Popping Over the Pond

I will be taking a few days off from training to head to Ireland for my cousin's 50th wedding anniversary. It is so exciting; I can hardly stand it. They don't know that my mom, my niece and I are coming so it will be a big surprise. I doubt I'll get any swimming in and I am not bringing my bike. But I hope to do lots of running on the back, country roads of the Emerald Isle. It's always a little bit of a concern... taking time off from training but I am in good shape going into this little respite. My next race is the 3rd week of July and my big race of the season is the 4th week of July. My "peak" is planned for then but you never can be sure of how that will go. You can only plan and do your best come race day. But there's a little bit of time between now and then and in the meantime, there is more family to enjoy.
Happy 4th of July to all and I'll write more when I return.

What's A Girl To Do?

No race this weekend... strange after doing 2 back to back weekends. Bordering on boredom? But rest is equally important in training. Not that I am the "rest" type but not competing is considered rest, sort of.

I had a great swim tonight at my local recreation center. I have been practicing drills because my swim coach, Takao, told me that I bend my knees too much. So I have been trying to kick with straight legs. Gosh, it feels so un-natural. Such a metaphor for life.... trying to re-learn something that I have been doing incorrectly for years.

More rain on tap for the weekend so bike ride is doubtful but I will get a couple of good runs in. Fun weekend planned. Going to visit my mom this weekend for her friend Petie's birthday party, and also going to a High School graduation party for my niece, Jasmine. A photo of her and one of her friends is included. She's on the right. My friend Abigail is joining me for both so a very social, fun weekend. So to answer the question... what's a girl to do without a race? I guess spend time training and being with loved ones. Sounds good to me!

Back to Back

Just came back from another race, this time south of the Mason Dixon line. Billed as a mountain sprint, it did not disappoint. Asheville, North Carolina is spectalarly beautiful at 4000 feet elevation. Flat calm swim in a 75 degree man made lake. Major climbs at miles 3, 6, 11 and 16 separated the pack on the 17.5 mile bike ride. Trail running around the lake, dodging tree stumps and creeks on the 5K run. Closest I'll ever come to Xterra on the run. FUN FUN FUN. Very different from the races I am used to. Quite challenging. Nice people, gorgeous weather, pristine mountain surrounding and to boot, I took 1st place in my age group with a 1:55 finish. The prize was a bar of homemade soap, as Asheville is a pretty big hippy dippy natural place. The photo is my fan club. My cousins and mom were present to cheer me on for this one and it made the win that much more special. A big shout out and a resounding "Happy Birthday" to my cousin, John. Love all you guys!! Thanks for the awesome cheering and support.

And the Winner Is....

.... ME!!!!! I can hardly believe it but I won in my age group and was the 12th female overall. Must be the new bike color and the snazzy OCRF uniform. I didn't even feel like I had my best race but I guess it was good enough. The race director even gave a big shout out to OCRF and my 50x50 campaign. It got a huge round of applause and felt really good.

The video is of my transition area. I thought it would be fun to add a "training tip" since I have a few friends who are joining the sport this year. The pre race photo is taken at sunrise and the last photo is my podium shot with my award and a bonus container of electrolyte powder.

What a big boost of confidence for the altitude of North Carolina next week. Bring on those Blue Ridge Moutains!

The Time Has Come

First triathlon of the season in 48 hours! YIKES. Just like I wrote before the half marathon, I always get cold feet before my racing season begins. And COLD is the word for the weekend. I will be jumping into the Great South Bay in Islip and current water temperature is hovering just below 60 degrees. I had hoped to get an open water swim in to boost confidence but with the icky weather of the last few weeks and my dog's passing, it has not come to fruition. Oh well, so it goes. I have to assume most folks will be in the same boat. Anyway, I am using this weekend's race as a warmup, training race. The following weekend's race in NC will be bigger and harder, especially at higher elevations that I am not used to.
If you find yourself in the area of Islip, come on over to the marina and cheer me on. Watching a triathlon is always fun for all.

Good bye Sweet Girl

Meet my long time companion of 17+ years, Dagny. Yes, 17 years... that's not a typo. She was really old and up until about 3 months ago was completely healthy. Just goes to show the importance of diet, exercise and a healthy lifestyle.
Training had to take a screaming halt this weekend because I had to help Dagny leave her earthly body and move on to the next chapter. It is never easy being a pet owner because sooner or later, this time comes. It was one of the hardest things I ever did but it was necessary and peaceful; she died in my arms.
I was fortunate enough to have the vet come to the house so I didnt have to disrupt Dagny or torture her with a visit to the vet clinic. Towards the end she also hated car rides so this was definitely the better option. Dagny came to me when she was 6 weeks old and she has been my best friend ever since. I will be left with a large void in my heart. "See you on the other side, sweet pea."