Sounds like a pretty bold statement… and I know what you’re saying…  “But, I can’t swim, bike and run like you do.”  You don’t have to. 

Good exercise comes in many forms.  You can go for an extra-long walk around the block with your dog. You can walk a 5K with the people you love for a good cause.  You can turn up the music and have a dance party in the middle of your living room with your kids.  You can simply take 10 minutes out of your day to S-T-R-E-T-C-H your muscles.  You can decide to park the car further from the door to the grocery store rather than closer.  You can spend the day gardening in your yard.  You can get into a pool and be “weightless” enough to move your body with ease of you feel weighed down.  I promise you, you will feel 100 times better, both physically and mentally, if you can work exercise into your day.  Allow yourself to fail and even feel bad for a while when you start a new routine… but get back up and try again.  The day you have a breakthrough with adding exercise to your life is well worth it.  In essence, you have to just keep moving forward.

There are many times that I have been out in the middle of a triathlon swim struggling.  My catchphrase is “keep moving forward”.  Forward is better than stopping.  Forward is progress. For a girl who is not fast, at least “forward” gets me ever-closer to my destination.  I could be struggling on a bike ride, fighting the wind, or even worse, a hill.  Keep moving forward, one pedal at a time.  I could be on the last leg of a triathlon, the run… my nemesis.  I repeat to myself, “keep moving forward”.

Do you know that in the rules of triathlon that you can actually crawl?  Yes, you can crawl if you have to.  Just keep moving forward.

What I have learned over the past few summers is that I am an athlete.  (Sometimes I’m a better athlete than others.)  I have my highs and my lows. I have my 173’s and my 178’s. I have had some amazing races that I’m proud as heck of… and some that leave me wanting to try again.  I aspire to do a full Ironman race someday when the timing is right.  For what I lack in speed, I make up for in sheer stubbornness that I like to call endurance.  I can swim like a fish, I can bike like a giddy kid and I can rock a 12-minute mile like nobody’s business.  I can. And for that, I am immensely thankful that my body can do all those things when I ask it to.

So what, I ask, is your aspiration?  What do you want to tackle? This summer as I shared my stories with you, you shared your stories with me. 

My friend, Kris, has lost more than 45 pounds this summer.  She started walking, then running.  She keeps on equaling her weight loss to objects — which is hilarious. First it was 16 pounds (equal to a sperm whale’s brain, or two human heads or 3 Chihuahuas), then it was 30 pounds (a giant Maine lobster!), and then 35 pounds (the Stanley Cup), etc. etc.  Go Kris!

My friend, Jodi, just emailed me and another friend to say “It’s all your fault…”  she’s started her own 30 week novice marathon training plan and she’s already busting out 8 milers.  Go Jodi!

I watched two ladies on opposite ends of the spectrum celebrate their goals at our local Seattle Team LUNA Chix workouts this year.  Jenny, who completed Ironman Canada and Melinda who completed her first Danskin Sprint Triathlon.  Both shared their stories with equal amounts of happiness, joy and feelings of accomplishment.

This is the stuff I like to hear, people tackling things that maybe they thought they never could.  Tackling life with joy, optimism and determination.  It doesn’t matter how fast or slow you go, just keep moving forward.

It’s time to cue up your playlist…. turn it up… and move.  Remember to do it with joy and be patient... if you can dream it, you can do it.  Encourage yourself and encourage others.  If you see someone out on the sidewalk or bike path working hard, give ‘em a fist pump.  If you have a setback, know that it is not permanent.  Don’t worry about what you can’t do. Celebrate what you can. Because that’s what life is all about….  through good times and bad….just keep moving forward.

Thanks for listening this season.
—Kristine

P.S.  Thanks to Luna for this opportunity and a big thanks to my Luna co-bloggers this season.  Amanda, Stephanie and Emilie — it has been a pleasure sharing this experience with you.

Then in February of this year I found out I was chosen to be a Journalist for this Team LUNA Chix blog.  I was very excited!  (And very worried about the task of writing an entry EVERY WEEK.)  I worked my writings around the events that I signed up for, my training, and filled in the gaps with other things that were on my mind in-between.  I would sit down every Sunday morning, while my children were still asleep (thanks teenagers!) – make a cup of coffee and write.  Sometimes things would flow with ease… and sometimes I would be stuck for what to say because I had no idea who was listening.

I came to a realization that in the past when I kept a journal or diary (the written kind), my thoughts were pretty negative.  Well…. in fact, they were very negative.  Those journals were like complaint-o-rama.  A total whinefest!  I know that in general, I’m a more positive person than I used to be… but reading some of the old diaries I had, I was astonished at how awful everything sounded! (Yep, I threw them away.)  Blogging online (even if no one is really listening) keeps my writing positive, hopeful and helpful.  Perhaps you want to blog?  There are many places that host online blogs for free like Blogger and Wordpress.  If you’d like to know more on how to get started, please feel free to contact .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).

Well, here we are… down to the LAST TWO BLOGS for Luna.  I’ve made some great connections through my blogging this year and to the people who were listening… thank you. 

After I finish writing for Luna, I will go back to writing for myself again at my Athena Triathlete blog.  I’m always a work-in-progress – so I know there is much more to be written.

So, let’s say that you’re eating a balanced diet and your thinking about race day.  How do you get through your race?  How many calories should you plan to consume?  What should you have for breakfast? What should you drink?  What should you eat?  By now you’ve probably heard that you should “test out” your nutrition before the actual race day.  It’s true!  You don’t want to surprise your system with anything new during a race.

I’ll give you my suggestions, but if you’re really curious on what is right for you… I’d suggest diving into the content of LunaBar’s new website , TeamLunaChix.com, or seeing a sports nutritionist.  I’ve had the pleasure of working with registered dietitian, Sally Hara, MS, RD, CSSD, CDE.  (That’s a lot of letters, Sally!)  Sally frequently works with endurance athletes such as cyclists, triathletes, runners, and climbers.  She’s taken the time to study what athletes need from their nutrition.  If you visit her website, you’ll see great advice on nutrition in her blog and also handy charts that break down the values of some of the things endurance athletes frequently eat and drink during events—electrolyte drinks, gels, and blocks.

Now, here’s a sample of what I do:
On a race morning, I usually like to have a hearty bowl of oatmeal for breakfast.  It is easy on the stomach and sticks with you for a long time.  It also can be a nice way to start off a chilly or dark race morning.  I also like to have a small cup of coffee. (Honestly, I never drank a sip of coffee until I moved to Seattle, but now I love a good cup of Joe!)

If I’m doing an long event (a half-marathon, an Olympic distance or a half-ironman triathlon) I will also eat about a half of a Luna Bar in transit on the way to the event and sip on my electrolyte drink.  When you’re doing a half-ironman race, you can be setting yourself up in transition, getting body-marked, etc. for quite some time.  I don’t want my breakfast to be burned up before I hit the starting line.

In my half-ironman distance races, I also do a gel right before the start of the swim.  I don’t know if this is a help or not (since I should be drinking water with the gel….) but it has become a psychological ritual as much as anything. (I’m thinking… let’s cram in the last nutrition before we head out on that 1.2 mile swim!) 

I’ll also say that even before I started blogging for Luna (a Clif company) I used Clif Shot Energy Gels.  I like their flavor selection and also I LOVE that the packaging for the gels has a “litter leash”.  What’s so big about that?  When you tear the top off the gel, the torn top stays intact with the gel packaging and you don’t have two pieces of packaging to fumble with while you’re running or riding.  So simple, yet so brilliant!  Not only is littering on a racecourse cause for getting you a penalty… it’s just bad karma.

So if you’ve never had a gel before, you’re meant to squeeze the gel directly from the pack into your mouth.  It has a sticky honey-like consistency and provides you with about 100 quickly digestible calories.  Some gels also have added caffeine content, which is known to help with athletic performance.  Gels are kind of weird… but when I started to do longer races, I realized that they were easily packable on your race belt or in your back pocket, and they were quick bursts of energy.  It is just not practical to eat solid food during a race. 

Regardless of the length of the event, I usually do a gel shot after I leave transition from the swim and just get on the bike.  Here, the race photographer captured me trying to navigate the road and eat at the same time!

As I move forward in the race, one bottle on my bike is an electrolyte drink and the second bottle on my bike is just water.  (I’ve read you should follow your gels with simple water, not your electrolyte drink.  This is because too much sugar all at once for your system and can cause gastrointestinal trouble.)  I’ll have as many gels in my bento box on my bike to get me through the distance of the race.

When I’m off on the run, I tend to switch from gels to Shot Bloks Energy Chews.  I also often choose a flavor of chews with a high sodium content.  Can you say MARGARITA flavor?  Usually by this point in a race, you’ve depleted a lot of your salt, so you want to try to get some of that back in to your body to prevent cramps. 

Here’s A Tip: Always cut open the package for the chews prior to your race.  I put my chews alongside my running shoes so I can grab them as I’m leaving transition or fasten them in the loop of my race belt.  I cut my chews open beforehand because I don’t want to be fumbling with a package while I’m trying to run.  Chews are like giant gummy bears and I put one or two in my mouth at a time and let them dissolve a bit before I chew and swallow them.  For both gels and chews, you should consume them with the right amount of water to aid in their digestion.  (See Sally’s blog for the right amounts!) 

On one of my 70.3 races in Texas it was VERY hot by the time we got on the run.  (Mid to upper 80’s for this Seattleite is hot!)  I probably stopped at every aid station to drink—worried that I was going to be dehydrated.  By the last 5 miles of the run, my belly was a “sloshing mess,” as I explained it to Sally when I returned to Seattle.  I just drank too much.  I made it through, but I also learned a lesson.

Race day nutrition is as much a component of triathlon to be trained and tested as your swim, bike and run.  Please take my suggestions only as a starting point. Read, read, read…. ask other fellow athletes their opinions…  and consult a pro like Sally if you can.

If you have kids, it helps to have a spouse that will compromise with you and allow you to train when you need to.  Lucky girl, I have that.  It also helps if your children are bigger and more self-sufficient.  At ages 11 and 14, mine are.  However, I do remember spending many nights putting my children to bed at 8:30 pm and going downstairs to my basement to ride my bike on the trainer.  I didn’t WANT to be exercising at 9 pm… but it was the only way to fit it in.  Now, when I take my daughter to her gymnastics class two times a week, my gym is right down the street.  I drop her off, and then go to my gym to workout for an hour, and back to pick her up. 

I think that is the thing — you have to fit exercise in when and where you can.  I’ve occasionally needed to get a long run in… so instead of riding the bus home from work, I bring my gear and RUN home from work.  I get home a little later than I usually would, but then my workout for the night is done and I can concentrate on my family.  I’ve also always loved the idea of being a bike commuter, but I just haven’t been able to make it happen yet.

Because I work full time, when I’m training for a long-distance race sometimes my workouts turn into “two-a-days”.  I wake up in the morning to swim laps, go to work, come home and be with my family for a few hours for dinner and regroup from the day… and then back to the gym for running or cycling.  (This is where the super spouse comes in.)  You come home to fall into bed and the next day it starts all over again.

On weekends, long runs and long rides usually happen before anyone else wakes up.  I’m not a fabulous morning person, but I can get up a little earlier to at least not be gone too long after everyone is up and about.  Or you just have to DECLARE the time.  “I’m going for my run.  I’ll be back in 2 hours.”  It can seem a little selfish, but everyone adjusts and I think my children appreciate that I’m doing something to keep myself healthy.  My husband also does triathlons, so he understands the importance of getting workouts checked off.

During race season I think I’m also better at my job.  My body is in shape and I’m eating well to fuel all my activity.  It all comes together and then my brain works better.

But sometimes — something has got to give…

Honestly, my house is never as clean as I want it to be.  You’d gasp if you saw the amount of dishes that are usually in my kitchen sink.  (We are in the middle of a house remodel, too.)  You can only do so much, so honestly; something gets put-off or unfinished.  That’s okay.  It is the balancing act of life and occasionally, you have to let it go. (Yes, this is a veiled but desperate plea for someone to come clean my house!)

I’ve decided that this endurance lifestyle is going to be apart of my life.  It’s who I am and so I make it a part of my everyday. 

Now, I wonder how many calories washing dishes and vacuuming burns?  Because that’s what I’m off to do…

I wasn’t able to participate in as many events this summer as I would have liked — but still, I did get to do some awesome things this summer.  The ChelanMan triathlon and my San Juan’s bike ride were the top of the list. My husband and I find that a lot of motivation to get out there and continue to train and be active comes from signing up for an event.  If you commit to a race and pay your entry fee, you’ve got “X” amount of weeks to train and make your goal. It tends to scare you into keeping on track!  Signing up for a race might be social (participating in a race with family or friends) or it might be about pushing for a personal best time, or it might be a part of a bigger plan for a longer race later in the season — for example when I’m training for a long triathlon (an Olympic distance or a 70.3 race)  I always add a long race like a ½ marathon earlier in the season so I’m sure my running is on track. 

So as the summer winds down to an end, its time to start planning for next year.  Here’s what’s on my mind:

Run A Marathon - May 5, 2013
I had signed up for a marathon last year, but a calf injury early in my training made me back it down to a ½.  It is time to try again and like I mentioned, wanting to run a marathon is part of a bigger plan.  Someday, I want do a full Ironman race, so I need to feel what that distance of running a full marathon is like for me mentally and physically.  I want to pick something relatively flat (sometimes hard to do in the Pacific Northwest).  The Portland Marathon was my first choice, but I don’t want to wait an entire year… so my friend, Anne, gave me the lowdown on the Vancouver B.C. Marathon.  The race is in early May of next year and if I go by Hal Higdon’s 30 week novice supreme marathon plan, I’ll start training in October.  I’m sure you’re saying, why the heck are you doing the super novice?  Well, it’s a mental thing.  I need to be injury free and stay on track for this through the winter, so I picked super novice to give myself the best chance of success.

ChelanMan - July 20-21, 2013
My brother-in-law was so excited about this event last year, he’s already booked our hotel!  It will be my 3rd time doing this race. It’s small and has a great venue. Now just to decide… do the Oly?  Or up the ante and possibly tackle the 70.3?

Hood to Coast - August 23 & 24, 2013
A few years ago on a winter’s night, I went with my friends Tim and Kelly to see the premier of the Hood to Coast movie.  Of course, we were hooked.  And last year for the first time I put in an entry for a team.  Hood to Coast is a bucket list item, the mother of all relays and the largest relay race in the world.  What is it?  199 miles from Timberline Lodge atop Mt. Hood in Oregon, running nonstop as a relay all the way to the finish line on the beach in Seaside, Oregon.  I don’t even like running… but I want to do Hood to Coast.  My friend, Anne, is putting our entry in again this year.  Being declined last year gives us a little bit better chance of being picked.  I highly recommend the movie.  At least watch the trailers.  They’re just fun to watch!

Continue to Get Faster and Stronger
I want to entitle it “Getting Faster, Lighter, and Stronger”... but losing any weight eludes me.  (And that also honestly sometimes makes me angry.)  So to focus on the positive, I’ll just continue with my workouts.  I’d like to incorporate weights into my off-season training.  I’d like to work on speedwork for my running and I intend on finding a Masters Swim Workout.  What’s Masters Swimming?  They provide organized workouts for adult swimmers (fitness, triathlete, competitive, non-competitive) who are dedicated to improving their fitness through swimming.  I love to swim.  My husband does too.  I’d love to do more long distance open water swimming next summer.  It would be nice to spend more time in the pool to improve, but mindless lap swimming doesn’t get me any faster, so I’m looking for a structured workout.  Going to Team LUNA Chix workouts introduced me to Masters Swimming.  It is also something my husband and I can do together.  And any opportunity for a “date-night” is a great thing.

Now the challenge comes.  To stay active through the fall and winter.  Through the HOLIDAYS.  Through Seattle’s dark and rainy months.  It will be hard, but I’m committed – as always – to keep moving forward.

Click.  “You’ve received race photos!  Click here to retrieve them.”

Click, click.  “Oh. My. Goodness. Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahh!”

Has this ever happened to you?  It certainly has happened to me.  Someone, somewhere along the way had the brilliant idea to place photographers along the course of events and snap photos of each and every one of us.  It’s a good idea, really.  You might take photos of yourself at the start or the finish… but along the way of your event, you’re working hard so you’re typically not taking photos.  And certainly not of yourself. 

Good idea, those photographers.  (Enter the dream of looking like Mirinda Carfrae, or… or….Kara Goucher!) Yeah.  Good idea. Until you SEE the photographs.

There have been some funny ones of me over the years.  I usually look in pain.  (Probably because I was!)  What’s even funnier is that you’d like to have a keepsake of yourself participating in a race but paying for a photo like that?  Um, no.

Take a look at this photo from the Seattle Rock n’ Roll Half Marathon.  PAIN!

I was even in a race where the photographer was laying down on the ground trying to take an action shot as the athletes ran through the transition area.  I thought to myself, “Oh-for-crying-out loud… he’s kidding, right? How’s this photo going to turn out?”

To be honest, I’m a graphic designer by day.  I could be editing every one of my photos in my blogs.  A nip here… a tuck there… a blur there….  (well there’s really no way to help the photo above!)  But editing my photos wouldn’t be fair or realistic to myself or to those people who I’m trying to show that being active and getting fit shouldn’t be about what SIZE you are.

Early in my venture into triathlons, I read a book called, “Shape Up With The Slow Fat Triathlete”, by Jayne Williams.  That book inspired me to worry less, take on new challenges, and just not sweat the small stuff.  Jayne’s books are full of wit and humor.  In fact, I think a lot of what Jayne writes is not just for bigger athletes, but could benefit any woman who worries about how she looks. 

Case-in-point — Chapter 1: Abandon Self-Consciousness

Our bodies, Jayne says, can walk, dance, swim, climb mountains, ride a bike from Boston to New York. They can jump on a trampoline and do a downward facing dog pose.  The only thing they can’t do is look… “perfect.”

Still, it’s good to laugh at yourself.  And after about 4 years of viewing ridiculous photos of myself on the racecourse, it finally dawned on me what to do.  For crying out loud, I should simply, close my mouth!  (And an awesome pair of sunglasses doesn’t hurt either.)

In the end, my motivation is not what other people think of me.  My motivation is to finish.  And as Jayne says — Chapter 2: To See Fitness As What I Do, Not How I Look.

Looking good, but my gear is rubbing me the wrong way!

Triathlon tops are cut that way for a reason.  See this photo above?  Although I did totally look like a badass in my black sleeveless cycling top that day, by the end of my 13.1 mile run, the back of my triceps had been rubbed raw by the extra fabric.  (Speaking of looking badass in race photos… stay tuned for next week when I’ll talk about this!)

I’ve found that I LOVE bib shorts for cycling!  In the past they have mostly been sold to men, but slowly more bib shorts are being sold on the women’s side.  What do I mean?  A normal cycling short for women just pulls up to your waist, but then there is the potential for the “gap” in between your pants and your top.  You might be stuck wrestling pulling something up or pulling something down for coverage. But bib shorts are brilliant because they have material that goes up around your shoulders and holds it all in!  And when I say “holds it all in”... I mean my (sometimes more than others) generous belly.  Yes, it makes it a little trickier for bathroom stops, but I say the extra coverage is so worth it.

What’s under there?  Cyclists don’t wear underwear with their cycling shorts.  This is in an effort to keep any extra seams from your underwear from rubbing and causing chafing.  Cycling shorts are padded with a chamois.  The chamois is helpful when you’re on long rides to keep your bum from getting sore.  But if you ride a lot… riding enough miles to condition your butt to sitting on the seat for long periods is the best defense against saddle soreness.  If you just can’t imagine not wearing underwear… I have seen cycle liner shorts and athletic underwear with flat seams.  But if you’re going for long distances, honestly, ditch the underwear.  You’ll be happier in the end.  (Ooooh, get it?  In the end?)  And also, products like “Glide” and “Chamois Butter” are your friend.  Use them anywhere you think you might have rubbing.  And use the BEFORE you need to.

You’ll get samples to try in your race packets!

Yep, tri-shorts ARE different than cycling shorts.  Cycling shorts have a big chamois for lots of padding.  Triathlon shorts have a much thinner pad.  This is mostly so that when you get out of the swim and onto the bike in a triathlon, you don’t feel like you’re wearing a big wet diaper and you can dry off more quickly.

Sometimes, I pee my pants when I run.  Yep, you heard it here.  I’m a mother of two.  And even though I haven’t had my children recently, I still have problems with a little leakage.  I remember my very nice doctor mentioning that something could be done to fix that problem… but honestly, I haven’t had the guts to pursue it.  I don’t have a solution to this… do you?  Maybe the person who invents running gear with a removable insert will be my hero!  I’m picturing a slightly padded, washable insert that can go into a fine mesh that rests against your skin (and causes no chaffing).  Hear me Nike?  Under Armour?  Get on it.

And with that said… please make great looking gear for BIGGER women.  I’m tired of following girls wearing adorable running tops or skirts only get up on them and see it is from a yoga/athletic store (which I won’t name) that I know for sure does not have anything that I can fit in that is not a headband.  A friend of mine said it best, “I found that sport stores make clothes that are only for fit people, not people trying to get fit.”  Amen, sister.  Amen.

Gotta hold in the girls!  Now I don’t have this problem because I’ve been blessed (or cursed depending how you look at it) with an “A” cup, but I have seen many women run past me on the jogging path fighting with themselves (you know what I mean).  A lot of motion from their chest… and it just looks painful.  Our local Team LUNA Chix hosted an event with Title Nine this past summer that included an athletic bra fit.  I’ve heard a great athletic bra for those more well endowed can change lives!  One company that comes to mind is Moving Comfort.  They have a sports bra finder on their website.  If nothing else, view a well held pair of “girls” as making you more efficient on your run.

You don’t have to win… you just have to finish!

Going long.  You might think you’ll never be able to run more than a 5K. You might think you’ll never be able to swim, bike, and run one right after the other. You might be thinking you’d never be able to bust out a double century bike ride.  But with the proper training, you can.  Endurance events are all about taking the time to condition your body.  There’s a rhyme and a reason to “long runs” when you’re training for your first ½ marathon.  There’s a rhyme and reason for spending time “in the saddle” when you’re training for a long bike ride, like a century (100 miles).  I say you can because I have.  And I feel that if I can… anyone can.  Get a hold of a training plan and follow it.  And if you want to start being active in something out of your comfort zone… find a local Team LUNA Chix group in running, cycling, triathlon or mountain biking.  These ladies are experienced and ready to answer ALL your questions. I hear many people comment they think the Chix are a professional or a closed group.  They are not.  They are women just like you and me who have done events of all different lengths.  Their workouts are very welcoming and very FREE.  And the excellent clinics they organize cost little and raise money for the Breast Cancer Fund.

Join the club.  If you’ve caught the triathlon bug and plan to do more than four triathlon events in a calendar year, its worth it to become a member of USA Triathlon.  When you register for an event, you will need to buy accident insurance for the event.  (It’s required to race.) You can purchase a “one day license” when you register for the event for $12, or you can purchase a USAT membership that is good for a year for $45.  Your membership goes beyond the insurance to include gear discounts, USA Triathlon magazine, and much more.  Check out the USAT website for the details!

Also, I learned through a Team LUNA Chix Alumni member, Leslie, that race insurance exists!  Just imagine you’ve entered to run in an event that costs you big bucks.  Half-marathons can cost $80 or more, marathons and long distance triathlon events well over 100 bucks!  Or say you’ve entered in a big race, but then your training doesn’t go as planned, you get hurt, sick, or something else… it hurts enough not being able to participate in the event, but then losing your entry money hurts, too.  Watch this super cute video by Leslie and her sister and check out the 365 Competitor website to see if your race can be covered.

Do you have more questions?  Let me know!  Be sure to visit the Team LUNA Chix website and click on their Advice and Tips tab. 

Now get out there, be active and HAVE FUN!

I’m not scheduled for any more events, but I’m thinking about how I can possibly train for a marathon and WHEN I might run one.  I was signed up for the Seattle Rock n’ Roll marathon in June, but I pulled my calf.  Now that’s all better, I’m thinking of trying again.  I also need to have a breakthrough with my running.  It’s just the one thing that is bothering me.  A body in motion tends to stay in motion!  And when I stop running, I have to start all over again and it is HARD.

Fall also brings a change to my workout patterns.  Summer is usually spent outdoors as much as possible, but our outdoor swimming pools will be closing and I’ll be back at the gym soon.  My bike will come inside and get racked on the trainer.  And short runs might also be happening more at the gym on the treadmill.  The kids will be back at school this week so there will be an adjustment to all our lives with homework and afterschool activities, too.

As summer “ends” also, I start to read more.  Which got me thinking of the books that athletes read.  Yes, I do own the book “The Triathlete’s Training Bible” by Joe Friel.  But I have to tell you that my eyes started crossing when I got to the section about “periodization”. (Yes, you can laugh if you know what I’m talking about.)

Right now I’m reading “A Life Without Limits” by Ironman World Champion, Chrissie Wellington.  I picked it up because she promises to tell about the nitty-gritty of triathlon.  You know, the stuff no one ever mentions… like how elite competitors pee on the bike!  But really I wanted to hear how this woman, who never was a really serious athlete, burst onto the triathlon scene and seemed to crush all competitors with a smile on her face.  I’m still reading…

Here’s a few other books that are on my shelf:

“Lance Armstrong’s War” by Daniel Coyle  Excellent book.  This book is about cycling on the professional circuit but in the mix is Lance’s personal life, as well.  It is also inside look to the (sometimes wacky) behavior of pro cyclists, in general.  The author was given close access to Lance leading up to the Tour in 2004 and offers his best, unbiased look, at cycling – yes, including doping allegations.  A real page turner! 

“Touching the Void” by Joe Simpson  OMG!  Talk about a page turner! This book is not new, but if you have not read it… I highly recommend it!  It’s the true story of Joe and his climbing partner, Simon Yates.  Simon breaks his leg badly while climbing with Joe in the Andes mountains. Joe tries to lower his friend to safety during a blizzard and is forced to cut the rope moments before being pulled to his own death!  I finished the book walking down the street.  I couldn’t put it down.

“Born to Run” by Christopher McDougall  Lots of good info in here about the history of running, the mechanics of running (including barefoot running) and also the amazing story of the Tarahumara Indians of Mexico who run EVERYWHERE.  They run out of necessity, they run for sport, they run for joy!  I’m still trying to grasp that concept… run for joy.

So when I’m done with Chrissie’s book, are there any other great reads you’d recommend?  Happy Fall everyone!

My new mantra is: “Everything you want is on the other side of fear.”

My fellow Team LUNA Chix blogger, Stephanie, introduced it to me.  She used it as her title in a recent blog post and it really resonated with me.  Fear — even the slightest hesitation in moving forward can stop us in our tracks.  It happens to all of us until will negotiate with ourselves, find the courage, or just power through the situation.  Am I overthinking this?  Or do other people feel this way?  If you roll through life with no fear—good on ya.  And consider yourself lucky.

What do I fear?  I fear an ill fitting wetsuit that will choke me during the swim.  I used to really fear hills on the bike, but I’ve come to know that I just have to attack them (sometimes with anger) and get up and over and then take advantage of the downhills.  (Here’s a secret… big girls can go fast on the downhills!  And if you’re not a tentative rider… you can regain a little time on the descents.)

But most of all…. I fear the run. 

I fear that I’m not good at it and for all the running I’ve done over the last 3-4 years, I will never be good at it. 

I did the Lake Sammamish triathlon on Saturday.  A .25 mile swim, 14 mile bike (technically 14.63)  and a 3.2 mile run (on mostly trails).  It was a great race to end my season with.  We had a beautiful day! There was great organization by Budu Racing.  Great volunteers… (thank you volunteers)!!  The lake water was warm enough to walk in with no shock and the swim was short enough to really try and go all out. The bike course was mainly flat with only one hill to contend with (out and back) and the run was through the State Park which provided some nice distraction through trees, grass fields and even past a little stream.

I felt like my swim was good (although I wish I would have NOT worn the wetsuit…).  My bike was great…  I just pumped as fast as I could go and averaged 16.8 mph.  But my race fell to pieces on the run.

I raced Athena (for women over 150 lbs) and I knew that there were 9 women in my group.  Honestly, I was wishing for a medal yesterday.  By the tail end of the bike, I was trying to identify anyone who might be in the Athena group.  I came into transition off the bike and went out on the run.  I was leap-frogging with two ladies that I thought might be in my group (I didn’t know for sure because ages were marked on our legs, but not “A” for Athena).  Both these ladies purely out-ran me.

At one point on the run I noticed that all the energy in my body was on the upper half, when I should have been relaxing and sending all of the power down to my legs.  My breathing was too labored and I just couldn’t make myself go any faster.  An 11:35 minute/mile pace was all I could manage.  I tried to stay with the last woman for as long as I could, thinking that I might be able to kick when I saw the finish line… but she slipped away and finished ahead of me.  I finished 5th in the Athena group.  8th in my age group.

So now I’ll digress and make my laundry list of whiny excuses for why my run sucked so much…  I haven’t been running much at all since ChelanMan.  It’s always been hard to get this big body REALLY moving on a run.  If you want to run in Seattle, you’re always contending with hills and the hills make me even slower than I normally would be.  I don’t have a triathlon or running coach to help me get better, I just do this all on my own.  I’m too busy for my own good sometimes with two kids, a husband, a job, an in-progress house remodel and a dog… so when do I fit in running?  Three of the ladies who finished ahead of me in Athena were 30, 30, and 35 years old and I’m 43.  (But I’ll tell you that argument doesn’t hold up because there was a 69 year old female that ran a 8:59 minute/mile!  Awesome!)

But who cares about all those excuses.  I fear the run, and so I let it stifel me.

In triathlon, the run is where it happens.  Although you may have a great swim, and a great bike… great runners win races.  And so I’m adopting my new mantra:  “Everything you want is on the other side of fear.” 

Forget medaling… I WANT to be a better runner.  But I realized Saturday with crystal clear eyes that it won’t happen until I put in the work, find the courage, and walk through the fear.  I made the mistake of letting the fitness that I built up to the ChelanMan race slip away, when I should have been out there just jogging two or three miles a few times a week.

I can no longer fear the run.  So my next feat will be (new mantra in hand) to embrace running and somehow, someway…  get to the other side.

Diana is a dreamer.  She has set this wild and wonderful goal for herself and surrounded herself with a loving, supporting team that believes in the journey as much as she does.  This is her fourth attempt at this swim, third in the past 2 years.

What would possess a person to say they could swim 103 miles across the open ocean from Cuba to Florida?  As a child Diana visited Cuba and stood on the beach and wondered if it could be done. Diana says that when she was nearing 60, she came to a point where she had realized she spent too many “countless hours lost in negative thought…”  She realized she needed to dream and dream big… and then chase that dream with unwavering passion. That’s how the “Extreme Dream” of swimming from Cuba to Florida was re-born.

Along the way, Diana is faced with all kinds of adversity.  Waves, currents, storms, jellyfish… sharks.  Just like in triathlon, there are times when her swim is more of a mental challenge than a physical one and just then—it flips again when her body speaks up.

Is this swim a metaphor for life?  You bet. 

You should come to understand that your dreams will take hard work and sometimes relentless optimism.  Along the way there will be waves and currents and storms and sharks.  You may want to give up.  But then, you’ll hit a smooth patch that will allow you to enjoy all your hard work up until that point.  You should surround yourself with a team of loving, supporting people that believe in your journey as much as you do.  But most of all, you should dare to dream.  And dream big.  Because there is something wild and wonderful in the power of saying to yourself… “I can.”

Follow Diana’s progress at: DianaNyad.com

Watch Diana’s TED talk here.

Be inspired and then tell me… what’s your dream?

But back to the fit….  I’m famous for buying gear based on the sizing charts, only to find that there is some problem with the fit.  I’m 5’7, 173 (I know… I know… I’m STILL telling you about my weight…. GASP!).  I’ve got some generous thighs (nice sales people like to say it is because I’m a cyclist…)  and I feel like I have a longer torso than most with broad shoulders.  This can wreak all kinds of havoc on applying my body type to a sizing chart.  Like buying that “perfect” pair of jeans… there’s a lot of disappointment.

I think I’m a pretty decent swimmer.  I do great in the pool and I just love to swim.  But open water swimming as a whole different animal and wearing an ill-fitting wetsuit can crush your spirit.  It has mine, on many occasion.  Yes, anyone in triathlon will tell you that wetsuits are meant to be tight fitting, but in my opinion, if your suit is ultra-tight, constructing, or has set you up for a panic attack in the water… it doesn’t fit right.

This weekend I volunteered to be a “swim angel” for Team Survivor Northwest’s mock triathlon.  These ladies (joined by a group of women from HeartZones Coaching) were preparing for the Danskin triathlon that will take place in Seattle on August 19th.  Toward the back of the pack I swam alongside a lovely lady named Irene.  Irene was having a hard time “catching her breath”.  I could also see that her wetsuit was unzipped in the back (something she probably did mid-swim).  I felt Irene’s pain since I had been there so many times before myself and ultimately decided to ditch using a wetsuit entirely for my ChelanMan triathlon. (It was the best long distance/open water swim I have ever had).  The water in Lake Washington is pretty warm right now, so perhaps Irene will decide to forgo the wetsuit, as well, until she can work out her wetsuit troubles?  She had a beautiful swim stroke and told me she had just really been learning to swim since January!  In any case, all my best to you, Irene, for a smooth race on the 19th!

The suit I rented to help out with the mock tri this weekend was a suit that was recommended to me by WetsuitRental.com.  They had a booth at the ChelanMan triathlon and I talked to them about my wetsuit woes.  (I’ve rented from them before and they are really great working with you to find the right size.  Plus, they send along feedback cards with your rental so they can take into account customer’s opinions).  The suit was Nineteen brand fullsuit, but with gussets between the chest and the arms.  In my opinion, this really helped the wetsuit fit better through the chest, allowing it to give more and feel less restricting, including better arm rotation.  The size was WXL.  In the future, I’ll certainly remember the advantage of the gussets if I can swing owning a second suit.

Do you feel your wetsuit is “too tight”?  There might be a few reasons that’s true.  Newbies should understand that getting a wetsuit on properly takes TIME.  There’s a lot of careful pulling and adjusting (ala pantihose style….) to inch that wetsuit up to the proper fit.  You should get the legs of the suit as far up as possible to ride high in your crotch area.  If the suit is pulling you down from the legs, there’s no way to ensure you won’t feel that pull all the way from your shoulders once the suit is fully on.  Again, take your time.  Get a friend to help you adjust the arms and zip up the suit.  You might use a few tried and true tricks like using slippery plastic bags around your feet and hands to get the suit to slide on more easily.

There are videos you can look to online to demonstrate putting on and taking off a wetsuit.  I just watched the videos posted at WetsuitRental.com.  They are good ones.  However, I kinda wish my suit would go on as easily as the gal demonstrating!  To me, she’s represents the best case scenario… while the rest of us are tugging and pulling for at least 10 minutes more.  Ah, patience!

Additionally, wetsuits differ from manufacturer-to-manufacturer, year-to-year, and each manufacturer of wetsuits makes a “line” from the starter (more affordable) to pro (more expensive, but said to be more flexible and sometimes more buoyant in the right places).  For me, cost is a big factor so I don’t tend to instantly shop at the top of the line.  I shop carefully and read a lot of reviews to try to make an educated decision on quality vs. cost.  But occasionally, as is with most things, sometimes you get what you pay for.  I have tried suits by Synergy, Nineteen, Orca, and Xterra… fullsuits and sleeveless suits… women’s sizes and even MEN’s sizes trying to find the perfect suit. So you see, finding the perfect wetsuit can take some work.  And I’m still in search for mine!

My advice?  Look around at events or practices for people with the same body-type as you and see what type of suit their wearing.  Talk to them about their likes and dislikes.  Head to your local triathlon shop and try a lot of different suits and then head to another shop that carries different brands.  Or, rent before you buy.  Just remember that most shops and online rental companies will apply the cost of your rental to purchasing the suit if you decide to buy.

Or in my case — perhaps on a warm summer’s day, the perfect wetsuit is no wetsuit at all. 

Happy swimming!

Sometimes that number bothers me. I’d truly like it to be about 20 lbs. less.  I’m 5’7” and I’ve got German and Czechoslovakian genes. I was a former gymnast. My job as a graphic designer has me sitting at a desk all day. I have given birth two children and I have a post-partum thyroid problem.  And thus my thighs and rear-end LOVE to hold only a lot of extra weight. Don’t get me wrong, those aren’t excuses (even though I’d love to blame them for everything).  I know I’m responsible for getting the weight on there in the first place, but it has proven to be quite a challenge at 43 years old to get it back off.

However, in that moment after my Olympic triathlon at Lake Chelan and setting a PR (personal record), that number didn’t bother me at all. I put in the training and the effort over months to be able to do my best at the ChelanMan race and I was proud of the accomplishment. Other people were proud of me. The number, 173 at that moment in time seemed to really not matter.

The number also mattered less to me when I found out a childhood friend was just starting her own journey into an active lifestyle by starting a “Couch to 5K” program. She had the courage to reach out to me and ask questions about getting started. She said I was an inspiration!  She also shared that my weight was her goal weight. That changed my perspective, too.  My reality was someone’s “grass is greener on the other side”.  It is crazy how we can be perpetually hooked into wanting what we don’t have instead of appreciating what we do.  It know I sometimes do that myself.

In my 40’s, I’ve tried to take on the attitude of being relentlessly positive.  Probably because in my younger life, I spent a lot of time being quiet and shy and at times, pretty depressed.  But at some point I realized changes weren’t going to come to me sitting on a couch.  So I decided to get out there and give things a try and celebrate each and every accomplishment for what it is.  My new swimming, biking, running-self is not fast, but I’m overwhelmingly thankful that I have a body that CAN swim, bike, and run.  I’ve become more of the “enjoy the journey” girl and I’m having a blast doing it.  I’m also appreciating the connections that I can make with friends near and far who are like-minded in getting their fun from challenging themselves signing up for a race or a ride, putting in the training or just setting a goal of getting out there to feel better.  Exercise has so many amazing benefits.  Physical yes…  but for many of us… the mental benefits are just as valuable.

When the number 173 bothers me is when I’m not treating my body right…. when I’m not exercising regularly, when I’m not drinking enough water, when I’m indulging in too much sugar, and when my eating habits are poor. I can also weigh 173 during those times… but it is not a FIT 173.

If you’ve not signed up for an event (running, biking, triathlon), you might have the perception that everyone is super-skinny-fit and super-fast.  But at races, I really notice people of all shapes and sizes. If I’m going to pass someone, I make sure to cheer them on and tell them they are doing a great job. I need to pay forward the encouragement I have received getting to this point. I’m not at the front of the pack, but I’ve worked my way successfully to somewhere closer to the middle and I’m proud. And I remember what it was like just starting out.

I distinctly remember on my first 70.3 race I was really struggling on the hills. A gal came up alongside of me and yelled at me “one pedal at a time, you got this!” And when I say she yelled, SHE YELLED IT. It fired me up and gave me something to concentrate on for the rest of the race. We ALL get there… one pedal at a time.

So let’s circle back to some of the women who are inspiring me these days… my friend, Sharon who lives on the East Coast.  She’s conquering a summer full of “firsts”.  Sprint triathlons, open water swims, riding her bike in the rain and she just finished her first half-marathon.  She’s amazing.  My other friend, Kris, who is getting out there nearly every day in the heat and humidity of the midwest summer to walk and run the “unkind hills” (as she puts it).  She’s well on her way to her first 5K, one step at a time…  she is EARNING it.  She is now a runner.  My new friend, Carolynn, who I met on my San Juan bike ride who just finished a triathlon in Santa Monica and conquered her first ocean swim.  And of course all the Team LUNA Chix women who are out there on a weekly basis not only conquering their own events, but spending their time and energy paying it forward to women of ALL abilities.
                                                           
173, 243, 133… whatever.  Let’s get out there.  Let’s stay off the scale and put away the measuring tape.  Let’s cheer each other on to keep moving forward to exceed our own expectations… one step and one pedal at a time.  Just keep smiling and rock what you’ve got!

Remember this photo from last week?  I know you’ve been waiting to hear about these young triathletes!  The three kids to the right of the cones are my nephew, Spencer; my daughter, Charlotte; and my son, Matthew.  The tribe of kiddos to the left of the cones are their friends, John, Will, Erin, Tom, Max and Jack, racing them with enthusiasm into the finish line!

Spencer, Charlotte, and Matthew signed up to race in the first Chelanman youth triathlon.  The youth triathlon was nothing to sneeze at.  It was the same distance as the “Try-a-tri” triathlon — a 400 meter swim, a 13.1 mile bike and a 3.1 mile run.

My children had attempted to do a kids triathlon before.  A few years back we signed them up for an event in September.  But that time of year can be a mixed bag of weather in Seattle and the morning of the triathlon it was gloomy and cold.  On top of their nerves for their first tri and no wetsuits like the adults, my kids couldn’t stomach the idea of getting in the cold water that morning.  (I can’t say I blame them.)  We thought that the Chelanman race would be much better because we had a better chance of having warm temperatures and sunny weather along with the fact that we would be there all weekend and they could get acclimated to the sights and sounds of the event.

I made a training plan for the kids and we did pretty well at following it.  Spencer, the kid’s cousin from Oklahoma, trained with his Dad back home including a full mock-tri!  My goal with my kids was for them to be able to complete all the distances of the triathlon with as little surprises as possible.

Well… there was a surprise to contend with, the kids start was a little rushed.  There was some confusion since the kids had the same cap colors as the “Try-a-tri” athletes and the volunteers were convinced that the kids should have already been in the water when we walked down to the beach… however, I had read on the website that the kids start was at 9:15 am and we were plenty early.

Spencer and Matthew jumped right in, but Charlotte needed more time to adjust to the water and mentally prepare for the undertaking.  As her parent, I’m standing on the beach telling her to take her time and the volunteers are telling her she needs to get into the water ASAP!  It was a tough situation since I didn’t want her to be so overwhelmed that she backed out of the whole thing.

I was proud — she jumped in and started swimming. There were plenty of kayakers when she needed assistance and all three kids were out of the water in great time.

Prior to the race, Matthew and Spencer had decided to stick together Maverick and Goose-style (aka, they decided not to leave their wingman).  Both boys were on road bikes so it was easier for them to stay together.  Charlotte received serious points for toughing it out for 13 miles on her (too small) mountain bike with knobby tires.

When the boys came into T2, they looked great and ready to rock the run.  Charlotte got off her bike and really felt winded.  She needed some extra time to catch her breath.  There was a moment when we thought she might not continue, but I wanted her to feel the accomplishment of finishing the race.  (We all have had that feeling in a race, right?)  After a big hug, I encouraged her to “walk” the run.  Both my husband and I volunteered to walk alongside her.  She picked me, and of course, I was very inconveniently wearing flip-flops.

It took about a mile for us to walk and talk and then she was recovered.  I was glad I was out there with her since she was one of the last athletes on the course.  I wouldn’t have wanted her to be out there alone.  About a mile out, Charlotte was ready to run again.  I told her go ahead.. since you just can run in flip-flops!  Matthew (who had already finished his race) came out to escort his sister into the finish.  Matthew said, “Come on Charlotte, let’s go. Let’s finish strong”.  And the kids ran into the finish together.  Charlotte became Matthew’s “Wingman #2”.

Post-race the kids beamed with their medals around their necks.  We were so proud of them all.  And no matter what challenges they encountered that day… they finished the full distance of the race.  Every mile earned.

We sometimes measure our successes by numbers.  In triathlon, there is the component of keeping time.  Swim time, bike time, run time, transition times, miles per hour, minutes per mile….  Strap on your timing chip and start your watch at the sound of the gun (although I’m famous for forgetting to start mine…) and these numbers are measured not only in seconds, but milliseconds. 

Sometimes the numbers are exciting, sometimes they are disappointing depending on your expectations for the day.  We all have expectations – predictions really, of how our race will go, or what goals we are hoping to reach.  I say the number one goal and the number one victory is getting yourself to the starting line. 

The Chelanman Olympic distance triathlon was my “A” race this year.  I did the race last year in 2011 and loved it.  Clear water on the swim, a great venue, and a well organized race.  But look at my numbers from last year and I didn’t do so well.

Chelan wasn’t my “A” race last year.  The Texas 70.3 Triathlon in April was.  Sometime between April and July my training was lacklustre.  And although I raced at Chelan, my training wasn’t there.  That being said, I’m not a professional, I’m doing this for fun and fitness!  So, if I put it in perspective… I started, I finished, and I had a fun weekend so that should be enough.  But this year I get the satisfaction of being excited about the numbers.  MY NUMBERS! 

I made a great improvement this year in my times all around.  I can say that success came for a few reasons:

#1:  I Ditched The Wetsuit On The Swim
I’ve been struggling to find a wetsuit that feels right.  I’ve rented several different brands and recently bought a sleeveless suit online.  But the wetsuits always, always feel restricting on me.  More than just “wetsuits are supposed to be tight” constricting – I have a real problem with the fit due to my pear shape and it is frustrating not being able to find something right!  After an awful training swim in Lake Washington before the race and hearing that the water in Lake Chelan was up to 70 degrees, I decided to do the swim without a wetsuit.  It was chilly at first, but then, just fine… I was able to finally settle-in on my swim and get into a rhythm similar to what I have in the pool.  My improvement?  11 minutes on the swim.

#2: Training The Hills, Hills, Hills!
My San Juan ride the previous weekend provided me with 4 days of continuous training rides including some whopper hills!  Although, I felt the burn in my quads during the triathlon (maybe I could have used a little more rest in-between events?), I didn’t have any problem riding the 25 mile course as fast as possible.  My improvement?  Almost 22 minutes on the bike.

#3: Bricks!
Once my calf injury from earlier in the year had healed, I practiced as many bike/run bricks as I could.  I tried to train my legs to make the transition from biking to running with better ease.  My improvement?  17 minutes on the run – meaning I finally did more running than walking!

These little victories and the fact that Chelanman was my one focus this year added up to almost an hour difference in my race time!

It was a hard day (and pretty hot by the time we got on the run) but the day was really exciting and exceeded my expectations.  It is truly a nice feeling!

Now what does this pack of 9 children running have to do with my triathlon weekend?  Stay tuned to find out in Part 2…  you’ll be amazed!

Yes!  Totally, YES! I’ve been on several multi-day biking trips and after the first one I was hooked.  If you like riding bikes, it is the best way to spend a vacation.  If you sign up for an organized tour, they transport your luggage from place to place and provide SAG (support and gear), stops with lunch and snacks along the way.  You’re left to power yourself on a bicycle through beautiful landscapes to take in views and vistas at your own pace.  Some people like to ride fast, but you know I’m famous for riding at my own pace, taking lots of photos and stopping at fun places like espresso shops and lemonade stands.

Every morning I ride a multi-day ride I get up to say, “I get to ride my bike today!”  And yes, it’s totally my idea of fun.

For this bike tour our agenda is:
Day 1:  40 miles from Anacortes, Washington to Lopez Island
Day 2: 45 miles biking on San Juan Island
Day 3: 55 miles exploring Orcas Island
Day 4: 43 miles exploring the quiet back roads between Anacortes, Deception Pass and LaConner, Washington

Can you imagine?  How about some photos for inspiration?

We’re taking ferries between the islands.

So true!

Colorful stops…

Conquered!

I’ve explored much of Washington State on my bicycle.  It doesn’t get old.  But I hope to explore some new places next summer.  Maybe the East Coast?  Any place is game as long as I can go on my bike.

On Saturday, I headed to my neighborhood outdoor pool for lap swimming.  I belong to a gym with a pool, but there is something amazing about swimming outdoors when the weather is nice.  The pool gets pretty busy this time of year.  I imagine a big percentage are triathletes in training and the rest are those who like to lap swim for exercise.  It is a public pool, so lap swimming times are just a few times a day. 

The lanes are divided into easy, medium, fast, and very fast.  99% of the time I’m definitely a medium.  But when I got in the pool, there were already 4 swimmers in each medium lane and only 2 swimmers in the fast lane.  I just wanted to spread out the crowd so I ended up moving to the fast lane.  My whole swim I kept on thinking, “What are you doing in the fast lane?!”  Especially since one of the swimmers was using flippers and the other seemed to rest at the wall every other lap.  It was hard to get into a rhythm.  Anyone who lap swims in a busy pool knows how frustrating it can be to be out of sync with the other swimmers and how awesome it can be to get into a rhythm that is just right.

Pick a lane!

My last brick was on Sunday.  The City of Seattle shuts down Lake Washington Boulevard to motorized traffic from 10 am - 6 pm on Sundays during the summer.  It is a FANTASTIC thing that makes Seattle a great biking city.  A wide road reserved just for cyclists, walkers, and runners along the lakefront.  I rode 15 miles with a group of friends and then followed it up with a 2 ¾ mile run along the lake.  That practice, practice, practice on the bike/run bricks is really working out!  My run after the bike felt good and I even had time to stop and cheer on my little friend, Max, as he and his dad practiced riding without training wheels.

Go, Max, Go!!!

But most of all I’m really excited for this upcoming week and weekend.  My sister arrives in Seattle this week and we will be going on a multi-day bike ride in the San Juan Islands beginning on Friday.  My next Luna Chix Journal will be sent “from the road,” but I know there will be some fun adventures to share with you from my bike.  Stay tuned!

The beautiful venue at the ChelanMan last year. The transition zone was just outside our hotel!

The Olympic distance is a 1500 meter swim (or .93 miles), a 24.8 mile bike, and a 6.2 mile run.  My times last year were a 0:49:30 for the swim, 1:52:27.8 (average of 13.2 mph) on the bike, and a miserable 1:35:56 (15:28 minute per mile) for the run.  I say miserable because obviously I did a lot of walking if my pace was a 15 minute mile. 

If you’ve ever tried to train or race any distance of a triathlon you know that trying to run after the bike can be a little comical.  Your legs are like, “What? You want to run now? I don’t think so….”  Your legs feel heavy… like bricks.  And so people often refer to practicing a bike/run workout as a “brick.”  Yes, a swim/bike workout is also a brick, but from swim to bike you’re working a different set of muscles.  From bike to run is harder because you’re working some of the same leg muscles, but you’re asking them to do something very different on the run.  You’ll be a happier triathlete if you practice some bricks before your event.  (You can find some advice for brick workouts over at BeginnerTriathlete.com.)

Saturday, we did a mock-triathlon.  The whole shebang – less the really serious transitions.  Our friends Anne & Kelly hosted the event over in their neighborhood and mapped out the course.  The swim was at Matthew’s Beach on Lake Washington.  This was my first open water swim of the season and &^%$! that water was cold!  I said a few “choice” words as I eased myself into the chilly water.  This year I switched to a sleeveless wetsuit.  That first dunk of my upper body, head and face were the worst!  We usually do open water swim practices at different beaches on Lake Washington and I check King County’s website for the water temperatures.  Matthew’s Beach wasn’t much over 60 degrees on Saturday. (Thank you wetsuit!) 

A cold and gloomy swim day, but I think we entertained the lifeguards.

It took me at least one lap to get used to the temperature of the water.  The rest of the swim was good, although the water milfoil was right in our faces!  Every time I would look down, the milfoil plants were right in view and my arms and legs definitely were getting tangled.  This is the mental part of triathlon you have to practice as much as the physical.  Open water swimming can be a little scary!  I did my best to zone out and think of other things. 

I’m also still fighting the neck of my wetsuit a little and I’ve debated if I should cut the neoprene to relieve some of the constriction?  Or should I spend more time trying to pull the whole wetsuit up more?  (If that’s even possible with my long torso…)  Wetsuits are such a challenge for me!

Lake milfoil. Yuck!

The beach was just off Seattle’s great trail called the Burke-Gilman. (I love this trail because you can walk, run or bike almost car-free.)  We got rained on a little on the bike, but we pounded out 20 miles, followed by a loop run around the University of Washington neighborhood.  Two of us opted for a shorter 4+ mile route while my husband and Kelly pounded out the full 6+ mile route (total studs!) 

I always seem to train in places that are familiar.  Even though I needed to keep referring to the map in my back pocket on the run, I really enjoyed the change of scenery and running through the beautiful University of Washington campus.

I’ve been training quite a bit, the mock-tri really pointed out all the things that I still need to work on leading up to the ChelanMan triathlon.  More open water swims, and more bike/run bricks.  Just 3 weeks to go!  So, my motto until then is practice, practice, practice!!!

When I picked up my race packet on Friday, my bib still said marathon.  (I didn’t make the deadline to switch, so they issue you the same bib and tell you to just run the half-marathon course.)  I have to tell you I had a little anxiety about running the half.  It was a weird thing where I was saying to myself I already had a lot of half-marathon medals, I wanted a FULL marathon medal.  I thought about running the half and maybe walking the second half.  I knew it would be hard, but I’m an endurance athlete, right?

The beginning of the race looked like it might threaten rain.  It was overcast and cool… a.k.a.  “Welcome to Seattle in June!”  It is always fun trying to plan your wardrobe when you’re not sure how hot, cold, or wet you’re going to be. 

The starting line.

Then, I made a huge mistake.  I walked through grass to avoid a long line on the sidewalk getting to my starting corral.  My shoes sank into the mud and got my socks wet.  What a stupid move.  Just the thought of starting a race with wet and muddy shoes… and it was my own fault.  Sigh…

Bad move… muddy shoes.

The race started at 7:00 a.m. and just as the other Rock n’ Roll marathons I’ve participated in… there was good energy at the starting line and in the crowd.  It took me about 50 minutes for my corral to get up to the starting line. And then we were off…

I had thought I would use the Galloway Method during the run, but I felt pretty great between the start and mile 5, so I ran straight through. You just can’t run in Seattle without seeing a hill or two… the first real hill was a monster… I would have loved to hear what the out-of-towners thought of this one!

That hill goes up, and up and up.

When I came to the split for the marathon and the half-marathon I had a little panic attack.  I really wanted to move right, but I heard my husband’s voice in my head saying to be reasonable and stay left. 

Decision time!

Mile 9 is what I refer to as my “glory mile”.  I always surprisingly feel really good at mile 9.  Mile 10?  Totally different story.  My feet started to feel pretty sore from pounding the pavement and by that time I wasn’t continually running or even doing the Galloway Method… I was doing the “Kristine-a-way” method.  What’s that you ask?  It’s the very unscientific method of negotiating with myself to run to the next street sign, or lamp post, or try to keep up with the girl with the green socks ahead of me.  (“Hey, wait girl with the green socks!”)

About mile 11 we got to run up onto the top deck of highway that runs between downtown and the waterfront.  Seattleites refer to it as “The Viaduct”.  It gave a great perspective of the city and it was fun to say I’ve run on it because this highway will eventually be completely torn down in a few years.

Getting close to the end!

I negotiated with myself to run the entire last mile without stopping.  I figured by then I would be able to see the finish line and wouldn’t want to stop.  It was extremely hard to push through, but I did it.  I finished in 2:54:22.  Not my best time, but not my worst — and with my calf injury earlier in the season, I guess I had to be happy — I earned another heavy medal.  (Yes, the Rock n’ Roll medals are really heavy!)

About an hour later… it started pouring rain.  Not your typical Seattle spitting rain… but a deluge.  My husband reminded me that I’d still be out there if I had chosen to do the marathon.  I was certainly glad to be home, showered, and dry!  The full marathon will have to be another time.

I met my husband here, we were married here, our two children were born here and we are finishing up an extensive remodel to a house that we will enjoy living in until our retirement. The only time I ever really consider moving away (you guessed it…)  is when I’m fed up with Seattle’s dark, wet, dreary, cold, drizzling winter that turns into the dark, wet, dreary, cold, drizzling spring.  But somehow we’ve learned to survive those months.  It either requires taking a nice vacation to someplace like Arizona or Hawaii to “recharge the batteries” or else just keeping busy and trying to remind ourselves how stellar the summers here can be.

Washington State is divided into Eastern and Western Washington by the Cascade Mountain Range.  West of the mountains you’ll find temperate weather, lots of lush green landscape and evergreen trees, Puget Sound, the San Juan Islands, the Olympic Mountain Range and the Pacific Ocean.  To the east of the Cascades you’ll find a dryer and hotter climate in summer, thousands of apple and cherry orchards, the mighty Columbia River, and a beautiful area called The Palouse just before our state touches Idaho.

But one of my favorite places is a little slice of heaven just over the Cascades called the Methow Valley.

The Methow Valley / Highway 20 Looking West

The drive to get to the Methow is just stunning—especially when you can drive over the North Cascade Highway.  This route is only open in early Summer through Fall.  There is a section of the highway that is so steep and prone to avalanches, it is too dangerous to keep it open in the Winter.  (But luckily the Valley is still accessible from the East.)  In the wintertime, the Methow Valley is known for its nearly 200 kilometer trail system, offering some of the best cross country skiing in the United States.  In the summertime, those trails turn into beautiful hiking, horseback riding and mountain biking trails.

Just as plentiful is the road cycling.  We spent this past weekend in the “Old West” town of Winthrop, relaxing and enjoying ourselves.  On Sunday, my husband and I rode a 30 mile ride from Winthrop to the next town of Mazama.  We stopped at a place called the Rolling Huts and enjoyed lunch at the cafe.

The Rolling Huts / Just outside of Mazama, WA

Our ride to the Rolling Huts was pretty brutal.  It was beautiful and sunny, but we were facing a strong headwind.  For a large portion of the windy section, I was tucked behind my husband’s wheel trying to stay out of the wind, but as soon as I got a little space between us, I lost him and I was fighting the wind alone (and saying a few swear words in my head).  It’s that kind of wind that makes you think, “If I have to fight this now, I better be cranking on the way back with a huge tailwind!”

Stopping to Enjoy the View!

Our prediction was right, it took about half the time on the way back to Winthrop.  And since we ended up making it back to town so quickly, we stopped at our favorite bicycle shop called Methow Cycle and Sport.  Proprietor Joe Brown has everything you need for mountain or road cycling.  It is a great resource to have in such a rural getaway.  You can even rent bikes or oogle over some new shiny rides, equipment or gear.  The shop and the mechanic services rival anything available in Seattle!

If you’re ever thinking of taking a trip, the Methow Valley has so much to offer.  Bring the bikes!  It is accessible by car from Seattle in about 4 hours and will provide some of the most beautiful cycling you could ask for.

So, that’s my slice of cycling heaven. Which leads me to ask, what’s yours?

The event was set up in front of Speedy Reedy, a local triathlon shop.  It was a great venue since the shop sits just off the Burke-Gillman Trail (a very popular running and cycling trail in Seattle).  There was a stream of shoppers coming into the shop for triathlon gear, too.  All good foot traffic to make conversation and increase awareness about both the Team Luna Chix program and The Breast Cancer Fund.

I was spinning the last shift with team members Sarah and Melinda (our photographer who has just finished her session was team member Dana V.)  We’re on the “road to nowhere,” as our bikes are set up on trainers.

This got me thinking about how beneficial having a trainer is. No, I’m not talking about a 6’2” buff guy named Jeffrey who meets you at the gym and tells you what exercises to do… I’m talking about the device you set your own bike on so you can ride indoors.  I have a bike trainer and it served as a very valuable tool to keep in cycling shape during the winter months.

How does it work?  You attach your back wheel onto the frame of the trainer.  It suspends your back tire just above a metal wheel that your tire touches and creates the resistance so you can pedal. You then put your front tire on a “block” that levels out the bike and lets you ride normally, including changing gears. There are several types of bike trainers.  Each creates the resistance by a different method.  Magnetic, fluid and wind resistance are the most common types of bike trainers.  Each type also has a different price point. 

At home, I have a CycleOps fluid trainer.  I’ve had it for several years.  Originally it was my “winter gym.”  I asked for it as a Christmas present before I belonged to a health club and I was trying to stay in shape during the cold, dark and wet Seattle winter.  My kids were small back then and I could jump on my bike after they went to bed — a great way to still get my workout in but not leave the house.

When I was training for the Texas Ironman 70.3, the trainer came in handy again. The race was in April, which meant training through the rainy months in Seattle to prepare for the race.  To be honest, I had not ridden outside that season before the race!  All my training miles were done indoors!

Another benefit I like about the trainer is that you’re riding your own bike.  Sitting on a bike at the gym (even the slick spin class bike) is not like logging miles on your own saddle.  You can really work on the different positions you’ll be in during a long ride on your own bike.  When I’m on the trainer I have the option of riding to a spin workout DVD, watching TV, or zoning out to music.  (Here’s a tip:  if you’re riding while watching TV, shift to a harder gear and get out of the saddle when the commercials come on.  You’ll be huffing and puffing, but you can sit back down and spin at a regular pace once your show is back on.)

This weekend the team exceeded their expectations by spinning a collective 22 hours!  I’m staying tuned to the team’s Facebook page to hear the final total of donations we raised.  Way to go Team Luna Chix!

I find that making good food choices is all about having enough TIME. I need time to plan what I’m going to eat. I need time to grocery shop and have good food in the house and I need to allow myself time to MAKE my lunch instead of buying it.  If I get a little busy, or behind (which in my life seems very easy to do) my ability to eat right goes out the window. Then, I find I regret everything I put in my mouth.  l’ll have that inner dialogue with myself, “Oh, I need some breakfast, hello muffin… I don’t want to eat you but I need something quick to eat and you’re here in front of me.  I guess I’ll try to run you off later….”  But I know I’m not going to make any progress like that…. either with my weight or my fitness.

I also can rely on coffee too much for a pick me up.  Oh, I love my cup of Joe in the morning!  But of course everything needs to be in moderation and when I’m on my second double-tall-vanilla-latte of the day, my body is just going to pack weight on with all those calories.  In fact, my body loves to pack on the weight.  I have a super-slow metabolism.  A few years after my second child was born I was diagnosed with a thyroid disorder called Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis. 

It started with my doctor noticing I had an enlarged thyroid.  She asked if I had any of the tell-tale symptoms of thyroid problems, for example:  feeling tired and sluggish, dry skin, feeling cold, etc.  Yep, that’s how I ALWAYS felt.  That was my “normal”.  After some tests, I went to see an endocrinologist.  I had an ultrasound done on my thyroid to rule out any likelihood of a tumor… and then the endocrinologist told me the diagnosis of hypothyroidism caused by Hashimoto’s disease.  He explained the disorder to me and we started testing out dosages of thyroid replacement therapy.

I still feel like my metabolism runs slow, even with the thyroid replacement medication.  But in terms of my energy level… I feel so much better with the medication. Honestly, I was hoping that perhaps I had found the “magic bullet” to my weight issue.  I was hoping that taking the medication would reset my body and I would be able get back to a more “normal” weight.  But I’ve realized over time that just won’t happen.  I still need to make the right food choices and continue to exercise.

So, once again I’m finding myself struggling with the scale going up.  I came to the point where I needed to hit the reset button.  The way I have done this in the past is to juice.  I make fresh juice at home and drink that as my meals for a short period of time.  It allows me to make a clean break from the junk and get back on track. This whole idea came from watching the movie, “Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead”.  (You can watch the movie for free at http://www.jointhereboot.com.) If you have not seen the movie, it is a pretty fascinating tale of an overweight man who sets out to take hold of his life again through juicing.  He also comes across a man on his journey, Phil, who is morbidly obese and suffering from the same diseases caused by weight.  At the end, I found myself cheering for Phil and totally inspired.

Fresh juice made at home

Last fall, I intended on doing a juice “reboot” for 5 days.  I felt so good after 5 days, that I continued it for another 5 days.  And to tell you how stubborn I really am, my 10 days of juicing happened over a Labor Day weekend camping trip with grilled meals, chips and cold beer swirling around me.

For me, making fresh juice helps me reboot and feel good.  Fresh juice is full of great nutrients, vitamins and antioxidants. After the “reboot” is over, it is easier to return to eating right.  I typically juice apples, carrots, and pears and then add a little “green” with a spinach or kale.  It is fun to play with combinations. 

This week at work, I had one of my juices on my desk.  A co-worker asked me if it was homemade.  I said proudly, “Yes, carrot, apple, pear.”  She said she juiced, too.  I mentioned I also liked anything with cucumber in it because cucumber tasted so fresh.  She agreed.  We bonded over juice!  She said that this week she was making watermelon, cucumber and mint juice. The following morning, she brought me an entire glass of her homemade concoction.  I was in heaven!  It was light and delicious.  Definitely a new favorite!

Watermelon, cucumber & mint juice… YUM!

I’m on my way to getting back on track.  It feels good to hit the reset button every now and then.  I will do my best to be more aware of what I’m eating and strive to be “proud” of everything I choose.  Sorry, muffin, for now… you’re out

I’m the youngest of four siblings.  We are spread out across the country, but as I had written in my post about the love for my bike, my sister was traveling from Houston to Seattle to do multi-day rides. Texas is an inferno by late June, July and August, and Seattle is really enjoying the most prime cycling weather.  In 2009, my sister and my oldest brother both signed up to do a multi-day bike ride with me called RAW – which stands for Ride Around Washington.

My brother, taking in the views at Ross Dam on the North Cascades Highway.

I was excited that they were coming and they were going to be enjoying some of the most beautiful parts of Washington State.  The ride went along Highway 20, the North Cascades Highway, up and over Washington Pass and through the towns of Mazama, Winthrop and Twisp.  I’ve spent a lot of vacation time in Winthrop. My husband and I (and a small group of friends) bought a cabin there several years ago.  Winthrop is in the Methow Valley.  It is in a stunning part of the state — mostly known for its cross country skiing, but in the summertime it turns into a road and mountain biker’s paradise.

Unfortunately, due to last minute changes, my sister couldn’t join us for the trip… but I was so excited that my brother was doing the ride with me, I made t-shirts for us.  This was the first time I had thought to coin the phrase “Team Svehla.”

My children, happy to see their uncle and give him his “Team Svehla”

On that trip, I found out that my brother was doing sprint triathlons.  It was great to talk to him about all the aspects of triathlon from training to those funny stories that happen along the way.  My sister had always been a runner and cyclist and she finally added triathlon to her calendar, as well.  Three out of four of us were participating in the sport.  And so I started doing the reverse — traveling to Texas to do triathlons with my siblings.  (Mostly because I could expect FLAT bike courses!)

We are slowly luring my other brother (the third sibling) into the group.  He started running last November and ran his first half-marathon earlier this year.  In fact, he ran two.  When we sign up for events together, I enjoy knowing that my family is on the race course.  It makes me feel grounded, and occasionally, sibling rivalry puts a little fuel under the fire to do better.  Most of all, if my siblings know I’m doing an event here in Seattle, I’ll get text messages the morning of a race or just after.  Words of encouragement like, “Good luck today!” or, “How did you do?”  Those little words mean a lot when you’re so far away.

Swimming, biking and running has become an unusual bond for us.  While we are individually making progress with our triathlon lives, we are also a “Team” of sorts.  And there are extended members of Team Svehla, too.  Of course my husband is my #1 “emotional follow-car”, as he likes to call it.  And the support I felt during the Texas 70.3 Half Ironman race was amazing.  My sister’s sister in-law volunteered to pick up shoes at the dock start just so she could get out there and say good luck to us.  My sister-in-law and niece and nephew were there screaming and yelling as I came into transition on the bike.  My brother would catch me on every loop and pep me up and make sure I was doing okay.  And I ran the 3rd of 4 loops on the run with my sister just before she turned in for the finish.

Team Svehla at the Texas 70.3 finish

You could do these endurance races alone, but I really wouldn’t want to.  You really need the cheerleaders, the training partners and the friends to talk to when things might not be going your way. And also to celebrate the victories!  I’m really planning on that full Ironman someday, and I hope that Team Svehla is on the course.

The following day I did the Seattle LUNA Chix Triathlon Bike/Run brick at Discovery Park. The bike was 6 miles and then we ran the 2.8 miles around the loop trail in the park (a hilly, loop trail I might add!)  Again, I needed to do a combination of walking and running, but once again, the calf held up.

I have exactly 5 weeks until the Seattle Rock n’ Roll Marathon.  For a moment I thought I would just go ahead with the marathon distance (run/walking the first half and then walking most of the second half) but after pitching the idea to my husband he reminded me that I’d be out there all day long.  So, I will go ahead and back down to the half marathon for that day.  I have just enough time to increase my mileage up to a 10 mile long-run before the event.  Luckily, I’ve done enough 13.1 races to know what that last 3 miles is like for my body. 

Below is my running plan.  I created it by looking at the mileage suggested for a Novice 2 at HalHigdon.com. I highly recommend looking at Hal’s website.  His approach is a very do-able one, and he understands that we’re not all super athletes.  He wants people to enjoy running, stay injury free and stick with it.  His tips and suggested mileage at his website are free, but he also has electronic downloads and apps if you need that type of motivation.  Hal’s advice has gotten me through all my 13.1 races.  When I’m finally ready for a marathon, I’ll trust his training plans again.

Getting back to running, there are a few things I’m promising myself:
● I will run with joy.
● I will do a combination of running and walking (The Galloway Method) until I really feel that my body is ready to run continuously without stopping.
● I won’t look at my watch or worry about my pace.  I’ll just run based on what my body says.
● I will continue to do my physical therapy exercises to keep my calf strong and stay away from re-injury.
● I will wear my compression socks on runs, even if they are ugly bright green and don’t match anything else I have.

Many people do the run/walk method.  If you’re running a race, you’ll hear watches beeping all around you.  This gives the runners their cue to switch from running to walking and back again.  All that beeping kind of drives me crazy, so I bought a little device called the Gymboss.  You can set it to vibrate instead of beep.  I ran with it this weekend.  It was my first “long run.”  I did my standard neighborhood 5 mile loop.  The Gymboss worked like a charm.  My interval was set to two minutes of running, and one minute of walking.  Being able to run again felt great. 

One of my favorite things about running is being able to fire up an awesome playlist of music.  So if you have any suggestions, let me know… I’m ready to run!

Even though Mother’s Day is “my” day,  I’m finding myself thinking about all the special women who have been in my life, especially my own mother and my maternal grandmother.  My mother just celebrated her 72nd birthday this past Saturday. She is the mother of 4 children and 8 grandchildren, cancer survivor and for most of my “growing up years” she was a single parent.  How she did all that?... I don’t know.  I’ve learned a lot over the years from my mom.  Either lessons she taught me directly, or those I learned as I watched her deal with her own struggles with strength, laughter, and sometimes… tears.  We are very close.  She is a strong woman.

Beautiful photo of my mother and grandmother from Chicago in the 1940’s.

My mother was also very close to her mother.  When I was a kid my grandmother would come for yearly visits.  We became pen pals and I enjoyed getting her letters.  I learned that my grandmother did some amazing things.  She sewed nearly all her own clothing.  She enjoyed needlepoint and she also handmade beautiful afghan blankets and quilts.  I still have some of her handiwork in my home today.  I also discovered that my grandma was an epic bowler!  (She could consistently bowl in the high 200’s.)  When my mother was in the hospital for her cancer surgery and recovery (a process that took four long months), my grandmother came to stay with us for a few weeks.  She was a welcome comfort during that difficult time.

My mother and grandmother on a visit in the 1980’s.

Later when I was in college, my grandmother was diagnosed with cancer.  This was a cancer that they believed could have metastasized from breast cancer she battled years earlier.  My grandmother went through radiation treatments, but it was clear that at her age and living alone in Florida, she needed our help.  And so we flew to my grandmother’s home to bring her back to Texas and live with us.  In her condition, her doctors wouldn’t allow her to fly without oxygen and medical assistance, so we had to hire an air ambulance with a nursing staff to make the flight.  $6,000 was the price tag.  My mother didn’t have that kind of money but getting my grandmother to Texas to care for her was the priority.  So in a crazy move… my mom decided to put cost of the flight on a credit card and figure it out later.  As we waited for our flight at the airport, my mother was crying, upset and very anxious about the whole situation… I tried to lighten the mood, “Hey mom, the good news is that they’re not going to come repossess grandma if you can’t pay the bill, right?”  She finally broke a smile.

After we returned to Texas, and my grandmother’s health became more fragile… my mother made me an offer — quit my job and be my grandma’s caretaker (while my mom was at work) and she would make sure I could go to my college classes and cover my bills.  Of course I did and the time I spent with my grandmother was an experience that I wouldn’t trade for anything.  She passed away just after Thanksgiving. Till the end, she was a strong woman.

As a mother, I hope to show my children what it means to be a strong.  We become strong when we take care of ourselves and take care of eachother. Sometimes I’m focused on how fast or slow I am.  But when I’m participating in an event, I realize I have nothing to complain about.  I have a healthy body that can swim, bike and run and I have become endlessly thankful for that.  Being active with cycling and triathlon helps me be a better, stronger woman.  I swim, bike and run because of the accomplishment.  It is the challenge of finding out… “I can.”

Oilman 70.3… strong.

I’ve come to realize that the Team Luna Chix program is amazing for two reasons. It empowers women, of all abilities, to be active.  To become better, stronger women.  It also, from the very beginning, has supported the Breast Cancer Fund – an organization that is focused on the prevention of breast cancer.  For all the mothers and daughters out there, I like that idea — to stop cancer before it starts and allow us to be strong women for ourselves and for those that we love. 

Do you have the desire to swim, bike, or run? Come to a Team Luna Chix clinic and the cost of the clinic goes to support the Breast Cancer Fund. Come to a Team Luna Chix workout and I promise you’ll have some great laughs, get a great workout, and you’ll meet some amazing, strong women — just like you.

Be strong.

P.S. A very special shout-out goes to my fellow Luna Chix blogger, Stephanie, as she travels to Texas this weekend for the Texas Ironman race.  Be strong, Stephanie.  And ROCK WHAT YOU’VE GOT!

Another factor is that in triathlons, the clock is ticking.  You’re ON for the whole race, trying to go as fast as you can. No rest, no coasting, just go, go, go. I suppose I could switch my attitude and try to forget the clock, but I also don’t want to disrespect the sport of triathlon. With that said, I’m still in it for awhile. At least until I get the chance to do a full Ironman race. That 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike and 26.2 mile run will take me to the wire of the 17 hour time limit I’m sure, but I want that medal.

When my triathlon days are over, I know there will still be cycling. It was the first thing that got me really active again as an adult. My sister had come to Seattle from Texas to do a Cascade Bike Club ride called Flying Wheels.  She encouraged me to join her.  She rode the century (100 mile) course that day and I rode the 50 mile route.  Just earlier that year on my birthday, my husband had refurbished an old mountain bike frame he had with slick tires and a new seat.  I rode that bike that day – mind you it was a big steel frame that would stop dead in its tracks if I stopped pedaling.  I think my husband was worried I wouldn’t finish.  50 miles seemed like a long way at the time.

What I realized about organized cycling was that the rides are a blast!  And honestly, in my head I was just riding from rest-stop to rest-stop.  I joked, “I’m riding for the snacks!” After that ride, I was hooked. Cycling, unlike running, is very forgiving to your body.  There is no impact, no pounding. It is easy (sans hills). Invest in a great pair of padded bike shorts and you’re off for miles and miles and miles and miles.

I knew I couldn’t ride long distance on the mountain bike, so I set my eyes on buying my first road bike. I stepped into our local, well known bike shop and bought a silver Specialized Sequoia Elite. It was an aluminum frame with carbon forks and seat post, and Shimano 105 components. And it was the best investment I ever made.

I ride for coffee, snacks, and rest stops in cute little towns.

I fell in love with that bike.  Although it wasn’t a tricked out bike with all the bells and whistles… it was sturdy and dependable and I loved riding it. Over the next few years I rode that bike from Seattle to Vancouver B.C., from Seattle to Portland, Oregon, from Raymond, Washington to Walla Walla by way of the Columbia River and from LaConner to Kettle Falls over Washington Pass.  I saw everything about my state rolling at 10 - 17 miles an hour. 
Well, actually, when we did Washington Pass I rode up at about 4-6 mph and I rode down… wheeee!

 

These tours were anywhere from 2 day rides to 6 day rides.  I’d get up each morning on the multi-day rides and say, “I get to ride my bike today!”  No sitting at a desk or in front of a computer – I was outside taking in the sights and using my own legs to get there. I’d end each day of riding by thanking my bike for taking me such a long way with usually no problems other than a dropped chain.

The brilliance of cycling is that you can certainly go fast if you want (there is nothing more thrilling than jumping on the back of a long train of riders and being pulled along…) but you can also go at your own pace and enjoy the ride.  If you’re riding with me I’ll make you stop at lemonade stands and espresso stands and take pictures off vistas.  I might sing to you and make up all the words to a song about how my butt hurts… or how I just swallowed a bug.

Recently I felt like I had advanced as a cyclist and I invested in a new bike. I sold my old Specialized to my friend, Jill.  After I sold her the bike, I made a map of all the places that bike had carried me.  It had a legacy, and I wanted her to enjoy that bike as much as I did.  And in a way, I missed that bike for the first few months it was gone.

I’ve started to forge new memories with my new bike.  It’s gone from Seattle to Vancouver, B.C., been my steed for triathlons and countless training rides and has even been on a ride with cycling great, Phil Liggett.  One of the best things about my new bike is some brilliant person at Felt put the words “Fit Woman” on the top tube of the bike.  Every time I look down, I see this affirmation that that is me.  A fit woman. 

Riding with Phil Liggett for my birthday in 2011.

This past weekend I went on a ride with Jill and our friend, Kelly.  It was really our first outdoor ride of the season.  She was on the Specialized (yep, she dropped the chain…) and I was on my Felt.  Yes, I love my bike.  I love all bikes.  I feel lucky to live in a place where cycling is so common.  Seattle is a place where you will see bike commuters on weekdays and tons of weekend cyclists.  Cycling is something nearly everyone can do.

May is National Bike Month.  If you don’t have a bike, borrow one from a friend.  Find a nice route or trail to ride on and see how far you can go (or join your local Luna Chix for a ride!).  You may just fall in love.

She started the appointment by observing the slight differences in my body – for example, standing in bare feet my right arch is slightly higher than my left and there is a noticeable difference in the size and firmness of my quads when I’m seated and relaxed.  Funny how these things are easy to pick out and observe to someone else, but I’ve never noticed them about my own body until they were pointed out to me.

Robin also explained how right-handed people tend to be left leg dominant.  She proved this to me with a little strength test.  All these factors – the arch, the quad, the slight difference in strength of my right leg and we started to piece together the story about why I might have pulled my calf in the first place.  That was good! 

Turns out I had retired my old running shoes and got new ones.  I had been using insoles in my running shoes – but when I switched my shoes I didn’t put the insoles in.  I guess I’m just not accustomed to buying $100 shoes and then having to ditch a perfectly good part of a shoe for a $40 insole made by someone else. But my foot apparently really appreciated the support it was getting from the insoles and so when I ran without the support – my calf retaliated.  I learned my lesson.

Now it was time to make my calf strong.

“What’s the goal,” Robin asked.  “Well,” I said, “I signed up for a marathon in June, but I know I won’t be able to ramp up my training in time.  I could maybe back down to the half…, yeah…, I’m sure I should do the half.” 

“Will you run it?” she asked.  “I don’t know, maybe run/walk it.”  “Would you be okay with walking it?” she replied.  She seemed to be suggesting to me that she didn’t know exactly how this rehab would go, but to be prepared for anything. 

At my PT session on Thursday, she had me run on the treadmill.  She again wanted to observe my general mechanics.  Unknown to me, she was using that handy, dandy iPad to videotape me running…. from behind!  (I’m not joking.)

If you want an eye opener of epic proportions, get on a treadmill and have someone stand behind you and videotape your run. We watched the playback on her iPad.  I could see how I was favoring my injury and how my whole right side was crossing over the imaginary centerline of my run. It was bad.  I also saw what I look like from the back when I run.  WHOA. I mean… whoa.  All I could think was… “You are going to erase this after we’re done….  right?”  But seriously, in terms of the science, it was a great tool to show me what was happening with my stride… (and that I should never, ever, ever run in shorts I borrowed from the physical therapist’s office.)

Robin gave me my walking papers, a list of 6 simple exercises to do on my right side. They are meant to strengthen my leg in support of my calf. They look deceivingly simple on paper… like straight leg raises, but to my surprise, had my muscles burning.

To be honest, the week had me worn down.  All the running around which included work, kid-wrangling, two mid-day PT appointments, and playing family chauffeur in addition to everything else… and my workout schedule seemed to be in jeopardy of getting the axe.  On Thursday night I sat in a lump in my car in front of the gym.  “I’m not getting out…”  I said to myself.  “I’m so tired.”  And seriously, it was also 50 degrees and raining in Seattle.  Just another factor that had me saying “no” to my workout.

50 degrees and rain makes it hard to motivate.

But, when I feel like this… I impart the “10-Minute Rule.”  This is a rule I learned from my best friend, Tammy.  Once she told me… “When you’re not feeling like a workout, put your shoes on and just go out for 10 minutes.  If you still don’t feel like it, you can turn back.” It seems so simple and so do-able.  10 minutes. 

I heard Tammy’s voice ringing in my ear.  “Ok, I’ll go for 10 minutes…”  And of course 10 minutes into my workout all the cares of my busy week slipped away.

I remember those first (painful) miles.  I measured the flat walkway around the park in front of my house.  Seven laps around was ONE mile.  Around and around I went.  At first, running felt so uncomfortable.  The rhythm of my breathing didn’t seem to match up with my stride.  I‘d stop because I felt out of breath.  I felt like my inability to run well was more about my lungs than it was about my legs.  But I slowly built upon my base and my running and breathing finally became more in sync.  I remember the pure joy of being able to run my FIRST mile without stopping.  Then one mile turned into two… and three…  I felt comfortable!

Well…

Not graceful, but at least I was running.  I was proud.

After a few sprint tri’s I knew I wanted to go long distance.  So I decided to take a stepped approach.  I signed up for a half-marathon with the intention of doing my first half-Ironman race. (A half-Ironman race consists of a 1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike and a 13.1 mile run.)  I stepped out onto the sidewalks of my neighborhood and away from going around-and-round at the park in front of my house.  I learned that to keep on track, I couldn’t let Seattle rain from deterring me from going for my runs.  My first half-marathon was my best time and from then on I knew the distance was do-able for me.

Because I have a desire to one day do a full Ironman race, I know I’ll have to be able to run (or at least run/walk) a full marathon.  Not 13.1 miles… but DOUBLE that.  I’ve had that thought mid-race before as the half-marathoners split from the full marathoners.  Those people are going TWICE my distance.  That’s crazy!  But it’s also amazing.  I’ve thought over the years that I should sign up for a full marathon, but my “love/hate” relationship with running never had me jumping at the opportunity.

This Was The Year…

This year, in the off-season, I thought that instead of signing up for the same races at the same distances, I’d mix it up.  And so I took the leap and mentally committed to the Seattle Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon in June.

I downloaded my 18 week training program and I was ready to go.  But just a few weeks into getting re-acquainted with running after my winter break and that all came to a screeching halt.  On a typical weeknight workout at my gym I was on the treadmill and I felt a pull in my right lower calf. My husband joked with me… “did you stretch?”  (Apparently because we’re over 40 we have to stretch?  Say what?)  Yes, I stretched…. kinda.

I rested my injury for a week.  I’d never had a problem like this before.  I had run with plantar fasciitis before, but a calf strain can’t be messed with.  Your calf muscle is one that is required to run.  I rested it for another 3 weeks and only did workouts on the bike and the elliptical machine.  How long was this going to take?  I researched my injury online and read anywhere from 5-6 weeks to recover. 

At the end of the 4th week we had a beautiful spring day here in Seattle.  I wanted to get out there.  I leashed up my dog and we headed out.  I had planned to do my standard neighborhood 5 mile loop.  After all, I was getting behind on my training.  I promised to take it easy and run/walk.  But I got about a mile into it and my calf really hurt!  Frustrated, I called my husband and asked for him to pick us up.  My calf hurt so much I didn’t think I’d even be able to walk all the way back home.

I was sad and crushed… over running?  Maybe not particularly over running, but I had made this commitment to finally tackle a marathon and I was stopped in my tracks before I had really started.

So now after a doctors visit, I finally have a referral for physical therapy.  Let’s leave this injury to the pros.  I’m anxious to find out what the plan is and how I can recover.  I’m also slightly obsessed with finding out WHY I pulled my calf in the first place.  Was it really about stretching? Was it my new running shoes?

I’m just nine weeks out from the Rock ‘n’ Roll marathon.  There certainly is no realistic way that I could ramp up to marathon distance by then. So, do I have a plan B?  I’ve been thinking about it a lot lately.  Probably the best thing to do is be serious about my PT and possibly try to run/walk the HALF marathon in June.  If things go well, perhaps I can look for another full marathon race at the end of the summer.

Sometimes our bodies just tell us to be realistic.  We have to listen to them.
This past Saturday I had previously committed to running a half-marathon race as part of my training.  But I had to back down to a simple 5K. I tested my calf by run/walking the 3.1 miles.  My lovely daughter came out and ran with me.  She rocked a 10 minute mile while I rocked my 13 minute run/walk.  It was great to be out on such as sunny and beautiful day.  This story will continue and I hope to be able to get back to my my old nemesis….. running.

I am a native of Chicago and grew up in Northwest Indiana.  I lived in Texas for a few years after high school and then moved to Seattle where I’ve been living for the past 20 years.  A month after I moved to Seattle for work, I met the wonderful man who is now my husband.  We’ve been married for nearly 17 years and we have two children, ages 13 and 11.  I’ll celebrate my 43rd birthday in May.  I’m kind of amazed that I’m in my 40s!  They just seemed to sneak up on me…

I am a graphic designer.  I love my job, however, it does involve sitting at a computer for LONG periods of time.  My brain gets quite a workout being creative – but my body doesn’t.  I noticed over time (and especially after having kids) that the scale would eek up more each and every year.

Being a wife, mother and having a full-time career is hard work.  It’s hard to fit everything in without feeling as though you’ve rushed through something that deserves more attention.  As I get older I’m becoming aware that I need to simplify things.  What really matters?  Doing what I love… surrounding myself with great people and LAUGHING (boy, do I love to laugh!).  I’ve come to realize that living a happy and positive life sometimes is a matter of choice.  My choice.  I have to delicately sift through life – learning what to hold onto, what I cannot change, and what to let go.  And I have learned that exercise is the best medicine for my body and my mind.

In my younger days, I think I was content to sit on the sidelines because I had a fear of failure or being embarrassed.  When I neared 40 I think I turned a corner, this shy girl started being a little more adventurous.  I jumped out of an airplane.  I started doing long-distance cycling (I PUT ON SPANDEX!!) and I did my first triathlon.

Training and racing my first triathlon was eye opening in many ways.  It rekindled my love of swimming.  I already knew from long-distance cycling that I was in love with my bike.  And running?  Well, let’s just say we had a rougher start and we continue to have a love/hate relationship. As I trained and raced I compared myself to those around me.  I was much slower.  Wait, let me rephrase that… s-l-o-w-e-r.  But I still had the desire to be successful and have something to brag about.  Putting a swim, bike and run together all in one day is an accomplishment! I came to the realization that this body of mine was not meant for speed, but tackling distance never scared me.  So, I decided to sign up for a half-Ironman distance race with the hope of someday doing a full Ironman.

Since then, I’ve done three 70.3 races, a handful of sprint tri’s and an Olympic distance race. Some of my race results are better than others and I seem to analyze what is holding me back from getting faster.  It’s hard to race when you’re worried about making the cut-off times.  Seriously – I have been at races where they’re folding up the tables as I cross the finish line and the cheering crowds have thinned. So when you’re LAST – you have to ask yourself, “are we still having fun?”

I’m aware that some of my slowness comes from my weight.  Pulling 170 lbs across a finish line is much different than pulling 150 or 130 for that matter.  You’d think that all the training I did for my 70.3 triathlons (paired with healthy eating) and I would have slimmed down.  But yet I’m consistently about 20 pounds overweight.  So I began to realize that my weight, without doing something radical and unhealthy, falls into that “things I cannot change” category.  This IS my 40 year old body.  It’s different than I would have expected it to be, however, I’m committed to treating it right and being thankful that no matter what size – I have a body that can swim, bike and run.

Which has lead me to my mantra:  “Rock what you’ve got!”  Run a 12 minute mile?  Rock it.  Takes you double the time to complete the swim as everyone else?  Rock it.  Because if I allowed my “fear” to stop me – I’d be on the couch.  And I wouldn’t have any of these amazing memories that I’m making as I challenge myself with triathlon and cycling.

I would love it if you’d follow me through this season.  I’ll tell you my adventures and my ups and downs – and I hope you’ll share yours with me, as well.  Here’s to a great 2012 season. Let’s rock it together.