The Epic Continues... This is the blog I started when I signed up and began training for Ironman Coeur d'Alene, my first Ironman triathlon (2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike, 26.2 mile run). I trained for 10 months. On June 26 20011 I went to Idaho to do it, something went wrong in the cold water, I didn't make the swim cut off and was pulled from the race. Huge bummer. In a fog of disappointment I signed up for Ironman Canada on Aug 28 to get er done.
Monday, May 30, 2011
26 days
Here's the thing about Hypothermia. It comes so slow and makes you so dumb all you can do is try to prevent it. I had no idea how bad of shape I was in until I had been rescued by a nurse and her husband in a gigantic truck, bundled in blankets and driven half way home.
I headed out Sunday for a six hour ride. Plan: Ride into Yosemite Valley and out.
Weather: sunny.
Clothes: Jersey and Windbreaker and shorts.
I saw a flipped raft, gigantic dead deer, lots of wildflowers, big water, awesome rocks, it was a great ride. When I hit El Portal it got drizzly and I put on my windbreaker and started to climb into the valley. It was slowly getting colder and I figured I'd bust out the last 10 miles and dry off by the fire at the Ahwahnee and head back down. Then I got dumb. Next thing I know, my hands are numb, I'm soaked through, there are occasional snow flakes, and I'm biking down a muddy road towards smoke (smoke = fire = warm). I asked the nice Mexican family If I could warm my hands over their meaty grill so I could make a phone call. I hung like a hobo by the grill and called the main man to see if he could meet me at the park gate. Then for some reason I rode deeper into the valley before turning around. A little later when I was shivering violently and biking 2 miles an hour unable to brake or shift, a gigantic truck pulled up. Ordered me into it, swathed me in blankets, fed me, and made sense of my mumblings.... "Midpines," and "Friend at gate." We passed Main Man, "We've Got Your Girlfriend" and I got home to lots of eating, a bath, a fire, and being so exhausted all I could do was cry the tired cry of a 2 year old while Main Man made me finish my dinner before bed.
I am the luckiest girl.
I've been feeling like some geriatric version of the me I once knew. This is the "finding my limits" part I've been so excited about!
In other news, I got an interview at a Bakery in Hood River tomorrow and am chompin at the bit to get home and move forward with thrilling farm and settling down plans. One more week of California wildflower sunshine and it's home again home again to Northwest summer bliss!
I headed out Sunday for a six hour ride. Plan: Ride into Yosemite Valley and out.
Weather: sunny.
Clothes: Jersey and Windbreaker and shorts.
I saw a flipped raft, gigantic dead deer, lots of wildflowers, big water, awesome rocks, it was a great ride. When I hit El Portal it got drizzly and I put on my windbreaker and started to climb into the valley. It was slowly getting colder and I figured I'd bust out the last 10 miles and dry off by the fire at the Ahwahnee and head back down. Then I got dumb. Next thing I know, my hands are numb, I'm soaked through, there are occasional snow flakes, and I'm biking down a muddy road towards smoke (smoke = fire = warm). I asked the nice Mexican family If I could warm my hands over their meaty grill so I could make a phone call. I hung like a hobo by the grill and called the main man to see if he could meet me at the park gate. Then for some reason I rode deeper into the valley before turning around. A little later when I was shivering violently and biking 2 miles an hour unable to brake or shift, a gigantic truck pulled up. Ordered me into it, swathed me in blankets, fed me, and made sense of my mumblings.... "Midpines," and "Friend at gate." We passed Main Man, "We've Got Your Girlfriend" and I got home to lots of eating, a bath, a fire, and being so exhausted all I could do was cry the tired cry of a 2 year old while Main Man made me finish my dinner before bed.
I am the luckiest girl.
I've been feeling like some geriatric version of the me I once knew. This is the "finding my limits" part I've been so excited about!
In other news, I got an interview at a Bakery in Hood River tomorrow and am chompin at the bit to get home and move forward with thrilling farm and settling down plans. One more week of California wildflower sunshine and it's home again home again to Northwest summer bliss!
Friday, May 27, 2011
29 days
SO it's less than a month until the race. Shit!
I have a case of nervous right kidney. I actually went to the doctor, which I never do, and I hope it's musculoskeletal. They said it's that or a stone. At the doctor I also learned I've gained 15 pounds in 2011! And I'm still the same size! Nuts!
It's warming up here. Flowers blooming. Training and yoga and taco night with cowboy music in town. It's good people here in Mariposa.
I am getting eager to get home. Set up garden, transition to not always training life, back to friends and summer and home.
I have a case of nervous right kidney. I actually went to the doctor, which I never do, and I hope it's musculoskeletal. They said it's that or a stone. At the doctor I also learned I've gained 15 pounds in 2011! And I'm still the same size! Nuts!
It's warming up here. Flowers blooming. Training and yoga and taco night with cowboy music in town. It's good people here in Mariposa.
I am getting eager to get home. Set up garden, transition to not always training life, back to friends and summer and home.
Monday, May 23, 2011
Rad-poccalypse
Busy week of work/train/sunshine/rain Yosemite life.
This weekend we went to San Francisco. On our way there we stopped for a quick sec in Modsesto to grab a bite to eat. We parked and popped into a restaurant with a little bluegrass band in it, ate a hot dog, and no more than 30 minutes later, walking back to the car noticed a bazillion cops/ambulances/firetrucks/lights. Here was the scene: A closed intersection containing: crime tape, lights, a shot dead guy getting CPR, and our truck. We had to stay until the detectives came and the dead man was transported, (luckily?) we were gone eating hot dogs and didn't have to respond. After a bit we were escorted out, crime tape lifted, drove under it and made it to Oakland around midnight to begin an up late sleep late city living weekend.
The weekend was, good friends, sunshine, sitting in Dolores Park for a New Years Style countdown cheer for Apocalypse, Cutting a rug with the main man at Soul Night, Tacos, Potato Cakes,a vinegar tasting. General Joy.
It's so easy to fall in love with a place in springtime when it's busting open with flowers and people in short shorts. 3 cheers for the bay!
This weekend we went to San Francisco. On our way there we stopped for a quick sec in Modsesto to grab a bite to eat. We parked and popped into a restaurant with a little bluegrass band in it, ate a hot dog, and no more than 30 minutes later, walking back to the car noticed a bazillion cops/ambulances/firetrucks/lights. Here was the scene: A closed intersection containing: crime tape, lights, a shot dead guy getting CPR, and our truck. We had to stay until the detectives came and the dead man was transported, (luckily?) we were gone eating hot dogs and didn't have to respond. After a bit we were escorted out, crime tape lifted, drove under it and made it to Oakland around midnight to begin an up late sleep late city living weekend. The weekend was, good friends, sunshine, sitting in Dolores Park for a New Years Style countdown cheer for Apocalypse, Cutting a rug with the main man at Soul Night, Tacos, Potato Cakes,a vinegar tasting. General Joy.
It's so easy to fall in love with a place in springtime when it's busting open with flowers and people in short shorts. 3 cheers for the bay!
Monday, May 16, 2011
Hornitos
It's coming closer...
2 more weeks of build workouts
1 recovery week
A race week including my first two triathlons
And begin taper/prep for the race June 26
MAN!
Life in Yosemite's been good. Swimming at lunch in the outdoor pool. Teaching a great class of new EMTs. Living in a cabin with a million critters and their babies as neighbors in the walls. Props to the new young bird mothers up at all hours feeding their yelling chicklets.
The weeekend was a treat. Friends from SF visited, we basked on the porch sipping sangria, grilled, hammocked, played lots of games, woke up to snow! made a fire, and visited a ghost town. Great visit.
This ghost town had a DIY style graveyard. mounds of dirt, flowers, rocks, no grass, lots of room. It also had lots of baby goats.
The jam these days is to keep my head straight and my feet on the ground as the nerves and reality of the race get more acute. And as the reality of looking for a job in Hood River gets more real. Lots of changes on the docket, but the truth is that the sun is out, the pool was nice, the course is good, it's nice to be here, and like the ghost town folks I'm just here to do my best every day, connect, and I'm out.
2 more weeks of build workouts
1 recovery week
A race week including my first two triathlons
And begin taper/prep for the race June 26
MAN!
Life in Yosemite's been good. Swimming at lunch in the outdoor pool. Teaching a great class of new EMTs. Living in a cabin with a million critters and their babies as neighbors in the walls. Props to the new young bird mothers up at all hours feeding their yelling chicklets.
The weeekend was a treat. Friends from SF visited, we basked on the porch sipping sangria, grilled, hammocked, played lots of games, woke up to snow! made a fire, and visited a ghost town. Great visit.
This ghost town had a DIY style graveyard. mounds of dirt, flowers, rocks, no grass, lots of room. It also had lots of baby goats.
The jam these days is to keep my head straight and my feet on the ground as the nerves and reality of the race get more acute. And as the reality of looking for a job in Hood River gets more real. Lots of changes on the docket, but the truth is that the sun is out, the pool was nice, the course is good, it's nice to be here, and like the ghost town folks I'm just here to do my best every day, connect, and I'm out.
Friday, May 13, 2011
Summertime time
Knee is healing, swimming in Mariposa - Outdoor pool! at lunchtimes, biking to the river and back up the big hill, running through the sundapple oaks. Running to work in the morning, 6 weeks and 2 days until Ironman.
Thanks to Sika for this relaxing cat stuff.
Thanks to Sika for this relaxing cat stuff.
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Bienvenido California!
Marathon hurdle done. Sights set on June 11th and 12th triathlons at Blue Lake: June 11th: Sprint: 750 m swim, 20 km bike, 5 km run, June 12th: Olympic: 1.5 km swim, 40 km ride, 10 km run. In the meantime I'm nursing a bum knee from Eugene. Ran and biked yesterday, feeling the knee. Hurt or hurting?
Post Eugene we hit the road and headed to the beach where we ate fish Tacos with a lovely elderly stormwatcher couple from Texas who invited us onto their porch because "nobody likes sandy food," and serenaded us with ipod clarinet jazz and rambled on about the "olden days" eg: the 90s.
My post Marathon limp was wearing off and I slept like a sealion at the incredible Inn at Manzanita (cubbyhole bed, jacuzzi in the room, bakery breakfast), I got back on my legs for a morning beach run through the tiny tracks of sand critters in the sideways sun. We basked on the beach and took first steps towards earning a spot on the tandem surfing pro-tour. Next night was Pacific City, sneaking up on deer, eating tailgate sandwiches, shotgunning beers, and getting rained on. Then stanky sealion cave drive by, cinco de mayo, and charging to the redwoods. California! We slept with the giants who feel like big animals watching you sleep but are actually trees.
California is amazing, it's got it all and is SO California. Stoned people, redwoods, natural food stores, yoga, bright breezy houses, single pane windows, oak trees, eucalyptus, foggy coast lines.
Healdsburg was biking and meeting chickens and goats and farmers market and sampling cheeses and eating blue cheese burgers and laughing with friends under the stars.
And NOW I'm back in Midpines, teaching a month long EMT course outside Yosemite. It's great to be back at the homestead, sleeping in the treehouse, horses outside, windchimes chiming, and back at work.
Post Eugene we hit the road and headed to the beach where we ate fish Tacos with a lovely elderly stormwatcher couple from Texas who invited us onto their porch because "nobody likes sandy food," and serenaded us with ipod clarinet jazz and rambled on about the "olden days" eg: the 90s.
My post Marathon limp was wearing off and I slept like a sealion at the incredible Inn at Manzanita (cubbyhole bed, jacuzzi in the room, bakery breakfast), I got back on my legs for a morning beach run through the tiny tracks of sand critters in the sideways sun. We basked on the beach and took first steps towards earning a spot on the tandem surfing pro-tour. Next night was Pacific City, sneaking up on deer, eating tailgate sandwiches, shotgunning beers, and getting rained on. Then stanky sealion cave drive by, cinco de mayo, and charging to the redwoods. California! We slept with the giants who feel like big animals watching you sleep but are actually trees.
California is amazing, it's got it all and is SO California. Stoned people, redwoods, natural food stores, yoga, bright breezy houses, single pane windows, oak trees, eucalyptus, foggy coast lines.Healdsburg was biking and meeting chickens and goats and farmers market and sampling cheeses and eating blue cheese burgers and laughing with friends under the stars.
Monday, May 2, 2011
Marathon, done!
Eugene Marathon. Check.
Overall I placed smack in the middle. 1396/2291 overall, 99/178 in my division, ran a 4:13 marathon and kept my mile average under 10 minutes. I feel good about it and am excited to hop back on the training pony and crank this Ironman out.
Wrapped up the Portland course, after a week and a half of new baby+work+Portland+family+fun = serious training slacks. Ori and I jumped in the car, I ate a burrito, handed over the wheel and slept for two hours. I was haggard and excited from an awesome oysters/absinthe/music date that had me out until 1 the night before. Decisions = consequences I guess.
We woke up at 5am Sunday after a great evening with Ori's friends of good food and laughter and a 9pm bedtime. I felt great. Oatmeal and coffee and sunrise drive into town. Bag Check, peeing behind bushes, and freezing waiting for start.
7:10am and we were off. The first 10 miles were weaving through town. Awesome spectators, views of blocks and blocks as far as you could see of runners, lots of cowbells, I was pumped so I got this idea that I was going to run a 3:50 marathon. The plan seemed good until mile 17 when my legs realized that though they could bike or swim the rest of the race, they were sick of running. My pace dropped from 8:41 (rank 67) -9:11 (rank 93) -11:14 (rank 128) for the last 7 miles. It was a funny feeling to feel strong in body and fuel but done in muscle. Big inspiration for renewed dedication to training and also excitement that I can run a marathon and not be super tired. Just my legs.
There were so many highlights, so many great spectators, I was wearing my wonder woman costume and at mile 18, superman ran up beside me. At mile 16, there was a dinging to my side and I looked and saw a cowbell ringing on a stick tied to a string that ran 100 yards across the lawn to a man in a wheelchair on his porch. At mile 26 I was met by my new Main Man and at the finish also by my Dad.
Ori rocked her first marathon, we went and soaked our legs naked butted in the river, drank champagne, got burgers, and the day ended with finally being back home watching the sunset on the deck.
Overall I placed smack in the middle. 1396/2291 overall, 99/178 in my division, ran a 4:13 marathon and kept my mile average under 10 minutes. I feel good about it and am excited to hop back on the training pony and crank this Ironman out.
Wrapped up the Portland course, after a week and a half of new baby+work+Portland+family+fun = serious training slacks. Ori and I jumped in the car, I ate a burrito, handed over the wheel and slept for two hours. I was haggard and excited from an awesome oysters/absinthe/music date that had me out until 1 the night before. Decisions = consequences I guess.
We woke up at 5am Sunday after a great evening with Ori's friends of good food and laughter and a 9pm bedtime. I felt great. Oatmeal and coffee and sunrise drive into town. Bag Check, peeing behind bushes, and freezing waiting for start.
7:10am and we were off. The first 10 miles were weaving through town. Awesome spectators, views of blocks and blocks as far as you could see of runners, lots of cowbells, I was pumped so I got this idea that I was going to run a 3:50 marathon. The plan seemed good until mile 17 when my legs realized that though they could bike or swim the rest of the race, they were sick of running. My pace dropped from 8:41 (rank 67) -9:11 (rank 93) -11:14 (rank 128) for the last 7 miles. It was a funny feeling to feel strong in body and fuel but done in muscle. Big inspiration for renewed dedication to training and also excitement that I can run a marathon and not be super tired. Just my legs.
There were so many highlights, so many great spectators, I was wearing my wonder woman costume and at mile 18, superman ran up beside me. At mile 16, there was a dinging to my side and I looked and saw a cowbell ringing on a stick tied to a string that ran 100 yards across the lawn to a man in a wheelchair on his porch. At mile 26 I was met by my new Main Man and at the finish also by my Dad.
Ori rocked her first marathon, we went and soaked our legs naked butted in the river, drank champagne, got burgers, and the day ended with finally being back home watching the sunset on the deck.
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