Saturday, June 07, 2008
Friday, June 06, 2008
Number 2785
I have an official race bib number. On Sunday, I will be Number 2785.
We got to Austin yesterday and went directly to the Whole Foods flagship store (aka Willy Wonka's Organic Foods Factory) for lunch, because they have the best salad bars you've ever seen.
Today, it is raining. Weather.com says it's going to rain until Monday, with possible thunderstorms on Sunday. Now the only thing I'm more nervous about than doing the race is not getting to do the race after all my hard work. Not that it would be canceled due to just rain, but I hear lightening around lakes is dangerous.
So right now I'm praying for decent weather. Dry roads would be best for biking, but hey--I've biked in hail and I know how to work my brakes on a wet road. I can take a couple rain drops. Swimming in rain is... whatever, we're already wet. Running is fine, because at least it won't be a million degrees hot, which was the initial concern. I did a light, 30-minute walk/jog around the neighborhood where I'm staying, and either from rain or humidity or sweat or, like today, a combination of all three, it's just going to be a wet race. And that's fine.
I'm as ready as I'm going to get. I have a Race Plan (because when the Going Gets Tough, Dinah Makes a Spreadsheet), I have all my gear, I have a bike reserved, and I'm as trained as I can be. I might be doing a little more walking than I would like, but I'm okay with it.
All I need now is some last-minute encouragement to help quell the general anxiety & nerves I've been feeling all week. I'm going to collect them all and read them the night before my race, and remember that I am loved and supported and I CAN DO THIS!!
Thanks to everyone who has already called or emailed their support! Also, if you're feeling generous and want a little warm fuzzy for yourself today, feel free to click here and donate to the Team Survivor pledge program. This isn't like other races, where you have to commit to raise a certain amount of money. BUT there's no harm in kicking in a couple bucks for breast cancer research is there? If you want to do it in my name, then use the info below:
Name: Dinah McLean
Hometown: North Hollywood, CA
Race City: Austin, TX
Thanks everyone!!!
We got to Austin yesterday and went directly to the Whole Foods flagship store (aka Willy Wonka's Organic Foods Factory) for lunch, because they have the best salad bars you've ever seen.
Today, it is raining. Weather.com says it's going to rain until Monday, with possible thunderstorms on Sunday. Now the only thing I'm more nervous about than doing the race is not getting to do the race after all my hard work. Not that it would be canceled due to just rain, but I hear lightening around lakes is dangerous.
So right now I'm praying for decent weather. Dry roads would be best for biking, but hey--I've biked in hail and I know how to work my brakes on a wet road. I can take a couple rain drops. Swimming in rain is... whatever, we're already wet. Running is fine, because at least it won't be a million degrees hot, which was the initial concern. I did a light, 30-minute walk/jog around the neighborhood where I'm staying, and either from rain or humidity or sweat or, like today, a combination of all three, it's just going to be a wet race. And that's fine.
I'm as ready as I'm going to get. I have a Race Plan (because when the Going Gets Tough, Dinah Makes a Spreadsheet), I have all my gear, I have a bike reserved, and I'm as trained as I can be. I might be doing a little more walking than I would like, but I'm okay with it.
All I need now is some last-minute encouragement to help quell the general anxiety & nerves I've been feeling all week. I'm going to collect them all and read them the night before my race, and remember that I am loved and supported and I CAN DO THIS!!
Thanks to everyone who has already called or emailed their support! Also, if you're feeling generous and want a little warm fuzzy for yourself today, feel free to click here and donate to the Team Survivor pledge program. This isn't like other races, where you have to commit to raise a certain amount of money. BUT there's no harm in kicking in a couple bucks for breast cancer research is there? If you want to do it in my name, then use the info below:
Name: Dinah McLean
Hometown: North Hollywood, CA
Race City: Austin, TX
Thanks everyone!!!
Thursday, June 05, 2008
you hadda be there
Trying to choose just one phrase from this fantastic R.E.M. concert review was so difficult. My mom should go to more shows and write more reviews, I think. Don't you?
Hi--
Last night we attended the REM concert at Red Rocks, and it was quite a memorable experience on many levels. First of all, I insisted that with GA tickets we needed to get there fairly early to get good seats, because it's first come, first pick of seats. So with the gates opening at 5:00 for a 6:30 concert I didn't feel it was unreasonable to get there around 4:00. Arriving at 4:15 at the parking lot at the "top," we only had a 45 minute wait in beautiful sunny weather till we could enter the gate from somewhere near the middle of a long line. But before we could enter, all our drinks had to be de-capped....yes, apparently they're afraid we'll toss our bottles of water and pop at the performers if they have caps on them. Fortunately, I had put the drinks into a plastic lunch bag so they didn't get all over the place as we carefully avoided getting knocked over as people tore past us to get the best seats! I made no mention of the two frozen bottles of water that were keeping our sandwiches cold, but Bud probably would have had he known. Think what good missiles they would make!!
Even though we parked at the top lot, we decided to go on down to the front section and were able to get seats in row 20. We proceeded to enjoy our ham and cheese on rye sandwiches and a couple of $7.00 beers (while our opened drinks went flat). The first two bands were not our favorites, but they did have their following of adoring kids. "The National" was tolerable, but in retrospect, not loved too much because people actually sat in their seats for most of the performance. A group of old hippies/bikers? in front of us started passing joints early in the show. So I didn`t feel too bad about my hidden frozen capped waters. I guess the no smoking rule doesn't apply to anything but tobacco! Ha, ha! Anyway, no one seemed to mind about the smoke. I think they were all jealous that they didn't have any.
After enduring the loud grueling throb of "Modest Mouse" or, as one of our fellow folks in line called them, "shy rodents" we were starting to wonder if we'd made a mistake in spending $150 for this lovely evening. Bud kept trying to determine if he was the oldest person there when a REALLY old hippie with a long white beard and wild white hair with little braids here and there came around selling hemp ice cream. Tourists were getting their pictures taken with the hemp ice cream sellers. Anyway, we decided that Bud was indeed older. After all, we are older than the hippie generation. We passed on the ice cream.
After an intermission, during which time they set up for the Main Event, we were all poised for a fabulous show. Needless to say, it was beyond any expectations I had. By then it was dark, the rocks around us were lit so they jumped out like a surreal Parrish print. When the music and the accompanying light show commenced, we were bowled over! When they played the second song, "What's the Frequency, Kenneth? " from my favorite Monster album, I was totally hooked. It was incredible. The light show, which included a grid of moving faces of the band members and colors and shapes and words to appropriately accompany each song,
only enhanced our nearly overloaded senses. I thought it was amusing when they played "Losing My Religion" that they focused the lights and cameras on the audience as they sang, "that's me in the spotlight losing my religion." And then the audience was on the screen. Well, you can read the reviews, but you hadda be there.
Well, a good time was had by all. And those great seats? No one sits during these concerts--the whole time!! But I didn't mind standing during the REM segment as we'd been sitting for 3 hours before that! I was able to navigate the stairs with frequent "rests," but I noticed a lot of young people resting too! I am experiencing considerable soreness in my calf muscles, but that's fine. I don't want to wait too long before we go again.
I hope you've enjoyed my "review."
Love you,
Mom
Hi--
Last night we attended the REM concert at Red Rocks, and it was quite a memorable experience on many levels. First of all, I insisted that with GA tickets we needed to get there fairly early to get good seats, because it's first come, first pick of seats. So with the gates opening at 5:00 for a 6:30 concert I didn't feel it was unreasonable to get there around 4:00. Arriving at 4:15 at the parking lot at the "top," we only had a 45 minute wait in beautiful sunny weather till we could enter the gate from somewhere near the middle of a long line. But before we could enter, all our drinks had to be de-capped....yes, apparently they're afraid we'll toss our bottles of water and pop at the performers if they have caps on them. Fortunately, I had put the drinks into a plastic lunch bag so they didn't get all over the place as we carefully avoided getting knocked over as people tore past us to get the best seats! I made no mention of the two frozen bottles of water that were keeping our sandwiches cold, but Bud probably would have had he known. Think what good missiles they would make!!
Even though we parked at the top lot, we decided to go on down to the front section and were able to get seats in row 20. We proceeded to enjoy our ham and cheese on rye sandwiches and a couple of $7.00 beers (while our opened drinks went flat). The first two bands were not our favorites, but they did have their following of adoring kids. "The National" was tolerable, but in retrospect, not loved too much because people actually sat in their seats for most of the performance. A group of old hippies/bikers? in front of us started passing joints early in the show. So I didn`t feel too bad about my hidden frozen capped waters. I guess the no smoking rule doesn't apply to anything but tobacco! Ha, ha! Anyway, no one seemed to mind about the smoke. I think they were all jealous that they didn't have any.
After enduring the loud grueling throb of "Modest Mouse" or, as one of our fellow folks in line called them, "shy rodents" we were starting to wonder if we'd made a mistake in spending $150 for this lovely evening. Bud kept trying to determine if he was the oldest person there when a REALLY old hippie with a long white beard and wild white hair with little braids here and there came around selling hemp ice cream. Tourists were getting their pictures taken with the hemp ice cream sellers. Anyway, we decided that Bud was indeed older. After all, we are older than the hippie generation. We passed on the ice cream.
After an intermission, during which time they set up for the Main Event, we were all poised for a fabulous show. Needless to say, it was beyond any expectations I had. By then it was dark, the rocks around us were lit so they jumped out like a surreal Parrish print. When the music and the accompanying light show commenced, we were bowled over! When they played the second song, "What's the Frequency, Kenneth? " from my favorite Monster album, I was totally hooked. It was incredible. The light show, which included a grid of moving faces of the band members and colors and shapes and words to appropriately accompany each song,
only enhanced our nearly overloaded senses. I thought it was amusing when they played "Losing My Religion" that they focused the lights and cameras on the audience as they sang, "that's me in the spotlight losing my religion." And then the audience was on the screen. Well, you can read the reviews, but you hadda be there.
Well, a good time was had by all. And those great seats? No one sits during these concerts--the whole time!! But I didn't mind standing during the REM segment as we'd been sitting for 3 hours before that! I was able to navigate the stairs with frequent "rests," but I noticed a lot of young people resting too! I am experiencing considerable soreness in my calf muscles, but that's fine. I don't want to wait too long before we go again.
I hope you've enjoyed my "review."
Love you,
Mom
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
nutty
What a nutty day.
I love a 3-day weekend as much as the next girl, but this one was kind of exhausting. We went out to dinner, played Rock Band, went to brunch, went to a BBQ, saw Indy, and hosted a Memorial Day brunch for some of our nearest and dearest friends.
And can I just take this moment to gush over how awesome our friends are? Of the 12 possible attendees, 10 RSVP'd yes, and only two of those couldn't make it at the last minute. I was expecting maybe half to RSVP/show, for a small, cozy group. But even though there were 10 of us around the table in the end, it still felt small and cozy and fun and rad. It was like Thanksgiving, only with Egg Dish instead of turkey, and way less stress. And God bless my friends for letting me experiment on them and test out new recipes, most of which came out perfect. (The "I Don't Want Earl's Baby" Pie came out a little runny, but still tasted delicious.)
Anyhoo, today. Has been nutty with a trip to the vet, 3 appointments (1 canceled), several deadlines, 1 big Win, and I'm already tired even though I still have to train. Tonight I'm going to go to pair up my bike & run and see how wobbly my legs are walking/jogging after 12 miles on the bike.
I'm excited to go, though, and wear some of my new gear. Because the only thing I obsess about more than the triathlon training is my triathlon outfit, and how ridiculous I'll look. I'm resigned to looking pretty ridiculous since I'll be wearing bike shorts and, Helloooooooo, Thighs! That said, I think my new hat & sunglasses help make me look like an actual jock.
"Yeah, I do triathlons. You know, for fun. 'Cause I'm so tough & athletic & all."
ETA: I ended up going out later than I expected, so I only biked 6.45 miles before running 2.4 miles. I learned that I'm going to have to kick off my 5k with about 5 minutes of walking, and I learned that I can jog at a slow/easy pace for at least 25 minutes straight. I am hopeful that this training and these findings will help me sort out a decent run time in a couple weeks.
I also used my time on the bike to write the following alternate lyrics to Gwen Stefani's "What You Waiting For?" Stick 'em in the bridge where she goes off on Japan & shit.
"I can't wait to go,
Starting with the swim.
I don't even need no fins.
I switch to bicycle,
And then I'm gonna run
Right across the finish line.
Go!"
~ dedicated to Team Queso
I love a 3-day weekend as much as the next girl, but this one was kind of exhausting. We went out to dinner, played Rock Band, went to brunch, went to a BBQ, saw Indy, and hosted a Memorial Day brunch for some of our nearest and dearest friends.
And can I just take this moment to gush over how awesome our friends are? Of the 12 possible attendees, 10 RSVP'd yes, and only two of those couldn't make it at the last minute. I was expecting maybe half to RSVP/show, for a small, cozy group. But even though there were 10 of us around the table in the end, it still felt small and cozy and fun and rad. It was like Thanksgiving, only with Egg Dish instead of turkey, and way less stress. And God bless my friends for letting me experiment on them and test out new recipes, most of which came out perfect. (The "I Don't Want Earl's Baby" Pie came out a little runny, but still tasted delicious.)
Anyhoo, today. Has been nutty with a trip to the vet, 3 appointments (1 canceled), several deadlines, 1 big Win, and I'm already tired even though I still have to train. Tonight I'm going to go to pair up my bike & run and see how wobbly my legs are walking/jogging after 12 miles on the bike.
I'm excited to go, though, and wear some of my new gear. Because the only thing I obsess about more than the triathlon training is my triathlon outfit, and how ridiculous I'll look. I'm resigned to looking pretty ridiculous since I'll be wearing bike shorts and, Helloooooooo, Thighs! That said, I think my new hat & sunglasses help make me look like an actual jock.
"Yeah, I do triathlons. You know, for fun. 'Cause I'm so tough & athletic & all."
ETA: I ended up going out later than I expected, so I only biked 6.45 miles before running 2.4 miles. I learned that I'm going to have to kick off my 5k with about 5 minutes of walking, and I learned that I can jog at a slow/easy pace for at least 25 minutes straight. I am hopeful that this training and these findings will help me sort out a decent run time in a couple weeks.
I also used my time on the bike to write the following alternate lyrics to Gwen Stefani's "What You Waiting For?" Stick 'em in the bridge where she goes off on Japan & shit.
"I can't wait to go,
Starting with the swim.
I don't even need no fins.
I switch to bicycle,
And then I'm gonna run
Right across the finish line.
Go!"
~ dedicated to Team Queso
Friday, May 23, 2008
all over the map
Today is a very Seattle day here in Los Angeles. The air is cool, the sky is gray, the ground is wet. It makes me want to listen to 90's grunge music and drink coffee. I love it.
Speaking of things that I love, So You Think You Can Dance is back!* Audition shows are never as great as the top 20 shows, where you get the couples and the choreography and the group performances. BUT I still really love them because these are the episodes where you really get to see the breakers and poppers do what they're best at. They'll usually show you the whole performance of the really good ones, and it's such a treat.
In totally unrelated news, I just wanted to congratulate my friends JL and Kyann on the adoption of their baby girl! She looks like an absolute angel, and she's already getting used to having her photog pop take all kinds of pictures and video of her. She even has her own blog. We're definitely at that age where more and more of our friends are having kids, and I think it's super awesome that JL & Ky have taken the adoption route towards starting a family.
This post was all over the map, huh? And with that, I'm off to see Indy!
*If you're wondering, Hey, Dinah, does this mean your blog is going to become "All SYTYCD/Triathlon, All the Time?" Ummmm, yeah. Maybe. Whatever, you love it.
Speaking of things that I love, So You Think You Can Dance is back!* Audition shows are never as great as the top 20 shows, where you get the couples and the choreography and the group performances. BUT I still really love them because these are the episodes where you really get to see the breakers and poppers do what they're best at. They'll usually show you the whole performance of the really good ones, and it's such a treat.
In totally unrelated news, I just wanted to congratulate my friends JL and Kyann on the adoption of their baby girl! She looks like an absolute angel, and she's already getting used to having her photog pop take all kinds of pictures and video of her. She even has her own blog. We're definitely at that age where more and more of our friends are having kids, and I think it's super awesome that JL & Ky have taken the adoption route towards starting a family.
This post was all over the map, huh? And with that, I'm off to see Indy!
*If you're wondering, Hey, Dinah, does this mean your blog is going to become "All SYTYCD/Triathlon, All the Time?" Ummmm, yeah. Maybe. Whatever, you love it.
Thursday, May 22, 2008
I bike in hail!
So, listen. If you've been following the story, then you know that I have had my doubts about this whole madcap triathlon endeavor. Especially recently, as the event starts to loom closer and the panic about all the training I have NOT done starts to creep in.
So let's see where I'm really at, shall we?
Swimming:
Today I did the whole half mile without stopping in 32:50 and felt great. I did an extra two laps just because I could. Plus, let's face it, if my last attempts at open-water swimming are any indication, I'm not swimming this thing in a straight line, like, at all. So it will likely be longer than my practiced 1/2 mile distance. Knowing I can do the whole distance, and then some, is a great feeling. Also a great feeling: when I realized I wasn't nearly as winded as I used to be, then used that information to force myself to try and swim faster. I mean, I shaved almost 3 minutes off my time from just last Tuesday.
Goals: Shave another minute or two off, if possible; practice swimming in what I'll be wearing on race day (tri-shorts, sports bra, zip up jersey); practice Zen-ing out and visualize taking on the Fleshy Churning Spank Machine open water swim with calm and confidence.
Biking:
When I first agreed to do this, I was focused on the running because I knew that was hard for me. Then I switched focus to swimming because I knew I couldn't do that hardly at all. I haven't spent nearly enough on my bike, and it's pretty obvious. On Sunday I tried to bike in the 95 degree heat and thought I was gonna die. (Lesson learned: hydrate, hydrate, hydrate!!!!) Today I biked a little over 12 miles (2.5 to the gym, 9.7 after my swim) and I wasn't clocking it super-specifically or anything, but I think the whole thing was around 1:08. As in, an hour and 8 minutes. So, I can do it, but I am hella slow. The fun part, though, was getting caught in a rainstorm on my bike. That's right: I am now a HARD-CORE ATHLETE, I bike in hail!
Goals: Get time under an hour (and who knows how much time I'm wasting at stop lights, dude); practice bike-to-run transition; do a couple more rides in the heat, if possible.
Running:
Oh, who am I kidding? I can't actually qualify what I do as "running." This is where I started my training, and it's still my weakest leg of the whole thing. I still get dizzy, the tiniest twinges can turn into full-blown muscle spasms, and I have to walk a lot. If I'm regulating my time, then I'm alternating 2-minute walks with 3-minute jogs for the whole distance. If I'm not regulating my time, then that means I'm pushing myself to see how far/long I can jog, and then getting exhausted, and then I'm all over the map. The good news is, I've at least picked up a little speed from when I started. The bad news is, I'm probably not doing this 5k in under 45 minutes any time soon. I mean, I do it in 42 minutes now. And I've paired it with the bike a few times with decent success, actually. Just not with the whole bike distance. So, yeah. I could be walking this thing.
Goals: Get time down to 41, maybe 40 minutes (so I can do it in 45 on race day); practice walking/jogging after full 12-mile ride; practice jogging in what I'll be wearing on race day, especially outside; do a couple jogs in the heat, if possible.
So if I were to do this today (and, hi, I did 2/3 of it today, HOLLA!!), then my total time will be about 2 and a half hours, I think? If I can manage a 35 minute swim + 60 minute bike + 45 minute run on race day, then it's 2:20, plus transitions. For a sprint, this is a VERY SLOW TIME. BUT. Considering that I was certain I couldn't do this at all before Lo & Susan talked me into in January? Or that I was convinced it would take me at least 3 hours just 2 weeks ago?
I'm kind of stoked.
So let's see where I'm really at, shall we?
Swimming:
Today I did the whole half mile without stopping in 32:50 and felt great. I did an extra two laps just because I could. Plus, let's face it, if my last attempts at open-water swimming are any indication, I'm not swimming this thing in a straight line, like, at all. So it will likely be longer than my practiced 1/2 mile distance. Knowing I can do the whole distance, and then some, is a great feeling. Also a great feeling: when I realized I wasn't nearly as winded as I used to be, then used that information to force myself to try and swim faster. I mean, I shaved almost 3 minutes off my time from just last Tuesday.
Goals: Shave another minute or two off, if possible; practice swimming in what I'll be wearing on race day (tri-shorts, sports bra, zip up jersey); practice Zen-ing out and visualize taking on the Fleshy Churning Spank Machine open water swim with calm and confidence.
Biking:
When I first agreed to do this, I was focused on the running because I knew that was hard for me. Then I switched focus to swimming because I knew I couldn't do that hardly at all. I haven't spent nearly enough on my bike, and it's pretty obvious. On Sunday I tried to bike in the 95 degree heat and thought I was gonna die. (Lesson learned: hydrate, hydrate, hydrate!!!!) Today I biked a little over 12 miles (2.5 to the gym, 9.7 after my swim) and I wasn't clocking it super-specifically or anything, but I think the whole thing was around 1:08. As in, an hour and 8 minutes. So, I can do it, but I am hella slow. The fun part, though, was getting caught in a rainstorm on my bike. That's right: I am now a HARD-CORE ATHLETE, I bike in hail!
Goals: Get time under an hour (and who knows how much time I'm wasting at stop lights, dude); practice bike-to-run transition; do a couple more rides in the heat, if possible.
Running:
Oh, who am I kidding? I can't actually qualify what I do as "running." This is where I started my training, and it's still my weakest leg of the whole thing. I still get dizzy, the tiniest twinges can turn into full-blown muscle spasms, and I have to walk a lot. If I'm regulating my time, then I'm alternating 2-minute walks with 3-minute jogs for the whole distance. If I'm not regulating my time, then that means I'm pushing myself to see how far/long I can jog, and then getting exhausted, and then I'm all over the map. The good news is, I've at least picked up a little speed from when I started. The bad news is, I'm probably not doing this 5k in under 45 minutes any time soon. I mean, I do it in 42 minutes now. And I've paired it with the bike a few times with decent success, actually. Just not with the whole bike distance. So, yeah. I could be walking this thing.
Goals: Get time down to 41, maybe 40 minutes (so I can do it in 45 on race day); practice walking/jogging after full 12-mile ride; practice jogging in what I'll be wearing on race day, especially outside; do a couple jogs in the heat, if possible.
So if I were to do this today (and, hi, I did 2/3 of it today, HOLLA!!), then my total time will be about 2 and a half hours, I think? If I can manage a 35 minute swim + 60 minute bike + 45 minute run on race day, then it's 2:20, plus transitions. For a sprint, this is a VERY SLOW TIME. BUT. Considering that I was certain I couldn't do this at all before Lo & Susan talked me into in January? Or that I was convinced it would take me at least 3 hours just 2 weeks ago?
I'm kind of stoked.
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
I AM THE BIG WINNER.
Who's a big winner?
I AM. I AM THE BIG WINNER.
My first attempt at swimming was on February 8. I had to stop after every length of the pool to hold onto the side and breathe. Getting through all 18 laps took me 90 freaking minutes. By March 24 I was stopping to breathe after every lap, getting through the laps took a combination of freestyle/crawl, breast stroke and floating on my back, and 18 laps took 48 minutes.
I've been making steady improvements since then, putting more and more laps together without stopping, until on Sunday I did 10 laps, took one break in the shallow end, then did 8, and the whole thing took me 39 minutes.
Today I did all 18 laps without stopping in 35:50.
I'd say that's an improvement.
I AM. I AM THE BIG WINNER.
My first attempt at swimming was on February 8. I had to stop after every length of the pool to hold onto the side and breathe. Getting through all 18 laps took me 90 freaking minutes. By March 24 I was stopping to breathe after every lap, getting through the laps took a combination of freestyle/crawl, breast stroke and floating on my back, and 18 laps took 48 minutes.
I've been making steady improvements since then, putting more and more laps together without stopping, until on Sunday I did 10 laps, took one break in the shallow end, then did 8, and the whole thing took me 39 minutes.
Today I did all 18 laps without stopping in 35:50.
I'd say that's an improvement.
nothing better than a dance-off
It's almost back.
I'll do my best not to bore everyone to tears this summer with my obsession. But yeah. I'm super excited.
In the meantime, Stephen Colbert proves my theorem that there is nothing better than a dance-off.
I'll do my best not to bore everyone to tears this summer with my obsession. But yeah. I'm super excited.
In the meantime, Stephen Colbert proves my theorem that there is nothing better than a dance-off.
Thursday, May 08, 2008
the couch potato I'm trying to leave behind
If I'm being honest, I'm not all "Yay go me! I'm training for a triathlon! I CAN DO IT GO ME!" all the time. Or even half the time. I try to be positive as much as possible, but.
But then there are the other days. Like, yesterday when I realized that I hadn't trained in a week, and it wasn't just because the last 7 days were, like, Supah-Crazy-Towne-ExPRESS. I mean, I could have woken up earlier & squeezed it in.
I just didn't want to.
Because on these other days, I feel self-indulgent and give myself all kinds of breaks because, like, "my schedule is hectic and I deserve breaks!" Or I just feel more like the couch potato I'm trying to leave behind than the tri-athlete I'm trying to become. On these other days, I'll put my workout clothes on, enjoy their spandexy comfort, and never actually go to the gym and stay home and get caught up on How I Met Your Mother while eating pasta instead.
And, then, there are days like today. The day AFTER my little pity party, the day AFTER the week of no training, whatsoever, when the panic sets in. I become a deer in headlights in the face of, OH CRAP THIS SHIT IS A MONTH AWAY I'M NOT TRAINED ENOUGH HOW ON EARTH WILL I DOOOOOOO THIS?!?!?!?
Yesterday, I dealt with my panic by eating ice cream. Today, I'm getting back on the treadmill.
Because if I'm really being honest, this whole endeavor has way less to do with me getting fit and healthy than it does with me conquering a lifetime of giving in to the lazy, self-indulgent attitude that got me into this shape in the first place.
And, y'all, THAT is WAY harder than swimming.
But then there are the other days. Like, yesterday when I realized that I hadn't trained in a week, and it wasn't just because the last 7 days were, like, Supah-Crazy-Towne-ExPRESS. I mean, I could have woken up earlier & squeezed it in.
I just didn't want to.
Because on these other days, I feel self-indulgent and give myself all kinds of breaks because, like, "my schedule is hectic and I deserve breaks!" Or I just feel more like the couch potato I'm trying to leave behind than the tri-athlete I'm trying to become. On these other days, I'll put my workout clothes on, enjoy their spandexy comfort, and never actually go to the gym and stay home and get caught up on How I Met Your Mother while eating pasta instead.
And, then, there are days like today. The day AFTER my little pity party, the day AFTER the week of no training, whatsoever, when the panic sets in. I become a deer in headlights in the face of, OH CRAP THIS SHIT IS A MONTH AWAY I'M NOT TRAINED ENOUGH HOW ON EARTH WILL I DOOOOOOO THIS?!?!?!?
Yesterday, I dealt with my panic by eating ice cream. Today, I'm getting back on the treadmill.
Because if I'm really being honest, this whole endeavor has way less to do with me getting fit and healthy than it does with me conquering a lifetime of giving in to the lazy, self-indulgent attitude that got me into this shape in the first place.
And, y'all, THAT is WAY harder than swimming.
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
healthy
I had an epiphany in the pool today.
Somewhere around lap 15 I remembered that I'm in a very busy work week--getting caught up from vacation, prepping for staff flying in and client meetings and our party on Saturday, etc. As soon as it popped into my head, I felt weird.
And I realized: generally speaking, when I'm training, I don't think about work at ALL. In fact, I don't think about anything BUT training. I think about my breathing and I think about the fatigue (and sometimes pain) I feel in my body. I think about my triathlon, and how I'm going to get through it. If I'm running, I think about the song I'm listening to, and sometimes get so caught up I do a little dance move while I'm jogging (which I bet looks bizarre to the people around me at the Y). If I'm biking, I'm thinking about the cars around me, my speed, the pain in my butt, how thirsty I am (I don't have a bottle holder on my bike yet). Sometimes I just repeat a mantra over and over again in my head. Like, my swimming mantra used to be "Just keep swimming. Just keep swimming." My new mantra is, "Long. Strong." One word for each stroke.
The weirdness passed quickly as I went back to repeating my mantra, breathing, and keeping count of my laps. And making sure I kept kicking. And paying attention to my form. There's actually quite a lot to think about when you're swimming. It doesn't leave room for any of my other usual thoughts or worries.
And I love it. I mean, as hard as all this training has been, I really love it. Not only am I in better shape than I was when I started this venture, but my workouts have become this precious me-time. I might even love swimming most of all, because it forces me out of my own head and makes me focus on the moment.
Starting this, everyone said it's best to work out with friends, and I believed them. I lamented that none of my friends go to my Y, and none of my fellow tri buddies are even in LA, and why does this city have to be so damn spread out so it's freaking impossible to get together to work out anyway?? Now I realize just how valuable all this me-time has been.
Aside from today's epiphany, I've also realized a couple other things. One, I love exercise. Go figure. When we were in Hawaii I went on 2 4-mile walks, swam laps in the ocean (I'm guessing about 600 yards?), lifted weights in the hotel exercise room, and went snorkeling. Which, fine, is basically just floating and probably didn't burn many calories. But still! Moving, playing outside--I love it. I don't know yet if I'm going to become one of those people who's addicted to triathlons, but I'm definitely making a list of all the other stuff I want to try. Like, scuba diving for sure, maybe surfing, maybe tennis? Definitely rock climbing.
Unrelated to my training (but just as healthy), I also realized last week when I was in Hawaii that I was missing the annual Ticketmaster marketing & operations conference in LA. Which, yeah, I don't work there anymore, but I still have friends there who live around the country, and it would have been fun to crash one of their parties and see some of my favorite people.
Nothing against any of those people, but in retrospect I'm actually glad I missed it. It's been almost one year exactly since I left TM after 7 years, and it's been one of the most challenging and rewarding years of my life. When I think about the positive ways in which I've changed my life since leaving, it really becomes clear that the most important change I made was the leaving itself. Those friends I didn't see last week will still be friends, and we'll see each other again some other, better way. For me, it's best not to move back, but keep on truckin' forward.
Somewhere around lap 15 I remembered that I'm in a very busy work week--getting caught up from vacation, prepping for staff flying in and client meetings and our party on Saturday, etc. As soon as it popped into my head, I felt weird.
And I realized: generally speaking, when I'm training, I don't think about work at ALL. In fact, I don't think about anything BUT training. I think about my breathing and I think about the fatigue (and sometimes pain) I feel in my body. I think about my triathlon, and how I'm going to get through it. If I'm running, I think about the song I'm listening to, and sometimes get so caught up I do a little dance move while I'm jogging (which I bet looks bizarre to the people around me at the Y). If I'm biking, I'm thinking about the cars around me, my speed, the pain in my butt, how thirsty I am (I don't have a bottle holder on my bike yet). Sometimes I just repeat a mantra over and over again in my head. Like, my swimming mantra used to be "Just keep swimming. Just keep swimming." My new mantra is, "Long. Strong." One word for each stroke.
The weirdness passed quickly as I went back to repeating my mantra, breathing, and keeping count of my laps. And making sure I kept kicking. And paying attention to my form. There's actually quite a lot to think about when you're swimming. It doesn't leave room for any of my other usual thoughts or worries.
And I love it. I mean, as hard as all this training has been, I really love it. Not only am I in better shape than I was when I started this venture, but my workouts have become this precious me-time. I might even love swimming most of all, because it forces me out of my own head and makes me focus on the moment.
Starting this, everyone said it's best to work out with friends, and I believed them. I lamented that none of my friends go to my Y, and none of my fellow tri buddies are even in LA, and why does this city have to be so damn spread out so it's freaking impossible to get together to work out anyway?? Now I realize just how valuable all this me-time has been.
Aside from today's epiphany, I've also realized a couple other things. One, I love exercise. Go figure. When we were in Hawaii I went on 2 4-mile walks, swam laps in the ocean (I'm guessing about 600 yards?), lifted weights in the hotel exercise room, and went snorkeling. Which, fine, is basically just floating and probably didn't burn many calories. But still! Moving, playing outside--I love it. I don't know yet if I'm going to become one of those people who's addicted to triathlons, but I'm definitely making a list of all the other stuff I want to try. Like, scuba diving for sure, maybe surfing, maybe tennis? Definitely rock climbing.
Unrelated to my training (but just as healthy), I also realized last week when I was in Hawaii that I was missing the annual Ticketmaster marketing & operations conference in LA. Which, yeah, I don't work there anymore, but I still have friends there who live around the country, and it would have been fun to crash one of their parties and see some of my favorite people.
Nothing against any of those people, but in retrospect I'm actually glad I missed it. It's been almost one year exactly since I left TM after 7 years, and it's been one of the most challenging and rewarding years of my life. When I think about the positive ways in which I've changed my life since leaving, it really becomes clear that the most important change I made was the leaving itself. Those friends I didn't see last week will still be friends, and we'll see each other again some other, better way. For me, it's best not to move back, but keep on truckin' forward.
Sunday, April 27, 2008
my beaten, yet victorious, ass
I was going to go with "Shark Fight."
The story went like this: I was in Hawaii, enjoying my Big Island vacation and frolicking in the surf, when suddenly a shark swam up to me all, "I'm gonna EAT YOU!!" and he bit my ankle. So I punch him in the face and knocked his teeth out! But then he smacked me in the face with his tail and head-butted me in the shoulder, and then bit the back of my legs! Thank god he didn't have any teeth anymore, so he just gummed my legs and left big bruises. But it hurt!! So I kicked him in the nuts. And he was like, "Ow! Sonofa!" and he finally swam away. And I dragged my beaten, yet victorious, ass out of the water and collapsed face first on the sand. And when I awoke, my back, shoulders, & arms were all sun-burnt.
And then I got home from Hawaii, and read about this.
So I've decided to go with the other story, which is less fun and goes like this: First, I flayed over an inch of skin from my ankle in the shower with my cheap-as-shit Bic Soleil razor and bled all over the hotel bathroom, and worried about convincing the hotel staff that someone had been horribly murdered. Then I jumped off the high dive of a boat, and landed in the water in a seated position, and gave myself multiple contusions (that's when a bruise is also a bumpy welt) on the backs of my legs, one of them bigger then both of my hands end to end. Then, after applying and re-applying water and sweat-proof sunscreen religiously all week, I forgot to re-apply it after the boat trip, and sunburned the hell out of my back and shoulders in the convertible on the drive back to where we were staying. But none of these injuries would stop me from going back into the ocean on my last day of my trip, and when I saw the big wave coming I thought, "Um, that looks like it's going to kill me. What am I supposed to do?" The ocean, merciless bastard it is, gave me no time to figure out the right answer, and flipped me over until I pounded its sandy bottom with my shoulder and face.
So, yeah. Hawaii was awesome and we had an amazing vacation. We got to see whales, dolphins, sea turtles, a mongoose, brown geckos, green geckos, and countless birds, bugs and fish. We drank all the refreshing island cocktails ever invented and watched the sun set over the ocean. We got lomi lomi massages by the water. We bonded even more with my sister Amy and her husband Chip. We ate some of the most delicious fish you can imagine. I'm not complaining, it was a dreamy, relaxing vacation.
I'm just saying: I got beat to shit, dude. It's probably for the best that we're back.
The story went like this: I was in Hawaii, enjoying my Big Island vacation and frolicking in the surf, when suddenly a shark swam up to me all, "I'm gonna EAT YOU!!" and he bit my ankle. So I punch him in the face and knocked his teeth out! But then he smacked me in the face with his tail and head-butted me in the shoulder, and then bit the back of my legs! Thank god he didn't have any teeth anymore, so he just gummed my legs and left big bruises. But it hurt!! So I kicked him in the nuts. And he was like, "Ow! Sonofa!" and he finally swam away. And I dragged my beaten, yet victorious, ass out of the water and collapsed face first on the sand. And when I awoke, my back, shoulders, & arms were all sun-burnt.
And then I got home from Hawaii, and read about this.
So I've decided to go with the other story, which is less fun and goes like this: First, I flayed over an inch of skin from my ankle in the shower with my cheap-as-shit Bic Soleil razor and bled all over the hotel bathroom, and worried about convincing the hotel staff that someone had been horribly murdered. Then I jumped off the high dive of a boat, and landed in the water in a seated position, and gave myself multiple contusions (that's when a bruise is also a bumpy welt) on the backs of my legs, one of them bigger then both of my hands end to end. Then, after applying and re-applying water and sweat-proof sunscreen religiously all week, I forgot to re-apply it after the boat trip, and sunburned the hell out of my back and shoulders in the convertible on the drive back to where we were staying. But none of these injuries would stop me from going back into the ocean on my last day of my trip, and when I saw the big wave coming I thought, "Um, that looks like it's going to kill me. What am I supposed to do?" The ocean, merciless bastard it is, gave me no time to figure out the right answer, and flipped me over until I pounded its sandy bottom with my shoulder and face.
So, yeah. Hawaii was awesome and we had an amazing vacation. We got to see whales, dolphins, sea turtles, a mongoose, brown geckos, green geckos, and countless birds, bugs and fish. We drank all the refreshing island cocktails ever invented and watched the sun set over the ocean. We got lomi lomi massages by the water. We bonded even more with my sister Amy and her husband Chip. We ate some of the most delicious fish you can imagine. I'm not complaining, it was a dreamy, relaxing vacation.
I'm just saying: I got beat to shit, dude. It's probably for the best that we're back.
Monday, April 14, 2008
our ducks
I'm pretty good at a lot of things. Marketing, baking, making mix CDs, what have you. Doing my taxes? Not so much.
I mean, I save all my receipts. I know how to go through my write-off worksheet, and I am very accurate when it comes to what expenses were business-related, and what were not. I'm even good at math, and consider myself to be reasonably well-organized.
But for some reason, every year I get completely overwhelmed by my taxes. I'm sitting in my CPAs office right now while she goes through all the crap we brought, and just feeling like an idiot.
Granted, going from easy-peasy corporate W2 paycheck to running a business with little to no prior accounting experience makes this whole endeavor a lot more brutal. Even our CPA was nervous before we showed up.
So, all we good do is organize and bring all the information we can. I feel confident that we have all our ducks. They're just not in a row yet. They're in more of a cluster. A complete and total cluster-duck.
I mean, I save all my receipts. I know how to go through my write-off worksheet, and I am very accurate when it comes to what expenses were business-related, and what were not. I'm even good at math, and consider myself to be reasonably well-organized.
But for some reason, every year I get completely overwhelmed by my taxes. I'm sitting in my CPAs office right now while she goes through all the crap we brought, and just feeling like an idiot.
Granted, going from easy-peasy corporate W2 paycheck to running a business with little to no prior accounting experience makes this whole endeavor a lot more brutal. Even our CPA was nervous before we showed up.
So, all we good do is organize and bring all the information we can. I feel confident that we have all our ducks. They're just not in a row yet. They're in more of a cluster. A complete and total cluster-duck.
Tuesday, April 01, 2008
Endurance Girl I am not
So I have 9 more weeks to train for this triathlon. I am beyond nervous about it, to the point that I've started having nightmares about it. Specifically, the swimming. Last night I had to swim a labyrinth of lake and my feet kept touching the primordial ooze at the bottom of the lake and grossing me out. And, I was the last one to finish swimming and everyone else was done with the race before I even got on my bike. Another time I had to swim in the ocean, only when I got to the beach the ocean was overflowing with all manner of creatures--whales, those crazy eels from the Little Mermaid, turtles, dolphins--and I was too scared to go in and had to forfeit.
Anxious? Me? Noooo.........
At any rate, here's where I'm at with my training:
Swimming - I went swimming three times last week and will do the same this week. I figure I need to continue swimming at LEAST three times a week for the next 9 weeks in order to be prepared for this event. The half mile distance equals about 900 yards, or 18 laps in my 25-yard-long pool at the Y.
Currently, I can swim 18 laps in about 40 minutes, and I have to take a break to breath after pretty much every lap. I often have to flip onto my back and just kick in order to catch my breath. Endurance Girl I am not.
The director at my Y recommended this class to help me train, but, well. I went to check it out and chat with the instructor, and he had me swim just one lap for him before turning me away. He told me that once I could swim 200 yards in 2 minutes, I could come back to the class. Which was humiliating and devastating and led to me crying in the shower until I did the math, and realized...200 yards in 2 minutes. That's 4 laps. That's 30 seconds per lap, or getting from one end of the pool to the other in just 15 seconds. If I could do that, then I'd be swimming all 18 of my laps in just 9 minutes. And if I could do that, I WOULDN'T NEED THE STUPID CLASS IN THE GODDAMN FIRST PLACE!!! Upon realizing this, of course, I stopped crying, logged the whole experience in my workout journal, and went home.
So, I'm back to training on my own. Swimming 18 laps, three times a week, and hoping I eventually learn how to keep going for the whole distance without stopping and panting in the shallow end.
Biking - I bought a bike! Oh, I love it. It's so pretty and shiny and fast. I want to name it and buy it presents and write it love songs.
I do not look cool on my bike. I do not care.
When I tried it out at the store, I pushed off and just felt like a little kid again. The wind in my face, the thrill of the speed. There may as well have been streamers coming off my handlebars, it was so awesome. I went for a 9 or 10 mile ride on Saturday, and while I felt it for sure, it wasn't impossible to get through. I feel fairly certain I could muddle my way through the other 2 - 3 miles come June. As long as the course is fairly flat. Ahem. At any rate, biking 1 - 2 times per week should have me in pretty good shape for this thing, I think.
Running - I'm running the full 5k about once a week now, and last week I shaved another 2 minutes off my time. I can walk 2 minutes then jog 3 minutes consistently for the whole distance. My time now is 45:40 for 3.2 miles. At this point with the running I'm just trying to get stronger, so my legs aren't all wrecked after finishing the distance. I don't mind switching from running to walking, as it really works for me. However, I would like to be able to jog the whole distance. We'll see how far I get.
So, that's where I'm at. Not bad, but not great either. I am certainly doing more now than I was when I started this endeavor, so I've made progress. However, with only 9 weeks left to train, I really need to start sticking to a more stringent schedule (swim x3, jog x1 or 2, bike x1 or 2, every week). And, of course, I haven't starting putting these things together really at all. On Saturday I swam my whole distance in the morning, then biked for 9 or 10 miles later in the afternoon, and then my body was totally wrecked for the next two days and I couldn't do anything without risking injury. Which throws off my schedule--not good. I'm hoping I can start putting at least two of the distances together starting in May. We shall see.
As always, tips and encouragement are totally welcome!!
Anxious? Me? Noooo.........
At any rate, here's where I'm at with my training:
Swimming - I went swimming three times last week and will do the same this week. I figure I need to continue swimming at LEAST three times a week for the next 9 weeks in order to be prepared for this event. The half mile distance equals about 900 yards, or 18 laps in my 25-yard-long pool at the Y.
Currently, I can swim 18 laps in about 40 minutes, and I have to take a break to breath after pretty much every lap. I often have to flip onto my back and just kick in order to catch my breath. Endurance Girl I am not.
The director at my Y recommended this class to help me train, but, well. I went to check it out and chat with the instructor, and he had me swim just one lap for him before turning me away. He told me that once I could swim 200 yards in 2 minutes, I could come back to the class. Which was humiliating and devastating and led to me crying in the shower until I did the math, and realized...200 yards in 2 minutes. That's 4 laps. That's 30 seconds per lap, or getting from one end of the pool to the other in just 15 seconds. If I could do that, then I'd be swimming all 18 of my laps in just 9 minutes. And if I could do that, I WOULDN'T NEED THE STUPID CLASS IN THE GODDAMN FIRST PLACE!!! Upon realizing this, of course, I stopped crying, logged the whole experience in my workout journal, and went home.
So, I'm back to training on my own. Swimming 18 laps, three times a week, and hoping I eventually learn how to keep going for the whole distance without stopping and panting in the shallow end.
Biking - I bought a bike! Oh, I love it. It's so pretty and shiny and fast. I want to name it and buy it presents and write it love songs.
I do not look cool on my bike. I do not care.
When I tried it out at the store, I pushed off and just felt like a little kid again. The wind in my face, the thrill of the speed. There may as well have been streamers coming off my handlebars, it was so awesome. I went for a 9 or 10 mile ride on Saturday, and while I felt it for sure, it wasn't impossible to get through. I feel fairly certain I could muddle my way through the other 2 - 3 miles come June. As long as the course is fairly flat. Ahem. At any rate, biking 1 - 2 times per week should have me in pretty good shape for this thing, I think.
Running - I'm running the full 5k about once a week now, and last week I shaved another 2 minutes off my time. I can walk 2 minutes then jog 3 minutes consistently for the whole distance. My time now is 45:40 for 3.2 miles. At this point with the running I'm just trying to get stronger, so my legs aren't all wrecked after finishing the distance. I don't mind switching from running to walking, as it really works for me. However, I would like to be able to jog the whole distance. We'll see how far I get.
So, that's where I'm at. Not bad, but not great either. I am certainly doing more now than I was when I started this endeavor, so I've made progress. However, with only 9 weeks left to train, I really need to start sticking to a more stringent schedule (swim x3, jog x1 or 2, bike x1 or 2, every week). And, of course, I haven't starting putting these things together really at all. On Saturday I swam my whole distance in the morning, then biked for 9 or 10 miles later in the afternoon, and then my body was totally wrecked for the next two days and I couldn't do anything without risking injury. Which throws off my schedule--not good. I'm hoping I can start putting at least two of the distances together starting in May. We shall see.
As always, tips and encouragement are totally welcome!!
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