Just the facts

Well, that was a bit of fun. I fooled at least two of my children and quite a few of you. Thanks for indulging my April Foolery. But now, here are the facts ...

-I do have RA. I do take Enbrel. I am very happy with how I feel since starting this medication last November. It has helped me a great deal. In fact, I feel good enough to train now. I didn't last summer. I was in bad shape, lots of pain, and as my rheumatologist told me, I'd forgotten what it felt like to not hurt all the time. It is a blessing to have my joints back. Whenever I see the ad with Phil, I feel like giving him a high-five. You go, Phil!

-I am training for the Tri Latta sprint triathlon in June. Excited, nervous, working hard to be ready for it. I firmly believe that the training helps my RA. Exercise is one of the best ways to maintain joint mobility. I feel so much better when I move and as the training effect increases, training harder, longer, and faster is also feeling better.

-No sponsorships ... though perhaps I should ask. Maybe Team Estrogen would like to outfit a Boomer athlete.

-The first and last paragraphs were true. I am 57 and training is not a walk in the park, but it is worth every. single. minute of gasping for breath on a long uphill, sporting sweaty, helmet head hair after a bike ride, and going into the grocery store looking like a raccoon with goggle impression lines on my face for an hour or so after a long swim. Worth it all. And, my friends, everything I said about Coty is absolutely true. He helps me keep going in so many ways. His encouragement and training wisdom are invaluable to me. I am incredibly thankful for this man.

Oh, and I do drink turmeric tea and massage arnica cream into my joints. Even though I take meds, deep down I'll always be crunchy, granola.

See you back here again soon.


 

Breaking the silence ...

Well, it’s been mighty quiet here on the blog for a while, but it doesn’t mean that nothing’s been happening. Quite the contrary.  As you faithful blog readers know, I am training for another triathlon, this time a true sprint tri with a 750 yard open water swim, a 17 mile bike ride, and a 5k run. For a 57 year old woman with rheumatoid arthritis, training is not a walk in the park. 

This time around though, I’ve got major help and the main reason the blog’s been so quiet of late is that I haven’t trusted myself not to spill the beans before the time was right. But I’ve been given the go ahead and so today, I can make a pretty exciting announcement!!!

As you know, being a triathlete isn’t cheap. Of course, it’s not quite as expensive as horse racing – my bike doesn’t require daily feeding or vet care – but it does require special triathlon tires. And, the bike, to begin with, is a big investment. No clunky mountain bike or fitness hybrid for the serious triathlete. No, you’ve got to have a lightweight carbon or titatium frame, aerobars for helping to maintain the maximum wind resistant, anti-drag posture, and of course, clip in pedals and speed Velcro triathlon cycling shoes. It adds up, folks. Fast! But I am pleased to be able to announce today that I am being sponsored by the good folks at Bike Nashbar, who are supplying me with their top of the line triathlon racing bike, fitted out with all the fancy jazz an aspiring triathlete could wish for. In addition, the leading company in women's triathlon apparel, Team Estrogen, is outfitting me! I know, they could've come up with a better name, but woohooo! No dowdy racing duds for me, baby. The smart women designers at TE are coming out with a special Boomer line for women in their 50’s and are providing me with both training and racing gear. The icing on the cake with this deal is that they will send a photographer to the TriLatta race in June and yours truly will be appearing in their late summer catalog. Crazy, right?!!!! I, of course, will break the glass ceiling, not of gender, but of age, when I appear as the oldest model athlete they’ve featured to date! Yay for Boomer athletes.

That’s the bike portion. For my swim, I’ll be sporting the latest in gps technology for open water swimming. You know that in a pool swim, you swim straight because you can see the lines at the bottom of your lane. In open water swimming, however, you’re swimming blind. Lake water ain’t clear and their sure aren’t any lane lines. So, Iolite has come up with a nifty devise that clips right onto your swim goggles. It has a gps tracker and little LED lights to tell you when you’re veering off course.  This is such a great advance in open water swimming. No more sticking your head up to sight the buoys, no more awkward zigzag swimming. Iolite is, of course, also interested in Boomer athletes and particularly women. We seem to be hot demographic for marketing these days. I’ll sport a little Iolite logo sticker on  my swim cap and who knows, if I win my age group because of an awesome swim time, maybe I’ll even tattoo their logo on my shoulder before the next tri.   

Finally, to sponsor the running portion, and indeed providing the bulk of my training sponsorship, I am super, super excited to be teaming up with Phil. Yes, if you clicked that link, you may be stunned, but yes, it’s THAT Phil. 3 time Masters champion, amiable, sorta pudgy, good-guy Phil Mickelson. If you watch Jeopardy or Wheel of Fortune, where the ads are aimed at the aging population, or if you watch the golf channel, you’ve seen the ads and you know that Phil suffers from psoriatic arthritis. But if you’ve seen the ads, you also know that, like me, Phil uses Enbrel. Well, sometime last year when I saw that ad, I got to thinking ... maybe Enbrel would like to support a little no-name person like me. I mean, Phil’s great, but he’s a pro golfer and not everybody can be a pro golfer. But what if Enbrel sponsored a little person, a Boomer woman trying her best to stay in shape and not let the ravages of RA stop her. Indeed, why not sponsor this person in her athletic endeavors and encourage others to pursue active lifestyles as an important part of their arthritis management.

So, I contacted Enbrel, and after a month or so of emails back and forth, phone calls, and a skype interview, they decided to sponsor me. Can you believe it??? Me and Phil. Phil and me. Now, don’t get too excited. I don’t think they’re planning any major advertising campaign with us together, but hey, I do get to wear their hat and a nice little sponsorship armband when I run. And they, too, are coming to the race to do a little filming and will be working up one of those “Patient Perspective” videos for their website. Pretty cool, huh.

It is also a little weird, because I never, ever, ever, ever in a million years thought I’d be advertising for a DRUG company, of all things. Me, the person who doesn’t like to go to the doctor or take medicine. Me, the hippy, granola, crunchy girl who drinks turmeric tea and massages arnica cream into sore joints. Oh, well, you never know what surprises life will throw at you. Getting RA was a bad surprise, but this Enbrel sponsorship gig is a pretty sweet, totally unanticipated surprise that makes it possible for me to train at the highest level.

I have, of course, saved the best shout out to last. I wouldn’t be doing any of this if it wasn’t for the unfailing, unflagging, constant, continual support and encouragement of Coty. (How'd you like that alliteration?!) He helps me all the time with training plans; he encouraged me through the winter to get out on my bike; he takes me to to the park and makes me do sprint workouts (I don’t like him so much when he's shouting at me to get my knees higher and run, faster, faster, faster ... but I so appreciate the coaching!); we go on long bike rides together and I ride behind him, encouraged on by his cycling shirt that says “Enjoy the Ride” on the back; he gave me a super nice bike for Christmas and he keeps it adjusted, oiled, and tuned and he always checks my tire pressure : )  His own discipline and determination in staying fit as a baby boomer with two knee surgeries in the past and the aches and pains that come with a life of athletic endeavors is a model for me. I aspire to be so disciplined.  So, the biggest, loudest, most enthusiastic, most loving shout out goes to Coty. And that, my friends, unlike all the preceding paragraphs, is no April Fools! Wink, wink.

Just reviving the tradition of years past ... here and here.

Just the stats ... and a little more

This wasn't my best workout week of the month. I got busy and lazy on Thursday and Friday (excuses, not reasons) and I didn't make it to the pool at all. Again, just couldn't muster the umph to get there. But, it was my longest distance week, since I went on two longer rides - 17.67 and 18.65. Don't you like the tenths and hundredths of miles. That's what happens when you record workouts on a phone app with gps mileage calculations. Right down to the hundredths. They add up.

Anyway, here's the lowdown on tri-training for the month of January. I'm happiest with the cycling. I went twice a week for three of the four weeks this month and starting increasing my mileage. I didn't think I'd be able to ride this much in January, but we've had plenty of high 40, 50 degree, sunny days and I've managed to get out on my bike. Yay! My goal for February: at least one 25 mile ride and two rides a week, weather permitting!

I need to swim more. My goal for February: swimming twice a week and adding open water swim drills each workout.

Walking/running was fine. I'm still on track with my Couch to 5K program and fairly happy with the progress. My new running shoes should come in this week and that will undoubtedly make me run faster, jump higher ... all that good stuff. My goal for February: stay on track with the C to 5K; do a hill workout once a week. (I hate hills, this will be good for me, right?!)

So, here are the stats for January:

Swimming: 4 swims, 3.63 miles (256 laps)
Cycling: 7 rides, 111.63 miles
Walking/running: 14 workouts, 41.19 miles

For a grand total in January of 25 workouts and 156.45 miles.

Not a bad start to the year. Hoping to up those numbers in February.

Riding, riding

We have had two absolutely gorgeous January days with afternoon temps in the 60's. Oh, I do love North Carolina. Snow is wonderful, for sure, and I hope we get a big snowstorm that sends everyone scurrying to the grocery store for milk and bread and closes everything down for a couple of days. I'd be just fine with that. But, goodness, what is not to love about these sunny, blue sky, warm-ish days right at the beginning of the year. Especially this year, when I am trying hard to bike through the winter. Sure has been easy this week.

I did a hill workout yesterday. We found brand new road only a mile away. It supposedly goes through a business park, but there are only a couple of businesses there yet, so very little traffic. Mostly, it is bordered by woods and a cow pasture. Along a one mile stretch of the road, there are a couple of substantial hills so it is the perfect place for a shorter, intense hill workout. That's what I did yesterday.

Today, Coty and I went on a longer ride. Well, longer for me. It was an easy ride for him. 19 miles on the country roads near us. We wore shorts. Horses in their pastures along the way seemed happy to be out in the sun. The chorus frogs were singing. Very little traffic. Coty wears a cycling shirt that says "enjoy the ride" on the back. It's nice to pedal hard behind him and see that shirt. I certainly did enjoy my ride today.

I'm getting used to my new bike. It is so much lighter and feels more responsive. I think it needs a few minor adjustments, but it's a real improvement over the Trek fitness bike that I started riding on in 2012.

I am beginning to feel a little more confident about the Tri Latta race in June. The swim should be fine. The bike portion longer than other sprint tri's I considered, but it will be OK. It's that run that has me scared. My couch to 5K program is moving along fine, but I'm still wondering how I'm going to run a 5k after cycling 17 miles. Training. It's all about training. Consistent plugging away at it in these next few months. Not hard at all on a day like today!

A winter ride

I wish I had pictures to show you, but alas, I don't. I went on a ride yesterday afternoon and all the time, I kept thinking how beautiful the winter afternoon was and what I had the privilege of seeing. And to think, I almost missed it.

My husband, ever faithful, ever disciplined, rarely deterred from exercising because of weather or anything else was getting ready for a ride. I'd been sewing all afternoon and was happily closing in on finishing a project. It was 42 degrees. I was feeling not exactly lazy, but just not up for going out, knowing I was going to be cold ... and you know how I hate to be cold. I was battling the inertia inherent in stopping one activity in which I was totally engrossed and starting another one which I knew would not exactly be pleasant, at least at the beginning. I was rationalizing not exercising by saying I needed to finish my project. But, I really didn't need to finish. It was just an excuse.

Coty asked if I wanted him to wait for me. "I don't know," I moaned. "Just go ahead," I finally told him, not sure if I was actually throwing in the towel for the day or not.

This is where having a goal that you've stuck to for a while helps. That two walks, two swims, two bike rides a week goal that I set back in November has become more or less routine. It is so much easier for me now to rouse myself to get out there and walk, ride, or swim so that I will stay on track with my goal. I don't have a perfect "streak" but I've been sticking with it. So, I went upstairs and changed into cycling clothes, found a hood to wear under my helmet to keep my ears and neck warm, and headed out.

A little observation - the act of changing into workout clothes means I've won. I've overcome the inertia and will soon be out the door.

As I expected, I was cold. I know that 42 degrees isn't frigid. It's really pretty pleasant for early January, especially if it's a gloriously clear and sunny early January day. But remember, when you ride, there's "wind chill." Pedaling faster at the beginning means I'm going to be colder. Speeding up as I go downhill means I'm going to be colder.  And you know how I hate ... yea, I said that already.

It took two miles for me to warm up. Fingers and toes stayed cold the whole ride, but the rest of me was fine. And then, I started noticing things like ...

• the crisp, clean feeling of the winter air on my face,
• the way the slanting afternoon sun turned the siding on the houses I passed to lavender, salmon, and pink,
• the stillness of a hawk on a phone line, perched, watching, waiting,
• the beauty of a field of dried grasses waving in a slight breeze
• the winter sun and its halo and then in the last mile, a sundog

I had decided when I started on my ride that I would not concentrate on time or pace. I was just going on a ride with the intention of overcoming the cold aversion and enjoying myself. I did. 15 miles of pleasure. Further than I intended to ride. It just felt good to keep going.

The memory of yesterday's ride will help me keep going through the remainder of this winter. There will likely be colder rides. I will likely battle inertia again and likely complain about the cold. But I'll try to remember the lavender houses, the hawk, and the sundog, and then slip into my thermals and head out.

We did it!

Andrew and I signed up this week for the Tri Latta Sprint Triathlon in June so we have five months to get ready. The race includes a 750 meter open water swim, a 17 mile bike ride, and a 5K run. I've certainly got my work cut out for me.  I'm psyched ... and a little bit scared, wondering what I've gotten myself into.  But mostly, I'm psyched and eager for the increased rigor of training with a focus. Working toward a goal.

My husband, always eager to encourage and enable my athletic endeavors gave me a new, much lighter, road bike for Christmas. It's taking a little bit of getting used to - new shifters and a different posture on the bike, but it's sure nice on the hills!  I can tell quite a difference.

Tri-training 2015.  Here we go!

Exercise Goals Update

Back at the end of October I set some ambitious exercise goals for myself . I'm pleased to tell you that almost three weeks in this month, I'm still on track.  2 bike rides, 2 swims, and 2 walks each week for 3 weeks now (well, I've got one more walk this week, but that'll happen tomorrow morning, early).  It hasn't been as hard as I had thought.  I've watched the weather, tried to get my bike rides in early in the week if the weather's good and enjoyed getting back into the water on a regular schedule.

So how's it going?  I feel stronger, especially in the pool.  I've been able to pretty quickly up my laps and my times are getting faster.  All good.  I love the pool.  Love. love. love the pool.  I haven't talked with the Masters swim coach yet, but I did email him and I did ask at the front desk.  So, that's something, right?  I'm still not altogether sure that training at 5 AM is for me, but still thinking about that.  

Cycling is good.  The longest ride so far has been 19 miles on a lovely fall day on the American Tobacco Trail.  Today I did a cadence ride.  That's a shorter distance at a higher cadence - aiming at 90-95 revolutions per minute.  I felt lethargic before I started and didn't really want to ride because I had lots to do, but I pulled on my thermal tights and that was the cue ... get going!  So, I did.  And I'm glad.  It always feels better to have exercised when you don't feel like it than to skip it because you're feeling lazy or tired. 30 minutes and 6 miles later with six reps of my cadence distance and some easy cycling before and after and I felt much better.

I haven't run a step. I'm walking ... briskly, and thinking of trying one of those couch to 5k training programs.  I can walk forever, but I'm not a runner.  A program like that might help me up my pace a bit. Since I've started thinking about a sprint triathlon with Andrew in the spring, I need to be able to run a 5k.  So, we'll see.

Some of you know that I have rheumatoid arthritis.  After some tests that indicated that my RA was really out of control and aggressively affecting my joints, and after a long heart to heart with my rheumatologist back in October, I have started on a new medication.  She pointed out that I had likely forgotten what it felt like to not hurt all the time.  She was right.  The constant pain had become my normal and I thought that was just how it was going to be.  With some trepidation, I decided to heed her recommendation and begin this new med.  People ... I am amazed.  I didn't know I could feel like this.  Didn't know I could sleep through the night without frequent painful insomnia.  Didn't know I could wake up in the morning and not hobble across the bedroom and painfully make my way down the stairs.  Didn't think I could ever do push-ups or planks again.  Didn't think I'd ever get my favorite ring back on my finger.  I do not typically advocate medication.  I don't like it.  I am still nervous about it.  But it has made a big difference in how I feel.  So, I'll stay on it for now which also means, I am able to exercise more and feel better in every way!  

I don't think the medication is the only answer.  Diet and exercise are key.  I am mostly gluten free and eat a very healthy diet (except when I'm having a family celebration and then I relax the rules quite a bit).  Lots of fresh, raw fruits and vegetables.  Pretty low carbs. Very little processed food. Very little sugar.  But I was doing that before I was on this new med and while I'm sure it helped, it wasn't enough. My joints were not just hurting but were being destroyed by my immune system.  That's what RA does.  Now, I think ... I hope ... that joint damage is being minimized.  Inflammation and pain are greatly reduced.  I feel, at times, like a new person.  And that's pretty exciting.

It was important for me to set the bar high.  More than once, I've made myself get out the door, made myself pull on the goggles and slip into the water.  Every time I do it, I'm thankful.  

November fitness goals

A couple of months back, my most-disciplined-exerciser-in-the-world husband asked me what my fitness goals were for the next few months.  I'm glad he asked the question because I've been rather hit or miss in the exercise department.  More hit than miss, but still, on my mapmywalk monthly workout summary, there are far too many empty spaces.  I feel it in my legs when I hop on the bike.  I feel it in my arms when I get in the pool.  I am neither as strong nor as cardiovascularly (is this a word?) fit as I have been in previous months/years. I needed the gentle nudge of Coty's question to get me thinking more seriously about my goals and formulate a plan to put them into action!

So, here are my November goals.  I'm planning to ...

1)  Exercise on a regular schedule:

Swim - twice per week
Cycle - twice per week
Walk/run - twice per week
That gives me one day off.

The key to maintaining this workout schedule will be planning ahead for swim and cycling days.  It's no big deal to get out the door and walk, but with cycling, weather is a much bigger factor so I'll need to look ahead at the forecasts and figure out at the beginning of each week which days will be my cycling days.  Swimming takes advanced planning, too, since it requires a bigger chunk of time.  I have to drive to the pool and back and there's changing and shower time included.  Also, I like to swim when the pool is least crowded (middle of the day) so I have to do it on a day when my mid-day is free.

2) Talk to the Masters Swim coach at the aquatic center and find out about swimming with the Masters swim team.  OK, this feels pretty scary to me.  I've never been on a swim team, never had any swim coaching or training.  Just community pool swimming lessons as a kid and lifeguard training at the Y in high school.  I have a LOT to learn.  I feel sort of intimidated by this and don't know if I'll do it.  The practices are from 5:30-6:30 AM.  It's dark then.  And cold.  And you have to go and jump into a cold pool.  After driving in the dark.  And the cold. I hope the lights are on in the pool.  But the water will be cold.  You get my drift.

But, this is the year of overcoming cold and dark wimp-hood for me.  I'm determined.  I'm going to embrace the dark ... and the cold.  My new motto, with thanks to a Minnesota friend, is, "It's never too cold.  You're just wearing the wrong clothes."  (I don't know how that works with a bathing suit. Not much you can do there, unless you don a full wetsuit, which I don't own or plan on purchasing. But I guess I can make sure I'm clothed sufficiently warmly on the way to the pool and back which, frankly, will be much easier in North Carolina than in Minnesota. Thank goodness for that).

3) Finally, in keeping with the above determination and my new motto, I plan on cycling through the winter this year.  I'm figuring out what the "right clothes" for winter cycling are for a small Southern woman who is cold from October til June.  I have thermal tights.  I have full finger cycling gloves and insulated lobster mitts.  I have a very bright cycling windbreaker. I'm looking at thermal cycling shirts, balaclavas and shoe covers. I have a warm house to come home to, hot showers, hot tea, hot chocolate, a heating pad, a space heater, a down comforter, a hot husband ; )  If I get cold, guess what?! I can warm up again.  I hope.   

So, that's it.  Those are my November fitness goals.  If I survive the month, I'll press on through the rest of the winter.  Hold me to it. OK?

The last leg

It's been almost two weeks since the triathlon.  About time I finished telling you about the race.  We left off at the end of the bike portion.  On that last uphill, I described my legs as feeling like burning lead.  When I got off my bike, they had turned to concrete, quads so stiff it was hard to lift my knees.  I had to push my bike back to my transition spot, rack it, take off my bike helmet, don running cap, and go!  In my head, I was doing all those things.  My legs were saying, "Not so fast."  They did reluctantly cooperate, however, and though stiff and jerky at first, after about 3/4 of a mile, I realized that I was actually feeling pretty good.  I was running along, lifting my knees, going uphill, and feeling good.  Imagine that!  I also realized that once I reached the cone at the top of the incline about a quarter of a mile away, it would be all downhill or flat the rest of the way!  Happy thought.

Coty appeared at various points along the course shouting encouragement, usually something like, "Drop your shoulders, push hard!"  I tend to tense up my shoulders when I run and I know I needed to relax, but all I could think of was "just a little farther and you can stop."  I had no idea what my pace was.  It felt slow, but turns out it was right on my goal pace.

Once again, my cheering family made me smile and feel like pressing on.  Early in the run portion, Andrew, Thomas, and Kay ran alongside me for a few yards, shouting and shouting.  At another point, they all shouted in unison, "Go, Mommy, go!"  When I crossed the finish line, there they all were and believe me, I felt elated.  I think I just said, "I DID it!"  and couldn't stop smiling.

We got water and snacks.  We hugged and talked about the race.  We walked around a bit and watched more finishers coming in.  And then, it was time for Coty to go to the airport for his flight to Newark/Hong Kong/Singapore/Indonesia.  I am just so glad he got to be there when I finished.  He was such a huge part of the triathlon training, it would have felt very strange, incomplete really, if he'd had to leave before the finish.

And now?  Everyone's asking me, "What are you going to do now?  Are you still training?"

I've been thinking about it.  I loved training for a race.  I learned that training makes me more serious and committed to exercising and pushing myself beyond what I think I can do ... and that's good.  I also loved the excitement of the race itself, with all the jitters and nervousness.  I learned so much about cycling, running, and swimming, and about how to handle the transitions in between, I'd really like to do another triathlon and build on what I've learned.  The race felt like the start of something, not the end.

I think I'd like to do an open water triathlon.  The thought is a little scary to me, but the challenge is intriguing.  Have you ever watched the start of an open water tri.  I know, probably not.  Coty and I watched the entire women's Olympic triathlon and I'd never seen anything quite like it!  (If you click on the link and want to see the start, it's at 4:11 in the video).  Most other open water swims I've watched start with athletes running into the water to start the swim, not diving off a platform as in the Olympic tri.  There are a number of open water triathlons around here, so I'm starting to keep my ears open for one I might attempt next spring or early summer.  But, we'll see.

For now, I plan to keep swimming, cycling, and running.  I haven't done a long ride since Coty left, but now he's home and we'll go for a long ride on Monday.  Yay!  I kept up my membership at the aquatic center and will keep swimming during the winter and of course, I can run anytime.  I don't have a specific plan at this point, but I just know that the type of training I did this summer was very good for me.  My arthritis is much better, due I think, to the low impact nature of swimming and cycling and somehow, the increase in intensity has been good, too.

So, yes, I'll keep training and looking for another race.  And now, time to get outside on this lovely fall day and ride my bike.  And you ...

Race day: Getting ready

I set my alarm for 5:06.  My race number was 506.  How's that for a nice little bit of synchronicity on race morning!  Everything I had read said to eat something but not to do anything new, so I made my oatmeal, added the walnuts and craisins, and despite the jittery feeling in my stomach, ate it down.  Everything I read also said not to have caffeine on race morning, so I skipped my usual one cup of dark roast and opted for water.

The night before I had packed all my gear, checked and rechecked it, and checked again.  Shoes, check. Helmet with race number affixed, check.  Sunglasses, check.  Bike jersey, check.  Race belt with number attached, check.  Towel, check.  Goggles, check.  Swim cap, check.  Lip gloss, check.  Wait.  Lip gloss?  Well, I don't like the feel of dry lips so, yes, lip gloss went in, too.  And I used it, too.  Cost me a second or two, but it was worth it.

It was dark when we left home.  We were told to arrive an hour and a half ahead of the 8:00 start time.  There is a lot to set up and go over before the start of a triathlon and I was glad I had that much time.  We parked down the road and I wheeled my bike, while Coty carried my gear.  I had packed it all into an empty detergent bucket, which would, during transition, double as a stool.  Nice little tip I picked up online.

I didn't feel like talking much.  Arriving at the site made me feel a little more nervous and I just wanted to get my bearings.  There were so many people, but everything was well organized and plenty of neon green shirted volunteers were there to answer questions.

Coty and I found the timing chip table and I picked up my timing chip and ankle bracelet.  Then we  walked to the transition area.  Only competitors are allowed inside transition, so I left Coty and went to find the bike rack with my number on it, and set up my little transition spot, a bright blue striped beach towel, which could be found easily, on the ground near my bike.  I lined up my shoes and race belt and laid my helmet down with straps out, sunglasses inside it, open and ready to put on.  I laid the lip gloss beside my helmet.  The bike jersey I thought I might wear if it was cool, was unzipped, ready to slip into.

Once my transition spot was ready, I found Coty and we located the start and finish of each leg, making sure I was clear on where I would go.  Come out the doors of the pool, through the pool finish arch to my bike rack.   From the rack, through the bike start arch to the mount line.  After the bike, dismount and through the bike finish arch.  Rack the bike and to the run start arch.  Each of these arches had a timing mat so that when each person crossed the mat, it would pick up the signal from the ankle bracelet timing chip and log the split time.  Does this sound complicated?  It did to me, too, when I was reading about it beforehand.  That's why it was so good to have so much time before the start of the race to make sure I understood it all.

Sorry it's a bit blurry - it was early and still a little dark.  This is the transition area with bike racks.  

Notice the balloons?  Women put those up to mark their rack and make it easy to find.  

That's a lot of bikes, so any little thing you can do to make it easier to navigate transition helps.  

I tied a piece of bright blue sari fabric onto the end of the rack where my bike was.

The pool was open for a while before the start, too, to allow racers to swim a few laps.  I took advantage of that and swam four laps, practicing going under the lane ropes a few times.  That little swim took a bit of the edge off the jitters and made me feel more ready to start.  The only problem is that when I got out of the pool, I had to go back outside to await the start.  Since it was a chilly morning, I got cold.  But looking around at all those women in tri-suits and swim caps, I'm sure I wasn't the only one feeling the chill.

Outside before the start.  A whole lot of women feeling the chill or early morning and ready to go!

Wet from the "warm up" swim and cold and just ready to go

We waited outside the aquatic center for ten minutes or so.  Coty was with me, arms around me to keep me a little warmer, and just being quiet support.  At one point, I felt a tap on my shoulder and turned around and there was my sister!  Annie had said she was coming, but I didn't expect to see her before the race.  Her husband and son, Joseph, were there, too.  Seeing them and knowing they would be there just made me happy!  And happy is a good way to be at the start of a race!

After a welcome and a few announcements from race officials, it was finally go-time!

It's go-time for other things for me this morning, so I'll stop for now.  More about the race later ...

Just the stats!

It's Tuesday.  Already several people have asked me why I haven't put anything here yet about the triathlon.  I think I'm still basking in the glow of finishing it, and just thinking about the whole experience.  It's hard to put into words, so give me til tomorrow.  For now, how about the stats:

From the race website age group results:

5.

506

55

BETH PINCKNEY

HARRISBURG NC

3

6:04

2:30

5

28:58

1:54

5

19:29

0:58:53

And a translation:

5. My overall place in my age group, I was the fifth fastest among the women, ages 55-59.

506  My race number - you remember the tattoos, right!

55  My age, but not really.  It's the age I'll be at the end of December, which is how they assign you to age groups.

skipping over the obvious ...

3  My place in the swim, in my age group.  I was the third fastest swimmer, ages 55-59.

6:04 My swim time.  Slower than I thought, but I didn't realize how it would work in the pool and how it slows you down to have to pass people at the end of the lane.

2:30 T-1 time, which means how long it took me to jog from the pool, outside to where my bike was racked, get on my shoes, sunglasses, and helmet, and jog with my bike to the bike start

5 My place in the cycling portion, in my age group

28:58  My cycling time

1:54 T-2 time, which means the time it took me to get off the bike at the dismount line, jog to my spot, rack my bike, unclip and take off my helmet, put on my cap, and get to the run start line.

5 My place in the run portion, in my age group

19:29 My run time

58:23  My total time, which includes the swim, bike, and run and both transitions.

Those last two numbers mean the most to me because I had two goals.  One was to finish the whole race in under an hour. I did it with a minute and 7 seconds to spare.  My second goal was to finish the run portion in less than 20 minutes.  My time: 19:29!  I think I was most happy about that time because, well, you all know that the running was the hardest thing for me.

The race organizers also posted overall results.  In the overall standings, I finished 155th out of 671 women, 163rd in the swim, 137th in the bike, and 198th in the run.

Most people don't really care about all those numbers.  But my sweet coach, who is now on the other side of the world, is a numbers man, and he really likes seeing all the stats and figuring out just how I did as a competitor.  He's kept track of my progress by tracking my times all through the training.  So, in honor of the man who helped me all the way, enjoy the stats.  I'll be back with more words and pictures tomorrow!

With my sweetheart, right after the race ...

and just before he headed to the airport!

Tri-training: All marked and ready to go!

I went to pick up my race packet this afternoon - race numbers for shirt, bike, and helmet and my official ramblin' rose t-shirt (yay!).  While at the pick-up, we were also "marked" (or "tatted," as Kay said) for the event so that officials and spectators can keep track and cheer for us by name.  You'll see what I mean ...

Swim start group number ...

Race number on both legs ...

Name on left arm (so people can cheer for us by name, the race workers told me today!)

Race number on right arm, and ...

Age on the right calf!

This evening, Thomas and Kay came over and brought a triathlon cake they had made!

Swim!

Bike!

Run!

Isn't it great!

 I've got all my gear ready, put my race numbers where they go, laid out my tri-suit for the morning and had my cake.  Time to go to bed and hope to sleep!

Can't wait for tomorrow!

Tri-training: Last pool workout

Today was my last pool workout before the race.  Coty and I were wondering how you were supposed to enter the pool - jump, dive, get in and push off the side - and today I found out via email from the race organizer that we're supposed to jump in.  So, that's what I practiced at the pool.  Jumping and starting.  I wanted to make sure that when I jump my goggles don't slip and also practice starting to stroke.

I swam the race distance four times - twice fast and twice slow and easy.  I'm feeling so good about the swim.  I hope my confidence is well-founded. My stroke technique has improved and my times have certainly dropped so I think it will be just fine.  I feel so much stronger as a swimmer now than when I began training a few months ago.

Some of you may be wondering what you wear in a triathlon.  I did my research and found race attire I really, really like.  Want to see ...

Sugoi tri-shorts - similar to cycling shorts, but with a smaller saddle pad.

Shebeest tri-tank - which I love, love, love!  Love the color, love the fit, love how it feels in the water, on the bike, and on the run!

Giordana full-zip cycling jersey - just got this in case I want to add a jersey over my tank for the cycling portion of the race.  I wanted a full zip so it was easy and quick on and off.

I'll wear a pair of running shoes with elastic speed laces and no socks for both the cycling and the running.  That way I only have to slip my feet in and not change again.  All of this is designed to cut the transition time between disciplines, since transition times are part of your total race time.  The less there is to mess with, take off, put on, the better.

Tomorrow is the packet pick-up day.  I'll get my race number and T-shirt (yay!) and will watch a demo of how to set up the transition area.  I've already watched a few videos and read quite a bit, but it will be good to have a chance to see someone do it and ask questions.

I am getting super-excited and just eager for my jump in the pool to start it all off!

Tri-training: Accelerations

So here's that running workout I mentioned the other day - the one whose specifics had not yet been revealed to me ...

Coty and I rode our bikes to the park on a lovely, lovely afternoon.  This was the warm-up and I suppose a mini-brick, giving my legs another chance to get used to the switch from biking to running.

OK, so first we ran a mile at what I am hoping will be race pace.  I am aiming for 9:50 a mile (This is slow for runners, but if you're a Gramma, it's respectable ; )  Coty ran with me and timed our mile.  He didn't set the pace, he just let me run.  I had no idea how fast we were going.  I don't have a good sense of pace, so when we hit the mile mark and I asked the time, I was surprised that it was 9:35.

Next, we did accelerations.  We lined up on the goal line on the park football field, started out slowly and then accelerated down the field.  By the time we hit the 45 yard line, I was supposed to be going at an all out sprint.  After sprinting all out for about 10 yards, we slowed down gradually til we crossed the opposite goal line.  I was really huffing and puffing at the end.  We repeated this five times with a little rest in between.

Finally, we ran another quarter mile.  This time, Coty set the pace and told me to run at his speed.  He was running race pace and it felt slow, really slow!!!  That's what doing accelerations does - it makes the pace you've been running feel like a crawl by comparison.

When we finished the running, we hopped back on our bikes and pedaled home.  My sweetie treated me to a lemonade slushie on the way, a nice little treat after a good workout.

I feel ready but still a little nervous.  People tell me this is good, that being a little nervous gives you an edge.  The adrenaline helps you push harder without feeling it quite so much.  My sister-in-law told me to just let my body do what I've been teaching it to do.  I've put in the training.  Now let the training carry me.

The rest of this week is easy workouts.  This morning, I walked with my dear walking buddies and I'll go for an easy ride a little later.  Tomorrow I'll go swim some laps and throw in just a few fast ones.  Saturday, I'll run a little with a few yards of sprinting thrown in.  Between now and race day, I'll eat good, healthy food and get good sleep (I hope!).

I'm getting pumped, people!

Tri-training: Into the 8 group

This last week of training, Coty's had some very specific workouts for me, focusing on speed and race pace.  

Yesterday was a cycling workout.  2 miles repeated 4 times, with a couple of minutes of rest in between.  It's the fastest I've ever pedaled.  I hope I can do it in the race.

Today was a pool workout.  Coty joined me at the aquatics center so he could time me over the race distance.  I was shooting for a 5 or sub-5 time.  And ...  I got it!   Swimming hard all the way to come in at 4:57.  That puts me into the 8 starting group and will hopefully mean that I will finish and get to hug my sweetheart/coach before he jets off to Indonesia!

Tomorrow is a running workout.  On Sunday, we had friends over.  Coty and I were talking training.

Coty said, "When you run next time, there is something specific I want you to do." 

I asked, "What specific thing do you want me to do?" 

Albert quipped, "Run faster." 

Thanks, Albert.  Got it.  I'll try my best.  That ended the conversation and I never did find out exactly what the running workout will be.  I'll tell you when it's over.

I am feeling good about each discipline of the triathlon right now.  I have a good swim time, a pretty good cycling time, and a not-bad-for-a-54-year-old-Gramma running time.  What is worrying me a little bit is how I am going to put three good times together in a row.  Maybe the adrenaline and excitement that morning will help.  I really don't know.  I've never, ever done anything like this before and the whole race mentality is a little bit of a mystery to me.  I am not naturally a very competitive person.   So, we'll see.  I vacillate between being excited and being scared.  Is this how people normally feel before a race?

Tri-training: The course

Coty and I left out of here early on a beautiful Saturday morning to ride the course for the cycling portion of next week's (whoa, next week?!!) triathlon.  It starts with a quick downhill and then a long-ish gradual uphill.  After that the course is fairly easy, some nice gradual downhills, a couple of shorter up and downs that aren't very steep, one other longer uphill section and the last little bit is back up the hill we go down at the beginning.  A little steep sprint right at the end. Ouch!  But it will be fine.  It's much shorter than my longer rides each week and I always feel that if I've already ridden something before and it's familiar, it feels shorter.  It's nice to be able to anticipate where the turns, uphills and downhills are, where I can push it, where I will have to work hard, and where I will have to be tough mentally.

When we finished the bike route, we ran on the course for the final leg of the tri.  It's mostly flat (yay!), with one very gradual hill in the middle.  It's a great course for spectators because it goes around a field at the park, up and back a section of road, and around the field again.  I'm hoping my cheerleaders will be able to grab a good spot.  I know it's going to help to hear their voices.

After we ran, we went into the aquatic center to check out the pool  Wow, what a nice facility!  It helps to have a picture in my head of where we enter the pool, how we exit to the transition area, and where the mount/dismount line is for the start and finish of the cycling portion.

Really, all of this scoping out is so helpful to me.  It feels familiar now and that familiarity will help on the morning of the race.  I will know where to go.  One less thing to think about.

My work this week is to post a good swim time.  The triathlon is a staged start with the faster swimmers starting first.  I'm in the "7's" right now (you'll have to click on that link to see the Swim Ability Chart and the start rankings).  I'd sure like to be an "8" and get an earlier start.  Less bunching up along the way, the earlier you start, I expect.

I have another BIG reason for wanting an early start stage.  Coty flies to Indonesia that day!  If I get an early start time, he will be able to come and watch the whole race and stay just long enough to see me finish.  If I have a later start time, he will be able to see some of the race, but will have to leave for the airport before I get done.  He's been such an important part of this whole triathlon journey for me, I really want him to see me finish!  So, here's hoping for some good swim workouts this week.

Tri-training: Finally!

It has happened.  At last.  I love running.  At least I loved it today.  

Here's to loving it tomorrow and the next day and the next day and next day, all the way through September 23 and beyond!

I'm toasting with seltzer water mixed with my own natural electrolyte replacement beverage, thanks to Erin!

Tri-training: Counting down the days

It's less than two weeks now til the triathlon.  I did no training this weekend, just enjoyed the wedding festivities and time with family.  Now, it's the final push to get ready for the race.

Today was, as usual, our long ride day.  Same route and a nice cool morning, but goodness I was tired starting out.  I wasn't surprised to be a minute slower this morning but was happy again to feel strong on the hills.  Strong, not fast.

One day last week, I was feeling scared about doing this race.  What if I inhale a bunch of water and get choked up?  What if I crash on my bike?  What if I have a flat tire?  What if I am so tired after the swim and bike that I can't keep running?  What if I just can't do it?  What if, what if, what if ...

Those "what ifs" are real.  I could inhale a bunch of water.  I could crash on my bike or have a flat tire.  I could go out too fast in the swim and bike and be completely wiped out for the run.  They are not completely irrational fears.

Fear is the battle many of us face in attempting new things.  When we've never done something before, we're not sure how it will turn out.  But here is what I am learning about fear in this aspect of my life.  It won't get me to the finish line.  My training will.

I've been working hard.  I've seen a lot of improvement.  I'm starting to narrow in on my time goals for the race.  I'm working hard in the remaining days. I'm reminding myself of what I've done - of the miles on the bike and the feeling of hills getting easier; of faster running times, being less out of breath, and going longer distances; of the exhilaration of swimming a mile in the pool and wanting to do more.  I've learned that when I feel crummy at the beginning of a workout, if I just keep going, I will feel better.  I have become much more confident in my body's ability to do what I push it to do.

There are so many carry-overs from this physical training and growing confidence into other areas of life.  I have thought so much these last couple of months about the spiritual connections and the ways in which physical training is like, though not nearly as important as, spiritual discipline.  In Mudhouse Sabbath, Lauren Winner addresses this idea with a music analogy.

"'Spiritual practice' is a phrase that means what it says.  Madeline L'Engle once likened spiritual practice to piano etudes.  You do not necessarily enjoy the etudes - you want to skip right ahead to the sonatas and concertos - but if you don't work through the etudes you will arrive at the sonatas and not know what to do.  So, too with the spiritual life.  It's not all about  montaintops.  Mostly it's about training so you'll know the mountaintop for what it is when you get there."

Will I be on a mountaintop when I get to the finish line on September 23?  I think so.  But if I am, it will only be because I've done the training, day in and day out, whether I felt like it or not.  And in my walk with Jesus, I will only know mountaintops if I have day by day "practiced," day by day walked in the spiritual disciplines, day by day read and meditated on scripture, prayed, died to self, served, confessed, offered forgiveness.

Life is not mostly about mountaintops, is it?  It's mostly about training and working, discipline and consistency, keeping going and daily doing the things that lead to increased confidence, sure hope. Even if we don't feel like it.  Especially if we don't feel like it.

So, what about those triathlon fears?  I'm planning to leave them behind where they belong.  I don't intend to take them to the starting line.  Oh, I expect there will be jitters, but from what I've heard and read, this Ramblin' Rose race is a bit of a big swimming, cycling, running support group, with women encouraging each other on all the way!  A little like, but without the eternal weight of another crowd of witnesses  that encourage me to press on.

Tri-training: Long ride day

Monday is our long ride day.  Our usual route is a 23 mile loop, starting and ending at our town ball field parking lot.  I've gotten so familiar with the hills, rough spots, easy sections, sights and landmarks along the way that the ride doesn't seem so long anymore. It's also much easier to push hard on the last 2 miles in, even though I'm tired, because I know I don't have much farther to go and I know it is mostly flat and downhill.  The "School Ahead" sign just before the town elementary school (which is just before the ball field) seems to pop up sooner each time and that feels good.  Last week's ride was 7 minutes faster than the time before: this week's ride was 45 seconds faster.  I think that means that I made a steep improvement last week and I'm riding along on a plateau for a little while now.  Not sure if there's time to make another steep time improvement before the triathlon, but I'll keep working hard.

There were fewer cars and more cyclists on the road this Labor Day.  That was nice.  There are fields filled with yellow flowers and spots where we get a whiff of the smell of a horse barn.  That's nice, too.

I loved our ride.  I love that I get to do it with Coty every week.  I love that today, for the first time, I actually passed him going up a hill, and no, he wasn't just letting me pass him.  He whizzed by me a little after the crest of the hill and I never got close to passing him again.  It was fun while it lasted.  He is in such good shape after a life of training and exercise.  He spurs me on to work harder, improve my technique and times, and enjoy the process.

*Coty tells me that a 2 second a mile improvement in a week is significant and that I am not on a plateau.  OK, Coach.  I stand corrected. Thanks!