Second Training Starting Soon

I'm starting Run training Thursday, July 6 for my Summer season of Tri Training. The race will be September 30th in Pleasanton, CA.

-- 500 yd swim
-- 11 mile bike
-- 3.1 mi run

Now that I've done one training season I know better what to expect. I'm a little less nervous, but also less excited. I'm not sure why. I know better my limitations, and know that it will take years to get into the kind of shape I'd like to be in. On the other hand, I'm stronger than I've probably ever been, and in good shape for my biological years, all things considered -- past injuries particularly. Also I am happy about how I spend my workout time. I love being outdoors as much as I can. And with my daily desk job, my outdoors hours are still not enough. But probably more than most. I've been biking more. And am off to do a bike ride with my husband, my sweet & tall, Ezra.

I did it! We did it! Go Janes!

Left: Beth biking at about Mile 3.
Right: coming out of the water. That felt weird.
Bottom left: That's me bottom row, third from the right. And that's us -- the See Jane Tri team. We did it!


I did an easy 20 minute swim in a lake that was 70 degress F -- 500 meters. The bike ride was beautiful -- 13k/8 miles. I clocked it at about one hour and 32 minutes. I had to kiss Ezra so I missed stepping on the timing pad. And the run portion I walked and jogged in 28 minutes -- 3k/1.8 miles. So Yeah! I finished my first triathlon in two hours and 20 minutes.

The day before the race

I'm nervous. I'm sure I have everything, just as I am sure that I've forgotten something. Any negative thoughts that creep in, I banish. I'm doing this race for me, for my health, for my enjoyment. And I will have a good time. As my race-buddy, Dele, reminds me, "Attitude is everything."

All I can say is that I have come a long way since training began twelve weeks ago. My first race. All I can say is that this is a dream come true.

The Ups & Downs of Training

There I am with one leg stretched out, surrounded by other awesome ladies: (left to right) Janet, Dele, me, and Leslie. Most importantly I have a big smile; we all do.

A down day is when I need to rest, I'm learning to be ok with that.

An up day is when I work out and do something new.

And then there are good days where I stay even or go relaxed as compared to previous workouts.

Triathlon training is not a linear process, but a fluid, sin wave. Following my intution first, and the guidance of of our trainers second, is my way.

I am blessed with this opportunity.

The Mock Tri

All I can say is "Wow!" On Saturday, April 22, I swam in the cold Folsom Lake, about 500 meters, then hopped on my bike and went a very slow 13k (8 miles) uphill and uphill and uphill. I paused a lot to catch my breath, not caring if people passed me by. When I got to Auburn Overlook, I was nearly the last one there, but not the absolute last. I didn't ride back to the swim start, a mostly downhill ride. That's ok.

On Sunday, April 23, I walk/jogged the 3k (1.8 mile) course "in the Auburn State Park, featuring scenic, shaded single track trails and paved park roads (100% closed to autos) with a magnificent view of the American River below." (http://www.auburntriathlon.com/aitsprint/aitsprintindex.shtml)

So how did I feel about it? Great. After the swim and bike, I realized that 1) I could do the race because I had enough energy leftover to do the run portion of the race; and 2) I could do another race.

It slowly dawned on me as I watched my fellow teamates come into the finish line on their second time around the run course that I was a triathlete. Let me repeat that. I am a triathlete. I love all three aspects of of the sport. And I love improving in them. I'll probably do the See Jane Tri in September.

A word about the lake swim: The race is set up so that we can hope in the water and acclimate to it before the race begins. And let me tell you it was cold, very cold. I get so angry as my hands freeze in the water. I swear like a sailor as my hands go numb. But my feet seem to tolerate it. Then all that's left to acclimate to the cold water is my mouth and chin. I knew what to expect this time and had no trouble with that last bit. Then I said to myself, "May as well try actually swimming." So I did, in fits and starts, and stops to help a friend who had a panic attack due to her asthma. And then I swam some more, about a total of 150 yards. I know because I counted my strokes. I swim about a 26-stroke length.

The Mock tri showed me why I've been working so hard, and made it all worthwhile. I only hope I'll feel this way after the race on May 20.

A Successful Walk/Jog

Nearly every time I go out to walk, my jog time has increased. On Saturday, April 1, our group met at the SF Marina Green, near the Golden Gate Bridge. Our course: five miles. The weather was fantastic. No rain and bright sun. I walked to warm up then started jogging. I kept up a nice slow pace and my spirits were high for most of the way to Fort Point. On the way back to our starting point, I got tired, but found that I could do short jog intervals. By the time I'd finished the five miles I was thrilled to see that I had jogged for at least 35 minutes of the 1 hour and 20 minutes.

Swimming in San Francisco Bay

I did it! I swam in the Bay this morning, at Aquatic Park, to be exact. The water was cold. Let me rephase that. The water was very cold. When the feet went numb, I was ok with that. When the salt water whooshed down my wetsuit I squealed with shock. But when my hands froze, I swore. Then I hyperventilated.

There I was doggy paddling in the bay with freezing hands and a bad attitude. How was I going to swim to the buoy and swim back to shore? I had to put my face in the water.

But I couldn't. I couldn't do it. The image of choking on salty sea water from all those times I'd been tumbled by waves wouldn't let go. Then Suzy, the instructor, said, "Just do it! You won't warm up." So suck it up.

That I calmed me down and I relaxed. Because I was angry. I didn't like the way she spoke to us.

I inched my face in the water, first my chin, then my chin and my nose. The rest of my face followed because my eyes were covered in googles and my head in two layers.

And then I started swimming. Wow! I was a seal for an hour! I swam in the bay.

Track Running

Well, now it's official. I hate track running. Why else would I have missed two weeks in a row? (Ok, the fatigue, rain and my car breaking done had something to do with it also.) I may continue not going to the track. I'm ok with that. I do go out, however, and walk/jog Lake Merritt. Now that makes me happy. Today I did the whole lake in one hour, and that included a little under 20 minutes of jogging in intervals. My longest interval was 5 minutes! A record! I went with my friend, Alexis, who was so happy to run! She pushed her baby's jog stroller at a fast clip and he was laughing! Great weather too! An all-around satisfying workout.

The Stress of Training

Stress wasn't something I anticipated. Simple routine work tasks suddenly pissed me off. An ongoing long-term project suddenly seemed not important (my novel), and I was short-tempered. Me? I'm usually a calm person, but something was changing in me. A very level-headed friend of mine, Alexis, pointed out that we all have a maximum carrying capacity, and I'd reached mine.

Training three days a week with the Tri Training group and then a few additional days on my own was maxing me out. Training takes a focus and intensity that is quite different from just working out on a regular basis. The focus is now on improving your abilities and technique each time you go out, not to mention improving your time, eventually. The intensity bumps up because there's constant learning and monitoring. Whew! No wonder I've been more tired and irritable than usual!

So, I've taken some steps to reduce stress. Reduced hours at work, a relaxed attitude about my book and a reminder to be gentle to myself at all times.

Saturday's First Trail Run

We met at the Tennessee Valley Trailhead at 8am. The road deadends into a parking lot and from there it's two miles out the ocean. And it's gorgeous. We had good weather, a bit brisk, and I saw a hawk, some deer, horses in an enclosure, and plenty of crows. Water riverlets gurgled along side the trail and sometimes crossed it.

I didn't know how I'd feel about more jogging after Thursday's miserable workout at the track. But I learned something -- I love being outdoors in nature to walk, especially with water nearby. To start, I walked moderately, knowing I had to warm up. I knew and told myself I was ok with being at the back of the slow group -- the group that was only doing two miles. I ended up doing a little bit more than that, and jogging slowly! I jogged up a rather steep hill. That was totally fine! As I was coming down the hill, ladies were coming back from the ocean and saying "good job" and encouraging us. My shins ached a little, so even though my morale was good I made myself stop jogging so that I wouldn't get injured.

On the way home, my carpool buddy, Dele, and I were high from the good workout. It was her first four-mile run in years, and I felt good with my approx. three-mile walk-jog.

Running -- Ack!

Now, I'm not a runner. Maybe in my dreams, but not in real life. So, last night at the first real run workout, I walked. Ok, so far. Except I didn't get enough of a workout walking, and I'm not ready to bump up the intensity yet. Ergo, lots of frustration.

I walked 2 miles (3.2 k), pretty good. But I'm one of maybe three walkers ... I just need to remember that I didn't even consider a tri two years, when I started working out. Oh, I daydreamed about it but it was so far off as to be a fantasy. So, here I am, actually living my dream. And it's hard, because I know I'm capable of so much more, but I have let my body acclimate, get stronger, and surtout (above all!) prevent injury.

I know myself best, and if there's no one else at the tri training can see where I'm coming from, other people outside of that group do: namely, Beth Sweeney, my trainer, and Bella Barany, my mother-in-law, who's been nothing but supportive this whole time. Last night, she reminded me how far I've come, and that made me put my frustration into perspective. It's like when you're a small child and you want to keep up with the big kids, but you're just not strong or big enough yet.

I'll get there... Courage, courage.

Swimming

Tuesday, Feb 28, was our first swim workout. The first of many! I am a fish!

It was a truncatated workout because Leslie, our swim trainer, talked to us. While we stood by the pool, the 50 degree air chilled what parts of our body weren't covered. In my case, just my face. I couldn't wait to get into that pool! Finally, she gave us the go ahead, and I stripped down to my bathing suit, donned my new silicone blue cap, and squished my blue wide kids goggles, and dove it. It felt great!

Total laps for the night = 8 --> 400 yards.

One lap is up and back, 50 yards.

In the time trials used to split us into groups, I did one lap in 56 seconds, placing me with the intermediates.

I sputtered for air a few times, but it was ok because I was having a good time in the water.

I know the next workouts will be harder because we only had a half workout that night.

What is a sprint triathlon?

I'll be running the Auburn Sprint Tri. I hear that their sprint tri is smaller than others. Here are their distances:

Swim: 500 meters (or about .31 miles)

Bike: 13 kilometers (or about 8.08 miles)

Run: 3 kilometers (or about 1.86)

What is a triathlon?

Three races in one: swim, bike, run.

As staed in wikipedia's entry, "A triathlon is an athletic event made up of three contests (from the Greek). In contemporary usage, the name triathlon is mostly applied to a combination of swimming, cycling and running, in that order. In most modern triathlons, these events are placed back-to-back in immediate sequence and a competitor's official time includes the time required to "transition" between the individual legs of the race, including any time necessary for changing clothes and shoes. As a result, proficiency in swimming, running, and cycling alone is not sufficient to guarantee a triathlete a competitive time: trained triathletes have learned to race each stage in a way that preserves their energy and endurance for subsequent stages."

Getting Ready for the Triathlon

Today was my last day, for awhile, with my personal trainer, Beth Sweeney. And for the first time, I biked from Rockridge to Lake Merritt, and back, up steep hills, and in the rain. Whew!

(photo by http://www.flickr.com/photos/bgreenlee/)

Working with Beth Sweeney got me thinking about everything in the recent past that helped me get to where I am today: training for a sprint tri.

I've been working with Beth Sweeney since last September. I love her enthusiasm, encouragement, understanding, and vast knowledge. We worked together in five-week blocks, meeting once a week. I wanted to improve my overall strenth, so we did a lot of core work. I learned what that was all about! She was gentle and at the same time pushed me to my max.

I've been walking the Lake--Lake Merritt, one of the most beautiful parts of Oakland--for about two years now. I can now walk the whole lake, nearly four miles, in a little over an hour. I love kickboxing at Mr. Pitt's Martial Arts Academy. I do that once a week, and have been there for the last year and a half. If I don't go to hit or kick something, the rest of my week is not quite right. And I joined a gym last summer, Courthouse Athletic Club, where I use the weights, treadmill, spin bikes, and pool.

The last element that has helped me get to where I am now is Weight Watchers. I joined about two years ago, lost nearly twenty pounds, and learned a lot about good eating and thinking habits. What they taught was a lifestyle change. Everyone there, the group leaders and the other participants, were always very encouraging. After the fourth week, they give you small steps on how to start physical activity. Those tips, arms one week, stomach the next, then legs, all were very helpful in giving me goals and guidelines.

First Bike Training Day

I did it! I rode 16 miles today. Not by myself of course. I'm training with See Jane Run, a fabulous store of women's sports apparel. About 30 other fabulous women were speeding along with me today, as we went from Golden gate Park, around Lake Merced, along the Great Highway, and back up JFK Drive to our starting point at McLaren Lodge.

I was at the back of the pack a good two-thirds of the time. Oh well! I need to remind myself that it was the first long ride I've done since I was 17, a good twenty years ago.

I didn't want my muscles to max out so I made the conscious choice to take it easy. No sense maxing out on the first intense day.

Tuesday will be the first day on the pool. I know I can do it, but I'll have to make sure I have all my gear, especially ear plugs -- I hate water in my ears -- and a damn cap. (Bad memories, you know.) I hear they have new-fangled silicon caps. Gotta get me one of those.

Sprint Triathlon Training

Goal: start, race, and finish well a Sprint Triathlon on May 20, 2006 in Auburn, CA.

(A Sprint Tri is a much smaller distance than a regular Olympic triathlon -- about half the distances.)

Hurdles: low self-confidence, negative self-talk, changing my body picture

Strengths: determination, lots of great help from my training program, See Jane Tri

This is a dream come true for me. I've wanted to do a tri for at least four or five years. When my chiropractor told me that sprint tris existed, I looked on the internet and found the local program.