marathon obsessing

I've been resisting it, but I think it is time. 11 days! Omigod it's almost here. I saw a commercial last night for the TV coverage and got goosebumps.

My training lately has been limited, to say the least. I sort of get and run around the neighborhood once in a while and that's it. I like to tell myself I'm tapering, but it's more like sloth. But, I still think that I'll be fine. This is my first marathon, and I just want to finish. And I don't have the same kind of anxiety about running that I do about swimming and biking. So if I take some walk breaks, I'm okay with that.

I'm going to have a few fans out there! Definitely Husband and Mother. I think a friend from work and another friend and her kids are also going to show up as well. So I'm trying to figure out the best places to send them so I can see them during the race. I got some info from the marathon website, and I kow I'll be running somewhere between 10:00 and 12:00 minute miles.

1. Mile 8 in Brooklyn , where the three starts converge, is suggested as a great place to catch runners looking fresh for photographs.

** I should be at Mile 8 between 11:30 and 11:46.**

2. Mile 16 is also supposed to be an exciting spot, because this is where the mmarathoners descend the Queensboro Bridge into Manahttan. But, the street will be packed here, and I probably won't be able to spot anyone in the crowd.

3. Mile 18 is probably a better bet. "For less-obstructed viewing, head north to mile 18, on First Avenue at East 92nd Street , by taking uptown 4/5/6 subway to 86th Street and walking north and east. Your runner may be looking decidedly less fresh here than back in Brooklyn; the dreaded marathon “wall” typically occurs as marathoners run out of fuel between miles 18 and 22." Mom, I may look terrible, but it's almost over!

**I should be at mile 18 between 1:10 and 1:46. Calculate my pace when you see me at mile 8 to try and narrow down the time a bit.**

4. Mile 24. "After yelling encouragement and snapping pictures, walk west to catch your marathoner yet again, this time on Fifth Avenue in the 24th mile, just north of where runners enter Central Park."

**I should be at Mile 24 between 2:10 and 2:58. Basically an hour and change after you see me at mile 18.**

Mother, here's a list of what to bring:

• Comfortable walking shoes
• Bright, layered clothing
• Lightweight, water-resistant jacket or poncho
• Snacks/drinks
• Camera with high-speed film
• Reliable wristwatch
• All-day, unlimited ride MetroCard
• ING pace band (I'll get this at the Expo)

What if it rains? Or snows? What should I wear? (Always an important question.)

It's almost here!

the pounds

It seems like the off season might be a good time to focus on losing a few. It's definitely on the minds of my fellow bloggers, anway, and never far from mine.

So, even though I am pretty undisciplined about my training, I have to admit that I have seen some results. I did a little shopping the other day. I went down a size! :) Yes, the salesgirl informed me that the suit I was trying on was just much too big. They probably changed the sizing scale, but I have to admit, I was pretty pleased with myself.

I still haven't lost any weight, but I've lost inches from my waist and thighs. I have the body fat scale, and that's down too. But, still nowhere near my "fighting weight." I'd like to lose 20 pounds to get there. Actually, 10 might do it if I get more muscular.

Everyone knows that there is a huge (no pun intended) obesity epidemic in this country. Most of us just eat way too much junk food, and too much of it. I actually eat very little junk food. Really! I like sweets, but try to cut processed junk and high fructose corn syrup out completely. It's amazing, how HFCS is in everything, once you start looking at labels. The food I eat is much healthier than it was a year ago. But no one's perfect.

Here are the things I need to work on:

• Portion control. I tend to just eat whatever Husband is eating, and pretty much the same amount. He's six inches taller than I am and all muscle. I don't need the same number of calories. I actually think this is the downfall of most married women - I definitely ate less before we moved in together.
• Frequent small meals. I am much happier when I eat frequently. I definitely notice blood sugar highs and lows. But I can't have the normal size breakfast, lunch and dinner; then add healthy snacks on top of that. I guess that goes back to portion control.
• Booze. I cut out hard liquor, but I drink wine with dinner almost every night. I don't need the extra calories. I should cut this back to twice a week, or weekends only.
• Eating out. Restaurants give you bigger portions, and eat more apps and dessert that I don't need than I ever would at home. Cooking at home is healthier and good for the "money diet" too.
• Eating late. Also have a tendency to eat late and fall asleep. Work schedules make it difficult, but want to shoot for 7, not 9.

Also, I want to reshape my bod a little bit. Swimming has firmed up the arms and shoulders. Running has shaped my calves and quads. But my core is . . . neglected, and the backs of my legs seem unbalanced with the front. Would also like to see more results on the arms. So, I think I need to start lifting weights.

OK, enough body obsession for now. Better get back to obsessing about the marathon.

Excuses

I'm supposed to be tapering, as opposed to just quitting completely. I haven't been doing anything! And the NYC marathon is in, gulp, 15 days. My main excuse has been work. Actually work-related travel. Makes it really hard to get in the workouts.

This week was a travel nightmare. I have to share because it really reached the point of ridiculousness. Tuesday morning I had a 6:00 am flight to Austin. I get up at 4:15 and tear off to the airport. Just in time. Trying to check in at one of the kiosks, which won't process my boarding pass. Talk to the agent and realize . . . I am at the WRONG AIRPORT. Flight was out of LaGuardia, and here I am in Newark. The car just wanted to go there. Maybe so I could fill up cheap in New Jersey. No, I have never done this before.

So, they put me on a later flight leaving from Newark. I should still get there in time for lunch and my 1:30 meeting. I immediately fall asleep when I board the plane. Wake up 1.5 hours later feeling refreshed and . . . still on the runway in Newark. Ugh. But I got there. No time for lunch (I scarfed down a granola bar), but just made my meeting. The conference would last until Wednesday afternoon.

I was originally planning to leave Thursday morning, but realized I should be able to just make a flight out Wednesday afternoon and spend the night at home with Husband. Plus, my Thursday am ticket has me going in to LaGuardia, while my car is in Newark; so I had to make changes anyway. I won't even get into all the machinations required and hold music endured to get that ticket.

I make my Wednesday afternoon flight with time to spare. But it isn't direct; I have a connection at Chicago O'Hare. My fellow travelers know that this spells trouble. Anyway, we land with plenty of time to spare, but SIT ON THE RUNWAY with no gate for nearly an HOUR. Long story short, I miss my connection. United gives me a voucher for something resembling the Bates Motel. To add insult to injury, it was a smoking room.

Up again a 4:15 to make a 6:00 am flight. Glad to be home.

home again

It's been a long week. Left on Sunday for a whirlwind European tour which meant jet lag, a flight every day, big meals, etc. Got some new stamps on my passport, which always makes me feel very "jet set". Was also fighting a cold the whole time and ingested an entire box of decongestants in four days. Anyway, I dutifully brought my running clothes and hoped to run at least 2x, but it never happened.

Got home Friday afternoon. Sweetheart Husband picked me up at the airport. Rain, rain; apparently it hadn't stopped raining since Saturday. I don't like to run in the rain, but decided I should get out and do something - time before the marathon is running out, you know. Ran 2 miles in a pretty heavy downpour on Friday. People look at you like you're crazy. Fell asleep around 8 PM.

Saturday was to be my last long run before the marathon - 20 miles. Since I have literally been doing next to nothing lately, I mapped out a course of 18 miles, including a good bit of the Manhattan section of the marathon.

It was awesome. The rain stopped, the sun came out, and it was a crisp 65 degrees. Went uptown to the 59th Street bridge - the point where in 20 DAYS the marathoners will come into Manhattan from Queens at Mile 16. I've heard this is one of the most exciting parts of the race. The last part of Queens is an industrial area with few spectators, the bridge is covered and eerily quiet, and there is a huge crowd when you come down off the bridge into Manhattan. The rush you get here will keep you going for a few miles. I tried to imagine this as I kept following the course up 1st Avenue.

Instead of heading all the way up into the Bronx (not exactly scenic), I cut left on 96th Street and into Central Park at 90th Street - Mile 24 of the race, another exciting part because then I'll know I'm almost there. Also one of the hilliest parts of the race - the hills aren't huge, but I know I'll be feeling them on marathon day. Instead of heading South, I did the upper loop of the Park up to 110th Street - was afraid I'd be tempted to head home if I got back down to 59th Street. There is no traffic allowed in the Park on weekends and there were tons of bikers and runners out. It had the Fall smell of leaves. Nice.

On the way back down the West Side, I headed into the center of the park just to explore a little - even living in NY, I really don't know the Park that well. Body starting to ache a bit at this point as well, and thought a softer path might be easier on the joints. Inadvertently found myself on the Bridle Path (Pardon me, Mr. Ed), and then ran smack dab into the Reservoir. Everyone runs around the Reservoir. Except me, until now.

Well, it was lovely. A flat, packed surface and there is something so nice about looking at water when you run. I looked online, and it turns out that each loop is 1.55 miles. I should have done a few more loops, because I felt great on the path, but realized I was pooped as soon as I got off. I did 2 loops, found a water fountain, and headed South.

Was planning to do 1.5 loops around the whole Park, but once I started heading South, my body started sending me urgent messages. Once I reach my "limit", everything starts to hurt - knees, hips, calves, bottoms of my feet. Anyway, I ran/walked the rest of the way home, and it turns out I only went about 15 miles. OK.

So that's it. My last long run before the big day. I am definitely "long-run-deficient" in my training. I've done one 18 miler, and only a smattering of runs over 10 miles. That's not just recently -- that's in my whole life! My hydration/nutrition on this run was weak - I didn't have my fuel belt, so I stopped for a gatorade after an hour, then had a gel another 45 minutes later. A few water fountain sips. I still feel dehydrated today, but not nearly as sore as I was after my first 15 mile or 18 mile run.

Looking forward to marathon day!

shore dinner

Husband and I (well, mainly Husband) prepped the classic shore dinner Friday night. I guess the season is really over.

big ideas

Husband and I had a nice bike ride last night. We left around 5:30 and went around 20 miles, up to a overlook with a great view, along the flats, and back. It started getting misty on the way back, and was getting dark and foggy earlier than usual. I don't know about you, but this makes me nervous on a bike, as cars aren't really looking out for bikers anyway. As a result, I pedalled my heart out and got us home in record time.

I was hoping to run "long" tomorrow morning, but I checked the forecast, and it's supposed to pour. A little sprinkle wouldn't kill me, but it looks like a decent-sized storm. Sigh. I am long-run-deficient with the marathon coming up. We need to head back home to the city anyway.

On Sunday I start a whirlwind of travel to let's see, 4 countries in 4 days. So it's going difficult to exercise, much less blog. But, I plan to persevere. We'll see how it goes. I'm fighting a cold, and sleep is very important to me. But, hotels do have gyms these days, and I am usually somewhat successful at working out when I travel.

So, here are some big ideas:

• Total Immersion workshop. I am totally psyched about this. Full report in November.
• Various real estate scenarios. Husband and I toy with a new one every week.
• Cycling tour of Tuscany in the spring. Sounds pretty awesome, right? Did a little research, and it sounds right up my alley. Cycle 30-75 miles per day, eat great food and drink chianti at night. Husband is totally into it.
• Trip to California for Christmas/New Year's. Can't really claim this as my idea, but I think it's going to be a blast. Planning to drive down the coast -- one of those things I've always wanted to do.
• Joining a runners club. After the marathon. Have found a few I am considering.
• Joining a triathlete club. Yep, there is one of those too.
• Ironman Florida 2006. Yes, I said it. And I am toying with it. My biggest concern is finding the time to train.

the mood

Had this song in my head all day . . .

Nobody on the road
Nobody on the beach
I feel it in the air
The summer's out of reach
Empty lake, empty streets
The sun goes down alone
I'm drivin' by your house
Though I know you're not at home

But I can see you-
Your brown skin shinin' in the sun
You got your hair combed back and your sunglasses on, baby
And I can tell you my love for you will still be strong
After the boys of summer have gone

I never will forget those nights
I wonder if it was a dream
Remember how you made me crazy?
Remember how I made you scream
Now I don't understand what happened to our love
But babe, I'm gonna get you back
I'm gonna show you what I'm made of

I can see you-Your brown skin shinin' in the sun
I see you walkin' real slow and you're smilin' at everyone
I can tell you my love for you will still be strong
After the boys of summer have gone

Out on the road today, I saw a DEADHEAD sticker on a Cadillac
A little voice Inside my head said, "Don't look back. You can never look back."
I thought I knew what love was
What did I know?
Those days are gone forever
I should just let them go but-

I can see you-
Your brown skin shinin' in the sun
You got that top pulled down and that radio on, baby
And I can tell you my love for you will still be strong
After the boys of summer have gone

I can see you-
Your brown skin shinin' in the sun
You got that hair slicked back and those Wayfarers on, baby
I can tell you my love for you will still be strong
After the boys of summer have gone

seasons change

I love the changing of the seasons. On Monday I went for a nice long run in Camp Hero park. I haven't run there for at least a month, because I've been trying to practice on the Mightyman course, or "going long" in the opposite direction. But it's one of my favorite places.

I took it slow and jogged around the sights in the park - the bluff overlook, the radar tower, the old barracks, and of course, the lighthouse. There were at least 100 fishing boats just offshore. I like cruising around the dirt roads and a few narrow trails. With the exception of fisherman coming and going, the park was almost empty. I like the crunching noise of the leaves, although we don't have full fall colors yet.

It's a cool place. Many strange experiences have been reported here. Check it out here.

Which do you want first?

The good news or the bad news?

The good news is pretty good. I finished the swim! I swam farther than I ever have in my life. I kept going, I didn't quit. I was tired and my arms were like noodles, but I finished it. 1.2 miles. I think Husband was actually pretty impressed. Also, since I never seem to swim in a straight line, I probably covered at least 1.5 miles. Husband followed me around the pond and snapped my picture when I dragged myself out.

The bad news is that I missed the cut-off time for the swim. Started at 7:05, got out ~8:20. I knew I was last, but planned to "keep going until someone stops me". Unfortunately, someone did. I got back to the sea of empty racks as fast as I could and stripped off my wetsuit.

The race director came over and said that he couldn't let me back on the course. "Really?" "Sorry, but we have time limits on the roads. I need your chip."

:-(

OK.

But, I still feel good. I swam. Far. And maybe exorcised a personal demon, since I quit on the swim in my last try.

NYC Marathon, here I come.

Almost Here

Welp, I checked the forecast, and Sunday morning will be a slightly brisk 53 degrees, with a high of 75 for the day. Clear. West wind at 5mph. Sounds pretty perfect, actually.

I'm just going to break it down one more time.

A little info from the website:

This course is challenging. The swim is a 1.2 mile rectangle in a protected pond and unless it is windy, will be very calm. Water temperature will be in the mid 60's and a wetsuits are allowed. The bike is a rolling hills ride that consists of a two 28 mile laps with a water station at mile 28. The run is a two 6.55 mile loop that is a combination of flat and challenging hills like "murder hill". Aid stations each 1.5 mile.

Cut-off times, from start: Swim - 1 hour, Bike - 4:30 hours, finish 8:00 hours (3:00 PM).

So, I'm just going to be trying to stay ahead of the cut-off times.

The swim: 1.2 miles. It's within the realm of possibility. I have done some swimming in this lake, although not enough, because there are often fisherman there. No waves, current or salt; so hopefully my freak-out potential will be low. My strategy is simple: Keep Going. No stopping or looking back. 90% freestyle. Breastroke for sighting and Side stroke for catching my breath is okay, but that's it. No backstroke! And no stopping, looking back, or looking at lifeguards. The wetsuit makes me float, I just need to propel it forward.

The bike: 56 miles. So, assuming I make it the cut-off time for the swim, I need to pedal my butt off on the bike. In my last tri, I averaged only 15mph on the bike. Need to do more like 18-20 in this one, and the hills are MUCH bigger. (2200 Total feet of elevation gain. ) However, I know the course well, and it helps me a lot when I know a hill is coming so you can build up a little momentum going in. The course is beautiful, the roads are good, and there are certain "destinations" built in - the lighthouse, the beach, Gosman's - which will help keep me going. My nutrition/hydration strategy is to wear my camelback for water, and have a gel every 45 minutes. Admittedly, I am undertrained, and this will be my longest bike ride ever. My butt is going to hurt when I'm done -- big time.

The run: 13.1 miles. So, assuming I make the cut-off time for the bike, you guessed it, start running. The first 3 miles of the run are pretty flat, which is good because it will probably take me that long to get my legs working again. "Murder Hill" is no joke - it is short, but pitched like a double diamond ski slope. 806 Total feet of elevation gain. If I make it this far, I know I'm going to be slow. I don't care about that.

I'm just going to keep going until somebody stops me.

I love Montauk, and I think this is going to be really fun, no matter what happens. But it will be extra sweet if all goes well.

Things to remember:

• Eat gels like they're going out of style
• Hydrate
• Apply vaseline to chafe-prone parts. (around the neck (wetsuit) & under the arms)
• Use gel (the other kind) and hairspray in attempt to keep the braids from falling out
• Sunscreen
• Running hat
• Something long-sleeved for the bike? I think I might get cold - it is windy by the water and I'm starting out wet. However, this will be a pain to remove as I plan to wear the Camelback backpack.
• When in doubt, have a gel
• Give Husband a great big kiss!

OK. I'm ready.

quotes

Two quotes I have come across recently basically sum up my feelings about Sunday's HALF IRONMAN race:

Found in a recent issue of Runners World:

"Inside of a ring or out, ain't nothing wrong with going down. It's staying down that's wrong."
-- Muhammed Ali

From Nancy's blog:

TAKE A CHANCE
"If you think there’s a 50/50 chance of success or better, then go for it."
--Mira Kirshenbaum, Psychotherapist

Wish me luck!

Giancarlo

This is Husband's bike, a Colnago. I really know nothing about bikes, but it looks cool to me!

the weekend

I really appreciate the encouraging comments on my last post about the race. Thanks everyone, for your support.

Well, I've pretty much decided to "do it for fun" or as a "training day". I'm not really too worried about injuring myself. There are people who will drag themselves across the finish line with a broken leg, but I really don't think I am one of those people. I'm more likely to stop and call a taxi. A mixed blessing, I guess. I would probably be faster and miss fewer workouts if I pushed harder. But, I haven't hurt myself either, and I've improved exponentially anyway.

Last week was a bit of a bust and I really did nothing all week. Party on Thursday. Exhausted on Friday. Slept late Saturday. Didn't do my usual Saturday morning run, but did go for a nice bike ride with Husband. About 20 miles, sticking to bits of the Mightyman Montauk course. Pretty damn convenient how it goes past our house. It was nice biking together, and I finally tried out my Camelback. I love it! I usually don't drink on bike rides until I am super thirsty because getting to the bottle seems like such a PIA. I think this was the first longer ride I've done where I actually WASN'T dehydrated at the finish. Definitely plan to wear in my upcoming race.

Now that we're a "biking family", Husband invested in a new bike, too. His is a little fancier than mine. I think we should name it "Giancarlo". (tried to upload a pic but it's not working for some reason. as you might guess, he's italian).

Sunday I ran a good chunk on the course, but quit a little early as I was having "gut issues". Egg wrap and a smoothie for breakfast - what was I thinking? Especially the fruity, yogurty smoothie. Definitely have to stick with my standy in future - whole wheat toast + peanut or almond butter. But I still went 10 miles, and finished strong - it was the middle where I was feeling a little ucky.

After the run, I went out in the lake to paddle around and hopefully desensitize myself about swimming. It was a little nippy out, and this Lake (different from the race course) has a channel out to the Atlantic and thus a slight current. Also a ton of clamshells on the bottom - I should have worn my reef booties. Anyway, I didn't wear my wetsuit because I was just going to take a little dip and swim out to a particular buoy and back - maybe 200 yards. I think my wetsuit is actually a security blanket for me in open water. I got a little freaked out, never made it to the buoy, turned around, and basically ran back to the house. Clearly, I have issues. Sigh.

Husband and I signed up for a Total Immersion workshop in November. Boy, am I hoping this will help me. I really want to be a good swimmer now.

Should I . . . .

. . . . Get back on the horse?

The Mightyman Montauk race is NEXT weekend. This is a half Ironman distance - 1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike and a 13.1 mile run.

This was always going to be a stretch for me. And in all honesty, I really haven't trained for it. After my rather dismal performance in the Olympic distance marathon, most of me thinks I should drop out. I wish I had more time to train. Like a year.


But, I'm having trouble making a decision. Here are the pros and cons:

Pros:

• I'm much more familiar with the course.
• I've already paid the registration fee.
• The swim is in a pond - unlikely to be choppy.

Cons:

• Drowning.
• Getting hurt.
• Being embarrassed.
• I'm more familiar with the course, but I haven't actually done the whole thing. And I won't have time before the race.
• My longest bike ride ever was 30 miles, not 56. My longest swim is not anywhere near 1.2 miles.
• The swim is basically across the pond and back. If I decide to quit, I am either in the middle of a lake or on the other side of it, not near a beach alongside the transition area. The entry/exit area is a boat landing ramp. The other sides of the pond are sort of marshy.
• Maybe I should "save it" for the Marathon.
• There's always next year.

Regardless of what I decide to do, I really need to work on my swimming this Fall/Winter. I really have some kind of irrational phobia. I'm considering hypnosis. Actually, I am more likely planning to take a Total Immersion workshop, or another swimming class.

Any advice?

Here are some pictures from the Mighty Hamptons tri. Those shorts really don't do me any favors.

Mighty Hamptons Race Report - the end

Finally, the run. Didn't mean to build so much suspense. Just had a little business trip and no time to write.

Put my bike on the rack. Sucked down the gel which I had thoughtfully placed in my running shoe. Husband gave me a little cheer when I headed out. I kept running until I got out of sight. My right calf hurt, giving me a funny, off-kilter stride. Ran 8 minutes, Walked 3, Ran 6, Walked 2. And so on, until I got to mile 2. Maybe that's when the gel kicked into, because I ran (albeit slowly) the rest of the way. I passed a few people. Many the old and infirm. Sigh.

Had another gel at mile 4. Husband was waiting about a 1/4 from the finish. I gave him a big hug -- "You're disgusting!", he said, but it seemed funny at the time.

I felt good when I crossed the finish line. Like I could do it again.

So, I'm pretty disappointed that I didn't finish the swim. But I'm glad I did the other parts of the race, if only so I know what to expect next time.

The official results are posted. Um, I suuuuck.

• Swim: no time recorded
• Bike: 1:40:55 (Place = 768) I'm surprised THAT many people passed me. Really, it makes no sense. There were more than 23 people who left for the run behind me. That's 13.6 mph or so.
• T2: 3:35 (Place = 594) Nothing great, but OK.
• Run: 1:18:25 (Place = 780). That's a pace of 12:39 per mile. Yes, I did some walking, but c'mon.
• Overall time: 3:41:56. Overall place: 755 out of 791. Considering that I skipped half the swim, that is pretty pitiful. Also, I'm surprised there were only 791 finishers. The numbers went well above 1000.

I will ponder this along with the other mysteries of life.

Mighty Hamptons Race Report - the middle

I try to casually approach my bike at the transition area, but it's kind of embarassing because I am wearing a wetsuit and going the wrong way. Others are returning from the swim and tearing off on their bikes. Oh well, what the hell.

I pull off my suit, and pour 1/2 my water bottle on my feet to get the sand off. Suck down a vanilla flavored gel and wash it down with amino vital. Helmet, gloves, sunglasses. Check. Trixie and I are off!

I never pre-rode the course, so what was around the next corner was almost always a surprise. It was beautiful. The course was rolling hills. They tend to put hairpin turns at the bottom of a hill here in the Hamptons. Funny I never noticed that in a car.

I have to say, I really enjoyed it. Maybe I was just relieved to be on dry land, but I just pedalled along, admiring the scenery, checking out the real estate. Noticing other people's gear. I said "good morning" or "thank you" to all the volunteers (mostly teenagers) and cops out on the course.

My time was slower than I expected. Surprise, surprise. I believe that I averaged 15 mph - roughly 5 miles every 20 minutes. I was passed by many, and a passed a few people on my own.

Observed on the course:

• 2 dudes fixing flat tires (glad that wasn't me)
• 1 racer on a beach cruiser (how did she pass me?)
• Some dude in a Porsche convertible who totally gunned the engine when he passed my group of bikers. What a tool.
• Site of the Hampton Classic horse show (another rider pointed this out)
• Christie Brinkley's house (she wouldn't shut up)
• Roadkill: dead rabbit, cat, and a giant deer
• Really huge, multi-million $ estates
• Older, not-so-nice houses who refuse to leave
• Farmland - corn, pumpkins and wine grapes are coming along nicely

As I approached the transition area near the end, I was looking ahead at the "slow down" signs and the dismounting riders. I almost didn't see something crossing the bike lane, and had to swerve to miss . . . . a turtle! Poking his head out and trying to cross. I swear to God. I laughed out loud.

Still loving my bike.

Mighty Hamptons Race Report - the beginning

Not sure where to start with this one. Results were mixed, to say the least. But the experience was still pretty awesome.

Saturday
Did all my race check in. Bought a pair of those giant goggles. Saw my friends from the bike shop and the tri camp. Feeling ready.

Went to the beach. Beautiful day in Montauk. 3x the normal number of surfers were out, due to extra swell from Hurricane Ophelia. Husband was . . . stoked.

Early dinner (for us). Prepped bags of gear, bottles of Amino Vital. Fuel belt bottles have developed a mildew problem. Eww. Prepped coffee for the morning. In bed by 9:45. Thunder, lightning, and rain outside.

Sunday
4:00 am. Wake up call. Got right up. Forced down coffee and peanut butter toast. Husband secured bikes to car. (He planned to visit the bike shop during the race).

5:45. Arrival at the race site. Marked my territory. Weather is dark, cloudy and cool. Temperature is around 60 degrees. Rain has passed. The swim is along the beach. It looks far. The previous nights rain has churned up the water, and ther is a tiny amount of chop, but in fairness, the conditions are pretty close to ideal.

6:30. Husband bids adieu. I climb into my wetsuit. In the water by 6:40.

6:45. The horn goes, and the men are off. I move over to the start. I don't like bobbing around, treading water, but I feel ok. I try to position myself in the middle - out of the way of the fast people, but not way off to the side or the back. I explain to several women the start between the buoys, stay on the right side of the center line of buoys, etc. I am a voice of authority.

6:55. The women start. Here is where it all goes downhill. All those legs and arms kicking -- gah! I try and stay with the pack and just stroke, stroke, stroke. I get out of breath pretty quickly. I try swimming on my side to catch my breath. I try to stay close to the buoys to avoid adding distance by zig zagging all over the place (like in my Sprint Tri in July). I seem to be drifting out to sea. I correct diagonally. I am no longer surrounded by swimmers, but there are still some people behind me.

Freestyle. Move to backstroke for a little break. Wave pours over me and in my mouth. I swallow salt water, cough and sputter. Backstroke devolves into a doggie paddle. Back to freestyle. Gag reflex happening when I put my face in the water. I keep going.

The turnaround point looks far away. I make the mistake of looking back. No one there. :(

I keep going. The gut doesn't like it. A little bit of my breakfast comes back up. It's not easy to throw up and tread water. The lifeguard guy on a surfboard asks if I am OK. I nod, but go hold on to his board. "Did you cramp up?" he asks. "Yes" (lie).

I swim a little further. The people on the return approach. There are a lot more of them than there are people in front of me on the way out. I'm tired.

There is just no way. It is just too far. I cross the line of swimmers and walk up on to the beach. Husband is there waiting for me. "Are you okay?" I'm glad he is there because I was worried about how I would find him.

I'm feeling pretty dejected. And nauseated. If Husband weren't there, I would have cried. He gives me a hug, although I am soaking wet.

He says I swam really far and I should finish the race. "Isn't that cheating?" You just won't be in the official results, that's all. He sends me off into the transition area. I put on my bike stuff. I have a gel. I keep going.

Unfortunately, that's all I have time for . . . got to head for the airport.

More later -- it gets better!

what next?

I haven't even done any of my big races yet, but I am already thinking about "the next big thing". That's pretty normal for me. Plus, many of my fellow bloggers are already signed up for races next year. I still have 3 races on my agenda:

• September 18th. Mighty Hamptons Olympic Distance Tri.
• October 2nd. Mightyman Montauk. 1/2 Ironman Distance Tri.
• November 6th. New York City Marathon.

Now, I did the lottery to get into the NYC marathon this year. But if you do NINE qualifying New York Road Runner-sponsored races in a given year, you are guaranteed marathon entry for the following year. Although I haven't even done a marathon yet, I'm pretty sure I'll want to do it again. The marathon will be my 5th, and there are races virtually every weekend, usually in Central Park. I can't even sign up for any of them yet, but they are starting to be added to the calendar. So here are some of my options:

• October 30th - Poland Spring Marathon Kickoff (5M) Central Park. We were thinking of being away that weekend, so maybe, maybe not.
• November 20 - 10:00 a.m. Race To Deliver/The Kids Race Central Park, No additional information given, so I'm not sure if it's a "kid's race" or a "race for kids". It's a marathon qualifier, so I think the latter.
• November 26 - NYRR Knickerbocker 60K. Now this could be interesting. Am I woman enough to go 60K? That's 37.2 miles! Am I nuts? Hmm, debatable. It is Thanksgiving weekend, and we were planning to be away. Still a consideration, though.
• December 3rd - NYRR Holiday 4-Mile. Central Park. A no-brainer.
• December 11th - NYRR Joe Kleinerman 10K. Another no-brainer.
• December 17th - NYRR Hot Chocolate 15K. Ditto.

So, if I do the November 20th, and the 3 December races, I'm in for NYC Marathon 2006. I bet they'll add another 5K or something as well. So, that's pretty cool.

What else? I'm looking forward to long bike rides with Husband this month and in October. After that, I doubt I'll get much time on the roads - I find biking the streets of Manhattan a little scary. But I think I'll look into one of those bike trainers. Now where would we put it? Husband bought me one of those Camelbacks to make sure I stay hydrated on a long ride. Isn't he a sweetie?

After the "season", I'd like to work on swimming, flexibility, core, balance and strength. Although my swimming has improved about 1000% this year, it is still pretty weak, and I'm still not comfortable in the water. I'd like to take one of those Total Immersion workshops.

And although I try to stretch appropriately, I have noticed a significant decrease in my ankle/foot/calf flexibility. Yoga? And who doesn't want killer abs? There is a pilates studio around the corner, with all those machines with pulleys and levers. I am intrigued.

Went to the pool last night with Husband and swam 1000 with no drama. I'm going to be fine on Sunday! (I'll just keep repeating that!)

victory at sea?

So, I've been watching the weather. Hurricane Ophelia is moving up the coast. We spend our weekends in Montauk, which is on the the very tip of Long Island's south shore. It's pretty cool to look at the point where the ocean meets Block Island Sound. Good surfing here.

The marine forecast for this weekend looks a little rough:

• Coastal Waters From Moriches Inlet To Montauk Point Ny Out 20 Nm-
• Small Craft Advisory for hazardous seas remains in effect from this evening to Sunday morning on the ocean
• Fri Night: NE winds 25 to 30 kt with gusts up to 40 kt. Seas 4 to 6 ft...building to 6 to 10 ft after midnight. Showers likely with isolated tstms. Vsby locally 1 to 3 nm. Tides up to 1 ft above normal may cause locally minor coastal flooding around the times of high tide.
• Sat: N winds 25 to 30 kt with gusts up to 40 kt...gradually decreasing to 10 to 15 kt by midday...then becoming NE 5 to 10 kt in the afternoon. Seas 7 to 10 ft. Showers likely. Vsby locally 1 to 3 nm.
• Sat Night: Se winds 5 to 10 kt...becoming SW after midnight. Seas 5 to 8 ft in E swell...subsiding to 4 to 6 ft after midnight. A chance of showers. Vsby locally 1 to 3 nm in the evening.
• Sun: SW winds around 10 kt...becoming N. Seas 3 to 5 ft in E swell...subsiding to 2 to 3 ft after midnight.

Small craft advisory?!? I guess I won't be doing any practice swimming on Saturday near our place. I predict that Husband will do some surfing, though.

Sunday's race is about an hour away in Sag Harbor, which is more protected. The swim is in Noyac Bay, not in the Atlantic Ocean. Sag Harbor's marine forecast is not nearly so bad:

• Long Island Sound East Of New Haven Ct/Port Jefferson Ny-
• Fri Night:NE winds increasing to 20 to 25 kt in the evening... then increasing to 25 to 30 kt after midnight. Seas building to 2 to 3 ft. Showers likely with isolated tstms. Vsby locally 1 to 3 nm.
• Sat: N winds 25 to 30 kt...gradually decreasing to 10 to 15 kt by midday...then becoming NE around 5 kt in the afternoon. Seas 2 to 3 ft...subsiding to around 1 ft. Showers likely. Vsby locally 1 to 3 nm.
• Sat Night: E winds 5 to 10 kt...becoming S after midnight. Seas 1 ft or less. Showers likely. Vsby locally 1 to 3 nm in the evening.
• Sun: SW winds 5 to 10 kt...becoming N. Seas 1 ft or less.

So, it's not really going to be like "victory at sea". I am sometimes a little dramatic. Looks like our drive out Friday night may be the biggest adventure.

But I am feeling a little nervous. Now, a 1ft wave is nothing to a surfer or on a boat, but it's a little scary when you are swimming in it. Although I am getting somewhat comfortable with open water swimming, I have only really been practicing in the dog days of summer, in a protected cove or lake, with little wind. The one windy day with some swell actually kind of freaked me out. I don't like when the waves splash me in the face and I swallow water. The water at my Sprint tri was totally calm, just a really gentle wave, and I still got freaked out.

Husband has pointed out that I have a tendency to unnecessarily get myself all stressed out about swimming, biking , running, and he's right. I often find that writing about something gets it out of my mind, so just indulge me.

Part of the reason I do this stuff is because I don't like that I have more fears about doing things than I used to. It's part of getting older, I guess. When I was in my teens, we used to play "follow the leader" on the ski slopes - through the trees, moguls, whatever. I could keep up with the boys. Now, I have probably skiied twice in the last 5 years and I am super conservative. Which makes sense - don't want to go breaking a leg. But it's other stuff too - other swimmers kicking, getting splashed in the face, people biking too close to me, a little sand on the road -- I want to get to a point where those things make it exciting and fun, and not scary. Pushing myself a little makes me feel good. When it's over, at least.

Went to the gym last night and did 10 miles on the bike, followed by some run/walking on the treadmill. Not my best workout, but it felt good to get back in the gym.

September

Well, I've been totally slacking for the past week and a half, but it's not too late to salvage the month. So I calculated what I would need to do for the next 2.5 weeks to reach my September goals. I changed the "plan" to reflect the "actual" past, so I could revise the next 2 weeks and still make the month.

I have a lot of swimming and biking to do. A lot. But the running looks totally reasonable. I even raised my goal a little. I'm glad I did the spreadsheet, because the sidebar system was getting a little out of control. I'm a girl who loves spreadsheets.

I have a big race on Sunday. My first Olympic distance triathlon! I didn't get a chance to pre-ride/swim/run the course, but I feel pretty ready. Still concerned about the swim, which is a longer distance than I've ever done before. I'm hoping the 23 mile bike and the 10K run will be a walk in the park. I would have never said that 6 months ago!

The 1/2 Ironman is only 2 weeks after my first Olympic distance. I've given myself permission to drop out, depending on how things go Sunday. I'm just really not very prepared - I haven't swam or biked that distance yet. So, I'll see how it goes on Sunday and make a decision then.

The good news is that I feel totally prepared for the marathon. I still have, let's see, 52 days, and I feel like I could do it next week if I really had to. As long as I have plenty of gels. And low humidity. It's funny how swimming and biking made me a better runner.