10K Swim. (too brain-dead to think of a more creative title)

I am proof that the holidays can make a person a 'lil crazy.  (No, I'm not referring to my recent trips to Target).  I've been pondering what my next  big thing will be on the race calendar for 2014.  So far, nothing stood out.  Then, after listening to Hillary Biscay's race report of Ultraman and how she swam a 10K once a week to prepare for that, I was inspired.  This past year, I raced the Del Valle Open Water 5K swim, and visions of racing the 10K next year suddenly made me excited.  So excited, that I wanted to revisit once again how that distance felt.  The last time I did my 100x100s was in February of 2012.

This time around, I enlisted the support of Coach, who was kind enough to join me for part of it.  He even let me borrow his Phoenix triathlon cap so hopefully some of that Aussie speed in the pool would rub off on me.

Aussie Aussie Aussie, Oi Oi Oi!

We swam at Heather Farms in Walnut Creek since I knew this would take awhile, and the 8-11am timeframe at Dolores Bengston Pool wouldn't cut it.  

Steamy swims under the full moon in the mornings have been the usual at Dolores Bengston.

Heather Farm's pool was too warm and so gross.  I knew it was going to be a long day.  Luckily, longcourse was on the menu for today, which was a pleasant surprise- cutting the number of flip turns in half made the sets easier to digest mentally.

Funny how Instagram filters can make the water actually look clear! #totalfacade

Here's the set, in case anyone is interested.  I found part of Rappster's workout for his 10K swim sets, and I liked the variety that the 400s added.  Honestly, the last set of 3x400 IMs were done with one-arm butterfly drill.  After 7000 meters in, I could barely manage to swim let alone pull out some butterfly.  (maybe next year??)

10x100 (50 drill, 50 swim)
10x100 swim on 1:45 
3 x {400 IM/ 400 pull paddles/ 100 kick/ 100 back}

10x100 (50 drill, 50 swim)
10x100 swim on 1:45 
3 x {400 IM/ 400 pull paddles/ 100 kick/ 100 back}

Have fun, kiddos.

Here's some things I learned in the 3+ hours I spent in the pool today:

1) Company makes things better.  Coach joined me for a bit, and it helped to have someone next to me, count with me, and commiserate with.  When he left, it took more to stay focused and motivated.
2) Be focused on the lap at hand.  I would find myself thinking about the next set and how much more I had to do, and I would want to quit.  Then, I'd bring myself back to the lap and tell myself, "At this moment, I am focused on quality freestyle pull with these paddles..." which brings me to my next point...
3) Quality trumps speed.  I didn't concern myself with pace too much.  I wanted my stroke form to be my first priority- doing an incorrect or sloppy stroke for that far of a distance could cause some serious damage and potential injury.
4) I should have eaten more.  For most of my normal swims (3500-4000 yards), I just drink water or an electrolyte drink.  I started eating my ClifShot blocks around 5000 meters in and felt like I had fallen behind.  When you can feel yourself actively bonking, it's a bad sign. 
5) I felt weird eating.  At the end of each 1000m, I would reward myself with some chews and the girl sharing my lane would just stare.  I felt like the chick at the gym who was drinking a 400 kcal protein shake after doing 30 minutes on the elliptical.  A part of me wanted to say, "Sistalove, pleeease. Put your snorkel back on and mind your own beeeezness- I've been swimming long enough to have shared my lane with 2 different people before you who all did their workout already."  And another part of me just said to myself, "Eat, put your goggles back on, and swim."
6) I feel invincible now.  Why?  Because I swam a 10K?  No, because I swam through a bloody bandaid and a yellowjacket without barfing or screaming.

During the swim and after I had finished, Coach gave me some really good things to think about for the future- about racing vs participating, about how I am still learning what 'my fast' is, and how it's not about the races that you do, but rather how you race them.

So, am I going to race the 10K swim?  I don't know.  It's like asking someone after they complete Ironman if they're going to do another one.  For now, it's back to the drawing board again for me, hopefully with something exciting in the making.

Ask me in a week.

Enter/Return.

The other day I noticed a certain key on my laptop- you know the one- on the right hand side, middle of the keyboard...the "return" key.

The one on my Mac laptop happens to say "enter" and "return" on the same key.  And I found how my recent trip to San Diego, a time that was originally planned to be spent up at Lake Tahoe acclimating, was a beautiful representation of that key.  Here I was, returning to a city that I loved, yet also entering a new space filled with new friends and experiences that I never got around to doing while I resided there for 5 years...

Kayaking at La Jolla Caves. Sea lions, seasickness, the whole shebang.

Tried out candlelight hot yoga for the first time at Core Power Yoga.

Lunchtime longcourse with UCSD Masters swimming.

Had to see what all the rage was about...and yes, it was delicious!
We definitely need Beaming up north!

And, on the opposite side of the healthfood spectrum...
This was my first time here.  I know, I know.  Sad, but true.

I went from a completely regimented schedule of train/work/train to now waking up, asking myself what I wanted to do, trying to remember what day it was, and then jumping from adventure to adventure.  In a nutshell, it was awesome.

The views were pretty awesome too.
Sunset at Pacific Beach.

Digested my oysters from Crab Catcher while witnessing the seagulls and sunset.

I didn't start riding my bike until after college, so I had no cycling connections in San Diego, nor was I familiar with any of the routes.  Thanks to Instagram, I was able to connect with some really amazing people who I already knew I would like, even without meeting them.  I already knew their cool riding spots, what they liked to eat, and the things they found important in their life, all via pictures.  It's neat to see how social media can connect individuals in the most non-creepy way.  To me, it blows Facebook out of the water.  Yes, your baby is cute and adorable, and with daily updates, I will be able to witness him growing up all the way up to high school!  So yes, Instagram rocks in my opinion.

Thanks to beauty of the hashtag "IMLT," it was an absolute pleasure to meet two fellow IMLT athletes and share a coast ride with them on their last bike ride before Ironman.  The journey we shared as athletes in such a long span of training months was quite similar, and it was a true blessing to meet and hug Heather and Shawn in person.  I'll be cheering for you both on Sunday as you rock Ironman Lake Tahoe!!  

Morning miles along the coast. (thanks, Heather!)

Thank you, James G. for hooking me up with Jim Bean (www.bikecrave.com) whose wheel I followed to the infamous VeloHangar bike shop and back around the Artesian road through some winding backroads of Rancho Santa Fe.  He kindly dedicated his lunch hour(s) just to show me the sights of San Diego on two wheels.  I loved hearing his stories of racing (before they had aerobars and tri kits) and was so humbled to share some saddletime with such an amazing athlete.

What a fun wheel to follow...

The infamous VeloHangar van where all the bike pics are taken...

Looking back, the 'old' me would have been too scared to step out of my comfort zone and bike with people who I knew were more experienced/faster in fear that I would be judged.  But I've learned that sometimes just showing up and giving it what you've got and having a positive attitude makes a huge difference.  When you reach out in faith, people are really kind and generous and take care of you.  And this just makes you want to return the favor to someone else.

Lake Tahoe this weekend for me will represent the duality symbolized in the computer key.   On one hand, I will be returning to Lake Tahoe.  But this time, I'll be entering the city not as an athlete, but as a spectator/cheerleader.  Yes, it does make me sad.  But as Felipe from Breakaway Training told me over the phone in San Diego, "There's always next season." (and next time I'm down in SD, I can't wait to join you for a workout!) Yes, very true.  My eyes are definitely set for next racing season, but for now, I'm really enjoying this current (more relaxed) season of exploring new things in life, love and sport.  Mountain biking, anyone?

Race Day Magic.

Three days after my Lake Del Valle open water swim, I was flat on my back feeling like all the energy had been sucked out of me.  My nose was running, I was coughing, and I had the worst headache.  I slept for almost 2 days straight and was convinced that I had some strange microbial infection from the lake that would eventually kill me.  A 'real' doctor told me I had sinusitis.  And to stop freaking out.

Mom saves the day with homemade chicken soup, garlic bread, an orchid, and Mucinex-D.

Another friend brought over organic lemons (he knows I'm a snob).
With tea.  And chocolate.  And cookies.
I think all this worked more than the Mucinex-D, in my humble opinion.

The thought of having to navigate again in the open water swim just one week after I had recovered from this bout of feeling-like-crapitis made me nervous.  Granted it wasn't Shady Cliffs, but still...

Some races, things just all come together- I can't really explain it- so I just call it "race day magic."  The day before, I had an awesome pre-race lunch (eating fresh fish somehow always channels my inner fast fishy).  I got my good luck pre-race hug.  And pep talk.  Which really wasn't a pep talk, but it felt like tradition.  And it made me happy.

Having most of my GL Coaching teammates also participating made it so much fun.  On the drive over, I opened a super sweet card from Wolfie that made my day and inspired me to swim fast.  According to the Gary Chapman's book The Five Love Languages, Words of Affirmation is my primary 'language.'  So encouraging emails and cards and pep talks are all positive forces that act as huge motivators.  It was perfect timing.  And Hulk (aka the mailman) didn't get in trouble because he remembered to deliver it on time!

Wolfie's words of affirmation. 

Coach said the 2.4 mile swim was just "time practicing in the open water."  I'm not sure if he tells us that to keep us calm and relaxed, but secretly, I think this is what he really means- 

Er, sexiest wetsuit...

Aside from the fact that the anti-fog Spitz was burning my eyeballs within the first loop (Iesson learned for IMLT- rinse them out!) and the fact that my half-a$$ Body Glide application had left my wetsuit chafing my neck with every stroke, I felt good.  It seemed like I was swimming all alone- I couldn't see anyone else around me.  After the first buoy turn, I looked up and saw another human being!  And it was Hulk!  I let out a shriek of joy, partly because I wasn't lost alone in the middle of Chesbro Reservoir, and because Hulk=fast feet. I hopped on his feet for a few seconds and then noticed they were doing a hard kick of BACKSTROKE.  I lifted my head up and we both started laughing.  Then, we got to work and did what we do best- we swam together and it was good enough for a 5th/6th place overall.

Hulk always tows me on the bike, so I was happy to tow him around for a bit in the water.

I was really surprised with my results- I was the 1st woman in my AG, and even more cool- 1st overall woman in the 2.4 mile wetsuit division!  

Game face.

#willraceforwine

I can only say that it is because of unique coaching I've been receiving, and for all those early mornings with Hulk and Wolfie beside me in the pool, encouraging and pushing me to swim 'my fast.'  We all need each other, and our individual wins are really a reflection of the group's wins.

Turns out, GL Coaching's group is full of fast fishes who also placed really well!

Most of the crew with our winning schwag...

I have memories of the last time I did the 2.4 mile Catfish Crawl.  This year's theme all around seems to be re-writing the past and moving forward with an improved technique and mentality- which is translating into better race results.  I love the coaching I'm receiving.  I love my inspiring teammates.  And I've always loved the open water.

But I'm still taking Mucinex, just in case.

Calidoscopio.

This morning I believed with all my heart that today would be a really fast swim day, and hopefully fast enough to secure a 1st place AG win.  It may seem trite to some, but I really wanted this.  Sure, I've never raced an open water 5K, but I did the math, checked results from last year against my old 2.5K results, and trusted the amazing coaching and swim sessions that I've had since February.  As I was eating my pre-race breakfast, I happened to stumble upon this video.

It left me tearful over my bowl of oatmeal, and there were some valuable lessons I gained- Fall into your own tempo.  Don't allow the pace of others to dictate your race.  Find your own 'fast' and have faith in it.  Trust it, even if others may judge you, and comment- like the track announcer did- that you're "way out of the race right now."

Lake Del Valle. 5K = 2 loops around.  Feeding boat on bottom left! 

The swim start was competitive and fast, and unlike triathlon where strong swimmers can 'out-bully' weaker swimmers, everyone here was stubbornly battling for position and no one was letting up.  Someone behind me kept grabbing and pulling my feet down so I couldn't breathe (I know this was likely unintentional as they were probably trying to stroke their arms forward).  But still.  At one point, another swimmer and I got entangled in each other's arms so we looked like BFFs.  That actually made me laugh.

This is cool on the beach.
During a competitive open water swim?  Not so cool.

I settled into my rhythm and kept asking myself and self-assessing- "Am I giving everything that I can?  Am I squeezing out every last drop?"  I just imagined myself in the pool next to Hulk, and all of those times when we'd have butterfly interspersed into a long swim set to build endurance- just enough to raise the heart rate, but short enough to still recover from that effort and settle back into your rhythm.  Like the butterfly, I'd sprint to chase the bubbles in front of me, roll through it, and recover.  And repeat.  On the second lap around, there was no 'pack,' but merely random individual swimmers sprinkled throughout the water.  To choose a target was meaningless.  I just put my head down and kept swimming "my fast."

As I passed the final turn buoy, I turned on the motor as high as it would go.  At this point, we were all so spread out, each of us choosing a different line to the finishing chute.  I channeled Calidoscopio, coming along that last turn- strong, in rhythm and in flow.

I ran up the ramp and almost lost my balance as the volunteer removed my timing chip.  "Good job, Bob!" I looked up in surprise at who knew my secret nickname, and it was Talia- we had swam together through high school and at UCSD. It was great to see her there. Another friendly face had also perfectly timed his bike ride to hear the announcer say my name- it really made my day.

I was really happy with my swim- 1:25:35.  Was the course longer than 3.1 miles?  Some said yes.  Regardless, I was proud of my effort and was pretty sure that I had placed.  All that changed when I checked the results.  My heart sank.  Above my name was another 32 year-old girl's name, with a time faster than mine by 15 seconds.  All of a sudden, in a flurry of disappointment, a really perfect swim became the object of detailed analysis.  

"Should I have gone out faster?"  I answered myself right away- "No.  I went out as fast as I could."  I took a leap of faith and wasn't afraid to swim alone, even if it meant ditching the feet in front of me and the effortless draft they offered.  I knew deep down in my heart that I swam the best race that I could.  I told myself, "C'mon!  You should be so happy with 2nd place!"   But still, I couldn't shake the disappointment. 

And that's when I met Susan.

As the last swimmer finishing the 5K, her 5K swim time rivaled that of some people who did the 10K swim... 3+ hours.  In fact, as she was toweling off, some people asked her if she had just finished the 10K swim.  You couldn't tell since she had a huge smile spread across her face.  Her 63 year-old body was beaming.  "That was the hardest thing that I've ever done.  I wanted to quit so badly.  But I didn't.  I'm so incredibly proud of myself that I could cry!"

Wow.  Attitude check.

Susan continued, "I know I'm a slow swimmer.  I know that."  In our conversation, I learned that she had just started swimming when she was 54 years old.  

I was intrigued.  "What did you tell yourself when you wanted to quit?"
"I dedicated this race to my friend who has cancer.  And even though this is hard, it's nothing in comparison to fighting cancer.  I do these open water swims and everyone asks me, 'What was your time?  What was your time??'"

She paused.  It was at that moment when our eyes met and I spoke.  "But really, time doesn't matter.  At the end of the day, you and I both swam a 5K.  And that's a lot more swimming than most people would ever attempt.  Your courage, irrespective of your finishing time, will serve to inspire the people you know to attempt something that is outside of their comfort zone."

She began to cry.  "Thank you."  I looked at her as well with tear-filled eyes.  Really, I was thankful to her.  Her attitude gave me a renewed and different perspective.  Sure, it would have been nice to win 1st place.  But at the the end of the day, it's more about giving all you have, at that moment, and surrendering the outcome.  And that's what we both did today.

When I look at my medal, I'll be reminded of Susan- and even if she never wins a tangible medal for her swim efforts, I know that her heart and her story is adorned with those medals of courage, honor, and faith- things of lasting value.

Hardware to remind me of this day and the lessons I learned.

Perhaps just like Susan and Calidoscopio- even if others label you as 'older' and 'slower,' you must learn to be comfortable going at your own pace in your own race.  In your jobs, relationships, or marriages, outsiders may judge and say that you are "way out of the race right now."  The trick is to drown out the voices of those critics and trust what you know is true.  It's at this moment when the race- and the victory- are yours for the taking.

The Icarus Deception

"Stop swimming from behind.  Swim YOUR fast."  Coach first said this to me from the pool deck on Tuesday morning.  He repeated these words to me this morning before practice.  I first thought he was referring to my swimming tendencies with my lanemate, since I tend to mindlessly gauge my efforts on his pace.  He is a strong, steady fish, and sometimes it's easier to swim in his shadow than listen to my own body and what is my own perceived effort.

But Coach was referring to the fact that I am swimming slower than I am capable of, mostly because I like to be comfortable.  How can I get faster if I refuse to swim and challenge my body to a higher threshold of work? (notice I deliberately didn't use the word pain...)

Remember Icarus, from Greek mythology? He attempted to escape from Crete by wings made of feathers and wax.  He ignored the instructions not to fly too close to the sun, and the melting wax caused him to fall into the sea where he drowned.

I recently heard of Seth Godin's book, The Icarus Deception: How High Will You Fly?, where he challenges the old rules of playing it safe and staying in your comfort zone in your career and life.  He flips the lesson on the classic Icarus myth, and instead praises Icarus for his willingness to take a risk and challenge preconceived notions.  In society, the real innovators and artists are those who defy traditional rules and strive higher.  They are not afraid to risk. Godin writes about how it is better to be sorry than safe.  We need to fly higher than ever.

In sport, our 'dangerous sun' is also know as our "red line"- the point that you reach where you either quit, vomit, or have to slow down.  Ironically, that line is rarely reached since our head prevents our bodies from ever coming close to that breaking point.

Most of us train in the gray zone, that comfortable place where we give some effort but not enough to make us faster in the long run.  I've been guilty of this.  I know my body and when things start to feel uncomfortable, I dial it back a little, recover and conserve.  I'd rather have "something left in the tank" than crash and burn.  I live up to my nickname at times, where I have a tendency to rest in the shadows and put out effort when I feel like I have something in the tank.  The problem is, I always have more than enough left in the tank.  I have yet to fly close to my sun because I have been afraid of the melting wax on my wings.

Exploring those limits with 3 minute TT relay efforts on the bike.
Gotta love the nickname! 

Hence, my coach's words of advice.

So today I swam MY fast, in my triathlon kit with more drag than I'd prefer.  I felt the lactic acid build up in my muscles.  I kept swimming.  I dismissed the negative thoughts telling me to slow down.  I concentrated on feeling strong and relaxed, and gliding effortlessly over the water.  I adopted the attitude of staying curious, not afraid.  Exploring my limits, and moving past them.

"Stop swimming from behind.  Swim YOUR fast."  Don't gauge your rhythm, your pace, and your path in life upon someone else's.  Pave and discover your own way.

I am still finding my fast in the pool and on the bike, and in life.  Today I came one step closer.

Stay curious.
Dance upon the edge.
Be like Icarus.

Sharing the Same Spirit...

"The water is your friend...you don't have to fight with water, just share the same spirit as the water, and it will help you move." -Alexandr Popov

It's pretty awesome to finish your cooldown to this backdrop.
 I'm starting to love mornings again.

I've always thought of the water as my friend, but now I'd say that we are being reacquainted once again.  I've pretty much swam the same way for almost 25+ years...the same swivel of the hips, hand entry, "S" shaped curve down my body with my arm...

All of that is changing, and I am embracing a new technique and way of moving through the water.  I used to repeat "skewer" to myself while I swam, as a visual reminder to rotate my shoulders and hips and keep my core centered.

Coach made it clear- I'm not a kabob.  I'm a swimmer.

I'm relearning my entire swim technique; thinking quite consciously about not making an "S" curve, and instead feeling my hands pull me through the water with one streamline forward pull.  I feel like I'm hydroplaning.  And I feel faster. 

Just like swim technique evolves through time, so do we as individuals.  Don't stick to old school techniques just because they were the best way back when.  Learn to adapt and embrace change.  Trust the process.  Trust your coach.  Trust yourself.

Then you will truly share the same spirit as the water- as a fluid-like and seamlessly calm and courageous individual.

Pay It Forward (#13: Be a Volunteer for Once at a Running/Tri Event. Pass Out Water Cups. Cheer Loudly.)

"Thank you for being here."

These five words make such a difference.  It's funny, because these are the exact same words I would tell the volunteers as I would run by the aid stations, grabbing water or pretzels and then continuing on my merry way.

I'll be completely honest, I had no idea what PIC and I were in for.  I was thinking, sure, arrive at 5:30am, head to the designated aid station area, set up and cheer!  

It was freezing cold this morning, drizzling, muddy, and dark.  The Brazen Running race directors were so incredibly organized with all the details, even down to the amounts of water gallons going to each aid station.  We had to load everything into the cars- trunkfuls of water, cardboard garbage cans, signs, tables, plastic bins of snacks, then drive to the area, unload everything and set up before the runners arrived.

Did I mention it was cold?

I was manning the snack station.  There's something awesome about being a registered dietitian and organizing rows of Mike and Ike's, M&Ms, potato chips, and cutting up PayDay candy bars.  This year, the bibs had the runner's first name printed, so I could cheer by name.  I remember at Florida Ironman as I was struggling during the marathon.  Hearing random bystanders scream, "Looking strong, Julianne!" was such a motivator.  I mean, I was clearly not 'looking strong,' but hearing my name really perked me up.  So I had fun staring at bibs and cheering personally for the runners.

PIC and me, working our 'corner'

We later realized the dixie cups were meant for the snacks, not water. Didn't get that memo.

It was definitely an eye-opening experience to be on the other side of the race.  There is so much work that occurs behind-the-scenes in order to create a smooth-running event.  Oftentimes the participants are never aware of it, myself included.  I now have a deeper respect and appreciation for all race directors out there...thank you for all your work to keep us athletes safe, well-hydrated, well-fueled, and on the right race course!

After a good lunch and a solid nap, I had an urge to swim, and swim long.  A common epic workout is the New Year's Day 100x100 swim set.  It's awesome if you have 3 hours to burn on New Year's Day, but I had 3 hours to burn today.  I was really inspired.  You have to be incredibly inspired to pull this off, so I just went with it and packed some extra treats to keep me going that long.  

Since I couldn't run a 10K today, I decided I would swim a 10K.

I had just completed 4,000 yards when this guy in the next lane started profusely apologizing to me.  Apparently, he almost dove on top of me because he didn't see me (it was around dusk.)  I had no idea; I was just doing my set.  I finagled him into joining me for my next 10x100s.  Company is always better.  After that set, he threatened me, saying I'd put him in the ER if he kept swimming at that pace, and he was getting out. 

I continued the rest on my own.  It was so hard to focus at the end.  The fatigue from the early morning was starting to set in.  But I finished, and the beautiful full moon was shimmering in the night sky over the pool.  Sights like these are forever etched in my mind.  Epic swims are rewarded with epic sights.  It's only fair, I suppose.

Solid swims= solid recovery nutrition.

They always say, "Thank the volunteers."  Now I can say that yes, it makes a difference to hear those 5 words...they are so appreciated by everyone, and it makes the numb fingers/toes, early wake-up call and manual labor totally worth it.   To all my blog readers, I will say this to you, "Thank you for being here." 

Del Valle 2.5 km Open Water Swim Race Report

Quick and dirty: 2nd place age group (30-34).  Overall time: 40:31.


WARNING: Lots of dirty deets and race babble to follow...


During the past week of recovering from my crash, I received a lot of love.  Some of it was from others...

And some of it was from yours truly.

Some girls spend $450 on purses. (This was my rationale)

Swimming is always the best form of exercise to ease back into activity (it's always the first activity after doing an Ironman), and I was curious to use it as a litmus test to see how injured muscularly my body in general was after that pretty intense crash.  On Wednesday, a friend challenged me to a dual in the pool.  Seriously?  (What kind of sick individual would challenge an injured athlete? And trash-talk like there's no tomorrow?!?) How could I turn this down? At first it was a 1 lap race, but I called it unfair because he's as tall as Michael Phelps and could easily beat me across the pool with 2 arm strokes.  So I made him extend it to 2 laps.  Granted, this guy doesn't even swim, but it definitely lit my competitive fire.  


After I beat him down to Chinatown (kidding... I know he's reading this), I realized my left deltoid was pretty sore (it took the brunt of the impact), and I was honestly concerned because physically I was around 60% of my norm.  This dual in the pool was a complete joke, but  merely channeling my "race mentality" for even a minute made me hungry to race on Sunday, roadrash and all.

Sunday morning came around and I was excited/nervous, not nauseated/nervous.  BIG difference.  As I was driving to Lake Del Valle, I received a text from my friend Dana ("Go kick some swimmer's butts this morning! Sending you speedy thoughts!"), and it totally made me super excited to do just that. What's the use of getting up at 5am on Fridays to swim Master's and kill yourself on anaerobic sets if you can't cash in all that hard work later?


Let's just say I arrived ready to cash it in.

Gorgeous day for an open water swim, eh?

I started in the second wave.  Everyone was bunched behind me except for a few men, and I was trying to decipher who looked strong and had fast feet.  Some guys looked so OLD.  But I know that even old guys can swim fast.  Hmmm.  I had 2 minutes to choose my target and we were off.


The pace was pretty fast.  Normally, I use the swim as a warm up for the bike/run, always conserving energy for later.  So I was thrilled that I didn't have to adopt that strategy here.  I was here to race and leave it all in the water.  When I found myself swimming alone, rather than backing off and letting the main group catch me, I put my head down and surged to bridge the gap to faster swimmers.  I chanced it on this swim; there were times I was redlining, but once I found those glorious feet, I could recover for a bit.


For the majority of the swim, I was able to draft off of someone with a super strong kick.  I didn't even bother sighting; I just followed those bubbles and stayed on his feet.  I nicknamed him Bubbles.  And let's just say that I made Bubbles my b*tch for the majority of the swim.  (Thank you, Bubbles, whoever you are, for towing me around!)


After awhile, I decided to actually sight and see where we were in relation to the buoys. I was working so hard at staying on Bubbles' feet that I didn't want to waste a second sighting.  Dumb move.  I looked up and panicked.  Bubbles was going nowhere fast.  It was the two of us on our own, and the rest of the pack was to our far right.  I knew I had to stay with him or I'd be dropped and swimming alone.


Eventually, we merged with the main group and someone started using their body to muscle their way onto Bubbles' feet.  He kept swimming right against my roadrash, so it annoyed me even more.  I let him in and drafted off him for awhile, and then got swarmed by other swimmers.  When I get hit and pushed around, I've learned to not back down.  I tell myself I have every right to be there, and it makes me just swim harder.  I ended up totally cutting off another swimmer as I latched on to someone's kicking feet. (Wow! My aggressive driving on the road actually translates to swimming!)  And immediately, I recognized who it was...BUBBLES!  We were reunited and swam hard to the finish. 


I was happy with how I swam; I knew I did my very best, and was thrilled that it was fast enough for an AG win.

Scored some hardware to go with my roadrash (yeah, I deliberately chose this shadowy pic so the little children wouldn't be scared away)

Afterwards, I showered, make-up'd, and headed down to the South Bay for some more celebrations...

The bride-to-be-about-to-be-dunked

Taking shots. I had to blow this picture up so you can see that both Kimi and I are sporting marks on our left thighs. Like Japanese twins.  Except hers is a birthmark and mine is a fat bruise.

The engagement party also doubled as Kimi's US naturalization party, as demonstrated above.

With all this "racing," and the encouragement of Dana, I'm pretty thrilled to join TriValley Velo cycling team to race with the girls!  It's always been in the back of my mind, but I've never considered it an option.  This year so far has been about taking those "back burner ideas" and turning them into reality!!

Gino working his magic as usual, getting this race horse ready!

Quick and Dirty Suit Review

Life has been busy, so I'll keep this post consistent with how most of my runs have been- quick and dirty. I spend a lot of time in the pool, so this means going through a lot of swimsuits, Aussie 3-minute Miracle Deep Conditioner bottles, swimcaps, defogger, and goggles.  It amazes me at times how much work it takes in the pool to improve and shave a mere 5 seconds off of a base 100, but in the end, well, everyone knows that it's worth it.


So, the suit review.  I normally buy all my swimsuits at swimoutlet.com, which always carries the name brands at cheap prices.  I've consistently worn TYR and Speedo, just because of the butterfly backstraps.  You know, a girl's got to keep her tan lines consistent, right?  Each of these suits range normally around $75, so imagine my surprise when I saw a similar design (Sporti) for $25.  Score!  I ordered a Sporti suit and a Speedo Endurance suit in my usual size.  

Speedo Endurance suit on the left, waste-of-money Sporti suit on right

I first tested out the Speedo Endurance suit.  They advertise this as lasting longer, and I think they mean it will last longer because it takes at least 5 swims to stretch it out to a normal size so you are always reluctant to wear it in the pool.  The straps were so tight on my arms it felt like I was swimming with a wetsuit on because my shoulders felt so restricted.  Mind you, these were ordered in my normal size...so if you go with this suit, know that it runs small but is made with good material and hopefully will last you for a few months.


My second test run was with the Sporti swimsuit.  I was excited because of the cute hot pink color...like, "Hey! Look at me swim fast in my hot pink suit!"  It fit a lot more comfortably on land, but once you hit that water, my first thought was, "This would make a great drag suit!"  Except, this isn't high school anymore where you wear two suits (the suit on top is a 'drag' suit, normally a worn-out, stretched out number that acts as a parachute while you swim).  It was so thin, painfully thin, and already felt stretchy.  No bueno.


During my debut of this Sporti suit, I happened to be swimming next to a Chris Lieto look-alike.  No joke.  He was serious swimming business.  We both were even dorky and had our workouts typed up in little Ziploc bags with our water bottles next to each other on deck.  In between sets, he joked around and made conversation with me, but this Sporti suit made me feel so self-conscious, like I was naked!  So I blame my lack of conversation skills on the Sporti suit.  So, horrible reviews all around for this suit.  I'd rather spend $50 more on a better suit, and in turn, a better impression with Chris Lieto-look-alike.


On a more positive note, these are my tried-and-true goggles.  I've been swimming and racing in these goggles for almost 15 years and have never found a better pair.  5 stars all around...

Speedo Women's Vanquisher Goggles

So there you have it, folks.  My version of "What Not to Wear," swimming-style.  Spend those precious pennies on quality Speedo suits and goggles, not cheapo Sporti swimwear suits, unless you plan on sunbathing on the pool deck, watching Chris Lieto look-alikes tear it up in the water where you really want to be.

100 x 100s

After being able to check off "ride Mt. Diablo" from my bucket list, I've been on a roll.  Although, if I had written "ride Mt. Diablo without blowing up and losing it mentally," it would still be unchecked.  Luckily, the amazing riders who accompanied me (read: rode at a snail's pace to keep me company and then towed me back to the main group after I continually got dropped) were so gracious, it was definitely a humbling ride.  There were tears shed on that ride solely out of frustration with my lack of bike fitness. Which, when climbing up a hill, does not help with the breathing.  I was literally gasping for air as my legs were screaming and I was cursing.  Not pretty.  The moral of this ride was that I needed to not only tweak my bike fitness, but strengthen my mental toughness.

The amazing riders who brought new meaning to a "no-drop" ride

After a minor foot operation earlier this week which halted the bike/run routine for awhile, I decided to test out my mental toughness in the pool.  Another huge item on the bucket list was swimming 100x100 yds. In triathlon lingo, this 10K swim is also referred to as the "birthday set," meaning that most crazy triathletes would prefer to ring in another year of their life by swimming 10K.  I would have welcomed that idea, but this past birthday I was on a Florida-bound plane and had never even heard of the 100x100 birthday set before.  Oh well, there's always next year!

Maybe I'll try this next time in open water? Not so many flip turns...

I had asked a few fellow swimmers if they would be interested in joining me for this epic swim, but (gasp!) they were hesitant.  No worries.  Ironman is a party of one anyways, so I thought I might as well start exercising those mental muscles of toughness and perseverance.  


The longest distance I have ever done in the pool prior to this was 7,000 yds in college.  Normally, my swim workouts are around 3-4K, so this set was triple my normal yardage.  I had read various blogs about how to swim this- most suggested slower paced sets, mixing it up with pull buoys and paddles, and having extra calories/electrolyte replacements on board to keep you fueled throughout.  


Here was the set I came up with:
10 x 100 warm-up (75 free - 25 back)
20 x 100 swim on 1:35
10 x 100 pull with :10s rest
20 x 100 swim on 1:35
10 x 100 kick with :10s rest
20 x 100 pull with :10s rest
10 x 100 (25 fast, 75 easy) on 1:35


Surprisingly, I had amazing focus throughout this entire set.  A total miracle.  Focusing on my intervals and the specific set I was swimming helped tremendously.  Just like Ironman, you break up the race into different components and focus on the task at hand, instead of thinking about the entire 140.6 miles.  When I started getting tired, I would replay what an old coach told me, "When your form suffers, your pace suffers..." and would immediately make adjustments to keep my elbows high and my stroke steady.


When I was 9,000 yds through, I saw a buddy of mine on the pool deck, and he cheered me on for my last 1,000 yds like an old swim coach.  I finished with a huge smile on my face.  Not only was another item checked off the bucket list, but I felt like there was a big deposit in my "mental toughness" account.  I definitely can always improve on this, but getting a 10K swim under my belt (or rather under my sore lats!) is a step in the right direction.  And for those of you who were wondering?  It took 3 hours.  So if your birthday is coming up and you like to swim, well, you know who to call.