The 16th annual ALCATRAZ SHARKFEST is planned for June 28th, 2008. Registration for this event is now open!.
but don’t tell anyone – it sells out fast. Of course that won’t impact me – I’m already registered.
Today I ran a local 5K that was well attended by my race club. My goal was to beat my last 5K time of 29:29 although I failed to note a few key differences about these 2 races.
When I lined up I was standing right next to a woman who just did IMCDA, her first IM ever, in the very impressive time of 12:13. I asked her if she was really ready for this and she said it was all just for fun so I said, “hey – you could pace me” and told her my goal. She thought that was a fine idea.
It was hot. Really hot. She kept on me the whole way,though.
“Come on – keep it going”
“Deep breaths”
“We’re going downhill now – this is nice”
“Don’t you slow down now! Come on!’
“2 more corners, Keep it going”
She kept that up the whole way – she was awesome.
I didn’t run out of legs until the last little bit but I felt like I was suffocating almost the whole run. Had she not been there pacing me I would have tossed it and run about a 12 min pace. As it was I just missed my goal by some seconds. I forgot to turn off my Garmin which now reads 29:59 so I’m thinking I did about a 29:40. Sort of disappointing but not really.
I thought about it afterward and my last 5K was run after having done both a marathon and a half marathon and some track work prior to the race. This time, not so much. My running has been abysmal this year. I’ve only got a total of 150 miles in on the year and zero track work compared to over 400 miles last year and at least a few trips to the track. So all in all it was a great effort and I feel good. I really can’t thank my pacer enough, though. Pacers rule!
Happy 4th, everyone!!
Lee Gruenfields has this goofy generic race report creator. He states:
Interestingly, everybody who writes about Ironman thinks he’s being original, and spends an awful lot of energy in the process of re-creating the same thing that’s been written before. This is wasteful of the kind of talent that could otherwise be spent doing things like writing the same Christmas letter over and over.
Well don’t you believe it! We love race reports, each of which is unique and special so keep ’em coming!!
Lee Gruenfields has this goofy generic race report creator. He states:
Interestingly, everybody who writes about Ironman thinks he’s being original, and spends an awful lot of energy in the process of re-creating the same thing that’s been written before. This is wasteful of the kind of talent that could otherwise be spent doing things like writing the same Christmas letter over and over.
Well don’t you believe it! We love race reports, each of which is unique and special so keep ’em coming!!
When I pack to go on a trip I start out thinking about where I’m going, how long the trip is and what I need to bring. I gather the clothes and accessories together and carefully put them in my bag. And then my mind starts thrashing with ‘what if’s and ‘I really like that shirt’ and ‘I might want to wear those other pants’ and before you know it I am just tossing random stuff in the bag and end up carrying enough stuff to keep me in clean clothes for any occasion for months even though it’s just a weekend trip.
My events list for the next 6 weeks was apparently constructed using the same haphazard, undirected methodology.
Here is what I am doing in July and August
4th – 5K run
21st – Tri for Fun
29th – 1/2 marathon
8/12 – Olympic distance (Wildflower redemption event).
How nuts is that? I ask you – how in the world do you train properly for a lineup like that? want a PR in each thing and yet, I haven’t really been training for any of them. I can’t tell you how relieved I am that the Tri for Fun really is – they don’t even time it and I’ve never done it before so PR!
Wednesday I’m just going to run as hard and fast as I can and try to PR over my last 5K of 29:29. So what if I puke at the end? That just leaves more room for 4th of July brownies.
I really need to get my run on for 1/2 IM marathon (Mr. Subliminal you can leave right now!) because I have to beat Nancy’s PR of 2:26:38.65, She needs a new goal, right? and as her blogbuddy I take personal responsibility for delivering that to her. Yeah – that’s what it’s all about. That means a significant increase in run volume seeing as my last 10 weeks of running look like this: 2, 2, 3, 9, 6, 8, 6, 3, 11, 6. So yeah – more volume.
And of course – I need to get my bike on for the Oly because I want a serious, serious improvement over Wildflower. This course is kind of flat so that shouldn’t be too hard but it will be hot and I just need to train. I had a fabulous ride yesterday which I may recount in another post but for now let’s just say I’m looking forward to more riding.
Good thing I’ve been swimming a lot – no worries there.
So maybe I came up with this ‘plan’ to get me going again. And maybe planning isn’t my strong suit. You think?
In other news – I got digital cable some time ago because there was deal if you got VOIP, internet and TV all at once. The big bonus is that for the first time in for ever I can watch the Tour de France!! Huzzah!
note – noting new here but apparently the “w” word in the title attracts spammers like nobodies business so I had to send it underground.
Of course my daughter did most of the planning for the w3dding so it was super easy for me and I tried to get all of you to plan the rest of my season for me but there seems to be a fly in the ointment – my brain. So before I reveal the results of our joint planning efforts I’d like to thank you all again for your feedback much of which makes up the bulk of this post.
So far it looks like this:
July 4 – 5K
July 21 – Tri for Fun (teeny sprint, not timed)
July 29 SF 1/2 Marathon
Aug 12 – Folsom International
Sept 16 – Tri for Real Sprint distance (“A” Race!)
I may do one or both of the Alcatraz swims but they are expensive and therefore optional. They don’t really interfere with anything else so I don’t have to worry about it right now. I am also busy being a Nike pimp to get into the Nike Women’s Half. There are ways but you have to genuflect at the alter of Nike to get there. We’ll see how far I’m willing to take that.
So that leaves us (by “us” I mean “me”) with the question – what to do about SOMA??
When pondering whether to do the Half or Quarterman I asked myself “WWBD” (What Would Bold Do)? And then I thought, “hey – I could just ask him!” so I sent an email to Coach Bold who responded,
“the answer is simple.
you should do the short course.
you are doing it the right way, giving yourself the
opportunity to enjoy the shorter distances, like the
Oly at Wildflower, before you subject yourself to the
long…
(if it weren’t for that capitaliztion of Oly and Wildflower I might have to start calling him -ee Bold, but I digress)
He also said: “having done from super-sprint to Ironman… let me assure you, it’s just more of the same and you are not missing anything.”
And, “just remember, don’t buy into the hype. you don’t have to be an Ironman, to be a triathlete.”
Hmmm…. true dat but there’s no IM on the table here so I kept searching through my comments section. You can see everyone’s feedback after the jump. The upshot is that several people said to go for the half but others agree that a half is just a longer version of an Oly so why not have fun and do what you know you can do?
I get that ‘more of the same message’ but there are a bunch of other reasons to go long on this one. First of all, this year I am doing more events than I’ve done in the last 10 years combined so this is my big year and it would be good to get a 70.3 in there. Second of all, if I do Wildflower next year I’d like to do the half so that I can party on Saturday night. I know, I know… that was spoken like a truly committed triathlete (hee!). Lastly, going to do SOmA is a huge deal involving airplanes and bike boxes and lots of expense so I might as well do it up. And last, but certainly not least, I want to see if I can. Isn’t that a lot of what this sport is about? I want to feel my limits and then push them out a little further.
All I have to do now is get past the fear of failure that plagued me with a dream this morning of being on my bike and desperately wishing to be done and wondering ‘why oh why did I sign up for this disance??!!” and I’m set. I have a strategy for quelling my fear and moving from talking myself into it to making an informed decision. Next weekend I will do a long bike ride (~50 miles)followed by a 6 or 7 mile run. It will probably be really hot by the time I get to the run which is probably a good simulation. If that goes okay I’m in for the 1/2. Otherwise I’ll stick with the quarterman. I’d ask you if that all sounds good but I think I’ve asked enough of you. Thanks again for your feedback with a special shout out to Coach Bold.
Last week I flew to Illinois to see my first born baby, Humbly Ann and enjoy a wedding reception local to her husband’s family. Get that? Her husband. I’m still having a wee bit ‘o trouble settling into the notion that my baby is married but I’m getting there, having been a guest in her very grown up home. It doesn’t hurt that I love her husband and feel blessed that my child found someone who loves her and takes care of her so well.
The trip was really fun. You can click on any of the pictures below to see a larger image and/or you can watch the slide show at the end.
We drove a few hours to get to very heart of the heartland, passing many a corn field and bean field on the way.
We stayed on the lovely family farm where Humbly Ann’s husband grew up and attended a lovely party his parents put on:
We communed with cattle and toured the farm
and saw these GIANT pieces of equipment:
The Combine (which combines harvesting the corn or soy beans and stripping them down to kernels and individual beans) which are then put in GIANT wagons and taken to storage bins or silos:
| THE WURZELS lyrics |
The Combine has HUGE wheels:
Then we did something really, really fun (it was my only workout for the entire trip). We climbed a 70 ft. grain silo and saw the world from another perspective. It was a hazy, cloudy day but it was still quite a view:
We played with babies, met aunts and uncles and cousins and 2nd cousins, and 2nd cousins once removed and old family friends. Humbly Ann got to see friends from home and Mr. HA saw many friends from high school and college. It was the stuff family and American Pie are made of and it was good – very good.
And as though all of that weren’t enough, HA’s friend who shares my birthday and occasionally my brain gave me this most fabulous coffee cup to honor my athletic pursuits
This last pic is for you, Momo
or training or watching Ironmanlive I was roaming the heartland enjoying yet another fine celebration of my firstborn’s marriage and touring hundreds of acres of corn and soybean fields and chatting with cattle and climbing grain silos and well… you get the picture. And if that didn’t do it I will post pictures when I get home – I have some great ones.
A huge thank you to everyone who responded to my poll. A plan is forming and I will share it soon, too. An extra HUGE thanks to those of you who have so much confidence in my ability to handle a 1/2 IM. The jury is still deliberating in my head on that one but it’s very nice to know that so many people think it’s time for me to step up to that distance.
Before all of that, though I would like to congratulate this weekend’s Ironpeeps – Momo and Benny must have high fived each other out there once or twice and they both had great races. Jenny ripped it up in Europe in her inimitable and indefatigable way (the woman is a MAHCHEEN!) and to Mrs. Everyman for being able to get her race on in spite of a nasty eye infection. Several members of my race club crossed the line, too. Wil and Michelle and Shelly and Triboomer and Greyhound all did 1/2 IMs as did the DPR – she rocked that Buffalo Springs 70.3 – woot! The Kahuna evaded the sharks and conquered the hills. It was a good weekend for racing and for being an Iron Sherpa for Nytro and Carrie.
CONGRATULATIONS!
** If you don’t see the poll below it is because PollDaddy.com is down. I guess you get what you pay for. Please try again later if you think of it**
I need help choosing my event calendar for the rest of the year. So far I have registered for:
A July 4th 5K
A Tri for Fun on July 12
A Tri for Real (my “A” race) on Sept 19.
I feel like I need a 10K some time this year and I’d like to do a 1/2 marathon. I also need another Oly. I also really loved that Alcatraz swim.
Keeping in mind that this stuff costs money and I have a limited supply I need some help choosing.
The SF 1/2 Marathon is a strong contender because my race club has it as a focus event and it is local and I kind of like it. That is at the end of July so I think I’ve got July covered.
Additional important info:
The Folsom International has a smokin’ hot field. In my age group there were 8 women last year with times ranging from 2:33 to 3:20 which means that in order not to finish dead last I have to PR by a lot. Of course Wildflower was a disaster for me but be that as it may, going sub 3:20 at FIT vs. 4:39 at Wildflower is very intimidating. Not that I mind being last but still. Okay – I do mind being last but if I’m not last by a landslide I can live with it.
The Treasure Island event is flat, flat, flat. That is a man made island and they skipped building in any hills. Flat can be exhausting but it’s fast. The field for that event is also much slower (2:41 to 4:29). I would do fine.
The Alcatraz Challenge involves jumping off the ferry, swimming back to Crissy field and then running across the Golden Gate Bridge dodging tourists, strollers and cyclists. Big time fun and no time pressure since you are at the mercy of the tides – both water and people driven. I’m not sure about the Race of the Centurions except it commemorates the 100th swim of the guys who just finished their 500th swim (and one of them gave FeLady his cap!)
SOMA is a really, really strong contender for several reasons. Momo has offered to host me so that would be awesome. Benny and Nytro will be there so that would be awesome. The DPR might just show so that would be awesome. I’m probably leaving out half of the other bloggers who would be there, too. You are all a great reason to go. I could probably get my sister to join me and then we could go to Sedona after it is over and recuperate at a Spa and dig on the spiritual vibes so that would also be …. excellent. The real question is do I do the quarterman or the half and you get to pick! I don’t care about placing – there are not very many women in my age group so finishing is good.
The Nike Women’s Half is sold out but I managed to get a spot last year so it’s still open as far as I’m concerned. Where there is a will there is a way. It is a week before SOMA, though so that’s a consideration.
Please feel free to vote 3 times. I’d like to see the choices somehow ranked. Also, feel free to leave comments explaining your choices. You also have the option for write-in votes. I didn’t list any 10Ks because they are common, easy to find and I can fit one in anywhere. In fact, there is one the Sunday after Thanksgiving I might do.
GO!
[update at bottom – post unchanged]
On Sunday, after Sharkfest I followed FeLady and Mr. FeLady to their hotel to take a shower and get dressed so we could all go out to brunch. On the way there we drove along the waterfront in San Francisco and I found myself reminiscing about various races thinking “This is part of the course for Bridge to Bridge and for the SF Marathon – I love this run” and then, as we headed up into the Presidio, “This is the hill you run up for the Nike Half Marathon”. On the way back from brunch we drove along the Great Highway and I exclaimed “Right there is where I met up with the Dread Pirate Rackham after the Bay to Breakers a couple of weeks ago”. The area looked so deserted compared to race day when there are tens of thousands of people out there but in my mind’s eye I could see it all and I could feel my post B2B sense of accomplishment and runners high.
I love that particular benefit of cycling and running – the changed perspective on my surroundings. Roads from Point A to Point B become so much more. They become fond memories of my favorite parts of training or racing because I do my best to forget the bad parts and just remember the parts that made me feel strong or that were fun or where I just really enjoyed the scenery. It always fills me with joy and repeatedly makes me grateful for my fitness and willingness to be an athlete (see – I’m getting better at this. I just said I’m an athlete – woo hoo!)
On Friday as I was flying back from San Diego I looked out the window over the SF Bay as we descended to the Oakland Airport.
I could clearly see the Golden Gate Bridge and the Bay Bridge and Alcatraz in between. I could see Aquatic Park, too with this sort of visual acuity:
(photo compliments of Bay Turtle Photography)
but from this angle:
I looked at that view and remembered my swim and all of the things about it that bring a smile to my face over and over again. That’s not just the SF Bay any more. That’s the place where I took that really great swim.
**UPDATE- as FeLady pointed out I had the picture wrong. I had us swimming from Angel Island because I thought Alcatraz was a ship due to looking at the aerial view from too high up. I had photoshoped it out of the picture!! DOH! See – I really can get lost on the swim portion of an event. In fact, I’m really good at it!
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