Month 1

January is almost over...it's been busy to say the least. I've had double the work these days and the same amount of time (and pay), which has been infringing on my Bite Me Kitchen website and this blog! Not to mention that I still need to wrap up a handout I have regarding metabolic efficiency to my teammates and athletes that attended a talk at the coach's house. I'd rather be too busy, than not busy enough. I won't take that for granted! My sanity has resided in training.

As you can see above, my month has consisted of training, laundry, a messy/crazy post ride/run house, beautiful sunrises, sunsets, sweat and compression. This month, I should hit a new record - I'll have run 100 miles in January. Total for the month, I'll have covered well over 700 miles (including bike, swim and run) and I'm only starting this year. 100 miles sounds like a lot until you think about one of my (eventual) goals is to run a 100 mile race. In a matter of days. Straight. 

With training has come renewed joy! Nothing makes me happier than the rhythm of routine, the ritual of clarifying the mind and purifying the body through extensive effort, and the camaraderie of friends we train with. Winter is perfect training weather, and I welcome the cold, crisp air and even appreciate the rain. Sure, it's cold. Sure, it's wet. But, at least I can train and I can run and I can get outside. It could be worse - it could be icy or snowing. Or I couldn't have a bike trainer. Or it could be 120' out. Or I could have no legs. See? It could always be worse. It can always be a beautiful day. It's a matter of attitude. 

With training starting up again, the "questions" always becomes more pronounced. The questions from other people as to Why on earth are you training like this? It's not like you're a pro! Won't that much exercise hurt you? Won't running in the rain make you sick? Even though I've been doing this for almost 2 years now, the questions always strike me as odd. I mean, I get it... to normal people my training regimen seems nutty. But these are people who know me, and know that I don't do things without reason. Yet, again and again, they ask. Concerned, uncertain, confused, intrigued, they ask WHY. And I always feel like it's a hidden secret I cannot possibly convey. How can I explain my secret to happiness to people who are just seeing "exercise" and "fitness"? How can I give them all those sunrises and sunsets and high-fives to strangers and a zen-like mindset, and rolling hills bathed in sunshine and salt water on my skin and wrap it all up in a way they will understand? I want to ask them, Why don't you work out regularly? Why do you smoke? Why do you eat junk? Why do you drink alcohol daily? Why do you not get enough sleep? What is it about those daily habits that makes you love them so much?

I think people treat anything that requires discipline, commitment and training as something reserved for professionals. That provides an excuse for them to not partake because it excludes them. Oh, not me! I'm 40! Not me, I'm too short! Not me, I've got a job! Not me, I'm too fat, too skinny, too young, too poor, too busy, etc... The interesting thing is, there are many sponsored athletes and pros that started just like me and grew into their new roles whether they are full time athletes or continue to work full time, that have families and kids and hobbies and interests and their own companies and are 30 and 40 and 50 and older. There are all kinds of competitive athletes of all kinds in all walks of life at all ages. I don't have any goals to become a professional, but I really do enjoy training and I like to improve. No one likes doing things they aren't good at. In order to like those things, you must improve. In order to improve, you must do. Before you know it, you're decent at it and having a good time!

There is a growing disconnect between myself and the society I'm in. What I do is not extraordinary. It is simply the result of time, effort, work and dedication. Anyone can do anything, it just requires effort. All of us have the tools we need to succeed, grow, and change. Simply getting a late start at something in life does not mean that it's impossible or unattainable or not worth trying. There is always a way to do something if you truly want to. More so, I feel like a basic principle of mine is strengthening into a passion. I've spent a lot of time thinking on long runs and during swims and rides. Thinking about the concept of "use it or lose it" and how it applies to everything you've been given in life. My body and mind were given to me for a limited and undefined amount of time. How ungrateful would I be to let them sit and decay or to poison them with bad food and toxins? In this world, your body, your mind and your free will are the only things you 100% own. Why would you trash what is so precious? Why wouldn't you use what you have?

And that is something I will never understand. I am not the person who would buy things and store them away like a patient squirrel awaiting just the right time. I wouldn't buy expensive things and not use them out of fear that they'd show signs of use. I'd not close doors of opportunity out of worry that I might fail. I wouldn't save my time up for a future that may or may not arrive. Every single day, my body is aging. My mind is developing in different ways. Sometimes I grow stronger, faster, sometimes a little more brittle and slow. Storing my energy and saving my time does nothing for me should death come knocking tomorrow. What I lose today I can never regain. I want to use every single second of my life, of each day, and I want to use every bit of feasible energy, every capacity for thought, every ability to touch the lives of others and to shape my own, every movement and burst of speed, every effort to make my body and mind engage and interact with my world to the fullest. To do so brings me great, unmeasured joy. It makes me feel alive in every particle of my being. It makes me appreciate the honor of being here and now. And, simply, it makes me feel good.

2012!

New Years Day ride with Team FC [santiago canyon]

I thought about posting a 2011 recap, but I feel like I did that at the end of the season last year. 2011 seems so long ago already! While there's lots of talk about resolutions for 2012, I'm talking about actual plans. I've signed up for 2 Half Marathons, 5 Half Ironmans and 1 Full Ironman. That's putting your money where your mouth is. I spent many years making lists of goals. The same goals, by in large, and they never budged. Sure...I'd exercise more for a little while. I'd cut back on the cigarettes and the wine. I'd save a little money. Then, I'd blow it all. I'd eat more than I lost, spend more than I had and be right back in the same cycle I'd been accustomed to. Feeling frustrated with myself, I'd make a list of goals. Again.

Once I started triathlon, things changed. Signing up, paying for and telling everyone that I was going to do a triathlon put my toes to the fire a bit. I started adhering to my goals a bit more. It paid off. I was signed up for the Escape From Alcatraz triathlon (which someone else paid for) so I had to get my shit together and not disappoint people (or myself). Somewhere in there, I stopped making goals and just starting doing things.

You'll never lose weight if you don't consistently exercise and make better food choices. You'll never eventually quit smoking by "cutting back". You'll never save money if you're still spending. All of those things you want, the goals and the dreams will never walk themselves to your front door. You have to be willing to go out and get them. Even now, there's things I would like to see change in my life and I know there's only one person in my way. Me. It's nice to be alive. I feel free, grateful, powerful and calm.


So, how am I going to be accomplishing the things I've set out for this year? I had to recruit some outside assistance. I have a coach! Hooray! We met Joby last year through sheer luck. While looking for a running coach to do some running analysis for us, I hit up my old friend Google and searched for running coaches in Orange County. I sent out a few inquiries and sat back. I knew what kind of coach I was looking for and I felt confident that I'd pick the right person. I'm a wee bit type A, so I appreciate people who are friendly but also punctual and prepared. Joby responded to me promptly and asked me a number of questions that showed me he knew what he was talking about and was interested in more than our money. He was obviously interested in seeing how we ran. After our running analysis, Joby invited us to join him and his team on a ride and we continued to join them throughout the summer occasionally.

Stunning sunset/bird swarm last night 

We liked Joby right off the bat, and every person we met who was on his team being coached by him. He's a magnet for awesome people, and we somehow gained a group of training partners that we are getting to know more and more. It was easy to see by Joby's results and those of his coached athletes that he's a skilled athlete AND coach. It was without question that he would be who would coach us as we headed into our next big year. For those of you not familiar with triathlon coaching, there are a few types. There are a lot of training plans around (free and paid) for specific distances or races - they are generic and are kind of one size fits all. Then there is personal coaching (our option for 2012) in which our coach works directly with us to discuss and analyze our specific goals, strengths and areas for improvement.


This has been Week #1 of training and so far, so good! I like having someone to be accountable to and to give me a path to follow. I have complete faith that if I follow my plan, I'll get across those finish lines in good time! The first week back has been positive and I feel strong. I spent the off-season working on my running and my diet is pretty clean, so there's no huge switch into training mode. Adam and I both really like the structure and exertion of training, and we motivate each other to get up, get out and attack the day. I feel very in the moment every day and am savoring the sweet rewards of training - watching the sunrise, running as the sunsets, quiet mornings in the pool, and the zen-like mindset that comes from six days a week of arduous training.

Back on the trainer YEEEOOOOW! 

Our house has once again become a triathlon training facility / cat zoo (we have four) / crazy restaurant (The BMK) and I love it. There's bike shoes, running shoes, sweaty stuff, helmets and electronics littered across the house. It's Friday and things are at critical mass after the first week. The bike trainer has made it's way back out into the living room and we're figuring out where the second bike rack will go once new bikes are acquired. Every single day I feel grateful for my life, for being able to completely surrender to life and for being able to feel like I'm also somehow in control. I wake up happy and I lay down at night feeling fulfilled and the things I do want in my life feel completely feasible and attainable. That, my readers, is a beautiful feeling! Have a great weekend :)

Recap Christmas Holiday

The end of the year is always a hectic time for me. While most people take time off or slow down for the holidays, I ramp up my hours at work. On a good note, that means a few extra hours of pay and I'm lucky to have a job in an economy where so many people are struggling to get by. My workouts have been on the rocks a bit this week, but I'm pleased to still have gotten a handful of them in.

Last week I had a beautiful hilly run on the dirt trails by the Back Bay. It was a windy day and the trails were empty. I caught this sunset on my second loop.

California Christmas

I managed to get on my bike for the first time since the Newport Beach Triathlon. In the end of October. For a time trial. Whoa it's been awhile! Nothing like a few months off cycling to remind you how different running muscles are from cycling muscles. Surprise! Adam led me out on SART and I chased him as fast as I could for 20 minutes. I'm not gonna lie, it was kind of sad how slow I was. However, cycling comes back quickly for me, so I'm not too worried. I was able to get my heart rate pretty high (for me) and that's what my coach needed so I feel pretty good about it.

Giant Pelican

Christmas was nice! We spent Christmas Eve with my family post-bike ride and had a wonderful brunch in the warm CA sunshine. Christmas Day we woke up and while I went running, Adam headed out on another bike ride. I felt really good and managed to bang out 13.1 miles for fun. I'm looking forward to officially starting our training on the 1st with Team FC! And not working quite as hard! Ok, back to work =)

...and it was in the mid-70s!

Weekend Run Recap

Went on a 2hr 20minute run on Saturday. Here's what I saw! So many things are easy to miss when you're rushing about in a car...by foot - the world is fantastic. Enjoy! (Click on each image to enlarge.)

Someone's giant, sweet bunny stoked on all the good eats!

Threatening clouds

One of my favorite views

From Castaways Park

Tons of prickly pear in bloom!

From Castaways Park out the harbor to the Pacific

Kayaks at Southwind 

Yours truly!

Still Running!

Not too shabby for a Monday!

Monday I left work a little early and headed out on the Mountains to Sea Trail from Newport Beach towards Irvine. It's been crazy windy and cold here lately, so I intentionally set off into the wind knowing that my way back would be easier. The sun sets at 5pm sharp, so I  packed my Nathan hydration pack with water, arm warmers, headlamp, 2 E-Gels and a change of lenses in case it was windy and I needed my clear lenses in the dark. Seems like a bit of crap to carry with, but I'm a huge fan of being comfortable, particularly when I'm running or riding for an extended period of time. Simply put, the more comfortable I am, the more I can just focus on the task at hand. There are only 2 spots to get water along this section of the trail and I find it easier to just carry my own - no stopping and no fussing.

Under the 405 Fwy

Besides being out of work early (which is always sweet), it was absolutely beautiful out. Hardly anyone on the trail, bright blue skies, cooling winds, and I was running out with the sun at my back keeping my body temperature just right. The last outside run I did last week sucked so completely that I was in dire need of redemption. Granted it was a tempo run INTO the wind and said wind happened to be blowing around 20mph making my run a total nightmare. I pushed hard. I gave my all. And the wind handed me my ass, patted me on the head and sent me back home pouting. I was in luck on Monday, though, my long run went beautifully!

Running with the wind!

I've been consistently putting in the zone 1-2 runs which at first are completely boring. Shuffle, shuffle, jog, look at watch, heart rate too high, shuffle, etc... Yet, after a month, I've come to really enjoy them. Compared to the hill repeats, the tempo runs and the mile repeats, slow long runs are downright fun. I can actually enjoy the trip! I'm also super lucky to have this trail to run on. Some dirt, some asphalt, barely any concrete and no cars. I almost made it to my mom's house on foot - which I was pretty stoked about! I've been doing really well on the active recovery front as well - spending my lunch time foam rolling, using the TP Therapy stuff and working on some of my problem areas (tight calves which cause foot pain, tight hips which cause everything pain). My body has been recovering quickly and I am pretty much pain-free. The only thing that starts to bug is the pads of my feet (balls and toe pads) after about 90 minutes. Some new shoes coming tomorrow should help with that!

I have a touch of a cold so I'm resting for a few days, but it's worth it if I am better for the weekend! Fortunately my immune system is pretty healthy, so it can fight off these winter cooties without it being too unbearable. 

Just a quick few miles till home!

Stunning sunset over the bay

Reflections on 2011

“From a little spark may burst a flame.”~ Dante Alighieri

I sit here two days after our trip to Ironman Arizona (volunteering, not racing) and I'm overwhelmed with the sheer force, strength and resilience of the over 2,500 athletes that competed on Sunday. As someone who (as of Monday) stepped up to the task of taking on the full Ironman distance (2.4 mi swim, 112 mi bike and 26.2 mi run) I realize the power of that choice. Sunday I watched friends, teammates, and strangers race together, but very much alone at the same time. Some people's stories I knew firsthand - the whys and hows, the reason behind them, the banners they carried mentally to push them onward. Thousands of individuals - made up of the same flesh, bone and blood as everyone else, yet differing in their desire to push themselves beyond their limits and into the unknown. I felt as though I was looking at a sea of stars. Each person with their own story, their own reason, drive, year of arduous training. For those of you that I know who raced, for friends new and old, I cannot capture my joy for you in words. Each of you a tiny spark, bursting into flames, brightening the world with your courage. I feel lucky to count so many stars in my sky.

Tomorrow I turn 31. This year has been full of so much growth that I hardly recognize who I was last November. I was still trying. Trying to be healthy, trying to be calm, trying to be focused, trying to exercise. Despite all of my trying, my body was breaking down inside. After an immensely rich and delicious dinner on my birthday with my girlfriends (and copious amounts of wine), I wound up extremely sick. Sure, I had way too much to drink, but it wasn't just the alcohol - the food was making me sick as well. I started the year with a round of lab tests and doctor visits and frustration at the ineptitude of the medical world. I began to wean the problems from my diet by removing alcohol, fried foods, unhealthy fats, dairy, and eventually meat. Since I cut out the alcohol (with the exception of a few rare instances this year), I also cut out the cigarettes I was only "socially" smoking. It's pretty easy to only smoke when you drink when you drink daily. I found myself with only one choice - to be healthy once and for all. I was signed up for Escape From Alcatraz and I couldn't let me generous race sponsors down. Since I was used to letting myself down, it took being accountable to someone else to make it over the hurdle.

I grew up thinking it was absolutely normal to drink daily. Every single day, happy or sad, busy or bored, sick or healthy - a few glasses of wine was always the perfect way to unwind. Yet, a few glasses a night usually became a bottle of wine a night. And bad decisions became easier to make. And I never woke up to work out early, nor opted for healthy food choices. I felt like I couldn't get a grasp on what I wanted to do, who I wanted to be, and felt frustrated at my life. I was always on a cycle of extreme moods - volatile one moment, happy the next. Every morning I woke up tired, a little full of regret, and craving a cup of coffee, some satisfying food and maybe even a cigarette.

I threw myself into training in the beginning of the year and eventually, I started to feel really good. My life became calm, easy, decisions were clear, I could see where I was going and began to feel in control of my destiny. I woke up each morning feeling clean, pure, vibrant and alive. I was hungry for life, laughter and to expend my excessive energy resources by running with Adam or riding bikes with friends. I began to channel the energy I tried to dull for decades. I spent years of my life trying to either bring myself up or take myself down in an effort to catch up with my wildly fluctuating energy. I wasted a lot of time trying to corral a rushing river instead of learning how to swim. In the end, I realized that it wasn't more of something I needed, it was less. I needed less food, less toxins, less drama, less excitement, less bullshit,  less gossip, less arguments, less processed food, less sugar, less fat, and less alcohol. Only with a clear head did I begin to understand the depth and width of my dependence on external things to make me happy. Somewhere inside me, a change began to occur. A new voice clean and strong, asking to be cared for better. As I listened to my new voice, doing the best thing for myself became easy. Clean, healthy, easy to use food. Solid, unbroken rest. Fresh air, movement of my limbs and enough exercise to satiate the wildness in me. Everything became quite clear - no regrets, confusion, apologies, or misinterpretations.

I always wanted to do great things. To achieve the impossible and to push my limits. Yet, I always pushed that off to another day, some day, not today. By accepting responsibility for my own life and keeping my body and mind healthy, I was granted the power to do the impossible. I feel now as if there is nothing that can stand in my path. No journey too long, no goal out of my reach - everything is possible with time and effort. It's quite an unusual feeling and I'm just beginning to believe it.

I no longer view exercise as a chore - it's a privilege. It's also the cheapest way to get high and the only side effects are feeling good and a longer life. I am building my character each time I do an ocean swim and conquer my fear of open water and sharks. I learn how to focus with every hill repeat. I learn to not give up when doing mile repeats at tempo pace. I learn patience in my long runs. I learn to see the beauty, the good, the whole and the right in life. I surround myself with people who believe they can do anything and who are healthy,  I wake with the sunrise feeling grateful and I go to sleep each night feeling like I did the best I could for the day. Tomorrow I will celebrate the beginning of another year on Earth. I will celebrate having the opportunity to experience life the best I can and to improve the experiences of others. I am grateful for the support of friends new and old, family and most importantly, Adam. I am also grateful for the incidences and individuals who provided me with a challenge, and gave me the time and place to commit to my principles and exercise the fibers of my new self so that I became stronger.

Off Season Adventures

Ahhhh off-season! The time of year to sleep in, stay off the bike, skip chilly a.m. pool workouts and enjoy life. Oh, and learn how to run. My goal for off-season this year was to work on my run, and I have been putting in the work. In the past few weeks, I've run a lot - hill repeats, long slow days, easy runs, mile repeats, and even a 10 mile race in Huntington Beach (in the pouring rain)!

Last weekend I accomplished something that's been on my list for quite some time - to run around the Back Bay from our house. The fun part about this run is that there is no shortcut. Don't feel good? Don't want to run anymore? Tough %$&#! There's only one way home and it's around the whole thing. The total mileage from door to door is about 11 miles. It's a beautiful run that took me from our house to Castaways Park overlooking the harbor, then to Pacific Coast Highway and finally in around the bay on Back Bay Drive.

This curvy but flat section of the Bay is one of my favorite places. It's relatively quiet, it's flat, and it takes you through some stunning vistas. Once you get to a certain point on Back Bay Drive you can see the other side of the Bay where you hit the 9 mile mark. You can also see Jamboree and how far away it is and you know that between you and Jamboree is a steep little climb up to Eastbluff. It felt great to come up that hill and head on across Jamboree! Absolutely gorgeous post-rainy day views from every side of the bay!

Then there's been the early nights - it's been getting dark here around 5pm which is crushing my runs! I don't mind running when it's dim, but the other night it was pitch black even with my headlamp on. I'm going to switch the runs to the a.m! My paces are improving and I feel healthy overall. I'm hoping to continue chipping away at my running until I'm satisfied and ready for next year. 

Lastly, we're heading to Arizona tomorrow for Ironman Arizona! We're volunteering at the race (run aid station #2) and we will be registering to race 2012 on Monday. I realize this concept is befuddling for non-triathletes who look at me and question our sanity that we're driving to Arizona to volunteer and pay for our own trip/travel expenses only so that we can pay money to register for an IRONMAN. Yes, yes, I realize this is a little odd for outsiders. But, for those of us that are triathletes, this makes perfect sense. 

The Iron distance (2.4 mi swim, 112 mi bike and 26.2 mi run) is an impressive feat of physical, mental and emotional strength and no one person finishes (or starts) that race alone. That distance is traversed by a single person, with the aid, support, assistance and encouragement of many. At every race, the volunteers have made a tremendous difference in my overall experience and time. Seeing volunteers I know (like at Orangeman) was like having your personal on-course cheerleaders where often, there were no spectators. I feel that by volunteering, we are giving back to the community/sport that has given us so much. There's also quite a handful of Team FC athletes (and our coach Joby) who are racing on Sunday, so it will be great to be out in AZ supporting the team, being inspired and watching our friends and teammates succeed.

Lastly, we will register. Volunteers get priority registration after current IMAZ athletes and before it opens up online. My biggest and most amazing sponsor is paying for my race entry fee and I'm beside myself with gratitude! I am so excited about what next year holds for me on so many levels. With the year wrapping up, I continue to feel grateful and humbled by the amount of positivity, love, friendship, and possibility that exist in my life. 

"It's kind of fun to do the impossible"~Walt Disney

Year Summary

"The journey is the reward." - Chinese proverb

When I started triathlon, I thought that race day was going to unleash some pure magic in me. I envisioned that crossing the finish line would fundamentally change me in some way or push me forward to some new personal level. I crossed the finish line and felt...tired, good, happy, but nothing major shifted. Yet, who I was had changed... it had just done so over months of training. This years journey has taken me from thinking I might be able to finish the Olympic distance Escape From Alcatraz (although I had to conquer my overwhelming fear of sharks and the ocean) to finishing my first Half Iron distance race, Orangeman and finishing 5th in my age group at the Newport Beach Tri (sprint) this past weekend. Every step along the way, every hour training, every pedal stroke, every torturous ascent of Glendora Mountain Road, every swim...it's all been my reward. This lifestyle keeps me happy, every single day. I spend my time outdoors, with the love of my life and a handful of good friends and training partners doing things that bring me joy. I still laugh when I think how all of this started on a whim, and now it's shaped my life in a new direction and given me the courage, confidence and strength to believe that anything is possible for me.  

This year I began with a big goal in sight - to complete the Escape From Alcatraz triathlon. Terrified of sharks, terrified of the ocean, and terrified of the seeming insanity that would be required to even deal with this race, I plunged into working on my swim with a vengeance. My swim has developed into something manageable, and even pretty decent in the pool. My open water swim still needs work, as I tend to have difficulty sighting (only on race day) and tend to lack mental focus in the ocean until a 1/4 mile into the swim. A huge chunk of the development in my swim is mental. At the beginning of this year, open water swims were beginning to have a pattern of me getting in the water, swimming for 50 feet, then stopping, trying to calm down, swimming 50 feet, stopping, etc.. until I'd finally march out of the water scared out of my mind and mad at myself for being such a wuss. I cruised through the Alcatraz swim, and my confidence was buoyed. A few months later, I had a bit of a rough experience at CDM in which I had something akin to a panic attack, that I think was more due to ingesting half of the ocean's water along with my wetsuit not being on right. I felt like I couldn't breathe, freaked out and backstroked to shore. I sat on the shore thinking I was fooling myself with my big dreams of swimming in the ocean. A few weeks later, with a little talking-to by Adam, I was back in the water and proved to myself that I can swim. Swimming has certainly been a journey.

My cycling has come a long way. While I've always done alright on the flats, long hills really kicked my ass in the earlier part of the year. After we signed up for Orangeman, I dedicated my summer to riding Glendora Mountain Road. It took me 2 failed attempts to finally get up and over the damn thing, but I did it and it wasn't that bad after all. Along with hilly rides, losing some weight and a awesome bike fit, my average mph increased from 16ish to 19.5mph. I'm finally seeing numbers in the 20-23 mph range and I'm liking it a lot! My pedal stroke is a nightmare and I know I'm not pedaling efficiently, but hopefully a Computrainer will beat that out of me.

Running. Ah running. I have these delusions that one day I'll be some crazy endurance runner. There's something warped in my head that read an article years ago on this Ultra-runner chick and thought, "Yeah, that looks neat self! We should do that!" It's lain dormant through years of damage and...uh...not running. But, it's still there, bopping around my head and it deludes me into making me think I can run. I'm improving. Which is awesome, because I've spent thirty years not able to get below a certain 5K speed and I'm finally chipping away at it. I'm dedicating the winter to actually building mileage up right and avoiding injury by emphasizing a strength program that's running focused and a stretching habit. The only way to get better is to work, and I am ready to do work! The faster I am, the less time I have to spend out there grinding out the miles at the tail end of my triathlons next year =)

I can think of nothing more fitting for this year than the quote I started this post with. It's too easy to focus so far ahead on your goal(s) that you lose sight of the beauty, transformation and magic of right now. I think this concept only really hit home while I was struggling to bang out the half-marathon portion of Orangeman. I was feeling ornery and I thought, "I've had training days better than today!" and it struck me. Hey, wait a minute, here I was doing what I have been working on for so long, and it...really...isn't as awesome as some non-special days I've had during the year. It made me realize that I need to be here, now and to really appreciate the good days and to not let the more difficult days bother me too much. When you're on the right path, doing the right thing, at the right time, with the right person/people, every day is all the reward I need!

Newport Beach Triathlon

What a great end to the 2012 triathlon season! We decided to close out the year with a really local sprint race, Kring + Chung Newport Beach Triathlon at the Back Bay. This is where we ride and run, and it's a fast, fun course. We rode our bikes to the race early Sunday a.m. and despite a bit of initial lethargy, we got our wetsuits on and headed down to the water's edge. It's billed as an open water swim, which is kind of funny, since it's more like a briny, sort of dirty lake. We did some warm-up laps and gathered on the edge of the water, waiting for our waves to go off. 

The Swim (.5mi ~ est. 16:00): I had a little issue with my goggles. I didn't know that our fancy schmancy goggles had an anti-fog coating on the lenses. I was taking preventative anti-fogging measures on Saturday by putting anti-fog drops in our goggles and buffing them clean. I was dismayed to see that they just weren't getting clean! Buff, buff, buff....hm...blurry. Adam happened to catch me in the act and informed me that I was buffing and de-fogging the anti-fog coating off the goggles. Whoops. Needless to say, I couldn't see a damn thing on my swim and stopped four times to clear them out. I did finally hit a good stride about half way through, but since we had a little run to transition I don't really know what my time was. 

The Bike (15mi ~ 46:26, avg 19.4mph): I love riding my bike. I don't really care where or for how long! This section of the Back Bay is fast and flat with the exception of a steep, short climb and little grade up Eastbluff. I was stoked to not see too many women and I hammered my way around the bay. After Orangeman's Stonehill climb, Eastbluff was cake. I saw Adam twice and felt like I was back on track with my race after my mediocre swim. I played leap frog with a strong female rider and another guy and came in to transition hauling ass. Maybe next year I'll check out some of those fancy flying mounts/dismounts, but for now coming to a complete stop and dismounting has kept the asphalt out of my skin.

The Run (3mi ~ 25:08, 8:23/mi): I started the run and knew my heart rate was insanely high thanks to my Garmin buzzing away. It was definitely into a zone I didn't know my heart went! I felt okay though, so I settled into a quick pace and once I knew I wasn't going to keel over, I kept pushing as much as I could. The run is a blast. Short, sweet with only one slow hill to the turn around. After that hill, I did what I could to hustle. I felt like I ran out of gas about 1/4 mi from the finish, which was a little disappointing, but I went out hard on the bike and on the run, so...sometimes that happens. I came through the finish chute and felt damn good. I came in 5th in my AG, and while I secretly wanted to come in 3rd, the other girls were just a little faster!

It was a really fun race and it's always nice to ride from home. Adam took 1st for his AG!!!!! So proud of my champ! I cannot wait to see what this winter's run training + next years coaching does for our races. This was a great way to end the season and I'm stoked to have PR'd on the bike (for that course) and the run is pretty close to my Pac Coast PR of 8:20/mi. I never thought it'd be feasible to be in the 8 minute range, so I'm really looking forward to where I can take my 5K pace. Half marathon pace is a different story, but I'm working on it!

Working on the Weakness

Sunset Back Bay

The two weeks after the Orangeman Half Distance (70.3) triathlon consisted of my body telling me it needed a break. I came down with the cold I'd be fighting off in the week before the race, and it was just bad enough to keep me from exercising. Sometimes, your body knows what's best. Mentally and physically, we both needed some time to sleep in, rest and think about where we are going from here. Orangeman highlighted the areas that I desperately need to focus on - my lack of strength (particularly in my core and my hips) and my weak run. All things can change with enough effort and time, so I am setting my sights on working on my half marathon run and incorporating three days of strength training into my routine.