Monday Monday – Friends

Posted on August 11, 2008 by 21cm

I had a very fine weekend in which I had a great run on Saturday (6 miles at 9:43/mile avg) and a lovely ride with my FMRC friends up Mt. Diablo. I did well. I’d like to thank my mojo for finding its way home to my legs. I missed you.

I did another thing Saturday, too. I worked an aid station at the Headlands 100 race so that I could cheer Donald on a bit and because being outside in the Marin Headlands beat the hell out of working around the house.

First I visited my friend Cynthia of No Regrets so that I could see her fabulous new house up in the hills of Marin. People, you don’t know twisty, turny, tight roads until you go up there but I made it and I must say the place is really, really lovely. Cynthia is much relieved to have escaped the hinterboonies as she came to know her last place of residence. Most people call it ‘The Gold Country’ but the gold is long gone, replaced by a poor economy and people who are just not Cynthia’s type.

I got to my aid station an hour late (poor form!) but not before Donald came through the first time at mile 46. When he did get there he looked better than me as is his habit

I worked that aid station long enough to see everything from the guy leading the 100 miler in record time to the people just barely making the cutoff for the 50 mile race. I hate to say it but a 50 mile race may be on my schedule some day. Certainly a 50K. Not possibly this course, though, which was really, really tough. I can’t wait to see Donald’s race report.

I saw him again, 14 miles further into the run and he still looked better than me. It’s uncanny.

I sort of wished I’d stayed some more to see him at 80 miles but it was windy and freezing cold and getting dark so I headed home.

Today I had the pleasure of hosting Coach Tammy for lunch as she makes her way to her new life in Austin. It was so great to finally meet the woman who wrote Science Geek Tuesdays and a lot of other really great stuff. She is just as much fun in person as she is on the interwebs. Here is proof that she was here:

Notice the 21stCentury Motherly hug I gave her. Lunch was all too short but she had miles and miles to go and needed to keep moving.

I had another experience out at the aid station that I’ll write about another time but it has to do with really knowing what you want and being comfortable doing it. I was very impressed with one of the runners who made a decision that no one could talk her out of and that she was totally at peace with. We should all be so centered.

For now I’ll just say this – friends are great be they real time friends I’ve known for years and years (Cynthia), new real time friends (my riding partners from FMRC) or creepy internet friends (Donald, Tammy, et al). I’m really glad I have so many.

Posted in community | 9 Comments

Full Vineman – The Pictorial Version (Finally!)

Posted on August 7, 2008 by 21cm
Posted in Uncategorized | 14 Comments

That’s Just Mean

Posted on August 4, 2008 by 21cm

Mother Nature can be such a beeyotch and a prankster.

Weather.jpg

Again – HUGE congratulations to Pirate, Baboo, Jen, Andy and to Misty who gutted out that run just because she could and she wanted to get her money’s worth out of the race and burn off a little ramen.

Posted in Ironman | Leave a comment

That’s Just Mean

Posted on August 4, 2008 by 21cm

Mother Nature can be such a beeyotch and a prankster.

Weather.jpg

Again – HUGE congratulations to Pirate, Baboo, Jen, Andy and to Misty who gutted out that run just because she could and she wanted to get her money’s worth out of the race and burn off a little ramen.

Posted in Ironman | 10 Comments

The Vineman Giveth, The Vineman Taketh Away

Posted on August 3, 2008 by 21cm

Boy was it hot out there. I am feeling so incredibly lucky that we had such perfect weather for the 70.3 because this Full Vineman/Barb’s Race was a bear – a bear with hot, stinky breath. Okay, not stinky – it’s still very pretty up there and the air smells often of Eucalyptus but it was hot – hot, hot, hot!

Congratulations to DPR, Baboo and Andy from Arizona Tri Club, and Jen from (Swimming, Biking and Running) Stories who went a stellar 6:12 in Barb’s Race, her first Half IM. Condolences to Geek Girl who had a blown out tubular that could not be fixed. To her credit she ran the 1/2 marathon, anyhow and did fine so congratulations on that.

I had 3 jobs at this race. I directed people to turn left at one of the many turns on the bike, I was DPR’s Own Personal Sherpa™ and I cheered for people as best I could. I had a great day and a great time. I hung out with DPR’s Moms and her adorable babies who I ♥ so much, I got in a little riding since I took my bike and spent some time on the run course and I gave back to the Vineman since the Vineman gave so much to me.

The Vineman tooketh away some on this incredibly hot August 2nd. I feel bad for saying the course was so easy and that Chalk Hill was just nothing because it turns out that in 98 degree heat with a headwind at the end of a 2nd loop of an Iron distance race it is something – something awful. A guy from my race club blew up on the bike and quit on the run. The chopped up roads were not such a big issue for me but they took Misty out of the race completely. And there was the heat.

To those who finished the Vineman gaveth a tremendous amount of pride. The mental game on the Full Vineman is not trivial. The run has 3 loops and all of them make you pass the finish line – ouch. I did say there were some hills and so there are but I only had to run them once – not 3 times. Totally different experience. So between the difficult bike and the hot, hard run this was a very tough race and my hat is off to everyone who made it and to those who didn’t but who gutted it out as long as they possibly could. Well done!

I have pictures – lots of pictures. I will post them soon.

Posted in Accolades, Inspiration, Ironman, Racing, triathlon | 6 Comments

Hump Day Miscellany – I’m Back! And then I’m leaving

Posted on July 30, 2008 by 21cm

Post race time is all about recovery, right? I expected to be barely able to walk by Tuesday after Vineman but alas, such was not the case. I was sore but not that sore. By Saturday I could no longer live with myself being so sedentary.

1). Saturday – Masters swim (but not for long – I only lasted 40 minutes) and then a 3 mile run. It wasn’t all that fast but it felt pretty good.

2). Sunday – off.

3). Monday off – old habits die hard. I’m not on a plan but Monday has been my “off” day for a while so that’s just how I roll now. I got my bike back Monday, all clean and shiney and with a new chain – WINNER!

4). Tuesday – ride. Ahhhh…. I was so happy to ride again. I had to go solo because the Good Doctor is very busy but I was so glad to go. I had thought I’d get back in time to go to the 10:30 swim but I was having so much fun I just kept going. Not fast but lovely. The bike felt great for the first hour and then the chain started slipping in the back. I have to call the shop but I think I just need to adjust the cable with the barrel thingie (I know – the thought of me touching the bike when I use that vernacular is terrifying, right? Okay – the barrel adjuster. Feel better?)

5). Today – swam. I managed to gut out 2,000 whole meters. Go me. I’m sure I’ll get back to my 2400- 2500 meter workouts any day now.

6). I’m missing my pre-race happiness and glow, though. I have a very nice sparkle when I talk about the race still because I’m still very happy with how I did. See? Happy!

The rest of the time I am not feeling the maniacal happiness that dominated my psyche going into that race. I need to get back to crazy happy. All suggestions for how to do that are welcome.

7). I’m picking up the BarfDay Fishes Girl at the airport tomorrow and doing the 140.6 Sherpa dance up in Sonoma for the weekend. The Dear Baboos will be there, also as will my local friend Jen. Anyone else?

Posted in Hump Day | Leave a comment

Hump Day Miscellany – I’m Back! And then I’m leaving

Posted on July 30, 2008 by 21cm

Post race time is all about recovery, right? I expected to be barely able to walk by Tuesday after Vineman but alas, such was not the case. I was sore but not that sore. By Saturday I could no longer live with myself being so sedentary.

1). Saturday – Masters swim (but not for long – I only lasted 40 minutes) and then a 3 mile run. It wasn’t all that fast but it felt pretty good.

2). Sunday – off.

3). Monday off – old habits die hard. I’m not on a plan but Monday has been my “off” day for a while so that’s just how I roll now. I got my bike back Monday, all clean and shiney and with a new chain – WINNER!

4). Tuesday – ride. Ahhhh…. I was so happy to ride again. I had to go solo because the Good Doctor is very busy but I was so glad to go. I had thought I’d get back in time to go to the 10:30 swim but I was having so much fun I just kept going. Not fast but lovely. The bike felt great for the first hour and then the chain started slipping in the back. I have to call the shop but I think I just need to adjust the cable with the barrel thingie (I know – the thought of me touching the bike when I use that vernacular is terrifying, right? Okay – the barrel adjuster. Feel better?)

5). Today – swam. I managed to gut out 2,000 whole meters. Go me. I’m sure I’ll get back to my 2400- 2500 meter workouts any day now.

6). I’m missing my pre-race happiness and glow, though. I have a very nice sparkle when I talk about the race still because I’m still very happy with how I did. See? Happy!

The rest of the time I am not feeling the maniacal happiness that dominated my psyche going into that race. I need to get back to crazy happy. All suggestions for how to do that are welcome.

7). I’m picking up the BarfDay Fishes Girl at the airport tomorrow and doing the 140.6 Sherpa dance up in Sonoma for the weekend. The Dear Baboos will be there, also as will my local friend Jen. Anyone else?

Posted in Hump Day | 15 Comments

Look over there —->

Posted on July 27, 2008 by 21cm

Happy Birthday to my friend the Dread Pirate Rackham!

Please head right this way and give her a birthday shout out and some words of encouragement for her upcoming 140.6.

Kick A$$, my friend, arrrrr!

Posted in Birfdays! | Leave a comment

Look over there —->

Posted on July 27, 2008 by 21cm

Happy Birthday to my friend the Dread Pirate Rackham!

Please head right this way and give her a birthday shout out and some words of encouragement for her upcoming 140.6.

Kick A$$, my friend, arrrrr!

Posted in Birfdays! | 4 Comments

How Sweet it Is

Posted on July 25, 2008 by 21cm

A recent study of 7 million test scores (made possible by No Child Left Behind which can finally claim something good about itself) has shown that in grades 2 through 11 girls and boys score the same in math. In other words, boys are not inherently better at math, smarter than girls or more inclined toward dealing with numerically based concepts. It’s a myth.

How sweet it is. After years and years and years of assertion that not only is it unladylike for girls to be as smart as boys in math and science but they really aren’t anyhow, a little simple data crunching on a whole lot of data has shown that it just ain’t so. The cultural stuff is still there – girls are still teased for being smart but at least we now know that this is strictly a cultural phenomenon and not a genetic predisposition toward dumb.

Here is a really interesting article about the Top 5 Myths About Girls, Math and Science. Mostly what it says is that if you do things that encourage girls in math and science the boys find the messages encouraging, too. It also says that a boy will take a “C” in a math or science course and just keep moving forward if he likes the subject whereas a girl with a “B” will think she’s no good and stop. Interesting.

The flip side of all this that boys are failing in record numbers. Some would have you believe it is because our education system is more geared for girls who are more willing to sit quietly and do as they are told than for rambunctious boys. They want you to believe that it is the “feminization” of the classroom that is responsible for this phenomenon but as I scan several articles on this topic I cringe at the absurdity of them and turn tail from the argument like a dog who’s just been sprayed by a skunk. Since boys have always been more rambunctious than girls I suspect classroom management trends and free choice are more responsible for this phenomenon than anything but who knows?

What I do know is that we finally have some solid evidence that intelligence is not gender based and that girls are as smart as boys and I like that. I like it a lot.

Posted in Hell Yes!, Inspiration | 13 Comments