121

What's so special about that number you might ask?????

It's the number that showed up on my scale when I stepped on it about a week ago.....I couldn't believe it. I can't remember the last time I weighed anywhere close to that...The lbs just keep flowing off of me, so I've stepped up my eating to include more carbs to ensure I'm not tiring out during the workouts!!

For reference, last January, I weighed about 136 to 138 lbs...So, I've lost 15 to 17 lbs in the last year. Also, the lowest I've weighed since I started triathlon was 127 before my Half-Ironman in 2008. A year of running really leaned me out and the training is really taking my weight down. I feel great though and my run seems effortless, so bring on the weight loss....Only downside is I have to wear a belt with all of my shorts and nothing fits me anymore....

I'm starting to think there should be weight classes in Triathlon

I had my first Triathlon in almost 2 years on Sunday (March 20th). It was a short, Sprint Distance Triathlon (roughly 750 meter swim, 12 mile bike, 3.6 mile run). The triathlon is called Waterfront and it's notorious for some rough water, but flat and windy bike and run. I arrived about an hour before the race, set up my bike on the rack, and also my shoes, helmet, glasses, all in position for a fast transition. I was a little nervous about the swim, since it's been so long and it can be crazy hectic in the water. The water didn't look too rough as the waves weren't breaking, so I was thinking it might be better then expected....Well, I was wrong. Once I swam to the start, I realized the wind had picked up and it was very choppy. We were all churning in the water when the gun went off. I swam pretty hard to the first buoy and was doing alright until about 10 meters or so to the buoy. It was backed up with people trying to do the 180 around it, so you have to stop swimming and try to side swim or wade your way around it. As I reached the buoy, 2 rather large Military dudes decided to grab my shoulder and pull their way around me to move forward. At this point, I let out a "this isn't the expletive seal training, its a triathlon" and proceeded to move in the queue around the buoy. After this, I was able to start swimming better and finished pretty strong.

When I reached the transition area, my helmet and glasses were on the ground as someone must've knocked them off....go figure. I took my time, put on my cycling shoes, helmet, glasses, and was on my way. I pedaled strong but kept it in an easier gear to get the blood to flow to my legs from my arms. This paid off as I was able to pick up speed and pass some others later. Funny note here is I passed my friend Emily in the first few minutes of the ride even though she was part of a relay that started the swim 3 minutes after I did.....Her swimmer passed me in the water when starting 3 minutes later...I suck at swimming!!!

Anyhow, I jockeyed back and forth for position with some other riders that were pretty strong and finished the bike averaging 25.4 mph, which was good enough for 38th best bike on the day (as opposed to my 71st place swim..yikes!!!)

I pulled my feet out of my shoes while pedaling towards transition and didn't fall or crash my bike, so that was good. My transition times were slow but I expected that given I hadn't practiced them at all....

The run started into the wind and I pushed hard but tried to be smart and draft behind some of the guys that had transitioned faster then I did. This paid off as I was able to pass about 5 or 6 in the first half mile. I started to cramp a little as I took a gel in too close to the run, while on the bike, and had to hold my side while running for about a mile. I pushed through as I've gotten used to running with cramps and continued to pass people. The run seemed to last pretty long and I was glad to finally make it to the 2 mile mark. At about this time, I passed a kid, who turned out to be 14 years old, and told him "Good Job...and keep up the pace" and he jumped behind me and picked it up for a little while. It was great to see someone so young going so fast. He is going to be really good when he is older!!. As I headed down the final stretch, I noticed that I was catching the Women's 1st place racer. I put my head down and pushed to the finish. As I came around the corner, I saw the clock read 1:06:40 and sprinted to finish just under 1:07.

My final stats: 1:06:50. 23rd overall. 3rd in my Age Group!!! 4 minutes faster then my 2008 time, although I think the swim was shorter by about 2 mins, but a PR nonetheless!!! It's the first time that I've placed in my age group in a Triathlon and exciting to take home some hardware!!

3-Week Cycling Peak DONE!!

We just finished a 3-week cycling focused block of training where I averaged 160 miles per week. It was hard and tiring, but I made it through some really long rides feeling pretty good. My coach, Eric, scheduled some runs after the long rides and that helped build my confidence as I felt good and strong even after 4+ hours in the saddle. My new bike is really comfortable and helping out big time. My first run after a 70-mile ride was very fast and I felt great. Never before had my legs felt so fresh after a long ride. Just goes to show that my position on the new bike is really dialed in and I'm loving it. My shoulder and neck pain has mostly gone away due to the better position as well!!

We are moving right into a 3-week run focus, so looking forward to the reduced bike mileage and building up my running again!!

Braving the Water again

After swimming in pools for the majority of the first week after the sting, I finally had the courage to get back into the ocean with some help from my friend Emily!! We went to a different place, Ala Moana, and I put on my full wetsuit for protection.....The first couple hundred meters were a little terrifying, but I kept swimming all the way until I reached the 1,000 meter pole (about 20 mins of swimming). It felt like it took forever, but I made it and took a few deep breaths to relax and enjoy the water again. By the time I finished 2K, I was relaxed and glad to be back in the warm Hawaii waters....this was a big win for me as I need to spend alot of time swimming to get ready and the pool is sooooo boring!!

ATTACK of the MAN O WAR

Well, I was having a great week till I got stung today 20 yards or so from shore as I was finishing up my mile swim. I didn't even see the thing just felt the sting on my neck and back. I was swimming with my friend Emily and she went ahead and alerted the Lifeguard so that they had the Vinegar spray ready. I didn't know what stung me, but thought it was a jellyfish at first as I've never been stung before....Needless to say, things went downhill quickly.

I started to sweat and shake and felt cramping in my lower back, stomach, and legs. They put some warm packs on the stings to help compress it, but after about 20 mins decided to call an ambulance since I was still shaking. They loaded me up, which I've never been in one before, and ran some oxygen through me, an IV of saline since I was sweating and tried some benadryl (shot) as I had a bit of a tickle in my throat. After a few more minutes, the paramedic decided to give me the Epinephrine, more as a precaution since it sounded like my breathing was short because of the shivering. My body temp was 93 degrees which corresponds to the colder water and my body fighting the poisons. I ended up in ER with warm blankets and hot air being pumped in as I was still shivering a ton (in large part due to the Epinephrine shot which is like speed)...After about an hour, I stopped shaking and was feeling completely better. They also gave me some pepcid for my stomach. I walked out with Emily and Ann (who came to get me) about 1.5 - 2 hours afterward and felt fine. Crazy how quickly it came and went. Right now I'm taking it easy for the rest of today (even though they said I could train) and just really itchy. They have me on prednesone for a few days and benadryl for the itching...They are also giving me an EPI pen as a precautionary measure. My friend Emily, who was swimming with me, got stung on her arm on Tues and she went to the ER to get checked out as these things are nasty!! Attached are 2 photos of the sting, it got me close to my lymph nodes and that is probably why I had the reaction that I did....What a day!!!

Anyhow, I feel really good but could deal with the itching for some time based on what I've read online. The lifeguard thought it was a Man O War and based on the pics of other stings online, I agree. They tend to sting harder and last longer....GREAT!!!!

NEW BIKE!!!

My new Parlee TT just arrived on Monday as I returned from Vegas. It was like Christmas all over again on Tuesday as I unwrapped and re-assembled the bike. The assembly was more difficult then I had thought and I cracked the seat post collar in doing so. I was pretty p/o about it but they are sending me a new one as it just slips over the carbon frame. At least I didn't crack the frame!!!

The bike looks awesome and I rode 30 miles on Tuesday night. It was so much more comfortable then my Cervelo bike. No more sore shoulders, neck pain, and it felt really fast and fun to pedal. I'm looking forward to riding it again after a few tweaks to the handlebars.

I built the bike up with a custom paint job and it came out really SWEET!!!!

3-Week Cycling Block

Last week, I began a 3-week cycling focused block. I had to squeeze in 3 rides in 4 days as I was leaving for Vegas on Thursday for my 40th birthday celebration with Ann!! My plan was to ride 50 miles on Monday, and then split the remaining 70 on Weds/Thurs. I would also ride 20 miles on a bike in the gym in Vegas for a total of 140 MILES!!

MY LIFE FLASHED BEFORE MY EYES:

My first ride was the most interesting of the week. I felt good and my legs were strong that day. I started later then usual (about 10:00) and traffic was lighter then usual due to President's Day. Coming back, there is a climb that takes you to the top of Makapuu (named after the light house on the South Side of the island). Once you crest the climb, you drop down a steep hill that gets your speed up to 40 mph with hardly any pedaling....There is a walk/hike up to the light house, so the roads had cars on both sides. I noticed people running across the road, so I got on the brakes and slowed my role to about 25 mph. I also moved to the center of the road (as is common here) so that I wouldn't get hit by a door opening or people crossing. My eyes were focused on the left side watching for both. Out of the corner of my eye about 20 yards in front of me, a black SUV pulled an illegal U-Turn right in the middle of the road. The car was completely perpendicular to the hill and I had to slam on my brakes. My back wheel slid out a bit to the left which helped me get over to the right. Problem was, the SUV didn't stop coming across the road and left a very narrow gap between this and the cars parked on the left side of the road. Somehow, I clipped the SUV with my left front handlebars (on the top hood) and stayed upright. I have to believe my 10 years of cycling came into play to keep the bike up. I was perfectly fine and so was my bike, but I was livid!! I yelled and threw my hands up, but I don't think that guy even realized what happen. Hopefully, I put a nice long scratch or dent into his hood as a reminder of his stupidity. Needless to say, the rest of my ride was uneventful. I rode Weds/Thurs without incident as well. It's just a freak unexpected thing that goes to show how stupid drivers (and cyclists in some cases) can be. Always got to be on the lookout when riding on those streets!!!

This week, I'm riding 165 miles, and on my new bike, so looking forward to the change