“An acre of performance is worth a whole world of promise.”
19th Century Writer W. D. Howells.

driving into Sedona

When H and I made our reservations a year and a half ago to come to Sedona for a week, the only thing that we thought we’d be doing was a little hiking and wildflower-watching (okay, and margarita-drinking). AH, how things change!

Packing for Sedona was pretty funny, actually. Usually for a non-business (and “non-dress-up”) vacation, we try our darndest to get our clothes into just carryon bags. This trip, thank goodness we were on Southwest with ”free baggage allowance,” as we wound up with FOUR bags, and I mean BIG bags! Two were stuffed with our car bike rack, shoes, helmets, bike bottles (themselves stuffed with GU/Accellerade/etc.), various “nutrition bars” to try…you name it. In fact, I sent out a Tweet during the packing (and unpacking, and re-packing…”oh OOPS forgot a HELMET…oh OOPS where is H’s 2nd bike shoe…oh OOPS OMG the Camelbak…”) that said “100 lbs of TriGear…U know ur iron when ur luggage = bike rack/replacer drinx/spandex/camelbak oh, and 1 sundress.” That pretty much covered it!

We spent our first day hiking. We thought we would “stretch our legs” and headed out for a hike to Brins Mesa. It wasn’t Peru altitude (far from it), but at 4,000-5,000 ft. or so, it wasn’t sea level, either. It made me wonder a bit about how the 1/2 Iron was going to go for me as we huffed and puffed up to the mesa! The views were magnificent, and I can understand how New Age folks have congregated here, drawn by “Energy Vortexes” and the like.

Our “little stretch our legs” hike wound up being 4.5 hours of climbing/scrambling/a little over 7 miles. I had made the mistake of not looking at the map and relying on Mr. H…men, directions, need I say more? Suffice it to say I had to rely a bit on my “Recon Skills” and I got us back to where we started after we both realized we were “way lost.” I started humming the Gilligan’s Island theme song at one point, but it was lost of H who of course grew up in Vienna. (I totally amused myself though.) After hiking, we went to one of the local establishments, complete with “gun check”…!

Welcome to Sedona - check your gun at the door.

The next day H decided that we should take the train up to the Grand Canyon. Neither of us had been there in decades, and we’d never taken the train. It was pretty fun, though slow – H got to be a bit of a “pacing panther” near the end. I think it didn’t help that we had to be there early, they told him that there was coffee on board, and there was not! (We took Coach on the way out, and Deluxe on the way back – plenty of food/champagne/etc. there!)

When we got into the station at the Grand Canyon, I had a good laugh at this sign: “What’s the difference between Outlaws and Inlaws? Outlaws are Wanted.” On the way back, “outlaws” “ambushed” our train (a guy on a pinto NO I did not just say “IN a Pinto!” rode up as our train slowed to a crawl, then ultimately a stop). He roamed the train, and wanted “all our money.” H’s commentary was pretty sardonic and very funny about the whole thing.

I particularly loved sitting out on the very back of the train once we were in the Deluxe cabin, and listening to the train over the tracks. I even took a movie of it on our little camera. It sounded just like when tap dancers have a “duel” (I saw this on So You Think You Can Dance last year during their “tryouts”), and I stayed out there until it was too cold to really be sitting outside. Loved it. Me, a train, and a glass of champagne. Clickety-clack.

out riding the potential course. gee I'm still smiling...

The next day we were off to start figuring out the route for the 70.3. It was going to be tricky, because Sedona is surrounded by killer hills. And, of course, you’re at altitude already starting from the “flats” at 4,000 feet. We biked from the place we rented the road bikes (Specialized Sequoias – just like my old bike Vlad, only 30 years newer!) down to Montezuma’s Well and back to try that out – part of the road was very steep AND under construction so we had to re-think. I had my first “clipped in fall” at Montezuma’s Well – we had a steep climb out of the parking lot and H (trying to be helpful) said “you’re in the right gear, aren’t you?” and I wasn’t moving fast enough to pay attention to him, try to shift in the new-to-me click-shifters, and make the grade. SPLAT! The tourists having their picnics nearby mostly had the decency to turn around as they laughed at me. But I saw their shoulders!

I had another “moment” when we had to stop for the flagman at the road construction. I had unclipped my “stand on” foot, thought I was fine (I was completely stopped), but suddenly I must have gotten hit by a vortex or something, because I started to fall – right INTO the flagman. He was as surprised as I was (and did catch and right me). H’s comment, “That’s my wife. She’s always falling for other men.” Pfffft.

We went back to the condo and sorted the ride out, but had to go out the next day to see if the “spur” we were considering would work. We rode that, and H figured that I could do that spur with a little “add on” hill for the run. It meant that we were doing 2 loops on the bike, then I would do 2 loops on the run that would cover part of that course. The hard part about it was that the “spur” had one “granny gear” hill on it – and so I would need to cover it FOUR times (2x on the bike and 2x on the run). The bike also had one “granny gear” area on the backside as well, plus a long long LONG insidious climb – again, that we would cover 2x. Frankly, I was pretty tired of the area just from the scouting…what can I say?

caloric intake breakdown sheet

That evening, we ate in, and I spent the time filling bottles, cutting up Clif Bars, and generally trying to breathe and stay calm. I realized with the extra couple of rides we had done during the scouting, that we were going to be pretty close to the “edge” with the amount of Accellerade I had brought. (We actually ran out – H had to return the bikes to get our deposit back while I was running, and he was able to pick up more from the bike store.)

The route that we wound up started at Hilton Spa in Big Park, off Ridge Trail Drive. This is where the only large pool is in the whole Sedona area (all swim teams practice here!), so we needed that to be the start. Everything circled back to the Hilton Spa parking lot. It was only $10 for a day use pass – and what a gorgeous facility! I must admit, I wish that I had been able to use it for more than just the Swim section of the 1/2 Iron, because it was so nice.

the Hilton pool

The Hilton pool was 25m, so H figured that I had to swim 46 laps (92 lengths). From there, I would change (in the Spa…nice…) and we would ride 2 loops (28 miles each) as follows (in case you care):

Right onto 179 South; follow 2.9 miles.
Right onto Beaver Flats Rd; follow 6 miles.
Left onto E Cornville Rd; follow 0.8 miles.
Turn around at farm driveway on left; return to Beaver Flats Road.
Right onto Beaver Flats Road, back to 179.
Left onto 179 North; follow 3.1 miles.
Left onto Verde Valley School Rd; follow 3.3 miles.
Turn around at Sunset Pass Road (dead end road on right); back to 179.
Right onto 179 South; follow 0.2 miles.
Right onto Ridge Trail Drive, back to Hilton Spa parking lot. (Restock water/food and repeat.)

H doing final Mapquesting at dinner

When we Mapquested this route, it only will get the percentage grades down to an average of 1/4 mile. So it looked like deceptively easy elevation changes – because none of our high percentage grades lasted for the entire 1/4 mile distance. I was VERY thankful for the fact that, though we had some serious “ups and downs,” none was longer than 1/4 mile. I’m not sure I could have done the Wildflower course!

Next, I was to run 2 loops (6.5 miles each):

• Cross gravel at back of parking lot to get onto Ridge Rock Road.
• Run left, follow Ridge Rock Rd about 0.3 miles.
• First right onto Kalbab Way until dead-end into Verde Valley School Road.
• Left onto Verde Valley School Rd, follow 2 miles.
• Turn around at Mundy Dr (private gated road, third on right after open space); follow Verde Valley about 2.2 miles.
• Turn left onto Castle Rock Rd, follow 0.3 miles to 187.
• Turn right onto 187 South, follow 0.6 miles to Ridge Trail Dr.
• Right onto Ridge Trail Dr, back to Hilton Spa parking lot.
• Restock water and repeat.

The note about “cross gravel at back of parking lot” was because we found a short-cut into a private, locked, gated community that would add the required mileage that I needed. It could be reached by a little cut-through from the Hilton Parking Lot. I felt pretty subversive riding down the street between all the million dollar houses on the golf course the day we were trying to map it out; of course, no one took any notice!

yeah that 360 degree view is out there...somewhere...

Since we had been out for the 2 days in the clothes we had to use for the race, I did the laundry – and hung it up in the only spot where I knew it would dry, the drapery “surround” on the sliding door to our deck. I took a photograph because “You Know You’re Iron When” your “view” is not of the red rock vistas, but of bike shorts, jog bras, and assorted paraphernalia!!

The “race” day dawned and I got up early so that I could eat my “standard” pre-race meal of oatmeal, blueberries, a GU, a cup of coffee and some Accellerade. I tweeted that I hoped that “the hardest part of the day” would be waking H up! Once he was up, we took all the condo garbage pails, lined them with liners, and filled them with ice, water bottles, oranges, and the like, and took them to the car. As we were leaving, I ran back up the stairs, and hung the “Do Not Disturb” sign on the door. I tweeted that You Know You’re Iron When the “Do Not Disturb” sign on the door means “We’re stealin’ your stuff”!

the "sag wagon"

As we stepped outside, my next Tweet was: “Holy Desert Winds Batgirl! it’s 40 degrees outside w/a bitter wind. Not feelin’ so iron. Oy! In the car to the start tho no turnin back!” I have read my fellow Teammates’ blogs about their start at Wildflower – sounds like we were all starting with icy hands and chapped cheeks, both in CA and AZ!

all by my lonesome in the Hilton pool

I started the swim at the Hilton pool, and got into a groove fairly quickly. H stayed for the first 100 just to see what my pace was (a little slow, 2:20), then he had to go rent the bikes. Yes, we had turned the bikes back in each night, so that we wouldn’t have an “overnight” fee! I kept counting as the sun came up and warmed my back. The pool was only 4 lanes, but no one else was around. I had one funny moment – I saw what I thought was H out of the corner of my eye, and shouted “9-3!” (meaning, I was on the 3rd length of my 9th 100 set – don’t ask me why I count this way – in other words, I was at 875 meters) and I startled the guy badly – turns out he was the pool cleaner! (Whoops!) That was odd too – he cleaned the pool “around” me. I watched the long pole sliding under and around, cleaning up nonexistent debris from the pristine bottom, and smiled, remembering when Paula, Will and I shared a lane at Boot Camp Day 2 at Gunderson High. Will got enmeshed in floating fishing line, I dove for a pair of Speedo goggles at the bottom, and Paula swears that the huge pile of debris in our lane included everything from discarded syringes to Jimmy Hoffa’s body. (OK she didn’t really say that about Jimmy. Syringes, yes. Jimmy, no.)

first leg - finished!

H finally returned, and I didn’t hear his “last lap” call, so stuck my head up to ask how far I had to go (I thought I was within about 50 meters - once he really DID arrive, I gave up counting), and he said “You’re done!” So I hoisted myself out of the pool, and off into the Spa to change. The swim was 54 minutes – longer than I had wanted, but as Sedonia says, “you can lose 5 minutes on a bad potty break [somewhat prophetic, that, as it turned out], so don’t stress it.”

The Spa locker room was by now teaming with folks, and the transition took me longer than normal, which was sort of to be expected. I couldn’t really “hustle” because I was surrounded by toney Arizona ladies with their perfectly coiffed hair and my initial bustle was given the stink eye. I realized as I was leaving that I hadn’t applied the Butt’r and so “slapped some on” in the hallway out of the Stink Eye Zone, though that slap/dash effort would come to bite me in the proverbial *ss later….

thongs to shoes...

I’d left my bike shoes out at the car, so as not to make a racket clacking around the gorgeous Spanish Saltillo Tiles in the spa (thank goodness, talk about STINK eye had I done that!). Once I got out and into my shoes, H and I headed out of the Hilton parking lot and onto the 179. The road from the Hilton is VERY steep, though short (downhill on the way out -  uphill on the way back in). H got down to the bottom and started dithering about forgetting something or another and so we went back up (why I went is beyond me), we started off again, he’d forgotten something else – this time I stayed and tweeted “Is part of being a wife doing all transition planning and checks for 2?” I added the “aborted starts” to my transition time, and restarted the bike time when we REALLY headed out.

The first loop was pretty uneventful. I practiced taking 1/4 of a Clif Bar every 15 minutes, and getting down a bike bike bottle of 2x Accellerade every hour. I had one “behind the cactus” pit stop, and we were back at the Hilton so I could take my next one in Luxury (laugh). We headed back out, and as H had predicted from weather.com, the desert winds had started up on the Beaver Flat Road leg. Oh lord. It was brutal. I felt really frustrated because I had to throw it down into my lowest “granny” gear just to make headway. H (who was generally riding behind me, to allow me to set the pace) finally cut in front of me, and told me to draft. Wow, what a difference. I hunkered down behind him, and practiced what Coach Les and Mentor Margaret had showed me about drafting. So one more

Catching up, to draft. You can't quite see my evil look.

demon licked – I not only was using click shifting, but I was clipped into pedals…and drafting! Let’s just say that self preservation is a WONDERFUL motivator!

We turned around at the “farm driveway” we had mapped out through Google Maps as the ride mileage, and headed back … and all I could think of was how folks describe the Kona Ironman. How exactly could it be that we had just turned around on the same doggone route – and the wind was STILL in our faces! (On Cornville Road, the wind was so brutal from the side that it nearly blew us off the road.) Once we hit the Mile 3 marker on Beaver Flat Road, I was about an hour from being “done” so I stopped eating solids as I had been instructed by Coach Doug. My mantra, as I pumped up the grades and into the wind, “Just…Keep…Biking.”

I was using my little “boombox” on the ride, as I had for the previous days’ rides – and it gave out on me at about this time. I had forgotten to put in fresh batteries! D’oh! We went down the Valley Verde “spur” (complete with monumentally gorgeous views of the red rock mesas), then turned around and got back to the Hilton Parking lot. The bike had taken us just short of 5 hours (4:51). This made me feel good – I wanted to do it in 5 hours. I know that’s not that fast, but my goal was actually to not walk the bike, and keep a good pace. H wanted to do it in 4 hours. This did include our various pitstops and the like – which was probably about 1/2 hour’s worth of time all told. (Including the midway stop between the two loops which was pretty long, since we had to refuel all the bottles/Camelbak/etc. and then head into the Hilton for the potty break.)

H got the bikes back on the rack while I was in the Spa changing for the run.

As I mentioned, H had to return the bikes, but he said he would sag me on the run first to see my pace, then return them and come back to continue sagging (where does “sag” come from, anyway? I bet it’s an acronym for something, S.A.G.?). I headed out and felt pretty good, except some discomfort from the saddle. I did a 4:1 Galloway run/racewalk, and every time I would walk, I would drink the Accellerade and every other one, take 1/2 a GU. I felt very very strong and happy. OK, I was just happy to be off the Gold’Darn BIKE, to be frank!

H met me when I came out of the gated community and swapped me a new bike bottle (that’s when he told me that the Accellerade had run out). He went from there to return the bikes, and I kept on going down the road. It was rolling, totally surrounded by Red Rock mesas (Big Rock, Castle Rock, etc.). Truly and completely gorgeous vistas spreading out in all directions. I smiled and thought of my Teammate Patricia…on the 2nd day of our Boot Camp with South Bay Team, I had tried to keep our minds off a grueling climb by pointing out flowers, trees….rocks! Anything! I had a smile on my face and kept thinking “Look! Patricia! A mesa! Look! Patricia! A cactus! Look! Patricia! A tumbleweed!” and that kept me in good spirits.

As I ran for the turn-around on Mundy, I started to get more and more discomfort. I knew that the tri shorts were not “rubbing” in my anus area (ok, one of my teammates talked about having had a frostbitten penis, I can talk about my anus…), but it became more and more hot and uncomfortable. I am not totally sure if more Butt’r would have helped, but I surmise that it would have. I also didn’t re-apply it at any time, which I think was a mistake.

I started on the climb back up from Mundy, and I realized that I was having some pretty serious G.I. distress. It took me a little bit of time to find a place where I could break through the thicket on the side of the road, but finally I found a spot and in I went. It was not pretty. I had bloody diarrhea, and a lot of it. I surmised that the blood was probably coming from “outside” not “inside” but it was just Not Good.

I doubled up on hydration at that point, because I knew that I was going to be in a deficit if I was losing it that way. I actually made it back to the Hilton, and made my next pitstop there. By this time I was burning so bad, it was all I could do not to cry. The urine and the runs were like someone had rubbed hot peppers on me. I got back on the road for the 2nd loop, and realized that I was “not okay.” I got 1/2 way down the slope towards Mundy, and had to dive into a thicket again. I got to Mundy, where H waited for the 2nd turnaround, and I told him that I thought I should probably quit. I didn’t actually say why (embarrassed, frankly), and he told me that I only had a little more than 3 miles to go, and that he wouldn’t let me get in the car (ah, tough love). And in fact, he drove off, so there was nothing I could do but to continue. I got 1/2 way up the slope again – and back into the thicket I went. I now did not feel completely right in my mind. Yes, surprise, my mind started playing tricks on me, and convinced me that I had to stop drinking altogether (I was about 2 miles from the end, at least, not like 10) because my mind told me that would stop the runs. I burned like fire “down there” and was frustrated and upset. I just wanted to be THROUGH WITH ALL THIS. (I did have a wee small voice in my head, however, that took note that my legs felt strong, my breathing was strong, my heartrate was not racing….though it was a very VERY wee voice.)

“Experience is a hard teacher because she gives the test first,
the lesson afterwards.”

Former Pitcher, Vernon Sanders Law

I got into the subdivision portion of the run (probably a mile out) and – had to cut behind a bush, trying to stay inconspicuous as basically it felt like fire was coming out of my *ss. Yeah, fine, I know, disgusting and graphic and this was a SERIOUS low point. I was embarrassed (pronounced: I’m-bare-assed…), frightened someone would see me and call the cops…oy. I cried a little bit then. I got back on the road, and headed for the last hill (except the hill up to the Hilton) on Castle Rock. I had been keeping to the 4:1 all the way through by this point, but decided I would walk Castle Rock (which was a grade), and then “decide” if I wanted to run again once I came back out on Highway 179. I was holding my sides and I am quite sure I did not look the picture of health…

coming up the last 1/2 mile

Once I turned onto 179, I actually either got a “2nd wind” or I was just so fed up with the whole thing, I started to run and couldn’t stop. It was immensely painful in my derriere but my legs felt strong, I wasn’t breathing hard, and I just wanted it OVER. H met me along 179 with about 1/2 mile to go, to “Run Me In.” I think he thought I would be walking, because he was in his sandals. I took the bottle he offered, and I was really upset that he had refused to sag me, so I had some choice words for him about the runs I had been having. Interestingly, usually when I run, I’m so slow that he can fast walk next to me to keep up. He couldn’t – so I was running at a pretty good clip. He said he would meet me up at the Hilton, and was smart enough not to have any comebacks to my evil sound bites (probably similar to a husband in a wife’s delivery room!) I walked up the Hilton hill, and was pretty sure I could make it to the Spa bathroom, but was once again overwhelmed by a peristaltic rush and had to duck behind a huge Air Conditioner about 70 yards from the “finish.” In the end, the run took me 2:43.

I walked a little bit, but just wanted to be DONE and back at the Condo. H put me in the car, but as soon as I sat down, I started breathing really hard. I was sucking down the Recovery Drink, but I started to shake, and felt super cold. When I actually started to feel faint, I remembered that my friend Benjamin had told me to be sure I got my legs up as soon as I could. So I tipped the seat back, and put my red rock dust covered running shoes up on the black dashboard…and immediately started to feel better. My breathing slowed and I stopped shaking so much. We got back to the condo, and I wasn’t totally sure I could even make it up the stairs, so I told H to go in, unlock the door, start the shower (the hot water took a long time to heat up), and start getting buckets of ice from the Ice Machine. He didn’t ask any questions, though I could see he was torn between staying to be sure I wouldn’t get out of the car and hit the dirt (I didn’t).

I got into the condo and took a hot shower because I was shaking so bad, and the water made me cry out loud when it hit the “cuts” in my derriere. Oh My Lord. I moved from the shower to the bathtub (they were separate) where H had lined up all the garbage cans full of ice, and I took an ice bath. H brought me miso soup while I soaked, then once I headed straight for bed (I felt totally punk) he brought me more recovery drink, some oatmeal and blueberries, and then some Rice A Roni from the night before. I kept having to get up to have more runs and would cry each time. Not pretty. H went out to the Safeway and got me some bananas and Imodium – which thankfully did the trick, and I got to sleep.  

I woke up the next day and actually felt fine, except the “fire in the hole” situation (OK, stop gagging, you know it’s funny.) I didn’t feel any “ill effects” from the race, though I felt a lot of questions as to whether I’m “made for this.” I knew that our course wasn’t as hard (by a longshot) as it sounded like the Wildflower Course was. I also knew that our rented bikes (with the 1:1 granny gear) were a LOT easier than my new bike – and I used that granny gear a LOT. I emailed back and forth with Missy, Maria MDot, and Mentor Margaret some, trying to get some perspective. My mind kept coming back first to “bad stuff” (especially given my still very sore state of affairs), then it would swing back to “holy COW grrl, you just worked out for 8 straight HOURS, shut UP!”

I had Tweeted/Facebooked that we’d finished it the day before, and ok, so, I totally basked in my Teammates’ “wa-hoos” as I had my morning coffee. I had had fun on Saturday texting with Belinda while my Teammates were on their course, and it just felt beyond fantastic to get Facebook post after post from my friends and Teammates sending me “Atta Girls.” That’s pretty much what turned the tide for me – I was still hurting, I wasn’t sure I was “made of Iron” (Note: Donor Jason Chilton commented: “Being that Iron is element ’26′, would that make you Aluminum Woman? (Al = element 13, or half of 26)” – so I was calling myself “Aluminum Woman” the rest of the day). I decided that if my Teammates thought I was “made of Iron,” maybe I WAS. In a way, I am really glad that I will be doing Louisville, because that gives me the same sort of ability – to cheer on the bulk of the Team while they do the course in California, then (hopefully!) they will cheer me on a couple weeks later as I hit Louisville!

H having his drink at Enchantment

I started feeling fairly normal (except the inability to walk without reapplying Butt’r part), and so H and I went to Enchantment to get a super-spendy-but-trendy margarita or two. He really made me laugh at one point, and I tweeted our conversation:

You MUST drink ur RECOVERY drink!” he said sternly, handing her another margarita.’Extra salt, u must watch ur electrolytes,’ he added

We actually also found an unmanned miniature golf course, and decided to “play a round for free,” as instructed by the hand-lettered sign on cardboard, hanging above the racked clubs and balls. We also did some shopping, and I bought some Arizona “stuff” for my grandboys. (I have some great pictures of them in their IronTeam skinsuits that I got from Merla/LLS - need to post them later this week.)

a celebratory champagne and salad out on our condo porch

We went back to the condo to enjoy the last of the light on our last evening in town – and I realized it was the first time I had actually been able to enjoy the views without thinking that “soon” I would be climbing “up there” on the bike or on the run! Yes, it was still nippy outside, but H improvised a “scirroco solution” from our bedspread!

We Rock.

My best grrl Leann texted me that she was “sneak gifting” me a massage the next morning (the morning we were leaving), and though I told her I would have to kill her when I saw her, I of course noted I would do that after the massage! The massage was back at the Hilton, which has a very snazzy spa with all the right ambience – whoo-whoo new age music, hot tea, cucumber water, orange slices, big plush robes, the works. Tracy, my amazing (tiny!) masseuse wound up giving me an extra 1/2 hour once she saw my bruises…see, there are plusses to clipless falls!! She was the perfect masseuse – she didn’t talk, but when I talked, she was witty and actually hilarious. (She asked about the bruises and I told her I’d fallen on the bike – she said “Oh, I was figuring it was Vortex Marks – everyone around here wants to find one but they never KNOW what it’s like to get spit out the other end of one!” She was particularly impressed with the yellow and green one on my hip that was just verging on purple.) At one point I heard my wedding ring “hit the deck,” and she commented that was a first for her and she hadn’t been near it at all, so was a little puzzled by it. She had to turn on the lights to find it. She then commented that she was giving me an extra 1/2 hour “on the house” because she didn’t have any other clients – and I mentioned that the ring had probably jumped because I had the only car and my husband was sending the “stink eye” my way for being late! I left the massage smelling like clary sage and lavender and with just a little bit of dried drool in the corner of my mouth – and big, huge, post-scalp-massage “Cosmo” hair (thank goodness for the wonderful showers and conditioner).

my handsome distributor Kenneth

There is more to tell – met one of my wonderful SendOutCards distributors Kenneth Rhodes in Phoenix, and was also able to see my sponsor Dawn McDonald there at the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art, and have some hugs (and drop off our extra groceries to her!). I had even been able to see my friend Leslie Lesher on the way out – it’s been a decade! – but my schedules didn’t mesh with my friends Jodi, Judi and Judy. Next time!

As I type this, it’s Monday, and I haven’t actually worked out since the “race” in Sedona. I meant to get out and run today, but the sprinkles of rain all day (and my still “tender condition”) kept me inside. I have to get back in the saddle again (as it were) and get back training. I don’t feel like it. I feel like I deserve a rest – that the 70.3 was a huge feat. But I have the schedule…and tomorrow, it’s just time to keep on keepin’ on.

museum sculpture garden in Scottsdale

You Know You’re Iron When:

*…your luggage to your long-awaited weeklong vacation is a bike rack/ replacer drinks/ spandex/ Butt’r/ Camelbak/ bike shoes/ run shoes/swim suit…and, like, a sundress.

*…your “360 degree vista view” is, well, there somewhere under all the bike clothes hanging on the patio door.

*…putting the “Do Not Disturb” sign on the door does not mean that you’re sleeping in, but instead that you’re sneaking out early, with all the garbage cans full of bike bottles/sports drink/oranges and bananas.

*…you “butt’r up” to go walk to lunch for days after your 70.3 endeavor and carry a “spare” in your purse for “touchups”

* (this one courtesy of ZenTriathlon from twitter) …you wear arm warmers into the grocery store. Cuz I’m a triathlete and go hardcore when shopping for kale.

…and finally…

*…you just Keep On Keepin’ On…

Just a quickie update – but Angelina has NOW hit the road! No photos – I wasn’t sure I wanted it memorialized!

H and I took Vlad and Angelina out yesterday. We actually put Angelina’s clipless pedals on Vlad (my  friction-downtube-shift-pedal basket bike I have ridden up to now), because I was decompensating about having to learn BOTH the click-shifting AND the clipless pedals. We went to a flat road in San Anselmo, and trade back and forth. H actually got the exact same shoes (and clipless pedals) that I got on Angelina to put on Vlad when he swaps over to Vlad as his bike – so this was pretty easy.

Of course, Angelina was a little miffed when I put the pedal baskets on her, but I explained that it was just for a little while…

I got used to the click-shifting pretty easily. Everyone told me this wouldn’t be a problem, and they were right. I also really like the idea you can brake and shift at the same time – what a novelty. Angelina’s gearing isn’t as “low” as Vlad’s though, which has me a  little worried. I got her into her “easiest” gear, and it’s still about 4 “gears” higher than Vlad’s lowest. OK, so I’m a sissy and I love my granny gear. She is DEFINITELY faster on the flat. It’s also odd – I can feel (even in the baskets) how my power pushing the pedal transfers almost immediately into forward motion. I didn’t really understand the whole “bike geometry/material/etc.” thing until I switched back and forth between her and Vlad. H actually noticed it even before I did. He really enjoyed riding Angelina – I wonder if he’s going to just get himself a new bike!

I got the hang of the clipless pedals fairly well, though I made H switch with me when we were on Sir Francis Drake (so that I didn’t have to do a lot of stopping and starting with them). I think it’s going to be okay. H said that I did well enough that he’s going to keep the clipless pedals on Vlad and just put the new ones that he bought (the same ones) onto Angelina and be done with it. I think he thought I was silly to be so locked up about learning the shifting and the pedals together – but he was patient with me, and did agree it was a good idea to do it how we did it.

So, Angelina has actually been ON THE ROAD. Yay!

One new You Know You’re Iron When (courtesy of Maria M-Dot): “You know you’rean IronTeamer when you find yourself getting peer-pressured by your teammates to get cheek-swabbed for entry into the bone marrow registry.”

Ironteam at Aquatic Park - I'm in the middle/back, green cap

What a weekend. Seriously.

We had had guests on Friday for dinner and then a friend spend the night, but I was careful not to even suggest champagne, wine, cocktails, etc. because I knew that this would definitely not help with the long weekend ahead. I got up Saturday and prepared my stuff for the day, was able to have a little chat with Sallie (our houseguest), and then off to The Races.

I took the wagon instead of the van because we didn’t need the bikes on Saturday – backing it slowly down our wretchedly steep driveway. The windows were foggy, but I have to roll them down anyway to get a clear path. Once I hit the court, I turned on the windshield wipers to “clear the fog” – and SKRITCH SKRITCH – it was all ice! It wasn’t until then I looked at the temperature – 37 degrees! Yikes! I got out a credit card, hopped out and cleaned off the ice, then had to wait for the defroster to “catch up.” I texted Mel I would be a little late – little did I know she was facing the same un-planned-for windshield/ice dilemma, so we wound up arriving at our rendezvous right at the same time.

We got to Aquatic Park, and down to the beach. Aquatic Park is a bay between two cement “arms” that reach out into the S.F. Bay, so it’s not really that choppy in there. We were to do 4 times around the buoys side to side (1/3 of a mile each), getting out of the water between each “pass” to do whatever Head Coach Dave told us to do.

starting swim - that's me swimming to the right/front of the kayak

As usual, folks hung back when it was time to get in. I waited for a bit, but then just headed off to the water. I think it’s the Marines thing – when someone says “Do It, Get In,” I….do it and get in! This has happened the other 2 times at the lake, too. I turn around and the group is still on the beach! I started stroking for the right-side buoy, and the water was DEFINITELY warmer than the last time in Lake Del Valle, by at least 5-6 degrees. Also, of course, very salty, so more buoyant.

The first time around I headed into the beach, and we had to do 20 pushups, then back into the

wheelbarrowing with Susie on the beach

water. Back around the buoys again, and then back out. This time – “wheelbarrows” – Susie and I were matched up and gave it a valiant effort. Back in the water – and I realized that all the “goggles on, goggles off” had gotten my caps loose (a bright “race type” cap over my silicon regular cap). This is a bad thing – unfortunately, once I get water on my hair, my cap just doesn’t stay on, it pops off. I wrestled with it a bit, and got it to stay.

My third time around was WONDERFUL. I could feel myself gliding, pulling on the water, etc. I felt GREAT! I also felt totally at peace, and could notice my surroundings. On the way out, you could see the Golden Gate Bridge – on the way back, you could see the city, the big Ghirardelli Square sign, and the rest. The day was beyond gorgeous, and WOW I felt great! I was sort of hoping that the 3rd time around was

crabwalking

our last (for a mile total) – but as I came in for the next calesthenics round, Coach Doug said nope – one more. (Coach Doug stood out in the water so that we could sight on him, which was a blessing. The sun was coming up and so it was incredibly hard to see the shore. You could see his outline though, and knew where to head.) This round of calesthenics was crab walks to a line, and “sumo walks” back.

I was really wrestling with my caps by this time, and wound up treading water for some time trying to get them on. It didn’t help that I really couldn’t feel my hands. (Hey, the water was NOT as cold as Del Valle but it was NOT warm, either!) Once I got to Coach Tony’s kayak I finally gave up on having two, and handed him the silicone one to return to me at the end – figuring I had better keep the colorful one so that folks could see me.

It was DEFINITELY colder with just the thin, race-type cap on. It was also still slipping off, and my hands by this time were claws from the chilly water (and of course the fact my wetsuit has no arms). I was very frustrated, so finally at the final buoy just took it off and decided I would tuck it into my wetsuit and just swim in.

Oh. My. God. Without anything on my head, it was like needles shooting into my skull. I don’t think I have actually ever swum without a cap – certainly not in chilly water. The front of my hair also flopped down in front of my goggles, and I was so cold, I started to panic a little. I couldn’t figure out how to get in without putting my “head” into the water. My face was already numb, but the cold on the top of my head honestly made me feel like someone was piercing it. At one point I also managed to mis-time my breathing and took in a huge gulp of super salty bay water. Uuuuuugh.

I made it up to the shore – and was one of the last there! Coach Helen instructed me on how to get the “bay sludge” off my face (I never saw it – I don’t even WANT to know.) I was a little depressed at how many people were already out of their wetsuits until I started talking to a few folks, and realized that a good chunk had only done 3 times around. As we got out of our wetsuits and tried to towel off, the cold definitely kicked in. Mel and I headed up to the station wagon, and I was DEFINITELY happy I had it rather than the van – it has bueno heated seats! We hopped in and drove directly to Sports Basement, where the run was to begin. I sat in those heated seats until every single person was ready to go, not a moment before!

I had thought I would try out the trisuit bottoms, and had planned to run in them as well, but it was just too cold. Unfortunately, I only had a pair of baggie old nylon sweats – and nothing else! So off I went “Commando” in the sweats, hoping that they wouldn’t chafe. Maria (“M-Dot”) and I did the course together, run/walking.

This way, IronTeam!

The run was a 5 mile loop through the Presidio, up from Sports Basement and back. It started off up hill and up Lovers Lane to Pacific, down to the Presidio golf course and along Mountain Lake, up a hill at Battery Cauffield and back downhill. Maria and I missed a couple turns, but each time we thought we were lost, Head Coach Dave would miraculously be there and we would run with him for a bit. We got in a little short of an hour, dropped off our water bottles in our

stretch break!

cars, picked up Mentor Margaret, and then just did a 20 minute out/20 minute back along the water, as we were supposed to do what we could for an hour 40.

Afterwards, we went back up the path to a flat area where we Stretched, then down to the beach to do Strength with Coach Doug. We did different lunges, then a special little number where

starting a lunge set

you started in plank, crawled your feet up to your hands (remember, we’re on sand), then crawled your hands back out to plank, and so one. Then some more planks, side planks, and the like. At the end, Coach Doug mentioned that we should all go and stand in the bay for 5 minutes (the ice bath idea) – but knowing I was in baggie nylon sweats “Commando” I was very glad when he didn’t make us do it.

Off to the Sports Basement again, where we had an Iron University. They mainly talked about the “1/2 way to Iron Wildflower Weekend” that the team is doing next week. Only Carol and I are not going. Not sure what Carol’s up to, but H and I are in Sedona (where we will stage our own). We also were

crawling planks - I'm in the red to the right

given pen and paper, and wrote letters to ourselves, to open on race day. We had to give them back to Head Coach Dave, so I guess he will pass them back out close to that day. In my note to myself, I talked about some of the training we had done, but in my mind I was facing the Fear of the next day – the Marin Metric Century bike route. I figured I better not say anything about it in the note, because I wasn’t sure how that was going to turn out!

I got up on Sunday very early (ESPECIALLY as we had set the clocks forward Saturday night). Paula and I had decided to start an hour before even the “early riders” on the bike route. I felt actually sick with the Fear of doing it. The night before, I had gone to my friend Chris’s 60th birthday in Petaluma, so I had driven out the way we were going to ride. It made me even more upset about the whole thing. Not only would I be adding over 20 miles to my longest ride ever in my LIFE, but it would be a hilly ride. The only hilly rides I have done have been with the team – and 1/2 as long. My stomach was really upset about not ONLY going nearly twice as far as I ever had, but ALSO facing West Marin. In fact, H said to me the night before, “Maybe you shouldn’t do it.” But I knew I couldn’t let Paula down.

My tweet that morning at 6:00 was:
“Today-Marin Metric Century.This will be the longest bike (by 20 miles) & steepest overall ever. First day all year Ive really felt sick w/fear.”

I received a post from Belinda almost immediately that quoted one of my all-time favorites, Eleanor Roosevelt:
“You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, “I lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along.” You must do the thing you think you cannot do.”

I also received a quickie from some other friends, giving me some Atta Girls, which really helped! (One, from a business/networking friend Mark Machado, said: “Once you’re sweating, sucking wind with your legs screaming, you won’t even think about it. You go girl! Yeehaw!” I laughingly sent back “you forgot ‘puking’…”)

Right before I left, I opened up my “Daily OM” Horoscope as it popped into my inbox, because the Subject line for that day was “Unshakable Confidence.” It’s a little long, but so appropriate I thought I should insert it:

 You may feel insecure and unsure of yourself today. Your self-confidence may be ebbing, compelling you to struggle to fill the space it has left behind. You may feel driven to seek solace and assurance of your worth in material goods or unhealthy behaviors. Consider, however, that the comfort you might glean from shopping, eating, or risk-taking will likely be temporary. You can find greater consolation and simultaneously rebuild your confidence levels by reflecting upon your strength, accomplishments, and many positive attributes. In your past, you may find proof that you are a capable and good-hearted individual of many talents. Your insecurities and self-doubt will likely vanish today when confronted by your copious and mindful inner power. 

Confidence that comes from within is lasting and can give you the strength to courageously face challenges in your life. Though we may attain temporary feelings of self assurance from outside sources, the potency we feel will dissipate quickly as we move through life. Building up your confidence levels gradually allows you to retain the self-esteem and self respect you gain and use it to build a foundation from which to approach your worldly endeavors. No individual or situation will have the power to interfere with your inner belief and poise as it was crafted from your own thoughts and feelings. You’ll move unshakably through good times and bad with your head held high. When you draw confidence from the depths of your soul today, the strength you find will never fade.

(Good one, huh?)  The weather was supposed to be in the 60s and verging towards 70, and when I stepped out on our porch to leave around 6:30 a.m., it actually felt quite pleasant. So clever clogs here just went out in bike shorts, no tights. Thankfully I had 2 bike shirts (one longsleeved) and my Flames bike jersey. My GPS misguided me into a subdivision (!!) but I called Paula and she got me to the right parking lot. We were both surprised, as it was over near Kaiser/San Rafael (behind the Safeway at Las Gallinas/Freitas Parkway), so up and over a big hill to Lucas Valley Road, where we thought we were starting. We considered moving & starting our ride over at the park on Lucas Valley but we knew if we did that, we would not meet up with the rest of the team at the end.

After a lot of laughing, stocking up our shirt backpockets and Bento Boxes, rechecking directions, and a pitstop at the Safeway, we were off at 7:23 a.m.

Here is the map of the route that we took, though this shows it starting on Lucas Valley Road. We actually were on the other side of Las Gallinas (so tack on a few more miles to the front and back). And here is a description of it (note that they say it’s a “3″ in difficulty then they have a huge all-caps section saying this is NOT FOR BEGINNERS…)

Paula and I were able to pretty companionably ride side by side for the first miles along Lucas Valley Road, as it has a wide bike lane. That was fun – she teased me a bit for having my “tunes” playing out the back of my Camelbak, but I knew that for this ride, they were essential! Just as she started to tease me, some county songs came on, and turns out that she thought she was the only one in the area that listened to country. So we sang along to “Heads Carolina, Tails California” as we pedaled along, cursing the cold and settling in for the day.

The first climb is up to Big Rock. When I used to work out at Skywalker Ranch and would drive this route in my old beater Escort, the sharp turn up to the right (before the Rock) was one that I was never quite sure I would make. (My car actually almost did NOT make it up Wilson Hill once – which was also on the route we were taking!) We gutted it out, and as the Rock came into view, I knew we would both make it. We were ECSTATIC. Lots of high-fives, and I tweeted that we had made our first climb (8:16 a.m.). I figured that I would need a record of accomplishments for the blog, and as long as I had cell reception, I would give people a little head’s up as to where we were. We fueled up, and then down the long descent to Nicasio.

We discovered that while Paula was a hill climb demon (she didn’t walk her bike once the whole time – Hill Goddess!), I pulled away on the flats and downhills. I think it has something to do with my 30-year-old steel bike weighing 30 pounds more than her gorgeous fancy tribike! We rode through the beautiful (chilly!) redwood trees and hills and dales of that area. I always used to love that road when I was working at Skywalker Ranch.

I waited for her at the stopsign where you turn right to head to Nicasio, and then we headed into town for a potty stop and another regroup. We were feeling REALLY good (8:41 a.m.). We figured that about that time, the “slower” or “early” group would be getting going on the route (they were to begin at 8:30, the “faster” riders at 9:30). We agreed to regroup again at the stopsign where we would turn right to head up the Point Reyes/Petaluma Road to Petaluma, and off we went.

When we passed Nicasio Lake, the entire lake and part of the road was obscured with a “freezing fog.” Oh my lord it was cold. My legs were a bright, lobster red, and I couldn’t even feel my hands. When I waited at the stopsign before the right turn to Petaluma I tried to take a pull from my Camelbak – and the brew in the siptubing was crunchy with ICE and SUPER COLD! Paula rolled up and went to take a bite from the Powerbar in the front of her Bento Box, and it was so frozen she couldn’t get her teeth into it! We discussed the next hill, which would take us up and over to the French Cheese Factory, and off we went.

I had mis-remembered the hill – I told her it was gut-wrenching (I was remembering Red Hill/McEvoy Ranch Road). So when we got to the top, we both sort of went “Huhn?” We were feeling rather pleased with ourselves that we’d been prepared to ‘gut it out’ and then – surprise! – we were at the top. We headed down again through the trees, and then into the farming grasslands of West Marin, with the wood fences, mustard in flower, and the like. I was hoping we could have a “pitstop” at the French Cheese Factory but it wasn’t open yet, so once we turned onto Hicks Road, well, it was “time” and that’s all I can say. (I am going to be very happy to get this surgery done after the race. It better solve this problem.) We GU’d up at Hicks, because it was a few miles until we would hit Wilson Hill and I wanted to be sure we had some extra energy in our systems. Paula (who is from Atlanta) remarked that she “now knew” why people really loved the area. She hadn’t been out to West Marin/Petaluma and marvelled at how gorgeous it was. I mentioned that when H and I were first together, we had a little bit of a “Green Acres” relationship – with me in the Eddie Albert role in my farm in Petaluma, and H in the ‘burbs! I also commented that once we hit Western Avenue, we’d only be about 3 miles from my farm (which I now rent out), so the whole ride made me feel a little “homesick.”

Yeah, ok, so we hit Wilson Hill. H and I used to park at the bottom of it, and curse our way up it to Petaluma when we were training for the big hills of the Big Sur Marathon. Said hill is also the one that my old car nearly didn’t make it up one morning. Not my favorite. I started up the hill in my granniest of granny gears (1:1) and got to one steep spot, which I was able to gut through – then it was a little “flatter” (all relative) but I hit another and just couldn’t keep going. I got off and pushed the bike up 2/3 of the hill, but Paula did it all! She was dancing at the top when I pushed up to her, and we were both ecstatic over her “taking that mother” (9:52 a.m.)

A group of 3 cyclists came up the hill as if it was butter (show offs (laugh)) and after that we started off, but in getting out of my “granny gear” to a gear to go downhill, I managed to throw my chain off the back gears. It

from losing my chain

took me a while to get it back on, because it had jammed down against the frame. I realized of course a bit later that I had left my gloves on to fix it – which I was then wiping my face with. PRETTY…

Next was an up-and-down stretch through Chileno Valley that ultimately led to Western Avenue in Petaluma. We turned where we were supposed to off Western, but I had the directions folded with a crease I didn’t see (think like the back of a Mad Magazine, where you fold it to make a new picture), and so I said we went directly to I Street. This meant that we didn’t do the “left-right-left-right-left” onto F then G – where there was a sag stop and portapotties. Once we were out on our way on I Street, I realized I had messed us up, and so we stopped to regroup on San Antonio Road. That’s when I pulled out the directions and “un-accordioned” them and saw my mistake! Whoooops! Nate (one of the super athletes on our team) blew past us at this point. We were averaging (with our stops) about 10 MPH, and we figured he was probably averaging about 20 to meet us where he did. WOW. Time for another unscheduled road pitstop for the fearless duo (we were DEFINITELY not going to backtrack to get to the sag stop), and then back to it.

We started climbing Red Hill/McEvoy Ranch Road, and I realized “Uh-oh,” that THIS was the hill I had feared just as much as Wilson Hill and had mistakenly thought was between Nicasio Lake and the Cheese Factory. I got about 2/3 of the way up, and just couldn’t do it any more. Paula the Hill Goddess chugged on up it like a champ! We met at the top, and at that point we realized two things. First, we were now both in totally uncharted country in that we were well over the mileage we had ever ridden before. Second – we “only” (hill-wise) had the climb back to Big Rock (and Las Gallinas back to the parking lot) and we were DONE! Paula was beaming. I wished at that point I had brought a camera with me! Instead – of course! – I pushed out a tweet about her hill climbing prowess (11:34 a.m.) and away we went!

The ride down the other side back to Nicasio Lake was FANTASTIC. I said a prayer, let go of my brakes, and FLEW down the hill. The tarmac was new (shock! no potholes!), it was sunny enough that I had taken off my longsleeved shirt and gloves and put on my sunglasses, and I felt GLORIOUS. As I went flying down the hill (snot streaming up my cheek from the wind – yeah, “you know you’re Iron when…”), I got in that mood that Paula had been in, at the top. So by the time we hit Nicasio Reservoir, we were both feeling like total CHAMPS!

in the redwoods on the way back

We met with our teammate Sara’s boyfriend at the sag wagon along the road, and found out that she had had not one, but TWO, blowouts but still had gone on to do the ride. I thought I had seen her coming up the hill when I was flying past at the Cheese Factory, but wasn’t sure. Paula got her Nutter Butter “fix” and off we went. We stopped again at Nicasio for a pitstop, then off for the last “leg.” We realized at that point that we only had about 10 miles to go, and “anyone can do” 10 miles. The sag wagon with Helen in it blew past us when we were back in the redwoods, so I actually even have a photograph of myself on the ride.

My legs felt really heavy as we were pushing up and over Big Rock hill, but I saw the “3838″ ranch and realized I was NEARLY THERE (there is a curve after 3838, then the top) and really pulled down deep and there we were!!!! Paula actually rode up next to me, and asked if we should stop at the top, I said no, let’s Just Do It.

We went down the long and definitely “technical” curvy downhill, but I know that road and knew where to brake and slow down. When we were nearly to the straightaway, BK and Jim blew on past us. As he caught up to me (scaring me actually, I had NO idea someone was coming up), BK remarked, “HEY, do you have TUNES going?” And I laughed as I nodded my head. He laughed and blew on by – Jim following a couple minutes later.

The straightaway on Lucas Valley (past Mt McKinley Road etc.) just seemed interminable. It was time to get my chacha OFF that bike! I stopped a bit to wait for Paula, then we were up and over Las Gallinas (where she passed me). We got to the big stoplight at Safeway, and knew we were NEARLY THERE! We crossed the road and were between the bus stop and the turn onto Nova Albion (where the cars were) and KA-BLAM! my front tire blew out QUITE spectacularly! I looked down, and I could see the shredded tube, and the tire was actually blown off the wheel. I of course wasn’t going that fast, so I could stop immediately. Paula was about 1/2

me with my fearless steed, Vlad, on my shoulder

block ahead of me, but with the BLAM! she immediately stopped, looked back, and then burst out laughing. What a way to end the day!

I put the bike on my shoulder (there was just no way to push it) and we walked the rest of the way into the parking lot. (Apparently Nate had had a blow out at the same place, which is a little suspicious.) Belinda and Helen burst out laughing as we came around the corner, me with the bike on my shoulder, and chain grease running down my leg from the dropped chain. SO SEXY! Paula and I high-5ed each other that we had MADE IT BACK! We were super glad that we had gone out alone and had made our own pace. We were out for exactly 6 hours, but riding for 5 – so we did about an hour of

high-5ing and laughing with Paula

stopping, regrouping, etc. along the way. After kibbutzing with some of the Team as they were coming back from their ride, it was time to head back home.

I actually realized after I had turned onto the Central San Rafael turnoff that I had forgotten to get the Recoverade from the back and fill up the bottle – so I had a “you know you’re Iron when” moment. I pulled over to the side (only about 10 minutes from home), got it out of the trunk, and mixed it up on the side of the road, to be within the “45 minute window”! It actually made me laugh enough to – you guessed it! – tweet about it.

Once home I took a shower and then the afore-blogged ice bath. I had some G.I. distress and need to figure out (probably during the 1/2 Iron in Sedona) if it’s caused by the Accellerade (I had taken in about 1,000 calories’ worth plus 3 or so GU during the ride), or the Recoverade, or…? Nothing like seeing that flourescent green liquid that you put in one end flow out the other…(OK, I know, TMI, I take it back (laugh))

BFF Maria came over to keep me company before she headed off to Aspen. It was so great to see her. I regaled her with the stories of the day, and she reminded me that 99.9% of the people in the U.S. would never even DREAM of doing what we had done. I was a little bummed to have had to walk in two spots, but she said that even with that, this was an enormous accomplishment. When I had been standing (bummed) at the top of Red Hill/McEvoy Ranch Road with Paula, she had reminded me that there is NO WAY that anyone could imagine in either running or swimming that an athlete could BOTH increase their distance by 75% PLUS do mother hills – that it would be incomprehensible. So the fact that we had done BOTH – even though I’d walked some of it – had to be looked at from that standpoint. In other words, let’s assume that the longest I had ever run was 10 miles on the flat, and then I was asked in a coach’s workout to do 18 miles on hills. What would happen? Well, of course, I would have to walk a good portion of it. That made me feel better, and put it a bit in perspective.

I’m really glad I’m not doing the Wildflower this coming weekend with the team, I have to admit. I need a “1/2 Iron” experience that will make me feel great, not knock the stuffing out of me (the Wildflower course is known to be a killer).  I am SO grateful that Paula and I did this ride together, and I know that we each gained some confidence from it.

Now to just keep the nightmare of having that blown tire on one of those super fast downhills out of my head, and I will be A-Okay! (Mel says she hears the Jaws theme when she approaches the salt water – I definitely am going to hear that ka-BLAM! for a long, long time ringing in mine!)

YOU KNOW YOU’RE IRON WHEN…
…when you gotta go, you gotta go, bush or not (courtesy of Tiffany)
…the snot flying up your face as you fly down a hill on your bike is an exhilarating feeling
…you got chain grease “there”…again!
…you pull off the highway to quickly mix a recovery drink, afraid you will miss your “45 minute window”
…ice baths are a good thing
…you use the salt water during your Bay swim to account for part of your electrolyte intake for the day (courtesy of Maria M-Dot)
…you get not one but TWO flats at the beginning of a long bike ride – and wind up doing it anyway! (for Sara)
…your new song becomes “Ironwoman hear me Rrrrowrrr” (courtesy of Frank A in response to my tweet: “Blew a tire so spectacularly I thot I had been shot – only 2 streets fm the end! Had to carry the bike in. Rrrrowrrr”)
…you CARRY the bike to the finish (courtesy of Jeff V.)
…the portapotty at Mile 45 looks better than your shopping spree at Tiffany’s (courtesy of Paula The Hill Goddess) which reminded ME of:
…your bike partner the Hill Goddess breaks out in full tilt James Brown “I FEEL GOOD!” in the crystal silence of Nicasio Reservoir after wolfing down Nutter Butters, and it just feels so RIGHT…

It’s Monday, and I am sitting down to blog about the lollapaloozah training weekend . . . but I thought I’d first blog about taking ice baths.

These really do work. I remember when I was in the Marines and when I first started having the knee issues, they would shuttle me over to the infirmary, and make me stand in a barrel full of ice (up to my waist, in my sexy green nylon shorts) until basically I couldn’t FEEL my knees any more. As I understand it, the ice slows down the possibility of inflammation, but more importantly, when you are “thawing” the new blood pushes all the old, lactic-acid-filled blood out of your muscles, making a clean sweep of the debris in there from working out. I had originally used hot espom-salt baths because my father (a doctor) said that they do a similar thing – but I respectfully believe that ice baths are the way to go now.

On Sunday after the bike, not having my Marines constitution 20 years later, I decided to take a “sissy icebath.” I figured that this would do the trick without giving me a heart attack plunging into the ice bath all at once. It absolutely worked – today (Monday) I have NO lingering effects from the weekend, which is astonishing.

So this is a sissy’s icebath recipe:

Take a shower, scraping off the grease, dirt, etc. from your athletic endeavor first (it’s just too disgusting to be sitting in that during your ice bath!). Then, put on a really warm hat (I have a knit wool one from Peru with ear flaps and tassels – yeah I know you want a picture, sorry, that’s Proprietary and Confidential) and a really warm sweatshirt. Get a nice big warm drink – I use miso soup in a Thermos – but tea, anything like that is a good idea.

Put the ice next to the tub (a couple bags), and SIT IN THE TUB. Now, start filling it with cold water, and start a timer. As the water comes up your legs, it will be cold, but not a shock. Move around, lifting up your “cheeks” and such so that the cold water is swirling around. Yes, it’s cold, but not AS cold and shocking as plunging into the ice straight off. Drink your warm drink, and remember what a great athlete you are! Whoot Whoot!

Once the water is up around your calves and hamstrings, start adding the ice. Again, it will be cold, but not AS cold, since you’re acclimatizing.

Ultimately, the water/ice will come up to your waist, and your legs will be submerged. Now, hang out for 1/2 hour total (on the timer you set when you sat down). I know that usually they say to take an ice bath for like 10-15 minutes, but you’ve been sitting there slowly letting the water fill up – so I figure that it’s better to hang out a little longer. You want to be sure you have pulled the sweatshirt up, so that the back of it doesn’t wind up in the water. If you roll it a bit and even gather the front towards the back, you can make a pillow to lean back on.

Once your 1/2 hour is up, start draining the water and BE CAREFUL – remember, you have just done some huge athletic endeavor! Because I’m never quite sure whether I trust my legs or not, I generally let the water drain away pretty significantly, curl in my legs, then get up on both feet using my hands to push myself up. Get out, dry yourself off, and into some nice sweats.

The thing you will start to feel is the blood”whooshing back” into your legs as your legs warm back up. I like to visualize all the debris that is being washed away, and all the new, fresh blood flowing in. You do now want to take it fairly easy – meaning, if it’s possible, to put your legs up (I generally lie on the couch with my legs up and over the back), and drink a LOT of water, herbal tea, etc. to hydrate.

So, that’s the sissy’s icebath. It works like a CHARM, and I’m sure it breaks all sorts of macho rules. But better a sissy’s icebath than none at all! In fact, I think if you didn’t HAVE the ice, even using just the coldest water from the tap would do some good, sitting in it. Seriously.

Yeah NOW we’re talkin’…I found this picture and I’m quite sure that we could have a nice feast in our neighborhood, if it just wasn’t verboten to take the lives of the flock of turkey-shaped alarm clocks that are now living in our trees. Oy! They got us up at 5:00 this morning…H is going to see whether he can get a pellet gun or “something” and make them just go away. Sleep deprivation and lots and LOTS of nasty turkey droppings don’t make for happy days.

I’ve gotten the workouts in this week, though in slightly different order as our pool was down during “pool day.” We have a pool day today, but I have a required meeting from 7:00-11:00 for BNI (networking group), then need to go visit a friend who has cancer, then come home and do some workout and see if there is any work in email, then we’re having some friends over for dinner and another friend is staying overnight. I think I’m going to run instead of swim - not really the same, but (as Coach Simon says), SO easy to fit into little “pieces” of time. Saturday we are swimming in the S.F. Bay and running, Sunday is a bike ride on the Marin Metric Century course. That has me scared stiff, frankly. It’s 60 miles, with 3 serious hills (best I have ever done is 45 – on the flat).

Every little scrap of time I am out marketing, networking, trying to find work or at least someone who will pay me to do something. It’s so frustrating I can’t believe it. I have to look friendly and smile and be nice and people just don’t have the $ to hire me to do anything. So more and more marketing and networking (spending $ for “networking lunches” and the like) – more and more time taken, less and less time available. I got my taxes done – I made -$17,000 last year. Yes, that was “negative.” Bills are due, credit cards are maxed, no one is buying. Gee, maybe it’s not just the turkeys that have me up at 0-dark-00…

Angelina

Longest swim this week was 2850 yards – also got on Angelina (new bike/Valentine’s present from H) on the trainer. I now have the clipless pedals on her, though I haven’t been out on the street yet. I still find the thought daunting with the click-shifters and pedals, etc. Maybe some time next week.

Yesterday we were to bike and then run (brick) – I actually did them separately (since I usually do all my workouts as bricks, I don’t think that the fact I didn’t “do it as a brick” makes that much difference). I ran down to a one-on-one meeting in San Rafael, and ran back. I have stopped apologizing for showing up to meetings with a baseball hat on, in sweats. And, folks have stopped asking.

YOU KNOW YOU’RE IRON WHEN:

… you’ve stopped apologizing for showing up to meetings in jog clothes after running there…and people have stopped asking.
…an allen wrench falls out of your pocket at a restaurant. (Jen Jay)
…you stumble across catalogs like De Soto Triathlon and it becomes your new porn. Move over miracle bras and cute undies… it’s all about wetsuits and tri shorts! (Maria “M-Dot” Afan)
…you put your bike in your trunk and it doubles the value of your car. (Coach Helen)

Field of Wild Mustard In Napa

At Saturday’s workout, Swim Coach Sedonia mentioned that Mentor Margaret was going to help “run her in” at the Napa Valley Marathon and I asked if she’d like more company. She said that would be Great, so off I went Sunday morning at about 8:00 a.m. We were supposed to “be on our feet” for an hour and 45 minutes per the workout schedule, and so I figured this would qualify!

I got to Napa around 9:00, and was able to get a great parking spot right near the end of the race. I called Margaret (who was waiting at mile 13, 1/2 way), and she said she hadn’t seen Sedonia yet, but was sure she would be “along any time.” I told her my plan, and started off walking the course backwards. It was a GORGEOUS day. Really the perfect day for a race – a tiny breeze, not too warm, sunny, mustard fields vibrant…wow! As I mentioned, I walked the race “backwards” – through neighborhoods first, then a long straightaway, then basically out to the Silverado Trail. The road was closed for the race. It was fun to see the neighbors coming out, and doing things like stapling signs up to telephone poles to cheer on the runners that would be coming through past their houses in a few hours.

While I was on the straightaway (before turning onto Silverado), the first hand-bike racer passed me. It was a little odd because no one else was out. I of course stopped and clapped and cheered him on. Same for the second one – who was far enough behind that I was on the Silverado Trail by that time. After he passed, I could see in the distance (but not SO far in the distance) the headlights of what I took to be the chase car for the first Marathoner. He passed me at just shy of 9:30 a.m., moving like lightening. Very impressive. Again I was out there alone, clapping and cheering. I felt like that old Olympics ad, where the farmers stop in the fields to clap on the guy running with the Olympic Torch. (The winner won the race in 2-1/2 hours. Holy Cats.)

I knew that Run Coach Simon would be running with a gal who wanted to make the time for Boston – but I wasn’t prepared to see him so early. He actually shouted out MY name as they ran past in a small group. They were running VERY strong – really amazing stuff. I found out later that the gal he was running with finished in 3:10 – her FIRST marathon – which qualified her for Boston!

Dakota at Mile 15

I also found out my friend Lisa’s son Dakota ran the race (his first marathon) and finished in 3:34 – 2nd in his Division! Fabulous.

I kept walking up the road, which was very peaceful and gorgeous. I saw a number of Team In Training folks – apparently this is a race for the Monterey area TNT. Every time I would see a TNT shirt, I would shout “GO TNT!” Some of them had written their names in white on the front of their shirts above the TNT logo, so I was able to shout their actual names. That got a lot of smiles. Again, I was the only person out there, and once I would start cheering I would of course have to cheer the entire “knot” of runners through! That was my job – walk, cheer, walk, cheer…

I had a little bit of trepidation that I would not be able to keep UP with Sedonia, as I watched the runners blast past me. I didn’t want to have walked all the way out (no cross streets!) and then not be able to help…those were some of the thoughts going through my head.

After about a 5 mile walk (at mile marker 21), I came to a hill that the runners were coming down, and slowed down a bit, because I wasn’t certain I wanted to go up that hill, then come back down again. I was saved the decision because at that moment I saw Sedonia and Margaret!

Sedonia ran SUPER strong. Her goal was to finish in under 5 hours – and she SMOKED that (finishing in 4:32)…with a minimum of “stink eye” or “grumpy phase.” My job was to keep her honest in her walk breaks – I would ask where we were “walking to,” she would let me know, then when we got there, I would start running again. Not that she needed to be kept honest…but it made me feel helpful.

The aid stations were pretty far apart at the end – every 2 miles – though some of them were interesting…Mile 23 had the string section from Napa High, and they were passing out cold sorbet with the Gatorade and water!

Once we got to the neighborhood part (about 1/4 of a mile from the end), Margaret and I peeled off and Sedonia took off for the finish line. I felt a little guilty, because there were a LOT of folks cheering in that final mile, and they were cheering Margaret and me just as much as they were Sedonia! I said to Margaret, “We gotta get off this path!” because I felt so guilty! It reminded me though how amazing it is to have all that energy pouring out at you. Wow!

Since Sedonia had finished 1/2 hour sooner than she thought (whoot! whoot!), I was actually able to hop in the car and high-tail it back home, to get a quick shower before heading out to the theatre with H, Mom and Dad. As I got in the car, I could feel that I was having an issue with an area right on the front of my left hip. I gotta figure out how to manage this, because it seems to get worse every time I run – and it definitely was NOT happy after an hour sitting in the car after the run.

After the theatre, H and I had a couple hours and so we got some snacks at a Persian restaurant on Center Street, then we met our neighbors Jan and Tom at Hotel Mack in Pt. Richmond. The restaurant was having an “Oscars Celebration” (1/2 off champagne, and lobster/prime rib dinners).  H and I were “bad” – martinis, champagne, dessert, the works. WOW I felt ill this morning! That’s the only problem with our “clean living” kick – when you are bad, you FEEL bad!

Today is an off day, but our pool is going to be down for repairs tomorrow so I will swap out tomorrow for today.

CONGRATS SEDONIA!!!

YOU KNOW YOU’RE IRON WHEN…

Today we were back to Lake Del Valle in Livermore. I gathered up my “Lil’ Lady” Iron Mel, Moddie the Tree Frog, our 3 bikes, bike trainers, wetsuits, various paraphernalia, and off we went from the Larkspur Ferry Terminal at 6:15 a.m.

We arrived and had a “pay it forward” moment – Jim K. had gone through the Park Gates, and paid for our entry fee! We decided to “pay it forward” to the next car. It was a great way to start the day, and it really made the 3 of us remember how little acts of kindness like that can go a long way. Once we parked, we were told to set our bikes up in a circle on the trainers. We were to do an Open Water Swim for 45 minutes, then come back to spin for an hour, then run for 20 minutes, bike hills (real hills, not “trainer hills”) for 40 minutes, then run for 20 minutes.

ooooh this thang is TIGHT!

After the bikes were all set, time to get into our wetsuits.

I am so grateful for Coach Mike Kyle – he loaned me BOTH the wetsuit I am using, AND the trainer. What a guy. Jim, Moddie, BK and I “lubed up” and zipped each other up then it was time to walk down to the boat launch, have one more “safety talk” from the coaches (and a team photo), then it was time to get into the water.

Here is our IronTeam Open Water Photo – I’m in the back middle, bright green swim cap.

me pulling wetsuit away from my body to let the cold water in

As usual, I just can’t stand waiting, so I was first in. HOLY FROZEN CHACHA BATMAN, it was SO COLD! Far colder than a couple weeks ago when we had the boot camp. Mel (who was sick and therefore not swimming) shouted from the dock “JOHN [Wayne]! Suck it up! Let the water in!” She made a motion like lifting the wetsuit off my chest. I did, and it was like 100s of little knives coming in. Aaaaaaaaugh!!!!!!!

We were to swim to a small buoy off the dock, then down the lake to another buoy, and “lather, rinse, repeat” until we were in the water for a total of 45 minutes. The water was so cold, it was dizzying. Tell you what – stop reading, and go get a bucket and fill it up with ice from the fridge (don’t worry, I’ll wait.) Then add some water into it, and plunge your face in for 40 minutes or so. That’s pretty much what it was like – the wetsuit keeps your body fairly warm (though my arms and feet were cold of course), but that cold water on your face is just brutal.

I was amazed, though, that I got right to it. Last time I did Open Water it was my first time back in forever – years. I did a lot of breast stroking, back stroking, side stroking, water polo swimming…not a lot of actual “swimming” until on the way back. Then, I actually got myself to do it in sets of 24 arm repeats. This time – no problem. I was “back.” OK, it was freezing and I mean free-zing. And my goggles fogged up. But I was fine.

Paula & Me during the Safety Lecture (Tiffany in background)

I was swimming most of the time with Tiffany and Paula. Paula was cracking me up – she kept swimming up my back or on my arm. We were laughing about it (then on the final run, she actually ran right up on me and under my foot much later in the day – she just said “I can’t get enough of you today, obviously” which made me laugh.)

One of the things I concentrated on was really blowing my air out into the water – because it would warm my face!

Once I got to the first buoy and turned around it, I could hear a song in my head. It was quiet at first, and I let it build. Then I realized what it was – “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot”! I had to smile to myself – it brought me back 20 years, to my very first triathlons. I had been a member of the Hash House Harriers, and this is a song that we would sing and that I adopted as a “spiritual work song” while “working” in the open water. I really got into the rhythm at that point. It was magic. BK mentioned when we were talking about the swim after that it’s all about rhythm, and he was so right. Singing that song in my head just got my stroke down, and off I went.

Last time, I didn’t make it all the way down to the buoy. This time, I made it to the buoy, then back, then actually 1/2 way back again, when it was time to come in. I felt fantastic. When I got out, I was a little dizzy (Paula and I had a little “bonk” into each other when one of us “dizzied left” and one of us “dizzied right”), and I couldn’t talk because my mouth was so cold – but I was jazzed about my swim.

Mel and Me getting ready to hit the Hills

We jogged back to the cars and toweled off, got out of our wetsuits (Carolyn and I reprised our “stripping routine” from last time – though my “lotion on the legs” trick made an ENORMOUS DIFFERENCE), and then onto the trainers. I tried out one of the bars I had brought – 380 calories in one bar (!!) – and I was curious how it “sat” in my stomach (worked out fine actually). I had some of the Margarita Shot Blox, a GU, and then started pounding the Accellerade from my Camelbak.

We were on the trainers for about an hour, then we got off, changed into our running shoes, and went up the cross country path from last time, 10 minutes out, 10 minutes back. I felt really good. My 10 minute turn-around was at the little bathroom “shack” (after of course a break there – hey, it’s ME we’re talking about). Back down to the bikes, and we took them off the trainers and went out to do hill repeats.

Happily Hill Climbing! Who wudda thunk it?

I had a lot of trepidation because I was really afraid the hills would be like the ones we did last time we were there – and I was feeling tired (though still very cheerful). They were actually not so bad. I did the up and back 4 or 5 times. We were to practice actually totally letting go of our brakes on the downhill – and I practiced NOT going all the way to my easiest gear on the way up (because my new bike doesn’t HAVE that gear). I was in the “granny gear” in front, and then the middle gear in the back. I felt really strong and positive. I am still not able to stand up going up hill because of my knees, but who knows if the new bike geometry will change that.

Rocky and Chris on the hills

One thing that was really great was Chris rode up behind me and he’s always so encouraging. I really like seeing him on the path because he always has a good word for me. He asked how I was doing as he was passing me going up the hill and I said, “Actually, I’m amazingly great!” He looked up and smiled and said, “Hey now, that’s what I like to hear!” It really made me feel good. We have a great team and I have to admit that when the “big bike stars” like BK, Chris, Mel, Mike K., Jim, Rocky, etc. say a kind word it just makes me glow inside.

(Hmmmm did I talk about the new bike yet? Maybe I will need to do a post about that later on. I’m not riding her yet, I was on Vlad today.)

Happily running in - helped by my new run angel "Uncle Chris"

We brought the bikes in from the hill repeats, and then were back onto the cross country track. Out and back again. On the way back, a little bulldog puppy (well, about a year old) named Sophie started running with me. Her “mom” had 2 goldens as well, and she was laughing and let Sophie come along. Then the rest of the team (who had run out farther and turned around) came up and we were all running with Sophie. It was really cute and it completely took your mind off your legs. BK said that we all have to remember to have a “Sophie Moment” at about mile 20 or so of the marathon portion of our races!

We got back and then had an abbreviated Iron University. They mainly talked about the Wildflower 1/2 Iron that they are going to do when H and I are in Sedona. I’m actually not all that sad not to be doing it. It sounds like a killer course.

We drove back, having our usual goofy, innuendo-filled time. We also christened my new bike – Angelina Maserati ;-) I will write about the bike in a future post, which will ‘splain where the name came from. After dropping Mel and Moddie off, it was off to get groceries and back into the swing of things. Tomorrow we are supposed to do a 1 hour 45 minute run – and I think I am going to go to Napa to run Sedonia in on her Napa Valley Marathon. I hope the timing works out – we have Berkeley Rep tomorrow and need to pick Mom up at the Ferry Terminal at 1:00 p.m., so I do have to find out when the race starts! Mentor Margaret is apparently running Sedonia in from 1/2 way, so I’m going to find out what is up from her.

YOU KNOW YOU’RE IRON WHEN…
…singing Spirituals becomes an integral part of your day (or your race strategy!)
…you become ‘one of those guys’ who walks into the gym totally in Spandex (Rocky)
…you Facebook about how much you loved the Hill Repeats (Mel)

Chris McCubbins is the uncle of my masseuse, Katharine Chaney at www.PureJoyBodywork.com. He recently died after a valiant battle against the cancer that I am racing to cure.

As a youth, Chris never got a hit in Little League baseball, he was the last person to be selected in school yard games, and he was the last player to be substituted into basketball games in the Church league. He did not make the Junior High track team. In high school, however, he went out for cross-country running, and was the fastest runner on the team. His mile time on the track was 4:41. The next year, he won his conference in cross-country running and, though he was sick for the State Championships, he ran a 4:24 mile, which placed him 3rd.

Chris attended Oklahoma State University from 1963 to 1967. In 1965, he placed 5th in the NCAA cross-country running championships. Two years later, he won the NCAA steeplechase championship, and later that summer he won the gold medal for the USA in the steeplechase at the 1967 Pan Am Games in Winnipeg. He also finished first at the Europe vs Americas Steeplechase in Montreal.

In 1969, Chris represented the USA at the world cross-country running championships in Scotland, and in 1969 and 1970, he competed in modern pentathlon for the US Army, placing 5th in the national modern pentathlon championships in 1970.

In 1975, Chris ran a 10K in 28:16 at the Montreal pre-Olympics meet. That time still stands as a Manitoba record in the 10K. In early 1976 he ran a 5K in 13:44 in Knoxville Tennessee. At the 1976 Summer Olympic Games in Montreal in the 10K race, he had not fully recovered from a groin injury, and ran a personal worst.

Chris later became a Canadian citizen, and represented Canada at a world cross country running meet in Glasgow Scotland. His last international race was at the world cross-country running championships in 1984 in New Jersey.

In 1986, Runners’ World magazine rated Chris as the #4 masters road runner in the world, and in 1987 he set a North American record for Masters in the 15K: 45:34. Chris was inducted into the Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame in 1999.

Chris spent almost his entire 27-year teaching career with early years students in Winnipeg schools. For all of his adult life, Chris was involved in outdoor fitness activities like running and cross country skiing, and was a particularly enthusiastic supporter and participant in the Winnipeg Inner City Kids’ Ski Program.

Chris McCubbins passed away on August 21, 2009 after a six month battle with leukemia.

So today at the track workout (4 x 1600 at 5K pace, with 4 minutes in between) I found my Mantra. I was listening to a fantastic 172 BPM mix called Heaven’s Gate that I got from Podrunner.com. It had a song in it and the singer was saying “Everything Is Good.” That’s close to the ubiquitous “Life Is Good” of Tshirt fame, but it worked for me.

Did the repeats at Drake High track in 13:10, 9:57, 9:40, 9:53 – I feel a LOT faster. Of course, that might be because I have lost 18 pounds since January! Whoot Whoot! Just as I was finishing and doing my final 4 minute walk (after the last mile), the track team came out. I had done the run at the perfect time – no rain (actually, there was SUN during the last 2 mile repeats!), and no one else on the track.

Iron Will came over and cleaned Vlad and also H’s bike, which was fantastic. It didn’t rain until after he was done, so we were able to clean them outside. I’m getting cabin fever with all this rain and gloom – I’m really glad I was able to even take my jacket off and get some “Vitamin D” at the track. Yay!

Had a networking meeting this morning from 7:00-8:30 a.m., which meant of course getting up at 0-dark-00 to get things done before heading out.  This Ironman training thing definitely cuts a swath in your day, and that’s a fact.

It was raining so hard when I went to leave the house, I was quite taken aback. Hadn’t heard that we were going to get such a virulent storm – but So It Seems To Go this winter. It’s been such an odd winter – hardly any sun, lots of rain, lots of very nippy days, etc. Of course who am I to complain – I look at what my old stomping grounds of the Washington D.C. Metro Area is getting and just shudder!

The rain didn’t let up at all while I was in the meeting, so a quick bolt to the car, then to the JCC. Wound up forgetting the workout on the passenger seat – luckily hadn’t gotten too far into my swimming kit and so just re-dressed and went to fetch it. To get up to the JCC, there are about 3 stories’ worth of stairs (it’s built on a hill), and so it’s quite a workout just to get to the gym to begin with. Up, down, up…

When I got out to the pool, it wasn’t raining all that hard. It was cold on deck though, so I popped in – and it was cold in the water, too! (Once I’d finished my entire workout I checked the Blackberry – H had forwarded me a note from the JCC saying they were “still having issues with the heater” – by then, a bit too late.) Ah well, once wet and a bit shivering, got to the workout for today:

300 EZ warmup. Just as I was finishing the warmup (so just about to start the kick) it started to TORRENTIALLY rain. No thunder/lightening, so they let us stay in.     
3×50 25 kick on back/25 free. It was so rainy, I felt a bit like I was drowning, face up. Had to laugh.
3×50 25 Catch Up (CU)/25 free    
3×50 25 scull/25 free    
8×200:    
#1. 50 Swim w/ strong kick, 50 L5 – I hate kicking. I did what I was told though – and it’s quite interesting how much faster I had to move my arms to keep a “feel” on the water, when I was kicking along.                   
#2. Breathing 3-5-7 L5.
#3. Build L4-L7 by 50s.              
#4. DPS L5. This is the “Decrease Per Stroke” drill where you are supposed to get one fewer set of “arm repeats” across the pool each time. So, if you take 24 strokes your first time (12 each arm), then you’re supposed to go for 22 (11 each arm) and so on. I hate this drill. There’s nothing I can do save kicking like a maniac (which I hate) to get me out of my “24 stroke/12 each arm” rhythm. I actually tried quite hard today and wound up dislocating first my right, then my left, arm (obviously doing something wrong there – no worries, not serious, just feels icky. Pops right back in and that is also how my polo career came to an end quite early…) Anyway – as this drill is just a bit of frustration for me, I practiced breathing and sighting. Sighting sideways, sighting forward, closing my eyes when my face was in the water and then looking up to see where I was when I breathed, a bit of “waterpolo stroke,” etc.                  
#5. Breathing 3-5-7 L5.
#6. Build L4-L7 by 50s.  Here was my BIG SWIMMING REALIZATION (ta-DA!). OK, you probably already had figured this out if you’re a swimmer, but I hadn’t. I’ve been listening to the coaches talk about this whole “reaching over the barrel” thing, keeping your elbow above your hand, la…la…la…I have never really been able to visualize it. I do understand where my arm is supposed to be – but what is this “barrel” thing? Today while at this part of the drill, however, I realized that when my arm is in the correct position (especially when I’m swimming slowly), it looks just like an alligator arm. PERHAPS, thought I, this is why they call this stroke the CRAWL. Yeah well maybe you don’t think it’s such a great lightbulb moment, but I thought it was brilliant. It really helps me to remember how to keep my arms and elbows. I’d never really “realized” or “seen” that in my own stroke, and once I thought about “alligator arms,” I was able to feel the water all the way where I was “losing” it – by the side of my torso. Not sure why this helped, but it was a real discovery for me. So now, when I’m thinking of arm position, I will just think: Alligator Arms. Heck I’m getting Alligator Skin with all the swimming, why not add the body, too?   
#7. Breathing 3-5-7 L5.               
#8. 50 Swim w/ strong kick, 50 L5. The sun came out for an instant here – just for the 200, then back behind clouds.
4×50 Build L5-L8.
CD 100 EZ Perfect stroke. Wow, what a difference the Alligator Arms made here. I am still covering the distance in the same amount of strokes, but I really “feel” better. I also can really feel my body turn from side to side (tik-tok) because I’m not losing my “grip” on the water for the middle 1/3 of the stroke back.
Total: 2650

Got out of the pool and though it was still cloudy, no rain – nice. Got into the showers (it’s just too nasty to do the bike with the salt from the pool on), then out to the bikes. Managed to catch up on the KelownaGurl Podcast and the IMTalk Podcast while doing the following:

Bike:
TR-3 Speed Intervals (60 minutes)                                        
WU 10′ in the MM [Middle/Middle] chainrings.
8x(3′ @ 95RPM/90″ @ 80RPM). 
use hardest gear you can to maintain RPM and Aerobic HR Zone.
CD 10′ MM

Back for another shower, then off to lunch with another IP Lawyer colleague – then grocery shopping, then back home to get some work done. What happened to the day? Oy!

You Know You’re Iron When…
…you have not one but two wetsuits hanging on the longer clothes/”dress side” of your closet, and a straight-faced, earnest explanation as to why you need both and why that’s not odd…

Sunday was the Bike Marker, after the Swim and Run Markers on Saturday. H came with me, and we met Mentor Margaret, Moddie The Tree Frog (smile), Bike Coach Les and Jennifer at Nicasio. It had been really super nice weather when we left the house (about 55 degrees), but as we wound our way over Lucas Valley Road to Nicasio, we hit a solid bank of fog and dispiritedly watched the car’s outdoor thermometer plunge to 45. Brrrrr! OK, not as “brrrr” as you Dear Readers over on the Right Coast, but brrrr for us!

We got going, heading out towards Petaluma from Nicasio, then past Nicasio Reservoir towards Sir Francis Drake Blvd. which is where we turned around. Here is a map of the ride. We do the Marker from Sir Francis Drake Blvd., back along the way we came, for 5 miles.

I think that this route is probably fairly like the Louisville Ironman route is going to be. If you click on “Elevation,” you can see that it SAYS that it’s only between -1 and 1. However, on a couple parts of this route, I’m down in my granny gear and huffing and puffing. I’m not quite sure how it can “only” be a 1 percent grade (or however it is that this is calculated), and I’m sucking in a big way. It’s frustrating to say the least. On the way out, in fact, H passed me – our Marin team is fast, and always has to wait for me to get to wherever we are going. I generally get there as they’re having a little snack, turn the bike around, and then head back the other way right off (because I get a head start, since everyone passes me on the Marker part).

I did the Marker in 19:57, which Coach Mike says is 1 MPH faster than the last time, which is good. I was riding HARD (which is what I think we are supposed to do), and my heart rate is way up in the like 190 BPM range.

We got back to Nicasio and then turned right around and did a 20 minute brick run. I like to run alone, so I just strapped on my shoes (leaving on the tights and bike shorts) and off I went. H waited in the saloon that’s there (there is no other way to call the establishment), and once we were all back, we had brunch. H and I split a glass of champagne and 1/2 dozen oysters, then had the biggest breakfast burrito I have ever seen (Moddie said, “Folks get PAID to prove they can eat that much food” – made me laugh!)

Back home, and H had me fertilize the garden, then clean up some. He was puttering around down in the new work/workout “studio.” He set up my THX stereo and my 100 CD changer from when we lived apart – it had been boxed up for like 5 years. He really went through boxes and there is a whole pile of stuff for me to catalog, photograph, and get to Goodwill. I’m afraid to see what is in there – he’s the neatnik, I’m sure the bulk of it is my stuff  that he’s just decided is “time to go.” (OK, OK, so since the “studio” was the former “garage” I admit, there are definitely boxes in there of stuff that I haven’t looked at in years. But isn’t that what garages are for?)

After I got the gardening stuff done, I sat and just looked at the hills for a while. It was nice to sit out in the sun! I finished the 2nd book in the series we are reading for our book club, “The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo” and the 2 books that come after. FANTASTIC books. The 3rd one isn’t in the U.S. yet – I have it on order with Amazon.com. I am pretty sure that H would rather I was sorting and cleaning with him, but I decided to “take a day off.”

Today (Monday) is an OFF day! Yay! And – better yet – we weren’t woken up by the turkeys this morning . . . so it’s starting out to be a bueno week!

YOU KNOW YOU’RE IRON WHEN…
..you find a bike skewer in your purse when you’re in line at Costco, pull it out and think “Ah, so THAT’S where I put it”…
…you put Butt’r in your Britches in front of God and Country before a bike ride, thinking nothing of it…
…you go into Peet’s to get a cup of coffee before going to work, and reach for your wallet in the middle of your back instead of in your jeans…
…you fix your IKEA or Target-bought furniture pieces requiring an Allen Wrench with your bike’s multi tool…(courtesy of Jamie F.)
…your Friday night retail therapy becomes a shopping spree for the weekend training’s fuel & nutrition and you close down the store… (courtesy of Maria A (M-Dot))
…your purse has Body Glide in it, and that’s totally normal… (courtesy of Coach Helen)
…you don’t understand the dirty looks you get as you peel off remnants of a GU Chomp from dollar bills before handing them to a store clerk… (courtesy of IronWu)
…when you can pack a normal day’s worth of calories into a sports bottle… (courtesy of Iron Nick)
…you put on some chamois butter in a Port-A-Potty and 10 mins later you’re digging in your bento box with the same hand to pull out some pretzels… (courtesy of Frank A.)
…you are so proud of yourself that when you blew out your snot, it made a nice splat on the ground instead of your leg. And you and your biking buddies stop to appreciate your feat… (courtesy of Coach Helen) – yeah gross but SO TRUE.