Sacramento International Triathlon

Well, I was very tired when I got home yesterday (imagine that), so I thought I'd wait to write about the big day when I had a chance to rest up. And of course, I had to go through the pictures.

Lee and I went up to Sacramento Saturday night to check in and get our race packets. We didn't want to have to deal with standing in line the morning of the race. We figured we'd have enough to worry about. So after we got all our stuff, we had a nice (but not very healthy) dinner at Macaroni Grill. I went to bed a little later that I wanted to, but luckily I didn't have anxiety dreams so I slept ok. We woke up about 5:15, got ready and arrived at the course at 6:30 with plenty of time to set up our transition areas. We had an entire area of the bike racks blocked off for our team, which made it very convenient. With 500+ people there, the last thing I wanted was to be swallowed up by a pack of strangers. Plus, it was fun to get a chance to chat with our teammates before we started.

When it was time to begin, everyone went down to the water which was about 1/4 mile from the transition area. We paddled around for a few minutes before the gun went off. What a difference from the bay! The water was about 70 degrees. Like a bath! The Super Sprint heat started at 8:00 followed by the Sprint at 8:10 and the Olympic at 8:20. I was worried that the Sprint group might catch up to us if we hadn't finished our 400m swim fast enough. But, I didn't have to worry because I finished in 8 minutes!

The swim went by really quickly. Looking out at the water, the buoys looked so far away. But when I was actually swimming, it was cake! I was run into a couple times, but I didn't even get kicked in the face. Which I can't say for other people since my feet occasionally connected with an arm or head. Woops!

Getting out of the water, the entire path back to the transition area was gravel, so most people (the sane ones at least) brought flip flops to walk back up in. That was interesting, trying to run/walk fast in wet flip flops. Luckily, we weren't in any hurry.

In fact, we weren't in a hurry at all during the entire transition from the swim to the bike. Lee and I and a couple girls on our team, took our dear sweet time. Looking back, that probably wasn't the BEST thing to do, but we wanted to make sure we didn't forget anything. We wanted to feel comfortable before heading out on our bikes. And we were.

The entire 8 mile ride went smoothly. It was completely flat, with the exception of a slight incline of an overpass. Just a couple things I wasn't too happy about; First, the course ended up being TOTALLY different from the map we were given. So, I was very confused and started freaking out at one point. But, I just stuck with my strategy of following whatever everyone else did, and it worked out fine! Secondly, in the 8 mile ride, I counted 6 smooshed animals on the side of the road. It wasn't pretty. At the beginning of the ride, there was the thick fragrance of skunk in the air. I figured out why a few minutes later. Poor flat skunk.
Next was the run. Oh the run. I totally forgot to put on my hat before I left the transition area. DANG! My whole balance was thrown off. I had trained with a hat, so without it, I had to compensate for the reduced ounces. Can you tell I'm making excuses?? I definitely feel like I could have done better on the running. I would run for as long as my legs and lungs could stand it, then I'd walk for a few minutes. I averaged about a 13 minute mile, which I was hoping to do more like 11 minutes. But that's ok, that will just be something to work on for next time.

The running course was quite interesting. Being that we were at the Port of Sacramento, there were piles of rocks, big rigs, dump trucks and those Caterpillar things everyone. Apparently, they didn't think it was necessary to move them out of the way for the triathlon. Or maybe, the race organizers thought it would be fun to build the track around them. Whatever the case, it was a little odd.

The best part of the race was my cheering section. During each transition, I had Mom, Dad, Carolyn, Kim, Kathryn and Maggie (Kathryn's dog) cheering me on. They were a hit with the rest of the athletes too. They stood at the finish line and cheered EVERYONE on as they came across. The announcer was very impressed. Then, when it was my turn to come in, they brought the house down! I finished the race in 1:20:22.8 and that was good enough for 112th place. I thought it would take like two hours, so I'm happy!
Here are my stats:
Swim: Time 8:16.3 Ranking: 85
Bike: Time 44:26.4 Ranking: 108
Run: Time 27:40.0 Ranking 121
This definitely gives me a starting point to work to improve.

Lee came in a few minutes later and after her came a few more of our friends on the team. It was a lot of fun being able to cheer them on. Overall, it was a great day. Loads of fun and I WILL be doing another one. In fact, were planning on doing the Mermaid Triathlon in Fremont June 3rd with a couple other gals on the team. This could be the start of a very long, very fun, very challenging hobby.

So, I guess this means the end of my blog. I've enjoyed sharing my wacky stories with my friends and family and I hope you've enjoyed reading them. It's definitely been an adventure. Thanks for participating! For more pictures, you can go to: http://new.photos.yahoo.com/album?c=mlpayne12&aid=576460762400030865&pid=&wtok=AtsLc9xYMveWJ2wU3eTyFw--&ts=1177997270&.src=ph

Tomorrow is the Big Day!

Well, tomorrow is the big day. Lee and I will be leaving in a few hours to go to Sac. We're going to first stop by The Port of Sacramento, check in and get our race packets. Then we're going to stay overnight at Lee's brother's house in Elk Grove and we'll meet the rest of our team bright and early tomorrow morning. I guess See Jane Run will have our own spot in the transition area. Aren't we special?!

I'm really not nervous yet, but I am excited. I want to get this first one over with so I know what to expect for my next one. That's right, I will be doing more after this one! In fact, there's one everyone few months in Sacramento, so I'll probably do the next one too. Maybe this time I'll try to do the longer version. Or....maybe not. We'll see.

Of course, I feel like I can do almost anything thanks to the support of my friends and family. It might sound cheesy, but it's true. I've gotten cards, phone calls and emails from people wishing me luck. I appreciate them all! Kim even has her little 5th graders praying for me, which is great because she teaches at a Catholic school, so I know they're experts! How sweet!

Well, I can't wait to write all about it tomorrow afternoon. It's time to start packing!

Still Shopping

Time is running out. Only 3 days left until the race. That means, only 3 days left to shop for triathlon stuff!! Actually, I've been shopping this entire time...including today. I have to share with you two of my latest, coolest purchases.

First off, I broke down and bought a new bike. I know, I know. I was so proud of the old one, but it's too difficult to race on a mountain bike. The thing weighs a ton, I can't go fast enough, my legs get too tired and it's impossible to go up hills. I guess I'm just a wimp. Really, I wasn't even thinking about getting a new one until one of the gals in our group had me ride her's so I could see what a road bike feels like. I was sold. So, here's my new bike:

Talk about a sweet ride! This thing weighs like 2 pounds and I can go lightening fast! It's awesome. I love it. I got it a few weeks ago and it's taken some time to get used too, but I'm comfortable on it now. I'm definitely ready to speed along the race track now.

I also bought a triathlon bag. As much as I have loved using my KCRA gym bag and my old Northgate Color Guard bag to hold all my stuff, this bag was just too cool to pass up.

This bag that holds ALL my gear for the triathlon. It has tons of pockets, including one for sunglasses and flip flops. The best part is the pocket for the wetsuit. When you unzip the bottom of the bag, there's an enclosed section to put the suit and towel. That way, it won't get all my other stuff wet!


And it even comes with a little pad to lay out my stuff on at the transition area.

Along with all this gear, I've had to purchase a spring/summer workout wardrobe. When I first started, it was January. So, all the stuff I bought was long sleeved. Now that it's warmer, I have to get myself some short sleeved shirts and tank tops.

I've found the key to shopping is to do a little at a time. Slow and steady. Just like training for the race. If I did all of this at once, or did too much too fast, it wouldn't have been fun. I would have been overwhelmed by my credit card bill. By pacing myself and looking forward to the next purchase, I've been able to spread the fun over these past three months! And it sure has been fun!

Lost in Transportation

During these last few months of training, each week we had our Saturday group workout at a different location. Each week, we followed the directions our head coach Valerie gave us. Each week, we got lost. For some reason, the girl is not able to give clear, concise directions. I don't know if she uses mapquest, yahoo maps, or her own hazy memory, but it never fails.

The directions usually start out fine...get on the freeway, exit here, turn right at the bottom of the off ramp. But then it starts to go south...drive .4 miles, pass the white building, turn left at the red Ford pick up, go up the hill, go down the hill and park in the parking lot with the cars. It's true.

Our first track workout was at a middle school on MacArthur Blvd. where the street was lined with schools that had no signs or addresses. We walked around like zombies until we found it. That was also the case with the Golden Bear stadium in Berkeley. The track was on top of a hill, up 3 flights of stairs and surrounded by trees. Were we given a heads up on what to look for? Of course not! We had to get a student to take us to it. Oh, and Berkeley High School is on Allston Way, but the directions we were given ended at Martin Luther King Jr. Way. How do you get to Allston from MLK? We were told to "look for the stadium lights." Oh ok. We somehow stumbled upon it, but we couldn't find parking so we just went home.

When we did our run at Inspiration Point, the directions told us to take Grizzly Peak until it became Wildcat Canyon. Four miles later, we were to turn right into the parking lot. Well, four miles after the road became Wildcat Canyon, we saw a sign saying "Inspiration Point" with an arrow pointing in a direction in which the road didn't go. There was a small road to the right, but it was blocked off. So, we continued on...just in case. A few miles later, we found the ACTUAL Inspiration Point and parked in the lot on the LEFT.

For our Briones ride, our directions told us to turn right on Bear Creek Rd and park in the lot before the flashing red light hanging from a pole above the road. So we drove and drove and drove. Then we saw a pole, with NO flashing red light on it. But, since we were now used to Valerie's directions, Lee and I just looked at each other with a look that said; That was probably the pole that was SUPPOSED to have a flashing red light. Typical. We better turn around.

Another common problem is that the streets we're supposed to turn on, don't have street signs. That's what happened TWICE on our way to Lake Merced a couple weeks ago. We also seem to have a lot of sessions up in the hills, were the roads are winding and keep switching names. There's always like 10 forks in the road and we're never really told which way to go. It's like one long Robert Frost poem.

These are just a few examples of course. This actually all started the very first night when we took BART to the Oakland See Jane Run store for the introductory meeting. After getting off the train, we turned right instead of left. DANG! Since then, the only things that have saved us are Lee's basic knowledge of Oakland and San Francisco and my basic knowledge of Berekely. When we were "confused" we just kind of relied on what we remembered about the area and eventually figured out where to go.

So now that we are only four days until the triathlon, I'm already thinking to myself: I need to make sure I get the directions NOW! Better not count on Valerie on the big day! It's a good thing both Lee and I know Sac like the back of our hands!

Last Bay Swim! Yaaaaay!

This morning was our last swim in the SF Bay at Aquatic Park. I didn't think it would be that bad, especially since we swum at Treasure Island a couple weeks ago and the water wasn't too cold. As it turns out, the water at Treasure Island is much warmer than Aquatic Park. Why? No one could tell me. The good news was that today the water was about 53 degrees as opposed to the 45 or so degrees it was in February. The bad news was that we actually had to swim the entire length of the distances we'll be swimming in the race. The stupid news was that I decided to swim in twice...just for the heck of it.

Kim was visiting me this weekend, so Lee and I brought her with us to watch. I'm really glad she came because none of my friends or family have really witnessed first hand what's involved in our training sessions. Kim was impressed with how much the coaches stressed us to have fun. It's true. They always want us to do our best and not to worry about comparing ourselves to others. Also, the group was happy Kim was there because they designated her "the stuff watcher." The coaches were swimming with us, so they needed someone to stay behind to watch our bags. She also had to feed a couple parking meters. Oh, and I made her the photographer. What a gal!

The entire team:

Time to get in the water! Those are our coaches Kurt and Valerie in the foreground. When we're swimming, Kurt sits in the water on his surfboard, makes sure we don't get lost and yells encouraging things at us. Can you tell how freakin' tall he is?? He's slouching and he's still almost as tall as his board!

I'm finally done!


All dry and warm!

Still Going

And now it's joined by my birthday balloons.

And thanks to Lee (a former asst. pastry chef) who made me an extra special cake for my birthday. It's definitely NOT on any diet, triathlon or otherwise.

Lake Merced Workout (aka: Swike Ride or Bwim)

Ah...beautiful Lake Merced in San Francisco. If you've never been there, here's what it looks like:

That's where we were Saturday morning for a brick workout. A brick workout is when you do two events together. For instance, our workout at the Bay last weekend was a swim and a run. That's a brick workout. This week, it was a triple brick. We were to bike 4.5 miles then run 1.5 miles, three times. No sweat. But when we got there, it was a little drizzly, so our head coach Valerie told us we'd make it a double brick. Even better!

But two minutes into the ride, we all kinda looked like this guy:

In other words...it was pouring rain. And being that it was so cold outside, I thought I was quite brilliant to wear all the clothes I had brought with me, plus one of Lee's extra jackets. But about a mile into the ride, at about the time I looked down to see my pants soaked through, I thought; oh, maybe I should have just worn my shorts like the other girls. Then I would have something to change in to when I'm done. But that ship had sailed and I was now drenched, muddy and miserable.

When we got back to the parking lot, one of our mentors told us that the conditions were unsafe, and "highly recommended" that we not go on a second ride. Duh. So Lee and I headed back to the truck to put away our bikes. Then, just to err on the side of caution, we decided that the conditions were also unsafe to run. Well, not unsafe so much as uncomfortable. Being that I weighed an additional 30 pounds thanks to my soaking clothes and that my shoes were completely filled with water, I didn't think I would be able to run well. And why do something if you're not going to do it well? Oh yeah, and this stupid girl rode past me and said; "oh my gosh. You should totally see your back right now. You're so muddy." Ummmm, really twit? We're all covered in mud. Do you think you're not muddy? Did you somehow magically fly your bike? Do you have a protective shield that protects you from the rain and mud? Do you have supernatural abilities? Don't talk to me.

While Lee put our bikes away, I went to the food van. The trainers always bring us food to enjoy after a big workout. Of course a 4.5 mile bike ride isn't big, but I still thought I deserved a treat. So with my hands filled with bagels, cookies, brownies and our new See Jane Run t-shirts, I headed back to the truck. Unfortunately, that's when I was intercepted by perky, smiley Kurt. "Hey! We're just going to do a single brick today. Instead of two rounds, we're just going to do the one bike ride and then the run. So, feel free to leave after you do your run." Starring at him blankly and trying to keep my food dry, I said "oh ok. That makes sense. Sure. Yeah. Alright." Ummmmmm. What? Are you kidding me? Does it look like I'm going to go running? Then he laughed and said "I think we can consider this a swim too!" (Hence, the title of this posting) I went back to the truck and said; "book it Lee. Kurt thinks we're going to run. Let's get out of here." And we did. We drove home sitting on our towels, barefoot and wearing our new t-shirts.

Pretty it Up

I've been looking over previous postings, and I've noticed that all the pictures of me and Lee are of us all sweaty and yucky after or during our workouts. Unacceptable! I'm much too vain for that. So, I thought I'd try to pretty this up a bit and post this nicer picture of us that we took when we went out this weekend.

And just for the heck of it, since recently I've only seen Juliana under the florescent lights at work, or with her swim cap and goggles on when we swim together, I thought we needed a pretty picture on here too. Plus, I've talked about her before and some of you don't know what she looks like. This is a good representation.

All three of us on Halloween. Sorry you can't see our costumes :(

Transitions

We focused on transitioning in our workout at Treasure Island today. Before swimming in the bay and running 2 miles, the head coach held a clinic on the proper way to set up our transition area on race day. It should look something like this:

We'll have a very small space (about the width of our handlebars) to put all our stuff, so we need to learn an efficient way to lay everything out to make transitions easier. Transitions are known as the 4th leg of a triathlon. Any seasoned triathlete can shave seconds or minutes off their time by being more effective in their transitioning. It can really make or break you in a race. But I'm not worried about time, so I'm just going to focus on making sure I leave with my shoes on.

T1 (triathlete lingo for the first transition) is from the swim to the bike. This is the most difficult because you have to take off your wetsuit, dry off and get into your race clothes. I've decided I'll be wearing a pair of triathlon shorts and sports bra under my wetsuit, so I'll just need to throw on a shirt, my socks and shoes, helmet and sunglasses, and I'll be good to go. I found this picture of a T1 transition:

Now, you may be wondering; why is she barefoot? Well, if you look closely enough, you'll see her shoes clipped into her pedals. These are special cycling shoes and professional triathletes don't waste time putting their shoes on before they get on the bike. They put their feet in their shoes WHILE they're riding. I won't be doing that. I also won't properly run with my bike because I can't balance it by holding it by the seat. When I tried that, the front tire went all over the place and it fell over.

Which reminds me that we also talked about how to avoid this during the race:

T2 (can you figure out what that stands for?) is much easier than T1. All you have to do is put your bike back on the rack, take off your helmet, put on your hat and run. 'Nuff said.

And that folks...is transitioning!

Is that on the Triathlon Diet?

That's the question Darcy asks me pretty much every time she sees me eating something she thinks I shouldn't be; pizza, Taco Bell, cookies, ice cream, cake, ice cream cake, chocolate etc. The answer is always "THERE IS NO TRIATHLON DIET!" As I see it, it's hard enough to work out almost everyday. The last thing I have the strength to do is battle my will power and give up the foods I love.

But in actuality, I do eat pretty healthy. Those previous examples were a rare few. After reading You; the Owner's Manual last year (I recommend everyone read it by the way) I've been eating more fruit, veggies, whole grains, nuts etc. I go to Trader Joe's every couple weeks and load up. So for the most part, I make good choices.

That being said, diet or no diet, my workouts seem to be having some effect. I was measured at Curves a couple weeks ago and though I've only lost 1 pound, I've lost 3 inches and .5% body fat. I also wore a pair of nice black pants last week, that I bought 5 years ago when I was "skinny" and never even cut the tags off because I immediately got "fat." That means, I've gone down a size since I started training and that was really my goal.

People say they are noticing a difference in the way I look. Here are two recent conversations I've had with people at work.

#1: With Duane when I went into the kitchen to go get a piece of chocolate

Duane: Hey Michelle, have you lost weight?
Me: Huh?
Duane: You look like you've lost weight
Me: Really? I don't know, I haven't weighed myself lately
Duane: Yeah, well I was talking to the girls and I said I thought you looked different
Me: Hmm. Well I'm training for that triathlon you know, so it's possible
Duane: Yeah, you look good
Me: DAMMIT DUANE! I CAME IN HERE TO GET A PIECE OF CHOCOLATE. BUT NOW THAT YOU'VE COME IN HERE AND SAID THAT, I CAN'T HAVE ONE! YOU'VE RUINED IT FOR ME DUANE!
Duane: No, no, I'm sorry. You can have one
Me: NO DUANE! THANKS A LOT!
Then I stormed out.

#2: With Annette on Friday when she came up to my desk

Annette: Hey Michelle, we were in the back room looking at pictures from the convention and we've noticed you've lost a lot of weight
Me: What?
Annette: Yeah, in those pictures of you that Kirk took, you can definitely tell a difference. I really notice it in your face and sides.
Me: ARE YOU SAYING THAT I WAS FAT AT THE CONVENTION ANNETTE?
Annette: No, not at all. But you're looking really good now.
Me: GREAT! OBVIOUSLY EVERYONE THINKS I WAS A FAT COW AT THE CONVENTION. WONDERFUL! THANKS ANNETTE!

As you can tell, I have difficulty accepting compliments. And I like to give people I work with a hard time.

So here's a picture of me and Julie at the convention. I don't think I look different at all. At the end of this thing, I'll have to take a picture of myself and do a before/after thing. Hopefully I don't gain it all back by then! Maybe I should consider starting a Triathlon diet...

Two Things!

1. We've had a Triathlon casualty. Lee and I got an email from Sara last week, saying she was dropping out of the training. She hadn't been to any practices for 2 or 3 weeks, so it didn't come as much of a surprise. She had gone on vacation for a week and I think that probably killed her motivation. But I understand. As I told her...it's hard to be motivated when you're not enjoying yourself. She just wasn't having fun with it. We'll miss you Sara!

2. I've had a mile-stone! Tuesday was the first time that I've ever run a mile without stopping. I know it doesn't sound like a big deal, but when I'm running, walking always seems like a better alternative. So, I always take it. But, this week it was just easier to keep running. And, I did it in about 10 minutes, which is REALLY a big deal. My best mile time was 11 minutes when I was in 7th grade. It's really sad when you're in better shape at 26, than you were at 12. But, I guess it's better late than never!

Nothing Mock About It

Yesterday we had our mock-triathlon at Shadow Cliffs in Pleasanton. I assumed "mock" was going to be defined as a shorter version of the actual triathlon. Uh, not really. It was a 400m swim, 8 mile bike ride and 2 mile run. The actual race will be a 500m swim, 10 mile bike ride and 2 mile run. (Did I tell you yet that we've signed up for the Super Sprint version of the race? As we begun training, we didn't think we could do the longer Sprint version, so we're starting with the shortest possible race we can do.)

The good thing about the Mock-Tri is that you get an idea of what to expect on race day. I did have a little trouble with the swim. The first 200m or so, I had (what I was informed of later) an anxiety attack. I couldn't breath, I swallowed half the water in the reservoir and I felt like I was totally exhausted. It wasn't until the last lap that I had calmed down and was actually able to swim normally. After the race, I was talking to a couple other girls and they said the same thing happened to them. They said our coach Kurt told them that it's a natural reaction for your body to freak out. Obviously after a few seconds of swimming, you're technically not exhausted. So you need to calm down in order to breath normally. Good to know...NOW!

Overall, everything went well. I found it a lot less difficult than I thought it was going to be. So did Lee and she's disappointed we didn't sign up for the longer version. I said "oh you're crazy." It's all about baby steps. I'd rather start off small and survive the shorter race, than try to push myself to do the longer version when I'm not ready. Maybe we'll do the longer version next time. Maybe.....

NOW I'm Embarrassed!

BEFORE YOU READ THIS POSTING, PLEASE READ THE PREVIOUS ONE TITLED "TOE-TALLY GROSS." OTHERWISE, IT WILL TAKE AWAY THE SURPRISE ENDING!

Ok, so I totally just Googled "peeling toes" and I found EXACTLY what I'm suffering from. I was right when I said it's something people don't talk about. It's not pretty, it's certainly not lady-like, but it does confirm that I'm officially an athlete. That's right, it's athlete's foot! I couldn't be more proud. Or more embarrassed. Next time I will Google before I type.

So now I've come to a crossroads. Should I delete these postings and pretend there's nothing wrong with my perfectly-pedicured toes? Or, do I say "screw it! I'm tough! I run! I sweat! My feet hurt like a b*tch after spending today in heels working a trade show in San Francisco, then going for a 2 mile run?!?!" I'm training for a freaking triathlon. Stuff like this happens. I'll just take comfort that my friends and family will love me despite my fungus-feet. I did say I would write about my mis-adventures in this training and this is certainly a mis-adventure, if not a mis-fortune.

I guess I'll be making a trip to Long's on my lunch break tomorrow!

Toe-tally Gross!

So.....what's up with all the skin between my toes peeling off? Is that from all the running? Do I need new socks? New shoes? Is this a normal result from working out? Is it one of those things that happens to runners, but no one talks about it? Maybe they're embarrassed? Maybe they don't want to share gory details? I certainly don't mind. Lee? Miranda? Anyone? There's nothing about this in my training manual. I looked. Time to Google it!

The Guys

When I signed up for this training, I knew our team would be made up of all women. But imagine my (pleasant) surprise when I found out some guys were going to be involved. And by some...I mean 5. And they are all our coaches and mentors. So let's dish.

Kurt - He's our swim coach and appropriately so, since he's probably about 7 feet tall. No exaggerating. And when he stretched his arm over his head to show us how he utilizes his height to help his stroke, he was well over 9 feet I'm sure. He hardly fits in your field of vision when you talk to him. There's no way to see his head and feet at the same time unless you stand at least 10 yards away. So basically, he's tall. And he told me he swims 5,000 meters three times a week. For those of you mathematically challenged like me...that's 100 laps in an Olympic size pool.

Sergio - He's one of our running coaches. I don't know much about him, other than...he knows how to run. So he taught us the proper techniques. He seems nice enough, but it bothers me that he constantly laughs when he talks. I'm sure it's just a coping method for speaking in front of large groups, but it's annoying.

Johnny - He's the bike guy. When we first met him, it was at the run at Tilden Park and he road back and forth up the trail on his little BMX bike to keep an eye on us. I thought he was cute in that granola-eating, not-showered-in-a-few-days, not-shaved-in-a-few-weeks, been-to-burning-man, wears-hemp-clothing sort of way. Ladies, you know what I'm talking about. But then at the ride on Saturday, he had his $2,000 racing bike, was wearing his professional cycling head-to-toe spandex outfit and had clip-ins for his pedals. So I guess he's an interesting dichotomy of hippie/cycling geek!

Mark/Kevin - We first met Mark/Kevin at one of our track practices when he made us run drills that football players do. Therefore, I immediately thought he was a jerk. Lee chatted with him a little bit and informed me that his name was Mark. But then at the swim at Lake Temescal, he introduced himself as Kevin.
So I had this conversation with Lee:
Me: "Why did you think his name was Mark?"
Lee: "No, the guy at track practice was Mark, this is Kevin."
Me: "That's the same guy!"
Lee: "No it's not."
Me: "Yes it is. Maybe you're confused because it was dark at track practice."
Lee: "No that was a different guy."
Me: "No it wasn't! Listen. His voice even sounds the same. He's barking orders the same as he did at track practice"
I don't think we ever came to a conclusion, but I think there is only one guy and his name is Kevin.

Robert - I've saved the best for last. How to describe Robert.....he's cute, he's from somewhere foreign so he has an even cuter accent and of course, he's in shape. Triple bonus points. He either goes to or went to Fresno State (which I know from his Fresno State sweatshirt and his 559 area code ;) and I can honestly say that there were no guys who looked liked THAT when I lived in Fresno. If there was, I may have never left! I'm not a good judge of age, but I'd put him somewhere between 18 and 30. On the cuteness scale, I'd put him somewhere between 8 and 9. You'd think having him at our practices would be a distraction, but it's not at all. In fact, Lee and I make sure it does not take away from our workout. At track practice last week, we ran around the entire track, then made sure we took our walking breaks when we passed him. It's all about logistics. It was convenient when we needed to ask him questions, or just wanted to get a better look. Oh and he drives a brand new silver Mercedes Kompressor. Cha Ching!!

Tour de Briones

There's only one word to describe yesterday's bike ride...HELL. It was 20 miles around the Briones Reservoir through the hills of Orinda, Richmond, Martinez and Briones. Now when I say hills, I mean there were 6 or 7 times when we were going straight up for almost a mile. It took me and Lee more than 2.5 hours to finish.

Now, let me take a minute to rant. The coaches did not warn us at all about what we were getting into. This was a course for professionals, not amateurs. In fact, everyone we saw on the course were all professional cyclists. The "Janes" who are training for the Olympic version of the triathlon did just fine because they are all seasoned athletes. But those of us in the Sprint group were completely unprepared. I feel the ride, though a good workout, was completely unnecessary since we'll only be doing 10 miles on flat land during the race.

To explain just how exhausting the ride was, on the way home Lee and I were so tired we couldn't even talk. We went to Jamba Juice and I was too tired to lift my smoothie and drink it! Then I went home, took a shower, fell asleep and dreamt I was running an endurance race across Mexico. I didn't get out of bed all afternoon, then I spent most of today on the couch.

Of course, I always want to look at the positive. I was so proud of Lee and I for finishing. Especially Lee since she's not a very strong biker. Not that I am. When we couldn't ride all the way up the hills, we walked our bikes. We just kept going and we wouldn't let each other quit. Does that sound cheesy? Our favorite parts were going down the hills. I clocked myself going as fast as 27 mph down those suckers. I didn't bother using my breaks. It was more fun that way!

Here's a picture from more happier times...before the hills.

Ridin'

I realize I haven't really talked about bike riding since I started this whole thing. That's because...it's boring. Well, it's not boring to do, but it's boring to write about. No one wants to read; "I sat and peddled today." But, I'm an equal opportunist. So, since I haven't written about it, I should go back...

Woops! Too far! Let's start here...

This is my ride. Isn't she a beauty? No, I didn't go out and buy this just for the Triathlon. This was my high school graduation gift from Nana. After all, a girl can't go to college, especially Chico, without a set of wheels!

So let me break this down for you. This is a classic 1998 Huffy Superia mountain bike, dark metallic green with 26" wheels, 15 speed thumb-shifting and caliper breaks. This bad boy can go from 0 to 17 mph in 15 seconds flat, depending on how big the hill is that I'm coasting down. I've pimped her out with a gel seat cover (not pictured), headlight, accessories pouch (for my cell phone, keys and powerbars) and a nifty speedometer/odometer thing that even shows me how many calories I've burned. To ward off any would-be thieves, I've invested in a top of the line, genuine kryptonite bike lock made from hardened steel. Four years of college and no one even TRIED to steal it. And that's surprising because even though it looks it, this is not a $2,000 bike. It was actually quite reasonable. In fact, it cost less than what I paid to train for this Triathlon!

Unfortunately, after spending a year locked up to the bike rack outside Shasta Hall, then 8 years on various apartment patios and in storage units, the elements left my baby looking a little dull. The wheels and body were suffering from a mild case of rust, so a few weeks ago Dad and I polished it up. Now it shines. Beware, it's almost blinding...

Because it's less of a challenge, I usually only go biking one day a week. Every Sunday, Dad and I take on the Iron Horse Trail from our house, through Downtown Walnut Creek, past Mom's work, to Rudgear Rd., give a little wave in the general direction of Nancy's house on the hill, then turn around and go home. In all, it's a 13 mile ride and it takes about an hour and 15 minutes. It's a nice route. There are always lots of families, hard core bikers and runners and even some wannabes like me! Dad always likes to make weak attempts at humiliation by gaining momentum, then zooming past me making comments like "watch out, here comes the old guy!" Last week Carolyn joined us for the first time and got a HUGE wake up call. 13 miles is a long ride and she was NOT ready for it. I told her I hope it would make her respect me a little more and stop her making fun of me and my work out regimen. She said she won't make fun of me working out, but nothing will stop her from laughing at me when I'm wearing that much spandex.

Lake Temescal

Yesterday's group workout was an open water swim at Lake Temescal in Oakland. Again, another beautiful place. When Lee and I showed up bright and early at 8am, the first thing I noticed were all the loons. Loons everywhere! I was going looney for loons. Of course, I did my "Norman, the loons" impression for Lee, but I don't think she quite appreciated it as I know Kim would have. There were also Canadian Geese and ducks. Then, when we got to the spot where everyone was putting on their wetsuits, I saw a Blue Heron on the right side of the lake in a patch of reeds. I know Nana and Auntie Ann would have oohed and ahhed just as I did. He was HUGE! We were too busy struggling with our suits to take a picture, but here's what they look like in case you've never seen one.So, our assignment was to do a 20, 30 or 40 minute swim. We opted for the 20 minute swim. Of course. The water wasn't at all as cold as the bay, so it didn't take as long to get used to. But, it did take me a while to put my face in the water. Putting my face in green, murky water filled with loon doo, just grosses me out. But I got so tired doing breast stroke/doggie paddle/treading water, that I had to just get it over with and start swimming normally. When I finally did, I made the mistake of keeping my eyes open under water and freaked out when a fish swam right in front of my face. It turned out to be a girl's foot, but it was enough to make me keep my eyes closed the rest of the time.

Swimming in a wetsuit in open water, is very different than swimming in a bathing suit in a pool. In my pool workouts, I'm able to swim laps for an hour with a few breaks. But swimming in the lake yesterday was just exhausting! Maybe it was the cold, or the wetsuit, or the fear of being kicked in the face by one of the other 40 girls. Whatever it was, I felt like when I was swimming, I wasn't going anywhere.

After three laps around the buoys, my 20 minutes were up. When I was back on the beach, I discovered that I'm susceptible to one of the unfortunate effects of open water swimming...motion sickness. Somehow, some way, you can become dizzy and nauseous from swimming in open water. It was horrible. The world was spinning. It felt like I drank too much vodka, then went for a long drive up Highway 1. I was just praying that I didn't throw up in front of all those people. Luckily, I wasn't the only one suffering. There were a good dozen of us or so sitting around on the beach and looking very green. I was kicking myself when the coach said "if you're feeling dizzy, you should wear ear plugs when you swim." I had brought my ear plugs but didn't wear them. Errr. It took me about 15 minutes to feel better and actually be able to stand up. It wasn't quite the "swimmer's high" we were told we could get from a nice brisk swim. Have I said lately that I'm having fun??!!

A Balloon and a Dream

So the first part of this post doesn't really have anything to do with my Triatlon. I just wanted to show you this. My Dad gave me this balloon for Valentine's Day and freakishly, it's still clinging to the ceiling. Can you believe that? What kind of helium balloon doesn't lose its lift after 3 weeks? It must be radioactive. Even Carolyn's balloon just started sinking this week and it's only half-way to the ground. This is just bizarre! In case you can't read it, it says "No limping Michelle Love, Dad" I asked my Dad when he gave it to me "what do you mean 'no limping?'" He just laughed. "You know, because you're training for a triathlon. No limping." Riiiiiiiight Dad. I still don't get it. But it doesn't matter because apparently it's a magical balloon and I love it!

The second part of this posting is that I had my first Triathlon anxiety dream last night. If you're unfamiliar with my dreams, let me fill you in: historically, they are very real, sometimes a bit weird, occassionally intuitive and I ALWAYS have to share them with whomever will listen. Right now, that's you...

I saw that Alyssa made a comment on my last posting, which is fitting because she was in this dream. (Background: I used to produce with Alyssa when we worked at KHSL in Chico. The link to her adorable family's blog is to the left) In my dream, I was at a pool in Chico and there was a swim meet was going on. Everyone was teamed up with a partner and they were competing in groups. I was in group 8 and I was teamed up with this guy who I had gone to school with since I was in like first grade and who was always on the swim team. So I thought; SWEET! We're totally going to win because this guy has been a swimmer forever!

Just as group 7 was swimming, I got a call from Alyssa who said her twin sister, Erica, was coming down to the pool to cheer me on. Obviously, this made complete sense since Alyssa is in St. Louis and Erica is in Chico. Why wouldn't she send her down to watch me?? Forget the fact that I've only met Erica like twice. Still, how sweet. But when she showed up, she looked exactly like Alyssa, when in real life they don't really look like each other at all. I was confused. I kept trying to figure out who this person really was, but she wouldn't talk to me. So I started yelling. WHAT IS GOING ON?? WHO ARE YOU?? YOU'RE STRESSING ME OUT HERE!! ALYYYYYYSSSSSSSA!

Because I was so preoccupied, I missed the initial warning for group 8 to line up. My partner got my attention and I quickly ran over to the blocks. But right when the gun was about to go off, I realized I had forgotten my cap and goggles and I was still wearing my clothes. Oh crap! My chances of winning are ruined! Random-childhood-acquaintance-guy is going to hate me! I had to force myself to wake up because I was freaking out so badly.

It may sound lame, but trust me when I say it was a nightmare. It obviously means I have some deep-rooted fear that I won't be prepared on race day. As for the Alyssa, Erica and random-childhood-acquaintance-guy....ummmmmm, I'll have to figure that part out.....

Never Go Swimming...

...right after having two margaritas, flautas, nachos and quesadillas at The Cantina. It might have been Happy Hour (or two) at the bar, but the hour afterward at the pool...is just plain ugly.

New Training Buddies

One of the best things about doing this program, is being able to go places I normally wouldn't go. Of course, I would have never pictured myself swimming in the bay at Aquatic Park. Yesterday, our team went for a run at Inspiration Point in Tilden Park in Berkeley. It was so beautiful, especially when we got to a part that overlooked the bay and the Golden Gate Bridge. We couldn't help but stop for a minute and admire the view. Lee and I were both kicking ourselves for not bringing our cameras.

After that run, Lee and I went to the Lafayette Reservoir to walk the three mile loop. Another beautiful location. I hadn't been there in so long, I had forgotten how nice it is. We decided to bring two friends with us, just to make it more interesting. Lee has two dogs who love going for walks. Teddy, the pug, was hilariously spastic the entire time and kept cutting me off whenever I would try to run. Kalaani (I don't know if I'm spelling that right) was a hit with her little backpack. I don't know if you can really see it in the picture, but she was carrying our water bottles and lunch in her pack. What a trooper! Almost everyone stopped to admire how cute she was. We definitely agreed.

Ow

I think it's about time to devote a posting to injuries. Well, I shouldn't say injuries. That's too harsh. They are more like....little discomforts. Just one or two body parts that, due to strenuous activity, don't quite feel or behave exactly as they should.

My first significant discomfort was after the first time I went swimming and I was doing the straight-arm windmill stroke. Totally wrong. Big time strain on my shoulders. So, I got this pain in the muscle behind my right shoulder. Here's how I'll describe it; make an 'L' using your left thumb and forefinger. Now turn it flat with your palm facing down. Now stick your thumb in your right armpit and put the tip of your pointer finger on your back. That's where it hurt.

Then I got some discomfort in my left arm just behind my elbow. That only hurt when I was driving and making a left hand turns. Now I have a pain in the same spot on my right arm.

For my first couple runs, if I didn't warm up properly, I would get charlie-horses in my legs after my first lap. I'm over that now.

I hurt the bottom of my left foot from all the pushing off the wall during my swim last night. It hurts when I walk up the stairs or stand on my tip-toes.

I have MAJOR discomfort in my back now. I think I strained something during our swim in the bay this weekend. I've circled the exact spot on this nice man's back:

I don't feel the pain when I move. But whenever I breathe deeply, hiccup, cough, burp, sneeze or do this weird high-pitched hiccup/burp thing I occasionally do, it feels like someone is stabbing me in the back. Juliana is my resident sports medicine expert (her major in college) so I asked her the probability that I had actually broken a rib and it had punctured my lung. She said "slim to none." Ann Marie is my resident massage expert, so she's nice enough to rub my back whenever she comes over to my desk to talk to me. I love her! I'm using the heating pad every night too so it's starting to feel a little better. Luckily, these discomforts usually only last a couple days.

I get a break tonight! Swimming practice is cancelled due heavy rain, lightening and hail. That means I get to watch American Idol!