this has nothing to do with training

I read somewhere that less than 1% of the US population will attempt a triathlon. Well, I have that beat. Yesterday, I gave my cats a bath. What are the stats on that?

Why would anyone do such a thing? Well, for starters, Husband is allergic to them. It's not too bad most of the time (especially for me), and they are not permitted in the bedroom. Obviously Cats 1 & 2 were part of my life BH (Before Husband). I felt responsible for their little cat lives, and did not want to give them up. Luckily for me, Husband married me anyway.

Anyway, on advice of my hairdresser and the Internet, I will occasionally give them a bath. It really does help keep the dander and catty odor down. Plus they have been shedding like crazy in this heat.

I haven't done it in a while, but my in-laws are coming for a visit. Mother-In-Law is also allergic to the furballs. I don't want her to be sneezing all over the place. So to be a good hostess, I washed my cats.

When I pick up both of them at the same time, they know something bad is going to happen and start to freak out. I lock the three of us in the bathroom and let the torture begin. Bahahahhahah!

Cats are very flexible and slippery when wet. And mine have very sharp claws. With a firm grip on the front two legs, I hold the first one under the running tap in the tub. Lather with baby shampoo and rinse, rinse, rinse. I took the neurotic freak in first, and she actually bit me! I know she was just scared, but Husband wouldn't put up with that crap. Also got a couple puncture wounds on my legs. Hope I don't get cat scratch fever. Cat #2 made horrible moaning sounds, but pretty much hung there limply, hoping it would be over soon. Now that's a good cat. I give them a little towel dry and lock them in the bathroom for a while, and let them lick themselves dry before they are allowed back into society.

Now my cats smell of baby shampoo instead of, well, hamsters.

Oh yeah, I did my 4 mile run this morning. AND I got a good parking spot with barely even trying. It's a beautiful day.

geek-o-rama

I love my new watch, and can't top testing my heart rate. Right now = 79. Tested it after the alarm went off this morning, it was 94. Went back to sleep for a little while, then tested it again - only 60. I'm a little surprised at the wild fluctuations.

Last night I finally got back to the gym after missing 2 workouts. Biked for 25 minutes, then ran (with some walk breaks, all the better to test my heart rate) 3 miles. Tried to kick it up a notch on the bike by trying to keep RPM around 90, on a hilly course at level 8.

My watch thinks my max heart rate is 192. I'll go with that for now. On the bike, my HR stayed at around 120-125 range, even though I was working harder than usual. On the treadmill, it was more often in the 160 range, even though I was running pretty slowly at a slight incline. 160 is 83% of my max. That's higher than I expected, since I was running at a slow pace, but I did jump on there right off the bike. I'm curious to see what it looks like when I swim laps in the pool.

Resting = 60
Aerobic threshold = 125
Anaerobic threshold = not sure, but 75% of max is 144
Max = 192

Current HR = 75

I can also track calories on my watch, which is actually pretty user-friendly. I just add calories throughout the day whenever I eat something. I started the timer during my workout last night, took my heart rate a few times during the workout, and it automatically subtracted the "Calories Out" from my total for the day. I only wish I could download all this data into a spreadsheet. What a geek.

A storm front came through last night, and it poured while I was at the gym. The air is refreshing and breathable again. What a difference 20 degrees makes!

new toy

This just in -- my new MIO shape select petite heart rate monitor watch!

I bought this instead of one of the Polar heart rate monitors because there is no chest strap, which sounds uncomfortable. Also the "petite" part made me hope that it would be a normal sized watch instead of a grandfather clock on my arm. It's still pretty big, but not too bad.

I can test my heart rate by putting my first 2 fingers on the silver sensors for a few seconds. Sitting here at my desk, after a few cups of coffee, mine is 61 BPM (beats per minute). I think that is pretty good because they say in the little booklet that 72 is an average resting heart rate. I'm supposed to test it again after waking up without an alarm while still lying in bed, to get my resting heart rate.

I can track calories burned, by testing my heart rate during my workouts. My weight is in there too. I can also track calories in - my target intake is roughly 1800 right now, and I can add calories consumed throughout the day. It will beep at me if I exceed my limit. Kind of doubt I will use this feature. Still, pretty cool!

I'm really glad I signed up for this

Mighty Man Half Distance Training Program
Montauk, New York
Monday, August 08, 2005 7:00 AM (Eastern Daylight Time)

About This Event: This program is conducted by the founders of the Mightyman: Steve Tarpinian and Chris Pfund. Although the main focus is for the Mightyman Half Triathlon, the workshop will be a great addition to all athletes of all levels participating in the Mightyman, Mighty Hamptons or any fall triathlon. A two day training workshop on the actual Mightyman course is included. All who register for this program will get an 8 week training plan that starts on August 8th and takes the athlete up to race day.

Day 1; Monday August 8th:
7:00 AM Breakfast and workshop/run course overview
9:00 AM run on race course 3 – 13 miles with run technique analysis.
11:30 AM – 12:30 Stretch session
Noon – 2 PM free time for lunch
2 PM – 4 PM Swim discussion and open water workshop
4 PM – 6 PM Bike handling skills, discussion about bike position and mechanical check of bikes
6 PM Q and A for Day 1
Dinner is on your own, coaches will have suggestions for all interested.

Day 2; Tuesday August 9th
7:00 AM Breakfast and bike course overview
9:00 AM Bike on race course 20 - 56 miles
Noon – 2 PM free time for lunch
2 PM – 4 PM Open water swim and course preview, equipment discussion
4 PM – 6 PM Training plan discuss
6 PM Q and A for Day 2, wrap up of workshop
Dinner is on your own, coaches will have suggestions for all interested.

More Program Information
A two day training workshop on the actual race course is included. All who register for this program will get an 8 week training plan that starts on August 8th and takes the athlete up to race day. The workshop is August 8 and 9 (athletes are encouraged to be in Montauk August 7 – 10).

Things I have learned

Here are some of the things I have learned relating to my training:

- What to eat. I have to eat a light breakfast which contains no dairy. No breakfast = starving, weak, cranky, delirious. Cereal, or even just a little milk in my coffee = serious hurl potential. Current breakfast of champions is one slice whole wheat toast with almond butter and a cup of tea with one sugar. Some people go out at the crack of dawn with no breakfast. Supermen? Or fools?
- What to wear. Performance fabrics make all the difference. Cool-max socks prevent blisters, as do good shoes. Asics GT200 size 9A are the shangri-la of footwear, discovered through expensive trial & error. Narrow size is not available in stores and must be ordered online. The running shorts with the built-in panties are much better than an extra layer of sweaty cotton. I also have great love for my special running hat and sunglasses. And my cute 2 piece sporty swimsuit and googles which actually fit without leaking.
- Muscle weighs more than fat. I have not lost a damn pound after 7 months of running. Not a damn pound. But my secret weapon, the body fat scale, confirms that muscles are emerging from ancient layers of fat. I've lost 3 inches from my waist- which I didn't even think was fat - and pants are getting quite roomy. Muscle weighing more than fat is the only explanation.
- Planning is essential. I am only starting to master this. If you plan when and where you are going to work out, you are a lot more likely to actually do it. Extra points for putting your running clothes out or packing your gym bag the night before.
- Prepare for the elements. Kind of like planning, but in my mind it means sunscreen, bugspray, water, and/or a few bucks to buy an emergency vitamin water. Oh, and don't forget the flip flops at the pool - who knows what is on the floor of that shower.
- Tracking is essential. Keeping score brings out my competitive side. I'm not actually ready to compete with other people, but competing with myself is helping do more, faster.

I have a talent for stating the obvious. Actually, although these all sound obvious, maybe I needed a reminder as I went out his morning with no breakfast in the wrong shorts, and I could have used some bugspray on Sunday.

In other news, I love my little weather center I added on the side --> of my blog. It will probably make me fantasize even more about Montauk. And, I am pretty sure I am in the market for a new bike. I rode my mountain bike in the sprint tri, but I think that just isn't going to cut it for 56 miles in the Mightyman. Seems awfully decadent to own 2 bikes (3, counting Husband's) in the limited space which is a New York City apartment, but I don't know what else to do. This also sounds like an expensive proposition -- maybe I can find one on Craig's List?

Training

OK, I'm not a total idiot. I realize that I need to kick it up a notch for a half-Ironman. Funny how my blog from 2 weeks ago said that I was crazy for thinking about signing up for this race. I think my mother agrees. But that's OK.

This weekend, I ran 5 miles on Saturday evening, and 9 on Sunday morning. Saturday afternoon I did some ocean swimming while Husband surfed. The water is cold without a wetsuit, that's for sure, and I didn't wear goggles, because, umm, I didn't want to look like a total dork. But I swam around a bit, covering the same 50 yards a few times back and forth along the beach. The tide was coming in and the waves kept getting stronger, so I headed back for our blanket afet 15-20 minutes. I look on it as desensitization therapy. I need to just be more comfortable with open water swimming to do it more effectively.

Saturday's run was pleasant and relaxing. It was during this run that I really started convincing myself that the Montauk race was the thing to do. I ran up to the beach, and investigated the possibility of swimming from the beach, through the channel, across the lake and all the way up to our backyard. Upon investigation, I realized this was not one of my better ideas as it is (a) really far, around 2.5 miles, and (b) full of boat traffic. It would not be wise to bob around where all the fishing boats are coming in. Scratch that idea. There is a perfectly good swimming beach here, in a cove so any waves are pretty minimal. Husband doesn't like to go there because you can't do any surfing, but I can improvise.

Saturday night, we went out for dinner and drinks, knowing that I had to get up for my 10 miles early Sunday. This run was pretty crappy. No breakfast, because I wanted to get out there and get it over with. Started out kind of dehydrated and headachey. (Note to self: no more drinking before long runs!) Left at 8:30 instead of originally planned 7:00. Took a shadier, more "interesting" route through the park on the way back, got lost, and was attacked by horse flies for like, 30 minutes straight. Everytime I get the slightest bit unsure of where I am in the woods - and I was probably 200 ft from the main highway - I start thinking about The Blair Witch Project. Yes, I am crazy like that. Anyway, I had already decided to cut my 10 miles down to 7 because I felt terrible, but my "short cut" through the woods meant that I wandering around in a circle for 30 minutes, so I think I did 9 miles. I was weak and starving and grumpy. Grr. Immediately scarfed down whole wheat toast with almond butter when I got back to the house and felt MUCH better. I did some stretching and noticed that my now-dry skin was covered in a thin layer of salt crystals. Even my face. Like I took a roll in some Morton's salt -- really. This is a whole new level of sweating for me. I had a salty, fried lunch to replenish.

Back to training. This week's marathon training calls for: 4-4-4-8-4 miles, for a total of 24 miles. I'm going to replace one of the 4-milers with swimming, add a swimming day during the week and one on the weekend, and 2 bike workouts on the weekend. Instead of 2 rest days per week, I'll have one, and double up workouts some days, with a focus on swimming. So maybe it will look like this:

Monday: swim 1 hour
Tuesday: run 4 miles
Wednesday: rest
Thursday: bike 30 min, swim 30 minutes
Friday: run 4 miles
Saturday: run 8 miles, swim 1 hour
Sunday: run 4 miles, bike 10 miles

Although I have several books on triathlonning, I recognize that I don't really know what I'm doing. So I signed up for a 2-day training clinic in prep for the Mighty Montauk. It's in 2 weeks, so I'll just keep hobbling along until then.

Everything's going to be alright.

I signed up!

For the Mightyman Montauk Triathlon on October 2nd. I am nervous, excited, and $200 bucks poorer. Here is some info about the race:

About This Event
A triathlon consisting of a 1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike and a 13.1 mile run. Known as the Half in Montauk. All segments of the event will take place in Montauk, NY. Montauk is one of the birthplaces of triathlon. One of the sports earliest events, the Mighty Hampton’s Triathlon in Sag Harbor inspired a local Montauk Motel owner, fisherman and surfer, Robert Aaron to stage a triathlon in Montauk in 1983 (the Mighty Montauk).

Course
A triathlon consisting of a 1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike and a 13.1 mile run (known as a half Ironman Distance Triathlon). All segments of the event will take place in Montauk, NY. 1.2 mile swim Fresh Water Water temps expected in the mid to upper 60s. Wetsuits recommended. Beware of Killer Whales and Lock Ness! 55.6-mile bike. Two Laps on a 27.8-mile Rolling Course. 2200 Total feet of elevation gain. Leaving Town on Edgemere Rd to Westlake Dr. around the Montauk Light House .And out and back to Gin Beach on East Lake Dr. Back down West Lake Dr. Around Gosmans Dock then back to town by Edgemere Rd. with a little add-on to a water stop in the Culloden Estates. Light Traffic and great Roads view of the ocean and bay, what could be better? 13.1 mile run. Two Laps on a hilly 6.55 mile course 806 Total feet of elevation gain. A two lap course that is quite challenging, after a rolling 3 miles you hit "murder hill" followed by two other challenging climbs. This beautiful run course will truly make your race an accomplishment to be proud of! Water stops approximately every 1.5 mile and will have water and energy gels. All segments of the event will take place in Montauk, NY.

This is a LOT for me. This all started because I got excited about doing the NYC marathon in November. I got curious about tri's, and also wanted to get better at swimming as a life-long exercise. I was planning on doing the Mighty Hamptons [Olympic Swim 1.5K (.93mile), Bike 38K (23.0 miles), and Run 10K (6.2 miles) ] as my BIG challenge, and maybe do the Mighty Montauk next year.

But here's the thing. We spend our summer weekends at a rental share in Montauk. Part of the course actually goes past my house. How could I not do it? Yes the swim (my weakest sport) sounds scary, and no, I have never ridden anywhere near that far on a bike. But I know I can do the run, and I still have 11 weeks to train. I'll feel bad about myself if I don't do it. I can train right out there on the course! I've been running there all summer! I can get a full night's sleep the night before the race! Plus, I can't be sure that we'll be in Montauk next year. Or that I will be in shape to do it. Husband and I could decide it's time for some little triathletes . . . but that's somebody else's blog. This is the year. This is the race. Definitely meant to be.

It's crazy. . . but it just might work.

New York

Last night I had a really good run. Still so hot, in the 90s, but the humidity was down yesterday. Left for a run a little after 7 PM with new tunes on my MP3. When I' m feeling lazy, it's very tempting to go run circle around the little park which is only 3 blocks away. But I tend to go home more quickly because (a) I am close to home, and (b) running circles around the park (4x=1 mile) gets pretty boring. So, I headed for the river.

It is about a mile through a slightly shady neighborhood to get to the track I like. Drank so water a a trick fountain which spurts in my face, and did laps around the track. The track is around a soccer field and there were lots of people running and walking, in addition to the players and a few people in the bleachers. I have no idea how big the track is, which is pretty lame. The NYC Parks website says it is "0.25", does that mean it is a 1/4 mile? I read somewhere else that it is a 1/4 around Washington Square Park, but it seems a lot further around the park than around this track. Maybe I should get one of those GPS pedometers. Maybe I'll just ask someone at the track next time I go. This is pretty basic running knowledge that I should have by now.

Anyway, I ran 4 loops around the track, with some faster intervals, depending on my music. In my own little world, I did stretches & crunches on the astroturf, with the sunset in front of me, the river behind me, and two soccer games going on right next to me. On the way back, I actually ran through an open fire hydrant "sprinkler". Very NYC. Then around the park for good measure and home. I think it was ~3.5m over all. Since I have managed to almost completely avoid running in the heat in the midst of summer, that is pretty good for me.

All the goings on in London are bringing back memories of 9/11 and making me nostalgic about my city. They started doing some random checks of backpacks and packages on the subway today. I heard that someone suggested a total ban on backpacks in the NYC subway. Obviously that person does not live ini New York. I really don't see many options for making the transit systems safer. I go through Grand Central a lot, and there are still National Guard types with dogs (bomb-sniffing?) hanging around. We need to get some more of the dogs.

I missed my workout Tuesday, so although today was supposed to be a rest day, I was going to run 4. Didn't happen. Set the alarm for 6 and went back to sleep for two hours. Good thing I am working from home today. Have I mentioned that it is hot?

Cool in the pool

Been so hot here, and I have been more tired and lethargic than usual as a result. Yesterday's workout was missed. I planned to go to a spin class and everything, but left late, missed the start of the class, missed my train, and drove home. By the time I got home, I was so headachey and beat that I just wanted to eat dinner and call it a night. Oh well.

Tonight I got back on the wagon for some swimming. Swam for 45 minutes or so with Husband at the good pool. Hams and calves have been tight since running last weekend, but now they finally feel normal again. Also, they keep the water and the pool area pretty cool, so I feel like I finally got cooled down thoroughly, for the first time in 3-4 days. Even now, my arms are cool to the touch rather than the hot, heavy, slightly clammy heat I've been putting off the last few days. I swam 15 laps or so, probably 10 freestyle, with a few backstroke and drills thrown in. Swimming continues to improve - I try and slow down my breathing and now take breaths only every 4-5 strokes. Less breathing (which quickly devolves into gasping for air) makes the whole process more efficient. I feel good - like I worked my shoulders, stretched my legs, and realigned my back.

DEFINITELY need to do some open water swimming this weekend. The swim leg of the Mighty Hamptons tri is almost a mile, and it will be here before I know it.

HHH

It's hot today. Going up to 93 and humid. I've got 4 miles on the schedule today, which will probably be done in the air-conditioned gym, NOT outside. Maybe I'll swim. Or bike. Gym bag full of running & swimming stuff = options. Maybe I'll bike at lunch and swim after work? Now that would be pretty impressive for a Tuesday.

Bought some sporty stuff online yesterday. "Total Immersion" is a book on swimming which is often highly recommended. Although my swimming has improved, it has a long way to go.

Also bought a heart rate monitor watch. I had a cheapo sporty watch which had the ability to time laps & splits, etc.; but I never really got the hang of it, and it finally died anyway. The new watch will tell me my heart rate without the chest strap on other models I've seen which looks like a PIA. I'm thinking that if I focus on staying in a target heart rate range, rather than just finishing a certain number of miles or laps, I'll end up working a little harder and getting a little better.

Girl in the mist

We had strange weather this weekend. Warm, humid, and misty. Drove out to the beach late-ish Friday night. Worried that we would hit a deer - it was so foggy you couldn't see more than 10-15 feet. (Yes, I have an irrational fear of hitting a deer, but they are everywhere!) Went to sleep with the sound of the foghorn. Broo! Broo!




Saturday it was still very foggy - I expected it to burn off but it never did. Went for my 8-mile run with my housemate. She is also training for the marathon, and did it last year. We left around 10:45, later than ideal but not too bad. The temperature was only in the high 70s, but really, it was so misty that humidity must be close to 100%. You couldn't see the horizon. Or the next turn in the road. Hell, you couldn't see the lighthouse until we were right up on it. (You could hear it though . . . Broo! Broo!) I was soaked with sweat, and had to walk on a few of the hills, but, I did it, and it was nice to be out there with someone. Came home, did lots of extra stretching, took a shower and a nap. The fog was so thick, you couldn't see off the back porch.

Sunday morning's assignment was only 4 miles. Headed out around 9:30. Still warm and humid, but not as hot as the day before. New tunes in my MP3 player made it easier. Husband and I went to brunch. There was another nap. In the afternoon, we went for a nice bike ride up to the point. Pretty much the same route as Saturday's run. My legs were tired and burning at the start, but got a little better. Saw 2 deer (up close) and about 5 rabbits on our bike ride. Many Long Island rabbits are thrill-seekers who like to dart across the trail at the last possible moment, practically under the wheels of the bike.

Drove home through a thick blanket of fog. It was a good weekend.

Marathon training plan, 16 weeks to go:
Monday: off
Tuesday: 4
Wednesday: 4
Thursday: 4
Friday: off
Saturday: 10
Sunday: 4
Total = 26 miles

Again, I will probably sub one of those 4 mile days for some swimming, but should be okay with this!

what next?

so, how am I doing?

On Monday, I did a little run around the neighborhood - only 1.5 m.

Tuesday. I left for swim class, and realized I forgot my towel and didn't want to go. I have access to 2 pools - one which is 3 blocks away, new, clean, and usually not very crowded. Second choice is about 20 blocks away, hot, crowded, old, and kinda of dirty. The locker rooms are really foul in my opinion. Unfortunately, that is where my swim class is held. The swim class itself is also unpleasant. The teacher (really a college student on the swim team) puts a list of drills on a whiteboard. There are 2 lanes reserved for the class, and usually 4 of us to a lane. Although this class has definitely improved my swimming, I just find it to be pretty miserable. Anyway, on Tuesday I did the next best thing - swam 500 meters at the pool I prefer. I think this will probably be my MO for a while.

Wednesday. Travel for work; rest.

Thursday. Planned to run in the AM, but went back to sleep instead. Ran 3.5 on the treadmill near the office after work. Tried to do some speed intervals - cranked it up to 8 and 9 miute/mile paces, which is super fast for me. I was very sweaty and a little shaky afterwards.

Friday. Will try and find some time to run today, but it is hot already and we are heading to the beach later. We'll see what happens. Need to do a long (8m) run tomorrow or Sunday, probably tomorrow, and a shorter one the other day. Maybe we'll go surfing or mountain biking too.

I feel good about the races I've completed this year. I am probably in better shape than I have been since highschool. Maybe better. I have been just starting out, and my race goals are usually straightforward - "finish". So, I've done that.

I think it's time to set my goals a little higher. When I look around these races, I am surrounded by people who are older, fatter, somehow disabled; and yes, faster. Some people really push themselves to the limit - they are huffing and puffing and groaning their way past me. I really never get to that point, and I don't like being pushed to anywhere close to my limits. But, I would like to get faster. And I know it's all in my head - I am able-bodied. I don't expect to be speed racer, but I should be able to improve speeds by 15%. Time to start really testing myself. No time like the present.

65 days to the Mighty Hamptons. 114 days to the NYC marathon.

One more thing

The official results were posted, and I wasn't last out of the water! I was 3rd from last. Strangely, this makes me feel better.

Plan for the week

So, now that I have my first tri out of the way, I need to get back on track for the marathon. I have 2 training plans from the marathon folks, the "first-timer" and the "casual marathoner". My plan is to aim for the "casual", but at least do the "first-timer." So this week, the "cashz" looks like this:

Monday: off
Tuesday: 4
Wednesday: 4
Thursday: 4
Friday: off
Saturday: 8
Sunday: 4

For a total of 24 miles. Also -- this is important - the marathon folks say you can substitute up to 25% of your miles with cross-training. Which I plan to do -- I certainly need to work on my swimming, and I have minor knee issues which I don't want to aggravate. So that is 6 miles I could skip if I do 6 miles worth of xtraining.

Although today was supposed to be off, I went for a little run around 6ish. It is hot and humid here, but I had the time and inclination, so I figured carpe diem. My legs were tired from yesterday's tri, but I wasn't sore or anything. I took it easy and ran 4 times around the park and most of the way home. I think this is only about 1.5 miles, if that, but enough to get a lot of sweat flowing, especially in this heat. We'll call it a recovery run.

Tuesday and Thursday I have swim class (note to self: show up this time), and I have an excellent route to do 8 miles on Saturday. So, I just need to do a 4 and a 3 (I'll count my "recovery run").

So, that's the plan.

So, a girl walks into a triathlon . . .

This was my first one, so I didn’t know where to start. Guess I’ll start at the beginning.

3:30 AM. Finally, the alarm goes off. I’d been tossing and turning since 1:30, checking my phone for the time every 20 minutes or so. Bikes on the car, tri backpacks packed, showers; all done the night before. Roll out of bed, get dressed, make some toast and grab some extra water. Take out the garbage; throw remaining bags in car, on the road by 4:05. A million stars are in the sky.

5:45 AM. Park near the race site, after a stop for coffee, and a near miss with a deer crossing the road. Damn deer. We supposed to be at the race site by 6:00, for a 7:00 am start, so we were actually early. Grab our stuff, walk bike to the race site, find a decent spot on the racks, and get in line for the bathroom. I’m a little nervous. Glad we got there early so I’m not in a panic about laying out my stuff or forgetting something. Chat with Husband (he signed up at the last minute), but lose him in the crowd when I leave to put on my wetsuit.

6:55 AM. Race briefing on the beach. I get in the water to get used to the temperature. Women are asked to get out of the water. Men swim out to the start line buoy, which seems awfully far out in the water to me. We are to swim out to a buoy, then along the beach to another buoy, go around it, back to the first one, and in.

7:00 AM. A horn marks the start, and the men are off. I look for Husband, but it’s impossible to recognize anyone.

7:03 AM. I am only waist-deep in the water, when the horn for the women’s start goes. I catch up to some feet and bubbles, but am soon with just a few at the back of the pack. What just brushed against my leg? Aaagh – get it off! Get it off! Calm down, girl. I am gasping a bit, so I switch to backstroke very early on. I had hoped to freestyle most of it, and only backstroke if I needed it, or toward the end.

One of the problems with backstroke is; you can’t see where you are going. I think the wind was blowing against me on the way out. Or maybe I just can’t swim in a straight line. The race helpers/lifeguards were nice about it though. “Miss, you are going off the course. Head that way.” Oh, thank you.

So, I’m out there, going slow, definitely not pushing myself to go any faster; just resolved to finish the thing. I would flip over on my stomach for a while, but then back on my back. Goggles fogged up, and I really couldn’t see anything. One side leaks, inviting salt water in my eye. Vaguely aware that the beach was on one side of me, the sun on the other. Actually considered making a beeline for the beach, but knew those nice lifeguards wouldn’t let me drown, so I kept going. More like a leisurely float in the ocean, it wasn’t like a race. What the hell was I thinking when I almost signed up for a half Ironman? I basically can’t swim at all.

I was the last person out of the water. DFL. Sigh. As I dragged myself out of the water, the lead runners were heading out. Double sigh. But I managed to yank out my wetsuit, put on my gloves, helmet, shorts, socks and shoes with rubbery arms and legs amid a sea of empty bike racks. Squeezed some apple pie flavored carb gel in my mouth and followed with a Gatorade chaser.

Off on the bike. Eight miles to go. I feel okay once I am out on the course, away from the crowd on the beach, and past a pack of runners. Front wheel on my bike was rubbing against something and making an annoying clicking sound the whole way. Yeah, that can’t be good for the bike. I did this triathlon on my mountain bike, so I consoled myself that my equipment would be to blame for my slow bike time. My slow swim, on the other hand, has nothing to blame but my general freakoutishness.

I actually felt pretty good on the bike and passed 3 or 4 people. Since I know they had several minutes head start on me, this made me fell pretty good about my bike ride. With about a mile to go, I pull up to Husband on the run for a wink and a smile. Hey, good looking!

Back to my home away from home at the transition area. Bike shoes off, running shoes on. Helmet and gloves off, running hat on. Seems like I should have more to do, but I take a sip of Gatorade and head out.

Run starts on sandy beach, which feels all funny. 2 chicks head out about a minute before I do, but it looks like they are running with heavy legs. I pass pink shorts and white top, feeling victorious. But, what is this burning sensation in my calves? Damn you, lactic acid! I try to keep going, but break down and walk for 50 yards. Pink shorts and white top pass me. Grrr.

Burning subsides a bit, and I return to a slow jogging pace. Pink shorts and white top eat my dust. Beer belly is next, followed by gay couple in matching bike outfits. I am easily passed by a couple with a string between them – hmm, that’s strange. I later realize this is because the woman (wife, perhaps) is blind. Pretty impressive, I have to say.

Me, myself and I for probably 2 miles. I remember to say thank you to the volunteers who provide water and send you in the right direction at all the turns on the course. Getting closer. In the home stretch. Of course, many finishers are already leaving, and I am dodging bikes and cars headed the other direction at this point. But another couple is way far ahead, moving slowly. I get closer. Closer. The guy is jogs a bit, then kind of limps a bit. Closer. (Note to self: time for an eye exam?) Right up behind them. The guy’s one leg is mechanical from the knee down. Now that is impressive. Oh well, with a ¼ mile to go, nothing left to do but pass them.

Husband is waiting for me at the finish line, and snaps a few pictures. What a good man I’ve got. I feel great.

So that was it. Not exactly pretty, but I certainly have room for improvement. My only goal was to finish, so I completed that goal. The official race results aren’t up yet, but I know I finished in about 1:45. Which, by the way, is how long it took me to do a 15K six months ago. So progress has been made. Now, if I could only learn to swim . . .

so much to tell, so little time

well, it was a pretty big weekend, fitness-wise. it all seems so long ago, already.

We took Friday off and headed out around 11:30. We made good time until we hit the Hamptons, so not too bad. On the way we stopped to pick up Husband's new surfboard and some gear at the bike shop for me. I bought:

• cute new sugoi tri top and bike shorts
• road tires for my mountain bike
• clipless pedals

Husband says tri is the perfect sport for me because it involves so many outfit changes. Friday night we got back to the house and I got a bike maintenance lesson - we changed the tires on our bikes from nobby trail tires to smoother road tires, aka "slicks". I learned what to do in case I get a flat tire. Put on the new pedals and cleats on my shoes.

So I haven't ridden my bike since last summer, and this was this first time I tried the clipless pedals. Husband warned me that they take some getting used to. He was right. A few circles around the yard, and boom! Like a sack of bricks. Lost my balance a little, and as my feet were conected to the pedals, we all went down together. Once you get used to it, though, it is a lot easier than flat pedals.

Saturday morning. Left the house somewhat early, headed for the race site. Oddly enough, the most direct route involves taking 2 ferries each way, and takes 2 hours. On race day, we'll have to go the "long way" because the ferry doesn't start running until 6 am and that's when I'm supposed to be there. The place is not easy to find -- thank goodness we did this trial run; I wouldn't want to be searching for this thing at 5 am on race morning. The park/beach is very small, and there are no facilities like bathrooms or showers. Bummer. We were able to park right next to the beach, annd do all our transitioning in the car.

Wetsuits on. Kind of guessed how far we would have to go and back, and swam along the shore. There were creepy little crab skeletons in the water. Although I have a tendency to panic in the water, I was able to recognize the fact that my wetsuit makes me all floaty, and I can always backstroke it if I get tired.

Wetsuits off. Bike shorts on. On bike. Moving, more or leass, for 8 miles. Bike route is not a park, more of a quiet suburbia. Still figuring out the clipless pedals, and what gear I should be in. I think I am still working way harder than I should have to. Also, I think my seat is too low. My natural tendency is to put it too low, because that's how kids' bikes ride. Anyway, felt much smoother when I switched bikes with Husband for the last bit.

Bike shoes off. Runing shoes on. Helmet off, running hat on. Gu gel, washed down with some water and gatorade. Take off for the 3.4 mile run. Husband is way faster than me so he takes off out of sight immediately. Wait, who filled my legs with concrete? Legs . . . so . . . heavy . . can . . . barely . . . lift . . . . But I keep going. Slowly, small steps. Burning, burning in the calves, especially on the right. I have never felt anything like this, I guess it is the lactic acid? After about 12 minutes, I slow down and walk for a few. Just as I start walking, who pulls up, but an ice cream truck. Swear to God. I guess it's lucky I didn't have any money on me. Seems like a cruel joke nonetheless.

Legs no longer burning, I ran the rest of the way, and felt pretty good on the way in. Went back in the water for a quick dip to cool off. Would have loved a shower, but it wasn't meant to be. Glad I brought bananas to munch on.

So that was it. My first "practice" triathlon. My first "real" one is in 5 short days! I think I'll be okay.

On Sunday my shoulders were pretty sore -- I'm not sure if it was from the swimming or my tension-filled grip on the bike. Went to the beach and actually did a little surfing with Husband. Ok, it was more like paddling around until I decided I was getting a little tired. But still. Actually, the paddling may have been the best thing for my shoulder - it felt much better afterwards.

Monday -- the weekend continued! So nice to have a long one. My big accomplishment was my longest run at the beach house to date - about 7.5 miles. It's a hilly road to the lighthouse. Took longer than I expected, but I'm not used to hills.

So there it is, a pretty good weekend, I'd say. If I didn't have such funny tan lines, it would be a complete success.

fitness weekend usa

Getting ready to head for the beach this weekend. Packing up, extra food for the cats, checking the weather report . . . I like all the preparations. (Sunny all weekend, 70s in the day, 60s at night -- perfect!)

Anyway, don't know if I'll have a chance to write this weekend, but Husband and I are planning a trial run of my triathlon next weekend. I think the practice will make me a lot more confident on the big day. Also planning on some mountain biking and a long run. And some lobster!

Happy 4th!

discipline

Yesterday, I was thinking a lot about the importance of discipline. Like, it doesn't matter if you do one really hard workout if you don't keep it it on a regular basis. Unfortunately, a few runs does not make you superfit, and you can't just say you're "done" and relax on the couch for 6 months. It goes the other way, too - one bowl of ice cream won't ruin months of eating healthy/dieting. I haven't been very disciplined in my training program, but hey, I'm getting better all the time.

I need discipline in my life. I am just happier and more productive when I have some kind of goals, schedule, plan or list. Maybe it's my Virgo personality.

Slow and steady wins the race.