Spring Break 2015 - A move/train-cation!

I'm not complaining about my spring break, but I think that I need a vacation now that it's over!  Productive?  Check!  Fun?  Check!  Relaxing?  NO!

But, we made major progress on the imminent move to Boulder - by taking a truckload of stuff to Boulder at the beginning of the week and then flying back home.  

 Just getting started!

Taking a break - somewhere in the Mojave

Unloading!

The drive to Boulder was fairly uneventful - we didn't have weather issues, which was fortunate in the lovely U-Haul.  And, we spent the night in Winslow, AZ, which I wouldn't recommend to anyone, despite the Eagles' song that made it famous (or somewhat famous?). 

Boulder was a lot of unpacking and thinking about our next steps, but I mixed in some training while I was there, on the bike and running.  It was a bit of a challenge to motivate a few days thanks to the weather:

We arrived on Monday (a beautiful day, but after 12 hours or so in the car, I was more than ready for a stiff drink), and then Tuesday, I set out for a windy bike ride.  During said ride, I think my HR was at about 90% for 90% of the ride - I was white-knuckling it, just hoping that I didn't get blown over OR blown into traffic.  Wednesday, I was supposed to fit in a brick, but as you can see, it was going to be 46 degrees as a high, plus rain.  So, I set out for an early morning run, during which it rained, snowed and hailed on me.  Good times!  Finally, I squeezed in the brick Thursday before we flew back to CA.  Also, please note the weather on Friday and then Saturday!  It was strange to leave my Trek road bike, Sunshine, in Boulder - it's now just me and the Bat!

For the end of the break, I drove down to Oceanside, CA on Saturday to spectate Oceanside 70.3.  It's always tempting to sign up for this race, but when it rolls around, I'm usually SO relieved that I didn't.  But...  Maybe one day?!  It was a gorgeous day to be out spectating - a little bit warm, but not too crazy.  I missed the men's finish but saw Heather Jackson cross the finish line.  Wow, she is so amazing!  She raced and won Wildflower last year, and I saw her exit the water but didn't see the finish (obviously - I was somewhere on the bike course).  It was also great to see and cheer for a lot of people that I know. 



Saturday afternoon, I spent working on my swim technique - Beth Gerdes, my coach (I always feel like a fraud when I use that term, but what else should I call her?), was very kind enough to offer a session in their endless pool.  I was SUPER nervous about swimming in front of people and it was kind of weird to be on a 'swim treadmill', but I did get some great feedback and I know what I need to work on.  Then, Sunday morning, Beth and another one of her athletes (who lives in Pasadena and with whom I should train!) and I set out on a ride.  I have major bike riding route envy now - it was SUCH a nice ride.  Lots of rolling hills, rather than crazy steep ascents and descents, and very biker friendly.  Also, it was a wonderful day to ride, a bit foggy early on but then it burned off.  Finally, I was super nervous about riding with other people, especially a pro(!), but this other woman and I were really well matched.  I obviously need to just get over my anxiety about how terrible I am on the bike and develop some confidence once and for all!  Anyway, it was so generous of Beth to spend time Saturday and Sunday with us.  Not only is she an amazing athlete (recently 5th at IM Asia-Pacific!) but a really great coach too.

Anyway, I was really excited about getting in 4 bike rides last week - some of them weren't very fun and none was very fast, but I do feel better about St. George and about heading into the next few weeks (although thank goodness this is a recovery week! and thank goodness I have Friday off!).  

Also, we have made progress on the move to Colorado (I keep saying Boulder, but, really, we could be anywhere).  We will be putting our house up for sale within the next few weeks which seems totally crazy to me.

The most expensive bike ride

Sadly, I'm not talking about a fun ride, like a cool century ride or some sponsored event.  No, my expensive ride on Sunday looked like this:

Oh, Baños, Ecuador, what a fun visit we had; Michael snapped this photo of the guardia lecturing this little girl for riding her bike through the plaza rather than around it.  How would I know, 8 years later that I'd totally feel her pain?

Anyway, substitute me in my Smashfest Fly kit and the Bat for the girl and a Sheriff for the guardia and then you would have a more accurate picture.   Yep, I got ticketed on Sunday for not stopping at a stop sign.  I was totally guilty - I didn't stop, and I know that this makes me an irresponsible cyclist.  I could defend myself and say that it's not an intersection where cyclists need to stop unless they are turning left (which is true, but anyway).  What really frustrates me about the ticket is that I knew that the sheriff was there - I passed by him on one street and took note, but then when I cruised down the hill, I just totally forgot that he was there.  I didn't even think about it until I heard him signal me.  And then I was so pissed, I really wanted to tell him to go fuck off, which is irrational because, as I said, I ran through the stop sign, no doubt about it.

Meanwhile, as he gave me my ticket, all of these other bikers totally cruised by us - and I would bet that half of them ran that stop sign too!  They should have at least thanked me!

Anyway, it's not the end of the world, no one was hurt, and, fortunately, the ticket doesn't go on my car insurance.  But, still, it was a total killjoy moment and somewhat humiliating too!

Spring Break 2014

To say that returning to work today was a challenge would be an understatement, but I can't imagine that any more time off would be good for me!  Not that I would complain about days filled with naps (I think that I took one every single day of my break - bliss!), but then they would be commonplace, and why should that happen?!

I spent most of my time hunkered down at home, but between training, catching up on grading, and napping, the week passed by pretty quickly.  Gus and I bonded over stretching and strength training.

He also took lots of naps with me!

Michael spent part of the week in Boulder, CO, visiting family, but before he left town, I met up with some colleagues for a quick drink and then we finally made it to LACMA to see the James Turrell exhibit, catching the tail end of it.  I had been skeptical and not super enthused about seeing this exhibit, which was totally idiotic of me because it was one of the coolest exhibits I've seen in the longest time.  James Turrell - what a genius!  And not just because he has won a McArthur genius grant.  The way he looks at the world - whoa!  Totally blew my mind.  

On Thursday, I headed down to San Diego, where I picked up Michael, and we enjoyed a few days down south.  We drank great beer, randomly stumbling on Station Tavern in San Diego which was awesome, and then we mainly hung around Carlsbad/Encinitas/Oceanside, returning to familiar haunts from our last time there, back in January - El Callejón (great margaritas but not as much fun as the first time we went), Pannikin which I just learned is an "institution" in the area and has some of the best muffins I've ever had, and Union Kitchen and Tap.  

I also took our bikes down, so on Friday, after a walk on the beach with Gus and a great breakfast at the aforementioned Pannikin, Michael and I set out on what I promised would be a 3 hour ride MAX. 

Rough times at the beach!  The typical dog photo, I know!

I had discovered one of the "best rides of San Diego County" on line - from Carlsbad to Camp Pendleton up the coast.  Well, it ended up being much longer, mainly because we got turned around a few times (mainly at Camp Pendleton) and did not make the right turn that would have taken us to the coast.  Plus, we hit major traffic several times AND I had a flat!  I kept thinking of Gilligan's Island - "a three-hour tour...".  Despite all of those mishaps, it was a fun day, but that ride pretty much WAS the day!

Finally, I woke up early Saturday morning and headed to Oceanside, T1 - to help out at Oceanside 70.3.  Despite the crazy early hour, it was a fun morning and the time passed quickly.  We were checking people who were going into the transition area for the first hour or so, then, once the race started, we were helping people at the bike mount line.  I've never actually seen all of the leaders get on the bike, so that was fun - or would have been had I been able to recognize anyone!  Also, that mount line was crazy busy!  I don't think that I've ever been at a race that had so much traffic at the mount line.  Or maybe I have but I don't notice it racing?  Our major job at the mount line was to check for bibs - if people did not have a bib, they could not ride on Camp Pendleton, which meant that they couldn't finish the race.  So, we gave people bibs if they were leaving without one.  Here I am in "action" (I think I gave Thom, in front of me, the bib who then stuck it in a racer's kit):

In addition to the bike mounting issues, there was some crazy stuff I saw that morning - first of all, a guy who had not picked up his packet the day before strolled up wanting to know where to get his packet.  Ummm - did you not read any of the information that Ironman.com sent you?  And spectators who were trying to sneak into transition?  

We finished up around 9:00 and by the time the last person had mounted his/her bike and I walked to T2, the lead male racers were starting the run.  I did not spectate all of the run, but I did get to see the first couple of guys.  They were so fast (I know, stating the obvious, but seriously!).  

After that, it was time to return home.  The weekend ended on a more low-key note as I prepped for the week and fit in a long run and ride!  It was definitely a great break, and while I ended it feeling physically tired from training, it also let me recharge.  Good thing as we have the final push over these next 8 weeks!

That end of the season "race" bit?

As I mentioned in my last post, I planned Sunday to be the final hurrah for my 2013 tri season.  I realize that there are still plenty of races and I know plenty of people who are signed up for races, especially the HITS Palm Springs race in December.  As much as that race appeals, I know that my training in the fall completely falls apart and that I have plenty of weekend obligations as it stands.  Adding another one, just didn't seem like a good idea.  Plus, it is somebody else's birthday weekend, and insisting that we head to Palm Springs where I can be a stress case would probably not be the best way to celebrate.

So, about Sunday - I was probably not in the best mental frame of mind as I headed into the race, stressing about other crap that had to do with the race (somehow I was still helping out with volunteers while also planning on racing).  Also, on Saturday, I hoped to go for a ride - I figured that it would be nice to actually ride outside for the first time in a few weeks, and we even drove to Malibu with both bikes strapped to the car, only to discover that while Pasadena was pretty calm weather-wise, Malibu had crazy winds.  Yes, I am still a wimp at times, but biking on Highway 1 with winds coming from the west and blowing at 30 miles an hour down the canyons - no thank you. I'll do it if I'm seriously training, but I just wasn't there on Saturday. So, I decided that it would be a great rest day.  Ha!

Sunday, then, was a wake up and get ready to race morning, but at 7:30 am, I decided that I wasn't going to race, even though I was at the venue and had all of my racing gear.  However, I didn't have anything racked, I hadn't checked in, and, more importantly, I just wasn't mentally 'there' to start racing at 8:05.  I've never thought too much about that mental thing and how I need to be in the right state of mind to race.  To be honest, when it comes to running, I probably don't think about it all - things usually come together, but I still find the PROCESS of doing a tri to be somewhat daunting (as a teacher, I would label myself a "false beginner" - I have experience, but it doesn't really get me where I would like to be).  And I couldn't imagine getting ready to race in 10 minutes.  So, I decided that I wouldn't race.  Fortunately, I could postpone the race entry until spring of 2014, so I didn't feel that I had lost out in a major way.  I took the attitude that it wasn't meant to be.

Then, right around 7:45, 2 people materialized for a relay - a swimmer and a runner.  I happened to have my bike, so I thought, "Well, hell, I guess I'll ride today".  The swim started at 8:05, so we managed to get our shit together in time for the swimmer to be at the beach and I got my bike and arrived in transition around 8:10, after the swim had started!  Talk about a total mess.  The swimmer happened to be wicked fast, so I got on the bike and the realized that everyone was going to pass me on the bike.  Fortunately, on the 2nd and 3rd loop, I managed to hit the slower people and could pass them - yay!

I was sort of hoping that I would be somewhat fast (for myself) on the bike, so it's funny that I was just about as slow as I was last June when I did this race.  And on that bike leg, I swam before and ran afterwards AND my chain fell off twice.  Obviously my bike training has been sucking in recent months!  On top of it, I just saw these pictures posted on facebook (I hate it when that happens) and all I could think was "Jeez, I look really silly!".

(Photos courtesy of CalTri; I'm really not a vain person and I'm posting these silly shots of me, but I really look like a dope here.)

Once I hopped off the bike, our runner took off, and I must admit that I was very thankful that I didn't have to run.  That would have been a sufferfest!  Although, I would have ended up on the podium, as long as I didn't pull a DNF - only because there were a whopping 2 women in my age group.

At the end of the day and of the season, I'm sort of okay with the fact that I did not have the race that I wanted - obviously not as swim/bike/run or even as a bike.  It was a good wake-up call to focus on bike fitness if I really want to get faster.  But, going into this race, I knew that Vineman, back in July, was kind of "it" for me so I focused on that and I had a good race.  But since July, I haven't been very focused, so it doesn't surprise me that the race on Sunday did not materialize.  Yes, it feels like somewhat of a disappointment but not the end of the world.

So, I'm not sure how to categorize Sunday's experience - yes, a DNS for the olympic distance tri which kind of sucks, but a decent effort on the bike, despite the rather pitiful outcome.  And, since I'm SO not a spontaneous person, I'll give myself 2 thumbs up for the impromptu decision to join a relay, even though I did lose the nice lead that our swimmer gave me.

In the meantime, I feel that my thoughts have already turned to 2014 as I start to think about the 'What's next' question.

Oh, yeah, this is what it's about

This will be the last time that I refer to the crappiness of April, but as the past few weeks have gone by and I've not been able to do the training that I originally envisioned for myself in April, I have felt somewhat dispirited.  I know, life happens - I got sick, we moved, I've lacked motivation and/or have had other priorities.  I expected that, by this point in April, I would have cranked up the mileage and would be looking at two fairly easy weeks before Wildflower on May 5.  Instead, I had 3 sloth-like weeks and fitting in workouts felt like a burden.  So, now, when I should back off on training, I'm finally getting back into the swing of things.

Fortunately, this weekend, I really enjoyed the 6 hours that I put into swimming, biking and running and remembered why I like training.  It can be fun, but most of these were hours on my own, I spent them kind of lost in my own thoughts as I enjoyed the fact that I was not grading, emailing, planning classes, writing my annual self-evaluation, or dealing with house stuff.  Yes, training this weekend functioned as hours of self-indulgence and a mental health break from random stressors.  Maybe that's just what I needed because I'm finally looking forward to Wildflower in two weeks!

Talk about an attitude shift - even Thursday night, I found myself wanting to spend the weekend napping.  Friday, however, I decided that I really needed to re-introduce myself to my bike.  While March was a pretty good month in terms of time in the saddle, I hadn't been on my bike at all in April.  That changed on Friday when I squeezed in a 2 hour brick (90 min. ride/30 min run) before I had to spend my evening chaperoning prom.  All I wanted to do after getting all hot and sweaty was spend my evening on the sofa with a cold IPA, but I managed to pull myself together enough for prom.  As much as I hated having to spend the evening working (and not just working but having to wear nice clothes and heels - definitely my idea of hell for a Friday night), I was SO happy that I had carved in time to train.  Today, I spent another few hours riding and running and thinking, and I really appreciated that time.

I'm not great at balancing every aspect of my life that I consider important - there are times when one piece or another starts to slide.  And sometimes just keeps sliding.  However, I do love these moments when I can get out there for an hour or two, forget all of the other pressing business and just focus on the curve of the road, hauling up another hill, putting one foot in front of the other.  These are the moments that remind me how lucky I am!

End of March notes

Yes, it's the ubiquitous "end of the month" post, but considering what a bear the month has been, I'm happy to celebrate that March is over, even though April is kind of frightening, especially considering the fact that we're back at the grind tomorrow after a lovely week off.  Spring Break, I hardly knew ya!  Seriously, it felt like the fastest week that I've had in a very long time and poof!  It is over!  I spent more time than I had all month in the saddle - cheers to getting out and biking a bit.  I'm still slow as molasses and probably look like a total wreck when I'm on the bike, but I swear my confidence and bike handling skills have improved.  I invested in new shoes at the beginning of the month, and in a month of lots of purchases (like appliances), the shoes made me happy when I bought them and I love riding in them, even though they haven't made me speedier.

In the midst of packing and planning to move, Michael and I went to Chicago for a whirlwind trip to visit some of his relatives.  It was cold to us, coming from SoCal, but we couldn't complain (and I tried not to!).  We spent plenty of time being tourists, took in some culture and ate great food.  We also watched lots of basketball with his cousin and cousin's family, and I enjoyed a nice run on Friday morning along the lake.  It was somewhat chilly but once I got going, I warmed up and enjoyed the views.  I know that we have the ocean, nothing to take lightly at all, but the lake right there, right at the city's edge is so great.  We probably most enjoyed just walking around the city, looking at the brownstones and other buildings and watching the light change, especially in the morning and the late afternoon.

We returned yesterday afternoon, greeted by happy dogs and lots of boxes, some full and others just waiting.  I set out on my last ride (probably) from this front door and felt strangely nostalgic. At the same time, I can't wait to explore new routes.  We aren't moving far, by any means, but I am looking at this as a good opportunity to change up some of the patterns into which I've settled.  This applies to running and biking, but also to a wider array of topics.  I think that our life is about to change!

A fair weather rider

We've enjoyed some rather chilly days and weeks in the LA area this year.  Obviously I'm not comparing the temperatures here to those far-flung northern locales, but compared to last year, it's been damn cold!  Currently, I'm wearing a wool sweater, wool socks and we have a fire crackling away for the evening.  Michael refused to take the dogs out for a walk this morning because there was frost on the ground, and at one point a few weeks ago, Gus, our ever-so-agile labrador-beagle mix slipped on some ice in the back patio.  I keep wondering if this is the "hell-freezes-over" moment in humanity's history, but other apocalyptic signs seem wanting (unless you count the pope's resignation - holy smokes! This is the first time since the Middle Ages that a pope has willingly - I suppose - stepped down).

As much as I like that the cold weather affords me the opportunity to wear wool sweaters to school and to bundle up in the mornings, as I begin to think about different races and the training involved, I curse the colder temperatures.  Yes, this is yet another example of my total lack of hard-core badassness.  I admit it - I am a fair weather rider.  A wimp, in other words.  There are, after all, several reasons I live in Southern CA, and the weather does make the list.  While we have our seasons here (May Grey, June Gloom, Santa Ana winds...) and there are extremes that come with them, most of the time, I can find a way to train outside, even if it means I drive to the coast, usually in search of cooler temperatures, for a ride or a run.  There are some hot days in the summer, and, apparently, some cold days in the winter!

Running in the cold, while it isn't much fun, is not unbearable nor unfamiliar.  Last year, I ran in Boulder and Taos when the temperatures were in the 20's.  Cold, yes, but not intolerable.  Riding in the cold, however, is another matter altogether. As yesterday proved, I am NOT prepared for even slightly cold weather riding.  Honestly, if I weren't starting to think about upcoming events (months away, but still there), I wouldn't have plopped my thin-skinned butt on the saddle yesterday.  However, I've committed myself to at least one ride per week in February and then upping the number when March and April roll around.  So far, I've enjoyed these rides - last weekend's was awesome and made me happy to be back on the bike.  Yesterday's ride, however, made me realize that I seriously lack any cold-weather riding gear.  Okay, not "any" since I have leg warmers and bike gloves, and really I have enough winter gear to layer up for a ride, but it feels unfamiliar and uncomfortable to be so cold on the bike.  Not that I started out cold - I began the ride climbing several miles as I headed part of the way up the Angeles Crest Highway.  It was an AMAZING day (always is after a rain) - lots of dramatic clouds and sunlight peeping through and freshly green mountains that went on and on as I looked towards the eastern range.  I wasn't hot on the climb, but not cold.  However, once I turned around and started the descent, I knew that I was in for some suffering.  At first I couldn't decide if the excitement of the decent would cancel out the wind chill factor, and initially it did.  Once I finished the decent and continued the ride, I started to curse my serious lack of circulation - cold hands and really f-ing cold feet!  I cut the ride short because, by that point, my feet were totally numb and I just couldn't get warm.

In my defense, I do think that it was about 52 degrees when I started the ride and, when I returned, the temperature had dropped to about 48 degrees.  Not freezing temperatures, I admit, but when you're zooming downhill and there's a biting wind, it's cold!  Fortunately, looking at the temperatures this next weekend, we should be back to normal LA digits - ah, the 70's, how I will welcome you!

CicLAvia: Sunday ride

Yes, a bit late with this, but it's only Monday (and so nice to have a Monday off!  I almost caught up on grading).  Since we had a three-day weekend, we tagged along on a Sunday brunch ride - one that included our participation in CicLAvia, a fun way to experience downtown LA on a bike, in solidarity with thousands of other cyclists (and a few rollerbladers and skateboarders too).  Mike and I joined up with a group of riders that meet on a regular basis, and apparently the number swelled to a total of eleven people on the ride yesterday!  The 9:30 am meet-up time allowed us to have a somewhat leisurely morning before we headed out the door to Lucky Baldwin's in Pasadena.

Once we all met up, we left Lucky Baldwin's, and headed west to LA via South Pasadena and other neighborhoods.  Just like the last time we participated in the Sunday ride phenomenon, the best part about the experience was passing through neighborhoods that either we'd never seen or that we'd never experienced in such a "close" way - somehow being at an intersection in a car doesn't allow you to take it in to the degree that being on a bike does (for instance, different thoughts were: Jack-in-the-Box tacos - how can that even stay open when there are probably 15 better taco options in this neighborhood; oooh, train tracks - don't get stuck; what a nice road - it must be newly paved; damn, where did the paved road go?).  Our paths crossed that of a rooster right before we enjoyed a short bike path along the Arroyo that is a hidden gem, and then through the Montecito Heights and Lincoln Heights neighborhoods before heading into LA.  Michael's comment about the ride was that he felt that we'd passed through at least 5 different countries.  Yep!

We passed the old LA Brewery and other industrial areas, and suddenly we found ourselves in Downtown LA - a mere 10 miles or so from Pasadena!  Our first stop was a cyclocross competition at Los Angeles Historic State Park.  I biffed it on my own sweet ride as we turned into the cyclocross area - nicely done.  Fortunately, only my ego was hurt; just a few bruises elsewhere.  But the cyclocross was so much fun to watch and probably even more exciting when one is actually participating in the event!  Maybe in my next life...  From the cyclocross event, we headed to the heart of Ciclavia in Downtown - and what a zoo!  TONS of riders of all ages, sizes, bike types, socio economic backgrounds.  The spirit of the event was awesome.  For me, the actual experience was, on the whole, not ideal.  First of all, it was super crowded, so at times it took us forever to just go a block!  I was nervous about hitting someone or about someone hitting me, so navigating the masses of people made it a challenge.  Also, I remembered that I really don't like crowds and avoid events because of that dislike/phobia.  But, being downtown with tons of cyclists, looking at the buildings and the architecture and then turning down Figueroa and biking all the way to USC - well, that was all pretty damn cool!  As our fearless leader noted, what is ironic about Ciclavia is that on most weekends, Downtown LA is completely dead, so it's a really great time to ride a bike there.  Not so much when there are thousands of other cyclists crowding the streets!

USC was sort of the turn-around point, so we cruised back to Downtown and then returned to Pasadena.  The return trip was a bit harder with more uphill, but it also felt nice to lose the crowds and pick up the pace a bit.  Even though we hadn't biked along at a fast pace, we had been on the bike for many hours, and my body was tired and ready for a break.  Which soon came in the form of a beer, cheesy fries and eventually a sandwich back at Lucky Baldwin's.  Ah - the perfect post-bike spot!  And the day couldn't have been more ideal - sunny and warm but not hot, so we could sit outside as we enjoyed the post-ride moment.  Which lasted, by the way, for several hours!  By late afternoon, Mike and I decided that we needed to finish our ride - the final leg home, which, unfortunately, is mainly uphill.  Still, we managed to push through those final few miles.  By the end of the day, I was tired, sunburned and a bit dehydrated but definitely in that very happy spot.

I'm not sure if I want to participate in the next Ciclavia, but I'm glad that I experienced it once and I can't wait to head back to Downtown LA on a non-Ciclavia weekend!

And while I'm lame and didn't take any photos, plenty of other people did!  So, here's the event:

Source

And of cyclocross:

Source

Ah - good times for all! 

Malibu Tri: The race that was!

Well, after all of my grunching, groaning, moaning, hesitation and regret over *having* to swim, bike and run yesterday morning, it ended up being a pretty awesome day, and I couldn't be happier that I ended my 2012 'season' there.  It's funny that I felt pretty calm and low-stress about the race on Friday night, sleeping amazingly well at the lovely Motel 6 and feeling energetic when the alarm rang at 4:00 am.  Maybe my devil-may-care attitude had something to do with that?

It was a pretty early morning for us, but not as early as if we'd spent the night at home, and I did appreciate the extra hour or so of sleep.  All of the race information warned us about parking, so I wanted to arrive early enough to not stress about that.  We weren't the last people there by any means, but not the first either!  Arriving in the dark and pumping tires and double checking gear under the light of a flashlight was not ideal, but it worked. By 5:30 am, I was headed to packet pick-up (where I learned that I was in the LAST wave) and then on to the transition zone.  As I set up my stuff, it did occur to me how complicated my gear and the transition zone used to seem - this time around, I kept thinking "Is this it?  What did I forget?!" because it all seemed fairly uncomplicated.  Maybe I've developed some comfort with all this tri stuff?  But I also had the feeling that something must be amiss!

By the time that we had to be out of the transition zone, I felt pretty relaxed (except for that nagging "what did I forget thought", and Michael and I could take in some of the Malibu scenery:

"Scenery" being the lifeguard station and the waves breaking!

And then it was time to get started!  For the swim, we had to walk down the beach to the start and would swim to the finish.  The walk south was great - it was such a beautiful morning and exciting to be in the mix of the crowd!

Michael and I had fun watching the elite wave start out, but as we watched the waves of people go out and battle with the ocean, my confidence eroded a little bit each time.  Getting past the first buoy, depending on how the ocean waves were breaking, seemed tricky.  Other women in my group were getting in the water, to practice their stroke or to get a feel for the water (Oh, yeah, that's what you're supposed to do...), but I stayed firmly planted on the sand because I was afraid that if I got in the water, I'd panic and not do the swim.  Talk about feeling like a rookie!  I kept thinking "If I can survive the swim, I can finish this race.  I know it!".  Great little pep talk.  The other thought that popped into my mind as I waited to start was my whole "respect the race" blab from a few months ago.  I was seriously feeling like an ass because while I was familiar with the olympic distance, I hadn't done an ocean swim since the beginning of June.  What the hell was I thinking?!  

Fortunately, the time to think rationally was over as it was time to line up and get ready to go:

Once the cannon went off, we headed into the water and the fun started!  Getting around the first buoy wasn't as terrible as I thought that it might be - although I did get a little off course.  And then we just headed north, keeping the buoys to our right.  I felt like I was swimming in one of those "Endless pools" because I had no sense of my pace or where I was in relation to the beach.  I took in a few mouthfuls of water, but I could see pretty clearly and there wasn't tons of contact - it was a relatively calm swim in terms of touching and grabbing.  I finally reached what was the last buoy - people were turning right, so I turned right, much to my relief and surprise - almost done!  With the swim, at least.  I exited the water, happy to be out of there and on to transition.  I wasn't wearing a watch for the swim, so I had no idea what my time was.  I had estimated that it would probably take me longer than usual, so I was hoping for 34-36 minutes, but, since the course had no clock visible (to me, at least) around the transition zone, I didn't even worry about my swim time.  I did note that I was not the very last person in my rack to be out of the water since there were plenty of bikes still racked - that is always a positive sign for me.

At that point, it was on to the bike!  I knew that it could possibly be a good bike leg for me, in part because of my comfort with the course.  Heading north on PCH from Zuma was a "known known", thanks to our many rides over the summer.  I had a dream-like moment on the bike when I thought to myself "Shit, am I wearing my helmet?!?!".  Obviously I did, but what a weird thought - it was indicative of the "Am I doing this" feeling that I had at different parts of the day.  Other than that mild moment of panic, it ended up being a great ride, although not super fast, in part because I did not push it at the beginning and in part because of two no-pass zones.  The no-pass zones totally sucked because they were stretches that would lend themselves to a fast pace except that a group of us got stuck behind a slower person.  Ultimately, not the fastest bike leg for me, but it was gorgeous and really pretty fun!  

I was so happy to be off the bike - not that I was exhausted or even that tired, but I knew that I had survived the swim and the bike, and that my legs seemed to feel good, so the FLAT run would be a nice way to end the race.  Also, I was right in the thick of a group of 40-something-women, and I hoped that I would be able to pass a few on the run.  Starting out on the run, I felt great and had a smile for Michael:

For the first mile, I ran at a pace that seemed too good to be true - easily maintaining 8:30, numbers that I hadn't seen in months!  I worried about starting out too fast, but the pace felt easy, my breathing was relaxed, and I was enjoying passing people.  So, I decided to keep it up if I could. Which I did - and by mile 3, I had picked off the women in my age group that were clumped together on the bike.  Success!  The last few miles were fun and fast (for me), and even though I was getting tired, I kept pushing myself and even cranked it a bit when I hit mile 6 and knew that the finish line was right around a corner or two and that I would finish the run under 50 minutes!  (Did I mention that the course was FLAT?!)

Michael positioned himself for a smile and a wave, right before I crossed the finish line at, what was total shock to me, under 3 hours for a nice, shiny PR!  I was so happy that I finally broke that damn 3 hour threshold, and I couldn't believe that I managed to do so at this race, of all of them.

After getting my medal, some water and food, I checked the results to make sure that I really did finish under three hours because it just seemed fairly unreal.  What pushed me over the edge? Had I finally mastered the art of the transition?  Was my bike leg faster than I thought?  Well, it turns out that my transition times still suck.  However, my swim time was crazy fast for me - under 30 minutes!  Obviously there was a serious current pulling us north on the swim, but when I saw the time, I just started laughing at how ridiculous my estimated time was.  Maybe it was a good thing that I had no idea how close I was to pulling off  a PR?  I'm not sure - I'm just delighted that it was such a fun and, for me, a fast race! 

Thinking about yesterday morning, I can't believe that I almost didn't show up to race - literally and also in a more figurative sense.  I recognize that I was a bit "off" my mental game going into it and didn't feel that I had much of an edge when I started the swim, but I didn't panic in the water, tried to ride strong on the bike, and I really pushed myself on the run.  This was such a pleasant surprise of a race, and, just as important as the overall time, I couldn't stop grinning throughout the race because I was enjoying myself so much.  I'll admit that I feel almost guilty about the PR because it felt so 'easy'.  I think about how focused I was for Wildflower, how much I wanted to be happy and proud of my performance there, and how that just did not happen, despite training hard and strong and despite improving my time there.  This race felt relaxed and serendipitous, and maybe I need(ed) to race just for pleasure in order to feel good about it?  I have yet to figure out what the perfect recipe is for me, but this is definitely a nice note on which to end the 2012 tri season!

Mid-month musings

As the very brief (two weeks!) summer class I'm teaching winds down on Friday, it seems that summer is slipping away all too quickly.  Perhaps it was the trip on the front end of the summer or the fact that I've been so focused on two major events/happenings coming up in August, but I've felt that the days, weeks, and months have quickened their pace this year.  Or maybe it's just that I'm getting older?   Keeping that in mind, and with Friday being my last day of summer school AND the day that we depart for Colorado, it seems timely to jot down a few things.

First of all, on Sunday, it took us 3 bottles of wine, two different steaks and some over-priced potatoes to celebrate our anniversary.  I'll offer up an explanation for what seems terribly wasteful and/or extravagant.  Or gluttonous.  For the wine - the first bottle we opened was bad, which totally sucked because we'd had it hanging around for a while and it should have been a good bottle - so much for aging fine wine!  The second bottle needed a day-and-a-half to "open up" and be drinkable (we drank it last night, not Sunday).  But the third time was charm with a good Cabernet.  Not our usual choice, but it paired nicely with the steak.  As we went through one bottle after another, I did think to myself "I hope that this doesn't serve as a sad metaphor for our marriage!"

As for the steak, we almost never cook steak - and rarely eat it these days.  But, we decided that we'd buy a nice piece of meat and eat at home rather than going out to dinner.  So, we went to the butcher and bought one ribeye, and the butcher halved it horizontally, slicing it so that there were two THIN pieces of steak rather than two thick pieces.  That was nice of him - he wanted us to have equal shares of it, but I really wanted a thick steak, even if the piece was small.  Rather than give back the first steak, we took it, and then decided that we'd get one more steak that the butcher did not cut in half.  I know, I know...  I suppose we could have given the first steak back, but it seemed to be our fault since we did not communicate effectively with the butcher.  The steak that the butcher halved is now in our freezer, and we'll eat it at a later date.  And the steak that we had on Sunday night was pretty damn good.  Finally, the potatoes - we bought them at the farmers' market on Sunday morning, and the price more or less outraged Michael who almost refused to pay for them.  However, the potatoes might have been the best part of the meal - they were amazing!  Overall, it was a great way to celebrate our anniversary, despite some of the mishaps along the way.

Finally, a few other details that have been on my mind.  My students' woeful AP scores?  According to someone who has way more pull/influence/institutional weight than I, they are just fine, so I'm going to stop worrying about them.  Shew!

On to the training for Boulder topic (ad nauseam) - after a few pretty intense weeks for me, I've started the tapering process. Woo-hoo!  Not that I'm tapering 100%, since I still have a few tough days and some long workouts that I'd like to fit in, but after a 46-mile ride followed by a 3-mile run on Saturday, I feel that any major 'pushing' that I do at this point will be too much.  One more thought about that ride - even after 7 years of living in the LA area, the weather continues to confound me.  We had suffered through several days of warmer temperatures around the Pasadena area, so we looked forward to something of a break in Malibu.  But really?  When we went on our ride in Malibu Saturday morning, it was a chilly, damp, foggy morning, and it had barely warmed up by the time we finished up our ride at 10:00 am!  Of course, once we made it back to the east side, the temperatures were right around 90.  On that note, I've made an effort to run in the heat, and it has been slow going!  I'd had an itch to run a bit faster, so last night I pounded out a fast (for me) 10K run.  I had forgotten what sub-9:00 minute miles looked like, let alone sub-8:00 miles!  Nice to reacquaint myself with those speeds!

Not that I'll see anything like that on August 5...

I am reining in the desire to make some sweeping comment about my training or arrive at a premature conclusion.  The more relaxed pace of summer has helped me considerably not freak out too much about training, but I also feel a bit impatient for August 5.  I'd like to focus on a different goal, even if it is smaller and more modest, and I think that I would welcome the change.  I lumped my training for Wildflower and Boulder into one long training season, beginning in mid-January, so I've spent many, many, many months thinking about Boulder, even if I haven't always been training for the event and even if I've had other races on my mind (and legs).

I suppose, what I'm saying, is that I'm almost ready for a loooooooooong break from training and will welcome the change with open arms!

I will, however, miss all of the ice cream that I've been eating these days...

More numbers: Four weeks to go!

Well, it seems that I haven't gotten this focus on the numbers out of my system yet!  With our trip in June, I did not want to ruin Michael's travels, nor my own, by obsessing about the Boulder race, which is officially four weeks from today.  And while the four week mark does elicit a range of emotions, most are positive, especially after this weekend's round of training.
So, yes, here it is: the ubiquitous training report.  And a bit of a ramble.

It seems like a long time ago that I signed up for Boulder 70.3, and I trained more or less steadily and faithfully all spring, but for other races, not so much the "big one".   May did not motivate too much to focus on Boulder (I had other things on my mind, such as the end of the school year), so when we returned from our trip last Thursday night, I took a look at the calendar and my stomach did a little flip in panic.  The trip was not a total wash in terms of training, since I continued to run quite a bit, but swimming and biking did suffer quite a bit.  However, I do feel confident after logging in a week that was VERY heavy on training that I should survive the Boulder race, if not finish strong.

The distance is the most obvious concern since this is new territory for me on the bike and in putting the distances together.  So, that begs the question - am I logging in the training hours necessary to finish the race feeling strong?  Before this weekend, I probably would have declared an emphatic "no", but thanks to a longish run (10 miles) yesterday and a slow but very hilly ride (44.5 miles and over 3800 elevation gain!) today followed by a 3 mile run, I've bolstered my confidence, especially because I ran and rode in warm weather and never felt like complete shit.  I thought that I would be exhausted for the rest of the day after the brick, so it has surprised me that my energy levels have been fairly high.  I had been dreading the ride today, thinking about the heat, the time in the saddle, and the crazy (to us) elevation gain.  We survived the climb, crawling along, and once we arrived at the intersection of Big Tujunga and Angeles Crest, we had a 9-mile decent. This gave our legs a much-needed break but challenged us in a different way, as the downhill is a somewhat (to me) technical decent, especially with the cars and motorcycles that zoom past and the rocks that we maneuver around, trying to avoid hitting them.  We had moments of white-knuckling along some parts of the decent, and Michael and I were both happy when we made it safely back to the flat lands!

In addition to mileage, the heat/weather conditions in Boulder have also worried me these past few weeks.  When we were in the Northwest, I enjoyed the cooler temperatures.  The hardest part about that was that I couldn't decide what to wear when it was 57 degrees outside and I was heading out for a run!  As pleasant as that was, it did not help me much to prepare for the heat that I'll most likely have to endure in Boulder in August.  With that in mind, I've made an effort to run and bike in the late morning or in the afternoon so that I will be somewhat prepared for the Boulder heat.  My first run back in Southern CA last week was pretty hellish as I struggled through 7.5 miles, but I'm making progress.  Please note, however, the high today in Boulder is supposedly 72 degrees, so I have NO IDEA what I'll have to deal with on August 5!  And, yes, I do wonder if the race will even happen, especially if another wildfire happens to break out somewhere in or around the area.  With that in mind, I'm keeping all of my options wide-open (you know, DNS, DNF, finish).

The training plan for the next week is to continue to push without, I hope, stressing my body too much.  My next long ride will involve much less climbing, so it will be interesting to see how much faster we are when we are tackling rolling hills rather than a relentless march up, up, up. Knock on wood, but my body also seems to be enduring the longer miles in the saddle and on my feet, one of my major concerns when I contemplated signing up for a longer triathlon.  Currently, I am feeling  more confident about tackling the longer distances in Boulder, but I am trying to balance that optimism with a dose of pessimism just to keep myself well-balanced!

At this point, I have not had any "AHA!" moments while training about the meaning of life, nor can I use triathlon/training as a metaphor for anything.  I have, however, enjoyed that the summer has given me the time to focus on this swim, bike, run thing.  I am still slow on the bike, but I have moments when I feel speedier.  Also, I noted after the ride today that the back of my legs were sore, not the front, so I'm working on my bike technique in addition to adding mileage.  One more plus in all of this - Michael has accompanied me on most of these biking exploits, so we've motivated each other.  It's definitely more fun to ride with someone else than alone, even though those solo rides can be necessary too.

The next few weeks will be filled with more mileage, and then some high-altitude training.  I plan to enjoy it as much as possible!

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.