Dear Swimming Pool,
Look, I know it's been too long. It's presumptuous of me to think I could stay away, come back now and think things would be just like they've always been. I know that I screwed up.
We've always gotten along so well (except for that one time with the over-chlorinated water and the screaming children.) I appreciate your gentle lapping waves that spring into my mouth while I'm trying to breathe, the way your lane lines scrape against my arm/torso/legs as I struggle to swim in a straight line and of course, all of the random items (band aids, metal objects, indescribable black lumps, etc.) that appear on your floor. My recent visit did not disappoint on any of these points.
Now, I know my last visit was less than spectacular. There was a lot of time I spent flailing about instead of propelling myself in a forward motion. I bobbed up and down, my limbs moving in a motion that should have resembled swimming, but really just looked like I was trying to claw my way through the water to the other end of the pool. I promise it will get better.
So I write this letter not only as an apology, but also as a thank you. Despite my lengthy absence from your presence and dismal attempt at swimming, our visit was quite nice. I look forward to a long, productive visit again very soon...maybe even tomorrow!
All the best,
Melanie -- your water-logged friend
P.S. I didn't realize that my suit was so threadbare. I promise next time I'll wear a suit that's not almost see-through. There are children at the pool and I don't need to scare any of them.
Saturday, January 4, 2014
Sunday, January 1, 2012
Push-up...what???
The gym is shockingly empty on New Year's Day at 10:00 AM. It's a good thing too. This morning, no one had to be tortured, watching me flop around on the floor, trying to do a push-up. It's a good reminder that I can't take off several months and expect to do the same things that I always have.
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Happy New Year = Happy Running!
As we head into a new year, I head into a new training challenge. I've always detested running. Yet somehow, I keep signing up for races. This time, I'm taking on a bigger challenge and will be running in the Rock 'n Roll USA Half Marathon on Saturday, March 17th.
Several people have told me that they think completing a triathlon is more impressive than a marathon or half-marathon. Puh-lease. I can handle swimming and biking and manage to muddle through a 10k run. With the half-marathon, there is no escaping and there's no changing disciplines.
I'm not going to lie -- I'm a little scared.
For this event, I am again training with Team in Training and planning to blog about the trials and tribulations of me, trying to be an athlete. Below is the link to my fundraising page...donate early, donate often!
Happy new year and enjoy!
http://pages.teamintraining.org/nca/natl12/mzentner
Several people have told me that they think completing a triathlon is more impressive than a marathon or half-marathon. Puh-lease. I can handle swimming and biking and manage to muddle through a 10k run. With the half-marathon, there is no escaping and there's no changing disciplines.
I'm not going to lie -- I'm a little scared.
For this event, I am again training with Team in Training and planning to blog about the trials and tribulations of me, trying to be an athlete. Below is the link to my fundraising page...donate early, donate often!
Happy new year and enjoy!
http://pages.teamintraining.org/nca/natl12/mzentner
Monday, November 21, 2011
Reflecting on Grandpa Cline
I originally started this blog to follow my training efforts for triathlons. It was funny and light, all about my trials and tribulations of being a normal person trying to complete tris. However, today I am sitting at my parents' house in Monroe and need a public forum to share some very personal reflections.
My grandpa Cline's funeral is today. He was 95 years old and lived a long and interesting life. He worked hard from a young age, fought in the Pacific theater during World War Two, and married and had 13 children. He farmed some, worked in factories, and during his later years, the last job I remember him having was as the greeter at the local Wal-Mart.
Grandpa Cline was a character. He lived his entire life as a staunch Republican (even though he once admitted to me that he voted for Kennedy...but that was the only Democrat for whom he had ever voted.) He knew that my views were in stark opposition to his and when I was a teenager and young adult, Grandpa always tried to draw me into political discussions. I'm pretty sure he knew that he wouldn't be able to change my mind, but enjoyed the banter, liked to see me impassioned about my viewpoints, and I think he ultimately liked getting a rise out of me.
Several years ago, when Grandma and Grandpa were still living in their own apartment, Mom and I stopped-by for a visit. I had been told earlier about how stubborn Grandpa was being, refusing to leave the house for a much needed haircut. In an effort to tease him, I asked if he had clippers in the house and suggested that I could give him a quick buzz cut in the bathroom. It was the most energy that he had all day, as he agreed and even suggested that we could lay newspaper on the bathroom floor to catch the hair. I suggested a change of routine and it seemed to perk him up. (Ultimately, I had to talk him out of the buzz cut in the bathroom. I've never actually used clippers and was afraid that I would really mess up and then everyone in the family would blame me.)
There were a few physical peculiarities about Grandpa. He was missing half a finger, a constant reminder of his time in the Navy, had tattoos on both arms -- all related to his time in the service, and for some reason, he always liked wearing cowboy hats. At the end of a long day, his shock of bright, white hair would form into the shape of the hat. Even as he got older, his eyes were always bright blue and are the same color that I see on my mom's face.
Grandpa cared so much about his large family. Clearly, having 13 children leads to having even more grandchildren and today, even a number of great grandchildren. Even though we all had bumps in the road, Grandpa was always proud of us...all of us. When asked why he had so many kids, his response was always the elusive, "Which one would we have given back?" It definitely wasn't the point of the question, but without saying it directly, shows how much he cared.
When my niece, Madalin was born in 1997, Grandpa loved her beautiful red, curly hair. It was the same color as his mother's, Great Grandma Cline. For years, he called Madalin his copper penny. I know that he called my mom his little stump fairy when she was a child, even though I never really understood why. To my knowledge, I never had a nickname, but I'm pretty sure he had more for others.
The last few years of Grandpa's life were particularly hard. He lost Grandma in 2008 and really seemed to stop caring after that. His body was failing him. He couldn't see well nor could he hear well. (Even though I don't think he could ever hear very well. Grandpa had a habit of turning down his hearing aid or not wearing it at all and instead just watching. I think he did this for YEARS.) The failings of his body were frustrating to him. One of the last times I went to visit, he told me that even though the name of the home in which he was living was called Pleasant View, it was anything but a very pleasant view.
His mind remained sharp and I think this frustrated him even more. On one of my last visits, my niece and Dad stayed in a nearby waiting room while Mom and I visited with Grandpa. As we were getting ready to leave, Madalin and Dad walked by and Grandpa called out to them, by name. Even as his body failed him, his mind remained sharp.
The last few years of his life, Grandpa was unhappy and that made me, and I'm sure the entire family, unhappy as well. Although his passing is very hard for his family, I know that he is much happier now. I am hopeful that today, although sad no matter what, can be a celebration of his long life and his large family.
I love you Grandpa and will miss you.
http://www.ericksonfuneralhome.com/darlington_obituaries.html#cline
My grandpa Cline's funeral is today. He was 95 years old and lived a long and interesting life. He worked hard from a young age, fought in the Pacific theater during World War Two, and married and had 13 children. He farmed some, worked in factories, and during his later years, the last job I remember him having was as the greeter at the local Wal-Mart.
Grandpa Cline was a character. He lived his entire life as a staunch Republican (even though he once admitted to me that he voted for Kennedy...but that was the only Democrat for whom he had ever voted.) He knew that my views were in stark opposition to his and when I was a teenager and young adult, Grandpa always tried to draw me into political discussions. I'm pretty sure he knew that he wouldn't be able to change my mind, but enjoyed the banter, liked to see me impassioned about my viewpoints, and I think he ultimately liked getting a rise out of me.
Several years ago, when Grandma and Grandpa were still living in their own apartment, Mom and I stopped-by for a visit. I had been told earlier about how stubborn Grandpa was being, refusing to leave the house for a much needed haircut. In an effort to tease him, I asked if he had clippers in the house and suggested that I could give him a quick buzz cut in the bathroom. It was the most energy that he had all day, as he agreed and even suggested that we could lay newspaper on the bathroom floor to catch the hair. I suggested a change of routine and it seemed to perk him up. (Ultimately, I had to talk him out of the buzz cut in the bathroom. I've never actually used clippers and was afraid that I would really mess up and then everyone in the family would blame me.)
There were a few physical peculiarities about Grandpa. He was missing half a finger, a constant reminder of his time in the Navy, had tattoos on both arms -- all related to his time in the service, and for some reason, he always liked wearing cowboy hats. At the end of a long day, his shock of bright, white hair would form into the shape of the hat. Even as he got older, his eyes were always bright blue and are the same color that I see on my mom's face.
Grandpa cared so much about his large family. Clearly, having 13 children leads to having even more grandchildren and today, even a number of great grandchildren. Even though we all had bumps in the road, Grandpa was always proud of us...all of us. When asked why he had so many kids, his response was always the elusive, "Which one would we have given back?" It definitely wasn't the point of the question, but without saying it directly, shows how much he cared.
When my niece, Madalin was born in 1997, Grandpa loved her beautiful red, curly hair. It was the same color as his mother's, Great Grandma Cline. For years, he called Madalin his copper penny. I know that he called my mom his little stump fairy when she was a child, even though I never really understood why. To my knowledge, I never had a nickname, but I'm pretty sure he had more for others.
The last few years of Grandpa's life were particularly hard. He lost Grandma in 2008 and really seemed to stop caring after that. His body was failing him. He couldn't see well nor could he hear well. (Even though I don't think he could ever hear very well. Grandpa had a habit of turning down his hearing aid or not wearing it at all and instead just watching. I think he did this for YEARS.) The failings of his body were frustrating to him. One of the last times I went to visit, he told me that even though the name of the home in which he was living was called Pleasant View, it was anything but a very pleasant view.
His mind remained sharp and I think this frustrated him even more. On one of my last visits, my niece and Dad stayed in a nearby waiting room while Mom and I visited with Grandpa. As we were getting ready to leave, Madalin and Dad walked by and Grandpa called out to them, by name. Even as his body failed him, his mind remained sharp.
The last few years of his life, Grandpa was unhappy and that made me, and I'm sure the entire family, unhappy as well. Although his passing is very hard for his family, I know that he is much happier now. I am hopeful that today, although sad no matter what, can be a celebration of his long life and his large family.
I love you Grandpa and will miss you.
http://www.ericksonfuneralhome.com/darlington_obituaries.html#cline
Sunday, July 3, 2011
Race Report: the bad and the ugly
Wowser! It's been a long, long time since I've blogged. I'm going to skip all of the in between details and jump right to the heart of the matter: race weekend.
First, I have to say, I trained with the most fun, coolest athletes and friends. I didn't know any of them when we started, but now, I consider several of them very dear to me.
Since the race was in Philly, which is about a two and a half hour drive, I carpooled up on Saturday with two of my teammates and we met up with a caravan composed of most of the rest of our teammates. There's something that's initially awkward about spending a substantial amount of time in an enclosed space with people you only know in a very specific setting, in this case training. This was not the case at all. Conversation flowed. There was a good deal of amusing communication between the cars and the two plus hours passed in no time.
Packet pick-up was uneventful with the usual, but still enjoyable free stuff. I also had the opportunity to meet one of the pros competing on Sunday. (I was asked if I wanted an autographed poster from this particular professional triathlete. My answer was no, but he was sitting there listening to the conversation. I felt like it would just be rude to say no at that point. It's not because I don't admire him, but I don't really *do* posters. I was teased a good deal my one of my teammates for accepting and hanging onto that poster.)
The rest of Saturday was pretty typical. I went to the hotel, got settled in, had some food, and got ready for the pasta party...sorry, inspiration dinner. As usual and expected, it was an inspiring dinner, indeed and I shed more than a few tears at the stories we heard.
After dinner, we met with our coaches and had the chance to exchange some gifts. One of my mentees was celebrating her birthday THAT VERY DAY and we had the chance to celebrate that too. She almost got a little teary-eyed when reading the card...it made my heart smile that she was so touched.
Saturday night was quiet, hanging out with my roommate and in general, getting ready for race day. We had to be in the lobby and ready to go by 4:15 AM on Sunday, so I tried to prep everything on Saturday night.
Sunday morning came early...way too early! I'm not going to post any of the pictures from the lobby (although there are a lot of them on Facebook) as my eyes are closed and puffy in most of them. It's not a good look for me!
We started our ride to transition promptly at 4:30 AM. It was very peaceful and somewhat surreal to be riding through the streets of Philly at that early hour. Nothing was open. There were only a few people on the streets and most of them were police officers. It was a surprisingly relaxing way to get to transition.
It was a beautiful morning once I got to transition. Everyone around me was friendly and transition was surprisingly spacious. Although, I think that's actually because several people around me didn't show up. (As an aside, who would do that? Why would you register for an event and then not show?)
Since the swim was a straight, point-to-point, we had to hop on a shuttle and be driven to the swim in. It provided a good opportunity to view the swim course. Did I mention that the swim was with the current? Could a swim get any easier?
We were there plenty early, so there was a good deal of time to chill out, use the porta-potties, and just get ready for the race. (I have to mention that the bathrooms were super nasty. I have no idea how some of those people were able to compete with what they had coming out of their bodies.)
I should mention that the water temperature was high enough that wetsuits were not legal. You could wear a wetsuit, but the you would have to wait to the very last swim wave. Given how I've had to sausage myself into my wetsuit recently, wearing it would not have been to my advantage.
The swim went well. I stayed pretty steady in my stroke and the wave was small enough that I barely came into contact with other swimmers. We had to swim under a bridge and were told to swim under the second archway from the left. The instructions were pretty clear, but during my swim there, I started questioning the instructions. Do they really mean the second? Or does the first archway only count as a half, so it's actually the second full archway? Well, there was no reason to worry as it was just the second archway and all I had to do was follow the swimmers ahead of me.
During the swim, I caught some of the slower swimmers ahead of me and had a few swimmers from the wave behind me pass. Because my wave was small, I felt like I was in the back the entire time. In no time, I was at the tetrahedron and out of the water. I realized that I actually hadn't been in the back and the swim had taken me about 30 minutes.
T1 was fairly fast and it was fun to actually see people that I knew. I got everything I need, took in some water and was out of transition in just over 3:30. Once I got on the bike, I realized that I had forgotten my gloves. The ride isn't so long that I needed to have them, but it is more comfortable and I did have them sitting out in transition. I'm just so baffled as to how I forget them.
A few minutes into the ride, I was able to take in the Gu taped to my bike and started sipping on my water/Gatorade. I was feeling pretty good by this point.
The bike consisted of two loops, passing across the Schuylkill twice. The first loop of the ride was mentally tough for me. The course had been described as having four hills that were technical climbs. We had done a good deal of hill training and I had researched the course up the wazoo, but the entire first loop, I was anticipating all of the hills and it put me on edge.
The second loop was better. I knew when the hills were coming and that they were all manageable. I was able to take in more water/Gatorade and had a few chomps. On the bike, I was passed more than I passed people, but everyone who passed me seemed to be very solid cyclists.
About three-quarters of the way through the bike, I realized that my bike was rattling. There is one gear that when I'm in it, my chain rattles. I thought I was in that gear, but when I tried shifting, the noise remained. I pulled off the course and when I looked back, one of my worst fears was realized. My back tire was flat. My two options at this point were to change the tire or start walking back to transition. So, I started to pull off my back tire to change it.
There was a guy watching the race not all that far away from me. When he saw me start to take off my tire, he came running over and asked if I had everything that I needed to change it. Of course I did. This complete stranger takes the tire from me and starts changing it with lightening speed. In checking the tire, he found two pieces of glass which I probably would not have. In almost no time, he had the tire changed and back on my bike. The entire time this stranger was helping me, I knew that I should have been doing it myself as there is no outside assistance allowed. I wasn't sure if it was a time penalty or full out disqualification, but none of the officials saw the infraction. (I later confirmed that it would have been a time penalty of two minutes. The two minutes would have been well worth it as it would have taken me much longer than that to change my own tire and since I probably wouldn't have found both pieces of glass, I would have flatted again.)
During the time that I was pulled off of the course, there were a lot of people that passed me and I knew that I needed to ride hard and have an excellent run to finish in a time that I would like. At this point, my eyes starts twitching because of the stress that I was putting on myself and I all but forget to keep taking in hydration. I finished the bike and T2 was also pretty quick. My legs felt pretty good and I'm sure it's because I spent some time off of the bike.
The first three miles of the run felt really good. I had a comfortable pace, my breathing was steady, and my legs felt good. I saw so many people that I know including Coach K. Her shouting and cheering and hilarious signs of our team's inside jokes put me in such a great mood.
The run course was two out and backs. The first one was longer and in the shade. The second was only about two and a half miles, but there was little shade and it was the longest miles of my life. There was some point right before mile marker 4 that I lost all of my mental focus. I couldn't keep my mind on maintaining my form or my breathing. I walked...A LOT. I used every single water stop and at most, took two cups. (In retrospect, I know that I didn't take in enough water on the bike and I was dehydrated at that point.) The only thoughts that kept running through my head were how much I wanted the race to be over and how disappointed I was in my run...even though I wasn't even finished with it. The more I had these thoughts, the more disappointed I became in myself and at one point, I almost started crying. I've had some bad runs, but I was so in my head that this had to be the worst.
Right at the six mile marker, one of the spectators was cheering me on and pointed out where the finish line was. I don't remember exactly what he said, but it was exactly what I needed to hear at that moment to bring me back and try to finish strong. As I neared the finish line, I saw Coach K again and she strapped on her back pack and ran with me to the finishing shoot. Again, it was exactly what I needed at that moment.
My finish time was 3:33:53. Although I was completely disappointed in my own race, so many of my teammates did absolutely amazing, including one woman who placed ninth in our age group. I thought it was more important to focus on their success to wallow in my own disappointment, so I kept it to myself and tried to enjoy the afternoon.
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I've heard that in order to start training for the next race, you have to forget the previous. I am definitely keeping the lessons learned (hydrate more on the bike, get out of my head, keep working on my run) but I'm over my disappointment and ready to start training again. I also want to improve my fitness level before my next race too. I just don't feel as strong or fast as I have previously. I guess it's back to CrossFit for me!
I should probably also mention the shenanigans on Sunday night...so much fun, friends, and karaoke. Well, there might have been some alcohol too but in the words of one of my mentees, it was amazeballs!
So next up is Nations...training starts immediately!
First, I have to say, I trained with the most fun, coolest athletes and friends. I didn't know any of them when we started, but now, I consider several of them very dear to me.
Since the race was in Philly, which is about a two and a half hour drive, I carpooled up on Saturday with two of my teammates and we met up with a caravan composed of most of the rest of our teammates. There's something that's initially awkward about spending a substantial amount of time in an enclosed space with people you only know in a very specific setting, in this case training. This was not the case at all. Conversation flowed. There was a good deal of amusing communication between the cars and the two plus hours passed in no time.
Packet pick-up was uneventful with the usual, but still enjoyable free stuff. I also had the opportunity to meet one of the pros competing on Sunday. (I was asked if I wanted an autographed poster from this particular professional triathlete. My answer was no, but he was sitting there listening to the conversation. I felt like it would just be rude to say no at that point. It's not because I don't admire him, but I don't really *do* posters. I was teased a good deal my one of my teammates for accepting and hanging onto that poster.)
The rest of Saturday was pretty typical. I went to the hotel, got settled in, had some food, and got ready for the pasta party...sorry, inspiration dinner. As usual and expected, it was an inspiring dinner, indeed and I shed more than a few tears at the stories we heard.
After dinner, we met with our coaches and had the chance to exchange some gifts. One of my mentees was celebrating her birthday THAT VERY DAY and we had the chance to celebrate that too. She almost got a little teary-eyed when reading the card...it made my heart smile that she was so touched.
 |
| Isn't that a handsome looking team? |
Saturday night was quiet, hanging out with my roommate and in general, getting ready for race day. We had to be in the lobby and ready to go by 4:15 AM on Sunday, so I tried to prep everything on Saturday night.
 |
| This is my hotel transition area. I like how the backs of my bike shoes are so reflective. |
We started our ride to transition promptly at 4:30 AM. It was very peaceful and somewhat surreal to be riding through the streets of Philly at that early hour. Nothing was open. There were only a few people on the streets and most of them were police officers. It was a surprisingly relaxing way to get to transition.
It was a beautiful morning once I got to transition. Everyone around me was friendly and transition was surprisingly spacious. Although, I think that's actually because several people around me didn't show up. (As an aside, who would do that? Why would you register for an event and then not show?)
 |
| Transition! I had no idea that there were so many reflective areas on my bike and shoes! |
We were there plenty early, so there was a good deal of time to chill out, use the porta-potties, and just get ready for the race. (I have to mention that the bathrooms were super nasty. I have no idea how some of those people were able to compete with what they had coming out of their bodies.)
There are two pictures that I have to share just because they make me so happy. Neither were taken by me, so I hope the photographer doesn't mind my using them.
 |
All three of my mentees were in a swim wave before me and they all happened to be in the same wave. I was so excited for them and so very proud (we're talking mother-proud) of all of their hard work. They trained, they fundraised, and they made this experience so very meaningful. |
 |
| This is my bad ass roommate and first time triathlete. She really considers herself a marathoner, but she put together a damn good race and I can't wait to see her in another tri. |
I should mention that the water temperature was high enough that wetsuits were not legal. You could wear a wetsuit, but the you would have to wait to the very last swim wave. Given how I've had to sausage myself into my wetsuit recently, wearing it would not have been to my advantage.
The swim went well. I stayed pretty steady in my stroke and the wave was small enough that I barely came into contact with other swimmers. We had to swim under a bridge and were told to swim under the second archway from the left. The instructions were pretty clear, but during my swim there, I started questioning the instructions. Do they really mean the second? Or does the first archway only count as a half, so it's actually the second full archway? Well, there was no reason to worry as it was just the second archway and all I had to do was follow the swimmers ahead of me.
During the swim, I caught some of the slower swimmers ahead of me and had a few swimmers from the wave behind me pass. Because my wave was small, I felt like I was in the back the entire time. In no time, I was at the tetrahedron and out of the water. I realized that I actually hadn't been in the back and the swim had taken me about 30 minutes.
T1 was fairly fast and it was fun to actually see people that I knew. I got everything I need, took in some water and was out of transition in just over 3:30. Once I got on the bike, I realized that I had forgotten my gloves. The ride isn't so long that I needed to have them, but it is more comfortable and I did have them sitting out in transition. I'm just so baffled as to how I forget them.
A few minutes into the ride, I was able to take in the Gu taped to my bike and started sipping on my water/Gatorade. I was feeling pretty good by this point.
The bike consisted of two loops, passing across the Schuylkill twice. The first loop of the ride was mentally tough for me. The course had been described as having four hills that were technical climbs. We had done a good deal of hill training and I had researched the course up the wazoo, but the entire first loop, I was anticipating all of the hills and it put me on edge.
The second loop was better. I knew when the hills were coming and that they were all manageable. I was able to take in more water/Gatorade and had a few chomps. On the bike, I was passed more than I passed people, but everyone who passed me seemed to be very solid cyclists.
About three-quarters of the way through the bike, I realized that my bike was rattling. There is one gear that when I'm in it, my chain rattles. I thought I was in that gear, but when I tried shifting, the noise remained. I pulled off the course and when I looked back, one of my worst fears was realized. My back tire was flat. My two options at this point were to change the tire or start walking back to transition. So, I started to pull off my back tire to change it.
There was a guy watching the race not all that far away from me. When he saw me start to take off my tire, he came running over and asked if I had everything that I needed to change it. Of course I did. This complete stranger takes the tire from me and starts changing it with lightening speed. In checking the tire, he found two pieces of glass which I probably would not have. In almost no time, he had the tire changed and back on my bike. The entire time this stranger was helping me, I knew that I should have been doing it myself as there is no outside assistance allowed. I wasn't sure if it was a time penalty or full out disqualification, but none of the officials saw the infraction. (I later confirmed that it would have been a time penalty of two minutes. The two minutes would have been well worth it as it would have taken me much longer than that to change my own tire and since I probably wouldn't have found both pieces of glass, I would have flatted again.)
During the time that I was pulled off of the course, there were a lot of people that passed me and I knew that I needed to ride hard and have an excellent run to finish in a time that I would like. At this point, my eyes starts twitching because of the stress that I was putting on myself and I all but forget to keep taking in hydration. I finished the bike and T2 was also pretty quick. My legs felt pretty good and I'm sure it's because I spent some time off of the bike.
The first three miles of the run felt really good. I had a comfortable pace, my breathing was steady, and my legs felt good. I saw so many people that I know including Coach K. Her shouting and cheering and hilarious signs of our team's inside jokes put me in such a great mood.
The run course was two out and backs. The first one was longer and in the shade. The second was only about two and a half miles, but there was little shade and it was the longest miles of my life. There was some point right before mile marker 4 that I lost all of my mental focus. I couldn't keep my mind on maintaining my form or my breathing. I walked...A LOT. I used every single water stop and at most, took two cups. (In retrospect, I know that I didn't take in enough water on the bike and I was dehydrated at that point.) The only thoughts that kept running through my head were how much I wanted the race to be over and how disappointed I was in my run...even though I wasn't even finished with it. The more I had these thoughts, the more disappointed I became in myself and at one point, I almost started crying. I've had some bad runs, but I was so in my head that this had to be the worst.
Right at the six mile marker, one of the spectators was cheering me on and pointed out where the finish line was. I don't remember exactly what he said, but it was exactly what I needed to hear at that moment to bring me back and try to finish strong. As I neared the finish line, I saw Coach K again and she strapped on her back pack and ran with me to the finishing shoot. Again, it was exactly what I needed at that moment.
 |
| Almost at the finish line. I'm using this photo as evidence that I am no longer a heel striker. YES! |
I should probably also mention the shenanigans on Sunday night...so much fun, friends, and karaoke. Well, there might have been some alcohol too but in the words of one of my mentees, it was amazeballs!
So next up is Nations...training starts immediately!
Monday, April 11, 2011
Long Time, No Blog
Here we are...75 days and counting. This is the time in my training when I starting hitting every workout, reigning in my diet, and going to bed early so I can wake up early and get more workouts in. So, in short, this is when I really start training.
Training has only been okay. I've been pretty slow and feeling kind of weak. I know that I haven't been doing the strength training that I've done in the past so there is definitely a reason for it. A reasonable person would just do more strength training. I'm not quite to the point of being "reasonable" yet.
There have been some highly entertaining highlights to my training thus far, most of them related to my bike. First, there was the ride where I, rather publicly, let it be known that I didn't know how to air up my tires. It's hard to recover from that. Then there was the ride where both of my tires were flat. Rather than try changing both tires, I decided it was time to take it to the shop. And yes, they recommended I get two new tires. There was also the ride where the front brake was rubbing against the front tire, making a horrible noise in the process and I had to have someone show me how to adjust it. Finally, there was the time I fell off of my bike, which I probably need to expand on a bit.
As I previously mentioned, I am clumsy. For that reason, I have not ventured into the world of clipless pedals, as seen below.
Yes, I understand that my energy would be more efficiently used by going clipless, but the part that I can't get over is that my foot would be attached to the freaking pedal!!
I use the totally-not-respected-in-the-cycling-world toe clip, shown below. It's like 3/4 of a cage for your foot. (I should also clarify on terms. Even though the previous pedal is called "clipless" attaching your shoe to the pedal is called "clipping in." So in summation, you clip into clipless pedals, but not toe clips. Clear?)
In theory, it should be much easier for a beginner like myself to get my foot out of the 3/4 cage and onto the ground should I need to stop. Well, I've managed to prove that theory wrong. See, when I have to make a quick stop for animals, small children, cars, etc., sometimes I panic. In panic mode, basic thoughts to not develop in my mind...well, really at all. (It's for that reason, that I could never be an emergency responder. Yes, I am responsible and make an excellent emergency contact for anyone who is looking, but plop me in a vehicle moving at high speeds with lights and sirens, I am not likely to be able to string together enough reasonable thoughts to save any lives.)
On the day of my most recent fall, I was biking on a trail that crosses a divided highway. As I pulled to a stop, I removed my left foot from it's quasi-cage so it was available to land on the ground. Well, balance wasn't my strong suit that day either and rather than lean to the left and my available foot, I leaned to the right, where my right foot was still safely in it's cage. When my mind realized that my body was going in a direction that I had no support, my mind went into panic mode. (Think: BRIGHT LIGHTS! LOUD NOISES! CONFUSING TECHNO MUSIC!) So rather than simply pulling my right foot back and out of the toe clip, I tried yanking it up. Clearly, this did not go well and down, down I fell.
The damage to my body wasn't too bad, but my ego did not do so well. I ended up with scraped and bruised knees and palms. A few other bikers saw me go down and checked on my well-being, but luckily, no one from my group witnessed the event. If they had, the damage to my ego would have been much, much worse.
I expect since I'm actually training now, I'll have more amusing events to share and hence, will be posting more often. Look forward to it.
Training has only been okay. I've been pretty slow and feeling kind of weak. I know that I haven't been doing the strength training that I've done in the past so there is definitely a reason for it. A reasonable person would just do more strength training. I'm not quite to the point of being "reasonable" yet.
There have been some highly entertaining highlights to my training thus far, most of them related to my bike. First, there was the ride where I, rather publicly, let it be known that I didn't know how to air up my tires. It's hard to recover from that. Then there was the ride where both of my tires were flat. Rather than try changing both tires, I decided it was time to take it to the shop. And yes, they recommended I get two new tires. There was also the ride where the front brake was rubbing against the front tire, making a horrible noise in the process and I had to have someone show me how to adjust it. Finally, there was the time I fell off of my bike, which I probably need to expand on a bit.
As I previously mentioned, I am clumsy. For that reason, I have not ventured into the world of clipless pedals, as seen below.
Yes, I understand that my energy would be more efficiently used by going clipless, but the part that I can't get over is that my foot would be attached to the freaking pedal!!
I use the totally-not-respected-in-the-cycling-world toe clip, shown below. It's like 3/4 of a cage for your foot. (I should also clarify on terms. Even though the previous pedal is called "clipless" attaching your shoe to the pedal is called "clipping in." So in summation, you clip into clipless pedals, but not toe clips. Clear?)
In theory, it should be much easier for a beginner like myself to get my foot out of the 3/4 cage and onto the ground should I need to stop. Well, I've managed to prove that theory wrong. See, when I have to make a quick stop for animals, small children, cars, etc., sometimes I panic. In panic mode, basic thoughts to not develop in my mind...well, really at all. (It's for that reason, that I could never be an emergency responder. Yes, I am responsible and make an excellent emergency contact for anyone who is looking, but plop me in a vehicle moving at high speeds with lights and sirens, I am not likely to be able to string together enough reasonable thoughts to save any lives.)
On the day of my most recent fall, I was biking on a trail that crosses a divided highway. As I pulled to a stop, I removed my left foot from it's quasi-cage so it was available to land on the ground. Well, balance wasn't my strong suit that day either and rather than lean to the left and my available foot, I leaned to the right, where my right foot was still safely in it's cage. When my mind realized that my body was going in a direction that I had no support, my mind went into panic mode. (Think: BRIGHT LIGHTS! LOUD NOISES! CONFUSING TECHNO MUSIC!) So rather than simply pulling my right foot back and out of the toe clip, I tried yanking it up. Clearly, this did not go well and down, down I fell.
The damage to my body wasn't too bad, but my ego did not do so well. I ended up with scraped and bruised knees and palms. A few other bikers saw me go down and checked on my well-being, but luckily, no one from my group witnessed the event. If they had, the damage to my ego would have been much, much worse.
I expect since I'm actually training now, I'll have more amusing events to share and hence, will be posting more often. Look forward to it.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Working out is like...hard
This past weekend, I was watching a mindless show on MTV called I Used to be Fat. In each episode, a teenager who is (you guessed it) fat spends the summer learning how to eat properly and working out like mad in order to lose weight and ultimately develop habits to get and keep them healthy.
In the midst of one particular episode, a chunky blond girl with cute dimples had her predictable mid-show breakdown. Through her tears, she said "Working out is so hard!" Honey, I couldn't agree more.
My runs have been really hard lately. I am not fast. I am not an athletic person. I'm clumsy. I fall over. I stumble. Some days running is really hard and it hurts. There are times I want to stop. There are runs that I DO stop. And I hate those days.
Last Saturday, I learned that my running form is pretty poor. It's not really surprising and I have learned a number of exercises and ques to help me improve. The thing that really annoys me about my poor running form is why wasn't I taught this in junior high or high school? Maybe if the gym teachers of my childhood didn't spend as much time forcing me to run a mile and actually taught me how to run a mile first, I wouldn't be in this position now. Based on my attitude in my youth, it might not have made a difference, but it is definitely something that has crossed my mind in the course of training.
I have begun to wonder if those who are more naturally athletic have hard days too. Based on the fit people I know, it doesn't seem like it or do they have other hurdles to overcome? When I was in high school, were all of those students athletes pushing as hard as I feel like I have to? It also makes me wonder, what are the things at which I'm naturally better? On a bad workout day, it doesn't feel like there's much.
Of course, I know it will be better and easier! For now, I'm just going to suffer through each workout that's tough and remind myself that easier runs and warmer days are just around the corner.
In the midst of one particular episode, a chunky blond girl with cute dimples had her predictable mid-show breakdown. Through her tears, she said "Working out is so hard!" Honey, I couldn't agree more.
My runs have been really hard lately. I am not fast. I am not an athletic person. I'm clumsy. I fall over. I stumble. Some days running is really hard and it hurts. There are times I want to stop. There are runs that I DO stop. And I hate those days.
Last Saturday, I learned that my running form is pretty poor. It's not really surprising and I have learned a number of exercises and ques to help me improve. The thing that really annoys me about my poor running form is why wasn't I taught this in junior high or high school? Maybe if the gym teachers of my childhood didn't spend as much time forcing me to run a mile and actually taught me how to run a mile first, I wouldn't be in this position now. Based on my attitude in my youth, it might not have made a difference, but it is definitely something that has crossed my mind in the course of training.
I have begun to wonder if those who are more naturally athletic have hard days too. Based on the fit people I know, it doesn't seem like it or do they have other hurdles to overcome? When I was in high school, were all of those students athletes pushing as hard as I feel like I have to? It also makes me wonder, what are the things at which I'm naturally better? On a bad workout day, it doesn't feel like there's much.
Of course, I know it will be better and easier! For now, I'm just going to suffer through each workout that's tough and remind myself that easier runs and warmer days are just around the corner.
Monday, January 17, 2011
Priority Number One: Fundraising Kick-Off
Subject: Triathlons and Fundraising: So Nice, I'm Doing it Twice!
Dear Friends, Family, and Colleagues,
Four months ago, I took on one of the biggest challenges of my life, completing my first ever triathlon and in the process raising $2,800 for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) as a participant in the Team In Training program. Well, I’m doing it again, this year participating in the Philadelphia Triathlon with a goal of raising $3000. Because of your past support, I'm asking you to help by making a donation to my fundraising campaign.
Please use the link in this email to donate online quickly and securely plus learn more about my progress. You will receive a confirmation of your donation by email and I will be notified as soon as you make your donation.
http://pages.teamintraining.org/nca/philtri11/mzentnecxd
Each donation helps accelerate finding a cure for leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma. More than 823,000 Americans are battling these blood cancers. I am hoping that my participation in Team In Training will help bring them hope and support.
To learn more about Team In Training or to become a participant, visit http://www.teamintraining.org/.
On behalf of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, thank you very much for your support. I greatly appreciate your generosity.
Thanks!
Melanie
P.S. I would appreciate it if you would forward this email to as many people as you can to encourage them to donate as well. Thanks again.
Dear Friends, Family, and Colleagues,
Four months ago, I took on one of the biggest challenges of my life, completing my first ever triathlon and in the process raising $2,800 for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) as a participant in the Team In Training program. Well, I’m doing it again, this year participating in the Philadelphia Triathlon with a goal of raising $3000. Because of your past support, I'm asking you to help by making a donation to my fundraising campaign.
Please use the link in this email to donate online quickly and securely plus learn more about my progress. You will receive a confirmation of your donation by email and I will be notified as soon as you make your donation.
http://pages.teamintraining.org/nca/philtri11/mzentnecxd
Each donation helps accelerate finding a cure for leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma. More than 823,000 Americans are battling these blood cancers. I am hoping that my participation in Team In Training will help bring them hope and support.
To learn more about Team In Training or to become a participant, visit http://www.teamintraining.org/.
On behalf of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, thank you very much for your support. I greatly appreciate your generosity.
Thanks!
Melanie
P.S. I would appreciate it if you would forward this email to as many people as you can to encourage them to donate as well. Thanks again.
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Sunday, October 10, 2010
How does one select a triathlon???
It's official. I am doing another triathlon. The only question now is which one and when. I think I'd like to train with Team In Training again. I'm a little concerned about how the fundraising might go (really, how many times can I ask my friends, family, and coworkers to donate?) However, I don't think I have enough motivation do to the training on my own.
So here are the options:
1. St. Anthony's Tri on May 1st in St. Peterburgs, Florida
or
2. Columbia Tri on May 22nd in Ellicott City, Maryland
Thoughts? Suggestions?
So here are the options:
1. St. Anthony's Tri on May 1st in St. Peterburgs, Florida
or
2. Columbia Tri on May 22nd in Ellicott City, Maryland
Thoughts? Suggestions?
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
This stuff is so addictive, they should make it illegal.
Yeah, I'm thinking about doing another tri...stay tuned.
Friday, September 17, 2010
Race Weekend Part III or The Race (finally)
I know I'm recounting the events of the day in a very "dear diary" kind of way, but I just can't resist.
Finally, it was 8:48am. That's 20 minutes after my scheduled start time, but again, the entire race was delayed due to the rain. I stood with a large group of women, 30-34, all of us wore dark green swim caps, and most of us were in wetsuits. Nothing really seemed too scary at that point. I knew what I had to do. I wasn't going to quit and (quite possibly most importantly) I knew that I was capable of finishing the entire thing.
As we made our way down to the dock, there was a lot of excitement. We all started joking with each other, clapping, letting out shouts. It was exciting!
I had no fear jumping into the Potomac this time. When the horn/gun/whatever that sound was went off, I just started swimming. There were arms and legs and commotion everywhere. I tried to just keep my stroke strong and remember to site.
The first 400 meters went by so quickly. The course was shaped like the Washington Monument, so it came to a point on one edge. (I really thought it was pretty lame, but the announcer kept pointing it out.) Right before I got to the "point" I swam under Memorial Bridge. I tried to take a minute and look at the underside of the bridge. I remember thinking, how many people don't get to see the bridge from this angle and how many people and cars have crossed that bridge. It was a pretty cool moment.
Once I turned the corner at the 600 meter mark, I started to notice that I was mostly still with the dark green caps. Thank goodness! I started to notice a few orange caps which was the wave ahead of us. However, that group contained women in their 50s or 60s, so I was mostly impressed that they were taking on the challenge of a triathlon. There also started to be a few blue caps around me, being from the wave after me. Oh well, can't beat everyone.
The back stretch wasn't so bad, but I started to get bored. For instance, there was a woman that kept running into me. I nicknamed her "the tank." (To be fair, I might have been running into her, but it's easier to think that I was the one swimming in a straight line.) I did get kicked in the face. It only knocked at my goggles a little and let in some water. Luckily, it was not a big deal.
Here are some photos from the swim, again compliments of Steph.
When I had gotten into the water, I kind of had to go to the bathroom. I decided that I would follow the advice of more seasoned triathletes and just go in the river. So as I got to the last 100 meters I realized that it was now or never if I was going to wet myself. Sadly, I couldn't do it. I don't know if it was psychological or if it's just too hard to keep kicking your legs and pee at the same time, but I got to the swim out without having relieved myself. (I apologize to my mother for admitting that on the Internet.)
I got out of the water with no problem and was easily able to pull down my wet suit to my waist and start jogging to transition. My cap and goggles didn't want to come off so easily and you can see a great picture of it here: http://www.asiorders.com/view_user_photo.asp?EVENTID=60074&ID=95140254&FROM=photos&BIB=4530
I swear, I didn't feel as exhausted as I look here: http://www.asiorders.com/view_user_photo.asp?EVENTID=60074&PWD=&ID=95154061&FROM=photos&BIB=4530
They had a light sprayer set up. The idea was that it would lightly rinse you off before transition. However, at this point, I think the rain was coming down harder than the mister, so it didn't really matter. It did make for a great photo op that Steph managed to catch.
By this point, transition was mostly a mud field. As I ran to my bike, I think I saw a few men who were already finished. That was a bit disheartening.
I got to my bike, peeled off my wetsuit, and put on my bike helmet. I grabbed my extra towel and started to dry my feet prior to putting on my socks. However, I quickly realized that at that second, there was absolutely nothing in my life that was dry. So instead, I just wiped off the mud and put on my socks and shoes. I decided to skip the sunglasses since 1) it was pretty dark and 2) they would just get rained on and that could make it harder to see. As I was putting on my gloves (because I'm kind of a wimp and can't ride more than 10 miles without them) I realized that I had been in transition for what felt like a really really long time. I grabbed by bike and started jogging out of transition.
This picture http://www.asiorders.com/view_user_photo.asp?EVENTID=60074&PWD=&ID=95178682&FROM=photos&BIB=4530 makes it look like I was walking, but I swear I was jogging!
Before the mount line, I heard someone call my name and saw my former TNT staff person and new colleague at work. It was SO GOOD to see friendly faces.
Once I got on my bike and started pedaling, things went really well. I consistently passed a few people and a few passed me, but I felt like I was keeping a really good pace. My rate of pedaling was steady and I was able to shift with no problem. (Thanks to the guy from the Bike Lane.) Our course was somewhat narrow in some places, which made me really nervous about the no drafting rule and trying to pass. I didn't see any crashes, but apparently there were a few.
We biked to Maryland, almost to 495. It went by so fast! As I was riding, I couldn't tell if it was raining, there was water dripping off of me, off of other people, or if water was being kicked up from other bikers. Needless to say, it was just wet, Wet, WET!
For the parts of the ride in DC, it was so awesome to go through stop lights and ride through the tunnel on the Whitehurst Freeway. Again, I started thinking about how few people had the opportunity to see everything from this angle.
One of the most amusing parts of the bike ride was seeing those riders who had flats. Not the people who were changing their tubes, but rather, the people who were unable to fix their bikes on the course and had resorted to picking up their bikes and running with them back to transition. That's a real triathlete.
During the bike, there were so many great people, just out on the streets, or on walks, that happened to see our race. I loved it when people would stop, clap, and call out "Good job, bikers!" It was so encouraging.
Here are links to two of the photos that the pros took:
http://www.asiorders.com/view_user_photo.asp?EVENTID=60074&PWD=&ID=95197724&FROM=photos&BIB=4530
http://www.asiorders.com/view_user_photo.asp?EVENTID=60074&ID=95207128&FROM=photos&BIB=4530
When I got close to transition, I noticed that everyone was doing stuff. I looked around me and tried to think about what I should be doing. Then I realized that they were all un-clipping and and unfastening their shoes. Seeing as I was too uncoordinated to wear biking shoes and clip in, I really had nothing to be doing.
I was so excited when I got back to transition! I knew that I was done with two-thirds of the race and although I am not a strong runner, I would get through the rest of this. I was even willing to walk the entire 10k. However, I quickly remembered that my socks and shoes were soaked completely through to the skin. I was about to "run" 6 plus miles in wet shoes and socks. Awesome.
I can't lie. The run was a-w-f-u-l. Terrible. I hate it. HATED. IT.
It was within the first mile, that I heard someone call my name and shout out encouragement. It was my old friend Amanda, standing in the rain as a volunteer. Again, it was seeing a familiar face, smiling at me and cheering me on, that really kept me going.
Just after passing mile one, I let myself walk for about 45 seconds. In terms of breathing and overall energy, I felt pretty good. But my shins, ankles, feet...pretty much everything below my knees hurt. Now, I know that some of this was because I need new running shoes. I realized that I needed new shoes about a week before the race. I thought that running with old shoes would be the lesser evil when compared to running with new shoes. I'm not so sure I made the right decision.
There were several things that were great about the course of this run. First, there was water and Gatorade every mile. Even if I didn't need any hydration or nutrition, it made for a fun game trying to get it. If I only took a few sips and dumped the rest on myself, it was still awesome. Next, there are always interesting people on the mall. On Sunday, September 12th, there happened to be a lot of Tea Partiers invading the mall. We ran straight down 14th to Constitution and they stood there and stared at us like some kind of freak show. (The annoying thing about these people and tourists in general is their inability to judge time and space. So as the triathletes ran down 14th and the tourists tried to cross 14th, there was the constant risk of a collision. They crossed the street so slowly and without regard for the fact that people were running a race!)
The course took me down and around Haines Point. I had to pause and tighten my shoe laces in the hopes that it would help the pain in my feet. My socks and shoes were still soaking wet. Haines Point is actually a beautiful run. It's nice and flat. There were a few people here and there, cheering.
I really loved that anytime I passed (which didn't happen often) or was passed (which happened quite frequently) by anyone else wearing a TNT tri suit, there was an automatic greeting of "Go Team!" It was a wonderful distraction and an excellent way to encourage and be encouraged.
Here's a few photos of me on the run.
http://www.asiorders.com/view_user_photo.asp?EVENTID=60074&ID=95206133&FROM=photos&BIB=4530
http://www.asiorders.com/view_user_photo.asp?EVENTID=60074&ID=95168151&FROM=photos&BIB=4530
http://www.asiorders.com/view_user_photo.asp?EVENTID=60074&PWD=&ID=95203094&FROM=photos&BIB=4530
In these pictures, you can tell as I get closer to the finish line because my smile gets bigger, and bigger and BIGGER.
Right around mile 6, I saw two of our coaches and my TNT staff person. They just started shouting. I got a high five and kept running.
It's hard to describe the scene and the feeling for the last mile. There were a lot of people around. Some were there to cheer us on and others were also racers, who had completed the event and made their way back to cheer on those of us who hadn't finished yet.
As I got closer to the finish line, I could not keep the smile off of my face. Not only was I guaranteed to finish this thing (that I wasn't sure I could,) but there were so many people lining the streets. Even though none of these people knew me, they would make eye contact with me, shout encouragement to me, cheer me on to the finish line. How could I not smile in that circumstance?
As I got to the finish line, I felt like I was going to start crying. (In retrospect, I think I was too dehydrated to cry much.) Here's me crossing the finish line: http://www.asiorders.com/view_user_photo.asp?EVENTID=60074&PWD=&ID=95150480&FROM=photos&BIB=4530 and http://www.asiorders.com/view_user_photo.asp?EVENTID=60074&ID=95158807&FROM=photos&BIB=4530.
As I walked from the finish line, I got my bottle of water and more importantly, my finishers medal. I heard shouts to my right and it was my wonderful friends Steph (from earlier) and Amanda. They cheered and hugged me and I thought they might want to cry with me. It was so wonderful that my friends were willing to come out in terrible weather, sit on a wet curb, and cheer me on across the finish line.
I went to walk around the barrier to talk to Steph and Amanda and right in front of me were my coworkers and friends Kelli and Katie. I was shocked! It took a long time to get there and as I mentioned, the weather was terrible, but they made it out. I couldn't have been happier.
It took me some time to make it around the barrier, return my timing chip, getting the shiny plastic stuff that keeps you warm, and get some Gatorade, but when I did, we got these great pictures.
The rest of the day was a little bit of a blur. I couldn't quite put together full thoughts or kept forgetting names or couldn't think of specific words that I wanted to use. We hung out at the finish celebration for awhile, I got this great picture http://www.asiorders.com/view_user_photo.asp?EVENTID=60074&PWD=&ID=95183338&FROM=photos&BIB=4530 and then Steph and Amanda helped me carry my stuff home so that we could go and enjoy lunch at Lauriol Plaza. Jess even joined us.
The rest of my day and the next day is pretty boring. There was a lot of stretching and napping. I wasn't too sore, but really tired. Almost immediately after I finished the race, I knew that I would be doing another. It's hard to get over a high like that.
I have a few more thoughts that I want to include on this blog, but I'll save that for a final post.
Finally, it was 8:48am. That's 20 minutes after my scheduled start time, but again, the entire race was delayed due to the rain. I stood with a large group of women, 30-34, all of us wore dark green swim caps, and most of us were in wetsuits. Nothing really seemed too scary at that point. I knew what I had to do. I wasn't going to quit and (quite possibly most importantly) I knew that I was capable of finishing the entire thing.
As we made our way down to the dock, there was a lot of excitement. We all started joking with each other, clapping, letting out shouts. It was exciting!
I had no fear jumping into the Potomac this time. When the horn/gun/whatever that sound was went off, I just started swimming. There were arms and legs and commotion everywhere. I tried to just keep my stroke strong and remember to site.
The first 400 meters went by so quickly. The course was shaped like the Washington Monument, so it came to a point on one edge. (I really thought it was pretty lame, but the announcer kept pointing it out.) Right before I got to the "point" I swam under Memorial Bridge. I tried to take a minute and look at the underside of the bridge. I remember thinking, how many people don't get to see the bridge from this angle and how many people and cars have crossed that bridge. It was a pretty cool moment.
Once I turned the corner at the 600 meter mark, I started to notice that I was mostly still with the dark green caps. Thank goodness! I started to notice a few orange caps which was the wave ahead of us. However, that group contained women in their 50s or 60s, so I was mostly impressed that they were taking on the challenge of a triathlon. There also started to be a few blue caps around me, being from the wave after me. Oh well, can't beat everyone.
The back stretch wasn't so bad, but I started to get bored. For instance, there was a woman that kept running into me. I nicknamed her "the tank." (To be fair, I might have been running into her, but it's easier to think that I was the one swimming in a straight line.) I did get kicked in the face. It only knocked at my goggles a little and let in some water. Luckily, it was not a big deal.
Here are some photos from the swim, again compliments of Steph.
 |
| It wasn't nearly as chaotic as it looks. |
When I had gotten into the water, I kind of had to go to the bathroom. I decided that I would follow the advice of more seasoned triathletes and just go in the river. So as I got to the last 100 meters I realized that it was now or never if I was going to wet myself. Sadly, I couldn't do it. I don't know if it was psychological or if it's just too hard to keep kicking your legs and pee at the same time, but I got to the swim out without having relieved myself. (I apologize to my mother for admitting that on the Internet.)
I got out of the water with no problem and was easily able to pull down my wet suit to my waist and start jogging to transition. My cap and goggles didn't want to come off so easily and you can see a great picture of it here: http://www.asiorders.com/view_user_photo.asp?EVENTID=60074&ID=95140254&FROM=photos&BIB=4530
I swear, I didn't feel as exhausted as I look here: http://www.asiorders.com/view_user_photo.asp?EVENTID=60074&PWD=&ID=95154061&FROM=photos&BIB=4530
They had a light sprayer set up. The idea was that it would lightly rinse you off before transition. However, at this point, I think the rain was coming down harder than the mister, so it didn't really matter. It did make for a great photo op that Steph managed to catch.
By this point, transition was mostly a mud field. As I ran to my bike, I think I saw a few men who were already finished. That was a bit disheartening.
I got to my bike, peeled off my wetsuit, and put on my bike helmet. I grabbed my extra towel and started to dry my feet prior to putting on my socks. However, I quickly realized that at that second, there was absolutely nothing in my life that was dry. So instead, I just wiped off the mud and put on my socks and shoes. I decided to skip the sunglasses since 1) it was pretty dark and 2) they would just get rained on and that could make it harder to see. As I was putting on my gloves (because I'm kind of a wimp and can't ride more than 10 miles without them) I realized that I had been in transition for what felt like a really really long time. I grabbed by bike and started jogging out of transition.
This picture http://www.asiorders.com/view_user_photo.asp?EVENTID=60074&PWD=&ID=95178682&FROM=photos&BIB=4530 makes it look like I was walking, but I swear I was jogging!
Before the mount line, I heard someone call my name and saw my former TNT staff person and new colleague at work. It was SO GOOD to see friendly faces.
Once I got on my bike and started pedaling, things went really well. I consistently passed a few people and a few passed me, but I felt like I was keeping a really good pace. My rate of pedaling was steady and I was able to shift with no problem. (Thanks to the guy from the Bike Lane.) Our course was somewhat narrow in some places, which made me really nervous about the no drafting rule and trying to pass. I didn't see any crashes, but apparently there were a few.
We biked to Maryland, almost to 495. It went by so fast! As I was riding, I couldn't tell if it was raining, there was water dripping off of me, off of other people, or if water was being kicked up from other bikers. Needless to say, it was just wet, Wet, WET!
For the parts of the ride in DC, it was so awesome to go through stop lights and ride through the tunnel on the Whitehurst Freeway. Again, I started thinking about how few people had the opportunity to see everything from this angle.
One of the most amusing parts of the bike ride was seeing those riders who had flats. Not the people who were changing their tubes, but rather, the people who were unable to fix their bikes on the course and had resorted to picking up their bikes and running with them back to transition. That's a real triathlete.
During the bike, there were so many great people, just out on the streets, or on walks, that happened to see our race. I loved it when people would stop, clap, and call out "Good job, bikers!" It was so encouraging.
Here are links to two of the photos that the pros took:
http://www.asiorders.com/view_user_photo.asp?EVENTID=60074&PWD=&ID=95197724&FROM=photos&BIB=4530
http://www.asiorders.com/view_user_photo.asp?EVENTID=60074&ID=95207128&FROM=photos&BIB=4530
When I got close to transition, I noticed that everyone was doing stuff. I looked around me and tried to think about what I should be doing. Then I realized that they were all un-clipping and and unfastening their shoes. Seeing as I was too uncoordinated to wear biking shoes and clip in, I really had nothing to be doing.
I was so excited when I got back to transition! I knew that I was done with two-thirds of the race and although I am not a strong runner, I would get through the rest of this. I was even willing to walk the entire 10k. However, I quickly remembered that my socks and shoes were soaked completely through to the skin. I was about to "run" 6 plus miles in wet shoes and socks. Awesome.
I can't lie. The run was a-w-f-u-l. Terrible. I hate it. HATED. IT.
It was within the first mile, that I heard someone call my name and shout out encouragement. It was my old friend Amanda, standing in the rain as a volunteer. Again, it was seeing a familiar face, smiling at me and cheering me on, that really kept me going.
Just after passing mile one, I let myself walk for about 45 seconds. In terms of breathing and overall energy, I felt pretty good. But my shins, ankles, feet...pretty much everything below my knees hurt. Now, I know that some of this was because I need new running shoes. I realized that I needed new shoes about a week before the race. I thought that running with old shoes would be the lesser evil when compared to running with new shoes. I'm not so sure I made the right decision.
There were several things that were great about the course of this run. First, there was water and Gatorade every mile. Even if I didn't need any hydration or nutrition, it made for a fun game trying to get it. If I only took a few sips and dumped the rest on myself, it was still awesome. Next, there are always interesting people on the mall. On Sunday, September 12th, there happened to be a lot of Tea Partiers invading the mall. We ran straight down 14th to Constitution and they stood there and stared at us like some kind of freak show. (The annoying thing about these people and tourists in general is their inability to judge time and space. So as the triathletes ran down 14th and the tourists tried to cross 14th, there was the constant risk of a collision. They crossed the street so slowly and without regard for the fact that people were running a race!)
The course took me down and around Haines Point. I had to pause and tighten my shoe laces in the hopes that it would help the pain in my feet. My socks and shoes were still soaking wet. Haines Point is actually a beautiful run. It's nice and flat. There were a few people here and there, cheering.
I really loved that anytime I passed (which didn't happen often) or was passed (which happened quite frequently) by anyone else wearing a TNT tri suit, there was an automatic greeting of "Go Team!" It was a wonderful distraction and an excellent way to encourage and be encouraged.
Here's a few photos of me on the run.
http://www.asiorders.com/view_user_photo.asp?EVENTID=60074&ID=95206133&FROM=photos&BIB=4530
http://www.asiorders.com/view_user_photo.asp?EVENTID=60074&ID=95168151&FROM=photos&BIB=4530
http://www.asiorders.com/view_user_photo.asp?EVENTID=60074&PWD=&ID=95203094&FROM=photos&BIB=4530
In these pictures, you can tell as I get closer to the finish line because my smile gets bigger, and bigger and BIGGER.
Right around mile 6, I saw two of our coaches and my TNT staff person. They just started shouting. I got a high five and kept running.
It's hard to describe the scene and the feeling for the last mile. There were a lot of people around. Some were there to cheer us on and others were also racers, who had completed the event and made their way back to cheer on those of us who hadn't finished yet.
As I got closer to the finish line, I could not keep the smile off of my face. Not only was I guaranteed to finish this thing (that I wasn't sure I could,) but there were so many people lining the streets. Even though none of these people knew me, they would make eye contact with me, shout encouragement to me, cheer me on to the finish line. How could I not smile in that circumstance?
As I got to the finish line, I felt like I was going to start crying. (In retrospect, I think I was too dehydrated to cry much.) Here's me crossing the finish line: http://www.asiorders.com/view_user_photo.asp?EVENTID=60074&PWD=&ID=95150480&FROM=photos&BIB=4530 and http://www.asiorders.com/view_user_photo.asp?EVENTID=60074&ID=95158807&FROM=photos&BIB=4530.
As I walked from the finish line, I got my bottle of water and more importantly, my finishers medal. I heard shouts to my right and it was my wonderful friends Steph (from earlier) and Amanda. They cheered and hugged me and I thought they might want to cry with me. It was so wonderful that my friends were willing to come out in terrible weather, sit on a wet curb, and cheer me on across the finish line.
I went to walk around the barrier to talk to Steph and Amanda and right in front of me were my coworkers and friends Kelli and Katie. I was shocked! It took a long time to get there and as I mentioned, the weather was terrible, but they made it out. I couldn't have been happier.
It took me some time to make it around the barrier, return my timing chip, getting the shiny plastic stuff that keeps you warm, and get some Gatorade, but when I did, we got these great pictures.
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| I don't look so good, but I was on SUCH a high. |
The rest of the day was a little bit of a blur. I couldn't quite put together full thoughts or kept forgetting names or couldn't think of specific words that I wanted to use. We hung out at the finish celebration for awhile, I got this great picture http://www.asiorders.com/view_user_photo.asp?EVENTID=60074&PWD=&ID=95183338&FROM=photos&BIB=4530 and then Steph and Amanda helped me carry my stuff home so that we could go and enjoy lunch at Lauriol Plaza. Jess even joined us.
The rest of my day and the next day is pretty boring. There was a lot of stretching and napping. I wasn't too sore, but really tired. Almost immediately after I finished the race, I knew that I would be doing another. It's hard to get over a high like that.
I have a few more thoughts that I want to include on this blog, but I'll save that for a final post.
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Race Weekend Part II or RACE DAY!
Sunday, September 12th
I woke up briefly at 3:00 AM. Otto and I walked to the kitchen to make sure his food and water were still there. (They always are, but we still check.) I went back to sleep.
My alarm went off at 4:30 AM. I have never been good at packing in advance. But, when I have enough time, I can be quite efficient packing in the morning. It's true for any trip. So even though my bathroom looked like this on Saturday night, I had my lists and was in a good position to have everything ready.
Transition did stay open for an extra 20 minutes and during that time, the rain lightened to a mild mist. However, that did nothing for my already soaked transition towel. You can't see it very well in this picture, but every single item in this photo was wet, wet, wet. I did have enough forethought to cover my shoes and socks with a plastic bag, but more about that later.
I woke up briefly at 3:00 AM. Otto and I walked to the kitchen to make sure his food and water were still there. (They always are, but we still check.) I went back to sleep.
My alarm went off at 4:30 AM. I have never been good at packing in advance. But, when I have enough time, I can be quite efficient packing in the morning. It's true for any trip. So even though my bathroom looked like this on Saturday night, I had my lists and was in a good position to have everything ready.I looked outside. It was raining. Well, it wasn't so much raining as it was misting. Everything just looked damped. I really didn't think it would be so bad. I would be wet for the swim and a good portion of the bike, so why did it really matter? Ignorance really can be bliss.
So here's what getting ready involved:
- Getting "dressed" in my tri suit. (But first, I had to apply body glide to any part of skin that would touch my wet suit or a seam on my wetsuit or tri suit or any part of skin that might touch any other piece of skin. This means I was pretty much covering myself in body glide.)
- Packing up my mostly dried wetsuit with cap and goggles.
- Applying sunscreen to my face. (Little did I know how unnecessary that effort was.)
- Packing 1 towel to lay all of my stuff for transition on and a smaller towel to wipe off my feet during T-1.
- Tucking my running shoes and favorite socks in my bag.
- Putting a change of clothes (pants, t-shirt, hat) into a plastic bag and packing it into my larger bag.
- Filling 3 bottles of water (2 for the bike, 1 extra) and adding them to my bag.
- Adding body glide, powder, 2 gels, nutrition bar, and chomps to my bag.
- Layering an extra t-shirt and jacket on top of tri suit.
- Packing my helmet and sunglasses. (Again, the ridiculousness of sunglasses wouldn't strike me until later.)
- Eating some low fat cottage cheese, plain oatmeal with some frozen mixed berries mixed in. (The entire time I was getting ready, I considered making coffee. I really wish I had just committed and made the darn coffee.)
After all of this, I put on my flip flops, told Otto to wish me luck and headed out the door.
When I first got outside, there was a gentle mist floating through the air. It felt good. As I walked toward West Potomac Park, there was a guy a couple of feet behind me who was obviously also on his way to compete in the triathlon. We struck up a very nice conversation. His name was John. He was an attorney from New York and this was definitely not his first tri. As we walked, the rain started coming down, harder and harder. By the time I got to transition, it was raining.
I picked up my timing chip, strapped it to my leg, and went to re-find my bike. Everything seemed so clear and easy. I was no longer nervous about the race. There was nothing else that I could do to prepare physically. I only had the things that I brought with me. It was time to put four months of training into action.
By now, the time was about 6:00 AM. It was raining a full-on, going to soak everything on this green earth kind of a rain. I wasn't completely sure what to do. In theory, I should be setting up my transition, but the sooner I did that, the sooner everything I had with me would be soaked. So I just stood there. I chatted with the women around me. And we stood there getting wet. The woman next to me told me that while she was in the port-a-potty, it was warm, dry, and didn't stink yet. She thought of staying in there until the rain stopped, but decided that would be selfish and a little bit ridiculous. Transition was supposed to close at 6:55 AM, so by 6:40, I finally bit the bullet and just set-up all of my stuff in the pouring rain.
They had been announcing that the start of the first swim wave (which was scheduled for 7:00 AM) had been pushed back 15-20 minutes but it was still unclear if transition would stay open for longer. So there everything sat, in the rain, getting wetter.
Transition did stay open for an extra 20 minutes and during that time, the rain lightened to a mild mist. However, that did nothing for my already soaked transition towel. You can't see it very well in this picture, but every single item in this photo was wet, wet, wet. I did have enough forethought to cover my shoes and socks with a plastic bag, but more about that later. The extra t-shirt that I was wearing (and planning to wear prior to my swim wave in order to stay warm) was completely soaked and useless at this point. I donned by wetsuit in an effort to stay warm and headed out of transition as it was about to close.
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| Transition in the misty morning. |
I ran into my new TNT friend Teresa. She was eating her breakfast consisting of two hot dog buns and a banana. Why? Because that's the breakfast she ate every Saturday during training. It worked fine for four months of training, so would she have changed for race day?
We stood in line for the port-a-potties and that's where we heard the National Anthem and a few words from Mayor Adrien Fenty who was also competing in the race.
The rest of the hour and twenty-eight minutes before my swim wave was spent trying to stay warm, dodging from tree to tree to avoid the rain, and watching the other swim waves start. That's where the true entertainment of the day was, watching other swimmers. It's amazing how many people can't swim in a straight line AND don't learn to site in open water. We watched one guy swim 50 meters, stop and hang onto the kayak for about 5 minutes. Then he started swimming and from the sidelines, we all cheered. But then we realized that he was definitely not swimming in a straight line and it appeared as though he was swimming straight across the swim course. Finally, I realized that he was swimming to the 100 meter buoy and he proceeded to cling to the buoy for another few minutes. During this time, there were at least another two swim waves that passed. Once he let go of the buoy, he swam another 25 meters or so and again, grabbed on to one of the kayaks. Either this poor man had not done nearly enough training or he was having such significant panic issues that continuing did not seem prudent. I'm not sure if he was finally able to continue or ended up dropping out of the race.
Ok, it was at this point that Teresa (who was in the swim wave after mine) and I realized that we were getting very close to our swim times. We headed up to the swim corrals and I said good-bye and wished Teresa good luck with her race. As I turned to join the ranks of the other dark green capped swimmers, who should I see, but my very dear friend Stephanie. She had made it out, early in the morning while it was raining to watch me race. I gave her the biggest hug I possibly could without sending her tumbling backwards. It was so good to see someone who was there for me. This picture, the only one of me moments before entering the Potomac is compliments of Steph.
I think this post has been long enough, so I'll save the actual race for tomorrow night.
Monday, September 13, 2010
Race Weekend, Part 1
This weekend was such a wonderful blur! It's hard to separate actual events from emotions, but I'm going to try my hardest to recount the weekend with a little bit of both.
Friday, September 10th
It was a pretty normal day at work, despite the fact that I could not stop thinking or talking about the weekend ahead of me. Luckily, all of my colleagues were very gracious and encouraging.
I ended up staying later at work than I had wanted and didn't make it to packet pick-up at the Washington Hilton until about 6:30pm. The pick-up line and expo area were virtually empty. Apparently, not many people were able to plan ahead.
I did manage to take a pretty good athlete ID picture, if I do say so myself. (Yes, feel free to order prints.) Hopefully, this is as close as I ever get to a mug shot. I also wandered around a bit, checked out some expensive merchandise, sampled some Muscle Milk and picked up my finished t-shirt.
After packet pick-up, I had a wonderful dinner (yum, Ethiopian!) with my old friend Katie. She was so encouraging and supportive. Thanks, Katie! It was a great start to the weekend and with all of that walking, I slept like a rock that night.
Saturday, September 11th
My alarm went off ridiculously early in an attempt to mimick the events on Sunday morning. My first thought: Happy Birthday, Emily! Second thought: Wow, it's been 9 years since 9/11/01. Third thought: Crap, I'm competing in a triathlon tomorrow.
I had some time to kill, so I laid on the couch for a few hours and "rested" my eyes. Then I started making lists. They included: things I would need for that day's bike racking and practice swim, things I would need to do that night, and the things I would need for race day. Making lists relieved some of the anxiety. Maybe I should make lists more often in my normal life.
Ok, so once I'd packed up my cap, goggles, wet suit, towel, change of clothes, bike number, and helmet number, I got into my tri suit, grabbed some water and food, raised the seat on my bike, put on my gloves and helmet and pedaled my way to transition. Yes, all of this was by completed by 11:20 AM.
Once I found transition, got marked with my numbers, and got into transition, it seemed really big and scary.
I'd had some trouble with my back shifter on the way over, but the helpful bike mechanics from the Bike Lane smoothed it out and gave me some tips for the next day.
I had some time to spare before our scheduled swim practice, so I met up with some of my fellow teammates from Team In Training and we proceeded to pose and take some pictures.
After our photography fun, I walked down to the swim area to get a better idea of how terrible the waters of the Potomac were really going to be. Truth be told, it didn't look so bad and there was virtually no smell! (Yes, Lucy. No milfoil.)
Here are a few pics to show how things looked.
Friday, September 10th
It was a pretty normal day at work, despite the fact that I could not stop thinking or talking about the weekend ahead of me. Luckily, all of my colleagues were very gracious and encouraging.
I ended up staying later at work than I had wanted and didn't make it to packet pick-up at the Washington Hilton until about 6:30pm. The pick-up line and expo area were virtually empty. Apparently, not many people were able to plan ahead.
I did manage to take a pretty good athlete ID picture, if I do say so myself. (Yes, feel free to order prints.) Hopefully, this is as close as I ever get to a mug shot. I also wandered around a bit, checked out some expensive merchandise, sampled some Muscle Milk and picked up my finished t-shirt.
After packet pick-up, I had a wonderful dinner (yum, Ethiopian!) with my old friend Katie. She was so encouraging and supportive. Thanks, Katie! It was a great start to the weekend and with all of that walking, I slept like a rock that night.
Saturday, September 11th
My alarm went off ridiculously early in an attempt to mimick the events on Sunday morning. My first thought: Happy Birthday, Emily! Second thought: Wow, it's been 9 years since 9/11/01. Third thought: Crap, I'm competing in a triathlon tomorrow.
I had some time to kill, so I laid on the couch for a few hours and "rested" my eyes. Then I started making lists. They included: things I would need for that day's bike racking and practice swim, things I would need to do that night, and the things I would need for race day. Making lists relieved some of the anxiety. Maybe I should make lists more often in my normal life.
Ok, so once I'd packed up my cap, goggles, wet suit, towel, change of clothes, bike number, and helmet number, I got into my tri suit, grabbed some water and food, raised the seat on my bike, put on my gloves and helmet and pedaled my way to transition. Yes, all of this was by completed by 11:20 AM.
Once I found transition, got marked with my numbers, and got into transition, it seemed really big and scary.
 |
| Looks good from the front, right? |
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| My bike all racked and ready. |
I had some time to spare before our scheduled swim practice, so I met up with some of my fellow teammates from Team In Training and we proceeded to pose and take some pictures.
 |
| Demonstrating my skill on the aerobars. |
 |
| Showing off my sweet muscles and bib number. This pose never gets old. |
Here are a few pics to show how things looked.
 |
This is the walkway to the swim in.  |
I also have to share a quick picture of these buoys. There were so many comments about their size and quantity. Apparently, most triathlons don't have 10 foot tall buoys marking every 100 meters. (Just for a size comparison, those little dots in the water are the heads of people swimming.) Who knew?
I was excited for my swim practice. I had already done a couple of open water swims, but there was something about the Potomac was particularly terrifying.
 |
| Wetsuits look good on no one. NO. ONE. |
I only swam for about 400 meters. The first 50, I really thought I was going to vomit. I could only see about 12-15 inches in front of me and I realized that I felt so awful just because I was thinking about how disgusting the river was...but it wasn't! So once I got over the fear of just being in the Potomac river, I calmed down and the swim went really well.
After the day's excitement, I still had to go home, shower and get ready for the Inspiration Dinner. During the dinner, everyone who has participated with that event's Team In Training loads up on carbohydrates and cries. We got to hear the touching story of a little boy from Texas named Gage who was diagnosed with Leukemia and everything that his family had done and all the money they had raised for LLS. It was a sob-fest.
I finally got home around 9:15pm. As I laid down to try and get some sleep, I was really pleased that the day had been so busy. I'm sure that if I hadn't been utterly exhausted, I would not have gotten such a wonderul nights sleep.
Those are the details of Friday and Saturday. I'll share the damp details of race day in part two!
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Almost Go Time
It's the day before the race. I have my lists. I'm rounding up my stuff. I have to rack my bike in a couple of hours and a practice swim later this afternoon. Tonight is the pasta dinner and as much sleep as I can get. There's no turning back now. More to come....
Friday, September 10, 2010
FREAKING OUT
For real, I am perpetually on the verge of a panic attack. I'm getting overly nervous about all of the details and logistics which is causing me to question if I can actually do this darn thing. More later....
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Here's the message I wrote to my local friends who might come and watch. Feel free to pretend that you are a local.
First, I want to again say thanks to everyone for your financial support and encouragement as I have been training. It means more than you can possibly know.
Next, since you are all local and I know that some of you are excited to watch on Sunday, I want to share all of the details about my race day. Feel free to forward this message to others who know me and might be interested in watching or buddy up with anyone copied on this message.
What you will need to bring:
camera
spare camera
signs, posters, home-made t-shirts (all cheering me on!)
copy of the course map (if you're planning to move around)
a strong voice for shouting encouragement
umbrella/rain coat (as it's forecasted to rain)
I have attached to this message, a map of the course. (Here's a link to the website as well http://www.thenationstriathlon.com/course-overview.html.) As you can imagine, it will be difficult to drive to the event. There are parking lots right nearby, but I would not recommend planning to park there unless you are arriving at 4:30 AM. I also understand that there is parking available at Arlington Cemetery and then you can just walk across the bridge. Also, since it's Sunday, all parking meters in DC are free. So find a parking spot on the street and walk on over or just plan to take the metro.
On the map, you will see that recommended viewing areas are marked with a pink V. There are also special Team In Training cheering sections. Feel free to plant yourself in one of these areas, or create a plan for moving from one section of the course to another. I've broken down the details of my race below.
Swim Start
I will be "hanging out" in the swim corral (near the swim start) from 6:55 AM when the transition area closes until approximately 8:28 AM (which is my swim start time.) The first swim wave is at 7:00 AM. I'm not sure how crowded the area will be (I'm guessing very) but feel free to find me in the swim corral to get some sweet photos of me in the very flattering wetsuit that I hope to be wearing. If you would like to see me enter the nasty waters of the Potomac, here is my specific info:
Swim wave 23
8:28 AM start
dark green swim cap
bib number 4530
I'm anticipating that the swim will take me 45-60 minutes.
Bike
Yes, I'll be wearing a helmet. Yes, I'll be wet. Feel free to take photos. I don't think I need say anymore about this part.
Assuming that I keep a good pace and nothing tragic happens (like a flat) the bike will take me 90-100 minutes. My bib number will still be 4530.
Run
Here's where it gets ugly. I am not a strong runner. Based on my training, the run will take me 65-75 minutes. You can see on the map that the run circles through part of the District, moves out to Haines Point and then back to the finish line. I am going to need all the encouragement I can get along the run! The more often I see friendly faces, the better. Again, my bib number is 4530.
Finish
I'm sure it's going to be chaotic, but if you came out to watch me, I'd love to get the chance to see and talk to you at the finish, take some pictures, cry a little bit, etc.
Please let me know if you have any questions, need more details, etc. I'm really looking forward to this weekend, but (like most things) won't be able to get through it without a little help from my friends.
Thanks!
Melanie
Next, since you are all local and I know that some of you are excited to watch on Sunday, I want to share all of the details about my race day. Feel free to forward this message to others who know me and might be interested in watching or buddy up with anyone copied on this message.
What you will need to bring:
camera
spare camera
signs, posters, home-made t-shirts (all cheering me on!)
copy of the course map (if you're planning to move around)
a strong voice for shouting encouragement
umbrella/rain coat (as it's forecasted to rain)
I have attached to this message, a map of the course. (Here's a link to the website as well http://www.thenationstriathlon.com/course-overview.html.) As you can imagine, it will be difficult to drive to the event. There are parking lots right nearby, but I would not recommend planning to park there unless you are arriving at 4:30 AM. I also understand that there is parking available at Arlington Cemetery and then you can just walk across the bridge. Also, since it's Sunday, all parking meters in DC are free. So find a parking spot on the street and walk on over or just plan to take the metro.
On the map, you will see that recommended viewing areas are marked with a pink V. There are also special Team In Training cheering sections. Feel free to plant yourself in one of these areas, or create a plan for moving from one section of the course to another. I've broken down the details of my race below.
Swim Start
I will be "hanging out" in the swim corral (near the swim start) from 6:55 AM when the transition area closes until approximately 8:28 AM (which is my swim start time.) The first swim wave is at 7:00 AM. I'm not sure how crowded the area will be (I'm guessing very) but feel free to find me in the swim corral to get some sweet photos of me in the very flattering wetsuit that I hope to be wearing. If you would like to see me enter the nasty waters of the Potomac, here is my specific info:
Swim wave 23
8:28 AM start
dark green swim cap
bib number 4530
I'm anticipating that the swim will take me 45-60 minutes.
Bike
Yes, I'll be wearing a helmet. Yes, I'll be wet. Feel free to take photos. I don't think I need say anymore about this part.
Assuming that I keep a good pace and nothing tragic happens (like a flat) the bike will take me 90-100 minutes. My bib number will still be 4530.
Run
Here's where it gets ugly. I am not a strong runner. Based on my training, the run will take me 65-75 minutes. You can see on the map that the run circles through part of the District, moves out to Haines Point and then back to the finish line. I am going to need all the encouragement I can get along the run! The more often I see friendly faces, the better. Again, my bib number is 4530.
Finish
I'm sure it's going to be chaotic, but if you came out to watch me, I'd love to get the chance to see and talk to you at the finish, take some pictures, cry a little bit, etc.
Please let me know if you have any questions, need more details, etc. I'm really looking forward to this weekend, but (like most things) won't be able to get through it without a little help from my friends.
Thanks!
Melanie
Sunday, September 5, 2010
Where will you be at 8:28 AM on Sunday, September 12th?
I personally will be in the nasty waters of the Potomac getting ready to swim my little heart out wearing bib number 4530.
For anyone who might be interested in viewing the full course map, you can find it here:
http://www.nationstri.com/course-overview.html
If you happen to be in the DC metro area on the 12th and plan to come and cheer me on, I've also included a link to the detailed course map below. You'll notice that suggested viewing areas are marked with a "V" and there are also specifically designated Team In Training cheering areas. Really, I don't care where you are, but it would be great to see friendly faces along the route. http://nationstri.com/assets/images/NT-2010-course-map.pdf
Also, I have a very special request of anyone who bothers to show up on race day...TAKE AS MANY PICTURES AS YOU POSSIBLY CAN!!! Although this race includes professional photographers, I need as much documentation of this event as physically possible.
There's not much I can do anymore in terms of training. The next seven days are just tapering and getting prepared mentally...7 days and counting!
For anyone who might be interested in viewing the full course map, you can find it here:
http://www.nationstri.com/course-overview.html
If you happen to be in the DC metro area on the 12th and plan to come and cheer me on, I've also included a link to the detailed course map below. You'll notice that suggested viewing areas are marked with a "V" and there are also specifically designated Team In Training cheering areas. Really, I don't care where you are, but it would be great to see friendly faces along the route. http://nationstri.com/assets/images/NT-2010-course-map.pdf
Also, I have a very special request of anyone who bothers to show up on race day...TAKE AS MANY PICTURES AS YOU POSSIBLY CAN!!! Although this race includes professional photographers, I need as much documentation of this event as physically possible.
There's not much I can do anymore in terms of training. The next seven days are just tapering and getting prepared mentally...7 days and counting!
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