Far From Wisconsin

Fly Like a Cheesehead

2011-01-27T19:34:00.000-08:00

Alright, so while I don't watch a lot of football, I can't help myself with the Pack in the SuperBowl. I must admit, I've got a little Wisco Pride these days. I mean, how could I resist with this gem?

And the Bears thought they were "fly" with their SuperBowl shuffle. I think someone paid off Cutler to sit out the second half so we wouldn't be subjected the music stylings of the flatlanders again!

So while I've renamed my blog to "Far from Wisconsin" I'm still from Wisconsin, afterall, so I have to give a shout out to all my fellow Cheeseheads! GO PACK GO!

A new blog title, a new year, a new set of adventures!

2011-01-13T21:21:00.000-08:00

Happy New Years! And I say that this year with all sincerity.

The New Year Ski Crew
Me, Dana, Brian, Jeff, Tina, Sam and Troy

I have a fabulous group of friends of whom I value greatly.
Those friends are all happy and healthy!
I have a job that I love and that challenges me.
A year after surgery, my knees are good, and I have plans to use them to their fullest in the new year.
As of today, I'm officially aunt for the first time - congratulations Darren and Kim!
And I have a boyfriend that, while supportive, keeps me on my toes, each and every day (which, if you don't know already know, that is a good thing!)

As I embark on this new year, there's not much more I could ask for. Besides all of the above, I've already gotten in 10 days of cross country skiing this winter, summited Mt. Tam last weekend on my mt. bike (about 5000 ft of elevation), and am headed down to Santa Cruz this weekend and back on my road bike - 180 miles in all!

Yeah, things aren't too shabby.

More to come in the coming weeks and months. I'm really trying to get back in the blogging habit. While I love blogging about all my athletic endeavors, I hope to do more blogging about my cooking, my friends and just things in general. So stay tuned.

My love affair with Matt Davis

2010-10-31T22:02:00.000-07:00

So for most people, running is a chore. Its something they do to get in shape, or train for an event, but there is no real joy in it. That has never been the case for me. And not so much since I had my knee surgery last year.

So since the surgery, I did some running on the Alter G, to take some of the pressure off my knees. But more recently, I've started to hit the solid ground again. Dana, Kara and I went out for a 50 minute run a few weeks ago, followed by a run with el Jefe a few days later. I did a run on the Alter G this week, then decided to hit Matt Davis this weekend.

Matt Davis is a most excellent trail - rolling, slightly uphill on the way out; the reverse on the way back. A constant change in environment the whole way - some heavily wooded, some mature trees, some new, bridges, waterfalls, views of the ocean, views down the mountain, scrambling up rock croppings...a little of everything. Some of the most beautiful terrain anywhere!

I first came to know this trail during my ironman training - sometimes solo, sometimes with my faithful training companion Sam. Either way, it was always a wonderful trail. My route on Saturday was only 55 minutes, from the Fire Station at Mt. Home to the picnic area. On our usual runs, we would go past the picnic ground, onto Pantol Station, then out Coastal Trail for the requisit time until we needed to turn around and head back. That being said, it never seemed like a chore...we always reveled in the views, the changing terrain, the solitude.

Saturday was a rather ominous day...I was doubting whether I would actually embark on my run while I drove to the trail head...it was foggy, drizzly, and it continued to get colder as I approached my destination. But once I parked, put on my trail shoes, and walked to the base of the fire station driveway, I decided it was the right thing to do.

I trudged up the first 3 minutes, a pretty steep uphill, and one that would normally bug my knees. Thanks to some recent exercises I've been doing to shore up my knee muscles, I was able to charge up it without any pain. That being said, my lungs certainly were hurting some. As I reached the top of the first hilll, I saw the stairs to the Matt Davis trail, and felt a certain sense of calm and excitement.

It was a most wonderful 55 minutes. In and out of fog and mist. Trees raining on me when the wind picked up. Sloshing through puddles, spraying mud everywhere. It was exhillerating. It was fantastic, and it made me a little sad at the same time. This is about all I can do for now, and possibly forever. I should just enjoy it for what it is, but if you know me at all, you know I want more. Some of my best girlfriends ran the Grand Canyon last weekend, and I wish I would have been there. But, it is not in the cards for me. I had accepted that for a while, but with my recent runs, it has stirred those ambitions that I had burried 2 years ago.

But not to fret, I simply enjoyed my run, and I will not begrudge what used to be...only revel in what I CAN have. Thank you, Matt Davis, for continuing to provide a wonderful running environment, and for reminding me of the joy of running. I'll be back again, soon!

BC Bike Race: Day 7, The Finish!

2010-07-06T21:40:00.000-07:00

Distance: 14.18 miles
Elevation: 2799 ft
Time: 2:45 hours
Difficulty: A lot of climbing, but not too bad technically

How happy I was for this day to come! Our final day in Whistler! A victory lap of sorts, or so I thought. Well, while it was only 20K on the day, it had a lot of climbing, and some technical winding and twisting trails, so it certainly wasn't a short day. Short by comparison to the rest of the week, but still a 3 hour ride!

So we started out at the base of Blackcomb mountain, where we climbed up, and up, and up to a mid-mountain chair at over 1000 feet, before descending a fun, roller coaster of a trail that took us just about all the way to the bottom of the mountain. We had a short climb back up a few hundred feet, then finally down to the base of the mountain to the half-way point.

From there, we headed out on 10K of single track out behind Whistler village which was mostly rolling, with more bridges than I could count, but all rideable and pretty fun. That being said, it wasn't necessarily fast, so it took a long time to cover that final 10K. One trail was named Pinocchio's Furniture, for all the bridges on the trail. This was a bit of slow going, however, I made way more of these bridges than I did all week long. A win for me!

So after almost 3 hours, I crossed the finish line in Whistler Village - to more fanfare than the Ironman! Your name was announced, you were awarded your belt buckle and a finisher t-shirt, and your picture was taken...and I soaked it all in with a gigantic smile! I had made it!!!

We spent the rest of our weekend eating and relaxing. We started out with dinner at Earl's in Whistler Village - fillets, beers and wine all around! That night was the final banquet, where it was fun to see everyone clean and out of spandex for the first time all week! The next morning we had crepes for breakfast, then headed into Vancouver. There we had a meat and cheese "lunch" at this amazing restaurant Salt, then dinner at the Blue Water Sushi Restaurant in Yaletown - all kinds of yummy! The following day it was time to head back to San Francisco, where we were greeted by two purring kitties and Day 2 of the Tour :-)

An amazing experience all around! I definitely should have had some more technical riding experience under my belt before heading to BC, but all things considered, I think I managed pretty well! Looking forward to a little time off, then getting back on the bike to take advantage of my pumped up fitness from the week!

BC Bike Race: Day 6

2010-07-02T18:10:00.000-07:00

Distance: 29.28 miles
Elevation: 4304 ft
Time: 6 hours
Difficulty: Best Day of the Race!

Theme of the day: Rock Gardens are NOT my friend. Beer Gardens are!

So today started out a little rocky, as when we got to breakfast we were informed that today’s route would be 60K instead of the advertised 48K. That was a bit of a blow, as after 5 hard days of riding, we were looking forward to a slightly shorter one. But at the end of the day, what’s an extra 12K after the 250K + we had already completed?

So we set out through the town of Squamish for our last BIG day of the race. There were promises of big climbs and sweeping descents, and they didn’t disappoint on either front! We started out with a bunch of up, some on the road, some on fire trail, and some on single track. Up, and up, and up! Surprisingly, as the week has gone on, my legs have felt stronger. What’s more, most people, while definitely more prepared for the technical terrain than I, were certainly NOT prepared for the climbing or the endurance of it. So today, I was riding with and passing people I hadn’t encountered all week!

After about 20K of uphill we hit a trail called “Half Nelson” - it was a seriously banked, rollercoaster of a trail, that if you knew how to ride it, would have been the highlight of the week! I had some trouble at the start of it, but by half way down, I had found a rhythm and was giggling to myself as I made my way down…it was some serious fun! Good thing, as after that, we hit a trail called “The Plunge”, which was aptly named for its steepness, but threw in an extra dose of a complete rock garden! It was relentless! Even if I could ride it, I don’t know why I would want to…it was so jarring! Needless to say, I walked most of this section of trail, but this was the only part of the day that I really did so.

We hit aid station 2 at 40K and most of the folks around me were looking pretty haggard. They were grasping for food, and seriously not wanting to get back on their bikes. I chatted a few people up, ate a bunch of orange slices, and wait for it - ate a banana and LIKED IT! So weird! It must have been out of desperation! J

I took off from the aid station with a fellow triathlete, who was also new to mt. biking. We chatted a bit on the climb out of the aid station, then hit a legitimate ramp to head onto our next bit of single track. The rest of the day was single track similar to what I’m used to at Tamarancho, so I was right at home! It was rolling, with some roots and rocks, some steepish ascents and descents with some rocks and switchbacks thrown in. Flashes of Zoolander came to mind as I made all the left handed switchbacks, but failed on 2 or 3 right handed ones. I just can’t turn right!

So at 2:30 pm, I hit the road, and a volunteer said it was just 3K to the finish - a full 10K shorter than the 60K advertised in the morning! Apparently they thought it would be funny to mess with us on Day 6! At the end of the day, it didn’t matter, and was a pleasant surprise in the end. It meant I was just that much closer to the finish line and the beautiful, beautiful beer garden and pizza that awaited me!

Tomorrow is a mere 20K in Whistler, which promises to be challenging, but fun and short at the same time!

p.s. There will be pictures, GPS data and VIDEO coming shortly after the race. We just haven't had the time or energy to coordinate it all this week.

BC Bike Race: Day 5

2010-07-01T18:16:00.003-07:00

Distance: 24.75 miles
Elevation: 4193 ft
Time: 6 hours
Difficulty: Medium-Hard. Hard mostly due to the fact that we’ve had a full 4 days before this.
Theme of the Day: Only in British Columbia can 25 miles take 6 hours to ride!

Today was actually an early morning start - 8:00am! Most mornings we have had some sort of shuttle to take to get to our starting point, but today we started in exactly the place we finished the night before. We woke to a light drizzle outside, but like many of the morning’s before, we figured it would just pass. So after breakfast we went back to the RV to stay dry and get ready for our ride. And when walking back to the RV after breakfast, we had heard they were pushing the start back to 8:15 from 8:00. It was 7:45, so we had plenty of time…or so we thought. At 8:00 we saw racers lined up in the starting shoot, and at 8:05, they were gone! We missed the start! So we all gathered our stuff as quick as we could and took off for the start line! Quite a rush to start the morning!

So unlike the 15 minutes of rain yesterday, today it rained most of the day. Fortunately, it was really only a drizzle all day, but enough to get everyone pretty wet. And then, as if we weren’t wet enough, there was a knee-high creek crossing about 5k into the race. Most people were pretty put out by the rain and the creek crossing. I, on the other hand, just rolled with it. It was still fairly warm out, so I never felt too cold, and the creek crossing was just down right fun! I smiled the whole way across. But that could be as it really only was knee high on me…the girl next to me had water most of the way up her thigh.

The morning was mostly filled with climbing - some on the road, some on the trails. As with most days, the stuff on the trail varied. Some of it was completely rideable, and some was just so steep and loose, you just had to walk it. And some of the trail that would have been rideable otherwise, became walking sections due to the rain which had made the rocks and roots wet and slippery. But unlike yesterday, I was surrounded by other riders, so when hiking it, we all chatted and kept each other company.

The finish today was 10K of solid downhill, on trail that was almost completely rideable. A few steep/loose sections that I chose to walk down versus chancing it, but otherwise, smooth sailing. Every night when the course designers preview the course for the next day they all talk about “sweet, flowy singletrack” - I think this was really the first section of this we’ve hit all week! It was a great ride down until I got down to about 3K left to the finish. There was a straight, downhill grade, I had put it into my big chain ring and was picking up speed. Then that pesky log got in the way and I suddenly found myself splayed out on the forest floor, gasping for air. I’ve never really had the air knocked out of me before, but for about 20-30 seconds, I was definitely feeling it. After I did a quick body scan to make sure nothing was broken or bleeding, I got back up and headed to the finish line. I soon saw the 2K to go sign, and charged on home.

I got back to the finish with 10 minutes to spare before the next ferry loaded…the boys were very happy. We would have had to wait around another 3 hours for the next one. I can honestly say I had a fun day out there today. And I am looking forward to an afternoon of relaxing. Most days I finished up around 6 or 7pm…leaving little time for anything else other than a shower and some dinner before pouring myself into bed. Today I get to hang out a little with the gang, enjoy a little fro-yo as my post ride treat, leisurely write my blog post, etc. Still planning to head to bed early tonight as we still have a fairly early morning tomorrow - 9am start time - which we will not miss!

BC Bike Race: Day 4

2010-07-01T18:15:00.001-07:00

Distance: 38.4 Miles
Elevation: 5367 feet
Time: 7.5 hours
Difficulty: Hard. Hardest day for me, anyway.
Douchebag of the Day: The guy who was re-wearing a jersey and/or shorts and clearly hadn’t showered!

From the start of the day, I could tell it would be a long one. I just never really got into a rhythm, my stomach had been upset all morning and I just wasn’t into it. I think I was having the day 4 blues. That and the fact that it was our second longest day, and they had moved in the cutoff time at Aid Station 2 also made me a little fearful. I had made it so far that I didn’t want to get cut off at the Aid Station and not be allowed to finish. Now, as he day went on, and I had some “dark miles” there was a part of me that had wished I had gotten cut off so I did have to complete the whole day, but of course I would have been seriously disappointed if that had happened.

Today was a tough day, full of climbing. It wasn’t necessarily very technical, but the climbing just kept coming at you. And at you. And at you. And on legs that were already tired from the last 3 days, it was a little relentless. And on some of the climbs, I just didn’t have any pick up to speak of! My favorite Swiss couple that I had played leap frog with most of the week went flying by me at one point, and I didn’t have any energy to tag along. As I got to the aid station, I realized that I had actually bonked, which was a huge part of the reason that I felt like I did. But the good news was that I made it to the 2nd Aid Station with 20 minutes to spare to the cutoff…I was safe to keep riding.

This, however, was a blessing and a curse. The next 20KMs consisted of 15K of climbing and 5K of downhill. Fortunately, another rider I had been leap frogging all week was at the aid station as I was taking off, so we did the next 7-10K of climbing together. After that, the FP (family practitioner) took off as the trail got pretty technical and he was just faster at that section than I was.

So speaking of FP, the fact that this is such an international crowd has led to a funny naming convention around the pack. This week I have been known as “Marin”, “San Francisco”, “California”, “Mill Valley” and “Roadie”. Only Marie, a sweet girl from Alberta who I’ve spent a lot of time with this week, calls me Jessica. My personal favorite is “Roadie”, though, as it keeps me close to my roots :-)

After I split from FP, I road along on a pretty technical part of trail, with riders pass by that I had pass earlier in the day on the climbs. But after I had already been riding for about 90 minutes since the aid station, I realized that I hadn’t seen anyone for a while, and didn’t end up seeing anyone for over an hour - not another rider, support crew, nada. These would be the dark miles. I was still on course as the ribbons were all around me, but not seeing anyone for that long made it really, really lonely. Plus, who would think that 12.5 miles could take you 3 hours to complete! So without a GPS or Odometer on my bike, I had no clue how much longer until the end of my day. Plus, at this point, it was nearing 7:00 at night. I was tired, frustrated, cold, hungry, and just wanted to be back at camp.

Well, after what felt like FOREVER, I finally came upon a road, and some volunteers, who informed me I only had 3K to go. It ended up being the longest 3K ever, but still only 3K to go. When I crossed the finish line, I was greeted by Jeff, as I have been EVERY day, and the FP, who gave me a big high-five. But the emotion of the day had gotten the better of me, and I looked back at Jeff, he gave me a big hug and I just started to cry. Hard. They Marie came over, crying, too, to give me a big hug too and to let me know just how long of a day she had had, too. That was very sweet, and honestly, made me feel better!

So after all that, we only had 15 minutes until dinner, so I hobbled over to the RV, wiped off some of the dirt, put on some clean clothes and ate everything in sight! I had more Caesar salad in one night than I’ve had in the last five years. I don’t know what it has been this week, but I can’t get enough salad vegetables! And Canadian “party mix” is my new favorite guilty pleasure. I have to see if I can get some imported to US J

BC BIke Race: Day 2

2010-06-29T10:34:00.001-07:00

Fire Road climbing - awwww, yeahhhhhh…

Distance: 36.46 miles
Elevation: 3500 ft
Time: 6.5 hours
Difficulty: Decents were hard, but quite a bit of flat and climbing on fire trail, too

Well, as was not unexpected, another technical day out on the trails here in BC. It was our second day on Vancouver Island, in the town of Cumberland. The views here are beautiful - beautiful lakes, forest, trails, etc. And the other beautiful thing today - quite a bit of fire roads for climbing and some flat sections. It was good for me to have the mental break…switch it off for a bit and just ride. But just when I would get comfortable - BLAMO - another section of single track would come my way.

Actually, the toughest part each day is the first hour, when the racers are all bunched up. You feel a lot of pressure to keep moving, as you don’t want to slow the train down behind you, which inevitably leads to me pushing it a little too hard and having a good spill (or two, or three) in this first part of the course each day. After that, once the crowd spreads out a bit, then I can move more at my own speed, walk where I need to and ride at a comfortable pace for me. Much more enjoyable, really.

So the big let down of the day was the decent coming down off the big climb of the day. Now don’t get me wrong, the climb was awesome. It was on a fire road climb of 10K (or 6 miles), and I was cruising up it - we all were, as being from the Bay Area, climbing is what we do best! When we compared stories afterwards, we all passed dozens of people on the climb. But unlike the boys who took off down the decent, all the people I passed on the climb passed me on the ensuing 10K decent that followed. Someone at the aid station at the top of the climb said it was an easy, fast decent - well, they lied! It was not the relaxing decent I was hoping for after all the work on the climb.

So today was filled with a number of creek crossing and bridges, lots of loose rock and clay, which made for a challenging day, but less so than yesterday. As I am finding, once I get some momentum, I’m able to make a lot of the obstacles. But once I lose momentum, its hard to get started again. And as the day goes on, I have ups and downs as to what I feel I can take and what I can’t. As with yesterday, when I get sick of walking, or feel frustrated, I ride much more aggressively, and surprisingly, without negative repercussions. I was clearing logs and trees that I never would have a week ago, so that’s a win.

Tomorrow is a bit shorter, only 50K, but it is apparently new trail, which means the ground is softer, making it slower going. If nothing else, I guess falling will hurt less J Also, rumor has it that they are going to send us off in waves of 50 riders, which will hopefully alleviate the clustering at the front end of the race.

More to come tomorrow…

BC Bike Race: Day 1

2010-06-29T10:33:00.000-07:00

Distance: 40.45 miles
Elevation: 4793 ft
Time: 7 hours
Difficulty: Hardest day of the race (per the race directors) - Welcome to BC Bike Race.

This was our first day on Vancouver Island, in the town of Nanaimo.

Key themes of the day:

More technical single track in one day than I’ve experienced in my entire mt. biking career!
Roots, Rooty Route; Roots were Roothless!
Fern Gully
Loam - 3 s-words for loam - Stupid, Shifty and Stupid! Other, more commonly known terms are, Sweet and Soft. I didn’t find loam to be either.
Steep downhills that were very challenging - they just kept coming!
8K climb on fireroad with 20K to go. - I totally dug it! Made all those trips up Railroad Grade TOTALLY worth it. I passed a dozen people. Most passed me back on the 9K of single track into the finish. But it was a small victory.
Riding mad! This is the perfect way to conquer new obstacles. I was sick of walking and just generally frustrated so I just started powering over trees and roots that I normally would have shyed away from! That was a definite bonus on the day! That and my confidence descending, especially steep descents with twists, turns, steep grades and loose loam, got so so much better!

To be clear, this was a bit of a tough day for me. 7 hours in the saddle of more technical riding than I’ve ever seen. And this is day 1. Fortunately, the distance is a little shorter the next two days, so that should mean a little less time in the saddle. I crossed the finish line with a smile today, with a certain sense of accomplishment. Hopefully tomorrow will go a little smoother given my advancements today.

BC Bike Race: Prologue

2010-06-26T22:05:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the BC Bike Race. Jeff, Simon, Dave and I all signed up for this race just 6 short months ago. Since then we have logged countless hours of training, planning and preparing for this week! It has been a fun journey along the way, but it is great to finally be here and getting underway! We've gotten to BC, we've gotten the prologue under our belts, we've made ourselves comfortable in our rolling home for the next week, and we're ready to go!

The Day of Queues

A line to check in, a line for sunglasses (yes, free sunglasses), a line for the meal plan, and a line for the 5KM time trial. That being said, everything was incredibly on time, organized and under control. It just took that long to process 500 racers! But otherwise, it was a great experience. Everyone just chatted up their neighbors in line, and it was a good time! And the schwag! Amazing! A Dakine Roller bag, a jersey, a t-shirt, a pair of sunglasses, a full box of protein bars, two pairs of socks. Quite the haul, I must say!

So today, they started us off with a 5K time trial. They did this to give us an opportunity to stretch our legs and to seed people in the waves for the coming days. Per the crew in our RV: Time trial = technical; fun, not in ca anymore, toto; dangerous; crash-free zone; redline; burned our first matches; too short; unsatisfying. Simon has a helmet cam for this week, and got a great video of today's route, but unfortunately, he had is camera on UPSIDE DOWN, so until we fix that, this post will be without video. He should have it fixed moving forward, so we should be able to share video on subsequent days.

So you might ask: since all four of you are racing, who's driving the RV? Well, Dave's brother generously offered to drive us around for the duration of the race, making our lives much more comfortable and convenient than our fellow racers who chose the "camping" option. It is fairly roomie, has a full kitchen in which Dave cooked a fabulous pre-race dinner this evening, and plenty of room for us to unpack all our clothes and gear with space left over for Dave's mom's homemeade granola bars, cranberry bars and chocolate chip oatmeal cookies!

Least Boring Orientation EVER!

So usually at these types of events, there is a very cookie-cutter type of orientation - go over the route, talk about etiquette, talk about safety, blah, blah, blah. That being said, these guys knew how to keep it entertaining. They did all the things I mentioned above, but with a certain flare that made the whole 70 minutes fly by! The highlight of the "show", however, was the race Senator, and safety expert. I have never laughed so many times during a safety talk. He told us all about saddle sores, how they happen, how to prevent them , and the giggling that will occur in the medical tent when you come in to ask for help. He told us how to deal with the wildlife in Canada: black bears-fight back, grizzly bears-you won’t win, cougars-fight back; Whistler cougars detection technique-check for small pox vaccines - this might go over the heads of some of the younger readers of this blog, but was damn funny nonetheless.

So now, we are heading to bed to rest up for what is our longest distance day. It is certainly not the toughest as it is actually the day with the least elevation. We ferry over to our start tomorrow on the island - a fun adventure in itself. Not sure if we will have wi-fi there, but if we do, expect a report on Day 1 to appear! Fear not, whether we connect tomorrow or not, we will have a blog post for every day of the race!

The Summer of Nothing to Lose

2010-06-24T19:11:00.000-07:00

With a disappointing summer last summer, I came into 2010 with a renewed sense of purpose when it came to my athletic endeavors. And I did so primarily with a sport I was relatively new to, although still grounded in the familiar.

That being said, unlike any summer in the past 10 years, I have been able to do everything for the experience of it, and just for the fun of it. Now this isn’t to say that I still haven’t had goals, a desire to improve each time out, but I didn’t have the pressure I typically put on myself when doing, say, a triathlon. And even with triathlon, this year, I have no expectations. I must admit, it is quite freeing!

So, I started off the year with 2 8-hour mt. bike races. Both with relatively successful outcomes! At the beginning of the year, that was all that was planned leading up to the BC Bike Race, quickly approaching at the end of THIS WEEK! But as is typical with me, after too much training, I get antsy, and start to get the bug to race…so this is how my last 3 weekends have gone:

June 5th and 6th – Outrigger Race + Cross Country Mt. Bike Race
So in parallel to my mt. bike training this spring, I have also been in the midst of outrigger training as well! Back in May I did a long course race which went REALLY well and was a great start to the season - check out Sam's Blog for details. But unfortunately, due to my mt. bike racing and training schedule, that was the only spring long course race I was able to attend. Similarly, there was only one sprint race I was able to do this spring/summer, and that came on Saturday of this weekend.

SATURDAY: Sam arrived at my house at 5:20am and off to Sacramento we went – Lake Natoma, to be specific. There, we had a full day of sprint races ahead of us. Its sort of like a track meet, only on the water. With races ranging from 250 yds to 2000, and 1-man boats to 6-man, there is always something going on from 9:30 am until about 2:30 pm. That being said, being an “Open” woman, none of my events would actually run until the afternoon, so the mornings can tend to drag on. Solution: bring your training and get in a hard 2-hour spin workout while hanging out with your team in the morning. I was still hanging with my team, cheering on the early racers and getting in a kick-ass workout as well.

After I got off my bike, I had 90 minutes before my first race – the 2000! So I fueled up, changed into my paddling clothes, and was ready to go! Unfortunately, no other teams were, as we didn’t have any competition for the race. That was okay – it just gave us time to polish our skills for the 1000! And polish we did! Just a short time after the 2000, we got right back on the water and stroked our way to first place in this race as well! It was an excellent day, topped off by the fact that our team won first place in the “small” team division. Boo Ya, SFOCC!!!

SUNDAY: About a month prior, I was already starting to get the itch to race more, so my friend Dave, Jeff and I signed up for the Tamarancho Dirt Classic – a 14 mile race on one of the more technical courses in northern California. Very different from an 8-hour race, this was technical single track and a hard hard effort out the gates! I had my ups and downs during the race, primarily due to my lack of confidence in my technical skills which caused me to fail on obstacles that under normal circumstances I would clear. All in all, it was a great race, and lots of learning was gained.
Two days, two races, two TOTALLY different sports!

June 12th and 13th – Mountain Bike Ride + Olympic Distance Triathlon
SATURDAY: This weekend Jeff and “the boys” went to Tahoe for a training weekend, leaving me without my usual riding partners! What to do? Well, fortunately, just the week prior at the Luna Chix monthly ride, I met Petra (who I actually had met at Cool – she and her husband both raced and were pitted right next to us), and she and I connected on Saturday for a ride. Well, she showed me two new twists on a route I had spent a lot of time traversing this spring, so this was fun! And a damn good workout…she kept me moving! No stopping with Petra – just the way I like it!

SUNDAY: Back up to Friday, just two days prior. When I got into work that morning, I opened my Yahoo! Mail to find an email from USA Productions: Last day to register online for Silicon Valley International Triathlon! Wait, what? Its still open? I’m not registered! I must sign up! Nevermind the fact that I have swam only twice in the last 10 months, and have only run 6 times on the road since my knee surgeries. Aaah, I’ve done this race 9 times before…what’s the worst that could happen?

Now usually such thinking would result in nothing good. This time, however, it was ALL good! I had a great swim, felt stronger than ever on the bike, and had a very respectable performance on the run.Apparently #10 is a charm! All told, once you figure in the extra distance they added this year on the swim and the bike, I was only 4 minutes slower than my PR time in 2008! Only 4 minutes!!! So why did I spend all that time training before? Answer: ‘cause I love it!

June 19th and 20th – Road Race + ENOUGH!
SATURDAY: About 10 days prior to the race, my physical therapist, Amy, asked me if I was doing the Pescadero road race. I hadn’t even thought of it! I was mt. bike racing this year. That being said, once she asked me, I couldn’t come up with a reason why I wouldn’t! So, I forwarded the flyer to Jeff and said “hey! Let’s do this!” And like me, he’s always up for a good race, so he said “sure!” As an added bonus, at spin on Tuesday morning, M2 said HE was doing the race! Go team M2!

So Saturday morning we made the beautiful drive down HWY 1 to Pescadero for each of our first road races! Jeff and M2 headed off in the Men’s 4/5 45+ category, and I went about 30 minutes later in the Women’s ¾ and 35+ category. For all those not in the know about road racing – these are the “novice” categories.

We started off with a neutral start, which meant everyone could settle in, pick their lines and get rolling before the real racing begin. This put me at ease about pack riding, which admittedly, was my biggest concern about the race. The last thing I needed was a crash in front of me, injuring me just 1 week prior to BC. But the race took off without incident, and fortunately, remained that way for the entire race.

The race was a learning experience. I definitely had the strength to keep with the pack, however, I took an endurance athlete approach and decided to save myself for the road to come, when in fact, you just need to do what it takes to stay with the main peloton. As I found out on the big climb of the day, once you drop off the back, your race is over.

Fortunately, Ally, a girl from an SF race team, found herself in the same position coming off the climb, so we spent the next 7 miles working together, taking turns pulling into the nasty headwind along the coast. But once we went past a volunteer who said “they are just 2 minutes ahead”, we knew our race was over! The two of us could never catch a pack of 20, so at this point, we decided to make it a hard training ride. So we still rode hard, but made it a little more social and had some fun. She too had her roots in triathlon, and was a fellow Ironman. Jeff had a similar experience in his race, and M2 was able to hang with the main pack for a 10th place finish!

So a number of good things came of this. First, I learned an important lesson about Road Racing. Second, that is a good thing, as I liked it, and foresee doing some more this summer. Third, it was the fastest 47 miles I had ever ridden, so if nothing else, it was a good final intensity workout before BC!

SUNDAY: Jeff, Simon and I headed out to Tamarancho for our farewell ride before heading north. From the first climb of the day (on the road before even getting to the trail) I could tell that I just wasn’t into it. My legs were tired from the day, and week/weekend prior, and I was extra tentative given that I certainly didn’t want to injur myself on this day! So I just did one loop, taking it easy, and enjoying the terrain, paying special attention to all the spots that used to give me trouble that no longer do!

Oh, Canada!
So there it is. My last three weeks of athletic ADD. Fortunately, we head to BC on Friday, so all the training can now be put to use! I can’t wait to get there! I am looking forward to the challenge of 40ish miles a day, with 3500-6000 feet of climbing, 7 days in a row. It will be some beautiful terrain, with new technical challenges for me to overcome. I get to hang with Jeff and two good friends for the duration of the week, making it all the more fun! We’re planning to sit down each night to write a post to catalogue the journey, and when we find wi-fi, we’ll be sure to send updates! And we’re all bringing cameras, so expect tons of great pictures!

What Triathletes do when they “retire”

2010-05-31T10:02:00.000-07:00

So a little over a year ago, my 10+ year career as an amateur triathlete came to a close, but it was certainly not out of want to continue racing. I could no longer run, on the trails or elsewhere, but really really missed being out on Mt. Tam and other gorgeous places around the bay. So when you can’t run on the local trails, what do you do? You hit the trails on a mountain bike!

So, last November, once my knees were both strong enough to get back on the bike, I started out on my quest to become a mountain biker. I had owned a mountain bike for about 4 years – a pretty inexpensive hardtail – but it got me out on the trails each fall once the triathlon season was over, but I still had the fitness to enjoy a tough, hilly ride. That being said, it maybe consisted of 3-4 rides per fall, and while I could climb all day when the trail was rather easy (e.g. fire trail), my technical skills were seriously lacking. So, improving my technical skills was the goal as I set out this time around.

Fear, Falls and Frustration

My invigorated interest in mountain biking was met with a lot of challenges. First, I was constantly frustrated by the fact that I was always so far behind my riding partners, even though I was as fit as they were – they just had better skills. And because I was trying to keep up, I would rush through sections that I wasn’t yet capable of handling, and would fall down, resulting in some pretty nasty scrapes and bruises. And because there was so little that I was comfortable with when it came to mountain biking, I was constantly battling my own fear of falling and more technical areas where falling would have pretty extreme consequences.

That being said, with each ride, these factors were less and less of an issue. Roots that had tripped me up the prior trip, I was able to get over easier the next, and easier still the time following. And I was becoming much more comfortable with rocky downhill sections, learning to trust the handy shocks on the front of my bike. However, the one thing that still eluded me was switchbacks. I understand what I was supposed to do to get around them, but couldn’t quite make it happen in practice. But, as with the rest of the skills, I continued to try each and every time until I finally started to make it around some of the wider turns. And then, I was able to make it around tighter and tighter turns.

With each improvement I saw, mountain biking became less and less of a struggle and more and more fun! Plus, as I was conquering new and different obstacles, each ride became more and more rewarding. But the big game changer? It was actually two fold – my first race, and my new bike!

My bike shop boyfriends

Sometime in January, Jeff actually signed me up for my first mountain bike race. Not an entry-level, 10-12 mile cross country race. Oh no! We had to go straight for the 8-hour epic endurance race! Now, my hardtail had been fine for 2-3 hour training rides, but it definitely did not help my lack of skills when it came to making certain obstacles un-passable. And over rough terrain, it definitely put the hurt on my body. So, since I was spending more and more time on my mountain bike, I decided it was time to purchase a shiny, new, full-suspension mountain bike.

Enter Scott, Chris and Colin – the Studio Velo boys. To go back a few years, I actually bought my Orbea from Chris 3 years ago at a bike shop in SF, before Studio Velo’s inception. When I heard he was opening a new shop, it was an easy switch. So ever since, Jeff and I have taken our bikes to Studio Velo for maintenance and care. So when I started talking about getting a new bike, Scott offered to set me up on a test ride on one of their Ellsworth, and well, I was sold!

Just a few short weeks later I was on my very own Ellsworth Truth, complete with tubeless performance tires, Sram X9 components and a sweet Fox fork. On short notice, they managed to pull it together just in time for my first race – the Boggs 8 Hour!

My mountain bike race career…so far…

So there it was, Saturday, April 3rd, 8:00 am. It was overcast, 32 degrees and there was a mix of frost and SNOW on the ground. Jeff and I and our friend Michael made our way to the starting line. Two of my most fabulous friends, Sam and Dana, who actually came out to support me on my inaugural effort, were setting up our pit. Everyone was cold, adding last minute layers before the race started. Dana was kind enough to lend me her fantastic gloves which saved my hands from freezing during the race.

The gun went off, and we headed out on a 20 minute climb up a fire road – a great warm up, and a great way to spread out the field before we hit the single track. The field spread out, but I still ended up in a long line of riders heading up the first big climb of the day. On one hand I was mad at myself for getting caught in the pack. But in hind sight, it was probably good as it kept me in check and didn’t let me go to hard on that first climb. So far, the course wasn’t too technical. A few switchbacks, which as I admitted previously, I’m not very good at, but otherwise, it was pretty smooth sailing.

There were a few sections that the race organizers kindly pointed out with “DANGER” signs, which of course, caused me pause the first lap around. In my mind, “DANGER” = “I can’t possibly ride this!” Fortunately, I made it over ¾ of these obstacles the first time around, and by the 3^rd lap, I was riding all of them. The trickiest of them all was a big rock drop, on a left hand turn, followed by a 50 ft, 8inch deep muddy downhill. This one took a few tries. First, I got the downhill section – the sensation of surfing on a mt. bike. But the next time around, I saw a rider take a line that didn’t look too bad, and I was able to string together both obstacles. Success!

After that little doozy, it was a LOOOONG uphill to the top of the course, followed by a short, windy/twisty downhill into the Start/Finish area. Knowing that Sam and Dana and all their enthusiasm were waiting for me at the pit made those last few miles that much quicker. They were there with words of encouragement, picture taking, food/fuel, and the ever invaluable, cleaning and greasing of the chain!!! I didn’t realize just how valuable that was until I didn’t have it at Cool (more to come later). What was also great is that they kept me posted on race progress. The first time results were posted, I was in 2^nd place! My first race and I was in 2^nd place…I was stoked, and it fueled me on for the next lap.

Laps 1-3 and 4-6 had different, but consistent energy levels. I was expecting that after lap 4 I would get more and more tired. But what happened surprised me. I was a consistent level of tired for the last 3 laps, never really getting any more tired. That being said, the steeps felt a little steeper, for sure. But in general, my energy level was consistent, and my attitude remained positive. I don’t think the purple peeps in my race number hurt my case, nor the tiara wearing pit crew on lap five either :-)

So 8 hours and 15 minutes and 6 laps later, I finished my first mountain bike race. And to my surprise, it won me the “Beginner” category. As Jeff likes to point out, if I just had raced in my age category, I still would have placed 2^nd. Not bad for a first timer and someone who still looks at road riders as they cross our paths on mt bike rides and says “Oh look, there’s my People”! But my girls made me feel like a champion as they crowned me with my very own tiara at the finish line, which besides a shower and sleep that night, I didn’t take off for a full 24 hours…I earned it!

Beginner’s Luck?

So, I was thinking, that Boggs was hard, it was early in the season - what kind of talent actually showed up for this race. It was probably a thin field, and that’s why I did so well. Cool was the next race that I was signed up for, and figured that would be the “true” test of how I was at this whole mountain biking thing.

So once again, Jeff and I, Michael and his wife Gessica all headed out to the race site. The only difference was that this time, I wouldn’t have my support crew. Dana was overseas, and Sam was busy with her own race, so I was left to my own devices. And what’s worse, the boys were doing a 2-man, 24 hour relay, so I’d barely see them during the race. I was convinced that I would stay up and crew for them after my race, a commitment that I was unable to keep past 11pm.

This race started at 12:00 noon…which was quite the departure from the 7am triathlon starts that I’m used to. We got up around 8, had breakfast, worked on our bikes, had another “mini meal”, then eventually made our way to the start for the pre-race talk at 11:15. After the talk, they lined us up about a ½ mile away down a paved road for the start. We sat there for about 10 minutes, so I chatted up the folks around me. The girl directly to my left was doing 24 hours solo, her first, and she went on to place 2^nd on the day. There was a married couple on a tandem behind me. A bit baffling on some of those descents/corners, but apparently they get off quite a bit. A few “social” guys who were four-man teams out there doing the 8-hour race. Quite the cross section of racers, for sure!

So the gun went off and we raced down the road…now this is my kind of start! We hit the dirt, and very quickly, it becomes single track. This time, there aren’t as many people in a line, and to be clear, the people that were in front of me deserved to be! We quickly came upon the first water obstacle of the day, and it was not a good start for me. I hit the water, and some loose rocks lurking below, and down I went. I quickly got back up, though, and trekked on! There were a number of water/mud hazards on this course, many more than expected, but I took the mentality of following the line of the guy in front of me, and it worked well for the rest of the day. As with Boggs, there were a few obstacles that tripped me up on the first lap, but by lap 2, I was making them all!

The deep mud and water was immediately followed by arid dryness – not a good combo for a chain, apparently. And without my pit crew this time, I neglected to grease my chain after the first lap. The lap had been good, minus a few “first lap missteps”, and I was feeling fresh as I came into the pit, I stopped for a quick bite, even though I didn’t really need it at that point, as I didn’t want to get behind on calories. But I didn’t even think to grease my chain. It had only been 12.5 miles…how could it possibly need it? Well, it did. Fortunately, it didn’t cause major issues, but did cause me pause when shifting into the smaller gears for fear I was causing pain to the Truth.

So I completed the first lap in 1:14, the second in 1:10, and I was feeling good. What I thought was too good. The hills seemed easy. Nothing seemed hard at this point. What I forgot was that I had another 4-5 hours ahead of me! Unlike at Boggs, though, you had to finish your last lap by 8 hours for it to count, so based on prior years, it was most likely that my race would be 7.5 hours or less. So I headed out on my 3^rd lap, guns blazing, and with a freshly greased chain this time.

Well, the speed with which I completed the second lap started to catch up with me a bit. Not that it slowed me down drastically, but rather, it made me sit up at one point and think “right…this is supposed to be hard”. But I continued on with relative ease, still making all the climbs of the day but the one which EVERYONE was walking up. Through the first three laps I was walking the first half, but where it flattened a bit half way, I was riding the rest of the way up. What was nice was that at the top, there was a sweet downhill on the road that let you catch your breath a bit and give your legs some reprieve.

Lap four came and now my back really started to ache. I didn’t mention my back at Boggs, as it was a constant issue throughout the entire race…it didn’t get any worse, it was just always there. As for Cool, I was good for the first two laps, and then it started to kick in. So at this point, my back became the limiting factor, not my legs, which was thoroughly frustrating. My legs were trained to go faster, but my back just couldn’t handle it.

Then I came in to the pit to start the 5^th lap and realized I had exactly 2 hours and 40 minutes left in the race. I was averaging about 1:20 per lap at this point, and bound to get a little slower. As I mentioned, you had to finish your last lap by the 8 hour mark, so this was a decision point – do I go for two more laps? Or only one? And if one, how fast do I ride it?

Since I didn’t have any knowledge of my competition, and knowing that I was fit enough to do 6 laps, I decided to head out on lap 5 to attempt to finish a 6^th. I felt good and strong on the lap, and in fact, finished it a full 4 minutes faster than the lap before. That being said, it left me with only 1:20 minutes to finish a final lap, which just wasn’t going to be enough. I could have headed out again, but probably would have finished 4-5 minutes after the cutoff…heartbreaking for that kind of effort.

So after 5 laps, and 6 hours and 40 minutes, I decided to call it a day. Fortunate for me, I called it a day exactly 6 minutes before the next closest girl, so I won the 30-39 women’s division! It had been a day full of a lot of climbing, some rippin’ downhills and lots of great people on the trails. A much more low-key affair than Boggs where I had a steady stream of pros wizzing by me like I was standing still on single track that was not meant for passing. Plus, it was really fun to cheer on all the single-speed racers out there who were tearing it up without the advantage of multiple gears to help with the uphills and to propel them on the down…they just had to make the most with what they had. To that I give them all a huge “BRAVO!!!”

So now I’m 2 for 2 on this whole mountain biking thing…what now? First, I’d like to get more ladies out there racing this distance – usually there’s only about a ½ dozen per category. Its a good endurance event and a lot of fun! Secondly, what do I do to improve upon this success? I think next season will call for an endurance mountain bike coach – one that can really guide me through all the stages of training, to get me really feeling strong and fast for these races! Now don’t get me wrong, I’m certainly not forsaking M2 – he has taken me leaps and bounds in my cycling strength and fitness. Nope, he’s still the man! But I want someone who can add a layer of experience with mountain bike racing that can really get me trained to finish these 8 hour events and finish them strong!

Next up: BC Bike Race

7 day stage race on some of the most challenging mountain bike terrain anywhere! Its going to be an adventure! Fortunately Jeff is participating, in a two person team with our friend Simon, and my friend Dave is also doing it solo. But he has an unfair advantage as he grew up mountain biking in BC…so he’s going to be showered and have a nap in by the time I get in each night. Oh well…I’m there for the adventure, not to win!

An Exciting Spring Ahead

2010-03-26T10:06:00.000-07:00

If you haven’t figured it out by now, I always need a goal in my future! Whether athletic, emotional, intellectual or career focused, there always need to be a goal out there to keep me interested. I have never been able to “workout” for the sake of exercise, nor have I been able to stay in a job where I am bored or not learning new things daily. Its just who I am. I am sure it drove my parents nuts at times, but also brought them satisfaction when I conquered new goals. Now, I find that I am driven to find others like me – friends and coworkers who have a similar drive. We understand and support each other, relish in our successes and provide guidance and encouragement throughout.

Case in point!

Boggs. My first 8-hour mt. bike race. My longest race EVER besides my Ironman. Crazy? Perhaps. Thrilling? Completely. I’ve been training pretty solidly since December for this race, which is coming up in just 10 days. This is the first thing I’ve trained for since my surgeries last fall, and I can’t wait to get out there and tear it up! There have been a lot of long weeks/weekends in getting here, but I am feeling completely prepared. I am also armed with the knowledge that the first time you attempt endurance races of this nature, to expect the unexpected. But what might that be????

Fortunately, I am going to have my faithful race crew there to help me get through the unexpected! Dana and Sam will be there for every last lap, with smiles and food, words of encouragement and laughter to keep me going. What’s also keeping me going? The fact that Jeff is doing the race as well, and has supported me completely along the way.

Now given my propensity for endurance events, this might not seem like that much of a stretch. And it wouldn’t be, if this was a road ride. However, this is a mountain bike race. Prior to this fall, I might have ridden a mt. bike a total of a dozen times. I can climb with the best of them (within reason), but throw some roots and switchbacks at me, and I fall apart. That is to say, my technical skills are lacking. Now I have obviously been working on and improving those skills over the past 4 months, but much work is yet to be done – I still fall down. A lot. I celebrate the ride where I come back home without new bruises. I scare myself on every ride that I go on…but in my own twisted way, I find that exhilarating. I’ve actually been told by one Michael Wilburn (also doing Boggs), that “If you don’t fall down, you’re not going hard enough”. Fair enough, I say.

So unlike my Ironman, where I had complete faith in my ability to technically complete each leg of that adventure, I have to take a leap of faith here and believe that I can do it. Rumor has it that this race is not super technical, so I have that going in my favor. Additionally, the route has 1400 feet of climbing per 10.5 mile lap (shooting for 7-8 laps total), so I also have THAT in my favor. I would chose elevation over technical terrain any day. But given the amount of climbing, I think it is safe to say that patience and pacing will be key to finishing the day successfully. Fortunately, pacing is one of my strong suits.

So speaking of patience, I also managed to sign myself up for ANOTHER 8-hour race on May 1^st – the Cool 8/24 hour race. Jeff and Michael are doing a 2-man relay of the 24-hour, while I’m sticking to the 8-hour distance. As I said earlier, expect the unexpected in the first race. Hopefully I will learn from my experience at Boggs and will be able to tweak my racing to complete Cool even stronger and better.

So after May 1^st, there’s a bit of a gap in the race schedule. But I think it is a much needed gap and really, only 6 weeks. After that, we head to British Columbia for a 7-day stage race, the BC Bike Race. Here, my friend Dave, a BC native, and Jeff’s partner in crime from the 24-Hours of Moab, Simon, imported from London, will be joining us for the 7-day adventure. While this race has been billed as having a lot of climbing as well, it also is VERY technical. Good thing I’m taking that skills clinic on May 7-8^th! But I’m really looking forward to going hard, hanging with Jeff, Simon and Dave, enjoying the revered BC single track and basking in the glory of having completely such a major event. But more to come on BC as we get closer.

Back in the Boat!

All of this mt. bike talk is not to ignore the fact that outrigger season has officially started! I got back to regular practicing about 2 weeks ago, and I have to say, I had forgotten just how good it felt to be in the canoes and out on the water. Plus, the people in the club are just so fantastic. Sure, there’s drama like there is with ANY club, but for the most part, people are there to have fun, work hard and kick butt! Our club is always a contender at Northern California races, as well as the national championships in Catalina in the fall. And I don’t think this year will be any exception! I really like outrigger for the team aspect – 6 people, 1 boat, 1 goal in mind – WIN! Everyone has their role and knows what to do to get it done. You encourage, you correct, you even yell from time to time, but its all in the name of a good race. My eye is on the prize for Catalina this year – Again! Last year was an amazing experience, and our crew was cobbled together from 5 different teams. This year, I hope to be a part of a pure SFOCC crew, that can practice together all year long, and make a strong play for a top 5 finish again this year.

So when do I sleep?

A good 8 hours a night. When do I have time for a social life? Whenever people come to work out with me and Saturday nights. That’s pretty much it. But I love it, and wouldn’t have it any other way. That being said, this weekend is taper for the race next weekend, so Jeff and I will be visiting our new place up in Tahoe-Donner for the FIRST time. We plan to clean and assess the work to be done. Plus, get Rollie and Bailey used to their new digs. I mean, the cats need to be happy, too :-) I’m looking forward to the weekend away with Jeff and being up in Tahoe where we both seem to find an inner calm. We’ll be hitting the cross country trails for a few hours of skate skiing each day, and I’m sure we’ll visit the Tahoe-Donner Rec center for a dip in the hot tubs. If I’m good, I’ll do a few laps in the pool to make up for the missed outrigger practices this week.

I’ll be sure to take pictures this weekend so you can all see the new place, as well as to document the progress we make as we clean, paint and make the full move into our Tahoe bungalow. Stay tuned.

Recipe for a Killer Weekend

2010-03-08T22:24:00.000-08:00

2 parts Sunshine - great weather both Saturday and Sunday
1 part outrigger - a fun paddle Saturday morning
1 part road bike - 3 hour road bike Saturday afternoon
1 part dinner party - impromptu dinner party with friends
2 parts mountain bike - 5 hour mt. bike adventure on Sunday
1 part burrito - a burrito as big as my head from Joe's to refuel Sunday afternoon
1 part nap - a nap to polish off the day, complete with Jeff, Rollie and Bailey

I walked away from this weekend feeling accomplished, tired, invigorated, fulfilled, challenged, contented, and so much more. It was a great weekend to re-charge the soul, build confidence and remember why I love my life here so much.

Tour of the Marin Alps
On Sunday morning, roughly 10am, Troy, Michael, Jeff and I embarked on an epic adventure. We knew roughly where we were headed, and approximately how long it would take, but beyond that, we were just four kids on our mt. bikes trekking all over the mountain!

Up Railroad Grade all the way to Pantol Station, down to Muir Beach.
Up Green Gulch and then down to Tennessee Valley.
Up Marincello, down Bobcat, up Miwok, down Old Stage.
From Tennessee Valley, back to Mill Valley.

5 hours, 35 miles and 4500 feet of climbing later, we found our way back home. By far my longest mt. bike ride ever, and it was an absolute blast! Thanks to the boys for letting me tag along!

Dinner Party

I love to cook! But when training takes over, sometimes its hard to find the time or energy to do it. But no matter how tired I am, it is always worth it. And Jeff loves to have people over as well, so we make for a good pairing in that way!

This was one of my favorite meals, and quite honestly, was one of the more simple menus I've put together. To top it off, it is pretty healthy! So I've posted the recipe here for you to share with friends who come to your home...it was a big hit.

Enjoy!

Moroccan Chicken with Carrot Puree

6 boneless skin-on chicken breasts, pounded 3⁄4" thick
16 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
4 cups chicken broth
2 lbs. carrots, cut into 1⁄4" rounds
1 large white onion, minced
1 1⁄2 cups fresh orange juice
4 tbsp. unsalted butter
2 peeled oranges, segmented
3⁄4 cup plus 2 tsp. harissa
2 tsp. sherry vinegar
3 oz. dandelion greens
3⁄4 cup pitted oil-cured black olives, roughly chopped
2 shallots, thinly sliced

1. Put chicken into a dish; drizzle with 3 tbsp. oil; season with salt and pepper. Set aside. Bring broth to a boil in a 6-qt. pan over medium-high heat. Add carrots; cook until tender, 15–20 minutes. Drain. Heat 1⁄2 cup oil in a 4-qt. pot over high heat. Add onions; cook until soft, 4–5 minutes. Add carrots; cook for 6–8 minutes. Purée in a food processor with 2 tbsp. oil. Season with salt and pepper; keep warm.

2. Heat orange juice in a 2-qt. pan over medium-high heat. Cook until reduced by half, 12–15 minutes. Whisk in butter; season with salt and pepper. Add orange segments; set sauce aside.

3. Heat oven to 400°. Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Working in 3 batches, add chicken, skin side down; cook until crisp, 8–10 minutes. Transfer chicken, skin side up, to a baking sheet. Brush with 3⁄4 cup harissa. Bake until cooked, 6–8 minutes.

4. In a bowl, whisk together remaining oil and harissa with sherry vinegar. Add greens, olives, and shallots; toss. Divide carrot purée between 6 plates; top each with salad and a chicken breast. Spoon sauce over each.

Pair with a Mandarin Orange Cous Cous - a recipe to come another time.

Just a small town girl

2010-03-04T21:54:00.000-08:00

Living in a lonely world
Took the midnight train going anywhere
Just a city boy, born and raised in south Detroit
Took the midnight train going anywhere
I seen her in a smokey room, a smell of wine and cheap perfume
For a smile they can share the night
It goes on and on and on and on

Oh yes, Journey. Not that I have a love affair with Journey, but I do with Scrubs, and the last episode i watched had Turk and JD singing this song, so I felt the need to share it with you all. Plus, I was in Vegas earlier this week, and this song reminds be a bit about the Las Vegas story for many of the residents there.

The New Job
Inspired! I have had my up days and down days as I have settled into a new job, at a new company, in a new role at that company, so its had its challenges. But this week, I had a chance to meet with a number of my partner accounts face to face, and I left Vegas, with a new Michael Kors handbag, and completely inspired with my job!

I was in Vegas for a total of 52 hours, but managed to squeeze in 7 partner meetings, 2 partner dinners, a few glasses of wine with a teammate to talk shop and get to know each other, and two baths in the extra deep, extra long tubs at the Palazzo. I consider that a pretty full and pretty productive 2+ days! Plus, I met countless new coworkers which will lead to some great new working relationships.

Racing
Motivated! I've been on the road the last two weeks, which usually I resent. I like my routines, I like my own house, and I love my boys (Jeff, Rollie and Bailey). That being said, I've really enjoyed meeting with my partners Face-to-Face to kick off our working relationships.

So, when I am in town, focus is the best word to describe my workout regimen. Last weekend, I actually endured a 3.5 hour workout on Saturday at my coach's studio. I taught an 8:00 class, then I stayed and spun through his 10:15 class.That took a lot of focus. That being said, Sunday was gorgeous, and I got to embark on a mini-triathlon of my own:

3500 yards in the pool - the first swim since July
3.5 mile run at Tennessee Valley - the first run on terra firma since last January
Finally, a 1 hour bike ride around Paradise Loop

Why, do you ask, would I choose to do all this? The answer: Because I can. 1 year ago I couldn't have done what I did last Sunday. Enough said.

This weekend will be TWO 4 hour rides...probably both on the road due to the rain as of late. The trails have been very messy! I don't mind the mud, but its a bit tretcherous, and not quite as fun, when its all muddy. Next weekend, hopefully, we'll get some quality time out on the trails! I miss mountain biking!

I've been oogling new full suspension bikes as of late, but haven't decided on one as of yet. I'll keep y'all posted as to what I decide. I certainly need one for the BC bike race, I just need to figure out how much time before the race I need to have the bike.Stay tuned.

Other News
So this week, we closed on the house in Tahoe, so looks like the last weekend in March, we're headed to Tahoe to open the new home. We're still working out the details on furnishing/decorating the place, but now that we own it, we have time to figure that all out.

Point being, we now have a house in Tahoe. A house to escape to when life gets crazy. A house to use as a training base for all our outdoorsy friends. A house to come home to after a long day of skiing/snowboarding. Whatever the reason, we plan to make it a welcoming location for everyone to come home to.

Winter Training

2010-02-13T14:47:00.000-08:00

Well, I know it has been a while since I posted, however, it is not without good reason! I started the new job a little under a month ago, I'm training about 10-12 hours a week, back to cooking all my own food and I've been making some time to see friends amidst it all, not leaving much time for blogging.

That being said, now I'm starting to settle into my routine, of which, I hope to make blogging a part. I used to spend Sunday afternoons blogging and cooking after my morning workout, and I hope to get back into that grove.

The Job
Loving it! As with any new job, there is a lot to get used to - new products, new industries, new processes and new people! But, very quickly, I'm quickly making my way through all of that, and becoming a contributor to my team. Feels great to be back in the swing!

My Training
Aaaahhhh, it feels good to be back! I was benched for a better part of a year, but now, I'm truly back to my old form! Just got back from a 4-hour bike ride, and it's got me all jazzed! I've been getting out for some really solid weekends - biking both days, despite the rain and cold temps. Usually one road ride, and one mt. bike ride. I've been inching up over the past 6 weeks, from 3 road + 1.5 mt. bike to this weekend, 4 hours on the road and 3 on the mt. bike. I connect the weekend with 3 1.5 hour spin sessions a week at M2's. I've never been so strong on the bike, and its really a great feeling!

I've still been running on the Alter G as well...inching ever closer to actually hitting the ground running. My sessions are pretty steady at 90-95% of my body weight, and I'm still holding strong at much faster paces that I saw BEFORE my surgeries. I'm interested to see how it will translate once I actually hit the trails. Hopefully I will be able to actually keep up with my friends, albeit, for much shorter distances. I'm only getting on the Alter G 1 -2 times per week at this week, as my legs have been pretty tired from all the spinning. That being said, I'm hoping to get myself treadmill ready in the next two weeks as I'll be doing a bit of traveling the last week of February and first week of March, and would like to take advantage of the hotel gyms.

Finally, I'm also starting to ramp up for my outrigger season, by jumping on the erg machine at M2's after my spin sessions. He bought an attachment that is primarily meant for kayaking (for the adventure racing crew at the studio), but it works just as well for my paddling stroke. I've been inching up there as well from 15 minute, now up to 30 minute interval sessions. This should have me good and ready to hit the water in March once our real practice season begins! Looking forward to a second solid season on the team, with my eye to the fantastic race in Catalina again!

Racing
All of this training is leading up to one heck of a summer of racing!!! So far on the docket, Jeff and I have signed up for the Boggs 8-Hour Mountain Bike Race on April 3rd (our friend Michael W. will also be joining us for this one) and the BC Bike Race - a 7 day stage race - June 27 through July 3rd (where we'll be joined by our favorite Brit, Simon, and a BC native, Dave D.

After that, my season is up for grabs. If the running comes along well, I may try my hand at an Xterra off-road triathlon or two, or possibly, make a return to San Jose International again this year - it would be my 10th time! On top of that, we'll have outrigger all summer long, first the mid-course season, then sprints, and finally the long course season to finish out the year.

Friends
So unlike years past, this year everyone is kind of doing their own thing - Jennie and Tina are training for Ironman's (Canada and CDA, respectively), Dana's training for her 50 miler in April, Sam is still up in the air as to what she's going to focus on as she is in the throws of ski season, and I'm dedicated to mt. bike racing and outrigger. Fortunately, my cycling should intersect with Jennie and Tina's training for their Ironmans, and I'm sure Sammy will come out on some mt. bike rides once ski season is over. Fortunately, we introduced Dana to skate skiing over new years, so she and I and Sam are all headed to Tahoe on an up-and-back to Royal Gorge for a day of cross country skiing.

My friend Mally is moving back to the city, so I'm hoping to get out with her on some bike rides once she does...hopefully we can talk her into investing in a real road bike this summer :-) Even if we don't, it'll still be fun to ride together. And more importantly, it will just be great to have her back close to me again!

Alright, off to the Gap to buy new jeans. All this training has resulted in a 12 lb weight loss since August, so my jeans just plain don't fit. I hate jeans shopping, but with a 25% off coupon online, I suppose its time to jump on it! I have to buy all my jeans from the Gap online anyway, since they don't carry their x-long size in the store. So I'll go to the store, check on fit and size, then order online. As much as I hate shopping for them, there's nothing better than that perfect fit in a good pair of jeans.

Signing off for now. I hope to have some fabulous pictures from our adventure tomorrow and mt. biking on Monday, so I'll be sure to share those when I get home!

A New Year, New Adventures!

2010-01-18T09:01:00.000-08:00

Ringing in a New Year...

We had a fantastic 5 days in Tahoe - Dana, Brian, Sam, Yariv, Jeff and I. We rented a house in the Donner Lake neighborhood for 5 days,and took full advantage of the outdoor playground that was around us! We got in 3 full days of cross country (skate) skiing, a day of downhill on the snowboard, and two snowshoe adventures on the terrain up behind the house. And all days were topped off with a good soak in the hot tub...not a bad way to ring in the New Year! The other good thing...my knees held up throughout all the adventures! My knees got a little tired/sore after about 3.5 hours of hard riding on the mountain, but that was okay.At least I can get out there!

2010 has a lot of promise!

From an athletic perspective, I've already signed up for Boggs, an 8-hour mountain bike ride. I've started my training and I'm feeling good. The trails we ride on are BEAUTIFUL! I certainly don't feel like I'm missing out on anything anymore now that I can't trail run! Plus, the thrill of snaking around single track, over obstacles and up steeps, is a rush second to none.

SFOCC practices have started, and we're gearing up for another season. I missed out on the entire first half of the season last year due to my bike accident which occurred a week before the first spring long course season race. So I'm looking forward to jumping in from the beginning and being a part of the race team all season long. I'm hoping to end the season at Catalina again...it was so amazing last year!

Other than that, spending a lot of time over at M2 Revolution, spinning 3+ times a week and still working on the running with the Alter-G. Why, you might say, since I'm not planning to do triathlons this year?? Well, I just WANT to run again. More specifically, I want to trail run. I want to be back out on the Matt Davis Trail for hour runs this summer. So I'm still working on it. I ran Tuesday at 80-85% of my body weigh, and Sunday at 88-90%t, so I'm working my way back. I think I'll be able to hit the trails by the end of February...fingers crossed!

My last days as a free agent...

And, even more exciting, I'm starting a new job this week and I'm really excited about it! It is in a new group at the organization, and surprisingly, my group is under the CTO! Its the ideas group, and a place I am very excited to be!

I've spent the last few weeks on a short-term contract helping the AIDS/LifeCycle increase its ridership for this year...so far so good! They are a great group, and like most non-profits, a very passionate team! And the riders and the community make me wish I wasn't starting a new job later this month, otherwise, I'd take up a week of my vacation and join them on their journey from SF to LA. If you're interested, come to one of their kickoffs - register at www.aidslifecycle.org/kickoff - to find out more information!

Its been a good primer to get me back into "work mode", and it was nice being able to work with a non-profit again, but I'm looking forward to starting my new job, at a great high-tech company! Looking forward to the new challenge. I've thoroughly enjoyed the time off, but looking forward to getting back into the mix!

A Winter Wonderland - at 55 Degrees?

2009-12-20T21:43:00.000-08:00

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?

2009-12-20T20:46:00.000-08:00

"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

2009-12-14T16:47:00.000-08:00

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!!!

2009-12-04T15:20:00.000-08:00

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...

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!
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!
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!
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!

2009-12-03T18:58:00.000-08:00

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

2009-11-19T17:30:00.000-08:00

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

2009-11-05T21:02:00.000-08:00

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!

24 Hours of Moab

2009-10-11T19:35:00.000-07:00

The Prologue - October 9th
Everyone was present in Moab today. Jesse, Gerry and Jeff had driven in from Denver yesterday, stopping in Grand Junction to pick up the sweet RV that we resided in for the rest of the weekend. Simon, team member #3 drove from SF and got here mid-day. I arrived around 1:30 from Denver via tiny plane that seemed to barely make it through the turbulence.

We all convened at the local micro-brew/restaurant in Moab for a late lunch, where we planned out the rest of the day and the menu for the weekend. From there, the boys came to the race site to ready their bikes and register. Unfortunately, registration was back in Moab, so they ended up backtracking into town for the second of their two chores. Gerry and I headed to the grocery store and liquor store to stock up on provisions for the weekend.

We all got back to the camp ground early evening. The boys headed out to pre-ride the course, in the dark. One might have thought doing it in the light may have been a little more informative, but they chose to go straight for the tough stuff, and do it in the dark of night. Suffice it to say, they all returned safe and sound, slightly cold, and very hungry. Fortunately, Gerry and I had whipped up a pseudo-gourmet dinner on the RV stove, we all feasted on quinoa surprise, beer and wine, and then headed to bed for a solid night’s sleep before the big adventure the next day.

The team - Pollo del Moab
The team, a would-be 4 man team, ended up as only three, after the fourth team member came down with the H1N1 Swine flu. Fortunately, all three remaining team members were more than capable specimen to tackle the 24 hours all their own.

I believe the brains behind the idea was Jeff - El Jefe Fuert. He got focused on this race, and there was no stopping him. A seasoned triathlete and 3-time Ironman, this was just another notch in his proverbial athletic bedpost. Jesse - Jeff’s bromance, BFF and athletic catalyst was the second member to join the team. Also an Ironman and experienced adventure racer, Jesse is no stranger to long endurance events. Finally, a recruit from a local bike team, the Roaring Mouse team, Simon came along to bring a bit of mountain biking experience to the team. Having traversed the Alps on a mountain bike, the other two felt he had the muster to match the team talent, and he certainly did not disappoint. Plus, all of his fabulous british quips kept the support crew quite entertained.

The support crew - Pollo del RV As the girlfriends of the aforementioned Jesse and Jeff, both Gerry and myself came along to cheer on the boys and provide quality sustenance for the team. I most willingly came along due to the fact that I LOVE Moab! I think it is a beautiful place, very outdoorsy, lots of gorgeous views - canyons, arches, red rock, sunsets, etc - and a chill attitude, which always put me in a good frame of mind. Gerry also had a great trip out. For her, it was a new place she had never visited, a great opportunity for awesome trail running and more. Together, we held down the fort while the boys just had to worry about racing and all that went along with that!

The Start - Saturday, October 10th - Noon
So for those of you not familiar with the race, the race is 24 hours straight, circling a 15 mile, technical mountain bike course as many times as possible during that time period. Some choose to do the race solo, others in 2-man teams, and the most popular option, is the 4-man team. So to be clear, this team was already coloring outside the lines with a 3-man team. But as only time will tell, I’m sure they will be just fine. The race starts at Noon on Saturday and goes until Noon on Sunday.

So at Noon on Saturday, Jesse led off the team with a Le Mans start to the race. All of the first lap riders lined up and when the canon sounded, dashed out 200 yards, around a bush and back the 200 yards to their bikes. It was a dust storm to behold - the mountain bike version of an Ironman swim start. It was good, though, as it spaced out the riders enough by the time they got to their bikes that the entry through the starting shute wasn’t too hairy.

Lap 1 - And they were off!
So a mere 1 hour and 45 minutes later, Jesse returned to the transition area, and passed the baton to Jeff…off he went! Jesse was all a-glow! He had a great lap, felt strong and had a lot of fun! He came back exclaiming that the rest of the racers were a bit clueless on pacing, something that would come to light later in the race, one would expect. He came back to the RV, ate some, and prepped Simon on the course.

Meanwhile, Jeff was out on the course having a great ride as well. After a minor mis-step early on in the course, he had a clean lap! Finishing in approximately 1 hour 37 minutes, with a smile on his face, Jeff was pleased with the lap. He had a little clean up from his minor spill, a sandwich to refuel and he was ready to go! Unfortunately, he had another 2.5 hours until Jesse came back from his second lap before he went out again. So he waited…

Simon tore up the course in a time similar to Jeff’s. He was looking good as he came into the finish line, and also had a look of glee on his face as he finished. Now granted, this was just the first lap, but they were all having a great time and really enjoying the experience. Would this last throughout the night…we’ll see. But for now, they were all thoroughly enjoying themselves. And to be clear, Gerry and I were having a great time as well!

Lap 2 - Into the night…
So Jesse was fortunate enough to complete his second lap completely in the light! Obviously much easier to navigate large rocks, hairpin turns and dramatic changes in terrain. That being said, after having been through the course once in the dark, and now once in the daylight, they were all practically pros on the course :) Once again, he came back with a big smile…having a great time, and feeling even stronger than lap 1. Apparently, he was just getting warmed up!

Jeff headed out in lap 2 just as the sun was setting, so his first ½ hour was in the sunset, but after that, it was all headlamps, all the time. Fortunately, he had picked up a new 700 lumen light on Saturday morning after having deemed his old light as too weak to meet his needs. If you know nothing about mt. bike lights, suffice it to say, 700 lumens pretty much gave him the daylight visibility he enjoyed the lap prior. And truly, it was that significant. He finished his second lap, after “dark”, in the same time as his first lap. This crazy troop of athletes was only getting stronger as the day went on!!! Simon got off a bit late, given that Jeff surprised everyone, including himself, with his time on lap two. But fortunately, it was only a few minutes after Jeff came in, and Simon was off!

Back at the Ranch…
Gerry and I hold the fort down. We cooked (scrambled egg surprise, quinoa masala, pre-race chicken pasta, sandwiches, more egg surprise, more sandwiches…), we shopped (Gerry and I both invested in long sleeved gear for winter riding), we read (oh yes, Sam, the Economist was read), we cheered (accompanied by cowbells and amateur photography), we got massages (okay, so I got a massage…and boy did I need it!)! And most importantly, the netbook was whipped out for blogging purposes!

The campsite here at the 24 hours of Moab, is once again, a similar site to that of Wildflower. I hate to keep making that comparison, but it is so fitting in so many cases. In this instance, there were campers and RV’s lining the course, with teams who had clearly come out days in advance for prime placement. The more experienced teams had the killer setups, complete with full kitchens, bike work stations, decorative (and ID) lighting, and outdoor seating right on the course.

Although the “just for fun” category was the largest, with 69 teams, there were a substantial number of serious racers here this weekend. Over 100 “teams” were professional teams and solo riders who clearly knew what they were doing. The top contenders all had each others numbers, and were jockeying for position with every lap. They had matched their riders as close as possible to make each lap as contentious as the next. There was a lot of strategy and muster involved with those teams. The solo riders were just amazing! Men and women alike, they were all strong and seriously up to the challenge. I hope to actually talk to a few of them tomorrow to get a true sense of the experience. To be clear, it will be like no other that I have experienced!

While I have had a great time hanging with our team, trolling the site for other spectators, riders and shopperunities, I truly lament the fact that I’m not participating. I love this stuff, and can’t wait until I’m full strength to do it myself. Dana, Sam, Tina…I know you’re reading this. 2010 - I think its out year for a 24 hour mountain bike race. Think about it :)

Back on the course…
Simon has completed his second lap…now we’ve been through the entire team twice. And yet, everyone is still all smiles…not bad! It must be the super-powered tea we fed Simon before sending him out on the course….he was good to go! After a few moments to rest after returning, he was all smiles and joking around. His usual demeanor. No sluggishness in this crew! Almost ½ way through, and the team is still going strong!!!

Lap 3…the dark miles…
In every endurance event, there are the dark miles. Now sometimes they are literally “dark”, as was the case today…the hours from 7pm to 7am, where high-powered headlamps and lights were required. And it was cold…down to the low 40’s. But the other part about the dark miles is they are the miles where fatigue and self-doubt set in. Where you ask yourself “why am I doing this” and “I can’t imagine actually completing what I still have ahead of me”. They are tough to get through, but when you do, there’s usually a second wind on the other side to lift you out of it and back into actually enjoying the event you are there to do.

Well, for all three of our fair lads, the dark miles were tough on them. As mentioned earlier, Jeff actually faired pretty well on his first of two laps in the dark. And for that matter, Simon did as well! When Jesse came into his first lap after sunset, now we were on lap number three for team Pollo del Moab, and the fatigue started to set in. Now not only was everyone a little slower navigating the obstacles since their vision wasn’t as crisp as in the light, but also, when fatigued, you have to concentrate just that much harder to control the bike and make sure a rock or root doesn’t throw you off balance, and your bike.

All three came in around the two hour mark and were looking a little bruised and battered. Simon had his chain break during the lap and stomach issues started to plague the team. Trying to continuously fuel yourself for 24 hours is not easy, but when you are trying to take in the right amount of recovery calories, the right amount to fuel your next lap, but also not too many as to upset your stomach while out on course. Jesse was the first to have issues and Jeff was looking for Tums as well before taking off for his fourth lap.

Lap 4...Daybreak!
Jesse was finishing his fourth lap as day was breaking around 7am. The stomach issues definitely affected Jesse, slowing him down a little further this lap. Not being able to re-fuel sufficiently due to the stomach problems left him without the calories he needed to power through the fatigue. He did, however, finish, and finished well, heading straight back to the RV for some hot tea and well-deserved sleep after a few orange(?) flavored cookies.

As he awaited Jesse’s arrival, Jeff huddled by one of the fire cans in the transition tent to keep his muscles and his core warm prior to his fourth lap. Now the sun was beginning to emerge, and Jeff would only need to use his lights for probably about a ½ hour more - and in fact, he ended up not needing his lights at all. This lap was another great one for Jeff. He was feeling really comfortable with the course, and his nutrition was a little better. That being said, he apparently made it 1/3 of the way around the course before he bonked and downed 3 peanut butter cookies and then was good to go for the rest of the lap. I greeted him at the finishing shute with cowbell in hand…he was all smiles.

Simon was a little less excited about his 4th lap of the day. Although, given his performance throughout the race, we imagined he’d probably finish just as strong. His parting words as he headed off for lap four was “Don’t let your boyfriend drink all the beer before I get back”. Let me remind you, Simon’s a Brit :) He also noted that he would return about 11am, just about the time the “pubs” would be opening up. And the final result? He finished in a killer lap time of around 1:50, and that included fixing another broken chain. When he returned from his fourth and final lap, Simon had lifted from his dark hours and was looking to tackle his next 24 hour race! They all come around…

So at this point, it was just before 11:00am, which meant the team could go out for one more lap. Each rider had done 4 laps at this point, so it became a discussion of who was going to complete the 13th and final lap. Jesse was technically next in line, but Jeff was really itching to give the course just one more round of the wrath of El Jefe Fuerte! And so it was. At 10:53, Jeff headed out for the team’s final lap. He had a clean lap, and a good time! These were miles 60 through 75 for Jeff in the last 24 hours, so coming in less than 10 minutes behind his fastest time was a great finale to the race!

The Finish
Team Pollo del Moab was victorious, with a successful completion of the 24 Hours of Moab. All told, the team raced for 24 hours and 43 minutes, rode 13 laps, and covered 195 miles. Everyone in smiles and ready for the next adventure. Congratulations, Boys!!!

Rick's Race Day Report - THE FINISH!!!

2009-06-07T07:01:00.000-07:00

So this one is going to be short just to get the final results out to everyone who was tracking Rick all day!

After I last wrote to everyone, Rick had his ups and his downs, gu tummy, too much caffeine, not enough caffeine, etc. At the end of the end of it all, he prevailed. His pace chart showed him aiming for a 20:55 finish. When he got to me at mile 92.5, he was 18:07. Just 7.5 miles into the finish, and he had almost 2 hours to get there to hit 20 hours.

So we stood at the finish line and waited. By this point, the runners were VERY spread out, and one runner would come in every 15-20 minutes or so. When I first got to the finish, the first woman, and new course record holder, Suzanna Bon, finished with flair! What a sweetheart and a fellow northern California runner. Then, the runner that came to the last aid station between Suzanna and Rick crossed. Then, finally the twinkle of light in the distance, came Rick!

When we first saw his headlamp, it was about 19:52, but he was deceptively close. The course wound back and forth a few times before heading into the finish. Would he make 20 hours? Would he come in sub-20 hours? After 19+ hours of crewing today, the anticipation was killing me! Finally, we saw his headlamp coming straight at us. You could tell he was hauling a$$ to get to the finish line. The crowd gathered, the race director started cheering. Everyone started cheering. The light in the distance turned into a familiar face, and a face with a smile, as he crossed the finish line at 20:22! A PR by far!!!

Congratulations Rick!

Rick's Race Day Report - Crew Report

2009-06-07T06:58:00.000-07:00

So, wonder what the crew chief/marketing dept/PR team/crew/comedian/blogger does while their runner is out on the course?

I sent him off on his way at 6am, and made my way to Starbucks for a little caffeine and to send word back to the troops at home how the morning went. Then, headed back to the start/finish area to meet Rick at Mile 20. I cheer, I take pics, I feed him Gatorade and Gu. Then, I follow him to Miles 25 and 30 aid stations and do the same. While sitting at mile 25, I started authoring the next blog posting I’d submit to all of you after the mile 42 aid station.

After Rick passes through the Mile 30 aid station and was out running miles 30-42, I snuck out for a hike of my own. The terrain is So. Cal is much different than in Nor Cal – much more arid, not nearly as lush, but beautiful in its own right! The rolling hills, valleys, rivers and lakes all make it a very picturesque setting for this race. I climbed to the top of the largest climb of the day…it took me 45 minutes at a pretty brisk walking clip to get to the top…so nothing to sneeze at! Then, I retraced my steps and cheered on all the runners on their way up. Very few were running…most walked this section. Understandably.

After that, I caught up with Rick at Mile 42, laid out the buffet of food and beverages, clothing and pain killers, cheered, encouraged, cleaned up after the tornado that is Rick came through, and headed off to the local market to pick up more Gatorade. After that, I headed into the Starbucks quickly to send home the next status update.

Then off to Mile 50 – the half way point! I got there pretty much as he got there, met him out on the course, gave him his status (12th overall, 9th male), shot a quick video to get his thoughts at the ½ way point, fed him, gave him his headlamp, and sent him on his way!

I went up to the Sunrise rest stop, mile 56, to meet him for the usual routine, before heading off for my “dinner break”. Then, once again, headed back to the Starbucks for my third Misto of the day and to put in another update to the fans at home. When done, I headed over to Albertson’s to grab some more Gatorade, more Starbucks Frappuccinos and a 6-pack of Bud Light, for Rick’s celebratory, post-race beer. Then, back to the course!

Now, at Mile 70, he’s still looking strong! How does he do it? He comes through in another FLASH, but when leaving, requests his Fenix flashlight and a wet bandana for the next aid station. BTW…from what the folks at the timekeeper’s table say, he’s now in 8th place! Go, Rick, Go!

Now, I’m sitting at mile 75 waiting for him to come through. The fog is rolling in, so my guess is, he’ll want his Firetrails 50 windbreaker to keep him dry and warm. In addition to everything else, I’m sending text messages back to a few of the folks back in the Bay Area as he gets to each of the checkpoints, so they have a sense of how he’s doing. These are fun to send, since he’s doing so well!

The rest of the night, I will continue to follow him from aid station to aid station, hoping to see him keep up the momentum during the dark, night hours. Its 8pm now, and with the cloud cover, darkness will be coming soon. If he keeps up his current pace, he’ll only have to run in the dark for about 6 hours or so…not too shabby. Then we’ll crack the celebratory beer, and get him back to the hotel for a warm shower and some shut eye.

So while running around all day, here is the strict diet of the crew chief/marketing dept/PR team/crew/comedian/blogger to keep the energy level high:

Vente Misto, Almonds, Yogurt, Pop Chips, Another Misto, More Almonds and Pop Chips, Another Yogurt, Polished off the Pop Chips, Another Misto, Chocolate Peanut Brittle, Starbucks Frappaccino, and a celebratory Bud Light!

It’s been a really fun day! All the volunteers have been amazing, and the crew and supporters have traveled from aid station to aid station together, encouraging each other’s runners, and sharing war stories from the road  I have a feeling I’m going to get a little tired once the sun goes down, but I’ve got an important job to do, so it should keep me focused and awake! Hopefully!

More to come once Rick has finished the race!

Rick's Race Day Report - Part 3

2009-06-06T17:33:00.000-07:00

So Rick just came BLAZING through the ½ way point! Everyone else was taking their sweet time – change shoes/socks, sit for a moment, eat a sandwich, etc. – but Rick would not let any grass grow under his feet. He was in and out within 90 seconds. He grabbed a long sleeve shirt and his headlamp, a GU and a second water bottle. Apparently Mr. 12th place doesn’t have time to chat! I did get a short video of him reviewing his current standing and state of mind…to be posted later.

I made my way out to the Mile 56 aid station (which I skipped this morning) to see him one last time before I headed off for my “dinner break”. It was up on a ridge, with blustery winds, which made it pretty darn cold. I figured Rick would want his windbreaker at this point. I also made him a sandwich, because as far as I knew, he hadn’t eaten anything real (non-gatorade, non-gu) all day!

The wind was pretty tough out there! Everyone that came into this stop looked like they had come through a wind tunnel. This was the first time I had seen the leaders showing fatigue. Up until this point, none of the top 11 showed any signs of wearing down. And most certainly, Rick was still chugging along as strong and steady as he was at Mile 30.

So as Rick came in to Mile 56, he was looking like the rest of the racers, and declared that he was starting to “slow down”. Now this is all relative, right? He did actually go from being 29 minutes ahead of schedule to only 26 minutes, but that could be due to a myriad thing. He is tired, but that is also another uphill section, and really, really windy. So any of those could have affected him. I think he still looked strong and will fight through it. He put back a Starbucks mocha frappaccino, which might just give him the kick he needs for the next few miles to feel back in the groove. Time will only tell. Rick’s flying solo for the next 14 miles, so hopefully all will go well! It will be nearing sunset when I see him again (around 7:00pm).

That’s all I’ve got for now. I hope to be able to send one more blog post around 11pm after he’s reached the Mile 80 point, but I’m not making any promise. I will try, though!

Rick's Race Day Report - Part 2

2009-06-06T14:15:00.000-07:00

So now we rejoin Rick at mile 20. Still fresh, still smiling, and with 4/5 of his race ahead of him. He’s feeling good, he’s looking good, and gosh darn it, people like him! He nods to signal that all is well, and he shoots off on his way. No need to stop for special aid at this point. He does drop off a water bottle, however. Its rather cool, 65 degrees, and overcast, so hydration is at a moderate level. Rick is a steady runner, so I would only expect him to start gaining ground on his competitors from this point forward.

I run across him at about mile 22.5 where the trail crosses the road. So I make a quick stop to take pictures and cheer him on. I see Rick, and he’s not quite so smiley anymore. Says there is something weird going on with his stomach. I don’t want to force him to slow to talk to me, so I nod in acknowledgement and he’s off again.

I am writing this segment of the blog while sitting at the Mile 25 aid station, awaiting his arrival. Time to sign off for the moment as a runner about 5 mins ahead of him just came by. Time to ready his supplies…

So I just saw Rick at Mile 25. He said he was feeling sluggish, however, his times are still faster than his projected splits, so something is going right. He is gaining ground on the folks ahead of him. He takes a quick refill of Gatorade in his water bottle and is off again.

And then at mile 30, things seem to have turned around. He seems much better, in much better spirits and he is REALLY gaining ground on the field now! I guess by Mile 30, it starts to become evident who has gone out too fast!

Ooop, gotta go! He’s coming into mile 43!

Okay, I'm back. The report from Mile 43 is positive. He's downed two Tylenol and is feeling good. In addition to gatorade at this aid station, he also pops a GU! Next time I see him will be at 50 where he's requested a sandwich (turkey and cheese on white bread, cut in 1/4, crusts on), a long sleeve shirt and his headlamp. That being said, I'm going to try to talk him out of the headlamp, he won't need it for another 3-4 hours. Why carry more than necessary!

Alright, this post was short but sweet. Have to get back to meet him at 50! I'll report back on Mile 50 and 55 when I return...

Rick's Race Day Report - PART 1

2009-06-06T07:07:00.000-07:00

And he's off! 100 miles, 12,300 feet of elevation and 20+ hours of running ahead of him today. Rick is Runner #37 (coincidentally his age!) - you can track his every move today on the Live Race Data website. I will also post updates here when I get a break in my schedule.

Race Morning:

Arrive at race site at 5:15 to drink coffee, eat breakfast, get weighed in (in case of dehydration later in the day), etc. Point of note, ultra runners are much less anxious, nervous, etc, than triathletes. I make this comparison as this is the sport I have competed in for the past decade, so have gotten to know “the type” (fully admitting that I am one of THEM). They do, however, feel the need to pre-race sand bag as much as triathletes.

Case in point:

Runner 1: What’s your target time for tomorrow?
Runner 2: I’d be happy with sub-24 hours
Runner 1: Yeah, me too.

(when in fact, runner #1 is shooting for sub-21 and runner #2 is shooting for 18 hours) This would be THE definition of sandbagging.

The start. Rick knows everyone, and talks to everyone. It’s nice to see, really. Everyone is much more social than the male triathlete who goes into his proverbial “cave” while readying his transition area and his psyche for the race. Girls, on the other hand, are much more chatty, much like these ultra runners. All this being said, I snapped quite a few photos of Rick and his friend/fellow racers/blogging companions at the start line. My apologies, but I don't remember all the names. In the orange sweatshirt is John Gunderson (Gundy) who I've met at several races before. And the woman in the sassy pink running skirt is Suzanne - one of the favorites in the women's field.

The start was also a great place to observe race day fashion and rituals by family and friends. Gators, unique to trail running can be plain and utilitarian, or, in the case of these runners, their bit of "flare". There are lots of worried mothers, wives and husbands sending their runners off with words encouragement, but a hint of secretly wishing their runner would just stay safe and sound by their side all day. And then, of course, you have buddies trying to psych each other up and getting the "game day" video to record their runner's every thought. Don't worry, I got one of these videos of Rick and it will be posted after the race.

The gun goes off! 130 runners are on their way for 19+ (the faster runner finished in just over 19 hours last year) hours of trail running fun, pain, heartache, second winds, and the like. Good luck to all of you!!!!

What a Week!

2009-04-05T15:58:00.000-07:00

So here's the story...

Last Sunday, Jeff and I headed out on a familiar bike ride - Lucas Valley Road, up and over Big Rock hill, down to Nicassio, then turn around and follow the route backwards. We had a great ride! I've been spinning a LOT this spring due to my inability to run, so I'm feeling as strong as ever on the bike. I was excited to get out on the bike and try it on the road. And Jeff was game to get out and spin his legs, too! So out we went out early in the afternoon for our ride. We had gone up and over to Nicassio, turned around and were headed on the straight-away back to the car when it happened. That stretch of road is super-fast as it has a slight downhill grade (1%) and always had a tailwind. We were roaring down the road at 30+mph, pacelining, when on the fateful switch, I managed to bump Jeff's wheel and hit the road.

I remember seeing the wheels overlap, thinking "oh shit!", and the rest gets blurry. Most of these details were filled in by Jeff after the fact.

Apparently, everything happened pretty quickly. Jeff, obviously, pulled over immediately and came back to check on me. Fortunately, there was an RN in a car right behind us that had seen the whole thing and pulled over to help. The fire truck was on the scene blocking traffic within 5 minutes and the ambulance wasn't far behind. They got me into the ambulance relatively quickly and off to Marin General.

Once at the hospital, they cleaned out the massive road-rash all over the right hand side of my leg and arm, as well as both knees and the knuckles on both hands. They took me into x-ray for a barrage of images, which ascertained that I had a compound fracture in my right clavicle (collar bone) and 2 fractured ribs (#6 and #7). I also had a bunch of bumps and bruised on my head, at least one of which was a decent sized concussion. Thanks to Giro for making a very robust helmet - it certainly did its job in saving my noggin! So much so that I went to Sports Basement today to buy the exact same one!

So after the examination, cleaning, pain management, etc., it was time for me to head home from the hospital. Jeff poured me into the car, drove back to his place, then poured me upstairs to the bed where I stayed for the next 2 days...too tired and pained to really move anywhere. Jeff set me up with my laptop, my ipod, my phone, some magazines, a cooler full of drinks (water, gatorade, ensure) and a cooler full of food. I slept a good 12 hours per day, and finished the entire Seasons 2 and 3 of Arrested Development - Thanks, Hulu! Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, were a mix of pain, sleep and some work. I was starting to feel better that second half of the week, and was bored of watching TV, so I started calling into conference calls and doing light work, in between naps. Britt was kind enough to bring me Jamba Juice lunch two of the days and Sam came over on Tuesday night to inject a little bit of the outside world into my home-bound sequester.

Friday, I went into Kaiser for my check up after the fall. Sam was kind enough to come over in the morning to help me get ready and keep me company for a little bit. I thought it would be a quick once over, tell me everything was healing up just fine, prescribe a little more pain meds, then head back home. Well, quite the contrary. The first doctor walks in, looks at my shoulder, audibly says "Eeeehw", and then tells me to go down and get an x-ray. He also said that when I returned, he'd have an orthopedist come in to meet with me. This did not leave me feeling very good at this point. Fortunately, Jeff had come with me, so he was keeping me calm and level-headed. After the x-ray, I went back to the exam room and was greeted by Dr. Miller, my eventual surgeon.

He looked at my shoulder and said "if we don't do anything, the bone is going to poke through the skin in about 48 hours, so looks like we're going to have to do surgery". At this point, he hadn't even looked at the x-ray! He did eventually, and when Jeff looked (I couldn't bring myself to do it), it was apparently pretty obvious that it wasn't going to heal on his own. So there it was, he scheduled surgery for 22 hours later at the hospital. The procedure was to put a titanium plate along the line of the clavicle, align the bones along the plate, then screw them into the plate, so they would heal in the proper alignment. Here is a post-op picture that Lance Armstrong posted after the same procedure just 5 days ago!

Now for those of you who don't know, surgery has been a life-long fear of mine. It doesn't matter what kind or the severity, just the thought of surgery was a paralyzing thought to me. But somehow, I managed to remain relatively calm after my initial freak out. Jeff took me home, I did some work (notifying folks that I would be out the first part of the week), then some friends of mine came over for a little dinner and to keep me company. It was the perfect way to keep my mind off of things! Thanks, Cheyenne, Rick, John and Lori!

I woke up Saturday morning and decided to do my taxes in order to keep my mind occupied until Jeff came to get me at 9:30. I was admitted to Kaiser at 10am, where they took me, Jeff and Monkey Joe (my childhood toy that I've had since I was two and has been through all the major events (illnesses, broken bones, trips, etc.) of my life with me) up to the pre-op/post-op room, just outside of surgery.

There we were greeted by two nurses, Sue and Wes - both of whom where GREAT! Sue was a rockin' 50 year old who was a serious triathlete - how perfect! And Wes was an off-beat, goofy kind of character, who kept the mood light. They were great, walked me through everything step by step, and allowed Jeff to stay with me the whole time (during the week when the room is full that is not allowed). They hooked me up with the IV, put massagers on my legs, monitors all over my body and even a mild sedative to take the sting off a headache I had.

Then slowly but surely, all those involved with the surgery started to visit. First the anaesthesiologist nurse, then the ortho resident, then the anaesthesiologist himself, and then finally, Dr. Miller, my surgeon. They were all great in explaining what was going to happen and when and they definitely put me at ease. I was nervous about the surgery, but managed to maintain a 44 bpm heart rate, so apparently, they had done a good job of allaying my fears.

So next thing I knew, it was 12:40, they handed Monkey Joe to Jeff for safe-keeping, and they wheeled me into the operating room. They were all fluttering about, talking their game plan, and then the lights went out :-) Next thing I knew, I was waking up in the post-op room, and Sue was there offering ice chips. Shortly thereafter, Jeff came in with a big smile and a "You made it, Baby!" Ahhh, success. I spent the next two hours waking up, taking in some fluids, etc. Then I got dressed, they brought up the wheelchair, and I was released right around 5pm.

I felt good after the surgery. No nausea, a little pain, and I was wide awake. Jeff and I hung out on the porch for a bit, watched some basketball, he ate dinner (I wasn't hungry, and frankly, am still not at 5pm on Sunday), we watched a lame movie and went to bed. I felt better immediately following the surgery than I did all of the week prior. So I have been diligent about taking my pain meds every 4 hours, as to not endure any more pain than necessary. So I actually set the alarm for 2:30 am, so that I took my next dose, and did the same at 6:30 am.

And so how is Sunday? Just fine! I got up, got dressed (on my own!) and Jeff and I headed to Starbucks. I felt fine...a little pain, but that is to be expected. Then, I solicited my friends to see who might be in the mood for a stroll along the water while Jeff went and worked out! Fortunately, Helen was available so I would have a buddy to hit the trails with! On our way into the city, we stopped by Velo Bikes (formerly Bike RX) to drop off my bike and have them assess the damage. It didn't look too much worse for the wear, but we'll see when they really take a good look at it. Then, Jeff dropped me off and Helen and I went for an hour long walk along the Marina. Afterwards, I stopped into Sports Basement, bought my helmet, then walked up to the Presido Y where Jeff was working out.

After that, we took care of another casualty of the fall, my ring. It had gotten pretty scuffed up in the fall. They took it off in the emergency room, and Jeff craftily kept it hidden from me for a few days so that I wouldn't see it had been wrecked. But when I took it in, they said it would require a good polishing and refinishing, but would be back to me in a week or so, good as new.

So this is where we stand. It is now 24 hours after the surgery, and I'm still feeling good! Thanks to everyone who has been there for me this week! All the words of encouragement, the offers of help and the company! I feel blessed to be surrounded by so many great people...it has made a world of difference. And a special thanks to Jeff who has been there by my side this whole entire week. I don't know what I would have done with out you!

So the prognosis is that I should have full range of motion later this week, and should be back to my normal activities at around 6 weeks. I am guessing I'll be back on the treadmill later this week, and back to spin by next week at the latest. Next Monday/Tuesday (10 days out from the surgery) I will go in for a check up and to get my marching order on rehabing the area, which I'm sure will include a full physical therapy regimen.

So stay tuned for more details as the saga unfolds, but so far, so good. I'm a week out and feeling very optimistic!

How do YOU spell cockamamie?

2008-10-15T21:46:00.000-07:00

I am not sure what political consultant told the Republicans that relating to the average American had to involve silly euphamisms, however, if I hear any of the following again, I think my ears will bleed:

cockamamie
joe plumber
joe six pack
pitbulls with lipstick
hockey mom's with lipstick
main street

Now, in full disclosure, this is coming from someone, who 16 years ago, at the ripe age of 17, stood out in the bitter cold on the side of a railroad track in WI (instead of hosting a party at my house when my parents were out of town) to attend a George H. W. Bush rally. I thought the Republican Party was smart, had an informed eye on the future of the country, was economically conservative in a manner that did not compromise the well being of nation, were able to negotiate a complex world stage with grace and ease, etc.

Now, not exactly. I was even a holdout upon moving to San Francisco. I still wore my red badge of republicanism and altered my opinion ever so slightly to say that I was fiscally conservative and socially liberal (to justify my stances on abortion, gay marriage, etc). I can't even hold to that anymore. Their fiscal policies are all over the board and undirected (except in the direction of warfare) and their social policies are completely abhorrent and offensive to myself and people that I know and love.

So mark this date, October 9, 2008, the date I officially changed my party affiliation from Republican to Democrat! I would have thought there would have been some more fanfare for the occasion, but having been a Republican for 33 years of life, I guess I am now used to the disappointment.

So how do I spell cockamamie? R-E-P-U-B-L-I-C-A-N.

p.s. I am not going to apologize for my opinions in this blog or about the political landscape, but I do respect the opinions and welcome discussion/debate from my friends and family who still (or newly) claim republican affiliation. I certainly don't agree with all the democrats stand for, but I feel a stronger affiliation to them, which is why I have made the change. I don't want to discourage, and I certainly don't mean to disrespect, anyone with a political opinion contrary to mine. In fact, I welcome the debate!

Get Down with OCC!

2008-10-06T22:14:00.000-07:00

The SFOCC that is! As I've mentioned a couple times since I started back in July, the San Francisco Outrigger Canoe Club is a new, and beloved, hobby of mine. Every Tuesday night after work, we head out at 6pm and paddle with a new boat of 5 other club member (different every week) and paddle until the sun goes down - a shorter and shorter amount of times these days. But now that I'm not training for any triathlons, I've added Saturday morning paddles to the mix. They are more relaxed and longer and just a fabulous way to spend three hours to start off my weekend!

So this weekend, I brought out my camera to capture some of the sites of the club for all to see! Unfortunately, I had my good camera with me so I only have shots on shore, but they are fun all the same! I wish I had a camera out on the boat with me on Saturday, though, as it was a gorgeous fall day - 1/2 rainy, 1/2 sunny, complete with a rainbow over the Golden Gate Bridge. Ahhhh, and I live here! :-)

So this weekend was an interesting exercise for me, as the "newbie" crew it out to start paddling. Now keep in mind, Sam and I came out for the club at a totally non-traditional time, so we are still considered newbies, but for the most part, we've got it down pat. We've learned all the lingo - the amma (the buoy out the left side), the hull (the side of the boat), the yaku (what connects the amma and hull), huki (go) and huli (flip over and get all wet) and lava (stop paddling). And we're even at a point where they want to send us out on the one-man canoes. I'm not so sure I'm ready for that yet, but I'm sure willing to give it a shot! I do like the "team" aspect of being in a boat with 5 other paddlers, however, my Type A personality wants to go out there and see what "I" can do. I think I'll be out there next week on my own!

I didn't get to race this year as I was out of town for two races that I could have actually qualified to race for. Sam even got a step closer to racing over Labor Day weekend at Lake Tahoe, but the lake was too choppy, so the race was cancelled. It'll be fun to get out there and flex the racing muscles next year after all the practice and training. I'm thinking trail running and canoeing will be more the focus next year, so I'll make the time for racing!

So here is a description of the photos in today's blog:

The club dog!
The girls headed out in 1-man's
Stephanie (the women's coach) giving pointers to the newbies
Julie rigging her 1-man
The molokai boys (the guys headed to the big, end-of-the-year race in Hawaii this weekend)

Bad things happen in 6's?

2008-09-29T19:12:00.000-07:00

So, I've gotta say, I've just been through about the worst luck one person can have in one 24-hour period...which came on the heals of a very, very fun weekend!

Saturday, started off with my second Bikram Yoga class in two days, followed by a swim stroke one-on-one with the resident instructor at USF. Then, Jeff and I had lunch outside in the fantastic weather SF has had for the last two weeks. We then headed out to Stinson Beach to fly the kiteboarding practice kite, but to no avail! (although we did have a nice walk on the beach). We ended up back at Jeff's house and made a seafood feast in the style of Jeff's new experiment - sous vide! (more to come in future blogs on this!) It was quite the feast!

Then 90% of yesterday was great! I had planned a wine tasting on wheels yesterday with my friends Mally and Jen. There were 9 of us (including little Klippe) on bikes, and we biked down Westside Road where we hit 5 different wineries (Rochiolli, Hop Kiln, Matrix, Armida and Mill Creek). The weather was gorgeous, the company outstanding, and the wines devine. That was, until I fell over on my bike (hot dogging down a set of stairs - I was on mountain bike). Then, started my 24 hours of the worst luck ever...

1. In the fall, I managed to break the one bottle of wine I bought all day - the Ranch Red from Rochiolli.
2. Inside my bag along with the wine was my cell phone, which at the time of this authoring, can only receive phone calls, but cannot make calls out or send or receive texts.
3. Then, on the ride home, a rock hit my windshield and cracked it. Fortunately, its only about 1 inch in diameter, but still, not a good omen.

Then there was a brief reprieve. Sam and I had carpooled up, so when we got back to Jeff's house, we decided to grill dinner, complemented by a bottle of wine Sam had picked up along the day's tour. Such a nice end to the day! Plus, I can bounce back from quite a bit, so I took a positive approach about most of it.

Today started out okay - work was hectic as everyone is back in the office, but nothing out of control. Then, the second three hit:

1. I thought killing my phone wouldn't be such a bad thing, since I could replace my phone with a new iPhone. Well, apparently, if you already have AT&T, the phone costs $399, not $199 as it was advertised. I am so not paying $400 for a new cell phone. Plan B.
2. Then, when pulling out of the garage at work, a garage and parking spot that I have pulled out of at least 2-3 dozen times, I managed to tear my side view mirror off my car on the cement post I parked next to.
3. Finally, while driving home, I noticed a rattling underneath my car. I couldn't see anything, but it was unmistakable as a noise that shouldn't be there.

After all of that, and instead of going to my meeting for the Nike Women's Marathon, I went straight home and opened a bottle of wine. A little better, but still sucks! I am going to head to bed early tonight...in the hopes tomorrow will come quicker and be a much better day!

Scheduling? Free Time???

2008-09-25T21:28:00.001-07:00

So, I have a problem. I'm not good at just relaxing, just kicking, just staying home and reading a book. I can't do it. I've tried...really! But I just can't do it. I love my city! I love the life that I've carved out for myself here - my activities, my interests, my friends, my boyfriend! It all makes my life richer, more lively and more fun!

Earlier this fall, I looked at my schedule and tried to schedule in a new activity - Yoga! But when I looked at my schedule I thought "WHEN?".

Monday, I usually hit masters in the morning, but do in fact have Monday night at home. That being said, I like to clean up, put away my clothes from the weekend and catch up on my reading (aka the Economist).
Tuesday, I try to hit masters again in the morning, then paddle with the outrigger canoe team at night.
Wednesday, I will often work out in the morning, then have the evening free. That being said, that typically become my night to have dinner with friends (or when my knees heal, long runs with Sam!)
Thursday, I teach spin (or take spin when Rangsiwan is teaching) in the morning, then its "date night" those evening.
Friday, I typically sleep in (can you blame me?) and then hit The Wine Bar with Rick, or Olive/The Fly Bar with Lori, or some other assorted happy hour event!
Saturday, I paddle in the morning with the club
Sunday, is a wild card - mt. biking, road biking, but typically something outside.

So when do I take up YOGA? I really want to! I want to try something new, I think it would be good for my body, and a little quiet time might do me good. But the fact that I need to schedule it in is a bit bothersome and seems to be a little counter the yogi culture. I don't want to give up my cardio workouts, and I still want to have time with my friends!

Any suggestions?

Damn you, ASAP!

2008-09-18T10:41:00.000-07:00

IMHO the TLAs are OOC!!! (Translation: In my humble opinion, the three letter acronyms are out of control). And I blame the original offender - ASAP! And its only going to get worse. Text messaging via cell phone is only propagating the problem! I understand the usage of abbreviations in that case since typing the whole word on the numeric keypad can be exhausting. But now, the abbreviations created by the text messaging world have made their way into business emails - UGH!

Here are some commonly used TLAs at my work place:

IMHO - In my humble opinion
IMO - In my opinion (for those less humble)
FWIW - For what its worth (this one took me a while to figure out the first time I saw it)
WFH - Working from Home
TBS - That being said
LMK - Let me know
SOE - Search engine optimization
CRM - Customer relationship management
RDC - Rapid donor cultivation (that's a Jeff Patrick special) - hey, I think that meets your 99 list goal of coining a new phrase - congrats! Okay, so this one is not so widely used, but I heard Jeff use it in one sentence with three other TLA's while we were driving to SLO -San Luis Obispo - and it made me LOL - Laugh out loud!

Now I must admit, I make use of LOL in Instant Messaging/Text Messaging all the time to convey emotion, as that is not easy to do in brief, typed-word interactions.

And quite honestly, the business abbreviations of terms commonly used in one's job doesn't bother me as much, but it is the everyday phrases shortened to three or four letter acronyms that really gets on my nerves.

So I am sure that there are many more that you each encounter everyday, so feel free to share in the comments - I'm sure they'll give us all a good laugh (and maybe some new acronyms to confuse and impress our co-workers with!)

(as a post script to this blog, when I spell-checked this blog, IMHO did NOT come up as a misspelled word - what is this world coming to??? Did Microsoft start that one? No wonder its the one that bugs me the most!)

My next toy...

2008-08-26T09:11:00.001-07:00

So as if I don't have enough sporting equipment:

Road Bike
Mountain Bike
Golf Clubs
Snowboard
Softball bat and glove
Wetsuit
Snowshoes
and now to support my new outrigger hobby...

The Tornado Blade

Haven't made the purchase yet, its just next on my list! I've been using the club paddles since I started this summer, but they are all wood, heavy, and have on a number of occasions given me splinters (awww...poor me, I know). I was waiting to make the purchase until I was sure that outrigger was for me, but I've come to realize that I really enjoy my Tuesday nights out on the Bay, I like the cross-training it provides, and I like the camaraderie of being on the crew. I can't wait until I have an opportunity to actually race with the club. Apparently there is one more here in SF out to Angel Island and back. I'm hoping to get in on that and try my hand at the racing!

So, I figure, that this is relatively small and easy to store as opposed to my other athletic gear, and will make my nights out on the Bay a little more comfortable and I won't look like a total dork with an old-school wooden paddle when I show up at a race. Besides, Jeff has been kind enough to let me leave my bikes in his garage...that has helped with the clutter in my studio apartment a LOT! So why not fill the empty space with more gear! :-)

Virtual Wine Bar

2008-08-25T21:22:00.000-07:00

So Monday nights are my nights at home. A night to get caught up on my banking, paint my toes, do online shopping, clean out my email inbox, clean my apartment, etc. I usually open a bottle of wine to enjoy while getting all my chores done, then cork the rest of it for a few glasses during the week.

Well, tonight while doing my online chores, my friend Rick and I started IMing. Since he and I regularly enjoy a number of glasses at our favorite wine bar on Polk Street on Friday nights, I mentioned the bottle I was drinking, which in turn, prompted him to open a bottle. Who said you can't share a good night with friends from a distance! :-)

BTW...I feel the need to share two of my favorite happy hour spots in the city. One is based in good wine, the other is based on yummy pizza.

First, there is the Wine Bar on Polk Street (between Broadway and Pacific). The owner is very chill, the bartenders are very social and awesome! It is the least pretentious wine bar in the city. And the wine list is ever changing! That is a good thing, but I will reluctantly admit that. It is good in the fact that it forces me to try new and different wines each time, but bad 'cause I never get to have the same one twice! Rick and I have become favorites at the Wine Bar as we hold the all-time highest bar tab for a party of two. What? Who? Me? All in all, I'm a fan! Not to mention that it is the new, official bar of the Marquette Alumni Club - WE ARE MARQUETTE!

Second is Olive on Larkin and O'Farrell. The downside is the neighborhood - a whole lotta sketchy. But otherwise, the place is a gem! The happy hour goes until 7pm and includes $5 cocktails and $7 pizzas, namely, the Truffle and Wild Mushroom Pizza. I have been known to polish one off all on my own. Lori shares my addiction. They have a decent wine list, their specialty martini's are to die for, although when ordering "The Olive" I would suggest asking them to go easy on the "dirty", otherwise it just tastes like a mouthful of Bay water. The goat cheese-stuffed olives are so worth the drink, though!

That's my humble opinion about happy hour spots in the city. I'm free this Friday - who's joining me?

If Michael Phelps and Kerri Walsh had a child...

2008-08-17T18:02:00.000-07:00

There are two sporting events that I will never miss when they are on. One, is the Tour de France - which was absolutely enthralling this year. No clear favorite, exciting every day. The best man won!

The second is the Olympics. Now this year has been great with Michael Phelps and his amazing achievement, the entire US swim teams dominance in the "Water Cube", Kari and Missy cleaning up in Beach Volleyball, the US gymnastics (not gym-nice-tics) team and all their glory - both guys and girls, the cute little 18 y.o. track rider (who will be a force in 2012), the 38 year old woman who won the marathon (handily), the 41 year old Dara Torres with her 3 silver medals, and on and on...And this week we have all the track and field to look forward to - totally digging that!

So in watching all the varied coverage, I came to the realization this year that there are 5 sports which are simply derivatives of each other.

First you start with table tennis - smallest net, smallest ball, smallest court.
Then you move up to badmitton - everything is just a little bigger
Next is tennis - all a little bigger still.
Then 2-man (or woman) beach volleyball
And finally 6-man (or woman) hardcourt volleyball.

All five take hand/eye coordination, quick reflexes and agility.

So I think if Michael Phelps and Kerri Walsh had off-spring, they could produce an olympian with the tenacity and coordination, fitness and genetics to medal in all 5 sports. If they really cared about the future of the US Olympic Team, they would do this for all us fans :-)

I'm Back!

2008-08-11T21:10:00.000-07:00

I know it has been a while. I needed a break from all things Ironman for a few weeks, and that included this blog. Now, I've got another triathlon under my belt and I've taken up some new hobbies, so I'm ready to resume my musings!

So what has happened since June 22nd? Well...

I've started outrigger canoeing with the SFOCC
I started masters swimming at USF
A fantastic 4th of July weekend - random workouts, lots of BBQing (Jeff got a new 4-burner grill - he was so happy), marathon Wimbledon, etc.
Teams "Pollo del Mar" and "Taco, Burrito, What's Coming Out of Your Speedo" combined forces for a fun-filled Trans Tahoe weekend! Jesse came out from Denver, we had the company of Tipsy Dana and Mute Lori (which I think balanced each other out), and Team Discovery (Jeff, Jesse and Lance all with matching jerseys) out for a training ride - 'nuff said!
I turned another year older (and wiser, I'd like to think).
I hit my first bucket of golf balls in probably 4 years after a 4 hour ride and 20 minute run - best brick EVER! Thanks for joining me, Sam!
I've started a new hobby of manual photography - Jeff will rue the day he gave me an SLR camera, but I think he knows how much I appreciate it! While at the Boulder Reservoir the day before the race, I caught this picture of Jeff doing his best Daniel Craig pose - not bad! I'll certainly take him home with me! :-)
Went to Boulder this weekend for the 5430 Half Ironman triathlon - fun times at altitude!

Phew...so much in only 7 weeks!

But don't worry, I have lots to share. Now with my new camera there will be pictures to share, recipes to document, memories to recount, new jewelry to showcase and much much more!

I've downloaded my first pictures from my new camera, so those will be my next entry...you'll get a little taste of the learning process associated with my new camera. Some are great, some are not so good, but its all fun.

And although I am not a big TV watcher - just ask anyone. Put on a movie and I fall asleep! But both the Tour de France and the Olympics have kept me glued to the TV this summer. The Tour was the most exciting its been in YEARS and the Olympics are always great! Michael Phelps is at 2 golds, only 6 to go, and I'm going to keep my fingers crossed for him the whole time! And once all that is over, my high school crush, Christian Slater, is coming out with a new series on NBC, so that will be a "must watch" for me this fall.

Okay, so I know this entry wasn't chocked full of great info, but I promise, I'll get back in the swing of things, and it will be richer and more fun with each entry.

Life After Ironman

2008-06-26T10:01:00.000-07:00

Well, I know I am just fresh off my Ironman but I am now looking forward to adding some new and bringing some old hobbies back into my life. So this blog will take a turn to covering more general thoughts about life and my other passions, including, but certainly not limited to, triathlons.

Don't worry, I haven't forgotten about writing my race report, but I need a few more days to digest it all before putting it down on the blog. Plus, since returning from CDA, life has been a bit of a whirlwind, so I honestly just haven't had much time to concentrate on it.

So, in case you were wondering, there IS life after Ironman, and I am most certainly looking forward to getting to it! (and Jeff is certainly looking forward to a little diversity in our conversations as well - thanks for your patience, Jefe!)

Musings of a newly minted Ironman...

2008-06-23T17:53:00.001-07:00

Thanks to everyone who cheered me on yesterday! I know it helped when I was contemplating my foot at the start of the run. Knowing you were all behind me, definitely spurred me on to the finish line!

Here are my first thoughts of the days events - a race report will follow tomorrow:

The Fans and Volunteers in CDA were Awesome! Super helpful, super friendly!
You haven't seen nothing until you've seen a rather "voluptuous" woman in the middle of the road in her housecoat/moo moo shaking a pom pon at 9am, and then again around 12pm ringing a liberty bell in her front yard (apparently dressed in her best sunday afternoon moo moo).
The swim start of an Ironman is enough to make me never want to do an Ironman again!
Men, no matter what age, love cheerleaders, no matter what age. (in reference to the middle school cheerleaders at the top of the hill at mile 5/61 on the bike, who the men kept asking for more of when we were out in the back forty on the ride where there were zero spectators)
My Psychic Friends Network RULES! (aka Jeff, Julia, Dana, Sam, Rangsiwan, Jesse, and many more who all kept tabs on me throughout the day and sent words of encouragement through Jeff as he leap-frogged me every 1/4 mile on the run from about mile 15 on! THANK YOU!).
Why does the national anthem always make me want to cry?
Who knew that you would lose the will to walk 8 blocks after you've just raced 140.6 miles?
Mile 20-24 of the run SUCKS!
Why do all clothing manufacturers (even those of Ironman apparel) think all women love pink and girly patterns? And that all women, no matter their size, have the arms of a 5'6" tall woman?
Don't pass someone at the crest of a hill only to pee on them on the way down.
Why wasn't I starving on Monday?
CDA is obsessed with late 80's/early 90's hip hop/rap (ala Bust a Move, Humpty Dance and Push It) and Classic Rock (ala Jethro Tull, Journey and The Doors).
Favorite quote of the day "Sweetheart, no matter how it's going, know that your outfit looks fabulous!" (said by a presumably gay man that I kept leap frogging on the run)
I am so happy that I got through the bike without any "dark miles".
There's a split-second pause of "really, I have to go back in there" while on the beach before the second loop on the swim.
Having bacon in your back pocket on the run makes other people jealous (and your tummy very happy).
Salt tabs are KEY!
Blisters can grow blisters - who knew?
Favorite sign of the day (besides the "Fierce" sign from Julia/Dana) was "Ride like you stole it".
What guy asks a girl in the middle of the ride "So, what's your heart rate at?"
And when you ride by someone who's dropped their chain, don't point out the obvious.
Watered-down, luke-warm Chicken Broth = YUCKY
So many aero helmets to PASS. So little time. (except for B. August's - he's all kinds of fast and deserves to wear one)
There is no way to stretch out a cramp on the outside of your foot.
Come to find out, I don't like strangers yelling out my name. (by the way, it took me a whole mile to figure out that the reason they all knew my name is that it was on my bib number - classic case of "race brain")
I do, however, love having friends and family cheering me on on the side of the road - a huge boost to the morale!
If I don't see another Almond Butter and Jelly sandwich for a while...that's okay.
Coming home to 17 text messages and 9 voicemail message after a hard-fought day is absolutely excellent! Thanks guys!!!
The absolute worst time to get stuck with flight delays is the day after your Ironman when you just want to get home and get to sleep.
For your entertainment - my happy freak out at the finish line (thanks, Rangsiwan, for capturing this Sunday night): http://www.flickr.com/photos/angefasu/2603680942/

Yes, I'm sore. Yes, I'm tired. Yes, I am so happy that I finished. Yes, I am a little disappointed in my time. Yes, I recognize that it wasn't my training or lack of will but rather a body malfunction (my foot cramp) that stopped me from having the race I was intended to have. All that being said, YES, I am an Ironman (and pretty darn happy about that fact!).

More tomorrow...

T'was the Night before CDA...

2008-06-21T18:55:00.000-07:00

...and I bet you thought you were getting a poem. Ha! :-)

So last night, three loyal spectators were added to our crew here in CDA - Dana (pic on right with Brian), Brian's girlfriend and my friend, Jeff, my boyfriend, and Julia (pic on left with me), our dear friend, and the maker of the bacon (more to come on that). In addition, Brian's parents and Dana's Mom arrived this morning, so our collective cheering section, including my Mom and Bob is going to be quite strong!

So today was about getting in one last workout to shake out our legs, gather our belongings into our transition bags and dropping everything off at the aforementioned "athletes village". Jeff and I went out on bikes to scope out the run course. Besides a substantial hill at the turn around point on the run (not nearly as long, and not as steep as the pit at Wildflower) the course is pretty flat. A few little rises here and there, but nothing much to speak of. Not sure if that is good or bad, as sometimes, the hills are a welcome change in terrain as they allow you to use some different muscles and mix it up a bit. But I'll take a flat 26 miles after the 112 bike, no problem.

Then we came back and ran through my transition bags. First, in the order that I plan to put the items on my body. Second from head to toe. Then a third time through for good measure. Finally, we were ready to go and off to the "village" to drop everything off.

Now that was quite the scene. Jeff had dropped us off near the village and Julia helped me carry my bags to the transition area. While there, Julia asked a kind volunteer about the flow of transition in the morning. He was kind enough to give us the complete low down. Sorry that I didn't get a picture with him. Instead, you get photos of all the bags lined up in nice neat rows until we come by and ruin all of that tomorrow! Also, as these are all lined up outside, I hope they were able to cover all the bags overnight as it is supposed to rain all night long. I think the Ironman people paid off weather.com as miraculously at 7am, the sun is supposed to some out tomorrow. We shall see.

After dropping off all our goods, Julia and I did one last test of the water and found it to be warming up. When I got back to the house, I checked the Lake temp report and found out it got to a high of 60 degrees today! What were we all worrying about??? It'll be all good tomorrow!

Then we made our way back to the house for some relaxation, some dinner, and some more relaxation. Julia, Dana and I made my usual pre-race pasta for the whole crew we sat down to a family dinner. Now, I'm here writing one last blog entry before the big race.

Tomorrow morning will involve an early morning wake up around 4am, last minute packing of the almond butter and jelly sandwiches and the bacon (which Julia lovingly made up this evening) - the bacon will come in handy around mile 60 or 70 on the bike, and hopefully, a little more for the run. I've got a bag full for each leg. It'll be a welcome change to the sweet AB&J's, Gu and Accelerade the rest of the day. And the salt certainly won't hurt my case. And, well, the sheer yumminess of a well-fried piece of pork product will certainly lift my spirits out on the course.

So, with that, I sign off for the evening. I don't expect to be able to write tomorrow, but as I mentioned before, you can always check me out at http://ironman.com/ironmanlive for up-to-the-minute updates on my splits and to see my finish. However, check back early next week and you'll be sure to find an all-too-lengthy recap of the day's events!

Day 1 - Friday - Coeur d'Alene

2008-06-20T21:30:00.000-07:00

Well, I made it! I'm here. This is really happening. There are so many amazing triathletes here! And the volunteers - the most helpful people I have ever encountered at a race. Big smiles all around!

So we started out the morning by heading down to the swim for a warm up swim. By "we" I mean Kara, Brian, Elaine and Mike went for a swim, and I guarded their gear. Now you might say "wouldn't it have been good to get in and test out the waters?" Well, I know the water is cold...I recognize that. Do I really need to get in to reaffirm that belief? I decided not. Plus, it's not like I haven't swam in that cold of water before. So, I decided to just watch from the shore. I got in up to my knees this afternoon, and it was pretty much what I expected.

After everyone got out of the swim, I went over to Tri Bike Transport and picked up my bike and gear. Now, the folks working the pick up were not overly organzied, which did not give me the greatest feeling, but alas, my bike was in perfect shape and my gear was all there. They even put my pedals back on for me. I rode it back to the house and it felt in perfect shape. I must give a shout out to Chad at Above Category for doing an awesome job on my recent tune up and repairs to the Orbea...she's working flawlessly! Tomorrow, my bike will be placed on the rack you see here - my number is 1904.

After a little lunch, we headed out onto the bike course to take a look at what we had ahead of us on Sunday. We started out on the course and were pleasantly surprised to see just how flat it was for the first 20 miles or so. Then we hit the rollers. There are about 15 miles with some decent rolling hills. That being said, you can see the top of every hill you encounter...not something we are used to in Northern California. Usually, you head into a climb expecting it to last 5 minutes or more. I am guessing none of these climbs takes longer than 2 minutes. Not to be ignored, but not to really be feared, either.

While out on the course, we drove past a house that had an aid station set up, complete with water, sport drink, clif shots, clif bars, and a Port-o-Pottie! How awesome that someone would do that for the triathletes that were in town! So although we weren't riding - amazingly, we saw competitors out there doing the whole 56 mile loop - we had been out on the road for over an hour since lunch, so we decided to take advantage of it.

We came back to the house, and then I headed out to dinner with my Mom and Bob who came out to share in the weekend. They had a great day wandering around the area, taking in the sites, and checking out all the local golf courses. They actually made a tee time for tomorrow at one of them. We went to the Beachouse at the Coeur d'Alene Resort for a fantastic dinner before they had to take me back to the "athlete village" to attend the mandatory athletes meeting.

Now this meeting took place under a tent in 80 degree heat. 2000 (+/-) nervous athletes all under one tent. That is a lot of pent up energy. It is also really, really HOT! Fortunately they kept it short and sweet and to the point. So, the little known secret is that they really don't tell you anything that they haven't already put in the literature. However, I am glad I went to experience it.

So, after a very full day, it is time for me to sign off for tonight. It is time to get some sleep as I am guessing I won't get a quality sleep in tomorrow night. Tomorrow we need to take our bikes and gear bags to the "village" area, and I want to do an easy ride up and back on the run course, just to get a sense of what it is like. From all reports, it is relatively flat with a decent hill at the half-way turn around, but I'd like to see it for myself.

Quote of the Day:
Jessica: What are you doing there, Mike?
Mike: I am putting baby powder on my tubes so they don't stick in the tires.
Jessica: Oh. [pause] You know how I know you're gay? You baby powder your tubes!
Mike: But I don't like to get rashes there!

One final picture for you. As I was leaving the village this evening, they had just put up the finish line...ah the calm before the storm.

The CDA IronGang

2008-06-17T19:52:00.001-07:00

From Left to Right...
Kara, Brian, Chris, Jennie, Me and Malik

At various times throughout this week, we'll all be heading to CDA. Some are headed earlier to get the lay of the land, others, including myself, are headed there closer to race day to avoid any added anxiety with being at the race location.

Thanks to Rangsiwan and Sammy for pulling together our send-off party last Saturday - it was great to get those last-minute words of encouragement and expressions of support from our friends.

Here are a few more shots of the crowd from that night:

Thank you to Rangsiwan and her family (owners of Khan Toke) for a FANTASTIC dinner! Thank you to Benito for making an honest woman out of our Rangsiwan...lord knows she was a wild card before this :-) Congrats you two!

Inching up every day...

2008-06-17T14:43:00.001-07:00

The water temp keeps moving in the right direction! at 14 degrees Celsius, that equates to 58 degrees Fahrenheit. Totally doable!!! I've swam in the Bay at colder temps before, so this is no longer a concern for me.

Additionally, the weather is looking up as well. The coldest day out of the next 10 is Sunday (good for racing) at 68 degrees, and since it will be in the mid-70's/low-80's the rest of the week, the water temp will only go up!

So its looking like the weather is going to cooperate. The only wildcard right now is the wind...

How does your Orbea go so much faster than mine?

2008-06-17T14:31:00.001-07:00

For reference, Andreas was 3rd OVERALL at San Jose International last weekend! Not only does he bike fast, but his swim and run aren't too shabby either!

I just like to think that his masterful cycling skills add some street cred to my Orbea :-)

I Can't Wait!

2008-06-16T19:12:00.000-07:00

Hey there to all my faithful blog readers (Rangsiwan, Rick, Sam, Mom)...

Well, this is it. Just one week to go. I went out for my last road ride with my friends (Rangsiwan, Sam and Rick (in photo below)) on Saturday. Then, dropped off my bike on Saturday at Sports Basement for TriBike Transport to take it safely from SF to CDA. To round out the day on Saturday, my friends threw a a Thai/Tiki Send off Party on Saturday night to give us their last words of encouragement. So totally excellent! It was a great dinner - the cupcakes (see picture below) were only the icing on the night (and in my tummy!). Sunday, Jeff and I went to Terra Linda for the Sunday morning swim and some last-minute instruction from Scott of the Olympic Club. He's really done wonders for both Jeff and I with our strokes. And, he is the race director for Trans Tahoe. He facilitates our mid-summer fun (and the naked swim - more on that to follow). Afterwards, we went with Brian, Dana and Chance to the trail in Kentfield for one final 1 hour run. Chance let Dana and I follow him for an hour run, and when he corralled the boys after about 55 minutes, he decided his work was done, and he led us all back to the car. Did I mention the time Jeff and I slept in a closet under the watch of Chance all night. No? I guess that's a story for another blog.

I know I've said it before, but I couldn't have done this without the support of each and every one of my friends. They have been there for the workouts (2 and 2 - M2 style, not Chuck Woolery style), they have been there for the indulgences (mmmm...wild mushroom pizza with martini's at Olive), they have been there for the ups (the PR at Wildflower) and the downs (walking 45 minutes into a one-hour easy run). They have made me laugh, they have made me cards and posters, they have made me breakfast/lunch. So whereas next Sunday will be about me (in only-child fashion), I will certainly think of all the wonderful people that have been a part of my life over the last year, the last 5 years, the last almost-eleven years since I moved to CA. Heck, I am going to think of my first cross-country coach, Mr. Schultz, who chased me DOWNhill with a grass snake 'cause I wasn't going fast enough, when I feel like walking during the marathon.

As much as I have enjoyed putting all of my thoughts down in this blog during this 6-month journey, I hope you all have enjoyed reading it. Don't worry, there is more to come. There will certainly be a race report to come after next Sunday's adventure, and I am sure there will be reflections that follow. But once the race is over, you all might learn a little more about me and who I am outside of the context of an Ironman. I have never been a jounaler, I have never kept a diary (except when Mrs. Noe MADE me in my freshman year of high school), but I have really enjoyed this blog. It was great to write down my thoughts through this 6-month journey. It has been great to reflect upon how far I've come.

In case the week gets away from me, be sure to go to http://www.ironmancda.com on Sunday to track my progress and that of all my friends as we make our 140+ mile journey. They haven't put the link up yet, but come race day, there will be a live stream of the finish line. If you are interested in watching me finish, I should be crossing the line somewhere around 6 to 7 pm PST on Sunday night.

Well, I am going to sign off for now. I will possibly blog again to vent some of my race-week emotions, but then again, in the hurry to get ready and get there, I may run out of time.

Week 23: Training Hours: 11 hours
Monday: Rest Day
Tuesday: Spin
Wednesday: Swim (3200 yds) and 90-minute run
Thursday: Spin
Friday: Swim (3000 yds)
Saturday: 3-hour Ride
Sunday: 3400 yard swim, 1 hour run

Coming Up:

Um, really? You had to read this part to know what is coming up? Seriously...

BRING IT ON!!!

AAARRRRGHHHH!!!!

2008-06-12T17:31:00.000-07:00

Its only 10 days away!

I'm excited, I'm scared, I'm anxious, I'm nervous, I'm pumped, I'm inspired, I'm completely overcome with emotion.

One minute I am feeling like I have this. I've done all the training. I've PR'd three times this year, I'm the strongest I've ever been. In the immortal words of Kirsten Dundst "Bring it ON!"

The next minute I start to let the enormity of the event get the better of me. 12+ hours of racing! The swim temp is only supposed to be in the low to mid 50's. A whole marathon to finish off my day! 4 people flying out just to see me complete this race! Oh the pressure!

Then I go back to "I'm trained for this. I will be fine. It will be fun. I'll see all my fellow bay area peeps out there racing and have them to cheer on as well. My Mom and Bob will shake cowbells everytime they see me. Jeff will be encouraging as always. Julia will give me a Whooooooo that will make me smile the biggest smile. Dana is bound do re-enact the "puttin' on the ritz" dance from The Relay."

Then I have a pit in my stomach. I think about what happens if my nutrition fails. What if I pull something on the run? What if I get a flat on the bike? What if it takes me much longer than I am planning on? I know my Mom is going to cry the morning of the event, which in turn, will make me cry.

I am strong. I am going to finish. And in just 10 days, I WILL BE an Ironman.

FINALLY!!!

2008-06-08T20:36:00.000-07:00

So as most of you know, San Jose International was my first triathlon, and is the race I do EVERY year (except last year). I started out on my first one at 2:56 (not bad for a backstroker) and widdled away at that every subsequent year. The biggest jump came in year 4 when I finally spent some quality time with my swim stroke. However, in 2005 I actually went up by 3 minutes over my 2004 time, and that just about killed me. Part of it was that it was my first year training for 1/2 ironmans, so not a lot of speedy stuff, and part of it was that it was a hellatiously windy year, so my bike split was really slow. All that being said, I came back in 2006 and tore it up, finishing with a 2:33. So close to that ever-illusive 2:30 that I had been striving for ever since I got my act together on the swim. Last year I had to work on the day of the event, so I had to take a year break. So here it was, my next opportunity to break the 2:30 barrier. Now I had been doing speedwork running, my biking is stronger and my swimming has come a long way. HOWEVER, I've been training this year for an ironman. Sure, there is some speedwork on the treadmill and the like, but my body has been trained for long and steady, not short and fast. So I really wasn't sure how to feel headed into today's race. I decided I wasn't going to beat myself up if I didn't hit the mark, but I knew I would be disappointed.

So at 7:12 this morning, Julia, Dana and I all took our places in the water (Jeff also raced, but was starting in a wave 8 mins back from us). Dana and I moved up to the front to make the mad dash once the gun went off. When it did, I swam the fastest I ever have at a triathlon start. My stroke felt strong and I could tell I was moving at a good clip. By about 1/2 way through the loop, I noticed that there was no one around me. I looked up once when I was sighting to see the speedy girls at the front about 1 minute ahead, and then caught a glimpse behind me to see the main pack about 1 minute back. It was so bizarre to be all alone. Admittedly, it was nice not having the bumping and shoving that is usually going on, but it was a little weird without anyone else around. That being said, I just put my head down and swam like hell. It paid off - I came out of the water over 2 minutes faster than in 2006 - a marked improvement on a course that short.

I headed into transition to see my friend Dana just exiting the transition area. She is a very fast swimmer, and come to find out when I saw her on the bike, she was the FIRST out of the water - NICE! I got to my area, and to my surprise, my wetsuit actually slid right off! Who needs body glide, when you have Suave Morning Mist conditioner to help with the wetsuit removal :-) So I got that off, put on my shoes and socks, my sunglasses and helmet and was off!

I headed out of transition and was feeling strong. Usually it takes a few minutes to get your legs back after being horizontal for 1/2 hour (give or take), but I was pushing watts that I expected 5 minutes in. The nice thing about San Jose is that the first 13 miles of the bike course are pancake flat - the bad thing is the headwind that can whip up. Every once in a while I felt a gust, but I quickly assessed that, at least on the way out, the wind would not be much of a factor. Somewhere around mile 8 I caught up to the speedy Dana and as I did she said "go get 'em. there's only 4 ahead of us - 2 pac bikes, a girl in an Orca top, and one other". I guess those were my marching orders. By the time I hit the turn around at mile 11, I had caught one, and just before I got to Baily hill (the only climb of the day) I caught one more. Woo Hoo! I was pushing strong though, so was starting to wonder about how my legs would feel when I got to the run. That being said, I cruised up Baily hill, made the turn back towards the transition area with about 10 miles of rolling hills to go. And although the wind seemed to be in our faces, my watts and my speed were the best I've ever seen at San Jose. The only downside to the bike was seeing a little kid on a scooter head straight into our path from a side street, t-boning a cyclist, only about 10 seconds ahead of me. The little boy fell down and was crying, but the cyclist bounced right back up and started to get back on his bike. I felt a little helpless, because if it had been a normal riding day, I certainly would have stopped, but while racing, there's not much I could have done. I didn't have a cell phone on me to call for help, and I am no help when it comes to medical emergencies. Like I said, though, the cyclist got right back up, and since he seemed okay, I just charged ahead. I pulled into transition at 1:35 on my watch.

This meant that I had exactly 55 minutes to change into my run gear and finish up the 6.2 mile run in order to come in under 2:30. So off I went!

I have been doing a lot of brick workouts (spin followed immediately by a run), so I felt pretty strong coming out of transition. Probably a little too strong, as I soon started to feel really fatigued. This was combined by the fact that I crossed the first mile marker and it registered as a 9 minute mile. WHAT??? My half ironman pace is faster than that! Fortunately, as I came upon Mile 2, I checked my watch and it said that I had run a 7 minute second mile, so CLEARLY their mile markers were off. An average of 8 mins per mile was right on target. Then I started to feel tired. I was going faster than I have in over two years in a triathlon run, and my body just wasn't used to the sensation. My legs were tired, I was breathing hard, and I just didn't like it. I got to the mile 3 marker, which was also an aid station, and I resigned myself to walking through it to regroup and continue on. And right at that point was where Jeff caught me! 2 years prior, he had caught me on Mile 22 of the bike, so to hold him off until Mile 3 of the run reinforced that I was having a pretty good race and I shouldn't beat myself up for feeling so tired. The next 2 miles were a mental struggle with myself to keep moving at a decent pace. It sounds weird given that I am training for and my ironman is only 2 weeks away, and is over 4 times the distance, but once again, I just wasn't used to that kind of pace and maintaining that high of a heart rate. Fortunately, for the last 2/3 of a mile of the race, you can see and hear the festivities at the finish line, so that certainly helps lift your spirits and push you along. Additionally, I saw the lovely Julia at this point on the run as well, and she gave me her words of encouragement as well. So I put my head down and gutted out the last .5 miles, to give myself a finishing time of 2:28.38 (unofficially per my own watch). A full 5-minute improvement over 2006, not too shabby.

So all in all, my race season has be pretty fruitful. A PR at Wildflower, a PR at the 1/2 Marathon distance last weekend and a PR at San Jose. Three very different events, but was the strongest I have ever been at all of them. I think this means I'm ready for CDA! Looking forward to backing off a little over the next two weeks to give my legs a little rest up so I can go into the Ironman feeling strong, and with the freshest legs possible in order to complete the distance.

Week 22: Training Hours - 10 hours
Monday - Rest
Tuesday - 1 hour spin and core work
Wednesday - 2500 yd swim + 2 hour run
Thursday - 1 hour spin and core work
Friday - 45 minute easy jog
Saturday - 3500 yd swim
Sunday - San Jose International Triathlon - 2:28!!!

Coming Up:
More of the same. I think the next two weeks will see me in the pool more, with less running, and about the same amount of biking (2 spins with a 4 hour ride next Saturday with the girls). I'll get one last good swim in at Terra Linda next Sunday, then head off to CDA the following Thursday. It's soooo close, and I am soooo ready!

I have NO self control!

2008-06-04T13:03:00.001-07:00

"I will NOT sign up for any races after CDA until AFTER I race!" I said this defiantly to anyone who asked if I was doing Big Kahuna or the like.

Well, I caved and I just signed up for the 5430 Long Course Triathlon in Boulder, CO. It sounded like fun and the times from last year were pretty fast, so I got all excited and just signed up! I might as well just go ahead and sign up for Big Kahuna while I'm at it. Who am I kidding, its not like I am not going to do that race, too!

I am such a sucker for races - love the atmosphere, testing my body, the road tripping with friends. I love it all (minus the temporary pain that is usually inflicted around mile 9 on the run, but I seem to forget that every time).

Powerhouse week!

2008-06-02T19:09:00.000-07:00

This was by far, my best week of training. I logged the most hours, felt the strongest, and finished it off with a BANG! Every workout felt great! I was pushing quality watts on the bike, and I was seeing some of the fastest speedwork I've ever seen on my runs.

Saturday was completely unexpected. I went out for a "girl's night out" on Friday with my friends Julia and Lisa to go see the opening night of Sex and the City - fun movie by the way! So we were at dinner, and on our second round, 1/2 way into the first wild mushroom pizza, when my friend Lisa mentioned the See Jane Run 1/2 Marathon (she wasn't goint to run because she had hurt her foot earlier in the week). Just prior to going out, I had talked with M2, and he wasn't going to be able to do the interval ride with me on Saturday, so viola, I decided to run the race.

I got there bright and early got settled in and got in line for the port-o-potties. 1/2 hour later, I was still 4 people back from the front of the line and the starter gun was about to go off. So, I decided to skip the bathroom break, and headed to the starting line. It was a SEA of Women! 990 total in the 1/2 marathon. I set out trying to see how long I could hold 8 minute miles. 9 miles is the answer to that question. For miles 10-12, I settled into my 1/2 ironman run pace - approx 8:30 miles, and was feeling good. So mile 13 I decided to pick the pace up and finish on a strong note - another 8-minute mile! As I crossed the finish line, I was handed a cute little silver charm, a chocolate and a glass of champagne! An excellent finish to the morning. I was feeling a little sore/tired the rest of the day, so I did lots of stretching, some quality time on the foam roller and an ice bath.

Sunday, was now a wildcard. I had no clue how I was going to feel after really racing hard the day before. So I headed up to Healdsburg at 7am, with PB&J in my pocket, and headed out on a double loop of the Vineman course. As a bit of background, this is the course where I had my 1/2 Iron distance PR last year with a 5:29:59. My bike split that day was 2:51. So I set out with a solid plan for my watts, in the hopes that I could maintain a strong pedal stroke as strong as possible. As I set out, I noticed that my legs felt a little tight, but inside of 3 miles or so, they loosened up and felt great! I kept a brisk, but reasonable pace, being sure to stop every hour to refuel on PB&J and a salt tab. This strategy paid off in the long run - I never felt dehydrated and I never ran out of energy. I finished my first loop in 3 hours and 15 minutes. This included about 10 mins of stops. I set out on my second loop and was still feeling strong. It wasn't until I got to Dry Creek Road that I noticed the increasing headwinds. The really started to wear on my around my 75 while out on Route 128. I had a few dark miles in there, where it was tough going, but I perked back up around mile 85. This is not unfamiliar to me as I had a similar slump at mile 75 on the 100 miler with the girls three weeks ago. I rolled into the parking lot at 3:30 for the second loop - including about 20 minutes of rest/refueling stops. Total roll time: 6:15. Given what I had done the day before, and given that it wasn't race conditions, I felt pretty good about my time for the 106 miles. I topped my ride off with a pint of Haagen Daz Dulce de Leche Light Ice Cream and a 90 minute massage. Aaaahhhhh.

So all in all, I am feeling pretty confident about my fitness going into this race. Having some alone time this week, both at the race and on the 106 mile ride, helped me to understand what I could do in solitude - in much the same way I'll be racing at CDA. While I enjoy training with the girls, its good to know that I can go out and push it all on my own. Bring it on!

Week 22: Training Hours: 17 hours
Monday: Rest
Tuesday: 1 hour spin and 1 hour run
Wednesday: 3000yd swim, 1 hour interval run
Thursday: 1 hour spin and 1 hour run
Friday: 3000 yard swim
Saturday: 1/2 Marathon - Race - 1:46:54
Sunday: 106 mile ride - 6:45 total time, approx 6:15 ride time

Coming up:
SAN JOSE INTERNATIONAL! This will be my 7th time doing this event. Crazy? Perhaps. But it was my first triathlon, it is a fast course, and I've been trying for the last 7 years to get under the 2:30 mark for my race time. The last time I was at 2:33 (Swim: 25mins, T1-3mins, Bike-1:09mins, T2-1:45mins, Run - 53mins. Since that time, however, my cycling has gotten a LOT stronger, and my running a LOT faster. Not to mention my swimming! My goal is to do 2:25 (why stop at 2:30?), but my STRETCH goal is 2:20. If all goes well, this is within reach. Here's the breakdown to hit my stretch goal: Swim-22mins, T1-3mins, Bike - 1:05, T2 - 2mins, Run - 48 mins. Wish me luck!

p.s. Last week I forgot to mention the AGONIZING poison oak I got while trail running with Sammy the week before. I thought I had just run into one of the tree branches we had to duck under, but comes to find out, it must have been poison oak. It got everywhere! I had a lovely collection on my left shoulder/arm/back, and then some more all over my stomach. I was confused how it got there, but then remembered that earlier in the day, I had exploded a gu on myself when I fell, and so I washed it off at a water fountain, apparently, with a poison oak-laden hand. Argh! It is now two weeks removed from that event, and I still itch like crazy! Fortunatley it is starting to heal, and doesn't keep me awake at night anymore. The joys of the Nor Cal outdoors!

Snow = 21 miles on the Treadmill

2008-05-27T18:56:00.000-07:00

SNOW?!?! Yeah, I know! Crazy, huh? We went to Tahoe for a fun weekend of outdoor adventures, and ended up working out at the Tahoe Donner Rec Center and watching dumb movies on TV. Now, don't get me wrong, we had a great time...just not the weekend I was planning on. We did eat some pretty amazing cooking all weekend thanks to all our chefs, so that was most excellent!

So as a result, I didn't get any rides in in Tahoe, but did get two intense treadmill workouts in and two good swims, so I don't think my training suffered for the weather. Plus, there was lots of down time, which was a good thing for me given my schedule as of late.

The runs were tough, but felt good! Running at altitude is not easy. The swims felt great! I am working on my stroke to make sure follow all the way through, and I really feel like I am getting much more power out of each stroke. I feel like there has been noticeable improvement each week, which makes the training so easy to keep up.

Week 21: Training Hours: 11 hours
Monday: Rest
Tuesday: 1 hour spin and 1 hour run
Wednesday: 2 hour run
Thursday: 1 hour spin and core
Friday: 1.5 hour treadmill interval run, 2500 yd swim
Saturday: 1.5 hour treadmill interval run
Sunday: 3000 yd swim

Coming up:
This weekend is my last big bike weekend. I have a 2.5 hour intense interval ride on Saturday with my coach, then a 6 hour ride on Sunday. That'll be a lot and leave me quite tired come Monday! I have a feeling I'll be headed to bed early on Saturday night and on Sunday as well. Good thing I've got plans to see the opening night of Sex in the City with Julia and Lisa on Friday, otherwise I might not have had any fun at all this weekend!

Closing In!

2008-05-19T16:51:00.000-07:00

5 weeks and counting...

Well, after a big week last week following my race the weekend before, I decided I needed to give my body a little rest. Plus, for the first time during my ironman training, work got in the way of my training! I wanted to get in at least one, maybe two swims this week, and it just wasn't possible. It's too bad, too, as the weather was gorgeous and it would have been nice to get outside for a swim. Oh well, Sammy and I took advantage of the weather on Wednesday during our sunset run through the Presidio, out to Baker Beach, out Lands End and back. 2 hours post-work seemed like a lot, but it was actually quite nice once we got going. The view - picture above - made it all worth it!

And as for the weekend...

Saturday was a tough one! I started out bright and early at 7:45 to get in my bike ride. It had been really warm here for the last week, and the weather report was calling for 85 degrees + on Saturday. Since I was doing a bike then a run, I wanted to get going as early as possible to avoid too much of the heat.. I started out at the Lucas Valley park-n-ride and headed out to Pt. Reyes and back. It was about 42 miles and took me around 2:20 to complete. I then headed back to Mill Valley where I met Sam and we headed up to our favorite Mt. Home Inn trail. I thought this would be the right answer for the day as over 1/2 the trail is shaded, plus, its along the coast, so I figured there would be a coastal breeze to keep it cool - yeah right! It was hot, REALLY hot up there. On the way out it wasn't too bad, but when we started coming back, both of us started loosing our steam - fast! By the time we were 90 minutes in, I had stopped sweating - never a good sign. Fortunately, that was also just as we came to a water fountain, where we filled up on water and then trudged the rest of the way home. The good was that my legs actually felt really strong all day long. The bad was that I am clearly not prepared for heat. Let's hope CDA is pretty mild.

Today was just a swim. A nice break in the training, for sure! It was a tough 4400 yards, but one that I really enjoyed. Lots of long stuff broken up by lots of 100's. I even got to practice my fly again this week - pretty abysmal, though, i must say! I am really starting to feel strong in the pool - I was good through all 4400 yards today - I really didn't feel like I was getting tired at all! We even got some one-on-one time with the Coach who gave Jeff and I some solid pointers on our strokes. I think I have to abandon the running before swimming as the running would just tire me out and leave me dehydrated, causing major cramping and lack-luster swims.

Week 20: Training Hours: 11 hours
Monday: Rest
Tuesday: 1 hour spin and core work
Wednesday: 2 hour run
Thursday: 1 hour spin and core
Friday: Rest Day
Saturday: 2.5 hour bike and 2 hour run
Sunday: 4700 yd swim

Coming up:
Next weekend is Memorial Day weekend and I've got some fun planned for myself and the other peeps along for the ride up in Lake Tahoe! It'll be a work hard/play hard weekend! I think I will be the only one not working on Friday, so I'll probably do a shorter bike/run combo. If its nice, I might even throw in a swim. Saturday I think will be our big ride day - hopefully I can get everyone out for 75 miles or so (mind you, that will be at elevation, so will seem a lot harder than only 75). And Sunday, I'm hoping to get in a good trail run - we might either do the Tahoe Rim Trail or the Flume trail. Finally, depending on how I'm feeling after all that, I'll plan to swim either Sunday or wait until Monday after a little rest. In between all that working out, there will be a lot of eating and drinking and hot tubbing - good times. There might even be a trip to the local theater to see the opening of the newest installment in the Indiana Jones series. Mmmm...Harrison Ford.

A hundy, an epic swim and a run with Chance!

2008-05-11T21:16:00.000-07:00

As I am sure you know, Ironman training is no minor undertaking. And at times, the workouts can feel long and tedious. That can be avoided with the right set of training partners.

Exhibit A
The GIRLS!!! Right to left - Rangsiwan (Ironman Brazil), Jennie Eddy (Ironman CDA), Me, Julia (Death Ride), Sam (Along for the Ride)! Without my four riding partners, this day would have been torture! 7+ hours on the road, 96 miles, and almost 7000 feet of climbing. We chatted, we laughed we goofed around, and all of it made the time go by so quickly! We got in a good ride for all of our training, and everyone had a great time. Yay us!

We started out at 8am at Hwy 92 and Canada Rd. It was windy, it was cold. We added extra layers (to regret later), but we all braved the elements and headed out. About 8 miles into our ride came the first climb of the day - Kings Mt. About 4.5 miles up up up to Skyline Blvd (our first of two visits for the day). We all got up to the top with relative ease, and then enjoyed the major descents down Skyline and then down Hwy 84 - Good Times! After that, we had a relatively flat journey into Saratoga, around the Stevens Creek Reservoir, then up Mt. Eden. That was a 1 mile climb that seemed like NOTHING after the climb up Kings Mt. earlier that morning. We made our way down and around Saratoga to the base of Hwy 9. There were began a 7 mile climb to the top. 7 miles is a long way and a long time to keep your legs engaged and moving upwards. It took us right around an hour to get up (plus or minus a few minutes). Now if that's not perseverance, I don't know what is! There were varying degrees of unhappiness and relief expressed at the top, but everyone made it, and it didn't seem to slow anyone down for the rest of the day.

Exhibit B
We still had energy once we finished the climb. And I think the descent re-charged our batteries! I think it was also the knowledge that from this point forward, we had about 40 miles, and they were all relatively flat that helped our spirits as well. We also stopped at a nearby Safeway to refuel on water, turkey sandwiches and beef jerky, which didn't hurt our cases, either!

So we started our way back to Woodside. As I mentioned, the route was relatively flat, and we made some serious time heading back down Foothill Expwy. We were pacelining down the road and managing around 20mph into a headwind - not too shabby for a group of girls! The guys we passed along the way, however, certainly weren't happy about it. They'll get over it.

So we made our way back to Woodside via Alpine Rd (stupid false flat - so demoralizing at miles 80-85!), Portola Road, and Mt. Home Road (lots of rich Silicon Valley types live here with their gigantic mansions - fun people-watching). We ended up back at Robert's Market, which subsequently was our first stop of the day, to re-fuel with some Turkey Jerky (Exhibit C), liquids and a bathroom break. And quite unexpectedly, Sam found her knee warmers which she had left on the mailbox first thing in the morning. Hurrah!

So from the market, we made our 7 mile trek back to the cars into what can only be described as a really crappy headwind! It was blowing so hard that I felt like I was cycling in place. That being said, we obviously made it back, victorious, just 96 miles and 8.5 hours after we started (our ride time was 6:45, but we had a flat tire, re-groups at the top of climbs and much-needed refueling, not to mention stops signs and lights, which added to our total time on the road). And we were STILL smiling at the end of it all!

Exhibit D
We came, we saw, we kicked 7000 feet of vertical A$!

Thanks, girls, for a fantastic Saturday! I would have never gotten through it without all of you!

left to right - Rangsiwan, Jennie, Me, Sam and Julia

And that wasn't even it for me for the weekend! After an epic feed-fest at a fantastic indian/pakistani joint in the 'Loin Saturday night, a little sleeping in Sunday morning, and belly full of pancakes (thanks, Jeff), I was ready to go again on Sunday. I headed off to Terra Linda for the usual Sunday swim. The gang was all there, and the coach decided it was going to be a long workout for us. We did 400's, a set of 12 100's, a set of 4 133's (its a 33.3 yd pool), a set of 8 66's of IM (watching triathletes attempt the butterfly is quite the site to behold), and to top it all off with a crushing 4 x 300. And as I type, I can feel the soreness setting into my arms. After the swim, I set out with Dana, Brian and Chance E. Pants (their loyal companion) for a nice, flat, 6-mile run in Kentfield. My legs were feeling pretty spent, but it was still a great run.

It is now 10:00 and I think I am about to lose steam. On one hand, it is a bummer to be so tired all the time, however, there is nothing better than falling into bed for a well-deserved, deep sleep after a tough week/weekend of workouts.

Week 19: Training Hours: 14.5 hours
Monday: 2700 yd swim
Tuesday: Spin
Wednesday: 1 hour hard interval run
Thursday: 1 hour spin, 30 min run, 2500 yd swim
Friday: Rest Day
Saturday: 96 mile bike ride
Sunday: 4700 yd swim, 6 mile run

Coming Up:
Not much exciting this week. I am actually planning to take it relatively easy during the week this week, save for a 2 hour interval run on Wednesday. The weekend will bring another 2 hour bike/2 hour run on Saturday (after I talked Sam into it the last time, not sure I can do it again!) and a Terra Linda swim on Sunday. A little more low key. The following weekend is Memorial Day and a group of us are headed to Lake Tahoe for a bit of altitude training - good times! Brockway Summit...here we come!