PS

OK I'm a sucker for punishment, but I've decided that I'm going to do this again. And soon. September 20th - same course, all ladies again. It was such an awesome experience, and I figure I'm trained and have the gear. :) I'll post the results.

Post-Race Wrap Up

Well, team, it's been a good ride. I finished my first triathlon, and did it in good time. Here's probably more detail than anyone cares to read, but I feel it's only necessary, considering the 100 days it took to get here. Again, I want to thank everyone who supported me in spirit, time, good thoughts, and general logistics. Special thanks go out, first of all, to my fabulous husband, who was inundated with probably more information than he cared to learn about this sport, and was patient with my delinquency in terms of things like proper meals and cleaning due to many hours at the gym. Also huge thanks to my mother, who flew out to see it all go down. To Kate, Deven, and Rosanna, who were there at the finish. To Lori, who offered wisdom and potential bike usage. To Suzanne, who was that familiar face I needed at the start. To Marge, for her triathlon expertise and spirit that moved me. And to all the others who had no doubts I could do it - you know who you are and I will thank you each individually in my own time. As my mother put it, you were my emotional pit crew, and I love you for it!

OK now for details:

4:45 am - early wake up. Ouch. Donned the attire, ate the peanut butter, whole wheat muffin and banana. Woke Dan up, and loaded into the car.

5:30am - Dan dropped me off at the park, where I proceeded into the transition area where my bike was already racked, flashing my inked arm for admittance.

Once in, I prepped my transition area under my bike. Lined up shoes, socks, water bottle to clean my feet post-swim, towel to dry 'em, fuel, water, sunglasses, fuel and bandanna for the bike, shirt with bib attached and hat for the run. I was ready to go by 6:00am. Sad part - my wave to swim wasn't until 7:49am. Lots of time to loiter and get increasingly more butterflies.

I chatted with the ladies around me, and looked for Suz. I found her bike on the rack next to mine. Issue was they -said - they would be clearing the transition area by 6:45am so that the first heats coming in didn't have to contend with ladies just loitering. I worried - how was everyone going to make it in, set up, and leave on time. I couldn't be bothered with it, though. I had a race to get to.

I lost the necessary garments and headed over to the swim start with another woman I had met. By the time we got there, we had missed the national anthem, but did hear the start horn for the first heat - the Pro Athletes - so I took a spot by the fence to see them come out of the water for inspiration. 11 minutes later, the first woman came out. Awesome. They ran towards the bikes. I waited and watched more women leaving the water before heading over the the waiting area.

There was a wading area to test the waters. I waddled in. Not so bad - probably the warmest I had experienced Lake Washington in all my swims. Slowly us ladies in the yellow caps in Wave 23 found each other. We chatted while watching the consecutive heats go. 17...18...19... we chatted about how it seems no one stuck to a training regimen, which made me feel better. We watched as women on the docks pumped up each heat. Everyone was smiling and cheering. The spectators were numerous as well. It was a pretty awesome sight.

7:35am - no more time to waste, really. My fellow yellow caps and I waddled out of the water and up towards the corrale, where many other yellow caps were waiting. I ditched the flip-flops (my sacrifice to the triathlon gods) and slowly moved towards the water.

7:42am - I found Suzanne! Just one familiar face set my nerves at bay. I can't express to Suz how great it was to have her there. Really.

7:46am - Heat 22 is out and now it's our turn. We move into the water, about shin high. The announcer tells us we're the happiest group she's had all day. We note she probably says that to all the ladies, but we don't mind. Suz and I access our position. I had planned to take the outside (left) but seems there was a woman in the heat prior that wasn't fairing so well, and was with some swim angels and noodles in the far left, so my line would be something right of that. I figured I'd correct once I hit the water.

7:49am - We're off! Definitely an initial log jam due to going from vertical to horizontal, but definitely not as bad as I thought it would be. I did not get kicked in the face, or ribs, or anywhere else for that matter. I started out pretty hard, which winded me a little, but eventually got a rhythm. The first buoy was a short distance, rounded that, the second buoy a little further. Somewhere in this stretch I got concerned that I was far out left from the pack, possibly adding undue distance. This was realized when my left hand grazed a surfboard of one of the many volunteers out in the water to keep us on target. I rounded the third buoy and was now headed for the beach. This was the longest stretch. It's at this point I realized that I had Suz basically 5 feet in front of me, so I just followed her, and she got me home :)

Going from 17 minutes horizontal and heart pumping to vertical kinda messes with your equilibrium. I got out of the water and almost felt drunk. That, and there were hundreds of people lining the shoot cheering you on. Awesome, but threw me off, so I just ran head down as I removed my goggles and swim cap and ran to my bike. Sadly, our transition area was the furthest from the swim, so by the time I got to my bike I was really wonky. I can't say I remember everything that happened during that transition, but I did get my shit together. I washed and sorta dried my feet, donned the socks and shoes, bandanna and helmet, sunglasses and threw the Goo Mel had given to me into one of my pockets. I think I drank some water and, after wrestling to get my bike off the rack, was off. I ran the bike to the bike start, then got on, and just pedalled.

Not a lot to report on the bike, except for that damn Day Street hill/I-90 access road bullshit. It's a very steep, very narrow road up to I-90. I thought I could take it, but got half way up and realized I couldn't. Unfortunately, I had to get off my bike in the left lane as the right was full of walkers, which royally f-ed up the people behind me. I apologized profusely, and am just happy I didn't cause any falls.

Once on 90, I thought I had a pretty good pace. The route takes you over Lake Washington onto Mercer Island, with some intermittent hills and some tunnels. Inside the tunnels with the sunglasses on I was almost blind, but could see enough, and enjoyed all the ladies hooting and hollering. The worst was really the appropriate bike etiquette/rules of the road. You are supposed to pass within 15 seconds or back off. I could do 15 seconds, but invariably there would always be someone coming up behind you going much faster than that. Needless to say, I did some braking to maneuver without repeating the events of the hill. Made it to the turnaround and checked my time. Doing ok, not great. Time to pick it up. Also time to refuel! Grabbed the goo - not as tasty as I had hoped, and I had this vision that my face was covered in chocolate. Nice touch.

Back down the Day Street hill and volunteers are saying only 2 miles left. I pushed it hard in this stretch, spinning it out the last 1/4 mile to loosen the legs up for the run. My concern - I had pushed too hard on the bike, and would be crippled for the run. We'll see.

Ran the bike back to the transition spot, dropped the helmet and bandanna, changed my shirt, and double-checked to make sure that really was all I needed. Took a drink, and was off.

The run start was FILLED with spectators. Amazing. I took a pretty easy stride as my legs tried to get used to the motion. For some reason, I think I may have tied my shoes too tight, as my toes were numb on the ride, and now still numb on the run. Eventually I could feel them again, but to start, this was kinda weird.

I puttered along, made it to mile 1 and grabbed some water. Checked the time and I couldn't believe it. I had set my sights on under 2 hours for the whole thing and, if I could read the time correctly, I had something like 35 minutes to do the final 2 miles. I have no idea where I picked up the time, but I was proud at this point. My next goal was to try and run as much as I could.

Somewhere after this point I heard a familiar voice shout my name. Suz! Already on her way back, but she saw me! Again, that familiar face really helps. You have no idea what your presence meant to me, dahling.

Made it to the turn-around at Orcas and started heading back. Grabbed some water at mile 2, and prepared for the home stretch. I knew the hardest part was to come - a last hill up Genesee Way before heading to the finish. Bongo players lined this hill to provide motivation. Sadly, when I got there, they were taking a break. We let them know we needed them, and one guy gave us a basic beat, which helped. I made it to the top of the hill running, but by the time I was done with it, I had cramps in both my shoulder and side which forced me to walk for about 30 seconds. With one last relaxing breath, I turned it on for the last 1/2 mile.

Entering the park, I heard another familiar voice. Dan! I looked over and saw my emotional pit crew - Dan, Mom, Kate and Deven! I was almost there. Entering this last 1/5 mile, I started to well up. I almost cried, but didn't and, hitting the grass, with hundreds of strangers cheering us all on, gunned it. Next thing I know, I'm there. I did it. Unbelievable. I looked at my watch. 9:38 am. I exceeded my expectations. I got my medal. I was a triathlete.


The final numbers:

Overall Rank: 1405 of 3709
Class Rank: 180 of 376
Swim: 00:17:22
Swim Rank: 500
Trans1: 00:07:36
Bike: 00:45:20
Bike Rank: 1324
MPH: 15.8
Trans2: 00:03:15
Run: 00:35:13
Run Rank: 1985
Pace: 00:11:21
Final: 01:48:48

In hindsight I remember everything with such clarity, but also found it all to be such a blur. Along the way, I thought of all the other women out there doing this amazing thing, for themselves, for women they loved, for women they had lost. I decided I did it for all of them, and we did it together.

Will I do it again? Affirmative. When? Who knows. Danskin is a special series, and I'll be back on the course in 2011, for sure. If you've read this far, then maybe you will do it with me next time! Other triathlons? Maybe. I have all the gear, right? :)

And with that I will close out this blog. Thanks for reading, praying, rooting me on, and being my emotional pit crew. I couldn't have done it without you! Until 2011...
-Juliet

Day 0 - Race Day!

It's here! I'm oddly calm, though I'm sure the nerves will ramp up. I'm armed with all the information, training, and gear to get me through. So barring natural or physical disaster, I hope to officially call myself a triathlete in roughly 5 hours.

Thanks for reading, all! I'll post post-race highlights post-race.

Day 2 - One last swim.

Well, we're in the home stretch now. All items have been purchased. Training is officially done. Barring one more swim in Lake Washington this evening (leisurely), that's it until start time on Sunday.

Of course I'm nervous. I've never done anything like this. I've spent the last 4 years on and off learning to enjoy exercise in various ways, but this is kind of a test. My family has never been one that produced athletes. David played Rubgy, Paul fenced, my dad did run quite a bit, including the NYC Marathon, and now plays lots of golf, so I think we'd all have the capacity for something like this, but I think this is something different. Maybe I'm making it out to be more than what it is, but for me it's kind of a big deal.

My mother is flying in tomorrow and I'll be taking her to Bellevue to get the race packet, including getting my number written on me. Then I'll take my bike and helmet to be racked at the park. We'll have a nice carb-laden dinner, then I'll hit the hay super early and probably have a tough time sleeping. I'll try to blog before that, but if not, thanks for reading!

(I'm sure I'll post some stuff afterwards - thoughts, times, pictures - whatever.)

Day 5 - Check the list once, check the list twice.

Actually, it's more like checking things off the list. Making sure all things are in order as race day approaches. Late training bike snafu may mean I ride my own, which is fine. Lori's bike has definite advantages - lighter, faster - but unless we can figure out a way to fill up the tires, my hybrid will do the trick.

I've been motivated this week, sometimes thinking I should have been training this way 3 weeks ago. You live and learn. I've decided that I need not apply so much pressure. I keep having time in mind (want to finish under 2 hours), but now remind myself that this is a personal accomplishment, regardless of time.

The last thing to buy is some cheapy sunglasses. I took a ride tonight, and did have a car kick up some crap at me. Though we won't be contending with cars, bikes kick things up too, and losing an eye would really suck. (Ok, a little melodramatic, but you get the drift.)

Did a mile swim this morning with ease, so will likely get in one more swim in the pool and a leisurely swim in the lake on Friday to get some final bearings. The overcast weather lately means the water may not be as warm as ideal, but the need for a wetsuit is still nonexistent.

The list is really about transitions. I learned today that a useful item is a water bottle and towel to wash and dry your feet off after the swim before you put on your sneakers. Wouldn't have thought of that one on my own.

Final days training schedule (if work does not interfere):
Day 4 - Wed AM: Run
Wed PM: Bike
Day 3 - Thurs AM: Swim
Thurs PM: Bike
Day 2 - Fri AM: Run
Fri PM: Swim
Day 1 - Sat: Rest - race packet pickup.
Day 0 - Swim Bike Run :P

Day 7 - Oh geez.

Well, I've continued to disappoint myself this close to game day. Training has fallen off tremendously. What bad timing! I've got everything in place, and now I fail to get out there and see what I'm really made of. Maybe it will work to my advantage - save up all my energy. Or not. All I can say is that I have 4 or 5 more solid days of training, and then it's up to the triathlon gods to see where I fall. I'll finish, but no longer hold myself to high standards re time. Friends say I've already trained more than many of those out there, but my motivation seems to be shot. Oh crap.

Day 16 - A disappointment to myself.

Wow, this was a really bad training week. And by training, I mean not training. I went for a swim last Sunday, and a run Tuesday night, and that was it. There's no good excuse, including the 100 degree temps we clocked. Granted, the temperature in the house made me comatose, but still. This is unacceptable 2 weeks out from race day. TWO WEEKS!

OK so enough beating myself up. Tomorrow is another day. Back on the horse. I officially have everything I need - the tool to change out the bike pedals, pedals with toe clips... Seafair will get in the way a little, but I'll make you proud, blog followers. It's too close to drop the ball now.

Day 20 - Yikes!

Hey team.
Wow, that was likely the biggest lull in blogging. My apologies. It's been a busy week.

Updates - last Monday I had my first bout with recreational soccer. Insane. A totally different kind of workout, and boy did it work me out. No major pain to speak of, though, which is good. Gotta keep the knees in good shape.

I'm still in biking limbo, and that has to end quick. I'm off to Lori's tonight to get the special tool that will help me get her clipless pedals off and my regular pedals on, though I may buy some clip pedals (the ones with little baskets) to get the advantage of at least some of the pull motion on the bike leg.

Lori and I swam on Sunday out at Seward Park. A great break from the 94 degree heat we're having here. I'm growing more and more comfortable with this leg, so now it's just hoping I can maintain composure with all that kicking in the face. That, and hoping the milfoil isn't so intense.

Run - I haven't in a while. I figure tonight's soccer practice will be good run time, but then the next 2 1/2 weeks, I'm really working towards putting all the pieces together.

I'm excited, and nervous. I'm doing a lot of visualization, and watching other people's races on YouTube, so there are minimal surprises. I finally have the outfit down - tri shorts, sports bra and workout tank. I swam with it, and there's no major drag, though the shirt doesn't dry as fast as the shorts.

I plan to do a mini-race demo on the 7th or 8th. This weekend, Seward Park will be inundated with SeaFair, so I'll have to work around that.

I'll try to be better about the blogging in these last three weeks. Thanks for reading!

Day 28 - T-minus 4 weeks.

Blog fans! Wow, my apologies for not staying on top of the postings. Granted, there's only so much I can say (I swam, I biked, I ran, etc.) Still, I'll continue to race day.

This week was pretty good. I made it back into the lake on Monday night for a swim with my mentor (see previous post), and repeated the experience on a much warmer day on Friday. This time, I went solo, though there were tons of people down at Seward Park enjoying the break from the 90 degree weather, as well as a host of open-water swimmers doing their thing. I don't know if the two things are related, but the waters were much more, how do you say, plant-laden, which meant a few incidents of getting some lake weed in the face.

I'm planning on doing a few more of these swims. It's harder than I thought, so I haven't actually done the full distance without stopping at the buoy and treading water for a minute before heading back. I'd like to do the full-stretch without stop before race day.

In the biking category, I went for a long, albeit leisurely, trek through Skagit Valley yesterday with Jen & Kate sampling berries and dairy along the way. Good fun! I do need to get back on the road for a true test of time and distance. Today would have been a good day (Bicycle Sunday) but alas, I didn't make it. Also, while we were at the park on Friday, there was a bad car-bicycle accident, which freaks me out a little bit. I may just stick to Bicycle Sunday.

As far as running, I did wake up early Friday and did 3 miles, but it was not a good run. Don't know why. I'll try again.

4 weeks and counting! The plan is to workout every morning this week, plus my soccer team debut Monday night, and a trip to REI on Tuesday to buy more gear. Necessity.

Keeping you posted!

Day 34 - Like a fish!

Well, it was back in the water tonight, and I'm happy to say I'm getting the hang of it. Granted, I keep picking relatively crappy weather to do these swims in (first was 66 degrees out, 66 in the water - today may 68 degrees out, and 63 if that in the water). I am swearing off the wetsuit, partially because I'm cheap (don't want to invest in things that may potentially only be worn once) and partially because many people say it's unnecessary. I'm not going for time, so as long as I'm comfortable with the cold, I'm fine without. And I have some natural protective layers to keep me warm.

The swim, I felt, was a smashing success. I met up with my Danskin mentor Liz, a nice woman in her 50s who has done 6 triathlons! She gave me some pointers, and then we just did it. The water, despite the cold, was extremely calm, a definite advantage. We did a 1/2 mile, broken up in 2 segments. I'll be joining her again, and a nice young lady named Miranda who swims at my pace, for more of these trial runs, for sure!

Other training included a nice run on Sunday morning around Seward Park, and a bike ride along Lake Washington Blvd on Thursday. My friend Lori lent me her road bike on Saturday, which I have yet to try out. She uses clipless pedals and, again, I don't think the expense of buying clipless shoes is worth it this time around. So we'll likely switch the pedals out. Still, I'll need to practice this leg - it's a totally different sensation. Much lighter bike, and the center of gravity is shifted further over the front wheel.

In general, I feel I need to pick up the training. Every other day just isn't going to cut it, I don't think. I also need to build in some bricks. A good thing to do on the weekends.

More later!

Day 38 - Chokin'

Well, I took to the water last night. The open water, that is.

Seems the stars were aligned. I had packed my bag the night before with good intentions of waking up early and hitting the gym. I packed it with both running/biking clothes and the essentials for a swim. Well, per usual lately, I failed to rise, so threw the bag in the car on my way to work with every good intention of hitting the gym.

Around noon I recieved a call telling me that I was removed from the waitlist for the Seattle Parks & Rec Open Water Swim Clinic, and did I want to take the spot. I thought about it for a while. Fear is a powerful thing. That, and the weather was kinda icky. 66 degrees, windy, overcast. Still, I bit the bullet, and took the spot.

It's not fear that I would drown. I know I can swim. It's more just a fear of the unknown. Fear of how I'll react to frigid waters. Fear of getting kicked in face or pulled under by people who didn't know enough to practice their open water swim before the race.

I arrived late. The instructor was already talking about things I had been reading about for some time - no monsters in the water, siting, pacing, practicing swimming in a straight line. When it came time to get in the water, I was cracking jokes left and right - my way of dealing with tension. No one was laughing.

So then it was into the waters. The brrrr cold Lake Washington waters. Madison Park Beach. A nice spot. We did 4 passes of the same route. The first time through was wretched. My body refused to let me exhale with my face in the water, which ultimately led to some really draining breathing, and at one point, a mouthful of water that left me treading water while coughing. That first pass was more sidestroke & breaststroke than crawl. But the second time, significantly better. And the third, better than that!

I left feeling accomplished, but knowing I was going to have to hit this water a lot more before race day. I'm already making plans. And I'm not afraid anymore.

Day 40 - It's getting close

My apologies, loyal blog followers, for the growing expanse between posts. This time it was due to an overactive, albeit undertrained, weekend.

Jen, Deven and I did get to do the Firecracker 5000 on Friday night. Not the best time, but a hard course (lots of hills) under less than ideal conditions - late (11:55pm) start, and hot, with daily temps being maintained by pavement and car exhaust as we trekked through Seattle Center. Not my favorite race, for sure. Still, I never did stop running, which is good. Result: 37:02.

Sadly, little has been done since then. I think I need to focus more on the biking portion, so will be taking my wheels on the road tonight (barring foul weather) and see what I can do. It's definitely time to start cracking the whip.

Day 46 - Pricey Forgetfulness

So this is now the second time that I have lost a bathing suit. How, you ask? Well, after my swim, I leave it to hang in the shower area while I change so it can dry out a little more (the gym doesn't have that cool spinning thing the way others I have been to had). It was only until I got home last night that I realized I never took it out of the shower. I expended every effort - called the gym as soon as I noticed, checked lockers this morning, asked the towel/laundry people - but alas, it seems to have evaporated. So now it's time to buy another one. Oye.

On a completely seperate note, my friend Laura invited me to join her soccer team, so I did. What? Yep. I'm not sure I even know how to play, or whether my knees can hold up, but why the hell not. The team is called the Weezers, and I bet I will be by the time it's all over :) First game is July 13th. I'll blog and let you know how it goes.

I've been a good workout bee so far this week. Did lots o' swimming last night, and tried out the bilateral breathing. It feels inefficient, but practice will make it easier, I presume. This morning I biked and did some weights. Gotta get out on the road with the bike thing. Also, thinking about purchasing, other than the bathing suit, a sport watch.

Tomorrow I will not work out. It's my birthday. :) My gift to myself - sleeping in.

Day 47 - Back on the Wagon

Hello, blog followers!

Well, it was good to get away, but I failed myself on my workouts while in the great midwest. I squeezed one run in, but in the sweltering heat, didn't make it very far.

So we're back on the wagon. I'm upping distances and will try to up times for those distances next week. Did 3 miles running yesterday am, and will do at least a mile swimming tonight. Fitting in more weight training. Signed up for a few clinics, but now it's do or die time.

Also exciting, Jen and I will be running the Firecracker 5K this coming Friday. Never have run at night, so this will be interesting. The shirts glow in the dark :)

Day 58 - Taking it on the road

Training this week has been slow, as other things had priority. I did get in a good swim and a good run, but doesn't look like I'll get a chance to get back on the bike until we return from vacation. Lori has kinda offered to lend me her road bike for the race, so I'll be adding that into the repetoire to get used to the feel of it.

Packing the running shoes and the goggles. Will attempt my first open water swims while in Wisconsin. Wish me luck! We're 8 weeks away!

Day 63 - Plans

So I had this whole weekend planned out, where I would run on Saturday and do something today. Plans are dangerous things, as life happens while you are making them. Can lifting furniture count as weight lifting?

I'll get back on the horse tomorrow. Today I'll close out with some time-sensative knitting and some even more time-sensative work. Hopefully it will be a good workout week. Friday we leave for Chicago/Wisconsin. I'll bring the running shoes and goggles, with hopes of an open water swim in Lake Michigan or, more likely, one of the many bays of Door County. They'll likely be little blogging, for those who follow, but I promise to return with pictures to share! (OK not directly tri-related, but interesting nonetheless!).

Keeping you posted...

Day 65 - Way to go!

I did it! I woke up and went to the gym! Way to go!

OK it's not that remarkable. But it proves there's still hope for me :)

Day 66 - One more try.

I continue to fail at the waking up to workout thing. I can't figure out why I was so capable with Booty Camp (expectations of arrival? habit?) but I'm incapable now. I'm giving myself one more shot tomorrow, and after that, will resign myself to the fact that it just isn't going to happen.

Didn't work out yesterday. I'll also have to pick up the training schedule if I expect to fair at all reasonbly well in this thing. Hit the pool this evening. Did 1000 meters nonstop under 20 minutes. Acceptable. I'm still concerned about how I'll do with other people kicking in my face. Must get out and do an open water swim. There are some opportunities available, including some mini-tris. This will be the test.

Day 68 - Putt Putt

So yesterday I had planned on hitting the gym in the morning. Failed again. By the end of the day, I was beat, so instead of a more rigorous outting to the gym, Dan and I hit the range - the gold range. Outside of minature golf, I hadn't swung a real club since I was twelve. Dan reports that I was good enough to play a real game. We'll see about that.

I didn't wake up this morning either. Surprise. I did get to the gym, and biked 6 miles, and ran 1, as well as some basic weights. Dan and I are thinking we will start a pool on what time we think I'll finish the Tri. I'd like to get under 2 hours, but that's going to take some effort. Keep trying!

Day 70 - Furry frenzy!

Today was the Furry 5K, my chance to do a temperature reading of where I'm at with this running thing. Jen joined me, and oh what fun we had! Hundreds of dogs howling at the start line, from pugs to danes to mutts of all kinds. I'm tempted to consider this more of an obstacle course - dodging dog fights, butt-sniffing, poop, and leashes, as well as a killer hill somewhere near mile 1.5. I did the same course last fall in the Pumpkin Push, and got 35:11. My goal this time was to get under 34 minutes. Alas, we were close - 34:09.9. It was a tough haul - the first mile seemed to go on for days, the second mile contending with the aforementioned hill, but the third felt ok. I kept asking myself how this would feel after a 1/2mile swim and a 12 mile bike ride. I can only assume the time will be higher, but we ain't in it for time, just finishing.

It's back in the pool tomorrow, I think. Also considering some mini-tris locally for practice. Still fearing that open water, but the best way to get over it is to get in it, right?

For your enjoyment, a track record (no pun intended) of my running history to date:

10/14/07: 39:11 - Dawg Dash

12/16/07: 38:32 - 12Ks of Christmas

02/10/08: 36:19 - Love 'Em or Leave 'Em

09/28/08: 34:46 - Alki Beach Run

10/25/08: 35:11 - Pumpkin Push

06/07/09: 34:10 - Furry 5K

Progress!

UPDATE (06/15/09): They've corrected the times for the Furry 5K (Jen and I both thought they were a little off). Final result: 33:38.6 - nice!

Day 72 - Not a morning person

OK, Juliet, you got one week to sleep in, but that's it. Weeks 10-1 must incorporate some mornings. You've got better things to do with your evenings, like knit.

Seriously, I need a wake up call or a workout buddy or something. Without the driving force like Booty Camp, I'm finding all kinds of reasons to sleep in, or no reason at all. Then, when it comes time to hit the gym after work, I find myself concocting ways to get out of it.


Alas, I was successful at at least making the workouts in the evenings. I just returned from a good swim - 60 lengths: 20 free, 20 free, 8 breast, 8 back, 3 crawl, and 1 fly (always a good heart-racer). That's 9/10ths of a mile, well over what will be needed for race day. I figure if I can get up to 60 continuously, then I'll be ready to hit the open water with some confidence.


Last night's Danskin meeting was cool - more about pushing products (which I bought into - got some sweet shorts), but also inspirational. We watched a brief film of pictures of previous Danskins, and many of us were seriously choked up by the end. It's this same feeling that I had two years ago as I waited at the finish line for my friend Lori to complete her first tri (she did awesome, and I was too late to see her finish). All types of women - young, old, fat, skinny, even blind - fought their way to the finish. I cried that day, it was so beautiful.


Olympic Athlete Sheila Taormina spoke (pictured right), and let us hold her 1996 gold medal , which was very cool. Her message was simple - it won't be easy, and for some of us, it may be the hardest thing we will have ever done, but the payoff is extraordinary. I will keep this in mind. Now if I can just wake up in the morning!

Day 74 - Beacon Hill Biking

Well, let's just say the beginning of the week didn't pan out as I would have liked.

I have every good intention of waking up in the mornings to get my workouts out of my way, but Monday happened - no go. I did hit the gym that evening to make up for it, and had a fairly easy time running 2 miles at a 12 minute mile pace. I also did some weight training.

Tuesday rolled around, and I didn't roll out of bed. So no work out made its way in to the day. Today I actually planned to sleep in, and just came back from a 6 mile bike ride around the 'hood. I don't count all of it, as some stretches you can coast, but I wonder if the uphills make up for it. Nothing drastic, but I walked in the door with a sweat and a burn in the thigh, so I'm satisfied, for now.

Tomorrow I'm sleeping in, as pub trivia runs late. The evening is usurped by a Danskin Clinic at REI (the flagship store - friends, come visit, and I'll take you!). So Friday monring I'm going to try to get the hell out of bed and get in the pool!

Sunday I'll be testing my running in the Furry 5K. No, Murphy won't be joining me, but Jen will!

P.S. A really cool online tool for mapping routes: http://www.walkjogrun.net/

Day 76 - Kind of like Day 1

So today is Day 1 of official triathlon training, according to an 11-week tri training manual that I downloaded. Already, I'm ready to modify. For starters, day 1 is a rest day. That's not gonna fly. So instead, today I'm off to christen my new All-Star fitness membership after work. I ended up breaking down, ultimately because the pool at All-Star is just sooo nice. I figure I will use the membership long after the tri, and it's convenient to both home and work. There are worse things we could be spending our money on.

So I've decided that my goal is to get up to a 10 minute mile. Slow for the common man, but hard work for a girl who could barely do a 12 minute mile in 6th grade. I'd like to maintain the pace for a significant distance, so that when race day comes, 5K after swimming and biking will feel as natural as 8K (maybe more?) on its own. Today I'll start with a lesser amount, and couple it with some weight training.

Tomorrow morning I'll hit the pool, again modifying the training, which calls for 200 yds. That's like a warm-up. Wednesday I've mapped for myself a 5 mile bike loop throug Beacon Hill. Thursday I'll attempt some more weight training, and then in the evening will be attending a Tri Clinic, where I can get all my questions answered. Send me some if you have 'em too!

Keeping you posted!

Day 78 - Falling Behind

My apologies. I thought I'd be able to provide ample insight into the training trials and tribulations, but to date, I've fallen short. To be honest, there hasn't been much to report. Maybe now things will pick up.

Booty Camp has ended, and I will miss it. I think I may sign up for one day a week in July, just to keep myself motivated to wake up and go.

I'm now torn on the gym membership thing. I cancelled my 24 hour fitness membership back in early May, but due to their chains, still have the membership unti Mid-July. That makes it hard to argue that I should get another more costly membership at 24, even though I prefer the AllStar pool, hands down. So I'm still trying to figure that one out.

Today is rest day, then tomorrow I'm going to do a temperature reading and run a 5K in the morning. I'll let you know how I fair. I'll also post my training schedule for the following week.

Day 82 - Time is flying.

Wow, it feels like the days are ticking away, and I've made little headway. Official training schedule starts Monday, and I'm still without the All-Star gym membership. It's on the schedule for Saturday.

The long weekend was nice, but usurped by more calorie consumption than calorie burning. Though we got in some good walks (40 minutes from campsite to main stage and back each day) that's surely not enough to make up for the beer. Still, I made it back to bootycamp this week, and plan to push myself hard these last 4 days.

So don't get discouraged, blogger fans. I'm not down for the count yet!

Day 87 - Punting

So this week has been kinda busy, with not much new/different or exciting to report in the training arena. I missed Booty Camp this morning, but will try to make it up tomorrow. Dan and I head out early Saturday to Sasquatch, so they'll be no working out beyond wandering around and sweating in the hopefully hot heat.

So I punt, and defer to information on wetsuits provided to me by my Danskin mentor. I have no idea yet whether I'll invest in one or something like it, but it's good to be armed with information. Have a good weekend, y'all!

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The first thing to consider with wetsuits, is what type of races you will be doing and where. If you are doing races in hot climates most the time you may not even need a wetsuit. USAT's age group rules, make the wetsuit cut off water temperature 78 (25 C) degrees. This means if the water is above 78 degrees wetsuits are not allowed in order to be eligible for awards in the race. One can still use a wetsuit up to 84 (28 C) degrees but will be ineligible for awards. 84 or higher no wetsuits are allowed period. For Professionals on the ITU level the wetsuit temperature cut off is 68 (20 C).

To wear a wetsuit or not to? That is the question! There are no rules stating you must wear a wetsuit. There are many top swimmers who race in the ocean that never use wetsuits and race in water that is often under 68 (20 C). These swimmers however train their bodies to be use to cold water. Most triathletes train in pools and the majority of pools are 78 (25 C) or warmer. As a result, water even in the low 70's can feel cold.

Wetsuits are thus a good option to prevent getting chilly if not adapted to swimming in cold water. They are also useful to wear at the start of a race, when it can be cold, in order to keep warm. It is important to have the body warm to start a race to get right into a strong pace. Standing around shivering from the cold is less than optimal for a strong start.
In most cases a wetsuit will actually make an athlete faster. Wetsuits will allow for more buoyancy in the water. This then means that an athlete doesn't have to expend as much energy in supporting the rest of their body and thus can put more into forward propulsion through the water.

What is the best wetsuit? There are two main types of wetsuits, one option has full sleeves, the second option is sleeveless. Sleeveless wetsuits will allow for more shoulder flexibility which may be important if you lack shoulder mobility, or maybe you would just feel more comfortable in a sleeveless suit. The issue is that it can feel very cold for many especially when the water drops into the 50's (55 C).

A full sleeve wetsuit will keep you warmest. Using a full length wetsuit may mean that there is a lack of shoulder mobility. Many of the top wetsuits for triathlon use a thinner and more flexible material through the shoulders. Lots of full length wetsuits also have gripper type panels on the forearms designed to for gripping the water better.

What is the best suit for you then? The one that works for you! Try them on. If possible, swim in the wetsuit before you buy it. Make sure they are as tight as you can get them. Excess room in your wetsuit will fill up with water and slow you down. Baggy spots in a wetsuit can also chaff which is never fun. At the same time you want to have as much flexibility as possible to allow for your stroke to feel natural.

I'm a big fan of some of the wetsuits that have air bubble type panels through the chest, torso and thigh regions. This type of bubble technology is great at providing more buoyancy in the water. Brands such as Orca and Xterra use this type of technology in their top suits. In general, I advise athletes to go with a wetsuit when ever possible as they will almost always make you faster. Any extra speed you can gain is a bonus.

Day 90 - Pedal to the Metal

So the weekend didn't turn out the way I had planned, but plans are meant to be broken :) Our Saturday morning hike turned into a Saturday afternoon stroll around downtown Seattle. My Sunday morning swim turned into an impromptu Sunday bike ride.

It had been a while since I had been on my bike, so I decided to take advantage of beautiful weather and the lack of a gym membership (forthcoming) to test my brakes. They are squeaky, most noticeably down massive down hills from my house down to Seward Park. I drive this route every morning to Booty Camp, but on a bike it's a whole 'nother thing. (Picture below is from Seward Park looking south - can you see Mt. Rainier?)

Anyways, upon arrival at the park, I was pleasantly surprised to find I had stumbled on to Bicycle Sunday. I may have to make this my regular Sunday workout. I followed Lake Washington Blvd. up to Leschi, stopping along the way to visit the locations for the Triathlon.

The left picture is Genesee Park, the transition site for all the legs of the race. This is where I'll hop on my bike after traversing the swim, and where I'll drop the bike to head out on the last leg - the 5k run. Imagine it filled with almost 4,000 bicycles!

The left picture is taken from Stanley Sayer Memorial Park - where the swim will take place. I stopped and stared at the water for a while, while listening to kids hopping around in it complaining how damn cold it was. This will be daunting, but I'll stare it down, and then swim it down.

I continued my bike trek north, taking a breather and enjoying a glass of water with Anne and her friend Jen. After the break, I headed back south to Seward Park, then headed further south to avoid the hills I had tackled on my way there in favor of a gradual climb. I'll admit, throughout the trek, I got off my bike twice. Some of these hills were intense.

I got home beat. Dan and I ended up calculating the ride - 14 miles. 2 miles more than what I'll have to do on race day. Granted, race day will be a whole lot different, but to know I can do it, that's kinda reassuring.

Day 92 - Sleepin' In

Well, our plans for today's workout have gone arry. Anne and I had intended on taking that last great hike, but Friday evening festivities translated into Saturday morning sleep-ins. I don't mind. I enjoyed the extra sleep! But now it's time to find an alternative workout. Impetus for getting signed up at All-Star. I'll let you know how it goes.

Day 94 - Dragging

Today finished out Week 2 of Booty Camp, and boy was it less than awesome. The weather in Seattle has been shit-tay, and it makes waking up, nevermind running, a serious drag. I woke up the last two morning at 5:52am - thus 5 minutes late to Camp, missing the warm-up run. Once present and accounted for, I just simply haven't been meeting the workout with the same kind of vim and vigor displayed in previous weeks. My fear is that I'm growing tired, and tired will beget non-activity. Gotta pep up!!



So let's mix it up a bit. I'll take my Friday rest day, but then Saturday take to the hills with Anne. It's bittersweet, as she's hauling arse south to places where the sun actually does shine, so our Adventures in Bear Scat will go with her. So we'll do this final hike together with positivity, energy, and certitude. Sunday I'll rest my creaky joints (they do seem creakier these days) and hit the pool with Lori.



So hopefully, by Monday, I'll be reinvigorated. A dry morning workout wouldn't hurt either.

Day 96 - Admission of Omission

My brother and I chatted about the blogging experience during my visit in LA. In true writer form, he insists that it be all-telling, leaving nothing out. More than just a log of exercise, it should include my weird insights along this journey. So here's one I included, and then omitted due to embarrassment:

Along with the weird guy in the tinted window sedan, we have a new visitor to our workout. The first time we noticed him was one of our rainy days last week, so he was maybe 200 feet away. This individual rolls up in a minivan at 6:15am, hops out, and proceeds to march around under one of the picnic shelters chanting to himself with a blanket over his head. From that distance, this looked like odd behavior. He seemed to be watching us. I was a little sketched.

Alas, two days later we were able to work out in our normal spot on the road, much closer to this individual's pacing shelter. It was then that I realized that this man was not potentially nuts and weird, but rather praying. See, the Seward Park neighborhood has an enclave of Orthodox Jews, and the blanket - not a blanket at all, but a prayer shawl, or tallit.

I was a little mortified at my initial reaction. Though the combination of my perception of the facts and my lack of coffee made my deduction seem reasonable, my cultural insensitivity embarrassed me enough to not even report my error. But now I'm reporting it. Please pardon me.

Day 97 - Recovery

Recovery is an essential part of any good workout routine. I'm allowing that to be my justification, based on my abnormal weekend experience.

Dan and I went to LA to visit my brother David and sister-in-law Kerry and my not-so-new niece (5 1/2 months, but new to me!) as well as see my mother and father for Mother's Day. It was good to get out of town, spend time with family and friends (and the cutest baby in the world!), and see some of the sun that we've been sorely lacking in Seattle this spring.

Little did I know that David would invite me to join him in his workout ritual - Krav Maga. According to the KM Association of America website, this is the official self defense system of the Israeli Defense Forces. While we didn't do any grappling, ground fighting, or hand to hand combat, it was quite a workout, consisting of jumping on irrigation boxes, doing squats with kettle bells, and beating the hell out of a heavy bag with fists and kicks. Though I felt the workout, I had no idea how sore I would be later, and am actually kind of surprised, considering I had worked out the 5 days beforehand consistently. Still, we didn't do a lot of stretching either before or afterwards, which is not good. I woke up Sunday only mildy crippled, but after a 2 1/2 hour plane flight, bee-lined it to the grocery store on the way home from the airport for some Epsom salts for a soak.

The bath was good, but not enough. Sadly, I woke up this morning with enough of an ache in both my lower back and quads to justify a morning off from Booty Camp. I feel mildly guilty, but again, it's about recovery. We don't want injury taking me out this early in the game.


















Picture 1: Me @ Krav Maga before the workout. Note the grappling in the background.















Picture #2: After the workout, giving the thumbs up to our instructor, Mark. Thank goodness, he's sweating too!



















Picture #3: A posed action shot - that's an 8lb kettleball I'm holding above my head. And yes, I'm gritting my teeth.

Picture #4: Sibling bonding.

Day 100 - The official countdown begins!

Phew. I made it. That was tough. Thank you all for following my journey.

OK kidding, of course. I did not let myself down, and made it to the pool this morning. Tried the bilateral breathing thing - it's awkward. Practice practice practice, I guess. Today was the last day of my trial membership at All-Star. It's a nice pool, and convenient, so I think I'll join.

I doubt I'll get any kind of workout in while in LA, but will get back on the horse Monday with Booty Camp.

Must go pack now!

Day 101 - 5 years!

So today was uneventful workout-wise. Boot camp consisted of the usual sweat and toil. Today also marks 5 years that Dan and I have been together. Not married (that's a little over 2 1/2) but together. We rejoice!

Tomorrow we head to LA to visit family and friends, and couldn't be more thankful for both. Dan just timed himself - he can pack in 3 minutes. Granted, that's just a pile on the bed. I get to put it all in suitcases :)

So I have good intentions of hitting the pool early tomorrow morning - Day 100 (same schedule - 6am-7am) before flying out. We'll see if I hold up the bargain (blogging begets accountability, right?).

To answer M's Q, I have no real swim workouts that I stand by. Just getting back in the pool right now, so I'm simply going for distance, though I'd like to reinstitute some old trends. Warm up, followed by 20 lengths of free, then kicking with Zoomers (not an advantage - the resistance means your legs work a little harder), then just arms with a pull bouy, then some IMs, then more free, then some cool down. Distances are as you see fit.

Re park activity - the dude in the tinted window sedan drove past at one point, blasting Benny and the Jets of all things. I want to think he/she is just someone getting off of a weird work schedule and waiting it out before he/she heads home to the family. We can only wonder...

Day 102 - Random insights

So Dan says that I should post something, even when there's little new to report. So I'll do just that. I'd like to keep this blog tri-specific, but there's no doubt it will have its tangents. Bear with me.

Boot camp - good, again. First time since I started that I actually woke up late (5:50am), so had to haul arse to the park to make it in time. Good thing I lay out all my workout clothing in advance. Missed the warm up jog (boo hoo), but participated fully in the upper body workout. All I can say is that I hate - HATE - tricep dips. Almost as much as I hate push-ups.

It's strange what park activity takes place early in the morning. There is this one guy (I assume male, as I've never actually seen him/her) who is there before we arrive at 6am, parked in his tinted window sedan, who never comes out, but is there. Who knows what he's doing in his vehicle while we run and squat and crunch, but you can take a guess. Our instructor has taken down his license number and notified park authorities, but technically, he's doing nothing wrong. Dan assures me - there are strength in numbers, and we are strong indeed!

Tomorrow finishes week 1. I'm determined to have perfect attendance for the full 4 weeks, unlike last session, when a nasty flu (not swine) knocked me out for an entire week. Then we're off to LA to finally meet my adorable niece Dahlia and celebrate Mother's Day with the 'rents. Maybe my brother will want to run with me, though with his long legs and my rather slow pace, it may be more like a walk for him. Still, it could be a nice untraditional Scarpa bonding experience. The offer is out there, bro.

Day 103 - Athletic Goddess?

Not really much to add. Day 2 of Booty Camp was very wet - we had some crazy weather that brought torrential rains (it rains here, but does not normally downpour) and high winds. So we convened under a picnic shelter and worked lower body, with intermittent soggy runs.


As far as triathlon stuff goes, I'm looking into gear and books, being wary of excessive investment in this process. I'll likely be consulting Danskin participants past to find out if the wetsuit/skin is really necessary.


I did learn one thing of interest in my online journey - that there's a name for ladies like me: Athenas. Athena athletes are generally women over 150 pounds. I guess this a more official designation for high-profile triathlons where weights are actually taken at the beginning of races. Still, a community has formed around larger women who do tris (or just choose to be athletic in general?), and I think that's kinda cool. I also think Athena for women seems much kinder than Clydesdales for men, which is the parallel category. You be the judge.

Day 104 - Booty Camp begins again.

I never fathomed that I would ever become someone who would wake up at the crack of dawn to go workout outside. Well, that's what's happened.


I rose bright and early (5:20am) to munch a banana and then head off to Booty Camp. We are roughly 15 women who meet from 6:00-7:00am for 4 mornings a week for 4 weeks in Seattle's Seward Park. I've really grown to enjoy the group, but also really love this park, and am learning it inside and out - the trails through the woods, the loop along the water, the wildlife. I will try to get a shot of the bald eagles one of these mornings. They were there today, actively building a nest and making their usual nutty noises. And all of this within 10 minutes of my house and in Seattle city limits. The Pacific Northwest rocks for reasons like these.


Booty Camp started with a shock to the core. We did lots of crunches and crunch-like things (100s, reverse crunches, push-pulls, side crunches w/10 pounds of weights). For those of us not new to the Booty Camp, we got to run some distance (maybe 1/2 mile?) while our instructor Theresa did some assessments with the newbies (plank, push-ups, sit-ups). All in all, it was a good morning with no rain. My arms ache a little from yesterday's swim, but nothing so bad that it will keep me away from tomorrow's workout.

Finally, to respond to previous comments, indeed technically the 100 days to Danskin have not yet started, but 107 days to Danskin just doesn't have the same ring to it. Also, I'll technically not start the true training regimen until the beginning of June (11 week plan), but figured I'd use the interim time as opportunity to plan, build strength, motivation, and endurance. I'll still swim and bike and run between now and then, and report on it for anyone who's "listening".

Day 105 - Back in the Pool

It's been some time since I hit the pool for a good long lap swim (partially because I lost my favorite suit, and partially because the 24 Hour Fitness pool left something to be desired). So today I joined my friend Lori for a free membership trial at All-Star Fitness to test out the lanes and my stroke. After 40 lengths in the 25M pool (if my calculations are correct, that's over a 1/2 mile), I noticed a few things:

1) I love to swim.

2) My hiatus from the pool and slow down in upper body strength training means my arms had to work pretty hard. I'll feel that tomorrow.

3) My workout regimen over the last year has focused more on jogging, squats, lunges, and all that horrible stuff, but it has left me with some strong tree trunks for legs, which means my kick seems stronger.

4) I've got a few things to work on. Lori, having done Danskin 2 years ago and rockin' it, is going to share her wisdom with me about many aspects of the race, including sighting and breathing techniques. I've never been good at bilateral breathing, and the sighting thing is totally new to me. We'll practice that, and test it out in Lake Washington once things warm up a bit.

Lori also shared with me some insight she got from her naturopath, including adding salt to the diet. Not a ton, but without it, you likely sweat out any hydration, so including things like Emergen-C in your workout water bottle can improve your hydration. She also highly recommends using a road bike over my hybrid - a few ounces of weight can make a huge difference. Lori is going to be a wonderful resource, and I can't wait to spend LOTS of time with her working out and catching up. You are amazing, L!

Some other notes:

-- Danskin is a sprint triathlon, consisting of a 750 m(0.47 mi) swim, a 20 km (12.4 mi) bike, and a 5 km (3.1 mi) run.

-- Stats: I'll post periodically anything I notice, such as time improvements, pants size adjustments, etc. I don't want to become preoccupied with this becoming a weight loss regimen, but can't imagine it not bringing on such benefits, unless I choose to replace my diet with pasta breakfasts and many cake o'clock breaks at work.

Booty Camp starts tomorrow and I'm excited. We work out in a spot where bald eagles nest, and seeing them fly overhead while we crunch and plank really is inspirational.

Hasta!

Day 107 - Getting Ready

The next 3 1/2 months will be tough. While I've been pretty good at maintaining a workout regimen of late, including drinking the Kool-Aid that is early morning Booty Camp, I can only foresee a major uphill climb to triathlon finisher.

Baby steps - I've made contact with my Danskin mentor, a woman seasoned in the ways of sprint triathlons. We're slated to meet with other women preparing for the race, which will be a good support group. I start up booty camp again on Monday, so will consider that a good start. I'm drafting my workout schedule, which I'll post.

Concerns:
Knees, as always. Heredity is a b*tch, so it's glucosamine and braces all the way. I'd like to be able to walk when I'm done :).

Open water swimming. My younger days of competitive swim teams (Go Dolphins!) have made swimming a favorite workout, but Lake Washington is a whole different ball of wax. Expect reports on open water swims throughout this expedition (and how much lake water I drink).

Vacations. Slipping in workouts while camping at the Gorge, lounging in Wisconsin, etc. Potentially challenging. How can a run compete with Claudia's homemade cooking?

Goals:
Finish. That's it. If I benefit otherwise along the way (maybe lose a pound or two), excellent. But this is all about finishing something I started.

And with that, I start.