Okay, we're on to the next challenge. This Sunday sees Jeff compete in the half-ironman (same race as I did at Wildflower); I'm in for the Olympic distance, and both boys are scheduled, barring injuries, to compete in the sprint race. Wish us luck - heat could be a factor. Jeff's race starts at 6:30, and he won't finish until at least noon - pray for early cloud cover, light rain would be ideal! I start at 7, and hope to be done by 10ish. Boys start at 7:30, and should be done by 9.
My race is 1500 metres in Lake Folsom, then a 24 mile bike ride up into the hills (lots of climbing, apparently) and the a 10k run (6.2 miles) in the hills. I'd really like to do the whole thing in less than 3 hours, but that may be very optimistic. It supposed to be one of the countries' toughest courses. LOTS of climbing.
Well, we'll have rsults Sunday night......keep good thoughts! You can probably check them out at www.auburntriathlon.com. Don't know how quickly they get up.
Thanks for reading me!
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Wow! Time Flies! Wildflower recap
I've been negligent with my blogging....sorry to those of you who actually read my musings!
Wildflower was quite an event. I've never seen so many tents, trailers, RVs, people and dogs. and BIKES!! It really did have a Woodstock feel to it. It was raining when we arrived. Terry & Obdulia had put up our tents....bless them! We walked down to the race venue and checked in, looked around, and came back up to work on our gourmet (Togo's) dinner. Couple of quick rounds of UNO, a walk in the dark for Jeff and me, and then the kids were off to their tent. We weren't far behind them - and we had a new air mattress!!! Still no mint. ;(
Saturday was cool, but the sky was clear and the rain was gone - yea!! We ate a quick breakfast, loaded up our gear and rode down to the transition area. Zach's ankle was too bad to run on, so Obdulia stepped in for the Nollette relay to go on! They did great. 7th overall.
I got my transition area set up with lots of advice/help from my men. When they left, I fixed it up! Got body-marked, bot my wetsuit on, meandered on down to the starting ramp with about 15 minutes to spare. Learned that not only CAN I pee in my wetsuit, it really does warm you up! The start was rough - lots of kicking and flailing, but I was able to clear out pretty quickly. missed a couple of the bouys, so I added a bit to the 2100 swim, but it wasn't too bad. The finish stunk.....all the big boys that I had been passing from waves 20-25 minutes ahead of me were milling around blocking the exit....frustrating! Swim time was 36. Not far from my 35 goal - I'll beat it next year! I was first one in my rack back - that was exciting!
T1 was, hmmmmm, slow. Took me forever to find my bike (no glasses!) and just as long to get the wetsuit off! Yukky. Did get a quick suncreen on, had all of my equipment, and took off at a run - wanted to get on that bike!
The bike was just fun. I rode faster than I thought I could, stayed aero longer than I thought I could, did a good job with my nutrition and hydration, and only dropped one bottle on a volunteer! Never stopped - not to pee, not to walk the nasty grade....never. weeee! I did the bike in 3:27 - 18 minutes ahead of my goal!
T2 was different.....my family was all there! They'd finished their race, so they became my support crew. It may not have been the most efficient use of my time, but it was so much fun to have them all there. Made me almost cry - thanks, guys!! Still a slow transition, but I didn't forget anything!
The run was hard, much harder than I thought it would be. I had ran part of the course before, but I really wasn't well prepared for all of the dirt/heat/hills. I was hoping for a 2:10, expecially considering I had ran a full marathon 2 months ago in under 4 hours. I finished with a 2:21, but with a smile! It truly was all I had in me that day. It got into the upper 80s in the back hills, and that was tough. Volunteers were pouring water over our heads, and hitting with hoses. It felt SO good!!
Came across the finish line with a large group of fans - man, is my family loud - lots of hugs. I finished in 6:35. I placed 18 of 58 in my age group. Beat my 'public' goal of 6:45, didn't beat my 'private goal of 6:00'. Next time! More training, smarter racing......I can't wait!!
Keep reading.......the road to Wisconsin has a pit stop in Auburn......this weekend!
Wildflower was quite an event. I've never seen so many tents, trailers, RVs, people and dogs. and BIKES!! It really did have a Woodstock feel to it. It was raining when we arrived. Terry & Obdulia had put up our tents....bless them! We walked down to the race venue and checked in, looked around, and came back up to work on our gourmet (Togo's) dinner. Couple of quick rounds of UNO, a walk in the dark for Jeff and me, and then the kids were off to their tent. We weren't far behind them - and we had a new air mattress!!! Still no mint. ;(
Saturday was cool, but the sky was clear and the rain was gone - yea!! We ate a quick breakfast, loaded up our gear and rode down to the transition area. Zach's ankle was too bad to run on, so Obdulia stepped in for the Nollette relay to go on! They did great. 7th overall.
I got my transition area set up with lots of advice/help from my men. When they left, I fixed it up! Got body-marked, bot my wetsuit on, meandered on down to the starting ramp with about 15 minutes to spare. Learned that not only CAN I pee in my wetsuit, it really does warm you up! The start was rough - lots of kicking and flailing, but I was able to clear out pretty quickly. missed a couple of the bouys, so I added a bit to the 2100 swim, but it wasn't too bad. The finish stunk.....all the big boys that I had been passing from waves 20-25 minutes ahead of me were milling around blocking the exit....frustrating! Swim time was 36. Not far from my 35 goal - I'll beat it next year! I was first one in my rack back - that was exciting!
T1 was, hmmmmm, slow. Took me forever to find my bike (no glasses!) and just as long to get the wetsuit off! Yukky. Did get a quick suncreen on, had all of my equipment, and took off at a run - wanted to get on that bike!
The bike was just fun. I rode faster than I thought I could, stayed aero longer than I thought I could, did a good job with my nutrition and hydration, and only dropped one bottle on a volunteer! Never stopped - not to pee, not to walk the nasty grade....never. weeee! I did the bike in 3:27 - 18 minutes ahead of my goal!
T2 was different.....my family was all there! They'd finished their race, so they became my support crew. It may not have been the most efficient use of my time, but it was so much fun to have them all there. Made me almost cry - thanks, guys!! Still a slow transition, but I didn't forget anything!
The run was hard, much harder than I thought it would be. I had ran part of the course before, but I really wasn't well prepared for all of the dirt/heat/hills. I was hoping for a 2:10, expecially considering I had ran a full marathon 2 months ago in under 4 hours. I finished with a 2:21, but with a smile! It truly was all I had in me that day. It got into the upper 80s in the back hills, and that was tough. Volunteers were pouring water over our heads, and hitting with hoses. It felt SO good!!
Came across the finish line with a large group of fans - man, is my family loud - lots of hugs. I finished in 6:35. I placed 18 of 58 in my age group. Beat my 'public' goal of 6:45, didn't beat my 'private goal of 6:00'. Next time! More training, smarter racing......I can't wait!!
Keep reading.......the road to Wisconsin has a pit stop in Auburn......this weekend!
Monday, April 13, 2009
Wildflower - 3 weeks!
It's been a while since I posted....been busy training! I overcame my distaste for that four letter word -camp- and Jeff got me new sleeping bag. Time to suck it up and sleep outdoors. The mint on the pillow was missing, and I'm not sure who fell down on the job with that one!! (after we survived HAIL putting up our tent!)
Thumbs up to Zach who went along on the trip to do his run, but had to stay in the campsite bored out of his gourd for the 4+ hours we were gone on our bikes. What a trouper, made me proud!
We did our little practice day yesterday, and it was good. The wetsuit went on and came off fairly easily. The lake was COLD, but not unbearable. For curiosity's sake I looked it up, and it was 65. The suit was comfortable, (and has pretty pink trim!) and I'm much less worried about that part now. We then went back up to the campsite, changed out, got our bikes, and took off. 9 in our group. I stayed with the first 3 or 4 for the first 41 miles. This is new for me, I'm usually at the back of the pack. My first hour I held 15 mph, second hour 18.5 mph. 3 hour 14 mph (nasty grade!!) We were pretty spread out, but we waited 3 times at major intersections for the group to catch up. Then we hit the Nasty Grade, and it lived up to it's name and reputation! I struggled, big time. Dropped to number 8, and Jeff had to circle back for me twice. I HATE feeling like this. Finished up at 7th, but frustrated. It was a hard ride. I stopped my garmin when we stopped, and we only did 54 miles because we went back to our campsite, not the marina, but it took 3:34 - longer than I'd hoped. Then we ran. The plan was for one of they guys (Thanks, Terry!) to do the whole 13 mile loop, with our son. Jeff would do the first half with them, (his knee, IT band, and calf are giving him problems) and I'd do the second. Well, Zach pooped out, so he only did the first half, which is apparently the much tougher one. I came in at the 6 miles point and finished in 54 minutes. Not too bad, and I would be very happy if I could hold that pace for the whole race, but that's not likely.
My official goal is the swim at 35 minutes; the bike at 3:45; and the run at 2:10. Add in the transitions, and I'd really like to finish the whole thing in 6:45. Last year there were 59 women in my division, and a time of under 7:00 would keep me in the top half.
Saturday, May 2, my 'wave' will go off at 9:25. I'll be in a lite purple cap. Start praying hard right around then, and don't stop until 4:30!!! It's going to be a long day!!!
Tyler has the first leg of my men's relay, he starts in a silver cap at 9:30. He'll hand over the chip to Jeff at 9:50 or so, and then Jeff takes off. He'll hand the chip to Zach shortly before 1:00 we think, then Zach starts to boogy! We'll be looking for him at 3:00 or shortly there after. Zach's leg is much more weather dependant, not much shade, and lots of BIG hills.
While you are thinking good thoughts......think highs of 60, lows of 55, no rain and ABSOLUTELY no WIND!! Thank you, thank you!!
Linda ;-)
2 weeks, 5 days until I swim, bike & run: 1.2 miles; 56 miles; 13.1 miles......
21 weeks, 6 days until I swim, bike & run: 2.4 miles; 112 miles; 26.2 miles.....
My new quote is - 'Have an IV bag of champagne waiting at the finish line' - Jim Vance
Thumbs up to Zach who went along on the trip to do his run, but had to stay in the campsite bored out of his gourd for the 4+ hours we were gone on our bikes. What a trouper, made me proud!
We did our little practice day yesterday, and it was good. The wetsuit went on and came off fairly easily. The lake was COLD, but not unbearable. For curiosity's sake I looked it up, and it was 65. The suit was comfortable, (and has pretty pink trim!) and I'm much less worried about that part now. We then went back up to the campsite, changed out, got our bikes, and took off. 9 in our group. I stayed with the first 3 or 4 for the first 41 miles. This is new for me, I'm usually at the back of the pack. My first hour I held 15 mph, second hour 18.5 mph. 3 hour 14 mph (nasty grade!!) We were pretty spread out, but we waited 3 times at major intersections for the group to catch up. Then we hit the Nasty Grade, and it lived up to it's name and reputation! I struggled, big time. Dropped to number 8, and Jeff had to circle back for me twice. I HATE feeling like this. Finished up at 7th, but frustrated. It was a hard ride. I stopped my garmin when we stopped, and we only did 54 miles because we went back to our campsite, not the marina, but it took 3:34 - longer than I'd hoped. Then we ran. The plan was for one of they guys (Thanks, Terry!) to do the whole 13 mile loop, with our son. Jeff would do the first half with them, (his knee, IT band, and calf are giving him problems) and I'd do the second. Well, Zach pooped out, so he only did the first half, which is apparently the much tougher one. I came in at the 6 miles point and finished in 54 minutes. Not too bad, and I would be very happy if I could hold that pace for the whole race, but that's not likely.
My official goal is the swim at 35 minutes; the bike at 3:45; and the run at 2:10. Add in the transitions, and I'd really like to finish the whole thing in 6:45. Last year there were 59 women in my division, and a time of under 7:00 would keep me in the top half.
Saturday, May 2, my 'wave' will go off at 9:25. I'll be in a lite purple cap. Start praying hard right around then, and don't stop until 4:30!!! It's going to be a long day!!!
Tyler has the first leg of my men's relay, he starts in a silver cap at 9:30. He'll hand over the chip to Jeff at 9:50 or so, and then Jeff takes off. He'll hand the chip to Zach shortly before 1:00 we think, then Zach starts to boogy! We'll be looking for him at 3:00 or shortly there after. Zach's leg is much more weather dependant, not much shade, and lots of BIG hills.
While you are thinking good thoughts......think highs of 60, lows of 55, no rain and ABSOLUTELY no WIND!! Thank you, thank you!!
Linda ;-)
2 weeks, 5 days until I swim, bike & run: 1.2 miles; 56 miles; 13.1 miles......
21 weeks, 6 days until I swim, bike & run: 2.4 miles; 112 miles; 26.2 miles.....
My new quote is - 'Have an IV bag of champagne waiting at the finish line' - Jim Vance
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Added another race
I've been talked into (not difficult, really!) entering the raffle to get a spot in the Nike Women's race in San Francisco. Not too certain about this...it's only 5 weeks post-ironman, and I'm not sure I'll be able to move yet! Connie has assured me that I will be carried if necessary. If I keep my weight down. I'm going to need to make sure that there are no cameras!!
Biked 33 miles hard today - including willow springs - and did it 12 minutes faster than ever, well under 2 hours. Woohoo!! Had to chase Jeff, after all! Ran yesterday, just 4 miles, but did it at race pace of 9:10. I would like to see that at 8:30 for Wildflower, but I think I'm dreaming. Actually, I'd just like to finish it without embarassing myself or my family!!
Tomorrow's a swim day - and a hard one, I think. 1000's for time, and lots of IM. yukky!
6 weeks, 2 days until I swim, bike & run: 1.2 miles; 56 miles; 13.1 miles......
25 weeks, 3 days until I swim, bike & run: 2.4 miles; 112 miles; 26.2 miles.....
My new quote will be - 'Have an IV bag of champagne waiting at the finish line' - Jim Vance
Biked 33 miles hard today - including willow springs - and did it 12 minutes faster than ever, well under 2 hours. Woohoo!! Had to chase Jeff, after all! Ran yesterday, just 4 miles, but did it at race pace of 9:10. I would like to see that at 8:30 for Wildflower, but I think I'm dreaming. Actually, I'd just like to finish it without embarassing myself or my family!!
Tomorrow's a swim day - and a hard one, I think. 1000's for time, and lots of IM. yukky!
6 weeks, 2 days until I swim, bike & run: 1.2 miles; 56 miles; 13.1 miles......
25 weeks, 3 days until I swim, bike & run: 2.4 miles; 112 miles; 26.2 miles.....
My new quote will be - 'Have an IV bag of champagne waiting at the finish line' - Jim Vance
Monday, March 16, 2009
Time to get ready for ....WILDFLOWER!
Since you may notice that this blog is coming out at 1 in the morning, my sleep is being affected by all of this training for/worrying about Wildflower!
For the uninitiated, Wildflower seems to be much like Woodstock. I wasn't there, wasn't able to walk yet, I don't believe, but I've seen the pictures! So my stressors are multiple....one, we're taking the boys (They are on a relay with Dad) and exposing them to this debauchery that rumor has includes topless co-eds from Cal Poly. Second, this is a long %^&* course, with lots of hills that will surely kick my @#*&.. Egads. Finally, and this part is just sinking in, I've been advised that I need to CAMP. I try very hard to avoid that four-letter word when at all possible. I'd better have a very nice aerobed, with a cozy double bag, a mint on my pillow and a certain hot (showered and clean!) triathlete to share it with. I'm just sayin'.
Rode 45 miles on Saturday, after swimming 5000+ yards Friday. Having a bit of a pity party re: the state of my legs. They hurt, and they seem to resent what I'm putting them through. I'm bumping into things everywhere, and they are starting to look like 12 year old boy legs! I really thought I'd be seeing some solid recovery by week 2. Not so much. Oh well, I'll swim tommorow, that should be easier on them.
6 weeks and 5 days. 1.2 miles in the lake; 56 miles on the bike; 13.1 miles on my feet.......
There had better be champagne in my IV bag at the finish - with all my men present! ;-)
For the uninitiated, Wildflower seems to be much like Woodstock. I wasn't there, wasn't able to walk yet, I don't believe, but I've seen the pictures! So my stressors are multiple....one, we're taking the boys (They are on a relay with Dad) and exposing them to this debauchery that rumor has includes topless co-eds from Cal Poly. Second, this is a long %^&* course, with lots of hills that will surely kick my @#*&.. Egads. Finally, and this part is just sinking in, I've been advised that I need to CAMP. I try very hard to avoid that four-letter word when at all possible. I'd better have a very nice aerobed, with a cozy double bag, a mint on my pillow and a certain hot (showered and clean!) triathlete to share it with. I'm just sayin'.
Rode 45 miles on Saturday, after swimming 5000+ yards Friday. Having a bit of a pity party re: the state of my legs. They hurt, and they seem to resent what I'm putting them through. I'm bumping into things everywhere, and they are starting to look like 12 year old boy legs! I really thought I'd be seeing some solid recovery by week 2. Not so much. Oh well, I'll swim tommorow, that should be easier on them.
6 weeks and 5 days. 1.2 miles in the lake; 56 miles on the bike; 13.1 miles on my feet.......
There had better be champagne in my IV bag at the finish - with all my men present! ;-)
Monday, March 9, 2009
Bike Time!
Well, the marathon is done...and I survived.....so it's time to look forward! I've got 7 weeks and 6 days until Wildflower, so it's probably (over)due that I start spending a lot more time in the saddle. I spent 16 hours at a women-only bike clinic this weekend, and it taught me a lot - most importantly, I think, a bit more confidence in my abilities! Second most important, stay away from newer cyclist that can't unclip before they crash into others! Several more bruises to add to the collection!
So, motorists, cyclists and pedestrians beware...I'm hitting the road! I want to finish the Wildflower bike leg (56 very hilly miles) in less than 4 hours. I've got some training to do!
So, motorists, cyclists and pedestrians beware...I'm hitting the road! I want to finish the Wildflower bike leg (56 very hilly miles) in less than 4 hours. I've got some training to do!
Monday, March 2, 2009
NAPA - Check!
First 'A' race of the year.....done!
We went up Saturday and met up with the other local runners and their support staff (hubbies), had a small snack at the hotel (we NEED the extra calories!) and headed for a great italian dinner of carbo-loading-mania! Probably against all protocol (but, geez, we were in NAPA!) we shared a bottle of wine. The strange part of that sentence would be that 5 of us shared that bottle... and that we only shared ONE! The sacrifices runners must make before a race. sigh.
Back to the hotel for dessert - did I mention that we NEED the extra calories?!?
Spent the rest of the evening checking out our goodie bags, and our snazzy new run bags, and stressing about what to wear and what to pack and where to pack it. Questioning the decision to do this at all..... Okay, I did all that. Jeff watched TV. He gets the 'relax' part of this much better than I do!
5:15 AM in the lobby to meet the bus. IT'S STILL DARK! and rainy...and cold....and windy. We cut holes in our big trash bags, and make a run for the bus. Jeff and the harem, that is. The support hubbies are still asleep! We take the bus to Calistoga. Gotta say, heard many runners on that bus questioning the 45 minute drive.....how could we possibly be running back this far? Aren't we there, yet? The windshield wipers were flying, water was spraying up from the puddles on the road, wind was streaming in the window vents. hmmmm. Is there a bus marathon?
Off the bus, on with the hefty bags. We look like a moving mass of recyclables!! Drop off our run bags, hit the porta-potties, and we're off! The sky is lighter, but the rain is heavier. My garmin isn't working, drat. In the mass start, I lose the other girls....and Jeff's up in the front of the pack - as expected!
People were so friendly - everybody was chatting and comparing notes as we ran, and I met a lot of neat runners! At mile 5 I stopped to get my garmin satelites aligned, and I was finally running with a pace in mind and on my wrist! I knew at that point I was close to holding a 9 minute mile pace, and that was better than I had hoped for. I'm starting to think that I can do this! 21 more miles.....
Mile 12, I stop to swap out my food bottles and visit the porta-potty (yuk!) and was informed by the medic that I was swaying. I responded, in a very mature fashion, that I 'was not!' He amended it to 'listing a bit' and I explained, very politely I thought, that what he was observing is my running style. He let me go, and I vowed not to stop near a medic again! Listing. Hmph.
Mile 13.1 - I'm at 1:57!! I might be able to do this!!
Mile 16 - what the h#$% was I thinking? No human being could do this. And this isn't the downhill course that I was promised! Who can I blame - now?!?
Mile 18 - Okay, maybe I can finish this.....but these are still UPhills!
Mile 22 - cowbells, drums, pots/pans, lots of clapping, horns, umbrellas everywhere - cheerleaders galore! I'm feeling like a RUNNER!
Mile 25 - I can do this!! However, message to the guy who was yelling that it was all in my head now.....this was mental....my body's part was done: My feet, ankles, knees, hams, quads & hips disagree. They were still very much in play!!
It was hard....certainly painful, and there were times I felt the piano on my back (thanks, Patti!). But it was also lots of fun. I really enjoyed passing people (lots!!) and being passed spurred me on. The wet weather kept me cool, but made my feet miserable, and I think I'm going to lose toenails. Oh, well.
Big bummer......wore the jacket for the whole race, and never got to show off my new pink running top. All that indecision for nothing. dang.
Bottom line, I crossed the finish line at 3:59:45 - under four hours, and I am now a BOSTON QUALIFIER! Should I choose to buy the plane ticket, I can race in Boston in 2010. Probably not, but I can if I want to....and that's a thrill!
The funniest part is that I wasn't even up for wine tasting on the way home....made one token stop, at a winery where parking was close to the tasting room (we weren't walking ANYWHERE!) tasted a few good wines, and went home. Very much a first for us, and a loss for the Napa economy. The Nollette Stimulus package didn't come through!
I'm sitting here now trying to figure out how to minimize trips anywhere today, because thos front stteps of mine are killer. Up, not so bad. Down, well, that would be comical if it was somebody ELSE doing it!! I need one of those handicapped chairrail lifts......Mother's Day!!
I'm also wondering how long I get to take off from training......how long can I milk this?!? At least a few days, I would think. I'm participating in a bike clinic next weekend, hope I can walk!!
I think it's time for a nap.......
....and Mom, this one's yours. Love you!
We went up Saturday and met up with the other local runners and their support staff (hubbies), had a small snack at the hotel (we NEED the extra calories!) and headed for a great italian dinner of carbo-loading-mania! Probably against all protocol (but, geez, we were in NAPA!) we shared a bottle of wine. The strange part of that sentence would be that 5 of us shared that bottle... and that we only shared ONE! The sacrifices runners must make before a race. sigh.
Back to the hotel for dessert - did I mention that we NEED the extra calories?!?
Spent the rest of the evening checking out our goodie bags, and our snazzy new run bags, and stressing about what to wear and what to pack and where to pack it. Questioning the decision to do this at all..... Okay, I did all that. Jeff watched TV. He gets the 'relax' part of this much better than I do!
5:15 AM in the lobby to meet the bus. IT'S STILL DARK! and rainy...and cold....and windy. We cut holes in our big trash bags, and make a run for the bus. Jeff and the harem, that is. The support hubbies are still asleep! We take the bus to Calistoga. Gotta say, heard many runners on that bus questioning the 45 minute drive.....how could we possibly be running back this far? Aren't we there, yet? The windshield wipers were flying, water was spraying up from the puddles on the road, wind was streaming in the window vents. hmmmm. Is there a bus marathon?
Off the bus, on with the hefty bags. We look like a moving mass of recyclables!! Drop off our run bags, hit the porta-potties, and we're off! The sky is lighter, but the rain is heavier. My garmin isn't working, drat. In the mass start, I lose the other girls....and Jeff's up in the front of the pack - as expected!
People were so friendly - everybody was chatting and comparing notes as we ran, and I met a lot of neat runners! At mile 5 I stopped to get my garmin satelites aligned, and I was finally running with a pace in mind and on my wrist! I knew at that point I was close to holding a 9 minute mile pace, and that was better than I had hoped for. I'm starting to think that I can do this! 21 more miles.....
Mile 12, I stop to swap out my food bottles and visit the porta-potty (yuk!) and was informed by the medic that I was swaying. I responded, in a very mature fashion, that I 'was not!' He amended it to 'listing a bit' and I explained, very politely I thought, that what he was observing is my running style. He let me go, and I vowed not to stop near a medic again! Listing. Hmph.
Mile 13.1 - I'm at 1:57!! I might be able to do this!!
Mile 16 - what the h#$% was I thinking? No human being could do this. And this isn't the downhill course that I was promised! Who can I blame - now?!?
Mile 18 - Okay, maybe I can finish this.....but these are still UPhills!
Mile 22 - cowbells, drums, pots/pans, lots of clapping, horns, umbrellas everywhere - cheerleaders galore! I'm feeling like a RUNNER!
Mile 25 - I can do this!! However, message to the guy who was yelling that it was all in my head now.....this was mental....my body's part was done: My feet, ankles, knees, hams, quads & hips disagree. They were still very much in play!!
It was hard....certainly painful, and there were times I felt the piano on my back (thanks, Patti!). But it was also lots of fun. I really enjoyed passing people (lots!!) and being passed spurred me on. The wet weather kept me cool, but made my feet miserable, and I think I'm going to lose toenails. Oh, well.
Big bummer......wore the jacket for the whole race, and never got to show off my new pink running top. All that indecision for nothing. dang.
Bottom line, I crossed the finish line at 3:59:45 - under four hours, and I am now a BOSTON QUALIFIER! Should I choose to buy the plane ticket, I can race in Boston in 2010. Probably not, but I can if I want to....and that's a thrill!
The funniest part is that I wasn't even up for wine tasting on the way home....made one token stop, at a winery where parking was close to the tasting room (we weren't walking ANYWHERE!) tasted a few good wines, and went home. Very much a first for us, and a loss for the Napa economy. The Nollette Stimulus package didn't come through!
I'm sitting here now trying to figure out how to minimize trips anywhere today, because thos front stteps of mine are killer. Up, not so bad. Down, well, that would be comical if it was somebody ELSE doing it!! I need one of those handicapped chairrail lifts......Mother's Day!!
I'm also wondering how long I get to take off from training......how long can I milk this?!? At least a few days, I would think. I'm participating in a bike clinic next weekend, hope I can walk!!
I think it's time for a nap.......
....and Mom, this one's yours. Love you!
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Tomorrow's the Day!
I'm hearing from my fan club that they (okay, just Judy, but she's persistent!!) are not getting frequent enough posts. I'm working on it! I think I need to temporarily lose a kid or 2 - they take up way to much time out of my training and blogging! BIG thanks to Naida for doing just that this weekend, so we don't have to ruin their busy teenage lives by making them watch us compete for a change!
Well, first major goal day is tomorrow....MARATHON.....what the hell was I thinking?!? 26.2 miles???
To say that I have the jitters would be an understatement.....and the weather report isn't helping. Looks like 50 degrees, rain and wind....hunky-dory. Not even sure what to wear, but at least obsessing about that is keeping my mind off the 26.2 miles ahead of me. It'll be fun. It's in Napa, about 2 hours from here, so I get an overnight with hubby and friends, and wine tasting afterwards.....yeah! See, I can keep my mind off the 26.2 miles, easy!!
Did I mention rain and wind? Did I mention that I don't own a rain jacket that's not a knee length parka?!?
I'm going to keep reminding myself that I have been training for this...including running in the rain with the whole 'drowned rat look' down. Drowned rat masquerading as a sausage...I had so many layers on it was hard to tell it was me stuffed into a non-waterproof windbreaker.....and I was drenched anyway. It was a race to see what would drench the middle layer first - rain from the outside, sweat (sorry, Mom, I know it's referred to as 'glow' from a lady, but it smells suspiciously like sweat) from the inside. EWWW. Not even going to call it.
Note to self: Buy waterproof mascara on the way out of town!!
February's total training hours and distances:
Bike: 16h 01m 39s - 242.58 Mi
Run: 11h 50m 22s - 71.05 Mi
Swim: 5h 58m - 17800 Yd
Think of the miles that I could log if I had no husband, kids or blog needing my time and attention!
Well, husband stays.....he's running this, too....and he'll be at the finish line (probably showered, fed and napped) when I cross it an hour (or so!) later. Hopefully waiting with my wine, this is NAPA!! My fan! He's also my emergency contact, I'd better remind him to carry his cell phone. Odds are good......
So, loyal fans, and persistent fans (Judy), think good thoughts.....especially around 11:00 am PST - I'll hopefully only have 3 (or less!) more miles to go, and I'll be soaking up all of the support (with the other-mentioned moisture) that I can get.
At some point on Sunday afternoon or Monday, you can go to this link and see how we both did - be kind with your comments!!
http://www.napavalleymarathon.org/results/
Final thought....it's 28 weeks and one day until I do this again....after I've swam 2.4 miles and biked 112 miles. Mom's right. Reading novels is a much easier hobby!!
If I meet my goals, Mom, this one's for you. If I don't, next one's for you, and I'll train harder. Love you!!
Well, first major goal day is tomorrow....MARATHON.....what the hell was I thinking?!? 26.2 miles???
To say that I have the jitters would be an understatement.....and the weather report isn't helping. Looks like 50 degrees, rain and wind....hunky-dory. Not even sure what to wear, but at least obsessing about that is keeping my mind off the 26.2 miles ahead of me. It'll be fun. It's in Napa, about 2 hours from here, so I get an overnight with hubby and friends, and wine tasting afterwards.....yeah! See, I can keep my mind off the 26.2 miles, easy!!
Did I mention rain and wind? Did I mention that I don't own a rain jacket that's not a knee length parka?!?
I'm going to keep reminding myself that I have been training for this...including running in the rain with the whole 'drowned rat look' down. Drowned rat masquerading as a sausage...I had so many layers on it was hard to tell it was me stuffed into a non-waterproof windbreaker.....and I was drenched anyway. It was a race to see what would drench the middle layer first - rain from the outside, sweat (sorry, Mom, I know it's referred to as 'glow' from a lady, but it smells suspiciously like sweat) from the inside. EWWW. Not even going to call it.
Note to self: Buy waterproof mascara on the way out of town!!
February's total training hours and distances:
Bike: 16h 01m 39s - 242.58 Mi
Run: 11h 50m 22s - 71.05 Mi
Swim: 5h 58m - 17800 Yd
Think of the miles that I could log if I had no husband, kids or blog needing my time and attention!
Well, husband stays.....he's running this, too....and he'll be at the finish line (probably showered, fed and napped) when I cross it an hour (or so!) later. Hopefully waiting with my wine, this is NAPA!! My fan! He's also my emergency contact, I'd better remind him to carry his cell phone. Odds are good......
So, loyal fans, and persistent fans (Judy), think good thoughts.....especially around 11:00 am PST - I'll hopefully only have 3 (or less!) more miles to go, and I'll be soaking up all of the support (with the other-mentioned moisture) that I can get.
At some point on Sunday afternoon or Monday, you can go to this link and see how we both did - be kind with your comments!!
http://www.napavalleymarathon.org/results/
Final thought....it's 28 weeks and one day until I do this again....after I've swam 2.4 miles and biked 112 miles. Mom's right. Reading novels is a much easier hobby!!
If I meet my goals, Mom, this one's for you. If I don't, next one's for you, and I'll train harder. Love you!!
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
2 weeks to go....
Less than two weeks to go 'til Napa, and the butterflies have taken up residency in my belly. Who's idea was this, anyway, DENISE?!?
Not too worried about finishing. Barring any injuries, accidents, acts of God, I should be fine, and crossing the finish line with a time of 4:30, I hope. Need to be in line for lunch!!! However, come to think of it, it's really not safe for me to assume the barring of the above-related contingencies given my history!
I'm on a tear, haven't missed a workout day in over a month - if you count skiing, and with my friends leading the way down and over the mountain, I do!
So, the next 10 days are a taper.....what I've been waiting for/dreaming of on a daily basis since this exciting period in my life began! Question is, what is a taper. Me, I was thinking daily ice cream (dulce de leche from Haagen Daz) and leisurely walks up and down the street. Jeff's muttering something about high intensity, just a bit shorter. I'm taking a poll. Let me know who's definition you think is more accurate, and I will share a good bottle of wine that I've hidden away with all those who vote for my kinda taper!!
Keep fast, healthy thoughts in your head...for Jeff, too! His goal is his secret, but I'm sure it involves crushing me mercilessly, then meeting me at the finish line (probably showered, dressed, fed and rested!) with a bottle of champagne (hint, hint!)
Not too worried about finishing. Barring any injuries, accidents, acts of God, I should be fine, and crossing the finish line with a time of 4:30, I hope. Need to be in line for lunch!!! However, come to think of it, it's really not safe for me to assume the barring of the above-related contingencies given my history!
I'm on a tear, haven't missed a workout day in over a month - if you count skiing, and with my friends leading the way down and over the mountain, I do!
So, the next 10 days are a taper.....what I've been waiting for/dreaming of on a daily basis since this exciting period in my life began! Question is, what is a taper. Me, I was thinking daily ice cream (dulce de leche from Haagen Daz) and leisurely walks up and down the street. Jeff's muttering something about high intensity, just a bit shorter. I'm taking a poll. Let me know who's definition you think is more accurate, and I will share a good bottle of wine that I've hidden away with all those who vote for my kinda taper!!
Keep fast, healthy thoughts in your head...for Jeff, too! His goal is his secret, but I'm sure it involves crushing me mercilessly, then meeting me at the finish line (probably showered, dressed, fed and rested!) with a bottle of champagne (hint, hint!)
Saturday, January 31, 2009
The saga continues....Napa minus 29 days!
Well, it's been quite a week! Sunday's run was changed around because Jeff got sick. I ran with Denise and Connie - and did we run! 21.5 miles in 3.5 hours. Small break for me to fall over onto my face, tripped over.....nothing. Typical!! nice little gash in my chin, I'm calling it my latest training scar. Swim on Monday was easy, as was a little trot on Tuesday. Wednesday's bike was COLD - 33 degrees when I went out. Did Willow Springs, with some big hills, on my own....31.5 miles.....and I don't think that the frostbite damage is permanent! Friday's run was my fastest yet, 6.5 miles at 8.5 minutes each - and very cold hands!
4 weeks and a day until the marathon. Today I'll bike 62 with Cass, Don and Jeff (after baseball tryouts for Z AND a water polo tournament for T!) Sunday we'll try to do 2.75 hours running in the hills, but we have the same WP tournament AND the all-important Super Bowl commercials to time around!
The Ironman stuff feels a bit on the back burner right now....until I get through Napa on 3/1. Then I'll need to focus much more on the bike, and the let the run take care of itself a couple of days a week. That'll be a change, I'm really enjoying the running. Who'd have thunk it?!?
Last day in January, looks like I'll hit my 'double-ironman training goal' if I don't take myself out on the bike before 25 miles. Piece of cake, right?!?
Stay tuned.......
4 weeks and a day until the marathon. Today I'll bike 62 with Cass, Don and Jeff (after baseball tryouts for Z AND a water polo tournament for T!) Sunday we'll try to do 2.75 hours running in the hills, but we have the same WP tournament AND the all-important Super Bowl commercials to time around!
The Ironman stuff feels a bit on the back burner right now....until I get through Napa on 3/1. Then I'll need to focus much more on the bike, and the let the run take care of itself a couple of days a week. That'll be a change, I'm really enjoying the running. Who'd have thunk it?!?
Last day in January, looks like I'll hit my 'double-ironman training goal' if I don't take myself out on the bike before 25 miles. Piece of cake, right?!?
Stay tuned.......
Sunday, January 25, 2009
weekend training
Okay, getting to the point where I can deal with the &*%ugle bruise on most of my right leg. Still swollen enough that the tight jeans don't do it!
Weekend plans include what I hope will be either hilly or long on the bike, we'll see. My friend Cass is guiding this one - pray for me, the woman is an energizer bunny!!! Sunday, 20 miles of running, with a starbucks break at 10 miles. Not sure how I feel about that one, but these are the ladies that I'm doing the Mary with, and Coach Kevorkian is sick. We'll give it a go! Monday, long swim and then long massage - Christmas present redeemed at hoity-toity spa! Yea!
Everyone have a great one, no matter your plans. After Sunday's run, I'll look to you all for pacing advice for my Mary....5 weeks and one day out!!
Well, update...we did hilly on the bikes.....and it was hilly! All of Hicks, into Kenenedy and Shannon back......woohoo. Almost 4000 feet of climbing! Hard, and a bit of rain, but a great sense of accomplishment! That is, until I got a flat. My friend and I were like Abbot and Costello....in the rain and mud! CO2 container didn't work, used the pump, couldn't get a great seal - after we couldn't get the tire off the rim for 10 minutes! Cass has done this multiple times, so I've no clue what happened. Had a real tough time getting all of the mud out of my shoes so I could clip in.....I'm sure it was fun to watch! Rode 3 more miles to the coffee place, sat down and warmed up. Came out to ......another flat. Same tire. Great. However, the good news is that there's a bike store next door to the coffee shop. Apparently my first flat last week had exposed a bit of the metal cabling on the tire, and that's what caused today's flat.....twice. So 2 new tubes and a new tire later.....off we went. $50 bike ride!
Today's the long run. Hoping for no equipment OR body-part failures!
My goal for January was to train a double Ironman - 8400 yards in the pool, 224 miles on the bike, ans 53 miles running. I'll keep you closer and month end draws near. Hint, the problem could be all of the %^&* flat tires!!!
Weekend plans include what I hope will be either hilly or long on the bike, we'll see. My friend Cass is guiding this one - pray for me, the woman is an energizer bunny!!! Sunday, 20 miles of running, with a starbucks break at 10 miles. Not sure how I feel about that one, but these are the ladies that I'm doing the Mary with, and Coach Kevorkian is sick. We'll give it a go! Monday, long swim and then long massage - Christmas present redeemed at hoity-toity spa! Yea!
Everyone have a great one, no matter your plans. After Sunday's run, I'll look to you all for pacing advice for my Mary....5 weeks and one day out!!
Well, update...we did hilly on the bikes.....and it was hilly! All of Hicks, into Kenenedy and Shannon back......woohoo. Almost 4000 feet of climbing! Hard, and a bit of rain, but a great sense of accomplishment! That is, until I got a flat. My friend and I were like Abbot and Costello....in the rain and mud! CO2 container didn't work, used the pump, couldn't get a great seal - after we couldn't get the tire off the rim for 10 minutes! Cass has done this multiple times, so I've no clue what happened. Had a real tough time getting all of the mud out of my shoes so I could clip in.....I'm sure it was fun to watch! Rode 3 more miles to the coffee place, sat down and warmed up. Came out to ......another flat. Same tire. Great. However, the good news is that there's a bike store next door to the coffee shop. Apparently my first flat last week had exposed a bit of the metal cabling on the tire, and that's what caused today's flat.....twice. So 2 new tubes and a new tire later.....off we went. $50 bike ride!
Today's the long run. Hoping for no equipment OR body-part failures!
My goal for January was to train a double Ironman - 8400 yards in the pool, 224 miles on the bike, ans 53 miles running. I'll keep you closer and month end draws near. Hint, the problem could be all of the %^&* flat tires!!!
Monday, January 19, 2009
Speed Bump.......
Okay, I need to whine for a bit. Y'all read about my fight with the garbage truck that was won by the truck. Nasty bruise on my right knee, but definately survivable. This weekend was a huge time-suck because my kids had a championship swim meet that I needed to work at. So, my big plan was to ride my bike there, about 18 miles, on Sunday morning. Problem was, I didn't have a light, and I needed to be on the pool deck by 7am, and it's still dark. Oh, and it was 36 outside, which is very cold for us Californians.
Caution to the wind! I'll be careful, not many cars will be out, how cold can it really be - I'll just bike faster! After all, I want to be an Ironman, and this is just a speed bump, right?
Fast forward to Sunday morning. It's DARK. Dark enough that not only am I sure noone can see me, but I can't see much of the dang road anyway. Where are all of the street lights?!? I'm warming up, hands and toes are frozen, but the rest of me is okay. 9 miles into it, more than halfway I figure, clunk. FLAT TIRE. CHAIN IS OFF. I'm down on the side of the road because I didn't clip out fast enough. Right knee again. It's still dark, and I need to be on the pool deck in 30 minutes. Not only do I not have the equipment to change the tire, I don't know HOW. Egads. Call hubby, he grabs boys (who don't have to be at pool until 8) and they come get me. 35 minutes later....in shorts, numb AND shivering, I get to the pool. Chai waiting! Thanks, Mike! Get some razzing, and some admiration for my attempt, but I'm bummed....not nearly enough bike time for my training log!
Noon, I'm walking around the time trailer, and smack my leg on the hitch. I now have a bump the size of a egg just below my sore knee, and it's dripping blood. I truly can't believe this. I wrap it in a paper towel, put ice and and an ace on it, and finish the meet. REALLY wish someone had a syringe with morphine in it, or at least a margarita! What's with this no alcohol policy that USA Swimming has?!?!
My boys swam great......all best times!
Today was supposed to be my 2.5 hour run in the hills, and I'm elevating and icing. Whole stupid leg hurts. Oh, and feeling sorry for myself, let's not forget that!
Tomorrow has to be better, right?!?!
Caution to the wind! I'll be careful, not many cars will be out, how cold can it really be - I'll just bike faster! After all, I want to be an Ironman, and this is just a speed bump, right?
Fast forward to Sunday morning. It's DARK. Dark enough that not only am I sure noone can see me, but I can't see much of the dang road anyway. Where are all of the street lights?!? I'm warming up, hands and toes are frozen, but the rest of me is okay. 9 miles into it, more than halfway I figure, clunk. FLAT TIRE. CHAIN IS OFF. I'm down on the side of the road because I didn't clip out fast enough. Right knee again. It's still dark, and I need to be on the pool deck in 30 minutes. Not only do I not have the equipment to change the tire, I don't know HOW. Egads. Call hubby, he grabs boys (who don't have to be at pool until 8) and they come get me. 35 minutes later....in shorts, numb AND shivering, I get to the pool. Chai waiting! Thanks, Mike! Get some razzing, and some admiration for my attempt, but I'm bummed....not nearly enough bike time for my training log!
Noon, I'm walking around the time trailer, and smack my leg on the hitch. I now have a bump the size of a egg just below my sore knee, and it's dripping blood. I truly can't believe this. I wrap it in a paper towel, put ice and and an ace on it, and finish the meet. REALLY wish someone had a syringe with morphine in it, or at least a margarita! What's with this no alcohol policy that USA Swimming has?!?!
My boys swam great......all best times!
Today was supposed to be my 2.5 hour run in the hills, and I'm elevating and icing. Whole stupid leg hurts. Oh, and feeling sorry for myself, let's not forget that!
Tomorrow has to be better, right?!?!
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Back to the blog thing. Training has been going relatively well. Napa is in 7 weeks, and that's starting to concern me! The longest run I've done so far is 15 miles, and that was several weeks ago. It's a bit of a struggle to find the time to train in all 3 sports, while I'm feeling like I should be focusing on the run right now. Next up is getting pedals for the bike, and learning how to clip in and out without falling on my butt - or face! I've been pretty consistent with riding the Bailey loop (21 miles), and getting faster each time. On New Year's Day I rode it solo, fueled by pepsi and mimosa! Probably not the best training nutrition, but I blew the doors off my best time! I did a couple of doubles this week, a run/swim on Monday and then a bike/swim on Friday. I'm going to have to do more of that as the kids' schedules heat up, Mommy has to come before Triathlete! Gotta admit, though, it was very hard to go to the official's clinic yesterday when I wanted to be riding my bike in the beautiful sunshine.
I'd really like to enter a bunch more races between now and Ironman Moo, (did I ever mention how slightly competitive I am?!? Or how much I really MISS racing of any kind?!?) but they aren't cheap - time and money-wise, so I'll just keep racing myself for now....it's only a bummer on the days I fail to beat me!
Coach Kevorkian (Jeff doesn't seem to realize how little life insurance he has on me!) has me doing a 2 hour run today. In the hills. For anyone that's into planning (slightly) ahead, I'd like white roses, pink tulips and astrolmeria at my funeral, and please sing Amazing Grace and On Eagle's Wings. Beth can do the singing. Bury me on a hill that's higher than I can bike or run....it would be good to make it!
Keep thinking good thoughts and prayers...they are helping!
I'd really like to enter a bunch more races between now and Ironman Moo, (did I ever mention how slightly competitive I am?!? Or how much I really MISS racing of any kind?!?) but they aren't cheap - time and money-wise, so I'll just keep racing myself for now....it's only a bummer on the days I fail to beat me!
Coach Kevorkian (Jeff doesn't seem to realize how little life insurance he has on me!) has me doing a 2 hour run today. In the hills. For anyone that's into planning (slightly) ahead, I'd like white roses, pink tulips and astrolmeria at my funeral, and please sing Amazing Grace and On Eagle's Wings. Beth can do the singing. Bury me on a hill that's higher than I can bike or run....it would be good to make it!
Keep thinking good thoughts and prayers...they are helping!
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