Run Rene Run...

SFR Point Reyes 200k Brevet

2012-01-23T08:01:00.000-08:00

124.2 miles in 14:14

After doing 2 Point Reyes Populaires with the San Francisco Randonneurs last year I decided to try the Point Reyes 200k Brevet. I was DFL but it was a great ride and milestone for me! Longest distance rode in one day for sure.

It had been raining but weather looked mostly clear for the day. We just had one short-lived cloudburst then things were pretty dry. It was windy but sunny. I had never ridden all the way out the lighthouse and must say that it is a long trip. Lots of rolling hills with some gnarly climbs at the end, but beautiful ride and views. Nothing but dairy pastures and coastal views. I made the checkpoint just shy of 2 minutes! I was pretty spent after the getting back to Point Reyes station and came to the conclusion that I should have started eating more by the time I got to Camp Taylor. I had packed a bunch of baby burritos, inspired by my friend Lisa. They were perfect for the trip and fit nicely in the bento box.

Since I was here, I decided to keep going up to Marshall even if I didn't make the time limit and enjoy a bowl of clam chowder. It didn't take as long as I thought and I barely made the time limit with 5 minutes to spare and hung out briefly with Bill and Tony who were just finishing up their soup. I had a Red Bull and Clam Chowder and bought some more water. After this I got a second wind, and enjoyed a great ride watching the sun set on Tomales Bay. It got dark when I was on Nicasio-Valley road past the reservoir and I heard the coyotes start howling. There is no phone reception out here and it was pitch black and I could barely see the road with my faint light. For a minute, I lost my bearings and had a mini-panic attack, but I got through it by singing songs and when I saw the silhouette of the bridge I realized I was still going the right way and then finally got to the intersection at Sir Francis Drake Blvd.

The Garmin died at mile 109

Once I got to Fairfax I relaxed into home stretch mode and had hot coffee and brownie. I had a feeling I was not going to make the time limit, but didn't care at this point. My butt and knees and neck were hurting and just was glad to be almost done. It was getting cold and I knew I had a couple more climbs to go, but they were actually good for me because it warmed me up quite a bit. The rain gear also helped keep me warm.

There were no other cyclists on the road at 9pm and I'm glad it wasn't raining. I had the Golden Gate Bridge all to myself on the way back and saw Rob about to take off at the finish and checked in with him. Plus I had a witness that I made it back. My total ride was 14:14, 44 minutes past the cutoff time. I made the mistake of not calling in advance to let them know where I'm at. I'm just glad I finished the distance without any problems and enjoyed an entire day of cycling.

The next day my knees were sore and I felt a little exhausted and dehydrated. I call it a bike hangover, but other than that easy recovery!

Things that helped me on the ride:
full raingear
fenders
speedfil tank
bringing real food such as baby burritos, manzano bananas and apricots in addition to gus, clif bars and sports drinks
several pairs of gloves and one insulated pair
layers of clothes
extra pair of socks
a backpack to put everything in

Things I should have brought:
extra batteries for the lights and headlamp
tortilla chips and roasted potatoes (salty)
an extra bottle of water
camera to take pics

The food is a serious thing. I made 4 burritos, One for every 25 miles plus a planned meal stop. The timing of the food is critical to maintain a good pace. Also safety and being visible on the road. I think I could have put on some more lights and reflectors. I look forward to doing this ride again a little more prepared. In order to make the cutoff time with enough time for a few breaks you need to be averaging at least 10mph. It may be a while before I can do a 300k, so will stick with 200k for now. Happy cycling!

Here are the checkpoints and cutoff times to give you an idea of what to aim for

Start: 7:00am

Point Reyes Lighthouse - 54mi
open 9:34 - close 12:48 (5:48hr after start)

Marshall Store - 83mi
open 10:56 - close 15:56 (8:56hr after start)

GGB - 126mi
open 12:53 - close 20:30 (13:30hr after start)

Finish: 8:30

For reference, an Ironman Triathlon takes 17 hours to complete, with the 112 mi bike cutoff time at around 8hrs, with a 2.5 mi swim before and followed by running a marathon.

2011 Recap

2011-12-31T07:54:00.000-08:00

EVENTS:
WWS Golden Gate Bridge to Aquatic Park Swim 
KP Half Marathon* 
SERC Pier 39 Birthday Swim 
Ironman California Oceanside 70.3
 SERC Run, Jump and Swim (12th place)
 Sacramento International Triathlon* (Olympic)
 Alcatraz crossings 2 
SFR Point Reyes Populaire 115k (x 2) 
San Francisco Triathlon at Alcatraz (Olympic) 
Stinson Beach Marathon
 DSE Embarcadero 10k* (3rd place, women) 
Dallas White Rock Marathon* and Mayors Race 5k  

volunteered at Water World Swim 
*PR  

MILEAGE  
Run: 846 miles 
Bike: 3164 miles (1960 bike commute) 
Swim: 90 miles 
TOTAL: 4100 miles

It's been a great year in the Run Bike Swim department. I did a half-Iron, which I never thought I could do before, I'm feeling stronger on the bike, and my running pace is getting faster. Had lots of fun with Water World Swim events and all the tri-clinics we did for the ESCAPE. The highlight of the year though is when I ran the 5k in December with my sisters, their first race experience! Lots of fun memories to go with all these races. Thank you all for helping me get through the year!

I used to think that this was the only part of my life that goes well because I can control the outcome by training hard. But then, after all these years of applying myself, I had a powerful realization hit me that I had the power within myself to influence the outcomes of other parts of my life by applying the same diligence and commitment. I have a feeling 2012 is going to be awesome!

I hope to do some longer rides and keep pushing the pace. I discovered I love the track and want to try some shorter races. It would be great to do another long course triathlon we shall see...

Happy New Year!
It's 2012, if you haven't put an epic swim, marathon or triathlon on your bucket list, then now would be a good time!

Dallas White Rock Marathon

2011-12-05T15:34:00.000-08:00

Race Report
Pics

Rest Week

2011-11-26T08:06:00.000-08:00

Ran 11 miles this week, and it rained on the morning of the 5k, so no race. There will be other 5k's to PR after the marathon, and I won't have to worry about pulling something before the big race. I am having a great time and enjoying what life has to offer. Running has helped me get through all kinds of situations and just makes the day better. I'm enjoying the training!

DSE Embarcadero 10k

2011-11-13T17:55:00.000-08:00

My favorite local course to PR on in the 10k is the DSE Embarcadero 10k. I trained and did my track workouts, knew my race pace and followed my plan. My goal was 45 minutes and I got in just under at 44:56 with a third place ribbon for the women. A good day for sore legs!

Thanks Run Fast by Hal Higdon

Their events are so well organized and registration fees are so affordable you can run them every weekend.

Weekly mileage: 20.61

Stinson Beach Marathon

2011-11-07T06:41:00.000-08:00

Stinson Beach Marathon Report: This was a really tough run, but full of scenic trails from beach, to ridge, to forest and repeat! The course felt alot harder than last time, because we went up and down into Muir Woods twice. After the first hour, my legs were already cramped and feet were hurting so it was a matter of making them shuffle along for the next 5 hours! The half marathon would have been enough but since I was looking for some hill and mental training I did the whole thing. Well worth the views! The continuous uphills were challenging. I just tried to concentrate on good form and steady pace, and kept fueling and hydrating. The aid station was well placed and well stocked and helpful volunteers. The Coastal Trail led us out onto the exposed ridge where it was windy, wet and cold. The trail was so narrow and uneven, with lots of rocks. I just tried not to roll my ankles. If you want a nice hike, the Dipsea trail from Stinson Beach is really gorgeous, but be prepared for lots of stairs! Thanks to all my friends who supported me on this race. The flat races will seem so easy after this!

weekly mileage: 42mi

Tapering for the Marathon

2011-11-02T08:43:00.000-07:00

Last long run before the Stinson Beach Marathon. Photo by fellow runner David.

I started tapering down after the second 20 miler. The trails took long to recover from, so took it easy this weekend with swimming and hiking. Spent some quiet time camped out in the Santa Cruz mountains. The trails here are awesome. One day I would love to do the Skyline to the Sea trail.

I had a big swim on Saturday with other Water World Swim coaches Jake, John and Kirk and swimmers Andrew, Les and Jeff. The support crew was awesome and I made some new friends. The swim is 6 miles from Capitola to Santa Cruz around Pleasure Point, which took about 3 hours. I only did a little bit of it then kayaked the rest of the way. We saw sea lions, dolphins, and a humpback whale! It was so memorable. Though it's shark season, it was so beautiful to be out there that I wasn't thinking about it. The weather was so nice, and we had so much fun picnicking on the beach afterward, it was like being in heaven.

The legs feel ready, looking forward to Mt. Tam!

Miles

2011-10-24T08:15:00.000-07:00

12 days until Mt. Tam! Ran 49 miles this week (681 this year), highest weekly mileage in ages! Also ran my fastest 12 miler ever, thanks to Hal Higdon's tried and true old school methods in Run Fast. This weeks 20 miler was 5 minutes faster than last week, so yes it does pay off to do more than one of these before race day. I had missed running long during tri-training and am now getting my fix, and still have another month of it! The target race is the Dallas White Rock Marathon in December. The Stinson Beach Marathon is going to be great hill training. Then I have a 10k and a 5k race to sharpen my pace up before then. I have seen a lot of sunsets and sunrises this week. Running life is good!

Just keep running

Consistency

2011-10-18T06:01:00.000-07:00

Run: 43.75 Swim: 2.6 Bike Commute: 40-50

It's been an amazing week of training. Couldn't ask for better weather this week! Spent a lot of time out on the bay witnessing the calmest, clearest, & warmest conditions ever! Here are some photos from earlier in the week as the full moon was setting and a radiant sun was rising:

The sun rise. How's that for consistency?

I can't think of a better place to be when the sun is rising in San Francisco! We also had a swim race under the Golden Gate Bridge, and a swim from Alcatraz. I made it in 45 minutes. After the Alcatraz swim I took a little dognap then did an evening 20 mile run. The first one in a long time! Only 18 days until Stinson Beach Marathon! The long runs are very important - I can feel the difference trying to run up hills after being on the feet for 18 miles at the end of the day. The knees feel a little sore. Good thing the recovery is quick. Ready for another week of training.

I let the intense track workouts go and just work on tempo and pace running as my mileage progresses. Instead of worrying about racking up mileage with all the short runs, concentrating on longer runs 12 miles or more. These longer runs are critical.
Also, I'm feeling a lot better emotionally as I've been able to work through the life changes with exercise, sweating out the tears. Being outdoors helps alot it has been so beautiful and boosts my spirits. Swimming in the bay is always awesome!

Alcatraz #6

2011-10-16T12:00:00.000-07:00

October 2009. That was when I did my first Alcatraz swim with Water World Swim. It was a milestone for me because I was never a swimmer, and it was a whole transformation for me that changed my life forever, like running a marathon. The experience made me a stronger, more determined person, and brings a lot of joy and fun into my daily life. My other milestone with Alcatraz was to do the Triathlon, and see how much more I could do after the swim. Pushing myself a little farther, overcoming even more mental and physical hurdles. The sixth time was another milestone, doing a full crossing without the wetsuit 2 years later, and now I'm helping other people to accomplish their dream of swimming from Alcatraz. The funny thing is that the milestones never end, and each day swimming in the bay is different. I love it! I've met so many great people and been having a great time!

The swim itself was like swimming in a swimming pool. October is a great time to swim in the bay especially if you are a newbie. It was warm and humid outside, and the water was in the 60s. I jumped off the Codzilla and just tried to keep a steady pace going. My kayak pilot was very helpful as we were expecting the flood to kick in at any moment, so we aimed to Fort Mason, then to the Gashouse, then to the Towers, then to the Wedding Cake. Tracking Right to Left to be safe. My plan B was to swim around the wall if the current caught me, but the timing was just right and perfectly slack. It seemed like most people made it to shore in 35 minutes. It took me about 45 minutes. Didn't feel too cold once I got out. That was just what I needed! Thank you mother ocean!

Fall Running

2011-10-10T19:29:00.000-07:00

Getting ready to tackle Mt. Tam for the Stinson Beach Marathon! Ran 41 miles last week and finally got a long run in. Have been enjoying the track, the trails, the hills and running! Life has it's ups and downs but whenever I can run I'm in my element. Last time I did Stinson Beach I got 3rd in my AG, even taking 5 hours to complete it. It will just be great to be out there on the trails! I think I went crazy and signed up for 3 races next month. Time to update all the PRs.

SFR Point Reyes Populaire 115k

2011-10-02T22:38:00.000-07:00

Run: 39 miles
Bike: 73 miles + plus bike commuting!

This was a great week of running, followed by an epic bike ride this weekend with the San Francisco Randonneurs.

After the ride, it would have been great to meet everyone but instead I collapsed on the grass under a tree, nearly passed out from sheer blissful exhaustion. I still want to do the full 200k to the lighthouse one day. After this long ride, I noticed small adjustments I'm going to make to my bike to make it more comfortable. It was good to swim in the bay the next day and ice everything down. I'm starting to feel refreshed for another week of training. Going to aim for 50 miles/week running so I can be ready for Mt. Tam.

October is here. When the seasons change, sometimes other changes come with it. I'm alright with change especially if it is change for the better. I'm going to stay focused on my goals and dreams and not let anything break my stride. Follow the legend of the two wolves.

Update: Came down with a cold and that broke my stride LOL!

Weekend in the Bay

2011-09-20T06:00:00.000-07:00

I had a great week of running almost every day and awesome weekend on the bay. The weather was perfect! Busy with the Water World Swim 1st Annual Alcatraz Classic Open Water Swim race. It was a very exciting race, and fun to see Cesar win. I grabbed some footage of it:

Working check-in was fun meeting all the swimmers from all over. We had a huge team from Ireland raising money for Cystic Fibrosis, and competitive swimmers from all over California, the states and UK, including a Google rep with their camera crew. The swim was dedicated to John Caughlin.

Photos

Maybe one day I will get a long run in!

September

2011-09-12T08:46:00.000-07:00

September is here! It's been a busy summer of triathlon training and exciting Water World Swim events. Can't think of anything else I'd rather be doing then being on, in, or near the beautiful San Francisco bay! I'm back at the track, strength training and increasing my mileage for the fall marathons. Life is good!

Rest & Reflect

2011-08-30T20:39:00.000-07:00

It was nice to take a week off from training, but managed to fill it up with working on other fun projects. Yesterday was one year after my dad died, so I'm reflecting alot. Training for the last three triathlons really helped me to get through the year and keep me focused on positive things. I really need that kind of routine. I didn't look at daily mile or training blogs that much and have some catching up to do. Going to ease into another training plan this week for Stinson Beach Marathon. Have a big weekend on the Bay planned with WWS. Feeling blessed.

San Francisco Triathlon at Alcatraz

2011-08-22T07:53:00.000-07:00

San Francisco Triathlon at Alcatraz
They said "It Can Be Done" and yes it was!

4:00:01
S: 53:25 B:1:41:45 R:1:07:49
T1: 13:53 T2: 3:09 Sand Ladder: 3:22

This was a really fun event, a San Francisco classic! It is a challenging course and can take a long time to prepare for the hills and open water, but well worth it. The experience will make you stronger!

Swim:
The 1.2 mile swim was great! The water was "warm", not that choppy, perfectly slack. It seemed a bit long, and at times I didn't feel like I was going anywhere. On Gary Emich's GPS it recorded the distance at 1.75 miles, hmmm. I think I would have liked a little more ebb. Aimed straight for the Palace of Fine Arts dome. Lots of kayak support. Tips: for the swim transition bag don't forget the body glide! I brought my electrolyte drink with me. Hydrate well day before race and right before. Breakfast was 2 granola bars and Yerba Mate Green Tea.

Bike:
This is a fun course because of the hills and scenery. It was foggy but didn't feel slick on the roads. In fact, A fog on race day is a bonus temperature-wise. Also wasn't that windy. I think I'm most improved on the bike. Was able to climb strong and embrace the downhills. Climbing back up Seal Rock Drive is pretty steep but short. Food: Accelerade in the tank and 2 Powerbars. I discovered a way to prepare my powerbars for the ride ready to eat so they don't stick together: Cut Powerbars into bite-sized pieces and dust them with cocoa powder. Throw into ziploc in your bento bag.

Run:
The run is mostly on trails and I felt fast on the flats. Running through the sand at Baker Beach was tough, as well as going back up the sand ladder. Pain is temporary. If I had known I was going to go over 4 hrs by a second I would have started sprinting to the finish sooner and not made a pit stop. The finish line was beautiful and lined with colorful flags. Food: Powerbar energy gels. I brought my own water, it's my safety blanket.

Overall the event was fun, all the hard work and training paid off. Got top ten in my little Age Division. Tri-Cal always has great volunteer support. I was also surprised at how much schwag I got: 2 bags, a bike bag, a race belt, bracelet and another swim cap for my collection! The post race food area had tables so you can socialize and have fun talking to other triathletes about the race. Easy access to computers to look up the results. Would love do this again!

ps. I had a great laugh to go back and read through the blog on all the alcatrazes I've done since the first one in 2009.

Week 7 - This is it!

2011-08-15T09:11:00.000-07:00

S:3 B:84 R:10

One week left until the San Francisco Triathlon at Alcatraz! The full moon has been messing with my sleep, but I feel ready for this. Thanks to my friends that trained with me, bloggers and dailymilers, and family for your support! Coach Jake who did the course with me several times, also the coaches at Club One, Fernando and Nick for some challenging workouts. Very special thanks to my favorite coach Pedro and my Water World Swim peeps who I swam with every week! Thanks to work for my flexible schedule. You all rock! Next week will be race report.

Week 6

2011-08-08T08:10:00.001-07:00

S:3.22 B:66.5 R:25

Looks like last month was the highest mileage month so far this year! Just wait until marathon training comes around. This was another good week, not only did I get my workouts in, but also helped out with the Water World Swim Alcatraz Touch and Go, which was fun! It's been amazing to watch people grow into open water swimmers at Water World Swim. Several months of steady, consistent training in the water can get you there!

I keep a spreadsheet of my training cycles and noticed something interesting. Both 8 week training cycles have a peak mileage at week 3, and then drop, then another climb at week 6. The mileage is a little higher, but the pattern is the same. What's not pictured is the peak intensity (more later on that). With more intensity, the tradeoff is often miles. With higher intensity workouts, hill training and a few long efforts what I noticed is that my speed and endurance is getting better. Hills that used to be walls are now manageable inclines. By the end of the week, I feel challenged by getting those long efforts in, and noticed they have become shorter now, but noticing this pattern gives me something to look at. Here is something else to look at:

The sun's rays slicing through the fog

Week 5 - Nature Break

2011-08-01T06:21:00.000-07:00

S:1.39 B:59 R:16

This was a great week, spent the weekend camping at Salt Point Sate Park. There are miles of trails here and nearby roads great for cycling! This place has a little bit of everything: rocky shores, prairies, foresty trails, and a lot of fog! Very peaceful.

Cycling

I was really excited about doing the ride up to Seaview and to Fort Ross. I wanted to do a larger loop to Cazaderos and Jenner and back up Meyers Grade, but I took a wrong turn and am glad I did because it would have taken much longer than I had expected because of the hills. Even hiking and running took twice as long as expected. I will save that one for next time. The trails in Salt Point State Park are great for mountain biking. I did not have the right tires on my road bike so had to hike up the steep sections. Another fun ride would be from Seaview coming down through the park to Highway 1! The roads up on the ridge are nice and rolling and really fun coming down the 18% grades back to the scenic highway route. This was one of the best rides ever. The running was fun along Salt Point Trail. There are some nice singletrack trails close to the cliffs and lots of places to hike on the rocks and watch seals.

Exploring Gerstle Cove

This was quite an experience, just to immerse myself and take a dip in the ocean. This is not a place for getting some mileage in, but just to stay in the cove and check out the marine life. It was hard to get out across the rocks, you kind of have to flop over it like a seal. If the tide was a little higher it would have been easier. Also, great place to get over your fear of seaweed. Lots of it. There were also a lot of jellyfish. I kept bumping into them. The water was warm.

The beaches along the Sonoma Coast are pretty dangerous because of the rip currents and rocks with only a few places that are okay for swimming. The ranger recommended Bodega Dunes but dogs are not allowed there. There were lots of surfers at Miwok Beach.

It was foggy and damp in July so be prepared. Because of budget cuts, many of the bathroom facilities and surf shower was closed, so, I enjoyed taking a shower outdoors under a canopy of trees!

Only a few more weeks left until the Tri-California San Francisco Triathlon at Alcatraz!

Week 4

2011-07-25T08:48:00.000-07:00

S:2.52 B:82 R:22.75

The 4th week is a cutback week, but still over 100 miles total. 2 swims (1 pool, 1 open water), 3 runs (hills, track, and endurance) and a long bike ride in addition to bike commute miles. I'm feeling good about the track workouts. I'm already looking ahead past the next event to the fall marathons. I love running, and with the triathlon training haven't been running as much, but the mileage is climbing now. Excited!

Had a fun social ride this weekend with Kathleen and Gerard on Paradise Loop.

I met them swimming with Pedro. Kathleen applies her horseback riding skills to her bike well, and it's a challenge keeping up with Gerard the hill sprinter. Everyone has their own talent. Mine is taking pictures while riding a bike. ;-) It has been my goal to get that long bike ride in every Saturday this summer, and so far I've been able to find good company.

The other challenge I have overcome is doing the long run the next day after a long ride. What I did was start small, with 8 miles, and now I'm up to 12. After a one-mile swim, I eat & take a quick disco nap then go running before sunset. Had a peaceful fogset run on the Coastal Trail and Lands End. Coastal Bliss, Just what I needed.

On to week 5, where we will be changing the scenery a bit...

Week 3

2011-07-18T07:03:00.000-07:00

S:2.11 B:110.69 R:19.5

These feel like long weeks with a lot of work to do, but I'm glad I have my workout routine to keep me going. It's giving me mental energy as well as physical energy to get through the day. The running is getting better and had a great track workout on Friday, with a fastest 400m ever.

This weekend explored some other roads around NW Marin and saw a gigantic mushroom! It was a little foggy but that kept things cool and comfortable. Sunday was beautiful sunny day, and had a great morning at Aquatic Park, sleepy afternoon at Ocean Beach and a long run by Crissy field and watched the windsurfers fly up into the air. Added in a few hills on the ride and run this week and feeling it. Sad the weekend is over. Time to recharge for another week!

Week 2

2011-07-11T06:55:00.000-07:00

S: 3.17 B:86 R:22.88

This was a big week! It started with Fireworks, and by the end I was so tired I was falling asleep all over the place. 3 open water swims, a pool workout, CTS workouts on the bike, speedwork, brick and LSD for the run. It was a pretty good formula, and I felt like I stuck to the plan. This weekend helped out with Swim Around the Rock. It was great to see athletes from all over the states and the world participate in this. The best was to see the transformation of several of the swimmers that I know, when they started training for Alcatraz, then did a couple of crossings, then watch the light go off to do this event and train for it, then actually do it and cross the finish line! AMAZING!

Week 1

2011-07-04T18:17:00.000-07:00

S:3 B:103 R:12

The Weekend is not complete without a Swim, Bike and Run!

Starting off with higher mileage than the last cycle of training. Reading Hal Higdon's Run Fast again to pick up the pace.

SFR Pt. Reyes Populaire 115k

2011-06-27T20:28:00.000-07:00

S:1 B: 113.6

This was just a fun weekend!

Did nothing except work all week, then had an epic bike ride to Point Reyes with the SF Randonneurs on a beautiful day. It's been so long since I was able to take a long ride, and couldn't have asked for a better occasion. Also riding with a friend made it even better. Ernesto knows all about the nice long rides. It's really sad that I was last seen on this route in 2009 (same bike) while training for Cinderella, and didn't even get as far as SPT. I'm hoping I can sneak in a few more of these long rides this summer!

On Sunday before the swim, was helping WWS with swim support on the Golden Gate Triathlon. I've done the event a couple times so it was cool to be in the kayak's POV this time. They did great! The sun's glare made it difficult for them to see the buoys, and they swam against the flood current at times, but this is what makes open water swimming unique and challenging.

Now to begin another 8 week cycle of training for the Tri-California San Francisco Triathlon at Alcatraz. I'm using The Time-Crunched Triathlete training plan as a reference. Going to work on my 10k race pace. After this cycle, my plan is to focus on marathon running, and then get seasonal focusing on specifics.

Sacramento International Triathlon

2011-06-19T19:04:00.000-07:00

Inaugural Sacramento International Triathlon
Swim .93 miles (1.5k) – Bike 24.8 miles (40k) – Run 6.2 miles (10k)

This race was a lot of fun, especially since we made a weekend out of it with camping by the lake with friends. Who would have ever thought that an area surrounding a former nuclear power station would make a beautiful park full of birds and fish and triathletes.

I got there the day before the race to acclimate and run the course. It was hot! Which was great because my friends could pretend they were at Burning Man. The area is a wide open grasslands with sparse trees. I met Mark of TBF Racing and he told me where the trail was. The singletrack trail by the lake is fun to run on, preferably at dawn or dusk when it's cooler. The days were spent lazing in the sun, walking around in a daze and jumping in the lake often. The swimming part of the beach is small, shallow and crowded on weekends. Best to be there on the weekdays. The night is cool and you can sleep outside. I never heard so many birds chirping at 5am, thus, no need for an alarm clock.

The Tri:

Rise and Shine! Ate some granola and packed up my bag. Didn't have to stress because I was already there. Jake also did the tri and we were joking around in the transition area. Met the tri neighbors and then did a quick run through of the entries and exits.

Swim 31:14 - I don't like swim starts, the beginning is always hectic. I didn't feel crowded just can't catch my breath in the hurry. I should have warmed up a little more with some swim sprints. After settling into a proper pace was feeling better. Concentrated on long, strong strokes. Was a little off course but was redirected by kayakers (yay kayakers!) The water was warm. Drank 20 oz of fluid before.

Bike 1:28:07 - This was a great time on the bike - fast and flat! I was using gears I never touch in San Francisco lol! I stayed aero, avg 90 rpm and never had to brake, except at the end when coming into the bike finish with cars on the road. The scenery was farms and grasslands and the empty nuclear reactors on the way back. Had 40 oz of water with Nuun, and 3 Gu gels in the carb flask with a dash of salt.

Run: 58:43 - A baking hot run, but I was able to power through it. I was hydrated and brought some Accelerade with me. Was hard to get much faster than 9min/mi pace. Felt a little bit of remnants from pushing on the bike midway through the run, but it went away after some easy shuffling. I liked the course and whenever I saw the lake felt like jumping in it. It was cool to run into another Water World Swimmer that recognized me on the last mile. I downed another 40 oz of water & electrolytes. Had a strong finish! Total time was 2:58:04, under 3 hrs = a PR!

Time: 2:58:04

What a great day! Jake did really well. I wish I had his finish time. I could never catch up to him because he had a head start of being in a different wave. The race was well organized, affordable and great location. Would do it again. The nice thing is they had Olympic / Sprint / Duathlon over the whole weekend so the whole family can participate. The Super Sprint is perfect for newbies and kids, and it was fun to watch. It was father's day and some kids were doing the tri with their dads or watching their moms race. This will be a great memory for them to cherish forever. Next time we are going to dress up as nuclear reactors and jump up and down screaming with cowbells which will make it even more of a memory for them.

Masters Women Shine at Sacramento International Triathlon

Week 6 - Alcatraz #4

2011-06-13T08:15:00.000-07:00

S:2 B:87 R:7.7

Good mileage week (almost 100 miles), and swam Alcatraz to Aquatic Park this weekend. We jumped at slack tide so the currents were changing. There was a little chop but was very manageable and the water was very comfortable. I was swimming with first timers, but then lost sight of them in the swells. Would only see them sporadically. It was a pleasant swim, and I could focus on just swimming and sighting. In case of ebb, would have sighted on Jeremiah O Brien (the gray battleship), but it felt like it was flooding, so we were told to go for Fontana towers, then shifted to the Eureka (white ferry, or middle of the breakwall) then as I got close to the wall realized I was in a fast current, so sighted on Coit Tower and swam hard. Made to the opening in 35 minutes, and reached shore 7 minutes later. The other swimmers were already on shore with big smiles on their faces waiting for the others. These swims are a lot of fun. I have been on the boat several times for these crossings and have seen a variety of conditions, but you never really know what it's like until you jump in.

Getting ready to tri next weekend at Rancho Seco Lake and have some fun. Haven't swam in a lake in a long time.

Week 5 - Escape From Alcatraz

2011-06-06T20:56:00.000-07:00

S:2.54 B:49 R:4.25

Did less than half of my training but had an epic week of ESCAPE mania with Water World Swim!

We cruised around on Joel's boat and repositioned swimmers that got carried off by the currents. Coach Edna was on the radio in contact with Coach Pedro and the captains and directing the boat to the needed locations. Coach George and Jake were on the kayak captains team, and it worked with the precision of a clock. If a swimmer needed aid, the kayak would get near them and had them hold on. Then they would put their paddles up to give the sign for rescue. A rescue boat would pick them up to escort them to medical. For repositions, Coach Joseph pulled them out and checked on them, many had problems with hyperventilation. Some were disoriented. I noticed many didn't wear layered or thermal swim caps. As they were on the boat we would talk to them to see their status and direct them where to swim. If they were alright we put them back in the water upstream of the beach. As the number of swimmers diminished the slow swimmers each had a kayak accompanying them to the beach. Many ended up at Chrissy field, a few ended up toward the Golden Gate Bridge, one got caught in the northward rip around the island. Hopefully next time they will take our class. It's been an amazing experience to be a part of this. I got to witness impressive teamwork in action of the San Francisco Bay aquatic community at it's best! Not to mention the great teamwork of Water World Swim!

WWS Blog

Now to rest and get ready for the next thing!

Week 4

2011-05-30T22:23:00.000-07:00

S:2.49 B:57.3 R:22.45

This has been a great month of training. I trained mostly on the Escape course helping others prepare for the event. It's been awesome! I am so happy to live here. Also, I love the Aquatic Park. I am there all the time and I love the people there. Wherever the ocean meets the beach, there are people smiling and good energy. It's a pleasure to train with such a positive group of swimmers.

I'm looking at my training and checking out the data in excel graph - it is an interesting zig zag going up. So for the next few weeks, will continue the zig zag up until a week before Sacramento. I like the Escape course but I'm looking forward to switch up my long bike rides on something else lol! Get this time-crunched triathlete some variety.

My Zones from earlier CTS Field Testing

CYCLING low high / HR
Endurance: 88 - 158
Tempo: 153 - 156
Steady State: 160 - 164
Climbing Repeat: 165 - 170
Power Interval: 174 - max

RUNNING
Endurance: less than 160 /HR
Steady State: 152 - 162
Tempo: 162 - 168
Fartlek Int.: 168 - 178

SWIMMING per 100 meters / Pace Range
BaseIntervalSet: 2:02 - 2:40
PaceIntervalSet: 2:00 - 2:10
LactateThresholdSet: 1:52 - 2:03
VO2Set (VOS): 1:30 - 1:51

Week 3

2011-05-23T19:50:00.000-07:00

S: 2.5 B: 78 R: 11

This picture says it all:

The mileage doesn't seem very high but I am tapped out! I am going to try a two week cycle of alternating high intensity bike/swim weeks with running focused weeks. If I can do around 100 miles total of combination of Swim Bike Run then that is good.

I'm very focused right now on the Water World Swim Triathlon clinics for The Escape. It has been an amazing, positive experience. One more weekend left before the event. Here's how last weekend went.

Week 2

2011-05-16T08:14:00.000-07:00

S:4:35 B:57.5 R:3

Another epic week, although didn't run that much, my whole body felt sore from the heavy duty swim workouts, especially from the master's swim class. The water temps in the bay felt great this week. The highlight is I get to meet and train with great athletes at Water World Swim. Had fun with the new camera (Canon PowerShot D10) testing out the video.

The Run Jump and Swim event at the SERC on Friday was a blast: Run from the club to end of Muni Pier, jump off, swim back to club as many times as possible in one hour. I can't believe that I got 12th place again. The event is open to non-members and next one is November 5th. I got some good camera tips from Reptile.

Week 1

2011-05-09T07:06:00.000-07:00

S:4.5 B:84.5 R:16.7

This has been a great first week of training! Masters swimming, spinning, running outside, open water swimming, hilly bike rides, brick workouts on the weekend. We've launched the WWS weekend Escape Tri-clinics for the month of May. It was a bit windy this weekend but it added another element of challenge. I enjoyed my new camera and taking photos again. The energy is there just got to make sure I go to sleep before 9:30pm. The wildflowers are bloomed and the birds are singing. This is a great time to be outside.

Refresh

2011-05-01T17:25:00.000-07:00

This weekend, I hit the refresh button on a really short spring camping excursion.

After resuming training again, it was so nice to slow down the pace enough to wake up to the sound of birds chirping and be dazzled by this:

A sparkling collection of morning dewdrops neatly arranged around the edges of the leaves of the plants lining the trail by Lagunitas creek. It's so beautiful! There is a great cycling path that goes right through the park, and a popular place to bike-in camp. The air is so fresh here. I feel rejuvenated. I have already booked a Summer and a Fall camping trip with hubby. Best way to do QT time ever!

I'm gathering my CTS Field Test data to set my levels for training. 8 weeks until Sacto!

s:1.55 B:58 R:9

Back Into the Fray!

2011-04-24T08:07:00.000-07:00

S: 1.5 B:61.7 R:30.25

Embracing the San Francisco Hills week in anti-gravitational style! Running hills everyday and biking the roller coaster Escape Route. We're rolling out some Weekend Escape Triathlon Clinics at Water World Swim next month it's going to be awesome training! Swim, bike and run every weekend in May!

Mt. Olympus and Twin Peaks

Escape from Alcatraz Bike Course with extra hill starting from Aquatic Park

We had a great Alcatraz crossing on Saturday. There are some strong rip-currents by the island that are pushing north. We were amazed how strong they were. If you find yourself stuck by one of these, swim at an angle to the current or zigzag out of it. Don't swim directly into it. You'll be swimming in place until you get carried to Golden Gate Bridge. These crossings are good practice.

Recovery

2011-04-11T07:13:00.000-07:00

Wow! Last weekend 70.3. This weekend, sidelined with the common cold. Hilarious.

Been drinking this concoction and it's helping to bring me back to life:

Chia Fresca Minty Lime: 1 c. chia seed gel, 2-3 c. mint tea, juice of 2 limes, honey

And yay for Extra Strength Tylenol and Nostrilla.

Oceanside 70.3

2011-04-03T17:56:00.000-07:00

en español

7:21:34
1.2mi/56mi/13.1mi
SWIM 44:32 / BIKE 4:02:48 / RUN 2:14:04 (T1=12,T2=8 LOL)

I'm twice as slow as Andy Potts and Mirinda Carfrae but I had a blast at Oceanside 70.3! This was a challenging but fun course. My first half-iron & I really liked it. I was really impressed by the volunteer effort and cheering squads all along the way, even at Camp Pendleton. What I love about these events is the energy, and there was a lot of it here. For me it's like the buzz that people get when they visit Stonehenge or some cosmic energy place.

I'm so glad I was able to do this with friends from Water World Swim. I definitely want to thank them for coaxing me into it otherwise I may not have done it. We all had our own challenges to overcome going into it and we all did our best and finished. I was really impressed at how far they have come. I feel like Edna is my mentor. She took me on my first outside the wall open water swim at Aquatic Park. She has done this before and had insider information. I watched Joseph go from being a non-cyclist to a 20+ mph cyclist after training with a coach. I also had Ironmen George and Jake helping me along. My challenge was losing my dad last year. I was also feeling low on energy and possibly anemic going into it. I was getting worried. I had some blood work done beforehand and it looked like lowest on the scale for iron stores. This would explain the fatigue and out of breath feeling and light-headed-ness I had. It was the worst taper ever. But I still managed to finish before the cutoff time in the range I was predicting.

There is a lot of anticipation and training for an event like this and mental attitude is key. My mantra for the day was: I am going to be out here all day so might as well pace myself. I ate 2 packs Clif granola bars for breakfast with bottle of Ironman PERFORM.

We got there in plenty of time to set up transition and then lined up for our swim waves. The swim was good. If you are used to colder water, the water in SoCal was warm and comfortable. There were strong guys helping us in and out of the harbor and there was plenty of boat support. We swam to the start, no warmup and then just like that - it started. Had to look forward to watch for flying arms and kicking feet. Just so you know I am not the type of person that will grab your calf or feet while I am swimming. I try to look where I am going and not swim over people but took it all in stride. Good thing I had my goggle straps tucked under the swim cap. Note to self: remember to keep legs closer together next time lol. The water was calm and then got swells which were fun but made sighting challenging. I just kept a steady pace and didn't stop and sprinted at the final 200m just to look good in front of all the people screaming at us.

Next the bike. I took my time and put sunscreen on. It was a really hot the day before and was glad it was a little overcast on race day, but was still being careful. I had a gu and drank half a bottle of PERFORM and stuffed my pockets full of food before heading out with a tank full of electrolytes on my bike and then took off. This was a fun bike course! A little winding in the beginning, with lots of crowd support. The one I remember is the guy sitting on top of his car blasting speed metal. The aid stations were right where they needed to be and I used every one except the last one which I regret because then I used all that extra time in transition. The hill was manageable. Many people were walking up it and standing on their bikes. If you do some of the Headlands hills, Mt. Tam and Mt. Diablo and the ones in the East Bay, this hill is a cakewalk. The second smaller hill is the sneaky one. I think after climbing the first one, the legs go on vacation and then not ready for more of the rollers but the downhill after that is a long fast fun ride. It's fun until you start catching the offshore headwind on the last ten miles, then it's all about keeping a low profile and pushing through it. I averaged 80s rpm throughout. I tried to eat something every half hour: 2 powerbars, small bag of salty pretzels, gu, gel blasts. I had at least 6-8 bottles of water and electros on this ride. I saw a lot of dropped bottles on the course and was glad to have the speedfil. At the aid station I just stopped and filled the tank. Going through Camp Pendleton you have the Marines cheering you on "never give up! never quit" which helps alot. They have all probably done this route in their sleep with 100 LBS of gear on. There is also a Nuclear Power Plant on the course, yes right on the coast, yes it's California, a seismically active area. Hello.

When I got back to transition, my worst fear: The sun had come out! It was baking. I put more sunscreen on and gulped down some more water. Even though there were plenty of aid stations I took my water belt and had some extra goodies in the pouch. At the aid stations I filled the pouch with pretzels and drank the electros and refilled my water bottle I don't know how many times. Luckily the clouds came back after a while. The course was mostly flat and very scenic along the beach. There were so many people screaming and music pumping that I just kept floating along. It was a looped course so I got to say hey to my friends as they went by. By now I was seeing people struggling, including myself. We have all been at it for hours and this was it. My pace started out in 9, then went to 9:30, 10, 10:30, 11, and then back to 10:30. I call it a reverse tempo lol. I saw a lot of sad broken endurolytes pills on the ground, or at least that's what I hoped they were. Somehow they didn't make it to where they were supposed to go. I was feeling tight in the chest and had short burst of tunnel vision. I felt like I could still make it though. By mile 12 I was pretty emotional, wishing my dad could be here to see me and and had some feelings of grief and tears bubble up like a volcano. Then I felt a beautiful calmness and the ocean breeze. People cheering in the distance. My foot passed over the finish line in slow motion and my timing chip beeped. I will never forget it.

I walked straight to the med tent and lied down on the cot. The doc said I was fine just keep drinking fluids. Had fun chatting with the nurses about their Kona experience. Every one was so nice I really had the best time. Afterwards had a great dinner and ice cream rehashing events of the day with Joseph, Beth and Edna. Beth was great support, she drove us around, made reservations, and had been out there cheering all day. That is what really touched me is all the support. It's that feeling of seeing dreams through, even if you are not the one doing actually doing it yourself, you are an essential part of the backstage crew and the reward is very much yours to share. So thanks to my support crew, you helped keep me going!

What's next?

Notes: Even though I put tons of sunscreen on, I forgot my back, and my tri-top has racer straps. Now I have a sunburn that looks like burning man emblazoned on my back. Next time will wear one that covers the whole back, eat salty pretzels earlier and save caffeinated gels for last. Also, going to build up the iron somehow. Will consult the doc.

Getting Ready for Oceanside

2011-03-27T21:02:00.000-07:00

en español

I am almost ready! This is not just preparation, it is a ritual LOL! This has been a good week of easy workouts and getting ready for Oceanside 70.3 amongst other things. I have to wrap my mind around this. It's going to be fun! Will be there with friends from Water World Swim.

I'm serious about the hydration and fueling. I don't want to drop my bottles and this thing is locked in. It might take 7 hours and I'm not planning to bonk. I'm not going out like that.

The plan is to eat well, sleep well, plan well, visualize a positive outcome, don't get sick, not stress and remember to smile, because this is an amazing privilege that I'm able to do this. Life is short to not realize the power of the moment. I've trained and sacrificed a lot of social family time on the weekends and evenings because I had to get up early the next day to exercise. I signed up last year before my dad passed away and the training has carried me through the mourning. I am going to outswim, outbike, and outrun diabetes and heart disease the best I can for my dad.

High PCB exposure tied to diabetes risk

Week 18

2011-03-21T08:41:00.000-07:00

S: 1.74 B:72 R:7
It's been a low mileage week, and a low energy weekend. No long workouts, zero. I was at the Open Water Safety Conference all day on Saturday and didn't eat well, and felt my blood sugar drop significantly in the afternoon. It was a great conference, but I can't take sitting around for long periods of time, and I thought, how ironic if I pass out at this safety conference. Luckily I had brought some fruit with me and a powerbar. I have been feeling light-headed lately and not myself. I have to remember to keep some snacks with me at all times and eat well. Could it be "reactive hypoglycemia"? I don't know. Should see a nutritionist. I'm not worried about skipping workouts so much as I am worried about making sure I have enough energy for event day and get rid of the light-headedness. I got Chris Carmichael's The Time-Crunched Triathlete book and felt relieved to know that I don't have to do 20 hrs a week of training to finish the upcoming 70.3 distance. I feel like 20 weeks was too long for me and that I peaked a loooong time ago. 10 weeks is better. Same with marathon training. 12 weeks max. Not 18 or 20. That's just me. Once I get there and get in the zone I'll be in my element. Guess I will revise my plan for this week start tapering down on intensity and keep it easy, and NOT SKIP MEALS!

Week 17

2011-03-13T20:56:00.000-07:00

S:2.37 B:92.5 R:8

Good workouts this week. These stairs did me in:

Lyon St. Steps Workout

I reached my limits during the week and didn't have much left for the weekend. It's all on dailymile

Unfortunately, this week was turned upside down with the news of the horrible disasters in Japan. Unbelievable.
2011 Japanese Earthquake and Tsunami
Just about 2 weeks ago was the Christchurch quake.

Week 16 - PEAK WEEKS

2011-03-06T13:47:00.000-08:00

S 2.34 / B 102 / R 4
Peak weeks are here! I didn't do much running but that's because I already did that in preparation for the half-marathon last month, am now in maintenance mode for running and focusing on peak bike mileage. I only have a certain amount of time & energy and have to prioritize. Going to throw in some more bricks this week, primarily the bike-run ones. I'm used to the swim-bike, and have done plenty of short bike-run but not long bike-run. I noticed after this weeks 4hr ride that my neck and lower back was a bit sore. I tried the aerobars outside also on the long ride and LOVED IT! Wow, what a relief it is on a long steady climb to be able to rest into that position!

Nutrition Critical: I try to follow some basic rules and eat at least 3 fruits and 3 vegetables per day and only whole grains. This is easy for me because I love veggie tacos. I've discovered the chicken-less veggie strips at trader joes. Stir fry that with onions and choice of: kale, zucchini, carrots, peppers, cabbage, and a scoop of quinoa and/or whatever else I can find. Add fresh tomatoes and salsa and a little cheese. BOOM!

Do you see the hot steam rising off the freshness?

These are some of my supplements: yerba mate and green tea mix, maca root powder, flax seed oil and flax meal, fish oil, protein shakes, calcium, magnesium, zinc, selenium, C, D, evening primrose oil (for women), milk thistle, iron occasionally and cod liver oil occasionally. I keep nuts for snacking on, and trail mix is even better with dried fruits and granola. Gotta keep the energy up and drink lots of H2O!

Week 14 & 15

2011-02-28T06:41:00.000-08:00

Week 14: S2/B70/R13
A mandatory scaled back week. 6 workouts plus bike to work everyday. The weather has been cold and rainy, though not nearly as cold as most cities get during winter. My friend let me borrow a trainer and some aerobars:

It takes a bit of getting used to aerobar position. The longest ride so far is 2 hours.

Week 15: S/2/B85/R13
Turned out to be pretty scaled back also, with 8 workouts plus BTW everyday. Having to prepare taxes and side projects is affecting my training. I volunteered to help out with Water World Swim because it is my swim group and I love swimming with them. I feel it's important to pitch in where I can, plus it helps me to help other athletes. Though the temps have dipped, the open water feels great. I can't let a week go by without it!

Preparing for an early spring tri is kind of a challenge, because the weather is crap for cycling, plus it gets dark early. But I can't think of anything else I'd rather be doing. If you think cycling indoors is boring, check out this guy who has cycled 10,000 miles in the last 3 months.

One month left until the triathlon. REALLY???!!!!

Cold Water Swimming Tips

Week 13

2011-02-13T19:05:00.000-08:00

How funny that week 13 ends on the 13th! What a great weekend of activity! Rested for a few days after the race and kept the running light. Did my favorite bike ride on Paradise Loop on a beautiful sunny Saturday. Then on Sunday an awesome swim from Pier 39 to Aquatic Park with SERC. After warming up, went back in and swam some more with Water World! One thing I have to say about jumping into the cold water is that you're done with the acclimation torture within a few seconds.

Paradise Loop by runrenerun at Garmin Connect - Details

Photo by Flatstar Design (I'm wearing red)

HAPPY VALENTINES AND CHINESE NEW YEAR! Year of the rabbit, may you eat lots of carrots and run fast!

KP Half Marathon

2011-02-06T19:27:00.000-08:00

This is one of the races I've been doing on the regular to stay focused on training during the 'winter'. Hot day! Planned for 8 minute pace and brought lots of hydration and homemade energy gel. Started off easy for mile and a half, then caught up to my virtual partner around mile 5. Stayed within 30 seconds of pace on hills (7:30 down, 8:30 up) made one water stop in the park to refill my bottle and finished it by the end so I could be light. Instead of getting crazy at the end, just keep a good pace and hang on to it. Mantra: Keep running! chip time: 1:45:23

The months before my monthly mileage has been 79, 102 & 55 with cycling and swimming for the triathlon training.

Before

During

After

This is another one for my dad whose birthday would have been this month. I am shocked to discover how many people in my family are stricken by diabetes on his side, and now my brother has been diagnosed. I wish I could run some extra miles for him to get better, but the reality is - that is something he is going to have to do himself. Aren't I making it look appealing enough?

Diabetes Epidemic Among Latinos

Health Seeker - Educational Facebook Game in English and Spanish:
http://www.explorandotusalud.org/

UPDATE: Just found out that someone died running this race today. My heart goes out to them and their family. This did not have to happen. Supposedly it took 20 minutes for the paramedics to arrive, and for some reason they were not standing by at the finish line as they are at most events. Don't know what happened here but don't rely on others for your safety. As someone who has experienced hyponatremia, I always bring my own hydration and electrolytes and race nutrition and never solely rely on course offerings. Drink lots of water day before event, and eat some bananas or potatoes for potassium. Also, training for a race is something to take seriously. I have been doing weekly anaerobic sessions and intervals, but even then in the heat you can expect your heart rate to go up at least ten beats. I was shocked to see my heart rate levels after the race, and it even went up to 200 the second I stopped running. It looked like my heart jumped off a cliff. If they could improve this race I would say in addition to having the paramedics waiting in the wings, to add at least 200m more to the course after the finish line so people can slow down properly instead of stopping suddenly and making a right turn into a crowd of people. More water stops on hot days.

RED CROSS CPR SATURDAY MARCH 12 free

Week 11

2011-01-30T19:57:00.000-08:00

A great way to end the weekend:

I love to run the Coastal Trail at this time of day as the sun is almost setting. There were some really scary waves at Baker Beach.

The waves were pretty high, 6-10 perfect barrels closing out evenly but crashing hard and sending water back up vertically, immediately followed by another whomper. That was around the time the tide was changing from ebb to flood so it was kinda crazy. This is all happening close to shore where people are playing with their kids and dogs.

Running back through Golden Gate park the sun is low and streaming in through the trees like honey. A good 13 miler today, next week is the half-marathon! The new upgraded fuel belt works great. It carries 24oz water and a little pouch for the carb flask. I bring that with a handheld flask that I put nuun in that also slides onto my belt and I don't have to stop.

This week I had better results with spacing out the anaerobic training sessions. The spinning class is a maximum heart rate session, and so is the interval running. I'm making these shorter and after the half marathon will switch over to swim speed and mileage and longer bike rides. Really have to commit to some long bike rides in february-march.

R:23.75 B:70 S:2

Week 10 - Golden Gate Bridge to Aquatic Park Swim

2011-01-28T05:45:00.000-08:00

Water World Swim Golden Gate Bridge to Aquatic Park

We had a great swim last Saturday morning on the flood current. After a little dancing on the boat, four of us jumped off the Dauntless about a half-mile east of the Golden Gate Bridge. The current wasn’t that strong, but there were big waves right by the bridge so we jumped parallel to the warming hut.

The moon was setting and there was a beautiful sunrise coming up and the colors in the sky were spectacular. The sun was glinting off the water in a dazzling way, making it a little tricky to navigate but our pilot Bill was guiding us with the kayak and the Dauntless was tracking us in close proximity. I wore the wetsuit so I could swim for a long time. The water felt really comfortable, probably around 52°F.

Swimming along Chrissy Field seem to take forever. The dome of the Palace of Fine Arts looked so far away each time I sighted. Then I remembered that I should enjoy the journey and not get caught up in the destination.

When I got near the stone wall of the Yacht Club I tried to stay away from there because of the back eddies that Coach Pedro warned us about. I realized I was on the inside of the buoys and not the outside, which would have been better. A couple of other swimmers took a faster ride farther out in the bay. I was being conservative by being closer to shore, therefore slower. Being farther out requires better navigation skills, speed and timing to get to the narrow opening of Aquatic Park on time. If you are slow you can still manage if you are a good navigator with a feel for the water. Every swim in the bay is different and good practice for a variety of conditions.

Once we got to Fort Mason, we used the masts of the Balclutha as a guide to get to Aquatic Park. Sometimes the water is faster by the opening and you have to rush to get into the cove. But it was so easy we just glided right in like an airplane coming in for a landing. Once inside the cove, a great feeling of accomplishment and enjoyment of the swim. It was about 2.5 miles distance but it took just a little over an hour. I would say that is almost twice the speed I normally swim, thanks to the current. I wasn’t racing, just trying to pace myself for a longer swim and save some energy for the end in case I had to sprint. Looking forward to the next long swim!

Week 9

2011-01-17T18:23:00.000-08:00

This week I did spinning, run intervals, and also swam in the bay with Irene. I had an extra day off this weekend so was able to squeeze in a long bike AND a long run, both out in the Headlands with my WWS training buddies. It rocked.

Peace

Week 8 - Winter Swimming

2011-01-09T15:48:00.000-08:00

I'm already on week 8 of my half-iron training plan. The first week of 2011 it's been a great week! Last week's emphasis was running, this week, bike and cold water swimming without a wetsuit. Starting on New Year's Day, my friend and long-time swim partner Irene and I have taken the plunge in 50°F waters:

videos by Al Jaurique

I find swimming in cold water to be rejuvenating and healing, and great for mental training. I wear 3 caps: a neoprene, a thermal, and latex on top. Gotta be organized so that after the swim you can get warm immediately and have something warm to drink. We started off with 15 minutes, then added 5 minutes each day. We are at around 30 minutes now.

End of Year Recap

2010-12-31T18:47:00.000-08:00

KP Half Marathon, Big Sur Marathon, Grizzly Peak Century, Bay to Breakers 12k, WWS Alcatraz Crossing #3, PCTR Mt. Diablo Trail Run 25k, Golden Gate Triathlon Oly, San Francisco Triathlon Oly, San Francisco Marathon*, Run Wild for a Child 10k*, WWS Run A Mile and Swim, SERC Run Jump Swim, Supermarket Street Sweep

Volunteered at several events (PCTR Headlands 50, Sunday Streets)

*PR

Distance / Miles:
Run: 1003
Bike: 1102
Swim: 76
Bike to Work: 2000

It's been a bittersweet year, reaching milestones but at the same time deeply suffering losses. This is life, and I'm glad I get to experience it. Love is healing and Endurance is my therapy.

It is interesting to go back and read what my fitness goals were last year and see how it turned out. So for next year, finish a good 70.3 for my dad with life in balance is enough. The plan: Get the swim done no wetsuit in 1 hr (no wetsuit =improved T1 transition time), keep up the intensity for on the bike for 3.5 hrs, and still get my half marathon time under 2 hours at the end.

1000 miles

2010-12-31T18:26:00.000-08:00

Today I logged my 1,000 mile of running for the year. I had wanted to do that last year and it didn't happen, so glad I could make it happen this year. It's nice to be outside running, especially on the Coastal Trail when the weather is nice. I had great company today: JoLynn & Boomer!

Boomer ran up the stairs without slowing down! This is how I aspire to be!

Happy New Year!

Week 7

2010-12-27T08:11:00.000-08:00

This picture pretty much says it all.

Holiday Renewal

2010-12-24T08:12:00.000-08:00

I love aromatherapy and am celebrate the holidays with some ORGANIC herbal spa treatment! There is nothing like coming back from a hard run, long bike ride or cold swim and jump into the bath. I made them as gifts this year and wanted to share the recipes. Enjoy!

Coconut Gardenia Body Butter - Coconut oil, Olive, Jojoba, Rosemary, Juniper Berry, Grapefruit, Cinnamon & Gardenia. Gently melt 1 cup coconut oil. Add 1/3 cup olive oil combined with jojoba oil (the base). Add a few drops of the other oils to your liking (10 drops of each and 20 drops of your dominant fragrance). As it cools will become solidified. Pour it into easy to access container.

DIY Sports Balm - using the base above plus essential oils combo of ginger, cypress, cinnamon, & eucalyptus, peppermint, wintergreen, menthol, and/or camphor. If you don't like that mediciney smell leave out the menthol and camphor*.

*Just as some herbs can interfere with medications you are taking, some essential oils may interfere with homeopathic remedies so you have to research them.

Lemongrass Conditioning Hair Spritzer - Nettle, Chamomile, Aloe Vera, Sweet Almond oil, Jojoba, Rosemary, Eucalyptus, Lavender & Lemongrass. Make a pot of nettle and chamomile tea. Add the same quantity of aloe vera gel to the mix to double it. Add a TBSP sweet almond oil and jojoba or less, depending on how moisturizing you want it. Soy lecithin can also be added in the blender to thicken and add protein (Make sure it is organic non-GMO soy). Then add a few drops of the essential oils (10 drops of each and 20 drops of your dominant fragrance). This can be used as a leave-in moisturizing treatment or frizz control. I also use it for my dog's hot spots - it works GREAT!

Sparkling Bath Hearts - Made with epsom salts, essential oils of lavender or eucalyptus & natural food coloring. I added a little water to the mix and pressed into molds, then let it dry and set.

Coffee Sugar Scrub - This is great after a hot bath to soothe dry skin and also wakes up the face: one cup freshly used coffee grinds, 1/2 cup sugar, 1 T jojoba oil, and a few drops of your favorite essence. My skin never felt so soft until I tried this. Olive oil and lavender also work well with this.

I use Eucalyptus alot this time of year and in training. It really wakes you up and clears the airways. Put a few drops on your wristband for running with congestion. Take a few sniffs every now and then as a pick me up to get you through the last couple of miles. It really works!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

Homemade Aloe Vera Lotion

25 Essential Oils

Horchata-Nog

2010-12-22T06:26:00.000-08:00

I made this great horchata from rice, quinoa and almonds and it so good I must share! By adding nutmeg, makes a healthy makeover of egg-nog.

1/2 cup rice
1/2 cup oats
1 cup almonds
1 cup quinoa
1 stick cinnamon
8 cups of boiled water
1/2 cup sugar or sweetener ( I use organic evaporated cane juice)
vanilla extract & nutmeg

Grind the first 4 ingredients together in a coffee grinder or food processor until fine. There is no need to blanch the almonds because it's all going to get strained. Put into a large pot.

Add 8 cups of the boiled water and and let sit overnight or while you are at work all day.

Then blend for 3-5 minutes in the blender. It may not fit into the blender all at once you will need to do 2 batches.

Pour the horchata through a fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth to remove the pulp. Save the pulp for other recipes or to add to cereal, etc.

Add sweetener of your choice, dash of vanilla extract and nutmeg(optional)

Will make about a liter of delicious protein rich horchata! Great for after running! Enjoy!

Health Benefits of Cinnamon
Almond Nutrition Data

Quinoa Nutrition Data
Almond pulp recipe: Raw Cinnamon Rolls

Week 5

2010-12-19T19:06:00.000-08:00

Rain. My long run is not happening. I'm not going to worry about it because I felt really in the zone this week. Been doing lot of bike and some swimming. I've never trained with this kind of intensity on the bike before. There will be time. I really love the KRANKcycle workout. I think it has potential not just for strength training but helping me with fluid steady pace swim strokes.

The year is almost over. The great thing about being active is not having to make the "get fit" resolution for the new year. Been there done that! Hope everyone is having a great holiday and live life to the fullest!

Getting Something off my Chest

2010-12-14T09:13:00.000-08:00

Remember breast cancer awareness month? Well,since I turned 40 I went in for a mammogram, and they found some benign activity and wanted me to come back for more xrays. Turns out I have a cluster of "microcalcifications" or whatevers in a certain spot. The thing is it is right where my heavy messenger bag crosses my chest, so I'm thinking it's just some chronic pressure on my booby. I switched over to backpack and will go back in 5 months for a diagnostic. Thanks for letting me share and get that off my chest ;-).

My essaic tea recipe, just in case: Red Clover, Chapparal (occasionally), Alfalfa, Oatstraw, Dandelion Root, Licorice, Butchers Broom and Burdock. Hibiscus, Ginger and Anise make it taste better.

Take kelp or miso soup twice weekly and especially around x-ray time to counter the radiation.

UPDATE June 2011: Everything turned out fine!

Week 4

2010-12-14T09:06:00.000-08:00

This was a scaled back week. I found out my aunt passed away on Friday and wasn't feeling up to long bike or long run. RIP auntie A...

It triggered my anxiety and mourning and I had trouble eating and sleeping, so I coped by going into holiday elf mode, making gifts for my peeps. I swam in the bay which always makes things better.

Supermarket Street Sweep

2010-12-05T19:44:00.000-08:00

This weekend's big event was the Supermarket Street Sweep to benefit the San Francisco Food Bank. Cyclists rode all over the city to buy food and haul it back to the food bank within an alloted time. There were prizes for speed and weight of cargo. It was a lot of fun. I'm glad it didn't rain that much! I posted more details onto the photos and daily mile recap.

Week 3 is going good. I feel pretty tired right about now! It's raining pretty hard so put off the run. The swim in the cold water was just what I needed.

I started doing the speedwork this week and so backed off on the strength training a little. The one thing that always gets me about triathlon training is how to do a long bike ride and a long run in one weekend. I always have trouble doing both. I guess the secret is to go to bed at 6pm or something.

Tour de Cure

Run Wild for A Child

2010-11-28T21:12:00.000-08:00

First race without coffee: Run Wild for A Child 10k 48:48 PR & 5th place AG!

I love this race because: Toy donations, costumes, the course, relaxed attitude of runners. Even though there are some really fast people out there, everyone is out to have a good time. The only thing I was put off by is that alot of runners wear ipods while running so communication gets compromised sometime. The band and the costume contest at the end are fun to hang out for. I was dancing to stay warm. I had a chuckle at my photo in the race brochure of me dancing in the Twister costume last year. I'm going to send that to my mom! Run Wild = Good times, and great family memories for the families that run it together!

daily mile

Week 2 training is going well. The strength training and spinning have helped me in many ways. Also drinking a lot of yerba mate, green tea, fresh juices and herbal teas. My dog gets herbal nutrition also. I will share some recipes later. I'm thankful for what I have today, with the realization that it doesn't last forever.

It's all in your hands

LongestWalk Northern and Southern Route: This is a 5,000+ mile Walk Across America to bring awareness of the devastating effects of diabetes and how it can be reversed by changing our entire diet and lifestyle! This disease is at epidemic levels across America, and throughout Indian Country.

Week 1

2010-11-21T20:31:00.000-08:00

Off to a good start: 7.25 hours of training this week, not including the 5 hours of bike commuting and 30 min. strength training. I got up at 4:30 or 5:30 in the morning to make it happen. Swimming, biking and running, with some time for family and creative stuff. The spinning class was challenging but endorphin inducing. The bay swim was cold but fun. I'm thankful that I'm able to do this today and dedicate my training to my dad.

I was really moved by this video that Elizabeth posted on her blog. She is running 50 marathons in 50 states for her father. Though our fathers are not here they are with us every step of the way.

When my father died of heart attack related to his T2 diabetes, he was reluctantly having to take a long list of medications. He carried it with him in his wallet with him just to remember everything. I can tell this made him miserable. There were medicine bottles and syringes all over his room, in his bag, and in the fridge. It's not a disease anyone should get knowing what we know about how to prevent it. It's the lifestyle changes that seem so hard at first, exercise and dietary changes, that can make a big difference between life and death. What if we make these changes before we need to? I am going to miss my dad this Thanksgiving.

I'm so thankful for my family and friends. Enjoy the holiday and extra time off for eating well...and then...running!

I like what is says in the second link article, that eating for diabetes is actually just eating healthy and everyone else should be taking note of what's on the diabetic plate.

Here We Go

2010-11-14T19:19:00.000-08:00

The training plan is sketched out for Oceanside. 5 months from now we'll see if it's a good one. Instead of doing the marathon training for the run, will do half-marathon training and save energy for the bike. Using a Trifuel plan and FIRST for running, and adding spinning and open water swims. Psyched!

I am experimenting with no coffee for a change and instead switch to yerba mate and green tea for the maximum antioxidants in my morning cup.

Follow me on dailymile

Diabetes awareness tip: Type 2 Diabetes is preventable

Getting Ready

2010-11-01T09:19:00.000-07:00

Getting ready for Ironman California, Oceanside 70.3. I dedicate my training to my father, Juan aka "Tony", who passed away 2 months ago from a heart attack related to type 2 diabetes. I have never done a half-iron triathlon distance before, but I know with the motivation of doing this for a cause will help me reach the goal and deal with the loss. Whenever I exercise, I feel better, and I don't want to lose the habit by falling into a slump. Setting an ambitious goal will help me stay focused.

My dad was there to teach me how to ride a bike, and always made sure that I had one to ride. I will ride 56 miles on April 2nd after swimming 1.2 miles, then run a half marathon to the finish.

November is National Diabetes Awareness Month

Seasons

2010-10-03T22:01:00.000-07:00

I'm taking a break from training until mid-November when I will start my 20 week half-iron training program. Until then, I'm taking it easy. Just doing maintenance workouts with more weight training, short runs, and weekly bay swims. Maybe a monthly fun bike ride in addition to the bike commute. In my free time, will focus on doing art (art therapy). I don't know what the heck I'm doing which is great. I used to like to paint and draw, but then became disenchanted and took a long break from it. I'm a different person now, and so is my artistic vision. Marathons and triathlons have changed me. My father's death has changed me. It's like heading into new, unexplored territory.

September Sadness

2010-09-26T18:32:00.000-07:00

No workouts logged.

After hearing of my father's death last month I was shattered. I felt like I was crushed by a stampede of elephants. What is strange is when he had his fatal heart attack, I was running and my chest felt tight, which it never does. After that I was in shock, couldn't eat or sleep and had no motivation to do anything, but I had to rise to the occasion and take care of whatever needed to be done.

I finally feel as if I am *beginning* to accept he's gone but a part of me doesn't want to. A part of me is angry that a heart attack brought on by type 2 diabetes & high blood pressure took him away early and that I won't get to see him again. We had made plans to go on a trip together. I will use the anger to stay active and vigilant. Then again, we can only do so much to stay healthy. I'm just glad I had presence of body and mind to be helpful to my family in some way.

My dad is larger than life now, he is everywhere. I can hear his voice inside my head. He was a great musician and I have recordings of his music that I can listen to and cherish. He will continue to inspire and teach me as time goes on.

Running in silence

2010-08-29T22:42:00.000-07:00

Aug 23 - 29
S:1.5 B:42 R:46

I lost my father today, and found out while I was out here on the Coastal Trail. This is a good place to cry, watching the waves crashing against the cliff and the sun set. Love you, dad.

Taking a break. Enjoy the rest of the summer with the ones you love!

Sunday Streets

2010-08-23T08:05:00.000-07:00

Aug 16-22
S: B: 60 R:44.35

Had fun volunteering at Sunday Streets this weekend! The weather was perfect! Saw a lot of cool bikes and met a lot of friendly people, and added a few extra bike miles. We all got cool shirts and a delicious free lunch provided by Chairman Bao food truck.

I love this event by Livable City because I get to enjoy places I normally would not get to run or bike (Great Highway) and there is music, food, and good vibes. Runners, for this route, one lap from Stanyan to Sloat is 11.5 miles, but if you take the windmill route, it is 12.7, so if you did two laps it would be almost a marathon! Skateboarders, there is a sweet downhill from Traverse all the way down to the end of the park. I was cruising down on my bike and didn't have to pedal, which explains why it's tricky running back up this.

The other fun event this week was Sunset Run, which is a 5 mile social fun run for charity organized by Fleet Feet Sports. I managed to do all 3 this summer, so I know it's been a good summer for running. I met a few cool peeps here & I look forward to next year.

It's been a great week. Though I was 6 miles short of 50 miles running this week, I had a great 17 miler on Saturday. Did plenty of walking at the dog park with my bflf (best four legged friend). I was so exhausted yesterday couldn't keep my eyes open.

Happy running, biking and swimming, and whatever else you do!

50 mile week

2010-08-15T21:32:00.000-07:00

Aug 9 - 15
S:2.06 B:55 R:50

Running: I managed to pull off going from 3 days of running per week to 5 days per week and increase the mileage to 50 miles, which was hard for me to do and has taken me several years to get to this point. I'm so excited but I must go to sleep now because I'm doing it again next week! This is a short blog post because I'm kind of speechless. That was a test for me to see if I can up it to the next level of training, and it is a relief to see that it it doable. Running longer runs in consecutive days really helped, and my long run today was strong at the end. I could have run more!

Raise the Roof

2010-08-08T21:43:00.000-07:00

Aug 2 - 8
S:2.9 B:58 R:43
Watch the run mileage goin' up, but not so fast lol. I think I am going to hang at 50 miles per week for a minute when I get there. Did some speed, tempo, and back to swimming in the bay. The bike is all about commuting. Thursday night I got caught in a washing machine, scariest time I've had out there ever. Thankfully Aaron was around to bail me out. Whew! Had a fun brick this weekend, the water was calm :-) Swim a mile along Chrissy field and run back, then bike out the Presidio. Sweet!

Warming Hut to St. Francis Yacht Club Swim with Water World Swim

Sunday- Long run down the Coastal Trail, my fave.

Touch Alcatraz 'n Go

2010-08-01T22:42:00.000-07:00

July 26-Aug 1
S:0-: B:44 R:31

Rested a few days after the marathon then back to running. That's about it!

I took a few pics and video from the boat of the Touch Alcatraz 'n Go, a round-trip Alcatraz swim starting and ending from the shore at Aquatic Park. It would be great to do this one day. 1 - 2 hrs of open water swimming.

Touch Alcatraz 'n Go

Exploring new carbs such as teff and pearl barley, alternating days with the oats and quinoa to get some nutritional variety in there. The teff porridge is delish!

Powerhouse Grains

Recipe: Farro Risotto w/Asparagus

San Francisco Marathon

2010-07-26T07:24:00.000-07:00

July 19-25
S: 0 B:44 R:36.2

2 years ago: 4:44:17
This year: 4:20:23

I'm still not fast at these things but - I've moved up a wave!

The San Francisco Marathon

WARNING: technical running info ahead
The mild SF temps and fog made it perfect weather for running. This is a great event. There is quite a bit of music, camaraderie and cheering on this one. Thanks to all the volunteers! Doing all the pace workouts, strides and hill training this year really paid off for me. After a couple of years of just training for distance and heart rate, I decided it was time to pick up the pace. I used a 'less is more' approach with the F.I.R.S.T. training plan and used the McMillan Running Calculator to find my target paces for the three key workouts. Don't input a current marathon time, put in the next reasonable target time you want to run or 1 or 2 minutes more than your best 5k time. It is challenging, and after using it for 2 training cycles I am almost to my ideal marathon pace. This is also the first time I was able to use a pace band successfully. I was originally going for a 4:30 finish, but I brought the 4:20 pace band as plan B. Turns out the 9:30 pace was so comfortable for me that I just stuck with it and was a few minutes ahead of schedule all the way up to mile 20 or so. Instead of doing the speed intervals on a flat track, practiced them in Golden Gate Park to practice pushing over inclines and get an idea and muscle imprint of hill pacing. Fast turnover and low center of gravity running on the downhills saved my knees. By mile 23 I was clinging to 9:30 for dear life, but it worked.

I ran into Ron (Punk Rock Runner) a few miles from the finish, hanging tough. He had just completed an Ironman a month ago, so to run a race that even marathoners fear after that is nothing short of amazing. At the finish line, I met a masters runner who just qualified for Boston with a PR from his younger days. There are hundreds of inspirational stories like this from runners, each one a hero in their own right and to their families and friends.

Finish Line Video Bib #60792

I would definitely do this again. What's next? My legs feel like they want to run more now, so we're going to up the mileage ;-)

Marathon Training Programs for your Garmin

Countdown to the SF Marathon

2010-07-19T06:44:00.000-07:00

Jul 12-18
S:1 B:44 R:14.5

I'm winding things down here, taxi-ing down the runway and get lined up for takeoff at the SF Marathon! WAVE 6! This was my first marathon and next Sunday will be the second time I run it after doing Nike Womens, Stinson Beach, Northface Endurance Challenge 50k and Big Sur. I think I'm a little bit better runner now! At least I can walk normally and not collapse afterward.

There is an amusing article in WSJ titled San Francisco: The Race Even Marathoners Fear. Ha! If you run trails and some of the hillier marathons in the Bay Area it makes SF Marathon seem easy.

I had an amazing breakthrough on my swimming stroke after a minor adjustment made after studying my guide at Swim Smooth Swim Types. I haven't even delved into the whole remedy yet, either, just one minor drag adjustment that made all the difference! Here is a good OWS video that Coach Leslie put together about swimming in choppy water.

On Saturday I volunteered all day at Headlands 50 and met alot of runners. I learned about Ultra runners: How they train, what mileage they do, how they eat, what they wear, what events they do, what kind of hydration packs they use, what they bring in their drop-bag, etc. It is a challenging course, even for the marathoners. I was glad to be able to help them get their water, electrolytes and food. We went through probably 80 gallons of water at least and 3 loaves of bread, 2-3 jars peanut butter and jelly. Salt caplets was #1 request. I was really moved by the support many of the runners had from their families and friends, waiting out there in the cold fog for 6 to 12 hours. Not too many people would do this. But then again, not too many people will run 50 - 100 miles! I highly recommend volunteering on an ultra before you think about doing one. It is serious business. I'm still on the fence about it. My hubby is NOT into the idea. It is an issue of contention. I can totally understand where he is coming from. I might have to transform him into a runner, then he'll understand ;-)!

San Francisco Triathlon at Treasure Island

2010-07-11T07:46:00.000-07:00

Jul 5 - 11
S: 1.4 B: 46.5 R: 34.7

San Francisco Triathlon at Treasure Island
Olympic 3:19:28

If you ever want to hit the reset button and instantly forget about whatever was stressing you out for the past month, do a Triathlon. For me it's the cure for the Summertime Blues. Throw all your gear into a bag & do all the sports you like to do back-to-back in one morning as fast as you can. Start with a splash & end with a dash! Some notes and things I learned from my tri-neighbors:

If you're in the last swim wave, good time to spectate and enjoyed the expo, check out your neighbors cool bike, do a little warm-up run or stretch if you need to.

There are no waves at Clipper Cove, it's like swimming in a pool. You won't need a bucket of water for your feet because the water is almost 60 degrees and no sand coming out of the water directly onto carpeted exit to a concrete transition area

If you hang your wetsuit up on the rack or on your bike if there is room instead of throwing it in a plastic bag, it will have a chance to dry and be way lighter in your bag on the way home.

The bike laps were flat with some good turns and little hill, can get windy with gusts over 20mph. I didn't have aerobars so I spent alot of time riding down in the drops. I noticed no one is wearing bike gloves.

If you laminate your helmet number with scotch tape, it won't stick all over your bike helmet when you try to peel it off.

I noticed I wasted alot time by applying sunscreen before my run in the transition area when I could have applied it on the go seeing as how it was the roll-on speed-stick type.

The 108 Treasure Island bus drops you off right at the gate and has a rack for two bikes.

Volunteers rock, and kudos for the people that pulled all the swimmers out of the water at the swim exit!

With a variety of events and competitors of all ages amateur to elite and physically challenged, including a Biggest Losers category, the message here is that anyone can do a triathlon or run a race if you put your mind and training into it. The Olympic distance can go on for 3-4 hours depending on your fitness, and is much like getting through a marathon. Now to work on taking 25 minutes off my time!

As I'm getting halfway through the year without really taking a break in training (at least 9 events so far this year) slumps happen. For inspiration during slump times, I really enjoy reading the blogs. Thomas posted and entry about Inspiration that had me thinking about the little things that can get you through it, and for me it is definitely humor, especially in the form of signs or slogans on t-shirts. I like the "Chuck Norris never did an Ironman" sign that Punk Rock Runner saw on his first IM, he has a very entertaining blog btw. These signs had me laughing, these are funny, and and I love these.

my new hoodie!

5 ways to save time in your transitions

Sunset Run

2010-07-09T07:17:00.000-07:00

Last night was a great Sunset Run, a "fun"raising event hosted by Fleet Feet Sports 100% for charity. The beneficiary this time round was Students Run Oakland. They have a great video that makes me want to run a marathon every time I see it.

If you've never done a Sunset Run before I highly recommend it. They have a DJ, raffle, and yummy bagels, and one of my favorite routes along the Bay to Hopper's Hands.

Summertime Blues

2010-07-05T18:20:00.000-07:00

Jun 28-Jul 4
S:.2 B: 50 R:15

The week started off with 8 miles of intervals, did another trail run, a swim at Aquatic Park and half an Alcatraz swim. Just finished a the last 20 miler before the San Francisco Marathon today, which I didn't do yesterday but instead fell into a lethargy. I have been running without music so that I can listen to my pace and surroundings and also it helps with mental training. It also helps for long swims when there is nothing in the ears except for mack's earplugs. Meditation time.

In other news, two deaths in my extended family, and hurricane Alex caused massive floods in Monterrey, Mexico where my relatives live that left at least 6 people dead and destroyed parts of the city. And now they found tar patties on the Texas gulf coast from the oil spillage (Texas beaches always had tar patties, but I guess these have the BP logo branded on them). And guess what, they are disposing of the oil there too. We are on day 77 and no end in sight. Run out the sadness. :-(

Golden Gate Triathlon

2010-06-28T06:54:00.000-07:00

Jun 21-27
S:.1.4 B: 58.85 R:9

Tri posted: .9 / 20.93 / 6.2
Tri Actual: .9 /20.25/ 5 plus 1 mile run to transition = 6

Time: 3:16:32
Thanks Chuck at Rogue Multi-Sport

This is going to be a long blog post so I can share all the fun details!

For my first Olympic Tri I wanted to do a local event, something I can bike to and found the Golden Gate Triathlon. According to the results, there were 219 participants (sprint and oly) and one relay team, so it is not that crowded. They had great volunteer support and I personally thanked people on my last laps.

It was a beautiful day for a triathlon! We had these amazing half-foggy conditions on one side and beautiful hot and sunny on the other. I biked to the starting line and took the scenic route. The coastal views and Golden Gate Bridge disappeared into the fog, but eastward was misty and allowed some sun to show through for a not so cold swim.

It's good to get to the transition area early to get a good spot on the rack, get organized, and meet your tri neighbors. There are no pics of me because I looked awful ;-)

SWIM: The sprint women went first then 5 minutes later the men's wave. In retrospect it makes sense for the women to go first so they get a head start and clear the course before the olympics. But today, the current was still ebbing pretty hard when they went out there and got swept away from the first buoy pretty badly. We all stood on the beach and watched in horror as they swam in place very far off course. When the men's sprint wave came, they took the hint and ran on the beach for several yards to compensate their entry point. It was HILARIOUS!

After this, the swim director decided they should change the course for the Olympic waves since we would've be out there all day swimming against the current. Actually I was kind of disappointed they did this because swimming with Pedro we trained in currents and I was all ready to navigate my way through the ordeal. Though people complained about the short run getting out of the water and running on the beach to the next entry point for the next lap this also makes sense because then you don't have to swim against the current. So forget what it says on the event site about swimming at Chrissy Field is close to shore and not affected by currents, because it is and I have seen people's dogs get swept out to the Golden Gate Bridge here when they swam out too far. :-) I loved the swim though and wanted to do the whole day swimming. Going with the current improved my time! My motivation words for the swim are "smooth and steady". Remember not to run too hard on cold leg muscles or get injured, take it easy.

The Olympic swim was great, the water felt warm and not too many people swimming over everyone except near the buoys and up front. I saw George in his orange kayak, a pilot on our Water World Swims out there and said hi. Before I knew it it was time to get out of the water.

T1: A little dizzy coming out of the swim. I peeled off the wetsuit and grabbed my shoes out of my bag and put the wetsuit inside and gave it back to the volunteers (to be picked up after the event). I brought some socks and didn't worry about sand getting in them, it didn't matter too much later. Had a drink of H2O at the aid station and then ran about a mile back to transition. By then I was really out of it and glad I didn't have to think too much to get my stuff for my bike leg.

Bike: The course was shortened and another lap added. Fine by me! Not many flat spots on this course just so you know. It's either up or down. :-)

On the bike I had a big bike bottle of Nuun water and a carb flask of 3 GUs. I took a swig every lap. I also brought Clif Shot Bloks but didn't need them. I also had a bottle of water in my transition area that I took big gulps from. I picked a flat quiet spot on the course to fuel up as I rode slowly. Motto here: "stay out of the fast lane", "controlled descents" & "keep spinning!" By the time I was on my last couple of laps the fast aero*zipp*cervelo riders were done so I could take the whole road ;-)

Run: It was hot by this time and no, the course was not closed for us. We ran around all the strollers and tourists taking photos on the bridge! This is the one thing I hate about running on the Golden Gate Bridge and usually avoid running on it for this very reason. Oh well. Originally we were going to run on the west side, but that is the bike side, so they changed it to the east side. My left hamstring starting getting kind of tight on the bike, so I was going to run easy at first to get the feeling in my legs. My goal here was to keep a moderate pace with sprints where possible then kick it into high gear the last quarter of a mile. My Garmin said I clocked around 10mph here! The bridge is not flat either, it has 2 mini-rollers. No motivating words here, just curse words ;-)

There was not that much food at the end, but I'm not the type to complain. I tried not to let all the little annoyances bother me and take energy away from my race, just be flexible and go with the adventure.

Overall I had a great time and felt strong at the finish. The minimal training I've been doing based on a marathon training plan with cross-training put me in a good place to make this distance really manageable. I've been training around 10 hours per week plus commuting by bike to work adds another hour each day. I rested well the week before but actually had lost all motivation to do the event by the time it came around, which has never happened to me before. It might be due to all the stresses of the week. My dog was having seizures again in the middle of the night and went to the vet twice.

I thought about what I'm doing here and I realized there is no going back! Once you get started in this life, there is no going back. After all the time, $ and sweat invested to get to a certain goal, a distance, a speed, the heat is on to maintain what you've worked so hard for and go farther. The other thing I realized is why bother signing up for expensive tri races if I am still slow and broke as hell? I'd rather train up and get faster before I even think about doing any longer distances and suffer twice as long, right? But I still want to run an ultra, maybe in the fall.

My bike training was lacking and could use improvement, but to tell you the truth I am not into bike racing. Last weekend, my friend crashed their bike and broke their hip on the Terrible Two. No biking or much less walking for them this summer. Sucks. I bet he will be back on his bike as soon as he is ready. I would too.

My next big event is the San Francisco Triathlon at Treasure Island, and I've signed up to volunteer for Headlands 50 and Sunday Streets. It's turning out to be a great summer in this little microcosm of runrenerun's fitness world. The rest of the world is a different story. Can someone please make the oil stop gushing in the gulf already!

Taper

2010-06-20T21:57:00.000-07:00

Jun 14-20
S:2.9 B: 68 R:4

The triathlon is next Sunday, and am getting mentally prepared. At this point I find myself remembering things, such as last year when I thought the Olympic was a long distance, and getting down one buoy line without stopping was an effort. It's easy to get caught up in the game of "if only I can go a little bit faster" and forget the strides we've made. Now friends from my swim group are already convincing me to sign up for a half-iron with them.

I was so tired and ready to just rest and get rejuvenated. Had a perfectly relaxing weekend with lots of family time. Had a good fast interval run on Wednesday, but my legs felt "fried" and tight. Just need to rest and stretch. Plan on doing a few more short & sweet workouts before the event. I am appreciating the swim/bike/running thing as a lifestyle choice and not so much as a competitive sport. I don't know if people understand what a necessity it is for some of us to exercise, but I really can't forgo it or I get ill. So I make it a priority. It's like taking medicine. Today I'm glad that I can swim in the ocean for half an hour without stopping and being able to live in a place with access to beautiful natural surroundings and trees. Good for the mind, body and spirit.

Noting the swimming conditions last Thursday, a strong ebb, with the winds picking up in the opposite direction over the water creates wind waves and chop especially farther out. The west winds tend to pick up in the evenings. Mornings are calmer. Feeling little "cold fingers" of water in different parts of the Aquatic Park, as if someone emptied their cooler. Though the water was ebbing, the wind blowing across the surface can make it seem like it's going the opposite direction when observing from the shore. On Sunday morning, hardly any wind and pleasant conditions.

There are NO limits on race day - only possibilities!

Training Check-In

2010-06-14T07:08:00.000-07:00

Jun 7-13
S:2 B:67.9 R:17

Swimming

Swimming with Water World Swim
Swimming into the currents, working on spearing the water and tapering the kick. Swimming into the current helps refine the stroke as you find a more efficient means of moving through the water and decreasing drag. I noticed in the pool workouts that even though my sprint time is not faster than 6 months ago, I am able to hold that fast pace for much longer without stopping.

Cycling

View from Immigrant Point Overlook in the Presidio toward Point Bonita Lighthouse.
Hill sprints on the Golden Gate Tri course, downhill control.

Running

The Nasturtiums are in bloom on the trails and in the park! Beautiful.
Recovering from Mt. Diablo! Keeping the heart rate at a reasonable rate.

Happy Training!

Diablo Trail Run 25k

2010-06-06T18:17:00.000-07:00

May 31 - Jun 6
S: 1.7 B: 44 R: 30.5

Hill training anyone?

Oh the challenge of running Mount Diablo! I had set my sights on it last year after running up Mt. Tamalpais and there it was. Another hill to climb. I had heard about it from other running blogs and PCTR runners (Rick and Jo Lynn). Be careful what you wish for.

The course starts down in Mitchell Canyon and then goes up some really narrow steep singletrack trails (Back Creek) that snakes it's way up to Deer Flat Road. I kept watching the trail snake around the ridge and then once you get around the ridge, it switches back to another ridge, and another, it just keeps going up higher and higher. Then when you finally get to Juniper campground, there is a nice breeze and another hour of climbing to the summit. There were some loose rocks up here and I stacked real good twice. All along the way there are amazing views to take your mind off the pain. I would say that for me, on the way up only 10 - 15% of this was runnable, especially in the heat almost 90°! We'll just call it Extreme Hiking! Coming back down the summit trail was a little scary steep in some areas, so not so fast. After several hours of walking was able to finally get a nice downhill run from Juniper to Mitchell Canyon to finish in 4:23 (2:45 to summit {fast people are done by now}, 1:38 back down). This was my first PCTR event and I totally enjoyed it. Thanks to all the friendly runners and volunteers who made it a really great experience! This is a great social run if you are not racing it because of all the hiking - gives you plenty of time to chat with friends. Popping Endurolytes and strategically placed moleskins in advance of the run made it all good.

I am smiling here but am so sore and sunburnt right now.

This turned out to be a camping trip as well as a run and have to say that is the way to go. I had a great time! I think my dog appreciated the healing calm of being out in nature. The Juniper Camp has an amazing view:

and amenities such as showers, fire pits, sinks, water fountains. You may want to bring your own compressed fire wood since they didn't sell it at the ranger station. I ran 5.5mi down to the starting line early in the morning and saw dozens of little brush rabbits. Afterward I had a nice little nature hike back up to camp and took lots of photos. As I walked back up enjoying the flowers, I watched in awe the 50k-ers coming down from the second loop. It took me 2.5 hours to hike from Mitchell Canyon to Juniper. It was nice to rest under a shady tree listening to the wind rustling through the grass and fall asleep on the mountain afterward.

To get to the camping spots by vehicle or to cycle to the summit on a road bike, use the North Gate or South Gate Entrance. Bring a camera and lots of water & electrolytes! It is possible to BART and mtn. bike here (about 11 miles from Walnut Creek Bart to Mitchell Canyon) but you will want to give yourself plenty of time to climb up a couple thousand feet to where the camp is!

Canine Seizure Week

2010-05-30T20:02:00.000-07:00

May 24-30
S:2 B:63.8 R:21

This week was canine seizure week. My poor little pup has epilepsy, and when it shows up it stays for almost a whole week of daily seizures, getting up in the middle of the night to take him for post-ictal walks, doing laundry and cleaning the apartment. Thankfully he is calm again, for a while anyway. He used to be my running partner and pacer when I started running regularly. He is 8 years old now with arthritis and has slowed down quite a bit. I love him to pieces, hate seeing my bff get old.

Managed to get some training in, and studying for my amateur ham radio license. We had some great weather this weekend for running and biking, and challenging swims in the currents this week with the full moon. On Saturday morning Irene and I tried body surfing at Kellys Cove. The waves were so messy we left the boards on the beach. I learned that if you jump ahead of the whitewater rushing in and glide on your side with one arm you can catch a long ride with your head sticking out of the water - it is a blast! (Kids do not try this) The swimmers doing Monday's Bay 2 Breakers swim were there checking out the landing area. Good luck to them!

It was great cycling on Saturday afternoon, hardly any traffic on Lincoln. But on Sunday I don't know what happened but it looked like everyone wanted to jump in their car at the same time and go over Golden Gate Bridge!

Summer is here! Get ready for DIABLO!

I just love this picture of the 'playground', with the kayaks ready to go:

Alcatraz #3

2010-05-23T06:22:00.000-07:00

May 17-23
S:5.42 B: 55.85 R: 31.75

Another good week of training, the graph lines are going up! I did the most swimming ever with a 3 coves swim on Wednesday eve with Joseph, coach-in-training. I also did my third Alcatraz crossing with Water World Swim!

This was a very manageable swim, I made the 2000m swim to the shore of Aquatic Park in about 40 minutes. I love the camaraderie of our swimmers. We had some young first-timers and a swimmer who had done 66 crossings. Ann had brought some delicious cookies that she made and everyone was swapping stories of epic swims and training sessions. The South End Rowing club swimmers were also out there. We listened to music on the boat on the way to the island. There is nothing like hearing "I left my heart in San Francisco" out on the bay as you are looking at the skyline from Alcatraz getting ready to swim back. We had great support from our pilots. I can feel pretty insecure out there so having a kayaker nearby makes the swim safe. What always gets me is jumping off the boat into the middle of the potato patch. It's a little bit too much adrenaline for me. Also I'm using a sleeveless wetsuit nowadays so it took me a minute to get warmed up. There is no rhyme or reason to the water out there, and we had the wake of a passing cruise liner to deal with and a yacht race coming up. I just felt like I was just getting tossed around and not going anywhere. Next time I will try to peek back at Alcatraz and see it get smaller. Thankfully, the wind was calm in the morning. The SF Ports site is a great place to get info. I'm a slow swimmer (40min/mile), and the ebb was picking up, so I was worried about not making it to the opening. Steve the pilot reassured me and said not to worry about it that I could get repositioned if necessary. In my mind, I said "Oh hell no, I'm not going to let myself get repositioned" and just kept bee-lining it toward the Jeremiah O'Brien. Then the white ferry came in to view I could feel the current. Then I swam hard into the direction of the masts of the Balclutha and made it into the opening like a little pinball.

Running: I have to do at least one of these every year, it's a great run!

Sunset Run

Here is what is coming up. Hills!

Diablo Trail Run 25k

I'm looking back on all the stuff I've done this year and it isn't even summer yet!

99th Annual Bay to Breakers

2010-05-16T18:11:00.000-07:00

May 10 - 16
S: 2.8 B: 50 R:23

I know it's been a good week when my graph lines go up and the legs are tired.

Running the Bay to Breakers turned a Sunday long run into a fun run, San Francisco style!

Met up with GGTC, lost them, then ran into Jay again (waving) and we crossed the finish line. This is his 27th B2B and he is going to swim from the Bay to the Breakers this summer!

One thing I noticed about the race this year is it seemed like a lot more children and families in the race, perhaps because of Run for Something Better. I lost count of all the strollers. This is one of those events that seems like a gateway into running for the non-runner. I like to leave before the hardcore revelry and the neighbors patience wears thin.

Chill Out Week

2010-05-10T06:30:00.000-07:00

May 3 -9
S:1384 meter B: 50mi R:0
This weekend, instead of running a marathon or cycling a century I did my version of nada. Rested all week. It took a couple days to recover from the ride because my ankle was so sore again. By isolating the activities, now I suspect that cycling was the issue and not running. I adjusted the cleat on my Shimano SPDs. Tried some cold water swimming without a wetsuit, did a ham radio class, worked on my garden, got some things for my triathlon, brainstormed on bp gulf oil spill solutions, QT time in the parks with my homeslice and pup. Good times. Now to make the graph lines go up again.

Happy Bike Month!

Bike to Work Day May 13th

Grizzly Peak Century

2010-05-03T08:20:00.000-07:00

April 26 - May 2
S: .25 B:127.45 R:3

Grizzly Peak Century - Almost 10 hours of rolling scenic hills, 8,000 - 10,000 feet of climbing! The ride had awesome support with great volunteers and rest stops in all the right places. The course is well marked with yellow arrows that say "GPC". I didn't have to look at my cue sheet very much. The arrows are still there if you'd like to give it a shot, but take lots of water. Orinda BART is just 6 miles from the start. Check the site for course maps.

I had volunteered at GPC a couple times, and that was fun - so it was definitely fun and challenging to finally ride the course. This week was a recovery week from the marathon leading up to getting enough energy and strength in my legs to do the ride. I did almost 90 miles then had to bail because my legs were just dead. But I had a great ride! That was the longest I have ever cycled, and I didn't really train properly for this event. I only bike to work and a few short rides a month. It is doable if you have a little endurance and a lot of desire to tackle hill after hill.

My Garmin info >>

Big Sur International Marathon

2010-04-26T08:35:00.000-07:00

April 19-25
S:.5 B:36.7 R: 31.7

I had so much fun hanging out in Big Sur and Carmel-by-the-Sea that I almost forgot I had a marathon on Sunday! It is really gorgeous out there! Look at how clear and blue the water is:

I lined up somewhere in the 4:45 zone, but ran near the 4:30 pace group until around mile 18. They were just doing their negative split LOL so when they took off they were gone. I kept my pace under 10:00 but on the hills went down to 12:00 and then had a strong finish the last 200m. I was monitoring my heart rate and tried not to let it go over maximum on the uphills. I could feel it pounding my chest. It was really blazing hot, so expected the heart rate to be at least 10 beats more than usual. I saw a guy running completely barefoot and could only imagine how hot his feet were getting on the asphalt. Hurricane Point was challenging, but it was the constant little rolling hills that got me at the end. There are non-stop amazing views on the course! You had to be careful not to bump into people as they were taking photos. The only thing that could have made it better is if it was on trails. The music was great, I wish there was more. Great support along the course. I thank the organizers and volunteers for doing a super job for such a large event, and my friend for cooking up some yummy meals all weekend. We ate good.

Camping by the river in Big Sur

This is definitely one to remember!
4:38:42 PR

I think the FIRST training plan served me well, and would have done even better if I had not tweaked my ankle. I am not going to go full-on barefoot running, but will do some barefoot running on the beach sand to strengthen the foot a bit.

Week 15

2010-04-18T20:35:00.000-07:00

April 12 - 18
S:1.94 B:50 R:19
It's been the week of civic participation for me: I paid my taxes, did jury duty and volunteered. woohoo!

The marathon is next week and I was getting a big laugh out of my mileage graph for my training. Instead of going up and making a nice round peak on the second rise, it looks like a big crater in the middle LOL! That was when my ankle was bothering me.

Good timing, eh? I have a sneaky feeling that maybe I tweaked my ankle in March when running out of the water from my Alcatraz swim. This is exactly what coach Pedro told us not to do. Why didn't I listen? When you do your tri in cold water, don't run stampeding onto the beach until you get your bearings and get a little blood flowing into your feet first. I didn't really feel anything because my feet were numb. It's like when you go to the dentist and they tell you not to eat anything after the numbing because you might bite your lip.

The water was great today - going to try without the wetsuit next time. Coach Pedro is explaining some tips for the Escape from Alcatraz tri.

Today's run

NERTs had the big citywide drill yesterday. Big turnout - lots of fun making order out of chaos. We have good mentors and a good team. The firefighters have such a tough and dangerous job. They risk their lives. I have so much respect for the work that they do. After doing all the training they gave us, I feel much more self-prepared for an emergency.

72 Hours

Week 14

2010-04-11T14:50:00.000-07:00

April 5 - 11
S:1.87 B:72.65 R:26.5
I was waiting for spring to come and then when it came, everything got busy. It's sometimes challenging to fit training in to busy, rainy days, but I keep it going at least minimally on a weekly basis because it is the foundation of my holistic health and serenity. The more hectic things get, the more I need to run, bike, swim and stretch!

Swimming at Aquatic Park Sunday morning, light rain

Swimming at Aquatic Park Thursday evening,
beautiful sunset!

The marathon is at the end of the month and my pace has fallen off. For the century, I should be biking way more, but it seems impossible. I need to clean my apartment! :-)

Swim for Chile

2010-04-08T06:48:00.000-07:00

April 3, 2010 - Water World Swimmers swim from Alcatraz in San Francisco to raise funds for Colegio Insular Robinson Crusoe, a school in Chile which was destroyed by the tsunami on February 27, 2010 after the earthquake. For more information, visit http://www.colegioinsularrobisoncrusoe.com

There were so many nice shots I had to edit out. At the end of the year maybe I'll make an out-takes reel.

Week Lucky 13

2010-04-04T13:37:00.000-07:00

March 29 - April 4
R: 12.93 (darn, almost 13!) B:55.85 S:2.49
The number 13 is a lucky number for me. I'm glad I made it this far. This weekend I am feeling really lazy. I didn't do anything yesterday except ride around on the zodiac with Brent filming WWS swimmers swimming from Alcatraz to benefit Colegio Insular Robinson Crusoe, a school in Chile wiped out by the tsunami. It was a really tough swim and the current was strong. I got tired just watching them fight the ocean. I had left the house in a hurry without eating breakfast then had a major bonk. I'll post the video once it is done.

Had a good swim today going outside the cove with the fast swimmers along the seawall and back around. It was the end of the ebb and getting ready for the flood, so I wanted to hurry up. I am a medium swimmer so I ended up way in the back alone. There were some swells and I got slapped around a little, but I just sucked it up and kept swimming. This is where grounding techniques of all kinds come in handy. I like counting and just think of being a fish. It was hard to come back inside the seawall at the end. There is a little spot there where the current builds up. I felt like I swam in place for a while, this was frustrating, so I just turned over on my back and did backstroke for a bit. Then I started hauling big time. Once I got past the spot everything was fine. I caught up to Joseph, Kandi and Yaffa at the jacuzzi and we swam around some more. It started raining but it didn't seem to matter because we were already wet LOL! I signed up for the AquaSphere Swim Challenge to log miles against cancer.

It rained steadily all day sunday, no long run.

Kayakers and Lifeguards wanted

2010-04-01T08:05:00.000-07:00

I am reposting this to spread the word:

KAYAKERS AND CERTIFIED LIFEGUARDS AND SPOTTERS NEEDED MAY2nd ESCAPE FROM ALCATRAZ
Water World Swim is giving our help and support to the organizers of the Escape from Alcatraz on May 2nd, 2010. If you are a kayaker or have experience in this sport and need a kayak, we will be providing you with one. Lifeguards and kayakers will be compensated for their time in the Bay. Send us an email to info@waterworldswim.com if you are interested in volunteering for this event. LOTS OF FUN GUARANTEED.

There is also a SWIM FOR CHILE- This Saturday April 3rd.

Week 12

2010-03-28T19:25:00.000-07:00

March 22-28
S:1.25 B:98 R:6

This week definitely broke the routine. I couldn't run on my ankle so I spent alot of time on the elliptical and the bike and got some strength training in. I was getting worried on Friday because I did a test run and could only do a mile before it felt tender. Today it is cooperating and I was able to run for an hour on it. RELIEF! I'm so glad I have cross-training activities to fall back on. That elliptical is also a heck of a workout. Now I can get back to making sure I'm ready for the marathon and century in the upcoming weeks.

All the way up to 11 - Alcatraz!

2010-03-21T18:12:00.000-07:00

March 15-21
S:3.8 B: 62.95 R:13

This was a good week, focused on doing the Alcatraz swim crossing on Saturday morning with Water World Swim. This was an exciting and challenging venture, not for the feint of heart. It was a bit windy, so had some choppiness especially close to the island. I felt like I was going up and down more than swimming forward, and hard to catch a good rhythm. But Coach Pedro says when mother nature dances you have to take her lead and be flexible. Good day for mental training and navigation. I can't imagine people that have never swam in open water before especially in choppy conditions try do this swim for the first time on triathlon day! All I can say is you could be in for a BIG SURPRISE. We got lots of good tips on the swim, and how to navigate to St. Francis Yacht club on the current. Though I knew the cue when to turn right, I don't know why I waited so long. It was the fear of current sending me past the beach and I wanted to get to calmer waters, but it would have been done a lot faster than an hour if I had just turned as soon as the cue landmark was right in front of me. Excellent preparation for the Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon. This was part of a clinic for the triathletes:

Swim Tips for the 30th Annual 2010 Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon

I didn't realize I was in the video lol! I had a turquoise top on and a camera slung around my shoulder. I'm not doing the Escape, I just like the Alcatraz swim and swimming in the bay with a great group of people. It's different every day and always changing. If you are doing Sharkfest, it's even more important to practice navigation beforehand because it's tricky to make it to the opening of Aquatic Park even in calm waters because of the breakwater at the wall.

Conditions:
wind: 9kts
air: 52°F
water:54°F
current: end of strong ebb
distance swims completed: 3 (1 Alcatraz - AP, 1 Alcatraz - StFYC, 1 GGB - AP)
3D map of the SF Bay floor

I was going to do my long run then felt a twinge of pain on my ankle, now I'm taped up with sports tape. Just did an hour of elliptical and spinning and taking it easy. Maybe it's time to put the speedwork away. Just when I was hoping to max out my mileage. Something always turns up. I'm not worried, though. I'm in it for the fun. I run to reduce stress, not to cause stress. Spring is here, which means lots of light in the evening for bike rides, swims and runs, dog parks, etc.

Sunrise Run

Be careful out there folks. Mother Nature is beautiful but also fierce. There are certain places that are safe to swim and places to stay away from, especially if you are alone. Know the conditions before you go.

Week #10

2010-03-14T17:57:00.000-07:00

S:2.8 B:44 R:33
Today was an epic training day, 1 hr swim and 2 1/2 hr run along the waterfront at Sunday Streets. Beautiful day. It was easy to do 9:30 - 10:00 pace for the long run. I found that it feels better to do the fast speedwork later on in the week and not the first workout after the long run. I don't know what happened to my 5k race pace (longer repeats maybe) but I'm not going to worry about that right now. I'm able to make the 8:00 pace way more comfortable. The strides are getting stronger. Did CPR training on Saturday at the Red Cross, so no bike ride. Swimming Alcatraz next week!

Week #9

2010-03-08T07:43:00.000-08:00

S: 1.5
B:36.7
R:33

The week started off really weak. My poor pup had seizures three nights in a row. His epilepsy surfaces maybe twice a year like this. He has a grand mal, which is followed by constant pacing in half-blind state. That's when I grab his leash and we go for brisk walk outside at 1am. Then 2 hours later, followed by another one. The first night this happened 3 times. The seizures gradually decrease in intensity over the next few days. We're so thankful to have found the right meds and diet for him - this used to happen every 2 months!

I can't think of anything worse for your body and mind than no sleep. He was very exhausted also by the end of it.

I postponed my interval run and plan to up my bike and swim mileage. Here is what the fancy interval run looked like, it's from a FIRST training plan:

I sandwiched this run in some hills, because I heard BSIM is hilly. Maybe I need to check the elevation chart.

Sunday Swims - an excellent swim in the bay. We had a nice big group full of folks training for the ESCAPE. Joseph said it was like a party! The water party was followed by a nice long 20 mile run on the Coastal Bliss loop. It was so windy I got sandblasted at Baker and Ocean beach. It's fun to watch the hawks hang stationary in the wind without flapping their wings. I love my "aid station" at JAVA BEACH! They have bagels, croissants, pastries, and there is water at the very end of the bar. Surprisingly, I actually had energy after my run and stepped out with my man. Maybe it's because I stayed fueled up throughout the run. I wasn't starving afterwards.

Looking forward to another Alcatraz swim this month, time to up the mileage. I think I'm most nervous about the Century and getting prepared for it at the same time as getting prepared for a marathon, but will do my best. The spring events will put me in a good place for the summer triathlon.

What Week Am I On - #8

2010-02-28T20:45:00.000-08:00

My thoughts are with Chile tonight. I hope they get the help they need soon as possible.

S:1.5 B: 34.5 R: 27.6
I just barely made it through the week with low energy but finishing today on a good note. I finally signed up for a summer triathlon. The Golden Gate Triathlon: affordable, local and beautiful course. Plus I had such a blissful time last year doing the sprint. Long run of 18 miles and excellent swim today.

Video: Alcatraz Crossing February

If you are interested in open water swimming, Coach Pedro of Water World Swim will be discussing Open Water Swimming at Sports Basement Presidio, 610 Old Mason St. San Francisco, CA Thursday, March 4, 6:30pm-7:30pm

I really enjoy swimming with Water World Swim, so I became a member this year. I just wanted to train for a triathlon and didn't think I would enjoy swimming this much. Now I'm hooked.

Week #7 - Coasting the Plateau

2010-02-21T17:58:00.000-08:00

S:1.25 B:36 R:26
Two more months until the Marathon and I'm feeling a lull in energy. I think this is the plateau period before I head up the next ramp in mileage. It was really hard to pick up the pace after the last race, but I'm glad I pushed myself. I feel I'm getting a little closer to my goal marathon pace. I swam in the rain today and felt great. I took it for granted that I'm swimming entire buoy lengths without stopping until another swimmer mentioned it. Focusing on little positive things to get through it. I'm welcoming the sight of cherry blossoms. That means spring is around the corner.

Week #6 - Aquarian Slow Motion

2010-02-15T09:32:00.000-08:00

S:1.8 B: 41 R:8 (Feb 8-14)
Happy birthday to all the fellow Aquarians out there! After the race, the pace really slowed down. The legs were quite sore a day and two after, so I didn't even look at a training plan all week. Aside from working part-time, just did recovery running, a few swims and video editing. Here is a video I did for my swim group with some tips for a successful Alcatraz crossing:

The water at Aquatic Park yesterday was 54°F. If you swim there every week you get used to it. Especially if you go daily. I find this temperature very comfortable in a wetsuit. In the video, you'll notice they are wearing two or three caps: a neoprene skull cap with 1 or 2 latex on top. In winter like to wear 3 caps: a silicone cap on the bottom, a thermal lycra-lined swim cap in the middle, and a bright colored latex on top so that boats can see you. I also have some thermal fleece swim socks that I wear underneath my booties. No gloves needed - some people like them. The body is going to do what it needs to do to adapt to the cold, such as shunt the blood from your extremities. You will know when you need to get out of the water. I noticed that after regular swimming in the bay, I can get in easier, stay in longer and the recovery is getting quicker also. And I didn't get sick last year! Cold water + negative ions = immune system enhancement!

There are no big waves here like at Ocean Beach. In case you were wondering how deep (or shallow) the Aquatic Park is, check out Allen's video. It shows a typical training swim inside the cove. At low tide you can touch the bottom in several places. Also at low tide, you can see the pretty starfish on the seawall. I had a great post-birthday swim there in the fog. I will do a long run today now the sun is shining.

Week #5 - KP SF Half Marathon

2010-02-07T16:03:00.000-08:00

S:0 B:49.5 R:24.6

Wow - what a change in the weather! It actually feels like spring. What happened? It was a perfect day to run the KP SF Half Marathon. Third time doing this race and the sun was out, beautiful! Just a little windy on the Great Highway coming back hard to keep pace. Everyone seemed to be in good spirits - good positive energy. Alot of Big Sur Int. Marathon shirts on the course. Managed to get a PR 6:39 seconds better than last year and actually feel more comfortable doing it. I love this race! The mild hills on this course used to bug me, but after doing hill work, Mt. Tam and Headlands trail runs last year was not even a blip on the radar. For some reason, my Garmin went to multisport mode so I didn't get all my split times. I kept looking at my watch to make sure I was between 7 - 8mph. I brought my fuel belt and carb flask, so only stopped once at mile 8 to refill. Integrating longer strides is coming along. I have been running without music on the pace runs so I can focus on the rhythm of pacing. While keeping the same pace, see what is like to do longer strides vs. faster turnover and mix it up. Rode bike to starting line and felt really good to get on the bike afterwards. Had to get in and out of there because I had dogs waiting for me to go to the park. The taper was restless, but managed to use energy to get a creative project going. Usually I carbo-load on pasta the night before the race, but not this time. I had a burrito for lunch and was so full I couldn't eat dinner, but was craving a vanilla milkshake. For breakfast 2 slices of toast and jam. It seemed to work out just fine. This is my last race in this age group. Onward with the marathon training...

Wk #4 - Epic Swim!

2010-01-31T18:53:00.000-08:00

S:5 B:50 R:24.5
2010 training is off to a great start. After 3 weeks of steady efforts, taking it down a notch on the fourth week. Kept up with the running but cut back on the bike to get ready for an epic swim on Saturday with Water World Swim. After seeing the gigantic wolf moon setting before dawn, we jumped off The Dauntless by the Golden Gate Bridge and swam to the Aquatic Park on the flood tide. It was very exciting! I was nervous in the beginning after jumping off the boat - Irene and I decided only last week to do this - but the water felt great and it was so amazing to be out in the middle of the bay. Though the surface of the water looked smooth and glassy, there was actually a good current moving into the bay. I learned a lot about navigation on this one. We set our sights on Alcatraz for the first 10 minutes, then angled toward land for the dome of the Palace of Fine Arts. It was a bit foggy and the sun had come out, so headed toward the glare of the sun for a bit. The water felt warmer than usual, and every ten seconds or so came the swells that pushed you a little further and up and down like a boat. It was a unique experience.

Though there were nine of us, we kind of spread out into little groups. I found a group of 3, and just tried to follow them. By the time I could see the dome, it was time to angle toward Fort Mason. Here is where we had to make a more sharp angle toward shore. Our group of four turned into two. I just kept following the person in front but I wish I had angled or sprinted just a tiny bit more because before I knew it I was getting close to the Aquatic Park and wanted to be closer to the pier so I could make it to the opening in time. I just barely made it, and had to hussle and swim against the current a little and push through. I was so happy to get inside the cove! The Dauntless was nearby with another support boat if we ever wanted to get back on the boat, but I was having a great time swimming. I made it to shore in an hour and 4 minutes and still felt like I could keep on swimming. I still can't believe I did it - it felt like a dream! I'm psyched to do more epic bay swims.

Irene brought her camera and took some photos. She did great!

Next week is the KP Half-Marathon and am going to make sure to save some energy for the race. I noticed on Ryan's taper week that he has an intense interval run 2 days before the race. LOL! no way I'm doing that, homie!

Wk #3 - In the Zone

2010-01-24T20:09:00.000-08:00

S:2.9 B:108.21 R:26.94
my week starts on Monday, (our club USAT NCC spreadsheet starts on Sunday)

a view from the Coastal Trail

It's been a good week despite all the much needed rain. I'm getting used to the schedule. Felt a little tired toward the end, but put in a good effort on the running speedwork. Crossing off the other workouts was a bonus (9 in total: 3 swims, 3 runs, 2 bikes + bike to work for the week which I count as 1, and 2 rest days). Did not do 2 minute miles workout on the bike this week, but got a good resistance workout at 5min/mi and a long ride at 6min/mi. For the third week in a row I am not able to get and keep the desired marathon pace for the long run, so am going to accept it, relax and try to just ENJOY it and keep building up the mileage. I know I can hussle when I really need to, and will save the turbo juice for the other two interval and tempo runs. I did notice the overall pace is a little faster than last week and I ran more comfortably. Will continue to work on lengthening the stride. I signed up for the Golden Gate Bridge to Aquatic Park swim next Saturday. Here is a video of us swimming in the bay:

I registered for NERT training. I want to know what to do and how I can help out in my area when there is an emergency.

Sample Workouts

2010-01-21T08:10:00.000-08:00

I had such a great workout this morning that I forgot it was raining outside and that I had to go to work LOL...Here are a couple of workouts from this week:

Swimming: My favorite workout!
4 x 100m wu drills combo: sidekick + shark fin,
breast + back
2 x 200m free reach and catchup on the odds / pull on the evens
2 x 400m free or 1 x 800m free with variations:

variations:
w/last 100m fast, alternating sprints, or negative splits

I did an experiment this morning and did 400m with all out 50m sprints alternating with 50m recoveries, and then did a 400m with 200m easy pace then 200m fast but sustainable pace, and the times came out about the same.

Here is the Furman Institute running workout I did on Tuesday that exhausted my adductors!

Speed Descent
10-20 min. warmup
1200, 1000,800, 600, 400, 200 at around 10k pace w/ 200 RI
10 min. cool down

and here is what it looks like in the Garmin:

You can adjust your own speed. I like the Garmin program capability because I can make up a track workout anywhere. I was so sore yesterday I had to take a rest day. The fast twitch muscle factory had to regroup. Lengthening the stride with speed is a whole new world. I can't do these on the treadmill, have to go outside and stretch the legs! With the hill training, the pressure was on hip flexors, calves and achilles tendon, now with speed strides it is the adductors and deep quads.

When I used to do TaeKwonDo our Sabumnim would ask us in the middle of class if we were tired. If we said yes, we would have to do 50 pushups. Are you tired?

Wk #2 - Balance

2010-01-17T18:59:00.000-08:00

Thoughts, prayers and donations go out to Haiti...It's very frustrating knowing that the aid is not getting there fast enough. Everything else seems trivial in comparison to what they are dealing with.

View from the Coastal Trail @ Sutro Baths
S:2.75 B:118.5 R:25.5

Swim: good pool workout and open water swim in the cove this weekend. Time continues to get better the more I do the little sprint sessions. Working on maintaining pull and propulsion with speed. Better stroke efficiency. Staying longer in cold water.

Run: Marathon/half-marathon training is going well, though it is challenging to run 3x/wk as if you are racing. I am not getting a steady MP in the long runs, but I get a lot of variety in the course, including hills so I can maintain the fitness from all that hill training that I did last year. Working on pacing and longer strides.

Bike: Doing more cycling has given me tons more energy. Not sure why but perhaps it is just spending a few more hours in the aerobic zone that's keeping the metabolism revved. Sometimes it is difficult to sleep. My goal is to get at least 100 miles in every week. The rain is here. I don't mind riding in the rain, but man the bike sure does get dirty! I spent a good hour cleaning my bike after yesterday's 5 hour ride. I got a late start and accepted the fact that it would get dark and probably rain, so prepared to ride in it. I have an awesome light. However, I didn't prepare to get lost and my phone to die. I think I added an extra hour to my ride just trying to find my way in the dark foggy rain. Things that look familiar during the day are totally different at night. But it was an adventure, and where there is a bike, there is an adventure to be had!

Week 1 - 2010

2010-01-10T21:36:00.000-08:00

S:3 B:103 R:24
You know you've put in a good week of training when you are ready for the rest day! This has been a good first week of training doing something new for me which is regular pace workouts. I'm in my third year of running and it's time. I'm getting ready for BSIM using the F.I.R.S.T. plan method, which focuses on race pacing. It is the metric marathon plan - it looks very similar to Ryan Hall's Half-Marathon training plan. The key workout #1 is very ambitious in the Threshold Zone 5, and it is challenging to run at different speeds and maintain them. The McMillan Running Calculator is a good tool to use for realistic pacing targets. The plan recommends doing your own easy mileage on the other days of the week, but I have set off to do more cardio swimming and cycling on those days so I can be ready for triathlons or bike rides in the spring that I haven't signed up for yet. 3 x 3 of each with 3 double up days. It feels more balanced to be back on the bike, even though I ride my bike to work and never really am completely off the bike, it's great to be able to go for a longer ride to a nice place rather than the greyhound station:

Today's long run was almost all at marathon pace on the upcoming half-marathon course, which I thought was easy at first, NOT realizing that I had a strong tailwind assisting me that I would have to contend with on the way back, dropping the marathon pace to a recovery pace. Note to self: observe the wind conditions on race day.

I don't know how so much training has become such a major focus of my life but it keeps me focused on positive things which I need right now. I just feel that positive things that work should be embraced and nurtured so I have the energy and strength to deal with the negative things that aren't working. The unexpected bonus is that being involved in it has attracted MORE positive energy and people to my life like a magnet.

One of those people is my swim partner! I am so glad I found an experienced swim partner. Every weekend we make a plan to go swimming and this weekend we went to the pool. I learned some great tips on other strokes from her and tried her long fins. If you ever want to swim like a dolphin, then try the loooong fins! She does a beautiful butterfly and tried to show me but I couldn't do it - it's very difficult. Last summer I saw someone leading the swim in a local triathlon approaching the shore in butterfly. Very artful! It made me realize what a graceful sport triathlon is and there are places you can really express yourself like the swim. For open water training the Sunday Swims are back, and there are also some Saturday swims with Swim Art coming up.

End of Year!

2009-12-31T14:14:00.000-08:00

2009 Recap:

click on the photo for links to each event

Run: 934 Bike: 2,873 Swim: 67 miles
9 races plus 1 Alcatraz Crossing, volunteered at 2 events

2009 was the year of the TRI. I learned to swim and do my first Triathlon, Ultra and Alcatraz Crossing and started getting humble AG wins in running. The total mileage was upped, but split into multiple activities. I had improved speed and endurance in running and swimming.

I found it hard to find the time and energy to do long bike rides in tandem with swimming and marathon training, but now that my swim time is better and I feel more comfortable with it I hope to get back on the bike more. Instead of running high mileage, I learned to get efficient high-intensity running workouts in each week. I picked up a new off-season sport that I like: boogieboarding!

My goal is to do more pace workouts and update my cobwebs PRs list. Do another marathon, an oly tri, a century ride, a distance swim, and let the rest happen. I'll be entering a new age group so that should be interesting! I would like to swim 800m in 15min, a 5k in under 20, and at least get a 4:20 marathon.

Cool winter recovery tip: I took it easy from running but upped my swimming mileage, and noticed that getting back into running was easier after the break because I kept up my cardio. Also, over the holidays I had a week and a half of no sugar or refined carbs. When you do that there is no such thing as a bonk and it keeps the weight down when you are in an easy phase. I see carbs alot differently now.

This has been a weird decade, full of darkness, doom and gloom, but it has also been a decade filled with some turning points. I am going to light my candle and keep it burning bright! Let's see if we can sneak in a few more running miles in today. Happy 2010!