An Incredibly Belated Final Post

I feel really awful that I never made a closing entry, but if anyone happens to randomly check back to this blog here's how the Big Day went!

I had a draft of an entry halfway written, but trust me, it was a novel and you wouldn't have wanted to read it. So here's a nice condensed version:

As you can see from the picture, it took me a little over 5 hours to complete the triathlon (subtract 10 minutes since they start the race in waves). 5 HOURS. This means that I may not be a very good triathlete, but I am a triathlete nonetheless!

The swim conditions were awful: it was really choppy and hard to stay on course. I heard later that people were puking in the water. My only concern was that I couldn't get a breath of air because I kept getting slapped in the face by the waves. I completed the swim in JUST under an hour (59:51).

The bike ride was really difficult, too. The "Hill of Death" lived up to its name, and I felt absolutely no shame getting off my bike and walking it.

I'll be honest, as I neared the end of my first 12.5 mile bike loop, I came incredibly close to skipping the second loop. Then, as cheesy as this sounds, I thought of all the people who had donated money, helped me with my training, or supported me in some way or another, and it seriously gave me the mental will I needed to keep going.

By the time I reached the run I was practically delirious. I ambled along the trail, mostly walking. It was funny, for the very first time I had a gel and could actually FEEL the calories hit me with instant energy. It was pretty eerie.

And then, suddenly, it was over. I placed 361 out of 378 people, but that didn't bother me because my litany throughout the entire race was "You're a completer, not a competer."

So I did it! And I truly want to thank each and every person who helped me, you helped in more ways than I can ever express.

My goal for this year is to complete a marathon with my sister. Anyone want to join?? ;)

READ ON>

Waiting

So exactly one week from today I will (hopefully) be completing this triathlon madness. It's a little frustrating this week since I can't truly make myself any more prepared. It takes 10 days for your body to see the effects of a training workout. So even though I feel as though I should be having lots of intense workouts this week, none of it would make any difference. I just have to rest and wait.

None the less, I still went running today. I'm amazed at how much better I've become at running. When I first started this thing it took me an hour and a half to do 4 miles, and I'd have to rest every few minutes. Today, I ran 6 miles in just under an hour, only having to rest every 15-20 minutes. And even more surprising: I'm actually starting to enjoy running!

The bike and the swim I'm quite a bit more apprehensive about, but, like I said, there's no way to prepare myself for it any more. I just have to keep telling myself that there are two types of people in this race: competers and completers. Even if it takes me the full 7 hours allotted, I'm going to complete this thing.

So, this week will be full of brief little workouts and plenty of shopping. I looked in my closet the other day and realized that I have no summer clothes. I got rid of my summer clothes when I moved a year and a half ago, and last summer was so mild I didn't need cool clothes.

I don't think I've ever earned a vacation more than I have this one.
READ ON>

On Burns, Bruises, & Burps

My pace of life lately has my head spinning. I've discovered that my endurance is not getting much better, which is extremely inconvenient since I'm competing in an endurance event in 2 weeks. Yes, exactly 2 weeks from today is the big day. I'm really starting to wonder if I'll be ready.

Last Saturday marked my furthest bike distance to date. We went to Seward Park (which, incidentally, is where the Danskin triathlon I'm competing in August in will start) and biked to & around Mercer Island (25 miles). It was a beautiful day, but by the time I got to the run it was getting pretty hot. I forgot to reapply sunscreen at transition, so my forearms and face got a little burned. My poor pale skin! It hasn't seen that much sun since I left Georgia!

Also, I don't know how I manage this week after week, but everytime I ride my bike I somehow scratch up and bruise my legs. They look pretty awful, and I can no longer wear skirts without my co-workers remarking "Oh my God! What happened to your legs?!" Yeah, need to eliminate that bizarre habit.



More updates: Yesterday was my first open water swim. This was really an eye-opening experience for me. We had to wear wetsuits since the water was pretty chilly. My rental was incredibly tight (and not in the way it's supposed to be, it was tight like it was the wrong size). I got out in the water and swam a little way, and started panicking because I couldn't breath. I think it was a combination of the vice-like wetsuit I had on and the fact that I STILL am not that confident of my swimming abilities. I didn't make it very far before I turned back.

Needless to say, it was a rude awakening 2 weeks before the race to discover that I am still a terrible swimmer and have zero endurance in the water. On a bike, it's very tough to catch my breath on the hills, but I always have the option of stopping. When I run, if I'm having a tough time, I can just slow down and walk. But it seriously freaks me out that I'll be swimming in the ocean and if I get tired (which is a definite considering the aforementioned lack of endurance), I can flip over and do a back stroke, but I'm still out there. In the ocean. With just my questionable swimming skills to save me (okay, that's an exaggeration. There will totally be plenty of kayaks and surfers out there keeping careful watch, but if I start to go down, who knows how long it would take them to reach me amidst hundreds of swimmers?)

In any case, I set out to swim practice this morning with lots of anxiety. Our normal swim coach, Julie, was in charge of the open-water lake swim. I chose to go with the indoor swim since my wetsuit didn't fit, so I had Pat coaching me. I had told Pat about my concerns, and he promised to watch me and give me some pointers if he could.

So I set off. The 200m 'warm-up' already had me gasping for air. Then we were supposed to do 1000m (the race will be 1500m). I was beginning to feel very worried, but I just went for it. Pat watched me for the first couple laps and then, when I stopped to catch my breath, told me "Your form looks good, you just really need to work on endurance. Swim a minimum of 3x a week for the next two weeks."

And, magically, that's all I needed to hear. This entire time I have been working on my technique because in my mind I still couldn't swim. To have someone tell me 'Yes, you can swim. Now do it better' was exactly what my mind needed. So I swam. I swam for an hour and a half. I lost count of how many laps I did, but I did at least 35 (1750m). Once my body truly warmed-up, it got a lot easier.

Don't misunderstand, though, I still am not a fantastic swimmer. I am very, very slow and I'm wondering if I'll even make the swim cut-off time. We'll see, I guess.

Also, as I was gulping down air and water over and over again, there were definitely at least two times that I had to stop just to burp. Is that normal?
READ ON>

Light at the End of the Tunnel!

For months now I've had to keep skipping training sessions in order to accomplish other things. Now for the first time, my schedule is completely clear so I can FOCUS, FOCUS, FOCUS!


The past couple weeks were spent cramming for my LEED exam. LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. In today's environmentally-minded building industry, it's pretty important as a designer that I become a LEED Accredited Professional. Not to mention, environmental design is part of the reason I moved to Seattle in the first place! I'm a green nut, and now, after passing that killer exam, I have the credentials!

After I made up the hours of lost sleep, I was ready to jump into my training with two feet. Saturday I biked 17 miles. It was supposed to be 34 miles but a) I got lost on the trail (it was really confusing! And I wasn't the only person to get lost!) and b) I was definitely feeling the impact of very little training over the past couple weeks. I was exhausted in no time!

Sunday there was no group swim and I didn't do an official "work out," but I DID help my friends install insulation in their house as well as join in helping them mow their lawn with their new motorless lawn mower (now THAT is a workout!).



Last night I went swimming, and tonight I did weight training. Every week when I weight train I also take my weight/body fat measurements. I've been pretty bummed because, yes, part of the reason I was doing this was that I wanted to lose weight. After I started training I GAINED weight (and no, it was not just muscle!). So I've started paying REALLY close attention to what I eat and this week I lost a pound of fat and gained a pound of muscle! YAY!! I don't care if I weigh the same as long as it's all muscle. :)
READ ON>

Fundraising!

Since I knew that I probably wouldn't be able to raise the full $5,600 from personal donations alone, my friend Katie and I have organized a Silent Art Auction & Raffle. Talk about an ordeal! I had no idea planning an event like this was so hard.

As if training wasn't hard enough to fit into my schedule, planning a fundraiser completely tips the scale of time I'm dedicating to this cause. After a month of planning, however, things are finally starting to come together.

We got the venue donated (the Pyramid Alehouse in Seattle) which is fantastic. Yes, it's a little strange to have an art auction at a sports bar on a Tuesday night. However, it makes sense if you think about it! People's weekends are packed this time of year, there's tons of free parking, easy access to food and drinks....and again, we don't have to pay to rent the space.

Now it's just "the details." You know, the tiny tasks of trying to get food and drinks sponsored, getting cool raffle prizes donated from local businesses, gathering 100 pieces of art to auction, making invitations, getting the word out, making a website, etc., etc., etc.

In any case, you all can keep up with the progress from wherever you are by checking out the event's blog (yes, our event has its own blog. It's so advanced!).

Spread the word!

READ ON>

Seattle, Spring. Spring, Seattle. I'd REALLY like for the two of you to get acquainted!

I think the Weather in Seattle is a little confused at the moment. Last Saturday was 77 degrees, sunny and perfect. Yet today, I literally biked through rain, sleet, snow, and hail.

I didn't sleep very well last night, so when I rolled out of bed this morning and saw that the temperature was below freezing outside I was not very enthusiastic about today's ride. Actually, I probably would have skipped it all together except for the fact that the Team had a 'Halfway Party' planned for after practice.

I bundled up in as many layers as I could, but I was still freezing. Note to self: buy better bike gloves - ones with both padding and a warmer lining. It was so cold, the Team was divided up into several groups: some people decided to do a run instead, others decided to go on to the house and help set up the party, and everyone else decided to brave the elements on their bikes.

We all rode out three and half miles to the actual bike trail. At that point, Coach Lance said that we could either go back or make a loop around Mercer Island. I pondered. I couldn't feel my hands or feet, I was already tired, and I couldn't see very well with all the snow blowing in my face. Bike 13 more miles or 3.5, hmmmm...

I would like to note, though, that the return trip was uphill. All of it. So by the time I returned to the starting point, I had definitely warmed up.

I sloshed over to the party house and partook of a delicious potluck brunch. I felt kind of bad because I have a hard time in social scenes regardless of where I am, but it's worse when I'm tired. I talked a little, but mostly kept to myself. Socializing is work for some people, and I am one of those people.

In any case, I'm glad the pool is indoors since it's looking like it's going to be just as cold tomorrow morning. I'm going to get in a nice full night of sleep tonight.
READ ON>

Hardcore

So just when I'm feeling good about my training, I read about things like this and feel like a complete pansy.

An excerpt from stuff.co.nz on the Maasai:

"They survive on fresh blood drained from the neck of a living cow, they often run for days and nights on end to find water and their shoes are made from car tires cut up and strapped to their feet.

So running the London Marathon should be no problem for six Maasai warriors who have come to Britain from their village of Elaui in northern Tanzania as part of a campaign to raise money to find a vital water source (www.maasaimarathon.org).

"Back at home we sometimes run for 5 or 6 days, day and night," Isaya, a young warrior clothed in a red robe and adorned with traditional beaded jewelry, told Reuters in an interview. "Twenty-six miles not far."

He and his fellow warriors, all between 20 and 25 years old, expect to reach the finish line of Sunday's race within four and a half hours."


Um, yeah. The blood of cows? Seriously? All the Gatorade marketing in the world can't top that.

I'm going to go eat my nice, viral-free Subway sandwich now to follow up my hour-long urban gym workout.

Steph out.
READ ON>