Coeur d'Alene: Day Two

Friday and Saturday were days to settle into the area. Summer and I arrived to CdA at the same time so I needed time to adjust to the heat. You know you have lived in Seattle too long when 85 degrees feels too warm!

Friday

After a delicious breakfast made by Kevin and a cup of coffee at the Java Cafe, Kevin and I made it down to the city park for my morning swim. It was my one chance to test the water before race day. I wanted it to be as similar to race day conditions as I was at the water's edge at  7 am. It was really busy with age-groupers and pros alike. As I put on my wetsuit, caps and swim booties, Kevin and I saw Lindsey Corbin and he told me to catch her feet! I'm not ready for that ... yet.

The buoys weren't out yet but they did have small markers out into the lake. I waded into the surprisingly decent water. It was cold for the first couple of breaths but then, I was comfortable. I headed out, following the markers. I was doing pretty well and didn't get freaked out until I only saw one swim cap in front of me. I promptly turned around.

Afterwards, I spent a few minutes in the hot tub. There is nothing better than a hot tub after a cold lake swim.

So peaceful and ridiculously pale.

I spent the rest of the morning and early afternoon with Kevin and my mom in Spokane. We went to Nordstrom to go shopping for her birthday! Her birthday was on Sunday, which of course, was going to be a big day for me, so I wanted her to feel special too.

That evening was the welcome banquet. I was dumb and didn't get a pre-purchased ticket for Kevin so we waited in line for about an hour. I was relieved that we got him a ticket and sat together to eat our pasta and chicken dinner. We sat across the table from the funniest Frenchman named Jeremy. He was looking to score a Kona slot and was definitely full of himself. He had on a matching Boston Marathon jacket and shirt and kept telling me I needed to run a 12/25 (like he does) instead of my 11/23.

The program was pretty entertaining. I thought it was kind of funny that they gave the person who lost the most weight by training for an Ironman a tote full of cookies. That man lost 190 pounds which is pretty incredible. I admire people who have the determination to stick with a weight loss program for that long. I can't imagine what that journey must have been. I know that my transformation into an Ironman hopeful was pretty dramatic, but absolutely nothing in comparison with that!

The 'mandatory' athletes meeting was directly after and they went over the rules. It was all information I already knew, but my favorite moment was when the bike course director told the gentlemen in the room that a woman would probably pass them on the bike and to not get too bent up about it! As a cyclist, I really appreciated the callout.

After the meeting, I knew I needed to get to bed. I had been told it would be the most important night of sleep. Kevin and I worked on my transition bag/special needs bag packing for a little bit and then tried to sleep. The results were just so-so. I hoped it wouldn't hurt me on race day.

Coeur d' Alene: Day 1

Just 2 days and a few hours left until race day.

I feel ready for the race but I'm not sure I'm ready for the journey to end. Of course, I'll do more triathlons and bike races, but you only get to do your first Ironman once.

It has been a tough, yet rewarding road, full of both moments of achievement and moments of complete humility.

As Coach Tom can attest, I could barely run 400 meters at an 8:00 min/mile pace. In mid May, I finished an 8k road race at a 7:38 min/mile pace. I've taken 2:15 off my 1,000-yard swim time trial. Also, I finally did a long ride on pace to finish a 112-mile bike ride under 6 hours.

I feel like I've done all I can do. I'm ready to start my life as an Ironman!

We arrived last night at 12:30 am after a drive through pretty violent lightning storms. Today, the energy in town has an electricity all its own.There are so many athletes with tanned, leathery skin and lean, cut bodies walking around. Kevin and I took the 15 minute walk from our rental house down to the Ironman Village where I picked up my registration and my bib number, 2094!

2094!

Super helpful volunteers

Afterwards, we made a couple of signs for me and my teammates, got a bite to eat, and headed back to the house. I then took my bike for a 45-minute spin followed by a 30-minute run, both out on the course. I am glad I got a chance to practice in a little bit of heat, because after day-in and day-out of cold and rainy weather, today's 82 degrees felt really hot! I seemed to do okay and I got to practice with both my aero helmet and my disc wheel. I felt speedy!

I am excited for more people to arrive tomorrow and Saturday. My dear friend Danielle has created a very cool t-shirt design for my race day supporters. I can't wait to see it in real life.

Front

Back

I love it! During a triathlon workshop, Coach Tom told us that sometimes you just have to 'Be the Bee.' Apparently, the physics of the bumble bee should make flying impossible, yet, it flies. Every day.

The whole concept has really stuck with me as a mantra. The funny thing? There is a diagram of a worker bee literally drawn on the wall of the laundry room of our rental house. I think it is a sign.

Okay, more tomorrow hopefully. It is time to rest and eat!

And then, the sun comes out.

Saturday, I raced the Pedal Dynamics Green Valley TT. It was cold. It was rainy. It was just plain gross. Most of my teammates were saving their legs for Vance Creek, so it was just Kat Meckle and me representing the cat 4 tomatoes.

It was really nice to see my bike racing friends and reconnect after not racing for a few weeks. But, I learned something recently. People actually read this thing. And it was clear to others after my last post that I was tired and a bit down-and-out.

Finishing the Pedal Dynamics TT

My performance on Saturday didn't help matters. While I still had a couple-minute improvement over last year's performance, I finished out of the top 10 and missed my target time by 6 seconds. It wasn't an awful finish by any means, but I wasn't thrilled.

Apparently, it was nothing that a few mozzarella sticks at Red Robin can't fix. 

I woke up at 4:45 am to get ready to race the Mt. Rainier Long Course duathlon. Rusty from at least 7 months since my last multisport event, I was a bit of a train wreck. I spent all winter using my race belt as a way to attach my blinking light to myself for early morning runs in the dark. I have NO idea where it is. I also had no idea what to wear for a race-start temperature of 43 degrees .... I packed everything—much like I do for a bike race. 3 pairs of gloves, tri knickers (yes, they exist!), tri shorts, leg warmers, arm armers, etc.

When we arrived in Enumclaw, I went into super-observation mode, which actually didn't help that much. I saw people in tri shorts, shimmels and arm warmers on one end of the spectrum, and full pants, jackets, gloves and hats on the other. As I unpacked in transition, I wore running shoes, glasses, arm warmers, short-sleeved base layer, tri knickers and full-fingered running gloves. In transition, I left a long-sleeved cycling jersey, tt helmet and bike shoes. I really felt like I was missing a bunch of stuff since I was wearing everything I needed for the run.

Start of the run. I'm in there somewhere.

At the start line, I tucked myself near the back, just like I would at a swim start, out of fear of being trampled. It was smart—I was 93rd of 115 on the first run. They weren't kidding that fast runners come out for this event—only two people ran mile splits longer than 10 minutes. My hope for doing well at this race dwindled at mile 1.

Parade wave to the camera.

Run 1—43:40.1 (5.12 miles at an 8:34 pace) - Last place in my division.

At transition, I decided to forgo the jersey I brought, so I put on my shoes, helmet and left. I think it was my fastest transition ever—58.2 seconds.

Okay, I felt much better when I got on my bike. I started to pull ahead of people, one-by-one, pretty quickly. I passed Cycle U teammate Chris fairly early on lap 1 and traded words of encouragement. The first climb up Mud Mountain was fine. I got into a nice slow-and-steady rhythm. I was slightly annoyed when a man passed me on the right (you are always supposed to pass on the left.) Not to worry, I passed that same man, never to see him again about a minute into the straightaway after the climb. I also passed quite a few people who were during the short course who were walking their bikes up the mountain. I had all sorts of thoughts run through my head as I saw them. Like, how nice it would be to join them, even though they were wearing tennis shoes and riding mountain bikes and I was on a super nice tt bike with an aero helmet.

I was glad that I had previewed the course the weekend prior because I was a lot less timid on the descent. Ever since my crash on Hollywood Hill this past winter, I have been a wimp when it comes to fast riding down hills. I think I may be getting over it, which is great. It didn't take long for my bruises to heal from that crash, but my brain is still recovering.

Just about to climb Mud Mountain.

Lap 2. I got stuck in a little bit of car traffic but was able to get back on a pretty good pace once I was away from the fairgrounds. As I started up the mountain the second time, I felt like I was in trouble. My legs were on fire. I was thinking I went too hard the first time around. Then, I remembered that this is supposed to hurt. That I had practiced suffering for months now. Also, because the race is small, I was in no man's land and couldn't tell if I was doing well or really poorly.

God bless the photographer! I got near the top of the mountain climb and she says to me, 'You're the 11th or 12th woman right now.' Seriously? I'm not getting massacred? I'm actually doing pretty well? It was the boost I needed and I tried to keep the bike pace high.

Bike—1:37:33.1 (28.88 miles at an 17:7 pace) -3rd place in my division.

When I got to transition, I had fellow Cycle U tri folks cheering for me, including Coach Tom. I was a bit frazzled and was yelling about what direction I was supposed to go. I'm sure they thought I was crazy and they'd be mostly right. But, this transition was now my fastest transition ever—44.4 seconds.

Done!

I headed out for the 2nd run in a bit of a panic. I have always been passed by runner after runner at this point in every race. I was so happy to hear that I was maybe 11th or 12th and I didn't want to lose my position. I ran as fast as I could muster. I felt like a weak water buffalo being hunted by a pack of lions. Paranoid, I kept looking behind me. I could hear feet. Luckily, when I turned around, it was a man. Phew! I kept running, turning the muddy corners of the fairgrounds, past the stables and finally down the grassy finish chute! No female passed me on the second run! I finished in whatever place I was in at the end of the bike.

Run 2—31:12.3 (3.82 miles at an 8:13 pace) - Second to last place in my division.

Final Time—2:54:08.1 - 3rd place in my division, women 20-29!

Wow! I was in disbelief. When Kevin told me, I was almost hesitant to believe him. I didn't want to get my hopes up. Who am I kidding!?! After being 'pack filler' for so long—okay, my whole life, I was so excited. I was going to get a medal!! I couldn't wait for the award ceremony. The two other girls who placed were ridiculously faster than me, but I didn't care. No one was going to spoil this moment for me. I gladly accepted my 'bronze' medal and smiled big for pictures.

1, 2 and 3!

I was in a fantastic mood all day that has carried me through the beginning of the work week. I wore my medal while enjoying a post-race meal with my Cycle U teammates, talking and laughing about all of the race shenanigans. I wore my medal under my sweatshirt to a birthday party later in the day. I wore my medal into the office the next day. It is now pinned to my cubicle wall with all my other medals.

In related news, yesterday marked 2 months away from race day! Last night's track workout included 3x1.5 mile repeats. I was able to do them all at an under 8-minute mile pace. When I first started training, I couldn't even do a 400 at that pace. I've come a long way indeed.

Ironman Takeover

66 days away from Ironman. I am tired. I ache. I feel really behind on life—job, housework, errands, blogging, being a good friend, etc.

Ironman now owns me.

This may be the closest I get to a 'meltdown' or maybe this is the pre-cursor to a major emotional eruption.

This morning, I left my house at 6 am for my first scheduled run over 2 hours. Now, it took a little bit for it to sink in: I will run farther than I ever have before (except for the miserable marathon that I didn't train for, also known as "The Disaster.") 2:10—I created a run that would be 13.5 miles or so.

1. Leave my house in Wallingford.
2. Run north towards Greenlake.
3. Run around the outside loop of Greenlake.
4. Plan on running down Ravenna to 55th and instead, forgetting and then run down 65th until turning south on 25th to get back on 55th.
5. Run up and over 55th until it meets up with Sandpoint.
5. Down the stairs to the Burke, run towards UW.
6. Take the left towards the IMA fields.
7. Take the trails and roads to and behind Husky Stadium.
8. Cross over Montlake Bridge.
9. Weave around to 25th to Interlaken Blvd.
10. Heave myself up the hill to Boyer.
11. Continue to climb up Capitol Hill to Volunteer Park. Briefly enjoy the view.
12. Gingerly run down the hill to Summit.
13. Cross over the freeway and trot to and down Eastlake.
14. Do all I can to make my way to my office on Stewart.
15. Take a hot shower.

I ended up running 14.5 miles in 2:20. My run was a bit long due to my mistake on 65th. I blasted my Pandora station on my new phone (I left my phone in my rental car last week in California.)

All day, I felt pretty accomplished, just really tired. I wasn't really looking forward to my longest swim of my life—3200 yards. But! I got it done. Sometimes it is just about pushing through and getting it done.

Lots of great things have happened in the last few weeks, I've just been too busy and tired to blog about them. (Somehow, I'll have to write some creative post later to incorporate them.) For now, I'm just happy to get these words out ... taking a little bit of control back, as much as I can.

Oh, and again, because blogs die without photos, here is a photo of the brave souls that did a 4-hour bike ride last Sunday, including two climbs up Mud Mountain.

Tattoo Anxiety

And you thought all I want to write about is cycling and triathlon.

You'd only be partially right.

When I dreamed up this insane Ironman goal, I also made up my mind that I would get a tattoo to commemorate the journey.

Now that were only 89 days away, I have not been inspired about what that tattoo should be. I'm about 98% sure it won't be the traditional M-Dot. I just don't think it is personal enough and let's be honest, it is a logo for a corporation. I don't want to feel branded. Now, if an M-Dot could be creatively included, I wouldn't rule out that scenario.

Maybe this whole conversation is premature and something will come to me on race day. That's fair.

It's just that a couple of tattoo artist recommendations have come my way and the good ones have a really long wait time. If I don't book my appointment until after the race, I might chicken out. Yep, probably will chicken out.

Here is the short list of ideas—which probably means I won't end up with any of these because I don't LOVE them. And, if I'm going to have a tattoo for the rest of my life, I better love it A LOT.

· bumble bee (they defy science!)
· dogwood
· footprints
· koi (symbol of perseverance)

The blog format is also going through an identity crisis. Please bear with me.

Breakthrough Week

So, big surprise, I have not spent much time blogging as I have been very busy swimming, biking and running. And, it's a good thing, too. I'm getting A LOT better.

Back in December, I blogged about my new attitude towards running. That slower was better. Well, slow is still better, but I'm not nearly as slow anymore. Back then, I was running about a 13-minute mile. Today? I ran 6.28 miles in the same heart rate zone in an hour! That is a 9:33 average mile! Now, you runners out there might be laughing at me, but this is a big deal. I have gone from being a snail to being a tortoise. And you know what they say about the tortoise ....

Also, I joined one pace group faster during my Tuesday-night track workout. That means that I did 800s at 7:20-7:40 pace. I think that is the fastest I have ever run in my life. Super pleased with myself.

Also, my swimming has improved quite a bit. At master's swim on Thursday, the coach had me do a set of 6 x 100 at the end of the session. 2 on the 1:55, 2 on the 1:50, and 2 on the 1:45. I am proud to say that I made all of the send-offs.

Then, there is my cycling ... not as impressive. I pushed myself at my indoor training session and 'saved' my legs for the race at Ravensdale Cumberland today, choosing to skip in the infamous IVRR.

About 23 women showed up for today's race. The weather man predicted unpredictable weather for the race so I packed everything—3 pairs of gloves, knee warmers, leg warmers, two base layers, arm warmers ... you get the idea. I ended up wearing the same attire that I've worn for the last few weeks except I traded my half gloves for the full ones. Thankfully, the weather held and we only had semi-wet roads to deal with.

The race started immediately after the neutral rollout. The course begins with a meandering uphill and the pack quickly went from 23 to 15. Then the real fun began—with a lot of attacks throughout until what I like to call the 'kicker hill.'  And the 'kicker hill' was the beginning of the end for me. I should have put myself on the front so that I wouldn't be too far behind after everyone passed me. But, instead, I started the hill near the back and then had to chase back on. I wasn't able to catch the 7 girls ahead of me, but LB from Group Health and I worked to exhaustion trying.

So, long story short, LB and I spent the rest of the race chasing the front 7 and trying to stay away from the 6 behind us. We were successful in the latter endeavor and finished 8th and 9th.

No upgrade points for 8th (they go 7 deep) but I did get a top 10 finish.

Me, sprinting for fun-sies.

Then, it poured on the afternoon races. I was really happy to be a cat 4.

My First Upgrade Point!

Okay, so I spoiled the surprise, but I'm just too excited! I raced really hard this weekend and had my best placing ever at Tour de Dungeness #1 in Sequim, WA.

The weekend started Friday night as I tore through my house trying to pack for the weekend. I'm happy I brought extra jerseys, extra booties, extra ibuprofen, extra skewers ... because they all got used.

Note to self: Pack on Thursday. Driving on the peninsula in the dark is scary.

We stayed in Port Townsend in cottage #4 at the Swan Hotel, the same place we stayed last year. It is easy to unpack and pack the car there and they allow Wrigley to stay with us. Both are big bonuses.

It poured through the night, but I was thrilled to see clear skies when I woke up. The drive from Port Townsend to Sequim is beautiful. I can see why people choose to live out there. Not that I'd ever want to live out there, but I can see the attraction.

Because I'm super paranoid of full race fields, I was one of the first people to arrive. I was paranoid for a reason. There were 60 women registered for the race and our field is supposed to cap at 50. So what happens? They split the field! I've never seen it happen before. They split it by even and odd race numbers. Being #201, I raced with the odd numbers which included fellow teammates Lori, Eileen and Angelina. The even numbers wouldn't get to race until we were done so I felt bad that they had warmed up and would have to do it again.

I put myself in the front of the peloton and for the first time, led the roll-out. I wasn't sure when the actual race began so I just tried to stick to the lead car. Then people started to pass me. Then, I was pretty sure the race had started. This race was a 3-loop course for a total of 36 miles. For the first lap, I had taken a couple pulls and then hung out in the back. Towards the end of the lap, I wasn't quite sure why some of the racers were getting upset that not more people were pulling. And I thought, 'why would I do a bunch of pulling now? It's not like we are chasing a break.' Oh, but we were! I didn't know that a bikesale.com girl, Irena, had gone off the front and that a Group Health girl, Marsa, had joined her. Oops! Once I knew this, the whole plan changed.

The next lap was a Hagens and Cucina show. The two Hagens girls, Eileen and I did the majority of the pulling. I don't know if we gained on the breakaway at all, but we definitely tried. When the third lap started, I fell to the back up the first hill. Good thing, because ....

Crash! At the front of the pack, a bunch of girls went down. The crash hit my foot, which caused me to drop my chain, but I stayed upright! I kept spinning and prayed that my chain would catch back on. Meanwhile, the other 5 girls who made it out were pulling away from me. Ugh! Stupid chain! Get. Back. On! Finally! The chain took and I had to haul to catch back on. It was really windy so it took me awhile, but I finally caught them. It was so hard. I sat on for a few rotations before I started to pull again. Then, on the last sustained climb of the race, the Group Health girls in our group surged. It was a brilliant move because I had absolutely nothing left to keep up with them. Then, there were 3, and not long after, there were two—Kelly from Starbucks and me. We took turns pulling but couldn't catch the Group Health girls. I was taking stronger pulls so I thought I might be able to leave Kelly at the 1K mark.

Nope. I took off and she stayed with me, and in my attempt to shake her, I got tired and she was able to inch me out at the line. My final place was 7th.

How can I be disappointed? I finally cracked the top 10 and got my first upgrade point! Woo hoo!

The downside? I raced at Mason Lake the next day and had absolutely nothing left in the tank. I was even dropped by the pack in the last couple of kilometers. But! My teammates had a pretty good race. Tara was 7th and got her first upgrade point too! Woo hoo!

Once I start feeling rested, I'm sure I'll be excited to do it all again next weekend!!

And, back up again! Icebreaker TT

It has been a crazy couple of weeks. I was out with bronchitis (101-degree fever, awful congestion) a little over a week ago and couldn't train or race at all. I got back to Ironman training this week, trying to pay particularly close attention to what my body was telling me.

Then, I did my first TT of the season today and improved my time by 2:23 from last year. Awesome!

Today's race was our team-sponsored 'Icebreaker TT' out in Green Valley outside of Auburn. The course is a curvy, yet relatively flat 10 miles. I distinctly remember this course from last year due to the horned 'wooly cows' and Christmas tree farms that line the course.

The weather was gorgeous—sunny, relatively warm for March, and most importantly, dry and not windy. Kevin and I parked the car next to my teammate Jess and got set up. I was a little distracted by the excitement of the first race. I did not warm up as well as I would have liked.

Before I knew it, it was time to race! 10:10 am was my start time. I love this race because all the support folks are my teammates and it feels so good to have all the great encouragement. It doesn't hurt that I am friends with a handful of the officials as well.

Go!! I take off like a bullet. I have a tendency to do this at every TT. Once I got into a rhythm, I settled down. However, I encountered a new challenge at this race—my speed sensor wasn't working. I always gauge how I'm doing by that so I felt pretty blind today. No matter, the cadence sensor still worked so I tried to keep that nice and high.

Not to soon after I start, I hear the whirring sound of a disc wheel. I freak out because I can't believe I'm getting passed by the person 30 seconds behind me. But, nobody comes. Around a corner, I take a quick peak behind me and no one is there. What the? I keep going. I hear the noise again. I'm getting paranoid. Not too much later, it dawns on me. That sound is myself!! That is my disc wheel making that sound! After an internal chuckle, I get back to business. Two guys passed me today, but I was okay with that. I was doing my own thing.

At this point, you may be wondering how the bronchitis is treating me. Well, my nose is a mess. With my hands on the aero bars, I'm wasn't anywhere near position to give a strong snot-rocket blow. I just tried to exhale as hard as I could through my nose blow and let the grossness run down my face. (Hey, it is better than blocking the oxygen.) Towards the end, I could feel the mucus build-up foaming at my mouth.

Super happy that no one got too close of a photo of that mess.

But, in less than 27 minutes from when I started, I was done! I cooled down, put on my running clothes, grabbed my iPod and did my 30-minute easy run through Flaming Geyser State Park.

Because it was so nice out, I did not mind waiting for the results. I had a chance to talk to my bike racing friends I haven't seen since the end of last season. To be honest, a good number of them were surprised at my current state of physical fitness.

Finally, I found that my official time was 26:51.3, good enough for 11th place from a field of 40 or so. I feel really good about this and am excited for the season ahead! I should also mention that my whole team had a great showing as well. That, and I think I'm beginning to like the new, fairly white kit.

P.S. Kevin is getting really good with his camera. Here's a link to the photos he took today.
http://tu.smugmug.com/Sports/2010-Icebreaker-TT/11434992_jVYiT#803900656_h6r95

Down for the Count

I have been very fortunate to be in good health for the most part. I didn't miss any races last year due to illness.

So, this is very hard for me.

I went to the doctor today and he wasn't sure what I have.  I don't have a fever—just severe chest congestion. Because I was hospitalized in high school with pneumonia, I thought this isn't something I should take lightly. He gave me a prescription for an inhaler, advised me to not exercise, and told me to come back if I developed a fever.

Great. No exercise? That is all I've doing. This week will definitely be an experience all its own. I hope I am not out for too long and don't lose too much fitness. The first TT of the season is Sunday!

Me? An Inspiration?

I love the Olympics. I have been watching a wide variety of events this week—as long as I can stay awake. I find so many of the athletes' stories inspiring. When I was little, I really looked up to Olympians so I find it odd that I am now older than the majority of them.
So, in the spirit of inspiring, I answered my company's request for 'getting healthy' stories for our corporate-wide wellness initiative video. I got the email Wednesday morning and they wanted to have all of the stories lined up by Friday. A very quick turntime.

I carefully typed 1,500 words. It was my story—how an overweight workaholic became an Ironman hopeful in 4 years. Granted, most of the changes I've made are in my head; I submitted my word document anyway with a more courteous and condensed 'Cliff Notes' version in the email body.

I got a call later that day asking for an interview. (I actually missed the first call because I was out for a run.) I did the interview and I wasn't very confident in how it went. I didn't really have enough time to think through everything I wanted to share. It was a bit disorganized and I was worried that I wouldn't make the cut. That night and the next day, a bunch of ideas flooded my brain about what I could have said. Hindsight being 20/20 of course.

But! I got the call! They want to feature my 'road to health' story along with 5 others in this video! We start filming Thursday. I don't really know anything else right now but hope to soon. I'm excited to share how it goes. Please pray that my voice returns before then. I have been a little under the weather for the last few days and I sound a bit like a man. NOT the impression I want to make in my first film in 19 years.

My favorite part of the process (so far) was when Lindsay, the interviewer, told me (after telling me I got the spot) that she was inspired to go running at lunch after speaking with me. Then, she actually went and did it! This made my heart so happy!

So, now that I've had a little more time to think on it, there are 10 things I'd like to share in the video if given the opportunity.

1.  I really believe that Albert Einstein was on to something when he said, "Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving."
2. Try something new! I never would have found my love for bike riding and racing had I not tried my first triathlon.
3. And if you don't love something and you've given it an honest shot, move on to something else. Life is too short to not enjoy what you're doing.
4. Make goals and tell people about them. This keeps you accountable. Accountability is super important.
5. Track your progress. It is very empowering to see how far you've come.
6. It is okay to make mistakes. It is okay to fail. Do your best to correct them, learn from them, and move on. Do NOT dwell on them.
7. Make friends how do what you like to do. You'd be surprised at the community you can create.
8. Encourage others. Share what you know. But, do not push either encouragement or knowledge on people who are not ready.
9. Be open to learning new things every day. We all have things we can improve.
10. Don't try to be the best. You'll drive yourself crazy. Just strive to be your best self.

So, while I'm not an Olympian or 'The Biggest Loser,' I am excited to have the opportunity inspire others. I find inspiration in LOTS of people. I hope someone can find a little in me.

And, because blogs without photos aren't very much fun, here is a picture of me at Volunteer Park. Danielle took the picture during our long run on Thursday. We had just ascended all of Capitol Hill and were rewarded with a beautiful view of the Space Needle and the mountains beyond.

Zoo Hill (L'Alp d'Issaquah)

I'll be honest. I had every intention of not going on my team's ride this weekend. Most of my teammates are in great shape so it is hard for me to stay with them, especially on any hills. So when, the route was announced, I made up my mind to not go. 60 miles with climbs up Zoo Hill and Tiger Mountain.

Gross.

Enter Matt. Matt is my teammate who manages to know just how to get me on my bike. He sent out an email saying that he was only going to do half of the ride due to other commitments and that anyone was welcome to join him on the truncated route. This would mean the ride would still go over Zoo Hill but then start back towards Mercer Island, the starting spot. I really didn't have an excuse anymore and decided that I would go on the shortened version and then ride back to Seattle from Mercer Island on my own. Oh! And our team's Clif order was available for pick up and I'll pretty much do anything for a Mojo Bar. (Apparently, I had one of the largest orders. I love my Shot Bloks!)

It was raining so naturally, I had to bring my rain bike. It has a compact crank on it, but I was worried about my ability to push the aluminum frame up Zoo Hill.

What is all this fuss about Zoo Hill? Let me paint a picture for you. I had to pull some information off the internet to share with you. Here is a snapshot of what I found:

"Zoo Hill—named after the small zoo at the start, is arguably one of the toughest climbs in the Seattle area. Ascending 1,200 feet over 2.5 miles, it has an average grade of about 10%, with common gradients in 15% and some sections approaching 20%. This is not a climb to be approached lightly.
Or, as one rider noted, "Zoo Hill is the puke-inducing lactate-producing gasp-fest that I avoid unless taunted."

So, we started the ride and I was fine. It was great to see a lot of people turn out for the ride and it was nice to catch up with people I hadn't seen in awhile. We did one short catch-up wait before heading out on Newport Way to get to the hill. Since I wasn't going to do the whole ride, I said that it would be fine for the main group to head out without me if I wasn't done with the climb yet. (Normally, I'm the last one up any hill.)

It doesn't take long for me to see the 'Cougar Mountain Zoological Park' sign, and the gigantic hill next to it. It is so steep! I start to climb. A bunch of riders go around me. I am in awe of their ability to just dance up the hill.

I should also mention that I'm an 'in-the-saddle' climber. I don't like to stand because I feel like I'm going to fall over.

We go around the corner and, look! more hill. This goes on and on and on and on. The people up the road from me no longer look like they are dancing. My heart is pounding, my breathing is labored and I'm wondering, 'when the hell is this going to end!!?' My internal dialouge bounced between, 'I can't do this! I'm going to fall off my bike and I'm going to have to walk up this hill;' and 'No, you can't quit, you can do this! Channel your inner mountain goat, or at least your inner Lance Armstrong!'

At one point, there is a steep hairpin turn and I thought I that was going to be the end of me. There is a dip in the side of the road and I fell in it, making it even harder to climb. But I got out of it, and kept going. The tree density started to thin out and I thought I was almost done. Wrong.

The road does flatten out—a bit. Not really flat, but it feels almost like a downhill after what you've just experienced. This doesn't last long and you go almost immediately into a relentless set of rollers. One right after another. And when I say rollers, I mean a very steep incline followed by a less steep incline. There is only one slight decline and it feels amazing, but you kind of want to push it as hard as you can so you can use your momentum up the next hill.

Then, you are done! My teammates were waiting for me and were really proud of me. I was really proud of myself. I wasn't even last! There were 3 whole people behind me!!

I managed to finish out my ride in 2.5 hours. Did I mention it was raining? That means that I had to descend from the top of Cougar Mountain on wet roads. I think I did a pretty good job. My confidence is definitely coming back after my crash on Hollywood Hill.

I also made Kevin drive up the climb yesterday so I could show him exactly what I did.

Easy Like Sunday Morning

So, after a hellauva workout yesterday, I am currently resting in bed while I digest my delicious breakfast from our outing to Macrina Bakery.

This was a great week of training. Now that we've moved the schedule around so I am not enduring 4 hard workout days in a row, I feel much more rested.

Here are a few highlights from this week's workouts:

1. Tuesday Night's Track Workout—My running group was supposed to run our 800s at an 8:40 pace. Not once did we do that. Every single time, we were faster. Granted, that was mostly because of my training partner Jocelyn. She kept running off the front of the group. Then, Tom, the coach, would taunt me to catch her. That is the hardest I've run in recent memory.

2. Thursday's Morning Long Run—My friend Danielle offered to do my long runs with me. Thursday's run was scheduled for 1:30 so we left my house at 6:45 am so that we could creatively commute to work and be at our desks by 9:00 am. What a beautiful morning! Below was what we got to experience about half-way through. (Danielle took the picture from her iPhone. I 'art directed.') Definitely motivation to get out of bed on Thursdays!

3. Saturday's Team Ride—We had the most gorgeous weather for yesterday's ride. Sunny, high of about 62. (In February!!) I was thankful my team waited for me to get there because I got a little lost on the way there. The ride was scheduled for 60 miles through farm country northeast of Seattle. Now, I will admit, I brought my light race bike because of the weather. I don't know if I could have kept up on the rain bike. BUT, the main thing is that I kept up. I got a little behind on some of the more significant climbs, but I sprinted, and chased, and pace-lined my way through the 3.5-hour ride. I averaged about my speed for a half-Ironman. I even successfully descended the same hill I fell on during my last team ride. (During the Rocket Ride yesterday, a Starbucks rider broke his collar bone on this descent. It is an awful, awful place.) It felt so good to not be last up every climb or to make the team wait for me all the time. Oh, and it was great to see my Tomato teammates I hadn't seen in awhile.

Now, for this week's lowlight:

1. This episode might be a bit karmic after being so excited about my progress in the pool. Monday morning, the pool was busy. I knew that at circle swimming at some point was inevitable. Because I had so many technique drills to do, I decided to put myself in the medium lane. There were some pretty competitive-looking swimmers in the fast lane and I didn't want to slow them down. Well, that was a mistake because the medium lane swimmers were slowing me down. I was about half-way through my workout when another lady decided to join our lane. I'm not really sure how I should refer to her. I want to call her the 'mean lady' but I've also heard about some really nice things she's done. How about the grouchy lady? I'm hoping that she is just not a morning person.

Anyway, so grouchy lady gets in the pool and immediately demands to know how much longer I will be in the lane. (I will swim as long as I want, thankyouverymuch.) I told her I had about 20 minutes left of drills and speed work. About half-way through that time, we are both resting at the wall. She decides to tell me that I have too strong of a kick. I'm dumbfounded that she is trying to give me swimming advice as I have lapped her several times at this point. I have a feeling that my kick was just too strong for her liking in the morning. I tell her that I'm training for an Ironman and that I'm working on adjusting my speed through my kick. (I should also mention that she wears flippers when she swims.) She then proceeds to advise me that I need swim lessons. I say, 'okay,' and finish my swim.

What a pin in my balloon! I know that I still have a long way to go when it comes to my swim technique, but I do not appreciate unsolicited swim advice from the grouchy lady. I told my master's swim coach about it and she assured me that I'm doing just fine. She also suggested that grouchy lady take some manners lessons.

Also, there was a Table Temptation of the Day on Tuesday. I spent half my day on Tuesday in a presentation skills class and there was a mixed bowl of candy on the table.


Me vs. Mixed Bowl of Candy

Thankfully, the bowl was mostly full of bite-size Milky Ways and I had brought a Babybel cheese snack to the meeting. I win. Still undefeated.

Checking In

Now that it is officially February, I thought it would be a good time to check in on my resolutions for 2010.

To refresh your memory, they are the following:

* Blog more
* Eat less (modified to 'eat better' earlier this month to accommodate my ridiculous calorie needs right now)
* Ride my bike to work more, or at least take the bus more
* Take better care of myself

Now, it is hard for me to admit failure, and I won't be doing that now. I'll just say that I'm doing a much better job with the first two than the last two. I think I've only ridden the bus once this year. Oops. I also haven't done anything extra to take better care of myself. But, the game isn't over and I'm hoping that this post will be the kick-in-the-pants I need to get back at it.

Now, I blog posted 12 times in January—that is more than I posted in 2009 in its entirety. I'd say that is a success. It is getting hard though. Often times, I'd rather sleep than write, but I know this is a good outlet for me. And, I have definitely eaten better. Kevin and I have been really good about eating at home and eating our vegetables. So, even though I'm hungry all the time and feel like I'm eating all the time, I still lost weight this month. Yay for improving my watts per kilogram. (Do I sound like an elite cyclist yet?)

Sometimes, you win some; you lose some. But remember, the game isn't over yet. Expect another check-in in March.

New Pants and The Fast Lane

Triathlon training is going well, minus a bit of a setback on Wednesday (missed work and training due to one or many of the following possible reasons: flu, food poisoning, overtraining, allergic reaction to Tuesday's 'Bonus Mile.')

A few observations:

My jeans are too big. Now, you would think that I would be dancing around in delight at this development. You'd only be partially right. Yes, I'm happy that I am physically looking better, but at the same time I am annoyed at trying to find time and finances to buy new pants. No, I cannot just keep wearing my baggy pants around. I work at a fashion retailer. No ill-fitting pants allowed.

So what's a girl to do? I took my friend Danielle at lunchtime on Tuesday and headed over to Nordstrom. I generally hate shopping for jeans more than I do swimsuits because jeans have always been tricky for me. God gave me more-than-my-fair-share of hips and a pretty small waist—dimensions that usually cause a giant canyon between the waistband and my back. This canyon usually morphs itself into a peek-a-boo show with my underwear anytime I sit down. No thank you. So, in the past, I have just taken jeans that fit well everywhere else to the tailor to be taken in at the waist.

Since my last denim purchase, Cookie Johnson, basketball player Magic Johnson's wife, has developed a denim line for more 'curvy' women called CJ by Cookie Johnson. (Brilliant, I know.) Apparently, Oprah loves the brand. And since Nordstrom carries the line, I thought I'd give it a try.

Wonderful! Absolutely wonderful! The jeans fit like a glove (no gaping!) and I felt like a million bucks. I bought a pair of bootcut jeans in store and ordered a pair of skinny jeans online. Yep, skinny jeans for non-skinny people like me! They will look so cute tucked into my 'sporty calf' boots.

Switching gears.

Swimming is awesome. I actually really enjoy swimming laps. I didn't grow up swimming competitively so maybe I haven't had enough time to get sick of staring at the line at the bottom of the pool. Here are a few reasons why swimming is so great right now:

1. For a few hours a week, it feels like middle of summer, not the middle of winter.

2. Weight matters so much less in the water. Bye, bye watts per kilogram.

3. Along the same lines, I can move so much faster than the girl in her pink bikini.

4. I felt instantly better from my Wednesday 'setback' after being in the pool.

5. I can feel myself getting exponentially better.

6. Sometimes, I get to swim in the fast lane.

Yep! Me, in the fast lane. I've never been in the fast lane. I'm pretty slow at everything I do, except maybe eat. I read slow, I get dressed slow, I even drive slow. But, a few times a week now, I get to be considered fast, even if it is relative to the other crazies that are at the pool at 5:50 am.

And now, for the Table Temptation of the Day! This entry comes from Friday and my work team's production meeting. Now, Susie on my team is one of those rare people who can pretty much eat whatever they want. I'd probably hate her for this, but she is just too nice to ever begrudge her anything. One of her favorite indulgences are Swedish Fish and she brought her latest stash to our meeting. I've been known to pack away a few of these colorful treats in the past so I was a bit nervous to sit down in their presence for an entire hour. Kind of like a staring contest.

Me vs. Swedish Fish

It was a tough battle. I watched those little fish get gobbled up by my colleagues and bore witness to the joy it brought them. I stayed strong though and walked away from the table undefeated. Then, I took a picture. I think they look a little bit like crayons on film. Adults do not eat crayons.

Hungry, Hungry Hippo

My resolutions need to be edited. Okay, just one. I know what you are thinking. 'She's fallen off the wagon already?!!' Well, yes, but not entirely.

Let me explain. I resolved to 'eat less' in 2010. I need to change that statement to 'eat better.'

Since I started Ironman training, I cannot feed myself fast enough. It feels like I woke a sleeping hippo in my tummy who now wants to eat everything in sight.

When I walked into the office last Monday, my manager, who I hadn't seen in a week, said I look different. He also asked me how I was feeling, and my reply?
"Like a super hero, actually, who could kick any one's ass at any time!"

At the beginning of the week, I felt great, just hungry all the time. My body felt tingly and I told Kevin that is how I know that somewhere inside of me, an Ironman is being made.


It's an odd feeling to go into Whole Foods and wonder if I have enough calories to eat.

In my business meetings on Thursday and Friday, I wolfed down PBJ sandwiches and granola bars like you wouldn't believe. I think it shocked a few of the other attendees at how quickly food could disappear. This would also be a good time to introduce the Table Temptation of the Day!

Thursday and Friday was definitely the hardest matchup yet.

Me vs. Jason Ray's brownie bites

Jason works for the other company in my meetings. He has a BBQ catering business on the side and makes some of the best barbeque I've ever tasted. As part of that, he also makes these brownie bites and brought 3 different flavors to the meeting–mocha, raspberry, and my weakness, peanut butter.

He even picked one out of the box and put it next to my seat in the conference room. Torture. Now, you may think that I ate it due to my current insatiable nature, but I didn't. That's right. I can probably count on one hand how many times I've turned down a peanut butter and chocolate combo and this was one of them.

Also, as a side note, I should mention how incredibly hard it is to keep up my blogging resolution. Now that I'm working out all the time, logging in my training information, eating non-stop, and trying to keep my marriage on course, blogging has fallen considerably on the priority list. But, this is still way more frequent that 2009, so I'm still technically on track.

Speaking of track, I went to Roosevelt High School today for Cycle U's Running 101 clinic. It was super cold outside, but the session was really helpful. I learned some great new stretches and strength training exercises.

Tracy Orcutt, local elite triathlete, taught the clinic with Coach Tom and gave they gave us targeted, individual advice after watching our running stride. I don't think it will make me an amazing runner, but it was nice to walk away with things I can work on.

Ironman Training—Week 1 Completed!

14 hours of working out. 14 hours of swimming, pilates, biking and running. 14 hours of a snotty nose, labored breathing, and sweating ... a lot. Needless to say, I'm tired.

This weekend definitely revolved around training. Saturday, I took my TT bike to Cycle U for a multisport InCycle class to be followed by a 30-minute brick run. I'm so thankful that it didn't start until 11:45 am. I really needed to sleep in to catch up on my rest. The class definitely had me reaquaint myself with my aero position. I felt like the workout was good, but not too out of control. Then, we went for a run which I did at my own pace. Jocelyn, a member of the Cycle U tri team, ran with me and it was nice to get my mind off my run and even nicer to get to know someone a bit better.

Saturday night, I attended the Cycle U tri team meeting in West Seattle.

The guest speaker was Rhae Shaw, talking about her very successful 2009 season. When it comes to triathlon, I really look up to her. She is really level-headed about her course of progress over the years but definitely strives for excellence. She brought her 2nd place wooden bowl trophy from the race in Kona this year. It was great to hear her talk about finally achieving her goal ... set 6 years ago. (And I thought my Ironman goal of 2.5 years was long ....) Oh, and I got to hold the bowl and eat 'champion chips' out of it. (Get it? Super cheesy. You can't blame me; Rhae said it first.) It might not be as prestigious, but my Ironman finisher's medal will be my version of the bowl, for now.

Today, I got out of bed fairly early for a Sunday and went out for a hill-repeat run around 9 am. I picked a hill not too far from our house and slowly jogged around the block as my rest interval. Now, I don't really expect people to be in their yards in January, especially in the incredibly rainy weather we have had. However, for some reason, there was a guy in his yard. I wonder what he was thinking as I passed by his house every 3 minutes or so at the closest thing I have to a sprint. When I was done, I headed home because I had some baking to do!

Now, anyone who knows me, knows that I don't really cook. But, I had a women's team ride and meeting to go to and had promised them all chicken puffs, which is on the very short list of things I can make without supervision. But of course, somehow the cans of chicken got left in the car! Kevin had to come home to bring me the chicken. So much for self-sufficiency! I'm so lucky to have such a patient husband!

Eventually, the chicken puffs were completed and Kevin drove my to Normandy Park for the women's ride. We got started late. Really late. I was there a couple minutes before noon, which was the designated ride time. We didn't leave until after 1 pm. We rode for 51 miles ... fairly flat. But, the hills we did have, I was last every time. I blame it on the hill repeats, but the real reason is that our team is really good this year. I'm actually super excited to see how we do! Overall, we had two flats, which didn't hold us up too much, but for some reason, the ride was really long. We didn't get back until after 5 and it was starting to get dark. I left the meeting a little early because I was supposed to go to a movie with Danielle.

Lastly, I didn't think that I'd be blowing off my friends due to training so early, but it definitely happened today. I had to give Danielle a raincheck on the movie. Sorry, friend! I hope this is the exception. NOT the rule.

Carls, ... the Dancer?

I'm over the rain. OVER IT. It has been raining almost constantly for a week and it looks like it will be another 3 days until it stops. This is my least favorite thing about Seattle. I am definitely vitamin-D deficient.

Anyway. I got out of bed this morning at 5 am and headed to the WAC for my swim/pilates combo. I should note that I did not wake up before the alarm and I was not excited to get going. Thankfully, the pool was less busy today and I was able to do my 1,000-yard swim TT without any distractions. Ground zero? 18:54. Not great; not bad. I'm proud of myself for keeping my form in tact and didn't try to power through it.

On to part 2—pilates. I was a couple minutes late, which always makes me nervous when I am trying something new. But, the teacher was a no-show so my tardiness was not an issue. There were about 10 of us waiting. Of course, as it approached 15 minutes after the class was supposed to start, I got frustrated. Doesn't this teacher know I have an Ironman to train for?!

Thank goodness for Bob! Bob is a WAC member who looks to be about 60 or so. Apparently, he has been coming to this class for years and felt confident enough to lead us through the practice. He did a great job! I got a great workout and I hope he gets a free month of membership dues.

Compliment for the day? After class, an older gentleman asked me if I have a background in dance. (I kind of do. I took a few years of jazz as a pre-teen, was a cheerleader in high school, took a few classes in college.) I was happy to say, yes. He said, "You can tell. You move like a dancer."

Wait a minute? Me? The most klutzy human being in the western hemisphere is being called graceful? Alright! I don't know if that guy really knows what dancers look like (I do, and I don't see one staring back in the mirror), but it made me stand a little taller, dare I even say, dancer-like, all day.

Also, I took a nap. It was heaven.

Fatigue with a Side of Rain

Today was recovery day and I really needed it! Now, you might think that means I sat on the couch snuggled up with Kevin to watch some primetime TV.

Nope.

When you are training for an Ironman, it means you run for 20 minutes at lunch and then ride your bike for an hour after dinner.

My lack of quality sleep is really catching up to me.

Today's workouts were a lot easier than yesterday. I met up with the Cycle U Multisport team for an hour track workout last night in the pouring rain. At least it was warm. The group started to warm-up and I? Well, I started to laugh. They were running at a 5K pace for me. I didn't try to keep up with them; I just moved around the track at my own speed. I knew that this would be hard for me if this was their idea of a warm-up.

Then, the actual workout began. 10 x 400s, starting at a 9-minute mile pace and then increasing from there. We got a 2-minute break between each lap. I survived the 9, 8:40, 8:20 and 8-minute paces. Then I was fried. I bailed. I was the first one to drop back to a 9-minute pace for the rest of the intervals. I was alone for a couple laps and then had 1 other person join me. But! I finished all the laps and had an overall 9-minute mile pace for over 5 miles. That is pretty good for me.

Hopefully, I can still get better.

Also, this is what one looks like after running in the pouring rain, in the dark, in January.

First Official Day of Ironman Training!

I made it! I finished my first day of Ironman training and I'm exhausted! I set the alarm last night for 5 am and of course, I couldn't sleep because I was so excited to get started! I jumped out of bed at 4:50 am and was in the pool by 6 am. I did 1,600 yards of drills in a really busy pool (I hope the crowd dissipates after January!) and then headed to my new pilates class.

Now, I have never done pilates. Dance? Yes. Yoga? Yes. Pilates? No. I didn't know what to expect. I was the first one to arrive so I waited to watch the other classmates to know what I needed to get—mats, towels, weights, etc. One right after another, the other students walked in. Every single one of them was male. Every single one of them was 45+. Every single one of them had a bit of a belly. Did I miss the memo? Was there a 'old men only' disclaimer on the class description I forgot to read? Oh well. I needed to get my workout in. I wasn't about to screw up my first day of training.

And, if I thought my class couldn't get more sitcom-like, I would be wrong. The teacher walks in and she looks like she is ready for a night on the town. She is wearing wedged slides and her hair in neatly coifed. She eventually takes off her coat to reveal her workout attire and she puts her hair in a clip. But the shoes? No, the shoes stayed. Is it normal to practice Pilates in heels? I immediately thought of my dear friend, Darcy. This was definitely something she could appreciate.

I did my best to keep up and the teacher said I did a pretty good job for my first class.

Then! I got a break! I went to work.

After work, Kevin drove us home where I wolfed down a snack and got ready for my Seattle Multisports class. I got there on time this week and had a great workout. I really hope it makes me a strong cyclist, ready to race with the best of them this season! (Well, the best of the category 4 riders anyway.)

And, you'll be pleased to know that there was a Table Temptation today. Today's matchup?

Me vs. Erin's Popcorn

Verdict? This was a tough battle but I came out victorious with the help of a little Dentyne gum. Okay, the battle still isn't over; 1/4 of the bag is still on the table for tomorrow.

Tricky Try-ons

Today included an adventure to to REI to exchange the arm warmers I received for Christmas. I already have a pair of arm warmers and just ordered a new pair. What I really needed was a pair of leg warmers.

Now, a sensible person would think that arm and leg warmers would have a sizing chart on their products so it would be easy to tell if you are small, medium, large or extra-large. Apparently, sensible people don't do the packaging for cycling clothing companies. That means I had no choice than to try the leg warmers on in the middle of the cycling department next to the socks.

I did find a pair and bought some Clif products for a taste testing this week.

No More Excuses

I can no longer blame my equipment for any sub-par performances. My belated Chrismas present came in the mail no Tuesday ... tah dah!

A Zipp disc wheel! I know, I was surprised too. Apparently, according to Kevin's research, the full disc wheel is perfect for Ironman CDA when the conditions are 'ideal' (what the heck does that event mean?!!) And, since it was a present (and purchased from a Pro team via Ebay), who am I to argue?

You will see me riding with this bad boy during early-season time trials (as long as the wind stays quiet) AND! IF (that is a giant 'if') I upgrade on the track to Friday nights, you'll see it there too.

I would also like to introduce a new segment to this blog entitled, "Table Temptation of the Day."

My team at work has a meeting table in the middle of the department and people are constantly bringing in sweets and snacks and leaving them there. I know this is not unique to my workplace, so I'm sure you can identify. This segment will follow how I fare with each temptation. 

Today's Table Temptation matchup: 

me vs. Werther's Original Candies

I win. Hands down. Go me!

Classic January Mistake

Bad news. I had a ton time to think during my run this evening. Good news? I may be too tired now to write all my thoughts down.

After work, I headed to the gym to attend a TRX strength-training class. What is TRX, you ask? Well, it was originally designed for the military so that they could stay in shape pretty much anywhere. Like this guy.

It is such a hard workout that doesn't ever seem to get easier. I have been quite a few times but never on a Wednesday. I made that classic mistake of attending a new class time in early January. Of course the class was full—some regulars and some newbies— and the regulars are outright glaring at the newbies for 'stealing their class' for their New Year's Resolutions. I AM NOT A NEWBIE. QUIT GLARING AT ME!

I made it through the class (barely) and changed to run home. The ironic moment of the day happened as I'm waiting to cross the street and Mercer and Westlake. I am mouthing 'Don't hit me' to a driver who wants to make a right turn as the lyrics "Shut up and drive!" are blaring in my ears via iPod. (Thank you D!)

I have really been enjoying these dark, slow runs home. The city seems so peaceful in the

dark, and, along the water, it looks a little something like this. This view helps me to embrace non-Daylight-Saving Time. That, and my blinky light.

Okay that's it. My energy is drained. I have some great things in store for tomorrow!

Redemption … well, sorta.

I failed to mention that last week I attended the free women’s-only indoor TT at Cycle U. I was feeling pretty good, so I was excited to go. At Jess’ advice, I brought my actual TT bike. When I got there, there were a few familiar faces—Rhae Shaw (Cycle U,) Jenny Potter (IJM.org,) and my teammate Jess who was finishing her race (which she of course, won.)

I got all set up and noticed that the majority of the other women were on their road bikes. Oh well, I needed the practice in my aero bars. We were all (6 of us) going to race a rolling 10k course. I quickly fell to last place yet I was working super hard. It was pretty disheartening since my heart rate was skyrocketing. When it was all over, I was last and was about a minute and a half slower than the winner. Ugh. Rhae tried to console me by telling me that I get less power being in the aero tuck, but it kind of went in one ear and out the other. However, I did make this mental note, BRING ROAD BIKE NEXT TIME.

So, yesterday was my first session with my teammates at Seattle Multisport. Yesterday was also a time trial so that the coach could get a look at our current fitness. Great. Another time trial for me to miserably trudge in last place. However, I did bring my road bike so I did notice right away that I was pumping out a lot more power. This time, the course is only 5 miles and is completely flat. Yay! I am so much better when things are flat!

We get started and I just go, go, go. My chest hurts, my heart rate is through the roof, my stomach is cramping and I am sweating buckets. All the TT racers are teammates this time —Eileen, Lori and new member Tara. I take the lead from the beginning. After last week, I refused to be last. I was going to do all I could to not repeat that performance. It stayed pretty consistent—me in first, Tara in second, Eileen in third and Lori in fourth. I won! Actually, I won by about 30 seconds, which is quite a bit over a short time trial. I felt so much better about myself and it may have been just what I needed. Actually, Tim, the coach, said that I was just a handful of seconds from cracking his women’s top-10! Go me! Totally the validation I needed.

Hopefully, Tim will email the performance file soon so I can post more details. Hopefully 2010 will be a good year!

¡Felicidades Mis Amigos!

Yesterday, I was blessed to see the marriage of my good friend Jen to the love of her life, Joaquin. They are the most adorable couple! They met in grad school in California, but she is from Federal Way and he is from Madrid, Spain!

It was a beautiful Catholic ceremony, both done in English and in Spanish. I had the honor of leading prayers with Joaquin's sister-in-law. I don't have any photos because, 1. they weren't allowed really and, 2. I forgot the camera.

Never fear! Kevin and I ran home to get the camera before heading to The Canal for the reception. They served up a full-service bar and an amazing meal, followed by some spirited dancing! (For the record, I think wedding reception dancing should count towards triathlon training. For those that don't agree, I also ran 5.16 miles with the dog yesterday morning.)

Thank you so much Jen and Joaquin for inviting me to share in your special day!

Now, a Word from Our Sponsor

Hooray! So, my bike team just picked up a new sponsor, Clif, and I could not be more excited.

All of last race season, I lived off of Clif Shot Bloks, which I swear, were designed just for me. They are easy to carry, easy to digest, and easy to eat. I tried to do the whole GU shot thing when I trained for my first half-marathon, and I'm just not coordinated enough to eat them. I open them up and get sticky stuff everywhere—all over my hands, my face, and yes, even in my hair. No thank you.

So, when I discovered the Bloks, I was really excited. No more stickiness! Before I was proficient in pulling them out of my cycling pockets, I would stick them on my bike frame. During my half-Ironman run and my marathon, I stuck a few tubes of them in my sports bra for easy access.

Also, I am accustomed to eating 2 protein bars for breakfast on race days. The have been Kashi 'Go Lean' Bars, but for 2010, I'm looking forward to finding the right Clif product for me.

Thank you, Clif, for your sponsorship!!