T Minus 3

So in a little less than 3 weeks, I am going to attempt to do something I have not done before... compete in 2 triathlons back to back in 2 days. On May 15, I will race in New Jersey and on May 16, I will race in Maryland. Of course, in between will be the driving. So I have a feeling on Monday, May 17, I might be a little tired. Both are sprint distances so I am pretty sure I will complete them. But I know me... I am a little competitive. And even though I may say that I am just going out for the training and I hope to finish and not be injured in any way... something strange happens when the gun goes off. And I have to race as hard as possible and do as well as possible. Competition brain takes over and it's all about the finish line.
That being said, the main goal is to finish well but finish healthy. I have a long season ahead of me and I need to preserve my body. So I will attempt to treat these 2 races like training days and go out and enjoy myself. I will be the ambassador for ovarian cancer and hope to raise awareness along the way. That's really what this is about.
But I know me... today I am concerned about racing back to back. But when the gun goes off, I will be concerned about passing the next woman in front of me.

Training Someplace New

I had to attend and teach at a convention in Lake Placid this past weekend. WOW... was it ever pretty up there! Serious elevation, located in the Adirondack Mountains, I could feel the pressure on my lungs as soon as I arrived. This provided a small glimpse into what I will encounter in Flagstaff when I race. Just a glimpse though as Flagstaff is at 7000 ft and Lake Placid is at about 4000. Ugh... big difference. But let's focus on the positive. It was an opportunity to do a little training at a higher altitude than I am used to. FYI- the town I live in on Long Island is actually one foot BELOW sea level.
I worked out 2 times while I was gone. One morning I ran around Mirror Lake, which is the area where the 1980 Winter Olympics were held. It was a lovely morning with the fog coming off the lake and a slight chill in the air. It felt terrific but I did notice the difference in my breathing. The second workout was in the gym of the hotel because it was pouring outside. I just didn't feel like being cold and wet. Did I tell you it snowed for most of the weekend? Really and I'm not kidding.
So there you have it. A change on venue, a change of altitude. It's all in a day's training and it's all good.

You Can't Buy Integrity At Sears

That's a quote from my father-in-law and I have always loved it. Basically it boils down to doing the right thing because once you don't, you can't take it back. Once you lose someone's trust, it is almost impossible to regain. Pretty deep for 6:30 am. But I just got a confirmation email from the race director in Colorado about refunding my entrance fee. You'll remember they changed the date of the race and didn't notify the participants. I found out by accident and immediately requested a refund. The problem was they have a "no refund" policy. Policy...shmolicy! They changed the date!
It would have been terribly dishonest for the race company to use these standards of practice. Integrity lost. As it is, I am leary about ever signing up with this race company again. But at least they are honoring my request and refunding my much needed race fee. I wonder how many other folks are in this situation and have no idea the race date has changed? How many folks will show up on the wrong day?
Heck of a way for a race company to make money.... Synical this morning. Sorry.

Change of Plans

So by accident I was going through my schedule and decided to click on the race website for the CO race on July 24th. Guess what? They changed the date! It's scheduled for August 7 now. They didn't email to tell me; they just changed it. That's never happened to me before. UGH! That messes up the whole west coast trip and plans of combining AZ and CO in one week. So after several hours of scrambling and trying to find another race, I am switching gears and racing in Utah instead. Colorado will have to wait for next year. It all worked out but it was total madness for a few hours while I googled races, states, maps, cars, flights etc... all the logistics that comes with trying to accomplish this goal of all 50 states. Yeah... it looks easy but the logistical piece of it is quite challenging. So all is well now and I will still have 19 states completed by the end of the season, just not the ones I originally planned.

No Amount Too Small

Iffy forecast for the weekend but I hope to get in a decent day of training tomorrow. I took yesterday off as a recovery day. Important to rest... or so I am told.

A big shout out for all the recent donations! Thanks but we need more. I think there is a mis-perception that if you can't donate a bunch of money, it isn't worth it. Nothing could be further from the truth. PLEASE... $5, $10 donations are great too. If you could ask 5 people to donate $5, that is as good as you donating $25. My goal of $100,000 is lofty but possible if we can get everyone on board.

Please consider forwarding this link to anyone who might be interested in making a difference. We are very close to a method of early detection and need more funding. All of your donation goes to Ovarian Cancer Research Fund. NONE of it goes to me and my racing efforts. That's all on me.

Please help me fight this disease. No one has to die if we can find a method of early detection. Enough said.

Finally the Photos

Sorry it took all week but getting back late on Monday, I jumped back into the fire at work this week. It's late Friday night and I am finally getting a chance to upload my photos and video. I've had a great week, basking in the enjoyment of my 2nd place finish. It was such a great time in Vegas and the warm sunshine on my body did me a world of good. As you can see from the photos, I had some support in Vegas. My mom and my cousins from San Diego (Janette and Butch) met me for the race. My friend, Tanya, lives there and was able to come and join me for an overnight after the race. Sometimes going to the races can be kinda lonely and boring so to start the season off with all this love and support, gave me wings. Thanks everyone, especially my mom, who is the world's best sport. I really appreciate all she does so that I can be stress free on these trips. So that's the news for now. Back to training, although no race until May. Please keep those donations coming and do consider asking your friends to help. If we could ask folks to donate $5, it would really add up.