Odds and ends - summer's over

This is going to be a potpourri of thoughts and musings provoked by the summer drawing to an official close this weekend.  Students are back on Tuesday, and I'm doing my teaching show starting Wednesday.  However, I officially returned to the land of adulthood and responsibility this week, attending meetings, taking notes with a purpose, and dressing somewhat more professionally than my summer garb.  While the look-like-a-working-person issue is not the most challenging aspect of the summer to work transition, I do have to make an adjustment, especially in the shoe department.  After wearing flip-flops 90% of the time that I had to wear shoes, my feet then suffer when they are suddenly confined.  Not that I wear uncomfortable heels or anything like that, but even my most comfortable of "comfort" shoes (yes, I'm an old lady) give me blisters.  

Overall, being back and seeing people - reconnecting with old colleagues and meeting new teachers - makes me feel optimistic about the year, but the meetings do fray my nerves a bit.  By the end of the day on Wednesday, I came home and crashed and felt completely depressed that the summer was over and the year was about to commence.  Fortunately, I have "snapped out of it", but I needed a low-key night in order to strengthen my resolve and shift my mindset to a more positive one.  Nothing like a beer, burger, fries and wings to lift my spirits.  In addition to seeing colleagues, there are several parent/trustee functions that I must attend (those obligations continue until mid-October).  Last night's "party" marked the beginning of these soirees, but at least alcohol accompanied the schmoozing!  It's easier for me to talk to high-powered executives if I've had at least a glass of wine or two.  

Now that the summer is over, I can think about what I actually accomplished over the past few months. I often view summer as a great opportunity to read good books, do some professional development, travel, hike, cook, go to the movies, spend time with friends and family, and explore a bit of LA and/or California.  This summer, as I've recounted ad nauseam, I focused mainly on the Boulder race and then Nicaragua, so the major event pressure was on the back end.  However, I did accomplish much of that list: read (not good books, but that is another issue), PLENTY of travel, not much hiking, a decent amount of cooking although few new recipes, good times with friend and family, only saw one movie at the theatre, and somewhat limited LA/CA exploration.  So, it all evens out in the wash I suppose.

As far as the summer books I read, I'm almost embarrassed to list them because the list is both brief and filled with plenty of fluff!

- First of all, the Game of Thrones TV series sucked us in at the end of the academic year, so I read Books 1-5 over the summer.  They are easy but long reads and completely like mental crack - so addictive and pleasurable at the time, but don't leave much of a lasting impression.  Still, quite fun, despite the fact that most of my favorite characters are now dead.  

I did read two "real" books this summer:

- Black Swan Green (link is to NYTimes book review) by David Mitchell.  Really enjoyed this coming-of-age novel set in 1980's Britain.  It does make me want to read Cloud Atlas, which is bolder, more complex and ambitious.  

- The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion.  I'd wanted to read this book for a while and picked up a used copy at a book store in Denver . It is beautifully written reflection on death, dying, grief, relationships, memory, and so many other themes.  

And another a fantastic adventure book about the Tour Divide, a mountain bike race from Canada to Mexico.  Be Brave, Be Strong by Jill Homer is not the best memoir I've read, but it fascinated me and I often found that I couldn't put it down.  

I'm also reading Canada (NYTimes review) by Richard Ford, his latest novel, and I'm enjoying it, but I find myself easily distracted.  I would like to finish it before the month of September ends!

In terms of other forms of leisure/entertainment, we did see plenty of movies, but I only saw one movie in the theatre, as I mentioned.  The movie selection for me was underwhelming, to say the least, but I did enjoy the one movie that we saw July 4th - Brave.  Not the best movie I've seen, to say the least, but I didn't resent the fact that I spent money to see it.  We seemed to trend to older movies this summer, mainly because the new releases just look terrible.  So, we re-watched a few oldies (Double Indemnity which is just amazing, Charade, which also held up; there were a few of them that were not as good as we had remembered, The Moderns being an example of that). We also took a chance on plenty of  movies, classics or not, that we ended up loving.  Some surprised us with their relevance today (Network was a prime example of that) or they delighted us for other reasons (Hopscotch and The Taking of Pelham One Two Three - the original, not the remake - fell into that category - although I think that Walter Matthau had much to do with it in both of those movies).  So, a light season of summer blockbuster hits for us, but plenty of satisfying movie watching over these past few months!

And now, I have started to turn my focus to the fall - the weeks have already begun to fill up with plans, events and some travels, and thoughts of school occupy my mind.  But I plan to fully enjoy this weekend as the last breath of summer!

Nicaragua: The all-inclusive resort experience

I'm back in the States, currently nursing a cold that developed while I was supposed to be relaxing on the beach while drinking piña coladas.  Perhaps I can blame my lackluster "resort" experience on the fact that I was starting to feel sick, but I honestly think that the 36 hours I spent at the Montelimar Resort confirmed what I had suspected for a while: that the resort experience is NOT my thing!

Before I go off on a long rant, I should say that there were some positives.  I caught two pretty great sunsets and enjoyed early morning walks on the beach, before it got too hot and steamy.  Plus, I splashed around in what is supposedly the largest pool in Central America.  Large it may be, deep it is not!  I pretty much walked the length of it because it might measure 5 feet at the deepest point.  At 8:00 am on Saturday morning, I was the only person in the pool, a rare treat!  Also, considering our group's needs/goals (traveling with kids, letting them unwind and play on the beach after 2 fairly intense weeks), the resort was more than suitable, and I did appreciate that it was popular with Nicaraguans and people from other Central American countries.  We were the only Americans there, so that at least felt authentic.

Those points aside, this is not an experience that I need to repeat ever again.  First of all, I felt completely trapped at the resort, wearing a stupid wristband that identified me and wandering from my cabaña to the restaurant, to the pool, to the beach.  While we had free range around the resort, it seemed as though we were locked inside a compound which creeped me out.  Didn't the Jim Jones cult live on a compound?  Then there was the food.  Overall, I found the food in Nicaragua to be great, and I ate more than my fair share of good meals and drank wonderful fruit juices.  At the resort, there was a buffet (of course), and everything tasted mediocre, even the fruit.  So, while the food wasn't bad, per se, and there was plenty of it, the quality of the food did disappoint.  The other issue for me was the heat and the humidity.  While I tolerated the weather in Managua because I had no other choice, to "vacation" where it's hot and humid goes completely against my better judgement.  I know that I'm not much of a beach person, in part because my skin just can't take it, so sitting on the beach all day or even playing in the water holds no appeal to me, and those were the principal activities offered up.  Well, not the principal ones - if I had wanted to, I could have taken a dance class, a water aerobics class, played some beach volleyball or water polo, all organized for my entertainment by the resort staff.  I eschewed all such group activities, opting to read for most of the day.  By Saturday night, I couldn't wait to get on the bus the next day to leave the prison.  I mean resort.

Feeling slightly under-the-weather did not, I'm sure, help the situation.  I honestly thought that I might be having an allergic reaction to Montelimar because I felt worse in the room than I did outside walking around.  Now that I'm sniffling and coughing in Boulder, I have to recognize that I was just getting sick, plain and simple.  But I liked to think that Montelimar had provoked my allergies and that I would feel better as soon as I left the gates and they cut off the wristband.  Also, one of the other adults was driving me bonkers and I felt trapped having to spend so much time with him too.  So, overall, I would give the resort experience a solid D.

I am sure that there are nicer places that offer better food and more activities that would be to my liking.  However, I don't plan to find out whether this experience was unique in piquing all of my pet peeves or if any sort of all-inclusive experience would provoke such a strong reaction.  I have a hunch that the latter is true, and I think that I will trust my gut there.

Overall, it is not bad that the relaxing, resort experience ended up being so anti-climactic.  There were  wonderful aspects to this trip that I would prefer to remember as the highlight.  It is also funny because, from time to time, it occurs to me that Michael and I should really "vacation" rather than "travel".  From this experience, I have taken note that I am clearly not a good vacationer - I need more of a purpose or direction to my trips, something greater than the desire to merely relax, unwind, work on my tan and drink piña coladas.  Travel must be more meaningful than that, or that is my way of thinking, and the good thing about this trip is that I have certainly taken away more from this trip than petty grievances towards a resort!

Mission accomplished!

There were obviously more momentous events that occurred yesterday, August 5, 2012, such as Curiosity's landing, but for me, crossing the Boulder 70.3 finish line marked an achievement of a personal nature.  I met most of my goals for the race, especially the hope to end the race feeling strong and healthy and, even better, with a smile.  Here's the proof:

So, I've jumped to the end.  I will say that after a few weeks filled with moments of doubt and then confidence and then doubt again, I could not have wished for a better day and a better experience.  One of the reasons that I signed up for Boulder is that this has become a second home to me, at least emotionally.  Michael and I were married here, and we gravitate to Colorado in more ways than one.  I've enjoyed exploring Boulder in so many ways, and I feel quite connected to the town.  To add to that, it's a beautiful place to be, to visit, to explore, and I loved the idea of swimming, biking and running with the Flatirons in the horizon.

Source

But, to back up a bit, I'll start with the early morning wake-up call.  We were staying at Michael's brother's place which is a mere 2 miles or so from the Reservoir, so it made for an easy drive to parking and the transition zone.  I could not believe how calm I felt yesterday morning, and it totally surprised me that I did not forget anything major (just chapstick which I did regret).  By 6:20 I had racked my bike and set up my transition area (messy as usual), and then headed to the bathroom where I took care of business.  Then, Michael and I headed to the swim start area - time to get going!

The swim was wetsuit legal, thank goodness!  After some waiting around,  I suited up and we waited around some more.  We did watch the first two waves go out - Pro Men followed by Pro Women.  The Pro Men start was pretty stupid - about half of the group headed to the right of the buoys, and some of them did not correct.  I'm not sure what happened, but when my wave got into the water, they announced to be careful to go around the buoys on the LEFT (duh) or be DQ-ed.  I lined up around 7:10 and got ready to go!

The swim ended up being my worst leg in terms of anticipated performance, but I'm happy overall with it.  My sighting could have been better, but my breathing was great and I felt relaxed throughout MOST of it.  Some parts did seem a bit mercenary, especially some woman pulled at me pretty hard.  I'm used to the touching and bumping, but PULLING at me?  I was completely unsportsmanlike and kicked at the person - and then suffered a momentary muscle cramp.  Total karma, but I didn't care.    In other ways, the swim was beautiful - I could see the Flatirons which made for an awesome view, even while swimming!

Exiting the swim, I saw Michael which was awesome - there were tons of people, so I wasn't sure if I would see him.  Then, time to get on the bike!  My transition time took forever, probably because I lathered up with sunscreen.  One of my other goals (I had many minor goals) was to not get sunburned, so I wanted more sunscreen post-swim.  Taking off on the bike, I felt pretty good and waved good-bye to Michael (really, I did wave)!

And then I was off!  The bike leg went really well - I'm not super speedy by any means, but I did keep a pace that I was comfortable and very happy with.  While I think that I could have pushed it, I did not want to trash myself for the run.  Plus, I wanted to enjoy the experience, and on the whole, I did - the course, as I knew, offered great views of rolling hills, the "hogbacks" in northern Boulder, and farmland.  Even the boring part - along Diagonal Highway - was pretty scenic, and it was fun to pass a kennel and hear all the dogs barking!  The first loop felt like it passed in no time, and I kept a good pace (for me) for the second loop too, but my butt was DONE with the saddle by Mile 30, I would say.  Still, I kept pushing on and finally I turned into the Reservoir and knew that it was time to run!

I did feel good coming off the bike, and started the run at a good clip.  My first thought when I started the run was "Hey, maybe I can run the entire 13.1 course and not walk at all!".  I quickly banished that thought, reminding myself that I wanted to feel good at the finish line.  So, I did not push myself to whatever limit possible, a decision that I do not regret.  Even walking uphill and through the aid stations, I kept a good pace, especially for the first lap which I completed in about an hour.  I saw Michael as I started the second lap and gave him a wave and a smile.

As soon as I started the second lap, I knew that it was going to be a tough push, but I also knew that I'd make it, one way or another. I wished, for a moment, that I had put in one more longer training run, but ultimately, I'm not sure that it would have helped me THAT much more.  In addition to deciding to walk up the hills, the other great decision I made was to buy a smaller, hand-held water carrier.  Between aid stations, I either had water to drink or to spray on my head, and I think that it kept me going.  Also, I read about the ice-down-the-shirt-trick, and this also proved to be a go-to trick during that second lap - it seemed to cool me down and helped me move along.  By the time I hit Mile 10, I knew that I would be able to run in the final few miles, which were still very exposed (no shade for the entire run course!) but were relatively flat.  

The final mile was great - yes, I was exhausted, my feet hurt thanks to the rocky run, but I looked out on the Reservoir and the mountains and felt so emotional that I started to cry a bit.  I then told myself "Hey, you're going to be smiling at the finish, so no tears, not even tears of joy!".  I gave it a bit of a push at the end, passing someone in my age group in that last mile (yay!), and savoring the moment when they announced my name crossing the finish line.  Huge smile as they put the medal around my neck and gave me a cap, and feelings of joy and immense relief.

As I said, it could not have been a more perfect race for me.  I met my goal pace, more or less right between 6:00-6:30, and while I could have improved my time tweaking this or that, I am damn happy with the time.  As far as the different legs are concerned, my swim time was a bit slower than expected, but the bike and run were right on target, more or less.  Finally, I felt great at the end - yes, I was tired, but happy and still feeling good physically, and I did not suffer a sunburn!  

I must say that Michael was/is a trooper - while this was definitely "my race experience", he has had to put up with me for the past six months or so, and it lifted my spirits when I saw him out there yesterday.  I didn't train with a team or a coach, but I do feel that I couldn't have gotten to this point without his encouragement and, often times, his company on rides or at events.  He probably suffered more than I, as he waited around for me and got sunburned feet!

In terms of Boulder 70.3, the event itself - I loved the experience, but I know that there were several factors that accounted for such a positive reaction.  First and foremost, the weather cooperated.  Yes, it ended up being somewhat hot, but it wasn't miserable while I was out on the course, and I know that the run could have gone south if it had warmed up earlier in the day.  It also helped that I knew the course quite well, especially the bike portion, so it seemed familiar.  While this took away from the newness of the experience, it gave me a sense of familiarity that probably bolstered my confidence.  Also, I felt pretty good throughout the race.  While I did tire on the swim and the bike and my feet hurt on the run, I never thought that I couldn't make it and I knew that my suffering was minimal compared to that of other people that I saw on the course.  My training was certainly not flawless, but it was good enough for my goals, and I trusted the work that I had put into the race.  Also, I stayed on top of my nutrition - although I got so tired of drinking fluids and eating "performance" food on the run that pretzels and soda came as a welcome change!  Finally, the event was very well-organized, which it should have been (with the amount of money for an Ironman-sponsored event...), but it definitely helped to have so many aid stations, especially on the run, and such great crowd support throughout the race.  There are obviously some very serious athletes here in Boulder (professional and even "amateur"), and I was afraid that I would feel completely intimidated, especially on the bike, but everyone was great, and I had a fantastic experience!

I am looking forward to shifting my focus over the next few weeks/months, but I'm so glad that I signed up for this back in November and that I was able to focus, train, and enjoy the experience.  I thrive on goals and deadlines, and to have such a BIG personal goal was daunting at times, but, ultimately, fulfilling in so many ways.  Three summers ago, I was gearing up for ACL surgery, so to go from that to this, I can't be happier!

And, yeah, it is kind of a big deal for me to say that I've completed a Half-Ironman!

Ready or not - a month of new experiences

August seems pregnant with lots of possibilities and plenty of unknowns!  I feel that I'm usually winding down my summer in one way or another at this point (although past summers would demonstrate how false that statement is), but things are ramping up!

First up - the now over-discussed (by me, at least) Boulder 70.3 which starts bright and early tomorrow morning!  My wave (Females 40-44) hits the water at 7:20, a time that makes me happy, although I can't wait for all the faster waves that start after my wave to swim over me.  Still, the earlier the start, the less time in the heat on the run (I hope!).  I do have a 'race strategy' in mind - basically, I'd like to be well-fueled and well-hydrated so that I don't crash on the run.  A piece of advice that I read regarding one's first 70.3 - "If you think you're going too slow on the bike, you're probably not.  You aren't going to finish first, so leave some for the run."  I realize that some people DO place when competing in their first half-IM, but I will not be one of those people.  The course is not very difficult in terms of challenging hills, but the run is very exposed and can be quite hot.  The weather cooperated perfectly today, supposedly hitting 80 degrees high, but the Weather Channel predicts that temperatures will be closer to 90, if not over it, tomorrow.  In addition to a 'solid' performance (for me - it's all relative), I am also gunning for a good finisher's photo.  It's been more or less impossible for me to accomplish that goal in other races, but it would be nice for this race!

Not to over-analyze how I'm feeling about the race, but I am, at the very least, confident that I can finish (barring crazy technical difficulties, like 2 flat tires).  Not that I want to be on the course for nine hours, but if worse comes to worse, if that's what it takes, then that's what it takes.  I can look back at my training now and think about what I wish I had or had not done, how I could have tweaked it, or ramped up the intensity, but there is nothing that I can change at this point.  I'm definitely a bundle of nerves and excitement, and my biggest hope is to enjoy the experience - have fun, be okay with some (or lots of) suffering, and finish strong, preferably with a smile.

I hope to rest as much as possible post-race so that I am ready to head south to Managua, Nicaragua on Tuesday morning.  It is a bit of a crazy schedule, as a few days of R&R would have been nice (although I've had plenty of those this week and a few more might drive me crazy), but I'm looking forward to being in Nicaragua with colleagues and students!  This will be my first trip to Central America (I usually go north, south or east of Central America), and I am trying to keep an open mind about what to expect. That is with the exception of rice and beans, which I know will form the bulk of my caloric intake while in Nicaragua.  It will be a fast trip, but, just like the half IM tomorrow, I hope that it will be a good, if not great, experience.  I expect that both of these experiences will take me out of my comfort zone and give me much to reflect upon as the summer comes to an end.

Both of these experiences have required a certain amount of preparation.  I feel as though I've dedicated plenty (too much?) of time and energy, both mental and physical, to the half-IM, but for Nicaragua, my preparation has mainly involved attending meetings, getting shots, and stocking up on basic necessities (like insect repellant, a hat, appropriate shoes...).  Preparations for the Boulder race started to feel 'real' this week, as I saw small signs acknowledging the event popping up all over town.  Then, when I went for my final swim on Thursday (that's right, I'm lazy), a huge Ironman trailer had arrived.  And, finally, it REALLY hit me yesterday when I checked in!  With the race looming, I've taken full advantage of the concept of tapering this week.  While I have spent some quality time swimming, biking, running this week, I also got a pedicure, took lots of naps, and watched the Olympics almost nightly.  I've filled the past two days with low-key activities like doing laundry, eating at the Mountain Sun (my current favorite brewpub), and watching an old black-and-white film, "Nightmare Alley".   For Nicaragua, my thoughts have wandered 'there' more often and I even packed my bag today, but it is still a fairly passive preparation.  I think that the experience will feel real when I arrive at the airport - or maybe when I board the plane?

Upon my return, I will have had my fill of new experiences and might be ready to return to the comforting routine of home and then back to school in September!  But until then, there will be plenty on my mind.

Breckenridge - High altitude training

We arrived in Boulder yesterday after spending 4 pretty rockin' days in Breckenridge.  The visit there was a mix of vacation/relaxing, spending quality time with my aunt and uncle with whom we stayed, and training!  That was part of the plan when I signed up for the Boulder race - to arrive early and acclimate to the altitude.

We arrived last Saturday and did not immediately jump out of the car to go for a run, especially since it was more or less happy hour - wine, cheese and crackers, a daily ritual for my aunt and uncle.  However, starting early Sunday morning, we made an effort to be quite active at least once a day, often times twice.  The altitude definitely affected us throughout the week - each time that I thought that I had fully acclimated to the elevation, we had to walk up the steps of my aunt and uncle's house and found ourselves panting and dragging our bodies upstairs!  I hoped that spending time in Breckenridge would help me for next week's event (slight freak-out typing that) and I think that it will.  Last week was a pretty low-key week for a number of reasons, so it was nice to feel that I had a final week of "training" - and especially that I could fit in a good ride and some great runs at 10,000 feet!

The time in Breckenridge looked something like this, broken down by activity:
Running - Plenty of early morning runs, starting on day 1.  That first run, an "easy" out-and-back, left me huffing and puffing the whole time!  We also found some trails that challenged us, especially with the incline!  I soon grew accustomed to seeing a much slower pace than usual, but I tried to accept that, especially as my chest and legs felt like exploding on the uphill!  The only discouraging thing about running is that I felt just as tired on Thursday as I had on Sunday during our run.  So much for adjusting to the elevation!

Swimming - I have to thank my uncle for motivating me to swim.  Not that he is much of a swimmer, but he is committed to going to the Breckenridge Rec Center a few times a week for a workout, so I tagged along.  I was worried about swimming at altitude because I struggled so much last year.  Therefore,it relieved me that I was able to put in 2,00 yards a few times without feeling completely wiped out.  I also discovered that swimming in the long, competition pool for most of the summer has helped me!  The pool in Breckenridge is great but much shorter at only 25 yards!  Maybe I'll be ready to tackle 1.2 miles in just over a week?!

Biking - On Tuesday, we rode from Frisco up to Vail Pass and back.  We biked the same route last year and loved the experience, in part because it feels like a luxury to be on a bike path (although it can be frustrating because of all the families that are poking along - sorry to be an asshole!).  In comparison to last year, I think that we felt stronger and less winded on Tuesday when we finally arrived at the pass (10,662 feet!).  I had forgotten what a long haul uphill it is and that the "flats" on the way to the pass are not flats at all!  This definitely made the descent much quicker and tons of fun - we also enjoyed beautiful scenery and some speedy miles on the way back to Frisco.

Hiking - No "Fourteener" this year, but we squeezed in a hike to Mohawk Lake - there are two of them, but we just made it to the first one.  I was worried about returning to the house late for lunch, but I should have been thinking about the weather - as we stepped off the trail and on to the fire road, it started to rain and then HAIL and then rain again.  Funny, as we ran downhill to the car to get out of the rain and hail, I didn't even think about my lungs once!  We did not expect the storm at 11:00 am - definitely thought that we would be off the mountain by the time the typically afternoon showers hit.  So much for predictability.  I was happy that we were off the trail - parts of it were challenging while dry, so it would have been slow-going for us with the rain and hail.

As I think about hiking, one theme to which I seem to return time and again as I reflect on this training cycle - I do find that I miss other experiences because my focus is so narrow (swim, bike, run, swim, bike, run).  Perhaps this is just my own experience and other people doing tri's find a way to stay connected to other activities that they love, I'm not sure.  I'm thinking about hiking and how limited our hiking was this year.  Last year we 'bagged' a fourteener, and I would have loved to hike up another 14,000 foot peak, but we did not for two reasons.  First of all, I did not want to veer too far from my training schedule, as loose as it is, and secondly, I did not want to risk falling (I'm a klutz) or getting terrible blisters or just putting way too much stress on my body.  So, no fourteener for us this year, unfortunately.

Not that I'm feeling sorry for myself - being in the "High Country", as they call it here in Colorado, was amazing.  I logged in some decent mileage at a pretty high elevation, and even better, Michael and I enjoyed exploring areas around Breckenridge and had a great time with aunt and uncle.  Despite the lack of hiking, we balanced the stay in Breck between time with family, training and other activities, and some total rest and relaxation.  It was a great place to be for a few days!

And, on a final note - it does seem to have helped us acclimate!  Now that we are in Boulder, the breaths come with more ease, and I logged in 24 miles on the bike this morning at a relaxed pace.  Nothing too crazy, but I'll take it.