Swim Angel

I experienced my most favorite triathlon volunteer job at today's Naylor's Beach Olympic.

It started with needing some open water practice. Not so much for the distance - just time in the water wearing my wetsuit again. Ironwoman Canada suggested swimming the Naylor's course after the racers finished.

Then I heard TRIgirl DJ was doing Naylor's and was a little nervous. Now, she has absolutely no reason to be nervous - her swimming has just gotten better and better over the last few months. To her Guppy and TRIgirl friends - she looks strong and graceful in the pool.

Open water can be scary though - and while I am far from fast in the water - I am comfortable.

And that is when the thought hit me. We could swim together!

I checked with the race director, who said that would work - that I would be what some races call - a "swim angel."

This morning started early - meeting TRIgirls JR and DJ and the Shady Grove Y - then a hop over to the Wal-Mart parking lot to pick up TRIgirl TP. We drove as the first drizzle of the morning misted the windsheild.

The pre-race transition area seemed calm - though I am guessing that was just a personal advantage of not racing! We ran into more TRIgirls as we pulled on our wetsuits and headed down to the water. A very sweet person came over and introduced herself as a reader of my blog (thank you for the wonderful compliments and kind words!).

No fog this year - the water looked calm, though a fellow Guppy mentioned that there was a decent current (thankfully in the direction we would be swimming down the long straight stretch parallel to the coast). We entered the chilly water and, a few minutes later, our wave took off.

Prior to starting the swim, TRIgirl DJ and I discussed strategy. I would stay to her left side. We swam a bit and then stopped for a few moments to let TRIgirl DJ's nerves settle down. She spent a little time using her "go to" stroke - and we took a few breaks to breathe. I was worried I might be making her more anxious, but, by the second buoy, she found her groove. I'd pop up every few strokes to find her moving smoothly through the water. The rest of the swim, I just focused on trying to keep us on course. We passed a bunch of people at the second turn - and a few other swimmers fell in behind TRIgirl DJ - during the hardest part of the swim - where you had to battle the current to stay on track.

With the swim finish in sight, we stood up and started walking/jogging. TRIgirl DJ even jumped back down to swim the last few yards - and I was so happy for her. She exited the swim, with a big smile on her face - that stayed there the rest of the race until she crossed the finish line to her very proud family.

Congrats to all who raced today - the first time Olympic racers, those who PR'd and those who earned hardware (go, TRIgirl JR!).

And especially TRIgirl DJ - for taking a big step in overcoming the fear of open water!

It Is What It Is

Coach M has uttered these words many times.

And I've thought I understood.

You can't change who you are.

Your abilities.

Your talents.

Your training.

What you've done.

What you haven't done.

Recently these words have been rattling around in my brain.

A month ago, I felt strong - I was having some awesome workouts.

Since then, I've been putting in the hours.

The last few weeks have been a struggle.

Sometimes more mentally than physically.

I've worried about missing some key training - due to work, travel and hurricanes.

I felt stale and cranky in the water yesterday after not swimming for a week.

Not exactly what you want before your taper begins.

Today's bike and run felt better.

Not my strongest.

But stronger.

Am I ready for MightyMan?

I hope so.

Ironwoman Canada says I am.

I trust her.

And also realize.

With a new appreciation.

It is what it is.

Snapshots of LA

Los Angeles, that is.

Ideally, my first trip to California would have been to the places I’ve been drooling over for years. San Francisco, Sonoma, Carmel…

But you take what you can get. And I was able to get a great opportunity to combine a work trip with a few extra days tacked on to explore the west coast – in the heart of Hollywood.

LAX – let’s just skip that part.

Hollywood – Our hotel was literally .1 miles from Hollywood Boulevard. Why do I know this? Because my husband sent me the Mapquest directions from the hotel’s lobby to Regis Philbin’s star.

Patriot Sangria, who's been keeping busy with a little make-over at 3-Sports while we’ve been traveling, has been jealously pouting because Steve McQueen has a star, but she does not.

And other than that – and a few good restaurants – Hollywood was, kind of, boring.

Beverly Hills – Yes Beverly Hills was quaintly posh. The homes were lovely. Not terribly big, but still impressive – and ridiculously expensive. We shopped along Rodeo Drive with a few friends who came down from central California during our visit. Actually, we didn’t really shop as the only affordable item was Starbucks water.

I made a separate trip to Beverly Hills to fit in my long run. There was no way I could handle two hours on the treadmill – and Hollywood is not exactly conducive to street runs. I woke up early on Sunday morning – to DRIZZLE – chilly, drizzle - which, though slightly ironic, was refreshing as I followed the 6 mile loop cue sheet I found online. Running goes by much more quickly when you are trying to keep track of directions on unfamiliar streets.

Malibu – My husband and I rented a car for our stay and spent part of one morning cruising. We stumbled upon Malibu – my first glimpse of the Pacific Ocean – with the high cliffs and hills bordering the Pacific Coast Highway. The water was calm, though plenty of surfers were out trying to catch some waves. We even drove by the triathlon site for the infamous “JLo” race which was set-up for the weekend’s events. I couldn’t help but wish I had registered for the race – the course would have been awesome!

Venice Beach – Uh, how could such a lovely beach also boast the most bizarre combination of boardwalk vendors? Crap and more crap being sold by quite the eclectic crowd.

Laguna Beach – We visited my husband’s cousins in Orange Hills and scored a tour of Laguna Beach. We walked down the shoreline on a gorgeous afternoon. Photographers posed their clients among breathtaking rock formations. The waves pounded the shore – and I could not understand how such an amazing beach was not more crowded.

And now, we are back home - happy to see the furkids - and ready for the last workouts before MightyMan!

Laborious Training Days Weekend – the Good, the Bad..and the Ugly

With over 90 miles biked, 13 miles ran and a few miles swam, this Labor weekend featured several good, bad and ugly moments.

The good…

Faster than a Cervelo P3,
More powerful than a dolphin,
Able to leap roadkill in a single bound,
Look, all around Richmond!

It’s a Sherpa!
In a van!
It’s SuperAnnn!

Yes, SuperAnnn once again came to the rescue this Saturday as TRIgirl DL, her BF and I braved congested roads, bumpy bridges and crazy hills. From heckling us in her van to following us to Starbucks – SuperAnnn made sure her triathlon friends were taken care of – even cheering us up during our water stop, breaking out her van’s GPS to find alternate routes and featuring her weary friends in one of her creative blog posts.


The bad…

Sunday’s two hour run was even more grueling due to the oppressive humidity that completely soaked my clothes, even my sneakers (mind you, there was no rain), after five miles. Top it off by compounding some small aches and pains (most likely related to worn out sneakers) with a nice case of shin splints.


The ugly…

Imagine cruising along, by yourself, on your bike, the weather better than it has been all weekend, when a buzzing mass kamikaze dives onto your head. Like through the slits in your helmet. You think to yourself, no, there is no way. But then you sense something walking on your scalp. You still can’t believe it, but stop, pull off your helmet to feel a very large bug (Wasp? Cricket?) annoyed and quickly wishing to escape your nest of hair.