enduro eejit

Another move...

2007-02-23T18:23:00.000-05:00

I'm moving to greener (actually oranger) pastures myself. This site was a great start, and I'm not deleting it. But it's time for Mallie's own blog, just like it was time for Renee to move out on her own in the blogosphere.

Hope you'll visit me at Saddle Sore to Sebring

Mallie

I've moved my musings

2007-02-23T09:48:00.000-05:00

I've moved my musings to a new locale. What fun!
Check them out at www.reneemartinez.blogspot.com

-renee

I gave thanks ...

2006-11-24T15:36:00.000-05:00

In fact, I gave thanks more than once with a few extra helpings of my grandma's turkey dinner ... and dessert.

I did run 4 miles in the woods yesterday morning. It was an attempt at working off what I planned to eat last night for dinner. Today I'll probably hit the gym and I'll ride both days this weekend. Hopefully that will be enough exercise to undo the damage my full plate did to my belly (and my thighs).

Now that I'm facing at least two solid days of eating turkey leftovers, what are your suggestions for fun ways to burn off the holiday pounds? I could use the motivation.

Anyone? Bueller?

:)

If it looks like a duck ...

2006-11-15T17:32:00.000-05:00

Since lately we're all about the weights here at EnduroEejit, I figure I'd join in on the posting pleasure.

Today ... I went to the gym. Yes, I even picked up a weight or two. And! I actually hoisted it over my head ... repeatedly ... for pleasure. OK, so maybe not the pleasure part. But it's been a LONG TIME since I've so much as opened the gym door, so I didn't exactly expect the experience to be pleasurable.

A friend and certified personal trainer told me recently that I needed to be lifting some weights. And then he hounded me some more, and really got me thinking about it. Apparently when you bike you actually use those muscley fibrous things attached to your arms and shoulders. Now, I know you use them when swimming, and it was actually my quest to be a better swimmer that led me to the gym door today. I had my buddy meet me, and we went over some basic moves sure to whip me into shape and deliver flesh-rippling biceps in no time -- if only I stick with it.

So here's what I did (in exact detail):
•These squatty things with a ball for 15 times a few times more.
•This thing where I pulled this bar down and poked my chest out, half my body weight (a lady never reveals!), a few times.
•These EXCRUCIATING lifts where, as previously mentioned, I hoisted them over my head, a pitiful amout, more times than I liked.
•Quad and hamstring work (I couldn't get the commercial where the guy says "Don't want to pull a hammy!!" out of my head the entire time)
•More PAINFUL lifting of weights into the air, except this time over my chest, again, more times than I wanted to.
•Tricep extensions that would make my grandma (from whom I inherited my flabby triceps) squirm with discomfort.
•And finally, some bicept curls that seriously, made me feel like ARNOLD. They rocked.
•Oh and I walked on the treadmill some too. It was at a 2% grade cause my buddy said that's supposed to simulate walking outside.

Now, I've never really been a lifting weights kinda girl. I like 'em long and lean, not bulky (hence the yoga). But, what's good for the goose is good for the gander, so I've committed to waddling my feathery a** into the gym at least TWICE a week. That's a big step for me. Twice a week I could be running free outside in the fresh fall air, or cruising down some sweet singletrack. But twice a week I'll be watching my little stick arms quiver while lifting weights.

Now, if only I could do something about these damned webbed feet!

Evil, icky, smelly rain!

2006-11-15T16:14:00.000-05:00

Sob! Sniffle. Rain and tornado warnings messed with my plans. Today was supposed to be a nice walk with my friend and her new baby, followed by a night ride through the woods with my girls. I was really looking forward to hanging out with my gals, catching up on gab and wondering which of us would have to dab first in the dark.

So...I found myself at the gym with no real plan. I decided to have fun and do a modification of something another lifting girlie wrote about in one of her workout posts. She did 100's. I decided to modify, as I have another heavy lifting day (heavy for me you jokers!) planned tomorrow and didn't want to compromise that.

So I did what I called 80-100's. 4 sets of 20-25 reps with lighter weights as a sort of cardio with the DBs and machines.

Warm-up: 10 minutes on the treadmill, 3.0 mph, 15 grade

DB Overhead Press: 1x25x8; 3x20x8

Leg Extensions (as I did hamstrings hard yesterday, I threw in a quad exercise just for sh*ts and giggles) 4x20x35

Triceps Press: 4x25x60

Vertical Chest Press: 4x25x40

Low Cable Row: 1x20x40; 3x20x35

Straight Arm Cable Shoulder Extensions: 4x20x25

Lat Pulldowns: 4x25x40 (it seemed really light at first, but I really worked to keep good form and a good core position)

Cool Down: 10 minutes treadmill, 2.7 mph, 15 grade

This older man, who can barely walk, and impresses the hell out of me by not only coming to the gym, but also cuz he lifts rather than sitting for hours on the recumbent, walked up to me and said, "you sure do one hell of a workout". That made me feel really good!

Some changes at the home of the eejit...

2006-11-15T07:35:00.000-05:00

Renee won't be posting under the eejit banner for much longer, as she's raring to tackle her own blog. She won't be removed as a contributor until she's all set and raring to go, as I'm guessing she might want to bid her farewell.

So it will be just me. Hope that won't lose me many readers! YIKES.

With a new blog structure comes a new look. It reminds me that the holidays are coming and that no matter what's going in that might make me a bit sad or worried, I love the holidays. I also love my bike and my training...so I figured this was the best place to combine the two for the time being.

Now is the time for me to thank my friends for helping me through a rough time. I get e-mails and phone calls at random...my pals just checking in to see that I'm OK. I've got dates for Saturday morning, Saturday evening, Sunday late morning, etc. All with the friends who have let me know I can lean on them no matter what. My digital friends have also been an incredibly supportive group. I thank you all.

Back to regularly scheduled workout posts soon!

A weekend of working out...

2006-11-12T16:31:00.000-05:00

Well...it's been a hard week. And it's going to be a hard November and more than likely a hard December. But I'm not going to let personal issues get in the way of the dedication I've maintained as to my diet and training.

I had a great ride on Friday. It was short, and I didn't ride anything technical...as my mind is still wandering at random to my personal issues. But I could feel the difference the strength training has made. I was climbing, both spinning climbs and short, hard pedaling climbs in bigger gears, faster, with less effort. The legs were really working for me and that makes me very happy.

Saturday morning workout:

Warm-Up: 7:30 on the treadmill, 15 grade, 2.9 mph

DB Overhead Press: 5x7x15

Good Mornings: 5x6x55

High Cable Rows: 5x8x55

Bench 3x7xBar
(Chest and shoulders are my weak point...so I just used the bar this last time. I'm going up to some dinky weights + the bar next week)

Step-Ups: 3x10xbodyweight; 3x6xbodyweight + 10 (used six steps stacked)

Triceps Press: 5x8x80

Straight Arm Cable Shoulder Extension: 3x8x25

Cable Bicep Extensions/Curls: 3x8x25

Leg Extensions: 4x6x55

Finished up with about 10 minutes on the cardio rowing machine.

And that brings us to today. It was supposed to be just an active recovery spin on the road bike (I decided not to venture out too far alone today Renee, but did so appreciate the directions which I'll use soon), but the headwinds required a bit more effort than I'd planned. But it's all good. Had a nice 45 minute ride in the brisk wind, but the sunshine on my face sure felt great.

I'm looking forward to a great HIIT session tomorrow and a good weights session on Tuesday. Hope the rest of you had a fantastic weekend!

I've been neglecting the blog lately...

2006-11-09T17:38:00.000-05:00

for numerous reasons:

* Personal Life Crises

* Goal Setting

* Change in Workout Perspective & Goals

But, I'm not going to neglect it anymore. So you're going to get to join me again on my random journey through fitness, training, and diet. Some of you care, some don't. Those that don't can still leave their comments.

I've dedicated the month of November to a lean-out diet and a focus on strength training. I'm still riding, just not going to start heavy LSD/base until December. I have my reasons...and I'll highlight them as this old blog continues. So anyway...here's today's workout:

Warmup - 5 minutes on treadmill, 15 grade, 2.8 mph

Military Press: 3x8x12; 3x6x15 (did these first as shoulders are my weak spot and wanted to do them fresh)

Good Mornings: 5x6x55

Vertical Chest Press: 5x6x60

Low Cable Row: 5x7x55

Standing Cable Straight Arm Shoulder Stuff: 3x8x25 (each arm)

Triceps Press: 5x7x80

Lat Pulldowns: 5x6x60

DB Concentration Curls: 5x5x12 (both arms)

Cool Down: 5 minutes treadmill, 15 grade, 2.8 mph

My legs were feeling pretty tight from Tuesday...so I just did the good mornings, and opted out of my planned step ups. Will do those Saturday.

Glad to be back...hope at least some of you are glad to see me!

Accent? What accent?

2006-11-08T12:31:00.000-05:00

Right now this little quiz is making its way around the blogosphere. Nailed me right on the button!

What American accent do you have? Your Result: The West Your accent is the lowest common denominator of American speech. Unless you're a SoCal surfer, no one thinks you have an accent. And really, you may not even be from the West at all, you could easily be from Florida or one of those big Southern cities like Dallas or Atlanta.
The Midland
Boston
North Central
The Inland North
Philadelphia
The South
The Northeast
What American accent do you have? Take More Quizzes

Happy Halloween and other thoughts

2006-10-31T13:44:00.000-05:00

Happy Halloween! I was a witch today at work! lol. Of course, some people would argue that I'm a "witch" every day at work. My friend Grant, one of the photogs here at the paper, snapped a photo of me to e-mail Jake. Jake's response? "A witch. How appropriate." LOL

In other news, the race at Tumbling Creek went well. It felt like more "fun" than "race." Ashley was the only other chica in my group, so I pretty much knew I had second place sewn up. I didn't kill myself trying to keep up with her, but just decided to ride hard and good and encourage Beth along the way.

Gotta give props to Beth, who I've now taken to calling "the next Krista Park," or "the next Kathleen Tokuda" (both of whom are STELLAR riders and very encouraging, friendly ladies). After being on the bike for 9 months -- as in, she wasn't riding at all 9 months ago -- Beth cats up to Sport class. Tumbling Creek was her first Sport race ... and she got third!! The best part was we got to ride together most of the time -- until she passed me on one of the last climbs and took off like a freakin mountain goat.

After getting in some base training this winter, I can't wait to see what she does next year. Those other Sport ladies should beware!

Really though, it's great to see someone take to the sport so quickly. It's always encouraging to see new riders develop and come into their own. Seeing her excitement about riding and willingness to challenge herself reminds me of how I felt when I first started riding, and makes me enjoy it all over again.

Have a spooky day!

Home fires burning

2006-10-27T11:15:00.000-04:00

I know this has nothing to do with physical fitness, but I'm posting anyway.

Jake left yesterday to go to Qatar, where he'll be stationed for the next two months. He's in the Air National Guard and makes the trip about once a year. This is his third time going over since we've been together. You'd think it would get easier, but it doesn't. It gets harder.

For those without a handy locator map, Qatar is right across the pond from Iraq. The base there is one of the closest jumping-off points you can get to Iraq, and its role is to service and care for the planes and people who's job it is to actually go fight in Iraq. Qatar is not currently a war-zone, but it's still too damn close for comfort.

I know everyone has strong opinions about the war, as I myself do. But regardless of whether or not you support the president's efforts, it's just the humane thing to do to care and pray (in whatever way you choose) for the troops stationed over there.

Speaking form experience, it's very hard to keep a sane mind when the war is changing every month and you have a loved one over there. Sure Qatar is safe now, but will it be in two weeks? two months? The hardest part of Jake being gone is the emotional aspect. Knowing his safety is out of my control, and knowing I can't just call him if I need him.

He's supposed to be home by Christmas, so pray to Buddha, Allah, Jesus, Jehovah, the Dalai Lama or even to the sun god that he stays safe and makes a quick trip home. I'd really like for him to be home for Christmas.

Back in the saddle

2006-10-20T16:42:00.000-04:00

After being sick for about two weeks, I'm officially back in the saddle again.

Granted, I started trying to exercise after about three days of sitting around, and my body quickly let me know it wasn't ready to do much more than walk. Cut to ... two weeks later.

I hit the pool Wednesday night for a swim. It was really tough. I found myself getting out of breath more quickly and it was harder to do the same number of laps I always do. Last night I went for a nice 4-mile run. It actually went pretty well. I had TRIED to run on Saturday and lasted 20 minutes before I gave out, so actually making it for 40 minutes was a treat.

Today I feel good: no aches, no sinus pain, full of energy. I swear the Moes' burrito I had for lunch yesterday and the pizza I had for dinner were contributing factors to my recovery.

This weekend I'm gonna hit the trail and hope to have a real good ride or three! It's Jake's last weekend in town before heading off to the "big sandbox," so I'm sure we'll be getting in some long rides in the fresh fall air.

ciao!

Random Ruminations

2006-10-18T06:26:00.000-04:00

The weather absolutely stinks right now. Been sidelined to gym only/indoor training the past couple days, this after having to take an extra day off over the weekend after catching a cold. Luckily it was a short one. And also, even more luckily, I'm really enjoying the gym lately. So, the rain ain't hurting me too much right now. But it could stop today and I wouldn't mind one little bit. Here's some random tidbits...

- I'm excited to report that I've got some new calluses! No, not on my pardukey, on my hands. The strength training is going great. I'm enjoying mixing the weights with different types of cardio and I'm not at all bored because I'm able to mix things up!

- I'm making some more diet changes, above and beyond the changes I made after the anemia diagnosis. So I'm still off caffeine for the most part. I've also basically given up soda (was drinking diet/caffeine free varieties) except for the occasional night out. I'm working hard to get more protein into my diet each day, as this is something I've always struggled with. I'm also timing my carbs to get them eaten earlier in the day...tapering to more good fats and protein in the later hours of the day

- The diet changes appear to be working, as I've lost around five pounds over the last three weeks and I don't feel at all deprived. In fact, I lost that weight even though I've actually upped my daily caloric intake. I'm just eating much better calories.

- A couple races have already set their dates...Bakers Dozen is April 21st and the Dirty Spokes Ft. Yargo race is May 5th. BD will be a solo, Yargo I'm doing with Linda as a duo. I've also got a biggie planned for February (no not Reddick) and will post more later.

Today's a leg and cardio circuit day at the gym.

The Night Ride

2006-10-12T12:15:00.000-04:00

So, the ladies met for the first ladies pines ride of the season. It didn't involve that much night riding as we haven't had the time change yet, but it involved the chatting and fun that it always has in the past. Hillarie made her triumphant return to the bike (now if we can just keep her on it), Renee told her cold in no uncertain terms that she'd had enough of it, and Beth was sporting her new teeny-tiny Titus and ready to see what it could do.

For me it was one of those incredibly enjoyable rides with friends. Lots of laughing and story telling. Catching up with eachother's lives and whatnot.

Sure the ride didn't really improve our skills or our overall fitness level. But we were out on our bikes instead of in front of the television set. That counts for something with me.

The New Ride

2006-10-12T12:02:00.000-04:00

Sure...it's entry level. Sure, it's a triple. Sure, many of you have finer and dandier rides. But here's the newest member of the family. She makes me smile. 'Nuff said!

Kenny Rogers made me do it

2006-10-09T11:28:00.000-04:00

I HATE being sick. What I hate more than actually being sick is missing a race because I'm sick. I can count on one hand the number of times that's happened in the last five years. Well, this weekend I added another finger to the count, as I had to sit out what would have been my last tri of the season.

I'm SERIOUSLY bummed. I was all excited about doing it, as it was short and I had really planned to test myself. Unfortunately, the germs that make up my universe decided to test me as well this weekend. I've been feeling like I was coming down with something for a little more than a week now (wonder if that tri in the rain up in Hiwassee had anything to do with it!) but have been ignoring the signs: namely sneezing. I only sneeze when I'm getting a cold.

Friday night the sneezing led to a stuffy nose and headache. I woke up Saturday morning feeling real low, and then (probably unwisely) went to Savannah with Jake to spend the day with his family. As the day progressed, so did my sinus issues and feelings of woe about Sunday's event.

On the way home Sat night I decided not to do the tri. It would have involved getting up at about 4 a.m. and traveling to Atlanta, and then participating in the event in scheduled 55 degree weather. Not good makings for one already afflicted with the sniffles. Looking back now (with a cold still in full swing) there's no way I could have done that event. I would have been a danger to myself and others -- and not because of the aerobars!

So now I just feel grumpy and blue that I missed what could have been such a fun time. But I guess sometimes you just have to -- in the words of The Gambler himself -- know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em, know when to walk away when the deal is done.

Hopefully my cards will look better next time around.

BRRRR(oad)RRRRR(ide)RRRRRR

2006-10-09T07:09:00.000-04:00

Those of you who live and ride in the North and Midwest can go ahead and smile condescendingly or shake your heads right about now. But yesterday during my first real road ride, I was chilly. I was cold. I wore my arm warmers for the entire ride. And I had the best ride I can remember in a long time!

The bike I've borrowed (from Lauren) doesn't have a working computer, so I don't know exact mileage or speed...but sometimes you just need a ride that's simply about the ride.

I overcame my fear of the skinny tires blowing up at the slightest obstacle when I hit railroad tracks and rough cracks in the pavement early on. I was pleased to have my new Tifosi sunglasses (orange lenses as it was overcast and shady) that kept the frequent headwinds and occasional bugs out of my eyes. I was so into the ride I failed to drink regularly (something I don't normally forget).

It was a thrill to cycle the flats in the big ring, feeling the muscles in my legs flowing smoothly under the skin. It was an even bigger thrill to tackle some of the climbs (Plum, Walnut) and maintain a good spin, or test my standing climbing ability.

After a little over two hours I came home with pink cheeks, an appetite and sore hands, without the sore pardukey and shoulders I was expecting. I came home with a huge grin on my face and happy descriptions for my husband. I came home thrilled with biking, being outdoors and having a relatively fit body and spirit.

Today I go to the shop and will have them put my pedals, a computer and make some adjustments to my new steed. I hope to have it tomorrow or Wednesday. Pics to follow.

Hurts So Good

2006-10-07T11:31:00.000-04:00

Off season is here...well, with all the medical issues it's not like I really had an "on" season...but you know what I mean. And with it comes the re-entry of weights into the workout schedule. I'm determined to really add to my core and upper body strength this year, as it will only add to my ability to hang on in the later hours of the endurance races I plan on entering next year.

Been slowly easing back into the lifting, and am now actually fully back on a schedule, which I love. I know Renee likes a more flexible outlook in her training, but I do best with planning, set workouts and set goals. So I hit the weights pretty hard on Thursday and again this morning.

I have that lovely slight tenseness and minimal soreness that makes you aware that you've really worked the various muscle groups. Because I do spend the bulk of my day hunched over the computer, and because I don't have the best posture to begin with, I'm concentrating on really increasing the strength of my back in order to help try to correct some of my postural problems. I'm also working hard on my triceps, as they aren't as in balance with my biceps as I'd like.

I'm pretty lucky that years of soccer and volleyball, as well as no fear of working my hamstrings on the weights, have allowed me to keep a pretty good balance between my quads and hamstrings, despite numerous hours and miles on the bike. But I'm not taking that balance for granted (especially after the knee pain and tightness Beth's been dealing with) and have been working diligently to ensure that I don't lose that balance.

So I've got my workout in already and have the day to catch up on some chores. Time to wash all my sweaters and let then dry naturally in the brisk fall air (well, brisk for Georgia in October). And tomorrow I tackle my first real road bike ride...around the streets of downtown Macon. Walnut shouldn't seem so daunting on the skinny tires after years of tackling it on the knobbies.

Enjoy your weekend...

Road Riding - The Beginning

2006-10-05T07:56:00.000-04:00

You probably can't really call it a road ride...more of a large parking lot ride. But I still had an absolute blast.

My first concerns were (1)feeling wobbly on the turns and (2) having trouble shifting. I was very pleased that I only wobbled when going slow enough to converse with Jeff who was keeping pace with me on the BMX bike. And the shifting gave me no problem. Once I realized which way was harder and which easier, I had it down.

It was so much fun swooping around the parking lot, sprinting it out with Jeff and actually coming out the victor (remember he was on the BMX bike so he was hauling ass throughout our adventure). I practiced shifting, braking, moving my hands to the right position for standing climbing and cornering. I have a bad habit of letting my inside foot drop when I'm cornering, so I tried to pay special attention to that.

Though his e-mail to his buddies is rather contrary, I think Jeff was happy that I enjoyed it so much. Here's what his e-mail looked like:

Ugh...my lyin', cheatin', good-fer-nuthin' wife is a stinkin'...

ROADIE!!!

She rode Lauren's bike tonight and is sold. Hello yet another bike in the fleet, goodbye $$ and my BMX self respect. Just because Mal does, I want the record to reflect that I personally have not and never will wear lycra.

Respectfully yours in red meat, ultimate fighting and all other things testosterone,

Jeff

I got a kick out of that!!! More chronicles as I take the borrowed bike out on a longer spin and start the wheeling and dealing to add another steed to the Dein corral.

Hello, aero

2006-10-04T10:33:00.000-04:00

Last weekend I tested my balance a little by borrowing a friend's clip-on aerobars and giving them a go on the road.

Now, I've always been of the "I don't need aerobars to faster" school of thought. I never really saw a need for them. I mean, I do about one or two time trials a year, and it never really occurred to me that they were a necessity for triathlons. But ... since he had a pair to lend and I was feeling brave, I had Jake hook them up and off we went on a Sunday ride.

I have my last tri of the year this weekend. That was part of the motivation for trying the aerobars out last weekend. Maybe I could use them in the tri?

So I rode around a little in the parking lot of my apartment complex thinking, "this isn't so bad." Then we get out on the open road and I start to ride. After about 10 minutes my shoulders are killing me. Then we climb a hill. Now my legs are hurting in a totally different spot. What the heck?? I thought these things were supposed to make me ride faster, easier!

Turns out the faster part was right, cause I watched my pedalstroke compared to Jake's and he was working a lot harder than I was. So that's a plus. The set up being uncomfortable (shoulder pain) is just the fact that I've never been in that much of a tucked position on the bike before. I can get used to it. The one area where I need some serious work though, is the whole riding in a straight line thing. lol. I was weaving, or as I like to call it, sweaving -- (swerving + weaving) -- all over the road. I had a REAL hard time with that. I guess it's because the aerobars made the steering so much more twitchy, aka responsive, than I'm used to. Poor Beth, I kept looking back wondering why she wasn't riding up there with Jake and I. She hollered up that she was giving me my space. Apparently I looked dangerous from behind. LOL.

I survived the ride (and the run that came after) and asked my buddy to let me keep the aerobars to use at the tri this weekend. Maybe they'll give me a miniscule advantage -- which would be good considering 600 folks have registered for the event. WTF???

Hopefully I can control my sweaving.

If all your friends jumped off a cliff, would you do that too!?!?

2006-09-29T11:43:00.000-04:00

So...the words some of you never thought you'd hear me say. Well, since this is a blog you're going to read them, not see them, but whatever. I'm borrowing a friend's road bike to see if it's something to add to the Dein's bike roster. We've got the BMX bike, two XC bikes, the DH bike...and maybe a road bike needs to be added to the stable.

No it's not just that I covet a new bike. If I had limitless cash and time to devote to more multi-sports than I'm already tackling, I'd hold out and get a really T-O-T-L kayak. But in the more realistic scheme of things, a road bike would work out for the better. With Beth recently jumping over to the dark side, and Renee already residing there for some time, if I want to ride with my friends more often, a road bike is one of the best options, especially for base training rides for next race season.

I'm not getting ahead of myself...hence the phrase that says I'm borrowing a friend's bike first. If I absolutely hate it, I won't continue. There are too many other training activities I enjoy if I just can't stand the skinny tires. But if I do enjoy it, it will double, if not triple my ride time with friends. Not just Renee and Beth. The Sorella girls spend a lot of fall and winter time on the road bikes...grinding out long, conversation paced rides. Those would be fun.

Details after the first ride...should be interesting.

2 pics

2006-09-26T10:09:00.000-04:00

Here's a photo of the island we swam around for the Hiawassee tri:

Here's a photo of me in the new wet suit. This was taken when the rain was still misty and not out-right pouring:

There's another photo of me at the finish, but I look like a drowned rat and reserve the right not to post it. lol. No other race photos cause of the rain. I didn't want my pretty camera getting wet!

Hiawassee Rain-athlon

2006-09-25T15:48:00.000-04:00

My adventure to my first international distance tri started great. Jake took me up to All3Sports in Atlanta to buy my Christmas/Birthday present: a wet suit!! I was THRILLED! So I got the one that I had previously tried on there, during a visit this summer. It's a BlueSeventy Helix with full sleeves. The guy helping me said I would definitely need it in Lake Chatuge, as he grew up there and the water is always cold.

As it turns out, he was right. Couple that with the pouring rain that lasted all Saturday night and Sunday morning, and a lack of sunshine, and the water was really really cold.

When we arrived at the venue, just over the state line in Hayesville, NC, it was raining. Having driven the bike course the night before, I started to get a little nervous about the weather conditions. The course was hilly with nice weeping corners at the bottoms, I was worried about wet roads + skinny tires + trying to go as fast as I can = crash really bad.

Everyone got ready to race, and rumor quickly spread that the officials were canceling the bike portion. Sure enough, 15 min prior to race start, the bike got nixed. Then -- all suited up and a feeling a little constricted -- we all set off to the shoreline, in the pouring rain. We didn't have so much as our feet in the water when the lightning started. They called us all quickly out of the water and we huddled under a pavilion while the storm passed. Meanwhile, everyone's crap in transition was getting soaked.

While waiting, we had the pleasure of listening to one of the founders of the first Ironman event in Hawaii in 1978 talk about how he and his military buddies came up with the idea for the event, where the distances came from, and what it was like to participate. (His homemade protein shake which he drank during the event consisted of milk(!!) + some diet protein powder + honey + raw eggs. yuck!) He was a really cool and down-to-earth guy. On the run he was handing out Gatorade!

After the lightning passed about half of the field chose to continue and we quickly got back in the water. Off we went! It was COLD even with the wet suit, and I felt really sorry for the few people without them. I realized if I hadn't had one, I may not have been able to compete. We swam out and around an island, which was cool. It provided some good scenery. It was 1,600 yards out, around and back. I did the swim in 27 minutes. Come to find out, I was one of the first women out of the water!!

Transition took me a solid 2 minutes, as I nearly fell over trying to get the wet suit off my legs and feet. lol. Yes, I put on body glide, but I still had trouble. Then it took a while to dig my shoes and raincoat out from my wet pile of crap. I finally got going and felt great despite the rain. The out and back run was SO scenic and pretty. We ran on a levee where one side was green pastures and the other was Lake Chatuge. Looking out, I could see the shore where we started the swim and the island we swam around. The mountains in the background made the run go seem to fly by, as I was focusing so much on the scenery and less on the pain. lol.

The rain cleared on the last of the 4 miles, and I finished the run in 36 minutes. That's a total time of 1:05. Good enough to earn me 6th place overall for the women. I was first in Athena, as there were no others. I would have been second in my age group had I raced it. I was 29th out of women and men.

I was very happy with how I felt and how I did at this race. Although canceling the bike portion was the right decision for the weather (and I don't question their decision at all), I regret that we couldn't do it. This was to be my fist "long" tri. I was amped up, nervous and excited to go the distance. I feel like I was a little robbed by not being able to do the bike. Even though I participated, I feel like I still haven't truly done that longer-distance tri I was seeking. Alas, there's not a conveniently timed one on the calendar for the rest of the year. Guess I'll have to wait till next year to prove my stuff.

As for now, I plan to do the super-short sprint tri at Lake Lanier in two weeks. It's only a 400 yard swim, 12 mile bike and 3 mile run. While the focus of my ill-fated international distance tri was to do my best and just make it through, my focus for the one coming up will be to try to kick ass. There's already a LOT of folks registered, so my chances aren't that great, but for whatever reason, I seem to do well with this whole triathlon thing, so maybe the gods will smile on me at Lake Lanier. Keep your fingers crossed.

Shhhhhh...Don't Tell Hashi

2006-09-20T09:10:00.000-04:00

Yes, it's true. I've become one of those folks who wears a heart rate monitor while exercising. I never thought I would be...but the anemia related heart flutterings and shortness of breath were the final push to pick one up.

I'm sticking as true to my anti-HRM stance as possible, though, by refusing to pay kaboodles of bucks for all the bells and whistles found on many of the newer, flashier, high-tech models. I'm just using the low end Polar monitor. It has a stopwatch, tells me my heart rate and stores one workout. I can set a high and low zone and it can beep (or not) when I get higher or lower than what I want for a specific workout. And that's about it.

It's pretty easy for me to keep in the low and easy zones on the bike. Did a 4.5 hour downtown ride on Sunday and never had any problems keeping it on track. The running is another issue. I'm going to spend some time treadmill running so I can get some ideas of what I need to to do to keep that on target. Haven't tried it in the pool yet. That will be a real adventure.

I also promise not to become one of those annoying HRM proponents. You know the ones that put it on for a walk around the block with their dog and then proceed to detail each heartbeat to anyone and everyone regardless of interest or lack thereof.

I'll let you know if I get the running rate sorted. I plan to do base work on the runs too (long, low speed, low heart rate). So I hope I get it sorted out soon.

Nerves ... nerves

2006-09-19T16:39:00.000-04:00

It's only Tuesday and I'm already nervous about my tri this weekend. I'm starting to do my usual over-think and over-analyzing of things. Typical. I'm being hyper-sensitive to how my body feels and find myself waffling on my usual pre-race exercise plan this week. To swim or not to swim ... that is the question.

Lately my body's kinda had an all-over tiredness to it. Perhaps I'm over-trained, but I really don't think so. I think it's more like my body knows my season is coming to an end and it's preparing to go into winter hibernation. lol. I don't want to do too much this week and have a residual soreness for the tri. Then again, I don't want to take it too easy or I'll feel like a slug. Ah, choices. I could hit the pool tonight ... or I could sit on the couch. But if I sit on the couch tonight, I'll definitely have to hit the pool tomorrow. I've got about another half hour to sit here at work and make up my mind.

The thought of the actual tri itself has me nervous as well. It will be the longest distance tri I've ever done. It's called an "international distance," which best I can figure is somewhere between "sprint distance" and "Olympic distance." The swim is 8/10ths of a mile, or 28 laps in my pool, or about 29 minutes depending on how frisky I feel. The bike, at 16 miles, will be a non-issue. The run is 4 miles, which is a mile longer than the runs in the tris I've done before. Although I'm not a fast runner -- at all -- I think I can maintain a 10-minute-mile pace for that portion. Plus, I'm not too proud to walk.

My goal for this event is to finish strong. I want to control my heartrate and asthma on the swim. I want to go my own pace and not hurry my stroke. I want to feel strong and refreshed on the bike. I want to pass people and use the bike leg to make up time. I want to start my run without my asthma kicking in (as it's prone to do when running after riding). I want to run a lot more than I walk. I want to have enough energy to sprint -- even if it's 20 yards -- to the finish line. I want to regret nothing.

Most of all, I want to eat a lot of Mexican food when I'm finished.