A Winter Wonderland - at 55 Degrees?

So in addition to some holiday cheer on Friday night, party hopping to our friends Christina and Alex's party and then on to Jim and Scott's, we decided to head to the Embarcadero Center's Holiday Skating Rink on Saturday night.

It's a small little rink, in the middle of San Francisco, thoroughly cooled to combat the 55 degree temperatures. But its our little rink and it was fun! Jeff and I headed there on Saturday night to recapture a little fun we had while in New York last Christmas. Since we won't get back to NYC this year, this was certainly a suitable substitute.

Now Jeff has a lot more experience than myself on skates, so he spent a better part of our time on the ice holding me up and helping me stop. But I think he still had fun, all the same.

It was a fun night, under the lights of San Francisco, enjoying a little Christmas cheer.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Years to all!

How Many Calories does FEAR burn?

"Hey, wonder if its muddy up there? That guy's all full of mud?" Very shortly, the answer to that question was painfully obvious.

Now the Fear=Calories question was the question of the day yesterday as we headed out to Tamarancho with a whole new obstacle to tackle - MUD! As if tree roots, rocks and narrow singletrack around tight turns wasn't tough enough, but add slick mud and caked up tires to the mix (and those nasty, slick, wooden bridges) and its a whole new ball game.

To be clear, if I had known it was that muddy up there, I might have opted to go elsewhere, as Tamarancho is already pretty challenging for me when its dry. But was with most things - rough waters in an OC 1 as an example - heading into conditions I'm not fully aware of gets me over my fear of those conditions pretty quickly. This is within reason, of course! And this day proved to be no different. Was it challenging? Most Definitely. Was it scary? Hells Yeah!

And this also brought up another interesting question: How many calories does FEAR burn? This was a topic of discussion as we all noticed that our heart rates were just as high, if not higher, going downhill as they were going up! And it was not due to the energy we were exerting but rather the fear factor we were all trying to keep at bay while slipping and sliding around over rocks, around switchbacks and over those damn wooden bridges. I'd guess a good 100 calories per hour - AT LEAST!

All that being said, we all made it, and relatively unscathed. There were some pretty epic spills, all three of us found ourselves completely splayed out across the trail at one time or another, and some lesser in epic-tude, such as Sam's patented slow-speed topples. Fortunately, we all got up, with relative swiftness, and back onto our horses.

We all learned a few things out on the trails yesterday. First, Dana decided that she was the Zoolander of mountain biking when she exclaimed "I can't turn left". Sam deemed anyone that doesn't make audible noises when heading over obstacles is "stealthy". I think most people would call that normal. And I, well, I learned oh so many things about the way I ride, not least of which is that I need to learn to mount my bike faster after getting off to get around obstacles. A skills clinic is first on my list come the new year.

All in all another really fun day out on the trails. Sure, I have a bunch of bruises and some road rash, but as I've said every time, if I don't come back a little scuffed up, I didn't try hard enough :-)

Dirty Betty's FOREVER!

SFTriGirl LIVE

Giving this a whirl...who knows, maybe next will be a live feed of me on the Alter-G :-)

Streaming Video by Ustream.TV

I can run!!!

45 weeks after my last running race, 18 weeks after my left knee surgery and 11 weeks after my right knee surgery, this week I successfully ran 18+ miles, over the course of 3 sessions - 5+ miles on Tuesday, 3+ miles on Wednesday, 10+ miles on Friday. I had some help, but more on that later in this post.

This is just another victory in my road to recovery. I was back on the spin bike within 10 days of each surgery, and was back on the road just 6 weeks after the second knee surgery. I tested my watts (power) on the bike 8 weeks after surgery #2, and I was back to within 7 watts of my high from last year (my ironman year!).

I've completed multiple 3 hour bike rides with significant climbing, 2.5 hour mountain bike rides with steep climbs, and went out for 1.5 hours of cross country skiing, skate skiing no less, without any knee pain. My progress has been measured and slow, but has been very fullfilling.

To get a sense of the completeness of the recovery of my fitness, here's my workout schedule from this week

• Sunday: 2.5 hour mountain bike ride at Tamarancho
• Monday: 3 hour road ride up and over Mt. Tam - 3500+ feet of climbing
• Tuesday: 5 mile run (40 minute) + 2 hour outrigger paddle - Bridge to Bridge
• Wednesday: 3 mile run (25 minute) + 90 minute spin class
• Thursday: 60 minute spin class
• Friday: 10 mile run (85 minute)
  
• Saturday: Mountain Biking around the Headlands to chase my friends running the North Face 50K and 50 Mile.

It feels good to be back! I'm at 13+ hours of training this week, one hour shy of my longest Ironman training week!

A little help from my Friends

So to be clear, I am getting some help from my friends in the medical/athletic professions...

1. My Friend, Dr. Naomi Sklar. She was the first person to give me hope that something could be done to alleviate the pain and get me back out there. Thanks for giving me that motivation to keep trying!
   
2. My Surgeon, Dr. Jonathan Miller. I was motivated to get back out there, and he's made it possible! Two lateral releases in 8 weeks, not to mention the collar bone earlier in the year! And recovery much quicker than anticipated. I am motivated, but I also think he's that good!
   
3. My ART specialist extraordinaire, Laura Bray. She was the first one to tell me I needed an MRI! And now that I'm back, she helped isolate the muscles that were stuck due to my injuries and showed me how to open them up to continue on my path to recovery!
4. My triathlon coach, Michael McCormack (M2). Without his studio, none of this would have been possible! Sure, I could have gone to regular gym spin classes, but without the watts to measure my progress by, it would have been a lot less meaningful. And now, he recently got the Alter-G treadmill at his studio which is the enabler for my recent run miles!!! Thanks, M2!

Alter-G, more affectionately known as "Flowbie"

From www.m2rev.com website: An air sealed cushion around a runner’s midsection uses air pressure to un-weight the runner – imagine a cork being pushed up through a wine bottle.  Meanwhile, the runner enjoys normal run range of motion – minus those pounds that the runner wishes to eliminate. 

It is this technology that has allowed me to start running again! Am I running at 100% of my body weight? No. But my joints still need time to heal from the surgeries, and like anyone getting back into a sport after an extended absence, I need to ease into it. The beauty of the Alter-G treadmill is that I can keep myself as unweighted as necessary to avoid pain - currently 70% of my bodyweight, or 105 lbs. As my knees heal, I will gradually add the weight back on, slowly as to not re-injur the tendons that were operated on. Eventually, I will get back to running at 100% of my bodyweight and will be ready for the trails once again! And a strategic use of "Flowbie" in conjunction with trail runs may in fact allow me to run longer than previously thought post-op. The original estimate I was given was 45 or 50 minutes max before my knees would start to hurt. I think this machine will help me go quite a bit longer, perhaps NOT in fact taking the 1/2 iron distance off the table completely :-)

I will continue to update this blog with my progress throughout the coming weeks/months. The next big test will be to see if snowboarding is still a sport for me! I'm covering my bases, though, by brushing up on my cross country skiing skills, just in case! I would hate to be completely shut out from winter fun!

And in addition to my medical and athletic support, thanks to EVERYONE for all your support along the way: Jeff, Sam, Rick, Jesse, Julie, Karen, my friends in the Golden Gate Triathlon Club, my teammates at the San Francisco Outrigger Canoe Club, the Girls in "The Dinner Club, and anyone else I may have forgotten that has been part of this challenging year for me. You've all helped in one way or another to get me here.

Boo Ya, Switchback!

That was the shout out I made to Sam as I rounded a downhill switchback on today's mountain bike ride up at Tamarancho in Fairfax. Most other obstacles I can make my way through, within reason. Rocky downhills, steep uphills, tree roots, trees and the like are all do-able, but I cannot master the switchback. I am definitely better on the uphills, as a lot of power is required, but the downhills are tricker (for me, anyway) as more finesse is needed.

Finesse is really the name of the game. I've got the power, I've got the endurance, and I'm gaining bike handling skills the more I get out on the trails. But the speed, tragectory, lean and pure guts required to make it around a downhill switchback allude me at this point. I'll get there, it just takes time on the trails and trying it over, and over, and over...

But as Sam and I discussed over your salads and beer at the Marin Brewing Company after our ride, its fun to do something that we're learning, honing our skills and that scares us a little. We don't get that sensation on the road, or running on the trails or really paddling much, so its really kind of fun.


And that was just Sunday...

Thursday was another mountain biking adventure, but at the much more tame China Camp State Park. This is a great place to go out, ride hard, get in a good cardio workout, and build confidence on the bike. The switchbacks are a little less steep and the radius is a little wider, so they are easier to get around. So we went out for about 1.5 hours, got some good climbs in, and worked off some calories before heading home to make Thanksgiving dinner for our friends.

Friday, Jeff and I decided to head up to Tahoe to get a day of cross country skiing in. I've only tried it once, about 2 years ago, and really didn't enjoy it much. I even took a lesson, but for some reason, couldn't get it. But as with the mountain biking, I am more motivated now, as I don't think I'll be able to endure multi-day snowboarding trips anymore. It will probably be too hard on my knees. So we tried it again.

Jeff and I headed out around 10:00 to make our way to Royal Gorge, the largest nordic ski center in California with over 200 kilometers of trail. Unfortunately, it was snowing a little over the pass, so they imposed a "chain control" zone which really slowed down the flow of traffic. What normally would be about a 2:45-3:00 drive took us 4.5 hours. Bummer deal for a day-trip! But we prevailed and got there with just over 1.5 hours until the ski center closed.

So I rented skis, Jeff donned his skis (he's been doing this for YEARS), and we headed out on the trails. Keep in mind that I snowboard as I don't like the sensation of having two skis that can go in different directions if you aren't careful, so I had a bit of a rough start as the trail starts out with a pretty steep downhill. And for most of the day, I looked a bit like a baby deer just testing out its new legs.

Once down the starting shute, Jeff went to work giving me some instruction to make this a better experience than my last cross country ski excursion. I am learning to skate ski which is definitely more technically and muscularly challenging than traditional, one ski in front of the other, style of skiing. But very quickly, and with much instruction from Jeff, I started to get the hang of the general motion. And I have my outrigger training to thank for really helping to propel me along, as you really push off with your shoulders at the start of each stride. I am by no means an expert, however, I am very excited to get out there and start getting better at it!

Then, on Saturday, I headed out with the club for a paddle on the bay. It was a bit of a rough day out on the bay, and I had a tough go of it keeping the boat upright, which was only legitimized by the fact that there was a small craft advisory on the bay, unbennounced to me. I only lasted for about 1/2 hour. I felt a bit wimpy, but was consoled by the fact that much more experienced paddlers came in just 10-15 minutes after I did. At least I gave it a "go". Not one of the more fun days of paddling, but lessons were learned and limits tested. Since the paddle wasn't too taxing on my muscles, anyway, I decided to head to the gym for a couple of hours to burn off some steam.

All in all, a pretty GREAT Thanksgiving weekend. I would like to thank the supporting cast of characters who shared in this weekend with me: Mally, Rick, Brian and Lance, who all joined in our Thanksgiving celebration, a shout out to Sam who flew back from NYC late Saturday night and rallied for a great day on the mountain with me Sunday mid-day, and a thank you to Jeff who had incredible patience with teaching me how to skate ski.

I "Heart" Mountain Biking

I love Mt. Tam. I love China Camp. I love the Headlands. These were all places that I used to spend hours upon hours trail running. Sometimes it was a love-hate relationship, but often times, it was a time for me to stretch my legs, share great conversation with my friends and enjoy the beauty of the mountains around me. But now, for me, trail running will be no more.

But I refuse to give up the mountains. So now its time to turn to my mountain bike to get there. You might ask why not just hike, but once you've run these trails, hiking pails in comparison. Unfortunately, Mt. Tam does not allow mountain bikes on its trails, but all the rest do, in addition to Tamarancho, which is a dedicated mountain biker's playground! 

I've only owned a mountain bike for about 4 years, and really only hit the trails on it in the fall each year - after triathlon season was over. So while my fitness for mountain biking has never been an issue, I have never really dedicated the time necessary to hone my technical skills really needed to navigate the single track and rock-laden trails here in Northern California.

With this new motivation, I have headed out a few times this fall with a new determination. My motto has been "if at first I don't success, try, try again". This has served me well thus far and has really built my skills as well as my confidence. I am still planning to take a clinic from a local coach, which I think will catch those final skills whose mastery have alluded me thusfar.

I have a new love of this sport. Before I liked doing it for a change of pace, but now, I think it will be a part of my regular rotation with paddling and road cycling. When I will fit it all in is the question, but if I was able to train for an ironman, I can find time for biking AND paddling.

And I will have to! Already thinking ahead to next year, I am hoping to repeat the Catalina outrigger race, along with the rest of the long course race season - which will require a good 10+ hours of training come the fall. Fortunately, my first goal for mountain biking will come in the spring, before the outrigger season shifts into high gear. The BC Bike Race is a 7-day stage race up in British Columbia the last week of June. My second goal is to do the 24 Hours of Moab with a team of my best girls, which just so happens to be a full month after the Catalina race. Its all falling into place, no?


The best part is that it is great fun planning out my race season for next year, a thrill I didn't get to enjoy last year.

Oh yeah, this race AND my comeback at San Jose International - it'll be my 10th YEAR!

The Best, Worst Summer Ever

Well, what started out with a series of doctors in February telling me I would never run again, to a compound fracture in my right clavicle which resulted in a surgery to insert a titanim plate due to a crash on my bike, followed by surgery on both my knees, all over the course of just 6 months, ended up being a fantastic summer filled with the adoption of two adorable kittens, supporting my friends' athletic endeavors and pursuing my own interested in outrigger canoeing, and being quite successful with that!

Now, I know that was a long, run-on opening sentence, but hopefully that gives you a sense of the whirlwind of time, activity and emotions that has been 2009.

So lets rewind to one of my lifetime highs - completing my first Ironman triathlon last June. During the final weeks of my training for that event, my left knee started exhibiting some pain when I went out for a run, not much longer than 60 minutes. Now, there are lots of aches and pains in Ironman training, so I just thought it just came with the territory. I was pushing my body far beyond where it had ever gone, so there was bound to be some push back.

Come to find out, it was a little more than just the overtraining for my Ironman.3 doctors, a set of xrays and an MRI finally uncovered the fact that I was running bone-on-bone on not just my left, but both of my knees. Yes, I had no more cartilage on the lateral (outside) side of both my left and right knees. This was very unfortunate news given that my goals for the year were to complete a 50 mile trail ultramarathon later in the year.

So the first doctor, who ordered the MRI, read it and said "Just back off for a month or two and you should be fine" - well, suffice it to say, that didn't work. Doctor #2 looked at the MRI, look at me and said "You will never run again, and given the lack of cartilage, you probably won't be able to bike for much longer either. That being said, there is nothing I can do for you...that's just the way it is". REALLY??? That is an acceptable answer to a 33 year old, 10-year veteran triathlete? If you ask me, that is a completely unacceptable answer from the HEAD of the sports orthopedic clinic at Kaiser! Let's just say that my initial shock, turned to anger, turned to finding another answer.

Insert Doctor #3, Dr. Miller, my eventual knee surgeon, who just happened to be in the Sports Injury clinic at Kaiser the day I went in for my check up after my bike crash. I initially wanted to hate him. I walked into the clinic 5 days after my crash, he looked at me and said "Eeew, have you had an xray yet". I figured that was not good news. When I came back from xray, he promptly said, "You need surgery". A little background, I had NEVER had surgery, and the thought of it scared me to death! So that phrase was NOT music to my ears. Thankfully, Jeff was there with me, and kept the mood light. Throughout the consultation, we came to find out that he was a joint replacement specialist, so to keep things light, Jeff asked him if he'd consider doing a 2-for-1 and operating on my knees at the same time.

So I was in the Kaiser operating room 18 hours later, prepping for surgery. All went well, and coming out of it, I was in so much less pain than going into it, that it was a much-needed relief. So when I went in for my post-op surgery consult, we turned the conversation to my knees. It can never be said that I'm not focused! He said that I was an ideal candidate for a lateral release surgery. Finally, I had someone who offered a solution to help! There was HOPE on the horizon!

I had originally decided to have my knees both operated on after the outrigger season was over (more on this topic a little further in the post), but once I got back on the bike after my clavicle healed, my knees started to hurt more and more. So I made the decision to pull the trigger as soon as I could - late July for the first knee, 7 weeks later, mid-September for the second. Until then, no real leg activity for me as I couldn't run and I couldn't bike. So what to do?

Well, once again, rewind to last June, but this time, just after my Ironman. I was looking to mix things up a bit, so I and my friend Sam decided to give outrigger canoeing a try. The husband of a friend of ours had been a member of the SFOCC for years and had mentioned a number of times that we should give it a time. What better time to give it a shot than after an Ironman. So that's what we did. Every Tuesday, and some Thursdays and Saturdays we headed out with the team onto the Bay. We came in mid-season, so racing last year was out for us. But very quickly I came to realize that this was a sport I could get into!

Now, fast-forward to this spring. The outrigger season really kicks off in March, as the days get long enough to have practice after work. So I had just gotten the news about my knees and had really thrown myself into outrigger, when I had my crash, thus taking me out of outrigger, too! Let's just say that April and May were tough months. I couldn't do ANYTHING but walk on the treadmill. Quite the change from a year earlier.

Once I had come to grips with my new future with my knees, during one of my pre-op visits, I mentioned to Dr. Miller that not only does there need to be the physical care associated with such a diagnosis, but there also needs to be care paid to the mental well-being of the patient. I went through all the stages of loss after the diagnosis. At first, there was hysterical sadness, then anger, then denial that I could really have severe arthritis in my knees at age 33!

And of course, what did not help my case, is the fact that everyone around me kept moving on with their events for the year, many of which I was supposed to do! I had my breakdowns, but then also through myself into the success of my friends at other events by crewing or volunteering for them. And once my shoulder healed enough to paddle again, that also helped to alleviate the frustration - now, at least I had an outlet!

So as the summer progressed, so did my acceptance of the fate of my knees as well as my paddling! That being said, by the time my birthday came around in July, just one week prior to my first knee surgery, I had put on 8 lbs since my crash in March. This was seriously frustrating to me as I knew it was solely the result of my inability to do any sort of intensive lower-body focused cardio exercise. Now don't get me wrong, paddling can be a serious cardio workout, but using smaller muscles, and less hours than I was used to, it led to the weight gain and further anxiety.

But now it was time for the first surgery...July 24th to be exact. My head was clouded in doubt. What if it didn't work (which was a stated risk)? What if the recovery was harder than I expected? I didn't know what to expect heading under the knife. One thing I did know for sure was that I was going to push the limits of my recovery without risking further injury - I couldn't remain idle any longer! The stated recovery was 3-6 months...I was committed to having that land much closer to the 3 month mark rather than the 6 month. And there was an added bonus. When he got in my knee, he also found a tear in my meniscus...this would explain the sharp pain I was feeling.

The first week after the surgery was tough. A lot of swelling, a lot of discomfort. That being said, the second day I was doing stair repeats at Jeff's place. Dr. Miller warned not to stay too idle...the joint needed to move to ignite healing. So move I did! As much as I could stand! By day 10, I was cleared to go back to spin to really get my knee moving, so guess what I did! I kept most of the resistance off, but slowly worked it on towards the end of class to gauge what my knee could handle. I did this consistently, twice a week for the next 5 weeks. By the time I went in for the second knee surgery, 7 weeks later, I was almost back to my pre-accident watts...a shock to myself and everyone around me.

So between surgeries 1 and 2, I competed in 5 outrigger races...and LOVED IT! The first was just 1 week after my surgery, the Alcatraz race on our home turf. That was followed by a race at Oyster Point, another at San Leandro, then a weekend in Lake Tahoe over Labor Day. This was all leading up to our second biggest race of the year, the Catalina Channel Crossing on September 12th.  By the time August hit, we were paddling for 2-2.5 hours both Tuesday and Thursday nights, as well as a race on Saturday (roughly 2 hours) and a 3-4 hour practice on Sunday. 11 hours of paddling on our toughest week! All very necessary for the 28 mile race from Newport Beach to Catalina, and so very worth it!


The Catalina race was AMAZING. We had heard the stories, and I knew it was something I wanted to do, but until we were in the midst of it, I wasn't sure what to expect. Strategy, tenacity, strength, endurance and focus were the keys to the 5 hour race. We had to jump out of a perfectly good canoe, onto a motor boat, and then off that perfectly good boat and finally hurdle ourselves from the water back into the canoe 7 or more times that day. We had to keep an aggressive rate, ignore the fatigue and cheer on our crew mates so as to keep focused and moving rapidly across the channel. 5 hours and many "Boo Ya's" later we made it across to the party that awaited us. This was the sort of high that I got from triathlon...so I was incredibly relived to find it in paddling.

So the day after the Catalina Channel Crossing, I headed back to San Francisco and underwent the knife for the second knee surgery. Fortunately, I knew what was coming...1 week of stiffness, knee pressure and nausea and exhaustion from the pain meds. But as with the first knee surgery, everything went according to plan. I was back on the bike within 10 days and feeling good.

I am now 7.5 weeks after the second surgery and 3.5 months after the first surgery, and everything is great! My triathlon coach, M2, did a watts test - a test of our fitness and strength - last week, and I was only 7 watts down from the watts I had before my crash this spring. I was amazing, but also, relieved, that I was able to rebuild my fitness that quickly. This week, I went out for my longest ride since March - 50 miles - out to Pt. Reyes and back from Lucas Valley Road. A favorite route of mine, and this week, it did not disappoint. My fitness and strength were there, and I was able to complete the route feeling strong! I'm back!

So throughout it all, and once I got over my own bitterness with the limitations of my knees, I managed to get out there and support my amazing friends who were pushing their own limits this summer. I got to crew for Rick for not one, but two, 100 mile trail events. The first was in San Diego in June, the second here in Marin in August. Both were great adventures and a lot of fun! Jeff and I traveled to Denver to cheer on our friends Jesse and Gerry who did the Pike's Peak half marathon in August - a must-do in 2010. Then lastly, The four of us, in addition to a fabulous Brit named Simon, headed to Moab, UT for the 24 Hours of Moab mountain bike race. It was at this event that I decided to commit myself to mountain biking...it was such an amazing event! Last but not least, I will be captaining the Muir Beach Aid Station for the NorthFace 50K and 50 Miler, where I know about a dozen folks racing.

I want to thank my support crew that has helped me get through this summer. They have all been here to raise my spirits, ease the pains and make my life a little easier when times were tough. First, I want to thank my surgeon, Dr. Jonathan Miller. He put me through 3 surgeries in 6 months, and brought me through the other side of it all smiling. He's given me a new lease on my knees for a few year which is really invaluable to me. Second, I want to thank Rick who hosted a number of happy hours to keep me surrounded by friends and he himself was there to support me when I was down. Thirdly, I want to thank my Bestie, My BFF, My Lesbian Workout Partner and my dearest friend - Sam. You've supported me when I needed it, made me laugh about it all, and were there to enjoy all the paddling and most importantly the Catalina Channel Crossing together - BOO YA! And finally, I want to thank Jeff, my boyfriend. You've been there for me through a tough summer. You saw my weakest moments and were there to comfort me. You opened your home to me and took care of me throughout all three surgeries. And I know you're there to support me in whatever comes next! Love you!

So what's next? Well, paddling is definitely on the docket for 2010! I MUST go back to Catalina - it was awesome! And now, with my knees in tact, I will certainly be out on my road bike and have a renewed passion for my mountain bike. If I can't get out on the local trails to run, then I am going to do it by bike! I've gotten back out there once, am planning to take a skills clinic with a local guru, and am hoping to do a 7 day stage race in British Columbia next June. I need two partners in crime, however - any takers???

Whatever the coming months bring, you won't see any grass growing under these feet!