The duathlon that actually was

So, no "Did I or didn't I" suspense here.  I finished the Camp Pendleton Devil Dog Duathlon this morning AND exceeded my expectations!  So far, it's my favorite race this year.  Okay, it is my only race so far, but despite the threatening rain and all the badasses with crazy gear that intimidate me and my own major doubts, I couldn't have been happier with the morning and the entire experience.

What a contrast to yesterday afternoon, around 1:30 pm when it was thundering and lightening, atypical natural phenomenas that almost never happen in Southern CA.  I definitely took that for an inauspicious sign.  The afternoon did not necessarily improve - we left at 3:05 on the nose, headed east, in the rain, and hit major Friday-afternoon traffic.  I think that we crawled along for the first 45 minutes, averaging around 5 miles an hour in some stretches.  Finally, the traffic opened up and we could zoom a bit more, which was great because we had dinner plans AND had to stop to buy new running shoes at REI for someone who had forgotten his (cough, cough, not I!).  Fortunately we made it down south and were not late meeting up with friends for a great dinner in Dana Point.  They had major news - Pregnant!  With twins!  Needless to say, we had a lot of catching up to do in a short 2-hour time period.

I went to sleep still worried about the weather.  The forecast indicated showers until 9:00 am, which, I decided, would be doable.  After all, I had feared torrential rains, so light showers were definitely preferable to that.  We officially hit the road to Camp Pendleton around 6:30, right after a breakfast and coffee stop that we ate and drank on the drive.  The morning was beautiful - a dramatic mix of clouds and sunshine - and we enjoyed a short but beautiful drive south, often catching glimpses of the Pacific Ocean just to our right.  For the first time all week, I began to feel somewhat optimistic about the event.  Wow, optimism?!  What a concept!  We turned into Camp Pendleton, showing off our race packets and getting the go-ahead to drive onto the base which, I think is privileged to some very nice land - lots of rolling hills and access to the ocean.

We arrived with plenty of time to spare, which gave me the chance to rack my bike, use the bathroom twice, drink plenty of water, decide what to wear (that one was complicated - leg warmers for the run or not? long sleeve shirt or not? full gloves or those that are cut off), and set up my stuff in the transition area.  Then, we waited in the car until it was closer to the start time, so we ran to the start line and put on our race faces.  No photos, but you'll have to trust me.  It seemed like a good idea at that point to think about my race strategy.  I had not articulated it to anyone, but before this past week, I secretly hoped to finish in 2:00 hours, give or take a minute or two.  I knew that the run would be stronger for me than the bike, but I hoped to bike the 18.6 miles in around an hour.  However, I had no idea how I would feel transitioning from run to bike.  So, at 8:29 am, I figured that I would just do my best and see what that meant for me.

The first run was not super fast or slow - it took us about 10 seconds to actually cross the start line, and Michael and I ran somewhat together for the first quarter or half mile.  Then, he encouraged me to go on, so I did!  Not that I sped up too much, but I kept a nice pace.  The 5k was an easy out-and-back course that offered a few nice mud puddles because of the rain.  When I ran into the transition area, my watch read 26-something which was more or less what I hoped.  The transition was probably my fastest by far (that's not saying much), and would have been faster except that I decided to take off my leg warmers for the bike portion and I had to fish my energy stuff out of the vest that I opted not to wear for the ride.  Then, I ran my bike to the mount area and hopped on it!  Okay, more like I tried to climb onto it somewhat gracefully.  It probably took me another 60 seconds to clip in.  I'm so smooth on the bike.

The bike leg actually felt really good which was all that I wanted.  I enjoyed just being able to RIDE and not worry so much about traffic and cars and everything that I have to consider when I'm normally in the saddle.  I also hoped to pass a few people, and I did, even people who had fancier bikes and clipless pedals (usually I'm ONLY passing people with the non-clipless pedals because I'm so slow). While plenty of speedsters zoomed past me, I felt good about my pace and reached the turn around at 59 minutes or so - which put me just under 30 minutes for 9 point whatever miles.  Excellent!  My confidence that I would finish in an hour was bolstered, until the headwind hit me as I headed north.  Holy crap!  The first few miles of the return trip were brutal.  Finally, we turned back east and the wind ended up behind us which was great for the final miles of the bike ride.  Except for the wind, the ride was great - nice easy hills and curves to enjoy and a pretty good road for most of the ride.  No complaints.

So, I ran my bike into transition and, for me, quickly prepped for the second run leg.  The one major fail on the bike was to eat anything, so I grabbed my energy food-things to eat on the run leg.  I also took in plenty of water on the run course.  Once I left the transition, I looked at my watch and saw that it read something like 1:35.  So, a sub-2 hour race was less than likely, but I would be under 2:05 which suited me just fine.  I also saw Michael as I headed out of the run gate, and I waved and he cheered.  Yay!  Starting the run, my legs felt really good.  I was worried that dealing with wind would have trashed my legs, but that didn't seem to be the case.  At this point in the race (yes, it really did seem to be a race for me), I just wanted to have a solid, final 5K and to leave enough 'in the tank' for a strong run to the finish line.  I hit the turn-around and then enjoyed the nice downhill run to the 2 mile marker.  There, my watch clocked 1:52:30.  Hmmm, a 7:30 final mile?  Possible but not necessarily probable.  I normally hate being a 'clock watcher', but I figured "what the hell" - if I wanted to hit that sweet spot, then I'd need to run smart.  So, I pushed myself but did not go all out until 1:58, when someone said "You're almost at the finish line" and then it was a full-on GO GO GO!  And I snuck in at an official time of 1:59:48.  My unofficial time was probably about 10 seconds faster, but I can't say that I really care because the official time brought a huge smile to my face as ran across the finish line.

So, all of those doubts about everything - well, it's not bad to have them, but it is definitely more enjoyable to come out on top!  I was so worried that my lack of racing for several months would have a negative impact, but I do think that it's been good for me to really focus on Wildflower and to not throw in a bunch of 10Ks just to do them.  Not that this race serves as an indicator of my performance, but it did boost my confidence, especially on the bike which is my major weakness.  This morning, my legs felt strong, and I am more than happy with Sunshine!  While the course was easier than what I'll find at Wildflower, the wind presented a good challenge that I managed to meet successfully.  Finally, that final run felt amazing, and I think that I'm in pretty good shape for May 6!

Final thoughts on the Devil Dog Duathlon:
- I would absolutely participate in this event again.  It was fairly small but well-organized, and while there were plenty of badasses out there with crazy gear, I loved that there were plenty of people with mountain bikes on the course, just doing their own thing.
- Being at/on Camp Pendleton was pretty cool, and the volunteers (many of whom were obviously active military) were awesome.
- I hope to never again see a guy's butt crack because there is some see-through material on his bike shorts.  Unfortunately, this was one of those situations where I passed him, then he passed me, then I passed him, then he passed me...  So, I had to see it several times, and it was like an accident on the freeway - you can't help but look.
- One of these days, I'm going to stay around for an awards ceremony to see if I do well enough in my age group.  I figured that I was in the bottom half of my age group, but as it turned out, I was in a pretty slow group and ended up doing fairly well (out of 13 people - ha!).

Once I finished, we were both ready to head home, but we did take a nice detour through San Clemente, one of the many surfing capitols of California.  It was almost noon, and my stomach had made itself known!  So, we found a great little Mexican spot, La Cocina de Ricardo (Ricardo's Kitchen, in case you cared).  I had my doubts when we pulled into the parking lot, but then we walked in and there was a customer speaking to the cashier en español - always a good sign.  And the food?  It rocked!  I had a burrito with chile colorado served "mojado" (wet - with sauce on top), and Michael had fried tacos.  I was skeptical when the cashier recommended them, but they were fantastic.

So, well-nourished and tired, we returned home.  It was gorgeous day to be on the road - clear skies and snow covered peaks.  A pretty amazing Saturday in Southern California!

(If you make it this far, good for you! That was a lengthy spiel.)

Okay, here we go!

These, at least, are the words that I'll be repeating to myself for the next 36 hours or so as I bolster my spirits, nerve, energy, and whatever else I need for my first official 2012 'race'.  I use the term race tentatively because I am unsure about how Saturday morning will unfold for me (or us, since Michael is running a 5K).  Not only am I participating in my first ever duathlon while feeling untrained and unsure about the experience, but the weather in Southern CA has not cooperated with my plans at all!  After weeks of consistently great weather, the gods have conspired against us.  A winter storm system is supposed to hit the area tonight and hang around tomorrow.  Perfect, just perfect.  I really need to run, bike, run on slick roads.  Plus, it's going to be freakin' cold (for Southern CA) at 8:00 am in Camp Pendleton so I'm in a bit of a quandary about what to wear since my usual 'multi-sport outfit' of a skimpy little top and bottom won't work!
*Just a side note - we really, really need the rain, so I'm indulging myself by complaining about rain here.

Let's thrown in the fact that I seriously think that last weekend's activities did a number on my body.  I've said it before and I'll say it again, I'm so not a badass!  For whatever reason, my energy and motivation have dipped this week. Perhaps the two pretty hard weeks on have left me in need of more than one rest day?  Add to that, my knee felt pretty creaky today when I went out on a quick bike/run jaunt.  I'm not sure what's going on, but everything is leaving me with many doubts about Saturday's adventure and, more importantly, about Wildflower in May (less than four weeks away at this point!).

To be overly-dramatic, things seem pretty bleak, and I am definitely focusing on the negative here, but there are some positives.  First of all, I signed up for the same duathlon last year, the Camp Pendleton Devil Dog Duathlon, and ended up not racing, not participating, not doing anything at all because of a foot injury and knee issue.  So, actually showing up on Saturday morning will be an improvement over last year's total no-show.  Also, I decided today, while pushing myself along on the bike (hello, Sunshine! jeez I felt slow today!), that this is not a full-on race but good practice for Wildflower.  This little attitude adjustment has helped me tremendously, and I've decided that I'll be more than happy with a solid run performance and hopefully will enjoy a good ride on the bike.

The other bonus to the experience is that we plan to drive south tomorrow and spend a pleasant evening with friends whom we rarely see.  So, even if the race presents the multitude of problems that I've imagined (I get hypothermia! I crash! We're swept away by a mud slide!), if I can finish it and if I have a good time tomorrow night, sharing laughs and conversation with friends, and make something of the duathlon, then I'll count the weekend as a successful one.

Feeling good about March!

Not to totally jinx myself with irrational exuberance, but after a week of mainly sitting around on my butt, I finally kicked things into gear over the weekend and, in my mind, have sharpened my focus.  Funny how signing up for a few races combined with a good, long, challenging ride + a great swim lesson will do that.

After taking a days off due to a quick trip to Chicago for something of a college reunion, I returned to LA totally behind work-wise and feeling a bit 'off' - tired and lacking motivation.  This was a less-than-ideal combination for the week. Due to stress and general busyness, I decided that the whole running/swimming/whatever would just have to go on the back burner until I got my proverbial shit together.  By Thursday, I was ready to never run again since the sofa had become such a comforting place, but I forced myself out the door on a fairly average run.  My legs moved, but the experience seemed quite torturous.   Obviously taking an entire week off from running was not a good idea, although it seemed like one at the time!

However, the Saturday ride served as a good reminder for all that is right and good in with me when I make my body move around.  Then, on Sunday, I went to a swim lesson!  Last year, I discovered that swim lessons were incredibly helpful, not only because I focus on form and speed in a way that I just don't do when I'm on my own but also because they do build my confidence.  With that in mind, a 3-week commitment to swim lessons seemed like a good idea when I signed up, but then as the 11:00 am hour grew closer on Sunday, I contemplated forgoing the experience.  Again, I felt nervous and shy and awkward (how old am I?), but I decided to deal with it, especially since I had already paid for the class.  Minor motivator there.  However, it ended up being the best hour of the day.  Okay, that might have been the nap in the afternoon, but the lesson was awesome!  I knew the instructor from last year's swim lessons, and the hour in the pool was a fun learning experience.  Even better, I felt strong!  Not on everything, especially when I had to work on my breast stroke technique, for which I now have an 'assignment' - do 300 yards or meters of just kicks at least once a week.  Oh my!  But it was a great lesson, and I'm now looking forward to my classes the next two Sundays!

Finally, after spending the past two months feeling a bit lost because of a lack of actual 'events', I've turned a corner and now have, for myself, a somewhat ambitious April and May schedule.  Nothing too crazy, but I signed up for TWO events!  The first, the Devil Dog Duathlon, should be good training for the Wildflower tri.  I signed up for this event last year, with that idea in mind, and then skipped it because I was still dealing with a foot injury.  I have no specific goal except to enjoy and finish the race on a strong note, whatever that means.  I have some experience with the second event, the Mt. Wilson trail race, but not as an official runner, so I am looking forward to an official time this year, provided that I don't fall off the side of the mountain!  What is even more exciting, I think, is that I will have somewhat of a partner in crime - Michael will run a 5K while I run, bike, run for the Duathlon and he is officially registered for Mt. Wilson as well.  I know that he is faster on the downhill than I, so I'm going to have to be speedy on the ascent if I want to beat him.  Nothing like some friendly spousal competition!

It always surprises me what a difference a week or just a few days can make in my mood and overall worldview (weltanschauung).  Knowing that there will be at least one race before Wildflower does ease my mind a bit.  I've felt a bit lost without any races on the calendar for January, February and March, so knowing that there IS something out there gives me a sense of purpose.  I understand that there is a myriad of reasons as to why people do any sort of physical and endurance activity, and I know that my 'racing' chops are pretty small in comparison.  However, I appreciate knowing that there is a goal out there, even if it is just to finish or just to beat my time from last year or just to have the experience that I can share with other people!
So, here's to training, here's to events, and here's to staying healthy!