I sighed up for training today! The Seattle Amica Insurance Marathon Sunday, Nov.28th
Training $200
New Shoes $100
Race Fee $95.00
Me finishing.....Priceless! (I hope!)
Trust
11 years ago
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
San Juan Island Bike Ride
It's July 26TH and I have been painting my new house like a crazy woman and shopping to find the perfect item to decorate. I have finally come to a point where I can rest now and put a hold on the house until a later date. I had ordered a book called "Biking Puget Sound", while reading and looking for my first ride I decide to hit the San Juan Islands. There are four: San Juan, Orcas, Lopez and Shaw. San Juan looked most appealing to me and the book description said this:
Difficulty: Moderate (didn't know hilly meant moderate)
Total Time: allow 3 hours (I finished 2:50, yeah!)
Total Distance: 32.6 (felt more like 50 when I was done)
Total Elevation Gain: 1,860 feet (guess I didn't pay much attention to this one, duh!)
I had to drive an hour to Anacortes, WA to catch the 10:15 am ferry which I missed. Well I thought that is okay because I have no job, no time schedule and a cat waiting for me at home. The next ferry was at 11:55 am. I began talking to this very nice family from Oregon which helped the time go by. Finally we aboard the ferry and I thumb through some brochures to see what to expect. I find a local bike shop so when I got off the ferry I headed right over. I inquired about the island and what to expect. The guy at the store said it nice but there are some "good" hills. I'm thinking okay I'm good at hills no problem. Good thing I ate a good breakfast because it was 1:30 and I was just starting my journey with a good breakfast and a cliff bar on the ferry.
I "gear" up and I'm a little anxious because one I'm by myself, not familiar with the teretority and jittery because I was drinking coffee all morning. Oh did I fail to mention it was 56 degrees while we were waiting for the ferry? Well it was and I had shorts, short-sleeve cycling jersey and a light hoodie on. I need to remind everyone I just moved from Hawaii and visitng Texas. I was cold!!!!
Anyway I head out and I'm not even a half mile out and I noticed that my heart rate monitor was not reading on my watch. For those of you that use one, this is a must! So I'm moving along and I decide to go up this driveway and into the parking lot to fix this technical difficulty so I can continue. I didn't even make it up the driveway and noticed I had fallen over on my right side still clipped in (clipped in is where my feet are still attached to my pedals! OMG how embarrising. To top it off I'm still in the town and I hear a woman yell across the street "Are you okay"? I wanted to cry deep inside but just laughed and said "yes, I'm okay", her reply was "I've done that before". I thinking yes we all have but it's still embarrassing and my left side really hurts.
I scrape myself off the pavement and get my stupid heart rate monitor to work and of course my heart rate is quite excelled at this point. I begin to pedal away and don't look back. I'm riding along and at 6.5 miles I come up over a hill and see this fabulous Lavendar Farm. It was so beautiful and even the port-a-potty has lavendar in it. I wanted to roll in it and sooth my left side of my body but didn't think it was appropirate.
At 10.5 miles I am up high over looking some cliffs and the ocean below me. I even noticed the Orca whales swimming around. That was pretty cool. I must mention that this island has no bike lanes nor shoulders. Bikers, mopeds, scooters, go-cart looking things, vehicles and cyclist all share the road. At first this made me very nervous because there were curves and nothing but forest on either side. Once I noticed the lack of cars and the many bikes then I began to feel more at ease. I was told by mile 18 there was the one killer hill. Shit, I had been doing hills all day so far! Any of you that know about heart break hill in Hawaii, well there were several! I decide to stop at San Juan County Park and carb up with the little yummy power bar "candies" filled with fruity gel in the middle. I'm ready for anything at this point! LOL I make it to the "hill" and not too bad!
By now I can still feel some soreness in my left leg as I crank down on the hills but still going somewhat strong. I arrive at mile 22 and it's a small town called Roche Harbor. It was nice but I didn't stop and headed towards the San Juan Vineyard at mile 28.6. Now here is where I should of stopped but did not and continued on and arrived safe and sound back at Friday Harbor where I began. I put up all my gear, changed clothes and hit the nearest bar! I found a nice little bar and restaurant over looking the harbor where the ferries pull in. I ordered fish tacos and two beers, but drank one at a time. For those of you who do long work-outs it doesn't take much for that buzz to hit right after. I had my beers and dinner and by 6:50 I was back on the ferry and arrived home at 9:00. I was pooped but it was an awesome day and wished my honey was with me the whole time. I had to go home and rest for my 8 mile trail run the next day!
Difficulty: Moderate (didn't know hilly meant moderate)
Total Time: allow 3 hours (I finished 2:50, yeah!)
Total Distance: 32.6 (felt more like 50 when I was done)
Total Elevation Gain: 1,860 feet (guess I didn't pay much attention to this one, duh!)
I had to drive an hour to Anacortes, WA to catch the 10:15 am ferry which I missed. Well I thought that is okay because I have no job, no time schedule and a cat waiting for me at home. The next ferry was at 11:55 am. I began talking to this very nice family from Oregon which helped the time go by. Finally we aboard the ferry and I thumb through some brochures to see what to expect. I find a local bike shop so when I got off the ferry I headed right over. I inquired about the island and what to expect. The guy at the store said it nice but there are some "good" hills. I'm thinking okay I'm good at hills no problem. Good thing I ate a good breakfast because it was 1:30 and I was just starting my journey with a good breakfast and a cliff bar on the ferry.
I "gear" up and I'm a little anxious because one I'm by myself, not familiar with the teretority and jittery because I was drinking coffee all morning. Oh did I fail to mention it was 56 degrees while we were waiting for the ferry? Well it was and I had shorts, short-sleeve cycling jersey and a light hoodie on. I need to remind everyone I just moved from Hawaii and visitng Texas. I was cold!!!!
Anyway I head out and I'm not even a half mile out and I noticed that my heart rate monitor was not reading on my watch. For those of you that use one, this is a must! So I'm moving along and I decide to go up this driveway and into the parking lot to fix this technical difficulty so I can continue. I didn't even make it up the driveway and noticed I had fallen over on my right side still clipped in (clipped in is where my feet are still attached to my pedals! OMG how embarrising. To top it off I'm still in the town and I hear a woman yell across the street "Are you okay"? I wanted to cry deep inside but just laughed and said "yes, I'm okay", her reply was "I've done that before". I thinking yes we all have but it's still embarrassing and my left side really hurts.
I scrape myself off the pavement and get my stupid heart rate monitor to work and of course my heart rate is quite excelled at this point. I begin to pedal away and don't look back. I'm riding along and at 6.5 miles I come up over a hill and see this fabulous Lavendar Farm. It was so beautiful and even the port-a-potty has lavendar in it. I wanted to roll in it and sooth my left side of my body but didn't think it was appropirate.
At 10.5 miles I am up high over looking some cliffs and the ocean below me. I even noticed the Orca whales swimming around. That was pretty cool. I must mention that this island has no bike lanes nor shoulders. Bikers, mopeds, scooters, go-cart looking things, vehicles and cyclist all share the road. At first this made me very nervous because there were curves and nothing but forest on either side. Once I noticed the lack of cars and the many bikes then I began to feel more at ease. I was told by mile 18 there was the one killer hill. Shit, I had been doing hills all day so far! Any of you that know about heart break hill in Hawaii, well there were several! I decide to stop at San Juan County Park and carb up with the little yummy power bar "candies" filled with fruity gel in the middle. I'm ready for anything at this point! LOL I make it to the "hill" and not too bad!
By now I can still feel some soreness in my left leg as I crank down on the hills but still going somewhat strong. I arrive at mile 22 and it's a small town called Roche Harbor. It was nice but I didn't stop and headed towards the San Juan Vineyard at mile 28.6. Now here is where I should of stopped but did not and continued on and arrived safe and sound back at Friday Harbor where I began. I put up all my gear, changed clothes and hit the nearest bar! I found a nice little bar and restaurant over looking the harbor where the ferries pull in. I ordered fish tacos and two beers, but drank one at a time. For those of you who do long work-outs it doesn't take much for that buzz to hit right after. I had my beers and dinner and by 6:50 I was back on the ferry and arrived home at 9:00. I was pooped but it was an awesome day and wished my honey was with me the whole time. I had to go home and rest for my 8 mile trail run the next day!
Denny Creek, Washington
I was told about a website called meetup.com, it's to meet people in your area with whatever interest you log in. I typed in Hiking, go figure, and found this fabulous group named Outdoor Women 30+. Yes, I know it's shocking, I am in my thirties for those of you that didn't know any better. LOL Anyway I met them on Saturday, July 17Th for a wonderful hike. It only took about an hour to arrive at the trail head.
The total hike was roughly nine miles round-trip and took us around 6-7 hours plus we had lunch at the lake, which was our destination. Along the way were amazing waterfalls over the rocks and some parts still had some snow.
It was amazing to know I was living here and have such beautiful country to view and enjoy. The women were great and we had lots to talk about along the way. I look forward to many more hikes in Washington State.
The total hike was roughly nine miles round-trip and took us around 6-7 hours plus we had lunch at the lake, which was our destination. Along the way were amazing waterfalls over the rocks and some parts still had some snow.
It was amazing to know I was living here and have such beautiful country to view and enjoy. The women were great and we had lots to talk about along the way. I look forward to many more hikes in Washington State.
Catching up...June-July 2010
After my big race it was time to play, play and more play. A few weeks after the race I went to Virgina to visit Brian and my friend Cori and her family. Virgina was hot but very fun. We went to a baseball game, the flying squirrels! Good time and very low key. We also did a 7 hour canoe trip down the Rappahannock river. It was fun and the "girls" boat never tipped over, can't say much for the fellas but it was all in good fun. After seeing two snakes in the river I didn't really want to "fall" over. Cori and I ran a 5K in downtown Fredericksburg. We both hadn't ran in awhile but that was our second (1st was in Hawaii) run together. It was more about running with her than trying to beat any personal records. We also attended a crab boil and that was allot of fun until Cori decided to chase Brian down the hill on a long board. She went to fast and tried to "hop" off, didn't quite happen that way. She jumped off, hit the pavement and did a face plant into the street. She look hot as ever with her later we found out broken wrist and knot on the forehead. Long story short she had to have surgery the following week.
The night before we left Virgina, Brian and I had no idea where we were headed to next. So while at the crab boil someone suggested the Outer Banks in North Carolina. Brian and I agreed and said let's go. We stayed there for two nights and had a wonderful and relaxing time. I got to do runs on the beach, we had nice seafood dinners and made it to a comedy show. The comedians were okay and we chuckled a few times. It must be hard to get in front of a live audience and keep them entertained with comedy. I do envy them for getting up there. The last day we were there we took our time and left around 9am to catch the ferries. We didn't know what we were about to face but really weren't on a time schedule and eventually wanted to get to Florida. It was North Carolina, it shouldn't take that long to get to Florida, right? Wrong! We caught the first ferry and it took us 30 min to get across to the next ferry. We got to the second ferry and had to wait over an hour but again, this was okay because we had beers on the water and some hot steamy clams! We aboard the ferry and it was a two hour ferry ride. By the time we got on the main highway it was going on 7pm. So we went less than a 100 miles in 10 hours. Wow, we thought so we kept driving and got to Dade city the next day at 8am. We were in the car for 22 hours and again this was from NC to FL.
We stayed a week with Brian's Dad and hung out with him going to dinners, movies, the bars and even Disney! We stayed two nights in Orlando and hit Hollywood Studios, Epcot and Magic Kingdom. It was fun but I'm glad I got it out of my system. I couldn't do that place year after year if I had kids! Like I said it was fun and "magical" but once was good for me.
After about a week in Dade City with Brian's Dad we went to Jacksonville. I got to see and visit some friends. It was great seeing them and getting to visit. Brian went back to Virgina to finish his last school and I just hung out in Jacksonville for a few days. Once I was done visiting, I flew back to Texas and waited for my honey to pick me up so we could head to our new home, Washington State.
Brian finally got to Houston after two weeks and we hit the road. We were in my jeep with many suitcases, crap and sweet little Moe for 3.5 days. We did stop at night to rest and sleep. We drove through many states which included: Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, Wyoming, Utah, Idaho, Oregon and finally Washington. It was a long 3.5 days and saw some pretty scenery but not until Wyoming. We also heard on the radio while driving through Kansas that they were passing a seat belt law and if you got caught without it then you were fined $5 and next year it would double. You are thinking wow, but have you ever driven through that state? Country roads! It amused us coming from the city and all.
We arrive in Washington and check into the Navy Lodge on July 1st. We found the house we are currently living in on the 2ND. We looked around some more but none of them could compare to what we had already seen. So on the 8Th we signed the lease and the very next day, the 9Th, the movers brought our house hold goods. Brian and I busily unpacked all weekend. We got all our utilities hooked up, Internet and cable running, bought furniture and had delivered etc. Brian then leaves for a short deployment on the 15Th. It is now the 28Th of July and I have painted my guest bathroom, kitchen and dining room.
Yes, I was on the move for quite some time. I'm done working on the house for now and now it is time to explore Washington...........
The night before we left Virgina, Brian and I had no idea where we were headed to next. So while at the crab boil someone suggested the Outer Banks in North Carolina. Brian and I agreed and said let's go. We stayed there for two nights and had a wonderful and relaxing time. I got to do runs on the beach, we had nice seafood dinners and made it to a comedy show. The comedians were okay and we chuckled a few times. It must be hard to get in front of a live audience and keep them entertained with comedy. I do envy them for getting up there. The last day we were there we took our time and left around 9am to catch the ferries. We didn't know what we were about to face but really weren't on a time schedule and eventually wanted to get to Florida. It was North Carolina, it shouldn't take that long to get to Florida, right? Wrong! We caught the first ferry and it took us 30 min to get across to the next ferry. We got to the second ferry and had to wait over an hour but again, this was okay because we had beers on the water and some hot steamy clams! We aboard the ferry and it was a two hour ferry ride. By the time we got on the main highway it was going on 7pm. So we went less than a 100 miles in 10 hours. Wow, we thought so we kept driving and got to Dade city the next day at 8am. We were in the car for 22 hours and again this was from NC to FL.
We stayed a week with Brian's Dad and hung out with him going to dinners, movies, the bars and even Disney! We stayed two nights in Orlando and hit Hollywood Studios, Epcot and Magic Kingdom. It was fun but I'm glad I got it out of my system. I couldn't do that place year after year if I had kids! Like I said it was fun and "magical" but once was good for me.
After about a week in Dade City with Brian's Dad we went to Jacksonville. I got to see and visit some friends. It was great seeing them and getting to visit. Brian went back to Virgina to finish his last school and I just hung out in Jacksonville for a few days. Once I was done visiting, I flew back to Texas and waited for my honey to pick me up so we could head to our new home, Washington State.
Brian finally got to Houston after two weeks and we hit the road. We were in my jeep with many suitcases, crap and sweet little Moe for 3.5 days. We did stop at night to rest and sleep. We drove through many states which included: Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, Wyoming, Utah, Idaho, Oregon and finally Washington. It was a long 3.5 days and saw some pretty scenery but not until Wyoming. We also heard on the radio while driving through Kansas that they were passing a seat belt law and if you got caught without it then you were fined $5 and next year it would double. You are thinking wow, but have you ever driven through that state? Country roads! It amused us coming from the city and all.
We arrive in Washington and check into the Navy Lodge on July 1st. We found the house we are currently living in on the 2ND. We looked around some more but none of them could compare to what we had already seen. So on the 8Th we signed the lease and the very next day, the 9Th, the movers brought our house hold goods. Brian and I busily unpacked all weekend. We got all our utilities hooked up, Internet and cable running, bought furniture and had delivered etc. Brian then leaves for a short deployment on the 15Th. It is now the 28Th of July and I have painted my guest bathroom, kitchen and dining room.
Yes, I was on the move for quite some time. I'm done working on the house for now and now it is time to explore Washington...........
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Race Day!
Saturday morning arrives which was the day before the race. Mom and I got up early packed the car and off to Dallas we went. After about five hours we finally arrive to Plano Cycling to retrieve my race packet which included my bib number, race number for bike, a nice T-shirt, cycling socks and of course fliers for all sorts of advertisements. Normally you get the race number, T-shirt and fliers but when you pay over a $100 for a race I guess socks are included! I also received another shirt after the race! Anyway I was speaking to a volunteer and we were discussing the Lake water and how cold it may be due to all the rain it had gotten. She asked if i had a wet suit and I said "No". I was racing in Dallas, TX and it didn't even occur to me that a wet suit may be needed. Not only was I stressed about the race but now I was worried about getting too cold in the lake. Another volunteer over heard our conversation and asked if i wanted to change my race from the half iron to the Olympic distance. I politely said no thanks but in my head I was saying "hell no, I've been training for months and I don't want water temp to stop me from doing the half". They were both very nice and very helpful, in fact, they sent me to Richardson Bike Mart where they rent and sell wetsuits. Okay, I'm calming down at this point!
On my way to the next bike shop I phoned Brian to give him the heads up on my situation. The situation was I may be renting a suit for $55 or buying one for $300-$400. Yeah, guess which one he wanted to support! I walk in and talk to Cara which was very helpful and i explained my situation. First, I needed a suit for the race and I would eventually need one in Washington State but wasn't sure which one would work in the long run. I thought there might be two suits to choose from but NO, there were about 3-4 different types and I was so confused. I then decided to just rent one for the race which was sleeveless and fit perfect (the scary thing here was I have never trained in a wetsuit). I asked if I could mail it back so I didn't have to drive all the way back to the store and she said that would be fine. Great, got me a suit and I knew I would be fine in the water!
All dilemmas solved and Mom and I drive to our hotel which was a La Quinta. It was nice and clean but in a not so good area. My cousin Bobby told me about it and he was staying there as well. We met up with him and his friend, Jeff. We all four went to the Olive Garden for dinner. We all car bed up on pasta, salad and bread sticks! By the time we got back to our hotel it was going on 8:00. I was getting a bit tired and had to lay out all my gear in preparation for the race. I was a little worried I didn't have enough fuel (gels, snacks etc.) but I felt what I had would get me through. After packing everything up and laying out my clothes I hit the sack and was out in no time. This was a good thing since I thought I may not be able to go to sleep feeling the way I was.
The alarm buzzes and it's 4:00 a.m. race day morning! My stomach is a ball of nerves and I'm not that hungry. There is something defiantly wrong if I'm not hungry. I got dressed, iced my water bottles and forced a bagel with peanut butter, fruit, a hard boiled egg and some coffee down my throat. I new I had to eat so I forced as much as I could without making myself sick. Mom was ready and we packed the car and drove to the park where the race was being held. It was about a 20-30 minute drive from the hotel. It was still dark when we arrived and I had a few moments to gather my thoughts.
I enter the transition area with all my gear and I began to set up next to Bobby and Jeff. We were all there about an hour before the race to prepare and get set up. It was getting near 7:00 so we began to suit up in our wetsuits and head to the water. Mom was great and had the camera ready! The gun went off and we hit the water and i felt great throughout the entire swim. I never had to switch to another stroke and didn't stop. I got to the shore and gave Mom a big smile and began to unzip my suit. I ran to T1 (transition 1) where I stripped off the wetsuit and got my biking mode on.
I jumped on the bike and felt really strong. The weather could not have been better at this time. It was very overcast with a very few sprinkles. At one point my feet were getting cold. I had my motor tab (drink with salts) in one bottle and a mixture of Gatorade and water in the other. I had two gels, energy jelly beans and bars chopped up in a baggie in the front pouch of my bike. I ready for anything, well almost anything! The bike course was a two loop of 24 miles each loop. The road was a bit rough and there were some rolling hills. As I was finishing the first loop, I began to feel a bit tired so I remained with my snacks and gels. I was worried at this point because I new I had 24 more miles to go plus the half marathon. I kept on trucking and I began to feel my second wind. By the last 10-12 miles I was ready to get off the bike and those rough roads. I had no flats and dropped my water bottle only once which I did stop to get because I knew I would need it.
It was nice to see the transition area again. I jumped off the bike and now was ready to run! Towards the end of the bike the sun began coming out and the clouds disappearing. The beginning of the run was a nice shady area through the park and then it took you on the road and then some on the highway. The run was also two loops and the road and highway part were awful due to the sun beating down on you. I was nice and strong for the first six miles but after that I began to fade a bit. I was putting ice under my hat and shooting gel from my bottle and staying hydrated. There were a few people along the way falling out and receiving medical attention. My goal now was to finish without any medical attention! Jeff caught up with me the last 4-5 miles and we kept motivating each other to finish the run. We soon heard the crowd and new the end was near. Before I crossed the finish line tears were rolling down my face and I was waving to Mom. I was so happy to see her and as I crossed the finish line we both hugged and cried. I was proud of myself for my accomplishment and so was she.
I finished 6:42 and 4th place out of my age group. I ranked 2nd in my swim, 3rd on the bike and 4th in the run out of the 5 women in my age group. It was an awesome experience and yes, I will do more in the future!
On my way to the next bike shop I phoned Brian to give him the heads up on my situation. The situation was I may be renting a suit for $55 or buying one for $300-$400. Yeah, guess which one he wanted to support! I walk in and talk to Cara which was very helpful and i explained my situation. First, I needed a suit for the race and I would eventually need one in Washington State but wasn't sure which one would work in the long run. I thought there might be two suits to choose from but NO, there were about 3-4 different types and I was so confused. I then decided to just rent one for the race which was sleeveless and fit perfect (the scary thing here was I have never trained in a wetsuit). I asked if I could mail it back so I didn't have to drive all the way back to the store and she said that would be fine. Great, got me a suit and I knew I would be fine in the water!
All dilemmas solved and Mom and I drive to our hotel which was a La Quinta. It was nice and clean but in a not so good area. My cousin Bobby told me about it and he was staying there as well. We met up with him and his friend, Jeff. We all four went to the Olive Garden for dinner. We all car bed up on pasta, salad and bread sticks! By the time we got back to our hotel it was going on 8:00. I was getting a bit tired and had to lay out all my gear in preparation for the race. I was a little worried I didn't have enough fuel (gels, snacks etc.) but I felt what I had would get me through. After packing everything up and laying out my clothes I hit the sack and was out in no time. This was a good thing since I thought I may not be able to go to sleep feeling the way I was.
The alarm buzzes and it's 4:00 a.m. race day morning! My stomach is a ball of nerves and I'm not that hungry. There is something defiantly wrong if I'm not hungry. I got dressed, iced my water bottles and forced a bagel with peanut butter, fruit, a hard boiled egg and some coffee down my throat. I new I had to eat so I forced as much as I could without making myself sick. Mom was ready and we packed the car and drove to the park where the race was being held. It was about a 20-30 minute drive from the hotel. It was still dark when we arrived and I had a few moments to gather my thoughts.
I enter the transition area with all my gear and I began to set up next to Bobby and Jeff. We were all there about an hour before the race to prepare and get set up. It was getting near 7:00 so we began to suit up in our wetsuits and head to the water. Mom was great and had the camera ready! The gun went off and we hit the water and i felt great throughout the entire swim. I never had to switch to another stroke and didn't stop. I got to the shore and gave Mom a big smile and began to unzip my suit. I ran to T1 (transition 1) where I stripped off the wetsuit and got my biking mode on.
I jumped on the bike and felt really strong. The weather could not have been better at this time. It was very overcast with a very few sprinkles. At one point my feet were getting cold. I had my motor tab (drink with salts) in one bottle and a mixture of Gatorade and water in the other. I had two gels, energy jelly beans and bars chopped up in a baggie in the front pouch of my bike. I ready for anything, well almost anything! The bike course was a two loop of 24 miles each loop. The road was a bit rough and there were some rolling hills. As I was finishing the first loop, I began to feel a bit tired so I remained with my snacks and gels. I was worried at this point because I new I had 24 more miles to go plus the half marathon. I kept on trucking and I began to feel my second wind. By the last 10-12 miles I was ready to get off the bike and those rough roads. I had no flats and dropped my water bottle only once which I did stop to get because I knew I would need it.
It was nice to see the transition area again. I jumped off the bike and now was ready to run! Towards the end of the bike the sun began coming out and the clouds disappearing. The beginning of the run was a nice shady area through the park and then it took you on the road and then some on the highway. The run was also two loops and the road and highway part were awful due to the sun beating down on you. I was nice and strong for the first six miles but after that I began to fade a bit. I was putting ice under my hat and shooting gel from my bottle and staying hydrated. There were a few people along the way falling out and receiving medical attention. My goal now was to finish without any medical attention! Jeff caught up with me the last 4-5 miles and we kept motivating each other to finish the run. We soon heard the crowd and new the end was near. Before I crossed the finish line tears were rolling down my face and I was waving to Mom. I was so happy to see her and as I crossed the finish line we both hugged and cried. I was proud of myself for my accomplishment and so was she.
I finished 6:42 and 4th place out of my age group. I ranked 2nd in my swim, 3rd on the bike and 4th in the run out of the 5 women in my age group. It was an awesome experience and yes, I will do more in the future!
Friday, May 7, 2010
Trying to Stay on Track
After leaving Yosemite, CA, Brian and I headed to Las Cruces, NM. We drove straight through from California to New Mexico with a total of 16 hours. It was a long drive but we made it through and we were glad to see the Oregon Mountains (Small mountain range in Las Cruces). We stayed three nights and got to visit old friends and familiar places. We went to WSMR (White Sands Missle Range) where Brian and I first met (2004) and the bartender is STILL there. He has worked there for 35 years! Yes, 35 years as a bertender on a Army/Navy base. He is a hoot and so interesting to talk to. When I lived here we would bartend together and I really enjoyed working with him. A few other familiar faces were still there and it was great to see them after 3years, that was the last time we were there visiting. I spent some time with my friend Cindy by enjoying a 6 mile walk along the Rio Grande and then of course had lunch afterwards.
Leaving Las Cruces, NM, Texas/Houston was our next destination which took us only 13 hours. Yes, Mo is still with us and is still a great little traveler. By now we have been traveling for 10 days. The only exercise I have really been focusing on is running because you can do that anywhere. As you have read prior, running in new places is such an awesome feeling. There was one pool but was so short that I began to get dizzy swimming back and forth. As far as the bike, well I didn't have mine, no spinning classes available and not even a stationery bike. Out of the three legs, running is the best NOT to be slacking on!
We finally arrive in Houston April 30th! Brian and I put my bike together the very next day and off I went for a short 15 mile ride to test the bike. I shipped it from Hawaii to Houston (my Sister's) so I would have it for my race. It was so awesome to be able to ride again, the free feeling and the wind in my face. Two days later I got a 24 Hour Fitness memebership so I could have full access of the gym, group classes i.e. spinning and the pool! I did a swim and it felt better than I thought. I thought it would be much tougher due to the lack of swimming over the last couple of weeks. I was happy that my body still felt strong in the water and didn't want to just SINK!
I have one week and two days until my first half iron man and I'm pretty nervous! My goal is to finish!
Leaving Las Cruces, NM, Texas/Houston was our next destination which took us only 13 hours. Yes, Mo is still with us and is still a great little traveler. By now we have been traveling for 10 days. The only exercise I have really been focusing on is running because you can do that anywhere. As you have read prior, running in new places is such an awesome feeling. There was one pool but was so short that I began to get dizzy swimming back and forth. As far as the bike, well I didn't have mine, no spinning classes available and not even a stationery bike. Out of the three legs, running is the best NOT to be slacking on!
We finally arrive in Houston April 30th! Brian and I put my bike together the very next day and off I went for a short 15 mile ride to test the bike. I shipped it from Hawaii to Houston (my Sister's) so I would have it for my race. It was so awesome to be able to ride again, the free feeling and the wind in my face. Two days later I got a 24 Hour Fitness memebership so I could have full access of the gym, group classes i.e. spinning and the pool! I did a swim and it felt better than I thought. I thought it would be much tougher due to the lack of swimming over the last couple of weeks. I was happy that my body still felt strong in the water and didn't want to just SINK!
I have one week and two days until my first half iron man and I'm pretty nervous! My goal is to finish!
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Yosemite National Park
Wow, it was great to be back in the park after fourteen years! The winding road to the park takes about an hour to get to the valley. As you drive along this road you see miles and miles of pine trees and snow on the mountain tops. The air is crisp and clean as it passes through your lungs. Once you drive through the tunnel, there is a fabulous view of the valley, which was created by glaciers. That is amazing in itself once you see the depth of the valley.
Saturday we hiked Bridalveil Falls and Vernal Falls and it was quite crowded. We didn't realize it was National Park week (entrance is free) and many from all around were doing the same thing we were doing....enjoying Mother Nature at its finest! After the two hikes we were pretty pooped and enjoyed a hot pizza and cold beer at Curry Village. Curry Village is where I used to work many years ago and the memories were flowing. We were very relaxed and had a wonderful day.
Sunday we went back to the park and enjoyed another hike, Upper Yosemite Falls. We hiked about 4 hours and the views from above the pine trees were amazing. There were many switchbacks and the elevation gain was rather steep but challenging. Yosemite Falls is beautiful and breath taking all at once. The feeling you get from Yosemite is so peaceful and the spiritual feeling I feel here is like no other place!
Our hotel was very cozy and "in the woods" kind of feel. It was definitely a new place to run and enjoy the crisp clean air. I ran about 10 miles and enjoyed every mile looking at the mountain tops with snow and the smell of the pines. The picture enclosed is one of the streets I ran along. It doesn't get much better than this!
Saturday we hiked Bridalveil Falls and Vernal Falls and it was quite crowded. We didn't realize it was National Park week (entrance is free) and many from all around were doing the same thing we were doing....enjoying Mother Nature at its finest! After the two hikes we were pretty pooped and enjoyed a hot pizza and cold beer at Curry Village. Curry Village is where I used to work many years ago and the memories were flowing. We were very relaxed and had a wonderful day.
Sunday we went back to the park and enjoyed another hike, Upper Yosemite Falls. We hiked about 4 hours and the views from above the pine trees were amazing. There were many switchbacks and the elevation gain was rather steep but challenging. Yosemite Falls is beautiful and breath taking all at once. The feeling you get from Yosemite is so peaceful and the spiritual feeling I feel here is like no other place!
Our hotel was very cozy and "in the woods" kind of feel. It was definitely a new place to run and enjoy the crisp clean air. I ran about 10 miles and enjoyed every mile looking at the mountain tops with snow and the smell of the pines. The picture enclosed is one of the streets I ran along. It doesn't get much better than this!
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