Monday, September 29, 2008

Race Photos...a sampling

Well, I'm too lazy to post more, so here you go. Pre-race, bike, and run. It feels so empty without the swim!

Anyway, after digesting this race for a day, I am still pissed about my run. Next year. Next year, I tell you! I will redeem myself.






Sunday, September 28, 2008

I'm a Survivor

Woohoo! First race in Colorado is completed and it's down in the record books....where hopefully the run time will disappear into obscurity.

Anyway, my race today was a mixture of sadness and elation. In transition, I was all alone and there wasn't a soul there that I knew except for my handsome Sherpa. I wore my Diva uniform proudly, but it only meant something to me. While setting up, all I could think about was my team at OC Tri, doing the same thing I was doing this morning, except without me.

But on the flipside, it was nice to know that even though I'm not within the comforts of my team and Southern California, I can still show up to a race and throw down on the bike. (Well, relatively speaking here....)

So, how'd it go? Well, I have mixed emotions about that one. My bike, although difficult, felt phenomenal and I really left it all out on the bike course today. It was best described as "rolling," with more hills than I'm used to climbing. (Although none were particularly bad) It was a time trial start, so hundreds of us lined up and they sent us off every 5 seconds. I'd checked my gear ahead of time, so when she told me to "go!" I clipped in instantly, kept standing, and hammered my way down the first hill. I heard some of the spectators say "shit!" as I went by.....I guess most people were just lollygagging. But I needed to make this one count!

It was a beautiful 12.5 mile course on the plains, and my arm warmers kept me nice and warm. On the biggest climb of the course out in the middle of nowhere, 50+ high school boys, presumably the football team, lined the road and cheered us on. I couldn't stop cracking up! And of course they are all hormones and yelling "go baby!" the whole time, which totally made me smile. So of course I passed everyone in sight and hollered at them as I went by. I mean, who knows me? I'm not from here.

By mile 8, I'd burned everything in the tank. Oops. I was coughing up blood (it's so dry here-- my poor nose can't handle it), my lungs burned, and I had no idea how I was going to get myself back to the transition area. So I threw it into the little ring on the last few climbs and just hung in there. The plan was to have a nice bike and screw the run, and the plan was executed to a tee.

SO, I ended up finishing the bike in 38:58, running into transition with nothing left in me. I racked my bike wrong, so had to take it out and stick it back (different kind of rack this time!), then grabbed my number and ran out. Under a minute! Woohoo!

How sad is it that all I cared about was the bike and the transition?

So, the run. I walked immediately after I got out of transition and gasped for air. It was not filling my lungs. It was not mental at this point.....my weakness was a combined lack of conditioning and the altitude. I had to walk for a full minute to calm my breathing, then started out on the run. It seemed to go on forever, in what could best be described as a rolling course. No outright "hills," but you were never running flat. I had to stick to a 5 min run/1 min walk strategy, and it wasn't until I hit the 2nd mile marker that I felt in my groove. Unfortunately, it was too little too late --- my 13 minute 1st mile did me in and I had to cross the finish line with an embarassing 32 minute 5K. Yes, I said 32 minutes. But you know what? I'm comfortable seeing that number because I know I did the best that my body was capable of, and I know that when I am prepared, that number will go back down to the mid 20's where it belongs.

I ended up 5th out of 24 in my age group and 31 out of 236 overall. Not as stellar as I'd hoped, but every day can't be a good one. This was a fun little race for women, and I really loved being able to do the time trial start. Next year, I know that I'll be able to come back and really KILL this year's time. So I'm okay with that.

The aftermath of my little duathlon has been tough. I've been coughing all day and sound like a darn smoker! My left calf is tighter than you can imagine and totally sore. And my back! Ouch. Clearly, I need to make some changes.

Tomorrow, I am signing up for an off-season running program. I had the option of 3 different programs--- faster 5K/10K, Half Marathon, Marathon. I'm opting for the speedwork, as my immediate goals are to improve my Olympic and Sprint distance triathlons. I know that everyone in my group is moving along to Half Iron distance races and half marathons, but I cannot be mediocre. I refuse. So I'm going to try to get fast before I go longer. And I'm okay with that as well.

So, that's the race recap. Will post photos tomorrow when I switch computers. Hubby did a pretty good job and I'm only slightly mortified with the outcome. :)

Friday, September 26, 2008

Ready or Not

This weekend is my first race in the State of Colorado since my very first triathlon in 2004. We aren't going to talk about that triathlon, since it was quite possibly the most difficult thing I've ever done in my life and was atrociously slow. (My goal: to not be last)

This was a gift race, from a very nice lady I met on Beginnertriathlete.com. I transferred her entry into my name, and thought, "wow, one month of acclimation. That should be perfect." Well, it should have been perfect, had my bike not arrived 3 weeks into my month and had I not been sick for ages and ages.

I am going into the DuWop Duathlon with a 12-mile bike under my belt and four 3-mile runs since I left California. I am going to get my butt handed to me on a platter. AND I am certain I will puke in the process.

Why do I do this to myself?!

At any rate, I've signed up for the Cruiser category, which is basically just a 12-mile bike and a 5K run. I initially was going to do the full du, but the smart part of my brain figured 6 miles of running might not work so well with me. I'm so relieved. I very nearly transferred into the Mini Cruiser category last week, which is 1/2 of the Cruiser distance, but I think this race is for beginners and I would feel very guilty taking my lazy butt and racing it.

So, this weekend, I'm about to eat a honkin', stinky piece of Humble Pie. I'm going to take it like a woman, though. I'll smile for the cameras. I'll throw my hands up in the air at the finish. I will be nice to my fellow competitors. And then I will go home and pray that Athlinks never connects my results to my account.

Happy weekend!

Tuesday, September 23, 2008

Addiction

I've been occupied of late, and I'm ashamed to admit it had nothing to do with moving. Or triathlon. Or weight loss.

No, this is something far more viral, addictive, and almost embarassing. It's not even meant for a grown woman-- young adults. It keeps me up at night, and I spend half the day thinking about the characters even when there is work to do. I spent an entire week entranced in this new occupation of mine, ignoring television, friends, family, my husband. It's sad.

Yes, I am addicted to Twilight.

Laugh all you want, but I've got the hots for Edward Cullen, and I'm even planning on wearing a Team Edward t-shirt to the movie premier the day AFTER dear hubby's birthday. I've managed to hook both of my sisters on the series as well, which include a grand total of 4 books and nearly 2000 pages. I can't even begin to describe why this series is so addictive or fun to read, but suffice it to say that when I finished the last book, I was devastated. I love me some vampires!!!

Anyway, I felt I owed at least a partial explanation of why I couldn't be bothered to blog over the past month.

I've been hot and bothered. :)

Sunday, September 21, 2008

Some Assembly Required

It is with immense relief and gratification that I sit here with a cup of coffee, on my crappy brown sofa, in my brand new townhome. Yes, I am fat and out of shape, but....I am home.

After nearly 3 weeks of insanity.....moving, driving across states that look like Mars, wearing the same 5 work outfits over and over, attempting to get workouts in on a treadmill, and feeling like I was on a very bad, extended vacation.... I am finally settled!

Movers came on Wednesday, but the immense number of boxes was really frightening. I didn't make much of a dent at all by the time work rolled around on Thursday, and DH has the worst ADD on the planet and didn't get much accomplished on his own on Thursday OR Friday. So I'd been feeling a little stressed out and overwhelmed by all the unpacking and general chaos in my life. Fortunately, I finally conquered the last of the boxes last night, and hubby assembled the remaining piece of his Ikea shopping spree.

My bike was assembled on Friday night. It was a process, though. They'd removed the front wheel, the front derailleur, the stem with handlebars, seatpost, and pedals. But I was determined to do it myself, so I took it upon myself to carefully pull it out of the Ladera Cyclery-packed box and extricate my beloved "Buff." What a bitch that was! Suffice it to say that figuring out how to reassemble this thing was not as easy as I thought it would be. I spent a lot of time on the floor all greased up, crying, wondering how I'd get it all together with my little multi-purpose bike tool. Alas, an hour later, I had an intact bike.....until I realized that my seat was tilted to the right and the handlebars were pointed in a different direction than the wheel. Oops! So, more adjusting, and it was perfect.

I even took it for a 16-mile spin yesterday. After a short technical difficulty, I took off on the C470 trail by my crib and enjoyed my first Colorado ride in several years. My take? Well, bike paths are no Santiago Canyon. I actually got going faster on the downhills than I ever did in California, but I was scared to death.....all sorts of gravel and sand on the trails, and the trails themselves twist and turn unpredictably. I was riding the brakes like there was no tomorrow.

I have a race next Sunday, and to be honest, averaging 16mph yesterday just isn't going to get me anywhere near the podium. Hopefully I gain a few mph on the road and redeem myself, but who knows. I'm happy to report that my legs feel 100% -- it's the cardiovascular that stinks really bad here in Colorado. I'm signing up for a fall run program next week, so I am hopeful that'll help with the cardio.

SO, that is my scoop. Am settled. Am on my way to being happy, but as we all know, that's a tough order. I'm still out-of-shape, but I'm trying to be active without my Divas. Work is work.....some of it is mundane, but I work for a great person and overall it's a pretty easy deal. And it moved me back home, which has made everyone happy. (As I said, I'm getting there)

And for those who know us personally, hubby has been hired by another airline and we think his class will start in October. My Dad is teaching the class, so we are hopeful this will be a little bit easier the 2nd time around. We could use your good thoughts, though.

Promise to write more from here on out. Have plenty to write about now-- life at altitude!

Thursday, September 4, 2008

Sick and Tired

I give up! I surrender! Germs of the world, I GET IT. I am a most worthy host. You love my body. I am susceptible to your ways. You win.

Now could you please leave me alone so I can get back to my regularly scheduled life? I am so sick of being sick, I cannot even begin to expound upon it. It all started Monday morning, before our "Welcome Home" barbecue with family and friends. The cold from H-E double ski poles. Really nasty. I was grumpy all day, and by nightfall, had turned into a sniveling wreck. I started my first day of work on no sleep and so stuffed up I couldn't even talk without wanting to cry. Even now, on day 4, I am exhausted and snotty.

This now marks my 3rd week of total inactivity. TOTAL inactivity. I am beyond depressed, but not sure what to do. I can barely breathe, how can I run? I am positively convinced that every last shred of fitness that I worked so hard to obtain for the past year is now down the drain, and this leaves me depressed and frustrated. I'm trying to meet a friend at the rec center tonight to swim some laps, but I'm not even showing up with a plan and have no idea how I am going to feel in the pool. I just hope it's warm and not crowded! Well, first I hope I even make it. I am committed, but we'll see if she can get out of work in time and feels up for it. If not, I'm driving straight home.....what's another day of nothingness to add on to the past 3 weeks?

My only bright spot is that I've started a new book, and I love it. I cannot wait to get home so I can read tonight. You'll laugh, but the "Twilight" mania has taken me over. I heard it was better than Harry Potter. I don't know if I'd go that far, but it really is captivating and I adore it so far. Heck, I was up until midnight last night devouring it, and I am sure tonight will be much the same.

Oh! I have picked a triathlon strategy. Can't believe I forgot that. I'm going to join CWW and train with the "competitive" group from January - September. I want to work on trying to qualify for Sprint Nationals within the next few years. Not sure if I have it in me or not, but we'll see! I also want to know if I have a HIM in me.....the "competitive" group (there are beginners, intermediates working on moving up to Olympic, and then the competitive group) trains for longer distances. I figure this is the best way to get my sister and mom involved in the sport, as it's all women and not threatening. At the same time, I plan to join the Parker Tri Club so that I can have more local access to group practices and a co-ed group to train with. Again, I have a single 26-year old sister. Gotta find her a man! This fall, I am hoping to join CWW's running group. I might claim to be training for a half marathon, just so I can stay active this winter and improve my running.

Work is going okay. I have quite the learning curve ahead of me and 2 direct reports that I need to start thinking about. My goal is to formulate the "big picture" in my head of what I need to accomplish, pick my minions' brains on what they do and where they want to go with their careers, and then figure out how we are all going to work together whilst I try to develop them as best as I can. They are of the Accounting mindset and I am uber big picture, so this should be interesting! But I like that I have an office, and I feel like my boss and I get along really well. Now, give me a month....I may be singing a different tune!

Until then, my snotty, out of shape, sick and sorry butt is signing out