2007 California 70.3 Race Report

"The gun goes off and everthing changes... the world changes... and nothing else really matters."
--Patti Sue Plummer

This quote helped me focus immensely yesterday. Everytime my mind would drift, or negative thoughts would creep in, I kept silently repeating to myself, "Focus. Focus. There is nothing else. There is nothing else." And it actually worked.

Warning: Very long, detailed post ahead. You are under no obligation to read the whole thing.
The Short Version:
Yes, I FINISHED!!! And I'm happy about it. I am also truly humbled. This was the hardest thing I've ever done. I've never felt so tired or had to rely so much on inner strength to finish a race before. This was the first time I really had to push beyond my body's limits. When it wanted to quit, I kept pushing. And, yes, it was that hard, even with all the training. Despite having an off day, I still did pretty well, eh? But I know the next one will be easier. ;)

To answer Don's questions:
Did you:
Get blinded by the sun as you swam your way back to shore?
Yes!
Get stuck behind a slowpoke in the no passing zone?
No. I was the slow one holding up others.
See a Tank Xing?
No (wasn't paying attention) but I did see tanks and hear artillery fire!
Hear a Marine tell you how much you rocked?
Yes! They were so awesome! (And hot. Oops. I didn't say that.)
See the dudes with the gross road rash?
Not too many. Again, I was off in my own little world.

Race Review:
The Good:
Before I get started on the race report, here's my 2 cents on California 70.3:
This was the biggest triathlon I've ever participated in. Very impressive. They really roll out the red carpets for you. They treat all the athletes like royalty. Lots of volunteers, lots of aid stations, medical tents, lots of onlookers cheering you by, everyone's cheering your name (b/c your name is printed on the race number! Awesome!). Great support at the end with well-stocked food tent and really neat visor with "California 70.3 finisher 2007" embroidered on teh lid. Seamless organization. Very clear courses. You can really tell that Roch and Paul have a ton of experience and know what they're doing. A really A1 event. As far as the course goes, you don't get more scenic than southern california. Ocean, rolling hills, springtime greenery, songbirds singing--all quite lovely. Plus, there's a military ambience you don't get anywhere else since you race on the marine base where civilians aren't normally allowed. The marines that volunteer for race support are AWESOME!
The Bad:
Not too much. I only wish there had been more Port-A-Johns in the transition area! We had PERFECT weather this year. Started out in the 50s and rose to the 70s. Clear and sunny. Doesn't get any better than that. In previous years though, the weather has been pretty nasty. Since it's an early season event, training is tough and the weather forecast is a gamble. Also, the bike course is not just hilly--it's EXTREMELY hilly.
Overall Rating: A (a must-do event at some point)

Pre-Race

Registration:
Picked up my race packet, which took the better part of the afternoon, especially with traffic. At registration, showed my I.D. to a bunch of marines, guarding the door. Very official. Then, I had to sign a bunch of insurance papers, reminding me that, yes, I could die, and no, it's not their fault. Then, I had to weigh in with a handsome marine bearing witness. Good thing I don't have weight issues!

Triathlon Flair--
Afterwards, they branded me with a fluorescent green wristband with my number on it and the words, "California 70.3 Triathlon." I had to wear my "flair" for the rest of the afternoon and that night. Kind of cool, in some respect, because people would ask what the wristband was for and you could brag about the crazy thing you were going to do. Plus, when Jason and I had lunch, we saw others with their wristbands. It was like our little secret. Perfect strangers wishing each other luck.
From Office Space (most awesome movie...ever)--
Peter Gibbons: Doesn't it bother you that you have to get up in the morning and you have to put on a bunch of pieces of flair?
Joanna: Yeah, but I'm not about to go in and start taking money from the register.
Peter Gibbons: Well, maybe you should. You know, the Nazis had pieces of flair that they made the Jews wear.

Dolphins--
On the way home, I joked that we should sit at the beach and scour the ocean for dolphins because they symbolize good luck. We took Coast Hwy home because traffic on the 5 was sooo bad. I gazed at the ocean, glittering under the setting sun like jewels embroidered into a ball gown. All of a sudden, I saw a flash of silver break the surface of the water, crested by the tell-tale dorsal fin. Then another. And another. A few miles down the road, another. I saw 5 dolphins! They were out and about and wishing me good luck.

Sweet Tooth--
Went home and had a nice little dinner (salmon and rice) but then overdid it on dessert (brownie and doughnut holes--I have a sweet tooth, ok?). Watched a really bad movie (the new Rocky movie--thought it would be inspirational; was more like a porn-o but the lead-in was an hour and a not-so-great fight was the climax). Tried to go to bed early but it was a futile attempt. Was in bed at 9. Did a crossword puzzle. Read a bit. Watched t.v. a bit. Turned the light out before 10. Tossed and turned.

Meditation--
Then proceeded to try visualization techniques to play out how I wanted race day to unfold (again). Whoever recommended the whole visualization-thing for athletes should have attached a disclaimer: DO NOT practice race-day visualization in bed the night before the race!!! My heart rate went from 55 to 100 in a few seconds. I thought it was going to leap out of my chest. Tried to watch a little t.v. but couldn't pay attention. Turned on the light and tried to read but kept reading the same sentence over and over again. Switched to the latest issue of Runner's World but the whole focus was on the Boston Marathon. Is this a joke? Everywhere I looked, all I could see was: Race, Race, Race.

Sleepless in San Diego--

Finally, listened to some relaxing music on my iPod, and this seemed to help. Fell asleep restlessly about midnight, although I woke up several times through the night (every time I rolled over, I could feel my flair on my wrist, reminding me of what was to come tomorrow). Woke up at 3:15 and forced myself to fall asleep again. At least I felt more excited than nervous. Honestly, I just wanted to get started already.

3:45--Time to Get Up--
When my alarm went off at 3:45 am, I was so ready to get up. I didn't feel tired at all, and I know the lack of sleep the night before did not affect my energy levels on race day (it's the sleep several nights before leading up to race day that count). I got ready quickly and even had 1/2 cup of coffee to get everything going (I drink coffee every day so my body's pretty used to it). Put on my "racing stripes" (tri club top and tri shorts) and felt a renewed surge of excitement. I never wear my tri club top unless I'm racing so I guess it just injects that race-day excitement into me. After that, my spirit just knows it's race day. All of a sudden, it was 4:40 and time to go.

Arrival--
I was so sure I would have plenty of time before the gun would go off but I couldn't believe how quickly time flew from 3:45 until 7:29 when my wave went. I had enough time to do what I needed to do but no extra time. In some respects, this was good, as I had no extra time to be nervous. Plus, I had everything so organized, it was really easy to set everything up. We arrived at parking, and I unloaded, did a final tire pressure check, and attached lights to my bike. Yes, it was pitch black. I also had on a thick sweatshirt and sweatpants over my racing stripes but I was still freezing. It was about 49 degrees. Pus, when I'm nervous, I'm more sensitive to cold for some reason. I proceeded to bike to the start from parking (1.5 miles), which actually isn't a bad warm-up except it felt more like a freeze-down. I was cold. And shivering. Normally, even when I'm cold on the bike my legs feel warm because they're moving. But I was doing the whole body shiver, and even my legs were shaking. Ergh. Shivering always makes me feel like I'm wasting so much energy.

Transition Set Up--
The transition area was HUGE. I finally found my rack and saw some familiar faces. It was so nice to see so many friends at the race. Lots of people from my club (Tri Club San Diego) and also some blog friends (Jodi). Everyone was very friendly. I love the comaraderie between triathletes at races. It was difficult to set up my area in the dark but I got it done. I figured out where we biked and ran out (same spot) and where we swam in and biked in (also same spot) and then trotted the transition course to make sure I could find my rack. One nice thing is that the race directors designed the transition area so all athletes had to run the exact same distance irrespective of where their spot was located. No one had a transition advantage. So cool. That takes special planning. I noticed a plaground adjacent to my rack and made a mental note to use that as my landmark. Then, stood in line for a looong time for the potty. Made small chat with strangers. Don't you love other triathletes on race day? Everyone is your friend. I love it. At this time, the sun made its first appearance of the day (~6:15), and I instantly stopped shivering. Aaaaah. Back in transition, applied body glide, safety pinned my ankle strap together (to appease my paranoid self) and put on my wetsuit. It was only 6:40 but my wetsuit helped keep me warm while waiting. Grabbed my ear plugs, goggles, and 2 caps (1 silicone to go under the latex, neon green, race cap) and proceeded to the swim chute.

• Equipment in Transition:
  Bike (flat kit with tube, tire levers, patch kit, and CO2 cartridges in small bag under seat).
• Towel under bike for stuff.
  Towel on top of bike for drying off.
• Garbage bag for wetsuit.
• Bike shoes with socks with baby powder.
• Helmet with sunglasses, racebelt with number.
• Vest with nutrition in back pocket.
• Water bottles (thawing) with Carbo Pro and electrolytes in cages on bike (2).
• Running shoes with regular old laces (tried the quick-ties but didn't like them) with fresh socks and more baby powder.
• Fuel belt with 2 bottles with electrolytes and number.
• (I'm not a believer in sacrificing comfort for speed. I'm here for the experience. Saving 10 seconds in transition is not going to make a difference for me.)

Swim:

In the Water--
I stood in the swim chute with my wave for about half-an-hour but it felt like 5 minutes. Chatted with friends and met new people. Very friendly group. Watched in amazement as Andy Potts flew by like a rocket jet, kicked off his wetsuit with the fling of his leg, jumped on his bike, and was gone. We all watched with our mouths agape. Is he even human? (He won, for those of you who didn't read the race results and from what I could see, deserved to. Seemed like he had an awesome day.) We watched the other pros exit the water and fly past us into the transition. We cheered them on.
All of a sudden, it was time to line up to get in the water. Knowing the water would feel chilly, I jogged in place and jumped up and down to "pre-warm" myself and also psych myself up. The sun was out by this time, which also helped. We were allowed to get in just a few minutes before starting, just enough time to swim to our in-water start. As soon as I found a spot, I dove in, anticipating freezer burn. Surprisingly, the water felt very nice. Not cold at all. I guess swimming in mid-50 degree water all winter did help prepare me afterall. Bonus. In addition, absolutely no waves, no currents, just calm, easygoing harbor water. Like swimming in a saltwater pool, except with murky water and colder (and dirtier). Had just enough time to swim over to the start, position myself, pee (also helped warm me up), and start my watch (I always start it a minute early and then subtract later; then I don't have to think about it anymore). We were all hootin' and hollerin' and the announcer said we were the liveliest wave of the day, which psyched us up.

Swallowing Water--

Unfortunately, I also had just enough time to lift my head as I was swimming, open my mouth, and allow a ton of salt water to pour down my throat from an adjacent swimmer's arm, siphoning it down like a beer funnel. I hate swallowing salt water! This would not be the first time this happened today, unfortunately; however, it also taught me a valuable lesson (DON'T SIGHT SO MUCH!).

Start!
The horn sounded and directors in kayaks shouted, "Go!" and it was time to begin what I had been preparing and waiting for 6 months. We all took off and the telltale full-contact sport of triathlon swimming ensued, complete with kicking, elbowing, and pushing. Very violent. I held my ground, having to kick extra hard when a few swimmers attempted to swim over me, and quickly found my way to the back and outside of the pack. Luckily, I had put my goggles on under my race cap so there was no chance of it getting ripped off.

Find a Rhythm--

There were swimmers everywhere throughout the whole race. Always bubbles coming from someone's feet to draft off. Nice. I'm a slow but steady swimmer so I was prepared to have most of the wave take off in front (and waves starting behind overtake me--sorry Jameson; I was probably one of those to get in your way) but, since I knew this would happen, and prepared myself for it, for the first time, it didn't demoralize me like it has in the past.
I settled into the swim, easily finding the buoys every 100 meters. I focused on slow and steady breathing, ensuring I didn't push too hard, and counted strokes to relax me. Every 20 strokes, I switched sides to equalize the effort and to help with swimming straight. I could actually feel myself settling into pace and feeling stronger and stronger. This has never happened. Usually, I can't wait for the swim to be over. Plus, I was so stoked about feeling good and finding a rhythm, it just made me feel even better, giving me confidence. Now, I just need to learn how to maintain this rhythm/pace.

Disorientation--
About 500 meters in, the course veered to the left, and this totally threw me. I was prepared to swim in a straight line, not veer this way and that! Luckily, kayakers were lined up to the right to help keep us on course. "Left!" they would shout. I sighted off them and made sure I was between the kayakers and buoys. At this point, I got a little panicky. "Where is the turn-around?" I couldn't see the last buoy, and it was freaking me out. "How much further?" I was sighting way too much with the full head-up, exhausting water-polo stroke to try to figure out where the turn-around buoy was. Every time I did, I got a beer funnel-full of water down my throat from a nearby swimmer. I probably ended up swallowing water like this about 4 times. Yuck. At least I was getting electrolyte replenishment! Lesson to learn here? Do NOT sight so much. I knew where the next buoy was. That's all I needed to know. I began focusing on that. Just swimming to the next buoy. Count strokes. Next buoy. That's it. And I relaxed again, settled into a rhythm, and focused.

Halfway Done; Blinded by the Sun; Floaters--
All of a sudden, I was at the turn-around. Okay. That wasn't so bad. No need for panicky feeling. Coming back was easier psychologically. For one, I knew I was over halfway down. 2nd, more swimmers were around me from other waves so I had more people to draft and sight off of. 3rd, the dock was to my right so I had lots to sight from on both sides without having to pick my head out of the water. Unfortunately, the sun was right in my eyes to the left, making it difficult to find the buoys. In addition, because I was on the outside, I kept running into the floaters (swimmers having a bad day, chilling on their backs; one guy was singing a little ditty to himself). I focused swimming between the other swimmers, which were spread out from buoys to dock, making a very wide lane. It was difficult for me to envision a straight line to swim on.

Gotta work on this.

Focus, Focus; "Are We Done Yet?" to "Done Already?"--

I fell into a rhythm, felt strong and focused, and then my mind would drift. "Am I going straight? How much further? Will my water bottles be thawed enough to drink on the bike?" I'd catch myself and tell myself "STOP! Focus on task at hand. Focus on the task at hand." That mantra helped. All of a sudden, I could see the boat ramp. The exit. Already? For real? I couldn't believe it. Swimming for me is SO psychologically disorienting. Physically, I'm fine. But it's a psychological test for me. I feel like I don't know where I am or what's going on. Throughout the whole swim, I kept falling in and out of a rhythm. "Feel good, feel great, stroke, stroke." Then, "where am I? What's going on?" Back and forth.

Overall Swim:

I have improved. I can actually find a rhythm and relax now in the swim. Last season? No way. I always felt beat up, exhausted, dizzy, and completely demoralized by the end of the swim. So, even though I'm not any faster, I'm stronger. I have more reserved for the bike and the run now.
Lessons learned from the swim:
1. Don't sight so much! This was a biggie. I was directly negatively reinforced every time I did this by swallowing water--dirty, disgusting, polluted harbor water.
2. Focus on finding a rhythm and maintaining a good pace and relaxed feel throughout. Here, I could find the rhythm. I just couldn't keep it. This will come.
3. Become stronger to the left. This is my weaker side but in triathlons, because the buoys are inevitably to the left, and I'm always to the right (because I'm slow), I'm always breathing to the left on race day. Although I practice equally on both sides, the left is naturally my weaker side. Maybe I should focus on swimming a bit more to the left to make it stronger.
4. Lots of open water practice (in cold water) helps. I felt calm and cool as a cucumber. Plus, the water felt warm to me!
5. The masters swimming has helped. Yes, I'm still slow, and the same speed as last season. But the key is that I'm more relaxed and stronger. I'm not wiped at the end of the swim. I feel strong, raring to go. So that's a step in the next direction. Speed will come. It will come. I'm building the foundation.

T1--
Out of the water onto the boat ramp. I felt strong and focused. Not disoriented, tired, and dizzy like I normally feel. My watch read ~49 minutes. Okay. A little slow but not horrible. I think if I had sighted less and focused a little more, I could have done 45. Next time.

I trotted on up and down the corral to the transition area, maintaining a nice little pace. My breathing wasn't even hard! I casually unzipped my wetsuit and got the first half off, removed my race cap, goggles, ear plugs, and silicone cap, as I've practiced before, all while running to my bike.
Had no problem finding the bike, using the playground landmark to sight. Removed the rest of my wetsuit. Put on my sleeveless vest with nutrition inside back pocket, ready to go. Put on socks with baby powder and shoes. Race belt, helmet and sunglasses.

Fatal Error #1 (of many)--

Did not change to more heavily padded bike shorts, which I would sorely (pun intended) regret later. Damn adrenaline convinced me I would be fine in my thin little tri shorts.

A volunteer asked me if I was cold and offered me warm soup to warm up. I realized I was not cold at all! I didn't even need the arm warmers I had laid out. I felt great and ready to go! My transition time was ~5 min. This seems egregiously slow for most but I'm fine with this. Afterall, it's a long race. No reason to kill myself for a minute gained here.

Bike:

Start (miles 1-5)--
Had no problem clipping in and smoothly taking off. Usually, I'm very shaky and this takes me a few tries. I felt calm and confident. Jason cheered me on from the sidelines on one side and a good friend from my running group had climbed up a tower to cheer me on from the other. This put a huge grin on my face. I felt like they were with me, cheering me on the whole way.

I eased into a pace the first few miles, taking my time. Took a few sips of my thawed yet cold drink. Ate a Cliff Shot. Yummy.

Miles 5-25--

The first 25 miles was very flat and very fast, and I was able to maintain rocket-blasting speeds at about 18-20 mph with very little effort. I felt like I was just spinning and wasn't breathing hard at all. I couldn't believe how quickly the miles flew by. The ocean sparkled to my left, and the short, green stalks of grass sparsely carpted the landscape around me. It was as green as it gets around here for San Diego. I couldn't believe what a beautiful day it was. I heard songbirds singing their sweet, mating lullabies all around me. High 60s, calm. Perfect day for a race.

Miles 25-45 (The Forbidden Zone--Battle of the Hills)--
After a stint on the Trestles Bike Path, we turned back and reentered Camp Pendleton and went inland. I was excited. We were now biking in the forbidden zone, where no civilian has gone before (unless you've done this race before). I could hear artillery fire, popping in the distance. Whoa. I was psyched about the killer hills looming in the distance, infamously mentioned to me time and time again by more experienced triathletes. "Here we go," I thought. Now it would begin to get tough.

Fatal Error #2 (Humbling Rookie Moment)--

At about mile 30, I saw the first hill. There was no mistaking it. A guy next to me said, "There it is." And I said, "Here's what we've all been waiting for. Bring it." It was huge and winding and went up and up and up. Hills always appear more intimidating from a distance because you ride down into them before they start going up. I got some momentum up on the downhill and kept repeating to myself, "There is no hill. There is no hill." In retrospect, I should have said, "Respect the hill. Respect the hill." While several other athletes conservatively walked their bikes up the hill, I attacked the hill with gusto and had no problem getting up. About halfway up, I had to stand for a bit before resuming pushing from a seated position. It was a tough hill but I could handle a hill. It was the hills (plural) part over the next 10 miles that was the problem. First hill, no problem. 3rd hill, then 4th hill (I thought there would only be 3 but I SWEAR there were 4!)--problem. I was starting to feel pretty tired, especially in my legs. (Not to mention what it did to my heart rate). Looking back, I didn't pace myself properly for the hills and psyched myself up waaaay too much for the first one. Rookie error. Hey, I AM a rookie. That's right.

Keep on Going--

Luckily, the nice thing about hills is that each uphill is followed by a downhill. That's the great thing about hills. You know where they begin and where they end. And you are almost always rewarded by a nice downhill recovery after your hard effort. You can size up the enemy. This kept me going. I was able to maintain a pretty good speed because of the rewarding downhills, although my overall mphs did drop a bit (before 18-20 mph, now my avg speed was in the 17s).
By the end of those 10 miles, my legs were starting to feel a bit beat up from the hills. I had planned on 3 big hills, not realizing in between would be a bunch of smaller, yet steep hills, rollers, and false flats (I HATE false flats! I want to see the enemy and size him up before being attacked). Mentally, I felt very positive, however.

Miles 45-56 (The Torture Begins)--
Mile 45 the hills ended, and I should have been relieved but 2 bad things started happening:

1--terrible headwind. Terrible!

2--my ass was killing me! Sharp pain...difficult to block out. Wearing the tri shorts in lieu of the bike shorts was coming back to bite me in the....

Rookie Error #3 (Nutrition)--I had eaten too much.
I guess. To be honest, I can't figure out why my body says I had eaten too much when simple logic says I didn't eat nearly enough. I had 100 cals in my water bottle of Carbo Pro, 5 Cliff Blocks (~200 cals), and 2 non-fat Fig Newtons (~150 cals). This is only 400 cals. I had spread out eating throughout so I was getting calories every 15-30 minutes. Plus, the Carbo Pro ensured I got cals every time I drank. In addition, I was eating like I had trained. Typically, I have a pretty finicky stomach though so it's verrry hard to eat enough. Could it be my body is just different, and I don't need as much? Obviously, I need to figure out my nutrition better before my next long distance event.
Only thing I can guess is that all the climbing had caused my heart rate to skyrocket, shunting the blood away from my gut and preventing the food (and water) from clearing . I was beginning to feel very bloated and a bit naseous. I came out of the aero position for awhile to try to allow my gut to digest. That helped. Unfortunately, every time I got aero again, my gut would complain.

Did I Say How Much I Hate Headwinds?
I couldn't believe how bad the headwind was for the last 12 miles. It may have been flat but with the headwind, there was no reward. At least with hills, you can see where they start, how steep they are, and when they end. Plus, you get a downhill afterwards. With a headwind, it feels like a never-ending hill that you can't see, never ends, and no reward afterwards. It was relentless. This was the most important part for me to stay aero. But I just couldn't. The naseous feeling building up sharply increased every time I got aero.

First Smart Decision of the Day (Swallow Your Pride)--

I realized I would never be able to do a half-marathon if I got off the bike feeling like this so I swallowed some pride, sat up, downshifted, and slowed to an achingly slow pace of 12 mph for the next 10 miles to allow my legs to recover and allow my gut to clear. Athletes flew by me. I didn't care. I was hurting. But I knew I could manage less than 10 miles. In retrospect, this was one of the smartest things I did all day. I kept telling myself, "just 10 more minutes. You can do just 10 more minutes." I must of done a good job of zoning out because all of a sudden, I was biking back into the harbor and the transition area was up ahead. I had no idea how I was going to run a half-marathon, and I blocked it out and tried not to think about it.

Overall Bike--

I still managed an average of 16 mph, which is my average training pace. And that was with the hills, bloating, headwind, and feeling like crap. Obviously, I need to work on pacing and nutrition here.

T2--
Racked my bike and tried not to pay attention that EVERY other bike in my wave was already racked. I took off my helmet and vest, strapped on my fuel belt, put on my running shoes, and trotted off to the loo. Luckily, I had stashed some tissues in my fuel belt because the Port-a-John was disgusting. After a quick pit stop, trotted off onto the run course. Including the pit stop, my transition time was still ~5:30. Fine by me.

Moment of Inspiration--

A 68-year old woman in fantastic shape rode in with me. She said some very encouraging words before heading out. This wouldn't be the last time I saw her today.

Run:

Start (Miles 1-3)--
I had a lot of concerns starting out. However, running is my strong suit. Throughout the entire run, I had little conversations with myself.

Me: Am I going to be able to this?
Legs: Get out of the way. We can handle this.
Me: Awesome. I'll just sit back and enjoy the ride.

I took off. I felt great. My legs had no problem finding a rhythm. They were there and ready to run.

Rookie Mistake #4--

Feeling good had a dangerous snowball effect. Feeling good makes one feel even better. I hit mile 1 at 8:15 min. I was flying. Normally, I run ~9:30 min/miles for my long runs. I knew I had to slow down. But my legs wanted to go! I took the first 3 miles way too fast, hitting mile 3 at a sub-9 min/mile pace. I think I was just glad to be off that damn bike! At the aid stations, they had everything. I particularly loved the cold, wet sponges and cups of ice that I poured down my shirt to cool off. Plus, all the volunteers were cheering us on. Our numbers had our names on them so everyone was calling out, "Go, Rachel!" It was pretty awesome.

Miles 3-6 (Disorientation, Stomach Speaks Up and Doubt Settles In)--
As soon as I hit mile 4, it caught up with me. Bloated. Naseous. Upset stomach. Uh-oh. I slowed down. And slowed down. Miles 4-6 seemed to take forever. I suddenly realized I was tired. Very tired. And disoriented. For about 20 seconds, I ran to the right of the cones (luckily, no one was coming the other way) until I snapped out of it and jumped back to the left. This kind of freaked me out. At another point, I was looking for a place to throw away my now-dry sponge and had to remind myself that a mailbox is not the same thing as a trash can. I wonder what the mailman would have thought? I normally don't feel so disoriented during a workout. But I wanted this. I had to finish. That's all I cared about. I was so close.

Mile 6-10 (Feel Like a Stone; Just Keep Going)--
At mile 6, the dreaded turn-around for the 2nd loop, I saw Jason, cheering me on.
"I still have another lap to go!" I called out to him, clearly worried.
"You can do it! You're doing great!" he shouted back.

Well, he thinks I can do it, so I must be able to do this, I thought. And kept going. One foot after another. Then I realized, of course I can do this. I've trained so hard. I've run this far before. Many times. I can do this. Having Jason there at mile 6 was a godsend that day. A little bit up the road, my tri club (Tri Club San Diego) was manning the aid station. They saw my jersey and went nuts.

I can't let them down. I can't look bad now, I thought. My rhythm returned. Other athletes I knew and had met also kept cheering me on as they ran the other way. It's great motivation having people around you egging you on at an event like this. The last thing you want to do is puke on their shoes. So many people were calling my name and cheering me on. I only wish I had the energy to respond. I didn't know who half of the cheerers were and didn't know if I was supposed to know them. My body felt like stone and didn't respond when I tried to smile and wave. I was suffering. Plain and simple. I took comfort in knowing everyone else around me was also in their own private hell as well. We were suffering together. Hey, misery loves company.

Miles 10-13.1 (Inner Battles)--
My stomach argued with me in waves. We battled each other throughout the whole run and exchanged words. I swear, my stomach is like a bratty 3-year-old sometimes.
For awhile, I could run and maintain a rhythm, and everything was fine. My legs felt great. No knee pain at all, even though I'd overcome a recent pre-injury, and the entire run was on unforgiving concrete.

Choices, choices: Thirst or Nausea?--

I started to feel really thirsty. Then, I would drink. Then, I would feel naseous again. I was being forced to choose: fluid or nausea? What a choice! At this point, I began to take little 30 second walk breaks. This allowed me to drink, give my stomach a chance to settle, and then resume running. I did this about 4 times during the last 7 miles.

Argument with Stomach--

When doubt began to sneak in, I tried encouraging myself with little mantras:
"One foot in front of the other."
or "left foot, right foot."
or "focus on the task at hand."
Oddly enough, though this had worked on the bike, this backfired on the run. The mantras just made me feel worse.
Me: Focus on the task at hand.
Stomach: Shut up! I don't want to hear about "task" right now.
Me: Okay. How about left foot, right foot.
Stomach: No! Just shut up! Go away!
Me: Are you sure? It helped on the bike. What about, "Left foot, right foot." Very simple.
Stomach: I swear to God, if you don't shut the f*#k up right now, I'm going to puke here on the spot!
Me: Okay! Okay!
A few minutes later...
Me: Look at how pretty the ocean is.
Stomach: It makes me want to lose it. Stupid ocean. Full of currents.
Me: Okay! Okay! Look at the ground. It doesn't have currents.
A little bit down the road...
Me: I really need water, stomach. Please? Just a little.
Stomach: Just a little.
(Gulp, gulp.)
Stomach: Too much! Too much! Don't feel good!
Me: Okay! Okay! Look, we're walking now.
(walking)
Stomach: Okay, good.
Legs: Godammit. You have got to be kidding me! Again!
Me: Ready to start runnin now?
Stomach: No. Want to go to bed.
Me: We'll start jogging very slowly.
Legs (to Stomach): We really are going much more slowly than normal. You should be able to handle it.
Stomach (with arms crossed in front of chest, pouting): Fine. But I don't like it.
Legs, Me: We know!

Disorientation at Aid Station Mile 10--
Mile 10 I was craving cold, aid station water not the nasty, warm salty water in my fuel belt (now almost gone anyway). They were offering water (yes), Gatorade (yuck), and Coke (WTF?). I wanted to be sure I didn't drink the wrong thing. Volunteers were shouting out their wares as I passed by: "Water! Gatorade! Coke!"
"Water?" I parroted back, still running.
"Water!" they responded, trying to offer me a cup. For some reason, I was confused (disoriented) and missed several handouts. Also, I couldn't stop. My legs were on autopilot.
"Water?" I called out again, like a worried puppy.
"Water!" they shouted with urgency. Great. I'd missed it.
"I'm coming to get 'ya!" a young boy shouted. He took off sprinting after me. I turned and gratefully accepted the cup of precious water from him. The volunteers were so awesome. Then, I coaxed myself to a walk and automatically drank 3/4 of the entire cup on the spot. Whoa, Nelly! Be careful about drinking so much there! For some reason, my stomach didn't object too much.

Repeat Sighting of My Muse--
Mile 11 came flying by. The 68 year old woman I had so foolishly passed on the run came loping past me. I knew I was on the homeward stretch. At this point, I knew I could make it. I started feeling waves of happiness. I wanted to high-five the people cheering me on but couldn't muster the strength. My stomach told me not to push my luck. Jason cheered me on 100 meters before the finish. Everyone was telling me to "Go, Go, Go!" Couldn't they see I was going?

The Finish!
I was going down the chute and so happy I could cry. They held up a ribbon for me to break as I crossed the mats, and the sweet, sweet sound of Mike Reilly's booming voice over the loudspeakers yelling my name overwhelmed the victorious beeping of my chip as my legs crossed over the mats. The volunteers placed a medal over my neck and loaded my arms with shwag before helping undo my ankle strap. Everyone was saying, "Congratulations!" I was so dazed, dizzy, and disoriented but very, very happy. I must have looked better than I felt because no one directed me to the medical tent, although I must admit, I lingered there for a few minutes to determine if I would need assistance. After sitting down for awhile and sucking the juice out of an orange slice (I couldn't stomach actually chewing), I made my way back to the transition area and somehow collected my stuff. I was already starting to feel better.

The Aftermath--
At the transition area, I saw the 68-year-old age grouper who had done so awesome and congratulated her. She was very humble and modest obviously much more experienced and she gave me some tips.

"I hope I'm in as good of shape as you when I'm your age. Jeez, you're in better shape than me now!" I said to her

Her husband came over and leaned into me and said, "I just have to tell you a little bit about this woman. She holds the world record for her age group for Ironman Hawaii at Kona." What, what, what? I couldn't believe it. Amazing. People like her inspire me even more than the pros because they're not in it for the money or the fame or the glory. They have jobs and lives and families. It makes that accomplishment mean all that much more. That put things in perspective for me.

What I Learned--

1. So much. So much.

2. It was a very humbling and rewarding experience.

3. I have a lot to learn but in reality, what I need most is patience, time, and more experience.

4. I will work on pacing and nutrition the most.

5. The next one will be easier.

6. Speaking of which, when is the next one?

7. When is the first IM I should do?

Finally, thank you so much to everyone for all your support! You guys really keep me going out there!

Final Countdown--We Are a Go

"Give me somewhere to stand, and I will move the earth." -- Archimedes

The final 24 hours is finally here. I feel excited and ready. I've waited so long for the final countdown. I'm actually relieved it's here. The tension in the air is palpable. I came to realize last night that that external sensation I was feeling was magic. All this hard work and effort has created this magic hovering in the air during these last few days, waiting for me to bottle it up, channel it, and produce something truly incredible. Tomorrow will truly be an amazing, surreal, magical day for me.

"The journey is the reward."
--Chinese Proverb

I've felt groggy and sluggish all week. After my cold last week, I've been terribly congested. Then, I read an editorial in the latest issue of Runner's World, where the author described having a cold during his taper and feeling crappy and groggy, right before he PR'ed for his marathon. I took this as a sign. Also, I feel better today (and twice as good as the day before) so I think everything has moved through. The last few nights of sleep have been very sound. I've also been religious about my diet, vitamins, and lots of organic, herbal tea (with honey) these last few weeks (good for hydration, at least). Maybe this will be a recipe for success.

All my workouts this week have been conservative and purely to help ease my mind and let me sleep at night. I ran on Wednesday, feeling like molassess, out 2 miles, back 1, and walked the last mile. Why? Because I could. I felt, at 3 miles, that was enough for a taper run. It felt great. Not only that but 0 knee pain!!! My peronials have quieted down.

Then, a quick pool swim. I still felt like molassess but very steady and smooth. I focused on my technique. After a nice warm up, some drills, 1x500, 1x200, 1x100, 1x50. Very conservative. It's nice to be done with a workout and feel so fresh afterwards! After a soak in the hot tub, my muscles got one last deep tissue massage. The therapist thought all my muscles felt good. No weird tightness or damage anywhere.

Even though my workouts were sluggish, I felt better afterwards. Less stiff, less congested, and I slept like a baby. Yesterday (Thursday), I took Bluebell for a final quick spin (30 min) on the trainer. No risking a flat or crash this late in the game! She felt great. Again, a little sluggish, but I noticed I felt better at the end of the workout than the beginning. Which is good. After a 5 min warm-up, the workout consisted of 3x1 min sprints at high RPM/low resistance, 1x5 min race pace, 1x4 min race pace, 1x3 min slightly faster than race pace, 1x2 min slightly faster, and 2 sets of 3x10 second increasing rpms at a high gear (this really gets the blood flowing!). Cool down, stretch, groomed Bluebell, made sure she was race-ready, and put her back in the stable with extra carrots.

"The gun goes off and everthing changes... the world changes... and nothing else really matters."
--Patti Sue Plummer

I also packed all my stuff last night. Practiced my transitions, froze my water bottles, and went over my race strategy in my head. I slept fairly well and woke up this morning feeling ready. Today, I'll pick up my race packet, go for a quick 20 min dip (to ensure a good night's sleep), have a safe, nutritious dinner, watch a movie, and go to be early.
“Mind is everything; muscle [mere] pieces of rubber.All that I am, I am because of my mind.”
- Paavo Nurmi

I've been doing a bit of meditating and visualization lately. Focusing on mantras and listening to my inner strength. Coming up with mantras. Going to keep these in my arsenal for the tough moments tomorrow. My goal is to stay positive throughout.

"Sometimes winning has nothing to do with being first across the finish line"
--John Bingham

I have done everything I possibly can do for this race. Now, it's time for me to sit back and enjoy. All systems ready. We are a go. I'll see you on the other side!

"The woods are lovely dark and deep, but I have promises to keep, and miles to go before I sleep, and miles to go before I sleep."
--Robert Frost

Race Details

I think I'm going to be pretty unproductive this week. All I can think about is Saturday. I'm trying to enjoy the build-up. Revel in the excitement. It isn't often that I prepare so much for a single event.

More details:

My bib number is 1692 and my wave leaves at 7:29 am.

Apparently, you can track my progress, live through webcasts: http://www.ironman.com/ironmanlive/racedaycoverage

Pretty cool. I feel very important.

I also checked the weather for Saturday in Oceanside. If it actually turns out this way, it will be absolutely perfect. Unbelievable.

Below are some pics I pulled off the IM website from last year's California 70.3 race. They look exactly how I remember going out there and training on the course. Puts a nice mental picture in my head.

Final Taper Week--Can you handle it?

Here it is:
23 weeks of training. Can you believe it? I'm PUMPED!!! I can't believe I've been training for almost 6 mos!

Last week turned out to be a perfect taper week when it's all said and done. I had the same amount of volume as a "maintenance" week (7.5 hrs), biked 2x, swam 2x, ran 2x, and did weights 1x. All my workouts felt short with fast "bursts." I felt great at the end and stopped when I could have done more. In addition, I had a cold, which I am beginning to suspect is necessary (a little one) during a taper to ensure the Type A triathlete gets enough rest. Plus, I've been super about my diet and stretching.

My massage therapist figured out what tendon was bothering my knee. It's the lower side between my calf and shin--the peroneals. My massage person went into each muscle 1 at a time. Gluts, hamstrings, quads, IT band, calves--nothing (good though, eh?). Then she hit the peroneals. Ouch! That was definitely it. Nothing too bad but definitely tight. Tweaked. She worked on it. Guess what? Felt 100% better on my Sunday 6-miler. Little pang here and there but nothing unmanageable. It's definitely improving. This tendon runs from an attachment on the side of the knee (where it hurts) to the under the foot. Because I run off the balls of my feet, this tendon is just tight. Nothing a little ice, stretching, and massage can't cure.

I had been feeling very depressed because of all the stress in my life and turns out, lack of exercise. I went for a fabulous 30-mile bike ride on Saturday and came back feeling 200% better. I enjoyed myself. We went out through Carmel Valley onto the 56 bike path. Saw some canyons, golf greens, wildflowers, and donkeys!!! On the way back, I had to get off to pet the donkeys! They were so friendly. They LOVED having their ears scratched. I was sorry to have to leave them, and they seemed sorry too. Next time, I'll bring carrots.

I can't believe how much better I felt when I got back. Everything was in perspective. I slept better too. Sunday, we went for our group run. 6 miles on trails in a canyon followed by a fabulous brunch at the Naked Cafe in Solana Beach. Yummy, fresh organic food. Best omelett ever with artichoke hearts, peppers, mushrooms, and tomatoes.

After I digested, Jason drove me to the Cove in La Jolla. After I took off (in balmy, 60-degree water--hey, it didn't hurt to put my face in!), he drove around to La Jolla Shores and sat on a bench with a book. Shortly after, I walked up and surprised him. He didn't think I'd be that quick! It was about 0.75 miles--just right. No seaweed with a gentle current going my way. It was way fun to swim from point A to point B. How many times do we get to do that? I felt like a sea creature popping up out of the water like, "Where did she come from?"

I'm feeling pretty good about this week. I'm as ready as I'm going to be!

All the Gory Details

From the St. Patrick's Day race last weekend.

My time: 55:38 (8:58 pace) 65/219 (place)

not bad, for me, eh?

Jason rocked it, as usual (he thought he was slow!):

50:07 (8:04 pace) 42/129 (place)

Latest Taper News:

Cold--steadily going away but still feeling fatigued. Argh. Have taken off more than I wanted to this week but considering it is the taper, guess that's okay. More important to rest. Have been focusing on sleep, herbal tea, and taking the Zicam and vitamins. The Zicam does seem to lessen the symptoms and speed the cold through the system.

Taper workouts--After Monday's swim and bike, went down hard Tuesday and Wednesday. Started feeling better Thursday. Went for a run and did 1 final session of weights. Was planning on a swim today (Friday) but after my first full day back at work am feeling completely wiped. Have decided to rest instead, begrudgingly. Think this is the best option in the long run. Again...ARGH!

Knee--Has been bugging me after every run lately. Know it's my ITB flaring up again (outside of right knee; upper part). Decided to wait until my last long run 2 weeks ago to bother me. (Double ARGH!). This is a recurring issue for me; no, it's not my shoes. Have great shoes and orthotics. It's weak hip abductors. When I push the mileage and slack on the weights and the stretching, it's a recipe for injury. At least I know what it is!

It feels better this week but the pain is there and nagging when I run. Started up after 1.5 miles on my 4-miler Thursday afternoon. Ebbed and flowed from a 1-3.5 (pain scale 1-10) throughout. Was worse going uphill and pronounced on the push-off. Recovery strategy has been REST, ICE, COMPRESSION, and ELEVATION (RICE), as well as a lot of ibuprofen. And stretching of the IT band. And therapeutic massage. Going in today and once more on Wednesday. If I can make it through the race, will start physical therapy to get back on the right track before the marathon in June.

My knee plus the cold has me totally freakin out about the race next weekend! On the other hand, I have everything I need now for race day--bike is tuned up, all my supplies--ready to go. Plus, I know ALL the gory details--I can picture it in my head. I've even outlined a schedule and list of items to bring for race day. Also, Jim Vance, pro triathlete and Tri Club San Diego member, has a pretty cool website where he discusses California 70.3 in very extreme detail (http://www.jimvanceracing.com/news/newsandarticles_article.php?DID=12). Plus, there's an entire podcast found on the race website (http://www.ironmancalifornia.com/) where Paula Newby-Fraser interviews Roch Frey (race director) about next weekend's race from where to park to what the course will be like. Finally, I live in the area and have had the opportunity to go up there and check out much of the course a few times. It doesn't get better than that.

RACE DETAILS!!! (the inside scoop)

Weather: I looked it up (it's early and can still change). Looks perfect. 0 chance of rain. Will start out around 50 and get to about 60 for a high. This can all change but considering it's been rainy the past few years, this is good. It's a bit on the chilly side, for me, so I will dress accordingly. Unless it's a Santa Ana condition, I'm expecting chilly. No worries about dehydration! Oceanside is ALWAYS windy when I ride there. I expect a headwind at some point of the ride, and from what I've heard, it's on the way back. Bummer.

Pre-Race Notes: First, because of daylight savings, it will be DARK upon arrival. The transition area opens at 4:30 and closes at 6:30 so even though my wave probably won't leave until 7-7:30, I need to get there early for a premo spot. There is NO parking close to the transition area. Spectators will be shuttled in. Athletes will ride their bike (WITH HELMETS ON) from parking to transition with transition bag in tow (~1.5 miles). Since it will be dark, I'll need to pull out my lights.

Course:

1) Swim--in a dirty harbor but at least there's no swells! In water start. COLD!!! The water is about 57-59 degrees right now. Come prepared. Wetsuits are a NECESSITY! To confound things, there is absolutely NO time for an adequate warm up before your wave starts (which doubly sucks since a warm up is even more critical in cold water). You are not allowed in until 3-7 minutes before the gun goes off. ACK!!! My strategy: jog on the beach to warm my core temperature up. The second I'm allowed in the water, no pussy-footing around. DIVE RIGHT IN to that icy water. It will suck for a moment but acclimate me the quickest. Once you get started, all buoys will be to the left every 100 meters. On the way back, the buoys will be to the left and the crowd will be to the right (something to look out for all you right-sided breathers).

T1: Once out of the water, a brief run through sand (nothing terrible) before hitting the transition area. I plan on taking my time. No sense in skyrocketing my heart rate (which is always too high at this point anyway) in T1. Because it's a long bike for me and it will be chilly, I plan on doing the surfer change into bike shorts (no changing tents, that I could see, are provided), pulling on a bike jersey (with my picnic supplies inside) and some arm warmers, maybe even some gloves, depending on how cold it is, socks, shoes, helmet, sunglasses, and I'm off.

Bike: The first 25 miles will be flat, fast, and with a tailwind. It will be tempting to go all out because it will feel so easy. My strategy: save it for the winding hills on the back 25; I've heard they can really get ya. Not only that, but expect a strong HEADWIND, the last 11 miles (Doh!); my least favorite. My plan is to skip the aid stations and rely on my own provisions throughout, which I've trained with. Nothing new on race day!

T2: I'm definitely changing socks to prevent blisters. If it's warmed up, I'll do the surfer change to some running shorts for comfort and maybe a singlet too. I plan on stopping to use the Port-a-John here; otherwise, I'll run into trouble down the road. Snap on my fuel belt with my number and I'm off. Don't linger too long or the realization that I still have a 13. 1 mile run to go will sink in.

Run: A very easy, flat course, which will be lined with spectators. The only thing I don't like is that it's 2 loops--3 miles out; 3 miles back; 3 miles out; 3 miles back (and change) (BORING). I'm going to hate that turnaround when everyone else is going to the finish. Argh! Be mentally prepared to zone out through that. In addition, there is some deep sand to run through at the beginning of each loop (you have to do it twice), which sucks, mostly b/c you get sand in your shoes! This is Paul and Rochs' thang--they feel since you're racing in California, you should run on the beach. I'm sure I can think of a few things and tell 'em where to stick it on race day when I'm running through that sand!

THE FINISH!!! (I haven't thought beyond this point; I don't really need to, do I? Eating? Sleeping? Massage? Postpartum depression? J.K.)

Race Goals: It's all come down to this: what is my goal? It's my first time so in all honesty, I just want to finish before they kick me off the course! I guess that would be in less than 8 hours, or before 4 pm. That said, I've been training hard for 20+ weeks, following my plan religiously, and feel confident (did I just say that?) about the distance. I think I can do the swim in about 40-45 min, the bike in 3-3.5 hrs, and the run in 2-2.5 hrs, with transition times being 2-5 minutes. That would be about 7 hours. I have 8 before they throw me out (1:10 for the swim and about 4 for the bike, then the run). That feels like it's cutting it close. However, I would be very happy if I could do 6-6.5 hrs. We'll see. I just want to feel happy and strong at the end. Like I've accomplished something. I don't want to be pissy because I didn't do it in the time I expected. So I'm trying to set conservative goals.

Here's My Detailed Plan (hey, I'm Type-A, OK? It's okay to stop reading if you don't want even MORE detail):

Rachel's Race Checklist California 70.3

Pre-Race/Other
§ Warm Up Clothes
§ Bike Pump
§ Rag
§ iPod with pre-race music
§ ID
§ Towels (2-3)
§ Balloon for Transition
§ Chalk
§ Black Magic Marker
§ Transition Backpack
§ Timing Chip
§ Eye Drops
§ Back up glasses
§ Spare Pair(s) swim goggles (one Rx)
§ Zip Cords
§ Baby Powder
§ Cereal Bars
§ Sunblock
§ Chapstick
§ Electrical Tape
§ Spare Tubes and Pump

Swim
§ Watch
§ Tri Top, Sports Bra, Tri Shorts
§ Wetsuit
§ Body Glide
§ Race Cap
§ Silicone Cap
§ Ear Plugs

Bike
§ Bike
§ Bike Number
§ 2 water bottles
§ Jersey
§ Shorts
§ Socks
§ Shoes
§ Cliff Blocks
§ Electrolyte Tablets
§ Fig Newtons
§ Sunglasses
§ Arm warmers
§ Gloves
§ Vest
§ Headband (to cover ears)
§ Spare Tire Kit in Pouch (Patch Kit/Pump/Tube)
§ CO2 cartridges (2)

Run
§ Running shoes with quick-tie laces
§ Socks
§ Fuel belt with 4 bottles ice water+ electrolytes and number
§ Cliff Blocks
§ Singlet

Post Race
§ Change of Clothes
§ Comfy Shoes

To Do List
Final Taper Weeks:
Consistent, planned workouts at lower volume (same frequency)
Plenty of rest, including off days and lots of sleep (naps)
Good nutrition
Daily stretching
Weekly Massages
Daily Meditation/Relaxation (plan out race day in head)
Keep up with vitamins
Avoid getting sick
Bike tune-up (including new chain and new brake pads)
Purchase new running shoes, quick tie laces, aero bottle, CO2 cartridges, goggles, bike shoes, bike helmet.
Practice transitions.
Make sure race day checklist is complete.
Rest, relax and take it easy!

Days Before Race:
1. Pick up race packet Friday March 30, 2007 (or even Thursday).
2. Consider taking Friday off, or at least half-day.
3. Do very light swim, bike, and run to get all muscles moving and test equipment.
4. Practice transition.
5. Stretch.
6. Meditate.
7. Eat well.
8. Pack everything up in truck.
9. Prepare coffee and morning routine for next morning.
10. Relax.
11. Ready for bed by 7:00 pm
12. In bed, lights out by 8:00 pm.

Race Day Schedule:
Saturday, March 31st, 2007
Race Day!!!
3:00a. Wake.
Coffee pot on.
Shower, brush teeth, put on contacts, apply sunblock, deodorant, baby powder, and dress.
Eat breakfast—juice, oatmeal with fruit (raisins and banana).
Stretch and meditate. Relaxation techniques.
4:00a. Leave for race.
Arrive 4:30-4:40a. Dismount bike. Final tire pressure check. Kiss Jason goodbye. Pack gear up (backpack) and bike to transition area (1-2 miles) WITH HELMET ON!
5:00a. Arrive at transition area.
Set up transition.
Place bike on rack.
Clearly mark with chalk and/or balloon.
Lay towel on top for drying and beneath for setting up stuff.
Check water bottles in bike. Check tire patch kit. Check race nutrition stuff in Bento box.
Lay out bike shorts on bike. Put appropriate items in pockets (Cliff Bocks, Thermolyte tablets, Fig Newtons).
Make sure helmet adjusted properly. Put sunglasses and race belt with number in helmet and helmet on hoods of bike.
Make sure race numbers on bike.
Put baby powder in socks and socks on top of bike shoes.
Lay jersey, vest, arm warmers, gloves, headband under bike shoes, in case necessary. Lay running shoes with Quick-Tie laces, fresh socks with baby powder, visor, fuel belt behind bike shoes.
Empty trash bag for wetsuit under transition towel.
Go to the bathroom.
Get body marked.
Study transition area exits and entrances. Picture in mind.
Go for light jog.
Go to the bathroom.
Put on sunscreen.
Stretch. Deep breathing exercises. Relaxation techniques. Listen to iPod.
Go to the bathroom.
6:15a. Final evaluation transition area.
6:25a. Exit transition area (closes at 6:30).
Put on bodyglide and wetsuit. Relax. Take goggles, cap(s), and ear plugs.
Relax!
6:40a. Watch first few waves in water to evaluate swim. First wave starts at 6:40 am.
Move around to keep warmed up. Relaxation exercises. Jog to warm up.
Jump in water as soon as possible. Dive in to get acclimated as quickly as possible. Practice deep breathing exercises and swimming relaxed, long, easy strokes to warm up.
Position towards back with other slow swimmers.
Start! (~7:00-7:30 am)
Swim 1.2 miles. Estimated time: 40-45 min. (Time limit: 1:10 or 9:10 am).
All buoys will be on the left every 100 meters.
Practice bilateral breathing. Switch sides every 20 strokes. Count to help settle into relaxed pace. Swim more to left side on way out to help orient.
On return, can breathe more on right side because shoreline helps to orient (dominate side). Still switch occasionally to check location.
Kick final 100 meters to warm up legs.
T1(~5 min):
Exit swim. Remove top half of wetsuit, then cap, goggles, and earplugs.
Run to transition area (about 300 meters). Take it easy to allow breathing to return to normal and also to avoid slipping.
As enter T2, orient using preplanned landmarks.
Locate bike.
Take off wetsuit. Put into bag.
Change into bike shorts. Put jersey on. Dry feet, put on socks, bike shoes and fasten.
i. If cold, put on arm warmers at this time.
ii. If really cold put on gloves, headband, and vest. Will decide this BEFORE starting.
Put on sunglasses and helmet. Fasten.
Dismount bike from rack and trot to mounting area.
Carefully clip in, (avoid falling), and WE’RE OFF!
Bike 56 miles (estimated time 3-3.5 hrs; start deadline is 9:20 am; finish deadline is 1:30 pm or 4:10h).
Steep hill 800 meters in.
Take time to warm up first few miles. Settle into pace.
Pace for first 25 miles (flat and fast—don’t blow up).
Big hills last 26 miles—rolling with 3 challenging climbs, especially corkscrew climb at 35 for about 10 miles).
Avoid aid stations, relying on own hydration and nutrition instead. Use them as landmarks—there are 3: 13, 25, and 45 miles.
On steep descent at end, do not pass or go over 25 mph to avoid penalties.
Prepare for headwind final 11 miles (even though flat).
Last 5 miles, slow up on drink and food. Also, focus on spinning more to prepare for transition to run.
T2 (must finish bike by 1:30 pm; est time for T2 ~2-3 min):
Rack bike.
Remove helmet and shoes.
May also remove sunglasses. If wearing bike shorts, will want running shorts (need to change in port-a-john).
If wearing bike jersey, will probably want running singlet.
Put on new socks and new shoes with quick-tie laces.
Put on fuel belt.
Run 13.1 miles (est time 2-2.5 hrs). (must finish by 4:00 pm or 2.5 h, although will be allowed to unofficially finish afterwards).
3 miles out, 3 miles back, 2x.
Some sand at beginning and finish (200 meters).
FINISH!!! (est. time 6-6.5 hrs.)

Sick and Kate Major sighting

Maybe this is a good sign, I don't know. But it's freaking me out. I knew I was going to come down with something. My boss and several coworkers all had colds last week. One particularly nasty and vengeful coworker actually went out of her way to purposely cough on me every time I walked past. One of those times was with my tray of food for lunch...which I then ate. Stupid, stupid. I should have taken more precautions.

Blissfully ignorant, Monday was great. I went to my masters swim class and had a fantastic session. I was able to swim 2600 meters without feeling tired at the end. This is a first. Normally, I feel trashed like my shoulders are going to fall off. The coach worked on getting me to swim more relaxed and not hyperextending during the reach phase. It worked! Amazing! I actually felt refreshed and energized when I got out of the pool.

Had a great day at work and ended the day with a zippy little bike ride up the coast. 22 miles, 17-18 mph. Not bad. Afterwards, went to pick up a fresh pair of running shoes. Don't worry y'all--it's the same brand I've been wearing for years and years. It's just that my current pair is on the end of its lifespan, and my knee has been acting up. I routinely get a fresh pair of running shoes for half marathons a few weeks out. This is no different.

Anyhoo, on the way home, felt an odd, achy fatigue creeping over me. Then the sneezing and sniffling started (no sore throat though--good sign?). Jason made a fabulous dinner, and for the first time since I can remember, I wasn't hungry. I took a few nibbles and knew I was doomed. Jason concoted a marvelous cup of Mighty Leaf (best tea in the world) citrus chamomile tea for me, which I drank and went to bed. Spent the whole night sniffling and sneezing.

Woke up Tuesday and knew I had a cold. Unfortunately, I had to go in for an important experiment, which I slogged through before going home in the afternoon. I took the rest of Tuesday off and took a long nap. Have been drinking LOTS of fluids. Taking Zicam. Luckily, I had already started taking Zicam Monday morning as insurance against a cold. Say what you will about the stuff; I think it works! At least it can't hurt. Wednesday morning (today), I already feel better. I want to get over this thing quick so I took today to work at home and rest up.

Yes, I'm freaked out that I contracted a cold so close to race day. However, I think I'm on top of this one. It seems to be already passing through. I'm hoping it won't have any long-lasting effects on my fitness or endurance. Plus, at least I have over a week before race day so it seems there may be just enough time to recover. Also, it ensures I'll have a good taper, right? Fully rested! Isn't there a superstition as well about many triathletes getting a cold during the taper only to come back and kick ass on race day? Well, I'm making it one. This is my "taper cold."

Oh, another thing. I'm dropping off my bike at B&L for a final, race-prep tune-up. I feel very foggy in my cold med-induced haze. I keep wondering why several staff members are running around the store in a mad frenzy. I look to my left. There's a cute, petite, very tan woman with ENORMOUS calf muscles and an endearing Australian accent standing there with a confident air about her and a small entourage in her midst. I get the feeling that I'm standing next to someone important, not because she's arrogant, no, quite the contrary (she seemed very sweet, friendly, relaxed, and easy-going). It was just this feeling that came over me (and perhaps the way everyone around her seemed about to fall into the Wayne's World, "I'm not worthy," pose.

I look to my right and this amazing bike is sitting there. Sleek gray carbon with orange points--an Orbea Orca. I look closer and there's a cute little cartoon of a smiley face on it (see pic to right). Next to it, a name monogrammed onto the top tube, which reads, "Kate Major." I'm standing next to Kate Major. Yes, Kate Major. As in Ironman World Champion, Kate Major. I backed away slowly, realizing I was standing between her and her bike, which has to be bad mojo.

Turns out she needed a new wheel for her training ride that afternoon. Unfortunately, I felt way too sickly to tell her what I big fan I am, or even say hi. Well, I may have clammed up even without the cold. All I could do was to keep reminding myself not to stare. However, I did feel pretty good about dropping my bike off at that store for a tune-up. Just seeing her did make me feel a little bit better. First, Michellie, now Kate. And I'll be seeing both of them in Oceanside in 10 days. It's nice to be living in the land of pros.

Freaking Out & St. Patrick's Day 10K

I guess this is completely normal for the taper phase of training. But I am seriously wigging. Work has been super stressful. Combine that with lack of exercise and you get one very unhappy Rachel.

I gave a horrible lab meeting on Tuesday. Didn't have enough time to work on it since the recent departure of a coworker has more than quadrupled my workload. Add the conference in Borrego Springs from last week and it boiled down to 24 hours of cramming for the meeting. I was very fatigued and blundered my way through it but my confidence has been dashed...again. Needless to say, work has been stressful. Crying a lot. Lots of negative thinking.

I know it will get better. Gotta keep at it. Day by day. I have great friends and a great husband. Jason has been very helpful and supportive. But this next year is going to be tough. Why did I choose such a particularly stressful career?

Last week, I had a very solid week and was able to complete almost all my planned workouts. The desert (Anza Borrego) was very hot and dry so I ended up having to cut my bike short (40 miles instead of 60) but it was still a good effort. Also, I didn't get my ocean swim in but I did one the week before, and I can get in the ocean a few times before race day so it's all good. I did notice some pretty significant fatigue towards the end of the week. I've also been feeling a little burned out. I get overwhelmed when I think about long workouts. I think I'm walking that overtraining edge. However, we managed a fantastic 14 mile run last Sunday (3/11), which felt like a solid accomplishment (and the farthest I've ever gone).

Only problem is that I tweaked my right knee. I could feel it during the run, especially after mile 10 but the endorphins masked the pain superbly. When I stopped, I could barely walk and was having a hard time trying to jog across the street for brunch. I'm pretty sure it's related to my weak hip abductors/IT band/stabilizer muscles. I've been to a physical therapist before for related injuries. It's all about biomechanics. Plus, it's on the outside of the knee--usually an IT thing. I was pretty worried about it. Kept it elevated the rest of the day with ice on it and took massive doses of ibuprofen. Continued ice and ibuprofen through Wednesday. Got a deep tissue massage on Monday. Ouch! Really helped though. Think it's feeling a lot better. However, I've been very conservative. Haven't really tried it out yet.

So Monday and Tuesday were well-earned days off. Wednesday, I had a terrific 30 mile bike up the coast. Felt terrific. Unfortunately, Thursday and Friday were unintential days off. I felt completely frazzled and tired and honestly didn't feel like it. Saturday, we did a St. Patrick's Day 10K (http://www.kathyloperevents.com/stpatrick/), which was fantastic. It was the first time I ran since my long run last week. I was really worried about my knee. It felt stiff the first 2 miles, then it warmed up and felt fine for the next 2. Last 2, I could feel a twinge in the knee, which never escalated above a 3 (on a 1-10 pain scale; last weekend, it reached a 6.5-7 at it's worst) and would phase in and out. I actually sprinted at the end and felt really good afterwards. Plus, I was really happy with my time--finished in ~55:00, which meant I was able to maintain just about 9 min/mile pace. This is actually an improvement for me, believe it or not! I've gotten so slow with all the LSD training; I was happy I could eek out some speed. (I've been icing and ibuprofen-ing my knee again to play it safe).

All in all, I'm really disappointed with this week. I keep beating myself up more for not doing more workouts. I only biked once and ran once! I know this is the taper but that's ridiculous. On the other hand, maybe I needed the time. I had really been pushing it and I was tired, mentally and physically. Maybe this will ensure that I will be well-rested. I can't build any more fitness in these past few weeks anyway but I can tire myself out and injure myself. Plus, my training has been VERY consistent. Probably more than what I need. On the other hand, I'm sure I can lose fitness if I don't maintain.

As you can see, I'm a little stir-crazy right now. I'm very good at freaking myself out. My instinct tells me I'm on track. I was listening to my body and needed the rest, especially since I'd been walking that overtraining line.

Here's my plan: For this next week, I will focus on maintaining the same frequency of workouts to ease my mind but will back off on the duration to allow my body to rest. Basically, a maintenance week where I will cut to 50% of my hardest week, which will be about 7 hours. I'll keep my swimming up since that's pretty gentle on the body. Also, I'll still bike 3x but my weekend ride will only be 40 miles. I still want to do weights 1-2x this week but will make sure it's in the maintenance phase and refrain from going all out. I will also do them earlier in the week since I will not do any weights the final 10 days before race day. For my runs, since my knee has been aching, I will back off to 2 shorter runs for this week, a 4 mile, and a 6-8 miler (6 if the knee hurts; 8 it if it feels good).

Monday: swim am; bike pm. Tuesday: weights am; run (track) pm. Wednesday: swim am; bike (spin trainer) pm. Thursday: weights am; ocean swim pm. Friday: off (massage). Saturday: 40 mile bike. Sunday: 6-8 mile run.

The following Monday-Friday will be the final days before race day (Saturday, March 31st). I will do lots of rest with only very short workouts to keep my mind at ease and my muscles loose. I plan on doing 2 very short swims, 1 short 15 mile bike, and 1 short 3 mile run with the run and bike being earlier in the week. No weights but lots of Yoga and stretching and a massage on Wednesday.

Other race prep stuff: Bike is going in for a tune up this week. I'm also getting a new pair of running shoes this week and have already made a list of things I need to pack for race day as well as a detailed hour-by-hour schedule for race day. Looks like I will be getting up between 3 and 3:30 am! I have lots more details about the race itself that I've gotten from other pros in the area that have raced it before. Gotta love living near the race venue! Anway, I'm totally freaked and extremely excited. It's coming fast. Not only that, but it keeps my mind off work!

10 Signs Your Half-IM Training is Working

1. You eat so much that all your friends think you're pregnant or have a tapeworm.
2. You sleep 10 hours a night and still need a 1-2 hour nap in the afternoon.
3. You have a hard time finding a group to ride with on the weekends because the "A" group is too fast but the "B" group doesn't go far enough.
4. Happiness is riding or running until you're tired, sore, exhausted and can barely walk.
5. You become neurotic, cranky, and borderline psychotic on rest weeks and a monster during the taper.
6. You feel like you're undertrained if you're not doing at least 2 workouts a day, and 3 is better.
7. You annoy all your coworkers by insisting on taking the elevator up 1 floor because you want to "rest your legs."
8. When waiting in line at the grocery store, you casually stretch your quads, calves, and hamstrings.
9. A 20 mile bike, 4 mile run, and power weight session has become a nice, little workout.
10. Your resting pulse and blood pressure have dropped so low you have to take a long time to stand to avoid passing out.

Work & Play in the Desert

Just had the trainer ride of my life. It was late but I was in the mood. Even dimmed the lights to set the atmosphere. Gotta love Coach Troy. It was a good Spinerval session. Think it was the 60 min Time Trial DVD. I was just in the zone. Had some good songs come onto my iPod, felt the adrenaline pour through my veins, and just let 'er rip. Good fun. Good times. My legs are sore.

I'm off to Borrego Springs (in the Anza-Borrego Desert) for the rest of the week for a conference. Yup, work stuff. However, we're staying at a very nice resort, complete with gym, running trails, and swimming pools (and golf courses, if you're into that stuff). And...it's within driving distance so I'm bringing Bluebell (my bike)! Already plotted out my rides on GMaps. We get 6 hours in the afternoons between sessions to ourselves to go play. Play for me is going to be fanatical amounts of exercise. This is my biggest heavy volume week. It couldn't be more perfect. Who would have thought work and play would mesh so nicely?

Off to go play in the desert. Have a great week everyone!

Moving On

Babs--quite an expert on R&R. Maybe we should take note!

This weekend was so nice to put a stressful week in perspective and move on. I was finally able to focus on each day as it came, and the key workout for the day. I didn't try to make up for missed workouts, and I decided not to feel guilty about it. This is a new one for me. Afterall, this week was supposed to be a "Maintenance" week anyway. Looking back at my stats for the week, I still logged in plenty of hours, while scaling back, so maybe it worked out for the best. 8 hours of training is nothing to sneeze at, eh?





Saturday we did a nice 52 mile coastal ride. It was WINDY. I mean like, hurricane windy. I had a hard time keeping the bike upright at times and, in low areas, close to the coast, I got pelted with sand. I got sandblasted. Literally. Ouch! For some reason, when the going gets really tough on the bike with a big hill or severe wind, I've adopted a much more "Bring it," attitude than in previous years. I love having to focus every part of my mind and body on the extreme physical task ahead of me and being forced to tune everything else out. Sometimes it's turning the pedals over up a steep grade or holding the bike up in extreme winds, or both, but it's just man vs. nature. Primal. I love it. That's why we're out there doing this, right? To feel....ALIVE.





The bike felt great. Only problem is a screw fell out of one of my pedals at mile 30, and I had to finish only partly clipped in. Gotta haul the bike to the shop tomorrow to fix that. Jeez. What a pain. I was stubborn though. I finished out the ride. I was in the zone. I just had to go with it, no matter how windy it was or how my bike was behaving. Somedays, you just have to go.





Sunday we did our "long" run but I scaled back this week since running is so stressful. My knees have been a bit achy, indicating me that I've been pushing it. We did a gentle 8. I didn't feel too sore or tired at the end and chatted the whole time with friends in our group. The miles flew by, and the battery in my watch died yesterday so I went sans watch. Felt great.





I feel refreshed and happy that I listened to my body this week. I actually tried to push through my stress and fatigue and started some workouts on Thursday and Friday. Hooked my bike up to the trainer and did the 10-minute rule to see if my mind was psyching my body out. It wasn't. 10 minutes in, I felt just as crappy. Same thing happened on Friday while trying to lift weights, a gentler, more relaxed workout. My body said, "Nope." I admit, I was pissed both times, but I listened. I stopped, had some tea, and went to bed. It's the first time, I've ever bagged a workout like that. Normally I push through. But I realized I was going to get absolutely 0 benefit from that philosophy, while good 'ole-fashioned rest was what I needed.





I feel good as I enter my final week of training before my 3-week taper. That's right folks. We're beginning the 4-week countdown. Yes, I'm freakin' excited! This is going to rock!

Work vs. Triathlon--Can We Say Stressed?

This week has not gone as planned. Work has been kicking my ass. I feel like I just can't balance work with triathlon as well as I would have liked. Lab just sucked it out of me this week. One of my colleagues is leaving, and I'm taking over his stuff, which is a mixed blessing. I'm completely overwhelmed but I get a quantum-leap jump start on my research, which will be wonderful 6 months from now. Anyway, lab has been ultra-stressful, and, instead of feeling productive in lab at the expense of training, I just feel drained. However, unfortunately, I don't feel like I've accomplished anything in lab this week. I know I have but it's all intangible, planning this and that, learning this, etc. It's been go, go, go, meeting, meeting, seminar, meeting, get yelled at by the P.I., criticism from this person, pressure from that person. All of a sudden it's 5 pm, and I'm shaking from being yelled at all day and not having eaten since breakfast. And then I have to rush to a 6 pm class that lasts 3 hours, completely ruining my entire evening. I can't wait for things to begin to settle down into a routine (even if it's hectic).

Anyway, by the time I was completely wrung out and hung to dry from work, all I could was stuff candy bars down my throat before collapsing in the bed. I don't remember being this stressed out for a looong time (okay, graduate school; not that long ago). At first, I felt even more stressed out that I didn't get a workout in. However, after much reflection, I think this week is going to end up for the best workout-wise.

Monday was a much-needed rest day and massage. Tuesday was a really tough masters swim class. Wednesday was a great, relaxing run. Thursday and Friday went downhill and were unplanned rest days. Okay so I'll be behind on my workouts for the week. I'll still get in a nice long bike on Saturday and long run on Sunday, maybe even a swim and some weights, if I feel up to it. To be honest, after the last 3 weeks of solid training, and increasing volume, this week should be an R&R week. I was pushing it to expect it to be anything else. So maybe this will allow my body to completely heal from the last 3 weeks.

Next week, I plan on pushing it. My final week of training before entering my 3 week taper. Then....race day. I can't believe how close it is! I'm so excited! These last 20 weeks have just flown. 20 weeks. Can you believe it? I've put in 20 weeks of solid training. I feel strong. I feel confident. I know I can do the distance, something I didn't believe before. My body is an amazing machine that can do things I still can't wrap my mind around. So I think I can be a little forgiving on a few stressful days in lab and some candy bars, eh?

A Perfect Week! (complete update)

I had a very busy and most-awesome week but Blogger was a poop-head and disabled my account! Finally, I can get back on and update my blog. I've had major blog-withdrawal.

Weekly Recap:
Monday--great pool swim
Tuesday--"off" day. did weights and had an awesome session, probably b/c I wasn't tired from all the other workouts of the day
Wed--brick workout
Thursday--pool swim (back with the masters class) and evening spin
Friday--10k evening run
Saturday--long-ass bike
Sunday--12 mile run, 1 mile ocean swim, and weights
All in all--A perfect week! When does that ever happen? I completed all my workouts and logged over 14 hours (not including weights), with 3 runs (22 miles), 3 bikes (120 miles), and 3 swims (4 miles). Whew!


Looks like I'm back on track. Here are the stats so far:





Weekly Highlights:


Riding with Strangers:
This cartoon just cracked me up. It also reminded me of my brick workout on Wednesday. I headed up the coast for a zippy 30 mile ride. I felt great. The weather was brisk and had a nippy breeze, coaxing me to go fast. On the way back, a fit looking guy on a nice bike intersected paths with me at one of the lights. He commented on how chilly it was (mid-50s--I know; boo-hoo). Then, he proceeded to draft off me for the next 10 miles. I think most people would be a bit miffed to have a stranger draft off them for that long but I was completely flattered. I'm fast enough to offer someone a draft? This guy isn't totally embarrassed to be drafting off a chick (lots of cyclists out there have big-'ole, inflated, sexist egos)? I was happy to offer a draft. Not only that, but it pushed me to my limits. I went all out to see if I could challenge him and ended up challenging myself (and giving myself a great workout). Then, we hit some hills, and as I predicted, I slowed considerably (trying not to let on how much I was gasping for air). I pulled to the right, and he chugged on ahead. Oh, well. It was nice while it lasted. I wish I could have caught a draft off him but I was spent. Thank you, stranger, for a great workout! (I was able to finish the hills strong and get in a strong, 4-mile run afterwards to boot.)

Who are You?
Thursday was my first day back with the masters swim program after almost a month of swimming solo. It was embarrassing to show up again after missing so many workouts but I figured it was better than not showing up ever again, right? The coach came over to me and asked, "Who are you?" I had to re-introduce myself. To be fair, he had been out for awhile b/c of hernia surgery and I'd been swimming with a lot of subs before my cold so it wasn't just my lack of being there that explained his lapse of memory. It was a tough workout:
Warm-Up: 50 breast--50 free--50 back x3
16x50s in sets of 4: 1--50x4 free; 2--25-back-25-freex4; 3--25-breast-25-freex4; 4--25-fly-25-freex4
aerobic main set (base pace):
1x250 free--4x50 stroke (back)
2x250 free--3x50 stroke (breast)
3x250 free--2x50 stroke (25 kick--25 breastx2)
1x250 free (fast)--1x50 stroke (back)
total of 3500 meters!
Not only that, I felt good. I got the whole workout done with 5 minutes to spare! When has that ever happened?

TGIF:
I always have my best workouts on Friday afternoons. I think I'm glad the week is coming to an end. I ran a zippy 10k loop around where I work. It was refreshing.

Monster Bike Ride:
We headed out on what was supposed to be a 50-60 mile ride. It was Jason's first time back on the bike after being sick. Plus, we rode inland, which is notorious for being extremely hilly. It ended up being the bike ride from hell. Starting out, it was nice. We rode up the coast and enjoyed the ocean view before heading inland. We rode up past Rancho Santa Fe, where the streets are paved with private country clubs, golf courses, and gorgeous stables. I saw many arenas with riders out on their mounts, practicing over the fences. Made my heart ache. It had just rained so everything was unusually green. Lots of trees (also unusual for this area) and there was water in the creeks. It was so beautiful. Even more inland, we hit desert where there was nothing but desolate rock and dirt. This is where we rode up, up, and more up. We rode past Lake Hodges, a strange, unnatural, man-made lake, sitting oddly out of place in the middle of the desert.

When we got to Escondido, things took a turn for the worse, and Jason promptly got a flat. Sigh. I helped him change it. Meanwhile, the most adoreable little chihuahua kept jumping up and down in his backyard to peek over the fence. I saw this cute little white head bobbing up and down. It made me laugh. We fixed the flat and got back on the road, only to make a wrong turn. Consulted the map, retraced our steps, and got back on the right route. Okay. 3 extra miles there. Then, at another road, we made another wrong turn and went right instead of left. A very friendly cyclist helped us reroute our way back to the coast.

When we finally reached the coast again, Jason was spent. I actually felt a little better because I knew where we were. My fatigue had been mainly mental. Jason pulled a leg muscle at mile 50 and got dizzy (bonked) at mile 60. I dropped him off at the Starbucks in Del Mar with cash for coffee and a danish and continued home, racing to beat the sunset. I had been on the bike for over 5 hours and out for over 6. Once home, I got in the truck and went back to retrieve Jason and his bike. I think I broke him. I guess I thought he was Superman. I thought b/c he was a guy, he didn't need to workout as much to keep in shape. Guess I was wrong. That said, on Sunday, his leg felt better and he went for a short run pain-free. So I'm not all wrong about the Superman-thing.

That was a tough bike ride. Very tough. If I can do that, I can do anything. Here's the route, if anyone's interested:
http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=732630


Very Busy Sunday:

I wasn't sure how I would do on Sunday after Saturday. But I love my weekly running group, and I really wanted to see my friends. So I showed up for a run at Lake Miramar, one of my favorite places to run (see pic above). There's an easy paved path that makes up a nice out-and-back 8 mile total run. Plus, I always see lots of hummingbirds. I felt great, surprisingly. Did the 8 miles and turned back to add on an extra 4 for a total of 12, managing about 9-min/mile pace (faster for me). I couldn't believe how well I did.

After a luxurious and relaxing breakfast, I headed for La Jolla Cove for a much-needed ocean swim. Enjoyed the cute seals at Children's Pool and saw lots of baby seals. Can we say adoreable? Heading out, I felt good. Not too cold with my wetsuit, thermal cap, and booties in the 56 degree water. Current was with me, and although there were, oddly enough, no buoys (where did they go?), I used the Scripps Pier to sight and swam 20 minutes out before turning around. Coming back was much harder. I was fighting a couple of cross currents, which always seems to happen at the cove. Plus, the clouds rolled in and the surf got rougher. Great. I swam into a huge forest of kelp beds and had to keep stopping to negotiate around them, while fighting the big swells. Made me uber-seasick. Fighting the naseau, I somehow made it back to shore. Once on land, I felt instantly better but started shivering uncontrollably after peeling off my wetsuit. Dried off, put on dry clothes and staggered back to my car. Somehow got home, where I promptly fell into a deep slumber for 3 hours (before even taking a shower--ick).

Once I got up, I felt 100% better. Showered, ate, and completely cleaned our apartment. Treated the rug for mites and did a thorough shampooing. Then, lifted some weights before retiring to bed. It's so nice to have a super-clean apartment.

I'm pretty happy with my achievements for the week. Hope everyone else had awesome weeks too!

Weekly Stats

Blogger is being poopy so I'm including my latest training data in this post. You can see the 2 weeks of R&R from being sick (and life getting in the way) pretty clearly. But you can also see 2 solid weeks following. I'm not quite back to where I was but almost. And since I have 2 more weeks of training before taper, it should work out to just about perfect.

Swimming in the Rain

I feel better today. Sometimes, I just need a little time and recovery to put some perspective on a bad ride. It was pretty funny though. I brought Bluebell into the bike shop today to have her gears tweaked, and she was pretty dirty from the ride yesterday. I don't remember how she got that way but it looked as if I took her off-road. I normally give her a good grooming before putting her back in the stall after a hard ride but wasn't in the mood yesterday. The guys at the shop poked fun at me a little. However, I'm really excited about having her shift perfectly. It's been quite a work in progress after changing to compact cranks.

I calculated last weeks' hours and actually didn't come out too badly. 9 hours (and 10 last week)--not too shabby, eh? 85 miles on the bike, 20 miles running, and a 2000 meter time trial. Not perfect, but not too shabby. I'm feeling better about showing up ready on race day. I have a few more weeks to put in some good mileage until taper. Plus, I've been working hard up until now. Swimming has gotten easier, running is solid, and the bike, well, the bike will come back. I know it. I can't wait to get back on this week and put in some good mileage.

It rained all day today! Very weird. Torrential downpours. And it was super hot and dry all weekend. Quite a change. I could feel the wind blowing from the east from the hot, dry Santa Ana's as I road out on Sunday. Then, when I headed back (before I got lost and called Jason), I could feel the winds shift, temperature drop, and blow from the west. Headwind both ways. Nice.

Anyway, the rain foiled my ocean swimming plans for today. So I jumped in the pool. It felt very weird to swim in the rain. At times, it was coming down hard and felt like little rocks pelting my back. Being immersed in the water was very soothing. I had a good, solid swim and have definitely gotten faster, which makes it so much fun. I did my own thing:

500 meter free, warm-up, easy--focus on form

50 breast--active recovery

250x3: 50m pull--50m kick (no board)--50m drill--50m golf (swim as few strokes across as you can)--50m back (stroke)

I was pretty happy. Using my new and improved technique, I shaved strokes off my lengths. I used to be a solid 20 but I actually got it down to a solid 17, 15 if I really stretched it!

main set: 200x4 (descend every 50m)

100x4--descend every set

I timed myself for fun. First set was supposed to be slightly easy. 1:57. Hmm, maybe I pushed too hard, considering easy used to be 2:05-2:10? Second set: 1:50. Wow! Third and fourth sets: 1:47. Is this for real? That's almost 15 seconds shaved off. And consistent. This is getting fun.

50x4--descend

Again, I timed. First set: 0:57. Second set 0:50. Third and fourth 0:47. Hmmm. Not only shaving off time but extremely consistent. I'm happy.

Total distance: 2500m

I'm feeling pretty good in the water lately.

Trying really hard to get all caught up in lab and at home and with training. Making progress. Also trying not to get Jason's cold. Taking Zicam. Washing my hands. Taking multivitamins. Getting lots of sleep. Drinking lots of green and chamomile tea. Keeping fingers crossed. I won't know for sure until Thursday.

Bad Bike Ride

I'm so frustrated right now. The end of the week didn't as I had hoped. I did my long run on Saturday instead of Sunday and the long bike on Sunday. This would have been fine, except I was in a terrible mood Friday evening and unable to coax myself onto the trainer or into the pool. If I could have just gone to the pool... Because of that, I only got in 1 swim this week. Ugh. I know I'm not supposed to whine over missed workouts but I can't help it. I was unable to get up early and make it to my masters workouts, and I'm really pissed at myself. I was really behind on the biking as well, also because of not being able to get up early. I had planned on going Friday afternoon but a meeting got moved from a.m. to p.m., started late, and went long, destroying my plans, which is why you should always get the workout in early. Otherwise, things pop up and sabotage the best-intended plans. I just feel totally overwhelmed with everything going on right now. I can't get it all done.

Saturday, I decided to bike 15 miles to our group's run start. We did a 10 mile run, and I biked home for a total of 30 miles. This plan worked out well. I felt great on both bikes and the run, despite the heat (mid-80s!).

Sunday--time for my long bike. I had a terrible time finding a group to go with. There were millions of rides on Saturday but the only rides I could find on Sunday were planning on 80 miles of hills at 20 mph, or 30 miles at a social pace of 14 mph. Why am I stuck in limbo? Are you telling me there are no riders who want to ride 50-60 miles at 15 mph? I know I'm slow but this is getting ridiculous. Normally, Jason would go with me but he has a terrible virus and is stuck in bed with a fever and involuntary fits of severe coughing. (I just can't wait to get sick again and have my fitness plans completely smashed to bits....another reason why I'm grumpy.) I found a route to try and posted an e-mail to the tri club, hoping someone might show up. However, I posted last night so I knew there would probably be no one this morning waiting for me. There wasn't.

I went solo. I went on a new route in new areas I had never gone on before. How else am I going to try new things? It would have been fine too, except I didn't feel great. Very sluggish. Plus, there was a strong headwind and lots of long, steep hills. Lots of them. I actually felt better on the climbs then on the flats. At least then I had an excuse for going so slowly! The route was absolutely gorgeous. Beautiful parks and canyons and very nice residential areas. Wildlife reserves, lakes, farms, horses, and deserts. Kids playing soccer and flying kites. A horse whinnying in the distance. I'm so mad I felt so crappy! I couldn't enjoy it. At mile 40, I was supposed to stay on the on-ramp on the interstate for 1/4 of a mile, and I freaked out and went straight instead. I HATE doing that, even though it's allowed for certain portions of the interstates around here. It wasn't clear to me that bikes were allowed on the shoulder at that point, and being alone, I hoped I was supposed to go over the interstate and stay on the road I was on. Wrong. Few miles down the road, I figured out where I was and probably could have planned an alternate route home but I was done. Mentally (and physically) I had just had it. I don't know if it was the run before or the hills or being alone or if I'm out of shape on the bike but I was done. I was creeping along at 12 mph and knew I still had a long way to go. I guess I mentally bonked.

I called Jason, and he dragged himself out of bed and picked me up. I feel utterly ashamed and embarrassed. Like I failed. To be honest, I feel exhausted too. Now that I'm home, I'm realizing I don't feel that great. I have a headache and am really tired. I think I might be coming down with Jason's bug, and I don't know how I can still stay on track if I get sick again. I'm mad I didn't get into the ocean this weekend with it being so beautiful outside. I'm mad I didn't finish the bike. I'm worried about how I'll do on race day if I feel so crappy right now. Really worried.

Update: Oscar, life, training, Tour de Palm Springs, and swimming breakthrough

Phew! It's been awhile. I've had a ton of crazy personal stuff going. But everything is beginning to settle down now and get back to normal...for me anyway.

Oscar:

He is recovering very well from his molar abcess and is now eating on his own and very rambunctious. He's extremely playful and feisty. I'm still giving him penicillin shots every other day and applying hot compresses to the site of the abcess but he's in no pain, has gained all his weight back (and some), and seems back to his playful, ole' grumpy self. The vet has had to drain fluid from the site twice (about 1 week apart). The first time was 5 days post-surgery, and a lot of pus was still present. The 2nd time was just fluid, indicating that the infection was being defeated. Knock on wood, but his 3rd recheck is tomorrow and there is no sign of swelling on his neck.

Other bunny notes:

On the other hand, the vet discovered Oscar has mites (invisible little bugs that make them itch but are harmless to humans). I realized that Babs and Taz must have it too since they're all free-roaming, and the mites probably come from the rug. That would explain the bald patches on Babs' neck and shoulders. I feel bad for neglecting this for so long. I had no idea. At first, I called the exterminator but then realized how dangerous that might be for the buns. Sure, it would get rid of the mites too but it also might get rid of the bunnies, and that would defeat the whole purpose. After consulting with some pet- and bunny-conscious friends as well as the vet, I have decided to take a more do-it-yourself approach. This weekend, with the help of a friend's rug shampooer, we are going to be using some extreme elbow grease. Since I'm having a get-together Saturday night for Jason's birthday (yeah!), I'm using that as incentive for getting it all done by then. It's my deadline.

Lab:

After many lulls and false starts, my life is going to get a lot busier. My projects are really starting to pick up, and I'm starting to get pretty excited about how they're going to develop. That's all I'm going to say right now. I can do a "science talk" later.

Training:

I've left the best for last. Despite everything going on right now, I've actually been pretty good. Afterall, California 70.3 is less than 6 weeks away!!! I ended up having 2 weeks of R&R between getting sick and Oscar. I was still able to eke out some runs and even participate in an open-water swim clinic during this time. Last week was my first week back on the full training schedule. I was actually surprised at how good I felt. I don't feel too tired or sore after my workouts. If anything, I feel pretty good and very well rested. Maybe those 2 weeks were a good thing. My running didn't suffer at all since I was able to keep up with it during R&R. My swimming suffered a little at first but I actually had a break-through the other day so now I'm ahead. My biking suffered the most since it's the hardest for me to get out and do, and that's what I did the least during R&R. But it's quickly coming back.

The biggest detriment from the 2 weeks of R&R I've noticed is the inability to get up in the morning again. I'm not a morning person, and it took everything I had in me to get up early before. I miss my morning workouts! So I've been doing a late afternoon workout and a mid-evening workout, which is much more tiring. I definitely would like to try and work on getting up early again. The one thing I don't miss is being able to stay up until 10 p.m. without falling asleep. Afterall, Survivor is back on, and it doesn't come on until 10! Is it so wrong to get on the trainer at 9 pm, instead of 7 am? That said, I miss riding on the road during the week. C'mon daylight savings!

Strategy:

My plan was to have last week be a mini-prep week to get myself back into the swing of things. This week and the next were to be Base/Build weeks to get my endurance back to where it was and build a little speed and strength on top, if I can manage. The following week, I will bring it down to a "Prep/Maintenance" week, instead of an R&R. Basically, I'll do more than I would in an R&R week but less than I would in a full Base week. Finally, the last week before taper, I'm going to really push it, using this as my hardest week before going into taper. Then, I'll ramp everything down for the 3 week taper and focus on short, high-intensity speed workouts while maintaining my swimming (my weakest link and the least stressful on the body). I think I will be able to get to the start line on race day fully prepared.

Running:

I've been feeling really good on my mid-week runs and a little tired on my long runs on Sunday. But the long runs are always after a full week of workouts and a killer long bike on Saturday, which probably explains it. Last night, we went out for a very dark 10K run, and I had a blast. I felt very zippy. It was fun to fly around.

Biking:

Last week, both my mid-week rides were on the trainer, and it just about killed me. It's SO BORING! I always ride a lot slower on the trainer than I do outdoors. Anyone else experienced this? I was freaking out about my lack of mileage when we drove up to Palm Springs last Friday night for the Tour de Palm Springs on Saturday. We rode up to the start line for the 56 mile ride. I was a bit nervous since I hadn't been on the road in 2 weeks. It was a fantastic ride. The course was flat to downhill and very easy. It was sunny and in the low 80s. We rode by desert and resorts with gorgeous gardens and immaculate lawns. The bike lanes had a golf cart graphic in addition to the bicycle one--only in Palm Springs. My only complaint was that there were just too many cyclists--over 8,000. Even though there were all different rides and start times, all the riders ended up convening at the aid stations and at different points on the course. Since it was not a closed course, this made for lots of angry traffic and dangerous situations. Cyclists of all abilities, paces, and comfort levels on every type of bike imaginable, all trying to share the road. It was very harrowing at times. However, all in all, it was a good confidence builder. Since I had to hold back a lot because I couldn't find a good pocket to ride in, I didn't feel tired or sore by the end, yet I was still able to manage a 16 mph pace. Not bad, not bad at all.

Only bad part was that afterwards, I got separated from Jason, couldn't find the car, and didn't have my cell phone with me. I wandered around downtown Palm Springs barefoot (bike shoes aren't comfortable to walk in) for about an hour and a half before some man took pity on me and let me borrow his cell phone. After that, I was tired.

Swimming:

I've been really bad about missing my masters swim classes. I haven't been able to make the 7:30 am swims. I have to admit, I really enjoy planning my own workout and swimming with a whole lane to myself in the evenings. I can really focus and get in the zone. After reading up on my stroke in the latest issue of Triathlete, I headed to the pool to work on my form. Usually, I incorporate drills into every workout but I haven't seen much improvement. I think this has been because I just want to get through the drills as opposed to really internalizing what my form and stroke are like.

Last time, I decided to do some long, slow sets and really focus on my form without doing a specific drill. I swam a few laps thinking about keeping my head down, eyes focused on the bottom, taking as few breaths as possible. Next few laps, I thought about turning my head without moving my head so that it pivoted next to my shoulders, instead of snaking about. Then, I thought about keeping on my side for as long as possible and turning to both sides fully for each stroke. Next, I tried to stretch my stroke out for as long as possible, reaching as far as I could, like I was trying to reach for something off a shelf. I thought about taking as few strokes as possible to get across the pool to help enforce this.

At this point, my left shoulder began to ache. Normally, to relieve this, I drop my elbows and find the least path of resistance through the water. This relieves the stress on my shoulder but also propels me forward the least as well. I had read about keeping your elbows up through the pull part of the stroke so I realized dropping my elbows wasn't the answer. Instead, I decided to leave my other, leading arm outstretched in the water for longer as the left arm made the catch into the water, really focusing on front quadrant swimming. I figured by relying on the rest of my body to help propel myself through the water, I would relieve the stress on my shoulder. As I made the catch with the right arm outstretched, I felt my entire core and lats engage as I corkscrewed to the other side in one swoop, as if my body were a board. This allowed my entire body to help with the pull part of the stroke, making it feel easy and efficient. It felt as if I was climbing up a ladder. The pain in my shoulder was gone immediately. When I would slip out of it, I went back to basics: head down, reach out, front quadrant, core stiff like a board, elbows out and up. All of a sudden, I hit the wall. I shaved 2 strokes off each length. It felt easy. I timed the next 100m and was able to remove 10 seconds without even thinking about it. A breakthrough! I can't wait to hit the pool again. When is the last time that happened?

Poor Oscar-Bear

(picture several months ago; before surgery)

This week has been very stressful, frustrating, and unproductive. My lingering cold has sapped all my energy, and I am completely out of my routine. I made a feeble attempt to do some workouts this week. Let's just say it didn't go well. I feel chronically tired and completely sapped of energy. I know it's the cold, and I am getting better on the whole. I am just freaking out about how much fitness I have lost. Basically, I've taken 2 weeks of R&R, and I have 8 weeks until Race Day. I'm hoping to ease back into this weekend with some good, short, confidence-building workouts.

On Monday night, I noticed Oscar has a huge lump on the left side of his jaw. Upon further examination, it seemed to be emanating from the bone. Great. I took him to the vet Tuesday morning, and, as I had feared, it was a molar abcess. I have no idea how he remained symptom-free all this time, and worse, I have no idea how long this infection has been festering without me noticing. I feel so negligent. He went in for surgery to have the abcess removed Tuesday afternoon. They tried to pull the suspect molar without much success (it came out in pieces). Apparently, he had a hole in the bone of his jaw, and the infection was inside the bone. All I can say is, OW! They made an incision on the side of his neck and took out the abcess (without going into more detail, I've been told by the vet techs that it was quite disgusting). They packed antibiotic-soaked beads into the hole to help fight the infection, and inserted a tube into his jaw (coming out his throat) to help drain the rest (yes--very gross). I picked him up on Tuesday night. He was groggy and his neck is shaved, covered in stitches, and has a tube poking out of it. He looks a little like a big bunny with a skinny turkey neck; poor guy.

Since then, I've been tending to him constantly. Wednesday, he spent the day huddled up in his box while his tube drained, not eating, drinking, playing, or looking at all comfortable. He's in a lot of pain as his jaw heals and can't eat very well. He's on pain meds, stomach meds, and antibiotics (which I have to inject daily for 3 weeks--yuck). Plus, I'm force-feeding him with a syringe, which is just awful and very messy. The only thing that seems to comfort him are the hot compresses I apply to his drain, which I do for 20 minutes, twice a day. He curls up on the hot washcloth and presses down on top of it, closes his eyes, and purrs. I took him back to the vet on Thursday so they could give him fluids and meds for his tummy (when bunnies don't eat, their digestive system shuts down, which further keeps them from eating). He finally seemed to come around a little Thursday night when he started eating lettuce with enthusiasm. Today, he seems even more perky. He came out of his box and spent the day on his blanket. His drain hasn't been leaking "stuff" today, which makes him feel a lot better and makes me hope that maybe his infection is clearing. He goes in again tomorrow to have the drain taken out. I can't wait. I know that thing has been making him feel really icky.

I'm very hopeful that he will heal. I think he will continue to improve from here on out. I just pray that the antibiotics work and the infection goes away so that the abcess doesn't re-develop in the future. I don't want to have to put him through this again.

Needless to say, between my being sick and Oscar being sick, it's been a very stressful week.