Swimming, biking, and running in Sonoma - Vineman 70.3 Race Recap

So, I can't really believe that Vineman is over (almost a week ago!) - after hunkering down in June and trying to focus on what was to me a 'big event', I'm on the other side, thinking that it wasn't THAT big of a deal.  Easier to say that now than a week ago!

Pre-Race: 
We arrived in Sonoma on Saturday, and all the nervous excitement that I hadn't felt throughout the week suddenly spilled over, especially when we arrived in Guerneville and I saw all these intense athletes biking and looking much more competent than I on their much nicer bikes.  At that point, I decided to focus on my breathing and on not throwing up for the rest of the day!  Since I was coming to the race totally cold - no prior knowledge of anything - it seemed like a good idea to drive the bike course, at the very least, before checking in and all of that fun stuff.  We slowly made our way from Guerneville to Windsor High School, winding through vineyards and up and down hills, feeling the bumps and turns in the road along the way.  I kept thinking "Hmm, this seems like a long way to bike!" and finally Michael just came out and said it.  I refused to freak out, reminding myself that I had survived this distance last year and obviously I enjoyed the experience enough since I signed up for a race of the same distance again.  Or I was just crazy and a glutton for punishment (also possible).

Race day preparations and other provisions

My official 'gear' for the day

And the race:
Despite a less-than-stellar night's sleep and some pre-race anxiety, I was excited for the day to start, and while I kept thinking about what I *should* have done to better prepare, I also felt hopeful that I would have a solid (for me) performance out there.  The early start time for my age group definitely favored a good outcome or, at the very least, survival, and so did the weather, which looked to be chilly throughout the morning but warm by the time I got to the run.  It seemed to be just a quick moment, really, between the time that I set up my gear and the time that I needed to be on the beach, heading into the water.  As my wave was allowed in the water, I reached down and realized that I didn't have my timing chip - HOLY CRAP!  I almost started to freak out and to cry.  Instead, I went to the official table right by the start line, told them that I forgot my chip, and they had a new one for me within a minute - so I was in the water with my wave.  Shew - that could have been a total clusterfuck if I hadn't realized that I had forgotten the chip.  Fortunately, the waves were 6 minutes apart, so even with that little snafu, I had plenty of time to get comfortable in the water before my wave was officially off and swimming!  And despite a serious lack of open-water swims this 'season', it went well.  I was relaxed throughout the swim, even after my timing chip issue, probably because there seemed to be very little body contact.  I felt like I was in the second half of my wave, but I decided that I couldn't worry about that too much - I just wanted to have a fairly strong and even swim which seemed to be the case, breathing easily and moving well through the water.  Swimming in the Russian River was awesome!

Body marked and ready to go!

The swim start!

Exiting the swim, finding my stuff in transition, taking note that my bike wasn't the last one there, and getting ready for the next leg seemed to take forever.  I didn't look at the time when I made it to my bike, so I wasn't sure how long my swim or transition took.  It was still really chilly and I longed to put on my arm-warmers, but I didn't want to waste any more time in transition than I had to (it still took me FOREVER).  I stuffed all my crap into the official plastic bag that they had given us and then I stuffed that bag into my transition backpack to give to Michael as I exited the transition area.  I opted for the hand-off so that I wouldn't have to worry about all of my stuff making it to T2 - obviously I didn't have much faith in myself or in the Vineman organization.  This cost me some time, but I could live with it.  After handing Michael my pack, I walked my bike up the small hill and mounted then - that was a race-day decision, based on a conversation I overheard between these two guys, one of whom said to the other 'No way would I try to mount at the base of the hill'.  Maybe I could have managed the hill, but I'm usually so awkward as I try to mount the bike, that I probably would have fallen just getting ON the damn bike.  Therefore, walk the hill it was.  And then I was off to enjoy 56 miles of biking!

The long walk with the bike...

Still walking uphill!

I don't even remember too many specific details about the bike except that there were scattered moments when I looked up, took in where I was (vineyards, rolling hills, quaint towns, more vineyards), and reminded myself of how fortunate I was.  I also prayed to the triathlon gods that the flat tire I had on my last 'training' ride would somehow safeguard me from a flat tire on the course.  And there were other moments when I cursed myself and the decision that I had made to participate in this event.  By the time I hit some of the landmarks that I remembered from Saturday's drive-thru, I felt pretty confident that I would finish the bike feeling strong, albeit somewhat slow, and when I started to feel negative, I countered those thoughts by saying to myself "Shut up legs" (which I stole from Jens Voigt).  Probably the final few miles were the worst, just because they weren't that scenic but still had plenty of bumps and I was at the "I-want-to-be-off-the-bike" point.  I was so happy when I saw Michael towards the very end - well, he yelled at me or I probably wouldn't have seen him - and when I hit the final stretch, making the turn that marked the way to the dismount.

Biking in and...

Running out - plenty of energy in the legs at this point!

Yes!  Off the bike and on to the run!  Like T1, getting to my pile of stuff seemed to take a very long time.  I thanked the person who had tied a pink feather to the part of the rack where I had stashed my run gear because it would have probably taken me an additional 5 minutes to locate it if I hadn't spotted the feather.  Bike racked, shoes exchanged, helmet off and hat on, I grabbed nutrition for the run and was off.  As I headed towards the run start, I realized that I had not grabbed my salt tablets and decided not to return for them.  Maybe a mistake, maybe they wouldn't have made much of a difference, who knows at this point?

At any rate, I started the run with a great pace but I tried to force myself to slow down.  My goal for the run was to negative split - hold the first part of the race at around 9:00 minute miles and then speed up at the end.  Well, that plan did not work out for me - live and learn.  I held a strong pace for first half, some of which I ran with an acquaintance from Cal Tri.  It was REALLY nice to see a familiar face out there, and he was super nice to slow down and run with me for a bit.  He also warned me about one of the bigger hills along the run which I appreciated.  So, a great first half for the run, but then mile 7 came along, and I started to seriously dog it!  My body was aching.  Also, I took in water, gatorade and 'cola' at the aid stations and tried to eat chips and fruit, but had a hard time with food - could not manage most of the fuel that I had stuffed into my pockets.  My pace slowed way down, especially at mile 9, but I kept running along, even though sometimes it seemed like a shuffle.  When I hit mile 11, I told myself that I could do anything for two miles and was determined to pick up the pace.  And then mile 12 - I was ecstatic!  My overall pace had totally dropped from the first half, but I wanted to end with a bit of pep.  It helped that I saw Michael and lifted my head up to smile, and then, almost at the end, there was a woman with a 40 (or 41 or 42) on her calf, so I pushed myself to pass her.  Finally, I came up on the finish line and saw that I could slip in just before the clock turned over to the next minute.  It wasn't a pretty finish nor did it lend itself to a good photo, but I was oh so happy, especially when I looked at the time and knew that I had a PR by almost 10 minutes on a more challenging course than Boulder!

That's either a smile at the end or I'm gritting my teeth in pain.

Post-race:
I felt pretty out of it at that point - kind of deliriously happy and exhausted at once -  but was able to get some food and sit and eat a few bites of pasta and some chicken and fruit.  I should have just had a huge plateful of oranges, they tasted so good!  Once I felt a bit less dazed, I met up with Michael, gathered my stuff in transition, and we walked to the car, surrounded by other people who had endured a day of fun and/or suffering, personal triumph or frustration (or some of both) and by the people who supported them.  By 2:30 pm, we were sitting in the Bear Republic Brewpub in Healdsburg, splitting a burger, fries and drinking beer (which we did not split!).  I think that at that point I was truly happy with and grateful for the entire experience - being in Sonoma, racing in such a beautiful place, having a good race, being lucky that Michael comes along for the ride, and stuffing my face in a blissful post-race stupor.  Life couldn't have been much better at that moment!

A few final thoughts and the numbers:
Compared to my first foray into the 70.3 distance when I had zero expectations and knew that just finishing would be a personal accomplishment, I felt a bit more nervous about meeting the expectations that I had set for myself for this race.  While my training wasn't perfect by any means, I had worked hard, especially throughout June, and I hoped for a PR.  Who doesn't?  I thought that a PR would be possible, but I also knew that shit could go wrong, so I tried to keep some of my hopes and expectations in check.  I also recognized that there were some key steps that I had omitted - not previewing the course and things like that - which could  possibly cost me in a major way.

Ultimately, I raced well for myself, in part because of almost ideal race day conditions.  I finally had a sub-40 swim.  I would have loved for an even faster leg (duh) but no complaints.  I knew that the bike course would be a challenge, not necessarily because of the hills but more because of the less-than-great roads in some parts.  My dream goal was sub-3:10, but I knew that I would be happy with something around 3:15.  I ended with 3:17 and some change, holding a 17 mph pace for the course (17.2 for the first half; 16.9 for the second - I'm happy with the consistency there; it's still slow, but I'm getting faster incrementally).  The run was NOT consistent - I ran an 8:24 pace for the first half, which then slowed to something like a 9:36 pace for the second half.  Oops!  Talking to other people, that seemed to be the trend, and I still hit my goal, running a sub-2 hour half-marathon on a somewhat hilly course.  Overall, I was happy with my swim/bike/run performance!

As I said before, I had some really negative thoughts while I was on the course, especially the bike, and I think that I have a lot to learn about 'racing' this distance.  Fortunately, these dark thoughts didn't seem to affect me too much overall, even though I told myself that I was an idiot for being out there and that this whole triathlon thing must be a mid-life crisis and that this would probably be my last race ever (seriously, I said that to myself at one point).  I wish I could say that I was positive throughout, but that was not the case!  Maybe next time?   Also, I think that I could have / should have stayed more on top of my nutrition.  Perhaps some of the negative thoughts were a product of hunger?  While a slower second-half run was the trend, I think that I could have pushed a bit more if I had felt less depleted out there.  Live and learn - fueling and nutrition may be the "fourth leg" of this triathlon business for me, especially on longer courses.  At the same time, I also know that I pushed myself a bit more than I did last year, so maybe I need to get used to what that feels like for longer periods of time.

Finally, on a somewhat serious and somewhat silly note, I love my smash kit.  It's kind of obnoxious (I think), and I can't believe that I paid the amount of money for it that I did.  However, it is really comfortable, doesn't chafe, and lots of people complimented me on it throughout the day, even a young, cute 27-year-old-guy who zoomed past me on the run.  I did learn something very important about tri suits - once you are away from the tri community, wearing a tri suit in public is a definite no-no, even if you are just running into McDonalds to change so that you can look more presentable elsewhere.  Talk about weird looks and raised eyebrows!

This was a painfully long recap, but so was the race!  I am now enjoying some R&R in Boulder, CO and contemplating my next move...

Full on summer and taper mode

June felt like a busier month than usual, although we didn't leave town like we often do, saving that for the month of July. Busier, I suppose, with work-related obligations which ended once July rolled around and my summer school class ended.  This past week, therefore, presented me with the opportunity to fully appreciate vacation/summer mode, especially with the 4th of July on Thursday.  Summer mode incapsulates many things, but one of the major aspects of summer for me is that there is a large percentage of my closet that I will not have to touch for the next two months.  It's funny because I like to look somewhat "nice" or professional for work, but when I don't have an obligation that moors me in a certain way, I throw all fashion concerns out the window.  The other indication that it's absolutely summer?  I spent all of Monday and Tuesday reading The Interestings by Meg Wolitzer, which is not the best book I've read but definitely a great read.  It starts out with a group of friends who meet at summer camp - how much more of a summer book can you get?  I also can't remember the last time that time sort of stopped and I ignored most obligations in order to just read a book.  Okay, maybe it was last summer with the Game of Thrones series.  In June, I sat in on two Shakespeare classes that our English department is offering for the adult population (alumni and parents and, with me, faculty), and while I loved reading The Merchant of Venice and King Lear, I can't see myself picking up Shakespeare on my own this summer!  However, there are plenty of options out there, so I don't think that I'll be bored or lack good reading material.

As my days have opened up, I've hit the metaphorical descent in my training - I'm pretty much coasting from here until, gulp, next Sunday.  I hadn't even thought too much about counting the days down, even though I have read the race program, a 24-or-so page document that includes my start time, at least twice.  Then, this morning, as I was making coffee, I thought "I should be on my bike at this point next week, if all goes well!".  I logged in my final long-ish training day yesterday which might be a bit close to race day, but I'm not scientific in my approach to these sorts of events.  Also, I felt pretty good, especially on the 6-mile run post-ride, which I needed - I was sluggish and 'off' my previous run, so this was nice for a final bric.

It seems a bit premature to talk about training since the point of training, I suppose, is to be ready for race day and who knows how the race will go.  That said, I think that I'm ready for race day, at least at this point, and there certainly isn't anything that I can do now.  As per usual, it was far from being a 'perfect' cycle, and there are a few goals that I had which I totally missed (a 60 mile ride, for instance; hit 400 miles on the bike in June).  However, I have stayed relatively healthy, and after my lovely bout with plantar fasciitis in December and January and then a calf issue in May, I don't consider that a mean feat (I was just tempted to make a bad pun about plantar fasciitis and mean feet - ha ha).  So, even if I don't perform as well as I would in an ideal world next weekend, I am quite grateful that I've made the workouts that I wanted and intended to make and that I've enjoyed most of the training!  Fingers crossed that I don't come down with a weird summer cold or something else.  Barring that, I should be good to go next week!

And the other training goals that I did not hit - more strength training and better nutrition.  One of these days, I do hope to incorporate agility and strength training into my repertoire, but it clearly did not happen this time around.  And nutrition?  Well, nutrition while training has held up, and I haven't had any terrible moments this year like I did last when I didn't eat soon enough post-workout.  However, I did sort of hope to make better decisions at other points during the day/week - you know, lay off the ice cream, eat a few less chips, drink more water and less beer/wine/margaritas.  With the exception of the alcohol, I've felt like quite an adolescent (or who knows - plenty of adolescents do imbibe, so maybe I should include alcohol as part of the adolescent diet), eating less-than-ideal food stuffs.  Perhaps the low point was Monday when I ate two servings of ice cream in the afternoon.  Oh, and when I ordered guacamole fries the other day, intrigued by the name, only to find out that they are fries with a huge blob of guacamole on top.  Definitely not the healthiest option.  Ah, well, win some, lose some.

In the meantime, we (or I) are starting to prep for our trip.  I am looking forward to Sonoma - this is our first time to that part of the world, and I can't wait to hit the road this week as we head north to San Francisco and then on to Guerneville!

Still not a "real" cyclist, but...

Last Sunday's non-race proved, once again, that my cycling skills leave much to be desired.  However, I have worked on them, really, and there have been small tweaks and moments here and there recently that "up" my would-be cycling chops, in my eyes at least!  And I do think that, year after year, I have improved on the bike, but incrementally rather than by the leaps and bounds that I would prefer.  So far, this year has been the year of the solo rides.  Because I'm still a bit self-conscious about my slow pace, I hesitate to join group rides.  And, because Michael's knee continues to sideline him from riding, my go-to partner from last year has been conspicuously absent on most of my longer rides.  I have found, however, that there is something relaxing about meandering along on the bike.  Perhaps this is why my speed isn't improving too much - I often tootle along rather than try to grind my way through a ride.

Still, I've hit a few milestones in recent weeks that I consider movement, inch by inch, to being a real cyclist one of these days.  First of all, I finally peed on the bike.  I know, too much information, and I'm not about to wax poetic about the experience or include details every time it happens, but being somewhere in the El Sereno part of Los Angeles and not a good stop in sight, the best option seemed to be to just pee on the bike.  The other milestone was my long ride today - 48 miles and about 4,900 feet of climbing according to the Garmin (so probably 46 miles and 4,500 feet, but whatever)!  Like my long run on Thursday, I was dreading this ride, and then before I left, I told myself how lucky I was to head out on a nice Sunday ride.  It was long and hot and slow, but mentally, it puts me in a good place as I think about the Vineman bike leg.  The route, Lower Big Tujunga up to Angeles Crest, is familiar from two rides in 2012, but this was the first time this year I'd ridden it and the first time going it solo.  It is a hard but wonderful ride as it feels so far away from Pasadena or Los Angeles but is easily accessible from the front door of our house.

I'd like to imagine that I looked something like this:

Source

It was a long slog to the 2 (Angeles Crest Highway), especially with all those moments when I thought that I was almost there to only be disappointed as the road continued up, up and up.  I was happy to finally make it to the ranger/pay station - especially because I had a surprise in the form of Michael and Gus and Milo who had driven to that meeting point, making sure that I arrived safely and also trading a cold bottle (of water) for my empty one.  That was a nice break, but after refueling and stretching, I was ready to head on down.  I had survived the hardest part, and the descent was 9 miles of sheer fun!  Although a group of Porches passed me by on the climb up, it was early enough that there wasn't a fleet of sports cars or motor cycles zooming down, so that made the trip down, down, down much more enjoyable.  

In REAL cycling news, the Tour has started, and I missed today but definitely enjoyed the end of yesterday's stage which included some unfortunate bus manoeuvrings and a crash that involved some of the top sprinters - these were unrelated, by the way.  I love Phil and Paul who said that the bus situation was an 'embarrassment' for Corsica and also repeated what they say for every single stage "We've never seen anything like this!".  But a bus getting stuck - they probably haven't.

Source

I'll probably miss more of the Tour this year than I would like (sad that I didn't plan my summer around watching TV from 4:30 - 8:00 am every day for 3 weeks), but Michael just sent me an excellent live feed from Australia that will probably be my go-to source when I can't see the stage.  Or maybe when I can!

Speaking of the Tour, after enjoying the Road ID commercials for much of last summer, I finally broke down and bought one, thanks to a hefty coupon that I had hanging around the house.  Seeing as I do run and ride alone for the most part, it's probably not a bad idea to have something with my name and at least one emergency contact number.  While I can/should include that information no matter what, I never did, except for my driver's license when biking.  So, I'm now more or less identifiable, should a mountain lion attack me on the JPL trails.  Hmmm...  That seems like cold comfort!

"You're just sleeping away the summer"

Such was the accusation that Michael threw at me today when I announced around 2:00 that I was going to take a nap.  In my defense, taking a nap after a long, slow, hilly and HOT run seemed like a great idea and an appropriate way to spend my afternoon!  Unfortunately, the hefty dose of caffeine in the huge Coke I consumed after the run prevented the anticipated-nap, so I finished reading "King Lear" which is definitely not good nap-time reading.  I don't want to ruin it for anyone who plans to read it, but just remember that it's a tragedy, so you can figure out how it ends...

Back to this running business though.  The month is almost over, but June gloom has, sadly, passed us by.  The days are now sunny and hot, all day long.  While I really enjoyed the cooler mornings for most of the month, I also know that running in the heat is par for the course at this time of the year, so I need to just deal with it!  Of course, rather than easing into it, I had a long run scheduled today and took the plunge, finishing up twelve slow and painful miles.  I'd say that I enjoyed most of the runs this summer, even when I was a bit tired and felt slow.  Today, however, I cannot claim that I enjoyed this run.  Perhaps this was a good reality check before Vineman?  For the first time in a while the run was just plain painful (sorry for the bad alliteration).

It probably did not help that even before I started out at 11:00 am, I was dreading the run! My two-hour class served as a great distraction, but once that ended, it was time to hit the trails, nerves or not.  I'm not sure if other people get nervous before long runs/rides, but I almost always do, especially when I know that they will be a challenge.  Maybe that's good, maybe not.  I'm not sure.  No doubt the fact that it was also already hot - or felt that way to me - did not calm my nerves.  Can I keep talking about the heat?  And starting out with tired legs (what's with this week?) and a very long hill didn't help the experience, but mile 1 actually ended up being my slowest of these many slow miles.  I really did expect the run to get easier, and I think that mile 7 felt pretty good, but not much about it was easy.  As the run continued, I kept making different deals with myself - that I could run 10 miles, and it would be okay; no, hit 11 miles; come on legs, you can make 12.  At my most optimistic, I hoped to run a whopping 13 miles, but ultimately I settled on 12 really hot and sweaty miles.

I definitely did not feel 'good' while running or even right afterwards, but this was a good reminder that I might have to suffer mightily during Vineman.  I picked out a tough course for the day - lots of hills and somewhat challenging terrain at times - so that makes me feel confident that I'll be able to handle an easier course, even if it's hot and even after a long swim and a long bike, but we shall see come race day.

I did, however, enjoy the large Coke that I, in a rather impromptu way, decided to get on the way home.  I haven't been to McDonald's in ages, but the golden arches beckoned and I couldn't resist - it seemed like a good idea at the time.  I'm still surprised that I didn't end up with an entire Happy Meal or at least some french fries, and I probably would have ordered something else, but the menu seriously overwhelmed me.  The Coke did hit the spot and gave me enough energy to make it through the afternoon, and I didn't even take a nap!

Although one might be tempting me right about now...

This is not a race report

A few weeks ago, while volunteering at the Bonelli tri and wishing to be a participant rather than a volunteer and while thinking about my upcoming triathlon and my lack of racing this summer, I decided to up for a local race in Ventura.  I searched the interwebs, always a good place to find someone to agree with what you want to do, to confirm that it isn't a terrible idea to race 3 weeks prior to a so-called "A" race.  Plenty of people agreed with that assessment, so I went for it.  In part, I did want to have a good practice run of putting together the swim-bike-run pieces, and in part I hoped to take away the sting of the 2013 Wildflower race (which still bothers me, obviously!).  Now, the Ventura race is/was nothing like Vineman will be - a harbor swim as opposed to a dammed river and super flat bike/run legs as opposed to a hilly course.  But, still, it seemed like a good move, and would serve, if nothing else, to remind me about all of the gear and little details that are involved in this triathlon thing.

It's always amazing how much more relaxed I am when I approach a race with a "this-is-not-a-race" attitude.  Of course, this can also be a bit costly, as I realized this morning when we were almost late!  Michael dropped me off around 6:25 and I picked up my packet and made it to the transition area around 6:30, just enough time to set up, get my wetsuit situated, and be present for the athlete meeting at 6:50.  Shew!  One difference in today's race - Michael had some furry companions and I had two additional spectators:

Here I am with Gus and Milo!

And my three spectators.

We went back and forth about whether to take the dogs - they are older, it would be a lot of walking around and hanging around, and they'd probably rather just be home.  Boy was I wrong on all of those counts - they LOVED the experience!  Maybe we'll take them to Wildflower one of these years (if I ever go back).

Anyway, this non-race event...  The plan: Have a solid swim, try to push it on the bike, and negative split the run but don't go too hard and end up sore or, even worse, with something pulled.  As I stood around, waiting for my wave to start, I felt a bit of dread - the "oh, shit, here we go" thought.  Once I hit the water and maneuvered more or less to where I felt comfortable, my attitude changed - it was a GREAT swim!  Not my fastest, but definitely a solid swim - I didn't feel tired, although I did slow down on loop 2, and the Ventura harbor ended up being a fantastic place to swim.  Then, on to the bike!  The course was out, then three loops on roads going around fields, and then back to transition.  The first two loops were good as I held a steady pace. I slowed down on the third loop, consciously in part so that I wasn't dead for the run, but I also think that I was a bit tired and and sore as the week's workouts caught up to me.  Plus, I just lost my focus during the final loop which is something good to note.  I ended up with a decent-for-me bike but a pretty sad showing overall for a flat course!  I was very happy to turn into the transition and head out on the run, legs still feeling good.  My first mile was a bit of a mess as I was running way faster than I wanted to be, but then things settled down and I held a steady pace, ending on a strong, if not amazingly speedy, note.  

Ultimately, it was a solid performance, which is what I had hoped for.  The swim wasn't my fastest time, but I needed something to boost my confidence after the Wildflower debacle, and this did the trick.  The bike - oh, it's such my weakest link!  I didn't love either the run or bike, but the course was super well marked and the volunteers were excellent, so no complaints about that.  What is funny about all of this, however, is that I did walk away with a very slight PR for this distance, and I think it had to do with my transitions which, for the first time ever, did not totally suck.  Finally!  I also loved seeing Michael and 'the boys' out on the course, especially on the run, and I was glad that they were all having a good morning out there too.

The last plug that I'll give this race - great post-race food of hamburgers and hotdogs and beer.  Sadly, I did not take advantage of the beer garden, and I'm now kind of kicking myself for passing up a nice cold Sierra Nevada.  Fortunately, I can remedy that as soon as it's 5:00 pm here!

That 'T' word

Training, that is.

After two somewhat lackluster months, which I'd really like to forget about, I decided that June would be *IT*, the month that I'd get my shit together and focus on Vineman.  Good thing, since it is, gulp, about a month away - just shy of 5 weeks at this point.  Yikes!  If that can't motivate me, I'm not sure what can.  Fortunately, June also brings with it a summer schedule that is much more conducive to training (and overtraining, I might add).

While it still seems that I'm a bit behind and probably can't quite make up for May and taking some time off thanks to my calf, I am staying clear of total panic mode.  My running, after easing back into it, feels solid to me.  Some runs are faster, I slog through others, but I'm definitely putting in the miles.  I also discovered the Cherry Canyon trails in La Cañada thanks to the Cal Tri Monday run group, and those are just amazing - great trails and wonderful views.  I've only run on them twice, but each time seems like an adventure.  A slow one, but still!

As always, I can find plenty of gaps when it comes to my swim and bike training.  Now that it's summer, I have the luxury of time, so that is not the issue.  Rather, I feel so slow doing both which is frustrating, of course.  I am enjoying the more flexible hours to swim and/or bike and consider myself lucky, especially in the swim department.  Swimming during the day at the Rose Bowl usually affords me the opportunity to pick a lane, any lane, in either the long or short course pool - so, I can't complain about the conditions.  While that has been a treat, I am worried about the lack of open water swims that I have under my belt at this point, but I know of 2 upcoming ocean swims, so hopefully that will boost my confidence as July 14 nears.

Finally, the bike - I was feeling quite stuck at the 30-35 mile per ride experience around the Pasadena/Altadena/Montrose area, but on Saturday, Michael and I finally ventured west and biked PCH for the first time this year  It had been way too long (since last year - really?!), but he was getting over a nagging IT band injury, and I'm still reluctant to ride PCH all by myself, for a number of reasons.   It was a great morning to ride - super grey and a bit damp, but not too slick on the road.  As usual, we enjoyed the ride, although we could see and smell the effects of the Springs Fire around Leo Carrillo State Beach and La Jolla Canyon, even on our bikes - the burn area came right to PCH.  We headed north, just crossing the Ventura County line, and the return trip south was a bit slower, in part because we did take our time to admire the views, which included lots of surfers and also dolphins heading north!  After the ride, I went for a quick run (yay for bricks) and then we inhaled a plate of the best fried food at Malibu Seafood.  That was amazing!  I'm hoping for a few more longer rides by the beginning of July, so we'll see where that puts me in terms of bike fitness - or just confidence.  And, yes, we'll definitely be following the rides with good food and possibly drink.

I suppose the other nagging concern is the weather - as usual, June gloom has made these recent rides and runs pretty enjoyable, but I need to get out in the heat.  Who knows what the weather will be like in Sonoma in July, but I'd like to be somewhat prepared for higher temperatures!

Tri-Events from a volunteer's perspective

Last year, I swore that I wouldn't participate in this event again, for a number of reasons related here, but I was a little wistful yesterday morning that I wasn't geared up in all sorts of spandex, schlepping a ridiculous amount of 'stuff' to San Dimas for an early Saturday.  Instead, I woke up even earlier than if I had been racing so that I could check in as a volunteer for California Triathlon, the group with which I occasionally associate.  Despite my very loose affiliation, I kind of like the volunteer opportunities that the group offers up.  Not that they are all fun, but there usually are moments of levity.  Also, as I've become somewhat more committed to the idea of triathlon and really do enjoy it AND as I recognize the need to connect with different people now that we really live here (having bought a house), I feel compelled to be more involved in the community.  I realize that the triathlon community is fairly exclusive, but it is a community of sorts, so I'm giving myself credit for trying to meet new people and have new experiences.

Last month, my major commitment with CalTri was helping out with the Girls on the Run 5K race in Pasadena.  I signed up to help out with aid stations, and then they put me in charge of aid station and course marshall. THAT was a learning experience!  Do you know how much people drink during a 5K race?  Apparently a lot, even when they are walking half of it (I know, I'm so mean).  This month, the commitment was at the race in Bonelli which, to be totally honest, I enjoyed way more than the 5K experience, probably because I was in charge of nothing, people just told me where to go and that was it!  It is interesting to see how much goes into a race, and even when I have issues with certain aspects of a race, being a volunteer does make me appreciate the logistics.

After helping out with check-in (I was a runner - grabbed the right color swim cap and the t-shirt size), I  was then assigned my major task for the day: trying to direct traffic.  As much as I'd like to not criticize a race, this one had the sprinter course run crossing the road right where all of the cyclists were turning to go into transition.  That was not a great job, especially because some of the runners basically told me to f-off, they were going and there wasn't anything I could do, despite my awesome "race official" orange vest and matching flag. Overall, it wasn't a challenging task, but I did feel responsible for the runners - making sure that they crossed safely.  It was also a great place to watch the cyclists go by once, twice and then turn in after finishing the third loop.

Perhaps the best thing about helping out?  I really wanted to be out there racing.  I'm even thinking about the Ventura Triathlon at the end of the month OR the Pasadena Half-Marathon, also at the end of the month.  And then another part of me is saying - just wait, be patient, and make it to Vineman.

Also, despite not *loving* the course last year and even finding issues with it as a volunteer, I definitely plan to sign up for the final Tri-Events race in October.  It might not be a 'great' race for me, but it is nice to support such a local race.  Also, I still feel pretty tentative about my connection to any tri group (the Groucho Marx quote comes to mind: I don’t want to belong to any club that will accept me as a member), but it was nice to see a few familiar faces and cheer people on.