Hawai'i

I'm just sayin'...

I want to pick up my family, furkids and friends and head right back on a plane to the Big Island tomorrow.

More details to come - but here is a funny series of pics Mrs. Barracuda and I posed for in front of paintings in the official IM hotel.

No wonder Ironwoman Canada keeps telling me not to rotate.



I probably should be drafting in this pose, too - since Kokau and I did for a good chunk of the our ride on the Queen K.

Ironically, I had a few good runs down Ali'i drive - just another reason to relocate!

Kokau is Waiting in Kona

Some of you may have heard (if you've been around me for more than five minutes in the past few months) ...

I AM LEAVING ON SATURDAY FOR HAWAII!

As I posted on Facebook yesterday, this will be my first week long, non-work (well, minimal) and non-race (well, some training) destination vacation in a very long time (since honeymooning in Bermuda many, many years ago?).

I am incredibly excited about this trip for lots of reasons.

• like watching the wedding re-enactment of the Sponsored Athlete and the Should be Sponsored Wife
• or staying at the luxurious compound Mrs. Barracuda discovered
• not to mention the amazing itinerary including zip lining, hikes, luaus, snuba...and....
• and...and...BIKING parts of the Kona course!

Today, for less than the cost of taking my bike (Patriot Sangria is sulking in the corner) to the Big Island, I rented Kokua, a Cannondale Six ultra road bike. In just a few days, Kokua and I will be joining the Sponsored Couple and the Barracudas on tours through Kona, including sections of the IM World Championship bike route.

[Big smile].

Like Buttah (or Bathwater)

After close to 50 emails back and forth trying to plan a long workout day that included an open water swim, a group of us headed up to Lake Anna this morning. Not even the rain or threat of storms was going to stop us, since we even had a boat to watch over us, courtesy of Sweet Tea Skirtboy.

At the State Park we assessed whether or not we would need to deploy our back-up covert mission, as open water swimming supposedly requires a permit that takes 30 days to acquire. The rain worked in our favor. With no one around, we headed out for a 45 minute out and back right from the beach.

The water was beautiful. No wetsuit needed as temps were probably in the upper 80s. A little too hot for some folks' liking, but just about perfect in my opinion. We broke into a few groups, with Mathelete doing backstroke (faster than my freestyle) to keep an eye on his new bride, Matheleta (or Mave). Swim Sandbagger set a strong pace with little stopping.

It was a great swim - with the added bonus of getting to draft off Pink Feet almost the entire way back.

Most of us bagged the bike due to the weather except Mathelete and Pink Feet, but the swim was still worth the early morning start and hourish ride.

I Want to Ride My Bicycle, I Want to Ride My Bike (BUT)

Alas, Patriot Sangria and I are bummed. We missed tonight's bike with TC, SuperAnnn and the Three Sisters Expert (that is you, RB, if you still read blogs) because a work meeting ran long. Hope my fellow bicycle heathens (oooh, you should see JenBo's ideas for our hearty, mighty logo) enjoyed an excellent ride in this Hades heat.

I have not been on my bike in two whole days. I would say that my legs had recovered from last weekend's Tour de Central Virginia.

I would say that...IF...

I had not spent this morning trying to complete Pink Feet's squat/lunge intensive workout.

(You know it is a bad sign when your legs feel queasy during the exercises.)

Pink Feet believes his killer moves will help with my hill climbing - this enticement had me trying my best to overcome my lack of coordination and strength.

Silver lining, I may be able to guilt him into waiting for me after stretches of this weekend's upcoming bike trek on the hilly Lake Anna Kinetic course.

Or paint his feet pink for our covert open water swim mission.

Tour de Central Virginia

In the past 105ish hours, I've put in approximately 175 miles on the bike and rode through parts of at least six counties. During my own little Tour de Central Virginia, I've learned a few things:

1. I have no sense of direction and should never, ever lead. In three out of the four rides, I made a wrong turn. Thursday night, I took the Traffic Connoisseur on a great tour of the Carmax parking lot (which dead ends, by the way). Then, at Pink Feet's Saturday's pancake bike through the 'ville, I ended up riding two hours by myself after getting dropped by the lead group and losing my cue sheet (still had an awesome ride - and am very grateful for the Droid Map's application). During yesterday's ride with SuperAnnn, I heard "next left" instead of "this left" after passing our right turn to finish our Goochland loop.
2. I may have an issue with cocky stranger bike dudes. Lots of men pass me during bike rides. Most are polite and wave or say "hi." But those that ride by without even a nod kind of annoy me. Sometimes I have to jump on their wheels for a stretch.
3. The IM base is starting to come back - at least for the bike. With three months before MightyMan and four months before Beach to Battleship, I'm logging in some miles. While Ironwoman Canada's double (and this week, triple) long bike days have been challenging, they are building up saddle calluses, neck muscles - and even my gushy quads. I only wish I had been smart enough to schedule a massage for this week.
4. My tri/bike friends rock. Totally. Over these last few days, I've spent large chunks of time with amazing folks. I've looked forward to each ride because of their smiles, generosity, encouragement, joy, passion, talent and friendship.

Logistics

The past few days have been a whirlwind of logistics.

Reservations for sweet accommodations for MightyMan (great little condo - with my awesome sherpa parents in a neighboring unit to cheer TC and me on), Beach to Battleship (the totally cute, "shabby chic" Sand Crab Cottage makes me smile) and IMCDA (just want to live on the beach or in the wine cellar of the Copper Top Lake Lodge) are mostly complete.

At one point, I even signed over a check written to me (for B2B) to Killa-K (for IMCDA).

The next paycheck will be tight - but the worst is over for the next 362 days.

BTW - Test run today went well, I think. Should be a good sign for tomorrow's doctor's appointment and next steps. Right achillies felt pretty darn good. Funny thing - the left one was a little grumpy walking, but not running.

It's All Relative

I was watching a few Ironman clips online today about CDA. In this year's "pre-race" show several competitors were interviewed about the bike course.

"It is probably one of the flatter Ironmans I have done," says one male age grouper. (I'm hoping he did Placid and Canada.)

"It is one of the more challenging bike courses out there," says a female age grouper a few minutes later. Then she goes on to explain how she likes a challenging bike. (I am hoping she did Florida and Cozumel.)

Think I'll be going with the "prepare for worst, hope for the best" training approach for this one.

DB is hoping potatoes are good carb loaders - IMCDA 2011!

Oh wait, this isn't Facebook?

I am a bit giddy about this post and hope to get a few "likes." :)

IMCDA has always tempted me - and when gossip started circulating, then snowballing, about a bunch of my fav Richmond folks hopping on a train to Idaho, it became hard to resist.

There were a few obstacles - like a histoically crazy work schedule during peak training times for this early July race. And affordable accommodation options (much thanks to my bunking mate - we may be sleeping in an amazing wine cellar). But my boss, friends and training peeps graciously helped me work it out.

And now I am dreaming of bike rides on sunny, dry days with scrumptious potatoes in my bento box...

My Wonderful Achillies Heel

Maybe another post will share the more gory (not really) details...

But I am guiltily loving my achilles heel injury. No running for two weeks. Probably no speed or hill workouts for another month or so after.

Shucks.

You mean, I can't run when the temperatures in Richmond have averaged in the upper 90s and low 100s for the past few weeks?

You mean, I can hop on the elliptical trainer instead - in air conditioning?

You mean, I'll have to bike - on both Saturday and Sunday?

Darn!

While part of me knows this will be another set back in my struggles with running, I am jumping up and down with the silver lining.

Like waking up on both days of the weekend looking forward to the workout ahead.

Patriot Sangria doesn't seem to mind either.

Sending Up a White Flag

Guilt, guilt, guilt, guilt.

OK. I am sending up the white flag.

Giving up on things I feel I am supposed to write about vs. those that inspire or interest me.

For example, I haven't posted - in like forever - because I felt obligated to write about the Kinetic race.

Which went fine - I could sum up like this -

Amazingly lucky, fast swim - probably due to the course being off and/or a favorable current. Strong first bike loop.
Nearly knocked off my bike when the winds picked up to 24 miles per hour for the second.
Survived the run and made it as fun as a run could be given low training mileage due to health and stress issues the months before the race.

Not a PR - but a respectable time - right around what I expected.

Just not inspiring. The event really was more a training workout - with my A races planned for the fall.

But, I have since had some wonderful workouts. Aha moment swims and fabulous bike rides. Challenging training camp days that solidified a strong swim and bike base. Mighty fall race registrations (and beach battles) with some of my favorite peeps.

We'll hold off on any run updates for the moment.

So, if anyone is still even checking in - I hope you won't mind -if I just try to go with the flow for awhile.

Race Report - Rumpus in Bumpass

Geez, I am so out of the loop with blogging. I remember finishing races, thinking about the highlights or blunders I'd post about.

But yes, I did race - and yes, I had a rumpusing time.

Race eve kicked off with a trip to Bumpass for packet pick-up with MollyMary. It was hot and windy - and Lake Anna looked more choppy than I'd ever seen it. We did one easy loop of the bike course and a transition run (which I complained about the entire time). Then, I jumped in the chilly water for a quick swim to test my new wetsuit and to try to remember what open water swimming felt like.

Back at home, the Traffic Connoisseur and Rainbow kindly stopped by to share a nutritious and delicious pre-race dinner (TC's yummy Roman Pasta). Rainbow made a wonderful salad - and TC brought the wine. We had a lovely meal, sitting outside, until poor Rainbow's allergies flared up.

Can I tell you how much I love a 10:00 race start? I slept well and woke up around 7:00 to enjoy a leisurely breakfast before heading back up to Lake Anna.

Upon arrival, the water was still looking rough. I ran into MollyMary, MaryMolly and the Barracudas - who were also racing. Soon after, SuperAnnn and JenBo arrived. Their Super Sherpa duties started with magic candy to supplement my bento box and bottles filled with warm water to take the chill off the swim start.

I was very relaxed - and given my last few weeks of training - my goal was to have fun - and maybe push the bike.

With the horn sending my wave off, the race started. The choppiness was annoying. It seemed to take a long time to reach the first buoy. Things eased up after the first turn - and I felt like I was sighting well (unusual for me) and getting into a swimming grove. Given that my pool times have been improving and hearing the hoots and hollers coming from SuperAnnn and JenBo - I figured I must have had a great swim.

Until I got out of the water and saw my time - close to 35 minutes. Probably my worst Olympic distance time other than my first attempt at Naylor's! Really couldn't do anything besides chuckle.

Off on the bike, I circled the two loop course. Though windy in stretches, I still felt good (and checking in with my bike computer reassured me that I was actually having a solid ride). My Super Sherpas encouraged me with their huge cheers on both loops. Close to my best bike - I came in right around 1:15.

As always, I'd love to end my race (and blog post) here, but there's that dang run.

The day had heated up, but it was still nice run weather - the strong wind finally providing some relief. The rolling two loop course was what I remembered, with each of the out and back stretches on the main road (done twice) seeming way longer than 2.6 miles.

I stuck to my plan of having fun - meaning I didn't worry about my slow pace or walking a few hills. And 1:04 later, feeling better during that last 1/4 mile than I did for the entire run, I crossed the finish line - 14 seconds shy of a PR and just under 3 hours total.

And I'll take that.

SuperAnnn and JenBo had special surprises at the finish - a birthday tiara, cupcake and champagne. I can't thank them enough for all their kindness and support. Much thanks to Super Annn and her tri photographer Dad for my favorite race montage:

Post race, we spent a few hours relaxing in the fading sun on JenBo's beach. Then I headed back home to meet up with the Barracudas for an evening full of great wine, food and conservation.

All in all - a wonderful day, full of amazing friends, a fun race...

and the bestest birthday!

Rumpusing

As Rumpus Eve approaches, I find myself feeling incredibly lucky and grateful.

Healthwise, I am better. A co-worker mentioned to me today that she hadn't noticed me hacking up a lung the past day or so.

Ironwoman Canada called me about a few race details - and shared her confidence in my readiness - reaffirming my thoughts for a realistic bike and run, especially given the past few months.

Finally, the outpouring of kindness from my friends and family for thoughtful pre, during and post race activities, has reinforced my 2010 goal - of balancing work and fun - this race/birthday weekend.

You guys (and I hope you know who you are) totally rock!

Two Months

Yikes, it has been almost two months since my last blog post. Even my Dad, one of the most laid back people in the world, gave me a gentle nudge while visiting last week for Easter.

Since the Virginia is for Lovers 14K, workouts have picked up a bit. It hasn't been a great start to the season. My family lost a close relative a few weeks ago, shifting priorities during two visits to New York in ten days. I have also caught one stupid bug after the other. Bronchitis, serious sinus infection, stomach virus - and yesterday, after finishing a tour of the upcoming Kinetic Half course with a fellow Guppy, the sinus and chest congestion flared up with a new symptom, losing my voice.

While none of these ailments have been that awful, they certainly have been draining and annoying. I haven't been this consecutively sick in a long time - probably since my first year of teaching in 1990. All the nose wiping, diaper changing and general little kid exposure tested my immune system to the limit. The silver lining was a super strong resistance that lasted quite awhile. It seems this natural vaccine was good for twenty years.

So, I've missed workouts here and there. And recovery days have been more about trying to knock these germs out of my system than rebuilding muscle and resting.

My first triathlon race of the year, Rumpus in Bumpass Olympic, is next week. On my birthday. This is a fun course and I know I can finish - and as long as my health stays where it is or gets better, I should have a reasonable race. Probably not a PR, but within range.

The May Kinetic Half worries me a bit more. But I have a few more weeks before taper, so we'll see how things go.

The Year of Fun Races Kick-Off

Last fall, the Traffic Connoisseur invited a few friends to race the Virginia is for Lovers 14K in memory of a good family friend, John Kainer, the namesake for her son.

And if you know the Traffic Connoisseur and her friends - you would have also immediately signed up for this race - it was bound to be great fun - in addition to being for a good cause.

So while unprecedented snowy weather interfered with many outdoor runs since Christmas, making the 14K my longest run since Placid, I was still looking forward to kicking off Valentine's weekend on Friday by getting together with the girls for some pre-race festivities. Several friends had driven down to the beach a little earlier, but the Traffic Connoisseur and I soon caught up with them at Abbey Road Pub, where I must say, some impressive carbo loading was underway.

Yep, this was my kind of run.

So we chowed down on some evil greasy pub fare, before heading to the hotel - SuperAnnn had found an amazing deal at an Oceanfront Marriot. The party continued at our suite, where we found that SuperAnnn had supplemented our race packets with cupid wings, halos, crowns, boas and heart tattoos - which we tried on instead of preparing our gear. We watched the Olympic Opening Ceremonies as the Traffic Connoisseur and Pink's #1 Brunette Fan kept filling our glasses. The rumor of the race being cancelled due to snow wasn't sounding too bad.

The next morning, we woke up to something that looked like a PG scene from "The Hangover." We also found that JenBo was hit hard with a horrible stomach flu or food poisoning. As we somewhat reluctantly started to accept that the race would go on as scheduled since there were just a few flurries swirling around, we heard that Pink's #1 Blond Fan was also suffering from major stomach issues.

Those of us lucky enough to escape illness, quietly tucked in the patients, then snuck out to grab a quick cup of coffee. At 7:40, we realized we should head out to the 8:00 race. We barely made it in time - the race had kicked off as we were walking to the start line.

Patty Who Hits SuperAnnn was somewhere in the crowd, with the sweet son of her long term friend. Since the group had different goals for the race, we were all kind of on our own at the race start.

Wearing my cupid wings, crown, boa and heart tattoo, I loved seeing lots of other decorated racers - donning everything from Valentine antennae to boxer shorts. It felt different - but very fun - to be part of the silliness.

After the first few miles, I spotted another set of cupid wings out of the corner of my eye. The Traffic Connoisseur had caught me and kindly ran along with me for the next few miles. Between my huffing and puffing we admired the fun race signs. She ducked out for a bit during one of the loops, but we met up again to check out "Cupcake Curve," grabbing a frozen brownie bite to go.

The snow started to come down more heavily toward the end of the race - as we followed the route around the amphitheater. The course would have been pretty boring - but the race directors really did an impressive job keeping it interesting. The Traffic Connoisseur was a great pacer and had me moving during the last few miles. The group soon found each other and we shivered congratulatory hugs. We headed over to the beer tent to celebrate - though I gave Patty Who Hits Annn most of my beer. Now if only they served wine post race.

It seemed to be getting colder and colder - so we decided to forgo the second beer. Thankfully, both our sick friends were starting to feel at least a little bit better.

Oh, and yeah, this was a race right? I hadn't worn a watch (though I did happen to bring sneakers from two different sets, thankfully for different feet, too), so I didn't know my time until later in the day. Turns out I had a solid race - 9:44 pace - which is my fastest for anything over a 10K. I've never done a 14K before, so we can even call it a PR.

And more importantly - a super fun start to the 2010 season.

Naturally

With the discovery of my 2010 word, "True," I've also found a little more umph in my training. My guess is, without the worries of trying to just finish a race like IMUSA, I have gained some breathing room, allowing me to explore my limits.

For example, my rather bumpy history with running.

This normal childhood milestone seems to have alluded me. I've always been comfortable swimming in the water - no matter how slow. I've jumped crazy waves, barely panicking in riptides. And, in the past few years, I've learned that there is this amazing biking groove - where pedal stroke and power synchronize to meet happiness (as long as it isn't too hilly anyway).

But I have very few recollections of feeling "natural" when running. Glimpses of playing tag or other schoolyard games cross my mind, but are quickly replaced with the lumbering, breathless images that dominate my memories.

During this off-season - and my year of doing races that bring me joy -I've been revisiting running. In some ways - I am trying to relearn to run.

To do this, I've been spending lots of time on the treadmill. I don't really like running on the treadmill, but it has allowed me to set challenging paces while removing the thinking.

Yes, I have to "think" when I run, especially if I am trying to run fast (which really isn't very fast at all).

For quite a few recent workouts, I've let the treadmill think for me. I've set a pace and concentrated on form and relaxing my body.

So far it is working - at least on the treadmill. I've run my fastest 2 miler and 3K - and have come within seconds of my 10K PR.

I know that running outside is different, just like bicycling on the trainer doesn't compare to being on the open road.

But, I am hoping that my mind is working with my body to create a new imprint - one that will result in a very late bloomer learning to run -

...naturally.

It's a Boy!!!!

We are thrilled to announce the arrival of Monty (named after Inigo Montoya)!

Our newest addition has already brought much joy - he is a sweet, little, soft ball of happiness - and Fezzy is a wonderful, caring, helpful older brother.

We've loved watching the last few days unfold - though they have seemed too easy.

But another reason why we should all try to be a bit more like our dogs...

Latest Gear Purchase

Bike, wetsuit, sneakers?

Guess again.

My latest triathlon purchase is (drum roll please)...

A new car!

A 2010 Honda CR-V - glacier blue - that reminds me of pretty winter skies and crystal clear lakes.

The (almost) 10 year old, 2 door Honda Accord has been sold to our neighbor's 16 year old daughter. It was a great, reliable car - and served as a pretty locker room these last few seasons.

The SUV thing is a big step for me. For years, I would never consider anything other than a sporty coupe. But the CR-V is a small SUV - not a whole lot bigger than the Accord - and gets around the same gas mileage.

I love it! I owe many friends rides to destination workouts and races. I intend to pay them back as soon as the hitch and 4 bike rack is installed.

True

I've been a bit neglectful posting over these past few holiday weeks. Just like my training, my blogging may have needed some down time.

The break has been a good thing. It has given me a chance to wonder if even back packers need a reality check. Eight hours of exercise a week is still probably more than the average American. At what point are everyday triathletes sucked into thinking that this level of activity isn't enough?

I just spent an amazing Christmas with family and childhood friends - and a fantastic New Year's weekend with more recent favorite buddies. The first day of 2010 included a fun, new adventure planned by Karen's Shawn and Shawn's Karen for Barricuda BL, The Should be Sponsored Wife and me - a trail run to find a letterbox in the beautiful, quiet and remote Nags Head Nature Reserve.

And now, while a wicked wind whips through the beach on this cold, but sunny, second day of January, I've had some time to think about the upcoming year. A word to encapsulate my hopes for 2010 has escaped me, but if I could share the objective in a phrase - it would be "Finding my place - being the best I can be doing what I love.

Meaning the :

• peace of the water
• thrill of the ride
• challenges of the run
• love of the outdoors
• quest of new adventures
• joy of friends, family and training mates.

I do not have the athletic gifts to excel at triathlon, but I am grateful to have the desire, drive and determination to be a part of this unique community.

After typing these last few sentences - a word started to make sense.

"True."

In 2010 I am going to be OK with being true to who I am and what I want to do.

Happy New Year everyone!