triathlonmom

2010 Kinetic Half Ironman Race Results

2010-05-31T09:29:00.001-07:00

I know, I know. The Kinetic Half Ironman was over 2 weeks ago, and here I am just posting my results now.

Swim 1.2 miles (no wetsuit) 32:53
Transition1 2:55
Bike 56 miles 3:53:57
Transition2 1:56
Run 13. 1 miles 3:28:236

Final time 8:00:01

It was a long day but I finished. It was a choppy swim, a very windy bike & a long hot run, but a wonderful & well-supported race. Thanks to the support of my wonderful teammates & family for cheering & waiting for me at the finish.
The most inspiring moment was seeing the blind athlete multiple times on the run course going strong with his guide. It's so easy to do something hard, when you are inspired by someone who is doing something harder.

I felt stronger than I did during Eagleman Ironman 70.3 in 2007 -- even though it took me longer, it was a much better race for me. It was a more challenging course, but in many ways I was more prepared for it.

Most ironic part: my 2 goals for this race were 1. not to walk up any hills on the bike 2. finish in 8 hours, feeling good.

Goal 1: completed
Goal 2: well, you saw my time for the race! I missed 8 hours by one second. But, I did stop a couple times to kiss & hug my kids, so I guess it was worth it!

Photos: I'm still working on finding some! I'll keep you posted.

Sandman Triathlon Race Results for 2009

2009-09-21T06:23:00.000-07:00

I finished Sandman just before 10 a.m. Results were in my email box at 11:38 a.m. That has got to be a record! The awards were still going on at Luna Sea down the street! Amazing!

Anyway, Here are my results from yesterday's race:

Sandman 2009 Total time, 1:54:50.35

The breakdown:

Your Swim time was 20:25.20 (1000 meters) in a very rough ocean

T1 2:54.45
Your Bike time was 50:29.55 (14 miles)

T2 1.21
Your 5K time was 39:40.15

The weather was perfect. It was cool, about 65 degrees, sunny and a it windy. It was a fun race, although I was fatigued on the bike (not enough training on the bike). To my surprise this time was nearly a PR. I'm not sure why, but I decided to wear a wetsuit. Big mistake. I hate swimming in a wetsuit. I knew that but thought for some reason this time would be different. I spent alot of time freaking out in the water because it was so tight around my neck I felt like I was choking. Believe it on not, I almost quit on the swim. I was so panicked I wasn't sure I could do it. I spent alot of time not swimming. Grabbing at my neck, floating on my back trying to calm down, doing side stroke.Then, I decided that quitting wasn't an option. And that I wasn't going to die from it being so tight around my neck, so I might as well swim faster so I could get the damn wetsuit off faster. In the end everything was OK, but I do have a wetsuit for sale!

Sandman 2008 1:55:28.15
Sandman 2007 1:54:17
Sandman 2006 1:57:53.8

Good News, My First Ever First, VBLA Race Report

2009-08-01T06:22:00.000-07:00

I know, delayed results. But what do you expect for a somewhat neglected blog?

Last week 5 of us girls from Richmond, drove to Virginia Beach to swim in the Virginia Beach Lifesaving Series 3k swim. Result: all of us had a great race! Three of the girls were testing out wetsuits for Ironman Flordia. Me, you know I'm not a huge fan of wetsuits, so I swam Plain Jane. Luckily, I did remember to put on sunscreen!

The water was perfect, calm, rolling waves, and a clear day. It was beautiful. No jellyfish. And, I had a pretty good swim. For the first time EVER I came in first in my age group in a race. Now, to fully understand this, you have to know I was totally excited about this even when I though I was the ONLY one in my age group! Imagine my surprise when I saw that there were actually 5 of us.

Here are my results:

Holland 3k, 40(overall) 1(age group)51:16:00 (3k time)26:04:00 (1.5k split)

I came in 40th overall of about 60 swimmers. And, I had a negative split!
They lost my registration, and had to write me in at the last minute -- so hence my botched name, but I'll take it anyway!

If anyone is looking for a well run open water swim, this is it! The 5k is August 23rd. I highly recommend it! When the race is over, the guards even drive you back to your car in the lifeguard truck. Nothing like riding down the beach at 20 mph with the wind in your face to realize, wow, that really was a long swim!

Race Results: I Love the Tavern

2009-06-29T12:45:00.001-07:00

The I LOVE the Tavern Triathlon race
results are finally posted!
Good news! I did PR on the race overall, but
most importantly, I PR'd on the run, which was my goal.
I was the third Athena out of the water on the swim.
And I had the second fastest bike split.
It is so obvious to me now what I need to do:
work on my RUN! Although I PR'd, if I was 2 minutes
faster I could have placed.
I did give it my all yesterday. I felt great and
had alot of fun.
I LOVED seeing all those TRIgirls out on the course,
and I loved getting to cheer on the other athletes.

Here are my stats from the last
3 years of the Tavern race:

2009 2008 2007
Swim 750m 15:42 15:29 18:43
T1 1:40 2:44 2:53
Bike 18.89 1:06:07 1:05:24 1:04:10
T2 1:43 1:57 1:04
Run 39:38 42:06 40:52
Total time 2:04:48 2:07:39 2:07:40

I LOVE the Tavern Tri Race Report

2009-06-28T11:43:00.000-07:00

It was a beautiful day for a triathlon. After a 15 minute delay and a slight shortening of the race course, for the first time ever I started a race on land. Typically, we tread water for 3 minutes and wait for the gun to go off. This time we were still making our way down to the water when I heard 10 second -- beep!
And we're off!

Unfortunately, with the strong current, many of the men from the 2 heats prior were still trying to make there way forward and those of us in purple caps who were faster had to swim over both red and yellow caps. There was lots of confusion, and this was both the most contact I'd ever experienced in a race and also the gentle-ist nicest elbows and feet I'd ever encountered. Yes we were all climbing over each other in an effort not to be swept downstream, but we were being polite about it.

As I climbed out of the water, slightly disoriented, and ran down the trail through the woods, someone shouted that I was the second TRIgirl out of the water. I grabbed my bike and mounted it only to have lots of trouble clipping in. About 5 people passed me as I tried to clip in, and thankfully, I didn't fall.

The bike course was full of passing and getting passed. I was pretty tired starting the big hill at the turn around, but managed to have a good bike leg anyway. For next year I need to remember, I only need one water bottle and no bike gloves. I think both those things slowed me down.

My goal for this race was to PR on the run especially. Typically, I go all out on the swim and bike and don't save much for the run, but today I was able to hang on for the run too. I have no idea if I PR'd but fact that it was a cool day helped immensely.

The trail run was fun but took a bit of concentration no to trip on the roots. Lots of people passed me! I mean lots! But, these were they guys getting the awards.

Before I knew it they were saying I had .6 miles left and I ran it in as hard as I could. I knew there was a chance I was in the running for a medal if I picked up the speed, but all I could do was all I could do. I had a strong finish, that left me wanting more for my next race. So, more hard work, and a goal, that next year I'd like to bring home a 3rd in Athena. This is the second race this season where I've come in 4th -- which is totally fine -- but makes me think If I work at it there is no reason I couldn't get a third. The 3rd place winner beat me by about 2 minutes.

Yet another opportunity to set a goal and work towards it and set a good example for the kiddos! Oh, those kids! I absolutely LOVE seeing them cheering me on during a race! I'm so grateful their dad brought them out to cheer!

My time was 2:04 something. The past 2 years it has been 2:07 -- So I got a PR, despite a a strong current. I'll post my splits when I have them.

Getting Ready: I LOVE the Tavern

2009-06-25T11:27:00.000-07:00

I'm getting excited, it's race weekend -- I LOVE the Tavern Triathlon, my favorite local race.
Friday night is the open water swim practice with the Richmond Tri Club, Saturday is packet pick up and setting up the TRIgirl Training team tent for race day, pack my race bag and Sunday, 7 a.m. is race day!
This is the third year they've held this race and I've done it each year. Looking back on my race report from last year is funny -- I PR'd by ONE SECOND! That is completely crazy for a 2-hour race!
This year, my goal for the race is simple -- have a good time, enjoy it -- and especially enjoy the run. The swim is easy to enjoy -- it's in the James River, mostly against the current. Typically I feel at home in the water, even if it is muddy and filled with flying elbows. The bike is beautiful, and wild, mostly country roads, with one incredible hill. I hope that I fly up that hill like I did 2 weekends ago when we practiced the course -- and I hope in flying down it I enjoy the ride and don't break - despite hitting 36 mph.
The run, is a trail run, through the woods and out in to a neighborhood and then back through the woods. I love the shade that the run offers and the privacy of the trail for a moment, in between the runners passing me. This year I've been making stride in my running and I've incorporated trail running into my training for the first time. I'm hoping to feel strong on the run -- really strong and have a great finish. Oh, and a PR, if only by one second, would be nice too!
Stay tuned for the report on Sunday.

Rocketts Landing Triathlon (Duathlon)

2009-05-30T11:52:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to take a second to post the results from the Rocketts Landing Triathlon. Actually, I should say duathlon -- because the swim was canceled after a very rough James River made about half of the first wave of swimmers drift downstream from the buoys, missing the course entirely.
Here are my race results. Not pretty, but for my first duathlon, I'll take it. There is nowhere to go from here but up!
2 mile run 24:58, 40k bike 1:38:39, transtition 1:43, 10K run 1:25:06
Total time 3:30:24

This was the most beautiful race course I've ever seen. I can't wait to do it again next year, as a triathlon!

Why I've let Daydreams Back into my Life

2009-03-03T05:52:00.000-08:00

My friend John Sarvay (you know they guy who inspired me to start writing a blog in the first place) just started his sixth blog. I know. Crazy, like he doesn't have enough to do with a new baby!
Anyway, the newest blog, Floricane, is actually about his new business -- focusing on leadership coaching, organizational development, and creative facilitation. He just wrote this amazing post on daydreaming.
I've always thought daydreaming was indulgent and stopped myself from it whenever possible. Kind of sad, I know. Only recently, have I allowed myself to daydream. How has it changed my life? I don't know. I dream at night more. I hope more. And I feel more too. Actually, come to think of it, I think I deprived myself of daydreaming for so long that in allowing myself to do so -- I overdid it a bit! Funny how that happens? I guess it is just one more reminder that balance is the key! In the past 3 months, daydreams have played a critical role in my life and my future. They've allowed me to see posibility, hope and in one case even frightened me! It's amazing what your mind will do if you just let if off the leash once in a while.

Sarvay quotes a recent article on the topic in the Boston Globe:

In recent years, however, scientists have begun to see the act of daydreaming very differently. They’ve demonstrated that daydreaming is a fundamental feature of the human mind - so fundamental, in fact, that it’s often referred to as our “default” mode of thought. Many scientists argue that daydreaming is a crucial tool for creativity, a thought process that allows the brain to make new associations and connections.

The article in particular talks about how in society today we tend to use television to occupy our empty time, which keeps us from daydreaming and being creative. Daydreaming actually take practice and being able to notice insight within that daydream is key to it being productive.

For me, daydreaming (or not allowing myself to) has been a weakness. Something I was never taught to value. But isn't it interesting that our body knows what it needs. Which brings me back to the focus of this blog -- triathlons. The one time I have allowed myself a sort of daydreaming state is when I excercise. Especially swimming for endless hours or biking for endless miles. Then it is no cooincidence that I've chosen to be an endurence athlete. Before triathlons, the only other time I allowed myself to do this was when I would go for long motorcycle rides whenever I felt "antsy". And that is what the article talks about next:

Every time we slip effortlessly into a daydream, a distinct pattern of brain areas is activated, which is known as the default network. Studies show that this network is most engaged when people are performing tasks that require little conscious attention, such as routine driving on the highway or reading a tedious text. Although such mental trances are often seen as a sign of lethargy - we are staring haplessly into space - the cortex is actually very active during this default state, as numerous brain regions interact. Instead of responding to the outside world, the brain starts to contemplate its internal landscape. This is when new and creative connections are made between seemingly unrelated ideas.
"When you don't use a muscle, that muscle really isn't doing much of anything," says Dr. Marcus Raichle, a neurologist and radiologist at Washington University who was one of the first scientists to locate the default network in the brain. "But when your brain is supposedly doing nothing and daydreaming, it's really doing a tremendous amount. We call it the 'resting state,' but the brain isn't resting at all."
Recent research has confirmed the importance of the default network by studying what happens when the network is disrupted. For instance, there is suggestive evidence that people with autism engage in less daydreaming than normal, with a default network that exhibits significantly reduced activity during idle moments. In addition, more abnormal default networks in autistic subjects correlated with the most severe social deficits. One leading theory is that atypical default activity interferes with the sort of meandering memories and social simulations that typically characterize daydreams, causing people with autism to instead fixate on things in their environment.
....
What these studies all demonstrate is that proper daydreaming - the kind of thinking that occurs when the mind is thinking to itself - is a crucial feature of the healthy human brain. It might seem as though our mind is empty, but the mind is never empty: it's always bubbling over with ideas and connections.
One of the simplest ways to foster creativity, then, may be to take daydreams more seriously. Even the mundane daydreams that occur hundreds of times a day are helping us plan for the future, interact with others, and solidify our own sense of self. And when we are stuck on a particularly difficult problem, a good daydream isn't just an escape - it may be the most productive thing we can do.

So, this is a new goal for me. Allow myself not only to dream, but to have daydreams. And I'll encourage my kids to daydream too. In fact, I think I need to make some time for my husband to go paint, I have a hunch that is where he gets his daydreaming done.

For Every Curse there is a Blessing: Elite Performance & Trauma

2009-01-11T09:24:00.000-08:00

I read an article in the New York Times yesterday that just made my jaw drop. It's an article about psychiatric consultant Michael Miletic and his theory that many elite athlete's incredible focus and ability to perform comes from one of the strangest places:

He theorizes that the highly adaptive abilities of successful athletes were often formed to create a sense of invulnerability in the face of early physical and emotional hurdles. Thus, the seeds of success for some athletes -- perhaps as well for some opera singers, police officers, test pilots, surgeons -- are sown in trauma, often including physical abuse.
''Now don't take this as a blanket statement,'' said Miletic recently in his Birmingham office, ''but I have seen a significant proportion of high-achieving athletes who have come out of abusive homes. Their ability to block out pain and fear, to dissociate from their emotions, comes from their adaptive tactics to the trauma of their childhoods. It's a form of compensation.

I would argue that in order for these athletes to make the best of this traumatic childhood and turn it into something positive, they might also have to have the "resilience gene" as well.

If you read this story (and it is worth the read) you'll learn about how a hockey player lost his signature shot and found it again. And in an interesting turn of events, it turns out that this athlete could put his strong work ethic acquired from intense sports training and apply it to the work he needed to do in his therapy.

The player's willingness to be treated -- he asked his family to leave the intensive care unit so he could talk to the young psychiatrist -- and the superficiality of the insights he offered turned out to be typical of Miletic's future athletic patients. So was the thoughtfulness and enthusiasm; the player approached his initial psychotherapy with the same work ethic he brought to physical training.
But he resisted the trip into his unconscious mind. The hockey player ascribed his suicide attempt to outside pressures; the fans and news media expected him to lead a subpar team racked by dressing-room dissent. Because of this pressure, he said, he had become so unsure of himself that he even suspected his fiancee of having an affair with a teammate.
It was not until the second year of therapy that the player was ready to deal with the repressed trauma that had led to his breakdown. He had become anxious because he was soon to be married and a father, and that had stirred old ghosts.

So for me this was a fascinating story. I am no elite athlete. But I certainly can relate to this story. I wonder how many other elite and endurance athletes gain an edge from the disassociation they learned during their traumatic childhoods. It seems to every curse there is a blessing. And it is stories like these that make me keep looking for the blessing at every turn.

Goals & Remembering This is Why I Tri

2009-01-05T17:08:00.000-08:00

I met me goal for December, just barely. I made it to 2 Maramarc workouts each week (one bike and strength training and one Saturday brick) and in addition I ran at least one other day a week, sometimes even two. I just barely made my goals, because today, I found out I have strep and have had it for the last 8 days. No wonder workouts have seemed harder and I've been struggling to keep my head above water.

But, it's the workouts that keep me sane.

This week has been one of the toughest weeks in my adult life. I try to keep things in perspective but it is hard. I draw strength from my friends. From my incredible husband and my children. And from music. And, workouts clear my head and set me free if only for a moment.

This is not the first time that training and triathlons have helped me turn an important corner in my life. I try to remember why I swam across the Chesapeake Bay and why I've decided I will do an Ironman one day. It is because I can. I have the dream, the desire, and the drive to conquer my biggest fears. To be stronger than I ever thought I could be. And to always do the right thing no matter how much it hurts. Without triathlons, I'm not sure that I'd know how to bear this pain. But they have taught me to look to the finish, to see the big picture, to keep perspective and to keep my head up. They have taught me that my strength can be found in helping others and in confronting my biggest fears.

Tonight, I learned about another inspiring woman who feels the same way. And so tonight, I remember nothing is easy. And that challenges can be incredibly inspiring and an incredible source of strength. And that maybe things like this change you forever. And probably they should. And just because something hurts doesn't mean you shouldn't do it. And just because you feel alone doesn't mean you are. There is always room in a hurting heart for hope and for inspiration.

"The biggest fear I've ever had is dark water," she said. "And the biggest urge I had was to face my fear. That's why I decided to do marathon swimming. "... I imagined myself doing it. I believed."

.....[She], conquered the Manhattan Island Marathon Swim three times, using her fear of the ominous, murky deep as motivation to quickly churn through the 31-mile course along the Harlem, Hudson and East rivers.

When she first plunged into the chilly waters in 1982, she'd never swum more than two miles at a time. The water was so "black and yucky," she couldn't see her hands in front of her. She swam through old cardboard boxes, melons and rats.

"One of the other competitors ran into a corpse," she said. "They didn't finish."

But Clark did finish. Last.

She completed the course in 9 hours, 30 minutes and couldn't wait to try again. More than a year later, she posted a record time of 6:52.15, faster than any woman had gone before.

"I was that inspired," Clark said. "Marathon swimming isn't important, but the lessons are. One of the lessons I learned is that facing my fear is a parable to facing issues. Persevering, finding power in my weakness. My biggest weakness was dark water. That fear was the fuel made it possible for me to swim."

Ironman Kills Athena and Clydesdale Divisions

2008-12-13T14:57:00.000-08:00

I know, I know. MIA. I'm getting back to it. Working is just majorly stressful and that, raising a family and workouts are taking up every waking minute. Hmm. Maybe I need to sleep less.

I'll be back soon. IN the mean time, I just want to say that this SUCKS!

Inspiring Stories of Ironman Friends

2008-11-03T09:04:00.000-08:00

I am in complete awe of my Ironfriends who completed Ironman Florida this weekend. These incredible athletes continue to amaze me. Actually, I could go on and one about each of them. Each one has overcome amazing things to get to this finish line. But based on time, I'll just have to highlight two of them. Plus, the two I've chosen don't have blogs, and many of the others will write their own stories.

Iron Friends who did Ironman Florida this weekend included my swim coach Som, who crazily decided to do 6 Ironmans in a year, to celebrate his 60th birthday (no really he is 60, I know he looks 35, but it's true). Talk about an inspiration. Did I mention that he is about to be featured in AARP Magazine?! He is a local (and national) legend.
TRIgirl Kate O.
TRIgirl Kate G.
TRIgirl Shawn
TRIboy Fred
Granite Pool friend Chris Lyons
and of course the unforgettable butt-slapping TRIgirl Patty

I took a special joy in watching TRIgirl Sharon finish, because I remember one Sunday, about a year ago I was at work, and thinking of signing up for IMFL 2008 myself. I thought, who would I like to train with. No really, really like to train with, for hours upon hours of training. And Sharon was one of the first people who popped into my mind. I looked up her number, and called her when there was a brief lull at work and before I knew it the conversation was over and, she just said, we'll there's no time like the present and she had signed up. OK, to me, it seemed like a whim, but to her, perhaps she'd been pondering the leap for years. Who knows. But the look as she crossed the finish line Saturday night and her huge smile were priceless. A warm feeling ran all up and down my heart for her.

TRIgirl Charlotte is yet another amazing story. It seemed like injury after injury plagued Charlotte. But each time, she remained optimistic and hopeful. When I swam with her at her last TRIgirl swim practice, we talked about Ironman Florida for a minute. She said, with no doubt or sadness, that she did not know if she would finish in the time allotted. There was a complete calmness in her voice. Resignation that she'd done all the training she could do. And that her journey had come to an end. She seemed at complete peace with herself and with the fact that she had done all the training and perhaps would or perhaps would not finish. It was an uncomfortable moment for me. Thinking that someone who wanted this so bad, and someone who had worked so hard against all odds could achieve such a sense of peace in the acknowledgement that after all this, she still might fail. In that instant, I admired Charlotte so much for teaching me something, she certainly has an IronSpirit.
We both mentioned how in awe we were that the body could achieve this feat, when so often our own bodies resisted attempts to stay up late just to watch our friends finish And for her, like me, more often than not, we succumbed to sleep. Totally in awe of what we had not done that day, and yet our bodies resisted even efforts to stay awake.
So, when Charlotte actually did finish and with time to spare, you could see, on her face, all of that glory -- so well deserved, coming to the surface. And in that moment, I experienced complete joy for her.

Oh, and did I mention she has one of the most dedicated husbands in the world. Her husband Fred also did Ironman Florida. When I first met Charlotte and Fred, he was always with her to keep her company on each workout. After a while he started to trust us TRIgirls with his most precious posession, but you can just tell how much Fred loves Charlotte. And I LOVE that!

Ironman Hawaii 2008 World Championships Video

2008-10-21T05:04:00.000-07:00

Here is a really cool video from last week's Ironman Hawaii World Championships:

If you Fall in Love with the Ocean -- It is Love at First Sight

2008-10-13T10:16:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Sarah who shared an article about my new new hero -- Laurene Booth. She embodies what I hope to be. And her story, along with the inspiring story of Dave, Jeff and Tanner Martin show how ones actions can influence the actions of others. It's a long read, but if you need inspiration, here it is.

Some Thoughts on Ironweek

2008-10-13T03:12:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Nancy Toby for pointing me in the direction of this essay by Martin Dugard on the Ironman. I'm not sure it I agree with him, and he certainly isn't Ironstuck (like I am), but he may have a point.

Ironman Buys Ironkids Brand

2008-10-09T18:12:00.001-07:00

We all know that Ironman events are some of the best run events in the world.
I've experienced 2 events owned by the Ironman brand --Irongirl Colombia and Eagleman Ironman 70.3. The were really well run races. Now, annouced today, Ironman has bought back the IronKids brand and are launching an 8 city youth triathlon series. I can only hope that there is an event near Richmond, because I'd love for Daisy to experience that -- but I'm unlikely to drive too far for her to do it. Stay tuned for more details....

October 8, 2008 â€“ Today, World Triathlon Corporation (WTC), owners of
Ironman, Ironman 70.3 and Iron Girl, announces the growth of its brand
portfolio. In 2009, IronKids, the newest member of the WTC family, will
launch
an eight-city youth triathlon series culminating with a national
championship.
The IronKidsâ€™ mission is to inspire and motivate youth
through the sport to
lead an active, positive and healthy lifestyle. The
national event series,
targeting children ages six to 14-years-old, will
offer an interactive weekend
experience for the entire family.

An Ironman Dream Deferred

2008-10-06T09:22:00.000-07:00

I've strayed away from this blog recently. But I've been sorting it all out in my head. Plugging along, training (or not) and racing on autopilot. Ignoring the cliffhanger I posed in early June about my plans for Ironman Florida in 2009. Perhaps scared to admit that I've chosen not to do an Ironman this year. Maybe worrying that I don't have it in me. Or that I've lost focus on that goal.
But recently, I've been taking some time to think more about me. Despite a new job that is challenging to say the least -- and the fact that I'm experiencing a major learning curve while I adjust and try to master new skills -- I've taking some time out to refect on me. The kids are at school, and one day a week, I try to squeeze in just a little time to focus on my goals. It's funny how you can put everything on hold, just by having kids. I feel like I've been on auto pilot for years. Finally, I'm taking the time to reflect and make some more deliberate decisions about my future. Decisions that require more thought that just the 1 hour nap time, or 2 hours squeezed in here or there.

I've been examining my career, my role with TRIgirls, what really makes me happy, and how I can live more passionately. I mean, that is why I started my triathlon journey in the first place. I wanted to feel alive, experience life more fully and to take some controlled risks -- out of my comfort zone to challeng myself. How can I balance being a full-time mom, an athlete, a TRIgirl team leader, a loving wife, a writer, a daughter, a sister, a PR & marketing coordinator, and blogger? Can I do well at all these things at the same time? Or, does something have to give? How do I choose to give less to one of these very important things or not put my heart fully into one of them. Until I recently took the time to reflect, I might not have lived my life as deliberately as I would have liked.

But things change. We grow older (and wiser). We write and reflect. We find that we are stronger than we realized. Then, we find something we need to be stronger for.

I'm not sure how this ties in other than It's helped me understand (without fear for a change) my own mortality. About 10 days ago, 2 friends were killed in a fire. They were not close friends, but still they were friends, and more importantly they were beautiful people trying to live their dreams. My grief for them is reminding me to balance goals in my life with relationships. To balance work with play. To live my life with no regrets. To place more emphasis on the people in my life that I love and respect. I regret not getting to know Oi and Nit more while they were here and now I've lost that opportunity. And, I'm trying to turn that regret into change in my life.

So, while I still have Ironman dreams, I'm thinking maybe now is not the best time to accomplish them. My son will never be 4 again. My daughter will never be 7 again. Maybe I'll wait until they are just a bit older. And maybe if I do that, they will understand more fully the sacrifice that an training for an Ironman takes. Maybe it will impact thier life differently --maybe they will be inspired.
Perhaps in a few years, I'll be in a better stage of my life to truly appreciate what completing an Ironman means as well. Maybe I'll be able to savor each mile more carefully, knowing that my family didn't make unwilling sacrifices for me to get there. I know I don't want to feel a tinge of guilt while I am fulfilling my dream. I don't want to be selfish.

And, I find myself coming back to last summer's posting about weight, self-esteem and the Ironman Pill. I mean if you are going to do an Ironman, you better do it for the right reasons right? I figure if I am not at my best self when I start the training, I likely won't make it to the starting line on race day. If I'm not doing it for the right reasons, and with the full support of everyone in my life, I doubt I'll have the fortitude to finish. My Ironman dreams need to be based on just me -- not improving self-esteem, or proving something to someone. Not even proving something to myself. Maybe some people would find that the Ironman completes them, or makes them whole, but for me, I know that if I am going to be sucessful at this, I need to be complete and whole from the day I sign up. And my Ironman, If I ever get there, will be the icing on the cake.

After getting a comment last week from someone who wanted to include my Great Chesapeake Bay Swim story in a book they are writing about the Bay Swim, I revisited my race report and realized that I still have alot to learn. My journey is just begining. And if I'm going to do an Ironman, I want to do it right and be able to enjoy each moment of it, and I don't just mean the race.

So, I'm still on my journey to Ironman. It's just that getting there for me might take a little longer.

Happily, I'll still get to be a TRIgirl team leader, with more of the work picking up when my job ends in June. Coach G is so understanding and flexible. And, I think she realizes how much TRIgirls means to me. And in the mean time, as I get an handle on my new job, I'm hoping, with a little hard work, everything else will fall into place.

Sandman Triathlon Race Results 2008

2008-09-15T18:10:00.000-07:00

I finally got my race results from Sandman. I was lucky number 173. The good news, is I placed 3rd in the swim -- averaging 3.06 kph. Don't you just love how they break it down like that, like you are going to travel across the country swimming? I guess is pretty good considering it included the run from the water all the way up the beach.

OK, Here are my splits
Swim 1K: 19:38.20 (no wetsuit)
T1 3:12.70 (slow!)
Bike 46:32.20 19.0mph -- wow, that sounds fast! in fact, it was faster than last year, but they changed the course so it was less windy and more shady, so it's hard to compare to last year's 48:09 averaging 17.4 mph. Actually, last year surprisingly, I had the second fastest bike split. This year, I was 8th, if that is any indication.
T2 1:58.50 (slow again, I need to get Mr. Preschool to put my Yankz! in. I don't even have lace locks. what is wrong with me? Am I a triathlete or what?

Run: 44:06.55 OMG it was H-O-T. I heard that it was 97 degrees, but that may have just been the heat index -- it was 90% humidity. The icey cold ocean was awesome after the race. That is all I wanted, was to stay there....forever. Kids were ready to go though so I pulled myself out.

Overall time for Sandman 1:55:28.15 -- Not a PR, but not too bad either. I really need to start running again! That is what I learned from this race! My run was 4 minutes slower -- it had alot to do with the heat, and my lack of desire to run recently!

Also during this race, I took a shower on the boardwalk, kissed Redfish in transition, and run across the finish line with not one but two kids!

Sandman 2007 1:54:17
Sandman 2006 1:57:53.8

Sandman Triathlon Photos, Redfish's 4th Birthday

2008-09-15T08:23:00.000-07:00

The night before the race, granting Redfish's wish -- to ride in a surry we pedaled -- he road in front like a king, watching it all and waving. Totally ruined my legs for raceday but it was worth it!! he he.

I had a great swim. Was finally able to stay focused the entire time.

This year, both kids got to run me in!

And, back in the ocean at the end! One of the many great things about Sandman. The support out there was amazing. Thanks for everyone who cheered me on -- on the bike and the run!

The Cancelled Patriot Half & Simply Stu

2008-09-05T18:42:00.000-07:00

Man, I can't believe I'm letting things slide so much. Between the kids going back to school (Redfish starts Monday) and getting ready to start my new job at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden on Tuesday, I've let things get away from me. For one, I've been blogging like crazy over at the Near West End News. And, I've been putting in alot of hours on my other new job managing the Facebook page for the Richmond Region and Richmond InsideOut. on top of all that, I've been trying to train for Sandman the day after Redfish's 4th birthday -- on September 14th.
I know, enough excuses! Finally, I'm writing because of a comment that someone left on my blog. Marcus was complaining about how Set Up Inc has handled the cancelling of the Patriot Half Triathlon scheduled for Saturday, due to Tropical Storm Hanna.

Ladies,I just saw that the race has been canceled and that they are going to
give us 50% credit! If anyone else thinks that this is absolutely unacceptable,
please join with me! As I see this, they run a business. In business, you take
risks. In business, if you cannot deliver your good or service for ANY reason,
your customer does not pay. I do plan to write to the race director and USA
Triathlon

When Sandman was cancelled 5 years ago due to similar circumstances the response was much better. Not only did they reschdule the race for several weeks later, but also they offered an alternative -- if you weren't free during the reschedule date or didn't want to race for some reason you were given free admission into the next years race. In my case, it was a total loss -- I was pregnant with Redfish the next year and couldn't race at all -- but still I never felt short changed. In this case, not only is SetUp not offering a make up race, but also they are pocketing 50% of the fee which could be as much as half of $220. SetUp is a large company with many races. Surely they could have expanded the Duke Liver Half (on Sept. 14) to accomdate folks who have trained for many months for this event. Or at least allowed as many folks as possible to switch over for free. This morning there were 35 spots left. Currently, there are 13 spots left.

On our team, we have 2 women who were set to do their first Half Ironman race, and had trained for it since last winter. Why isn't SetUp trying to reschedule the race or otherwise accomodate these athletes? I'd hate to think it is just about money to them.

On another more positive note, I'd like to just say thank you and give a shout out to Simply Stu out in Wisconsin. Some of you may remember last winter when my husband made a video about me and TRIgirls and I competed to get on Team EvoTri. Well Stu is on Team Evotri. He is a legend in the triathlon world (or at least the internet techy triathlon world). He symbolizes the comraderie and love for this sport that so many of love and try to represent ourself. He inspired my kids to do their first ever triathlon - the World Wide Triathlon. And, check this out:

Among his accolades, Stu is also the personality behind the Simply Stu Triathlon
Podcast, which has consistently ranked in the top 100 sports podcasts on iTunes.
The show has been featured on iTunes and has been ranked #2 of amateur sports
podcasts. He is the team manager for Evotri.

Anyway, to make a long story short, Stu, awesome guy that he is, took Dr. Rick, Coach Blake and Aimee G. all around Wisconsin, showing them the Ironman Wisconsin bike course, helping them upgrade their wardrobe at the local running shop, etc. All in an effort to get ready for the big race on Sunday. I'm sure this is typical for Stu, 'cause he's such a rockstar and all, but I really appreciate our folks from Richmond getting a warm welcome from such a great guy, who is so dedicated to the sport.
Good luck Dr. Rick, Coach Blake and Aimee! Have a great time, wish I was there to cheer you on.

Virginia Beach Lifesaving Association 5K Ocean Swim

2008-08-16T17:27:00.000-07:00

Quick race cap. I finished. I placed 2nd and got my first hardwear EVER! The downside is there were only 2 or 3 of us in my age group. Not sure. I came in 28th overall.
I got the worst jelly fish sting EVER!! on my face -- right below my eye. Thank God for my goggles or i'd have been stung in the eye. I think there were only 2 jelly fish. no one else got stung. I got another on my leg. One jellyfish in all of VA Beach and I hit it on the way down and the way back! My shower tonight, 6 hours later revealed tenticles in my suit! ouch.
I predicted a 2 hour finish. I think I finished in 1:55 or so . Although it was a perfect day and the ocean looked like glass. But there was a pretty good current. I swallowed alot of saltwater. In fact my throat still burns from the salt.
highly recommend this race for TRIgirls next year. ROAD TRIP!!
More details later. off to bed.

Sharks in the Pool? Oh My!

2008-08-15T10:43:00.000-07:00

Well, Coach Adam won the sperm helmet. It is OK by me! But I will miss getting that photo of me and ANNN in our matching dork helmets.

I dropped my Y membership today. Too expensive. But I will miss those Masters swims with Ironwoman Canada. I hear she'll be out for a while anyway, which will make it less painful to lose.
In the meantime, I'm off for my 5K Ocean Swim in Virginia Beach. I'm feeling nervous about it. I keep thinking about the sharks, which is funny, becuase that never even crossed my mind at Sandman all these years. Maybe it's the fact that I'll likely be in the water 2 hours that has me thinking I need to worry. Last night, one of the regulars, Rick, brought his daughter to swim in the fast lane. She was so fast, that when I caught her out of the corner of my eye I did think she was a shark. I guess that is just where I am right now. Everyone has their demons. Today mine are sharks.

Looking for a Tie-Breaker in the Bfit Bday Challenge

2008-08-10T18:55:00.000-07:00

Thanks for all your votes gang!
I am currently tied with Coach Adam -- we each have 43.9 percent in the Bfit Bday challenge where we swam, bike and ran our age. If you haven't voted yet, go vote....I have no idea how long the voting will last.

TRIgirl Mentioned in Richmond Magazine's Best (& Worst) of Richmond Edition

2008-08-02T03:08:00.000-07:00

This is a cross post with the TRIgirl Training blog.

Richmond Magazine's Best & Worst of Richmond edition just came out. Guess what? TRIGirl Training came in runner-up in the "Best 10K Training Program." Our members love us, and so will you!

You can pick up a copy at newstands or Ukrops. They don't run the whole story online, because they'd like you to buy it.

If you'd like to come to a workout and give our team a "TRI" just email us to let us know you are coming. We'd love to meet you.

Here is the email address in code form so those spambots don't get us:randison[at]TRIgirltraining[dot]com

My New Hero -- A Triathlete

2008-07-30T16:23:00.000-07:00

I have a new hero: A triathlete, Casey Peirce, who dove into fridgid waters in Canada to save a couple who had capsized in their canoe. The story is amazing. What a gift she gave them -- the gift of life.

Despite the danger of diving into the frigid mountain water near Canmore, a
Calgary triathlete risked her safety to rescue a pair of boaters whose canoe had
capsized, dragging them and their boat to shore.
Casey Peirce, 30, was on a
bicycle ride with family near Spray Lakes Saturday night, when the group heard
two people in the water yelling for help.
They saw a man and woman about a
kilometre from shore clinging to their overturned canoe and Peirce, a strong
swimmer, dove in for them.
"To be honest I thought twice about jumping in
because I know how cold that water is," said Peirce, who works at the Canadian
Sports Centre in Calgary.
"But I had recently done a triathlon and I knew I
had the training to do it."

She said it took 15 minutes to swim out to the couple, but
at least 45 minutes to swim back with them in tow, her sister Darcy dialling 911
from shore.
Peirce said she knew that since the couple had already been in
the water for an hour, and the woman was mostly submerged, that they didn't have
a lot of time left before they might have succumbed to the cold water.
"When
I got to them, I first asked them if they were injured, but they were both too
cold to speak," Peirce said.
"I knew by the time anyone else got to them, it
would be too late."
The swim proved trying for the triathlete, as she towed
the canoe with a rope tied around her waist, her hands too cold to pull it.

Church Shooting in Tennessee Hits Home

2008-07-28T21:19:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, around 2 p.m. I heard a report on NPR that 7 people had been shot at a Unitarian Universalist Chuch. I was working, and I did not catch the full story, but , having grown up a Unitarian, and knowing that there are aren't many UU churches, I rushed to the computer found out what church they were talking about. ...Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church in Knoxville, Tenn.

My friend Kim Kredich, who founded Triathlonmoms (the predecessor to TRIgirl Training) and her husband Matt Kredich, TriMom's swim coach (and the swim coach formerly at UR) are members of that church. Our children are roughly the same age. When they lived here, they went to "First Church", or First Unitarian Chuch of Richmond. Kim was always involved with the children's performances here, and even lead and inclusive kids orchestra, for any child who wanted to make music.

Fragmented news reports kept coming in:

7 people injured.... Some with severe head wounds. ....Man pulled out a
shotgun....during a children's performance....1 now dead. 2 now dead.

I called a mutual friend. She didn't know anything.
Finally, I got off of work and called Kim and Matt's house. A message on their machine stated that they were safe. And, a wave of relief ran over me. Because you don't realize how special Kim and Matt are. They are amazing people. The kind of folks who draw others in with their positive energy and magnetism. They are just the best, kindest, most resilient people. And, they are safe.

But, not everyone was. The Washington Post Reports:

A burly usher, 60-year-old Greg McKendry, was hailed as a hero for shielding
others from gunfire as other church members rushed to wrestle the gunman to
the ground. Police arrived at 10:21 a.m., three minutes after getting the
911 call and arrested Adkisson.
No children were hurt, but eight people were shot,
including the two who died _ McKendry and Linda Kraeger, 61.
When the first shot rang out at the rear of the sanctuary, many church
members thought it might be part of the play or a glitch in the public
address system. Some laughed before turning around to see the shooter and
his first victims covered in blood.

....

A four-page letter found in Jim D. Adkisson's SUV indicated that he targeted
the Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church because "he hated the
liberal movement" and was upset with "liberals in general, as well as gays,"
according to Knoxville Police Chief Sterling Owen IV. Adkisson, 58, had
a shotgun and 76 shells with him when he entered the church Sunday during a
children's performance of the musical "Annie." Six adults were wounded in the
attack. Owen said the letter indicated that Adkisson did not expect to leave
the church alive.

The Washington Post quoted the pastor in an op-ed piece in the local paper as bringing the church's liberal views to the forefront of the community.

"In the midst of political and religious controversy, I choose to love my
neighbors as myself," Buice [the minister] wrote in an op-ed piece published in March.
"Ultimately, I believe that tolerance, compassion and respect are the qualities
we need to keep Knoxville and East Tennessee beautiful."

Thank God for the bravery of the people who jumped the guy.

Update: I just found out that Kim and Matt and the boys were not at church at all on Sunday. A blessing for them. But does not change the facts in this crazy shooting.

Voices of the Olympics, Blogging Like Never Before

2008-07-28T04:25:00.000-07:00

We all know I love blogs! Which is why I'm so glad that I found the Voices of the Olympic Games athlete blogging website. Athletes are blogging about their experience at the Bejing Olympics on Lenovo Ideapad notebooks. The best part? It is athletes from all over the world, some blogging in English, but many blogging in their native tongue.

Whoever made this website did a great job. You can sort the blogs by country, sport and language. Or by all three.

I know I'll be spending alot of time here over the next 3 weeks. Check it out, I bet you will too.

I Turned 35, B Day B Fit Race Report

2008-07-24T11:37:00.000-07:00

I can't write a long race report, but I wanted to share with you this cool photo of me and my friend Stacia after I was almost finished with the Bday Bfit Birthday Challenge on Tuesday, July 22, the day before my 35th birthday. (I finished the last mile running when I got home).

I started my challenge at 6 a.m. in the pool with the Tuckahoe Masters. Then swam some more, and more, until I'd hit 3 miles. After drinking some much needed coffee, I ran 4 miles on a treadmill (saving 1 precious mile for later, so I could make an appointment). Then home for a few hours with the kids. Oh, and a huge (for me) job interview!

I decided to push my biking back until 5:45 p.m. because it was so damn hot! I think the heat index was 110, but the real temp was certainly around 100 degrees. After the first 6 mile lap at West Creek, I had no idea if I would actually finish this thing in 24 hours for the "gold" designation. I was thinking silver looked pretty awesome, so I could ride my bike in some cooler weather. Thank God the sun went partially behind the trees and things became much more possible all of a sudden. TRIgirl Linda rode with me and Stacia for 2 laps, and then went home to her family for dinner. Hmm. That sounds good, I thought. Stacia had never ridden more than 24 mile before and I certainly didn't expect her to ride 35 with me in this heat, but as the night got cooler, I could see that she might! We had a "cupcake transition" around 7:45 or so. I really wasn't thinking I could stomach a cupcake, but surprise, it was a good idea, and kept me from bonking! Something I really needed since the last 2 laps were filled with the windy gusts of a coming storm (always a headwind of course). We finished up around 9 p.m. after taking a few water breaks. Yes it was dark. And yes, Stacia rode her longest ride ever -- 35 miles, and was such a trooper to stay with me! I might even say that we had fun doing it!

I decided to run at home, or perhaps even run/walk at home with a glass of wine in my hand for the last mile. Yes, I felt like since I was still 34 for a few more hours, I should savor that last one, until I was officially 35. Oh, and If I didn't hurry up, it would be too late, by the time I got home and drank some much needed water it was 9:30. As I unloaded my bike, the storm that we encountered on our bike ride had arrived. The lightning was off in the distance a little, but if you know me, you know I'm terrified of lighting. OK, not terrified, just a little bit too careful around it. My kids aren't embarrassed to tell you that their mom sleeps on the floor during lightning storms because sleeping in a 4 poster brass bed, that would just be stupid! I ran one of my fastest miles since forever because I was so scared. I toyed with the idea of not finishing my last mile, but quickly put that idea out of my head. I mean, a mile is a mile. Thank goodness I'm not afraid of the dark! I ran quickly, sans wine, avoiding metal posts and tall trees like the plague. I mean how stupid would I be if I got hit by lightning doing something like this? As the storm rolled in, I turned around, and barely made my mile in before the rain started. Yes, I made it to 35 in one piece. And it was exhilarating. And when I got home, then I had my glass of wine.

Total time, including my cupcake transition & water stops: 5 hours and 55 minutes and 48 seconds

Swim 3 miles: 2:05. 11 by the time I got out of the pool and remembered to stop my watch

Run 5 miles (split): First 4 miles 53 minutes, last mile 11.5 minutes

Bike 35 miles : hmm, I didn't press my split button, for the breakout, so I'm guessing 2:46 or so.

The Tour de Google

2008-07-10T12:17:00.000-07:00

I just found an old swimteam buddy on FaceBook, and when I linked to his his brother's webpage, another friend of mine, Bob Cesca. I came across this on his blog. I thought you all might enjoy it.
I still can't watch the Tour. I wonder if this will suffice?

More Inspiration from a SwimmerMom

2008-07-07T18:29:00.000-07:00

I hope that the inspiration keeps coming. Dara Torres, 41, just set an American record for the 50 meters freestyle. She is the mom of a 2-year-old.

In this YouTube video, from last year, she explains how it feels, to be a competator and a mom at 41. Thanks to Phaedra and Becky for pointing me in her direction.

Ironman Dreams ....This is Why

2008-07-07T06:08:00.000-07:00

I've been needing some inspiration. Perhaps you have too? Go ahead, check it out. XT4, over in Madison, Wi. is blogging his heart out. Something I just might want to ponder again someday soon.
I've been here. Have you?

Because the first time I swam 25 yards I thought probably that would be
about it. Until I could swim 50. Then 100.
Last weekend I got on my bike at 4:45am. Clear dawn was rising on the left side of my road, and the end of a sinister thunderstorm was looming on the right side of the road. Between them, inviting me to ride into it, was a rainbow. I thought, who else sees this now?
People who choose to ride a bicycle at 4:45am, they've lost a bit of their
minds. But it's only when you lose your mind that you see some of the best the
world is.Those who hear not the music think the dancer mad.

....Yes, it is. It is that big of a deal. It is that hard. It really is.
That's sort of the point.
The rest are just details. The rest figures itself out. There's never a
"good time". It's never going to ideally suit your universe. You'll never think
to yourself, "Geez, you know what I'm in the mood for? Madness." It will always
be hard, you will always have to work to find the balance, it will never make
sense to everybody, often not even yourself. And that, too, is part of the
journey, and part of the forging. If you have to talk yourself into it, then
wait until your time comes. Until you're drawn in. Until the current takes you.
But if you're just making excuses...well then. Life is short. Get in
already.

The Amazing Wheel, Better than Zipps

2008-06-30T11:58:00.000-07:00

Did I mention that the wheel I raced on yesteday is also the same wheele (and tube, and tire) that I ran over? After replacing the skewer, things seemed relatively OK. It's a good thing I didn't cry over it!

I Love the Tavern Race Report

2008-06-30T11:55:00.001-07:00

Yesterday was a good day. I had a great time at the I Love the Tavern race. Results were slow in coming and were just posted, but here they are. Get this, I PR'd by ONE second!

This year
Swim 15:29 last year 18:43
T1 2:44 last year 2:53
Bike 18.89 miles 1:05:24 last year 104:10
T2 1:57 last year 1:04 (this year forgot to put my Yanks in)
Run 42:06 last year 40:52
Total 2:07:39 last year 2:07:40

Last year, in my race report, I can see the current was stronger. I remember it being a bit of a tougher swim than this year. This year, I definitely could have pushed harder on the run. To be honest, I set one goal for this race -- to get up that friggin' hill without walking. And, I did that. My second goal was to PR. Did that too.

My only complaint: They tried to mark the inside of our arms at the top of the giant hill bike turnaround. This was totally crazy. The space for turning was incredibly small, a narrow 2-laner with no shoulder. Needless to say, it was thrilling and a bad idea! The girl behind me fell. I likely would have too, but decided to take the catch me if you can approach.

The most rewarding part of the day: The TRIgirls got the Great Ball of Fire Spirit Award, which I got to accept on behalf of the team! We had fun. We rocked the course. We cheered for our teamates. We cheered for others. We thanked the volunteers. We had a great race.

It is all a Balancing Act

2008-06-23T12:27:00.000-07:00

I'm looking forward to my first triathlon of the season, I Love the Tavern Triathlon, on Saturday. I've afraid to say I've been feeling a little burned out and I'm hoping that doing one of my favorite races will bring me back from feeling that way.

Regardless, I've made some decisions. I've decided against the Richmond Marathon this year. And, I've decided against the Patriot Half. I'm not sure how this will affect my 2009 season if I decide to do Ironman Florida, which doesn't seem likely.

I kept thinking, Ironman Florida or go back to work. Now, I'm thinking maybe going back to work is best for my family. Ironman Florida can wait.

I feel like while I started training to add balance to my life and my family (which was way to focused on just my 2-year-old) ....now I'm at the other end of the spectrum. The one week I followed the Patriot Half schedule when I was not away from the kids training, I was too tired to give them much or be there for them. A 6 mile run that would take most folks less than an hour, takes me an hour and a half. And then the biking and swiming on top of that was too much. With Mr. Preschool working on his PhD. with night classes, I just feel like I really need to be there more for my family. Stay tuned....maybe things will change after Saturday.

Believe it or not, it was not the Worst Workout Ever

2008-06-17T17:44:00.000-07:00

I was emailing my lil' sis today. She made the mistake of asking how my workout this morning was, now that I've decided I actually have to do them ALL and can't use the Bay Swim as an excuse.
Big Mistake.
Her: How was your workout??? Sorry I missed you!
Me: hhm great except i ran over my tire with my car.
i am not kidding.
Her: YOUR TIRE OR YOUR WHEEL????????
Me: Both
Need I say more? I've been meaning to get out of the habit of leaning my front wheel against the back of the car while I put the bike on my roof. Now, I'll stop doing that for sure.

Then, I proceded to put the smooshed wheel in my back seat and run 5 miles of hills. I did not even....cry!

The 4.4 Mile Great Chesapeake Bay Swim Race Report

2008-06-09T11:12:00.000-07:00

I guess I should start in telling this story be telling you where my journey began. I'm not sure what year it was, perhaps it was 1983 when I was 10, or perhaps it was several years later. I read an article in The Washington Post. It was a first person account of swimming across the Chesapeake Bay -- some kind of officially organized event.....The author described hearing this kayaker blow a lifeguard whistle repeatedly. The author/swimmer couldn't figure out what he was doing wrong, was he breaking some rule? Going off course? Later he found out that the man swimming beside him was blind and was following the sound of the whistle to get across the Bay.

I'm not exactly sure why, but I found this incredibly moving. My dad is blind and I have watched him year after year as his sight has diminished. Bit by bit, it seems my dad was swallowed whole by his vision loss. And with each year there was less and less that he could do. In contrast, here was someone who was accomplishing something great, doing something that many many sighted people wouldn't dream of attempting, and he was doing it in spite of his blindness. The blind swimmer had found a way to strip the power from his blindness. And while I watched my father take one path, I knew that when I grew up, whatever hardships I was dealt in my life, I wanted to be like the blind swimmer, not my dad. I guess to help you understand this I should mention, that I have no idea what it would be like to go blind. I can't imagine the pain that my father has endured at having his sight taken away from him bit by bit over all of those years of my childhood. But before you question me for judging him, I should also tell you that the blindness he has is heredetary. And while I am not a high risk to be blind myself, I could. Growing up, I had doctors visit after doctors visit where they were always testing me for it. And, I was always on the lookout for it come up behind me like a shadow over my shoulder. And more than one time in my life, I was convinced that I was going to lose my sight too. Mentally, I spent many years preparing myself to suffer the same fate, and many years I tried to push myself on the path of the blind swimmer, so if fate dealt me that card I would handle it better than my father, who allowed himself to be defined by his illness, growing more bitter and frustrated each day.
Simply stated, I was amazed -- that there could be someone who responded to his fate so differntly than my dad. At that time, I was not inspired to swim the bay myself, but just inspired by the will of that man. The passion, the desire for life. By the iron will that he found and the strength and courage he displayed, to try something great in the face of adversity.

Years later, in my 30's after doing triathons for a while, on some race calendar or on some blog, somehow I was reminded again of the The Great Chesapeake Bay Swim. Instantly, I remembered being so moved by that article when I was so much younger. I searched for several hours trying to locate it in the Washington Post archives, but with no luck. I did learn the history of the Bay Swim though, and read a newer article about open water swimming by Caroline Kettlewell, who I actually got to meet at the swim.

Then, the thought crossed me. I could swim. Triathlons had served as a vehicle for me to realize that I could swim across the Chesapeake Bay if I put my mind to it. Last year, at this same time, I had conquered many fears and obstacles to complete my first half-iron distance race, Eagleman. That took me over 7 and a half hours and over 6 months of intense training. I could certainly swim the 4.4 miles of the bay. I'd done the 1.2 miles in the VERY choppy waters at Eagleman in 39 minutes. I guess this is what made me think I might actually complete the Bay Swim in 2 and a half hours or so.

After researching the history of the bay swim, I realized that maybe I was getting in a little over my head. Not only did I have to qualify for the swim, but also, I had to enter a lottery to be selected to participate.

Then I read this information on the Great Bay Swim website:

Is it dangerous?Among the difficulties that may be encountered during the
average 2 hour 25 minute swim are flailing arms and legs during the "Cuisinart
start," cross currents, swells, chop, hypothermia if the water is cold, nettle
stings if the water is warm, and collisions with the bridge supports or rocks
surrounding the jetties, islands and causeways.The National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has measured tidal, current and weather
conditions prior to the event and compared the results with predicted
conditions to determine the optimum starting time for the event. How does
it affect the race?As a result, 79-97 % of the starters finished the race in the
last 5 years. Prior to this, in 1991 and 1992, a strong ebb current of about 2
knots in the main channel beneath the 200-feet high spans (one and a half miles
from the start) precluded all but the strongest and most determined
swimmers from finishing the event (only 15-19 % finished the swim).

And, for some reason, I still signed up.
As I talked to other swimmers who'd done the race, I realized that the swim was a spiritual experience for many, not just me. Atheletes would travel from Japan, Canada, and from the West Coast. I envisioned a peaceful swim -- floating in the middle of the Bay, looking up at the giant spans. I imagined swimming and thinking about that blind swimmmer. And, I imagined remembering the last right of passage I'd taken almost exactly 15 years ago to the day, when I made a symbolic break from my parents and went out on my own. In a sort of a passage to adulthood, I took my first long motorcycle trip overnight and by myself and crossed this very same bridge on the way to Rehobeth Beach. I would think about my Grandma Jane, the only grandparent I ever knew, and the stories of how she was so scared to cross the Bay Bridge that she would take valium and then and drive her carfull of young children across. I would reflect on my own journey. My fear of sharks. My fear of drowning. My fear of dying. The incredible respect that I have for the open water, and mother nature. I imagined reflecting on my decision to finally sign up for an Ironman. I imagined feeling victorious when I finished the swim across.

But, The Great Chesapeake Bay Swim was not at all what I thought it would be. The places that I imagined struggling, I did not struggle. The places that I envisioned enjoying, and being in awe of were not what I imagined either. And, no matter how much you might not think it will affect you, being a little fish in a big pond certainly changed the race for me.

I started off feeling strong because I'd made it through the rough kicking of the brutal open water start. I still had my goggles. No one had swam over me. (I didn't get kicked very hard in the chest by a huge guy until much later in the swim, and thankfully, he turned around and said he was sorry). I had planned to stay with TRIgirl 40 for the first quarter mile, but lost her in the frantic start.
"I am actually doing it," is all I could keep thinking. "Take it easy, don't kick, save your legs for the end. "
I should mention here that I decided not to wear my wetsuit. Since it is a long story, and you are already getting way more detail than you expected, I'll just leave it at that. Fate had decided that no wetsuit would be worn. It was warm enough, and I wasn't going to win or anything. I figured that not wearing it would slow me down a bit, but not keep me from finishing or anything. It seemed like a fine decision.
As I was swimming along, finally under the bridge, and feeling comfortable, I let doubt creep in. My left foot was falling asleep. Hmm. Maybe my anklechip strap was on too tight? I better stop and loosen it. Bad idea. I had visions of it sinking to the bottom of the bay. But worse, I noticed that as soon as I stopped to adjust, I started floating off to the side under the bridge. OMG, I'd hit the current. Folks swam by me quickly. I adjusted it and then swam a few strokes. Hmm. No that isn't right, it's too loose, it's going to fall off. Stopped and adjusted it tighter. Really loosing ground now, I kicked it into high gear, swimming at a higher speed and actually kicking, but going nowhere. The current was incredibly strong. I'd lost my rhythm. I'd lost my mojo. I swam at an angle directly for the other span of the bridge thinking -- now or never. I looked up and noticed I was starting to go under the span. If I did go any farther, they could disqualify me and pull me from the water. What was I going to do? I hadn't even hit the first mile marker? or had I? I always knew there was a chance this could happen, but I never expected it to be so soon, I wasn't tired, I just got distracted. I didn't feel any exhertion at all, just panicky because no matter how hard I stroked, I was still not making any progress forward. The taste and smell of diesel fuel and oil from the boats was potent and I could not seem to get away from it.

I knew from other open water swims that the current would affect the slowest swimmers most. And I worried for the first time that I would fail completely. What if it was like this the entire rest of the swim? How long would I fight, not knowing if I would ever go anywhere or if it would ever get easier?

I kept at it. I lost all track of time. I focused just on pulling each hand through the water. I focused on rocking from side to side. I thought about my form and tried to remember to breath on both sides. Then, all of a sudden, people were swimming over me. Pink and green caps from the fast heat (that left 15 minutes later than us) were passing me like I was standing still. It reminded me of when you are on the highway, going the speed limit and someone comes flying past in the fast lane going 90 mph. I felt like I was stuck in place. I felt defeated. I never thought of myself as fast, but also, never had been passed like I was standing still. I tried to sight ahead. Nothing. I looked around and no one was around. No red caps from my heat. But I'd managed to make it away from the left span. I wasn't being taken upstream anymore. I was solidly in the center.

I thought about my family coming across the bridge to see me at the finish. We'd planned it that way, so they would drive across while I was swimming across. My awesome Aunt Sally and Uncle Wendell who had not only put us up at their river house, but also stood in the 110 degree heat while I swam. For hours. I looked at my watch. I'd been swimming for 1 hour and 22 minutes. I still couldn't see the 2nd mile marker buoy. I started to think about how the time cutoffs seemed so generous. Now, I wondered if I was going to make them. I tried to draft off a pink or a green cap that came now in a slower fashion. I couldn't hang on. Everyone around me was wearing wetsuits. I could feel pockets of cold come across me so quickly, it made me shiver. And then suddenly a freezing blast of water. I kid you not, I got a brain freeze from the cold water current. Then, I thought about hypothermia and wondered if I should even be out here with no wetsuit. Despite my layer of insulation, I was freezing, my body was fine. But my face, and my head hurt from the cold water. I thought of Lynne Cox swimming across Antartica, and found some comfort there. I knew, I would be OK if I could keep moving. If she could swim through ice, i could certainly swim through this! I found another red cap, and found that if I drafted off him at his feet, that he stirred up the warm surface water enought to make it not seem quite so cold on my face. I noticed he was wearing just the smallest Speedo and no goggles. I was about to ask him if he lost them and then realized that was ridiculous.

And then, like a mirage in a desert I saw it: the big red 2 mile marker and better yet -- a "feed boat" right behind. (I know it sounds like animals feeding...but that is what it felt like too). I knew from TRIgirl Allison to expect a Dixie cup of water, banana and wet Vanilla Wafers. I knew from the rules that unlike Lynne Cox's swims, I could hang onto the boat while I ate and drank. I didn't want to, but at this point it seemed ridiculous not to hang on while I did. I had two Vanilla wafers, and about 2 oz of warm, almost hot water -- remember the heat index was 110 degrees! Then i had 2 saltines. Then I had 2 more ounces of hot water. Then i had an inch of banana. Then i had a tiny part of a gel that i'd stuck down the back of my suit. I couldn't swallow it. I gave it to them to throw away. I had one more wet Vanilla wafer. Did I mention that swimming across the Bay makes you hungry? I swear these were the best Vanilla wafers i've ever had in my life. I don't even like them. My last 'nilla wafer had a wet thumbprint on top, it was very wet. I can't believe I almost thought to ask for a new one, because that sounded so disgusting to me....but I ate in anyway. The last one got all stuck in my teeth and as I pushed off the boat. I remember telling the volunteers that I was worried that they were going to hurt their backs. It seemed so hard that they were all hunched over feeding the athletes in the water....like waitresses in the sky to the most demanding and yet grateful customers. I decided I was spending to long at the boat. Time to move on.

I'd started the race with a headache, the brainfreeze had made it worse, and now I was starting to feel just not so great. I don't know why, but started thinking I wasn't cut out for this. I started thinking I am crazy to ever think I could do an Ironman. I decided I definately was stupid for even considering it next year.

Then, between spots of incredible cold, I allowed myself to get distracted from the pain. I notice that I was moving faster than a U-haul truck on the right bridge span. Apparently traffic was almost stopped on the bridge? I noticed a woman had gotten out of her car and she was looking down at all the swimmers. I waved, happy to not feel quite so alone -- almost all of the swimmers had passed me now. And I was sure that TRIgirl 40 had to. She was wearing a wetsuit, which I was sure would make her faster than me, typically we are about the same pace. Then I quickly pulled my hand down when she did not wave back and a realized that the kayak support might think that I needed assistance. I kept my head down for a long while after that. I started noticing the numbers on the pilings. 36...37....38....And then a charlie horse hit my right calf. I stopped kicking and flexed it. Luckily it was not a full on contraction that would keep me from staying afloat, but still, I was scared to kick at all anymore, for fear that it would come back. I kept flexing my foot, with the hope that I could fight it off, then I'd find my muscle starting to tighten again. I tried to relax, keep my head down, and focus on what I could use, my arms..... then I saw another bouy, and the shore behind it. Could it be that I missed the 3 mile marker? That would be a good thing if it was number 4 in the distance. My guessed that I would have to swim to the piling that said 56 before I would be at the shore. And if that was the 4 mile marker at the end ahead, then I still had another 700 meters after that. The current picked up again this time taking us to the right. But more than the current was chop, like at Eagleman. Big swells, like waves, and more pull to the right, which thankfully was where we were going. I could see the grassy shore, and tons of people. For the first time ever, I realized I was going to finish the swim. I was going to cross the Chesapeake Bay on my own. Not only that, but I looked to my left and there was a girl with a read cap standing next to me. STANDING! I did not know it was shallow enough that I could stand, and when I did, my legs felt whole again. I expected to be so ever greatful for reaching the land, but never did I expect to happen while I was still in the water. I dolphined in to shore. Perhaps I don't need to explain it, but at that point I just had no desire to go back to freestyle. Me doing the dolphin:

My amazing Uncle Wendell, who had woken up early to drive me to the race and had dropped me off in the morning was there. My mom was there. My Aunt Sally, Mr. Preschool and of course the kids. It wasn't at all what I had imagined. My eyes hurt. My head hurt. I wasn't really happy or proud. Just happy to be done. I certainly didn't feel victorious. Just dazed. It was rather anticlimatic. I needed to find some glasses, my goggles had cut circles around my eyes. I wanted a towel, but strangely no one had one for me. I was too iffy to get one out of my bag. I was so happy to take my cap off (which we were forbidden from doing during the race). I felt wobbly. Faint. and terribly hot. I was worried about my kids standing in the heat for so long. Redfish had no shirt on. I drank a Pepsi of all things (I never drink soda) and that seemed to bring me back a bit. I ate something salty, that helped. I leaned over to get my coverup out of my bag. (Silly family kept taking pictures of me half-naked). Thought I was going to faint again. The fire trucks had showers. I decided to rinse off until I realized the water was HOT.

All of a sudden, I remembered that I still hadn't seen TRIgirl 40. Where was she? I looked up and there she was, still dripping wet, standing beside me. I was so certain that she'd come out of the water before me that I hadn't even thought to look for her to finish after me. At this point there were very few swimmers still left in the bay. But, after comparing notes, we realized that we finished just 4 minutes apart. She was right behind me the whole time, but I never saw her once, the whole swim. We'd trained together (sortof) and swam the Bay together (sortof as well). I never thought that I would say I was proud to finish in the very bottom of the pack. I was 549 of 602 swimmers. She was number 564. Both of us, solidly on the very last page of the results. To be honest, I had no idea that there was such a range of swimmers out there in the world. The winner of the race completed the entire 4.4 mile swim in an easy hour and a half, more than twice as fast as me. I am simply in awe. Here are my results: 3:11:29 43:32 per mile ave. I was 29 out of 33 in age group.

Looking back at all that training in the pool for endless hours in the cholorine. Looking at the black line, perfecting my flip turn. I would definitely say that I'm glad I did it. I'm not sure that I'll do it again. I was struggling so hard, I never got to flip on my back and just be. I never go to take the time to stop and just feel alive and appreciate the simple task at hand. I was too busy struggling to stay alive. To stay in this race. So, if I do it again, that would be my goal -- to swim fast enough to be able to stop in midstream and float and enjoy it. And I would like to finish my swim with enough energy to actually feel good when I am finished.
After sitting in a VERY hot school bus for a ride back to the car, I again almost passed out. Why am I leaving the medical area? I kept thinking! It is so hot I'm going to faint!

Unfortunately, in the swing of things, and deciding no wetsuit I forgot to put on ANY sunscreen on my back. The cresent moon shape on my forehead created by the sunburn is a dead giveaway for a capline, but looks incredibly dorky. As I mentioned before, I guess I thought that the murky Bay water would protect me from the sun. Needless to say, I believe I got some sort of sun poisoning. My burn is bad. I felt so bad on Sunday night, that after showing up at my dad's 70th birthday party a few hours after the swim, I had to leave after just an hour, because I felt so ill. Which reminds me....I think this is why I'm doubting going for an Ironman afterall. Would I be strong enough to finish the race and still enjoy the victory? Missing my dad's 70th birthday party was not in the plans. My sister, who flew in from Seattle, had planned it around me being able to come. I was planning to tell my dad that night, that I would do an Ironman in his honor to raise money for the Foundation Fighting Blindness. That was my plan anyway, and I didn't do it. Now, I need to take some time, regroup and figure out if I still have it in me.

We Finished the Bay Swim -- all 4.4 miles

2008-06-08T18:17:00.000-07:00

We finished the bay swim! I am extremely sunburnt. Didn't think the sun would get me through the water how silly! Wait until you see the photos. Current was like endless pool details later.

Times-Dispatch Covers the TRIgirls

2008-06-06T05:17:00.000-07:00

This is a shout out to TRIgirl Amy Godkin, who was able to get some local coverage for TRIgirl Training! There are some really spiffy photos (click on slidshow), and a very short article in today's Times-Dispatch.
I am so proud of the whole team, but especially the 25 girls who were doing their first race! You ladies are so inspiring!

Here ya go:

It's not as if traditional chores (cooking, cleaning and laundering) have been
cast aside.
Only now, a sizable contingent of area women are wedging
swimming, cycling and foot racing into their already hectic to-do lists.
It's
time to introduce the TRIgirls, easily spotted at triathlon competitions in
their hot-pink gear.
"We're serious athletes but also very feminine and
well-rounded," said Grandison Burnside, TRIgirls founder/coach. "That's why we
chose pink -- to show our diversity."
Come one, come all: There are 120
TRIgirls, ages 25 to 60-something. They vary from trail-toughened veterans just
back from Ironman Brazil to beginners like Amy Godkin.
A mother of two and
fundraiser for an area pediatric group, Godkin debuted as a triathlete at the
Shady Grove YMCA PowerSprint on Sunday.
"When I started, I couldn't swim 50
meters without gasping for breath or run a mile . . . and I didn't own a bike,"
Godkin said.
For her 40th birthday, husband Todd Godkin presented his
adventurous wife with the gift of pedal power -- a racing bike.
Godkin was
among a group of 32 TRIgirls (25 first-timers) swimming 300 meters, cycling 20
kilometers and running five kilometers at the Shady Grove "sprint."
Next up
on the 12-event, TRIgirls schedule is the Tavern Sprint on June 29 along the
James River downtown.
Working women: To gain perspective on just who these
"pink ladies" are, here's a peek at recent TRIgirl of the month
winners:
Diane Schnupp, IT consultant; Jackie Rice, computer programmer;
Kathleen Martin, lawyer; Susie Fazzio, customer service manager; Carrie
Mayrhofer, pediatric occupational therapist; Kate Bott, fourth-grade
teacher.
"We've got it all, from women who've never been athletes their
entire lives, to former collegiate athletes, marathoners and Ironman veterans,"
said Burnside, a mother of three and a former English teacher at Salem Middle
School.
Let's sweat: The TRIgirls, based out of Maramarc Fitness, train three
nights a week, with swimming at University of Richmond, running at UR and Byrd
Park and cycling all over on roadways.
Then there are what Burnside calls
"philanthropic/fun things," like raising funds for Safe Harbor Women's
Shelter.
Burnside suspects there is a competitive athlete somewhere in every
woman, longing to be released.
"Most just need someone to get them started .
. . to motivate them," she said.
To learn more, go to TRIgirltraining.com.

3 More Days

2008-06-05T11:57:00.000-07:00

Just a couple more days until the 4.4 Mile Bay Swim. Tonight, my last masters. Tomorrow I'll try to resolve my wetsuit chaffing issue at the Richmond Tri Club open water swim.
Saturday travel -- and Sunday race.
Feeling good in general about my preparations, but packing is stressing me out.
Hey, thanks to all my teamates and friends who remembered my race and wished me luck. I really appreciate it! So sweet of you to remember!
Shoot, Redfish is up from nap....gotta run.

The New York Times Explores Endurance Sports

2008-06-04T10:36:00.000-07:00

Robert Mackey, over at the New York Times, wrote a facinating article, titled, "Are Endurance Sports Good for You?" A facinating topic if you ask me! But the best part of all was reading the blog he linked to, V-Tach, by Craig Cook, who is experiencing Acquired Arrhythmia, "a condition that seems to be prevalent in endurance athletes." Here's a clip from the NY Times story, which carefully reminds the reader, not to go all "Chicken Little" with this thing:

.... But being in touch with Craig led me
to read the whole story of his battle with Acquired Arrhythmia on his blog. In Craig’s latest post, he wrote
about a study in 2003 by a cardiologist named Hein Heidbüchel, which raised the
possibility that, as Dr. Heidbüchel told Agence
France Presse, “Lifelong endurance training may lead to heart disturbances,
particularly in young male athletes.”
Craig also links to an
editorial that same year in the European Heart Journal, titled “Endurance
athletes: exploring the limits and beyond,” that considers the implications of
the Heidbüchel study. The authors of the editorial write that the possibility
that endurance training may, in some circumstances, for some people, cause
damage to the heart raises “a fundamental question to medical practitioners:
what are the reasonable limits for the practice of sport?” The editorial expands
on that question as follows:
Humans have always tried to push back the limits
imposed by their physical characteristics. Competitive sports are in themselves
a continuous struggle to surpass these established limits. As physicians, we are
frequently asked not only to identify and treat diseases, but to define what is
and what is not healthy behaviour. …
The general population has the
perception that athletes are the healthiest members of society, since they are
capable of such impressive physical performance. However, the cardiological
community has been interested in the inherent risk of sport for many years.
…
Up until now, sudden death in athletes has been attributed to underlying,
pre-existing cardiovascular diseases such as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy or
right ventricular dysplasia. In this issue of the journal, Heidbüchel and
co-workers go a step further, and hypothesize that long-lasting, competitive
endurance activities may, in some individuals, induce structural changes in the
right ventricle. This can lead to a kind of ‘acquired right ventricular
dysplasia’ that may finally produce ventricular arrhythmias and sudden death.
Although the published paper does not prove this hypothesis, the high mortality
observed in this series of patients is quite worrisome. …
New data
suggesting that excessive endurance training may have deleterious consequences
for the heart need to be confirmed by case-control studies of non-selected
populations.
As Craig says on his blog, it is important not to extrapolate
too many conclusions from the results of one study of only several dozen
endurance athletes. He writes:
Some media outlets have taken this to Chicken
Little extremes. A widely disseminated article by Agence France Presse (here
carried on the Discovery Channel of all places) almost seems to be telling us to
retreat to our couches and TV sets, or else… “Most athletes pay a physical price
for their love of the sport, but the ones who engage in endurance sports may be
pushing their bodies to the brink of heart failure, according to a new study”,
we are told. This is alarmist.
I’d suggest anyone interested in this issue
read the whole of Craig’s blog, and follow all the links, but the idea that very
fit endurance athletes could be doing damage to their hearts, even while
succeeding at a very high level, is kind of surprising. As Craig points out, the
hugely successful, American cyclist Bobby
Julich was diagnosed, and successfully treated for, the very same condition
a few years ago.

TRIway to the Pain Cave with Troy Jacobson

2008-06-03T08:07:00.000-07:00

My mom grew up in a little itty bitty part of Baltimore County called Sparks. There was one bank there, and her family's close friends, the Prices, owned a tiny 2 isle store, called Price's Store of course. Pretty much nothing happened in Sparks except for farming. That is until Troy Jacobson arrived. Troy Jacobson is probably most famous for his Spinervals DVD's and is Ironman accomplishments. Now, he's started his own Triathlon Camp. The New York Times wrote a great article on it this week.
Sounds like a pretty wicked vacation. Not only did reading this make me feel lazy for my beach plans this summer, but it also somehow inspired me. Check it out? Here are some of the best parts:

Not halfway through the bike portion of my first brick since 2005, the year
I (barely) completed my last triathlon, I couldn’t decide which would give out
first, my legs or my enthusiasm. I was wondering why I wanted to return to a
sport that is actually three sports and requires the sort of fanatical training
regimen that destroys schedules and frightens young offspring. Actually, I knew
why. The only way I can calm my mind is by exhausting my body. There’s nothing
quite like triathlon training to shorten the mental to-do list.
....
GIVING IT A TRI
If triathlon camp is your idea of a vacation, there are plenty of tour guides. Here are three of the best.
TRIATHLON ACADEMY: Besides the Tucson camp, Troy Jacobson runs shorter Ironman-focused camps in Louisville, Ky., and Lake Placid, N.Y.; a beginner-friendly Tri 101 Workshop in Sparks, MD.; and clinics on swimming. The seven-day Tucson camp costs $1,095; the others start at $295. coachtroy.com.
LIFESPORT: The official coaches for the Ironman series. LifeSport holds three-day-long, race-specific camps in places like Kona, Hawaii, offering everything from hydration tricks to course secrets. On race weekend, its free clinics are great for last-minute tweaks. The camps start at $295. lifesport.ca.
MULTISPORTS: In addition to Ironman-centric camps, this company, co-founded by former Ironman champion Paula Newby-Fraser, offers custom weekend camps—from Idaho to Lake Placid to Hawaii—that include bike setup and videotaped swimming analysis. Ironman camps start at $795; custom ones start at $3,500. multisports.com. D.M.
THREE EASY FIXES
INTEGRATE THESE SIMPLE TIPS INTO YOUR WORKOUTS OR RACES, AND YOU CAN’T HELP BUT GO FASTER.
SWIM
Don’t cup your hands and glue your fingers together. Instead, relax your hands to create a half-inch space between each finger. “That way, your fingers are creating a web, and you’re pushing as much water as possible,” says Emily Mastin of the Triathlon Academy.
BIKE
On an uphill climb, your quads are your main motor. Tap into their potential by keeping your heels pushed down and thinking about your pedal stoke as a triangle: the upper point is at 12 o’clock, and the two bottom points are at 5 and 8 o’clock. “Push through a 5, back to 8 then unweight the pedal to get back to 12.” Troy Jacobson explains. “Pulling up with your hamstrings—the 8-to-12 part—isn’t very efficient on a hill.”
RUN
Don’t land on you heel, which is the equivalent of putting on the brakes—you don’t get much momentum. Instead, try to land on a flat foot, then roll forward through your toes to maximize speed. “Pretend as if you’re running on eggshells,” Jacobson says.

Daisy -- My Little Triathlete

2008-05-31T09:22:00.000-07:00

This is just a shout out to Daisy who finished her first real triathlon this morning! I am soooooo proud. She did it all by herself and she had fun the whole time! I almost cried while she was in the pool. I was so nervous (more than she was!) and so worried about how she'd get out of the 6 foot deep water and then get across the wet tile floor without slipping, but she did great. Kudos to all of the PowerKids volunteers who helped her. They were amazing, took her bike from her and racked it, even helped with her shoes! How come no one told me that kids triathlons are like Ironmans?

God I love her, I cannot tell you how proud I am!

Also, a shout out to all the other TRIgirls kids who raced -- especially the other first-timers Christopher M, Rylee D, and Reilly R.

New Swim Distance PR

2008-05-26T18:27:00.000-07:00

Yes, I swam 7,000 meters today. Yet another distance PR. I think it was closer to 4.4 miles than 5 miles, but I'll take it. Especially since I hadn't planned on swimming alone. It took me 2 hours and 30 minutes.
I did 4 x 1,000 meter sets then at timed mile -- 1650....which was a PR (31 minutes)....then some odds and ends to make up the last bit. With shoulder pain, I did lots of kicking those last couple of 100's with a kick board.
More later, gotta run.

Swimming Straight

2008-05-16T10:40:00.000-07:00

I couldn't make 4 swims this week, especially considering 2 of them were supposed to be 4,500 meters. So, today, I combined 2 workouts. The one hour non-stop swim and one of the 4,500 meter swims. I hope it will work, or go with the FLOW of my training as Coach G stresses.
I dropped off Redfish off in childcare at the Y and I had exactly 2 hours before I had to pick him up. I spent the first 10 minutes chatting with Patty and Lil' Sis Jessica...then a good solid 1:45 minute swim straight. I stopped a few times to adjust my goggles. Tried to imagine doing that while I floated on my back in the Bay. Hopefully, I won't need to on race day....as it wasn't so easy.
Swam by myself for about 30 minutes. Then shared a lane with Lona. She left, then Lynn was next. Swam alone again until Wendy joined me. I have no idea who these people are. I just like to introduce myself to the person I'm swimming with. Seems to make things go better. Then I swam by myself again. Anyway, it was a LONG swim. Afterwords, I had about 3.5 minutes left for a shower, before I had to pick Redfish up again. I think I'm gonna be fine on race day. And looks like the open water swim is rescheduled for next Friday, so hopefully, i'll work out my wetsuit issues then.
Oh, one more thing. I guess this shouldn't be a footnote, but it's own post. But, oh well. more later. I've decided to do Ironman Florida in 2009. And, I'm going to do it for a cause....more on that later. In the meantime, can I just tell you that Chlorine is not a cologne, but I feel like it's my new scent. Should I layer something over it?

Double Dip

2008-05-16T04:10:00.000-07:00

This week, instead of a super long Thursday night workout, I tried something new. John Pace's Masters swim at the Y. Followed by Annie's TRIgirl workout. Both workouts focused on speed, so needless to say, I slept well Monday night.
Last night I swam 2600 at masters in the fast lane. Long story as to why I was there....but I'll tell you, It wasn't because I'm fast.
Off to the pool AGAIN now. ...not sure how long I'll last. I still smell like chlorine from last night! Confession: I've been using swimming as an excuse not to run. This has got to stop, or I won't be able to call my self a triathlete anymore!

TRIgirl Style

2008-05-08T18:48:00.000-07:00

New distance PR in swimming tonight. 6,000 yards....or is it meters? I can never remember. Got a giant charlie horse when I got out of the pool!
You know I was tired, because how much I would have loved to swim the extra 400 so I could say I swam 4 miles. Well, not tonight anyway. If I did another flip turn I was gonna be sick! And I'm getting so tired of the smell of Chlorine. ON another thought, maybe I would have made the extra 400 if I hadn't had wine and appetizers before I started? True TRIgirls style, right?

A Beautiful Day for Triathlon

2008-05-03T16:54:00.000-07:00

A beautiful, perfect day. I didn't quite make it the 20 miles on the bike, but figure I was closer to 18 miles. A short run-off, and then rushing home to meet the sitter. Mr. Preschool got to ride with me today! And I'm not sure if it was because I'm just fast or his bike was malfunctioning, but I actually smoked him! Hey, I'll take what I can get.
Then, off to Daisy's soccer game. Her team is full of so many players she didn't get to play much, but she had lots of fun.
Then a nap. Then the park, dinner. And some bike riding -- for her. Trying to get her ready for the big race -- her first real triathlon, the PowerKids Triathlon. Luckily they are allowing training wheels!
I was thinking lots about all my teamates and friends doing Smith Mountain Lake Triathlon and White Lake Half today. I'm glad they had a beautiful day for a race.

UR's Julie Rechel on her Future as a Triathlete

2008-04-30T10:51:00.000-07:00

This is a cross post with my other blog, the Near West End News.

I was lucky to talk briefly with Julie Rechel, the Richmonder who won the Twenty-12 Talent Identification Triathlon in Tuscaloosa, AL, last week. I asked her if she had any idea, going into this race, that she might win it. “I had no idea!” she said. “I looked up all my competition — and I was going to be so excited if I was in the first half (of the finishers). It really took me by surprise.”
Rechel is a distance runner at UR who is described on the UR website as a three sport athlete. The three sports? Swimming, running, tennis. Since this was a talent competition to scout for potential triathletes for the 2012 and 2016 Olympics, you’d think that it would drastically change her plans. But it hasn’t. “Right now the only thing it changes is that I’ll now race U23 Elite.” She says if the Olympics are in her future, it is far in the future.
Rechel is both talented and humble. “I’m not particularly outstanding at any one (event) but I”m good at them all. I can can improve in each, but there is not one that stands out as my weakness.” In training she said she’s been focusing on the bike leg, biking mostly on Old Gun Road and Riverside Drive, and she’s glad she spent so much time on the bike because that is what ended up winning it for her. It didn’t hurt that she had a personal best on the run either.“I had a phenomenal run. I dropped 1 minute off the best run of my life.” Previously, at a 5K that was not part of a triathlon, her best time was 18.52 but in this race even after the swim and pushing herself on the bike, she came in at 18.39.
“I love this sport of triathlon. I love the training. I love the athletes”

National Duathlon Festival Comes to Richmond

2008-04-28T18:56:00.000-07:00

I just want to say it is a sad, sad thing when you have National Championships in a city and the local newspaper just barely covers the event -- burying the news in the middle or back of the sports section.

I mean first I looked to see if there was any coverage on the front page of Sunday's paper. Nope. Then, I looked on the front page of the sports section. Nope. I never did find the coverage from Saturday's off road race at the National Duathlon Festival, until I looked it up online. And today, the coverage for the National's road race was buried in the back of the sports section.

Meanwhile, at Inside Triathlon online, they are also covering the winners. I guess it is just one more reason why I'm not a fan of the local paper.

Shark Kills Triathlete in Ocean Swim

2008-04-26T17:12:00.000-07:00

My deepest sympathy goes out the the family of Dave Martin tonight, a retired vetrinarian and traithlete who was killed by a shark yesterday in off of the coast of California.
SOLANA BEACH, Calif. - It was a perfect spring morning for an ocean
swim.
With the sun shining in a clear blue sky, Dave Martin and his triathlon
training group swam past the surfers at Tide Beach on their regular Friday
course through cool glassy waters about 150 yards out.
Somewhere below, a
shark — presumed to be a great white — was lurking, possibly on the hurt for a
seal or sea lion. It struck around 7 a.m., charging at Martin from below and
lifting him vertically out of the water, both legs in its jaws, its serrated
teeth slicing deep, fatal gashes.
"They saw him come up out of the water, scream 'shark,' flail his arms and
go back under," said Rob Hill, a member of the Triathlon Club of San Diego, who
was running along the beach when the attack happened.
Martin, 66, was rescued
by two swimmers who had been 20 yards ahead. They raced back and dragged him to
shore in a little cove shielded by 50-foot bluffs. A lifeguard truck took Martin
up to a lifeguard station on the bluff where he was pronounced dead at 7:49
a.m.
A terrifying but rare attackMartin, a retired veterinarian, was the
victim of a terrifying but exceptionally rare attack. Only person worldwide died
in a confirmed, unprovoked shark attack last year, though the annual average in
recent years is about four, according to the University of Florida's
International Shark Attack File.

USAT Duathlon National Championships in Richmond this Weekend

2008-04-25T12:05:00.000-07:00

Note: This is a cross post from my other blog, the Near West End News.

I'm hoping that Redfish and Daisy want to go see the USAT Duathlon National Championships this weekend. If I can convince them, I have a hunch we will all come home inspired!

The USA Triathlon Duathlon National Championships come to Richmond this weekend. If you are not racing, consider volunteering or being a spectator. This is a huge two-day format featuring off-road events on Saturday and on-road events on Sunday. The National Duathlon Festival has attracted a broad range of athletes from far and wide plus the opportunity to watch the winner of national championships cross the finish line. Here is the official schedule and the all important road closures.

Official Schedule
Saturday, April 26, 2008
7:30 a.m. Off-Road Youth Age Group Races (7-8, 9-10, 11-12) –1k run, 4k bike, 1k run 8:30 a.m. Off-Road Junior Age Group Races (13-15, 16-19) — 5k run, 10k bike, 2.5k runSport Race (non-championship) — 5k run, 10k bike, 2.5k run 10:30 a.m. Off-Road Championships –10k run, 30k bike, 5k run
Sunday, April 27, 2008
7 a.m. Age Group Races — 10k run, 40k bike, 5k run 9:30 a.m. Elite Races –10k run, 40k bike, 5k run - Draft Legal 11:30 a.m. Youth Nationals (7-8, 9-10 and 11-12) — 1k run, 5k bike, 1k run 12 Noon Junior Nationals (13-15 and 16-19) — 5k run, 20k bike, 2.5k run - Draft Legal 1 p.m. Sport Race (non-championship) –5k run, 20k bike, 2.5k run

Road Closures for Friday, April 25th
2nd Street from Byrd Street to Lee Bridge closed – 7:00 p.m. Friday through 1:00 p.m. Sunday

Road Closures for Saturday, April 26th
2nd Street from Byrd Street to Lee Bridge closed – all day.Byrd Street between 2nd Street and 3rd Streets closed – all day.
Road Closures for Sunday, April 27th
2nd Street from Byrd Street to Lee Bridge closed – Until 1:00 p.m.Byrd Street between 2nd Street and 3rd Streets closed – Until 1:00 p.m.The curb lane of the Lee Bridge closed in both directions — 7:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Riverside Drive closed from Lee Bridge access ramps to 42nd Street — 7:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.42nd Street from Riverside Drive to Springhill Avenue partially closed, police present to monitor and control — 7:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Parking on both sides of 42nd Street prohibited — 7:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Running, Change up the Speed. Variety is the Key.

2008-04-23T08:33:00.000-07:00

Verticle Man, over at Life is a TRI, linked to this great article in the NY Times about runner, and Olympic hopeful Sara Hall and how she is breaking into new territory with her training. I will never be a fast runner, and seriously wonder if any of the drills she offers will help me as long as I continue to use the Galloway Method of combining running and walking, but still, the information, especially the video, was very informative.
Most of all, I just love to watch her run. She is beautiful, like a gazelle. And you can tell she is a runner, just by looking at her walk. She covers everything from form, to ice baths, to distances and why she runs differently and different speeds on different days. Check it out.
Last month they featured another great article on swim form and training that was also hugely helpful to me.

Local Athlete Wins Twenty -12 Talent Identification Triathlon

2008-04-22T08:09:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to local University of Richmond student, and Olympic hopefu Julie Rechel, who placed first (female) in the Twenty-12 Talent Identification Triathlon in Tuscaloosa, this weekend. Luckily, I get to cover it on both my blogs!

Julie Rechel, age 20, of the University of Richmond, finished as the first place female at the Twenty-12 Talent Identification Triathlon in Tuscaloosa, Alabama this weekend. She won the race with at time of 1:06:57.Sunday’s race was a chance for USA Triathlon or USAT officials to scout and develop talent for the Olympic Games in 2012 or 2016.
Rechel, a student at the University of Richmond, said she didn’t expect to be out front on the bike in the women’s race. “I just held on and brought it home on the run,” she said.

Swimming, It's Over Already?

2008-04-22T07:57:00.000-07:00

Good news: After last night's workout, I was sad it was over. It seemed to short (although it was an hour), and I was ready for more. That is a really good sign, since I need to get used to swimming 2 plus hours often. I just love the University of Richmond pool. It is so deep and so clear! The workout just flew by.
I swam with a speedy group of TRIgirls: Karen B. and Shelly, and coach G. It was perfect. Karen challenged us to go faster but, I wasn't lagging behind either. Last season, I had trouble keeping up with Karen and Shelly, so I see this as a good sign. I really didn't feel fast at all. Funny how who you swim (or bike, or run) with changes your perspective on how fast you are! Last Thursday at Masters, I probably swam slower but felt faster as I kept lapping the boys in my lane. Last night, I was faster, but felt slower, as I was challenge to keep up.

Thursday night, Trigirl 40 and I are aiming for 4 miles....including Masters and then staying late to complete the rest. This will be a new distance PR, so I'm excited to see how I'll manage.

Bay Swim in the Pool, I'm Getting Dizzy

2008-04-19T19:34:00.000-07:00

I am having my own internal battles with the Chesapeake Bay swim. Things are coming along. The date is fast approaching. Mentally, the training in the pool is tough. I can't wash the clorine away. I'm getting good a flip turns though! But feeling dizzy from so many.

Ironwoman Canada, is giving me lots of good Mojo. I think, slowly, I am earning her respect. It means alot to me. Swam masters on Thursday, then swam another hour straight. Still no training schedule. Decided I don't really need one. I'll manage.
I'll try to squeeze in nearly 4 miles this Thursday. A solid 4 next week. Then 4.5 then 5. Then taper.
Friday nights in May will now all be spent swimming in the James River. Still need to figure out if I can manage in a wetsuit, or if I'll go without.

Riding Through the Storm

2008-04-13T06:59:00.000-07:00

It's true. I've been in a bit of a rut.

Which is why riding at Pony Pasture yesterday put me in a good mood. It reminded me of why I ride, and why I love being a team leader for TRIgirls. Riding a 5 mile loop along the river with herons, ducks, geese and kayakers would put anyone in a good mood. Riding with a new team of baby pinks reminds me of my first days of getting into the sport. Where 15 miles seemed like a long ride. Speed wasn't important. Everything seemed new and intriguing. And plenty of smiles were going around just at the sheer joy of being out and about at the beautiful river in perfect weather. Well, it did rain for a few minutes, but no one's complaining.

And, after racing home from my ride to get Daisy to her soccer game on time, only to hear a severe thunderstorm warning on the way, and having the game get called as the lightning started to strike, made me thing of the noble triathletes on my team, who were still out on the road, on Route 5, and in Goochland, biking. And running 16 miles all over Richmond. Getting flats, and getting buzzed by big guys in big trucks with big wheels....all in that same scary thunderstorm. By the way, Daisy and Redfish were cowering in the back seat of my car, holding their fingers to their ears, looking very scared. And THEY were in a CAR! So, this is an ode to those of you who managed to cycle through that storm or run through it. I promise you on race day, nothing will be quite as scary. And now, you are ready for anything!

Technological Doping: What is the Cost?

2008-04-11T04:40:00.001-07:00

I recently came across a really interesting article about technological doping, thanks to another local blogger, Jon Becker. Basically, Speedo's new high-tech LZR Racer swimsuit makes swimmers feel like they are swimming downhill. The suit uses NASA technology, and sound comparable to wearing a high end tri-specific wetsuit -- It gives compression, and a bit of buoyancy. So the question is, is it really technological doping if anyone can buy one? Do we want to make swimming about equipment, like so many other sports are? Actually, until now, swimming was the one sport where equipment doesn't matter. Only what Mother Nature gave you and what you do with it matters.

I have an idea. Fair is fair, lets make everyone swim naked.

Why You Shouldn't Store Things in your Bra When You Run

2008-04-10T11:14:00.000-07:00

I just g0t back from the doctor. I know, I know. You are saying AGAIN! I'm sure you think I'm a hypochondriac. And, maybe I am. BUT, wait until you hear this story. ANNNN I am talking to you!
Do not put things in your bra while you are running! I repeat, do not! Apparently one doesn't have nerve endings there.....or else I would have realized that I was tearing my skin to little bits with each step of my 10K. Ok, let me back track a little bit.
Based on some advice I received (will not mention names)....but I will say she is the Notorius Bra Stuffer, I put my asthma inhaler in my sports bra during the 10K. I could have put it in my back pocket, but, well, it looked kinda funny back there. Do I have to admit here that Mr. Preschool actually warned me not to do this, for this exact reason! Thank God I have a sense of humor, right. Because when I got home and took a shower, I had the most gory gash. I will not mention any more details. Except to say, that it hurt like crazy when I took a shower. I swear I thought that was vinegar coming out of the showerhead it hurt so much. And, now it is now infected. And, booo hoooo, pity party for me, my doctor says I can not do the open water swim in the James River on Sunday. I am so sad. I've been looking forward to this for weeks. Even took the day off of work to go. On the bright side, at least I have a funny story to tell.
Would you believe me if I told you my (male) doctor told me he did the same thing?! I have his number if you want it. Apparently, either this is a common mistake!?! or my doctor was really going out of his way to make sure I didn't feel bad. And, he threw in a tetnus shot for good measure.
Oh, well. It is what it is.

Monument Avenue 10K Race Results

2008-04-05T19:54:00.000-07:00

The TRIgirls ran a soggy Monument Avenue 10K today. Definately not a PR for me, but no surprise there, since I've been sick and still getting over it. Wasn't a huge negative split for me....but almost....more like even splits -- 39 and 39. Well, at least I'm consistant.
Here's my time: 1:18:08
The Half Ironman Dinner was lots of fun....but it is getting late.
Now I think I wanna go to bed. It's been a long day. Maybe a report tomorrow.

The Potomac Videogame-Simulator-Job River

2008-04-05T03:41:00.000-07:00

This is the weirdest typo I've ever seen. It came to me in an email from USAT regarding the new partnership between The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and the Nation's Triathlon that was announced today. Perhaps alluding to bloggers concerns that in it's first year the organizers of the The Nations Triathlon race never intended to really let folks swim in the Potomac River. I have no idea if that is true, but last year, the swim went off without a hitch. Anyway, here it is. All I have to say is WEIRD!

Nation's Triathlon is the premiere Olympic distance triathlon in the United
States. Set against the magnificent and patriotic setting of the nation's
capital and its monuments, participants in the Nation's Triathlon will swim 1.5k
in the Potomac Videogame-Simulator-Job River, a course that will take
them under the Memorial Bridge, bike 40k through downtown D.C. , out onto Clara
Barton Parkway and Rock Creek Park, and run 10k through downtown D.C, past the
White House, Washington Monument, National Mall, finishing on the plaza of the
Navy Memorial on Pennsylvania Avenue.

Congratulations to TriSarahTops Team Evotri's Newest Member

2008-04-04T11:37:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Sarah, who won Evotri's second, Making the Team contest. She had a great idea to help kid connect thru a kids triathlon blog. I know she'll make a great addition to Team Evotri.
On another note, I am happy to say that today I was back in the pool. Yay! I swam for 90 minutes straight, only stopping to fix my goggles and take a sip of water. I felt like I kept a good pace and that I could have gone for alot longer if It was race day. I wasn't really tired when I was done, but just a little water-logged. The Y has a rule you can only use the daycare for 2 hours, so I figured I'd better go get Redfish before they started wondering about me. Also, an official training schedule is coming from Coach G, so soon I'll be able to be more confident that the training I'm doing Is the training I NEED to be doing.
Mostly I'm just happy to say that my Z-Pack is still working. Speaking of which, I need to go grab my pill for today. ON to a WET and soggy, sleety Monument 10K tomorrow. Hmmm, maybe all of this swiming will come in handy.

Spring Break Ick-Sick

2008-04-03T09:26:00.000-07:00

Last Thursday, a whole week ago, after the early morning run I felt great. It was Spring Break, and oh so nice to actually be able to get a coffee with the TRIgirls, since I didn't have to rush home. But later in the day I felt bad and had chills and a fever. And by Friday night I was really ill, so much so that I cancelled my date with Mr. Preschool even though we had a free sitter -- my mom.
Friday I felt OK, good enough to help the kids through Stu's World Wide Triathlon. Saturday I felt OK, at least in the morning. Good enough for 2 loops at West Creek in the cold. And luckily, we still had a free sitter in town so I got to ride with Mr. Preschool for the first time in many years! We both agree it was the best part of spring break.
Anyway, I limped through the rest of the week, but by Tuesday night had a full on ear infection, migrane, pink eye, sore throat, cough and general feeling that I'd be lucky if I made it into daylight ever again. A quick trip to the doctor and a Zpak later, I'm feeling much better. All of my aches and pains have been replaced by a stomach ache from the medicine.

So, I think for the Monument Avenue 10K I'll be better enough to race, but not 100 percent. I'm hoping with a few more days and lots of water, I'll be good as new. Then back in the pool!

Simply Stu's World Wide Triathlon

2008-03-30T05:20:00.000-07:00

On Friday, the kids participated in Simply Stu's World Wide Triathlon. It was a first triathlon for both, so it was all about them. We started with body marking. Daisy had 8's all over and her USAT age is 8 too. I let them choose their numbers and this is her favorite she says becuase if you turn it sideways, it means infinity. Redfish, chose 6. I guess that is how old he thinks he is.
We actually did the TRI in reverse order, but for the sake of avoiding confusion, I'm going to list the times in swim, bike, run order.

Swim
Daisy: 100 meters: 8.23
Redfish (with dad helping) 50 meters: 3.35

Bike
10 blocks: 42.32 (Dad carried the bigwheel for Redfish the last block)

Run
Daisy: 1K 9.25
Redfish: .5K 6

Totals
Daisy: 59.8
Redfish: 52.07

I have to say, I wasn't very specific on the timing. I didn't do a transition split between the bike and the run (so that one is included in the time). On the other hand, I didn't count driving to the YMCA to get to the pool in a transition time either. Actu
The kids had fun. And slept well that night. When we do this next year, I'm going to do a few things differently.
1. I'm going to set it up more like a real race if I can with transition areas and a true finish line, and have them race in the correct order. This might be difficult logisitically, since There is not a great place to bike from the YMCA we go to, but I'll have to figure out something.
2. I'm going to involve more of their friends and make it more of a community event.
3. I'm going to hand-make some medals of sorts and also include water stops. I am such a cruel forgetful mother -- I forgot to pack water on the bike and run!!! OK, I'll never make it as a race director! My kids were good sports though, and got water when we finished.

I'm also sorry to say that I may have signed Daisy up for her first real race a bit prematurely. I think I over estimated her biking ability. We've got alot of work to do. Her bike is steel and it is so heavy that with the training wheels she has trouble getting it to go up the slightest hill becuase of the weight and the drag of the training wheel. I actually had to help push her back to help her get up the hills!
The PowerKids Tri is May 31st. We need to get her much more confident on her bike and in the water by then, or I'm worried she'll have a bad first race. Help! Ideas anyone?

Swimming Alone

2008-03-19T09:39:00.000-07:00

I knew I wouldn't be able to make it to Masters swim tonight, so Redfish and I headed over the the Y. Rain is predicted for today, along with thunderstorms, so I was praying we would get neither. Not just so I wouldn't get kicked out of the pool, but also since my window is stuck in the down position. I figured I'd already be wet from the swim so if it started to pour, I'd just get wetter, but still, I wasn't looking forward to it. Not to get sidetracked here, but while I need to fix it as soon as possible, I can't figure out when I can give up my car for the entire day, and I can't seem to figure out where the $400 to fix it is coming from either.

Luckily, all the fates aligned this morning. Actually, I'm in a great mood, because of all the things that finally went right. Redfish now considers the YMCA childcare in the gym "fun." Also, as an added bonus he is learning the letters YMC and A! It didn't rain, but got sunnier during my swim. And, after I warmed up, my ribs stopped hurting. Jason, my physical therapist, picked up the slack of the past couple of weeks and really gave my injury some much needed attention. He is super good, but for some reason, recently he's been so busy and distracted, I'd been having trouble getting him to do the deep tissue stuff I needed, in the time he had. It also helped that his intern, Liz, spend about 15 minutes on me too. Anyway, I decided since I have so much trouble staying focused on my swim when I swim by myself at the Y, I decided to just swim for 30 minutes with no breaks at all and see what happened.

For the 4.4 Mile Bay Swim, I'm going to need to swim about 3 hour straight, so this really was a baby goal. Then again, taking breaks, even for 10-15 seconds at the end of a 200 is a huge help, so not having the breaks will help me get used to the reality of 4.4 miles in the open water with not a wall in sight.

The swim just kept getting better and better (as opposed to worse and worse, which is how many of my runs end up). As I put more distance behind me I focused on turning my core with my hips, bilateral breaths every 3rd stroke, and flip turns. In fact, things were going so well that after 30 minutes I took a 100 yard "break" of side stroke and then swam another 45 minutes straight. I looked at splits for my 100's and maintained a fairly consistent 2:01 to 2:09 for the entire swim. If I was better at math, I could tell you how far I swam. I'm guessing maybe 3600 yards or just over 2 miles, plus my 200 warm up. I was sort of tired of the chlorine and the black line on the bottom of the pool and all those ladies doing their water aerobics, but still felt like I wanted to swim more. Ah, I'll save it for another day. I don't want Redfish to think I've abandoned him.

I can't wait until Friday to put in some more time in the pool. Now, all I need is some company to draft off of! And, I won't miss you guys too much tonight while you are at Masters while I'm babysitting the kids and Mr. Preschool is off seeing DJ Spooky at the Modlin Center, cause at least I got in a good workout today.

Swimming to Swim

2008-03-14T12:01:00.001-07:00

Swimming more and posting less. That about sums up my last couple of weeks.

The TRIgirl swims with awesome Coach Annie have started. I officially joined the YMCA this week and the Master's Swims with Ironwoman Canada and the rest of the Butterfly Girls continue to kick my butt. Friday mornings mean gym time for Redfish and more swimming for me at the Y with one of my super cool little sister TRIgirl J.

My chest/rib injury still bothers me...and based on how it feels I go back and forth between thinking I should go back to see Dr. Dec or just training through the minor pain I am in and making it through to the 4.4 MileCheasapeake Bay Swim and then hoping it will take care of itself as I ease back on my mileage. I continue physical therapy for at least a few more weeks, and whenever I find the time to do my exercises on my own I feel much better.

It feels great to have a race to focus on. Between training and reading Swimming To Antartica, by Lynne Cox, I feel much more confident about the race....but I also wish I had some kind of training schedule to follow. I know I need to do a few 7,000 to 8,000 meter swims in the next month or so, but the thought of doing that in the pool is more overwhelming than the actual race to me. Redfish and Daisy already keep asking me what that new smell is....and I know they are talking about my entire body smelling like Chlorine!

Swimming with the Masters

2008-03-07T10:19:00.000-08:00

Well you know it was a good workout when it takes more than 24 hours to recover enough to post about it! (Actually, that is not entirely true, I've been really busy with some other commitments, so that accounts for the delay.)
Masters swim with Ironwoman Canada was awesome. She was really down-to-earth, had a good sense of humor and made a newcomer like me, feel welcome. Apparently word of mouth has gotten around Richmond -- and especially the TRIgirls about what an excellent coach she is. We took over the entire pool! Ironwoman Canada put me in the 2nd to slowest lane, so I could be with some of my TRIgirl peeps and not feel totally like a fish out of water. Actually, everyone in my lane was either a current or former TRIgirl.
We swam about 2,500 meters. (Well, except for the break I took to go find a drink of water because I forgot mine.) Let me just say, that won't happen again! I was wondering around the Y dripping wet, with no towel looking for a drink, and people kept telling me to go into the gym to get it. Not likely! I guess that is why I missed a whole 150 meters while I was gone.

Jason, my physical therapist, said not to overdo it and to increase my pool mileage slowly. I guess I overdid it just a bit -- as I'm still sore 36 hours later. It's just that one area near my chest that has been bothering me. But, I think the full extension is helping because this week instead of my ribs being turned posterior, he said they were turned the opposite direction and were anterior.
I fell right to sleep after the workout, but then awoke in the middle of the night, and couldn't sleep! When my alarm went off at 5:30 a.m. for my run, I hit the snooze. Only one problem. There is no snooze alarm on my watch. I scrambled out the door to the Thursday morning run, late, but still felt lucky to get a work out in. I turned it in to a fast 2 mile workout instead of the planned 4, because Mr. Preschool was waiting for me to get home so he could be on time for work.
Today, I'll rest and prepare for tomorrow's long brick.

Back in the Pool

2008-03-02T07:48:00.001-08:00

This week I finally got the go-ahead from my physical therapist to get back in the pool. I was so excited! Dr. Dec was worried I'd do more harm than good if I started swimming before I regained full extension of my arm and shoulder, so we were taking it slow getting back in the water. I dropped Redfish off at the Y's daycare in the gym and decided to just take it easy and see how things felt when I got back in the water. I could definitely feel my chest muscles not wanting to cooperate with all of the new movement, but managed to get in a mile anyway. Still a bit sore 2 days later, but it's all for the best. I've got some catching up to do . Another report after Masters tomorrow.

The Final Cut -- Team Evotri

2008-02-24T08:42:00.000-08:00

Thanks for all of your support guys! I found out this morning that I didn't make it onto Team Evotri.
I'm really glad I participated, anyway. It was really nice to see all of the support and the loving community that I have here come vote for me. It means so much to me, more than you might realize. And, even though this contest took me WAY out of my comfort zone, that is what triathlons are all about -- so it's about right that I tried anyway. If I inspired just a few folks on the way, then it was all worthwhile.

I hope you will continue to vote for your favorite contestant at www.evotri.com My favorite is Sarah McKibben, and she is running on a similar platform to mine. To vote for her email vote@evotri.com and "Final Round Sarah McKibben" in the subject line.

Thank You for Voting -- this is not American Idol or a Presidential Primary

2008-02-22T04:36:00.000-08:00

I want to thank the so many of you that have taken the time to vote for me. There are a few people in particular who have made a really huge difference. First, I want to thank my friend John Sarvay over at Buttermilk & Molasses who featured me on his site. Countless Richmonders read his blog because it is so well written, funny and smart. Plus, he is always telling us things we need to know! Also, I'd like to thank my Near West End News partner, Kory Mohr, who's been getting the word out both on twitter, his personal blog and a local fitness forum. Also, I'd like to thank Chris Humes over at SPROUT who emailed all the folks in my CSA Veggie Co-Op to support me. And finally, thanks to Sarah over at Fat Girl on a Bike, who has been a huge support, and has said some really nice things about me. And, her words are really good at reminding me why I've taken on this challenge in the first place.

This team is an amazing opportunity for non-elite triathletes. It gives them the
equipment, coaching, sponsorship and training availabilities that most
triathletes can’t afford. It exists to honor the everyman triathlete. Jonah
would make an awesome addition to their team.

And finally, none of this would have happened at all if it weren't for TRIgirl 40. She has been my biggest supporter and started the ball rolling on this whole thing!

Team Evotri -- On to Round Two of the Competition

2008-02-21T08:11:00.000-08:00

Thank you for all of your support and your votes! With your help, I am excited to say that I made it to Round Two of the Team Evotri contest! The Richmond area support has been amazing -- especially for someone like me who's a bit shy. It is a little overwhelming even!

The entire Richmond community (TRIgirls, Richmond TRI Club members, teachers, bloggers, friends and friends of friends) have been so great in supporting me. I am very grateful.

If you have time please go to the Evotri website and watch all 7 videos and vote for the one that you think best answers these questions (hopefully it's mine):

1. How will you benefit the team if you're chosen? What are your personal
attributes?

2. How have you, and how do you plan to give back to the endurance
sport community? Nothing is too insignificant, list it all.
3. Why tri? Please be as creative as possible in explaining why you are passionate about triathlon and endurance sport?

Team Evotri Making the Team: Round One

2008-02-18T16:03:00.000-08:00

I am so happy to say that I am a finalist for a national contest to be a member of Team EVOTRI.

The top ten applications can be found at the EVOTRI website.

To vote for me, first watch the videos, then send an email to vote@evotri.com with JONAH HOLLAND in the subject line.

I entered by submitting a You Tube video, something totally out of my comfort zone -- but that is what the triathlons are all about, leaving your comfort zone. Actually, I'm not sure If I would have entered at all if it hadn't been for my teammates! It is an amazing thing that Evotri would offer someone like me this sort of opportunity.

Since the day I fell in love with the sport, it has always been my mission to get other people like me involved, because it has had such a huge positive impact on my life. So, if I win, one of the things I'd like to do is host clinics for newbies and help them learn how they can do their first race.

I completely support Evotri's mission of helping the general population learn more about the sport, so that they too, might be inspired to try a triathlon. So, if you have time, please watch all the videos and vote for the best one, per the guidelines on the website.

On the Mend & TRIgirl Season Kick Off

2008-02-14T11:12:00.000-08:00

Good news! Dr. Dec, gave me a good report on my chest/rib injury. She thinks I'll be back to 100 percent with 2-3 more weeks of physical therapy and home exercises. Did I mention that I bought a $35 giant tampon-looking thing to roll around on! Well, anything to get back in the pool. You know that is the one thing that she's keeping me from doing, and also the one thing that I want to do most! Dr. Dec says backstroke only until I regain full movement in my arm and neck and things loosen up in my chest. So, Maybe it will be 2 more weeks before I can do freestyle and make it to masters swimming, but I just can't say how happy I am that I'll be back to my full training schedule in 2-3 weeks.

During Saturday's brick, I even was able to go in aero for about 15 minutes of the 2.5 hour bike. It was the first time in weeks. And overall, the workout was pretty painless, well, except for those 1/2 mile repeats.
I'll be happy when I can focus my time on strength training instead of physical therapy. I've never been in PT before, so I don't really know what it's supposed to be like, but anytime I walk in the door, it is at least 2 hours before I walk out again. Jason does a great job, but I thought Redfish was going to loose it when I had to take him with me and he tried to entertain himself. Have you ever tried to entertain a 3 year old for 2 hours in a doctor's office? Let me just say, I think I'd rather do 1/2 mile repeats!

Sunday is the TRIgirl Big Sister, Little Sister Meet and Great and season kick-off meeting and clinic with our team sports psychologist. I can't wait to finally kick off the new TRIgirl season. There is nothing like a sea of fresh faces to remind you of why you are here, and how far you have come since you started your own triathlon journey.

Making the Team: 2008 Team Evotri

2008-02-13T07:23:00.000-08:00

My Making the Team Evotri application is coming together. I will post the complete video on Friday, after we finish it. Until then, here are some words I've written for it.

By Monday, the 10 finalists will be announced!

Regardless of whether I am a finalist, I'm having a great time watching other's videos on You Tube (search for "Evotri" or "Evo Tri" or "Making the Team") and I'm really happy for all of the positive exposure the sport will be getting. I just hope the normal people watching on You Tube don't think we are all completely crazy!

Also, I just want to say thanks to my AWESOME TRIgirl teammates for the nomination. I get so much of my inspiration from YOU. More than you know....
Here goes:

I will benefit team Evotri by inspiring everyday people to try the sport of triathlon. Many people are intrigued by the sport, but think that they can't participate because they don't think of themselves as athletic, strong or fast. I can show them that anyone can do this sport. All it takes is a desire, inspiration and training.

I am drawn to the spirit of the sport. Facing adversity, triathletes find a way to succeed. All of us have challenges we have to overcome to get to the finish line. Asthma, injuries, extra pounds, or even everyday responsibilities to work and family are all things that we constantly manage. But the payoff when you overcome those things is tremendous.

When they see how much fun I have, and that you don't have to be skinny or particularly fast to enjoy racing, I hope that they are inspired. There is something special about the triathlon community. I love the culture, feeling like I'm part of a group, and the sense of commitment to helping others achieve their goals.

If I am selected for Team Evotri, I will use what I learn to provide training clinics my local triathlon community. I will continue to blog about my experiences as a triathlete and provide race reports. I will use the knowledge and training that team Evotri offers, to take my training to the next level, but also to spread the knowledge with folks new to the sport. When I'm not racing at an event, then I'm there helping out. When you see me a familiar face volunteering at packet pickup and body marking it helps ease pre-race anxiety.

When you don't look like everyone else, and maybe you're even here for a different reason, it is so, so important to feel, I belong here, because really, anyone who can and wants to tri, belongs.

At TRIgirl Training, my all-women's triathlon team, our focus is on having fun, being fit, and giving back. Last year, as a volunteer team leader, I helped to raise over $2,000 for Safe Harbor House, a shelter for women and their children, who are victims of domestic abuse. And helped mentor over 90 women -- 40 of whom were racing in their first triathlon. There is nothing quite so rewarding as helping someone compete in their first race and watching them cross that finish line.

I love triathlons because they dare to push you to your limits, and somehow you find a way to keep on going. You find that you are stronger than you knew. This is why I tri. Each race can be a condensed version of life -- full of joys, but also sometimes frustrations. I am my best self when I am training hard. Racing reminds me why I have been inspired. Triathlons help me be my best self.

Most importantly, I tri because I want to set a good example for my kids. I grew up in a family where adults didn't exercise. I want my children to have a role model who emphasizes how important exercise is. Also, I want them to know, that when things get hard, they will find they are stronger than they think, and they can persevere. To show them the challenge of working for a long time towards a goal, and seeing it through, despite what life throws our way. and to find the inspiration you gain from watching someone find the strength to do what they thought they couldn't.

Dysfunction

2008-01-31T17:59:00.000-08:00

I've been avoiding discussing my injury. Why? Because I was been scared. I wasn't sure I was in a place where I could reflect on what had happened to me, physically or mentally. I am now just starting to come out of that shadow of doubt.

We all have our stumbling blocks in training. Sometimes, they just hit too close to home, or hit too hard to want to dissect them play-by-play for all the world to see. But looking back, once you've turned some sort of corner towards recovery, somehow, one gains objectivity that was not there before in looking back.

Now, that I think (THINK) we've got the problem correctly diagnosed and I'm back to a modified workout schedule, I'll do a recap. Back around Christmas, I did something to my chest. At first it was just pain in certain positions, then it got worse. I continued to work out, and deal with the pain until after a 3-hour brick one Saturday in early January, I tried to take one too many breaths. (That tends to happen as I huff and puff, running down the sidewalk). I stopped and tried to take a deep breath. Sometimes, this is not easy, with my Exercise Induced Asthma. I tried a gain. OUCH. At the bottom of each breath, there after, was a sharp stabbing pain, in my lung. My chest hurt. I was frightened. I was in a lot of pain, and kinda wanted to just not breath, because of the pain. As my breath slowed down, so did the pain. But every once in a while, I'd sigh and there it was again rearing its ugly, scary head. I called my doctor. The wait for an appointment was about a week.

And, I know many of you have heard this part of the story....so skip it if you want. My doctor told me it was one of three things. Either

1. I strained my pectoral minor, and after that workout it went into some kind of spasm

2. I had an infection in my plural lining of my lungs

3. I had a pulmonary embolism.

What! Isn't that what kills people? God. I think I'm going to faint. Can I lie down?

He says, just take some Celebrex (which I'm too chicken to take) or a huge dose of Advil and (DON'T) call me in the morning. Oh, and don't worry! It's probably not that he says.

Oh, and the only way to find out is to give you a CAT scan, which is like 50 chest X-rays, a lot of radiation.

He doesn't know me. At all. Not worry?

So, I am afraid to work out. I am afraid that if I run too hard it will dislodge my pulmonary embolism and kill me for certain. (Can you tell I have no F-ing idea what I'm talking about?) I don't want to run because then I might have to take a deep pain-stabbing breath. I am terrified, but trying to have a sense of humor. It doesn't come as easily as I had hoped.

A week later, still suffering from chest pain, another doctor decides I need an EKG.

No, your not having a pulmonary embolism -- it's just a heart attack! ha ha.

More worry ensues. I decide these doctors are idiots! I want another opinion. I finally get to talk to a receptionist at a pulmonary specialist.

"What did your X-ray say?" she says. My what? He won't see you without an X-ray. OK, so you can see a pulmonary embolism on an X-ray? I high tail it over to St. Mary's Hospital for an X-ray.

Several days later the pulmonary specialist can see me. It looks OK to me he says. Your kinda young to have a P.E. You don't have the traditional risk factors. I've seen folks with all the risk factors who didn't have a pulmonary embolism and I've seen folks with no risk factors who have it. You might or you might not have one. He says. But don't worry! It's probably not one.

I see a theme here. If I'm going to die, the last thing they want me to do is know about it and worry. An in person appointment with the guy is slightly reassuring. He offers to give me a CAT scan if I really want one. Um, no, not really.

By this time, I'd taken nearly 3 weeks off of my training. My goal of going for a Half Ironman in April was shot. The idea of swimming seemed impossible. The reaching motion was causing me so much pain. I started to doubt that I would have enough time to get better and still train to be in shape enough to complete one of my dreams: swimming across the Cheasapeake Bay in June. My mental game was suffering hugely. The more I didn't workout, the worse everything around me seemed to be. I could tell that even my 3-year-old son was worried about me. I wanted to work out, but not if it was going to kill me.

A week later, I got an appointment with Dr. Dec. Did I mention that Dr. Dec is a goddess?

She has tons of experience with injured athletes. That is what she does all day long. She has even been a sports medicine doctor for Olympic teams. For the first time, a doctor put her hands on me. Really felt around. Could see what things caused pain for me and what didn't. She listened.

I told her, "Taking my shirt off: Agony. Pulling Redfish's shirt off, double agony. Buckling him in his car seat: Lord have mercy on me. Aerobars? Not a good idea. Want to make it hurt twice as bad? Just add stress. Reaching for cereal? Hmm, maybe with the other arm."

Dr. Dec told me what was wrong with me. Rib Dysfunction. I know, it sounds like I made it up.

She said I have a block. In Eastern Medicine the call it that. I don't know how they treat it in the East, but here they use physical therapy. But most of all, she told me I was going to be ok. She told me I could workout. And how I could work out without further injuring myself. She gave me exercises and stretches to do at home. Dr. Dec doesn't know why this happened, but seems to think it had something to do with my overcompensating for having my abdominal muscles cut during 2 C-Sections in the past 7 years. She gave me hope, and said she thought that I could be on my way to recovery in 2 weeks. She sent me Jason, my physical therapist.

I've never had physical therapy before. I don't know if it is supposed to make you feel worse, but I can tell you I was in alot of pain after and during my 2 plus hour appointment. I learned that I don't like to have electrical current wired to run through my body. Jason showed me how my body was uneven -- lopsided even. And how my shoulders were starting to slope forward compensating for back muscles that weren't strong. He gave me this sort of bear hug from behind that made everything feel much better, at least temporarily.

The good news: A run the next day, with my new running partner, Becky, was the best and fastest run I've had in a long time. And my brick the day after that was fine, but taxing, about what I expected for running 2 times in 15 hours.

My physical therapist assures me that when I see him later today, I will hate him for the pain he causes me, but love him tomorrow, when I feel better. I'll let you know.

Most of all, I am happy. I am happy I have hope to be better soon. I am happy to be alive, without being fearful all the time that I am about to die. I am soooo soooo happy to be working out again. Even if I can't swim, go aero, or strength train -- yet. Sometime, being away from one of the things you love most, helps you appreciate it again.

The other good news -- I found a new primary care doctor. He's a runner, so I know he'll understands the demands of training and and the complexity of injuries. Dr. Dec recommend him which is a great sign. And, when I meet with him in a few weeks, I'm going to be sure to tell him, please don't tell me I might have a fatal condition, but not to worry.

Whey Protein: The Breakfast of Champions....I Mean Superhereos

2008-01-31T17:31:00.000-08:00

Good news. I just came across an article that says whey protein, one of the key ingredients in Accelerade, ( my long distance training drink) can help you lose weight, improve insulin sensitivity, and increase muscle mass.

Now get this: It may also be able to reduce stress, moderate cortisol, and support healthy serotonin levels, thus imparting feelings of well-being. In other words: help fight off depression.

And, the cherry on top?

These findings add to whey’s already well-established benefits, which
include boosting glutathione levels, facilitating immune function, and
aiding in the fight against cancer.
......
One of the study’s most interesting findings relates to body weight, which increased in the group receiving food and supplements compared to the fasting group. In the groups that received either glucose or whole-milk protein, the increase in weight was from body fat. However, in the whey-fed group, the weight increase reflected an increase in muscle mass and a decrease in body fat.3 Whey thus appears to be the preferable choice for supporting improvements in body composition.
......
Whey may also support weight loss by modulating levels of the crucial neurotransmitter serotonin. Serotonin is involved in a wide range of psychological and biological functions, and influences mood, anxiety, and appetite. Healthy levels of serotonin are correlated with relaxation, calm, and an improved ability to cope with stress, whereas lower levels are associated with depression, anxiety, and poor appetite control.
Since serotonin is derived from the dietary amino acid tryptophan, scientists have speculated that increasing dietary tryptophan might increase serotonin levels. A recent study conducted in the Netherlands examined whether supplementing the diet with whey-derived alpha-lactalbumin, a tryptophan-rich whey constituent, would influence plasma tryptophan levels, reduce depression, or modulate concentrations of cortisol, the so-called “stress hormone.”
No wonder you Ironmen are so Iron! I think I might go get some right
now. ...Actually, maybe my next project will be to buy some whey protein and make my own drink, without all that succrose and food coloring.
It is a fascinating article. GO read it!

USA Triathlon Rankings for 2007

2008-01-22T11:39:00.001-08:00

Every year when the USA Triathlon rankings come out, I post mine. I think it is really cool that even middle and back of the packers like me get ranked right there with the rest of the age groupers. Still, I'm not sure why this appeals to me, but it does.

Last year, I ranked slightly higher than this year, despite my 3 minute PR on the only race I did both years, Sandman. I guess what that goes to show is that easier races (as opposed to taking on Eagleman) can help your rankings. In 2007 I definately was faster, more in shape and more passionate about triathlons that I have ever been. It was a great year, and looking back on some of my posts, I'm seeing I learned alot, by taking my racing to the next level (the half iron distance). Ok here are the results:

9/16/2007 Sandman Triathlon
Time 1:54:16.40
Ranking 56.01075

7/1/2007
I Love the Tavern Triathlon
Time: 2:07:40
Ranking: 56.37458

6/10/2007
The Eagleman Ironman 70.3 Triathlon
Time: 7:39:06
Ranking 50.49307

Overall Score 54.15465
Gender Grade 59.57011

On another note, I just finished reading Slow, Fat, Triathlete, by Jayne Williams. I figured it was required reading for me since we seemed to have some things in common and I had run into her comenting on the Athena forum that I sometimes check out. The good news: It is a really great book for beginers, age groupers and folks like me. The bad news, I didn't learn anything, except that our journeys have been quite similar. Well, that is not true. I did learn one thing. That a neoprene (wetsuit) swim cap is called a Squid Lid. I guess what I'm saying is that I should have read this book a long time ago. It really would have helped me in my first or second season.

7 Weird Things

2008-01-10T03:21:00.000-08:00

TRIgirl 40 tagged me, asking me to come up with 7 wierd things about myself. Are you sure you want to know?

1. Who ever thought of asking, "What's the worst thing that can happen?" Bad, bad idea. My mom, said it to me all the time, when i was scared to jump off the high dive, when I didn't want to go for the first day of school.
Now the worst thing that can happen just naturally pops into my head. (Thanks, Mom!) And, I counter every time, "What's the best thing that can happen?"

2. I hate socks in bed. I don't know why, but it gives me the hebegebes. What's worse? socks on someone else in bed.

3. I love soda water aka seltzer water. I've been know to pretend it is real soda or beer even -- I'm easily fooled! Daisy has tried soda (Dr. Pepper and seltzer) she cries every time! Don't ask me why she keeps trying it. She hates it.

4. I wake up automatically at 5:30 a.m. or earlier every day!!! The only time I don't wake up automatically is if I have something to get up for. So, I have to set the alarm. Which, I've been known to sleep through.

5. In general I hate getting my hair cut. Really. Pretty much everything about it. The smell of chemicals. A stranger touching you. Taking my glasses off. Hair dryers. Itchy neck. I hate getting my nails done too, I know, weird, right. For a while, I had a friend who would come cut my hair at my house while we drank beer. I was in heaven.

6. I have a ritual with my morning coffee. First i put sugar in the spoon. Then I let a little coffee into the spoon and swirl it so it melts. Only then can I add the sugar to the coffee and add cream (Silk soy creamer that is!) This is very important. I hate it when I don't have a spoon for my coffee!

7. I can only comb my hair in the shower. And I can't brush it. Ever. It's just the way it is. My hair gets frizzy if I do it any other way. Pretty funny, since I won't let Daisy leave the house without combing her hair. So, next time you see me and my hair looks like it needs a good brushing, you know why -- and what I really need is a shower!

Remembering Ruby, Stella, Bryan and Kathryn Harvey

2008-01-01T18:22:00.001-08:00

There is something sacred about New Years Day. A precarious balance between remembering Ruby, Stella, Bryan and Kathryn Harvey and celebrating life.
Richmond will never forget. I will never forget. We will remember them well.

The Story of Stuff

2008-01-01T18:07:00.000-08:00

Yet another non-triathlon post. Sorry guys. My friends Daniel Farrel and John Sarvay are on to something. They posted a link that explains so many mysteries...and yet seems so obvious. Why we keep buying more stuff and then can't figure out where to put it all -- The Story of Stuff.

I know it's depressing but we can change. So, take a look -- mystery solved. I think I know what my new years resolution is going to be: buy less stuff.

Free Rice Makes My Day

2007-12-31T11:55:00.000-08:00

I just came across a new website that I LOVE. I mean really love. It is Freerice.com you play a game testing your vocabulary and when you get words right you earn rice for 3rd world countries. I'm such a skeptic. I know....it seems too good to be true. I had to check Snopes to make sure it was real. But it is. The rice is paid for by the advertisers at the bottom of your screen, which strangely enough keep catching my attention as I'm trying to figure out words that I've never seen before.
I think what I like best about this site is that I can totally indulge in a computer game and yet not feel too guilty. After all I'm learning vocabulary and helping feed the poor. What more could you ask for? Now go try it. Just don't blame me if you get addicted!

Merry Christmas

2007-12-25T10:17:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas! I hope that your holiday is filled with peace, joy and giving. And I hope that you and your family are safe and healthy.
If it is not -- go for a run, I'm sure you'll feel better when you get back! Your problems may still be the same, but at least you'll have a new perspective on things. Hmmm, I think I may go take my own advice.

Running for Real

2007-12-22T12:58:00.000-08:00

I was so happy to run into Annnnn and Kate on Monument Avenue after my 90 minute bike at Maramarc. They were running the same distance I was, 6 miles, only they were 3 miles into the run.
I didn't think twice about running across the street to meet them. I'd only run one mile and I was already tired of the same Monument Avenue scenery. But, probably I should have thought twice, because they were running it all. Maybe slow, but running it ALL. I always run and then walk and then run and then...well you know.
Anyway, I managed to stay with them most of the time, until they sprinted the last few blocks back to Starbucks. After a big glass of water I continued my run alone and lonely. But, I had run with them for basically 30 minutes. That is really good news for me. Since I didn't know I could....now all I need is someone to help me run like that 3 times a week.

I should also note that we stood up in cycling class for the first time today. I thought we weren't going to do that until January! Well, it was hard, but felt good. I miss my old Cannondale hoods to hang onto. The new aero bars are much lower and it's especially noticeable when we are standing in the sadle, but maybe something I'll get used to. The good news is that so far, I can do it.
I still remember so well, last January when I wanted to go home and cry after I couldn't do the workout we were supposed to. Well, we are not in January yet, so I may get that feeling again, but I'll work through it if I do. And, it'll make me stronger.

Christmas Light Run

2007-12-17T11:37:00.000-08:00

Last night, I really missed my family. It was super cold and so windy that I was lucky I didn't get blown away on my way to my car after work. I had been planning on doing the Christmas Light Run with the TRIgirls, but it just felt so wrong to work all day Sunday and then to not even come home to see my family, but to go to a workout instead. I know I sound like I'm whining, but when you have a 3-year-old screaming, "Please Mama don't go to work!" it makes it hard. Redfish always confuses where I go when I leave him anyway. If I'm dressed in spandex he says "Don't go to work!" If I'm dressed in slacks and a blouse, he says, "Don't go workout!" I'm sure he's wondering why I'm always laughing at him.

Anyway, Mr. Preschool called me at work to see if I'd finally made up my mind. After hearing my predicament, super cool Mr. Preschool offered to meet us at Starbucks for the 40 minutes I had between work and the Christmas Light Run. I was slightly worried that leaving the kids again would be more heartbreak then the joy of getting to see them for few minutes but Mr. Preschool had prepared them and made them promise not to cry when I left.

I'd been wanting to go on this run since last year, when I kept hearing how fun it was. Actually, I think the main thing that folks talked about after the run last year was the Glogg that TRIgirl 40 brought. Based on its rave reviews, I figured it would make the run worth it and I was right. Between the great company on the run (Annnnn, T, Margo, Cathy) and the Glogg, I was soooo happy I went, even if we did cut the route a bit short so we didn't actually have to run through Oregon Hill. Or more importantly miss the Glogg because we were so slow.

So, in case you want to try it at home, here are the ingredients for the Glogg. It is sort of like a mulled wine with a kick.

It is red wine (Pinot Grigio)

Brandy

Vodka

Ground ginger

Cinnamon

Sugar

Whole Almonds

Raisins and well, maybe something else...heated on the stove until it is warm and some of the alcohol has dissipated. I'll update with the real recipe when I get it. And, you can be sure that I will be at the Xmas Light Run next year, even if I have to bring my own Glogg! The kids were fast asleep when I got home and I don't think they missed me as much as I thought they would. Tonight, I'll be gone to another workout when they go to bed -- but tomorrow, I get to stay home!

TRIgirl Training Starts a New Blog

2007-12-16T12:33:00.000-08:00

Grandison, Cyndi and I just started a TRIgirl Training blog. Check it out!

imATHLETE Wants You!

2007-12-06T11:46:00.001-08:00

A blogging buddy of mine, Jeff Matlow, (who also happens to be one of my favorite writers) just started a new website called imATHLETE. imATHLETE is a resource for athletes (especially triathletes) that will act as a sort of wikipedia of sorts, giving all sorts of information about the sport, including race reports, race listings, club listings, coaches and more.
This is where YOU come in! Jeff is looking for folks to contribute to the website. Got a race report you want to post? Photos of a race? Or do you know of an event that is not yet listed? All you do is create a login and ad the info to the site. You'll be helping other triathletes if you do and you might even learn something while you are there.
imATHLETE is still in its Beta stage. You are one of the first ones to know about it. Go ahead, make a contribution to the site, and check it out....then, pass the word along. Oh, and while you are there -- you can vote for me (and my blog)!

Teachers Ask for What They Want -- And Get It!

2007-12-06T11:20:00.000-08:00

This is a post from my other blog, The Near West End News. I'm just repeating it hear, because, well, Mr. Preschool is a teacher, and I think it is the best idea I've heard in a long, long time....
I can’t emphasize enough how important schools are to both our community and our future. One Richmond City school teacher found out about a great online program, DonorsChoose.org that was able to help her make a even bigger difference in her students’ lives. Cheryl Thompson, a teacher at Blackwell Elementary, submitted a short essay to DonorsChoose explaining that she had an idea to use a digital voice recorder to record some of the classrooms activities and send them home with the kids. It was a way to involve parents, but also a way to reach out to the non-verbal children who couldn’t communicate with their parents about what was going on in the classroom. Donorschoose matches up everyday folks like you and me with folks like teachers who have a need but not necessarily the resources to fulfill it. It makes philanthropy easy for a regular Joe, and there is a personal element to it because the donor gets to pick the recipient and the project that he wants to support.
Gov. Timothy M. Kaine plans to announce this morning at Blackwell that Virginia teachers are now eligible to post their projects on the site.
“You just put your hopes and dreams out there, your visions, and somebody out there believes in you,” said Thompson, who is in her fourth year teaching early childhood special education in the city schools. “I love that idea. You don’t have to write a big, long grant.”
[via]

The 2008 Triathlon Season Begins!

2007-12-02T06:30:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, we started our winter training. I am so happy to be back, it was tough seeing how out of shape I've become in the past 2 months, but great to realize it doesn't have to stay like that.
This has been a really tough Autumn for me. It seems like one malady after another has kept me from getting back into the swing of things. Yesterday, I was still fighting a terrible cough but after taking some asthma medicine from my inhaler, I was able to continue the workout. The truth is that yesterday is the best I've felt in a long time. I slept well. My back didn't ache. I was happier and more upbeat than I've been in a while. My cough even seems to have improved, even if it almost brought me to my knees yesterday during my "run." Yes, run is in quotes because it was more like a walk, run, stagger, stagger, walk. I'd run, feel that the heavy breathing was just too much, because of all the congestion. Then walk. When I walked is when I uncontrollably started coughing...which the running seemed to help, so I'd run to stop coughing and well....you get the idea.
It was really wonderful to see all of the "baby pink" TRIgirls moving on to be the experts. The pros that will be able to answer all sorts of questions for the next baby pinks. It was wonderful to see everyone again, but especially to be inspired by the baby pinks taking on full and half Ironmans in the coming season.
As for me, I'm focusing more on the season ahead. Trying to figure out what races will complete my season.
So far, I've committed to
The Great Cheapeake Bay Swim 4.4. Miler on June 8th
I Love the Tavern Sprint Triathlon on June 29
Sandman Triathlon on Sept. 14th
The Richmond Marathon on November 15

I'm thinking about

The Lake Anna Kinetic Half on April 19 or

The Williamsburg Patriot Half on Sept. 6th (or possibly the International)

The Charlottesville International on July 27

Still have to sort things out. I really want to do one half this season and one Olympic or International distance race. That Charlottesville one sounds fun but hilly and hot!

Happy Thanksgiving

2007-11-22T03:39:00.001-08:00

I am thankful for TRIgirls. For Mr. Preschool. Of course, for my beautiful kids.
And, I am thankful we can all be together at home for a nice relaxed Thanksgiving. And, It may sound silly, but I am really thankful that we have 3 days with no going to work, no driving to school, no VCU classes, no obligations.
Just family.

Drink Beer Kids, the Pilgrims Did

2007-11-21T12:17:00.001-08:00

My daughter, who is 6, came home from school yesterday telling me that she drank apple juice, but that everyone in the class had to pretend it was beer. She assured me this was the teacher's idea. Weird. I try not to get to picky with the teachers, but we wrote her a note, just making sure that was right, that all the kids had to pretend they were drinking beer.

Yep. Apparently they were Pilgrims for Thanksgiving and all the water was "rotten" so even the children had to drink beer. BUT, fear not, her teacher said. No one was allowed to get drunk...first of all they were just pretending....and second of all, that apparently was one of the first rules the Pilgrims made, when they got to Plymouth Rock.

I am all for bringing history to life for the sake of teaching, but this seem crazy. By no means am I a teetotaler, but we've always made sure the kids know beer and coffee are "adult beverages". I'm sure many of her classmates don't even know what drunk is. I talked to Daisy about what "drunk" is, what, one time, about 6 months ago. Her version of drunk, "you know when you get in the car and drive around and the policeman catches you." Yeah, I was laughing on the floor. "Oh, yeah" she said about 2 minutes later, "because you drink too much."

I Won the Lottery!

2007-11-16T11:28:00.000-08:00

No, not that kind of lottery! The swim lottery. See, there is this race that I've been wanting to do for years. The Great Cheasapeake Bay Swim. Yep, you swim accross the entire Cheasapeake Bay. 4.4 Miles. And, I never thought I'd actually have the balls to sign up. But, it is so hard to get into, you have to enter the lottery. So, I figured, what the Hell, I won't get in anyway, right?
I think that is how they suck you in. But, I did get in. And, I'm like, "How lucky am I? I won the lottery....this might never happen again, I guess I should do this race! I have to hurry, only 24 hours to register or they will give my spot away!"
$250 dollars later, I'm thinking "ACKKKKKKKK, What have I done?"
I don't even belong to a pool! I guess that is gonna' change.

In light of the drownings the past 2 years at Ironman Florida, yes I am scared. But, I am also the kind of person who sometimes needed a push to follow my dreams. So, here goes!

Ruby's Run is Sunday at the Carillon

2007-11-12T11:03:00.000-08:00

This post already appeared on my other blog, The Near West End News, but I think it's worth repeating, so here it is again!

I’ve been trying to encourage my friends with kids to sign up for Ruby’s Run, in memory of Ruby Harvey. Ruby’s Run is a celebration or Ruby’s life, and a way to raise money for a scholarship in her name at her old preschool.
I didn’t know Ruby, but I did know her mom and dad, Kathryn and Bryan Harvey. They made a huge impression on me. They were the among the first people I knew who were parents and still managed to be “cool”. It sounds silly to say it now, but I was pretty young when I met them, and I had just married and It made a huge impression on me that they were able to be parents and still maintain their pre-kid lifestyle of having lots of friends and being really involved in the things that they were interested in. They showed me you could be a dedicated parent and that it didn’t have to interfere your own sense of self.
Like many Richmonders, I have been devastated by the Harvey family’s death. The best way to honor them, I think, is to remember all the good things about them. Remember the happier times and to celebrate their lives as best we can.
My kids will be running on Sunday, in memory of Ruby, and if you’d like to make a pledge for the Ruby Harvey Memorial Fund or if you’d like your children to participate here’s the info:
Sunday, November 18thpacket pick up is at 1 p.m.the race starts at 2 p.m.It is for ages 4-14 (ages 15 and up can volunteer)the race distance varies from 100 meters to 2 miles, depending on age.
Pledges can be made online.

Ntelos 8K Race Report

2007-11-10T17:58:00.000-08:00

Due to my back injury, I decided to walk instead of run the 8K today. I was a little worried that I wouldn't be able to finish if I started having back pain, but the Prednizone seems to be keeping it away. After plenty of jokes about how I was going to be disqualified due to my steriod use, I started out. I had never walked a race before and I was surprised at how much company I had.
I enjoyed it, but it was difficult not running, it was like fighting an instinct. And all those people running around me at the start made me even more aware of it.
I was worried it would take a long time to finish, but that sad truth is that I wasn't much slower than if I ran. I came in under 1:15 averaging 15 minute miles. The last time I ran this race, it took me 59 minutes, and I ran my little heart out, I was surprised there was not more of a time difference.
I walked for a lot of the race with a guy named John from Arlington. He did the Marine Corps Marathon last year racewalking (which is I guess what we were doing). That was inspiring to hear about, because I signed up for next years marathon. And, if he can do a marathon walking and make the time cut off, then I can too.

Anyway, I will say that I had fun getting back out there today. I've missed racing and workouts and happy to see a light at the end to this injury tunnel. Cross your fingers that when I wake up tomorrow, after a long nights sleep, that my back doesn't change it's mind. Now if I can just fight off this infection.....

Active.com Tells Me What I Already Know.....

2007-11-07T09:27:00.001-08:00

So, I wasn't really holding out hope....but this confirms what I already knew....2008 wasn't my year. Here's the email I just got regarding my Ironman Florida registration:

Thank you for contacting Active.com.

There was a technical error during your registration. Unfortunately, the Ford Ironman Florida is now full.

If you have any further questions or concerns, please contact the Customer Support Team at Active.com.
Best Regards,

Active.com Support - Amy

Bigger Challenges Lie Ahead

2007-11-07T03:13:00.000-08:00

You gotta love your coach when she calls you at 8 a.m. the morning after she does an Ironman, to tell you that you too need to sign up for it next year. AND, you have 3 hours to decide. AND, you'll be at work during that deciding time. God, I love her. I love that she can even wake up at 8 a.m. after an Ironman, no need to sleep late! I love that she has faith in me that this overweight woman can accomplish that kind of a feat. I think what I love most is that she doesn't take this lightly -- she knows how much hard work is involved, she knows me -- and she still thinks I'm ready for the challenge.

But wait, you say. You've had years to ponder doing an Ironman. You've had plenty of time to think about this. You've even admitted that it is a dream of yours. Yea, and I decided I wasn't ready yet.
Swimming 2.4 Miles, biking 112 miles, and running 26.2 just for fun and within a 17 hour time limit, is a dream of mine. But I figured It would be years away. I figured first I had to loose 25 pounds or so I could run faster and longer. I figured I would certainly help if Mr. Preschool didn't have class on Saturday mornings for his PhD. I figured at least my 3-year-old would have to be in school part time (we had to pull him out of preschool -- loooong story). I figured, no way in hell it would be this year.
But, when your coach calls you, and tells you that you can. ...and you secretly know you want to ...and she has that much faith in you, well all sanity and reason goes out the window.

Registration was pushed back to 1 p.m. local time. I had a few more hours to think about it. I loved the prospect of getting to train with TRIgirls that were going for it next year. And, I decided, what the hell, It's a dream of mine, I'll go for it.

I signed on the the Ironman Florida registration website, which mentioned that there would be VERY FEW spots available. I felt like a teenager on Ticketmaster trying to get tickets to the next big show. At 12:56 p.m. I sat down at my work computer, making sure there were no customers around to be helped. If anyone walked in that door, I would abandon entering the race at all. I was at work afterall! I clicked "register." The race was not open yet. At 12:57 p.m. I clicked it again and gasped an audible gasp as I got to the registration screen. Still no customers in need of help coming in. I proceeded to enter my USAT number, my address, my medical info, and my credit card number. I hit send, but had to go back a screen because in my nervousness, I'd forgotten the (804) on my phone number. Then started freaking.
What am I doing?
You see, for the past 7 weeks I've been unsuccessfully fighting an infection. Remember back in September when my nurse practitioner told me not to even race Sandman? That's the same one. I'm now on my 4th round of antibiotics. Not working out really messes with your head. I've been struggling. Then, last week, I through out my back trying to carry a kicking a screaming Redfish up the stairs to bed. OUCH! Damn. And get this, I feel like such a hypochondriac that I haven't really told anyone how much pain I'm in.
What am I doing, registering for Ironman Florida when I couldn't even walk 10 steps without pain, and I haven't worked out since September? What am I thinking?
But, I know it is a leap of faith, and after calling 2 TRIgirls, I'm convinced. I hit send! But in my hesitation, I lose my opportunity. The slots are all gone.

So, at least that has gotten me here. I WILL register for IMFL in 2009. And by then, maybe Mr. Preschool won't have class on Saturday and Redfish will be in school. And I will be well. And I will finally follow my dream. And it is oh so nice to know that there is someone besides myself who thinks I can do this.
I can do this.

Richmond Team Rocks Ironman Florida

2007-11-03T11:46:00.000-07:00

Today, 9 of my teammates and 3 of my coaches are on one of the biggest journeys of their life. Swimming 2. 4 miles. Biking 112 miles. And capping it all off with a full marathon just for the hell of it. Today, is Ironman Florida.

These are normal people. People like you and me. Professors, network engineers, waitresses, ropes course instructors, research analysts, computer geeks and stay-at-home moms. These are average people who have chosen to accomplish something extraordinary today. And, as I write this they are winding up the 112 mile bike course. I can't tell you how much these women have inspired me. I trained with them closely for the first 6 months of their season, as we all trained for Eagleman together. This women have accomplished so much, just even getting to the starting line. They have trained for nearly a year. Sacrificing many hours at home with their loved ones so they could complete long brick workouts. Finding ways to train on the road while traveling for work. Biking and running in extreme conditions, rain, and wind and in the dark, because there just wasn't enough hours in the day, to get it all in. They have run miles and miles on some of August's hottest days and biked bundled in all their winter gear, trying to keep their toes from freezing.

Today, they started in the dark, at 7 a.m. swimming in the Gulf of Mexico. Today, they will become Ironmen -- 8 of them for the first time. And, at midnight, some 17 hours later, the last of these warriors, who chose to take on something greater than themselves...will finish the longest day of their life.

Deanna B.,

Suzie Q,

Karen,
Carmen,

Shelley,

Granidson,

Deanna L.,

Cyndi,

Lynn,

Anna,

Som

and Blake, Congratulations

YOU are IRONMEN. You are amazing. You are representing Richmond well.

Now, go get your tattoos!

Just One More Reason I Love Blogs...They Can Help Little Kids with Leukemia Not Feel as Alone

2007-10-17T04:08:00.000-07:00

This is just a little shout out to Mr. Preschool.

Recently, one of his favorite students was diagnosed with Leukemia. When he found out that she had been playing school at home and missing her classmates terribly, he made a classroom blog. Now, the class can send her videos, photos and messages each day. And she can log on anytime she wants to look at her classmates, post messages to them and say hi. It not the same as being in a real class with them, but maybe it's the next best thing.

Considering she lives in the Projects, she is very lucky she has Internet at home. And she is very lucky she had persistent teachers and parents who didn't listen to the doctors who said her leg pain was normal. She is very lucky they caught it early and that she has such a great cancer center right here in downtown Richmond. She is also very lucky she has Mr. Preschool for her teacher. Because you can make sure she won't feel forgotten. And if he can bring the classroom to her -- he will.

Missing You

2007-10-09T17:13:00.001-07:00

It has been one week since my last post. Jeez, I feel like I'm at confession.
I've been working my ass off at the Near West End News, well today at least. And, well, the truth is, I've been kinda sick. I'm not sure what is wrong with me. I've made reference to it before on this site, but until I get the OK from the doctors, I'm not working out. I hate not knowing what is wrong with me. I wish it would just go away.

So, I guess becuase of this, I don't have much to say in the world of triathlon, except: I miss you baby. I miss workouts. I miss TRIgirls. And all of a sudden things seem incredibly tough.
Hmmm. Couldn't all be related, could it?

My Decorations

2007-10-02T11:40:00.000-07:00

Little Redfish and I were laying in bed the other day, snuggling.
"What are those things on your tummy Mama?" he said.
"What things?" I said as I pulled down the part of my shirt that had inched its way up.
"You know," he says sticking his little fingers on my belly. "Your decorations!"
"Oh those!" I say. "Those are called stretch marks Sweetie!"

Today:
"What are those things on your arms Mama?" he says as he runs his finger on the inside of my upper arm. You know the place, right were it flaps around when you run and you pretend not to hear it. And then you say to yourself, well it's OK your arms make that sound when your running because at least you ARE running.
"Oh, honey, you mean my decorations?" I say.
"Those aren't decorations, Mama!"
You just can't win with a 3 year old!

The Rest of the Story: Sandman Race Report

2007-09-21T18:57:00.000-07:00

I should have written this before, the day I got home from the race while I was still tired from it. I have been taking the week off. I think as I mentioned before I had been sick right before the race and my nurse practitioner had asked me not to. The deal was that I would take one whole week to do nothing after the race and well, that is exactly what I have done. Nothing. No strength training Monday or Wednesday, no Sunday swim, no brick on Saturday and no run on Thursday morning. Truly I've done zilch.
So, now that I'm writing the race report, I hardly feel like a triathlete. It's funny how fast you forget all of those long workouts. Here are some photos. OK lets see if this helps me remember.
Yep, this is my favorite part of the race. Daisy was so excited to see me. Her dad had miscalculated my swim time (I was too fast) and then had gotten distracted, so she, Redfish and Mr. Preschool missed me on both my transitions. I hadn't really thought about missing her or wondered where they were, I was too busy concentrating on my race. But all of a sudden, there she was! She and Redfish were so excited to see me. And, she just started running. I held her hand and we ran together to the finish line. It was really nice to show her one of the many reasons I do triathlons. Because she was running with me, of course we got all this attention. Actually, I don't think I've ever heard a crowd cheer so hard for me. Wait, it must have been here they were cheering for. Anyway, she got to truly sense what it feels like to cross a finish line (regardless of your place). And I think, and I hope, she found that inspiring.
We talked about how the next time I volunteer at a race, she'll come help too. I think she is finally ready. And next spring, she'll do her first race (and no, I won't be running across the finish line with her then.
Actually, I've never published a photo of either of my kids. So, here is her official internet debut. I guess she's old enough for that too. Not much of a race report. Sorry. I guess I waited to long.

Photo available at Triduo.com

Unempty Pancakes

2007-09-19T10:13:00.000-07:00

I was checking in on Ironmom, a blog a used to read alot, but recently I just haven't had as much time to check blogs. I guess the Near West End News, my other blog, has been taking up most of my computer time. Anyway, Robin has a great post on kids eating healthy, and I just love her pancake recipe (although I can see myself adapting it to use soymilk since that is what we usually have in the house).
She has a really good point about what we teach our kids to eat. My daughter can't stand lemonaid, Kool Aide, snow cones, icey pops and the like. She thinks they just taste wrong. My son, who sampled lemonaid at a young age is much less choosey, and will drink anything, well, maybe not soda.

Anyway, here is the recipe:
Robin's Non-Empty Pancakes
1 cup raw milk (ours is goat's)
1 cup yogurt
1 1/2 cup whole grain flour (sometimes I combine oat, spelt, wheat, coconut flour, whatever I have available)
1/4 Cup Ground Flax Meal
1/4 Cup Hemp Seeds
If I have time, mix everything above together and let it soak for 12 - 24 hours to ferment a little bit.
Then, the next morning, I mix in:
6 eggs
4 Tbs coconut oil or butter
1 tsp Vanilla
2 Tbs Raw Evaporated Cane Juice (Sucanat)
1 tsp sea salt
Sometimes I make them with bananas and pecans or blueberries or huckleberries in season. These also make great rollups with peanut butter and honey for a middle of the day snack. If I have the time, I'll mix up a double or triple batch and freeze a bunch so the kids can get pancakes any day of the week. It's both more nutritious and much more cost-effective than breakfast cereals.