Race Photos

Here's me getting ready for the race on Saturday night.








Here is the start of my swim - my group is in the pick caps - the stampeding 40+ group are in orange.

Here I am transitioning from swim to bike

I am a triathlete... sort of

It's race day! I woke up at 4:45 am this morning to prep for the race. I tried to eat a bagel with peanut butter, but felt like I was going to throw it up, so I got down about a third. I was pretty anxious about the race. I got dressed, filled my water bottles with water and electrolytes and headed to the lobby to meet the team. From there we rode together to the transition area to get ready to race. The cool thing about being up and out so early was that I got see a fabulous Hawaiian sunrise! I was given #419 as my race number and found my transition spot with the same number and got all set-up. I decorated my bike with a flower lei I bought last night to remind myself that no matter how hard the race got, that I was still in Hawaii. Plus, it looked cute. We took a team photo under the finish line sign and then it was time for the race to begin!

The first wave started at 7:30, which consisted of elite racers - basically the pros. Then there were 2 waves of men. Then it was my turn - the 18-39 year old women. The waves were started at 3 minute intervals. There were about 100 swimmers in my group. I stayed in the back so I wouldn't get caught up in the group and I could swim at my slow speed. My plan of attack was to swim until I got tired and then float on my back to catch my breath and do it again. It would have been a good plan, except that when I was floating on my back to catch my breath, the last wave took off and I was stampeded by the 40+ women. I was kicked and swam over and basically panicked. So, a nice boy on a surf board rescued me and brought me in to shore. I was pretty disappointed in myself, but there really wasn't a way for me to rest through the group and I wasn't a good enough swimmer to swim with the front of that pack when they came barrelling through. So, I sat at the end of the swim for about an hour - when I thought I would have finished the swim - and then ran through to the transition area to get my bike.

The bike was easy to find as it was the only one left in my row. I changed from my swim stuff to my bike gear and set off. As I was heading out, the first of the elite racers was already heading back to the transition area (yes, he swam 1 mile and biked 25 in about 1 hour and 15 minutes) and nearly bowled me over! The first half of the bike ride was really fun! I was riding fast and passing other riders. My teammates who were on the other side of the highway coming back yelled encouragement and I was joking with the volunteers along the way. There were horned goats eating the grass along side the road too. It took me 50 minutes to reach the turnaround point. I was in great shape. Then the wind picked up - and kept getting stronger - and I was heading right into it. It took my 1 1/2 hours to complete the last 12 miles. It sucked! The wind was so strong that I had to pedal hard downhill to keep going. There was no coasting, no resting, no volunteer joking - there was some singing (Meet the Flintstones and the theme from Sesame Street - don't ask me why) and a bit of cussing. The last half of the ride was brutal. But, I finished, so it was time to run.

I transitioned into my run gear, grabbed a full water bottle and started on the lava path for the run. I walked a bit, then ran and hit mile 1 and 2 pretty comfortably. I ran through the resort, down a trail to the beach and then hit mile 5 - hmmm. Where were miles 3 and 4? I was following the runners in front of me. Did I just miss the signs? Anyway, I felt really good at that point and decided I surely I could run the last mile, so I did. Right to the finish line with a 4:17 finish time. I felt great for finishing (we just won't mention the swim part). But a 10k in 45 minutes? How could I have shaved off 15 minutes from my best 10k time? It ends up that this is pretty easy when you miss 2 miles of the course. It ends up I had turned too early (as did the runners in front me) and we missed the middle part of the run course. So, today I finished a triathlon consisting of a 1/10 mile swim, a 25 mile bike (in a wind tunnel) and a 4.2 mile run. Still, a pretty good race if you ask me.

So, would I do it again? No chance! I am a much better team mom and tailgater than an athlete. But I'm glad I had this amazing experience and I really appreciate all of you who supported me and got me here! Thank you!!

Bicycle Grease & Sea Urchin Spines

Thursday was a busy travel day of missed flights and delays. But I finally arrived at the Waikoloa Hilton just North of Kona. There were about 20 teammates including my coach on my flights, so the swim preview was cancelled due to the late arrival. We met at 7:00pm in a ballroom to assemble our bikes that were shipped here last week. This was a chore! There were 60 teammates all assembling at the same time. Every part had to be greased before it was added to the bike. It was pretty mechanical - especially for those of us who are mechanically challenged. After about 3 hours, my bike passed the safety inspection. Yippee! Time for bed!

This morning was the course preview. I met my team at 9:00am and we rode the short distance to the swim course. I had been warned about the coral in the bay several times. Don't stand on the coral or you will get cut. I did a fabulous job of avoiding the coral. Unfortunately I was not warned about the attack sea urchins and ended up with a big toe full of black sea urchin spines that not only hurt like heck, but leave a lovely purple dye under your skin where the poison is residing. I have now found my local Kona market and purchased peroxide and neosporine to doctor my injury. After the swim, we rode our bikes about 10 miles along the Queen K highway. I know I tend to exaggerate at times. But this is no exaggeration - the wind here was unbelievable! I was leaning to the side on my bike to keep straight because the wind was blowing me over. And heading into the wind, I'm pretty sure there were 3-4 times when my bike stood still, even thought I was pedaling. I have never experienced wind like this, other than maybe the typhoon in Japan in the early 1990s and I was inside the whole time then.

So the plan for tomorrow is to swim again in the morning, avoiding all sea creatures. Then we pick up our race info at noon and have a mandatory team meeting for dinner. Then the race is on Sunday. I'll post again when I get a chance. Thanks for all of your support!

All packed for Hawaii

I've packed everything that can possibly fit in my suitcase. I decided to carry on my swim goggles and my running shoes - just in case... I'll let you know how it's going tomorrow when I get to Kona!

Final Prep - Only 2 days to Hawaii!

I am in the final preparation stages for the triathlon. I leave on Thursday (yes, the day after tomorrow!) and the race is on Sunday! For me, the final preparation consists of choosing which sundresses and sandals to pack, buying sunscreen, and mapping out Kona shopping. Let's face it, the bike is packed and shipped and I'm not going to improve on my swim or run, so I might as well enjoy it. Here's how the Lavaman experience will happen:

Thursday 3/26 - Fly to Kona, Hawaii. Get settled into hotel. Meet Team in lobby to run to the swim course at "A Bay". Run 1.5 miles (the last part of the run course) to the bay and swim with the sea turtles. After dinner, the Team takes over one of the hotel ballrooms to unpack and reassemble our bikes. Enjoy drink with paper umbrella and slice of fruit.

Friday 3/27 - Ride the newly assembles bikes back to "A Bay" where we will preview the transition area, then swim the swim course, then ride 12 miles of the bike course. After that we'll return to the transition area and ride our bikes over the first 4 miles of the run course. Then, we return to the hotel to store the bikes and run 2 miles of the run course. Then, I'll enjoy several drinks with paper umbrellas!

Saturday 3/28 - We choose which course to work on - swim, bike or run. Then we pick-up all of race info and officially check in for the race. That evening there is a team meeting and dinner.

Sunday 3/29 - It's race day! I'll be up by 4:30 am (if I sleep at all). Eat breakfast and ride with the team to get the transition area set up by 5:30 am. The race officially starts at 7:30am. I hope to be done by 12:30pm and enjoying a post race cocktail by 12:31.

I'll be blogging from Hawaii - hopefully with photos. Thanks for all of your support for the past 6 months! I couldn't have made it this far without you!

New Team Photo

Here's a new team photo from Saturday's practice triathlon. I'm in the middle of the middle row with the blue hat. I'll post more as folks send them to me.

Practice Triathlon - 1/2 mile swim, 12 mile bike, 3 mile run

Yesterday morning was our practice triathlon in Encinitas. We arrived before sunrise to get our transition area set-up. You have to hang your bike on a rack and get your bike and run gear organized right next to the bike - your socks and shoes, bike helmet, running hat, sunglasses, water bottle, etc. Then we got in our wetsuits and took some team photos. The race started on the beach, where the team ran into the water to the 1st kayak, turned to swim parallel to the beach for 1/2 mile to the next kayak and then swam back in. Then we ran from the beach to the parking lot where our transition area was set, stripped off the wetsuit, got our bike stuff on and set out on the bike. The bike was south on the 101 for 6 miles and then back. Then the bikes were racked and we set out on the run - 2 loops of 1 1/2 miles. We each were assigned a number so every time we started and finished an event we called out our number so that we have times for each event and transition.

So here's how the event went for me...
Body Marking - Your race number is written on your hand and your arm in permanent black ink. Your age is written on your calf. This is so when a 63 year old woman passes you on the run you know you need to run faster. I scrubbed and scrubbed after the workout, but I am still branded with a huge 37 on the back of my leg. In Hawaii I am assuming this will also leave a lovely tan mark.

Swimming - I ran into the water to start the race and instantly the waves were huge. I tried to dive underneath them, but kept getting pushed back. After a few minutes, I was really frustrated. My coach came over and tried to help me get through the waves, but once I was flipped by a wave even he agreed that maybe I should skip the swim. And, by that point the first swimmer were getting out of the water. So, I ran up the beach with them to the bike transition. (I was not the only one to skip the swim due to the waves)

Bike - I did well on the bike. My new water bottle allowed me to fuel without stopping. I went faster with all gears now working. I did swallow a small bug.

Run - I felt really good on the run. The only negative was that I had to pee so bad by then that it felt like some pee might leak out if I ran hard. I kept squirting my shorts with my water bottle just in case :)

Except for the swim part, I feel like I did really well and had fun doing it. I'll post my times and photos when I have them. 2 weeks from today and I'll be doing the real thing!

Update

Yes, I'm lagging on blog updates. Sorry... Since the last blog I've run a 9 minute mile at the 1-mile time trial, skipped an ocean swim since I was worn out from Las Vegas, and purchased a water bottle that sits between the bike handle bars so I can drink and keep both hands on the bike - genius! Tomorrow is our practice triathlon and our last big workout before the event (that's what I'm now calling the race, an event - much less pressure that way). We're meeting before sunrise to get set-up and the workout starts at 7:30. We'll swim 1/2 mile, ride 12 miles and run 3 miles. That is just about half the Lavaman distances. I am hoping to do this workout in less than 2 1/2 hours. I am REALLY hoping to make that time. The event in Hawaii is twice the distance and will be about 90 degrees, so I'll need to more than double the time of this workout to project my time at the Lavaman event. I don't want to exercise in 90 degree heat for more than 5 hours :) I'm pretty sure all of the beer will be gone by then. I'll post a new entry after the workout and let you know how it went. Thanks for your support!

Sunday Swim Update

Yesterday was another ocean swim workout. The weather was perfect - so sunny & warm - and there were absolutely no waves - yippee! The workout was to swim out from the beach to a kayak, then across to another kayak, then back and forth between the kayaks until you were tired and then swam back to the beach. I'm not sure of the distance between kayaks or to the beach, but it seemed really far. I'm not a fan of swimming in the ocean when you can't see the kayak you're swimming towards. I started out ok - made it all the way to the first kayak. I was pretty tired through. Then, it got rough as I lost my new nose plug! Yep, this one lasted 1/2 a workout. This time I bought one that floated, but it didn't really help as the ocean took it away faster than I can swim... So, I swam the rest of the way with my head out of the water. I much prefer having my head out of the water, but it is much slower. My coach had me try the back stroke, which I liked, but I don't go very straight :( I swam for about 35 minutes before I had had enough. The good news is that I moved forward the whole time. The bad news, is that the mile is only 27 days away!

Before the swim I went to a refresher tire changing clinic. I am betting the more I practice my tire changing the less chance I have of getting a flat during the race. I feel confident in my ability to change either the front or rear tire though, so bring on the nails! One of the mentors also fixed one of my gears that was sticking, so hopefully I can go faster now.

The workout schedule is pretty compact now that there is less than a month remaining. Actually, we have a week of no workouts before the race and our bikes get packed and shipped on 3/18, so I actually only have about 2 weeks to get my butt in gear. So, I'll be swimming tonight, running tomorrow, biking Wednesday, running Thursday and hopefully swimming again on Friday. I'll miss the Saturday workout, but will be at the next ocean swim on Sunday. Phew! Thanks for all of your support!

I am officially registered for the Lavaman!

I am officially registered for the Lavaman Triathlon. The start list was posted on their web site today. I got really nervous seeing my name on the list today!

Here is the official Lavaman start list for females 35-39. Your age is calculated as of December 2009 (goodie) so almost all of us are listed as a year older. As you can see, out of 60 participants in my group, I am listed #60. All of the other San Diego participants are from my Team in Training team. http://lavamantriathlon.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=32:start-list-female-&catid=35:entries&Itemid=32

Only 4 weeks until race day!

With only 4 weeks left to prepare for my triathlon, I've decided to really get serious about my training - go to every workout, work at each one with race intensity, eat well, etc. Last night was a track workout, where we ran 600 meters 8 times with 1 minute rest in between. Then we ran one 400 meter lap to complete 3 miles. My times were better than projected, but at this point of the race prep, most of the sucky people have dropped out. Unfortunately, that makes me the suckiest most of the time. But, I am still improving, so I can't ask for much more. There is also no way I can compete with 5 minute milers - no matter how much training I have!

This morning I went to the pool for some laps. It started like any other morning at the pool - I had no idea of the tragedy that awaited me... When swimming laps, I alternate between wearing fins and not. Only 5 minutes into my swimming, I was grabbing the fins from the pool deck, when I accidentally knocked my beloved nose plug right into the pool! I tried to grab it, but was too late. To make matters worse, my lane was 12 feet deep! I could barely see the cute little piece of plastic resting on the bottom. If it had been 6 or even 8 feet I would have dove down and retrieved it. But 12 feet is more than twice my height, so that's where the nose plug stayed. It sleeps under 12 feet of water. The rest of my swimming was horrible! So horrible, that I ended up grabbing a kickboard and kicking with my face out the water for about 30 minutes. If only I could figure out how to swim the race that way! So, that's the latest. Thanks for your support!

Coronado - 32 Miles Bike + 3 Mile Run

I can't believe I only have 4 more Saturday workouts before Lavaman! Yikes! This morning the team met in Coronado for a brick workout which is supposed to be conditions pretty similar to Hawaii. We biked along the Silver Strand for 7+ miles where we turned around and rode back to the Community Center. Then we turned around and did it all again. It was a time trial so all riders started in 15 second intervals. I was #20 of 37 going out. I was 37th at the end of the bike ride. Yes, dead last. BUT, my time was a few minutes over 2 hours, which is faster than I've been riding, so I think just the really fast bikers showed up for practice today. I did pass lots of people on the ride, just not anyone doing a time trial... Anyway, it was good practice for the windy conditions we'll have in Hawaii. Plus it was good practice for refueling on the bike (taking in electrolytes & carbs). It's a no-no to put too much in your stomach right before or during the run. So you have to get your nutrition while riding the bike. After the bike, it was time to run. We ran past the Boathouse Restaurant and to the main entrance of the Coronado Golf Course. That was 1 1/2 miles and we turned around and ran back to the community center. The first 1/2 to 3/4 miles of the run was really hard. My legs were pretty tight from the bike, especially my calves. As I ran past my car I thought about just hopping in for a quick nap - who would know? But, I toughed it out and by the last mile I felt really strong. I was #36 at the end of the time trial. I beat out the speed-walker on the run. That's not a joke :) My total time was around 170 minutes, so under 3 hours. When the official times are posted, I'll let you know. Since there hasn't been any rain in the past few days, I should be able to get into the ocean tomorrow. Stay tuned for Kristin's ocean swim update tomorrow! Thanks for your support!

25 miles Bike + 6 miles Run

My legs are already sore, which means I'm in for a world of hurt tomorrow morning. The team was meeting at Lake Hodges at 7:00 am for a brick workout - which I decided was a bit too early for me. So, I headed down the street to the 56 bike path for my own brick workout. I decided to tackle the same distances I'll be racing in the triathlon - 25 miles on the bike and 6.2 miles running. It was a bit chilly this morning - 48 degrees when I started. I rode 7.5 miles to the the end of the bike path and then back. I turned around and headed back out for 5 miles and then came back to complete the 25 miles. Heading west on the bike path has lots of downhills, and I pedaled through most and reached 20-25 mph a few times. And my mantra of "I will not die" turned into "I feel the need for speed". No fear today folks! After the ride, I loaded the bike into my car and started out for the run. It was warmer by at least 10 degrees by then. My legs already hurt as I started running, so I knew it would be a slow run. I walked any uphill I came to on the 3 miles out. When I reached the 3 mile mark I decided to just get it done and ran about 2.5 - 2.75 miles and walked the rest of the way (there are streets to cross, steep hills to walk, so it's a good time to cool down). The whole workout, including the long transition to put the bike in the car, took about 3 hours and 20 minutes. So, at least I know I can do the bike and run portion of the race. It was tough, but with 6 weeks left to train I think I'll be ready to post a decent time in Hawaii. I'm going to go put Tiger Balm on my legs now... Thanks for your support!

Kristin's Brick Workout

So today the usual Saturday workout was up in the air due to the weather - so I created my own brick workout. My intention was to ride 25 miles on the bike and then run 6 miles, the same as the triathlon. Unfortunately, the 56 bike path is only 7.5 miles. So, I rode 15 miles and then ran 6. It rained a few times, but nothing too bad. The worst part was the rain drops on my sunglasses, making me a menace to the other riders. I felt good though.

The ocean swim scheduled for tomorrow has been cancelled due to the high bacteria count after the rain. I'll be in the pool 3 days next week though, so I shouldn't be too far behind.

If anyone has any fundraising ideas, please send me an email - I still need to raise $2000 and am running out of ideas! Thanks for your support!

An Ode to My Nose Plug

Nose plug, oh nose plug

I do love you so

You keep the water out of my nose

when I'm swimming so slow

Nose plug, oh nose plug

You've shown me a new way

To avoid burning nostrils

From chlorine and salt in the bay

Nose plug, oh nose plug

With You on my face

You make swimming seem easy

So I can finish my race!

3rd Ocean Swim

This morning was my 3rd ocean swim. The waves were calm, so I was confidant about being able to swim all the way to the kayak and back. Dan brought the boys to the beach to see me swim too, so I had my cheering squad there to support me. Getting the wetsuit on is no longer an issue. (Baby steps.) Getting into the water was fine too. As I was getting in the boys were waving and saying "Bye Mom!"

The water seemed much colder today, but the air was warm and the sun was out, so maybe that had something to do with it. Anyway, I started swimming with mentor Gretchen and then the negative thoughts started. I don't get very far before I am just so tired. And in the ocean, with no wall or ground to rest on, even resting takes work. So I swam a bit and stopped, swam a bit and stopped until I reached the kayak. I was exhausted! I hung onto the kayak for a bit and then we started out for a 2nd kayak that was a ways away. I didn't really want to, but Gretchen kept encouraging me. She'd say just 10 strokes and then you can rest. Then we'd do 12 the next time, etc. I think my main issue with swimming is that I can't really get into a groove. When I'm running and get tired, I pick a distance, a time, or a landmark to get to before I can stop. Then I pick another one and keep going. On the bike, to get up a hill, I count the pedal strokes, 1-2-3-4, 1-2-3-4, to concentrate on something other than how much further up the hill I need to go. I don't have that type of distraction yet to get me through the swim. So anyway, as we were moving at a snail's pace to the 2nd kayak, the rest of the team was swimming back towards us to go back to the 1st kayak. At that point, we turned around to go back to the 1st kayak as well. I kept thinking, "How in the world am I going to be able to swim a mile in Hawaii? This is pointless!" But Gretchen made me keep going and we reached the coach on the 1st kayak again. He told us that the swim is the shortest distance we need to go in the race and that my only thought should be how can I finish this quickly. The longer I'm in the water, the more calories I'm burning, so I need to keep moving forward - no matter what. By that point I was so tired of swimming, and my legs were tired too (I did run a 10K yesterday!). But I couldn't convince the coach to let me hang on to the kayak as he paddled back to shore, so I had no choice. I swam back to the beach. When I could finally touch the bottom, my legs were like jello and I couldn't really stand. As I walked out of the water, the boys were cheering for me with their arms in the air in triumph. It was pretty cool. They didn't know that I had almost quit at least 20 times. They were proud of me. In total I probably covered about 1/4 mile. Which is WAY more than I have swam (swum?) before. I still have a lot of work to do. But I still have 2 months right?

Here I am the boys after my swim

The white kayak is the roving coach offering encouragement or threatening to play whack-a-mole with his paddles (depending on the amount of whining). The 1st kayak I swam to is the one you can kind of see in the distance.

Thanks for your support with the Super Bowl Squares fundraiser. We raised $544 for Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

Photos - Super Run 10K

Photos of my first race...
Here we are before the start of the race. I am 3rd from the left in the bottom row.

The start of the race
Here I am finished with mile 5, only 1.2 more to go.

Here's my proof that I wasn't last!

Action Photos - 1st Oceam Swim

Here are the photos you've been waiting for...

This is the team - I am in the bottom row, 3rd from the right.
Here we are getting into the water for the 1st time. I'm in the back with "ORCA" written down my back. I warned you!

We first practiced floating. I'm on the far right next to Gretchen who's wearing the purple cap.

Here's me swimming next to my coach.

I'm in the green cap with my mentor Gretchen in the purple cap. This was taken from the kayak. I made it!

Action Photos - Carlsbad Brick Workout

These are photos from the brick workout in Carlsbad where we biked 5 miles and ran 1.5 miles 4 times.

1:03 in the Super 10K

Officially finishing in 745 place, I ran 1:03:10 in my first race ever. My goal was to finish in less than 1 hour 15 minutes, so I feel really good about my time. The Super Run started south of the Mission Bay Hilton, around Fiesta Island and back along the bay finishing a bit north of the Hilton. I ran the first 3 miles with teammate Cyndee and we were hitting 10 minute miles pretty consistently. After 3 miles, she ran faster to try to make he projected time and I stayed about 10 minutes per mile. At the end of the race I got a snazzy new t-shirt. And yes, there will be pictures!

Waves!

Too bad I'm not a surfer. The waves for my 2nd ocean swim were perfect for the guys pictured here. I practiced diving under them for a while, but never got out far enough to actually swim. My goggles got knocked around a couple of times, so I switched to bigger goggles so the salt water would stay out of my eyes. It was a rough day for swimming...

I am an Ocean Swimmer

Well, I did it! I swam in the ocean. It didn't start so well. As soon as I left my house I started to get really nervous. When do I put on my wetsuit? Before I meet the group or after I get there? What if I can't touch the bottom? What if there are fish? What if the waves are huge? What if I look stupid? What if I swallow ocean water? Will the salt water burn my nose? What if my goggles leak? By the time I got to the ocean and found a parking space I was a wreck! I thought, I'll just watch today and I'll swim next time. I can't do this.

As I drove into the parking lot, I saw another teammate and she was carrying her wetsuit. So that's what I decided to do. As I talked with some other teammates I found out that many of them were really nervous too. Many of them hadn't ever worn a wetsuit or swam in the ocean either. We got a brief pep talk from coach and then it was time to suit up. I was happy to see that everyone has the same issues putting on a wetsuit (a friend told me that, but I wasn't convinced until I witnessed 40 people tugging, pulling and wiggling into their suits). In fact, one teammate put her leg through the arm hole and needed assistance to get it out. At least I didn't do that!

Once suited up we took a group photo. I'll post it as soon as get it. Then it was time to get into the water. We walked in and had to open up the neck of the wetsuit to get water in (it was 58 degrees) which then warms up and keeps you warm. After the initial shock of the cold water wore off we floated on our backs. It's true - the combination of wetsuits and salt water really do make you float. The we got out of the water. So far so good.

Next, we watched our mentors demonstrate how to dolphin into the ocean. They basically dove under the waves (which luckily were minimal) on their way into the water. They then swam to another coach who was sitting in a kayak not too far off shore and came back. My turn! I mostly walked out to waist high water and then dove in 1-2 times. I kind of doggy paddled until I couldn't touch the bottom any more and then headed back to shore. I was no where near the kayak. My mentor, who is fabulous by the way, was next to me the entire time. Once everyone was back, it was time to try again. This time I went out until I couldn't touch the bottom and floated on my back a bit and then swam back to shore. Coach says it's time to do it again. By this time, I'm getting cold and I'm feeling like a mile in the ocean is almost impossible, so I really don't want to go out again. But my mentor suggests going out an practicing my floating. So, I go again. This time I dolphin a bit more and swim a few a few stroked past not being able to touch. Then my mentor and I floated a bit and she told me about how the course is in Hawaii. We weren't that far from the kayak, so we swam for it. I'm glad I did because the coach had a camera and took my picture swimming in the ocean so I have proof! Then we swam back to shore. As I was getting out of the water (the entire team is now done and watching from the shore) my coach asks what my left arm is doing and says to go back in and try again. I have to go back out to waist deep water and swim to shore so he can get a better look. He tells me what I'm doing and has me practice swimming parallel to shore, again with the whole team watching. Ugh! Then it was time to remove the wetsuits. This is even more entertaining than putting them on, because people fall over when taking them off. My hands were so numb I had trouble getting a good grip on the suit, but got it off just fine and remained upright.

So, I still don't see a day in the future where I will call you and say, "Hey, let's go swim in the ocean. That's how I really want to spend my day." But I did much better than I thought I would do and did something today that I have never done before. I am really thankful for the support I got from several teammates and my mentor. I couldn't have done it without them. The entire time I was in the water, there were children in nothing but bathing suits swimming further than me with big smiles on their faces. I guess my big accomplishment is nothing an 8 year old can't do! Maybe I'll tackle tying my shoes next week :)

Week 10 Bike - 5 mile bike + 1.2 mile run x 4

Yesterday was my 3rd brick workout where a bike and run workout are combined. We rode 5 miles in Carlsbad to a transition spot. Then we got off the bikes, ran a circular 1.2 miles back to the bike, got back on the bike and repeated the whole thing 4 times. Our previous bike rides have been pretty easy routes to navigate as they've all been on one or two roads. This route was through a residential area with a good amount of turns. The first time out on the bike was with the whole team. By the time the first bike route and run were finished, we were pretty well spread out, so I started out on the 2nd bike route by myself. I remembered most of the route, but at one point wasn't sure whether to go right or left. I chose to go right. After about a minute I was at the top of a hill with the very best riders coming up the hill towards me. Shoot! I had made a wrong turn and shaved at least 1.5 miles off the route. So I was now at the very front of the team with the really hard core bikers. It ended up being a good thing (besides the time and effort my shortcut saved) because I rode much faster than I usually dare in trying to keep up with them. I'm usually with the beginner group at the back of the pack and haven't really pushed myself (or wanted to) to see how fast and how hard I could ride. A few other people got lost too, but they weren't as fortunate to find a shortcut like me. My 3rd and 4th bike rides were on the correct route and since I had ridden half of it with the real bikers, my rides were the best yet. The runs were fine and overall I finished with the first half of the team, which was a new experience :) Some of it was due to the shortcut on the 2nd ride, but I think more of it was the confidence on the bike on my 3rd and 4th rides.

I signed up to run in the Super Run 10k on January 31. The whole team is racing, so we can get real race experience. It's at Mission Bay, so if you'll be in the area, come to cheer us on!

And yes, this afternoon is the first ocean swim. I heard the waves are 8-10 feet today. Fabulous! I figured I better get this blog entry done before the swim, just in case...

Swimming Lessons

It had to be done. I started private swimming lessons this week. This will put me in the pool two times a week for the lessons, once a week for my coached session and once a week in the ocean. If I can't swim after 3 months of this schedule, then I give up! My instructor is going to teach me to breathe on both sides so I can see where I'm going in an open water swim. That sounds pretty ambitious to me, but it's worth a try.

Tomorrow is another bike + run workout and Sunday is the first ocean swim!

Week 9 Bike - 12 mi bike + 3 mi run + 12 mi bike

Today I finished the hardest workout I've ever done. We started at Lomas Santa Fe by the ocean and rode through Rancho Santa Fe to Lake Hodges. It was pretty scary in some spots as the road is curvy with no bike lane. It wasn't a bad ride until I rounded a corner about 9-10 miles in and saw a humongous hill in front of me. It brought back memories of my terror ride a few weeks ago. Going uphill I just kept counting pedal rotations - 1, 2, 3, 4, 1, 2, 3, 4 - I must have counted to a million before I got to the top of the hill. We turned a bit past the dam into a park at Lake Hodges and after a brief water and bathroom break started out on the 3 mile trail run. The run was uneven with lots of hills and rocks. And it was warm today - I stripped off just about every layer I had on during the run. Thankfully I had put on a tank top under my shirt for added warmth from the wind, so I could strip down to that. Most of the team were down to their sports bras (the women, I mean). Even thought I was one of the last bikers in, I was not the last runner out, so I felt pretty good about that. After finishing the run, I took a break for peanut butter crackers, a Power Bar gel and lots of water. Then, it was time to get dressed and start back another 12 miles on the bike. Even though the hill down was really steep, I didn't have to repeat my "I will not die" mantra. I did say "Oh my God" a few times, but that was about it. The hills that didn't seem so bad on the way out, were killers on the way back! And I am definitely feeling the workout already.

After the run, my coach asked how I was feeling. I said that I thought the triathlon was going to be harder than I had realized (with a smile of course). He gave me a hug and said that this ride and this run are harder than anything on the triathlon course. He added that by the time he's done with me that the triathlon will seem like cake. We'll see...

So after the 3 1/2 hours workout today I am definitely feeling better on my bike. I also am getting to know my teammates better and starting to feel part of a team. Thursday is the re-commitment date - by then I need to sign a paper that says that I am committed to this program and my fundraising. I think I'm going to sign it :)

Super Bowl Squares Fundraiser

I posted the link for my Super Bowl Squares fundraiser on the left. To play, you'll need to enter the username "TNT" and password "monkey". Squares cost $20 each with 50% of the money going to my Team In Training account for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. The other 50% goes into the winnings, where you can win up to $1000! Good luck!

My 1st Wetsuit

I know what you're thinking - how can someone who grew up in San Diego have never owned a wetsuit? Well, I'm one of those people who likes to look at the ocean, but not go in. There's all that seaweed and fish and sharks... and cold water. It's not for me. But, in 11 days I'll be swimming in the ocean. So I bought my first wetsuit. And lucky for me it says "Orca" right across the chest. Why don't they just write "Shamu" across the ass? Geez! It also has the Team In Training logo on the front so if my body's found floating in Mexico they'll know who to blame :) Just kidding - humor makes the fear go away!

Week 9 Run

Our run workout tonight was back on the track (we've been running sand intervals for the past 2 weeks). We ran 400 meters at a time (1 lap) at different speeds. We started at our training pace and then shaved 10% off our time for the next 4 intervals. I feel pretty good about my times - my fastest lap was 1:44. Too bad I can't keep that pace for more than one lap. Next week's run is a 2 mile time trial. Thanks for your support!