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.