and then there was turkey

Thanksgiving came and went and with it any type of structured training plan. Its in typical style that I would sign up for one of the most difficult ironmans in the circuit as my first, move into a new house, career search, serve as a bridesmaid to my big sister, and become an aunt to 4 new nieces and nephews all at the same time.

People may say a lot about me, but they will never say I’m boring.


God works in mysterious ways, I don’t think I’ve ever in my life had more going on than I do at this very moment. Some good, some bad but all with a positive attitude.  It sometimes seems like a world wind of information that I have to keep processing over and over again.  swim, run, bike, lift, repeat.  as i was finishing up my swim yesterday i thought to myself its now or never. i played songs in my head, thought about last Christmas, thought about last year, thought about this year, thought about where i've been, thought about where i am, and then thought about where i was going....... straight to st. george. 

and so as Christmas approaches this year I’ve seemingly gotten myself back on track (somewhat).  My letter to Santa might start something like....

Dear Mr. Claus, this year I want myself back, the same one that finished the Broad Street Run, the same one that crossed the finish line in not one, but two marathons.  and the one that well: survived this year. 

ponytail eligible

i haven't had an event on the calendar since the super sprint HB.  last week i got re introduced to two things, candy corn and the weight room.  one clearly a result of the other.  i'm alternating between gyms i like the pool at one and the equipment at the other.  kind of like when i was little and my mom bought her produce at one food store and everything else at another. whatever gets you there, right? 
i've been an absent member of spin class but only because i found the spinners at the new gym which allows me to kick my own butt on a regular basis. its almost the six month mark until IMSG and the nerves are setting in, but then i look back at my journey and it makes it all worth while.

still no alcohol and the added bonus to pool workouts i've discovered is the chlorine is assisting in my ever growing attempt to grow my hair long again.

 its officially past my shoulders and that is all the incentive i need!

Life's Ambition - Hermosa Beach Race Report

"you may feel a competitive streak today as you strive to be the best in every situation" 

this is how my dailyom horoscope began today. 

the alarm went off at 4:15 am and it was pitch black outside.  welcome to tri world.   mike and i arrived early, set up our areas, and were ready to go.  he was in the first wave so i was able to see him out of the water while i'll waited anxiously for my start.  it was refreshing not to be a "newbie" anymore.  i've got this swim i thought, until i hit the water.  it was choppy than last year but manageable,  i think i only got kicked once which was a definite bonus!  i finished a minute and change later than last year and ran up the transition to my bike knowing i'd have to make it up now or never.  the course is flat and three loops around, the bike felt great.  i kept checking to see who was around me for two reasons,  one.  i wanted to make sure i was passing anyone with the numbers 30-34 on their left calf and two. to make sure no one could hear me talking out loud to myself  "its not an option to slow down"  "st george will NOT be this nice" "you WILL do this".  and i did.  off the bike, a quick chat with mike and off to my run feeling strong.   i found her within the first 2 minutes, a 24 year old who passed me.  she was my incentive.  you must beat her to the finish, i don't care how you do it, just do it.  visions of the ironman from yesterday filled my head as MACCA overcame to take the win.  (i know a little different, but you get what i'm saying)  i caught her with a 1/4 mile left and flew by her to the finish. 

another one bites the dust. 

1:09:36. there's no way i made the top 10 in my AG this year. however,  the best part about thinking you did a lot worse is realizing you  actually did much better.  number 6.  maybe next year i'll reach that podium!

cloudy with a chance of sun

the manhattan beach 10k was this past sunday. i finished and for the first time i actually paid attention to my pr and went out trying to beat it. 50:35 was the final time and although i didn't beat it, i had a great race none the less. 

in previous races i've always gone out taking in the course alone. but i was reminded this past week its nice to have someone there beside you to push you just a little harder, to remind you that you can finish it, and to have someone who stays with you even if you don't stay with them.  over the past 8 months i've been told more times then i can count, "everything happens for a reason".   it of course never seems like it does until well, until it does.  i've still got a long way to go.  mentally and physically.  i've still got a lot of battles, hills, and long runs to conquer.  but now it seems a little easier with a new partner.  turns out we all have demons we want to fight.  and if we can find someone to fight them with it makes the battle that much easier. 

not just finishing anymore

i just finished my registration for hermosa beach's annual day at the beach sprint triathlon.  what a difference a year makes. 

last year i borrowed a tri suit, a wetsuit, a helmet, rode in on a hybird.  i'd never rode over 15 miles or swam more than 20 minutes in the ocean.  i rode with sneakers.  i had a cheering section that has since all moved away and my home is no longer in hermosa.

i crossed the finish line 10th in my AG. and i fell in love with tri's.

this year i own a wetsuit, so many tri suits challenge is deciding on the zoot or tyr, i have my new giant complete with speedplays.  i just finished a great ride on saturday with what just might be my new support system. i've done so many open water swims i lost count.  and i've got an ironman on my calendar. 

you've come a long way baby.

have a little faith in me

we get time everyday.  sometimes we even wish time away.  it seems there is a lot of hurry up and wait going on in life.  maybe one day we can all vow to hurry up and take it all in.

 i'm going to try.

this new thought process will mean embracing every long run, every ocean swim, every uphill pedal stroke.   it will mean holding onto every second, every minute, every hour. this year has been a year of lessons for me, a year of redefinition, a year of great joy and a year of great loss.  a good friend said to me once "want to make God laugh? tell him you future plans." 

i was brought up catholic. and from my first catholic school experience i'm pretty sure God knew i would be a challenge.  the nuns were sent from him i thought, to make my life that much more miserable.  there was sister helen ann who at 6 years old separated my best friend and i from the same kindergarten class because "christina roth and kathleen curry, are just causing to much trouble together"  then it was onto first grade when "mom sister julie just does not like me, no i was not talking in class she is just not nice, mom"  in second grade i didn't like the knee socks they made us wear so i would push them down to be ankle socks.  i told the nuns that it wasn't my fault the elastic was gone and they wouldn't stay up.  sister dennis fixed that with rubber bands.  i was a determined little 8 year old. 

along the way there have been several people who have restored my faith, there was the youth leader who even though he knew my friends and i joined the church to go on the ski  retreats and to meet the cute boys from upper merion, he had faith in us and steered me back in the right direction.  we all have our angels in life, whether we believe in God or not.  i had one recently, who i admired for being so open and honest with his faith.  ironically enough he got me started in this triathlon business.   he remains a silent angel for me and he taught me that if i have the faith (strength and love) i can accomplish anything.   anything. 

now when i run, swim, and bike i pray.  i pray for everyone who doesn't have enough time, i pray to thank God for giving me time.  let's just hope he gives me enough to finish before midnight on May 7 2011.

i'm excited about what lies ahead but also scared of what the rest of 2010 has in store.  because God knows, i never imagined this, i never thought i would be a triathlete.

nations tri - race report (rain and all)

i woke up at 3:30 am with a sore throat and rain pounding on the streets below.  i laid there until 5:00 wondering if i was going to be able to complete the swim portion.  i hate the swim, if we are being honest.  i know as a triathlete i'm supposed to enjoy all three events equally but i don't.  the swim makes me that much more thankful that its finally time for the bike and run.  i look forward to it.

we arrived at 6:30 am complete with a slight mishap with the shuttle, we had to get off and walk across the mall to the transition area due to some closed roads and an uninformed bus driver.  it wasn't seeming to start out so well.  we made it to transition and i was happy to just be there.  i tried to remember everything, shoes here, helmet on the bike, gu in the pocket, running shoes and another pair of dry socks.  did i remember it all?  body glide for my neck and wetsuit on. check. check. and check.  i grabbed janine and we were off. 

two hours later i was in the water wondering what the hell i was doing here, AGAIN.  the swim was hard.  i got kicked, punched, and pushed more than i would have liked.  i had my mantra in my head "everythings gonna be alright" and swam away.  the buoys seemed to be multiplying by the second.  out of the water and onto the bike.  i felt good, not awesome. i still had a way to go. 

i was excited to try out the new ride and finally be the one to yell "on your left' instead of getting yelled AT.   i prayed for no flats, since again, if we are being honest i haven't a clue on how to work C02 or change a flat.  i'll learn soon, promise. that or God's going to make the next race quite a "learning experience"  for me.  the ride was rainy, beautiful, and flat.

I got off the bike, loved every second.  and then it was onto the run.  my favorite part.  a beautiful course (even in the pouring rain)  FYI announcer guy the rain actually did not stop after 7 am.   The run is my strength don't know how it was or how it became my strength but it is and i embrace every moment of it.  i think it because i like cheering others on and having others cheer me on as we run by.  we are all in this together.  big, small, white, black, poor, rich.  we all trained (some more than others) we all want to make it to the finish (some faster than others) and we all get to feel like rockstars at the finish line because at the end we are all "triathletes".  janine and i slapped high fives at the halfway point and it kept me going for the final run.  hot showers and good food was awaiting us at the finish.

2:51 and i was done. 

i couldn't end this race report without thanking some who although they think they don't matter much they make all the difference.  they stand in the rain with us, they keep us going when we want to quit, they support us through early morning wake ups, training runs, rides, and swims,  they understand (or say they do) when we get pissy after a bad run, ride, or swim.  and they still come out.  and they still love us. 

thank you spectators, thank you for helping us to continue to reach our dreams.

sometimes it just all comes together

originally this blog was going to be a testament of my training to complete an ironman competition. however, it has morphed into more than that.  more than a daily log of training runs, distance swims and spin class reports.  it seems to have become my outlet. my "disappointment that was my opportunity in disguise"

i was blessed with the trait of spontaneity, otherwise known as speaking, doing and acting without a filter.  it comes into my head and then "bam" there it goes. only realizing later the consequences of my actions.  some may think this is a bad habit and would work to perfect the ability to hold off and think through a situation, a planner if you will.

if we are being honest, this "habit" has not always worked in my favor.  there have been many a times i've purchased things that might have been a bit to expensive, said things i wish i could take back, signed up for races that i wasn't sure i could finish.  but then again being spontaneous is what led me to discover, explore, and allow myself to try to meet all those expectations, that i set for myself along the way.

as for the training, i've been taking in the lonely runs along the lake. its God's country up here. i've kept them short all about 5 miles, the air is thick and the sun is hot, i hope dc treats me a little better. i'm trying not to be hard on myself (after all that's part of the reason i'm up here) and i'm riding casually, trying to force myself to get in the lake and swim. its the one event that i once thought would be my hardest just based on difficulty and lack of technique. as of late though, everything has been "just coming together" for me so oddly enough i'm not that worried about it. 


i'll close with this....as i was driving back from meeting some family members for dinner last night, its been 25 years since i'd seen them last.  upon discussing what a wonderful night it was and how happy i was to have reconnected with them my good friend (who accompanied me to dinner) turned to me and said "look at where you've been in the past month"  those words were that final rock i needed lifted from my shoulder.   because look at how far i have come!  now i'll let things fall into place whether i plan them or not.

opening my eyes and seeing luck

i walked instead last night and the mosquito's walked with me.  i'm still in my little abyss otherwise known as just outside of minneapolis, minnesota and yesterday i took the day off.  

living in california you tend to get a bit jaded.  i mean i suppose i knew that the unemployment rates were high and that i was blessed (to say the least) to be able to participate in races around the country while getting myself back together in one piece.   it was a bit ironic to me that i had a new sense of strength and commitment while i was "taking the night off".

so far while out here my training has consisted of running and biking by the lake while swimming in the calm waters of central minnesota.  but i wouldn't be truthful if i didn't say that last nights walk and today's stroll around the state fair didn't hit a new chord for me.  that life isn't always so nice for everyone.  that i'm lucky to be alive, happy, and healthy.  i'm lucky that i don't have to wake up everyday wondering if the orange eviction sticker is going to be placed on my front door or if my job as a sheet rock layer is going to disappear because there's no new construction.  i'm lucky to know that although i've had my heart broken its never been because my husband of ten years left me with two kids, a house payment, a truck payment and an unwanted new start.  i'm lucky that the weather isn't going to predict if i can put food on the table for my family or that i have to tell my kids no because "i just can't afford it"

there are many reasons why i decided to do this years IMSG but my retreat to middle america has allowed me to add one more. 


because i'm lucky enough. 

change of scenery

i'm on my own personal retreat for a while.  i came up to one of my favorite places to reflect, relax, and do a little head clearing. 

before i left i sent my bike on her very first tri trip to washington dc.  i'll be part taking in the nations tri on september 12th.  its going to be my first olympic distance and i'm feeling  a little under prepared, although i think i say that every single race.  its like my own little handicap in case i bomb the thing. 

before i boxed her up and shipped her off i took her out on the first pv hill ride and can't believe it took me that long to get up there.  the natural high of cruising down those hills is better than any of my best vodka tonic nights, without the hangover!  i can't wait to get back and do it all again.  until then i'm relishing in my the beauty of big lake, minnesota.  

this morning i ran with the ducks, took in the wildflowers, waved to people as i passed by, and remembered why i came up here in the first place.

a new ride

SHE'S HERE!  i drove her home with the windows down, singing  along to "hey soul sister" the whole ride home along the coast.  i was happy.  after months of searching and weeks of waiting, my bike was finally here.

 and for the first time in a very long time i had a reason to feel excited about something.

like a little kid at christmas i couldn't wait to get my new "toy" home and out on the bike path.  i'm not well versed in the clipless pedals just yet and like a lot of things these days i'm teaching myself.  with learning sometimes we fall, sometimes pretty hard, and sometimes in front of an audience.  so yes, without even pedaling a step, i toppled over while still parked in the garage.  timed just perfectly as the neighbors were pulling out of their drive.

i laughed it off and rode away, elbow throbbing and a newly bruised knee, headed straight for the light at the end of my tunnel.

learning lessons

i swam in the ocean today.  1 mile.  i avoided shark week in anticipation. i have a long way to go, a long way.  but i finished. maybe next week i'll get around the pier and lose my fear of getting hooked with a fishing line.(seriously)  i learned a few things while spending quality time with the fish this morning that i thought i'd share just in case you ever find yourself wanting to jump in the freezing cold ocean at 8 am on a sunday morning.

lesson 1 -  body glide.  my neck looks like someone took a red marker and drew a line across the back.  note to self when swimming in salt water with a wetsuit while turning your head repeatedly, apply body glide. 

lesson 2 - remember to stay calm when getting kicked in the face. or at the very least kick back.

lesson 3 - water will get in your wetsuit and st. george is going to be cold.  figure out a way to get over it.

lesson 4 - even though the pier looks close, it is not.  even though you think you can just ride in a wave to finish,  you can not.  and even though it may seem you are swimming in a straight line, chances are, you are not.

swim. check.  now onto the run. but not without a little added inspiration. its amazing how hindsight makes things so much clearer.

i kicked out seven miles faster than i ever have before and added in some hills just for fun, yes for fun. 

harder. better. faster.stronger.  (thank you kayne)

the devil lives on 19th street

the other night i couldn't sleep, this isn't new as of late, but it is the first time i was up the entire night.   so i spent the extra 8 hours reading race reports for IMSG.  after about the fifth one i realized i'm going to need to stop running flats, period.  no more casual runs along the strand or the treadmill incline remaining frozen at 0.00.  its now or never. 

first stop, spin class. coincidentally the only class offered that day was an advanced spin.  i hopped on the bike and prepared myself for a rough ride, one hour later i was feeling pretty confident, wasn't so bad after all.  the following night was a different story, what a difference an instructor makes.   that's the first time i've ever dropped the f bomb, smiling, while sprinting up an imaginary hill.

and today was hill day.  lucky (or unlucky) for me, 19th street defines it.  and that is where the devil lives. he sits right at the top of the hill and smiles down at me for each and every rep. 

got me wondering if  he'll be in st. george? 

just in case, i'll practice my laugh, since i'll be getting the last one.

the day the music died

dear nano-

i wasn't prepared.  i wasn't prepared for the unannounced departure.  i knew you were sick when i saw those lines across your face but i thought it was because i hadn't fed you in a while.  i downloaded a little neil diamond and  eminem's new album and waited for you to recover, you did not.

i am not ready for us to go our separate ways.  PV does not know a run without you, the treadmill will be unbearable.  perhaps this is your way of forcing me back into the running group i left so many months ago?  i told you i'm not ready for that again yet.  everytime i look at you, you just stare back with this white blank look on your face and beep. 

beep.

at this point in my life i don't think i can justify adopting another family member into the mix, i've already fostered so many, just to have them leave me like you.  each generation; the original mini, the 2nd and 3rd generation, and now you, the nano.

 i took today off to make the decision.  should you stay or should you go?

RIP little silver nano. 

two is better than one

seems like lately all i want to do is spend time at the gym. i'm not sure when exactly these "two a days" started, maybe it was the first time i went at 11 am on a weekday and the only people there were either retired, unemployed, or SBW's (South Bay Wives)  and so i returned later hoping to be more in my element. 

either way, it started.  my workouts have changed too, i even powered off my ipod at one point today and it wasn't because the battery died.  i've found myself tuning out of "sportscenter" and into the form, technique, and speed of the swimmers in the pool below.  i need to stop competing with people on the treadmills though, i was trying so hard to see what speed the guy to me was going yesterday that i almost fell clear off the damn thing.  go ahead, laugh.  to be honest i'm shocked it hasn't happened already. 

swimming during the day is a different too.  the pool is full of little old ladies complaining about the kids swim lessons that take up an entire lane all summer long and how the pool toys keep floating over into the lap lanes while they try to do their swim aerobics, yes, swim aerobics.  i often want to point out to them  that the vast majority of people at the pool wish to actually SWIM in the lanes and not do pool aerobics  and that a pot shouldn't call a kettle black and so on and so forth.  but i refrain.  i think they just like to complain.  can't much blame them, i've been there myself.

going to the gym is my outlet these days, its helping me mend some things that were broken.  i'm thinking if i keep up the two a days it will be fixed twice as fast. 

i'll end with a quote from good ol' MJ:

(some of you will appreciate more than others)

"Obstacles don't have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don't turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it."

amen.

"Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance you must keep moving"

seven years ago today i moved into my first west coast address. i was only staying for one year, or so i thought. when i got to the left side i had two 10 milers and a handful of 5k's under my belt. i didn't know what an ironman was and even a marathon was foreign.

today, i moved again. this time it was different.

i checked off "cross training" for this week, each box i packed, unpacked, and repacked had to have counted for something.  i was a mix of emotions and prolonged packing the final box until just this morning.  i remember waking up for the 4:30 am workouts, training for my second marathon, training for my first tri, the 10ks, the half marathons, the ocean swims.  i met my inspirations and became what i learned here in this house.  as i was closing the door one last time at 2456 manhattan ave, i realized that moving really was a lot like training.  its emotional.  its physical.  and the end result most always made it worth the while.

today my runs will have a new starting line, but i'm confident no matter what i'll make it to that finish.

a reason to smile

recently i watched a video on chrissie wellington, a three time ironman champion.   she's inspiring to say the least, but the most interesting thing about chrissie is she's always smiling. she is like the heinz ward of triathletes.

upon completion of the video i not only wanted to hit the gym and run about a million miles.  but i wanted to take my training to the next level.  a level that would remind me why i was doing this all in the first place.  a level that although required baby steps, would eventually get me to that finish line.  and that very evening while in the pool, i found myself smiling because i finally nailed that damn flip turn.  all. by. myself.

so maybe you'll see me smiling up those PV hills in the coming months on my new ride.  because really in the end, being happy with yourself is really what its all about.

finding the finish line

March 2006, Los Angeles, California.

Running 26.2 miles seemed impossible and slightly ridiculous at the time but for some reason that year i decided i was going to do it.  i was going to run a marathon. 

i've been needing some positive thoughts to pull me through some of the easiest of runs lately (yes like 3 milers)  and so i started to rack my brain for a time in my life that i felt proud of myself. i found myself back at the finish line of that first marathon.  i recall crying at the finish line and feeling a little silly since the head of the packers were showered, changed, and out to dinner already when my two little feet made their mark at the finish.

i also remember sitting on the curb at mile 22 ready to quit, throw it all away. months of physical training, early morning runs, and sacrifices and i was ready to give it all up.  my legs hurt, i was tired, and at that moment 5 miles seemed like an ultra marathon.  my mind was playing tricks on me.  "just give up",  "22 miles is still good", "there is always next time, clearly you can't finish this one" and then out of nowhere it seemed, a small boy barely 5 years of age, sat down next to me and handed me a cup of water.  i don't think he spoke any english but his smile said it all.

i didn't think twice, i picked myself up, rid the negative thoughts from my head and crossed that finish line. holding on tight  to my pride.

so as i continue to train for IMSG i will remember that feeling, times it by 100, think only positive thoughts, and just "get r done".

oh and one more thing - a friend shared this with me in an email today and although she thought "a bit cheezy"  i found myself repeating it over and over in my head on today's early morning run (so, thank you michelle)

"God didn't promise days without pain, laughter without sorrow, sun without rain, but He did promise strength for the day, comfort for the tears, and light for the way."

7.13.77

33. not yet 35. yet no longer 30.

33. the number of miles left to run this week.

33. a symbol of truth.

(as in truth be told i do not want to wake up at 4:30 a.m. on my birthday, to hit the gym)

33. the number of times tomorrow i will remind myself to turn off my cell phone.

(because i'm doing this one for myself)

33. Michelangelo's age when he began painting the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.

(so you see there is hope for me yet)

33. the age i'll be when i compete in my first ironman triathlon

33. what a great number to be.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!

donde esta el training?

okay so if we are being honest 5 days at an all inclusive resort in cancun, mexico doesn't exactly scream "TRI TRAINING"  unless we are counting snorkeling as swimming? 

i do however want to be clear (for the record) that an effort was made, one to be exact, for 30 minutes on the treadmill, monday.  never saw the inside of the inside of that gym again.

so i've what they might call "fallen off the wagon"?  i'm slightly dreading the long run i'm forcing myself into tomorrow morning as i recount in my head the number of shots, beers, and pina colada's i consumed over a 5 day period.  i'll admit it wasn't pretty. 

but now its time to visit with some old friends - the pool, the bike, and the running shoes.  i wonder if they missed me like i missed them. 

training commences now.....

happy birthday america

the strand was littered with empty porches and there i was lacing up my brooks preparing for an early morning run.  last year at this time i was swearing i'd never drink again. construction men hard at work in my head and contemplating a bloody mary to ease the pain.  after all  "the hair of the dog".  
but not today,  today i was one of "them"

 i was an early morning runner.

i ran the 10 mile loop i have run a million times prior. but somehow at 5 am on a july 4th weekend it felt different.  a little more liberating, a little less about everyone else and a little more about me. 

a short little lesson on discipline and sweet reward. 

oh and if waking up at 5 on a holiday weekend to go running wasn't bad enough i just gave up my parking spot just now to get in a swim at the gym.

who is this person???????

my little grey spiral calendar notebook

today marks the first day of official IMSG training. 


its today, not because the triathlon books suggest starting a plan 10 months out or what any of these paid training plans dictate.  its today, because one day two months ago while in target i found myself in the school supplies section. (don't ask. i have no idea why, its target, i just walk around aimlessly) but for the first time in the history of target shopping this time it wasn't so aimless. i really WAS supposed to be in the school supplies aisle as a 32 year old business professional who hasn't attended any type of school for 10 years. 

because as i turned the corner and i looked up, there it was......"my little grey spiral calendar notebook"

start date of the calendar?  july 1, 2010. 

tonight was also perhaps the first time in my entire career of happy hour attending that i turned down a happy hour at sharkeez for a go at my new cycling dvd. 

sell those shares of bud light lime now people. trust me.

so in honor of a new notebook and a lost happy hour:

“For everything you have missed, you have gained something else, and for everything you gain, you lose something else.”  ralph waldo emerson

if only i could have focused this well in school.....

anyone that knows me, knows that if it doesn't hold my attention in the first 5 minutes forget about it.  typically i read only half the article and then spit out stats of what i thought i read.  i read a map but usually pick the wrong direction,  my idea of "fully researching something" is using the phone a friend option and clicking "add to cart".  research through osmosis (thank you bob for helping me buy my first bike, turns out its a pretty nice ride).

that was 3 years ago. 

with an ironman registration comes a lot of emotions. (all before training even starts) happy, sad, nervous, scared and perhaps upon completion of payment, questioning your own sanity. however, what no one told me was that it also comes with a strange sense of focus. 

yes, its true, it might be that it carries some interest to me and that yes the lack of focus in the classroom during those school days was more because i didn't really care why sally and ed rode a train traveling east bound at 80 MPH for 600 miles and why ed's second cousin twice removed missed the train and how long it would take him to catch up to sally and ed in amarillo texas at 1 o'clock the following day.  i hated school and i hated math  (yes, i'm aware that i work in finance, i'm not really sure how i got here either)  

anyway, my point is that i am INTERESTED in IMSG, somewhat obsessed actually.  I've done more research on training plans, road bikes, tri bikes, wetsuits, bike helmets, endurance drinks, BRICK workouts, and the entire town of St. George, Utah (the first mormon temple was built in St. George).  its actually kind of a nice change, this focus thing.  a change that brought me upon my first "real" triathlon purchase (with a little help from mkc)  

my very own wetsuit. 

I'll close with an exert from a racing report: (yes, i read the entire report)

"Before the race, everyone is going to talk about the bike. After the race…they’ll be talking about the run. The IMSG is, in my opinion, the most challenging run on the US calendar."

um.... holy shit.

I can't even spell the word... and you want me to enter one?

There was a time when a triathlon was foreign (this time was not so long ago)
how do they change outfits?
do you run in your bathing suit?
what the hell is a "DNF"?

there are special clothes to wear, special bikes to ride, certain drinks to drink, foods to eat and as it turns out they aren't so cheap either.   i thought i'd help out the lay men (and women) out there and dissect some vocabulary i've picked up so far. 

"a few things you never needed to know about triathlons but i'm going to tell you anyway"

• "curly handlebars" are also known as drop bars (not to be confused with aerobars)
• "trainer" (bike) its not the extra body at the gym counting your reps and making you stay the entire hour on the treadmill.  its a way to bring your bike inside and ride. or in my case a way to ride with clipless pedals without actually having to go outside.  work. in. progress. i'll get there, eventually.
• "clipless pedal"  making your feet stick to the pedals and at first attempt making you fall over (usually with an audience)  on the flip side its more efficient.  (or so they tell me)
• "T1" and "T2" tri code for where you "change your clothes" (i was relived to find out i didn't have to run in my bathing suit after all)
• "a tri, is a tri, is a tri"   not really the case in tri land.   it is true that all tri's are definitely noteworthy and take a great deal of self discipline and endurance to complete. Per the official officials (aka International Triathlon Union) there are four standard distances to choose from;

Sprint - 750 m swim, 20 km bike, 5 km run,

Olympic -1.5 km swim, 40 km ride, 10 km run

Half Ironman - 1.9 km swim, 90 km ride, 21.1 km run

Ironman - 3.8 km swim, 180 km ride, and a marathon: 42.2 km run

most people have done all distances, several times at best.  i've done the first and am about to jump into the last.  why do i insist on always being different???? 

ah and DNF?  well that means - DID NOT FINISH.  let's lose that one from the "vocab" starting today, shall we?
 

Ironman - Till I Collapse

Mantras

a baby, a marriage, and an ironman bring it on 2011 (and the tail end of 2010). 

I'll have a nephew he lives in ethopia but he'll be here soon enough, maybe he can be my bike mantra.
I'll have two nieces, a nephew, and a brother in law, maybe they can be my run mantra.
I'll have myself, alone, confident, and proud. maybe I can be my swim mantra.

Training so far...

Its been a little more adhoc then I would like, an occasional swim with "coach mariss", a daily run, and bike thereafter.  I bought a planner to track it all;  the good, the bad, the ugly.  It starts July 1.  I'll try to track as much of the unboring events as possible on the blog  'ran for 40 minutes, finally rode the bike more than a foot without falling over, and swam outside the slow lane' sort of update.

I've got to divorce the ipod at some point.  I'm just not ready yet.

my first (untrained) half

i thought it was on sunday.  it wasn't.  i was waiting for the hill on mile 2, i think its more like mile 2.5 and its a bitch.  a total bitch.  its long and its steep.  but i mustered up it and felt great the whole way down.  at the turnaround it started back up the steady inclined and i killed it.  i felt amazing.  mile 12 hurt a little bit and i was ready for the finish.

1:53 and i was done.  i was alone and it felt good.  let's get this year started......

a mix of emotions

and so the journey begins......

 i was stuck on the "sign the waiver" page for about 20 minutes until finally i made myself $600 poorer and clicked on confirm for the IRONMAN St. George, Utah.   In between updating my facebook status and sametiming with my good friend MKC about what i had just done, a sudden sense of peace came over me and i realized that this was the answer.

so now in exactly 361 days i will be swimming 2.4 miles, biking 112, and running a full marathon of 26.2 miles. 

this is my journey.