I'm Gonna Tri

Swim. Bike. Run. All the cool kids are doing it.

My first triathlon is tomorrow, September 10!

Don't be fooled by the name of this race — I'll only be tri-ing once. The first triathlon in this series took place in June, and participants had the option of registering for both races to see if they could beat their June time in September. Cool, huh?

Super Sprint refers to the distance of the race, and it also directly translates to "Super Cool." Here's the breakdown:

• 0.25-mi swim
• 9-mi bike
• 1.6-mi run

In other words, this is one of the shortest triathlons I could possibly do! Other triathlon distances include:

Sprint

• 0.5-mi swim
• 12.4-mi bike
• 3.1-mi run

Olympic

• 0.93-mi swim
• 24.8-mi bike
• 6.2-mi run

Half Iron (70.3 miles total)

• 1.2-mi swim
• 56-mi bike
• 13.1-mi run

Full Iron (140.6 miles total)

• 2.4-mi swim
• 112-mi bike
• 26.2-mi run

So now you know that when you see a bumper sticker that says 70.3 or 140.6, it means that person is a badass. (If someone could custom-make me a 10.85 sticker for this tri, that'd be fab...)

I'm not taking this tri too seriously since it's my first, but I'm very competitive (with myself) and want to do the best I can do. Here are my little goals for each leg of the race:

• Don't panic
• Don't get kicked in the face
• Remember to breathe
• Stay near the back and to the outside so I don't get run over by faster swimmers
• DON'T PANIC

I am such a newbie swimmer that my only real goal is to survive this leg. I've done six swims to prepare for this tri, including one swim in this lake in the same area where we'll be swimming, so I know what to expect. While I'm not quite swimming like a fish yet, at least I won't sink like a stone. 

I think I'll have the most trouble with endurance. Last night, I completed two laps in the pool (100 yards) for the first time without stopping to rest for a significant amount of time in between. If I've done my math right (highly questionable), I'll have to swim the equivalent of 8.8 laps. So, yeah. What's up, backstroke?

• Don't fall getting on or off the bike
• Don't fall, period
• Don't get hit by a car
• Don't hit or get hit by anyone else

I'm pretty confident on my bike, but I know there's a big difference between going for a leisurely ride on my local trail and competing in a frenzied, multi-sport race. I saw plenty of people fall at the Seafair Triathlon as they mounted and dismounted their bikes! I'll try to transition slowly and steadily, ignoring the chaos around me and just doing my own thing.

The route runs along some major streets, but hopefully it'll be adequately blocked off from cars. I don't think the mean streets of Woodinville will be very busy at 8 a.m. on a Saturday, anyway.

Lastly, I'm a super-defensive driver, so I'll adopt that strategy on the bike and try to stay the heck away from other riders.

• Kick the crap out of it and finish strong!

Yup. I hope to run the last leg at a sub-8:30 pace and finish the race in one piece.

I know I'll have an absolute blast no matter what happens during this race, and I'll probably sign up for some crazy triathlon immediately afterward. 

I'm already thrilled with how far I've come just in the past few months. I went from not even owning a road bike or knowing how to swim properly at all — and being afraid to attempt these new-to-me sports — to being confident that I can complete a whole Super Cool triathlon without drowning or crashing.

And because I have evidence that I once claimed, "I can never do a triathlon," I'm even more proud. Remember what Ben Davis wrote about how we perceive our own abilities?

"I think that a lot of times we confuse 'can't' with 'don't care enough to try.'"

Tomorrow, I'm gonna try tri.

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Watch for my race recap on Monday, and until then, you can check my Tumblr or follow me on The Twitter for updates on how I did!

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On Letting Go

Yesterday, I had the best intentions. I was going to get through my first day back at work after a four-day weekend, then do a 9-mile bike ride and a 2-mile run to prepare for the same distances I'll be racing in this Saturday's triathlon.

Of course, things did not go to plan. My (much-needed-by-me) absence yesterday meant piles of work awaited me today. I arrived home late, feeling tired, hungry and well-aware that my legs were not ready to get back in the game after what I put them through on Monday.

It would've been too much to ask of them, so I chose not to ask.

We — my legs and I — decided that chocolate-chip pancakes, a cold beer, a stint in the hammock and a copy of The Hunger Games was what we needed.

We are very, very smart.

It's easy to see why The Hunger Games is so popular. I'm just over halfway through the book and tearing through the pages every chance I get. It's nice to be reading again, and even nicer to be doing so while also granting myself permission to relax, which is not always easy for me to do.

The warm, clear evening made my reading time so pleasant, and I continued to devour the book as dusk settled. I read past the point of darkness that would cause my mom to warn, "You'll ruin your eyes!"

But I pressed on, just wanting to make a good thing last.

I finally gave up and dog-eared my place, setting down the book and letting my eyes relax. Whatever I was missing on the next page faded away as I embraced a different kind of enjoyment. The subtle swaying of my hammock, the stillness of the air, the last watercolor streaks of sunlight melting into the horizon — all quietly began to settle into the void, like an ocean wave rushing to fill a hole dug in the sand.

I watched the sky as darkness enveloped what was left of my reading light. I was, in a way, still sad to see it go, even though I knew it would disappear all along.

This is when I felt a familiar feeling, one that you'll instantly know as soon as I describe it — the feeling that something has crept up from inside you and clutched at your throat, squeezing it to the point that you know crying is inevitable. You can try to swallow it and blink past the tears, but even so, the sting will remain for a while.

This is not the knee-jerk reaction you have when you slice your finger or stub a toe. This is what the very deepest hurts feel like.

***

It is difficult to walk away from a good thing. The easy thing, almost always, is to keep doing whatever you're doing. The hard thing is to realize that something must change.

To make this decision is not simply to choose one thing over another, but to commit to sending ripples through all facets of an otherwise peaceful situation. It means disappointing people. Losing relationships. Ruining plans. Breaking hearts. Uprooting yourself from someplace comfortable, and leaving a void that will forever change the landscape of your life.

All in the name of doing what you know, somehow, is right.

I recently made one of these decisions — hence that throat-clutching feeling. Beforehand, I thought about all of the ripples I would send out, weighing each one and fearfully imagining what impact they'd have on some things in my life that I care very deeply about. Eventually my fears sent ripples of their own, which only grew the longer I let those fears bounce around.

Here, on the other side of that decision, I see that some of my fears have come true. I have lost my best friend. My world is that much quieter and lonelier. My throat stings more than I would like it to.

But there are some things I never considered, like this quiet evening in the hammock, that rush in like that ocean wave to slowly, gently fill in the void.

Jenny Blake, who recently quit her job to become self-employed, wrote: "Fears are so much smaller on the other side. Prior to my decision to leave, my fears rang in my ears so loud I could barely hear myself think. ... Now that I'm on the other side, my mind is quiet again. ... I am not afraid."

I knew the darkness would come, yet I longed to hold onto the evening's light for as long as possible. Then I let go.

Last night, I lay curled in the hammock until I saw the first pinprick in the sky — a star, followed by many others, that seemed to pop out of nowhere. It's hard to remember, sometimes, that they are there all along.

You can only see them when all the other lights have gone out.

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Labor Day Half-Marathon Recap

This was one of the toughest races I've ever run, but also one of the most satisfying!

I wanted a sub-two-hour half-marathon so badly, and I dug deep to get it done at the last minute — literally.

Official time: 1:59:46 (PR)
Average pace: 9:09

MUST. FINISH. NOW.

The Labor Day Half took place in my hometown, Woodinville, and started and ended at my former place of employment, the Redhook Brewery! I had a good feeling about doing a race on my home turf.

The half-marathon didn't start until 9 a.m., so waking up and getting ready to go was a leisurely process. I really only began to get nervous for this race about 10 minutes before leaving my mom's house, and even then, it was excited energy that got me pumped up for the race. I ate an apple and a Larabar for breakfast, plus a banana on the way to the brewery.

I met up with my training buddy and good friend of 11 years, Carly, before the race, and we warmed up a little and goofed around with our parents.

"We're gonna win."

I broke one of the top rules of racing — never wear anything new on race day! — in two ways. I wore a new top and hat, both of which I'd purchased the day before in anticipation of hot race conditions. I'm happy to say that the both pieces were nice and light, kept me cool and didn't give me any trouble during the race. Woo-hoo!

As we lined up at the starting line, there were no pace signs or anything. The announcer just said, "Fast runners at the front, joggers behind them and walkers in the back!" Well, that's specific. 

"Just go anywhere. We don't care."

Carly and I positioned ourselves near the back of the "fast" pack and it worked out perfectly. We fell right into the flow of the race and didn't have to pass too many slower people or be passed by too many faster people.

iPhone pic courtesy of Carly's dad. Hi, Dave!

We felt great for the first three miles and hit a sub-9:00 pace with ease.

Our goal was to aim for 9:00 miles, but there's nothing wrong with creating a time deficit at the beginning of a race as long as you don't wear yourself out! I was starting to worry about having enough energy for the remaining 10 miles (which is a horrible way to think about it — 10 more miles!), and we agreed to slow down a little for mile 4.

The course was relatively flat and shady through this point, so we were just cruising and feeling confident!

And then came the hills during miles 6 through 9.

Yeah... no.

This hilly section was the part that I wanted to preview on my 11-miler last weekend, but I missed a turn and completely bypassed it. Oh, well. Maybe it's better that I didn't know what was in store.

The course headed over to the UW Bothell campus, where it took us up and down and up and down some icky hills. The first one was the steepest, and Carly and I powered up it, but had to walk briefly at the top. I must have blacked out for the rest. All I can remember thinking is, "Are we done with Bothell yet??"

The course wound around itself in strange ways, so I kept thinking we were done with Bothell and could head back to Woodinville, but then we would loop around another corner and go up another hill. Rude.

It was also hot by this point, and Carly and I kept up with our great water-station strategy that we used through the whole race: Walk through each station, grab a cup to drink and a cup to dump on our heads, down our shirts, etc.

We each took an energy gel at about mile 7.5, which you can see helped us power through mile 8 even though the hills slowed us down in the miles before and after.

I had my own chocolate Clif Shot tucked into my shorts, which is really the only flavor I like of any type of energy gel. I held onto it for a while and probably took a mile to eat the whole thing. I did not cramp up or experience any negative side effects from it, unlike my last half, when I got a horrible, frustrating side stitch after eating Shot Bloks. I call it a fueling victory!

Mile 10 marked the end of the Bothell section and the hills, thank God, but the route was almost completely shadeless from there on out. It was hot, we were tired from the hills and I could tell Carly was not feeling great. (I learned after the race that she started seeing spots... not good.)

I had a good amount of energy from my Clif Shot and wanted to keep a strong pace, but Carly fell behind more and more each time I looked back. I felt bad for leaving my friend, but we had agreed to run our own races if it came to that, and she waved me along. I had more race left in me and badly wanted to run it — I kept telling myself there was only a 5K left! — so that's what I did.

The last water station was around mile 11, and I needed it desperately. It gave me an excuse to walk briefly and cool down, since it was becoming harder and harder to run in the heat. My tired legs felt like they were moving faster than they actually were, and I kind of panicked each time I looked down at my watch because I realized my finish would be very close to two hours and that I needed to pick up my pace.

I needed a strategy to finish strong because, holy hell, I was not going to come this far only to miss my goal by a few seconds.

A woman ahead of me seemed like she was running strong, so I ran right up behind her and stayed on her for the last mile. I was probably no more than two feet behind her, and all I did was stare at her feet and try not to trip her. It was the only thing I could do to keep moving at a good pace, and it worked.

Near the end of mile 13, we hopped off the Sammamish River Trail and onto the road that leads to Redhook. I stayed on my pacer until we reached the entrance to the brewery, and then I fully sprinted the 0.1 (or 0.2, according to my watch) to the finish line.

Fun fact: 6:47 pace feels like death!

My watch said 1:59:50 as I crossed the finish line, and I later confirmed my official time of 1:59:46 at the official results station. Sub-two by the skin of my teeth!

My mom found me after I had my timing chip cut off and was all excited to congratulate me, but all I could say was, "Water! Water water water water water." Then I found a shady spot in the grass and collapsed. (She got me some water, and I apologized for my rudeness once I returned from the brink of death.)

Carly finished strong at 2:04:59, and we both felt a lot better after downing lots of water and hanging out in the shade. Although we didn't finish the race together like we'd hoped, we both did the best we could under some pretty intense circumstances!

I also ran into Aaron before and after the race, and he absolutely killed his first half in 1:39:35 (7:36 pace). Amazing!

Aaron (#610) eats half-marathons for breakfast.

I'm extremely proud of this race. I completed six weeks of training that included running, cycling, swimming and strength-training to achieve this sub-two-hour finish, and I ran the smartest race I could. My body never failed me, and the biggest challenge — the heat — was something I prepared for and didn't let stop me from reaching my goal.

Now I get to rest and relax... for about a day. And then there's my first triathlon this Saturday.

The next challenge awaits!

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Marathon Training: Week 6

I'm running my second half-marathon today — the Labor Day Half in Woodinville, Wash. My marathon training up until now has been more focused on training for this half and for the super-sprint triathlon that I'll do on Saturday. After these races, my thoughts will be all about the big, bad marathon!

P.S. I'm hoping to break two hours in today's half. Look for my recap soon to find out if I did it!


WEEK 6


Monday: Rest

I had a date with the lap pool on my schedule, but I rested instead. The weekend's 11-mile run, 15-mile bike ride and lake swim really pooped me out. I rescheduled the pool date for Thursday, watched the sunset from my hammock, ate a healthy dinner and relaxed while watching Bachelor Pad instead. (I'm not sorry.)


Tuesday: 3-mile run + strength

I didn't really feel like running on Tuesday and decided to only run two miles — one to the gym and one back after strength-training. But as soon as I started running, I felt great and decided to do the scheduled three miles. Oftentimes all I need to do is start!

I'll miss running to and from the gym when it gets too cold and dark, or when I get too wimpy. Whichever comes first.


Wednesday: 5-mile run — hills

When I trained for my first half-marathon, the DetermiNation team alternated speed workouts and hill workouts every week. Speed workouts help you get faster, of course, and hill workouts help increase your endurance when running uphill. I threw this hill workout in at the last minute in anticipation of some hills on the half-marathon course, and I'm pleased to say I nailed it. I also did it in the dark, which made the residents of this hilly street think I was even more crazy as I ran back and forth, up and down, 11 times.

Many people don't even try to run up hills (I passed several walkers as I ran up a hill during Seattle's Best 15K), but it's really more of a mental challenge than a physical one. Don't let hills defeat you before you even try to conquer them!

Tips for running up hills: Shorten your stride and swing your arms for more power. Don't try to run as fast as you do on the flats, but focus instead on keeping good form and powering up the hill with the momentum from your arms. Running slowly and steadily up a hill is better than trying to storm the hill and tiring yourself out!


Thursday: Pool swim

I felt a lot stronger at the beginning of this swim than I have in previous swims! I'm starting to put together all the things I've learned, and I'm realizing that it's much easier to swim when I do all those things (keep my body straight, look at the bottom of the pool, remember to breathe, etc.).

I swam for a full hour, during which time some of the lanes were dismantled to make room for a water aerobics class. The instructor was a boy who looked to be about 17, and he jumped, lunged and danced all over the pool deck as he taught the class. This hilarious scene alone was well worth the $4.75 price of admission!


Friday: 3-mile run

My last run before the half-marathon was supposed to be an easy one, and I'm happy to report that this was actually easy despite the fact that it was on the faster side for me.

I was a 10:00-10:30 min/mile runner for a long time. I ran my first 3.1-mile race a year ago at a 10:47 pace and was dying at the end. Part of why I love running is because it's very easy to measure your improvement, which is a lovely reward for all the hard work that goes into training. There are no shortcuts!


Saturday and Sunday: Rest for the half-marathon

And the hammock continues to be the best $40 I've ever spent.


WEEK 6 TOTALS

Miles run: 11
Miles biked: 0
Swims: 1
Strength-training sessions: 1
Rest days: 3
Tablets of nuun consumed before and after workouts: 6
Glasses of wine consumed after last run: ...inconclusive


MARATHON TRAINING TO DATE

Miles run: 98.5
Miles biked: 58.5
Swims: 5
Strength-training sessions: 10


See you on the other side of 13.1!

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