dont hate in 08/carmen33

So this is my new signature. The year needed a motto, and I needed a name. The plan? Not yet formed.

As my friends, family, acquaintances, and training partners know, I have a bit of an attitude problem. The toddler in me wants all to know that I do what I want to do. I wanted to do ironman, so I did. I wanted--and decided, long before Ironman was finished--to totally take a break from training after the race and party on, dude.

Well, I did run the Richmond marathon the week after Ironman. BUT only because I love the race and because my sister was running her first marathon (and her first run EVER longer than 13.1 miles, God bless her!)

Goal accomplished. That is, of ,party on, dude.

So, I figured life would take shape again when classes resumed January 14. The wrench thrown in my plan--classes cancelled due to low enrollment. So, I've been "gettin my Hondo on steady" ever since. The upside is that this may be the kick in the pants I need to do something full-time, or as many of us refer to it, "real."

So.

In the past two months, I've gone running twice, bought a new car, had a job shift, buried a pet, worked my ass off, and celebrated Christmas, the new year, and my thirty-third year of life. I've reconnected with my wonderful friends and coworkers who thought I'd fallen off the planet in the past year. One major bonus: I've read more than I had in the past two years combined (going from about a book every week or two to a book every day or two.) BUT I've also gained about fifteen pounds and had a hard time getting anything accomplished besides reading or going to work (especially, read: training.)

The wonderful truth about being a human being is that as much as we try to achieve balance, things constantly shift. We think we want things to stay the same, but, really. No.

Do I have major training goals for 2008? Nope.
Do I want to work a little, play a little, race a little? Absolutely.

I'm feeling less lofty, but more human. I'm trying to wallow in moderation. whereas I usually go full throttle in opposite directions.

Plus, I've been getting some smacktalk from the boys.

Ironman Florida 2007

It's true.
I am an Ironman.

Nobody else can do it for you, and you can't do it by yourself.
It was the longest day of my life, and it seems like it just flew by.
Ironman is an incredible achievement, and it's also just a race.

I am never doing an Ironman again, and I have reserved my spot for IMFL 2008.

Who's in?

Lessons I've Learned in 2007 (Well, September, Anyway!)

The number one lesson I've learned this year is that I can't do everything.

I guess I've known that for a long time, but one of the problems with having an abundance of choices in our lives is that sometimes we have to choose to choose.
Which brings me to another lesson in time management. Ask a busy person...
Well, with teaching and training and smiling and laughing at people's lame jokes and bringing them absoltely whatever they ask for (those last few are all waiting tables, of course,) I just can't seem to find the time to update this gosh darned blog 'o mine.

So, I've been thinking (usually on a four plus hour bike ride or a two-mile timed swim) of what I could actually post that would in some way represent my last month or so of triathlon without actually covering all of it.

And, in the spirit of Things You May or May Not Want to Know About Me, I offer you the following Lessons, in no particular order.

1. Life does indeed get in the way.
2. No matter how many times you've lost the weight, or how much you exercise, you still have to pay attention to everything you put in your mouth.
3. And what comes out of it! Even I have found someone who, as Susie puts it, "makes Carmen sound like a kindergarten teacher."
4. Sometimes the best race is the slowest one.
5. There are pages of things I could do instead of the race, but I'll probably still end up out there. Thanks, Anna.
6. A new bike is going to have it's own new set of things to get used to, but boy do I love it anyway. And it gets better and better every ride.
7. I guess it's inevitable that I'm going to bawl like a baby at some point during Ironman since I do during at least half my training sessions these days. Don't worry--it's just my sensitive side.
8. I can't really drop out if twelve of my training partners are racing with me, and thirteen of my family members along with countless friends and TRIgirls are coming out to cheer and support, now can I? See #7.
9. If you can't run, walk.
10. January to November is a long, long, long time.
11. I'm glad none of my college professors were training for Ironman. I'm not so amenable to excuses these days.
12. I'm just a slow-twitch kind of girl.
13. There are times when I would do anything to have someone to train with and others when I really need four hours completely to myself. At those times, running is a pleasant excuse.
14. Girls do have outside parts.
15. Training is hard.

My Weight Watchers leader used to say (and probably still does; I just haven't been around those parts in several months,) "When you have a bad week, you need the meeting. When you have a good week, the meeting needs you." I may have quoted that here before. There are different times during my training that I have needed something from a training partner, coach, family member, or sometimes, Someone Who Is Completely Not Involved In Any Of This. Actually, there have been several times when I was so happy to talk to a friend who couldn't care less about triathlon, just so I could take a mental break, if not a physical one. Oh, but how soon do we get caught right back up in planning the next race, the next team event, the next carpool to a training ride. Thank goodness for those girls!

During the past month, I've given myself permission to go slow, to sleep in, to ignore my blog. I've met fifty-four new students and gotten to know them and their research subjects. We've discussed conocimiento, the paradox of seeing beyond belief, and what school uniforms mean. I've convinced (some of) them that they get to take a class as opposed to have to take a class. I use the same tactics on myself.

In the meantime, is there anything nicer than a long bike ride on a sunny afternoon with the Beebs? More entertaining than a run and coffee date with SanDee J? More motivational than a training race with the TRIgirls? Better than postPatriot dinner with Anna and Deanna? I think not.

But ask me again at 11:59 on November 3.

I've Also Been Tagged... I'm Pretty Slow, Too!

I guess I've been tagged by all the TRIgirl bloggers for this chain letter style listing by now. It's kind of like a pyramid scheme. Please send a dollar and add your name to the bottom of the list.

Jobs I’ve Held
Babysitter
Little League Softball Umpire
TCBY girl
Receptionist at Pediatric Opthalmology
Olan Mills telemarketer (5 days!)
Sam's Club sample distributor
Herman's Sporting Goods cashier
Campus post office mail sorter
Writing tutor
Computer consultant
Nanny--two different families
Caterer--Incredible Edibles, Virginia Museum
Server--Charley's, Pasta Luna, Richbrau, Garland's Way, Hondo's
Bartender--Charley's, Pasta Luna, Colonial Downs, Brio
Restaurant manager--Melito's
Substitute teacher--Henrico County
High School teacher--Monacan
College Instructor--VCU, UR, J. Sarge

Movies I Can Watch Over & Over
I'm changing this to books. I read the same books millions of times.
The Great Gatsby
Sunset Over Chocolate Mountains
anything by David Sedaris
anything by Joan Didion
Boys of My Youth
I Am Charlotte Simmons

My Guilty Pleasures
Sleeping in
"Cake-Killing"

Places I've Lived
Richmond, VA

Shows I Enjoy
House
The Office
Sex and the City

Places I Have Been on Vacation
Orlando, FL
Naples, FL
the Everglades, FL
South Beach, FL
the Bahamas
Jekyll Island, GA
Myrtle Beach, SC
Hatteras, NC
Nags Head, NC
Virginia Beach, VA
Blue Ridge Mountains, VA
Baltimore, MD
Philadelphia, PA
New Hamphire
Vermont
Maine
Finger Lakes, NY
NY, NY
New Jersey
Toronto, Ontario
Huntsville, Ontario
Nashville, TN
West Virginia
Deer Creek, IN
Kentucky
Arkansas
Oklahoma
Texas
New Orleans, LA
Mississippi
Cherokee, NC
Alabama
Phoenix, AZ
Flagstaff, AZ
New Mexico
Los Angeles, CA
San Diego, CA
France
Spain
Italy
Switzerland
the Netherlands
Greece
the Greek Islands
Turkey
Belgium
Israel

These are all places I actually visited and stayed. The list would be much longer if I included all the places I passed through. For example, I put my feet under the fences into Lebanon and Egypt, but they did not make the list. I've driven through Delaware a bunch of times, but only once did I take advantage of the sales-tax-free shopping. I didn't really want to admit to New Jersey, but there it is.

Favorite Foods
steak
seafood
plums
mangoes
cherries
potato chips
butter
salt & pepper
tomatoes
dark chocolate
red wine
coffee
Mom's spaghetti sauce (which isn't as secret as it sounds)
Grandma's biscuits

I consider all of these items to be food, although some might consider several to be condiments or beverages.

Body Parts I've Injured
I've busted my chin open five times. Stitches three times. The last time I did it there wasn't enough skin left there to stitch, and the doctor told me if I ever did it again I'd have to get a skin graft. I guess I finally learned how to use my hands rather than my face to break a fall. Either that or did more pushups than your average eight-year-old.

Websites I Visit Daily
I do not go online every day. On purpose. Favorites include
TRIgirl Training Forum
VCU Blackboard and email
UR Blackboard and email
Cavtel email
Triblogs and my brother's and sister-in-law's blogs

Awards I’ve Won
Third-place Athena Charlottesville Olympic Tri
Volunteer Spirit Award at 3Sports Tri
Best in Team at the only corporate restaurant I ever worked at

Those are the recent ones. I won some departmental awards and scholarships and honoraries long, long ago in a land far, far away. The most interesting award I ever won was in third grade. It was the More Gold Than Fort Knox Award for the student who had the most stuff in her or his desk. My prize was a Laura Ingalls Wilder book and three outliner pens. Remember those?!?!

Nicknames I've Been Called
Carm
Carcalebo
Cool
Ceecer
Carmen.com
Carmen.70.3.com
Gloria
Mostly I'm just Carmen. There are a lot of people who know only my first name, and others who know only my last name. One of the distinctions of being a waitress and a teacher.

Other Bloggers
Don't break the chain or you will have bad luck. Ha. Anyone who would like to answer these bone-chilling and exclusively revealing questions, please do.

For the Love of Tri

It's funny to me every now and then when I get talking about triathlon to someone who doesn't know me. It happens a lot when I am waiting tables. I just did my first tri two years ago, in many ways a lifetime, in others, yeah, two years ago.

Recently, I've *obviously* been focused on my training for Ironman. But even more recently, I've been remembering why I enjoy triathlon so much! Not in any particular order, a few of the reasons...

*The camaraderie of TRIgirls.
*Knowing that I'm doing something good for myself.
*The diversity of workouts.
*Seeing my surroundings on foot or on bike.
*Sweating at an appropriate time.
*Sharing a "hobby" with my brother and sister.
*Being part of the excitement of a race.
*Sharing in the accomplishments of others.
*Appreciating things like water and sitting down.
*Swimming, biking, and running. Really.
*And lifting weights.

My nephew just completed his first triathlon last weekend. Reading my sister-in-law's report on it made me a little jealous--not only do I wish I could have been there to cheer for Asher, but I wish I had done this when I was seven years old!

As frustrated as I get that tri coverage is often limited to the annual Kona montage, I do love those inspirational stories. And I hope that I can always experience the same excitement and enthusiasm as I had as a first-time racer, kinda like a kid.

Charlottesville Olympic Tri Race Report

I already droned on about prerace, so let's jump right into the lake...

The Swim

The swim was in a very flat, very calm lake. Some hairy vegetation that wrapped around my goggles once or twice was really the only major obstacle. The water is usually too warm for wetsuits, but race day was a little cooler than normal, so some of the athletes suited up for the swim. Not I. Actually, I did Naylor's Beach 06 and Sandman 05 and 06 wetsuitless. I've raced in my lovely new TRIgirl logo-ed suit only twice, for Smith Mountain Lake Sprint and Eagleman. And here in Walnut Creek State Park, I felt as though the water still verged on too warm, so I was fine without.

Another interesting aspect of the swim portion is that it was a double loop. This is the first race course I've done that was not poin-to-point or a single loop (other than the local sprint pool swims, of course!) Apparently, many swimmers, particularly in the men's waves, skipped the last buoy on the loop, leading to spectacular, yet inaccurate, swim times.

As for me, my major accomplishment here was SWIMMING THE ENTIRE SECOND LOOP FREESTYLE!!! I was so freaking proud of myself that I got choked up just thinking about it. Which is a great example of how trivial some of our personal tri accomplishments may seem to others, but how big they are in our own little worlds... As Grandison predicted, Som simply said, "Why didn't you swim all freestyle?!"

The Bike

The bike course started with a long "false flat" out of the parking lot. Susie had told me she racked her bike in the small chain ring--"Didn't you notice the hill as we came in?" Um, no. It also didn't look like a hill to me as I rode out on it, although it sure did feel like one! This ride was very challenging for me, as I usually struggle with my uphills. I was grateful more than once for our training rides with the Maramarc group on the Blue Ridge Parkway. I passed and got re-passed by a couple of other riders, but the only two I passed that didn't pass me back were a woman on a mountain bike and a seventy-four-year-old man. As I was enjoying the passing scenery, I also noted that I rode past a beautiful turtle. Then I started thinking about describing my experiences post-race, and I thought how it would sound if I said or wrote, "I passed a turtle." Then I laughed out loud. Laughed so hard I fell off my bike and lost about fifteen minutes... No, just passed a turtle. basically, that's the kind of stuff I think about while I'm swimming, bikeing, or running for any amount of time by myself. And people wonder why I've never used an iPod. With entertainment like this, who needs one? The other thing I do to pass the time on the bike is to wait for Anna and Susie to pass me. Anna flew by, complaining that her chain was stuck in the small ring. She now insists that we were going uphill at the time, but I'm not so sure. Susie caught me going right into transition, and as we headed out for

The Run

Cyndi was just starting her second of the two loops on the trail. Always great to see the girls in pink! I do love a trail run, but I was pretty beat for this one. Of course, the challenging course makes it so much rewarding at the finish. I must admit I did fall on my face once, but I'm fairly springy. Bounced back up and just got an extra cup of water at the next aid station to rinse off some of the dirt. Wasn't so effective at keeping my feet dry, but I wasn't thinking so clearly! I walked more than I would like to admit on the second loop--definitely not a negative split!

Sometimes I wonder whose silly idea it was to run all these races on roads when we can be back on the trails, anyway. I guess when I participate in a race of ginormous proportions such as Monument Ave 10K or the VA Beach Rock'N'Roll Half Marathon, I don't even notice that we're on a venue primarily used by automobiles. But when I did my first couple of sprint tris, it seemed somewhat odd to be running on the sidewalk through a neighborhood as "normal" people drove by doing what they do. And even though this trail was tricky, I'll take it over the cornfields and blazing pavement of Naylor's Beach any day!

The Finish

Cheerleaders Derek, Melissa, and Dave joined the TRIgirls who had already finished to see me across the line. Susie won second place in her age group, Ed came in third Clydesdale, and Anna came in second Athena. I was waiting with her to get her award, and before they got to her name, they called mine! I brought home a pair of socks for my third place finish in the Athena division, which was pretty cool. I never thought I'd win an award, but sometimes it's about sticking it out past retirement or signing up Athena in a small race.

I've been planning my 2008 tri season recently--looking forward to doing all my favorite races without "worrying" about Ironman. As of now, Charlottesville is on the list!

Charlottesville Olympic Tri Race Report, Preface

The Outlook
I was OhSoExcited about this triathlon. Really!
Just about an hour away from home, lake swim, trail run, small number of participants. All good criteria in my book.
After completing Eagleman a month and a half ago, an Olymic distance seemed so, well, easy! While I had been incredibly anxious about Maylor's Beach last year (my first Olympic distance,) my anticipation for Charlottesville was completely different. I was totally looking forward to it, felt extremely well-trained, and was already imagining it as a new favorite.

The Trip
Got a couple of screws loose on the travel plans. Anna's beautiful new bike doesn't actually fit on her bike rack any more, so instead of riding with her, I followed her up to the race site. My alarm went off at four am, and we got on the road about five. It was dark out for most of the drive, but it was pretty relaxing. I just listened to music and watched Anna's taillights. Much easier than on my way back home when i stopped paying attention for just a second and ended up driving halfway to Lynchburg!

PreRace MisPreparation
Here's where the pitfalls begin. This was my eleventh triathlon, and never before had I experienced any organizational difficulties, much less an Evil Triathlete. Now I got both.
I signed my waiver and proceeded through the packet pickup line. When I showed my license and USAT card, the woman checking called my number out, 220, although I could clearly see that my name had already been crossed off the list. The other woman agreed--220 was missing from the race number box.
"Sit tight," one said. "We'll straighten it out."
"Where's Dan?"
"I don't know who he is."
"He's in the canoe."
The volunteers had this conversation while I sat patiently on the bench.
Then they went back to distributiing packets.
A few minutes later, I asked if there was someone I could find or ask.
"Yes! Do you know Patty?"
"No. I'm from Richmond."
"Oh." And they continued to hand out packets.
Finally another volunteer located Patty, who said I needed to re-register.
The guy hading out goodie bags handed me a registration form. Actually, two.
"May I have a pen?"
More digging around.
I turned in my "new" registration, then waited again while a woman copied all of the information I had just written onto a blank race number, 244.
"Here you go!"
"May I have my race packet?"
The guy handed me a course map and a couple of race brochures.
"Could I get a bag, too, please?"
"We're all out."
Of course they were. Obviously they had handed out all the bags while I was sitting on the bench for twenty minutes.

I moved over to the chip line, where I had to explain my situation to someone else.
"Hold on while I go check," she said. Five minutes later she returned to tell me that my chip would now be fine, but that I couldn't use the stretchy chip band because they were only for relay teams.
"Oh."

Having volunteered at a couple of races this year myself, I appreciate that these people are out there to make the race possible for us, but this was truly a frustrating experience because nobody seemed to have the wherewithal or authority to make any decisions about a mixup, or the ability to find someone who could. Well, I thought, at least this is all out of the way before the race. I was starting to get a little anxious now, though, where I'd been calm all morning before arrival.

I got bodymarked and went back to the "festival-style" transition area, where I'd already racked my bike and set up my transition gear. A guy had racked his bike so that his front wheel rested not-so-gently on my bag.
I moved it over. "I'm sorry if that was in your way."
"Well, you took my spot."
"Excuse me?"
"You took my spot. I had my towel over here, and I was going to put my bike there."
"Well, I had no idea. There was no bike here, and there aren't any numbered spots."
"I put my stuff to the right of where I was going to rack my bike. That's the way it works."
He was being pretty sarcastic with me at this point, so I just said,
"Well, it looks like we both fit here. I didn't mean to ruin your race."
"I was just letting you know triathlon etiquette."

I didn't reply. Just finished bodygliding while I listened to him give some others around us tips on how to race and train for distance triathlon. "So you've done an Ironman?" someone asked. "No. That's the only distance I haven't done," he replied. "I mean, besides this one." Then he went on to talk about the half he had completed. In other words, this distance tri expert had completed zero Olympics, one half, and zero Ironmans. I'm glad he was preaching to me about etiquette!

At this point I realized that the packeteers had failed to give me a swim cap, so I went back over to "my" bench to retrieve it. Plus, I was starting to get worked up about the Evil Triathlete. I know I didn't make that obvious, so I thought I'd point it out!

Thank goodness for TRIgirls! I met back up with Anna, Lynn, Susie, Cyndi, and surprise entrant Mary. I vented, and then Cyndi braided my hair. I hope that was as calming for her as it was for me. Once again I took advantage of her Mom Skills. I hope this may become a tradition!

I decided that Everything that Could Go Wrong already had, so that I must be in for a great race!!! We headed down to the lake.

NO SELF-DEPRECATING REMARKS

As many of you know, one of my favorite sayings is, "Not with that attitude, you can't." Truth be told, I ripped it off of my brother. He doesn't mind a little plagiarism.

One of my other favorites, and I made this one up myself (very creative, I know,) is, "No self-deprecating remarks." This is actually a rule that I have had in many of my classrooms. "Ms. Hamlin, I'm not a good writer." "I know it's boring, but.."

I find that I "get" to use these sayings frequently with my training partners. I laughed out loud as I read Diane's blog account of Deanna L's self-deprecating, "I'm slow" comments as she continued to extend the length of her ride (at a not-too-shabby 17.2 mph no less!)

Then I laughed out loud again when I got to the next section, where Diane logged her swim workout, needing to "build confidence" that she could actually swim .9 miles in a race, while she completed a 1000m workout at less than 1:05/100m!!! Sounds strong to me...

The diverse group of women with whom I train is filled with people who don't have the attitude that they can't. TRIgirls rock, and I've seen the posters to prove it. They just need to drop the self-deprecating remarks, as well.

Especially if they're faster than me!

Training After Eagleman!

I realized my "positive" post wasn't so much. Obviously, I needed an exclamation point.

Gearing up for cheerleading at Shady Grove next weekend, followed by racing the Charlottesville International Distance July 29. Lake swim, rolling bike, trail run--sweet!

The end of summer school means more time to shower after those weekday brick workouts! Also, now that I' don't have to go straight from VCU to Hondos, I can actually sit down and eat a healthy dinner instead of grazing on french fries, seafood bisque, and assorted fried appetizers at work.

The Camp Hilbert pool is conveniently located sorta close to West Creek. Kay, Anna, Jennifer, and I have really enjoyed this new post-brick hangout! Yesterday, I think Anna and I could even include blowing up our new rafts as another aerobic activity sandwiched in between our 30/10 brick and Swimming with Som.

Oh, yeah, Swimming with Som! After a health-induced hiatus, I made it back to Sunday swimming the past two weeks. Ahhhhh. Love it.

Training After Eagleman.

Okay. I just posted some of my more negative thinking with a question mark. Now here's the positive stuff.

I ran the James River Scramble the week after Eagleman. I love this race, and I think it made it okay for me to run again (ever) after my first half iron.

I have skipped a few workouts, but none of the key bricks. Felt exhausted yet proud of myself after finishing this weekend's brick with Anna.

My Weight Watchers leader once said, "If you've had a bad week, you need the meeting. If you've had a good week, the meeting needs you." I think this is applicable also to training with the TRIgirls. I always come away from a workout or a clinic or the forum or a blog with a better attitude.

Speaking of Weight Watchers and TRIgirl blogs, several girls have mentioned weight loss or maintenace, and Grandison has dubbed July "Nutrition Month." I have gained fifteen pounds over the last ten months (an accomplishment of sorts, considering I was training for/am training for 70.3 and 140.6!) As Jonah pointed out, it's a lifelong battle for some of us to mantain weight, and I tend to slack off completely once I achieve a weight goal or ramp up my mileage.

So, I'm officially back on the boat. Actively paying attention to what I eat, even though there are so many more interesting things to pay attention to! Forget body image; we're talking about my mile times here...

Training After Eagleman?!

Many of us have read bits and pieces about the emotional letdown after a race, knowing that we expect to be just plain tired, as well.

In addition to recovering my first Ironman 70.3 physically, mentally, and emotionally, I find myself battling other transition periods with perhaps even more difficulty.

School
Aarrrrrrggggghhhh! I am teaching a summer course that meets thirteen times over a period of eight weeks. Only one of my students has been to every class.

No School
The end of my summer class means more shifts at the restaurant. Pray for good tips and no burnout.

Breakdowns
Not mental, yet. In the past month, my car has been in the shop twice, my lawn mower was "totaled," my bike went in for some not-too-major adjustments and repairs, and my air conditioning system in the house clunked out. I stand out in my two-foot lawn and wonder, "Will I ever be able to buy a new bike?"

Lethargy
Is it just the heat and humidity? I have had a hard time getting motivated to do all of my workouts. Ironically, for the first time ever, I completing more swims than bikes or runs.

Eagleman Race Report

Would you believe, seven days later, I am STILL wearing my Eagleman shirt?
I certainly hope not.
That you would believe it, that is.
So, this was the biggest race of my life...

Weather:
Perfect. The only thing to complain about is that I can't blame anything on it.

Swim:
Much as I expected. I did well, but was aware the whole time that I was using extra energy to breaststroke. Don't tell Som.

Bike:
A beautiful ride. I prefer a few hills to break up the monotony, but this course was flat and fast. There was some headwind on the way back in, and I was starting to chafe a bit--wishing for an uphill to stand on... Although I drank six bottles of fluid, I didn't feel the urge to pee, so I didn't test out peeing on the bike. Years of teaching and waiting tables really enable the "holding" factor. I felt so great during the first half of the bike that I imagined myself saying and doing all sorts of ridiculous things post-race. "Sure, I'd love to bike 500 miles over the weekend," for example. I came to my senses around mile 45.

Run:
I honestly have to say the best part about the run was seeing Blake. Then Som. Then Dr. Rick. Then Mark. Then Rick E. Then Ed Amy Liz Susie CynD Deannas Anna Lynn Kate Mary Jo Jonah Molly Sharon not necessarily in that order who did I forget it was so great doing outandback and seeing pink punctuated by Maramarc.
I felt great for the first six miles. Steady pace, walked the water stops. Could really feel the compilation of bike and breaststroke by mile 11, and I walked a bit more. Head up. TRIgirl representin. For most of the run course I must have looked really good or really bad because almost everyone that passed me in the other direction had a positive comment for me. I think it was my contagious positive attitude and gritted teeth that may or may not be a smile. Sorry I missed speedy Jeff, but, wait a second! Didn't I see Karen and Shawn at mile .1, and here they are again at mile 3?!

Most Memorable Moment:
Okay. I TOTALLY crashed and fell off my bike at the dismount area coming into T2. What's that about not using the front brake at twenty miles per hour? And where was Bob Dickerson when I needed him?
Thanks goodness SanDee witnessed the whole thing--the Gammons are always good to have around for an embarrassing moment.

Finish Line:
How wonderful to finish a race into the arms of TRIgirls and Maramarc folk. I especially appreciate the way our cheerleaders ignored that special postrace smell. And I swear SanDee cried first. Not counting when I did DURING the race. Mark handed me my TRIgirl Half-Ironman Finisher pint glass, out of which so far I've only drunk water!

Anna, Deanna, and I "relaxed" on the grass by the car until Mom & Dad finally got there--two hours after I finished. So much for Maryland traffic. They took us out for burgers and beer, and the girls and I made the wisest decision of our lives and stayed over an extra night, chilling with a foot each in the hotel pool and hot tub until we were ready to go out for ice cream.

Post Race Thoughts

Three years ago I ran my first mile since two that were required in high school. Just shy of two years ago I finished my first sprint triathlon. Although "Anything is Possible," I NEVER thought I would do anything this [stupid]. Ha.
So do I feel any different? Yes. I was a lot more tired and cranky this week.
Many peeps who don't TRI or do other endurance activity don't really "get" Ironman, or half of it. They're impressed when I run a mile or three.

So the race itself is six hours and forty minutes or so that I spend with myself and think about how I got to be where I am. Ironman, 70.3, and the other tri distances are less to me about swimming, biking, and running as they are about me, Mom, Dad, Dyron, Shannon, Grandison, SanDee, Susie, Jennifer, Cyndi, Deanna, Anna, Sharon, Molly, Kate, Lynn, Deanna, Jonah, Mary Jo, Liz, Amy, Cheryl, and the rest of the TRIgirls and Maramarc-ers. And goodness gracious, my friends who don't tri and listen to me, anyway. God bless you all, especially those of you who have spent over six hours and forty minutes with me. Time sure breeds some strange thoughts!
XOXOXOXOXOXOXO
carmen

Eagleman Eve

Isn't that a new national holiday?!

Kate just chastised Lynn and me for sitting indoors on such a beautiful day, but I am under strict orders from my massage therapist/tanning counselor/mom to stay out of the sun and keep my feet up today! The most invigorating activity I've done today is rubbing some lotion on my legs and giving myself a mini-pedicure.

Kate O drove me, Lynn, and Deanna B up here yesterday--we caravaned with Cyndi and her family. It was great to hit the expo and bike inspection before one million people arrived. We had a great pre-prerace meal of wild salmon, brown rice, veggies, and wheat bread (mine with lots of butter, of course!) before Anna joined us just in time to get a little dinner and play a rousing game of Yahtzee.

We were just finishing up our game when the brewing thunderstorm knocked out power in our lakeside cottage. Thank goodness there was a good stock of decorative candles, most of which had never been lit before. I was happy to put them to good use.

The storm may have cooled things down a bit, but it also created a much more ragged surface on our lake. We're going to check out the Choptank in a little while and assess the damage to the previously serene river surface...

Kate and I already finished a Scrabble game before nine am. She pulled out a couple of bonus words and kicked my ass. On to other ways to distract ourselves from thinking too much about tomorrow's race, while keeping shaded and rested!

Volunteering at the Powersprint Tri

Last Sunday, I volunteered for the first time ever in an official capacity at a race. I figure that since I've completed nine triathlons now, I was behind schedule in giving back to the sport. Despite the hurricane conditions, it was a fantastic experience. Many of the girls I've trained with for the past year or two participated, including my sister. We also had a record number of TRIgirls completing their first triathlon, which was exciting for our group and intimidating?! for the other racers. Aha...

After body marking with Jonah and Susie--and of course we had to add some inspirational messages along with the requisite race numbers and ages--I joined others outside the pool as they awaited their swim starts.

When I though we were getting closer to the time the Beebs would cross the finish, I joined my dad just ahead of the finish line, where we unsuccessfully attempted to ward off the rain by holding umbrellas sideways against the wind. Shannon had a great race, particularly considering she had alreqady been diagnosed with step and has since been diagnosed with pneumonia! As her doctor said after chastising her for racing, "You healthy people are sometimes so unhealthy!"

T-girl Jennifer S joined me for some cheering--encouraging runners to sprint in the finish and smile big for the cameras--and running out to pick up Cathy and Kay--keep it moving, girls! I was so impressed with all of the Baby Pinks and their performance. What a reward for all the hard work they've put in over the past couple of months. I don't know that I would have finished in those horrific weather conditions... but Karen insisted, contrary to my wishes, that she would still rather do a sprint in hurricane conditions than a half iron in perfect weather. Liar pants.

I look forward to helping out again on July 1 for I Love the Tavern!

Peer Pressure

Here I am sitting at the Eagleman TRIgirl house, clicking away on Deanna's laptop. She's killing me on post numbers and details, so I thought I'd take the opportunity to do a few updates...

Admittedly, this kind of TRIgirl pressure is much less daunting than the kind that got me signed up for Eagleman and IMFL in the first place!

More Hills

Some TRIgirls and Maramarc folks headed for the hills again this Saturday. (Mis)led by coaches Mark, Ed, and Blake, our sixty mile ride stretched into seventy! Wow. The fifty-miler we'd ridden a few weeks ago had been my longest bike to date.

Once again, Cyndi carried me and my bike up into the mountains. This time her husband accompanied us, as well. We departed the commuter lot at six am and returned at five thirty pm. Not just a morning ride. Some Canadian bikers along the way asked me how many were with our group. "Not as many as last time."

The thirty-five miles out was really a pleasant ride. The only thing I didn't enjoy about it was the realization of the reverse route.

There were a lot of interesting creepy crawlies on the ride. Shiny black beetles, thick segmented worms, fat colorful caterpillars. Totally different from any I come across here in town.

Part of the ride seemed more pasture than mountain, complete with grazing cattle.

Several vultures took air as I approached them. I couldn't see why they were there, but I could smell it.

I drank a twenty-ounce Coke at the turn-around. It was truly the nectar of the gods.

My chain fell off once. I had grease not only all over my hands, but subsequently all over my face. Does that make me look more or less professional?

A cycling tan is like a trucker tan, only different.

It's interesting to me how the highs and lows during an intense endurance activity mirror the highs and lows of everyday, only the intensity level of them reflects the level of exertion. I'm frequently emotional during long rides or runs. In the Blue Ridge, these emotional highs and lows are inversely proportional to the hills themselves. Going uphill, I curse myself, my bike, my coaches, the mountains. I vow to quit. Downhill, I could go on forever. This is the best ride of my life.

When I finally finish, six hours or days or years later, everything is different from when I started. The temperature, the air, the mood, me. The physical exhaustion leads to emotional exhaustion.

I'm proud of myself.

Swimming!

I swam two miles today.
Farthest swim distance ever.

I joined the JCC today, bringing my workout bag into the membership office with me. That's how much I was looking forward to this swim.
In the interest of full disclosure, my family belonged to the JCC when I was small, and I actually swam on their team for two summers back when they had only one pool. My mom taught water aerobics there, as well. They let anyone join the team. I never got out of the "novice" category in anything but backstroke, and I was used to bringing up the rear in any heat.
So, the facility looks really different...

I loved my swim! As many "issues" as I have with the swim portion of the tri, they all surface in race situations, or occasionally when I'm swimming in a crowded lane and start thinking about race situations. Swimming in the Smith Mountain Lake Sprint Tri last Saturday was my first swim in over a month, so I'm sure that added to my unease.

But today, I spent around seventy minutes swimming up and back and up and back, just thinking some and counting a lot. It was totally relaxing.

I was so pleased with my swim today, I'm on that high that comes after a first race mixed with the commitment of New Year's Day.
Or, you know, when you join a new gym.

Smith Mountain Lake Triathlon

Context
Haven't participated in a tri since October 15, so I was ready to kick off the season. Felt very prepared since I'm training for much longer distances.

Location
Smith Mountain lake is beautiful, and our accomodations, graciously provided by my TRIgirl little sister Jennifer and her family, were fantastic.

Nutrition and Hydration
During and right before the race, I enjoyed Clif Shot Bloks, Kashi bars, oatmeal, water, and Gatorade. The evening before the race brought fresh red snapper with coconut macadamia crust and a spicy pineapple salsa. The Strebel's postrace cookout was divine--especially the deviled eggs! The margaritas were delicious...

Swim
My first swim in a wetsuit, although not my first open water experience. I've completed two Sandmans and one Naylor's Beach, so the lake water was quite calm and inviting in comparison to the Atlantic Ocean and the Rappahannock River. Even the wetsuit provides warmth and flotation. That being said, I still experienced my traditional shallow breathing, not-putting-my-head-under-the-water breaststroking. Totally inefficient. Also quite frustrating, because although I know it's all in my head and I "just need to relax," um, okay. I even think I'll be fine prerace. One day...

Bike
First bike with the aerobottle. What a great invention. Felt pretty good on the bike--rolling hills, no real climbs. Stayed in the large chain ring for the most part. There was a bit of traffic on Smith Mountain Lake Parkway that interfered some--had to hit the brakes to avoid rear-ending a truck at one point.

Run
Standard out-and-back. Sharing the road with not only other runners, but also the last cyclists, which made for a more congested course than I've seen on a tri before. Three water stops, which was really nice for a sprint distance. I felt good here and had no problems with a negative split.

Afterthoughts
1. It is so fun to race as part of a training team. Of course, we have the best jerseys and wetsuits! And we get the name recognition--hearing "Go, TRIgirl!" while wearing a veritable disguise of swim cap, goggles, and wetsuit is very encouraging.
2. Hmmm. This was the first race that had bakery cake at the finish line. I ate a rose.
3. I registered for this race as Athena (first time to ever do so,) which is a category for women weighing over 150 pounds. I thought I may have a shot at an award by doing so, but not among these fast women! There were eight Athena entries, and I finished fifth out of six Athena finishers. I would have been nine out of fifteen had I registered in my age group. My brother thinks the whole Athena/Clydesdale (men over 200 lbs.) is kind of silly, and I kind of agree. But I also think Ironman is kind of silly, and I'm signed up for that, too. Sigh.
4. I like racing.

Workouts, Burger King Style

Not eating fast food, and not necessarily working out fast, but doing the workouts my way.

From the very inception of TRIgirl (and as with Kim's TriMoms before that,) Grandison has practiced and preached fitting training into our often already busy lives. As a women and a mother (okay, as a human being,) she understands that we all have different family- and work-related issues that we have to work our training around. TRIgirl schedules are very sensitive and accomodating to that reality.

I've always taken that part of the schedule seriously, although I do like to point out to Blake or Ed or whomever that "it's MY workout!" particularly if a coach is suggesting that I do something difficult. Mostly it's just rhetoric--I complain while smiling, and while actually doing the workout.

The past couple of weeks I've found myself really having to change my training schedule for health reasons. I've been under doctor's orders not to swim for almost a month now, and I've gone back and forth between relief at having a valid excuse to frustration at not being able to participate in a third of my tri training. The past couple of weeks I've also skipped a number of strength training sessions in favor of an extra two hours of sleep. I'm trying to listen to my body so I can make a faster recovery from what seems to be a never-ending ear infection.

I just read a couple of other TRIgirl blogs in which the girls referred to skipped workouts and, guiltily, felt a little better that I wasn't alone. So, less guilty about missing my own workout, but more guilty about being glad someone else did, too. Hmmm.

Sometimes the workout customizations can be funny, intentional or not.

Jonah saw me running Thursday morning in the Near West End, and again that afternoon at West Creek. I had to explain that I had switched Tuesday and Thursday's schedules and divided the resulting run in two...

...and I didn't notice until Melissa pointed it out, but overachiever Cyndi is going to run for twelve hours on Saturday while the rest of us complete twelve miles.

She'd like fries with that.

Blue Ridge Parkway 50-Miler

Wow!
This was the first time I ever rode farther than about forty miles.
Wow!
This was the hilliest course I have ever ridden.
Wow!
This was the first time I'd gotten up at 5 am on a Saturday all year...

The best part of a hard workout is that I can bitch about it during and exaggerate about it afterwards. No matter how hard it seems at the time, when it is over, I will drink the tastiest water of my life, eat the most flavorful food, and sit on the most comfortable... pavement. And a little while after it's all over, I'll be able to imagine working out again some time in the future.

I got up at five, packed half the workout clothes and gear I own, and met the TRIgirls and Maramarc crew at the Gaskins commuter lot. Much to everyone's surprise, I arrived a few minutes BEFORE the slated time of 6 am. I had even stopped at the Sev to pick up one more Gatorade and a ginormous cup of coffee.

Cyndi drove me, Kate O, and our bikes in the midst of the caravan. Most of our conversation heading west is unprintable here, but we sure had a good time. I realized how smart I was to ride with two moms, since they had brought the best snacks! A cyclist cannot live by bars and shot blocks alone, but really enjoys a croissant with Nutella and some honey wheat pretzels.

When we arrived at the parking lot around Mile 14 of the Parkway, several of us discussed how we might pass the time waiting in the cars while everyone else rode...
Coaches Ed and Blake shared a few words of wisdom and some sunscreen, and we were off. As we headed down the mountain, I was surprised at how much of the descent was uphill! When we got to the bottom, I commented that our coaches had lied to us and that this ride was not, in fact, fun at all. Several of the girls disagreed.

As we made our way back up from Mile 0 to Mile 14, the ascent was even steeper than the descent... I've never hung out in the granny gear like that before. I was secretly thankful that I have NOT upgraded to a bike with only two chain rings in the front. When we finally arrived back up to the cars for a rehydration/refueling break, I was pleasantly surprised that we had actually completed over half of our ride. Several of us spread out a serious picnic on Cyndi's tailgate and wondered where the kegs were. I dipped pieces of my energy bar directly into Cyndi's economy size vat of peanut butter, ate half Kate's bag of pretzels, and who knows what else. At this point, it was all better than four-star dining. I commented that our coaches had lied to us and that this ride was not, in fact, fun at all. Several of the girls agreed.

Back up the mountain, heading for the 25 mile marker. I noted, with dismay, that there were only two downhills during this eleven mile portion of the ride. I then noted, with pleasure, that meant the last eleven miles of the whole ride weren't going to be so painful. This section of the ride was by far the hardest for me. My lower back was hurting so badly about halfway through this leg that I actually cried. Mostly just because I could. When I saw Kate T and Anna stopped just ahead of the 25-mile marker, I couldn't get off my bike fast enough. It felt so good just to lie down in the grass on the shoulder for just a minute, and I guess the shot blocks even still tasted okay.

Had the last eleven miles been the entire workout, it would have been one of my favorites ever. Picked up some good speed on the downhills, and felt pretty darn proud of myself for finishing the ride at all. We resumed our tailgate back at the parking lot--about fifteen of us sitting in the middle of the road breaking bread together. I knew I'd picked the best training boyfriend when Bob sat down next to me and offered me half of his Italian sub. That beats trail mix any day!

I think this was the hardest workout I've ever done in my life, and I include my four marathons when I say that.

Actually, that's what I was thinking on Saturday.

Today, I'm remembering what a great ride I had, what a beautiful day it was, and how much fun I had with Cyndi, Kate, Bob, and everyone else. Thank God for my health, my training team, and a sunny April day in the Blue Ridge Mountains.