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!
2.22.2010
2.21.2010
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.
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.
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.
- 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."
- Try something new! I never would have found my love for bike riding and racing had I not tried my first triathlon.
- 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.
- Make goals and tell people about them. This keeps you accountable. Accountability is super important.
- Track your progress. It is very empowering to see how far you've come.
- 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.
- Make friends how do what you like to do. You'd be surprised at the community you can create.
- Encourage others. Share what you know. But, do not push either encouragement or knowledge on people who are not ready.
- Be open to learning new things every day. We all have things we can improve.
- Don't try to be the best. You'll drive yourself crazy. Just strive to be your best self.
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.
2.15.2010
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:
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.
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.)Or, as one rider noted, "Zoo Hill is the puke-inducing lactate-producing gasp-fest that I avoid unless taunted."
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.
2.07.2010
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.
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.
2.01.2010
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.
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.
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