered and got marked ......1079 felt like a good solid bib number.
We set up near a huge Weeping Willow and for good measure I attached a bright yellow scarf to a branch of a smaller tree next to it. All I had to do was look at the Willow tree and then I could sight the scarf directly in front of it....a few feet from our bikes. A few other folks benefitted from that bright scarf too!
The Swim
Standing on the beach, I was surprised that I didn't feel nervous, not like last time. Today I was more confident, like I wasn't myself..... I'm not generally a calm person, not a Nervous Nelly necessarily but I'm usually more amped. This morning looking out on the lake, I noticed a little tully fog off in the distance and I was completely at ease....the lazy fog seemed to have a calming affect on me. Fear was replaced with confidence and I was ready for the task at hand.
We headed out with the last wave and I settled into a nice freestyle stroke. Rounded the first buoy and got a few more yards before I started to tire. I just rolled over and backfloated for a bit, my breathing was a little out of control so I switched to breaststroke for awhile......I then alternated between free and breast the rest of the way. Because I was freestyling more and my sighting isn't so good I got off track a little and needed a little verbal cueing to get back in line. The water felt really good, not too cold at all. As I exited the water I looked at my watch and I shaved a minute off my swim! 14:00 minutes woohoo!
T1
Spotted the Willow tree, tracked the scarf and I was at my transition area instantly. I think I was there for about 2 minutes then I was off on the bike.
The Bike
Clipped in and ready to ride. The hill when you first exit the park was a mere bump in the rode! Once on the main drag I made up for lost time gradually passing folks along the way. There was alot of gravel in spots, construction and detours galore. A couple of us had to stop as the police managed the traffic. Yeah, I had to come to a COMPLETE STOP and WAIT for what felt like forever. The officer was nice and thanked us for our patience......dang this was gonna cost me..or so I thought! There were a few crashes and folks seemed to be bottlenecking quite alot due to the detours.
The gears were dropping like crazy as I sped along the flats, I picked a rabbit and followed her a good while. When we got the only real hill on the course I got up out of my seat and jammed up the hill, my rabbit was impressed, as I could hear her say to a fellow cyclist, "man, she's so strong on the hills"........Needless to say, I was grinning ear to ear like a big o' dork! It was all good cruising into.....
T2
I got to my transition area without delay and to my surprise (haha) the place was a mess! As I looked around I began to realize that my right shoe was missing! No shit! They were both there when I set up and now it wasn't. I looked around a little more than spotted a right shoe ...another similiar looking Asic...Tracy had come and gone already and I suspected she was the culprit! A woman standing near by seemed more nervous about it than me and watched me as I began to pull on the "surprise shoe" she asked me "your gonna wear it?" I abrubtly replied " If the shoe fits!" Incredibly enough it did! Can you believe my luck! Dicking around for my shoe apparently gave my legs a little rest cuz when I started to run I didn't have the usual jello legs...to be honest , I was a little worried about this because I hadn't done any real tough bricks in preparation for this race. Taking it slow it was time for ........
The Run
It's all about the run baby. I was tired (the only nutrition I had was a GO LEAN energy bar 2 hours earlier) the cooler temps this time around were a welcomed relief. I had meant to Gu in T2 but got distracted looking for my shoe! I was slow and steady and paced myself pretty well I thought, having had a better sense of the route this time around. Again I picked a rabbit and kept her within sight. I never hydrated during the run and passed her once while she did, she then caught up and passed me again. I hung back and let her enjoy her short lived victory. As we approached the last 1/4 mile or so I picked up my pace and passed her for a strong finish. Crowds love it when you finish strong, there were lots hoots and hollers. Yeah, I'm a ham!
Total Time 01:27:00.........the same as last time!
In all of the excitement I lost track of time. I'm not sure how long the ride or run took but in the end despite the delay in T2 and during the traffic copping I ended up with the same time as before! If it weren't for those delays I mighta shaved off more time!
Tracy got back before me, cuz when I got back to the transition area her stuff was there but she wasn't . I found her at the finish line still looking for me! Kinda like when Mia missed me coming in from the bike the last time. We returned to our gear and she glanced down and commented, " Hey, I've got those same shoes".....I then said, "No, we've got the same shoes.", she hadn't realized the mishap, until that point!! Cracking up ensued........After I took pictures of our mismatched shoes, we turned in our bib stubs and hung out for the raffle.....I got a Snickers Marathon Bar from a kid who didn't want his and some lip balm from the Team In Training tent.
I'm so glad I found this sport! I'm starting to make new friends and getting comfortable with my competitive side. I'm definitely making progress in the lake and I told Tracy I'd go for a swim in the bay as she prepares for the Mermaid Tri in Santa Cruz in a month.
Coming Up Next: Redwood Regional Park 20K next Sunday.
It's a wonderful life indeed!
Thursday, August 17, 2006
Finding My Inner Fish
This has been a VERY good week for the swim.
The mother-freakin-ass-kickin swim....
I tell ya, up until quite recently it's been All Work and No Play....
Stroke, Stroke, Stroke, Breathe...Gasp....Cough...Sputter...Repeat
.......Just get-er-done, ya know?
I think I'm starting to actually LIKE swimming.....in the pool at least....I'm so much more relaxed and the breathing isn't a struggle anymore....I'm still slow as molasses....but I'm relaxed and I take fewer/shorter breaks and I'm enjoying myself...not rushing to get it over with. I'm soooooooooo glad I didn't give up (God and anyone who's ever read this blog knows I wanted to about a hundred times!!!) This feeling of accomplishment is very satisfying.
Tonight, Tracy had to bail due to some work emergency....so I swam by myself at the El Cerritto pool, before I even got out of the locker room, my goggles broke! Snapped right at the nose bridge. (crap! but better tonight than Saturday!) I swam about 300 yards before my eyes started to burn....I then zipped over to Big 5 for another pair with thoughts of returning to pool to swim a little more...and well, you know....it was too hard to get back in for only 15 minutes before the pool closed.
Swimming without goggles wouldn't of been so bad if my eyes hadn't started to burn, visibility was a little blurry but I could see well enough. I shared a lane with 2 other guy's, both were faster than me but they just swam around me and didn't appear perturbed at all. The majority of people I meet exercising are usually pretty nice, fortunately the jerks are few and far between.
I ran for twenty minutes this morning just to stay loose. Tomorrow M and T are meeting friends in San Francisco to watch the Giants vs Dodgers.....I'm gonna stay home and get my gear ready, eat a good dinner and get to bed early as Tracy will be picking me up Saturday at 5:30 am.
The mother-freakin-ass-kickin swim....
I tell ya, up until quite recently it's been All Work and No Play....
Stroke, Stroke, Stroke, Breathe...Gasp....Cough...Sputter...Repeat
.......Just get-er-done, ya know?
I think I'm starting to actually LIKE swimming.....in the pool at least....I'm so much more relaxed and the breathing isn't a struggle anymore....I'm still slow as molasses....but I'm relaxed and I take fewer/shorter breaks and I'm enjoying myself...not rushing to get it over with. I'm soooooooooo glad I didn't give up (God and anyone who's ever read this blog knows I wanted to about a hundred times!!!) This feeling of accomplishment is very satisfying.
Tonight, Tracy had to bail due to some work emergency....so I swam by myself at the El Cerritto pool, before I even got out of the locker room, my goggles broke! Snapped right at the nose bridge. (crap! but better tonight than Saturday!) I swam about 300 yards before my eyes started to burn....I then zipped over to Big 5 for another pair with thoughts of returning to pool to swim a little more...and well, you know....it was too hard to get back in for only 15 minutes before the pool closed.
Swimming without goggles wouldn't of been so bad if my eyes hadn't started to burn, visibility was a little blurry but I could see well enough. I shared a lane with 2 other guy's, both were faster than me but they just swam around me and didn't appear perturbed at all. The majority of people I meet exercising are usually pretty nice, fortunately the jerks are few and far between.
I ran for twenty minutes this morning just to stay loose. Tomorrow M and T are meeting friends in San Francisco to watch the Giants vs Dodgers.....I'm gonna stay home and get my gear ready, eat a good dinner and get to bed early as Tracy will be picking me up Saturday at 5:30 am.
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