Oh brother, oh brother, oh brother

I am getting really nervous now. I do not feel ready. My run buddy says it is because of taper that I feel like I haven't been running enough, but

I feel like I haven't been running enough!

Plus, everyone I talk to about San Diego lately says how tough it is. I know it is a tougher course but, I didn't think it was awful. The race reports I read didn't say it was awful. I think this may be because I don't look like a typical marathoner they feel the need to warn me.

Thanks.

Ok, race information. If you want to track my progress (or lack thereof) I am bib # 17122 and the San Diego Rock 'n' Roll Marathon Site will have live tracking. I am flying out tomorrow morning and will be back Sunday night.

I am not going to have my computer this weekend so this is probably it until my race report. I hope you all have a great weekend!

Not much better today

Ugh. Why do the hormones change me into this person? A person I hate. A person NO ONE wants to be around.

Yesterday: Bailed on my run, but went to swim class and did 1650 yards.

Today: Rode 18 miles with hubby. I am somewhat surprised he didn't run me off the trail and leave me for dead in the creek. Had roles been reversed he'd be lying in the creek for sure.

Boys, cover your ears

Is it a rule that I have to get a cold and my period right before EVERY marathon I do?! Ok, I have only done 2, but I am 5 days out from my 3rd, DAMN IT! It happened before both marathons and it is now looking like I am on schedule to make it a three-peat.

Plus, I am a crazy, PMS nightmare. Lucky students, lucky husband.

I need to go running and to my pre-masters swim class, but I would rather eat an entire pizza, wash it down with a chocolate cake, and take a nap.

Easy Sunday Run/New Run Friend

Today I had a run with my triathlon clinic group. I think I actually made a friend. Until this point no one seemed to even remember my name from clinic to clinic. Today I had an actual conversation and a beautiful, easy trail run with one of the girls. She even emailed me about a possible marathon we could do and suggested we could meet up for long runs. Cool. (The marathon is the Bizz Johnson Trail Marathon, I put it on the schedule and am going to go for sub 5 hours. Check out the course profile) I am trying not to get too excited, but it would be nice to have someone to run with again. Even if only once in a while. We ran 6.5 miles with a 3.5 mile 500 ft climb in the beginning and a nice easy decent. Beautiful views and only two really hard sections. Nice taper run.

One week until San Diego Rock and Roll Marathon. I am getting excited!

Weekday Brick

Bike 18 miles Run 2 miles

This is the first brick that has been on my schedule since I started training with my coach. I think it is a little brutal that it is 3 days after my first triathlon of the year, but I did it anyway. I had to move some things around this week because I am going to San Diego for my friend's graduation from graduate school this weekend and Friday and Saturday are going to be tough to get a workout in. So I rode 17.6 miles yesterday and then went to my pre-masters class and swam 1500 yards, then the brick today makes four workouts in 2 days.

I have 10 days until the San Diego Marathon. I am nervous but excited. It is going to be a tougher course and hotter than Napa so hopefully I don't suffer too much.

Life

Ugh. It was supposed to get better after May 14th. Didn't happen and won't happen until June 14th. This is for a myriad of reasons:

1. I decided (last minute, mind you) that I wanted to do this cool bacterial unknown project for my AP biology class. It involves A TON a planning and preparation and a decent amount of money. I have a parent that offered to donate the funding, so I have been killing myself trying to get the materials together to make it happen.

2. My masters professor decided that in addition to this HUGE project he gave me (examination and ID of literally a couple hundred parasitology samples dating back as far as 1971, reorganizing the entire parasitology section of the pathogenic microbiology teaching lab AND his research lab, cataloging of all these samples and creation of a set of unknown parasite samples for teaching purposes. I could go on and on. He did. The project will never end) Anyhoo, in addition to all this he wants me to do I need to take a parasitology final exam.

By Monday.

This Monday.

Christ.

He told me yesterday, and said, "Don't worry, it is at your convenience, of course. As long as it is done by Monday." Thanks Doc, I will just squeeze it in between my full time job and the Mission Impossible project you asked me to do. No worries.

3. It is time for all of the end of the year crap that teachers have to do. This is when administrators decide that you haven't done enough to prove that you are teaching the students. So instead of actually, I don't know, watching me teach, they ask for reports and data about student progress. So on top of everything else. I have to make some shit up. Shit that will be put into a file and will collect dust on the shelves of my principal's office. The same principal that is retiring and whose successor will no doubt throw all this bullshit away.

Race Report: Uvas South Bay Triathlon May 18, 2008

Uvas South Bay Triathlon: 3/4 mile swim, 16 mile bike, 5 mile run

What an awesome race! I am so glad I did not chicken out. Picture: Uvas schwag. Note the lack of medal. Irritating, but still an awesome race. The race was held in Morgan Hill at the Uvas Reservoir. It is not open for public swimming except for this one event. I went to high school in Morgan Hill and it wasn't my most stellar time, so it was a little cool to go back as the person I am now and do some demon stomping! RBR 1 Demons 0


Because I am such a baby about doing new things alone my run buddy came with me. I am not sure what I ever did to deserve such an amazing friend, but I am very grateful for her. Picture: Me and Run Buddy, pre-race ham shot.

The transition area was organized by age group, but the race numbers were not, so this created much confusion in the transition area. There were many unhappy triathletes, but I lucked out and we found my rack spot pretty easily (yes, 'we'. I snuck my run buddy into the transition area, shhhh!) I set up, suited up and headed down to the water.

The Swim (35:52, Woo hoo!)

Let me just say that fresh water open water swimming is WORLD'S better than ocean swimming! Warmer, not salty, no waves, no sharks. What more could you ask for? The swimming practice and pre-masters classes have definitely helped me feel MUCH more comfortable in the water. I had a great swim. I can not sight for beans, but even with the extra 1/4 mile that I am sure I swam I had my best swim time EVER! I don't have my official chip time since it isn't posted yet, but when I looked at my watch after (yes, AFTER!) I ran to my transition area I swear it said 37 minutes! HO-LY SHIT! We'll see when they post results, since that seems impossible for me. Regardless, best open water swim I have had. Update: Chip time 35:52. that is 2:43/100 yd. pace which is really good for me. Awesome!

T1: 5:09 (as compared to the 10 min transition for Pac Grove 2007 where I was deciding whether to continue or not. I will take it)

The Bike (1:00:52, 15.7 mph ave)

My transition from the swim is much better when I am not seasick, so I was out on the course pretty quickly. Hubby told me to push the bike hard to see what I had gained by the hill training and extra riding I have been doing. I did just that! the course felt pretty flat, but the elevation chart shows that it more challenging than it felt. There was one tough climb and several people had to get off and walk, but I went right up. Pictures: Elevation chart of bike course. Me heading out on the bike. Overall, great ride.











T2: 2:14

The Run (51:23, 10:16/mi. pace)

My legs were pretty heavy, but marathon training has taught me that I can handle discomfort for long periods of time and that it almost always gets better. The run course was an out and back. It was hot, but the run course was pretty flat. Slight uphill on the way out, and slight downhill on the way in. Just the way I like it! I have no idea what my pace was (Update: 10:16/mi. pace). I didn't wear my Garmin. Lame. Should have took two seconds to put it on. But I think it was pretty good. Especially on the return trip. Pictures: Me heading out on the run, feeling pretty good. Me coming in from the run, feeling pretty great!


The Finish

I crossed the finish line and stopped my watch, 2:35:38! I had hoped to finish under 3 hours, I was ecstatic!
Update: Chip time 2:35:30!

Ok, this next part is mean, but remember Bag of Hair Boy? He did this triathlon too. It was his first.

I BEAT HIM!

Not by much, and I am certain he struggled on the swim and went out too hard on the bike. He is young and strong and there was NO reason for me to beat him, .... but it still felt good!

Oh God, I am doing a triathlon tomorrow

How did it escape my attention that I am doing my first triathlon of the season this weekend?!

I mean, I knew it was there on the schedule, I had made some plans around it, but it wasn't until the kids asked what I was doing this weekend that I thought, "Crap! I am doing a triathlon this weekend!"

I can run. Give me a pair of shoes and a race number and I am off, but swim/bike/run? All in a row?

I don't feel ready for this.


List of my concerns in no particular order:

1. It is a sprint, but a long sprint (3/4 mi. swim/16 mile bike/5 mile run). Eek. Upside the swim is in a lake, meaning no sharks, not as cold (60-65 degrees), and no rip tide to flush you to your death.

2. It is, however, a "water start" and I, frankly, have no idea what this means other than, I assume, you are in the water when you start. *shrug*

3. I am in the last wave, which means that I will be the last fucking swimmer out of the water. Awesome.

4. California is currently in the middle of a heat wave and it is HOT. I have not done so well training in the heat (read: I have been a miserable, whiny baby)

5. No one is doing this with me. Well, except the other 1000 people, but I do not KNOW them! They won't listen to me whine about how much I hate the swim, they don't care that I am hot, they won't help me find my transition area, or the body markers, or, or, ... *sniff*

I'll stop. Sorry.